I Became a Time-Stopper at the Academy

23 – The Past

The head of the Capitalism Research Center, wearing glass bead glasses, argued in front of us, straining his neck.

From the standpoint of kingdoms and empires, the republic would be a thorn in the eye, but what should be modeled should be modeled.

He even spat and insisted that one of them was capitalism.

“Then let’s get up one by one and introduce ourselves!”

The vice president, who has gained weight and is quite chubby, suggested it to everyone.

It was a very rare type in the academy.

Because being a knight is about moving your body, and being obese is a disadvantage in many ways.

In response to the vice president’s suggestion, they revealed their names and grades in turn, starting with the president.

Of course, in accordance with the school rules of the academy, the surname, identity, and nationality were not disclosed.

The 3rd and 2nd year members have finished introducing themselves.

Now it’s the turn of the first year.

Luisa, who was seated farthest to the left, lifted his butt from his chair for a moment and said.

“This is Louisa, a freshman. I am Joel-sama’s exclusive maid.”

Actually, even if you don’t have to gossip about it, you can tell by looking at her maid outfit….

Now it’s my turn.

Simply “This is Joel, Year 1. Thank you.” He said.

The lando sitting to my right also said, “This is Lando, a freshman. Thank you very much.” He introduced himself just like me.

With Caitlyn, the self-introduction time is over.

Then she got up in her chair and, without giving her name, her grade, or her name, suddenly walked over to Luisa.

“Are you the daughter of Yère?”

You mentioned the store run by Louisa’s parents.

She also has her last name Yer.

In other words, her full name is Luisa Yerda.

“Yes.”

She replied with an expressionless expression.

Caitlyn said softly, holding her hand tightly.

“Even in the Republic, Yere Sanghoe is growing rapidly, and I never thought she would see her daughter!”

“Yes, nice to meet you.”

Maybe it was because she was a republican, it felt like she valued the bourgeois’ daughter more highly than the nobility.

But there was a slight displeasure on Louisa’s expression.

“How about immigrating to the Republic, Luisa? She’s more corporate than empire! Isn’t it hard to work for an imperial noble?”

“…… Mr. Caitlin.”

“Yes?”

Louisa glared at Caitlin.

“Don’t make fun of your mouth. Our company has received the blessing of the young master, so she is still alive. Neither I nor my parents have any intention of escaping from you.”

“Oh, hey, yes, sorry….”

Caitlyn just sat back in her seat at her gentle, pressing words.

In the mood, Caitlyn’s self-introduction was skipped over.

Anyway, Joel before being possessed seems to have done something to Louisa’s family.

I was a little confused because I didn’t know.

So I thought that Luisa was treating me with respect.

The Research Chairman coughed and shouted.

“Then I’ll stop here for today. Oh, if you want to stay and talk more, you can talk more.”

Most of the 2nd and 3rd year cadets left the study room.

Luisa said we should go out too, but she has some business with Caitlin.

So she sat still without getting up.

“Caitlyn.”

“Why?”

As she was about to get up, she called.

Then she frowned and looked at me.

… It seems that the first meeting made a really bad impression.

“Seeing that you immediately noticed that Luisa was the daughter of the Yer Company, do you think your family is also in business?”

“What is that about? Is it vulgar to do business in the eyes of a noble aristocrat?”

No, I didn’t say that….

If I had thought that way in the first place, I would have come to a place like the Capitalism Research Society.

“Are you thinking of a business as well?”

“… I’m doing it, but why?”

“Is it a secret?”

“I have no reason to tell you.”

Originally, being a bit picky was the same in the game, but for me, it was almost double the roughness.

As much as she is a heroine, the main character, Lando, is a bit like a tsundere.

Maybe I’ll just watch it from the side, but….

I grinned and spoke to her in her low voice.

“Don’t you want investment money?”

“… !”

Caitlyn’s eyes changed a bit.

In fact, she wants to start her own business, but she doesn’t have her own capital as she is still young.

Her parents rejected her investment, saying that the business they thought of was nonsense.

In the end, he ends up using illegal usury to raise money for his business, but one of the episodes in the game story is that the usury becomes a problem and Lando solves it.

“I don’t understand why the imperial nobles want to invest in republicans.”

I sat back down to see if I was interested even though I said this.

Advantages that can be utilized because he is the Marquis’ son.

It’s money.

“You know what? That I am the Marquis’ son with the worst skills ever.”

“… Well, for now.”

As far as I know, Caitlyn also didn’t do that part until she did because she didn’t do well on her entrance exam.

“Originally, Margrave Baekryung focused on security and politics rather than economy, but I have a different opinion. I plan to thoroughly follow the principle of separation of business and politics.”

“So you’re investing directly in the Republic even though you’re an Imperial nobleman?”

If, inevitably, the nobility of the empire or the kingdom has to send money to the republic’s enterprises, it is usually sent through the commerce trade in the territory.

I don’t send it in the name of a noble if it’s possible.

“Because it is clear that the Republic will grow more economically than now.”

“You’re going to preoccupy it.”

Caitlyn grinned as I nodded her head.

As expected of her businesswoman, her expression changes when she talks about her money.

“Come to my room later and explain the business.”

“Okay.”

She stretched out her hand in front of her, and she opened her eyes briefly.

In this world, handshakes are only done between people of the same rank.

That means that I now see her Caitlyn on the same level as her, and I have shown her the utmost respect I can for her.

Caitlyn held my hand and spoke.

“Unexpectedly, the hands are manly.”

“Because I am a man.”

She laughed at my words.

*

I also invited Lando to attend Caitlyn’s business briefing later.

She wants to make him some money too, so she intends to entice him into investing in her business.

In the story of the game, her business is a hit.

I moved from the Society building to the dormitory building.

It’s already dark.

After washing and changing clothes and talking to Louis, it seemed that it would be bedtime soon.

“Oh, Mr. Joel!”

I heard a voice calling me from the hallway of the dormitory building.

It was Delia.

A few days ago she was trying to hear about her family and asked to talk later because of bedtime.

She’s also basically her apprentice, so she’s busy, so she doesn’t have time every time.

“Are you done?”

“Yes! Hey, would it be all right if I go inside and talk about what I couldn’t tell you the other day?”

“Of course.”

I let Delia into the room.

As before, she sat down on the bed, and I sat on the wooden chair.

Louisa was standing next to me.

Delia clasped her hands together as if in prayer, and bowed her head slightly.

“Actually, it’s not that I don’t trust Joel, but I’m a bit scared. Everyone who heard about my family didn’t like me….”

In the World, demons are even called children of Satan.

In other words, the majority of people in the three countries are reluctant to exist.

Even though governments of each country deliberately incite fear as a kind of propaganda.

“Delia, to be honest, I can find out everything about your family if I try to research it.”

“That… , Yes. Yes.”

“I still want to hear from you. I don’t want to go after someone I trust.”

She opened her eyes wide and stared at me.

The top and bottom of her lips were falling and sticking.

Her memories of her past, when she was bullied by her people, seemed to make her hesitate.

“Try me.”

“Yes?”

“If I listen to you and don’t want to be with you, I’ll give you a thousand gold coins.”

The eyes of Louisa, who was standing next to me, widened as well.

A thousand gold coins is no small amount even for a high-ranking noble.

It is an amount that ordinary people, excluding the bourgeois, cannot even hold in their hands in their lifetime.

But despite my suggestion, Delia’s hands trembled.

Her trauma seemed beyond my imagination.

… Well, even in the game story, he confesses everything to Lando later.

“Trust me.”

I carefully grabbed her trembling hands.

Then she opened her mouth with one slow nod of her head.

The past history of Delia that I know came out as it is.

The eldest daughter of an ordinary count’s family, her older sister was executed on charges of colluding with the Demon Kingdom secretly.

As a result, the family is Pungbi Baksan.

“I still can’t believe it. Her older sister, who was so patriotic, tried to sell her country to the devil.”

I nodded her head and listened to her words.

It’s not particularly shocking because I already know everything about it, and I also know why her older sister died unfairly.

It would be difficult to tell her now, but….

After finishing her story, Delia looked up at me.

Her eyes seemed to be a mixture of depression and anxiety.

For her, it must have been her great courage.

“It’s been difficult. I don’t care if your father is a demon or your sister is a foreign exchange criminal. Because it’s not your fault So at least you don’t have to hide it from me.”

“Joel… !!”

She couldn’t hold back her emotions and she hugged me tightly.

Her jacket was wet with tears.

He carefully patted him on the back.

*

Delia unloaded for 20 minutes.

Looking at the underwear she had soiled with her tears, she apologized over and over again.

“It’s okay, this much.”

“But… ….”

“Then let’s do this. Tell me everything without hiding anything from me in the future.”

“Oh, I see!”

She had a pretty smile.

Her face was a bit red, perhaps because she kept crying.

“Yes please, I will listen.”

“Gee, really? To capture my father alive… ?”

“I was originally going to listen to you if you trust me properly.”

“Thank you, thank you… !!”

Delia knelt down on her floor again like the last time and bent her back.

She didn’t have to thank her this far, but she felt a little vehement.

At that time, a message window appeared in front of me.

——

You accepted the quest.

Catch Delia’s father, who has fallen into a demon, alive.

On kill, only half of the success reward is paid.

Success reward: 208 experience points

——

… The last variant [Great Orc] Had 34 experience points.

By the way, 208?

Even a rough estimate, it is more than six times.

The level of difficulty is six times higher.

Still, you don’t have to fight Delia’s father—Balbino right away.

If Lando, I, Eliane, and Luisa steadily raise their skill levels, opportunities arise.

“For now, tell me everything about your father.”

“Can I tell you something… ?”

“Looks and age.”

The opponent is a man blinded by revenge.

If you focus only on one thing, your field of view narrows.

So it’s worth it.