“Villanelle, over here! This one still has seats…”
“Coming, I’m coming!” Villanelle hurried to catch up with Emily, who was jogging ahead, while cradling Ignis in her arms.
This was the first morning after Winter Veil. The sky was a turbid, iron-gray color, and the low-hanging clouds seemed as if they were about to touch the peaks of the Paladin Mountains.
According to tradition, the Academy would organize a field trip on the first day after the holiday. Students from all grades could participate, departing in separate groups.
At this moment, more than ten covered carriages were parked at the academy’s main gate. The horses snorted impatiently in the cold winter wind, exhaling clouds of white mist.
The third-year students gathered in small groups of twos and threes. The atmosphere was completely different from the tension of yesterday’s celebration; it carried the distinct, leisurely air of a holiday.
Julia was chirping with the companions around her, discussing what kind of winter flowers they should pick to decorate their rooms. Tiberius silently checked his windproof cloak, while Flavia kicked at stones on the edge of the crowd out of boredom.
Leo and his small group gathered on one side, arguing loudly about hunting techniques.
The lead instructor was Professor Thorne. He nodded to Villanelle as she held Ignis, offering a kind smile before beginning to carefully count the heads.
Once the head count was finished, Professor Thorne cleared his throat and began to announce the precautions.
“Quiet, everyone. Our destination is Mirror Lake Manor. Activities are restricted to the interior of the manor and the adjacent outskirts of Frostwhisper Forest. Entering deep into the forest is strictly prohibited, acting alone is strictly prohibited, and touching any unknown magical items or creatures is strictly prohibited. If a problem arises, report it immediately. Is that understood?”
“Understood,” the students replied in a ragged chorus.
“Board the carriages. We’re heading out.”
Professor Thorne gave the command to depart, and the crowd immediately swarmed forward.
Villanelle’s movements were a bit slower, and the carriages were quickly claimed by the boisterous noble children in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, Emily had managed to find an empty one.
Once inside the carriage, she gently placed the dragon in her arms onto a seat.
A temporary collar had been fitted around Ignis’s neck, with a leash attached. Although he wouldn’t hurt anyone, symbolic safety measures were indispensable.
Because it was a field trip, Villanelle had only changed into a dress and long boots suitable for outdoor activities, with her Academy cloak draped over the outside for warmth. Her staff was tucked into a leather sheath on her back.
Aside from that, she didn’t bring any other items, except for the small blue cloth bag in her pocket.
It was the Shaman Wolf Tooth that Roderick had given her.
Villanelle hadn’t originally intended to bring it, but considering it didn’t take up much space, she ultimately tucked it into her pocket.
Emily was different from her; she carried a heavy-looking pack on her shoulders and a thick book tucked under her arm.
“Why did you bring so much stuff for a field trip?” Villanelle asked curiously as she watched her take out a recording board, paper, and pens from the pack.
“Frostwhisper Forest is the largest forest in the central part of the Empire. There are bound to be many species and mana phenomena worth recording.” Emily was full of interest as she pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose. “It’s a rare opportunity to come here; I can’t let it go to waste.”
While the two were talking, the carriage started moving.
Rolling over the Imperial City’s main road, which was covered in a thin layer of snow, they passed through the heavy and ancient city gates, and the field of vision suddenly opened up.
Under the lead-gray sky lay a succession of hills and plains covered in white snow, with significantly fewer buildings scattered among them. The trees on both sides of the road had lost all their leaves, their branches looking like black cracks in the sky.
The cold wind immediately crept in through the gaps in the carriage windows, carrying the sharp, empty scent unique to the countryside.
Ignis crawled to the window, pulled the glass pane open a crack, and poked his nose out, taking several deep breaths.
This scent was different from the stale air of the Twilight Tower or the stifling atmosphere of the Academy; it belonged to the vast world of nature. Despite the cold, it faintly made something inside him stir with activity.
‘I feel like… it’s much more interesting out here than back at the Academy.’ As the carriage, which was engraved with shock-absorbing Runes, swayed slightly, Villanelle’s mood also gradually eased. Her tone was somewhat lazy.
The Imperial City was prosperous, but it felt far too oppressive for her.
Emily closed her book and looked out the window. “Of course. Compared to the interior of the Imperial City, the mana environment outside the city is like an entirely different world. However…”
She wrinkled her small nose, as if sniffing for something.
“It feels a bit strange. The magic field around here seems a bit ‘thin.'”
Villanelle didn’t understand what she meant and didn’t respond. She simply watched the snow-covered dead grass pass by the window and the dark silhouette of the distant forest.
Emily’s words made her feel a sudden flash of unease.
Villanelle reached her hand into her cloak pocket and touched the small cloth bag containing the wolf tooth. The hard sensation beneath her fingertips made her feel a bit more at ease.
Roughly thirty minutes later, the convoy arrived at the destination.
Mirror Lake Manor was situated on a relatively gentle slope at the edge of Frostwhisper Forest. Its primary color scheme was gray and white, featuring pointed roofs and arched windows.
This manor had once belonged to the Adrian Royal Family, but a later Emperor had taken the initiative to donate it to the Royal Academy of Magic as a practical training base.
At this time, the Mirror Lake in front of the manor was completely frozen. The lake surface was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the gray sky and the manor’s silhouette, exuding a cold, deathly stillness.
The carriages drove into the manor and stopped in the open space in front of the main building. The students filed out, curiously sizing up the place where they would be staying for the day.
The manor looked well-maintained, but it was clearly uninhabited for long periods, carrying an air of empty desolation. A dozen or so servants and manor guards who had arrived in advance stood silently at the edge of the clearing, responsible for welcoming the students.
Professor Thorne emphasized the rules again, then announced free time, provided they returned before the midday banquet.
The students dispersed in groups of three to five. Some tentatively slid across the surface of the frozen Mirror Lake, some headed to the manor’s greenhouse to view magical plants, and others simply strolled through the snow-covered courtyard.
Villanelle and Emily walked together along the edge of the manor grounds. This area was close to Frostwhisper Forest but still within the activity range set by Professor Thorne.
Emily held the recording board and a crude, self-made instrument, muttering as she walked. “Strange… the naturally dissipating mana flow seems to be drawn toward the northeast by something. Is it a natural phenomenon I’m unaware of?”
Villanelle didn’t disturb her. Holding Ignis, she felt the crisp, biting air of the countryside, and her mood finally relaxed.
However, Ignis remained somewhat uneasy. His ears twitched, and he looked toward the dark forest in the distance from time to time.
“What’s wrong?” Villanelle gently stroked his neck, following his wary gaze toward the forest. But aside from the silent trees and snow, she saw nothing.
Just then, a figure came stumbling from the path behind the side of the manor, heading straight in their direction.
It was a girl who looked to be their age. Her clothes were a bit disheveled, and her face bore visible traces of panic and tears.
As the distance closed, Villanelle quickly recognized her.
She seemed to be a commoner student in the same year but a different class. She was usually quiet and reserved. Her name was… Lina?
“M — Miss Adrian! Miss Zephyr!”
Lina ran up to them, gasping for breath, her voice carrying a sob.
“It’s… it’s bad! Carlos and Hans… they went into the woods to find an Observation Balloon that fell in, but they haven’t come out for a long time… Professor Thorne has… has already taken people in to find them, but there are too many forks in the path… the Professor told me to call more classmates to help… I — I’m a little scared to be alone…”
Villanelle and Emily looked at each other, both seeing surprise and gravity in the other’s eyes.