I was summoned early in the morning by the old professor to a secluded spot. Despite sumr being just around the corner, each breath I exhaled ca out as white mist, while Hetherson’s breath emitted gray smoke.
“Huu~”
Hetherson, dressed in a thick coat, stood gazing at the slowly brightening sky. Each ti he brought his pipe to his lips, the chain of his pocket watch clinked. I had never attended one of his classes until the end, so I wasn’t sure how long he had left. But from the small freedoms he was granted, I instinctively knew that today was his last day.
“Oh, you’re here?”
Hetherson greeted with an awkward wave, and I responded as usual.
“You sure enjoy that stuff.”
“It’s expensive, you know. Supposedly grown in the demonic realm—unless the old man lied about it, right?”
The old professor coughed awkwardly. Hetherson, in a display of bad taste, extended the pipe toward , seeing the grimace on my face.
“Wanna try it?”
“No thanks. It just makes cough.”
Honestly, it’s not even the Age of Exploration, but sohow they’ve already discovered tobacco, and innocent non-smokers like are the ones who suffer…
“The air outside is nice, so how about we just take a walk?”
Hetherson, who seed eager for a stroll, started walking with a slightly excited spring in his step.
Crunch—
The snow underfoot was thin. It hadn’t accumulated much since it had drifted in from the snow-capped mountains.
“I heard about it. You were flying high during the exam, weren’t you?”
Hetherson’s words, spoken with an embarrassed smile, made frown slightly as I responded.
“…That just happened by chance.”
I hadn’t planned for any of it during the field training. My goal had been to gather so useful herbs and find a relic or two before returning. As for the young Roaming Band and the fights with the instructors, my plan was just to watch from a distance and let things unfold. ṟ
But Hetherson seed to think I was being modest, and he chuckled.
“So those kids you brought in, they’re all orphans, right? You won’t gain much from picking them up, so why did you do it?”
Once again, I answered honestly.
“Because they’ll be useful, of course. Raise them, and they’ll eventually pay taxes.”
lin, in particular, was too promising to let go.
“They’re well-trained for kids and good for manual labor. They’ll work without complaining.”
I made it clear that my decision was purely calculative. But Hetherson, perhaps coming to so odd conclusion, suddenly stopped walking, his eyes widening in surprise.
“You don’t an… you’re planning to grant them Imperial citizenship, are you?”
“To collect taxes, that’s the only way.”
That’s the law, after all.
“Well, the family will handle the rest. It just worked out that way, so no need to make a fuss about it.”
“Yeah, sure. You just happened to defeat the instructors, and just happened to rescue the kids. Quite the series of coincidences, huh?”
Hetherson, with a mischievous grin like a playful five-year-old, mocked with a sarcasm-laden tone. His narrow-eyed smile was so irritating that I unconsciously clenched my fist.
“If you keep teasing , I’ll leave.”
“Tch, fine.”
After he agreed, the conversation turned to more trivial matters.
“That madam with the tear mole can really charm a person, can’t she?”
We talked about which cities were nice, the state of the red-light districts, and which gambling houses were the most honest—topics that had little to do with .
“These topics don’t interest . A righteous man like doesn’t visit those kinds of places.”
“Bullshit. You look like exactly the type who would.”
“Think what you want.”
As we alternated between walking and resting, three hours passed. By now, we were discussing food.
“You want to eat sothing spicy? Then try going to lbana. It’s a southern town and my hotown. It’s famous for adding strong spices to all kinds of dishes.”
“No wonder you like ginger cookies so much. But that’s not the kind of spiciness I’m after.”
“You an sothing like the spiciness of stir-fried pork?”
“Hmm, they might have sothing like that. Maybe I’ll give it a try.”
Before long, we ran out of topics, and only the sound of our footsteps filled the air. We were both likely avoiding heavier subjects, afraid to break the silence. Hetherson didn’t seem to want that kind of atmosphere, and I was going along with his wishes, using my sense of tact.
After a while, as the silence continued, Hetherson rubbed his stomach, indicating his hunger.
“I’m hungry. How about we head back?”
“Sure, on the way, I’ll tell my maid to bring so food.”
Selly has the day off today, so naturally, I’ll have to make things difficult for her.
“Oh, right. Speaking of ginger cookies, have her bring so of those too. And what else… Peaches? Yeah, those would be nice too.”
As Hetherson smacked his lips and spoke, the old professor gave him a sharp look.
“You’re an, Hetherson. You know I’m allergic to peaches, and you still ask for them?”
“So what? That makes want them even more.”
“Ugh, just a whiff of peach fuzz will give hives.”
And with that, our walk ca to an end. On the way back, I stopped by Selly to give her so tasks and gifts before heading to the lecture hall. Once seated, I half-listened to Hetherson’s ongoing chatter. It seed he had packed a whole conversation into his bundle and didn’t show any signs of stopping.
“Have you ever been on a boat? I was so hungry once that I picked up so bread, but a seagull snatched it right out of my hands. At that mont, lissa, who was next to , shouted in shock.”
lissa was probably the na of the woman who dumped him.
“You idiot. You should have caught it. Why did you just sit there staring? she said. And when I asked why she was so upset, she said she wanted to fry it and eat it. She was always such a frugal woman. But that was back when we were traveling with not a single coin to our nas.”
“…She wanted to fry a seagull?”
Hetherson seed happiest when he talked about lissa.
“Even though we were poor, those days were good. lissa’s skin was always so smooth. Even after ten years, not a single wrinkle appeared.”
Maybe he was at peace because he knew he would be seeing lissa again soon.
Just then, I heard footsteps approaching from the hallway. It seed Selly had arrived.
Creeeak—
The door opened, and Selly entered the lecture hall, carrying a basket full of items. As expected, her expression was sour, just like when I gave her a task.
I teased her slightly.
“Look at that face.”
Selly clenched her teeth and whispered quietly.
“…Don’t make do chores on my day off.”
“You’ve been resting while I was away for the exam.”
“I had to work at the café too, you know?”
“I know all about your days off.”
Grumbling, Selly placed the basket on the desk. She glanced at Hetherson, who looked every bit like a criminal, and her expression didn’t seem too pleased.
“Well, I’ll be going now.”
“Alright, thanks.”
After Selly left, Hetherson rummaged through the basket, comnting.
“You’re pretty casual with your maid.”
“She lacks proper manners, but since I’m generous, I let it slide.”
“Hmm, got it.”
Hetherson pulled out a peach, causing the old professor to recoil in fear.
“Ack, get that away from ! If you’re going to eat it, at least turn your head away.”
“If you don’t like it, leave.”
“It’s my duty to keep an eye on you! What kind of nonsense is that?!”
Hetherson grinned mischievously and played with the peach. He then took a big bite, and the juicy flesh burst with moisture. The old professor, seemingly suffering just from the sll, teared up and began coughing.
“Cough, cough!”
I was about to test whether healing magic could cure allergies when Hetherson suddenly dropped his playful deanor and leaned in seriously. His voice reached my ear in a low whisper.
“Check this when you get back.”
He slipped a piece of paper between my coat and shirt.
“You bastard, Hetherson!!”
“Sorry, old man. Must have been the juice that splashed there.”
As Hetherson continued his charade, I carefully tucked the paper into my pocket.
“Alright, that’s enough. You can go now. I’ve got to have a chat with the old man here.”
“Ahem, you and I, talking?”
“Co on, you’ve been listening all this ti. Let’s relax and chat.”
Realizing he was eager to send off, I rose from my seat. It must be sothing serious if he was in such a hurry to get rid of .
I thought about what to say as a parting remark… After a brief mont of consideration, I spoke.
“Thank you, Hetherson, and I’m glad I t you.”
I wanted to say sothing more profound, but I wasn’t good with emotions, so only simple words ca out. I figured this would be the last ti, so I stood there waiting for him to laugh at .
But to my surprise, Hetherson let out a deep sigh, then smiled brightly and waved his hand dismissively.
“Yeah, I’m glad I t you too.”
And so, I left my teacher, who had been like a death row inmate.
***
As soon as I returned to my room, I pulled out the folded piece of paper. Donatan, who seed to have taken a liking to him, made so uncharacteristically sympathetic remarks.
– I feel pity for his death.
‘Hm?’
– He was an evil man, but he never really seed evil. He had a good heart.
I sat down in a chair and unfolded the paper as I replied.
“Yeah? Maybe he would’ve lived a decent life if he hadn’t joined the Watchn of the Shadows.”
– Who knows? I’ve seen many people with outstanding talent held back by their social status.
I half-listened to Donatan as I read the first page. My eyes widened in shock. I let the sweat drip down my forehead as I responded to him.
“If that talent is beyond what anyone could have expected, it’s a different story.”
– What?
“Hetherson… this guy… academically speaking, he might be a once-in-a-lifeti genius.”
What was written on the paper was sothing that appears so frequently in gas that it might be dismissed as nothing special. But in a world where it doesn’t exist, the significance of this discovery is unimaginable.
Inventory.
A magic that allows you to store items in a subspace, keeping them perfectly preserved and unspoiled.
Flip.
As I turned the page, a note ca into view.
[I’m leaving you with one problem. When you turn the page, there will be blank spaces. I’ve even left hints, so if you walk around and investigate, you should be able to fill them in. You’re smart, so I figure it’ll take you about ten years to solve it.]
Below that was a complex formula, drawn as a puzzle. Just as Hetherson had said, there were blanks, with clues suggesting it was necessary to conduct so field research to fill them in. Otherwise, the puzzle couldn’t be solved.
This was a problem that needed to be completed first.
[Once solved, you’ll have the answer. Use that answer with the hundreds of gold coins I gave you, and the Inventory magic will be yours. Ah, but don’t share this with anyone else unless you want to live a very complicated life.]
“…Hundreds of gold coins?”
Wait, that’s not the point. If it takes ten years, it’s essentially telling not to learn it. I don’t have that much ti…
But when I turned the next page, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Heh.”
Hetherson, you really do love playing tricks on people.
[But just in case, I’ll give you a hint. Maybe I liked you so much that I already taught you the answer. Anyway, the answer is a na. The na of the woman I loved.]
– Hersel, didn’t he ntion that na earlier?
“Yeah, he did. No wonder he kept repeating it all day.”
I used the hundreds of gold coins to write “lissa” in the air. Nothing happened at first, but just as I was about to reabsorb the coins, the room was suddenly plunged into darkness.
Before , a large canvas appeared, covered in intricate diagrams.
***
Click.
A manastone light flickered on. Hetherson lay bound to a bed, his face illuminated by the lamp overhead. He turned his head.
Clomp, clomp.
Rockefeller approached, wiping his hands with a towel.
“It’s been a while, Hetherson Aola.”
“…You disgusting traitor.”
“A traitor, am I? Heh, heh. That naïve perspective hasn’t changed. I was only doing my job. If you want to bla soone, bla yourselves for not spotting the spy. Am I wrong?”
At Rockefeller’s sneer, Hetherson gritted his teeth and shouted.
“You were unfortunate, but at one ti, I considered you a comrade. After all, you’d suffered at the hands of the Empire just like I did! So why did you betray us?”
“Because the Empire granted a title and helped get to where I am today.”
Rockefeller picked up an ink-stained pen and drew a dotted line on Hetherson’s forehead. With each prick, Hetherson winced.
“Heh, heh. You said you once thought of as a comrade? How laughable. I’ve always seen you as nothing but a fool. Despite your reputation as an authority in Sadomachia, all you ever did was inflate others’ egos and strut around arrogantly. There wasn’t a single thing I liked about you.”
As Rockefeller rambled on, he inserted the needle. Hetherson felt his consciousness fading and closed his eyes.
Thunk!
The knife pierced Hetherson’s forehead. Rockefeller wiped the blood from his cheek and began to work with precise, slicing movents.
***
In the lobby of Schlaphe Hall, Athera whispered to Ricks and his group.
“You guys are going to have a party soon.”
“A party?”
“Yeah, a party. After the field training, the professors always prepare sothing to congratulate us. You’ll even get to drink as much as you want! So don’t forget to sneak a bottle too.”
The ntion of alcohol made many students gulp audibly. Alcohol was not sold to students at Frost Heart, making it a rare commodity.
“And get so new clothes from the club. You must have earned quite a few coins from the last training, right? And… Oh, right, you captured the leader, didn’t you? You’ll be getting a reward too.”
Ricks asked, puzzled.
“We get rewards?”
“Of course. Those who contribute get recognized. Limberton caught soone too, didn’t he? With two from Schlaphe Hall, Adelle Hall will be making a fuss.”
Athera’s expression was one of pure enjoynt.
“But what about Hersel…”
“Ah, Hersel? Who knows? I’m not sure what they’ll do. Has there ever been a student who captured an instructor before? They might need to create a new award for that. But do you think he even cares?”
Ricks nodded. Hersel was supposed to receive a dal, not just from the academy, but from the Pathfinder headquarters and even the royal family.
“Still, the professors will probably give him sothing just to save face. Anyway, I’ve told you everything. Pass it on to the others.”
Athera turned on her heel, as if to say she was done with them, her voice dripping with a noblewoman’s elegance.
“lin? Mother wants to have a al. Could you fetch my coat? I’m curious about the texture of the new fabric I bought.”
lin whispered to Ricks, pleading for help.
“…That woman is weird. Can’t I get a different guardian?”
“Just hang in there a little longer. It’s only a few more days.”
“Damn it.”
As Athera clapped her hands, lin clicked her tongue and followed her sulkily. Klabe asked cautiously.
“Doesn’t Senior Athera seem a bit more refined these days? That outfit looks new too.”
“There were rumors that she made a lot of money while we were away, and it seems they were true…”
“But if she’s not in need, then why bother with lin?”
“She probably wants to take her in as a maid.”
Prev I TOC I Next
User Comments
0 comments from readers