Episode 19: Sometimes, Giving Them a Beating Is the Answer. (1)
"What were the items we needed?"
"Sun… Herb… Trolltus Thi…."
"Sunlight Herb, Trolltus Thistle, Moonlight Flower, Bloody Herb. These four, Hyung-nim. Mandrake won't be easy to obtain, so Mr. Pom said he would prepare it himself."
The younger brother interpreted on behalf of his stuttering sister.
By now, this manner of speaking and interpreting wasn't awkward anymore.
The bustling village had many merchants selling all sorts of things, and the three were in the middle of strolling through the market.
Looking closely, many academy uniforms were visible among the pedestrians.
It seemed many students had flocked here for an academy class.
"You there, student! Take a look at my goods before you go. They're secondhand, but they're the work of a trustworthy sorcerer!"
"You're here for the herbalism class, right students? I've got bundled goods here too! Only 4 gold!"
As expected, perhaps because it was near the academy, even though it was a small village, there were many merchants selling herbs or magical tools.
Moreover, somehow having guessed they came for class, there were merchants already selling required preparation materials as bundled goods.
But charging 4 gold for things easily obtained in the mountains and fields…
Not even bandits were this shameless.
"They're nothing but pure swindlers. 13 silver for a bundle of Sunlight Herbs? A bundle of mandrake sold in the kingdom costs 1 gold!"
At the murderous prices, Reireu clicked his tongue.
1 gold was 10 silver.
Even receiving room and board at a decent inn, 2 gold per day was enough.
So 13 silver for a bundle of ordinary herbs was enough to provoke this reaction.
"Still, it can't be helped. Selecting quality herbs and matching prices is also experience, after all."
"That's true in theory. But this is really too much."
Reireu pouted.
Anyway, the reason students who had been cooped up in the academy came out was simple.
Seeing products directly and procuring goods was also a magician's discernment, apparently?
Thanks to that, merchants looking to make a killing off such novices were everywhere.
'Sigh. No matter what, the quality of these goods is terrible too.'
Siddeu sighed as he fiddled with the "Trolltus Thistle" the merchant had put out.
Though a familiar ingredient he used to put in barley porridge during his monastery days, the quality was poor and the price was high.
Moreover, properly dried Trolltus Thistle usually had a savory scent, but the goods in this market even gave off a strange medicinal smell.
Perhaps they had really been soaked in drugs.
"Huh? Not buying?"
"We'll look around more and come back."
"Even if you go elsewhere, you won't find anywhere cheaper than here! I'll knock off 3 silver! Hey, where are you going!"
He put down what he was touching and moved his feet.
The yellow hue of the 'Sunlight Herb' was closer to brown from however long it had been, and the Trolltus Thistle was mixed with ordinary thistles to bulk up the quantity.
Moreover, even the easiest to obtain 'Bloody Herb' was shriveled dry and had lost its freshness, so paying the written price was unimaginable.
At the moment he was wondering how to obtain good goods among such merchants, someone tugged his clothes.
"Huh?"
"Follow me…."
"What is it?"
It was Reiya, who normally didn't speak up first.
Reiya pointed to an old woman crouched among the noisy merchants.
She seemed to have been pushed to the back thanks to the young, healthy merchants monopolizing the spots.
When timid Reiya stepped forward, Siddeu and Reireu followed her.
Soon, the old woman appeared in an alley with few people, beneath a large carriage.
"...! ....... ...!!!"
"....... ...!"
And things happened in an instant.
An enormous battle of nerves passed between the two speechless people.
Reiya's fingers pointed at the herbs and held up three fingers.
Then the old woman's face turned fierce and she held up five; when Reiya shook her head again and picked two different flowers and herbs, her expression finally relaxed.
Besides that, tremendous hand gestures were exchanged, but Siddeu couldn't keep up with this speed.
He didn't know what was happening, but it all happened in a flash.
"Wha... what was that, Noonim? What did you do?"
"I bought preparation materials for three people... plus 800 grams of ordinary thistle... All together, 57 silver…."
"57 silver for three people?"
Considering the merchant selling bundled goods earlier had offered 4 gold per person, it truly couldn't be anything but a cheap price.
Though the condition of the Bloody Herb couldn't be called good, obtaining all of that at that price in this village was difficult.
The old woman who finished the transaction laughed heartily.
It seemed to have been a quite satisfactory deal.
"Still, well, we bought it cheap. For 57 silver, if you give 5 gold and 7 silver…."
"No. Thank you, Grandma. I'll give you 7 gold."
Siddeu interrupted Reireu and handed over 7 gold.
Thanks to living expenses supported by his scholarship, paying that much wasn't a big problem, and he wanted to express gratitude to the grandmother who had let the goods go cheaply.
But as the old woman received the 7 gold Siddeu handed over, she grabbed his hand.
"Hol... holhol…."
"Pardon?"
As surprised Siddeu flinched, the old woman looked at Reiya.
When she looked at Reiya standing awkwardly, her shy face flushed red.
"Even though calculating by 57 silver, I said I'd give 7 gold... Grandma didn't believe me... I told her not to worry…."
"What?"
"That even if she lowered the price, we'd pay properly…."
The girl with red freckles blooming lowered her head.
Looking at the old woman smiling satisfactorily, it seemed such a conversation had even been completed in that brief moment.
"Holhol…."
The old woman wrapped up everything she was selling and handed it over.
Soon, after even handing over the ordinary thistles, the old woman disappeared into the crowd.
Her disappearing in an instant brought to mind a witch he had only heard of in stories.
"But why did you buy regular thistles? They're not even preparation materials."
Walking with the Wein siblings, the boy opened his mouth.
Reiya smiled bashfully and moved her small lips.
"It's delicious brewed as tea... I'll give you some... later…."
"That's right, it's the tea Mother often brewed, and if you boil it with apples, it's so delicious! So that's why you bought thistles? As expected of our Noonim, you don't miss a thing!"
Seeing Reireu smiling brightly, Reiya blushed.
Come to think of it, back when he was a seminarian, they had made seasoned vegetables with such thistles, so it wasn't unfamiliar food either.
Anyway, the three who had purchased the preparation materials thanks to Reiya strolled through the market.
"Since Hyung-nim bought the preparation materials, let's at least eat lunch before going back? I'll buy!"
"Over there, at the inn... the stew is delicious... And that money... it's my money…."
"I mean I'll buy it with Noonim's money, haha!"
Behind the broadly smiling Reireu, Reiya recommended a menu.
Academy meals weren't bad, but enjoying an unfamiliar meal in an unfamiliar place was always a pleasant experience.
In the midst of that, a loud voice rang out through the complex crowd.
It was the voice of an unpleasant person.
"9 silver for a bunch of Moonlight Flowers? What are these merchant bastards trying to pull!"
"Oh dear, sir. This is quite cheap for around here! We have to make a living too, hehe!"
"Hmph! You worthless bastards are the worst! Fine, take it, you beggars!"
"Oh, thank you, sir!"
The loudly shouting boy threw two gold coins.
Despite being scorned by a boy young enough to be his son, the merchant was busy picking up and pocketing the gold coins, seemingly overjoyed.
Focusing on the unsightly scene, it was indeed a familiar figure.
It was Paieopou again.
"Ugh, it's him again. Let's just go. Nothing good will come from getting involved."
"Yeah. Nothing good comes from getting involved with him. Let's go, Reiya. Is it that way?"
"U-ung... Yeah!"
At the appearance of the boy who was no different than a sworn enemy, the three's movements quickened.
Even Reiya, clutching a large bundle of thistles, nodded frantically.
Since there was no point getting unnecessarily entangled and tired, the moment they turned to leave, a loud voice rang out behind them.
"What! Did the scholarship student come to buy things too? Wonder if you got them cheap!"
'Sigh.'
He couldn't understand why this incomprehensible fight was being picked.
Siddeu sighed as he looked at Paieopou, desperate to tear into him at every turn.
The moment he tried to move his steps, roughly ignoring him, a large shadow fell before him.
It was an unfamiliar voice.
"Scholarship student? That hot potato who enrolled through special admission?"
Siddeu raised his head.
Looking up, there was a man he was seeing for the first time.
Blond hair swept back naturally and a golden beard covering his lower face.
Deep blue eyes like lakes between deep-set eye lines stared at Siddeu.
"Hyung-nim!"
Jii came running from afar.
An annoying smile spread across his face, seeming to know the person blocking the way.
"Who are you? Do I know you?"
Having been treated hostilely from their first meeting, Siddeu's voice was ferocious.
But the man with his chin raised arrogantly didn't answer immediately.
He merely stroked his lush beard and watched Siddeu for a moment.
Soon, the man's rough voice leaked out.
"I am Ri Paieopou. The eldest son of the Paieopou family and a newly assigned teacher at the Academy. You might not know now, but I feel like you'll come to know in the future?"
'Sigh, now it's the eldest son?'
The pale skin and bright blond hair were familiar from somewhere.
At least thanks to his thick beard and broad shoulders, he didn't have the sinister image like Jii.
"What is it. What's going on?"
But the moment the atmosphere was about to turn hostile, another man appeared behind the yellow beard.
Perhaps because he was a familiar figure, the three's expressions brightened.
"Teacher Ruereu!"
"Siddeu? You came out for the herbalism class? Reireu and Reiya are here too? Did you buy the goods well?"
The man greeted them brightly, seeming to be close to the three.
A man with wire-rimmed glasses similar to Reiya's and brown curly hair.
A likable man with a stylish watch chain hanging from his checkered brown vest, giving off an overall 'nerdy' vibe.
He was none other than the elemental magic teacher 'Ruereu Hapeuman', who had been serving at the Academy for 3 years.
Ruereu, who had suddenly appeared at the moment of crisis, cut into the conversation between the two.
"What. Why are you picking a fight with perfectly fine kids."
"It's not a fight, Sunbaenim. I heard some things, so I'm talking. They say this kid named Siddeu enrolled through special admission this time? They say the scholarship student thing was all rigged."
"Rigged?"
Ri looked down at Siddeu.
Judging from the biased story, it was obvious where the information he knew came from.
Frowning at the behavior of tormenting a student, Ruereu furrowed his brow.
His gentle face crinkled, giving off a strange atmosphere.
"Who says such things. Siddeu is a friend talented enough to be chosen as a scholarship student."
With Ruereu as a sturdy ally, Siddeu's expression brightened.
Jii and Airiseu, who had been running from afar, had long since changed direction and disappeared.
Whether he realized his younger brother had disappeared, Ri Paieopou's eyes went wide.
With the source of his information gone, his position had become difficult.
Nevertheless, his prejudice didn't disappear.
If it were something that would disappear easily, he wouldn't have said it so easily in the first place.
"Ahem. My younger brother said! He said the Principal specially admitted this student and such. Is this really the first time you've heard of it, Sunbaenim?"
As expected, treating Siddeu so rudely from the first meeting was due to the image he got from his younger brother.
As Siddeu flushed and flinched, Ruereu extended his hand to stop him.
He was firm, as if telling him not to interrupt adult conversation.
"Then are you saying our Principal can't distinguish between public and private affairs enough to give special treatment for personal reasons? Even while knowing the Principal's personality?"
"Huh? No, that's not... of course not…."
Ri licked his lips.
Thinking about it, there was little reason for the eccentric Principal to take on unnecessary trouble and cover for someone.
Moreover, insulting scholarship student Siddeu amounted to insulting the Principal.
Seeing the three brighten up, Ruereu smiled pleasantly.
"So then, anything else to say?"
"Ahem. It seems my younger brother spoke without knowing anything. I'll check clearly and give him a good…."
"No, not that. Pressuring students over a misunderstanding. You should apologize."
"Huh? Sunbaenim, this is…."
Perhaps quite flustered, the man's eyes went round.
Siddeu, meeting his eyes, also stared at him with a scrunched expression.
"Sigh, really this is…."
Ri flushed.
His senior Ruereu glared at him with resolute eyes.
It seemed he had been angry only hearing his brother's story, but hadn't expected to be cornered this far.
However, having pressed on without hearing both sides, Ri didn't back down easily.
"Honestly, Sunbaenim. Don't you find this strange too? A complete orphan entering the Academy, I'll grant you that. But being selected as a scholarship student and receiving support funds? This can only be seen as preferential treatment. It will definitely have a bad influence on the Academy…."
"Ri!"
"That's right. As the teacher said, I am receiving excessive benefits."
Just as Ruereu was about to shout, Siddeu's words continued.
The Wein siblings turned pale at his appearance of intervening unnecessarily.
"Hmph."
The young teacher's eyes sharpened at the bold retort.
But if not now, there might not be another chance to clear up this misunderstanding.
"I'm sorry that the scholarship student issue blew up. The Principal, knowing my circumstances, helping me personally became the subject of gossip. Whatever rumor you heard, it won't have a bad influence. I'll work hard too."
"Yes. This is what I mean. Such a student! What a humble student."
Ruereu, who had been worried, nodded and chimed in.
He patted Ri's shoulder as if telling him to listen properly, but once out of favor, the boy's words seemed hard to reach Ri's ears.
When Ri's arrogantly raised head didn't come down, Siddeu pulled out his secret weapon.
It was a weapon called a direct hit.
"But teacher. You may or may not know, but isn't it rather Jii who has a bad influence on the Academy? Most of the first-year students think so."
- Continued in Episode 20 -