"Ed looks a bit depressed these days."
Obel Hall was a facility used entirely by the Student Council.
It was in an ideal location, right next to the student square. The exterior of the building was clean and stylish, and there were also several facilities inside that members of the student council could utilize. It was rather large and in good condition for how little people were using it.
As the Student Council was thoroughly supported by various distinguished individuals as well as noble children, the school also needed to put a lot of consideration into it. That was why it received such a large amount of funds.
The members of the student council were good at networking, achieved impressive grades, and successfully completed their tasks up to the end of their office term, so the student council had earned a lot of trust.
And after graduation, it was common for many of the members to move into important positions within the empire. That was why there was already much support coming from a variety of influential individuals.
So, with the student council's budget within the school, the various private donations they received, and the student council fee paid for by noble children, the amount of funding they had was impressive. It was at a level where one would wonder if it was really possible for students to manage a budget of such a size.
Of course, a single advisor was appointed to provide minimal assistance as needed, but their influence wasn't at a level that they could directly affect the decisions made by the student council.
"My older brother…? Looks depressed?"
"The other day I went to his camp, and he said he was fine, but… It felt as if he was uneasy. This is only my gut feeling, though."
Ziggs Eiffelstein, a second year in the magic department, was already considered an ace among the student council members.
Rather than feeling a great sense of belonging for the student council, to him it felt as if he was just doing some extra work on his way.
That was because Ziggs had a strong sense of freedom. He wasn't the type of person to belong to one place.
In fact, Ziggs treated his work as if he were taking care of Tanya's personal requests rather than being ordered by the student council president. He didn't even show up to Obel Hall that often.
Tanya didn't ask him to change his attitude though. Just the fact that Ziggs was a part of the student council was already a great asset.
"He's depressed? In what way, specifically…?"
The current student council president of Silvenia Academy, Tanya Rothstaylor, put down her quill.
The desk in the student council presidents' personal office was rather large. However, so many documents piled up that it didn't even matter.
There were a pile of things that needed to be taken care of every day. Every day, when she entered Obel Hall and carefully looked over the reported documents for the day, her morning flew by.
She knew the position would be busy, but Tanya had no idea it would be to such an extent.
However, since it was her personality that let her get that far, Tanya spent her time every day trying to do everything as thoroughly as possible.
"Hmm… On the outside, he looks the same as usual. He's still as busy as ever. Living in the camp, he has chores to take care of. He's also a scholarship student, and studies regularly while attending all his classes… But… Hmm… It still felt as if Ed was carrying a burden in his heart."
"If you're the one telling me that, Ziggs, then there must be a reason. It bothers me that we aren't sure of it, but… Hmm… It's just intuition…"
Tanya stretched, letting out a groan as she buried her small frame further into the soft chair.
From Tanya's point of view, the image of Ed Rothstaylor that came to her mind was quite different from what Ziggs had said.
He was someone that felt as if he would somehow be able to solve any problem that came up without anyone realizing it.
It was hard to imagine him feeling sad or depressed, so Tanya was rather curious.
"It's been a while since I greeted my older brother, so I should go in person and say hello…"
"You have to go to the cathedral's restoration in the afternoon. You also need to head to Trix Hall to report on the work the student council has been doing. After dinner, you need to go and receive a report on the status of the student clubs' meeting held at Lorail Hall. Then, at night you have to do your personal studies."
"…Why do you know all of that?"
"Because I have to listen to the chief secretary lament every day…"
The reason Ziggs had to visit Ed in place of Tanya was because she couldn't find any time to do so personally. That was how busy she was.
"I would be less frustrated if I could just know the reason he's depressed. Can't you find out the reason, Ziggs? This time there's some extra budget for dispatching our members to investigate things, and if you need to miss class to chase after him, I can also request an excused absence for you."
"Student Council President. If I start receiving support from the student council like this rather than moving on my own, it may look like this student council is spending money to personally investigate individual students."
"Why are there so many restrictions with this stupid presidential position…?"
"That's just the weight that comes with power."
Tanya let out a deep sigh as she looked out the large window that filled the entire wall on one side of the office.
In the student council president's office on the fourth floor of Obel Hall, she could see the entirety of the student square from a glance out the window. As lunch time approached, the students hurriedly ran out like a swarm of ants.
And she represented each and every one of them. Her position wasn't one she could take lightly.
In fact, no matter what she did in the position, she was always going to feel a burden.
The problem was that Ed Rothstaylor wasn't the type of person that would end up being depressed or shaken up from a burden, unlike her.
Even if he had the weight of someone's life on his back…
"My brother… I'm worried about him."
"I'm also concerned. But actually, I'm worried about something else…"
"What?"
Ziggs sat down on the sofa in the corner of the office.
"Actually, Ed isn't the type of person to completely collapse when he feels a burden or becomes depressed. Time will take care of things. But the problem is the relationships around Ed…"
"His relationships…?"
"This is… In a way, it's an opportunity… President, aren't you also well aware of the situation around Ed?"
As she fell deeper into her chair, Tanya's expression hardened.
Slowly, Tanya began to realize what he was saying. Being surrounded by women might be envious for some people, but to him it was a headache.
Considering Ed's situation, and how he was being hit on by various talented women, if his seemingly perfect image started to tremble… A large opening would appear.
Since Ed Rothstaylor was the type of person that you could always depend on and lean on, imagine becoming the one that he would rely on instead.
That strange feeling of satisfaction that would rise in your chest… In any case, it was an unavoidable temptation for those that saw him as a man.
He normally never showed a weak side of himself, so just how valuable was this opportunity?
"Well, there are always going to be times when people get a bit depressed. There are some people who get better if you comfort them, but I think for Ed, it would be better if he was left alone."
"This is a difficult situation…"
"Well, if I stick my head in any further, I will end up crossing the line… So, I'm going to leave it as is."
Ziggs coolly stood up as he patted off his clothes.
"Actually, I didn't come here to report on that. That is just something I wanted to tell you in passing on my own time."
"What…?"
"Recently, I was rather suspicious about something, so I went around to look into it. I think I ended up discovering something. Isn't summer break soon? Once the end-of-semester exams finish next week, then the break will start right away?"
"Yes, that's right."
Ziggs took out a book from his pocket and threw it on the desk in front of him.
It was hard to see from Tanya's position, but as she narrowed her eyes and looked closely at it, she could read
The most basic elementary studies book that was used by the second and third years. It was rather thick, filled with important key concepts. It was a steady seller within the school.
"Over the past few years, they've been growing quite an influence over Acken Island. However, it looks like they're finally starting to show their fangs. And this is probably just the start of it."
"Bearing their fangs…? Perhaps…"
Ziggs nodded.
An organized collection of beginner elemental studies books that was centered around the Elte Company.
In particular, the Introduction to Elemental Studies book was least in demand once exams finished and vacation started. As third year students no longer needed the book, they would sell it. And the price of both the used and new books temporarily hit their lowest rates.
And that was what was currently being hidden away and piled up in the Elte Store's warehouse… The intention behind it would be clear to anyone.
Buy when it's cheap and sell when it's expensive.
The basics of all investments. But the story started to change if a major company did it.
Cornering the market was a traditional method, but the results were guaranteed. It wasn't that they couldn't have done it up till now, but they just hadn't. All in order to increase their size and influence within the school's commercial district first.
"Well, considering the size of their company, they wouldn't be making a massive profit off of this. But… this is a sort of prelude to things to come."
"That's true. Right now, it might just be an Elemental Studies textbook. However, in the future they may expand their scope to clothing, magically engineered items, school supplies, and even more…"
The acting deputy chairman of the Elte Company, Lortel Kehelland.
Tanya had seen her face a few times already. However, the most meaningful memory she had of her was down the hallway of Ophelis Hall, where no one else was.
She still couldn't breathe properly when she remembered how Lortel stood there, glaring at her with Ed's death weighing on her back, waiting for Tanya like a cold corpse.
Not only that, but she was also flawless when it came to ability. Naturally, she was talented with money, but she also had excellent skills in magic and her ability to improvise in a crisis that had already been widely recognized.
However, now that Tanya was the student council president, she was in a position where she needed to keep her in check.
***
[ Life Skills Details
Grade: Intermediate Craftsmen
Specialized Fields: Woodworking
Handicraft Lvl 16
Design Lvl 12
Collecting Skills Lvl 13
Woodworking Lvl 15
Stonemason Lvl 9
Hunting Lvl 14
Fishing Lvl 12
Cooking Lvl 7
Repairing Lvl 5
It had been a while since I had gotten another advanced production technique slot among my life skills, but it was still empty.
That was because I had been so busy trying to learn a skill that would benefit me in battle. However, I couldn't just ignore another life skill.
First off, it not only greatly impacted my dexterity stat, but it would also allow me to produce better equipment. Naturally, that would also have a big impact when I fought as well.
Things might have been different if it were a game where I could explore various cities, but in the case of that game, the only means I had available to me were the shops in the commercial district.
Most of the products were meant for students, and it was difficult to have high expectations when you did occasionally come across a shop that specialized in combat equipment.
After all, in
I was able to procure some magically engineered equipment from Professor Glast's Soul Library. However, for combat equipment it would be better if I made them myself. I could order them through the Elte Store, but it would be burdensome to have to pay a high price for each piece of equipment.
Plus, if I trained up my Life Skills well, my living environment at the camp would also improve. Two birds with one stone.
For now, I decided to use one of the advanced production technique slots for 'Advanced Bow Crafting'.
Not only would it allow me to imbue spiritual skills into the arrows, but I could also enchant the bow itself with various magic. I was thinking of making it so that the bow would increase its accuracy and power in certain situations.
So, what should I use the other empty slot for? That… I needed to think about it some more.
While I sat near the bonfire, quietly thinking over things, a person suddenly appeared from the grass. She was wearing a gilded robe that looked to be quite expensive.
"This… I should have known already but seeing it in person really is a strange feeling."
It had been a while since Lortel had visited the camp.
She must have been busy with the student council election and taking care of the Elte Company.
"I never thought she would actually build a cabin and settle down here…"
"Oh, what brings you here, Lortel?"
As I sat by the fire thinking over my Life Skills, Yennekar was sitting next to me with her blank eyes staring at the fire.
Lortel swept hand over her face as she came to sit by the campfire, taking off her hood.
Her characteristic reddish-brown hair fell down to her shoulders. Usually, it would be neatly braided to one side. Today, for some reason, it was neatly untied.
A blue rose-shaped pin, which she wore to important events, was beautifully attached to one side of her hair, and the clothes underneath her robe were beautiful and clean, with white frills.
"It's been a while since I've seen your face, Ed… But even though I was mentally prepared for it, seeing things like this is a bit…"
"…What, that voice? Is that you… Lortel…?"
"It's been a while, Yennekar."
Yennekar, who was quietly sitting by the fire, trembled. She had an expression on her face that said 'something is coming'.
"Ahh. It is you Lortel…"
"Explain to me how things became like this… Actually, there's no need for that."
Lortel took a deep breath as she glanced towards Yennekar.
Yennekar's eyesight had returned quite a bit, so she could now vaguely feel the gaze of others. But seeing Lortel turn her head to look towards her felt rather intimidating, even with her blurry vision.
However, Yennekar straightened her back as if she wasn't going to move, smiling proudly.
"Ed and I decided to live together."
"..."
"We'll be living together now!"
She was a bit embarrassed saying that with her own mouth… She ended up slurring her words.
"Living next door to each other seems like the more appropriate expression than living together."
"Well, we live in the same camp, so isn't that like we are living together? I guess you think of things in quite an old-fashioned way, Lortel…!"
Lortel's felt as if the vein in her forehead was going to explode.
You might think she would be angry, but the first thing I thought of was that she wasn't going to be. In the first place, Lortel wasn't someone easily angered.
She was unrivaled when it came to her ability to maintain her composure.
"Actually, I came here to say hello, but I also wanted to give you some important information as well, Ed."
"Important information? What is it?"
"Ed, I don't know how much money you have on you these days, but I recommend that you prepare your textbooks and magic engineering supplies for the next semester in advance."
Was that information about price fluctuations?
It wasn't unusual for Lortel, who worked at the company, to give me information about the market price of items in advance.
However, the way she was talking didn't make it seem like it was all that simple this time.
"Well, if I buy it in advance it's always cheaper. The price always goes up the more in demand it becomes after all."
"That is true, but… This isn't an issue of whether it's expensive or cheap."
Lortel smiled as she added on.
"You probably won't even be able to find it before the break ends."
"..."
I only realized it after she said that.
A war of nerves between the school and the company that took place in Act 3.
Aside from the main storyline, depending on which side you took between the school and the company, who were at constant odds with each other, it would have a massive effect on the ending.
Lortel's actions were an extension of that war of nerves.
"Yennekar, you're so lucky to have been here with Ed when I came to tell him the news~ You really are quite lucky~ You just happened to be right here at the perfect time to hear such good news~"
"Yea~ Thanks~ But since I live with Ed, I'm always by his side. So, I don't think there's any reason to call me lucky!"
Squish.
The sound of blood vessels ready to burst in her forehead. I secretly looked towards Lortel to check her expression. She was smiling just like always.
"Can't even see properly, but I guess her mouth is still fine… Oh, I was talking about our company's pet dog. She recently got hurt badly."
"Oh, I see. Then, she will need a lot of help. Well, in my case, since I always have Ed by my side, I'm doing fine…!"
She didn't lose a single time. That innocent Yennekar Palerover…
Although she was a girl that was weak to other's malice, she had a strangely venomous look towards Lortel.
Even so, Lortel was still Lortel.
There was no way she would easily lose her reason and get angry.
"…I'm getting a bit hot."
"…?"
"It's really great here. The air is fresh, and the water flows nicely. I think I can see why Lucy always takes a nap here."
As if her patience had been broken, Lortel's tone suddenly subsided.
Then, walking in front of Yennekar, she said something.
"By the way, this must not be private land… Well, it's not like the school owns the entirety of Acken Island… So, the land here must be managed by the empire. Yeah, I guess it's just a forest in the southwest corner of the island, but still…"
What was the meaning behind her words? Lortel continued to talk with a smile on her face.
"Well, it's difficult to do anything on this land, since they are so picky when managing their rights, but… Well, I guess getting a building permit would be fine."
"What…?"
Yennekar's face started to become blue as she looked at Lortel. In front of her, past her blurry vision, she could make out Lortel's smiling face… She trembled in surprise.
"Oh my."
In the meantime, Lortel looked towards an empty lot on the other side of the camp, smiling.
And then she spoke, as if declaring it.
"The ground here is quite nice."
It felt as if an ominous energy was seeping through the camp.
***
The morning air wasn't that cold.
However, when I woke up from bed, my body was damp all over. It was probably from a cold sweat.
I couldn't really remember what kind of dream I had, but I guess it wasn't a very pleasant one.
Opening the cabin door and walking out to the camp, I was greeted by a familiar and unique atmosphere, where a subtle darkness still remained.
The start of my day was always the same. Stretching in the middle of the forest surrounded by a soft fog.
Thinking of it, Lucy hadn't come to the camp recently. It wasn't a big deal. It was just that she wasn't the type of person to be busy with other things.
Even that sleeping figure of hers that was always lying around somewhere nearby had started to fade. I would have to ask Bell about it if I got the chance.
"I guess I woke up pretty early."
In order to do well at the end-of-semester exam, I used the early morning hours to look through some magic history textbooks. I also re-lit the campfire as I prepared a light breakfast.
However, normally I wouldn't be using a fire to make myself breakfast. Usually, I would have just gone to the education district to eat something light for breakfast. If I ate a heavy meal before a workout, there wouldn't be much of a point in it.
However, it had become normal for me to light a fire in the morning. That was because now there was another person to feed.
Yennekar was still sleeping tight. Before she woke up, I prepared a light breakfast to help her slowly regain the magic power in her body.
At the tip of my finger, I gathered magic power, and I pointed it towards the campfire. Then I cast Ignite as the flame burned. I took a large iron pot and affixed it to a structure over the campfire to boil water from the river.
"..."
After taking out the magic history books I had prepared, I sat down on a nearby tree stump.
At dawn, the forest air was still damp.
It was a quiet atmosphere, with the occasional chirping of birds and squirrel-like animals running through the grass.
Taking in the forest air, I opened up my textbook.
"..."
I sensed someone nearby.
I didn't even have to raise my head.
The direction it came from was the tree stump right next to my seat.
There, a girl with a familiar face sat quietly. Because of her bangs, it was hard to see her expression. However, I could still make out that the corners of her mouth were raised as she smiled happily.
At first glance, it seemed like a satisfied and happy smile, but… that wasn't the expression someone that was slowly bleeding out should have. She had beautifully embroidered flowers strewn across her pale-yellow hair. The streaks of blood that were flowing from her body ran down the tree stump onto the ground. A lute that was soaked in her blood leaned against the side of the tree stump.
She was a bard that had tried her best to survive, only to eventually pass away.
I continued to flip through the pages of my book.
I didn't react to such a strange sight, nor did I try to get rid of the hallucination by shaking my head.
Anger started to rise in my eyes, but the speed at which I flipped through the pages didn't change.
There was nothing more stupid than losing my reason and ruining my pace due to a temporary change of emotions.
I didn't run away, nor did I make a fuss… I just quietly sat by the fire as I turned the pages of my book.
***
"I think I can handle low-ranking spirits now."
It had already been over a week since Yennekar had used the ring to summon an ultimate spirit.
Yennekar had been living her life through the help of Bell and me. Maybe because she felt indebted to us, she apologized every moment she could.
Now that she was able to handle low-ranking spirits, that meant she could live a basic life on her own again. That was a pretty good sign.
"Really? Have you tried it already?"
"I didn't try it, as I was worried my magic power might become twisted, but… I'll go ahead and try it now, since you're next to me, Ed. It's about time for me to go back to class, anyway. It's almost time for exams."
With Yennekar's grades, it wouldn't have mattered if she continued to be out sick for a few more weeks, but I supposed she still needed to show her face on the day of the exams.
Yennekar sat by the fire, concentrating as she began to release magic power little by little from her fingertips.
She whispered softly. It sounded like a spell to summon a low-ranking spirit. It was one I was quite familiar with.
In fact, Yennekar had the ability to naturally summon low-ranking spirits as if she was breathing, without the need to chant a spell. In the first place, there was no way she could have summoned hundreds of low-ranking spirits by memorizing and reciting a spell for each one.
However, now that she was in a weakened state and her body hadn't used magic power for some time, it looked like she was being extra cautious.
No matter how bad her condition was, she should have still been able to easily summon a low-ranking spirit. She was an elementalist that could even summon an ultimate spirit if her life was on the line.
"Uh… Heuk…"
But Yennekar's body began to fall over. I quickly stood up from the tree stump as I supported her.
While I was supporting her body, a huge fire erupted from the magic power at the ends of her fingertips. And before long, what came from that flame was none other than the low-ranking fire spirit Mugg.
[Ohhhh! You have finally called on me! Lady Yennekar!]
"Cough… Cough…!"
Yennekar coughed as she leaned against me. Given that her face was red again, it looked like her fever was starting to rise.
I grabbed some water that I had around nearby as I poured it into her mouth. She swallowed it with difficulty.
"Th-This is strange… How is… My magic power…?"
[L-Lady Yennekar… Was it really because of me…?]
Mugg sat on a nearby rock as he twisted his body, as if regretful.
"Are you alright? Can you hear me?"
"Y-Yeah… Using my magic power was more of a burden than I thought… I was just surprised…"
[D-Do you mean because of me…? All because of this useless and lowly low-ranking fire spirit Mugg… Even though your body isn't in a normal condition, I can't believe Lady Yennekar doesn't feel well because of me…]
Listening to him, I turned my head to look at Mugg. The amount of magic power that was surrounding him was definitely extraordinary.
"Mugg."
[Y-Yes! Young Master Ed!]
When I called out his name softly, Mugg looked up at me with a guilty expression on his face. He answered me with an upright posture, as if he were in the military.
"No matter how I see it, it looks like you'll raise your status soon."
By putting my magic power into Yennekar little by little, the burden she felt because of Mugg was lessened little by little.
Yennekar, who had been breathing heavily, started to calm down as she started to stabilize.
[E-Excuse me?!]
"I've been feeling it for some time now, but the amount of magic power it takes to use you is extraordinary. Originally, among the low-ranking spirits you were always on the higher end when it came to magic power consumption. But these days it's nearly at the level of a mid-ranking spirit."
[Wh-What are you saying…? Then, that means…]
"Among the spirits I use I have the best magic power efficiency with you. So, every time I use you in battle, it seems like our affinity also increases as well… It also seems like your own magic power resonance has been raised quite a bit. But Yennekar couldn't have known that."
In every battle I fought, I always used Mugg and cast spiritual skills connected to him. I even left the minor attacks for Mugg to take care of on his own… So, Mugg had risen to a level that was nearing a mid-ranking spirit.
In the first place, Mugg was already quite a capable low-ranking spirit. So, it wasn't all that strange for him to transform into a mid-ranking spirit now.
[Th-That can't be…]
"…Mugg?"
[My long years I spent suffering as a low-ranking spirit… And you're saying now… Finally… I can be rewarded… S-Saying that I… Will become a mid-ranking spirit…]
"..."
[Among the low-rank spirits, because my skills are the best I get called around to do this and that. And I'm also left in charge of the low-ranking spirits even though I am the same low-ranking level as them. I'm always dumped with the responsibility of being in charge, but… now, those days… are finally going to come to an end…]
Hearing Mugg talk about those wretched feelings inside him made me have a new realization.
All of that stress he felt was probably because of that high-ranking fire spirit Takan.
[Young Master Ed… Thank you so much… If it weren't for you, I would never have been able to gain so much combat experience in such a short amount of time… I'm also grateful for Lady Yennekar, but since she has so many low-ranking spirits, there was a limit to how much direct combat experience I could share with them…]
"I don't think right now is the time to be happy."
[Th-That's right…! Because I manifested, Lady Yennekar ended up becoming burdened… This worthless Mugg will quickly take my leave now…!]
"Next time we train in spiritual resonance, let's take a look at raising your status together."
[Yes…! Kyaa… Kyaaaaah…! Yeah…! Waaaaaa—! Kyaaaaaaaaah—!]
Unable to tell if he was screaming or cheering, Mugg burst into flames as he disappeared.
Anyone that saw that would think he had burnt to death.
"..."
I put my hand on Yennekar's forehead. It was still hot.
It made sense, as Mugg was using as much magic power as a mid-ranking spirit now.
Yennekar could normally summon a mid-ranking spirit without any issues, but in her current state, it seemed like low-ranking spirits were her limit.
But once Mugg transformed into a mid-ranking spirit, then the position of low-ranking spirit would become vacant.
Getting another spirit to use as fighting power is definitely a positive. But right now, it was a bit troublesome, as I didn't have any other low-ranking spirits.
High-, Mid-, and Low-ranking spirits. At first glance, you might think that the higher the rank, the better they were. However, the roles of all three spirits were quite different.
In
Low-ranking spirits for basic moves. Mid-ranking spirits for main moves. High-ranking spirits for special movies. Each of them had a different magic power efficiency and a different role to play. Because of that, you needed to have a spirit in each rank.
In other words, I needed to get a new low-ranking spirit. If I could choose, a light or dark spirit would be the best, as I didn't have any.
Well, it was something I'd have to think about slowly. At the moment, I needed to take care of Yennekar.
I put her head on my lap as I put a damp towel on her head.
***
"I have a letter from House Rothstaylor. The sender is from the head of house, Krepin Rothstaylor."
Lortel swallowed her dry saliva.
The letter brought over by Lortel's personal assistant had a gorgeous seal engraved on high-quality paper. On the back of the letterhead, embroidered with House Rothstaylor's symbol, there was a handwritten letter from Krepin Rothstaylor.
Lortel, who sat at her work desk as she accepted the letter, ordered the secretary to leave. She then opened the letter on her own.
Dear beloved Deputy Chairman of the Elte Company, Lortel Kehelland.
The duke that was known as the most powerful man on the continent paid his tribute to her. It was one of the highest honors one could receive as a merchant.
She read the letter all the way through to see if there was anything about Ed Rothstaylor. Surprisingly, there wasn't anything about him.
Rather, the letter was exactly as she had expected.
I think the time has come to conclude the purchase of the Sage's Seal.
The Sage's Seal.
At the moment, it was owned by the Elte Company and managed by Lortel. However, they had agreed to one day sell it to House Rothstaylor.
Krepin Rothstaylor had completely entrusted the negotiations to purchase the seal to Tanya Rothstaylor. However, because she was so preoccupied with the student election, she was unable to pay any attention to it.
Ed Rothstaylor seemed to not like the idea of handing the Sage's Seal over to House Rothstaylor.
Originally, the sale was supposed to be negotiated through Tanya. Since she was quite close to Ed Rothstaylor… There was a high chance that she would do as he wanted instead.
But what was her personal relationship with Tanya?
Tanya and Lortel couldn't be considered good friends, no matter how you looked at it.
From their first meeting to now, Tanya and Lortel continued to have a hostile relationship.
She didn't know what Tanya would think, but Lortel herself felt that was the type of relationship between them.
If she were going to take over Silvenia in one bite, she would need to remain a sleeping dragon beneath the water. Everyone thought that Lortel didn't hold enough power outside of the commercial district. Nevertheless, she still wanted to appear as Tanya's opponent.
The one with overwhelming power always needed to be kept in check.
As long as they continued to be at each other's throats, it'd be difficult for Headmaster Obel Forsyth to hastily take one or the other's side.
"It would be better if we quarreled for a bit longer… At least until the negotiations for the Sage's Seal purchase…"
With a grin, she lowered her head.
She then read the last part of the letter quickly.
Also, the construction proposal that you submitted to the Imperial Family has been rejected.
"...?"
The northern forest of Acken Island may be used for the expansion of Silvenia Academy in the future, so the Empire wants you to leave it alone. His Majesty Kroel didn't respond positively either. From the start, the commercial district in the southern part of Acken Island was meant to act as a place for business. He didn't understand your intentions for expanding your store all the way to the northern forest.
It also seemed strange that you planned to build another store up north, which is far away from Mexes Bridge in the south. As your intentions were not clearly stated, it was difficult to obtain permission.
Lortel planned to build a space in the North Forest to manage the inventory of goods coming into Acken Island.
She was only thinking of securing an area around Ed's camp for the Elte Company. Either way, lately she had been thinking that they needed to expand the Elte Company's Silveria Branch.
Aside from their location in the commercial district, if they could secure another large area up north, then Silveria and the Elte Company would gradually merge into one. In doing so, once things reached a certain point, even if the school tried to push the Elte Company aside, they would be unable to do so.
Before graduating, she was going to take control of the entire academy.
And she thought that would be the first practical step in her plan.
Thunk.
Lortel buried her head on her desk.
Creak.
The door slowly opened as an employee of the Elte Store entered. He was startled to see Lortel's pale complexion.
"Deputy Chairman… What is the matter…?"
"Nothing. It's just… There's been a few setbacks in our plans to expand the store… So, we'll have to look for a different approach."
"I have another report as well…"
"You can put it down over there. And uhm… could you contact Ophelis Hall for me? If possible, the head maid."
When the employee looked at her with a puzzled expression, Lortel calmly went to explain the main point.
"I want to leave Ophelis Hall. If they ask why I want to leave… Uhm… What should I say…? Just tell them that I want to live in a freer environment."
"..."
"Ah, that's right. Add in this proposal, as well."
***
"I want to live in a freer environment."
In short, she was going to move to the camp.
Bell Maya, the head maid of Ophelis Hall, seemed to have another headache.
She was already busy with her own work over the past few days.
Alongside taking care of her tasks as the head maid, she also visited the camp whenever she had the time to take care of the sick Yennekar.
Slowly, Yennekar's condition seemed to be getting better, so she started to have some free time. But now Lortel was suddenly causing trouble.
"Lady Lortel… Her lifestyle isn't all that independent, so she is going to need someone to serve her by her side… I wonder if she really has to leave Ophelis Hall just to suffer."
"I also think the same…"
A senior maid replied calmly.
Before starting her work in the afternoon, Bell Maya first went to check the cleaning status of the Ophelis Hall maids.
One of the most important tasks for them was to clean the interior facilities and the students' personal rooms perfectly. That all had to be taken care of while the students went to the education district to attend classes.
In the afternoon, the students that finished class early would start to come back, so they need to finish cleaning quickly.
Bell Maya, who had worked as a senior maid for a long time, knew just how stressful of a time that was.
When she inspected them personally, she would find that most of the rooms were cleaned well. But every so often, she would also find that quite a few rooms had also been taken care of poorly.
Stains on the sheets, dust coming from the curtains, and even rooms where a leg of a chair had been broken off without anyone doing anything about it.
The maids of Ophelis Hall needed to always do their job perfectly. That was why most of them never made such mistakes. But sometimes, the newly hired maids would make them.
It might just be one or two things, but being in charge of such a large space and cleaning every day, those types of simple mistakes built up and become more common.
Was that how retired athletes felt?
None of this work was that difficult. When washing the sheets, you needed to check them properly. You needed to make sure to check every nook and cranny for dust, and look at the condition of the furniture. Honestly speaking, it all took less than five minutes.
But as all of the maids were so busy, they sometimes made mistakes. Bell Maya had been working for a long time, so she understood that fact. Still, she needed to make sure that all of it was being taken care of properly.
However, if she started to personally mop the floor, clean the sheets, or wipe the dust on her own, the other maids wouldn't know how to react.
It wasn't a pleasant feeling to confuse the people around her, so for the most part she continued to only take care of managerial work… However, her body was starting to itch.
In particular, after helping Yennekar it felt as if part of her itch had been scratched.
She had folded some clean clothes and prepared simple food items for her. She even went to the cabin to clean things here and there. By doing so, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest, and she felt a sense of relief.
She didn't have any unnecessary or complicated thoughts, and she could do what she was best at. But being the head maid, managing all of those people every single day, her head was a complicated mess.
"Ah. That's right… Head Maid."
"Yes?"
"I also received another message from Lady Lortel. It's… I'm a bit cautious about saying it…"
"Cautious about saying it…? What did she say…?"
The senior maid that had been walking with her took a neatly folded letter from her pocket and handed it to Bell Maya.
"…She said since she's looking for an assistant… Do you have any plans to change your job?"
"…What?"
"I doubted what I saw at first as well, but… she said she was going to pay you three gold coins a day."
Twenty gold coins was enough money to buy an entire carriage—a rather large one, at that.
So, three gold coins a day… That amount of money was something that you could only earn after becoming a high-ranking member of the Imperial Knights. You would need to be treated like a knight commander.
Of course, Bell Maya was a first-class maid with tons of experience on her belt. So, her importance had grown quite a bit. Not only as a maid, but also as a personal assistant. Even as a person, she was rather talented and deserved high praise.
However, even taking that into account, that kind of treatment was outrageous and completely abnormal.
"She was asking for you to go and work as Lady Lortel's personal maid… And she also asked you to manage the new villa she is planning to build."
"..."
"She said that you don't need to answer right away… So… Uhm… Are you going to quit…?"
Bell Maya's hands trembled as she accepted the paper.
All sorts of thoughts ran through her head. Then, as she somehow managed to calm down for a brief moment, Bell smiled with a tired expression.
"…Well, I've been working as a maid here in Ophelis Hall for several years now. I've been a maid here ever since I was a young child…"
No matter what, she still spent much of her life working at Ophelis Hall.
The memories and feelings she had for the place weren't something that could be converted into monetary value.
But… The small words on the corner of the paper kept drawing her eyes.
"..."
One day, three gold coins.
Not a monthly or weekly pay…
One day… gold coins… Three of them…!!
She closed her eyes as if she were relaxed, but her pupils were trembling like crazy.
-x-X-x-
The Lucy Subjugation.
It was the largest scenario that created the climax of Act 3. It was an event where you needed to stop the Archmage Lucy Mayreel, who was trying to destroy all of the apostles of the Telos Religious Group and rip them out at the root.
Taylee and his group were still unaware of the darkness hidden in the Telos Religious Group. So, to them it seemed like Lucy was destroying all of the apostles for no apparent reason. She appeared crazed.
However, the one that triggered Lucy to act so impulsively was The Saint of Distrust, Clarice, who had lost Adele. When she told Lucy about the dark roots within the Telos Religious Group, Lucy went to destroy the entirety of the Telos Religious Group without thinking about it deeply.
As Adele's divine power weakened, Lucy was able to vaguely regain her memories of the constant rewinding of time. So, it didn't take long for her to understand that everything Clarice was telling her was the truth.
…Silvenia Academy was the legacy and treasure of Glockt.
Even more so, Lucy had made a promise to Glockt. One day, if a crisis were to fall upon the school that they couldn't handle, she promised to help protect it. And in order to fulfill that promise, Lucy didn't hesitate to destroy the Apostles of Telos.
Outsiders would have no way of knowing the reasoning behind Lucy's actions, which was why they stopped her… That was the story of the final battle of Chapter 3.
After defeating Lucy, Taylee later came to learn of the darkness within the Telos Religious Group. Eventually, he would go on to defeat Archbishop Verdio, as well as the remaining apostles… In doing so, he would learn a new Swordmaster's Skill from the relic that Clarice would give him. It was none other than 'The God Slaying Sword.'
It was also the skill used to kill Act 4's boss, the evil god Mebula.
Even though I explained it in detail, there was now a problem. The scenario in its entirety was starting to collapse.
Saint Clarice wasn't corrupted, as she decided to trust in Eldane once more and watch what he would do in the future. Verdio had already been expelled because of the Saint, so he could no longer live as a priest.
In other words, when it came to the Lucy Subjugation… there was no reason for it to take place.
"..."
As I was reinforcing the chimney on the roof of my cabin, I tapped the wooden support with the underside of the handle of the small hand axe I held in my hand. It was all starting to come along nicely.
"I don't think this is something I can just leave alone…"
I muttered to myself as I tried to organize my thoughts.
The Lucy Subjugation was considered an extremely important event in
More than anything, the fact that Taylee's growth had been significantly delayed was a major concern.
The broken timeline couldn't be fixed, but Taylee still needed to be assisted with his growth. No matter how different the storyline had become, there needed to be help with taking care of any hardships that would come his way.
Was the Lucy Subjugation really no longer going to take place?
The sense of debt that lived in Lucy's heart. Now that her final promise to Glockt had been completed, would she just live a free life on her own?
I wanted to see if that was the case, which was why I wanted to meet with Lucy in person at least once… However, Lucy hadn't appeared in the camp for a few days.
Why was that girl, who was always taking a nap nearby, not visiting the camp at all lately?
She must have been sleeping at Ophelis Hall, so I thought that next time I should call for her when I meet up with Miss Bell.
"Are you Ed?"
I heard a voice calling for me under the cabin.
I was on the roof working on the chimney. When I slid to the edge and looked down, I saw a man and a woman near the entrance.
Sitting on the edge of the roof, I looked down at the two of them.
"Oh my, you were on the roof."
The man looked rather sly. He had a slender physique and was smiling, yet he also had a shrewd appearance to him. He wore a brown beret as he held a large wooden box in his hand.
The female next to him looked rather modest. She had long, neat black hair. Her looks were rather tidy, as she didn't wear any ornaments or accessories.
"Hello, Ed. My name is Dune. This person here is Lienna."
"Ah, hello. I–It's nice to meet you."
I jumped off the roof, barely landing upright on the dirt. As I stood up straight, trying to catch my balance and brush off my clothes, the man that introduced himself as Dune spoke with a smile.
"I am an informant that is working under the orders of Deputy Chairman Lortel. My official title is the sales manager of Elte Company's Silvenia Branch, but… that feels more like a business card."
"Did Lortel send you?"
"Yes, that's right. And this is her secretary, Lienna. Although she is the direct secretary to her, our deputy chairman prefers to take care of most of the work herself, whether that be making tea or cleaning her room."
"If you introduce me like that, his impression of me is going to be ruined, Dune."
"I'm just making a joke~ Let's just all have a laugh."
It wasn't funny at all. Neither Lienna nor I laughed.
Dune, who was having fun on his own, lifted up the wooden box he was holding in his arms as he spoke.
"The deputy chairman will be building a villa here, so we stopped by to do a basic survey. Just some things to write down in a report."
"That… She was serious…?"
"She's the type of person to always do what she says she will. Especially when it comes to something related to you, Ed. If you're involved, she will work like crazy. So, shouldn't we also do our job and work quickly as well? After all, we are employees of hers."
He didn't look all that old, which might be why he was so energetic, but the other one didn't seem to match his energy.
Being sly was something that you were innately born with, and one could say that the unique characteristic of a merchant was being sly. It was a dirty way of dealing with people.
"It's an honor to meet you, Ed. Well, in reality I could have met you anytime I wanted to, but Deputy Chairman Lortel wouldn't have liked that."
"Speaking to me so respectfully is a bit awkward. Since we look to be around the same age, can you just speak to me casually?"
"The only reason I am able to deal with so much money at this young age is because I'm good at being respectful."
Dune put down the box as he took out some surveying tools, quickly tossing them to Lienna. She frantically grabbed the ones that were thrown her way.
"Well, since you are a person my employer cares greatly about, there's nothing wrong with me being polite towards you. Though, I guess speaking this way may sound a bit snobbish at times."
"..."
"Well, people can be a bit snobbish. Ed probably knows all about that already. How could human relationships ever be completely separated from your personal interests? Hurry up and take this. Let's go to the other side."
Lienna held one side of the large tape measure as she hurriedly walked backwards, making her way to the other side of the vacant lot.
She made a commotion as she stumbled and fell down while walking backwards, but Dune only stood by laughing.
"Well, normally our boss doesn't like it when company employees end up meeting with you directly like this. However, today it can't be helped. Right now, we were the only ones with nothing else to do, that's why."
"Is there a reason why she doesn't like it? Is she embarrassed by the thought of me meeting her employees and speaking highly of her?"
"You must be well aware of it too, Ed. How nonsensical our boss can be."
Dunn pulled the tape measure tight as he checked the number, writing it down on the paper. He then shouted at Lienna, telling her to turn around.
"To put it bluntly, it's completely different from working at a regular company. She is so cold-blooded that you would think she has molten iron flowing through her veins instead of blood."
"Even though you say you respect your employer so much, you talk about her quite cruelly."
"Oh my, I meant it as a compliment… Among us, saying something like that is taken as a compliment."
"..."
I already had a glimpse of Lortel's cold-blooded nature back at Laplace bakery. In fact, regardless of that, it wasn't like I didn't know much about Lortel's nature.
"Even though she normally acts so cold, when she's in front of you she's like a flower… I guess that wasn't something she was proud about her employees seeing. From my point of view, I think it's hilarious."
Dune then went around the perimeter of the vacant space horizontally to measure the space with the tape measure. As the distance increased, Dune's voice also got louder.
"Well…! I heard that she stopped by the camp yesterday for the first time in a while. Did you talk about anything interesting with her?"
"Nothing much. She just said hell to me… Is the Elte Company planning on doing something? She seemed to be in a good mood."
"As expected, you are well aware of the internal affairs of the Elte Company. Well, since you're close with the boss, I guess that's fine."
After saying that, Dune spoke with a pleasant expression on his face.
"Well, in any case, if there is something you are curious about but find difficult to personally ask our boss, or anything else you want to talk about, you can call on me any time. It would also help me, since I could gain a few points from you if we became closer."
"Hmm… I wonder if there is any real reason I have to talk to you instead of Lortel, who is the one that makes the final decisions."
"There's no reason for you to take what I said so seriously~ Don't you know that this is how the world works? I even prepared a present for you so that you would think highly of me."
Dune turned his head as he looked at a bundle of gifts beautifully wrapped and placed around the campfire.
I left Dune to finish his surveying and went to open a package. Inside, there was a bottle of liquor that looked rather luxurious.
"This is Clentree. A distilled liquor that Countess Drex only produces 500 bottles a year of. It's an item you can buy at Oldek's black market for one gold coin. It's a new type of alcoholic beverage through a distillation method learned from the Eastern Continent. The alcohol content is quite strong, so be careful with how much you drink if you're a lightweight."
"..."
"If you love alcohol, I'm sure you'll be hooked on it. Lienna took a sip and ended up drinking it all. Of course, she had to take the afternoon off after that."
"Please don't talk about others' personal stories so casually, Dune! Just be quiet!"
Dune laughed as he looked at Lienna angrily making a fuss from afar.
"It's a drink that even alcoholics feel bad drinking."
"You are treating me too highly."
"This isn't much."
Dune, who was pulling the tape measure tightly, smiled timidly… As he flipped through the documents in one hand, he spoke.
"You are the one that isn't thinking of yourself highly."
***
After leaving Dune, I went to check on Yennekar's condition before going to the commercial district.
Her condition had improved quite a bit, so it seemed like pretty soon she would be able to take care of herself. After watching her sit alone in her cabin, practicing manifesting various low-ranking spirits, it was only a matter of time.
As Lortel told me to do, I went to the general store to go and stock up on books and school supplies.
The Claven General Store, located in the main square of the commercial district, was one of the most famous stores aside from Laplace Bakery. It was also the shop with the largest building in the commercial district.
Its location was great, as they had a perfect view of the fountain and the square in front of them. The building also had five floors.
There were only three buildings in the entire commercial district that had five floors: Mexes Bridge's Entry Control Office, the Elte Company's Silvenia Branch, and the Claven General Store.
Naturally, the store took up a large proportion of the commercial district. Of course, they still depended on the Elte Company to get their products, so they couldn't escape their influence.
"Hmm…"
Since I could buy books in bulk from the bookstore further back, I thought I would just buy some necessary daily necessities at the general store instead.
Even though I called it a general store, they also had food ingredients and even furniture.
If you were to visit the commercial city Oldek, you could easily find general stores of that size. But on the remote Acken Island, it was like a department store.
And because its location was so good, it was always crowded with students, faculty members, and the residents of the commercial district.
Though the entrance was a bit crowded, once you got inside it was quite spacious.
I made my way through the crowd, entering the general store.
It was hard to say it was clean. The building was rather old, so you could see some shabby sections here and there. The wooden display cases where they displayed items also showed signs of age.
Still, just being able to manage a store of that size in a corner of Acken Island was impressive.
I bought some rope, a few crystal balls for my Magic Engineering class, and some ink and parchment paper.
I already had a Handicraft level that allowed me to make most things by hand, so most of what I bought was either school supplies or consumables.
But as I wandered around the store, walking back and forth…
"..."
"..."
In front of a display case with simple ingredients, there was a girl covering her face with a book.
"…What are you doing…?"
"..."
Maybe the sensible thing to do would have been to pretend that I didn't recognize her.
She was probably covering her face because she didn't want anyone to recognize her. I felt a little bad, only realizing it a tad late, but it couldn't be helped since I already acted as if I knew her.
"Anise…"
"Oh my, Ed. It's nice to see you. I guess you came here to buy something."
Anise quickly moved her head as she took a defensive stance, wrapping her arms around her. On one arm, she was holding a simple paper bag.
But suddenly taking a defensive stance… I didn't plan on doing anything, so why did it feel like I was acting hostile to her? It was a strange feeling.
"I came here to buy something as well, but I had no idea I would end up seeing you in a place like this. You haven't come to the lab very often lately, have you? I did hear from Yennekar, though. She sounded pretty sick. Well, I was a little perplexed when she suddenly said that she was going to live in a camp, but it seems like she was adjusting well. But then, all of sudden, she got sick. It must have been hard on you, Ed. Since I was well aware of your situation, I explained it in detail to Assistant Professor Cleoh. So, you can just take care of what you need to before coming back. Anyway, Clevius and Onyx are doing a good job, so there aren't any issues right now. Don't you also need to work for the scholarship as well? I guess none of our school lives are that easy."
Yennekar and Anise were exactly the same, as they talked a lot when they panicked.
However, Yennekar tended to stumble over her words when she panicked, while Anise spoke creepily accurately, as if she were working.
But the amount they spoke was the same. Well, they were friends, after all, so they could be similar in some ways.
In any case, Anise was a part of Assistant Professor Cleoh's lab alongside me. She was also one of the few classmates I was acquainted with.
It felt like she had to greet me sincerely, even if she didn't want to.
"Yeah, thanks. Did you come to buy something?"
After I said that, I glanced at her paper bag, which was trembling as she gripped it tightly.
Her wavy gray-brown hair looked like curtains that were hiding what was inside the bag.
"..."
I was speechless for a moment from the startle response.
"…I'm sorry."
Abruptly I ended up apologizing. That was all I could do.
Anise held onto the bag tightly as she listened to my apology. She then shook her head with a look of embarrassment on her face.
"No, my body just moved instinctively. Why am I like this? Well, I guess it's fine if you see it. Ah. Ahhhh…"
"…Are you alright?"
"Not really, but it's fine. You can look. Though, it's not anything all that amazing."
As her hand trembled, she held out the paper bag. She was trying to act as relaxed as possible, like it was okay for me to see it… but for some reason, she was also blushing, making me confused.
I wasn't even curious one bit about what was inside. However, seeing her look so determined, I guess it was hard to not be curious at that point.
I finally peered into the paper bag, looking at the contents.
"Seaweed…? Why so many…? Did you buy all of this…?"
"It was cheap… And there's a lot…"
"The peel of a fruit… Why is this here…? Are you selling this…?"
"I got it from the grocer next door… Some, you can eat raw. But there's also watermelon rind… If you season it… It's edible…"
"This baguette… Why is it only the crust…? Ah, n-nevermind…"
I kept my mouth shut to avoid asking any more questions.
Anise Haylan was famous for being a teacher's assistant that every professor drooled over, wanting her for their own labs.
Because of her elegant behavior and appearance, she was known as a commoner that was more noble than nobles.
However, looking at what was in the paper bag, I felt rather bad. They looked like things she had randomly picked up off the grass outside. Asking about it any further seemed cruel, so I stopped.
Anise's family fell into ruin the moment she entered the school. Her tuition was covered as she worked as a teacher's assistant, but it was still a mystery how she managed her daily living expenses… She was struggling to survive on her own. I was heartbroken upon seeing that her diet was worse than mine, despite me living in a camp.
Silvenia Academy was a place full of aristocratic academic traditions. In order to survive in a place like that, while trying to minimize your cost of living, you would have to do that sort of thing.
However, it would be embarrassing to show such a side of yourself to others.
"Y-You… Didn't have to show me… I didn't care anyway… No, I guess it's pointless for me to be saying that now…"
"What's wrong with it? Is there someone wrong with being poor? Was it that bad to show this pitiful side of me? Do I really have to make you like me? Do we have a relationship like a man and a woman? All I was doing was showing you what I had, so is there anything I need to be ashamed of? Hm?"
"..."
After she said all of that, an uncomfortable silence fell between us.
Anise stood tall with a proud expression on her face, one that slowly started to turn red from the tips of her ears.
Suddenly, she covered her face as she sat down, depressed.
"I want to die…"
There was nothing I could say to comfort her.
***
"We were already short on manpower, so the school was nearly thrown into chaos. However, from next week on, I think they will finally be able to properly fill up that empty spot."
"Really?"
"Yes. This time, the person taking his place is rather high-class. It took quite some time to find a new talent like them. In particular, Professor Glast had a long career and took on many roles, so there were very few people that could replace him."
On a bench next to the fountain in the central square of the Commercial District, Anise and I sat side by side as we ate a light snack.
She said that she shared an annual membership at Laplace Bakery with Clara, so she quickly went and bought some sweets to share.
Though, she really didn't need to tell me that she shared it with Clara… I felt like tearing up inside.
"I heard that Professor Kaleid will be Professor Glast's replacement. He will start working next week. However, because he's replacing Professor Glast, he will also be acting as Assistant Professor Cleoh's advisor."
"Then, I guess Assistant Professor Cleoh will go back to being the youngest. Though, I guess she was originally the youngest already."
"Yeah. And from what I've heard, Professor Kaleid's personality is trash… I guess she will probably have a hard time again… But what can be done…"
Professor Kaleid, Professor Glast's former classmate.
I didn't know the details about him, as he didn't matter all that much. However, I did know that he was an outsider that yelled and swore at people, getting angry whenever he had the chance.
Still, he was the best person to fill a middle management position, as he was responsible with his work. Of course, the person that would suffer the most from someone like that was their subordinates.
I had a moment of silence for Assistant Professor Cleoh.
"By the way Ed, what's the matter? You bought quite a lot of stuff, even though you usually make everything yourself with your Handicraft skill."
"Hmm… It's nothing special. I just heard rumors that the price of school supplies would be going up soon. So, I bought all the consumables I could in advance."
I didn't tell her the source of those rumors. After all, that wouldn't be good for Lortel.
"Is it…? I guess the prices of goods in the general store have been fluctuating unusually these days. Since I check it every day, I noticed that it's already risen nearly 10% since last month. It seems a bit suspicious, but… What can you do?"
"You check the prices of goods every day…"
"..."
The image of Anise, memorizing the prices of apples every day as she tried her hardest to buy it just a tad bit cheaper, easily came to my mind. It nearly brought a tear to my eye.
As if she noticed what I was thinking, Anise dropped her shoulders with a completely red face.
"E-Ed… You know. There's really no reason to tell anyone else that I live like this, right?"
"Yeah… I also have some sense… Don't worry."
"It doesn't feel right, like you're trying to pity me. What am I so guilty of?"
It wasn't that she was guilty of anything. Rather, it was that she had to live like that to survive.
As I said, Silvenia Academy had a strangely aristocratic academic tradition. Most of the students were financially capable, so it was inevitable that she would have to live pitifully on her own.
Wasn't I the same? I didn't pay much attention to it, as I ended my own hardships by living in my camp. But because of that, I was pretty much all alone in the school, and I didn't have many close classmates.
But if I thought of the value of the people that I was close to, I didn't feel like I stood out.
"It might sound strange, but it seems we are quite similar, Anise."
"..."
"…Was it really that strange?"
"No."
Anise shrugged as she shook her head.
Because of her flowing hair, I couldn't see her expression that well.
"Actually, that's also what I thought when I first met you."
Anise looked up at the general store with a blank look on her face.
Of course, around the world there were general stores that were much taller than the one in front of us. Even if you were to go to the education district, you could find many more magnificent buildings.
Maybe she felt like an abandoned dog walking among the skyscrapers. It might feel like she's struggling on her own in a neighborhood where only strangers lived.
The appearance of her walking through the buildings of the education district, carrying a bunch of books every day, was just like a dog that had nowhere to go.
"For me, this school is a jungle."
If she were to suddenly get sick, she wouldn't be able to work as a scholarship student. That would mean that her tuition and dormitory expenses wouldn't be paid.
There must have been quite a few times where she went to work with a sick body after getting used to living a life on thin ice.
"I envy you Ed."
"Me?"
"Because you have good Handicraft skills and talent, you can eat and live well in the camp on your own."
"I learned it when I had my back against the wall. There's still a lot of difficult things I need to do."
"Is that so? I guess it might have seemed like a statement that ignored the effort you put in. Sorry."
Anise stood up, brushing off her clothes. She grabbed the rest of the sweets.
"Anyway, I guess I should also buy some of the necessary school supplies before the prices rise any more. It'll be a bit difficult to buy them now, but I guess it's still better than buying it later. Thanks for the info."
"Alright."
"I'll get going first, then. Though, it is a bit strange. Seeing the market move at such a scale, it's probably because of the Elte Company. But why would they bother doing that?"
Anise was the top student assistant in the school. It was only natural that she was going to analyze the situation taking place in front of her.
"If they continue to do that, the Student Council won't leave them alone. If they didn't do anything, they could still manage to slowly take over all of the transactions and logistics that take place in the commercial district, building a steady profit. So, I don't see why they would try and start a confrontation."
After saying all of that, Anise shook her head.
"Well, I'm sure there's a good reason for it. After all, Lortel Kehelland is a much smarter and more thorough person than I am. Still, I can't help but wonder what her real intentions are."
Anise finished with that comment, giving a final farewell before leaving.
What were Lortel's intentions… I was also curious.
And there were several ways to figure out her intent.
Well, the surest and most accurate method had already been decided.
***
"The distilled liquor Clentree isn't all that great a gift though."
She was asking herself that question.
There was no need to go looking for her.
After finishing my work for today to some extent, I came back to the camp with a decent amount of luggage… There, sitting on a tree stump, Lortel sat rolling around a bottle of alcohol.
It seemed that, in the time before vacation began, she was not as busy with the store as I had thought.
"Dune is seriously… If you were going to bring over alcohol by misusing funds, it should have at least been wine… Just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's good."
"It's the drink he gave me, so why do you care?"
"I don't know. Maybe because, in a way, it's also like a gift I gave to you."
I put my things down on a nearby workbench as I sat down next to her.
"Speaking honestly, it's my property. Dune was embezzling money privately to import goods like these. Sadly, he doesn't even realize I know about it."
"…Why are you pretending to not know?"
"That way, when he starts to climb up, I can knock him back down."
Dune's comment about Lortel being cold-blooded made sense.
She had a completely different plan for Dune. She already had a chain around his neck that she could use to strangle him.
And she would pull on it the moment Lortel wanted to make his crimes public.
"Do you drink often?"
"No, I don't drink."
"Oh my, that's a shame."
Under the moonlight, Lortel sat on a tree stump, smiling… She quietly put the alcohol in her hand down on the rock.
"It's a bad habit of mine. No matter who they are, if I want to trust them then I have to put them in shackles. Just like I did with this drink."
"That doesn't necessarily make it a bad habit."
"I'm glad to hear you say that."
Lortel had a smile on her face, yet she looked strangely lonely. It wasn't even for just a day or two.
"Did you know the only person whose life I don't have wrapped around my fingertips is you, Ed?"
"..."
"It feels unusual to go and call it special treatment. Well, it's more that if I try to control you, you're going to be the one swinging at me first. Well, there's no need for us to have that type of relationship, so maybe it's fine just staying as equals like this."
The moonlight reflected off of the alcohol bottle she had put on the floor. The moonlight that passed through the glass became cloudy, coloring every corner of the stone.
"That's not bad."
And like that, we looked up at the moon while sitting next to each other for some time.
How much time had passed?
Finally, Lortel stopped speaking emotionally and finally brought up the main topic.
"You seem to have something you want to ask me. I'm quite quick at these things, aren't I?"
Her foxlike smile was as bewitching as always.