Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 316: Arc 5, - 10: Back to School

In similar reds were the winter uniforms of students walking through the wrought iron gates with the school’s symbol. Hundreds with their parents by their side and the older students by themselves for the most part.

The wrought iron fence of black stretched all around the school’s perimeter, with intervals of red-brick pillars in between. Freshly cut ryegrass flanked all the concrete pathways.

Before walking in, the sound of hollers towards various booths had already reached them. Some children ran, while some cried at the prospect of such a big building being their first experience of school.

Beyond the archway entrance of the academy, Kineko’s mouth was agape, gazing in awe from tower to tower through her red-lensed sunglasses. "I’ve nevewr walked inside before, it’s soooo bigggg!" she held her father’s hand tighter.

Indeed it was as she said. The gothic streetlamps followed into the school grounds and the concrete path of entry led first to a fountain in the middle, with the statue of a rising phoenix spewing fire from its beak and the ends of its fiery feathers.

From the fountain, the paths split off into various sections of the school—directory signs present at the intersection. The laboratories, classrooms, library, school offices, cafeteria, dorms—so many places to walk to.

The building right smack in the middle past the fountain, was the one stretching wide and tall for the entire borough to notice. A giant clock of black and white ticked at the top, with a bell above it.

Further right was a shorter building, but perhaps wider, was the dorms where many previous students flocked towards.

High in the air flew by paper airplanes that did not seem to descend, but instead flew with an enchanted boost towards the shining windows of the school building.

"Dolpool University, come enrol now for spring orientation!" a woman handed fliers to anyone who entered.

"We offer courses for over five hundred majors!" a man on the opposite side offered fliers as well.

"Uh huh, with a twenty percent employment rate, high cost of entry with no care for student loans and negligible effort from educators, we’ll make sure they pass the exam!" Jotou sassed in a hush.

"It worked out fine for me you know," Hotaru chuckled.

The blonde’s glazed over eyes glanced over, "Did you pay and study in Burnetrout?"

"Well, I didn’t have to pay, my grades were good enough for a scholarship and Krian Community College wasn’t too bad... Anyway, it’s not gonna be exactly like it is in your world."

"I beg to differ. And my world?" Jotou winced to her then glanced to Kazuo Namora.

"I already know that," he replied with his gaze on the flier.

Fumeko rolled her eyes.

"You said it to the Krialin as defence after coming back from the dead..." he tried to keep it quiet, which was easy with all the chatter around. He pondered for a second, "Though, the average Joe isn’t gonna know that.

You’d have to dig deep, but I assume you’d rather keep that bit private," he turned.

"It’s not too private, but it’s better if people don’t know. Besides, they need to be convinced anyway, it’s too crazy of a story even with magic involved. I’m surprised you’d believe me."

"Kid, unexplainable things always have an explanation. You just have to go through the possibilities and approach it at a different angle. I’m sure you’ve figured out some evidence and leads as to how you got here, if not all." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Then explain to me why I was stuck at home for so many years instead of going to a school like this," the brunette grumped.

"I was scared and paranoid after I took you from the fire," he said looking back to the flier with a furrow of his brows.

Fumeko... pouted in silence and looked away. Everyone went quiet and Jotou just sighed. "Join IHEL today!" a short woman handed fliers from a booth they walked past.

"Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be hell," Jotou muttered with a small spark in her eyes.

"Hey, how many of your students have depression, bad mental states, burnout and sleep deprivation because of workloads and high standards to achieve for meaningless numbers, projects and exams?" Jotou asked with a bright smile.

"Uhm... Huh?" the woman took a step back and raised her crinkled brows.

Fumeko smirked. Hotaru pulled the blonde back by her shoulders, "Sorry about that, she’s a bit grumpy."

"Nah, I just hate school."

"Shut." Hotaru glared back with spiked up ears.

"What’s IHEL?" Asobi queried.

"Uh... well, it’s the Institution of Higher Education of Luxinoria," the woman forced a smile and handed a flier.

"Ooo," she looked to the fancy campus in the black and white picture, with towers and buildings with artistic structure. "Can you join if you’ve never been to school?"

The woman somehow looked even more perplexed, "...No?" she squeaked. "We, offer majors and masters and... higher education, as the, name would imply..."

"I want one too!" Kineko reached her hand out. The confused woman simply handed her a flier. Kineko stared at the picture very close to her face and flapped it, "Thank you!"

"You’re welcome," the woman looked around for hopefully another group or person to engage with.

"What’s Luxinoria? Did they get the wrong name or something?" Fumeko questioned.

"Luxinor used to be called Luxinoria, presumably when that university was established," Kazuo answered.

"They’re probably too proud to change the name, like anybody actually cares about the history that it wants to preserve and flaunt," Jotou mocked. "What do you get out of this, more college credit?"

"Alright, move along," Kazuo Namora shooed forward, "Sorry to bother you miss." The woman gave a few nods and took more steps back.

"Did you have to do that?" Hotaru leaned towards Jotou, baring her fangs.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because, it’ll put a little seed of doubt and make them rethink their life and slowly, one by one, every student; they’ll stop enrolling month by month and it’ll crumble colleges and schools to have to reform and be better."

"That’s not your reason," Fumeko glanced to her.

"You’re right, I just wanted to have some fun," she stuck her tongue out. "Ow!" Hotaru pinched her ear and let out a groan. Jotou sparked from her tongue to her ear.

"Ngh!" Hotaru recoiled her fingers.

"You’re drawing more attention to yourselves..." Kazuo uttered.

Asobi glanced up from the flier she was reading, "Hm? Do we need disguises?" Their little commotion had a few surrounding students and parents taking a glance.

"Not yet," Fumeko replied.

"Anyway, something about your graduation. You thought you already graduated? But you didn’t?" Jotou looked back to the brunette.

"I’m not sure, I thought passed the exams last April," she glanced to her father.

"You did, but the rest of your batch took the final exams in October to November last year. So you did technically graduate earlier than everyone else.

But you graduate with your batch, meaning while you’re clear, you don’t get a certification nor ceremony till this year came around and graduate alongside the rest of your batch," he explained.

"So, what you’re saying is, I graduated at seventeen last year, nowhere close to half these losers~?" she flaunted her hair.

"I graduated at fifteen," Hotaru held her hand to her own mouth.

"I graduated at sixteen by skipping a year," Jotou replied.

Fumeko’s lips tightened and she stared daggers to the two smug faces...

"When do I globulate?" Kineko looked up.

"You have a long way to go kid, you’re still in kindergarten."

"I’ve never been to school!" Asobi proclaimed.

"Hah! Then allow I to direct thou the paths to traverse," a cultured and high-pitched voice responded with a slight accent.

"Eavesdropper," Fumeko swivelled her head, followed by the others, to a girl by their left. They all stood closer to the fountain’s intersection.

She chuckled boisterously, "I do not drop upon your eaves, I merely heard the utterances of the raven-haired lass while idly set at this most opportune point by the font. It appears the void has fetched thou to I."

"The void?" Fumeko squinted.

She who stood before them wore the same winter uniform, however her blazer was a darker shade of red with black imprints of the same scroll patterns going up from the bottom.

Around the black plaid skirt with reds was a few spikes for studs going around—which hosted two belt chains to hang on her right side with charms of black and red bats that shimmered.

Her shirt was black under the reddish-black tie she had all the way to her collar with a flower knot. Her fishnet leggings went from where her skirt ended till her black boots with rings for buckles.

Above the fishnet choker and red bat shaped pendant on a silver chain, was an enigmatic yet charismatic smirk she held. Pale blonde hair in drills that went till her shoulders, with two of the curling locks framing her slim face.

They could only tell one of her eyes was a bluish-grey, because the left eye was covered by a lacy heart-shaped eyepatch of black with dark reds and a small reddish-black ribbon. The two bat-shaped hair clips on the left side glimmered a blood red.

"Come, come, lend me thy hearing and sight, and I shalt be thy guide amidst these revered grounds," she offered.

"Are you part of a drama club or something?" Jotou knitted her brows.

"Ah," she raised her fishnet gloved hand which had sparkly rhinestones, "I do hold such a class dear to the strings of mine heart. Conversely my striking maiden, I was beseeched long ago by a faction who accompany the new to bestow our hospitality."

"So you’re the welcoming committee," Fumeko stared.

"Ha! Indeed, indeed," she stood only a few centimetres taller than Fumeko.

Asobi’s eyes glittered, "Is this what happens at school? You learn to talk so fantastically with a lot of funny words!?"

"Not exactly..." Hotaru replied.

"So young lady, you can give a small tour?" Kazuo Namora asked.

"I may grant a journey vast or modest. If a small tour is what ye seek, then I will humbly help you peruse these exterior constructions," she stood tall, her other gloved hand holding onto a few fliers.

"What is she saying...?" Kineko tilted her head up to her dad.

"Hotaru?" Kazuo Namora looked to.

"Me? Uh, I might not be a great translator for this... But, I think she means she’s gonna give us a short tour of some buildings."

Kazuo let Kineko’s hand go for a second. Kineko immediately ran to Hotaru and put her hand out to be held, "Then let’s go Aunty Wred-Wolf!"

"Alright kiddo, don’t drag her around. Keep an eye on your sis- Step-sister Fumeko," Kazuo frowned to say.

"Whatever," the brunette crossed her arms. "Well, grant us our journey then," she sassed to the girl.

"Then trail along with I~" she walked towards the fountain and took to the right side—the others followed.

Except Kazuo who lightly held Jotou back by the shoulder. Jotou knitted her brows and peered up to him, but he was waiting till the others walked a little further. Fumeko side-eyed her behind, noticing the two hanging back, but still followed along.

"What is it?"

"I was wondering, what do you know about ghosts, if anything?" Kazuo Namora walked forward slowly, tailing the group.

Jotou paced along, "Ghosts? Well, I’ve killed some before. They can be tangible and intangible to their choosing, but to do any harm or grab or touch, they have to be tangible—which is when they’re vulnerable."

"Any knowledge of how they appear?"

Her gaze was vigilant, "Spirit-mages have to summon them from a plane of spirits and if I’m not mistaken, a soul with an extremely strong will can too; but I’ve only faced the former."

He held a hand to his chin, "Any more intel on spirit-mages?"

"Hm... They don’t need an affinity and are in touch with their own soul. Once the spirit-mage is taken care of, any spirits remaining will disappear."

He took a breath, "Same info then—the info about spirits remaining disappearing after the mage is gone is new, but that only helps after..." he muttered. "Thank you."

"Something about a case?"

He nodded.

"Figured you’d ask the person who came back from the dead?"

"Worth a shot."

"What’s the case?"

"Classified."

"Cult?"

"No connections yet—assumptions only. I know you’ve done some good work, but you don’t need to dig into this kid."

"Fine then." ’Not like Meko’s not gonna dig into it. And it’s not like I’m not gonna be involved.’

Kazuo Namora sped up slightly to catch up with the rest.

"Mr Namora."

"Detect- Sorry. Yes?" he paused.

"I know Meko’s being an ass to you right now, but don’t hold it against her when you get the chance to talk. I think she’s trying to find a compromise her own way."

He eyed the concrete for a moment, "Noted."

Jotou narrowed her eyes, "Second, Fumeko is my detective, so I’m never gonna call you that; no matter how much more official yours is."

Kazuo stared right at her, "I sense you have some resentment against me."

"I know what overprotective parents are like. You’re taking the heat for now and are, approaching things differently at least. Still, I’ll wait to make my conclusion about you till I see how everything goes."

"You really resent things with a passion, don’t you."

She gave a shrug of one shoulder, "Call it a flaw of mine if you will. However, I’m not beyond giving the benefit of doubt."

"Well, I can’t really hold it against you," he turned and walked towards the others...