How to Survive at the Academy
Chapter 265

TL: TangSanFan

ED/PR: Tanthus

『Side Story』 The Balance Scale (6)

“Brother, I understand that traveling here and there is part of your routine, but this time you’re even bringing Belle along, which makes me worry more. Could it be that the task at hand is too dangerous for you to handle alone?”

“No, it’s not particularly dangerous, just… it’s out of consideration for Lortelle… it still seems a bit uncomfortable to be alone with me…”

“Is that so? It didn’t seem to me that she was uncomfortable…”

“That’s the thing..”

The next day, the servants lined up at the front gate of the Rothtaylor mansion, ready to see me off to the commercial city of Olldeuk.

I had told Tanya in advance that they didn’t need to fuss over my comings and goings, but when it was a formal outing like this, it was essential to follow proper departure procedures.

I’m heading to Olldeuk on official business. The pretense was that I was going to check on several stores that were distributing various household goods under a contract from the Rothtaylor family.

To justify taking maid artist Belle with me, a suitable reason was needed. Belle was so crucial to the household that it was difficult to take her away from her busy schedule, much like other key personnel.

Young Lortelle was clutching the hem of her clothing tightly, hiding behind Belle. Even though we had gotten along fairly well until yesterday, the distance between us seemed to have suddenly widened after I read the contents of the treasured notebook,

The night before, while Lortelle was asleep (or rather after I put her to sleep), I had checked the contents of the notebook and couldn’t help but feel shocked.

Inside the notebook Lortelle had always carried before losing her memory were embarrassingly intimate thoughts about me.

The stories she had written about me were somewhat exaggerated or overly idealized… To the extent that I felt apologetic just for reading them.

“Then, may I ask what the contents were?”

Belle asked in her prim voice, looking at Lortelle who was hopping around the maids loading the carriage.

Belle wasn’t one to ask more questions than necessary, but it seemed she felt a need to know this time.

“Well, there were sketches of me drawn in graphite here and there… Turns out Lortelle can draw quite well…”

“…”

“And there was a business plan she organized before losing her memory that was drawn in an easy-to-understand way. I could see why she always treasured it and had it with her.”

Given that the notebook contained detailed plans about Lortelle’s business intentions and the future operation of the store… It would be a great loss if it fell into the hands of a business rival.

Nevertheless, it was not something that could be managed solely in her head, hence the necessity to treasure it.

“It seems Lortelle had intentions to restructure the internal personnel of the store after establishing a deal with the Holy Kingdom.”

“Considering reorganizing people around as soon as you take the position of the head is… in a way, an obvious step.”

“And during that process, she planned to use her dealings with the Holy Kingdom to assert control over the store.”

Belle tilted her head at this unexpected piece of information.

“The most certain way to bind merchants is, in the end, to tie them down tightly with money.”

I made this comment while roughly checking the load being put onto the carriage.

“Having handled a big business and grasping the core connections and rights would prevent the merchants within the store from undermining Lortelle.”

Even though Lortelle had already proven her capability and influence, to secure her position as the head, she needed to assert her influence more firmly.

Simply being the adopted daughter of the previous head, Elte Keheln, wouldn’t allow her to reign over those shrewd merchants.

“I see. The deal with the Holy Kingdom is indeed a juicy business that even Elte’s store would salivate over… It can bring astronomical income if handled and maintained well.”

“Exactly. And without me or Lortelle to connect her with the Saintess, it would be difficult to pursue that business plan.”

Other merchants would not have the influence, and only she herself would have access to this newly pioneered market.

This was Lortelle’s final deciding move to solidify her position as a merchant.

The Holy Kingdom’s Carpea was the heart of the entire system.

Being able to supply all the ritual accessories, necessities, construction and maintenance materials, and various magical supplies… The profits that Elte’s store could make from this were incalculable.

The size of the church of Telos and the scale of the Holy Kingdom’s structure.

The Holy Kingdom, where the Holy Sovereign and Saintess stayed, consisted of only three buildings but covered an area twice the size of the Sylvania Academy, which was already enormous.

Clerics didn’t always live lives away from luxury.

To maintain that sanctity and dignity, they needed vast amounts of gold.

And that gold would flow into the coffers of Elte’s stores.

The starting point of that plan was for me, Ed Rothtaylor, to connect Lortelle with the Saintess Clarice.

Considering the grandiose business plan that followed, Lortelle understood well enough how terrifying my offer to introduce Clarice free of charge was.

The look she gave me wasn’t feigned, needless to say, we have passed the stage of performances between us.

“Slog’s position would be far from pleased.”

“That’s right. That’s why this is the right time to act.”

If Lortelle secured a successful logistics consignment contract with Saintess Clarice, her position within the store would become invincibly vast.

And to prevent that from happening, actions against Lortelle need to be taken soon, before her blueprint comes to light.

“Brother, you understand~. Senior Lortelle always has a knack for mapping out grand schemes.”

Right at that moment, Tanya jumped out from the carriage’s luggage compartment, her skirt fluttering.

The workers who had been loading the carriage were startled. Just moments ago, Tanya had been receiving assistance from the maids at the front gate and nobody expected to find her suddenly inside the carriage’s hold.

“You always pop up unexpectedly.”

“The carriage’s luggage compartment isn’t quite to my taste~. It lacks that snug feeling…”

“Anyway. Based on what was discussed, something smells fishy.”

Tanya landed gracefully, her shiny golden locks flowing as she twiddled them.

The porters kneel startled, but Tanya simply shakes her head, signaling them to continue their work.

“A smell?”

“You sense it too, don’t you, brother? That old merchant Slog, strikingly bold. As if someone’s got his back.”

“It is suspicious, but no such power is evident…”

“Exactly… Suddenly overpowering senior Lortelle, even venturing to Rothtaylor territory to check on the state of affairs… They should know it would become troublesome for them if we decided to intervene…”

Tanya pondered with her hand on her chin.

“Is there a trusting source?”

“Not sure how reliable it would be, but it is questionable…”

Rothtaylor territory is under the dual protection of the Clorel Dynasty and the holy city Carpea.

Within the continent, the Duchy of Rothtaylor…

No power dares to rashly provoke the family. For now, the key military force Lucy is recuperating, and the family system has not fully recovered. While the size may have its limits, in terms of authority, it’s not something that can be trifled with easily.

“I think it would be wise to proceed with caution… But it doesn’t seem like that’s your intention, brother.”

“Well…”

“You pretend not to notice, saying it’s out of consideration for your busy sister, but this unruly Tanya has already seen the soldiers’ weapon crates loaded behind your carriage… and the ’bow’ you treasure, brother~.”

Tanya said with a cheeky smile, sitting on a nearby wooden crate.

“You’re thinking of pushing through with force. I thought something was amiss when you said we had to take Belle, but you’re not usually this impulsive, are you? Especially when the aftermath is uncertain.”

“Well, it’s not like I haven’t thought about the aftermath. I’ve prepared a justification to wield force…”

“Even so… it doesn’t quite feel like you, brother.”

“Well, sometimes drastic measures are necessary. If a warning must be made, it shall be.”

I spoke without changing my expression.

“They provoked Lortelle.”

Lortelle Kehalhn and I had already promised each other to become one.

It wasn’t a promise made lightly, as I have always said.

“…”

Tanya tried to speak, then flashed an inexplicably radiant smile.

It may have been quite satisfactory for her, her face brimming with joy, but it was somewhat awkward for me to respond in kind.

“Nevertheless, as the head of the family, I should ask. Even if you kick down the merchant guild’s main gate and beat Slorg, what’s your plan for the aftermath? Senior Lortelle said it herself, didn’t she? Without a justified cause… A brute force solution is meaningless.”

Even for a noble scion, breaking into a well-functioning major merchant guild and grabbing the chief’s collar is simply the act of a hooligan.

“You know the nature of merchants better than anyone. They’d sell their souls for profit and coldly turn away anyone trying to take their money.”

“… I get what you’re trying to say~.”

Tanya brushed off the dust on her skirt and accepted the coat offered by the maids who rushed to serve her.

“If it is revealed that Slog tried to bury a major contract like the Sungwhang Duchy’s supply deal because of internal politicking within the guild, then even Slog’s own standing will be precarious. I agree. Decisions to sabotage the guild’s financial feasts to maintain one’s position will be hard to support…”

Tanya had an innate sense for weighing public sentiment.

While she scratched her nose and pondered with a worried expression…

“Well, Slog must be aware of this fact, so he’ll try some trickery… Aha…”

Suddenly enlightened midway, Tanya wore a bright smile and returned to the main entrance where she had been seeing me off.

“Well then, safe travels, brother. Be careful not to get hurt.”

“Yeah. I’ll settle this quickly and be back. Manage the estate well while Belle and Lortelle are away.”

“It’s what I always do.”

And so, the carriage bearing me, Lortelle, and Belle left the Rothtaylor estate.

It was going to be a long journey, so I planned to get some sleep in advance.

“The wind is getting chilly. It’s time for you to go inside.”

An aged retainer advised Tanya with a bow on his back.

Standing at the gate of the Rothtaylor estate, Tanya watched the carriage disappear into the distance, then glanced over at the kneeling retainer.

He was in the presence of Tanya Rothtaylor, a duchess whose reputation alone was untouchable across the continent.

Afraid of making a mistake, one could almost feel sorry for him as he tensed up.

“… You seem to be angrier than I thought.”

“… Pardon?”

“Never mind. Let’s go inside.”

Ed’s figure climbing into the carriage looked peaceful and quiet to any observer.

His tone was as usual, but Tanya, who had synchronized with the moods of the Rothtaylor estate for many years, could read the underlying psychology.

It seemed the content written in Lortelle’s notebook was not all he had told her. Tanya was half convinced of this.

To her, Ed Rothtaylor’s seemingly nonchalant demeanor looked very much like that of an angry man.