v2 Chapter 8: Academy City

After alternating between camping and staying in towns, they entered the Lake Country on the tenth day. Autumn was deepening, with hints of red and yellow peeking through the dense green foliage. Above them, the autumn sky stretched wide and blue. Small lakes dotted the roadside, and after they finished setting up camp beside one, they watched as small fish jumped at the surface while the shadows of larger fish moved beneath them.

"There are fish here."

"I wonder how people catch them."

"Well, the fish sold in the markets probably come from larger lakes. No one’s fishing in a place like this, where no one lives."

The master healer and Shou sat by the lake, speaking idly.

The road from Deep Forest to the Lake Country didn’t have the open grasslands of before, making it harder to spot approaching monsters. Even though they appeared relaxed, they remained alert.

There weren’t many travelers using this road between Deep Forest and the Lake Country, which meant there were plenty of monsters.

Even as they talked, the master healer casually dispatched multiple monsters. Shou, too, had given up on using her slime club and kept her sword at the ready, prepared to deal with threats properly.

"I’m glad I trained with the sword, Master Sain. If I could only heal, I’d just be a burden on this journey."

"Mm. Many healers, like Alfie, are gentle types, so there’s no need to push yourself. But knowing how to handle a sword gives you more freedom. I took plenty of reckless risks in my youth too."

"Like what?"

"Well… perhaps I’ll tell you another time."

Since the master healer wouldn’t say, Shou figured it was probably about women. Another reason to look forward to growing up. Maybe coming to a country with long lifespans meant learning to be patient.

They had only stopped by the lake for lunch before getting back on the carriage and heading for the nearest town. It wasn’t safe to camp along the roads in the Lake Country, so they tried to find inns whenever possible or set up camp in village squares.

"This place is… thick."

"Thick?"

Leon muttered, and Shou asked for clarification.

"Yeah. The humidity is thick. The forest is thick. The presence of life is thick. Everything feels dense. No offense to Dred, but for someone from Deep Forest like me, this place feels a little suffocating."

Dred chuckled.

"I feel at home here. Deep Forest is too dry—it feels lonely."

Falco was driving the carriage, with Lyla chatting beside him. The rest sat inside, leaning against their seats as they talked.

"There’s plenty of food to hunt here, but there isn’t much farmland. They rely on the Plains for grains."

That was another reason there weren’t many people traveling this road. Deep Forest and the Lake Country produced similar goods, so they didn’t trade much. The only traffic came from carriages passing through Deep Forest on their way to the Rock Caverns.

As they neared town, Leon turned to Shou.

"On the way back, we might be in a hurry. If there’s anything you can buy in smaller towns, get it now."

"Got it!"

After dropping off their things at the inn, Shou ran around town with Falco as her escort. The fish vendors closed in the afternoon and wouldn’t be open before they left in the morning, so a shopkeeper advised her to stock up when they reached the academy city.

Most people here had deep green hair like Dred. Lyla’s and Leon’s blond hair stood out, while Shou’s and Falco’s black hair blended into the surroundings.

They exchanged glances.

"Good thing we have black hair."

"We don’t stand out at all."

They smirked at each other.

Shou found the mix of deep green hair and violet eyes fascinating and beautiful, just as the townspeople found Leon’s pale blond hair and grayish-blue eyes or Lyla’s green eyes captivating.

But Shou and Falco, thinking their black hair and brown eyes were plain, failed to realize that their features were just as eye-catching to the locals. Their honey-toned skin, framed by dark lashes, stood out in its own way. But since neither of them was particularly perceptive, and the townspeople weren’t particularly sociable, they remained oblivious to each other.

Shou was lucky that it happened to be the season for swamp grapes. Despite their name, they didn’t grow in water but near the shores of lakes. They were known for making excellent raisins but were also delicious when eaten fresh.

At the same time, last year’s raisins were being sold at a discount.

Stopping in towns along the way, they continued their journey, and after two weeks of travel, they finally arrived at the academy city.

Despite its name, the city had only one magic academy. But that academy was enormous. Every magician in the Lake Country belonged to it, and from there, they were dispatched to various locations. Students made up only a small fraction of the people here.

Reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught in every town’s church, so only those who wanted to study beyond that—mostly children with high magical potential—entered the academy. There was no entrance exam; a recommendation from a church or town was enough. Since various countries donated funds, students could live in the dormitories and study for free.

Magic could be learned in other countries as well, but the appeal of having teachers for practical combat training made this academy attractive to children with high magic potential.

As a result, this was the largest town Shou had seen since coming to this world.

Passing through a narrow road between mountains, they emerged into a basin surrounded by rocky hills. The magic academy stood toward the south, with the town sprawling outward and stretching to the northern foothills. Small lakes dotted the landscape.

The dense atmosphere Leon had mentioned was gone, replaced by open space and fresh air.

"The church is in the center of town. Let’s head there directly."

At Dred’s words, everyone nodded.