If this were a novel, now would be the time to announce the official start of the academy story by attending a lecture. The chapter title would probably have been changed to something related to that. But I was currently in the Campus Cafeteria rather than a lecture room. 'I should have eaten something at the party yesterday...' With Tryggdrik doing things that made me lose my appetite right next to me, I hadn't been in the mood to eat anything. For that reason, since I had eaten bread around noon yesterday, only water and coffee had passed my throat. Since I had eaten so poorly, I couldn't help but feel hungry, even though I'm not someone with a big appetite. It was a good thing the Campus Cafeteria opened early in the morning. If it hadn't, I would have had to attend the morning lecture with an empty stomach. Considering it's a class where you do body training for four hours straight, the expression 'Almost Dying, Barely Surviving' wouldn't be an exaggeration.
'Since the lecture I have to take right away is like that, my body won't be able to handle it if I don't eat a proper meal, right?'
I wondered what to eat and scanned the food menu covering one wall of the Campus Cafeteria. They said you could choose from foods all over the world, and indeed, it was full of food names I had never seen or heard before. So, as I marveled and clicked my tongue, a food name that seemed out of place on this menu caught my eye.
'Tom Yum Goong...? Isn't that Thai food?'
No matter how much it's a fictional world where historical accuracy isn't required—even if it's 'pseudo'-medieval—what is Southeast Asian food doing on the menu of a fantasy academy cafeteria with an old European feel? To translate this into a martial arts novel, it would be like an Artichoke Quesadilla appearing as a Shaolin Temple meal.
'Could it be that "the whole world" doesn't mean all the countries in this novel's world, but all the countries from the world I used to live in... meaning the world the original author lives in?!'
Author Senna probably didn't set it up that way on purpose. It probably ended up this way because he didn't have detailed settings in mind. Just like how the people here came to use the Korean Language and Korean Alphabet.
'It's a little... no, quite bewildering, but I guess it's good for me? I was getting tired of the food here anyway.'
I gave up on carefully examining the menu characters and quickly scanned over it. And I finally found it: the Korean food menu. There were even a considerable number of options, and among them, the one I chose was...
"I'll order. The menu is... hmm... Today's Baekban (Korean Table d'hote)..."
Even as I spoke, I wondered if this was appropriate. This isn't some roadside diner for truck drivers, so I don't know why they would have a menu like that. Even while holding the number tag the staff gave me and waiting for my food, I was plagued by bewilderment.
"This... it's actually here...?"
When I received the tray, generously filled with white rice, Bean Sprout Soup, Beef Bulgogi, Radish Kimchi, and various Namul (Seasoned Vegetables) side dishes, the words slipped out of my mouth without me realizing. Even though I was looking at such familiar and realistic food, given the novel's background, it felt so surreal.
I placed the tray on an empty table, sat down, and picked up my chopsticks. Only then did I realize I had been given chopsticks instead of a fork, and I was ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ startled.
'I wonder if there are places that sell Korean food outside the academy? Or is this food only available here?'
When I discovered my novel at the library, I had thought that it might somehow be related to my coming to this world. But now I'm not so sure, and I'm starting to get confused. The thought came to me that it might just be 'there' in this world, literally, without any connection or reason.
'...Let's not jump to conclusions without any evidence.'
Hasty judgment is forbidden. I engraved that thought in my head and brought the Korean food to my mouth for the first time in over two months. It tasted so welcoming and familiar. Maybe because it's been a while since I've tasted the food of my hometown. They say 'Even Geumgang Mountain should be viewed after eating,'[N1] so I thought it might be okay to put off my complicated thoughts for later.
"Go-good morning."
Just when I was thinking whether I'd had such a satisfying meal recently, a spoiler appeared. They spoke with a distinctive speech pattern that made it easy to know who it was without even looking up at their face.
"...Hmm."
According to my analysis, Karvaldr is not the type of character who would say "good morning." So I just picked up some Braised Soybeans with my chopsticks, put them in my mouth, chewed, and gave a slight nod.
Ríolíkin took my attitude as a matter of course and sat in the seat across from me. The tray he was holding rudely invaded my field of vision. Pulled Pork Club Sandwich, Buffalo Sticks, Wedge Potatoes, Frankfurter Sausage, and Macaroni Salad. It was too greasy for breakfast, the portion was too large, and it didn't look very nutritious.
'But it's none of my business.'
I shut it out and focused on my meal for a few minutes.
Unable to bear the silence and awkwardness, Ríolíkin cautiously started a conversation.
"Th-that, but, what a-are you eating, Lord Karvaldr...?"
As expected, it seemed this was the only place where you could eat Korean food, judging by his question. Since he gave me information, it's only right that I provide him with corresponding information in return. But explaining the soup and side dishes one by one would be too kind an act for Karvaldr. So as a compromise, I decided to tell him just the menu name.
"Today's Baekban[N2]."
"I-I didn't know th-that's what that food was. I always e-eat the same thing..."
Is Ríolíkin not interested in trying different foods? Or, being a novel character, does he instinctively only eat food that fits the worldview? Curiosity arose for a moment, but this wasn't a topic I could ask about. Ríolíkin wouldn't know the answer either.
'If I just observe what other students eat while using the campus cafeteria from now on, I'll naturally find out the answer.'
I came to that conclusion and silently moved my chopsticks.
After the conversation died down and about a minute passed, Ríolíkin spoke to me again.
"Th-the tool you're holding no-now also looks ve-very interesting. Do they gi-give you that instead of a fo-fork if you order that menu?"
"......"
"Ah! And, come to think of it. Lo-Lord Karvaldr, wha-what lecture are you go-going to after you finish your me-meal...? F-for your information, I-I'm taking a lecture called 'Basic Physical Training'."
I simply ignored the talk about chopsticks, but what followed was something I couldn't ignore. Because the 'class where you just do body training for four hours' I mentioned earlier was a lecture called Basic Physical Training. No matter how I looked at it, Ríolíkin's brawny body seemed to have long since graduated from the basic stage. So I didn't know why he would want to take that lecture.
"Don't you not need to take that lecture? It looks like you've done enough basics already."
"Th-thank you for the compliment...! But, uh, the ba-basics are the foundation, and there's no e-end to body training..."
Hearing his answer, it seemed impossible to persuade him to take a different lecture with just a few words. If I threatened him, he'd probably listen, but although I was acting out the possessed body's speech and personality, I didn't want to become a real jerk like him. So I had no choice but to accept the reality that I had to take the same lecture as Ríolíkin.
"I also signed up for that lecture."
"Wha-what?! Y-you, Lord Karvaldr...?!"
"Why are you so surprised?"
"Y-you didn't like getting s-sweaty and all th-that, did you? You said it wasn't ve-very refined..."
"That's why I signed up for it. I haven't done any body training at all until now, so my stamina is in a terrible state. Isn't it better to be seen sweating while training than to be seen sweating from exhaustion in daily life?"
Actually, I had been debating. I could probably do body training on my own in my personal time, so was it really necessary to use a lecture for it? But the conflict didn't last long. The moment I picked up a pen to create my own training plan, I realized something. The only exercises I knew how to do on my own were running, squats, and burpees. Perhaps because I'm still a first-year, there weren't many useful combat-related lectures available to me. If that's the case, then it's more beneficial to learn professional training methods through the basic physical training lecture now. Then from next year, I can focus on self-directed training during my personal time.
"Y-you look tired today too... If you're wo-worried about your lack of s-stamina, isn't it b-because of lack of sleep, not l-lack of exercise?"
"It could also be that I can't sleep because I don't get enough exercise."
"Ah, aaah...!! Y-you're probably right."
"......"
I've been managing the conversation somehow, but I have no intention of getting close to Ríolíkin. Therefore, I have nothing more to discuss with him either. Now that the conversation has faded and I'm getting full, it seems like a good time to leave.
"W-we're going to the same le-lecture anyway, c-couldn't you wait for m-me...?"
"......"
I just stood there and looked down at Ríolíkin. I was debating whether to explain that I wasn't going straight to the lecture room but stopping by my room first, or if I should just snap at him and ask why I should wait. Considering the possessed body's personality, the latter was definitely the right choice.
'But he's asking so meekly with such a pitiful expression, it's a bit hard to be mean... It makes me feel like I'm the bad guy.'
I think it's even more so because I saw him being harassed by Tryggdrik yesterday. But Ríolíkin is also in cahoots with the bullies, so they're all cut from the same cloth. He got on my nerves in a different way than Tryggdrik, and I scowled without realizing it the moment a wrinkle formed on my forehead.
"I-I'm sorry. I, uh, said something out of line... I-I'll see you in the lecture room later."
Ríolíkin quickly made an 'oops' expression and apologized. He also immediately withdrew his request for me to wait.
'Asking someone to wait until you finish your meal isn't exactly something you could call out of line...'
But if I said this out loud, Karvaldr's character traits would crumble. And I don't want to give the character in front of me any hope that he can get close to me. So I just picked up my tray and left without saying anything.
