The Distant Trail Of Ciara Badvia

The Saria Magic Academy
Part 2: To the Academy

HIGH-CLASS STUDENT CAFETERIA: RISTILLA EL RAZIA

There were still many things to do.

Tyril untied the cloth bag she had received in the administrative office and checked its contents.

First, a small booklet with a stained red cover, titled Rules of the Magic Academy and Guide to Student Life.

Then, a bundle of white blank papers with a blue spine—a notebook for writing down lectures. It also included a wooden pencil with a charcoal core. For a moment, Tyril’s fingertips trembled with excitement; she had never held such an expensive writing instrument before.

Lastly, a complete set of uniform: a white blouse with a black skirt, a red ribbon tie, and a black belt. Only one set was handed to her—it had been explained back in the office that she would need to purchase additional sets as needed.

Tyril calmed her nerves. I can’t get this dirty until I buy extra, so I should be careful.

Each item inside the cloth bag was enough to dazzle Tyril as she held them in her hands, but for now, she decided to start with reading the contents of the red booklet. Her thoughts and Misty’s advice both aligned there—the first thing to do was to understand the admission procedures.

The purpose of the “preparatory program” was to equip students with fundamental knowledge and common sense. Students in this program followed the curriculum established by the academy. The “undergraduate program”, on the other hand, was designed to deepen one’s understanding in a more specialized field. Here, students would have the freedom to choose the lectures they wished to attend.

Despite her lack of knowledge, Tyril still needed to choose within the next week which lectures she was going to attend, create her own schedule, then submit it to the administration. With Misty’s assistance in explaining things, Tyril thought this matter was the most urgent one to deal with.

But there was still many more that needed doing. Tyril had to learn the rules and regulations of the academy and the student dormitory. It was also necessary for her to remember the faces of professors and researchers, as well as familiarize herself with the facilities and layout of the academy.

Overall, she got the impression that freedom and self-discipline were paramount within the academy. Choosing what to learn, what to do with one’s time, and how to act—that was all up to the individual. The freedom she had was precisely what gave more weight to all her decisions. Tyril felt a slight unease, wondering if she could truly handle it.

Although…

Today was only the first day, and it was already evening. Just finding out where she needed to go used up much of her time. Tyril wasn’t in a situation where she could accomplish everything she wanted, and it wouldn’t be very productive if all she did was mull over things.

Misty’s suggestion was to shelve everything for now. “It’s not worth cramming everything in, you know. Just put off your tasks until tomorrow and go eat something.”

Tyril couldn’t help but get concerned; her cautious nature disagreed with the suggestion. However, she certainly was tired from the long trip and the nerve wracking meetings with several people. The hunger and fatigue she felt would rival Misty’s.

She turned off the lamp before stepping outside. Dusk had arrived. The school’s scenery in the darkness left a different impression compared to what she had just seen earlier.

“There are two cafeterias: one that’s delicious but expensive, and another that’s cheap but not so tasty. Which one do you want to go to?”

“Let’s see…”

Tyril tilted her head in thought. She’d never had a strong sense for her finances, nor was she really worried about the contents of her wallet. She did feel somewhat guilty since His Majesty the King was paying for her living expenses, but it wasn’t something she dwelled on too much.

“All right, then,” she answered. “Let’s go for the delicious one.”

On her long journey, her meals mainly consisted of bland, portable food like dried meat and wheat-based goods. She was really craving for something delicious.

Misty nodded in satisfaction and led Tyril to a large, six-storey building just a short walk from the dormitory and along the path. It was a sophisticated dining hall akin to an upscale restaurant fit for nobility, with an auditorium that could fit over a thousand people and a library stocked with academic books.

“Wow…” Tyril whispered. She let out an awed sigh.

The term “student cafeteria” had a certain ring to it. She imagined it to be similar to local diners back in Lily, at most a bit larger. But now, she found herself entranced by the luxurious air and the elegant yet tantalizingly appetizing aroma.

Pushed from behind, Tyril stepped into the establishment. In contrast with the building’s upscale appearance, she was taken aback by the unruly behavior of the students present, which didn’t match the atmosphere at all. Slouching at their tables were male students in white shirts and black pants and female students in black skirts. They were chatting loudly, laughing, eating their meals with a book open on the side, and spending their time as they pleased.

“It seems like the president of the school a few generations ago was quite the gourmet,” Misty explained. “They say he built this ‘upscale-style’ cafeteria as a sort of hobby. In the end, though, only students come to eat here, so the atmosphere isn’t actually what’s expected.”

With a loud and hearty laugh, Misty pushed Tyril forward to an unoccupied seat by the window. It was a relatively quiet corner with fewer people in this bustling cafeteria. But more importantly, Tyril was impressed by the view outside, seen through the small glass window in the stone wall.

The windows of the six-storey building solemnly reflected the city lights shining in the darkness of the night. That view, too, was different from what she was used to, both in the number of lights and their beauty. It wasn’t quite the view of the town of Lily from the mountain Tyril was familiar with.

But which was more beautiful was unimportant. If she had one complaint, it was that she could only glimpse this splendid view from such a small window.

A waitress soon arrived and took their orders. Despite the cute and frilly attire, her movements and demeanor didn’t seem all that refined. Once Tyril learned that she was a student working a part-time job for extra money, it made sense.

Their dishes were brought after a short wait. Tyril ordered a cream stew and bread; for Misty, flat wheat noodles with meat and tomato sauce, along with pea soup. The steam rising from both dishes carried a delicious aroma.

Tyril took a spoonful into her mouth. “Oh, it’s delicious!”

Misty keenly caught that remark. “Right? The gourmet president was behind these dishes, so it’s sure to be excellent—here—but prices are steep, so it’s something of a rare luxury. Only the really rich boys and girls come here every day.”

“It looks like there are quite a few people here, though.”

“Well, the undergraduate program alone has five or six hundred students. If you include the preparatory program, there are almost three thousand. At least a hundred people must come in a day one way or another, don’t you think?”

“Wow… Three thousand people…”

Once again, Tyril sighed at the sheer scale of it all.

The same number of people living in the town of Lily could be gathered within this academy. It was more than unbelievable; she couldn’t visualize it at all.

———————————————

MTL Note: Yes, I know it was said in P1 that Lily was like ~10k. Dunno what’s up with that number.

For more from the author, visit:

Narou: https://mypage.syosetu.com/1258514/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/inui_takafumi

—————

Last revisions: 20/08/23

Glossary:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_D4XF1ID8j7zti3pG-fqtcd0h0T9aZHK_CXsCrr5gwY/edit?usp=sharing

Revisions:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jS9QeSLaJfl6P_-Gl-zAY0dnKPep3or9fUl-HPukc9g/edit?usp=sharing