Chapter Text
Idia clutched onto his controller and took a chip from an almost empty bag on his desk. He was playing a singleplayer first person shooter game, and right when his HP was lowering, his phone buzzed. Ortho, who was watching the game over Idia’s shoulder, gasped with excitement.
“Idia, pause your game!” Ortho exclaimed.
“What?”
“Pause your game!”
Idia was lucky he was playing singleplayer and paused the game. Ortho instructed him to check his phone, and when he did, he swore he fell his heart sink into his shoes.
The message was a long one from the Headmage. It was for a few clubs, specifically the Board Games Club, Film Research Club, and a few other clubs he didn’t care about. All of these clubs were going on a field trip to a mountain farm resort thing in the Shaftlands. The field trip was in three days, and every student attending would meet in the Hall of Mirrors at 09:00. The field trip would last a week, and everyone would be staying in the resort. It didn’t seem to be a mandatory event, and Idia really would rather do anything but socialize on a field trip for a week. He looked over at Ortho who was trying his best at a pleading expression.
“Please, Idia? I’ll be going too! We can have fun on this trip, and you can make some friends! There’s no rule against electronics, so you can bring anything you want, and I’ve always really wanted to go somewhere cool with you…”
“Ortho–”
“It’ll be so fun!”
Idia’s phone buzzed again. A message from… Azul?
AZUL
Idia, as a housewarden, it is your job to be a role model. You must attend this trip.
IDIA
rly
IDIA
u expct me to go on a field trip n socialize?????
IDIA
whys the bgc going anyways
AZUL
The Board Game Club is going because I thought it would be a great opportunity. You’re going.
Idia groaned. Going on a field trip would be the worst thing ever, even worse than that one time he could only pull duplicate R cards for an entire week…
“Idia?”
“...Don’t expect me to talk to other people.”
Azul sat in the Mostro Lounge, watching as Floyd kicked a chair over. Out of all of the clubs on the field trip, basketball club wasn’t one of them.
“This isn’t faiiiir!” Floyd whined. “I wanna go to the mountains!”
“Floyd, if that chair gets damaged, it will be taken out of your paycheck.”
“I don’t caaaaare! How come you two get to go and I can’t?!” Floyd noticed a group of customers looking at him and tilted his head. “What are you fishies lookin’ at?”
“N-nothing!” The group went back to eating their food, averting their eyes from the scene happening right next to them. Floyd went back to kicking chairs. Azul left once Floyd claimed boredom and sat on the ground. He passed Jade’s room, hearing his delighted humming.
Azul entered his room, looking through it to see what he could pack. He knew to bring a notebook and a pen, and to take pictures of everything, maybe make a copy of the resort’s restaurant menu…
He had convinced Crowley to let the Board Game Club along the trip by using the excuse of “traditional Shaftlands games” and “easier to plan one trip”. The real reason that he wanted, no, needed to go was the resort. More specifically, the restaurant in the resort. He had only heard rumours of their large amount of earnings, and he needed to know what tricks they had employed that he could put in the lounge. Of course, he would also participate in the activities during the field trip. No matter how annoying they could be.
In the hot sun of Scarabia, Kalim was happily chatting with some of the other students. Jamil had to make twenty-one different meals for Kalim for the trip. He took that as a time to experiment a bit with his cooking, starting off with meals he was more used to making, and then when he ran out of ideas he decided to try some new things. After all the cooking, he had to find a clear and simple way to store it all so it wouldn’t go bad. Jamil was terrified, after all, a trip that Kalim would take alone? Well, he wasn’t alone, but could the other NRC students protect Kalim from any attacks? If any danger were to befall him, Jamil would be to blame.
Jamil also had to pack all of Kalim’s clothes, toiletries, medical supplies… everything that anyone could need, he had to prepare for. He tried to stop worrying, after all, what could happen on a school field trip with staff and powerful mages attending?
A lot. A lot of bad things could happen. Jamil was glad Kalim wasn’t too great of a mage, that meant that if there was anyone out there kidnapping powerful mages Kalim wouldn’t be too high on the list. Or he would get kidnapped anyways because he was a member of the Asim family. Jamil definitely needed to talk with someone about protecting Kalim, because he definitely couldn’t protect himself. Maybe Silver or Sebek? They were Malleus’s bodyguards. Sebek probably wouldn’t help guard Kalim, though, he didn’t seem to be a big fan of humans. Lilia and Cater would definitely try to protect him though, especially if Jamil asked, and Lilia could maybe get Silver and Sebek to protect him. Hopefully.
“MY LIEGE, I AM SO DEEPLY OFFENDED THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE DECENCY TO INVITE YOU!” Sebek yelled, standing by the side of Malleus. “I will talk to that human about this and this will all be sorted out!”
“It is alright, Sebek. We cannot force them to send an invitation.”
“HOW COULD THEY NOT INVITE THE GREATEST MAGE IN THE WORLD, MALLEUS DRACONIA?”
Lilia, who was in the main school building in the room where the Pop Music Club went, was packing up instruments that would be taken on the trip to the mountains. The Film Research Club had hired them to help make music for their short film that took place on a farm in the mountains, and they wanted a realistic environment so a field trip was planned. The clubs going were those two, the Equestrian Club, the Board Games Club, the Spelldrive Club, and the Mountain Lovers Club. It was going to be a very exciting field trip. Malleus and his club were, unfortunately, not invited. But they could still have fun.
At around 08:00 the day of the field trip, by the entrance of the Pomefiore dorm, Rook hugged Vil and Epel a goodbye.
“Bon journée, Roi du Poison, Monsieur Pommette. See beautiful sights, enjoy your time. I will make sure everyone in the dorm does their skincare! And don’t forget yours, fair Vil.”
“Thank you, Rook.” Vil replied.
Epel said a rushed goodbye before running over to the Hall of Mirrors. He couldn’t wait for the field trip! A whole trip with the Spelldrive Club? And other clubs as well, but, in his room, he could speak however he wanted. The others probably wouldn’t understand him though. They usually didn’t whenever he spoke in his natural accent. That was probably why Vil didn’t like it.
In Heartslabyul, Riddle was talking quietly to Trey.
“Make sure everyone follows the rules. Do not make them too many sweets. If someone fails a test or assignment, tell me right away.”
“Don’t worry, Riddle. I’ll keep the dorm running.”
“Good.”
Talking to Deuce and Ace was Cater.
“It is just so #sad that you guys can’t come! I hope you’ll still have fun here! Check my Magicam account if you wanna see what we’re up to.”
“Cater, Headmage Crowley told us to be there at 09:00. We cannot be late.” Riddle grabbed his bag. Cater grabbed his luggage and guitar, and they left to go to the Hall of Mirrors.
Over at Savanaclaw, Ruggie woke Leona up.
“C’mon Leona, we gotta go!”
“Five more minutes.” Leona barely opened his eyes, and then rolled over.
“No! I’ve already taken our stuff to the Hall of Mirrors, we’re gonna be late. And then I’ll miss out on all the free food!”
“One track mind, huh.”
“Get up!” Ruggie grabbed Leona’s arm. If he wasn’t going to go willingly, then he would have to be forced.
“Fine, fine…”
On their way to the Hall of Mirrors, they passed Jack in the hallway.
“Bye, you two. Have fun.”
“Hey Jack, you’re in charge.” Leona walked past him.
“What?” Jack chased after him. “Leona, what?!”
The Hall of Mirrors was busy. Students from different dormitories everywhere, all dragging their luggage to the front. Some people stood with friends from their club, others stood with people in their dorm. Crowley pushed through the large crowd and made his way to the front, clearing his throat.
“Good morning, Night Raven College students! I’m sure you’re all excited for this wonderful trip planned by the magnanimous me, Crowley, but I do have some news to share. Unfortunately, we cannot use the mirrors to travel to the mountain.”
The room erupted in upset and angry noises.
“Students, students! Calm down! We are going to take the mirror to an area near the base of the mountain and take a bus the rest of the way there. No need to worry, the mountain isn’t too big. It won’t take long!”
“Headmage, sir,” Vil raised his hand. Most students turned to look at him. “Will everything fit in the buses? Between the equipment for clubs, personal luggage, and ourselves… will there be enough space?”
“Do not fret, of course there will be enough space! Now, everyone, gather your bags, and we shall leave.”
The large group of students lined up. Standing by the mirror, making sure everyone made it through safely, was professor Trein and his familiar Lucius. Once the room was cleared, Trein looked through it one more time to make sure nobody or no items were missing, and went through the mirror.
The air was much, much, colder outside than it was back at school. They were in a parking lot at the base of a mountain, standing in front of three buses. The issue was they weren’t magically powered buses. They were just… normal buses. Ones that the laypeople used. After all the complaining, the students started to load their things onto the bus. Which is where they ran into their first problem. After loading all of the club equipment and personal luggage, there was nowhere near enough space for all of the students.