I didn’t just speak to Ada, but also to Francis, Yuki, and Grace.
“What about your studies?”
“We’re doing them.”
“I figured as much. If you weren’t, I’d be punishing you right in front of the school gates. What I’m asking is about your progress.”
“I’ve made it to the e-learning of Basic Magic Studies B…”
It was Fran-chan who said that.
Hmm.
This calls for some punishment.
“Fran-chan, you’re still underestimating me, huh? I didn’t realize you wanted your rear end to be wide open!”
“Eep! No, it’s not like that! Listen to me! My father also gives me assignments on military strategy and territory management…”
“I see… Well, that means you have some free time during this practical!”
“Huh?”
“If you don’t finish Applied Magic A by the end of this week, I’ll make sure both your front and rear holes are wide open in the middle of town.”
“Y-yes…”
With that, Fran-chan took out her study tablet from her pocket.
“Yuki.”
I turned to Yuki.
“Eek! F-forgive me! I’ve finished up to Applied Magic A…”
“Good. Then let’s finish B by the end of this week.”
“You’re so unreasonable! I stayed up late every night just to barely finish A!”
“So?”
“S-so, um…”
“So?”
“Ugh…”
“So?”
“I’ll do it…”
Of course, forcing too much too soon would only cause them to develop an aversion to learning.
“Don’t worry. I’m right here, so you can ask me questions anytime.”
“Yes…”
“Yuki, I know this is a hard time, but you just have to push through it. When you’re young, you need to study hard. Do you know why?”
“W-well, no, I don’t…”
“Because you lack the basic knowledge. Right now, you don’t even know the best way for you to study, so it feels hard.”
“I-I see…”
“But if you struggle now, it’ll become a valuable asset in the future. Even the Applied Magic B that’s giving you trouble right now—when you’re older, you’ll look back and say, ‘Oh, that’s all it was?’ You all have that much potential.”
“Huh? Exas-sama, are you… encouraging me?”
“What are you talking about? I expect a lot from you, and I think you have the skills to meet those expectations. That’s why I’m paying attention to you.”
“S-so that’s how it is… I thought you kept me around because I’m your type, and you wanted to make me your mistress…”
“Well, there’s that too.”
“I-I see…”
“I think there’s a misunderstanding, so let me clarify. I don’t get angry just because someone ‘can’t do something.’”
It’s also the fault of whoever assigned a task without considering the person’s abilities.
What matters is…
“What I can’t stand is when someone doesn’t even try.”
“Not trying? It’s odd to hear someone as logical as you say something like that…”
“‘Not trying’ is a metaphor. For example, if someone keeps making the same mistake or asking the same question over and over without learning from it—that’s what I mean by not trying.”
“I see… It’s the same with sword training. If someone keeps making the same mistake, they don’t grow. It means they’re not thinking.”
“Exactly. But you all have the ability to think. That’s why I have high hopes for you.”
“I understand. I will do my best, so please guide me.”
“Of course.”
“And what about you, Grace?”
“I finished Applied Magic B just the other day.”
“Wow, good job!”
“Hehe… But unlike Francis, who studies military strategy, and Yuki, who practices swordsmanship, I usually have a lot of free time.”
“I see. In that case, why don’t you start studying medicine?”
“Medicine?”
“Yes. Surgery, internal medicine, pharmacology, all of it.”
“Surgery… Surgery is considered lowly… No, that’s wrong. It’s an important field.”
Brainwashing success!
“I’m not an expert, but I can teach you some of the basics I picked up from the medical books at home. By next year, we should have some information recovered from Earth, so until then, let’s focus on the fundamentals.”
“Yes!”
After walking about three kilometers, Grace and Drill were getting tired.
Just three kilometers? Pathetic, even for children.
They need training.
Francis and Yuki, on the other hand, never skip their physical training, so I have to give them credit for that.
For now, I pull out a folding chair from my bike and let them sit down.
The magical material is impressive. It’s as thin as a chopstick, but it’s strong enough to hold up as furniture. When folded, it’s the size of a cushion.
After seating them, I hand out some chocolate nougat.
“Walking burns calories, so make sure to snack on something occasionally.”
“What is this?”
Yuki eyed the chocolate block suspiciously.
“Nougat.”
“What’s ‘nougat’?”
“A snack.”
“A snack… I see… well, okay. Oh?! This is… sweet and delicious!”
“This has a lot of calories. Just one bar has as much energy as a loaf of bread.”
“Calories are like nutrients, right? That’s impressive. This little thing weighs less than a loaf of bread but has the same amount of energy. And it tastes good too! It’s perfect as both a meal and a snack.”
Francis said as she chewed thoroughly.
Chewing well helps improve absorption and reduces strain on the stomach. The military upbringing shows, even in how she eats.
“I brought a few other snacks with me, so let me know your thoughts when you try them.”
The orphans usually eat garbage, so no matter what I give them, they just say it’s delicious, which isn’t helpful.
After walking for a while, it was time for lunch.
We cut up some frozen meat and vegetables and stewed them.
Here it is.
“Roux and Panettone bread.”
“What’s this?”
The old man, Kuruges, asked suspiciously.
“Roux is a blend of spices and salt, dried and compacted for long-term storage. It can last for years. The Panettone bread is made using a special technique that lets it last up to a year without spoiling.”
Kuruges held his head in his hands.
“Can you stop casually overturning our entire understanding of rations? It makes our army’s biscuits and jerky seem ridiculous.”
Then Fran-chan chimed in seriously.
Well, what can I say?
We ate curry.
“Delicious…”
A hit.
“With such a rich flavor, you could eat low-quality meat and vegetables without issue. Even strong-smelling fish or wild game would be fine…”
“And where did you get all these spices? A single lump of this stuff could flip a store on its head.”
“The ingredients are so tender! The meat and vegetables are soft and slightly sweet…”
Curry powder is excellent for covering up smells.
The food in this world smells awful…
Game meat, in particular, is practically inedible without seasoning.
The ‘venison’ sold as game meat is actually just farm-raised deer fed a controlled diet. Real wild deer, whose diets are a mystery, taste horrible.
But with curry powder, even that meat can be made palatable. Spices are incredible.
We talked about that as we ate our curry, then took a break.
