I left the pawn shop in a surprisingly good mood.
After the old man took his commission and I paid for the shotgun, I still had 503 gold coins left.
As someone who barely scraped by on his parents’ allowance back on Earth, this amount of money felt unreal. I caught myself smiling as I walked, unable to hide the satisfaction that came with a pouch full of gold.
The next thing on today’s list was getting a house.
Somewhere I could stay without worrying about dorm evictions or unwanted stares.
So, I headed to the Merchant Association.
Property hunting wasn’t as simple as scrolling through options on a screen. It took hours of checking locations, asking questions, and listening to merchants trying to upsell me everything from overpriced sheds to suspiciously cheap estates outside city borders. After all that, I finally settled on a small, two-story wooden house within the city — close enough to the academy to walk, but not so close that the prices were ridiculous.
It cost ninety gold coins.
Feeling a bit generous, I even tipped the clerk one gold coin after the paperwork was done.
By the time I stepped outside, the sun had already shifted past midday. My stomach, which had been neglected since morning, reminded me of its existence, so I stopped by a nearby restaurant before heading home.
When I arrived in front of the house, it was already close to five in the evening.
I took in the sight before me.
A simple wooden gate.
A small yard.
Two floors, modest architecture, neat appearance.
It wasn’t large or luxurious, but seeing it made something settle inside me.
It felt like I finally had a base — a place that acknowledged my existence here.
I opened the door and stepped inside.
The ground floor had a hall that connected to a small kitchen and an extra room that could be used as storage or a study. The furniture was simple but decent — sturdy wooden chairs, a table without scratches, shelves that weren’t falling apart. Instead of lightbulbs, faintly glowing stones were set along the ceiling. The air circulated naturally, making the place feel airy even without fans.
Upstairs, there were three bedrooms. All clean. All empty.
Wooden flooring, smooth walls, windows placed just right to let in the evening breeze.
There was nothing extravagant, yet nothing felt lacking either. It was exactly the kind of place where I could picture myself waking up every morning without fuss.
I placed my storage bag on the living room table and sat down for a moment, letting out a slow breath.
"This will do."
Not a fresh beginning, but a beginning nonetheless.
Tomorrow would be my first day back at the academy. Lucien’s one-week suspension officially ended today, which meant I had to show up and at least pretend to belong there. The last thing I needed was getting into trouble again before I even tried to correct my course.
So, I decided to sleep early.
*****[
Early morning light hadn’t even touched the sky when I opened my eyes. The room was faintly illuminated by the glowstones embedded in the walls. Checking the clock, I realized it was only 5 AM — still dark outside.
Too early to leave.
Too awake to fall back asleep.
I had three hours left before classes began.
More than enough time to get myself sorted.
By the time I washed up and brushed my teeth, almost an hour had passed. My stomach felt empty again, reminding me that the food at the academy was still not an attractive option.
There was no way I could continue eating that flavorless cuisine forever.
Back on Earth, I lived alone for years and had to cook for myself. I wasn’t a professional, but I wasn’t far behind either — at least I could make meals worth eating.
Luckily, I had bought groceries yesterday on the way home: vegetables, meat, eggs. Basic ingredients, but workable.
For breakfast, I didn’t want anything too heavy.
Something simple, warm, and comforting would do.
I entered the kitchen and examined the stove — or what passed for a stove in this world. Instead of gas burners, the structure resembled a metal platform with small slots designed to hold mana stones. These stones were extracted from the cores of monsters or mined from underground deposits where residual mana accumulated. Depending on their grade, a single mana stone could burn steadily from minutes to days.
I placed a low-grade mana stone into the slot. A faint blue flame flickered to life beneath the pan.
Today’s menu: scrambled eggs and buttered toast with a side of lightly cooked meat.
I cracked a few eggs into a bowl, whisking them briefly with a pinch of salt. The yolk blended smoothly into a vibrant yellow. I added a small amount of chopped green herbs — the closest this world had to parsley — to give it more fragrance. The pan heated up quickly, so I added a pat of butter, letting it melt and coat the surface before pouring in the mixture.
The eggs sizzled gently, softening into fluffy curds. I kept stirring slowly to maintain their tenderness. Once done, I slid them onto a plate, their aroma spreading pleasantly.
For the meat, I sliced a small portion and sprinkled a bit of pepper and salt before searing it lightly on each side. The meat here had a richer taste compared to Earth’s livestock, probably due to being infused with mana. It browned nicely under the flame, releasing a savory smell.
Lastly, I toasted a couple of pieces of bread directly over the flame until they reached a crisp golden color. I added a thin layer of butter and watched it melt smoothly.
Within minutes, breakfast was ready — simple, but much better than anything I’d tasted in this world so far.
I sat at the table, admiring the meal. Warm eggs, steaming meat, and fresh toast. It wasn’t a five-star breakfast, but it was genuine comfort on a plate.
I took the first bite.
"...Yeah. This is how breakfast should taste."
Good food had a way of grounding the mind — making everything feel a little more manageable.
I washed the dishes and wiped down the kitchen counter, making sure everything looked presentable. When I checked the time again, it was already ten past seven. Since I needed about twenty minutes to reach the academy, leaving by seven-thirty would get me there comfortably early.
I got dressed quickly.
The uniform consisted of a fitted black coat with silver lining, a dark-blue shirt, and matching trousers. It looked like a stylish private academy uniform at first glance, but that was only on the surface. Each piece was reinforced with multiple layers of defense magic—protection against blades, minor spells, and impacts. It was the kind of armor you could wear to class without looking like you were heading to war.
No wonder the cadets wore it almost everywhere.
It wasn’t just a symbol of status—it was practical.