Chapter 50: Embarrassment Part 2

The day after returning from the practice.

‘What the heck is she trying to say?’

Teleman, who had been restlessly pacing around in his study, felt his mind calm when Ellie arrived.

“Did you do well?”

Ellie asked as she put down the bag she was carrying.

She seemed to be doing just fine.

From her smiling face, it almost felt like she was thinking about some funny prank that was about to happen, but maybe it was just a feeling.

“Ahem, yes, I’ve been fine. It’s only been one day though.”

“Really? I thought you couldn’t even sleep, worrying about whether I’d report you or not.”

“Huh…!?”

That hit the mark.

“Heh heh, would that really happen? If I said anything, it would just make things annoying for me.”

Ellie said calmly as she sat in front of him.

“Think of the trouble from last night as a punishment for the nonsense you said. It’s still generous, isn’t it? If it had been two days, it would’ve been twice as bad.”

“…Ellie, please don’t tease adults too much.”

The girl raised two fingers.

“One, you’re the one who suggested I wear the crown to tease the adult.”

“Eh, Ellie!”

“Don’t worry, no one heard. Two, you’re only twenty-three and already acting like an adult. Go drink some water or something. Really.”

Teleman immediately felt that he had made a mistake.

Just a moment ago, they were still cautiously testing each other, ‘but how did things end up like this?’

“Anyway, do you remember what I said yesterday?”

“You asked me if I would do business.”

“Your memory’s not bad. Now, look at this.”

Ellie put her bag on the table and opened it.

When Teleman saw what was inside, he frowned.

“What is all this?”

He wasn’t complaining; he genuinely didn’t know what it was.

Because inside the bag were papers with writing on them, as well as stones and pieces of wood.

It was right after their conversation yesterday.

Teleman, who thought Ellie was talking about some kind of business involving something to overthrow or restart, blinked in confusion.

Ellie nodded confidently.

Then, with the same confident voice, she said.

“Board game.”

“… Huh?”

“To be precise, it’s a prototype. It’s not ready for the market yet.”

‘A board game?’

‘Suddenly?’

Teleman wondered if this was some kind of joke, so he took a closer look at the papers (rulebook) and the stone and wood pieces (game pieces) inside the bag.

“KaX? What does Xtan mean?”

“Just think of it as a temporary name.”

Teleman recalled the few times he had seen Ellie play games with her friends.

“Rules… there are a lot of blanks.”

“Yeah, I can’t memorize all of them, so…”

“Memorize? Didn’t you make it, Ellie?”

“It’s a secret.”

Putting aside her strange attitude, Teleman skimmed through the other rulebooks.

“HwangX’s Struggle,” “DalXti,” “MonopolyX…”

They all had a similar state—lots of blanks.

The young man furrowed his brow and started thinking about what to put in those empty spaces to make the game look more complete.

“How is it?”

“How is it…? Well, these are quite interesting games. So what do you want me to do with this?”

“I told you.”

“So, what exactly—”

• Business.

Teleman’s eyes widened.

“Wait, are you asking me to… make and sell this together?”

Ellie’s lips curled into a sly smile, answering for her.

“Ellie… no, Ellie, student… no, no.”

Teleman felt more confused than ever before.

“I’m a noble, you know. Baron Louis Teleman.”

“I know. Your estate is under the Marquisate of Fratst in the southwest.”

‘How does she know that? Wait, that’s not the point right now.’

“And, and I’m also a professor of magical combat at the Academy. If I volunteer, I can even be recruited into the Royal Gold Guard. I’m someone who has proven my competence at a young age.”

“I know. You tested it yesterday.”

‘Did she really consider that a test?’

“Anyway, whatever. So,”

The now completely confused young man pleaded with Ellie.

“I… I’m not someone who can sell board games, that kind of… person.”

A person’s rank may vary, but their position is fixed according to their role.

A baron may not be a high-ranking noble, but still, he is a member of the noble bloodline.

Oh, I can’t do something like developing and selling toys…

“Be honest with me.”

“Ellie.”

“You were interested, weren’t you? You immediately imagined what number should be filled in the blank, or what words to add to make the game more fun, right?”

Ellie’s lips curved even more as she smiled.

“And it was fun imagining it, wasn’t it?”

It was something she had been thinking about for a while.

Telemann was not only good at creating educational games by balancing numbers, but he also enjoyed that teaching method the most.

Moreover, when he spontaneously made something on the spot, the game balance was never strange.

To sum it up.

“You are the perfect talent for developing board games.”

“But, what I mean is…”

“If you’re worried about your identity, you can make someone else the representative. Is there someone reliable enough in the club to entrust this task to?”

“…There is.”

Luckily, or unluckily.

“Then the problem is solved. You can continue being a professor at the academy. I asked the dean before, and there’s no rule against holding multiple jobs.”

And then.

“The games I remember… If I count the ones that are just concepts, it’s about 200, so you can focus on making them more specific, and we can leave production and business management to that friend and start the company.”

Ellie stood up.

“I’ll leave my share to you. When I want it later, give it to me all at once. For now, I’ll go study with my friends.”

She had suddenly come in, dropped a bomb about a young man’s life and career, and was about to leave just as abruptly.

“Eh, Ellie!”

***

Louis Telemann called out, wanting to stop the girl, but when she actually stopped, he couldn’t think of anything to say.

So.

“W-What if I don’t hand over my share to you!? What would you do then?!”

At first glance, it seemed like a valid point.

After all, many people are betrayed by their business partners.

However, Ellie just laughed, as if she found it amusing.

“Do you really think that would happen?”

She snapped her fingers cheerfully.

Nothing happened.

Because Ellie had no intention of making anything happen.

But the sound of her fingers snapping made Louis flinch, recalling the shock he had received on his forehead the day before.

“Your head’s not that bad after all.”

Ellie added, “If you really don’t want to do it, then don’t. If you try to cheat me after we start, there will be consequences, but I won’t force someone who doesn’t want to do it in the first place.”

However.

“Just think about what would make you happier.”

And then she really left.

***

Louis suddenly felt a wave of weakness and slumped down into his chair.

‘Storm.’

It was like a storm in the shape of a person.

But the fierce wind was trying to blow him away in a direction.

Louis picked up one of the rulebooks that Ellie had left behind with her bag.

‘HallygalX?’

It was an unfamiliar name, but he decided to ignore it for now.

“If the number reaches 5, ring the bell… The cards are divided by fruit… 1 to 5…? Is this a game about reaction speed and counting numbers?”

‘Then, four different types of fruit should be enough.’

If there are too few, they will gather too easily, and if there are too many, they will never gather.

‘And although it’s from 1 to 5, only one card with the number 5 should be enough… On the other hand, there should be a bit more 1s.’

‘It would be more fun if combinations like 1+1+3 or 1+2+2 appeared more often than obvious combinations like 2+3.’

Louis paused as he was writing down his thoughts with a pen.

‘Should I really do it? Make a board game?’

Honestly.

It was fun.

‘But still…’

He recalled Ellie’s words: to think about what would make him happier.

The young man, who thought his career worries were already over, sighed deeply.

He had started in September, mid-term exams were in mid-October, and practical weeks were in early November.

Now, only two major academic events were left.

“The first week of December will be final exams… and the third week will be vacation.”

He murmured this on a day when it was already mid-November, while they were all studying together in Clea’s room.

***

They had taken a break and were walking outside, all five of them.

Philia spoke.

“It feels like it’s been a long time since we started, but also like it’s ending too soon.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The wind, which was cooling down and getting colder, was signaling that winter was approaching.

Isabel buttoned her coat and said.

“By the way, Ellie, do you have any plans for the vacation? If not, do you want to come to my house?”