Alucard had calmed himself by the time he arrived at the training ground with Mimosa. Having already been here a few times with Mero and Fuegoleon, they were somewhat used to the sweltering heat.
Noelle and Yuno looked particularly uncomfortable as another eruption from the volcano shook the ground beneath them. Their magic was also suppressed since this area was a Grand Magic Zone of Fire.
Because of that, water and wind mages would be at a disadvantage. Fire mages, however, got a massive boost since Mero and Leopold had never looked better. Everyone else was in various stages of melting.
"Alright, see that over there?" Mero pointed to the top of the volcano as everyone nodded. "You have until sunset to get to the top. No flying, good luck." That was all the help she gave them before she started attacking them, giving them no other choice but to climb.
While the Captains were able to conjure a layer of mana skin to help with the heat, not everyone was able to pull that off, such as Asta. Of course, Mero wasn't a monster, so if the path was covered in lava, you could fly over that, but not much else.
Of course, Alecdora and Langris had extra against them since Alucard had neither forgiven nor forgotten.
He personally wrapped them in thick earth armor that weighed them down before sending them up. "Aren't you being too harsh? They are our seniors, and Langris is the Vice-Captain." Mimosa questioned.
He shook his head. "No. As our seniors, they should know better than to put down the others of our squad; they have let pride go to their heads, something that can get them and others killed during battle."
Seeing he wouldn't be changing his opinion anytime soon, Mimosa started on her own trek up the volcano, taking time to heal anyone who got splashed by lava while sticking close to Noelle.
Watching Yami and the others push ahead, Alucard started making his way up the volcano. Since he was the closest to the level that Captains were, he was able to use Mana Skin to quickly pass most of the knights.
Every so often, he'd stop and check on certain individuals, however. Asta and Yuno needed no help since both had figured out how to climb, but Mimosa and Noelle needed occasional assistance since their magics were being suppressed so aggressively.
Mero, for the most part, stayed towards the back. Constantly yelling at anyone who lagged behind or didn't put in enough effort. Her job became easier, though, when Yami and Charlotte reached the halfway point, as monstrous creatures emerged from the lava to attack everyone.
From then on, Alucard and Mero took their time to make sure no one fell into the lava or was killed by a creature too strong for them. Asta and Yuno seemed to excel in the high-stakes environment as they kept improving and even killed several monsters on their way to the top.
Of course, Alecdora and Langris were having a tougher time, but determined not to embarrass themselves even more, they charged ahead so as not to be left behind. For the Blue Roses, only Sol had followed her Captain the entire way to not let her be 'left alone with savage men.'
As an Earth Mage, Sol was doing just fine climbing the volcano with the help of various golems. She would have been a great help in keeping the lava monsters at bay, but her singular focus seemed to be on following Charlotte, so the rest had to rely on themselves.
Leopold actually did very well as he rallied the members of the Crimson Lions, getting them to work together to take down larger monsters, while also supporting the knights who were lagging behind.
Of course, it wasn't like any of this was easy.
Several knights had to be taken off the trail after getting splashed by lava. A few would have scars until the day they died; one may not survive, as Alucard personally teleported him to the Capitol for treatment.
Regardless, right as the sun was beginning to set, everyone finally made it to the summit of the volcano. Other than a few, most of the knights present collapsed as soon as Mero gave them permission to rest. After a half-hour of rest, she forced them back up as she started another round of shouting.
This time however, she tried to encourage them rather than break them down. She pointed out ways they could improve their use of their various magic types or how they could figure out Mana Skin.
Alucard didn't bother with any of that. He merely dispelled the bulky armor weighing down Alecdora and Langris before standing at the edge of the volcano, staring into the lava.
Watching the magma slowly sink back into the dungeon hidden under the volcano felt calming, especially after the mess with the Stranger. Alucard watched as the magma finally left as the stars emerged.
"Horrible day, you lazy rats! Be thankful I'm letting you enjoy this!" Mero suddenly shouted as water shot into the air behind her. Asta's voice could be heard yelling in excitement as the crater that was full of lava started to fill with water.
The excitement froze when Mero demanded everyone strip and jump in, but Sol quickly erected a barrier dividing the men and women as everyone jumped in.
"Hey, I said no men allowed!" Sol snapped as she saw Alucard settle next to Mimosa. He said nothing and ignored her as Mimosa shot her a glare. "He's not here for you. Can't you see he's taken?"
Sol grumbled but still placed herself between Alucard and Charlotte. Noelle wanted to wade over to them, but Mero stopped her and made her sit next to her as the older knights gossiped.
"I still can't get over how nice this feels." Mimosa purred as she sank deeper into the water. Alucard groaned in agreement as he felt all his worries sink into the hot water. For a good hour, everything was peaceful, until he felt Yami start to move, and shouting was heard from the men's side.
Sol must have sensed it as well, as she got up to throw them off the wall, but Alucard moved quicker. With a splash, a winding water dragon emerged from the hot springs and punched Yami back onto the right side of the wall.
The other men who'd joined him to try and peek over the edge backed down as the dragon sat on the wall, watching them silently. They wouldn't be brave enough to try anything for the rest of the night.
After that excitement, Mero brought out the wine and gave it to the adults. Though Charlotte refused, she did pass out after realizing that Yami was on the other side of the wall naked. Sol actually ignored her Captain for once as she kept trying to get Noelle to join their squad.
"Are you two behaving?" Mero asked as she waded over to Mimosa and Alucard. Mimosa nodded as Alucard cracked open an eye to glance at her. "I'm planning on staying here another two weeks before the Royal Knights exam. What about you guys?"
"I'll stay. I need to get stronger, I'm tired of being left behind." Mimosa said as they looked at Alucard. "I'll stick around. Don't expect me to protect them the entire time, though. I'm here to relax."
Nodding, Mero took another swing of wine before offering them the bottle. Mimosa declined as usual, but Alucard reached for it and took a deep drink of wine before passing the bottle back and sinking even further into the water.