Even for someone like Lortel, who grew up meeting all sorts of people, Lucy Mayreel was a girl that was nearly impossible to understand.
Walking through the academy grounds, you would sometimes catch her peacefully sleeping in a nice and sunny spot. She was someone that you would consider an oddball as you walked past her.
However, she was also someone that had once been seen destroying a high-ranking spirit at the top of a mountain on the northwest side of the island. There was also the time that she got rid of a bunch of monsters that resembled sharks with a single motion of her hand…
Lortel had often heard stories of people seeing her around, wielding an immense amount of transcendental strength.
But during the Glasskan or Ophelis Hall incident, she could be found sleeping in a corner—not even thinking of helping out with her powers. There was a limit to how ridiculous a person could be, even if they were the type that lived at their own pace.
In the first place, Lortel's resources didn't have a single bit of information about Lucy Mayreel's identity or life.
She couldn't even take a guess as to where she came from or what she did before entering Silvenia.
In addition to that, it didn't make any sense as to why she would be attending the academy when she already had the strength to destroy an entire city.
She regularly attended classes, but most of the time she was dozing off. Even then, the professor in charge—Glast—would never lay a finger on Lucy.
In the first place, there wasn't a sign that he was trying to teach Lucy anything. One time Ziggs, who couldn't stand it anymore, actually went up to complain to Professor Glast about her behavior.
"That student is not at a level where it would matter if I taught her or not. You shouldn't worry about her. She's the type that, once there's something she needs to achieve, she will realize it and grow by herself."
She was a student at the level that even a professor, whose entire job was to guide and nurture students, would say such a thing. In the end, Ziggs and Lortel had no choice but to leave Lucy to her eccentric ways.
Although the situation bothered her a little, Lucy didn't really bother Lortel. Actually, they had never even talked before in the first place.
Always walking around the academy with a blank expression, eating when she was hungry, and sleeping when she was tired… Wasn't she just like a stray cat?
Before, Lortel had wished that Lucy could become a personal connection to her so that she could make use of her transcendental strength. However, the more she saw her, the more she gave up on her hopes of being able to use her.
Thinking of things like that, she had become quite adjusted to Lucy.
"Mughaaaaak!"
Humph.
Ed lifted up Lucy on his shoulder as he carried her to the wooden shelter outside. He then opened up the door again and entered the building.
"Oh. Sorry. You woke up, Lortel. I guess Lucy came to hide out in the cabin. I got rid of her already, so you can just relax like it's your own home."
Ed wiped off his sweat, as if he had just finished all the cleaning that had been delayed.
The Second Morning of Lortel's Life in the Cabin.
The first day went insanely quick.
For the first time in her life, she washed herself out in a stream. Since her clothes were drying, she wore extremely worn-out clothes as she sat awkwardly in the corner of the cabin. Ed minded his own business as he cooked up some fish and gave it to her. Eating it, she felt a strange sense of warmth and comfort.
Looking up at the starry sky, she started to soak in the romantic atmosphere… There were all sorts of exciting and heart-racing experiences that had happened to her, so many that it was hard to summarize in just one sentence.
As someone being chased, it was fun to finally go outside. Since she had spent most of her time stuck inside the cabin, just sitting outside in the camp gave her a strange sense of satisfaction… Even though the wooden floor was hard and tough, she was able to get a good night's sleep on it.
However, calling her life hiding out in the camp a romantic healing experience… it was a bit difficult to call it that. Being on the run from someone had also played a role in it, but the most inconvenient thing for her was her natural enemy.
"I heard that Yennekar stopped by this morning. I guess she came over to read some books at the campfire, then do some spiritual training. If you need anything, you can also just let her know."
The night before, Yennekar had stayed as late as possible—until curfew, when she had to return to Dex Hall.
She returned to the northern forest early in the morning. She seemed to be spending all her time there, over the full three days that Lortel was there, sitting at the camp.
Occasionally, when they would make eye contact outside the door, Yennekar would smile with the brightest, most positive expression in the world. Not falling far behind, Lortel would respond with her own bright, energetic smile. It felt like they were getting tired of dealing with each other.
Anyways, over the three days that she had given up her life of being a merchant, the only enemy for Lortel was Yennekar.
…At least, that's what she thought.
"Lucy seems to come by the camp often?"
"Tell me about it. I just think of her as a natural disaster."
Lortel felt her unique gut feeling starting to growl.
Thinking about the fact that she saw Lucy both that day and the day before, she wondered if she was spending too much time at the camp.
Whenever she had the chance, she would sit next to Ed's side, pick up some jerky on the drying rack, sleep somewhere like the roof of the cabin, or go over to the rocks that were near Ed while he chopped firewood to tell him random stories.
In the first place, there was no reason to have any suspicious about Lucy, due to her nature. However, that was only with the way things were currently.
Even Ed began to think of her visiting the camp as a natural thing, like a part of the scenery. Whenever she came to her senses, she was always sitting next to him. Wasn't that pretty dangerous?
As said before, the opportunity for a relationship between a man and women to progress came from a change in perception. If Lucy were to change her behavior and feel some sense of love or desire towards Ed… There would be another disaster, one other than Yennekar. Actually, it could be even more troublesome.
It was one of the many lessons she learned while living in the world of business. If you found the seed of a disaster, it was best to remove it immediately.
However, the way of doing so was troubling. If someone were to ask 'How?', she couldn't help but respond with a vague answer.
"It may get a bit noisy, but I'm very busy, so please try to understand."
Ed brought over a pile of bricks that came out of seemingly nowhere and began to pile them up.
Lortel nodded her head timidly as she glared at the wooden shelter, barely able to see through the crack of the open door.
Wearing clothes that were completely messy and not straightened, Lucy—who was laying down stuffing her mouth full of jerky—had fallen asleep… Her appearance definitely suggested that she had no interest at all when it came to love, or the desire to keep Ed to herself.
In the first place, it was clear that she had built up some sort of wall for those emotions… Lortel started to wonder if she had just overreacted.
Anyway, Lucy was hard to understand from a normal person's perspective, due to her unpredictable actions.
There was no harm in being too careful, but there was also no need to overreact and tire herself out for no reason.
The relationship between Ed and Lucy was a matter between those two, and not for someone like Lortel to intervene in. Even though they weren't in a romantic relationship yet, trying to restrain her partner's actions seemed like a tiring move to make.
After some degree of self-reflection, Lortel nodded her head as she leaned back against the wall of the cabin.
She wondered if she had become unnecessarily sensitive to those unfamiliar feelings. Slowly, she started to enjoy her appearance, which was now quite different from the norm.
She held her knees as she placed her chin on them, playing with her hair and taking secret glances at Ed's back as he carried the bricks.
She couldn't help but let out a laugh like an idiot, though she didn't want to ruin her image of being an experienced and merciless merchant by showing off that side of herself. She ducked her head.
Right then, Lortel's mask was her most powerful weapon.
Either way, she currently believed that she didn't need to be too sensitive about Ed's other relationships.
She had more than enough time left.
***
[ Newly Finished Product
Handmade Brick
A brick formed by pouring mud into a mold to keep its shape. After it is thoroughly dried, Ignite magic is applied to burn it into a brick.
Production Difficulty Level: ●●○○○ ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
[ Succeeded in mastering a skill. Through the Dexterity Stat, the amount in which the proficiency raises at once has increased. ]
[ Newly Finished Product
Brick Fireplace
A fireplace made by stacking together hand-made bricks. Because the joints were treated with mud, it's not sturdy. However, it appears to fulfill its role as a stove. If used indoors, it appears necessary to attach a ventilation pipe.
Production Difficulty Level: ●●○○○ ]
[ Production completed. Production skills have increased. ]
Crackle, crackle.
I was working on it the entire morning, but I still didn't have enough time to make a chimney. I had no choice but to make use of the afternoon or work late into the night to do it.
Still, I was satisfied with the level of the finished product itself, which was a great feeling that I hadn't felt in a while. Just a bit more, and it wouldn't be long until the day I could move into the cabin fully.
I had a safe environment to live in. What a dream-like thing to say.
"Oh my. The smell is quite unique. Did you add basil?"
"Bell gave me some last time. You could figure it out just by smelling it?"
"I'm quite confident in my sense of smell."
Lortel, who was humming a song. Yennekar, who was glaring at her. And finally, me. The three of us gathered around the fire as I finished preparing lunch.
It was a dish made from raw fish, cut into filets and then grilled on a grate with various spices as seasoning.
As my cooking skill proficiency increased as time passed, as well as the fact that I was in an environment where I could gather and use a variety of ingredients, it felt like the types of food I could eat had risen quite a bit.
Well, it was still all food that came from the wild… But anyway, the taste had been improving each day, which was a positive. Once I finished constructing the cabin, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to try and grow some small vegetables myself.
Taking a bite with a stick, it proved to be full of juice, which seeped into my mouth and made it water.
"I haven't seen any sort of significant movement this morning. I think things are probably going as well as planned."
Lortel covered her mouth with a modest movement as she chewed on her food and continued speaking. Yennekar seemed to be upset, as she was pouting without saying anything.
"After coming this far, all that's left is to wait it out for the results."
"Alright. That's a good thing, but don't let your guard down."
"Of course, Ed."
Lortel smiled brightly as she spoke in a cheerful voice, which was unusual.
"Well, there's a lot of work that needs to be done now. There's lots of things to clean up in the aftermath, and I also need to pay you back."
"Twenty gold coins isn't a big deal for your wallet though, is it?"
"No matter how small the amount is, it must be paid back thoroughly. After all, I'm a merchant. Is there anything else you want, other than the cash? There is some remaining inventory in the branch warehouse that I can allow you to have."
"I'm not sure. I feel like you'll take advantage of me by giving me goods instead of money."
"Oh my."
Lortel twisted her reddish hair as she laughed aloud.
"I wouldn't play a game to try and trick you. Why are you trying to make me sad?"
"Hmm… As for something that comes to my mind right now… Maybe construction materials? …No, I know what I want. How about leftover magically engineered goods?"
"Magically engineered goods?"
I had already finished deciding on what to choose for my production skill slot. Magic Engineering and Spiritual Infusion.
Between those two, the Magic Engineering related skill required you to be exposed to as many magically engineered products as possible if you wanted to increase your proficiency. That was why it was a lot easier if you knew someone who could distribute them.
"Doesn't have to be practical. Just any cheap leftover items you have."
"Hmm…"
Lortel put her hand on her chin, seemingly lost in thought.
"You can let me know after you check your inventory."
"No, I'll think about it now. I've pretty much memorized everything already."
"You've memorized all of that?"
"Watching and checking the inventory's stock everyday, I can always memorize certain items that don't have much of a change."
I wasn't sure. It wasn't something that I was seriously considering at the moment, but Lortel was already considering my request more seriously and aggressively than I had expected.
"But is there a reason for why you're asking for cheap, unpopular items?"
"Well… It's not going to be all that useful, and it would be ridiculous to ask for something expensive, creating another debt or a burden."
"Ahh~. If that's the case, then… Just wait a moment as I try to find something…"
Lortel smiled as she stepped out of the way for a moment, falling into thought. I waited for a minute or two… but after she sat there thinking for a while, I reached out to grab some more food.
"Come to think of it, Yennekar—I would like to ask you for a favor."
"Hhmng?"
Yennekar, who was eating a piece of fish, trembled. Perhaps she was surprised by me suddenly calling her name, or maybe she was just choking. I quickly handed her some water.
"Puhaaaaa!"
"..."
"You have a favor to ask?"
I had been hesitant to bring it up, but after thinking about it for a bit, I realized that there was no reason for me to be so worried.
"These days, I'm trying to learn more about spirit-type magic. I also want to try making a contract with a low-ranking spirit. I was wondering if I could get some help with that."
"Yeah."
Yennekar twisted her braided hair, humming thoughtfully. Suddenly, she let out an 'aha!' and nodded her head.
"Thinking about it, Takan has been talking about you so much, Ed. His neck is still a bit stiff after…"
"..."
"You don't have to look like that, Ed. Takan may be a bit grumpy, but I still made it clear to him. Because of the circumstances, you didn't have a choice. I told him to quit being so emotional, or I'd get mad!"
Picturing her getting mad, all I could picture is her just stamping her feet and puffing her cheeks out. Of course, that wasn't very trustworthy.
There was nothing good that came from being on bad terms with a high-ranking spirit, but… He probably wouldn't take his anger out on me, right?
"Takan still hasn't fully recovered his strength yet. Still, I know that you were the one who was able to block him while he was affected by Berserk… He's grumbling a bit, but I don't think he has any hard feelings. Anyway, Ed. Your Spiritual Resonance must be quite high."
"I guess that's right."
That was the result of defeating not only Takan, but also all the other spirits that were under Yennekar's control.
I was sure that Yennekar knew quite well that it was a situation that I didn't have another choice in.
In the first place, Yennekar still seemed to hold a significant amount of guilt over what happened, and she didn't want to keep talking about it anymore.
"Then… Can you see it…?"
Yennekar suddenly spoke, spreading her arms wide.
"…Huh?"
"Hmm… I guess your sensitivity to see spirits that haven't been manifested yet is too weak… Do you want to try grabbing my hand, Ed?"
"Your hand? All of a sudden?"
"…No, no. That's not what I meant! It's because there is something I want to show you. That's all!"
I didn't really have any suspicions in the first place as I grabbed her hand.
"O-oh. Ed, y-your hand is bigger than I thought."
"Your hand is just small."
Saying that, I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them back up. I couldn't help but be startled.
"Fifty-three animals… that's a bit less than usual…"
Rabbit, hawk, deer, tiger, eagle, puppy, sparrow… numerous animals, the number of which was difficult to list, were all around us. Each of them had a different size and element making up their body. It was an incredibly rare sight to see.
Sitting on Yennekar's shoulder was a sparrow made of wind. Wrapping around her right arm was a baby boa constrictor. A puppy, who had dirt falling off its feet, was hanging around her feet. There was a deer made of fire rubbing its face against Yennekar's cheek.
"…Is it always like this?"
"Usually they are more spread out, but whenever I come into the northern forest they always come here and gather like this. This snake, you can see it clearly, right? It hasn't been long since it changed into a low-ranking spirit from a fluid spirit."
"How many spirits did you make a contract with in the first place?"
"Hm? I'm not sure… I haven't made a contract with all of these guys here… Hm… There's one high-ranking spirit, six mid-ranking spirits, and as for low-ranking spirits… I haven't been counting each and every one of them. Though, I think it has definitely passed triple digits."
Reaching the lowest level of the Spiritual Resonance and Spiritual Understanding skills, you get two spirit slots at most.
Really, she was just a girl that was born loved by the spirits.
There are around fifteen spirits that I could see, but also considering the ones that I still couldn't detect, just how many are there?
"Anyway, if you're interested in spiritual studies, I can teach you some things. But I feel that I am much better in terms of the sensory aspects, rather than the theoretical aspect… If it's just simple magic theory, Ayla is much more knowledgeable than I am… But even then, it's still more important for you to develop your practical Elementalism sense…"
Taylee's companion Ayla was a bit uncertain when it came to fighting power, but she had a deep knowledge of magic.
Just like the way areas of science and senses were different, Yennekar was an Elementalist type that is extremely developed in terms of senses.
If you wanted to learn spiritual studies, which had a thick barrier of entry, then it was best to get help from another elementalist.
In terms of spiritual studies, nobody had a more developed level of sense than Yennekar. At least within Silvenia.
"Anyway, seeing as how you're already thinking about your first contract, you must have quite a high level in terms of Spiritual Resonance. When I first met you, you were a complete stranger to it all. You've grown up so fast, Ed. It seems like you have quite a bit of talent."
I'm sure Yennekar knew why I was able to grow so fast… More than anything else, the biggest reason was because I cut off Takan's head.
"Other than that, I'd also like to get some help from you in terms of senses. There's a limit to how much I can do in a simple academic spiritual studies class."
"Sure! Don't worry about that!"
Yennekar Palerover was someone who was hard to make a personal connection with on purpose.
Having such a reliable fellow student, I should have been benefiting from her.
Where else could I get one-on-one tutoring from an elementalist at that level? If I could take advantage of it, then I needed to do as much as I could… but I didn't think it was right to say it like that.
Anyway, Yennekar was helping me out of pure goodwill.
"Then, I'll be Ed's master!"
Yennekar laughed before clearing her throat.
In order to act dignified, she put her arms on her hips and she cleared her throat, all while huffing confidently. Though, rather than dignified, her expression and appearance was more cute than anything else.
Still, I didn't want to provoke Yennekar—who was starting to feel better—unnecessarily, so I clapped my hands while exclaiming, 'Ohhhh!'
"Don't worry! When it comes to spiritual magic, I'll take responsibility and raise your senses! I'll make it so you can make a contract with a mid-ranking spirit in no time!"
Seeing her smile while clearing her throat, I inclined my head in gratitude.
"Then… I guess you're having a hard time when it comes to communicating directly with spirits?"
"Sometimes my voice seems to reach the lower-ranking spirits that I see, but I can't really hear what they are saying to me."
"Really? Hm… Considering the level of magic you deal with, that shouldn't be the case. Your Spiritual Resonance and Mana Resonance have raised to a pretty decent level already, no?"
"…Yeah they did."
"Then… Are you sure that it's not just that the spirits aren't talking with you? Even if you can't hear them clearly, you should at least be able to hear the spirits vaguely…"
Yennekar said that as she thrust her index finger at the sparrow sitting on her shoulder.
The cute sparrow quickly moved onto Yennekar's index finger.
"Charis! Will you try to talk to Ed?"
[Lady Yennekar! This guy… because… can't!]
Oh…! I really could hear it vaguely…!
As I started to focus on my senses with magic power, the voice started to become clear.
[In the first place, in order to hear what we are saying, he will need to raise his resonance to a higher level!]
"Is that so? But I think Ed's rate of growth is already quite fast."
[Think about this man's daily life! Just how much time would he have to train in magic! You know it, too! At our weekly report meeting at your window in Dex Hall, room 203, there were reports that he was running out of food in his storage and that he needed to focus on the construction of the cabin immediately. So he didn't have time to put his mind to anything elseaughka—]
The flow of magic power began to twist as the sparrow-shaped spirit, once sitting on the palm of her hand, disappeared in an instant.
"…Did you hear that?"
"Vaguely?"
Pure Silence.
"But what is this weekly report meeting?"
"Well, as you know, the northern forest is a place where a lot of spirits live. So, it's like a meeting to report on any major changes that occur, or something else they want to report to me, so I can check in on the place? It's also where they can report to me if they feel uncomfortable with something. While it happens sometimes, just a little bit, news about you may come up. Though it's really not a whole lot. How should I say it…? They just bring up you briefly, for the sake of manners…? It's like the feeling of greeting a neighbor that you met in passing?"
"…Is that so?"
It seemed that she was speaking in a weird, roundabout way. What was important right then was ultimately my spirit-type magic training method.
"Anyway, I'll regularly check on things like your Spiritual Resonance. I'm probably the best within this academy when it comes to senses. In the first place, there aren't many people who have even developed spirit sense."
"Alright. Thanks for that."
In any case, with the help of a skilled elementalist, my spirit-type magic would improve quickly in a short amount of time. It really was great that I could become friends with her.
Though, I'm still thinking quite a bit about Magic Engineering.
"Oh, are you finished talking?"
Still grinning like always, Lortel entered the conversation.
"Yeah."
"So, let's finish discussing the magically engineered items. It seems that we have way more left over than I thought, so I can provide you with more than enough."
I was getting good news from this side, too.
"And most of the products are actually being treated as useless assets, since they have either already expired or have not been sold for more than a certain period of time."
"Oh. Then, can you sell it to me for the lowest price possible? You can calculate using the twenty coins you promised me and take it from that."
"Selling at a lower price? I'm quite upset hearing those words come from you. Anyway, it's not a huge amount of money, and they are practically just dead assets… So, even for free…"
After saying that, Lortel shook her head for a moment, looking back and forth between Yennekar and me.
Lortel looked at me with a puzzled expression, before smiling again with that fox-like smile.
"Free… Having the title of a merchant, maybe that's a bit too much for me, hm?"
"That's fine. I already completely understand your position, anyway."
"Still, I'll sell it to you for the lowest price possible. Whenever there is a useless piece of inventory, we can continue making business. However, since it involves the exchange of money, we need to write a contract… Also, whenever I sell it to you, I need to write a certificate of sale."
"Do you usually go that far just for a contract of sale?"
"Well, it's because we have a special compromise, that's why. Because I'm giving it to you for cheap? Hahaha. It's just…"
Lortel smiled happily as she continued.
"Since you'll have to renew the contract every time, you should visit the Elte Company's branch in the commercial district every so often. Well, since you'll be going anyway, it'll be great for us to have a cup of tea and exchange stories with each other. Considering the change in sales, the more frequent the contract the better, so how about once a week… No, how about once every three days?"
"Well, since it's a contract, I guess it can't be helped but be a bit cumbersome. Don't even think about trying to take advantage of me."
"Oh my, as I told you last time… The secret to Elte Company's longevity is having a conscience."
It was really important that I have a place in which I could be provided with magically engineer items safely.
I would just have to fix up the details when I went there later. It wasn't not that I didn't know how to look at magically engineered items.
"But… Is it really okay to give this much to me for free…?"
Suddenly, Yennekar butted into the conversation.
"Ed helped you so much this time. If it's an amount that won't cause too much damage to the books, then there's no need to be so strict on the contract."
Yennekar spoke in a strangely stiff tone, and Lortel responded in a firm tone.
"I'm still a merchant. Even though he may be my savior, I can't just give away items for free. That is against my work ethic."
"You're lying! That's just making excuses!"
"Excuses? What excuses?"
Blinking her eyes with an innocent expression on her face, Lortel looked at Yennekar as if she was a girl that didn't know anything about the world.
Of course, there was no way Lortel would be such a girl.
In fact, there seemed to be room for further consideration in regards to negotiating the price.
There was a high chance that, if Lortel was grilled about her involvement with the Occupation of Ophelis Hall, I would have a more advantageous position in the contract.
That was quite a sharp point that Yennekar realized. You couldn't ignore Lortel's heart, which would do anything evil just to make a single coin more.
I sat around thinking for a while, considering how I should end the conversation.
"Oh my. I didn't expect to see Lady Lortel here."
Turning my head and looking into the forest, I saw the face of a familiar visitor.
"…Ms. Bell?"
"…What's the matter?"
Seeing me, Lortel, and Yennekar all sitting around the campfire, Bell suddenly pressed on her temples and closed her eyes gently.
"No, I apologize. I feel like my head is already spinning, seeing all of you here."
"…What?"
"This situation doesn't seem to be very peaceful. I apologize for coming here so suddenly."
Lortel was the first person whose eyes went cold.
She didn't want to see anyone related to Ophelis Hall. She didn't want her location to be discovered.
Though, actually, at that moment Lortel's victory was pretty much guaranteed. It was already time for the sale of the equipment to be finished. If Elte was trying to defeat Lortel, he should have made it to the cabin by the night before.
Nevertheless, just in case something had happened, she was waiting to come out of the cabin for a little longer. She wanted to be sure to enjoy the fireworks, she was just waiting for concrete news of her victory.
Still, Bell's uniform seemed to make Lortel feel uncomfortable.
Compared to her usual neat and tidy senior maid uniform, this one was fancier. It was the outfit of the head maid.
The fact that Bell had already taken over the position as the head maid after Elris meant that the Ophelis Hall incident had finished up well, at least according to the original timeline.
Bell arrived looking as elegant and peaceful as ever as she sat down carefully across from the party.
"…I'm sorry that I have come to bring you some unfortunate news, but…"
And with her eyes closed… she continued to slowly talk.
I could already guess what Bell was going to say, so I looked away from her quietly.
Staring at the crackling bonfire, I threw in a few more pieces of firewood.
-x-X-x-
The assistant professor, Cleoh Elpin, had her head down on the desk in her private laboratory.
Her fluttering, wavy blond hair was spread out across the table as she grabbed her glasses from where they sat beside her.
Most assistant professors—who would begin working as teachers after receiving a degree in elemental studies—spent the first month enjoying the romance and beauty as they walked around campus.
However, once they realized how much they needed to endure before becoming successful professors with influence, they quickly changed their minds. They would then desire to return back to their degree program, focusing on their studies.
The same was true for Cleoh, who was in her second semester as an assistant professor.
"I want to die…"
Cleoh was proud of her appearance—pale and baby smooth skin, with eyes that could instantly captivate others. Despite her increasing age, she was quite protective of her uniquely youthful beauty.
But when she looked up for a brief moment and saw herself in the mirror, she resembled a walking corpse.
Despite the fact that she took good care of her skin every day in fear of having dry skin, the dark circles under her eyes were gradually expanding. Soon, they would be big enough that they would resemble two continents coming together.
"I want to die…!!!"
Even though she was yelling quietly, no one was listening.
Even if it was just a beginner course, there was still so much to do to prepare for it.
At the same time, she also has to pay attention to the academic growth of each student.
Then, in addition to that, over just one semester she had submitted more than six research proposals to the Organization of Magicians. However, every single one of them was rejected.
It would have been great if they had explained the reason for the rejection, but it seemed like it was mostly due to their stance of not trusting rookie assistant professors.
In regards to her research, since she couldn't proactively update the amount of data, the sources she was able to include in her paper were limited.
Because of the lack of research results, the academy was starting to put pressure on her as well.
In the meantime, she had to wonder just what was with the sheer number and types of incidents that were occuring. Most of the post-processing work regarding those incidents was left to Cleoh, the assistant professor.
"..."
She had fear trickling down her back. She worried that, at her current rate, she would become a wrinkly old lady by the time she was a professor.
Cleoh used to be called a gifted child, having been sent to academy at an early age. Then, at the young age of twenty, she had completed all of her advanced degree programs. Later, she even received her own private laboratory as an assistant professor.
Other than a few honorary professors, she was the youngest person to achieve such a feat within the academy. Nevertheless, her life was now like this.
She had thought that her life would have started blossoming, but instead she had no idea that all of these difficult hardships would be waiting for her.
Knock, Knock
As she was moping pessimistically about her life, she suddenly heard a knock coming from her door. Did her assistant come to give a report after checking the equipment for the elemental studies class?
Whoosh!
Before Cleoh could tell them to enter, the door swung open as she looked up. She spotted someone with a skull-like face.
"…Were you taking a break?"
It was the senior professor in charge of the first years, infamously known as 'The Mannerless Skull Face.' He also happened to have been Cleoh's advisor from the moment she started her degree.
Cleoh had lived more than five years of her life as a student of the stubborn Professor Glast. Having that type of history between them, seeing him here now there was nothing to feel awkward about.
However, she had a bad feeling about this. It stemmed from him coming all the way up to her lab.
"Oh, my. Professor Glast. What brings you to my laboratory? Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"No. I'm fine, Cleoh. I'll just talk about a bit of business, then head out."
Cleoh felt a cold sweat running down the back of her neck, but continued to smile without showing her unease.
"Wh-What reason…?"
"Did you receive the report on the accident at Ophelis Hall?"
"…Yes."
"The inspection department has finished their investigation regarding the truth behind the incident. And the date of the disciplinary committee meeting to punish the one behind the incident has been set. Though, the academy said there seems to currently be a lack of members that are going to observe the meeting. At this rate, only the dean himself will go."
"I-I see. What about the third year senior professor, Olveig…?"
"For academic reasons, he will be going to the Organization of Magicians."
"Professor Kelbraim…"
"He's busy consulting the royal family of Kroel. I couldn't interfere with his affairs with the imperial family."
"Oh! I heard that Professor Delphina has returned from her vacation!"
"She got hurt. She is currently experiencing back pain."
"What about yourself, Professor Glast?" was what she wanted to ask, but she held it in. She was sure that he would go off to research his Celestial Magic, making up some ridiculous excuse.
"You can just read over the report regarding this case and make your own judgment. Then, you can write your opinion on the given form and leave the rest of the simpler paperwork to an assistant under you. But make sure to make the important decisions yourself."
"Professor Glast, I'm sorry. However, as it's the beginning of the semester and I'm in charge of the beginner course… I've been quite busy lately. And I also have more than three research papers left that I need to write, so I'm already in a bit of a crisis…"
"I see. Then you'll just have to sleep less."
Nodding her head and accepting her fate, she watched Professor Glast drop the files on the relevant materials before leaving the laboratory.
"..."
Cleoh opened up the files without a change in expression. Looking it over and checking through it, it was a brief summary regarding the truth behind the occupation of Ophelis Hall.
It was considered a 'one man crime' by Elris, the head maid of Ophelis Hall.
She had tried to persuade Shaney and Kelly, and negotiated with Willain to use Ophelis Hall as a hostage to voice her dissatisfaction.
The primary motives behind the dissatisfaction came from the fact that, despite her worsening health, she was still required to continue with the same amount of labor intensive work.
Nobody expected her to cause such a large amount of damage, as she was viewed by others as sincere with a good character.
In addition to that, Taylee, Ayla, and Elvira were also brought up. As were Ed, Yennekar, and Ziggs—who were listed as subject to further investigation—but… If the truth was clear, then they would consider skipping any sort of additional investment into the investigation.
There was no reason for Cleoh to think it was strange that Lortel's name was not brought up anywhere in the files.
Anyway, after looking through it all she got an estimate of just how much work there was to take care of.
"What the…? This isn't even all that much."
Cleoh took off her high-grade glasses, holding them in her hand.
"Checking through the investigation proposal, submitting the academic opinion file, determining if further investigation is necessary… Attending the committee, checking to make sure there were no mistakes in the short hand report… Reporting it to the academic management team and the dean's office, then reporting back to Professor Glast. Basically, as long as I report on it well and submit the collected data to the records room, I'll be done…!"
At the same time, shouldn't she be doing both academic work and research work?
Cleoh folded her glasses as she put the stack on the desk and opened the window beside her, shouting into the air.
"Even though I'm the youngest professor, I'm still only a human…!!! Someone save me…!!!!"
"That's right. I forgot to tell you, but several research projects have been rejected this semester due to a lack of budget. They wanted you to go check and report on assets that the academy can sell. You can just have your assistant do this—"
Suddenly, she looked back and found Professor
Glast standing in the room.
Cleoh hiccuped as she turned her head. The skull- faced professor stood still, as if he didn't care.
"…I'm sorry."
"Try to finish in a day or two. I don't really care, but just make sure to take care of your work."
"…Yes…"
Cleoh sat down as she lowered her head. She looked like someone who had already given up on life.
***
On the second night, the homing pigeon came flying back.
The proposal for the sale of equipment has been completed. Review of the proposal for the dismissal of the head has been completed. Elte's authority has nearly been fully revoked. His removal is guaranteed. The situation is nearly complete. Please report your personal status.
The tiny parchment was full of compressed information. Despite it being so simple, it was a note that was full of secrets and held a terrifying amount of power.
"If the situation has progressed this far, then my father should already be back at the headquarters, fighting his last battle. Even though it's a useless struggle… Anyway, at the very least there's no reason for him to pay attention to Silvenia anymore."
"What's the chance that Elte has something else hidden up his sleeve?"
"Well, since he is as cunning as me… It's probably not zero. Though, I still don't have a choice but to trust in Slogg. He's aiming for a position as the next head. Since I'm far away from the action, there's not much else I can do."
The burning campfire drove away the darkness of the night. As it was now late, Yennekar had already left for the dorms.
Late summer… Or was it early fall?
The northern forest was on the border of starting to change its clothes. Some of the broad-leaved trees in the outskirts had already begun to change their colors.
The sound of the bugs had reduced greatly compared to the middle of summer, and the forest at night had become much quieter.
When it came to changing clothes, it wasn't just the forest. It was the same for me, too.
"Isn't it a bit too shabby, considering it's a uniform that has been mended?"
"Well, I mean… This much is fine."
"Hmm… Hmmm…"
There was nothing good that would come from me prolonging my absence any longer, so I planned to go to my classes the next day. I went ahead and tried on my uniform, which was thankfully pretty clean.
"Well, right now I'm safe… So that's a relief."
With a big smile, Lortel pulled at her robe's hem and sat down.
"I have quite a lot of work to do right now. I guess it's just deciding what to do first…"
"No matter how hard they work to restore Ophelis Hall, it will still take at least a semester."
"That's true. I'll have to check and see if there are any spaces left in the temporary accommodations… Then I'll have to clean up the rest of this incident… But most things seemed to have ended quite well."
"I heard that empty academic offices in the education district, as well as the closed buildings in the southern part of the island, were quickly remodeled and turned into temporary accommodations."
"Though they had done so as nicely as possible, being an improvised accommodation filled with students that are coming from Ophelis Hall… There's no way they will be satisfied. Though, I guess being in such a situation, there's not really a choice but to endure it."
"Elris seemed to be of the biggest concern, but now it seems like that has all been 'concluded'…"
"..."
I threw some more pieces of firewood into the campfire.
"Elris didn't disclose the fact that you were the black curtain behind this incident, right?"
"There's no way she would have. That's because I… 'paid in advance.'
"Paid in advance?"
"Think about it, Ed. The head maid Elris will be trying to stay closest to the side that wins between Elte and me."
Lortel took out a small piece of parchment. It was given to her by Bell Maya, who had visited after the incident was over.
The parchment was a list of orphanages that Elris had sponsored her entire life, the cost of maintaining them for a year, and the method that she could use to sponsor them.
"Since my victory was already certain to a degree, she tried to rejoin my side. It's just that… It's hard to regain trust, since it was already lost."
Elris had already betrayed Lortel once before.
Now matter how necessary it might be, would Lortel be able to trust her again?
Even if trust was given back out of necessity, it was likely to be disregarded the moment the value of it disappears.
Nobody would trust a man who had already betrayed them before.
"Ms. Elris… you must already know that I wasn't planning on trusting you. But as a means to instil! confidence in me, you tried to prove yourself by keeping your mouth shut. Well, from my point of view, I don't want the fact that I am the black curtain behind the entire occupation incident to be revealed. As such, I have no choice but to be on the same side as you."
Elris was also a malicious person.
Even though her health was deteriorating, the academy never listened and the hard work never ceased.
Eventually, she would not have been able to work and wouldn't have been able to take responsibility for the orphanages she was in charge of… In the end, she bet her whole life on that plan.
The back door of Ophelis Hall on that rainy day.
I still remembered Shaney's face, when she looked up at me with her bloodshot eyes.
At least those who followed Elris had some understanding of her situation and psychological state.
"Do you have any ill feelings towards Elris? After all, she betrayed you."
"Of course I'm very angry. If I meet her again, I won't hesitate to slap her."
"Even considering that, you look quite relieved."
"Well, right now I'm fine. I'm just rather short on time."
Staring across the fire looking at me, she put her chin in her hands and smiled like a fox.
"In the first place, I'm not a nice enough person to walk around with my heart wide open. If necessary, I'll even use someone who has stabbed me in the back before. After all, in my world there's no such thing as an eternal enemy or ally."
"Alright. Then let's not have a relationship where we hold grudges or hate each other."
"Of course."
Lortel laughed as she stood up from her seat, shaking off the ends of her skirt.
Now that her safety was guaranteed to a certain extent, it was time to get to work.
Even if Elte's demise was set in stone, there was no way that a girl as greedy as Lortel would give up on the Sage's Seal. Since the scale of the incident had gone so far already, I was sure that she would get her hands on the seal.
It was time for her to go back to her world, which revolved around business and her life as a merchant.
Staying in camp and doing nothing all day except staring blankly at the campfire, or laying down on the ground counting the stars that she could see in the sky through the plentiful trees in the forest… Such a romantic, peaceful life was only a brief deviation for her.
"I'll get going, too. You're going to come by the company's local branch later this week to sign the contract, right?"
"That's right."
I put down the bow I was holding, took out the poker that was in the campfire, and then cast Ignite.
For the time being, it would be sustained to some extent by magic power and would take on the role of a torch. The forest got dark at night, and without being familiar with the geography such a light source was a necessity.
I went over to Lortel, who was getting ready to leave, and handed her the torch. Lortel looked down, deep in thought, as she let out a 'Hmm…'
"…What are you thinking about?"
"No… It's just that you're taller than I thought."
"What are you saying all of a sudden?"
"No matter how hard it may be, maybe I should do something a bit extreme to overtake that girl…"
Suddenly, she started to mumble something that was hard to understand. I stuck out my hand with the torch to try and send her on her way quickly.
But Lortel didn't take the torch, and instead randomly began to talk about something else.
"Did you know? Relationships are all about push and pull."
"What?"
"It's just like your tie. See how it's all crooked?"
Lortel approached me with a smile as she grabbed my tie.
"You have to pull the back part of the knot like this, and push the front part like that, to tie it nice and straight."
"Either way, there isn't anyone here looking, so why would I wear it so uncomfortably?"
"Well, there's nothing wrong with always being well behaved? We are students from Silvenia, after all."
Before I could say anything back, Lortel grabbed my tie with one hand and pulled on it sharply.
To my surprise, my head was pulled forward. Lortel, thinking it was time, stood on her tippy toes—
...
"…The raspberries we had for dinner were so good, right? Thinking of it again, it was quite nice."
"..."
"Oh my. I didn't know you'd be so serious."
"Watch the line."
"You upset me…"
Only then did Lortel take the torch and take a few staggering steps back.
Ignoring the fact that she said she was upset, she covered up her smile with her hand. If this girl had "If you pull or push too much, you won't be popular. Next time, I'm going to have you pull me, Ed."
She turned her body away from me, but still looked back with a smile as she added on.
"I'll have to practice pushing, as well."
And so, Lortel disappeared into the dark forest. The light from the torch gradually moved further away, and even though it would shake once in a while or even fall to the ground, she still wouldn't lose her way.
I stood in the place that I said goodbye to Lortel as I wiped my face.
I felt like I had been hit hard in the back of the head with a hammer. First, I needed to calm down and get a hold of myself.
I tried to avoid getting involved with the main storyline characters more than was necessary. However, as expected, things didn't go the way I wanted them to.
Above anything else, Elte's demotion had been brought forward way earlier due to the occupation of Ophelis Hall.
One of the main storylines—Act 2, Chapter 10's "Battle for the Sage's Seal"—was the story in which Elte was supposed to be demoted.
In other words, as the story progressed there would be a big hole in the storyline.
However, since it was either Elte or Lortel who would have ended up taking their leave, in the end there was no choice other than taking Lortel's side. She had more of a role within the main storyline… In the first place, I didn't have a choice to make at all.
Anyway, Elte's demotion was something that was bound to happen. I needed to try and think of it as the story's sequence being changed a bit, and that it wouldn't have much of a major impact on the storyline… But even as I considered that, I started to feel my anxiety grow.
I'd already experienced it many times over. The fact was, even the smallest of influences could have big changes on the progression of the story.
Theoretically, as long as I thought that everything was going smoothly, the major progression of the story should have been about the same. However… I couldn't be sure of that anymore.
Looking up at the sky, the stars above were as beautiful as always, and the moon was bright.
The chirping sound of bugs lingered as the crackling of the campfire remained the same, but… I felt like the path the story was heading in would only continue to twist and change.
Watching the storyline progress smoothly from the sidelines, while only taking action when necessary, was my plan of action. That had never changed.
Nevertheless… I felt anxious, as if I was starting to get sucked into the center of the story against my will. As I considered that, I couldn't help but scrub at my face.
I wasn't someone with ambitions. I just wanted to receive my diploma and take care of my own specs.
That plan of action seemed all too simple… But it wasn't all too far in the future that I would start to realize how foolish and difficult of a challenge that was.
Summer had passed and autumn had arrived.
It was the start of the second semester.
-x-X-x-
[The fire fox kissed Young Master Ed.]
It had already been more than three days since the second semester began. The classes were slowly starting to progress along, like a sail that caught the wind.
For an honor student like Yennekar, the progression of class was of little meaning to her. So, under the pretense of an illness, she was absent for three days. And yet, she still had no burdens in terms of classes.
Still, for writing-related subjects such as Magic History and Magic Power Theory, if she didn't pay attention her grades would be ruined in the blink of an eye. Because of that, it was time for her to pick up the pen again. Nevertheless, having constant communication with the spirits was also the main job of an Elementalist. It wasn't something she could neglect, so it was a busy time for her.
Leaving Dex Hall, which was across from the bottom of the right mountain and on the outskirts of the commercial district, Yenekkar was sitting and leaning against a zelkova tree. The spirits gathered around her, like usual.
For some reason, the number of spirits that crowded near the zelkova tree were quite high that day. Both the mid-ranking wind spirit Pesci and the mid-ranking fire spirit Takan were gathered together, as if they were stationed at a military camp.
"…What did you say?"
[You can't leave this alone, Lady Yennekar.]
It had always been the case that they would report, one by one, on trivial things that occurred in the northern forest. But recently, it felt like the stories the spirits brought up regarding Ed had been increasing in number.
As for Yennekar, she listened to those stories with a sense of unease, though she didn't particularly hate listening to them.
However, today's breaking news as the spirits were chatting amongst themselves came out of the blue.
[There's no way to know when that firefox-like girl will strike again. If we don't get our hands dirty…]
[What are you going to do with your hands?]
Charis, a low-ranking wind spirit in the shape of a sparrow, flapped her wings as she vented her anger. Meanwhile Pesci, a spirit in the shape of a lion, kept responding to her politely.
[This is something for Lady Yennekar to decide. What can we do about it?]
"Wait a minute. What are you talking about? They kissed?"
Yennekar, who could not follow along with the story, asked again. But this time Takan, who was lying around the zelkova tree with his huge body, responded.
[I saw it, too. It was quite passionate. As expected, youth is great.]
"..."
[The firefox-like woman knows how to play with a person's heart. A game of push and pull, to stimulate one's ticklish heart… I was watching Ed, and if it weren't for that guy being the way he is, she would have gone overboard.]
"What are you even talking about?!"
[Are you going to make me repeat what I already said, Lady Yennekar? I'm saying that I think the firefox has crossed the line.]
"What about Ed? What was his reaction?!"
[Oh, that's a question that gets straight to the point. When I looked at him, it seemed that he kept his distance. Even though he kissed her, his expression didn't change one bit… I was quite amazed by what I saw.]
As if to console the stunned Yennekar, Takan continued to talk in his serious and profound tone.
[He took it so coldly. Just watching it made me cringe. I couldn't believe that his reaction could still be so cold after all of that. It must be either one of the two things. The fallen aristocrat was either a eunuch, or he doesn't see her as a woman at all.]
"Th-That's… A relief…"
Yenekkar tried to catch her breath, before she suddenly gulped it down. A relief. Just what was a relief? Was this really the time to catch her breath, saying it was a relief?
[Takan, I think you are being too straightforward. As always.]
[Geez, why do you always gotta do this, Pesci? It would be worse for me to be considerate, constantly changing my words around. It didn't look like you were all that relieved, Yennekar. Well, it's not exactly great that that fallen aristocrat is trying to distance himself from that firefox to such an extent.]
"…What?"
Takan was a high-ranking spirit, who had lived for such a long period of time that it would be impossible to count by hand. Seeing all sorts of people throughout his life, he could naturally see through anyone.
[In my experience, that firefox-like girl is the type who gets more obsessed the more she gets knocked down. Just as she seems to be a human full of greed… Once she decides to make someone her own, she will take out their liver, gallbladder, and rest of their insides all for herself. If you don't do something, he'll be taken away, Yennekar.]
"But… But even then… You said that Ed's reaction was cold…"
[Usually, guys like him are good at offense, but weak in defense. No matter how stubborn of a person he may be, as long as she keeps pushing with all her heart then… What I'm trying to say is that, ultimately, there's no such thing as a fortress that won't collapse.]
As Takan started to grow uncomfortable with the way he was laying down, he adjusted himself. The low-ranking spirits around him were swept away. Whenever he would change the position of his gigantic body, all the other spirits would have to keep their eye out to not fly away.
[Like a princess in a fairytale, if you shyly sit around falling in love thinking 'Someday he'll look after me~', do you think that relationship can ever come about? Not in real life. There's a rule that you need to get filthy and fight dirty to win.]
[Takan, don't you think your way of talking is too old and crude.]
[Did I say something wrong?]
[It's not wrong, but… You could phrase it more nicely, you know.]
[Why should I have to change up the way I speak? That's too frustrating.]
Takan swung his tail as he moved his reptilian-like eyes towards Yennekar.
Yennekar had already turned pale from Pesci and Takan's words.
[Anyway, Yennekar. Don't just sit around doing nothing. Start making some progress. I heard that you agreed to teach him some spirit-type magic. There will be a reason for you two to be alone for a while. Are you planning on wasting such a great opportunity?]
"E-Even so… I don't know what to do…"
[What do you mean you don't know.? Then next time you meet, you'll have to start with a kiss. Since you're falling behind, it's fine to get a little angry and impatient, Yennekar.]
At that moment, as she started to let her image run wild, she opened her mouth and leaned back against the zelkova tree again. She wasn't exactly being interrogated, but she still stepped back as if she was being pushed. Stuttering out she responded,
"Wh-why would you say something so shameful…?!"
[The fact is, that firefox randomly kissed him out of the blue. That situation doesn't even make sense in the first place. Something like that has already happened, so are you going to keep sitting down, smiling kindly?]
[Takan… Aren't you asking too much from Yennekar, who is so innocent?]
[Well, wouldn't it be a good thing if it all goes well? I'm not really fond of that fallen aristocrat, but… Well, for a male he is pretty good. He seemed to be born with a calm nature, and he was able to cut off my head while I was under the influence of Berserk… And he gets along decently with Yennekar, who is quite emotional.]
[Seriously… Please refrain from making those comments. It sounds like you're trying to find a groom for your granddaughter.]
[Well, it can't be helped, since I'm old.]
The pace of the story…
I can't keep up with the pace of this story, is what Yennekar thought as her thoughts grew troubled.
Do… Do I really have to do something? But what am I supposed to do….?
For Yennekar, who got overwhelmed just by holding his hand, kissing was in a realm far away from hers.
If it were a situation where she needed to consider doing something more… she would need to overcome the fear of something so massive and indescribable… The so-called cosmic horror realm.
Perhaps seeing Yennekar break into a cold sweat, the mid-ranking wind spirit Pesci added a few words as well.
[Well, you don't have to be so nervous about it, Lady Yennekar. I don't know about that part Takan was so rudely referring to, but… I felt a strange sense of comfort in the way young master Ed was treating you. Much different than how he treated that firefox.]
"…Really?"
[Yes. I'm not just saying that. Certainly, if you look at it carefully, with sharp eyes… Ed seemed somewhat comfortable when dealing with you alone. With the other first year students, it felt like he was drawing some type of psychological line. However, it seems that he hasn't done the same with you.]
The detailed Pesci knew about that difference intuitively, but he couldn't manage to describe what that feeling actually was.
Ed's light and comfortable behavior when dealing with Yennekar was only because she was someone that was no longer a part of the main storyline.
Unfortunately, nobody there realized just how powerful of an advantage that was. In the first place, there was no way for them to realize that.
[That's why you don't have to be in such a rush, Lady Yennekar. After all, you are most charming when you are being yourself.]
"…Is that so? Really? E-Even though Lortel is so aggressive, you're sure Ed won't budge…?"
[...]
"Why?! Why didn't you answer?! Why?!"
Pesci knew that there was no way to know what the result of hastily agreeing with her would be. Pesci couldn't give her any more insurance than that.
Unfortunately, that would only raise Yennekar's level of anxiety.
[Ehhhh! You guys are all so frustrating.]
Yennekar was fiddling with her hair, deep in thought about what to do. Pesci was awkwardly scratching his back on the tree trunk.
Can't we just drop the subject already? Even though it may be an old-fashioned way of thinking, it was still correct.
While having such a fleeting thought, Takan kept his mouth shut—as if to say, 'There's nothing more to say.'
[Come to think of it, I sensed a strange flow of magic power coming from the outer part of the northern forest. We should check it out when there's time.]
That's right, the reason that all the spirits and Yennekar had gathered and were reporting regularly was to make sure there were no abnormalities or difficulties in regards to the spirits.
Recently, news of the fallen aristocrat seemed to have changed the focus from that.
However, Takan brought them back on topic.
"…Hm?"
[It seems to be a magic circle related to Celestial magic, as it's only active at night. Merilda is figuring out the exact location. If you haven't been seeing much of her these days, it's because of that.]
"Does it seem dangerous?"
[Well… It doesn't look particularly dangerous, but there's nothing wrong with taking a look.]
Although Yennekar was just a student, who didn't have to take any sort of responsibility to the safety of the academy, the events taking place in the northern forest weren't something that she could ignore as an elementalist.
She had to stay at the academy for at least another two more years, until she was a fourth year. As such, she can't afford to fail to pay attention to the northern forest, which is the home to all of the spirits.
[I'll explain the details later. Next time you meet that fallen aristocrat, you must produce some plan—like giving him a kiss or something. Otherwise, you should just give up on him. Something like that.]
At that moment, Yennekar began to blush beet red as she kicked Takan. Though her lashing out at him in embarrassment like that didn't even hurt Takan's body.
Yennekar knew it as well, but she had to do something, even though it might not work.
[In the first place, what do you want her to do, Takan? If the firefox girl has already gone so far, there's nothing left to do. If she finally kisses him now, then she will just be considered a latecomer.]
[That's quite a sharp point, Pesci. Even though I told you to go ahead and do something like that, it doesn't necessarily have to be anything as intense as what she did. Rather, it wouldn't even be a bad idea to bring out a more innocent and refreshing appearance instead. Anyway, this is a situation where you need to make some type of move…]
[Oh…]
For Takan, who was quite stubborn and stereotypical in the way he thought, it was a pretty good point. Even Pesci had to agree.
Your charm is more important than your actions.
[But Yennekar… Try thinking it over. What do you think…? What do you feel, thinking of the scene and exciting situation, being with him…?]
He knew that it would be hard to get a plausible answer out of Yennekar, as she was already overloaded, but he couldn't help but ask.
What was Yennekar's picture of romance like? It was really important to confirm the point, for the sake of her future progression. It was something that required more courage than you would think, as it was embarrassing to reveal one's own fantasies.
However, it was something that had to be clearly decided on.
Yennekar, who was at her limit, leaned against the trunk of the zelkova tree… Difficulty ended up forcing out an answer.
"…A relationship where we support each other…"
[...]
[...]
In the first place, that was just the type of person their master was.
Realizing that fact again, both Takan and Pesci had no choice but to let out deep sighs.
***
"Okay… Ahh~. Say Ahh~."
"Ahh~."
I blew on the soup before putting it into Lucy's Mouth. The small spoon fit perfectly inside her small mouth.
Lucy ate the soup as if she were a baby bird eating its food… She swallowed it in a gulp, then stuck out her tongue.
"Eughk-! Gross-!"
"As expected, it's hard to get any sort of flavor without having a variety of spices. Should I put off on my training until I can expand the ingredients I have to work with?"
"Don't use other people like tasting machines."
With my blood boiling, I stood back up on my feet and poured the rest of the soup back into the pot, no longer caring.
Lucy may have not looked like it, but the flavor of it was actually quite high class.
However, it was hard to make a variety of dishes with stronger flavors—like spiciness, saltiness, or sweetness—with just the preserved foods I had in storage.
Still, in order for me to properly raise my cooking skill proficiency, I needed to cook proper dishes more often. I couldn't just make preserved foods.
However, I felt like my palate had deteriorated quite a bit since I started living out in the wild. I couldn't help but ask other people, who had better palates, to taste test for me.
Still, considering the impact of the Cooking Skill's proficiency on the Dexterity stat, I couldn't simply neglect it… However, no matter how diverse the ingredients I had available might be, it always seemed to be lacking.
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Intermediate Craftsman
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
Handicraft Lvl 14
Design Lvl 9
Collecting Skills Lvl 12
Woodworking Lvl 13
Hunting Lvl 10
Fishing Lvl 7
Cooking Lvl 6
Repairing Lvl 5
"Hm…"
After finishing chopping up the firewood for the day and sweating up a storm, I went to check on my Life Skills.
I tried to check on my Production Skills as much as possible as well, since it was an important groundwork towards my growth. A new problem that had come up recently was the gap between the proficiency of my skills.
As I said, the higher the skill's proficiency was, the slower rate of growth. The Dexterity Stat, which I had the highest number of stats in, was heavily connected to my Life Skills proficiencies. That's why the growth rate of my Dexterity Stat had inevitably slowed down.
That was why it was necessary to raise my lower-proficiency skills as much as possible. After all, compared to my other skills, its growth rate was still okay.
I felt like I was going to need to start raising my beginner production skills, which I hadn't done yet, as well as training the other skills that were lagging behind—such as cooking and repairing… The problem was, I was too busy just trying to get by with my life as it was.
I wanted to spend some of the money I was promised from Lortel on things like ingredients and daily necessities, but… I didn't want to waste any money on consumables when the production of my cabin wasn't even complete.
"As expected… There isn't enough time…"
To make matters even worse, classes had started. I could only spend about five or six hours a day on survival activities. But that was only possible if I actually fell asleep when I was tired.
It was time for me to think more on how to efficiently manage my survival activities.
"As for the storyline… It's probably still fine."
The worst thing that had happened so far was Elte's early dismissal. I still wasn't sure of the cause, but at least the problem was somehow taken care of.
I didn't know what type of effect this incident would cause, but for the moment there didn't seem to be any noticeable changes.
Whenever I had the chance, I was making sure to keep a close eye on the main characters of the story. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any problems with them.
In the end, the most important characters in the main timeline were the protagonist and the four heroines.
Taylee was… Well, he was part of the combat department, so I didn't see him too often. However, the rumors suggested that he was no longer considered a failing student. With his current talent and spirit, he might even be able to enter Class B by third year.
'Companion Ayla' seemed to be doing her role of supporting Taylee. When I asked around about her, it seemed that she was always sticking close to Taylee, worrying and supporting him.
'The Princess of Benevolence Penia' also seemed to be doing well, without any problems. Though, it was almost time for her to start her clash with Lortel. I needed to keep an eye out for that.
'The Golden Daughter Lortel' was the most unstable situation, as I didn't know what type of changes would occur due to Elte's early dismissal. Apart from that, there didn't seem to be a change in her plan. She was still trying to take control of the Sage's Seal. As she had to take the role of Act 2, Chapter 10's mid boss, I had no choice but to pray that there would be no major abnormalities in regards to her.
As for Clarice… She wouldn't be starting at the academy until next year, so I didn't have to worry about that.
For the time being, I had no choice but to watch the situation as if I were walking on thin ice.
Above all else, against Glast—the final boss of Act 2—Taylee's Swordsmanship skill was needed. That was the only way he would be able to be damaged. In the first place, Celestial magic had a unique structure, so it was hard to control with magic power alone.
Taylee's influence was important, but the behavior of the faculty was also that important.
"I'll have to set a date and time to check them out. But… I need to make sure to not get involved more than necessary."
Anyway, the work that I had to do immediately was to check the traps and dress the meat. I stretched my shoulders as I walked into the woods.
With the cabin's chimney completed, I would be able to live a stable life. Let's cheer up…
***
"I have gathered all the records of the case here, Assistant Professor Cleoh."
"Thank you, Anise."
One of the biggest difficulties for a first-year assistant professor was trying to find an assistant that would work for you.
Only a few students would actually want to be assigned a new professor as a supervisor, so compared to veteran professors, there wasn't a lot of willing manpower.
For Cleoh, Anise was a student that she was grateful for. She had a gentle personality, a neat way of taking care of things, and was a model student who didn't judge a professor by their experience, respecting them all equally.
"There wasn't anything else from the academy's inspection department?"
"Yes, that's correct. If you need anything else, please feel free to call me any time."
With a bright smile, she waved to Anise as she took her leave. Anyway, Assistant Professor Cleoh was also a professor, so she had to maintain at least some level of respect towards her.
Though in fact, Cleoh was often perceived as a close sister rather than a dignified professor. But with that said, there was no way for her to actually be that close to a student.
"Haah…"
Cleoh dropped her head on top of the piles of paper again. There were more files than she had expected regarding the Occupation of Ophelis Hall incident. She read through them carefully, but she still couldn't get rid of that uneasy feeling.
From the perspective of being the youngest professor, who was in charge of all sorts of chores, she thought about doing things half-heartedly… Though at the end of the day, some part of her had an uneasy suspicion that kept on bothering her.
For some reason, it didn't feel like everything had been completely figured out.
Checking Elris' records, sorting out the incident by time, and then checking the witness testimonies…
The story itself came together well, but why did it still feel like some piece of the puzzle was missing?
"In the first place, just how much do I need to worry about coming to a proper conclusion…? I'm so tired that I feel like I'm going to die…"
It was just a regular chore that Professor Glast had left behind, so why couldn't she just finish it up roughly, report back to Professor Glast, and be done with it.
She kept on thinking about it, but in the end Cleoh had a personality where she couldn't finish things half-heartedly.
"Hmmm… Hmm…"
She kept looking at the files while worrying about that sense of discomfort. It was like she could feel the presence of a black curtain that hadn't been revealed yet… Was that just an overreaction? Did she read too many novels full of conspiracy theories?
Even then… If she felt that something was off, it was still better to solve it to the end.
Cleoh thought it would be best to meet with the 'Additional Investigation Subjects' listed in the file and hear their side of the story.
Ed, Yennekar, and Ziggs.
She wondered if there really was a black curtain behind this entire incident, but… there was no harm in being extra careful.
"Yennekar and Ziggs are quite famous, so I get that. But Ed… Ed… I feel like I've heard that name often before…"
Then she remembered his full name, the one that he was no longer referred to by. Ed Rothstaylor.
A descendant of the Rothstaylor family, who was now an excommunicated fallen aristocrat.
"..."
Cleoh quietly looked down at the files, stroking her chin. Though she couldn't see it… It felt like… The bottom of the iceberg was right there.