Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: A Strong Start
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Leo Floyd's irreverence, backed by his own convictions, was forgotten the moment he crossed the threshold of the office.
No break time.
No lunch break.
She didn't even prepare the black tea she always sipped before starting work to steady herself.
The way Eclair, seated in the office that day, tackled the piled-up documents in a frenzy could only be described as possessed.
She even personally carried documents around instead of delegating to subordinates just to speed up approvals—there's no need to mention how tense the empire's civil servants handling administrative tasks became.
Word was that Eclair Dreitna herself had stormed the supply division and budget department.
No jokes landed, and her expression barely changed.
The rumors and tales of her feats alone surpassed common human understanding.
A woman who could kill every officer in the room with a single finger, without even drawing her sword.
Of course, everyone knew nothing like that would happen.
But being confident a swimming shark won't bite is one thing; not fearing it while swimming is another entirely.
With Eclair taking direct action, approvals proceeded at a historic pace, and she finished everything before evening.
'Do I have to keep handling things this way from now on...?'
With no malice, just imagining the administrative underlings screaming and fleeing, Eclair hurriedly prepared to head home, her spirits high.
She donned the black uniform issued to all who served the empire, even pulling on an oversized hat.
Unlike usual, she didn't take a carriage but walked on foot toward the commercial district near the mansion.
Not attempting some grand cooking with every step.
Nor planning to make dinner for Chloe.
She could handle simple dishes, but anything as substantial as replacing a servant's meal was beyond her confidence.
Especially after tasting the young lady of Skadi's cooking, she'd lost a bit of her own assurance.
Thinking of a dessert perfect for a light tea time after dinner, Eclair strolled the streets.
'Something Chloe would like...'
Unlike her, Chloe had loved sweets since childhood.
Dessert shops dealing in bakeries and chocolates were dizzyingly abundant, but she had no idea where to head.
After circling around, she chose the shop with the longest line and, blending in among the empire's citizens, barely snagged two slices of cake.
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As Eclair opened the mansion door and entered, servants approached, and Chloe hastily straightened her clothes before hurrying over.
Having rushed out mid-wash and grooming, droplets of water still clung to the ends of her ash-gray hair.
"Chloe. Dry your hair completely so you don't catch a cold."
"...I'll keep that in mind."
Seeing Chloe stiffen, thinking it was a scolding, Eclair smiled softly.
Chloe's eyes widened like saucers at that expression.
"Remember it well... Go dry it slowly, and come to the dining room once you're ready."
"Ah...? Y-yes!"
Watching Chloe dash off, Eclair blankly handed the box to a servant staring at her in bewilderment.
"Set this aside for Chloe and me after dinner. Dinner?"
"...We can serve it right away."
"Prepare dinner when Chloe comes down, and call me then. I'll be in the study."
It wasn't just Chloe.
The entire mansion's staff was startled by the subtle shift in their mistress Eclair's aura, with no clue as to why.
*****
It had been the same right up until outdoor class ended.
Making excessive noise with utensils.
Or mixing up the order of forks and knives.
Her sister had always been particular about teaching her the etiquette she lacked.
But today, Chloe was intensely focused elsewhere, not on the manners that usually had her on edge.
"Spending your first time outdoors mustn't have been easy. Any issues?"
"No... I'm fine."
"I was picked as a squire while attending the academy, so—"
Conversations were always sparse, but with Eclair suddenly bombarding her with questions, Chloe's mind began to reel.
The timing was too coincidental, to begin with.
Did that knight from outdoor class go to her sister and say something?
'Sister suddenly changed...'
Chloe's gaze drifted to Eclair's utensils.
And she halted her hasty assumption that something had changed.
Things visible if you paid even a little attention instead of avoiding them.
Keeping her ears open and responding somehow, Chloe slowly shifted her gaze.
Her sister opened her mouth for the first bite at the start of the meal and hadn't lifted her spoon since.
The cold water she always drained a cup of before eating remained untouched, droplets condensing and trickling down the glass.
Her fingers bore marks from pressing hard with her nails and fidgeted restlessly in anxiety.
The questions flowed endlessly, as if prepared far in advance over a long time.
No matter what anyone said, they were sisters of the same Dreitna house, together since childhood.
Even if Eclair tried to act otherwise, Chloe could sense her extreme tension.
Setting aside the reason, her sister was pushing herself.
'Sister hasn't suddenly changed...'
She's been trying to become like this.
Eclair's efforts to keep talking to her, hands completely still during mealtime, filled Chloe's eyes.
Chloe pinched her thigh under the table to snap to attention and cautiously opened her mouth.
The Eclair from childhood blurred and overlapped with the current one, lightening her heart a bit.
"S-Sister... Actually, during this class, I awakened to aura—"
Whether due to the outdoor class mindset.
Seizing this chance that might never come again, Chloe boldly reached out.
*****
Upon arriving at the academy and dismissing the cadets after roll call, they scattered to their destinations without looking back.
Hungry, or wanting a wash to shake off the grime—similar reasons for all.
After soothing Rike, who wanted to wait until talks ended, and sending her home, I headed to the dean's office to meet Doran.
Clunk—!
With the office window open, a cool breeze rushed into the hallway the moment I knocked and opened the door.
"I wanted to greet the instructor who perfectly completed the class with applause, but understand my situation prevents it?"
Doran rose from his seat, his empty sleeve flapping in the wind as he offered a joke.
"Your subordinate can't laugh at such jokes."
"Hahaha! Just laugh! Isn't this the perfect time to say I've finally caught a break?"
As Doran moved from the desk to the sofa for receiving guests, I sat opposite.
"Did you find anything noteworthy from the dead ones?"
I'd handed over all the assassins' bodies to the Knight Department instructors lounging at the camp entrance, picking at dried fish, and left disposal to them.
"There was a known woman and man among them, but there's a limit to what we can glean... Even capturing them alive wouldn't change much these days."
With so many nobles gathered, suspicions abound, but none stand out oddly.
Could be schemes for succession, personal grudges, or a real challenge to tarnish the academy's prestige.
That's what makes it ambiguous.
Whether to publicize the assassins who challenged authority and became corpses to boast the academy's superiority.
Or cover it up, framing any leak as fallout from some house ignoring the dean's warning.
Doran Escaro's mind was ceaselessly calculating.
"A shame. Even one piece of evidence would've made things interesting."
"Heh—! A shame, you say! Better to feign ignorance and stay uninvolved in these matters. Noble infighting is fun only at first."
From there, it's nothing but headaches, Doran said, rising from his seat.
Click—!
Doran opened a decorative cabinet in the corner and pulled out a bottle of liquor.
"With one brute draining my stock, this is all I can offer. I'd appreciate you accepting this old man's gesture, useless as I am alone."
Even with money, you can't buy this, he snorted.
I didn't refuse the gift, regardless of whether it matched my deeds.
"I'm only familiar with tavern swill, so my palate's lacking—I wouldn't know what this is."
It looked like plain colorless water, but in the sunlight streaming through the window, a faint green sheen danced on the surface.
Fascinating that it never foamed no matter how much it was shaken.
"Too many names to pin one down in the empire, but commonly called elf wine or olive brew."
"Elves...? Elves make liquor?"
Smoking, drinking, and sex weren't detailed in the 15+ rated Akarite, so my interest piqued.
"Of course. Smuggled from the few elf brewers in the federation—rare even there."
"Ho—now I'm curious about the taste."
"As a collector meddling a bit... there's a proper way. Eat bitter dark chocolate first, let sweet and bitter mingle, then sip. Elves pair it with unripe fruit, but most say chocolate suits humans better."
Should offer some to Rike.
Recalling I'd never drunk with Rike, I decided to grab fruit and chocolate on the way back.
As I swirled the bottle in the sunlight, Doran added, business unfinished.
"Truth be told, I'm not burying this incident with one bottle. Liquor is a luxury no matter how rare, but the instructor saved my face and life—that's no jest."
"...If you value me that highly, I'll gratefully accept anything."
"Heh heh—bold! Well... name what you want. I'll do my utmost. This old-timer's greedy to grow closer with the instructor... no, Platinum."
No need to rebuff Doran's hand extended for mutual benefit over one-sided gain.
I pondered rising matters and chose my path.
"Then... I'd like access to the academy library beyond just the first floor."