Chapter 504 – Movement
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I eventually decided to listen to Veronica’s request.
Selby was one of the candidate cities where Helena might be located.
She seemed to know some other detailed information.
Field investigation in Selby.
I had to get permission from the academy for it, and while doing that, I realized why the academy teachers didn’t want to be club instructors.
Club activities are usually conducted during times when the academy is not having classes.
And what Veronica requested was that it be done on holidays when there were no classes.
Teachers also want to rest on their days off… But walking around looking after students is tiring.
Being a club instructor was a difficult job to do unless the teacher’s own hobbies did not match the club’s.
Moreover, the demands Veronica made of me were absurd.
Field research in a city other than Zeppia… If I were an ordinary club instructor, I would have been immediately rejected.
Traveling between Zephiria cities is like traveling abroad on Earth.
Each of the underground cities was that large in scale, and perhaps if Hellion had not existed, each city would have existed as a country like Earth?
The Mystery Research Club is a club created solely for Veronica’s personal hobby.
And it is so small that it will be abolished if 5 deputy members are not filled by the next audit.
Even if there was an instructor in such a low-profile club, there was no academy dean who could allocate a budget for an overseas trip.
In that respect, Veronica was lucky.
Because you met me.
Her purpose also matched my purpose.
And I was rich.
The meeting place we agreed to meet before departure was the main gate of Zepia Academy.
Veronica was carrying a large backpack. It looked like it had been well-prepared.
“What is this?”
Veronica asked, blinking her eyes when she saw the large vehicle I had driven.
“It’s a camping lodge.”
It’s not just a camping car.
It was a camping car that could fly.
It was incomparably bigger than a camping car on Earth, and it was a camping car that felt like it was moving a small house.
When we said we were going to a distant place for field research, Sunni made arrangements.
I don’t know the price, but I think it’s quite expensive.
The price didn’t mean much to me as I’ve been running four Great Demon Castle magic stone mines for several years.
“Mr. Bark, we don’t even need a camping car?
“Just because it exists, there’s no reason to be uncomfortable, right?”
“That’s… But… Did the academy even support this?”
Veronica must have noticed that the camping car I brought with her looked unusual.
It seems like she also realizes that the mystery research club doesn’t deserve to be treated like this.
“I just got permission to take you guys with me.”
“Then what about this?”
“Chairman Veronica, rejoice. Mas… No, your father prepared it specially for our mystery research club.”
Chaos, who was next to me, lifted me up and made me stand.
That’s right.
This was a research expedition conducted at my own expense.
In the first place, something like this should be condescending.
What appeared on Veronica’s face was joy rather than gratitude.
“Now Mr. Bark is very wealthy. That’s great! We can say that our club now has a reliable sponsor!”
Sponsor…
Veronica showed a shameless response. But she wasn’t entirely wrong.
For me, as long as I get results, I don’t mind spending this much.
Veronica did a great job just by reducing this unanswerable search area to 4 cities.
I’ll have to do some more research to see if that’s true.
I think the reliability of Veronica’s information will probably be confirmed through this trip.
“Now that I think about it… Why can’t I see Umar? I’ve been letting him off the hook lately, but he seems to have become very mentally sluggish.”
Veronica, who belatedly noticed that one member was missing, asked.
“… I guess I’m not feeling well.”
“It’s pathetic. I miss the Mystery Research Club’s historic day. Furthermore, I can’t help it. Furthermore, I have no choice but to leave it out.”
〈Gurachine! After scaring the child like that.〉
A basket called Cosmos whispers in my head.
But only I can hear that sound.
‘What! I just kindly told him that if he wasn’t feeling well, it was okay not to come out.’
〈Ah, here I come. 〉
‘What?! This shameful guy.’
Upon hearing Cosmos’ emergency report, I looked around without realizing it.
〈… It’s a lie.〉
“…”
It was a shame that I couldn’t do anything about the basket in my head.
The camping car that picked us up headed to the airport.
Even if the car could fly, it couldn’t take off anywhere.
Should we call it an airport?
It is said that there is a separate place where flying cars can take off.
The route is also determined.
It is said that if you deviate from that route, you will be subject to a large fine. However, since there is autonomous driving that follows the law well, it was not something I cared about.
“Put it out, it’s comfortable.”
When we actually got on board, Veronica said nervously that it was better than she expected.
It was such a comfortable space that you wouldn’t think it was inside a car.
Should I say it feels like I’m in a small house.
The self-driving system was well-functioning, so there was no need to drive tiringly, and even if it wasn’t for camping, the fact that there was a place to rest comfortably was an advantage in itself.
Let’s change the Mongoose team’s transportation vehicle to this as well.
I don’t know if Rebellion will give permission.
“Veronica, you still don’t want to tell me where you’re going?
I know that I am going to a city called Selvi.
However, Veronica did not tell us about the subsequent schedule.
“Mr. Bark. You have an impatient personality. I will go to Selby and tell you about it. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but wouldn’t it be better for security if only I know about it?”
There is also a way to use the power of deception.
If we met once and never saw each other, we might not know… We might see each other often, so I couldn’t help but be reluctant to use the power of deception.
Veronica is still very suspicious.
If they even noticed, there would be an uproar.
And as Veronica said, if she waited, she would eventually find out.
She said she volunteered to be her guide, but there was no need to go out of her way to get information about her.
“Have you never conducted a field investigation before?”
“Unfortunately, that’s true. I still couldn’t leave Zefia without my student status and guardian. Our club also had a guidance teacher… But for some reason, they never sent us to investigate the field. This is probably also part of the organization’s conspiracy. I think there may have been some involvement.”
It is probably true that there are forces concealing information about Helena. But I don’t think they will even monitor the academy.
In my opinion, it was just a money issue.
Such a small club budget was insufficient to conduct field research in other cities.
Then, the instructor has to forfeit his own money… How many people would do something like that?
I have a purpose, but it’s strange that an instructor spends a lot of money just for students’ club activities.
I didn’t tell Zephia Academy that I was going to look for Helena.
Selby told the academy that there was an urban legend that there was an ancient underground civilization in the past, and that she was going to dig up its secrets.
It’s called an airport, but cars that have passed through a toll gate-like place are lined up and soaring into the sky.
The camping car we were in also followed them into the sky.
We left Zephia and headed to Selby.
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『A beautiful city at night. Entering Selby.』
One by one, we raised our sagging bodies to the guidance voice of the camping car.
We flew for a full day and arrived in Selby.
There were no fatigue thanks to the comfort of the camping car.
There seemed to be countless stars floating in the sky of Selby.
“Selvi is said to be a natural cavity discovered while developing an underground city. It is said that only safety measures were installed to prevent it from collapsing.”
Veronica explained Selby to me, who was ignorant.
An endless sea of forests visible outside the window.
Dark Forest.
It is said to be an ancient forest that has existed since the discovery of this place. It is a real forest, not something artificially created by demons.
The entire forest was emitting a soft light, creating a quite dreamy scenery.
“Selby has no daylight. They say they didn’t create daylight because they thought it might affect the mysterious forest. The Dark Forest is also a good tourist product of Selby.”
Since this is the underground of the planet, it was natural that there was no day, but since most cities have day and night, it seems rather special.
There were many interesting stories in the Dark Forest.
They say there are fairies hiding somewhere in the forest.
There must be relics of an ancient civilization that have not yet been discovered, the same story.
On the surface, we also came to investigate such a mystery.
There was also a rumor that it was a word made up by Selby for the tourism industry, but it had nothing to do with us.
There was a real purpose.
In the middle of the mysterious Dark Forest, you can see the huge city of Selby.
The camping car flew through the dark sky and headed to a city with sparkling colorful lights.
