Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: The Course Registration Ordeal
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1
"Now, if I turn the dial... there we go?"
I took a step back and gazed at the massive incubator.
The incubator, cradling the enormous egg, began to hum softly, emanating a gentle warmth.
Only after confirming it was working properly did I flop onto the bed.
This should cover the minimum requirements for hatching.
I had no idea what would come out of that egg, though...
As long as it's not a dragon, I'll be fine.
Wyverns, griffons, and hippogriffs are pretty rare too, but people do raise them.
I wonder why griffons and hippogriffs lay eggs in the first place, but if they hatch from eggs, it's possible.
No way to know until it hatches.
Anyway, time will sort that out.
Time, time.
There was one more time-sensitive issue I needed to handle.
"The course registration period is coming up soon..."
Esterro Academy starts every semester with course registration.
It's not much different from university, but without a one-click system that decides fates, it's a far more brutal and cutthroat battlefield.
The process is simple.
On the day, a registration box appears in front of the professor's office for each course.
Just drop your form in, and you're registered.
The box opens and closes automatically based on capacity, so it's a race against time.
You need a clean route planned too.
"With class sizes capped at fifty per year."
It's a small number, but many courses run on a small elite format to ensure quality.
There aren't many lectures to begin with, and preferences split the crowd, so popular ones fill up inevitably.
Ah, I miss the game days.
Back then, it was a simple event: plan your route and nail the time attack.
Even if you failed, the penalty was just missing some side events—no big deal since you weren't actually attending.
But this is different.
I have to attend them myself, so choices matter.
"First priority: avoid failing any."
Next, recruit NPCs who'll become my allies while living academy life.
I'll look inside the academy, but there are talented people outside too.
To recruit them, I need plenty of time for outside activities.
So, Monday and Friday off are essential.
Bonus: rest on quiet days.
I unrolled the parchment from before vacation.
It neatly listed second-semester courses.
"Let's see... Professor Yatu's statistics and economics? Boring and not my strong suit—pass... Professor Bento's theoretical magic? Too dry—pass..."
I methodically eliminated options.
Finally, the top candidates left were Edmund and Bailey.
Ugh, both suck.
But to avoid fails and balance studies with life, I can't skip Edmund's runes lecture or Bailey's magic one.
With tears in my eyes, I built the schedule.
After every combo and permutation, I barely secured Friday off.
Eighteen credits with Friday free.
Wednesday has three back-to-back, but one is two credits.
Edmund's runes need no extra study, and Bailey's magic theory isn't hard—my dimensional aptitude blocks practicals, but theory's fine.
Perfect, this is the plan.
No Plan B.
It's all or nothing.
If one slips, no retreat—but that's okay.
With years of registration experience and 3000 hours of vet tactics, I'll win.
2
"It's been so long, I'm pumped!"
Ethan stretched in front of the main building.
Loosening every muscle, he looked ready for battle, not registration.
Ethan wasn't unusual.
With classes starting in a couple days, students had returned ages ago.
Registration starts at 10 a.m. when the building opens, so the front was packed with campers.
At least 10 was freshmen only—good thing.
Mixing years would be chaos.
"You've only done it once—'been long' my ass."
"Second time, but still ages ago! Almost half a year!"
Ethan clenched his fist.
His blue eyes blazed with mismatched passion—I was already tired.
"So, what courses you gunning for? Me, advanced swordsmanship obviously!"
"Just that? Mine: Understanding Runes, Applied Elemental Magic, Basic Alchemy, Advanced Swordsmanship, Basic Tracking, Peludium, Alchemy Practicum. Seven total."
"Ooh! We overlap some! Friends think alike!"
Like hell.
Excluding two-credit Peludium and one-credit Alchemy Practicum, all are three-credit heavy hitters.
Packed tight for Friday off—pure combat compression.
"I'll do runes, swordsmanship, tracking, Peludium too."
"Oh, Leon too! Four overlaps? This'll be fun... Should I tweak mine?"
"Minutes left and you're sane?"
Changing schedule last-second for fun? Ethan's lost it.
I panicked; he burst out laughing.
"Haha! Knew it! Next semester, plan together!"
"Sure, whatever."
I don't care.
I shrugged; Leon whispered low.
"One minute."
Academy clock tower: 9:59.
Tension thickened the air.
The 10 a.m. bell rang; doors flew open.
Students surged forward.
Ethan and Leon blended in, vanishing inside.
Crowd bottlenecked at central stairs.
Predictable, but some flew brooms straight up, sent automata or golems ahead.
No need to go personally.
As long as no harm or cheating, dropping the form counts.
Flying on brooms, sending constructs—all fair if it's your skill.
My dimensional magic qualifies too.
"Stick to plan."
No rush.
Central stairs need minutes to clear.
Only 4-5 broke ahead.
Time's still mine.
Skipped central for west stairs.
Even sprinting takes 1-2 minutes detour—no one went.
Freely hurled Deathwise up the stairs.
It soared to sixth floor.
Before freefall, I swapped coordinates.
-Yawn... Cocky brat... Using me as a beacon...
Whatever, deal.
Mana spread direct is slower over distance than wrapping on you.
Limited range, but speed trumps now.
-Clever head on you...
Shut up, sleep.
Ignored grumbling Deathwise, sprinted hall.
Instant to sixth drained mana—head throbbed—but advantage too good to waste.
Sixth target: Peludium.
Broken World soccer lite, 20 slots, popular prof Paullu—toughest.
For my Friday off.
Paullu's box had visitors: Ethan and Leon submitting.
How'd they beat my teleport?
Central was madness.
Protagonist perks, huh.
"Oh! Where ya been?"
"West stairs detour."
"All that way? Fast feet, friend!"
Not feet—teleport.
No time to explain; waved and dropped to fifth.
Hard to rush sixth first, so starting high gives breathing room.
Route perfect; centrals just hit fourth.
Bottlenecks worsened with up/down traffic.
Meanwhile, submitted Basic Alchemy and Practicum.
Then opposite: Tracking.
Four down clean.
Left: Advanced Swordsmanship, Applied Elemental Magic, Understanding Runes—all fourth.
Mid-bottleneck hell.
Mana check: two short hops left.
Eyes shut, probed below with mana.
Swapped coordinates.
Ugh, head...
Woodpecker drilling skull.
Grimaced, submitted swordsmanship.
Turned: Bailey's office swarmed.
Eight or nine easy.
Tight for capacity.
Pulled neatly folded form.
Burned last mana on swap.
Dizzy stagger—but form vanished.
Teleported just the form.
First-come-first; form in wins.
If knew box coords, pre-fix mana points for form-only hops.
Or true portals from dorm.
More dimensional practice: next semester maybe.
"First... fix mana burn..."
Max pool solid, but dimensional efficiency sucks.
Stumbled woozy to west end.
Still empty west.
Target office vacant.
Light on inside.
Clara probably still working.
Main reason: Edmund's lecture—loose slots, zero hype.
High quality, but prof's a drag...
Smart last pick.
Submitted final form.
3
"I'm dead..."
Crashed on dorm bed.
Choco climbed my back, kneading shoulders.
Good boy—let him massage.
Registration somehow done.
Looking back, first semester to break flew by.
From occupying Reading Club to Hilfenberg raid.
...I wanted quiet peace—why all these incidents?
Met unscripted Anirzer, saved Leon's holy sword early, befriended white dragon Dresia, teamed with Memphis, helped Ethan.
Was I... actually busy?
Shock! Horror! Drained!
"Second semester: please just peace..."
I know it's impossible best.
Second sem: wilder, flashier events than before.
Plus unscripted variables—bound to exceed predictions.
Prologue first sem over.
Second: main story starts.
Early birds activate, plots writhe, world shifts ahead.
Caught in it—no pure peace.
But Esterro safest spot unchanged.
"Ideal: dump on Leon, control variables..."
Would be nice.
Oblivious to my wish,
Choco finished kneading, sprawled comfy on my back.