Chapter 77: Cohabitation (2) (2/2)
I knocked and opened the door to her room again, finding her in the middle of unpacking. She looked back at me with a slumped posture.
“W-What—”
She left her luggage half unpacked on her bed, a stuffed doll among them.
“Hmm…”
When my gaze fell on it, Julie let out a little squeal. She grabbed the panda’s head and hid it behind her back.
“It’s for l-luck. It’s like a jinx, a jinx. Each knight has one—”
“This is the key to your room. Always keep it locked. I might come in unannounced otherwise.”
As I gave her the key, Julie’s face turned red, but her expression remained knightly and solemn while she received it.
“Thank you.”
“Or, should I also hang this key around your neck?”
“I-It’s okay. It’s okay! Now get out!”
Julie pushed my back, and after being kicked out, I stood in the hallway smiling.
“Humpf!”
The sound of dissatisfaction soon pierced my ears like needles. I turned around, finding Yeriel.
“You’re enjoying this so much~”
“Didn’t you go back already?”
“… What? You told me you’d be making the design.”
“Design?”
“Car Design!”
“Oh, right. Follow me.”
I nodded and walked down the hallway with her, who kept whispering to herself. Her smile made me feel disgusted, almost as if I was looking at a curved centipede. However, I hoped she would smile like that a lot more frequently.
“You’re noisy.”
“…”
I went to the library, took out a piece of paper and a fountain pen, and drew a design based on my modern knowledge and [Aesthetic Sense].
It was by no means a blueprint since I only designed it. I left its technical parts to the nerds.
“Take it.”
“Why are there two?”
“One’s a car, and the other’s a watch.”
“A watch? Why a watch?”
She glanced at my waist.
“Your pocket watch is still in good condition. If you’re not planning on using it anymore, can I have it?”
“Leave it to my hardware store clerk. They will do well.”
“Hmpf. Well then…”
As she turned around with the designs in her arms, Yeriel stopped.
“Can I really start a business, though? You’re not going to say something weird about this again later on, are you?”
“No, but if you fail, you’ll be caned.”
“… Who said I would let you?”
She gave me a piercing gaze then went out of the study.
*****
The next day, I went to work at the tower and submitted my plans for the final exam.
“… It’s pretty ordinary?!” The chairman’s eyes widened as soon as she looked at the documents.
“It’s very different from your last test!”
“Is there a problem with that?”
“Not really, no, but… It probably won’t have the same ripple effect as last time.”
“It won’t be as ordinary as you think.”
She put the plan in the drawer with a dissatisfied expression on her face, then pulled out another document.
“Oh, right. I’ve checked your first-ever approved project as the Planning and Financial Coordination Head!”
“I see.”
“It costs a lot of money! The initial fund it’s asking for is 10 million Elnes, which is crazy!”
“It will result in an excellent return of investment.”
“…”
The chairman glared at me with slightly narrowed eyes but soon muttered, ‘it’s your responsibility anyway!’ and got up.
“Good! Now then. Come with me! Let’s take a look at Julie, your bodyguard!”
“As expected, you already know.”
“What do you mean as expected?! The rumors have already spread all over the empire!”
I went into the elevator with her.
As we arrived on the first floor, we found Julie waiting. Several Freyhem knights were most likely also deployed to certain points around me.
“Ohh! Knight Julie! You look beautiful today!”
She didn’t answer. I explained the reason to the confused chairman.
“They don’t speak during official duties.”
At that moment, the chairman smiled slyly.
“Is that so…?”
She turned around, stood next to Julie, and, after warming up her mouth with a cough…
“It’s-been-a-long-time-Julie! Nice-to-see-you-again. It’s-been-two-weeks!”
Started talking non-stop.
“If-this-happened-in-the-past-you-would-have-rejected-this-mission! Even-though-it’s-in-the-Emperor’s-name-you-wouldn’t-have-stepped-forward-on-your-own! You-took-it-now-though! Even-the-world-finds-it-amazing! Rumors-went-around-so-fast!”
“…”
“Is-it-okay-to-say-that-you-two-have-now-completely-reconciled? No-I-think-you-already-did! If-so-will-the-marriage-proceed-as-planned-this-time-around?!”
“…”
“This-is-amazing. They-say-silence-means-you-agree-with-it! You-must-have-been-very-worried-about-the-professor! To-escort-him-personally-like-this—”
“Gosh! My ears are going to explode!”
I laughed silently at Julie’s cry.
* * *
The final exam would start next week.
Because of that, the atmosphere of the entire university, including the Knights Department, grew extremely tense.
The library was filled with people, and the restaurant, which used to close at 9 PM, kept its services open around the clock. The wizards ceaselessly studied for self-improvement and for their exams while also peeking at the opportunity to keep others in check… Anyway.
Today, the final exams for Deculein’s [Understanding Pure Elements] class would be announced.
The value of the final exam of a five-credit lecture was obviously high. Hence, Epherene decided to go to the classroom 30 minutes before the announcement.
“Woah.”
Seemingly thinking like her, 140 out of 150 of the class population were already present.
Sitting down, she decided to study while waiting.
At exactly three o’clock in the afternoon, Assistant Professor Allen came in. Nobody could claim he wasn’t Head Professor Deculein’s assistant at this point.
“Nice to meet you! This paper is an overview of the final exam. Everyone will be given a copy. You must be careful not to lose it~”
Smiling, he began handing the document out.
“What kind of test will it be this time? Whew.” Epherene took a deep breath and looked at its contents.
“…?”
As soon as she did, she blinked. After turning it over, she looked at the other debutantes.
It was a natural reaction. All of them in the classroom were behaving like Epherene.
“You’re dismissed. The final exam will start on Monday in three weeks.”
Allen left them with those words, but Epherene’s doubts remained. She became even more confused since the assistant professor, who was supposed to solve her doubts, had already exited the room.
“… What is this?” Epherene muttered, staring at the paper.
There was literally nothing in it.
*****
Sylvia came out of the tower and, looking at the paper she was given, pondered about it.
No matter how she looked at it, it remained empty. It was just plain white paper. It left her wondering what she should do with it.
The assistant professor told them not to lose it, which could be a clue in itself, but was this paper really that important? Could this be the test itself?
As she walked in silence, Sylvia stumbled upon the nepotistic cheeky stupid idiot Epherene.
She was lying on the lawn and looking at her paper.
Holding it high in the sky, she turned it vertically then horizontally, the sun’s rays remaining reflected on it.
Seemingly finding no answer, she grabbed it then trembled, almost as if she had been electrocuted.
“… Stupid.”
Sylvia twisted her lips contemptuously while attempting to pass by her, but she soon had a sudden thought.
‘Should I tear hers apart?’
That might cause Epherene to be eliminated.
“Forget it.” Sylvia shook her head.
There was no guarantee that ripping her paper would unconditionally benefit her. Even if there was, she didn’t want to even think of doing anything that wasn’t noble.
At that moment, however…
Riiiip—!
The sound of paper being torn apart startled her.
She didn’t know who did it, but it was certainly a surprise.
“Huuuuh—?!”
When she looked over at Epherene, she found her paper neatly cut in half. Her eyes grew so wide they looked like they were about to pop out.
Sylvia laughed involuntarily.
“Um… Uh…”
As if trying to deny reality, Epherene squeaked with only her mouth open.
“Who did thiiiiiiiisssss?!”
In an instant, her behavior turned into that of a provoked wild boar.
“What kind of—”
Sylvia found her yells both funny and pitiful.
“What kind of mean bastaaaaaaaaaaard—!”
She should’ve known better than to sit near the tower and flaunt her paper out in the open. After all, wizards were cold-blooded individuals that would dig into their targets’ weaknesses far quicker and far more brutal than any other.
Sighing, Sylvia walked over to the idiot.