Three days have passed, fairly uneventfully.
Those three days were not wasted idly. It's too tedious to explain each detail, and summarizing them in one sentence wouldn't do justice either.
First, the shelter I started with had grown in size.
On the second night, as it buckled unexpectedly,I gathered more wood from the forest to reinforce the structure.
Rope would have been ideal for binding,but,lacking any, I simply dug into the earth to secure the support beams.
Concerned about potential leakage during rain, I sacrificed several articles of clothing to cover the leafy roof, then piled more large leaves on top.
This,however, threatened the stability of the support beams, which struggled under the weight,so I installed cross beams to evenly distribute the pressure.
As for what to use to tie those supports, in the end,I twisted old clothes into cords to bind them together.
I regretted immediately using the clothes this way,pondering if a pawnshop might exchange them for a few silver coins.
But then I shook my head; unless they were adorned with jewels, pawnshops wouldn't bother with such common items.
The truly valuable items I had were set aside, safe for future needs. The main problem was the closest pawnshop was in the neighboring city.
I dreaded the thought of making it through Acken Island only to find upon arrival that the money received wasn't enough to fund the trip back.
While a carriage ride would be quick, walking would take a full day's journey each way-this wasn't a trip to be taken lightly.Being without the funds for a carriage, I had to be prudent.
"Hmm..""
I sat by the creek, sharpening one end of a stick with a dagger.
Having resolved not to leave school premises hastily, I needed to establish a base for my daily living-clothing,shelter,and food.
I had enough clothes to get by,and though my shelter was makeshift, food was the immediate concern.
On the second day, I ventured into the forest to forage. My rural upbringing lent me some familiarity with this environment.
However, identifying edible plants was a completely different ordeal. There was plenty of vegetation,but recognizing which was safe to eat was the challenge; not being a survival expert,I could only visually distinguish so much.
Therefore, I turned to the pine trees abundant in the forest, peeling off their bark.Beneath,there was a layer of soft inner bark.
I remembered my grandfather's tales from his childhood when people boiled tree bark to eat during famine.
Using the ceremonial dagger,I extracted the soft underbark, then used fire magic to ignite a flame and boiled water from the creek to cook it.I used an ornamental iron cup as a makeshift pot.
I chewed on the tough, tasteless pine bark-I could eat it,but barely.
And that night, I was struck down by a storm of diarrhea. It seemed that, after all, tree bark was not meant for human consumption.
On the third day, weary from hunger and diarrhea,I looked a wreck.
Using the ceremonial dagger, I carved the end of a stick and wrapped it tightly with a handkerchief,engineering a rudimentary spear. Despite binding it as tight as possible, the handkerchief alone was too loose, so I reinforced it with thin vines I had found during my exploration.
[New Creation]
-Improvised Harpoon: Tied a ceremonial dagger atop a well-carved stick. Could be used for fishing or small game hunting. Lacks the sharpness for lethal hunting.
Difficulty:- 1/2 Out of 5
- [Creation Complete. Your crafting proficiency has increased.]
Now was the time to utilize my childhood fishing skills by the brook,this time laced with desperation.
The home-made harpoon lacked the sharpness of a factory-made one, but experience could compensate.
*
The fire crackled and burned. Thankfully,my fire magic spared me the struggle of starting it-a boon from my past self when I chose fire as my elemental specialty.
...But was it really something to be grateful for?
In any case, without being able to forage,I had decided to try my hand at fishing,and I managed to catch a fair number of fish, reminding me of my younger days ruling the creek banks.
I tried roasting the fish on sticks as seen in cartoons, but as the fish cooked, the soft flesh began to flake of, sadly losing much of the meat.
It would have been better to use a grill, but with no proper materials at hand, I couldn't make one. So,I had to content myself with scalding my tongue as I ate the hot morsels.
"Grgh..""
For the first time in a while, I felt nourishment coursing through my body.More grateful for satiety than for taste,I picked clean several fish,then washed it all down with gulps of stream water.
"Huah..""
I wasn't full, but it was enough to fend off the hunger that had tormented me for two days.
I lay back on the pebbly bank of the creek, looking up at the sky as evening approached.There was remarkably little to show for the day, and yet the sun was setting.
Only a week left until school starts.
I was already scrambling just to meet my basic needs; how could I hope to follow the academic curriculum and earn scholarships?
Regardless of whether it seemed possible, I knew I had no choice but to succeed.A diploma from Sylvania Academy could be a powerful asset in this unfamiliar world.
Even the least stellar Sylvania graduates typically become key talents in their homelands. Those whose grades scraped the bottom still merited placement as elite hunters or scholars in lesser-known magic associations.
It was a far better starting point than going it alone.
"Is there somebody there?"
Lying by the creek, staring into the sky, I was startled by a voice-students,let alone faculty,seldom visited the northern part of Acken Island,reserved mostly for certain practicals or examinations. Hearing such a youthful tone raised the alarm.
I quickly guessed the identity of the voice.
"You're...Ed Rothtaylor?"
Phoenia Elias Clorel,the third princess of the Clorel Empire, also known as Princess Phoenia.
One of the 'Four Heroines of Sylvania,the Sylvania's Failed Swordsman' and a significant power player influencing the whole school's landscape throughout the narrative-although that was her future. At present, she was a new student at Sylvania Academy.
The protagonist 'Taely' encounters her during the entrance exams.
Princess Phoenia sat the exams incognito,having revealed me, Ed Rothtaylor-yes, the very one before you-as the culprit behind the tampering of those exams, an act that led to my family's disownment and my downfall.
"...I heard you were expelled. What are you doing here...?"
What was I doing here? That was the question I wanted to ask.
This location was hardly suitable for the third princess,who normally traveled with a retinue of at least seven guards.
Raising my head, I looked at Princess Phoenia.
Her platinum hair and frilled dress were starkly out of place in the wilds.
Yet, her attire wasn't as opulent as usual.
That's when it dawned on me-ah, 'the class assignment test episode'was in progress.
Indeed... this was the episode set in the northern forests of Acken Island.
A test conducted by Sylvania Academy's Magic Department, one week before classes, gauging the aptitude of prospective magic students.
A dreaded exam by the notorious Professor Glast,indiscriminately scattering mana-imbued pearls throughout the expansive northern forest,challenging students to find them as a means to assess their ability to detect magical energy-a foundational skill for all mages.
"It is an honor to meet you again,Princess Phoenia."
The princess's gaze bore into me with contempt;from my standpoint,it was ridiculous. Not that she would believe anything I said in my defense.
Quickly sitting up, I offered a respectful greeting.
"I thought you had been chased off school grounds."
"Expelled from the dormitory,I was."
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
Princess Phoenia's staregrew incredulous as she surveyed my makeshift shelter, campfire,and half-eaten fish bones.
"Have you not left the school yet?"
"Unfortunately, I am still enrolled as a student."
"They didn't proceed with your expulsion from Sylvania?"
"It appears they didn't see he need.After the humiliation and loss of my family's support, it was obviously unlikely I'd be able to continue attending."
Princess Phoenia's lips twisted sourly. Clearly, the thought of a disgraced noble, let alone one who had been disowned, continuing to study at Sylvania seemed implausible.
"If the faculty finds you,they will likely initiate your expulsion immediately."
"..."
"I'll have to report this to the headmaster
tomorrow. Do you really think they'll allow you to stay here?"
My plans for obtaining a Sylvania Academy diploma were already hitting roadblocks.
I couldn't let this happen. I sighed heavily and began to think quickly.
"Ifthe princess so judges, then it can't be helped.Truly, not only you, Princess Phoenia,but most students despise me. I would think the faculty feels similarly."
"If you're aware of that,why don't you leave on your own accord? Wouldn't leaving with some dignity be better than enduring a humiliating expulsion?"
"I wish to continue my studies at Sylvania.""
"I can't say I recommend it."
Princess Phoenia crossed her arms, her eyes brimming with contempt.
"Leave. Everyone despises you, and you despise everyone in return."
"You seem to be misunderstanding. I don't despise anyone."
"Do you not remember your own arrogance and contempt? I guess it's not easy to see oneself objectively."
"Idisagree."
No matter what, I had to smooth things over, and fast-talk was my only recourse.
"Rather,I owe you my gratitude,Princess Phoenia."
She looked at me, clearly incredulous.