Chapter 191
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 191
Ciel announced her intention to live with me in my new home at the workshop.
I shook my head firmly.
"No, that would be a problem."
Of course it's a problem.
"Is there no room? I recall the living space being quite large."
"There are rooms."
Five of them, in fact. There are even two bathrooms, so space isn't the issue.
"Then there is no problem."
That's not it.
"No, why are you trying to move in the first place? I told you to just rest comfortably."
I told her not to trouble herself and just relax, yet she insists on coming here to work. What kind of attendant is she?
It couldn't be just because she was well-paid; it felt more like a deep-seated sense of duty.
"My duty is to be your escort, Lord Roen. It is difficult to protect you when you are so far away."
"The Union is safe. I don't need an escort."
"Safe, you say? You, of all people, should know the Union is not such a safe place, Lord Roen. Especially after the series of incidents you've experienced."
"...But a man and a woman living in the same house is problematic."
"A space this large is no different from living in a mansion. Besides, we slept just fine in a cramped cube during the summer training camp."
Her logic was sound.
Ciel then tilted her head slightly and looked at me.
"Or... are you perhaps planning to do something strange to me?"
"That's not it, but..."
"Then there is no problem."
"It's not that there's no problem. There are other people to consider. Even if we're fine with it, others might find it strange if they learn we're living together in the workshop."
"Compared to your safety, Lord Roen, such gossip is of little importance. And if we adjust our commute times appropriately, we won't be caught."
"But..."
As I tried to come up with another excuse, Ciel placed a finger over her lips, cutting me off.
"Shh. Just accept it as it is."
"..."
It felt like I was trying to solve one problem only to gain another, but Ciel was so adamant that I had no choice but to reluctantly agree.
*
After my brief war of words with Ciel, I arrived at Seintea for my Divine Magic lecture. There, I ran into Garfield for the first time in a while.
"Hey, long time no see!"
Garfield waved at me with a warm smile. I looked him up and down.
"Been well? You look like you've lost some weight."
"Hehe, you've got a sharp eye. I've managed to shed a few pounds."
Grinning, Garfield stuck out his belly. I could definitely see that his midsection had shrunk a bit.
A triumph of the human spirit. It was something worth celebrating.
Just as Garfield and I were catching up on our break...
Professor Andrea entered, and the lecture began.
"Welcome, everyone. First, I'll take attendance."
Andrea called out each student's name, checking the roster before starting the lecture. Despite it being the first class of the semester, the Divine Magic course covered new material and ended right on time.
It was a little disappointing, but I figured some classes were just like that.
Professor Andrea closed his holy book and ended the lecture with a word of caution.
"The atmosphere has been rather tense lately. Although security in the Union has been strengthened, I urge all of you to be careful. Do not go to dangerous places or wander around late at night. That is all for today."
Bwa-bwa-bwaaam—.
As the class ended, students filed out of the lecture hall to the grand, echoing sound of a pipe organ. Elena exchanged cheerful greetings with the other departing students before walking straight over to me.
She looked me over as she spoke.
"You look worn out. Didn't you sleep well?"
"I've had a lot on my plate recently. I'm not in the best condition."
Plus, with Ciel on my mind, I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep peacefully from now on either.
"Is that so? Then I'll ask you next time."
"Why? Is it a monster-related request?"
"Yes, it is. But if you're tired, we can do it later..."
"It's fine. Let me see it."
"If you insist."
When I held out my hand, Elena handed me a thick manila envelope. I opened it slightly to check the volume of documents inside.
"This is... a lot."
"Yes. As Professor Andrea mentioned, the atmosphere is quite unsettled these days. We need a lot of information on unidentified monsters."
With the appearance of Kral, the massive murloc raid, and the movements of the Twelve Honored Ones—who had been silent for so long—now becoming public knowledge, the world was on edge. At the same time, strange monster movements were being reported all over the continent, so the Holy Kingdom must be incredibly busy.
I put the envelope in my bag.
"Alright. I'll pass along the information as soon as I confirm it."
"Thank you, as always, for your hard work."
"It's hardly hard work."
I'm just organizing information I already know inside and out. You could call it a business with a high return for very little effort.
"What should I give you as a reward for the request this time? It's quite a large amount."
"Actually, there's something I need your help with."
"My help?"
"Yes. Come to the Izelin Academy this weekend."
After all, I needed Elena's help to explore the dungeon where the Cognitive Acceleration Stone lay dormant.
*
After finishing the Divine Magic lecture and having lunch, I arrived at Ishtal.
Professor Verdandi should have finished her probation and returned by now, but due to her circumstances, Zimmer continued to teach the class. With his usual stoic expression, he ordered the students to run laps around the field.
No special treatment just because it's the first day of the semester. I like his consistency.
"Hoo, hoo."
By the time I'd run about four laps, I was able to cross the finish line with the lead group. My performance in the death race had improved slightly.
The weeks I'd spent rolling around with the knights, raising my vitality and agility stats, had paid off.
After finishing the race, I panted for breath and checked my status window.
[Vitality: 48(-24)]
[Agility: 42(-21)]
[Strength: 44(-22)]
[Mana: 63]
[Intelligence: 59]
[Charm: 94(-31)]
The stats were clearly higher than before. Even with my meridian blockage, my physical stats now easily surpassed 20. If I were to cure the blockage, my physical stats would be nearly on par with a low-ranking knight.
My hard work had been worth it.
As I caught my breath, someone tapped my shoulder and handed me a water bottle. It was Gaurel, a classmate from my swordsmanship class. He sized up my forearm with his hand and asked, "You've gotten faster, huh? Put on some muscle, too. Did you train over the break?"
"Yeah. I trained hard with the Devalis Knights."
"Really? I heard your knights were assigned to guard the Union this time."
Yeah, not just guarding. We went to the underworld and fought a war.
As I gulped down the water Gaurel had given me, I sensed someone else approaching. A girl with hair like freshly fallen snow—a sight I had grown used to.
Freya, who was usually surrounded by students and would only nod to me from a distance, had come over to greet me in person. Gaurel tactfully stepped aside.
Freya handed me a white towel.
"Your stamina has certainly improved. Congratulations."
"It's nothing to be congratulated for. After what I went through, it was only natural to train."
I recalled the incident as I wiped the sweat with the towel.
The battle against Amur.
He was a formidable opponent, but to be beaten so badly even after using my trump card... It was a moment when I keenly felt my own weakness. At the same time, I felt a sense of hopelessness, wondering just how much stronger I needed to become to face and defeat one of the Twelve Honored Ones head-on.
With the perfect training environment available, I had thrown myself into training with the knights. I still had a long way to go, but it felt good to see the results.
Then, Freya cautiously made a suggestion.
"...Is that so. If you wish, I could guide you."
"In swordsmanship?"
"Swordsmanship and other things. Combat techniques, physical conditioning methods, and so on."
"I know you're busy. Are you sure you have the time?"
She might not be as busy as me, but Freya was busy nonetheless. And yet she was offering to make time for me.
"Yes, I have time in the early mornings. I know you also do some light exercise then, Roen. Let's meet at that time."
"Sounds good."
Keeping up with Freya, a human weapon, would be incredibly tough, but if I was going to exercise anyway, it would be better to do it together.
Freya gave a silent nod and left. Shortly after, Garfield crossed the finish line and approached us.
"Haaack, haaack—."
He was still gasping for air like a dying pig. Still, it was impressive to see he'd improved his time.
After the grueling swordsmanship lecture ended, Professor Zimmer called me to his office. His office was spartan, devoid of any particular decorations or furniture.
"Here, take this."
He handed me a report summarizing the events in the Gilbert Kingdom over the break. It detailed the movements of the First Prince, Jeremy, and the strange activities of the Royal Faction.
This was high-level intelligence that would have been difficult to obtain with only my underworld informants scattered across the continent.
In return, I handed him a processed pill made from the Mad Dragon's Heart.
"So, can you see the next level yet?"
Zimmer was a warrior on the verge of the Master level. He had been searching for the Mad Dragon's Heart to break through that wall and advance to the next stage.
Zimmer smiled and nodded.
"Yes. The level that felt just out of reach is now starting to come into view. Thanks to you, I think I'll reach the Master level soon."
"Congratulations, Professor."
"It's too early for congratulations. By the way, what should we do about this semester's curriculum? For the last midterm, I made it easy for you to get points by setting it to just pass or fail, but I can't do that again."
There needed to be at least some way to differentiate between the students' scores. No matter how much Zimmer accommodated me, if we kept this up, we could be flagged by an inspector and put under audit. If that happened, our collusive relationship might be exposed.
So, I proposed another method.
"This semester, how about we award points based on sparring matches instead of physical tests?"
The basic swordsmanship class aims not only to improve physical fitness but also to establish the fundamentals of self-defense and sword fighting. The ultimate result of that would be demonstrated through sparring, so there shouldn't be any problem with the curriculum.
Zimmer expressed his concern.
"Sparring, huh. Are you confident? I know your ranking in competitive matches is quite high, but you can't use magic or artifacts in swordsmanship class."
"Still, it's better than competing on pure physical ability."
I couldn't beat the monsters of Ishtal in a contest of pure stamina or strength, but in a fight, there were at least some variables. I could expect a higher score. And since the percentage of A grades was already at the maximum, it wouldn't be hard to get one.
When I showed confidence, Zimmer seemed convinced.
"Alright, I'll structure the second-semester curriculum that way. On another note, here's that list of sponsors you asked for."
With that, Zimmer handed me another document. It was a list of the emerging factions that supported the Second Prince, Andrew. I scanned the names.
They weren't powerful nobles with large private armies or immense wealth, but they were all people who had gathered to right the course of the declining Gilbert Kingdom. To keep Jeremy in check, I needed to nurture them steadily.
Sponsoring a faction wasn't cheap, but... I have plenty of money anyway.
I already have a stake in the underworld, and I'll earn even more once the carbonated water franchise takes off. The merchant guild stocks I invested in are also generating a steady profit. In the end, I'll reap what I sow. The Roen who was always short on cash is no more. It's time to make a bold investment.
"Understood. I'll deposit the funds into the Steel Bank account, so please use it where needed. In return, you'll have to help my intelligence organization establish a foothold in the Gilbert Kingdom."
"An intelligence organization? Personnel from the underworld?"
"That's right. We have a branch in Gilbert now, but its influence is so minimal that it's not much help."
"Good. That works out perfectly. Our side was in need of an intelligence organization anyway."
Zimmer and I shook hands, resolving to continue our partnership.
*
After my day's schedule was over, evening had arrived. The streetlights of the Union and the lights in the dormitories were beginning to flicker on one by one. Summer was over, and the cool night air of autumn was settling in.
Instead of heading to the Student Council office as I usually did, I made my way to my new home: the Meister workshop.
I wonder if Ciel has finished moving her things by now.
Clank—.
As I entered the workshop with my key card, a delicious smell wafted down from upstairs. It was a savory aroma, similar to soybean paste stew—a scent rarely encountered in Myrillin Saga.
As if drawn by a spell, I climbed the stairs and opened the door to the living quarters. Ciel was there to welcome me. She had changed out of her school uniform and into the maid outfit she always wore at her family's estate.
She extended a hand toward me and greeted me politely.
"Welcome home. Dinner and a bath have been prepared."