novelraw Chapter 44 : A Sudden Field Trip (2)
Chapter 44 : A Sudden Field Trip (2)
Chapter 44: The Sudden Field Trip (2)
Vacation had begun, and all the 1st Class students gathered in front of the main gate.
A total of thirty-one students.
All of them stood lined up at the entrance, luggage packed in their carriers to enjoy their vacation, waiting to descend to the Underworld.
“What? Weren’t those three supposed to be orphans? I heard they had nowhere to go during vacation, so even in Class 0 they just stayed at the school.”
“Right? I definitely heard that too. Is the roadside their bed or something?”
It was a voice aimed at us.
I discreetly checked who it was, and their hair was patchily white.
Students from the Light Element course.
The only reason they knew our situation this well was because Russel must have been the culprit.
‘No wonder things have been quiet lately.’
But Kiena and Hei were already used to those stares.
We didn’t respond, pretending not to hear anything, and simply ignored it.
“Ah, you guys didn’t hear? The Fire Element course is going to the Nohill Family for something called an Open Field Trip.”
This time, the voice came from the Earth Element side.
Since Kiena, Hei, Banshi, and I were all being ostracized and didn’t even talk to other course students, we never initiated conversations.
But the other students stayed quite friendly with each other despite being from different courses, so they seemed to share information like that.
“Open Field Trip? What’s that?”
“They say it’s something the family is doing. Seems like they’re just going to hang out.”
But even the students didn’t seem to know exactly what it was.
I glanced at Russel, and suddenly his eyes changed.
It was the gaze of someone who had realized something.
‘He must’ve come up with another weird idea.’
Step, step.
At that moment, footsteps sounded from behind.
It was Vice Headmaster Former, who would be accompanying the Fire Element students on their field trip to the Nohill Family.
The last time I’d seen him was during his speech back in Class 0.
But seeing his face again after so long didn’t make me happy at all.
No, seeing his appearance, which seemed to reflect Tylant, twisted my stomach.
Former and I briefly made eye contact, but he showed no reaction and simply stood in front.
“All thirty-one students are here. Let’s go.”
Flap!
As he flicked one sleeve, a portal formed.
It was the same method Professor Mel had used when moving us from Class 0 to Class 1.
“Students, please go in first.”
And so, from the front row to the back, everyone entered the portal in order.
“Fire Element students, step aside.”
The moment we arrived in the Underworld, Former immediately started separating the students.
‘The Underworld…….’
But I took a moment to appreciate the scenery of the Underworld.
The waypoint between the school and the Underworld wasn’t in the middle of the city, but in a forest outside the city.
And even within the forest, it was quite a wide clearing.
Thick green grass spread across the ground, and tall trees rose like a fence encircling the area.
It looked like the meticulously tended garden of a noble family.
How long had it been since I’d seen a forest of the Underworld?
The view was so unfamiliar after so long that it briefly felt like I was dreaming.
Even in my previous life, once I reached the 5th Circle, I never descended to the Underworld again.
When I met my master at the 5th Circle and began learning things I had never known beneath him, I lost any desire to come down.
“Have a good vacation, the rest of you.”
“Artel! Hei! We’ll see you tonight!”
The moment we stepped into the Underworld, vacation truly began.
Kiena had come down to keep the promise she made to the orphanage teachers when she’d gone out with Banshi last time.
“Okay.”
Hei waved back at her, and Kiena dragged a carrier about the same size as she was toward the city.
“Greetings, young master. Congratulations on the start of your vacation.”
Once only the Fire Element students remained, a man somewhere between middle-aged and elderly approached and greeted Hapert.
White, graying hair, a full mustache, and the deep wrinkles on his forehead left a strong impression.
If Nohill had been a family of light, his appearance would’ve been confusing.
Fortunately, his dark pupils revealed his true nature.
Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be a butler working for the Nohill Family.
“You’re from the Nohill Family?”
“Yes, you must be the Vice Headmaster of the Ed Branch School. It’s an honor to meet you.”
The butler immediately recognized Former and bowed politely.
“Please lead the way.”
Former responded with no emotion at all, his tone stiff and strictly businesslike.
I glanced at his eyes and felt… he was wary of something.
‘Does he have a bad relationship with the Nohill Family? Showing that kind of look to a butler who isn’t even a mage.’
It made me wonder what adult circumstances were being hidden beneath the surface.
We then followed the Nohill butler into the city.
“…….”
The moment the scenery of the city entered my eyes, a subtle emotion rose in me.
It wasn’t the feeling of returning home.
In my previous life, after becoming an Archmage, I had lived only at the top.
So I had no idea what had changed or what new things existed.
It simply felt like seeing a place I had never been to before.
“Wow, seeing it again after five years feels so nice. Right, Artel?”
Hei, glued to my side as he walked, pointed toward a building and asked.
“……Yeah, I guess.”
I could tell by context that it was the orphanage.
A place I had no memories of whatsoever.
But since I had to act like I did, I played along.
“I miss the teachers. Especially the head teacher—she always took good care of us.”
“She… did.”
Hei was soaked in nostalgia, but I couldn’t share those memories at all.
And that only made me realize how hard it was to fake familiarity.
Honestly, I found myself wondering, ‘Do I really have to go to the orphanage?’
I didn’t particularly want to.
After walking quite a while, we finally reached the Nohill Family.
“Follow me.”
The moment we arrived at the family estate, Hapert began acting like the leader of the group.
The grounds of the Nohill Family were vast—wide enough to resemble a small kingdom.
Several buildings, and even a needlessly spacious-looking garden.
How many Circle Mages had the head of the Nohill Family reached to possess a family estate like this?
The Nohill Family definitely hadn’t existed back when I was an Archmage in my previous life.
The size of a family estate was a measure of the family head’s skill, and judging by the current Nohill Family, it seemed similar to, or perhaps even a little larger than, the Ed Family—the leading representative family of the Fire Element.
“Vice Headmaster, please come this way.”
The butler attempted to lead Former elsewhere.
“Why? Can’t I stay with the students?”
“Haha.”
The butler showed a smile that deepened his already heavy wrinkles, then carefully whispered something into his ear.
“…….”
Immediately afterward, Former’s expression was smeared with conflict, and he slowly nodded.
He had shown wary eyes when they first faced each other, yet what could the butler have said to make him nod like that?
Soon after, the butler guided him away to a different location from ours.
“Young master, the family head said the meal will be ready in two hours. Please head to the grand dining hall at that time.”
“Okay.”
That was what the butler said to him before leaving.
‘Grand dining hall? There’s more than one dining hall?’
My first impression of the Nohill Family wasn’t very good.
Now Hapert led us around the family estate, giving us a tour of various places.
“This is our family’s library. I studied here even before entering the school.”
“Wow…… it’s bigger than the school library!”
“That’s right, much bigger. And the books are on a whole different level from the ones at school.”
It was simply his time to brag.
But the other students, who didn’t know anything, just sent him looks full of admiration.
“And this is a classroom.”
When we left the library, Hapert entered a room right next to it and explained.
Even though the room was large, there were only a handful of desks, and instead the chalkboard was as wide as the room itself.
No, it wouldn’t be strange to call it a room dedicated solely to that massive chalkboard.
“A classroom? Why is there a classroom in the family estate?”
“I told you, mages of the family learn magic here before entering the school. That’s why we’re more talented than all of you.”
“I see……. That’s why you were able to learn things so quickly at school.”
“I already learned it all in the family.”
Hapert wore an exaggeratedly arrogant expression, sweeping his gaze over me and Banshi in particular.
His eyes were filled with resentment about something.
Honestly, I had no idea what he wanted from us.
Banshi seemed to feel the same way, since she just let out a hollow laugh.
Time passed quickly, and when it was finally time to eat, Hapert guided us toward the grand dining hall.
“The food’s on a whole different level compared to what we eat at school. Look forward to it. And since we’re dining with the family head, mind your manners.”
“So this is…….”
Former, guided by the butler, arrived at a garden located deep within the Nohill Family estate.
But calling it a garden felt somewhat wrong.
Normally, a family’s garden meant flowerbeds—varied flowers in colorful arrays, pleasing to the eyes and soothing to the heart.
But the garden Former stood before held only one kind of plant.
There were no decorative flowers—just the rigid feeling of an exhibition hall.
“These are the herbs we send to the Draco Family. We’ve learned how to cultivate them, so the amount we deliver has increased dramatically as of recently.”
“…….”
Former knew the Draco Family received some herbs from other families.
But even as a member of the Draco Family, he didn’t fully understand the herbs’ purpose.
“Since you have personally visited us, the family head ordered that we show them to you directly.”
“Even if you show me this, the treatment you receive won’t change.”
“Haha, do you think we’re showing you this to be treated differently? We only hope you acknowledge how much we are thinking and acting for the sake of the Archmage.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“…….”
“Anyway, calling this a garden seems wrong. Herb field is more accurate.”
“It’s all for security reasons. Since you’ve personally come this far, please have some tea. There’s a perfect spot for it just beside us.”
“But where are the other mages of the family? You’re just a butler. I want to speak with a mage.”
“That is why I have come.”
A new voice sounded from directly behind Former.
He turned his head slowly, and a young man greeted him.
Bright red hair, and irises of the same color.
His appearance was that of a Fire Elementalist in perfect harmony.
“And who are you?”
“I am Nohill Superior.”
“Oh? I’ve never heard that name, and I’ve never seen you.”
“You’re the Vice Headmaster of the Ed Branch School, correct? It’s understandable. I graduated from the Mirne Branch School.”
“Did you graduate recently?”
“No. It’s already been over forty years. Anyway, I’ll take over the guidance from here. You may go now.”
When Superior spoke to the butler, the butler simply bowed politely and departed quietly.
“Let’s go.”