After the exams, the students’ faces were filled with joy at the thought of going home after a long time.

However, the professors were even more excited than the students.

“Oh, summer vacation is finally here. It felt so far away, as if it would never come.”

“I know, right? I can still vividly hear the loud cheers as they ran to the cafeteria every lunchtime. I guess we’ll miss those shouts during the vacation.”

“Oh my, as expected from the literature professor, you’re so full of sensitivity. Just to let you know, I’d rather not hear them anymore.”

At the philosophy professor’s firm words, laughter erupted in the faculty lounge.

“Still, it’s a relief that there were no major incidents involving those dreadful department scores this semester.”

“Hey, professors. You never know? They might have already finished that dreadful sword competition and are quietly keeping their mouths shut in front of us. After all, our kids aren’t ordinary, are they?”

Affectionate sighs escaped from here and there in the faculty lounge at the words of the second-year political science department professor.

“It’s more of a problem that they’re not ordinary kids. You all know what happens when smart and talented kids get together. It would be nice if they used those great abilities to cooperate, but without fail, they always get fired up for competition.”

“It’s fortunate if it just ends with competition. The problem is when they’re willing to die for those department scores.”

The bustling faculty room instantly turned solemn at the words of the third-year magic department professor.

The third-year magic department, led by the fun-loving student council president, Oliver Welleader, was a tight-knit group that did all sorts of strange things. Of course, the aftermath of the incidents and all the ensuing reports were the responsibility of the professors, not the students.

“Still, I know you’ll all cry because you’ll miss Oliver.”

“Miss him? Well, that child has made me shed so many tears of blood over the past three years that I’m not sure if I have any tears left due to being so dried up.”

With his arms crossed and snorting, he quietly added.

“But still… it’s rewarding to see that kid, who was somehow prickly as a freshman, getting along well with everyone regardless of department or year.”

The professors, empathizing with the sentiment of eventually boasting even while gossiping, let out light laughter.

Well, even if our kids that I taught sometimes seem lacking compared to other kids, there’s no need for others to know that.

Bam!

Just then, the door to the faculty lounge opened, and Heres, the first-year magic department professor, entered.

“Ah, the freshmen are finally coming!”

A professor who discovered Heres, exhausted from delivering the orientation, jokingly spoke to him.

“You can’t distinguish between public and private matters, can you?”

However, he covered his mouth as Cledian entered after him.

Chuckle.

“It’s just a joke, don’t mind it.”

Only then did people sigh in relief at Cledian’s words.

The end of the semester before the vacation had the power to make even the stiff Cledian crack jokes.

“Come to think of it, there must be a student who hasn’t lost the top spot in the department all semester. Heres, blessed with the milk and honey flowing from the goddess’s department assignments, how was your semester?”

At a professor’s question, several people looked at Heres with shining eyes.

Heres frowned at the butterfly effect caused by the incident where a student broke through the wall in the first class, but soon smiled brightly.

“…I dislike them, but I can’t hate them. After all, they’re all kind and pretty.”

“You’re indeed a born professor.”

…Of course, there is one thing that bothers me.

Heres hid his discomfort behind a smile.

Although they pretend not to be, the relationship between Nigel, the top student in the magic department, and Noah, the top student in the swordsmanship department and Professor Roneh’s favorite disciple, seemed to be good, but recently it has become greatly strained.

‘Conflicts between children often spread into department fights, so it needs to be resolved quickly.’

Well, that worry was something for his future self to handle later.

Yes, for now, he should enjoy the upcoming summer vacation!

[This is the timeline separator]

Tap tap.

Nigel poked Allen with a book and whispered in a small voice.

Then Allen looked to the right at Noah and cleared his throat.

“I enjoyed reading the book I borrowed from you before.”

The stiff and brusque yet affectionate tone was unmistakably Nigel’s, causing laughter to break out around them.

“…Nigel asked me to pass that along,” Allen added with a grin.

Then Noah whispered in Allen’s ear.

Allen turned his head to look at Nigel on the left and cleared his throat again.

“You’re welcome.”

This time, a soft and quiet pleasant voice flowed from Allen’s mouth.

“…Noah asked me to pass that along,” Allen added, lifting the corners of his mouth.

That smile was not derived from sincerity but artificially created to hide his annoyance.

Seriously! What are these two doing between me with perfectly good mouths!

Allen, who thought he would be freed from the hell of studying once the exams were over, was faced with another torment.

Nigel, who was caught red-handed by Noah while secretly treating him, had a heated argument with Noah immediately after.

Although he couldn’t hear the details because each dormitory room had soundproofing magic, there was a loud noise outside the door, so it happened anyway.

The problem was after that.

If they had fought, they should have talked to each other and made up, but Nigel and Noah neither spoke to each other nor made eye contact.

After not speaking for a few days, they must have felt uncomfortable, so they started whispering to each other with Allen in between, using him as a messenger.

It was fun for the first few minutes, but now he wanted them to stop.

Still, he tried his best to bring it to life, but his throat was starting to hurt.

“Hey, you two… aren’t you getting uncomfortable now? How about talking directly?”

“No.”

“It’s fine.”

Nigel and Noah answered at the same time. And again, at the same time, they glanced at each other, made eye contact, and simultaneously turned their heads.

They’re in perfect sync like this, yet they absolutely refuse to talk. What a great contradiction this is.

Sigh, Allen let out a deep sigh of frustration.

“Okay. Putting aside your fight, you must keep your promise. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

“Yes.”

The answers popped out simultaneously again.

Still, it wasn’t a bad feeling to have them sing in unison about the promise he had repeatedly asked them to make.

The promise Allen made was to come and hang out at Allen’s southern villa during the vacation.

It was quite difficult to get a definite answer about the promise with the relationship between Nigel and Noah being strained, but for Allen, who had perfectly figured out the weaknesses of the two over the past semester, it was a piece of cake.

For Nigel, he gently threw out the delicacies of the south and the well-known southern culinary skills like fish food pellets, and his guard crumbled.

Once Nigel was won over, it was easy to entice Noah. He just had to say that he could see Nigel during the summer vacation.

At those words, Noah added his thanks and firmly grasped Allen’s hand.

Noah Beselion had completely fallen for the timeless, unchanging truth that the one who loves more always loses.

Allen admired his own outstanding persuasion skills and finished reminiscing.

And he slyly took out another wish he had hidden in his heart.

It was none other than number 15 on Allen’s bucket list of things to do in Sienia! Reconciling friends.

This summer, for the first time in his life, he dreamed of a dream that killed three birds with one magic stone: hanging out with friends at the villa, watching Noah’s love fight pleading with Nigel, and solving his bucket list.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Ah, the freshmen will miss it a lot when vacation comes.”

Library.

While Nigel was reading the last page of the monumental book that would be his last checkout of the first semester, a cheeky voice suddenly interrupted his appreciation.

“The library is for quiet, don’t you know?”

Nigel retorted stiffly to Oliver without taking his eyes off the book.

“Hey, that’s when there are people around. It’s just me and you, freshman, here. By the way, aren’t you going to ask why you’ll miss it?”

Finding it hilarious for some reason, Oliver giggled and even wiped away tears.

“Ah, as expected, the freshman never disappoints me until the end. And there’s only one reason to miss the vacation.”

Thwack!

Nigel closed the finished book and opened his mouth.

“Because there’s no library?”

Oliver frowned at the worst answer.

“You haven’t forgotten my castle, have you, Nigel? There are so many books in our main residence that you could trip over them. The correct answer is obviously because there’s only one semester left to see me.”

“Ah, yes.”

Nigel responded familiarly and put the finished book back in its place.

“Ah, it’s not there, it’s next to it. The spelling is wrong.”

Oliver grinned as he deftly organized the books.

“You’re not here to tease me… Why did you even come to the library?”

“I came to deliver a surprise gift, of course!”

Only then did Oliver hand Nigel a palm-sized box.

“A surprise gift, who on earth sent it?”

“If I told you who sent it, would it be a surprise gift? Well, I’ve teased you and done the errand, so I’ll get going now!”

Nigel waved goodbye to Oliver, who had come and gone as he pleased, and opened the box, now alone in the library.

He thought it might be Beselion, but inside the box, a single cookie with a crumbled end and a palm-sized card with the letter ‘W’ revealed that the sender was Widrun.

Nigel flipped the card over with an uneasy feeling, wondering what nonsense would be written this time.

[Did you receive the box well? I’m sending the box as I remembered something I hadn’t finished saying. When I advised Noah, who was worried about your physical abnormality, not to fall asleep right away and to wait a bit, it seems the result was quite effective. Well, now that the mystery is solved, have a pleasant vacation.]

“…That crazy bastard.”

Nigel didn’t know if Widrun was aware that he was a saint.

The worst summer vacation was about to begin.