Chapter 92
Consumed 10,000 points to acquire ‘Savo Exclusive: Secret Swordsmanship Manual of Sword Saint Dominic, Sword Master of the Defardly Empire.’
I reached into my pocket.
I pulled out a book that had appeared out of nowhere and handed it to Savo.
“Do you know how to read?”
“I can listen, read, and write.”
“I think this martial arts manual will be useful to you. Make sure to study it on your own.”
“Yes.”
Savo, having received Dominic’s swordsmanship manual, promptly opened the book.
It was filled with dense text and various illustrations.
I couldn’t make sense of it myself.
“…It feels familiar.”
Savo’s full name is ‘Savo Aturta.’
The surname of Sword Saint Dominic, the main adversary in the Imperial Dungeon Tournament, was also Aturta.
When I first saw Savo, the swordsmanship he had taught himself was also ‘Sword Saint Dominic’s swordsmanship.’
‘Now that I think about it, it’s impressive.’
There’s no way Savo, a slave, could have systematically learned swordsmanship.
Given his young age, it’s hard to believe he was properly taught by his parents either.
That talent.
A talent that pierces and soars through the heavens had sought out and followed the swordsmanship etched in his blood.
“If you simply like the sword, that’s enough to make something of it. If you ever want to meet others, interact, and acquire various knowledge, then you can go to the academy.”
“I understand.”
There was more I wanted to say, but I couldn’t delay any longer.
Just then, Lilac cautiously approached from the side.
“Master, you’ll be late if you don’t get ready soon.”
“I’d better go.”
Fortunately, I made it to school without being late.
The leaves on the trees within the Imperium Academy grounds were gradually turning vibrant shades.
Full autumn would arrive soon.
When I entered the classroom, an inexplicable tension hung in the air.
‘Hah.’
It was probably because of Princess Adela, sitting next to my assigned seat.
She slowly turned her head to look at me.
Adela, early in the morning, looked somewhat tired.
“Come in, Martin. I was just in need of a sunshade.”
As I sat down, Princess Adela leaned closer and lay down in the shadow I cast.
‘Good heavens.’
I sighed heavily and passed the time until Teacher Hectia entered.
“Starting from the second semester of your first year, classes will become more intensive and specialized.”
Morning announcements began, and Hectia stood at the podium to make her statement.
“If most classes were conducted by your homeroom teachers, from now on, except for certain practicals, each subject will be taught by specialized teachers. As you know, they are all individuals with skills comparable to Gold Knights, so study diligently to learn as much as you can…”
In other words, the proportion of lessons taught by subject-specific teachers would overwhelmingly increase.
The important point was:
“Greetings, everyone.”
Most classes, previously held in the classroom, were now shifted to subject-specific practice areas.
“I trust you’ve solidified the basics of each subject under your homeroom teacher during the first semester. I am Teacher Villemon, the botanist. Most of my herbalism classes will take place here in the ‘greenhouse.’ This is my domain as a botany teacher.”
The cadets buzzed with excitement as they looked around the cozy greenhouse environment.
Cadets who had caught colds in the chilly transitional weather from summer to autumn even wore happy expressions.
“My knowledge of plants is vast, but the time to teach you is limited. Therefore, I’ll focus on teaching you about things that could be threats or helpful in the Time Chaos Dungeon.”
Teacher Villemon, with a short white beard and a monocle, headed toward the prepared classroom setup.
On the table, there was one potted plant per person, resembling a sleek cactus.
“This plant is called ‘Jajjara,’ a greedy species that primarily grows in jungles.”
When Villemon placed his hand on the Jajjara, its smooth, round surface split into six parts, revealing its interior.
It was filled with water.
“This one is a harmful plant that absorbs all the moisture around it. It’s the opposite of the terraforming plants used in the Eudialyte Desert’s reforestation project. It’s a naughty thing that can cause desertification.”
He scooped a ladleful of water from inside the Jajjara and drank it.
“Mmm, that’s the stuff. The sweet liquid, including Jajjara’s nutrients, can serve as an excellent emergency food source, providing moisture and nutrition to stranded survivors.”
This time, he scooped another ladleful and sprinkled it over a flowerbed in the distance.
Butterflies and bees swarmed to it.
“It can also attract the attention of insects or beasts with a keen sense of smell. But you must be careful when harvesting. The Jajjara’s smooth skin is coated with paralyzing poison, which some natives collect for poison arrows. Conversely, if you peel off the skin carefully, the flesh inside is edible. It’s also full of moisture.”
He began peeling the skin with a harvesting knife.
After eating a handful of the white flesh, Teacher Villemon chewed and said,
“Now, give it a try.”
‘Well… it doesn’t seem too difficult.’
Thanks to Know-It-All analyzing the dissection process, I picked up a harvesting knife and started working immediately.
First, I placed my hand on it, and the mouth split open into six parts.
Inside, dead insect carcasses were floating.
‘Hmm, starting from the mouth…’
I held the knife and began peeling the Jajjara’s skin.
A slimy, transparent liquid started oozing out.
“You, you…”
I turned my head to see Princess Adela glaring at me with a grimace.
“You know how to do this too?”
“…Didn’t Teacher Villemon just show us?”
“No, that’s true, but…”
Her golden eyes were filled with unease.
‘Hmm, could it be?’
I thrust the knife in with force.
The Jajjara’s bodily fluid splattered onto Adela’s desk.
A few drops landed on her white hand.
“…!”
Her grip immediately seized my collar.
The sound of her grinding teeth rang in my ears.
“You insolent commoner… do you wish to die? Shall I show you the taste of my Shadow Knights?”
The sound of her gnashing teeth was amusing.
I smirked at the Princess.
“Oh, my mistake.”
I thrust the knife into the Jajjara again.
As the fluid splattered once more, Adela hurriedly stepped back.
‘Hah, really.’
She’s a Princess full of contradictions, just like her drinking habits.
Normally, I’d stop here, but with all the pent-up frustration, I couldn’t.
“What’s so disgusting that you’re reacting like that?”
“If I say it’s disgusting, it’s disgusting!”
I cut the Jajjara’s flesh into small cubes and popped one into my mouth.
“Think of it as aloe. It’s sweeter than that.”
“….”
“Or perhaps…”
I cut another piece of Jajjara’s flesh into a cube and casually offered it to her.
“Could it be that the Princess of the Imperium Empire is afraid of something like Jajjara’s flesh?”
“Are you mocking me?!”
Her delicate white hand snatched the flesh and shoved it into her mouth.
She chewed, shuddering at the slimy, slippery texture.
But only for a moment.
“…It’s delicious.”
“I told you. It’s like sweet aloe.”
***
“Hi, everyone. I’m Teacher Jewel, the pathfinding instructor.”
Pathfinding.
The study of finding one’s way.
A valuable discipline that teaches map reading, tracking, and more.
Teacher Jewel, dressed like a beggar despite his title as an Imperium Academy instructor, said,
“My classes will take place in various locations. Forests, rivers, plains, deserts—any terrain, inside or outside buildings.”
He pulled his straw hat down and reached into his tattered cloak, then shook it out.
What came out was a black flag.
“I’ve hidden 100 identical flags around the Imperium Academy grounds. The one who finds the most will get a mention in the cadet record, I suppose?”
Competitive classes fuel the cadets’ drive to win.
‘The cadet record.’
I do plan to graduate from Imperium Academy, but that doesn’t mean I’ll pour my all into school life.
Honestly, keeping an eye on the protagonist party to prevent their blunders is enough.
But that also means I can’t afford to get failing grades.
“Begin!”
As everyone scattered in all directions, I stood still, turned around, and reached into a bush, pulling out a black flag.
Jewel’s eyes gleamed as he saw it.
“How did you know, cadet?”
“It was too obvious.”
Jewel laughed heartily.
“Hahaha! Was it that obvious?!”
“Yes. It was practically screaming to be taken, but no one did.”
“Hoohoohoohoo! Martin of Ulvhadin! I’d heard the rumors, but you’re the real deal!”
Rumors?
There are plenty about me, but… it doesn’t seem like the ones I’m thinking of.
“Rumors?”
“Yes. You’re quite famous these days, aren’t you? Martin the delinquent, slowly returning to the prodigy he was as a child. Seeing you in person, I get it. …First time hearing this?”
“Yes.”
“Rumors are always unknown to the person they’re about.”
“….”
To avoid bad remarks in the cadet record, I needed to find at least two flags.
It wasn’t difficult, of course.
Wild Instinct (Lv 3) instinctively senses that there’s definitely one in the rabbit hutch!
I quickly found another and sat by the rabbit hutch, slowly closing my eyes.
There was still time before class ended, so I figured I’d take a nap.
“Cadet Martin?”
I opened my eyes at the call and saw Matthew standing there, holding an armful of greens.
“Matthew.”
“Wow, meeting you here is such a coincidence! Do you like rabbits?!”
Do I like rabbits?
I turned my head, and the hutch’s rabbits were all clinging to the wall, staring at me.
“…A little.”
“Haha! I knew it, Cadet Martin! Animals tend to follow you quietly, don’t they?”
“What are you doing here? What about the flags?”
A diligent guy like Matthew wouldn’t be slacking off like me.
“Oh, the animals told me there’s a flag in the rabbit hutch. I came to find it. Uh… I brought some gifts too?”
That’s unfortunate.
“You’re a bit late.”
Silently, I pulled out a black flag from my pocket.
“Ahh! Cadet Martin already found it! You’re amazing!”
“There’s plenty of time left. You’ll find some.”
Matthew’s Animal Communion ability is specialized for search tasks like this.
It’s not strictly necessary, but…
“Maybe… by the training field.”
Why do I feel like helping him?
“Haha! Got it! I’ll check there!”
Matthew immediately dashed toward the training field… leaving the greens for the rabbits behind.
The rabbits stared at the running Matthew with blank eyes.
I couldn’t hear it, but were they shouting, ‘Don’t go!’ or ‘No! Leave the greens!’?
“Sigh.”
I sighed, reached out, and pulled the basket of greens toward me.
I grabbed a bunch of leafy vegetables and placed them in the hutch.
“Eat up.”
As the rabbits swarmed and munched away, I slowly closed my eyes again.
“Hey, Cadet Martin. Are you sleeping during class?”
How much time had passed?
A spring-like fragrance wafted over.
I turned my head and saw a pink chick sitting next to me.
As our eyes met, Teacher Hailey, with half-closed eyes, playfully interrogated me.
“Class A should be in pathfinding class right now~.”
“….”
Of all people, I got caught by Teacher Hailey.
“…I was hiding, Teacher.”
A spark lit up in Hailey’s face.
“You were sleeping! And I’m not a teacher, I’m a teaching assistant!”
I had no words.
I’m not exactly a diligent student, so, well.
“But it’s commendable.”
“Huh?”