Chapter 255
Chapter 255
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 255
>Chapter Title: Land of Milk and Honey
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The day after my meeting with Pola.
After finishing all my academy classes, I had dinner with Damian, Chenbi, and Evelyn before returning to my room.
‘Alright, let me sort this out.’
The Karlia Mercenary Company, which had its base in the Blandoga Family’s territory, had suddenly joined the war between Lortel and Decullan for a reason.
Their main source of income had been the trade routes between ‘Blando-Great Forest Greentown,’ but Destrow’s arrival had cut off their work, forcing their hand.
Come to think of it, Pola’s frantic nightly activities last semester must have been due to their funding issues.
But setting aside that unfortunate situation.
‘The academy schedule is the real problem.’
The distance from Hazen to Decullan wasn’t short.
On top of that, searching for the stragglers would require scouring quite a bit of Decullan territory.
It was a schedule that would eat up a lot of time either way.
So, after agonizing over it, I had no choice but to turn to our strategist and financier, Evelyn.
I mentioned only the request itself, skipping any talk of Parun or Pola, but Evelyn, who had been listening quietly, furrowed her brow slightly.
“That…… Aster. At some point, you’ve started asking me about all sorts of things as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. If you’re going to do that, wouldn’t it be better to just come clean about what you’re hiding? Or do I not have your trust?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Sigh. I’ll give you advice on this one for now, but put yourself in my shoes. How do you think that feels?”
Hm.
“Fine, I’ll tell you everything after this job is done.”
“……I’ll hold you to that.”
Evelyn shot me a glare, then wet her throat with the coffee bought with *my* money before speaking.
“There are two key points.”
“Two?”
“Yes. Where the land promised as compensation is located. And whether that land is worth getting involved in the war between Lortel and Decullan.”
In other words, forget the circumstances—just calculate the profits and losses.
“……What about the academy?”
At my question, Evelyn gave me a look of disbelief.
“Is the academy really the priority right now? There’s no deadline for studying, but there is for money. And honestly…….”
Evelyn glanced at me and said.
“Does the academy feel *essential* for you, Aster?”
Essential? It absolutely was.
“For connections…….”
I started to explain, but Evelyn snorted in exasperation.
“Please. Connections or whatever. I don’t know your full situation, but think about it. Back in the Second Black-White Slums, or during all that chaos, did being an academy student ever help you? You’re always hiding your face behind a mask.”
“That’s…… true.”
“And be honest. Who are the director of Rihaym Orphanage and Teacher Mysern? No way they’re…… that Sandstorm…… And who’s the Mage? With people like that around, do you really need to cling to academy connections?”
“……Maybe not?”
“Think it over carefully. Does it matter or not?”
I took a moment to organize my thoughts in response to the unexpected question.
First, let’s review my network.
Vampire Lord, Blandoga Young Patriarch, Lortel Young Patriarch, Archmage of Termination, Sandstorm Spiritist, academy principal, academy professor, Blandoga Magic Academy vice principal, and even if we’re not close, I’m acquainted with Lortel’s Third Sword and First Sword, plus the chiefs of the base camps that control Hamern Great Forest.
And while I’d rather not get tangled up, the Grand Duchess of Lamburg Kingdom was someone I could ally with if our interests aligned.
Thinking about it that way, I couldn’t help but marvel at my own connections.
“I…… am kind of impressive, huh?”
“Tell me about each one later, one by one. They might help with business. Anyway…… so, are academy connections important?”
“Academy connections…… important…… Hm.”
I wanted to say they were, but the words wouldn’t come.
Graduating from Jenion Academy wouldn’t build a network like that.
No, landing even one of those would count as major success.
Still, I had a point to make.
“……Even so, didn’t I meet Chenbi and you because I attended the academy?”
“So, who else from the academy are you planning to drag into the pit now? Chenbi’s eyes are dying a little more each day. Actually, that might just be her normal look now. And I…….”
“Hey, if you have any conscience, you can’t call it a pit after I so handsomely revived you from it.”
“……Whatever.”
She was calling it a pit even after I’d spectacularly pulled her out of one.
“But let me ask. Among those people you mentioned, is there anyone who could give you land?”
“……There are, sure.”
“Then why not take it? Same as with the Second Black-White Slums—there’s a reason you’re not, right? So that means no.”
Hearing it laid out like that, she had a point.
As I nodded in agreement, Evelyn slurped down more of the coffee bought with *my* money and held out her hand.
I placed the cookies I’d bought with the coffee on her palm. As if I were her servant…… Tch, the needy one has to endure.
Anyway, Evelyn chewed on a cookie and spoke.
“So, the academy isn’t something to worry about. Worst case, just manage your attendance to avoid a leave of absence. You don’t even need to study for exams, right? You seem to fiddle the scores just enough—skip the midterms, ace the finals, and you barely pass.”
“……You’ve looked into this a lot?”
“Yeah, you know? Last year…….”
She’d apparently planned for the worst while balancing studies and work.
“Now, we weigh the land’s value against the risks…… but let me ask one thing.”
“Ask away.”
“Is this something *you* can handle, Aster? It’s beyond my common sense. Pulling a stranded mercenary band out of the Lortel-Decullan war…….”
Evelyn looked at me with concern.
“You have people to help, right? Like the Mage, or Rihaym’s director, or Senior Mysern…….”
Hm, I’m transcendent, but I can’t exactly say that.
It wouldn’t matter if I did, but it’d drag on the conversation, so I put it off and made an excuse.
“Hey, I’ve got my ways. Even without them, plenty of people will help. I’ll just guide the way or whatever.”
“……Right?”
“Of course.”
Evelyn pressed a few more times before returning to the main topic.
“Anyway, I’ll trust you can handle it. So, where’s the land the client offered? How big is it?”
“The land…… where was it again.”
The name was unfamiliar to me, so it took effort to recall.
“Ah, right. Near the Arafur Mountains. Size of a decent village…….”
That’s when Evelyn shrieked like she’d been possessed.
“Arafur?! You mean Arafurgin?”
“Might’ve been Arafurgin.”
What’s got her so shocked?
“A decent village size there means roughly how much…… No, anyway, it’s not small.”
Evelyn muttered to herself, calculating something. Then she suddenly whipped her head toward me……
‘……What’s with that look.’
Like a gold-hoarding goblin merchant.
“The Arafurgin Mountains—it’s a hotspot lately.”
“……Why?”
“You don’t know? The next big magic material supplier after Hamern Great Forest! The forest is only just stabilizing now, but they’ve been opening new sources to fill the gap, and Arafurgin’s one of them!”
Wait, so that means……
“Doesn’t matter which mercenary band it is—they hit the jackpot. Probably not bought recently…… Snagged it cheap. Anyway, get what I’m saying?”
……Yeah, loud and clear.
This was a hard yes.
‘Wyvern, fly.’
[I fly. Moonlight Stone, good.]
I pictured the wyvern spreading its wings wide above my head and soaring into the sky.
Arafurgin.
The promised land flowing with milk and honey.
That land was waiting for me.
* * *
Once decided, action was swift.
First, after parting with Evelyn, I headed straight to the principal’s hideout.
“Principal senior.”
“What now.”
“Let’s make a deal.”
“……A deal?”
“Yeah, you told me not to approach the Third Princess, right? What if I just leave the academy altogether?”
The principal scowled like I was spouting nonsense.
“You, of all people? It’s not my warning—it’s because *you* have business. Anyway, what do you want?”
What I wanted was simple.
“Anything like…… field experience substituting for class days? Something like that?”
“……Don’t skip just the easy classes, you rotten kid. I’ve been hounding you lately because you’ve been skipping.”
“It’s for the greater good.”
“Self-interest, more like.”
“So, no deal?”
“Hm…….”
The principal crossed his arms, lost in thought for a moment.
For me, it was a nice-to-have deal—nothing major if it fell through.
Just a safety net for potential issues.
As I waited for his response, it came quickly.
“You didn’t need to come to me for that.”
“……Why not?”
“Didn’t read the academy rules? From second year, there’s seasonal semester. It’s normally a last chance for deficient students before leave or expulsion, but this year, they changed it—you can make up attendance days.”
“Uh…… really?”
“Yeah, quite a few kids couldn’t reach the academy due to the war. Can’t delay the whole schedule, and can’t expel them heartlessly, so it’s a quick fix.”
“But does it apply to me?”
The principal shrugged at my question.
“Up to you. The rules don’t specify reasons for deficiency. It’s at your professor’s discretion.”
“Hm, got it.”
So, not impossible.
‘Alright, ask Pelina for this one.’
My advisor is Jeira, but we’re not close enough for such a favor.
Pelina would handle it.
Professor Pelina, researching Frizen artifacts, owes me gratitude from the Trial Spire incident—she’d grant a small request like this.
Bonus: Ask about Frizen artifact progress.
“Then, stay safe until we meet again.”
“……Stay away from the Third Princess. Remember that.”
His voice was sharp as a blade.
But I didn’t answer.
Can’t lie, after all.
‘Good, next up…….’
I headed straight to Professor Pelina’s lab, but unfortunately, it was empty.
Left a letter with the request and went to the second-year dorms.
I peeked through Chenbi’s room window.
‘Chenbi’s out for now.’
The presence from the shower room was definitely Pola.
I put on my mask and waited for Pola to emerge.
Soon enough, Pola came out.
“……!”
Pola startled upon seeing me, but I spoke calmly.
“I’ll take the request.”
“Really……? Thank you so…… much…….”
“No need for thanks. It’s paid work.”
Mercenaries live by the blade, and their lives are their trade.
Rescuing them out of cheap pity would insult their way of life.
This was just business.
But why.
“Thank you…… really, thank you.”
Pola’s tears fell in drops.
Like a child, drop by drop.