Chapter 2-19

Blacksmith Volume 2 Chapter 19

My spring school life had gone by in a flash, and most topics talked about in school had turned towards the end of the semester exams.

The test results are coming out today. Comprehensively, this along with the results of the exams before winter break will decide what class you’re admitted to next year, so of course everyone is going to desperately study for them. Some people even had bloodshot eyes.

While the delusion of everyone here and there To rest, probably waiting for the test results.

As soon as they’re done announcing the exam results, summer vacation will start.

There are some people who stay at the school, while other return to their homes. Two whole months where we can do whatever we want.

There were eight exams, each worth a 100 points for a total on a 800-point scale.

Elective exams were carefully regulated so that the students wouldn’t complain that one was more difficult than the other. People still ended up complaining though, thats just the way the world works.

The results were posted before noon, many of them were placed as expected.

First Place: Arc Kudan 800 points

First Place: Iris Parala 800 points

Third Place: Eliza Deauville 799 points

Fourth Place: Rail Rain 797 points

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Seventh Place: Kururi Helan 777 points

As expected of Iris. Despite the work that she had to do on the field, she still scored full marks.

The prince as well.

Eliza seems to have stumbled again though, just one point away from first.

The one I’m actually surprised about is Rail.

There were many changes this time due to people not studying, but the hardest class to study for out of them all, was medicine!

From the twenty-three points that I lost, fifteen of those were from medicine.

I was so close too! I had the second highest score in that class!

Yet somehow that guy was still able to pull off a perfect 100 points! I will never forgive him for that!

Well, I still hold a little bit of a grudge from all the times he’s harassed me too.

I guess these are the results of not-studying enough though, it’s only natural they’d end up like this..

Now that I’ve seen the results, I should start preparing myself to go home.

There are some things I have to do before that though.

First I received thirty pieces of what was harvested from the potted face pack plants that Toto had grown, placing them in the horse drawn cart to mail them back.

Toto won’t be able to come to my territory this summer, he has to go back home to his own. I can safely say that I’m not going to see him for a while now, at least that’s what he said when we parted..

Ever since the fight, it looks like the harassment from Maury has stopped. I don’t know if it’ll start again in the future, but the person in question said that it’ll be alright. I sincerely hope that that is true.

Eliza of course, was frustrated by the results, complaining to the point that I almost mistook her as angry, rather than just frustrated. Although it looks like the Four Heavenly Kings are increasing their security around me, my relationship with Eliza seems to be progressing quite smoothly. Also, it looks like Eliza is returning home to the Capital City. She ended up cautioning me to watch my physical health, since I was just recently injured. “The Flower Prince” book I had borrowed from her earlier was also returned.

I was actually a really good story, it even made me cry a little bit.

I don’t even want to remember Rail’s story, but I ended up hearing something funny from him.

After tentatively greeting me, Rail relentlessly tried his best to give me a hug.

I really don’t want to remember this.

What did he tell me what was so funny you ask?

You see, I ended up promising to keep in touch with him, because at the very least, he’s useful when you need to find out information about things, and in return he told me this:

“The prince was rejected by Iris recently.” Apparently he had invited Iris to come home with him to the capital to meet the king, but she ended up refusing, saying that she’d feel uncomfortable surrounded by all that luxury despite the fact that she was just a humble commoner only two months ago. I think I laughed a little too hard when I heard this. I sure am a horrible person, aren’t I?

Even so, I agree that his invitation was too sudden and poorly planned.

Oh, and it seems Rail is returning with Arc to the Capital.

The Capital, huh? I heard that its commercial market is flourishing right now, I want to visit there someday.

Anyways, I ended up paying Iris a visit myself in the end.

I heard that Iris was just going to spend her vacation alone here at school.

She wouldn’t be troubled with food, clothing, or shelter, and she also has the library to pass the time, but two months is far too long to spend alone. It’s too sad, so I wanted to lend her a hand.

“Iris.”

I called out to Iris who was watering the vegetables in the field.

“Hey Kururi, look at this! The vegetables we planted are beginning to bud already! They sure grow fast, don’t they?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty impressive.”

Like she said, the vegetables were already starting to bud.

I’m looking forward to their future growth as well.

“Iris, are you doing anything this summer vacation?”

“I’m probably just going to stay here at school, but it’s not all bad you know? I’ll have all the time to study that I want, and I need to take care of these children too. Also, I can’t afford a carriage home right now, you know?”

I laughed a little at her answer.

“I thought so too. So if you want to, do you want to come back with me to the Helan territory for the summer?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, but I can’t go. I’m sure your territory is a nice place, but I don’t want to be a bother. If I’m going to visit, I’d rather visit after raising the money to visit the hot springs myself, that’s my dream.”

“Were you going to bring your family too?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, what if you were just going to go by yourself?”

“By myself? Probably not.”

“Well how about this then, do you want a summer job? You said that you didn’t want to be a nuisance, but did you know that my territory is actually suffering from a lack of manpower recently? It sure would be great to have some extra workers to lighten the load…”

She gulped. Yup, easy-peasy.

“With a part-time job, you’d be able to pay for it yourself and your family would be welcome to stay too. If it’s the vegetables that you’re worried about, we can ask the Herbalism instructor to take care of them. We’re in school to study together, but summer vacation was created precisely because we needed a time where we didn’t have to study! So? Will you reconsider my offer?”

“…a little bit. No, wait! Let me think about this!”

For a little while she just groaned while rubbing her head, before turning to me.

“For the next two months I’ll help you out. I’ll make sure to not be a bother because I’ll be working there as well, so once again, thank you!”

“How could you ever be a nuisance? Well, let’s leave after I greet Vaine and Crossy.”

“I’m only doing this because it’s my obligation to do so! Don’t forget that!”

*Hohoho* (sfx: haughty laugh) I don’t know what you’re talking about. My face right now is like that of a buddha.

After that, the two of us bid farewell to the field for the summer.

After returning to the dorms, I visited Vaine’s room with Iris beside me.

“Vaine, the two of us are about to leave for the Helan territory, do you want to come with? I need some more people to help out with the territory.”

“Is that okay? I was actually going to travel the mountains and forests because I had nowhere else to go this summer. You sure you want me to go?”

At first I really was coming here just to say goodbye, but that seemed to change since, now that I think about it, I really do need the extra workers to help out this summer.

It’d be great if Vaine could come along too, he’d be able to match a hundred men in power.

…wait. The mountains and forests?! Is that how you usually spend your summer?!

“Well, let’s go together then. I don’t think Crossy will refuse, but… do you know where his room is?”

“I don’t know, he never brought me there.”

I thought that you two were always together though? Did you guys only ever meet in my room? That’s unexpected, did he already leave?

“He was a boy? I thought that Crossy was a girl though?” Iris said.

“It’s a little rude, so make sure not to mention it to him in person.”

“That’s right Iris.” Vaine uncharacteristically warned her, he didn’t even ask her to start doing practice swings to reflect on herself.

Iris was surprisingly insensitive about these things.

At that moment, Crossy had entered into Vaine’s room.

“Shisho, you’re here too? What’s the occasion?”

“Oh, this is good, we were just about to start looking for you, Crossy.”

“Me?”

“The three of us are going to the Helan territory over the summer, I wanted to know if you wanted to come too.”

“Sorry, but I can’t. I need to say my farewell greetings to the instructors today. I want to go, but the feeling is enough, I hope you still have a fun summer though.” Crossy said so with a sullen face.

This is making me restless for some reason, Crossy has always been together with Vaine. I really wanted him to come, but I guess it can’t be helped.

“I see, well I hope you have a fun summer vacation then. Take care yourself, okay?”

“Of course, Shisho! I’ll definitely take care of myself, so make sure you do so as well Shisho! You as well, you bastard!”

He threw that last part at Vaine.

What? Did the two of them break up with each other?

They just aren’t honest now are they?

After that, we all prepared our luggage, and packed them into the horse drawn carriage.

Iris and I had brought quite a bit with us, but all of Vaine’s belongings could be carried in one hand.

Does he really keep all his stuff in that one bag? Is it a bottomless bag that stores things in another dimension?

This is how Vaine, Iris and I all departed for the Helan territory.

In the carriage, the three of us leisurely enjoyed the journey.

I remember feeling anxious when I first came to school here.

Many things have happened since then, alot of sad things, happy things, and weird things, but it was a fun period of time.

While reminsicing about the past, I slowly closed my eyes.

A vivid memory slowly formed an image in my head.

It was the time when Eliza was seriously trying to kill me, how fun.

Wait. Is that really a fun memory for me?

Outside the sun had continued to rise, while the horse-drawn carriage rumbled as it proceeded towards the Helan territory.