After a bout of silence between Raven and the instructors, while the students kept murmuring, the lead instructor pulled out a scroll, tapping it once for silence.
"Regardless," she began, "the trial begins now. All teams, listen well."
The clearing fell quiet, aside from a baby squirrel hiccuping dramatically into a thimble.
"The objective is simple," she continued. "Within this vast portion of Bestiary Mountain forest, hundreds of gem shards have been scattered. These gems are infused with subtle magical traces. Your task is to gather as many as possible."
"There are traps," added another teacher with the grin of someone who had personally placed those traps.
"Some areas are illusion-covered. Some have minor beasts. Some with more than one gem may even have more potent illusions or stronger beasts guarding it."
"Are you sure the squirrels can do it?" Rufus asked, and Raven turned toward the guy with a deadpan look.
