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Mina Glichen was a Rank 3 martial artist and a naive country girl.
Originally a commoner, she was recognized for her talent and adopted by the Glichen barony. When she finally succeeded in entering Grandis Academy, the most prestigious school in the kingdom,
Both the Glichen barony and her hometown held celebrations. Although Mina herself couldn't participate due to the entrance ceremony and classes, she heard that everyone was overjoyed.
The letter from the baron who became her adoptive father, and the letter written on behalf of her village by the village headman, who couldn't write…
Mina always treasured those letters and trained hard to live up to the expectations placed upon her.
'I have to graduate at least as a Rank 4!'
She had heard that those in high positions freely called themselves Rank 5 without needing proof, but that wasn't relevant to Mina.
Although there was a tendency to be underestimated at Grandis Academy, where the best talents in the kingdom gathered, usually, reaching Rank 4 meant a life without significant problems.
Especially in a rural territory like the Glichen barony, where the knight captain was only Rank 5. The addition of a Rank 4 warrior held great significance.
Therefore, Mina went to the training hall every day, sparred with various students without being ashamed of defeat, and diligently pursued her studies.
The students who initially mocked her for being from the countryside and only Rank 3 were gradually moved by Mina's sincerity and smile.
Before she knew it, Mina had become a celebrity in the Martial Arts Department.
'It's a relief that everyone is so kind!'
However, due to her naive nature, Mina didn't even realize she was famous, mistaking the nobles' teasing and ridicule for genuine compliments. She simply thought that all city people were kind.
Although her naive and positive personality was a bit excessive, it was largely influenced by a certain friend.
Mina, heading to the training ground for her daily practice, spotted that friend on the street and waved with a smile.
"Ruth!"
"…Mina."
Ruth Spero. A Rank 6 swordsman on a completely different level from Mina.
He was a friend she met on the day of the entrance ceremony and the most famous male student in the Martial Arts Department in many ways.
This was partly due to his exceptional skills, but his somewhat blunt personality and slender, androgynous appearance also played a role.
There were many rumors about him, both good and bad, but to Mina, he was just a precious friend.
Moreover, that precious friend, a Rank 6 swordsman, had personally encouraged Mina, telling her she could do it.
Mina was greatly helped by those words, whether she realized it or not.
"Ruth, where are you going? I'm on my way to the training ground, want to come with me?"
Since Mina, who was more talkative than the reticent Ruth, often initiated conversations and invitations, there were rumors in the Martial Arts Department that they were dating.
Dating Ruth. That would certainly be a dream come true for some female students, but…
This wasn't something that resonated with Mina.
It wasn't that she didn't have such feelings because Ruth was too amazing, or that she felt unworthy…
'Well, how should I put it…'
It was more like a feeling that they couldn't date in the first place? As if such a thing was never even a consideration?
She instinctively felt that they were just close friends, and any relationship beyond that was impossible. It wasn't a matter of the heart, but something more fundamental.
Of course, if she told this to others, they would accuse her of being deceitful, so Mina kept these thoughts to herself.
The dating rumors persisted, but since they were really just friends, the rumors eventually died down.
Mina, who always took the initiative to invite Ruth to places,
"…No, it's okay. I have somewhere to be right now."
"Really? Where are you going?"
Instead of being embarrassed by the blunt rejection, she became genuinely curious and asked back. Ruth must have his own personal matters to attend to. Normally, she wouldn't pry, but…
She couldn't help but ask, seeing the rather large shopping basket in his hand.
She had visited Ruth's dormitory a few times, and she had never seen such a basket before. Was he having a party or something?
"I'm going grocery shopping."
"Are you having a party? That's a huge basket!"
"Not really… I am cooking. But I think I have to feed quite a few people."
"Huh!?"
Feed? Ruth was cooking himself?
Mina had been indifferent to the rumors about them dating when they were directed at her, but wasn't this practically an official confirmation from Ruth himself?
Mina, her eyes gleaming, nudged Ruth with her elbow and giggled.
"What, Ruth? Are you already at that stage?"
"…Huh?"
"Do you have a girlfriend? You're Rank 6 and handsome! If anything, it's about time, isn't it?"
"...…"
Mina had deliberately imitated the teasing tone of the aunties from her hometown, but Ruth's reaction was strange.
He seemed startled. He was clearly reacting strongly to the word "girlfriend."
"Girlfriend… Yes, girlfriend."
"Ruth?"
"…It's nothing. I think I understand why you were so flustered."
"??"
Had I made a mistake?
At the unexpected reaction, Mina nervously glanced around the mostly empty street and whispered to Ruth,
"Is that… not it?"
"To be precise, no."
"S-sorry. I was mistaken."
"It's okay."
Ruth, saying so, seemed genuinely okay. But his expression was complicated.
This wasn't something she should pry into any further. Sensing this, Mina desperately racked her brains to change the subject, and…
She spotted the apples piled up in the shopping basket.
"Wow, wow! Apples! Ruth, do you like apples too? I love them!"
"I hate them."
"Is… that so?"
"It's not that I dislike the taste of apples. It's just that seeing apples reminds me of the past."
The past?
She briefly sparkled her eyes, curious because, unlike Ruth who knew Mina surprisingly well, she had never heard anything about his past.
But the atmosphere wasn't right for asking, so she decided to save it for later.
More importantly, if he hated apples, why…?
"There's someone who likes apples. It's… complicated."
"H-huh?"
"Every time I see apples, I hate them because they remind me of that day in the past, but I also like buying apples for that person. I feel both misery and joy at the same time, even though it's just an apple."
"...…"
"…Sorry, I talked too much. I'll get going. Someone's waiting for me."
"Oh, no! I should be going!"
Mina hurriedly ran off, leaving Ruth behind, who was waving with a forlorn expression. She just felt like she had to run away quickly.
'Ruth's expression just now…'
Ruth's face as he looked at the apples was an expression she had never seen before.
Those deep, heavy, and sticky emotions were a first for her.
Mina Glichen…
…felt fear for the first time towards her precious friend.
***
I made a rational choice.
I absolutely did not give in to money.
'How much is fifty times the rent per month?'
I was currently doing my best to clean, dust, and sweep the room that the protagonist would be moving into, but it was purely out of goodwill.
Anyway, it was out of goodwill.
'Wow, this is what a protagonist is like.'
I knew it from the moment he offered five times the tuition at the entrance exam site, he was destined to be the protagonist. Indeed.
Perhaps if it weren't for the terrible situation of the academy being on the verge of bankruptcy, I would have been the one trying to approach him first.
'Should I prepare a welcome drink? Should I splurge and buy a mid-grade elixir?'
More importantly, I should pay for the groceries he bought, right? Should I…?
I decided to stay quiet for now and offer to pay when the topic came up.
While meticulously dusting, a question popped into my mind.
'But how does he have so much money?'
In
Reality wasn't a game where you had to go straight to the academy from a rural village without going anywhere else. he must have earned it somehow along the way.
But there was a limit to that.
'He didn't hesitate to offer fifty times the average rent, which means that amount isn't a problem for him. I saw the Imperial Bank check too.'
Fifty times. No matter how cheap the dormitory fees were at Grandis Academy, that was a significant amount. No, it was more than significant, it was a hell of a lot. It would cost that much to live in the most expensive dormitory in the academy.
To spend that much money every month without feeling burdened… He couldn't be earning money now, as he had to stay at the academy.
Did he perhaps make a big score?
'Like the rock salt mine?'
Snort.
I was the one who thought of it, but it was funny. The rock salt mine the Headmistress dealt with was in a small kingdom at the edge of the continent, how could the protagonist possibly…? And the rock salt mine wasn't a place just anyone could invest in. Since salt itself was precious, it was strictly managed by the state.
…It was still infuriating that it collapsed due to an unknown cause, but anyway.
More importantly, it wasn't like that was the only rock salt mine on the continent. He's the protagonist, he must have managed it somehow. If anything, the fact that he was Rank 6 was more of an issue. Right now, I had to worry about where to use the fifty times the rent, not where he got the money from.
'It would be right to put it all into the finances.'
But, to be honest…
Being directly criticized about the dormitory and my living situation earlier was quite embarrassing. It made me wonder if I was living too poorly.
Besides, no matter how much it was, fifty times the rent wouldn't make a huge difference to the academy's finances. Of course, it would be helpful, but macroscopically, it was a small amount, and microscopically, it was a large amount.
Moreover, this dormitory was registered under my name, not the academy's, thanks to the Headmistress's favor.
That meant there was no problem if I just pocketed the rent from the protagonist.
'What should I do?'
Was it right for the Finance Director of an academy on the verge of bankruptcy to be having these thoughts?
If I just closed my eyes and accepted, I could escape the life of boiled potatoes and low-grade elixirs and enjoy the things I liked, as the protagonist said. But…
"Eh, no way."
My deliberation was short-lived. I brushed aside the thought with a hollow laugh.
If I allowed myself this one luxury, it would be easy to do it a second, third time. It wasn't like I was going to die from living like this, and I had to save every penny I could.
That was why I hadn't planned the academy attack in the first place… or had I?
Oh.
'Come to think of it…'
Wasn't the Headmistress supposed to come to the dormitory tonight to discuss things? And now Ruth was here too?
No… it would be fine. Even if he decided to move in, he wouldn't bring all his luggage in a single day, would he? He would need time to pack his things and leave his previous dormitory, so it would be fine—
Thud!!
"…Student Ruth?"
"It's my luggage."
"You brought everything already…?"
"I didn't have much to begin with."
That wasn't true. He had a lot. And what was this?
Eggs?
"Why do you have so many eggs?"
"…I had a reason to buy them. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
"Huh? Well, yes, but I have to go to work soon."
"You should at least have lunch. Have a seat."
Normally, the landlord would have the upper hand over the tenant, but things were different now. I piously sat at the dining table as instructed by my tenant.
Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since I sat here and ate something. As I sat still, the protagonist started cooking with practiced movements.
He was quite good.
"You seem to be familiar with this kind of cooking."
"…There was a reason for that."
Hmm, thinking about it now, it was a bit annoying.
He was Rank 6, handsome, rich, and even good at cooking? Was this what it meant to be the protagonist?
As a student at the academy, he must have something going on with a lot of female students. Meanwhile, the only women I met were my boss, the same old faces I've been seeing for three years, and those thieving women trying to get their hands on the budget.
Of course, I wasn't going to talk back to the protagonist who was paying fifty times the rent, but it still made me feel a bit…
"Here you go."
"Holy shit."
"Excuse me?"
"I said holy shit."
Forget everything I said before. What was this?
The dish itself was ordinary. Steak with a fried egg. It was a bit heavy for lunch, but my mouth watered at the sight of food other than boiled potatoes for the first time in a while.
I cut the meat without hesitation, and…
'Why is it melting?'
Was it normal to think, "How much did this cost?" instead of "This looks delicious?" This was something the protagonist bought himself, I didn't have to pay for it, right?
I hesitated for a moment, but quickly devoured the steak and fried egg.
Clank, clank!
"How is it?"
"Mmm, mmm!"
"…Eat a lot. There's dessert too. Apples."
What was this? Was this the protagonist? The taste made me repent of all the mean things I had thought about him until now.
Come to think of it, we were both men, and he was just going to live in the next room, so what was the problem? It was actually beneficial for me to observe what the protagonist was doing from next door, wasn't it?
Besides, considering how little time I actually spent in the dormitory, there really wasn't a big problem.
As I was enjoying the taste of meat for the first time in a while, I heard the sound of something being poured out.
"Student Ruth? What are you doing…?"
"Throw them all away."
"Excuse me? No, why those precious elixirs?"
"I'll buy new ones and fill it up, so throw those away."
"Ah, alright."
It was a different story if he was buying new ones to fill it up. I only drank them occasionally anyway, and I felt no guilt thinking that the protagonist would be drinking them himself.
More importantly, I wanted to eat steak right now. Why was this so delicious?
Ruth's actions didn't stop at throwing away all the low-grade elixirs.
"Clean this up too."
"Uh."
"We need to replace the wallpaper here."
"No."
"Let's put a rug over there, and the bathroom needs repairs. And while we're at it, let's fix up the garden too."
"Student? The, the money…"
"I'll take care of everything, so just shut up and eat your food, Finance Director."
"…Yes."
What was this? What was this?
I had doubts in my head, wondering if this was right, and worries about the Headmistress who would be coming tonight.
But right now, all that mattered was the delicious steak and fried egg I had just finished, and the apple I was biting into.
I was just happy…