Three days had passed since we enrolled at Galgard Noble Academy.
Based on the lessons our teachers had given us back home, the classes themselves weren't an issue. I’d expected to struggle with the social divide, but since Frau-sensei and Yuri-sensei had pulled strings behind the scenes, we didn't face any problems there either.
The real problem was the dormitory.
Sil, Bron, and I shared a three-person room. It was cramped, but clean enough. However, the beds were like stone. There was nothing but a solid board directly beneath the sheets. Could you even call that a bed? If it hadn't come with a pillow, I wouldn't have even recognized it as furniture for sleeping.
Then there was the food. Everyone living in the dorm was required to eat breakfast and dinner at the Dormitory Dining Hall. The staff used the meal distribution to track student attendance. Once you took your tray, you were expected to finish every bite. It wasn't exactly a rule, but it was considered proper etiquette.
I generally believe in good manners, but the food was vile. It was as unthinkably foul as a meal could be, and there was hardly any variety. Despite the lack of quality, they served it in massive portions. They told us we could have seconds, but I never once asked for more. To be honest, I was borderline horrified whenever I saw other students going back for more.
Furthermore, the academy dorms didn't have a bath. When I asked how everyone stayed clean, they simply handed me a washbasin and a towel. Apparently, you could get hot water from the dining hall at specific times and use it to wipe yourself down.
Finally, there was the outhouse. To the academy's credit, it was cleaned every few hours, not just once a day. As expected of a facility for the nobility, it was spotless. But it was still no good. The leaves provided were too stiff and didn't agree with me. I had to use them, of course, but it was a struggle.
I had reached my limit. It might sound pathetic, but I was homesick. I wanted to go back to the village. The resolve I’d felt when leaving home had already crumbled. Sil and Bron clearly felt the same; they were pacing the room with aimless irritation.
"I can't do this anymore," Sil said, his voice filled with grim determination.
Bron nodded in agreement.
It couldn't be helped.
"Let's move out," I said.
We weren't quitting the academy, obviously. We were just leaving the dorms. That alone would liberate us from those horrific meals. However, students were required to live on academy grounds; moving into the city wasn't an option.
Recalling what the sentry had told us during orientation, we went to the Academy Office to check for vacancies in the rental houses reserved for students who couldn't handle dorm life.
"I'm afraid those are all fully booked," the Academy Administrative Official told us.
That was it. We were doomed.
But then, she offered a ray of hope. "However, you are permitted to build your own residence if you can find an open space."
"Is it really okay for us to build it ourselves?" I asked.
"Yes. I would have to designate the location, of course... Shall I show you?"
"Please."
She led us past the existing houses to a wide, open area partitioned into neat squares with stakes and rope.
"This is the construction zone. There is no rent for the land itself, but you must pay one silver coin per year as a Joint Management Fee."
"A management fee?"
"It covers the well usage, cleaning costs, and the wages for the night watchmen."
"I see."
"There are various other minor regulations as well... Can you read this?"
I looked over the document she handed me before passing it to Bron. He was the expert when it came to contracts and paperwork. While he studied the fine print, I continued questioning the official.
"The area is divided by ropes—does that mean we have to stay within those bounds?"
The ropes formed squares roughly ten meters wide. She called these "blocks."
"Yes, please keep your structure within the block."
"One block per person?"
"No, that isn't a requirement. You're free to use multiple blocks if you wish. However, the management fee is calculated per block."
"So ten blocks would cost ten silver coins a year?"
"Correct."
As I was finishing my questions, Bron called me over.
"How does it look?" I asked.
"Most of it is standard, but the one catch is that the rights to the building transfer to the academy upon graduation."
"Is that right?" I turned back to the official to confirm.
"Yes. Once you graduate, the building becomes academy property. Because of that, it’s customary for students to find a successor to take over the house before they leave."
"That’s fine with us," I said.
"It is an old tradition here. Just keep in mind that you cannot transfer it to anyone who isn't affiliated with the academy."
"Understood."
We immediately filed the paperwork to move out of the dorms.
"Wait, already? Your house isn't even built yet," the official said, surprised.
"It's not a problem if we build it ourselves, right?"
"W-well, yes, but surely you don't mean..."
"We're going to build it right now."
For the time being, we rented four blocks in a two-by-two square. That was roughly the size of the average houses in the area. The management fee would be higher, but we’d been taught that keeping up appearances was important. This much was a reasonable investment.
Oh, that reminded me. I handed a silver coin to the official as a tip for her help. It wasn't a mistake; I truly felt her assistance was worth that much.
The Village Head always prioritized the outhouse whenever he started a new project. Following his example, that was our first task. We dug a hole and retrieved a spare slime from the Academy Office. After setting up a chair with a hole in the seat and surrounding it with a tent, our outhouse was complete.
"The soil here is surprisingly soft," I noted. "It's easy to dig."
"That makes me a bit worried about the house's foundation," Bron muttered.
"It'll be fine if we pack it down and harden it, right?" Sil added.
Next was water. There were communal wells nearby, and apparently, digging our own without permission was frowned upon. Instead, we needed tanks to store what we hauled. I wanted two large ones—one for drinking water and one for everything else. We bought large barrels and used them as they were.
"Did you get a small barrel for the outhouse?"
"Of course."
Then came the bath. We used another large barrel for this, one large enough for an adult to soak in. It would do for now. I made sure to set up curtains for privacy and laid down boards for a changing area so our feet wouldn't get muddy. As for drainage? I'd figure that out later.
Finally, we needed a place to sleep. For tonight, a tent would suffice. Uncle Galf had given us one before we left the village. It was a clever design with a wooden frame built into the fabric that could be assembled in moments. I felt bad for thinking it would be a hassle to carry; it was proving to be a lifesaver.
We moved our blankets inside to make our beds. These were the same blankets that had protected us from those stone-hard dorm beds. We were going to cherish them.
By the time we finished, the sun was beginning to set. We were cutting it close. I sent Sil and Bron to fetch water while I started on dinner. I’d picked up some supplies when I went to buy the barrels.
I told them to leave the cooking to me, but then I realized I didn't have any utensils. I had to borrow some from the Dormitory Dining Hall. I made a mental note to buy our own tomorrow.
I was confident in the taste of the meal, mostly because I’d found a stash of seasonings hidden inside the tent Uncle Galf had given us. Thank you so much, Uncle Galf. It hadn't been long since we left the village, but the familiar taste of home brought tears to my eyes. Sil and Bron were crying, too. Our homesickness felt a little lighter after that.
As I washed the borrowed utensils and dishes, Sil came over to help.
"Gol, the soy sauce was great, but that meat was pretty mediocre."
"I agree. And it wasn't cheap, either."
"I bet they didn't bleed it properly after the kill," Sil said.
"They're charging a premium for sloppy work. It’s dishonest."
"We're allowed to enter the Academy North Forest, right? I'll go out tomorrow and bag us something better."
"Don't go having all the fun without me. I want to go, too."
"Should the two of us go together, then?"
"Bron would be furious."
Bron was currently busy reviewing the formal version of our land contract. We’d already started building, but technically we were only on a provisional agreement. We had to sign the official papers with the academy tomorrow. If the two of us went off hunting and left him with the paperwork, he’d definitely blow a fuse. Bron rarely lost his temper, which only made it more terrifying when he did. Even Urza made sure never to cross him.
"Also, when we go to buy the cooking supplies, we need to deliver that letter to Uncle Michael's shop."
"The letter?"
"The one Uncle Michael gave us. He said if we ever needed the Royal Capital Branch, we should deliver it."
I hadn't expected to need it so soon, but since we were going to be doing a lot of shopping, I wanted to get it delivered. I’d actually looked for the shop while buying the barrels and food, but I couldn't find it. Even the locals said they’d never heard of it. Maybe Uncle Michael's business was smaller than I’d imagined.
"Anyway, Bron and I are going to be busy tomorrow."
"I guess I'm heading to the forest alone, then."
"What about helping with the house or attending classes?"
"Don't you want to eat decent meat?"
"Ugh... Fine. I'm counting on you."
But once I finished my own chores, I was definitely going to the forest too. Absolutely.