Just as a mother bird feeds its chick, it became natural to eat the salad Stella gave me, and she was feeding me as if possessed. But then, she came to her senses and opened her mouth.
“Yeah, so… what are you doing here, Senior Dinua?”
“Yes? Me?”
“Yes, Senior.”
Dinua, who had been watching me with envy as I ate Stella’s salad, widened her eyes when Stella called her name. She then began to look around, searching for an excuse. But the truth required no excuses.
“I, I just… I’m just here to play…”
“Lie.”
“Oh no! Really…”
“You came to the men’s dormitory at this hour just for that reason?”
“…Isn’t that the same for you?”
“…hmm that should be enough.”
Stella turned her head, agreeing with Dinua’s sharp remark. However, her suspicions about Dinua didn’t fade.
I spoke up to help her.
“She came here to form a team together.”
“Hey, Ian? Why would you say that…?”
“Oh, should I not have mentioned it, Senior?”
“Is that so?”
Stella, upon hearing that, glared fiercely at Dinua.
I tilted my head, watching the two of them, unsure why forming a team was such a big deal.
“Are you talking about the academy trip?”
“Uh.”
“Yeah, okay then.”
Stella didn’t ask me to join her team nor did she push Dinua away. She just quietly ate her salad.
Dinua, slightly bewildered by this, asked her, “Ian, aren’t you going to take him away?”
“Take him away? What do you mean by that, Senior?”
Dinua sighed with relief when she realized that Stella wasn’t trying to take me using her influence. However, Stella didn’t soften her gaze.
‘No way.’
Even as a lady from a duke’s family, she couldn’t alter the team composition this late. If nobles could intervene in the academy like that, they would have done so from the start.
After finishing her meal and tidying up, Stella stood up.
“Senior Dinua?”
“Yes?”
“It’s time to leave. How long are you planning to stay?”
“Ah…Goodbye, Ian. See you later.”
After they left the dorm, I lay back on the bed, feeling like my stomach was about to burst. Rolling around freely, I sniffed the air and noticed a spot on the bed with a strangely pleasant scent. For some reason, it was warm.
Instinctively, I rubbed my face on that spot, then opened my eyes as I realized it was where Dinua had been sitting.
‘…there it is again.’
With that realization, vitality surged back into my tired body. For a moment, I looked down at myself, now feeling vigorous to the point of discomfort, and cautiously made my way to the bathroom.
Soon, my room was filled with the scent of chestnut flowers once again.
* * *
The cadets were unnecessarily noisy.
That’s because today, we were going on an academy trip. I couldn’t recall if this was part of the original game or not. To be honest, I hadn’t remembered the story in detail—it wasn’t a game that relied on its plot.
‘It’s like a mass-production game.’
It was a game I mostly enjoyed for its illustrations. If there were too many words, I’d skip them. The battles were automated. Even though I knew how to clear it quickly, I never bothered to stop and watch the story.
Because of that, I sat in the classroom, clueless about where we were going.
Moments later, Oliver entered the classroom. As soon as he stepped in, he began checking attendance. After confirming that all the cadets were present, he handed out the briefcases he had brought.
“Today is the academy trip. Does anyone know what this means?”
“It’s a journey to hone our learning.”
“Yes, and do you know what our academy teaches…?”
Summoning.
And strategies on how to handle summons in battle.
“From now on, you will be observing summoners currently active in various regions. Hopefully, you’ll learn from real-world experience and gain insight into the lives of actual summoners.”
With that, he instructed us to check the envelopes he had handed out. Inside was a numbered wagon ticket and a blank piece of paper.
The cadets, confused about what it was for, looked to Oliver for an explanation.
“If you go out the front gate, wagons corresponding to your ticket number will be waiting. Get on them, and they’ll take you to various estates.”
I smirked to myself.
‘Just like that?’
What would happen if the cadets decided not to go to the estate and wandered off somewhere else? Even if it was an academy trip, this was still a real-world experience. Some frightened cadets might sneak off…
But as if reading my thoughts, Oliver added, “When you arrive at each estate, you’ll receive a stamp on your paper. And as I’ve mentioned before, for those who try to run away… I think you all understand the consequences.”
It seemed the academy had thought of everything. After explaining, Oliver instructed us to head to the carriages. I made my way to the academy’s main gate.
‘Carriage 13…’
As soon as I got on the assigned carriage, I was greeted by the bright scent of flowers.
“Oh, it’s Ian.”
“Late.”
“Hey, Ian…”
Inside the carriage, Noah, Stella, and Senior Dinua were already waiting. Seeing that lineup, I realized why Stella had given me such a look at that time.
While she couldn’t disband my team with Senior Dinua, she could still intervene.
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Yandere Syrah didn’t find out about this trip? But it was good move on Stella part to take Noah with her. Now it is less of breaking a date more like accompany on a journey. MC is still to lazy to at least try to learn more about curriculum, schedule for the school year and so on. Still stupid.
Thanks for chapter