Magic Gems Gourmet - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Ainz’s Second Year in the Academy [After]

「So, what do you think?」

「I’d say, 30 points」

「E, Eh…?」

Ainz had finished his third consecutive training session with the Red Bison. He did not suffer any damage that would cause serious injury. However, his instructor, Kaizer, was giving a low score for it.

「I managed to defeat it properly, so why!?」

「I could have given you 90 points for the second’s round… You did a great job of targeting its legs to hinder its movements; you also did a decent amount of damage to its head to make it fall. But… What were you doing with the third one? The way you defeated it was no good」

「B-but I just tried a strength contest…」

「By receiving the beast’s rush!? What kind of idiot would take it head-on, you idiot! That’s why I’m giving you a big deduction in score. Don’t perform such a daredevil act next time!」

「I-it might come in handy someday!」

「If that time comes, use your head and think of a way to prevent it from coming to you!」

Ainz took on the third Red Bison head-on in a battle of strength.

Ainz felt like he could manage it with his current status, which had been strengthened by absorbing a lot of magic stones, and was able to stop the Red Bison with brute force.

But in the end, that method was dangerous. Kaizer saw this and gave it a negative rating.

「Yare yare… Anyway, thank you for today」

「That should be my line though… Anyway, good job. Return the equipment and make sure to check your injuries before you going home」

「Ye~s」

He returned the equipment he had borrowed from the training center and checked his body for injuries. Ainz finished his training today without any injuries, and the results were not bad. But one of the boys was staring at him.

「…Umm」

「Th-that was a great fight… As expected of the Crown Prince. To be able to take a Red Bison head-on… You’re so cool」

Ainz remembered him in his mind. He was a boy named Butts, who also belonged to the First group. He was taller than Ainz and had a stout body. He must have been the heir to the Krim Baronial Family.

「Butts. I didn’t know you were here too. I just finished my training」

「…N-no problem, Your Highness! I was excited to see Your Highness’ magnificent appearance」

Butts who looked excited told him so. He was leaning his body over the railing in the viewing area and watched Ainz who was fighting.

「A… Aren’t you too excited? Well, I’m glad to hear you praise me」

Ainz had had a brief conversation with Butts. They have spent their time in the academy for a year now, and some of the students have been demoted, but Butts, just like Ainz, Roland, and Leonard, has continued to be an excellent student in their second year in the first group.

「Instructor! I’d like to fight a Red Bison too!」

「Ah, okay… But while you wouldn’t get serious injuries, I thought it’s too early for you, Butts」

「I can’t stop the tingling in my body after seeing such a battle! Come on! Come on!」

Shaking his head in dismay, Kaizer began to prepare the tool. It was not like he was going to get seriously injured, so he created the illusion of the Red Bison.

「If you’re going to do this, do it right. Get your gear ready, and do your exercises so you don’t get hurt」

「I’ve been exercising for three hours, so no problem!」

「…But you haven’t taken a rest, have you?」

「(You’re looking good, Butts)」

He has to admire his stamina, considering he had been holed up in the training center since around noon.

After three hours of exercise, he wanted to finish it with a Red Bison. Considering Ainz and the others’ age, it was quite a unique training menu.

「All right, Butts! I’ll start on your signal!」

「…Please, sir!」

Kaizer heard the voice and pressed the switch on the magic tool, causing the illusion of the Red Bison to appear.

The Red Bison that appeared turned its mysterious killing intent toward Butts, and began to charge furiously.

「O-oi, Butts, don’t tell me you’re going to…!」

Kaizer was surprised. Butts did not move his feet from his spot after the Red Bison appeared.

He looked as if he was going to catch the Red Bison, which made Kaizer shout at him.

「Come here, Red Bison!」

But he paid no heed to that voice. Butts wanted to take the Red Bison’s rush head-on. However, it seemed that Butts couldn’t withstand it, and he was blown back to the wall. The safety device then activated and the illusion of the Red Bison disappeared.

「You stupid…! What the hell are you trying to do!?」

「A-as expected, a Red Bison’s rush was too soon for me…」

Ainz stared at Butts with a puzzled look on his face. He didn’t think he would be able to copy what he had done in the end.

So, in the end, he couldn’t withstand it and was blown to the wall, but for some reason, he turned a cheerful look to Ainz.

「Your Highness! I knew you were amazing after all! Not only you did manage to defeat Instructor Kaizer, but you could also defeat such a strong Red Bison with your strength!」

Butts turned his strangely sparkling eyes to Ainz and suddenly began to praise Ainz as a result of which he realized Ainz’s greatness.

「Aah, yeah. Thanks, Butts… I’m happy to hear that」

「These idiots, good grief! Don’t try to imitate something reckless like that!」

「But it was so cool that I felt like I had to do it myself!」

「Don’t be ridiculous, it’s not something that anyone can easily do… Hey Ainz! Good grief, this was because you’re doing something so crazy like that」

「Eeh…? It’s my fault?」

「You’re partly to blame. Oh, jeez. Hey Butts, how are you feeling?」

Kaizer was worried about Butts’ injury and came close to him. Butts then stood up, looking all right, and checked his body for abnormalities as he exercised, but there was nothing wrong.

「I’m fine. But well, I’m sorry to make you worry」

「So don’t do something like that next time. If you do it again, I’ll ban beast training from now on」

「I-I won’t be able to say no, if you say so, huh?…」

It was natural for him to scold us harshly. It’s because he won’t train someone to throw away their life for fun. And it was not free to operate this device either, so Kaizer also made sure to tell Butts about it.

「You shouldn’t overdo this, Butts. But… Your figure when taking it head-on was kinda cool」

「Oh, Oooh! Thank you very much, Your Highness! It makes me happy to hear you say that!」

「Hahaha. Well, I’ll be on my way then. Good luck, Butts, and don’t be reckless」

Ainz had finished his training and decided to leave the place for now. He then left the training ground in honor of Butts’ spirits.

***

「…That’s what happened today. I thought he was a cheerful guy」

「Aah! Do you mean Butts? You’re right, he’s always so cheerful」

A little early in the evening, Ainz met up with the two. It was not often for them to get together at this time of day, but since they happened to meet today, they decided to take a break on the terrace before heading back.

「But, Your Highness. Did you know… Butts Krim, despite his personality, he actually came in third overall in the admission test, just behind me」

By the way, the first place belonged to Ainz. His score for defeating Instructor Kaizer was calculated as a perfect score.

「Eh… Eeeh!?」

「Th-that was a lie, right, Leonard?」

「Unfortunately, it’s true, Roland. That means that guy’s grades are better than yours」

It seemed that Butts was not just a simple muscle head but he was an intellectual muscle head. He doesn’t know what he meant by an intelligent muscle head, but he could guess. His parents, or rather his mother who married into the Krim family, were noble-born into a literate family. That was why he had been brought up with a strong focus on studies and being strictly trained.

Leonard mentioned that he had entered the school with the third-highest overall grade. He didn’t get through the entrance exam with his martial arts skills, but he got through the social science exam to enter the first group.

But probably everyone in the First group might think that Butts was just a muscle head.

But inside, he was actually the third smartest in the first group.

「Well, certainly, he’s not stupid, it’s just that Butts guy is a little… cheerful」

「Yo-Your Highness too is certainly cheerful, but… No, it’s nothing…」

「But he’s amazing. I can’t keep training for that long like him. Butts’ father is a knight, isn’t he?」

「That’s what I hear too. Leonard, do you know what kind of a knight Butts’ father is?」

「Yeah, I know. I believe he is serving as a captain of a thousand men at a fort in a region where many beasts appear」

Ishtalica was the only nation that existed on the continent of Ishtar. However, it was by no means free from the threat of the beasts.

In some areas, the beasts were so strong that the country had built forts to defend itself. There, a large number of knights protected the people and ensured their safety.

Butts’ father was also a knight working in such a dangerous place.

「In that dangerous place, huh?」

「That’s right. He’s a chief of a thousand people, so he’s pretty high up in the rankings」

「Hee… Butts’ father is amazing then」

「I’d like to visit all the places on this continent one day. But it seems that would be difficult…」

「Well… I think it will be very difficult for Ainz-sama, right? You’re the crown prince after all, so I don’t think the people in the castle will permit you 」

「Roland is right, Your Highness. That said, I do have one concern」

Ainz and Roland looked at Leonard, who had mentioned that he had a concern.

「Concern?」

「Yes… Next year, we’ll be in our third year. And the members of the first and second groups will be having beast field training. It’s not in a dangerous place like the one where Butts’ father is, but we’ll still be going to a place where the beast is for training」

「Yeah… I’ve heard about that. I’ve talked about it with Warren-san and the others before」

「What did Warren-sama say to you?」

「At the very least, he said that I have to bring Dill or Chris-san with me」

Chris, the Vice Commander of the Knight Order. They both knew her name. And of course, Dill was no stranger for them too.

「I’ll feel safe if someone like Chris-sama or Dill-senpai is escorting us」

「I guess this is all a special measure. The academy won’t allow the students to graduate unless they do this training, but because of His Highness’s position, they have to guarantee his safety this time. The academy must have also hired many adventurers as guards to takes them with us, but even so, we can’t always say for sure that we’ll be safe」

「But you know… I’m a little happy. If it’s true, we’ll all be able to attend the event together」

「I’m looking forward to it too. I’m just wondering what kind of training it will be」

「Me too, with this I can do various things with my friends while we’re still in here」

Leonard concurred with Roland’s words. The three of them were close friends who had enjoyed their time at the academy, and just imagining the many events that were about to take place made their hearts skip a beat.

「Oh, by the way, that training was supposed to be in groups of five, right? There are 10 people in the first group and 20 people in the second group. So, with a total of 30 students, we’ll have six teams of five people」

「Is that so? We need 2 more people then? But can the students decide the members among themselves?」

「We have the freedom to choose our member, Your Highness. We’ll be stuck with the three of us for now, so we need to recruit to more people」

「I see. Well, we’ll have to recruit one more from somewhere」

「A-Ainz-sama? Do you already have anyone in your mind?」

Leonard said that they needed two more people, but Ainz said that they only needed one more person. Roland, wondering who he was talking about, asked him about it.

「Your Highness, don’t tell me…」

「Leonard noticed it huh? Roland, the fourth member of the team I’ve been thinking about is Butts. Don’t you think it will be a fun team?」

「I-I see… Butts, huh?… I think it’s a good idea. He’s a nice guy, and I’m sure we’ll have fun」

「Well, I’m not going to be scared off so easily… So, I agree with what Roland said about it would be fun」

「That’s settled then. I’ll talk to Butts about it next time, I’m sure he’ll agree」

Leonard agreed for some reason. It was not that Leonard had a low opinion of Butts or anything like that. It was just that Leonard tends to be a little shy, and he often becomes this way with people he doesn’t usually talk to.

That was why it took a lot of courage for him to talk to Ainz and Roland.

「Next year is going to be fun」

「…Yeah, you’re right」

「Yup. Let’s have lots of fun. After all, there’s still a lot of events coming up in our academy life!」

At the Royal Kingsland Academy, there were almost no events for the younger students. If there were, it was only for regular exams. There were no school-wide festivals and only a few events for each grade.

In the third year, the most important event would be beast field training.

No matter if you were a Liberal Arts student or a second-year student, you were required to participate in this event. Although it was a strict policy, if it was an Academy Rule, they had to participate.

Ainz and his friends were also curious about some of the events that awaited them from their third year. First of all, the closest one was beast field training. Looking forward to this, Ainz and his friends decided to enjoy the rest of their academy life with a lot of fun.