Evelyn

  ***

  “Honestly, where can I get a magic bag like this?” Charlotte quietly asked, marveling at the freshly baked cupcakes I handed out.

  “My Uncle got it for me!” I smiled, grabbing a cinnamon bun for myself.

  Looking at Chloe, Nicole, and Olivia, who were already eating their snacks, I smiled. I’m very gd that I bought a bunch of them. After all, I wasn’t just sharing them with my friends. Looking past them, I saw many of my cssmates as well as a few students who I didn’t know, enjoying the cupcakes and cinnamon buns.

  “They taste just like my Mom’s…” Nissia nostalgically savored a cupcake.

  “I’ll send you compliments to the chief.” I smiled.

  There’s no way I can tell her that her mom did make them. After all, it is like a week-long trip to her home town by conventional means. Speaking of trips, we are nearing the end of ours! Okay maybe I didn’t word that right. We are nearing the destination of our trip, a semi wild forest away from the capital. I’ve flown over this area before, but I don’t really know much about it since I only looked for strong demons or big hordes.

  Also! There was a strong demon here not long ago! Because of what Levi said, I went out looking and did find one. It was one of those talking demons and he had a sword, but it broke when I bsted him with a moon beam. I didn’t know that they could use weapons, but when I thought back to all of those stories about the Demon Lord, he did use them, so it’s probably just rare.

  Anyway, let’s just forget about that and enjoy a cinnamon bun with everyone else. By the way, I should mention that what we’re doing isn’t allowed. Rather what I’m doing. You see, this is a survival experience, and we aren’t allowed to have magical bags to hold all of our stuff. We were told that we need to carry our things ourselves. We have no servants to carry, fix, or even clean our stuff! To be honest that’s not a big deal for me, but I’m sure that other nobles are going to struggle. I’m sure that my friends will too.

  So, what I’m trying to say is that magical bags are off limits to us and the teachers are the only ones allowed to have them. So, me doing this is a bit of a risk, but I’m good at hiding things, so I’m good. That being said, everyone who got a sugary treat knows to keep their mouths shut about it.

  Munching away, I looked out of the covered wagon. For the past four days, we’ve been packed up in three covered wagons. Obviously we had rest stops and stopped at prearranged inns for nights, but the journey went by rather quickly. Especially since I managed to get away from “That Guy”. Since I’m a duchess, I was seated in the same wagon with nobles of higher ranks, and That Guy is a prince, so guess where he was…

  The Twin Regents, although they tried their best, were not very helpful. I’m going to be honest, after the first hour, I honestly did think about jumping out to get into one of the other wagons. Luckily I managed to convince the teachers during one of our rest breaks to let me sit somewhere else. That Guy tried to join me, but the teachers didn’t allow it. There is a big difference between the two of us after all. I may be fairly high up in terms of nobility, but I’m not royalty. Also, because I’ve been going to school with everyone for three years, they’ve grown used to my presence, unlike his.

  “I wish I could have these everyday.” Olivia sighed, looking for crumbs in her hand.

  “Having too many sweets is bad for your health.” I said, being sure not to eat as I spoke.

  “I know, but they just taste so good!” Olivia said.

  Several of the other students nodded, mouths still full. I can’t bme them. Even I have been tempted to overindulge in sweets. As a Magical Girl however, I must resist! I need to set a good example for others! After all, what kind of Magical Girl is running around with cavities? Well, there was that time we had to fight the demonic alter ego of the Easter Troll, and he kind of had a lot of chocote in his grotto, so we may have had a bit too much after beating him. But the less said about that, the better!

  Having finished my treat, I took a look around at everyone. Like myself, everyone is wearing their armor. Since we’re young, it’s all leather and fabric, but it’s enchanted so it’s stronger than it looks. Also, instead of the normal skirts, us girls are wearing pants to protect our legs. As for me, my armor is a bit different than the norm, but let’s not worry about that right now. That being said, I decided to ask a question that has been on my mind for a while.

  “So… Has anyone seen a demon before?” I asked.

  ““““!”””” Many people froze.

  Ah, maybe I should have waited until they finished eating… Although I say that, Nissia brushed off her hands and nodded.

  “I’ve seen one before, but it was one that Melody caught.” She said. “So I don’t know if it counts.”

  Melody, as we all know, is me. Rather, is Magical Girl me, as I am currently still me and very much not magical. But that is besides the point. Everyone knows and loves me! That’s right, I’m famous and get discounts at stores, not that I really use them since I am rich.

  “You’ve seen a demon before!?” One of her friends, Jenna, asked.

  “Yeah.” She nodded. “It was one of those talking ones.”

  “A talking one!? You never said anything about this before!” Another, Linda, said.

  “Why didn’t you bring this up before!?” Asked Alice.

  “I mean, it just sort of happened.” Nissia shrugged. “She does things like that.”

  “You say that like you know her.” Olivia said.

  “Yeah, she’s been coming by my family’s bakery since I was a kid.” Nissia nodded.

  “““WHY DID YOU NEVER SAY THIS!?””” Nissia’s friends said in unison.

  “You know Melody!?” Charlotte couldn’t help but ask.

  “She’s a regur!?” Another student asked.

  And like that, Nissia became bombarded with questions about me. How fun.

  “Yeah, she really likes the cinnamon buns.” Nissia said. “Dad makes sure to always have some ready for her.”

  “I can see why!” A student who had a cinnamon bun said.

  “Yeah, she eats them really cutely like this.” Nissia said, imitating how I eat.

  Uh-oh.

  “Really?” Charlotte asked, surprised.

  No no, don’t worry about it. It’s just a coincidence.

  “What’s she like?” I asked, hoping to derail this conversation. “How tall is she?”

  “Well she’s a bit childish and st time I saw her she was about this tall.” Nissia expined.

  “Is it true that she doesn't age?” Lidia asked.

  “I don’t think she does…” Nissia muttered.

  “She certainly doesn't look like it.” Charlotte agreed.

  Looks like we’re out of the danger zone. Let’s make sure that it doesn’t go back there…

  Levi

  ***

  Looking at nothing in particur, I couldn’t help but think of Evelyn. It was her, but somehow it wasn’t. The Evelyn that I knew would never even think about sharing the same space as commoners, let alone being stuck in a carriage with them for several days. That wasn’t Evelyn. It couldn’t be her, yet it was her…

  How can this be? What could have changed her? Think Levi, think! What is her backstory? Dead parents and trauma that turned her hair bck and made her unable to use holy magic. We got the dead parents and she sucks at magic, so we must be missing something… Well, the magic thing is probably the fault of Melody. In all likelihood, she’s a reincarnation who is using some sort of overpowered magic to kill the demons. After all this world, up to her appearance, had no concept of magical girls, and I’m certain that the pale moon that people associate with her is Earth’s moon.

  Although, that brings up another question. Why is she not participating in the story? Surely if she was reincarnated in this world, she would make changes in the story. Well, she has, but not directly. As far as I know, she never met a single person involved with the story. Not the Saint, or the Twin Regents, or even Evelyn. What’s her pn…?

  Whatever. There’s no time to think about that. What I need to think about is how to fix Evelyn. Given how friendly she is with the Saint, I can’t say that I can easily make them enemies. Okay, what about the Twin Regents? Given my time here, they don’t seem to hate or like her… Well, I guess there's nothing I can do about that either. Until Lloyd falls for the Saint and Evelyn gets jealous, there's not much I can do…

  Wait. That girl is the saint, right? What was her magic type again? Given her hair, it’s probably water. Isn’t she supposed to be able to use holy magic from the start? That’s how the game goes at least. So… What now? Firstly, let’s try and figure out what needs to happen to continue the main story.

  “Looks like we’re here.” Lloyd’s voice broke me out of my thoughts.

  Slowly our luxurious covered wagon came to a stop. Finally we’re here! One step closer to being done with this! As we exited the wagon I took in the forest around us. In a small clearing with a bumpy dirt road leading away into the distance, we were surrounded by tall trees with birds freely flying between them. I can also see a rge spider web between two of the trees with a visible yellow and bck spider sitting in the center of it.

  …

  Yep I hate it! I want to go home. I can already hear the bugs, and I can only imagine how annoying they’re going to be at night. Looking at the Twin Regents and some of the others, I can tell that they’re thinking the same. I’m already getting a headache…

  Aside from us, there were the teachers as well as our guards. Despite being called our guards, they aren’t going to be guarding us. Rather, they are our escorting guards. As we go out into the forest to our base camp, they will head back to the nearest town and wait for our return trip to resume guarding us. Part of me didn’t like seeing them leave, especially with the demon encounter we’re going to get, but it is necessary for the story to progress.

  With everyone out of the wagons we were directed to join our groups. Each of them consisted of four people, except for mine which had six and Evelyn’s which had five. Since I had joined te, there was no one else to join, and since I’m royalty, I was pushed into the Twin Regent’s group despite theirs already having too many members. As for Evelyn, she apparently had some health issues and for her own safety was pced with another group. Odd. I don’t remember her having those. Maybe I just forgot. Regardless, our two groups have five with everyone else having four.

  The teachers were giving out directions and one by one, our groups grabbed our stuff. We were told to bring only the essentials since we had to carry our own stuff, and that the base camp that our expert guides set up before has everything else. Having been told that, many of us still over packed. Myself included. Having said that, the base camp shouldn’t be too far, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.

  Evelyn

  ***

  Exiting the wagon, I enjoyed the gentle breeze that the forest gave me. I don’t know what it is, but something about this air is different from the Dark Woods. It doesn’t smell different, but it feels a lot cleaner. Somehow it’s rexing. Seeing the green trees and grasses, with the birds chirping and bugs zily buzzing by, along with scattered clouds floating along in the sky, I smiled. This vacation was a great idea!

  Looking around, I tried finding 38, but I couldn’t spot her. She and the other Shadows were tasked to guard the group. After all, we have a bunch of noble’s children, the Twin Regents, as well as a foreign prince. It would be no joke if something were to happen to any of them. Let’s leave them to their own task and enjoy the field trip.

  “Eww…” Charlotte muttered looking at a distant orb-weaver.

  “Don’t you worry about them, those guys are scaredy cats.” I reassured her.

  “Why is it so big?” She couldn’t help but ask.

  “That’s just how they are.” I said. “Come on, let’s go get our stuff!”

  “Yes we should, but firstly, there’s something that I’ve been meaning to ask.” Charlotte said.

  “What is it?” I asked, smiling.

  “Just what are you wearing?” She asked, looking at me.

  Others behind her nodded. Okay, I’m not exactly in the standard camping gear and armor like everyone else. Well, I say that, but there is no real “standard” clothes and armor that they’re wearing. The nobles wore somewhat stylized clothing as if they were out at a royal hunt. And the commoners among us wore whatever warm and sturdy outside clothing that they had.

  As for me, well my clothes weren’t exactly standard. For one, I made them myself! Yep, that’s right! I can make clothes! Thanks to Orion’s teaching and magic tools simir enough to sewing machines, I was able to make this! But what is it? Well, to be completely honest it’s a design that was inspired by a video game back on Earth. It’s kind of like long robes? They’re gray with silver embroidery along the edges that, around the legs, open in the front and back for easier movement. Under that is some sturdy pants, and over that was a grayish green wool cloak with a hood attached. I also have like four belts. Belts are stylish! Still though I’m still not as cool as Orion. Seeing my cssmates staring at me, I struck several poses and gave a quick spin for them.

  “Is…” Olivia started.

  “How do I look?” I asked.

  “You look great, but is that in any way practical?” Charlotte asked.

  “Yep! I’m all good!” I said.

  With all of my training and nights with Orion, I’ve tested out clothing simir to this and everything is all fine, as long as I’m not surrounded on all sides and people start grabbing my clothes. But that’s a problem that all but the naked have, so I think I’m safe.

  “I think It was a good idea we came along.” Charlotte whispered.

  “““ Yeah.””” Chloe, Nicole, and Olivia nodded.

  Well that’s rude. I’ll have you know that I survived with way less in the Dark Woods! Compared to that, this is a piece of cake. And, unlike then, I have many enchanted items, plenty of knives, an axe, and a proper weapon. Speaking of those things, let's go get our bags. One by one groups were called to get their bags and weapons. Eventually it was our group’s turn. With one of the teachers watching us, I grabbed my bag. Compared to many others, mine was on the small side.

  Because we were told to pack only the essentials, I did that. I did bring cupcakes and cinnamon buns, but let’s forget about that. In my bag was a bnket, a pair of extra under clothes, pajamas, underwear, and socks with all of my clothes having the “clean” enchantment on them. Some rope, a tarp, fire making equipment, water, a compass and map, a whetstone, and finally some oil and cloth to take care of my knives, tools, and weapon. Also a cup, a bowl, and some eating utensils! Those are a must for me!

  Speaking of my weapon, I pulled it out of the back of the cart. My weapon was the glorious spear! Not just any spear, but a boar spear! Although, given that I’m thirteen, it was shorter than the average spear being just about at my height, not including the spear head. Regardless, being out in the forest with a spear reminded me of old times. As I thought of that, I looked at my friends. As expected, like all the other nobles, they over packed. They do know that they are going to have to carry those by themselves, right? Seeing their bags, I had a bad feeling.

  …

  “How far do we have to walk?” Nicole asked.

  “Given that the river is three miles away from the road and we’re staying by the river, I would say a little over one more mile.” I said.

  “Why couldn’t we unload closer?” She grumbled.

  “Just think of it as part of the experience.” I said.

  “Come on, we just started.” Chloe said, breathing heavier than usual. “We can’t give up before we even reach the base camp!”

  “Speaking of the base camp, who do you think are the experts they got?” Charlotte asked, trying to take her mind off of her backpack.

  “Probably some retired soldiers.” Olivia said. “Given all the VIPs here, I can’t imagine anyone else doing it.”

  “I suppose that’s true.” Charlotte nodded.

  “Do you think we’re going to do hands-on training with them, or just sparing?” I asked.

  “I think it would be best just to stick with sparring.” Charlotte said.

  “I brought my spear, so I hope to hunt a demon or two.” I said.

  “I would rather not come across any demons if I’m being honest.” Olivia said.

  “Well, its the whole point of this trip, so I hope we do.” I said.

  “My shoulders hurt…” Nicole sighed.

  “That’s because you packed too much.” I said, taking her back pack and throwing it over my shoulder. “How much of this stuff are you even going to use?”

  “I can hold that.” Charlotte was quick to offer.

  Yeah no. Nicole’s bag is big, but Charlotte’s bag is visibly bigger. Not only that but she’s also sweating. It wasn’t just her, but Nicole and Olivia were too. I suppose they aren’t used to this sort of exercise. Aside from myself and maybe the Twin Regents, I don’t think any of our cssmates are. Wait no, Nissia looks like she’s doing fine as well. Now that I think about it, she’s always at the top of the css when it comes to physical csses. That aside, I don’t think Charlotte would be able to handle both hers and Nicole’s bags.

  “It’s fine, we aren’t far now.” I said.

  “Are you sure it isn’t too heavy?” Olivia asked.

  “If you think this is heavy, look at your own bag.” I said. “Who brings a chess board into a survival situation?”

  “We might get bored.” Olivia argued.

  “You think we are going to have that much free time?” I asked.

  “You never know.” She grumbled.

  Although she said that, she looked to be regretting packing so much. Nicole was slouching and fanning herself off. And Charlotte, although burdened, is just powering through it. Wait, no she’s stumbling. I’m starting to think that they weren’t taking this survival css seriously. Looks like I’m going to have to take the lead for this. Luckily I have experience, and of course we have the experts. So hopefully they can teach them a thing or two.

  Continuing down the trail with the rest of the css, we talked, but it was mostly compints about bugs. A bit of smoke should drive them away, so I’m not too worried. Then again, I don’t actually know our sleeping arrangements. We were told to only bring the essentials so I hope that they prepared that for us. Then again, we were told to bring a tarp… Are we going to have to make shelters ourselves?

  …

  After walking for a bit my shoulders were starting to hurt. Luckily we soon came across a clearing with a walled encampment with trails of smoke rising from inside, and Nicole took her bag back. Looks like they made the walls using magic. Above what looked to be a gate were two fg poles. One fg belonged to The Empire, and the other was one that I didn’t recognize. It was green with a big white circle in the center with the three moons; red, green, and blue respectively, going diagonally across it from top to bottom.

  Considering that I don’t recognize it, it isn’t a noble from The Empire, nor could it be from one of our neighbors. As for why I know it’s a noble’s fg, that’s because it used silver to outline the moons and circle on it. Long story short, silver is reserved for nobles, and gold is for royalty, or in our case, The Regents. But that all has to do with the Fg Charter, which I will not be getting into as that is a week long css that I don’t want to relive.

  Anyway, as I tried to figure out the fg, the gate swung open with a welcoming party waiting for us. Fnked by troops on each side in well worn steel armor was a man and woman in matching uniforms. Seeing this, my eyes widened. I recognize that uniform. Looking at the woman, I saw dark brown hair tied back with rough looking amber eyes. Although I couldn’t recognize the face very clearly, her voice confirmed my suspicions.

  “Greeting students of The Empire.” She said in a familiar, commanding tone. “I am Aura Bnc, Captain of the mercenary group Acadia. For the next week, we will be acting as your instructors.”

  Grayburne