Sword, Magic and Academic Society

The following day, Allen, like any other day, woke up at 5 o'clock in the morning.

He was allocated a 10 tatami-size room on the 3rd floor, with a creaking, old bed and a chair in the name of furniture— probably left behind by the previous occupant.

In the corridor part continuing to the entrance from the only room was a toilet, a simple kitchen, and a closet. The room didn't get the best sunlight, but it did come with a balcony. For a noble's room, it was quite simple, but for Allen, who had a different outlook as a Japanese person, it was more than satisfactory.

For laundry, there was the magic washing machine tool beside the large bath house which could be used for free, and there were also cleaning workers whose services could be availed, viable for those who found laundry troublesome or those who wanted to have their unique monster-leather made equipment cleaned at a cheap price of 10 rea for the normal clothing that could fit in a 30 litre bag. They just had to leave them in the dedicated space beside the large bath house and the cleaners would get them in the morning or evening of the same day. For special materials, the pricing varied, but it was still quite affordable considering the cost of living in the capital city.

Allen came out of the quiet dormitory and did some light stretches in the dorm garden while enjoying the crisp and cold morning air.

He then crossed the academy's premises, around 8 km from his location to the entrance gate in 25 minutes at a leisurely pace. He could have taken the exit at the back gate which was closer to the general dormitory and run around the circumference of the Academy but he didn't change his route that much. It was mostly to gauge his progress.

He left from the main gate on the south side and began his usual clockwise run around the outer perimeter of the Academy.

He did 10 hill dashes along the way and upon returning through to the main gate, he jogged back to the dormitory at a relaxed pace. Then he fetched his wooden sword from the room and swung it in the courtyard, imagining himself sparring with Dio, the spear wielder who had helped him on the journey to the capital.

He prepared his body-strengthening magic while looking for an opening in the spear's form. For the exact 30 minutes, Allen practiced swordsmanship— he aimed to bring forth his maximum controllable speed possible with the least amount of mana. He swung his sword, took it back, and eliminated any lag in his movements after using the magic. After that, he carefully did stretches.

The stretching before warming up his body and the stretching exercises to enhance flexibility afterward were similar yet distinct activities.

The focus was on expanding the range of his motions, exhaling while stretching, and holding his position. He repeated this process calmly and methodically.

It was the first day of Allen's new life.

He was satisfied that he could smoothly start his morning routine.

◆◆◆

I quickly wiped off my sweat and changed into my school uniform.

The uniform from the Royal Academy, woven with special threads, was delivered to my room last night. I didn't remember requesting it, and they hadn't even taken measurements, but it was a perfect fit.

It was a blazer type that was easy to move around in and had excellent durability. When it became too small, I could also apply for a new one, and they would give it the replacement for free.

By the way, the uniforms weren't mandatory.

After changing, I arrived at the cafeteria at around 8 AM.

I could have eaten emergency portable rations, but after receiving a sermon from Mother who advised me to have a proper breakfast, and that I did feel the difference after trying it, I decided to make use of the cafeteria in the dormitory that was free of charge.

"You're late, kid! Your classes start at 9, you know? Planning to be late on your first day?!"

When I arrived at the cafeteria, Sora, the dorm mother, addressed me in a fierce tone.

"Of course not, I'm just on schedule. Even if I eat the breakfast slowly, I can leave the dorm at 8:30 and still have plenty of time to run there."

I didn't plan to waste 20 minutes on breakfast, but since it was the first day, I decided to take it easy. After saying that, I looked at the tray Sora brought. There were two large freshly made hamburgers and a glass of milk along with them. Quite a hefty breakfast, but not an amount that couldn't be finished.

Assuming it took five minutes to finish, I think I should be able to take a morning bath starting tomorrow. While pondering such things, I took a bite of the hamburger. 'Ugh, this is so greasy. It tastes like oil… Part of the simmered pork seemed to have been soaked in oil...'

I really couldn't eat it, especially in the morning. It was impossible at night as well. So that was why the cafeteria section was so deserted. Sigh, portable rations were really the best for mornings...

However, leaving food unfinished once it was served contradicted my policy from my past life after working in a food and beverage company.

With teary eyes, I somehow managed to eat the hamburger.

Then, Sora, who had been watching me from the seat across me, spoke up.

"Hehehe. You've got some guts there… Judging from your previous actions, I assumed you specialize in body strengthening, right?"

It seemed like she watched my training. I nodded while holding back my tears. I really wonder how one could eat this for breakfast.

"Today's hamburger is a menu designed to assist in the circulation of emission magic and attribute conversion for magic users. If you have the guts to eat it from tomorrow onwards, I'll prepare a menu that is effective for body strengthening. However, the effect will be minimal."

'Oh?' The hamburger he was eating reflexively sprayed out of his mouth upon hearing that unexpected information. The brunt of it was borne by the Sora sitting across him, her face getting all oily.

Sola, sitting in front of him, got splattered with oil.

"This is the first time I've heard about such a menu!?"

"...Don't you have anything to say before that? You really are something, boy. Well, I suppose it's understandable. The ingredients or craftsmanship isn't something in regulation for the public.

I might not appear so, but I'm a researcher specializing in the taste and effects of monster ingredients in this Royal Academy. The students joining this dormitory are just the right guinea pigs… However, the young ones nowadays have such discerning palates that they hardly eat in the dormitory. At this rate, it would be hard for me to carry out my experiments."

Sora wiped her face with her apron and stared at Allen with the bloodshot eyes of a researcher.

There were many things he wanted to ask, but he first spoke about the thing he couldn't stop himself from retorting about.

"Taste research? But I don't taste any saltiness. It feels like the seasoning is missing?"

"It's not the flavor, but the taste. I'm not a cook. My work is to check out the original taste and effects of ingredients. So salt is obviously a hindrance to that. The minimum required amount of salt for breakfast has been packed into the bread. If you want flavor, look for it outside or in the school building's lounge. I'm sure they will serve you sumptuous dishes at equally magnificent prices."

...Ah-uh, this old lady is beyond salvageable. Who the hell messes with meals, one of the most enjoyable aspects of life, and treats it as some sort of an experiment? I bet she was of the same kind as my elder sister, both being the mad scientist types.

But that said, for me, who yearned to be the Mage even if it meant becoming one of the grasshoppers on the string, that approach from the highly specialized field of monster ingredients, and assistance from an expert utilizing undisclosed techniques for free every day was incredibly appealing.

As I rejoiced internally at the newfound prospect, I decided to inquire further for now.

"I have absolutely no talent for emission magic's attribute conversion, but I want to learn emission magic no matter what. Do you have any ideas for ingredients that could help acquire attribute conversion postnatally?"

Sora's face revealed a surprised expression, as if she hadn't expected me to say that, and said,

"...Unfortunately, no. Research on acquiring attribute conversion postnatally has been a theme that researchers from various fields have tackled throughout the long history of the kingdom. It's clear to anyone that if that could be achieved, it would be a world-shaking achievement. However, it has been a history of hardships that many excellent researchers have only stumbled on. While I don't cover all fields of research, I haven't heard of any success stories."

Sora continued while peering into my eyes.

"By the way, why are you so fixated on emission magic? Didn't you rank 1st in the practical exam? The fact that the examiners of this academy gave you that much recognition undoubtedly means you have talent in body-strengthening magic. There are exceptions, of course, but mastering body strengthening is the royal road for a knight. In fact, there are multiple examples of Magic Knights who precisely couldn't choose between body-strengthening magic and emission magic while having talent for both that they stopped at just being mediocre. As they say, jacks of all trades but master of none."

Sora's expression made it clear.

'I won't say anything bad, so give it up,' was probably what she wanted to say.

"Even so, I won't give up my dream of using emission magic. It's what I want to do. I don't see what I would get from achieving success in knighthood."

"Hmm," Sola said as she crossed her arms.

"...There are high chances of failing, you know? Moreover, there's a high possibility that it might crush your talents instead."

"I'm prepared for that."

"Hahaha! You're interesting! Alright then. Starting from tomorrow, I'll cooperate with you. Thoroughly. Hahaha! Hahaha!"

I feel like I've just made a forbidden deal with a demon, so I wish she would stop laughing like that... I just wanted to ask a few questions, but suddenly it felt like we had entered into a contract. Whatever, everything was for a greater cause.

"Come on, finish your breakfast quickly and head to the school. You're really going to be late."

Considering I would have to put up with eating this bizarre food every day, I need to adjust my bedtime and wake-up time to secure 30 minutes for breakfast. 'To think I would have to modify my routine on the very first day…'

While thinking about such things, I started running toward the school building. My back reflected my cheerful mood.