How to Survive at the Academy
Chapter 262

『Side Story』 The Balance Scale (3)

TL: TangSanFan

ED/PR: Tanthus

“Here’s your pay. Keep the change.”

“Oh thank you so much! How generous, sir! May you be blessed with fortune~”

The commercial city of Oldec.

The landscape of this port city, spread along the westernmost coastal area of the empire, evokes the Age of Exploration. Watching the line of sailing ships along the wooden docks by the coastline, one can’t help but feel as though the age of the sea has dawned upon us.

Furthermore, the grandiose main offices of large trading companies lined up along the prime coastal lands exude a different kind of magnificence than that of the capital or the holy city.

If you want to make money, come to Oldec.

This simple and clear proposition has never been refuted since the founding of the empire.

『Oh, truly… this must be the central hub of commerce and logistics that humans speak of… There’s so much vigor, Master Ed! Just watching these incessant activities is exhilarating, even for a lowly Muk like myself!』

“Don’t get too excited. Our aim is to go unnoticed.”

『Yes, of course. It’s such a pleasure to serve you solo as your aide, recalling the days spent in Acken Island. Ah, those days were filled with hard work, when I had to support you with my own strength alone.』

The spectral Muk, flapping its wings, followed along, starting yet another trip down memory lane.

『Back in my lower spirit days, I worked tirelessly through the night like these laborers, only to wake up and receive new orders in the morning. I remember cursing the world for how hard those times were, but looking back, that hardship became my blood and flesh. Indeed, they say hardship is worth purchasing; everyone seems to gain strength and find their place through such struggles. Therefore, it’s truly fortunate that I now serve you, Master Ed. If I were to begin recounting the hardships endured before serving you… it started with my rise from the lower spirit ranks… At that time, my motto was…』

Muk tends to be verbose, which is a newfound realization. Overflowing with emotion and shedding tears of joy, it continued its long speech while perched on my shoulder.

I pulled my robe’s hood further down over my face and navigated my way through the bustling markets of Oldec, letting Muk’s needless long-winded stories go through one ear and out the other, as I pondered over the letter from Lien.

Chief Secretary Lien is utterly loyal to Lord Lortelle Keheln without question. The very fact that she, who rarely takes the forefront, has personally written this letter suggests there is a high chance something significant has occurred concerning Lortelle herself. Lortelle usually handles most important affairs directly. And there would normally be no instance in which she would delegate the task of sending me a letter.

Nevertheless, my time to move freely without any schedule constraints is far too short. If not now, I wouldn’t be able to verify the situation on-site, and so I’ve made the three-day journey by carriage to Oldec.

Never underestimate the intelligence networks of merchants. News of Ed Rothtaylor’s personal visit to Oldec could only bring about undesirable attention. Thus, I’ve concealed my identity beneath my hooded robe.

Continuing through the main market street following the stoned path, I took several turns into the alleys.

After leaving Muk’s incessant chatter behind and traveling deeper into the streets, I finally noticed a dimly lit tavern. A small sign featuring a mug full of beer dangled outside. Judging by the raucous sound within, it seemed to be open for business.

As I opened the door and entered, I was greeted by a room full of grimy laborers. Though their attention shifted to me momentarily, they quickly disregarded my presence and resumed their conversations.

– ‘A small tavern situated two turns from the third street in the central market of Oldec. Its name is The Song of the Waves.’

– ‘Please take the farthest corner alone, order a draft beer and two handfuls of peanuts, and sit quietly with your hooded robe.’

The meeting instructions were rather discreet.

I did as instructed, sitting quietly at a corner table after ordering my draft beer and peanuts.

Despite sitting alone for almost 10 minutes, no one approached me. Amidst the noisy tavern, I sat oddly on my own, drinking beer.

Then, about twenty more minutes passed…

“Hey there, handsome, fancy a date?”

A tavern girl, seemingly angling for business, approached me. A red-haired woman in flashy attire gazed seductively at me, and then she said:

“Sitting alone in a tavern in broad daylight, choosing the farthest corner, and specifically ordering two hands of peanuts and a draft beer, then sitting by yourself for more than 10 minutes… it looks a bit lonely~.”

The tone of her voice emphasizing my situation suggested she was conveying a signal, pointing to the specific conditions of our meeting.

I nodded and replied, “Yes, let’s go out together. I’ll settle the bill.”

“Oh, aren’t you easy to talk to. Shall we link arms~?”

With a practiced smile, the tavern girl entwined her arm with mine and we left the establishment. Such scenes were commonplace in these backstreet taverns, so the laborers inside paid us no mind, engrossed in their own stories.

Stepping onto the streets, the woman whispered in my ear, “We’ll need to blend in with the crowd a few times, as there are many watchful eyes. We’ll walk towards the second market street in the busiest areas. If there’s no sign of being followed, we’ll slip into a quieter place.”

“All right.”

We walked for almost half an hour, navigating through the bustling markets of Oldec and casually noting the trading company buildings. The spectacle of well-known trading buildings stretching along the streets was indeed impressive.

After being confident that we were not being followed, the woman took my arm and led me into a dimly lit back alley.

“A thousand pardons, Master Ed.”

“No, don’t worry about it. Besides, your disguise has changed a lot…”

As she peeled off the makeup and prosthetics used for the disguise, the red-haired woman shook out her face.

The face that revealed itself was one I had seen often in the deputy administration office of the Elte Company’s Sylvania branch.

Lortelle Keheln’s Chief Secretary, Lien Clemsen.

“It’s… something I’m not accustomed to doing… but necessity warrants action…”

The coarse guise of a barmaid was nowhere to be seen, and in its place was the hesitant secretary I knew.

Lien Clemsen had sided with Lortelle during the Elte Company takeover orchestrated by Durin Grecks. Following that crisis, she had become utterly loyal to Lortelle’s camp, akin to her right hand in all practical terms.

Her timid and indecisive nature still remained apparent, yet judging by how adeptly she led me to this secluded spot, her efficiency in executing tasks seemed to have improved significantly.

“Having to perform as a barmaid, so unfitting for me… I almost sweated off all my makeup…”

“So, let’s get straight to the point. Why did you send such a peculiar letter?”

“…”

Lien took one more glance around before tying her hair back and putting on her glasses.

Afterward, she lowered her voice and spoke,

“Lord Lortelle has been cursed by the magic prepared by Slog Keldrucks.”

“… What?”

I narrowed my brows and responded,

“He resorted to such brutal methods?”

“Whether it’s brutal or not… Well, that’s a bit vague… But, if we’re discussing it, yeah… it’s brutal…”

“I can’t imagine Lortelle falling for such open acts of terror easily. Slog is cunning, sure, but Lortelle too is cautious and has magical talents far surpassing ordinary mages.”

“That’s true. However… the situation is somewhat unique…”

“No matter how special the situation is… to think he could genuinely usurp the position of the head with such an overwhelming approach…?”

Slog Keldrucks, while appearing to be a diligent and thoughtful merchant, I heard harbored a devious nature, nurturing hundreds of scheming plans.

Such an unrestrained tactic didn’t seem to fit the image of that man Slog. Rather, it looked like something that could backfire badly.

“As for curse magic, what kind of curse are we talking about? Not an instant death spell that impedes breathing or stops blood flow, I hope…”

“Yes… the proxy head of the house does not suffer from immediate health problems… but she has been incapacitated…”

“Then… a suppressive type of curse?”

“Umm… something like that, yes…”

Secretary Lien struggled with her explanation, fumbling with her words,

“For now, you might understand faster if you meet the proxy head in person…”

We had to move further through the market streets.

The scene I was about to witness was strictly confidential within Elte’s Merchant Guild, they insisted on the utmost secrecy on our way there, emphasizing its importance over and over.

And it made sense. The incapacitation of a figure like Lortelle was enough to cause chaos just by the nature of the fact.

Yet Lien added, saying that at this moment, there was no one other than me who could safely take Lortelle’s proxy away from this place ‘Oldec’ without expecting anything in return, to ensure their protection.

It seems that Lortelle always took the opportunity to speak to Secretary Lien about me. How deep those discussions went I couldn’t tell, but they seemed to suggest that if truly cornered, I would be the one to lend a hand without any cost.

It makes sense.

I have the confidence that if I were in danger, Lortelle would surely help me.

Naturally, the reverse should also be guaranteed.

The scales need to always be balanced.

What we receive, we also give in turn.

“Here, we need to turn underground.”

“Underground again? It’s the third time.”

“It’s necessary.”

We took winding back alleys, in and out of sewers, till we reached the back door of a gloomy brick building.

Lien knocked gently and whispered what seemed to be a foreign code to the person on the other side.

The code passed, and the door of the aged brick building slowly opened. Inside was a dim reception desk, with a robust man sitting beside it, adorned with a pattern that marked him as an Elte Merchant Guild member.

He bowed his head respectfully to Secretary Lien and then to me, “It is an honor to meet you.”

With a moderate display of manners, he then prepared to guide me inside.

Secretary Lien, however, stopped the man with an upraised arm, and with a sharp turn of her head, she gave a silent command. She would lead the way herself, and the man should continue guarding the entrance.

The man nodded, closed the door, and Lien guided me down the dingy corridor.

“This place was an operating inn once. It has been secretly adapted for our use. The proxy head is in the innermost room.”

“Really… begins to make sense why we’re hidden so deep.”

After reaching the last room, secretary Lien turned to me with a serious tone,

“You already know to keep this confidential. But… just try not to be… too shocked…”

“Shocked…?”

“Just come in.”

She opened the door, and the room was somber.

The furnishings of the long out-of-business inn were old and decayed. Amid the dim room’s darkness and an old round table sat a girl with familiar auburn hair, her back turned to us.

Lortelle Keheln. At a glance, it was unmistakably the figure of the merchant. But something felt off…

“Deputy Head.”

As Secretary Lien called Lortelle while entering, Lortelle whipped her head around energetically – a move that oddly struck me as too lively.

“Lien!”

Lortelle, with a vibrant expression, leapt from the chair and proudly ran to greet Lien, embracing her tightly. The enthusiasm felt unnatural.

As I stayed silent, pondering what to say, Lortelle started murmuring.

“I did as Lien said, stayed seated and never left! It was so boring, but since you promised to praise me, I persevered! I was diligently re-reading the journal, trying to memorize it! Hmm~, nothing much… came to mind though…”

“Ah, Deputy Head… you’ve done… well…”

Lien responded hesitatingly.

“Good! Now, will you pat my head?!”

Lortelle grabbed Lien’s hand, placed it on her own head, and grinned broadly, humming a tune.

It seemed the stature had shrunk somewhat… Lien finally said.

“This… gentleman here… is Sir Ed Rothtaylor…”

“Ah, eek!”

Startled, Lortelle quickly took cover behind Lien, only peering out shyly.

They looked up at me, biting their lip in a gesture of timidity, and squeaked,

“Um… that… sir, mentioned in the… journal… didn’t expect… to meet you… just like this…”

“Now, Deputy Head, hiding behind me isn’t polite.”

“Ah, uh, wait… no, I don’t want to…”

The way they were acting shy, not fitting for their age, I just stared, poker-faced, at Lien.

Was this some kind of candid camera prank? Such wishful disbelief was pointless…

Yet, I still needed a clear explanation.

“Though the stature seems somewhat diminished, the actual critical concern is… their… mental age has… regressed… Well, you see…”

Lien said with difficulty.

“It’s come to… this…”

The silence dragged out.

I stepped back to the center of the room, pulled out a wooden chair, and sank into it, resting my chin in my hand, sweeping my mouth with the other. There I remained, lost in thought, as a drop of cold sweat leaked out—this was a situation I hadn’t anticipated.

“Why is everyone so quiet…? It’s scary…”

Lortelle clung to Lien’s gown, trembling and hiding behind her.

In a cruel twist, only the rustling of fabric filled the otherwise silent room for a long while.