After leaving the medical ward, Will slowly made his way back toward the dormitory.
The academy was just as lively as he remembered.
Students moved between buildings carrying books, staffs, swords, and training equipment. Some discussed classes while others argued about combat techniques or tower missions.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Will felt like he was truly looking at Aetherion instead of simply recalling someone else's memories.
As he walked through the academy grounds, his attention briefly drifted toward the students moving between classes.
The difference between noble and commoner uniforms was immediately obvious.
Noble students wore black academy uniforms decorated with silver embroidery and expensive fabrics, polished boots, shorter skirt, smaller crop top, shoulder cut design showing more skin around belly and wrist,stockings, and decorative accessories gave them an elegant appearance that reflected their status.
The commoner uniform followed a completely different design philosophy.
The girls' version used white fabric accented with blue tie and academy markings. The material appeared noticeably white and transparent than the noble version, designed with cheaper material rather than expensive one. The shoulders were open and has more skin covered than Nobel but some what transparent showing skin underneath to allow cheaper repair when damage . Compared to the noble uniform, the skirt extended slightly lower, but commoners didn't receive stockings or many of the decorative accessories nobles wore.
The back portion of the uniform was also less restrictive, making it more comfortable during long hours of training. Combined with the lighter material, the outfit looked far more suited for adventurers than aristocrats.
By Earth standards, it felt surprisingly bold.
Yet none of the students paid it any attention.
To them, it was completely normal.
Will shook his head.
"Fantasy worlds really are different..."
Eventually he reached the dormitory building.
Using Will's memories as a guide, he found his room and opened the door.
The familiar room greeted him.
Compared to noble dormitories, it was simple, but it wasn't bad.
His bed stood beside the window where sunlight entered during the day. A wooden wardrobe nearby contained several academy uniforms and casual clothes.
Against the wall rested a weapon rack.
A steel sword hung neatly in place.
His actual combat weapon.
Beside it rested a wooden training sword.
Underneath sat a few maintenance supplies.
Blade oil.
Cleaning cloths.
Sharpening stones.
Nothing extraordinary.
Just enough to properly care for a weapon.
Will picked up the steel sword.
The moment his hand touched the hilt, memories surfaced naturally.
Hours spent practicing.
Combat lessons.
Tower missions.
Monster hunts.
The familiarity felt strange.
His body knew the weapon.
His memories knew the weapon.
Yet he still felt disconnected from both.
Returning the sword to its place, he moved toward the desk.
Several textbooks were stacked neatly together.
A few notebooks.
Writing supplies.
And surprisingly...
A handheld gaming device.
Will stared at it for several seconds.
"...Seriously?"
Apparently magical technology wasn't nearly as primitive as he had originally assumed.
After examining it briefly, he returned it to the desk.
His gaze shifted toward the opposite side of the room.
Adrian's side.
Unlike Will's organized area, Adrian's belongings were scattered almost everywhere.
Books.
Training manuals.
Clothes.
Random equipment.
Nothing seemed to have a proper place.
Will couldn't help laughing.
Some things apparently remained universal regardless of world.
A shared bathroom connected to the room through a side door.
Overall, the room wasn't luxurious.
But it was comfortable.
A place students actually lived rather than some extravagant noble suite.
After spending some time familiarizing himself with everything, he noticed the sun beginning to set.
Soon it would be dinner time.
Leaving the dormitory once again, he headed toward the cafeteria.
The massive hall was already crowded.
Hundreds of students filled long tables while academy staff moved between them carrying food and supplies.
The smell of freshly cooked meals filled the air.
Will grabbed a tray and joined the line.
To his surprise, much of the food looked familiar.
Rice.
Bread.
Vegetable stew.
Roasted meat.
Fruit juice.
Different ingredients.
Different seasonings.
Yet similar enough to Earth food that he immediately recognized most of it.
After collecting his meal, he searched for a place to sit.
That proved more difficult than expected.
Several noble students glanced toward him before quickly looking away.
A few smirked openly.
Meanwhile many commoners weren't particularly welcoming either.
Will understood why.
His friendship with Elena had already attracted attention.
His connection to Adrian attracted even more.
Most students didn't know Adrian's true identity, but everyone knew he shared a room with someone important enough to avoid normal academy rules.
As a result, neither nobles nor commoners truly accepted him.
Finding an empty table, Will sat alone.
Normally the situation might have bothered him.
Today, however, he welcomed the silence.
His mind already had enough problems to deal with.
He finished his meal quickly and returned to the dormitory.
The day's exhaustion finally caught up to him.
After taking a shower and organizing a few things, he lay down on his bed.
His thoughts drifted toward the future.
The system.
The quest.
The skills.
This new world.
Everything felt uncertain.
Yet strangely exciting.
Eventually sleep claimed him.
The next morning, Will woke before sunrise.
Old habits died hard.
After some light stretching and basic exercises, he freshened up and changed into his academy uniform.
Finding the correct books proved surprisingly difficult.
Although he possessed Will's memories, sorting through them remained frustrating.
Eventually he gathered everything he needed, grabbed breakfast, and headed toward class.
Unfortunately, finding the classroom wasn't much easier.
The memories were there.
He knew where the classroom was.
Yet every time he reached a hallway, uncertainty appeared.
Was it left?
Right?
Second floor?
Third floor?
The strange contradiction continued frustrating him.
As he stood in a corridor trying to remember which direction to go, a familiar voice called out.
"Will?"
He turned around.
Elena stood several meters away.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then Elena lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
Will blinked.
"For what?"
Elena looked embarrassed.
"The hospital."
Understanding appeared on Will's face.
He remembered.
Or rather...
Will's memories remembered.
When Elena visited him, he had accidentally fallen toward her while trying to sit up.
Elena immediately panicked.
Her face turned red.
She pushed him away.
Hard.
Then ran from the room.
At the time it hadn't seemed important.
Now, however, Elena clearly felt guilty.
"I heard what Professor Kael and Professor Lilia said."
Her voice became quieter.
"You almost died."
Will remained silent.
"I should've been worried about you."
Instead, she had gotten flustered over something stupid.
The guilt was obvious.
Will scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"It's fine."
"No, it isn't."
Elena shook her head.
"You were injured."
"And I acted like an idiot."
After a few moments she finally calmed down.
Then she noticed him glancing around.
"Are you lost?"
Will hesitated before nodding.
"A little."
"The memories are there."
"But sometimes everything feels mixed up."
Elena's expression softened.
"Then I'll show you."
Before Will could refuse, she started walking.
"Come on."
As they moved through the academy, Elena suddenly asked:
"By the way..."
"Where's Ruby?"
Will froze.
Ruby.
The small red familiar.
Thinking back, he realized something.
He genuinely hadn't seen Ruby since the incident.
"I don't know."
Elena blinked.
"What?"
"I haven't seen him for several days."
The concern immediately appeared on her face.
Because familiars normally didn't just disappear.
Neither spoke again as they continued toward the classroom.