Chapter 52: The First Year at the Academy - A Celebration of Discernment
Chapter 52. The First Year at the Academy – A Celebration of Discernment
"You look strangely tired."
Lambert called out to me as soon as we arrived at the training hall.
Felix is one step ahead of me and is wiping his sweat.
What is it with these refreshing people? I envy them.
I sat down on the ground and exhaled."I think I should go home and get some rest. I'm so tired."
"Is it alchemy that hard?"
"No, it won't be. It's alchemy, you know?"
Lambert looks down at me with concern, but Felix denies it.
This guy doesn't understand.
"You, you should see the same thing. A round old man staring at you, writhing around, saying how wonderful my hands are."
"What kind of lecture is that?"
As Felix was twisting his head, Desindo, the instructor of the art of combat, arrived.
"Everyone is here. Let's start the lecture on the art of combat."
I forgot to change my clothes. I just sat down and go for it.
I joined the students and listened to Desindo's talk.
The art of combat included basic skills such as One-handed Swords, other offensive skills, "Horseback Riding", "Tactics", and even "Logistics". The location of the lectures varied depending on the subject matter, ranging from training grounds to classrooms to horse stables.
In addition, we're forced to participate in field exercises held twice a year.
The first semester's exercises are held jointly with the alchemy students, and the second semester's exercises are held jointly with the magic students. If you're entering in both, alchemy and magic are given priority.
After the talk, they decided to have a mock battle.
Two students were nominated and crossed swords after they introduced themselves to each other.
It seemed to serve as a self-introduction to Desindo.
Then the mock battle between the new students began.
Most of the students had no skills, but some showed reasonable movement.
Among them, Lambert and Felix stood out from the crowd. The other team had skills, but they held them off and won the battle. If they continue to grow at this rate, they will become one of the best swordsmen in the world.
It was my turn to step forward.
"I am Caruas Silar Teolt."
A slightly overweight boy introduced himself in a big way.
A student of Yuke's? The third son of a baron, I think.
"Alter Les Reedwald."
I responded but wondered what to do.
He seemed very confident, probably because he had experience in actual combat. However, his movements are not much different from those of other students.
I'll keep it moderate. If I catch the instructor's eye again, it will be troublesome.
At the same time as the signal to start the mock battle, Caruas attacked while raising his spirits.
I passed it off and assembled my fighting style.
It may be an assumption, but I smell trouble from this boy.
It would be best to take the attack, save face, and win just in time.
After exchanging swords several times, we struck each other, and I struck Caruas in the shoulder with a cutback.
He dropped his sword there, so I won.
Kaluas was frustrated, but he seemed reasonably satisfied since I had dealt him a blow. Now he won't try to tangle with me in any strange way.
Thus, the lecture on the art of combat went off without a hitch. So my first day at the academy is over.
◇◇◇◇
The next day I'll finish magical studies without a hitch, and we will enter the remainder of the week, the blank period.
Other academy students are probably deepening their relationships or reviewing the content of lectures.
What I was doing was repairing the house.
I fill a washbasin with soil from the backyard and mix it with "Pure Water".
At first, I was applying it to the cracks, but it seemed to me that I'm just playing in the mud.
After consulting with a lady at a nearby general store, she recommended that I mix in some Fizka Stone powder. However, Fizka Stone is expensive and the repaired marks turned too white. The auntie then brought out some lime from the back of the store. The normal limestone is white, but this product was dull in color, slightly dirty, and therefore inexpensive. I immediately decided to buy it.
She said I need to wear gloves, so I put on a pair of leather gloves and mixed the lime into the kneaded soil.
It's a little whitish, but it was acceptable.
However, it was still loose. Cement is supposed to harden from the point where it is mixed. How about this one? Does it harden when it dries?
As I scooped it up with my fingertips and observed it, a memory from my past life came to me.
Lime–doesn't it react with water to generate heat?
I pull my finger out in a hurry and check.
There is no change in the leather glove.
I poke at it, but it doesn't seem to be heating up.
I think I remembered it wrong. It was ten years ago.
To be sure, I dissolved a small amount of lime in a large amount of water.
It forms a cream-like substance.
It's interesting, but would it solidify?
It didn't generate any heat, and there seemed to be no use for me, so I put soil into it.
With the kneaded soil, I repaired the cracks on the first floor.
After finishing the work, I head upstairs.
I move the boards against the wall and take them from the roof.
The sky is blue again today.
"The ceiling can wait, first the walls."
But what should I do?
The clay is surprisingly soft. Even if I piled it up, it would collapse under the weight. It might be possible to make a threshold with boards, like at a construction site, but whether it would be strong enough for practical use was unknown.
It would be easier if I could use "Earth Wall" in such a situation.
With some earth attributes, by using a catalyst, it remains as an object even after the effect ends. If I add more magic, I increase its strength, and people say that a good earth magician can even repair a fortress.
"Then let's use a substitute."
If it is a shield type, I can mass-produce instant tiles.
I immediately activated "Earth Shield" using kneaded soil as a catalyst.
However, for some reason, it did not harden.
I stopped the activation.
"Is there too much moisture?"
I activated "Earth Bolt", which has a small amount of catalyst, as a test, and forcefully poured magic power into it, somehow creating a stone stake.
However, the magic would not end at this point.
I look over and release it toward the kneaded earth.
"Ah ……"
With a sickening sound, the stone pile shattered.
The bottom of the basin is a round hole, even gouge the floor.
"What the hell am I doing?"
I thought about it, and I knew that the effect would wear off soon, and I would fall. There was no need to release it at all.
I picked up the shattered pile, feeling a little depressed. If I use an unreasonable catalyst, does it also use a lot of MP?
When I hammered the shattered piles together, I heard a hard sound.
Was it because it hit the stone floor that it shattered so spectacularly? If it's the limestone effect, maybe it's more prone to cracking.
After a bit of worrying, the catalyst I decided to use was regular soil.
In a corner of the backyard, I mass-produced "Earth Shield" tiles and carried them upstairs impatiently.
When I accumulate a certain amount of soil, I use a pot instead of a washbasin so I can knead it.
I crushed some of the roof tiles and pushed them in with the soil so that the hole in the wall would be level.
After that, I alternately packed the kneaded soil and the roof tiles, and when I had created about 30 roof tiles, I stopped my work.
There is still room for more magic power, but let's stop here.
Let's see how it goes for a few days. If there is no problem with the strength, I will continue the work, if not, I will find another way.
While I'm looking around the messy room, the pot contents caught my eye.
"A little extra, huh?"
With a leather glove, I scooped out a small scoop of kneaded clay and pressed it onto the surface of the repaired area.
I then smoothed it out with a small board.
It looks like lacquer.
"No, not like, but …… plaster itself?"
I've seen it used on some TV shows, but I don't remember the ingredients. The lady at the grocery store even recommended it, so it must have a similar use even if it's not plaster.
This time I finish all the work and take a break on the second floor.
I looked at the sky through the open roof.
Blue sky with few clouds. There seemed to be no danger of rain.
I wonder if I should learn some more magic that will be useful in my daily life.
Apart from the "Create Solution" and daily life magic that Simon taught me, all I've learned is combat magic. They also teach you various kinds of magic at the academy, but it doesn't mean you can learn it. Only a cheat like me could learn it. So they only teach you "This is how to activate this magic." and the rest is up to you to learn on your own. This is also the reason for the blank period.
I think back to the lecture on magic.
The instructor is a woman in her mid-twenties named Helena.
She specialized in the fire attribute, and her simple firepower was superior to Elphimia's. To my relief, she's a bit more confident than Elphimia'. That was a relief, but she's also a rather interesting woman.
Ignoring the back and forth, she suddenly said, "I don't like the term "life magic". It should be called "basic magic". Everyone is stunned by her abruptness, but I agreed with her profoundly.
The only magic that connected to daily life was "Flint" and "Pure Water", so calling it "Life Magic" is a bit wrong. And if you use them, you can raise your magic rank, and they contributed a lot to my learning "Multiple Chanting". Just as the "Earth Shield" could be used as a substitute for repair, daily life magic also depended on how we use it.
I suddenly thought of something and activated "Handy Soil".
I adjusted the amount of magic I poured into it and tried to manipulate the soil it produced.
It's just like a quality survey.
If I could move it, I would be able
to fill in the gaps I couldn't reach.
However, as soon as I moved my palm away from it, it stopped.
The movement itself was also quite sluggish.
After some trial and error, I remembered magic called "Operation Operative" in the beginner's class.
If I can control it by magic power alone, there is no need for such magic – or perhaps this is a way to train oneself to learn it?
With faint hopes, I struggled to move it.
Then, I feel multiple signs, and I stop "Handy Soil".
I turn my attention outward.
I stopped in front of the house. They don't seem to hide their presence, so who might have something to do?
As soon as I relax, I hear a voice from outside.
"Hey, are you sure this is the right place?"
"Yes, I'm sure. It's a good location, and it doesn't look like a house where the son of a nobleman would live. ……"
"But you know, it's just like Alter-sama. "There are some repairs."
"This is the right place. He's already noticed us."
That's just as I expected from Ose. He even sensed me.
And Valerie, you are right, although you didn't say so. I fixed it.
I go to the front door and open it.
"If you know I'm here, get your ass in here."
"Oh, he's coming out. He's covered in mud."
As I invite them into my home, Markant looks around the room, saying, "Oh." over and over again.
"Didn't you say you were going into the dorms? Why are you living here?"
"There's been a lot going on. I'll tell you about it over a cup of tea. I'm sorry, but you have to sit down on a cloth. I just moved in and have minimal furniture."
"That's fine, but may I look around?"
When he allowed it, Markant began inspecting the house.
When I went to the kitchen to make tea, Danil and Valerie followed me and helped me. Ose was walking around the house with Markant when he found himself outside, observing his surroundings. This is typical of his behavior. I wonder if he's thinking about what to do in case of a surprise attack.
The water is boiling, so I make a pot of tea.
I was the only one who had the General's Tea, the others had black tea. As usual, there are not many people who understand the General. Should I proselytize more?
While I'm thinking about it, Markant came staggering down from the second floor.
"Hey, Alter! I can see the sky!
"Isn't it great? I can see the stars at night."
"You can't see the stars! Is this your home?
"Sorry. I usually board it up. It's a fine house. Go get Ose, the tea is ready."
I spread a cloth in a large room on the first floor. Then I explained the circumstances of the past over a cup of tea.
Everyone agreed with the reason.
"No fire. I guess we can't live here."
"If I had known, I would have made preparations beforehand. But this place is comfortable, too. It's spacious."
The first floor is spacious, as it used to be a bar.
It is a little chilly, but the impression will probably change as I add more furniture.
"By the way, how did things go with you guys? You got the commission, right?"
"Well, yeah. We did a few things."
The monsters around Selene are said to be weaker than those in Reedwald.
Most of the requests are for escorting the traders and collecting, and there are few requests for defeating monsters. The number of monsters is large enough to make life easy for them, but they are not strong enough for their abilities.
"The tendency is more pronounced in the deeper area." Danil adds.
Danil adds.
Even in the deeper, there are forests and mountains, but there are few unexplored areas. And if there are powerful individuals, they are rumored to be there, and people will be killed. Even if a newcomer tried to enter the area, they would be discovered before they arrived. Other territories were extending to the area.
In a place like Selene, the odd one might be more troublesome.
Then I suddenly remembered.
"Have you heard anything about Ovech?"
"If it's a survey team, they're long gone. "The survey team should have reached the village by now."
"Well, that's a relief."
The rest of Ovech will be dead in the course of the investigation.
Ronnie and the others would now be free from their days of anxiety.
As I was feeling relieved, Markant looked a little stiff.
"So, I need to talk to you about something."
Ovech–not Ovech.
The tone of his voice had changed from his previous statements. I guessed what he was trying to say.
"I think I'm going to leave Selenre for a while."
"I see."
"I've been getting a lot of detailed requests anyhow. I've decided to visit the surrounding towns. I haven't decided, but I think it will be a few months."
"Okay. Take care and go."
"So…"
Danil cut in from the side.
"Can you give us a moment of your time?"
"Now? I don't have any specific plans."
I tilted my head. Then we all left the house together.
The destination was the north gate.
◇◇◇◇
Perhaps as a sign of confidence that they could bounce back even if attacked, Selene had gates on the east, west, north, south, and west sides.
It was at the east gate that I entered Selene and that I saw Roland off. It was the first time for me to pass through other gates.
I was surprised when I went out of the north gate.
I was surprised to see the city spread out outside the outer walls.
It was much poorer than the area around my house and densely packed with houses made of scrap wood, cloth, and some kind of skin.
They were cities of refugees.
Outside the north and west gates of Selene, there were a good number of refugees living there.
Danil prefaced his comment with, "This is just a guess." If refugees build dwellings in an unregulated manner, there will be no more land for cultivation. That is why they are segregating them, he said.
That may be so.
However, there is an imperial capital to the north. And the west is the most prosperous in this vicinity.
It seemed like an attack on the ruler for creating refugees.
I looked at the cityscape.
Selene is safe – do people still think so?
I was struck by a sight that I had never even imagined. But they didn't want to show it to me.
Markant did not touch it anymore and continued straight down the street, passing through the refugee town.
We approached the forest. We turned west and entered the forest northwest of Seren.
I invoked my "Presence Detection" in the forest, which they had not seen in a long time.
As they said, the presence of creatures is thick. Also, since the twitching sensation is thin, monsters seem weaker than in the forest of Leknod. Incidentally, in our neighborhood, although it is rare, monsters that could destroy a whole town were walking around. Compared to that, it was a peaceful forest.
As we continued to walk through the forest, we soon heard the murmur of a river.
It seemed we had arrived at our destination, and everyone stopped at its banks.
Danil looks around, and when he is satisfied with what he sees, he turns to me.
"I – oh, I didn't have to confide in you. I am afraid this is a small gift for your entrance, but I would like to show you an intermediate-level water-based magic, the "Flood Ball"."
Saying this, Danil began to concentrate.
Instantly, the river water shimmers and gathers in his hand.
When the sphere of water was about 20 centimeters in diameter, Danil aimed and released it.
The sphere he released then slams into a tree on the opposite bank, and then the violent sound of the water and the trees echo through the forest.
I was astonished at the result.
The tree it hit was snapped, and bushes and young trees were swept away.
Was this the power of intermediate magic?
If there were any living creatures in the area, they would be swallowed by the torrent, or worse, their limbs would be destroyed. Its effective range is about three meters, but the actual impact is likely to be a little wider because I also feel the damage outside of that area.
If it is a single target, it can be reproduced by "Multiple Chanting" of the short-arrow bolt system.
However, this range of its effects cannot be duplicated by "Multiple Chanting".
"What do you think? I thought Alter-sama might be able to grasp something just by looking at it."
"Can you show it to me one more time?"
"Of course. But I have very little magic power, so two more times is my limit."
Once again, Danil readied himself.
"The "Flood Ball" can be triggered without water, but if you use a river as a catalyst, you can expect an increase in power. But we can reduce its speed activation. I will release the last one without a catalyst, so you can compare the difference."
Danil fired once on the spot and once more after he had moved away.
I devoured it and watched it with my eyes.
True to Danil's word, the last "Flood Ball" was less powerful, and the activation seemed quicker. Still, it was powerful enough. With "Multiple Chanting," I could blow up a platoon without a catalyst.
I bowed to Danil.
"Thank you. It's the best gift I could have gotten."
"No way. You can always tell me if you need something like this."
Danil waved his hand and smiled shyly.
I kept asking questions, and Danil would answer as best he could.
This exchange continued until the sun went down.
A few days later, I came to the west gate to see off "Battle Axe of Destruction".
Their destination was the town of Firsatch, just like "The Sword of Deep Silence". It was the most extensive granary in the vicinity, supporting Selene's food situation. After that, they will return to Selene while visiting neighboring cities such as Taklaz.
"I'll be back by the end of the year."
"Take care. And here's a potion, though you may not need it for a C-rank."
"Oh, thank you."
With that, Markant accepted the bag.
The contents included eight bottles of healing and detoxification potions. I hadn't been mixing it recently, so I created it after I heard he was leaving and sorted out the same good quality that I had given to Roland.
After all this time, I should have given them to "The Sword of Deep Silence" as well. I didn't think that much of it at the time.
Then I said goodbye to every one of them.
It has already been two years since we met. Or is it still two years?
Waving their hands, they move away.
I watch them go by forever.
Now everyone who came with me from Reedwald has left Selene.
Battle Axe of Destruction said it would return, but I don't think they will find the request they want in the future.
I look up at the outer wall, at the golem playing with the lion.
It must be too peaceful, this town.
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