Chapter 118: Departure! Field Trip!
The calendar slowly turned to a new page.
At some point, summer in June had already arrived.
[June 1st]
[Last night, everyone stayed up late, either going to sing at KTV or shopping for camping gear.]
[Just thinking about going up the mountain to play tomorrow, the boys stayed up all night making insect boxes and nets, preparing to compete over who could catch the most.]
[It may sound childish, but men are boys until the day they die!]
[Thanks to your two skills "Steam" and "Item Creation," you made a breeding box that's both beautiful and practical.]
[You received the negative status "Stayed Up Late," all skill levels and attributes decreased by two ranks.]
[In the middle of the night, you heard a heavy downpour outside the window and couldn't help but worry whether tomorrow's outing would go smoothly.]
[Amid anticipation mixed with unease, you all eventually drifted into a tired sleep…]
The calendar turned to the next day — noon of the second day, the first day of vacation.
In front of the dormitory gates of Chaldea Academy.
After last night's torrential rain, the next day's sky was unusually bright — a deep, clear blue, with only a few small clouds floating lazily.
It was only June, yet the temperature had become unbearably hot, the heat pressing against their faces to the point of suffocation — just a few moments under the sun and sweat was already pouring like a stream.
But that did nothing to dampen the boys' enthusiasm for the field trip; the signs of summer only made them more excited.
"Tents are ready!"
"Board games are ready!"
"Barbecue supplies are ready!"
Mochizuki Eikou, the Round Table Knights, and the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne — this bunch of boys had already gathered at the meeting point.
Carrying all kinds of luggage and camping gear, each wore a bright, eager smile.
"Reporting, Sir Eikou! Everything's prepared, please lead us into battle!" Tristan pretended to act solemnly as he raised his hand in salute.
"Umu! Very good, everyone's accounted for."
Eikou, dressed in dark summer clothes with a sun hat and sunglasses, stood with both hands on his hips like some middle-aged security guard, observing the Britain–France alliance army before him.
"Wait, wait, there's still one very important thing we haven't confirmed yet…" he suddenly said. "Did everyone bring it?"
"Insect boxes are ready!!"
The boys all raised their insect boxes high and shouted enthusiastically:
"Let's go up the mountain and catch bugs!"
"Haha, to go exploring in the mountains with friends, reliving childhood days — that's the dream of a lifetime for me…"
Eikou said while hugging tightly the beautifully crafted insect box he had painstakingly made overnight.
"Rather than just admiring the mountain scenery, I actually prefer direct interaction with nature — wading through streams, picking fruit, catching bugs with friends, leisurely enjoying a summer like Pokémon, right guys? You all want that kind of life too, don't you?"
"That's right! Everyone together——"
"Catch! Some! Bugs!"
The boys once again shouted in unison, raising their insect boxes high with solemn faces.
The scene looked exactly like some kind of tribal ritual that only they could understand!
[The first day of vacation, also Children's Day, June 1st — the bright and radiant start of summer...]
[Your spirits have clearly become far more innocent than usual.]
"...You guys are such idiots. Grown men still wanting to go bug-catching, do you seriously think you're celebrating Children's Day?"
Jeanne Alter walked over slowly with her luggage, frowning as she shaded her eyes from the sun, looking utterly disgusted by the childish crowd before her.
"It's Jeanne Alter-chan!" Eikou said brightly, smiling from ear to ear. "Where's your insect box?"
"Who the hell would bring that kind of trash to a camping trip! I already did you people a favor by tagging along, and now you want me to go catch bugs too? I'd rather die."
"So that's how it is… you're the tsundere type, huh."
Eikou chuckled, shaking his head with a gentle, indulgent smile that seemed to say 'you really leave me no choice.'
"...Just how rotten does your brain have to be to come up with that conclusion?"
That was such a stupid line that Jeanne Alter forgot how to even insult him.
Every time vacation came around, this guy's IQ dropped to catastrophic levels.
"Hey, Eikou," Charlemagne said excitedly, "when we get there, should we hold a cricket battle and a beauty contest inside the tent? The bug I catch is definitely gonna be the coolest one out of all yours!"
"Sure, sure, but winning or losing doesn't matter — what's important is——"
"Catch! Some! Bugs!"
The boys shouted in unison again.
(Note: LOL, I love this kind of bro friendship~)
"All of you should just go back to kindergarten and start over," Jeanne Alter muttered under her breath.
Time passed, and the girls who were joining the trip gradually arrived as well.
The trio of Fairy Knights appeared in summer outfits — Melusine still half-asleep, and Barghest taking the wheel as the driver.
Marie Antoinette wore a wide-brimmed hat and a pink dress, exuding the elegant aura of an aristocratic lady.
Jeanne White, on the other hand, dressed more simply, looking gentle and approachable like a friendly onee-san next door.
Even Bradamante, who was rarely seen, showed up — still in her signature high-slit bodysuit, her expression slightly tense.
"What, even Lancer ass—oh, sorry, even Bradamante came? Charlemagne, you're the one who called her, right?"
Eikou looked toward Charlemagne.
"Nope, she volunteered herself."
Charlemagne laughed.
"'Please let me join! I want to witness the gallant splendor of the Round Table Knights with my own eyes!' — that's what she said. With enthusiasm like that, how could I say no?"
"I see. Too bad the only things she'll witness here are a gorilla that loves smashing potatoes and a perverted rooster obsessed with married women."
The boys burst into laughter, slinging their bags over their shoulders as they prepared to board the bus.
[As for Jeanne Lily, since it's Children's Day, she wanted to spend time with the younger Servants and will be staying over at Atalante's place today.]
[Oberon, needless to say, still has to work to pay off his debt this holiday.]
[Other than that, all your classmates have gathered.]
[And just then, Marie suddenly introduced a new companion...]
"Sorry, Eikou, this might be a bit sudden..."
Marie said apologetically, stepping aside and gesturing toward the newcomer standing behind her.
"But let me introduce a new friend — she'd like to join us on this camping trip as well..."
"?"
Eikou looked slightly surprised, glancing toward the person behind Marie.
What he saw was a tall, graceful figure clad in white, standing upright with impeccable posture.
Her skin was porcelain-fair, her body mature and well-proportioned.
A refined, dignified face framed by smooth white hair tied neatly into a ponytail, a red ribbon fluttering in the hot summer breeze.
She looked young, yet exuded the aura of a seasoned samurai.
Especially those red, gem-like eyes — radiating a noble, commanding presence that was unmistakably warrior-like, yet feminine in its own strength.
However, she didn't inspire fear; rather, her face carried that quiet tenderness unique to Japanese women — disciplined, gentle, but filled with quiet dignity.
"...This is a member of the Shadow Disciplinary Committee, Miss Tomoe Gozen," Marie introduced.