Chapter 327: Vargas Camp
In the darkness and cold of the headmaster's office, a confused and panicked headmaster was huddling with his head on the table as he sobs, "Another few weeks of this troubling problem. Oh! What if we really have to close down this school temporarily?!"
Suddenly, the doors slammed open startling the teacher as he jumped up in bewilderment, "What is it?! Did something happen to the students?!"
"Nope!" Vargas stepped in with a wide smile and handed him some papers, "Actually, I'm here for permission."
"Permission for what?" He looked in confusion and flipped through the papers as he raised a brow, "Vargas Camp?! At a time like this-?!"
As though something dawned on him, Crowley froze before he nodded, "All right, I'll allow it."
"Great! Then, I'll go get things ready!" Vargas laughed aloud as he hurried out the doors.
Sitting on the chair, Crowley chuckled, "With this, we won't have to worry about complaints when they're too busy trying to survive the camp. This will keep those in the sports team busy. As for how to encourage them to work hard... I got it!"
.....
Lotus was reading her book in her room when she heard Crystal's voice echo in her head, "Master."
"Crystal?" Lotus raised a brow and responded to the voice in her head, "What is it?"
"I've received news from those in the Headmaster's office." Crystal responded, "It would seem that, to escape the temperature fluctuations in the school, the headmaster..."
As Crystal explained the situation to Lotus, she nodded and sighed, "I see. Since I'm part of the equestrian club, I'll be forced to go along."
It was a good thing that she took the potion her father had sent her earlier. Otherwise, she would be unable to attend the mandatory event.
There was suddenly three knocks on the door as it opened. Silver opened the door with a look of surprise, "You don't lock the doors. Anyway, it would seem that the stone has been taken away again."
"I thought so." Lotus sighed, "The queen is not well and the princess's method is too risky."
"The princess? What is she doing?"
"She wants to break the spell using magic from our birthplace, but, without enough, she could die in the process." Lotus explained, "What?"
"Nothing." Silver shook his head and thought for a bit, "What if she asks someone to perform the task instead?"
"Eh?" Lotus raised a brow and feigned confusion, "That's... not impossible, just difficult."
"How?"
Lotus sighed, "To help her majesty, there needs to be a lot of mana to push out this blot like substance from her body. To do that, the other requirement is knowledge of medicine. Although the princess had both of these, she made a recent trip to Isle of Lament in secret with the leader there and came back with probably less than a quarter left. It's not enough to save the queen, even if she puts her life on the line. At most, it'll just buy her some time. As for me, I lack mana and rely on a stone. I don't have any to give and am inexperienced with processing mana through my body. So, I can't help them. So, even if I have the mana, I won't be able to properly expel the blot like substance which is the curse. However, if the princess was to use someone else's mana, she would need to take it and control the flow of it through the patient's body. However, the princess's origin might prove the process to be a little difficult. To cure the queen, they need to be blood related at best. However, she is adopted and I heard that the queen is married into the royal family. To find her kin is difficult and not one of them is able to control mana or knows about the curse like the princess can. So, there will be back lash on her. As for the person she's borrowing it from, they'd just feel mentally exhausted at most unless he has other health problems."
Silver grew quiet for a while before he nodded, "I see. Then... Won't the one receiving the backlash be the princess?"
"Naturally." Lotus responded.
"Aren't you worried?"
"Why? She's my benefactor, but I can't control her every move nor am I her retainer. I'm simply an employer." She responded blatantly, "All I can do is advise her and I already did. It was her who told me not to hide anything from the dorm leader and you guys."
She returned to her book as she waited for Silver to leave. Sensing that she didn't want to talk to him anymore, he turned around silently thanked her then left. As they closed the door, Ying Hui spoke up in confusion, "Master, why did you lie to them about the backlash? Whether you borrow it or not, you will bee at risk of dying still! It's just a lower percentage, that's all! It doesn't change the fact that you can still die!"
Hearing this, Lotus bore a rare soft smile, "Sorry for being selfish, Ying Hui. However, my family is very important to me. Even though I was thought to be a human, they still treated me well. When I struggled with my status as a princess and pulled into so many marriage proposals, they agreed to risk dangers to help me. When assassins came into this world and put everyone in danger, not one of them blamed me, even after knowing that I was the reason they came to cause harm. They were very supportive of me even to now and put up with my cold behavior towards those people while other princess would've still asked for them to be spared. Had it not been for father and mother, I would've been less likely to receive shelter and experience love. Had it not been for the fairies, I wouldn't be able to progress so much and be where we are now. Like us, they are also my family and are very important to me. That's why I absolutely must save mother."
She sighed, "I understand if you and the others are unhappy about this since you've also got dragged into this mess because of me. But, I must save her."
"There's no need to say anymore." Ying Hui responded with a heavy sigh, "I'm also very fond of her majesty."
It's just she fears that something happening to the princess could hurt the queen more than just the curse. However, the princess is unhesitant to experience death a second time all for her mother's sake. It was the same for the rare herbs for them and how she treated the Zhang siblings. When did her master ever thought of her own life before?
.....
It has been two days since they learned that the stone was taken back once again. The students were all still irritated and scared. They were angry that the queen had discovered that the stone was fake so quickly and what would happen once they learned that they were involved with it? However, that was all blown away at the call of their headmaster and PE teacher who called together all of the physical sports clubs.
"I will now check the attendance" Crowley announced, "Representatives for each sport clubs, please give me a response if I call out your name. Let's see... horse-riding club?"
"Of course, everyone's present" Riddle stated resolutely.
"Next, track and field"
"Here!" Jack spoke up.
"Basketball?"
Jamil raised a hand, "Right here."
"Last is... Magift club?"
Despite being blatantly present, Leona simply yawned to which Crowley raised a brow, "Oh? Magical Shift Club? Are they absent?"
"We're here! Magift club is all here!" Ruggie cried out quickly in despair over the laziness of his dormleader.
"Excellent. All the sports club is here" Crowley smiled and nodded in satisfaction.
"Good grief, we almost got scolded" Ruggie sighed in relief before turning to Leona with a scowl, "How can you fall asleep as soon as the meeting starts, Leona-san?"
There was a long silence as Ruggie shook his head in defeat, "No response..."
"Now, shall we begin?" Crowley started, "Firstly, I want to tell you the reason I gathered you all here. We decided to do a camp in the Mines next week! And I call it —— 『 Vargas Camp 』!"
There was a cry of surprise as murmurs spread throughout the athletic fields.
"At a time like this with the magic stone being missing?"
"What is the headmaster thinking?!"
"Well, I don't care! As long as I can leave the school's grounds, I'd be willing to do anything!"
As expected, Lotus glanced around quietly. With the current situation, these group are more than willing to go with the flow as long as it benefits them.
"Professor Vargas brought the idea to me. We will do the camp for 3 days." Crowley continued to explain, "And all the members of the sports club will participate in this camp."
The students began to talk amongst themselves again in shock.
"With the current magic stone missing again, this is the perfect time to let the students out and relax else where while the school waits till the next gala event begins." Riddle whispered with a frown.
"It's rather well-played for certain." Silver nodded in agreement.
"Those in the cultural clubs are mostly more patient than those in the sports club." Lotus nodded, "However, bringing out all of the students will bring about problems with the education system. The school is already in the eyes of those old fogies. If the headmaster wants to do this, he needs to do it carefully, so he's letting the sports club out first."
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