Chapter 3: 7 Days Before School Starts (1) |
Three days passed by somehow.
I didn't spend the last three days in vain. It would be too tiring to list everything I did, but also too difficult to briefly summarize them.
The first thing I actually did was fortify the shelter I made.
On the second night, my shelter unexpectedly collapsed, and I had to fetch more wood from the forest to reinforce the frame.
It would've been great had I had a rope to secure the frame together, but since I didn’t have any, I just dug more holes for the foundation and stuck the support beams into each.
And then I was worried it may leak if it rained, so I ended up sacrificing three to four pieces of my clothes to cover the leaves I used as the roof. I then covered the clothes with even larger leaves.
Well, the added weight caused the support beams to collapse. I ended up having to add horizontal supports to hold the weight.
Then I had to twist some of my old clothes together and use them as ropes to tie the new frame together.
The truth is, I actually felt it was a waste to use some of my clothes this way. I thought if I took them to a pawnshop, I would have gotten at least a few silver coins for them.
I still had a few valuables I could sell so it should be fine. However, the pawn shop is in the next city.
It would be difficult to leave Acken Island just to go to the shop. I was worried I wouldn’t make enough profits to even return, and that's something I didn't want. And while taking a carriage would be a quick trip, walking would take me two days and one night. Since I didn't have money for a carriage, walking would've been my only option. The journey wouldn't have been an easy one.
“Hmmm…”
Sitting by the stream, I sharpened the tip of a branch with my dagger.
Since I decided not to leave the academy grounds, I needed to work on my three basic needs.
Food, clothing, and shelter.
I had enough clothes to wear for the next few days. I even had a house, although shabby. The problem was I had nothing to eat.
I went to find food in the forest on the second day. I actually used to live in the countryside in my past life. That’s probably why the forest and the mountain felt familiar somehow.
Finding food is a different matter, however. There were plants everywhere, but distinguishing which was edible was a different matter. I wasn’t an expert on survival, by any means. There was a limit to what my eyes could discern as edible or not.
In the end, I opted to cut the bark off some pine trees instead.
Tree barks had an inner white flesh. My grandfather told me about it when I was young. He said he used to boil and eat tree bark when harvests were terrible and food was scarce.
I ripped the white flesh off the outer bark using a ceremonial dagger I found in my luggage. Lighting a fire with my magic, I cooked the flesh in boiling water from the stream using a decorational cup, not having any pot with me.
Once cooked, I gnawed on the chewy bark of the pine tree. It was awful but I managed to eat all of it.
Then I had raging diarrhea that night.
I guessed tree bark was never meant for human consumption after all.
I was starving on the third day. On top of that, I was also suffering from diarrhea. I looked beyond terrible.
I shaved off a branch and tied the ceremonial dagger to one end using a handkerchief. However, the handkerchief felt loose so I had to use vines I scavenged from the forest to tighten the dagger and the wood together.
[Newly Crafted Product]
Simple Harpoon
Made using a ceremonial dagger tied to a well-cut branch.
Can be used for fishing or hunting.
The dagger is not as sharp, reducing its power and effectiveness.
Production Difficulty Level: ◐○○○○
《 Production completed. Production skills have increased. 》
When I was younger, I used to show off that I was skilled in catching freshwater fish. But now that I was at death's door from hunger, catching fish had become serious business.
Even though the dagger wasn't as sharp compared to a traditional fishing harpoon, I could make up for it with my experience.
The firewood crackled as it burned. It was a relief I had fire magic. It meant I didn't have to go through all the trouble of starting a fire.
I somehow felt grateful to Ed for choosing to specialize in Fire.
……
Although, was this even something to be thankful for?
Anyhow, since I was having no luck in gathering food, it was the right decision to focus on hunting instead. I was able to catch some freshwater fish, thanks to the skills I had when I was younger.
I skewered the fishes I caught and grilled them over the fire. The problem was they became softer as they cooked. The meat started flaking and falling off the wood, causing me to lose so many precious pieces of fish.
It would’ve been great if I could make something similar to a grill, but because I lacked the proper materials, I wouldn’t be able to right now. I ended up having to eat the hot fish straight from the stick, burning my tongue.
“Kyaaah!”
I could almost feel my body absorbing its much-needed nutrients.
To be honest, it didn’t taste that great. But I was thankful enough to eat and fill my stomach with something.
I ended up eating about four to five fish. To drink, I dunked my head down the stream and gulped down a few swallows of the freshwater.
“Phew…”
I wasn’t full, by any means. But I was able to deal with the immediate hunger that had been bothering me for the last two days.
I laid down on the gravel by the stream, looking up at the sky. Laying down idly, the sun slowly began to set.
One more week until school started.
I had been having difficulties resolving my problems with food, clothing, and shelter. How harder would it be when school starts? Would it even be possible for me to receive a scholarship?
But instead of debating with myself whether it’d be possible or not, I just had to go for it. A Silvenia Academy diploma would be a reliable tool to survive in this unpredictable world.
Graduates of Silvenia went on to become important individuals in the kingdom. No matter how poorly they did at the academy, the mere fact that they were from Silvenia allowed them to fill high-ranking positions in expedition forces and in the local underground magic society.
Simply put, no matter how hard staying in Silvenia may be, it would still be several times better than starting out with nothing.
* * *
* * *
“Is someone there?”
I heard a voice calling while I lay down by the stream.
The northern part of Acken Island was not a place students and professors visited often. This area was never used aside for practical exercises and tests.
This was why hearing the young voice came as a surprise.
Even more so that I recognized whose voice it was.
“Is that you… Ed Rothstaylor?”
It was the 3rd princess of the Kroel Empire, Penia Elias Kroel. Also known as Princess Penia.
Princess Penia was one of the four main heroines in ‘Silvenia’s Failed Swordmaster’. She was an influential character during the first half of the story. Well, at least, that was what was going to happen. Right now, she must still be a freshman.
She was set to meet the protagonist ‘Taylee’ during the entrance examination, where she took the exam with her identity hidden…
That’s right. She was the one who accused me, revealing that I manipulated the test due to my envy of the protagonist, providing the perfect opportunity for my family to disown me.
“…I heard you were disowned. What are you doing here?”
What was I doing here?
That’s what I wanted to ask her.
This wasn’t a place the third princess would normally visit, someone who was usually escorted by six to seven of her knights.
I looked up at the princess.
Her elegant white-blonde hair and frill dress did not match the wild forest background.
And yet, she didn’t look to be dressed as fancy as she normally would have.
Only then did I realize that the ‘Class Assignment Examination Episode’ must currently be taking place.
It was definitely… an episode that took place in the northern forest of Acken Island.
Held a week before school started, it was a test to determine the students’ levels before entering the academy’s Magic Department.
Professor Glast of the Magic Department, infamous for his nasty personality, was in charge of the freshmen’s examination.
The exam was to find the magically infused marbles spread randomly across the northern forest. It was a test to see if the students were able to detect the magic. After all, the basis of magic starts with sensing it.
“It’s an honor to meet you again, Princess Penia.”
Her eyes were fierce, the eyes of someone who despised me. It felt unfair, given my circumstances. But no one would believe me, even if I told anyone.
I sat up and respectfully gave my greetings to the princess.
“I thought you would have been kicked out from the academy.”
“I was kicked out of the dormitory.”
“I asked what you are doing here.”
The princess looked at the simple shelter I built, the campfire I lit, and the bones from the fish I ate with disbelief on her face.
“You still haven’t left the academy?”
“Unfortunate as it may be, I am still a student.”
“Did you not go through with the expulsion process?”
“I didn’t think it was necessary. I was humiliated and no longer receiving support from my own family, so there was no way for me to continue attending the academy.”
Princess Penia’s lips had twisted, probably finding it hard to believe that a nobleman who had been humiliated and excommunicated would be able to continue attending Silvenia.
“If the Academic Affairs Committee finds out about this, you will be expelled right away.”
“……”
“I’ll talk to the committee tomorrow. Did you think you would be allowed to stay here?”
My plan to obtain a diploma from Silvenia Academy was already about to be ruined.
But I shouldn’t think like that. I let out a deep sigh and began thinking of a solution.
“If the princess herself judges it to be so, it can’t be helped. In fact, not just you, but many of the students despise me. I’m sure it’s the same for the academy’s staff as well.”
“If you already know that, why don’t you just leave on your own then? Isn’t it better to leave with dignity rather than go through a humiliating expulsion process?”
“I want to continue attending Silvenia Academy.”
“I don’t recommend doing it.”
Princess Penia crossed her arms and stared at me with contempt.
“Leave. Everyone here despises you, and you despise everyone else.”
“You must be mistaken. I don’t despise anyone.”
“You must not remember how arrogant you were, how much hatred you had inside of you. Well, it is difficult to view oneself objectively.”
“That’s not true.”
My only way to salvage this situation was to talk myself out of it.
“The truth is, princess, I actually feel grateful towards you.”
Princess Penia looked at me in disbelief.
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