Chapter 53

A Vacation
Vacation.

What a sweet and alluring word.

However, unfortunately, I already had plans for the long summer break.
I had intended to go to the mountain villa owned by the Gallard family.

"Headmaster, actually, for the long summer break—"
"There’s a beautiful sandy beach near the lodge that will be completely private. Your friends can enjoy themselves in their swimsuits, forgetting about time."
"I humbly accept your invitation."

—Wait, what!?
Did I seriously just get baited by the word "swimsuit" that easily?
That aside… what really caught my attention was the Headmaster’s expression.

The moment I mentioned going on vacation, I could’ve sworn I saw a glint in her eyes.
She didn’t say anything, but if I had to add a caption to her expression, it would be something like, "Just as planned."
Was it just me, or did her face even shift into something a little more… devious?

"I’ll take care of all the arrangements on my end."
"Eh? Ah, um, okay."

I went along with the flow and answered automatically, but honestly, I was starting to look forward to this vacation on a southern island.

Later on, the Headmaster asked me which students I wanted to invite.
For now, I listed Lucina, Connie, and Claire.

"So that makes five, including you."
"Five? Wouldn't that be four?"
"Surely, you didn’t forget about me?"

When I pointed it out, I was met with an unexpected roar of laughter—followed by the announcement of a new participant.

"Wait, President Tricia is coming too?"
"Oh my, do you have a problem with that?"
"Of course not."

Well, to be honest, I *was* curious to see the president in a swimsuit.
If I had to guess, she’d probably bring something extremely revealing.

"The island we’re heading to is actually owned by the Heartland family—her family."
"I use it every year, after all."
"I see… so that’s how it is."

If that’s the case, this is on a whole different level from my family's villa.
After all, the Heartland family is one of the three great houses that support this kingdom.
There aren’t many places that could compete with them in terms of sheer luxury.

"You can rest assured, as security is flawless. No matter how powerful the magic an enemy may unleash, I will simply crush it with my bare hands."

… Impressive.
So magic can be negated with grip strength, huh?

… No, wait. The only person in the world who could actually pull that off is probably President Tricia.

For now, after accepting the vacation invitation, I left the Headmaster’s office to inform my chosen companions about the situation.

◇◇◇

After returning to the student dormitory, I immediately headed to the lounge.

There, I found Connie and Claire working on their assignments together.
Just in case, I had asked Lucina to wait nearby with them, which saved me the trouble of gathering everyone.

"Ah, Lake!"
"Master Lake!"

As soon as they spotted me, the two of them came running over, their movements almost like excited puppies greeting their owner.

When I told them about the vacation, they both responded energetically in unison, "We want to go!"

"Claire, let’s go shopping for swimsuits on our next day off!"
"Good idea! I can’t wait!"

The two of them were even more excited than I expected.
On the other hand, Lucina seemed a little down.

"Do you not like the ocean?"
"Young master Lake…"

When I asked, Lucina showed a conflicted expression.
She remained silent for a moment before slowly opening her mouth.

"The resort owned by the Heartland family… To be honest, when I was working as a blacksmith in the royal capital, I never heard good things about it."
"Really?"
"Yes. However, there’s no solid proof, and it’s entirely possible that these rumors were just baseless slander spread by those who hold grudges against the Heartland family."

Perhaps to avoid ruining the mood for the two who were overjoyed, Lucina added that clarification.

"Thanks for telling me, Lucina. Whether or not we have that information makes a big difference in how we prepare."
"Young master Lake… No matter what happens, I will protect you, so please don’t worry."

… That’s exactly what President Tricia said earlier.
Seriously… I have way too many reliable women around me.