Overlord (WN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 25

Overlord Second Half Chapter 25: The Academy Part 5

Rangoburt followed Momon through the slave market. 

　Men and women alike had written their sellable skills out on a piece of parchment and were holding it out in front of them. Strong and muscular men were flexing in an attempt to show off their strength.

“They’re prettier than I thought they would be”

　Momon was mumbling under his breath, but Rangoburt managed to catch it. 

　Rangoburt took a look around, trying to understand Momon’s words. 

　Although he had never been to a slave market, this place matched the one in his imagination. The slave merchants were, unexpectedly, dressed in presentable attire, but they were still merchants, and so it was nothing too flashy. But of course, the slaves were in commoner garb, and so were far from pretty. 

“Ermm. May I ask who you are referring to?”

　Rangoburt asked Momon.

　Normally, this was not a good idea. Being able to understand the other party’s thoughts was a necessary skill for nobles. If one tried to flatter another party, but did not hide it well, the other party would see through it and be angered. And so, directly asking for a noble’s opinion was rarely a good thing.

　Of course, this was only if flattery was being used. If not, then this step was unnecessary.

　Basically, Rangoburt wanted to flatter Momon, but found himself unable to do so.

　Since he feared the consequences of angering such a person, there was no way that he could act as his equal.

“No, I was just thinking the slaves here look quite nice”

“Really? I believe that they look quite normal though…. It is the usual commoner garb, of course, there does not seem to be any dirt at all….”

“Ah, well that’s true. I had thought that they would be wearing some half-torn straw robe, soiled in excretion….”

　Rangoburt tried his best to contain his emotions.

　Momon’s guess was simply ridiculous, almost mad.

　What sort of world would have people willing to pay for such filthy goods? 

　Take ingredients for example.

　Exceptions like mud-covered daikon aside, any shop you find would undoubtedly line their shelves with beautified commodities. Just take a moment to imagine, your food covered in cow dung, would you ever say you want to eat that?

　Presenting one’s goods in an appealing manner was basic common sense.

　Was Momon someone who never had to visit a market and buy his own goods?

“If the slaves were dirty, no one would want to buy them after all.”

　Rangoburt tried his best to phrase his words politely.

“Well, you have a point… But still, I don’t see any young men out here.”

“I believe it is just a coincidence. It would be ridiculous for there to be no young men in this crowd. So may I ask, which merchant did you come to meet today?”

　Momon gave Rangoburt a puzzled look.

“…..You did come to meet with a slave merchant yes? Normally one would have a merchant they regularly trade with.”

　Momon did not respond.

　Hey, hey, come on now.

　Though his outward expressions remained unchanged, Rangoburt was frowning deep inside. 

“So you do not have any one in mind?”

　Nobles who had a large number of servants often had an official merchant. Some believed that these merchants had bribed their way into the position. After all, all the noble had to do was order the maids to purchase the required items. However, it made sense.

　If one had a large household, like those of the Great Nobles, a large quantity of food would be consumed on a daily basis. Rather than having individuals buy small amounts, it was more economical and less laborious to order in bulk.

　And as such, whenever nobles want to buy things, they would be guided by their official merchant.

(Isn’t he a noble? ….Or can he not let his official merchant learn about this? Must he not let this information return to his household?)

　Following behind Momon, Rangoburt silently gazed at his back.

(And I got a weird feeling when we shook hands. It was like I was touching hard metal….)

　He did not mention it as there was a possibility that it was a defensive magic item, but the more he thought about it, the more fishy Momon became.

　And as Rangoburt fell into deep thought, Momon’s feet stopped moving.

“This store seems big. Let’s try it.”

◇

　Normally, the shop owner himself would not attend to walk-in customers. However, noticing the clothing they were wearing, and seeing the ring on Rangoburt’s finger, the employee immediately called the owner.

　And now, in front of Rangoburt, Momon was receiving an explanation on the process from the slave merchant. 

　Momon was looking for a slave who would obey by any order, who would live and die at his command. But regretfully, the merchant could not meet Momon’s demands, not because of a lack of stocks, but rather because of the empire’s restrictive slave trading policies, which he went on to explain.

“30 years ago, we did have what you were looking for. Something like battle slaves, yes? But slaves now are not quite the same.”

　Nowadays, slaves were often those in urgent need of a lot of money. And so they would sell themselves in exchange for an upfront payment. 

　Nevertheless, even for a trade like this, the empire’s laws still applied, dictating the lease duration and many other terms and conditions. While nothing stopped a master from forcing orders onto his slaves, he would have to pay their families a compensation fee in the event of severe injuries or death. On top of that, for severe injuries, the master had to notify the relevant agencies and be prepared to incur a hefty penalty in accordance to the reason for injury.

　This was the slavery policy in this empire: tightly bound by strict restrictions. 

　Then this was to be expected, for the slaves were formerly the empire’s citizens. It would be ridiculous for a ruler to allow his subjects to be abused as slaves. 

　The slave trade in the Empire was declining because of the strict laws. Especially when the current Emperor used the excuse of slave abuse to remove several noble houses.

　As Momon nodded in understanding, the merchant began to explain the exceptions to the rule.

“However, the people brought in from other countries are treated differently. Especially demi-humans such as the elves from the Theocracy.”

　They were not protected by Imperial Law, and so this was a natural result. However, dwarves were protected, and the citizens of the neighbouring country, the Kingdom, did not purposely aggravate them, and so unless they were literate, they would not try to sell themselves.

“Then I would like those elves—”

“Unfortunately, elves are extremely high-class goods and we have not received any.”

“This is a slave market right?”

“Yes. However, we prioritise buyers who have a long-term connection with us and so they have the first pick.”

　Rather than leaving high-class goods in their possession, the merchants tried to sell them as quickly as possible. Considering that there were sometimes losses of slaves while they were still unsold, this made economic sense. And so they would inform potential buyers as quickly as possible, and so if one does not make an order, it was impossible to get a hold of them.

“Then, if I were to order elves, how long would it take?”

“Let’s see.”

　The merchant took a long look at Momon. He was evaluating Momon’s wealth and reliability. And looking back at Rangoburt, and peering at his family crest imprinted on his ring, the merchant smiled.

“A month.”

“That’s too long.”

“My apologies.”

　The merchant seemed troubled, but not truly so. After all, to him, Momon and Rangoburt were merely potential customers. If they were truly important, he would have immediately acted in order to please them.

“Is it truly impossible?”

　The merchant began to ponder.

“It will be difficult. When do you need them?”

“Tomorrow.”

“It will be impossible.”

　Hearing Momon’s immediate reply, the merchant pursed his lips and shot back his response.

“I see…. How unfortunate. Then can I ask something else?”

“Please feel free.”

“Then please introduce me to slaves you can sell to me right now.”

“I understand. Then may I please ask what sort of people you are searching for?”

“Do you have any spell casters?”

　The merchant stopped dead in his tracks.

　Rangoburt’s shoulders dropped.

　Skilled workers like magic casters rarely fell to become a slave. After all, they had many alternative methods to selling themselves.

(Well, we could be talking about a different kind of slave here….)

　Momon’s clueless words gave away his ignorance.

　Of course, with Rangoburt present, the merchant would not sell them inferior slaves, though the chances of them being offered high-quality ones were also looking slim. Perhaps they should check out another shop. 

　While Rangoburt was in the midst of contemplation, Momon turned to speak to him.

“So what? Shall we try somewhere else? Too bad if we end up getting someone weird anyway.”

　But just as Rangoburt was about to respond, the merchant interjected. 

“I do not believe that you will find any magic casters willing to sell themselves. They have other methods of earning money after all. Especially when the Ministry of Magic has imposed a maximum wage on contract work.”

“I see.”

　Momon gave a light-hearted reply.

　This embaressing display of ignorance caused Rangoburt to be unable to grasp his identity. 

　What Momon did was almost a taboo in noble society. 

　To those prideful nobles, admitting their ignorance was never an option.

　But, he was not sure Momon was a commoner. The circumstantial evidence pointed away from that conclusion. 

(Who is he…. Is this that ‘I know that I know nothing’ thing? It’s said that such people are extremely intelligent…. Well father would be angry the moment I didn’t do any investigations into his background.)

“Anyway, shall we take a look at these?”

　The merchant brought out several sheets of parchment.

“Rangoburt, can you take a look?”

“Of course….”

　Rangoburt went up to Momon’s side to read the documents.

　On them were written the slaves details: their age, height, and available skills. However, there was no way they could determine if someone was suitable just from what was written here.

　It was analogous to buying a horse based on the shine of its coat, only to learn that it was unrideable.

“If you can tell me what sort of skills you need in your obedient slaves, I can make better recommendations though.”

“Ah yes. I intend to have them enrol in the Academy, and so I need people who can meet the requirements. It will also be bad if they are too old, right Rangoburt?”

“I suppose so. There is no explicit restriction to enrollment, but having someone too old would be….”

“I see…. Them being too old would not be suitable….”

　The merchant’s eyes were wide open in shock.

“Umm, I’m sorry to say this…. But it will be impossible to find slaves capable of enrolling in the Academy….”

“I can do something about things like the entrance exam. Just give me humans who are young enough to be students.”

　The merchant’s eyes grew wider.

“How…. Is such a thing possi…. Ah, no! Please excuse my behaviour.”

(You now have no idea what Momon is right? Did Momon reveal his ignorance on purpose? Or was it just an act?)

　Rangoburt took a side glance at Momon. Although he was facing the parchment, he was clearly not paying it any attention. He was thinking about something else. He was probably evaluating the merchant’s reaction.

　So it was likely that Momon’s words were carefully planned.

　And so his ignorance was merely an intentional act.

　Now Rangoburt really had no idea what he was.

　Rangoburt felt a chill run down his spine, and eager to ignore his encroaching fear, he looked towards the merchant. And he knew that the merchant was panicking.

　Momon would get a slave to enroll in the Academy. This was impossible for regular people. And so, if someone was able to do such a thing, what sort of person would they have to be? The first thought would be that it had to be someone with power close to that of the Emperor.

　And so, Momon’s ignorance took on another meaning.

　It was not because he was a fool, but because he was such a revered entity, he did not know what was considered general knowledge. And because he had the power to do anything, he did not know what was impossible or not.

(When the current Emperor took the throne, most of his blood relatives were killed. But…. what if they lived?) 

　It was a mad thought. However, this idea would make a lot of things seem logical.

　It was why his father was so respectful to him. It was why this ‘Momon’ had absolute faith in his ability.

(But wouldn’t this be taken as an act of hostility against Emperor El Nix?)

　The idea flashed through his mind, but he shook his head and ignored it. There was no way that he could determine the answer with his inexperience.

“Although it is the Magic Academy, it will be fine if they are unable to use magic, well, in a way, it will be fine as long as they are young…. right?”

“No, unfortunately that is not true. For the Promotional Examination, they have to be able to fight.”

“Fight….?”

“Yes. Although it is called the Promotional Examination, it is actually a military exercise.”

　Momon’s eyes had widened in surprise, so Rangoburt provided a short explanation of the Promotional Examination.

　If the magic casters raised in the Academy had left for other countries or became adventurers, it would be a large loss for the Empire. The Empire wanted them to join the knights or at least the Ministry of Magic. Especially the knights.

　And so, the students would undergo a Promotional Examination where they would work together with the knights to hunt down a monster. There, they would gain working experience, be evaluated by the knights, and any students they could not ever let go of were identified.

　And so those who could not form teams would receive low evaluations. To the army, the value of those who were unable to perform well in a group was low.

　And because of this aspect, when there were magic casters present, the monsters selected to be hunted were strong. So it was fine to use slaves as a means to protect oneself. Of course, the knights in front would act as their shields, but it was not a certainty that they would protect the students. In fact, while it was extremely rare, there have been casualties resulting from the Promotional Examination. And some of them were magic casters.

“I see. Then I can ask this of you? We need three people.”

“I understand. I shall try to find those who suit your needs…. But may I please know what your budget is?”

　A leather bag was placed on the table. The sound of coins clattering against each other rang out within the room, and the bag slumped onto the table, unable to hold its own weight.

　The merchant tried to suppress his shock, but Rangoburt easily saw through him.

　A merchant who did such a thing in front of his or her customers was a failure. However, Rangoburt could empathise with him.

　The merchant reached out and loosened the mouth of the pouch. It was filled to the brim with gold coins.

　If all of the coins inside the bag were all gold, it would be a ridiculous amount of money.

　Great Nobles might own this much money, but that was only in the case of the head. A student in the Academy would not own such an amount. Then was the man standing in front of him the head of a Great Noble household?

　Just as Rangoburt was thinking this.

“May I please check these coins?”

“Of course.”

　Taking several coins into his hand, the merchant nodded.

“Understood…. I shall return to you the remaining amount. And regarding their gender, do you have a preference?”

　Normally, men were more expensive than women. However, if they had good looks, or were young, this price would be reversed. In fact, female slaves were surprisingly easy to come across.

　Even if a young woman had good looks, she could not be forced into performing sexual services. However, if it was consensual, it was fine. After all, there were certainly women who aimed to become the wives of men who were rich enough to buy slaves. Of course, this desperation was only found in a small number of women.

　And a larger proportion of such women were not human.

　Female elf slaves were expensive, and so only those rich enough, like adventurers or Great Nobles, could get their hands on them. Of course, this was only because they were not protected by Imperial Law.

　And Momon had an immediate reply.

“Get men. And it would be nice if they are intelligent.”

“I believe that women would be better though.”

　In response to Rangoburt’s light-hearted reply, Momon shot back with surprising seriousness.

“Have you not heard? Rangoburt, if there is a person of the opposite gender in a newly-formed team, there is the dangerous possibility of the team falling out.”

　They were words filled with personal experience, and were things adventurers would say.

　If possible, adventurers would avoid having people of the opposite sex within their group. This was the reason Momon gave.

“Now that this is over, I would like to discuss something else. If…. I were to sell you slaves that you could use until they died, like battle slaves, do you think I could get a good price?”

“That is an attractive proposition.” The merchant’s eyes filled with solemnity. “However according to Imperial Law—”

“There is no problem. I can clear it for you.”

“……..Their price will depend on how useful they will be.”

“Their ability for battle is unparalleled. Are you interested?”

“Of course.”

　Hearing the merchant’s reply, Momon smiled.

“Then let us hammer out the details later. Before that, I have things that I need to finish first.”

“I see….”

　The merchant acted as if he was considering the proposition.

　How amazing.

　Silently, Rangoburt praised Momon in his heart. 

　Momon had played his cards well.

　What he had done was equivalent to selling himself as a great customer. It was as if he had said, ‘I shall buy a large quantity of this product. I hope for us to get along.’

　The merchant was wondering just how serious Momon was about the whole affair. And he was considering how much he should invest in their partnership.

　If it were truly a good deal, he should grant them a favour first, as was standard procedure. Basically, if the buyer were indeed buying a large quantity of product, it would be wise for the merchant to provide a small discount. After all, this would form the base of a long-term profitable relationship. If only one side were to benefit, the partnership would quickly collapse.

　And because of these two reasons – another was that Momon had easily paid a large sum of money to prove that he could be an excellent business partner – Momon would not be sold low-quality slaves.

“….If I may, if I can have the deadline extended to the day after tomorrow, I believe that I can find you even better slaves.”

　At the merchant’s proposition, Rangoburt’s expression did not change.

　However—

(It’s Momon’s victory. The merchant is now completely on our side.)

“Then please do so…. Oh, Rangoburt, will there be any problems with this timing?”

“I believe that Momon-san can do as you please. The day after tomorrow will be fine.”

　Momon nodded at the merchant, and Rangoburt wiped away the sweat forming on his brow.

　Maybe, all of this, was planned for the moment they stepped in.

　No, that had to be the case.

　And if so—

　Rangoburt’s evaluation of Momon instantly shot upwards.

********************************************

The Academy Part 5

Translators: Frostfire 10, BiaT_09

　Jet was sitting down in the corner of the Academy.

　Despite ripping his hair off thinking about the problem since the morning, he had not a single solution.

　In the end, he had to get an invite and go to the party himself.

　However, as a mere commoner, this was an impossible task. Getting an invitation to the ball of a Great Noble was not an issue of money. One needed connections and authority; one needed to prove that he had sufficient ability as a noble.

　There were several children of nobles in the Academy so if he asked around, and did not care about the methods, he might be able to get one – but there was a problem.

　His debt would come due.

　Borrowing and owing favours had strong binding powers. Especially in noble society where this was an extremely important rule.

　In noble society, not returning favours would mean that one was the lowest of the low. And nobles naturally expected commoners to obey this. Repaying the favour sometimes brought joy, and sometimes tragedy, and sometimes, tears of gratitude.

　There were stories about how a villager had lent a noble some shoddy raingear, and when his village was about to die of starvation, the noble had brought them enough food to tide through.

　And so Jet had to be cautious.

　Firstly, he had to determine who he would owe a favour to.

　The first person that came to mind was Archduke Ainz Ooal Gown.

　For him, getting an invitation to the ball of a Great Noble would be as easy as breathing. However, Jet had his reasons for hesitating.

　To put it simply, he was constantly owing more and more favours to this noble.

　He had sent in Fluder to get Jet to owe him, and probably to gain some form of benefit, but Jet was able to say that it was not a large favour.

　Because Jet did not ask him to do it.

　It was the logic of, even if you did nothing, I would be able to handle it.

　While this might upset him, Jet had heard that this was a useful excuse to use against nobles in class.

　Large favours would only exist when they were asked for. If the other party did not ask for it, then its effect would be small. Another way to think about it would be to say that the favour was forced onto them.

　However, if Jet asked for the invitation, he clearly owed the Archduke a favour. And since his goals remained unknown, it was not a wise move to owe anything more.

　Then he had to ask another noble.

　It was not a bad idea. But going about and owing favours to several parties was dangerous.

　A and B. What if the two nobles he owed favours to were in conflict? Whose side should he take?

　Either way, he would be seen as a traitor by the other side. Then, the hatred bred would be even more intense than if he had not asked for the favour. 

　That was why people stuck to their sides.

　By drawing clear boundaries between factions, made accountability easier.

　The skill to maneuver freely around the strange rules in this society was what defined a noble.

　Jet scratched his head in annoyance and frustration.

　A commoner like him could not so easily find the best solution to this. 

　Then, he overheard the conversation between students sitting nearby.

“Have I told you about my trip to the Colosseum with my family?”

“Oh that sounds amazing! Tournaments are ongoing now, aren’t they? Going there alone is expensive enough already, how much did it even cost for your entire family?”

　The entrance fee to the Colosseum was indeed not cheap, to say the least. But for entertainment meant to please the locals, the price was not astronomical either. Nevertheless, there were still those who could not afford the cost.

　A fatherless boy like Jet belonged to the latter group.

“It was my parents’ money so I don’t know the exact price. But regardless, the tournament was lit! Epic battles everywhere, there was even a fight between tens of goblins and a team of adventurers!”

“Hmm… So which would you say was the most memorable one?”

“Well, actually… A slave merchant brought slaves along.”

“….Battle slaves? Or were they demi-humans or or beasts? You know the ones they bring out as punching bags. If it’s the latter then please don’t tell me about it. Unfair fights are the worst!”

“You always were the one that felt fairness was important. Well, don’t worry. It was the first one.”

“Wow! And so?”

“Ah yeah…. It seems they were trying to show off their slaves. And that slave fought the Martial Lord!”

“What!? That Martial Lord? It was probably over in one hit right?”

“No, it wasn’t…. It was a draw.”

“Really?! A draw with the Martial Lord!? What sort of slave is that? Or was it an ex-S rank adventurer?”

“I’m not sure, cause he was wearing a set of black full body armour that covered his face, and he had a wavy sword and a giant shield. He was a bit smaller than the Martial Lord, but he was still about 2 metres tall.”

“A wavy sword? What’s that? A flamberge?”

“Who knows.”

“….But if he drew with the Martial Lord, that’s one hell of a way to sell a slave.”

“Definitely. Well, the merchant was brought away by the Royal Earth Guard…. I think…. But anyway they surrounded him and left.”

“Why the Imperial Bodyguards? Or was the Emperor watching?!”

“I think so. The Podium had some hustle and bustle before the match. Since the Church’s flag was there, I thought it was some high ranking priest….”

“I see. So the merchant was waiting for a day the Emperor would arrive…….. That’s an amazing slave though, it’ll be really attractive…. I can see the Emperor buying one and putting it in the knights…….”

“Possible. When he left surrounded by the knights, the merchant looked really relieved.”

“Relieved?”

“He probably didn’t know if the slave could have a good match against the Martial Lord. After all, he was trembling from nervousness in the beginning. So much that I could see it from afar.”

“I get him though. It was a complete gamble…. But he won. Just one slave would be definitely really expensive…. And I wonder how much the merchant had to spend to get those slaves?”

“….Actually, besides that warrior there were two others wearing the same armour standing by the side.”

“Really?! I don’t believe that those two have the same level of power but…. That’s amazing.”

　The world was unfair. While one side had amazingly powerful warriors, there were those, like Jet, who had nothing.

　But if he did have such power, what would he do with it?

　First and foremost, he would be released from his current worries. Of course, Jet understood that the strong had their own worries. However, that was nothing compared to those of the weak.

　As Jet laid his head on the table, he heard the door scrape open, and the rattling of chairs as the students stood up. Knowing who just entered, Jet frantically joined them.

“Good morning!”

“Morning.”

“Good morning.”

　The first to reply was Fluder, followed by Nabe.

　Fluder was always the centre of attention, but Nabe soon joined him.

　From the fact that this woman called Nabe, which many thought to be a fake name, was able to talk normally to Fluder, and that she was able to use magic of the 3rd Tier, she was probably a first class adventurer or worker.

　As she was close to Fluder, no one questioned her identity. However the 3rd Tier was a realm of magic that only those with true talent were able to reach, and something unattainable by regular people. And being able to use it at such a young age added credibility to this rumour.

　And those two people were in his class.

　And so while feeling the encroaching stomach ache caused by the figure of Archduke Ainz Ooal Gown who was standing behind them, Jet met their gazes and lowered his head.

　—Did even these two, who were so powerful, have any worries?

　That thought lazily passed through his head.

　◇◆◇

　Lessons had all ended, next up was the meeting regarding the upcoming test. With just ten days left, it was time to start discussing what they needed and how to move equipment over.

　Sure, they could borrow some help from the accompanying knights and others, but the ones being graded were still themselves. 

　Preparing and carrying one’s own items was supposedly one way to secure high scores. The school could cover the equipment expenses – even the amount was taken into account when scoring the students – but in the end, the students still had to make the purchases themselves.

　The nobles who could resolve everything by pushing the work to their official merchants indeed bred a little envy. But other than them, everyone else would go shopping together.

　However.

　If they were all of the same status, it would be fine. But Jet’s group had an esteemed person like Fluder.

　There was no way they could ask him to buy and carry the same luggage. If he did, many students would view him as a madman.

　Then what should they do for Fluder’s portion? And – although her exact status was unclear – what about Nabe’s?

　Jet knew that it was necessary to confirm this.

　However, since his other three teammates, Nemel, Nabe and Fluder, were not feeling well, it was just himself and Ornesty.

　One could say the timing was perfect.

　While making a note to have that discussion, he turned to face the only other teammate in the room.

(I don’t know much about her either.)

　Standing before him was the girl who he met when she was in the midst of being bullied, and was currently his teammate, Ornesty Eizel.

　She had her eyes focused on the book she was holding.

　The sunlight from the window bathed half her face in sunlight, causing her to look ethereal, and more beautiful than normal. It was as if she was trying to seduce someone.

(Don’t be an idiot. Me.)

　Sometimes when he looked at her, he got strange thoughts. It was as if she emitted pheromones that made it easier for men to be ruled by their baser instincts.

(That’s why…. She was being mistreated by those guys.)

　He was not that much of an idiot to ask her the extent to which this mistreatment extended to. And so it remained a mystery.

　Jet was filled with questions, not about the seductive air she occasionally gave off, but about her background.

　While Ornesty was at the same grade as Jet, she was not in the Magic track, but in the construction track.

　He had asked about the bullying incident, and had gained some information from his friends. And after analysis, nothing seemed to be off, and he doubted none of it.

　However, he had several questions about her background.

　Since Fluder was here, he could understand that no noble would dare bully her. However, there were too few incidents. It was as if it occurred solely to let her and Jet meet.

　Yes. The fact that nothing had happened was extremely suspicious.

　But Jet then shook his head.

(What am I thinking about?)

　He was being too harsh on the victim. The fact that he was trying to tie her up in some noble’s scheme made him laugh at himself.

(This is all the Archduke’s fault.)

　While he blamed every single bad thing that happened to him on the Archduke, half of it was indeed the Archduke’s fault.

　Jet sighed.

“This is the sixth time.”

　Ornesty, whose gaze was still transfixed on her book, spoke.

“What is?”

　Even though he was asking, knew what she wanted to say. However he was asking her for her to read in between the lines and not push the conversation forward. Unfortunately, Ornesty did not pick up on it.

“The number of times you sighed.”

“I see.”

　Jet half-heartedly replied. While he hoped for the conversation to end here, he took a peek at her, and she was not returning to her book.

“What happened?”

　It seemed that he had to say it. He had no idea how to solve this problem. And Ornesty was a commoner. Even if he told her, she would not be able to help him at all.

　Feeling that Jet was about to refuse her probing, she spoke first.

“Because we’re friends.”

　Those words troubled him. If he remained silent, it would be as if he did not trust her.

　While he was hesitant, he decided to tell Ornesty everything.

　Ornesty, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head slightly.

“Jet-san…. are you a noble?”

“No, that’s why I’m troubled—”

 “—Why does Jet-san have to protect this friend of yours?”

“Eh?”

　Her tone was the same, her expression was the same, but something still felt off.

“And…. Aren’t nobles who are chosen by higher ranking ones said to be extremely lucky? Is Jet-san trying to close the door to a bright future for your friend?”

“Maybe.”

　Jet was thinking of the same thing, that maybe he was in the way of Nemel’s happiness.

　But a few seconds was all it took for Jet to wake himself up.

“That’s not what she wants”

“….Maybe that’s just your selfish assumption?”

　Her tone was a bit heavier this time. She sounded sharp and prickly, and he could not believe that she was the bullied girl from his memories.

　Was this what they called female intuition?

“….I saw her. So I can say this with confidence. She does not want this. And so before she gets rushed away by the current, I need to grab her hand.”

“….Does Jet-san like her? Then I can understand your reasoning. Do you?”

　Jet was wondering why she was getting so emotional about this, but seeing the seriousness in Ornesty’s eyes, Jet answered seriously.

“I don’t know….Maybe? It’s like I’m a brother worried about his sister…. Because I’ve been with her so long, it might be a familial love.”

“….Maybe it’s a love between a man and a woman?”

　Hearing these words that he purposely tried to avoid, Jet put on a wry smile. It was just as she said. He did not feel that he could sufficiently express how he felt for Nemel.

“….You’re an idiot….”

　Ornesty closed her eyes, and once again he saw the bullied girl that he knew.

“Maybe…. I can help you. One of my friends works for a Great Noble, and if I ask, maybe something can be done.”

“Going that far—”

“—It’s fine. I need to return the favour for letting me join this team. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I need to return this favour.”

　◇◆◇

　Seeing Jet leave, and confirming that no one was around, Ornesty’s expression crumbled.

“Such stupid childish dreams. It’s like he’s a fucking virgin.”

　She had returned to her normal self, and she deeply growled.

　To her who was swimming in muddy water, Jet’s attitude was nothing more than a target for scorn. It was like he had the mental age of a preschooler.

　Then why did she promise that she could secure an invitiation?

　—If there was a guy like that for me, then I wouldn’t be like this—

　Ornesty scratched and ruffled her hair. As if she was chasing away a certain thought.

“Tsk. I need to ask the higher-ups.”