It was still early in the morning, however, many students had already gathered at the entrance of theĀ Korwitz ForestĀ for this yearās field trip.
The forest was a bit too far away to travel there by carriage, so everyone used a magic circle of teleportation to get there.
(So weāre finally in the Korwitz Forest, huhā¦?)
Leo was really excited today, after all, he wasnāt wearing a dress, like he usually did. He was going to search for his other Car-sama inside the forest, so he convinced Kai to let him wear something easier to move around. The young butler agreed that his masterās safety came first, so he made Leo wear theĀ horse riding clothes * that was on the back of his masterās closet.
( *Tl/n: I donāt know which style of clothing is the right one, butĀ HEREĀ is the medieval one, andĀ HEREĀ is a more recent one.)
This yearās activities were going to be conducted in groups of 10, with no regards to the social standing of the students. Usually, the groups wouldāve been divided between High Nobles, Lower Nobles and Commoners, but since Bianca didnāt want to be separated from Leonora, and because of the recent changes in status inside of the academy, they were all together.
The studentās camp, on the other hand, was set up next to a small plain, in front of theĀ Korwitz Forest, so there werenāt any stone structures nearbyā¦ just nature. But because of that, many students were afraid of entering the forest, after all, they could get lost and hurt themselves. So to prevent that from happening, a huge pole with a red flag was erected in the middle of the camp, to serve as a landmark. That way, even the sheltered young ladies could explore the forest without the fear of losing their way back.
However, to Leo, the red flag was a bit pointlessā
(āAfter all, this place is like a second home to meā¦) ā Thought Leo, with a smile, as the nostalgic smell of grass entered his nose.
In times of need, some of the boys of the orphanage would venture into the forest to search for food, however, they always did that behind Hannahās back.
The forest was a dangerous place, so if she found out that they went there, she would probably scold them. But Leo always managed to deceive her, by saying that they were going on a picnic.
It was already an habit for Leo to enter the forest and start looking for food, so he shook his head when he noticed that he was mumbling something about the edible grass beneath his feet.
(No, Iām not here to look for food! Iām here to search for the Lady of the Lake! So I need to focus!)
The real purpose of the field trip was for the students to learn new spells, but Leo couldnāt care less about that. Searching for the Lady of the Lake was his top priority right now and he was ready to start at anytime. Even the magic crest that Albert made for him was ready to be used at anytime.
Now Leo just had to find a way to slip out of his groupā
āAs I thought, anything looks good on you! Youāre so cute in that outfit, Leonora!ā
āBut the First Princes of the Empire didnāt want to let go of him.
Bianca was also wearing horse riding clothes, however, her outfit was on par with her titleā¦ it was really expensive. Well, she never wore anything else besides her dresses, so wearing pants for the first time was something novel and exciting for her.
āNow that weāre on the same group, we can be together all day long!ā
āā¦Unā¦ . ā
At first, Leo didnāt want to go on the field trip, but after learning that heād be able to meet the Lady of the Lake, he changed his mind. However, he didnāt expect that Bianca would ditch her job as the guide for the primary students, just for him. And with her by his side all day, he wouldnāt be able to sneak out of his group.
āHmmā¦ why are you, hugging me, Neh-sama?ā
āTo protect you, of course! That priest is coming with us to the field trip, so I have to be your shield!ā
āYou will, protect me, from that , priestā¦?ā ā Said Leo, in a confused tone, as he tilted his head to the side.
āYes! You can rest assured, Leonora! Thereās no way I would let Gustav get close to you, after what he did yesterday! Iāll protect you from that scumbag!ā
Bianca was sure that Leonora was feeling offended by what Gustav said to her yesterday, however, she couldnāt be more wrongā
āHmm, that, you got, it wrong, Neh-samaā¦ I wasnāt, offended by, what Gusāā
āLeo actually wanted to thank Gustav for giving the magic crest back to him. But before he could say that, Bianca squeezed him even more tightly in her arms.
āāWhy are you always like this!? You canāt leave those things bottled up! If youāre sad, you should say so!ā
āH-hmm, that, Iām notāā
To begin with, Leo was a man, not a young maiden, so what Gustav said didnāt bother him in the slightest. Besides, those insults were just childās play, compared to what Leo was used to. However, he couldnāt refute Bianca. The intensity of her gaze was so strong, that Leo could only nod in response.
āāUnā¦ . ā
āThatās what I wanted to hear! ā¦*Whisper*ā¦Now listen here, Leonora, that man is constantly sending glances at you. Thereās no doubt heās feeling guilty for treating you like that. And Iām sure heās probably planing on apologizing to you. But , you canāt forgive him that easily, okay?ā ā Said Bianca, as she glared at the holy knight who was just a couple of meters away from them.
Leo wanted to search for the lake with Gustav, after all, he probably knew where to find Carnelian. But that would have to wait a bit. Until Biancaās grudge against Gustav was dispelled, Leo had to do his best to ignore him.
(Well, I donāt want to worsen her mood, so thatās fine for nowā¦ā¦ . Ah! Speaking of which, I was in such a hurry yesterday, that I even postponed our talk about Chris! Maybe thatās why Gustav-sensei is glancing at me with that impatient look in his eyes! He probably wants to know more about her!)
Itād be a bit sad to let a man as old as Gustav, who still had his V-card intact, spend the entire day of the Spirit Festival alone, so Leo swore again, in his heart, that heād introduce them to each-other as soon as possible.
But priorities came first. Leo had to find an opportunity to get away from Bianca and start his search for the Lady of the Lake.
However, an opportunity like that never cameā
(Kuhā¦! What a miscalculation! To think they would trap me like thisā¦!)
āLook here, Bianca-sama! Look at the size of my muscles! I think Iāve finally mastered the Body Strengthening spell!ā
āThose are some nice muscles, huh? Keep on the good work.ā (Bianca)
āLook here, Leonora-chan! I managed to create a new version of your Spy Crystal* ! If you cast this spell, itāll replay the complete story of the Empire!ā ( *Tl/n: Ch-18.1)
āW-wow, thatās quite, impressiveā¦ . ā ā Said Leo, with a stiff smile.
āThe number of students who wanted to show off their spells in front of Leo and Bianca, in hopes of grabbing their attention, were endless.
(Iāve been thinking this for a while, but this field trip is more like a huge picnic, isnāt it!? Why call it aĀ field trip to learn dangerous spells, if everyoneās just killing time!?)
According to the information that Leo gathered about the field trip, the students were going to try out new spells, under the supervision of a teacher, for about two hours, then theyād be free to do whatever they wanted.
Leo was planing on using that free time to sneak out of his group and enter the forest, after all, everyone would be too busy talking about their new spells to notice himā¦ or so he thought. As soon as the class ended, a lot of students, from different grades, flocked towards him and Bianca.
(F**k! I donāt have time for this! The field trip will be over by sunset!)
Well, it wasnāt even noon yet, but still, Leo was impatient. He had to, at least, check the three main lakes of the Korwitz Forest by the end of the day. He even considered pushing everyone out of his way and running into the forest with all his might. But if he did so, Bianca would be forced to bring him back to the camp, after all, no one was allowed to enter the forest alone. So Leo decided to suck it up, like a man, and wait for the right time to make his move.
It was already noon and the sun was shining brightly in the sky.
To get away from the heat, Bianca and Leonora decided to sit on the shade of a nearby tree, on the edge of the forest. The other students were still playing with their spells though; they were just a couple of meters away from the two girls, but that distance was far enough for the two to have a talk without anyone interrupting them.
āWhat is it, Leonora? Youāve been glancing at the forest for a while nowā¦ . ā
(Thereās something wrong with Leonora today. Sheās glancing repeatedly at the forest and sheās also unusually fidgetyā¦)
āAh, no, Iāmā¦ Iām just, a bit worriedā¦ thatās allā¦ . ā
āI seeā¦ so this has something to do with whatĀ you two * were talking about yesterday, doesnāt it?ā ā Said Bianca, with a concerned look in her eyes.
( *Tl/n: Sheās talking about the conversation that Leo had with Gustav inĀ Ch-37.2)
āHuhā¦?ā
The little girl was visibly surprised, but Bianca didnāt stop there. She grabbed Leonoraās shoulders and looked straight into her eyes, before sayingā
āāPlease, can you tell me what is worrying you so much, Leonora?ā
āE-eh, thatā¦ I-I donātā¦ . ā
āI know I donāt look like it, but Iām still the head of the primary studentsā¦ and I also know I donāt have a lot of magic power, like my brother does, but what I have is more than enough to help you, soā¦ you can rely on me, tooā¦ . ā
Bianca was desperate. There was something going on with Leonora recently, but the little girl didnāt want to tell her anything. Bianca knew it had something to do with theĀ Lady of the Lake, since Leonora and Gustav were talking about it yesterdayā¦ but thatās it.
Albert seemed to know what was going on, but when Bianca tried to look for him, he was nowhere to be found. Well, Natalia knew where to find him, but she was a bit grumpy ever since she exited the church, so Bianca thought itād be best to not disturb her.
āTo tell the truth, I noticed from the beginning that there was something weird going on with this placeā¦ this forest is too quiet. Well, I know that forests are suposed to be weird, butā¦ I have a feeling that something really bad is about to happen. So, you have to tell me if thereās something going on, Leonora, otherwiseāā
āOtherwise, itāll be too late.ā ā Is what Bianca wanted to say. But before she could finish her sentence, one of the students who was breathing out flames from his mouth, suddenly lost control of his magic and everyone started screaming. ( Tl/n: FFS! Thereās always the one ! Why the hell would you breathe flames out of your mouth!?)
āāWhatās happening!?ā
āI-itās the fire, Bianca-sama! The fire isnāt vanishing!ā
It was an incredible sight. The flames were suposed to go away after the caster finished the spell, but that didnāt happen. Instead, the flames gathered in one spot and formed a giant pillar of fire.
āWhat are you guys doing!? You have to cast a Fire Extinguishing spell! Hurry up!ā
āI already did that, Bianca-sama! But the fire isnāt vanishing!ā ā Shouted a desperate girl, as she turned to look at Bianca.
Seeing that none of them could extinguish the fire, Bianca got up in a hurry and tried to cast a stronger spell. But before she could do that, she heard an inhuman voiceā
āRude, man cubsā¦ get out of here.
āThis land is not yoursā¦ for you to toy with.
āIt was like like hundreds of people were speaking at the same timeā¦ it was eerie. Bianca was visibly scared, but she still looked around for the owner of the voice. ( Tl/n: Imagine Dorminās voice, from Shadow of the Colossus .)
āW-who are you!? W-what do you want with us!?ā
āShe can hear our voicesā¦ .
āWhat an unusual childā¦ .
This phenomenon was so outside the norm, that Bianca even forgot to breathe. She had never experienced something like this. However, while she was contemplating the current situationā
āN-Neh-samaā¦?ā
āThe little girl that was standing by her side grabbed her sleeve.
ā She is still sadā¦ maybe this man cub can comfort her.
āGreat ideaā¦ this child will be honored to serve our Lady of the Lake.
āT-the Lady, of the Lakeā¦?ā ā Said Leo, in a surprised tone, as he listened in on the weird voiceās conversation.
āLeonora!? You can hear them as well!?ā
Leo nodded in a hurry to affirm that he also could hear the voices, but in truth, he only became able to hear them because he touched Biancaās arm.
(This isā¦ a voice from the sky, isnāt it!? And they mentioned the Lady of the Lake! Which means, they are probably spirits!) (Leo)
Leo was a faithful believer of the Great Spirit of Coins, so, to him, this opportunity was a sign that his God was looking after him.
āI-I can, also hear, their voices, Neh-sama. And thatās, probably why, they want to, take you to, their Ladyā¦ . ā
āThis child with black hairā¦ she can also hear our voices.
āShall we take her with us as wellā¦?
Leo was surprised when he heard that. He almost couldnāt believe that he was going to get a free ride to the home of the Lady of the Lake, so he subconsciously tightened his grip on Biancaās clothes.
(Iām getting a free ride to her home! Which means, I donāt have to search for the Lady of the Lake anymore! Moreover, if I do my job right, sheāll probably give me her blessing!)
Leo was brimming with so much joy, that he even started tremblingā¦ but of course, Bianca didnāt know that. She thought the little girl was frightened, so she grabbed her hand, and then saidā
āāItās okay, Leonoraā¦ I wonāt let them take you!ā
The Lady of the Lake was in a bad mood and she needed someone to comfort her, which meant that the voices were probably going to sacrifice Leonora to appease their deity and lift her mood.
(Khhā¦! So this is why she was worried earlierā¦!) ā Thought Bianca, as she gritted her teeth in frustration.
It was then, that Bianca suddenly remembered the exchange of words that Leonora had with Gustav yesterday.
Now it all made sense.
Leonora already knew that the Lady of the Lake was in a bad mood. Thatās why she wanted to know where to find the Great Spirit of Waterā¦ she wanted to sacrifice herself and save everyoneā¦ again.
(But that wonāt happen this time! After allā)
āāIām her big sister! And Iāll protect her at any costs! Wind Gale !ā ā Said Bianca, as she extended her free hand forward.
A powerful gust of wind then enveloped the fire pillarā
āWhat are you-!?
āIt was like a mini tornado was compressing the fire, and it kept doing so, until the flames became as small as a ball.
Bianca then raised her hand up to the sky and the ball followed suit, before exploding in a huge show of flames.
After realizing that Bianca had dealt with the fire, some students started running towards the camp to tell the teachers what happened, while the remaining ones readied their spellsā¦ just in case they had to attack the source of this anomaly. Well, their spells werenāt as strong as the one Bianca used against the pillar of fire, but there were many of them, so whoever was messing with them was bound to, at least, suffer some damage.
āT-the rude, man cubsā¦ they attacked us.Ā ā Said one of the spirits, in a fearful tone.
āAre you sure we shouldā¦ bring them to our Lady?
āThey are just jealous thatā¦ we are only bringing the two females.
āMaybe we should try toā¦ bring all of them?
The moment Leo heard that, he entered in panic. He didnāt how many students the spirits could bring with them and he didnāt want to share his profits with everyoneā
āN-no, you canāt! Take me! You donāt, have to, bring everyone, with you! Just takeā!ā
āSo he begged the spirits to bring him alone.
āāWhat are you saying, Leonora!? Of course I wonāt let you do that!ā ā Said Bianca, as she covered the little girlās mouth with her hand, in hopes that the spirits hadnāt heard her.
(Why are you trying to stop me, Neh-sama!? This is my only chance to get a free ride! I canāt let an opportunity like this pass by!)
The spirits stayed silent for a moment, as if they were pondering about what the little girl had proposed to them, however, while doing so, they noticed something unusual about the girl.
āThe child with black hairā¦ we feel the Great Spirit of Light in her.
āShe is beautiful as wellā¦ our Lady will be pleased.
āIf we bring her to out Ladyā¦ we can save the trouble of bringing everyone.
(Wow, so I was right back then * ! The Great Spirit of Light really has black hair! Luckyā¼!)
( *Tl/n: Ch-33.3)
For the first time, ever since they traded bodies, Leo felt like thanking Leena for having black hair. But now wasnāt the time for that. He quickly got away from Bianca, then he raised both of his hands up into the sky, and saidā
āāIām ready! You can, take me to, your Lady!ā
As soon as he finished his sentence, Leo was enveloped in a water bubble, then a gentle wind started blowing beneath his feet, which levitated his body above the ground.
(Woah, this is really fun!)
Leo still had the mentality of a commoner, so to him, these sorts of paranormal events were really exciting. But to Bianca, it was nothing more than watching her little sister, willingly, walking into the death corridor.
āLeonora! Waitā¦!ā ā Yelled Bianca, as she jumped to grab Leonoraās feet.
(What are you doing!? You gonna break the bubble, if you touch it!)
The water bubble was gaining more and more altitude with each passing second, but Bianca didnāt give up. She kept trying to grab the little girlās feet to pull her out of the bubble, even though she could barely reach it.