[Name: Ed Rothstaylor]
Gender: Male
Age: 17
School Year: 2nd
Species: Human
Achievements: None
Vitality: 8
Intelligence: 7
Dexterity: 10
Willpower: 9
Luck: 6
Combat Skills Details ≫
Magic Skills Details ≫
Life Skills Details ≫
Alchemy Skills Details ≫
Finally. My Dexterity stat had reached level 10.
From here on out, I could even be considered specialized in handicraft-making.
Moreover, my proficiency in production increased the moment it reached level 10. This meant that, with the conditions met, I was able to acquire advanced production skills.
Spiritual Infusion allowed me to inject the power of a spirit into a product I crafted.
Magical Engineering allowed me to make different types of magic items.
Magic Implementation allowed me to give various effects to ordinary products.
Craftsman's Spirit allowed me to exert greater power in combat using the products I produced.
And lastly, Pharmacist's Eyes allowed me to skillfully mix together various reagents and herbs to create something new.
.
.
.
Advanced skills allowed the use of different special skills in their various forms, skills only obtained if the conditions were met and through combining Combat, Magic, and Alchemy skills together.
The only advanced production skill I could realistically obtain right now was Spiritual Infusion. But I knew I would eventually be able to try out the other advanced skills if I worked hard enough.
I felt a sense of accomplishment at the increase in growth I experienced as a result of working on my cabin. It gave me strength and encouraged me to work even harder.
It was like a great and advantageous cycle. Meanwhile, I started to think of what I could fill my cabin up with, already thinking of different things I could build.
The most urgent thing right now was a door. I had already bought a hinge and attached it to a wooden board, but it wasn't that durable. Another thing was that the size of the board I used didn't fit the threshold, so a draft had come in.
I continued to think of ways I could solve this problem while I cut some wood in front of my cabin.
"He~y! E~d!"
Somebody greeted me off-key.
I turned my head around to see that it was Janica. It looked like she came to the camp for some reason.
Unlike her usual neat uniform, Janica was wearing a dark blue skirt and a large white blouse instead. She had a hat and shawl on, making her look quite warm. It seemed she may have worn them to avoid getting sunburnt. A smart decision, in my opinion. Janica had pale skin that seemed weak to sunlight. The sun wasn't that strong now as it had already begun to set, but hey, nothing good came out of being careless.
On the other hand, I was holding a saw as I cut wood on my workbench, the sleeves of my shirt and the legs of my pants all rolled up. My raw and unfiltered appearance had quite a gap compared to hers.
"Hey, Janica. What brings you all the way here?"
I naturally responded.
In actuality, I was a little confused. Janica had been avoiding me for the last few days. I wondered if she had some business to do around these parts since she appeared to have come all the way here to my camp on her own.
"Oh, it's totally nothing!"
Janica started explaining herself.
"I was just passing by! Was on my way to see Marilda! Then I saw this cabin! And now I'm here!"
She talked as if she was in a rush.
"I saw the cabin, so I became curious. Who built it? How did they build it? What does the inside look like? It's only natural to be curious, right? Hm, Ed?"
"I… guess so?"
"Yeah! I saw your cabin and had a completely natural and obvious thought which led me to do the natural and obvious thing. And here I am! By the way, this cabin is so cool, Ed."
I threw my saw by my workbench and wiped off my hands.
"Yeah, I recently built it. Did the spirits not tell you?"
Janica let out a hiccup as if stabbed by those words. She shook her head.
"Did I already tell you I just happened to be walking by? Ah… yeah, there may have been something like the spirits telling me… but just a little? Like, a really tiny amount? Information so little it was practically useless? I don't talk to spirits that much anyway. Yeah, that's right! I only talk to them from time to time. Just like getting updates, you know? That's why I really didn't know how you were doing. I'm serious."
"Well… alright, then. You can go in, if you want. It's pretty sturdy, so it shouldn't be that bad at all. I'm quite proud of it, in fact."
I nodded my head and pointed toward my cabin. Janica was strangely hesitant as she entered, touching and staring at every little thing.
Yeah, it was just a log cabin.
But I'm quite proud of the fact that I built it myself.
Night came and with it, its usual fanfare.
The buzzing of cicadas was pleasant to listen to as always. The moon had started to show itself just as the stars slowly began to map themselves across the sky.
I made tea in a mug I bought from downtown using the herbs Bell had given me. Janica held the mug with both hands as she sat down, staring blankly at the flickering flame.
I hadn't built a proper fireplace in my cabin yet, so I dared not make a fire inside. I would be too upset to sleep if I ended up burning down my own cabin, which I worked so hard on.
This was why I decided that I would continue camping outside until I could properly finish its internal construction. But even still, just looking at my nearly completed house felt like my dreams had finally been realized.
"You're quite amazing, Ed. Most people would have given up in your situation."
"I don't think I did anything that deserves praise."
"No, this is already quite amazing."
The strange hesitation she had before had already disappeared. The mysterious atmosphere of the forest at night brought about peaceful feelings that helped people calm down. Coupled with a cup of herbal tea, things were just perfect.
"I don't think I could've done anything if I were to end up in your place, Ed."
"Uh, aren't you… going to have to move out of Ophilis Hall soon?"
"Yeah. I'll probably end up going to Dex Hall."
The three dormitories of Silvenia: Ophilis Hall, Lorail Hall, and Dex Hall
Dex Hall had the worst facilities among them. It was also home to the majority of regular students.
Depending on how much you've paid, they had rooms for four, eight, or even ten students. It would be difficult to get used to for someone who came from Ophilis Hall.
Well, Janica wasn't from a wealthy family, so it shouldn't be as difficult.
"What about your tuition fees? Can your folks back home afford it?"
Janica shook her head.
"Febri said she'd lend it to me. I can slowly pay her back once I graduate."
Febri was the second daughter of the Kroel family.
That's fair. After all, Janica was someone who could do anything once she had graduated and gotten her diploma. It wasn't a risky investment. Even they had been trying to clear up their debts, it seemed.
Even with that amount of support, Janica was stubborn about moving to Dex Hall. Lorail Hall would have been a better dorm for her, but she didn't want to rely on her friends to live in a better dormitory after the huge incident she had created.
"I've gained quite a bit of debt. I didn't know that everyone would help me so much during the hearing. Especially Princess Pheonia and Lortelle. Even though I made such a huge mistake, for some reason, everyone was trying to comfort me… I'm so thankful. I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am."
Janica still didn't understand that the problem stemmed from the weight of her sincerity. In the end, none of the underlying problems were solved.
The vicious cycle was yet to be broken.
"How should I… pay everyone back?"
"Then don't pay them back if you can't."
Despite everyone's expectations and support, Janica ended up failing.
The shock of it hadn't disappeared, and yet, new debts just kept on piling up.
"Isn't that just a stereotype? That you're supposed to pay off what you owe? Do you really need to pay someone back just because they lent you something?"
"Oh. Wow. I've never thought of that."
There were so many ways to not pay back what they owed. In the same way, there were so many people who lived their lives never paying back theirs.
However, this concept was completely unimaginable for Janica. That was just the kind of person she was.
"You've gone through a lot, either way. You'll have to move dorms soon."
"I'm sure the facilities won't be that great once I move to Dex Hall, but I think it will still be a lot more enjoyable. I can spend the whole day with my friends once there. From early morning to late at night. We can joke around with each other in the same room, we can hug our pillows at night before falling asleep, we can snack late into the night talking about this and that… yeah."
Ophilis Hall only housed one student per room.
You could quietly rest in your own space after coming back from a hard and difficult day. It was a place to find one's peace of mind.
In that one room, there were no classmates or underclassmen who stared at Janica with envy. Quietly sitting on her bed alone as she stared at the moon out her window every night was enough to take some of the burdens off her shoulders.
Therefore, Dex Hall was a place that evoked a fundamental fear in Janica.
It was no different from a prison. Janica would live every day chained up.
Janica lifted her gaze from the campfire and raised her head back to look up at the sky.
It was a clear night sky over Arken Island. The breeze was quiet. The darkness and bleakness of the early evening had turned cozy and warm.
Janica looked strangely on edge. I was uncomfortable just letting her be.
"When you want to be alone, you can come and stay here anytime. I won't care."
I casually said. If I unnecessarily sounded too sincere and considerate towards her, it would only become poison.
"Hm? Really, Ed? Yay… I'm so happy. Hehe."
It was only then that Janica, who had been acting distant towards me these past few days, finally put on that stupid smile of hers after such a long time.
"Hey, Ed. If you're having a really hard time or there was something that you're struggling with on your own, it would be really great if you would tell me."
Janica softly said as she looked up at the blue sky above us.
"I'll definitely help you then."
*****
"Ophilis Hall is quite a mess these days."
The mug of herbal tea was now empty. Janica had grabbed her shawl and was straightening her clothes as she prepared to leave.
"It's because there are rumors that the head maid will quit soon. I heard the head maid, Elris, had been under a lot of stress lately."
Janica told me while patting off her clothes.
"Isn't it strange? I haven't seen her that much, but she definitely seemed quite bright and hardworking. Well, I'm going to leave Ophilis Hall soon anyway, so it doesn't matter to me too much, but… I'm worried, for some reason."
She smiled innocently.
"Anyways, thanks for showing me around your cabin, Ed. I'll come and see you often. Can I come every day? Uhm… no, maybe that would be too much?"
"Do what you want."
"Hehe! It was such a good choice to come and see you here today, Ed. Then, I'll see you tomorrow! No, I mean—uhm, next time. See you next time!"
As I said goodbye to Janica, I made sure to act as if the information she just told me wasn't anything special.
Come to think of it, the second semester was almost here.
The mark that announced the start of Act 2.
'The Occupation of Ophelis Hall'
It was just an event where struggling students who were unhappy with their unfair treatment took a day to properly express their dissatisfaction. Though it didn't have much influence, as no one really cared about them.
However, the scale of the incident increased exponentially with the participation of the head maid bought by Lortel. It later developed into a main event in Act 2.
This escalated the fight between the Elte Company and the Academic Affairs over the 'Sage's Seal'. It ended up becoming an event worthy of being called 'the beginning of all events.'
Ah, pretty soon, you'll be having quite a hard time, Taylor.
I waved my hand at Janica as she disappeared into the forest.
I offered Taylor a silent prayer with all my heart.
Really… it's really going to be a pain in the ass, Taylor.
Good luck.