Chapter 23: Oh my, do you know this student, Unnie Are you interested in him?

From early morning, I was at the training ground.

I never thought the battle with Aria would be easy, but the upcoming tasks won't be simple either.

To prepare for the upcoming exploration assignment, constant training was essential.

I just trained to increase the total amount of my mana.

I just finished the intermediate level. The important thing was that I succeeded. My progress might not be slow.

‘Just a little more ahead.’

If it was short, it could be within two weeks, but if it was long, it could be a month. In that period, my body would become capable of using advanced magic.

However, there was a real problem at the moment.

The room was hot. I dislike the heat more than the training. I took off my robe entirely. The sign "In Use" was displayed at the entrance of the training ground, so no students would come in without permission.

While taking a break like that, I noticed a blue light coming from Trivia's cover. Without much thought, I flipped through the pages.

[▷ I can solve this.]

[▶ Please teach me. ㅠㅅㅠ]

This was the customer who spent 10 gold coins just for confirmation of my ability.

It was not difficult to teach, but my first priority was to negotiate the price.

And to negotiate the price, it was necessary to determine how desperate the customer was for this knowledge.

Humans pour more money and time into things they were desperate for. It was a natural truth.

[▷ I'm a little busy. I'll contact you later.]

The reply came less than a second after I typed it.

[▶ I can give you as many gold coins as you want.]

I can give you as many gold coins as you want... That clearly told me that I could push the negotiation a little more.

[▷ I'm not in a hurry for gold coins, but as I said, I'm busy.]

[▶ I can procure items for you.]

[▶ I can do anything! ㅅ!]

At this point, it was a very good customer.

Looking at Trivia with a satisfied look, I wrote down a few requirements.

From now on, it was the customer's responsibility to pursue these requirements.

[▷ Describe the extent of your progress.]

[▷ Describe where you are stuck.]

[ ▷ From now on, report the progress once every eight hours. ]

However, at that moment, someone suddenly pushed their head towards my shoulder and reflexively covered Trivia.

"Hey, Flan! I brought some drinks... Oh."

It was Becky. She quickly retracted her hand.

"Oh, I didn't mean to look. Really. I just brought some drinks because I was grateful for the feedback today... It looks like I was trying to steal a glance at your Trivia. This situation is..."

This morning, I provided Becky the feedback on her mock battle from yesterday.

Since I had agreed to her request to ask about any unfamiliar magic, I didn't refuse her sudden request I received last night.

"But... um, it seems really hot."

Suddenly, Becky ran her fingers through her hair and avoided my eyes.

I understood the reason and I put on the robe I had taken off.

After I put it back on, Becky finally spoke again.

"Hey, Flan. By the way... Seems like someone is quite interested in contacting you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I-I didn't look intentionally. But it seems like they want to do anything for you... You can ask for anything. Are they a noble or something?"

Why did she happen to see only that kind of content? I sighed deeply and ignored it. Dealing with this kind of thing is a waste of time.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not interested in his background."

"Oh, is that so?"

Becky's fidgeting with her hair stopped. It seemed like the conversation was about to end, but Becky spoke again.

"Flan, how are you doing with the preparation for the exploration assignment?"

"Just as usual."

"Then you'll do fine. I'm the one who's worried."

Becky let out a deep sigh.

“I feel dizzy just thinking about going through a maze-like complicated path, but since it’s a competition format, I have to check other groups. It's driving me crazy."

"Just do it."

“Hey! You know everyone is not great like you! Is it easy to figure out the location of the other groups while clearing the road!”

Becky shouted in frustration, then sulking alone.

“Besides, I only exchanged greetings with my team members once. On a day like this... we should be together, but... we don't say anything to each other..."

Her gloomy expression was filled with deep sorrow.

For someone of commoner status like her, who didn't even have natural talent, every step of the process would be lonely and painful. The pain of growth would be intense.

But comforting others was not my thing, I was just very bad at it. So that was why I didn't have any words to say for her sake.

As expected,  teaching her magic was the only compassion I could offer.

“Becky.”

“Huh?”

I pointed to the center of the training ground with my chin.

"Go and stand there."

Becky tilted her head.

"Why? The feedback is over. I remember everything."

"Just do it."

“Suddenly?”

With a doubtful expression, Becky eventually did as I said. I gave her a short instruction.

"Try expanding the ice barrier again."

"Well, okay. Did I do something wrong?"

After concentrating for a moment, Becky created an ice barrier and spread it thinly, creating a wide rectangular barrier. Compared to yesterday, it had become clear and transparent, and the mana was tightly woven. The difference was clear.

"Do it until all of your mana is exhausted."

“Huh? Until all of my mana is exhausted?”

"Start repeating."

Then, Becky’s face turned as pale as ice.

◈◈◈

Violet was in the Academy's medical care room.

"Haa"

Sighing deeply, she washed her face with a dry towel. The fact that a student was in critical condition was awkward for her.

It was the first time such an incident had occurred since she started working as a faculty member.

‘Why on earth would someone do such a thing?’

Violet couldn't understand it at all.

She was curious about what had happened between Flan and Aria.

What could have happened for Aria to consider using a severe scroll? 

While pondering over such things...

"Aria?"

A male with a refined voice and neatly combed hair interrupted Violet's thoughts.

That man gaze fell on Aria Fontaine lying on the bed beyond the glass window. 

Violet cautiously spoke up.

“Are you a member of student Aria’s family?”

"Yes. I am Fontaine House's executive secretary."

Violet took off her cone hat and bowed her head respectfully.

The man asked in a calm voice.

“What happened?”

“She was covered with a poisonous scroll. Her whole body is paralyzed, but because we took action quickly…. She will be fine soon.”

"Is that so? I'm relieved."

The man smiled and then looked toward Aria again. However, the expression on his face as he gazed at Aria seemed oddly cold.

Around that time, Violet began to feel uncomfortable.

There was none of the expected reaction from him.

There was no concern for Aria Fontaine, no passing of responsibility to the Academy, no anger... There was no trace of any emotions that one would expect from a member of the Fontaine family.

He simply opened his mouth with indifferent eyes fixed on Aria.

“How did this happen?”

"It was my fault. She violated the Academy's regulations and used a privately owned Scroll. As a result, she got entangled in this situation."

Violet conveyed the facts calmly while maintaining proper etiquette.

"..."

"I wasn't able to notice the possession of a private Scroll in advance. There was a Recognition Inhibitor Artifact attached to the surface of the Scroll. This is also a violation of Academy regulations."

"Ah, I see. So that's what happened."

The man politely nodded his head.

However, Violet overheard the muttered words from him, while he gazed at Aria through the window.

"...Pathetic."

He definitely muttered those words.

"A pathetic creature who can't even resemble her brother. She should have just died..."

However, the muttering was short-lived. He quickly turned his head and politely bowed to Violet.

"If there is anything that Fontaine has to do, please inform me in writing. If disciplinary action is necessary, please let me know."

With those words, the man turned and left.

As the man departed gracefully, Violet stared blankly at his retreating figure.

.

.

.

 A young lady was listening to all this gossip from behind.

She felt an odd mix of emotions, but it was not her place to intervene.

She turned her steps towards Violet's office.

With each step, she precisely moved forward, but her eyes were fixed on the document in her hand. She was currently examining Flan's information.

In terms of upbringing, this side seemed more problematic.

His social status was commoner, and his family background was unknown. There were no parents, and even his magical department rank was marked as F...

“…… ?”

As Violet was walking in the hallway, she suddenly stopped. Her office door was wide open.

A woman in a robe with long orange hair was sticking her rear out towards Violet while rummaging through some documents.

Violet swiftly raised her broom and smacked the woman's rear as hard as she could.

- Smack!

“Kyaaha?!”

Jumping up like a frog, the orange-haired girl, who looked just like Violet, exclaimed in surprise.

She turned her head and locked eyes with Violet, shouting in surprise.

"Oh, really! Unniii!"

"Sephia, I told you not to enter my office without permission. I definitely locked it, so how did you manage to get in again?"

Violet sighed deeply, and Sephia giggled cheerfully.

"It's because of my job as a reporter for the Department of Magic. I can't help it~ Work is something that can't be avoided. If there's something I'm asked to do from above, I have to do it! And is this illegal?"

"Who are more superiors in the journalism department higher than you."

"It's a request from the Judith family~ I have no choice but to do it."

'The Judith family.' 

Violet was also well aware of the majesty of that lofty knight family.

However, she still couldn't understand why Sephia came to her office.

"It's a knight family. Why would the Judith family ask for the academic records of the Department of Magic?"

"I can't say more about it, it's work~ Anyway, I've seen all the ranks, so I'm done looking!"

Sephia took small steps and approached Violet. She glanced at what Violet was looking at and quickly glanced at it herself.

“Oh my, do you know this student too? Unnie, Are you interested in him?”

“What can I say... My head hurts right now because of him.”

“Yes. He is a very interesting student.”

“Why?”

“Well, why?”

Sephia wore a meaningfully mischievous smile. Then, when she received Violet's irritated gaze, she burst into laughter.

"Ah~ I got it, I got it. I can't say anything else yet. Do you know that he was homeless?"

"Homeless?"

"Yes. There was a period when he couldn't stay in the dormitory and couldn't go anywhere. He was homeless during that time. Isn't it funny?"

Sephia smiled brightly, but Violet’s expression turned cold.

"You investigated him too?"

"It's part of the job."

"...And is that something to laugh about? Leave right now."

"Ah, wait a minute. Be gentle! Eeek! Right! By the way, an amazing transfer student will be coming to the Department of Magic soon! Ah, um, stop hitting me!"

“Get out.”

With a flick of her wrist, Violet threw Sephia out of the office, then she quietly sank into her thoughts.

‘He improved from an F-rank to an A-rank while being homeless...?’

It was so unbelievable that Violet burst into laughter. His aversion to scrolls, as he had expressed, brought some joy to Violet. She wasn't particularly fond of scrolls herself.

Moreover, the mock battle she had witnessed between Aria Fontaine and him.

That battle was an undeniably truthful display. Flan showed the skills befitting an A-rank student.

No, on the contrary, he showed even more than that. Being able to handle interference magic meant he had already surpassed the level of freshmen.

His response in using rapid freezing to block Aria Fontaine's scroll was also excellent.

Thanks to that, the situation didn't escalate. If the extremely severe scroll had worked as intended, all the students inside the training ground might have had to be lying in the infirmary for intensive treatment.

“Hmm.”

She pondered for a moment, rubbing her chin. Then she made a decision.

She didn't sympathize with his status or poverty. No, it might not even be possible to sympathize in the first place.

However, one thing was certain.

Efforts that deserve recognition should be acknowledged, and actions deserving of reward should be rewarded accordingly.

Violet moved her hand to the drawer under her desk.

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