Sharp

It turned out there was not a lot of choice of courses for the first years. Options opened up in the second year and beyond.

I looked at my course sheet.

Semester 1

Compulsory

Aura Control 1

Introduction to Magic 1

Iron Level Fitness 1

Group Tactics 1

Introduction to Monsters 1

Optional

Understanding Familiars

Melee Basics

Semester 2

Compulsory

Aura Control 2

Introduction to Magic 2

Iron Level Fitness 2

Group Tactics 2

Introduction to Monsters 2

Optional

Summons Management

Wilderness Awareness 1

I could already tell the one I would struggle with most was Introduction to Magic. All that theory was not me.

Group Tactics 1 was a lot of theory to start, and then group on monsters in the Mirage chamber from mid-semester. Group Tactics 2 was more of the same but introduced group-on-group fighting in the mirage chambers. This was in preparation for the second-year tournaments. In the first year, we were expected to settle into a group.

Introduction to Monsters also involved a lot of theory at the start, some of which were put into practice in Group Tactics. At the end of Semester One, there was a day-long guided excursion into a Bronze level astral space to which the school had exclusive access. This was a joint exercise in conjunction with Group Tactics. In Semester 2, this happened once a fortnight. If you did well in these excursions, the lecturers could recommend that you sit the exam for admission to the Adventure Society.

How I did in each semester would open or close options in the following years. It would also impact my scholarship renewal. My scholarship covered all tuition and accommodation costs, including three meals a day in a communal eatery. There was also an allowance for basic necessities. Professor Petrov thought the allowance was quite minimal. I was amazed that it was so generous.

“You have to pay for all your equipment and weapons repairs and upgrades with that. One of the biggest costs later is healing potions and hiring healers unless you can convince one of the other students to do it cheap.”

I didn’t wear armour, and I had my Hunters Feast. I might need to look into armour on top of my fur, thinking back to the assessment.

I had a lot to think about and process, so I didn’t go back to my room until after dinner.

I was walking down the corridor to our cluster, and my enhanced hearing picked up raised voices.

“I can’t have him on my team,” Josh was explaining loudly, “He died four times in five minutes!”

“It was his first time in a mirage chamber. He will get better,” Val said.

“He could hardly get worse. He has the record for the fastest death. Astrid is crowing about it. He’s the laughingstock of the students. How would that look if he was on my team? We will be fighting monsters. We can’t carry someone like that. How did they even let him into the academy?”

I opened the door to the room. It had all changed. There were soft carpets on the floor, soft furnishings, subdued lighting, and wall hangings. It was a transformed space. That took a second to absorb.

Then I walked in, “Evening.”

They were standing in the centre of the room, looking at me. Akemi was sitting in the corner as far from the other two as she could, looking like she didn’t want to be there.

“If you are wondering how much I heard, it was pretty much everything. You weren’t exactly being quiet about it.” I spoke in a calm voice and walked across the plush carpet to my door.

I paused at the door and said, “Don’t worry, Josh. Your reputation will be fine because there is no way I will ever be on a permanent team with you.”

I opened the door to my bare room and walked in, closing it behind me. In contrast to outside, I had done nothing in my room. The mattress was bare on the simple wooden bed: bare wooden walls and floor, a simple desk and chair. I had not left anything there. I opened my arch against a side wall, and Ardisia manifested and merged with the vines. Two Kai’s ran under the empty bed.

They did that because I could hear Josh stomping toward my room, even with the carpet out there.

“Hey, you can't just say that and then leave!” I heard as I slipped into my Garden. I stayed near the entrance as he sounded like he was going to barge into my room. If he attempted to damage the arch or Ardisia, he would find himself subject to a very sudden and brutal ambush, and I would not care if he didn’t survive it. I drew two fighting knives as they would be better in the enclosed space.

“You can’t just barge into his room,” Val said as he barged into my room.

“I am not finished talking to…” he pettered to a stop when he realised I was not there.

“Get out of his room,” Val said. “It is his private space.”

“He is not here. There is nothing here.” He said, stepping in toward the arch.

“It doesn’t matter,” Val said. “If it were my room, you would already be black and blue, and I would be reporting you to the academy.”

“He should have locked the door,” he said absently as he reached out to touch the arch. I gripped my knives, ready to strike.

“It doesn’t matter,” Val said, “Don’t touch the Arch. It is obviously a dimensional space!”

She moved in to pull him away.

“Oow!” Josh said as Ardisia spiked his hand with a thorn. Val grabbed him at the same time and dragged him out of the room. “Those thorns are sharp!”

“Serves you right,” Val said, and she hit him. “I am reporting you to the Academy for violation of private space.” She closed my door, but I continued to listen.

“And what is the academy going to do? Give me a slap on the wrist? Oow, stop hitting me.”

“Stop being an arse, and when you see Theo next, you need to apologise.”

“What for? He walked away, and I wasn’t finished talking to him!”

“He was finished talking to you. A closed door is a pretty clear indication of that.”

“But we need to talk about teams.”

“No, we don’t need to talk about teams. It is the first day. After this I am not even going to be on a team with you. You are an arse, go and find other arseholes to join you.” Then I heard her door slam.

“Akemi, you…” I heard another door close pointedly. “Bloody heidel shit,” Josh muttered, and I heard him walk out the main door and down the hallway.

Well, that was interesting.

I made a couple of decisions listening to that. First, a sprint skill is now at the top of my list to buy. When I want to explode in ambush at someone, I want it so fast they can’t react. A harvest skill will earn me more income, but we are not going to be in front of a monster to harvest until the end of the semester, so sprint skills and damage skills are first. I could afford a Harvest Skill now, so a couple of other common skills should be doable. Maybe three if I factor in the discount. I am behind everybody, and I need to catch up.

The second decision was that I would not make a permanent commitment to any team in the near future, if ever. Josh was giving me the vibes of my old boss at the lumber mill: owning and controlling. I would need to work with teams, but they will only be temporary. I will not be owned or controlled.

I moved deeper into the garden and pottered around, sorting a few things out. I wondered what other plants I could get. Iron-rank plants are hard to come by. I will need iron-rank food to harvest so I can heal. The berry bushes are close, and I am replanting crops from the seeds I have grown and are inching other crops closer.

I don’t mind being at the bottom of everybody. Obviously, I don’t want to stay there. I don’t mind if people don’t think much of me. Being a laughing stock will tell me who to never deal with. I have exceptional senses, I should be able to keep ahead of trouble.

It is time I was more public with my familiars. Ardisia can stay hidden until I bring her out in a fight, but I am going to start carrying Kai and using him to scout. Others have unobtrusive familiars out, and I know some are bonded creatures that don’t absorb into the body. Familiars are acceptable. If rat familiars are not accepted in some circles, they are circles I don’t want to be a part of, and I need to know now.

I don’t know if Josh is going to be a problem. Val is an equal noble and is not afraid of telling him he is being an arse. If I tell him that, he will get upset with me, I am sure. I will avoid telling him that if I can, it will not be the most productive way forward. The question is whether he is capable of learning or will just stick to his opinions. I haven’t had a lot to do with nobles, but the stories say they are difficult learners. Nobles generally have special needs, and you need to treat them carefully, or they will throw a tantrum like a two-year-old. That is what my Mum told me, so we will see if it is true.