Even for Lortelle, who had seen every type of human imaginable, the girl named Lucy Mayrill was a breed apart, impossible to comprehend. It was one thing to walk by and see her napping in the sun—easy to dismiss as eccentric. But to witness her beating a high-ranking spirit to a pulp on the northwestern summit of Right Mountain, or to see her wipe out a shark-like demon the size of a house with a mere wave of her hand in the Eastern Sea…
These sightings of her extraordinary might being tossed around were occasionally captured and reached Lortelle's ears.
Despite such power, during incidents like the Glascan affair or the Ophelius estate incident, she couldn't be bothered to exert any effort, choosing instead to nap in some nook, adhering to her own pace to an excessive degree.
Lortelle, with all his intelligence, couldn't find anything about Lucy's background. Her origins, what she did before joining Sylvania Academy—it was all a mystery.
Moreover, it baffled him why someone capable of destroying a city single-handedly would bother attending the Academy at all.
She was lethargic, regularly attended courses only to mostly doze off, and the professor in charge, Glast, never laid a finger on her.
There were no signs of Glast even attempting to teach Lucy. Zix once earnestly reported Lucy's behavior to him – 'That student is beyond my teaching. There's no need to worry. If she seeks achievement, she'll find it on her own.'
To think a professor, whose job is to lead students, could say such a thing… In the end, Zix and Lortelle had no choice but to leave Lucy to her eccentric ways.
Truth be told, while slightly concerning, Lucy never actually caused any trouble for Lortelle. In fact, they had barely spoken at all.
She wandered the halls like a wild alley cat, with a blank face, eating when hungry, and sleeping when tired.
Once, he considered connecting with her due to her overwhelming strength, but as time went on, he realized she was uncontrollable and gave up the thought long ago.
Even as he convinced himself he was getting used to the enigmatic girl named Lucy…
"Muaaaagh!"
– Whoosh!
Ed had picked up Lucy's entire body and, slinging her over his shoulder, tossed her at the wooden resting place outside, then re-entered the cabin.
"Oh, sorry. I must've woken you, Lortelle. Lucy snuck into the shack. I've cleared it out now, so rest easy."
Ed, wiping his sweat, looked as if he had just finished a deferred chore.
The second morning of Lortelle's life in the shack had dawned.
The first day had passed in a blur.
From bathing in a stream for the first time, sitting shamefully covered with shabby cloth while drying his wet clothes, to enjoying the oddly comforting fish dishes Ed had cooked with care, even indulging in the romance of stargazing… It was a heart-pounding, eventful experience that could hardly be summarized in a single line.
The concept of roaming outside while on the run seemed laughable, so he stayed mostly inside the shack, but just sitting in the camp brought him an inexplicable satisfaction… As hard as it was, he managed to sleep soundly for the first time in a long while.
But if one were to ask if this hideout life was purely a romantic escape… Well, it wouldn't be fair to put it that way. Not only because he was a fugitive, but also, a nemesis loomed nearby.
"Yenika will come by in the morning. It seems she'd be reading in the temple or practicing spirit summoning. Ask her if you need anything."
Yenika had lingered persistently until the Dex Hall's headcount the night before and had announced her intention to return to the northern forest at the crack of dawn, likely planning to camp out for the entirety of Lortelle's three-day stay.
Whenever their eyes met outside the door, she flashed the cheeriest and most refreshing smile, and Lortelle, in turn, would match her with the world's purest grin. It was a draining exchange.
For the next three days, as Lortelle put aside his life as a merchant, Yenika was his main antagonist.
… That's what he thought.
"Does Lucy visit the camp often, senior?"
"What's the use in saying? Think of her like a natural disaster."
"…"
Lortelle felt an instinctual warning. Given how often Lucy had been spending time at the camp lately, even he started to wonder if it was too much.
She would cling to Ed's side whenever she could, nabbing a few jerkies from the drying stand, or sprawling on a rock next to Ed chopping wood, throwing frivolous chatter around.
Naturally, Lucy bore no obvious redeemable traits as a person, but that was only the current situation.
Even Ed seemed to accept her presence as a normal part of the camp's scenery, and before Lortelle knew it, she was always by his side, grumbling and chattering away. This could be quite dangerous.
As mentioned before, a change in perception is typically what evolves the relationship between a man and a woman. If Lucy were to shed her current disposition and begin to feel affection or possessiveness towards Ed… Well, this could result in a disaster of a wholly different nature than Yenika, an even more tiresome one.
Among the many lessons learned in the world of commerce, one stands out: when you spot the seeds of calamity, it's wise to nip them in the bud.
However, the methodology is the question. How? If asked, there's no clear answer.
"It might get a bit noisy, but I'm busy, so please understand."
With that, Ed brought a pile of bricks from an unknown source and started building.
Lortelle awkwardly nodded and threw a glance toward the wooden resting place visible through the open door.
Lucy's attire was in total disarray. Her look, casually sprawled with a half-eaten jerky in her mouth while snoring away, seemed far removed from any notions of affection or possessiveness.
It was clear that she had built a wall between herself and such emotions… Lortelle began to wonder if he was overly sensitive.
Perhaps there was no need to be overly cautious, nor to exhaust himself with needless worry.
The intermediaries between Ed and Lucy were indeed their problem, not Lortelle's. Before any relationship had formed, attempting control would seem tiresomely possessive.
Once he had reconciled these thoughts, Lortelle nodded to himself and leaned back against the cabin wall.
Was he being unduly sensitive due to unfamiliar feelings? As he began to accept his uncharacteristic behavior as a source of amusement, he found himself instinctively twirling his fingers.
Resting his chin on his knees, he stole glances at Ed fiddling with bricks.
Slight chuckles escaped him involuntarily, and though he couldn't help it, he didn't want to lose his image as a seasoned, cunning merchant by revealing too much. He lowered his head modestly.
That mask was his most formidable weapon at this moment.
Ultimately, it seemed there was no need to be overly sensitive about Ed's interpersonal relationships.
Time was abundant.
* [Newly Completed Item]
Homemade Brick: A brick shaped by pressing clay into a mold and baking it with a fire magic after drying sufficiently.
Difficulty Level: ●●○○○ [You have completed the creation. Your crafting proficiency has increased.]
[You have learned the Stonemasonry skill. Due to your Dexterity stat, the proficiency increase is enhanced.]
[Newly Completed Item]
Brick Fireplace: A fireplace built from homemade bricks. While the joints were simply clad in clay and not particularly sturdy, it should fulfill its function as a fireplace adequately. If intended for indoor use, it would be wise to attach a chimney.
Difficulty Level: ●●◐○○ [You have completed the creation. Your crafting proficiency has increased.]
-Tick, tick.
The whole morning was spent, but there was not enough time to build a functioning chimney. He'll have to use the afternoon or evening for that task.
Still, as a completed product, it was rather satisfying. It won't be long now before he can move into the cabin.
A stable living environment. What a dreamy thought.
"Oh my, that scent is unique. Did you use basil?"
"Belle shared some the other time. But can you really tell just by the smell?"
"I'm quite confident in my sense of smell."
Lortelle hummed a tune while Yenika, with a stern look, and he, readied to have lunch around the stove.
Fish filets were cut from the precariously preserved catches, grilled on a grate, and seasoned with spices.
His cooking skill proficiency was increasing day by day, and with various ingredients available for use, it felt like his diet was improving too.
Although the wilderness diet hadn't changed, the taste continued to improve. Once the cabin construction was finished, it wouldn't be bad to try growing some small perennial vegetables.
A bite of the skewered meat revealed juicy flavor, making the mouth water.
"Considering there hasn't been any substantial movement even late into the morning, I suppose we can assume plans are proceeding well."
Lortelle subtly covered his mouth as he chewed his food and continued speaking. Yenika seemed to be in a slightly petulant mood, pouting without a word.
"We've come this far, now we just wait for the victory announcement."
"Right. It's good news, but we mustn't get complacent."
"Of course. Senior Ed."
With a bright smile, Lortelle spoke with a lively voice rarely heard from him.
"There's a mountain of things to do. There's cleaning up to do, and I must ensure to compensate Senior Ed."
"Doesn't 20 gold coins seem like a small sum for your wallet?"
"Every amount, no matter how small, must be paid back thoroughly. I am a merchant, after all. Is there something specific you'd like other than cash, senior? If it's within the realm of what the branch warehouse permits."
"Well, unnecessary construction materials, or…wait, that's it. Spare magic engineering equipment?"
"Magic engineering equipment?"
He had already finished pondering which high-level skills should fill the slots for the production series. Magic engineering and enchanting were the choices.
Magic engineering skills, in particular, could improve rapidly with extensive exposure to magic engineering tools, and having someone to distribute them would make life easier.
"Practicality aside, just the leftover cheap items will do."
"Hmm…"
Lortelle touched his chin as if in deep thought.
"I'll check the inventory later and let you know."
"No, I'll think about it now. I have memorized most of it since I receive stock changes daily. The items that are consistently in the list tend to be memorized subconsciously."
Perhaps it was not needed to take this seriously now, but Lortelle was surprisingly active in considering his request.
"May I ask why you're requesting unpopular and cheap items?"
"Well, I won't be using them for any significant purposes, and I'd rather not incur debt or any burdens asking for expensive ones."
"Oh, if that's the reason… Let me think about it…"
Lortelle's smile froze as he mused for permission to think. Wait for a minute or two, thought Ed, reaching again for the food.
"By the way, Yenika, I've been thinking and have something to ask of you."
"Wooeung?!"
Yenika trembled, interrupted while eating fish. Whether startled by the sudden call or choked, he quickly passed her some water.
"Puhaha!"
"…"
"What are you asking for?"
Ed contemplated how to present his request and then, deciding the matter wasn't so complex after all, spoke directly.
"I've been trying to pick up some spirit magic lately, and I'd like to form a contract with even a low-ranking spirit. Could you help me out?"
"Ed wants to contract a spirit?"
"Yep."
Yenika played with her braids, made a thoughtful hum, then with a sudden nod, she said, "Aha!"
"Come to think of it, Tarkan has been talking a lot about Ed. He complained that his neck is still sore from where it got chopped off by you."
"…"
"Don't look so worried, Ed. Sure, Tarkan holds grudges, but I made sure to tell him straight. You had your reasons, so he shouldn't carry a grudge!"
Yenika's anger, as speculated by onlookers, can only imagine a child stomping their feet and puffing their cheeks in frustration—it's hardly convincing.
Having a falling out with an upper-level spirit doesn't lead to anything good… But that doesn't mean she'll hold it against me.
"Tarkan hasn't fully restored his powers yet. Still, he knows it was Ed who prevented the berserk state… He might grumble, but he doesn't actually harbor ill feelings. Given that, I'd say Ed has quite a bit of spirit attunement accumulated by now."
"That's right."
It's not only Tarkan, but also due to fending off various spirits under Yenika's command.
Yenika must realize why it was unavoidable at the time.
After all, Yenika appears to still feel significant guilt about the incident back then, so it seems she'd rather not talk about it.
"So… show me…?"
Suddenly, Yenika spoke up and spread her arms wide.
"… Hm?"
"Ah… my ability to see yet-to-materialize spirits seems weak… Would you hold my hand, Ed?"
"Your hand? Why suddenly…?"
"… No no, not like that! There's something I want to show you!"
So without further suspicion, I took Yenika's hand.
"Wow. Ed, your hands are bigger than I thought."
"You're just small."
After saying so, I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened them again, shocked by what I saw.
"Fifty-three… a bit fewer than usual…"
Rabbits, hawks, deer, tigers, eagles, puppies, sparrows… too many varied animals to name filled the surroundings. Each of differing sizes and elements, creating a spectacular sight.
A sparrow made of wind perched on Yenika's shoulder, a young boa constrictor coiled around her arm, a dirt-dusting puppy sat curled at her feet, a burning deer rubbed its face against her cheek.
"Is it always like this?"
"Usually, they're scattered around, but when I'm in the northern forest, they always gather like this. See this snake? Isn't it clearly visible? It's recently been transformed from an ethereal to a lesser spirit."
"How many spirits have you contracted with?"
"Huh? Well, not all the ones gathered here are contracted… um… one high-level spirit, six mid-class spirits, and as for lesser spirits… I haven't counted them. It's definitely over a hundred."
The least someone can achieve in spirit attunement and understanding to be awarded a spirit slot is two.
Truly, she possesses a constitution beloved by spirits.
Considering only the visible spirits, there are already more than a dozen, and if you count those that still escape my detection, it's astounding.
"If you're interested in spirit studies, I can teach you. But I feel I have more intuitive understanding than theoretical… If it's just magical theory, Aila would know much more… but for practical spirit magic, developing intuition is far more important…"
Aila, Taely's partner, is vague in power but has deep magical knowledge.
Much like academia differs from intuition, Yenika is a spirit mage with exceptionally developed senses.
When learning rigorous spirit studies, assistance from another spirit mage is invaluable.
There's no one in this Sylvania with senses more developed in spirit magic than Yenika.
"Looks like you've attained quite a level in spirit attunement considering your first contract. When we first met, you were an absolute novice, but you've grown incredibly fast. Ed must have some talent."
The reason for my rapid progress is something Yenika must also be aware of… Above all, the most impactful was decapitating Tarkan.
"Besides that, I'd like to receive your intuitive guidance. Academic spirit lessons have their limits."
"Sure! Don't worry about it!"
Having a connection with Yenika Faelover, a tough companionship to create, is fortunate. Could you really get one-on-one tutoring from such an esteemed spirit mage anywhere else? To make the most of it… though the phrase "to milk it dry" might be too crude.
In any case, Yenika offers her help with pure goodwill.
"Then, I'll be Ed's mentor!"
Yenika spoke with a cough and laughed.
Pretending to be dignified, she placed her hands on her hips and snorted with confidence, but the gesture seemed more adorable than authoritative.
Not wishing to spoil Yenika's good mood, I clapped a few times in awe.
"Don't worry! I'll take responsibility and enhance Ed's sense for spirit magic! Soon you'll even be ready to contract with a mid-class spirit!"
Yenika, hemming with a laugh, evoked gratitude, prompting me to nod along.
"So,.. can you not directly communicate with spirits yet?"
"Sometimes I can reach lesser spirits, but I hardly hear anything back from them."
"Really? Considering the magic you wield, that shouldn't be the case. Haven't you developed your spirit and mana attunement to a decent level?"
"… That's true."
"Maybe… the spirits aren't choosing to speak with you? Even if it isn't clear, you should be able to vaguely hear them…"
Yenika then extended her index finger to the sparrow on her shoulder.
The cute sparrow hopped onto her finger.
"Karis! Would you speak to Ed?"
[Miss Yenika! This man… can't underst… you!]
Oh…! I can vaguely hear it…!
Focusing my mind more on sensing mana, the voice became clearer.
[You need to raise your attunement level to hear us properly!]
"Is that so? But Ed's progress is surprisingly quick."
[Consider his schedule! How much time does he even have for magical training? You know, Miss Yenika! According to last week's regular report meeting seen from the window of Dex Hall 203, our food stockpile is dwindling, amidst the urgent need to focus on the construction of the cottage, distractions must be…aaaaaaa]
Yenika silenced the sparrow by placing her hand over its head and twisting the flow of mana, swiftly sending the spirit back to its realm.
"…. Did you hear that?"
"Vaguely?"
Silence ensued.
"… But, what's this regular report meeting?"
"Ah, the northern forest is a gathering place for many spirits. So, they report external changes to me, I guess? They alert me if they're uneasy about something? Including brief mentions of Ed within these reports… though not significantly, it's more like a casual touch, akin to passing greetings between neighbors?"
"…. Really?"
The detail seems off, but the priority now is the method of spirit magic training.
"Anyway, I'll regularly check on Ed's spirit attunement. I'm probably the most in tune with that realm here in the academy. Few people are known to have such developed senses."
"Thank you, that's most appreciated."
With the assistance of a skilled spirit mage, my mastery of spirit magic will soar. It's great to have friends in such areas.
What still concerns me is the field of magic engineering…
"Oh my, are you done with your conversation?"
Lortelle joined us, still smiling gently.
"Yes."
"So, to conclude our discussion on magic engineering supplies. It seems we have more surplus stock than anticipated, so we can provide you with enough."
That's a bit of good news.
"Additionally, most stuff has either expired or hasn't been sold for a long period, so they're virtually considered dead assets."
"Then, can you sell them at a low price? Can you juggle the numbers to match the 20 dimes we agreed upon?"
"Lowering the price? Senior, you say the most disheartening things. It's not a major amount and since they're practically dead stock anyway, it would be free…"
Stopping mid-sentence, Lortelle pondered, glancing back and forth between me and Yenika.
An impish grin then returned to Lortelle's face.
"Free… Even so, I have the title of a merchant. It would be difficult to offer goods without charge."
"Understood, I accept your standpoint."
"Still, I'll sell at the lowest possible price. I'll continue to do so anytime a new backlog appears. Since we are dealing with a monetary contract, a contract must be written… Also, whenever we sell items, each should be documented for legal reasons."
"Is all that paperwork usual for a simple sales contract?"
"Well, we have a special arrangement, don't we? I'm giving you a good deal, after all. Ahaha. However…"
Lortelle continued speaking with a beaming smile.
"Since the contract needs to be renewed frequently, you'd have to visit the Elte Company's branch in the living quarters regularly. Maybe have a cup of tea while you're there, some casual conversation would be nice, right? Considering the turnover of merchandise, the more frequent the renewal, the better. How about once every three days?"
"If that's the contract, then there's nothing to be done about the hassle. Just don't pull a fast one on me."
"Oh my, as I said before… The secret to Elte Company's longevity is its integrity."
Having a stable source to obtain magic engineering supplies is important.
I'll deal with the specifics when the time comes. I'm not entirely clueless about magic engineering supplies.
"But… isn't that so minor you could give it for free…?"
Suddenly, Yenika chimed in.
"Ed helped out a lot this time. It won't significantly impact the ledger, so isn't it okay to go beyond contracts and formalities?"
Yenika's odd, stiff tone elicited an equally firm response from Lortelle.
"I'm a merchant. Even to a good Samaritan, I can't give away stock for free. It's a matter of professional ethics."
"A lie! You're just setting a pretext!"
"A pretext? What pretext?"
Lortelle blinked innocently at Yenika, the picture of a girl utterly naive about the ways of the world.
Obviously, Lortelle is no such girl.
The negotiation over the price seemed to have room for more thought.
If I pressed Lortelle further about the Ophelius Hall incident, it could likely work out to my benefit.
Yenika's comment was sharp, a fitting reminder not to underestimate Lortelle's hustle for an extra penny of gold.
And as I contemplated how to wrap up the conversation…
"Oh dear, I wasn't aware Lady Lortelle would be here, too."
Upon hearing that, everyone turned toward the bushes, where a familiar visitor appeared.
"… Belle?"
"Ugh…"
"What's wrong?"
As Belle saw us circling the campfire, she pressed her temples and closed her eyes tightly.
"No, I'm sorry. Just by seeing the members here, I feel a headache coming on."
"… Really?"
Lortelle's expression cooled at the appearance of an Ophelius Hall representative—someone she'd prefer not to meet. She wouldn't have wanted her location revealed, either.
Technically, staying well into this hour, Lortelle was already victorious. The Elte sell-off plan should have been secured by now. Even though she was cautious and hiding out, she could afford the comfort of a fire outside the cabin. She was essentially awaiting victory.
Still, the attire Belle wore seemed to bother Lortelle.
Contrasting with Lortelle's simple senior maid garment was Belle's much fancier one. She wore the costume of the head maid.
Belle's succession of Ellis as head maid signaled that the Ophelius Hall matter was nearing a proper resolution.
As usual, Belle walked in graciously and sat demurely across from our group.
"… I'm sorry to bring such gloomy news…"
With eyes closed and a slow voice, Belle continued.
I could guess what Belle was about to say, so I quietly looked down.
I watched the crackling fire, tossing in a few more logs.