"Teacher, are you really sure about this? No matter how I look at it, the destination doesn’t seem to have anything to do with music. Ellud is in the countryside..."

"Hush. Be quiet."

"...Yes."

How dare he bring up the truth.

I pressed my index finger against Leo’s lips to silence him as he looked at me with concern.

"I told you before, right? The club activities are just an excuse."

"I know, but I’m still worried."

"You don’t need to worry. Even if we get caught, it won’t be a problem."

"...?"

"Trust me on this."

I had already told the principal that we were going to search for the traces of the Sword Saint. At first, she tried to refuse, asking why I was taking students on such a trip, but after some deep conversation over drinks, she gave her permission.

She’ll keep it well hidden from others, and even if we’re discovered, she has enough power to cover it up. There’s nothing to worry about.

What? Was it more coercion than a conversation? Quiet.

"Alright, everyone, focus. We’re heading to Ellud now. It’ll take about... three days."

"Three days. It’s both long and short."

"Our goal is to find the traces of the Sword Saint. Got it?"

"...Teacher, why are you so excited?"

As I reminded the students of our objective, someone pointed out my unusually enthusiastic tone.

Was my voice really that excited without me noticing?

Without trying to hide it, I explained the reason for my excitement.

"I love this kind of thing! Adventure, exploration, and rewards! Isn’t it awesome?!"

"Oh, I see..."

"What’s with that reaction? Alright, let’s go! ...No one’s responding. Come on, let’s go!"

"Quiet down... Just get in the carriage already. You can’t even ride a horse, so you got a carriage, and now you’re talking about adventure. What kind of adventure is that?"

"..."

That’s harsh. She didn’t have to say it like that.

Did Orca notice my disappointment, or did she think her words were too harsh? She glanced at me and muttered softly.

"...Let’s go."

"...! See, I knew I could count on you, Orca!"

"Ugh, it’s hot, get off!"

After watching the students climb into the carriage one by one, I got in last and gave the coachman our destination.

"Take us to Ellud."

"Yes, ma'am."

A blue light briefly shimmered around the coachman before the carriage began to move.

Settling into a comfortable seat, I gazed out at the scenery through the luxurious window and murmured.

"...Wow, this is fast."

"This speed isn’t that unusual. Cars go even faster than this, don’t they?"

"It’s just amazing that a carriage can go as fast as a car."

"?

It seemed Stella heard me muttering and looked at me in confusion.

To her, it must have been perfectly normal for a magically-enhanced carriage to move at a speed comparable to that of a car.

But not to me.

A carriage that moves as fast as a car, and the fact that despite all the jolting, the interior remains stable with only minimal shaking—it’s all fascinating. Isn’t this the charm of travel?

"...It takes three days to get there from the academy. The Sword Saint must be in a pretty remote place. That’s a bit surprising."

"Hiding in a place like the capital near the academy would attract too much attention."

"True."

Taking a car or train in this world would have been an interesting experience, but since there was no direct way to Ellud, I had to give up on that.

The trains in this world only connect major cities, so it would have taken longer to travel by train from the academy than to go directly from the start.

As for cars, it was physically impossible. There were no gas stations nearby, and even if we reached a village, there wouldn’t be any gas stations in such a remote area.

Given that there were no gas stations, the roads were also in poor condition, so even if we managed to find fuel, driving there wouldn’t be easy.

In contrast, the carriage was in slightly better shape, and besides, in the original story, they traveled by carriage too.

From the start, there was no other choice.

"...But why are you all gathered here? There are plenty of seats over there."

"Um, sorry. It’s just a bit uncomfortable."

"..."

"Man, this is so tense."

There were six of us in the carriage, so why was everyone crowded around the seat I was sitting in?

The answer was obvious. No one wanted to sit next to the girl with the stern expression, who was glaring at us.

I sighed softly.

I had worked so hard to lighten the mood, but it seemed I had failed.

"Aileen, it’s a rare opportunity for a trip, but your expression is so stiff."

"...Ah, sorry, teacher. I must be tired. I’ll feel better after a nap, so don’t worry too much."

"Really? I have a feeling that’s not it. Are you troubled because of your father?"

"?!"

I could feel the students sitting next to me fidgeting nervously, unsure of what to do.

They must have been shocked that I so casually brought up such a sensitive topic.

Orca, out of Aileen’s sight, kept poking me in the back.

Ouch, that hurts. Stop, stop poking me...!

"Was it that obvious?"

"Yes, very."

"...Yeah, I guess so. Sorry, everyone, for making you worry."

Realizing that she was sitting alone, Aileen awkwardly smiled and apologized.

Only then did the students realize that she wasn’t really that upset, and they breathed a sigh of relief before one of them smacked me on the back.

Ow... That hurts...!

"Um, Aileen, why do you dislike your father?"

"We just changed the topic to something lighter, so why bring that up now?!"

"S-sorry. But I’m curious. Disliking your father... I find it hard to understand."

Clearly not wanting to make the atmosphere tense again, Anastasia smiled awkwardly as she asked Aileen the question.

Anastasia, who was willing to turn a blind eye to the demon in front of her just to save her father, must have been unable to resist asking when faced with someone who seemed to hate their family.

Aileen responded lightly, as if it were no big deal.

"We made a promise."

"A promise?"

"Hey, Observer, how much do you remember from your childhood?"

"Well, not much, to be honest."

"Then what about the day your family tragically passed away?"

"...Why are you bringing that up? ...Yes, I remember it."

Wow...

How long has it been since the trip started, and we’re already creating such a tense atmosphere?

This is scary, really scary. I just want them to get along.

"I’m the same. I don’t remember much from my childhood. It was so long ago... But there’s one thing I still remember vividly whenever I close my eyes."

"...Your father?"

"Yeah. My father, who was always kind, smiled at me that day too. But something was off. He looked worse than usual."

The girl recalled that day.

The last day she saw her father.

"I don’t remember exactly how old I was, what day it was, or what the weather was like. But I can still clearly describe that situation. I was seeing my father off as he was leaving the house."

"..."

"Why are you so tense? It’s nothing serious. It’s just that my father told me he’d come back."

"...That’s it?"

"Yeah, that’s it. And he didn’t come back."

As if it were no big deal, Aileen ended her story there.

Isn’t that too brief?

While it wasn’t far from what I’d seen in the story, summarizing it like that makes Aileen sound like a jerk who’s bent on killing her once kind and caring father.

I know her feelings toward her father, but the other kids don’t.

...I guess I have no choice.

"Aileen, do you hate your father?"

"Yes, I hate him. To the point of wanting to kill him."

"I see. Then let me ask you again. Do you still love your father?"

"..."

Aileen didn’t answer the simple question.

But sometimes, silence can be an answer too.

The other students, observing Aileen’s demeanor, seemed to realize that she wasn’t simply hating her father.

"...You really are a complicated person."

Orca’s blunt statement to Aileen probably echoed the thoughts of the other students.

She talks about hating her father so much that she wants to kill him, yet she can’t answer when asked if she still loves him.

"When someone experiences a great shock as a child, that memory can stay with them. It must have been traumatic for you when your kind father never returned."

"..."

"I hope that at the end of this journey, you can see your father again."

With that, the carriage fell into silence.

Even though they tried to act like it didn’t bother them, the students were clearly affected by the conversation and were watching Aileen closely.

Leo, who knew that Aileen’s father, the Sword Saint, was the owner of the relic, didn’t look too happy either.

How long had it been since the carriage started to feel stifling, as if something heavy and oppressive were filling the air, despite the empty space?

The coachman, slowing the carriage down, spoke to us.

"It seems we’ll have to camp here for the night. The horses are tired."

"Yes, that’s fine. ...Alright, everyone! Grab your weapons and get ready. We need to prepare."

"...What? All of a sudden? Prepare for what?"

Aileen and Leo grabbed their weapons, clearly surprised by my sudden command.

...Oh, right. The others don’t really have proper weapons.

Feeling a bit awkward, I scratched the back of my head and explained.

"There are bandits about to attack us. First, take care of the coachman."

"...?"

"...When did you figure it out?"

"Oh, from the beginning?"

Since the quest to find the traces of the Sword Saint is part of the late-game story, there are occasional battles along the way.

It’s always part of the story that the coachman secretly abandons wealthy customers with expensive carriages near a group of bandits.

Even if you defeat all the bandits, the coachman would normally escape, and you’d have to walk the rest of the way. But I didn’t want that.

Walk the rest of the way for two days? Are you kidding? Do you want to kill someone?

"...I was just planning to take your money and leave, but I can’t let you go now."

"My, my, you’ve got quite a tongue. Come on, then. Let’s see what you’ve got."

Of course, I meant my students would handle it, not me.

I can’t fight.

I’ll just watch from the sidelines.