Chapter 59 – While I Was Away (1)

“Chairman. “I wonder what else I can say to you.”

Long ago, there was a time when magic was the exclusive property of races other than humans. According to the old story, that race had a body as large as the Labiere Mountains, sharp claws, and wings to fly freely in the sky, and their language went beyond the scope of simple communication and implied the mystery of twisting providence.

“The guards’ dissatisfaction is skyrocketing. Honestly, if you really didn’t have a penny and mixed sand into their pay, you wouldn’t have come all this way. “They are Parenzia soldiers in the first place, and there is no problem at all even if you give them that much money.”

The dragon race, a mysterious creature that has now disappeared. Humans were able to see the three original principles, the laws of the world, through their mouths and eyes.
However, the providence of all things that supports the world was too vast knowledge for mere mortals.
Those who sought that knowledge were called wizards who walked the path of magic, but among the wizards who were like grains of sand on a white sand beach, only a handful of them were able to put at least a portion of the truth in a gourd.

“But that’s not it. Chairman, it’s not like you didn’t have money. Moreover, it is not because the wages given to them are a waste! Do you know why I raise my voice like this? “It’s because you thoughtlessly ignored those for whom you were responsible!”

And——now, even the supreme wizards with inherent magic, called Grand Dukes, have not fully realized the truth.
Rather, the deeper he went into it and the more he honed his own magic spell, the more he neglected the world and his own body and mind.

“Was your boredom really appropriate as wages for boarding the ferry called Parenzia Academy?”

An ancient dragon that has now disappeared at the tip of the empire’s spear. The moment she first learned magic from one of them, Lehel’s heart pounded so brightly that it seemed as if it would spread light throughout the universe.

“Isn’t the weight so heavy that it’s sinking the ship?”

But now, the starlight was silently falling apart, like a star dying at the end of its life.

“Look, Lehel. Are you listening?”

Was it a merchant’s instinct, or a leader’s instinct? At the call of Darling Tokarev, the lord of Parenzia and the head of Ruhilen, Lehel stopped spinning the rosary made of dragon.

“Yes, I am listening, Viscount.”
“Okay? Then the answer to your question…”
“I made a mistake. “The guards should have been paid properly, but in addition to the amount you paid this time, I will pay you your original share.”

Neat answer. Obviously, the fundamental problem was not paying the salary that was not paid, but Darling sighed and looked at the Grand Duke in front of him.
She herself couldn’t get any more correct answer from her. No, to be exact, you cannot change the thinking of the wizard named Lehel Darad.

Those who have learned unique magic are all insane.
Thinking back to her words again, she clicked her tongue and asked.

“… Ha. “How long will this be possible?”
“Hmm. “Maybe next week?”
“…”
“Have you finished what you wanted to say?”
“Why are you doing that?”
“No, in that case, I would like you to come down from your desk…” … “My head hurts.”
“I understand.”

Darling, who had been keeping eye level with her while yelling at her opponent, came down to her feet, put on her shoes, and her Lehel saw her off.

“Please take a look~.”
“Nothing to do.”

Thud! The door closed with a sound, and silence once again entered the chairman’s office.

***

The weekend of the week after the election. Once Adela was able to hold her own again, I walked her out of her dorm and headed to her canteen.
At first, I thought what she meant was that she got lost and couldn’t find the store, but I soon realized why.

“Adela?”
“This way, Miss.”
“It’s not there.”
“This is the right place.”

A movement that seems to keep turning to the side. Only then did I realize that there was a problem with the ideological barrier that Liv had set up.
In the end, I reached the store while holding her hand and told Liv about it.
She tilted her head for a moment with an expression of ignorance, then stood up from her seat.

“I’ll check it out.”
“Yes.”
“…”

The time spent looking at Adela, who was standing blankly while checking, was even longer. Meanwhile, I was feeding the scrap iron I bought last time to the iron dogs one by one.
While I was tearing the steel plate into pieces of just the right size to fit in my mouth, I heard a ‘tch.’ Sound from somewhere.
After a while——

“I guess I made a mistake. “Now that it’s fixed, you’ll be fine.”
“Oh yeah? Thank god.”
“What. “More than that, sir, here is a list of property damaged during the election period and this month’s financial statement.”

Liv naturally offered me a seat inside the counter, next to her cushion where she had been sitting. Afterwards, a warm teacup was even handed to me, as if the tea set in the cafe had been used to make tea.
How can you be so meticulous? This is why lately I have been able to trust her and walk around her here and there.

“The bread didn’t arrive last week?”
“Yes. “It was stolen by protesters on the way through the main gate to the concession stand.”
“Well, Aunt Mariel must be very heartbroken…”
“I paid this week’s bill by priority mail. “I also said that if the workshop sends me an estimate for the repair cost of the cart, I will request the academy to cover the cost of repairs.”
“Good job. As expected, the Baron is excellent at handling things.”
“That… Thank you.”

Weekend, peaceful afternoon. There are no guests, and a calm breeze comes through the window along with sunlight.
I leisurely drink a cup of tea and pet the purring dog next to me.
And Liv’s voice, quieter and sweeter than any ASMR I’ve ever heard on Earth, whispers to me.

If this is not heaven, where on earth is heaven? This… A successful life?
My efforts to keep the peace in the canteen were not in vain.

“Boss, are you tired?”
“Umm… Yes?”
“There are no customers today, so if you’re tired, you can sleep on the second floor for a while. Or not…”

Sigh. Liv shifted his hips slightly to the side. The space where I can lie down is one head short.

“Would you like to rest here?”

I felt as if my body would naturally lean towards her proposal, which seemed to melt me.
The moment I was about to nod her head without realizing it ——

Thud!!

“Teacher! What should I do!?”

It’s a surprise. Adela slammed her hands on the counter and leaned forward.
By the way, we came together. I forgot I was even here. I stood up, scratching my head.
The reason I brought her was, of course, because Adela had her own work to do.

“Follow me.”

When I came out of the counter, Adela and Liv’s expressions contrasted sharply. One side has a blooming smile, and the other side has sparkling eyes.

“Teacher~. “The weather is nice today. Do you want to go out and have fun?”

Instead of talking back to her, I took out her keys and opened the door to her cafe. Adela breathed in the musty air of the cafe she had visited for the first time in a long time.

“Oh~. I miss you. “I even offered tea to the teacher here.”
“What do you want to do? Do you want to continue working in the future?”
“Really!? Great!”
“Okay, then…”

With my heart pounding, I took off my cape and immediately stopped Adela from putting on her waitress’s apron, putting a mop in her hand instead.

“Ruler.”
“?”
“I need to clean it.”
“Yes?”

What is yes? Even while the cafeteria was open, the cafe was closed and the tables, windows, and everything else were covered in dust.
We had to disassemble and clean everything, including the tea utensil for brewing tea and the hand drip equipment for grinding coffee beans.

“This place has been thoroughly cleaned and all the election posters on the windows are dirty. “Wipe the table and chairs twice with a cloth soaked in rose oil and the drying liquid from the cleaning tool box, and mop the floor with a wet mop, but be careful not to get any marks on the latch at the bottom.”
“Seo, teacher… ?”
“Then, wash all the glasses and utensils inside the bar thoroughly with water and put them out in the sun. There is a list of raw materials in the warehouse, so bring them in, check if the quantity is correct, organize the items that are past their storage period separately, and create an order sheet. Lastly, find the hygiene management certificate issued by the Farencia administrator and place it on the canteen counter. Got it?”

Adela’s eyes trembled as the spells poured in like rapid fire. She extended her hand here, hoping for help.

“Go, will you join us?”
“Now you have to learn too. “If you don’t know, ask Baron Reeve.”
“What about the teacher!? “Can’t you teach me?”
“I wish I could, but I have work to do.”
“Then I’ll do that for you!”

That’s nonsense. Are you asking me to clean up instead? In the first place, it was impossible for Adela to die and wake up.
She kept clinging to me, so I told her to finish cleaning her floor and furniture first, and then I went over to the cafeteria.
As soon as I opened the door to the cafe, Liv, who was standing right in front of me, was startled and adjusted her posture.

“Baron? “Do you have anything to do?”
“Oh, no!? It’s nothing. That… President.”
“Yes?”
“Later… “Would you like to have a meal together?”

Meal? Suddenly?
It was embarrassing, but I don’t think there was anyone at the Academy who would refuse a meal with Liv Labre. It was the same for me too, but I was in trouble right now.

“Hmm… “Is it urgent?”
“It’s not that urgent. “Are you busy?”
“Yes. I guess I’ll have to go somewhere soon. “Let’s go first and then we’ll talk.”
“All right. Me, but boss. When are you coming?”

Liv asks when you will arrive rather than where you are going. There seems to be a time limit on the business you want to bring up during a meal with me. However, it was difficult for me to answer right away. If you are unlucky, it may take quite a long time.

“I plan to return within a week, but… If you prepare well, it will come sooner than that.”
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”

I nodded, thinking of a person on the top floor of Akasha Pavilion visible through the oak trees.

“I need to throw a party.”

***

[Confirmed that the appearance of the demon statue occurred after the Great War.]
[It is unknown whether the purpose is the resurrection of the Demon King, but the further down from Edanbury to Batudis the more numbers are discovered.]
[There is no official response from Pekda Magic Tower.]
[The secured demon statue is scheduled to be submitted to Seongguk for analysis.]
[Responsible Person: Ravier 12th League 4th Division, Counterintelligence Battalion Goliath. Iron Dog, Mareil Baltimore.]

When Liv came to me for help, her note she found on her iron dog that had been chasing her.
If it was simply a piece of paper with the contents of their counterintelligence written on it, there is no reason for me to touch the reality. Do I know what they do, whether they fight with Seongguk or not?

However, the moment I saw this ominous demon statue, I decided to investigate. No matter what it is, those who try to restore the glory of the old demons must be thoroughly trampled.
There is only one reason. For the little peace I enjoyed today in the cafeteria and the academy.

Of course, it was impossible for me, who had nothing but military power, to be ahead of Cheolgyeon in terms of information gathering and organizational skills. Even the actual recovered demon statue was not in my hands, as it had already been sent to headquarters.

‘Still… There is a way.’

The election must be over, and the canteens must have been fully prepared. Now that I’ve put out all the fires, I was thinking of leaving the academy for a while to investigate the demon statue.

Of course, the store may be closed in the meantime… The deficit is too big.
After barely repairing the parts that Rochear’s soldiers had destroyed, the Academy was thrown into chaos by the Red Revolutionary Corps and no customers were accepted.

So this time, I will leave the store to Adela and Liv and go with peace of mind.

It hurts my pride a little, but anyway, there are students who come to see Liv and Adela, but there are no kites who come to see me, so it doesn’t affect sales very much.

Since the two still seemed unfamiliar, I was hopeful that spending time alone with the women would be a great help in building intimacy.

I guess it can be seen as similar to a manager who only sends subordinates to a company dinner.
Reign, but do not dominate. Isn’t this the attitude of a true employer?

When I returned to the academy, I couldn’t help but smile as I imagined Liv and Adela working together happily.