NOVEL NEXT Chapter 53
<53 - A Class Even Veterans Avoid>
After the fourth period on ranged weapon mastery from 4 PM to 6 PM, Arcadia and I cheerfully held hands and headed to the cafeteria.
“Did you hear Diga’s bow? It made an incredible sound! Wow! The look on the Empire Nobles’ terrified faces was just delightful!”
“Arcadia, you looked cool shooting that gun too.”
Hehe. “Did you know I can shoot even better on the ship? I’ll show you my skills in turning those arrogant pirates targeting our trade ships into fish food someday.”
Turns out, Arcadia’s not just a jack-of-all-trades but actually knows a lot about marksmanship!
As we arrived at the cafeteria, painting smirks on each other’s faces, we found students standing outside with blank looks, sighing.
Among them were Isabel, Jezel, and Son Ohchun, who were supposed to meet us in front of the cafeteria.
“What’s with everyone’s faces?”
“It’s a mess. I thought Oknodie would know to drop by during lunch.”
“The same menu as before was served, so I skipped it!”
“Ah, I see.”
“Haha! To make that little mouse go on a diet, we just need to feed it the same food every day!”
Instead of the useless guys, Isabel explained to us why the students looked like they had lost their country.
“They’re starting to get points for cafeteria use today. The students with low points panicked.”
“Ah-ha.”
I thought to myself, “The time has come.”
It was a disaster foretold.
Didn’t the Dragon Principal say it? This academy is all about points.
The free meals during the week-long entry preparation were just a service!
From now on, we need to either earn points through active participation during lecture hours to use the cafeteria or gather ingredients ourselves to cook.
“Let’s go inside.”
“You okay with that? A meal costs 10 points!”
30 points a day.
In just one month, a whopping 900 points would vanish.
“Tonight’s dinner is sweet and spicy chicken.”
“Chicken is always right.”
“Sweet and spicy chicken is worth every bit of those 10 points.”
Isabel and Jezel nodded in agreement as they followed me into the cafeteria.
The luxury reserved for the top students is intolerable!
*
“There’s a vast forest near the Knight Department. Have you been there? They say there are tree fruits.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to raid the orchard from the Production Department?”
“That orchard is managed by seniors from higher years who enrolled before us. You could get killed if you mess with it.”
Should we waste points at the cafeteria or save them for something more valuable?
Students were at a crossroads, and most decided to save points and look for food first.
“Tsk. I envy the rich folks in Central during times like this.”
“I feel the same.”
Unlike Empire Nobles who can gain extra points through donations, the Border Nobles don’t have that kind of leeway.
Mobs like Ro and Jakku, who barely enrolled at the lower class and aren’t from respectable noble families, had only their own means for survival!
Like hungry hyenas roaming the campus, their senses were assaulted by the aroma of food.
“Meat?”
“Wow, that smell is insane.”
Following the enticing aroma led them to a large banner hanging conspicuously.
“Congratulations on your enrollment! Not hungry?”
“Join the Hunting Club and stop starving!”
A large bonfire blazed.
Roasting pig on a spit, turning slowly.
In front of it stood a senior fanning the smoke away with a massive leaf.
These were folks who had already been starving since lunch.
No one had the mental power to resist the smell of grilled meat, nor did they want to.
“Oh, new students!”
“C-can we join in?”
“Senior, we want to eat meat!”
From beside the senior grilling, another senior beckoned with outdoor tables and folding chairs set up.
“Hurry and sign here! If you join the club, you’ll get to eat meat!”
Ro and Jakku sat down in a trance, filling out the contract and signing it.
“Senior, this says we each incur a penalty of 1000 points for missing club activities without a valid excuse.”
“Are you not eating meat?”
“W-well, of course, we will.”
“But what’s this clause saying we don’t hold responsibility for injuries during club activities?”
“Just sign it!”
“Right!”
Before the food, students were writing contracts as if enchanted!
After the cruel contracts using the Hunting Club’s roasted pig, students were bombarded with all sorts of temptations while searching for food or wandering the training grounds.
The Hunting Club wasn’t the only group enticing hungry first-years.
*
“What club will Oknodie join?”
“I’ll think about it tomorrow.”
Mondays are days to focus solely on lectures. No time to spare for clubs.
“Seriously? Oknodie, do you sit through 5th period too?”
“I’m gonna nail it on Mondays!”
Isabel was aghast.
Dinner time from 6 PM to 7 PM, followed by 5th period night lectures from 7 PM to 9 PM.
For students who thought of dinner as individual training and rest time, that schedule would be shockingly tough!
But there’s a loophole.
The fact that I’m a veteran player.
If I already know what I need to study, there’s no need to waste time on homework or study sessions after school.
I have enough points to solve my food issues at the cafeteria, and if need be, there’s chef Isabel.
All that’s left is time.
I can just stack those lectures!
‘The real problem is choosing a faculty.’
Monday First Period Home Room.
This isn’t a formal lecture.
Monday Second Period Developing Insight.
This is a general education lecture for the Adventure Department.
Monday Third Period Fundamentals and Understanding of Mana Usage.
A general education lecture for the Magic Department.
Monday Fourth Period Ranged Weapon Mastery.
Another general education lecture for the Knight Department.
That’s right.
So far, I’ve breezed through all the general education lectures!
I’ve already completed the required two common lectures and three department lectures.
Now for the last one, I just need to pick between the Knight, Adventure, or Magic Department for the department lecture.
I now faced the biggest crisis of choosing my faculty.
Knight Department.
Major characters – Hestia, Sing, Xenia, Rockbell
New character – Son Ohchun
Magic Department.
Major characters – Irene, Andersen, Warrior Woman, Saintess, Second Princess of the Empire
New character – Mol?lu
Adventure Department.
Major characters – Jiang, Jigoku
New characters – Isabel, Jezel, Dorothy
Among the three narrowed-down faculties, the most major characters were found in the Knight and Magic Departments.
Initially, I was aiming for one of those two departments.
I’ve never told anyone this, but the class I’m gunning for is… Magic Swordsman!
‘Close-combat with swords, mid-range with bows, and long-range with magic. It covers elemental attacks and even has self-healing; it’s an overpowered class!’
There’s no profession more overpowered than this with the right growth.
No matter how ridiculous the situation, it’s a class that can overcome anything alone without relying on teammates.
The all-rounder class, Magic Swordsman.
The most stable job a veteran like me can find.
The problem is that the companions this time around were drastically different from the game.
‘The friends I usually made during the entrance exam are now far from me.’
Normally, you’d aim for a supporting character you want to befriend during the entrance exam and work hard to build rapport.
The only character I managed to build rapport among existing supporting characters was Arcadia.
The problem is this time, Arcadia is so unpredictable that I can’t figure out which faculty she’ll enter.
‘Other companions seem to be gathering in the Adventure Department too.’
Whether to bolster magic or swordsmanship in the Knight or Magic Departments.
Or stick with my friends in the Adventure Department.
In the midst of my fierce internal debate, my heart finally swayed one way.
‘What’s more important than a veteran’s reputation is doing whatever I want!’
Want to learn swordsmanship and magic?
That’s something I can develop on my own while advancing my existing knowledge.
As for hanging out with friends?
That would be tough unless I choose the Adventure Department.
Right now, I’m a first year and will frequently see everyone, but as the years go on, those connections will gradually fade.
[Adventure Department]
Thus, 5th period it is for the Adventure Department.
I’ll be picking today’s department lecture here.
[Adventure Fitness Improvement]
[Basic Weapon Training for Adventurers]
[Adventure Supply 101]
[Trap Studies for Adventurers]
[Wild Cooking for Adventurers]
[Developing Insight]
If these were the lectures available during the day in the Adventure Department, the list of evening courses available differed.
[Night-time Activities for Adventurers]
[How to Sleep Well Anywhere]
[Dealing with Nocturnal Creatures]
First off, the activities and training that could be done outdoors during the day like fitness improvement and basic weapon training have all vanished, along with indoor courses like supply studies, trap studies, wild cooking, and developing insight.
Instead, new courses like night-time activities, sleep, and dealing with nocturnal creatures have been added.
‘Is that landmine course still there?’
I wasn’t the only one who set a Monday overload strategy; some other students lingered around the Adventure Department’s lecture signboard, excitedly stating:
“How to Sleep Well Anywhere? Is that a class that just teaches you to nap?”
“Wow, that’s a major find!”
“How do you even resist a class that gives you grades for just sleeping?”
Of course, I didn’t even take a second look at “How to Sleep Well Anywhere” and steered my steps toward the night-time activities class.
That “wherever” in the sleep class truly means “anywhere,” as in setting up a makeshift tent over a hole full of snakes and sleeping there.
Or camping on the cliffs.
‘No matter how much of a veteran I am, even that’s too much.’
I can’t help but have a bit of respect for new students heading to a class even veterans would avoid. Though, I doubt there’s a single person who knows what they’re signing up for.