Chasing after Footprints

Hi Everyone,

Before we start Chapter Five, do you know that you can find out about my approximate age from Chapter Four?

Pickled herring in mustard sauce with orange and honey was available in stores only for a very limited time. I’m pretty sure it has long been discontinued.

After Abba (yes, it actually is a herring brand. Very Very Old herring brand) did away with it, I switched to their pickled herring in fresh cream with dill. And after they discontinued THAT too, I gave up and switched to the Polish brand Lisner for their pickled herring in fresh cream with cucumber.

Enough trivia about me, back to the story.

Hitomi

Chapter Five

Chasing After Footprints (Ato Oi)　後追い

After a delightful lunch, Kagami couldn’t wait to see the academy.

The dormitory was situated a short distance from the cafeteria. A brick-and-mortar building of four stories with ivy covering much of the southern wall, it emitted nostalgic charm of the old times.

(“Such a pity that students here don’t have roommates, otherwise I could add ‘becoming Arashi’s roommate’ to my list of goals.”) “Which floor is your room, please, Arashi Oneesama?”

“Top floor. The northeast corner.”

“May I find out where I’m assigned right now? What about uniforms? And learning supplies?”

“We will arrange your accommodation first. Basic clothes, learning supplies, as well as all other essentials will be provided. We don’t have a uniform, though. Once you become physically fit, you can apply to complete tasks on campus, and then you can take the pay, go to town, find a tailor, and either buy your own clothes or have some specially made for you.”

(“I really like uniforms; that’s why I wanted to join Aohiyama at first. What’s the point of isekai if I don’t get to enjoy stunning school uniforms?!”)

**********

Author’s Note

How does an academy financially operate?

An academy is basically, if I may call it that, an autistic person’s paradise. (I am autistic, by the way, with ADHD)

Faculty staff don’t get regular paychecks. Reasonable expenses are reimbursed by the academy, and faculty staff essentially exchange food and accommodation with teaching and research. Faculty staff and senior students can take outside consignments from individuals, towns, businesses or other entities.

Students who graduate from the academy certainly can leave and find a way of living in the outside world, which is why the ‘tech’ academies are vastly popular.

For Kageyama, however, chances of employment are lower. Alchemists and magicians need to make a name for themselves before the rich customers would come knocking on their doors, while those trained themselves in swordsmanship don’t ever go so low as to become bodyguards or watchmen.

A feudal society can only afford so many knights. So for Kageyama, a significant portion of students become service staff. They work in the academy cafeteria, store, garden, orchard, mechanical shop, et.c., or become sword makers, potion makers, bookbinders, amulet makers and such. The Kageyama Academy can deal with all the customer service, selling goods to the outside world to cover operating expenses.

Academies get their cash flow by selling goods and taking outside consignments, while the staff get to work on the things they like, getting food and accommodation in return.

An autistic person’s paradise.

That’s how academies operate. Vast estate, low expense.

Except Himeyama. That academy is different, very different. In a land of tiny city-states, the regular academies are more or less care-free independent organizations. Think 1720 Germany (or 220AD Japan) if it helps. Himeyama, however, is like Prussia. Foreshadowing...

Hitomi

**********

Arashi helped Kagami obtain all the necessities, and the two carried them into Kagami’s new home.

“Arashi Oneesama, please bring me to see my classrooms, if that’s acceptable.”

Arashi nodded and they went back to Phoenix Hall. Earlier in the day, the two of them, plus Akishi, ascended the grand stairs to visit the chancellor. This time, the two went to the side of the stairs, where a double door was located on either side of the grand stairs.

Arashi opened the one on the left.

“Both sides lead into the same lecture hall. This is just a habit. This lecture hall is for all introductory lessons in all three subjects. You will have all your current courses here.”

“What about your classrooms, Arashi Oneesama?”

“Do you see the doors at the end of the lecture hall, across from us? As well as the doors on both sides? They lead to the wings for each subject. Every morning, I will go through this lecture hall to attend advanced courses in the back wing, and Akishi will go to the side wing for her magic courses.”

“Does this mean I will only get to see Oneesama in passing every morning?” (“This is SAD. I get to be left behind and feel dumped every morning.”)

“That is the purpose. You get to see senior students go ahead of you, to their advancement. This will remind you not to sit in complacency, but to follow in our footsteps and catch up to us.”

“There will be more than just catching a glimpse of me every morning, Kagami. Every morning, a senior student will give a brief demonstration before the instructor arrives. You will get to see me every now and then.”

“Arashi Oneesama... This is a bit overwhelming for me. I am fortunate to have met Oneesama and Akishi Oneechan, but I am soon to be all alone again. I am not yet good at making friends, so may I interrupt you sometimes by asking to be with you for a few minutes, in order to ease my anxiety? Sorry to be a hindrance.”

“After dinner, as long as my light is on, you can knock on my door. I don’t usually have time earlier in the day.”

“I am truly grateful, Oneesama.”

“I suggest you take a walk around campus if you’d like. It’s a beautiful place. I will study now.”

“Thank you. I will. I will take my leave now, Oneesama.”

Arashi disappeared behind the door leading to the back wing, and Kagami went back to organize her room, before taking a walk prior to dinner.

As Kagami finished watching the sunset on top of the cliff to the west of the dormitory, she heard a voice calling out to her.

“Kagami-chan, enjoying the view?”

“Ah, Hi, Akishi Oneechan! Yes, Kageyama is a beautiful place.”

“Arashi showed you around?”

“Indeed. I am still nervous as everything is new to me. May I trouble Oneechan to tell me about things that I should know?”

“My pleasure. Let’s have dinner, and chat afterwards.”

**********

“What a delightful meal! Kagami, what do you want to know?”

“Anything about this world, really. But first I want to know what magic is like!”

“Magic is exciting. It makes me look forward to getting out of bed. Just like how holding a sword makes Arashi feel like she has meaning in her existence.

“Magic makes me feel that everything in this universe is a friend of mine. I can ask anything to lend me a helping hand, and know that the world is eagerly awaiting my call..

“Magic makes everything fun and interesting. Everything can be a fascinating toy for me to be immersed in childlike play.”

“Good enough for you? Kagami-chan?”

“That sounds enchanting and lovely, Oneechan. Would you please tell me how you were able to resonate with magic?”

“I was in class, and was looking at a spell on the board. It was one of those transporting spells. I was looking at it, and I felt it was also looking at me, and saying to me ‘let’s go see places, two of us, let’s go together, you and me’. It was not inviting everyone in the class, nor inviting some other student, but me. The spell was calling just me. Of all the people in the world, I meant something unique to magic, and magic is sending a personal invitation to me alone.

“I found my love, and my heart said ‘yes, let’s go’, and the spell on the board chimed in agreement. My instructor told me to go into the magic wing of the building the next morning, and congratulated me on the achievement.”

“That’s so romantic, Oneechan. Does everyone eventually find their own?”

“No. Less than half are able to find their own path. If a student still hasn’t found it by age 20, then working as service staff by becoming a trade apprentice is the usual outcome. Don’t be anxious. Magician or gardener, we all contribute to Kageyama, and Kageyama is the home to all of us.”

“Awww Oneechan, I feel so much better now. May I eat my meals with you if that’s acceptable?”

“Sure, Kagami! I enjoy having a little sister like you. Let’s have meals together from now on.”

**********

That concludes Chapter Five.

Thank you everyone!

[And thank you for enduring my autistic ‘info dumping’]

Hitomi