Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Field Training to Decide the Winner (1)
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On the way back to Pharenchia, I was the only one riding the teleportation carriage. The reason was that Liv's magic training hadn't ended yet.
Moreover, the inheritance method of the Fantasy Duke's unique magic path was unclear, so the magic tower was still half in doubt about whether Liv had truly inherited it. She said she'd finish the remaining training at the tower for a bit and then return with the other second-years.
—Don't be too disheartened. I'll... come back to the canteen soon too.
I wondered if my disappointment was showing too much. Well, it had only been about a week, so we'd see each other again soon enough.
After riding the teleportation carriage for a full two days, I finally felt a sense of relief when the academy's main gate came into view in the distance.
The long journey that had crossed nearly a quarter of the continent—from Sandalphonia through Bartudis and the Ravière Mountains—was finally over.
"You guys doin' alright?"
"Woof?"
After passing by the two iron hounds that no longer seemed to see me as their master, I returned home and took a look around the dusty canteen.
As expected, leaving it abandoned for so long had caused no small amount of damage.
Adella had stayed at the academy, but I'd never expected her to handle the canteen work on her own since she'd never touched it before—only the café stuff. I'd just soothed her and rushed off anyway.
"Where do I even start..."
Fortunately, the broken ceiling had already been repaired, so a bit of cleaning and I could reopen right away.
But it was late, and I was exhausted. I just wanted to crash.
I headed straight up to the second floor and flopped onto the sofa where I usually slept with my back propped up. Ever since Darling had visited, the room was filled with oddly familiar items.
A familiar bed to melt away the fatigue of the grueling trip. Yet for some reason, the room felt darker and lonelier than before.
Maybe I should redecorate?
In the end, after lying there with my eyes closed for ages, I finally fell asleep at dawn.
The next day, I got up early and started cleaning. I swept and mopped inside and out with a broom and rag, even peeling off the flyers stuck to the windows by hand.
Once the reopening prep was roughly done, I went to see the Chairman first—before things got busy. I needed to return the medal I'd swiped from her before.
"Chairman, you in there?"
When I opened the door, Lehel was watching the Monster King matches as usual. Judging by the scattered silver coins on the table, she hadn't bet much. But the moment our eyes met, she jumped in surprise and hurriedly hid the crystal orb.
"N-No! I was just watching!"
"......"
"I was looking for promising talents to pair with Grand Kenian from other magic towers..."
"......"
"I-I've committed a grave sin!!"
I approached her as she immediately went into grovel mode and quietly handed back the medal I'd taken from her hand.
Not only that, I helped her up and patted her head a little.
"?"
"It's hard to quit cold turkey, so don't worry too much. You're doing fine as is."
"???"
Back when we faced Carbias, if Lehel hadn't stepped up back then, protecting Liv would've been tough.
In a way, the version of her from that illusion was the only one in the world who endured the truth that her existence was fictional and would soon vanish—a victim, really.
I couldn't grant every whim like "ignore me" or whatever, but it was true that it made me want to treat this Lehel a bit better.
Maybe it's that I realized the kid's a bit dim but has a good heart?
"Fuck?"
But Lehel stared at my arm stroking her head and her slightly shorter hair for a long moment before suddenly reverting to her old self and spewing curses.
"Who the hell are you, you bastard."
"What?"
"You're not Louis. That guy would never do this to me! Because of that asshole, how much have I...!"
It only took three sentences for "Boss" to devolve into "Louis," "that guy," and "that asshole." As she flew into a rage and tried to slam a Meteor on me out of nowhere, I beat her to it and punched her head first.
"Kyaang!!"
"What bullshit is this now? Did a doppelganger stab you in the back or something too?"
"B-Boss!?"
She'd been hit so often that her body remembered the impact—her face drained of color as she trembled and tried to bow again.
"S-Sorry! I've been out of my mind lately from withdrawal...!!"
I let my eyes linger for a moment on the pale legs sliding down under gravity from beneath her robe before sighing softly. Just one more peek.
"Back to position."
"Yes, sir!"
"Don't do it again. I'm heading out—let me know if anything comes up."
"Um... Boss."
"Yeah?"
As I turned to leave, upside-down Lehel called out to me, and our eyes met briefly. She tilted her head with a puzzled look and tossed me a baffling question.
"Have you been using transformation magic lately or something?"
The moment Adella heard the canteen was open again, she bolted out of the classroom right after class ended.
The usual chaotic lunch hour.
She trampled the gathering students lightly, even using magic to push forward, but what she wanted wasn't just bread after so long.
"Teaaacher! Teaaacher! Teaaacher! Teaaacher!!!!"
"Oh? You're here."
How long had it been since she'd reunited with her beloved lover? Spotting Louis at the counter, Adella joyfully pulled out a handful of silver coins from her pocket.
"Bread pleeease!!"
"......That's all you have to say after so long?"
"Two pleeease?"
She was happy to see him, but bread was still bread. As he sighed with an "Eh, whatever" and bagged the bread, Adella slipped behind the counter and started munching one.
Even amid the rush of students, she watched Louis work intently. While he was tallying coins, he noticed sauce on her mouth, clicked his tongue, and wiped it with a cloth.
"Not a kid anymore, and you get it all over. Messy eater."
"Hehe... Sorry."
"Want something to drink?"
"I'll grab it myself."
For some reason, he was twice as gentle as before. So Adella thought:
Though the silver mission had failed, she'd finally chased that wicked vixen out of the canteen who'd been eyeing the seat beside Teacher.
Now, happy canteen life awaited with Teacher, who'd sorted his feelings.
North Sea specialties like frozen squid jerky and an ice storage box maintained with mana for cold—those would suffice as a trousseau.
'That incident' was quite some time ago now, so maybe she should quietly contact the Roshiar retainers...
But then she sensed something off in the air.
It was the reactions of the students visiting the canteen.
"Hello, Boss. New owner?"
"I've been running it the whole time."
"I see. Interested in dancing by any chance?"
"Not nobility. I'd decline any ball invitations."
"Oh dear. Sorry, I was rude..."
"No problem. But about payment..."
"Right, yes! My family is hiring servants this time—would you consider applying..."
The line, shorter than usual, took twice as long to clear. Students who used to just slap down coins were now giving speeches the moment they reached Louis.
From casual meal invites and balls to salon memberships and serious courtship proposals—every variety.
A first-year who'd been staring blankly at his face for a while spotted Adella sitting nearby.
"Huh? Adella?"
"Who're you?"
"D-Don't you remember me? We went to the magic tournament together."
"Ah..."
Her name was Jennifer, right?
As lunch hour wound down and the canteen quieted, Adella grabbed her last bread and sat with Jennifer on the outdoor terrace.
Adella pointed at the large bag Jennifer held.
"All bread in there?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah... Take it all."
"For real?"
"Yeah. Honestly, it's not that great, but I bought a ton without thinking..."
Jennifer shook her head and patted her cheeks. At the end of her gaze was Louis inside, tossing rusty coins to the iron hounds.
"Wow, how does a person change like that."
"What do you mean?"
"That canteen owner. He used to be all slouched, hair messy, total mess. But after not seeing him for a while, he looks so cool now? Brighter too?"
She ended on a question because even she knew nothing about Louis. The academy merchant no one had cared about. But not anymore.
Jennifer also realized anew how impressive the great noble house of Roshiar was.
No one among the first-years didn't know Adella stuck to the canteen. She'd worked at the café too, after all.
Looking back, it all meant she'd spotted Louis's true value first.
How grand a picture she'd been painting—truly admirable.
"Adella, you're amazing. We enrolled together, but I never realized that uncle was so handsome."
"Handsome?"
But Adella herself tilted her head at Jennifer's words.
"He's not?"
"Hmm... Not wrong, but..."
Adella couldn't understand others' dramatic reactions. Free of calculation or ulterior motives, she genuinely puzzled over it and spoke of the Louis she knew.
"Teacher was always handsome. Cool too."
"What?"
To think they hadn't known. What idiots.
"I've thought so from the very start?"
Sales exploded. Lunch hour had never been this hectic.
While I finished sorting the remaining coins, Adella was chatting with her friend outside on the terrace.
She waved off the lingering first-year regretfully and scurried over to me.
"Teaaach~er!"
"No next class?"
"I do... but I wanna stay a bit."
"Come in. Don't stay too late."
A sweet floral scent wafted over me warmly. Early summer, with finals approaching soon. The faint honey smell was familiar.
"Still gathering nectar from flowers?"
"Trumpet flowers I have to get at dawn. Surveillance has gotten stricter lately—harder now."
I recalled Jean Pierre, the groundskeeper, grumbling with pruning shears that night I returned to the academy.
I handed Adella a small jar of assorted honey from the display shelf.
"You'll get a stomachache from that. Take this and eat it when you're bored."
"For real? You giving it to me?"
"Yeah."
Adella's eyes sparkled as she took the honey jar. She was still wearing the germanium bracelet I'd given her before on her wrist.
Seeing how she treasured things from me pricked my conscience—like a triangle stabbing at my heart.
Guess I gotta treat her better from now on.
"Hehe, yummy..."
"Don't eat too much. You'll gain weight."
"I don't gain weight."
"You ate two breads earlier."
"Five. And still no gain."
Why not? Casually rubbing her slim waist showed where it all went anyway.
Whatever—good thing's good. As I reached for another jar of honey, the two iron hounds lounging in the corner suddenly started barking.
—Woof woof!! Woof woof!!
—Grrrrr!!
"Eek!? T-Teacher!"
They body-slammed Adella to separate her from me, then bolted toward the main gate like arrows.
Moments later, a woman in a familiar red cape appeared slowly.
"It's been a while, Canteen Owner."
"Luhillen Viscount?"
Darling, who showed up flaunting the face of a would-be rebel, reached out to Adella the moment their eyes met—Adella having shrunk back.
"You alright, Roshiar?"
"Y-Yes, yes. I'm f-fine..."
"What brings you here, Viscount?"
"Hm, a small matter for you."
As she tossed 순철-made coins to the iron hounds rubbing against her legs, Darling extended the hand she'd used to help Adella toward me too.
"Bill's fallen ill."
"He's sick?"
"Yes. Age and all—his stamina's giving out. So, about that..."
She glanced up at the ceiling she'd repaired herself and made a small request.
"Would you help me with one task?"