Chapter 17: Spearmanship – 1

The disturbance that occurred at the First Training Hall ended rather anticlimactically.

After colliding with me and calming down to some extent, Cheon Yuhwa explained that it was a fight that originated from a trivial misunderstanding.

It all started with Sera Alvhaim’s spell casting, which Cheon Yuhwa got caught up in, and then escalated when Cheon Yuhwa got annoyed due to her remark of “not knowing because there was no mana.”

Fortunately, the atmosphere, which had escalated due to my physical intervention, cooled down, allowing both of them to have time to calm down naturally.

And now that the commotion had subsided, there was no reason for the students to gather anymore.

Seria Alvhaim and Cheon Yuhwa were the first to leave the Training Hall, stating that they had to attend afternoon classes, and once the two figures at the centre of the commotion disappeared, the crowd naturally dispersed.

Up to this point, it’s the story that spread externally to the students.

“Alright, pick whatever you want.”

Seria Alvhaim and Cheon Yuhwa, who had left the gymnasium to attend afternoon classes, are now walking with me through the dining district.

If you were to ask why such a situation unfolded, it could be attributed to Cheon Yuhwa’s insistence.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m really fine…?”

“I’m not okay.”

Knowing well that I had been half-dead after consuming the Great Potion just a few hours ago and had been groaning in pain, Cheon Yuhwa brought me to the dining district to apologize and buy me lunch since I hadn’t eaten.

Seria Alvhaim had similar reasons.

Since she was the one who sent Cheon Yuhwa flying towards me, she declared that she would take responsibility accordingly.

“If you want anything, just say it.”

Perhaps because it was still lunchtime, a few students lingering in the dining district cast their eyes on me.

Although those two girls sticking closely to me might not have noticed, to other students, the current situation seemed to carry some misunderstanding.

It’s probably the kind of misunderstanding that starts to spread from the guy who usually hangs around with two cute girls from the first day of school.

“Then, let’s go there.”

In the end, I couldn’t convince the two of them, so today’s lunch ended up being on their wallets.

I pointed to a shop.

It was a hamburger joint with yellow and white interior décor.

Not all burger joints were like that, but generally, hamburgers were considered the champions of affordable and tasty food.

“Is your body okay?”

“Yes. I’m much better than before.”

After ordering burgers and receiving the vibrating buzzer, as soon as we sat down, Cheon Yuhwa started questioning me.

It dawned on me that Cheon Yuhwa also consumed the Great Potion.

“But Cheon Yuhwa…”

Before I could finish, my eyes met with Seria Alvhaim.

Could she know about the Great Potion even though she wasn’t there?

As I was about to speak, Cheon Yuhwa, who was alternating her gaze between me and Seria Alvhaim, chuckled and spoke.

“I’m fine. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have mana, but my chest area warmed up for a moment and then I suddenly felt better.”

I inwardly admired her response, which smoothly answered my question that was cut off.

Although she revealed that she took potion, she didn’t say it was the Great Potion of the World Tree.

The world is vast, and likewise, there is a wide variety of potions.

It’s possible to lump it roughly under the category of medicine and deceive it as an ordinary potion received from Professor Karia.

“By any chance, what were you two talking about?”

“We made a bet with Professor Karia… Something similar, and we won, so we received potions.”

“A bet?”

I told her about the stories from class time, like when Cheon Yuhwa aimed at Professor Karia at an incredible speed, and the moment when he created a gap using barrier magic.

She listened with fascination, having missed out on those moments.

As time flew by, the atmosphere gradually lightened as we continued to chat.

“Ah, looks like the burgers are here.”

When the vibrating buzzer indicating our orders arrived, Cheon Yuhwa stood up.

She said she would get the burgers and left.

Soon after, she returned with the burgers.

Even as we ate our respective burgers, light conversation continued to flow.

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, I enjoyed it.”

After finishing the meal, as Cheon Yuhwa sipped the remaining cola through a straw, she casually asked a question.

Of course, my answer was positive.

It was lunch given to me by Seria Alvhaim and Cheon Yuhwa, so out of courtesy, it had to be delicious.

But my answer wasn’t just polite; I genuinely thought.

“So this is what burgers taste like.”

Perhaps because I had only ever eaten franchise burgers, the taste of the handmade burger I had for lunch today still lingered in my mouth, making me yearn for it already.

Ringing.

“Oh, I should go attend the lecture.”

Seria Alvhaim, who seemed satisfied with my answer, smiled and said so after hearing her smartphone’s alarm.

“Could you pass me your smartphone for a moment?”

“Like this?”

“Yes, just a moment…”

As Seria Alvhaim said, I slid my smartphone forward.

After a short wait, she brought her smartphone close to the back of mine.

「Seria Alvhaim’s contact information has been saved.」

“?!”

What?

Such a feature exists?

I marvelled at the latest technology of the 24th century.

The memory of the 21st-century technology that charged other smartphones in the same way suddenly came to mind.

“I’ll see you later for lunch. Hopefully, we’ll continue to get along well like this.”

“Thank you.”

Unintentionally, I obtained Seria Alvhaim’s contact information.

Later on, I received Cheon Yuhwa’s contact information in a similar manner.

In the blink of an eye, two new names appeared in my contacts.

“Well then, I’m going to head off now.”

“Bye~”

Cheon Yuhwa waved goodbye to Seria Alveheim as Seria headed towards the lecture hall in the Academy building.

After waving for a few seconds, she lowered her hand and bid me farewell.

“I’ve got a class to attend too. I’ll go first.”

“Sure. Hope you enjoyed your lunch.”

“Yeah? Let’s have lunch together again next time. I have some credits from Otinuus.”

My mind went blank.

To receive credits directly from Otinuus…

I wondered what kind of relationship Cheon Yuhwa had with Otinuus to receive such special treatment for admission and even credits.

I hoped she would tell me someday as we parted ways, each heading in a different direction.

Cheon Yuhwa was off to attend the afternoon lecture on demonology, while I had my own classes to attend.

“Karia Rayfelt: Are you feeling better now?”

“Me: Yes, I’m much better than before.”

As I replied to Professor Karia’s text, I made my way towards the dormitory.

“Karia Rayfelt: Can you use perception inhibiting barriers? Bring your Gungnir Replica and come to the Second Training Hall by 3 PM.”

Reading Professor Karia’s message instructing me to bring my Replica of Gungnir and come to the Second Training Hall, I quickly scanned through the screen with my finger.

As the screen scrolled rapidly upwards, the very first message I received from Professor Caria appeared on the screen.

“Karia Rayfelt: You will have one-on-one sessions with each subject professor after class hours. Since I’ll be taking the first class, I’ll meet you in person this afternoon to teach you the details.”

One-on-one sessions.

It was a privilege not found in the original work.

Although I had been informed by Professor Karia, I couldn’t predict what kind of class she would conduct.

“Maybe it’s actually better this way?”

Having one professor focus on one student might be more effective than one professor lecturing to dozens of students.

I had always thought that being a Top student was mostly just a title, but there were subtle benefits in both learning and life aspects.

One of the most prominent examples was probably the penthouse in the dormitory tower.

Picking up my Gungnir Replica which I had left beside the bed, I headed straight to the Second Training Hall.

I didn’t forget to install a perception inhibiting barrier on my Gungnir Replica. Anyone from Eden would recognize this design.

“It should be about a 30-minute walk.”

With the entire continent as its premises, Eden’s facilities were much larger than one would expect from a typical educational institution. In terms of size, it felt more like a city built for educational purposes rather than a university.

That’s why there were shuttle buses running throughout the campus, but I usually preferred walking.

“Walking is good exercise, after all.”

Even simple training like maintaining barriers and physical enhancements while walking was helpful in its own way.

Just maintaining the barriers I had right now—the perception inhibiting and detection barriers set up around me—I was accumulating knowledge and skills in barrier techniques that couldn’t be obtained from the status window alone.

“A little further ahead.”

Perhaps due to my naturally fast pace, I arrived at the Second Training Hall building in no time.

Speeding up a bit, I walked for a few more minutes until the magnificent building came into view.

Upon entering, the first impression was one of admiration.

All the doors of the building were automatic, and there were various facilities reminiscent of science fiction novels.

The most advanced technologies from around the world were gathered in Eden.

The Second Training Hall was the pinnacle of such technology in Eden.

“The First Gravity Chamber, Augmented Reality Sparring…”

There were technologies and facilities here that I had never seen anywhere on Earth in my past life.

Moving my head from side to side, I took a few minutes to admire the sight.

Thud.

The intrusion alert from the barrier I had been maintaining since leaving the dormitory notified me of an incoming presence.

A figure of a woman slightly shorter than me.

The heavy, coiled magic stimulated the barrier, and her sharp, refined aura pricked my skin.

A magic I remembered feeling before.

I had felt this sharp magic before.

“…Professor Karia?”

“You’re early.”

Professor Karia, just as I remembered her from orientation, approached me.

“But where’s the replica of Gungnir I asked you to bring?”

“Huh?”

It seems the perception inhibiting barrier is even more high-performance than I thought.