Chapter 7. Field Trip on a Clear Day 12)
“Let’s try going over there.”
Seria pointed toward the inner part of the forest.
Fine, let’s do as you say.
I blankly stared at the weakly staggering Seria and let out a faint laugh.
Ha, who’s really worrying about whom here?
In this gloomy and ominous weather, being alone with two-faced Seria was danger in itself.
I should worry about myself before I worry about Alex.
“Radel.”
I was staring vacantly at the ground when Seria called my name, and I lifted my head.
That angelic, radiant face appeared.
What… what is it.
As I looked at her blankly, I felt a strange sense of discomfort and shivered.
Seria was smiling.
A smile that didn’t fit the mood of this situation at all, and I tilted my head to the right.
Why are you smiling? Are you crazy?
“I’m sorry for making someone so noble do such a troublesome task.”
Seria’s vivid green eyes stared straight at me. I didn’t know why, but those eyes made me uncomfortable. I felt uneasy—so this really was…
“But it’s a relief that you’re such a foolish girl. I thought you might coldly walk away.”
I turned my suspicions into certainty, smiling darkly to myself.
As expected! She definitely had a scheme—Seria had deliberately clung to me. I had suspected it, but I didn’t think she’d actually lure me into a trap herself.
Seria, who had now dropped the pretense and was speaking casually, gracefully swept back her creamy blonde hair with one hand.
The epitome of an elegant villain. Her crimson lips curled into a deceitful smile.
‘So this is where it starts. I guess I should get ready, too.’
I slipped my hand into my pocket and tapped the communication stone a few times.
Plip.
A raindrop landed on the tip of my nose.
One drop, then another—tiny droplets began to wet the ground. It seemed like rain was on its way.
Standing in the light drizzle, I spoke to Seria in a slightly trembling voice.
“The part about losing the magic stone… was that…?”
“Yes, that was a lie.”
“And saying you were sick…?”
“That was a lie too.”
I had suspected they were lies, but hearing her say it so boldly left me speechless.
How could someone admit their lies so shamelessly and confidently?
It was just… absurd.
“You… how could you…”
“Why? Are you suddenly surprised because I’m like this?”
Seria’s eyes curved prettily. Then she took a step, then another—closing the distance between us.
Her angelic face drew closer and closer.
“Or is it that I’m a mere commoner and dared to defy a noble, and now you’re upset? Hm? Say something.”
She tapped my shoulder lightly with her finger.
I stared at this suddenly aggressive Seria without moving.
I could only admire her as I thought to myself—how disgustingly twisted her true nature was!
How could someone so perfectly wear the mask of an angel and hide such a vile core underneath? I genuinely wanted to learn her secret.
“I’ve always hated it. That injustice where nobles get to take everything just because of their status.
So I acted, deceived people, and stole their fiancés or lovers.”
“……”
“Heh, but you know what’s funny? No one notices, no matter how many terrible things I do.
They’re all fooled by my looks and my performance and stupidly take my side.
Idiotic fools.”
Even though I said nothing, Seria just kept talking on her own.
Hearing her true thoughts, her calculated acting, and how she viewed others directly from her mouth gave me a strange feeling.
I wondered what those who had been deceived by angelic Seria would think if they saw this side of her.
It would be fascinating to find out.
“But hey, Seria. Are you sure it’s okay to tell me all that?”
I asked dully, unsure why she was suddenly revealing her well-hidden nature.
Seria burst into laughter and clapped her hands together, like a child delighted by a gift—so pure, so innocent.
“Great question! That’s our Radel. You never let me down.”
“Mind giving me an answer?”
At my urging, Seria replied with a “So impatient…” as she twisted her hair between her fingers.
Her leisurely attitude was driving me insane. Just hurry up and talk, will you?
“To be honest, you get on my nerves.”
Oh my, so I’m supposed to say ‘Ah, I see. Got it,’ just because you said that?
I crossed my arms and listened to her with a sulky face. Go on, keep talking.
The more she spoke, the clearer her rotten true nature became—and I loved it.
“I can’t stand anything that bothers me. So I asked the Marquis for a little favor.”
“By the Marquis… you mean Edwin Marquis?”
“Ding-dong-dang, correct answer!”
Seria beamed and gave my shoulder a hard shove.
My body teetered, and just as I thought I might fall, a floating sensation and a wave of dread gripped me.
What is this? Why does it feel like there’s nothing behind me?
Alarmed, I hugged Tosoon tightly and glanced over my shoulder.
Where there should’ve been ground—there was nothing.
I briefly wondered if the earth had collapsed or something equally absurd,
when Seria, confirming my imbalance, gave me one final push.
“Goodbye. It was a persistent tie, but let’s never see each other again.”
With a face full of bright smiles, Seria watched as I plunged down the deep, deep cliff.
Damn it, Seria!
I clenched back my curses as I fell.
Kyaaah!
***
A forest filled with deep darkness. What made the darkness even heavier were the storm clouds steadily gathering.
And then came the light, drizzling rain.
A blue-haired woman, walking along the bumpy path of the forest, stopped in her tracks with a scowl.
“Let’s just go back.”
“Sorry? But…”
“I said let’s go back. I’m done with this crap.”
At Dia’s firm voice, Peter shut his mouth.
Even Aren, who had been leisurely enjoying the scenery beside them, nodded in agreement.
“That’s a good idea. Since it’s raining anyway, let’s end the exploration here.”
“You coward. You’re the only one avoiding the rain!”
Aren had conjured a magical umbrella to shield himself from the rain.
Seeing the relaxed Aren made Dia grind her teeth in frustration, and she started glancing around at a sudden sense of emptiness.
“…But where’s Kailon? That bastard, where did he disappear to this time?”
They could understand the professor who said he trusted them and went back to the tower first,
but Kailon, who had been with them just a moment ago, had vanished, leaving Dia flustered.
She brushed her hair back in frustration.
“Ka-Kailon-nim, um…”
At Dia’s sharp question, Peter timidly raised his hand.
His nervousness was obvious, so Dia tilted her chin, signaling for him to speak.
“Just earlier, he suddenly rushed off somewhere in a hurry…”
“Why are you telling me this just now!”
“I thought he just urgently needed the bathroom! I-I’m sorry!”
Peter, his face pale as a ghost, shrank back and trembled.
Having the notoriously violent Dia from the academy raging in front of him was far scarier than he had imagined.
Even Peter, who was usually oblivious but brave, didn’t have the courage to talk back or argue with Dia right now.
All he could do was tremble.
“Go find Kailon. Right now!”
“Eek! Understood!”
Peter didn’t even dare to reply properly and sprinted down the forest path.
As he watched him disappear, Aren gave a gentle smile and turned to walk away.
“Well then, I’ll be off too.”
“It’s not like you’ll actually find Kailon—where are you even—”
Dia was about to question him but stopped herself.
She already had a good guess where Aren was headed, so she furrowed her brows deeply.
That guy… just like the other one… So annoying!
“Just go already.”
“See you at the tower.”
Dia watched as Aren vanished in an instant through teleportation and let out a long sigh.
She was done with everything.
Whether they found Kailon or not, whether Aren went off chasing whoever he missed—
she just wanted a proper rest.
“What the hell is this?”
Dia picked up a small stone that had fallen in front of the cave. A mysterious stone with a faint pink hue. This is… a magic stone? Why would something so rare and precious be lying around here? Dia examined the stone from every angle before slipping it into her pocket.
Lucky me. I’ve been getting into too much trouble lately, so my family stopped sending me money. This’ll help.
Just a few more steps forward, and Dia suddenly tilted her head at the sound of a distant woman’s scream. A voice she felt she’d heard somewhere before. As if bewitched by it, Dia began walking in the direction the scream had come from.
***
I slowly opened my eyes, which had been shut tightly in pain. All I could see was the cliff and an endless stretch of dense forest before me.
Right. I fell off a cliff, didn’t I?
“…It’s high.”
I couldn’t understand how I had survived a fall from this height. It had to be higher than a 15-story apartment building. Staring up at the dizzying cliff above, my confusion only deepened.
Maybe a mage came and saved me? I looked around and saw Tosoon lying down next to me in a now-enlarged form.
Ah, was it you? Now that I think about it, I do remember feeling something soft right before I landed. Tosoon must’ve grown bigger to catch me and act as a cushion.
Thank you, Tosoon! I rubbed Tosoon’s belly in gratitude.
“Ugh, my leg… I must’ve scraped it against the cliff wall.”
Looking at my left leg, I saw it soaked in blood. I wasn’t sure if it came from scraping against the wall or from bouncing off Tosoon’s body and rolling along the ground—but either way, the conclusion was the same.
My leg hurt like hell, and it was seriously pissing me off.
“Ugh, I won’t let Seria get away with this.”
“Ah, right.”
Suddenly remembering something, I hurriedly searched through my pocket.
Damn it, as I thought—Seria stole my teleportation stone. She must’ve snatched it when she was pretending to stumble and fell into my arms. Her sleight of hand is seriously impressive. Thankfully, she didn’t touch the other pocket, and my communication orb was still there.
“Let’s see what we’ve got.”
Oh my… the sound quality is excellent, and Seria’s pronunciation is so clear! I had already suspected she was up to something, so I started recording around the time she began revealing her true colors.
I only hoped to catch a small slip-up, but she laid it all out for me so thoroughly—truly, how thoughtful of her. She probably never even imagined I’d be recording her.
“Hm, but… did she really intend to kill me?”