Three days somehow passed.
I didn't spend the last three days in vain. It would be too tiring to list everything I did, but also too difficult to briefly summarize it.
The first thing I actually did was fortify the shelter I made.
On the second night, my shelter unexpectedly collapsed, and I had to fetch more wood from the forest to reinforce the frame.
It would've been great if I had a rope to secure the frame together, but since I didn't, I just dug more holes for the foundation and stuck the support beams into each one.
Then I worried it might leak if it rained, so I ended up sacrificing three to four pieces of my clothes to cover the leaves I used as the roof. I then covered the clothes with even larger leaves.
Well, the added weight caused the support beams to collapse. I ended up having to add horizontal supports to hold the weight.
Then I had to twist some of my old clothes together and use them as ropes to tie the new frame together.
The truth is, I actually felt it was a waste to use some of my clothes this way. I thought that if I took them to a pawnshop, I would have gotten at least a few silver coins for them.
However, after giving it some thought, I decided not to. There was no way a pawnshop would buy such clothes unless they were luxury items adorned with jewels.
I still had a few valuables I could sell, so it should be fine. However, the pawnshop is in the next city.
It would be difficult to leave the Arken Mountains just to go to the shop. I was worried I wouldn't make enough profit to even return, and that's something I didn't want. While taking a carriage would be a quick trip, walking would take me two days and one night. Since I didn't have money for a carriage, walking would be my only option. The journey wouldn't be an easy one.
"Hmmm…"
Sitting by the stream, I sharpened the tip of a branch with my dagger.
Since I decided not to leave the academy grounds, I needed to work on my three basic needs:
Food, clothing, and shelter.
I had enough clothes to wear for the next few days. I even had a house, although shabby. The problem was that I had nothing to eat.
I went to find food in the forest on the second day. I actually used to live in the countryside in my past life. That's probably why the forest and the mountains felt familiar somehow.
Finding food is a different matter, however. There were plants everywhere, but distinguishing which ones were edible was a different matter. I wasn't an expert on survival by any means. There was a limit to what I could discern as edible or not.
In the end, I opted to cut the bark off some pine trees instead.
Tree bark has an inner white flesh. My grandfather told me about it when I was young. He said he used to boil and eat tree bark when harvests were terrible and food was scarce.
I ripped the white flesh off the outer bark using the ceremonial dagger I found in my luggage. Lighting a fire with my magic, I cooked the flesh in boiling water from the stream using a decorative cup, since I didn't have a pot with me.
Once cooked, I gnawed on the chewy bark. It was awful, but I managed to eat all of it.
Then I had raging diarrhea that night.
I guess tree bark was never meant for human consumption after all.
I was starving on the third day. On top of that, I was also suffering from diarrhea. I looked beyond terrible.
I shaved off a branch and tied the ceremonial dagger to one end using a handkerchief. However, the handkerchief felt loose, so I used vines I scavenged from the forest to tighten it.
[Newly Crafted Product]
Simple Harpoon
Made using a ceremonial dagger tied to a well-cut branch.
Can be used for fishing or hunting.
The dagger is not as sharp, reducing its power and effectiveness.
Production Difficulty Level: ◐○○○○
"Production completed. Production skills have increased."
When I was younger, I used to show off that I was skilled at catching freshwater fish. But now that I was at death's door from hunger, catching fish had become serious business.
Even though the dagger wasn't as sharp compared to a traditional fishing harpoon, I could make up for it with my experience.
The firewood crackled as it burned. It was a relief that I had fire magic. It meant I didn't have to go through all the trouble of starting a fire.
I somehow felt grateful to Ed for choosing to specialize in fire.
...
Although, was this even something to be thankful for?
Anyhow, since I was having no luck gathering food, it was the right decision to focus on hunting instead. I was able to catch some freshwater fish, thanks to the skills I had when I was younger.
I skewered the fish I caught and grilled them over the fire. The problem was that they became softer as they cooked. The meat started flaking and falling off the wood, causing me to lose so many precious pieces.
It would've been great if I could make something similar to a grill, but because I lacked the proper materials, I couldn't. I ended up having to eat the hot fish straight from the stick, burning my tongue.
"Kyaaah!"
I could almost feel my body absorbing its much-needed nutrients.
To be honest, it didn't taste that great, but I was thankful enough to fill my stomach.
I ended up eating about four to five fish. To drink, I dunked my head into the stream and gulped down a few swallows of water.
"Phew…"
I wasn't full by any means, but I was able to deal with the immediate hunger that had been bothering me for the last two days.
I lay down on the gravel by the stream, looking up at the sky. As I rested idly, the sun slowly began to set.
One more week until school started.
I had been having difficulties resolving my problems with food, clothing, and shelter. How much harder would it be when school starts? Would it even be possible for me to receive a scholarship?
But instead of debating whether it would be possible or not, I just had to go for it. A Sylvania Academy diploma would be a reliable tool to survive in this unpredictable world.
Graduates of Sylvania went on to become important individuals in the kingdom. No matter how poorly they did at the academy, the mere fact that they were from Sylvania allowed them to fill high-ranking positions in expedition forces and in the local underground magic society.
Simply put, no matter how hard staying in Sylvania may be, it would still be several times better than starting out with nothing.
"Is someone there?"
I heard a voice while I lay by the stream.
The northern part of the Arken Mountains was not a place students and professors visited often. This area was never used aside from practical exercises and tests.
This was why hearing the voice came as a surprise.
Even more so because I recognized it.
"Is that you… Ed?"
It was the third princess of the Kloel Empire, Pheonia Elias Kloel.
Princess Pheonia was one of the four main heroines in "The Failed Swordsman of Sylvania." She was an influential character during the first half of the story. Right now, she must still be a freshman.
She was supposed to meet the protagonist during the entrance examination, where she took the exam with her identity hidden…
That's right. She was the one who accused me, revealing that I manipulated the test due to my envy of the protagonist, providing the perfect opportunity for my family to disown me.
"…I heard you were disowned. What are you doing here?"
What was I doing here?
That's what I wanted to ask her.
This wasn't a place the third princess would normally visit, someone who was usually escorted by six to seven knights.
I looked up at her.
Her elegant white-blonde hair and frilled dress did not match the wild forest background.
And yet, she didn't look as fancy as she normally would.
Only then did I realize that the Class Assignment Examination must currently be taking place.
It was an episode that took place in the northern forest of the Arken Mountains.
Held a week before school started, it was a test to determine the students' levels before entering the academy's Magic Department.
Professor Glast of the Magic Department, infamous for his nasty personality, was in charge of the freshmen's examination.
The exam was to find magically infused marbles spread across the forest. It tested whether students could detect magic. After all, the basis of magic starts with sensing it.
"It's an honor to meet you again, Princess Pheonia."
Her eyes were fierce, the eyes of someone who despised me. It felt unfair given my circumstances, but no one would believe me even if I told them.
I sat up and respectfully greeted her.
"I thought you would have been kicked out of the academy."
"I was kicked out of the dormitory."
"I asked what you are doing here."
She looked at the simple shelter I built, the campfire I lit, and the fish bones scattered around with disbelief.
"You still haven't left the academy?"
"Unfortunate as it may be, I am still a student."
"Did you not go through the expulsion process?"
"I didn't think it was necessary. I was humiliated and no longer receiving support from my family, so there was no way for me to continue attending the academy."
Her lips twisted, probably finding it hard to believe that a noble who had been humiliated and disowned would still try to remain in Sylvania.
"If the Academic Affairs Committee finds out about this, you will be expelled right away."
"..."
"I'll talk to the committee tomorrow. Did you think you would be allowed to stay here?"
My plan to obtain a diploma from Sylvania Academy was already about to be ruined.
But I couldn't think like that. I let out a deep sigh and began thinking of a solution.
"If the princess herself judges it to be so, it can't be helped. In fact, not just you, but many of the students despise me. I'm sure it's the same for the academy's staff as well."
"If you already know that, why don't you just leave on your own? Isn't it better to leave with dignity rather than go through a humiliating expulsion process?"
"I want to continue attending Sylvania Academy."
"I don't recommend it."
She crossed her arms and stared at me with contempt.
"Leave. Everyone here despises you, and you despise everyone else."
"You must be mistaken. I don't despise anyone."
"You must not remember how arrogant you were, how much hatred you had inside you. Well, it is difficult to view oneself objectively."
"That's not true."
My only way to salvage this situation was to talk my way out of it.
"The truth is, Princess, I actually feel grateful towards you."
She looked at me in disbelief.
The Princess of Pheonia — ACTIVATING "INSIGHT."