Selena insisted on going to the sea.
“Summer means the sea! Vacation means the sea! This is common sense, isn’t it?”
Honestly, there was no need to offer other reasons. Even without explanation, anyone could think of this option.
Summer, vacation, sea. Just mentioning one of those words would magically invoke the others.
If someone doesn’t live too far from the sea, they probably went to the beach at least once during their childhood summer vacation. I certainly did, and in fact, the very first thing I associated with vacation was the sea.
…Of course, that didn’t apply to Linea and Aurora, who had lived their whole lives in a convent.
Aurora seemed to be enchanted just by the mention of the sea, while Linea didn’t show it overtly but seemed quite interested as well. It seemed she hadn’t had the chance to visit the sea during her knight training.
The sea, how nice it must be.
Now that I think about it, since graduating from university, I’ve been tossed around here and there, so I haven’t even dreamed of visiting the sea. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to go for once.
On the other hand—Ramihi claimed they should go to the mountains.
“The summer sun is hot. Relaxing in the cool shade of tall trees while dipping into the clean valley waters is also a great choice.”
That made some sense.
There are many families who choose to visit cool, flowing valleys instead of the sea during the summer. They often take tents along to camp as well. Playing at a beach where the waves roll in regularly is fun, but there is also much to do at a valley where water flows steadily.
However.
It sounds nice but… honestly, I wasn’t really drawn to it.
Of course, Ramihi didn’t mean hiking. He suggested we set up by the valley, which would definitely be very cool and pleasant, but—
I have a trauma related to mountains, you know.
Not just any trauma, but a summer mountain trauma.
The blaring sunlight, that nurturing shade provided by grand trees—
Yeah, no, a million light-years away from the scorching sun where I suffered through endless PT.
Why do obstacle courses have to be in the mountains?!
It’s not just obstacle courses; most military bases on the frontlines are nestled within the mountains, at the base, or occasionally on top of them. Just because you’re at the bottom doesn’t mean you can relax. You still have to march up the mountain. If you end up tripping at night while on a night march and fall into a deep drainage ditch, you will never have good feelings about mountains again!
And look at that treacherous smirk of our homeroom teacher over there.
If we were to go alone, that’d be one thing, but if the homeroom teacher comes along, there’s no way we’d just be playing. It’s bound to be “mandatory training” on some level.
…Training in the mountains?
Ugh, my head…
Anyway, there are too many ways to torture people in the mountains. Just existing there is enough.
While the 21st District in this world was fairly flat and made one feel like endless cities stretched on, the country I lived in, Korea, had mountains covering over half its territory.
Even the largest city in the country was located centrally, right on a mountain, meaning that no matter where you go, a mountain pops up in your field of vision.
Naturally, I had the perception that mountains are always accessible whenever I want to visit, so I couldn’t help but respond lukewarmly to Ramihi’s suggestion.
The other kids also had similar lukewarm reactions to the mountain discussion. Well, even without Korea, stepping outside the 21st District would lead you right into a forest. There are mountains if you head towards the battlefield. It’s only natural that the sea, which is distant and rarely visited, would be more appealing.
But Ramihi remained completely unfazed.
Calmly pulling out his smartphone from his pocket, he searched for something, then displayed it on the screen for us to see.
“Wow.”
Aurora was the first to see the picture and her eyes sparkled.
“Oh.”
Following her, I couldn’t help but gasp after seeing the photo.
The image I had of mountains was completely different from what Ramihi described.
In the distance, towering, straight pine trees stretched skyward. Thick pines loomed in the backdrop, with a vast mountain range filling the scene. The peaks of the mountains rose progressively higher, capped with a layer of white snow so much so that they touched the clouds.
And where this coniferous forest ended, a large lake sat peacefully. The still surface of the expansive lake shimmered emerald green in the sunlight, so vast that it couldn’t fit into just one photo.
“It’s quite a famous tourist spot, so the facilities are great. Not only Lake but there’s also a nearby flowing valley. This photo was taken in winter, so there’s snow on it, but in summer, only the peak of the distant mountain has snow. You won’t freeze enough to not be able to get in the water.”
Ramihi’s gaze briefly flicked to Jian. …Yeah, he had looked at Jian as soon as the talk of going out came up. It seemed he very much wanted to see Jian in a swimsuit.
Ramihi swiped his finger across the screen, and another photo came up.
In deep waters, numerous jellyfish were swimming. But not the long, creepy jellyfish with tentacles sprawling all over, but small jellyfish the size of a palm. Round golden jellyfish with blobby bodies swam around the tourists.
“This lake was formed during a huge anomaly 500 years ago. The name is simply Golden Jellyfish Lake. It was originally a sea, but suddenly the mountain range rose and isolated it, forming the lake. By coincidence, there were no natural predators for the jellyfish within, and they evolved without needing to develop toxins. Now they are completely non-toxic. This type of jellyfish exists only in this lake.”
What a wildly exotic place.
On top of that, it was not just an ordinary lake but held beautiful scenery that couldn’t be found elsewhere. I would want to make time to visit, should I get the chance.
…To be honest, you’ve got me wavering after seeing that.
“I have a lot to show too!”
Seeing the eyes of the convent party members flicker with excitement, Selena quickly chimed in. The number three within a club of nine was quite large.
“Here, look at this.”
“Wow.”
Aurora was astounded again after seeing the photo Selena showed.
What Selena displayed was a midnight beach. It seemed like a vacation photo taken during the holiday season, where even at night, quite a number of people were present and buildings around the beach lit up the night like a festival. Wait, are they really having a festival?
People in swimsuits were dipping their feet into the sea, and in the distance, fireworks were being set off.
The crashing waves glowed with a fluorescent light.
“Isn’t it amazing? They say the light comes from plankton. It used to be a type that was hardly visible in populated areas, but it seems they collected while getting trapped during the process of building walls outside the sea.”
And it truly was beautiful. Every time waves rolled in towards the beach, they gleamed blue as lights burst forth along the surface, creating a striking sight. The aerial view was even more stunning, resembling the night sky pouring into the ocean.
Instead of glowing uniformly, areas where plankton congregated were brighter against the dark sea, looking like stars twinkling beneath the waves.
“So beautiful…”
It was Aurora’s impression.
By the way, Lina appeared indifferent to whatever happened, while Satsuki didn’t seem to care about either location. It was peculiar how two attitudes could seem so similar—one didn’t care if they didn’t go, while the other merely wanted to go anywhere.
“Haha…”
Our department head, the most important one, merely smiled awkwardly as if troubled.
“The sea could be dangerous, though. The walls aren’t as sturdy as on land. I’ve heard of beasts and demons trying to sneak in from below.”
“That’s something that happened decades ago. Recently, the demon army hasn’t invaded. After all, creating magic points above the surface is highly inefficient. If it’s wide open, they’d be able to defend it well.”
Selena growled at Ramihi, then turned to me.
“You need to think carefully, Clara. The mountain could become a place where using oxygen masks is necessary.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t need to go that high. As I said earlier, the place in this photo is warm enough in summer.”
There was no sign of narrowing their conflicting opinions at all.
At first, my heart was completely leaning towards the sea, but now after seeing the photos, I’m wavering. If it’s not hiking, then going to the mountain might not be such a bad idea, right? That thought crossed my mind.
“Hm.”
Seo-A let out such a sound while alternating between the photos.
“But, these two places might be hard to visit, don’t you think?”
“What?”
Selena and Ramihi responded simultaneously, the sparks in their eyes dimming at the unexpected intervention from our teacher. It seemed they were caught off guard, especially since just moments ago, they had been saying it was up to them where to go.
“First of all, both of these places are extremely famous, right? I’d wager even if it isn’t two months, almost all accommodations have been fully booked for at least six months! Plus, both places are well-known tourist attractions, so all the flights are likely packed as well. By the time you search for available spots, it might already be too late.”
“……”
Selena and Ramihi’s mouths dropped wide open.
Hmm, it seems that both locations are indeed very famous. And they must be far away enough from here to require a flight… without a doubt, that makes it a challenge. Even if there were seats, it would be very expensive.
Well, considering the kids attending this school could probably pay those prices, but… the three of us from the convent should not.
We would likely have to rely on the limited funds provided by the convent, and going there would essentially be like an overseas trip.
I still have a million won left in my bank account, so if I chip in, I could make it work—hmm, but it’s not necessary to push ourselves to go somewhere that’s difficult to get to. Savings are better left as savings.
“Wouldn’t it be better to stick nearby? There isn’t any sea in the 21st District, but we can easily reach a neighboring area. As for mountains, there’s one fairly close as well.”
Looking at our homeroom teacher presenting a compromise, it felt as if the places the two mentioned were akin to high school students deciding to go on group trips to the Maldives or Hawaii for their summer break.
Selena and Ramihi momentarily looked deflated, but they weren’t backing down just yet.
“Still, the sea is better, right? Summer beaches are always festive. If we’re going on a trip, wouldn’t it be more enjoyable to have an exciting time?”
“Away from noisy crowds, it’s important to relax in a tranquil and serene environment. Some people don’t even know how vital such restful escapes are amidst busy regular life, you know?”
…
The passionate disagreement between the two made me take a step back.
While I did initially come up with the idea of the group trip, I didn’t expect them to get so enthusiastic. I thought we’d just go and have fun at a nearby beach.
“Hm.”
Seo-A, who had been observing everything leisurely with her hand on her chin, finally spoke up.
“If it’s difficult to decide, I have an idea.”
Selena and Ramihi, who had been glaring at each other, turned their heads sharply.
“What I’m saying is, if we can have both the sea and mountains, why not? Both had slightly different issues, anyways.”
With that said, Seo-A’s gaze was fixed on me.
“Whether it’s the sea or the valley, both are great, but you can’t just go without getting into the water. We have someone here who wouldn’t want to be seen in a swimsuit, regardless of whether they put it on or not, don’t we?”
But why is she looking at me while saying that?
…Oh, right. I’m a saint.
If I were merely a nun, the story might be different. Just being a nun wouldn’t mean I would have a “religious” label hanging over me. If I wore a swimsuit, nobody would know I’m a nun.
The problem lies with me.
As the long-awaited saint who appeared after 50 years, my face has become well-known to the public. Even in town, I’m always getting recognized and receiving extras from various shops.
With the church so nearby, even if I wander outside, this area is pretty much my maximum range. While I do sometimes venture far, there are no places nearby where cameras wouldn’t be lurking or where people would casually be taking pictures.
But what if I wore a swimsuit, revealing my bare skin, in a place crowded with people, especially a festive location? If any of them takes a photo of me in wet saint robes clinging to my body?
…Well, I assume the church wouldn’t just sit still about it.
I’m a bit embarrassed to say this, but I have a body that matches my age-category with a good build, smooth skin, and a pretty face. It wouldn’t be odd for paparazzi to follow me around.
Most members of the club are female, yet that’s not to say everyone is. There’s Jian, who is the only guy in our group and quite a famous good-looking dude. If even a moment of us being together or walking together is captured, that would create some major issues. The church would first flat out deny, of course.
Ah, writing this makes me feel like running away. It’s not as if I’m some idol in their late 20s saying, “I’ve never dated before~.” Plus, it’s not just anger from people that would be the issue, but there could also be religious concerns.
“Well, you don’t have to worry that much.”
Seeing my mood turn sour, Seo-A grinned and said.
“Despite how it appears, I have quite the extensive network. I know someone who owns a very nice private beach. Not far from here at all. Super pretty and spotless shores, and since there won’t be many people, the water will be clear. There’s a villa, and behind it, there are mountains and valleys. You can just choose whatever you like.”
Here we go.
Seo-A does have her designation as a pretty popular heroine. The scar running across her face is how she got it. The positions of heroes are crucial but also come with risks. No, to be specific, they often undertake dangerous missions. That’s why the government calls them “heroes,” supports them greatly, and provides a generous paycheck. Hazard pay is an additional bonus.
Naturally, most heroes forge a strong camaraderie since they risk their lives helping each other and often enjoy substantial wealth to start businesses after retirement. While there are frequent failures, successes abound as well.
Since heroes look out for one another, pooling their resources is pretty easy, and scamming gets complicated since there’s hardly a place to flee to in human society. The ones tracking are also heroes. In the already contracted human society, those with closer associations don’t dare pull such tricks either.
These overlapping factors mean families with a history of heroes often possess immense wealth. Maybe Seo-A’s “acquaintance” is one of them. Or perhaps she once saved a billionaire’s life years ago.
After hearing this, the expressions of the club members began to brighten again.
Once that “private” tag gets involved, the place becomes something special instantly. It’s private property where random outsiders can’t enter. The only trash would be what we produce, and as long as we keep it clean, it can remain extremely tidy.
With no unsavory outsiders and no constraints, it’s the perfect spot to play or relax.
“Though if it’s private property, that person could use it as well.”
I pondered aloud as it entered my mind, but Seo-A shook her head.
“Anyway, he goes there every year to unwind. If I’m going there, and you all join, I doubt it will be a problem. He’s not that petty of a person.”
Certainly, if someone was lending such a place for free, it wouldn’t be unusual for them to be called generous.
In fact, it’s so good that it feels odd. Heroes generally cling together, it seems. Honestly, I had doubted the truth of such claims after reading about them in magazines in this world.
“Can you tell us where it is?”
“22nd District. The owner is the Rose family.”
Rose?
That sounds vaguely familiar.
*
The next day.
Sure, while there were still those debating whether we were only playing at the beach or in the valley or doing both, the concern over the locations had vanished. We had gathered in the auditorium as we would during any usual after-school session.
Ramihi could still beat all of us, and Jian was the one who could win against Ramihi. The outcomes of my dueling with Lina still remained undecided, and Satsuki’s sword skills had sharpened. It was pleasing to see her improving by addressing her weaknesses in her duels with Ramihi.
Thanks to Ramihi’s nonchalant attitude towards me almost having destroyed half the village, a great part of the discomfort seemed to dissipate. Of course, I couldn’t feel completely at ease knowing the buried histories of the elves, but I still held confidence that I wouldn’t outwardly show it.
Amid this usual routine, our normal life was once again upheaved by the sudden appearance of Seo-A, just like the day before.
“Hello.”
Standing beside Seo-A was the shyly greeting petite girl, Erica Rose.
Erica Rose.
Rose.
…Ah.
“Well, it turned out like this, so Erica decided to come along too. She isn’t a club member, but since she’s the owner of that beach, we should get along, don’t you think?”
…There’s still a month until the holidays.
Why do I get the feeling that a storm of unexpected twists is brewing in making the decision for a group retreat?
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