Misa Kakizaki had reached over and snatched a mini-steak from my bento. In retaliation, I swiped her tuna sandwich.
"Hey! Axel-kun! I was saving that!"
"Equivalent exchange."
"One sandwich for one mini-steak? The exchange rate is totally skewed!"
As Misa lamented her loss, Madoka sighed and handed her half of an egg sandwich.
"Honestly, Misa, stop making a scene. …Anyway, about the trip. The groups are supposed to be five or six people."
"There are seven of us here," Natsumi noted. "That's a bit of a squeeze."
A school trip, huh? I've always wanted to see Kyoto, but the "school trip" format usually involves rushing from one landmark to another without any time to actually take things in. I do like Yatsuhashi sweets, though.
"Mm. I have a bad feeling about this, so I'm fine with being in a different group," Sakurako said while munching on a bun. "Yuuna and the others already invited me."
"You're leaving?" Madoka frowned. "Whenever Sakurako 'The Oracle' says she has a bad feeling, I start getting worried."
"I could probably step out too—" Natsumi started, but Chizuru cut her off with a pleasant, yet terrifyingly firm smile.
"Oh? But Natsumi-chan, it's already been decided that you're in my group."
"Chizu-nee, that's just tyranny…"
Natsumi grumbled, but she knew better than to argue with the woman who controlled her access to high-quality meals. Honestly, even without the food leverage, Chizuru had a certain aura that made resistance feel futile.
And so, the group was settled: Me, Ayaka, Chizuru, Natsumi, Misa, and Madoka.
"E-err, everyone? Since we're heading to Kyoto and Nara next week, have you all started your preparations?" Negi asked during the afternoon session.
A chorus of "Yes!" went up like a group of elementary schoolers. Beside me, Chisame was holding her head in her hands, while Yue watched the chaos with her usual detached stare.
Then, I looked at my neighbor.
"What's with you? You're in a disturbingly good mood."
Evangeline looked more cheerful than I'd ever seen her. Since she was bound to Mahora, she shouldn't be able to go to Kyoto… unless?
"Hmph. I simply discovered that an idiot I thought was dead is actually still breathing," she replied.
"Oh? Sounds like someone close to you."
Chachamaru was the one who actually answered my question.
"Yes. During lunch, Negi-sensei informed us that his father, the Thousand Master, may still be alive."
"The Thousand Master? Alive?"
"Yes," Chachamaru continued. "The staff Negi-sensei carries was given to him by Nagi Springfield himself six years ago. However, official records state that Nagi Springfield died ten years ago."
"I see. Well, good for you, Eva. Your first love is still out there somewhere."
"D-don't be ridiculous! It's not like that!"
She turned bright red. Classic tsundere response.
"M-more importantly! Come to the villa after school. I'm going to start your training, as promised."
I hope this isn't just a way for her to vent her embarrassment on me, I thought.
"What's with that look? I'm offering you my personal tutelage. You should be more grateful!"
She's right; having someone of her caliber train me is an incredible opportunity. But…
"Is there a catch?"
"..."
"As expected of Axel-san," Chachamaru added.
Eva looked away in silence, her attempt at a cool facade ruined by her partner's honesty.
"Chachamaru! Dammit!"
"Master, I believe it would be best to tell Axel-san the truth and ask for his cooperation. This is a rare opportunity."
"...Fine. Axel, use your Perception Blurring."
"? Sure."
I cast a small-scale concealment spell around our immediate area.
"It's done. Talk."
"Umu. Do you remember what I said about your blood back at the villa?"
"Yeah. During our fight."
"Right. Your blood contains an absurd amount of mana. I've been researching whether it could affect the 'Schooling Hell' curse… but…"
"Wait a second. Research? How? I haven't given you any blood since then."
Thinking back, when she had tried to bite me, she'd only managed a tiny amount before being repelled by the sheer intensity of my energy. …Wait. Repelled?
Eva caught my realization and smirked.
"Ho. You caught on? Exactly. I collected the drops that fell on the ground."
"...I mean, okay. Gross, but okay."
To her, a few drops of my blood were a premium resource that could restore 80% of her mana. To me, it was just blood. If she'd asked for a lethal amount, I'd be worried, but since she was just scavenging the floorboards, I mostly just felt sorry for her.
"You really need to realize how rare your internal makeup is," Eva sighed. "Anyway, my research shows that if I use your blood in conjunction with the boy's blood, I can't break the curse, but I can weaken it."
"Weaken it?"
The blood of a man with god-like mana reserves combined with the blood of the original caster's kin. Even with those ingredients, she could only weaken it? Nagi Springfield really was in a league of his own.
"Umu. Technically, the curse allows me to leave Mahora if it's for an official school event. However, that idiot's magic was so overwhelming that the spell developed a 'bug.' It glitched, trapping me even during school trips. But with your blood and the brat's…"
"I get it. You're not breaking the curse; you're patching the bug so it works the way it was intended."
"Precisely."
"I don't mind. But in exchange, I want access to your library. I need more cards in my hand when it comes to magic."
"A fair trade."
"Deal."
I deactivated the concealment spell. Right on cue, the classroom door opened and Shizuna-sensei poked her head in.
"Negi-sensei, Axel-kun. The Headmaster would like to see you both in his office."
"Oh, yes! Understood. Axel-kun?"
"Yeah. …Wait, Eva?"
As I stood up, Eva followed suit, with Chachamaru trailing behind her.
"What? I figured I should probably have a word with the old man about the school trip myself."
[Status Screen - Unchanged]
LV: 38
SP: 462
Terrain: All S
Total Kills: 376
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"