Kirito took two out for Eugeo and himself before handing the rest to Tiezé and Ronye with a "Go have them with everyone in your room". Novice trainees were restricted from going out on non-rest days, and of course, were then unable to buy sweets at the market. The two girls were exceedingly happy at the unexpected refreshments, which lead to Eugeo seeing them run back to the novice trainees' dormitory for the first time. Forming bonds with the valet trainees and giving them general advice on how to make progress on their swordsmanship were part of the swordsmen-in-training's duties as well, so those honey pies might be a part of Kirito's efforts—but even so, Eugeo thought while staring at his black-haired partner by his side, who consumed the pie with a composed expression before speaking. "Well now. Eugeo-kun, how about some light practice before dinner?" "I have no objection to that at all. But tomorrow's the advanced sacred arts exam. And aside from the written segment, there's that «cryogenic element» generation practical that you're bad at." "Ugh......" Kirito's arm, about to grab the wooden sword used for practice, froze after Eugeo pointed that out. It seems he was conflicted for several seconds, unwilling to yield, but Kirito soon lowered his hand with a sigh, before voicing out in a usually deep pitch. "Geez, why do I have to study for exams after coming this far..." What Kirito said was true, he certainly couldn't even imagine that he would be learning sacred arts in the central capital back when he was swinging an axe to chop wood at Rulid Village. He completely agreed that sword practice was more fun than memorizing complicated spells, but with continuous failures in the academic tests, the qualifications to get a recommendation for the tournament would be out of reach regardless of how good their swordsmanship was. —And Eugeo's partner, who should have understood all of that to be fact without him explaining it, combed his hair, as jet-black as his uniform, upwards before speaking in a flat tone. "Eugeo-kun. I will now cram with all my might for this entire night until lights-out, so would you be ever so kind and bring my portion of food from the dining hall?" "Understood. ...You should've simply done it bit by bit like normal." "I couldn't agree more on that matter. However, there are people who are unable to do that, you know..." Leaving that oddly philosophical remark behind, Kirito trudged through the living room and vanished into his own room through the door to the north. Unlike the novice trainees' dormitory that they had been living in until one and a half months ago, the elite swordsmen-in-training's dormitory was in the shape of a perfect circle. It was a three-story building with an atrium in the center, a corridor forming a ring around it indoors, and the rooms where the twelve swordsmen-in-training stayed were lined up on the outer edge to the south. The first floor had the dining hall and a large bath, while the second and third floors each had six residences for the students. It was set up to have one living room shared with every two rooms and the residence for Eugeo and Kirito was on the third floor. The rooms were automatically arranged based on the placing in the combined examinations of the first school year, with the first place in room 301, on the eastern-most side of the third floor, second in room 302... and continuing with that allocation, the twelfth was placed in room 206, on the second