Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Canteen Expansion (5)
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"Hippogriff feathers, ten sheets, and a bundle of Litvice Test Papers. That's 1 gold 50 silver."
"Bread? We've got sausage bread, pizza bread, and red bean bread left from this morning."
"Sorry, no time tonight."
"No tomorrow night either. Lunch is out too."
"Not planning to join the salon. You buying or not?"
"Hah...! That, uh, that kind of thing, please ask at the counter during quiet hours!"
Liv Lavre de Greenwood was busy at work.
Adella, watching her from a corner of the canteen, couldn't understand Louis's decision to hire her as a clerk.
I'm better in every way. Why her?
She'd done her homework.
Liv Lavre de Greenwood.
Just a baroness, with no territory, no trading company, no knights to her name.
Even the Greenwood family name wasn't all that famous.
Greenwood Forest was at the edge of the Rabier Mountains—a restricted zone under access ban these days, wasn't it?
Running a territory from a place like that? Impossible.
She didn't look rich either.
Her only accessory from head to toe was a cheap scrunchie holding back her long hair.
No student overflowing with money would work at a canteen anyway.
Maybe she had some other motive.
"Bread, please."
"Which one?"
"Two sausage breads from the far left."
Up close, her face wasn't even that pretty.
Her hands were dainty as she bagged the bread, her expression neat and composed as she sold goods—even with letters piled up by the cash box—but still, no.
With a personality like that, she probably didn't have many friends.
She seemed the type to spend all day in the library with her nose in a book.
"Liv! You're really working at the canteen?"
"Karen. If you want to buy something, get in line."
"Skip that and come join Professor Pavret's lab with me. This job's tough."
"Not really. The boss takes good care of me."
Clearly, no friends...
"Senior Liv, hi! Loved your magic duel performance!"
"Thanks. Mind if I ask your name...?"
"I'm Charlotte, and this is Skala! We're both first-years!"
Lots of friends...
"Liv Lavre. Fancy meeting you here. You startled me last time, bolting off like that. Get the results you wanted?"
"Ah, Professor Glatos. Thanks again for last time. About the Litvice Test Papers... I'm not sure."
"Didn't I tell you to keep records? Even a student like you slips up. Eh, whatever. Gimme a smoke."
At all...
Standing at the counter, Adella felt herself shrinking bit by bit.
Meanwhile, Liv—who was packaging the bread Adella had asked for—remembered her too.
The girl who'd caused the magic overload during the duel.
Intentional or accident, it handed first-years the win.
In the end, Liv hadn't claimed the prize money and ended up working at the canteen to escape poverty.
She didn't mind much—
"6 silver."
"Here."
As the two exchanged money and bread, their gazes crossed awkwardly.
Adella spoke first.
"Takes forever to buy stuff these days."
"Yeah. Customers have really picked up."
Liv answered flatly to the nuance in this innocent-looking new student's question—'You slacking or what?'
She glanced down at the oddly bulky cape that'd been bugging her.
"Isn't that a lot? Two's too much for one person."
The canteen bread wasn't from fancy bakeries—it came from shops popular with Pharenchia's commoners.
Not gourmet, but more than enough to fill a single girl in one sitting.
"Not eating alone."
"With who?"
"Teacher Louis."
Liv's stone-wall expression cracked into a frown at Adella's bold reply.
Louis was outside, hard at work on the canteen expansion.
"Boss is busy. And the back's stacked with materials—dangerous. Better stay away."
"Dangerous?"
Adella laughed lightly.
She pointed to the Four-Leaf Medal on her chest.
"I'm Roshiar."
Something she'd never done before. Also forbidden in the academy.
Flashing family prestige. But Adella didn't care.
So what if the new canteen part-timer was popular?
Only one person's heart still raced for her.
But—
"Then you should know better."
Liv didn't flinch. Pitiful, really.
No one in the academy was ignorant of Adella Sylvestra de Roshiar's reputation.
"That your actions don't befit the Roshiar name."
Labor was truly delightful.
Expanding the canteen was for profit, sure—but it satisfied me too.
Watching the building take shape brought catharsis I'd never felt even as a hero.
This put me one step closer to being the envy of everyone back on Earth.
A three-story apartment. Canteen on the first floor. Little cafe next door. Cute clerk and crowds of customers.
My old comrades would be jealous for sure.
"Teacher~."
Adella found me mid-construction.
No real connection since the magic duel, but she still called me that.
I had no intention of playing teacher.
A few Mana Coercions wouldn't boost her core magic skill—and I'd nearly killed her by accident when her overload backfired on her.
One mistake's enough.
Most folks—especially academy students—aren't as sturdy as my old teammates.
A fact I must never forget.
"What is it?"
"Bread? Lunch soon—aren't you hungry?"
Did she even remember? Or totally forgotten? She kept showing up like nothing happened.
Noon already? Things get hectic at 12.
Liv and I needed to eat beforehand.
Even on Earth, a canteen clerk was bottom-tier—gotta feed her right.
I couldn't let her subsist on canteen bread like before.
With her personality, meal money would just get saved, not spent on food.
So, minor hassle or not, I'd cook on the second floor and bring it down.
Eat mine too while at it.
"I'm good. You bought it—you eat."
"But..."
"You paid, right? Steal again, and I'll hunt you to the continent's edge."
I brushed dust off my hands and patted her head.
As I turned to leave, she grabbed my sleeve.
"Teacher..."
"Hm?"
"Teacher... do you like smart girls?"
Common sense said yes.
The type I wanted to look after was set in stone.
Hard worker at studies—or at fighting if not.
Looking back, it wasn't just smarts.
Anyone diligent at their thing shines.
Here at the academy, that meant magic or swordplay.
"Dunno. Prefer it that way, sure."
Didn't see Adella negatively, though.
Ideal types vary wildly anyway.
Adella had her bouncy charm.
Put her in a proper dress at a salon, and proposals would flood in.
Just a touch more demure—like now, hands clasped primly, gazing up—
"Anyway, dangerous here. Come back later. Won't help if you get hurt."
That weird mix of pity and protectiveness—I bolted.
Scratched my itchy nape.
Adella watched through the window as Louis gestured Liv toward the second floor.
Baroness Liv flushed, shaking her head furiously at first—but eventually gave in, posted an "away" sign at the counter, and went inside.
Nausea swirled. She crushed the innocent bread bag.
She knew. No one would like a fool like her.
She knew. She'd never acted worthy of House Roshiar.
But it was all her choice.
Stumbling along, Adella bumped into someone.
"Ah, sorry..."
"Hey."
Looking up: Ansen, face twisted, glaring.
Wordless, he dragged her to a secluded spot.
Thud!
No warning—a kick.
As she fell, Ansen stomped wildly.
"You bitch, you screwed me!? Wanna die!?"
"..."
Ansen's violence didn't hurt.
Only one spot throbbed: her heart.
Smack!
"Cough...!"
Ansen sensed something off as Adella rolled in the dirt, not even groaning.
Hit somewhere vital?
Brushing back her blue hair, he flinched at her blank eyes.
Not the halfwit he knew.
"Fuck. Lost your marbles?"
"..."
"Whatever. Get ready. Don't know your trick, but I'll smash you and that canteen owner too. Ptui!"
He spat and left.
After he vanished, Adella rose slowly.
Pressing bruises shot pain through her.
A bit harder, and she'd need a hospital.
"Ow..."
Deep breath, eyes to sky. She reflected on her life.
The moment her sister—always warm with smiles—inherited Roshiar's unique magic sword, that smile vanished.
Replaced by icy cold piercing demons.
Child-Adella thought: I'll end up heartless too.
Clop, clop, clop.
Footsteps approaching. Not academy-approved shoes—worn slippers.
Adella scrambled up.
Can't get caught yet. Hide it, no matter how heart-wrenchingly painful.
Until she married nobility above count and fled Roshiar.
Dust-covered hat askew—
Medal twisted crooked—
Adella faced Louis, who'd come looking.
"There you are. Made pasta—wanna ea... What happened to you?"
Pure
"Heh, tripped walking."
Like a fool