I took a seat in the desolate classroom, my mind awhirl with thoughts. Should I abandon this place and go out into the world to hone my skills?
I couldn't recall exactly how long I had been here, but I estimated it to be somewhere in the realm of three to four days. Despite the uncertainty, I knew one thing for certain, I couldn't just leave this place without at least giving it a proper chance.
As I sat in the empty classroom, a grin involuntarily spread across my face, nearly eliciting a laugh from me. However, I managed to restrain myself.
After all… life without challenge would be monotonous. Without adversity, life would lack purpose.
It was time to welcome new challenges and revel in the thrill of life's unpredictable events.
"What are you doing here, Sei?"
Kain's voice jolted me out of my thoughts, and I turned to face him. I stood up from my seat and approached him with purpose.
"It's free time," Kain said with a casual air. "I suggest you use it to make some new acquaintances."
I couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at his words. What was he, my father? If he were my parents, He wouldn't be here in the first place, which is because I have killed them. I kept these thoughts to myself, however, and merely offered a noncommittal nod in response.
As I left the classroom, I noticed something unsettling. The discovery of the corpses of both staff members in the clinic room, with no apparent explanation or announcement, left me questioning the actions of Kain. Did he close the case without proper investigation? If yes, why?
I guess I'll search for it later.
"Does this place have a training room?" I asked Kain, as I left the room.
"Of course. It's located in another building."
With a short nod, I left before Kain and made my way out of the main building, searching for the nearest of the multiple structures on the premises. With little hesitation, I headed towards the closest building to the main one and, as luck would have it, I was correct in my assumption. The halls and rooms were similar in design to the main building.
As I navigated through the crowded hallways filled with students, I finally came across a sign above a door.
'Practice Room' it read.
Grasping the handle, I roughly twisted it open and stepped inside, slamming the door shut behind me.
The room was large and square-shaped, with a wooden floor that creaked beneath my feet. I saw a ton of boxes and went to check them out. As I approached a stack of boxes, I could see a multitude of wooden weapons inside: swords, bows, and various other equipments.
I reached for a sword, but as my hand closed around the handle, I was met with a thick layer of dust. Looking closer, I realized that the entire room and all of the equipment were caked in the same layer of dust.
An obvious thought suddenly struck me - this is not a sword academy but a goddamn 'witchcraft' academy.
Also, this academy was isolated from the town, and until now I still couldn't figure out why. But whatever, it doesn't matter.
The presence of these weapons in the academy raises questions about its curriculum and purpose. The presence of swords and bows suggest that it should have also taught skills in swordplay and related disciplines, but the fact that this aspect of the curriculum is not being utilized is interesting.
But once more, that doesn't matter to me.
As I firmly gripped the sword, I lifted the wooden sword, I felt its weight in my hand and began to swing it downwards with a light force. The moment the blade reached its fullest extent, it snapped with a loud crack, the two halves clattering to the ground.
"What a weak excuse for a weapon."
I muttered, inspecting the broken pieces of wood before me. The smooth surface was now marred by the jagged break, proof of the sword's fragility.
With a flick of my wrist, I threw aside the broken handle of the wooden sword and focused my mind on the wooden boxes scattered around the room. I imagined them converging, rearranging and merging together into a single cohesive structure.
With each passing moment, I felt something weird coursing through my veins, moving the atoms of the boxes with equipment towards a new form. In an instant, the pieces had fused together, forming a seamless, gleaming blade of wood, stronger than before is what I want to believe.
As I shifted the newly formed wooden sword into my grip, I marveled at its smooth and polished surface. The power of Quatom was truly remarkable; the thought crossed my mind whether it could be harnessed to manipulate the very essence of life, such as… the flow of blood and veins within a living being.
Once more, I raised the sword before I swung it downward, a rush of air whistling past my ears as the sword goes through the air. The sensation of the wind rushing past the blade was refreshing, though I couldn't help but imagine how much more thrilling it would be with a sharpened, steel blade.
The clean, precise alignment of a well-crafted weapon would easily cut through the air, whereas this wooden sword was simply a pale imitation. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but be impressed with the result of my manipulation of the atoms - the sword remained intact even under the force of my swing.
The room was barren and desolate, now nothing more than a simple square chamber with a wooden floor. I spent thirty minutes swinging the wooden sword in every direction.
With a feeling of boredom setting in, I brought my training session to a close.
I carelessly discarded the wooden sword, allowing it to clatter against the hardwood floor before turning on my heel and making my exit from the room.