episode_0071

As soon as the girl saw Lavie’s face at the university, she stopped in her tracks, taken aback.

It was a kind of trauma.

For a child who had grown up without love and attention all her life, it was an anxious symptom that manifested when something was given to her and then taken away again.

There was a thought that brushed through Lycia’s mind.

The helplessness and loneliness she felt when she was left alone in ruins.

A long time ago, she used to tremble alone in bed whenever she recalled such memories.

But the end of the memory always ended with Lavie’s outstretched hand, and that was when she could finally fall asleep peacefully.

A memory that she thought she had long forgotten came back to her.

A memory that wouldn’t fade away no matter how much she tried to forget, a memory that constantly tormented her like an obsession.

“Lycia? Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine, Your Highness.”

The only difference from the times when she trembled in bed and felt desolate was that she knew this moment would come, and she knew it would be today.

She couldn’t commute back and forth like it was just a month’s distance.

It could be at least half a year, or even several years before she could see Lavie again. It was not the time to have strange memories resurface.

After exchanging a glance with the princess who looked at her with a questioning gaze, as if asking why she was acting that way, Lycia waved her hand as if to say it was nothing and walked away.

She couldn’t afford to be tearful until the end. So she put on a big smile.

“…I, I passed.”

“Good, well done.”

Lavie patted her head, praising her for her achievement.

It wasn’t good news that she brought. So she should be happy too.

Applicants from all over the empire and kingdoms across the sea had gathered.

Among the countless applicants, she was confidently acknowledged by the saint as someone worthy of receiving an education.

She couldn’t confine herself to a well for the rest of her life.

If she had never known, she might have been content with what she had. But knowing that there was a wider world beyond, she couldn’t refuse to move forward.

She had to acknowledge it. She was inexperienced as a saint. She was far inferior compared to Amelie.

She needed to meet more people, gain more experience. She needed to develop her social skills.

That’s why she accepted that she had to part ways.

Lavie had her own life, and the time for selfish indulgence had already passed.

Above all, she had nowhere to return to now.

Knowing that fact gave her comfort, and she couldn’t help but feel relieved.

So the girl was able to shake off any lingering regrets.

The sticky memories that clung to her from the past were finally forgotten.

*****

The university’s saint, Amelie, had no regrets.

That’s why she could confine herself to the university. It was something that people with many regrets couldn’t do.

Honor and authority were already guaranteed by the title of saint.

It had been a long time since she had lost interest in power, and she didn’t covet money that she didn’t need.

Of course, even as a saint, she had to eat, so she received a scholarship.

Some of it was used for class preparation, and the rest was mostly used for charity. And the amount wasn’t burdensome.

Young people who packed their bags from a distant countryside just because they wanted to study, risking their lives on dangerous roads where thieves roamed, finally arrived at the university.

The culprit that made them seriously consider returning home was elsewhere.

“This month’s rent is late again. It’s already three times overdue, and my patience is wearing thin.”

“I’m sorry. But there were unavoidable circumstances. Will you please understand?”

“You’re going to make the same excuse as last time, aren’t you? I have no more patience, so just leave.”

It was none other than the living expenses known as the freshman guillotine.

Of course, it was all thanks to the strength derived from the criminal level of university town prices. There were not just a few students groaning under the burden.

Being poor was simply a reason to be kicked out if you were honest about it.

However, trying to come up with excuses on the spot didn’t work out well. If you kept falling behind on rent, you would eventually be kicked out of your place.

Unless you had wealthy parents, there weren’t many options for students like these.

One option was to receive sponsorship from wealthy nobles with money and power.

In exchange for immediate financial support, there was a contract to work for the sponsor after graduation. It was a way of selling your future for the present.

The other option, as easily predictable, was part-time work.

Many students who failed to appeal to potential sponsors looked for jobs around the university before or after classes.

However, they couldn’t receive the same compensation for their knowledge labor as elsewhere.

Because universities were places where students with basic reading and writing abilities gathered. With an oversupply of students, it was natural that they couldn’t demand fair compensation.

Instead, using their youth and health to do physical labor was more profitable. But for Lycia, it was not a viable option.

There was a high demand for magic regardless of the region, but unless she wanted to advertise herself as a saint to everyone in town, it was a choice that was naturally excluded.

Personally, she wondered if she could make a living by doing desperate work like she did at the Church of Volle… but she wasn’t sure if that was possible without experiencing it firsthand.

If worse came to worst, well.

If she died, she would just resurrect.

“This is the money that Priest Phipin entrusted to you.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“I don’t need your thanks. If you see the priest later, you can thank him then.”

Raven handed her a purse.

It wasn’t a large sum, but it was enough to cover her tuition for the time being. Now she just needed to worry about food and shelter.

“And, here.”

“This is…?”

What Raven took out next was an even larger purse than before.

The jingling sound inside clearly revealed what was in it that could make someone feel good without even knowing English.

She accepted it without knowing what it was, but where did this money come from?

Raven didn’t have enough economic resources to have a fiefdom. As far as she knew, all the money he had was what he received as compensation.

“This is your living expenses.”

The girl looked into the purse he handed her with a blank expression.

There were gold coins shining inside, which were also the most widely used currency at the university.

*****

Heine and Lycia returned to their dormitory.

The princess also said she would be taking lessons as a saint. In that case, she would be studying with Lycia.

I said to the princess walking beside me, “Please take care of Lycia, Your Highness.”

“I don’t think there will be anything for me to take care of. She’s a child who can do well on her own.”

I nodded as well. The girl would be perfectly capable of standing on her own.

From what I had seen so far, she was dignified enough.

However, there was a separate issue that remained.

Upon arriving at the university, I had personally found out a few things.

How much would it cost to attend university? It was a somewhat bitter concern, but I had to think about reality.

If the prospective saint wanted to attend university, there would likely be very few people willing to open their wallets willingly.

But since she was reluctant to reveal that herself, I had to exclude the possibility of receiving support in that regard.

I recalled the conversation we had when we left the girl and Volle.

She clearly stated that she had no intention of reaching out to me for help and that she would work on her own to earn her tuition.

I checked the money pouch that I brought all the way to Vollogna. The pouch that I never took off my waist was heavy.

Not knowing what might happen, I brought most of the money I had with me, excluding the goods stored in the warehouse, like grains.

The land I received from Count Kanoza was mainly to cover the expenses of a knight.

After deducting the expenses from this year’s harvest, there wasn’t much left. Even if it was a bumper crop, it would only last for this time and the next.

So, the money I had left was all from the battles in Filah and the loot I acquired along the way.

I looked at Lycia walking beside me from the opposite side of the princess and asked.

“Is there anything worth taking to the university?”

“No. Since the tuition isn’t much, I plan to earn it by working hard.”

“Hmm….”

“Because we made a promise.”

A promise. It was definitely such a promise.

After taking the girl to the university, we agreed to go our separate ways.

But if you ask if the situation is exactly the same as it was then, it wasn’t.

Above all, it might be an outdated thought, but there was also a reason to believe that it was right to allow a child of that age to study if they wanted to.

In a world where education is not a privilege, but a human right, I didn’t expect anyone to sympathize with my thoughts, but I believed in it.

And isn’t a knight always living on the edge?

I’ve lived like that for half my life. Even if that period is a little longer, it wouldn’t be a big problem.

Besides, the money I couldn’t have saved if the girl hadn’t been there, so the dilemma was short.

I untied the pouch that I had never let go of and handed it to Lycia.

“This is your living expenses.”

The girl looked inside and then looked up at me with eyes bigger than before.