How to Survive at the Academy Chapter 168

No hey, Ms. Yenika (1)

When the news about the Ross Taylor family spread, the Chloel royal family literally went into an uproar.

A number of high-ranking nobles were killed in the tragedy caused by the head of the Roth-Taylor family, Creffin Roth-Taylor, and the estate of Roth-Taylor was razed to the ground.

The fall of the Roth Taylor family, which had been the closest aides to the Chloe family for a long time, and their head, Crepin.

Even so, members of the Ross Taylor family had their own place in one place or another in Chloel’s imperial family.

Among them, from middle managers, such as knights’ officers and servant managers, to middle-ranking positions, such as the chairman of the Imperial Advisory Council, the chief ceremonial manager, and the chief judge… There were quite a few places where the Ross-Taylor family had their roots.

Although they were given positions by Krepin’s influence, all of them were temporarily suspended from their duties as the death of Krepin Ross Taylor and his misdeeds became known.

When vacancies occurred simultaneously in various key positions in the imperial family, the surrogate officials took over the work, causing various administrative processes to creak… Eventually, an emergency meeting was called.

“There are a lot of empty seats.”

“All talents from Ross Taylor are gathered in the Imperial Annex.”

An emergency meeting of the imperial family where key members of the imperial family gather to discuss the situation.

In front of Emperor Chloel, who was seated in the center, the conference table was spread out in an arched shape, but there were quite a few vacancies.

The courtier in charge of major and minor matters within the imperial family recited the owners of the vacant seats to Emperor Chloel. Most of them bore the name of Ross Taylor.

In front of Emperor Chloel, seats were reserved for the three princesses who would be the legitimate successors to the imperial power, and behind them were a lot of people who occupied the center of power, such as the imperial knight commander, butler, admiral, and chancellor, respectively.

In fact, it was a meeting where those who decided on the direction of the Chloel Empire sat together.

“Everyone should know the reason why we are here today. This is a place to discuss the tragedy that happened in the Roth Taylor estate and what to do next.”

Emperor Chloel, who is presiding over the meeting, spoke in a gentle tone.

“Everyone must have a lot of things they want to report to me. We’ll have to discuss the future direction of the Ross Taylor family. We’ll have to reward those who deserve awards and punish those who deserve punishment.”

The three princesses sitting closest to Emperor Chloel.

Selaha, Persica, and Penia. They were sitting in the center of the meeting room, each with a different expression, looking at each other.

Emperor Chloe already had a hunch. His own three daughters each take a different stance toward the Ross Taylor family at the center of power.

With the three legitimate heirs of the imperial family at the center, the sight of several imperial powers lined up behind them… It seems to be showing the structure of power that is tangled like a spider’s web in fragments.

This case will not come to an easy conclusion.

With that thought in mind, Emperor Chloel announced the start of the meeting.

A meeting place so noble and important that ordinary commoners cannot even come near it.

In the back corner of the seat that determines the direction of the empire, a girl sits wearing a witch’s hat. He was the witness Sellaha had secured at the scene, and the first-class contributor to subjugation of Mebula.

A diminutive girl with her legs crossed, as if lying down on a soft chair. The school uniform she is wearing is too baggy to show her dignity, and her hat is too big to cover her face.

The girl, whose expression was unknown, sat quietly in the corner of the meeting room and listened to the conversation.

* * *

The dock on Aken Island is not very large.

This is because most of the traffic is concentrated on the Maxes Bridge side.

Usually, when it comes to islands, there are many cases where people go back and forth by boat, but in the case of Aken Island, the structure of the traffic flow itself was unusual.

There is not a population so large that sailboats come and go, and most supplies can be received through the bridge.

As much as they were supplied with goods from the nearby Earl of Zahul or the small trading city of Velax, there was little incentive to use the sea route. Considering the scale, using the wagons at the top is because the unit cost of logistics is cheaper.

Therefore, the dock of Aken Island was not used well except for some students who used the sea route when returning home, or some merchants who received rare goods from distant lands.

-Kikkik, kiik.

As the sea level rose and fell, the flat-bottomed barge also rocked up and down.

Landing on top of it, Ziggs Eiffelstein turned around and accepted Elka’s body, which was standing on top of a small passenger boat.

“Ugh, ugh… I thought I was dying from motion sickness.”

“As expected, it would be better to take a carriage from next time. The boat is faster, but Elka’s condition is too badly affected.”

“This time, I have a lot of luggage, so I can’t help it…”

Elka Islan brushed his hair while grabbing the hem of the semi-robe covering his shoulders. She still has some of her dizziness, but her aftereffects were minor compared to her long journey.

A journey from the northern steppes to the west coast of the Empire by carriage, and from there by boat straight to the island of Aken. Certainly, the time was greatly shortened compared to coming by wagon alone.

“I’ll get some stuff from the workers here, and I’ll go to the Lorail building first and rest.”

“No, that’s fine. I’ll go up to the dock and rest, so let’s go together when work is over.”

Ziggs looked at Elka for a moment with a worried look on his face, but Elka encouraged him not to worry too much and then headed towards the dock with his dizzy body.

However, before taking a few steps, Elka tilted her head when she saw a familiar face.

“Oh my God, Jenika-senpai.”

Hearing that, Ziggs, who was carrying a heavy load, turned his head and looked in that direction.

On the other side of the barge where Elka and Ziggs had landed was Yenika, who had come down from another boat with a simple luggage bag.

She was wearing a white blouse over a navy blue skirt, and she was carrying a load with her arms folded together.

“Ah… Ziggs… Elcaguna….”

“You returned home early. Senior Yenica. We always come a few weeks early to attend a conference before school begins…”

Elka Islan was a scholar who worked as a librarian in charge of the student library and also conducted research at the Magic Book Society.

That’s why, avoiding the crowded demand for magic books at the beginning of the semester, come a little earlier and finish your research preparations.

Ziggs didn’t have to come early, but he had a habit of returning home early with Elka anyway.

“Didn’t Yenica-senpai always go home quickly because she was helping with her hometown work? And it seems that she returned home as late as possible, but this year is a special event.”

“Ah, that, that’s…”

Yenika couldn’t bear to respond to Ziggs’ words and evaded them.

Rumors about Ed spread for no reason, and Yenika’s hometown was already full of backstories about her love story.

Yenika finally spoke with a relieved look on her face, holding back her tears.

“It’s just like that…”

“…You have a story.”

Ziggs didn’t bother asking. However, while receiving Elka’s luggage from her workers, she only glanced at Yennika.

“Well, I heard that there are quite a few students who have already returned home. I heard that there are quite a few students who did not return home during vacation… If you return to the bachelor’s school now, you will be able to see quite a few familiar faces.”

“Yeah, yeah… Ed should be back early too…”

“You mean senior Ed? I heard rumors that he passed away at his parents’ house this year… Did he return home already?”

At those words, Yenica hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to say.

The news about the Ross Taylor family is not very pleasant. You’ll know everything anyway, but I didn’t want to spread it around with my mouth.

“hmm….”

Ziggs looked at Yenika like that, and he felt something suspicious. She took the last of her luggage and sat down on one of them, wiping her sweat.

“Is your relationship with Ed not going well?”

“What, what are you talking about…!”

“No, if you pretend, you’re pretending. Recently, when I talk about senior Ed, senior Yenika doesn’t like it.”

Ziggs has a strangely good intuition. Even at this point, she was strangely sharp, and Ye Nika broke into a cold sweat on the back of her neck.

“Ziggs, it could be rude to say such a thing. We should be considerate so that Yenika-senpai can take care of her work.”

“Uh, uh, is that so? I don’t know how to behave in a way like this…”

Elka raised his index finger and squeezed Ziggs between his brows, and Ziggs let out a deep sigh.

“No, it’s not really a nuisance… But… Ed and I have had a lot of conflicts these days…”

Yenika sighed heavily as she put down her luggage.

“Actually, I’m a bit worried… I wonder if I’m more of a burden to Ed than I thought…”

Unexpected words came out. Hearing that, Ziggs and Elka looked at each other’s faces, then tilted their heads for a moment, giving them time to organize their thoughts.

“Are you saying you feel burdened? Senior Ed and senior Yenica?”

“Uh, yes… I wondered if that might be the case.”

“Well, I have a bit of a different opinion. Think about senior Ed’s personality. If senior Yenika was burdensome, wouldn’t he have been so straightforward?”

The top of the barge swaying as the sea water rises and falls. The three men and women sat quietly and organized their thoughts, but before long Elka broke her silence.

“Isn’t there a reason why Yenika-senpai thinks that way?”

“No, thinking about my actions… This is a completely… burdensome person. Above all, lately… there are a lot of things that don’t mesh…”

Yenica Tanye said that she was considerate of Ed, but giving up the chief seat seems to have hurt Ed’s pride. He wouldn’t have realized it had it not been for Anise’s advice.

Not only that, but at the Roth Taylor mansion, they accompanied him under the pretext of protecting him, and they couldn’t prevent him from getting seriously hurt.

After that, even Jenika’s proposal to go to Pulan together to treat wounds and monitor political trends, Ed refused and returned to the academy in Sylvania.

From Ed’s point of view, it was partly due to Yenika’s vacation plans, but nonetheless, Yenika was very concerned about Ed’s refusal.

“We even went to live in a camp together… maybe I… wasn’t too considerate of Ed?”

“…To be honest, there aren’t many people who are as considerate of Ed as senior Yenica.”

“But… the pressure Ed feels is completely different…!”

Ziggs glanced at Elka and sighed deeply.

Yenika is too clumsy at self-objectification. After all, there aren’t many men in the world to hate her just because a girl like Yenica She’s Fail Rover gets a little bit. She’s Ed, so how different is she?

However, he praises Jenika’s appearance in front of her lover, Elka… She can’t do something so inelegant. It is one of the ways of life that I learned after many failures and setbacks.

“I think I’m putting down senior Ed too much… but all boys are the same anyway, senior Yenika.”

“…huh?”

“Well, not too many men will shove it away just because a woman pushes in a little aggressively. You can push it with a little more confidence. It’s just my opinion, though.”

After saying that, I took a quick look at Elka, and she was staring at Ziggs with her hatchet eyes open. It feels strangely like walking on a rope, but it seems to be safe up to this point.

“Originally, it’s not such a bad feeling to be burdened. Rather, there are many times when I feel happy that you are relying on me.”

“Ziggs…”

Elka grinned as she called Ziggs by name. But even then, she put on a sad expression for a moment and then she let out a deep sigh.

“It’s getting really complicated… Ziggs.”

“Don’t mind it. I’m not really suited for the luxurious life.”

As Yenika tilted her head as she listened to the conversation between the two, Ziggs added that he needed an explanation.

“From next semester, I will be leaving the Ophelis Hall. I have already received my resignation application.”

“Yeah, yeah? You’re not lacking in grades.”

“That’s true, but this semester, Elka’s asthma has gotten worse and worse… Now I need someone to stay close to me and help me. To stay close to Elka while doing the student council work, I had no choice but to move to a single room in the Lorail Building. .”

Elka belongs to the Lorail Hall, an honor student dormitory. In order to live close to her Elka and support her life, she gave up the life of the opulent Ophelis coffin.

“Well, the facilities are a bit lacking compared to the Ophelis Hall, and I can’t even wait on the servants, so I have to do even the smallest things myself… but that’s natural in the first place. It’s the law.”

“…You must be having a hard time too.”

“It’s not a difficult situation. Compared to the brutal wild life, everything is comfortable and good.”

Ziggs checked all the packages he had received and put down, and when it was confirmed that all had been delivered, he paid the workers.

The imposing dock worker smiled, said goodbye to Ziggs, and left.

As it was, Ziggs picked up his luggage one by one. He lifts all kinds of big wooden bags and clothes bags at once, but he doesn’t seem to be struggling.

The natural strength itself is at a great level. He is a boy who doesn’t seem to have any problems even if he went to the Combat Club rather than the Magic Ministry.

“Anyway, I wouldn’t dare to judge Yenika’s worries… but I think it’s a worry that’s not very nutritious.”

“…okay?”

“Yes. Isn’t it the way men know better about men’s way of thinking? It is revealed.”

From Ziggs’ point of view, he gets to choose his words. In fact, because he was Jigsaw, he wasn’t a person who knew enough to talk about relationships with men.

However, can’t we provide a minimum guarantee?

“Well, like not making eye contact, forcibly trying to cut off the flow of conversation with a short answer…. Really openly and frankly putting on an expression of embarrassment…. Anyway, the red flags a guy sends out are meant to be obvious that way. It’s a story that I don’t express it in such a subtle and difficult way as Yenika sunbae-nim is worried about.”

“Um…”

“So, have some confidence. Ed-senpai must be sufficiently attracted to Jenika-senpai.”

Concluding so hotly, Ziggs packed his things and set foot on the road to the dock.

“Well, pushing, pulling, and riding the rope are important things… Surprisingly, there are many people who break down more easily than expected if they push ignorantly.

“That’s… that’s right…”

“So, do your best, Jenika-senpai. There will be good results.”

Saying that, Ziggs packed his things and left on the dock. It was a bonus to show his fists and give him strength.

Elka, who was following closely behind him, also glanced at Yenika, clenched both of his fists and shouted a fight.

Left alone on the barge, Jenika put down her luggage for a moment and took a deep breath.

Before long, he clenched his fists tightly, put strength into his body, and stood up from his seat. There was certainly nothing wrong with Ziggs’ words.

Isn’t there nothing good about having low self-esteem? If Yenica was burdensome with Ed’s personality, she would have told her right away.

Encouraged by that fact, Yenika walked toward the northern forest camp with lighter steps.

* * *

“Hi, Ed! I’m back a little early!”

Now it was the camp in the northern woods that even Yenika felt at home.

In fact, no matter how comfortable it is, it’s like home… It couldn’t be more comfortable than the real home in Pulan.

However, I couldn’t stand it because I really wanted to come back to this camp only for this vacation.

It’s pitiful to see Jenika running out of her hometown in tears, but her parents waved a handkerchief to greet her… It was too harsh a space for an adolescent girl who had just awakened to romance.

Whatever the case may be, I feel more emotionally stable living in the camp with Ed.

Yenika wrapped up her luggage and greeted her cheerfully with a flushed face.

By the fire, Ed Roth Taylor, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, was poking at the bonfire with a poker.

Since Bell took care of all the basic tasks, Ed could fully rest and focus on recovering his body.

So seeing Ed sitting there looking much improved, Jenika let out a big sigh of relief.

However, behind it, you can see Lortel’s villa, which is now completed.

It is not very pleasant that a new building has been erected in the camp, which was entirely Ed and Jenika’s space. He grunts and makes his lips stick out, but in any case, Lortel can’t return to Aken Island now. She was so busy with the upper level, that when she wasn’t in school, she always had to work on the old deck.

Now, it is a camp where only Ed and Jenika remain. Feeling that fact was rather highlighted, Yenika hurriedly went to the fire and sat down.

“Oh, you’re here early. Jenika…”

Ed, who greets Yenika, seems to be in better health.

Yenica said ‘Yes, yes.’ He smiled and nodded her head. Just looking at her face made her so happy that he would come up to her like a dog wagging her tail, and just to sit still across her campfire made her shoulders go up and down.

“Come to think of it, it’s not long until vacation ends…”

“Yeah, how’s Ed? I was very worried. When I saw him at the Roth Taylor mansion, he was really badly hurt.”

“okay….”

Ed said that while poking at the bonfire with his head down. Here, Yenica sensed her strange side.

“Still, I’m glad you had a good rest during the vacation! Now, when the vacation ends and the semester starts, there’s a lot of schedule left, so I’ll try my best again!”

“Yeah, that’s right…”

After talking that far, Yenika looked at Ed’s expression.

Oddly enough, she didn’t make eye contact with Yenika, staring back and forth at the bonfire and Yenika as if deep in thought.

Ed Rosteylor used to show that kind of side a lot when he was in deep trouble. While taking appropriate measures at the time of the surrounding situation, the other side of his thinking is devoted to that worry.

It wasn’t anything special, but I felt a strange feeling of sweat running down the back of Ed’s neck.

It was to the extent that Yenika, who was not so discerning, noticed. Ed’s expression was obviously strange to anyone.

― ‘Well, not making eye contact, forcibly trying to cut off the flow of conversation with short answers… . It’s like making an expression of being really embarrassed… . After all, red flags from a guy are meant to be obvious that way.’

Suddenly, the words Ziggs had uttered passed through Yenika’s mind.

Anyone can see that Ed Rosteiler is clearly feeling the strain right now.

In fact, isn’t it strange that he feels burdened against Jenika now? How much time did you live with her unit?

However, changes in people’s perceptions always happen in an instant.

Jenika swallowed dry saliva and opened her eyes.

‘I really… Are you a burdensome person… ?!’

In fact, it is not without awareness.

I lived with Ed for the sole reason of love, but wasn’t he also the one who tried to use honorifics or try to widen the distance in the name of reestablishing the relationship?

In the objective eyes of a third party, she is just a girl of that age who makes a fuss while stamping her feet with useless worries. But as much as she herself, she is more serious than anyone else.

Ed’s trivial reactions to each and every one of them had to be like this, so even if he went on for the rest of his life, he would not be able to grasp the initiative in the relationship.

However, there is no way. This is how the girl named Yenica Failover was originally. Who am I to blame for being born as such a natural girl?

“Yenika. I have something to tell you.”

“Yes! What?!”

“…Why are you saying respectful words all of a sudden…?”

“Huh! What?!”

As if poking through a blind spot in an accident, Ed’s words suddenly broke the silence, and Yenica almost bit her tongue.

Ed’s expression over the campfire is quite serious. Yenika swallowed dryly and listened to Ed’s words.

“That… it might sound a bit strange. But, first of all… because there is an inside story…. Please listen…. Actually, it may not be a very difficult request… Depending on the circumstances, it may be difficult…”

“huh…?”

“Well, I could explain the circumstances in detail, but that’s too… Cowardly… Should I say… It’s not polite to you in the first place… I’ll just… I’ll say it without adding or subtracting…”

“What, what is…?”

Did Ed Rosteylor ever lay the groundwork this far before he said anything?

Nervous for some reason, Jenika straightened her back and opened her eyes.

“That, you know…”

“Yes….”

“…”

“…”

Then, Ed finally spoke while holding the poker on the dirt floor.

“…no.”

“What! What!”

“No, that’s okay. It seems like I’ve been asking you too many unreasonable requests lately, and it’s not really polite… Okay, I’ll look for another direction… Forget about that…”

“No, just tell me! What is it! What is it!”

Jenika rubbed Ed hard while pressing her thighs. Ed said while breaking out in a cold sweat with a puzzled face.

“No, it’s true. I also have a conscience, so I’m a bit reluctant to feel like I’m using you in this way…”

“We’re not talking about etiquette. Ed says he’ll do everything you ask, so don’t worry. So, start by saying something, huh?!”

“It’s not like you’re saying that you’ll do anything you ask for, it’s not something to say lightly… Yenika… it’s not good… it’s really… it’s not good…”

“What the hell?!”

Even Jenika couldn’t stand it any longer. Stepping on the dirt floor, Yenica made a fuss about him.

Then suddenly, Ed’s expression caught my eye again. It was something really embarrassing, something that was hard to explain.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve been close to Ed, but it was the first time I saw him.

At that moment, a drop of sweat ran down Yenika’s back.

“Ed.”

Ed Rosteiler is pretty close with Jenika Failover. A lot of the walls between the two of them were torn down, and they communicated to the extent that they were able to give and receive even a somewhat unreasonable request.

Yenika is probably not alone in thinking that way.

Both of them must have known this, but Ed was particularly perplexed.

Ed leans heavily on Jenika to the extent that he accompanies him to the disaster that occurred at the Roth Taylor mansion.

If it’s a concern that even Ed is reluctant to talk about, how much more serious and serious is it?

Suddenly, it dawned on me that it might not be something to laugh at.

Yenika had never seen Ed look so troubled and embarrassed. Even if the world were to end tomorrow, he is the kind of man who would calmly organize what needs to be done now. Even such Ed couldn’t figure out what the problem would be so embarrassing.

If that’s the case, wouldn’t Yenika’s job now be to convince Ed?

The certainty that I will stand by your side no matter what trials come. That’s why you can trust me and talk to me. That firm trust must be affirmed.

Seriousness appeared on Jenika’s face before she knew it. She expresses firm trust and firm determination, and seems to say that she will bear any heavy burden with her.

There was a strong will in his serious expression. It is an expression of will to risk even one’s life.

It is like the spirit of a general who is determined to die before going to the battlefield.

“I’m ready for anything, Ed. So… it’s okay, ask for anything. No matter how serious it is, I’m on Ed’s side.”

From Ed’s point of view, it was to die for.