Chapter 34: The Freshman Hides A Slave (4)
Elisha Sylvan Glenchiel clenched her eyes shut, unable to bear the stares focused on her.
But closing her eyes couldn’t erase the memories.
Even in the darkness, her sharp mind began replaying the recent scene. It started when one of the students she was chatting with mentioned a section in the ‘Revised Version of Lower Elemental Magic Codex,’ recently published by the Sylvan Magic Tower, that they didn’t understand.
Offering to clarify, Elisha asked about the unclear part. The student was about to instruct their servant to fetch the book from their pocket space… when they saw a woman kneeling down, looking down at the floor with a gloomy expression.
It was impossible to turn your eyes away once you’d seen her stunning beauty.
Her forlorn appearance, trembling like a terrified rabbit, was pitiful beyond words.
The faint signs of abuse around her neck amplified it even further.
A woman who made you feel nothing but sympathy: Carla Lindelheit.
From the moment someone among the students noticed Carla, it was inevitable that everyone’s attention would shift to her.
Speculations about Carla’s identity, the sharp glances thrown at her master, Yandel, and the fact that Yandel looked at Elisha with anxious eyes due to the cold reception.
And that all of the stupefaction converged on Elisha.
It was all inevitable.
“Sigh…”
Elisha sighed lightly and reopened her eyes, immediately directing her steps toward Yandel.
Click, click.
In the silence imbued with a peculiar tension, only the sound of Elisha’s heels rang clear. Then,
“Yandel.”
“Yes, Lady Glenchiel.”
“Didn’t I clearly tell you to act generously as a master?”
Yandel, who had been watching Elisha’s cues, retorted as if unjustly accused.
“But Lady Glenchiel, a slave should behave like a slave…”
“Did I order that right now?”
“No, no, you didn’t! Carla! Stand up and sit in a chair! That’s an order!”
The moment Elisha’s gaze sharpened, Yandel hurriedly got Carla to her feet.
Though he looked somewhat cowardly in doing so, no one questioned it.
After all, Elisha was a high elf revered by all elves and the heir to the Sylvan Magic Tower, the top magical institution among the elves.
No matter how talented a commoner Yandel might be, daring to oppose Elisha was unthinkable.
So, one could argue that Carla’s current situation was essentially orchestrated by Elisha herself.
The people around them couldn’t hide their discomfort.
It was fairly well-known in the community of mages that while Carla tried to get along with her, Elisha harbored one-sided jealousy and feelings of inferiority toward her.
Even so, wasn’t this a bit… too much?
Of course, Elisha couldn’t be unaware of the surrounding vibes of shocked realization.
Elves had senses far superior to humans, and the high elves like Elisha exceeded even that, with not just five but all six senses on a level incomparable to others.
She clearly felt the negative atmosphere but chose not to offer any petty excuses. Her towering pride wouldn’t allow it.
After all, wasn’t it Elisha who told Carla to know her place as a slave?
Elisha wouldn’t shift her responsibilities onto others; this was her noble character.
So, instead of offering any explanation, Elisha straightened her neck and returned to her seat.
Unaware of how such an attitude might appear to others.
I had successfully redirected the surrounding negative opinion toward Elisha.
Wasn’t it true that the reason Carla was acting like this was all because Elisha told her to know her place?
Of course, there was a slight misunderstanding here, but… that didn’t change what I had to do.
It wasn’t just because I had been mindlessly stressed and manipulated. Well, that was part of it, but…
Even if I got criticized just the same, I would remain a reluctant outcast, while Elisha would only lose a few friends.
The influence that Elisha had before her downfall was just that much.
Even if rumors spread that she ordered a commoner to humiliate her past rival, there would still be those who would approach her, trying to benefit from her situation.
In other words, she would be thoroughly isolated after her downfall.
I was playing along for now, but I would be the one who would stick with her and help her during her hardest times. Wasn’t that good enough?
While I justified myself, I kept an eye on Elisha until the last moment.
Thud.
A woman with red hair and eyes, pale skin, and an odd atmosphere walked into the classroom. Her slightly protruding fangs made it clear she was a vampire.
“Iona has arrived!”
She shouted in a strange posture, as if she had just sprung from a pillar.
The posture may seem uncomfortable, but it perfectly showcases Iona’s curvy figure.
The gazes of the students, who had been looking at me, Carla, and Elisha in turns, had now shifted entirely to Iona.
Well, how could they look away from that odd posture and half-hidden face?
What was she up to?
Ah, in H&A, vampires were not hostile races. There were even instances when they became public servants…
Their alliance with a dark God had been going on for a long time, it seemed.
They received periodic blood supplies from criminals or some volunteers, so they could live without directly sucking blood.
Although their numbers were low, each vampire was considered a powerful force since they had trained in martial arts and magic for a long time.
Why would such a vampire come to the Academy?
“Hello! Hello! I’m Iona Francheska, the faculty advisor for Class A! I look forward to working with you all!”
Though she came as a professor rather than a student, it wasn’t surprising. I already knew Iona was the faculty advisor for Class A. The only one not making a strange face was me.
“You can call me Professor Iona or just casually address me as sister or ‘nuna’ ^[TL/N: An older sister in Korean]! Shall we start by checking attendance? Shall we?!”
“…”
The students were at a loss for words, awestruck by the audacity of one of the five oldest beings at the Academy. Their thoughts were no longer occupied by Elisha and Carla. All that remained was the conduct of a professor estimated to be 400 years old who was acting like a teenage girl.
“Ah…? Wow! Carla! I didn’t expect to see you back at the Academy! Nice to see you! Nice to see you!”
She waved enthusiastically towards Carla, sitting at the back. Carla responded with an awkward nod, and the rest of the roll call proceeded without any other incident.
“Since today is the first day, let’s just go over a brief lecture outline and some information. After all, it’s almost lunchtime due to the entrance ceremony, and you haven’t even unpacked in the dorms yet.”
It was thanks to her bubbly voice and manner of speaking that some claimed Iona had the biggest merit of being in Class A in the game. Even though she was a non-romanceable character, which brought some tears. Regardless, her subsequent explanation was familiar to me: how classes were conducted, what subjects freshmen with no majors learned, how the course connected with other faculties, how dungeon practices were carried out, etc.
“Oh, and we’ll be choosing the class representative tomorrow. During emergencies, the representative will lead Class A on behalf of me or other professors. So give it your best in the duel… It will also serve as a skill test!”
The duel she was talking about must be for the position of class representative, also informally called the ‘hierarchy battle.’ It was quite a big event. If you became the class representative, you might get a new title, and even if you didn’t, having a good performance could make your life at the Academy easier in various small ways.
The Academy was fundamentally practical and evaluated students based on their abilities.
“So, any more questions? Or is there anything unclear? … No? Then that’s it for today! Well done, everyone! Now go have lunch and get some rest in the dorms! See you tomorrow. Goodbye!”
With a wide smile, Iona clapped her hands lightly and exited the lecture hall, waving her arms wildly as she went.
Everyone started to stand, still seeming a little awkward around such an energetic Iona.
As I was packing up my stuff and about to stand, someone stopped me.
“Wait a moment. Could you spare some time, Yandel?”
“What’s the matter, Glenchiel?”
“Nothing major. I was wondering if you’d like to join me for a meal. Along with your slave, of course.”
So that’s what it was. Even if I hadn’t intentionally provoked Elisha, it seemed she wanted to sort things out now.
I nodded my head, feigning formal courtesy but with a touch of nervousness.
“How could I refuse an offer from Glenchiel? I’ll call Carla right away.”
The confrontation… was ON!
Read 𝓁at𝙚st chapters at (f)re𝒆we(b)novel.com Only