Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: During His Absence (7)
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Pharenchia Academy's second-years had entered the busiest time of the year. The students now had to seriously decide on their career paths and plan their futures after graduation.
Divided into the magic and knight departments, they each submitted a sort of 'application' to the magic towers and knight orders they aspired to join. Even those planning to return to their families and contribute to their territories' prosperity were no exception.
This was because one of the graduation requirements mandated at least two training sessions at magic towers and knight orders, along with obtaining completion certificates.
As such, external organizations eager to recruit academy students would send invitations around this time to those wishing to enter towers en masse.
A form of scouting.
They proposed training at their magic towers in exchange for covering tuition until graduation or assisting with research.
Naturally, top scorers or children from families renowned in magic engineering received an avalanche of offers. Liv, the second-year top student, was no exception.
"Hey, Liv. Decided where you're going for training this time?"
"......"
"Livvv~?"
"Huh, yeah?"
"Training. Where are you going?"
"......Not yet, I don't know."
Karen had often seen her friend lately sitting there with a terribly gloomy expression, lost in a daze.
She didn't even ask questions in class anymore and sometimes fumbled answers to professors' problems.
It was a sight rarely seen from the always sharp Liv.
Her already small meals had dwindled to almost skipping every one, making her look even more gaunt.
Karen had a hunch.
"Ah, is it because the canteen closed?"
"Eek......!"
"That owner is so selfish. Even if he hired part-timers, shouldn't he at least give a week's notice when he can't operate?"
"......"
"Liv?"
"I, wait. Bathroom."
"Liv? Class starts soon!"
The moment Liv dashed to the bathroom, she let her tears pour into the sink. Louis's icy expression reflected in the rippling water surface made hot liquid rise in her throat.
— What does that have to do with the baroness?
Right. It had nothing to do with her. They weren't close to begin with.
Even when he pretended not to notice and slipped her freshly baked warm bread instead of yesterday's leftovers at the canteen.
Even when he teased her mercilessly for blushing every time she called him 'baroness.'
Even when they sat side by side at the counter, him answering unfamiliar words or escorting her back to the dorm late at night.
Smashing the canteen was definitely wrong—
— What's so great about a building like this? It all includes the baroness inside it.
"You said... I was more precious......!"
Was even that one sentence telling her not to go to dangerous frontlines and to stay by his side just empty words?
Was she the only one harboring shy feelings all this time?
Swallowing sobs in a bathroom stall, Liv skipped class for the first time.
After that day, she visited the canteen several times to apologize, but couldn't even approach the building with its shutters fully down.
While she wavered in front of the closed door, time slipped by, and now it was time for her to choose a magic tower for training.
The talk she meant to have over dinner with the owner. No need now to say she might quit her part-time job soon.
"Liv. Where were you... Oh my god! What's wrong with your eyes!? Were you crying?"
"Nothing, it's fine."
Despite her friend's worried words, Liv shook her head and grabbed her notebook from the empty classroom desk.
The 12 Alliance wasn't for trainees, and Alkayd Magic Tower was never an option. All dangerous places Louis had told her not to go—whether by choice or force—were excluded.
No more would she be grabbed by him and poked in the belly...
"I'm going to Peckda Magic Tower."
"What? Why so sudden?"
Averting her eyes from the aching chest and empty stomach sensation, Liv forced her usual blank expression.
"It was decided from the start. It's the birthplace of the new magic from last lecture, and above all, Peckda has no tower master."
"So they won't force affiliation later?"
"Yeah."
"Someone like you could go higher... You're serious?"
Maybe Louis never saw her as a romantic interest from the beginning. Though she never got an answer from him, hadn't he been doting on Adella more since they worked at the canteen together?
They might already be in a deep relationship.
If so...
"Now... I don't know anymore..."
Counting ticket money for the carriage to Batudis, Liv pushed down her melancholy.
"Princess, here's the academy's public fund details for this second-years' magic training."
"Thank you, Petro. But while I'm here, call me Chairman, okay?"
"Ah, sorry. Slip of the tongue..."
"It's fine. Some groups have already departed, right? Advise requesting additional escorts from the adventurer guild for those heading to Alkayd—they could be dangerous."
"Understood."
Since becoming student council president, Erzebet had been swamped nonstop with incoming tasks, barely having time to breathe.
The previous council had been dismissed by the chairman, creating months of backlog.
She replied personally to congratulatory letters pouring in from all corners of the kingdom and commissioned thank-you plaques with donations for temples that helped during the recent vote, leaving her no spare energy.
Amid this, a report came to the student council late afternoon: flooding in the dorms.
Erzebet dispatched workers to check pipes, but the response was no issues with plumbing.
With no choice, she went to the dorm herself and saw water leaking from the second-floor hallway onward.
"Kids, hurry and grab your stuff!"
"Students on the third floor, evacuate to the rooftop!"
"Ack! What!? Ice! Careful! Ice floating in the water!!"
"Ah, Princess!"
The moment Erzebet arrived, a female student rushed over, hair flying. With a desperate face, she said,
"Big trouble, Princess! My friend's still inside!"
"Friend? Who?"
"Adella! Room 207!"
"Adella...?"
Come to think of it, she hadn't shown up to classes lately. Growing worried, Erzebet clutched her skirt and waded through the shallow flow.
A bone-chilling cold made her toes curl instinctively.
"207, room 207... Ah, found it. Adella! You in there!?"
Thud thud. No response from knocking. But standing at the door, Erzebet noticed frigid water gushing from the bottom gap, several times colder than before.
Pressing her ear, she heard sobbing beyond. With a sigh, she shattered the door with magic.
Krunch!!
There, huddled shivering on the double dorm bed, was Adella.
"My god, what on earth happened!?"
"Sniff, hic! P-Princess...?"
"D-Did you do this? You blocked my way during the vote last time, why keep making trouble for me..."
"Waaahhh—!! Princess!!!"
Their eyes met, and soaked Adella clung desperately. Her body temperature, like an ice block, gave Erzebet goosebumps all over.
The teardrops she thought were beads were actual ice crystals.
"Kyaa!? Ah, cold!! W-Wait! Let go, Adella! My body's freezing..."
"T-Teacher...! Hic! T-Told me to leave! Sniff!"
"O-Okay, so don't hug me!! Kyaa, h-hands, don't f-freeze! Don't lock your legs!!"
"Smashed the canteen, sniff, teacher hates me now...! Hic!"
"Kyaaaa!!?"
'Why do something so foolish.'
Hearing the full story from Adella, Erzebet understood why Louis was so furious.
The items on the second floor were all things he had meticulously crafted over long hours, reminiscing about something.
Considering how much he loved the canteen usually, it was fortunate he hadn't lashed out physically.
"Anyway... Can't even get in."
No time to change her wet clothes, she headed straight to the canteen, now locked tight against all entry.
The first floor, usually dark, had strange new steel plates descended to the floor, blocking any view inside.
Grrr—!!
Approaching triggered two steel wolves baring fangs in threat.
A ominous flock of crows circled overhead, instinctively telling Erzebet it was dangerous to approach now.
But fortunately, she had a reliable friend always with her.
Her familiar, Piy, trusted more than anyone since childhood.
She pointed to the second-floor window leading to Louis's room on her shoulder.
"Piy, this is a very important moment. Only you can do this."
"Piy—."
"Go check what Louis is doing and report back. If needed, peck the window to call him."
"Piy—."
"What? You don't want to!? Why! Go already! Why be stubborn now!"
"Piypiy piypiy—!!"
"Kyaaah!? Piy! Stop! Don't peck my head!! Aak!"
Finally convincing Piy to enter the second floor, Erzebet used vision sharing to see through it.
Dim interior beyond the window. Louis slumped dead-like on the sofa made her gasp.
Despite time passing since the canteen's destruction, he sat unmoving before a hole the size of a banquet table.
Tap tap. Tap tap.
Piy's beak on the window drew black eyes from messy hair to stare this way.
But that was it. No reaction; he looked back at the ceiling.
"My god..."
She had no idea how to resolve this. Louis now seemed like a bomb ready to explode at a touch.
Who among those who knew him could face those eyes head-on?
Even Greenwood Baroness, who came multiple times to apologize, couldn't enter.
A chill wind tickled her wet clothes, bringing shivers.
Already busy, she couldn't delay more. As Erzebet pondered using Piy as bait for the steel dogs to enter, someone spoke from behind.
"Hm, came after hearing the news, and it's quite serious."
No close ties, but Erzebet recognized the voice's owner instantly.
"Luhillen... Viscount?"
"Good evening, student council president. Is His Majesty the King well?"
Penheim's greatest tycoon. The merchant, Darling Tokarev.
"What brings you here?"
"Same as you. To drag Louis out into the world. From experience, that state is no good."
"What... did you say?"
What could she possibly do? No different from her foot-stomping self.
"Don't worry."
But Darling took items from a servant following in a carriage, then looked pityingly at the dorm where students fled.
"It's the canteen you all frequented, but no one knows him better than I."