Chapter 391: Strata Magic School (3-2)
Strata Magic School is divided into four semesters.
Spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Each lasts three months, but classes are only held during spring and fall.
So what about summer and winter?
They're vacation periods, times for rest.
When I first heard about it, I couldn't wrap my head around it.
Spending half the year on break, then cramming everything into a five-day school week...
Is that any way for an educational institution to operate?
'Goddamn, I'm jealous...'
[...]
'Ah, crap. I said that backwards.'
It's just thoughts in my head, so why do they keep getting tangled up...?
There was a reason Strata's vacations were so long.
Strata opens its doors equally to everyone.
From nearby nations to slash-and-burn farmers barely scraping by at the continent's edge...
Anyone who passes the entrance exam can become a Strata student.
'Though if you're born a slash-and-burn farmer, you'd probably never even encounter magic in the first place...'
Strata's program lasts a total of three years.
No matter how good the school's welfare is, no one wants to be separated from their family for three straight years.
To account for that, Strata made the break semesters three months long.
A consideration for students from far away.
But even those three months weren't that long in this continent's standards, without modern transport.
A world where the only options are horses and carriages.
Even riding nonstop, reaching the continent's edge takes an insane amount of time.
And you can't even count just the one-way trip at three months.
It's round-trip, so students from distant places often had no choice but to stay at Strata, swallowing their tears.
'Well... if you came from that far, Strata probably feels like paradise anyway.'
The dorms varied by rank but were generally nice, and the meals were luxurious.
Some students even stayed on purpose to grind their studies during breaks.
Strata was the ultimate path for commoners to make it big.
And ironically, that's exactly the position I was in right now.
To the other students, I was a commoner from some far-off land who barely scraped into Strata.
The kind who couldn't easily head home.
By the original plot, I should've been the pitiful one left at Strata, watching the backs of students heading to their families.
Yeah, I definitely should've been one of those students stuck at Strata...
'But staying at Strata with Luna and fucking all day sounds pretty great too?'
[It's already too late.]
'Fuck...'
I'd accepted Louis's invitation and was now riding in a carriage with him toward the Levin Kingdom.
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
The rhythmic sound of hooves and wheels on the road filled the air.
The carriage I was in was fancier than any I'd seen so far.
The interior wasn't just clean—it was opulent. Even the cushions I was sitting on were comfier than anything produced back in the modern world.
A carriage built for long journeys.
I hadn't expected much when Louis invited me. I figured it'd be some shabby setup.
But I'd overlooked one key fact.
Louis was a noble.
We'd made a bet on exam rankings, and he lost.
And the stakes were...
(From heading to the Levin Kingdom all the way through your stay with my family, I'll treat you like nobility. All expenses on me. How's that?)
An invitation to his family and noble-level treatment.
Louis had proposed it personally, but his words carried the weight of his house.
His family's pride outweighed his own ego.
That part was fine.
'Keeping his word is good and all... but what the hell is this?'
The real issue was elsewhere.
This carriage was luxurious and comfortable precisely because it was for long distances.
And the cost of renting one like this varied wildly by season.
Strata lived up to its reputation as the world's center with sky-high prices.
Renting a long-haul carriage for an extended period in a place like that?
Especially during peak summer break season?
Not just the price, but they limited how many one person could rent due to scarcity.
Louis had booked one long-haul carriage.
Theoretically, that meant me, Luna, and Louis riding together.
But Luna wasn't here.
'Sigh... if it was just me and Luna instead of that asshole.'
[Estimated travel time: 5 days... No need to be so impatient.]
Originally, it was just supposed to be me, Luna, and Louis.
But some unexpected companions wanted to join.
Sonya and Karl...
They both had business in the Levin Kingdom, so they tagged along.
Naturally, Karl pulled strings for an extra long-haul carriage. Luna was riding with the Friedrich couple now, following behind mine.
That much I could understand.
'As long as that prick isn't alone with Luna, it's tolerable... but...'
I sighed inwardly at the man across from me, smirking as he watched me.
'Why the hell is this guy tagging along?'
[I don't know...]
The dean, sitting in the carriage, started smiling humbly as he alternated glances between me and Louis.
"Heh heh, it's been ages since I left Strata."
"Haha..."
"..."
I was heading to the Levin Kingdom in a carriage with Louis and the dean.
Two protagonists from the same world, stuck in the same space.
And an extra wedged between them.
Beings existing solely to farm Enel, gathered in one spot.
Louis had kept his mouth shut from the start, silently staring out the window.
It might seem rude, but the dean didn't mind.
Louis staying quiet was a relief for me too.
Talking to that guy always led to blood-boiling conversations.
But the problem was...
"..."
"..."
Why did the dean keep smiling at me every time our eyes met...?
'Even if he's the affable, friendly type, I still hate smiles from dudes...'
Me, Louis, the dean.
An ironic situation where beings toxic to each other were sharing a carriage.
Then, the fast-moving carriage suddenly slowed, coming to a full stop.
Wondering what was up, the coachman knocked on the window.
Louis regally opened the glass, listening intently.
"It'll take about six hours to the first village. Best to eat here ahead of time. What do you say?"
"Do it."
"Yes, sir."
The coachman wasn't from the Louis family.
But his experience with noble clients showed in his calm, seamless preparations.
The trailing carriage stopped too, and the coachmen efficiently set up a table and meal.
'Whoa... worth every penny. Not just transport.'
Four coachmen total.
They moved like elite butlers from some training course.
'Drive well, handle meals... probably fight decently too?'
One had a sword at his hip, so he was likely skilled.
As I admired them, Luna's group started disembarking from the rear carriage.
Luna in her Strata uniform.
God, I'd missed her.
I gazed longingly at her, and she looked back with a puzzled expression.
"...?"
It had been over a month for me, but only a day for her.
She probably found my emotional reunion stare weird...
But from my side, the sentiment was different.
And the problem was, I couldn't flirt with her openly right now.
Too many eyes.
'Sigh... we'd fit perfectly alone in a carriage.'
[Louis wouldn't allow that.]
'Hmph, too late for you, you bastard. Luna's mine.'
But the bastard didn't know that.
And with the dean, Sonya, and Karl along, I had to be cautious.
Tall trees rustled, their leaves painting natural landscapes on the earth with sunlight as brush and ink.
Sunbeams filtering through the leaves held a dizzying, captivating charm.
A table was set under the trees, and one coachman approached to explain.
"We'll prepare the meal while you sit. Call if you need anything."
Louis nodded curtly, like he owned the place.
But someone else responded kindly to the coachman.
"Looking forward to the meal."
The dean smiled, expressing anticipation.
The composed coachman lit up with joy at the dean's words, bowing ninety degrees.
"Hup... I'll, I'll do my absolute best!"
No way.
The calm coachman was suddenly tearing up.
"Hahaha, no need to feel burdened."
"Gasp! Such consideration! Thank you!"
He whispered proudly to the others.
"Hear that? He spoke to me! You hear?"
"Whoa... jealous... Wish he'd talk to me..."
"He's radiating light..."
Light? It's just sunlight on him.
'What, are they cultists or something...'
[No different from cultists. To them, the dean's practically a saint...?]
Less faith in gods, more in people.
Not a living hero—a living legend.
Honestly, only Louis and I weren't fazed.
I was just chill; Louis looked annoyed at the coachmen's fuss, like his pride was bruised again.
The rest here weren't much different from the coachmen.
Karl, Sonya's husband, humbly addressed the dean.
"Impressive. First time seeing Strata coachmen this excited."
"Heh heh heh... Probably tense from seeing our students."
Did his ears age without the rest of him? They straight-up said they admired him.
Karl smiled tensely at the humble dean.
"Truth be told, I'm excited too. Never dreamed I'd meet you like this..."
"Heh heh heh... I'm grateful you let an old man like me tag along."
"D-Dean..."
"O-Old man...?"
"Heh heh heh..."
The dean's looks: early thirties.
Karl Friedrich: mid-forties.
To an outsider, it'd look like a young superior pranking his elder subordinate.
That's how it looked to me...
After that, we ate the coachmen's meal and boarded again.
The coachman bowed to the dean—not his employer Louis—and clearly outlined the schedule.
"Six hours to the next village. Any stops you want, we'll detour!"
"Heh heh heh, no. Just get to the village before sunset. Drive safely, don't worry about me."
"We'll do our utmost for safety! No— we'll ensure your safe arrival!"
Were these the same elite guys?
Louis quietly ground his teeth watching.
"Grind..."
Louis was footing the bill.
Yet anyone could see the dean as the boss.
Karl, the other employer, didn't scold them.
He watched like it was natural.
In this world, it was.
Even with a king present, all eyes would be on the dean.
'Kings are just mortals who die eventually.'
Thinking that, I boarded my original carriage.
Luna glanced my way from afar, flashing a subtle smile.
With the dean and Louis, private chats were tough.
We'd have to settle for eye contact during the ride.
Her smile after a month was still stunning.
'...Wanna grope her tits.'
[...]
Suppressing my urges, I boarded and closed my eyes quietly.
'Stuffed anyway. Time for a nap.'
With that thought, eyes shut, I waited for departure.
Someone boarded.
But...
'Huh? Departing? Sounded like just one person...'
By sound alone, only one boarded.
No way... no way...
I cracked my eyelids with hopeful eyes, peeking at the seat across.
The figure there smiled at me.
"Finally, just the two of us."
The dean's smile welcomed me.