Chapter 244: Second Semester (2)
Chapter 244: Second Semester (2)
After arriving at the Academy.
Iris headed to the mansion with the dildo Fay had made for her, while Iona went to her laboratory. Fay headed straight to her workshop, carrying the chimera’s corpse.
My room, which had been noisy just a moment ago, felt quiet now that the group had thinned out. I arrived with only Carla and Elisha in tow.
“…Thinking about it now, isn't this kind of amazing? How is a dormitory on the same level as a VIP room in the Church of Light?”
Back in the Academy dormitory after a long time, I muttered to myself as I tossed my luggage into a corner and flopped onto the bed.
Carla, following behind me, gathered the luggage into one spot and replied in a gentle voice.
“It is true that the Church of Righteous Light is a powerful force… but they aren't exactly a group that obsesses over money. Besides, the Academy was built by the combined efforts of the entire Eurelia Continent.”
“To add a bit more to Carla’s explanation, it’s also meant to provoke the students in Class B and Class C by showing them a clear disparity,” Elisha said, sitting gracefully on the edge of the bed after rummaging through the pile to pick out only the essentials.
“I know. I knew that, but… how should I put it? I have this image of dormitories being kind of run-down stuck in my head. You know, places where bugs crawl out and the plumbing breaks so you get rusty water.”
“Oh my? Have you perhaps attended some third-rate educational institution before, dear?”
“No. It’s just what I’ve heard.”
As the Academy proved successful, knock-off institutions began to pop up one by one. Of course, compared to the Academy, the difference was like that between a primary school and a university.
It’s easier to understand if you think of those miscellaneous institutions' goal as simply producing students who can get into the Academy.
Well, my prejudice against dormitories actually stemmed from my life on Earth.
I had lived in a dorm because my high school was quite far away… and it was absolutely miserable back then.
I can never forget the moment I opened my eyes to find a cockroach right in front of my nose.
Cheers to my past self, who held his breath for fear it would fly into his mouth if he screamed, and calmly caught it with nearby tissues and a box.
By the way, thanks to my Excellent Memory trait, I really can’t forget it now.
Anyway, because of that experience, even though I knew through H&A that the Class A dormitories were better than most luxury inns, a part of me still looked down on them.
But after visiting the VIP rooms of the Church of Light, my perspective had shifted a bit.
“I guess the only guest rooms better than this would be the VIP suites in the Levantine Empire.”
“Oh? Not necessarily. The first-class VIP rooms in the Alfheim Kingdom are even better than this.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The facilities themselves aren't much different, but they are so saturated with the blessing of the World Tree that your body recovers just by breathing. The problem is that only High Elves are allowed inside.”
“High Elves… I guess you’ve been there too, Elisha.”
“Of course. That’s why I can say with certainty that it’s better. …Though it’s a place I can’t even go near anymore.”
Elisha let out a deep sigh with a bitter smile.
I watched her for a moment, then rolled across the bed and buried my nose in Elisha’s large rear.
Snnniff.
Why do elves always smell so fresh, like grass or trees, no matter where you sniff?
“W-What are you doing all of a sudden?! Why are you sniffing such a strange place!”
“Because you were being all gloomy and thinking weird thoughts.”
“What does that have to do with anything?!”
“Actually, nothing. I just saw a butt in front of me and decided to bury my nose in it.”
“That’s not something to say so proudly! At least try to make an excuse!”
Elisha looked dumbfounded. But soon, she let out a small chuckle and began to gently stroke my hair.
“Well… it is a bit disappointing, but it’s not like I could stay there every day anyway, so I don’t mind that much.”
“…If you say so.”
My voice came out blunt, mostly because I felt like she’d seen right through me.
Elisha giggled, poking my nose as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.
Seeing that, Carla, who had been standing nearby, crept up and started sniffing the crown of my head from behind.
…Why are you sniffing there?
Somehow, I felt like I could understand how Elisha felt.
*
The day before the semester started, Fay came to visit.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Junior. It’s me, it’s me.”
She announced herself with a very suspicious line.
“Who is ‘me’? I don’t know anyone by that name.”
“I said it’s me! Fay Yarnshard! Your reliable exclusive alchemist!”
“Reliable…? Senior Fay is indeed my exclusive alchemist, but she’s not particularly reliable.”
“What?!”
“Give me proof that you are Senior Fay.”
“Are you really going to be like this, Junior?! And after I finally finished the new staff and brought it to you….”
Fay stomped her feet, her voice sounding pouting because I was teasing her.
I guess that’s enough teasing. I should open the door now. Just as I reached for the doorknob—
“F-Fine, I’ll give you proof, so bring your ear close to the door, Junior.”
“Huh? Um… okay, I’m ready.”
As I pressed my ear against the door as Fay requested, the sounds from the other side became much clearer.
“Ahem. I’m only going to say this once, so listen carefully, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. What are you even trying to do…”
“I, Fay Yarnshard, declare that my breasts belong to Junior Yandel, and I shall not complain no matter when or where they are touched…”
Wait, isn't that the thing I said half-jokingly last time?! Why are you saying that out in the hallway!
Clack!
“Get in here, quickly!”
“Hehe. That was effective.”
Fay walked in with a satisfied nod and a brisk pace. I guess she was a little embarrassed herself.
I let out a long sigh and looked around. Naturally, there was no one else there.
Right. She probably said that in the hallway because no one was around.
Thud.
I closed the door and turned around. Fay was already greeting Carla and Elisha before naturally sprawling out on the sofa.
Anyone watching would think it was her own room.
Feeling exasperated, I absentmindedly squeezed Fay’s breast and asked.
“So? What’s up? You said you made a new staff; is it because of that?”
“Right. It’s the staff using the sensory-linked slime I mentioned before… Ah, this is so soft…”
“I know, right? It really is soft.”
“…You’re talking about my chest, aren't you?”
“Correct.”
“Ugh.”
Fay pouted, but she didn't move my hand as she pulled a long staff out of her subspace pocket.
“Ta-da!”
“Oh… is this it?”
It was shaped like a straight metal rod. Up to this point, it wasn't much different from my current staff.
However, unlike the previous one which was a plain, chrome-colored stick, this one had a black body engraved with intricate purple patterns, giving it a high-end feel.
The rounded, bulging part at the tip had gotten larger, which was a minus in terms of design… but considering the energy felt from within was stronger, it was likely because she used a better magic stone.
As soon as I took it from Fay, I channeled my mana into it.
“Oh. The mana conductivity is definitely much better than before. It’s at least passed the level of a practice tool and reached the level of a decent staff.”
“Right? Actually, this looks like metal, but it’s not. I made it by taking a few parts from the chimera you brought back this time.”
“Ack.”
That’s a bit gross. Suddenly, I felt like I could smell it.
But Fay, seemingly taking my reaction as admiration, continued in an excited tone.
“As you can see, the tip got a bit bigger, right? That part houses the magic stone, but it’s also the part that maximizes impact when used as a weapon, so I specifically melted down the carapace of the one called the ‘Leader’ to make it.”
“Ah, that’s actually pretty good.”
Gross or not, being able to use the Tarasque’s carapace as a weapon was a welcome development.
In H&A, you could only collect dropped items; you couldn't bring back the corpse itself to strip it for loot, so these materials were unobtainable.
But if they were implemented, the Tarasque’s carapace would definitely be a high-tier material.
I felt a bit excited knowing she had incorporated a material I had only ever imagined using.
“Even though the hardness must have dropped because the mana stopped flowing after death, it was still so incredibly tough… If it weren't for the magical tools Lady Iris made for me this time, I wouldn't have even been able to cut it off.”
“You mean that dangerous-looking set of magical tools I saw last time? Since that creature was strong enough to kill several high-ranking holy knights while it was alive, it must have been difficult to process.”
I had initially introduced Iris to Fay to give her advice on enchanting, but they had become quite close since then and were helping each other with various things.
The magical tools she received recently were one such example.
“…Was it really that strong? And you caught it without a single scratch, Junior?”
“I didn't fight it head-on. I trapped it and caught it easily. Anyway, that’s not what’s important right now, is it? I think you skipped the explanation for the most important part.”
“Ah, right. Anyway, just know that it’s much sturdier than before, so you can treat it a bit more roughly. Next is the most important part, just like you said.”
Fay sat up and reached out toward me. I handed the staff back to her.
Holding the staff close, Fay showed me the purple patterns engraved on the body.
“Here. This part is the center of the magic circle. If you drop your blood here, your information will be imprinted.”
“I’ll do it right away.”
I lightly pricked my thumb with an Ice Spear I had shrunk to the size of a needle. A drop of blood welled up along with a sharp sting.
As I brought it to the center point Fay had indicated—
Wrooom—
Starting from where the blood touched, the purple lines began to glow, spreading outward.
The purple lines, crawling across the staff like snakes climbing a tree, finally completed a circular magic circle.
At that moment, the sensation of holding the staff changed instantly.
“This is…”
Fortunately, it didn't feel like I was holding a dick.