Chapter 205: Academy Tour (2)
"Exactly!" Anel grinned. "They’re special crystals that do just what the name says, they float! No stairs, no fatigue. You just step on and ride them straight to the floor you want."
"Whoa, that’s amazing!" Miki gushed, eyes sparkling.
Vania rolled her eyes with a huff. "What, your ratfolk city doesn’t have floating stones?"
"We prefer building downward rather than upward," Miki replied with a shake of his head.
Vania only sighed and shook hers too, giving him a condescending look.
But Miki didn’t care, he was far too excited to try the floating stone for the first time.
"Three at a time," Anel instructed before pulling her younger sister, Andine, into the floating stone on the right.
The next group —Vania, Miki, and Lysa— stepped in after them.
"Watch your step when getting in," Madha whispered to Gara. "It can be dangerous if you’re careless."
"You’ve used it once before?" Gara asked, surprised. He always thought Madha’s experience with things like this far exceeded his own.
"Once, during a mission," Madha answered calmly.
Holding onto Madha’s sturdy arm, Gara stepped onto the floating platform. Fian followed right behind them.
Feels kind of like a mix between an escalator and an elevator... just with way less safety measures,
Gara thought wryly.The interior was smooth marble all around, with no buttons or levers in sight— nothing like the elevators from the world he once knew.
When the stone came to a gentle stop, the door slid open. Anel was already waiting for them.
"Alright, we’ll check out the second floor first," she said brightly.
Once all the Class S students arrived, Anel guided them through the corridor, stopping in front of several classrooms.
They couldn’t go inside— upperclassmen were already using them, busy with who-knew-what.
"You’ll be taking your auxiliary classes here," Anel explained. "So remember which rooms belong to which subject."
After touring the Club Building, Anel led them through the another academy grounds— past other towers where their core classes would be held, and even the staff building where Gara and Madha had been once before.
This time, though, they weren’t allowed inside the crimson tower— just a quick view from afar.
Beyond the towers stretched a beautiful garden, a wide open field of grass, serene ponds, and stables— not just for horses but for other kinds of mounts as well.
And beyond all that lay a dense forest marking the edge of the school grounds.
By the time the tour ended, the group was tired but thrilled. The sights they’d seen were far too fascinating for fatigue to matter.
"Let’s head back to the main building," Anel called out.
Besides the ceremony hall, the first floor also has an academy cafeteria located there.
The cafetaria was a massive hall filled with long wooden tables, each large enough to seat ten students. Freshmen and upperclassmen sat together, the lively chatter blending into a pleasant hum.
"Dinner time! You can sit wherever you like," Anel announced.
Naturally, the Class S split into two groups. Revan sat with the elite crowd— Jett, Lysa, Vania, and Miki.
Gara, meanwhile, gathered with his group. Anel joined their side too, sitting next to her sister.
No one seemed to notice the one student who quietly slipped away, choosing not to sit with any group.
"Think the food’s any good?" Gara muttered, not really asking anyone in particular.
"In an elite academy like this, it’s gotta be better than what Aunt Wina and Della usually make, right?" Madha said with a chuckle.
"Actually," Anel cut in, "there’s only one kind of meal served here."
Her tone made all three of them glance up.
"Supplement soup," she said simply.
Before they could even react, a flat stone tray floated gracefully in front of them, carrying a polished wooden bowl that shimmered faintly under the lights.
One by one, the bowls floated down gently onto their tables.
Then, as if made of sand, the stone trays crumbled mid-air, scattered like dust, and merged back together— only to drift toward the back of the hall, probably where the kitchen staff worked.
"What... is this?" Madha muttered, trying his best to keep a straight face. "It tastes exactly like the supplement bread back in Borderline."
"Supplement soup is basically another version of supplement bread," Anel explained calmly. "Since carrying soup around in Borderline was too much hassle, they created the bread form instead."
"Supplement soup? Supplement bread?" Gara blinked. "Is it really that bad?" He rarely saw Madha complain about food.
Taking the wooden spoon from the bowl, Gara stirred the pale, water-like soup before tasting it.
His brow instantly furrowed. "Don’t tell me we’ll be eating this... for the next three years?"
Anel nodded with a sympathetic expression. "Yeah. It’s not exactly tasty, but supplement soup provides all the nutrients, stamina, and energy a Liner needs. It’s designed purely for efficiency."
"But— you can add flavoring if you want," she added, offering a sliver of hope. "Salt, sugar, anything you prefer... though getting any kind of seasoning here is pretty difficult."
Right after she finished speaking, Gara calmly pulled out a porcelain jar from his satchel and sprinkled some white powder into his bowl.
He took another sip, frowned, then added more— this time with a generous hand.
After the second taste, his face lit up with satisfaction. "Much better."
Anel blinked, finally too curious to stay silent. "What... is that?"
The jar had already passed to Madha, who poured a good amount into his own bowl just like Gara did.
An uneasy feeling stirred in Anel’s chest— but surely, it couldn’t be what she thought.
"It’s salt," Gara replied casually, as if he’d just revealed the secret to eternal happiness.
"Sa—salt?!" Anel’s voice jumped an octave. "Why are you pouring it in like that?!"
Fian, unbothered, grabbed the jar next and practically dumped half of it into his soup.
Anel nearly choked on air. Several nearby tables turned their heads, wondering why the academy’s top student had suddenly shouted.
She lowered her voice but couldn’t hide her alarm. "Do you have any idea how precious salt is?!"
"We’ve got plenty," Gara said with a shrug. "If you want some, go ahead."
"Can I—?!"
Before he could even finish, the jar was already in Anel’s hands.
"Whoa," Gara blinked. "I’ve never seen anyone move that fast... except Fian."
...