Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: 6. External Enemies and Allies
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Lunarin stormed out of the staff room and headed straight for Edin's general store.
‘How the hell did he get tangled up in a rumor like that?’
It had only been two days since her assignment here.
How had it blown up to the point where it was on every teacher's lips?
Naturally, Lunarin trusted Edin.
She knew he wasn't the type.
Edin had been an adventurer for three years.
She'd known him for about a year.
In all that time, he'd never done anything controversial.
The only remotely debatable thing was sticking around that utter trash Claude?
But she'd watched him closely and knew it wasn't about leeching scraps off Claude.
If anything, Claude was the one mooching off Edin.
No matter how talented he was.
Sooner or later, tackling A-rank monsters or quests would make Edin indispensable.
Even with amazing talent, everyone eventually needed high-grade potions or consumables.
That's why S-rank adventurers shelled out fortunes for them.
To kick away a chance to use them for free?
What an arrogant, idiotic fool.
“Haa...”
Anyway, she was going to see Edin to get to the bottom of the rumor.
“Edin, you there?”
As she entered the general store, Edin was just preparing to head out.
He was probably planning to join one of the parties heading out for a material-gathering field lesson today.
‘The students will whisper about him for sure.’
They'd gossip the moment they saw Edin.
The supervising teacher might even view him poorly and keep their distance.
“Oh, Teacher Lunarin? What brings you here?”
Unaware of the spreading rumors—or so it seemed—Edin greeted her with a relaxed expression.
“Well, your name just came up...”
It was obvious he had no clue, so she started to explain.
That's when...
“Teacher Lunarin?”
“...??”
From the stairs leading down to the basement, someone utterly unexpected climbed up.
“Teacher Saella?”
It was the elf, an S-rank adventurer turned teacher, who always trailed after Lunarin and pestered her.
Saella.
The moment she saw him, Lunarin's face twisted in annoyance.
He was emerging from the basement, so he probably wasn't following her.
But why was he coming up from the general store's basement?
Edin's workshop was down there.
Offering help with something?
Or had he heard the rumors and come to harass Edin?
As Lunarin puzzled over the situation...
“Huhu. No need to worry, Teacher Lunarin. I've cast aside that pathetic past of chasing after you. I've awakened.”
“...??”
Saella caught her sour look, struck a bizarre pose, and spouted something weird.
He bent at a perfect ninety degrees toward Edin, hand extended, like a vassal greeting an emperor—or a devotee worshiping a god.
“Other so-called beauties mean nothing before true beauty!!”
“????”
Edin stared at him, baffled by what the hell this was about.
But...
“...No idea why he's acting like this.”
Edin looked just as confused.
#
“So, yesterday he just shows up out of nowhere and plants himself there...”
“Yes.”
After hearing Edin's story, Lunarin let out a deep sigh and shot Saella a look.
‘Come to think of it, this elf was obsessed with beauty.’
Edin's absurdly precise work.
In terms of technical ‘beauty,’ nothing neater or more exquisite had ever crossed her eyes.
Even so, she hadn't expected him to go full fanatic devotee...
“Any attack on Edin-sama is an attack on me—no, even worse! If you're going after Edin-sama, come for me instead!”
That's why he wanted to stick around Edin.
To protect him.
“If you permit it, there'd be no greater honor. I'll quit teaching and devote my life as Edin-sama's bodyguard.”
“......”
Permission or not, he'd already been lingering nearby since yesterday.
Lunarin thought he was a real clown.
‘Same when he was bothering me. What a pain.’
But seen another way, it might not be so bad.
With his massive respect and worship for Edin, she could use it to station him as a protector.
Plus, Saella might have a weird personality, but his skills were top-tier.
A genuine S-rank adventurer, one of the elf race's greatest talents.
Having a 24/7 bodyguard who'd quit teaching to guard Edin?
That was a win.
Frankly, with rumors like this one, the more Edin's talents spread, the more enemies he'd attract.
Setting up protection in advance was smart.
Director Mureos would approve for sure.
They'd lose an elite spirit magic and archery instructor, but safeguarding Edin mattered more.
S-rank caliber teachers weren't nonexistent anyway.
Active adventurers or retirees who hadn't gone into teaching numbered one or two per field already.
Outside adventurers, even more in other professions.
Assuming the crazy elf didn't pull anything weird.
‘And he made something like this.’
Lunarin smirked at the A-rank Healing Potion Edin handed her.
He'd finished it right around when Saella showed up yesterday and showed it to her.
‘I knew, but... he's a total madman.’
An A-rank Healing Potion.
The kind that could reattach a severed hand.
Not arms, legs, or organs—but hands, feet, body parts? Absolutely.
A monstrous item.
Even a master alchemist needed top-grade materials and their unique processes, pouring their soul into it for a slim chance of success.
Even guild elders struggled.
But he'd done it.
Pure skill, no special processes or materials.
Of course, Lunarin knew B-rank was the limit with standard stuff.
But everyone knew A-rank potions were brutally hard and insanely expensive.
‘And he just whipped one up.’
No wonder Saella teared up in worship.
If she'd seen it live, Lunarin might've fallen on her ass in shock.
‘Director Mureos is gonna lose it.’
A monster churning out A-rank Healing Potions.
‘Isn't this balance-breaking?’
If he really got going, even national-treasure S-rank potions...
Lunarin's head spun at the thought.
Way too much for academy students.
No—overkill didn't cover it.
They straight-up shouldn't use it.
Get hooked on top-tier potions, and they'd scoff at lower grades later, rendering them useless.
“Better dilute it and sell.”
“Hm, yeah.”
Edin nodded calmly, like he'd seen it coming.
He knew full well his creation was overkill for academy kids.
Even low-self-esteem Edin had felt a smug ‘Maybe I've got talent?’ after making an A-rank.
He grasped how insane it was.
“Dilute roughly to C-rank, get about twenty-five.”
A-rank diluted to five B-ranks.
B-rank to five C-ranks each.
One A-rank Healing Potion made twenty-five C-ranks.
Perfect level for academy students.
Mid or low classes could dilute further to D-rank.
“Keep three B-ranks, just in case.”
“Got it.”
As the two chatted...
“Edin-sama made it, so premium price. Ten gold each, minimum.”
Saella said it dead serious.
“...It's for academy students.”
“Y-yeah, that might be too much. Original price, material cost plus a bit...”
“Unacceptable! Made with Edin-sama's divine technique!”
Saella ranted about not cheapening Edin-sama's masterpiece.
Edin thought, ‘This elf's kinda annoying...’
#
“The academy, huh. Been a while since I came back.”
Standing at the entrance, Claude smirked at the familiar academy building.
Not nostalgia, though.
‘Gathering of losers.’
He just mocked it as a place for weaklings to huddle and take classes.
Same back when he attended.
No one as talented as him.
He was hero material, S-rank bound.
The rest? A-rank ceiling at best.
Level gap inevitable.
Even an A-rank adventurer teacher nearly lost a spar to him.
Talent and arrogance baked in since student days.
Or earlier.
Village genius treatment?
Whatever. Claude approached the entrance.
“Hold up. State your business.”
The guard blocked him.
“......”
Claude bristled at the guard daring to stop him, but he wasn't about to cause a scene here.
He had business inside.
“Hero Claude. Guild elders sent me to meet someone.”
He flashed his adventurer card with the hero title and the elders' orders.
“...Understood. Mind waiting a moment?”
Probably relaying to the director.
Guild elders sent someone.
And it's Hero Claude.
Claude magnanimously agreed to wait.
Moments later.
“Uh, who exactly are you here for...”
Claude smirked at the guard's question.
“Edin. The Edin from the general store.”