Chapter 204: Academy Tour (1)
Gara returned to the classroom with a sour expression, making the two young men sitting beside his desk glance over in concern.
"What happened?" Madha asked quietly.
"The counseling session dragged on with a bunch of questions. I’m just... a bit tired," Gara replied, getting a confused look from Madha.
It was obvious to everyone, Gara’s session had been the shortest one.
"If something’s bothering you, you can tell me, alright?" Madha said softly. He didn’t press any further; he knew better than to push the man he loved.
Not long after, the door opened and Pere stepped back inside.
The bespectacled man handed out parchment with a single wave of his hand to the ten students in front of him.
"These are your class schedules. At the end of every week, before your break, there will be a class meeting— including another counseling session to check your progress."
All eyes focused on the yellowish parchment. Gara, too, scanned his— only to notice a few empty sections.
As if reading his mind, Pere spoke again. "Gara, you haven’t chosen your auxiliary class or your general class yet."
Another sheet floated toward him, listing a variety of courses.
"Submit your choices to me after your school tour," Pere instructed, before glancing around the room.
"Now... who would like to serve as class monitor?"
At the mention of class monitor, several eyes instinctively turned toward Revan— the top student, and grandson of the vice principal.
The vampire boy clearly caught their silent suggestion. After a moment, he raised his hand.
"I’ll do it, Sir Pere."
"Revan Soren, very well. You’ll be the Class S monitor. You’ll serve as the bridge between your professor and your classmates. But don’t worry, the workload won’t be as heavy as other classes.
There are only ten of you, and Professor Langga prefers managing things himself anyway. So don’t overburden yourself," Pere explained calmly.
"I understand, Sir," Revan nodded.
"Today’s session ends here. Your upperclassmen will arrive shortly to begin your school tour."
With that, Pere left the room, his expression as cool as ever.
Gara’s gaze dropped to his schedule again. There were plenty of listed subjects— among them, Healer Class and Herbalist Class.
Then he shifted to the other sheet, which listed the available Auxiliary and General classes.
Under the auxiliary section were options like Cooking, Woodworking, Alchemy, Swimming, and several others unrelated to direct combat.
Herbalist was also on the list, but crossed out.
Maybe because he was already a herbalist, that class no longer counted as an auxiliary choice for him.
"What auxiliary class did you guys pick?" Gara asked the two sitting beside him.
"I chose Woodworking," Madha replied.
Fian blinked at him, clearly surprised.
"What’s with that look?" Gara asked, leaning closer to peek at Fian’s paper— and saw the exact same choice written there.
"You two really do think alike sometimes," Gara chuckled.
Yeah, they often shared the same thoughts... even when it came to the person they liked.
"What about you, Gara?" Madha asked, eager to shift the topic.
Gara tilted his head, thinking. He found himself drawn to the Alchemy class.
Sure, he’d always called himself a herbalist— but his Vena Pills couldn’t be called herbal products anymore, since the ingredients weren’t purely from herb.
Even the Alchemist Association had shown interest in his creations.
Hilda once told him that most of the tools in Gara’s lab weren’t designed for herbalists at all— they were far too complex.
They looked more like alchemist instruments, made for complex refinement rather than herbal processing.
"I’ll take the Alchemist Class," Gara finally decided. "I want to learn more about their techniques. Maybe that knowledge will help me develop new products."
Madha nodded in understanding. He knew how deeply Gara cared about the Alrova Merchant House.
Before they could move on to discussing general classes, the classroom door swung open. A mermaid girl with shimmering blue hair poked her head in, voice full of energy.
"Alright, everyone! Time for your school tour!"
Anel, their cheerful guide, led the Class S students out of the building.
From the main gate, the academy appeared to be just a single massive four-story structure—but that was only the front.
Behind it stretched a network of towers and smaller halls, each connected like a sprawling castle complex.
Their destination was a building topped with a violet tower. The path leading there was lined with cobblestone and bright flowers on both sides, their colors dancing in the breeze.
Along the way, they passed another class group.
Anel paused to chat with the upperclassman in charge of guiding them, which quickly turned into a lively exchange between students from both classes.
Vania, of course, was the most talkative. She proudly showed off to a few beastfolk girls from Class A.
"For my auxiliary class, I picked Herbalist!" she announced with a sparkle in her eyes.
"Really? Why that one, Vania?" one of the girls asked.
Vania tossed her ginger hair dramatically. "You see how smooth and shiny my hair is? It’s all thanks to an exclusive herbal product from a new shop in Nozama!"
"Oh, I know that one!" another girl chimed in excitedly. "Alrova Shampoo and Conditioner! It’s super expensive— and always sold out!
My aunt works at Yugo Shop, and she saved a bottle for us. Everyone in my family loves it! It’s made from pure plants, so it doesn’t damage our fur at all."
"So that’s why you joined the Herbalist Class?" another girl asked.
"Of course!" Vania beamed proudly. "I have two more bottles left. Maybe I’ll share a bit with you if you’re lucky."
Her offer drew a chorus of impressed murmurs and eager whispers.
Meanwhile, walking in the middle of the group, Gara and Madha exchanged knowing glances before quietly laughing to themselves— pretending they hadn’t heard a thing.
Once Anel finished her chat with the other guide, she gathered the group again and led them to their destination.
"You’ve all chosen your auxiliary classes, right?" she asked as they arrived before the building. "Each auxiliary class has a student union, first to third years all grouped together. We call them clubs. So, this here is the Club Building!"
When the doors opened, the students were greeted by a striking abstract painting bursting with color.
On each side stood tall marble pillars— until suddenly, one of them slid open like a hidden door, revealing a student stepping out.
Gara blinked, a little taken aback, while Miki gasped in his row.
"That’s... a floating stone, right?!" he exclaimed.
...