Chapter 62

"The leaves of the Dragon Kidney Flower" — these are the leaves used to detoxify the nephew of the dean.

League, in essence, is saying that I should save the dean.

"Shall I ask for the reason?"

"——The reason, you say?"

"Is she from Romania?"

"No. Rather, if she were, the power of the 'clan' could handle it. She is from Tsuvra."

"Tsuvra...?"

"Have you not heard of it? Yes, that's right. For those from other countries, Tsuvra is the most difficult to understand. It is the smallest of the seven countries in the Union."

"Clan" influence is strong, but Romania is the largest in terms of population and military power.

Kirihar and Ludansha, who have a deep-seated rivalry, are powerful but not as much as Romania.

Jalazak, where the hairy race with its unique culture resides.

The smallest and most compact, Tsuvra.

That makes five.

The remaining two are Yuraba, home to the blue-skinned race, and Kotobi, which produces a large amount of precious metals.

"It would be bad if a person from Tsuvra were killed by Ponsonia. If Tsuvra were to demand compensation from Ponsonia on its own, it would be very detrimental to the diplomatic relations of the Union. However, if they were saved by a person from Ponsonia, it would resolve the issue neatly."

"Did I say I'm from Ponsonia?"

"No, but among the neighboring foreign countries, only Ponsonia is wealthy enough for someone to come to the Union. Is that not correct?"

"It is. But even if a person from Ponsonia saves the dean's nephew, will that resolve the issue? The fact that they were harmed won't change."

"Yes, but Tsuvra has its own philosophy of life: 'Give forgiveness to those who ask for it.'"

"Are you saying I'm asking for forgiveness?"

"It would be even more appreciated if you could make it look that way, but I can't ask for that much. However, you have the ambition to rise in rank at the Adventurers' Guild, and there is a suitable request for you right now. All you need is the motivation to push you forward, right?"

"Why do you care so much about Tsuvra? You're from Romania, right?"

"Yes... Do I need to start from there?"

League sipped the tea that was getting cold.

"This country is called the 'Union,' but in reality, it's just a name given to seven countries. Despite the union, the countries do not cooperate with each other."

Starting with the king, important positions in the Union are rotated among the countries.

While the throne is held for a 10-year term, the other posts are irregular. Every long winter, the seven countries engage in political struggles over who will take the posts starting next year.

As a result, long-term projects are difficult to implement, and only short-term projects are carried out.

"...What a terribly unproductive story."

"Perhaps the long winters are a good thing? The internal conflicts don't leak out, and from the outside, it looks like a land with no appeal."

"Ravia... You're quite straightforward, aren't you?"

"No, you're right, Miss Ravia. We've been getting by so far, but it's reaching its limit. Water management projects and monster hunts near the borders, which were possible when the seven countries were separate, have been neglected. A major disaster will happen someday. I want to prevent that."

Hikaru thought League was emotionless, but it turned out he had a passionate side.

"Will saving the dean help with that?"

"The important positions in Tsuvra are few, and the dean of the National Academic Research Institute is one of them. There are people trying to incite hatred against Ponsonia to make the dean act rashly. If the dean says or does something unnecessary, Tsuvra's positions next year will decrease. This activity is called 'reduction of posts' or 'seeding,' and it is 'harvested' during the political season in winter."

"Ah... I remember a guy who was trying to incite me. Mikhail was there, so it worked out."

"Professor Mikhail? He is indeed a rare impartial person in Jalazak... Hikaru, did you go to the academy?"

"Sort of, yeah."

"Not just 'sort of,' right? What did you do?"

"..."

What should I do?

Hikaru doesn't need to make a good impression on League, but he feels a bit reluctant to speak honestly.

"An office worker who confronted Hikaru started talking about an 'entrance exam,' so I beat up Mikhail and was called to the dean's office. The dean scolded me for being from Ponsonia and said I deserved to die, but the broad-minded Hikaru forgave them and decided to enroll in the academy as a special student."

Before he could decide, Ravia said it all.

Just listening to it made Hikaru feel terrible.

"Beat up... Professor Mikhail? ...From the look of Hikaru, it seems to be true. I see. Roye is nothing to Hikaru. It's clear that one hit was enough. It's a good thing he didn't die."

"I should say, I'm not the type to use violence recklessly."

"If you plan to attend the academy, saving the dean will be a plus. What do you think?"

"No... I don't really care that much."

"I'll put pressure on the office workers. The academy is funded by the government, so students are often treated poorly, which I find distasteful."

"Even with such high tuition fees?"

"From their perspective, they are 'letting you in.' — And the professor who was inciting the dean is probably from Ludansha or Kirihar. I will keep a close eye on them in Romania. — What about the request?"

League is really pushing it.

This must be a very important matter for him.

No, the dean was like a fish bone stuck in his throat. And then, a person from another country—especially Ponsonia—came along, and it was the skilled Hikaru.

(Am I just a ball of rice to remove the fish bone?)

Hikaru thinks he has been noticed by many people since he arrived.

"Hikaru... Please be honest. What is your desire? It's not financial, right? What did you come to the academy for from another country—Ponsonia? With skills that can defeat Professor Mikhail, there's not much you can learn, right? If there's anything else, I'll do my best to help."

"Well, besides training... a bit of magical device research, maybe."

"Magical devices? What kind? I also study magical devices and am quite knowledgeable about them."

"Magical devices? Not potions?"

"——Yes, magical devices are part of pharmacology."

League looked skeptical. Hikaru, noticing this, said:

"Calluses on your fingers. They're not from martial arts, right?"

"Ah, I see... These are indeed calluses from mixing and stirring potions. You noticed that much?"

"Have you not learned about magical devices at the academy?"

"I want to, but..."

He made a bitter face.

"...The professor is from Kotobi."

"......What?"

"In Romania, clan members are not allowed to learn from professors from the other six countries."

"Come on... Come on..."

He leaned back and let out a long sigh.

"You, you ask others to do things, but you don't do them yourself? You say the seven countries should unite and progress, but how can you say 'Kotobi people can't be called teachers'? Lead by example."

"Ouch, that hurts... I depend on my family for everything..."

"I don't care. First, you need to be independent. Then, become a disciple of that person from Kotobi. We'll talk after that."

Hikaru stood up.

"Ravia, let's go."

"Okay."

"......"

League, looking dejected, did not try to stop Hikaru.