chapter 18: The gardener's sorrow
---
🔹 The Struggle of Finding My Class Begins
I sprinted west, leaving behind my embarrassing encounter with the janitor.
At this point, I had been humiliated so many times that I was starting to develop thick skin by force.
If this continued, I feared that one day I'd become immune to shame itself.
But first, I needed to find my class.
That was my priority.
So when I finally arrived at the West Campus, I felt a surge of relief.
Until I looked around.
And my heart sank.
Because every single building here was white.
No, seriously. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
Was there a white building sale when they built this place?!
DID THAT JANITOR SCAM ME?!
Wait. No.
This was my own stupidity.
I should have asked for more details.
I let out a long sigh.
Regret. So much regret.
Now, I had to ask someone else for directions.
I scanned my surroundings, hoping to find a passerby or another student.
But the only person nearby…
Was a gardener, trimming the bushes.
Alright. That would do.
---
The gardener was standing with his back turned, carefully shaping the hedge with precise movements.
I approached quietly, not wanting to startle him.
And then, with a polite gesture, I tapped his shoulder.
Big mistake.
The moment my hand touched him, he shuddered violently—
And his shears slipped.
A massive chunk of the bush was sliced clean off.
I watched in silent horror as a large portion of the once-beautiful hedge fell to the ground, completely detached.
The gardener turned around slowly, his eyes filled with unspeakable sorrow.
But he wasn't looking at me.
He was looking at the fallen piece of his precious bush.
The regret, the loss, the silent pain written on his face—
It was as if I had just slapped his entire family.
He clenched his fists.
And then, after a long pause—
He finally looked at me.
His eyes darkened.
His lips trembled.
And then—
"YOU!"
…Oh.
I messed up.
I messed up BAD.
But instead of apologizing like a normal person, my brain short-circuited.
So what did I do?
I picked up the fallen chunk of bush and placed it back onto the plant.
Like a child trying to fix a broken toy.
I took a step back.
I nodded in approval.
"See? Good as new!" I thought proudly.
For about two seconds.
Because then—
The gardener started walking toward me with heavy steps.
His large belly, thick beard, and thunderous expression made him look like an executioner coming to end my life.
My instincts screamed at me.
This was NOT a good situation.
I had seen this body language before.
It was the universal signal for 'I am about to beat your ass.'
And so—
I ran for my life.
---
As I sprinted, a single tear slipped down my cheek.
"There is no justice in this world," I whispered dramatically.
"I helped his bush, but—sigh."
The gardener was still chasing me.
I didn't dare look back.
Instead, I glanced at the water bottle in my hand.
An idea sparked in my mind.
Without breaking my stride, I uncapped the bottle and poured the remaining water onto the ground tiles.
A few seconds later—
THUD!
A loud crashing sound echoed behind me.
I winced.
The gardener had slipped and fallen.
For a moment, I actually felt bad.
But I also had no time to waste running laps around campus.
I prayed silently that he wasn't injured.
And also that he wouldn't sue me.
By the time I hid behind a nearby building, I was completely out of breath.
I leaned against the wall, panting hard.
And then—
🔹 [System Notification]
🔹 [Mission: Run 5 km – Completed.]
Oh?
Nice! That wasn't a complete waste of time.
🔹 [You are now a more vigorous chicken, congratulations 🎊]
🔹 [Stamina +5]
🔹 [Agility +4]
…I was too tired to be angry at the system's chicken insults.
---
I sighed and rubbed my face.
At least I got some free stats out of that mess.
…Wait.
My eyes landed on a signboard nearby.
[Final Year Faculty]
I FROZE.
I wasn't unlucky after all.
I chuckled like a scheming villain.
Finally, something was going right.
…But I better not laugh too loud.
If anyone heard me, my reputation might take another hit.
---
🔹 Exploring the Final Year Faculty
I walked inside.
The place was grand—huge halls, sleek architecture, and a modern layout with a U shaped structure.
In the center, there was a massive training ground.
On the sides, there were glass walls—people could see outside, but not inside.
I kept walking, observing the place.
The education system in the empire was strict.
Junior Academy: Mostly theory-based, because almost everyone had magic.
Senior Academy: Students chose their specialization—Mage or Warrior.
Even in the Warrior Department, those who could use magic were valued more.
Since magic ruled society, non-magic users were often considered ordinary.
Senior Academy students could further specialize into different sub-departments:
Mages: Battle Mages, Support Mages, Tactical Mages, and more.
Warriors: Magic Warriors, Pure Combat Warriors, and various combat styles.
I knew all of this because I studied hard in my previous school.
I was especially grateful to the librarian there.
Unlike my teachers, who focused on the average students, the librarian noticed my efforts.
She often lent me extra books, helped me with studies, and even gave me advice.
She was like a sister figure to me.
I sighed.
Life in the countryside was simple, but at least there were people who genuinely cared.
Lost in thought, I didn't notice the person approaching me from behind.
Until—
"Hey, student!"
I flinched.
Slowly, I turned around.
"Huh?"