Chapter 37
“Irix, I’m fine. Just go in and pick something. I’ll pay you back soon, so what’s the big deal?”
Irix hesitated before speaking.
“Uh, we need to buy a few more outfits.”
“For what? Do you even have anyone to give them to?”
“Well… I need to change clothes.”
Irix spoke as if making an excuse.
“All my clothes are tailor-made. It takes a few days once you place an order.”
“……”
“And we’d also need to find someone to place the order.”
In other words, we’d have to find someone to place a custom order, then wait for it to be completed.
Impressive. Everyone with a high status here acts like this. Or maybe even in the place I came from, the rich or noble behaved this way. I just didn’t know.
“Ever thought of just wearing ready-made clothes?”
“No.”
Yeah, let’s give up.
How could a commoner like me possibly understand the mindset of nobility in a class-based society?
“Do as you like.”
I handed my wallet to Meimon.
“Go in with Irix and buy the clothes. You know best how much is appropriate.”
“Yes. I’ll do that.”
Meimon’s bargaining method was simple. Whatever price the seller quoted, he would counter with what he knew the price should be.
“I’ll give it to you cheap. 20.”
“3.”
“No, then I won’t have a single penny left! How about 17?”
“3.”
“Ah, a generous offer. 11!”
“3.”
“Just 7? I’ll throw this in for free.”
“3.”
In the end, the seller gave up and sold the clothes at their original price.
As expected, even if he looked naive, he was from the backstreets.
Wherever he went, he seemed like he could be conned—and yes, he acted like it—but he was a boy trained in survival on the streets. He understood the backstreets better than anyone here.
Thanks to Meimon, Irix became a streetwise boy who could sell cabbage nearby without standing out. There was nothing even worth choosing, so he couldn’t pick anything anyway.
The snake, perhaps pitying him, coiled around Irix’s neck and started to glimmer.
He intended to decorate Irix, but all it made him look like was a nightclub employee doing nighttime promotions.
“Viper, off.”
Irix said quietly.
The dejected snake turned dark and slithered back into my pocket.
Once the clothing purchase was done, I had to think about a pressing matter.
From what I’d seen so far, Irix wouldn’t think of such a basic issue on his own.
I scanned the surroundings and approached Irix. I could feel his tension.
“Why? What now?”
I whispered softly.
“Hey, Irix.”
“I can’t hear you.”
“That’s why I’m saying it…”
“I said I can’t hear you.”
Irix bowed his head deeply and pressed his ear to my mouth.
“Speak.”
“Listen, don’t misunderstand.”
“I got it. Just spit it out. My ear’s itching.”
He came all the way here and then complains.
“Do you… have any underwear?”
“……”
Irix, who had been silent with a flushed forehead, suddenly raised his head and shouted.
“Why the hell would I tell you that?!”
“I’m not curious. I’m worried…”
“There’s nothing to worry about!”
…So he doesn’t have any.
At the center of the system was the deep, narrow Pia River, and several bridges crossing it were the hub of the city’s main facilities.
The academy was next to the last of those bridges. Almost at the edge of the city.
The gate, which didn’t even look like a main entrance, turned out to be the school gate. It was so small you’d think it was just a side gate to a garden.
Next to the bronze door was a sign with the school’s name:
“World Center Academy”
“……”
The name was embarrassingly blatant.
Through the ornate gate lay a small, pretty courtyard. It looked like a fairy godmother had designed it.
Several apple trees heavy with red fruit, a small pond surrounded by flowers, and benches were visible.
A man in a suit ran toward us. Everyone tensed.
When he stopped in front of us, Zephyr and Meimon bowed. Zephyr stopped there, but helpful Meimon spoke.
“Long time no see, Academic Director Tolt.”
That’s right.
This person was in charge of students’ grades and the enforcement of school rules and punishments.
Everyone had to respect him. Even after graduation, he was the kind of person who instinctively made your knees weak.
Director Tolt smiled broadly.
“Long time no see. Meimon, Zephyr… oh, I should say Mr. Zephyr now. You’ve grown so well.”
I needed to watch Irix. This director didn’t seem to be here because of me.
From my school experience, people in such positions never come to the gates for good reasons.
“Why are you staring like that?”
Irix noticed my gaze.
“Did you get into trouble?”
“It’s all taken care of.”
So yes, he did cause trouble.
Right, a troublemaker in the world wouldn’t avoid causing trouble at school.
“Irix, welcome. We’ve been waiting for you.”
The director spoke softly.
Irix stiffened. Even as a mastermind, the academic director enforcing school rules was scary.
“His Grace the Duke has come to the school.”
I hadn’t expected that.
There was almost no chance that “the Duke” was anyone other than Duke Berkart. In this country, if someone is referred to simply as “the Duke,” it means Berkart.
Director Tolt adjusted his glasses and looked at me.
Why was he looking at me?
Could it have something to do with Elphini? I didn’t know.
No matter what trouble was caused, I didn’t remember it.
I was an otherworlder designated to handle the mastermind in the future; it just happened that my assigned body was this Elphini.
“Elphini Sienira.”
Just saying the name made me feel like I was being scolded. Maybe it was the body reacting instinctively, like a rabbit fearing eagles and foxes.
At least I now knew the proper name of this body.
Elphini Sienira.
Good, the name matches.
But the academic director knowing individual students’ names is not a good sign.
Director Tolt smiled widely.
“You’re the student who failed all subjects last semester, right? You’re here to formally withdraw. We’ll process it immediately.”
…Huh?
Irix looked at me like I was a cockroach with ten legs. He seemed to be thinking, “How is this even possible?”
I thought: please, just end me now.
“Failed?”
Irix grinned.
“Wow, failed!”
“……”
“Fai-led!”
“I know what that means, so stop getting excited.”
And it wasn’t me who failed—it was Elphini.
How could someone fail all subjects, not just one or two?
“How did that happen?”
I wondered the same thing.
“You don’t know what ‘failed’ means? It means receiving below the standard score. Looks like I got below the standard.”
“That doesn’t make sense. You just write the right answer. Why didn’t you?”
“If you don’t know the answer, you can’t write it.”
“Why don’t you know the answer? It’s obvious from the question.”
“……”
I finally understood why he had no friends.
Anyway, failing all subjects… maybe one day it’ll come out that Elphini killed someone and buried the body.
Irix grabbed my arm quickly.
“Calm down. The Aiter is slipping again.”
I had Aiter, yet couldn’t even hold it properly. Such an inconvenient body. I wonder if the original Elphini knew. I hope she shows up in my dreams to teach me.
Finally, the director returned and placed the documents in front of me.
“Here you go. Sign here.”
I looked at the withdrawal form.
Yes, leaving is the right choice.
Failing all subjects isn’t something you do by accident. If you lack skill or motivation, it’s better to leave.
And above all, signing this means I don’t have to attend school anymore.
Good job, Elphini. Thank you, Elphini.
Thanks to this, we escape the school immediately. Hooray.
As I reached for the pen, Irix snatched it away.
“You’re not going to try to save yourself? There are remedies for failing. Why are you signing already?”
Remedies for failing?
Is failing that common here?
Irix asked the director instead of me.
“How many times have you failed?”
“Oh, the first time.”
Irix straightened his face.
“Then, you should offer guidance before giving the withdrawal form. It’s clearly dereliction of duty.”
I didn’t need him to be so forceful. I looked at the transcript under the withdrawal form. Just seeing the subject names made me want to fail immediately. My god, what horrible subjects.
“Elphini did not apply for remedial action at the end of the semester. So we assumed there was no intent for remediation.”
“But now it’s before the academic term starts. Since he’s here, it’s the school’s duty to ask if he wants remediation.”
It sounded reasonable, but I didn’t want to attend school, so I wanted to withdraw immediately.
I looked at the director.
He could give me a hundred reasons why it shouldn’t happen.
“Elphini, will you do this?”
Damn it, it’s actually possible.
