Chapter 140
Chapter 140
“……”
The moment I confirmed the face of the man wearing a white robe, my vision returned to normal.
The illusion lasted far too briefly.
“Judging by your expression, it seems you saw something. Please, tell me.”
“……I think I saw myself. Dressed in white, holding a staff.”
“You saw yourself?”
Bijou tilted her head slightly, then took out a thick book and began flipping through it.
“Are you certain? It’s rare for one’s inner self to appear as oneself rather than as a symbolic representation… I checked just in case, but there’s nothing about that written here. The visualization only lasts for a very short time, so you might have been mistaken.”
“……Can I see it again?”
“That won’t be possible for a while.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
I rose from my seat helplessly.
Even as I left the Department of Barrier Studies and walked down the corridor.
Even as Lapin and Karin chattered beside me.
Even during the experiential lessons of other departments.
My mind lingered only on that illusion.
‘……What was that? Was it the future?’
Bijou believed it was a misunderstanding.
But the image of the young, composed, and mature Villed lingered in my mind like an afterimage.
Perhaps that’s what I would look like after a few years.
The staff he held also caught my attention. The top was laden with fruits of all colors, and the staff itself looked to be about two meters tall.
If the Heart of Ilawne within me were to reach its full growth, it might resemble that.
‘But why did I see the future, of all things?’
And even while wearing a robe I hadn’t imagined myself in.
‘……I don’t know. But it must mean that I survive in the future.’
No matter how much I pondered, there was no clear conclusion. So I decided to take it positively.
The observation classes continued for two days. Today’s schedule had just ended, and I was walking down the hallway toward the livestock shed.
At that moment, Karin suddenly grabbed my arm.
“……Ah, Villed. Look at this.”
Karin was staring at the bulletin board on the wall.
Following her gaze, I saw a large poster.
The first thing that caught my eye was the bold headline.
「17th Winter Festival Sales King Contest!」
“……Sales King?”
I stepped closer to read the details on the poster.
「A traditional sales competition held during the Academy Winter Festival!
All Academy students may participate!
Each stall must aim for the highest sales record!
Final rankings will be determined based on total points from sales volume, customer satisfaction, and visitor votes!」
‘Right, there was something like this every year.’
I already knew the Winter Festival always hosted a street stall sales competition.
Just like during last summer’s Victory Festival, this Winter Festival would also be open to the public.
A lot of people would visit the Academy.
“Doesn’t the contest sound fun? There’ll be tons of guests—and lots of applicants for next year’s admission too!”
“Yeah, since applications open on the same day the Winter Festival begins, it’ll probably be even more crowded than last time.”
The Winter Festival lasted for three days.
Unlike the one-day Victory Festival, the stalls would operate for much longer.
“Wow, and the prize money looks pretty big too.”
At Karin’s words, I glanced down at the lower part of the poster.
「Prize Details
1st Place – A-Class On-Campus Shop Permit, Trophy.
2nd Place – B-Class On-Campus Shop Permit, Pure Gold Medal.
3rd Place – Fixed Amount of Prize Money, Silver Medal.
4th Place – A special purchase coupon personally signed by Chancellor Tot……!
Stall fees and commissions are fully waived for the Top 3!」
“Ugh, but what’s with that 4th place reward……”
Karin frowned.
Each prize also had an accompanying image.
When I looked at the 1st place trophy, my eyes widened.
A hologram shimmered to life.
Goddess’s Blessed Crimson Archive
This gem was taken from the Ring of XXX’s Memories! It brings good influence when placed near animal friends or eggs!
‘The Goddess?’
I had assumed the trophy was just an expensive ornament. Most people would think the same.
But the hidden value of that trophy was something only I could recognize.
However, the name XXX was obscured by static, likely due to a bug.
‘If it brings good influence to beasts… it must work like that piano or painting I bought at the auction.’
I didn’t know why such a precious item had been offered as a contest prize.
……But I had to obtain it.
‘If an item related to the Goddess appears before me, there’s no way I’m just walking past it.’
Whether it was for clues about the world’s secrets or for the sake of my beasts—it was worth it.
Not to mention, the additional permit was appealing too.
‘An on-campus shop permit has plenty of merit as well……’
Especially since A-Class shops were located near the Main Building, where there was heavy foot traffic.
It seemed like an opportunity to open a restaurant in a prime location.
If it gained popularity among students, the sales could be considerable.
‘The question is, who should I entrust with running the shop—but that’s a problem for later.’
Originally, I hadn’t intended to pay attention to the contest.
But when such tempting rewards were on the line, that changed everything.
My motivation surged.
“……Will you help me with this festival too?”
When I looked at Karin and Lapin, they both nodded enthusiastically.
“Yeah.”
“Of course we’ll help. If Rupina joins us, we might even have a shot at third place.”
“No.”
I shook my head and smiled.
“Let’s go for first.”
The two froze for a second, then their eyes sparkled as they clenched their fists.
“I’m in—for first place!”
“What, you’re aiming for first already? You’re burning with motivation, Villed. Now I’m fired up too……! Oh, but the festival’s only a week away. Where’s your stall located?”
“Same place as during the last Victory Festival.”
“That spot, huh…… It’s a bit far……”
Karin nodded slightly with a faintly regretful expression.
It was quite far from the Main Building, where the largest crowds gathered. She must have thought it would be difficult to take first place.
“It’s a shame, but if you work hard, the customers might recognize you!”
At Karin’s words, I silently nodded.
It was true that the location of my stall was lacking, but I was confident in my skills. So, the key would be how quickly word of mouth spread.
‘Word of mouth, huh…’
There were many ways to do that, but I had to come up with the best one.
As I stared at the poster, lost in thought, Karin and Lapin started walking ahead.
“We’ll go to the bathroom real quick.”
“Yeah? Then I’ll head to the livestock shed.”
“Ah, I’m going too! Wait here for just a bit!”
Watching the two of them walk down the hallway hand in hand, I leaned against the wall for a moment.
That was when I heard a voice from somewhere.
“Hello! We’re from the Engineering Department! Come check out the cameras we made!”
I turned my gaze in that direction.
Several cameras and a small sign were set up on a table in the hallway.
「We present cameras crafted with care by the Engineering Department to our patrons!」
Next to the table stood a female student, enthusiastically promoting.
“Hello! We’re from the Engineering Department!”
Every time she shouted, her black hair flowed over her shoulders.
Though she was sweating nervously while glancing at the crowd, she forced a bright smile, which made her look a little pitiful.
Her name tag had her name written in red letters — ‘Esdal.’
I knew her.
She was a second-year student, the head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, and one of the few who took great interest in mechanical engineering, the most minor field even within the Hephaestus Department.
If Ren chose the Hephaestus Department, she would be his mentor.
Even if he chose another department, she was the one who would provide him with basic equipment.
She wasn’t a particularly important character, but I vaguely remembered encountering her from time to time in the game.
As around ten students gathered before the table, I walked closer.
“So, if you take a picture like this…”
Click!
Esdal turned the camera lens toward herself and struck a V pose as she pressed the shutter.
“Now, just wait a moment. The photo will come out soon.”
She tried to smile with her eyes, sweating profusely.
Then, someone in the crowd spoke up.
“But who’s gonna use that?”
“Uh… It’d be good for people who can’t use magic!”
“This is Yggdrasil. Everyone can use magic here. If we wanted a camera, we’d just use a magitech one. Why would a mage use an engineering camera?”
“Ah…”
Though Esdal kept smiling hard, her face clearly showed she was flustered.
‘Can’t blame her.’
Much like the industrial revolution in modern history, this world had also recently reached the point where artifacts related to magitech were spreading thanks to a certain “incident.”
It had been roughly twenty years since magitech took root in society.
Magitech, powered by mana stones and mana, was highly regarded.
‘Just like how the Grand Galfell, powered by a giant mana stone, is praised as the pinnacle of magitech.’
Engineering, by contrast, had only about forty to fifty years of history.
As magitech rapidly rose, both consumers and talent flocked toward it, leaving engineering to decline.
‘In short, mechanical engineering is just an outdated technology of a bygone era.’
A train powered by coal couldn’t compete with one powered by mana stones — the latter was faster and cheaper to operate.
Since magitech was a perfect superior alternative, engineering held little meaning in this world.
‘If it still survives at all… it’s only thanks to a few enthusiasts who appreciate its “mechanical aesthetic.”’
In modern terms, it was like an old cathode-ray TV — outdated, with only nostalgic charm remaining.
“Maybe someday… if mana disappears from the atmosphere, mages might use it too…”
Esdal hesitated before replying in a timid, shaky voice.
At that moment, laughter burst from the crowd.
“Pfft—hahaha!”
“Don’t say your delusions out loud!”
“Figures, that’s the kind of nonsense you hear from that department of failures.”
“Ah, um… Ahaha…”
Esdal’s eyes darted around nervously, but she didn’t lose her smile.
Then, someone in the crowd swung their arm.
Something struck the top of Esdal’s head.
Clang!
A small tin can.
“Ow! Don’t throw trash at me…!”
She grabbed the spot that was hit, still forcing a smile.
“You’re selling trash, so you must like trash! Shouldn’t you thank me?”
“Stop grinning! It’s annoying!”
“Here, have some more!”
Three rough-looking students started hurling more garbage at her.
“E-Eh… That’s it for the demo today!”
Esdal quickly packed the cameras into her bag and bolted away.
“She’s running away!”
“Get lost!”
The rowdy students laughed as they watched her flee.
I kicked aside one of the discarded cans and followed Esdal.
“Street vendors don’t belong in the Academy—ack!”
The can I kicked hit one of the jeering students squarely on the head.
“My bad.”
I left just those two words and kept walking.
“What the hell? A first-year acting all high and mighty?”
“Forget it. That’s him, the one from the rumors. Just ignore him.”
“Damn it!”
I heard them grumbling behind me, but I didn’t care.
I focused solely on Esdal, who was still running away.
Down the hallway, up the stairs, then down another corridor.
Esdal wasn’t particularly fast, so I caught up quickly.
‘…Here.’
Someone was crouching in the corner of a dark hallway.
As I approached, I heard faint sobs.
It was Esdal.
Sniff, sniff…
Her current hunched figure overlapped with the forced smile I had seen earlier.
She looked pitiful, but I had no intention of offering sympathy.
‘It’s your fault for trying to sell plain machines to mages, not magitech.’
She had simply chosen the wrong market.
‘Then again… maybe it’s the same outside, too.’
Commoners who couldn’t use magic likely couldn’t afford expensive engineering machines either.
‘In the end, mechanical engineering in this world is just a relic — a tragic, outdated craft caught in between.’
I pulled a small piece of paper from my pocket, scribbled something on it, and walked toward the crouching Esdal.
“Hey.”
“...Hic?! Y-Yes?”
Startled, Esdal flinched and slowly looked up at me.
Tears welled in her eyes, and a line of snot hung beneath her nose. I handed her the note.
“Someone asked me to give you this.”
“T-To me… a letter…?”
Esdal hesitated for a moment, then took the slip of paper from my hand.