Chapter 300
by Jessie@AFNCCA loud crashing sound erupted from one corner of the student dining hall, and the three of us instinctively turned our heads at the same time.
It seemed like someone had dropped their tray by accident.
Since such accidents were fairly common in the dining hall, I was about to turn my head back when I heard a voice that I couldnât easily ignore.
ââŠWhat do you think youâre doing, Panoman?â
The voice, filled with irritation, was one I recognized. The familiarity of the voice indicated that this was a character who played at least a supporting role in Luminor Academy.
âOh, sorry. It was an accident.â
âAn accident?â
âYes, an accident.â
âIt didnât seem like an accident to me.â
âWell, why did you walk in front of me? You should have been more careful.â
In other words, it was a thinly veiled complaintâwhy had the other person gotten in their way and annoyed them? The victim, on the other hand, was visibly radiating anger.
The angry woman was easy to identify at a glance.
She was tall, slender, muscular, with tanned skin, brown hair in a ponytail, and wearing an academy uniform that had been shredded so much that it barely covered the essential parts of her body.
There was only one person in Luminor Academy who dressed so savagelyâLyria, the Barbarian.
âLyria Marasendar⊠or something like that, with her long name.â
I didnât really need to remember her full name. Everyone just called her Lyria anyway.
Physically, she was imposing, comparable to most adult men.
However, that didnât mean she was built like a macho man with a womanâs face. If anything, she was more like a female bodybuilderâmuscular but still maintaining a relatively slim frame. Regardless, her healthy, powerful appearance was something that no one could ignore.
At that moment, she was glaring at the man who had spilled her tray, her expression furious.
âWell, Iâll forgive you. I donât make a habit of bullying the weak.â
ââŠHah, weak?â
âYes. So, Iâll give you a chance to make up for your mistake.â
-Swish.
ââŠâŠ?â
Lyria stretched out her arm towards the nobleman she had been arguing with, extending her hand.
The man, who couldnât figure out her intentions, stared at her hand with a dumbfounded expression.
âWhat⊠What are you doing? Are you planning to hit me? As expected of a barbarian woman, your true nature is showingâŠâ
âHand over your meal ticket. Iâll forgive you with that.â
ââŠWhat?â
âYou interrupted my meal, but Iâll let it slide. However, I havenât eaten yet, so Iâll be taking your meal ticket.â
ââŠHah, as expected, your head is filled with muscle, spouting nonsense like that. Why should I care about your meal?â
ââŠWhat did you just say?â
âAre you a dog guarding a house, biting anyone that comes near your master? You donât even know your place, do you?â
ââŠâŠâ
Ah, I remembered this episode.
I had seen it while playing in my previous life. It was a bonus scene that followed Lyriaâs “Land of Lyria” summer event. After winning the territorial war and securing rightful ownership of her land, Lyria exacted revenge on the second son of the Ludens Count, who had tormented her.
âSo, you wonât give it to me?â
âThatâs right. If youâre so desperate to eat, why donât you pick up some bread from the floor and lick it? Thatâs what suits a stray dog like youâŠâ
That was the last thing the second son of Ludens said before Lyriaâs right hand grabbed his mouth and hoisted him up into the air, just as I had predicted.
-Thump!
âMmph, mmph!!â
âUntil now, I considered you a friend and tolerated your rudeness⊠but I see that youâve been thinking of me that way all along.â
âMmmph, mmph!!â
âIn that case, thereâs no need for me to tolerate it any longer. I donât think my status is any lower than yours.â
-Thud!
âW-What are you doing?! I⊠Iâm Panoman, the second son of the Ludens CountâŠâ
âYes. But after the territorial war, the hierarchy has changed. Now, you follow my orders, Panoman. And youâll start by picking up the food you wasted from the precious ground with your mouth.â
âS-Shut up, you crazy bitch! When I return to the Northeast, Iâll tear your limbs off and hang them at the entrance to the territoryâŠâ
âWhat a terrifying threat. Feel free to try if you can.â
âMmmph! Mmmph!!â
The commotion continued, and the other students started reacting. Some quickly left, wanting to avoid getting involved, while others simply continued their meals, unconcerned.
Though some students were startled by the sight of a noble with his face pressed into the floor, the incident had little to do with us.
âIt looks like the Hero really made a mess in the Northeast. At the beginning of the semester, their roles were completely reversed.â
âIt does seem that way. Shall we leave as well?â
ââŠYeah, sure.â
Neither the barbarian warrior with muscles for brains nor the countâs second son, who couldnât accept his defeat, were people we wanted to get involved with.
âŠIf only I could avoid getting involved with such people entirely, my academy life would have been much easier.
â â â
About four weeks had passed since the beginning of the second semester. Around the middle of the term, during the midterm exam period, I finally had a bit of free time and decided to have a leisurely coffee break with Lizzy at a café owned by the August Trading Company.
âItâs been a while since weâve had time to chat like this, Lilith.â
âIndeed, Lady August.â
ââŠâŠâ
Lizzyâs expression stiffened slightly, seemingly displeased with how I addressed her.
âCould you please change the way you address me? At the very least, can you drop the formalities? After all, I did buy you coffee.â
âNo, as Ethanâs servant, itâs only right for me to use formal titles when addressing nobles higher in rank than myself.â
âBut you called me by my name just fine back in the Witchâs Forest, Lilith.â
âThat was a special circumstance allowed by Master Ethan. Since weâre in the academy, where many people can see us, itâs appropriate to maintain decorum.â
âBut weâre the only ones at this table, Lilith. Is it really that difficult to just call me by my name?â
âWeâre not alone, Lady August. Miss Lara is here with us, after all.â
âW-What? Did you call meâŠ?!â
Startled, Lara, who had been quietly blending into the background, suddenly responded when her name was called.
Lately, Lara had become noticeably attached to Lizzy, likely due to their bond as fellow âwitches.â It had become normal for her to tag along whenever Lizzy and I met.
âSeeâŠ! You call Lara by her name, so why not call me by mine?! Iâve known you for far longer than she has!â
âWell, Miss Lara isnât a noble. While I may be a nominal baronâs daughter, I donât think itâs necessary to use excessive formalities with those who arenât nobility.â
âR-Right⊠Lilith said she canât help itâŠâ
âGahâŠ!!â
Honestly, it wasnât that I wasnât bothered by addressing Lizzy as âLady Augustâ in such casual settings.
If it were up to me, I would have preferred to just call her Lizzy. After all, we had known each other for quite some time.
However, maintaining some distance was the smart thing to do, just in case. While I could get away with calling Agnes by her name, addressing Lizzy, the daughter of a marquess, so casually would take more courage than I currently possessed.
âSpeaking of which, Lady AugustâŠâ
âYes? What is it, Baroness Rosewood?â
âI was wondering if I could ask for your help again in preparing potions for the hunting festival at the end of this semester?â
ââŠYouâre really asking me that, now?â
âYouâre the only one I know who can help me, Lady August. After all, youâve known me the longest.â
ââŠHmm, I see.â
Her expression softened as I mentioned how long we had known each other. It seemed that dealing with her wasnât so difficult after all.
Well, she owed me anyway. If it werenât for me, sheâd still be lying in a grave with incense burning over her. Surely, sheâd agree to this small request out of gratitude.
â100 gold coins.â
âHuh? Iâm pretty sure it was only five gold coins last timeâŠâ
âIf you start calling me âLady Lizzy,â Iâll give you a 50% discount. If you call me âMiss Lizzy,â itâll be an 80% discount. And if you just call me âLizzy,â like you did in the Witchâs Forest, Iâll knock off 95%.â
ââŠExcuse me?â
âThink carefully, Lilith. Itâs just a change in how you address me, and it wonât alter our relationship. And remember, as a merchant, I never lieâŠâ
It seemed her shrewdness as a merchant extended even to such situations, using her title as leverage in negotiations.
Just as I was considering whether to bend a little, someone unexpectedly interrupted our conversation.
âWh-What kind of potions do you need for the hunting festival, LilithâŠ?â
âHold on, Lara. Lilith and I are in the middle ofâŠâ
âI need one potion for strength enhancement, one for stamina recovery, one for mana recovery, and two emergency potions, Miss Lara.â
âI-I see⊠As long as I have them ready by the festival, right? I-I can make those⊠For just three gold coinsâŠâ
âWhat are you saying, Lara?! That barely covers the cost of materials! Thatâs not a deal, thatâs letting yourself be taken advantage ofâŠâ
âWell⊠Lilith helped me out before⊠A-And weâre friends, rightâŠ?â
âFr-Friends, you sayâŠâ
âThank you, Miss Lara. Then Iâll be counting on you for this.â
âOne gold coin! Iâll do it for one gold coin and 50 silver coins! But the conditions stay the sameâŠâ
ââŠOne gold coin and 30 silver coins.â
âLaraâŠ!!!â S~eaÊáŽh the NÎᎠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In the end, after a reverse auction of sorts, Lizzy agreed to make the potions for one gold coin and 30 silver coins, which didnât even cover half the cost of the materialsâwithout any changes to how I addressed her.
I was truly moved by the display of friendship, seeing them both so eager to help me.
âŠStill, not wanting to take advantage of them completely, I decided to call Lizzy âMiss Lizzyâ as we left the cafĂ©.
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