Chapter - 27

  Narrator: Tired and drained, Dav went to his room, finding hundreds of letters behind his door when he tried to open it.

  He took a quick, relaxing bath and went to bed.

  Dav (sleepily): Ah... I forgot to ask Miss about the shopping...

  I’ll do it tomorrow... Zzz...

  ~ 4 days remaining ~

  Narrator: The next day, training continued as usual. Dav watched his students from the bleachers, sipping fresh tea as he tried to recover from the fatigue of the day before.

  Dav: (lying on the bleachers) I didn’t sleep much... I could really use a few days of rest, heh heh...

  The Director: (approaching) How’s it going? You look a bit worn out today.

  I’ve got some stuffed sandwiches, if you’d like something to eat.

  Dav: (without taking his eyes off the arena) Yesterday, I didn’t expect such an intense day with Miss Iris, but it was quite enjoyable.

  The Director: (smiling, amused) Miss Iris is indeed a determined woman.

  I told her not to overdo it and leave the heavy work to the porters, so she could enjoy her day off... STUBBORN! AHAHAH!

  Dav: (curious) Can I ask you something?

  The Director: Go ahead.

  Dav: Iris bought a significant amount of supplies, but not enough for 10,000 students. How can that last the entire week?

  The Director: Have you ever been inside the other cafeterias in the academy or seen the other chefs at work?

  Dav: No, actually. I thought this was the only cafeteria, since Vice Principal Rugerus Andreas told me to use this one, being the closest to the arena, classrooms, and my room.

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  The Director: I see. So you didn’t know...

  Every wing of the academy has its own cafeteria with a head chef and a team of cooks.

  For example, Mrs. Margherita Bellini, who you met yesterday, is the head of the main cafeteria.

  Miss Iris, on the other hand, is a service cook.

  The Director: Margherita is very close to Iris, treats her like a daughter, and takes care of her.

  She’s also an incredibly strong woman, probably at Hunter level.

  Anyway, to answer your question... each department has its own cooks and restocking schedules.

  Miss Iris handles just a portion of the shopping: about 3% of the weekly need for the first and second-year students.

  The Director: Other cooks handle the same thing on the following days, because not all the porters deliver in huge batches.

  It’s also a safety concern: too many deliveries at once would draw unwanted attention and possible intrusions.

  (eating) I had asked Miss Iris to limit herself to the kitchen and not overexert herself, but she still insists on helping more.

  She keeps doing the shopping herself, even though it’s unnecessary with all the chefs and other staff...

  Dav: I understand. One more question... what brings you here?

  The Director: (laughing) I’m surprised you’ve never noticed me since you started training the students in the arena.

  I often come for an early lunch, watching the training. Hahaha!

  (amused) But today, you finally spotted me! That’s why I have food with me.

  Dav: This explains a lot. What do you think of that guy down there?

  The Director: (watching closely) Leonhart Falken... Looking at him carefully, I don’t see much in him, except for his white aura.

  He’s constantly training with that guy... Finian Arlo, right?

  (He squints his eyes, studying the scene more closely.)

  Oh? This is interesting!

  You’ve had a B-grade mage train with a guy who has no powers, no aura, and no mana... Why? Are you trying to push him to his limit without making him go berserk?

  No... wait. What are you planning with them?

  How can someone without powers withstand the blows of a B-grade and even manage to counterattack?

  If it was against a D-grade... or maybe a C, I’d understand... But a B?!

  Dav: (pleased) I discovered something interesting in the library recently.

  An old book abandoned at the back of a shelf spoke of an energy... different from aura and mana.

  The Director: (intrigued) Oh? What is it? I’ve never heard of any forces other than mana, aura, or innate powers.

  Dav: The Ki.

  The Director: Ki? I’ve never heard of it. Explain it to me.

  Dav: Ki is something completely distinct from mana or aura.

  Yet, if cultivated and trained properly, it can be just as powerful... if not more.

  However, those who already have aura or mana cannot develop it.

  It’s impossible for them. Trying to do so would only lead to madness... or worse, to turning into a berserker due to the excess spiritual energy in the body.

  The Director:(reflecting) ...Really fascinating. And you... can you use it?

  Dav: (with a piercing, determined gaze) Naturally.

  (thinking to himself) After all, I once had no power. The curse had taken everything from me.

  But I never stopped training to the limit... every single day, hoping for a change.

  Thanks to my multiplication ability, my body has no limits.

  So, when I faced the Divine Calamity Raid, my body naturally adapted to the Ki... and since then, it has become part of me.

  The Director: (seriously) I hope all of them can learn it... and stop being seen as useless.

  I hope they are no longer marginalized for their lack of powers.

  Dav: (with a slight smile) Useless? Marginalized? You should look more closely in the arena, Principal.

  The Director: (watching carefully, then bursts into laughter) Ahahahah! So that’s it?!

  Those two aren’t just teammates forced to fight together...

  They are sword companions.

  Friends.

  Or maybe... something more.

  Companions in life and death.

  The Director: It’s nice to see that, regardless of rank or status, they can fight side by side. I’m really glad to witness this.

  END OF CHAPTER - 27