Avoid Former Co-Workers

96 – 96. Scheduled Encounters (3)

I have to take him. It is not a time to interfere with the guidance and training time that the professor proceeds according to the growth of one student.

However, the conversation between the two professors continued without the students, and soon permission was dropped.

…Where Professor Jake is taking you.

I wonder if this is right.

“…Professor. I’m not being taken somewhere, am I?”

“Hmm? Why do you think so?”

“Didn’t you take it like this before and clean the pool because you had an accident?”

At that time, I almost thought I was a slave to the salt farm. How can you clean that large swimming pool without anyone else getting in it?

Professor Jake said he didn’t show up until after the sun went down and said we could stop.

At the time, I sweated properly just because I had an accident, so when Professor Jake, who was not someone else, told me where to go, I got into the habit of being suspicious.

“Hmmm… It’s not like that, don’t worry.”

“Really?”

“Ugh, you bought me meat because you were sorry then. Why do you still remember that?”

I was taken aback when I saw Professor Jake clearing his throat, and his shoulders trembled in apprehension.

Could it be again? Junon, who raised his alertness with the thought, thought that he would jump if he had to. There’s no way I would want to do something like that twice.

Even in the middle of this and that chatter, I didn’t let go of my guard, but by the time I noticed it, it was already too late.

We arrived outside the academy. He could be sure he wasn’t trying to make things happen.

But… Somehow it seems that we are facing more problems than cleaning the swimming pool.

“…?”

“This is the place you will enter. I won’t follow you from there, there will be someone else to guide you.”

Are you kidding me? No, no matter how prank-loving Professor Jake is, there’s no way he could pull off a prank like this.

…That’s more of a problem?

“Hey… Professor?”

“Hmm. I told you everything. He’s waiting for you, so go in quickly. Don’t be nervous. Okay?”

“I don’t think it’s a matter of tension… How dare I…”

This is… The mansion where the leader of the Principality of Ardelion resides.

If you are working as the chairman, you may be able to visit the professors at the academy. But this is not the director’s office.

There was nothing strange about him keeping his eyes open with his mouth open. While doing so, I was pushed on my back.

“Don’t you know that His Excellency is waiting for more at this time?”

“Ah…”

I can’t believe you’re hesitant here when the Grand Duke is waiting for you. This was the problem as it is.

“Haaa…”

A long sigh came out naturally, but Junon had no choice but to head inside the mansion.

“…I never imagined you would be called like this.”

The professor, who had to shove his back while watching the student’s confused face, also did not accept the situation easily.

Why is Junon among so many students?

I couldn’t help thinking like that. However, this idea needs to be corrected.

It was because of that thunderous tenacity that he did not give up and just rushed forward, that this new wave spread throughout the academy.

Therefore, it should be corrected that among so many students, only Junon caught the eye of the Grand Duke.

***

I don’t have time to think about how this happened. You have to go in and hear why you called and what you want to ask for.

That was all I thought while following the lady-in-waiting who was in charge of her guidance.

Soon, the door opened.

“Welcome.”

The grand duke who invited me here greeted me with a bright smile.

Although Professor Jake told me not to be nervous, I think that probably any student in this situation would have no choice but to be nervous.

But I… I’ve lived through even more tension than this.

“Meet your Excellency.”

“…Whoa.”

As I bowed my head and greeted him, the Grand Duke gave a small exclamation.

“I was worried about being too nervous, but I guess I didn’t have to. All right. Have a comfortable seat there.”

Then the Grand Duke himself picked up some papers from his office chair and sat down on a sofa.

“Hmm. Where should I start talking…”

“You can tell me whatever you feel comfortable with.”

Anyway, I had no intention of running away.

At that, the Grand Duke smiled.

“There have been a lot of big incidents lately. All of them were situations where students could be in danger or could have become a bigger problem, but the damage didn’t increase.”

Early Semester Assessment. Defense of Osoptera. The forced engagement ceremony of Count Kutelli. Creating a soundproof barrier inside the academy. Lastly, the Duvet Terrorist Incident.

The events that the Grand Duke recited one after another were as bold as their names alone.

And one person who is commonly involved in this.

That was me.

“I don’t think it’s hard to believe that you’ve always been caught up in your affairs simply because of bad luck. What do you think?”

“Well, I remember that there was always someone involved besides me at that time.”

I can’t give you a quick answer. As long as I don’t know what the Grand Duke is asking of me, I won’t back down.

“In the case of the Giant Kud Rat, the number of students attacked is considerable, and during the defense of Osoptera, all the students were in a state of confusion at the time. I must be one of them. At Adele’s engagement ceremony, as a friend, I couldn’t just pass by. There was no such thing, and even during the soundproof barrier or the Dubegwan terror incident, I stayed in the position of the vanguard, and I think it was enough to get involved.”

Perhaps the grand duke will not be pleased with it.

Because he’s reciting only superficially correct words.

If you’re going to peel away the layers of doubt right away, you’ll have to present reasonable evidence. Proof that I was there.

“hahahaha. This is too much. I’m not trying to interrogate you.”

“…”

“Yes. I have to be honest with you. I suspect you were at the center of all this, don’t you?”

“I’m not sure.”

In fact, as the Grand Duke said, the events were too big to deny.

In addition, there have been too many other things recently, such as the end-of-semester evaluation, class placement test, and the rushed welcome Dalian replica.

It’s just that the Archduke didn’t bother to reveal this far. If he tried to find it in the papers, he would have been able to find any amount of evidence.

I need to know how exposed it is.

Where others can start questioning. How far my information is known.

“Oops. If that’s what you mean, it can’t be helped.”

Noticing this, the Grand Duke handed over the other two documents he had taken out.

“At first, I felt strange in the Bleshuar arc. There’s no way a student could use an object with such a high impact.”

“…That’s right.”

“No matter how Ophelia you are, you have no choice but to report to me when it comes to lending an important object like this. It was then that I began to question you. Well… No one except the Marquis of Emerald and the Earl and his wife Beryl. You won’t know.”

Blsure Arc. With the help of her princess as much as possible, this document was about to be passed over with some excuse.

However, there is already enough room for doubt. If something happened next, you couldn’t help but suspect me.

The actions of Count Kutelli, who exploded as if after a while. It would have been strange not to investigate all of my activities from here on out.

A series of doubts were woven together to create that thick document.

Contrary to concerns, however, this fact was not known to the public. Even though it’s going beyond weeks and becoming months.

This… Means that I was as comfortable as possible.

“You have a wish for me.”

“Why do you think so?”

“You could have made a difference to the academy by revealing my whereabouts right away. Just because you didn’t do that means that your Excellency has taken care of my situation. That’s why you want something from me in return, don’t you?”

I sent Professor Jake to a time zone that would not be noticed by others and would have an excuse.

The private meeting thus created was not an order or coercion, but a request and a request, a meeting that fully considered a person’s circumstances.

Even though the current principality is desperately looking for someone who can correct this tilted balance.

If all these facts are revealed, even though it can empower the lower classes who are currently in the vanguard and support positions in Class C and D.

The person concerned could feel uncomfortable or burdened until the end, so he was considerate.

The Archduke smiled faintly.

“Yes. You are right.”

“Did you intentionally direct this conversation that way?”

“That’s correct. It’s true that I was worried about bringing it up first, but I threw up my number saying that a man who has done things like this would follow suit.”

Then what does the Grand Duke want from me…

This was too easy to notice.

“If you want to put me first in the academy… I’d say no.”

“…Somehow.”

“There is no exaggeration in my image. I don’t know if it looks good on the outside, but I’m not a good person for that. The road is different from the goal I want to achieve.”

It’s good to make changes to correct the principality’s balance, but that doesn’t guarantee my survival. If you install it too much, it will stand out. That’s too big a risk.

The faint smile that hung over the archduke immediately turned into a bitter one.

With a feeling of grabbing at least a straw, he offered another invitation.

“Do you have any idea what team you belong to?”

“Yes.”

The same goes for this one. Even if I belong to a team other than Tembris, that will come as a vulnerability to me.

Should I say it was a kind of trauma, I didn’t want to continue my team or party life anymore. I’ve gotten used to going alone in the first place.

“Sorry…”

The grand duke, who had a bitter smile, closes his eyes.

Since the person who has been waiting for a long time, seeing all the tricks of the nobles, refuses, you can’t force it.

A long experience will prove that such coercion is poisonous. So, I won’t invite you any more.

“Okay. If your will is that determined, I won’t force you any more. However, can you promise me one thing?”

What the Grand Duke asked for a promise… Was nothing to worry about.

Because that won’t happen in this lifetime.

The monologue with the Grand Duke ends here.

According to the opinion of the person concerned that the truth of the document should not be known, this truth is covered by the hands of the Archduke. It was as if the only stumbling block that had disturbed a corner of his heart had been removed.

I arrived at the academy in the wagon prepared by the Grand Duke, and I was able to arrive in time for the lecture.

And… It was starting to show.

“Heo Eok, why are you so hurt?”

“Ahahahaha, I just… Rolled something.”

“Where did you find this wound? What happened…”

Injured students are increasing one by one.

Why do they come injured? That’s right…

“How did I pass this semester, but I can’t handle the next semester. So I have to take it off with my body…”

Tuition fees have risen sharply. So it’s because of money.