Ch.9797. Scheduled Encounter (4)

What is the greatest change brought about by humans mastering magical power?

Undoubtedly, it is the acquisition of magic—a means with unrealistic and powerful effects.

Magic is the very tool that protects humans from beasts that are physically superior to humans, as well as magical beasts that constantly pose a threat.

However, even though humans can face magical beasts, humans are still humans. They cannot defy the laws of nature.

This summer, a typhoon struck the Principality, sweeping away the port in Mirpark Province, completely destroying it.

As a result, the Empire sent word that the ships that normally arrived each semester would have difficulty reaching them.

“But if there’s no port for ships to dock, couldn’t they just build another port somewhere else? Like in Shute Province where they recently cleared out the magical beasts.”

Someone who doesn’t know better might say something like that.

One might think that if there were other ports, ships could dock there, but considering the detailed geography of the Ardelion Principality, it wasn’t that simple.

“The currents around Shute Province are so strong that ships might be destroyed before they even arrive, let alone dock. There’s a reason they haven’t built more ports.”

“What about Algernib Province or Sirah Province?”

“They’d have to go all the way around the polar region—do you think the goods would remain intact? You blockhead! Ugh. Did you sleep through geography class?”

That’s why trade between the Empire and the Principality couldn’t continue this time. As a result, prices of goods had no choice but to soar.

“Tsk… So the prices are still like that?”

“Yeah. What can we do… Ships from the Empire haven’t arrived, so… Have you secured your tuition?”

“…I’ve been looking hard for work, but it’s tight. With textbooks and food expenses on top of everything, this semester is particularly burdensome.”

“Sigh. All this trouble because of one typhoon.”

From the second semester of this year until the end of the third semester.

This is precisely the season when prices rise sharply.

Basically, Levrant Academy is very generous with its scholarship programs and welfare areas, which provides students with fair and equal opportunities, resulting in significant tuition reductions.

However, those benefits couldn’t be applied this year.

If it were due to reasons like magical stones being hoarded or nobles pulling strings, they could look for solutions… but the opponent was formidable.

Even as a regressor, one cannot dare to challenge nature itself. This was truly a difficult problem to solve.

‘At this rate… those kids…’

Despite escaping from the nobles’ grasp, they might end up going through withdrawal procedures again.

Even if a wealthy sponsor appeared somewhere, this shortage of supplies wouldn’t be easily resolved.

Moreover, with that situation in Shute Province as well. If the number of vanguard students decreases now, the Academy will suffer tremendous damage, adding insult to injury.

This is the first gateway that could greatly alter the future of the Principality. It’s directly connected to the reason why they’ve been preventing the loss of vanguard students all this time.

In other words, it was a difficult problem that Junon absolutely had to solve.

***

Shute Province, a lake north of the Principality’s border.

At Lake Bevre, they are checking the whereabouts and numbers of magical beasts in the north through a crystal ball.

Whoosh.

The light in the crystal ball goes out. The old man who had been infusing magical power into it quietly shakes his head again.

The magical beasts they’ve been confronting continue to grow stronger.

“We… should start preparing ourselves.”

At the elder’s words, a heavy silence descended. They anticipated the end was near because the leader said they needed to prepare themselves.

That preparation meant preparing for death.

Breaking the silence, a young man spills out his desperate feelings.

“Can’t we just abandon those old-fashioned attachments?! We need to survive too. This lake is no longer viable!”

“…Young man.”

The elder shoots a glance at the young man. His intention was to abandon this place and leave.

“I know. I know. If even we abandon this lake, it’s obvious where those creatures from above will go. The Principality!”

“Knowing that, you still want to abandon Lake Bevre?”

“In the past, we might have been able to handle it with our strength alone! But now, are we any match for those creatures?! Even with Hipplisia grown thick as a wall, there’s a limit, as you well know!”

“…”

Everyone present fell silent.

As he said, even if everyone at Lake Bevre prepared for an all-out war, they had no chance of winning.

The reason they were being pushed back despite having Hipplisia as an effective countermeasure was the overwhelming numbers they simply couldn’t handle.

“Besides, it’s obvious if you think about it. We’re already treated like magical beasts by them and have been driven out. Even if we hold out here for days requesting support, those Principality bastards will ignore us. They will never help us! And also…!”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

“What changes if I stop?! Are you going to say something different this time, Elder, about how we need to protect the lake?!”

“I’m going to abandon it. That’s why I’m telling you to stop.”

“…What?”

Even he hadn’t just been enduring all this time.

“I expected this day would come eventually. We’ve been patient for far too long, haven’t we?”

“Are you serious? Then what about that child…”

“…I told that child she could flee from Lake Bevre anytime. I said we too are beings who need to survive.”

“Then… Elder, you truly…”

“Yes. This was delayed because of my selfishness. It’s time to let go of that stubbornness. Despite all the injustices we’ve suffered, it’s my fault for mentioning this so late. I’m sorry.”

The elder, who had been bound to the distant past, decides to shake it off.

The past where they could live with human help is now just an old tale. Rather, humans have been increasingly cornering them.

The elder, who had closed his eyes tightly, soon firmed his resolve.

“We’ll move our base to the lake southeast of Lake Bevre. We’ll use the Hipplisia we’ve grown to buy time, and grow new ones at the new location.”

To no longer trust humans.

Giving up Lake Bevre and moving to another location meant exactly that.

Left alone, the elder attaches a letter to the leg of a messenger bird and sends it off.

Watching the messenger bird soar into the sky, he offered an apology.

“I tried my best… but this seems to be as far as we can go. Senia.”

To a certain girl who had been designated as their Calyx, their savior.

***

“Phew… Even if I’m frugal this semester, next semester is going to be quite tight.”

Food expenses, textbook costs, and tuition on top of that.

In a way, it’s quite a burden when the support that the Principality always provided disappears.

Although she had saved up money in advance, no matter how brilliant Senia was, she couldn’t predict the laws of nature.

Still, it’s just a matter of having less leeway, not a major impact. However, someone on her team might not be in such a favorable situation.

“…In this situation, I’m most worried about Aris.”

The reason she took on escort duty at Ripol Gorge on the festival day, surrounded by reporters during the Osoptera defense battle, was precisely because of tuition.

Even though she received an award, it doesn’t make up for the insufficient tuition.

Although it’s not the time to worry about others, this was quite a dangerous signal for Aris.

And not far away, she spotted Aris struggling.

-Thank you, Charlotte. Really… I’ll pay you back soon!

-You can pay me back at your leisure, but promise me that next time you’ll borrow without hesitation if something like this happens. Okay?

-Charloootte…!

She’s looking up to the youngest as if she were her older sister.

Seeing her with Charlotte, Senia had a pretty good idea of what was happening. From the circumstances, it seemed like Aris had borrowed money from Charlotte and planned to pay it back later.

‘Still, not a bad choice.’

She was planning to scold her if she had gone off alone to hunt magical beasts to raise that much money.

It seems she won’t mess things up with impulsive decisions like before.

What had worried her was Aris’s impulsive and emotional personality. That’s why she was concerned that Aris might set out alone without saying anything to raise extra money.

Now that there’s nothing to worry about… it’s time to tease her a bit.

“I was wondering where you went, and here you are? Are you both on your way to pay tuition?”

“Yes, Senia unnie.”

“Senia, are you here to pay tuition too? If so, let’s go together…”

“No. I was just wondering if a certain pink-haired someone was going to hunt magical beasts to make money, so I came to stop her.”

“…Is that pink-haired someone supposed to be me?”

“Well, I wonder.”

And so Senia teases Aris, and Aris tries to get under Senia’s skin in retaliation but fails every time.

Watching them, the youngest quietly smiles.

The two people who once seemed like they might properly split due to personality differences had somehow become quite close, contrary to concerns.

Somehow, with their increased companionship, they arrived at their destination while chatting and bickering as usual.

But at the destination, the youngest of the three is trying to cover all the tuition.

“…Is this really okay?”

“Yeah… Won’t something bad happen?”

“Unnies, I think you’ve forgotten who I am.”

Senia and Aris tilted their heads and asked, but Charlotte answered confidently without minding.

To the outside observer, she appears to be the youngest team member with such a tiny frame that she could fit in one’s arms.

But unlike her appearance, this blue-haired girl directly leads the Eshrelet Trading Company and holds the position of head of the family, guiding her house with her own hands.

The two are reminded once again.

For Charlotte, even if tuition has become expensive, covering two more people’s worth is no problem at all.

“Think of it as the Eshrelet Baronial House supporting you two at a team level. That’s fine, right?”

Although she’s the youngest who has been surrounded by older siblings and received nothing but affection since entering Tembris, in aspects like this, she’s more adult-like than anyone.

The two older sisters’ concern for the youngest was truly unnecessary.

“For the three of you, please take your receipts? Umm… Here, I’m also giving you this semester’s notice, so please make sure to read it… And also…”

“You don’t need to rush.”

“Ah… I’m sorry and thank you… I’m just too nervous…”

Today, the front desk took a lot of time processing tuition payments.

The reason was that the staff member wasn’t someone they had seen before.

And the new employee ended up making a mistake on their first day.

“Oh right. How would you like to handle the tuition for the person named Junon who always pays together with… Oops.”

“I apologize! This child is still new…”

Another staff member, who had turned pale, stepped in to cut off the conversation and repeatedly bowed, asking for forgiveness.

Generally, a sponsor’s identity is not revealed to others, but now the identity has been exposed due to the new employee’s statement.

But the conversation had already nearly reached their ears. Since it was mentioned that someone had been paying tuition together with them, Senia and Aris naturally looked toward Charlotte.

“Well… that…”

Charlotte, who had been so adult-like, stammered and reverted to being the little youngest again.

“Unnies… could you keep this a secret?”

It was the moment when Junon’s sponsor was revealed.

***

No matter how much he racked his brain, there was only one easy solution to this situation. However, that option couldn’t be chosen.

It was the easiest path to resolve everything quickly by leaking information to one person, but at the same time, it was the most difficult path that shouldn’t be taken.

So, for now, let’s pay the tuition first. With that mindset, Junon decided to check the tuition amount first.

And so, when he came to find out the amount to be paid…

This time, his mind was troubled for a different reason.

-Oh right. How would you like to handle the tuition for the person named Junon who always pays together with… Oops.

-I apologize! This child is still new…

-Well… that… Unnies… could you keep this a secret?

He thought he had heard that the tuition being paid was a scholarship.

He couldn’t ask why. When people at the Academy mention scholarships, they usually come from the school, but occasionally, sponsors’ funds are mixed in.

But…

‘That was… Charlotte?’

It felt like being hit on the head with a massive club.

The easiest yet most difficult way to solve this problem was to pass on the information he knew to Charlotte.