Chapter 32: Unexpected Food and Report
The next day, after having a tea party in my room, we all ate breakfast together before heading to our respective classes.
Up until now, I had spent most of my days alone in the mansion with my tutor, Secreta-san, constantly studying. But by spending time with friends my own age, chatting over tea, and sharing moments together, I was finally beginning to feel a sense of belonging in this world and in life itself.
This morning, we shared breakfast, and I hoped to enjoy lunch and dinner with them as well. Speaking of which, there’s a break coming up soon. Since we’re in the imperial capital, it might be nice to go out together.
With these thoughts in mind, I headed toward the school building. Today’s classes only consist of two periods in the morning, leaving the afternoon free. After lunch, I plan to visit the school office to inquire about the recommended Theosophy class and consider taking some agriculture-related courses alongside Sanner, especially regarding Leaf. After that, I’ll stop by Diva-Teacher’s place to report on the conversation I had with Jun and the others about Martina-jou, and also pay her a visit.
And so, I completed my morning classes without any issues. Normally, one would expect some kind of otome game event to occur, but not only did nothing happen, I didn’t even encounter any of the ‘capture targets’ or ‘villainesses.’ Maybe it’s just that our schedules didn’t overlap since today’s classes were mostly electives, or perhaps Martina-jou’s absence has disrupted the progression of the game’s storyline…
Now that I’ve made some friends at the academy and found an ally, or rather a collaborator, in Diva-Teacher, I should probably take some time to investigate the otome game elements.
Well, for now, it’s time for lunch. It’s something I look forward to both for the meal itself and the time spent with friends. As I made my way to the dining hall, I spotted the three of them already in line. The dining hall here has a priority line for nobles (with expensive menu options) and a general line for commoners. The three were standing in the general line.
“I’m glad I found you all.”
I said, joining them in line.
“Oh, Rachel-san, welcome! But are you sure you’re fine with the general line?”
Neese asked, perhaps curious to see the nobles’ lunch offerings.
“The nobles’ line has only expensive dishes… Besides, I’m not much of a gourmet.”
Reiko, in her previous life, was an ordinary person, so I don’t have a particularly refined palate. Honestly, I’ve even been craving some cheap convenience store food lately.
“I carry my own seasonings around, so I can make anything taste good,”
Jun said, showing me the condiments she had in her bag.
“Since this is the imperial capital, the cafeteria gets ingredients from all over the place, so even the general line offers plenty to enjoy.”
That voice was Sanner, who is majoring in agriculture. As expected, her perspective is deeply rooted in agriculture.
We all took our trays with our respective lunches and headed to an open seat.
“Shall we dig in?”
As we all sat down, Neese took the lead.
“Huh?”
I noticed something and let out a sound.
“What’s the matter, Rachel-san?”
Sanner, who noticed my gaze and my voice, tilted her head in confusion. On the tray in front of Sanner was a bowl with a brown soup and thick white noodles, and on another plate was a triangular shape made from white grains.
“Are you surprised by my udon and onigiri?”
Udon and onigiri! How is there Japanese food in this other world?
I thought to myself, but then I recalled learning in history about some names that sounded like they were from Japan. Perhaps someone who came to this world before me introduced these dishes.
“Yes, I’d heard about them, but this is my first time actually seeing them,”
I said, trying to cover up my surprise.
“Well, it’s food from the southern regions, so it’s rare around here. Oh, Jun-san, can I borrow some spicy seasoning?”
“The one that makes your nose sting? Or the one that burns your throat?”
“The one that tingles.”
Sanner took a small bottle of red powder from Jun and sprinkled it over her udon. This world even has ichimi (Japanese chili powder)? I might not know everything, but it seems like the spread of Japanese cuisine in this world has gone much further than I thought…
While thinking that I should try it sometime, I finished lunch with everyone.
Afterward, I parted ways with the others, who still had classes, and headed to the school office to register for my new courses. Then, I went to the campus store to buy the textbooks for those classes.
“Now that I’m done with my errands, I guess I’ll head to Diva-Teacher’s place.”
When I arrived at the chapel, the guards from yesterday were nowhere to be seen. I thought they might just be stationed at the front, but as I walked further inside, there were no guards anywhere. The guards yesterday must have been there to keep an eye on me. Thinking back, I felt a little embarrassed by how unguarded I had been.
I knocked on the door to Teacher’s room and called out,
“Diva-Teacher, are you there? It’s Rachel.”
“Ah, Rachel-kun, come in.”
I was granted permission to enter and stepped into the room. Something was different from before. There was always a chair placed just in front of the door, but today, it was missing.
“Sit on the sofa today.”
I was instructed to sit on the sofa in the lounge set, which usually stood between me and Diva-Teacher.
“Still as ominous as ever…”
Just as I was about to settle down on the sofa and face him, Diva-Teacher spoke up.
“No, sorry… I wasn’t referring to you. I was talking about the entity that is attached to you.”
I understood without needing the clarification, but it was probably said out of consideration for my feelings.
“I can’t see it myself, so I can’t say much. What I find stranger is that not more people seem to be able to see what’s attached to me.”
I voiced my thoughts in response to Teacher’s words. This world is filled with spirits and magic, yet there are so few people who can ‘see.’ There should be more of them.
“Indeed, as I mentioned yesterday, many people train themselves to see the etheric body of vitality, the astral body of magic, or the mental body that reflects thoughts and emotions—useful for evaluating opponents in battle or negotiations. However, seeing beyond that to the causal body, the level of the soul, is something few attempt, given the time, effort, and the perceived lack of necessity.”
“So, there really are few who can see it…”
I see, even if the ability exists, not many people pursue it.
“By the way, anything unusual happen since yesterday?”
“No, nothing in particular. I only spoke about Martina-jou with my dormitory friends and the maid.”
“I see. That’s fine. I contacted Juneau-kyou* and his servants this morning. Of course, I did not mention that this situation was caused by the entity attached to you. As far as they know, you are the person who protected Martina-jou. Be sure not to speak of the entity to anyone.” (TN: Lord)
So, they contacted her parents… I was more surprised that they hadn’t already. Does Teacher hold that much power, or is the academy simply prone to covering things up? In any case, the servants attending to Martina must have been in quite a difficult situation, given that their mistress had suddenly stopped returning home.
“Is keeping it secret for the sake of public safety?”
I couldn’t help but ask. If the entity attached to me poses a danger to the academy or the empire, and there’s a need to keep it concealed, I would need to adjust how I handle myself accordingly.
“That’s certainly part of it, but it’s also for your own sake. You don’t need such a burden during your time at the academy.”
His answer was considerate and thoughtful, making me feel a bit guilty for doubting the academy and Teacher. I kept silent for a moment, reflecting on my thoughts.
“Is that all for your report?”
Teacher asked, breaking my silence.
“Oh, yes. That’s everything.”
“Then, could you check on Martina-jou one more time? There hasn’t been any change in her condition since yesterday. Perhaps seeing her again might jog your memory.”
“Understood.”
And so, we moved once again to the room where Martina-jou lay sleeping.
