Volume 5 Chapter 3 Midwinter Message Board Travel Planning
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
[Manaka joined the server]
[Chifumi joined the server]
[Mitsuki joined the server]
Manaka @ Private Academy:
Good evening.
Mitsuki @ Public High:
Sup.
Chifumi @ Public High:
Hey lines~ Manaka, you’re early.
Manaka @ Private Academy:
I was wondering if Sawa would make it on time…
[Sawa joined the server]
Sawa @ Private Academy:
Evening.
Chifumi @ Public High:
Wow, rare sight. Sawa actually arriving before the scheduled time~
Mitsuki @ Public High:
Is it going to snow tomorrow? No, seriously.
Sawa @ Private Academy:
Even I can manage to be five minutes early sometimes. Don’t look down on me, hmph!
Manaka @ Private Academy:
I would prefer if you maintained that standard consistently.
Sawa @ Private Academy:
Yeah, well… promises are hard. When I’m gaming, I completely lose track of time.
Chifumi @ Public High:
You say that, but you’ve never actually been late when it truly mattered.
Manaka @ Private Academy:
We all know how you operate, Sawa.
Sawa @ Private Academy:
When you guys put it like that, it’s kinda embarrassing.
[Yui joined the server]
[Ui joined the server]
Yui @ Private Academy:
Good evening.
Ui @ Private Academy:
Evening!
Manaka @ Private Academy:
Now that everyone is present, let us proceed to the main topic.
Chifumi @ Public High:
So about the trip~ did everyone look through the brochures?
Ui @ Private Academy:
I checked it out! ☆ The place we’re staying looks amazing!
Sawa @ Private Academy:
Can’t believe we get to tag along too. Thank the heavens, Chifumi is an absolute saint~
Yui @ Private Academy:
Mitsuki pulled a lot of strings for us back in the summer, so think of this as returning the favor.
Mitsuki @ Public High:
True~ Back then I was still part of Manaka’s group. I’m looking at the brochure now, and these cottages look insane. Still doesn’t beat our family villa, though.
Sawa @ Private Academy:
If you compare them one-on-one, sure, yours wins. But Naruse’s family owns the whole estate full of those cottages, you know?
Mitsuki @ Public High:
But it’s not personal property. If they charge for lodging, it means it’s a corporate retreat. Since it’s not a personal asset, we’re operating on completely different tiers here.
Yui @ Private Academy:
Who cares about who’s richer? Winning or losing doesn’t matter…
Manaka @ Private Academy:
Yui is entirely correct. That is not the purpose of this discussion.
Chifumi @ Public High:
Let’s talk about what we’re actually doing there~ Winter sports are an absolute must. Apparently every cottage has its own private hot spring, but there’s a full spa facility just a short walk away too~ The resort hotel nearby has so many amenities I don’t even know where to look first~
Ui @ Private Academy:
And don’t forget the main event—making Minoru’s heart race! ☆
Chifumi @ Public High:
Oh, right, that! Manaka, did you cook something up?
Manaka @ Private Academy:
Yes, I have something special prepared. Hehehe.
Sawa @ Private Academy:
Wait, Manaka, you’re seriously going through with that? I have mixed feelings about this…
Chifumi @ Public High:
Ooh, mysterious~ Does everyone else already know about it~?
Ui @ Private Academy:
Yep! ☆
Yui @ Private Academy:
I’ve heard the details.
Mitsuki @ Public High:
I don’t know anything about this. Wait, are you guys planning things behind my back now? Like last Friday? I was on Minoru duty that day, so I missed out.
Sawa @ Private Academy:
Well, since you’re an official member of Minoru’s core group now, right? You already jumped ship from Manaka’s group anyway. Must be nice to be all relaxed after finishing your assignment. I bet you’re flirting and fooling around with him every single day. Honestly, I’m about to lose it.
Mitsuki @ Public High:
Okay, the first half and the second half of that sentence have zero correlation.
Sawa @ Private Academy:
Oops, my bad. Got a little heated there.
Manaka @ Private Academy:
Sawa, please think before you speak. Mitsuki, do not take offense. Everyone’s emotional state is currently… complex.
Mitsuki @ Public High:
I’m not offended. Honestly, it feels normal coming from Sawa. It’s almost comforting.
Sawa @ Private Academy:
Complimenting me isn’t going to get you anything, you know.
Yui @ Private Academy:
That was definitely not a compliment…
Chifumi @ Public High:
Look at us getting sidetracked again~ So? What is this event Manaka came up with that has everyone feeling so conflicted?
Manaka @ Private Academy:
We discussed the two additional members previously, correct? I have asked them to provide the entertainment.
Chifumi @ Public High:
Entertainment?
Manaka @ Private Academy:
The specific details remain a secret, even from you, Chifumi. However, it will yield benefits for both Minoru and ourselves. I will explain everything on the day of the trip.
Sawa @ Private Academy:
If we’re being real, it’s more like we’re using Minoru to fix our own problems, isn’t it?
Chifumi @ Public High:
Hmm, alright~ Well, anything else we need to double-check~? Is everyone confirmed for the whole trip?
Manaka @ Private Academy:
No issues here. Sawa, Yui, Yuu—you are all set, correct?
Sawa @ Private Academy:
Yeah, of course.
Yui @ Private Academy:
Yuu and I are good to go.
Ui @ Private Academy:
No problems on my end! ☆
Chifumi @ Public High:
Got it~ I’ll let Risa know~ I think we’ll be flying out to get there. It’d be great if we could either meet at the airport or if someone could give us a ride there… peeks 👀
Mitsuki @ Public High:
Sounds like a job for my family’s car. I’ll ask them to chauffeur everyone around like we did back in the summer. It should be fine.
Chifumi @ Public High:
Thanks a bunch~ I’ll pass that along to Risa~
Manaka @ Private Academy:
District 5, was it…? That should be just under a two-hour flight. Has anyone here actually been there before? I have not.
Yui @ Private Academy:
It’ll be my first time seeing snow country.
Ui @ Private Academy:
I’m so excited! ☆
Sawa @ Private Academy:
It’s actually my first time flying at all. My family doesn’t handle planes well structurally, but I guess I can’t let that stop me now.
Chifumi @ Public High:
I’ve never been either. Apparently, there’s a really famous ski resort right next to where we’re staying, so I definitely want us all to go there for at least a day~
Ui @ Private Academy:
So the main focus is skiing and hot springs? Two days of group activities and one free day to do whatever seems like the play! ☆
Chifumi @ Public High:
Pretty much~ Of course, if anyone has specific places they want to visit individually, that’s totally fine!
Manaka @ Private Academy:
Considering transportation logistics once we arrive, individual itineraries might prove difficult. If you have any requests, please submit them to me. Furthermore… Chifumi, please confirm the expenses with Risa. What is the estimated cost per person? Specifically, the lodging and local transit fees.
Chifumi @ Public High:
True, I’ll ask Risa~ Plane tickets look a bit pricey right now, though.
Yui @ Private Academy:
Peak season pricing… expensive.
Manaka @ Private Academy:
I will cover everyone’s expenses. You do not need to worry about the cost.
Mitsuki @ Public High:
Damn, look at Ms. Moneybags go!
Manaka @ Private Academy:
To clarify, I am covering Sawa, Yui, and Yuu. I am not paying for Chifumi or Mitsuki.
Mitsuki @ Public High:
Wait, what…? That’s uncharacteristic of the incredibly generous Manaka-san. Where did our sweet, kind Manaka go? Look, my family is providing the ride to the airport, so how about we call it even and swap services?
Chifumi @ Public High:
Mitsuki, that’s not quite how that works~
Sawa @ Private Academy:
Do you still think you’re part of Manaka’s group or something? Please accept reality:
you’re in Minoru’s camp now.
Mitsuki @ Public High:
Oof—!?
Yui @ Private Academy:
The fact that you instantly turned that into a joke pitch… I don’t hate it.
Ui @ Private Academy:
Ahaha~ ☆
Manaka @ Private Academy:
Naturally, I will provide compensation for the vehicle usage. It is not that I am unwilling to pay for Chifumi and the others out of pettiness. In reality, since I am already funding six people, expanding that to eight presents no financial strain. However, as Sawa stated, shouldn’t the expenses for you two be handled by Minoru? If I overstep, it risks wounding Minoru’s pride. That is my reasoning.
Chifumi @ Public High:
Understood. I’ll check the numbers with Risa~ And we’ll make Minoru cough up the cash for our side of the group~ Sound like a plan?
Manaka @ Private Academy:
Yes, that is perfectly acceptable.
Mitsuki @ Public High:
Speaking of funding six people… how is the training coming along for those two new rookies you mentioned earlier?
Sawa @ Private Academy:
I’d say they’re hitting passing marks. They’ve finally learned how to move properly inside a dungeon. They’re at a level where we can actually field them alongside Minoru now.
Yui @ Private Academy:
They’ve been filling in as Vanguards to cover for Mitsuki’s absence. Right now, the main hurdle is improving their communication with the Mid-guard—meaning Yuu and myself.
Ui @ Private Academy:
Both of them are working super hard! ☆ Having a clear goal really changes your drive, doesn’t it?
Chifumi @ Public High:
A goal? Is Manaka giving them impossible ultimatums again?
Sawa @ Private Academy:
Pretty much. The usual routine.
Mitsuki @ Public High:
Ah… I see… So they’re currently walking through hell.
Manaka @ Private Academy:
Please refrain from making it sound so sinister. I only ever assign objectives that are entirely within their capability to overcome.
Yui @ Private Academy:
Objectives that require coughing up blood and putting in agonizing effort just to barely scrape by.
Ui @ Private Academy:
And even if you do cough up blood, there’s still zero guarantee you’ll actually succeed! ☆
Manaka @ Private Academy:
And yet, everyone here has cleared those hurdles, have they not? That is all that matters.
Chifumi @ Public High:
I mean, looking at the results, sure, but still~
Mitsuki @ Public High:
Personally, I’d prefer to never experience that again.
Manaka @ Private Academy:
You are who you are today precisely because you cleared those walls. Many more walls will manifest in our future. If you intend to do nothing but grumble, I can easily adjust your current objectives to something far more rigorous.
Yui @ Private Academy:
Chifumi was the one grumbling. Mitsuki was the one instigating. I am entirely uninvolved.
Ui @ Private Academy:
Getting caught in the crossfire is uncool! ☆
Sawa @ Private Academy:
I have absolutely no complaints regarding Manaka’s methods. None at all. Seriously!
Manaka @ Private Academy:
As long as we understand each other.
Chifumi @ Public High:
You guys really never change~
Manaka @ Private Academy:
Do not forget that you and Mitsuki have entirely different assignments compared to Yui, Yuu, and Sawa. The ones who will ultimately dictate our future path are actually the two of you.
Chifumi @ Public High:
I know, I know~
Mitsuki @ Public High:
Loud and clear.
[Following this, the pre-trip coordination meeting continued late into the night.]
—
Summary:
Gathering in an online chat room, the group logs in one by one to plan an upcoming winter trip to a ski resort in the 5th District. High-class faction maneuvering quickly surfaces as Manaka offers to pay for certain members, while drawing a clear financial boundary line for those already assigned to Minoru’s group. Tension mounts when Manaka hints at a secretive, highly challenging assignment she has given two new members to execute during the trip, leaving the ultimate fate of their collective future hanging on an unresolved strategic variable.
—
Trivia:
Mitsuki recently left Manaka’s faction to join Minoru’s regular group, changing her financial dynamic within their social circle.
Manaka is exceptionally wealthy, casually offering to bankroll travel and lodging costs for six entire people without hesitation.
The 5th District is known as a snow country destination featuring corporate retreat facilities and famous ski resorts.
Sawa is highly competitive and easily flustered when called out, showing intense envy over Mitsuki’s proximity to Minoru.
Dungeon raiding formations require distinct communication layers between the Vanguard frontline and the Mid-guard positions.
Notes:
• Manaka – An elegant, aristocratic beauty from Shisei High, this resilient Kuga family sorcerer has a translucent, angel-like voice and uses high-level spatial and sound magic. An authoritative, high-class leader, she manages her own faction with strict goals. Formerly in Mitsuki’s group, she now advises her childhood friend Minoru, following a complicated relationship that improved over the summer.
• M – A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• Chifumi – Minoru’s long-haired childhood friend and romantic partner is a scrawny, first-year honor student, vanguard, and Lead Majo who wields water/ice magic and a spear. Masking her sharp intellect with a bubbly, playful persona, she coordinates group events and loves dressing as a witch. She constantly teases Minoru with innuendos, hiding their intense mana-replenishing bond from her mother.
• Mitsuki – A tall, dark-skinned, athletic Oni girl and blunt transfer student who is a wealthy Sumo club member, Witch, and top assassin candidate. Shrouded in black, she initially fights the protagonist with a Kanabo and recovery sorcery before surrendering. As Minoru’s clingy childhood friend and rival, she left Manaka’s group for his, direct and relieved to join his winter trip. She uses aerial footholds.
• A – A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R’s high school squad.
• S – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• Sawa – Voluptuous and bespectacled, this private-school student and original Shisei member is in Manaka’s circle. An IT-savvy gamer using internet slang, she is Minoru’s pragmatic childhood friend who reads him bluntly and helps with chores. Relieved to join his winter trip, this Onibara disciple acts as a detective and karaoke peacemaker, knows Mitsuki, and enjoys fishing away from water.
• N – A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• Yui – One of the Futami twins and Yuu’s sister, this private school student has short hair with a white lock and pink/black attire. Minoru’s childhood friend and a supportive member of Manaka’s circle, she is a blunt, low-tension Onibara disciple in the Shisei group who uses knives and curse arts to manifest Clams. Highly objective, steady, and dry, she sings energetically at karaoke but was eaten by the Phantom.
• Ui – Minoru’s proactive, carefree childhood friend is Yui’s twin sister and an original Shisei group member. A social private school student with a right-side white-dyed lock of hair, she brings a bright, hyper-enthusiastic, and bubbly energy to the chat room, frequently using star emoticons and cutesy slang. This ‘upper’ landmine-type girl provocatively and aggressively interacts with Minoru.
• T – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• B – A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S’s group.
• Naruse – The Naruse family, an old-money sorcerer lineage and wealthy merchant guild tied to Risa and her relatives, maintains a prestigious yet understated presence. They reside in a modest private estate featuring an integrated family dungeon and a dojo smaller than the Onigahara family’s.
• Minoru – A lean, black-haired student sorcerer and dungeon-exploring leader with adult memories secretly controls Aberrations via space magic and an iron whip. Pragmatically cynical yet firmly authoritative, this closet introvert handles a drama-filled harem of aggressive schoolmates (including Mai, Risa, and Mitsuki) while acting as their tactical “Master,” mana tank, and hidden Demon Lord.
• Yuu – Energetic and bubbly, this Futami twin is Mai’s older sister, Yui’s younger sister, a member of Manaka’s circle, and part of the Mid-guards. Marked by her expressive gestures and striped, high-leg swimsuit, she loves meat, enthusiastically sings karaoke, and playfully pushes a mic toward Minoru. Supportive yet aggressive, she follows her sister in combat before being eaten by the Phantom.
• Risa – A tall, well-endowed Naruse merchant student raised as Plain-folk, whose father is a guild executive. A disciplined Onibara practitioner and Shooting club member, she uses a grenade rifle and magic pistols against Variants. Minoru’s protective, submissive childhood friend and servant, she cooks and plans group vacations alongside Chifumi and Manaka, while remaining wary of Komoda.
• R – A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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