Chapter 41: The Same Old Bastard (2)

After leaving the medical facility, I frequently went back and forth between the dormitory and the training grounds during the remainder of the school break, reinforcing my newly attained mastery of my body. But when I glanced at the calendar hanging on one of the walls of the training grounds, I clicked my tongue. “Classes start again tomorrow, huh!”

Who in their right mind would like returning to school? Though, the reason I felt this disappointed wasn’t just because classes were resuming. I let out a short sigh as I looked around the empty training grounds. “This is the last day I’ll have this place all to myself.”

Not many cadets bothered coming here to train during the break, so it had practically become my personal space. I could use the training grounds as freely as if I had rented it out entirely.

All that ended today. Once classes resumed, the training grounds would be crowded with cadets again. The coursework at the Hero Academy wasn’t something a cadet could keep up with if they slacked off on their training.

“Well, I don’t mind sharing the space, but the stares are going to be annoying.”

Recently, I had become the subject of quite a bit of attention after a series of incidents. Training in a public hall meant eyes would naturally end up on me. I could apply for a personal training room; it seemed like a good time for that. However, just like with private recovery rooms, a certain amount of “donation” was needed to qualify for a personal training room.

“This damn academy! Always looking for ways to squeeze money out of us.”

Of course, if a cadet was ranked in the top fifty of the overall cadet rankings, they could apply for a personal training room without any donation. But what was the point in talking about that? Out of 472 cadets, I was ranked dead last.

When’s the next rank evaluation, anyway? I wondered.

Who would’ve thought I would live to see the day when I was hoping for the rank evaluations to come around sooner? In any case, that wasn’t a feasible option. There was no way I could get a private training room without coughing up a hefty donation. “Hah! Damn it! Donation money, huh!”

This thought of donation brought a certain “friend” to mind, someone who always popped into my head whenever money was involved. Thinking of him, I turned to leave the training ground. Funnily enough, Jules was right there in front of me. “Huh?”

“Eek!”

They say speak of the devil, and he shall appear. He’s really here, I thought.

No, in this case, it wasn’t so much that the devil had appeared, but that he had turned tail and run the moment he saw me. Still, it was close enough. The moment his eyes met mine, my one and only dear friend Jules tried to bolt, but I stepped forward and cut him off. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“Argh!” Jules was quickly snagged by the scruff of his neck.

With a friendly smile, I threw my arm around his shoulder. “Man, long time no see.”

“Y-yeah… It’s been a while.”

“What did you do during the break?”

“I-I just went back home for a bit.”

“Ohh

, you went home, huh?”

As I narrowed my eyes, Jules flinched and practically jumped. “O-of course, I didn’t say a word about you! I-I swear on the Seven Gods!”

“Hahaha! Were you just embarrassed to tell your parents you made a friend, huh?”

“What? Oh! Y-yeah. Something like that.”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it.”

At our age, talking to our parents about friends can be kind of embarrassing. I’ll let it slide, I thought.

“S-so, uh, what brings you here?” Jules asked, his voice small and cautious.

I smiled and tightened the arm around his shoulder. “Do I need a reason to talk to my friend?”

“Huh? N-no, I guess not.”

“I just figured we could grab a bite together. Nothing complicated.”

“So just the usual bread and milk? I’ll bring it from the store, right?”

I thought, Then I’ll ask him to leave five gold behind. Wait, no.

“No, not today. Let’s go to the cadet cafeteria this time. My treat,” I replied.

Jules’s eyes widened in shock. “What? You’re treating me? Seriously?”

Seeing his disbelief, I grinned and raised an eyebrow. “I always make you pay, don’t I? It’s about time I returned the favor.”

“R-really?”

“Of course, of course.” I mean, I was going to “borrow” a hefty sum from him soon anyway, to cover the donation for a private training room. Feeding him a meal beforehand was the least I could do. “Well then, off to the cafeteria we go, my friend!”

“Uh, okay.”

And so, Jules and I made our way to the cadet cafeteria in the annex building.

Unlike the fancy, expensive cafeterias in the main building, the annex cafeteria was budget-friendly, packed with nutritious meals that didn’t break the bank.

“This is the annex cafeteria?” Jules said.

“First time here?” I asked.

“Y-yeah. I usually eat over in the main building.”

“Ahh, right.”

Jules was the son of one of the five wealthiest families in the Republic. Naturally, he had only ever dined at the ridiculously overpriced cafeteria in the main building.

“Just consider this a new experience. There are lots of menu items you won’t find in the main building.” I led Jules toward the cafeteria building, then held my Hero Watch up to the scanner at the entrance.

Beep!

[Hero cadet Dale Han. Identity confirmed.]

The locked door slid open, allowing us inside. The cafeteria was bustling with cadets moving about, grabbing food, and chatting with each other.

The training grounds are dead empty, and yet everyone is gathered here. Well, even during break, I guess people still have to eat, I thought.

“Let’s see. What’s the daily special? Ooh, spicy pork stir-fry?” I said delightedly. Spicy pork stir-fry was, alongside ramen, one of the soul foods of the Republic.

“Spicy pork stir-fry?” Jules mumbled.

“What, don’t tell me you don’t know what that is?”

“I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never actually tried it.”

I turned to him, my jaw practically unhinged. “You’ve never had spicy pork stir-fry? Are you even from the Republic? How have you never eaten spicy pork stir-fry?”

“My father always tells me not to eat junk food that commoners eat.”

“Oh, wow! Look at you.”

He’s a real aristocrat, huh? I thought.

“Come on, follow me. I’ll show you how it’s done,” I said.

“O-okay.” Jules hesitantly followed me as I grabbed two trays of spicy pork stir-fry set meals and headed to a table.

He stared down at the glistening, red-stained pork with almost sparkly eyes. “This is spicy pork stir-fry?”

Cautiously, he picked up a slice with his chopsticks and laid it gently on top of a mound of white rice. Then he took a bite, and his eyes flew wide open; he began bouncing in place like an excited kid.

“Well? It’s good, right?” I asked.

“Y-yeah! It’s really good!” Jules nodded vigorously and started scarfing it down like a man possessed.

“Phew! That was amazing,” he said after a short while.

“Finished already?”

“Uh-huh! Thanks for the meal.”

“Just take your tray over there to the return station.”

“Huh? Don’t the staff usually take care of that?” he asked.

“This is the annex cafeteria, you rich bastard. We do our own dishes here. Anyway, now that we’ve eaten, let’s get going,” I replied, sounding annoyed. Sometimes, I honestly felt like people with money lived in a different universe.

Just as I was about to lead Jules out of the cadet cafeteria, a crowd of cadets gathered around the exit. Curious, I walked toward the entrance. “What’s it? What’s going on? Why are they crowded there?”

I quickly figured out what was happening. There was an issue with the cafeteria door. Normally, it would unlock automatically when someone scanned it with their Hero Watch, just like it had when we came in. But for some reason, the scanner wasn’t responding at all right now. Frustrated, the other cadets voiced their complaints.

“What the heck? Why won’t it recognize my Hero Watch?”

“Maybe your watch is broken?”

One of the cadets stepped forward and held his Hero Watch up to the reader. “Move aside. Let me try.”

Nothing happened, and the cadets started murmuring among themselves.

“Is it broken?”

“Looks like it.”

One cadet staggered back, pale as a sheet. “C-could it be… like last time during the Sealing Festival? Another demonic monster attack? Or maybe even a demon?”

The others looked at him like he was nuts and clicked their tongues.

“Oh, come on. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Demons barging into academy grounds? That’s insane.”

“Y-yeah, but no one saw that demonic monster incident coming either, right?” that cadet replied.

“He’s got a point. They never caught the culprit back then.”

Maybe it was because the memory of that demonic monster incident was still fresh, but what should’ve been just a minor inconvenience sent everyone on edge. Panic spread like a disease, quickly taking hold of the cadets.

“I-I’m sure it’s just a malfunction.”

“Someone, go get a professor!”

“Everyone, back away from the door!”

As the commotion escalated, a thunderous voice boomed across the cafeteria like someone had swallowed a megaphone whole. “Hahaha! Worry not, comrades! I shall open the door with my mighty Unlock spell!”

All eyes snapped to its source, where a mountain of a man in a cadet uniform stretched to its absolute limits strode toward the entrance. With short-cropped black hair, a stubbly beard, broad shoulders, and a height close to two meters, the guy looked like he should be swinging a battleaxe, not casting spells. Yet, on the left breast of his uniform was the unmistakable insignia of the Mage Division, not the Warrior Division, which the cadets immediately recognized.

“Wait, isn’t that the Mage Division’s insignia?”

“On that huge guy? No way he’s in the Mage Division.”

“Get out of here. That’s got to be a mistake.”

“Isn’t he from the infamous Ryu family?”

“I heard rumors. He’s a second-year, right?”

As I looked at the cadet who had stepped forward, I blinked in disbelief. “That’s…”

“Step aside, everyone!” The hulking cadet shoved past the crowd, grabbed the door handle that no one else could even get to budge, and yanked the handle with all his might. “Hrrrrraaaaaaagh! UNLOOOOOOCK!”

The steel door crumpled like paper as cracks spiderwebbed along the surrounding wall. With a sound akin to something between a scream and a roar, the tightly sealed door ripped open. The giant cadet stood there, holding the mangled metal door in one hand, grinning from ear to ear. “Behold, my comrades! That is the power of the Unlock spell!”

Silence descended on the cafeteria. Stunned, the cadets just stared at the mangled door. I couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh as I looked at the cadet who had just ripped an entire door off its hinges.

Back then and now, he’s the same old bastard. Never changes. It’s been a while, Berald Ryu.

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