Chapter 30: Chapter 30

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Outdoor Activities

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"Alright, I'll explain the plan."

Amelia declared confidently.

Her confident demeanor was pleasant to see, yet it also filled me with unease.

...She's not cooking up another strange plan, is she?

Amelia's plans always made me nervous.

"It's not something weird, right?"

"What are you talking about! Just listen and try not to be too surprised."

Her sheer confidence only made me even more uneasy.

What on earth was she planning?

"It's a date!"

"Huh?"

"I mean, a date! When a man and a woman go out together!"

I was surprised.

It was a far more ordinary idea than I'd expected.

No, actually, even if it was "ordinary," a date still felt like a burden.

"...Where? No, how, to begin with?"

There was one major obstacle in her plan.

First, there was no valid reason for a date.

What if.

What if, just hypothetically, she had fallen for me.

And if that was why Arte was acting that way towards me.

Even if I conceded a hundred steps and accepted that as true, there was no way for me to meet her.

She and I had no particular relationship. …At least, not on the surface.

Our only connection was being classmates and members of the same club.

We hadn't even had many conversations.

If I suddenly asked her on a date, I'd just be rejected.

"Don't worry. We have the club, don't we?"

"...The club?"

"The president mentioned it last time. That since we received an award, we should go on an outdoor activity."

My head began to throb.

Outdoor activity?

Had the president ever said anything like that?

...No, I don't think so.

Something felt off.

There were only four people in the club, and it wasn't very active, so I was sure I'd remember.

But I didn't recall ever hearing such a thing...?

"When we go out for an outdoor activity, or just to hang out somewhere. That's when I'll get you and Arte together!"

"...Amelia. Did the president really say that?"

"Are you forgetting things? You were there too. She said we got a lot of prize money for catching the Chameleon Villain. Don't you remember?"

Is that so?

True, there had been a lot of incidents lately.

Perhaps I was too tired to remember.

Shiwoo decided not to dwell on it.

***

"Ehehe. I'm so happy."

"Are you that happy?"

"Of course! Look at this certificate of commendation!"

The president proudly held up the certificate of commendation.

It was a certificate stating that, as academy students, they had splendidly repelled a villain who had infiltrated the academy.

It was an award for the Exploration Club.

"They said they'd give us a generous budget...! I'm so happy! You guys are the best!"

"We're glad you're pleased."

I smiled faintly.

I smiled at the president.

They were going to receive an award anyway, but the compensation was much smaller than this.

The Author had increased the compensation.

Why had they increased it?

Because it was all going to be used up anyway.

"This is all thanks to you guys...! Thanks to you, we can go on outdoor activities, and the club's prestige is rising!"

"It's good that you're happy. Even though there are only four of us, shall we have a fun trip?"

"Yeah! It really pays to have good juniors!"

Naturally, outdoor activities had to align with the club's purpose.

Since the Exploration Club, as its name suggested, was for exploring.

Even if we just went camping somewhere, we could insist it was exploration.

That's why Yu Shiwoo and Amelia were also excited.

"Ohoho, I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too! It'll be fun!"

Yes, it would be fun.

For the unknown readers who read the Author's writing, that is.

[Thump, thump...! A new event is starting!]

Indeed.

It was the start of a new event.

A story set in an academy, venturing outside?

In such cases, it was usually one of two things.

Either chasing the enemy, or the enemy chasing them.

Naturally, our protagonist and heroine duo hadn't even grasped the true nature of the enemy.

All they knew was that Lyra belonged to an organization called Übermensch, and that the villain who had infiltrated the academy was also a member of that organization.

So, what would be the outcome?

What else? An attack.

"I'm looking forward to it. What kind of interesting event awaits us?"

"Hmm, it'll be summer soon, so maybe the beach isn't ideal? How about the mountains?"

"The mountains, you say? That sounds fun!"

"Hmm, no...? What about a hidden realm?"

"Hehehe, that would be fun too."

When the president asked where we wanted to go, I replied that anywhere was fine.

After all, she wouldn't be able to choose anyway.

The one choosing was the Author.

Not a puppet like her.

"Heh, heheh. Hmm~"

As I watched the president humming and pondering where to go, the Author spoke to me.

[Let's save the beach for a summer event... Alright, I've decided! Into the mountains, a place not well-maintained!]

"Ugh, it's expensive... L-Let's go with this place."

We all gathered to check the location the president had displayed on her computer screen.

It was deep in the mountains.

"They say it's a mountain untouched by human hands. Wouldn't it be perfect for camping? And they say there used to be a dungeon there?!"

See?

In the end, they couldn't choose anything.

In this world, only the Author and I possessed free will.

The rest were merely puppets dangling on the strings of fate.

If the Author changed the strings, they would simply act according to their fate.

"That sounds fun."

"But, the mountains... Won't there be bugs or something...?"

"But there isn't really anywhere else to go. This place is perfect for four people. The entrance fee for the hidden realm was too expensive. Want to see?"

At Amelia's reluctance towards the mountains, the president showed her the entrance fee for the hidden realm.

It was quite expensive.

The price range wasn't suitable for four people, even with the villain capture bounty.

No matter how generous the bounty, the entrance fee had to be paid per person.

In truth, as long as the Author could adjust the bounty amount, it wasn't impossible to enter that place at all.

But what the Author wanted was the mountains.

That's why the hidden realm's entrance fee was so high.

I wasn't sure what a hidden realm was. Perhaps it was one of the settings the Author had inserted?

...Well, I could probably guess just from the name.

"B-But if I chip in...!"

"It's only natural that individuals shouldn't bear the cost of club activities."

"Ugh!"

Was that really natural?

I glanced at them, but couldn't confirm the truth.

Well, it probably didn't matter.

Because even if it wasn't natural, our Author could make it so.

"So, the location for our outdoor activity is here! Got it?"

"Yes."

"This will be fun. I should pack lots of meat and seafood!"

Well.

I wonder if they'll actually get to eat.

It's obvious it's going to turn into a mess.

[Heh, meat… seafood… I want to eat.]

...If the Author wanted vicarious satisfaction, then perhaps they would.

***

"Oh, Lyra. You're here early."

"...Well, yes."

My body stiffened with tension.

Last time it was a simple mission, but would it be the same this time?

Would I actually die this time?

"I have another favor to ask you."

"What is it...?"

"Here, this mountain."

Looking at the map Arte handed me, my body trembled instinctively.

...This place, it's where Übermensch's hideout is.

I'd been told to escape here if problems arose.

"We're planning to have a pleasant time there with your former colleagues, Lyra."

"Oh, really...?"

"Yes. It seems there will be quite a few people, so I'd like to ask you to help with crowd control."

"C-Control?"

Control, she said.

...Control what, exactly?

Despite feeling fear, my curiosity surged, and I asked without thinking.

My perked ears and tail seemed to betray my tension, which annoyed me.

Damn it. My emotions were showing too easily.

Fortunately, Arte didn't seem to mind much and answered me coolly.

Though her words were more chilling than cool.

"Ah, well. If citizens were to happen to enter, it would be a big problem, wouldn't it?"

"...Why?"

"If they were to enter... Ohoho. I don't think anything good would happen."

Crazy bitch.

She wasn't sane.

She trailed off, but I understood what she was trying to say.

She probably meant that if anyone entered and more corpses appeared, it would be troublesome, so she wanted me to control it beforehand.

Damn it.

I resented my past self.

To have provoked such a dangerous person, swept up in inferiority.

I must have been crazy.

"Ah. Right. I was going to give you a reward."

Twitch.

Lyra's ears perked up, for a different reason than before.

...A reward?

Now that I thought about it, she had mentioned something like that.

She had said she'd give me a reward just for buying a swimsuit, and since there hadn't been any further mention after I brought it, I'd dismissed it as empty words.

"Hmm, I wasn't particularly fond of the swimsuit I received... But it's my fault for not specifying clearly."

She began muttering something into the air.

...It's that 'Author' again.

I didn't know who she was referring to, but I figured it was better not to know.

I decided to pretend ignorance.

The most precious thing was my life.

Power or anything else, surviving was paramount.

It was only after feeling the fear of death that Lyra realized this truth.

"Here, please take this."

"This is...?"

"It's something good for your body."

What she handed me was something dark red.

Its eerie color evoked revulsion.

"...This?"

"Please consume it. It will make you stronger."

Lyra instantly wanted to throw away the object in her hand, but she managed to restrain herself with great effort, exercising patience.

It was medicine again.

The cause of her purple wolf ears and tail.

...Did this woman know I'd come to hate medicine and was giving it to me anyway?

No, surely not.

That couldn't be.

"...What if I don't eat it?"

"It doesn't matter to me if you don't consume it?"

Arte smiled faintly.

...It was chilling.

Her smile reminded me of the one she wore when she made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

"However, if you choose not to consume it and die, I won't be responsible."

"...I'll keep it for now."

"Yes, please do. It's fast-acting, so you'll become stronger the moment you consume it."

Bullshit.

Pills weren't that kind of medicine.

Once consumed, it took time for the body to digest them.

Wasn't that why her wolf ears and tail had only appeared much later after she took the pill?

"Oh. It probably won't happen, but could you also prevent anyone trying to come out from the inside from leaving?"

"...Got it."

"Good. I'll be counting on you."

After Arte left, with those words.

It was a long while before Lyra realized she was truly gone, and she let out a sigh.

"I'm going crazy..."

Lyra looked up at the sky.

The beautifully shining crescent moon filled her eyes.

Disgustingly beautiful, it was.

She had never understood why people craved cigarettes so much.

But now, she wanted a cigarette, even though she'd never smoked one before.