Linked Quest (2)
The Barhart Empire Academy was enormous. Even the Central District—the education facilities, administrative buildings, self-training grounds, dormitories, cafeterias, and the restricted special zones closed off to outsiders—was far larger than what a mere two hundred students could ever need. Honestly, for eating, sleeping, and studying, it was more than enough.
But could teenagers in their prime really be satisfied with just that? Thinking back to my previous life’s school, plenty of students would skip the perfectly decent cafeteria lunch to hit the school store or the convenience store across the street. Quality of the food had nothing to do with it. And here, noble students who had grown up in luxury with every hobby at their fingertips were suddenly forced into a rigid schedule of nothing but classes from Monday to Saturday, morning to night. Their pent-up desires must have been overwhelming.
The Academy had prepared the Outer District for exactly this reason. While some of it consisted of massive training facilities too large to fit inside the Central District, the rest was filled with shops and entertainment venues for the students: restaurants of every kind, bookstores stocking titles from across the continent, cosmetics shops, clothing stores, theaters for plays and operas, weapon shops, magic tome specialists, general stores, and even bizarre little shops whose purpose was anyone’s guess. A few even housed brothels—separate ones for men and women—sitting there as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and the students used them without a second thought. Of course, if you overindulged and showed up to class the next day looking half-dead, the professors would tear you apart, so there was an unspoken understanding not to go too far.
The student body wasn’t huge, but as the children of wealthy, well-connected families, they spent money freely. Their word-of-mouth was powerful. Even without that, the land around the Academy was rapidly developing as people gathered, and plenty of merchants and power brokers wanted a foothold in the Outer District, the heart of it all.
Instead of dealing with every petty scheme individually, the Empire handed authority to a capable and upright official and told him to handle it. That official carried out the order faithfully.
Markram Ekol. He had originally served in the Barhart Empire’s military, handling logistics during the Judgment War thanks to his exceptional administrative skills. After the war, while others scrambled to keep their positions as the army shrank from over a million to around four hundred thousand, he voluntarily retired. It seemed he would live out his days as a private citizen, but the civil officials who remembered his wartime achievements recruited him. His upright character and incorruptible conduct earned him widespread respect.
Which meant—
“I understand the story. But my answer remains the same as before. I cannot permit the Midas Merchant Group to establish a branch here.”
His compatibility with that damned head of the family, Bern Midas—who loved loopholes and bribes above all else—was the worst possible.
“Why not?”
At my question, the graying middle-aged man continued with a stern expression.
“The Academy is filled with talents who will play crucial roles in this empire—nay, this entire continent—in the future. And more will gather. We must pay special attention to the culture they are exposed to on a daily basis. The Midas Merchant Group does not meet that standard.”
In other words, letting students associate with the likes of us would have a bad influence. True to the rumors that he had once flipped a table and raged at a noble who tried to use his attendants for a honey trap during a banquet, he was a fiery old man. Given Bern’s misdeeds, this reaction wasn’t surprising. Fail or succeed, it’s all that damned head’s own fault—accept it, you bastard.
“To begin with, what exactly is this ‘Midas Cube’ thing? I nearly had a heart attack when I heard gambling was running rampant inside the Academy!”
…Huh? The ambush came from a completely unexpected direction, and I froze like a statue. Interpreting my reaction differently, Markram Ekol waved a hand.
“I know. A young student like you bears no responsibility. Obviously, your father put you up to it. People call me narrow-minded and rigid, but I’m not so dense that I can’t understand that much. You expect me to believe a boy who hasn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony came up with that vicious business model that so cleverly exploits human desire and expectation? You’re just trying to shift the blame, but there are limits to such obvious deception.”
Uh, well, you see—
“Pfft.”
Behind the sofa where I sat, Ligret’s shoulders shook as she lowered her head. For someone whose expression rarely changed, that was practically roaring laughter. Feeling oddly wronged, I tried to argue, but the words stuck in my throat. How could I refute him? That demonic method really had been my idea—well, not originally mine, but still. Instead of cursing the damned head, should I be cursing myself? Wouldn’t that just be self-destruction?
After quickly calculating in my head, I changed my expression.
“…I find it difficult to give any answer, Lord Ekol.”
“Oh?”
I packed as much nuance as possible into the words: “Your words are correct, but I cannot speak openly because I fear my father.” He looked at me with pity. I continued in as grave a tone as I could manage.
“I have little influence over the merchant group’s policies, so there is much I cannot say. However, even if our branch is established, the Midas Cube you worry about will not be sold there. No—I will make sure it is not.”
Even if we wanted to sell it, we couldn’t. The weekly supply we were already producing was barely enough even with the creation device running at full capacity. We had tried making copies of the device, but its structure was so complex that the Midas Merchant Group’s technology couldn’t replicate it. Still, this old man didn’t know that.
As expected, Markram Ekol’s voice softened slightly.
“Hmm. Even so, that alone is not enough to grant permission.”
“I understand. That includes how the Midas Merchant Group is viewed by those around us. But people can change, and so can organizations. Among those who share my vision, there are those who wish to change it. I hope you will judge right and wrong with your own eyes, Lord Ekol.”
I handed over information about the branches Theo was running, along with several ways to contact him. The rest was up to the two of them. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this alone would get approval, and even if it did, the operating rights would likely go to Theo rather than that damned father… but either way, establishing a Midas Merchant Group branch would be accomplished. That was what mattered.
“Very well, then—”
Just as Markram was about to rise, Ligret suddenly drew her weapon.
“What are you doing?!”
Markram’s face twisted in alarm, and the guards behind him stepped forward, but Ligret didn’t even glance at them. Her eyes were fixed on the door across the room. After a brief silence—
The door Ligret had been staring at exploded.
Amid the shock, a figure leapt into the room along with the debris. Clang! Ligret caught the attacker’s strike, and a sharp metallic ring echoed through the air. The man with deep black hair narrowed his eyes in amusement at the sight of Ligret blocking his attack, then immediately unleashed a flurry of blows. From upper left to lower right, a slight lift into a mid right-to-left strike, then spinning with the sword and body from upper right to lower left. A terrifying barrage completed in the time it took to draw a single breath. The speed was incredible for someone wielding a greatsword that looked well over 150 centimeters long.
But Ligret was no pushover either. She deflected the first strike with her shortsword and gauntlet, twisted her body to dodge the second, and before the third could finish, she planted her weight and kicked the attacker square in the chest. The man was forced backward, and taking advantage of the opening, throwing spears summoned through Feldous’s Summoning Gloves shot toward him. He knocked them aside with his greatsword, and the two entered a standoff with weapons raised.
I scanned the surroundings for any other attackers while Markram Ekol shouted in horror at the black-haired man.
“Lord Dietrich! What is the meaning of this?!”
The man called Dietrich ignored him, staring at Ligret as he muttered.
“Hmm. Strange. Not bad, but not enough to crush Kalyos in a single blow. Did all that political maneuvering dull his skills?”
“What?”
When Ligret asked in confusion, he slung his greatsword over his shoulder and spoke casually.
“Kalyos Schmidt. The Southern Army Commander you supposedly crushed so thoroughly.”
“…I don’t even know what you’re talking about. If you’re going to say something, get on with it.”
“Hah, admirable spirit. You’re pretty good after all.”
Just as the two were about to clash again, Markram Ekol finally exploded.
“You bastard, Dietrich! Now that you’ve risen to a high position, you won’t even listen to me?!”
At the sight of Markram’s face turning bright red as he huffed, the man flinched, clicked his tongue, and sheathed his sword.
“Fine, don’t get worked up, Uncle Markram. I’ll probably have to start calling you Grandpa soon, and I’m scared you’ll keel over.”
“Your manners have only gotten worse.”
Turning to us with an utterly shameless expression, he greeted us.
“Hey there, Academy friends. Dietrich von Draug. I’m a classmate of that Kalyos guy you smashed to pieces. Nice to meet you.”
I flipped through my mental roster for a moment, then thought:
Never heard of this lunatic.