Chapter 314
Chapter Title: Karl's Little Side Business
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“Did you hear?”
“Yeah. That the second-year seniors are staying out every night these days?”
“They say it’s a mock battle between dorms. Since the entire second year is participating, the scale must be insane.”
“When do we get to do a large-scale mock battle like that?”
Lumerne’s first-year training grounds.
During a break in their joint combat studies class, the students were chatting.
Thanks to their first midterms since entering Lumerne, the first-years were swamped.
Of course, the pressure itself wasn't as great compared to other years.
Every year, the first-semester midterms for first-years were regarded by Lumerne students as a brush with death.
But this year’s first-years wouldn’t receive a recommendation for withdrawal until the end of the first semester.
That’s why, unlike other years, they had a bit more leeway to look around.
“Hmph. Don’t you think we’ve kind of become an afterthought?”
Juen muttered in a slightly disgruntled tone.
Usually, during the first-semester midterms, the first-years received the biggest spotlight.
It was an event the entire school paid attention to, a stage for the new faces who entered Lumerne to show off their skills to their seniors.
But this time, the big event getting the spotlight was the second-years’ midterm practical exam.
It was even being opened to outside guests, which was rare.
Many people were already coming to Lumeria City to see the all-out battle of the “Golden Generation” second-years.
At Juen’s grumbling, her classmate Fritz chuckled, “Hmph.”
“Isn’t that to be expected?”
“What?”
“It’s only natural for the first-years to be an afterthought in the face of Senior Leo’s radiant presence…”
“Ah, right, right. My mistake for asking you, a Leo Flove fanatic.”
Juen let out a deep sigh.
“I’m curious, why did you become Senior Abad’s mentee? If you praise Senior Leo that much, shouldn’t you have naturally become his mentee?”
“What! You’re telling someone like me to dare become Senior Leo’s mentee? You’d have me commit such an insolence!?”
“You’re a serious case.”
Just as Juen was shaking her head.
“Juen.”
“What?”
“Your mentor came by.”
“Huh? Senior Karl is here?”
At her female classmate’s words, Juen’s eyes widened.
Then, she burst out laughing.
“Honestly. Senior Karl always makes sure to take care of his cute junior, even when he’s busy.”
Juen stood up from her seat with a smug look.
In response, envious gazes from those around her turned to Juen.
Among the second-years, the student who most enthusiastically played the role of a mentor was Karl.
Of course, that wasn’t why the first-years envied Juen.
Even if he took good care of his mentee, Karl was at the bottom of the second-year class.
When the first-years were looking for mentors, the most avoided second-year was Karl.
When Juen had abruptly chosen such a person as her mentor, the majority of first-years had been dumbfounded.
They whispered behind her back that since she was the heir to the Southern Magic Tower, she didn’t care about things like mentees.
There were even some who gossiped that she had chosen a pathetic mentor as a ploy to make herself stand out.
However, that perception completely changed after Karl conquered Dweno’s world.
After it became known that he had even obtained Dweno’s Grimoire as a reward for conquering Dweno’s world, she became the sole object of envy, just like now.
Juen walked with a light step toward the entrance of the first-year combat studies training grounds.
And there, she paused upon seeing a crowd of first-years gathered.
In the middle of the first-years was Karl.
“Come on! Pick and choose! Senior Karl’s general store is here!”
Karl was shouting at the first-years like a merchant in a bustling market.
The first-years watched Karl with interested eyes.
“From fatigue recovery potions to help you study for exams, to candy! Mobile targets to help with combat training! Sandbags! Snacks that summoned beasts love! Mana stones that spirits love! We’ve got it all!”
Karl placed various items on a stall.
“Alright! And we also have bombs and throwing daggers for emergencies in battle! Antidote potions to cure status ailments! Even emergency magic scrolls!”
“Ooooh!”
“This is great!”
At Karl’s promotion, the first-years’ eyes sparkled.
“And most importantly.”
Karl grinned, and *shwick!* he pulled out a card.
On the back of the card, which had the Lumerne Academy crest, was a photo of the second-years.
“For our best customers, we even have handsome boy and pretty girl cards of the second-years!”
“Ooooh…”
“It’s, it’s Senior Nella!”
“Wow! Senior Abad!”
The first-years’ eyes twinkled.
“For your information, these are photos from their fresh-faced first-year days!”
“*Gulp*…”
“I-I want one.”
The first-years’ eyes wavered at the rare photos of their second-year seniors.
“Hmph, pathetic.”
Just then, Haviden pushed through the crowd and appeared.
Next to Haviden stood Rikiden Brick.
He was a student from the famous knightly family, the Virsen family, who had taken classes with the first-years at Lumerne alongside Haviden last year.
Rikiden, who had sparred with Karl back then, smiled and greeted him.
“Oh, Your Highness. What brings you to this humble place?”
As Karl greeted him with a grin, Haviden crossed his arms.
“Senior Karl. This is the first-years’ break time. I believe that coming here like this, especially during combat studies class, disrupts the students’ rest.”
“…You’re just like your mentor. The type who looks like he’d break the rules for breakfast but follows them to the letter.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s a compliment. A compliment. That you’re a model student.”
Duran is always full of a sense of authority, but he absolutely follows the rules.
He was the very model of an honor student.
Haviden looked at Karl with slightly displeased eyes, but he didn’t say anything more.
It wasn’t just because Karl was a year his senior.
It was because his experience last year had led him to acknowledge Karl as someone to be respected as a senior.
In any case, for now, he had to drive away this peddler who was disturbing his classmates’ break.
‘Aina, the class representative, is basically indifferent to anything that isn’t her business. Sasha and Juen break the rules on the sly for fun all the time.’
Ironically, among the four most promising first-years, the most proper model student was Haviden.
“Anyway, please pack up your stall.”
“You’re so stiff.”
Karl grumbled.
Looking at Karl, Haviden said coldly.
“I’m going to call Professor Halind.”
At those words, Karl smoothly approached Haviden.
Haviden watched Karl without batting an eye.
“Don’t be like that, huh?”
“What is this…?”
Haviden, who had been scowling at Karl for subtly slipping something into his breast pocket, flinched.
The card Karl had slipped him showed Chelsea in her summer uniform, smiling brightly and making a V-sign with her fingers.
“This is for my benefit and yours, you know?”
“Kh!”
Haviden’s expression was one of conflict.
“…”
Juen, watching this from a distance, wore a cold expression.
“Oh! Juen! You want to buy something too?”
Karl smiled brightly and waved at Juen, his mentee.
“Juen Torvina. Senior Karl is calling you.”
To Fritz, who had come with her, Juen said coldly.
“I don’t know such a foolish person.”
And she turned to leave abruptly.
Karl pushed through the crowd and approached her.
“Wow! You even came out to greet your senior! How commendable! Commendable!”
“Who are you?”
Juen pretended not to know him, but Karl paid her no mind and took something out of his pocket.
“Here, here. Don’t be sulky. Take this.”
“What’s this?”
“I tried making some mana bullets.”
Juen, who was skilled in sniper magic, used specially crafted mana bullets in addition to her own mana.
Karl had created custom bullets tailored to the user’s mana pattern.
“They’re for testing. Close-range suppressing fire and four-element bullets.”
“Hoh. You made these well?”
“Because I’m your mentor.”
Karl said with a grin.
Looking at Karl, Juen smiled brightly.
“Thank you! Senior.”
Making a cute face, Juen clung to Karl’s arm.
“In that case, Senpai~! Won’t you please give your cute mentee just one recovery potion~?”
Smiling goofily at Juen asking in a sweet, coquettish voice, Karl gave her a bottle of potion.
‘Hmph, look at this. My mentor even brings fatigue recovery potions for his cute junior! Aren’t you jealous!’
Juen looked at her classmates, let out a “Hmph-!” and took a sip of the potion.
*Ssk-*
Karl held out his palm.
“…What is it?”
“That’ll be a mere 5 shillings.”
“…You’re going to charge your cute junior?”
“Let’s keep business and personal matters separate. You took a sip, so no returns.”
Seeing Karl speak so firmly, Juen’s face twisted.
“Give me a discount.”
“No way. You’re the Magic Tower Master’s daughter, you have plenty of money.”
“Aish!”
Juen took 5 shillings from her pocket and gave them to Karl.
Karl chuckled as he watched Juen pouting.
“Senior. Did you really just come here to do business?”
Looking at Juen’s seemingly sulky reaction, Karl jingled his pocket and said.
“No. I came to give you the test bullets, and…”
Karl grinned.
“I came to gather information.”
“Information?”
Juen paused.
‘What is this person plotting now?’
Juen’s eyes shone.
The reason she chose Karl as her mentor.
It was because she thought there was something to learn from him.
In reality, Karl was skilled at gathering information and devising various strategies based on it.
It was a skill that Juen, who had received only an elite education her whole life as the daughter of the Magic Tower Master, did not possess.
She stepped back a short distance and carefully observed Karl doing business with the first-years.
Besides Juen, Karl was acquainted with most of the first-years.
‘Wait a minute.’
And then Juen realized something.
‘He knows who everyone’s mentor is, doesn’t he?’
Juen’s eyes widened.
Karl knew exactly who the first-years’ mentors were.
While doing so, he subtly and naturally steered the conversation toward the second-years.
As the break was about to end.
Juen approached Karl, who was packing up his stall, and asked in a whisper.
“You’re using the first-years to gather information on the second-years, aren’t you?”
Looking at Juen, whose eyes were sparkling, Karl shrugged.
“You saw that? It’s not the information-gathering stage yet. I’m just naturally planting some seeds.”
Karl smirked.
“Just like our relationship, mentors and mentees are close. They talk naturally about their school life. I figure some of them will talk about the upcoming mock battle with their juniors.”
If he started by abruptly digging for information about the mock battle, the first-years would definitely be on guard.
So, he was approaching them naturally like this, bringing up their mentors to lower their guard.
“Well, I don’t know if I’ll get any useful information, but it’s better than not trying, right?”
Juen looked at Karl with admiration as he gave a playful wink.
“Senior, you know you look kind of cool today?”
“Hmph. You’re just noticing? In that case, I’ll give you a discount on the fatigue recovery potion.”
“Half price?”
“Nope. For 4 shillings.”
Just as Juen let out a dry laugh.
“Did becoming a second-year do nothing but inflate your nerve? Karl Thomas.”
A cold voice was heard.
Karl’s face turned pale.
“Combat studies is a physically demanding class. To think you’d steal their break time and interfere with my class. You’ve gotten bold.”
Karl turned his head, his body trembling.
There stood Halind, wearing a cold smile.
“I’m sorry! I’m truly sorry! That wasn’t my intention! Professor Halind! I’m sorry!”
Karl’s waist kept bending at a 90-degree angle.
The first-years snickered at the sight.
Juen turned away from him.
“Juen, what were you talking about with Senior Karl?”
“Karl? Who’s that? I don’t know anyone by that name.”
Juen replied to her female classmate’s question in a cold voice.