Damn Academy chapter 101

101 – The Circulatory System (3)

“Our schedule is very tight. Because it starts the day after tomorrow… It’s better to prepare as soon as possible.”

At least until now, it seemed that they had no intention of changing the group members.

Group leader Iris shared with us the plan to attack the circulatory system in advance.

Her method was not superfluous enough to be called standard.

“Our goal is simple. It goes deep inside the circulatory system. The deeper we go, the stronger the resistance and the higher the score we will receive.”

“Resistance? That… Are witches coming out?”

Iris shook her head.

“I don’t know if it’s because of the phantom beasts in that area, but they say that demonic beasts can’t approach it recklessly. They say that even alpha-class objects are no exception. If it was the place where the Witchbeast came out, I wouldn’t have spent my first year there in Eternia in the first place.”

Lysander, a member of the group with a sword-like part, let out a sigh of relief. Looking at her expression, she didn’t ask because she was afraid of the beast. Rather, she just wanted to avoid a messy situation.

Iris even added an explanation.

“And at the center of the circulatory system, which is the final stage, you can meet the phantom beast. Horns… I don’t know either. No information. At that time, you will have to improvise.”

Paulson, another member of the group, said confidently.

“I like the improvisation. That’s my organ.”

“hahahaha… I like the confidence. In any case, to enter the circulatory system, you must first understand and respect the rules of the land.”

In the meantime, some groups hurriedly left the classroom. Outside the door there was a loud sound of carriage wheels and horseshoes.

Paulson interrupted Iris and muttered to himself.

“Wagons? Where are they going?”

“Ugh…. Let me explain now. It is because of the food.”

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“What food?”

“Imagine that so many people enter that primeval forest at once. They hunted and cut down trees to make a living. Because of the enormous consumption of resources, problems with the circulatory system will occur even if you do not intend.”

“….”

“That would make us count as outside intruders. If we respect the circulatory system, we shouldn’t just kill ourselves there. I’m trying to pack a week’s worth of food to avoid that. Those wagons were called in advance to pack the travel ceremonies in Rigbed.”

In other words, for the preservation of the circulatory system, activities such as gathering and hunting should be prohibited at all.

“We have to travel a week in the circulatory system with external resources. To do that, you need to pack light and nutritious food. Imagine all this large group of people getting a week’s worth of beef jerky and dried fruit. They will be sold out in no time, so we need to move quickly before it’s too late.”

Group members Paulson and Lysander nodded in agreement with Iris’ words.

Rigbed is not a small enough city to handle that amount, but it was fully expected that there would be some disruptions in supply if the demand was concentrated in a single day.

Paulson threw out a word worthy of being from a ducal family.

“Ah, I don’t like going around like I did during the entrance exam. Why don’t you spend a lot of money and get more supplies? Something like a camp tent and some cooking utensils.”

“Ah, yes…. That…… Let’s think slowly.”

Iris’s plan had no frills. The mainstream alchemy schools exactly matched the view of the circulatory system, and based on that theory, they presented an appropriate strategy.

The problem is that Zverev’s idea of the circulatory system written in the recipe was the complete opposite of Iris’s belief.

***

The circulatory system was completely different from the ‘primitive forest untouched by humans’. Old forests with few people are everywhere. A forest is just a forest, and the circulatory system has a different distinction.

Intricately intertwined things such as rain with special ingredients, the magic power of the earth, spirits roaming nature, and animals and plants that have adapted to the magical environment gather and circulate, and when accumulated over thousands of years of cycles, a magical link is formed. It was like one giant organism.

The circulatory system thus formed responds very elastically even to external pressure. If a few of the circulation rings were to be broken, it would not have been reborn as a circulation system.

Zverev’s notes mention the enormous diet of the giant animals of the circulatory system. From herbivores that devour dozens of kilograms of grass, herbs, and leaves in a day, to predators that eat similar amounts of meat.

Inside the circulatory system, human gathering herbs and hunting are insignificant compared to wild animals. If it disturbed the circulatory system, the animals would have to be kicked out.

Zverev said that the way to truly respect the circulatory system is to eat herbs and animal meat that live within it.

[You become what you eat.]

As a primitive tribal adage goes, things from the circulatory system must be crammed into the belly and become part of the cyclical loop.

If you apply Zverev’s theory, in the end you should not bring any food.

We had to actively hunt for self-sufficiency.

The reason why the Ministry of Combat and the Ministry of Magic were included in this class might be because of hunting.

The fact that there are no witches in the circulatory system means that other powerful beings dominate that area.

But even if the direction is off, I was going to follow Iris all the way. Even though she is the head of the pension department, she is not greedy and tries to go as a member of the original group, which is why I liked her quite a bit.

She wasn’t doing anything irreparable just because she was still in her preparation period and taking the beef jerky with her.

However, it is unclear whether the group members can be persuaded with alchemy theories whose origins cannot be disclosed.

It seemed better to have a separate conversation with Iris later than to blindly block the plan. If it were her, there was a good chance she would listen to my story.

After making a rough plan, we also hurriedly moved to Rigbed. It was to secure food for seven days in the Soderton circulatory system.

The main items were beef jerky, dried fruits, salted pork and cheese, which are foods that can be stored well. Because they moved relatively quickly compared to other groups, there was no major problem with the supply of stockpiled food.

It was very unreliable that Paulson, a member of the group, was greedy and packed all the odds and ends, but other than that, the process was generally passable.

Looking at the devastated students walking into a grocery store that was belatedly swept away by another group, Paulson scoffed at them for being stupid.

We were gathering in front of the wagon parked in the plaza and putting our belongings in order.

In the meantime, someone from afar called my name.

“Demian!”

I looked where the sound came from and Trisha found me and was running towards me.

When she approached her, Iris reacted before her.

“Oh my God, Trisha?!”

“Iris was there too!”

Then he looked at me and said.

“To be in the same group as the head of the pension department, Damian’s talent is good too!”

“….”

Group members Paulson and Lysander couldn’t take their eyes off Tricia with dazed expressions.

“So you came to buy beef jerky. Now, I’ll add one!”

Then I forced the jerky into her mouth, the marks of her own teeth, and left her a greeting.

“I’m busy, so I go first. Guys, take good care of our Damian!”

Trisha pretended to be my guardian and rejoined Cecil’s group from a distance.

All the group members were speechless for a while, as if Trisha’s appearance had left a deep impression on them.

And Paulson’s strangely disapproving look at me grew stronger.

Paulson said after loading food and miscellaneous utensils into the wagon.

“Ah, this is too complicated. Do I have to share it? If you hold something on your shoulder, how will you cope with unexpected situations because your body becomes dull? I think it’s only right to force one person to carry it.”

No one came forward, but Iris reluctantly answered.

“That… Wouldn’t it be a little hard to drive it to just one person?”

Paulson said with a grin.

“Iris, you are a leader and a woman, so of course you should leave. How do you tell the core of our group to carry the load?”

Lysander quickly opened a hole to escape.

“I can’t concentrate when something is on my shoulder. My body is also weak, so if I lift it by myself, it won’t last long and I’ll stretch out. That means another burden is created.”

“Ah, but I spent so much money to take care of the group. Should I listen?”

Speaking of spending money, most of them were purchased just for their own convenience. Things that are bulky and unnecessarily heavy, making them a burden to move.

The only things Iris really needed for her plan were beef jerky and dried fruit.

Trying to take care of the convenience and implicitly pass the responsibility on to someone else.

To be precise, it’s to remind me that I should become a porter.

After Trisha went, Paulson became more explicit.

I thought of his real intentions. He wasn’t just thoughtless and irresponsible. I could feel the malice in it. Does the eldest son of a ducal family have any qualifications? Why is he trying to embarrass himself by secretly filming and pressing it?

I bought my food with my own money, and I had no intention of sharing the items Paulson had obtained. I draw in my head what kind of condescension I will show during practice.

As I remained unresponsive, Paulson sarcastically asked me to listen.

“Ah, I don’t care, I don’t know teamwork.”

***

Paulson invited the group members to dinner, but only Damian refused and left Rigbed after finding a wagon.

Poulson said as he sat the group down for a luxurious dinner of veal.

“Damian doesn’t seem to want to get along with us? I don’t like it when I generously provide camping supplies, and I don’t like it when I ask to collaborate. I hate being invited to dinner. You checked everything today.”

“That… I guess I’ll have to wait a little longer to find out…. Damien is….”

Paulson interrupted Iris.

“I thought good about you, but now I’m getting a little frustrated. Didn’t you want to keep the senior position?”

“….”

“Let’s talk honestly. You don’t even know Is it possible to get first place without our Elementalist? Is this composition really good?”

Of course, Iris was also greedy. I didn’t want to betray my parents’ expectations, and I wanted to continue my relationship with the imperial family. Because she was the only pillar in her house.

“That….”

“Team members only trust and follow the group leader, but I want you to know that even your team members can end up at the bottom because of your stubbornness. I have to make a quick decision and protect the rest of the team. Is not it?”

“….”

Iris bowed her head. Paulson was right. Under her plan, the combat department was a surplus force that did not have much to do. It really didn’t matter much even if he had a porter.

On the contrary, the elemental magician was absolutely necessary.

During her entrance exam, Iris gathered her teammates regardless of her ability, but she got the best results. Even in this joint class, she vaguely believed that if she treated people with an optimistic and bright attitude, good results would come again.

Listening to Paulson’s words was like waking up from a dream. This time, the anxiety that such luck might not follow came over me.

He knows his situation, and when he is in a position to take responsibility for his teammates, he has to act more realistically.

“Everyone has changed group members. There’s nothing to feel guilty about. The spirit sergeant has some kids who will come when I call. Also, since I often interact with my father and the Rayleigh family, if I do well, I might bring Luna as well.”

Iris said after being silent for a while.

“Okay. Tomorrow… I’ll deliver it directly to Damian.”

***

Shady, head of the theater department, sat facing a blonde girl in the waiting room of a quiet little theater.

It was to screen the final applicants. The application period for the Department of Art ended yesterday, but the reason why the entrance examination is still being conducted is because the department operating Eternia has made a separate request.

This was a place prepared for Luna Reilless, who was temporarily absent from her academy after receiving her dispatch mission.

“Isn’t freshman a busy time for joint classes?”

Luna answered in a calm voice.

“I’ve decided to join tomorrow.”

“So, by the way, you want to join the theater department?”

Luna nodded her head lightly.

Shady studied the proportions of her face and body.

“Acting, so if you want to play an actor role, you just pass. I want to recommend acting, but you want something else?”

“Yes. I want to write plays.”

“Writing a play is not easy. It’s the core of a play, so we can’t take it lightly either. We’ll have to go through a careful screening, will that be okay?”

“It’s okay.”

Shady bit her lip a few times before speaking.

“Then, if you have any studies or other work activities, can you tell me?”

“I’ve already brought it.”

Luna held out a thick notebook to Shady.

The notebook had the title ‘The Canary and the Clown’ written on it. It was a famous work that was already known as it was known.

“What is this?”

“I adapted it the way I wanted it.”

“Can I read it now?”

“Yes.”

Shady opened her notebook and quickly skimmed through her contents.

Canary and Clown is a story about a princess suffering from aphasia and a clown traveling together to heal their aphasia.

From the beginning to the middle, the story unfolds like a fairy tale, and the second half gradually transforms into a realistic story.

In the second half of the original story, after the princess recovers from her aphasia, the clown leaves and the princess marries the prince.

Luna adapted the second half of ‘Canary and the Clown’ to maintain a fairytale-like atmosphere.

Shady burst into laughter halfway through reading.

“Puhuh, I’m sorry, I’m not kidding. The adaptation itself is great. But you completely erased the prince from the work? May I ask why you adapted it like this?”

As if she had a story, Luna’s eyes deepened as if she was recalling a scene from her memories for a moment.

She stayed quiet for a while then opened her mouth.

“That’s…”