Morning.
I wake up to the vibration sound of my smartphone placed by my pillow. It seems like I slept pretty soundly.
As I yawn and try to jump off the bed, I suddenly realize. This is not my bed at home. It’s the bed in the dorm. Phew, I almost jumped off the top bunk!
Fully awake, I use the ladder to carefully climb down. I stretch my body and begin my usual morning exercise. It’s been my routine since I started learning from my master. First, I do a full-body stretch— ichi ni, san shi, ni ni, san shi.
After finishing my 'radio gymnastics,' I notice a gaze staring at me intently.
When I turn around, I see a blonde elf standing in front of the mirror near the entrance of the room, combing her hair and looking at me with the eyes of someone observing a strange creature.
"...G-good morning."
"...Good morning. You dance a strange dance from the morning, don't you? ...Did you say your name was Nero? Where is your hometown?"
"Huh? It's a town called Arente..."
"Arente... Ah, it's a small rural town east of Elfrau. I see, rural areas still have strange customs. I never knew that before."
No, that’s not it! Arente might be a rural town, but I was just mimicking what my master used to do. It’s not a custom of Arente! And stop calling it rural!
"Well, as long as it's not noisy, I don't mind. I'm not saying you should stop, so feel free."
"That's fine, I guess."
I reply sharply and take my clothes from the closet to change. Tomorrow, I’ll have to wear my uniform, but today, I’m still fine in my regular clothes.
While changing, the blonde elf had already left.
I quickly comb my hair at the other mirror on the opposite side, then head to the dining hall for breakfast.
The dining hall was bustling with about the same number of people as yesterday.
What should I eat today… I want to try something delicious in town, so I’ll go for something light.
I buy a toast set from the vending machine and head to an empty seat, only to notice Carol waving at me from another table.
"Good morning, Nero. Want to eat together?"
"U-uh, is it okay?"
I hesitated because there was another student who seemed to be an acquaintance of Carol sitting in front of her.
"Ah, it's fine. This girl is Sheryl Gaspar, she's from the same hometown as me."
"I'm Sheryl. Everyone calls me Shelly. You’re Nero? Just like Carol said, you’re cute!"
The girl who introduced herself as Shelly reached out her hand, and though there was a slightly odd comment, I shook her hand honestly.
I wanted to ask Carol what kind of explanation she had given her.
Shelly had chestnut-colored semi-long hair and hazel eyes, and she seemed like a somewhat carefree person. She seemed to care about her appearance, wearing cute accessories like hairpins and bracelets. She was shorter than Carol, but for a first-year student, she looked pretty mature.
Carol and Shelly went to get their breakfast after their number was called, and right after them, I was called and picked up my toast set.
Carol had the hamburger set, and Shelly had the pancake set. The pancakes looked delicious.
"Is that enough for you, Nero? You won’t grow if you don’t eat a proper breakfast, you know?"
As I looked at the light toast set, Shelly threw me some advice.
"This is enough. I’m planning to go out to the town later to eat something delicious while shopping."
"Ah, you need daily necessities and miscellaneous goods. You can buy them at the school shop, but it’s not open yet."
"For miscellaneous goods, 'Strand Trading' on the main street is good. They have everything. If you’re looking for food, try the café 'Parrent' on the same street. Both have been around since the founding of the country, so you can’t go wrong."
Oh, "Strand Trading" and the café "Parrent," huh. Thanks for the good info. And Shelly seems to know quite a lot, doesn’t she?
"Heh heh. I’ve come to Brunhild several times since I was small, and I’ve read the guidebook cover to cover."
"I see."
Regulus is right next door to Brunhild. If you use the magic train from the imperial capital of Regulus, it takes less than four hours. It’s a bit enviable. From my hometown in Elfrau, it takes a day and a half even by magic train.
Well, it’s still better than the farthest eastern island country, Eashen, on the same continent, or other continents, where it takes even longer.
They say you can instantly travel from country to country using the 'Transfer Gate' left behind by the first Grand Duke, but it’s fully controlled by the country, and only the royal family and high-ranking officials can use it... Apparently, it's only used during events like the World Conference Summit or the 'Magical War Ragnarok.'
"Are there any other places you'd recommend?"
"Well, there’s the baseball stadium and an amusement park, but... I’d recommend the Clock Tower. I think you should climb it at least once."
The Clock Tower, huh. That’s the one that was built when the country was founded, right?
Most buildings in Brunhild are under the preservation magic of the first Duke, so they don’t age much.
That’s why, even after three hundred years, they still look as good as new. Really, who is the first Grand Duke anyway...
◇ ◇ ◇
"Umm, a magical kettle, a clock, a mug, shampoo & conditioner, tissue paper, a thermometer, a trash can, and an umbrella..."
I tossed everything I thought I’d need for my upcoming dorm life into the basket.
The 'Strand Trading' store that Shelly recommended to me was the largest I had ever seen, and it had five floors.
The wide floors had all kinds of things, and it felt like I could find anything I needed at this store. So this is what they mean by a 'department store' in the city. It’s amazing.
There were other things I wanted as well, but my wallet was a bit tight.
The 'academy' provides the basics for food, clothing, and shelter, so I can manage the minimum living standards. Well, all that really means is that I get to live in a dorm, get a uniform, and eat in the cafeteria.
So if I want to go somewhere to play or buy something I want, I have to pay for it myself.
I do get some allowance from home, but my family isn’t very rich, so I can’t afford to waste money.
"Maybe I should look for a part-time job. Or maybe I should take on some requests at the Adventurers' Guild..."
Actually, I’ve registered as an adventurer in Elfrau. My rank is green. Green rank is considered the standard for adventurers, but it’s apparently rare for someone my age.
The adventurer ranks are divided from top to bottom: Gold, Silver, Red, Blue, Green, Purple, Black, and White.
When you register, you start with the White rank. After completing a few simple requests, you move up to the Black rank.
From there, you become Purple and finally escape the beginner status. Green rank is considered average for adventurers.
By the way, Blue means veteran, Red means top-tier, Silver is elite, and Gold is considered the hero level. In fact, no one has reached Gold rank in the last few hundred years.
I’ve heard the first Grand Duke was a Gold-rank adventurer. His story, from being an adventurer to becoming the first King, has been used in books, plays, and movies.
I also heard that the Brunhild Adventurers’ Guild has a transfer gate, and you can travel from there to a far-off island, where there’s a dungeon. Adventurers who dream of striking it rich challenge it day and night.
But of course, being a student, I can’t spend days exploring a dungeon.
"Maybe I can do herb gathering or goblin and wolf hunting on my days off..."
Gathering requests would be fine, but for subjugation requests, I’d need to get weapons and armor. That means a significant initial investment. Well, I can probably manage with just fists, kicks, and magic, but still.
Yeah, I’ll stick to gathering requests to start with.
Thinking that, I finished my shopping and exited Strand Trading. I stored my items in my phone's [Storage].
My phone isn’t the latest model, but it still has enough storage capacity for a small closet’s worth of items. I’m glad everything fit.
Maybe I’ll buy a phone with a larger capacity next time... but for that, I’d need some funds... ugh.
I’ve spent quite a bit, but it’s almost time for lunch, so I should go eat. Maybe I’ll head to the café Shelly mentioned.
"Right, she said it was on the same street..."
Looking around the main street where Strand Trading was located, I saw a stylish red-brick café on the other side of the road, with an ether vehicle moving along the street. Could that be it?
After crossing the crosswalk and reaching the other side, I spotted a sign that said 'Café Parent Main Store.'
Main store? Does that mean there are branches in other towns?
According to Shelly, this place has been around since the founding of the country, so it must be quite an old establishment. It might be a bit high-class…
There doesn’t seem to be any dress code, so I don’t think there will be a problem with me entering.
To sum it up, I was able to enter without any issues, and just like Shelly said, it was a fantastic place.
I had ordered the special pancake set from the menu, since the pancakes Shelly had this morning looked so delicious, and they were absolutely exquisite.
The pancakes, topped with whipped cream and jam, came with various fruits and vanilla ice cream, and it was incredibly delicious.
I overheard some customers talking, and apparently, this café is the original place where ice cream was invented. It seems the first Grand Duke created it for this café. What kind of person was he…?
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