Episode 74 – Knowledge (1)

Knowledge (1)

Late at night.

I climbed to the rooftop of my lodging. I unfolded the easel and folding chair I had brought in advance.

I sat quietly, looking at the night view of the Aerial Garden. There was a moon in front of me, and the clouds on the horizon reflected the moonlight like a mirror.

It was a view sufficient to be chosen as a subject.

“……What do you think?”

Suddenly, a voice flowed from behind me.

There was a person who appeared suddenly without any signs. Did he fly from the sky?

“This is the Aerial Garden that Libra is proud of.”

He said that and approached me. His gray hair fluttered in the wind.

“This view, isn’t it perfect? For your assignment.”

Belingham Kantar.

I responded bluntly.

“That’s right.”

“Here.”

Suddenly, Belingham handed me a box.

“What is this?”

“It’s a mana core. I don’t know why the senior wants this. Perhaps alchemy or enchantment is your future ambition?”

He brought what I had mentioned three hours ago.

I opened the box lid. The mana core was wrapped in luxurious velvet.

“The warranty is also included.”

“Ah, yes.”

Mana cores have origins and grades. Ghost mana cores are the most despised, monster mana cores are average, and naturally occurring mana cores from plants, minerals, and especially gems are recognized as the highest grade.

[Origin: Plant]

[Grade: A]

Jade’s gift was a grade A mana core with a plant origin.

It’s a bit small, but this should be worth about 70-80 thousand Ren. As expected of Jade, he’s generous.

“Wow. Amazing. Please convey my thanks.”

Honestly, I don’t feel any gratitude towards Libra. But seeing these words flow out so easily, it seems I’m getting used to it.

It’s a good phenomenon.

“More than that, it’s surprising. You’ve easily won the favor of a direct descendant of Libra.”

Belingham rested his hand on the railing.

“But if your ability doesn’t back it up, you won’t last long.”

It was a warning, or advice. If guys like Asher or Kain said something like this, I would have let it go in one ear and out the other, but Belingham is an overseer.

Among the various positions of a knight, the highest, a badge only monsters can reach.

The minimum qualification to become an overseer is an active second-ranked knight. Usually, when you graduate from a magic college’s knight department, you become a senior knight, and then you take a rank evaluation test.

Most graduates receive an 8th rank evaluation, and elite knights from prestigious universities start from an average of 6th rank.

But Belingham passed the qualification exam as soon as he graduated from Edsilla University.

To give you an idea, it’s similar to passing the bar exam before graduating from university, and becoming a chief prosecutor at the same time as graduation.

“Well. My ability may not be as good as yours. But I am confident.”

Belingham laughed silently.

“Good. Let’s say you have that level of ability and enter the Aerial Garden. Then you’ll have to pick and choose from the direct family.”

Something was off. Was he trying to acknowledge me? It felt good, but also shitty.

He asked casually,

“Is it Jade, after all?”

I tried hard to maintain a poker face.

Jade was a rotten choice, but I couldn’t let that show.

“No.”

“Then who?”

I held a palette in one hand, mixing paint on it as I answered,

“Zia.”

“Zia, Zia….”

Belingham repeated, with a hint of puzzlement.

“You mean the youngest Miss Zia?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… why?”

“Because I know my place.”

“Hmm.”

His reaction was lukewarm. Even Belingham didn’t know what kind of claws Zia was hiding.

It meant she was good at hiding herself.

“Do you not want to get involved in the succession dispute?”

Contrary to Belingham’s speculation, the future owner of Libra is neither Derek, Jade, nor Johanna.

It’s Zia.

Only her.

“Yes. I think that’s about right for me.”

Rather than sticking with the loser and working like crazy to make them win, it’s better to stick with the winner and pretend to be loyal.

That’s about the size of my ambition.

“….”

Belingham closed his mouth. He seemed a bit disappointed, but I didn’t care.

I picked up the brush. I mixed the right colors for the night sky. I applied the oil paint to the canvas. I captured the landscape on the canvas.

“The more I see, the more talent you have that would be envied in art school.”

“It’s just a hobby. There’s no point in envying it.”

“That’s a shame.”

Belingham, who had been watching the canvas, asked again briefly.

“How about the college board? Do you think you can get into a national university?”

I answered while painting the moon.

“It’s a foregone conclusion.”

Huh. Belingham laughed as if amused.

“I like your confidence.”

______________________________________________________________________

At the same time, in Jade’s office.

“Hmm.”

He was looking at his portrait hanging in one corner of the wall.

The deep and intense colors seemed to transplant the light directly, and the dark roses in the background were as dark as if the shadows had been cut off with a knife. The vivid contrast of light and dark clashed and glowed on the canvas.

The emotional brushwork reminded him of a master’s work, and a hot and unique respect for Jade himself was melted into it.

“Good.”

He was very satisfied.

Jade had this masterpiece framed in the most luxurious frame and hung it opposite his office desk.

“Hmm.”

But, somehow, he was a little dissatisfied.

Not with the canvas, but its position.

It was fine when standing and admiring, but something seemed a bit off when sitting.

He got up from his seat and picked up the frame. He moved it a bit to the right. As it was an artifact-grade frame, there was no need for nails.

“Hmm….”

Jade stepped back and looked. He moved slightly from side to side and looked. He looked up close, and he looked from afar.

It was slightly awkward.

Jade picked up the canvas again and placed it right behind the office entrance.

“Hmm.”

He stroked his chin and contemplated.

The light was just right, and it was satisfying to admire from the office chair, but it wasn’t very noticeable.

Such a good painting shouldn’t be hidden. Whether it’s a guest or a secretary, it should be placed so that it can be seen immediately upon entering the office.

Jade moved the frame again, this time behind the office desk.

“Hmm….”

In this way, he spent his precious time, although there was honestly not much work, anyway, he devoted three precious hours to interior decoration.

______________________________________________________________________

The next day, Tuesday morning.

I returned to Endex without delay. It was thanks to Libra’s side who took me directly.

My condition was quite good. The driver’s driving was so perfect that I slept all the way.

[Latinel]

When I entered the Latinel classroom, Elise and Layla caught my eye first. They were sitting together, but their postures were different. Elise was reading a script, and Layla was giving Elise a soured gaze.

“….Ah, Shion!”

Layla, who had been doing so, called me and jumped up.

“Elly won’t show me the script!”

At Layla’s nagging, Elise frowned.

“You’ve already received up to your part.”

“No~ I want to read the next script too!”

“You’re too careless with your behavior. You’ll show it to the other kids.”

“What?! No, I won’t!”

It was indeed a somewhat agreeable reason.

I sat down without saying much.

“Shion! Writer! Tell her! I’m also part of the drama team, why- Ah.”

Just then, Professor Beatrice appeared. Layla quickly turned around and sat down.

“Nice to see you all~”

Beatrice saw me.

“I heard that the script is complete. Can I see it?”

I looked at Elise. Elise took out a rather old-fashioned book from her bag. It was a leather-bound version of the script [The Bard].

“….Why don’t I get one.”

In the midst of Layla’s envious gaze, Elise handed it to Professor Beatrice. Beatrice, who received it, smiled.

“Yes. I’ll read it during the break. Shall we start the class? Please open page 77 of Chapter 5.”

And so today’s lecture began.

“This passage is from a Latinel newspaper. There was media in ancient times, and the words used in the media were different from those used in everyday life….”

She lectured on ‘The Use of Latinel in Public Places’ in her usual friendly tone.

As usual, I fought off sleep and tried my best to look awake.

“Oh my. Time has flown by.”

10:30 AM.

90 minutes after the start of class.

“Let’s take a 20-minute break.”

Professor Beatrice left the classroom with the script, but returned before the break was over.

“Is this script really written by student Shion?”

Her face, asking in an excited tone, was unusually flushed.

….

After the Latinel class ended. I was surprised as soon as I came out into the hallway. There were a lot of people gathered.

“Ah. There he is. That’s Shion.”

Miller, a university student and member of the theater team, pointed at me. About ten people turned around at once.

“Hello~”

“Is that guy the writer?”

“…Ah, yes.”

As I was scrutinizing the faces, Elise approached from behind.

“They’re all staff. All active members. I picked them.”

“Really?”

Now that I look, their outfits are saying – I’m a staff member. Laptops, microphones, sound equipment and the like are strewn all over the floor.

“Uh. Work hard.”

“What?”

I was about to pass by when Elise grabbed me.

“What are you irresponsibly doing?”

“Elly, you irresponsibly didn’t give me the script.”

At that moment, Layla interjected. Elise ignored her.

“If you wrote the script, you should also direct, shouldn’t you?”

“Oh, right.”

I almost forgot. I pulled out a notebook from my bag.

“What’s this?”

“A storyboard.”

It’s a storyboard I drew before bed at Aerial Garden. A depiction of every scene from the musical ‘The Bard’ I saw, sketched out in pencil.

“This will be much better than me directing.”

“What are you going to do with a storyboard…”

Elise opened the notebook. Suddenly, her words cut off. Her eyes were fixed on the page. Layla also peered over her shoulder.

“…Wow. Shion is really good at drawing.”

As Layla admired, Elise glanced at her, and abruptly closed it.

“Ah, you really won’t even show this!”

Fuming.

Elise put the storyboard in her pocket.

“Well. It seems better than you, who can’t articulate, directing. More importantly, have you prepared an outfit for the festival greeting?”

“Why do I need to greet? I’m not an actor.”

“It’s for the curtain call. The press will be there.”

Elise looked me up and down. I felt a little pricked.

“Do you only have a uniform for clothes?”

A cowardly fact attack. I have nothing to wear other than my uniform. But I do wash it every day.

“Just buy something.”

“Where?”

“There, at Eastgate. A set costs about 30 Ren.”

“I’m talking about clothes to wear at official events. At least at the level of Vélorent .”

Vélorent is a mid-level luxury brand that costs about 3,000 Ren per suit.

“Do my ancestors provide me with money? Huh? Does money rain when I pray?”

Of course, I do have money. I’ve collected quite a lot of Darkweb DP. The problem is that I need to launder it if I want to use it. The Edsilla Tax Office is not an easy opponent.

“Haah…….”

Elise, who sighed, pulled out a wallet. A crisp card slipped out.

“Here.”

—Miller~ Can I see the script~? They won’t give it to me.

In the meantime, Layla had somehow stuck to Miller.

—Ha ha…… Is that so?

—That’s what I’m saying! I’m memorizing lines from a printout!

—Well…… Isn’t a printout okay? You have it.

Miller also refused with a somewhat embarrassed expression.

—What do you mean it’s okay! It’s not okay at all!

“What are you doing. Take it.”

Elise hurried me while holding out the card. I cautiously asked.

“…Something expensive?”

“Do as you please.”

She coolly responded and walked away, her wallet tucked back into her bag. The staff and university students followed her.

“…What’s with her.”

I checked the card first.

[Edsilla Saerto Centurion Black]

[Elise Vanessa Petra Clarice]

Saerto Centurion Black. A dark card with no spending limit. The annual fee for this must be around 10,000 Ren. Truly, they live in a different world.

I quietly spoke to Elise’s retreating figure.

“She definitely said I could buy something expensive.”