"Thank you."
The damp air of dawn blew against my face.
Although now wasn't the appropriate time to be thinking about this, there was still something I wanted to say.
The crisis just barely got solved before things turned for the worst thanks to the first-year ace students. Taylee seemed to have also acquired the Swordmaster Skill, and as long as he had that skill, the story shouldn't run into any issues for the time being, which was a relief.
The half-destroyed Nail Hall and Glockt Hall.
The broken trees, the benches and fences that were piled up here and there that were used as a barricade, and the marble floor of the Student Square that had completely shattered into pieces due to Takan stomping around.
The other parts of the academic district were not in a good shape as well.
Calculating just how much damage had been done was meaningless. There was no way to exactly calculate it anyway.
There were serious injuries and an uncountable number of minor injuries as well.
"Frankly speaking, I still feel resentment towards you."
Taylee had his head lowered and his whole body was covered in wounds. He was the one who ran all over the academic district and gathered the members of the subjugation force, and he was the one whose sword cut down Velosper and Glasskan during the battle.
It was a glorious achievement that deserved praise from everyone around him but Taylee didn't have the corners of his mouth raised into a smile at all.
"I think you know the reason why better than anyone else."
Taylee's eyes were still filled with hostility.
I looked around. The subjugation force members that went through all sorts of hardships were gathered together in front of the Student Center. They had completed everything and were on their way to a glorious return.
The students waiting at the base in the center of the Student Square would applaud and cheer for them once they return, and the long night's story would finally come to an end.
It had been a long and tiring night but somehow, it was finally over. Act 1 ended on such a note. We would go straight into Act 2 next. The episode dealing with a war of nerves between the Elte Company and the academy.
"Still, I owe you a lot."
Although Taylee said that, his hostility didn't disappear.
"I need to at least pay my respects. No matter how much I resent you, the subjugation wouldn't have even happened had you not blocked Takan in the first place."
He made sure to show his gratitude even though he was clenching his teeth with such hostility. This was the kind of person Taylee McLaure was.
"Ah, Taylee. You're quite uptight, huh? Haha! If you hate me, just say you hate me. Why are you compartmentalizing your emotions and saying you're grateful for what I did even if you hated me?"
Nosy Elvira burst out laughing despite being completely exhausted.
"That's right, Taylee! You don't have to be polite to this guy. The only reason he helped was to save his own ass. Isn't he the type of person who'd backstab you if your goals don't align? When we were taking care of Takan, he only used me as bait and treated my life like some measly fly's…!
Seriously! This dude…!"
"Clevius, you're too loud."
"You talk quite a bit, Clevius."
"Be quiet, Clevius."
Lortel, Princes Penia, and Ziggs spoke one after the other, stopping Clevius from saying another word. He probably felt timid at being chastised so he quietly walked away with dropped shoulders.
"Taylee is right, Ed. I can't just blindly trust you, but it's clear that you did quite a bit of work here. That's definitely something deserving of praise. If you submit a post of recommendation to the academic council, whatever it may be, it will be accepted."
"You don't have to go that far, princess."
And then I spoke of some objective facts.
"The biggest help during the Takan subjugation was Lucy, while Taylee was the one who cut Velooper and Glasskan down, so there's no need to give me such praise. Please focus on them, rather than me."
"Oh my, you're trying to give credit to others. Everyone already knows Lucy and Taylee played a big part during the battles. What we're talking about here is something else… Or, wait. Is it… are you, perhaps, embarrassed?"
"He's a whole year above you. Speak with some respect, Elvira."
Ziggs flicked Elvira's forehead, making her squeal as she stepped back, allowing Ziggs to come up and talk to me.
"Let's talk about the details back at the base, Ed. We can't possibly come to a conclusion while walking on the street like this."
"..."
But I stood still, unmoving.
The others were already heading back to the Student Square when they realized I was still where I was. They turned around one by one and looked at me.
As dawn settled upon us, these exhausted and injured characters were to return home with a victory.
Taylee, Ayla, Princess Penia, Ziggs, Lortel, Clevius, and Elvira.
I trusted that these main characters would be able to progress through the story from now on. Pure baseless confidence it may be, but I trusted that they would somehow figure out how to solve any ordeal that would arise in the future.
I had been watching over them all these times, and they kept getting entangled in unexpected events due to changing variables.
This Glasskan Subjugation chapter could have potentially been a story-breaking event. And yet they were able to handle it to this extent. Didn't this mean they should be fine dealing with future events that wouldn't have an outside variable to mess things up?
I thought of that as I looked at this group of main characters.
I had been maintaining my distance from them so I wouldn't affect the flow of the story. However, seeing them up close like this, I couldn't help but feel warm inside.
I had been watching them do their designated roles in this world, solving their own problems day in and day out.
There was Taylee, who kept getting stronger with each ordeal he faced, and there was also Ayla, who kept getting stronger so she could support Taylee. There was Princess Penia, who was surely growing into an adult as she started to accept her destiny as the future queen, and Ziggs, who was finding his own way in the midst of civilization. There was also Lortel, who was starting to question her life of nothing but money, as well as Clevius, who was starting to gain confidence in himself. And lastly, there was Elvira, who was starting to realize that having fun wasn't everything life had to offer.
I was well aware of each of their hardships and the challenges that they would face.
At the same time, I also knew of the successes that would later come to them.
Each of them had their own role. And although their roads may sometimes get bumpy and rough, the end of it was a sparkling red carpet for everyone.
Success awaits them at the very end, and everyone would praise them as the kingdom's brilliant heroes.
"There's something I left behind at Nail Hall. You guys go first."
I knew that fact very well, so I turned my head and walked away.
Now that the crisis was over, it was time to put the puzzle pieces together.
I went back to Nail Hall's Combat Practice Field. I walked down the half-destroyed corridor and opened the large wooden door… to reveal what didn't look like the field at all.
Ziggs's wind magic must have blown all the seats away, and the floor was littered with craters and gaps here and there. The curtains were all completely burned down and the walls were also full of holes as well.
The air was cool inside as it blew in from the open ceiling where Glasskan's right arm had pierced through. The roofless hall revealed a sky in which darkness was beginning to recede.
Those were the traces of the final battle with Velosper.
The stage where Act 1 ended.
It was a place that would not show up again in the later chapters of 'Silvenia's Failed Swordmaster.'
I walked between the spectator seats that had been blown every which way and headed for the podium up front. And right below it was the spare podium where Lucy took a nap that time during the Joint Combat Practice class.
Rattle!
I opened the door below and found Yennekar hugging her knees to herself as she giggled softly, looking every bit as awkward since I caught her hiding.
***
It was cozier than I thought. I thought I now knew why Lucy took a nap down here.
The spare podium in the half-destroyed Combat Practice Field.
I sat next to Yennekar as I looked up at the sky. The barrier that covered the sky and isolated the academic district was starting to crack little by little.
"I didn't know I would be found so easily. The other students seemed so busy with Glasskan that they had forgotten about me."
"With something that enormous summoned through the sky, who would have the time to worry about you?"
"Even then, it still hurt my feelings. I was doing this and that on such a grand scale, but the moment everything was solved… I couldn't believe they just left me behind. 'Where is Yennekar?', I thought they would have at least asked that and looked for me, if even for just a bit."
The members of the subjugation force were already completely exhausted, so they would have wanted to return to the base as soon as possible rather than search every nook and cranny of Nail Hall to find Yennekar, who had disappeared immediately after the battle. The professors and faculty staff would eventually come and take care of the rest of the work here after they break down the barrier anyways.
"But you were hiding because you didn't want to get caught."
"That's hard to deny… hehe."
Yenneakar didn't look normal either. Her whole body was covered in dust and the shawl that was wrapped around her shoulders was torn in several places. The results of a fierce final battle.
Hugging her knees, Yennekar looked up at the sky. Her body, which was entirely covered by Velooper's curse a while ago, still had some traces left. But once her magic power returned, she would be able to start purifying herself and her body would quickly return to its original pale skin.
"I didn't know I would be found so soon. I wanted to hide for a bit longer."
"You would've gotten caught right away once the barrier was broken and the faculty came in."
"I wanted to be alone until then. I didn't want to show myself to anyone."
"Why?"
She smiled at the question.
"Uhm… I was planning on ugly crying."
Saying that as if it wasn't weird…
"It's too embarrassing to show that side of me to others."
But hearing her words, I felt as if the question that had been plaguing me for years had finally been resolved.
Why was Yennekar Palerover the boss for Act 1?
Unlike the game's other bosses, her actions were rather passive. She also didn't have a distinctive aesthetic of her own, nor did she have a destiny she needed to achieve, nor did she have the qualities of a pure villain.
Amongst all the amazing bosses of the game, Yennekar Palerover was given the role of the first boss who would begin the story. As a player, you couldn't help but think something wasn't right.
I couldn't figure out the reason even after all the research I did. In the end, I came to the conclusion that the developers probably went with her because it would have a lot of 'impact' on new players.
Yennekar was always bright, sincere, and loved by everyone. For someone like her to be taken over by a dark spirit and get in the player's way, wouldn't that be shocking and unconventional enough? Whatever hidden meaning there may be, the impact and reveal of her as the first act's boss had a significant enough impact to make up for the lack of it.
After I came to this conclusion, I didn't think much of the darkness that was supposed to have fed Velosper, lurking in Yennekar's mind.
But as it turned out… it actually wasn't that complicated.
Rather, it was such an extremely easy and common story that it never even crossed my mind.
"I just happened to take a look into her room then."
Yennekar's room that Lortel had taken a look into. And the sight that she had seen. It was only after Lortel told me that I was finally able to put all the pieces together.
Taylee was allowed to enter Ophelis Hall during Act 2's mid-boss fight where the player was tasked to defeat 'Ophelis Hall's Maid Elris.'
While chasing after the enemies inside the dormitory, the player was allowed to enter the room of different characters, and among them was Yennekar's room.
It was only a brief scene during an urgent battle, but the glimpse you get of Yennekar's room was definitely strange.
She had a spacious room filled with all sorts of photos and writings. On her desk was a photo of her family, along with letters of support from them. Next to the letters are the messages from her loving friend and the awards and certificates from her professors and the faculty members, each of them filled with nothing but praises and expectations. And on the wall above her desk was a postcard from her hometown.
And what was her view from her desk? There were cute accessories given to her by her friends and a vase of well-maintained lilies and roses gifted to her by the academy. On one side were her trophies won from competitions held by the academy, all regularly wiped sparkling-clean. On another side were four oak wands, all given as a gift by upperclassmen to congratulate her for signing a contract with Takan.
She also had a beautiful cosmos-shaped wooden statue sent by her family that she had placed in a corner. Next to it lined up were accessories in the shape of elemental spirits, given to her as a gift by her Elementalist Studies professor. She had a bouquet of flowers made by her friends from her after-school club. She also had all her used magic tools nicely packed and sent by her family. Although a bit bulky so she had them under her desk.
Opening her drawer, you would find letters of admiration full of love and respect towards Yennekar. Those were letters written to her by her family, her friends back in her hometown, academy alumni, and faculty members. Each letter was sincerely thankful. And each letter Yennekar had ever received, she had kept.
But imagine this.
Imagine Yennekar sitting there with her eyes closed.
It was a spacious desk, and yet there was no room to properly open even one book.
The letters that covered her wall weighed on her shoulders like bricks.
Oh, but the solution was really simple. Everyone knew it.
There was no need to treat every bit of sincerity and respect so seriously. It was important to know how to shake their weight off when they become too heavy to bear.
If Yennekar took down all the supportive messages on her wall, and if put the sincere gifts that filled her desk somewhere in the corner of her room, and if she threw away all the letters that were too old to be needed… If she did…
But she hadn't.
The fact that this was impossible for Yennekar to do was the start of her misfortune. It was her darkness.
And Velosper latched onto that darkness.
Yennekar Palerover was obsessed with giving the world all the sincerity and goodwill she could give at the same level of sincerity and goodwill she had received. She was truly like the main character in a fairytale.
But that was a reckless point of view in life. No explanation needed.
"Hmm…"
That knowledge alone was enough for me to know Yennekar's behavior that led to the finale happening a month earlier than the original timeline.
The weight that was pulling her down had increased at a much faster rate than from the game.
And if I were to think about the reason… it went all the way back to the Joint Battle Practice.
The student who was supposed to receive the most attention from that class was Taylee, not Yennekar.
It was an episode where both of them raised their reputation and became the two top students. Taylee, for winning his duel against Lucy, and Yennekar, for being the only second-year to win.
However, since Lucy one-shotted Taylee into defeat, all the spotlight focused on Yennekar.
And because the second-years were beyond frustrated by all their losses from the first-years, their expectations towards Yennekar exceeded that of a simple idol and almost entered the realm of religion.
All in all, an unexpected variable at the beginning of the story ended up biting me in the ass and created another unexpected event in the end.
The reason why all the attention was on Yennekar was because Lucy blew away Taylee in one shot.
The reason why Lucy was able to one-shot Taylee was because she signed a contract with Merilda.
The reason why Lucy was able to sign a contract with Merilda was because she had been going to the northern forest more than usual.
The reason why Lucy had been visiting the northern forest more than usual was because she found a good place to take a nap there.
And the reason there was a good place to take a nap was….
It was because there was someone who got kicked out of their family at the start of Act 1 living there.
Though the flapping of the butterfly wings was timid, the result became a hurricane.
I couldn't even complain that it was too much.
However, an involuntary sigh escaped my lips because the missing puzzle piece turned out to be different from what I had imagined.
Something that had been bothering me for a long time had finally become clear. Why was Yennekar chosen as the first boss?
The message of 'Silvenia's Failed Swordmaster' wasn't complicated at all.
Yennekar Palerover was the opposite of the main character, Taylee McLaure.
Taylee was someone who became stronger as time went on. There would be all sorts of agony and pain in his path but he would be able to overcome all these obstacles that stood in his way. He was that kind of main character.
On the other hand, Yennekar lived a life opposite of Taylee's.
She was born with good talent, was loved by her family, and received everyone's praises and warm sincerity. She was a girl who would never lose her smile.
But she became the reason things turned out like this.
I didn't know if there were actual people in the world who lived their life like a dramatic main character. Someone who overcame all sorts of hardships and achieved such dramatic success.
People who live their life as supporting characters ultimately have to accept the consequences of failure despite receiving everyone's love and support. Those people are who we call extras.
Yennekar must have been chosen as the boss of Act 1 to show the dark side behind Taylee's actions. She was the antithesis to Taylee, the game's main character.
And since she received that much attention during Act 1, it was no wonder she was chosen as the boss for it.
However, the meaning hidden so deep like this… was just painful. What even was the point of all these obscurely hidden game elements?
"Oh…"
I involuntarily uttered words of admiration at the sight in front of me.
Spirits had no concept of death. Cutting off the head of a manifestation would only release it, allowing it to return to its fluid state, their power significantly reduced. It would take a tremendous amount of time for them to recover.
All this time, I hadn't seen a spirit with my own eyes. But looking around the training field right now, my eyes trained with enough Spirit Resonance… I could see the spirits hovering from all over the half-destroyed building. It was so beautiful with the sunlight shining down on them.
With the Berserk magic lifted, all the spirits had begun to gather around Yennekar one by one, as if to comfort her.
"What will happen to me now?"
"You'll be sent to the Disciplinary Committee."
"Will I be… expelled?"
"Who knows?"
She didn't get expelled, as far as I knew, because her face showed up for a brief moment during the ending credits.
However, what happened next to her from here on out was completely unknown territory.
Yennekar was now a character that had come down from the stage. Someone that was now completely separated from the main scenario. A villain that no longer had a big impact on the main story. Pushed aside.
The reason why that felt so familiar was because it wasn't exactly just someone else's story to me.
"The fact that you were a victim taken over by Velosper would be taken into consideration to some extent."
"Really?"
"But your crimes wouldn't be completely erased. Dean McDowell is the academy's head dean, and he tends to be pro-students so he wouldn't just carelessly expel the academy's second-year top student."
The second-years would be hopeless without Yennekar. So all the professors in charge of second-years would do their best to make sure she wasn't expelled.
On top of that, she had a good reputation and was well-behaved. She had also contributed many things to the academy so the students would side with her.
They would probably even write a petition for her, if needed… If she was lucky, she would maybe end up with a probation or suspension at most. Though she was already quite lucky, if I were being honest.
"Hey, Ed. Can I say something embarrassing?"
"What?"
"I thought of something when the subjugation force arrived."
Above us, all of a sudden, the barrier began to break under the bright early morning sky. It sparkled as the sun rose from the east. It was quite a dazzling sight.
"I imagined that someone with overwhelming power would show up and take care of the entire situation, and he would run away holding my hand. Wouldn't it have been great if he could do everything so I wouldn't have to worry? And then he would kindly tell me that everything would be okay…?"
"Would such a thing even happen?"
"…You're right. That's something that only happens in fairytales."
Yennekar let out a tiny laugh.
Then, with a big smile on her face, she nodded her head, as if to say, 'Yeah.'
"Someday, by all means, please save Yennekar."
The wind wolf's message came to mind. It was a spirit that sincerely cared about and loved Yennekar.
Though I didn't care about the message then, now that I thought about it, something felt strange.
The fact that Yennekar would be taken over by Velosper and destroy the academic district was future knowledge that only I knew.
Even then, it asked me to save Yennekar, as if Merilda also knew about the future.
But that couldn't be true though.
Asking someone who knew about the future to save Yennekar was like asking them to take care of the ordeal that Yennekar was about to face.
But Merilda's message shouldn't have had that intention.
In other words, my information advantage had ended up giving me a role…
But, perhaps, Merilda had already noticed Yennekar's heavy heart then.
But since giving encouragement, giving advice and being worried about her were poisonous acts towards Yennekar…
The more sincere someone was towards her, the heavier their sincerity became to her.
What she needed was something light but not cold, like a warm drizzle of encouragement. Words that were more precious than gold.
Everyone who loved Yennekar gave her their entire heart. Merilda must have come to the conclusion that a boy who had tried to push Yennekar away was more suitable to give her words of encouragement.
It wanted Yennekar to have someone to rely on emotionally. Someone who didn't put pressure on her with a heavy heart.
"Hey, Yennekar."
And that's why I called out to her and told her,
"You did great."
Would my one message be enough to provide her the emotional support she needed?
Yennekar forced out a smile as she quietly buried her face into her knees.
In the end, Yennekar Palerover had failed.
She tried to sign a contract with a new high-ranking spirit. But because she rushed the summoning ceremony, she ended up being taken over by a dark spirit and destroying the academic district.
It was quite the massive failure. Something that would be too difficult to look past. In any case, her process and goal must have originally been sincere.
Studying late into the night, training her magic power, smiling at her family, her classmates, and her teachers who sincerely supported her… she must have put a lot of energy and effort into meeting the expectations of these people.
Since the process itself was beautiful, ironically, the failure was as well. I didn't know how comforting this thought was though.
As if to comfort her, spirits flocked to Yenneka whose back was quietly shaking. They seemed to be trying to say that she had tried hard enough.
Yennekar who would normally smile widely and hug the spirits… only for today, her shoulders shook without giving any response.
The sun was setting. The stage had now moved onto the next act.
Students cheered for the subjugation force as they returned victorious to the Student Square.
The proud main characters walked up the stage as a round of applause and praises poured in.
On the other hand, the backstage was quiet and dark. The exit of the Act 1 villain was hidden by the main characters' grand success.
Amidst the spirits, this girl who had experienced her first failure in life was left quietly sobbing.
I didn't comfort or encourage her with all of my heart.
That was the answer.
Act 1. The first act of the game that I have repeated countless of times.
It felt like I had finally confirmed that this story arc had ended.
***
[ Magic Skills Details
Grade: Ordinary Magician
Specialized Field: Elements
Common Magic:
Fast Casting Level 5
Mana Sense Level 6
Fire Element Magic:
Ignite Level 12
Wind Element Magic:
Wind Blade Level 11
Spirit-type Magic:
Spiritual Resonance Level 10
Spiritual Understanding Level 10
< New Spirit Slot: Empty >
< New Spirit Slot: Empty > |
[ Low-ranking fire spirit Elgo has taken an interest in you. ]
[ Low-ranking wind spirit Dries has taken an interest in you. ]
[ High-ranking wind spirit Merilda has taken a strong interest in you. ]
-x-X-x-
A gust of warm wind blew by.
The warm sunlight tickled her skin as it came through the hidden flower garden deep in the lush forest.
Yennekar sat there, picking flowers as she made a wreath. She had taken off her damaged academy uniform and had instead put on a comfortable beige skirt she used to wear back in her hometown. She carefully weaved the wreath together as she sang a beautiful tune.
Suddenly, a boy arrived from the forest, riding a majestic white horse. He slowly dismounted from the saddle as the sounds of the horse's hooves clapping subsided.
That boy was Ed Rothstaylor.
Yennekar stood up with a big smile on her face as she welcomed Ed to the flower garden. Ed wore the flower wreath she had made and held her hand as they smiled at each other. Then the two of them began to dance.
Hahaha—
Flower petals flew around them as the butterflies danced in the air. And as if the forest had blessed them, the trees moved out of their way to give them room as they moved.
Hahahahaha—
Their steps were exactly in sync, as if they perfectly understood each other. The sound of an unknown lute and a harp resonated throughout the garden.
It was truly a scene from a fairytale.
Hahahaha—
Haha—
Ha—
.
.
.
.
.
.
Chirp—
Chirp—
The chirps of the sparrows outside the Ophelis Hall windows tickled her ears. It was the sound of a new morning.
Yennekar sat up.
Her hair was a mess and her skin was a little bloated from last night's deep sleep. Yennekar buried her face into her pillow as she hugged it.
"What's wrong with me… I'm already this old, but I'm still having these types of dreams…"
Waves of embarrassment and humiliation kept on crashing onto her as time passed by.
***
It was afternoon two days after when the disaster took place.
"Clara, you know, why is the weight between liking someone and loving someone so different?"
Clara was eating the tomatoes in her salad when Yennekar asked her the question. And Clara's expression, upon hearing it, grew serious. The same was true of their other friend, Anise. The two of them were Yennekar's best friends. They stopped playing with their forks and began to listen intently.
It was lunchtime at the student cafeteria.
Yennekar was the same as usual. She was out eating with her two best friends, having left the high-quality food of Ophelis Hall behind.
Ten days had passed since Yennekar's Disciplinary Committee Hearing had ended.
Not only did the three deans of each department attend, but Headmaster Obel was also in attendance. Their presence created a dreadful atmosphere as the hearing proceeded like a complete battlefield.
Skipping the major events of the hearing would still take way too long to cover all that had happened.
Yennekar had admitted to her wrongdoings and willingly accepted any punishment the committee would bestow upon her. She completely surrendered, white flag and all.
However, the second-years and the professors in charge of them stood up for her, taking Yennekar's side during the first round of hearing. They attacked the student council and academic affairs' main office with petitions. A total of 1,417 copies were submitted, completely filling the academic proposal box that a separate collection box solely for petitions had to be brought in.
During the second round of hearing, despite what Head Escort Claire had been telling her, Princess Penia declared that she would not charge Yennekar for the attempted murder of a member of the royal family. That was because she was deeply impressed by the students' petitions.
And that particular decision by Princes Penia would be the fundamental cause of why she would receive overwhelming support from the second-years, helping her get elected as the student body president in the future.
But that was a separate story from this one.
The Academic Affairs Office also recognized the fact that Yennekar had not intended to do such actions as she was then taken over by Velosper. That had made the expulsion charges invalid. However, that didn't mean that all of Yennekar's wrongdoings would simply disappear since her actions still left a lot of financial damages and injuries.
That was where Lortel came in.
Lortel would provide the funds to rebuild Nail Hall and Glockt Hall at a low interest rate. She would also subsidize all the sustained injuries completely free of charge. In exchange, she was able to negotiate half the customs fees on school supplies the Elte Company distributes to the business district. The leniency clause for Yennekar was just a bonus.
Because of that, the Elte Company's products gained an absolute competitive edge in school supplies. This also earned them the status of proper creditors to the academy, rather than a simple sponsor. They even went as far as getting rid of the debt the promising elementalist, Yennekar Palerover, had.
Lortel was someone who would never miss an opportunity. Head Dean McDowell couldn't help but sigh in front of Lortel on the day of the negotiation signing. But it was in Lortel's nature to answer him with a smile.
While Penia and Lortel were adding chaos to the situation, the students were constantly running around and campaigning for a favorable hearing for Yennekar.
The final result ended up being a splendid feat.
Ten days of probation. Twenty days of suspension. Removed from the Glockt Scholarship Foundation beneficiaries. Banned from entering Ophelis Hall starting next semester. Forfeit the benefits of being a top student. Return all academic honorary awards. And she wouldn't be held back another year.
The second-years jumped for joy and cheered. It was way more than they had hoped for. It felt like they were filming some type of emotional youth drama.
However, behind the crowd of cheering students was Yennekar, still with her shoulders down. And none of them knew the reason why. Not a single one.
"Wh-What… what are you saying all of a sudden?"
Either way, it was all in the past. It was meaningless to argue about it now. Clara was trying to help Yennekar not feel so down now that her probation period was over.
The night before, Clara and Anise practiced what they would say and talk about with Yennekar after a long time of not seeing each other.
They made sure to never mention the Glasskan incident. They also made sure to pretend they didn't care and to never mention how they felt about it. And since it had been a while since they met up together, they decided to get lunch and catch up on each other's personal matters.
But they had already discussed everything they could talk about. Assistant Professor Cleoh tripped over while distributing test papers. The morning glory that had begun to bloom in a corner of the Defense Magic Training Center had now begun to wrap itself around the outer wall. The egg tarts from the bakery downtown that were so delicious everyone was fussing about them. Clara and Anise had prepared these sorts of topics.
"What… What does love really mean? It's a lot heavier than just the feeling of liking someone, right? That's what the dictionary says as well. And that's how I've been using it too. But… that difference in weight comes from our emotions… and the weight of our emotions depends on the person…"
"Yennekar, wait a sec. Here, just eat this."
"Hm? Hahaha, sorry."
Clara smiled as she took a bite of her tomato. She kept watching Yennekar with a smile on her face.
But a cold sweat had already begun to run down the edge of her neck. And looking at Anise, the same looked to be true for her as well. They were maintaining a poker face with superhuman mental strength, but this conversation had already become a catastrophic ordeal.
Yennekar had begun to sound like some philosopher. And out of all the topics she could be discussing… It turned out to be love. She was seriously contemplating the difference between actually loving someone and just liking someone.
Clara and Anise had been really worried about how Yennekar was feeling. The image of her sitting in her room in Ophelis Hall, looking out the window, kept lingering in their minds. They didn't know what she could be thinking all alone in such a lonely place, extremely worried that she could be suffering from the guilt and taking on that burden all by herself. Fortunately, it seemed that Yennekar was free of such guilt.
Ten days was not a short time. For the first two to three days, maybe even up to a week, they were worried that her heart would be aching and bruised but she seemed to have recovered to some extent, which was a relief.
However, what they weren't expecting was this.
For Yennekar to suddenly be troubled by love… suddenly discussing the word felt like a precursor to a greater event that could have an unbelievable ripple effect.
Slam!
Claire unconsciously slammed her fork down the table. Yennekar, who was biting her sandwich, flinched in surprise.
Clara got up from her chair and looked around, her expression serious. There weren't many students left in the cafeteria because lunchtime was nearly over. That was a relief, at least. This meant nobody nearby was listening. And since Yennekar didn't have anyone to properly talk to during her probation period, then she hadn't been able to talk to anyone about this topic apart from them.
Clara sat down again, her mindset. She made eye contact with her reliable friend Anise next to her. Clara swallowed and nodded. In that brief glance, it felt like they'd exchanged a whole conversation between them.
"So…?"
The innocence of this girl needed to be protected. Clara and Anise had been putting enough effort this far and had overcome every single crisis without failure. Whenever Yennekar was about to get hurt or have a difficult time, they would always jump in and shield her from all the hardships that the world had to offer.
They had protected Yennekar from the upperclassmen who were jealous of her
They had also protected her from an assistant professor who didn't like her because she was always favored and protected by her classmates.
They even protected her from Ed Rothstaylor, who was clearly one of the worst people in the entire world.
And even though there had been some groundless rumors from the first-years about how Ed was just 'a rude punk that was actually more competent than one would think', they didn't want to be too quick to trust. His personality was definitely arrogant and wrong in the first place, and that was a fact.
Clara and Anise couldn't let such risk factors approach Yennekar.
"Why are you suddenly talking about that, Yennekar…?"
Clara was in control of the conversation. She brought up the topic with a strong heart. Anise, who was still struggling to manage her expressions, needed a bit more time to calm down.
They needed to carefully uncover this topic so as not to hurt Yennekar who had an extremely sensitive heart.
The love story of Yennekar Palerover. Bad news would travel fast. If such a bomb of a rumor went off among the students, it would spread quickly. Every student would probably already know by tomorrow morning's assembly.
Just how much damage would that bring to Yennekar's weak heart?
Clara clenched her teeth and shook her head, wholeheartedly of the belief that she needed to stop it.
Yennekar slowly began to talk.
"Actually, about that… I heard this from a friend not too long ago…"
No! Yennekar!
You've been stuck in your room for the past ten days so you definitely didn't meet anyone! Who in their right mind would believe that…?!
Clara barely held herself back from screaming.
"O-Oh. So… what did that friend of yours say?"
"While she was mindlessly staring off into space in her room, suddenly, someone's face came to mind…"
"Oh my! Would you look at that? I must have lost my mind! I promised to help Assistant Professor Cleoh this afternoon! I had completely forgotten! Sorry! I'll go first! Bye, see you next time!"
Anise had already decided that this was the best decision for her to make as she could barely keep her straight face for much longer.
Clara looked at Anise, remembering their promise together, but when she saw Anise's entire face had gone red, even up to her ears, Clara had no choice but to let her friend go. Anise was no longer in a state where she was able to fight.
A comrade had died.
Everything was left to Clara now.
The usually innocent Yennekar. That Yennekar was now a deadly poison to Clara's heart.
She was already at her limit. She bit her tongue, holding back on asking all the questions she was dying to know: Who was the other person? Where did they meet? Why did her heart change towards him? When was there an opportunity for this? What will actually happen in the future?
Clara's spirit and tenacity were that of a mighty general running through a field of arrows alone.
Yennekar's innocence must be maintained. The faint memories of her first love should be a beautiful memory, not a shameful dark history.
"And… that person kept appearing in her dreams…"
"Is-Is that so?"
"Yeah. I heard there were even dreams where they were dancing together—or were they playing? In a flower garden. So… uh, what do you think…?"
The corners of Yennekar's lips were trying to form a smile. Clara seriously thought about grabbing a fork and jamming it into her thigh.
"So that's what I—no, I mean that's what she said… about… uh, yeah…"
"Oh, I see… That's quite interesting… I don't think there is a reason, you know? When someone likes or hates someone else, there is always some type of reason."
"Y-Yeah…"
Clara ended up saying some heartfelt words that were stuck in the back of her throat.
In an instant, she felt like a parent sending her daughter off to get married and her imagination played a reel of some third-rate novel unfolding. But Clara knew all too well that that was a waste of time.
Yennekar wanted to hide her love story. If Clara rushed her to uncover it, Yennekar would only end up getting hurt.
Clara's heart as Yennekar's best friend was currently in a head-to-head fight with her heart as a girl curious about a friend's love story.
This was more painful than running around on two legs to get favorable results for the disciplinary committee hearing.
However, what was the most important thing in all of this? Yennekar herself, that's who.
As she had been saying all this time, she needed to protect her purity and innocence. Clara took a deep breath and regained her composure.
Plaster on a refreshing smile and—
"Yennekar, don't you think you're worried about this too much? Whether you like or hate someone, it's not as straight-cut as you might think."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Sometimes, you might hate someone simply because of their attitude, and sometimes you may really like them because they were by your side when you were having a hard time or when you were happy. That's just how humans work. I don't think you need to worry about this too much."
Finding the reason why we like or hate someone should be left to scholars in fields such as psychology and philosophy.
"It's okay to put those complicated feelings aside and just be honest with your current feelings—No, I mean your friend's feelings. Wouldn't that be better for her?"
"Uhm… yeah. I think you're right. Ha… as expected of you, Clara."
Seeing Yennekar smiling like so, it felt like a knife was stuck in Clara's heart.
"Although… Yennekar. Thinking from your friend's point of view, I don't think they would like it very much if their sensitive concerns were circling among their friends, don't you think? I think it's better that you thought about it on your own, rather than getting advice from others."
Clara had just blocked the possibility of rumors spreading in advance. She was the type of person to say such things straight to the point.
"Should I not? But that friend… she… I don't think she cares about that sort of thing…"
"No, Yennekar. Even if that was the case, talking about such sensitive concerns to friends… it wouldn't be good for your reputation."
"Oh… oh! You're right! You're not disappointed in me, are you, Clara?"
Yennekar was such a lovely girl. Clara had to swipe her hand over her face before regaining her composure.
"It's fine, Yennekar…"
"Great. Anyways, thanks for giving me such meaningful advice. I should go back to Ophelis Hall and report on my suspension period."
"Alright, I'll sit here for a bit more before I go. I have something to think about…"
"Okay! It's been so long. It's a relief to see that you're doing well. See you again after the disciplinary period is over, Clara!
Yennekar left the cafeteria after saying goodbye.
Clara put her face on the table after a while.
I did it, Anise.
She had lost every bit of strength throughout her entire body.
Clara ended up staying still for a while, recovering her energy.
***
[ Name: Ed Rothstaylor
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Academy Year: 2nd
Species: Human
Achievements: None
Vitality: 7
Intelligence: 7
Dexterity: 9
Wilpower: 8
Luck: 6
Combat Skills Details ➤️
Magic Skills Details ➤️
Life Skills Details ➤️
Alchemy Skills Details ➤️ ]
I was heading back to the northern forest with my shiny new chainsaw, hammer, and a bunch of nails. I used some of the gold I had and bought some new tools to build my cabin. Now that I'm done with the groundwork and all the preparations were complete, it was time to come into actually building the main body.
My Intelligence had gone up by two levels the night the Glasskan subjugation took place.
It was a stat that hadn't gone up for months no matter how much I studied magic and whined about it. The fact that it progressed as much was enough to make me emotional.
In addition, my Spiritual Understanding and Spiritual Resonance jumped all the way to level 10 and opened up spirit slots. I was now able to use spirit skills and could even sign a contract with a high-ranking wind spirit.
Of course, it would be too much to sign a contract with a high-ranking spirit right now given my stats, but Merilda wasn't going anywhere. Once I was able to raise my magic skills a bit more, I would call on Merilda and sign one.
"What is this?"
"Your recommendation letter from Princess Penia has been confirmed. The Glockt Foundation provides many benefits. We'll do our best to be considerate of the student's opinion—"
"A scholarship."
"Financial support may be important for you, but first, why don't you listen to our explanation of the other benefits that—"
"A scholarship."
"Our foundation provides academic support, preferential benefits when using living facilities, additional points for academic service scores, and most importantly, qualification to move to a better dormitory."
"Ha… fair kingdom my ass… never mind, just give me the scholarship."
Whatever the benefits might be, they would all be meaningless if my name was not on the academy register.
Princess Penia had recognized my contribution during the subjugation and had given me a recommendation letter to the academic council and the Glockt Scholarship Foundation, just as she had promised.
There wasn't any reason to reject this windfall so I clenched my teeth and received an exemption from next semester's full tuition payment.
It had earned me some time to focus on training. It was such a relief.
After such a disastrous night, the second act of the game had begun.
I held the woodworking tools in my arm as I walked back to the northern forest.
The flow of Act 2 was already playing out in my head.
A battle of nerves between the Elte Company and the Academic Affairs over a purchase ware.
What was interesting about Act 2 was that 'Golden King Elte', who had exuded the aura of being the act's final boss, was, in fact, just a fake boss. Elte would be kicked out of the story after his adopted daughter Lortel would stab him in the back at about the mid-to-late part of the act, and then the spotlight would move to the true hidden boss—'Inquirer Glast'.
Glast was the senior professor in charge of the first-year students. He was not an easy opponent. Taylee still had quite a long way to go before he could even defeat the mid-boss to reach Glast. In Act 2, unlike in the first act, there were three mid-bosses.
'The Decoy Totte', 'Maid Elris', and 'Golden Daughter Lortel.'
As the act progressed and each chapter and event happened, the three of them were given different roles. But among them, Lortel's arc was the one that stood out the most.
She would later become the hidden heroine, but for Act 2, she was nothing but an overwhelming evil villain that made you hate her.
Lortel had lived her life understanding and calculating profit while taking every opportunity that came her way. She used every single thing that she could get her hands on. She was a terrible villain who controlled the market, a merchant full of greed who did nothing but weigh her profits. In the end, she even ended up using her stepfather who had adopted her and had used her as well. She was someone who had truly lived a life of dark reality, her actions showing that she had been walking down a thorny road.
Anyway, I learned a lesson during the Glasskan Subjugation chapter. I needed to carefully and consistently judge to make sure that the story was following the original timeline well or not.
I wouldn't know how certain variables would change things, so, at the very least, I needed to do my utmost best to make sure I was not involved in any way so as not to ruin things.
I mean, I was already busy taking care of my own life as it was.
"Oh?"
I saw Yennekar in the distance as I passed by Ophelis Hall.
Come to think of it, it was about time her probation period came to an end. All that was left was the suspension period. She must have wanted to get some fresh air.
Now that I thought about it, I didn't have much of an opinion on Yennekar after Act 1.
"Hmm…"
It would be a bit awkward to pretend that we were close all of a sudden when I was openly trying to distance myself from her.
But Yennekar had already completed her role and exited the main stage. She no longer had a significant impact on the main story. Right now, her importance didn't differ much from that of a senior maid.
In order to live well in this world, there were many things I needed to do and accomplish such as train myself, obtain a good degree, and create a better living environment for myself.
However, among the many types of assets there were, there was a unique power that could never be replaced. And that was personal connections.
If I thought about it, Yennekar was such a promising figure that Elte Company had taken action and cleared all her debts. After she graduates from Silvenia with her degree, she could very well become quite an amazing individual.
Furthermore, since she was already off the main story anyway, wouldn't it be okay for me to try and connect with her at this point?
If there was anything I was nervous about right now, it was Ed Rothstaylor's changed evaluation. Among the main characters, there seemed to be some people who were highly evaluating me unnecessarily. The rumors circulating among the first-years had now upgraded me to a rude punk but with something else going on for me.
But it was a completely separate matter what the second-years thought.
Yennekar must have heard quite a bit of gossip about me today. And I was in an environment where my reputation could be flipped over at any time.
Although Yennekar wasn't the type of person to be swayed by rumors like that. She usually treated me well.
Wouldn't it be alright to say hello and try to become close? I didn't think it would be easy to have a chance to connect with someone like Yennekar.
"Alright…"
I nodded as I walked towards Yennekar, who was slowly walking towards Ophelis Hall.
"Hey, Yennekar. I guess your probation just finished?"
I casually greeted her.
It would be normal for her to receive such a sudden greeting. After all, she was an idol loved by everyone in our year.
Once she receives my greeting cheerfully, we could probably make some small talk about our personal stories superficially, then maybe say goodbye in just as cheerful a manner. Then I could return to going about my own business.
I waited for her response as I drew out the plan in my head.
"Uhm, yeah! Hm!"
But as soon as our eyes met, Yennekar took a step back, tightly gripping her oak wand.
"Yeah, Ed! Hmmm!"
She looked like she had a hard time processing something. I couldn't even maintain eye contact with her as she kept looking everywhere else, rolling her eyes about, as if she had overloaded.
"I'm…! I'm going to Ophelis Hall! Something to do! See you next time! Bye!"
Then she ran away, as if she was afraid to talk to me any longer.
Uh….?
Now even Yennekar, who was such a rare saint, was cutting me off. Quite the amazing achievement, I must say.
Rumors were seriously scary. But I could understand.
No matter how strong her willpower was, she was bound to be swayed by these rumors, as they get repeated over such a long period of time. The power of a royal was indeed powerful.
It felt terrible to lose the chance to establish a connection with such a great person.
Although, I wasn't that badly insulted or depressed over it. I just couldn't help but feel disappointed. But hey, what could I do?
I nodded my head in resignation and silently mourned my first-class human connection flying away from me.
I won't be too clingy. Eat well and live long, Yennekar…
I gathered the materials I needed for the construction of my cabin and went on my way. Since the basic design work was completed, this was now a good opportunity to train my production skills.
Now that I had more time on my hands… It was time to train some more.
-x-X-x-
The smell of gold coins.
Lortel's sense of smell had always relentlessly caught the scent of money.
She was at Trix Hall, where faculty offices were located – the heart of the academic district.
Outside, the building was made of neatly stacked black and red bricks, antique marble decor adorning the exterior. Regardless of what time it was, the glass windows were always spotless. The entrance to the hall was magnificent, always guarded by men on watch. There were also two extra guards watching the gate out back.
It was where people who wielded administrative power and were at the top of the administrative system were. This was where people who made the final decisions stayed, along with people who managed the academy's finances, those who drafted the curriculum and schedules, those who reviewed student complaints, and those who decided on academic policies. Headmaster Obel and Assistant Headmaster Rachel's offices were located here.
It was a place that very few students came to. Most of the people around were general faculty, professors, or outsourced personnel. Students were already busy studying as it were, they wouldn't have had a reason to visit the administrative building in the first place.
Lortel smiled at the personnel guarding the entrance as she moved toward the lobby.
The smell of gold coins irritated her nose. And walking into the main lobby finally revealed its source.
At the center of the Trix Hall lobby was the academy's treasure, encased in a glass display to show it off.
It wasn't anything fancy. It was just a magic book that looked worn out, burned here and there.
It was called the 'Sage's Seal'. And whoever it may be, they would be unable to help but thickly swallow at the name alone.
It was the record of the academy's founder, Silvenia Robester. The person who had explored and discussed 'Celestial Magic'.
Celestial Magic predicted the flow of the stars and used that power to twist the providence of the world itself. It was known to be the most incomprehensible and profound branch of magic.
Numerous researchers had tried to interpret and reproduce the records within that seal, but no study had ever been completed. It was a book that remained the ultimate challenge for academia.
But aside from its academic value, the book was also a symbol of Silvenia Academy.
The book had a fixed schedule for when it would come out of its glass case. It only ever left it when it was needed to study Celestial Magic, and for public events such as the entrance ceremony for new students, inauguration ceremonies for the student council or the headmaster, as well as for year-end graduation ceremonies.
"Hmmm~"
Lortel stood in front of the display as she took a deep breath, eyes looking at the Sage's Seal.
"It really does smell like money."
Lortel whispered softly with a nonchalant smile.
That book was the trigger that signaled the events of the second arc.
The heart of Silvenia Academy.
The Sage's Seal.
And the first purchase target for the Elte Company.
***
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Beginner Craftsman
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
Handicraft Level 10
Design Level 4
Collecting Skills Level 8
Woodworking Level 10
Hunting Level 7
Fishing Level 6
Cooking Level 5
Repair Level 5 ]
In my box were a saw, a hammer, a sharp ax, a sword used in place of a machete, and a bunch of nails thrown about at the bottom. It was less than one gold coin, all in all.
Silvenia was an educational facility. I was worried they wouldn't be selling such woodworking items in the business district. Luckily, I was able to get a lot of quality items from the Elte Company's store. They sold everything.
I sat on a log bench, stretching my body here and there.
The Act 1 finale was now over. For the time being, there shouldn't be anything important happening in the main story.
I didn't have to worry about the tuition fee until next semester. This left me with more time to train my body and make an effort to improve my standard of living.
Act 2 would officially start in the second semester. There was an end-of-semester evaluation episode before it but nothing big was set to happen there.
Taylee would start to genuinely raise his grades and learn how to use Wind Slash or other such skills as Elemental Slash. It was just a filler episode. Originally, it should have taken place before the Glasskan Subjugation but here we are.
Vacation came after the closing ceremony. I could then spend all my time tending to my camp. I shouldn't waste such a golden opportunity.
But more than anything, I needed to solve the safety issues of my living area first.
I reviewed the design structure of the cabin I had mapped out in my head and nodded. It would've been great had I drawn out a proper blueprint. But then again, even if I were, I wouldn't have been able to follow it as much. Immediate problems could only be solved by improvising and building as similarly as possible.
Either way, it shouldn't matter if it were a little crude. It wasn't like I was going to sell it anyway.
Life would be a lot harder for me for now than it had been compared to when I just started living out here. The good news was that every bit of hard work I put in would become the basis of my growth, so it wasn't like I was going to be blindly suffering.
And this body had a natural talent for production. Somehow, I thought, it should all work out.
It didn't provide much comfort but… I should work as much as I could and increase my proficiency level.
Yeah. With that thought in mind, I stood up and held a sword.
Then I marked the trunk of a large oak tree nearby with a horizontal stroke.
Today was the first day I was constructing my cabin.
Day 1
I decided where I would build my cabin.
My current camp was a little too close to the river right now. It would be catastrophic were the river to overflow.
I chose a space that was moderately shady, large, and inconspicuous. I then proceeded to flatten the land.
I removed all the trees and large stones that were in the way and flattened anywhere that was slightly sloped with my shovel.
After I was done with the base groundwork, it was already time to sleep. I checked how much food I had left first. I noticed I was starting to slowly run out so I decided to restock tomorrow. After I had decided to go hunt the next day, I fell asleep memorizing the major events in history for my upcoming Magic History written exam.
Day 3
I started to collect the wood I would need. The proficiency level of my Wind Blade was quite high now so it was relatively easy to do. However, using magic too much would affect my Vitality so I made sure to do it in moderation.
But no matter, because trimming the wood ended up being harder than cutting them down. I had no way to mass-produce neatly standardized planks. I had to manually peel the bark off each tree one by one… and cut them one by one.
Removing the twigs off, peeling off its bark, and turning it into lumber took more than two hours each. Looked like I would be working on them for quite some time.
Another notable thing that happened was I met Yennekar but she ignored me again. Her friends Clara and Anise looked quite smug as she ran away from me without so much as a glance. They were smiling snidely, as if to tell me I shouldn't ever think of getting close to their friend for even a second. Well, it wasn't like I was planning to, anyway.
Day 6
I started to experience some muscle pain from working on the wood for quite a while now.
It had been a while since I set up camp here in the northern forest. I thought I had gotten used to walking every morning and using my body to do strenuous physical activities every day, but my body had been screaming at me ever since I started building my cabin. I decided to endure it though. Because I knew that this would all benefit me in the end anyway.
Day 11
I was able to stock up on a bit of food but I still had a long way to go.
I met a low-ranking wind spirit that looked like a sparrow while walking around the forest with my saw. Just in case, I asked if Merilda was uncomfortable with me violently cutting down all these trees. However, the spirit only turned its head the other way. Well, I guess the spirit was more generous than I thought.
I debated if I should sign a contract with the spirit but I didn't want to unnecessarily waste one of my two spirit slots just like that.
Day 14
End-of-semester evaluations were coming up so I decided to stop working on the wood for the time being.
I spent most of my nights invested in my studies. I was quite confident with my written knowledge but I felt that my practical skills were still lacking and I needed to train some more.
Despite that, I knew my magic skills had come a long way compared to when I started. I was now more skilled than an average first-year student.
I met Yennekar in front of the exam center at the academic district but she just ignored me again.
Beside her, Clara and Anise looked quite satisfied at her non-reaction.
Day 18
I was almost done preparing the wood I'd need. Although they might still not be enough, I could just go out and make some more if I needed them.
The closing ceremony was just ahead. My grade came out well. Not enough to receive a scholarship but as long as I kept growing at this pace, I could try again next semester.
Wind Blade had also risen a level. It was already a level 11 which was already quite high to begin with. But using it to cut down trees and removing twigs every day seemed to have trained it enough to increase it by another one.
I didn't have any means to move the wood planks I had made, so I ended up borrowing a wheelbarrow from the ongoing Student Center construction site. It wasn't for free, of course. After paying for it, they allowed me to use it for as much as I wanted as long as they didn't need it.
So I gathered and transferred every wood I processed one by one and moved them near my camp.
Day 20
Vacation had finally begun. That meant I would be able to spend my entire days here at camp in the meantime.
Most of the students went back to their hometowns. But since I didn't have a hometown to return to, I planned to use this time to start building my cabin.
First, I used Wind Blade to cut the logs in half and use the flat surface to act as beams for my cabin. I only managed to get halfway done after working all day.
When it was time to stock up on food, I checked the snare trap I set up the other day but found Lucy caught in it instead, sound asleep. I shouldn't have used jerky as bait… it was a mistake.
I threw Lucy into the shelter and went back to work on the beams.
Day 23
Ziggs wandered into my part of the forest. He said he was jogging around as part of his training.
I asked why he didn't go home this vacation and he said that since Elka couldn't go due to her academic work, he decided not to go back home as well. He was the same as always.
He saw me building my shabby-looking cabin and asked if he could help.
I considered rejecting his offer since I was building my cabin as part of my training, but then I thought it was better to get help with the things I couldn't handle by myself.
He ended up helping me erect and fix a central pillar and four outer pillars. We also finished working on setting up the beams needed. We finished the hard work sweating like crazy on the floor.
Ziggs went back to Ophelis Hall as it began to get dark out. He told me to let him know if I needed any more help later on.
Day 27
It was raining. The timbers were soaked with rainwater, making them too heavy to work with. And since they would need a day or two to dry, I thought I should focus on my other tasks in the meantime.
Senior Maid Bell Maya came by at night and gave me some herbs and mushrooms.
She asked me how things had been with Yennekar so I gave her an honest answer and told her it seemed like Yennekar now hated me.
Bell only tilted her head in response. Afterwhich, she returned back to Ophelis Hall.
Yennekar and her best friends seemed to also be staying at the academy this vacation.
Day 30
The shape of my cabin was beginning to come together with the beams and pillars installed in place. The next step was to stack up the logs I cut to build the outer walls.
I couldn't just stack them on top of each other, of course. I had to cut out a little bit at the end of each piece of wood to act as a joint.
It was like hell. Saw, chisel, hammer… just to cut out the joint so the wood would all fit together. I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
But in the end, it all came together pretty well.
Day 32
The outer wall I had previously stacked together had collapsed around one of the pillars. I realized matching the joints together wasn't strong enough to hold the whole structure together.
What a disaster.
Day 34
I came up with an idea to hold everything together. I would drill a hole in each piece of wood and then insert a sturdy iron rod into each joint. I went back to the general store run by the Elte Company and bought the necessary materials.
I ran into Yennekar and her friends by the bakery while I was downtown. And like always, Yennekar ran away the moment our eyes met. I expected her friends to laugh at me with a satisfied look on their faces but it was only Anise who laughed.
Clara looked at me, then at Yennekar, and began to sweat.
Oh well. Guess she had a stomach ache.
Day 37
"You were right. It was just like you said. Taylee isn't half bad."
Stacking the logs all the way to the top and working on the roof were jobs too difficult to do alone, so I ended up calling Ziggs over when I saw him jogging by for some help.
I changed my mind these days. While it wasn't a good idea to get too involved with the important characters, if I were too far away from them, it would be too impossible for me to know how the story was progressing compared to the original timeline. I couldn't let the same mistake happen again. Which was why I decided to know about the going-ons of the other first-years from Ziggs.
We were sitting on the roof of the half-finished cabin, drilling a nail into each joint.
"I dueled with him during the end-of-semester evaluation, and during the fight, he never gave up but kept on getting stronger instead. He was still no match to me, of course, but he might become quite a good swordsman in the future."
"Is that so?"
I was able to confirm that Act 1 Chapter 9 was proceeding without any issues.
"Do we need to nail this down too?"
"You can leave that side. I'm going to put a chimney there."
Although my cabin was quite shabby, I planned to build a chimney for my fireplace. A space for smoke to escape was needed when heating the cabin. This required more materials aside from the logs I had cut but I would cross that bridge when I got there.
Day 40
Vacation was already halfway through. I took the day off because it was too hot out. I thought I would even suffer from a heatstroke.
Day 42
I worked with my top off because it was too hot out. The fine growing muscles that had covered my body had now upgraded to just being called muscles.
Whenever it got too hot, I jumped into the river and collected mud to fill the gaps between the logs. Since the roof may leak, I also treated it the same way and then covered it with the large leaves I had used to make my wooden shelter. I also used the leftover net to tie everything down.
I tied the little bit of the remaining net I had to a nearby tree to make a hammock. If I needed it for something else later, I could always just take it down.
Day 45
.
.
In front of me…
Was my well-made cabin, welcoming me in.
[ Newly Crafted Product
Log Cabin
After the logs were trimmed down to a uniform size, they were stacked together according to the pillars and beams built into the foundation.
It only has outer walls and a roof.
There is nothing inside.
Production Difficulty Level: ●●●●○ ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
"Pheww…"
I sighed and threw my ax on the ground.
I then walked slowly towards my cabin. It didn't have a door yet, but I could use my suitcase's hinges and attach one in the future.
I passed through the threshold and sat in the middle of it.
It seemed to be a little bit more than 17 square meters. The logs I used were larger than I thought so it came out bigger than I expected. Not that that was a bad thing since now it just meant that it was wider. Although I suspect I would have trouble with heating the whole place but hey, it was nothing unacceptable.
I also saved a space for a window but hadn't actually attached one just yet. There was also a space for a fireplace but I had no materials to make a stove right now so it was still left empty for the time being.
I still had no flooring, nor had I insulated the walls. And there was no furniture. None at all. It was just a cabin simply made out of logs.
But at least it has walls and a roof.
If I installed a door, then no bugs would be able to come in. And if I get a light source inside, then it would be comfortable to study at night.
Oh, and it would be perfect if I could find a desk and a chair. Or make them.
I wiped the sweat off my face.
I had a house.
That simple fact felt especially touching, as it was proof of how hard I've had it thus far.
I had been trying so hard to just survive day by day that I had completely forgotten about how important this was. It wasn't until I had my own living space that I realized it.
I decided to take it easy for now and just sit back as the day came to an end.
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Beginner Craftsman
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
Handicraft Level 13
Design Level 8
Collecting Skills Level 11
Woodworking Level 12
Hunting Level 8
Fishing Level 6
Cooking Level 6
Repair Level 5 ]
The completed cabin even had a level four production difficulty.
I had delayed checking my Life Production Skills and my Dexterity stat, both of which had been rising like crazy. Even my Vitality stat had risen doing so much manual labor the past few days.
My Advanced Production Skills would actually be unlocked soon… but I somehow didn't feel like checking them right now.
I still had a long way to go.
It would be a good idea to start getting the materials for the inner walls, flooring, some furniture, the fireplace, a fence, some extra food items, and maybe even a small warehouse to store firewood and some junk. I also had to install a door and a window.
But for now… I just wanted to be underneath this roof, enclosed within these walls.
And just like that, I stayed still in the middle of my cabin for a long time.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
It was Lucy.
She was hanging off from the windowless cut out in the wall and kicking her feet in the air, stars shooting from her eyes.
This cabin, which was the product of my hard work, probably just looked like a huge cat tower to her. She started climbing up all over the roof, overly excited.
I was thinking of kicking her out but… I still wanted to sit in this sense of accomplishment for a while more.
Over the horizon, the sun was just beginning to set.