Chapter 91

◈ Chapter 91: Banquet (1)

Liene had recently been experiencing a series of events that made her feel like her hair was about to fall out.

Whether it was getting into arguments with noble students, having her classes disrupted due to her non-elemental magic, or being approached by men who were captivated by her appearance.

There were some pleasant and happy moments, but the unpleasant ones were more frequent.

And that was still the case now.

After the first exam, the students of Seorun were taking advantage of their rare free time to rest.

Some were already studying hard, their pride hurt by their poor performance, but that wasn't something Liene needed to worry about.

She felt that she had done well in this exam.

'So I thought I'd take a break.'

It was a rare, sweet moment of rest.

Her seniors had said that if not now, it would be hard to rest until after the next test, so they advised her to take a good break.

Although the seat was uncomfortable, it wasn't as if she was being tormented.

'Still, the senior seems like a good person.'

Liene didn't deeply ponder why Freuden Ulbrich was being nice to her.

She simply thought he was a good person.

'He didn't seem to have any bad intentions.'

He didn't discriminate against her for being a commoner, and he had even saved her when she was in danger.

To some, Freuden might seem like a terrifying villain, but Liene didn't think so.

He is a good person.

This was a kind of intuition she had.

Liene had always possessed a special sense to detect the hostility or danger from others towards her.

It wasn't magic, just a vague feeling, but she trusted it quite a bit.

In fact, her intuition often proved to be correct.

The desires of those who approached her because of her appearance and the genuine kindness of those who helped her were different from the start.

This was also the case at Seorun.

Jealousy, humiliation, possessiveness—various emotions were directed at her, and Liene tried to avoid such people as much as possible.

Even the students who approached her as a fellow commoner and the nobles who tried to appear friendly had a darkness that couldn't be hidden.

That's why Liene didn't mingle with others easily.

She couldn't.

If she hadn't known from the beginning, she might have been able to, but she couldn't pretend to be friendly with someone whose true intentions were so obvious.

But Freuden was different.

That's why Liene had eaten lunch with him.

If it weren't for that, she would have rejected his offer outright.

'There are so few people like this, it's amazing.'

Currently, at Seorun, there were very few people who didn't harbor any ill will towards Liene.

Among them, the most representative was Freuden Ulbrich, whom she had just had lunch with.

'Erendil senior is also one. And then there’s... '

The last person who came to mind was Rudger, who had given her a book about non-elemental magic.

'Teacher Rudger Chelisi...'

Rudger's sharp gaze towards her seemed to be filled with dissatisfaction, but Liene knew.

He wasn't hostile towards her.

In fact, he harbored a faint, kind sentiment towards her.

Was it goodwill?

No, it was different from goodwill.

It was a good feeling, but not exactly a liking for her. It was a bit darker.

Guilt.

Or perhaps a sense of responsibility.

'Why?'

She couldn't be sure, but she had a feeling.

It just seemed that way to her.

"Ah..."

Liene rubbed her eyes with both hands.

Lately, she had been feeling an itchy sensation around her eyes. Was it just her imagination?

As she rubbed her eyes and looked ahead again, a person stood silently in front of her.

"!"

When someone is too surprised, they can't even scream.

Liene felt this for the first time.

The man in front of her, seemingly unaffected by her shock, smiled and greeted her.

"Hello? Are you Liene? A first-year student."

"Uh, yes. Who are you?"

Judging by his uniform, he was a student at Seorun like her.

His name tag was a different color.

A second-year student, a senior to her.

A handsome man with a charming smile.

His hair, tinged with a slight shade of crimson, was tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

His slightly squinted eyes made him seem very friendly, but Liene felt he was somewhat snake-like. Did it mean he had ulterior motives?

But Liene didn't run away. She didn't sense any hostility from him.

Instead, the man in front of her was filled with extreme curiosity.

"Have you been wondering what Freuden has been up to lately?"

"Ah, are you a friend of Senior Freuden?"

"Senior?"

Was he surprised by her casual use of "senior"?

The man with the squinted eyes slightly opened his eyes and then chuckled.

"Yeah, a friend. I'm Henry Presto, Freuden's friend. Nice to meet you."

"My name is Liene."

"Yep, I already know."

"Ah."

"Don't look at me like that. I was just curious about my usually lonely friend Freuden, who decided to pack a lunch and meet someone on a rare day off. Have you met before?"

"Um, how did you...?"

"There are ways."

Liene realized that this senior, Henry, was not an ordinary person.

He didn't seem to have any hostility towards her, but he himself was dangerous.

He knew things that others didn't, to a surprising degree.

"Ha ha. You don't have to be so guarded."

"..."

Liene, despite his words, still looked at him with a suspicious gaze.

Henry, perhaps thinking he had made a bad first impression, scratched his cheek with a smile.

"Hmm. Am I being doubted? Then, as an apology, I'll give you some good information."

"Good information?"

"Yeah, good information. Haven't you been short on money lately?"

"Ne-hek?!"

Liene reacted and then regretted it.

She should have pretended otherwise, but he had hit the nail on the head, and it showed.

"No, not really."

"It's the same. Many other students also need money and do part-time jobs here and there. Or they take on commissions from the request board."

"..."

"Handling commissions can be a hassle, and it's hard to tell which ones are dangerous. So, the safest way is to do odd jobs inside Seorun and earn some money."

That was true.

Liene had been looking for various part-time jobs to earn money recently.

"I know a lot about such things. Easy jobs that pay well. Honey tips that other students don't know about. I can share them with you."

"Senior...?"

"I know a lot about Seorun, despite appearances. What do you think?"

Liene was quite suspicious of Henry's sudden offer.

Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have even listened to him, but the situation was different now.

She was in dire need of money.

Henry had seized the moment perfectly.

Moreover, she didn't sense any hostility from him.

"Why are you telling me this? We just met today."

"True. To be honest, it's out of curiosity."

"Curiosity?"

"That Freuden, of all people, would share a meal with a commoner girl."

"Is that so surprising? I think it's because he's a good person."

"Good person? Freuden? Ha ha ha ha!"

Henry laughed loudly, as if finding her words amusing.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Ah, yes. You're right. Freuden is a good person. I've known him for a long time, and that's how I feel. Anyway, that's why I became interested in you."

"..."

Why did the word "interest" make her heart race, but also feel uneasy?

"I want to help you. It won't be a bad thing for you. Once you hear about it, you'll be intrigued. The job is easy, and the pay is good."

Good pay?

Liene's ears perked up.

The word "pay" was tilting her heart in one direction.

She needed money, and the words of someone who didn't seem to have ill intentions towards her.

"How about it? Interested?"

"Let me hear about it first."

"Good thinking. You won't regret it."

* * *

In the grand hall of the banquet.

Guests began to enter the banquet hall, where beautiful lights flowed.

All of them were dressed in elegant attire, high-ranking individuals who had dressed up to the nines.

"Hehe. Isn't that Senator Thomas?"

"Ah, Duke Gerald. It's been a while. You still look so sharp."

"Hehehe. How could I miss such an occasion?"

From one side of the hall, classical music played, and the chandeliers sparkled with a crimson glow.

The marble floor was polished to a shine, and a grand banquet was set up around it.

The interior of the luxurious and clean banquet hall was filled with well-dressed people chatting.

'Wow.'

Standing near the window, Liene couldn't help but marvel at the scene.

This was her first time attending such an event.

'I was told it was just a simple part-time job, serving dishes at a party!'

The reason she was here was simple.

It was all thanks to Senior Henry's recommendation.

But where was the "simple party venue"?

'This goes beyond common sense. This place is too uncomfortable.'

Liene swallowed her complaints.

She felt like she had been tricked by Henry.

'Still, the pay was the best.'

Regardless of what happened, the actual work was minimal, and she just had to stand still.

In fact, there were a few other Seorun students here besides her.

'What kind of party is this, anyway?'

It wasn't unusual for the upper class to throw parties, but Liene suspected this one was different.

Her suspicion was confirmed when the doors of the banquet hall opened, and new guests entered.

"Oh. Finally, the main guests have arrived."

"Are those the new teachers who were recently assigned to Seorun?"

Following the gazes of the people, Liene turned her head to look at the entrance.

Through the open door, familiar faces appeared.

'Ah, it's Teacher Selina.'

Selina, the spirit teacher.

She was dressed in an unusually elaborate dress and entered the hall with a tense expression.

Beside her, Teacher Merida was escorting her in a deep purple dress with a plunging back.

It seemed Merida was helping Selina, who was still not used to such events.

Other teachers also began to appear.

Chris Benimoor was there, and so was Teacher Bruno.

All of them were new teachers who had recently been assigned to Seorun.

'Wait, then... '

Liene's gaze naturally turned to the open entrance of the hall.

One person was still missing.

Thud.

The sound of shoes tapping on the marble floor echoed through the hall.

A sound that should have been drowned out by the chatter of the guests was unusually loud.

───.

Silence descended upon the hall.

The faint music also fell silent at this moment.

Everyone's gaze turned to the entrance.

"Hmm."

"That person... "

A man entered the hall.

A long-tailed coat in black, matching the dress code.

Over it, a black overcoat draped over his shoulders, and he held a cane in one hand.

His hair, usually messy, was neatly combed back.

"Rudger Chelisi."

The man, who was the center of everyone's attention, scanned the hall with an indifferent expression.