Episode 62, "Yuwen's Modest Meanness"
Lynn hadn't been to the academy in a long time.
(Whew! The school is still nice. Time is flowing so quickly.)
As Lynn got into the elevator to the classroom, he opened the school's book to check for any incoming business notifications.
(I didn't know the Academy's books had this feature.)
The school's book also had an e-mail function for private use.
The fairy can access the school's calligraphy terminal and only send letters.
With a letter, the fairy can only carry it to a specific address, but with the school's calligraphy, Lynn can check on the terminal wherever he is.
In addition, when using fairies to transport letters, they are always in flames, which makes them stand out when they are received, but if you just let the fairies carry the letters to the academy's storage area, they can receive the message without anyone noticing.
It also has the advantage of saving paper.
If there was a problem, Lynn would be able to contact the school's office and give instructions to the employees remotely, no matter where they were.
Lynn checked the reports from the workers in the school book.
The first report was from Ketra.
The transportation of the ordered goods was successfully completed.
Next was Sheila's report.
All paperwork that needed to be done by today was done.
Lynn read through all the reports, and after confirming that there were no abnormalities, he gave instructions to each department about today's work.
Lynn writes down the information in the Academy's book, casts a spell, and returns it to its storage location.
The instructions were to be distributed to each department.
(Phew. I think I can take my time in class today.)
Lynn took a break from all the remote work.
The school was becoming a place of relaxation for Lynn.
In the past, I struggled to keep up with my studies at the institute, but now that I spend my days swamped by the hectic pace of business, I can hardly figure out what I was so bothered about.
When the elevator arrived at the floor where the classrooms were located, Lynn walked down the corridor toward the classroom for the Metallurgy and Magic class.
“Hey. That's... That's Lynn.”
“He seems different lately.”
The girls who passed Lynn in the hallway became excited when they saw him.
Lynn blushed and turned his head, pretending he didn't hear anything and quickly walked away.
There was a subtle change in the way people looked at Lynn.
That's not surprising.
Lynn was now on the verge of becoming one of the most successful students in the school.
He may attend aristocratic tea parties at night with Yuwen, who is the flower girl of the academy, or he may skip the academy with Theo, who is also popular among the commoners.
In the eyes of his classmates, Lynn was like a student who had learned to have fun outside of school.
What caught the attention of his classmates more than anything else was the fact that Lynn had a mysterious source of income.
This was evident in the way he was dressed.
He was clearly wearing better clothes than before.
He had also gotten a new cane. He carried the same walking stick as Yuwen, Tonnier's walking stick.
He didn't even have a part-time job, and yet he was getting better and better.
People talked about him a lot.
At first it was speculated that he was receiving help from Illywia, but that was not the case.
Some people said they had seen him in business meetings with people from major merchant associations, others said they had seen him dining with people from the Mage Association.
Often during class, he would be fiddling with the academy's books, sneaking around doing something else, or just plain skipping class.
He would often come to class and then leave early.
Some people even asked Lynn directly about his recent successes.
Lynn spoke honestly to those who asked.
"I've started a new business with Theo."
But since he didn't say anything about the important things, people never stopped speculating about him.
“Maybe he is the illegitimate son of a royal family and pretending to be a commoner was a cover to pass time.”
“Could he be a servant of some noble family and being forced to do dangerous work?”
“Isn't he actually being sent money by his foster parents after being adopted?”
Lynn let these rumors circulate. Lynn was beginning to learn that there was no point in putting words in people's mouths, and that the more he could inflate his own image, the better off he would be.
As Lynn entered the classroom, a female student approached her.
" Lynn. Good morning. You're came to school today, I see."
"Oh, good morning, Lilette."
(I'm such a jerk. I forgot that Lilette is in this class.)
Lynn regretted that he entered the classroom so thoughtlessly.
"Lynn. Come here. Come sit with me."
"Uh-huh."
Lynn sat down without any hesitation.
Lilette was a girl he had met through Yuwen.
She was part of Yuwen's flamboyant group of girls, but she was the quiet and reserved one in the group.
At first she was shy and kept her distance from Lynn, but as Lynn talked to her more and more, she gradually became more and more friendly.
At this time of year, the classrooms were rather empty, as some of the students had already earned their credits and were no longer attending classes.
Both Theo and Yuwen had already earned credits in Metallurgical Magic, so naturally Lynn began to attend classes with her.
Whenever she saw Lynn, she would run up to her and talk to her in a friendly manner. This was the only time she ever acted this way towards Lynn.
Lynn knew that she liked him.
She was one of the girls who had been looking at him differently as he rose through the ranks.
At first, Lynn had been honestly happy that there was a girl who liked him.
Lately, however, he couldn't feel that casual about it anymore.
"You've been at the school since early this morning, haven't you?"
"Yes. I'm here because the new employee has learnt the job. I've been able to leave some of the work to her."
"Really?"
Lilette said without any interest.
"......"
The conversation between the two was cut short.
"Oh, yeah. Have you done your assignment on metallurgical magic?"
Lynn tried to change the subject.
"Yeah, I did."
"I've been working on that chrome metal from the metallurgical magic project. It's used to color gems, you know. The glowing reds and greens of rubies and emeralds are actually produced by chromium. The gemstones in that ring you're wearing also shine because of chromium."
"Oh, I see."
"......"
Their conversation was cut short again.
Lilette was a quiet and reserved girl. She was relatively talkative when it came to the subject of Yuwen.
"You know. I think. The way Yuwen treats Lynn, I don't think it's right. It's racist."
Even though Yuwen had started to work with Lynn, she never forgot his status.
With Lynn at her side, she would be able to show up at the Illywia's tea parties. However, it was not a good idea to go out with someone from the slave class.
As a last ditch effort, she decided to pretend that Lynn was one of her servants.
"He is my retainer," she said. "That's why I'm keeping him with me."
It was also at Yuwen's request that Lynn began to pay more attention to his appearance.
"You are my retainer, so you should at least wear something more respectable."
Whenever Lynn went out with Yuwen, Yuwen criticized Lynn's attire, and Lynn naturally began to wear more expensive clothes in his private life as well.
Lilette said.
"I don't think it's right for Yuwen to treat Lynn like a servant. The academy is all about equality, right? Lin should be treated as an equal."
"Thank you. You are very kind."
"No, I'm not."
"No, no, I've never seen a girl as sweet as you."
Lilette blushed and turned her head.
The problem was that she was not very interesting to be with.
It was very boring to be with her.
No matter what Lynn said, all she would reply was "Oh" or "I see".
It would have been better to listen to Yuwen's swearing and her super theories about the philosophy of success.
"You know what? Chromium is a rust-resistant metal. That's why it's coated as a plating on iron, which rusts easily. That's how it lasts so long."
"Hehe, I see."
Time seemed to pass more quickly when Lynn was with her.
There were times when talking with her made him miss Yuwen's toxicity for no reason.
After class, he naturally found himself chatting with Lilette.
"Hey, Lin. I don't think you should be too friendly with Yuwen anymore. She's not only racist, she's despicable."
"Er, um, yeah."
(That's harsh.)
"Hey. Lilette. You're one of Yuwen's friends, right?"
"Yeah. That's right."
Lilette said in a matter-of-fact manner.
"I see. That's true."
Lynn tried not to think about it too much.
"That's right. Lynn, I'm talking for your own good."
"Yes. Thank you. You're very kind."
When he said that, Lilette turned her head down again, embarrassed.
She was just like Lynn in this way.
"Hey. Lynn. Did you know that there's a new store called Chocolatte?"
"Eh? I know about it."
Lynn was surprised that Lilette had brought up a topic so casually.
When he looked at her, she seemed more nervous than ever.
It was different than usual.
He knew that she was trying to say something she wouldn't normally say.
"You know. My master, you see. He said that Lynn and I can go out together if it's just for a little while. So if it's convenient for you, why don't we go to ...... together on our way home today and visit Choco-latte?"
She said, looking very shy.
Lynn was unsure.
He already had a prior appointment with Yuwen today.
But he wanted to hang out with other people sometimes.
Besides, Lilette's family was known for their strictness.
It was not hard to imagine that she would have worked very hard to rebel against her master for this day.
I had a feeling that if I missed this opportunity, I would never have the chance to go out with Lilette again.
"All right. Let's go together."
Then Yuwen arrived.
"Hey, Lynn."
She called out to him as if she were calling a dog.
"I'm going to Tesura-san's tea party today. You're coming with me, aren't you?"
"Well, today is a bit ......"
"You don't have anything important to do, do you? Just get ready."
"No, it's ......."
When Lynn was having a hard time saying it, Lilette got up and stepped in between Lynn and Yuwen.
It seems that she is determined to confront Yuwen.
Lynn was a little lost, but decided to wait and see.
He wanted to see how Yuwen would react.
"Yuwen. Don't order Lynn around like that."
“Wherever I take him is my business, isn't it? And why should I listen to you?”
"Lynn's going to a new café with me today."
"Oh, sure. But that's too bad. Lynn is like a retainer to me. It's only natural for a retainer to put his superior's needs before those of his friends, right? So I'm canceling your date with Lynn. Come on, let's go, Lynn."
"Lynn is not your servant. I don't think it's right to treat him that way. It is very rude to Lynn."
Yuwen narrowed her eyes and smiled lightly.
Lynn felt a chill run down his spine.
He knew that this gesture was a signal that she was about to be mean to him.
"Oh my. But when I talked bad about Lynn in front of the others, you laughed along with me, didn't you? You even talked behind Lynn's back with me."
Lilette's face tensed up.
Lynn was upset by Yuwen's words, but tried his best to understand Lilette's situation.
(That's what this is all about, I guess. I didn't have a good impression of her at first, but as I went out with her, I came to realize that she had good points and began to reconsider. Yeah, yeah. It happens. When I first met Theo and Yuwen, I didn't have a good impression of them either.)
Yuwen continued.
“I'm sure you're as honest and straightforward as a goddess without me having to tell you this, but I bet you hide your true intentions from Lynn. I hope you're not playing the innocent girl only in front of him.”
“I-I never said anything bad about Lynn.”
"Oh, you did say something. I remember. Would you like me to spell it out for you right here, word for word?”
“Stop!”
It was like a confession.
Lynn stood up hurriedly. He couldn't let the two of them fight any longer.
"Yuwen. We'd better get going. We'll be late for the tea party.”
"Huh? What are you talking about? We' re just getting started.”
“It’s okay.”
Lynn grabbed Yuwen's hand and tried to lead her down the hallway.
“Lynn. Are you going with Yuwen?”
Lilette looks at him with tears in her eyes.
“I'm sorry, Lilette. I guess I have to go with Yuwen today. We'll go to the café some other time.”
Lynn's words were meant to help Lilette, but she seemed to be hurt by them. Her lips were tightly pressed together in frustration.
"Yes, yes, that's right. You know what I mean, Lynn.”
Yuwen gave Lilette a nasty and winning smirk.
"Lilette. Don't worry, I'll expose your true nature to Lynn later when I’m alone with him next time.”
“Let's go.”
Lynn pulled Yuwen along with him.
"Ha-ha-ha. Did you see that? The look on Lilette's face. I love it. I didn't like her for a long time. You did well, Lynn. I'll give you a pat on the back.”
“I didn't do anything. Let's not talk about Lilette anymore.”
But Yuwen continued to talk about Lillette afterwards.
Lynn sighs.
“What is this? Do all the girls say bad things about me? Am I that popular?”
“You're so full of yourself, you know. The girls only talk about you once a year, if at all.”
“That's good.”
Lynn vowed never to use Yuwen for an excuse ever again.
The next time Lynn saw Lilette, she avoided eye contact with him.
She avoided eye contact, but Lynn spoke to her in a friendly manner.
"I'm sorry I didn't join you last time."
Lilette looked at Lynn with fear.
"Don't you hate me?"
"Why would I? How could I possibly hate you?"
Lilette seemed to be touched by Lynn's words.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it when I spoke badly about you. It was just something I felt I had to say, you know?”
“Yes, I do.”
"That's right. That's why I just said it. Will Lynn forgive me?"
“Yes, of course. But we have to stop talking about Yuwen when we are together.”
“Yes, we do.”
Lynn spoke to Lilette again that day.
As usual, all she said was "Oh" and "I see".
Episode 62, "Yuwen's Modest Meanness"
Lynn hadn't been to the academy in a long time.
(Whew! The school is still nice. Time is flowing so quickly.)
As Lynn got into the elevator to the classroom, he opened the school's book to check for any incoming business notifications.
(I didn't know the Academy's books had this feature.)
The school's book also had an e-mail function for private use.
The fairy can access the school's calligraphy terminal and only send letters.
With a letter, the fairy can only carry it to a specific address, but with the school's calligraphy, Lynn can check on the terminal wherever he is.
In addition, when using fairies to transport letters, they are always in flames, which makes them stand out when they are received, but if you just let the fairies carry the letters to the academy's storage area, they can receive the message without anyone noticing.
It also has the advantage of saving paper.
If there was a problem, Lynn would be able to contact the school's office and give instructions to the employees remotely, no matter where they were.
Lynn checked the reports from the workers in the school book.
The first report was from Ketra.
The transportation of the ordered goods was successfully completed.
Next was Sheila's report.
All paperwork that needed to be done by today was done.
Lynn read through all the reports, and after confirming that there were no abnormalities, he gave instructions to each department about today's work.
Lynn writes down the information in the Academy's book, casts a spell, and returns it to its storage location.
The instructions were to be distributed to each department.
(Phew. I think I can take my time in class today.)
Lynn took a break from all the remote work.
The school was becoming a place of relaxation for Lynn.
In the past, I struggled to keep up with my studies at the institute, but now that I spend my days swamped by the hectic pace of business, I can hardly figure out what I was so bothered about.
When the elevator arrived at the floor where the classrooms were located, Lynn walked down the corridor toward the classroom for the Metallurgy and Magic class.
“Hey. That's... That's Lynn.”
“He seems different lately.”
The girls who passed Lynn in the hallway became excited when they saw him.
Lynn blushed and turned his head, pretending he didn't hear anything and quickly walked away.
There was a subtle change in the way people looked at Lynn.
That's not surprising.
Lynn was now on the verge of becoming one of the most successful students in the school.
He may attend aristocratic tea parties at night with Yuwen, who is the flower girl of the academy, or he may skip the academy with Theo, who is also popular among the commoners.
In the eyes of his classmates, Lynn was like a student who had learned to have fun outside of school.
What caught the attention of his classmates more than anything else was the fact that Lynn had a mysterious source of income.
This was evident in the way he was dressed.
He was clearly wearing better clothes than before.
He had also gotten a new cane. He carried the same walking stick as Yuwen, Tonnier's walking stick.
He didn't even have a part-time job, and yet he was getting better and better.
People talked about him a lot.
At first it was speculated that he was receiving help from Illywia, but that was not the case.
Some people said they had seen him in business meetings with people from major merchant associations, others said they had seen him dining with people from the Mage Association.
Often during class, he would be fiddling with the academy's books, sneaking around doing something else, or just plain skipping class.
He would often come to class and then leave early.
Some people even asked Lynn directly about his recent successes.
Lynn spoke honestly to those who asked.
"I've started a new business with Theo."
But since he didn't say anything about the important things, people never stopped speculating about him.
“Maybe he is the illegitimate son of a royal family and pretending to be a commoner was a cover to pass time.”
“Could he be a servant of some noble family and being forced to do dangerous work?”
“Isn't he actually being sent money by his foster parents after being adopted?”
Lynn let these rumors circulate. Lynn was beginning to learn that there was no point in putting words in people's mouths, and that the more he could inflate his own image, the better off he would be.
As Lynn entered the classroom, a female student approached her.
" Lynn. Good morning. You're came to school today, I see."
"Oh, good morning, Lilette."
(I'm such a jerk. I forgot that Lilette is in this class.)
Lynn regretted that he entered the classroom so thoughtlessly.
"Lynn. Come here. Come sit with me."
"Uh-huh."
Lynn sat down without any hesitation.
Lilette was a girl he had met through Yuwen.
She was part of Yuwen's flamboyant group of girls, but she was the quiet and reserved one in the group.
At first she was shy and kept her distance from Lynn, but as Lynn talked to her more and more, she gradually became more and more friendly.
At this time of year, the classrooms were rather empty, as some of the students had already earned their credits and were no longer attending classes.
Both Theo and Yuwen had already earned credits in Metallurgical Magic, so naturally Lynn began to attend classes with her.
Whenever she saw Lynn, she would run up to her and talk to her in a friendly manner. This was the only time she ever acted this way towards Lynn.
Lynn knew that she liked him.
She was one of the girls who had been looking at him differently as he rose through the ranks.
At first, Lynn had been honestly happy that there was a girl who liked him.
Lately, however, he couldn't feel that casual about it anymore.
"You've been at the school since early this morning, haven't you?"
"Yes. I'm here because the new employee has learnt the job. I've been able to leave some of the work to her."
"Really?"
Lilette said without any interest.
"......"
The conversation between the two was cut short.
"Oh, yeah. Have you done your assignment on metallurgical magic?"
Lynn tried to change the subject.
"Yeah, I did."
"I've been working on that chrome metal from the metallurgical magic project. It's used to color gems, you know. The glowing reds and greens of rubies and emeralds are actually produced by chromium. The gemstones in that ring you're wearing also shine because of chromium."
"Oh, I see."
"......"
Their conversation was cut short again.
Lilette was a quiet and reserved girl. She was relatively talkative when it came to the subject of Yuwen.
"You know. I think. The way Yuwen treats Lynn, I don't think it's right. It's racist."
Even though Yuwen had started to work with Lynn, she never forgot his status.
With Lynn at her side, she would be able to show up at the Illywia's tea parties. However, it was not a good idea to go out with someone from the slave class.
As a last ditch effort, she decided to pretend that Lynn was one of her servants.
"He is my retainer," she said. "That's why I'm keeping him with me."
It was also at Yuwen's request that Lynn began to pay more attention to his appearance.
"You are my retainer, so you should at least wear something more respectable."
Whenever Lynn went out with Yuwen, Yuwen criticized Lynn's attire, and Lynn naturally began to wear more expensive clothes in his private life as well.
Lilette said.
"I don't think it's right for Yuwen to treat Lynn like a servant. The academy is all about equality, right? Lin should be treated as an equal."
"Thank you. You are very kind."
"No, I'm not."
"No, no, I've never seen a girl as sweet as you."
Lilette blushed and turned her head.
The problem was that she was not very interesting to be with.
It was very boring to be with her.
No matter what Lynn said, all she would reply was "Oh" or "I see".
It would have been better to listen to Yuwen's swearing and her super theories about the philosophy of success.
"You know what? Chromium is a rust-resistant metal. That's why it's coated as a plating on iron, which rusts easily. That's how it lasts so long."
"Hehe, I see."
Time seemed to pass more quickly when Lynn was with her.
There were times when talking with her made him miss Yuwen's toxicity for no reason.
After class, he naturally found himself chatting with Lilette.
"Hey, Lin. I don't think you should be too friendly with Yuwen anymore. She's not only racist, she's despicable."
"Er, um, yeah."
(That's harsh.)
"Hey. Lilette. You're one of Yuwen's friends, right?"
"Yeah. That's right."
Lilette said in a matter-of-fact manner.
"I see. That's true."
Lynn tried not to think about it too much.
"That's right. Lynn, I'm talking for your own good."
"Yes. Thank you. You're very kind."
When he said that, Lilette turned her head down again, embarrassed.
She was just like Lynn in this way.
"Hey. Lynn. Did you know that there's a new store called Chocolatte?"
"Eh? I know about it."
Lynn was surprised that Lilette had brought up a topic so casually.
When he looked at her, she seemed more nervous than ever.
It was different than usual.
He knew that she was trying to say something she wouldn't normally say.
"You know. My master, you see. He said that Lynn and I can go out together if it's just for a little while. So if it's convenient for you, why don't we go to ...... together on our way home today and visit Choco-latte?"
She said, looking very shy.
Lynn was unsure.
He already had a prior appointment with Yuwen today.
But he wanted to hang out with other people sometimes.
Besides, Lilette's family was known for their strictness.
It was not hard to imagine that she would have worked very hard to rebel against her master for this day.
I had a feeling that if I missed this opportunity, I would never have the chance to go out with Lilette again.
"All right. Let's go together."
Then Yuwen arrived.
"Hey, Lynn."
She called out to him as if she were calling a dog.
"I'm going to Tesura-san's tea party today. You're coming with me, aren't you?"
"Well, today is a bit ......"
"You don't have anything important to do, do you? Just get ready."
"No, it's ......."
When Lynn was having a hard time saying it, Lilette got up and stepped in between Lynn and Yuwen.
It seems that she is determined to confront Yuwen.
Lynn was a little lost, but decided to wait and see.
He wanted to see how Yuwen would react.
"Yuwen. Don't order Lynn around like that."
“Wherever I take him is my business, isn't it? And why should I listen to you?”
"Lynn's going to a new café with me today."
"Oh, sure. But that's too bad. Lynn is like a retainer to me. It's only natural for a retainer to put his superior's needs before those of his friends, right? So I'm canceling your date with Lynn. Come on, let's go, Lynn."
"Lynn is not your servant. I don't think it's right to treat him that way. It is very rude to Lynn."
Yuwen narrowed her eyes and smiled lightly.
Lynn felt a chill run down his spine.
He knew that this gesture was a signal that she was about to be mean to him.
"Oh my. But when I talked bad about Lynn in front of the others, you laughed along with me, didn't you? You even talked behind Lynn's back with me."
Lilette's face tensed up.
Lynn was upset by Yuwen's words, but tried his best to understand Lilette's situation.
(That's what this is all about, I guess. I didn't have a good impression of her at first, but as I went out with her, I came to realize that she had good points and began to reconsider. Yeah, yeah. It happens. When I first met Theo and Yuwen, I didn't have a good impression of them either.)
Yuwen continued.
“I'm sure you're as honest and straightforward as a goddess without me having to tell you this, but I bet you hide your true intentions from Lynn. I hope you're not playing the innocent girl only in front of him.”
“I-I never said anything bad about Lynn.”
"Oh, you did say something. I remember. Would you like me to spell it out for you right here, word for word?”
“Stop!”
It was like a confession.
Lynn stood up hurriedly. He couldn't let the two of them fight any longer.
"Yuwen. We'd better get going. We'll be late for the tea party.”
"Huh? What are you talking about? We' re just getting started.”
“It’s okay.”
Lynn grabbed Yuwen's hand and tried to lead her down the hallway.
“Lynn. Are you going with Yuwen?”
Lilette looks at him with tears in her eyes.
“I'm sorry, Lilette. I guess I have to go with Yuwen today. We'll go to the café some other time.”
Lynn's words were meant to help Lilette, but she seemed to be hurt by them. Her lips were tightly pressed together in frustration.
"Yes, yes, that's right. You know what I mean, Lynn.”
Yuwen gave Lilette a nasty and winning smirk.
"Lilette. Don't worry, I'll expose your true nature to Lynn later when I’m alone with him next time.”
“Let's go.”
Lynn pulled Yuwen along with him.
"Ha-ha-ha. Did you see that? The look on Lilette's face. I love it. I didn't like her for a long time. You did well, Lynn. I'll give you a pat on the back.”
“I didn't do anything. Let's not talk about Lilette anymore.”
But Yuwen continued to talk about Lillette afterwards.
Lynn sighs.
“What is this? Do all the girls say bad things about me? Am I that popular?”
“You're so full of yourself, you know. The girls only talk about you once a year, if at all.”
“That's good.”
Lynn vowed never to use Yuwen for an excuse ever again.
The next time Lynn saw Lilette, she avoided eye contact with him.
She avoided eye contact, but Lynn spoke to her in a friendly manner.
"I'm sorry I didn't join you last time."
Lilette looked at Lynn with fear.
"Don't you hate me?"
"Why would I? How could I possibly hate you?"
Lilette seemed to be touched by Lynn's words.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it when I spoke badly about you. It was just something I felt I had to say, you know?”
“Yes, I do.”
"That's right. That's why I just said it. Will Lynn forgive me?"
“Yes, of course. But we have to stop talking about Yuwen when we are together.”
“Yes, we do.”
Lynn spoke to Lilette again that day.
As usual, all she said was "Oh" and "I see".
