Jamie, with Flameli honey smeared on his face and limbs, cautiously approached the Flameli nest.

The rest of the group hid at a distance, watching the scene unfold.

“Didn’t he apply too much honey? He looks like a mud monster.”

“I heard you need to apply that much for it to work.”

“Really? Heh-heh-heh.”

While Jamie’s companions snickered, Noah kept his eyes fixed on Jamie and the Flameli beehive.

Jamie reached the beehive.

Then, with the dagger he was carrying, he quickly sliced off a portion of the Flameli nest.

Bzzzzzz—

Sensing something wrong, the Flameli emerged from their hive.

They were twice the size of normal bees, with yellow and red bodies.

“Whoa… so many are coming out of the hive!”

The boys who had been snickering took a step back.

Noah watched intently, gripping his sword tightly, ready to draw it at any moment.

Jamie also froze at the sudden swarm of Flameli, but soon relaxed.

The Flameli truly weren’t attacking him.

Slice, slice, slice.

After hastily cutting off a piece of the beehive, Jamie scurried back to where his companions were waiting.

“Amazing.”

“He really got it!”

“What did I tell you? I said they wouldn’t attack.”

Jamie boasted proudly as he sucked the honey from the piece of beehive he’d brought back.

“Wow, it’s so rich! The smell is completely different from what I applied to my body.”

“Do you feel any effects?”

“I’m not sure yet, but it definitely makes me more alert.”

The fresh Flameli honey was so potent that even those nearby could smell it. It seemed likely to have special effects.

Despite what Dillen had told them, Jamie’s group began to wonder if the Flameli honey actually did have beneficial properties.

“I want to go next!”

“Me too!”

“Hey, be careful not to get hurt. We have plenty of honey to apply.”

The others also slathered honey all over their bodies.

This was to avoid being attacked by the angry Flameli that were now buzzing loudly.

One by one, they went to the hive and returned, immediately consuming the honey they had collected.

“Wow, this really wakes you up.”

“It must have effects because it’s honey gathered by magical creatures.”

Jamie grinned. Then he turned to the last remaining person.

“Now it’s your turn.”

Noah briefly looked toward the Flameli.

With each visit from the group, the angry buzzing of the Flameli swarm had grown fiercer, and now it seemed to vibrate the very air.

“Hey, there’s nothing to be afraid of. You saw it. If you apply this, they won’t attack you.”

“…Okay. I’ll do it.”

“That’s more like it.”

Jamie grinned and took out a new bottle.

“Here. I’m giving you a fresh bottle so you can apply extra. Put on plenty.”

Noah applied the honey from the bottle to his cheeks and body. After preparing, he carefully approached the beehive.

Jamie and his gang, watching from afar, snickered.

“The stuff he applied is fake, right?”

“Of course.”

Jamie smiled, recalling his conversation with Dillen.

“Give only that little Noah fake honey. Then he’ll be the only one showing up to tomorrow’s competition all swollen.”

“That would be hilarious! But is that all? I thought there would be something more impressive.”

“This is just to make the impressive thing even more impressive.”

Dillen had said with a grin:

“If this works and then the Viscount’s plan succeeds too, that Noah kid will never be able to hold a sword in public again.”

Everyone would be puzzled when only Noah showed up swollen from Flameli stings.

‘That’s when we’ll casually spread some rumors.’

Then both the children here and the people who came to watch the martial arts tournament would laugh whenever they saw Noah.

‘He went that far just to win?’

…they would say.

“The psychological damage would be no joke. If it were me, I’d want to hide from embarrassment.”

“And that will make the Viscount’s plan even more likely to succeed.”

‘I can’t wait!’

This would not only strengthen his connection with Dillen and Viscount Gallard, but also eliminate a competitor who was certain to rank high, improving his own ranking.

‘There’s no reason not to do this.’

The others who followed Jamie thought the same.

Just fail already.

Without you, I’d be in second place.

Under the gaze of the boys with their malicious smiles, Noah approached the beehive.

Bzzzzzz—

The Flameli swarm was thoroughly agitated after repeated damage to their nest.

‘Maybe the honey I applied won’t help either.’

Noah had known this from the start.

While the others had taken turns coming and going, Noah had quietly observed them and the Flameli.

Thanks to this, he had noticed another disguise method that worked on the Flameli.

‘Something’s been odd. Even if the Flameli don’t attack people with honey on them, they should have seen us taking their honey, so why haven’t they chased us to our hiding spot?’

Maybe it was because of that?

Noah plucked nearby grasses and stuck them to his body.

“What’s he doing?”

“Don’t know. Is he crazy?”

Jamie’s gang whispered from their hiding place.

Meanwhile, Noah pressed soil and grass onto the honey he had applied to his body. After that, by lying flat on the ground, he could disguise himself as part of nature.

He crawled forward, carefully approaching.

Even if it took time, he went around to the back, finding a gap in the Flameli’s surveillance.

Soon after, without needing multiple cuts, he harvested a portion of the beehive in one go. The entire process of extracting himself was quiet and smooth.

“……”

The watching group was dumbfounded.

“Hey… is this okay, Jamie?”

“This is impossible.”

Jamie double-checked the bottle he had given to Noah.

It was definitely fake, right?

The Flameli should have been attacking wildly rather than recognizing him as one of their own.

‘What’s with this guy!’

Why is he succeeding?

And without getting stung even once!

“Hey, what do we do? We’re going to fail at this rate.”

“…The beehive. Let’s make the beehive fall.”

“Attack the beehive?”

“Yes. Then even that disguise won’t help. What are you waiting for? Hurry and cast a spell before he gets back!”

One of the boys who could use magic quickly chanted a spell.

He aimed at the upper part of the Flameli nest, which glowed even in the night.

“Wind Cutter.”

Swish!

The blade of wind shot by the boy half-cut the branch from which the beehive hung.

As the branch gradually split under the weight of the beehive…

Thud! …Bzzzzzz!

The beehive fell heavily to the ground, cracking and getting crushed.

Extremely angry Flameli poured out from inside. There were so many that despite their bright colors, they appeared almost black.

They spotted Noah retreating.

“…!”

Noticing something wrong, Noah quickly got up from his prone position.

He needed to flee quickly.

Bzzzzzz!

The Flameli swarm fiercely pursued him.

“Run away!”

Noah shouted to his companions in hiding. If they stayed, they wouldn’t be safe either.

But for some reason, the boys watching Noah were smirking.

“…!?”

The moment Noah sensed something was wrong.

“Ice Bolt!”

One of the group cast a spell.

Not at Noah, but at the ground where Noah was about to step.

Noah, running at full speed, stepped on the frozen ground and slid sideways with a crash.

“Hahaha!”

Jamie’s gang held their stomachs, laughing at the sight.

Noah, who had fallen, froze as he saw the Flameli swarm rapidly closing in.

Without aura, it was difficult to fight such a swarm with just a sword.

“Ugh…!”

Finally, as he raised his arms to at least protect his head.

“I told you I’m on your side.”

Noah’s eyes widened at the figure that appeared like an arrow.