By Zephyria 
It was Friday.
Thanks to consistent physical training during every beginner Swordsmanship class this past week, or perhaps because everyone took the time to train separately, not a single student fell behind during class, earning us great praise.
Everyone envied the quick recovery of the young, then suddenly realized my own body was the same and felt pleased.
For the Hunting and Camping class with Alchemy, I sat close to familiar companions and greeted Professor Cedric.
Last semester, we were awkward and didn’t know what to say, so we kept our mouths shut and only watched the children’s reactions. But now that we’ve all become friends, I was itching to talk about all the things I was curious about.
“Oh my, such familiar faces. Did our little fledglings have a good break?”
Professor Cedric, as always, entered with a cheerful demeanor, flinging the door open and surveying the students.
I saw a few unfamiliar faces among the children, but listening to their conversations, it seemed the children who had taken classes on other days last semester had brought their groups over.
As if to confirm what he already knew, Cedric called the group leaders and had them write down their members’ names.
Since some students couldn’t enroll in classes at the same time, it took quite a while to form new groups by gathering those who were left out.
While Cedric had the group leaders stand by him, comparing last semester’s roster with the newly created one, the remaining children were busy whispering about what they’d missed.
Among them, the story of Marianne taking a liberal arts class with the boy she had planned to meet was particularly exciting.
Marianne only hinted at it and, being shy, couldn’t properly explain, which drove Jenny crazy. It was amusing to see the other boys pretending not to listen while eavesdropping.
It was the prime of their youth. A natural sight, like a butterfly seeking a flower and a flower attracting a bee, which made me feel content.
Just as Jenny was grabbing Marianne’s sleeve, shaking it, and pouting to the point of being sulky, Cedric’s clear voice silenced the children’s commotion.
“Enough, enough. Now, group leaders, please lead your new members to their seats. Today, I’ll simply explain how this semester will proceed and plan to end class early, so please focus for a moment.”
Our group, whose members hadn’t changed at all, had no new introductions to make. Ivan Holmes merely gave Demian, who had returned to his seat, a congratulatory pat on the shoulder.
“Welcome, everyone, to the second semester of Hunting and Camping with Alchemy. As you’ve likely seen from the syllabus, only those who took the first semester class are eligible to enroll. This is because, starting this semester, we will be going out into the field to experience hunting and camping firsthand!”
Cedric’s laughter, which rang out in high-pitched peals, sounded familiar and warm after so long.
Cedric, who was bustling about, talking about how exciting it was and how many of the world’s bitter tastes he wanted to show them, slammed his hand on the lectern with a thwack and smiled broadly.
“Of course, since staying out every week would be too much of a mental and physical ordeal, we plan to go on field trips once every second week of the month. In the first week, we’ll learn theoretically about camping locations and precautions, then in the second week, we’ll go on a field trip to complete assigned tasks. In the third week, we’ll begin Alchemy experiments with the various items brought back from the field, and in the fourth week, we’ll submit reports.”
“Huk.”
“What was that strange sound? Did someone not want to write a report?”
No one answered. Cedric let out another peal of laughter, then leaned his elbows on the lectern, bending forward to survey the children, and winked playfully.
“I thought you all seemed accustomed to writing reports after the first semester. Was I wrong? Since these are monthly reports, I’ll reduce the minimum length to about 10 pages. The maximum will be 20 pages. Instead, let’s practice writing concisely and neatly, removing unnecessary sentences. How does that sound? Good?”
“Yes!”
Cheers erupted from various places. Among the children sitting next to me, Hugh let out a sigh of relief. Somewhere, a student half-raised their hand and asked,
“What format will the midterms and final exams be in?”
“Each report will be worth 20 points, and attendance will be worth 20 points, for a total score out of 100. Please pay close attention during class. I’ll be watching.”
“Yes!”
Just like last semester, the midterms and final exams would undoubtedly be held on the third week of odd-numbered months.
It was a relief that submitting the camping class report a week late, on the fourth Friday, provided extra time for exam preparation.
Furthermore, it was fortunate that field trips were only held on the second week of each month, leaving the other weekends free.
A question suddenly came to mind, and like other students, I raised my hand to ask.
“The syllabus stated that we should keep Saturdays free every week…”
“Well, plans are just plans. If the experiment week isn’t finished properly, we’ll have class on Saturdays too. Think of your group as a community bound by fate, and do well. Understood?”
“…Yes.”
I calmly met Ikyun’s gaze, which seemed to blame me for asking a pointless question. It was as good as a declaration that as long as we did our jobs during class, there would be no major issues, so I nodded in satisfaction.
Professor Cedric answered a few more questions about the schedule and began the class.
This semester’s first camping site was a plain area not far from the capital.
The plan was to travel together by carriage during class, explore the campsite, gather necessary medicinal herbs, enjoy the camping, and then return to the academy by running the next day.
I had already learned about the types of medicinal herbs found in plains last semester, so I listened while flipping through my previously taken notes to find the points he was reiterating.
Eagerly awaiting next week’s class, I exchanged notes with my group members about what food to pack.
❖ ❖ ❖
On the weekend, as always, I finished my dawn training and headed to the library.
I went alone. I was now fine with organizing my notes or studying them without Shayden’s help.
As Shayden grew closer to me, I also began to feel closer to him, and the boy no longer hovered around me like a mother duck, full of anxiety. It was a welcome change.
The main entrance of the academy library, like the other academy buildings, was large and magnificent.
Inside the ornate structure, where several pillars supported the ceiling’s bas-reliefs, a colossal door, wide enough for eight people to enter at once, stood open.
I noticed a familiar presence by one of the pillars and turned my head.
“…Young Master Ernhardt.”
“Hello, Senior.”
“You’re here to study, right? What subject?”
Seeing the face of this fellow, who approached me familiarly like a raven, it was natural to think of Shayden, whom I had just left.
I couldn’t understand why this person was so fond of me, even though he hadn’t been saved by me in his childhood.
However, there was no need to hide it.
I showed him Jurgen Kaiser’s Artifact class notes and Calypse Agrigent’s Imperial Genealogy handout.
When Rubel said he wanted to study together since he knew the subjects well, I agreed. As we entered the library, I suddenly asked,
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Huh? Uhh… No, not specifically…”
“Not specifically?”
“…Actually, yes. I was waiting.”
Rubel’s pale cheeks turned red.
His excessive embarrassment over such a trivial matter was almost pitiable. My senses, sharpened by practicing martial arts, allowed me to easily perceive Rubel’s tension.
The sound of him swallowing, his heartbeat, the subtle signs of him clenching his fists – I could read it all.
It wasn’t right to scold him for simply wanting to study together. If he crossed the line and tried to meddle, like Shayden, I could stop him then, and he would understand.
Not wanting to hurt the feelings of a young child, I simply said calmly,
“Next time, it would be better to make plans in advance. We see each other during the week, after all.”
“C-can I…?”
“Of course. I plan to be in the library most weekends this semester as well. But you should also do your own necessary studies. If you need help, I’ll ask then.”
“Okay. I will.”
I suppressed a smile, finding him cute for being obedient and docile, not adding any unnecessary words.
Studying with Rubel wasn’t bad.
He was quiet even while studying. He would open a book on his left and a blank notebook on his right, taking notes. Even the sound of his pen scratching seemed hushed, and he was so quiet that he was never bothersome.
However, Rubel would occasionally lift his head, stare intently at my face, and then drop his gaze back to his notebook when our eyes met. Wondering if I was disturbing his concentration, I straightened my posture.
In the morning, I organized the handout’s content and wrote it down with a pen in my notebook. In the afternoon, I repeatedly wrote the names I needed to memorize on blank paper with a pencil.
During brief breaks, Rubel would look over what I was organizing and offer advice, such as “These have these characteristics, so it’s easier to memorize them this way,” or “This event is important, so just remembering this keyword is enough.” I appreciated his help.
We ate a simple lunch at the academy cafeteria, but Rubel insisted on going out for dinner, so we went to the market late and ate before returning.
He asked to study together on Sunday as well, and I agreed.
We studied all day on Sunday and ate dinner together at the market. On the way back, we didn’t take a carriage but walked at a moderate pace. We strolled through the capital’s streets, familiarizing ourselves with the area.
I had to consciously refrain from wanting to pat the head of the child whose face was so bright and cheerful as he gazed at the fountain in the central park.