Stepping out into the hallway, the other students came pouring out behind them. Led by Kaito, they turned toward the stairs, chatting amongst themselves. They were likely on their way to inspect their equipment. Only as they passed Eiji did their voices dip slightly—though the chatter resumed its normal volume just two paces later.
Two maids, the last to leave the room, flanked Yuna on either side. One held out a bundle of cloth cradled in her arms: a pair of finely tailored holy vestments and matching shoes. It was an outfit unmistakably fit for a Saint.
"Lady Shirakawa. Please change your attire."
"No, thank you. I'm fine like this."
Yuna declined without so much as touching the fabric. The maid made a troubled face and adjusted the bundle in her arms. The other maid took a step back before speaking.
"In that case... the Prime Minister wishes to speak with you."
"Could it wait until after I examine those four? Their treatment wasn't finished yet."
The maids exchanged glances. Without waiting for an answer, Yuna turned to Eiji.
So she had interrupted her healing to come to the hall earlier. Perhaps she had seen Kaito leading him away.
"Sorry, it might take a little while. Could you wait for me?"
"Yeah."
Flanked by the maids, Yuna turned the corner at the end of the hall, and soon the sound of footsteps faded entirely.
Eiji leaned back against the wall.
He had nothing to do. He had no bags to pack, nor a room to keep them in. Given his exiled status, joining the others to check out gear was out of the question. In this castle, nothing belonged to him aside from this stretch of wall.
After a while, another maid carrying an armful of dark blue travel bags walked over from the opposite direction. Eiji pushed himself off the wall.
"Excuse me, my bag is in that pile. It's the one with a scratch at the base of the handle."
"Which room would that be for?"
The maid stopped and asked with polite diligence.
"Which room...?"
She likely bore no ill will. If he simply gave a room number, she would hand it over. It wasn't a spiteful trick to withhold his belongings.
However—Eiji had no answer. No room had ever been assigned to him.
"Never mind... forget it."
The maid bowed and continued toward the stairs.
It wasn't as if there was anything indispensable inside anyway. A smartphone wouldn't do him any good here. At most, he'd only be missing a few changes of clothes for the school trip.
The sconces lining the corridor shared the same design as before: a brass bracket, a dish, and a light resting upon it. They were mounted within arm's reach, but none of them were broken.
Just to be sure, he reached out and touched one. Nothing happened.
(So it doesn't do anything to unbroken objects, huh.)
Eiji sighed and leaned back against the wall.
It was quite some time before the sound of footsteps returned.
Still in her school uniform, Yuna had a dark blue bag slung over her shoulder. Both buttons on her cuffs were neatly refastened.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Ready to go?"
"How were those four?"
"Yeah, they're all set now."
"What about the Prime Minister?"
Yuna adjusted her grip on the strap and tilted her head slightly.
"Mmh, that's a secret."
From her expression, it was impossible to tell what had been said to her or how she had replied.
Left with little choice, Eiji reached for her bag, but she shifted half a step aside to evade him.
"It's fine. I'll carry it myself."
"Isn't it heavy?"
"I've got it."
Clearly, she had no intention of backing down. Giving up on arguing, he lowered his hand.
Yuna took the lead, and Eiji stepped away from the wall to follow half a pace behind her.
"Whoa."
Stepping out into the courtyard, he saw the bus resting at a tilt.
Two wide skid marks stretched straight across the cobblestones from the massive doors of the Summoning Chamber. Alongside them, countless hoofprints were scattered about. There was no telling how many beasts had been needed to haul it.
It had evidently rained; the stones were slick, and water had pooled along the edges of the shattered windows. Ropes encircled the vehicle, hung with wooden placards. Though he couldn't read the script, the message to keep away was clear enough.
Inside the cordoned-off area, three men who looked like royal engineers were deep in discussion. One traced his fingers along a seam in the chassis, pulling back after failing to figure out how to open it. Another kicked a tire, and the third shook his head.
They had already concluded it was nothing more than an unfixable lump of iron.
Beside Eiji, Yuna cradled her bag with both hands.
"Wouldn't it have been better to take that Saint outfit? You could've used it as a change of clothes."
"Yeah, but I already have spares right here," she replied, patting her bag.
Since they were only halfway through their school trip, she still had a few extra sets.
"What about your bag, Eiji?"
"Didn't get it back."
"...Do you want me to go ask for it?"
"Nah, it's fine. I don't even remember what was in it anyway," Eiji replied with a shrug.
As they spoke, Gakuto came walking over carrying a small burlap sack in one hand.
"Oh, there you are. Haven't left yet?"
"What's up?"
"Here, rations. Three days' worth. They said any more is out of the question."
"Three days...? You can't be serious."
Yuna looked back and forth between the sack and Gakuto, her lips parted in disbelief.
"Got a problem with that? Dojima's the one who decided. If you don't like it, you can always just come back."
Gakuto jutted his chin toward Yuna. Dojima decided. He clearly wanted to make it known that he wasn't the one calling the shots.
Indeed, Gakuto wasn't the one who had settled on three days. If they ran out of food, they would come crawling back; if they didn't, that was that. The quantity had been calculated by someone who had nothing to lose either way.
(I see... so that's what he meant by 'she'll give up right away.')
To think he'd resort to starving out a girl from his own class—a Saint, no less.
What a truly magnificent Hero.
Exasperated, Eiji let out a breath, stepped half a pace in front of Yuna, and reached for the sack.
"No problem. Thanks, this helps."
When Eiji took the sack, Gakuto looked mildly disappointed. He shoved it into Eiji's hands and let go. Inside were dry black bread, hard jerky, and a pair of waterskins.
It was meager even for three days. Come to think of it, Gakuto hadn't specified if it was meant for two people. Split between them, it wouldn't even last three days.
Yuna surveyed the courtyard before speaking up.
"...Where's Dojima?"
The soldier stationed by the gate answered.
"He is currently at the armory."
He couldn't even be bothered to see off the classmate he had exiled, far too occupied with picking out weapons. Yuna stared at the soldier, falling silent for a long moment.
Eiji walked up to the rope perimeter.
The front of the bus was crumpled against the cobblestones, its bumper cracked and hanging loose. Beneath the split edge, lying on the stone floor, was a palm-sized shard of metal.
Eiji crouched down and picked it up.
"Eiji, what are you going to do with that?"
"Not sure yet... but I've got a feeling it'll come in handy."
Eiji turned back to look at the bus.
Metal, glass, rubber, fabric, wiring, a battery. To Eiji, that bus was no mere lump of iron.
Over in a corner of the courtyard sat an open, hoodless wagon. Two planks on the flatbed were split, and one of the wheels bowed inward. The horse hitched to the shafts had an overgrown, tangled mane and tail, not even bothering to turn its head as they approached.
A cloaked man sat on the driver's bench. His hands rested on the reins in his lap, never once turning to face them. It seemed this rickety wagon and this lone driver were the sum total of the kingdom's generosity.
Eiji loaded the hemp sack onto the bed, took Yuna's bag, and set it down beside the rations. There was an empty spot on the driver's bench, but the man didn't offer it.
(Treated like cargo, huh.)
Eiji placed a hand on the side rail to help Yuna up first, then climbed aboard himself. With two floorboards missing, space was tight, and there was nothing to lean against.
The gate creaked open, and the moment the wagon rolled through, it shut firmly behind them.
Not a single soul had come to see them off.
Beyond the gate lay a downhill slope. Once the cobblestones gave way to hard-packed dirt, the warped wheel jolted the wagon to the right with every single rotation. Yuna gripped the wooden rail, bracing herself against the rhythmic sway.
Following the outer walls downward, the rooftops of the royal capital spread out below them, bathed in the hues of dusk. When they looked back, the castle gates remained tightly barred.
Yuna pulled her bag close and began rummaging inside.
"Here, Eiji. This is for you. I have one too, so let's eat them together."
Resting on her open palm was a familiar little wrapper: a pudding-flavored hard candy.
"Seriously...?"
"I thought it might help with motion sickness."
"I told you, I don't get carsick..."
"Yeah. I know."
With a soft smile, Yuna popped her candy into her mouth first, her cheek swelling slightly around it.
Their destination was a village abandoned to mana contamination, and they had only three days of food to their names. Even so, Yuna looked genuinely happy.
(...What does she find so fun about all this?)
Eiji peeled the wrapper and tossed the candy into his mouth. The milky sweetness dulled slightly in the breeze sweeping up the hillside.
Spreading out before them was the landscape of an unfamiliar world. Now that they were truly separated from their classmates, the reality finally sank in.
They had really been brought to another world.
With no known way of returning home, how were two ordinary high school students—no, a Scavenger and a Saint—supposed to survive?
He didn't have the answers.
Yet, strangely enough, seeing his childhood friend's smile beside him—he felt as though they could overcome whatever lay ahead.