How to Survive at the Academy Chapter 260

[Abduction] Double arm scales (1)

No matter which branch of Elte Corporation you go to, there is a large double-armed scale in the lobby.

It is obvious what the exactly level scale symbolizes. it is fair

It is a rumored group that they will do anything to maintain the commercial power they have seized. It’s funny how such people insist on being fair, but the bigger they get, the more important the justification becomes.

Hypocrisy is not an option, it is a necessity.

Some may stick out their tongues at the hypocrisy of Elte Co., but those who have opened their eyes to Sangdo even a little nod their heads.

After all, leading a group means having a reasonable justification for each and every trivial decision.

Even if it’s naked hypocrisy, you have to pretend to be a good person.

Lortel Kecheln knew all too well. Even though he always hides his black and dark inside, he always puts a smile on his face and emphasizes fairness to his opponents.

“Is it a justification…”

Slog Keldlux, the owner of the Elte Company, lowered his head and chanted.

On the desk was a portrait and resume of Lortel Kecheln, the current deputy head of Elte Firm.

Along with the thickly grown beard, the wrinkles showing the traces of the years are harmoniously placed on the face.

The merchant’s characteristic puffy leather coat, which was neither luxurious nor simple, had an antique fur ornament.

It was a habit Keldrux, a veteran slog, had whenever he was concentrating on something.

Commercial city Oldeck.

The port city that stretches along the Samiel coastline in the west of the Chloel Empire is responsible for almost half of the empire’s logistics distribution. The imperial capital of Chloeron, the capital of Carpeaa, the land of innovation, Talkaren, the Rameln Mountains, the lawless Cohelton, and the island of Aken at the southern tip of the continent… If logistics are to be distributed to the central region of the empire, this port city is a must. have to go through

An arena of competition between large and small merchants huddled together. It is a land of gold where self-interested merchants gather to earn even a penny.

If you walk the marina of the city early in the morning, you can see merchants and workers running around busily out on the streets earlier than the morning sun.

A city of those who are busy putting every penny in their pockets.

Those who were born, raised, and spent their entire lives in a place like this all have a similar way of thinking. Same goes for Lortel Kecheln.

“Is it business expansion…”

As he read Lortel’s business plan to more earnestly break through the trade road leading to the capital city of Carpea, Slog was deep in thought.

The nominal head of the current Elte Corporation is Slog Keldlux, but most of the actual power is held by Lortel Kecheln. Sooner or later, Lortel will try to take the position of Lord of the Lords himself.

If you want to take action, now is the right time.

“okay. What is always important is the law, which is justification.”

As he muttered those words, Slog closed his eyes insinuatingly.

“A lot of time has already passed since the golden king, Elte, left this world. It’s time to throw away the name ‘Elte Sanghoi’… it’s about time…”

Only silence was seated in the large office of the head of the Elte Corporation’s central branch.

*

“You went all the way to Pulan? For research work?”

It was after the heat of the summer had already passed when Lortel Kecheln stopped by the Rosteiler mansion.

It’s still a bit muggy to call it autumn, but it’s cool to call it summer.. it was such a weather.

After graduating from the Sylvania Academy, Lortel, who had been managing a business at Oldeck for a few months, eventually started going out to expand her new business.

Opening a new trade route by dragging around a few trustworthy henchmen is not an ordinary business owner’s job. He was trying to finish as much as possible the most important things in practice when he was still relatively free, having not yet been given back the position of the head of the club by Slog.

In particular, he was concentrating his whole mind on opening a new trade route with Saint Carpea.

Due to the cultural characteristics of Carpea, where the Telosians gather, it is very easy to find out what items are in demand, and it is not difficult to calculate the demand for each season.

Telos Cathedral’s Great Prayer Period, Lent period, Saints’ Prayer Ceremony, 11 Saints’ Days, Solemnities, Central Baptism… If all of the basic maintenance supplies for the central institution, the Holy Family, would be enormous, the sales would be enormous.

Lortel, who received information that Sunghwangdo’s goods were currently being purchased by Joonggu Heating from one or another merchant, wanted to come up with a way to talk to the key figure of Seonghwangdo somehow. If Elte Firm takes full responsibility for the purchase, it will save a lot of additional costs on the success side as well.

The person I visited in the process was Ed Rosteyler.

“Yes, I did some research on the highest level spirit from the Pulan side. In the process, a rather valuable item came into your hands, and you may need help with your emotions.”

“That’s not difficult, senior Ed. Please write me appropriately when necessary.”

The opening of the Sylvania Academy is not far away.

Ed Rosteiler, who was in charge of the selection and class assignment of freshmen and class A students, will be very busy during the semester. In particular, expectations were high at the undergraduate level because they had to take full responsibility for managing the most promising students.

Right now, they are taking care of themselves at their home, but sooner or later it will be harder to see their faces.

Ed Rosteylor did not take on any other big tasks, as if he wanted to spend a little more leisurely as it was his short break. In the garden of the mansion, he was only organizing brief reports.

“…”

The central garden of the Duchess of Ross-Taylor can only be described as a cliche that is bright and beautiful.

As it was a mansion site exclusively managed by a competent maid, it was equipped with a luxurious and beautiful mansion comparable to the imperial garden.

A suitable refreshment table is set up in the center of the mansion, and when you see them sitting side by side with their younger siblings, each looking at their own business… They look pretty similar to each other, and it’s like looking at normal siblings everywhere.

However, one of them is a high-ranking spirit accident who is the youngest person in the continent to be a researcher of Aspect Magic, and the youngest to be a full professor, and the other is a girl who is the head of the continent’s foremost duke family.

If there is someone who should never be turned into an enemy, it would be this brother and sister. Fortunately, thanks to their long relationship, the two of them are infinitely friendly towards Lortel.

“Senior Lortel must be busy with business these days~. Oldeck has been getting a lot of bad news these days, are there any major problems with running the business?”

“well. There are always plenty of problems. We are just working through each one.”

Lortel responded with a smile to the chatter of Tanya, who was playing with her quill.

Even though Tanya had gained enough power to rank among the best on the continent, she was constantly calling Lortel her senior. To be honest, he was in a position where he would not have any complaints even if he treated Lortel as inferior, but he felt a strange intention as if he was constantly entangled in school ties, and Lortel felt uneasy.

Of course, Lortel put down her stance as a senior and respected her, but Tanya seemed to be determined to maintain that attitude. Even so, she always smiles and smirks when she doesn’t explain the specific reason.

She is no longer the Tanya of those days who swung her around according to Lortel’s intentions. Thinking back to the first time he entered Sylvania, Lortel looked so smirk that one wondered if it was the same person, and Lortel’s years seemed impermanent.

“Well, even if we talked about business-related matters, it would only be scratching the surface… Ugh, uhhh!”

Even so, it is still hot to see the roof of the mouth burning while trying to bring black tea to the mouth, so I can’t get used to it.

“Brother… the temperature of the black tea… It looks like a new maid came…”

“Leave it alone, Bell must have already checked and gone to reprimand.”

“Bueek- buueek-”

Tanya, who was making a table with her tongue out, put her quill down and closed the document she was checking. It seemed that the work to be dealt with right away was finished.

Ed, who was reading conference papers, had his eyes crossed with his legs crossed. As much as an honored guest named Lortel came to visit, it is obvious that she is busy trying to finish the work as quickly as possible.

It is hard to adapt to the fact that the deputy head of Elte Corporation, who is treated as an honored guest wherever he goes, is put behind the work papers in front of him. But he can’t help it. This is the Duke of Roth Taylor.

Rather, Lortel smiled at ease.

No matter how many times you see it, Ed Rosteyler will always be Ed Rosteyler. It’s really like this man that he doesn’t put things off the back burner, even though he seems to be happy with Lortel’s visit.

When we waited a little longer, Tanya idly lifted the tablecloth and stared at the space under the tea table.

“Stop thinking nonsense, Tanya.”

“Ugh! Oh, no… can’t I just stare? You can check it out.”

“…Why are you checking…”

“…”

Lortel couldn’t help but tilt her head at the mysterious discourse between brother and sister.

Eventually, Ed put down the quill and dusted off the papers to see if the things he had to check were finished.

“Anyway, the impression has improved a lot. Lortel. It seems to be much brighter than in Sylvania. Since he’s going around pretending to be an official hoeju, he’ll need to show off his appearance in many ways. Goes well.”

“Oh, that’s right~. As long as it’s pretty auburn hair, it’s nice to look voluminous when it’s loose like that~. Senior Lortel.”

The two praised Lortel’s appearance, but the meaning was completely different.

Ed is literally just talking about Lortel’s appearance as being beautiful, but Tanya seems to see right through Lortel’s efforts. Is it her intuition as a woman?

Her hair, which is usually easily tied to one side, is undone, and she is wearing a pretty blue rose hairpin, and a navy blue skirt. Sometimes it looks like it’s decorated, sometimes it’s like it’s not, but even that feeling is intentional. It is the result of hard work.

If you ask why he came out with a good appearance, just like Ed said, he is trying to take care of his authority as a club owner… But in fact, it is correct to focus on the fact that he came to meet Ed.

It’s natural, but I can’t help but feel a little better about Ed’s words, purely praising the appearance.

Living as a merchant, Lortel has heard so many formal compliments, but it is also a strange feeling to shrug her shoulders and get excited after Ed says it. I thought my immunity to praise was complete, but in any case, I am horribly defenseless in this area.

“Yes!”

Lortel himself caught his breath at the sudden rise of the voice. Oh, the end of his words floats because he is excited alone at the words he throws out as a ritual. It is a rudimentary mistake that cannot be imagined on the commercial front.

Fortunately, this is not a commercial front, but an outdoor tea table in the Roth Taylor mansion.

“Keuheum… Thank you for looking at me like that. The time has come for me to reconsider my position…”

Ed doesn’t seem to attach much importance to it, but I’d say it’s a woman’s intuition… Tanya’s eyes were already narrowing slightly. What does her eye smile mean? How did she, Tanya, become such a tired person? There is nothing wrong with the saying that the environment makes a person.

“Well, you must be busy, but it’s nice to see you come to Ross Taylor’s birthplace to show your face. I have a lot of desire to solve the grievances so far, but let’s talk frankly at a dinner party. First of all, let’s talk about business. is not it?”

Ed came in with a sharp stab at the main point.

Yes. Even after graduation, Lortel Kecheln continued to flirt with Ed and expressed affection like a sly fox… But for now, she prioritized handling the piled up work.

At this point, it was already difficult to guess whether Lortel was visiting for business reasons or simply to flirt with Ed.

“And when the business talk is over, there’s another story to tell. Um… I’m from Pulan…”

“Brother, now is not the time to talk about such things! Day! Work comes first! isn’t it? aha!”

Tanya, who suddenly slammed the table and lifted her upper body, raised the tempo of her story.

“Actually, it’s an obvious story about Elte Corporation. I heard about the reason why Lortel is busy these days through various sources. I was expecting her to visit soon.”

In the end, all important decisions of the Duke of Roth-Taylor come from Duchess Tanya Roth-Taylor.

“You want me to connect with Seonghwangdo? If possible, to Saint Clarisse at the top.”

Were you aware of that? In fact, if you know Lortel’s whereabouts, it’s not difficult to infer that much.

Rather than answer, Lortel smiled.

“Networking is an asset. In addition, if we can work directly with the person who is the heart and idol of the Church of Telos… Our company will give you the maximum amount in return…”

“I don’t need an answer.”

At Ed’s words that came out without warning, Tanya didn’t even show a sign of embarrassment.

The attitude of just saying things for granted. As if nothing special, the words he casually threw while sipping black tea… were both expected and unexpected.

The acting head of Elte Corporation and the supreme decision-maker for the Roth Taylor duchy.

Where power meets the peak of power, there are always words that follow.

Gains and losses of interest, negotiations, war of nerves, contracts, guarantees, confidentiality, deadlines.

In the list of words like a cold ice field, each stares at even one period in the contract in order to get even a penny more in each other’s hands.

In Lortel’s past life, the negotiating table was such a space.

However, the man in front of me casually said that he would just do it.

Actually, it is natural. The two have already confirmed each other’s existence to the point where they’re fed up.

Ed Rosteiler is from Lortel Kecheln.

Lortel Kecheln is the man of Ed Rosteiler.

It is ‘my person’.

He transcends gains and losses, and eventually takes his side until the end… For Lortel Kecheln, he is the first human to entrust everything to him.

It seemed to be the moment when they were confirmed that they had never forgotten each other, even while they were busy with each other’s business and duties… Lortel was speechless for a moment.

From the standpoint of Duchess Tanya, who is in charge of this Roth-Taylor Mansion, she would want to use this as an excuse to make more demands to the Elte Company.

However, when Ed made such a nail-biting declaration, Tanya said nothing more. Basically, as Ed entrusts all matters related to the management of the mansion to Tanya and trusts Tanya’s judgment… When Ed comes forward and says something like nails, Tanya doesn’t really object.

Mostly because there is a reason for that.

At this point, Lortel felt the tip of her nose tingle, but it was not the right answer to say thank you politely while wiping away tears.

It was natural for Ed, so it was also natural for Lortel.

When Ed needs help, Lortel helps. If Lortel needs help, Ed helps.

There is no such thing as calculation or calculation in the process.

Like the proposition that work plus work, it has become a fact.

“is it so.”

With a voice that seemed to creep in, Lortel managed to create a fox-like alluring smile. Indeed, the management of that expression was so perfect that even Tanya, who became her snarl, did not notice.

“Let’s talk about the detailed practical work at dinner.”

Lortel smiled and said that to Ed. Ed said yes and nodded her head.

“Well, I’ve taken care of all the urgent matters right now, brother go in and get some rest until evening! You just got back from Pulan!”

When the conversation ended like that, Tanya spoke again in a lively tone.

“okay? I’m not that tired.”

“The fatigue of the body accumulates without even realizing it. Senior Ye Nika, who went to Pulan together, didn’t even go back to her baron’s house, and she’s been lying on the floor all day today!”

There, Lortel’s expression slightly hardened.

When I heard the name of Pulan, I thought about it, but…

“Yenika… senior…?”

“Oh my God, senior Lortel… You probably don’t know the details of the itinerary, after all. That’s… Brother Ed has been to Yenika’s hometown, just the two of us.”

Is it an illusion to feel a slight excitement at Tanya’s words as she covers her mouth slightly?

Concealing a strange eye smile, Tanya whispered to Lortel in a tone that seemed to contain her inner thoughts.

“Well, since it’s so far away, it’s hard to dispatch a lot of people, so… I gave out a carriage for the two of us to go alone. With one coachman. You know, you two aren’t the kind of people who would go somewhere and get kidnapped, right? So, well, going alone is the most efficient way. Just the two of you.”

Just the two of you.

I didn’t like the tone that seemed to emphasize that part, but Lortel was having a hard time managing her expression, so it was difficult to get into the details.

“I don’t know what happened in Pulan, but since it’s just the two of us, I’m sure they’ve done everything well. I don’t know how strong it is from my point of view. Someone like Ed’s older brother is firmly in the mansion, and someone like Yenika sunbaenim is coming in as a vassal~.”

Tanya blurted out her words, but continued to speak subtly.

“Next time, if I have another job, it would be okay if I sent just the two of you?!”

“Don’t make a fuss, Tanya…”

“Yep…”

Tanya answered politely and sat down in her chair, but the way she raised her nose and smiled, it seemed that her intentions were well-intentioned.

Lortel brushed the tip of her chin once and let out a small sigh. In fact, he has nothing to be too embarrassed about.

However, I can’t help but be curious.

How far did the two of them go?

*

After sending Ed off to rest for a while, Lortel walked along the garden.

In fact, the biggest reason for coming to the Roth Taylor duchy was to make a deal with Seonghwangdo, but after hearing about Jenika, he seems to be a bit confused.

Thanks to the merchant’s unique composure, he didn’t show it on the outside, but he couldn’t help but think of miscellaneous thoughts. She must have stayed together for a long time in an obvious space where there were no retainers and no servants of the mansion.

I know that because of Ed’s personality, he won’t cross the line, but he still doesn’t know that it’s worldly affairs.

What if the two crossed over to an unknown world? What if we held hands side by side and walked through the fairy tale land on the other side of the rainbow?

After dancing hahahoho along the hill where the pretty pansy flowers are blooming…….

Lortel had no choice but to swallow dry saliva.

I heard that Yenika hasn’t returned to the baron’s house yet, and is resting here at the Ross Taylor Mansion.

If she were to come face to face with Jenika, how would she react?

Lortel could easily imagine.

In the midst of the hectic period of surviving day by day on the commercial front, the expression that Jenika will make after leaving Ed’s arms and leaving for a country where only the two of them hahahoho…

Try to derive all the numbers of numerous cases.

Will he raise his nose in triumph toward Lortel and blow out his snort?

Will he look at Lortel with a pitiful expression and smile?

Or will he brag and mock Lortel?

In the case of Yenika, the first case seems the most likely. Anyway, you must have been exchanging a lot of sympathy with Ed for a long period of time, so you must be trying to express a sense of psychological superiority.

From the outside, Lortel had to be prepared to bear that proud expression that was only dainty.

“I’m sorry…”

In the distance, in a small pavilion in the garden, he saw Jenika sitting. Did you come out to get some fresh air? It was an unpleasant encounter from Lortel’s point of view, but it was an ordeal that she would have to face someday.

It is impossible to predict exactly how far Ed and Yenika’s progress will go or how Yenika will react. Still, Lortel somehow approached Yenika wearing a smiling mask.

Yenika thinks of all the many ways to show her superiority toward Lortel, and has finished simulating how to deal with them all.

In any case, Lortel’s smiling mask would never come off. With his heart thoroughly prepared, he raised his voice in a gentle tone.

“Oh, Yenika senior. You are there.”

Jenika, who had been quietly touching the persimmon flower hanging on one side of the pavilion, suddenly raised her head. Then she meets her eyes with Lortel’s.

This is Yenika, who always put on a pouting or wary expression whenever she saw Lortel who came to the mansion. She thought that this time she had the right chance and she would reveal something, but…

“Hey, Lortel is here! long time no see! Aren’t you busy with business these days?!”

Yenica greeted Lortel with a smile as pure as white drawing paper.

There is not even a single sense of wariness or sense of crisis in it.

“Still, the days have become much cooler! It’s good that it’s not hot… Anyway, I’m going to go back to my room. Don’t let your vassals worry because you’ve been out too long… See you later at dinner! huh!”

With a pure, bright smile on her face, Jenika cheerfully waved her hand and returned to the mansion. She continued to wave her hand as she went so far away, she to Lortel, with her sweet smile.

“…”

Lortel stood still and organized her thoughts.

“……”

“……………………………”

And cold sweat flowed out.

This was the most dangerous reaction… of all I’d expected from Yenika…