* * *
After passing by Ruite, Chester headed straight for the faculty office.
He threw the door open with enough force to make both the working professors and Harold look up with widened eyes.
“Chester? What… what is it?”
It was quite unusual to see him acting so urgently, even huffing for breath.
Chester strode over to Harold’s desk and scanned its surface.
On one side sat the stack of papers recording the camp attendance.
“Professor, can I still edit that?”
“The application? Yes. I haven’t processed them yet, so it’s possible…”
Harold leafed through the stack and found the one with Chester’s name on it.
Chester even borrowed a pen on the spot, crossed out the mark he had made in the ‘Absent’ box with a messy line, and drew a fresh circle around ‘Attend.’
“Here.”
“I see. So you’ve decided you want to go this time?”
“Yeah, well.”
Having finished his business, Chester bowed his head with a brief apology for the intrusion and left the office.
Harold looked back and forth between the doorway where Chester had disappeared and the application form, tilting his head.
“It seems Chester plans to attend the camp this year?”
Lotte, the professor in charge of Class 1, peeked over with interest.
“Yes. He seems to have had a sudden change of heart. He even came back just to fix it.”
“That’s strange. Hasn’t he skipped the camp every single year since enrollment?”
Lotte had been Chester’s professor during his first year.
“He has. Given his personality, he doesn’t exactly enjoy mingling with classmates, so I wonder what wind blew him in…”
Harold recalled the student consultation at the beginning of the semester.
He had carefully suggested that it might be good to build smooth relationships with other students, but he had been met with a rejection that didn’t hold a hint of hesitation.
As the professor in charge, he naturally understood the tendencies of each student, and the Chester he saw was someone who didn’t let others into his territory—someone who simply sprinted straight ahead.
Knowing that, he hadn’t worried too much even if Chester lived his academy life without a single common friend.
If that was the way a student wanted it, even a professor couldn’t force them otherwise.
“Hmm, it’s not like he could have known the destination in advance… Ah, maybe a reason he must go has come up?” Lotte mused, stroking his chin.
“Only Chester knows the reason, but it’s a good thing regardless. It feels like he’s trying to change.”
Harold smiled faintly as he looked at the clear circle drawn next to ‘Attend.’
The attendance for the Magic Department camp was about two-thirds of the total students.
Ruite, who had just arrived at the gathering spot, was currently standing with his mouth agape at an unexpected sight.
“I guess Chester is going this time, too.”
“You’re right. Should we try to get close to him this time?”
Other students from the Magic Department glanced at Chester—who was standing alone like a statue—and laughed excitedly.
Ruite scanned Chester from head to toe with an unbelieving gaze.
No matter how he looked at it, that was definitely Chester Callaway.
‘But why on earth did he join? He didn’t go for two whole years.’
Ruite’s choice to stay behind so as not to make Chester uncomfortable had become completely useless.
“Hey, Chester.”
Ruite was curious about the reason, so he sidled up next to him.
“What.”
“Don’t you usually skip the camp? Why did you join this time?”
“Because I felt like it.”
To think he would use such a conversation-ending magic phrase.
Ruite reflexively almost asked what kind of childish answer that was, but managed to hold it back.
Ultimately, without finding out the reason, Harold called the Class 3 students together.
He saw the faces of Magnus and Colin, and Rona was there as well.
He hadn’t heard her reason for joining, but he felt like he knew.
It was probably to observe plants that could only be seen in the North.
Harold gave a brief notice while counting the students.
In the process, the destination that the professors had kept so well-hidden was finally revealed: the Northern Branch of the Ferwin Knights.
The reaction to the unexpected destination was quite passionate.
Ruite was equally surprised. In that sense, it seemed the professors’ surprise was a success.
The Ferwin Knights, who protected the safety of the Tehira Empire, had their headquarters in the capital and branches in each region.
It seemed the Whitmore Academy had requested the Northern Branch to prepare a camp for the students, and they had readily agreed.
The moment he heard the destination, a lightbulb went off in Ruite’s head.
‘Now I get it.’ He thought he knew why Chester was participating.
Chester had probably found out the secret destination through some route.
Most students in the Magic Department had a great interest in the Knights.
Knowing the location was a Knights’ branch, it made sense that he’d show up today.
“We’ll be leaving soon, so get in the carriages.”
Carriages stamped with the Whitmore Academy crest were lined up, with students from each class boarding together.
Since they were specially crafted carriages, they could accommodate a large number of people.
Ruite followed Magnus and stood in front of the Class 3 carriage.
Perhaps because he had woken up early, he couldn’t stop yawning.
Since they had a long way to go to the North, they had to wake up much earlier than usual.
Ruite found a spot in the carriage and sat down.
Luckily, it was in a corner.
He absentmindedly watched the entrance as his classmates boarded and locked eyes with Colin.
Seeing the way Colin’s eyes crinkled kindly as usual, Ruite raised his hand slightly.
He naturally assumed Colin would sit next to him.
Then, with the presence of someone approaching, a person flopped down into the seat beside him.
He looked up, expecting Colin, but the person in his vision was Chester.
Hadn’t Colin been standing closer to the entrance just a moment ago?
Looking now, Colin was sitting on the other side.
“Chester.”
“What now.”
“Won’t it be uncomfortable for you to sit next to me?”
They had to travel for hours; wouldn’t it be awkward for him to sit next to someone he supposedly disliked?
“Should I move? Or you can move if you want.”
“…Is it because you want to sit with Colin?”
“Why is Colin coming up here?”
In any case, Colin had already taken a seat elsewhere and was chatting excitedly with the classmates sitting on either side of him.
“If that’s not it, just stay.”
“Alright.”
It was a very firm voice.
Ruite stole a glance at Chester sitting close to him.
Coincidentally, their eyes met; Chester flinched and turned his head the other way.
‘Even though he’s clearly uncomfortable.’
It was the same for Ruite, but he didn’t really care.
He already felt his eyelids getting heavy and had a feeling he would just sleep the whole way there.
And Ruite’s prediction was spot on.
For the first few minutes after departure, he enjoyed the view outside the window, savoring the excitement of leaving the academy, but he soon fell asleep.
The inside of the carriage was noisy.
The students were busy chatting loudly, excited as if they were going on a trip.
But even in that atmosphere, Ruite didn’t open his eyes.
He was the type who could fall asleep as soon as his head touched a surface.
And there was one more man who was distanced from that noisy atmosphere.
“…”
Chester quietly lowered his gaze and stared at Ruite, who had his eyes tightly shut.
Having seen him sleep so often, this face had become somewhat familiar to him.
Even the way he slept with his mouth slightly open like a fool.
Just then, sunlight began to leak through the opposite window.
As the light poured directly onto Ruite’s face, a crease formed between his straight brows.
He frowned slightly as if the warmth tickling his face was uncomfortable.
Chester looked back and forth between the window and Ruite, then raised his hand in the air to block the sunlight.
It seemed to help, as Ruite’s face became peaceful once more.
When Magnus sang a ridiculous song and made a racket, Chester even glared at him without realizing it.
He was worried Ruite might wake up from the noise.
By the time they had traveled quite a distance, most of the students, exhausted from chatting, had fallen into a deep sleep like Ruite.
While a few students remained awake—like Rona, who was reading a plant encyclopedia—the interior became quiet as everyone focused on their own business.
However, Chester’s eyes, watching Ruite, were wide awake.
He almost burst out laughing in disbelief when Ruite smacked his lips, wondering what on earth he was dreaming about.
He must be dreaming about eating another mountain of bread.
Just then, the carriage jolted. Ruite’s head swayed helplessly and landed—thud—right on Chester’s shoulder.
“…”
At the touch of silver hair and the warm heat against his shoulder, Chester reflexively clenched his fists and sucked in a sharp breath.
* * *
