BLACK CAT CHAPTER 55: STUDENT CAFETERIA

　The school cafeteria in Ibouro is built in a position between the student dormitory and the school building.

　Incidentally, a dormitory for teachers and staff is built between the boys’ and girls’ dormitories, which physically blocks the traffic between men and women.

　Since only relatives of the village head, such as Miguel and Olivier, children from wealthy families, and children who excel academically are allowed to attend the school, they cannot afford to have any scandals occur.

　It would be easy for me to sneak into the girls’ dormitory if I could move through the air using [Step]… But I wouldn’t do it.

　As I was walking towards the cafeteria from the school building side, accompanied by Professor Lembolt, there was a group of boys walking from the direction of the student dormitory.

　I was looking at them, thinking that they all looked so cocky… And in the center of the group was Miguel.

“Hey, Nyango! What the heck are you doing in a place like this!” (Miguel)

　I was about to say something sarcastic, but Professor Lembolt spoke up before I could.

“Shut it, he is my guest. I won’t allow you to insult him.” (Lembolt)

“Eh… I’m sorry.” (Miguel)

“It’s fine if you understand. Now, go on…” (Lembolt)

“Yes, sir…” (Miguel)

　He probably didn’t expect to be reprimanded by the professor, Miguel made a slightly frightened expression, then turned a hateful gaze towards me, and then went to the cafeteria with his friends.

“Sorry, he is the grandson of the village chief of the same village…” (Nyango)

“Oh, I see. …But it’s us who should apologize. He belongs to the same academy as me, and Nyango is an outside adventurer.” (Lembolt)

“Is your level of discipline really strict?” (Nyango)

“In this country, there are different classes of people such as royalty and nobility, and students who belong to a school have many opportunities to come into contact with such people in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a firm relationship between teachers and students, and between school officials and guests, from the time they are in school.” (Lembolt)

　In a small village like Atsuka, the village chief is only vaguely considered to be a great person, but the larger the town, the stricter the rules regarding status become.

　In the Royal Capital, it is said that even a rude word to a nobleman can be a crime.

“In the future, I would like to visit the royal capital in the future, but I’m afraid I’ll be caught and thrown into jail immediately.” (Nyango)

“No, no, if you Nyango, you’ll be fine. I’ve been talking to you since a while ago, and I’m surprised that you use very polite words. For someone your age, it’s normal to speak more bluntly.” (Lembolt)

　As for my use of language, thanks to my memories from my previous life in Japan, where honorifics and polite language were used, children my age living in the village certainly do not have the ability to normally use such words.

　I may not have to worry about my language skills, but I am aware that I have become cocky with people I don’t like due to the power I have gained through void magic and staff art, so I will have to be careful.

　The cafeteria is a buffet-style restaurant, where you can choose what you want from a selection of prepared dishes and pay at the end of the meal.

　Students show their student ID cards and faculty members show their staff ID cards, and the cafeteria staff keeps a record of their purchases.

　I chose a salad with fresh vegetables, a cheese and ham sandwich, milk, and a white fish meuniere, which the cafeteria lady brought out after seeing Professor Lembolt’s face.

“Please leave my share with him.” (Lembolt)

“Thank you. I’m going to have a feast.” (Nyango)

　The teachers’ area was set up on a higher level, next to a window with a view of the garden.

　The table for the students was a wooden one with seating for eight, but the table for the teachers was a more spacious two-seater with leather upholstery.

“Oh, I’ll have to ask them to change the chairs.” (Lembolt)

“No, no, don’t worry about it. I can adjust it myself.” (Nyango)

　The normal adult-size chair and table are too high for me, a catkin, but I can adjust them as much as I want using void attribute magic.

　The void chair is a real air chair that can be adjusted for comfort as I desired.

“Hmm, looking at it like this, void magic is really useful, isn’t it?” (Lembolt)

“Yes, I think so too. I wonder why it is called an empty attribute.” (Nyango)

　While eating, Professor Lembolt listened with a twinkle in his eye as I introduced just a few of the things I have made with void attribute magic so far, including [Step], [Thumbing], [Shield], and full [Armor].

　The menu in the cafeteria was all delicious, as the school was attended by the children of the upper class.

“Yummeow! This fish is so yummeow!” (Nyango)

“Oh, that is Malur.” (Lembolt)

“Malur… It is the first time I hear of it.” (Nyango)

　According to Professor Lembolt’s explanation, Malur is a fish caught in a large pond about half a day west of Ibouro.

　He told me that they are as long as I am tall and that if you don’t put them in a fish tank with clean water after you catch them and let the mud drain out before eating them, they will have a horrible smell that will ruin their taste.

“This is a good fish with no odor. It’s a fish that you don’t catch very often, and it takes a lot of time to ship it after catching it, so it’s quite expensive.” (Lembolt)

“Oh no, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that, so I chose it casually.” (Nyango)

“No, no, it’s great that you’re happy.” (Lembolt)

　Malur meuniere melts when I put it in my mouth, and a buttery flavor, the aroma of its crispy grilled skin, and the umami of the fish are all mixed together, and I am totally enraptured.

　I would like to try it again, depending on the price.

　After I finished my meal, the waiter made me a cup of tea and took down my plate.

　This kind of service is only for the faculty and staff; the students seem to have to return the dishes themselves.

　Miguel was talking to his fellow students in a kind of pompous manner from where I was sitting, about four tables away from the student table.

　Every now and then, I felt glances from a group of female students sitting at a table diagonally across from me, and I could also see Olivier.

　Not only Miguel but the boys and girls sitting at the same table were throwing glances at my table.

　If they wanted to talk to me, they could have just gone and asked me… But I felt the same way in my previous life as a loner otaku.

　I wondered what Miguel and the others were talking about, so I set up an eavesdropping microphone with void magic and listened, apparently it was about subjugating the Bronze Wolf.

　Come to think of it, when I reported the subjugation with Laius and Jill, he was listening intently and silently until I reported that I had killed it.

“Then, does Miguel think it was right to change course and search even when an unexpected easterly wind blew?” (Student)

“Well, I think it was a difficult decision, but I am the grandson of the village chief, so I wanted to let them continue at any cost, but I couldn’t force the adventurers to do so.” (Miguel)

“Eh, Miguel, you didn’t order them to continue?” (Student)

“If they had been knights, I could have ordered them to continue, but adventurers are not employed by the village, so I couldn’t order them to continue. And in the case of a request to kill a dangerous monster like the Bronze Wolf, the request is for participation reward and a subjugation reward.” (Miguel)

“Heh, that’s right. As expected of Miguel, you know very well even difficult things.” (Student)

　What is it? It seems as if Miguel was participating in the request, doesn’t it?

　Well, it seems that the students of the academy are not allowed to go out of the school without an escort anyway, so Miguel’s lie will not be exposed.

　When I dispelled the eavesdropping microphone that was listening to Miguel and the others, Professor Lembolt also asked me about the Bronze Wolf’s subjugation.

“By the way, Nyango, what kind of magic did you use to kill Bronze Wolf?” (Lembolt)

“It’s [Flame Lance] a flame spear made by stacking fire magic circles and wind magic circles, five layers each, and squeezing the flames that blow out through a nozzle.” (Nyango)

“Stacking magic circles… Do you mean?” (Lembolt)

“Oh, that’s where it starts.” (Nyango)

　Normal magic tools are in the form of plates made by filling grooves carved into the shape of a magic circle with powdered material, so the plates get in the way when you try to increase output by stacking them on top of each other.

　On the other hand, the magic circles I make with void attribute magic are hollow except for the magic circles, so they can be stacked and used to increase the output.

“Wonderful! That’s it, that’s the new idea I was looking for!” (Lembolt)

　After explaining the meaning of stacking magic circles, Professor Lembolt stood up and raised his voice.

　His voice was so loud that it echoed throughout the cafeteria, so naturally, he attracted a lot of attention.

　Looking, Olivier, the Fluff Enthusiast noticed me.

“Please, Nyango. Show me the magic you used to kill the Bronze Wolf!” (Lembolt)

　Woah… This person screamed in high spirits.

　It was a hot topic in the guild, but even at the academy… Though it doesn’t seem like it.

　All eyes in the cafeteria are on us, and there seems to be some sort of struggle at the table where Miguel is.

　Olivier is holding her mouth with both hands and her body shaking slightly.

　Come to think of it, I hadn’t told Olivier about how I had put an end to the Bronze Wolf.

“It’s fine to show it, but it’s not safe indoors, so let’s go somewhere wide…” (Nyango)

“Then, let’s go out to the schoolyard. Ah, a spear of flames… I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of magic it is.” (Lembolt)

　Professor Lembolt urges me to go out to the schoolyard as soon as possible with a momentum that drags me along.

　Even so, that old man, Jill seemed to have talked quite a lot.