By Zephyria 
As planned, I headed to the library with Shayden over the weekend.
With just one more week left, my time at the Academy would be a full month. It felt like I had arrived just the other day, yet also like I had lived here for a year.
I thought I had only focused on attending classes and training, but surprisingly, there wasn’t a corner I hadn’t explored. This library was especially so; I had wandered around so much looking for various books that it now felt as familiar as my own bedroom.
The spacious table where I had previously sat to study was empty, so I took a seat in the same spot. As I borrowed Shayden’s notes for the World History lecture and copied down the important markings, I felt a pang of sadness, wondering why I was memorizing a foreign country’s history book like a Martial Arts Secret Manual at my age, in this distant land.
I pressed my thumb against my throbbing Sun Points and my index and middle fingers against my furrowed brow, looking at the continental common language that had become as familiar as my native tongue after several years. I thought I had escaped illiteracy, being so accustomed to newspapers and books, but when legal terminology started appearing, I felt like I’d rather be out there dealing with the River Bandit Camp.
Unlike dealing with ordinary mountain strongholds, the River Bandit Camp, whose hidden bases were impossible to locate in the vastness of the Yangtze River, constantly changing their locations, was heavily armed with suspiciously modified barges and warships. The biggest drawback was that it was difficult to find them without a boat. Still, once, during a summer when that friend Hwangbo had made a foolish bet and I had fallen for it…
“Mika, sleeping?”
“…No, I’m not.”
Even after living here for several years, why didn’t this feel like my own country’s history? Was it because I hadn’t weathered enough storms of time, or was it because of this bizarre banquet custom? As I read about a debutante a hundred years ago where ladies entering high society had to wear the same color, and a princess, using her authority, wore a different colored dress to stand out, causing an uproar that even led to a court battle, I thought, what a crazy world this is.
Shayden kept glancing at me, looking worried, probably because I looked so glum. But there was nothing he could do to help, and just yesterday I had told him myself not to help too much, so I felt awkward and embarrassed to ask for help and pretended not to notice.
Hoo, I took a deep breath and picked up my pen again, determined to focus. Suddenly, a notebook slid across the table towards me from the opposite side. Since students were always moving around, I hadn’t paid attention to anyone approaching, so I looked up in surprise.
It was that crow-like fellow again.
“We seem to be seeing each other a lot lately.”
“…Hello, senior.”
“It’s Professor Casablanca’s World History lecture, right? I heard the content is the same as last year.”
“Yes, it is, but…”
“I took diligent notes, here, use these.”
We weren’t close enough to exchange things, so I hesitated for a moment, then slowly flipped through the notebook that had come into my hands. Rubel, who was standing by the desk without sitting in front, pointed with his index finger to the marked sections with a blue pen.
“These parts were marked as appearing on the exam. For the incident with Princess Melissa Floyd you’re looking at now, you don’t need to memorize everything. Just remember the country’s name and the fact that the price of yellow dye plummeted. Remember those two things and move on.”
“…!”
…Once again, I realized how much I didn’t know. The lump in my throat disappeared. Yes, if everyone at this Academy were part of the same sect, this much consideration would be natural for fellow disciples under the same master. The neatly organized notebook felt like salvation, so I thanked him. I bowed my head slightly and took the notebook.
However, his dark gaze continued to linger on me for a long time, and I was puzzled.
“Why?”
“…Uh, are you just wiping your mouth?”
“Huh?”
“…Ah, no. Well, good luck on the exam.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The exam was still a long way off, but I felt good that he seemed to be preparing me in advance. Although it was unlikely for Rubel, a First-Rate Martial Artist, his retreating steps seemed uneven, and I felt a moment of worry. Was he not feeling well? Come to think of it, he had seemed a bit weak lately. Perhaps he had caught a Cold Evil as the weather suddenly warmed up.
Shayden, who had been sitting next to me, was staring blankly with his eyes open. As a sort of retaliation for the question I had just received, I nudged his shoulder and asked,
“Sleeping?”
“Are you crazy?”
“What?”
“We can’t make loud noises in the library,” Shayden said, packing up his study materials, and I followed suit, gathering my things. I had planned to spend the whole day copying notes, but I was happy to have gotten a good notebook for free, so I went along with Shayden’s whim without complaint.
However, as soon as we stepped out of the library door, his nagging began, and I was once again bewildered, wondering what I had done so wrong. After a few foolish exchanges, he explained that personal notes were treated like Martial Arts Secret Manuals within the Academy, and even more so because the giver was Rubel Anti Searon. He said I should have shown more joy or offered something in return. Hearing this, my feelings became complicated again.
I mean, should I be grateful even if he gave it willingly? Rubel himself didn’t seem to have any complaints and was acting normally, looking a bit frail. As a Prince, he must have more money than me, a prospective Viscount, so he wouldn’t need anything in return. I had given up on passing on my Internal energy cultivation method to someone else just the day before, so I had no desire to pick out any useful martial arts from what I knew.
Having heard the main points, I started to let Shayden’s subsequent nagging fade into the background. Shayden, already accustomed to my attitude, quickly changed the subject and asked,
“How did you get close to the Second Prince?”
“…Close?”
“If he suddenly comes to give you notes, that’s being close, isn’t it?”
“Well, maybe he felt bad for bothering me…”
“Bothering you with what?”
“I was caught secretly training in the martial arts training ground at dawn.”
The only recent incident I could recall was him interrupting my solitary sword dance under the moonlight, so I answered vaguely. When he asked if I had spoken to him in advanced swordsmanship class, I said no, and when he asked if we had eaten together, I said no again. After making me explain three times that it was just about being interrupted during our training under the moonlight and returning to our rooms, Shayden finally nodded with a slightly bitter expression. Then, he added one last remark.
“…I guess Sword Experts of the advanced level feel apologetic about things like that. I still don’t really get it.”
❖ ❖ ❖
I didn’t see the Second Prince at the library on Sunday.
Monday arrived again.
As I ran laps in the martial arts training ground that morning, my mind was in a jumble, wondering how I would face Edwin in the magic class this afternoon. But as soon as I saw Maelo Sanson’s face, my confusion vanished. This was because I started showcasing all the moves I knew, not just the five new ones I had learned, to Maelo Sanson. I mimicked the sword postures and sword paths of techniques that weren’t Namgung’s sword, but ones I had seen often in the Central Plains and were somewhat familiar, panting like a beast searching for prey, hoping to gain something.
As a result, an impromptu demonstration session was held where everyone in the beginner swordsmanship class had to show and explain their swordplay in front of everyone. With Sanson’s explanations, it became quite interesting. Maelo also seemed quite pleased with the new teaching method, so everyone lost track of time as they practiced each other’s swordplay. We had already far exceeded the scheduled end time when I realized it was almost time for the magic class.
Creak, bang!
I channeled my internal energy to its maximum and used Light Footwork at full speed. Although I had trained consistently since getting my new body, it had been a while since I used Light Footwork, and my leg length was shorter than before, leaving me breathless. My body tensed, and I involuntarily threw the door open with excessive force. Fortunately, the door didn’t break. I knew the gazes were on me, but I had heard before that they were just looking, not necessarily making eye contact, so I didn’t pay much attention.
I narrowly avoided being late, but I felt ashamed that Professor Angela Sting was already in the classroom before me. With utmost sincerity, I bowed deeply and apologized politely.
“I’m sorry I’m late.”
“No, no… Where did you run from…?”
“I came from the East Wing, Third Martial Arts Training Ground.”
“Ah…”
For a moment, Professor Angela nodded with a look of pity, as if seeing something pathetic. I bowed again and went to my empty seat. I had run here directly from swordsmanship class without time to wash, so I didn’t have any writing utensils, but at least I received handouts, so it was fine. Sitting down, I read the handout and took a few deep breaths, and my breathing returned to normal. The subsequent class proceeded as usual, and I acted like a diligent student.