[V7C9] The Apprentices’ Feast (Part 1)
Translated by Jodas 7: To the NorthWhen Tia first came to the Wedge Tower, it was rare for all of the Apprentices to gather together at the same table during meal time. At most, they would sit together with their roommates and classmates on generally the same side of the room.
However, since they started planning for their magic battle against the Extermination Office, they ended up arriving at the dining hall at more or less the same time and sitting together at one table with their fellow Apprentices.
That way, it was easier for them to share information and progress reports on their preparations for the magic battle.
Even after the magic battle concluded, they kept up that habit. It became normal for the Apprentices to have their meals at the same table.
(But, Gerald isn’t here today…?)
As Tia took her seat, she curiously chirped “Pyofu?” and looked around the dining hall.
It wasn’t weird for someone to be missing during meal time, but it was a little weird for that someone to be Gerald.
The long-banged and athletic boy, Gerald Anker, was secretly a voracious eater.
As a Harpy, a flying species, Tia was generally a light eater. She could not eat for three days and still be able to move around as normal.
In her human body, Tia got hungry more often than she did when she was a Harpy, but even then, Tia’s appetite was way lower than the average human. Ella and Sophie often confronted her about this, saying “Tia, have you been eating enough?” or “Are you on a diet~? Tia, it’s fine to gain a little bit of weight, you knoooww~?”
Then, her exact opposite was Gerald Anker.
(Gerald doesn’t stuff his mouth when he eats, but he just keeps on eating.)
At the Wedge Tower, meals were typically served on large trays in the middle of the table, from which each person would take what they wanted onto their own plate to eat.
It seemed like Gerald felt bad about eating one of those trays entirely by himself.
So he would hang out all the way until just before the end of the meal period, at which point, if there was anything left on the trays, he would collect and eat it all. He was a voracious eater, but he was courteous.
Tia found it weird that he would not be here.
‘I wonder what happened to him…’ Tia wondered as she silently nibbled on a piece of bread when Sevil suddenly spoke to her.
“Tia, do you think you can learn choral magic?”
“Piyopp! It was so, so much fun! Singing along with a piano feels so good!”
Singing alongside an instrument was a reasonably novel and stimulating experience for a Harpy. She could easily see herself getting addicted.
If a Harpy felt so inclined, they could replicate the sounds of instruments by utilizing their lips, mouth, and tongue. It would be easy for her to replicate the sound of a flute or percussion instrument.
However, some instruments were much more difficult to imitate. Pianos and high-pitched string instruments, for instance.
But now she was able to make music with an instrument that a Harpy’s throat could not replicate! The luxury of that time was unrivaled — Stepping in for Tia, who only talked about the wonderful feeling of the music, Roswitha added some needed detail.
“That strict Spiremaster Alto even complimented Tia on her unusually fast learning speed. By the end, she was even able to empower my magecraft.”
“Yep, Roswitha’s voice is easy to harmonize with!”
Since choral magic worked a lot like a normal chorus, Tia felt like it was easiest to harmonize with a person of similar age and gender to her.
Especially because, as a Harpy, Tia was accustomed to singing along with her fellow Harpies — singing with the voices of young girls.
Therefore, Tia’s singing meshed well with Roswitha.
Tia set the bread back down on her plate and fidgeted with her fingers as she muttered.
“Um… I think it’s easier to do it… if it’s with a classical mage who’s good at chanting and who is a girl my age…”
“Could you not do it with Modern Magecraft like my magic sword?”
In response to Sevil’s question, Tia groaned “Pefu, pefu” as she replied.
“Modern Magecraft… I don’t think it won’t work, but… It might not have a big effect… Pirororo… How do I say it…”
Tia gathered up what little knowledge she had in her brain and tried to explain.
“Classical Magecraft incantations sound like songs and poems, you know? But Modern Magecraft incantations sound like you’re reading out rules or math formulas… They don’t really sound song-like at all…”
Roswitha flatly added context to Tia’s explanation.
“In Modern Magecraft, things like pronunciation and stress don’t matter all that much. But in Classical Magecraft incantations, pronunciation is super important. That’s why it has such good affinity with choral magic.”
At that point, a new tray was laid on the table. Piled on top were a mountain of juicy meatballs.
Sevil, ever the meat-lover, wasted no time piling them onto her own plate. She moved faster than anyone else could react. Faster even than the cook who brought the tray could say “…Um, go ahead.”
“Pyofu!?”
Tia’s eyes widened at the cook’s voice.
The cook who brought them that tray was none other than the Apprentices’ number one eater Gerald Anker in an apron.
Rose, in the midst of pigging out on all the vegetables that garnished the tray, waved a hand when he noticed Gerald’s presence.
“Hey, Gerald! Have you started helping out in the kitchen?”
“Yes. I’m still only helping out, though…”
Upon hearing the exchange between Rose and Gerald, Wren’s hand froze halfway to the meatballs and his eyes opened wide.
“Eh– What– Gerald, you’re helping out in the kitchen?”
“I was thinking about what I like to do, and I realized I like to eat, so…”
Gerald owned a sword and had outstanding physical capabilities compared to the other Apprentices. In terms of pure strength, he exceeded even Sevil.
However, it seemed like he did not like to fight. The truth was, Tia had never seen Gerald holding his sword even once.
(I did see him helping out with rose’s gardening, though…)
Both growing vegetables and learning cooking connected to the core interest of ‘eating.’
That was probably the connecting thread between all the things Gerald wanted to try. He really was a voracious eater.
As Gerald collected the empty trays, he spoke to Rose.
“Hey Rose, as I was helping out in the kitchen I had an idea, but…”
“Oh, what is it?”
“I know mana-imbued plants aren’t suitable for eating, but… In the same way we wash off the vegetables before we prepare them, could you not extract the mana after you harvest them?”
Rose’s fork dropped out of his hand.
Oliver, seated next to him, picked the dropped fork up off of the table and returned it to it’s proper position.
Without even saying thanks to Oliver, Rose’s mouth hung wide open under his fuzzy beard and his whole body trembled.
“…I didn’t even think of that… In the first place, the laws are different between my home country and the Empire, so imbuing mana comes with different restrictions, but… Waaahh, why didn’t I think of that, I’m so stupid…! Oh, right! As long as I deal with the legal problem, then I could just take the mana out afterwards… I see…!”
Rose had been doing research to see if imbuing mana into plants could help make plants that grew better in barren land.
However, by imbuing mana into plants, there was a chance whoever ate them could suffer from mana poisoning.
If, as Gerald suggested, he could just take the mana out afterwards, then his options would expand dramatically.
“Thank you, Gerald! I’m gonna do some research so we can wash all the mana out of a mana-covered plant and make it tasty to eat!”
“…Let me help, too.”
“I’d appreciate it! We’re solving the food problem with farming and cooking! …Wow, now I’m getting excited!”
Now in high spirits, Rose reached to take some of the meatballs off the tray.
Gerald abashedly spoke up.
“I… helped make those meatballs. How are they?”
“They’re delicious!”
Rose stuffed his cheeks full with the meatballs as he complimented Gerald.
Beside Tia, Sevil, who had already swallowed five of them, interjected.
“The packing of the meat is insufficient. The spices aren’t evenly distributed. It appears that the heat reached the center, but some of them seem burnt on the outside, you see? I cannot give you full marks.”
“I see, thanks for letting me know.”
“Indeed. Should you manage to satisfy my tongue, I shall give you my recommendation to any workplace you wish. I can be your taste-tester, if you so desire.”
Without missing a beat, Wren shouted.
“Hold on, a princess can’t be a taste tester, you know!? Aren’t you supposed to be the one having someone else test your food for poison!?”
It was a lively meal.
That was Tia’s thought as she quietly nibbled on her bread.
Even after the magic battle against the Extermination Office concluded, everyone was trying new things.
(How do I describe this feeling… Hm… Ah, right. I’ll try my best, too!)