Chapter 102
Time passed, and before I knew it, it was Friday.
At last, Daigon Village’s Strawberry Festival had officially begun.
“During the festival period, I heard that we don’t have classes. Is that true?”
“It’s true. From what I heard, it’s been like that for decades. Since all the students get too excited during the festival and classes don’t go well, they just decided that we would rest for the whole week of the festival.”
“Then I suppose it would be fair to call it a one-week vacation.”
“That’s fair. In fact, there are people who briefly return to their family homes during this time.”
Just as Lisa said, I could see quite a number of students preparing to go home since this morning.
It was literally a short vacation in the middle of the semester.
“We’ll have normal classes only until today, and starting next Monday until Friday, there won’t be any classes.”
“By any chance, Lisa, are you not thinking of going home?”
“Not really. To begin with, because of the Disciplinary Committee work, I can’t easily leave my post…….”
With a faint yet meaningful smile, Lisa wrapped her arm lightly around my waist.
“I don’t want to go anywhere without you. If I ever have to return home, I’ll have to take you with me.”
“If I end up having a reason to go home myself……”
“Then I’ll follow you. If I can’t see you even for a day, something in my heart feels off.”
Lisa nodded her head as she looked up at me.
“…I’m just asking to make sure, but during vacation, are you truly thinking of following me?”
“In my heart, I really want to. But… wouldn’t that make things a bit uncomfortable for you?”
“Since I also have some plans for the vacation, depending on the situation… it could be troublesome.”
With Lisa, even a harmless lie had no meaning, so I answered honestly.
I actually had something to do related to the Protected Zone for Other Races during the break.
“I see. But being apart from you during vacation is… mm, no. Let’s think about that later. Let’s focus on what’s right in front of us.”
“Yes, let’s think about how we’ll spend the vacation separately later.”
I gave a faint smile and brought my lips to Lisa’s neck.
Then I lightly bit her neck.
Lisa trembled slightly with a surprised look.
“Heuuht?”
“Are you all right?”
“Y-Yeah. I’m still not used to you coming close first.”
“If you dislike it, I won’t do it.”
“N-No, that’s not it. R-Rather, if you could do it more often……”
“Kk, understood.”
I bit Lisa’s neck lightly once more with a playful grin.
And a moment later, I stepped away from her.
“Lunch break is about to end.”
“Yeah, it is. Let’s go. Come straight to the Disciplinary Committee room after class.”
“Understood. After preparing here, are we heading straight to Daigon Village?”
“We should. I don’t think anything will happen on the very first day, but you never know with people.”
I nodded at Lisa’s words and slowly began preparing to attend my afternoon classes.
At that moment, Lisa looked at my sword and tilted her head.
“That’s a sword I haven’t seen before?”
“Ah, yes. The one I originally used has been temporarily entrusted to Regnil. So I’ll probably be using this one until summer vacation.”
“I see. But that sword… you sure it’s fine? It doesn’t look like it has any particular problems, but it also doesn’t seem to have any special strengths either.”
“As you said, it’s just a normal sword. Since I’m only using it temporarily, I chose something decent and unremarkable.”
At my words, Lisa started thinking about something quite seriously.
“Hmm… should I contact my mother and ask her to send a sword? We have quite a lot of good swords in our family’s storage, so sending one isn’t really……”
“A-Ah, no. There’s no need. Really.”
Since I truly didn’t need it, I declined immediately.
Like I said, since I would only use it temporarily until summer vacation, a decent sword was more than enough.
And besides……
‘Mistcatcher was, strictly speaking, a final-tier sword, so I don’t need another.’
Up until now, Mistcatcher may have been just a slightly durable, ordinary sword.
But once Regnil awakened Mistcatcher’s weapon skill, it would show the true qualities of a final-tier sword.
“Hey! W-Who are you?! Who do you think you are, huh?!”
“Seniors, even if it’s a festival, I don’t recommend drinking during the day.”
I let out a dry laugh as I looked at the two male students and two female students who had been caught drinking at a pub.
The festival had barely started, yet they were already completely drunk.
“And if you’re going to drink, at least change out of your uniforms. What were you thinking, drinking while still wearing them?”
“Shut up! Who are you? Who are you to nag us? Huh?!”
The female student, half-collapsed on the table, threw snacks at me.
But her behavior didn’t particularly anger me.
Rather than angry, I just found it absurd enough to let out a laugh.
“If you continue like this, I’ll have no choice but to drag you out by force.”
“What? Hey! I’m the son of Count Urgoz! Who do you think you are to say you’ll drag me out?!”
“Gideon Kyrgram of the Lysquare Academy Disciplinary Committee.”
“…D-Disciplinary Committee? K-Kyrgram?”
The moment he heard my name, the male student’s gaze trembled slightly.
But whether it was liquid courage from the alcohol or just his personality loving to act tough… he raised his voice again.
“S-So what! You think I’m scared?”
The male student suddenly shoved my shoulder, then grabbed a cup filled with a drink and splashed it onto my face.
And I intentionally did not dodge.
After being hit in the face with the drink, I smiled.
“…Huh?”
Seeing my chilling smile, the male student stepped back as if he suddenly felt uneasy.
“W-Why do you—”
“From this moment on, it’s self-defense.”
“Ggah?!”
I quickly grabbed the male student’s arm and twisted it behind his back.
Then I grabbed the back of his head and slammed it onto the table.
“So you intentionally let him splash the drink on you before subduing him?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The outskirts of Daigon Village.
There was a large tent set up by the Student Council.
I had just tossed the four students who were drinking inside the pub into that tent and stepped out.
“You could’ve just subdued them right away.”
“Still, if I’m going to hit someone, I thought I needed a justification.”
“Disobeying the legitimate command of the Disciplinary Committee is justification enough.”
After scolding me once, Lisa stepped inside the tent and came back with a wet towel.
“Don’t do that. From now on, if they don’t listen to you, just subdue them immediately. Got it?”
"I would do so depending on the situation."
"Haaah. All the other students would lower their heads the moment I said a single word… Do I look easy to you or something?"
Lisa wiped my face with a wet towel and let out a sigh.
"Even if your status among nobles was the lowest, you still beat Sara… so why do the nobles treat you like someone they can look down on?"
"You don’t have to worry about it. I’m fine."
"I’m not fine. While I went to the Academy for a moment with Nia-unni, you suffered this kind of insult, so just how much my heart……."
"What? Why? Did someone call me?"
Interrupting Lisa’s words, the Student Council President of Lysquare Academy, Nia Varbellos, came out of the tent.
"I’m sure I heard my name… no?"
"Next time, unni, just go alone. I should stay here with Gideon."
"What? Why all of a sudden? What did I do wrong this time?"
"I don’t know. Anyway, I think it’s your fault that Gideon went through something like this."
After wiping the rest of my face, Lisa suddenly pulled me tightly into her arms as if to show it off to Nia.
Seeing that, Nia let out a hollow laugh followed by a sigh.
"Ever since she started dating, why has that girl’s personality gotten even weirder."
"Unni, your personality stays the same because you’re not dating anyone, right?"
"Hey, you damn brat! You’re picking a fight right now, aren’t you?! Right?!"
Nia shouted as if she couldn’t believe Lisa, then let out another sigh and quickly calmed herself.
"Sigh, when am I ever going to meet a man… anyway, Gideon."
"Yes, Lady Nia."
"The four you brought—Student Council will handle them. They’re completely out of it right now, so I’ll send them to the dorms first, and later we’ll give them some fitting punishment."
I nodded at Nia’s words.
"I would appreciate that."
"Just leave it to me."
"Unni, since evening patrol is finished, we can go rest now, right?"
"Yeah. Go rest."
Nia nodded at Lisa’s question.
"There’s still time before night patrol, so you two can have a quiet meal together."
"Mm, okay. We had to go anyway. We’re having dinner with Lady Layla today."
"With Her Highness the Princess? Well, who else would she be comfortable eating with besides you two?"
"Go ahead first. I’ll follow soon."
"Is there somewhere you need to stop by?"
"Yeah. There’s a food I wanted to try. They’re selling it over there, so I’ll just buy that. You know the meeting place, right?"
"The table in front of that inn, correct?"
Lisa nodded.
"Right. Wait for the others there."
"Understood."
After parting with Lisa for a moment—
I sat down at the table where I was supposed to meet Layla.
‘It was pretty noisy.’
While waiting for the others, I looked around the streets of Daigon Village, which was in full festival mode.
It indeed was a festival; there were far more people out on the streets than usual.
The ones most visible were the villagers and Academy students, and on top of that, there were quite a few tourists from other regions.
‘Still, since it’s the Strawberry Festival, they really were selling a lot of strawberry-related foods.’
There were also various food stalls and shops selling all kinds of items everywhere.
And seeing the joyful expressions of the people…….
‘It really was a festival.’
Watching a medieval fantasy festival—the kind I had only ever seen in a game—right before my eyes… well, it was a pretty pleasant experience.
Enough that I wanted to stay and live in this world as long as possible.
‘…It really was something to think about.’
It had only been two months since I came to this world, but in that time, so many things happened… and I had formed so many connections.
So I wondered whether I could ever truly give up on those connections…….
"Why art thou sitting alone?"
“…‘Lady Sara?’"
While I was lost in thought, Sara appeared before me and sat down.
"I assumed you would be with Lisa-unni."
"Lady Lisa stepped out for a moment, saying she wanted to buy some food she wished to try. She will be back soon."
"I see."
I tilted my head and asked Sara.
"But Lady Sara, why did you come alone? Weren’t you going to come with Lady Layla……."
"Her Highness will come with Jason. I… just decided to come separately today."
"Ah, I see."
I observed Sara for a moment.
Judging from her reaction, it didn’t seem like she had any issues with Layla or Jason.
It really did seem like she simply came alone just for today.
But anyway…….
“…….”
“…….”
After that short exchange, an awkward silence fell between us.
It couldn’t be helped—Sara and I weren’t particularly close.
It would be lucky if she didn’t dislike me.
I had no special feelings toward her, but with Sara’s proud nature, surely…….
"Come to think of it, Kyrgram. No… Gideon."
"Yes, Lady Sara."
"I don’t think we’ve ever had a proper conversation before. So while we wait… could you tell me about yourself?"
“…Pardon?"
Sara spoke in a tone unusually polite for her.
And I couldn’t help being taken aback by it.
‘Did she eat something wrong?’
It was a genuine question.