70TH GEAR - FINALLY, A SUCCESSFUL TRIP TO SCHOOL!
70TH GEAR - FINALLY, A SUCCESSFUL TRIP TO SCHOOL!
"Good morning, Jon!"
It was a bright sunny morning, and here we are on the beachside where Flu and I often meet up before going to class. The sweet breeze of the ocean air made a refreshing sensation on my skin. And the soft voice of Flu made it a day worthy of looking forward to.
"Good morning, Flu." I smiled.
We continued to walk for a few seconds until Flu tilted her body to block me.
"Hey, hey, Coach!" The pink-haired beauty pressed her head towards me with a smile on her face. "Would you like to have a free ride?"
"Nope." I immediately went cold and continued walking.
"Ack!" Flu gasped. "Coach! I promise I will deliver you to Saint Crusade Academy safe and sound!"
I cringed. I know all those "free rides" we went through are accidents, but every ride has a punishing gimmick. What will she do for this day? Throwing me to a dumpster truck, to a swimming pool, to the seaside beach sand, and to live electric wires are done already. What's next? Will she throw me to an isekai truck next?
"D-Don't worry, Coach! I just learned a Revival Spell during our Intermediate Healing Course! As long as you are with me, it is all right to die! I will resurrect you as many times as you want! You don't need to worry about getting into an accident!" Flu pumped her fists with an innocent smile on her face.
"If I die, let me stay dead." I cried.
"Awww." Flu sulked. "I thought I will be able to show you my hard work in practicing Stardust Accel for the past three days…"
It's been roughly three days since Professor Azure taught her the Stardust Accel, and I'd say Flu is way more worked up than before. I think she already dedicates seven hours of her day to practicing her speed spells, way more than the hours she spent on studying and sleeping. She's addicted to Speed Battles already.
Flu's reddish pouting face is adorable right now, and her azure blue puppy eyes make me hypnotized. I made a deep sigh and then silently prayed that I will not regret my decision. Then I offered her my hand.
"Here." I coldly said with strawberry cheeks.
"R-Really!? That's great!" Flu happily enveloped my hand with her warm soft fingers. Then she started to drag me on the way while having this adorable smile on her face. "Are you ready?"
"Ready to die," I said.
"Good!" Flu touched her Speedmage Shoes and then pink stardust revolved around it. "Stardust Accel!"
Swoosh!
This is my first time experiencing Stardust Accel, and it was wonderful. The ride is much smoother than when she is using Wind Accel as her main speed spell. All her twists and turns are much more fluid even though we are traveling almost twice as fast as her normal speed before the tournament.
We dashed through the train tracks, the monster-infested rivers, the steep hills, then through the capital square until we finally made it to the Saint Crusade Academy gate. It only took two minutes to get in here, which is way faster than how professional Speedmages do.
And the most important of all… I never got into an accident!
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! After 70 chapters, she finally delivered me to our destined place safe and sound! I'm crying right now!
Flu had this wide open eyes due to shock. She could not believe it either.
"We… We made it! We actually made it without problems, Coach!" Flu cheered.
"Yeah… I am so happy for you, Flu. So happy. You made me proud." I wiped the tears from my eyes.
"Tehehehe…" Flu blushed and scratched her head.
We arrived much earlier than expected because of her Stardust Accel's extreme speed, so there are still a few students going to the academy. We had a relaxed slow walk as Flu and I started to hum some of our favorite anime songs.
Our private time was immediately interrupted when somebody greeted us.
"Good morning, Fluonessia!" One of our girl classmates waved her hand. She is a blonde girl with bowl-cut hair and black bunny ribbons on her head.
"Oh, good morning, Heffy!" Flu waved her hand.
"Good morning to you too, Jonathan!" Heffy smiled at me.
"G'morning." I coldly said.
"So… you two are going out now, huh?" Heffy smirked.
"E-Eh!?" Flu immediately became beet red as she waved both her hands. "N-No! Jon- I mean Jonathan and I are just friends!"
"Still denying, huh?" Heffy teased. "I oftentimes see you two going in class together."
"It's because we're in the same club!" Flu immediately reasoned out.
"But you guys seem to hold each other's hands a lot. That's the lewdest thing in the book, hehehe." Heffy chuckled in a more teasing manner.
"J-Jon- I mean, Jonathan just wanted to hitch a ride! Waiting for the train is much more expensive and time-consuming, so I would just drag him with my speed spell instead!" Flu cried.
"Is that really all to it?" Heffy asked.
"That's all to it!" Flu pumped her fists and cried out of panic. "Come on, Jon! That's all to it, right? Right?"
"R-Right," I muttered.
Heffy sighed deeply as she revealed a magical camera on her back and started wiping the lens with a mana fiber cloth. "Haaaaah. I thought I will get a decent scoop for the Merry Knights tandem for the National Speedmage Tournament, but you guys haven't seemed to reach the first base yet."
"F-First base!?" Flu's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait, are you a paparazzi?" I glared at our classmate.
"How rude!" Heffy put her hands on her hips. "I am a bonafide member of the Journalist Club! I am assigned to put up an article about your guild, so watch out for what you're saying, Jonathan! The reputation of Merry Knights rests on my hand!"
"Okay, okay." I surrendered. "Wait, what was that thing about Merry Knights' reputation? Why won't you stalk Eaglecrest or Cool Escape guilds instead?"
"Hey, I thought you already know the news. Since Fluonessia will be representing the Saint Crusade Academy for the upcoming National Speedmage Tournament, most eyes must be on her!" Heffy said.
"E-Eh? But I just got admitted out of pure luck!" Flu gasped.
"It doesn't matter if it is luck or not. The fact is, you will be playing in the National Speedmage Tournament. This is the first time in ten years that Merry Knights get to represent the academy, so this is the news of the decade!" Heffy said.
<>
Afternoon.
Classes have already ended, and the bell tower has rung fifteen minutes ago. Flu and I are walking through the pathway leading to the Merry Knights Guild Building. The pink-haired idiot is busy chanting "Practice! Practice! Practice!" while I am reviewing the strategies from the handouts that I drafted from my father's book.
I heard some footsteps behind us, so I immediately addressed them.
"Is your job also include stalking us, Helen?" I muttered.
"It's Heffy!" The blonde journalist roared. "Come on, Jonathan! I know you're aloof, but you can't be forgetting even the name of your classmates!"
"Doesn't matter, Hailey," I said.
"Grrrrr!" Heffy snarled.
"Oh, Heffy!" Flu smiled at the paparazzi. "Are you here to visit our club building too?"
"Of course! I am planning to get a scoop out of your wonderful guild, Fluonessia!" Heffy clenched her fist.
"Tahahaha… Don't be disappointed about our building though. It's a little bit old and dusty. And sometimes, the voices of the dead will come and whisper right next to your ear." Flu scratched her head with an embarrassed smile.
"V-Voices of the dead!?" Heffy was stunned, and all the hairs on her skin stood up like a scared cat.
"Oh, I haven't heard them myself, so it will be alright. Maybe. Prez only told me about the story of our haunted club room, but I haven't experienced it." Flu said with an innocent smile.
"Flu, you should stop believing Useless Prez's stories. It's obviously a joke to scare you." I muttered.
"Was it though?" Flu tilted her head.
We finally arrived at the Merry Knights Guild Building. For some reason, the abandoned hospital vibes are no longer there. Instead, I can hear construction noises everywhere in the building. I can hear hammers smashing and drills spinning. Construction workers are also doing the cement mixture with their magic.
"Well, it's good to see that your haunted house is getting renovated~" Heffy happily hopped as she went to the entrance of the building ahead of us.
Flu and I looked at each other, and we both shrugged. We have no idea that our building is being renovated, so it came as a surprise.
"Oh, you're here." It was a familiar voice of a useless person.
Ericka went out from the entrance and greeted us three with a smile. She flicked her wavy blue hair and held her hips like a supermodel.
"Whoaaah! It's Miss Ericka Azure, the famous Useless Prez!" Heffy said in amazement. Then she proceeded to take a lot of shots from her camera.
"Who are you calling Useless Prez?" Ericka snarled.
"It's you, of course- Eeeek!" I immediately cried when I saw an icicle spear flying overhead. After that, I zipped my mouth and dared not to talk back.
"Whoaaaa! Prez! What's with all these construction and renovation?" Flu pumped her fists, and her eyes are full of excitement.
"We just got a raise in budget coming from the admin of Saint Crusade Academy. They were happy to give us additional funds since one Merry Knights Speedmage will be representing Saint Crusade in the next National Speedmage Tournament." Ericka said.
"Ooooh! That's amazing! It's all thanks to the Merry Knights Speedmage representative for the nationals! I am excited to meet her!" Flu giggled.
"That representative is you, Flu…" Ericka rolled her eyes.
"Ah! Tahahaha!" Flu embarrassingly scratched her head.
"Anyway, what's with this paparazzi?" Ericka tilted her head and then she struck a model-like pose and blinked beautifully. "Is she just here to take pictures of my beauty?"
"Oh! Where are my manners!" Heffy smiled as she let her camera swing on her chest and shook hands with our Prez. "My name is Heffy Himenez, a member of the Journalist Club! I am here to cover the Merry Knights!"
"H-Heffy?" A familiar deep loud voice entered the chat.
When I looked at my side, I saw our big fat panda man Cruzo looking at the paparazzi with wide round eyes. His black eyebags became wider as he stood in shock. He even dropped the taco he was eating a few seconds ago.
All of a sudden, Cruzo's face went red and then he ran away!
"Uwoooooooooooogh!"
The hell was that?