The Mercenary Queen Strikes Back (Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 31

14:00 Sat, Jun 6

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

This time, the survival training was set in a stretch of untouched wilderness in Wodisen.

Because of its unique geography, Wodisen still preserved vast tracts of uninhabited forestland.

A few scattered villages sat near the edge of that forest.

The school bus carried Nova and the others to Dawton Town.

When they arrived, the students climbed off the bus one after another.

“That,” she said, “is the entrance to your survival area. You can decide for yourselves when to begin.”

In other words, the school and the teacher’s job ended here.

From this point on, everything was up to the students.

“Thank you, madam,” Maxwell said politely.

The teacher’s expression softened with pleasure.

Feeling in a good mood, she decided to share a little insider information that the students weren’t supposed to know.

She said, “Once you enter the forest, your phones will lose all signal. Remember to keep your safe.

“If you lose them by accident, or if something dangerous happens, don’t panic.

walkie–talkies

“The school secretly hired a few people to blend in with the students–just to make sure you’re safe. So you’ll be fine.”

The teacher suddenly realized she had said too much. She quickly excused herself. “Well, I’ll be off then.”

After she left, Maxwell gathered his group for a short meeting. “We’ll be out there for seven days. We need enough food and water to last. I see everyone brought backpacks.”

“Let’s take a look at what we’ve got, shall we?” he suggested.

Nova stood a little apart, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully.

From the teacher’s slip of the tongue, she’d learned that the school had secretly hired people to pose as students for protection.

That, more or less, explained why Damien Thorn and Aiden were here.

The Shadow Sanctum–the world’s top assassin organization–wasn’t limited to contract killings.

As long as the price was right, they would take on protection or rescue missions, too.

1/6

14:00 Sat, Jun 6

Chapter 31

75

55 vouchers

If that was the case, the school clearly had no concerns about student safety during this survival trip.

Because the Shadow Sanctum was already among them, hidden in plain sight.

Nova thought to herself, ‘Damien Thorn holds such a high position, so why would he suddenly show up at a small school like Saint Laurel Royal Academy?

The last time I tricked him, I only escaped his hunt by sheer luck. Could it be that he took this mission on purpose–to finish the job and kill me?

Her eyes turned cold.

Even so, after all her years as a mercenary, Nova had never been afraid of anyone.

“Nova, your turn,” someone called out. “Show us what’s in your backpack.”

Every student carried a large, identical pack–the school had issued them the night before and required everyone to bring one, fully packed.

They were meant to hold food, water, tents, sleeping bags, and other survival gear. Even with all that space, it was barely enough.

Now, everyone except Nova had already laid out their supplies for Maxwell to check.

Only hers remained closed.

Maxwell walked up to her.

Nineteen pairs of eyes fixed on Nova, watching her every move.

She reached up, grabbed the zipper on her shoulder, and in one swift motion, unzipped the bag and dumped everything onto the ground.

The moment everyone saw what was inside, their eyes widened in disbelief.

Unlike the other nineteen students, whose packs overflowed with food, water, sleeping bags, and tools, Nova’s gear was shockingly minimal–just two military knives and a medical kit.

“Are you insane?” Hannah blurted out. “You didn’t bring anything? Just two stupid knives and a med kit?”

She stared at the knives and the kit lying silently on the ground, utterly dumbfounded.

Then she exploded, “We’re staying out here for seven days. How are you gonna survive without food? Are you out of your mind?

“I don’t care if you starve, but don’t even think about touching our supplies. Not a single bite, you hear me? You don’t deserve it.”

Hannah was so angry that her whole body trembled.

The rest of the group looked at Nova as if she were an idiot, hurriedly gathering their food and water back

2/6

14:00 Sat, Jun 6

Chapter 31

into their bags–just to make sure she didn’t get any of it.

They all looked as if they were afraid Nova might steal from them.

A 75

Sophia, too, was stunned that Nova hadn’t brought any food or water–only those useless–looking items.

Still, she forced a smile. “It’s okay, Nova. I brought plenty of snacks. We can share later.”

“No need.” Nova replied flatly, rejecting her kindness without hesitation.

Then, as if deliberately responding to Hannah’s earlier insults, she added coolly, “Only the weak bring enough food to feel safe in the wild. I won’t need a single bite or drop of water from any of you.”

With that, she stuffed her two knives and the medical kit back into her pack, turned around, and strode straight toward the forest.

Her words were harsh, but none of the students dared to argue.

Because, in truth, she wasn’t wrong.

Those who truly aimed to survive in the wild wouldn’t rely on excess supplies.

Watching Nova’s figure disappear among the trees, Maxwell didn’t react like the others.

Instead, he frowned deeply, lost in thought.

Finally, he said, “Everyone, pack up. We’re moving out.”

The group gathered their things and followed behind Nova and Maxwell, heading into the woods.

The forest was thick and lush. Even under the blazing sun, the dense canopy let through only faint, scattered rays of light.

The air was damp, heavy with the smell of soil and moss, making it hard to feel at ease.

They pressed deeper into the forest.

At first, near the outer edge, they still came across other student groups.

But after two hours of walking, not a single human shadow remained in sight.

“We should find a place to camp for the night,” Maxwell said, scanning their surroundings.

With years of wilderness training under his belt, he had sensed something strange from the moment they entered the forest–a lurking, unseen danger hiding in the dark, waiting for the right moment to strike.

It was precisely because of that unease that he made the suggestion.

“Max is right. We’ll do as he says,” someone agreed immediately.

Everyone nodded, placing their trust in Maxwell’s judgment.

3/6

14:00 Sat, Jun 6

Chapter 31

His authority within the group was strong–unquestioned, even.

AG

75

Only Nova stood her ground, glancing around before saying firmly, “This area isn’t safe to stay in. We need to keep moving before nightfall. It’ll be dangerous after dark.”

At Saint Laurel Royal Academy–and even within their small group–Maxwell’s word was law.

No one ever defied him.

Nova’s warning, on the other hand, sounded almost rebellious, as if she were deliberately going against

common sense.

The moment she spoke, every head turned toward her, their gazes sharp and accusing.

Julian, a senior member of the Free Combat Club who’d always thought fairly well of her, tried to smooth things over.

He said, “Nova, it’s not that we don’t trust you, but Max has real experience out here. We should probably listen to him.”

Caleb chimed in, laughing lightly. “Exactly. Just stick close to Maxwell, Nova. Remember, we’re here to have fun, not fight for our lives.”

Hannah and Claire, however, were far less forgiving.

Hannah already held a grudge against Nova, and Claire had always been jealous of Nova’s looks..

Now that Hannah knew Nova hadn’t packed any food, her resentment only grew stronger.

Hannah snapped, “Can you stop acting crazy for once? Just shut up already.

“I was right about you–you ruined Mom’s life, got Grandma killed, and now you want to drag us all down with you?”

Claire scoffed in agreement, “You always have to be the center of attention, don’t you? Why should we trust you? Who do you think you are?”

Sophia stood by helplessly, too timid to speak up, though her anxious eyes darted between them, silently worrying for Nova.

Truthfully, if it weren’t for Maxwell, Nova would never have agreed to travel with this group in the first place.

At that, she lowered her gaze and said evenly, “Suit yourselves.”

‘If they wanted to walk straight into danger, why should she stop them?‘ she wondered.

Among all of them, only Maxwell seemed to take Nova’s words to heart.

“Alright, enough,” he said. “Let’s keep moving. If we can find a cave or a rock shelter, we’ll set up camp there. If not, we’ll think of something else.”

4/6

75

14:00 Sat, Jun 6

Chapter 31

Taking advantage of the remaining daylight, the group pushed forward through the thick woods.

Ten minutes later-

“Ah.” Sophia, who had been walking at the back, suddenly screamed.

“My hand is bleeding. I think something cut me,” she stammered, her voice trembling.

Out here, in an untouched wilderness like this, even a small cut could be dangerous.

Countless plants and insects carried toxins–and some could even be deadly.

Maxwell’s expression changed instantly. “Let me see the wound,” he said sharply.

But before he could even move, a blur of motion swept past him–Nova.

In a heartbeat, she was already beside Sophia.

Nova lifted Sophia’s injured hand and examined it closely.

The cut was jagged and fairly deep, blood still trickling down her palm.

One glance was all it took. Nova didn’t even bother to look around for the plant that had caused it; the shape of the wound told her everything she needed to know.

“It’s from an agave leaf,” she said calmly. “Non–toxic. Nothing to worry about.”

Without hesitation, she pulled out her medical kit and began treating the wound.

Her movements were precise and incredibly fast–she disinfected the cut, then wrapped a small bandage around it twice, sealing off the edges to keep dirt and bacteria from getting in.

The dozen or so students standing nearby watched her in stunned silence.

Even Maxwell, Hannah, and Claire, who all had real survival–training experience, were caught off guard.

They’d met skilled survivalists before. They knew how experts handled themselves in the wild. But this–this was different.

Out here, things could get risky for sure, but it wasn’t nearly the same as being some commando who had to keep patching up injuries every single day.

Even the most seasoned survival experts couldn’t match Nova’s effortless skill.

It looked instinctive, as if she had done this thousands of times before.

Realizing that sent a shiver down Maxwell’s spine–and through everyone else’s as well.

A single, uneasy thought flashed through their minds. ‘Could it be that this isn’t Nova’s first time doing survival training?

5/6

14:00 Sat, Jun 6

75

Chapter 31

15 voucher

‘Has she spent those missing years out there, patching up wounds over and over again, until it became second

nature?

6/6