BXBX NOVEL Chapter 136 - The Academy Visit of Lormane (2)
Chapter 136 - The Academy Visit of Lormane (2)
Maya, pressed up against the wall, cautiously peeked out to observe the Headmaster and the Vice-Headmaster.
Considering the distance from the faculty dorms to here, you’d think they would have struck up a conversation on the way.
Yet, for some reason, the two elves remained silent, creating an awkward atmosphere.
After all, the two had never been on good terms.
It was always too much for Ismera, a pure-blood elf, to tolerate serving under a less competent Headmaster.
Even though she had been promoted to Vice-Headmaster, the old resentments weren’t something that could easily fade away.
Maya had quietly observed and mapped out the key relationships at the Academy since she started here.
But why had the elves come here today?
As she continued to spy on them, the door soon opened, and Olysia stepped outside.
"Welcome!"
Seeing this, Maya realized there was an arrangement she didn’t know about.
It must be some kind of weekend evening gathering for the Academy’s leadership.
This was something new.
Staring up at the wall, too high to scale without her stepping stones, Maya hesitated before quickly moving toward the front gate.
The moment Olysia, the Headmaster, and the Vice-Headmaster entered the house, Maya dashed over and caught the gate just before it closed.
The three had already crossed the small garden and gone inside.
Maya quietly slipped through the gate and into the garden, sneaking between the trees.
She crept from one tree to another, edging closer to the house, and eventually crouched below the large windows of the living room.
From there, she could see inside and hear their conversation. Perfect.
Maya huddled low, pulling out her patient log, something she always carried with her.
# # # # #
That evening, Kirrin and Ismera came to the house.
"Welcome!"
Olysia, dressed neatly, rushed out to greet the two elves with excitement.
"Whoa! Olysia, what is all this?!"
Kirrin’s eyes nearly popped out at the sight of the feast spread out on the table.
Roast beef, crispy potato gratin, chicken breast with mushroom sauce, spicy seafood pasta, grilled mixed vegetables, crème brûlée, fresh fruit tarts, salads—the list went on and on.
It was a colorful array of dishes, even accommodating the vegetarian Ismera.
And as the finishing touch, there was a bottle of Armand de Brignac, a gift from Linus.
This was more than enough to impress the Academy\'s top brass.
Even Ismera discreetly swallowed her saliva, unable to hide her appetite.
"Well, come on in. Let’s skip the formalities and dig in."
At my suggestion, the two elves hurried to their seats.
I uncorked the Armand de Brignac and poured it into each of their glasses. Kirrin let out a satisfied moan.
"Wow, the aroma is amazing… What is this drink?"
"It’s Armand de Brignac."
"That’s a mouthful."
If they had even the slightest knowledge of fine wines, their eyes would have popped out by now.
But Kirrin and Ismera weren’t familiar with such things, so they simply nodded along with an indifferent expression.
"First, let’s officially congratulate Vice-Headmaster Ismera on her promotion. You’ve endured a lot up until now."
"Thank you, Head Professor."
Ismera raised her glass with a slight smile in her eyes.
"Now that I’ve become Vice-Headmaster, I will dedicate myself even more to the Academy’s progress."
"I’ll work hard too!"
Kirrin, full of energy, raised her glass high and cheered.
"Let’s toast! To Ismera!"
"Headmaster, that’s a bit too sudden. You should make your remarks more calmly."
"Oh, is that so? This is my first time at something like this."
Kirrin scratched her head with a sheepish laugh and then cleared her throat.
"Er, so, this gathering tonight... is a meaningful occasion to celebrate the promotion of Ismera, the Head of the Theory Department, to Vice-Headmaster. Uh, hmm... Ismera has always worked diligently for the Academy, and, uh…."
Kirrin started to ramble, making the toast longer than necessary.
"So, as Headmaster, I... sincerely congratulate her... and, uh, whenever the new Head Theoretical Professor is appointed, work with them closely... you know, and so forth...."
Out of respect for her position, we patiently waited as Kirrin awkwardly wrapped up her lengthy speech.
"Uh, anyway, congratulations...! Let’s toast!"
We clinked our glasses and took a sip of the Armand de Brignac.
"Paaah, delicious!"
"Ugh! Cough cough!"
Kirrin smacked her lips in delight, while Ismera grimaced and coughed loudly.
Olysia quickly handed her a napkin, and Ismera wiped her mouth, shaking her head.
"I don’t think alcohol is really my thing."
"It’s a shame. This is really good stuff."
"How good exactly?"
"Well, if you had about ten bottles of this, you could buy an Imperial battleship."
"What?!"
Kirrin was so shocked she turned her empty glass upside down and tried to shake every last drop into her mouth.
"This is that expensive?! Dian, are you rich or something?"
"My friend is. He’s the one who gave it to me."
"Huh, I see. Must be nice to have rich friends…."
Kirrin glanced longingly at the bottle.
Smiling, I held it out, and she eagerly took it with both hands like it was a prized treasure.
"Hyaaaaaang!!"
After downing a second glass, Kirrin let out a bizarre shout and licked her lips with a strangely long tongue.
Seeing that, Ismera’s face slowly began to show signs of both disgust and pity.
Though her attitude toward Kirrin had softened somewhat since the Great Forest incident, her fundamental disdain and irritation hadn’t entirely disappeared.
"Did Olysia make all this?"
With her face slightly flushed, Kirrin marveled at the spread once more.
"Let’s have a taste!"
She took a huge bite, and her whole body shivered with delight.
"This is amazing! It’s way better than the food at the Academy cafeteria! So delicious!! Incredible!"
"Hehe, thank you."
Overwhelmed by the Academy’s highest authority’s unfiltered praise, Olysia squirmed bashfully and smiled shyly.
Kirrin then became so absorbed in tasting everything that she practically forgot Ismera and I existed.
She had always eaten heartily when we visited dessert cafes for cake, so this wasn’t a surprise.
Meanwhile, Ismera elegantly picked up her fork, reviewing the vegetarian dishes prepared for her with careful scrutiny.
"I sensed it during the competition preparations, but Olysia really has a natural talent for cooking."
Wiping her mouth with a napkin, Ismera gave her compliment.
"Magnificent. This is the best meal I’ve had in a long time."
"Thank you, Headmaster, Vice-Headmaster! I’m so happy you’re enjoying it!"
Olysia bowed deeply to express her gratitude, then suddenly remembered something and brought up a new topic.
"Actually, I have a small request."
Is she really going to say it?
"I heard yesterday that Sir Dian fought a dragon."
"Wh-what?!"
"A dragon?!"
Both Kirrin and Ismera shouted in shock at the same time.
"You didn’t know…?"
"What’s this about, Dian? A dragon?! Explain!"
With Kirrin trembling, I had no choice but to briefly recount the events of the previous day.
"This is unbelievable... A dragon in polymorph form?"
"Truly shocking...."
Olysia addressed the stunned elves.
"And so, I was hoping you could keep a close eye on Sir Dian for me. If left unchecked, he’s bound to cause trouble wherever he goes."
She then began recounting the stories from Brunswell—of how Dian fought with the local guild, the pirates who docked for resupply, and the navy from a foreign country that he beat up whenever he had the chance.
"He’s been relatively well-behaved since coming to the Academy, but first, he brings in a troll, and now he’s fighting a dragon. At this rate, I might not survive for much longer."
Olysia clutched her chest dramatically, and Kirrin clenched her fists with determination.
"Don’t worry, Olysia. I’ll make sure Dian doesn’t do anything reckless from now on. You can count on me!"
"It’s such a relief to hear that."
Pleased, Olysia served Kirrin a large helping of perfectly roasted meat.
"Oh, right. Now that we\'re on the subject, I have a favor to ask as well."
"What is it?"
Kirrin blinked her ruby-red eyes and looked at me expectantly.
"Do you think Olysia could study at the Academy?"
"Olysia?"
"Huhhh?! Me?!"
Since it wasn\'t something we had talked about before, Olysia shrieked in surprise.
"She’s turning sixteen or seventeen this year. I think it’s about time she went to school."
"That makes sense. What do you think, Ismera?"
Kirrin turned to Ismera, who nodded slowly.
"If it’s the standard public education level, she could manage with just the theory curriculum. However, since she’d be starting partway through, it might be difficult to keep up. It might be better for her to start as a new student next year. If she’s willing, I think it’s more than possible."
"Sounds like a good plan!"
Both Ismera and Kirrin seemed to approve.
"What do you think, Olysia?"
"Uh, I... hmm...."
Olysia hesitated, then suddenly whipped her head around toward the window.
She dashed over and leaned out the window.
"What is it?"
"I thought I heard something strange, but I must’ve been mistaken."
# # # # #
When Olysia suddenly appeared at the window, Maya hurriedly crawled into the bushes to hide.
"What was that noise…."
Peeking at Olysia, who looked around like a predator searching for its prey, Maya quietly clutched her stomach.
The sound Olysia had heard was none other than Maya’s stomach growling.
The smell of the food wafting out the window had made Maya’s mouth water so much that her stomach had rumbled involuntarily.
"I must’ve misheard."
Fortunately, Olysia didn’t find anything and returned inside, while Maya quietly resumed writing in her patient log.