Moreover, Tina had heard Leflina mention something else.
The current president of the Spark Society—the senior who had taken great care of her, Motia—had also begun trying to promote Leflina's ideals within the Spark Society.
She even intended to push for a merger between the Spark Society and the Reform Society, in order to create the strongest student organization in Savant.
After learning that the clumsy girl was from the Reform Society, Tina's guard dropped a little further.
Her attitude softened noticeably as well.
On the other hand, when the clumsy girl heard Tina casually mention Leflina's name, she looked surprised.
"Senior, do you know Senior Leflina?"
"Yes. And there's no need to call me senior—I'm a freshman this year too."
Tina nodded. Over the past few months, she had developed an excellent relationship with her three roommates.
The lively and free-spirited Hiness. The gentle and considerate Leflina. And the remarkably reliable Lyco.
She enjoyed Leflina's care and Hiness's playful teasing—it made her feel relaxed and warm.
And then there was Lyco—the rascal who liked to pat her head, yet handled matters with a maturity far beyond her years.
In fact, Tina felt a sense of security from Lyco that she had never experienced before.
Not even the brothers and sisters from the Wild Dog Gang had ever given her that feeling.
If Hiness felt like a cheerful younger sister, and Leflina like a tender older sister, then Lyco felt like…
A mother?!
"How could I possibly think that?"
Tina shook her head, banishing the absurd notion from her mind.
But the way she looked at the clumsy girl softened even more.
Since the girl was a member of the society Leflina had founded, she could be considered one of their own.
And Tina always showed ample tolerance toward her own people.
So she patiently explained,
"I suppose you could say I'm also a member of the Reform Society, so there's no need to promote its ideas to me."
"Really?"
The clumsy girl looked at Tina suspiciously.
"But I've never seen you at the society. Wait—you're a Reform Society member, I've never met you, and you're here at the Merchants' Guild…Could it be that you're the mysterious sugar daddy backing our Reform Society?"
"…Sugar daddy?"
Black lines practically appeared over Tina's head as she stared at the bright-eyed girl before her.
She could not understand how she—merely the society's accountant—had become its "sugar daddy."
Which idiot had come up with that nickname? How could they call her a sugar daddy? She was clearly a girl!
"At the very least, it should be sugar mommy… no, sugar sister."
Tina silently grumbled to herself.
But since the girl clearly knew of her existence, that saved a great deal of explanation.
It meant both of them could get back to their business sooner.
So Tina nodded, accepting it, and said apologetically,
"That's right. But I'm sorry—I still have matters to attend to, so I can't continue chatting."
"No worries, no worries! Go ahead and do your thing, Senior!"
This time the clumsy girl was surprisingly sensible. She straightened her clothes, waved at Tina, and jogged off.
Not long after, however, Tina saw the same girl bump into another passerby.
This time, her luck was clearly worse.
The person she collided with was a portly merchant. After being bumped, he looked visibly annoyed.
He immediately summoned a group of subordinates, surrounding the clumsy girl.
Tina raised an eyebrow.
By now, her perception of the girl had subtly changed.
In her mind, the clumsy girl was Leflina's little admirer. And Leflina was like a sister to her—practically family.
Which meant, by extension, the clumsy girl was also her admirer.
In other words—one of her own.
And when it came to her own people, Tina, raised by the Wild Dog Gang, lived by one simple rule:
When a companion is in trouble, you help.
Because only then will someone stand up for you when you're the one in trouble.
It was the survival code of the street children of Desert. And it was her creed.
So almost instinctively, Tina walked toward them.
She stopped at the clumsy girl's side.
"I'm very sorry. My friend accidentally offended you."
Merely standing there, Tina exuded an invisible pressure that subdued the thugs surrounding them.
The wealthy merchant narrowed his eyes.
As a local Savant businessman, he knew very well who could be provoked—and who absolutely could not.
Tina, as a rising star within the Merchants' Guild, was already a leading figure in the industry. There wasn't a single member of the guild who did not know her.
The aftershocks of her conflict with Charlotte's merchant association alone had affected numerous businesses.
Some had profited greatly. Others had suffered devastating losses.
The merchant had no desire to antagonize a capital leviathan capable of destroying everything he owned with ease.
His expression immediately softened.
Forcing a smile, he bowed slightly in a flattering posture.
"So it's the renowned Manager Tina! Look at this misunderstanding—it's purely a misunderstanding!"
He even apologized to the clumsy girl, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then departed with his men.
Only after the merchant had gone some distance did the clumsy girl come back to her senses.
She grabbed Tina's hands in admiration and pressed them tightly against her chest.
"As expected of our Reform Society's sugar daddy! Even Sir Weston of the Weston Merchant Association treats you with such respect!
I don't even know how to describe how I feel right now. That's the infamous Sir Weston!
If you hadn't stepped in today, Senior, I might have been charged with offending a noble and sold off to another country!"
"That's a bit exaggerated, isn't it?"
Tina raised an eyebrow.
She had grown up in the slums and had witnessed plenty of nobles oppressing commoners.
But while nobles might abduct homeless orphans, they wouldn't necessarily seize ordinary citizens with families and identities.
Especially not one who was a student of the Arts Academy—one of the Seven Great Academies.