Field Trip (2)
The field trip. Galimar Academy was notorious for its cutthroat competition, but even this merciless institution had occasional breaks. The school field trip was one of the prime examples. An annual event that never failed to appear each year. For the students, it was a rare chance to set down the heavy burden of academics, if only for a little while. Naturally, it drew a great deal of anticipation.
But.
Not every student received the same itinerary. As I explained before, Galimar Academy operated on a strict meritocracy. A distribution system based entirely on individual rankings. This same principle applied to the ‘field trip’ event as well. Depending on the class, the destination, budget, and mode of transportation varied wildly.
For instance, the bottom-tier Class F would be assigned a noticeably inferior resort compared to the top-tier Class B. It was a deliberate mechanism designed to fuel competitive spirit.
“Heh heh.”
Following that rule, Class A received the best treatment. The carriage we were currently riding in proved it. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary expensive carriage, but in reality, it was a magical artifact woven with countless intricate circuits. It had been specially designed to withstand magical forces.
The instantaneous teleportation portal, strictly managed by the Magic Tower. This carriage held the sole official license granted by the Tower’s notoriously strict elders to use that portal. In terms of transportation, it was the absolute pinnacle. If I were to compare it to my previous life, it was like being flown on a private jet just for a school field trip. Truly, there was no greater display of wealth.
“I’m experiencing all sorts of things in this life.”
No wonder the students were so obsessed with their grades. As I muttered to myself, Legia, seated across from me, quietly agreed.
“I-I was surprised. I’d only ever heard stories about portal carriages… but riding in one like this is really amazing.”
She seemed genuinely impressed by the new experience. Her green eyes sparkled with pure wonder. Especially when we had passed through the portal earlier and the carriage had instantly transported us to another territory—she had even waved her slender arms around in excitement. It was impossibly cute.
“I-I think I might be a little too excited…”
The coachman smiled faintly. Beside him, Emilia shrugged.
“Getting this worked up over something so small. Is this what they mean when they say commoners will always be commoners?”
“A-Are you used to this, Lady Emilia?”
“Of course. I am a Vanity, after all.”
“As expected of a great noble…!”
“Ahem. You may admire me a little more if you’d like.”
There were four people riding in the carriage. The snake, the coachman, the narcissist, and the fox. We chatted casually to pass the time. Even as we talked, the carriage rolled smoothly along, and the scenery outside the window raced by.
Some time later.
“By the way.”
Emilia spoke up softly. Her gaze was fixed on Irene, who sat beside me.
“I don’t think I’ve seen your face before? It’s not the first time, I suppose I’ve caught glimpses a few times, but…”
She seemed interested in the fox.
“Correct. She is my personal attendant.”
“A fox beastkin? How unusual.”
“Indeed, they aren’t a common race. We’ve rarely attended classes together, so it’s only natural that you wouldn’t be familiar with her, Lady Emilia.”
“Hmm.”
Her blue pupils slowly scanned the fox. The well-balanced, toned figure. The voluptuous chest. The sharp, chic gaze. The narcissist murmured under her breath.
“…You said the two of you live alone in the dormitory, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Just the two of you.”
Her blue eyes narrowed slightly. The girl spoke meaningfully.
“Then you must not feel lonely at all.”
“Of course not. Sharing your life with someone special is a truly meaningful thing.”
“Someone… special?”
“We have a rather unique relationship.”
A unique relationship. Emilia tilted her head as if asking what that meant. I answered proudly.
“I suppose you could say I’m in the process of taming her.”
“Taming? What does that mean?”
“It means forming a proper bond.”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s a concept too many people have forgotten these days.”
The girl’s expression grew dazed. I continued with my explanation.
“I work at it every single day. To build a proper relationship with Miss Irene.”
“E-Every… single day…?!”
“Hm? Is there some kind of problem?”
“H-How can you say something so shameless…!”
“Excuse me?”
Had I said something shocking? Emilia’s reaction seemed strangely off. She sputtered like a broken machine, her tongue eventually tying itself in knots. For some reason, her face flushed bright red.
“……?”
As I floated a question mark above my head, Irene—who had been silent until now—let out a deep sigh. She looked at me with clear disdain.
“Haah… I told you to fix the way you speak.”
“Suddenly?”
“You really are the worst. Honestly.”
“W-Why is everyone acting like this toward the young master…?”
It was absolute chaos. The fox shaking her head. The snake panicking. The narcissist blushing furiously. The coachman, completely lost in the conversation, sweating nervously. The carriage remained noisy for quite some time.
Some time passed, and the carriage finally reached its destination. The first thing to greet the children was a sharp, salty scent. Carried on the sea breeze, the distinctive aroma of the coast filled our noses. A refreshing coolness washed away the season’s heat.
The Blue City, Heiron.
A coastal city on the edge of the empire. It was also known as the most popular resort destination among nobles. Originally, it would have taken over a week by carriage to reach, but thanks to the portal carriage, we arrived in less than half a day. As expected, most problems could be solved with money.
— We have arrived at the destination.
— You must all be tired after riding in the carriage for so long.
— For today, please rest at the lodging.
There were no special activities scheduled for the first day. We simply carried our luggage into the reserved hotel, lay down on the beds, and shook off the fatigue of travel. We also took a light look around the facilities. The hotel boasted a luxurious atmosphere. I heard the entire facility had been rented out by the academy, which made for an incredibly comfortable environment. The fact that there were no outsiders except for the staff was also quite pleasing.
It felt somewhat excessive for only about twenty students… but good things were good things. Since it wasn’t coming out of my own pocket, I decided to enjoy it with an easy mind.
“Ahem.”
Anyway. The real field trip would begin the next day. The students were free to move about as they wished. There were no restrictions forcing them into groups; individual activities were permitted. If they wanted, they could simply hole up in the hotel and lazily kill time. It was literally a ‘vacation,’ after all.
I decided to relax a little as well. The same group that had ridden together in the carriage yesterday. We left the lodging early in the morning. We filled our stomachs with a simple meal at a nearby restaurant.
“How was it, everyone? The fish dish that was recommended as Heiron’s specialty.”
“It was delicious!”
“Yeah. Not bad.”
Two people gave positive responses. On the other hand, Emilia’s expression wasn’t very good.
“…Seafood really doesn’t suit my taste.”
“I see.”
It seemed the villainess had difficulty with seafood. The girl with the sullen look. I chuckled and said,
“Everyone has different preferences.”
“It looks like there are only seafood restaurants around the hotel… I’m worried about the next week.”
“I think cooking for yourself would be fine.”
“Cooking…?”
“If that is what you wish, Lady Emilia.”
I spoke with confidence.
“I can prepare something for you.”
“My palate is quite picky.”
“I have the skill to match it.”
“You’re strangely full of confidence. Your hands look so clean and pretty, like they’ve never touched water.”
“I didn’t know you thought my hands were that pretty.”
“…That’s not what I meant at all?”
In the end, I promised to show off my skills that evening. Perhaps it was because of her doubtful gaze. I intended to prepare a dish that would surprise them all.
We continued chatting amicably. Step, step—.
The path stretched out evenly. Because it was summer, the scorching heat was no joke. Though we seemed to be wilting under the hot weather, none of us stopped walking. We planned to cool off properly at our next destination.
After walking for a while, a blue backdrop soon came into view.
“We’re here.”
It was none other than the sea. A beach located near our lodging. We stepped onto it slowly. Crunch, crunch—.
The feeling of sand beneath our feet with every step. The wide beach was completely empty. It seemed Galimar had reserved this area in advance as well; we couldn’t see any other people. In short, it was just us.
“Whoa…!”
Legia, who had been looking around, let out a small gasp of admiration. A beautiful sight awaited before our eyes. Shaaaa—.
The emerald surface sparkling under the sun, water so clear you could see the bottom, a golden sandy shore. The sunlight pouring down shone especially brilliantly. We listened quietly to the sound of the waves for a moment.
“Hehe, shall we go?”
“Yes…!”
We left the fluttering summer behind and began walking. The path crossing the wide sandy beach. Not far away, we could see a changing room. The villainess and the protagonist, having spotted it, immediately went inside to change. It seemed the two of them had brought swimsuits to wear in the sea.
“Swimsuits… I didn’t even think of that.”
“Same here.”
On the other hand, Irene and I, who had brought nothing, simply sat there blankly. As we waited for the others to return, it didn’t take long for the two of them to approach us in their changed outfits.
“W-We’re back… Did you wait long?”
“It took longer than I expected.”
Both of them were wearing cardigans over their swimsuits. Thanks to that, most of their skin was covered. Since they had matched their outfits, the children began preparing to enter the water.
“You should warm up properly. We don’t want any accidents.”
“As thorough as always.”
“Hehe… Actually, I once got a cramp and almost had a really bad time.”
First, Legia loosened her body with some light stretching. She extended her arms fully, stimulating her muscles. As I quietly watched her swaying movements, I suddenly heard the sound of a zipper being pulled nearby.
“Huu.”
It was none other than Emilia. She was squatting in the shade. Ziiiip—. Her hand carefully pulled the zipper down. Between the slowly descending outer garment, the hidden pale skin gradually revealed itself. In her other hand, she held a bottle of sunscreen. It seemed she intended to block the UV rays before entering the sea.
“Ugh… It’s cold.”
She carefully spread the contents over her skin. But because both hands weren’t completely free, her movements didn’t go as planned. Especially her back—it was impossible. She looked like she needed help.
I promptly walked over to the girl.
“Lady Emilia.”
“Uuu… Why are you calling me so suddenly?”
“Would it be alright if I helped you?”
“What?”
Emilia furrowed her brows as if she didn’t understand what I meant. I added casually,
“It looks difficult to do alone. I thought I might lend you a hand.”
“……?”
Emilia looked up at me blankly. She seemed to be chewing over my words. And it didn’t take long for the girl to realize what I meant. A tremor appeared in her blue pupils.
“What do you think?”
I asked with a faint smile.