Chapter 53

Chapter 53

【 Trade City Skedum 】

Time passed, and before I knew it, the morning of the school trip had arrived.

“First-year, Class 1! Get on the carriages according to your assigned groups! Six people per carriage!”

They were large carriages — even after six students boarded, there was still plenty of room left.

One by one, the carriages loaded with students rolled out of the Academy’s main gate.

‘Looking at it like this… there really are quite a lot of students.’

This school trip included every student from Lysquare Academy.

With nearly 300 students in total, it was no wonder it felt so crowded.

Each carriage, carrying six students, passed through the Academy gate one after another in a neat line.

“All first-year Class 1 members have departed. We can send Class 2 next.”

After confirming from atop the outer wall that the carriages were leaving safely, I used the crystal sphere to contact the Student Council President.

Normally, I would have boarded with Class 1 and departed long ago.

But since I was part of the Disciplinary Committee, I had to stay behind and make sure all students departed without any problems.

‘Well, honestly, it’s just helping out with Student Council duties.’

According to the setting, the Disciplinary Committee had long assisted the Student Council.

They usually helped out during major Academy events when there was a lot of work to handle.

Of course, in recent years, the Committee had become corrupt and stopped helping altogether. But after Lisa completely restructured it last year, the Committee began supporting the Student Council again.

“All of first-year Class 2 has departed.”

After confirming the next set of carriages leaving, I once again contacted the Student Council President through the crystal sphere.

It was tedious work — tiring, too, in its own way.

But it wasn’t the kind of exhaustion that made you want to collapse.

Besides, this was a good chance to get closer to the Student Council members.

‘Most of the Student Council ends up in high-ranking positions after graduation, after all.’

Being part of the Student Council of Lysquare Academy was considered an impressive credential — a valuable career advantage.

So, most of the students involved went on to occupy prestigious positions after graduation.

Thinking about the future, building connections early wasn’t such a bad idea.

Especially since I knew exactly which students would rise to what positions later on.

‘If I could get close with the Student Council President, that’d be even better.’

The Student Council President — Nia Varbellos — would become the youngest Minister of Finance in the Empire a few years from now.

If I could steadily build her favorability from now, it would definitely come in handy later.

‘Yeah, think about the future.’

It helped to treat this like a game.

Even in games, if you wanted to take a specific route and succeed, you had to grind quite a bit.

I decided to think of it the same way — that this world had just become a game.

Well… it really had become reality, though.

“All of first-year Class 3 has departed. We can start sending off the second-year students now.”

---

“All supply carriages have departed, and we’ve packed all the extra luggage too.”

“Good, I’ve confirmed it. The instructors are ready to depart as well, and the Student Council will be leaving soon — so you should get ready, too.”

“Yes, understood.”

I replied to a second-year Student Council senior.

“Then, I’ll board now. Should I go to the carriage for the first-year Student Council members?”

“Hmm, about that…”

The senior scratched his head, then opened his mouth again.

“You see that carriage over there? You’re supposed to get on that one.”

“Pardon? That carriage is… for Lady Nia…”

“The President specifically asked for you. Don’t ask why — I don’t know either.”

“Ah… understood. So I just board that carriage?”

“Yeah. Hurry up, we’re about to depart too.”

After finishing the conversation, I headed toward the carriage at the very end of the line.

‘Why did she suddenly call for me?’

I had originally planned to get closer to the first-year Student Council members, but that plan had just been scrapped.

Even in the game, there was no event where I shared a carriage with the Student Council President during the school trip.

Meaning, I had no idea what would happen once I boarded that carriage.

“Woof?”

As I walked toward the carriage, a small Hellhound poked its head out from my shadow.

“Woof!”

“Get back inside. You can’t come out yet.”

“Whine…”

With a displeased whimper, Siri slipped back into my shadow.

I felt a little bad for leaving Siri cooped up so often, but I didn’t have much of a choice.

As harmless as she looked, Siri was still a Hellhound — a monster.

Someone sharp-eyed might recognize her true nature, and that could cause a lot of trouble.

I wanted to avoid any unnecessary complications.

‘Well, Siri listens well enough anyway, so it should be fine.’

Looking ahead, I realized I had already arrived at the last carriage.

Nia stood there, smiling and waving at me.

“Gideon, welcome. You must be tired after all that work.”

“I’m fine, it wasn’t too difficult.”

“Still, good job. Come on, get in — we’ll be leaving soon.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Following Nia, I climbed into the carriage.

But once inside, I saw someone I didn’t expect.

“Lady Lisa?”

“…Hello, Gideon.”

Lisa greeted me dryly, not even glancing my way.

I hadn’t expected her to be here, so I was caught off guard — but Nia quickly ushered me to the seat beside Lisa.

“Here, here. Sit down quickly — we’re about to move.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

The sound of the coachman’s whip followed as Nia shut the carriage door.

Soon after, the carriage began to move.

“Gideon, originally this carriage was for me and Lisa. It’s a bit of a special arrangement — a gesture of appreciation from the school for the two who worked the hardest preparing for the trip.”

“Ah, I see.”

“But since you worked just as hard as Lisa, I decided to invite you as well.”

Nia smiled as she sat across from us.

“How is it? Comfortable, right?”

“Yes, the space is quite comfortable, indeed.”

Normally, this carriage was meant for six people — but there were only three of us inside.

There was bound to be plenty of space left.

It probably wouldn’t be uncomfortable all the way to our destination.

“Make yourself comfortable in body and mind, okay?”

“Yes, understood.”

“Good. Now I finally have a chance to talk properly with you. We’ve been so busy since last week that we haven’t had time to get to know each other.”

Nia looked at Lisa and me with a meaningful smile.

“You’re not just anyone — you’re the one who’s going to be Lisa’s husband in the future, so you should get to know each other starting now, right?”

“Uh… Lady Nia. About that… well……”

“Unnie.”

Lisa, who had been sitting quietly beside me, spoke calmly and coldly.

“Don’t say weird things.”

“Hmm… alright. If you insist that much, I won’t bring it up. Then Gideon, let’s talk about something else.”

Surprisingly, Nia didn’t argue with Lisa and changed the subject.

“Come to think of it, you’re in the same class as my brother, right?”

“You mean Lord Roy?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I met Roy the other day and he mentioned you briefly.”

“…He mentioned me?”

“Huh? Ah… hahahaha. You mean you’ve never even heard him speak?”

Nia laughed loudly and leaned back comfortably in the carriage seat as if she were lying down.

“Well, that makes sense. Roy really doesn’t say much. I hardly hear him speak once a week, maybe. But he’s incredibly skilled with magic. Most people have to chant to cast spells, but that genius kid mastered wordless magic from a young age……”

The conversation with Nia flowed without difficulty.

As we talked, I realized Nia genuinely wanted to get to know ‘me’.

The problem was that I still didn’t know much about the body I had transmigrated into… so I answered as plausibly as I could.

Throughout this, Lisa remained silent, sitting calmly beside me.

After chatting with Nia for a while.

“Ah… uhmm.”

“Tired?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“You look like you’re nodding off.”

“Am I?”

Honestly, I was quite tired.

I hadn’t been sleeping properly for the past few days, so fatigue had piled up.

“Don’t worry and just take a nap. No one will say anything if you sleep. Right, Lisa?”

“Go to sleep quickly, Gideon. Don’t hold onto your tiredness for nothing.”

“…Understood.”

I rested my head against the window and closed my eyes.

I honestly thought it would take a while to fall asleep, but surprisingly, I fell asleep the moment I closed my eyes.

By the way, I felt a strange sensation while sleeping.

Like someone holding my hand tightly… I felt that during a deep sleep.

---

“……”

Lisa watched Gideon quietly.

He had been asleep for quite some time and was still in a deep slumber.

“…hm.”

Lisa glanced toward Nia.

Nia had also fallen asleep a few minutes earlier and had her eyes shut.

In other words, Lisa was the only one awake in the carriage.

“Hmm.”

Lisa moved closer to Gideon and pressed right up against him.

Then she looked at his neck.

Gideon no longer had bandages around his neck.

So Lisa could see the bite marks she had left — the wound had healed and the mark had faded considerably.

It was barely visible unless you looked closely.

“…tch.”

Lisa didn’t like that.

She felt a strange possessiveness, wanting her mark to remain on Gideon’s body.

“……”

Lisa then glanced from Gideon’s neck to his hand.

It had scars and was a sturdy hand.

Anyone could tell that it was a hand that had endured a lot of hardship.

Before she realized it, Lisa had grabbed that hand.

Literally, against her own will.

Then she looked at Gideon’s face again.

“…haaah.”

He was sleeping very deeply.

Watching that, Lisa found herself moving unconsciously.

She brought her mouth to Gideon’s neck.

Just as her teeth were about to touch his neck—

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“……”

“Hah… I kind of expected it, but I can guess the situation a little.”

“Weren’t you asleep?”

Lisa quickly let go of Gideon’s hand and moved away from him.

She spoke calmly, but her eyes were shaking noticeably.

“Of course I was pretending to sleep. I was curious to see what you’d do to a sleeping Gideon.”

“…pretend you didn’t see it.”

“Ooh, you look a little embarrassed — that’s kind of interesting. But tell me, is it something like this? You have feelings for Gideon but you can’t confess?”

Nia said with a teasing smile.

Lisa avoided Nia’s gaze and replied softly.

“…I’ll handle it on my own.”

“Sure, you’ll manage. But one piece of advice… don’t drag it out too long. If you wait too long, who knows what might happen. Maybe I’ll see an opportunity and snatch Gideon away……”

“Unnie.”

Lisa cut Nia off.

Her voice was colder than before and her stare was quite threatening.

Nia, who had been joking, flinched at that and unconsciously tensed up.

“That comment just now… you didn’t mean it, right?”

“Ah, no. I really didn’t. I was only joking, so don’t be mad.”

“…yeah, okay.”

Lisa bowed her head deeply for a moment, then lifted it with a composed look.

“Sorry about earlier, Unnie. I haven’t been in a normal state lately.”

“No, it’s my fault for crossing a line with that joke.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the problem.”

Lisa sighed softly and looked at the sleeping Gideon.

Then she glanced out the window.

“We’ll be there soon, Skedum.”

“Yeah, if we sleep here for the night and depart tomorrow morning, we’ll reach Intezer at a reasonable hour.”

---

When I opened my eyes, a very familiar landscape greeted me outside the carriage.

It was a place I had seen often in the game.

‘Skedum… we arrived earlier than I thought.’

It was the place where we would stay for one night before reaching Intezer, the school trip destination.

This place was where the main villain faction of this school trip episode was based.

The faction that aimed to rebel against the state — the same group I had encountered often when I took the Rebel King route.