LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 38
“Then I’ll see you later.”
“Okay! I’ll send the carriage on the appointed date, so just get on it.”
“Yes. I’ll definitely see you again. I’ll be waiting.”
With my bag filled with luggage, I bid farewell to Anne and Selian, who were seeing me off. After all, I’d be seeing their faces again within a month, but Selian acted as if this was the last time we’d ever meet, making it quite burdensome.
I reached out my hand for a handshake with Anne and Selian. We’d already talked about a lot of things the day before, so there was no need for a lengthy farewell. Just a casual greeting as if we were meeting again tomorrow would suffice. A month can feel quite short depending on one’s perspective.
Anne grabbed my outstretched hand tightly. With her small hand, the firmness of her grip reflected her personality. Similarly, our hands clasped together tightly, and we gave them a light shake up and down. After two or three shakes, Anne seemed satisfied, loosened her grip, and smiled brightly.
Next was Selian. Selian still seemed reluctant to initiate a handshake, probably because she understood that once we shook hands, it meant a true goodbye. We had become so close by the end of the semester, something unimaginable when it started. I lightly held Selian’s hesitant hand with both of mine. As we shook hands gently and released, Selian reluctantly stretched her fingers to slowly let go of my hand.
“Okay, I’ll be going now.”
“Anne, Selian. I’ll see you after the break ends. You both take care.”
Yuli, who had already exchanged farewells, also said goodbye one more time before boarding the carriage. I followed Yuli, lifting my bag and climbing into the carriage.
The departing carriage. Looking out the window, I saw Anne waving her hands high in the air, while Selian raised one hand lightly, keeping the other demurely at her side to bid us farewell.
*
“By the way, this carriage doesn’t shake as much as I expected?”
“Believe it or not, this is a carriage treated with numerous magical enhancements. It has magic to reduce shaking, soundproofing spells, temperature control enchantments, and simple barrier magic—lots of different types. The maintenance costs are high, but it’s so useful that most nobles probably use carriages like this.”
Then does that mean the carriage Anne and Selian are sending will also be like this? The only carriages I had ridden in were simple cargo wagons for transporting crops in the village. Even the transport wagons moving between towns didn’t compare to this. There were even magical lights on the ceiling illuminating the inside of the carriage, so I didn’t need to worry about lighting candles. It really made me realize how highborn Yuli was. For a moment, I thought about asking how much this carriage costs, but I figured it would be an absurdly high amount beyond my imagination, so I simply let that curiosity go.
“Would you like something to drink?”
Knowing it looked silly, I silently glanced around the interior of the carriage, and Yuli subtly lifted a teapot. Normally, I would have thought of having tea while riding, but this carriage seemed suitable enough for drinking tea without spilling it.
“Or there are cold beverages too.”
Yuli opened a small refrigerator in one corner and pulled out some juice. Seriously, this single carriage might be better than the dormitory by a good margin.
I grabbed the juice instead of tea to quench my thirst and stopped wandering my eyes.
“We should arrive by this evening.”
Fortunately, Yuli’s territory and the academy weren’t too far apart. The roads were clear, and with the magically assisted horses and carriage, we could arrive in just a few hours.
I heard that some students travel for days and nights on carriages if they are from far places. Imagining a carriage like Yuli’s without magical enhancements was just horrifying. I’d think it’d be better for students来 from other kingdoms to use the teleportal magic set up for special cases between countries. Though it requires complicated identity verification, it’s probably better than riding in a carriage for days on end.
Otherwise, depending on the region, they might end up spending the entire vacation just traveling. At that point, it would be better to just stay cooped up in the dormitory throughout the break.
The carriage reached the territory, carefully crossing through the interior until it arrived in front of the mansion. Standing in front of the mansion were several servants waiting, as if they had received news the moment we entered the territory.
“Leave the luggage to us.”
As I tried to get off the carriage with my bag following Yuli, one of the waiting butlers spoke to me. I figured they wouldn’t check my bag, so I willingly handed it over.
“Then, I’ll leave it in your care.”
“It’s what we’re supposed to do, so don’t mention it.”
Bowing my head slightly to ask for understanding, the butler took my bag with a little more deference than before. It was a part of their job, so what could I do? I wouldn’t be staying at the mansion for long, and this much distance felt sufficient.
“Miss, the master is waiting for you. Will you go in immediately?”
“Yes. I’ll just change my clothes and go up right away. Let El have the best room available.”
“Yes, understood.”
After receiving her orders, the head maid began giving instructions to the other younger servants.
“Then, El, I’ll come to your room shortly. Let’s go greet Father together.”
“Okay. See you then.”
After parting with Yuli, I followed the maid as she guided me. The mansion was quite large, making it easy for first-time visitors to get lost.
“You can use this room.”
Following the maid into the room, I was met with an incredibly spacious area. In fact, I couldn’t help but think of it more as a house than a room. The place I exited to wasn’t a room but more of a living room, and there were other doors inside suggesting more rooms were included.
“What shall we do with your luggage? Should we organize it for you?”
“No, just leave it in front.”
“Understood. And if you need anything, just ring this bell here. It’s magically connected, so we’ll receive a notification right away, and we’ll come to assist you. There’s no need to worry about bothering us, even at night or for trivial matters.”
The maid bowed and left me alone in the room. Before I could unpack my things, I checked to ensure the maid had exited, then opened one of the doors leading to the living room and quickly stepped inside.
I really needed the bathroom. After drinking juice in the carriage, I was on the verge of bursting by the time we arrived at the mansion. When I was a man, it wasn’t too hard to hold it in, but now that I’m a woman, holding in urine became a more challenging task. I hadn’t expected to feel the differences between men and women even in such trivial matters.
Anyway, after relieving myself, I came out of the bathroom to see the huge room assigned to me. Opening one of several doors, I found a bedroom. The bed, which was far too large for one person, caught my eye first. Opening another room, I discovered it was a dress room. I had only brought a few outfits, but the dress room was still ridiculously spacious. In addition, there was a room I could use as a study and another for receiving guests. I wondered if it was right to have a guest room and a reception room together.
Even the windows were arranged to let in plenty of sunlight. This truly was the best room, as Yuli had said.
After finishing my inspection and organizing my few belongings, Yuli came to visit.
“So, how do you like the room?”
“It’s more than I like; it’s too much for me…”
“It’s the room I always used when I came to visit when I was young, so please don’t feel burdened using it. I heard there won’t be any visitors during the break anyway.”
As I looked around the room again with fresh eyes, Yuli spoke up.
“Then I’m going to see my father; would you like to come with me?”
“Of course, I must go.”
It was only natural for a guest to greet the host. Avoiding it due to feeling burdened wasn’t proper etiquette and would only inconvenience Yuli, who had invited me.
“But, is it okay to go in my school uniform?”
“My father doesn’t mind such things. The school uniform will be enough.”
I was relieved, thinking I wouldn’t have to wear the clothes I bought during my shopping trip with Selian if it weren’t acceptable.
Following the butler who was guiding us, I wondered how long we’d walk. We stopped at a door that obviously looked grand. The butler lightly knocked on the door, and we heard a response from inside.
“Come in.”
The butler opened the door wide but remained outside, guiding us in.
Inside, the room resembled a study where work was done. Bookshelves filled with all sorts of books lined the walls, and in the center of the room was an elegant desk. And seated at that desk was a man.
“Yuli.”
The man sitting stood up, calling Yuli to attention. The head of this household, Craig Atillea. Even though there were only eight Sword Masters throughout the continent, just his presence felt immensely formidable.