Volume 02, Chapter 73

To The Misty Peaks Region

After breakfast, Célestin and I approach the Golden Fields Train Station. The path is lined with breathtaking scenery—endless fields of lavender stretch as far as the eye can see, their soft purple hues rippling gently in the morning breeze. The sweet, subtle fragrance of the flowers fills the air, mingling with the crisp freshness of the countryside.

Every step we take brings another wave of awe. I have walked this path many times, but the view never fails to captivate me. The lavender fields seem to dance under the sunlight, their beauty almost otherworldly.

“It is beautiful, is it not?” Célestin says, breaking the silence.

“Yeah,” I reply, a faint smile forming. “When I first transmigrated into this world, I could not stop marveling at the beauty of these fields. On my way to middle school daily, I would stop and just… take it all in.”

As we continue walking, a comfortable silence settles between us. The only sounds are the soft crunch of gravel underfoot and the occasional wind rustling through the flowers.

“By the way,” Célestin begins, breaking the quiet again, “now that your school has been repaired, are you resuming classes?”

I hesitate. “Uhh… I do not know.”

Truthfully, I have no idea. On Earth, if a school was destroyed, the students might have been forced to transfer or graduate early, depending on the circumstances. But this is Sylvestria, where magic and advanced technology make repairs seamless and quick. Even Dominic’s web novel did not cover this scenario.

Célestin raises an eyebrow. “You do not know? Dominic—well, technically you—own the middle school you are attending. How did you miss that detail?”

I freeze mid-step. “Wait… what?”

Célestin smirks, clearly enjoying my dumbfounded reaction. “Yes, the middle school is owned by the Eñeforte family. Its name is Académie d'Eñeforte. You did not know?”

My face heats with embarrassment. How did I miss something so obvious? The school has the family name in its title. I might be the worst transmigrator in existence. Assuming there are other transmigrators.

Célestin chuckles, his grin widening. “Aiya, Clark. I expected better from you.”

I groan, rubbing the back of my neck. His teasing is starting to wear on me. In the web novel, Célestin is depicted as calm, level-headed, and does not joke around often. But the real Célestin? He is… insufferably playful.

“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, trying to change the subject. “Anyway, what is the plan for the Temple du Calice de Convergence?”

Célestin raises an eyebrow, his expression a mix of amusement and confusion. “Why are you asking me that? Did Dominic not write a whole web novel about my adventures?”

“He did,” I admit, “but he skipped over the temple exploration. One minute, you were outside, and the next, you were in the final chamber.”

Célestin sighs dramatically, shaking his head. “That guy… always taking shortcuts.”

“So?” I press. “You have been to the temple before. What kind of traps should we expect?”

Célestin’s expression grows thoughtful as he tucks his hands into his pockets. “Let us see… The temple is ancient, full of your usual death traps—spike pits, collapsing floors, those sorts of things. But the worst part? It is heavily enchanted with illusions. The deeper you go, the harder it is to tell what is real and what is not.”

“That sounds… terrifying,” I say, imagining the worst.

“Oh, it gets better,” Célestin says with a grin that does not match his words. “The illusions do not just mess with your sight. They can tamper with your memories, distort your sense of direction… and sometimes, affect your mind.”

A shiver runs down my spine. “Great. Just what I needed.”

“Do not worry,” Célestin says, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “With me around, we will be fine. Probably.”

I shoot him a skeptical look. “Probably?”

He laughs. “Relax, Clark. What is an adventure without a little danger?”

I sigh, shaking my head. “I need to stop agreeing to your plans.”

“Too late now,” he says, his grin widening as the train station appears ahead.

“Cla—Doms?”

Arthur’s voice startles me, and I turn around to see him standing there, dressed in the school uniform of Académie d'Eñeforte—the middle school my family owns.

He looks at me with his usual composed demeanor, but something about his presence unsettles me. Then, it hits me.

Stolen novel; please report.

He is wearing the school uniform… Wait, there is a class today?!

“Arthur,” I ask, dreading the answer, “why are you wearing the school uniform?”

Arthur raises an eyebrow, clearly puzzled by my question. “Because our classes resume today.”

My stomach drops. Oh no, there is a class. Damn it. I should have asked Celine earlier.

“But,” Arthur continues, noticing my panicked expression, “attendance is optional right now. Some students are still recovering from the Stargate disaster, so not everyone is showing up.”

Relief washes over me, and I exhale quietly. “Ah, I see. That is good. No wonder Celine said nothing about me not wearing my uniform.”

As I process the information, another thought crosses my mind, and I frown. Arthur is the only one I have seen in a uniform so far.

“…Wait, does that mean you will be the only one at school?” I ask, eyeing him suspiciously.

Arthur crosses his arms, shrugging nonchalantly. “Possibly. I am not the type to skip class, unlike some people.” His tone carries a hint of teasing, though I can sense he is genuinely trying to be responsible. “Are you not attending, Doms?”

I shake my head. “No, Célestin and I are heading to the Misty Peaks Region for… sightseeing.”

Arthur tilts his head, his brow furrowing slightly. “Sightseeing? And you did not think to invite me?”

His voice has a subtle hurt, and guilt instantly stabs at me. Crap, that was my fault. I should have mentioned it to him.

Before I can think of a way to salvage the situation, Célestin decides to make it worse—or better, depending on your perspective.

“We will raid Temple du Calice de Convergence to get the Chalice of Merging!” Célestin declares, throwing an arm around my shoulders as if we are lifelong conspirators.

I turn to glare at him in disbelief. What the hell, Célestin?! Why would you expose our plan in public?!

Arthur’s eyes widen, and his voice shoots up an octave. “Again?!”

I quickly scan the area, my heart pounding. Thankfully, no one else seems to be nearby, which is a slight relief. Still, I cannot believe Célestin has just blurted that out.

“Yep! You are correct!” Célestin continues, his smirk growing as if he is enjoying my distress. “Domy is going to raid another temple!”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling an incoming headache. This guy is going to be my death.

Arthur crosses his arms, his gaze sharp as it flicks between us. “So, let me get this straight. You are skipping optional classes to go on another dangerous temple raid? And you did not think I would want to come along?”

I open my mouth to respond, but Célestin beats me to it, his tone light and playful. “Relax, Arthur. We will bring you next time. Right, Cl—Domy?”

Arthur does not look convinced—and honestly, neither am I.

Before I can speak, Célestin leans in closer, his grin turning mischievous as he whispers just loud enough for only me to hear. “Besides, I would not want you getting distracted with your boyfriend watching.”

“Boyfriend? What the hell are you talking about?” I snap, shoving his arm off me and taking a swing at him.

Célestin jumps back, dodging effortlessly, laughing like he has not just annoyed me. “Come on, Domy, I am just joking!”

“Shut the hell up,” I growl, crossing my arms and glaring daggers at him.

Moments like these shatter my image of Célestin from Dominic’s web novel. He is not the calm, level-headed, and does not joke around I thought he was. Instead, he is carefree, unpredictable, and annoyingly good at getting under my skin.

“Doms,” Arthur’s voice suddenly cuts through my thoughts, “I will come with you.”

I blink, turning to him in surprise. “What? Why?”

Arthur hesitates, his usual confidence flickering slightly. “Because… I want to,” he says, his voice steady but quiet.

I stare at him for a moment, caught off guard. Having Arthur join us is not necessarily a bad thing. It could be an advantage. When I first met Arthur in this world, he was like Célestin. Both loved to joke around with me.

But, unlike Célestin, Arthur is slightly more level-headed and could balance out Célestin’s reckless tendencies. Plus, his sense of responsibility and loyalty might be helpful in a place as dangerous as the temple.

Célestin grins, clapping his hands together. “Great! As long as you do not slow us down, Lyon.”

Arthur shoots him a sharp look, but his expression holds no malice—just a steady determination. “I will do my part. Just make sure you do not get us into trouble, Moreau.”

Célestin smirks, unbothered. “Do not worry. I am the strongest of the three of us, so I will keep you out of trouble.”

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. This is going to be a long day.

Célestin claps his hands together dramatically as if he were the leader of some grand expedition. “Alright, before we go, let us get you some new clothes, Lyon. After all, we would not want to stain the Domy's school name, would we?”

Arthur gives him a flat look. “Yeah, yeah, do not worry about it. I already have spare clothes in my bag.”

Célestin raises an eyebrow, clearly impressed. “Wow, look at Mr. Responsible here. Planning like a pro.”

Arthur rolls his eyes, but I see the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “It is called being prepared. You should try it sometime.”

Célestin shrugs. “Where is the fun in that?”

I shake my head, already imagining the chaos that lies ahead. “Alright, can we get going now, or do you two want to keep this back-and-forth going all day?”

Célestin throws an arm around my shoulders, grinning like the devil himself. “Relax, Domy. We are just warming up. The real fun starts once we get to the Misty Peaks.”

Arthur slings his bag over his shoulder, giving me a small nod. “Let us go.”

With that, we set off toward the train station, and I cannot help but feel like I am walking into the most unpredictable day of my life.

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Lumi walks briskly along the cobblestone path toward Académie d'Eñeforte, her mind preoccupied with the morning's events. The air is cool, and the faint lavender scent of the nearby fields lingers, but she hardly notices it.

Her thoughts are interrupted when she spots three familiar figures walking toward the Golden Fields Train Station ahead of her. She stops, narrowing her eyes to get a better look.

From the distance, she recognizes them immediately. Arthur, dressed in the pristine uniform of Académie d'Eñeforte, walks with his usual composed posture, the school emblem catching the morning light. Beside him are Dominic and Célestin Moreau.

Dominic looks slightly out of place next to Arthur's formality, wearing a casual oversized dark blue shirt and black shorts. And then there is Célestin, exuding his carefree confidence even from afar, his sky-blue attire standing out like a splash of color against the muted tones of the scenery.

‘What are they doing together?’ Lumi thinks, her brow furrowing.

She glances down at her uniform and then back at the trio, who seem completely immersed in their conversation. Arthur’s uniform stands out sharply against Dominic and Célestin’s casual wear. Seeing him dressed for class while the other two are not leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.

‘Arthur should be heading to school,’ she thinks. ‘So why is he walking with them toward the train station instead?’

Her sharp gaze lingers on Dominic. ‘What is he planning? And why does Célestin, of all people, seem so friendly with him?’

Lumi is not one to let her curiosity fester. She clenches her fists briefly before releasing them with a slow exhale. Deciding against calling out to them, she stays at a distance, her footsteps growing slower as she watches them disappear toward the station.

“Whatever they are up to, it is none of my business… yet,” she mutters.

With that, Lumi turns back toward the school, but the nagging feeling in her chest remains. Arthur skipping class, Dominic’s mysterious intentions, and Célestin’s involvement add to the growing web of questions she cannot shake.

“I will figure it out eventually,” she tells herself, continuing her walk toward Académie d'Eñeforte.