Dinner

Similar to Charlotte was Rainer.

Still asleep, he vaguely sensed something that hadn't loosened in a long time beginning to flow. An inexplicable power passed through his body.

Rainer felt as though he had arrived above a lake. The lake had never seemed particularly large, and years of drought had reduced it to nothing more than a small puddle.

In magical terminology, this was called the Heart Lake. The amount of water it contained represented a mage's reserves of magical power.

Rainer naturally couldn't think of any of that at the moment. All he saw were dark clouds gathering overhead, followed by a raging storm.

The wind howled as torrential rain poured into the lake, gradually building up a current. In a short time, the lakebed that had been on the verge of drying up was flooded by an unceasing torrent. The massive waves roared and bellowed, as though seeking somewhere to vent their fury.

Just as lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and the surging lake waters were about to swallow Rainer, he woke up.

Everything he had just seen felt so real that sweat broke out across Rainer's back, utterly at odds with the slightly chilly spring day.

"The closer a mage's understanding of the world comes to its essence, the more power they can draw from it. A deeper understanding of matter also helps increase a mage's magical power."

He hurriedly got up and consulted the relevant books. Only then did Rainer realize that improving magic in this world didn't seem to be merely a matter of continuous meditation. Any change in one's understanding of the world could affect a mage's power, and those formidable high-level mages were academic giants who had created entirely new theories.

"Could writing papers actually make me stronger?"

Rainer thought of how his original magical attainments had been low, barely at the beginner level. Even a mage apprentice like Charlotte could easily crush him. Yet as he wrote his paper, his Heart Lake, which should have been dry, had revived. In terms of magical reserves, he was now no different from a mage apprentice like Charlotte.

By writing papers, Rainer had combined Earth's knowledge with the knowledge of this world, bringing his understanding of the world to a new level. That was why he had received this feedback and improved himself. After thinking it over carefully, he felt that had to be the reason.

"Does that mean I can just write papers all the way to becoming a high-level mage?"

As he changed into fresh clothes, Rainer thought it over and realized things weren't that simple.

Although producing carbon dioxide was simple, it had, in a sense, overturned the foundational theories of existing Alchemy. Its significance was immense, which was why Rainer's magical power had improved so noticeably. An ordinary paper probably wouldn't bring such a great increase.

In other words, Rainer would need to constantly verify the differences between Earth's knowledge and that of this world, then choose the most suitable direction for research. He would also have to proceed step by step, lest some stubborn old fossil strike him down from afar and kill him outright.

Of course, Rainer didn't need to worry about research directions at all. Combustion Theory, the Law of Conservation of Mass, even the Periodic Table of Elements—bringing out these fundamental concepts alone would be enough to transform the current magical academic world. Thinking that certain important theorems and constants might someday be named after him, Rainer felt a little excited.

Knock, knock, knock—

A series of knocks pulled Rainer back from his fantasies. Only then did he glance at the pocket watch on the table. It was already seven in the evening.

Rainer remembered asking Mrs. Freya to wake him at this time. He opened the door, only to find a meal tray on the floor, containing a smoked meat sandwich and milk.

"Mrs. Freya?"

Rainer looked around, but there wasn't a soul in sight. Only a lost cat lingered at the corner.

In fact, Rainer himself had never met the legendary Mrs. Freya. When he had asked Mrs. Freya to deliver something to Charlotte, he had used a note. According to the former headmaster, all one had to do was write down a request and pin it outside the door, and Mrs. Freya would properly carry it out.

At one point, Rainer had even wondered whether Mrs. Freya was some kind of legendary ghost.

Still, since she wasn't willing to show herself, Rainer wouldn't force the matter. He picked up the tray and headed straight for the headmaster's office. His instruction to Charlotte had been to come here after carefully reading the paper.

Just as he had expected, Charlotte Clune stood somewhat uneasily outside the headmaster's office. She was still wearing that rather plain mage's robe, while Claire stood beside her.

But to Rainer's surprise, Claire was no longer dressed in that conservative mage's robe. Her long hair was pinned up, and she had changed into a black-and-white maid's uniform.

This maid's uniform was unlike those suggestive outfits from Earth associated with certain people's peculiar tastes. It was a proper, classical maid's uniform: a plain long dress, ruffled frills, black leather shoes, wrapped up tightly from head to toe. Yet because of that, the outfit emphasized Claire's youthful, vibrant curves, leaving Rainer staring blankly for a moment.

"Is there something on my face?"

Claire looked slightly embarrassed. Perhaps because of that, she failed to notice Rainer's gaze. With both hands held before her, her fingertips fiddled with the hem of her apron. She seemed quite nervous, and her eyes occasionally darted toward the turn in the corridor, as though afraid someone might happen to pass by and see her like this.

Claire actually looked rather cute like this, didn't she?

Rainer thought, then shook his head.

"No. I was just thinking that perhaps this outfit suits you better, Teacher Claire."

"You!"

Claire thought Rainer was making fun of her again. Her face reddened, but she couldn't come up with anything to say in rebuttal.

"Alright, let's go inside first. Have you eaten dinner?"

Rainer pushed open the headmaster's office door with his elbow, set the tray on the table, and sat down in his chair.

"You needn't worry, Mr. Headmaster. We've already eaten."

Claire turned her face away as she answered.

Crescent Academy didn't separate the faculty dining hall from the student dining hall. Aside from some teachers who preferred to cook for themselves, single teachers like Claire generally chose to have dinner in the dining hall. Earlier, she had come over from there with Charlotte.

"Then I won't hold back. I slept all day—I'm starving."

Rainer picked up the sandwich from the tray. Fresh vegetables and smoked meat were nestled between soft, slightly warm bread. The crisp freshness of the vegetables eased the smoked meat's slight greasiness, while the sauce had a distinct flavor that added depth to the overall taste.

This was a sandwich made using ingredients Rainer had brought. It had to be said, nobles were indeed a step ahead when it came to indulgence.

"It's delicious."

He said it sincerely. This was perhaps the best sandwich Rainer had ever eaten, far superior to those mass-produced foods from Earth.

Rainer's expression made Claire swallow unconsciously. It wasn't as though she hadn't eaten enough—the dining hall's food was all quite good—but watching Rainer enjoy his dinner so blissfully gave her an urge to have a bite. Perhaps gluttony had been carved into the depths of her soul, and there was no curing it.

"Do you want some?"

Noticing Claire's expression, Rainer naturally nudged the tray across the table. He didn't mind sharing a little with the two of them.

"No!"

Claire refused outright. Even if she starved to death, died inside the academy, or jumped from this tall tower, she would never eat anything of Rainer's!