After the Elementary Alchemy class, I headed for the dining hall.
From the whirling questions and writings on the blackboard to being completely paralyzed, I was having a hard time, but it was lunch at last.
I feel a bit of my nervousness leaving me.
At the entrance of the dining hall, I was joined by Tricia and Marquia.
Marquia is from the South Dorm, but no one seems to object, so the three of us went to the table for the West Dorm.
“Even so, Erica-sama, is it fine for you to be here? The seat for the Dynameis is over there—”
“Yes, I am just an assistant, so I’m still on the general seat.”
It’s tiring to be surrounded by the so-called special students.
Even more when there is a stake involved.
Compared to that, these two people’s stories are more fun.
Tricia is the youngest daughter of Baron Rails, who dedicated his life to the research of perpetual motion engine.
Marquia is the eldest daughter of Viscount Jonas, who has studied hypotheses on the maturation process of hatchlings of small-class dragons for many years.
When I listened to the stories about their parents, topic about cutting-edge technologies that I didn’t know popped out.
There are even the stories unrelated to money and ties of obligation, just carefree things.
Today’s topic is about the wonderful teachers.
“By the way, is it true that Eduart-sama teaches Elementary Alchemy?”
“Yes. I was surprised when my brother came in.”
“I envy you that the one teaching Elementary Summoning Magic is Clochydd-sensei.”
“Erica-sama is blessed with luck to get such teachers.”
Oh right, they said they couldn’t choose either subjects.
It seems that Tricia chose Advanced Alchemy and Elementary Golem Engineering, while Marquia chose Dragon Species Research and Ancient Language.
“My teachers are all elderly people.”
“Oh my, my classes are all staffed with women.”
We got Magizoology for the fifth and sixth periods and we can finally have lesson together.
“I’m looking forward to the next lesson. All of us can finally have a lesson together.”
“While saying so, what Marquia-san is looking forward to is Actorius-sensei, right?”
“That, well, um……because, he is a very nice gentleman.”
“I agree with you.”
Even though they talk like this, it seems these two already have a proper fiancé who were decided by their parents.
But, they are still in high spirits when they look at the Dynameis and the male teachers.
I can understand such feelings.
I don’t want to be in love, but I want to long for love.
The time spent in the academy is precious, it allows us to admire the prince-like existences.
“But, I’ve heard that Magizoology is very difficult.”
“Eh, is that so?”
“It will be fine. Both of you, if you have some trouble, please leave it to me.”
When I became anxious, Marquia gave a follow-up.
Oh right, Marquia is a brave magical beast trainer.
We finished our meal while talking about it boisterously, and then the three of us headed for the Magizoology classroom.
☆
The last lesson for today is Actorius-sensei’s Magizoology.
Today’s lesson is inside the school building’s classroom, but it seems that it can be an outdoor lesson depending on the content of the lesson.
While talking to Tricia and Marquia, we passed through the beeswax-colored corridor.
I intended to arrive early, but one person is already there.
It’s Actorius-sensei.
“Ah, everyone, you’re quite early, aren’t you?”
“Sensei is the one who has come too early.”
“No, that……this is my first lesson, so I don’t want to be late……”
Actorius-sensei smiled nervously.
As usual he is clumsy but has an earnest personality.
But the first impression seems to be perfect, Tricia and Marquia have a gentle expression as if seeing something lovely.
There is something like a cloth-covered box on the desk.
What is this?
“That is something interesting for the lesson. Please be assured that it is docile and harmless. Although its appearance might be a little bit surprising.”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”
I wonder if it’s a magical beast used in today’s lesson.
This Magizoology class is a lesson about domesticated magical beasts—it is a lesson about creatures with magical power.
The desks are the same kind of desk as the one in Elementary Alchemy class, and the three of us sat together.
In accordance with the number of chairs, there are a large transparent glass bottle and two types of vials.
Other students came into the classroom after a while.
It seems that Chloe and Beatrice also are taking this lesson.
They are on the desk next to us.
“Everyone seems to be here, so I think I will start the lesson.”
Actorius-sensei looked a little nervous.
While correcting his misaligned glasses by pushing the bridge with his index and middle fingers, he started the lesson.
“I am Elric Actorius who is in charge of Magizoology.
Let’s learn together happily for the coming year.
Now then, I will show you all our friends for today.”
Sensei pulled off the cloth covering the big box on the desk.
There was a container made of glass that looked like an aquarium tank.
In the aquarium tank, there appeared to be a lot of something small and white wriggling about.
A scream rose from some of the students sitting in the front.
“This magical beast is a magical beast called white worm.”
Concentrating my eyes, I saw the container packed full with some form of hairless caterpillars that reminded me of silkworms.
People who looked at it from the front row seem pitiful.
Tricia who is sitting next to me, after realizing what is packed inside, also raised a hitched voice.
Meanwhile, Marquia is convinced that “it is the best choice for the first lesson.”
“Seventy percent of the magical beasts raised on Ichthyes are native to the continent of Karkinos. Most of the currently imported magical beasts have been subjected to breeding, are domesticated, easy to handle and friendly to humans.”
Actorius-sensei thrust his hand into the tank and took out one of them.
He wore gloves, but he was able to grab it in a flash.
While putting a white worm on the palm of his hand, Actorius-sensei smiled and continued with his lecture.
“This child seems scary at first glance, but please rest assured that it is a docile and cute child.”
Tricia’s complexion was visibly becoming worse.
For people who hate bugs, this must be difficult, huh.
I’m okay if it’s a hairless caterpillar or a silkworm.
But, if it looks like that black and quick guy1, I feel like I won’t even be able to move.
“Also, white worms are bred as they are useful as baits for other magical beasts. Use this opportunity to get used to handling them. Ah, that’s right, if you eat them raw you will get abdominal pain, so be careful.”
Bait, huh.
Well, it might be important if one handles magical beasts as a livestock.
Those containing magical power are preferred for magical beasts’ baits.
Even so, is that warning even needed?
I don’t know whether that was a joke or not, and the other students also seem to be having trouble reacting to that.
“Because the individuals that have been created also have the ability to divide themselves, if you give a lot of magical power at once, they will divide and proliferate themselves, which causes an explosive increase in number. When breeding white worms, you must always be careful of giving too much magical power. Now then, which one of you knows how to stop this division and proliferation?”
When Actorius-sensei asked the question, Marquia raised her hand slowly.
After making sure that no one raises their hands besides Marquia, Actorius-sensei chose her.
“Well, Jonas-san.”
“The white worms will not be able to breathe if their spiracle2 is covered with oil. Utilizing their trait where they will be in a state of apparent death when their breathing stops, we can seal their division by pouring or applying oil.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Actorius-sensei smiled happily.
“After this, everyone will be asked to make the white worm proliferate and stop.
First of all, I will distribute one to each person, so please bring the glass bottle on your desk to my desk.
The larger vial on your desk contains olive oil, while the smaller one contains mixed solution of alraune extract and light blue slime extract.
Add the mixed solution to the white worm and increase it to about three and four, then pour oil immediately and put them in a state of apparent death.”
According to Actorius-sensei’s instructions, the students received one white worm one after another.
Looking closely, it is a simple hairless caterpillar which doesn’t have intimidating patterns or protusions.
It isn’t as bad as I thought.
From her face, Tricia already reached her limit, and she turned her face away from her glass bottle with all her power.
“Oh my, such an obedient and good child.”
With a sideway glance at Tricia who is frightened, Marquia proceeded with the division experiment smoothly.
Marquia held the white worm with a pincette and dropped two drops of the mixture.
The white worm grew with strange popping noises and became three times longer.
As I kept looking at it, it became constricted in two places and into an exact trisect, which suddenly came off and became three equal parts.
“Fufu, how lovely.”
Marquia quickly poured oil on them skillfully.
The oiled white worms quickly stopped moving.
There was also one which did not receive the oil directly, but Marquia gently shook the glass bottle which caused the worm to drop into the oil and enter a state of apparent death.
How skillful.
This is Marquia’s real ability, huh.
Tricia and I took Marquia’s advice and handled the growth of the white worms.
After dropping a drop of the mixture, I looked at its state.
It grew slightly.
It seems that was an insufficient quantity for it to split itself.
After another drop, the division began.
Somehow I remember the process of making a wiener.
I don’t think it looks delicious, but this isn’t that bad.
After it increased to three, I stopped it by pouring oil quickly.
“This is Erica-sama’s first time but you’re good at this.”
“Is that so? Marquia-san is the most familiar with this.”
“Ufu, I am used to this in real life.”
It seems that it is commonly bred as baits for dragons, and she is used to this kind of method on daily basis.
Just what kind of Viscount’s daughter gets accustomed to the growth of white worms?
That sort of question came to my mind, but well, she seems reliable.
“T-t-t-t-this kind of practice is outrageous, Erica-sama. Ah, it’s difficult to hit……”
“Ah, Tricia-san, it gradually absorbs magical power even without applying it directly. If you drip that much……”
“Eh.”
In Tricia’s bottle, the division had already begun.
Explosive chain of proliferation was occurring just like what Actorius-sensei said earlier.
Tricia hurriedly poured the rest of the olive oil in the area where it increased to about ten.
“T-this was an easy victory……”
Tricia turned pale as she clutched my sleeve while trembling.
For those who hates insects this would be difficult, huh.
Thank you for your hard work.
By the way, I wonder if Chloe and Beatrice’s practice is also going well.
A scream rose from the back of the classroom when I moved my eyes to Chloe.
“K-kyaaa~~~~!”
When I turned around, on a table at the back, the white worm already grew up to the mouth of the bottle, and it seemed to be overflowing.
On the table is a vial of mixed solution that seems to have fallen.
Aah, this is pretty bad.
“Aah~~ now you’ve done it, huh. I’ll come to you now!”
Actorius-sensei rushed up quickly.
However, he was one step too late, one white worm fell onto the mixture on the table.
The mass of explosively increased white worms staggered the other vials that were on the desk, and further proliferated by absorbing the magical powers.
It was like a snowslide.
The moment when the surrounding students began to panic, the mass of worms was wrapped in a film-like white bubble.
It is the magic of Grease that Actorius-sensei deployed.
The white masses stopped moving immediately.
“I managed it somehow……everyone, please rest assured, everything is alright now, see? You guys, please leave your desk as is, and move to the vacant desk and resume the experiment.”
Actorius-sensei seems relaxed as he picked up a broom and swept the white worms which were in the state of apparent death.
At various places in the classroom, the students started to resume the experiment more carefully.
☆
All the students finished practicing from the growth of the worm to the state of apparent death.
Looking at the table next to ours, Chloe was looking happily at the bottle full of oiled white worms.
Was it intentionally increased?
Beatrice who held a bottle containing a large amount of white worms in front of me was somewhat pale.
The practice ended, but Actorius-sensei’s lecture continued.
“Wild species of white worms also has the characteristics of division and proliferation. The wild species also has poison resistance and fire resistance, and is very dangerous if you encounter them in a closed space. Its physical tolerance is also high, it will proliferate instead if you attack it carelessly with sword or magic.”
It would be best if there is oil, but it would be effective to freeze it or paralyze it with electric shock, Actorius-sensei went on.
“Oh right, the wild species also has a strong telepathic ability and hypnotic attacks. So, never handle it alone.”
Such terrible information popped out.
Speaking of which, there was Wand of Grease among Onii-sama’s supplies that were prepared in the Ruins of Visitors.
With those lineup, I wonder if that means there were some worms.
The contents of the lecture shifted to talk about habitat areas, history of domestication, and its current use in the industries.
The domestication of the white worms almost solved the logistic problem of the dragon.
Also about just how many hunters were sacrificed to gain this magical beast.
After a serious explanation, the white worms were gathered inside a blanket for some reason, and apparently if one grills it with herbs and eats it, it will taste like almonds.
It is fun to come up with such knowledge.
And then the sound of the bell signalling the end of the lesson reverberated.
Everyone greeted Actorius-sensei unanimously and dispersed.
Actorius-sensei collected the multiplied white worms.
It’s impressive that Chloe looked somewhat regretful as she returned her bottle.
The three of us passed through the beeswax corridor on the way back.
Light stained in a light orange color was filtering in from the window.
On the floor of the corridor, the students’ long shadows were growing.
“Today was hard, huh, Tricia-san, Marquia-san.”
“I don’t want to do this everyday……”
“Oh my, Tricia-san, it’s not everyday. We have a day off on the seventh day, right?”
“Jeez! That’s not what I mean—”
Tricia said so as she sulked, Marquia and I laughed.
Somehow, this was an after school time with very pleasant vibes.
For me, this school life which is the first time in more than ten years, including from my previous life, is a storm of nostalgia and freshness.
Days like this are not bad either.
I will be careful so that I have no regret.
Thinking that way, the first day of class at the magic academy passed.
