Creaaak—
The chair scraped against the floor as someone dragged it closer to the bedside.
Sensing the presence, her eyelids fluttered before slowly opening.
“…Seria?”
“Aria. You’re… awake. Do you… feel okay?”
At Seria’s question, she raised her arm and shook it lightly.
Just that morning, her body had felt unbearably heavy as if it was weighed down by lead. But now it was as light as a feather.
The burning heat and dizziness that clouded her mind had vanished, and even the pain in her eyes was completely gone.
“…Yes, I think I’m okay.”
“That’s… a relief.”
“Did you heal me, Seria?”
At her question, Seria shook her head.
“No… When I… got here… you were… already like this.”
“…….”
“Still… I’m glad… Sniff… If you… had left me too… Sniff…”
Aria sat up and gently embraced the trembling Seria.
Seeing as she could move without any issues, it seemed she had indeed made a full recovery.
“That will never happen, Seria.”
Seria’s body that was shaking with quiet sobs in her arms felt smaller than usual.
Both of them knew the pain of losing someone precious all too well.
That was why, just as they always had, they held each other close, comforting and understanding one another.
…But then, who was the one that healed me?
Since she had lost consciousness so suddenly on her way to school, Aria had no clear memory of what had happened before or after.
The only thing she was certain of was that she had been on the verge of death.
The unknown pain had been strange enough, but the fact that it had disappeared just as suddenly was even more baffling.
And… I also felt something familiar.
Aria ran her fingers through her hair.
She had definitely felt as if someone had been gently stroking her.
Had it just been her imagination?
“…Aria?”
“Yes? What is it, Seria?”
“…….”
Without warning, Seria pulled away from her embrace and brought her face close to Aria’s hair.
Then she began sniffing.
“S-Seria…?”
“Aria. Have you… been wearing… perfume lately?”
“Huh? Uh… No?”
“You smell… fresh. And… fragrant.”
“…Hmm.”
Now that she thought about it, a strangely pleasant scent had been lingering around her.
At first, she assumed it was just the smell of the room.
But judging by Seria’s reaction, it seemed to be coming from her.
That’s strange… I don’t use perfume…
The scent was especially strong in her hair.
As if someone’s warmth still remained there.
***
While I was treating Aria, there was one thing I had completely overlooked.
I had unknowingly ditched my lunch appointment with Kiana without a word.
“Hey, you bastard. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Oh, so you think just saying sorry is enough?!”
Thud!
As expected, her fist came flying and landed a solid hit to my side.
Judging by how much harder she hit me than usual, she must have been really pissed.
“I’m really sorry.”
“I had to cancel the reservation at the restaurant because of you, and I lost my deposit! Ugh, what a waste of money!”
“You canceled it?”
“It was a two-person reservation! They don’t let you eat alone there!”
Kiana grumbled about how hard it had been to get a spot at that restaurant.
I had already figured it out from the first time we ate together, but she was probably just as passionate about food as she was about alchemy.
“So, does that mean you didn’t get to eat either?”
“I just grabbed a sandwich.”
“Well, that’s better than nothing. I didn’t eat at all.”
By the time I had gone to the headmistress’s office and finished treating Aria, lunch break was almost over.
My empty stomach groaned pitifully.
“What the hell were you doing all lunch break that you didn’t even get a chance to eat?”
“Good question… I feel like I’m about to starve to death.”
“…Haah, idiot.”
As I rubbed my stomach in an attempt to ease my hunger, she let out a sigh and handed me something.
It was a ham sandwich.
“Here. Eat this.”
“Huh? Why are you…?”
“You said you were hungry, didn’t you? …I was saving it for later, but just take it already.”
“…Thanks.”
I respectfully accepted the sandwich from Kiana.
Even as she handed it to me, she stubbornly kept her face turned away.
…Her ears were red. She was definitely embarrassed.
Is this what they call a tsundere?
“…Wh-What the hell are you staring at, you bastard?!”
Nope. More like a cuss-dere.
***
After filling my stomach with the sandwich…
Kiana and I moved to our afternoon class.
The fact that we were heading there together was proof that this was a class we both attended.
And not just any class. It was the alchemy course she had been looking forward to the most.
“You look excited.”
“Heh~ Of course! I enrolled in the academy just for this class!”
Even as she took her seat, she couldn’t stop humming.
…She must have been really happy.
Even I have to admit, this classroom is on another level.
Back in the game, and even now that this world had become reality.
Alchemy was a profession that required an absurd amount of money.
The materials alone were expensive, but the magical tools needed for alchemy were even more outrageously priced.
With that in mind…
The classroom we were in was filled with state-of-the-art equipment, the kind that would leave anyone speechless.
They even have an Arsen Extractor? Just one of those costs dozens of platinum coins…
And yet, it wasn’t just one; each desk had its own set of these high-end tools.
Was Ella Academy overflowing with money or something?
…Well, considering the wealth of that dragon…
The academy must have been able to function without any sponsors in the first place.
In a fantasy world like this, dragons that had lived for thousands of years were expected to have mountains of treasure piled up in their lairs.
“Kiana, you’re drooling.”
“…Slurp!”
Jeez, just look at her eyes. She was practically possessed.
As a descendant of a famous alchemist family, this place must have felt like paradise to her.
Even I could relate to her excitement, given that I had studied alchemy myself.
“…Maybe I should steal just one thing.”
“Hey. Snap out of it.”
The way she was seriously contemplating it made her look oddly terrifying.
.
.
.
.
.
“―Alright. That concludes the theory portion. Let’s move on to the practical exercises, shall we?”
“””Yes!”””
The alchemy class proceeded without issue.
Since I had signed up for this course mainly to establish a connection with Kiana, it was one of the few classes without any real dangers.
There were no awkward acquaintances, nor was there a disgusting professor like that bastard from Theology class.
In a way, it was an unnecessary subject for me. But I decided to look at it differently.
The equipment here is top-tier anyway, so I might as well make use of it.
Ella Academy’s education system suited me perfectly.
Just like in swordsmanship class, students who weren’t beginners were given certain advantages.
For example, Kiana, a few others, and I were exempt from the practical exercises and were granted free time instead.
“…Ain, you. You’ve got talent in alchemy too?”
“Mm, well… I guess?”
“I guess my ass! I saw how you made that potion earlier. You’re on par with the alchemists working under my family!”
“I’m not that good.”
Even though I retained the memories of my past life, I wouldn’t say my alchemy skills were exceptional.
A thousand years ago, I had learned it in a rather makeshift manner, so my knowledge lacked true expertise.
Even now, despite having studied it properly, I couldn’t compare to someone like Kiana who possessed a natural talent for alchemy.
“…Lying bastard.”
“Hey, why is someone way better than me getting jealous over this?”
“I’ve dedicated my whole life to this, you know?!”
“Yeah? And yet, even if others devoted their lives to it, they still wouldn’t be able to reach your level.”
Ignoring Kiana’s grumbling beside me, I focused on the equipment laid out before me.
The professor had given us free time and permitted us to use alchemical items along with a few materials.
Perhaps he was in a good mood after discovering more talent than he had expected, as the materials on the desk were of surprisingly high quality.
He even said we could keep whatever we created, so this was a very valuable opportunity for me.
…Alright, what should I make first?
It hadn’t even been a full week since I entered the academy.
Even so, I had already realized one thing.
Before executing my future plans, I needed to grow stronger.
With that in mind, I assessed my body’s current state.
Aura at Lower Expert level; magic… I can probably manage up to the Seventh Circle, and Divine Magic is at Fifth Rank.
It was hardly a satisfying achievement.
To think that, even in my third life, this was all I had to show for it.
I felt a wave of self-reproach, but considering the peculiar nature of this body, it was inevitable.
Still, my growth is way too slow…
If I remained stuck at this level, surviving the impending disaster would be nearly impossible.
…Not to mention surviving those who despised me.
At the very least, Aura is the most urgent issue.
I had already felt it firsthand during my sparring match with Ren.
Of course, in terms of the academy’s average standards, even reaching the Expert level was rare.
But if I stayed at the lower level, I wouldn’t stand a chance against that monster in the upcoming midterm evaluation.
…No matter what, I had to take that thing down.
I guess I’ll have to make a pill.
A pill that accelerated Aura growth.
It was what I needed most.
The deliberation and decision were over. I moved my hands.
Carefully, I selected various herbs and sorted through the necessary tools.
Kiana who had been eyeing me skeptically finally voiced her curiosity.
“Ain, what are you making?”
“A pill.”
“…What? A pill? For you to take?!”
“Yeah.”
“No, hold on. A pill? Do you even know the recipe? If nothing else, pill recipes are insanely expensive.”
“I happen to know one.”
Though, it was a recipe from a thousand years ago.
…It should still be fine, right?
***
TN: So what I understood is that mc transmigrated into this game world 1000 years ago. Then he reincarnated…
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