MTLNOVEL Ch. 7
Chapter 07
Everything was romantic.
My first friend. A sky full of stars. The crackling campfire in the drum.
Small hardships, resolved well, turned into meaningful memories.
A spark of friendship blooming amidst it all.
“I’ve made up my mind for sure. I’ll keep being your lackey forever.”
Crash!
That was the sound of the illusion shattering.
Startled, I jumped up from the bed and looked down at the floor.
“Apple.”
“Yeah.”
“Friend… Don’t just answer, look at me.”
“Y-Yes, yes, yep!”
Apple poked her head out from under the bed. Her face was pale.
Why was she suddenly using friendly terms?
“Don’t do that. We’re friends.”
“Yeah!! We’re friends, my lady!”
It sounded like she meant to act like friends in public!
Nodding vigorously, Apple seemed to understand it that way, and I smiled softly.
“Why are you so scared? Someone might think I’m bullying you. You’ve been my precious friend from the start.”
“S-Sorry! Thank you!”
“…Speak casually.”
“Uh, yeah!”
Her sudden formality was a bit suspicious, but I laughed it off.
“Apple, come up and sleep. It’s buggy and cramped down there.”
Apple swallowed hard. She wanted to, but she’d made it clear early on she wouldn’t climb up, hoping to be seen as loyal.
She felt I wasn’t thrilled about her as a follower, and all she could show now was devotion.
Inhaling the grassy scent and newspaper ink, Apple touched the bed’s underside and spoke.
“No, you’re my roof.”
“What? Stop being dramatic and come up.”
“I actually love sleeping under beds. At home, I sleep under mine every day, ignoring the bed.”
“…I’ll respect that.”
In the end, I gave in.
✦ ✦ ✦
Romance lasted just one day.
‘…Why do I bring suffering on myself?’
I sniffled.
Sleeping in the cold made my body feel like it was breaking.
I’d never experienced homelessness on Nipi Island, but here I was.
To attend my first class, I wrapped myself in a cloak in the main building’s lecture hall.
Still, Apple brewed warm tea this morning, which soothed my sore throat.
‘I need to buy clothes with warming magic on the way. And find a place to live soon…’
I’d washed roughly at a nearby stream, but to live here long, I needed a place for regular showers or baths.
Otherwise, friendship or not, I might flee to an inn or main dorm soon.
“Welcome to the ‘Ether and Core Enhancement’ class! I’m Spitu Gini! Call me Professor Spitu.”
Lost in thought, I noticed a teacher limp into the lecture hall.
Professor Spitu, with hair in twelve braids, had unusual physical traits.
A thick green orc’s right arm and a goat’s left leg.
He looked like a chimera.
“I’ll teach you how to use ether more flexibly! Those who reach the pinnacle of ether mastery, like me, can command their body’s cells to customize limbs. Haha!”
Professor Spitu laughed heartily, holding his belly, but no one joined in.
“For today’s first class, I’ll teach you about ‘Palm Ether Manipulation’!”
Raising his thick hand, he tapped the lectern and showed his palm to the students.
“Swordsmen must channel ki into their hands to imbue their swords. Mages must channel mana into their hands to wrap their wands.”
Clapping to focus the students, he continued.
“Spirit wielders are the same! To understand a tree spirit, you must touch the tree and channel spiritual power. So, this palm area! Palm ether manipulation is crucial.”
Rummaging in a box at the front, Professor Spitu pulled out dozens of compasses.
“Alright, everyone, take a compass.”
Students rushed up to grab one from the pile he spread out.
“I got one for you too, my lady! I’m quick, right?”
“…Thank you.”
Apple jumped up and grabbed two, so I didn’t have to move.
“Now, place the compass on your palm and spin the needle ten times! This is a training even coreless students can do, so those with only potential cores, participate diligently!”
Students placed compasses on their palms and struggled to move the needles.
Most spun one rotation easily but struggled by the second or third.
“One, two, three, four… Easy…?”
Apple managed seven or eight rotations smoothly.
“Nine… T-Ten… Ugh! The needle went back.”
But by the ninth, she looked strained.
I watched Apple quietly, then looked at my compass.
‘As expected, my compass doesn’t move.’
The needle was still. Not even a twitch. Propping my chin, I held the compass and waited.
“…”
Still nothing.
“…”
Sighing, I set the compass on the desk and watched the other students.
“Hey, student! Instead of watching others, practice your own manipulation!”
While everyone gripped their compasses, spinning needles, one student sat idly, chin propped. Professor Spitu walked over, scolding.
“The needle won’t move.”
“If you can’t spin it once, try half a spin! If you can’t do half, try a quarter! You’re a transfer student, but already slacking? Haha!”
“A quarter of a quarter is tough.”
“Tch, then just hold it! Feeling the needle vibrate might build some ether control.”
“It doesn’t vibrate.”
“If it doesn’t vibrate, just do nothing… Wait? You’re holding it, and the needle doesn’t move at all?”
Nodding, I held the compass out to Professor Spitu.
Stroking his beard, he widened his eyes.
“Huh… Haha! This is a first, fascinating. The device must be broken. Try another.”
I tried another compass.
“…”
“…”
Professor Spitu’s pupils began to tremble.
‘It’s an ether-sensing compass, so it should move a bit for any living person.’
“Ha… Haha! This one’s broken too, I guess. Try another.”
I tried another.
“…”
“…”
One, two, three, four… Every compass in the room, but the needle never moved.
Professor Spitu’s laughing face froze.
“Student. What’s your name?”
“Sigrin.”
“What family are you from?”
“…Ebenkera.”
At that, Professor Spitu touched his forehead and laughed heartily again.
So this was the kid from the huge mafia family who’d just enrolled!
Ether quantity was mostly genetic, and the Ebenkera boss was famously loaded with ether.
Professor Spitu swallowed hard.
“Haha! A monster joined this semester… To completely stop the needle’s vibration with ether control. Stopping it entirely is way harder than spinning it.”
“What?”
Professor Spitu grabbed a compass and squeezed it.
The needle, spinning like it had a motor, soon stopped dead, pointing at me, without vibrating.
Stopping it completely was tough even for him, as he broke into a cold sweat.
“Advanced technique. You need equal force in clockwise and counterclockwise directions to lock the needle. You’re not showing it, but you’re working hard. Haha! To reach this level already.”
“What?”
“Wow…”
As the professor laughed heartily, the classroom buzzed.
“Even if it feels trivial, participate diligently, Sigrin. You’ll be here a while, so hiding your strength is pointless.”
“I’m not hiding my strength.”
“Haha! Fool someone who’ll believe you.”
Whistle~
A playful whistle came from the front.
Turning toward it, my eyes met a male student’s.
Blond hair, upturned eyes, silver irises.
Luca Drümuel.
Sitting in front, he looked back, chin propped, his compass needle spinning wildly.