Clear air. A natural refuge, lush with green foliage that shields even the blazing summer sun.
And here I was, walking there with Sub-Priest Sofia, drenched in sweat.
“Haah… Hah…”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m… I’m fine…”
No. She didn’t look fine at all. Sub-Priest Sofia, who particularly struggles with the heat, looked as if she might melt into the ground at any moment.
“It’d be better to rest here for a bit.”
“I’m really okay…”
“I’m not okay.”
Spotting a suitable tree stump nearby, I called out to Vivian and Daniel, who were walking ahead, to suggest taking a short break. At the sound of my voice, Vivian and Daniel turned around.
“Oh… We didn’t realize we were holding up the others. Sorry.”
“N-no… Hah… I just can’t handle the heat…”
Sub-Priest Sofia dropped onto the shaded stump. Exhausted from the heat, we huddled together on a nearby stump, feeling the lukewarm breeze brushing through our hair, giving us some relief.
“Phew…! The air is nice! Honestly, I was worried, but this place seems better than expected!”
Chloe chimed in with a bright smile after refreshing herself with water from her bottle.
She was right. Vallon Mountain, which we had heard notorious rumors about, turned out to be a pleasant hiking trail, well-maintained and comfortable unlike what was said.
‘Did we make a good decision?’
It had been a while since I had visited a place like this, so it was natural for such thoughts to arise. Perhaps due to the good management by the House of Vallerge, this place was undeniably beautiful, far from the rumors.
The trees forming a dense forest stretched high into the sky, making the view feel refreshing. Sunlight filtered through the leaves above, giving us the sensation of stepping into a mystical space draped in green.
The air was good, and the cheerful sounds of chirping birds added to the charm. Escaping from the noisy and chaotic world and embracing such nature was not a bad experience at all.
For students, who were exhausted from the pressures of the Academy, this was an ideal place to unwind. Since the schedule was just a short four nights and five days, feeling like it was just a brief trip made it easier on the mind.
Perhaps I harbored some prejudices. Given that rumors are just rumors, I felt somewhat guilty towards Vivian for having such narrow-minded thoughts.
“Professor, would you like some water?”
“Oh, Laura.”
As I was admiring the densely wooded forest filled with chirping birds, Laura, who had been sitting on the stump next to me, handed over her water bottle. I accepted it, thanking her.
“Thank you.”
“Hehe, it’s nothing.”
In truth, I found it hard to guess why Laura had come along. Was it really necessary for her to follow us?
Given that the Magic Theory Research Department, to which Laura belonged, had decided not to engage in any activities during the vacation, I had assumed she would return to the Adelhaid Ducal House like other noble offspring…
“Hmph…”
“……”
But there was a strange glimmer in Laura’s eyes as she stared at me, her expression enigmatic. I subtly distanced myself and looked elsewhere.
“Professor.”
At that moment, someone approached and spoke to me. I turned my gaze toward the voice.
“Oh, Chloe.”
It was Chloe. She had been sitting on a stump a step away, but now she had come up behind me, her expression obscured by the sunlight.
Suddenly, something was thrust before me.
“What’s this…?”
What I received was a white handkerchief. It was remarkably similar to the one I had given Chloe during our stroll on the beach when she was in tears during the Grade-by-Grade Duel.
“Use this to wipe your sweat.”
It was quite the timely assistance since it would have been awkward to take out my handkerchief from my bag. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and expressed my gratitude.
“Thank you.”
“N-no, you lent me a handkerchief too.”
“…?”
Her emphasis on those specific words was somewhat distracting, but it was nothing unusual. I nodded and finished wiping my sweat.
“…Professor Antorelli.”
As I stood there, Laura spoke up again, having paused her steps to take a break. I sighed at the realization that there was no time to really rest, and I turned to her.
“Did you call?”
Laura, still wearing a slight smile like before, seemed to have a subtly different vibe. Her gaze was fixed on the handkerchief in my hand.
“That handkerchief…”
“…Ah, yes.”
It seemed Laura wanted to wipe her sweat too. I offered her the handkerchief without hesitation.
“…Huh?”
“Didn’t you want to wipe your sweat, Laura? If you don’t mind using one I’ve already used, feel free to take it.”
“…….”
Now, Laura gazed intently at the handkerchief as if it were something frightening. Even her smile had vanished.
Naturally, it would be uncomfortable to use a handkerchief that someone else had used. I would have felt the same way. Blaming myself for my thoughtlessness, I retracted the handkerchief.
“I’m sorry. If I look through my bag, I might find another handkerchief…”
“A, no!”
I was about to take it back when Laura quickly snatched the handkerchief from my hand.
Staring at her, who had made such a loud fuss over taking the handkerchief, I noticed that her face was turning increasingly red. With her head bowed, Laura mumbled.
“Um… I’m fine with this one. Thank you.”
“…Ah, yes.”
She must have been quite desperate. It would have sufficed for her to just ask if she really wanted it.
“…Tch.”
At that moment, I heard a clicking sound from somewhere and turned my head, only to find Chloe standing there with her usual bright smile.
“What’s wrong?”
“…It’s nothing.”
I continued to feel like I was missing something. Given that expressing this sense of awkwardness in words was tough, I simply shook my head silently.
“Phew…”
Just then, Sub-Priest Sofia, who had been slumped on the large stump, let out a long breath and began to calm her breaths. Her previously labored breaths were finally settling down. I approached Sub-Priest Sofia, who was gulping down water.
“Are you feeling a bit better?”
“Gulp… Ah, Head Priest.”
Her green eyes, shining transparently, now looked back at me, contrasting with the dull expression she had a moment ago. I felt reassured seeing her regain some energy.
“Yes, I think I’m okay now.”
“Make sure not to overdo it. Heatstroke can be dangerous.”
“I’m really fine. I just heard from Vivian that it won’t be much longer.”
If Sub-Priest Sofia said she was okay, then it must be true. I nodded and walked closer to Vivian and Daniel, who were quietly chatting.
“How much further do we have to go?”
“We just need a bit more. About five more minutes?”
“Not too long then. By the way, I didn’t expect the lodge to be so deep in.”
“……”
“Hey, Vivian.”
“What?”
“Ow.”
It was a trivial conversation. I placed my hand on Daniel’s shoulder, who had turned away.
“Daniel.”
“Oh, Professor.”
“It looks like we can start heading out soon.”
“Um… Understood.”
After taking sufficient rest, we began to move again. With Sub-Priest Sofia feeling better, our pace going up the mountain notably quickened.
“Hey, Head Priest.”
As the tree stumps we had just passed began to disappear from sight, Sub-Priest Sofia approached me with a question.
“Do you think those stumps were cut by Vivian’s family?”
“Wouldn’t they have?”
“Hmm…”
Sub-Priest Sofia’s expression was filled with doubt. Seeing the look of suspicion on her face, I couldn’t help but ask the reason behind it.
“Why do you suddenly ask that?”
“…No reason.”
Sub-Priest Sofia glanced back, and the tree stump where we rested had vanished from sight; no amount of squinting would allow us to see it.
“It figures, right?”
“Yes. I’ve heard that there aren’t many people living on this mountain.”
Though I felt a bit uneasy seeing Sub-Priest Sofia nod reluctantly, I thought it was not something to worry about too much. If it obstructed the hiking trail, they could easily have it cut down for safety reasons.
Sub-Priest Sofia seemed to accept my point, as she shifted the topic of our conversation.
“By the way, do you really think there are ghosts living on this mountain?”
“Ghosts, you say?”
“They say there’s no smoke without fire. What if there are spirits roaming this mountain?”
The ghosts Sub-Priest Sofia referred to were of a theological nature—evil spirits or demons.
I slowly looked around. All I saw were dense trees, and I didn’t sense any ominous presence, but…
“It’s hard to say.”
Whether demons might be hiding or if there were nothing at all—no one knows until they see with their own eyes. However, there was a degree of reassurance knowing that the House of Vallerge periodically managed this mountain.
Moreover, we were heading to a lodge owned by the House of Vallerge. If there were demons roaming around this vicinity, the Count of Vallerge would surely have dealt with them.
“I think it’s safe to not worry too much.”
“…I suppose you’re right?”
“Yes. Our role is simply to watch over the students and ensure they don’t engage in any dangerous behavior.”
Indeed. That was the only thing we had to do. Getting lost in such a dense forest would be far scarier than encountering demons.
“We’ve arrived!”
Around that time, as Daniel, who had been leading the way, shouted, our previously obstructed view of the trees opened up completely.
“Oh…”
“What’s this…?”
What came into view was a grassy clearing in the middle of the forest with a small lodge standing alone.
“Why does it look like that?”
“Vivian?”
“…Oh dear.”
The moment I saw the lodge, overrun with vines and clearly in poor condition, I could instinctively tell.
It might honestly be better to encounter a demon.
