Chapter 214

Chapter 214 – It Is, But

After parting ways with Evelyn.

I thought about heading back to the classroom but ended up making my way to the principal senior’s hideout instead.

‘……Well, I’m already late anyway.’

Skipping one class wouldn’t make a huge difference to my grades or anything.

The principal senior’s hideout, which I was visiting for the first time since returning to the academy, greeted me with its usual unchanged appearance.

For the record, Shine was off guarding the training grounds for his main gig(?), so no worries there.

And so, I sat on the empty hideout sofa—devoid of Shine and Breakfast No. 1—and quietly sorted through my thoughts.

No, I had to sort them out.

“This isn’t looking good.”

Evelyn’s condition, as I’d seen it firsthand, was more serious than I’d imagined.

To put it in perspective……

‘Yeah, her face looked like the world had ended.’

Of course, my effective counseling had restored some of her energy, but rebuilding a shattered spirit wasn’t easy.

And to that girl, what?

Become the magic tower’s slave…… no, friend?

‘Not sure if that’s even possible……’

Manipulating someone who’d crumbled that far, gently coaxing them to bend to my will—no matter how I thought about it, that wasn’t something I could do.

It might be different if she recovered on her own and tried to do something, but……

In short, Evelyn was out of commission as immediate manpower(?).

And that was the problem.

“What to do. How should I handle this?”

I pulled out the personnel roster Henji had given me from my subspace, flipped through it briefly, then closed it and leaned back on the sofa.

To be honest, there were plenty of candidates to replace Evelyn.

What I wanted wasn’t the ‘best,’ but talent that could work with the magic tower.

But for some reason……

“……It just doesn’t sit right.”

Was it because of what I’d just gone through with Evelyn?

It left a nagging feeling.

At first, I’d thought of it simply as adding another relationship like the ones with Damian, Shine, and Railey.

‘But it’s not like that.’

Thinking back, it was very different from those cases.

My first meeting with Damian had been pure chance, and while necessity played a role, it wasn’t just about need.

The same went for Shine and Railey.

‘Well, it’s a subtle difference between ‘ah’ and ‘eo’……’

I couldn’t explain it logically, but there was a clear distinction from the previous three.

Might as well just extort money from them.

“Tsk.”

Feeling a bitter taste in my mouth for no reason, I grabbed the tea set from one corner of the hideout and laid it out on the table.

I lit a small brazier, filled the kettle with water using magic, and set it on top.

Watching the flickering flames, a sudden thought crossed my mind.

‘Is this the right way?’

I wasn’t sure.

It probably depended on how you looked at it.

Henji would have asked without hesitation, ‘Why would it be wrong?’ And Shine…… ‘Act like a person.’ Or something like that?

Everyone thinks and lives differently.

So, right and wrong can’t be debated.

Then, what was my way?

‘I thought it was closer to Henji’s.’

But looking at this, maybe not.

Was it closer to Shine’s?

‘Nah, not that either.’

As my fruitless pondering continued, the kettle let out a shrill beep— at that moment.

“Hmm.”

I took some tea leaves from a small jar, portioned them into a cup, and poured hot water from the kettle.

Even as I waited for the tea to steep, my thoughts didn’t stop.

How much time passed like that?

I took a sip of the steeped tea, and was it my imagination? It tasted unusually bitter and astringent. Just like my mood right now.

Staring at the cup for a moment, noting how different it was from when the principal senior brewed it……

Why was that?

Why did my reflection in the tea look so distorted?

“Tsk.”

I cooled the hot tea with magic and downed it in one gulp.

The rough tea leaves scraping my mouth. The bitterness tormenting my tongue. And the overpoweringly pungent aroma.

“Disgusting, just like Decullan.”

I returned the tea set to its place and left the hideout.

“Friend collecting, my ass.”

I didn’t know what was right.

Honestly, I hated how complicated my head felt.

But one thing was clear.

Forming relationships out of pure necessity. Fine for official business, but approaching someone privately just to use them?

‘That’s not my style.’

Standing in the open plaza, I burned the personnel roster Henji had given me, then set off.

Behind me, the ashes of the charred roster scattered and fluttered in the wind. And the smell was acrid.

A week had passed since the semester started.

Life at the academy was peaceful.

It looked just like the first semester overall—except for the dark circles under the students’ eyes, indistinguishable from before.

We were the same, though there was one difference.

Evelyn had joined our group.

“Evelyn! Food! Food!”

“Damian, please, not in the hallway.”

Evelyn frowned in embarrassment at Damian’s voice calling her from down the hall but obediently joined the group.

Just a week, but was it her natural sociability?

Evelyn had blended into the group surprisingly easily.

“Halls are meant for making noise.”

“Who said that……?”

“Ignore him, Evelyn. The assistant professors tell them to take their noise outside if they wanna yap, that’s all.”

“……Ah.”

……Though she still hadn’t adjusted to Damian’s way of talking.

Anyway, over the past week, Evelyn had perked up considerably.

Her face clouded over sometimes, but hey. Compared to the first day of school, it was an improvement.

So, how was I treating Evelyn?

“Why are your eyes so wide?”

“What’s wrong with my gaze?”

“I count to three if our eyes meet. After one second, I take it as a challenge.”

“…….”

Just like this.

No need to treat her special or anything. Normally.

With my mind cleared, it actually felt comfortable.

No more agonizing over how to coax her, what to say, that sort of thing.

Ah, of course, that didn’t mean I’d given up on craving funding.

I’d given up on roping Evelyn in specifically, but I didn’t need her to bolster the tower’s funds.

‘Workers come along when fate calls, right?’

Like the wyvern that came to me.

Anyway, speaking of ‘funding,’ a thought popped up: what could I do right now?

Pondering it brought one idea to mind.

‘Sell artifacts, obviously.’

No matter the business, you need startup capital.

And once you have capital?

‘Start the business.’

I hadn’t decided on the business item yet.

Planning to decide after seeing the funds from selling artifacts, but one thing was set.

Where to do the business.

I’d realized this talking with Railey: even if I got money now, I couldn’t just do whatever.

‘Because of that damn age…….’

Sure, dodging legal hurdles wasn’t impossible, but there were limits.

I didn’t know that world well anyway. Botch it, and I’d lose the capital—best case.

So, what to do?

Suck my thumb at the academy until adulthood?

‘No way.’

Over the past week, I’d mulled it over deeply, and a brilliant idea struck me.

The issue right now was my age.

‘But what if there’s a place where I can do business regardless of age?’

And if that place was familiar to me?

Some might ask where such a spot exists on the continent.

But it did.

‘……The Black-White Slums.’

And conveniently, there was one not far from Hazen……

“Friend, you not eating that?”

“I am. Hands off.”

Lost too deep in thought? Damian had finished his food and was eyeing mine.

I picked up my fork and continued eating……

“Why are your eyes so wide?”

I shot a line at Evelyn, who was looking at me with strangely salty eyes.

But Evelyn didn’t back down.

“Three seconds passed. What now?”

Had we gotten closer?

A chuckle escaped at her provocative question.

So, what to do?

Punch her.

I subtly clenched my fist, but Chenbi stepped in then.

“Evelyn, he’ll really bite.”

……This bastard?

Anyway, I’d resolved to hit the ground running myself.

There was a lot to consider.

But the most urgent was this.

‘Where to sell the artifacts.’

Truth be told, I didn’t agonize long over it.

I had an expert in the field.

I’d decided not to coax Evelyn, right? But as a friend, I could get some advice, yeah?

After dinner, before heading to see Teheman senior, I pulled Evelyn aside and set up a spot.

Broke friend, so I bought coffee with my money in the cafeteria, handed it over, and went to that bench from before.

“So…… what you wanted to say.”

“Got something to ask.”

“Ask away……?”

Evelyn tilted her head curiously, but I cut straight to it.

“Nothing big. Just wondering where’s good to buy or sell artifacts.”

“Artifacts?”

“Yeah, artifacts.”

“Depends on the type…… but usually, there are specialized shops. Rarer ones go to auction. But why……?”

I hesitated briefly.

Not about revealing I had artifacts, but for another reason.

‘Tch, but thinking about it, no reason not to trust her with this?’

No, really? Friends can share talents too, right?

Not manipulating her gently to use her, just borrowing help for this one deal!

But before I could speak, Evelyn reacted.

“Someone looking to off an artifact?”

“Huh?”

“Probably…… if Aster’s asking me, the owner’s a novice on this side. So not Blandoga Family, obviously?”

“Uh-huh?”

She seemed to assume someone connected to me owned it……

“So, stolen goods? ……Don’t misunderstand. Not saying I think badly of you, Aster. Artifacts often circulate as hot items.”

Seemed right, didn’t it?

No, but what?

I tilted my head at Evelyn’s sparkling eyes.

The first time I’d seen eyes like that since getting to know her lately. Like a fish gasping on land finally reaching water.

Her unexpected reaction left me speechless for a moment, but after pondering briefly, Evelyn spoke.

“Aster, we’re friends, right?”

“It is, but.”

“If a friend of yours is in a bind selling an artifact, mind if I handle it for them?”

“……Huh?”

“Friends help with that much, right? Yeah? I’m a friend of your friend too, so special low fee…… no, really low. How about it?”

I quietly took in Evelyn rattling off like a machine gun.

A sudden thought hit me.

‘Shouldn’t have burned that roster.’

For a moment, the roster turned to ash felt truly regrettable.