Ch.2727. Surveillance (2)

I can’t help but have these doubtful thoughts, these questions of “why” that keep coming to mind.

So Junon had no choice but to hand over the handkerchief to its owner and ask.

“What do you want?”

About why Michelle had been following her.

While Junon glared at those blue eyes with a fierce gaze, Michelle was rolling her eyes at record speed, desperately searching for an excuse.

‘This is all I’ve got… please work…!’

After nervously swallowing, Michelle’s answer to Junon’s question was…

“I want you to help me work with you!”

In other words, she needed money.

Surprisingly, this was an answer that might work on Junon, who was a regressor.

***

There were two issues I had considered regarding what problems Michelle might have been suffering from before the regression.

First, funds needed for the autopsy and funeral of the Alios Hall suicide incident.

Second, funds to send to an orphanage in the Granodia Count’s territory that was raising children who had become war orphans.

Either way, she needed money, but Michelle was currently a student, so she had no means to earn money unless her graduation was confirmed.

‘When I think about it that way, it does make sense.’

Although she had been tracking me, we’ve never actually met before.

We’re complete strangers, so why would she have any reason to be suspicious of what I’ve done?

This is something I should just quietly ignore and move on from.

“Couldn’t you just find a job posting for students? You could help professors or teaching assistants who need to imbue artifacts with magical power or prepare for alchemy lectures, right?”

After hesitating briefly, Michelle soon confessed her honest feelings.

“I only know how to handle magic, and they all said they wouldn’t take me because I haven’t attended lectures…”

“Ah?”

I had completely overlooked that.

The current Michelle was just a noble female student who knew a bit about magic.

I’ve never seen her pay attention to physical strength, nor has she studied any of the disciplines in demand like alchemy, magical engineering, or enchantment.

At best, she could use her magic for bounty hunting, but even that’s limited since she’s still a student who hasn’t met the graduation requirements.

She simply doesn’t have the means to earn the money she needs.

‘Wasn’t the early graduation condition the blooming of unique magic rather than just sprouting?’

Befitting her alias “Blue Flame Michelle,” she should currently be able to use blue flames.

However, this power would only show its true value and satisfy the early graduation conditions after the joint practical training.

Currently, it’s probably not much different from the magic she used before, so her early graduation would have been rejected.

“I need money right now, no matter what. So… won’t you help me?”

With a desperate look on her face, Michelle was sincerely asking for my help.

Now the choice is mine.

She was once my comrade, someone who protested that I shouldn’t be expelled until the end. I could show her a bit of kindness if I’m willing to take the risk.

But I had decided to completely turn my back on the Tembris party members, and the risk I would have to take is too great.

Nevertheless, Michelle is one of the four people who will make a name for themselves in this semester’s initial evaluation, and if the current problem is resolved, wouldn’t her growth proceed more smoothly?

No. Even without my help, Michelle will grow brilliantly, so what’s the point of my assistance?

Various thoughts clashed, and the time for decision stretched on.

***

“I’m sorry about back then, Noel. Jon.”

“Why are you suddenly like this…?”

“W-we already said we wouldn’t act up again! Why now…!”

“That’s not it. I’m sincerely apologizing because I realized too late that what I did was wrong. Although… I probably won’t be forgiven.”

Meanwhile, Silvia was going around apologizing to her victims, not running away from her wrongdoings.

It was Silvia’s own will to leave no trace of resentment, to shake everything off completely.

“…Are you planning to harm us again?”

“Hey, that seems a bit too much…”

The two glanced at each other nervously, keeping an eye on Silvia.

Silvia also understood what they were worried about.

After all, those who fall out of favor with nobles often face retaliation at the first opportunity.

“I can understand why you might think that…”

Silvia, wondering how to appear more sincere, decided to bow her head.

The two were taken aback as they watched Silvia bend at the waist respectfully.

It was a pinch-worthy scene for those who had been looked down upon for their background, being in a lower class, and being vanguards.

“I can only bow like this… but I hope it helps ease your anger a little.”

“…”

“…”

With Silvia’s gaze fixed on the ground, Noel and Jon rolled their eyes, having a silent conversation.

She’s really changed, hasn’t she?

At least it doesn’t seem like we’ll face retaliation.

That Silvia is bowing her head and waist—there’s no way this could be a lie.

That was probably the gist of their conversation.

“Um… your back must hurt.”

“If you keep doing that, other people will misunderstand.”

The two no longer thought of the current Silvia as the same person as before and forgave her.

Silvia thanked them and handed each a box.

Inside each box was a fountain pen from a famous brand—reliable in performance but too expensive for commoners to use comfortably.

“This is… that thing, right? The one they say some noble in the Empire gave to a commoner while acknowledging their own clumsiness…”

“So that’s why she’s giving these to us…”

The fountain pens Silvia had purchased with the money she earned today.

She had realized her mistakes and was giving fountain pens as gifts to all her victims.

“Hey, Noel.”

“What?”

“…About Silvia. Don’t you think she’s gotten really pretty?”

“I think so… she looks so pretty when she smiles…”

When a smile appeared on Silvia’s usually expressionless face, the two blushed—an unexpected development.

‘Where could he be?’

Most people readily forgave her when she sincerely apologized and gave them fountain pens as gifts.

But Silvia still hadn’t given a fountain pen to one person.

Just one person remained—the one she most wanted to accept her apology.

‘I haven’t seen him for days.’

Junon.

The name of the person who understood Silvia’s true feelings when no one else did and was the first to forgive her.

Today was finally the day she might meet Junon, who was like a benefactor to her, so Silvia must have been looking forward to it even more.

Wondering where Junon might have gone, Silvia was wandering the streets of the academy, looking around.

She finally spotted that distinctive black hair swaying. But.

“────.”

“───… ────?”

‘With some woman… in an alley in broad daylight…?’

What caught Silvia’s eye was Junon talking to someone in a somewhat dark alley.

Given the location, Silvia immediately became alert, her body tensing up.

‘I should first listen to what they’re talking about.’

Careful not to be spotted by the two, Silvia cautiously approached the corner of the alley.

Crouching low and peeking around the corner,

‘…Looks like a noble?’

The face was obscured by Junon’s body, but the coat worn over the uniform was made of material only nobles would wear.

Moreover, the natural modulation in tone was the etiquette of nobles who had entered high society.

Though she couldn’t identify who it was, Silvia was certain this wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.

She was about to try to gather more information when the next words forced her to take immediate action.

“This is all I have. Take it, and don’t follow me or pay any attention to me anymore.”

The person talking to Junon was a noble.

And Junon was handing money to that woman.

Since this was the same behavior that had once stabbed Silvia herself, she knew very well why such actions were taken.

It was what you might call bleeding someone dry.

Silvia entered the alley and,

“Junon.”

“…? What is it, Silvia…?”

Quietly called his name. Then,

“Get down.”

“What do you mean…?”

The wind blade Silvia created was already being swung fiercely, with enough force to crush someone in the alley.

KWANG-!

Inside the alley.

The vertically swung wind blade should have struck that noble directly.

However, the reality was the opposite.

“Huh…?”

“Hah… seriously. What are you doing all of a sudden?!”

Two circular white magic shields supported at his wrists were blocking the blade.

Despite being told to get down, it wasn’t the noble woman who had blocked Silvia’s magic head-on, but Junon.

“I told you to get down… Oh, did you not hear me?”

“What are you doing? We’re lucky this alley is out of sight, otherwise we’d be advertising ‘We’re causing trouble here.'”

After a moment of silence, Silvia crushed the box containing the fountain pen she had intended to give to Junon, frustrated.

There was a reason Silvia had used magic in this alley.

“…You’re being extorted right now.”

“What?”

“That noble woman is extorting money from you! Sometimes nobles are instructed to deliberately rob commoners of their money! Junon, that’s what’s happening to you right now!”

The fact that she knew this meant that Silvia herself had received and carried out such instructions before.

Revealing this was like stabbing a dagger into her own chest, but she couldn’t bear to let Junon suffer such treatment.

After assessing the situation, Junon approached Silvia and quietly murmured.

“So… you thought I was being extorted by the person behind me, and you tried to stop it?”

Silvia nodded once.

It was affirmation.

“Haah… Silvia. Would you like to check who’s behind me for a moment?”

“…?”

Sighing as if he understood something, Junon slightly turned his body, suggesting she look at who was in the alley.

Only then could Silvia see the face of the noble who had been talking with Junon.

It was the top student of the upcoming third year, with reddish-brown hair neatly tied up.

“Oh…”

“That’s harsh. I asked for help because I’m short on money, and you see me as a thug extorting innocent people.”

She was completely unrelated to the noble alliance’s instructions.

Michelle was the eldest daughter of the Granodia Count family, a figure from a house that was hostile to the noble alliance.

What more could Silvia say? One word was enough.

“I’m sorry…”

And the three of them were startled by the conversation of two men from next door.

─What was that sound? I just heard a BANG! from next door?

─Oh, you poor soul. Are you hearing things again? If that were true, this house would have some damage.

─Something’s definitely off. I’ll go outside and check.

─Ah, just keep doing what you were doing. Why are you trying to slip away?

“…”

“…”

“…”

It seems changing locations should be the priority.

***

Michelle needed money, and Junon happened to have some to give her.

That was the compromise that allowed him to help his former comrade Michelle without taking on risk.

Additionally, when he mentioned that nothing good had ever come from getting involved with upper-class students, Michelle seemed to understand.

Silvia’s misunderstanding was also cleared up, and the three reached a rough agreement.

“By the way, this belongs to you, right?”

“Ah, yes! My handkerchief!”

A familiar handkerchief. Though the children’s embroidery was clumsily done stitch by stitch, it was quite precious to Michelle.

‘Good. It’s all over now.’

There’s no need for the conversation to continue further. At most, they might discuss when she would repay the money.

Junon wasn’t particularly keen on Michelle seeking him out to repay the debt.

This connection should be severed here.

“You don’t need to pay back the money, but keep what I asked. I’m busy, so I’ll go first.”

“Huh…? Junon! Wait up!”

Michelle, left behind, watched Junon and Silvia walk away until they disappeared, then let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew… somehow got through that.”

It had been a situation where she almost got caught, so Michelle could finally breathe easy, but.

“But why did he pour Mysteris leaves and powder into the waterway? That dirty canal won’t get cleaned just by sprinkling purifying agents…”

The question remained firmly lodged in Michelle’s mind. And another question lingered.

“Besides… how did he know I’m not affiliated with the noble faction?”

Junon, who had pointed and told Silvia to look at who was behind him.

While it might not be strange for Silvia of the Kutelli Count family, the reaction from Junon, a commoner in Class E, was oddly out of place.

As if Junon knew about her. Michelle’s suspicion toward Junon was digging an increasingly deeper trench.

Just like the creases in the banknotes she had received from him.