Storm Wolf: Tranquil waters - 41. Chapter 9 - Academy 9.4

I waved to Kotetsu senpai, and he responded with the same gesture to welcome us. I noticed a border collie standing beside him, his black fur concentrated around the eyes and ears, forming a white streak down the middle of its forehead.

"Hemp England," he introduced himself first, pressing his palm to his chest in the manner of nobility but without lowering his head. "Just call me Hemp."

"Richter," I responded in the same manner, lowering my ears and gaze. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a slight twitch of his ears, but the border collie showed no further reaction.

When I resumed my usual posture, I found my roommate looking at me with a rather curious expression.

"Is something the matter?" Hemp senpai also noticed and tilted his head in inquiry.

"No..." My roommate glanced between me and Hemp senpai. "I just thought... it would be the other way around." He gestured back and forth between us with his finger.

In response to my roommate's comment, the border collie tilted his head the other way, raising an eyebrow. Before I could say anything, Kotetsu senpai cleared his throat and spoke up first.

"The Empire's hierarchy doesn't work that way, and besides, those things don't matter at the Academy." Kotetsu senpai waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Besides, I believe Richter is simply trying to act 'polite.'" He emphasized the word. "And I'm Kotetsu--oh, and yes, I'm an Altai wapiti."

I noticed my roommate stiffen awkwardly, clearly feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Richter, aren't you going to introduce your..." Kotetsu senpai glanced at me before shifting his gaze back to the deer beside me.

"My roommate!" I answered happily, my tail wagging back and forth. But then I realized something--he hadn't told me his name or anything like that. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I tilted my head and scratched my ear awkwardly.

"Oh, I see." Kotetsu senpai said dryly, still looking at my roommate. "Aren't you going to enlighten us?" He lowered his head slightly as he spoke.

Ah, now I understand why for large cervids, this might be seen as a challenge. With the sharp tips of those antlers pointed at you, it felt like they could skewer you full of holes at any moment if they wanted to.

"Haruta Tadao." My roommate straightened up immediately, speaking in a slightly tense tone. I wasn't sure if I imagined it, but I thought I saw the short fur on his neck stand on end. "Nice to meet you."

"Isn't that much better?" Kotetsu senpai smiled and returned to his upright stance. "Shall we go?"

As we walked toward the cafeteria, I mostly focused on the people passing by. After all, there was no way I could recognize these featureless corridors--seriously, why were they designed this way?

Some kind of polished light brown stone with patterns made up almost the entire structure of the Academy. Light sources were spaced evenly at the top, ensuring that everything was well lit. Based on the density of the automatic sliding doors, I could roughly gauge the size of the lecture halls--huge.

Every now and then, someone would stop and let us pass. Most of the time, it was herbivores, though there were also some carnivores. Kotetsu senpai would casually wave in response, showing no particular reaction. I glanced at the Altai wapiti, who was quietly conversing with Hemp senpai, not paying much attention to our surroundings.

So, was he some kind of famous, charismatic leader, like Piqsirpoq? Upon closer inspection, I noticed that most of the cadet greeting Kotetsu senpai were wearing some kind of pendant, similar in size and shape. Was it a faction symbol?

Speaking of factions, there were indeed quite a few gray wolves around, though to my relief, they made up only about twenty percent. No one seemed particularly interested in me. If anything, there were more large cervids with enormous antlers walking around. Was that because they were the dominant species of the Federation, or were they like the gray wolves, chosen for important roles due to a higher proportion of psychics?

As I passed by a female wolf, I subconsciously glanced back at her, perking up one of my ears. I was immediately met with a less-than-friendly glare, so I quickly turned my head back.

"Don't be too embarrassed." Hemp senpai somehow noticed and laughed, casting a teasing glance at my way. "All the freshmen male Senate wolves are like that, young ones, you know." He winked at me, making the tips of my ears flush with heat. I wanted to retort but couldn't find the words.

At the very least, I was certain Hemp senpai understood the significance of having no faction name, though he likely didn't know what had actually happened, let alone the reasons behind it. So, I'd just have to avoid the Senate wolves as much as possible. If even the pedigree of the nine Archducal Houses acted like this, interacting with other canines probably wouldn't be too difficult.

"Leafshade still jumps and fluffs up his fur," Kotetsu senpai chuckled. "When he finally notices what's happening around him, of course."

The border collie and the Altai wapiti exchanged a knowing glance, sharing a joke that only they understood.

However, not all the gazes directed our way were friendly. I was quite familiar with how to recognize hostile stares. Yet, Kotetsu senpai seemed unfazed, even greeting some of those people as we passed.

It seemed like understanding the Academy's political workings would take a lot of effort.

I took a little more time before I realized that, at times, the gazes from all those different colored and styled eyes were filled with curiosity about me.

Being the center of attention wasn't entirely foreign to me. That uncomfortable feeling of awkwardness had troubled me no matter how much time passed. But this was the first time that the majority of the gazes were curious rather than critical--some even seemed admiring. It was something I wasn't used to at all.

"It seems our newly promoted Alpha-class wolf has become quite a celebrity," Kotetsu senpai said, glancing back at me.

"Word has already spread," Hemp senpai chimed in, turning to look at me as well. "And you didn't even go into red-eye mode, did you?" He shuddered before continuing. "Just the thought of it is terrifying."

"He was personally trained by the Winter of Europa," Kotetsu senpai remarked, and I could hear Hemp senpai whistle in response.

"Why don't we just go ahead and give this wolf a complete adamantine weapon?" The border collie muttered with a wry smile. "Good thing freshmen can't challenge the Tower."

Kotetsu senpai laughed as well, but the laughter abruptly ceased, and his body stiffened slightly.

"Richter..." He turned to look at me. "...Your sword isn't a complete adamantine weapon, is it?"

"That's your private matter. You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Hemp senpai quickly added, tilting his head and casting a brief glance at the Altai wapiti.

"Oh, it is!" I figured dragging out an answer would only make things more awkward, so I responded with the most positive tone I could muster. "Gray Snow is a complete adamantine weapon. Qana forged it for me."

Both seniors stopped in their tracks at the same time. Tadao couldn't stop in time and bumped into Hemp senpai, though the border collie didn't budge an inch. He was probably a lot stronger than he looked.

"You're not secretly Qana's son, are you?" Hemp senpai asked, and I suspected there was a hint of envy in his tone.

"Biologically impossible," I muttered, lowering my gaze and scratching my ear, feeling rather conflicted.

"Who was the other forger?" Kotetsu senpai asked, clearly less interested in gossip. This time, Hemp senpai shot him a surprised look, raising one eyebrow. But the border collie quickly returned to his usual expression, as if nothing had happened.

Should I remember this little episode?

"Qana, I think," I answered truthfully. "He didn't really explain it to me in much detail."

"A complete adamantine weapon can't be forged by just one person. It requires at least two participants," Kotetsu senpai said slowly, sizing me up. "And in this case, both parties would have to be exceptionally powerful to complete the forging with only two people." His pupils contracted slightly, and those dark brown eyes seemed bottomless.

"Oh, I wouldn't know about that," I recalled all the conversations we'd had, but Qana had never clearly mentioned anything about the identity of the forger. "Ah!" An alternative suddenly came to mind, and I looked at the deer, who seemed a bit lost in the conversation. "But Tadao should know! He can touch the ripples in the time dimension, and he just touched Gray Snow!"

Kotetsu senpai gave Tadao a meaningful look, as if he was noticing him for the first time.

"A 'True Seer,' huh? It's been a while," Hemp senpai muttered, gesturing for us to keep moving, lest the cafeteria close on us. "Don't you think the freshmen are getting more and more outrageous?"

"I've heard that the closer we get to the final reckoning, the more singularities are likely to appear," Kotetsu senpai replied quietly, waving to two gazelles approaching from the opposite direction. They returned the gesture in kind. "But you really dared to touch a complete adamantine weapon with the owner. That's quite... bold."

"That's stupid," Hemp senpai snorted in frustration, casting a sideways glance at Tadao. "And extremely lucky."

"I..." Tadao glanced at me briefly but quickly turned his head back. "I didn't know what it was at the time."

"Was it the Gamma Holography Room?" Hemp senpai asked.

"Beta," Kotetsu senpai replied before shuddering violently. "Even just passing through the hallway makes me nauseous now."

"That happened during our first-year finals at the Academy..." Hemp senpai murmured, rubbing his cheek awkwardly. "No one knows exactly what happened, but it's been speculated that a group of senior cadets got overly excited after successfully forging a complete adamantine weapon. They let their guard down at the celebration party and allowed someone who wasn't the forger or the owner to touch the weapon."

"The Masters had always warned about the dangers of such things, but it's said this happens once every three years on average," Kotetsu senpai continued, shrugging. "Whatever the reason for the contact, the final outcome was that all thirteen cadets in the room... exploded, including the weapon's owner and the weapon itself."

"They say they had to use scrapers to get what was left off the walls. And what they managed to collect didn't even fill a single sock," Hemp senpai sighed, brushing his hair aside to let his ears stand upright. "We're pretty sure the Academy covered up a lot of details. At that time, all the Beta-level cadets were called in to assist with the... aftermath." He hesitated, choosing a more neutral word.

"The traces left at the scene were definitely the result of a battle involving psychic abilities, but the Academy just called it a 'terrible accident' and left it at that," Kotetsu senpai sighed as well, patting Hemp senpai on the back. "After all, the most valuable thing in Academy is knowledge. No one's going to give it to you for free."

I could tell that the imagery must have been truly disturbing to have had such an impact on both seniors. And now, I understood they were both Beta-level psychics. Speaking of which, I still didn't know what their relationship was. Were they roommates, or was it something else? Would it be rude to ask directly, or would making assumptions be even ruder?

"Was it Master Dawn who handled the situation?" Hemp senpai asked. The name caught my attention, pulling me out of my hesitant thoughts--this was a Gray name.

"I heard she rushed into the room immediately and took emergency measures, which prevented the situation from escalating," Kotetsu senpai added. "But we only know that Master Dawn was severely injured as a result. Ever since that accident, she rarely leaves her lab."

"The Academy and Master Dawn have remained tight-lipped about what exactly happened, only fueling even wilder rumors. But anyone who's seen the aftermath wouldn't have any curiosity left about what actually happened," Hemp senpai shook his head and continued. "So, you're just very lucky."

I glanced at Tadao, who seemed a little uneasy. I considered opening my mind to sense his emotions, but I wasn't sure if it was wise to do so with all these psychics around.

"Did you see the forgers?" Kotetsu senpai asked. Once again, Hemp senpai gave him that look. This time, I noticed the border collie's ears slightly lowering, aimed at the Altai wapiti.

"What are forgers?" Tadao asked, his gaze somewhat unfocused. From the corner of my eye, I saw him steal a quick glance at me.

"Complete Adamantine weapons require more than just Domination to hold their form. The forgers must also inject and stabilize enough consciousness to create a complete adamantine weapon. In concept, it's like embedding a part of their soul into it," Kotetsu senpai explained. "Because this process requires recognition from the Existence Circle, forgers must come into contact with the weapon itself when creating a complete adamantine weapon."

Qana never explained this part to me. So, does that mean a part of the sword master's self is stored within Gray Snow? What does it feel like to have part of oneself torn away...?

I unconsciously clenched my fists, feeling the pressure of my nails against my palms. This gift might be much more valuable than I had thought.

"So aside from the forger and the owner, no one else can touch a complete adamantine weapon?" Tadao asked.

"Maybe I should put it this way: you can only touch it once." Kotetsu senpai spread his hands. "I've heard that the mildest rejection just pushes you away, so it's not as dramatic as it sounds. But that doesn't mean you should take the risk--no one knows if the first touch will have the same effect as subsequent ones." He turned to look at Tadao. "What was your experience?"

"Uh..." Tadao looked a bit embarrassed, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "I'd say it was like... time had stopped."

Hemp senpai and Kotetsu senpai exchanged a glance. The corder collie simply shrugged and shook his head slightly.

"And what about the forger?" Kotetsu senpai asked again. By now, even I could tell he was oddly fixated on this question.

"There was only a big, muscular white wolf that looked like he could punch through steel," Tadao said, his expression one of intense recollection. "No one else touched Gray Snow."

"That's Qana!" I confirmed to them, but after saying it, I noticed Tadao's description of Qana. Well, it wasn't too far off, I guess?

"No one else?" Kotetsu senpai raised an eyebrow, seeking confirmation.

"Yeah." Tadao thought for a moment and then added, "Maybe it's because I can't access the full memory, but other than that wolf, no one else has wielded Gray Snow."

"Could it be that Qana found a way for adamantine weapons to be completed by a single forger?" Kotetsu senpai looked at the border collie as he asked.

"According to Master Tartarus' lectures, that's impossible. A complete adamantine weapon requires the connection between multiple forgers to inject a sufficient amount of consciousness," Hemp senpai shook his head. "Besides, I don't think there's any reason for one Senate member to hide such a major breakthrough from another." The border collie tilted his head, deciding to add further. "This kind of approach doesn't align with what we know about Winter of Europa, either."

"Alright." Kotetsu senpai let out a long breath, finally giving up. "It's a shame you couldn't see the entire memory, though, after taking the risk of touching a complete adamantine weapon."

"Yeah, it really is," Tadao chuckled dryly.

"One of the important rules for surviving at the academy until your deployment is: don't go touching mysterious, cool-looking objects without knowing what they are," Hemp senpai said, elbowing the Altai wapiti in the side. "Am I right?"

Kotetsu senpai clicked his tongue and slapped the border collie's hand away.

"I thought we agreed you'd never bring that up again, as long as I didn't tell anyone about how your butt--" the Altai wapiti crossed his arms, his tone full of grumbling malice, but he was quickly cut off by the border collie.

"Ahaha, yeah, I totally forgot!" Hemp senpai waved his hands frantically, clearly flustered. "You guys didn't hear anything!" He turned to glare at me and Tadao in turn.

I repeatedly assured Hemp senpai that I hadn't paid any attention to the conversation, smiling sheepishly as I scratched my ear.

As we continued down the corridor, with its unchanging repetitive design, I noticed that Tadao's body language had grown more awkward, and he didn't participate in the conversation anymore.

When our eyes met, his brown eyes blinked slowly before looking away.

I tried engaging him with questions related to the Federation or herbivores, but Tadao only gave very brief responses. In contrast, Kotetsu senpai seemed more willing to answer my questions. I soon stopped pressing Tadao and focused on talking with the senpais instead. After all, we were going to live together for six years--there was plenty of time ahead, no need to rush. Coming on too strong might not be welcomed by herbivores, I figured.

Hemp senpai must have said something amusing, causing Kotetsu senpai to laugh. Maybe influenced by the subtle shift in atmosphere, I found myself smiling as well.

Perhaps this is what socializing means?

I continued to explore this new, unfamiliar territory, decoding bits of Academy information hidden within what seemed like casual, everyday conversations.