Yes, it’s the morning of the day for practical training.
A cold winter morning…?!
Kuhuhu!
We were in a room at the academy, spreading out our luggage.
“Honestly… you always bring the strangest things…”
The one stroking his long chin beard is old man Kuruges.
He’s an elderly man, over eighty years old, with a body as thin as a withered branch and a white beard that resembles dried leaves.
From beneath his unkempt, helmet-like hair, his eyes gleamed sharply for a moment.
Kuruges looked at the luggage I’d spread out and groaned bitterly.
“What is this?”
“It’s a magic-powered two-wheeler. If you straddle it and turn the handle, it can go up to three times the speed of a horse.”
“And this?”
“That’s a magic stove. If you turn this knob, fire comes out, and you can adjust it.”
“What’s this box?”
“That’s a portable magic refrigerator. It keeps things cool, so you can store food. It’s filled with meat and fish.”
“And this cloth?”
“That’s a foldable tent. It’s made from a special magical material that expands and can shelter up to ten people with a single touch.”
I answered each of his questions with a beaming smile.
Kuruges pinched the bridge of his nose and said,
“… What exactly are you going for?”
“A vacation!”
I gave him my biggest smile yet.
We were told that we could only bring what we could carry, so I decided to use the self-driving mode of the magic-powered two-wheeler to transport my gear. It’s a futuristic bike with wide tires, so there’s no worry about it tipping over.
I packed all kinds of fun things into a large hiking backpack. I also loaded as much as possible into the bike’s internal storage and seats.
I packed Ada’s luggage according to my instructions.
Francis… oh, as expected, she’s used to this. From preserved foods to everything else, she’s got it all perfectly organized.
Yuki… seems fully ready for survival, wearing light gear and armed with knives and a bow. Looks like she plans on gathering food locally.
Grace, on the other hand, seemed unfamiliar with this kind of thing and got thoroughly criticized by Kuruges. However, she earned points for bringing insect repellant and medicines.
Half of the other students were a mess. Some of the idiots even tried to bring game consoles.
From what I saw, some people were in pretty dire straits.
There were those stuffing their bags with perishable food, some showing off expensive knives, and others going light because their luggage was too heavy…
Well, it’s not my concern.
They can all make fools of themselves for all I care.
I enjoy knocking down those who act all high and mighty, so I don’t plan on messing with the regular students much.
It’s only fun to say “no” to people who think they’re strong. Bullying the weak isn’t interesting.
“Alright, let’s get moving. Everyone, start walking!”
The old man Kuruges gave the signal, and the foolish kids started walking lazily.
The capable teams are different, you can tell from their walking style.
It might seem like just walking, but those with shallow thinking would never know that walking in a way that doesn’t strain your legs and back takes practice.
Me?
I’m capable.
That’s because I come from a good family…
It’s the difference in cultural capital.
Since I was young, I experienced things like hiking and mountain climbing, so I’m naturally good at physical activities.
My father… no, not my jerk of a father in this life, I mean my previous life’s father. He was an outdoorsman.
I was made to do all sorts of things, from Boy Scouts to bushcraft…
As I walk, I teach survival magic to my team members.
While at it, I teach Grace how to walk more comfortably.
“Put some strength around here like this…”
“Hyaah?!”
“Hmm? You didn’t even do any taping? Alright, stop, stop!”
Seriously… you won’t survive like this.
I wrapped tape around everyone’s legs except for Drill.
“This is… like shin guards?” Yuki asked.
As expected, she knows her stuff.
“This is to protect your knees, but yeah, you’ll also be wearing shin guards.”
“By the way, why do shin guards reduce fatigue?”
“Ah, it prevents blood congestion.”
“Blood congestion?”
“Yeah… if you walk too much, the blood concentrates in your legs. If too much gathers in one spot, it can rot, so you need to be careful.”
“Hmm… then why doesn’t the heart rot?”
“That’s because~…”
As I explain, I massage the girls’ legs.
Hmm, nice legs.
I can’t help but press my cheek against Grace’s leg.
“N-No… this is wrong…♡”
She says no, but her blushing cheeks say otherwise.
Ahh, forget class, let’s just start here…
“Stop fooling around.”
Tch, that old man Kuruges…
“What do you want?”
“If I take my eyes off you, you’ll definitely cheat.”
“I won’t.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
Well, he’s got a point.
“And, since she’s part of your group, you better treat the princess the same way. If even one member drops out, you’ll all be held accountable.”
“Huh? You should’ve said that beforehand.”
“Idiot. If I gave you all the evaluation criteria, that would be the same as giving you the answers. Consider it a kindness that I even mentioned shared responsibility!”
He’s annoyingly right about that.
We resume moving.
“Don’t rush your pace. If you feel any discomfort, like blisters, report it immediately.”
As I say that, I shoot a magic arrow without chanting, piercing the head of a wolf hiding in the grass along the road.
Without even a death cry, the wolf crumbles in one hit.
There’s a small hole about the size of a penny in its forehead, allowing me to see the scenery through the back of its head. The air flows right through it, something this country could take notes on.
Now then…
When I’m outdoors by myself, I enjoy thinking deeply or emptying my mind.
But right now, I’m surrounded by beautiful girls, so I might as well enjoy some conversation.
“Ada.”
“Yes?”
“How’s your studies going?”
“I’ve mostly understood the M language.”
“So, you fully understand it? Could it be the Dunning-Kruger effect?”
“No… I’d say mostly. As long as the requirements are clearly defined, I think I can help with the downstream processes.”
“Hm. Can’t handle the upstream yet?”
“I don’t have enough experience yet…”
Well, that makes sense…
“I’ll keep an eye on your progress, so come see me regularly.”
“Outside of our scheduled meetings?”
“Yeah. Besides coming at night to be held by me, feel free to come anytime to ask for guidance.”
“Thank you! That makes me so happy!”
“Alan and Betty are catching up quickly. Don’t lose to them, okay?”
“Yes, sir!”
