One would think that after turning eighteen, you wouldn't have to wake up early five out of seven days a week to attend school-and they would be partially right. But that's a case that doesn't take into account being infected by the spell and having to attend the Awakened Academy.
As a result, the days of waking up at six in the morning to go to a place you don't want to go to have returned. Although, technically, they never really went away in the first place-having to go somewhere you don't want to go is intrinsic to modern society, after all.
Getting ready to leave wasn't a problem. Having breakfast was never a problem. The trip to the academy couldn't really be considered a problem either. The real problem loomed right in front of me at that moment, in the form of a man around thirty-two years old.
He's the psychologist in charge of determining whether I have any trauma, and according to an internet forum, the one responsible for discreetly extracting rather personal information from me.
—So, what category is your aspect?
I don't think I need to explain why I'm becoming more convinced by the minute that the forum was right. The only reason I'm still in this "disguised" interrogation is because it's framed as therapy for the awakened, and my family would nag me if I didn't take it.
— Why does that matter in therapy?
— Well, it's been discovered that most aspects are related to the personality and experiences of the person who possesses them, so knowing your category would help me understand how to help you.
I'll give him that-he had a reason that sounded logical for asking. But counterpoint: I don't want an aspect with apprentice in its name, much less one whose ability I don't even know how to activate.
— It's utility-type.
But of course, life can never be that simple. I can't let him know that I don't know how to activate my ability. If that forum was right (and so far it hasn't been wrong), this conversation will be reported to the government and possibly to the legacy clans, and with a bit of luck I'll end up with a job in a good clan as a sacred-rank intruder alarm.
— What does it do?
And… maybe this is the moment when I stop answering his questions-mainly because I don't even know what my aspect does.
— I don't think that's something I want to answer.
— That's fine. It's good to know that there are still people who read my posts on the awakened forum, and seeing that you don't want to reveal more information about your aspect, we can move on to the original purpose of these sessions: your treatment.
He said this while setting aside the notebook he had been writing in throughout the entire conversation, apparently to stop recording my information and actually treat me.
— Were you the one who wrote the guide on how to get through the first days of being awakened?
— Technically, it's Dormant, and yes, I wrote it. At some point I got tired of extracting information from Dormants about their aspects. This session is meant to treat any mental issues you might have, not to steal information from you at your most vulnerable point.
— Okay… then I guess I should thank you?
— That's not necessary. The post was anonymous for a reason. Technically, I'm sabotaging my own work, and if the government found out there would be a few problems, so it's best for me to distance myself from the forum as much as possible.
— Still, thank you.
— You're welcome. But I'm not the focus of this session. Tell me-how do you feel?
*****
I'll save Bell's psychological information for later.
*****
I'll be the first to admit it: the session wasn't as bad as I initially thought. Maybe the fact that it was him specifically giving me treatment had a lot to do with it.
But it wasn't a topic I could spend much time on anyway-my schedule was a bit tight, since right now I had to travel across the incredibly large academy campus to register for the courses I would be taking.
What courses would I take?
That was a question I had already answered in my head, and I had reached a beautiful final conclusion: monster cooking and forest survival.
You might wonder why I didn't choose the combat class, but the answer is actually simpler than it seems: I don't know how to fight. I know that class is meant to teach you, but fighting just isn't my thing.
And according to my aspect, it wouldn't be either-if the apprentice part actually means something. But now isn't the time to think about what my aspect does-or actually, it is, because that's the biggest problem I have right now.
With nothing else to do, I headed toward the academy courtyard to try to figure out what my aspect did.