Loop Mob – A Mob’s Interdimensional Travel Caught in a Loop

Chapter 83: Behind the Scenes of the Boot Camp

Let’s rewind the story a bit to the second term classes starting in April. At the end of May, there was the midterm exam and the school festival. From June to the latter half of the second term, then a long summer vacation spanning July and August, leading to the final exams in September. For the third years, it’s graduation exams. And then, the graduation party. If something is going to happen, it would be here. It’s still the first year of this loop, so there’s no rush. But amidst the busyness, there’s still no sight of a solution.

The school festival ended in great success. At the same time, there was also an embezzlement issue happening behind the scenes.

“Yeah. You guys just made a slight miscalculation, right?”

“Uh, yes! It was following the precedent from the previous terms…”

“It’s good that we found the mistake this term. Be careful from next term onwards.”

His Highness Richard was smiling. The budget that was skimmed off like this probably, as usual, became the students’ “pocket money” or was used for some “arrangements.” Maybe for making up for missing credits or letting curfew violations slide. However, being too strict isn’t good either.

“This term, thanks to the ‘Support Office,’ the construction budget for events was significantly reduced. Since payments to food and beverage vendors were also cut, let’s distribute it as social gathering expenses for each club.”

His Highness openly and fairly distributed the funds that would have been in their pockets until now. Thus, the students who had been padding their wallets breathed a sigh of relief. However, the nonexistent slush fund came to light and ended up being managed by the student council. His Highness ended up being the one putting a collar, named “budget,” around their necks.

Regarding the stories from the food and beverage vendors at the stalls, there’s one more thing. Professor Kabaneru, who retired at the end of last year, started a sake brewing business in Charlois and although it’s still a small-scale production, it has started to circulate here and there. Professor Kabaneru, with consideration for me, obtained the sponsorship of Marquis de Charlois and held the capital’s first tasting event at the school festival. With the introduction of rare sake, nearby alumni flocked to the event, and the school festival showed even more excitement than usual.

Then, what finally appeared were numerous recipes using emergency crops. The restaurants in the capital that Bruno connected us with polished up their recipes before the main event and exhibited them enthusiastically. As expected of professionals, there were some arrangements different from what I had eaten in Japan, but they were much more delicious than I had imagined.

Professor Kabaneru repeatedly thanked me when he spotted me. Beside him, Carol-san, dressed up, was beaming with a dazzling smile. Seeing them like this, they didn’t look like the junkies who would swing around a morning star and yell “Hyahha.” Their sake brewing business and their marriage were moved up by a year. They looked so happy, and I was genuinely glad for them.

By the way, when the banquet was in full swing, I heard a familiar hearty laugh from a corner of the venue, but I want to believe it wasn’t anything serious since I heard someone say, “Back to the green room!” A husband in the sake brewing business and a young tipsy wife. Hang in there, Professor Kabaneru.

With all that said, the first half of the second term passed in the blink of an eye, and I safely passed the midterm exam as the top student. From mid-July onwards, it’s finally summer vacation.

“I can finally escape from the capital…”

　Lord Luca seems a bit exhausted. The attitude toward him and the surrounding circumstances have drastically changed since that mock battle. Furthermore, with the surge in popularity of earth attribute students at the school festival, not only Lord Luca but all earth attribute students are bewildered. Marriage proposals, which had never come their way before, now come pouring in like a mountain, with approaches from various quarters such as students from other schools and maids. Among them are the earth attribute students who spend their days trembling with fear, encouraging each other while avoiding getting ensnared in honey traps. They are inherently cautious and reserved. I hope they don’t fall for anything strange and find happiness.

As for Lord Luca, there’s that unpleasant noblewoman I saw on the first day of school. She’s the only daughter of a count and apparently the next countess, but she’s persistently pushing for a marriage proposal in a condescending manner. And she’s not the only one. It seems that Lord Luca is being chased around by children from various families, saying things like, “What about my sister?” or “How about my cousin?” Just the other day, she was badmouthing us, calling me “Laclue’s scum” or Lord Louis’s “bottom of the barrel.” Nobles are terrifying.

Even I, in C class and beyond, receive numerous marriage proposals. However, I turn them all down, saying, “Because I have someone in my heart.” At times like this, commoners have it good, don’t they? They don’t have to worry about the power balance between families. Of course, if you’re going to inherit a trading company, there may be political marriages between respectable families. Being the second son is quite relaxing. Lord Luca occasionally asks me, “Who is the person you’ve decided on?” but I can’t reveal that information right now. After all, in this loop, I don’t even know Urrica. I just dodge the question by saying, “Just someone I’ve admired for a long time.” There’s a limit to being older.

But I digress. During summer vacation, we decided to leave the heavily entangled capital and finally guide Lord Luca to Marol.

To Marol, we flew with Akitsu Max equipment. I had shoes and a talisman, while he had two talismans. Still, since there’s quite a distance, we stopped by various dungeons along the way, built towers, and rested. Much more comfortable than any mediocre inn.

Lord Luca is gradually becoming more open with me. He doesn’t pry into where I stash all my belongings, why I can handle skills from other attributes, or why I switch wands for each skill. He deliberately refrains from probing. And he doesn’t leak anything to anyone.

I am a cunning adult. I had calculated that he, who is isolated both at home and at school, would not easily divulge my secrets. But he looks up to me as a mentor in his position as a retainer, and regards me as a friend or even like an elder brother, showing respect. Now, even within me, he is closer than a brother or parents—no, perhaps even closer than Urrica.

As we explore dungeons together, I can’t help but think that the hardships of wandering aimlessly throughout the country in the previous loop were all for this moment. Guiding Lord Luca through various dungeons, conquering various monsters, and gathering the materials we wanted. We leisurely made our way to Marol.