3

The academy’s cafeteria sits in a corner on the first floor. It’s about the size of the auditorium where we held the opening ceremony—big enough that an entire year’s worth of students could fit in with room to spare.

Then again, nearly seventy percent of the whole student body uses this cafeteria, so even then, seats are always tight.

Even though it’s still before noon, almost half the seats are already taken.

“Hmm, what should I grab?”

“Too many choices, it’s a bother.”

“Should’ve come here every day since moving in, really.”

The cafeteria works on a completely free buffet system. Pilots and maintenance students, who need to keep up their strength, often end up needing more than a regular meal can provide.

But if we just upped the portion sizes to suit them, the sensorboard students would definitely be left hungry.

So a buffet system made perfect sense.

A long table, lined with a rainbow of dishes. Meat and fish, of course, but also a generous spread of vegetables and fruits.

Picking what to eat takes real thought.

Which is why, even though I’ve been coming here almost every day since moving into the dorm, I still haven’t grown tired of it.

“Today’s all meat, huh?”

“Wait, you sure about that?”

“Nah, I’m right. In my old village, fish were a rare treat.”

The river was there, sure—but upriver, the fish were all palm-sized at best, and since there was nowhere to cook them, they rarely made it to the table.

So ever since I was reborn into this world, I’d barely had a chance to eat fish at all.

For the first few days in the dorm, I swear I only ate fish.

Grilled, fried, steamed, wrapped in foil—every kind of dish delighted my tongue.

“Huh, my family’s place was near the sea, so I don’t really get all that excited about it.”

She said it, then piled her plate high with roast beef and heaped on vegetables like she was building a fortress.

No time for delicate talk about women’s appetites or how much you should eat. This was a battlefield, and if you didn’t eat, you’d collapse.

“Then you ate it raw sometimes? Can’t imagine they’d serve raw meat here, though.”

She scooped a chunk of steak onto her plate, then drowned it in sauce.

Piled potato salad and cabbage onto another plate, no mercy.

“Raw? Not really. But I do like marinated meat.”

“Sounds like a dream.”

She grabbed a drink and a piece of bread, then slid into an empty seat.

She sat right across from me.

“Where’s your hometown, Rayla? South, you said? Near the sea?”

“Yeah, southeast of the country. A town called Welnes.”

“I’d like to go there someday.”

If there’s marinated meat, I really want to try it.

“Can’t be done.”

But my hope gets cut short in one swift sentence from Rayla.

I stare at her, and her face twists with bitter regret.

“Why not?”

“My village… it’s gone now. Destroyed by Overd.”

“…That’s…”

“Five years ago. They came out of nowhere, wiped it out in an instant. Everyone who couldn’t escape was killed. Those who did… they never came back. Too scared. The knight order arrived soon after and drove them off, but the village’s gone. Abandoned. The people moved to another town.”

I never thought… someone who’d lived through war was sitting right here. I knew, in theory, that the country was fighting over Armunale—but somehow, it always felt like something from another world. Like it didn’t touch us.

“So I’ll never forgive Overd.”

The hand holding the fork was tight with force.

Riding Armunale, I’ll wipe out those bastards for sure.

Ah, so that’s the kind of thing that drives Layla, huh?

That swordsmanship—forged sharp with hatred. And all that magic, too.

Probably, Layla’s been sharpening herself for nothing but revenge on Overd, day after day, all this time.

Sure, we’re just the ones who looked up to Armunale and came here dreaming—completely different level, that’s all.

How about you, Eld?

No deep reason for it. I just like flying the Armunale.

"Talkin’ like you’ve actually flown one before."

Ah, yeah—got a bit of a chance. Moved it a little, myself.

Truth is, it’s not just a little bit—still, I’d be trouble if I went blabbing about that without permission.

“Huh, how’d it go? Still tough, huh?”

“No, piloting’s actually simplified—nothing too hard.”

Just the foot pedals and hand levers, really. Fine magic stuff? You trigger it with buttons or switches up top. No special moves, mostly.

“Still, once you’re in a fight, it gets wild—lots of quick moves, fine control. And adding magic into the mix? That’ll pile on the commands. But if it can run multiple systems at once, should be fine.”

“Good to hear. Though we don’t actually get to ride Armunale until next year, right?”

“Yeah… I really wanna get in the thing, though.”

First year’s all about soaking up the basics—no flying, just sharpening swordplay and magic. There’re lessons in manners and such, too. No chance to climb aboard the machine at all.

Well, the training machine’s generator’s the same as the one on the battlefield—Armunale. Costs as much as a whole castle. Can’t mass-produce them like some factory junk, so prioritizing two or three years’ worth makes sense. Honestly, just having one sitting around for practice is almost a miracle.

“Hey, you two—mind if we sit here?”

I’m chomping away at my meal when a pair of folks call out.

One glance, and I recognize them—two from the group that lasted till the end of the basic fitness test.

I look at Layra. She nods back.

“Be my guest.”

“Thanks. Place’s getting packed, huh.”

Sure enough, the mess hall’s filling up fast.

Looks like finding a seat’s gonna be a chore.

“I’m Batis. Batis Ovan. And this one with the glasses—”

“Leon Lazar. Nice to meet ya.”

Batis, he’s got that whole storybook hero vibe going. Golden hair, a bit long, blue eyes—sharp face, too. Must get all the girls, huh.

Leon, on the other hand, with his blue hair and glasses, looks like the quiet type. But he’s close with Batis, and he lasted right through the physical test—so he’s not soft, not by a long shot.

“I’m Eld. Nice to meet ya.”

“I’m Rayla. Likewise.”

“Hey, you two—dating or what!? You were practically glued together during the test.”

“Whoa, man, that’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

Hmm. Now I think I get the vibe between Batis and Leon.

“We’re not dating.”

“That was just a stunt—trying to rattle them.”

“Man, that was fun! And seriously—those two are wild with magic. You’d be in trouble if you got hit, even on the Armunale.”

That ice spike might sting a bit if you take it head-on. Mine was all show, though.

Still, Rayla shook her head, dismissing it.

“Even I can’t do that. At best, I could trip someone or block their path. The rest of it’s just cold air, nothing more.”

“Mine was just shaping air into a lump and dropping it. The ice shards made it look flashy, but really, it only knocks people to their knees. Not a chance it’d work on the Armunale.”

“Seriously? Even that doesn’t work on the Armunale? That thing’s insane!”

“Batis, tone it down a bit. You’re bothering the neighbors.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Leon’s warning drew a wry smile from Batis, who didn’t seem to mean it much.

Leon knew that, too. He sighed, then took another sip of his soup.

By the time everyone finished their midday meal, it was just about the right time.

We’d better get going before it’s too late.

Yeah.

"Afternoon’s writing class… I’m just not good at that kind of thing."

You’re the one who’s not studying proper—don’t blame me.

Batis seems to struggle with studying. From the way he talks, Leon probably finds it easy. Well, I could kind of guess that. Batis strikes me as the type who’d put all his points into physical stuff and that sort of thing.

How about the two of them?

I’m fine. I’ve got all the first-year stuff memorized.

I’m not great with history, that’s for sure.

I’m not worried at all about basic math, language, or questions on Armunale—no, not even a little—but when it comes to this country’s history, I’m still a bit lost.

I only know which wars broke out every few years—nothing about which king of which generation did what, or even who the kings were.

I started studying history right after getting my textbook, but time was never enough.

I’ve only managed to read up to the very early days after the founding.

"History’s a memorization subject, you know. No textbook, no way to get through it."

"Ah, so it’s tough for commoners to get their hands on textbooks ahead of time, huh?"

"You’ve gone and thrown away all those advantages, haven’t you?"

"Hmm, what could that be~"

He whistled a tune, eyes fixed on the day after tomorrow.

Funny how we talk like we’re not nobles at all. Not a single one of us bristled about rank during dinner, and instead, we were practically drooling over how commoners live.

Walking toward the classroom, I finally asked about it.

“Are we not supposed to seem noble? Feels off, somehow. I thought they’d be more… pompous.”

“I felt that too. You know, not all stiff and stuck-up.”

Rayla seemed to share the same thought.

“Yeah, people say that all the time. But that’s just how I am. Always been running around markets and such. Old shopkeepers and their wives treated me well, so I never really held grudges.”

“I picked it up just by hanging around him. There are nobles like the ones you imagine, sure—though the ones bothering you were lower-ranking. Still, they’re nobles, plain and simple.”

“Ah, those ones.”

The guy who provoked me? Turns out he was noble too.

Or rather, the ones who’d been hanging out together back then? Likely knew each other already. And if that’s the case, the odds of them being nobles just go up, don’t they?

Commoners don’t exactly have villages where everyone shows up together like that, do they?

“If they start trouble, let us know. Don’t look it, but I’m actually from a decent family.”

“People like that? Name-drop and they’ll shut up.”

“Sure, that’s nice—but can we really use the family name like that?”

Won’t that cause problems down the line if they’re business partners or something?

“Nah. They’re everywhere. You’ll get them clinging to you, but they’ll never walk away. More like a nuisance, really.”

“Then I’ll take advantage of that. Just being a girl’s enough to make them think they can push me around.”

“Yeah, go ahead. Don’t hold back.”

We were still chatting when we reached the classroom.

“Good, everyone’s here.”

The instructor arrived on time. In their hands, a stack of booklets.

“Take one each and pass it behind. Don’t open it yet.”

I grabbed a booklet and passed it back. Feels like something I did decades ago—familiar, like breathing.

Still thinking, this is school, I glanced at the booklet.

Comprehensive Academic Assessment Exam. Looks like that’s what we’re up against.

The instructor waited until everyone had one, then started explaining.

“Three hours for the test. If you finish early, you can drop your answers in the box on the teacher’s desk and leave. But once you’re out, you can’t come back in until the test ends. Keep that in mind. And that’s it for today’s schedule. You’re free to go when you’re done.”

Three hours straight. So that means all the subjects are in this one booklet, huh?

“Anyone whose stomach’s gone to hell, raise your hand and tell me. I’ll let you leave or come back in, if that’s what you’re after. And cheating—catch me doing it, and you’re out, no questions asked. But if you’re not caught, no harm done. Go ahead and risk it, or earn your score the hard way—your call.”

Never thought he’d actually allow cheating… but if you get caught, it’s expulsion. So he’s not really allowing it, is he? Classic “if you don’t get caught, it’s not a crime” logic.

Still, no way someone’d pull off cheating on the very first test, right?

Then—right next to me—some idiot sighs, tucking something into their bag.

“Hey, Batis…”

“W-What is it?”

“You…?”

“Don’t bother. He’s just a fool.”

Leon, seated beside Batis, shoots a look of pity.

“Then, the exam begins. Start!”

Oops, it’s started. Well then, back to concentrating—let’s give it our best shot.

I flipped through the booklet and began solving the problems.

After an hour and a half, Rayla stood up. The speed of it sent a ripple of murmurs through nearly every classmate.

Of course, I stood too, staring up at her with my mouth hanging open.

I’ve been tackling the ones I understand first, and even so, I’m only just getting to about eighty percent done. If I have to go through every single question from here, think carefully about the tough ones, and double-check everything… it might be cutting it too close.

“Excuse me, I’m heading out.”

“Ah, yeah…”

Rayla slid her answer sheet into the box on the teacher’s desk with a calm smile, gathered her things, and walked out of the classroom.

Where on earth does she get that kind of confidence from…?

I was still wondering when, suddenly, the guy on the opposite side stood up.

“Fuh… done with it…”

That mutter—can’t be just normal, right!? It’s not “test over,” it’s “grades over” now!?

“Then I’ll be waitin’ outside.”

Batis told Leon that, then stepped out of the classroom.

A faint twitch of anxiety floated in the air, like something just stirred—two students leaving at once, and I felt it.

One walked out confident as ever, the other with a dazzling grin. No use getting flustered, really.

As someone who knows the truth, I can’t help but feel sorry for the latter.

—No, no. Gotta focus on the test.

The exiters didn’t come back for a while. By the time two and a half hours had passed, a few people started trickling out.

“Then I’ll be off, if you don’t mind.”

“Yeah.”

Leon gathered his things and stood up.

Watching him go, I did my final check for mistakes.

Math and language weren’t much different from modern times. Knowledge about Armunale shouldn’t be a problem either.

Still, history’s a beast.

The test was multiple choice, but when you’re staring at names you’ve never heard before… well, you’re just stuck.

Guess I’ll have to leave it to luck.

“Three hours have passed! Stop writing and submit your answer sheets forward!”

I ended up checking every single question again and again until the very end. I had to make up for lost time in history—no room for mistakes in the other subjects.

After going over it five times or so, the time came. I handed in my paper and left the classroom.

Others who stayed till the end were filing out too, and the hallway got a bit crowded.

“Phew… finally over.”

I stretched hard, cracked my back, and headed back to the dorm.

My dorm’s just a five-minute walk from the academy. Most students live in dorms, so there are a lot of them—lined up like a row of rental houses in a city block.

Mine’s Dorm Six, pretty close to the academy, which is lucky. I snagged a room from a student who couldn’t enroll, so I got in without a hitch.

“Back again.”

I call out to the dorm’s caretaker, who’s sweeping at the entrance.

She’s an old lady who retired from being a support maid—so old that even the usual romance plots with her age-mate caretakers never happen, and no widow’s tales bloom from her either. Her back’s completely bent over.

Still, she can manage the job, I guess, since she doesn’t need to cook.

Most dorm students eat at the school cafeteria for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When they go out to play, they usually just grab something from the street stalls.

So there’s no dining hall in this dorm. There’s a kitchen, sure, but only just enough to boil water for tea. Maybe they could make instant noodles if they had any—but alas, that invention hasn’t come around yet.

I suppose I could manage chicken ramen if I really tried. Should I think about it when I’ve got time? No… don’t think I’ll have time for that.

“Welcome back. How’d the exam go?”

“Mixed results. I think I made the top tier, though.”

“Then you know your weak spots. You’ll need to fix those.”

“Yes. Back to studying from today.”

Gotta memorize the history textbook cold, at least. Then there’s sword practice. What to do about that…?

“Something on your mind?”

“Studying’s fine alone, but sword training… well, you need a teacher, don’t you?”

“Not enough from class, is it?”

You’ll need personal practice if you’re gonna climb higher, that’s just how it is.

Classes are just reviews—double-checking, going over what you’ve learned. If you don’t keep that in mind, you’ll never keep up with the ones at the top.

Take Layla, for instance—she’s practically guaranteed to be at the top of the rankings. She’s strong enough to outshine even the instructors. Her magic’s sharp, too. Judging by that confidence of hers, she’s probably breezed through every test. Who knows how much training it took to be that good at everything—must’ve been blood, sweat, and tears.

To catch up to her? Ordinary practice won’t cut it.

When I told the head caretaker, she nodded along with a smile.

“Good resolve. Then, let me introduce you to someone who might be able to teach you. If I were twenty years younger, I’d be the one doing it.”

“Is it really okay? I’m happy, but I don’t want to be a bother…”

“What, she’s my junior—was thinking about stepping down as a support maid, so I figured, if she helps out with managing this dorm, it’s a win-win.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Got it. I’ll let you know once it’s settled.”

“Yes, then I’ll take my leave.”

Maybe I’ve just stumbled onto a mentor by accident. But if she’s the dorm manager’s junior… she’s probably not exactly young, is she.

Then maybe I should find someone else to practice with. Rayla’d be great if she’d help out, though.

I’ll ask her next time.

Back in my room, I toss off my uniform. Hang it on the built-in hanger, strip down to just my pants and shirt, and collapse onto the bed.

The thin blanket and wooden frame ache a little…

“Huh… I’ve gotta push harder starting tomorrow.”

Right after the entrance ceremony, there was a test—might’ve been more tiring than I expected.

I didn’t fight the heavy lids. Just let myself fall into sleep.