Sudden Winter Camp
The lesson paused for a moment.
Aaron stepped outside the lecture hall to speak with the people from Kizen Headquarters, and while he was gone, Simon listened to Serne's story.
To sum it up, Serne had postponed her ascension to the Ivory Tower's throne.
She would continue attending Kizen, and only after formally graduating would she take the position of Tower Master. That was roughly the condition she had set.
"Hold on! So while you're at Kizen, what about the Ivory Tower?"
"Lord Daniela will manage things."
Daniela Villenne, leader of the Moderate faction, would serve as 'Acting Tower Master.' Hearing this, Simon was a little surprised.
"Surely people objected."
"Let them object. What are they going to do about it?"
Serne crossed her legs with an imperious air and gave the feather in her hand a lazy little flutter.
"My father is dead, so the Ivory Tower has no choice but to hang everything on me. Whatever I demand, they have no option but to grant it."
It was, in fact, the truth.
The recent crisis had dealt the Ivory Tower a devastating blow. They had barely salvaged their dignity by claiming credit for saving the Dark Alliance and Kizen, but the revelation that their own Tower Master had been a puppet of the Cabal had become public knowledge, and their brand image had cratered.
Even the Neutral Zone, which had originally intended to take them in, seemed to have scrapped every plan and gone back to the drawing board entirely.
The Ivory Tower wanted a powerful leader who could punch through this crisis—and the only person they could lean on was Serne, with her overwhelming talent and charisma.
She was an irreplaceable choice, and if she said she'd delay by two years, delay she must. She had grown far too substantial a presence to be restrained by something as flimsy as tower law.
"But if you stay at Kizen... the Radicals inside the tower will wither away completely in the meantime."
The 'Radical faction,' hostile to Kizen, had been Serne's power base. At Simon's sharp observation, she nodded.
"My, what an accurate guess."
"Is that all right? Or are you planning to make the Moderates your new base?"
Loraine, listening quietly from the seat beside them, was visibly perking up her ears.
From her perspective, it was obviously better if the pro-Kizen Moderates seized power in the Ivory Tower. And if Serne, their future leader, became pro-Kizen as well...
"Nope. Kizen gets destroyed eventually, you know."
Serne denied it flat-out, her face going blade-cold.
"I'm only cutting out the current Radicals because they're soaked in the Cabal's filth. Once I graduate and become Tower Master, I'll build a faction that bows to neither the Cabal nor any outside power. And by then—"
Serne glanced toward Loraine with a sly smile.
"—Kizen will be facing the most painful enemy in its history."
"...I was a fool to think I'd seen a better side of you, even for a moment."
Loraine said it with a shadow falling over her face. Serne covered her mouth and grinned like a fox.
"Oh dear~ That's a rather rude way to speak to the benefactor who saved you all from the Cabal's wicked schemes."
"...You did help Vermund's plan, to begin with. You should be grateful you weren't handed over for trial."
Sparks flew between the two as they glared daggers at each other. Simon, caught in the middle, smiled awkwardly.
*These two are going to be at each other's throats forever.*
"Oh, right."
Serne turned to Simon.
"You haven't told Mayrin, have you?"
"Nope. She hasn't even come back yet."
Apparently Mayrin had delayed her return to Kizen and made an urgent trip to the Ivory Tower first. Something had happened in her homeland, and she'd want to go see for herself.
Serne smiled sweetly and raised a fingertip.
"Actually, I'm planning to add a clause like this: If anyone surpasses me before I graduate from Kizen, the Tower Master's seat may be transferred! What do you think?"
"You're going to hand it over to Mayrin?"
"No, no. I told you, didn't I? I'll be Tower Master even if it means smashing Kizen to pieces."
Having declared war openly right in front of Nephthys's own daughter, she then lowered her voice, quiet enough that only Simon could hear.
"It's a motivation scheme for Mayrin. I want that girl to scramble and work even harder. And when I imagine her trampled under my heel at the very end, despairing..."
She clasped her hands together.
"I simply cannot stand how much I love it!"
"..."
Simon's expression stiffened slightly at her words, then slowly curved into a smile, until he was quietly snickering.
"What's that laugh about?"
Serne pouted her lips.
"Nothing."
Simon answered smoothly. Narrowing her eyes, she grabbed his arm and shook it in a whining tone.
"No, tell me! That know-it-all look on your face!"
"I told you, it's nothing."
Meanwhile, Loraine was watching the two of them with an anxious expression.
*The two of them... they've gotten even closer.*
They'd faced death together in the Tower of Time countless times, so it was only natural. But Serne being one step ahead going into the recruitment contest for Simon the year after next stung.
*I don't... want to lose Simon either.*
For the first time, Loraine found herself envying Serne's free-spirited personality, which let her cling to Simon so openly.
She tried imagining it. Herself hanging onto Simon's arm, clinging like that.
*Ugh.*
So cringe-worthy that her hair stood on end. She shook her head vigorously and banished the daydream.
She couldn't sink to that level of silliness along with her.
Simon was a precious friend. She didn't know what path he would choose with graduation approaching, but she didn't believe Serne's antics would cloud his judgment.
What moves a person's heart is always sincerity. Loraine was confident of that.
Just then, Aaron, who had been talking with the Kizen Headquarters staff, returned to the podium.
"Preparations are complete."
He glanced at his wristwatch.
"You have exactly thirty minutes, starting now. Return to your dormitories, pack your winter clothes, spare clothing, toiletries, and so on, and come back here."
"?!"
At the sudden bombshell, the students' eyes went wide. Aaron continued in a calm tone.
"This Dullahan Special Lecture will be conducted as a three-day, two-night group training camp."
* * *
A department-wide group camp.
There had been outdoor lessons and off-campus excursions before, but never anything like this.
Since the Summoning Major dormitory was quite a distance away, the students bolted outside in a mad scramble and whipped out their transport summons. Cheering and whistling erupted everywhere as the excitement took hold.
—Hold on tight, Toto!
—Okay!
Simon rode a Golem Board to the dormitory alongside Toto. The two of them flung open their door and threw the wardrobe wide.
"Whoa, a training camp out of nowhere! You scared me."
Toto wedged his small frame into the wardrobe as he spoke.
"Me too."
"I wonder where we're going, Simon."
"Winter clothes are on the packing list, so I'd guess somewhere cold."
Simon chatted as he gathered socks and underwear. But having just returned from his dispatch, he was short on socks to last three days and two nights.
"Toto, could you lend me a pair of socks?"
"Sure! Of course!"
Simon spread out the socks Toto handed over and let out an awkward laugh.
*Are these socks or mittens?*
They looked like they'd be tight even wrapped around his wrist.
Simon returned them, thanking him but saying he couldn't possibly use them. Better to borrow from Fitzgerald or do a bit of laundry at the campsite.
So it was that Simon and Toto, fully packed, were coming down the stairs when they collided with students bursting out from every direction, and all hell broke loose.
The thirty minutes Aaron had given them was, predictably, not enough.
"Ow!"
Toto, running blindly, crashed into something. He rubbed his nose and looked up—into an enormous backside.
"..."
Then into a pair of murderous eyes that looked ready to rend a man apart by glare alone.
Of all people, he'd bumped into Hector. Their eyes met, and Toto let out a strangled *eep!* and froze solid.
"Hey there! Hector."
Simon stepped forward with a cheerful grin. The gaze that had been aimed at Toto swung toward Simon in an instant.
"...You're the talk of the town wherever you go, Simon Polentia. Stirring up the Ivory Tower this time, were you?"
"Nothing like that."
"And that woman?"
"Ah, Serne? She's staying at Kizen."
Hector said his piece, then walked off without another word. At the entrance, however, he stopped and looked back.
"At this Dullahan camp, I'm going to grind you into the dirt for good."
Simon smiled brightly.
"Looking forward to it."
Hector glowered at him for a long moment with bulging eyes, then strode off toward his faction members waiting outside.
* * *
Thirty minutes later.
All the students who had gone to the dormitories had gathered, and under the teaching assistants' lead, they immediately boarded a teleportation magic circle.
Simon, first onto the circle, opened his eyes.
*Ah.*
A snowfield stretched out before him like a painting.
Gasps of awe rose from the students arriving behind him.
"Woooaaah!"
A pure-white forest blanketed in soft, powdery snow. It was truly a world made of snow.
"Beautiful."
"My breath's freezing."
While the students buzzed with excitement over the surprise outdoor lesson, the teaching assistants stepped forward.
"Students, we'll now take attendance. Please form four columns."
As they lined up, the students pulled out their winter coats and robes. Kizen uniforms did have thermal functions, but they were no match for this cold.
"Professor. All department students have arrived safely."
The assistants finished the headcount and reported, and Aaron nodded.
"This is the northernmost region of the Shahed Kingdom—the autonomous district of 'Prigod.'"
Aaron, too, had shed his usual shorts-and-slippers ensemble for a classic long coat. Was it true that clothes made the man? His whole impression seemed different.
"Although it lies within royal territory, this is officially the homeland of the natives. They are deeply wary of outsiders and cannot speak the Continental tongue, so communication will be difficult—be mindful. Political disputes can flare up here, so do not cause any needless trouble."
"Yes, Professor!"
"Let's move out."
Crunch, crunch.
Fifty-two students, Aaron, and the teaching staff trudged through the snow. Simon warmed his chilled hands inside his robe as he looked around.
"Haah."
Beside him, walking in step, Loraine let out a pale puff of breath.
Thankfully, her coat wasn't pink—a sleek black long coat, instead. She looked like the young boss of some secret organization.
"This is the first time I've ever been somewhere with mana this dense."
At her words, Simon took a deep breath—and felt mana flooding into his body in a rush. What normally took two breaths to draw in, one breath here supplied in full.
"It really is."
"It's fairly famous in the Ivory Tower, you know, this place."
Serne sidled up with her hands clasped behind her back and a bright smile. She was draped in a robe so lavish it crossed from luxurious into decadent—golden fur trim and all.
"Untouched nature. Abundant mana. It's perfect for pure magic training."
"I see."
Krrk!
Just then, Aaron up ahead raised his arm. At the halt signal, every student stopped in their tracks.
"Monsters ahead."
And he was right.
Heavy footsteps drew closer and closer, and the students tensed, scanning their surroundings.
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!
A massive reptile reminiscent of a dinosaur was bounding toward them. Its appearance was a bit different from the monsters of the ordinary continent.
Whoosh—
Aaron raised his hand. Dark energy seemed to bloom at his fingertips as if to unfurl a magic circle—but then he chuckled and looked back over his shoulder.
"Anyone care to step up?"
TA-DASH!
FWIP!
FWIP!
Before the words had even finished leaving his mouth, three students surged forward without a flicker of hesitation, dark energy blazing around them.
Simon, Hector, and Asseraz.
"You piece of garbage."
Hector, reaching the dinosaur monster's head with astonishing leaping power, brought his interlocked fists down like a hammer.
"Baring your teeth in front of *me*?"
KRA-KOOM!
Raw dark energy. With a thunderous boom, the monster's face was driven into the ground, half-buried.
Shnk—
Asseraz darted in beside it and swept his hand through the air. A magic circle floated up and erupted in a burst of blue-white light, cleaving the monster's scales apart.
"Weak points marked."
WHOOM!
Finally, Simon leaped into the air, both hands moving like a conductor's.
The bones swirling around him dyed jet-black and shot outward like so many needles.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The bone lances drove precisely into the gaps Asseraz had opened. The monster, mid-recovery, lost its balance and toppled—and Simon moved his arm one last time.
The bones gathered into one enormous bone sphere and slammed, BOOM, into the back of the split-scaled skull.
The three landed on the ground, each in their own signature style, and the massive bulk behind them swayed violently before crashing into the undergrowth with a mighty thud.
WAAAAH!
The students burst into applause and cheers. Aaron nodded as well.
"Well done. Assistants—handle the corpse and distribute portions to these three students."
"Yes, sir."
Having given his orders, Aaron turned back to the students.
"We reach our destination in twenty minutes. Stay sharp."
* * *
Weltrip fief, Shahed Kingdom.
The Hook Butcher Shop.
"I'll take plenty."
A middle-aged noble, holding a child by the hand, said as he entered.
The butcher, in his work apron and boots, bowed deeply.
"Thank you kindly, milord!"
Ding-a-ling—
The bell chimed, and the noble and the child stepped out of the shop. The child chattered brightly about the steak they'd be having for dinner that evening.
Even with the child no longer looking, the butcher waved them off with a good-natured smile on his face.
"Right then! On to the next piece of work—!"
Ding-a-ling—
The moment the man turned his back, the bell on the door rang out once more. Lifting a slab of meat, he smiled his gentle smile.
"Welcome! Come on in—"
"The fall of the mighty is the staircase of revolution."
The butcher froze mid-motion.
Then he let out a long sigh and set the slab down with a heavy thud.
At his next gesture, the curtains of the butcher shop drew shut, the 'OPEN' sign on the door flipped over, and soundproofing magic circles unfurled one after another.
Click. Click.
Hiiiss—
The butcher dropped into a chair, jammed a cigar into his mouth without preamble, and lit it.
Whooo—
Exhaling a cloud of cigar smoke, he scowled.
"Now what? Things are going smoothly. Word's spread all around the neighborhood—the target's due to visit within the week..."
"Something more important has come up."
The visitor was a gentleman in a high-crowned hat. Where his face should have been, there were no features at all—only a single eyeball.
"Do you know these children?"
The gentleman produced two pictures from inside his coat and held them out.
One showed a blue-haired boy. The other, a girl with platinum-blonde hair.
"So it's those two. The ones behind this whole Ivory Tower affair..."
"That's right—the very individuals who turned the Cabal's golden plan to shatter Kizen into so much foam."
"Hah! And here I thought it was those insufferable Crows. You're telling me it was these little brats? Astonishing."
The butcher took the cigar from his mouth.
"What do you want done with them? Shall I turn these two into slabs of meat as well?"
"No."
The gentleman gripped the brim of his hat as he continued.
"Her Excellency wishes to meet this boy in person. You are to capture him alive, without fail. Kill him, and it's *you* who ends up as the meat."
"A pity, that."
"As for the girl—grab her, kill her, she says do as you please."
Tap.
The butcher pressed his cigar down hard against the photo of the blue-haired boy.
"So. Where are they now?"
* * *
Prigod, being an autonomous district left unmanaged by the kingdom, was a region teeming with monsters.
They ran into monsters three times in twenty minutes alone, and each time, Aaron picked out a handful of students to deal with them. Whether as part of the lesson or not, he even offered tips on the summoning magic they'd used.
And so they arrived at their destination. Aaron came to a halt before a hill, and the chattering students hurried over to fall in behind him.
"Here we are."
Aaron raised his index finger and pointed ahead.
"That is the base camp where we'll be staying."