Drawing (1)

Although I'd had an unexpected encounter with Leort, that alone couldn't interfere with my writing. If anything, it gave me momentum, and I carried the story smoothly forward.

'This is where Count Castlerock shouts, "A nation is its people."'

There was a famous movie in my previous life. It was the story of a lawyer who protested to the bitter end on behalf of people victimized by a military dictatorship.

I vividly remembered being deeply moved by its most famous scene. The immersion was so incredible that I wondered whether it was really acting.

'I might take some flak, just as Leort said...'

A conflict between Xenon, who was born a commoner, and the nobility was unavoidable. Those who had long held the reins of privilege tended to be extremely wary of anyone trying to take their place. It was the sort of story that could really happen.

Still, it didn't matter. As the saying about carrots and sticks went, showing the good side of the nobility should make everything all right.

They were even willing to tolerate legitimate criticism to some extent. After hearing Leort's words, I looked for books in the library and found satire aimed at nobles everywhere. The only drawback was that there didn't seem to be any books offering direct criticism.

'The steam locomotive's exterior... I'll just draw it. I can practice in my notebook.'

The episode about Xenon's conflict with the nobility ran from the beginning to the middle of Volume 8. After that, he headed for the dwarves' country, where he could rest while encountering new inventions, and formed a connection with an eccentric dwarf who was trying to invent a "steam locomotive."

Xenon helped the eccentric dwarf with his invention, which everyone had pointed at and called impossible. After various misjudgments and trial and error, he ultimately succeeded in inventing the steam locomotive. Volume 8 ended with him presenting a new path—not "magic," but "mechanical engineering."

'They use carriages for supplies here, right?'

The importance of supply lines in war needed no explanation, whether in the East or the West, ancient or modern—or on Earth or in a fantasy world. Even in a fantasy world, an army had to eat well to advance.

You might wonder why they didn't simply use magic like teleportation or warp spells instead of bothering to invent a steam locomotive, but that was impossible. Supply methods using teleportation or warp magic were extremely inefficient and dangerous.

Using them on oneself wasn't a problem, but the moment you tried to move something other than yourself, problems arose. It required an enormous amount of mana, and if it failed, the target would be broken down like grains of sand. They were used only in situations important enough to justify that risk; otherwise, people generally relied on carriages.

'Of course, except for the demonkin. Come to think of it, they're a ridiculously overpowered race.'

One reason Helium, the land of the demonkin, had become a great power that even the Minerva Empire couldn't touch was its absurd transportation capabilities. While other countries used carriages to transport supplies, the demonkin used magic to ignore distance.

All of that was thanks to their ability to use magic as naturally as breathing. To them, magic was closer to a "divine power" that made anything they imagined come true.

Although I hadn't seen magic even once so far, it sounded incredible.

'Magic, huh...'

I left the fully revised manuscript at the edge of my desk and checked the clock. It was 10:30. I should go to bed now, if only for tomorrow's sake.

After washing up quickly, I threw myself onto the bed. The sensation of the soft mattress spread across my back.

'Tomorrow I only have Literary Studies, Magic Studies, and... Anthropology.'

I had already planned out which majors I would take.

Literary Studies, Magic Studies, History, Theology, Alchemy, Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology, Public Administration, Military Studies, and International Studies.

There were eleven subjects in total, and unlike the others, "Alchemy" was something everyone would probably be hearing about for the first time. Simply put, it was this world's version of chemistry.

Even on Earth, alchemy was called the father of modern chemistry. Perhaps because this was a fantasy world, alchemy had advanced considerably here. You only had to know that potions were made through alchemy to understand.

'It hasn't been systematized like chemistry... but it's still fascinating.'

They hadn't established details such as atoms and molecules, but perhaps someone would do so in the distant future. I gazed up at the pitch-black ceiling, then quietly closed my eyes.

Now that my proper classes were about to begin, I felt both nervous and excited. The thought of taking no fewer than eleven majors already gave me a headache, but I had no choice but to work hard if I wanted to avoid failing.

The good news was that grades weren't assigned on a curve; the system was closer to absolute grading. As long as I put in the effort, I could get perfect scores.

'The Chronicle of Xenon... I should only write it on weekends for the time being...'

Perhaps it was because I had lain down on the bed. Sleep came drifting in, and my eyelids closed.

Before long, in the midst of complete darkness, I felt my consciousness sinking downward as I drifted off to sleep.

*****

The next day, I grabbed breakfast at the student cafeteria and headed straight for the lecture hall. As soon as I entered, familiar faces were the first thing I noticed.

As everyone knew, they were Marie, Cecily, and Rina. Seeing the three exceptionally beautiful women, each with her own distinct charm, gathered together and chatting amiably, I felt as though they were giving off light of their own.

Were all three of them taking Literary Studies together? As I looked around to see whether there was an empty seat, I suddenly noticed something strange.

'There are no seats?'

Students were seated all around the three women—front, back, left, and right. No one had been sitting near them until last week, so the situation puzzled me. Even more so because there were plenty of empty seats toward the front.

I had no choice but to sit in an empty seat, but the question remained unanswered, so I turned around. The moment I did, I made eye contact with Marie, one of the three who had been chatting warmly.

"Oh! There's Isaac."

As soon as Marie shouted, Cecily and Rina looked over at me as well. When our eyes met, I greeted them with a wave.

"But why isn't he sitting next to us... Huh? When did it fill up?"

"Huh? You're right."

From what I heard, they had only just noticed what was happening around them too. As I looked at the three puzzled women, I suddenly made eye contact with the male student sitting to their right.

His name was Jackson, if I remembered correctly. In any case, he was the guy who had hit on Cecily and Rina on the very first day, only to be thoroughly rejected. The moment he met my gaze, he pulled one corner of his mouth upward.

That truly despicable smile made me realize instinctively that this was his doing.

Apparently, he was jealous because the women who had rebuffed him were showing interest in me. I didn't know whether he had recruited the students or had already known them, but it was utterly pathetic.

'Are factions forming already?'

He'd said he was the son of a wealthy count, so there was a good chance he'd bought them off with money.

'What the hell is he doing, acting like a little brat... No, wait. At seventeen, he is a kid.'

I didn't want to get dragged into any unnecessary trouble, so I turned to face forward. If possible, I wanted to enjoy a peaceful academic life.

"Oof."

"Hmm?"

"Hello?"

The moment I turned forward, someone sat down beside me and greeted me warmly.

Marie, a beautiful white-haired girl, was looking at me with a bright smile.

I blinked twice when she sat in the seat beside me. I wondered why she had gone out of her way to sit next to me instead of simply staying in her own seat.

While I was thinking that, Marie spoke to me with a mildly reproachful expression.

"You didn't return my greeting?"

"...Hello."

Only then did Marie nod in satisfaction. I stared at her for a moment, then turned around.

Cecily had drawn together her delicate brows as if she were uncomfortable, while Rina wore a subtle expression.

Finally, when I looked toward Jackson, I saw that he was brimming with irritation. I felt a thrill at having unintentionally gotten one over on him.

"What did you do over the weekend?"

"What about you?"

"I went around here and there with my big brother. There were lots of fascinating things. What did you do?"

"I read books in the library. There were lots of interesting ones. I also followed my older sister to the training grounds and watched a sparring match."

"You have an older sister?"

"I have an older brother too, not just a sister."

"You were the youngest too? I only realized that now."

I was able to talk about all sorts of things with Marie before class. Talking to her was definitely much more comfortable than talking to other people. She was not at all overbearing, and her personality was frank and easygoing, so I could speak freely.

I was grateful simply to be able to talk with such a distinctive beauty as Marie. Fortunately, our conversational wavelengths matched as well.

"Isaac, you said you'd read The Chronicle of Xenon through Volume 5, right? I could lend it to you."

Every now and then, though, the conversation took a turn that made me break into a cold sweat. Fortunately, it was a question I had expected, so I was able to answer smoothly.

As I chatted with Marie without noticing the passage of time, the professor eventually entered the lecture hall. Naturally, it was Birus, the Literary Studies professor.

"Good day, proud students. Then, from today, we'll begin the lessons in earnest."

When the lecture began, the lecture hall once again filled with the sound of the students' applause, just as it had the previous week.

A little while later, once the applause had died down, Professor Birus cleared his throat and began the lesson in his characteristic gentle voice.

"Last week, I explained the subject of knowledge. So what will we learn in today's class? It's simple. You will tell us what knowledge you gained from a book or an experience. Is this too sudden? There's no need to worry. I'll give you plenty of time."

The professor set the time limit at exactly forty minutes. The students complained that it was terribly short, but Professor Birus dismissed their grumbling without a second thought.

"Oh, and if you base your presentation on a book or experience other than The Chronicle of Xenon, I'll award bonus points. Of course, even if your presentation relates to The Chronicle of Xenon, I'll award bonus points if its content is excellent. Just make sure you explain clearly what knowledge you gained. Now then..."

At the professor's cry of "Begin!" the students were briefly thrown into confusion, then began organizing their thoughts in the notebooks they had prepared or muttering quietly to themselves.

I also wrote down my thoughts in the notebook I'd prepared beforehand. I was confident because I had read many books and gained a great deal of knowledge from them.

"Um... Isaac?"

"Hmm?"

Marie called to me quietly. I looked at her questioningly.

At my glance, Marie seemed to hesitate, then gave an awkward little laugh and asked me a favor.

"...Could I borrow just one sheet of your notebook? I only brought my Magic Pen..."

"If that's all..."

I gladly tore out a sheet of notebook paper and handed it to her. Marie thanked me brightly when I readily gave her the paper.

After accepting Marie's thanks, I turned my attention back to my notes.

"Huh? Hey. What's this?"

"Pardon?"

Marie showed me the back of the paper I'd given her. The moment I saw the drawing, I could only let out an inward gasp of dismay.

Marie then asked me, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"Did you draw this?"

On the back of the page was a steam locomotive I'd roughly drawn yesterday as practice.