The sound of a sword being returned to its scabbard echoes through the empty training hall.
It's late, and I'm the only one left in the training center.
I had stayed up late practicing my mana management skills.
I'm finally feeling a little less ignorant about mana and I'm now able to direct mana to specific areas although I'm still not as good as others but I'm satisfied with this stage.
I think I've been able to grow quickly because I've experienced real-world combat.
"Whoa…"
I squatted in a corner of the training ground and looked up.
Unlike the night sky in modern cities, many stars were shining in their own way.
I could feel the bracelet slowly restoring my strength. The twitching muscles gradually calmed down. The resilience of the Origin Bracelet was amazing. As an Epic ranked item, it wasn't just an ordinary recovery.
The good news was that I could feel the rewards of my nonstop training.
I can see that most of my senses have been greatly enhanced since my Super Senses level increased.
A gentle breeze ruffles my hair. It was barely perceptible, but I could faintly read its direction.
The night air was unusually moist, with the slightest hint of dew.
Even though I was doing all sorts of crazy things every night, I was attending the classes faithfully.
I'm tired, but I trust my bracelet to keep me going.
I've been to a few of Edward's classes, and as expected, they're a bit of a mixed bag.
'You could have given me experience points…'
It's hard to say that these lessons were completely unhelpful, but for me, there's nothing more effective than leveling up with the status bar.
As for the only relationship I've built so far, Aizel and Yuri, not much has happened between us since the first lesson.
Yuri would blush unnecessarily from time to time, but other than that, there wasn't much else going on, except that she was letting her guard down.
Aizel was…Well, I'm not sure, as usual. I still don't know what she's thinking, or what she's planning, or what her intentions are.
I realize that a person's mind isn't always revealed in their face, but I feel like her face has thickened a bit since the events of the other day and that she intends to act more carefully.
After the unexpected event, I realized that it wouldn't be strange if any character…any character…died, not just Aizel.
For me, it's not good news.
I've seen enough of them get in trouble, if not killed. Maybe even Yuri, who looks at me so sweetly every time, is in danger.
If I don't want that to happen, I need to nip the threat in the bud just like I did with Relial. However, Relial was a special case. The other villains to come are already more powerful than I am.
"Spectral Sword…"
The word pops out of my mouth.
If I had the Spectral Sword, I could be much stronger.
The stronger I become, the more avenues will open up for me to become even stronger.
With the gold I had earned earlier, I bought the monster materials and I think I got a decent price for a blind man.
Is it because it was a market?
It's a good thing that there were checks and balances between the merchants, because if someone tried to scam me, they'd say, 'Come here, not there.'
'They could have gotten together and ripped me off.'
I'm sure they've been playing their own mind games.
All that's left is the memorabilia and 500 gold to pay for the crafting.
Five hundred gold it's a lot of money to get right from the start.
In the game, gold is earned through quests within the Academy, as well as rewards for classes and tests.
With Edward as my instructor, I didn't pay much attention to class rewards. It's frustrating to have to wait for exams.
Also, the internal quests and rewards in the Academy are not enough to earn 500 gold.
I've been scavenging for hidden money in the Academy before the placement test, and I've already done all the easy quests that are worth money.
I wanted to earn a lot of money right away, not gradually.
There are many other ways to earn money, like monster slaying. In other words, doing the work of an adventurer, but it's too slow.
Monsters worth 500 gold are hard to catch with my current skill level, and since adventurers have a rank system, it takes time to reach the desired rank.
In addition, there should be some sort of livelihood content such as gathering, fishing, and hunting, but I don't think it's easy to get 500 gold right away.
'Illegal…'
Everything I've said so far is legal. That is, making money without breaking the laws of the land.
It's ironic that you can make a lot of money quickly and easily. That's how everyone makes money.
Why would a beggar sit on the street begging?
'Gambling.'
There was a gambling house in the basement of a big city nearby.
'I could go to a gambling house.'
In a country with such developed facilities, I suppose it's not impossible to hear the sound of dice in a bowl and touch a large sum of money. But the people who run gambling establishments are not stupid.
If a blind man walks in and wins 500 gold, they're bound to be suspicious, and even if they don't, they're bound to feel threatened by the loss.
First of all, the guy who runs the gambling house is not easy to beat…and I recall that her men were quite skilled as well.
The gambling house's credibility?
Killing the first blind man who shows up without a sound is not a problem for them.
'There's no time to become a regular…and I can't wear a mask to avoid being identified…'
Quests are the most appropriate.
If the quest is outside of the academy, rather than inside, the scope is a bit broader.
'The most appropriate one for my current level…'
A quest that doesn't require a great deal of power, but can be solved with certain conditions and a quest that has a reward of 500 gold or more.
"…Ah."
There was one.
I decided that I had found the solution so I stood up and dusted myself.
'My enhanced senses will come in handy…It's a perfect match for a blind man.'
***
After a few classes, the Class A cadets were finally allowed to enter their Class A classroom.
Actually, it was more like a practice field than a classroom. The sides were lined with long chairs for the cadets to sit on in the form of stairs.
Sitting in the chairs and looking straight ahead, there was a large space with a smooth, white floor with nothing on it. That's where the one-on-one training takes place.
There was no reason to take notes on theory at this academy, which could be considered a combat academy. The academy was extremely hands-on so there were no desks anywhere.
I think the classroom was built in this way because there were a lot of lectures and experiences about combat even if there were basic classes.
Considering that, it might be appropriate to call it a classroom.
Today's lesson is already over but for some reason, Edward called the cadets into the classroom and began to lecture them on the concept of magic as usual, demonstrating some basic spells. The explanation included the weaknesses of wizards.
This time, I got my experience points right, but unfortunately, I didn't level up.
It's true that the experience requirement increased as I leveled up, but even taking that into account, I only received a small amount of experience.
When the class ended, few cadets left their seats. They were all chatting with their friends, reading the pamphlet that Edward had handed out before leaving the classroom.
"Is there an exchange program that Edward teaches?"
"Yes. Illusion and Magic."
"I think I'll join the cooking club."
"I think it's the academy cafeteria chef, he's a good cook."
Of course, I had a pamphlet in my hand, but I just sat there in silence.
I couldn't help but read the words in front of everyone.
The pamphlet described various exchange programs. It's kind of like a club within a school. Except when you create a character, you learn skills by being taught by specific characters. The same would apply to me with a status bar.
In the game, I could easily acquire skills by learning from certain people in the clubs.
There are life skills that allow you to enjoy mainly life-related content. Things like hunting and gathering.
There were also various magic and weapon skills. This is where you can learn passive skills that increase your damage against certain spells or weapons.
"Zetto, do you want me to tell you what it says?"
Yuri, who was sitting next to me, asks, holding up a pamphlet. When it comes to playing a blind man, Yuri's presence is very helpful.
She's not the most helpful person in the world, but being her "friend" means a lot to me.
In the game, it's hard to have such an intimate conversation with her.
I smile at Yuri and reply.
"Can I ask you a favor, then?"
"I'll tell you slowly. Plant gathering…Fishing…The Hunting Society…Ice Magic Society…"
Yuri read down the pamphlet, reciting the names of each club.
"…Archaeology Club. Hmm…? Medical Technology…Club? That's it. What do you think? Do you like any of them?"
"Um…"
I already had a club in mind, but I rubbed my chin and pretended to think about it.
"The swordsmanship club? I have to join the fire magic club because of my family. My father insists."
As a member of the Clementine family, one of the four elemental clans, Yuri will definitely join the Fire Magic Club. One of the ways players can become acquainted with her is by joining that organization.
"And Miss Aizel?"
I asked Eisel, who was sitting on the other side of the class.
"I don't really care."
Aizel gives me her trademark scowl. Unusually, she only lets up when I'm with Yuri.
"Aha…"
As far as I can remember, Aizel didn't join any clubs in the game since it wasn't mandatory to join a club.
'She's the same.'
"So, did you like any of them?"
Yuri asks me.
"Well… I guess the Medical Technology…Club, did you say, can you tell me more about that place?"
"Yeah, where… Ah, I found it. The Medical Technology Club, where you can learn all kinds of medical technology. The professor in charge is… Medical Officer Priscilla. I met her last time I was in the infirmary, and she seemed nice."
"Various medical skills…"
"Medicine and…Acupuncture? That's unusual."
"…I guess it's pretty good."
I listened to Yuri's explanation and nodded in affirmation.
I plan to learn 'acupuncture' there.
There's a quest outside the academy that can only be solved with acupuncture. The conditions might be a bit tricky, but knowing that, it shouldn't be too much of a problem for me.
Normally, joining the Swordsmanship Club would be the answer, but things have changed.
I'm trading a passive that increases my swordplay damage for 500 gold.
It's a reasonable trade-off considering I chose the Ghost Slayer Technique, which starts out weak and gets stronger as I progress.