Is it a relief or not?
Even if she’s rich, it seems like Erica doesn’t own a plane all by herself.
It wouldn’t be too surprising for someone to own a huge villa in another district along with a private plane, but for some complicated reason, Erica mentioned that she “personally” owns that villa, suggesting there’s more to the story.
If it’s not her parents’ property…
Well, thinking about it, a plane isn’t like a car that you just own and drive by yourself while doing regular maintenance. It requires all kinds of specialized knowledge, plus hiring people would surely break the bank. If she’s managing most of her family’s wealth on her own, that’s even more concerning.
…But writing this down, it seems like the wealth gap in this world is really severe.
The average monthly salary for a Saintess, who ranks highest in the Church, is about 6 million won. Even if I saved for five years until the escape, it wouldn’t even reach 400 million. That’s the kind of money you could use to buy a pretty decent house in the city, but how much money would it take to own a villa, the surrounding mountains, and even the coast?
My desire to escape has doubled!
I want to be a chaebol too!
Thinking about it, with this power, if I were to work as a private doctor for some super-rich person, I’d probably earn a lot more than I do now.
But still, I’m not particularly keen on that since the appearance would be quite lacking…
The plane was different from the budget airline I rode last time. The aircraft was extremely spacious, and even though the seats were economy class, the legroom and width between the seats were much wider. Even Uncle Paul wouldn’t feel cramped in it.
“Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but if I get crammed in a small plane, I’d be suffering for a week. I can feel my spine wearing out!”
Seo-A, who booked the seats, said that.
…If her spine is already wearing out at that age, what on earth is she going to do with the remaining 50+ years of her life?
Well, she’s been fighting demons and beasts since her early twenties. If she’s been pushing her body, it can’t be easy, that’s for sure.
Then again, even though she’s in the prime of her life, she’s stepped down from the front lines to become a teacher for a reason.
I haven’t set anything specific, but considering the rules of this world, which adjusts things well enough, Seo-A might have large injuries or internal damage that we don’t normally see.
Or maybe there are mental reasons.
There are countless reasons a soldier can’t continue their duty and steps back from the front lines.
…
“Ugh!”
After getting out of the car, Seo-A stretched, and crack crack—a refreshing sound echoed.
It wasn’t just Seo-A; everyone who got out of the car was stretching or yawning.
It took about 1 hour and 40 minutes to fly from the 21st District and then another 40 minutes by car to get here.
Both the airport and the villa were on the coast, so it didn’t take too long, but as the word ‘private’ suggests, the government isn’t nosy enough to take care of personal lands.
Although the road wasn’t unpaved, it wasn’t well-maintained either. There were large branches that had fallen off or, for some reason, giant rocks occupying the middle of the road, and landslides had caused parts of the road to disappear.
…Seo-A convinced it was completely normal to dodge such obstacles by skillfully steering past them, and Selena, who was sitting in the passenger seat, questioned this:
“Um, Teacher, is there really no option to slow down when you see an obstacle, or even get out and clear the way?”
She held onto the handle on the window tightly, almost hanging on as the car shook like crazy.
Oh, of course, the asphalt was cracked all over, likely showing its age. Even without obstacles, the car would’ve been bouncing up and down really hard.
Though we wouldn’t have had the chance to feel that with all the left-right shaking inside the car.
“What does it matter? I’ve been here a few times, so I know where the obstacles are. Besides, it’s better with obstacles. We’re not stopping and inspecting; we can naturally block entry for those who don’t know.”
According to Seo-A, there were no streetlights and trees grew on both sides of the road, so it would be pitch black at night, making it hard to tell there’s a road here.
…
It’s no wonder Erica’s face turned red as she tightly held onto the handle just like us. This road was hers, and it clearly showed us it wasn’t maintained.
“S-Sorry, I didn’t know it would be like this…”
“Yeah, Miss Lowell. It’s rude to your friend who lent the villa, isn’t it?”
Seo-A subtly poked fun at Selena as she hopped on Erica’s apology.
“Ah, um, no! That’s not what I meant… S-Sorry, I really appreciate this… but that’s a totally different story, Teacher! Plus, this car isn’t even mine!”
“This car is rented with my own money, the insurance is under my name, and I’m the one driving. If it breaks down, I take the blame. More importantly, Miss Lowell, when you’re offered a ride, it’s polite to sit quietly. Especially for the passenger, you have the duties of preventing drowsiness, selecting the songs, and handing over snacks safely to the driver! So, could you pass that chocolate ball in your hand to me, please?”
“Why should I suddenly give a ‘Aah’ to a girl? Oh, fine! I can do that!”
Trying to refuse, but as the car swayed side to side again, Selena received the chocolate ball from behind and popped it into Seo-A’s mouth.
“Mhm, thank you, I appreciate it.”
“…Could you please swallow what’s in your mouth before speaking?”
After all, Selena gave up and started fiddling with her smartphone connected to the car.
Well, while it was a bit over the top to be feeding snacks, I could understand the duties of preventing drowsiness and selecting songs. In a trip, the driver usually struggles the most, and they are in the dominant position.
Especially if they’re the only one with a driver’s license among everyone in the car.
Back in college, before I went to the army, during my freshman summer break, I went on a belated graduation trip with friends. The guy who drove back then deducted a portion for transportation costs from what we pooled together.
…Well, it was understandable, given how hard they worked.
This trip might not have even begun if it weren’t for Seo-A. If ideas were just tossed around without action, it would eventually fall apart over time.
And, you know…
When an attractive woman with half of her chest exposed speeds down a bumpy road, a lot of things tend to jiggle.
I firmly believe that many men would hesitate to interrupt in such a situation.
…But anyway.
“If we don’t slow down when obstacles come up, we’ll never arrive on time!”
As Seo-A argued, we arrived at the villa quite fast.
Ugh, maybe I focused too much.
It’s great and all, but nausea is still nausea, so I took a deep breath for a while to calm my stomach, which was right on the brink of flipping over, and when I lowered my gaze from the sky—
What appeared before me was a pretty nice villa that looked nothing like the poorly maintained road.
“This is better than I expected.”
As Ramihi, who could dart through the treetops of the forest like an elf, settled his stomach—of course, the first was the driver, Seo-A—he let out an unusually admiring voice.
“Right?”
Seo-A proudly spoke as if showing off her villa.
…
Erica’s private beach was perfectly built at the point where the mountains met the sea.
It’s not just about looking at the ocean from within the mountains.
The fact that the sea meets the mountains means there’s a mountain right behind the short beach. Naturally, there are cliffs facing the ocean, too.
The villa occupied a suitably low spot on the cliff.
A terrace extending outwards, right above the sea.
The visually open roof had a pool, and looking behind, it appeared to seamlessly connect to the trees of the forest, while facing the sea created a vibe that felt as if it led right to the ocean.
Yeah. It was the so-called ‘infinity pool’.
Honestly, when I heard “it’s not a lot of rooms,” I imagined just a log cabin near the sea.
Well, it’s hard to believe that a villa built by a true wealthy person would merely be a log cabin, yet I never expected it to be such a modern place that felt like it could demand a jaw-dropping price for a single night stay.
But you know? There’s a reason this seemingly expensive place is free.
It might seem like there’s no problem among friends from the same school, but as they say, favor turned into rights, if I borrowed a place like this each vacation, I’d definitely be treated like a sucker someday.
Of course, I didn’t think Erica would consider such things—
At least, it seemed Seo-A didn’t.
“Alright, let’s start cleaning!”
That’s right.
The term “private villa” also means,
“If you don’t pay someone else to do it, you have to clean and manage it yourself.”
“C’mon, since we’re using it for free, we should help out! The cleaning supplies are over there, everyone follow me!”
Seeing Seo-A shout like that, Erica’s face turned red again.
Ah, I see now.
Seo-A mentioned coming here often; she’s probably about half on vacation, but I bet her main purpose is to manage the place.
Someone like Seo-A, who’s a former hero, could simply just throw money to help out.
But could there be some memories tied to this place?
Cleaning such a large villa by yourself involves quite the workload, doesn’t it?
…Still, it’s a reasonable reason.
After all, we’re the ones coming here for free. Helping out is not just expected; it’s practically “the norm.”
Now I understand why Seo-A was in such a rush. If she didn’t hurry, cleaning this place alone would take until dinner time.
“Alright, let’s wrap this up and have some fun.”
Did Jian catch on to that too? He followed closely behind Seo-A.
“Um, sorry…”
“Huh? What’s there to be sorry for? We should be thanking you for lending us such a place.”
In a matter-of-fact tone, Erica said this while her face turned bright red as she followed everyone behind Seo-A, but Selena responded with an expression that asked why that mattered.
“Honestly, I was surprised. It’s way cooler than I expected.”
Ramihi passed by Erica while saying that,
“Objectively speaking, we’re getting a way better deal. There’s no reason to feel sorry.”
Satsuki made her logical point.
By the way, the nun’s party, including me, was dutifully following behind Seo-A.
Since we’ve already been cleaning every morning without being asked every school day, it’s only natural to do a little clean-up before stopping somewhere.
…
As a bunch of compliments poured in at once, it’s no wonder Erica’s face remained bright red even as we divided roles and started cleaning in earnest.
…
“Hah.”
Even though the sun was beating down heavily, I felt it was much better than the way to school.
I guess it’s because I’m drenched from head to toe right now.
Cleaning wrapped up surprisingly quickly.
While the building was cool and certainly spacious enough to feel quite large if someone lived here, it wasn’t constructed to accommodate dozens of people like a hotel or a pension.
It was just the right size for a family to stay, or to throw a party inviting a few relatives or friends.
Last year, the maximum number of people who came here couldn’t have even been more than Seo-A and Erica. Even so, the facilities were kept this clean indicates it was manageable for just the two of them to maintain.
Still, the interior hadn’t been totally neglected.
They made sure to cover furniture that wouldn’t be used for a year with cloths to prevent dust from accumulating, so honestly, all we did was sweep and mop the floors, tidy up the terrace, and clean the pool on the roof.
Judging by how carefully they were organized, I could tell this place was more than just a “expensive villa” to Seo-A and Erica.
Perhaps the reason they come every year to stay and manage it with their own hands isn’t really about the money but more that they want to do it themselves. I mean, taking a flight every year and renting a car to get here is a huge hassle but at the same time, it’s bound to cost a good amount of money too.
…Or, could they possibly be processing it as academy expenses?
…Is that really allowed?
No, more importantly…
“Hmm.”
While I was thinking in the sun, I realized something strange.
Now that I think about it, Jian and Erica have been childhood friends since they were young.
Of course, there’s a setting that they hadn’t talked for a long time to add some “tension,” but anyway, childhood friends means they likely saw each other often.
But Erica also knew Seo-A quite well.
She had been bringing Erica here every year to help manage the villa together.
Rather than just “knowing each other,” it feels more akin to being like blood-related sisters.
Well, Seo-A being a former hero and knowing Erica’s parents well implies they might have been comrades who fought alongside each other under life-threatening circumstances. Perhaps Erica’s parents know of Seo-A’s retirement story… or something of the sort.
But I don’t know what Erica’s parents are like or what they’ve become. The only setting I had for Erica was that she was a childhood friend, and yet she hadn’t spoken a lot with the protagonist for a long time.
Honestly, I was more clueless than Ramihi, who had managed to derive many things from the racial settings.
Anyway…
Owning such a place all alone and coming here with Seo-A every year is certainly indicative of some kind of situation, but…
…I shouldn’t be thinking about something so gloomy right now.
Yes, right. I was actually thinking about whether Jian knew of Erica and Seo-A’s relationship.
Having a childhood friend, and then having someone who treats that childhood friend like family doesn’t seem weird when they know each other!
Furthermore, if Seo-A had known Erica’s parents since Seo-A was a hero…
…I don’t know.
There are too many variables involved without knowing the detailed circumstances. They could’ve just naturally gotten to know each other after attending school. Anyway, this much money suggests that Seo-A was doing quite well during her hero days.
While I was convincing myself like that and putting the issue aside for now,
Something powerful hit my back!
“A-Ah, Oof!?”
I lost my balance due to the sudden attack and fell forward, plunging right into the pool.
That’s right. I was standing on the building’s roof, right in front of that infinity pool.
And I was wearing a swimsuit.
Oh, well, it’s not like I was already playing. It was merely that the last place I cleaned was the infinity pool.
Seo-A had emptied the pool completely last year when they came, but that didn’t mean it could keep out branches, sand, dirt, or small animals’ excrement completely.
Of course, it was a place we were meant to enter and have fun, and to clean it, we needed water—so I was already changed into a swimsuit to prevent my clothes from getting wet during the cleaning process.
By the way, it was naturally Rina who pushed me.
“Attacking out of nowhere, how despicable!?”
It was already filled with water from previous cleaning, so it wasn’t dirty, but I flared up at being ambushed when—
A stream of cold water squirted at my face!
Yes, what hit my back wasn’t a hand but rather the powerful jets from a hose!
“Using a weapon, what a cowardly move!?”
Just as I was about to speak, the water cannon shot at me again.
“Is there even a concept of fair play in a fight? Think about the time you punched me first!”
Rina laughed out loud, holding the cleaning hose, a truly vicious weapon.
Rina wore a yellow bikini that went perfectly with her loose pink hair. There were no decorative touches, but her properly inflated chest, slim waist, and well-toned body looked beautiful…
But all of that didn’t matter when a demon is pointing a lethal weapon at an unarmed person.
Another jet of water came at me, and without realizing it, I jumped sideways and plunged back into the water.
With a gurgle, I inhaled water through my nose.
“Puh!”
I shot back up but couldn’t help the coughing that followed.
Right, I couldn’t swim.
That’s why I brought a floatie, but obviously didn’t think to carry it up while cleaning.
“Cough, cough, haah.”
Well, whatever.
Let’s put aside thinking about Erica and Jian’s relationship for now and focus on taking down my foe right in front of me!
“Come if you dare! I’ll be right here!”
Laughing with confidence, I rushed back to the pool to charge at Rina!
…
In any case,
Thus, our epic group retreat officially began.
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