Vol-02 Ch 4 – Before The Field Trip

Part 1

"I'm too excited…"

The next day. I was reflecting on it a bit as I headed to school. Yesterday, I continued to use magic for as long as I could, until I ran out of time and imagination, but in the end, I had caused a phenomenon called magic depletion.

From what I read in sage-san's book, I heard that magic depletion could be recovered over time, but it's not a very complimentary thing. That's because when I run out of magic, my body becomes sluggish all at once. It's already so uncommon. I'm so physically lazy that it's almost impossible to stand up, and it's horrible. If this happened in the middle of a battle, I would be killed in an instant.

There was something else that bothered me as well. It was a word written at the end of the book…

─Now, since what I've told you up to this point is the result of my research, you should not think that this is widespread, and think carefully about where to use the knowledge you've gained.

Apparently, this magic theory is sage-san's original one. From the feeling I get from reading this sentence, the content of the book left by sage-san must be uncommon. I was by no means, thinking that, but it's heresy! It would be troublesome if I told this to an otherworlder, so let's be careful.

So far, there were more dangerous things or that I had to be careful about, but it wasn't all bad. It turns out that one of the effects of the rare drop item, the Portable Open-air Bath Set, is that it can also produce a hot spring that has the effect of restoring magic power!

Yaaah, that drop item is a great hit! I can't do anything without it now! And the toothbrush is just as effective, it's amazing how fresh my mouth is, and it's transformed into really clean white teeth. And it felt super lovely to brush with it.

I was thinking about that as I headed to school, and before I realized it, I had arrived at school. It seems that Kaori and Kaede had just arrived at school as well, and when they saw me, they smiled and greeted me.

"Ah, Yuuya-kun! Good morning!"

"Good morning, Yuuya-san."

"Good morning, you two."

When I returned the greeting as well, I suddenly realized something. Kaori and Kaede look strangely happy. Is something wrong?

"You look like you're having fun. What's going on?"

"Eh?" They were surprised and looked at each other at my words.

＊＊＊

"Now, as stated in the annual event schedule, we have a field trip next week… Are you all done with the preparations?"

"Huh?"

"Yes!" On the contrary, everyone answered in unison.

After the morning exchange, the homeroom teacher, Sawada-sensei, said that in the H.R. session.

Field trip? What? I've never heard of this.

"That's good. You'll be in a position to be called an elite in the future. In fact, all the graduates of this "Ousei Gakuen" are active in various industries. We want you to experience the harshness of nature so that you will be able to survive the rough seas of society. We're trying to get you to develop the mental capacity to endure any kind of hardship."

When I was confused by the sudden words, Yukine, who was sitting next to me, told me.

"…Well, the teacher says that, but the point is that we're just going to camp to get used to a new environment. Well, it's going to be a valuable experience and will help us grow. It's just a night and two days, and I'm sure they'll give you a sheet of paper with a list of things you'll need to prepare, so you can use that as a guide. I think."

"I see…"

Come to think of it, I got textbooks and stuff like that, but I didn't get a yearly schedule of events. To be honest, I'm not bothered by it, or… how should I say it, until now, I hated school so much that I didn't really care about the events. But… Oh, I see. Kaori and the others knew that this explanation was going to be given today, so they seemed to be enjoying themselves oddly.

As I thought back to the two of them in the morning, Sawada-sensei said:

"However, we can't start preparing or anything else without deciding on a group. That's why sensei will decide it appropriately."

"Eeh~"

When Sawada-sensei said this, many students voiced their dissatisfaction.

"Sensei! Why don't you just let us manage the group ourselves?"

"That's right!"

"That's a tyranny!"

"Yes, yes, be quiet. Stop criticizing me at once. Do you want me to give you more homework?"

Everyone was silenced as sensei used homework as a way to make a deal. Looking at these students, the teacher lets out a sigh.

"As I said before, although the content is a camp, it's still an outdoor learning experience. The purpose of this is to deepen the friendships among the students. But if you just make a group with your friends, it won't help you build new relationships. This is the time to widen your circle of friends. Do you all understand?"

"Yes."

In other words, the division of students into groups by the teacher this time is a clear intention on the school side. I have yet to speak to any of the students except Ryo and Shingo-kun, so I'm grateful for this event. But I'm also troubled by this.

…What should I do with Night during this field trip? The best thing is to use magic to get back and forth to my house… but as of yesterday, I still couldn't use any magic like instant travel or anything like that; it's hard to visualize it. So what should I do?

I was holding my head because the problem of not being able to use movement-type magic came up in unexpected situations. Then Sawada-sensei wrote the result of the group division on the blackboard.

"This is the division of the groups this time. The number assigned to each of you is your group number, and now, you will be moving to your groups accordingly. Okay, start moving."

I looked at the blackboard, and I was in group 5. I move to the position where the members of that group are sticking together. And there were two familiar faces there.

"Ah, Kaede."

"Yuuya-kun! We're in the same group. Please treat me well!"

That's right; I'm in the same group as Kaede. And the other familiar face is…

"Hey, Yuuya-kun! We're in the same group!"

"Uhm, Akira-kun. Best regards."

"It feels so distant to call me with an honorific! You can call me Akira! Or maybe young noble──."

"You're too long! Get out of my way!"

"That's cruel!"

I'm also in the same group with Akira, the one who made a mistake at the time when playing soccer. However, the one who pushed Akira away and came over was a girl I had never been involved with before. A tall, slender, beautiful girl with long black hair, she's tall for a girl. Her face also seems to show her strength of character somehow.

"I'm Rin Kanzaki. I don't mind if you call me by my name too. Please treat me well from now on, Yuuya."

"Yes, likewise, Rin."

I didn't really like getting involved with new people before, but now I like it because it's exciting. That's why I smiled spontaneously, but Rin looked at my face intently and nodded.

"I see… there are just so many rumors going around."

"Eh?"

"No, I'm talking about that. If that idiot over there keeps his mouth shut, I can understand if he's called [Young Noble]."

"Eh, really? I'd love it if you call me that!" said Akira.

"…Although at this rate, I doubt you'll get that chance forever."

"Why!"

I'm already having fun with this group. When I thought about that, Kaede called out to me.

"For now, it seems that we're a group of four, so it seems we'll be working with these members this time. I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too. I don't get many chances to do this."

I couldn't even go on a school trip in junior high school because I didn't have any money. No, even if I had, whether I would have enjoyed it or not is another matter.

Sawada-sensei opened her mouth as each group finished confirming its members.

"Alright, I think we're done with the group confirmation. I'll give you a brief overview of the event, and then I'll hand out a sheet of paper that summarizes what you'll need for the day."

In response to her voice, the students turned their attention to the teacher.

"First of all, the destination. There's a vast land owned by this school, and it's surrounded by nature, so don't think there's a convenience store or anything convenient like that! And as for the activities, well… that's for you to look forward to when you get there. Well, good luck with that!"

I thought she said she was going to give us an overview, but she's keeping the important part secret? I wonder what kind of things we're going to do… Yukine said it was camping… Or rather, I was lightly drifting off, but what is this vast land owned by the school? That such a thing exists…? This school is more and more out of the norm.

It seems that the teacher's explanation is really only that much, and this time around, a paper was handed out with things to bring or something written on it.

Let's see…

Yourself.

It's obvious, isn't it? If it's not the person themselves, who's going to go?

A bag. Preferably a backpack or something bigger.

Don't suddenly return to normal. I can't keep up with my emotions. And suddenly, it's something I don't have. I mean, I couldn't even afford to travel before, so I don't have a backpack or any such travel bag in my house.

My grandpa loved to travel, so maybe he has a bag if I search carefully, but… huh? Come to think of it; I don't think I've ever seen my grandpa on a trip with a bag…? It's a mystery.

Well, now that I have a bit of money to spare, I'll buy it. I don't really need it because I have an item box, but it would be an uproar if I used it in this world. And when I read on, I found out that I just need something like a change of clothes and a P.E. uniform. There's nothing that I especially need to buy, except for the bag. It was a bit of a relief. But Kaede and the others seemed to be different.

"Hey, hey, what do you want to bring?"

"As expected, we need to bring playing cards or something like that, right?"

"You're right. What about you, Akira-kun?"

"If you guys are in charge of the games, I think I'll bring the snacks!"

"Eh? Eh? Cards? Snacks? Can you bring something like that?"

I was surprised and asked that involuntarily, but Kaede and the others are also surprised and looked at me.

"Yeah? We need some things to play with since we're camping."

"That's right. I mean, that kind of thing is also allowed in middle school, isn't it?"

"What is it, Yuuya? Are you a beginner at camping? In that case, this [Young Noble of The Camp] will…"

"You shut up."

"Why don't you let me talk?"

It seems my perception is wrong. No, I thought it was a school event and games were not allowed… but is that what camping is all about…?

The difference in perceptions troubled me again, but in the end, since I didn't seem to have any particular items to prepare, I just referred to the paper that was handed out to prepare what I needed to bring for myself.

Part 2

"Alright! Let's hang out!"

After school, me, Ryo, Shingo-kun, Kaede, Rin, and──.

"Please take care of me today, everyone."

──Kaori, the six of us went out to have some fun.

It started with a talk about me not having a backpack or anything else necessary for the field trip, and then they decided to hang out with me while I was shopping.

"I-I never thought I'd be able to hang out with Kaori-san…"

Then Shingo-kun said that with a bit of trepidation. I also invited Akira to join us, but he had some business to attend to, so he's not here. And while the five of us were about to go out, Kaori was nearby, so I asked her to join, too, and she accepted it.

"I was surprised. I didn't expect Yuuya to be acquainted with Kaori-san…"

"Mm-hm. Kaori-san is the daughter of the chairman of this academy, and more importantly, the aura she wears is too noble!"

Kaori chuckles at Ryo and Rin's words.

"I'm not like that. It's my father who has that position. Please feel free to call me Kaori, too, everyone."

"R-really? Well then… Kaori! Nice to know you!"

Just like that, Kaori got used to Rin and the others without any problems.

The destination we went to was not the area around the school where Kaori and I ate crepes before, but a department store that is a little far away. Since I left it to Ryo and the others who are familiar with this area, there is no need to worry about many things.

Along the way, Kaori told the story of how she met me and how I came to the school, and everyone listened to it with interest.

"How should I put it… Yuuya is amazing."

"Y-yeah. If it were me, I'd be too scared to help…"

Shingo-kun is a little shaken when he hears about the first time I met Kaori. She didn't tell them about the fact that I was beaten up by the delinquent, it seems she's considering my feelings, so they all praise me for it. W-well… that's embarrassing, you know.

While having this conversation, we arrived at our destination.

"Let's go shopping here. There's also a game center inside."

I was led to a department store, which probably had about eight floors. When looking at such a building, Kaori was a little impressed and said, "This is my first time hanging out in a place like this with friends!"

"Oh, yeah, me too."

"Wait, what did you say?"

It's not just Kaori, I've never played with this many friends in the first place. Despite that, I've had my grandfather take me to the game center before, even though it was only a few times.

Hearing our words, Kaede and the others were surprised with their eyes wide open.

"I-I can't believe there are two such endangered species…"

"Endangered species…"

I couldn't help but laugh at Kaede's words.

"Well then, the two of you should have some fun today."

"That's right. Kaori, Kaede, we will go look at some clothes later."

"That sounds great, Rin-chan!"

"Hey, come on, first of all, we'll start with Yuuya's backpack."

"Okaay."

As Ryo said, we quickly went inside the department store. Since I don't have any special preferences to begin with, I can easily find and buy the backpack.

Then, after getting advice from Ryo and the others, I bought the other recommended items, and then we finally came to the floor where the game center is located.

"This whole floor is the game center, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"It's amazing!"

It was a place with a UFO catcher, arcade games, other medal games, and various other gaming machines.

"Hmmm… although we often go to the game center, it still looks amazing."

"Well, whatever. Let's just have some fun."

Just like Ryo said, we wandered around the game center. Then Shingo-kun stopped in front of one UFO catcher.

"T-this is…"

"What's wrong?"

"Ah… N-no, I just saw a figurine of my favorite character from the anime I watch, so…"

A figurine of a girl that looked like a magical girl was placed at the end of Shingo-kun's gaze.

"B-but I'm not very good at this type of crane game… I don't have much money this time, so I'll do it another time."

"Really? Then, since we're here, let me try it."

I've never played a crane game before because I don't have any of the things I want, but because Shingo-kun said he wanted that figurine, I decided to try to get it.

"Oh, you're going to do it, Yuuya?"

"I'll do my best!"

I was nervous about my first ever crane game in my life, but I was able to control the crane and move it to the desired location. For my first time operating the crane, I was able to move it the way I wanted to, but I guess that was thanks to my improved body.

Here it is! My hand moves at the right time, so there's no problem. Besides, I also used my [Weakness Detection] skill in order to find out where on the figure to aim, so it will make it easier to get at, as well, so it won't be a disastrous result. [T/n: Uwakimonooo!!]

I seriously stared at the crane and the box of figures and determined where to aim. And as I stared at the box, a part of the figure box seemed to be vaguely glowing. This shining place is the weak point of this figure box, and if I strike this spot, its balance will slip off, and It will fall as it is.

I moved the crane further to the location of the box of figures I was aiming for and pressed the button at best possible time. And then…

"Eh, no way!"

"Incredible…"

What a surprise, I was able to get it off in one shot. I didn't expect to get it off in one shot. Because I thought the arm of the crane was weak, so I should do it at least twice. But I guess the part I aimed for was weaker than I expected.

"Ooh, you got it in one go!"

"Wait, wait, wait, isn't this a probability machine? But that's amazing!"

I don't know what a probability machine is, but I managed to get one, so I gave it to Shingo-kun.

"Here you go."

"E-eeeh? I-I can't accept it!"

"But I only did it because I wanted to give it to Shingo-kun, so… ah, how about we trade it with 100 yen? If so, I'll get my hundred yen back too!"

"I-if Yuuya-kun's okay with it, then…"

Shingo-kun looked very happy to trade the figurine for a hundred yen with me, but then Kaede, who was watching what had happened with the others, pulled me along.

"Y-Yuuya-kun! Can you get this one?"

"Eeh?"

Kaede pulled me to a large stuffed animal of an adorable cat. When I look at it again, I can see that she has already put her money in it.

"Wait, you have already put money in it, and if I fail…"

"I don't care about the money, just try it once!"

I felt sorry if I failed with someone else's money, but Kaede permitted me to do it, so I'll just try it, I guess. Of course, I'm using the [Weakness Detection] skill as well. And just like when I took the figurine earlier, I moved the crane's arm towards the shiny part of the stuffed animal, and accurately hit the weak point of it.

"Ah, I got it!"

"Really?"

The stuffed animal came off without a hitch.

"Yay! I've always wanted this stuffed animal! Thank you, Yuuya-kun!"

Kaede said as she hugged the stuffed animal. Maybe it's because I succeeded twice in a row, but everyone, including Ryo, takes me to the thing they want.

"Y-Yuuya! I've always wanted this game! Can you get it?"

"I want this stuffed animal."

"I… I have never seen any of it before, but I think this stuffed animal is adorable!"

As a result, I was able to get it all in one shot. H-huh? Is the UFO catcher really that easy? No matter how much I'm using [Weakness Detection], it's too easy to take it out, so when I think about that, Ryo opened his mouth with a look of admiration.

"No, it ain't a coincidence when it gets to this point. This is the first time I've ever seen someone take the UFO catcher prize so easily…"

"I-is that so?"

"That's right… it's my first time in a game center, but I can see how amazing Yuuya-san is."

Apparently, it's unusual even from Kaori's perspective, who's a newbie to the game center like me. W-well, it's okay. I'm not losing anything! After enjoying the UFO catcher like that, we played a certain car racing game.

"Uhm, is this the right direction?"

"No, it's backward! Kaori, go back as fast as you can right now!"

"Move out of my way! I'll come through!"

"Wha-! Yuuya's too fast! What kind of driving technique is that? Can you move like that in this game?"

"I-is that so?"

"Yuuya-kun, that's amazing…"

In the end, I am in the first position, and the bottom one was Kaori, who was new to the game like me. Then, after also enjoying various other shooting games, we decided to take a break.

"Phew… it's been a while since I had a good time like this."

"M-me too…"

"Now that I think about it, isn't Yuuya amazing?"

"Right. he got a high score on the shooter game too…"

"Shingo's drumming was pretty intense too. I couldn't follow it with my eyes anymore."

"A-anyone can do that if they know the music."

"No, that's impossible."

As everyone takes a breath, Kaori smiles gently.

"I've never hung out with so many friends like this before, so… it's a lot of fun."

"Kaori…!"

Kaede's eyes turn moist at Kaori's words, and then she and Rin made Kaori stand up.

"Alright, then let's go look at some clothes now!"

"Eh? C-clothes?"

"Yes, that's right. High school girls like us have to take care of their appearance. So, we'll go upstairs to look at some clothes, so let's meet up here later."

"Hmm? Aren't we also coming out with you?"

Ryo says that to Rin and the others, and Kaede grins at him.

"Are you sure, Ryo-kun? Girls shopping takes longer than you think, you know?"

"…Then, I'll pass on that."

So we parted for once, and the ladies went upstairs to look at the women's clothing section.

"Well then, should we go downstairs and have a look?"

"Yes."

"Alright."

And thus, we headed off to look at the other floor, which was different from the ladies.

Part 3

On the lower floor, there were shops related to decorations, a bookstore, and a grocery store. I didn't buy anything in particular, and when I was looking around──.

"A-a fire! There's a fireeee!"

"Huh?"

One of the customers suddenly shouted that. The other customers who heard that voice looked surprised and doubtful at first, but when they saw the smoke flowing from the upper floor, their expression changed.

"U-uwaaaa!"

"Hey! Don't push me!"

"Just get downstairs already!"

After we looked at each other, Ryo hurriedly took out his smartphone and called Kaede and the others.

"…Not good, I can't contact them!"

"A-ano! Which floor is on fire?"

I asked one of the customers heading for the exit, and it seemed that the fire had broken out in the corner of the game center. If it were true, we'd have to rush out and wait for the fire-engine, but we'd come to the escalator to get to the upper floor.

"Game center… Kaede and the others are right up there! But with all this smoke…"

"W-what should we do!?"

As Ryo said, the smoke was more intense than I expected, and the heat could be felt near the escalators and stairs. But I spontaneously moved once I arrived at the location of the escalator.

"Yu-Yuuya! Wait! Hey!"

"Eeeehhhh!?"

I could hear Ryo and the others' surprising voices behind me, but I had already run upstairs. In hindsight, I would have had to act more calmly and thoughtfully. But as soon as I realized that Kaori and the others were in danger, I couldn't stand still.

"Kuh!"

The heat gets stronger and stronger on my way upstairs. My clothes right now are just a uniform, so I don't have any protection. If I went into them at this rate, I would die too. Then I suddenly remembered that I had recently become able to use magic.

"That's right… magic would be useful in a situation like this!"

At first, I thought about creating a large amount of water, but I dismissed it because I thought the floor might collapse under the weight of the water while it was brittle from the fire.

So first, I use magic to put a thin veil of water and air over my body. At that moment, I'm free from the suffocation and heat.

"Alright, now…!"

In front of the raging flames, I jumped in with determination. The floor of the game center was already entirely on fire, and if I didn't have magic, I wouldn't have been able to proceed at all. I immediately activated my skill [Presence Detection] and checked to see if there were any people in the vicinity who had failed to escape.

"There's no one on this floor…"

As soon as I made sure no one was there, I ran upstairs again. While searching for Kaori and the others in this way, I detected three signs frozen in place. When I hurried to the location, I found Kaede and the others collapsed in pain.

"Kaori! Kaede! Rin!"

"Yu-Yuuya…kun…?"

The three of them were right in front of the women's restroom, and they probably didn't notice the fire. The fire alarm wasn't even ringing in the first place, so it's probably broken, or no one pushed it. They should maintain it properly!

I couldn't help but swear, and I checked with my skills to see if there were any other people left. It looks like it's really just Kaori and the others, and if I save the three of them, it will be over. But all three of them fainted the moment they saw me, so I would have to hold them all alone.

I used my own uniform jacket, Kaori, and the others' jackets, and first tied Kaori to my back to secure her in place. Then I carried Kaede and Rin on each of my shoulders and hurriedly ran from the location.

All three of them must have inhaled too much smoke. I have to hurry and get out of the building. But it's impossible to jump into the flames of that game center floor with three people like this in my arms.

"…Alright."

After thinking about it for a bit, I'm going to do something super reckless that I can only do because it's me now.

That is to──

"──… break it!"

I stomped on the floor as hard as I could. A hole in the floor caused us to go straight down. Moreover, instead of destroying one floor, I also destroyed the floor right below it.

I was falling faster and faster with the three of them in my arms, passing the floor of the game center where the fire originated in one fell swoop and approaching the first floor.

But if I landed like this, I might give the three of them a tremendous impact. I used my magic as I imagined my body wrapped in the wind. Then, just before we landed, our falling speed slowed down, and we succeeded in landing gently. Then, when we landed, I ran straight to the exit and kicked the door open.

"Whoa!" said the people outside.

When I went outside, the firefighters had already arrived and were working to put out the fire.

"Hah… hah…"

"Are you okay? Hey, you! Bring a stretcher!"

As I left Kaori and the others with the paramedics, I dropped down on the spot.

"Haaaahhh! I made it in time!"

I loosen my uniform tie and exhale as hard as I can.

"Yuuya!"

"Yu-Yuuya-kun!"

Ryo and the others, who had escaped safely, rushed to my helpless body.

"You… don't be reckless! I was so worried about you!"

"T-that's right!"

"Ah… well… sorry."

Ryo and Shingo-kun were right; my actions were quite reckless. Even if I, myself, had some leeway due to my ability to use magic, it would have looked like a suicide mission to others who didn't know that. Sure enough, the firefighters were very angry at me.

The fire was safely extinguished, and we were safe for the time being. I found out later that the reason the fire alarm didn't go off was not because of poor maintenance, but because of bad luck.

However, the game center where the fire started seems to have been caused by the mishandling of the wiring cords. At any rate, Kaori and the others who were transported to the emergency room woke up safely. Thanks to that, Kaori's father, Kaede, and Rin's parents flew over after receiving a call from the firefighters, and then they gave me their extreme gratitude, and I felt grateful for that.

"Thanks to you, Kaori is safe… thank you. Thank you so much…!"

When I saw him tell me that with tears in his eyes, I felt both tender and lonely at the same time… I didn't have a family that worried about me anymore… I felt a little gloomy, but I had to answer the question of what happened at the time of the fire.

But when the topic of why I was able to save the three of them safely comes up, there was no way I could say I used magic, so it was very hard to cover it up. Eventually, I settled on the conclusion that I was super lucky, which was also as unrealistic as magic, but if I didn't tell the truth, no one would know the truth.

I managed to get home, being both berated and thanked for it.

"I'm home…"

"Woof!"

Then Night greeted me.

"Night… you've been waiting for me?"

"Woof."

Night rubs his face against my chest as I hug him. I couldn't help but hug him tightly for his cuteness.

"Thank you."

"Woof."

"Alright, then, let's get some food."

"Woof!"

Now I have Night in my life. I smiled because I loved his existence so much.