After a long night (2)
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“… … !”
The place where Tailly opened his eyes was the infirmary of the Dex building.
This is Tailly, who has been asleep for almost a day. My body, which had already been strained, became completely rigid and I was screaming.
“Huh… !”
Suddenly, Tailly woke up with aching sensations everywhere. The sight he saw just before he completely lost consciousness still remains vivid in his mind.
I went through all of Elte Trading, reached Ed, and eventually defeated him. And just before he was completely overpowered by Lucy, who appeared at the end, Ayla appeared and hugged him.
As soon as I saw Ayla’s face, I was completely lost in the relief that came over me.
“… ”
As he rested for a moment, he saw Ayla sleeping on his lap with her head buried in the bed.
There were scratches here and there, but there didn’t seem to be any major injuries. Only then was Tail Lee able to lean back against the back of her bed, letting out a sigh of relief.
Although the facilities of Dex Hall are somewhat outdated, the structure itself is neat.
A huge window visible beyond Ayla, who was breathing heavily.
Pure white curtains were fluttering next to the huge window, which seemed to be cool and airy just by looking at it.
Tailley felt a little relieved by the warm sight of the calm morning breeze.
“thank god… .”
While saying such a monologue, he wiped his face once.
A lot had happened last night, but Ayla was still safe.
Once I confirmed that fact, the rest was something I could think about slowly.
“Oh, are you awake? “Taylor.”
So, what was that riot that happened last night?
Just as Taily was about to think about that, someone called his name.
Next to Tailley’s hospital bed, in front of the patient protection screen, there was a boy holding a knife.
The boy with his shoulder-length hair and sturdy build was… He was also acquainted with Tailly.
“Ziggs… ?”
“Wait a minute, Tailley. “Now I’m going to show you the special advanced technique ‘Rabbit Shaped Apple’ that I learned from Elka.”
Ziggs, who was saying that and holding the sword, was looking at the apple while scanning his chin like a sculptor working on a work of art.
“This is the first time I’ve been blocked from the planning stage. I am confident in the delicate cutting itself, but the aesthetic sense of leaving part of the skin to look like a rabbit… Indeed, it was an admirable idea. “You will be surprised when you see it.”
“… ”
“First of all, is it basic to divide it into four parts vertically? Cutting it into quarters while leaving the skin on is one thing, but cutting it off while leaving the skin on to make it look like a rabbit’s ears… It is definitely a work that requires an unusual aesthetic sense… It’s going to be quite a fight… .”
The sight of him breaking out in a cold sweat and beating an apple around with a knife exudes seriousness.
Tailly looked at the scene and spoke in bewilderment.
“Ziggs… What are you doing here? I’m doing it… ?”
“As you can see, I was visiting the hospital. Elka said that rabbit-shaped apples are the best for visiting patients and gave me a secret, but unfortunately, I couldn’t remember the trick and was having a hard time.”
“… ”
“I am confident in the cutting itself, but the series of artistic movements that casually create the shape of a rabbit are difficult to follow. Could this be the effect of living in a barbaric world for a long time? ”
“No, I mean… Why are you nursing here? ”
Tailie tried her best to erase her astonished expression, but she couldn’t get rid of that distraught face.
“hmm? I thought we had known each other quite well since first grade… Otherwise, she doesn’t feel like receiving nursing care unless she’s a woman… ? “Taylor, I didn’t know you had such wild values.”
“That’s not it… ”
“Well, most of the time, males basically live in hideouts under the care of females. Is it a question of species instinct before values? In that case, my appearing here may have been a thoughtless act.”
“That’s not it, you definitely blocked me at Elte Company.”
When Tailly stopped talking, Ziggs, who had been holding an apple with a cautious expression, finally looked like he understood.
“Oh, was that the problem? “If that’s the case, there’s no need to worry too much.”
“… what?”
“No, just because I don’t care doesn’t mean it’s a problem you don’t care about. Still, doesn’t everyone have their own circumstances?”
Ziggs spoke as he delicately cut an apple into quarters with trembling hands.
“In that situation, I had no choice but to join Senior Ed’s side. “There was a prior promise made first, and it seems like the person had his or her own circumstances.”
– ‘Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t have a story? ‘I have a story too.’
These were the words Ed spat out with a tired face while trampling Tailley in a camp where the rain was pouring down.
Contrary to my imagination that he would capture Ayla and greet Tailly with an evil face… he looked much more serious and distressed than I expected.
“Anyway, Ayla’s life was in danger. “I can never justify taking someone’s life and shaking it.”
“Ayla’s life has never been on the scale, Tailley.”
“what… ?”
“In the first place, Aila was also in a position where she was taken in by senior Ed’s words… “At least it doesn’t seem like there was any intention to risk Ayla’s life.”
Please provide something that can be used as evidence.
Even if I try to say that, I end up speechless.
The reason why Ed jumped in and blocked Taily’s indiscriminate sword strike without maintaining a safe distance.
Ed also risked his life to protect Ayla, who was sleeping in a wooden shelter.
As a result, Ed was cut by Tailley’s sword and suffered a serious wound.
In that situation, Tailly held her breath. He lifts his empty hand and looks at it.
I almost cut Ayla down with those hands. The heavy truth begins to weigh on her shoulders.
The situation at Elte Trading Company was the same in the first place.
Except for Clevius, who could not control his power, no one unleashed his deadly force against Taily.
It was clear that not only Elvira, but also Ziggs only fought with the intention of subduing Tailley, but did not truly engage in sword-fighting.
When I reached Yenica, I watched Tailly’s resurrection until the end even though I could have sent him away at any time.
Even Patricia couldn’t appear in front of Tailly because she was busy rescuing workers from the collapsing Elte Commercial Building.
If Taily had planned to attack them all at once, they wouldn’t have even made a sound. The fact that such people were slowly waiting for Tailly’s entry was imprinted in my mind.
The safety of Aila Tris.
Once the most important premise was secured, it seemed as if a wave of reason was slowly flowing into Tailley’s head.
“Kaaaaak!”
Ziggs suddenly let out a scream as if he had been stabbed by a knife.
Tailly looked up in surprise, and saw that the peel of the apple she had carefully peeled was askew.
“shit… The left and right sides are not symmetrical… In addition, the curve of the rabbit’s head was slightly twisted. This… It’s a failure… ”
“Why are you so obsessed with rabbit apples…” ”
“I was just impressed by Elka’s delicate cutting skills. “I’ll have to reserve this for next time.”
Saying that, Ziggs just started peeling off the apple’s skin.
“Anyway, I’ve been lying down all day, so my body is probably stiff here and there. The school opening ceremony begins soon. “It’s a big event that everyone has to attend, so I’ll lie down and rest for a few hours and just show my face.”
“Wait a minute, I still have a lot to hear.”
“Yes, I understand. That’s why I came this far. “I’ll tell you the whole story and everything else, so please recover first.”
Tailley and Ed.
Watching the two people conflicting like hot and cold baths, Ziggs felt very mixed.
“I heard a strange story from Ayla. “Just listen to my story and Ayla’s story first.”
Ayla is now fast asleep with her head buried in Tailie’s lap.
Looking at Ayla’s face, Tailly lowered her head in confusion at Ziggs’ words.
*It was a very long night. I thought that once this night was over, the power structure centered around Elte Trading Company would be completely reversed.
That’s what Dune Grex thought.
When the sun rises on the first day of school, Dune Grex will be sitting in the chair of the new president of the Sylvania branch of the Elte Company.
Using his relationship with Ed Rothtaylor as bait, Oldeck’s next round slog will win the favor of Princess Persica.
Having eliminated his competitor named Lortel, he will reign as the ruler of the new Elte Company.
Under him, as the most powerful person, he will be able to control the financial power of Elte Company.
The imperial convoy will play the role of arresting the criminal, the bachelor who was influenced by Vice Principal Rachel will remain silent, and the employees of Elte Chamber will not join Lortel.
It was such a perfect flow, there were almost no variables.
All you have to do is hold Lortel tightly and hand it over to the imperial convoy for the entire plan to be completed.
It was a plan that went smoothly without even a moment of resistance. On the morning of the opening day of school, Dune Grex had to sit in the office of the assistant manager, acting as the owner.
“Dune Grex.”
However, he was sitting tied up in a simple interrogation room in the luxurious royal residence.
“The basic investigation into the Elte Commercial Building has also been completed. “The money in the basement of the villa you founded was also confirmed.”
“Princess Fenia… !”
The situation has been tied up since the morning.
The Dune Grex was left helpless and subdued without even being provided with a meal… As soon as she saw Princess Fenia entering her interrogation room, she raised her voice.
“Why, why did I… !”
“You bastard! What kind of safety are you raising your voice about? !”
Several of the guards who followed Princess Fenia shouted at him.
“It’s in front of Fenia, the third princess of the Cloel Empire… !”
Princess Fenia has little interest in the imperial throne. Ever since she came to Sylvania, hasn’t she lived almost like that?
Contrary to the information caught in Dune’s vision, Fenia completely suppressed the Persica convoy and took it under its control.
Princess Fenia slowly raised her hand to stop the escort. The guard bowed his head and took a step back.
She sat down opposite Dune and slowly began to talk.
“I’ll be blunt. “I’m not on good terms with Lortel Kecheln either.”
Fenia and Lortel are like oil and water.
This is a fact known to those who know.
“Still, there is no clear evidence that the gold coins found in the basement of Lortel’s villa were of illicit origin.”
“That can’t be possible…” ! Princess Fenia! There will be a lot of documents in the commercial building to serve as evidence! Although the commercial building has now collapsed… ”
Dune clearly assumed this situation as well.
“Ask bookkeeper Poel, or chief secretary Rienna, to testify! The two of them must have secured material that could serve as evidence of embezzlement by Lortel’s representative. !”
“Dune. I just said it. “All basic investigations have been completed.”
Princess Fenia’s attitude towards Dune has been noticeably cold just now.
When dealing with subordinates, always listen carefully to what everyone says with understanding. This is completely contrary to the world’s opinion of her.
Only then does Dune notice. Princess Fenia entered this interrogation room not trusting Dune in the first place.
“There was no such evidence.”
“what… I said… ?”
I definitely had everything prepared.
Reliable key personnel were mobilized and clear instructions were given to secure data. It was a plan that had been in preparation for several years, but it was the basics of the basics.
There is no way those materials were lost. Dune was sure of that.
“Rather, it was you who embezzled the funds of the Chamber of Commerce in ordinary times. Dune.”
“… yes?”
“There was no need to even conduct a thorough investigation of ledger data. “I searched a bit and found it right away.”
Princess Fenia is a descendant of the noble Cloel imperial family, and is a monarch who has always been raised among loyal subjects.
Embezzling public funds and deceiving employers… Such unconscionable behavior is not the duty of a subordinate. Imperial power can only be established under such strict loyalty.
The culture is completely different from that of the merchant society, where even a little embezzlement is overlooked depending on one’s workmanship.
In Princess Fenia’s eyes, Dune has already become one of the world’s worst embezzlers. Dune’s true feelings were clearly visible in her eyes, which were able to penetrate people more easily than anyone else.
Princess Fenia never trusts Dune. That fact was the only thing that permeated Dune’s mind without hesitation.
“Given the circumstances, it seems likely that it was your funds that led the construction of Lortel’s villa. “If you combine the amounts together, they come out to a certain extent.”
“… Princess Fenia!”
“Calling earnestly doesn’t make your charges go away, Dune.”
The feeling of charity had disappeared from Princess Fenia’s eyes. Her charity is directed towards good and honest people, not traitors who stab others in the back.
“This can’t be happening…” ! This, this is a trap… !”
Dune appealed to Princess Fenia in an urgent voice.
“This… That’s right, it’s Lortel Kecheln’s trick to temporarily incapacitate me… ! I am… Let me prove it! If you could just let me contact the commercial workers right now… ”
“Dune.”
He called out to Dune in a cold, downcast voice, but Dune still pulled on his bound hands and shouted.
“I won’t ask for help with my bare mouth… ! If you are interested in competing for the imperial throne, I have a connection with the Princess of Persica. It’s true. “I can prove it!”
A person who is cornered will do everything he can to survive.
There is no one in the world who is eliminated because he or she wants to be eliminated. He tries to escape the crisis with whatever means he has before accepting the fact that he is finished.
“You must use me, Princess Fenia! If I were to use my connection with the Princess of Persica as a double agent, the other person wouldn’t even suspect anything! Put me in debt, put me on a leash and use me!”
“… ”
“Not a bad offer! You must use a sure chess piece: me! This… “It’s an opportunity for Princess Fenia too!”
If this continues, it will be Dune herself who will be escorted to the imperial palace. Knowing that for sure, Dune had to compete here.
“I know my worth, Princess Fenia. If you abandon me like this, Princess Persica will cut off her tail and pretend she knows nothing. “It wouldn’t be a problem for a border merchant like me to cut off her entangled tail.”
“… ”
“But if Princess Fenia makes it public, it’s a different story! Please use me well! “I am the best weapon, and depending on how I use it, it can inflict fatal injuries on the Princess of Persica!”
The last way out after being cornered.
Dune spoke passionately, pulling tightly on the hands that were tied behind her and somehow pushing her body forward from the chair.
Princess Fenia, who has started to become involved in the competition for imperial power, is a condition that will appeal to Europe and America. From the merchant’s point of view, it seemed like a reasonable enough proposal.
However, that is only a story told from the perspective of a merchant.
“Dune Grex. “Listen carefully.”
However, Princess Fenia lives in a completely different world from Dune Grex and Lortel Kecheln.
Princess Fenia slowly approached Dune’s ear and spoke in a whisper.
“No one hires someone who acts on the premise of betrayal.”
Those who try to rise to power through betrayal will be thrown to the ground through betrayal.
A people called merchants who cannot create their own people and try to overcome everything in the world through trade relationships and interests.
Princess Fenia was a person who absolutely hated such people.
Dune lost her breath at the cold expression on Princess Fenia’s face.
“Escort me to the imperial palace.”
After leaving a short message, Princess Fenia stood up and left the interrogation room.
With that resolute attitude… Despair began to creep across Dune’s face.
*Even in the half-destroyed Elte Commercial Building, some intact parts remained.
The warehouse where valuables were stored had a strong structure to begin with, so it was safe from the aftermath of the collapse, and there were many intact rooms mainly on the western side, where Tailley’s sword attack had not reached.
The location of the temporarily prepared Hoeju agent’s office was right there. It was an empty office located right above the valuables storage warehouse.
A site where workers are busy moving around and carrying construction materials. If you pass by that place, go to the west side, and go up the outer stairs, you will find a room where you turn once down the hallway at the end of the third floor.
Compared to the previous owner’s office, the size has become much simpler, but it still seems to have everything.
“You ran all the way to the Trix building that night and negotiated with Vice Principal Rachel?”
“In any case, if you start a fight over something that happened in the academic dormitory, the situation will become more complicated. If Rachel had maintained her contact with Dune and maintained her intention to push him to become the new Vice President… “It would have made things more complicated.”
The villa near the camp was also being cleaned up, and Ed, after some rest, seemed to have regained his stamina.
The ring’s recoil began to weaken little by little, so it didn’t seem like there was much trouble using magical power, and first aid for the wound cut by the sword seemed to have been completed immediately.
Still, Ed seemed to have some difficulty holding his body up, and his movements didn’t seem very free. Lortel was so bothered by that sight that he sighed heavily.
“You did a good job persuading that stuffy vice principal. From what I heard, he’s been busy lately due to a war of nerves with Principal Obel.”
“You’re not the kind of person who’s so stubborn that you even get grumpy at the negotiation table, right?”
“From what I heard, Dune promised to give up its monopoly on some school supplies or increase customs fees… “It’s surprising that despite those promises, that old lady stuck to you.”
Ed was unwrapping the bandage on his arm and wrapping it again with a new bandage.
“What did you promise that made that clever old woman come back to you? “And that in just one night.”
“Well, I basically promised everything that Dune promised. “On top of that, I promised to give you some extra good stuff.”
“good?”
“It was a windfall with only Sylvania Bachelors in between. Well, I had to live, so it was an inevitable choice.”
When Ed looked at Lortel with a puzzled face, Lortel smiled and spoke.
“After all, it was the heart of Sylvania. “It will look good when it returns to its original position.”
“… “You promised to return the ‘Sage’s Seal’.”
“It must have been a difficult offer to refuse. “From my perspective, it is also a proposal I made with gritted teeth.”
Lortel sat down at the simple office desk and smiled.
“Originally, it was an item with an estimate and timing for reselling it to the Ross Taylor family, but since the seller went out of business, I should be thankful that I found another use for it.”
“No matter what happens, the academics will be delighted.”
“Originally, the person who intervenes in the middle is the one who touches the money the most. So, wherever there is fighting, there are always merchants.”
From the beginning, the academics probably approached the wise man’s seal as a symbolic treasure rather than an economic asset.
A description of Aspect magic left behind by Great Sage Sylvania. That alone would have made the academy, which bears Sylvania’s name, stamp its feet in the hope of getting it back.
“Anyway, there is a large school opening ceremony scheduled for the afternoon, but I didn’t expect you to come to the business this morning. “Is your schedule okay?”
“Unlike your second year students, third year students are not so strict. “I still have to go to show my face, but I decided to go later with Yenika late.”
When Yenica’s name is mentioned, Lortel purses his lips.
In any case, Yenica holds the absolute advantage of being Ed’s third-year classmate. No matter what, if there is an academic event, I can accompany him, so the distance is completely different from Lortel, who is one grade below me.
Lortel looks at Ed with narrowed eyes, but Ed is just concentrating on putting pressure on his arm with a bandage.
Even though Ed kept asking who the second person he was kissing was, he would not reveal that it was Yenika. I didn’t think she would tell me frankly, but it seemed like she had no intention of telling it to anyone.
How should we dig into that subtle difference in romantic distance?
In any case, at the point where the identity of the person he was kissing was not revealed to Lortel, it can be deduced that he feels a strange romantic atmosphere towards Lortel as well.
You can read people’s intentions by looking at their attitude. We know this because Lortel is more confident than anyone else.
Ed treats the women around him seriously, but it is different from wanting to keep them as lovers.
This is not the style that skillfully measures the difference in distance between a good friend and a lover.
If you control that tendency well, you will come to your senses and find that it has become your lover… It can make it possible to form a miraculous relationship.
This is good news for Lortel.
However, there is a problem.
I’m done with the facts, but how do I dig in from here? If you ask… Lortel, like Lortel, has no other answer to come up with.
It’s so frustrating that I’ve never had a tug-of-war in a romantic relationship. I have never experienced such romantic youth.
Even if you know how to spot counterfeit gold coins at a glance, it is difficult to discern the depth and shallowness of the heart of a person in love.
Still, first of all, it is not a push timing, but a pulling timing. That much is known.
Ed was confused and saved Lortel. Since I pulled it once from that side, let me try to pull it skillfully from this side this time.
If you put on a bewitching smile and say a few words of courtship, wouldn’t the other side feel satisfied? The moment you try to say something with such a snobbish attitude.
“So, since I still have time, I came to check your face.”
Rather, I felt a pulling sensation from Ed’s side, and it felt like my hand was being sucked in.
“… yes?”
“Aren’t most of the Elte Company workers who once participated in Dune’s plan? In fact, even if all merchant groups are like that, it won’t be easy to get those workers back.”
“well. “For me, that’s a piece of cake.”
“It’s not a matter of skill, it’s a matter of heart.”
Ed spoke carelessly as if it was nothing, but in reality, he was quite considerate of Lortel.
“Haha, it must not be a very pleasant feeling to know that most of the workers who followed you, laughing and chatting, were once taken over by Dune.”
“Hey, Senior Ed. “I’ve told you this many times, but if you get offended by every single thing like that, you won’t be able to make a living as a merchant.”
“I guess that’s what you say.”
“… ”
Just like that, Ed clearly denied Lortel.
A devil crazy about gold coins. Lortel Kecheln, the greedy man of the Elte Company.
As if the rumors going around in the world were anything to go by, he talked about the true nature of Lortel.
“They say they hate solitude in a crowd the most.”
This is a story that Lortel told himself.
“Honestly, it’s not easy to know that and still pretend not to know.”
“… ”
“In short, I came to check your face because I was worried about you. “That’s it.”
Clearly, in last night’s battle to recapture Elte Sanghoe, Ed Rothtaylor pulled Lortel with all his might.
Aren’t human relationships about push and pull?
If you push once, you pull, and if you pull once, you push. Lortel looked embarrassed at the feeling that the sense of rhythm in silence had been broken.
“Oh, no… Senior Ed.”
“What?”
“This is the time for me to pull, right..?”
“what?”
“No, what should I say… If you keep pushing it like that, it might be a bit unclear how to react… But should I say that I can’t keep pushing it away? ”
“What do you want to say?”
Lortel hesitated, stroking his lips, but then he spoke clearly.
“To put it bluntly, I’m embarrassed… ”
“… ”
“… ”
“… ”
Did you ever have feelings of shame?
Ed asked that with his eyes.
In fact, Ed also felt it to some extent, but Lortel was walking around with a seductive and sly face… Also, the defense is weak.
The overbearing attitude that feels like a wall of communication, but surprisingly, sometimes hesitates after a few active courtships or emotional expressions… The gap is almost embarrassing. The only target is Ed.
When was the last time you suddenly kissed someone on the lips, and when did you end up stroking your fingers and falling asleep in response to a few words of kindness?
Even if you say it so absurdly, there is nothing you can do about it. This woman is just that kind of woman.
“Uh, anyway… “I really wanted to say thank you.”
Lortel spoke while pressing the desk for no reason.
“Thank you, senior. Thanks to you, I survived. “It’s entirely thanks to my senior.”
“… “Did you handle the rest well?”
“yes. As I said. However, there are still some uncomfortable parts.”
Lortel spoke while tilting his head.
“Dune, who led this plan, has prepared thoroughly for almost several years. “It’s the same for steadily collecting the embezzled money, and the fact that I designed the underside of the villa myself.”
“yes. Since it was about deceiving you, I must have acted carefully.”
“In light of that, the charges were passed over to Dune. “I thought they had manipulated all the ledgers to point out me as the culprit.”
As soon as the day after the incident, Lortel regained control of the Elte Company. He really won the lottery in an instant.
“I was even assuming that there would be a battle over the authenticity of the ledger, but since the situation was resolved so smoothly, I was rather uncomfortable.”
“Well, I have something to say about that. “Actually, I came here to tell you this.”
As Ed said that, the office door suddenly clattered open.
There was no one who could enter the office without permission at this time. This is because the entire company is watching Lortel.
In particular, the workers who actively participated in Dune’s plan seem to be unable to breathe at all.
Nevertheless, the person who confidently opened the door to the office and entered… In the first place, he was not an employee of the trading company.
“… . I’m here.”
He has a grumpy expression.
The girl with light pink hair beautifully braided and hanging down is the best spiritist in the third year.
“… Senior Yenika?”
As soon as you see Lortel’s face, that side’s cheeks appear puffed out as well. In any case, for Yenika, the series of battles to recapture the Elte Company were a plan to help her enemies.
While grumbling like that, Yenica dragged a person along as Ed had asked.
“eww… Ugh… ”
The girl who came in side by side with Yenika… It was Rienna, Lortel’s chief secretary.
After tidying up her elegant red hair, she followed behind Yenika in a hesitant manner.
“… ”
The puzzled expression on Jenica’s face suddenly darkened. For Lortel Kecheln, Secretary Rienna was nothing more or less than a traitor.
“I’m late because I’m attending the imperial investigation. “He was an important reference.”
“I see. Thank you, Yenika.”
“No, Ed. but… ”
Yenica looked subtly in Lortel’s direction and spoke.
“It seems like you’re causing too much trouble to Ed in one way or another, Lortel.”
Lortel saw Yenica’s expression and smiled. She had a habit of smiling when it was difficult to respond to something.
“Thank you, senior Yenika. Did you personally bring the traitor to me to be punished?”
“You really don’t know anything. Well, it was a worthy situation.”
After leading Secretary Rienna into the office, Yenika took out her cane and spoke.
“Then I’ll go out to the entrance of the store. From what I heard, they said that due to the circumstances, they couldn’t stay there for long unless they were insiders. “Ed is registered as an insider, but I guess I’m not registered~.”
“Oh my, Senior Yenika. Forgetting to register my senior, this is rude on my part… really sorry. Next time I come, I will make sure to take steps to ensure that I am registered as an official.”
They said that with a smile, but they both knew that next time they came, Yenika would still be treated as an outsider.
“Well, no matter what, I’m grateful for your help.”
I didn’t forget to add a greeting mixed with subtle sincerity.
Aside from being his enemy, Yenika is also a person who participated in Ed’s battle to recapture the Elte Company.
Jenica was about to say something, but made a complicated expression and grunted as she left the office. Did you feel that the thank you itself was sincere?
“… So, haven’t you thought about it at least once?”
“What?”
“That’s why I was able to get so deeply involved in the Elte Trading Company issue.”
Ed sent a look at Secretary Lienna, who was shaking. She was told to sit down.
With his bandaged hand, he handed the tea next to him to Secretary Rienna and spoke quietly.
“It’s just that there was a spy attached to Dune as well.”
“… I beg your pardon?”
Ed also picked up the tea, took a sip, and spoke.
“It’s a bit strange that I knew how to tie you up within the Chamber of Commerce, or that I was able to see through the deep internal structure of the Chamber’s building. “At most, I have only been in and out of your office in the Elte Commercial Building.”
“Sure, that’s right… .”
“Not only that, when the commercial building was in chaos, there was someone who went around the commercial building while everyone else was evacuating and collected all the fabricated ledger data that Dune had prepared. “Who do you think that is?”
The operating ledgers that Dune had prepared.
At those words, Lortel’s eyes wavered for a moment.
It’s not that Dune’s plan was poor.
Dune was gathering information that could clearly accuse Lortel of being an embezzler. However, there was someone who collected all the materials and burned them.
A moment when everyone is in a panic and busy running away from the commercial building.
──Strangely enough, there was one person who did not immediately escape from the business building but was running around inside.
“… ”
“In the first place, the first person who came to offer me a contract was Lienna’s secretary.”
While Ayla and Edgar were talking side by side at the terrace cafe, the secretary, Rienna, suddenly came by.
As always, the words came to me hesitantly.
– ‘I came because Elte Trading Company has something to offer.’
At that time, Dune took the lead and most of the merchants joined in to bring down Lortel.
In the eyes of a timid and quiet girl, they were trying to take down Lortel, who was firmly leading the company… Did it look like a monster?
– ‘Please save the deputy CEO of Lortel.’
Her appeal, which was the decisive factor for Ayla’s participation in my plan… It was consistent from the beginning.
Although she acted as the chief secretary listening to Dune’s instructions, she remained on Lortel’s side until the end without her intentions being discovered.
He is timid and timid, and is so pathetic that he runs away in fear just by encountering Yenika.
Nevertheless, the justice that was sought to be carried out was alive.
“This is your person.”
Ed spoke briefly as he sipped his tea.
She may not be good enough as a secretary because she talks little and is a bit clumsy. Nevertheless, she moved for Lortel until the very end.
Lortel opened his eyes and looked towards Lienna.
Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, Rienna was startled and her shoulders shook.
“From the beginning, Lortel, even if we didn’t consider things like friendly relations, I would have been on your side, not Dune.”
“… ”
“Have you forgotten the promise you made to me last winter? “What if you make an offer and you forget?”
Ed tightened and knotted the bandage wrapped around one arm. I was satisfied with the pressure being properly and cleanly applied. Then he quickly stood up, looked towards Lortel, and spoke.
The falling snow has already stopped, leaving only silence in the forest.
This was what Lortel said to Ed in the middle of that snowy field, across a bonfire.
Even if you turn everyone in the world against you, please be on my side, senior.
“It’s a foreshadowing you’ve already built up, Lortel.”
It is said that Lortel lived in a place without anyone, feeling lonely, but in the end, Lortel seemed to overcome it all on his own.
Regardless of how the battle to recapture the Elte Chamber of Commerce took place during this long night, it would have ended in Lortel’s victory.
I just wanted to impress that fact on Lortel.
Ed walked up, shaking his hands, and placed his hand on Lortel’s shoulder, whose eyes were shaking. And I patted her on the chin a couple of times.
– ‘Thank you, senior. Thanks to you, I survived. It’s entirely thanks to my senior.’
For some reason, those words didn’t seem to resonate with Ed.
“The reason you survived was because of the merit you had accumulated.”
“… ”
“Don’t necessarily give the credit to me.”
While saying that, Ed patted Lortel’s shoulder once and then turned around.
“Then I have to go to the 3rd grade opening ceremony, so I’ll have to go get ready. Yenika will be waiting outside… “I’ll leave first, so take care of the rest on your own.”
“… yes.”
“Are you going to come to the school opening ceremony?”
“Basic work has been completed.”
“okay.”
– Thump
After saying that, Ed opened the office door and went out.
“… .Ugh, uhm… ”
Lortel, left alone with his timid secretary Rienna, bowed his head in silence for a moment.
I glanced at my hands and saw that they were empty.
This is a world where we come empty-handed and leave empty-handed. I lived with the certainty that on the day I died, I would die empty-handed.
It reminds me of the rainy streets of Old Deck.
The dingy alleys are full of vomit and food waste.
A young girl with reddish-brown hair, who was standing there staring blankly at the sky, was rummaging through a trash can and found some leftover bread.
He picks up the bread with both hands, removes the moldy part, and stuffs it into his mouth.
A life of wandering without even being able to find the meaning of why I live. The gloomy sky I looked up from there still remains in my mind.
After stuffing all the stale bread into your mouth, there are still only crumbs left in your empty hands.
How many years have passed since then?
I thought I would live with empty hands for the rest of my life, but before I knew it, I had so many things in my hands.
“… ”
Lortel sat at the desk for a moment, then bowed his head even more deeply. She stroked her face with both hands for a moment, and then a faint sobbing sound came out.
“Eh, eh… .”
Secretary Rienna, who was sitting on the sofa, didn’t know what to do, so she just hesitated.
You don’t know how high you’ve climbed while you’re still climbing. It’s only when you turn around and look at the scenery that you realize it.
To know what’s in my hand, I have to open my clenched fist.
After ten years, the girl who finally realized that simple truth… While sobbing silently.
Secretary Lienna couldn’t help but tremble like an aspen tree in embarrassment.
*I think I have the specs to take on Bell Broke. Tailly became stronger than I thought.
That fact is a hopeful situation. But there is still more work to be done.
In preparation for Belle Broke’s resurrection, we must gather as many forces as possible to minimize damage.
From the Knights Templar, the Imperial Guard, the talented people of Sylvania, the mercenaries of the Elte Company, and various influential families of the empire.
And, we must use every means possible to subdue Bell Broke, who will conclude this entire scenario, without harm.
You must never let down your guard until you reach the end.
With those thoughts in mind, I left the Elte Company building.
Now that I think about it… I heard that Tanya is returning to Sylvania. There was so much work to be done that it seemed like the work was done right before the end of the vacation.
I think I need to go see him first. There are still too many unconclusive details about the Ross-Taylor family. More than that, the first thing to do is to participate in the school opening ceremony.
As I left the commercial building, I saw Yenika leaning against a tree across the street, puffing out her face. Even if you look at her, she is pretending to be crying, and she looks cute and angry.
Should we try to ease Yenika’s mood first? As always, I have a feeling that things will turn out more awkwardly than expected… First of all, it is time to thank Yenika for working hard for me.
I raised both arms in a surrender pose and headed towards Yenika.
The sky was high and blue, and the weather was very nice.
Could you fixed this ?
it’s the same as chapter 192