Chapter 135

Three gold coins (3)

Lucy subjugation battle.

This is the largest scenario that marks the finale of Act 3 and is an event in which the Archmage Lucy Mayril is single-handedly trying to defeat the apostles of the Church of Telos and uproot them by their roots.

Tailley and the others have no way of knowing about the darkness of the Telos Church. Lucy’s actions of simply trying to destroy all the apostles without even explaining the exact reason must have seemed crazy.

However the person who spurred Lucy on was Clarice a saint of disbelief who became corrupted after losing Adele.

When I told Lucy about the darkness rooted in the Telos Church Lucy did not think much about it and went to destroy the Telos Church.

As Adele’s spiritual power weakened Lucy was also able to vaguely regain memories of the endless rewind of time. It wouldn’t have taken long to understand that everything Clarisse said was true.

... Sylvania Academy is Glokt’s legacy and treasure.

Moreover Lucy has a promise to Glokt. If someday a crisis comes that this school cannot handle I will definitely protect it.

To fulfill that promise Lucy went to crush the church’s apostles without hesitation... .

Third parties who have no way of knowing the situation are blocking Lucy’s actions... That’s the content of the final battle in Chapter 3.

After defeating Lucy Tailley belatedly realizes the darkness of the Telos Church and defeats Archbishop Verdio and the remaining apostles... . In the process the new sword mastery that can be obtained from Clarisse’s relics is the ‘Godslaughter Sword’.

It is also a technique used to kill the Act 4 boss Evil God Mebula.

I explained it in detail but now there is a problem.

The premise of all these scenarios has collapsed.

Saint Clarice was not corrupted. Finally she decided to trust the Holy Emperor El Dain one more time and watch his moves.

Verdio had already been excommunicated and taken to sainthood. He can no longer live as a priest.

In other words the battle to subdue Lucy... There was no reason to even get up at all.

“... .”

It was a car used to strengthen the chimney on the roof of the hut.

I hit the groove of the support with the underside of the handle of a small hand axe. The parts of the wooden support were coming together neatly.

“I don’t think it’s something to just leave alone... .”

I mumbled to myself and tried to organize my thoughts.

The Lucy subjugation battle was treated as a very important event in .

First of all regardless of the proportion or scale of the scenario the skill proficiency level experience and various unique skills that can be obtained there are likely to be of great help in progressing through Act 4.

Above all the fact that Tailly’s growth is greatly slowed down is a source of great concern.

Although we can’t hang on forever to a relationship that has already gone wrong Tailly’s growth serves as at least an insurance policy. No matter how distorted our history is we must have at least a clue to resolve it when trials arise.

Is the battle to subjugate Lucy really going to be completely non-existent?

The sense of debt that remained in Lucy’s mind. Is this the last promise I made with Glokt that has been completely dissolved and now I only have time to live freely?

I really want to meet Lucy in person to find out about those things but... Lucy hasn’t shown up at camp for several days already.

Why is it that the girl who was always napping almost like in the background hasn’t been to the camp recently?

Anyway I was going to sleep in the Ofilis building so I was thinking of calling Mr. Bell next time I see him.

“Are you Mr. Ed?”

I heard a voice calling me from below the cabin.

I am on top of the cabin reinforcing the chimney and roof. I slipped down to the outskirts and looked down and there was a man and a woman I had never seen before.

I sat down on the edge of the roof and looked at the two.

“Oh you were on the roof.”

The man had a sinister look. He has a slim build and a smiling face but he appears to be shrewd.

He was wearing a brown beret and holding a large wooden box in his hands.

And the woman had a fairly plain appearance.

Her fairly long black hair hangs neatly. It looks clean without any ornaments or accessories.

“Hello Mr. Ed. My name is Dune. “This side is called Rienna.”

“Oh hello. “Bah bah nice to meet you.”

I jumped off the roof and barely landed on the dirt floor. As I stood upright maintaining my balance and shaking off my clothes a man who introduced himself as Dune smiled and spoke.

“I am a stooge who acts under the orders of Deputy Lord Lortel. The official title is sales manager for the Sylvania branch of Elte Company but... “It feels like it’s just a shiny business card.”

“Did Lortel send you here?”

yes. That’s right. And this is Secretary Rienna. “Although I am the direct secretary to Assistant Manager Hoeju Lortel Assistant Manager Hoeju handles most of the work himself so in reality I am the person who only makes tea or cleans the house.”

“If you introduce yourself like that my first impression will be ruined Dune.”

“I’m saying let’s laugh~ Let’s laugh.”

It’s not fun at all. Neither I nor Rienna laughed.

Dune who was just giggling to herself lifted the wooden box in her arms and spoke.

“The manager of Hoeju is planning to build a villa here so I stopped by to take a large basic survey. “I want to post it in the report.”

that... Were you serious...? ?”

“He is someone who will do it if he does it. When it comes to matters related to Mr. Ed he is particularly quick to rush in so shouldn’t we move quickly too? “You are an employee right?”

He didn’t look that old so I quickly stopped talking but he didn’t seem to care.

Cleverness is built into it by default. Should I say that it is a sly look typical of merchants? It’s a pretty dirty way of dealing with things.

“It’s an honor to meet you Mr. Ed. Well if we actually want to meet we can meet at any time but basically I want to see the assistant manager of Lortel.”

“It’s more awkward to keep calling me teacher teacher. “Is it really necessary to call them by such an uncomfortable title since they seem to be of the same age anyway?”

“The reason I am spending a lot of money at this age is all because of my wits.”

After putting down the box Dune took out various surveying tools and threw them at Rienna. Rienna frantically took Dune’s surveying tools and threw her away.

“Anyway Mr. Ed is a person my employer takes special care of so it wouldn’t hurt to show him off. “I may seem too snobbish when I say this out loud.”

“... .”

“Well people can be a bit snobbish. Don’t you know everything Mr. Ed? How can human relationships be completely divorced from interests? Now let’s just take this and go to the other side.”

Rienna holding one end of the large tape measure hurriedly walked backwards and made her way to the other side of the clearing.

As he was walking he accidentally lost his footing and fell causing quite a fuss but Dune just watched the scene giggling.

“Well even the acting owner of Lortel doesn’t like it when a trading company employee meets Mr. Ed directly like this. There’s nothing I can do about it today. “I happened to be the only one who had free hands.”

“Is there any reason to dislike it? “I said I’d meet some of the employees and we’d talk about how great things were.”

“I’m sure you know very well how pointless Deputy Lortel appears when you meet Mr. Ed.”

Dune pulled the tape measure tight checked the scale and wrote down some numbers on the paper. And she shouted to Rienna to turn all the way around.

“To put it bluntly it is completely different from working at a commercial company. “He’s so cold-blooded that it makes you wonder if his veins are flowing with molten metal instead of blood.”

“You say you’re an employer and that you respect him but he’s quite harsh in his words.”

“Oh I meant this as a compliment... Among us these words are secretly considered a compliment.”

“... .”

I once got a glimpse of Lortel’s cold-blooded temperament at Laplace Bakery.

In fact even if it wasn’t for that matter it’s not like I didn’t know about Lortel’s usual appearance.

“You usually act so cool-headed but in front of Mr. Ed you calm down and sit like a flower shop girl... It may not be something that the employees of the commercial association would be proud of. “From my perspective it’s a big deal.”

Dune took the end of a tape measure and walked around the edge of the clearing to measure horizontally.

As the distance grew Dune’s voice became louder.

“What... ! “I heard you stopped by the camp yesterday for the first time in a while. Did you have any interesting conversations?”

“There was nothing special. I asked how you were... Are you saying that Elte Trading Company is up to something? “We talked about buying school supplies in advance.”

“As expected you are well aware of the internal circumstances of the Chamber of Commerce. “It’s only natural since you’re close with the person in charge.”

Dune said that and added with a cheerful expression.

“Well anyway if there is anything that is difficult to ask directly from the acting owner of Lortel regarding the business of the company or if there is something you would like to talk about please come to Dune at any time. “I’m telling you this because I think it would be convenient in many ways to get some points from Mr. Ed.”

well... “I wonder if there is anything I can ask of you leaving Lortel who is in fact the final decision maker.”

“There’s no need to be so strict~ You don’t know how the world will work right? “I thought it would be nice to see you so I brought you a gift.”

Dune turned his head. As I looked in that direction I saw a bundle of beautifully wrapped presents by the bonfire.

I left Dune doing the surveying and opened the package to find a bottle of alcohol that looked quite luxurious.

“This is a Clentru distilled spirit that only 500 bottles are produced a year in the County of Drex. You can also get it on the black market in the Old Deck area by paying 1 flan gold coin. “It is said to be a new liquor introduced using distillation methods from the Eastern Continent and the alcohol content is quite strong so be careful not to drink it if you are weak to alcohol.”

“... .”

Anise quickly bought some snacks saying she had an annual membership to the Laplace Bakery she shared with Clara.

The fact that I share it with Clara is information that doesn’t need to be revealed... For some reason the tip of my nose was twitching.

“I heard that Professor Kalide Professor Glast’s successor will be starting work next week. He is replacing Professor Glast so of course he will also serve as Assistant Professor Claire’s advisor.”

“Then again Assistant Professor Claire goes back to being the youngest. Although he was originally the youngest.”

huh. Right. And I heard that Professor Carl Reid has a very bad personality... . Assistant Professor Claire will probably have a harder time... . What can I do... .”

Professor Kalide Professor Glast’s undergraduate classmate.

I don’t know the details of his inner life as he doesn’t have much importance but I do know that he is a weirdo who scolds people whenever he gets the chance and gets angry and kills people.

Still he is the best person for a middle management position because he is sure to get things done and has a sense of responsibility. Of course people like this have a hard time with their subordinates.

We sent a moment of silence to Assistant Professor Claire.

“Anyway Ed you’re a big deal. Since most things are handmade I bought quite a lot... ?”

hmm... It’s nothing special but I heard a rumor that the price of school supplies will rise soon. “I bought all the supplies in advance.”

The direct source of the rumor was not revealed. There was nothing good about Lortel.

is it... ? Certainly the prices of goods at general stores fluctuate unusually these days. I check it every day and as of a month ago I think it has jumped by almost 10%. It smells like a bit of an artificial intervention but... “Because I have a heartache.”

“You check the prices of goods every day... .”

“... .”

It almost brought tears to my eyes as I could easily picture Anis memorizing the price of apples every day and desperately trying to buy them at least a copper coin cheaper.

Anise seemed to have sensed my thoughts and dropped her shoulders with a completely red face.

“Eh ed... Hey. “There’s no reason to tell anyone that I live like this right?”

okay... I also have a sense of humor... “Don’t worry.”

“It’s a strange feeling to be cared for like this. “I didn’t commit a crime.”

It’s not a sin but it’s necessary.

As I said Sylvania’s academics have a strangely aristocratic school atmosphere. Most of the students are financially well-off so if they have to live alone they are bound to break down.

Isn’t it the same for me too? I didn’t care about anything and lived in the camp and worked hard to get by but the payoff was that I ended up failing at my bachelor’s degree alone and had almost no friends from my classmates.

If you think that personal connections are also part of your assets there is no reason to do something that stands out.

“It’s a strange story but I think we are quite similar. anise.

“... .”

“... “Did I say something strange?”

no.

Anise’s shoulders trembled and she lowered her head.

Because of his thick hair his facial expressions were hard to see.

“Actually I thought that too when I first met you.”

Anise looked vaguely vague as she looked up at the general store building.

In addition to the tall general store building if you go into the professor building there are buildings much grander than mine.

It must have felt like I was an abandoned dog walking between skyscrapers struggling to survive alone in a neighborhood where strangers lived.

The sight of the academic assistant walking between the teaching buildings every day carrying a bunch of books is like a lost puppy.

“To me this school is a forest and a jungle.”

If you get sick right away you will not be able to work as a scholarship student and all tuition and dormitory fees will be cut off.

There must have been quite a few times when I went out with a sore body because I was used to a life of walking on thin ice every day.

“I’m jealous of you Ed.”

I?

“He is dexterous and has great abilities so he eats well and lives well at camp alone.”

“I also learned it by going all the way to the ground. “There’s still a lot of hard work to do.”

is it. Actually it was a remark that seemed to be too dismissive of your efforts. Sorry.

Anise stood up dusted off her clothes and gathered up the remaining snacks.

“Anyway I should quickly buy the school supplies I need before the prices rise further. There may be some bleeding but it’s much better than living later. “Thank you for the good information.”

okay.

“I’ll just go. Anyway it’s a bit strange. “If it is possible to move the market on this scale the person behind it is probably Elte Trading Company so why go to the trouble of doing something like this?”

As if he were a senior assistant he would first analyze the phenomenon that appeared right in front of him.

“If you do something like this the academic department or student council won’t stand by. If I just stayed still I could take up all the logistics market share in the living area and make a steady profit. “I don’t know why there’s a need to be confrontational.”

After talking up to that point Anise quickly shook her head.

“It all has a meaning. The stock agent Lortel Kecheln is probably a much smarter and more thoughtful person than me. “Still I’m curious about the intention.”

Anis said goodbye and left.

I’m curious about Lortel’s intentions... I too am curious.

There are many ways to find out the intention.

Well the most certain and accurate method has been determined.

* * *

“Clentru distilled liquor would not be a good gift.”

That is to ask yourself directly.

There was no need to go looking for it.

After finishing the day’s work to some extent I returned to camp with a lot of luggage and looking at the moon... There was Lortel sitting on a tree stump rolling a bottle of liquor.

As it is the time just before vacation it seems that work at the business has become more leisurely than expected.

“Dune too... If they embezzled logistics costs to bring in alcohol they would have to bring in wine... . “Just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean it’s always a good drink.”

“I got the alcohol so what do you care?”

well. “In a way it is a gift from me.”

I put my luggage down on the nearby workbench and sat down next to him.

“To put it bluntly it’s my drink. Dune arbitrarily embezzles logistics costs and brings in other goods for private use. “It’s a pity they think I don’t know.”

“... “Why are you pretending not to know?”

“So you can catch me off guard when I climb up.”

I understood Dune’s comment that Lortel was cold-blooded.

The chain was left behind to strangle Dune if Dune changed her mind.

The reason to make the crime public was when Lortel felt like it.

“Do you tend to drink a little?”

“No you don’t drink.”

“Oh what a pity.”

Lortel sits on a tree stump in the moonlight and raises his eyebrows... He quietly placed the spirit in his hand on the rock.

“It’s my bad habit. If you want to give someone trust you have to shackle them. “Like this drink.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad habit.”

“I’m glad you say that.”

Lortel smiling looks oddly lonely. It’s not just a day or two... .

“Do you know that senior Ed is the only person who doesn’t hold his life on the line like this?”

“... .”

“It’s a strange expression to call it special treatment. In fact if I try to swing Ed senior Ed will try to swing me first. “Because we know each other to that extent maybe we can be on equal footing like this.”

The moonlight shines beyond the drink I put down. The penetrating moonlight blurs and colors a corner of the stone.

“It’s not that bad.”

So we looked up at the moon side by side for a while.

How much time has passed?

Only then did Lortel put aside his sentimental words and get straight to the point.

“It looks like you have something you want to ask me. “I’m really quick-witted right?”

Her fox-like smile was as bewitching as always.