Chapter 11

Standing at the school's south entrance, I took a deep breath and firmly held the letter containing the secret that my mother had given me.

The student ID card got me through the gates of the academy. Once inside, I looked around again and was struck by the vastness of the place.

A large pond, a fountain, and flower beds stretched from the entrance to the school building.

"The first-year dormitories are to the west," I was briefly informed at the gate. We unloaded all the luggage from the carriage. From here on, we would be moving around the campus on foot.

We headed west, which meant turning left from the path leading to the school building. It was a bit too expansive.

I could see the buildings, but it felt like we had been walking for about ten minutes. When we finally arrived, the building was incredibly large. I wondered how many students it could accommodate.

We approached the caretaker's office in front of the dormitory.

"Are you checking in today?"

"Yes."

"The boys' dormitory is the building in front, and the girls' dormitory is the one in the back. The building to the left is the cafeteria. Rooms are first-come, first-served. Since you and Iris are the first to arrive, you can choose any room you like."

"I'll take a room on the second floor. See you later!"

Iris quickly decided and carried her luggage inside.

"Alright."

I thought the second floor would be nice too.

"By the way, the first floor is not very popular, so the rooms are twice as large as on other floors."

"In that case, I'll take the first floor."

"Sure, here's the key to 1-1."

"Thank you."

I quickly moved my luggage inside. Moving is tiring, so I decided to organize everything on the first day to avoid procrastination.

The room had four private rooms. I decided to use one as a bedroom, one as a living room, one as a forge, and one as a storage room.

After planning, I started working immediately. The rooms were quite large, but I figured it would be worse if they were too small. Maybe I didn't need four rooms.

The work went smoothly, and by noon, everything was mostly done. The furniture was complete, and the storage space was excellent.

Taking a break, I headed to the cafeteria next to the dormitory. Iris wasn't there yet. The meal was served buffet-style. I took a small portion to avoid overeating, but I felt full with just that little bit, probably due to fatigue.

Back in my room, I decided to set up the forge area next. I had the materials from the carriage and knew the process, so I finished by the evening. By dinner time, a few students had started to appear, but I ate alone and went to the communal bath in the basement without talking to anyone.

"Getting used to this environment will probably take some time and be quite tiring."

I muttered a little and went to sleep.

In the morning, I went for a run before breakfast to get a feel for the campus. Everything was on a grand scale. The school building, the mysterious botanical garden, and the dormitories for second and third years were all enormous.

This place is going to be mentally exhausting. People from the city might have a different impression.

After breakfast, I thought about visiting Iris but decided against it, thinking it might be inappropriate for a boy to casually visit the girls' dormitory. I decided to start by repairing Iris's sword.

Since it was a defective item, it would be faster to make a new one. As long as it looked similar, no one would notice.

With that in mind, I prepared my tools and the sword in the forge area and heated the iron.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was a bit louder than a regular knock. I stopped working and opened the door.

...A giant was standing there.

The man's face didn't fit in the door frame.

"I'm your neighbor."

His voice was low and heavy, and I couldn't see his face.

He wasn't a classmate; that was for sure.

"Ah, I'm Kururi Helan from room 1-1. Are you a classmate?"

"I'm in 1-2, the son of the Kingdom's Chief Knight, Vain Rott."

This time, his voice was so quiet I could barely hear it.

However, his large size was intimidating, and I felt like I was being threatened.

"Ah, I'm from the Helan territory. Please look forward to working with me."

"Likewise. I've heard about the hot springs in Helan. Uh...uh..."

What!? What was that at the end!?

His voice was so quiet despite his large size. This conversation wasn't going to work!

"Let's work hard together at this school, Vain."

...

No response.

It was my turn to throw the ball, but his face was still hidden, and it was quite unsettling.

"If you have no other business, I'll see you at school later."

"Okay."

The man took a step back, placed his hand on the door, and closed it with a loud bang. The sound and the wind hit me directly.

"Sorry! I'm a bit clumsy."

"Don't worry about it," I replied through the door.

Yeah, talking through the door was more reassuring.

Well, back to work.

I was a bit interrupted, but I needed to focus!

Just as I thought that, there was another loud knock.

"Sorry, I'm back."

...The giant was there again.

"What is it?"

"I got so caught up in our conversation that I forgot to give you this."

The man held a beautifully wrapped gift. Did we really have such an engaging conversation earlier?

"My mother gave it to me. She said you'd be happy to receive it."

A gift? A kind giant?

"Thank you. I'd like to give you something in return, but the only thing I have is a dagger. Is that okay?"

"I'll take it."

I gave Vain the dagger and quickly sent him off. The door was slammed shut with the same force.

"Sorry! Twice now."

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

Well, back to work again.

Bang!! Bang!!

Again! The force was so strong it felt like he was trying to break the door.

"What is it?"

I tried to keep my emotions in check.

"I've been training with the sword since I was a child, always seeking strength. My father told me to learn other things and develop as a person, so I came to this school. But now that I'm here, I don't know what to do."

What is this sad beast?

"Would you like to come in?"

"Is that okay?"

"Of course."

As he stepped through the door, I finally saw his face. The "sad beast" had a surprisingly sweet face. He must be from the capital; his clothing was stylish, and his features were sharp and refreshing. His slightly curly hair added to his elegance. He was tall, well-built, and handsome.

If he kept quiet, he would be very popular with a certain group of girls.

Why did I let him in?

I regretted it within five minutes of Vain entering. He didn't talk at all. He didn't talk about himself, and he didn't pry into others. This was the worst scenario for building a relationship.

I didn't know what to say either. Maybe he was a beast in human form.

"Please sit wherever you like. I'll be working on the sword for a while, so feel free to speak up if you need anything."

With no other choice, I resumed my work.

I thought he would speak up eventually.

But he didn't.

Moreover, he sat directly behind me.

Usually, people sit next to or across from each other to make conversation easier. Why did he sit directly behind me?

It was unsettling.

Sitting in a blind spot is correct in combat, but it's the worst move in communication! What did the Chief Knight teach him!?

I felt like I was sweating more than usual while working on the sword.

"Why are you working on the sword?"

Finally, a conversation! But what kind of question is that!?

A voice from the blind spot, possibly criticizing my actions.

What? Am I being tested?!

If I give the wrong answer, will I be killed?

Will I be discarded like trash by the future Chief Knight?

"Um, why don't you come over here and talk. It will be easier for both of us."

I cautiously turned around and asked.

"Oh! Sorry. I'm a bit slow with these things. Please let me know if I do anything impolite."

"Okay."

Hmm? Is he just a kind giant after all?

"I'm repairing a friend's sword. I want to return it in better condition than before."

"I see. You seem like a kind person, Kururi."

"You can call me by my first name. We're classmates, after all."

"Then I'll call you Kururi."

"I'll call you Vain."

"Sure, that's fine."

...

"What are your hobbies?"

"I don't have any."

...

"Do you have any favorite foods?"

"I've never judged food by preference."

...

Just go home already!!

I knew he was a good person, but the conversation wasn't going anywhere! It would take time to get along with him. It wouldn't happen today or tomorrow!

I finished working on the sword and had a minimal conversation, but he still didn't leave. He probably wouldn't leave until I told him to, but I couldn't ask him to leave.

"I'm hungry."

That's it!

"Let's go eat. We can go to the cafeteria, eat, and then call it a day."

"Sure. Can I come back tomorrow?"

"Of course!"

Well, how do I teach this beast some common sense?