Yes, itโs the morning of the day for practical training.
A cold winter morningโฆ?!
Kuhuhu!
We were in a room at the academy, spreading out our luggage.
โHonestlyโฆ you always bring the strangest thingsโฆโ
The one stroking his long chin beard is old man Kuruges.
Heโs 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 Iโd spread out and groaned bitterly.
โWhat is this?โ
โItโs 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.โ
โAnd this?โ
โThatโs a magic stove. If you turn this knob, fire comes out, and you can adjust it.โ
โWhatโs this box?โ
โThatโs a portable magic refrigerator. It keeps things cool, so you can store food. Itโs filled with meat and fish.โ
โAnd this cloth?โ
โThatโs a foldable tent. Itโs made from a special magical material that expands and can shelter up to ten people with a single touch.โ
I answered each of his questions with a beaming smile.
Kuruges pinched the bridge of his nose and said,
โโฆ What exactly are you going for?โ
โA vacation!โ
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. Itโs a futuristic bike with wide tires, so thereโs 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 bikeโs internal storage and seats.
I packed Adaโs luggage according to my instructions.
Francisโฆ oh, as expected, sheโs used to this. From preserved foods to everything else, sheโs got it all perfectly organized.
Yukiโฆ 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 heavyโฆ
Well, itโs 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 donโt plan on messing with the regular students much.
Itโs only fun to say โnoโ to people who think theyโre strong. Bullying the weak isnโt interesting.
โAlright, letโs get moving. Everyone, start walking!โ
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 doesnโt strain your legs and back takes practice.
Me?
Iโm capable.
Thatโs because I come from a good familyโฆ
Itโs the difference in cultural capital.
Since I was young, I experienced things like hiking and mountain climbing, so Iโm naturally good at physical activities.
My fatherโฆ no, not my jerk of a father in this life, I mean my previous lifeโs father. He was an outdoorsman.
I was made to do all sorts of things, from Boy Scouts to bushcraftโฆ
As I walk, I teach survival magic to my team members.
While at it, I teach Grace how to walk more comfortably.
โPut some strength around here like thisโฆโ
โHyaah?!โ
โHmm? You didnโt even do any taping? Alright, stop, stop!โ
Seriouslyโฆ you wonโt survive like this.
I wrapped tape around everyoneโs legs except for Drill.
โThis isโฆ like shin guards?โ Yuki asked.
As expected, she knows her stuff.
โThis is to protect your knees, but yeah, youโll also be wearing shin guards.โ
โBy the way, why do shin guards reduce fatigue?โ
โAh, it prevents blood congestion.โ
โBlood congestion?โ
โYeahโฆ 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.โ
โHmmโฆ then why doesnโt the heart rot?โ
โThatโs because~โฆโ
As I explain, I massage the girlsโ legs.
Hmm, nice legs.
I canโt help but press my cheek against Graceโs leg.
โN-Noโฆ this is wrongโฆโกโ
She says no, but her blushing cheeks say otherwise.
Ahh, forget class, letโs just start hereโฆ
โStop fooling around.โ
Tch, that old man Kurugesโฆ
โWhat do you want?โ
โIf I take my eyes off you, youโll definitely cheat.โ
โI wonโt.โ
โIโll be the judge of that.โ
Well, heโs got a point.
โAnd, since sheโs part of your group, you better treat the princess the same way. If even one member drops out, youโll all be held accountable.โ
โHuh? You shouldโve said that beforehand.โ
โIdiot. 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!โ
Heโs annoyingly right about that.
We resume moving.
โDonโt rush your pace. If you feel any discomfort, like blisters, report it immediately.โ
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.
Thereโs 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 thenโฆ
When Iโm outdoors by myself, I enjoy thinking deeply or emptying my mind.
But right now, Iโm surrounded by beautiful girls, so I might as well enjoy some conversation.
โAda.โ
โYes?โ
โHowโs your studies going?โ
โIโve mostly understood the M language.โ
โSo, you fully understand it? Could it be the Dunning-Kruger effect?โ
โNoโฆ Iโd say mostly. As long as the requirements are clearly defined, I think I can help with the downstream processes.โ
โHm. Canโt handle the upstream yet?โ
โI donโt have enough experience yetโฆโ
Well, that makes senseโฆ
โIโll keep an eye on your progress, so come see me regularly.โ
โOutside of our scheduled meetings?โ
โYeah. Besides coming at night to be held by me, feel free to come anytime to ask for guidance.โ
โThank you! That makes me so happy!โ
โAlan and Betty are catching up quickly. Donโt lose to them, okay?โ
โYes, sir!โ