episode_0321

After firmly stamping my presence on the first day Mezlen visited the academy.

Now, about a week into the new semester, Mezlen and I had become somewhat friendly with each other.

…At least in Mezlen’s mind, I was someone worth remembering by name.

“So, Antonio Ollavani scolded me again today….”

“Is that so.”

“I told him that I have no intention of participating in the power struggle, but he keeps nagging me…. Of course, it’s inevitable that Antonio Ollavani is conscious of the charisma my beautiful appearance brings…. And even Sister Sera….”

“Thank you for your hard work, Princess Mezlen.”

It was a conversation where I half-heartedly listened to Mezlen’s complaints and simply played along. Listening seriously to her absurd grievances wouldn’t be much help anyway.

And she didn’t need someone to listen earnestly to her; she just needed someone to agree with her and boost her ego. In any case, it helped Mezlen restore her self-esteem.

Of course, such a relationship wouldn’t last long, but it didn’t matter. My role was simply to introduce someone Mezlen could genuinely admire, and once I did my part, I could step back at the right time.

In the end, it was a relationship where it was fine if she only remembered me as a “maid who said pleasant things.”

“After all, I’m not deeply involved with the nobility.”

After graduation, I planned to distance myself from Edan and even Seraphine. The same goes for Lizzie; anyone with high power that could potentially restrict my freedom.

Isabel and Katarina were part of Blackwood, so if I distanced myself from Edan, I would naturally drift apart from them as well. Agnes and the Gethm brothers were probably the only ones I could maintain a relationship with after graduation.

Of course, both of them would be busy with hero party activities after graduation, so we wouldn’t see each other often, and in reality, I was destined to be alone after graduation.

“…So I’ve decided to overlook Antonio Ollavani’s mistake this time…. Unlike him, I have a forgiving nature….”

“You are truly remarkable, Princess Mezlen. To show such a compassionate attitude in a situation where commoners like us couldn’t hold back our anger.”

“Well, thank you…. Please praise me more.”

“…Easy.”

I was managing to build a shallow level of fondness, so now it was time to start thinking about Mezlen’s ‘partner.’

As far as I could remember, Mezlen’s fiancé was not revealed in the Luminaire Academy. Not only in the main story but even in the endings.

Given Mezlen’s personality, it was most likely that there was no predetermined fiancé, or the previous engagement was invalidated due to the death of the fiancé or other reasons.

And as I mentioned before, if that were the case, Edan was one of the most likely candidates. He satisfied the two conditions of being from a high-ranking family that could engage with the nobility and being a character who died in the original story.

Until about six months ago, Kara was also included in this list of candidates, but she was naturally excluded when she accepted Liria’s confession as if it were obvious.

If she was engaged to Mezlen, she probably would never have accepted Liria’s confession.

“Princess Mezlen, if it’s not too much trouble, may I ask you one thing?”

“The Marquis’s daughter, Lady Melizen, who graciously asked me a question, although it is impolite in itself… I will overlook Lady Melizen’s impoliteness just this once with my gentle nature…”

“Well then, I will ask the question despite the impoliteness. It is simply a question born out of curiosity, but does Princess Mezlen have a secret fiancé unknown to the public?”

“Um, yes…? No…?”

“…Ah, is that so. Thank you for answering.”

Her response, nodding her head slightly, came out so naturally.

Such a natural attitude was a reaction that could only come out if there really was no fiancé. Especially considering Melizen’s inability to lie well, it was even more so.

Feeling slightly disappointed that Melizen was not Ethan’s fiancée, but at the same time feeling a bit relieved. It meant that there was no need to execute a plan to make Melizen fall for Ethan with my own hands.

“If that’s the case, then I guess I have a bit more time on my hands.”

If Melizen really was Ethan’s hidden fiancée, then I would have to refrain from advancing our relationship for a while, but if not, it meant that I could maintain our current relationship for a bit longer.

…Well, since we were already using the marriage/engagement dormitory this semester, I couldn’t immediately switch rooms, but at least there was no need to restrain my affectionate gestures due to the possibility that Melizen might be watching.

“I, it’s already time…”

“It’s time to go to the next class soon. It was a pleasure meeting you today, Princess Melizen.”

“I also had a good time… Ah, and tomorrow I have a fifth period class, so how about meeting an hour later than today…?”

“…As much as I would like to meet your expectations, unfortunately, starting tomorrow, I will have to vacate the academy for a week for the ‘Natural Sciences Exploration’ class.”

The ‘Exploration’ subjects that were taken from the third year were taught on a weekly basis. The barrier between the first and second years and the third and fourth years was quite high due to these ‘Exploration’ subjects.

“Ah, I see… By the way, Lady Melizen was in the third year, right…?”

“That’s correct, Princess Melizen.”

“…Hmm, I guess there’s nothing we can do about it… You don’t have to worry about feeling disappointed… I have many friends other than Lady Melizen…”

“I sincerely thank you for taking the time to converse with a humble Marquis’s daughter like me, even though you have to sacrifice time with other important people.”

“T, that’s right… I knew Lady Melizen would understand…”

She said she had many friends. It was a blatant lie that wouldn’t fool someone who knew the original Melizen, but I pretended to believe it.

Regardless of finding out that Melizen was not Ethan’s fiancée, it was still necessary to maintain a good relationship with her.

***

Starting from the third year of ‘Luminor Academy,’ the third part begins, and it is conducted in a slightly different way from the academy background of the second part.

While the previous events of the second part mainly focused on events within the academy while spending time there, from the third part onwards, the main episodes are focused on substantial external activities.

From the third-year timetable onwards, except for the first day of the week, all classes are outdoor activities. Or they are canceled.

For example, the ‘Natural Science Exploration’ course that Edan and I signed up for. This course takes place from the second Tuesday of the second week of classes until the weekend of that week, totaling 6 days.

During those 6 days, after moving to the ‘Goblin Forest,’ the location of the lecture, we hunt monsters in the forest, learn how to camp in the woods, and survive on our own.

One could argue that this might be too harsh for students, but from the beginning, this world is a medieval fantasy world, and above all, after graduating from the academy, one should be able to confidently hold out the badge of ‘Academy Graduate’ in society.

If you’re from the Engineering or Pharmacy department, it might be different, but students in the Combat department had to have the basic ability to survive in combat with monsters.

“The resources provided to you students are one meal’s worth of rations and a bottle of water per person. The rest must be procured directly from the forest, and surviving for 4 days or fulfilling the quota before running out of food and water is the completion condition for this ‘Natural Science Exploration’ course.”

“What?”

“Four days? We have to endure for 4 nights and 5 days in this forest?”

“No. The completion condition is 120 hours of survival, so it’s 5 nights and 6 days.”

“What in the world…”

Students who have just learned the truth about the ‘Natural Science Exploration’ course start murmuring one by one. Those who don’t resist here probably already know what kind of class it is through seniors or other information networks.

In the case of exploration courses, there are classes where the tasks change every year, but when it comes to ‘Natural Science Exploration,’ it was mostly conducted based on the same criteria each year. This class’s main purpose is to enhance each student’s survival skills, so there was no need to change the educational curriculum.

Edan and I already knew, so we didn’t hesitate. We’re just thinking about how to spend the next 4 days, judging which part of the forest would be the best.

“Having only one meal’s worth of rations means, how are we supposed to solve the other 14 meals?!”

“Each person must procure them. In the forest, there are fruits, mushrooms, fish, wild animals, etc., so you should ‘take care of it’ by gathering or hunting for meals. I didn’t tell you to bring personal weapons, did I?”

“Then what if we accidentally eat poisonous mushrooms?!”

“That’s unfortunate. If you can’t distinguish them in the first place, you shouldn’t touch them.”

“…What?”

“…Then where do we get water?”

“There’s a river flowing somewhere inside the forest, so you can procure it there, or find a lake to filter water and drink, dig underground water, or replenish moisture with plants rich in juice, there are various methods.”

“…And what if we collapse due to dehydration…”

“That’s unfortunate. If you’re worried about that, search for a water source before the supplied water runs out.”

“…What about sleeping…”

“I’ve said enough by now, isn’t it time for you to figure it out on your own? Figure it out yourselves.”

The atmosphere of the students turned gloomy at the green-haired professor’s dismissal of each student’s question.

One-third of the students had anticipated from the beginning, formed teams in advance, and were thinking about how to survive. Another one-third, not particularly pleased, but thinking they had to do it anyway, hastily talked to gather people. And the remaining one-third, resigned and exhaling deeply with a disappointed expression.

However, even for students who had prepared in advance, there was one unexpected variable in this class, and that was the fact that the starting point for ‘everyone’ here was forcibly changed.

“Before entering the forest, everyone please look this way. Look me in the eyes…”

“I’ll set up camp near the river for now. Hopefully we can meet inside the forest.”

“I’ll find my way there somehow. See you later, Lord Ethan.”

“…Alright. Be careful, Lillis.”

-Thud!

“Ahh?! What, what’s happening!!”

“Eek, I-I, I’m using magic…!!”

As soon as the professor in charge of ‘Natural Studies’ snapped his fingers, a ‘random teleportation’ spell was cast towards over a hundred students.

After a flash of white light passed through my eyes, I found myself waking up somewhere inside the forest.