The Siege of Ophelius Hall (7)
"Ugh-Heek! Hiiiik!"
Injured, Taely managed to pin Willain to the floor. Their coordinated attack with Clevius slashed through the magic circle, and Taely ultimately succeeded in reaching Willain.
However, Ophelius Hall was now in complete disarray. Priceless, expensive furniture and art pieces were scattered on the floor, and the outer walls, peppered with holes like a star house, no longer held their original shape.
Having knocked out Willain and tied him up, Taely sighed deeply and wiped the streaks of rain off her face.
The outer wall of Ophelius Hall's fourth floor had completely collapsed, revealing the outside where rain poured in. The group was soaked, constantly wiping their faces.
"Phew, surely the situation is nearing its end? Let's just wait for the staff to arrive."
"No, Taely. It's too obviously unnatural."
At Elvira's words, Taely wore a puzzled expression.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"You felt it too, Taely. The protective magic circles of Ophelius Hall aren't something just anyone can approach. Only someone like head maid Ellis could manipulate so many circles without any authority issues."
"Then…?"
"We're not done yet. There's a mastermind behind this mess."
Still, they reached the end of the fourth floor corridor, yet no further hostile entities came into sight.
That left only one possibility: the staircase leading to the fifth floor.
"The real culprit behind this incident must be on the fifth floor. We have to catch them before they escape; otherwise, all our hard work has been for nothing. Since it's come to this, let's wrap things up completely and maybe even receive a reward from the academy."
Elvira, brimming with determination, rolled up her sleeves and started towards the staircase to the fifth floor. Clevius was screaming about what case they were going to solve now, and Aila looked utterly lost.
"Elvira, if you're right… that mastermind is…"
"Yes, it's head maid Ellis who manages Ophelius Hall. What are you waiting for? Catch her quickly and threaten her to disable all the protective circles."
Under Elvira's urging, Taely let out a deep sigh, but couldn't just ignore the situation now that they had come this far.
It seems clear now that there is a mastermind behind the siege of Ophelius Hall. Reflecting on it, it must undoubtedly be head maid Ellis.
*
In this world, there is no kindness without reason, no trust without foundation.
For Lortelle, this had always been an evident truth, so she never doubted it until she became mature.
She lived in a world where turning your back could mean a blow to the head.
Lortelle, who has never known familial love, brotherly love, friendship, or camaraderie, views trust relationships as structures designed strictly based on solid evidence.
Therefore, a relationship of unconditional trust is like a flower blooming on the edge of a cliff.
It exists, but it's unattainable… a treasure that only exists in one's imagination.
Since she couldn't reach it, she never obsessed over it. Obsession, after all, blooms from perilous depravity.
The only realistic option she could undertake was to increase her kinship.
People who bend their values and sell their convictions for money, proving that unconditional trust or kindness does not exist, are precious to her.
While she's aware that she's messed up and twisted, she doesn't consider it a bad thing.
But every once in a while, even her steel-like resolve wavers.
A man returns three gold coins when pushed to the brink of life.
His face when he joined Lortelle's plan for twenty gold coins showed no interest in the amount.
His principles of action are infinitely distant from words like convertibility, profitability, efficiency, and rationality.
In truth, there are many such people. Those driven by emotion, who gamble their lives on loyalty or romantic affection, are more foolish than rational.
But Ed Rothtaylor doesn't seem to be like that. He is not swayed by emotions like Zix, or simply good-natured like Yenika. Not influenced by money either – Lortelle feels an urge to drag such a person down to be like one of her kind.
The scent of kinship, persistently nagging at her nose, was indeed a conviction from deep within Lortelle. A conviction that this man would be the same.
– 'No.'
– 'You have to take responsibility for your choices, Lortelle.'
Yet, she was briskly rejected.
Surprisingly, instead of feeling stuffy or angry, she felt refreshed.
What could be the cause of this relief? Lortelle had already realized it.
As she once said, there are too many sources of light in this Sylvania Academy, so different from the world of the Merchant's Code she lived in.
Walking through a garden full of the scent of flowers makes one believe even they emit a fragrant floral scent, even if they remind themselves constantly they're just sewer rats. Eventually, the heart yields.
Watching people like Taely, Aila, Zix, and Elka, emotions long repressed inside her burgeon. Envy and obsession.
'Won't I, one day, build a trust relationship beyond justifications and mutual interests?'
Perhaps that cliff blooming with flowers wasn't so high or steep after all.
Let's not dream such vain dreams. I vowed, again and again, that until the day I die, I'd be the villain, dealing blows behind people's backs in the world of the Merchant's Code.
Still, upon seeing Ed and Yenika, that buried desire fully bloomed.
"Don't move. Lord Elte of the Golden King will arrive at Ophelius Hall soon."
The result was a rapier pointed at her throat.
head maid Ellis of Ophelius Hall had been a senior staff member devoted to Sylvania all her life. However, plagued by intense work and chronic illness deteriorating her health, she requested repeatedly for a work adjustment, but no one capable of replacing her duties was available.
The management of Ophelius Hall, ever teeming with nobility, must always be stable and unshaken. head maid Ellis's life was a constant sacrifice for the stability of the system.
On the day of the backroom deals, facing Ellis as she bared her struggles, Lortelle ended up divulging her own inner troubles.
It was a mistake she would never have made in the world of the Merchant's Code. She prematurely judged that they might understand and sympathize with each other's pain, and brought Ellis along on visits to Ed's camp and the academy, exchanging many heartfelt conversations.
"… I didn't expect you to look at me with those eyes. I thought you were more stoic… Well, it's not my place to comment."
What kind of face was she making right now? Lortelle didn't try to understand herself, puzzled by her peers who were making unintelligible comments about her expression, and Ellis, standing silently with an unchanged facial expression.
Thus, after holding her breath for what felt like an eternity, Lortelle started sprinting toward the first floor.
Lord Elte is coming.
The plan to overthrow Elte is nearly complete; all it needs is a pretense to be finished.
But if Lortelle, the plan's central figure, is captured, everything will be in vain.
Lortelle may have an iron resolve, but her body is still that of a fragile girl. A little torture and she'll spill everything effortlessly.
But even when the sky falls, there's a way out.
Fortunately, Elte's direct visit to Sylvania is a sign.
Not confident in who among his followers has joined Lortelle, he has come to handle matters personally.
If now, she could just communicate with Elte's headquarters, everything would work out. There are many executives from the merchants' union who are on Lortelle's side at the headquarters.
Plans have been detailed already to manipulate the ledger, divert stock, and maximize losses, all of which will be blamed on Elte… The plan is concrete, albeit on a huge scale such that Elte's presence at headquarters would make it impossible to hide.
Elte is determined to subdue Lortelle with this visit. Since he has left his position, he must see the end of it – the die is cast.
On the first floor, Lortelle has a secret communication orb hidden in her room. If she can send the orb and locate a hideout on Acken Island, she'll be safe.
Lortelle bit her lip as she sprinted down the stairs like a madwoman.
The longing that seems within reach, yet never touched, drives a person mad. Had it never been within reach, there'd be no obsession to begin with.
There's no helping it. No matter how cold-blooded she pretends to be, a lack of affection is a slow-acting poison that eats away at humans.
Only in the latency does it differ; the collapse happens in the blink of an eye.
This, too, is the fault of the romantic Sylvania Academy. Had she never left the cold-blooded world of the Merchant's Code, that latency would have been much longer.
She's suffered countless betrayals and backstabbings. To crumble now, so out of character, would be incongruous with her actions.
But still, Lortelle had to keep running.
For now, she must run. If Elte reaches the main lobby on the first floor first, her path back to the room will be completely blocked.
*
– Bang!!
Yenika's magic exploded against the wall, and the sound of its collapse echoed through the area.
"….?"
As the wall crumbled, inside was Zix, unexpectedly training alone even amidst the crisis.
Caught off guard by the suddenly falling wall, he looked at me in bewilderment.
"What, what's going on, senior Ed? What's this…"
"You're hiding in your room when the situation outside is like this? Didn't you hear the noise?"
"Well… I didn't want to act rashly. After all, a building collapse won't kill me."
Being naturally strong, Zix doesn't feel a crisis as a crisis. He felt the faculty would handle it, so he just carried on with what he was doing.
In fact, several students still haven't left their rooms. If they're strong enough to ensure their own survival even if a building collapses, there's no need to stand outside in the rain.
"But Senior Ed, I didn't expect you would break down my room's wall. Won't it be too cold to sleep now?"
"You…"
You're unaware of the situation outside because you haven't seen it. Anyway, this building will have to be renovated from scratch."
"Is the situation that serious?"
Zix unfolded his push-up position and effortlessly stood up.
Who in the world would think this guy is a mage…?
"Senior Yenika is here too, I see. This is the first time I'm properly greeting you. During the Glascan incident… our acquaintance was less than pleasant."
"Uh… about that… I'm sorry."
Yenika stammered, staring at the floor. The incident was a sore spot for her, but Zix wasn't noble enough to pretend it hadn't happened.
What happened, happened.
"Don't beat yourself up too much, Yenika. The punishment is also long over."
"Yeah… Right. Thanks, Ed."
After exchanging such words, Zix seemed to realize he had said something unnecessary and sighed deeply.
"I'm glad to see you've been doing well since then. You two seem to have a good relationship."
"Uh?"
"I have noticed things, too. Senior Ed tends to keep his distance from first-year students. Well, there are many who try to take advantage immediately if they sense any disrespect… so I suppose that attitude makes sense for a senior."
Twisting and stretching, Zix then sat on the bed, continuing to loosen up his muscles.
"Still, seeing you treat senior Yenika so casually, it feels refreshing, like I'm seeing a different side of you. Are you two, by any chance, a couple?"
"No! No! No! It's not like that!"
At that, Yenika wildly flailed her arms in denial, and then glanced at my face, worried she might have overreacted too vehemently.
"Ed, did I upset you?"
"No. It's fine. Zix just asked an impolite question."
"Ah, my apologies."
Zix sincerely apologized, now serious.
"So, there must be a reason why you came looking for me by breaking through a wall."
"Let's leave it at one request. I'll repay the favor later."
"As if I'm the one who owes a debt."
Zix said this with a snicker, implying that he still had a debt to repay.
I mentioned the time he helped me build the cabin and with other physical labor whenever he could spare a moment.
"That was just me wanting to help out,"
After shrugging it off, he put on his coat.
"The mood suggests the task won't be easy."
*
Ideally, as per the original storyline, Ellis should have cooperated with Lortelle until the end and resolved the Ophelius Hall occupation incident.
However, the reason why she was colluding with Elte remained unknown to me.
This did not mean there were no answers.
After the Ophelius Hall occupation, a struggle for the Sage's Seal ensued—a tug-of-war over the research records of sovereign magic left by the Great Sage Sylvania between scholars and merchants. Lortelle's plans to depose Elte bloomed amid this chaos.
During Elte's prolonged stay in Sylvania, a force seeking to dethrone him began to gather at the main offices of the Elte Company.
There couldn't be a better time than now.
Elte had failed to corner the market on the grain from the large farms in the northwest of the empire, and although he had sealed an exclusive distribution deal for silk fabrics with the Collet Company from the Kingdom of Theron across the sea, the prices plummeted, marking another failure.
Even a merchant as experienced and tough as Elte is bound to fail and incur losses after years on the frontline of business.
And with ill luck, series of such mishaps could happen three or four times in a row, leading to a decline in one's standing within the company, even endangering Elte's own position, despite his commitment to meritocracy within the Company.
How long had the plan been in preparation? That was beyond me.
However, Lortelle's plan to depose Elte was likely nearing completion. All there was left was to make a case for the action, yet the linchpin of the plan, Lortelle, had gotten herself caught.
Lortelle, always efficient and rational in her dealings. Where had she made a mistake?
– Thud!
On the first floor main hall.
Elte, adorned in flamboyant clothing, stood amidst a small group that seemed to be mercenaries hired from the commercial city of Oldec.
The group's size was suspiciously small for those brought by Elte. There, I was certain. Elte did not want this situation to escalate into a significant incident.
"Are you students? Evacuate immediately."
I was alone in confronting Taely, but this time I had two staff members joining the welcome – Yenika Faelover, the second-year top student, and Zix Effelstein, the first-year runner-up. Although students, they both had enough skill to hold their own against active duty personnel.
Yenika was standing behind me, glancing around nervously, while Zix leaned casually against a nearby pillar.
"Could it be… the chief of the Elte Company, Lord Elte Keheln himself?"
I called out to Elte with a playful tone. The merchant at the center of the mercenaries nodded and again advised me to clear the way.
"It's such an honor to meet you, Lord Elte, a giant who commands the continent. I'm unsure why such a distinguished individual would visit the remote Sylvania…"
The Golden Daughter Lortelle.
The Golden King Elte.
The head maid Ellis.
These three were at the heart of the story's progress.
Lortelle, seeking to dethrone Elte and leave his position vacant as a vengeance for her childhood, while Elte stood in her way to ensure the success of acquiring the Sage's Seal.
And Ellis, the maid chief, was caught in the middle.
Ultimately, the fundamental cause of the story's deviation was an impulsive act by Ellis. Although the reason was unknown, there certainly was no need to scale up to the fifth floor in pursuit of the maid chief.
The rest of the party would handle that, as the storyline would continue to progress smoothly, and Taely's team was more than capable, having both the right specifications and a steadfast party.
My role, then, was to deal with Elte.
"… We are making sure that no one enters the building. Due to the risk of collapse, we cannot allow anyone through for safety reasons until the faculty arrive."
"Did you receive specific instructions from the academy?"
"No. We've taken the initiative due to the emergency. Sylvania has a well-established shop system, especially in situations like these."
A perfect excuse. However, Elte would read the intentions behind it.
"… It must be for a reason that someone as noble as you has graced us with your presence, Lord Elte… But wouldn't it be better to discuss with the academy first to receive the proper hospitality befitting your status?"
With that said, I fell silent.
Elte didn't want to exaggerate the situation.
It was essential not to reveal that Lortelle was the mastermind behind the incident.
Even if they had fallen out a long time ago, Lortelle was still affiliated with the Elte Company and was his adopted daughter.
If it came to light that the Elte Company had even the slightest hand in the incident, the Company couldn't escape the responsibility for the reconstruction costs of the demolished Ophelius Hall.
It would be a scenario of trying to trap an enemy only to be ensnared themselves. If head maid Ellis missed any details, it would surely be this.
For Elte, merely sending Lortelle away was not enough; he had to handle her personally.
At the same time, he needed to silence those who knew the truth, such as Ellis, Shenny/Kelly, Willain, and myself. An exceedingly long road lay ahead.
"You're on Lortelle's side."
Without much conversation, he deduced that I had already grasped the extent of the situation.
"I'll offer you double the gold promised by that kid right now. Make way."
He offered an overwhelming amount, believing there was no time for a petty quarrel or futile compromise because he thought the offer was irresistibly good.
"Thank you, but since I was promised no gold, how would multiplying it by any number be of any use?"
"Ha."
Elte chuckled briefly.
"You really can't judge people. Do you think holding on to loyalty for that kid would earn you any special treatment? Or were you perhaps enticed by his charming appearance?"
At this, Zix laughed with a "oh-ho," and while Yenika looked sheepishly between Elte and myself, Elte seemed utterly indifferent.
"That kid is born with the cunning of a fox. The moment someone turns their back, the knife plunges in. As the father who raised him from childhood, I know this better than anyone. Never expected that blade to turn towards me, though."
"Is that so?"
"A person who betrays even their foster father. Choose a certain benefit before you now rather than uncertain loyalty to gold. That is both the natural and rightful course of action."
With that, he looked me in the eye again. His hesitance to order a forced breakthrough by the mercenaries was likely because he didn't want to exacerbate the situation.
"Or is there another reason why you trust that kid so much?"
"Do I need such a grand reason?"
"Yeah, we aren't making any sense."
I have no fondness for Lortelle.
But it's not like the conversation about the original storyline would hold any water. So it ends with 'just because.'
I trust without real reason.
Elte might scoff at such a nonsensical response, but I merely have my situations. Neither can I expect understanding.
Quietly, I turned to Yenika and Zix.
"I'll check the situation. Hold them off for a while."
With a nod from Zix and Yenika's anxious expression behind me, I kicked open the main lobby door and entered.
Now to find Lortelle and convey the situation…
"…."
…that turned out to be unnecessary.
Already in a corner opposite the door, her pupils dilated, she watched me. Without a doubt, she had seen the entirety of Elte's intrusion from outside.
"Stuck here?"
"That…."
Gone were her usual fox-like smiles. Lortelle tried to speak but couldn't find her voice, managing only to nod with difficulty.
The composure she might have maintained in times of crisis had vanished. It seemed she was shaken by my blood-covered form from my confrontation with Taely.
"Good, that shortens explanation time. Let's head out the back door. Do you still have the strength to run?"
The rain mingled with blood tickled as it ran down my hand. Irritated, I shook off my hand and pushed back the strands of hair that had fallen loose in the rain.
"Don't lag behind."
Though it seems I'm entangled more than necessary with the main character of the scenario, after all, isn't this an emergency? Once we return to the usual flow of the story, I can distance myself again.
If I've been drawn this far back, there's no turning back.
With a nod, I picked up the pace, taking Lortelle with me.