NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40
Walking into the classroom, I saw Yurasia sitting by the window, resting her chin on her hand and staring blankly into space.
Thank goodness.
I quickly approached Yurasia.
“Yurasia, good morning.”
“Ah, uh… Young Lady. Y-yeah… good morning.”
Yurasia, unable to meet my eyes and shifting her gaze around, blushed bright red and began to let out strange, panting breaths like ‘Huff, huff…’
Looks like she’s still worried about what happened yesterday.
Well… It’s probably better to just keep things casual than to bring it up and make it more awkward.
So, I simply reached out my hand.
“Give me that card.”
“Huh?”
“The card you gave me yesterday. I couldn’t have breakfast because I didn’t have it, and now I’m starving.”
“Breakfast… Um, heh heh.”
Then Yurasia, grinning widely, pulled something out of a paper bag she had set down beside her.
“I thought you might forget, so I bought yours in advance too.”
A pork cutlet sandwich and milk.
“Huh?”
“Considering you looked tired yesterday and didn’t seem to sleep well, I figured you’d want something simple for breakfast… Is that not okay?”
“No, no! That’s exactly what I wanted!”
“Ah, really? Hehe… That’s great!”
Yurasia, still smiling, pulled the chair out for me.
“Please sit down. You still have 15 minutes, so you can eat slowly.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
I plopped down in the chair and peeled the wrapper off the sandwich I’d been handed. At the same time, the scent of freshly fried pork cutlet and the surely sweet sauce wafted through the air.
The vegetables inside looked incredibly fresh, as if picked that morning, and the bread was perfectly toasted—crispy and fluffy.
“I’m going to enjoy this.”
“Hehe. Yes.”
Swallowing the collected saliva, I took a big bite!
Nom!
Juicy pork cutlet juices exploded in my mouth. The tender meat melted away before I could even chew a few times, and the sweet sauce pooled under my tongue, making my mouth water uncontrollably.
“Mmm… Mmm… so delicious…”
The bread was moistened to perfection, not needing any milk.
The veggies added a refreshing crunch and balanced out the sauce’s richness.
Licking the sauce from my lips, I took another big bite!
Nom-nom!
Cramming the sandwich into my mouth, I stared at Yurasia, who was quietly watching me.
…Wait, she wasn’t looking at me.
She was staring at my chest.
After enthusiastically chewing and swallowing, I opened my mouth.
“Yurasia?”
“Huh?! Y-yes?!”
“Uh, um…”
I rinsed out my mouth with some milk before continuing.
“Don’t think about it too much.”
“N-no, I… Aah…”
“And as I said, we’re both girls. So it really isn’t a big deal.”
Yurasia tilted her head slightly, her face crinkled with confusion, her eyes showing layers of turmoil building up.
“Is that so…? Does it really not matter?”
“Yep. If no one’s bothered, then you don’t need to be so concerned either.”
After saying that, I took another bite of the sandwich.
I had cleared up the thoughts troubling me, the pork cutlet sandwich was delicious, I was full, and the breeze blowing in through the window felt refreshing.
A soft smile crept onto my face, and my eyes relaxed.
This is life.
“Hmph, hmhm.”
Wiggling my legs that were barely grazing the ground, I stuffed the remaining sandwich into my mouth.
The last bite was always the most satisfying when crammed full like this.
After wiping off the sauce on my hands with a napkin, I rummaged through my pocket and tossed a mint candy into my mouth, pulling out a hair tie.
As I finished tying my hair back…
Click-clack— Click-clack—
“Good morning, everyone!”
Adelia walked into the classroom.
“Did you all sleep well last night? Hehe. Some friends look like they barely slept. It’s understandable—there was excitement and worry, right?”
With a voice as clear as flowing glass beads and a gentle tone, Adelia transformed the classroom’s atmosphere.
With a mischievous smile, she snapped her fingers.
Suddenly—swish—a dozen papers neatly lined up on each desk from thin air.
Surprised students gasped, some unknowingly expressed admiration, others shrieked as if they’d seen a ghost, and a few curious ones were captivated by the phenomenon of magic that didn’t follow the usual rules.
Having surveyed the myriad reactions, Adelia chuckled softly and clapped her hands.
“Nevertheless, we still have work to do. Starting today, it’s the beginning of regular classes! Normally, you’d attend elective classes starting today, but since we haven’t created a timetable yet, today will be dedicated to making your schedules and exploring various clubs.”
At her clap, the pile of paper on the desks automatically spread out perfectly.
I wondered if it was an illusion spell, but touching them revealed they were real paper—rough but mostly smooth to the touch, threatening to tear if I applied too much pressure.
Now, if I put in some mana…?
Zzzzzzt—
“What the—?!”
I tore it.
How did that even happen?
“Ah, um… Young Lady…?”
“N-no, I didn’t mean to tear it…”
The classroom fell abruptly silent.
Looking around, everyone was staring at me.
Eyes filled with shock and horror.
“This… this is not… didn’t mean to…!”
Scratching my head nervously, I glanced down at the torn paper.
I’d heard it tear four times, but there were over twenty pieces strewn about. Did it really make sense for a tiny puff of mana to cause such a mess?
“Oh my… Eliaernes? No matter how much you dislike the lecture, I don’t think tearing up applications is acceptable.”
“Th-that wasn’t me! Ugh, I’m sorry…”
I hurriedly threw out an apology to avoid dragging it out and attracting more attention.
“Hehe. Yes. Other students should be aware too. No matter how much you dislike the class, you still need to earn the required credits. So, unless you want to get held back, make sure you think it through and manage your time well when making your schedule.”
Snap! With another snap of Adelia’s fingers, new sheets appeared on my desk.
“I won’t be making any more of these for you, so don’t tear them, understood?”
“…Yes.”
I thought to myself, I didn’t tear them though.
Grumbling inwardly, I flipped through the neatly arranged papers.
[Don’t frown, just smile^^]
The elegantly written words caught my eye.
“…What the heck.”
“Gasp… Young Lady…! Use refined language…!”
Yurasia slapped my thigh lightly.
Ignoring her, I shot a glare at Adelia standing at the front of the classroom.
Receiving my gaze, Adelia flashed a captivating smile and looked away.
“Alright, let’s start the explanation again. First, as you can see, this is the application form. You just write down the classes you want to take according to the schedule. The bottom sections explain how to do that, right? If you look at this, you should be able to manage.”
Passing by the infuriating words, I focused on the blank spaces below.
Monday and Wednesday are common classes.
Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday are for your selected classes.
And there’s a section to list clubs you can freely participate in.
The common classes involved topics related to mana and boring theories.
And below that, it branched into three categories.
Vanguard and Circle.
The Vanguard section includes classes for melee and archery.
In the Circle, there are classes for mages.
“Now, let’s turn to the next page.”
As soon as Adelia finished her sentence, the paper flipped automatically.
“Our class focuses on combat, right? As you can see, lectures aligned with the combat department are listed here. The left side is for vanguard classes, and the right side is for rear support. There’s no limit to class sizes. Even if everyone crowds into one, it means all Signia students can attend. So don’t hesitate—if you want to take a class, just take it all.”
Honestly, I had no interest in the right side.
I quickly turned my attention to the left and skimmed through the lectures.
Even if there were classes on swords, they were all different.
Spear, axe, shield—none were the same. They varied by professor, style, and what the students sought.
It felt like… a sort of let’s throw everything in and see what they like approach, you know?
My mind was spinning at the overwhelming number of lectures.
Of course, I didn’t really need any classes on handling weapons. But it was still intriguing.
Every now and then, the names of professors from 400 years ago caught my eye. I wondered what they were like.
Had they achieved a similar prowess to their ancestors?
Or maybe their descendants had outdone them significantly.
I couldn’t help but wonder if we could try out a class beforehand.
I was curious…
Salivating at the thought, I continued to peruse the lecture categories while Adelia continued explaining.
“Overwhelming, isn’t it? You’ll probably be wondering which classes to fit into your schedule. That’s why the Signia Class is generous with time for you to create your timetables. Today is Friday, after all. You just have to finish by next Monday. If you’re struggling even after putting in serious thought, feel free to come to me anytime. I’m your kind, approachable teacher who’s always happy to welcome you on weekends.”
Receiving the students’ admiring gazes, Adelia crossed her arms and walked with clack-clack steps.
“Now, let’s talk about some important points that aren’t written on the paper.”
With each step, a heavy atmosphere settled in.
A chilling mana spread through the classroom, sapping the students’ spirits.
Even Yurasia instinctively felt it, grasping at her waist.
“Students who have made it into Karela Academy are presumed to have talent. Further, you, the Signia students, are seen to possess even greater talents.”
Thud-thud— Thud-thud— The footsteps didn’t pause.
From in front, behind, beside, sometimes above.
The sound of shoes pressed on.
“So don’t waste time enrolling in lectures you cannot comprehend. After all, you’ve come all this way to the Signia Class, wasting time would be a pity. In fact, there are students from previous years who got held back for doing exactly that. So I hope you, intelligent ones, avoid such foolishness.”
The sound stopped.
Adelia, who had been walking at the back, now stood at the front of the classroom, looking around at us.
“And I wish you would refrain from doing anything foolish due to your talents, pride, or honor. But if you find it too hard to hold back, Karela Academy does have a duel system. Of course, you can’t kill each other, but you can vent your frustrations.”
So…
“Please don’t try to do anything against each other.”
Her blood-red eyes shimmered ominously.
A seductive tongue slipped between her crimson lips, wetting them, as whispers that tingled inside curled from her mouth.
“The professors of Karela Academy have the right to terminate students on the spot if they deem that a mortal injury will occur.”
Fear twisted the faces of the students, paling them.
After a moment of forcefully gripping the atmosphere, Adelia returned to her smile and withdrew the mana from the classroom.
“Oh dear… I tried to create a bit of atmosphere after a long time, but I just feel awkward! Anyway, you all understand, right? If you have any troubles or difficulties during your time at the academy, don’t suffer alone—come see me, Adelia Baros. I will always welcome you. Now, does anyone have questions?”
Yet the students, as if struck dead, averted their gazes.
No one mustered the courage to ask.
How could they?
“If not, then I’ll take my leave.”
As I gently patted Yurasia’s back, who was on edge, Adelia called my name.
“Ah, wait. Eliaernes?”
In that moment, all eyes turned towards me.
“Ugh…”
It’s only been two days since I enrolled.
Everyone looks at me like I’m a delinquent.