Chapter 43

Thank you for always reporting typos. Some people corrected "wheat flour" to "flour," but the "wheat" in this story is not wheat, so "flour" is correct. I'm very happy to know that you read it so carefully.

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Good morning from the inn. Today is finally the day I start at the Alchemy Academy. I'm Herman. The short but long collection period is over, and today is the day I start at the academy. It's a sentimental day. Well, I'll eat this unremarkable breakfast at the inn and leave. From today, I'll be living in the dormitory. There are 30,000 people coming to the Alchemy Academy. That's amazing, isn't it? There will be many nobles, but how many commoners will there be? I plan to get along with everyone, but I don't like those who are arrogant. They might cause trouble and I don't want to be invited to their parties. Well, most of the alchemists who go to the Labyrinth are from the Iron Welcome faction or are noble, so I guess I'll have some connection with the nobles.

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So, after about 30 minutes of walking, I'm in front of the gate of the Alchemy Academy. Several carriages are already coming and going, so they must be nobles. Nobles, you wake up early. It hasn't even been an hour since the sun rose? It might take a while to move in, but shouldn't the "Extend Space" be enough? I don't know. So, I greet the person standing at the gate, who must be a receptionist or a guard.

"Good morning."

"Yeah, good morning. You're early. You're the first commoner. Just follow this carriage. Everyone should be heading to the general affairs window."

"Thank you."

I need to go to the general affairs window. There's a place where carriages stop. Is that it? ...Nobles must have a hard time too. They could walk the distance, but they probably have some pride. Even if they fall from nobility, it might affect their family's reputation, so they can't be underestimated.

I slip into the carriage as if sliding in. Is this where I do the enrollment procedures? ...There are no empty seats, but there is a line. I guess I should join that line. I watch to see if the line moves quickly. ...It seems to take a while. I'm very interested in what they're doing. I understand that it's not just a matter of writing your name and being done. There must be a long explanation or something to write. The line is gradually getting shorter. It's my turn after two more people. ...One more, okay, it's my turn. Where is there an empty spot? ...There it is. I quickly head to the window. It's time for the enrollment procedures.

"Good morning."

"Yes, good morning. Here, read this."

Suddenly, a paper is handed to me. What is it? ...This academy does not guarantee death from accidents during lectures. What is this? If you die, it's over, right? ...It's probably for nobles. Ah, it might be necessary because they go to the Labyrinth or sacred grounds. If you get killed by a monster in the Labyrinth or die in a fire on sacred grounds, it makes sense. But for commoners, it's not a problem because it doesn't involve their family. The paper also says that accidents and other things are not guaranteed and that most things are your own responsibility. I've experienced this as an adventurer, so it's not a problem. And the last sentence says, "If you don't understand this, say so." ...I see, people who can't read are weeded out here. No one would come this far and say they don't understand, so it's a trap.

"I don't understand."

"Alright, take this."

"Yes."

"Then, how many stars did you get as an alchemist?"

"Seven."

"...Not bad. Please return that. ---Now, please sign here."

"Is my name okay?"

"Yes, that's fine."

I'm given a paper and read it before signing. ...It's the same content as before. So, I sign quickly. What's next?

"...Are you a commoner?"

"Yes."

"Please wait a moment."

The person at the general affairs window goes inside. What did they go to get? They come back quickly and hand me a box. Ah, this is the alchemy item I saw at the Alchemy Guild. It's an alchemy item that shows the location of alchemists.

"Please keep this box in your 'Extend Space.' It's an alchemy item that shows your location. ---Here is the map of this academy and this is the key to your dormitory. You're in room 09001 of the Clear Water Dormitory. Congratulations on your enrollment. There are no classes today, January 2nd, so please listen to the explanation in your dormitory."

"Thank you."

The Clear Water Dormitory is one of the four dormitories. The four dormitories are named after the four elements. My Clear Water Dormitory, Cool Wind Dormitory, Black Earth Dormitory, and Oil Fire Dormitory. The Light and Dark elements are in the management buildings, the Light Management Building and the Dark Management Building. The pressure in the Dark Management Building is intense. Well, let's go to the Clear Water Dormitory. I see the Oil Fire Dormitory in front of me. It's an 8-story building, right? Room 09001 is definitely underground. Still, it's nice to be in the back. The dormitories are divided by factions, and the Clear Water Dormitory is near buildings 4, 5, and 6, which are assigned to the Illusion Faction, Dawn Faction, and Spirit Faction. The nearby management building is the Dark Management Building, so I'll probably use that. By the way, building 1 is the Eternal Light Faction, building 2 is the Creation Life Faction, and building 3 is the Iron Welcome Faction. There's a training ground between buildings 3 and 4. I guess the Iron Welcome Faction uses this training ground. Behind the learning buildings is a field and experimental area. Each faction probably has its own allocation, but what kind of materials are they growing? I heard that elemental materials can't be grown unless they're near sacred grounds or the Labyrinth, but... they probably create a simulated environment. It's exciting. I don't know if I'll use it, though. Ah, is this experimental area where we can use dangerous things?

---

It takes about 10 minutes to get to the dormitory. Just moving around is a hassle. Finally, I've arrived at the Clear Water Dormitory. There are entrances at the corners, the middle, and in between. ...I guess it's the corner. It's room 09001, after all. The corner is closer to all the learning buildings, and since it's a good number, it should have some perks. When I go in from the corner, room 08001 is the facility manager's room. This must be the dorm mother's room. I ring the bell, but no one comes. Maybe they're guiding other nobles. I'll wait a bit. Then, from room 08002, which is the first cafeteria, three students and someone who looks like the dorm mother come out.

"That's the end of the tour. Now, check your room."

"Okay."

"Now, you, come here. I'll show you the cafeteria."

"Okay."

I pass by the three students and follow the dorm mother to the cafeteria.

"Basically, we only serve three types of food: bread, porridge, and soup. There are three cards here, so you can choose two and hand them to the receptionist. Then, we'll put the two types of food on a tray and you can sit wherever there's an empty seat. When you're done, take the tray to the collection area. That's it. Do you have any questions?"

"Can I choose two bread cards?"

"Yeah, that's fine. You might not have a choice if you're one of the last, but it's first-come, first-served in the morning and evening. There's no lunch here. Nobles seem to have lunch, but here, it's only breakfast and dinner."

"I'm a commoner, so that's fine. I don't have any other questions."

"Alright. That's the end of the tour. If you have any problems, go to the manager's office. There are five managers in this dormitory, so you can go to any of them. By the way, my room is the manager's office. There are eight cafeterias, so use whichever one you like. Now, go check your room."

"Okay."

I leave the first cafeteria. Now, I need to check my room. I go down the stairs to the basement. What kind of room will it be? The basement is well-lit. Room 09001 is right at the bottom of the stairs. How many rooms are there? The next door is quite far, so it must be wide. ...The key is an alchemy item. It's an item from the Alchemy Dictionary. I insert the rod into the hole to open the door. When I open the door, there's a short hallway with a toilet on the side. The waste is fed directly to a sticky alchemy creature. It probably doesn't produce fertilizer. This is also in the Alchemy Dictionary. And this is... a faucet? Oh, water comes out. The drainage system works too. How do they do it? There's a space to wash your body. Bathing isn't a common culture for commoners, but I'm happy to have a shower. There's a small bucket, so I can pour water over myself or use a wet cloth to clean my body. Behind that is... a 12 tatami mat work area. I guess I can use alchemy here. There's a table over 2 meters on each side, so I can draw an alchemy array. There's also a place to put an alchemy cauldron, so it feels like a work area. Further back is the personal space. It feels like a personal room. There's a stone bed, a desk, and a chair. It's about 8 tatami mats. I spread out the futon on the bed and it's ready. How do I dry the futon when I need to? I need to find a place to dry it.

---

Now, I have some free time. I'll go to the Dark Management Building. Maybe the class schedule is posted there. It should show which room to go to. I heard classes start tomorrow, but I don't know where. I think the Light Management Building and the Dark Management Building manage this. Let's go there right away.

---

So, I've arrived at the Dark Management Building. The name sounds like a secret organization, but whatever. The Dark Management Building is an 8-story building, but there should be a receptionist. I look at the room names. There's a date written here. It's January 2nd. ...There's a manager's office, so this is the right place. I ring the bell.

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"I came to ask about the Dark Management Building."

"I see, I see. I'll give you a quick explanation. Come over here."

I'm lightly told to go to the next room. It's a large, open space with a wall covered in parchment. What is this?

"This shows which classes are held in which rooms on which days. Basically, the first floor has the schedule for January to March. The second floor is April to June, the third floor is July to September, and the fourth floor is October to December. The fifth floor and above have notices for each faction, like where to gather for seminars. The fifth floor is January to March, the sixth floor is April to June, the seventh floor is July to September, and the eighth floor is October to December. You're a first-year, right? In your first year, you'll probably use the first to fourth floors. The schedules are arranged from the newest dates, so you'll get used to where things are as you use them. The information you need is here. The schedule for tomorrow's classes is at the far end, so it's easy to see."

Indeed, I see that on January 3rd, there's a basic lecture by the Eternal Light Faction, no preparation needed, in room 0405 of building 1, from 3 to 6 in the morning. ...I see, I have to find my own schedule in here. By the way, the moment the sun rises is 0 o'clock, so this class starts 3 hours after sunrise in room 0405 of building 1 for a basic lecture by the Eternal Light Faction. No preparation is needed. A magic clock is essential, isn't it? I have one, but the materials can't be obtained nearby. You need earth element materials, so you'll have to buy them at the Alchemy Guild. Or maybe you're supposed to come prepared? Well, money is the solution, I guess.

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Now, I need to find tomorrow's morning lecture by the Dawn Faction. I also plan to take an afternoon lecture by the Spirit Faction. Embroidery, I'll work hard. Oh, there it is. Basic lecture by the Dawn Faction, no preparation needed, in room 0802 of building 5, from 3 to 6 in the morning. Ah, there's also an afternoon lecture by the Spirit Faction. Basic lecture by the Spirit Faction, no preparation needed, in room 0703 of building 6, from 7 to 10 in the morning. I see, there's an hour for moving between classes. Well, it's next door, so I should get there quickly, but waiting isn't