Chapter 46
The first semester ended,
and summer vacation arrived.
-See you later, then.
-Have a safe journey.
Countless carriages were leaving the academy.
Lydia’s group set out after the procession had passed.
“….”
Inside the swaying carriage.
Lydia found herself reflecting anew on the concepts of ‘semester’ and ‘vacation.’ In her previous life, Lee Dae-yoon’s last job had been that of an ordinary university student.
‘Who could’ve imagined I’d finish my military service, start preparing for a job, and then end up possessing a heroine in an eroge? I should’ve just left a nasty comment saying not to play <The Sacred Sword Hero Chronicles> because it’s a shitty game.’
Becoming a gorgeous woman with a body that could burst out of her clothes,
and capturing every man’s attention at a glance had never been a desire of hers.
‘If anything, I’d have gladly given it up. I bet plenty of people would’ve wanted it….’
There was no undoing it now.
“…Sigh.”
Anyway, possession…
To be precise,
she wondered if it was ‘reincarnation.’
She had been ‘reborn as Lydia’ from infancy in this world. She hadn’t inserted herself midway through Lydia’s life. She could still vividly remember the scenery she’d seen when she was born.
“….”
Even so, it was strange that her memories had remained intact.
‘I heard in a biology elective at university that human memories can’t be properly stored until after the age of five.’
But she remembered it clearly.
Her previous life’s personality and knowledge, even her attitude toward life….
Ever since she was a baby.
It was fascinating.
At the same time, it wasn’t something she wanted to dig into too deeply.
So she ignored it.
“…Hmm.”
Lydia lifted her head.
Aria and Mave were blankly staring out their respective windows in front of her. Beside her, Morgan had been reading, but had closed her eyes after getting carsick.
Morgan’s red hair swayed.
‘Who’d have thought she’d try reading in a carriage this bumpy? She’s got some serious grit.’
Meanwhile, quiet conversation drifted from the driver’s seat.
It was Arti and Mirian.
“Ah, so when the opponent charges, it’s actually better to charge straight at them.”
“Hehe. It’s not that it’s better. It’s simply the lesser of two evils compared to running away and exposing an opening. Ideally, you should avoid being ambushed while defenseless in the first place.”
“Is this from your own combat experience, Ms. Mirian?”
“Yes. Would you like to hear the details?”
“Yes! Please! You survived the fierce northern front…!”
‘He’s really excited.’
In the end, Mirian revealed to the group that ‘she also served as the princess’s bodyguard.’ At the same time, she made her position official and took on the role of their protector for this trip.
-I will escort you.
The people of the Theocracy, who’d been worried about Aria and Arti’s trip outside the academy, were startled. First of all, Mirian was a powerful warrior who had reached the Ignition stage.
-The Ignition stage…! Someone like that was living as a wanderer?
-I am not a wanderer. I am a royal bodyguard.
-Ah, yes….
-Please don’t worry. I will escort you thoroughly to ensure neither of you is put in danger.
At Mirian’s elegant words,
the priests, including Adrian, nodded.
-In the end, we need firsthand experience to stand against the forces of darkness. The chance to learn about the wider world is rare. Go.
They hadn’t wanted anyone as overbearing as Raul and Albert, but Adrian’s leadership was practically hands-off—almost to the point of non-possession.
‘Should I call them oddly lax, or say they’re raising them to be tough….’
“….”
And so,
the Hero and Saintess’s outing was decided.
And today, they had set out.
Aria suddenly looked out the window and murmured.
“I can see the White Lake.”
“!”
Lydia and Mave turned their heads. Just as Aria had said, they were passing a lake sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight.
The neutral zone,
at the edge of the Arhen Academy grounds.
From the moment they passed this point, they were in Gallian territory.
Mave spoke with deep feeling.
“It feels like only yesterday that I passed through here with a merchant caravan, carrying my recommendation letter for enrollment. I can’t believe the first semester has already flown by. So much has happened.”
Aria was the one who answered.
“Yes, and I met Arti. Then we became the Hero and Saintess, and were able to move forward on our own. We could do all of that thanks to you, Lydia.”
“If it weren’t for Lady Lydia, I’d already have been swallowed up by the Skeleton Rider’s blue ghostfire. I feel grateful all over again.”
“Really. I hope we can stay friends forever.”
Hahaha
Hohoho
Aria and Mave suddenly began reminiscing about their memories with Lydia. From their first academy class to the dungeon, the Hero Exam, and the final exam and the changes in the nobles’ faction….
Lydia tilted her head.
“?”
‘Why are these two talking like this is an ending scene? Sure, a lot has happened, but we’ve only finished the first semester.’
In the original story, summer vacation…
The first vacation was when they realized, ‘Ah! Stat grinding is important!’ and each heroine’s affection level started gradually increasing. In other words, it was the early game, just beginning to get going.
But….
The mood now felt like graduation.
It was too early to savor this heartwarming atmosphere.
‘Since this is an eroge world, saying stuff like that would count as a flag. And a group-scene flag, no less.’
Lydia voiced the silly thought.
“…There’s still plenty of school life left with me, is there not? There’s no need to express your gratitude right away. For now, let us simply enjoy the time we spend together.”
“!”
Mave and Aria beamed.
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
Morgan glanced over furtively. Morgan seemed to want to say something, but hesitated as Morgan gauged Mave and Aria’s reactions.
“….”
“…?”
“…Hmph.”
“Hehe.”
Lydia smiled.
Whatever it was,
something had apparently ruffled the red cat.
Even so, she didn’t ask.
‘Someday. Someday, the day will come when Morgan tells me everything. Morgan will definitely open up about it all of her own accord.’
“….”
That was why Lydia didn’t rush things.
*
“Zzz….”
“Mmm….”
Though it was still the middle of the day,
boredom had finally put the whole group to sleep.
There was truly nothing but plains.
They didn’t even see any villages or travelers.
‘The Kingdom of Gallia’s main roads are well-maintained by the state, so they’re easy to travel. This one even leads to Saintroix, an important city.’
Boredom was inevitable.
Lydia secretly played by braiding Morgan’s red hair as Morgan slept. Just then, the carriage began to slow down.
Clunk!
“!”
Lydia leaned her head slightly out the window. Far off, the lead soldier in a group of ten was signaling them to stop with his hand.
‘There are no other carriages around, but this is indeed a regular patrol route. So there’s almost no chance they’re impostors.’
Mirian spoke from the driver’s seat.
“…It’s a highway patrol. There’s no problem. Their uniforms are standard patrol attire, and they’re using hand signals that only Gallia’s regular patrols would know.”
“Hmm. As long as we prove our identities, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Arti swallowed hard.
“D-do I need to prove that I’m the Hero?”
“?”
“?”
Both Lydia and Mirian looked puzzled.
“What do you mean?”
“Huh? The Gallian highway patrol is famous for being really strict about identity checks! I’ve heard they even detain nobles if their family seals seem suspicious….”
“….”
Arti clenched his right hand, which bore the Sacred Sword’s emblem.
“So I should prove it now…!”
“Arti.”
“Yes?”
“I am a princess. That is a much easier identity to prove than being the Hero.”
“….”
“And proving everyone else’s identity won’t be difficult, either.”
“?”
“Everyone here except Mirian is an academy cadet, is she not?”
“Ah…!”
In a world where even family seals could be suspect,
what carried as much weight as a high-ranking noble’s seal or a state-issued ID was an Arhen Academy enrollment certificate or diploma.
‘In a world where it’s rare for a credential to vouch for both one’s reputation and abilities….’
Socially recognized credentials were powerful.
That was why nobles and commoners alike gritted their teeth and worked hard to enter and graduate from the academy. It was a kind of social privilege.
Just as expected.
“!”
The patrol approached and checked the academy enrollment certificates Mirian handed over several times with an artifact. Then they took hold of the bows and swords at their sides and saluted in unison.
Snap—!
“Please forgive the discourtesy, Your Highness!”
“We wish you a safe journey!”
Lydia gave a light wave.
“You have our thanks for your hard work.”
The carriage resumed its leisurely pace along the main road.
Arti stared blankly at the patrolmen’s backs. Every one of them was an elite soldier who had reached a respectable level.
“N-no, more importantly, identity checks are this easy? Merchants told me they were much scarier and harsher….”
“We have a royal seal and academy enrollment certificates. What more would they need?”
“…I-I see.”
Arti rubbed his right hand and murmured regretfully.
“I thought I’d finally have a chance to prove myself for everyone’s sake.”
“That day will come someday.”
“Pardon?”
Arti looked back again. He couldn’t see Lydia’s face, but her voice came through the open window.
“These things only work while the world is at peace. If chaos and madness ever enter this world, that will be the time to prove your convictions.”
“….”
“So until then, leave it to me. When the time comes, your moment to step forward will arrive.”
“…Yes!”
Arti smiled brightly.
And Mirian drove the carriage onward.
“As Her Highness says, the world is still peaceful.”
Please,
let this peace last….
*
Mirian laughed hollowly.
‘Still, this was far too soon.’
A band of bandits carrying crude weapons stood ahead, grinning viciously. They all looked weak and inept… no, they actually were inept.
“Kihihihi! All the women get down! We don’t need the men!”
“Hand over every valuable thing you’ve got!”
“Women! There are women in there! They’re all incredibly beautiful! What a lucky day!”
“Where’s that carriage coming from? It’s not the baron’s territory, is it?”
“No! They all came from outside the border!”
“Kihihihi! Great. Let’s take everything!”
They had absolutely no sense of the situation.
They were surely some thugs who’d crawled out of a backwater village.
Mirian pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Phew….”