Avoid Former Co-Workers

27 – 27. Follow-up (2)

I keep thinking about why.

So Junon had no choice but to ask while handing his handkerchief to the owner.

“What’s the matter?”

As for why Michelle followed him.

While Junon glared at his blue eyes with ferocious eyes, Michelle rolled her eyes at the fastest speed in the world, thinking about making excuses.

‘This is the only one… Please go through…!’

The answer Michelle gave to Junon’s question after swallowing dry saliva…

“I want you to help me work with you too!”

In short, it means you need money.

Unexpectedly, this was an answer worthy of Junon, the regressor.

***

I have considered two things about what kind of problems Michelle suffered before the regression.

First, funds needed for the autopsy and funeral of the Alios coffin death case.

Second, funds to send to an orphanage in the county of Granodia, which raises war orphans.

Anyway, they say they need money, but since Michelle is currently a student, she has no means of earning money unless her graduation is confirmed.

‘If you think about it that way, it makes sense.’

Even though he tracked me down, he has never met me.

I don’t know you at all, so you have no reason to doubt what I’ve done.

It is a part that can be skipped without being quietly involved.

“Can’t we just go to the place that recruits students and work for them? Couldn’t we just help the assistants and professors who are preparing magic for artifacts or teaching alchemy?”

After a moment of hesitation, Michelle soon expressed her candid feelings.

“I only know how to deal with magic, I didn’t listen to the lecture, so everyone didn’t take it…”

“Oh?”

I completely overlooked that.

She said that the current Michelle was just a girl with aristocratic status who knew how to handle magic.

She’s never seen her care about her stamina, and that doesn’t mean she hasn’t learned any of the disciplines that are in demand, such as alchemy, sorcery, or enchantment.

At best, that magic would be all that could be used for bounty hunting, but even that was a student who had not yet met the graduation requirements.

There is no means to earn the necessary money.

‘The condition for early graduation was flowering, not the germination of unique magic, right?’

Befitting the nickname Michelle of the Blue Flame, she should be able to use blue flames now.

However, it is only after the joint practice that this power shows its true value and satisfies the conditions for early graduation.

Right now, she’s just not much different from the magic she used to use, so her early graduation would have been rejected.

“Somehow I need the money now. So… Can you help me?”

With her earnest face on her face, Michelle was sincerely asking for help from me.

Now, the only thing left is my choice.

She once protested that she was my ally and that she shouldn’t kick me out to the end.

But she decided to completely shun the members of the Them Bris party, and the risk she had to take was too great.

Nevertheless, Michelle is one of the four people who will make a name for herself in the initial evaluation this semester, and if the current problem is solved, wouldn’t Michelle’s growth be easier?

No. Even if I don’t help, Michelle will grow remarkably, so what is my help?

Various thoughts clashed, and the time to make a choice became quite long.

***

“I’m sorry about that. Mr. Noel. Mr. John.”

“Why are you doing this all of a sudden…?”

“Ooh, we said we’d never mess around again! Why are you here…!”

“It’s not like that. I realized too late that I was wrong, so I apologize from the bottom of my heart. Although… I will never be forgiven.”

Meanwhile, Sylvia did not run away from her own mistakes and went around apologizing to her victims.

With Sylvia’s own will to shake off everything without leaving even a single strand of sediment behind.

“…Aren’t you trying to do it again?”

“Hey, I think that went too far…”

And while doing so, the two glanced at Sylvia.

Sylvia Also, she wasn’t ignorant of the two people’s concerns.

Those who have been branded once by the nobles will be retaliated against whenever they have a chance.

“You might think so…”

Sylvia pondered how she could show her sincerity more, and decided to bow her head.

She looks at Sylvia, who bent her back slightly, and the two are embarrassed.

It was a scene that pinched the cheeks of those who were despised because of the difference in origin, lower class, and avant-garde.

“I can only bend at the waist… But I hope this eases the anger of the two of you even a little bit.”

“…”

“…”

Now Sylvia’s eyes are on her ground. Noel and John roll their eyes and have a silent conversation.

Hasn’t the real person changed?

At least it doesn’t look like we’ll be retaliated against.

That Sylvia lowered her head and bent her waist. That couldn’t be a lie.

Perhaps it was such a conversation.

“That… My back hurts.”

“If you keep doing that, others will see and misunderstand you.”

The two no longer thought that Silvia then and now were the same person and forgave them.

Sylvia said thank you and handed each of them a box.

Inside the box was a famous brand’s fountain pen, whose performance was certain, but too burdensome for commoners to use.

“Is this… That’s it? A certain noble in the empire gave it to a commoner while acknowledging his clumsiness…”

“That’s what you gave it to us…”

A fountain pen that Sylvia bought with the money she earned today.

She was presenting her fountain pen to all her victims after realizing her own mistakes.

“Hey, Noel.”

“Why?”

“…Sylvia. Doesn’t it look pretty?”

“I think so… She’s so pretty when she’s smiling…”

When a smile appeared on the always expressionless Sylvia’s face, something happened that made her face red like the two of her.

‘Where is it?’

When I presented a fountain pen with a sincere apology to most people, they readily forgave me.

But Sylvia has yet to hand her fountain pen to one person.

Only one person. She was left with only the person she most wanted to accept.

‘I haven’t seen you in days.’

Junon.

It was the name of the person who recognized Sylvia’s inner feelings and forgave her for the first time.

Since today is the day she can finally meet her own benefactor, Junon, Sylvia must have been looking forward to it even more deeply.

Sylvia wandered the streets of her academy, wondering where Junon had stopped.

She did eventually find her distinctive dark hair waving. However.

“────.”

“───… ────?”

‘With a woman… In an alley from midday…?’

What caught Sylvia’s eyes was Junon, who was talking to someone in a dark alley somewhere.

Seeing that her place was all over the place, Sylvia immediately bristled the hair all over her body and became alert.

‘I’ll have to listen to what they’re talking about.’

In order not to be noticed by the two, Sylvia cautiously approached the corner of an alley.

Lower her stance and stick her head out to check.

‘…Looks like a nobleman?’

You can’t see her face because it’s covered by Junon’s body, but the outerwear worn over her school uniform is a material worn by nobles.

Moreover, naturally adjusting the pitch of one’s tone is the etiquette of aristocrats who have advanced into the social world.

Although she couldn’t pinpoint who the opponent was, Sylvia asserted that she was not someone to be taken lightly.

She wanted to dig up a little more information, but Sylvia had no choice but to deploy her gin immediately with the next word.

“It’s all I have. I’ll give it to you, so don’t chase after me. I hope you don’t care.”

The person Junon talks to is a noble.

And Junon hands the money to her.

Since it was an action that stabbed Sylvia herself as well, she knew very well why such a process was carried out.

It was like eating a flea’s liver.

Sylvia entered the alley,

“Junon.”

“…? What is it, Sylvia…?”

Call his name quietly. And,

“Get down.”

“What is that…?”

The greatsword of wind created by Sylvia was already being swung violently, with the momentum to crush someone in the alley.

Kwaang-!

Inside the alley.

The sword of the wind that struck vertically must have been pierced by that nobleman.

But in reality, it was the exact opposite.

“Uh…?”

“Ha… Seriously. What are you doing?!”

Two circular white magic shields are supported on his wrists to block the sword.

Despite being told to lie down, it was Junon, not the noblewoman during the conversation, who stopped Sylvia’s magic from the front.

“I told you to lie down… Oh, didn’t you hear me?”

“Why are you doing this? It’s a relief that this alley is invisible to people. Are you trying to advertise that we’re going to have an accident right away?”

Sylvia, who was silent for a moment, distorted the box containing her fountain pen that she was going to give to Junon out of resentment.

Sylvia also had a reason for using her magic in this alley.

“…You’ve just been ripped off.”

“What?”

“You’ve been robbed of money by that female aristocrat! There have been times when nobles have instructed you to deliberately extort commoners’ money! Junon, you’ve just been subjected to that!”

Knowing this means that Sylvia herself has been instructed to do so as well.

When Sylvia reveals this, she stabs her dagger in her own chest with the sweet sound, but she has no intention of letting Junon suffer like that.

After grasping the situation, Junon approaches Sylvia and sings quietly.

“So… You’re saying you’re trying to stop me because you think I’m going to take money from the guy behind you?”

Sylvia nodded her head once.

She was positive.

“Haa… Sylvia. Can you wait a minute to see who’s behind me?”

“…?”

After sighing as if he knew something, Junon turned his body slightly as if to see who was in the alley.

Only then did Sylvia see the face of the nobleman who was talking to Junon.

He was the best student in the third year of preparatory work, with his reddish-brown hair neatly tied up.

“Ah…”

“It’s too much. I asked because I was in need of money, but I can’t believe that a strict person is seen as a bully.”

He was completely out of step with the instructions of the Noble Union.

She was Michelle, the eldest daughter of Count Granodia, and she was a member of a family that was hostile to the alliance in the aristocratic union.

Then what else can Sylvia say? One word is enough.

“Sorry…”

And the three of them were startled by the conversation between the two uncles next door.

─What are you talking about? Bang from the side just now! Did you hear it?

—Oh, this middle child. Did you hallucinate again? If that were the case, this house would have been scratched.

—Anyway, that’s strange. I’ll go outside and check it out.

─Ah, keep putting it like that. Why are you trying to pull your butt off?

“…”

“…”

“…”

Anyway, it seems that the priority is to change the location.

***

Michelle needed money, and Junon handed over the money she had.

That was a compromise that allowed him to help his former colleague Michelle without risking it.

Additionally, when I mentioned that I hadn’t had anything good associated with the upper classes anymore, Michelle was somewhat convinced.

Sylvia’s misunderstandings were somewhat resolved, and the three of them reached an agreement.

“Come to think of it, is this yours?”

“Oh, that’s right! My handkerchief!”

Familiar handkerchief. The children’s embroidery was sloppy stitch by stitch, but it was a pretty precious handkerchief to Michelle.

‘All right. It’s over now.’

There is no need for the conversation to continue like this. It’s probably all about talking about when the money will be paid back.

Junon didn’t like Michelle coming to see him just because he wanted to pay him back.

Because this kite has to be cut here.

“You don’t have to pay me back, but keep what I asked for. I’m busy, so I’m going first.”

“Uh…? Junon! Go with me!”

Michelle sighs in relief as she watches Junon and Sylvia move away.

“Whew… How did you pass it?”

It was a situation where they almost got caught, so Michelle could finally breathe.

“By the way, why are you pouring Mystellis leaves and powder into the canal? I’m sure spraying the purifying agent won’t clean the dirty canal…”

The question just settles into Michelle’s head. And one more question remains.

“Besides… How did he know I wasn’t on the aristocratic side?”

Junon pointed at Sylvia and said to see who was behind her.

Even if it was Sylvia, Countess Kutelli, Junon’s reaction as a commoner and class E was extremely awkward.

As if Junon was someone who knew about him. Michelle’s suspicion of Junon was digging deeper and deeper.

Like the wrinkles on this bill received by Junon.