How to Survive at the Academy
Chapter 263

TL: TangSanFan

ED/PR: Tanthus

『Side Story』 The Balance Scale (4)

There wasn’t much time to spare.

The insight and information gathering abilities of merchants should never be underestimated, and the rumors of Lord Lortelle being out of her mind would spread in the blink of an eye.

It was convincing why Chief Secretary Lien had been so focused on information security.

Moreover, in this matter, the enemy was within. Fellow merchants of the Elte Trade Company, especially Slog Keldrucks, had to be the most on guard.

Belonging to the same company, he would immediately sniff something suspicious the moment he detected anything odd in Lortelle’s actions.

– “But the acting head of the company used to visit the Rothtaylor Estate every now and then without reason. To see Sir Ed’s face, right? So it shouldn’t look strange if she suddenly went to the Duke’s estate.”

For now, since Lortelle was not in her right state, hiding it was the immediate priority. If it became known that Lortelle had ended up in such a state, it was unpredictable how the power structure within the Elte Trade Company might change.

– “A place not arousing suspicion where acting head Lortelle can go. But at the same time, a place where there is a power and strength that can protect acting head Lortelle.”

In reality, there was no other place than the Rothtaylor Duchy. Lien’s judgement was sound.

“…”

– Clunk, clunk.

As a result, Lortelle and I sat face to face in a carriage heading toward the Rothtaylor Estate.

For the moment, until Lortelle’s condition improved, Lien claimed she would manage somehow to cover for her absence. Even amidst this chaos, her loyalty was notable.

“…pppplease…”

That sharp trader, always casting a seductive smile as if she saw through her opponent, now looked at me with pure innocence in her eyes.

Rocking back and forth, drawn by the vibrations of the rattling carriage, she clung tightly to something that looked like an old, worn-out ledger notebook, as though it were a treasure.

“Where, where are we going? An-and Lien? Won’t I, I ever see Lien again…?”

Her unsettled voice, clutching the old notebook, was the very likeness of terror. I momentarily caught my breath at the absolute reversal from her usual demeanor.

“Lien said… that she would praise me if I stayed put and behaved… take me to the seaside too…”

Her sobbing left me flustered. I took a deep breath and decided to remain calm.

“Do you really… remember nothing…?”

Lortelle, burying her face in the notebook and only revealing her tear-streaked eyes, nodded. Though I sighed internally, I maintained composure as I spoke.

“Then… can you tell me anything you remember about what happened at the abandoned inn?”

“Yes, yes… There’s not much… But…”

Her hesitant demeanor was telling.

“When I came to… I was collapsed inside an overturned carriage… I was very scared, but Lien came and calmed me down. She said it’s alright and asked me to wait here. That someone would come to save me if I just stayed still…”

She seemed to have little memory of her own.

I skimmed through the documents that Lien had sent, detailing the situation at hand. Essentially, it was a report on attending a meeting at the Elte Trade Company’s central branch to check the overall maintenance status, followed by an ambush during the carriage ride.

On the way back from an outside task, she was struck by a curse spell while riding through a secluded valley.

Luckily, Lien, the secretary, was quickly informed and went to rescue Lortelle, finding her in quite a state. That’s where the tale comes to an end.

“…”

I brushed my chin and furrowed my brows, reading over the message.

Several points didn’t sit right with me: the ease with which Lortelle had been ambushed, the use of such crude methods by the normally cautious Slog, and the peculiar choice of using a curse spell. If the goal had been to incapacitate Lortelle swiftly, they would have simply bound her and locked her up somewhere, or even planned an assassination for that matter.

Of course, that would carry significant risks, but certainly more definitive than a questionable curse spell to incapacitate.

Though I had yet to fully meet with this merchant Slog Keldrucks, I had heard of his cunning, and Lortelle herself had been wary. Hence, the entire situation felt unacceptable.

“… You know, you’re the one in charge of a big trading company.”

“Yes, yes… I know that…”

“Lien told you?”

“Yes, that too, but… it’s all… written here…”

The precious ledger notebook she had been clutching like a treasure. Perhaps it was the work notebook she had organized before she lost her memory.

It seemed that present-day Lortelle had used the diary to remind herself of who she was in the past.

How she worked, how she managed people, how she made money, and how she lived her life.

Maybe it even had some of her thought processes written inside.

I thought it best to check it out, so I reached out my hand and said, “May I take a quick look at that notebook?”

As soon as I said that, Lortelle clutched the notebook even tighter, visibly startled.

“No, you can’t!”

“Can’t…?”

“I absolutely… can’t…”

She seemed oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

“Lortelle… you are precious. Many lives hang in the balance depending on what happens to you. Hence, I need to check every possible clue.”

“I… I know… but… even so, I am sure… I cannot… show this notebook to Sir Ed…”

With little to no real memory, she clung desperately to the notebook – somehow aware of its importance.

I pondered for a moment, and then, reluctantly, I acknowledged her wish.

There might be clues inside the notebook that I needed to verify; however, it didn’t have to be right then.

More importantly, I didn’t want to frighten Lortelle, who was already in a volatile state of mind. Once we reached the estate, I would have plenty of opportunities to inspect it. It was improbable that Lortelle could cling to the notebook 24/7; then, I could simply have a servant discretely retrieve it.

Quietly observing Lortelle, I sighed with resignation.

“Alright… let’s talk more once we get back to the estate.”

It was indeed the time to consider Lortelle’s condition. To her, in her memory-lost state, riding in a carriage to a distant duke’s domain might feel like a kidnapping.

“Anyways, know that I am on your side. It might be unsettling to suddenly trust a stranger when your memory is fuzzy…”

“Oh, no… I trust you… it’s scary, but.”

Her hesitation, yet affirmed certainty in what needed to be said, was fitting of Lortelle, even if she had regressed to her childhood.

“It’s just that Sir Ed is different from what… I imagined… so there’s some fear…”

“… Imagined?”

“It… it’s nothing… Just… uhuh, yeah.”

She lowered her gaze, beads of sweat dripping down her face.

I quietly watched her before deciding there was no need to press further, merely nodding in response.

* * *

“That’s what happened.”

The food prepared by the estate’s cook was quite delicious.

Since they had recruited someone from the imperial kitchens, it was to be expected.

Still, the sight of Lortelle shoveling spoonfuls of soufflé pancakes and vegetables into her mouth was a spectacle unbelievable to those who knew her true personality.

Yenika was similarly shocked, looking at Lortelle who sat at one corner of the large table cheerfully enjoying her meal.

“Is that… Lortelle…?”

Even the usually adversarial Yenika looked baffled, unsure of how to react to the transformed Lortelle.

“Fell into a merchant’s scheme and ended up like this?”

“Yes. According to what I’ve found, it is a curse spell called ‘Regression.’ It’s not entirely high-level magic, but due to its complicated conditions and limited effectiveness, it was deemed impractical.”

“I think I heard about it in my magical studies too. There are lots of magical components required, and it’s dependent on numerous environmental factors, which led to its decline… but why use such a spell now?”

“Well… the bottom line is, Lortelle is completely incapacitated right now. It’s not just her behavior; it’s also evident in the nearly non-existent magical power within her.”

It was clear that she’d been directly struck by a curse.

Since it was a curse-type spell, its effects wouldn’t be permanent. The problem was that there was no way to tell when it would revert back to its original state.

“I didn’t get the exact details. All I know is that it happened during transport in a carriage.”

“I see… Lortelle has been through so much… I’ve heard stories of merchants involved in power struggles and feints, but I didn’t expect it to go this far…”

“It’s delicious!”

Lortelle, her face the epitome of innocence, exclaimed with fiery eyes.

It was unbelievable to see the girl make such an honest and straightforward expression.

“It’s so good! I feel happy… Uh, I c-can’t breathe…”

“Eat slowly…”

Overwhelmed by happiness and wolfing down her food, Lortelle was lightly pushed a cold glass of water by Yenika.

After gulping down the water with a ‘puhaa’, Lortelle burst out laughing.

“Thank you! Sister!”

“…”

“Sister, you are really kind!”

Her radiant smile made her habitual cunning grin seem all the more innocent in contrast. The gap was indeed terrifying.

Familiar with Lortelle’s usual demeanor, Yenika found the present sincere Lortelle to be particularly striking.

Like witnessing the anxious wriggling of a small mammal, Yenika felt an instinctual urge to protect her… and with a ‘huh’ sound, she quickly turned her head away.

“Ah…”

“…”

“I’m sorry… My Lord… I was… rude…”

“…”

“Forgive my presumption…”

Lortelle, now subdued, put down her fork and bowed her head. Yenika simply watched, then suddenly clutched at her chest as though struck by a bullet.

Lortelle’s appearance, regardless of the situation, remained endearing and cute. The expressiveness of a child’s face when feeling overwhelmed could truly tickle one’s heart.

Yenika, catching her breath, got up from her seat and took both of Lortelle’s hands.

“No, it’s not like that…”

Yenika said, her eyes wavering for reasons unknown.

“You can just… call me sister.”

Was that the right thing, Yenika?

Really… was it?

* * *

“It looks like she’s definitely been affected by curse magic. The aura of magic power is visibly weaker, a clear sign of regressive influence due to an external force.”

While there were many to consult about magic, the nearest expert was at hand.

Currently unable to properly wield magic power due to the backlash of using Professor Glast’s phoenix ring, her depth of knowledge was on par with that of most professors.

Lucy was found lounging in the Rothtaylor residence’s garden, having just escaped from the maids’ clutches.

Seeing her after a long time, she wasn’t exactly radiant but did seem to be kicking her legs cheerfully. Thankfully, she still appeared to be in good health.

“If it really is a ‘regression’ curse, then the answer is to simply wait until it wears off. I don’t think it will take too long, but the problem is we don’t know the intent behind it…”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

If incapacitating Lortelle was Slog’s plan, then it had succeeded.

If so, some action from them was certain, especially now when Lortelle was ill-equipped to respond.

“Head Secretary Lien said she would do something right away, but I doubt she can handle that old trader on her own…”

“Shouldn’t you be the one to step in? All I can do right now is… well, I can’t use magic to help…”

“I don’t really expect help. You just take care of yourself and work on restoring your magic.”

“…”

Lucy grumbled and gazed past the garden.

Beside her, Lortelle played with the pets kept by the manor staff, perfectly mimicking the innocence of a girl her age.

Just like Yenika, Lucy felt a chilling sweat at the disparity of the scene.

“It is rather shocking to see firsthand.”

“Yeah… Do you know anything more about a ‘regression’ curse? About how to accelerate its resolution or any potential side effects…”

“Uhm… to be honest, it wasn’t that efficient of a spell. There’s too much preparation involved, and the conditions are overly specific… you’d know the basic idea already…”

Lucy yawned and rubbed her eyes, then rested her head on my knee.

She swung her feet in the air and said that there really wasn’t anything she could do right now.

“The silver lining is everything will normalize with time. That merchant seems oddly gentle, avoiding life-threatening situations.”

“I also sense an odd tension.”

“At least once things return to normal, all of her memories will come back. It’s not like the experiences she’s having now will be lost. So, there shouldn’t be any major problems…”

Suddenly, a remark not easily dismissed struck me.

In essence, everything Lortelle was currently experiencing and noting would be imprinted in her memory once the curse was lifted.

Seeing her exuberantly embrace Belle as if jumping into a sibling’s arms after playing with the house pets in the garden…

If those memories returned, she’d recall her every act…

“Right now… she’s diligently building a repertoire of embarrassing history…”

Lortelle, laughing cheerfully while frolicking about, caught my eye and waved her hands in a friendly greeting.

She’d been shy at first in the carriage, but now she was smiling as if those moments had never happened. Her adaptability was evident as a child.

Then she stumbled and fell on the grass, eventually rising with teary eyes and dusting herself off…

Lortelle…

What are you planning to do once you snap back to reality…?

Time and again, I say I really… I simply don’t understand…

“If I were to regain my memories… I’d probably just want to die.”

Lucy’s frank words left no room for argument.

Time would simply carry on, as there was little I could do.

It wasn’t feasible to go to Oldec and handle the trade firm’s affairs, and any unnatural interference by me would likely be suspect.

Consequently, Oldec’s matters were entrusted to Secretary Lien, yet that didn’t alleviate my anxiety. It seemed revisiting Oldec would be necessary after resolving this current issue.

Nonetheless, ensuring Lortelle’s well-being until her recovery was the top priority, so I instructed Belle to take utmost care of her.

As a result, for around five days, Lortelle spent her time frolicking throughout the Rothtaylor estate.

She nestled against the servants’ pets, napped under the shade trees with Lucy, and was occasionally spotted being bathed, dressed, and fed by Yenika.

She quickly became friends with the manor’s servants, always offering a spirited greeting whenever she came across them in the corridors.

Gradually blending into the manor environment, she became a naturally integrated, cheerful mascot of sorts.

“Yenika, you seem like such a wonderful person! When I grow up, I want to be as cool and beautiful as you!”

However, the occasional cold sweat was due to the ever-growing embarrassment of Lortelle’s accumulating history…

“Lucy too! When your magic was at its peak, you even faced that great castle dragon! I want to be a powerful and amazing magician like you one day!”

Lortelle…

Please… just stop…

I’m not sure why I need to worry about the shame you’ll eventually have to deal with…

“When I grow up… I want to be a princess! To wear lovely dresses and live happily in a palace with a prince!”

Please…

Stop… just stop….

How on earth are you going to cope with this……

* * *

The situation shifted on the fifth day’s end.

While receiving reports on the service staff and inspecting the estate, Belle hurriedly sought me out.

Pulling out a letter from within her clothes in the corridor, she handed it over with a grave expression.

“A distinguished guest from Oldec has requested a visitation. They insist on seeing Miss Tanya and her brother, Master Ed.”

“Who is it?”

Belle glanced around before lowering her voice.

“It’s Slog Keldrucks.”

Had he caught wind of something?

That sly old fox from Elte’s trade firm was heading straight to the Rothtaylor estate.