Chapter 51: Alicia Was Recruited!
While Elidranthia visited her brother, Alicia strolled around the academy. Lessons would only begin a few days later, so she wandered into the cafeterias.
Even though the academy had a single dormitory, it had four cafeterias—one for each course, plus one for the dormitory. This policy existed both for convenience and to avoid discord. The academy was well aware of the rift between the courses, and the tendency for students not to dine together.
The mage course considered themselves superior due to their mana.
The nobility course saw themselves as leaders because of their noble birth.
Meanwhile, the scholar course believed the other two were privileged—not chosen by merit, but by luck.
None of that mattered to Alicia, though. She simply wanted to conquer all the food the academy had to offer.
She quickly discovered that the scholar course cafeteria had the best food.
“I should have gone here first.” Alicia muttered as she scooped out a tart cake.
The food in the nobility course cafeteria was pretty to look at, but it was a bother to eat, as she had to pay attention to etiquette. It felt like visiting a tourist-trap restaurant. The food wasn’t bad, but the price and portion sizes needed some work.
The mage course cafeteria was the opposite. The food was sumptuous and practical, but the flavors were all over the place, as they prioritized efficiency. It felt like eating at a street stall or fast-food restaurant—quick to prepare, filling, but lacking refinement.
Only the scholar course treated food as both nourishment and art. Nothing about it was pretentious; it was beautiful in its simplicity. Like those restaurants with great reviews on social media—unassuming on the outside, yet touching the soul.
While Alicia was on her culinary journey, she was greeted by a boy wearing glasses. She had forgotten that her uniform bore the mage course badge she had received just yesterday. While it wasn’t forbidden for students from different courses to dine in other cafeterias, the sight was unusual enough to draw glances.
Students from the scholar course often looked at mage-course students with envy. Many of their innovations and solutions required mana, yet mages had their own exclusive course. Scholars could create enchantment and incantation designs through study and theory alone. But they still needed a mage to actually make them. So when they saw a mage dining in their cafeteria, they greeted her warmly.
“Greetings. I see you’re wearing a mage badge. Do you find the food here delicious, honored lady mage?” the scholar asked.
“Huh?” Alicia hadn’t expected to be greeted while eating cake and butter cookies with milk tea. She was flustered. After wiping her mouth with a handkerchief, she returned the greeting.
“Yes. I am Mage Alicia. There’s no need to call me ‘Lady,’ as I am a commoner. I am Lady Elidranthia’s personal maid.”
“Ah. I am Robert Junior, the third son of Viscount Robert from Duke Bron’s territory, and a second-year student in the Scholar Course. It is an honor to meet you, Mage Alicia.” The boy smiled wider now that he knew she came from the same dukedom. That would make asking for help much easier.
“I see. Am I intruding on something?” Alicia asked.
“Of course not. All students are allowed in any cafeteria… Wait. You’re the rumored Shadowstep girl, right?”
“Um… I’m not sure what you mean. I’m new here, so I’m unaware of any rumors concerning my lady. Was there something bad being said about her?” Alicia’s tone sharpened. She knew many people envied Elidranthia for her status as both a noble and a mage, but that didn’t mean she would allow malicious rumors to spread. She fully intended to crush any bully in this school.
“No! Of course not. There isn’t a single bad rumor about her. Everyone talks about how incredible a mage she is.”
“Ah! Of course! Then I shall tell you about our exploits against bandits at the Shadowstep crossings and the recent stampede!” Alicia immediately dropped her guard. Like the narcissist she was, she began bragging about her achievements without hesitation.
“Wonderful, Mage Alicia. As expected of such a high-ranking mage. If possible, could I recruit you for my project?” Robert said.
“Project?”
“You see, while not as direct as mages, we in the Scholar Course also strive to serve the nation and help people prosper. I dream of becoming a magic engineer.”
“Huh? I thought only mages could become engineers. Is there even a course for something like that?” Alicia recalled the curriculum.
“Erm… no. There are only four curricula in the Scholar Course. They are military tactics, agriculture, construction, and crafting. I’m enrolled in both the crafting and construction curricula.”
“Wow… a double degree. Amazing.” Alicia was stunned.
“Well, I’m no match for you, who will soon be taking three mage courses, Alicia,” Robert said. He then continued explaining his project.
“When it comes to construction, most of the work is done by mages. We usually handle the designs. For crafting, we often do the work ourselves, but the tools are usually made—and powered—by mages. That’s why your help in the future would be essential. I hope you’ll assist us when the time comes.”
“Well, if you ask nicely, I won’t mind. I have a big heart!” Alicia puffed out her chest. It made a pomp sound, signaling a promising growth.
“Thank you, Alicia. I’ll be going now.”
“Ehh? No fair! You can’t hog her all to yourself, Robert! Alicia, right? Please help me too! Please! The laser-cutting tool is out of energy!” A girl ran toward Robert, crying. “That damn mage I bribed with an expensive cake refused to recharge it! Do you know anyone rank five or above?”
“Robert! Have you found a mage to power our forge? We need a fire mage! Level three won’t do! Is there someone higher?”
“...”
“...”
Silence ensued.
Seeing how desperate these scholars were for mages, Alicia felt her danger sense tingling. She made an attempt to retreat. She liked being praised, but that didn’t mean she wanted to work like a pack animal. She refused to work without pay!
“Ah… is that your friend? Nice meeting you, Robert. I should return to my dormitory now. I don’t want to intrude. Please excuse me—farewell, everyone.” Alicia was about to leave, but three hands landed on her shoulders.
“My, my. You didn’t intrude at all, Alicia. It was our pleasure to have you. Everyone, it’s rare for a high-ranking mage like Alicia to dine in our cafeteria. Please, allow me to treat you,” Robert said. His eyes fixed on Alicia like a wolf staring at a slab of beef.
“No, no. Please let me treat you. My friend owns a popular restaurant in the capital, so I know which dishes are the best here. Please—I insist.” The girl said, her grip on Alicia’s shoulders tightening.
“Well, I’m new, okay? I haven’t done any enchanting yet, so I can’t help you with tools. If it’s just charging arcane stones, though, I can do that.”
“Of course! That’s fine—no, that’s exactly what we wanted. By the way, what rank are you, Miss Alicia? I just heard from Robert that you’re quite high-ranking. Are you rank four, or perhaps rank five? And what elements do you possess? Ah, it doesn’t really matter. We do have a mana conversion scale.”
“My mana rank is seven, and I have wind, water, and fire elements!” Alicia puffed out her chest. Her shallow mind was delighted. “By the way, I’ll be taking you up on your offer to treat me, all right?”
“Of course! Please! Let us treat you! You can use my friend’s restaurant like your own!” The helpless girl tried desperately to offer a favor she didn’t even own. Her eagerness sent shivers down Alicia’s spine. It reminded her of the trauma she had endured during her college years.
“Ahem… no need to be that desperate. Um… Miss…?”
“Jacqueline! I am Jacqueline, Mage Alicia! Please let me be your servant for life!” The girl knelt before her as if she had seen a savior. Alicia took a step back, frightened.
She hadn’t realized that life at the Royal Academy was harsher than ordinary colleges on Earth. It was akin to Harvard or MIT. The cost of enrollment was exorbitant, and scholarships were given only to mages. Students from the scholar and nobility courses had to pay out of pocket, which meant their parents had exceedingly high expectations for them.
So what would happen if they failed to graduate? What if their projects were delayed—or worse, if they received an F? It would be a death sentence. Their chance of becoming proud members of society would vanish. As dropouts, they would be lucky to find work even as scribes. That was why they were so desperate.
“Ahaha. No need to be that stiff. So, which mana tools need charging? If you need earth mana, maybe I could ask my mistress to contribute. She has triple elements as well—light, dark, and earth.”
“We’re going to have a whole set of high-ranking mages? If this is a dream, please don’t wake me.” Jacqueline looked like she was about to faint from happiness.
“Please, come this way.” Robert led her into a classroom. There, a suit of armor with silver wings spread wide gleamed under the light. Alicia was entranced by the fully plated armor as it exuded mana. It reminded her of her sword.
“So, I just need to charge the three stones in the center?” Alicia asked. “What is this armor even used for? I’ve never heard of armor using mana.”
“This will be the first! This armor will let you soar through the skies!” Robert said, his eyes sparkling.
“...I see.” Alicia looked at the armor skeptically. She recalled an old movie where the main character had armor like this. The movie was good, but she couldn’t help wondering how expensive each suit must have been.
“Anyway, I just need to charge these, right?” Alicia said. She didn’t care much—she would fill them and be on her way.
And thus, Alicia gained her first friends in the Scholar Course, while Elidranthia was being fawned over by her brother and his friends.