How to Survive at the Academy Chapter 195

I knew it would be like this (3)

?

“Are you talking about repairs? If there are clothes that need to be repaired separately, please pass them on to the laundry manager. I’ll make a separate statement.”

“No. I’m going to fix it myself. I’m also practicing.”

“…Did you have a hobby for things like mending?”

When I stopped by the Ophelis Hall after the monster ecology class, the maids seemed to have some time to spare, as if all the urgent work had been completed.

Originally, right after school starts is the busiest time. When the students settle back to the bachelor’s school to some extent and start to lead a stable life, the maids’ work will return to the set routine again.

The chaos right after school started was quickly settled, and now he would greet me with a more relaxed expression.

“Is there a need to do it yourself? From our point of view, adding one or two more garments to mend doesn’t change the workload very much.”

“No, thank you, but I can’t come to the Ophelis building every time and ask for all the minor repairs. If I want to save my time, I’ll have to do the simple things myself. It’s too far away from here.”

The rose garden is one of the pride of the Ophelis building.

Not only roses, but all kinds of flowers were swaying pleasantly in the cool early autumn breeze.

In the late afternoon, the campus has a calm atmosphere. As if enjoying that oddly low energy feeling, several students were photosynthesizing like plants while walking around the rose garden.

In the meantime, it seems that the maid, Jean Bell, was checking to see if the garden was well maintained. She was rather reserved, staring disgruntledly at the leaves of her pruned shrub as she strolled through the garden.

It would be difficult to talk to him if he was managing the inside of Ophelis. Prior to that, the entry and exit itself was a toil.

Fortunately, I was outside, so I could easily talk about my business.

“There are a lot of clothes that are scheduled to be discarded. Most of them are for internal employees, so they are women’s clothes… but there won’t be any problem with practicing simple repairs.”

“If you’re going to throw it away anyway, can I take some?”

“Yes, but it’s a bit of a distance to carry everything… Also, it’s a very strange sight for you to come home carrying a bunch of women’s clothes, so I’ll instruct my subordinates to deliver them later. Can I think of about 10 sets?”

“That’s enough. Thanks for caring.”

“It’s no big deal.”

The only skill left to train in order to craft a handmade bow is repair.

A simple cloth or leather repair should be at the level where you can do it without difficulty, and the handmade bow making skill will be opened in earnest.

It’s okay if you take the time to practice, but the fact that you never know how long it will take is trodden on in your heart.

“Did you eat? Today we have an internal banquet to celebrate the opening of school. The hall on the second floor is open, so you can eat before going. I’ll tell the staff.”

“No, it’s okay. I told you to have dinner at the camp. It’s a bit like going home without saying anything.”

“…”

When I said that, Bell opened her strange eyes again and looked at me.

These days, it feels like the technology to read the subtle changes in facial expressions of people who are expressionless in everything is increasing.

Like Lucy and Belle… Even people who aren’t good at expressing emotions tend to subtly show it when there’s a change in their state of mind.

Lucy always feels dazed and headless, and Bell always feels calm and composed, so the texture between the two is oddly different.

However, it is the same as the fact that if you look closely, you can see it somehow.

“What.”

“…yes?”

“No. You were looking at me with a complex and subtle expression.”

“I-I mean? It’s rude to look like that. I’m sorry.”

“No, no matter what expression you make, it’s up to you, and it’s not like I’m going to apologize… I just wanted to do something.”

At that, Bell responded with a look of bewilderment.

“Oh, no, it’s not like that… However, you have to pay attention to your expression. You shouldn’t be negligent about managing your impression all the time, but it seems that I’ve become a bit lax to feel that way. A poker face is the basic of the basics, but .”

“That’s a bit of an exaggerated concern. On the surface, it’s okay, so there’s no need to worry.”

“That’s right. Well, Master Ed is good at reading people’s faces, so maybe that’s why he feels that way.”

Belle closed her eyes and spoke as if lamenting.

“However, I felt a little bit real that Master Ed was living with Lady Yenica… It just made me feel nostalgic.”

“…what else is the reason for you to feel nostalgic?”

“I know it’s remote, but it’s because I’ve been helping with her life ever since she had a hard time adjusting to Sylvania after she just came to Sylvania.”

Bell did not change her modest posture and spoke gracefully with a clean demeanor.

“I was the senior maid at the time, and now I am the chief maid, so my position has changed a lot.

“In the first place, he was from the countryside and had such good vitality, so I think he would have taken care of himself without the help of maids.”

“That’s true… But if you feel uncomfortable or need something while living, please contact us. Ophelis Hall always buys a lot of supplies, so there are a lot of things left behind or thrown away.”

It’s a very grateful story, but Bell and Ophelis are already getting enough help.

If you have to rely on outside help for everything you need in life, you won’t be able to solve it yourself when an urgent situation hits.

So, for now, I responded to Bell’s favor with just a thank you.

“Looks like you’re going crazy just taking care of the Ophelis tube. What about Lucy?”

“You haven’t come home since you went out in the morning. You’re probably taking a nap somewhere in a good place. Do you have a chance to meet Lady Lucy?”

“No, I was just asking how you were when you came. If you’re not in the room, you might be at camp.”

“You must have had a lot of trouble holding the school opening ceremony. But first of all, you’re the chief of Sylvania. It’s a position that has a lot of expectations.

A rare genius who will never appear again at the Sylvania Academy. What an honorable place.

However, at the same time, Lucy also has the rare stigma of being the recorder of the most penalty points in the Ophelia.

The cumulative penalty points that it is difficult to exceed 200 points even if you live as a gag throughout the school year… Lucy is over 1000 points alone. The penalty points are as huge as the grades, so he is defending the overwhelming first place.

However, the problem is that you cannot control Lucy only with the disadvantages from the penalty points.

Gradually, it has come to a point where life penalty points directly affect grades, but her overwhelming performance is not a difference that can be overturned with life penalty points.

“Actually, the other person has business. I have something to tell you.”

“At the Ophelis Hall? Actually, Master Ed is acquainted with the students who use the Ophelis Hall. If you tell me separately, I will call you.”

“No, that’s okay. He’s not someone worth calling out. I’ll just leave a letter and go. He’s a difficult person to meet.”

“…?”

*

“So, you decided to go to Cledric Monastery after all?”

“Some say that Princess Persica is coming, and I have something to talk about seriously with Saint Clarisse. No matter what I say, I’m sure I’ll just go. It’s hard to have a long conversation except at times like this.”

When Ed Rosteiler returned to camp, Yenika had finished preparing dinner and was sitting by the campfire reading an animistic book.

When Yenika manages the camp or does basic household chores, her hair is usually braided back and her arms are rolled up… Looking at her, I get the feeling that she really looks like a woman from the countryside.

It was a strangely different feeling from when she was normally dressed in her school uniform and was a classy senior, and many students were surprised to see Yenika shopping in the living room.

It’s different from when I was living with life support at Ophelis House. If you want to take care of yourself, you have to live busy every time, so you can no longer live with only the princess in the fairy tale.

Watching Yenika contemplating what to buy for daily necessities or handling food ingredients… To the students of the bachelor’s school, it feels strange, as if a character from a fairy tale has come out of reality.

Jenika rather liked the situation.

It was because in his hometown of Pulan, he dared to reject the favor of the people who gave him the onyaonya, and he lived by taking care of his own business.

“So I went all the way to Ophelis Hall to tell Saint Clarisse the news, but it wasn’t easy to meet her in person. I just left a letter for Belle.”

“Monastery… Monastery…”

Yenika repeated that several times with the book open on her lap.

Tanya, who had stayed at the Cledric Monastery for a few days, must have had many things to say, but Jenika did not know what Cledric Monastery was like.

However, I only knew that it was a sacred sanctuary on the sea that was located along the west coast of the empire.

Still, there is a unique neat image that comes out of the word ‘monastery’. The first thing that comes to mind is the image of the priests who sit aloof and receive God’s will in a place far away from the sepa. There’s nothing particularly dangerous about it, it just feels like a terribly dull and quiet place.

Yenika recalled such an image, thought it over, and eventually smiled with a good-natured smile typical of her.

“I’ll have to go back if I need to… but Ed, isn’t it too hard to follow the bachelor’s curriculum if you go that far in the middle of the semester?”

“It’s just a week away, but it’s not that critical. I’m going to prepare for it in advance.”

“I see. But what is the business of Saint Clarisse? Personal business to that colossal saintess, something seems great…”

Jenika has a strange longing for or burden for those of high status.

In fact, Ed Roth Taylor, who is right in front of you, is a nobleman who has been restored to his family.

“…”

“…?”

At Yenica’s question, Ed suddenly made an expression as if he was in deep trouble for a moment.

It’s like he’s contemplating whether he should say something or not.

Yenica tilted her head with a natural face and just stared at Ed.

“I have work that I must complete before graduation.”

Seongchangryong Valveroke.

Ed, who was about to mention the name, eventually shook his head.

I have a feeling that the current Jenika would completely trust Ed’s words.

The resurrection of the Holy Spear Dragon, Velbroke, and its suppression are the heaviest and most important burdens that Ed Roth Taylor has borne.

Jenika is always worried because of Ed, who is going through a lot of hardships. Will there be anything good for handing over the weight of the next load already?

Above all, if you gather forces in earnest and start publicizing the matter, Yenika will naturally come to know about it.

Wouldn’t it be better to say something slowly when things start to take shape? Ed thought so.

There’s nothing I can do right now from Yenika’s point of view, but I’ll make the result of putting more weight on my shoulders.

“I have some personal goals. Also… Saint Clarisse is a person with great influence. In a situation where the position of the Ross Taylor family is in jeopardy, she is also a person I want to be as close to as possible.”

“I can’t help it if it’s political… I can’t turn my head around that way… I can’t help…”

To the naive Jenika Failover, the political process of decision is as elusive as the curly print in a difficult technical text.

It is too much of a thief to expect such a level of thinking from a girl who has always exchanged relationships and favors as they are, in a natural way.

Rather, since it is a personality that does not know such things well, it can be said that it is like Yenica Failover.

Ed shrugged and poured the stew from the iron pot over the campfire into a bowl. It was prepared by Yenika.

It’s ironic that he turned down the delicacy of the Ophelis Hall and came back to eat a heated meat stew.

On the contrary, this one fit Ed’s mouth better.

“It’s delicious. Did you make it after the afternoon class?”

“Yeah! I liked that there were a lot of spices left! And I thought I would have to eat all of the smoked meat before it went bad, so I put in plenty!”

As if excited by the word “delicious,” Yenika excitedly began telling personal stories, such as how it felt to cut a knife with the book closed, and that she should buy a new pot.

Ed shoved the stew into his mouth and chimed in, estimating how many more logs he would need to add to the cabin and how much more he would need to trim.

And then, until the meal was over, they talked about what to do with the newly built cabin structure, whether to put Ed’s personal magic engineering workshop on the 2nd floor or 1st floor, whether to make an underground space, whether to build a fence, etc. exchanged

At a peaceful time when the sun was setting, a strange feeling of happiness rose from just the time they exchanged trivial conversations, and Yenika smiled brightly for no reason.

“Bell gave me the recipe. There are many other things I want to try other than this… Hmm… But I don’t think we should waste too much food…”

Ed tossed a spoon into an empty steel pot that was clean all the way to the floor and sat down on a tree trunk. A pleasant feeling of satiety came over me.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t tell you. Bell will send someone to give you some clothes.”

“clothes?”

“I asked you to practice repairs personally. I’ll probably send a maid out tomorrow. Don’t panic if a stranger shows up at camp.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Taking care of the camp while managing Ophelis Hall… Bell is so amazing…”

Bell Maia has been the senior maid who has been taking care of Jenika Failover since the first year when she didn’t know anything.

Although there is a slight age difference with Yenika, she is young compared to the enormous position of chief maid of Ophelis Hall, so she is no different from a novice.

If she had reached that level at such a young age, she might have become arrogant or lax in her manners, but she is still as flawless as when she was a low-level maid. It doesn’t seem that the way of thinking has changed much compared to when I was at the end.

It is said that it is important to keep the original intention, but when the position changes, the values ​​​​must also change. It usually changes naturally without any effort.

It’s almost like sticking out your tongue to see him so tenaciously keeping his place. What I feel after a while is unnaturalness.

The appearance of fulfilling its position and duty to the extent of being strange is not the sincerity of an ordinary person. It seems that there must have been something to be said for that occasion.

“What were you doing before you came to Ophelis Hall? Yenika, do you know anything?”

“Huh? Well… I only know that Belle has already worked as a maid since she grew up. And what… I’ve heard strange rumors circulating among the lower level maids.”

“A strange rumor?”

“Well… it’s a rumor at least, but I heard that my childhood past was very dark… I don’t know the specifics. Everything is a mystery.”

Among the students of Ophelis Hall, there are many people with dark pasts. In particular, there are cases in which the descendants of nobles from the borderlands lost in power struggles, the illegitimate children of influential families, and families whose families collapsed after entering school.

If you work in such an Ophelis hall, you’ll see a lot of people who had unfortunate childhoods, but even those maids would say ‘the past is dark’… I have no idea what kind of life they would have lived.

Ed tilted his head and thought about it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a curiosity that can be solved right away.

“…”

In fact, it’s not going to be of any help to the subjugation of Velbroke right away, and the words are a matter of personal curiosity.

People have a past that they want to hide and live with. If you dig into such a past, you will only be rude to the other person.

With that thought in mind, Ed shook his head and threw the useless thoughts away.

“Well, Bell will take care of her life. I have to take care of my own business right now.”

“Ahaha… Actually, Belle is a person who would do just fine if we didn’t worry about that. Ed, will you trim the log before bedtime?”

“Yeah. I guess I’ll need to cut some more. The size of the cabin will be bigger than I thought. After all, I can’t come up with an accurate estimate just by designing it.”

“Bigger is better! It’s Ed’s house!”

Yenika smiled brightly and spoke.

Ed twisted the body he had raised up, preparing to move. There were some scars left, but not so much that I couldn’t move.

“Do you have any drinking water left?”

“Yes. In the bucket!”

I just finished eating. To quench his thirst and replenish his fluids, Ed went to the bucket where he had collected drinking water and dipped his wooden mug.

Watching Yenika open the animology book again, Ed gulped down the cool water. A pleasant refreshing feeling spread through her body thanks to the cold water that passed through her neck and entered her body.

And then, the heat came rushing up.

“…?”

Ed momentarily felt the strange sweet taste on his tongue, but it was already too late.

“Cheer, heck…”

The appearance of sneezing as if it had been heard. Yenica was startled and worriedly told Ed to drink slowly, but Ed couldn’t hear her voice.

“Cheuk! Cuckoo! Cuck… Cuck…”

Ed, who was sneezing repeatedly, grabbed the edge of the bucket and knelt down. As she continued to endure the rising heat, she noticed changes in her body.

“Eh, Ed…? Are you okay?”

Realizing the incongruity, Yenika closed the book, put it on the tree stump, and stood up.

As soon as I ran to Ed, who was drinking water, and supported him, I was startled by the heat rising through Ed’s body.

Ed, who had been fine with no other abnormalities until just a moment ago. The ring’s recoil would no longer remain.

But what is this column all about?

“Eh, Ed…? Ed…!”

“Kuh, heo-eok… Wait a minute… Wait a minute… Whoa…”

Ed, barely leaning over the bucket full of water, began to breathe heavily. As Yenica watched, her hands began to tremble.

Where did it hurt? Unless it’s a serious illness, it’s unlikely that your condition will deteriorate so rapidly.

Yenica, who lowered herself while supporting Ed’s body, finally saw a reagent bottle lying among the grass.

“…….”

Goosebumps ran down Yenika’s arm. I’m sure I’ve seen that reagent bottle before.

It was Jenika who firmly rejected Patriciana’s proposal without thinking deeply.

I remember seeing Patriciana with a strangely dissatisfied look on her face, seeing such a resolute and resolute Jenika.

Alchemists often have strange pride or confidence in their inventions. In fact, most innovators are all alike.

They are the ones who reveal more mischievousness, as if their pride is scratched when their inventions with all their efforts are ignored.

She wanted to show the effectiveness of the medicine to Jenika, who asked if there was anything different about Patriciana, and took such reagents with her.

The circumstances in which Patriciana secretly put reagents in a bucket of drinking water and ran away… It is not difficult to infer.

“Patriciana… senior…!”

Yenica called Ed’s name in a resentful tone as she supported Ed’s body.

A troublemaker to a tomboy. In fact, students interested in alchemy often end up with such nicknames. I feel even more resentful after becoming the victim myself.

I feel compelled to express my dissatisfaction later, but for now, the first step is to deal with Ed, who seems to be having a hard time.

I was about to bring a cloth that I used to use as a towel, thinking I should wipe off the sweat.

Ed’s hand squeezed Jennica’s wrist tightly.

Yenika felt an electric current running through her body, and swallowed her breath.

“Eh, Ed…?”

“Whoa… Whoa… For a moment, I think I’m in a bit of a bad mood. Yenika.”

“Uh, yes. That, it looks like it! I’ll bring something to wipe off your sweat!”

Ed Rosteiler’s mental strength has already far exceeded the level of many students.

Just because he’s been poisoned with a reagent that induces intoxication and loses self-control, he’s not someone who’s going to collapse at all. Rather, he is a boy who will overcome if he overcomes the energy of the reagent.

Even so, the fact that it is difficult does not change.

“First of all… I’m having a bit of trouble right now. Stay by my side… If you lose consciousness, the only person who can help you is you.”

Yenika’s eyes swiveled and she was more agitated than usual. From Jenica’s point of view, who was well aware of the efficacy of the reagent, every single word Ed said was too fatal.

Above all, Ed is a boy who has always been blunt and caring for Yenika.

I can really count on one hand the number of times I actively reveal my inner side or come closer. She was Yenica who also liked Ed’s blunt temperament, so she didn’t have a big emotional conflict.

If you think that such Ed reveals his heart without adding or subtracting, it is too fatal for Jenika, who is not immune to dating even for a girl of her age.

Breathing quickened just by imagining it, and Yenika had to somehow control her eyes, which were trying to spin freely.

“Eh, Ed…! First of all, wipe that… sweat… hey…”

– Poof

Before Yenika could finish her sentence, Ed yanked her by the wrist and sat next to him.

Yenika, who was restless on the grass, felt her body like a fluttering feather.

It was Ed’s hand gesture, who always treated Yenica gently and cared for her… but when she made up her mind and pulled her tight, she couldn’t even resist. Was the weight of my body, which always felt dull, only this much? My heart thumped and beat once at the difference in muscle strength that was so realistic.

to love, to be loved cared for, cared for

Since it was Yenika’s life where she exchanged only warm and heartwarming human relationships, it was embarrassing to see her holding her hand tightly while ignoring her opinions.

Ed is in no condition to be considerate of Yenika. While somehow enduring the rising energy of the reagents, Jenika’s wrists could only be broken and gripped tightly.

Yenika was drawn beside him, forced to hold on to her beating heart as she was forced to sit down.

Ed’s hand gesture, which swung Yenica without a single thought, gave me a strange pounding feeling.

My wrist hurts excruciatingly. The feeling of being restrained and not being forced to go anywhere. It’s a scary and scary situation no matter what anyone says, but after that opponent becomes Ed, paradoxically, my heart races. An unknown immoral feeling rises from that strange sense of being swayed at will, but I can’t resist.

“Ugh..?!”

No, did he want to resist in the first place? To such self-reflection, Yenika cannot refute herself.

At some point, Yenika was also breathing heavily. Little by little, her eyes widened at the strange feeling she felt for the first time in her life.

Still, you must resist.

Ed caught my eye as he pressed his face with the palm of his hand and somehow managed to withstand the energy of the reagent.

Yenika’s face was already hot enough to match that, but she couldn’t stay still like this.

First, you need to check Ed’s condition, wipe off his sweat, and take him to the cabin so he can rest. She also had to tell her about the reagents, arrange an environment for her to take care of herself, and ask Belle for help.

A series of streams rose in Yenika’s head.

No matter how much the opponent is Ed Rosteeler, if it’s for him, you have to speak firmly.

let go of this hand It hurts so much. it’s so scary right now please take care of me a little

It’s not going to be like this for once. listen to my story

Yenica struggled and decided to call Ed.

“Heh, dew!”

My tone was off because I was nervous. Her voice came out louder than she thought, and she surprised even Yenica herself.

“Keugh!”

But there was no answer from Ed. On the contrary, I narrowed my eyes as if my headache had gotten worse at Yenica’s screaming name.

“Don’t raise your voice too much… My head hurts…”

“Ed, I shouldn’t be doing this…!”

“Just be still… stay by my side…”

Ed’s voice spoke in a whisper, breathing in and out. It felt like my brain was melting at the sound of that voice that immediately penetrated my ears, and the blood vessels running through Yenika’s face screamed.

“Uh…”

Before long, Yenika was completely overwhelmed by the momentum. Eventually, she speaks in a voice like an ant crawling in.

“Ah, okay… yes…”

The only fixer who could break the situation raised the white flag like that.

Unable to ask anyone for help. To make matters worse, for some reason, the spirits don’t even react. These are the spirits that usually flocked around Yenika…

It was a situation with no answer.

*

” ♪ ♬ ♩ “

A private room specially prepared for St. Clarice on the top floor of Ophelis Hall.

Even the regular rooms are of Ophelis Hall, which is famous for their grand size, but when it comes to the private rooms used by Saint Clarice, half of the floor feels like a space just for her.

Clarisse’s petite body was lying on the bed covered with antique lace decorations.

The only person in this House of Ophelis who knows about her double life.

Belle Maia, the head maid, stood calmly beside her.

“You came late in the afternoon and delivered it to me.”

Clarisse, humming in a good mood, spread the letter over her head and read it happily.

“They said they would accompany me to Cledric Monastery. It was so hard to attend the bachelor’s ceremony all day, but it feels good to be rewarded!”

Clarisse had a face that said the world was fun. In Cleric Monastery, where there is nothing to enjoy, he was in a situation where he had to hold a prayer meeting for several days, but if Ed accompanied him, the story would be very different.

Unlike the high-ranking priests who are sincere but have no interest in the world and just talk about the Bible all day… He is a great companion, and he has a personal favor.

Unlike what I was determined to go to Cledric Monastery every year, I think I will be able to enjoy it quite a bit this year. At that thought, Clarisse became excited and started talking to Bell, who was standing next to her.

“You mean Cledric Monastery? Speaking of which, it’s about time for a prayer meeting.”

“Yes. I am the face of the Church of Telos. No matter how much I am attending Sylvania this year, I will have to attend the prayer meeting. I decided to give a public opinion in the undergraduate school.”

“By the way… Is it okay if I accompany Master Ed to Cledric Monastery? As far as I know, Cledric Monastery…”

“Well, I have my authority… I can come up with any reason to accompany you. I’m sure there won’t be any problems within the monastery.”

Clarisse was reading a letter written by Ed with pleasure while humming.

“Senior Ed is a person who takes good care of himself and has strong self-control, right?

To Clarisse’s confident words, Bell couldn’t refute either.

Ed Rosteiler is quick to judge the situation and will not try to have more contact with the nuns than necessary.

“I’ll have to ask the bachelor’s office tomorrow to put in a ballot.”

Stirring her white feet, Clarisse was smiling.

She didn’t want to add anything to that happy look, so Bell just stood there quietly.