How to Survive at the Academy
Chapter 260

TL: TangSanFan

ED/PR: Tanthus

『Side Story』 The Balance Scale (1)

Regardless of which branch of Elte Trading Company you visit, a conspicuously large balance scale is placed in the lobby.

The scale, maintaining a perfect level, symbolizes something quite evident — fairness.

Elte Trading Company is rumored to go to any lengths to keep their grip on the trade market. It’s rather humorous that such a group preaches fairness, but it’s a commonly understood principle that the bigger an organization grows, the more it requires a semblance of justice to maintain its reputation.

Hypocrisy isn’t a choice; it’s a necessity.

Some might sneer at the hypocrisy of the Elte Trading Company, but those who are even slightly versed in the ways of trade nod in agreement. After all, leading a group means ensuring that each and every decision is backed by a respectable reason.

Though it may be stark hypocrisy, one must always preserve the pretense of righteousness.

Lortelle Keheln knew this all too well. Despite invariably harboring dark, dank intentions, she would plaster a smile across her face and emphasize fairness to others.

“Legitimacy, huh…”

Slog Keldrux, the nominal head of Elte Trading Company, muttered with his head bowed.

On his desk lay a portrait and the resume of Lortelle Keheln, the company’s acting head.

With a prominently grown beard and wrinkles heavily marking the passage of time, his face bore the marks of experience beautifully.

His lavish yet not overtly opulent merchant’s leather coat was adorned with antique fur trimmings.

Narrowing his eyes, which had become a habit whenever he deeply pondered, was a look characterizing Slog Keldrux, a veteran of countless battles.

The commercial city of Oldac.

Stretched along the coastline of the Samiel Sea on the western side of the Clorel Empire, this port city handles nearly half of the empire’s circulation of goods. Be it the imperial capital of Chloeron, the holy city of Carpea, the innovative lands of Talkaren, the Rameln mountain region, the lawless area of Keheln, or the southernmost island of Acken—all goods directed towards these central parts of the empire must pass through this port city.

A battleground of various big and small trading firms. A golden land where merchants driven by greed converge to earn even just a penny more.

Walking through the docks early in the morning, one can observe merchants and laborers bustling about, even busier than the morning sun.

A city bustling with those eager to fill their pockets with every penny possible.

Those born and raised here, who have spent their entire life in such a place, end up adopting a similar mindset. Lortelle Keheln was no exception.

“Business expansion, huh?”

Slog pondered as he read over Lortelle’s business plan aimed at carving out a more concrete trade route to Carpea.

Although Slog Keldrux is the nominal head of Elte Trading Company, the majority of the authority lies in the hands of Lortelle Keheln. Before long, Lortelle will likely claim the position of head for himself.

If there were ever a time to act, it would be now.

“Yes. As always, the most important thing is to have a justifiable cause.”

Murmuring these words, Slogg slowly closed his eyes.

“King Elte has been gone from this business for quite a while. It’s about time… to abandon the name ‘Elte Trading Company’…”

Silence filled the spacious head office of the Elte Trading Company’s central branch.

* * *

“You’ve been to Purlan? For research purposes?”

It was after the height of summer’s heat had passed when Lortelle Keheln stopped by the Rothtaylor estate.

It was still too warm to be autumn, yet too cool to be summer—somewhere in between.

Having graduated from the Sylvania Academy and after several months of managing trade in Oldac, Lortelle soon started to head out on business trips to expand her new venture.

Taking a few trusted aides with her to open new trade routes wasn’t a job typically suited for a company head. Still relatively free from her responsibilities to Slogg, she aimed to wrap up crucial tasks while she could.

In particular, she focused all her attention on opening up trade with the holy city of Carpea.

The city of Carpea, congregated by followers of the Telos faith, has a cultural uniqueness that makes identifying its market demand fairly straightforward, with the seasonal demand volume also being simple to forecast.

The periods of the grand prayers at the Telos Cathedral, Lent, the prayers of the Holy Maiden, festivals of the Eleven Saints, major feast days, central baptism days… Not to mention the essential maintenance supplies for the central institution of the Sanctum—if he could secure a supply deal for all of these, the sale volumes would be enormous.

Having learned that the Sanctum was currently sourcing its materials haphazardly from various trading firms, Lortelle wanted to formulate a plan that would allow him to negotiate directly with key figures within the Sanctum. If Elte Trading Company could take over the procurement, it would save the Sanctum a significant amount in ancillary costs.

The person she sought for this venture was none other than Ed Rothtaylor.

“Yes, I’ve been researching the high spirits in Purlan. During that time, I acquired some valuable items that might need appraisal.”

“Not a problem at all, senior Ed. Please send a letter whenever necessary.”

The new term at Sylvania Academy was not far off.

With the selection and placement of new students, along with managing lessons for Class A, Ed Rothtaylor was going to be quite busy once the semester started. Especially since he was in charge of the most promising students, the expectations from the academy were high.

Now, he was taking some time to organize his affairs at the ancestral home, but soon it would become harder to see him about.

Wishing to enjoy the remaining rest period as much as possible, Ed Rothtaylor had refrained from taking on any major tasks. He only sorted through simple report documents in the estate’s garden.

“…”

A conventional compliment is the only fitting description for the Rothtaylor Duke family’s central garden: splendid and beautiful.

Well-maintained by a competent head maid, the estate boasted splendor and beauty rivaling that of imperial gardens.

Laid out with a proper tea service, sitting side by side in the garden, the siblings appeared to be tending to their tasks just like any ordinary brother and sister. Their similar facial features lent to this normalcy.

Yet, one of them is a high-ranking magician and youngest-ever full professor, and the other—a young lady who holds the title of the head of a premier ducal family.

If ever there were individuals one should not make enemies of, it would be these siblings. Fortunately, due to a longstanding bond, both were quite amicable toward Lortelle.

“Senior Lortelle! Business must be keeping you incredibly busy lately. Oldac’s filled with unpleasant rumors recently, but I trust your company isn’t facing any major issues?”

“Well, there are always abundant issues. I’m simply taking care of each one.”

Tanya, while fiddling with her quill, casually inquired, and Lortelle responded with a small smile.

It is an elementary mistake that cannot go wrong.

Fortunately, this is not a commercial frontline, but an outdoor tea table at the Rothtaylor estate.

“Ahem… I’m grateful for your understanding. I believe it’s also time for me to start considering my own position…”

While Ed doesn’t seem to attach much significance to his words, one might call it a woman’s intuition… Tanya’s eyes are already narrowing slightly. What could that smile in her eyes mean? How did Tanya become such a tiresome person? The saying that ‘the environment shapes the person’ is indeed irrefutably correct.

“Well, I appreciate your visit all the way to the Rothtaylor ancestral home despite your busy schedule. I have many things I wish to discuss, but let’s save the heart-to-heart talk for the dinner table. For now… we should start with business, shouldn’t we?”

Ed cuts straight to the core of the matter.

That’s right. Even after graduation, Lortelle Keheln had been overtly affectionate towards Ed, expressing her feelings like a sly fox… Still, her priority had always been to first deal with the piled-up work.

At this point, it was becoming clear whether Lortelle’s visit was for business reasons or merely to flirt with Ed.

“And once the business talk is over, I have something else to discuss. Hmm… you see, in Phulan—”

“Brother, now is not the time for such stories! First, we talk about work! Don’t we? Ahaha!”

Tanya abruptly stands up, hitting the table and accelerating the pace of the conversation.

“Frankly, the story about Elte Trading Company is well known. I heard through various sources about why Lortelle senior has been so busy recently. I was expecting your visit soon.”

In the end, all vital decisions of the Rothtaylor ducal family hinge on the duchess, Tanya Rothtaylor.

“You want to link us up with the Holy City, right? Preferably, with Saint Clarice at the very top.”

So she was aware of that much. Knowing Lortelle’s movements, such an inference wasn’t difficult.

Instead of responding, Lortelle simply smiles broadly.

“Connections are assets. And if we can engage directly with the heart and idol of the Telos denomination… our trading company would offer the utmost gratitude…”

“No need for repayment.”

Tanya doesn’t even betray a hint of surprise at Ed’s sudden interjection.

It’s an expected, calm response, as if casually sipping tea – both foreseeable and somewhat unexpected.

The proxy head of Elte Trading Company and the top decision-maker of the Rothtaylor ducal family.

Where power meets power, certain words always follow.

Gain and loss, negotiation, skirmishes, contracts, assurances, confidentiality, deadlines.

In the cold list of these words, each side intensely scrutinizes even the period at the end of the contract, trying to hold even a penny more in their hand.

During Lortelle’s exhausting life, the negotiating table has been such a space.

Yet, the man before her speaks of offering help without fuss.

Indeed, it is evident. They have confirmed each other’s existence all too thoroughly.

Ed Rothtaylor belongs to Lortelle Keheln.

Lortelle Keheln belongs to Ed Rothtaylor.

‘My person.’

Beyond considerations of gain and loss, supporting each other until the end… For Lortelle Keheln, Ed is the first person to whom she has entrusted everything.

Despite their busy lives and duties, the fact that they had never forgotten each other seems evident in this moment, and Lortelle suddenly finds herself at a loss for words.

From the standpoint of Rothtaylor mansion’s mistress duchess Tanya, she would want to use this occasion to demand various things from Elte Trading Company.

However, with Ed’s firm proclamation, Tanya doesn’t push further. Ed, who entrusts and trusts Tanya with the management of the mansion’s affairs… when he firmly states something, Tanya doesn’t retaliate.

There’s usually a reason for this.

Although Tanya feels a tingling sensation in her nose, it wasn’t right to tearfully express her thanks.

For Ed, it is obvious, thus for Lortelle, it is obvious.

If Ed needs help, Lortelle assists. If Lortelle needs help, Ed assists.

In this process, calculations like profit and loss are completely irrelevant.

One plus one equals two—a self-evident truth.

“Indeed.”

With a voice that seemed almost to be creeping in, Lortelle succeeds in concealing a fox-like enchanting smile—an expression control so perfect that not even Tanya, sly as a snake, could notice it.

“We’ll discuss the detailed operations at dinner.”

Lortelle grins and speaks to Ed, who nods in agreement.

“Well, since all urgent matters are taken care of, why don’t you go and rest a bit until dinner? You’ve only just returned from Phulan!”

As the conversation concludes, Tanya speaks again with a lively tone.

“Is that so? I don’t feel excessively fatigued, though.”

“One doesn’t always notice the fatigue accumulating in the body. Even Senior Yenika, who returned from Phulan with you, didn’t return to the baron’s residence and has been lying down all day today!”

At that, Lortelle’s expression stiffens slightly.

Hearing the name ‘Phulan’, a thought crosses her mind…

“Senior… Yenika?”

“Oh my, senior Lortelle… you must be unaware of the details, indeed. You see… Brother Ed visited Yenika senior’s hometown together. Just the two of them.”

Tanya speaks while subtly covering her mouth, a faintly excited tone seemingly mixed in.

“Given the long distance, dispatching many people was problematic… Thus, we provided a carriage for just the two of them, plus a coachman. As you know, neither of them are likely to be kidnapped, right? So, of course, it’s most efficient if they go just the two of them. Only the two of them.”

The emphasis on ‘alone’ was clear, even though Lortelle found it distasteful and struggled to control her expression as she couldn’t delve into details.

“I don’t know what transpired in Phulan, but the two of them took care of everything reliably, after all. From my point of view, it’s immensely reassuring to have someone like Brother Ed firmly here in the mansion, and to have someone like Senior Yenika join us as a baroness.”

Even as Tanya’s voice trails off, she continues to hint at something substantial in her tone.

“If there’s work next time, it might be fine just to dispatch the two of them, right?!”

“Don’t make a fuss, Tanya…”

“Yes…”

Though Tanya sits down obediently and tries to show off by laughing confidently, her apparent purpose is not lost on Lortelle.

Drawing her chin, Lortelle sighs softly. There’s really nothing to be alarmed about.

Still, curiosity can’t help but be piqued.

Just how far did those two go?

After watching Ed retreat to rest, Lortelle takes a stroll through the garden.

The primary reason for her visit to the Rothtaylor ducal family was to pave the way for trades with the Holy City, but after hearing about Yenika, she feels slightly disoriented.

Despite her typical composure as a merchant, random thoughts intrude, unavoidable when all is still, with no vassals or household servants around—in a space clearly meant for only two.

She understands that Ed wouldn’t cross certain lines, but life’s outcomes are never guaranteed.

What if the two ventured into an unknown world together? What if they held hands and walked through the fairy-tale lands beyond the rainbow?

What if after dancing cheerfully through the fields of blooming pansy flowers…………… in short, what if they shared the night?

Lortelle had no choice but to swallow her dryness. It seems that Yenika hasn’t returned to the baron’s residence yet and is resting at the Rothtaylor mansion.

What kind of reaction would she show upon meeting?

Lortelle could easily imagine.

In the gap of busy commercial frontlines, the expression Yenica might have, having left with Ed in her clutches, returning from her own little world…

She considers the multitude of likely scenarios.

Will she proudly raise her nose at Lortelle, hot-tempered and triumphant?

Will she offer a mockingly sympathetic smile?

Or brazenly boast to taunt Lortelle?

Considering Yenika, the first scenario seems most probable. After all, she’s spent an extensive period with Ed, sharing intimate moments, likely feeling a psychological superiority.

To withstand that proud expression, which, from the outside, seems nothing more than adorable, Lortelle must brace herself accordingly.

“Oh…”

She glimpses Yennica seated in the small pavilion in the distance. Perhaps she stepped out for air. For Lortelle, it’s not the most pleasant encounter, but a trial that must eventually be faced.

With no clue how far Ed and Yennica have progressed, nor knowing how she might react, Lortelle nonetheless approaches her, wearing a smile-masked facade.

Even as she envisions the wealth of ways Yenika could exhibit her supremacy, she finalizes her strategies for any response.

Nevertheless, Lortelle’s smiling mask will never slip. With determined mental preparation, she raises her voice with a refined tone.

“Oh, senior Yenika. You’re here.”

As Yenika, who had been gently touching the camellias on one side of the pavilion, lifts her head swiftly, her eyes meet Lortelle’s.

Yennica, who would blatantly pout or adopt a wary expression at the sight of Lortelle at the mansion, now holds a rare opportunity…

“Wow, Lortelle’s here! Long time no see! Business keeps you busy lately, doesn’t it?!”

Yennica greets her with a pure smile, untainted like a blank canvas, void of a sliver of defensiveness or alarm.

“Still, the weather’s gotten cooler! Fortunately, it’s not too hot… Anyway, I should return to my room now. The vassals might worry if I’ve been out too long… Let’s catch up during dinner, okay!”

With that pure 100% radiant smile, Yenika energetically waves and heads back to the mansion. Even while distancing herself, she continues to wave cheerfully at Lortelle with a breezy laugh.

“…”

Lortelle stands still, gathering her thoughts.

“……”

“…………………………….”

Then break out in cold sweat.

It was, after all, the most dangerous reaction one could expect from Yenika…