The trio reconvened in front of the sandy beach.
They were stranded on this hellish island, now known as skull principal's Island, and gathered to deliberate their next course of action.
Yi-Han was the first to speak.
"Is it possible to build another boat?"
Silence followed.
Anglago shook his head.
Even crafting a small boat required more resources and effort than expected.
Originally, he was able to make it with the help of other White Tiger students, but it was difficult for him to do it on his own.
"It seems we can't escape on our own..."
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright. But now, we face another problem."
At Yi-Han's serious tone, Anglago and Dukma tensed up.
It was Wardanaz who also defeated the undead who ruled this sandy beach.
What could be so troubling to him?
"What... What is it?"
"If things continue this way, we'll miss tomorrow's classes."
Silence enveloped them.
Initially, both thought Wardanaz was joking. But Yi-Han was gravely serious.
"It's not a joke?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"No, sorry."
"In this situation, shouldn't we be allowed to skip class?"
Dukma, puzzled, inquired. Yi-Han responded in a threatening tone.
"One must never skip classes, regardless of the circumstances. Understand?"
Grades were more important than life itself.
Despite not fully grasping this concept with their minds, the students felt its importance in their hearts.
It seemed genuinely crucial, though the reason was unclear.
"I understand."
"I apologize as well. But Wardanaz, it seems we have no means to attend tomorrow's class..."
The sun was already setting, marking the arrival of the weekend evening.
With the new week approaching, classes were set to begin in the morning.
Could they escape in time?
"Wouldn't someone notice our disappearance and come to rescue us?"
Yi-Han posed the question to them.
Waiting for rescue seemed more realistic than building a boat to escape.
But the duo shook their heads.
"Even if noticed, immediate rescue isn't feasible."
"There are no boats available..."
"Why is the White Tiger, a place of knights, lacking in unity?"
Yi-Han reprimanded them.
The duo felt unjustly accused.
This didn't seem to be a matter of unity!
"Fortunately, Monday morning's lecture is on <Basic Magic Character Education>..."
Yi-Han pondered.
Having skull principal's lecture scheduled for tomorrow could be considered lucky.
If the principal remarked during class, "Has anyone gone to the island for a pass? No? That won't do. I'll give you a chance; go to the island this time," Yi-Han and his companions could be rescued without effort.
But...
"Would the skull principal really do that?"
Would the principal's character lead him to say, "I'll help a bit," if everyone failed the assignment, or was it more likely he would say, "Can't even do this? Try harder"?
While Yi-Han was deep in thought, Anglago had a realization.
"That's it! If we're absent until the class starts, everyone will definitely notice our disappearance, and the principal will come to rescue us! We just need to hold out until then..."
"No. We should explore the island immediately. We have to escape on our own."
Stunned by Yi-Han's response, the two were speechless.
"Couldn't someone come to rescue us... me?"
"That's unlikely."
"But if a student is missing by the time of the class, out of concern..."
"That's unlikely."
Yi-Han firmly asserted his point, leaving the other two disheartened.
‘Regrettably, this is reality.’
Having joined the magic academy, it was time for Anglago and Dukma to face the harsh truth.
Without any hope of rescue from outside, they needed to find a way out from here.
Yi-Han intended to search for other items prepared by skull principal.
‘There must be other things besides the pass and the trials to reach it.’
Perhaps even the small boat they had brought could be hidden somewhere.
A rumbling stomach broke the silence.
Yi-Han turned to see Anglago blushing with embarrassment, his head bowed.
"You must be hungry after all that activity. It's better to eat something. Do we have any food?"
Yi-Han's question was met with confident nods from both.
"Then let's eat before we proceed."
With that, Yi-Han pulled out bread and canned food from his backpack.
Anglago retrieved some tree bark.
Yi-Han initially thought Anglago was using it as a makeshift plate.
However, Anglago held the white bark and said to Dukma, "Dukma, let's boil some water. We'll cook and eat this."
"Wait, wait."
"?"
Anglago and Dukma looked at Yi-Han, puzzled.
Yi-Han, eyeing the tree bark, asked, "You eat that?"
Anglago grinned, a mix of pride in his knowledge. He was pleased to know something Yi-Han didn't.
"Wardanaz, the inner bark of this tree is edible. If boiled well, it's quite tender and sweet."
Yi-Han sighed, frustrated. It was one thing to be short on food, but boiling tree bark to eat?
"I heard White Tiger students hunt for meat. Was I mistaken?"
"We do hunt, but the quantity is often insufficient."
"Wardanaz, you seem unaware. Not everything hunted is caught, and preservation is difficult. Most of the catch is eaten immediately, making it unsuitable for emergency rations."
As the two White Tiger students smugly explained, Yi-Han nearly lost his temper.
He felt a pang of sympathy for them, being human after all.
“...I brought something, so let’s eat together.”
"!"
"Really?"
"That tomato vegetable stew?"
Wardanaz's famed tomato vegetable stew was already legendary, known even among White Tiger students.
"No, I don't carry canned tomatoes or vegetables by the lake. I only brought simple things for myself, and they're not plentiful. We'll have to look for more nearby."
The pair was slightly disappointed at Yi-Han's words.
After all, Wardanaz couldn't have foreseen this situation.
Who would have thought they'd end up stranded on an island while scouting around a lake?
Yi-Han pulled out a pot, a glass bottle of olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, eggs, slightly stale white bread, and pickled bacon from his leather backpack.
The sight left the others speechless.
'He said he only brought simple things for himself...!'
'How well do the Blue Dragon kids live?'
They had never felt embarrassed or regretful about being assigned to the White Tiger, but at this moment, they couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
How did he manage to secure all that?
"It's still not enough."
"Not enough? Isn't that plenty...?"
"I saw some edible mushrooms earlier; we should gather some."
As Yi-Han stood up, the others followed suit.
"Why are you getting up?"
"I said I'd be your arm earlier, didn't I?"
"I can't let you go alone."
The two spoke with a certain solemnity, but Yi-Han asked them coolly.
"Do you know how to identify mushrooms?"
"...I think I got it right once out of three times. Last time."
"We'd probably end up with two of us dead. Never mind. Just dig up what I tell you to."
Knowing which mushrooms to pick was crucial; only the familiar ones should be gathered. It was vital not to harvest any that seemed even slightly off or ominous.
Aware of this, Yi-Han instructed them to pick only the mushrooms he was certain about.
"Dig up that brown mushroom."
"Don't touch that one."
"Throw that one away. It looks strange."
The two White Tiger students, gathering mushrooms in place of the injured Yi-Han, slowly gained confidence in their task.
Could they now identify mushrooms themselves?
"This dull and rough-looking mushroom is safe, right?"
"Throw it away before you put it in your mouth."
Anglago obediently tossed the mushroom aside.
However, Dukma seemed reluctant to give up, continuously attempting his own creative identifications.
"What about this mushroom..."
"This one looks safe to eat. I think I've seen it on the table when I was younger."
"The shape is similar to the one we picked earlier, isn't this edible?"
Watching Dukma's earnest attempts to become proficient in mushroom gathering, Yi-Han, to encourage him, said:
"Yes, that mushroom can be eaten. But only once."
"Oh... Wait, why only once?"
"Because you'll die if you eat it."
Dukma also quietly tossed the mushroom aside and only picked the ones Yi-Han instructed.
Having finished their preparations, the trio built a campfire.
When Yi-Han used flint instead of magic to start the fire, Anglago was puzzled.
"Why use flint?"
"Wardanaz considers the taste in cooking. Grandma told me that fire lit by hand, rather than by magic, is better for cooking."
'Is that so?'
The reason Yi-Han used flint was simple: to avoid accidentally burning the two students with a magic-induced fire.
Instead of explaining, Yi-Han heated the pan with butter and oil.
The secret to deliciously cooking mushrooms was patience and high heat. Tossing them in prematurely would be a mistake.
'...But honestly, since joining the academy, my cooking skills have improved immensely.'
It wasn't a joke; his cooking skills had indeed surpassed his magic skills.
Constantly considering how to make a variety of tasty dishes with limited ingredients had naturally honed his skills.
With proper funding and support, becoming a chef might be a better choice than a mage...
The mushrooms sizzled as they absorbed the oil and butter in the pan.
Yi-Han skillfully rolled the mushrooms to the side and added the cut-up hardened bread to the remaining oil.
When the entire process was finished, and he even skillfully cracked an egg into the pan, the two White Tiger students couldn't help but be amazed.
'These kids seem more impressed than when they heard about me defeating the undead summon.'
"Let's eat."
Yi-Han seasoned the mushrooms, bread, and fried eggs with salt, balancing the flavors.
The trio devoured the food without a word. The fried mushrooms were crispy, and the hardened bread had become moist with oil.
Anglago suddenly felt his eyes welling up with tears.
"I never thought we'd have such a meal again."
"...Me neither, Anglago. I thought we'd never eat like this again in our lives..."
'You've only been here a month.'
Observing the two White Tiger students becoming overly sentimental, Yi-Han silently continued eating.
Despite their emotional state, the students, evidently very hungry, eagerly consumed their food.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from behind.
Yi-Han swiftly threw the bowl he was holding to the side and grabbed his staff. Anglago, almost reflexively, dived to catch the thrown bowl.
"Who's there?"
Emerging from the bushes was a water spirit.
The water spirit seemed to be angry at the freshmen who were building a bonfire instead of doing the trials they were told to do. It approached erratically, its form swelling in an irregular pattern, signaling its readiness to attack at any moment.
Yi-Han also stood up, staff in hand, ready to retaliate.
He was quicker to act.
"Attack..."
Before Yi-Han could finish his spell, the water spirit, startled, began to flee.
