Goodwill and trust were always accompanied by motive.
Slogg, one of the six major merchants of Elte, joined forces with Lortel because he wished to be the next chairman.
Melburak Company's head, Seton, also joined in on Lortel's plan. He believed that an internal disruption within Elte Company would bring new change to the power structure of the commercial city of Oldek.
The reason that Sharo, a receptionist with the Elte Company, flirted with Lortel was the hope of making money by having her leak information.
Kadan, a trade worker, kept approaching Lortel because she often gave him tips.
Teeny, a pet dog raised by the academy, stuck to Lortel because the food she gave him was of the highest class.
Attached to every favor was a motive. At least, that was the case in Lortel's world.
In most cases, if that reason became clear then you could see through other people's intentions and psychology at a glance.
There was no blood related family, lover who made promises, or allies that she spent a long time with. Paradoxically, she could maintain a cynical attitude towards all those human relationships because, for Lortel, a person who would do a favor for another without a reason didn't exist.
"It doesn't look like there's time to discuss the details. But anyway, did Elris betray you?"
Even though she knew all of that, she still decided to trust Elris. What a stupid, idiotic mistake to make.
Her attitude towards life, one of never completely trusting another person, had become less important.
The person that came to mind was Yennekar Palerover…
Growing up receiving kindness and love, she was like a princess in a fairytale that treated the world with only that same kindness and love. If you looked at her warm eyes as they stared at Ed Rothstaylor… She couldn't help realize that this was the love of a beautiful girl who had not been negatively influenced by the world.
Seeing such a thing, she couldn't forget just how dirty she was herself.
She shouldn't have gotten drunk off of the romantic scenery of Silvenia Academy, or allowed it to cause her to mistake herself as one of those beautiful, romantic people.
"I saw Shaney meet up with Elte. Wasn't she a maid loyal to Elris?"
Ed Rothstaylor kept talking as they ran down the first floor hallway.
"But even then, neither Elris nor Elte would report you to the academy. The Golden King Elte obviously wouldn't want the academy to find out that the Elte Company is connected to this incident."
Five people were bribed by Lortel for the occupation of Ophelis Hall.
Head Maid Elris, the twin maids Shaney and Kelly, the lower student representative Willain, and the fallen aristocrat Ed.
Elris, Shaney, and Kelly all went over to Elte's side.
Ed should have been tempted to join Elte, as well.
She suddenly stopped walking. Ed, who was running ahead, quickly looked back with a puzzle expression marring his face.
He called back to her.
"There's no time to waste. What are you doing?"
Lortel finally calmed down and pulled herself together, forcing a foxlike smile… She ended up saying something, unsure as to why she said it.
"I'm sorry, Ed. I can't guarantee the twenty gold coins I had promised you before. As you can see, the current situation has become quite precarious."
After being betrayed by Elris, her emotions felt strange to her.
Lortel hated to admit it. She was now in a psychologically weakened state.
If she weren't in such a state, she wouldn't be making such a foolish mistake.
She didn't know why Ed Rothstaylor sided with her, rather than with Elte.
With that in mind, it was best for her to quickly figure out his intentions and take advantage of him.
But she was a fool to make such a confession.
Just what kind of stupid mistake am I making?
She couldn't believe that she was willing to turn herself in just because there wasn't a reason for him to be on her side.
"Who asked? You're going to die, so what are you standing around for like this?"
However, Ed's way of shutting down Lortel's words removed her worry.
"If you get caught by Elte now, your life will be over. No matter what you are planning to do in the future, you should run away, first."
Ed was dripping blood as he kept on scolding her, standing across the hallway.
It must have been her request that he block the first floor that led to Ed being hurt so badly.
Nevertheless, he didn't complain that it was all too much. If it had been her, she would have complained ten times over about how the work was out of her paygrade.
"Or do you have a better plan?"
"..."
"If you have one, let's go with it."
There was no hint of doubt in his voice. He was prepared to follow Lortel to the end.
He was so certain of her that he was willing to follow along with anything that she decided.
As she had repeatedly said, goodwill and trust were bound to be accompanied by a motive.
But that man's goodwill and trust… There was no such motive.
No matter how rationally she considered it, he definitely should have fallen for Elte's offer. If he were to ask the same thing of one hundred other people, every single one of them would have taken it.
If you couldn't determine their motive, you shouldn't believe in them. She didn't know what was going to happen to her, not fully understanding what he was thinking yet.
Just before, she had believed in Elris in the same way. Ultimately, it caused her to make a crucial mistake, resulting in the current situation. She couldn't repeat the same mistake.
However, her mouth began to move on its own. Her inner voice was crying out, trying to stop her, but her heart was a complete wreck at that point. She was unable to hold out any longer.
Flying out of her mouth was a confession about the internal affairs of the Elte Company, and the fight for power that was happening inside of it.
"…There was a plan that was being developed at the company's headquarters to control the market price. It was probably my father who came up with the plan."
"Explain it to me."
"The market price of equipment plunged after a massive conquest of monsters in the eastern mountains last summer. After buying and monopolizing all the remaining equipment, they repeatedly made internal transactions…"
"Ahh… Illegal transactions. You can just briefly explain the rest."
Ed calmly cut her off in the middle of her explanation.
After monopolizing the equipment in the area, mainly in the base of the subjugation forces, they would repeatedly buy and sell the goods at the market.
The key was insider trading.
The merchants, who were secretly bought out by the Elte Company, had continuously repeated transactions between themselves.
If you brought in three merchants—A, B, and C—and had A sell the equipment to B for one gold coin, B would then sell it to C for two gold coins. C would proceed to sell it to A for three, slowly raising the market price.
Eventually, the gold coins and equipment would circulate in the hands of the Elte Company as the market price steadily rose.
In doing so, the market price could be maintained until the demand rose during the next monster subjugation. Then, they could sell the equipment off for a ridiculous profit.
Manipulating the market price by using such a hit-or-miss strategy made sense, and it was a surprisingly classic technique. However, it was an unrealistic method because of the huge amount of capital that it required.
"For the plan, my father took out bonds from Duke Aldogar and Countess Opel. However, by the time the date to pay them back had arrived, the plan for the monster subjugation had been pushed back. It was a situation in which they needed money urgently."
"Was the solution to this problem the Sage's Seal?"
"Yes."
Ed was very quick to understand, even though she hadn't explained much. It felt as if he had studied this beforehand.
"My father… He told me that he had found someone who would buy the Sage's Seal for a high price… So he ordered me to enter Silvenia as a 1st year student and figure out a way to obtain it."
"Alright, I got it. You don't have to explain any further."
"Huh? You're fine with just that much?"
Ed grabbed Lortel by the wrist. He told her it wasn't the time to be standing still as they began to quickly run through the hallway again.
"What's the point of talking about all of this after the fact? In order to put the academy's finances in a tight spot, you wanted to increase the scale of the occupation in Ophelis Hall. Then the negotiations for the purchase of the Sage's Seal would become a reality, so he would take it as bait. He would come all the way here, leaving Elte's headquarters empty. You thought about selling off the equipment during that time."
While he was running down the hall, he explained the gist of the situation with a surprising amount of accuracy. The speed at which he was able to understand the situation wasn't normal.
Lortel looked at Ed, completely stunned by his remarks. He didn't seem to care at all.
In the end, mutual trust was the key to manipulating the market price through illegal transactions.
The act between the three merchants—A, B, and C—was meant to artificially raise the market price by exchanging money and goods among each other.
However, it was a business structure that would never be able to be established if even one of the three merchants betrayed the others. It was a situation in which, if one of them ran off with the stock, the other two would get screwed over.
A, B, and C were examples, but… Considering the size of the business and the market, there would be more than a few dozen middle-class merchants involved.
Over the previous six months, about a third of them had been placated so that—if the timing was right—a large-scale sale of the equipment could induce a plunge in the market price all at once.
It would not be difficult to plunge the price, as it was an artificially created price in the first place. Prices were difficult to raise, but as long as you started selling competitively, they would drop in an instant.
For the Elte Company, which had a lot of equipment in stock, the plunge in prices would be recorded as a huge loss.
From a very broad perspective, it would only have narrowed the surplus, but in the immediate short term there would be a huge deficit in the trading books.
The important thing was the immediate moment.
The big picture, which couldn't be immediately seen, wasn't what was important.
Due to the various damages he had caused, Elte—who was already starting to lose his position within the Elte Company—would finally lose his seat.
In addition to that, when the allegations about the account book manipulation were added in and the demand for liability over the losses was made, there would be sufficient grounds for his dismissal.
Was it possible for Ed Rothstaylor's to picture all of this in his head, with her saying only that much?
No matter how fast the gears in his head might turn, there was a limit to a person's processing speed. There was no way that he should have been able to picture everything with only Lortel's brief explanation.
"Then there's only one thing that you have to do."
But Ed's words were spot on, like always.
"You just have to send a message back to headquarters, telling them to start selling the equipment right away. Right?"
In order to repair the internal assets on such a scale, approval from the shareholders was required.
However, when the head left his office, the six major merchants under his command took over the rights for the immediate handling of the business.
Slogg, one of the six greats of Elte. An old fox that joined Lortel after being promised a position as the next head of the business.
He would happily put a stamp of confirmation on the sale of the equipment, all while keeping a straight face… and then would be sorry to say that the responsibility all belonged to Elte.
Even if Elte angrily tried to punish Slogg, his defeat would already be certain, as the cause of his dismissal was already established.
Originally, those plans were supposed to take place during the 'The Battle for the Sage's Seal' event.
The event would end with Lortel smirking under a robe, sitting in the corner of a wobbly wagon as an enraged Elte screamed her name.
After that, Act 2 would end after they chased after and took down Professor Glast, who stole the seal and fled to a secret laboratory. That was the main event of the act, on a scale that was much larger.
"If we go to my room, there is a homing pigeon. It's a direct link to the internal forces at headquarters."
"If we send the homing pigeon off and hide until the sales plan is implemented at headquarters, we'll win."
"However, I'm sure that my father has predicted this to some extent. He's going to try and capture me tonight, to make me confess to my plans and the names of the traitors that I have on the inside."
The moment he left his seat, nobody knew what would happen. Even though Elte realized that, he came to Silvenia anyway. At that moment, he wasn't able to tell who his true allies and who his enemies were.
It would have taken place on a smaller scale, without anyone finding out, but the news would have reached the company's ears in an instant.
They had bet everything on each other. The final battle was a chase between father and daughter.
"Let's go out the back door, walk along the outer wall, and go through the window into your room."
"I was going to say that, too."
"Alright, we're on the same page."
They really communicated well. It was a gentle exchange of opinions that meshed well together.
Quick to understand, active in coordination, and not easily swayed by emotions.
Lortel gasped as she watched Ed running down the hall, holding onto her wrist.
They could see the back door of Ophelis Hall. Although it was not as magnificent as the main entrance, the luxurious patterns and paintings represented the dignity of the building.
"Listen carefully, Lortel. Since they have already discovered your position, you're in a tight spot. The best thing for you to do now is to keep hidden and make sure nobody finds you."
"There's a separate villa in the Mine region. If I can just catch a carriage up there…"
"If I was Elte, I would have already put people on standby at both bridges out of Acken Island. He'll absolutely catch you that way."
Ed was right.
The coachman that drove Lortel's carriage was a reliable person, but the appearance of the carriage itself was already quite eye-catching.
If she passed over the bridge, she would surely be followed.
"Talk to the coachman waiting in the commercial district and tell him to send an empty carriage out of Acken Island. Instruct them to abandon the carriage and escape to a safe area. That way, they'll think that you're outside of Acken Island for sure."
"Then what about me…?"
"There's a cabin I built in the north forest. You'll just have to deal with living there for three days."
It was always in the last place you would look. The forest right next to Silvenia. Nobody would think that she would be there.
"I'll go to your room and send the homing pigeon. As long as we write a message telling them to 'sell it right away', headquarters will be able to handle the rest of the more complicated issues, right?"
"…Yes, that's right."
Like a merchant who had been working with her for a long time, Ed's movements and actions didn't waste a single step.
When she looked at Ed, who was able to solve every issue, she felt that it would be okay to trust in him and leave everything to him.
Even though she knew that such a romantic relationship couldn't be, her broken heart whispered in her ear once more.
This time, it might really work out.
As she had repeatedly stated, obsession was not an emotion that resembled a flower blooming on a distant cliff.
It's something that bloomed at the tip of your fingertips, just out of reach.
"..."
Ed slowly opened the back door and looked out through the crack, then quietly closed it again.
"Listen, Lortel. There's someone watching the back gate."
Ed quickly explained the situation in a quiet voice.
"There's nothing good that will come out of them discovering your location or what you're planning. So I'll go out and run towards your room, taking care of it myself. In the meantime, if there's nobody in sight, run straight to the commercial district. Got it?"
Lortel hesitated, before nodding her head. Ed furrowed his eyebrows in discontent as he scolded Lortel.
"Are you sure your head is in the right place? Why are you so distracted?"
"Y-Yes… I understand."
Ed grabbed Lortel by her shoulders and pulled her straight against the wall next to them. Lortel's lip began to tremble for a moment, but when she thought about it, she realized that he only did it to keep her out of sight.
"Once you get to the north forest, they won't be able to keep pursuing you. After that, it's up to you."
Ed opened the back door and turned to leave.
"Ed."
It was not until she called out his name that Lortel realized she was flustered.
She couldn't stand the idea of not asking him.
"Just why, to this extent… Why are you helping me…?"
Every favor had a motive. Once you figured out that motive, you could see through someone's psychology and principles at just a glance.
But asking someone what they were hiding in a straightforward way… that was a mistake that not even a beginner merchant would make. And yet, those very words came out of Lortel's mouth.
That was because she couldn't figure it out using common sense. Regardless of what others said, it was only right for Ed Rothstaylor to unconditionally take Elte's side.
Whether it was financial gain, the chances of winning, or for leverage, Lortel was currently inferior in every way.
Nevertheless, Ed was on Lortel's side.
Ed frowned for a moment, as if he was wondering how to answer that question.
"…Just because? I just kind of feel like I should, I guess?"
He responded in a vague tone, and then… He stormed out the back door.
Shwaaaaaaaaaa.
Boom, Clang!
The sound of rain coming in from the open door and the sounds of a battle resonated throughout Ophelis Hall.
The noise seemed to be coming from the battle on the fifth floor, between Head Maid Elris and Taylee's party.
Boom, Boom, Boom!
The noise from the fierce battle marked the final battle in Ophelis Hall. Lortel had a hunch that Taylee and his party would win. Regardless of the fact their opponent was the head maid of Ophelis Hall, the moment Taylee started using his Swordsmaster skill he would be able to overpower her.
After being pushed against the wall, Lortel stayed still for a while longer.
She couldn't figure out what Ed Rothstaylor was thinking at all. There had to be a motive behind every favor and attempts to gain someone's trust, but she couldn't see it.
There was no financial gain, no ideological reasoning, and he wasn't the type of person to be swayed by emotions. Just what other reason did he have?
"Were you, perhaps, bewitched by that child's beautiful appearance?"
Suddenly, she remembered the interrogation that Elte had given him earlier. However, she quickly shook her head. As she has said before, Ed Rothstaylor wasn't the type of person who would be driven by his emotions.
In the first place, Ed Rothstaylor always had Yennekar Palerover next to him.
However, the feeling of unease stemmed from the fact that those two weren't dating.
It was obvious from a glance that Yennekar was always staring passionately at Ed. But… That feeling of affection seemed to be one-sided.
Boom, Boom, Boom!
In the background, the sound of the fierce battle continued to echo throughout Ophelis Hall. Lortel slid down the wall and sat down. She was already tired from running, but also from the fact that she was in trouble. Her legs had become weak.
"It's just that. I wanted to help you, so I helped you."
Why did that sentence get so stuck in her heart that she couldn't breathe?
Suddenly, she realized that something was wrong.
The building they were in wasn't shaking at all.
Considering the sounds coming from the fight in Ophelis Hall, shouldn't the building be shaking from the vibrations? Or parts of the building flying off?
But looking out the window at the rain pouring down peacefully, Lortel realized the true reason for her sense of unease.
Boom, Boom, Boom!
She couldn't believe it, but that sound was actually Lortel's own heart.
***
Shwaaaaaaa!
Ophelis Hall in the falling rain.
The rain had begun to slow, which made me think that it would soon come to an end.
On the top floor, there was the ongoing final battle between Taylee's party and the head maid, Elris.
On the first floor, Ziggs and Yennekar were probably showcasing their skills as they continued to block Elte.
The back gate was far from that sort of flashy battle. Through the dark night air, I could see a maid standing in the rain.
How long has she been standing there? Probably in hopes of preventing Lortel from escaping through the back gate, she was just waiting there. She was ready to capture Lortel for the sake of the person she was most loyal to, Elris.
The maid's outfit was completely soaked from the rain and her lavender hair was loose.
Slowly looking back to see who it was, it turned out to be Shaney, one of the twin maids that should have blocked Taylee's path as the third floor bosses. She quietly raised her head as she made eye contact with me.
"I didn't expect to see young master Ed out here. How unexpected."
She had come out there after hearing Elte's orders to guard the back gate and block Lortel's escape route.
Without getting rid of her usual cold expression, she pulled out a rapier.
Unfortunately for her, I knew Shaney's abilities and attack patterns like the back of my hand. She was even the type of boss that could only really show off her abilities when she was teaming up with her sister, Kelly. Being separated from her, she could only show off less than half of her actual skill level.
Wasn't it a bit lame for the last hurdle?
I confronted Shaney in the pouring rain.
The painful occupation incident was finally coming to an end.
-x-X-x-
Act 2, Chapter 3: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall.
The fifth floor boss: the battle against Head Maid Elris
In the center of the fifth floor hall, Taylee's party remained as calm and composed as ever.
The maid's well managed appearance remained unchanged. From head to toe, there was not a single spot on her that was messy. Even though the head maid's outfit was fancier and more decorated than that of the regular maid's, there still wasn't a single spot that was ruined.
In one hand she held a rapier, heavily decorated with a gorgeous rose pattern. In her other hand, she was gathering mana to cast intermediate magic.
Not only that, but all of the defensive magic circles that were protecting Ophelis Hall had returned to her, as William had passed out.
She had sword skills that could rival those of a combat student, was capable of intermediate magic, and even had access to the defensive magic circles of Ophelis Hall.
She was different from Willain, who had been taken over by the magic circles and ended up destroying Ophelis Hall. Being the head maid of Ophelis Hall, she was already familiar with the system and the practical uses of the defensive magic circles.
Nevertheless, she could not beat Taylee. After all, Taylee McLaure was the protagonist.
Regardless, the final battle of Act 2, Chapter 3 had begun.
And in an absurdly quick manner, the conclusion was met.
***
The rain fell onto Shaney's rapier.
I was almost out of mana. I only had enough left to cast basic magic another two or three times.
I closed my eyes quietly as I began to remember.
Shaney's first strike would be a stab between my lower abdomen and thigh. It would always be the same, even if she were to repeat it a hundred or even thousands of times. That was because all of the maids in Ophelis Hall used the sword in a similar way. Even if they didn't like it, their body has already come to remember that exact pattern.
The rain continued pouring.
Shaney's feet kicked off the ground as she broke through the rain, narrowing the distance between us in an instant.
If you looked at the fluttering hem of the maid outfit's puffy skirt from the front, it looked like a blooming flower.
In an instant, Shaney twisted her body. The hem of her skirt, which used to resemble petals, curled up and disappeared. While I was unable to determine its whereabouts, a rapier struck my thigh.
Well, it should have struck it.
Smash!
Instead, Shaney's rapier was crushed into the ground by my foot.
My body responded naturally, even before Shaney approached me. It wasn't a matter of how fast my reaction speed was, it was because I had the foresight.
Shaney's power was primarily optimized to work well with her sister Kelly's magic.
Unlike Kelly, who was in charge of attacking from the back and being their main source of firepower,
Shaney took on the role of vanguard. She drew out the holes within the enemy's defense with her quick and subtle movements.
There is almost no direct firepower, and her unnecessarily flashy and dynamic movements were only meant to attract attention. She might have been quite agile and quick, but her muscle strength was rather lacking.
"Wh-WHAT?!"
She had approached me quickly, thinking I was going to cast magic, but my act of preparing to cast beginner magic was all just a ruse.
A magician could never give up distance. That was because magic required one to stand still for a certain amount of time to properly cast it, but it could only happen while maintaining a safe distance.
In addition to that, their muscle strength and agility would naturally be greatly inferior when it came to close combat. To sum it up, those who were fighting against magicians were bound to focus on closing the distance.
Unfortunately, there was a difference in weight class between Shaney and me.
"Aghk!"
Shaney was startled as she tried to take out a dagger, hidden between her thighs.
However, my hand reached it first as I stopped her from pulling it out.
I bent Shaney's wrist and kicked the bundle of knives, which were tied to her thigh, with my foot.
Clang! Clang!
All of her secondary weapons, which she had stored just in case, were now useless.
For a brief moment, Shaney's eyes began to turn red as the flow of mana began to leak around her bent wrist.
The twin maids Shaney and Kelly could share some of their skills. It was the privilege granted to the twin sisters born with a blessing of the stars.
The dagger that had been knocked onto the floor suddenly began to float in the air. Kelly's low-ranking telekinesis magic. It was a 'living weapon' that allowed swords, spears, and the like to attack the enemy directly.
About four or five daggers began to float up and spin in the air, aiming for me… Before they suddenly stopped.
As Shaney grabbed her rapier and her strength returned to her hand, the daggers rushed towards me. They were rushing at me like birds of prey, but I didn't look towards them.
I lowered my body to protect my vital points and shoved my shoulder into Shaney.
Shaney's magic wasn't as sophisticated as Kelly's. She could only borrow that power. In the end, it was still nothing more than an act to attract attention.
One by one, daggers flew into my thigh, right shoulder, and forearm. However, it would be ridiculous to say that I had gotten struck as they fell right away. It was like a child throwing something at an adult. The only damage was a small amount of bleeding.
I didn't lessen my strength while I bent Shaney's wrist.
From the beginning, Shaney's goal was obvious. The flying daggers were just a trick to steal her opponent's attention and force them to respond. Much of Shaney's fighting power came from her unique agile movements.
Once you took control of those movements, she would never be able to gain the upper hand.
My blood started to drip as my elbow rested on her solar plexus, laying on the floor.
"Cough!"
Shaney stopped breathing for a moment. I stabbed my nail into her forearm and added some strength to scrape her skin.
"Kaaaghk!"
"Eu-Eughaak!"
"That's right."
I kicked away her rapier, which was rolling on the floor.
She was an opponent that made up for the difference in muscle strength with her sleek movements and high agility. Once she lost her weapons and her movements were suppressed, there was no hope for her.
It took less than a minute to get to that point.
"Eugaaaaaaaaaaakh!"
But as the rainwater kept on falling into her bloodshot eyes, she grabbed my chest and pushed at me. She kept on scratching me with her fingernails, kicking me in the back with her thigh, which altogether began to drive me mad.
"I can't disappoint Ms. Elris after coming this far! Move! Get out of my way!"
Her elegance and polite manners were a thing of the past as she began rolling around on the muddy ground. I wiped my blood off and grabbed Shaney's neck tightly as I spoke straight to her face.
"Elris will lose."
The blood dripping from my face fell onto Shaney's white cheek. The drops of blood running down her face and around her ears mixed with the rain as it wet the ground.
"What do you know? What do you know about Ms. Elris?"
To be honest, I didn't know much.
The occupation of Ophelis Hall was just a stepping stone event. The personal backstory of the event boss was beyond my realm of knowledge.
"Do you have any idea how much Ms Elris has suffered? Even in this situation, do you even know how hard she fought to stay true to her beliefs?"
To be honest…
Silvenia's Failed Swordmaster didn't go into much depth about Elris' personal situation.
There were many episodes that needed to be processed, so maybe they thought that adding development to each side character would end up increasing the volume too much and slow down the pacing.
"…That's none of my business."
With those words, Shaney's eyes widened. Since I didn't have the answer, I was left speechless. She was not wrong.
BOOM!
A huge explosion erupted coming from the fifth floor of Ophelis Hall. The white spectacle that lit up the darkness of the late night had clearly come from Taylee's Swordmaster Skill.
The battle against the head maid Elris was nearing its end.
Shaney, with her bloodshot eyes, took advantage of my shock and reached her hand out towards my face.
She used her fingernail to stab my arm to make me loosen my grip, but I had already grabbed her by the side of her neck and pressed down hard. Little by little, she was starting to run out of breath as she began to faint.
In a last ditch effort, she began to scratch at the back of my neck and collarbone like crazy.
"You don't even know! You don't even know a thing about Elris! So how can you be on the side of that wicked girl…?!"
Reaching out her hand, Shaney choked as her voice was filled with hatred.
"Do you have any idea how many orphans Elris saved?! I was one of them! If it wasn't for Elris, I couldn't have gotten such a job, made any money, or even continued living in the first place!"
"I didn't ask."
"Kgh, ughk."
Regardless of the scratches that she made around my face and neck, I kept pushing on Shaney. I was shocked by the hate in her bloodshot eyes, but I didn't change my expression.
"I won't forgive… I can't believe… Taking… Lortel's side… E-Ed Roths… Keughkkk…"
Her white hands, which were gripping my face, gradually loosened. Both of her arms fell into the mud.
I relaxed my grip as I looked down at Shaney, who had fainted.
I slowly stood up.
My whole body was muddy as the defeated Shaney's body lay in front of me. Her bloodshot eyes and flowing tears were imprinted into my memory.
It was a shame, but I didn't know any of the extras' storylines. What did she expect me to do when I didn't know?
Just how did Elris end up saving Shaney and Kelly? What did she have to go through to become the head maid of Ophelis Hall? Just how much did Elris struggle through to get there? There was no way for me to find out.
Silvenia's Failed Swordmaster didn't put a spotlight on that story. There was no story in the main storyline that had shed light on them.
In the first place, there were many stories in this world that had never been shown.
I turned my head and looked up at the half destroyed Ophelis Hall.
On the top floor, Elris, who was one of the main people behind this situation, must be getting defeated by Taylee.
Nevertheless, the half destroyed Ophelis Hall wouldn't return.
The financial damage had already been done, which would put pressure on the academy. Some of the students wouldn't have a place to live now, so they would end up complaining. And there may have even been some students who had gotten injured by the falling debris.
Furthermore, the pressure on the academy's finances may even result in a reduction in student benefits and welfare, the size of scholarships may reduce. A major change in dormitory policy was needed, and some students may even have to give up on their studies.
What's the point in trying to weigh the damages caused by this incident when compared to the relief efforts Elris had done before, just to figure out if she was in the right?
Who was Elris to weigh the importance of good and evil, and to what extent could she overlook evil in the decisions she made and the methods she took?
Or was she a villain that was on the same level as Lortel or Elte…?
People who could make philosophical comments and decide on their own choices in life were those who were living a privileged, fulfilling life.
However, my life choices and ultimate goal had never changed, not even once, since I ended up possessing this body.
It was to survive.
I knew exactly what kind of crazy storyline the world is progressing into.
That was why I had taken Lortel's side to survive. That was it.
Unfortunately, there were no profound philosophical reasons for agony or personal morals that went into this decision.
As it was with all of the decisions we made in life.
[ You have defeated Shaney, who is in charge of dishes! ]
[ You have acquired the combat-type skill 'Pain Endurance' ]
[ You have acquired the combat-type skill 'Battlefield Vision' ]
The Pain Endurance skill, which temporarily allowed you to forget pain and delayed the consumption of Vitality.
And the Battlefield Vision skill, which allowed you to momentarily process the opponent's movements in slow motion.
"This… I've finally learned it…"
In the pouring rain, I looked at the scratches all over my body while organizing the thoughts of what my next steps were in my head.
There was still work that had to be taken care of.
I picked up a stone and quickly went on my way again. Now I had to enter Lortel's room.
After that, everything else would be a breeze.
Crash!
I broke her window as I crawled into Lortel's room.
Crack!
Stepping on the fallen glass shards, I looked around Lortel's room.
It was spacious and grand, as expected of a room in Ophelis Hall. On the other hand, it felt a bit awkward.
Yennekar's room, from my memory, was a room full of cute ruffles and pretty decorations, with a variety of things that were just like her… but her peer's room, was strangely more business-like.
Luxurious pieces of wooden furniture and various decorations seemed to have been arranged out of necessity. Her desk was covered in papers and the books were angled without a single error, resembling soldiers lining up in a row.
The gap between Lortel and Yennekar was so clear that I couldn't help but let out a bitter smile without realizing it.
"That's so like her."
I spoke to myself as I pulled out a large wooden box from underneath her desk. Inside was a bird cage with, naturally, a bird inside of it.
I took out the cage, put it on the desk, and pulled out a pen from the corner of the desk. I flipped over a random piece of paper lying on the desk and began to write.
Elte is in Silvenia. It will take at least three days for him to get back to the headquarters.
Sell all the equipment that you have secured.
I rolled up the piece of paper and put it in a small container tied to the leg of the pigeon.
Then, I took out the pigeon and let it spread its wings in freedom.
The homing pigeon, which flew through the rain in the night sky, would return with Elte's head.
I was relieved to think that I had finished a major task and sighed.
***
It had been a long time since I'd last seen the northern forest.
The northern forest. It was a place where I struggled desperately to survive, each and every day. But after going through many trials, I ended up realizing that there was nowhere else like the forest.
No matter how shabby and ugly my house was, it was still my house. It was the most comfortable place for me, and there was nothing I could do about it.
The rain had nearly stopped. No, it had stopped.
There was a unique atmosphere in the forest right after the rain.
Though it wasn't raining, the heavy moisture that pressed down on my skin still remained, making it difficult to move.
However, the pleasant feeling of the damp atmosphere was a mystery of vegetation. Thanks to the humidity, it felt like I was a part of the forest as I made my way through the thick scent of grass.
However, to claim to be a part of this beautiful nature… My appearance was too offputting.
A shirt covered in blood, wounds on my thighs and shoulders. The bleeding had stopped, but the blood stains remained as I limped around like a zombie.
Still, those kinds of wounds would recover quickly when you considered my past experiences. It was better than being attacked by a wild boar or falling while picking fruits from a tree. As long as I put something over them, then they would heal quickly.
"Phew…"
I let out a deep breath as I began to speed up my steps. It wasn't a trail… It was just a path, close to the mountain road that cut through the grass.
If the entire plan went well, Lortel should have been waiting at the cabin.
There wasn't much time left for Elte. Being in his position, a person couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Before the homing pigeon arrived and the sale went through, he would have to find Lortel and make her admit the truth. It would be in a somewhat violent and cruel way.
Originally, it wouldn't have been too difficult.
Using common sense, nobody would imagine that the head of the Elte Company would be in such a place at such a time. Neither Lortel nor I did. For a man of his stature, rumors usually would spread a few days ahead of his visit.
Without the help of Ziggs and Yennekar, and other events that worked out in my favor, Lortel would have ended up going down a merciless path of failure.
Still, there was a fairly high chance of succeeding. That was because time was on Lortel's side. Somewhere along the path the pigeon would take between that night and the next afternoon was the Maginot line.
Once he heard that Lortel's wagon had escaped outside of Acken Island, Elte definitely wouldn't stay still.
There was no way for him to search from inside of Acken Island calmly in such an urgent situation.
There was a high possibility that it would all just be a waste of time, chasing the wagon that escaped while trying to deduce Lortel's whereabouts and the carriage's path.
Even if he was able to catch the coachman quickly and make him confess her whereabouts, he would then need to turn around and go all the way back to Acken Island. The failure to win at Ophelis Hall would become his bitter, disappointing mistake.
Please, when I return to the cabin, please let Lortel be waiting there.
As I thought that, I suddenly saw a girl at the bottom of the small hill.
Maybe it was because of the long night's hardships, but her reddish colored hair—which usually resembled a blazing flame—had no shine.
Her hair, which was tied to one side, had fallen loose. Her wet body didn't seem to be drying, even though the rain had stopped.
A girl who had lived her entire life in a world revolving around golden coins and calculating, understanding, estimating every move. She was the Golden Daughter, so to speak.
I couldn't see her expression as she was wearing a hood.
"Wow, did you come all the way here to see me? How kind of you."
I playfully threw out those words, but no response came back.
Maybe she was quite exhausted, stumbling down the path coming here.
The rain stopped and the clouds began to clear as the rising moonlight cast a shadow. It ended up making it even harder to decipher the girl's expression.
And then she pulled out a sharp, silver dagger from under her arm.
Goosebumps rose all over my body.
"…What?"
Did she pick up one of the daggers that Shaney was using? If she had come out through the back gate after I defeated Shaney, she would have been able to obtain one.
The use of magic power was too conspicuous, so maybe she was going to just keep a dagger as a means of self defense?
I shook my head.
Pull yourself together. That's just a very hopeful interpretation.
I tried to step back, but I couldn't take another due to my injuries.
Yeah, did I get a little too complacent?
She was the Golden Daughter, Lortel.
She was someone who was cruel and ungrateful. Someone who took advantage of people as much as she could before throwing them away.
Right. From Lortel's point of view… Now was the time to get rid of Ed Rothstaylor.
Regardless of what ended up happening to Elte, those who knew the truth about the relation between the Elte Company and the occupation of Ophelis Hall had to be reduced to the smallest number possible.
There were five people that she had brought in.
Elris, Shaney, Kelly, Wilain… And me, Ed Rothstaylor.
Even if she ended up overthrowing Elte, she still needed to keep the mouths of those five people shut.
Elris was a person that moved according to the logic of money. Even though she may not be able to open up her heart to her again, as she has already been betrayed by her once, she could be confident that she could shut her up with enough money.
The reason she had betrayed her in the first place was probably because of the amount of money.
And not just that. If Elte were to lose his position, Elris would have no choice but to fall into Lortel's hand. As long as she could clearly see the circumstances, then she could use her to her heart's content.
Shaney and Kelly were maids who were loyal to Elris. As long as she could persuade Elris, then those two would keep their mouths shut as well.
Willain, the representative of the lower students, was brought into the plan with money from the beginning. He always wanted to be the voice of the lower students, but whenever he was given money he was easily swayed and taken advantage of.
And the last variable was Ed Rothstaylor, who was out of her control.
At first she thought that he could be bought with money, but now she was unsure if buying him over with just money was possible.
She had to take into account the risk of being stabbed in the back, while trying to forcefully figure out his inner thoughts and plans.
A remote part of the northern forest.
Nobody would notice amidst the chaos of the Ophelis Hall incident.
The opponent's whole body was a wreck. He was in a state of total exhaustion, with an injury that made him unable to even properly hold his body up.
There was a sharp weapon in her hand.
She was a girl who was like the incarnation of greed, who unconditionally seized even the smallest opportunities.
I knew better than anyone else that she wasn't a person who would give up an opportunity like this.
Let's calm down.
I could overcome the situation.
She was as tired as I was, and we weren't so deep in the woods that it would be impossible to make it to the education district if I ran away immediately.
In addition, there are also quite a few spirits in the forest that were favorable to me. With their help, we could interfere with Lortel's movement for a while.
Well, I needed to admit what was obvious. I had gotten a bit complacent.
I couldn't take into account the situation because I was busy dealing with so many sudden variables.
Even despite that, I should have never forgotten the nature behind the character 'Lortel Kehelland'.
Act 2, Chapter 10: The battle for the Sage's Seal. It took place after Act 2, Chapter 3: The Occupation of Ophelis Hall.
Did I already forget about Lortel's appearance in the climax?
Lortel Kehelland was an evil girl who would take advantage of anyone, regardless of who they were, and immediately throw them away afterwards.
Someone who stabbed her own adoptive father in the back, took advantage of Taylee and his party by knowing their every move, and then ran away with all the benefits by herself in the end.
I still remember the scene where she mockingly smiled in front of the academy, holding onto the Sage's Seal. When she smiled, head down, as she listened to Elte's screams. Those scenes were still stuck in my mind.
This was not the time for me to be acting like this. I need to use my brain.
The moment I tried to straighten my body and come up with a decent escape plan…
Rrrrrrrrip.
Lortel used the dagger to tear a hole into her expensive-looking robe.
She then stumbled forward, walking towards me.
"You ended up getting hurt… to this extent…"
With the torn fabric… she tied it around my wound.
I could see her expression now that she was closer… It looked like she was going to cry.
"I'll help you. I lit the campfire, since it stopped raining. First, we should warm up."
***
Crackle, Crackle.
"So, did everything go as planned?"
"Ed, you're really quite… Of course it did. I'm Lortel Kehelland."
The moon and stars came out like usual. The sky after the rain had stopped. It felt rather cozy.
She grinned, holding onto a mug next to the burning campfire. She had finally returned to her foxlike appearance.
"I got a promise from the coachman. He said that he would try his best to attract their attention and buy some time. He's even willing to risk his life."
"He was that loyal? What type of trick did you use?"
"You want to know?"
Just by looking at her wide smile, I could tell that it wasn't a very honorable method. I refrained from asking any further questions. Don't tell me, she wouldn't have taken their family hostage, right?
…Right?
"Well, it was a lot different than I had planned, but… Anyway, I am in great debt to you, Ed. Thank you."
"Is that so?"
"Did you know? If this plan goes well, then I'll join the ranks of those highest in power within the Elte Company."
The position of head would be taken by another senior merchant, but since she was the one who actually created an empty seat for the new head, she would become an influential figure within the business.
"The fact that I owe you a debt, isn't it something incredible? What do you think? Don't you feel a lot of pressure on your shoulders? Don't you think I'm amazing?"
"..."
"Wow, that reaction was so lame."
I felt relieved to see that her sparkling smile while saying those words was no different from her usual smile, the one that hid her evil intentions.
While laughing so mischievously, she took a sip of the herbal tea from the mug… and quietly lowered her voice.
"Thank you so much. I will never forget it."
"Give me the twenty gold coins you promised me on time, then."
"Hahaha! That's… of course I will."
She never got rid of her smile, as if everything was great. Blinking and staring straight at my face, I felt uncomfortable—as if she was trying to see what was hidden in my heart.
"That's that. But there's something I wanted to ask you."
"What? Do you still have something to take care of? Is it about Elris?"
"No, nothing like that. I'm going to take care of that stuff on my own… What I wanted to ask about was Yennekar."
It was a natural technique for merchants to change a topic naturally like the wind.
"Ed, you're very close to Yennekar. Right?"
I tilted my head at that question and answer immediately.
"Yeah, I'm close with Yennekar. She's a good person."
"She is definitely a nice, and great upperclassman that I respect. She's always considerate of others and good hearted."
"Yeah. So, what's up?"
Saying that, Lortel looked down at the herbal tea and then looked up at the sky. The sky from the river in the northern forest was as high and clear as usual.
"I'm not that nice of a person."
She recited those words while quietly holding onto the mug gently closing her eyes.
***
Booooooom!
The first floor of Ophelis Hall was no longer only partially destroyed. It was now completely destroyed.
Ziggs Eiffelstein finished the battle and straightened his body. The mercenaries brought by Elte were less impressive than he had expected.
They didn't look like mercenaries under direct control of the Elte Company. Though even at that level of quality, if there were too many then it could have become hard for Ziggs. Quality was important, but quantity could always make up for it.
However, the mercenaries' training was so poor that Ziggs and Yennekar alone were enough to defend Ophelis Hall.
Over in a hurry? It must have been quite the urgent situation, or perhaps a situation in which he didn't want anyone to know that he had left his seat?
Coming up with such a guess, Ziggs sat down on the rubble near him.
For some reason… I have a feeling that we are going to have another fight. I'm a little worried about the head maid, as well. It seems like there is something weird going on.
He didn't feel completely relieved, but that couldn't be helped given that the situation had become like this.
"Phew. Good work, Yennekar."
Ed suddenly requested help and, without fully understanding the situation, he ended up helping. Though, somehow everything ended well.
Elte suddenly received a report from his subordinate in the middle of it all, and rushed out. It seemed that he was no longer interested in Ophelis Hall.
Was this all according to Ed's plan? He hoped that he could at least hear a detailed explanation of the situation from him later.
With that in mind, Ziggs looked towards Yennekar.
Among the mid-ranking spirits there was a girl. At first, she looked a bit worried. But as the battle continued, the spirits grew stronger and stronger to an unbelievable strength.
Since he was afraid of casualties, he had to keep an eye on Yennekar.
From Ziggs' point of view, he could only see Yennekar's back. Looking at her, it was like he had seen a ghost. Chills ran across his body. Ziggs took a moment to take a deep breath.
"…Yennekar, is something the matter? By chance, are you angry?"
The girl was smiling gently.
"I'm not angry."
However, because of her protruding veins, Ziggs felt uncomfortable talking to her.
-x-X-x-
Clara, a second year magic student and one of Yennekar's best friends, had been standing outside the half destroyed Ophelis Hall since morning. That was because there was someone that she wanted to meet with.
"Hello, Ms. Bell."
A day has passed since the major destruction caused by the occupation of Ophelis Hall had come to an end. Although the detailed investigation had yet to be completed, amongst the students there were rumors that the maids were somehow involved with the incident.
Clara had felt that the rumors were nothing more than that: mere rumors. The academy's inspection department would eventually come to a conclusion after discovering more details.
"Gasp."
The reconstruction site of the half destroyed Ophelis Hall.
Since it had barely been two days since the incident, no sort of significant reconstruction work had been started. The faculty and maids were busy trying to figure out the extent of the damage.
At the entrance of the rose garden, she ran into Bell Maya. She was busy taking notes. Clara let out a gasp.
Bell Maya, unlike usual, was wearing a dark red maid outfit covered in beautiful decorations. Looking at the blue rose brooch on her chest, the blue frills that came down the hem of her skirt, it was definitely the outfit that only the head maid was permitted to wear.
"Aren't you a close friend of Lady Yennekar? What brings you all the way to Ophelis Hall?"
"Oh! Hello, Ms Bell. Did you recently get promoted?"
"Due to Ms. Elris' personal circumstances, she was no longer able to fulfill her duty as the head maid. As such, I have been promoted from a Senior Maid to the Head Maid."
"I… I see. It somehow feels like your position is much higher…"
"There is no reason to feel uncomfortable. Our main duty is to help others. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to let me know."
"No, it's okay. It's just that… I wanted to talk to you about a personal matter… How should I say this? Nevermind, you look quite busy right now."
"Hm… I am a bit busy, but…"
Bell looked down at her checklist, then glanced back at the half destroyed Ophelis Hall before shaking her head.
"Most of the work has already been done, and I don't think I'll need to give out any further orders. I was going to take a break anyway."
"Oh, is that so?"
"So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"
"Don't be too surprised. This is top secret. You can never leak this out, and you can't act too surprised."
Clara's face stiffened as she leaned in towards Bell with a serious tone to her voice.
Bell wondered just what kind of shocking secret she was about to tell her as she paid close attention.
"It's about Yennekar… I think she likes Ed… Ed Rothstaylor."
Having already known that fact to a surprising degree, she wondered if she should at least pretend to be surprised.
"I just don't get why someone like Yennekar would fall so madly in love with that thug… And as her friend, my feelings are mixed."
They had moved over to a bench in the rose garden. Clara, who kept on looking around nearby to make sure that nobody was passing by, soon confessed all of the troubles buried deep in her heart to Bell.
"I've been thinking about this for three days and nights already, but… These days, Ed's reputation has improved a bit. I'm sure Yennekar also has something on her mind, so I came to the decision to cheer them on. But I still feel very, very uncertain about it all."
As she listened to every word Clara lamented, Bell thought that Yennekar had truly made a great friend. That was because in this world, there are very few people who would truly care for their friend's relationships to that extent.
Even though she could have easily ended up interfering in something that was none of her business, Clara made sure to not cross that line and only worried about Yennekar's love life.
"First off, if Yennekar really thinks of him like that… Then as her friend, I really do hope that Yennekar and Ed work out well."
"I see. You must have been very worried about her, Lady Clara."
"But… that's not the point!"
Bell tilted her head. Right as she was going to respond, Clara interrupted, spitting out another girl's name.
"Lortel Kehelland! You know that name, right? You must, because you were a senior maid at Ophelis Hall!"
"…Yes, of course I know of her."
"Recently, Yennekar has been saying her name quite often. Even though she's a first year, ever since the joint combat practice she has been involved with them quite a bit. Though, it doesn't seem like anything is happening."
Clara looked around nearby once more, before quietly lowering her voice and whispering to Bell.
"So I looked into it personally, and I'm not sure, but they were both absent on the day of the opening ceremony. They were also together yesterday, during their shared first period. Thinking about Yennekar… it seems that she's in quite a pickle."
For a girl, the existence of a rival was like a disaster… At first she thought that she may have just had a simple misunderstanding.
"Ms. Bell, I've heard a lot about you from Yennekar. She said that she relied on you quite a bit and you always gave her helpful advice… I heard that you are quite an insightful person."
"You're flattering me."
"And you also know both Yennekar and Lortel quite well… so I came here because I wanted to ask for your opinion."
"Lady Lortel is quite a famous person. I'm sure that you also know of her, don't you?"
Rumors about the Golden Daughter Lortel were spreading throughout the academy, regardless of the grade.
"I know of her. But seeing just a bit of her… I just can't see Yennekar winning…"
"I think that Lady Yennekar is a person that is also plenty attractive."
"Of course I also think that, too. But Lortel is like…"
Clara's words didn't come out, but Bell nodded her head.
Indeed, Lortel Kehelland is definitely a foxlike girl. She is always well behaved and her actions were full of grace. But when an opportunity struck, she was like a little devil that couldn't hide her true, dark feelings. Clara knew that quite well.
Her life as a merchant didn't go to waste, so surely she had a better understanding of how to develop relationships and gain the interest of others.
"I don't have much relationship experience, but ultimately, relationships between men and women are a game of push and pull…"
Bell had no choice but to nod her head at Clara's complaining.
Yennekar Palerover was innocent and positive by nature, so she only knew how to pull and not push.
Lortel, on the other hand… Being a merchant, there was no way that she wouldn't be completely capable of controlling the speed of a relationship's growth.
No matter how attractive and loveable Yennekar might be, in front of Lortel's skilled tug-of-war she couldn't do anything… She was like a fish on a line.
Clara clenched her fist.
"That can't happen! That's why… I think Yennekar should learn how to play hard to get!"
"..."
"No matter what, I really want Yennekar to learn how to do that. It'll be too painful for her to lose a relationship because of adult charm from a girl a year younger than her.
At least she will have gone through a learning experience if she gets rejected by that awful guy instead… but to be robbed of a relationship will only hurt!"
Bell wanted to applaud Clara, who was passionately expressing her frustration, but she refrained from reacting. To cry to such an extent, worrying about a friend's life.
"What do you think, Ms. Bell? I heard that you always say the right thing!"
Those burning eyes of hers turned towards Bell. Honestly. It was a bit awkward.
"Wh-Who can say? I'm really not quite sure…"
In any case, Bell was already acquainted with Ed, Yennekar, and Lortel. Compared to Clara, who is somewhat biased, she could judge the situation a bit more objectively.
"Hmm… I don't think that there is a reason for Lady Yennekar to have to say something that doesn't suit her."
"…You think so?"
"And your thoughts could be perceived as a bit biased as well, right? I think that it's possible that Lady Yennekar is quite a bit more capable than you think, and Lady Lortel could also be less experienced in human relationships than expected, as well."
"…I'm not sure… It's hard to agree with that part…"
Anyway, it wasn't a good idea to unnecessarily meddle in other people's love affairs. That was the conclusion Bell had come to, so she had no intention of supporting the extremely worried Clara's objective.
"In the first place, I don't even know much about Ed Rothstaylor! Is he just a ridiculously stubborn person, or was he just born an unpleasant jerk?!"
In the end, Clara's hostility all ended up being directed towards Ed Rothstaylor.
"In fact, it's kind of ridiculous that she keeps looking at him like that, but he doesn't even realize it!"
"…Well, for young master Ed's case… Rather than being a stubborn person or a complete jerk… I think it's just because he's in a situation where it's difficult to have an interest in a relationship…"
Ed Rothstaylor was someone who had set up a camp in the northern forest, taking care of food, shelter, and clothing all by himself.
Sometimes Bell would come by to give him some food ingredients herbs and other medical supplies, but… Ed had been taking care of the bare fundamentals of survival entirely on his own.
In addition to that, he was also studying the academy's curriculum. He was living a life where he had to strategically divide each hour of the day into a task.
He was in a spot where getting distracted by a woman for even a few days risked him running out of food. It was already almost autumn, with winter quickly approaching. There would be a lot of other concerns that he will need to prepare for, as well.
"That can't be possible. Well, he was just born lucky. Having good luck when it comes to girls… I'm sure that he has his mouth open like a creep, drunk on his own popularity. I'm getting the chills just thinking about it!"
"..."
Bell didn't respond as she clenched her fist, leaving Clara to continue with her story. Well, sometimes it was enough of a relief to just vent to someone else about your issues and worries.
Bell closed her eyes as she thought about Ed's situation. Right now, it looked like he was struggling to survive. Would it really be a situation for him to be enjoying his luck when it came to girls? Considering all of that, she gave him a silent prayer.
Ultimately, when she thought about all the girls around that boy, she could only think of them as cats and other animals.
Lortel Kehelland was like a feisty stray cat, sitting in front of a fish shop.
Yennekar Palerover was like an innocent kitten, trembling in fear in front of a tiger.
Lucy… well she was just a cat.
Either way, she could clearly see Ed struggling amongst all of those girls as she tried to give him some encouragement that would never reach him.
It seemed that she needed to take some time to go and visit Ed's camp.
She wanted to check it out, seeing that Clara was worried to such an extent, but… there was also a message she needed to deliver from Head Maid Elris.
Though, it was not good news.
***
It had been a while since the weather was so good. I went over to the stream next to the camp to wash my face and decided to check my Life Skills.
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Intermediate Craftsman
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
Handicraft Lvl 13
Design Lvl 8
Collecting Skills Lvl 11
Woodworking Lv 12
Hunting Lvl 8
Fishing Lvl 6
Cooking Lvl 6
Repairing Lvl 5
Since the advanced production technique slots were currently empty, acquiring a new technique that I could use was of the highest priority.
I'd already decided on what skills I was going to learn. I planned to start learning Spiritual Infusion—which has a good compatibility with Elementalists—as well as Magic Engineering, which would be great for making daily necessities and other types of combat-related equipment.
Spiritual Infusion was acquired automatically once you made a contract with a spirit and produced a product that contained Elementalism. Magic Engineering, on the other hand, was acquired once you succeed in dismantling and assembling a magically engineered item of a certain level.
Compared to Combat-type skills and Magic-type skills, the methods to acquire them were quite simple and quick. That was the benefit of Production-type skills.
I didn't want to waste a spirit slot unnecessarily, but if I wanted to start training Spiritual Infusion in advance, it would be better to just make a contract with a low-ranking spirit immediately.
In that case, I thought it would be better for me to make it with a spirit who was of an attribute different than mine. Earth or water spirits.
If I started dealing with spirits properly, then I'd start to increase my spirit-type skills' proficiency quickly. Then, once my magic-type stats were able to support me, the day that I could make a contract with a high-ranking spirit would come sooner than expected.
In that regard, it might have been better to go and get some help from Yennekar.
My body condition wasn't great. I couldn't push my body too far doing things that required a lot of work. In other words, because of the Occupation of Ophelis Hall incident, I ended up pushing myself too far. Because of that,when it came down to labor intensive work, I couldn't do much of it.
Well, what can you do…? It was a necessary sacrifice.
In any case, I was able to prevent Lortel, one of the main characters of the story line, from leaving. The plan seemed to have worked to some extent, given that there had been no significant response from Elte yet.
The rest needed to be fought out back at Elte's headquarters, so the only thing we could do was wait for the situation to play itself out and wait for good news from the homing pigeon, which would eventually fly back.
"Hi, Ed! Now that the rain has stopped, the weather has gotten a bit chilly!"
"Oh. Hey, Yennekar."
Yennekar still visited the camp every day. It was great, as she would bring all sorts of food ingredients with her.
"Is Lortel doing okay?"
"Yeah. She's just resting in the cabin."
I told Yennekar the entire story.
After explaining Lortel's situation to her and how she had to be in hiding for a while, Yennekar had nodded her head and accepted that fact. After that, she started coming over to see if she was okay every single day.
However, it was already the start of classes and the second semester's curriculum was already underway.
Lortel had no intention of going to class until her safety was ensured, and since my uniform was a wreck, I ended up borrowing Ziggs'. However, I needed to adjust it to fit me. It would be really difficult to attend class until I was able to finish fixing it.
So Lortel and I weren't able to go to class until our situation got better. Yennekar, on the other hand, had no such reason. And yet, she still came by the camp every day to sit down and read her magic textbooks.
"Yennekar, you're not going to class?"
"Hm? My head hurts and my condition isn't all that great, so I'm just going to rest here in the northern forest and enjoy the breeze. I already told the professors, and they just told me to take care of myself."
"Really? You didn't get hurt while trying to help me, right?"
"No way. Definitely not. You should just do what you need to do. I'm just going to sit here enjoying nature, then head back when it's time."
Even though Yenenkar said that, she didn't seem to be in any sort of pain.
She sat down on a wooden stool by the campfire the entire day, reading her book. She would also sometimes glare at the cabin, almost like she was surveying it.
It seems that Yennekar didn't fully trust Lortel quite yet. That was understandable. After all, Lortel's past was something quite special.
***
"I see, Ed. Well, it's a shame that you can't explain the details of the situation to me… But at least I was able to pay off my debt."
As the sun went down, I was off chopping firewood when Ziggs came by to ask about the situation from the previous night and help me out. I gave him a brief explanation of the story, and answered the questions he asked me.
"Well, it seems that they can't really tell that we destroyed part of Ophelis Hall. The building was already half-destroyed in the first place, so it wasn't obvious that we destroyed part of it."
"What about the disciplinary actions against the students?"
"Most of it was put on that upperclassmen, Villain, as well as some other students that were dealt a minor punishment. The head maid is still being interrogated, but it doesn't seem like she's opening her mouth."
Seeing as there was no mention of Lortel, Elris must have been staying silent. She couldn't hastily confess without knowing if Lortel or Elte was going to win.
Once it was safe, she would probably try and secretly make contact as fast as possible.
"Alright. Anyway, this time I owe you."
"What are you talking about? Next time as well, make sure to let me know if you need anything. I'll be heading out now."
Ziggs waved at me as he left. I dropped the axe I was holding next to me and let out a deep sigh.
It was probably better that Lortel stayed hidden in the cabin.
I could just keep on sharing food with her, and once some time passed and we heard news of our victory, we could both return back to our normal lives.
I hoped there wouldn't be any major accidents before then.
I sat down in the middle of the forest to take a break, smelling the breeze of the upcoming fall, hoping for a peaceful time.
Most of my wounds had healed, so they weren't bothering me too much anymore.
***
The quiet atmosphere inside the cabin calmed her down.
Lortel sat, leaning against the rough wall, quietly waiting for time to pass by.
Although the Occupation of Ophelis Hall Incident had come to an end, there was still a lot of work left for her to do.
The first thing was to win over the former maid Elris again.
The rumors going around said that the head maid Elris was keeping her mouth shut in front of the investigators. As she couldn't tell who the winner would be between Lortel and Elte, she was going to stay quiet until she knew for sure.
The second thing was to lay the groundwork for the negotiations on the purchase of the Sage's Seal.
Elte losing his position had ended up happening earlier than expected, but since there was still an opportunity to purchase the Sage's Seal, she couldn't waste it. Once the plan was established, Lortel's position in the Elte Company would be one of the most influential. Even the head wouldn't be able to touch her easily.
Even though she was quite busy, she couldn't do anything about it unless she could quickly fly over to the headquarters. Though, by living in the northern forest she first had to make sure that she was completely safe before she could head back to take classes as a student of Silvenia.
She should have been a bit frustrated at having to quit her life as a merchant and stay in the cabin for the next three days or so, despite being so busy. However, her heart was warm knowing that Ed came to check on her often, making sure she wasn't inconvenienced in any way.
It wasn't all that bad, considering the fact she had lived a splendid life full of luxury before suddenly moving into a cabin in the wilds… Though, she was sure that it was all thanks to that boy she was with.
Her heart would beat fast sitting down next to Ed Rothstaylor.
His unconditional goodwill and unrequited trust made her feel like she was snuggled in a fluffy bed.
For some that was only natural, but for Lortel—who had lived her entire life on a cold distant path—that feeling was more precious than gold.
It went without saying, but she didn't want to give him up to anyone else.
Especially that person. Yennekar Palerover.
A girl who had lived her life like a protagonist in a fairytale. To her, a relationship with unconditional goodwill and trust must have been oh so natural and common.
Whether it was her friends or family, they would all support her. To Lortel, though, that man was a luxury. A heartwarming relationship, where she knew that he would never betray her. For Yennekar, he was no more common than a pebble on a street.
If she had that many, she should at least give up this one.
Lortel had thought she was too cruel, and couldn't understand her at all.
Being like that, the only thing left was to fight dirty. Unfortunately for Yennekar, that was Lortel's specialty.
Not just that, but spending three days with him was such a massive and perfect advantage for her.
"Hmm…"
However, how would their relationship as a man and woman progress?
She had taken the initiative in human relationships countless times before, but she didn't know if it would work the same way in a more affectionate relationship between man and woman.
That was right. She had been living her life thus far in a brutal business world, where she had to weigh humans by interests alone. That was why she didn't have any knowledge about how a romantic relationship between a man and woman developed.
Unexpectedly, this is something I suck at…
Lortel thought, as she tried to view herself objectively. It was unlike her usual self.
"Let's just do it my way."
She kept on saying those words to herself as she decided to do things her own way.
After all, the easiest way to gain someone's favor was with money.
If she buried his shabby cabin with gold coins, then wouldn't he look at her with sparkling eyes anyways?
"But I'm short on money…"
Even so, she was still in the middle of reaching out to various businesses. It would affect Lortel's personal assets as well. Still, selling a villa in the Mine Region or a certificate of land on the outskirts would have a similar performance.
However, when she imagined Ed Rothstaylor's eyes full of childish greed, she shook her head.
In the end, since it would be a relationship formed out of money, there wouldn't be any sense of affection. Thinking of seeing him look at her with such eyes, smiling only for his own greed, broke her heart.
But even then, it wasn't right to sit around and do nothing.
Just by watching Ed throughout the day, she could tell that he was living a hellish life. Without wasting a single minute, or even a single second, he clenched his teeth and struggled to survive.
Before her selfish desire to be favored and loved… She also felt a sense of affection, a desire to help him.
But on the other hand, she was worried that it might be looked at as pity, and thus would eventually lead to a relationship made out of money… Lortel sat down, cross legged, as she scrunched her toes.
"Ha… Isn't it okay to help with his tuition?"
If she gave him that much money, that wouldn't be too much like pity, right?
Being a girl who had never given a favor without a cost in the first place, she couldn't even imagine what she should say or how to give him the money. Some examples of the lines she came up with while thinking on it were…
"D-Don't get the wrong idea. I-I'm not just giving this to you because you're my upperclassmen."
Lortel cringed as she curled her hands and kicked the wall of the hut. She was embarrassed by those lines, but for some reason they felt very natural to her.
Didn't she live a life hidden under a mask, with a foxlike smile hiding her dark inner intentions and ideals? Now, even in such a ridiculous situation, she couldn't take off that mask and show her face.
Taking a deep breath, she regained her composure. She straightened out the thoughts in her head as she thought about how to get through to him in a seductive, desirable manner.
"..."
In the first place, if you wanted to watch how and where a relationship between a man and woman crossed the line, it was just a matter of waiting and observing.
Anyway, at that moment Ed didn't see Lortel as a woman in the slightest. The development of a relationship would eventually stem from a change of perception. The first course of action would be to change his perception of her.
Lortel thought up that 'plan' in her mind as she nodded her head, as if she had decided on what to do.
It was impossible to realize at that point just how ridiculous that 'plan' was.
As said before, Lortel was good when it came down to controlling or shaking up someone's mind. But when it came to simple and affectionate relationships, which she was awful in, even Yennekar was years ahead of her.
"Then… Specifically, I will need to…"
However, it would take time to come up with a specified plan of action. For the next three days she would be hiding out in the cabin, so she had plenty of time to think it over.
She thought that, as long as she planned it out carefully, she would be able to beat Yennekar in no time at all.
With a sly smile, Lortel hugged her knees.
***
"…Can you move over? You're in my spot."
However, there was an unexpected event. A new girl had arrived.
"…Hm?"
"Yawn…"
She was familiar with that large witch's hat, the school uniform with long sleeves, pigtails that easily came down past her waist to her butt.
Someone that she would often meet in Professor Glast's class, and one of the three students in Class A.
Just when did she enter the cabin? When did she come in from the roof? And when did she learn spatial-type magic? The girl whose movements were impossible to predict, and who would always make the people around her bewildered…
"…Lucy…? What are you doing here…?"
"This is the best place. It's where the sun shines down the best."
She then pushed Lortel away as she threw some Marten skin down on the floor, pressed on it hard, and then laid down on top of it… She then fell asleep peacefully, arms wrapped around herself.
"..."
In a moment of complete confusion, Lortel wiped her face.
"…Just what's with this girl…?"