Chapter 95 |
Canceled
Canceled.
Ranne & Grandia Academy: The Märchen.
(Meaning RGM.)
In the original game, there was an event that happened once every school year.
School Trip.
A summer event.
You could call it the highlight of any academy story.
You know, all that youth-filled stuff.
‘This feels weird.’
It felt strangely moving.
Who would’ve thought I’d experience a school trip in another world when I had never even gone on one in my past life?
And this wasn’t just any school trip. It was an ultra-luxury school trip backed by Grandia Academy’s overflowing funds.
Maybe they were trying to live up to their title as the continent’s top educational institution, because the budget for this trip alone was ten thousand gold, a number that was hard to even grasp.
‘They burned ten thousand gold in one week?’
Just what you’d expect from an academy drowning in money.
I had even heard the tram and cruise used for transportation both belonged to the academy.
I found myself impressed all over again.
‘I should enjoy the hell out of this.’
Maybe my habits from my poor past life still lingered.
Whenever something like this happened, my first instinct was to get my money’s worth.
I gave an awkward cough at my own thoughts.
“Ahem.”
Anyway, back to the point.
During this school trip, cadets would operate in teams.
Whatever they did, they’d do it together as a team.
‘No matter how safe it is, this probably means don’t wander around alone.’
Team assignments, as always, were done freely.
I also formed a team with a few people I got along with.
[School Trip Team 32]
-Viktor
-Alice
-Ranne Kihano
-Caitlin Lettuce
They were girls I usually spent time with.
Maybe they had all been looking forward to the trip, because their eyes were sparkling.
“Wah...! I-it’s my first time seeing a ship this big!”
“Mm! Same for me! It’s truly awe-inspiring!”
Inside the massive cruise.
Ranne and Alice looked around in fascination.
Seeing reactions like that made it more fun for me too.
“V-Viktor-nim! It looks like there’s a whole restaurant area inside the ship too...!”
“Would you care to step out by the rail for a moment, Sir Viktor?”
“Heh.”
I was satisfied with how the team turned out.
The other members seemed to feel the same.
“So... why do I have to be on the same team as you guys again?”
Well, except for one person.
When I turned, I saw a blond, tanned delinquent girl pouting.
She was sprawled across her seat at an angle, looking deeply displeased with the world.
“Caitlin-yang.”
“You dragged me in by force.”
Crackle, crackle.
Static jumped as she grumbled.
Since she’d clearly been dragged in against her will, she looked irritated in every way.
“You can’t just force people in like that...”
“Quiet.”
I reached out and flicked her forehead.
Smack!
“Ow, what was that for this time?!”
“You don’t have any friends in class anyway, right? Just stay with us quietly.”
“I do! Who says I don’t?”
“But you weren’t part of any team before we asked you.”
“I got plenty of offers. I turned them all down because I wanted to go solo.”
“Exactly.”
“I said I turned them down.”
Caitlin kept snapping back.
Looks like the no-friends line hit a nerve.
“Cait-denture-yang.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“I understand everything.”
“I just wanted to go alone.”
“But in the end, you still had to join a team, right? If you were still alone on the day of the trip, the professors would’ve shoved you into a random team with open slots... and doesn’t being grouped with total strangers sound uncomfortable just imagining it?”
“Sorry, but you’re pretty uncomfortable too.”
“Of course. I find you very comfortable too, Caitlin-yang.”
“You’re not listening to me, are you?”
After the practical exam, it had felt like Caitlin and I had gotten a little closer.
But after a few days, she had gone right back to this prickly mode.
Maybe she was acting out because she felt awkward.
People’s hearts were hard to understand after all.
Of course, that didn’t mean I had any reason to respect her opinion here.
“Caitlin-yang.”
“What.”
“Hand.”
“......”
What exactly do you think you can do?
If you’re a Pokemon, obey your trainer quietly.
Trying to defy the will of heaven and forget your place?
I rummaged through my robe and pulled something out.
“Hand.”
“......”
“Or should we put the collar back on?”
In my hand was a red collar.
The same one that had been around Caitlin’s neck until a week ago.
She had gotten gentler after the practical, so I’d taken it off, thinking she’d be fine now.
“Answer?”
“...Pika.”
Caitlin muttered it unwillingly.
In the end, the Pokemon uprising failed, and her identity returned to Pikachu.
“Good.”
I softly stroked her yellow hair.
The girl bit her lip and mumbled.
“Stob petting...”
“You want me to pet you more?”
“I said stob petting me.”
“Then of course, I’ll pet you as much as you want.”
Rub rub rub.
Her hair naturally turned messy.
‘She’s got persistence, that’s for sure.’
She resisted every time even though she knew this was how it would end.
In a way, that felt exactly like her.
Honestly, it might’ve been disappointing if she’d fully lost her wild side.
She was like a stray alley cat that never got fully tamed, with that strange kind of charm.
“Heh.”
“Stobbb it...!”
Rub rub rub.
If there was one surprising thing, it was that her resistance had softened a lot compared to before.
Before, she’d tremble the second a hand touched her head. Now she’d gotten used to it and just took it.
‘Her mouth is still foul, though...’
Still, it was manageable.
The noisy chatter kept going.
That scene continued until the ship finally stopped.
***
The cruise sailed for a full day.
Only after the date changed did the ship reach its destination.
What surrounded us was a coastline where salty sea scent mixed with summer.
The sea breeze carried that distinct coastal smell to the tip of my nose.
‘Geltin.’
That was the coastal city where this school trip would take place.
It was also one of the empire’s most popular resort destinations.
-We have arrived at our destination.
-I imagine everyone is tired after the long voyage.
-For today, please remain at the lodging and rest freely.
No special schedule was planned for day one.
We only had to unpack at the hotel and rest as we pleased.
“The hotel is huge.”
“I heard it’s the most luxurious hotel in Geltin.”
“And one room per person too? What are you supposed to do with a room that big alone?”
Caitlin was right.
The room was way too large for one person.
I had thought the academy dorm rooms were already pointlessly large, but this was twice that size.
Also, maybe the academy had rented out the entire hotel, because aside from staff, there were no outsiders in sight.
It felt like watching money being burned in its purest form.
“Well... good is good. It’s not my money.”
“Agreed.”
The real school trip activities would begin on day two.
Day one was just for resting.
There were no assignments either.
It was literally a vacation.
No matter how much it was Grandia Academy, they didn’t push competition into vacation.
‘Of course.’
Some still studied on their own even without being told to.
They brought thick books and locked themselves in their hotel rooms.
And it wasn’t just a few.
There were quite a lot.
Nearly half the cadets had gone straight into the lodging for that reason.
Typical elites, the kind who feel anxious just resting.
Since all kinds of activities were scheduled from tomorrow onward, they seemed to be trying to study while they still had free time today.
‘Poor souls.’
They looked like modern people being eaten alive by competition.
After silently feeling sorry for them, I headed outside the hotel with my team.
“Should we eat first?”
We filled our stomachs at the nearest and most famous restaurant.
As expected, this place had also been reserved under the academy’s name.
The academy had probably booked most facilities around the hotel area, including the nearby coast.
‘Thinking about safety?’
If an accident happened during the trip, it would be a big problem.
Looks like they wanted to run everything with academy people only, with as few outsiders as possible.
Anyway, the food quality was excellent.
Even someone like me, who had grown up eating whatever in an orphanage, could tell it was special.
“So, what did everyone think? Geltin’s signature fish dish.”
“Mm! It was a very impressive flavor!”
“It was delicious! I don’t usually l-like seafood that much, but...”
“It was decent enough.”
“Lua loved it too!”
We stepped out of the restaurant.
The weather was clear too, not a single dark cloud in sight.
The wind was getting warmer as early summer settled in.
“Whoa...!”
As we got closer to the sea, a golden beach spread out before us.
The sand was warm from the sunlight.
Patter patter.
Excited, Lua ran over it.
It was her first time seeing the sea, and everything seemed fascinating to her.
[Lua really likes it.]
‘I’m glad we brought her.’
The white bat tossed out a few words.
Princess-nim was lying on my shoulder, enjoying the sun.
I raised a hand lightly to make shade so she wouldn’t get too hot.
‘Sometimes this is nice too.’
Kyaah, ha ha!
Lua ran around for a long time, tireless.
Ranne joined in to play with her, and Alice got swept up too.
“Mm! I shall build a sandcastle with Miss Lua as well.”
“Uh... s-should I bring more sand?”
Both of them got along well with Lua.
Carmilla, Caitlin, and I sat in the shade and watched those three.
“Ranne unni!”
Lua smiled brightly.
Out of everyone playing with her, maybe she especially liked Ranne.
Whenever Ranne talked to her, Lua burst into giggles.
Ranne definitely played with Lua well.
They matched each other, straightforward and cheerful.
After they played together for half a day, Lua even grabbed Ranne’s sleeve and asked:
“Ranne unni!”
“Mm? What is it?”
“You know, can you be Lua’s mommy too?”
“Huh?”
Her eyes sparkled.
Ranne could only laugh in flustered surprise.
Her face quickly reddened, clearly caught off guard by Lua’s affection.
“L-Lua... unni can, uh, t-take very good care of you too...”
Alice was peeking in from the side too.
Watching that scene, Caitlin, sitting beside me, muttered:
“What’s with them?”
Seriously.
***
Before long, it was evening.
Time to head back to the hotel.
We left the sea and walked along a street filled with the scent of the ocean.
“Today was fun, right?”
“Yes, Dad!”
A spirited reply came back.
I smiled with satisfaction and stroked Lua’s head.
Behind us, the team members who had played with Lua trailed along exhausted.
Caitlin had looked like she’d only watch, but in the end Lua picked her too and dragged her in.
‘She played better than expected.’
Heh.
A silly smile slipped onto my lips.
Everyone looked worn out. They’d probably pass out after dinner.
‘Then... should I wait until night and move?’
Day one of the school trip.
Even after night fell, I still had work to do.
I had to move fast if I wanted to clear two main quests.
Ding!
[■□ Quest]
-Title : About the Truth
-Objective : Visit the Ancient Archive. Among millions of books, find one related to ■■■.
-Failure Penalty : None
-Success Reward : ■■■
[Time Limit: Before the School Trip ends]
That was the quest I planned to tackle tonight.
It had been bothering me for a while, so I planned to handle it quickly while I had time.
I was crossing the street while sorting out my thoughts when:
“Huh.”
A group was walking toward us from the opposite side.
They were Class A students, also out looking around the coast like our group.
I hadn’t seen them at the beach earlier, but it seemed our paths happened to overlap on the way back.
“Isn’t that Class E’s top student...?”
“Looks like he came to the beach too.”
Their eyes met ours, and the group started whispering among themselves.
Some openly frowned.
“Tch... a commoner like him.”
“Unbelievable. He turned down our scout offer.”
“Even Lady Glacia went to him herself...”
Maybe they’d heard a few days ago.
About how I rejected Rin’s scout offer.
Their pride must’ve been scratched, because their looks were anything but friendly.
“Why would Lady Glacia even care about someone like that...”
“Seriously! He’s only strong, only good at studying, only has a good personality, only has a bright future, and only walks around in a cool mask...”
“And he still dares reject Lady Glacia’s offer?”
It wasn’t direct provocation.
They were just murmuring loudly enough for this side to hear.
Caitlin, who heard it too, frowned and said:
“They’ve got nothing better to do, huh. Even after getting their asses kicked, they’re still acting like this.”
“Oh? Isn’t that totally Caitlin-yang over there?”
“Shut up.”
Caitlin answered my neat, concise fact with a curse.
I smirked and glanced at the other group.
Well, I only needed to answer in kind.
“Haa...”
As the distance between us closed, I muttered to myself just loud enough for them to hear.
“What a tragedy, seeing small fry run their mouths. Well, with their top student being what she is, I suppose it can’t be helped. Rin Glacia is, after all, a loser of the previous era...”
“......”
They stopped in place.
The group had clearly heard me.
They turned around trembling.
Every one of them had burning eyes.
“Loser...?”
One of them let murderous intent leak out.
From between clenched teeth, suppressed rage pointed this way.
“Take that back...! What you just said...!!”
Looks like I touched a nerve.
I answered lightly.
“Retracted.”
“You bastard!”
One of them charged the moment he heard the answer.
Why, though.
I did take it back.
