BXBX NOVEL Chapter 17: Field Trip
Zach and Dukiel weren't too affected by Jarron's possible fate, but, come rain or shine, Jarron was their homeroom instructor. They gave him some slack and accepted the two weeks. In exchange, they would get the permission as soon as those two weeks were over without having to go through any paperwork at all.
After they settled the first deal, they also made another. In exchange for Zach and Dukiel handing out the student handbooks and telling them the delay was because of an error in production, Jarron would personally look for things their familiars could find useful.
All in all, despite the suspension, Zach was satisfied. Dukiel didn't quite know what to think.
It was worrying that their homeroom instructor was a scatterbrain who had forgotten something as important as the student handbook. Dukiel would have been even more worried if he knew Jarron also forgot to inform Zach about the freshman representative.
But as if that wasn't enough, Jarron also made a deal with a student to cover up his misdeeds. Twice.
Dukiel glanced at Zach on the way out, unsure of what to think or say. He wasn't sure if Zach earned his respect or another bout of worrying.
Zach noticed Dukiel's glance and looked at him.
"Well, it sucks we won't be able to spar for a while. But you got what you wanted, right?"
Dukiel nodded.
"I-I think so. I'm pretty sure I used my skill to get Sentinel to fight. I'm not entirely sure what it does, but I did something."
"That's good. It's like riding a horse. If you can do it once, you can do it again. I'm sure you'll figure it out."
"Yeah, thanks."
"Wanna come to my place for dinner?"
"...If you'll have me."
Two weeks wasn't a long time, especially at the beginning of the semester when time seemed to pass like the grains of sand in a broken hourglass. It also helped that Zach had a merry group around him to entertain and keep him entertained.
Nora was still regularly rubbing her eyes in disbelief at the existence of something like Zach's friends. Zach's plan to rub the fact that he had made friends in Nora's face backfired quickly after Dukiel's visit.
Making his first friend at fifteen years of age wasn't something to brag about. And pointing at Nora while laughing and telling her that his friends were, in fact, real did not sound as good in reality as it did in his head.
Fortunately, Zach had someone on his side, no matter what. Whenever Nora laughed at him, Yanael didn't make a sound of mockery. When Nora was too busy giggling to prepare snacks, Yanael would do it.
She brought him tea and sweets as often as he wished. She massaged his shoulder, helped him write his assignments, talked with him, combed his hair, pressed his clothes, caught the bugs that entered his room, and even brushed his teeth when he was too lazy to do it himself.
She was the greatest support Zach could imagine.
However, as time passed, Yanael began to cut not only the fruits and food she prepared, but the cutting boards and desks beneath, too. She insisted nothing was wrong and that she was truly sorry for making such mistakes.
Yanael promised she would do better, and Zach wanted to believe her. But Zach didn't forget that she wasn't a simple maid. She was a battle maid. If she didn't get to stretch her muscles a bit, she would start to get restless.
However, there wasn't much Zach could do for her until the two weeks passed.
That's what he thought, at least, until Jarron announced a practical lesson and exam that would put everything they had learned since the beginning of the semester to the test. It was time for the year's first field trip.
Although Jarron and the other instructors called it a field trip, Zach wasn't so sure he could agree with that definition.
None of the teachers went into detail about what the students were supposed to do or where they were going. But all of them agreed on one thing. The students should not let their guard down, no matter what happened.
Naturally, the students, Zach included, were worried.
Drupesch's initial lesson, where she bombarded them with pebbles, was still in their minds, only overshadowed by successive lessons with similar themes.
The instructors weren't messing around. If the students weren't on guard, they would be in deep shit. Even if they were vigilant and prepared, they might still end up in trouble and pain.
Just like that, the day when the class was to set out on their adventure came.
Since they were supposed to go to the forest, most of the students had prepared camping equipment and survival gear to the best of their abilities.
Technically, Zach was one of the students who hadn't prepared anything. He had asked Nora and Yanael to do it for him.
They didn't disappoint.
When the class gathered at the entrance to the inviting forest located right next to the campus Yanael came carrying a backpack twice the size of her, filled to the brim with equipment and food.
Since only students and their familiars were allowed, not servants or assistants of any kind, Yanael carried everything she and Nora had prepared.
"You got everything, Yanael? I can carry some of it, you know."
"This much is not enough for me to burden you, Master. It will make it difficult to display my full strength, but I'm confident I will still be able to protect you and maintain a standard of living worthy of you while in the forest."
Zach nodded. It didn't look like Yanael was struggling with the weight of the backpack, so Zach didn't press. Instead, he followed the gazes of his classmates and looked into the trees, trying to figure out what was awaiting them over there.