856 C-2, Rain Month 2, Moon 28
My eyes flung open to a familiar ceiling and a familiar cold sweat that had soaked my body. I let out a frustrated groan after yet again seeing the same nightmare that’d been haunting me ever since that day two years ago.
I’d thought by now, these nightmares would’ve stopped, but it seemed that my brain had different plans. As a result, more often than not, I’d wake up in a pool of my own sweat, feeling incredibly unrested. Even if I tried to go back to sleep, I’d be so uncomfortable in my damp clothes that I couldn’t.
I tried to take this positively though. It forced me to wake up early and do my morning exercises. Still, it’s so early in the morning... The sun had barely just begun to rise, and the campus was even more silent than it usually was, mostly due to the lack of students who’d gone home for the long vacation before the new school year.
Let’s go for a run, I guess. I sighed and changed out of my pajamas and into my running clothes. Fortunately, around this time of day, there shouldn’t be many people up and about, making my running route very peaceful.
I walked to the mirror and used my hands to fix my slightly ruffled black hair before tapping on the mirror, commanding it to show the reflection of the school’s garden. Looks like I’m clear to go through. Then with that, I stepped through to my destination. Portals are so convenient. What would we do without them?
I began doing some light stretches before starting my run. To be honest, I hated running. Master Crayne had always said that if you did it enough, it’d become enjoyable, which was ironic since he’d often used it as a punishment. But anyway, not once did I ever find being out of breath and having the muscles in my legs scream fun.
Yet even so, running was very important for building stamina, so I couldn’t really neglect it—no matter how much I wanted to. Having a strong base to work off of meant a lot, especially for people like me who fought solely with their body rather than their magic. That was why I had to make sure my stamina was high enough to compensate for what mages could do. They really have it easy. They can just flick their wands around, say some stupid-sounding incantation, and...poof, magic.
Internally, I could already hear Karen scolding me for belittling mages. Despite that, I found myself mocking her in a voice that I imagined her to sound like. “‘Oh, Ca’al, you absolute dimwit. Casting spells is sooo hard and requires sooo much energy and brainpower. Mages have to train their stamina too, that’s why I’m running with you. Look at me with my wand; look how cool I am. Mana management is sooo hard too. You physical-types have it so easy.’ Blah blah.”
I quickly looked around, feeling paranoid that Karen might’ve actually been around, but I sighed with relief when I didn’t see her (or anyone else for that matter). For some reason or another, I usually bumped into her during my morning run, but I probably wouldn’t today because of how early I’d woken up. Heh. I can already tell today’s gonna be a great day!
It certainly felt like that by the time I arrived at the cafeteria for breakfast after finishing my run about an hour later. I was in incredibly high spirits from the rare but welcome silence. Now, it was time for me to enjoy the best meal of the day.
“Oh, Ca’al. Mornin’! You’re up early.”
“Yeah, I just kinda woke up,” I replied to the goblin lady at the counter, Yiela. “Could I have the usual?”
“Sure thing! One breakfast sandwich combo, extra bacon, extra egg, and light hot sauce!” she called out to the back. “Oh”—she began looking around as if she realized something—“you’re not with Karen today? How rare.”
“We’re not joined at the hip or anything. She has her own life.”
“I see you two together more often than not though. Dunno how to explain it, but it’s...unnatural to see you by yourself.”
“Would it help if he was with someone else?” Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me, and a familiar dignified voice accompanied it.
“President Victoria? Isn’t this early for you? Wait...no. Late?”
“Both,” she sighed. “I haven’t been able to sleep yet because I’ve been working on arranging a placement exam. Oh, I’ll have a morning tea set, Yiela.”
The goblin at the counter nodded and called out President Victoria’s order to the back.
“Do we have a new student?” I asked.
“We certainly do. She just transferred in yesterday. Since there aren’t many students on campus currently, I’ve charged Karen with the task of showing her around.”
“Oh, so that’s why she’s not...”
“Aw, are you lonely?” she asked, grinning teasingly.
“Not even close. Please don’t even joke about that. If anything, it feels like I can breathe again.”
“Is that right? Well, I suppose I can keep you company in her stead.”
“Please feel free to leave,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“The student council president herself is offering to share a meal with you, and you’re turning up your nose at that opportunity? You wound me. Am I so hideous in your eyes that you can’t bear my company?” She began fake weeping.
Yiela let out an exasperated sigh. “Ca’al! That’s no way to treat a lady! You should know better than that! Shame on you!”
“It’s quite all right, Yiela,” President Victoria said through fake tears. “I wouldn’t want to impose on him. I can tell how revolted he is by my mere presence. I will take my order to go,” she sniffled.
“Ca’al!” Yiela shot me an angry glare. I wasn’t sure when, but she was holding the tray with my food on it. It was painfully obvious that she was threatening to withhold it if I didn’t play nice.
I let out a long sigh, knowing what I needed to do. “Please, President Victoria, won’t you join me for breakfast?”
“All right. If you insist. I wouldn’t want to embarrass you after being so desperate to invite little ol’ me.”
I rolled my eyes and held out my hands to Yiela, who placed the tray in my hands, a satisfied smile on her face. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long for President Victoria to get her food since the morning set consisted of nothing more than a cup of tea and a scone. We then proceeded to sit at a random table before both digging into our respective meals.
“The quality of both food and beverage here is exceptional, is it not?” she asked as she took a sip of her tea.
“Are you fishing for a compliment? Since you’re the one who helped vet the chefs and ingredients.”
“Not at all. However, now that you mention it, I did work tirelessly in my first year as a mere secretary on the student council to realize what is now heralded as ‘restaurant-quality food, almost indistinguishable from what is served at the finest establishments.’”
“Nobody’s said that.”
“Of course they did. Here’s a newspaper clipping from our very own Aliriheim Times,” she said, proudly bringing a folded piece of clipping from the school newspaper out of her pocket.
“You...really carry this around with you everywhere you go? When do you ever even have the opportunity to bring it out organically?”
“Right now,” she said with a satisfied smile, sipping her tea.
“Of course...” I shook my head and took another bite out of my sandwich.
“Do you disagree, though?”
“About what?”
“The quality of food and drinks. I’d like to think that students specifically apply here for the sole reason of experiencing our dining hall.”
“Wouldn’t it be sad for there to be students who’d only enrolled to eat the food?” I can’t even imagine how I’d feel as a professor, at the forefront of my field, with a student whose primary motivation is cafeteria food.
“Our school accepts students of all backgrounds and ambitions. Who knows? Perhaps the quality of food coupled with the pride that the kitchen staff have for their work will provide certain students with the inspiration to become a chef or a food taster.”
“The cafeteria’s been like this for two years now. Have there been any students like that?”
“As you said, it’s been a mere two years. It’s not sufficient time to truly whet one’s appetite, as it were.”
“So no, right?”
“The dream of becoming a culinary artist is not one that immediately falls into one’s head but one that is nurtured and grown. Given time, we will begin to see our harvest blooming before our very eyes.”
“So yeah, definitely no.”