Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 209
>Chapter Title: What is a Friend?
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Evelin clamped her mouth shut at the receptionist's words.
Her face, flushed red as if it might burst, was beyond description.
‘What the hell... is this?'
What in the world was going on?
She tried to steady her mind and think it through, but staying calm in this situation wasn't easy.
Scattered across the reception desk were trinkets and random junk. Amid the mess of gold and silver coins, her hand clutched a red brooch.
This red brooch was a gift from her father on her tenth birthday—a treasure to Evelin that she wouldn't trade for anything.
And now, she was trying to use that treasure for...
'...tuition.'
But even that wasn't possible.
Academy rules forbade accepting physical items as tuition payment.
"She's trying to sell that thing. Guess she really did fall out of favor, huh?"
"Hey, but come on—even if she did, Goldrin's worth a fortune. Does it make sense she'd get kicked out without even tuition money?"
Evelin bit down hard on her lower lip and closed her eyes.
The intense humiliation she felt for the first time left her mind blank once more.
'What am I even doing right now?'
Truth be told... the one most shocked by this situation wasn't the academy students—it was Evelin herself.
She never imagined they'd strip her of everything so completely.
Her, Evelin, scrambling because she couldn't even pay academy tuition?
A humiliating scenario she'd never once considered.
But.
Evelin opened her eyes again and stared straight at the receptionist. Pretending to be composed, she asked,
"Th-then, could you possibly extend the tuition deadline? Just by one day..."
"Hmm, the deadline's today... Strictly speaking, that's not possible."
Evelin blinked at the receptionist's firm tone. But then she glanced at the clock and asked another question.
Thirty minutes until the admissions office closed.
Thirty minutes... was barely enough time to rush to Hazen and exchange the brooch for cash.
"Then, could you... extend closing by an hour? No, even thirty minutes..."
"That's..."
She thought she'd kept her composure, but the receptionist gave a troubled smile at Evelin's near-tearful expression.
She could make exceptions for someone in dire straits.
...Under normal circumstances, anyway.
But with all these students watching, the receptionist couldn't step in easily.
It wouldn't end with just whispers of favoritism—it would blow up.
So, she held her tongue.
"Th-then, just a moment..."
Evelin stood up, resolve hardening.
'If I can just get through this semester... somehow, next semester...'
Yes, just endure this once.
With her family's support cut off, Jenion Academy was something Evelin couldn't afford to lose.
Now that the halo of Goldrin was gone, all she had left was the signboard of "Jenion Academy student."
So, swallowing her shame, she turned to the gawking students behind her.
"Does anyone... care to help me? Of course, I'm not asking for it for free. I'll leave this brooch as collateral."
Her last resort, hands trembling as she hid them behind her back.
But.
The response wasn't great.
Even among these kids from great houses, few carried around sums as large as academy tuition on the regular.
Sure, there were exceptions...
"But I don't really want some cumbersome junk. Got anything else?"
"Who'd carry around a used brooch? And collateral? You saying I can get it back later?"
The academy students' voices dripped with mockery.
Evelin bit her lip raw.
'...Already, fallen this far.'
She recognized the faces of those jeering at her.
The ones who'd fawned over her endlessly back when she could hook them up with Goldrin...
They must have harbored grudges from her rejections then.
'What... should I do?'
Evelin was in the dark, no way out.
She thought,
'Please, anyone.'
If even one person would help.
At the same time, doubt crept in beyond the shame.
No one to help her in a time like this.
But then.
[Anything besides the brooch?]
"...?"
A voice from somewhere.
Message magic...
Evelin blinked and looked around.
[Here, over here.]
"You're..."
A boy parting the crowd, raising his hand slightly. Gray hair, a vaguely familiar face.
'...Aster?'
Tilting her head at the unexpected figure.
Aster looked at Evelin and spoke.
[I'll cover your tuition. But the brooch doesn't really appeal to me.]
[Then...?]
Aster paused, looking into Evelin's anxiously trembling eyes.
What to say here.
'Work with me on something?'
...Nah, that wouldn't do.
That always soured relationships later. Shine was proof—never ended well.
So, he pondered his words.
But not for long.
[It's nothing big, what I want.]
[...If it's some shady deal, I'll pass.]
Her guard up for some reason.
Aster tilted his head, then chuckled.
Yeah, in a tough spot, anyone offering free help was nine times out of ten a scammer, and the rest robbers.
Wary was natural.
Understanding her feelings fully, Aster spoke calmly.
[No shady stuff. We're academy alumni, right? Figured we should help each other out in tough times.]
[You mean...]
[Nothing deep. Just be friends. What do you say?]
[...Friends?]
Aster nodded.
Friends originally shared everything they had.
Not just money, but abilities too.
So... in a way, his relationship with the wyvern was the ideal friendship.
[What do you think? Not bad, right?]
Probably not bad.
...And so.
[...I don't know what your angle is, but I'll gratefully accept the kindness for now.]
Potential slave... no, friend plus one.
Aster smiled at his expanded pool of manpower.
* * *
Midsummer, lush with greenery.
"Yawwwn..."
A man at the academy information desk yawned wide enough to split his jaw.
The rough-looking man's identity: Reilly, who'd been hired as an academy guide a few months back.
Reilly sat guarding the empty desk, smiling lazily.
'This ain't... half bad?'
The warm glow of the setting sun. A cool breeze slipping through the slightly open window.
Pure bliss.
Perfectly adapted to academy guide life!
Of course, Reilly hadn't adjusted on day one.
- Does that make any sense? Huh?! Pathfinder of the Hamern Great Forest and academy guide—the same?
He'd been furious inside.
Wealth and glory? Luxury and indulgence? Fine, his own bad choice in backing the wrong horse. No one to blame.
But what? Leverage his skills for academy guide duty?
'You kidding? Who do you take me for...!'
A Hamern Great Forest pathfinder was a respected pro among mercenaries.
Lumped in with some tour guide?!
He'd raged until his first day.
An insult to the greatest pathfinder of Hamern!
'I'm gonna go in and raise hell. See if the wolf enters the doghouse!'
And so, interview day arrived.
Reilly marched in, venom in his heart.
But.
- Skip the formal interview. Just sign the contract and let's wrap this up.
- Sign my as—Gasp!
The terms were too good for grudges.
- Th-this is all... h-how much?
Zeroes: one, two, three...
The amount gaped his mouth wider than expected.
- Y-you pay this much just for showing academy tours?
- Not "just." You were a Great Forest pathfinder, right? That's factoring your experience. Orders from up top too... Wait, what was that earlier? "Sign my as..."?
- N-no, said nothing. Sign here?
His hands naturally polite. Even the interviewer's smirk didn't irk him.
And so, months into guide duty.
"With the little brats on break, world's at peace."
Reilly savored the leisurely afternoon like a veteran desk jockey of years.
'Not quite mercenary pay, but steady salary. No work. Better gig than this? Nah?'
Risking life for pay versus salaried? No contest.
Happiness isn't far—it's right here.
But Reilly's happiness didn't last.
Thud.
"...Gah!"
"Busy?"
"Wh-what..."
An academy student with face pressed to the info desk window.
Against any ordinary student, Reilly would've scowled.
But not this boy.
"A-Aster, you little..."
"Outside, drop the honorifics. Wait, what? 'You little'? You just..."
"Aigoo, no sir. When did I...? Anyway, what brings you here?"
Reilly said, but didn't open the window.
'Don't come in. Don't come in.'
Wanted to lock the door too, but that'd draw heat.
"You seen Shine around lately?"
"Lord Shine? Why would...?"
"He's avoiding me. Anyway, not here, right?"
"Yes, but..."
Before Reilly could reply, Aster flung open the door and barged in.
"Hey, I'm on duty—Huh?"
Reilly, about to shoo him with work as excuse, doubted his eyes.
Not just Aster stormed the desk.
"Th-that student behind you?"
Reilly eyed the demure girl following Aster.
"Oh, her..."
"She's Evelin. Heard of Goldrin Company? Her daughter. Need a quiet chat."
Normally, Reilly would've frowned.
Quiet talk? What student invades the info desk?
Surely some scheme... like finding an errand to dump.
But "Goldrin" halo clouded his judgment enough.
"...Something to drink?"
"Grab whatever's fine."
"Yep!"
Reilly spun energetically.
Aster watched him go, then turned. Evelin had sat across, and soon her mouth opened.
"Um, why here...?"
Suddenly "let's talk," dragging her to the info desk—bewildered look.
Aster shrugged and asked back.
"Well, we're friends now. Gotta get to know each other, right? Call it..."
"Tea time? You mean tea time?"
At Evelin's question, Aster grinned.
"Yeah, exactly."
...To use someone right, you had to know their situation.
Now was the time to learn.