After watching the man swing that sword, I was surprised and also a little happy. The sword looked really impressive.
"This sword is very good," I remarked.
"You have a good eye, kid," the merchant responded with a smile. "Yay, this sword is made of high-quality aluminum, and it even has a sea dungeon pearl embedded in its handle."
I was intrigued. The sea dungeon pearl was a rare gem usually found in the depths of the sea, where sea mermaids lived.
"But how did you come by this pearl?" I asked curiously.
"Some time ago, a man wanted to buy my sword but didn't have enough money. Instead, he offered me this pearl in exchange," the merchant explained.
I didn't know who that man was, but since this sword wasn't part of the original storyline, it meant I could incorporate it into my own narrative.
"I'll give you a discount," the merchant offered.
"Yes! Today is my lucky day," I thought to myself. "I got a great sword and a discount!"
After making the payment, I headed towards the bus stop. Taxis were too expensive for me to afford every day, considering my limited funds.
Arjun chose not to take a taxi due to his financial constraints, sword was expensive even with the discount he received on the sword. He entered the bus gate, knowing exactly which bus would take him to the academy thanks to his phone.
Sitting by the window seat, Arjun gazed outside, lost in thought about the upcoming events.
"Now the first arc will begin in about a month. I have time to train, and it's an easy arc where nobody's life is at stake," I contemplated.
Arjun wasn't worried about the first arc since it wasn't dangerous for him. However, I knew that Ron, the protagonist, would suffer severe injuries, as is typical for a hero. At least he had his two heroines by his side.
"I've been single my whole life," I mused, realizing the stark contrast.
The truth was that I didn't have much to do during that time, except for one important task. I wanted Ron to notice something about his body that would have implications for a future fight. It was a risky move, knowing that real life rarely goes as planned.
No longer a fantasy sci-fi novel, this was the real world where I living.
As Ron got off the bus and entered the academy, making his way to the dormitory, he walked through the corridor when someone suddunly called out to him from behind.
"Wait!" a lady's voice echoed.
Arjun turned around and saw a beautiful woman wearing casual pants and a coat. She had long, straight brown hair, blue eyes, and smooth, fair skin. She appeared to be around 25 to 28 years old.
"Where are you coming from this late?" she asked sternly.
"But it's still 9 o'clock," Arjun replied.
"You're supposed to enter the dormitory before 8:30," she scolded.
Even while reprimanding him, she looked beautiful. However, I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't heard about her before.
"Sorry, I'll remember that," Arjun apologized.
"Yes, you should. But what's your name?" she inquired, without introducing herself.
"My name is Arjun, and I'm from the third floor," I responded.
"Oh, so that's why I didn't recognize you. You're a first-year student," she deduced.
The dormitory was allocated according to class distinctions, and the third floor was designated for first-year students. It was clear what the second and first floors were for, as high-class children had their separate dormitories to avoid conflicts. They even had personal room cleaners and dedicated rooms.
Meanwhile, we had to clean our own rooms and share them with others.
"This isn't fair," I grumbled silently.
The lady finally introduced herself, shedding light on her role.
"Anyway, let me introduce myself. I'm Sara, the head caretaker of this building," she said.
She being the head caretaker meant she would be around all the time. It was best for me to stay out of her sight.
"Now, Arjun, go to your room and don't leave until morning," Sara instructed.
"Okay, I understand," I agreed, giving my word to Sara.
With that, I proceeded towards my room. Upon entering, I noticed that Free was already asleep on his bed.
"He's sleeping. I need to make sure he doesn't wake up," I thought to myself.
Silently, I climbed onto my own bed and settled in comfortably, eventually drifting off to sleep.
______________________________________________________________________
And just like that, three weeks went by. During that time, I focused on training my endurance, speed, and swordsmanship. Learning how to hold a sword properly was essential. It wasn't merely about swinging it randomly; rather, one had to stabilize the sword, infuse mana into it, and make it sharp and strongenough. Using a sword effectively required skill and technique.
As I honed my swordsmanship, I noticed changes in my body. My muscles became more defined and stronger than before. I even let my hair grow a little longer, giving myself a more stylish appearance compared to the soldier-like haircut I had before.
Observing Ron's progress, I could see that he had become friends with the two heroines, just as the novel had described. The story was unfolding as expected, and it was time for me to start preparing myself as well.
Lost in my thoughts, I walked towards my classroom and saw Ron already seated. I quietly took a seat behind him, hoping to catch snippets of his conversation and glean information about the progress of the story.
However, our professor arrived at that moment and began the class, preventing me from eavesdropping on Ron's life. Although it felt like eavesdropping, I reminded myself that I was doing it to help him save the world.
Finally, towards the end of the class, the professor said something that I had been eagerly waiting for.