6 State of Mind
After breakfast, the trio split up. Everyone had their own things to do, and no-one wanted to intrude on another's business. Basara and Iwatani went back to their rooms to sleep, while Plato continued his training plan.
The first half of his training was exactly the same, but this time, he didn't focus on punches and kicks anymore. Instead, he picked up a well-balanced branch and started swinging it. After getting a feel for the branch's nuances, he started practicing the "One Sword Style". With the addition of the Hattori's style, he had to spend time remastering it; there were often minor changes in footwork, positioning, or the force used in the strikes.
This process only took a few minutes thanks to his Intelligence boost. Afterwards, he spent the rest of the time engraving the style into his muscles and bones. Plato was now at a crossroads. With his Intelligence boost, it was possible to learn all sorts of things, but the only limit was his body's familiarity with it. In terms of combat, he had two choices. He could either go for an unarmed combat style and focus on punches and kicks, or go for the "One Sword Style".
While he was more proficient in the sword, it was also illegal in this world to carry one around with you. However, the authorities couldn't possibly tell you that you couldn't bring your arms and legs with you. In the case of an actual fight, an inch longer is an inch stronger. If he could find a sword-like object, like a bar, he could use it to simulate a sword.
On the other hand, a well-timed strike with his fists could take care of the enemy in much the same way. There were plenty of pros and cons to both options. Plato had to think carefully about which one to choose, since it would define his growth path in this life. With his abilities, Plato was definitely not lacking in talent. The only problem was time. Not only did he have to raise his proficiency with combat techniques, he also had to activate and train his vital energy.
With so many things to do, Plato could only decide on one thing. He would return to Japan after finishing his degree at ANU, and then he would start his own company in Japan. Before that, he would not be involved in anything but studying and training his body. With a year's worth of time of buffer, Plato figured that it would give him plenty of time to master both armed and unarmed combat.
Reaching a new conclusion on his growth path, Plato finished up his training for the day. In fact, he didn't even know why he wanted to get stronger. Perhaps it was an obsession of his from his previous life, or it was the premonition of future dangers – either way, there was one, iron-clad rule in his mind; the strong will win.
Since his instincts told him to get stronger, he would get stronger. It would not be too late to regret if he got stronger for no reason; but if he didn't get stronger and suffered, he wouldn't even have time to regret.
This sort of decisiveness of his was exactly what got him the position of centurion. He wasn't about to let it go just because he was in a more peaceful realm.
After the training, Plato once again dragged his tired body back for dinner, and had a shower. However, this time, he did not sleep yet. There was a pod meeting that was scheduled for tonight, and it would speak volumes about his attitude if he didn't attend. Honestly, he wasn't interested in such fleeting things as friendships. If they did not have any connections with influential people, there was no reason for him to get to know them. Naturally, the only exception to this was Basara and Iwatani, since they were considered as brothers to him.
At 8:00pm on the dot, the pod senior, Nash, knocked on the doors of everyone in the pod and told them that the meeting was starting. One by one, people filed out of their rooms and sat down in a circle. While there were study and meeting rooms in each wing, their sizes were too small to fit an entire pod's worth of people. Therefore, everyone had to settle with sitting on the ground. Luckily, there was carpet on the ground, so it wasn't too hard.
As Plato came out, he saw a bunch of faces that he had no recollection of. Perhaps it was too recent a memory, but Naofumi's memories did not contain these people. Thankfully, "All-Seer" could provide him with their names at any time. At the same time, he committed their faces into his improved memory. With everyone here, Nash started speaking.
"Alright! We're all gathered here now. I'm sure there's no need for introductions since we've met each other during the welcoming party, so I'll get straight to the point. Bruce Hall will be participating in inter-college sports, so anyone who wants to play is welcome. Even if you aren't that good, just participate for the heck of it. The sports for this semester are soccer, AFL, tennis, swimming, and track and field. If anyone wants to join, just speak to me about it and I'll arrange it with the office."
He paused for a slight moment, drinking in the expressions of everyone around him. As if he was satisfied with the reactions, he nodded very slightly, and continued with his speech.
"At the same time, we, as pod 4A, will be participating in inter-pod activities. These activities can be anything as long as it doesn't involve drinking. After all, the staff can't really promote getting drunk a week before classes start. They won't say anything about it, but don't expect them to be too lenient."
Plato had already tuned out by now, since he had no interest in these petty competitions. While they were meant to strengthen the bond between the students, there was obviously also the pride of the pod seniors mixed in. Plato was sure that each pod senior was going through a similar speech, trying to rile up the first- and second-years to do their bidding. There might even secretly be prize money involved for the pod senior who performs the best.
In any case, these competitions stank of ego and vanity, so Plato was disgusted and put off by it. He would much rather continue his training that participate. It was not to say that Plato was anti-social; he simply thought it was a waste of time, and that the characters involved were not worth his attention.
Alas, these fantasies of his were not long-lived.
"Naofumi, I've seen you running around in the mornings. Would you be interested in the inter-college track and field competition?"
Plato, jolted out of his thoughts, looked around to ascertain the situation. Thanks to "All-Seer", he could clearly understand his current predicament, as well as the fluctuating emotions of those around him.
There was one particular student who was on a scholarship for running. What Plato felt from him was a strong jealousy and envy. It was obvious – even without reading his thoughts and history – that he was vain and wanted to show off. The fact that the pod senior had chosen to ask Plato instead of him was interpreted as the pod senior implicitly stating that Plato was better than him.
Plato, on the other hand, knew clearly why the pod senior did what he did. He was unhappy that someone wasn't paying attention to him, so he picked on him with a question that was usually unrefusable. However, the person he had targeted was Plato. As someone who remained unflustered even in front of a horde of beasts and monsters, this much was like baby-play to him. At the same time, he figured out the best way to satisfy both parties that had enmity towards him.
"No thanks. I'm just running for exercise, I'm not serious about it at all. If my memory serves me correctly, Tom is on a scholarship for his running, so how about getting him to participate?"
As soon as he said that, Plato could see Tom's – the runner – emotion turn from jealousy to joy. Meanwhile, Nash's status turned from irritated to placated and a slight sense of loss. He must have been satisfied that Plato had come up with such an exemplary answer; so much so that he had forgotten his intention to pick on him.
Plato sighed in his heart. He was a straightforward and brutal man, thanks to his upbringing in hunting monsters. The rules and laws of his previous world were laxer as well, and as part of the military, he didn't have to deal with such things. Yet, right now, he had to tone down his killing intent and bloodlust and find a "diplomatic" way to solve the problem.
He silently thought in his heart, 'Sometimes advancement and education just create more problems for normal and simple people like me…'
He did not realize that he was the most complicated and irregular person present…
The first half of his training was exactly the same, but this time, he didn't focus on punches and kicks anymore. Instead, he picked up a well-balanced branch and started swinging it. After getting a feel for the branch's nuances, he started practicing the "One Sword Style". With the addition of the Hattori's style, he had to spend time remastering it; there were often minor changes in footwork, positioning, or the force used in the strikes.
This process only took a few minutes thanks to his Intelligence boost. Afterwards, he spent the rest of the time engraving the style into his muscles and bones. Plato was now at a crossroads. With his Intelligence boost, it was possible to learn all sorts of things, but the only limit was his body's familiarity with it. In terms of combat, he had two choices. He could either go for an unarmed combat style and focus on punches and kicks, or go for the "One Sword Style".
While he was more proficient in the sword, it was also illegal in this world to carry one around with you. However, the authorities couldn't possibly tell you that you couldn't bring your arms and legs with you. In the case of an actual fight, an inch longer is an inch stronger. If he could find a sword-like object, like a bar, he could use it to simulate a sword.
On the other hand, a well-timed strike with his fists could take care of the enemy in much the same way. There were plenty of pros and cons to both options. Plato had to think carefully about which one to choose, since it would define his growth path in this life. With his abilities, Plato was definitely not lacking in talent. The only problem was time. Not only did he have to raise his proficiency with combat techniques, he also had to activate and train his vital energy.
With so many things to do, Plato could only decide on one thing. He would return to Japan after finishing his degree at ANU, and then he would start his own company in Japan. Before that, he would not be involved in anything but studying and training his body. With a year's worth of time of buffer, Plato figured that it would give him plenty of time to master both armed and unarmed combat.
Reaching a new conclusion on his growth path, Plato finished up his training for the day. In fact, he didn't even know why he wanted to get stronger. Perhaps it was an obsession of his from his previous life, or it was the premonition of future dangers – either way, there was one, iron-clad rule in his mind; the strong will win.
Since his instincts told him to get stronger, he would get stronger. It would not be too late to regret if he got stronger for no reason; but if he didn't get stronger and suffered, he wouldn't even have time to regret.
This sort of decisiveness of his was exactly what got him the position of centurion. He wasn't about to let it go just because he was in a more peaceful realm.
After the training, Plato once again dragged his tired body back for dinner, and had a shower. However, this time, he did not sleep yet. There was a pod meeting that was scheduled for tonight, and it would speak volumes about his attitude if he didn't attend. Honestly, he wasn't interested in such fleeting things as friendships. If they did not have any connections with influential people, there was no reason for him to get to know them. Naturally, the only exception to this was Basara and Iwatani, since they were considered as brothers to him.
At 8:00pm on the dot, the pod senior, Nash, knocked on the doors of everyone in the pod and told them that the meeting was starting. One by one, people filed out of their rooms and sat down in a circle. While there were study and meeting rooms in each wing, their sizes were too small to fit an entire pod's worth of people. Therefore, everyone had to settle with sitting on the ground. Luckily, there was carpet on the ground, so it wasn't too hard.
As Plato came out, he saw a bunch of faces that he had no recollection of. Perhaps it was too recent a memory, but Naofumi's memories did not contain these people. Thankfully, "All-Seer" could provide him with their names at any time. At the same time, he committed their faces into his improved memory. With everyone here, Nash started speaking.
"Alright! We're all gathered here now. I'm sure there's no need for introductions since we've met each other during the welcoming party, so I'll get straight to the point. Bruce Hall will be participating in inter-college sports, so anyone who wants to play is welcome. Even if you aren't that good, just participate for the heck of it. The sports for this semester are soccer, AFL, tennis, swimming, and track and field. If anyone wants to join, just speak to me about it and I'll arrange it with the office."
He paused for a slight moment, drinking in the expressions of everyone around him. As if he was satisfied with the reactions, he nodded very slightly, and continued with his speech.
"At the same time, we, as pod 4A, will be participating in inter-pod activities. These activities can be anything as long as it doesn't involve drinking. After all, the staff can't really promote getting drunk a week before classes start. They won't say anything about it, but don't expect them to be too lenient."
Plato had already tuned out by now, since he had no interest in these petty competitions. While they were meant to strengthen the bond between the students, there was obviously also the pride of the pod seniors mixed in. Plato was sure that each pod senior was going through a similar speech, trying to rile up the first- and second-years to do their bidding. There might even secretly be prize money involved for the pod senior who performs the best.
In any case, these competitions stank of ego and vanity, so Plato was disgusted and put off by it. He would much rather continue his training that participate. It was not to say that Plato was anti-social; he simply thought it was a waste of time, and that the characters involved were not worth his attention.
Alas, these fantasies of his were not long-lived.
"Naofumi, I've seen you running around in the mornings. Would you be interested in the inter-college track and field competition?"
Plato, jolted out of his thoughts, looked around to ascertain the situation. Thanks to "All-Seer", he could clearly understand his current predicament, as well as the fluctuating emotions of those around him.
There was one particular student who was on a scholarship for running. What Plato felt from him was a strong jealousy and envy. It was obvious – even without reading his thoughts and history – that he was vain and wanted to show off. The fact that the pod senior had chosen to ask Plato instead of him was interpreted as the pod senior implicitly stating that Plato was better than him.
Plato, on the other hand, knew clearly why the pod senior did what he did. He was unhappy that someone wasn't paying attention to him, so he picked on him with a question that was usually unrefusable. However, the person he had targeted was Plato. As someone who remained unflustered even in front of a horde of beasts and monsters, this much was like baby-play to him. At the same time, he figured out the best way to satisfy both parties that had enmity towards him.
"No thanks. I'm just running for exercise, I'm not serious about it at all. If my memory serves me correctly, Tom is on a scholarship for his running, so how about getting him to participate?"
As soon as he said that, Plato could see Tom's – the runner – emotion turn from jealousy to joy. Meanwhile, Nash's status turned from irritated to placated and a slight sense of loss. He must have been satisfied that Plato had come up with such an exemplary answer; so much so that he had forgotten his intention to pick on him.
Plato sighed in his heart. He was a straightforward and brutal man, thanks to his upbringing in hunting monsters. The rules and laws of his previous world were laxer as well, and as part of the military, he didn't have to deal with such things. Yet, right now, he had to tone down his killing intent and bloodlust and find a "diplomatic" way to solve the problem.
He silently thought in his heart, 'Sometimes advancement and education just create more problems for normal and simple people like me…'
He did not realize that he was the most complicated and irregular person present…
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