Chapter 34
“Professo-r!”
Pastel ran over with a bright smile.
Professor Horace looked back.
“Oh, junior! Why use such a Stiff title like Professor!”
“Gasp! You’re right! Senior!”
It’s my senior! Senior!
Pastel flapped both arms in high spirits.
“Yes, yes! That’s it, junior!”
Professor Horace smiled radiantly.
A harmonious atmosphere continued. After exchanging Greetings and checking on each other’s health following the Church Raid, they got to the main point.
“A Trading Group under the Student Council?”
“Yes!”
Pastel chattered about the Big Picture.
“There are so many desperate people in the World! We are working hard for them, but we can’t Help everyone with these small hands, right?”
She reached out her hands.
Her hands trembled, as if she were agonizing over the thought of the people she couldn’t Help.
It wasn’t the sentiment of dying from regret over not being able To Meet the Smuggling demand at all.
“Ooh! A Correct Statement!”
Professor Horace actively agreed. And he deliberately made a Sad Expression.
“This senior was also feeling Pity about that. What in the World should we do?”
Gasp.
Pastel’s Eyes Widened.
“Really?!”
“Yes, yes.”
Wow.
To Think a Senior-Junior Relationship could be this beautiful.
“Your junior has an Idea! We can set up a Trading Group under the Student Council to deliver goods with more hands!”
“That’s a good thought! With that, we’ll be able To Save many people!”
A matter agreed upon even by the Veteran Smuggler.
But Professor Horace deliberately made a Sad Expression.
“However, it might be difficult.”
“Ye-s?”
“It doesn’t matter since my good junior wouldn’t do a Bad Thing, but the Student Council actually has a Check and Balance Mechanism. An Audit Professor is supposed to oversee the Student Council’s activities and Fund Management, and regularly report to the Faculty Meeting.”
Gasp.
Audit System.
A system that would be weirder not to have.
Pastel’s mouth dropped open.
Countless instances of Embezzlement of Public Funds and Abuse of Authority she had committed flashed in her head.
Student Council Public Funds?
Super-evolved into Smuggled Goods.
Official Authority?
It super-evolved into a Demon Realm Free Pass~.
Fantastic Combined Smuggling~!
A Professor of Imagination examined the ledger and shook his head.
―This won’t do; it’s a Prison.
Gasp.
Handcuffs clicked onto Pastel’s wrists.
Iron bars clanged shut.
Oh no!
Economic Criminal Pastel is in a massive crisis!
Please acknowledge it as Livelihood-Driven Corruption…!
“Originally, the Student Council was Scheduled to be abolished, so an Audit Professor wasn’t selected this year. After the Student Council Abolition was withdrawn, there were many opinions saying we couldn’t possibly audit His Excellency the Marq - no, the good First-year Student who holds the real power of the Student Council, so it remained vacant.”
“Th-then?”
Pastel’s complexion brightened.
Professor Horace, in contrast, looked sad.
“But we can’t leave it Empty forever, so the audit is Scheduled to begin in the second semester. It’s already been decided who will do it.”
Her breath hitched.
Pastel turned Pale again.
The Professor looked even sadder.
“I understand my junior’s commendable heart, but I don’t know if the Audit Professor will understand. A Trading Group under the Student Council. Anyone can see it’s a Suspicious structure.”
“That’s, that’s! I’m just doing it for the people!”
“I know, I know. How could I not? But the World is just too much of a Harsh Reality.”
No way!
Pastel flopped down.
The Fantasy World is a total Death Game.
Worldly affairs that are merciless to a hungry child.
Sniffle.
“Could I know the Audit Professor’s name, no, the Professor’s esteemed name? I want to do my best to persuade the Professor with my sincerity that I am merely Running a Delivery Business for desperate people.”
Why is the World so cold?
I hope the Audit Professor is a Warm adult whose heart opens to a child’s Persuasion (gold bars).
Sparkling Golden.
My heart is feeling Warm and Cozy.
The Girl is going Yay-yay.
“Hoo. You plan to persuade with sincerity?”
Professor Horace felt Pity or regret.
Gasp.
A totally bad expression.
Pastel felt the coldness intensely from the floor she had collapsed on. Her heart was growing cold.
“I-is it perhaps someone who won’t even fall for Persuasion? Someone like Professor Carlo? No, is it Professor Carlo?”
Is that the Professor who firmly notified us of the Student Council Abolition without an inch of compromise?
“Originally, Professor Carlo was going to do it, but another Professor firmly stepped forward, burning with passion for the Student Council Audit. He persuaded all the Professors and became the Audit Professor.”
Uwaaa.
Totally bad news.
Pastel wiped the corners of her eyes.
“Senior, your junior will take her leave now. I will go to Prison embracing the World’s misunderstandings and coldness.”
Professor Horace let out a sigh.
“Haha! Still, there is one small piece of good news for my junior.”
“What is it?”
Pastel looked up with a tearful face.
It felt like tears would drip down.
“That Audit Professor is…”
Professor Horace Suddenly smiled radiantly.
“None other than me!”
Laughter rang out.
Pastel’s eyes grew wider and wider.
Gasp.
The Audit Professor is actually my senior?
Have I then been teased this whole time?
“Ahaha!”
Pastel Burst Out Laughing.
The sadness and fear flew away with a poof.
“Senior! You have such great Sense! Pastel was completely fooled!”
Enough to make tears pop out!
I wiped my eyes for nothing.
As expected, the World is worth living in.
She looked up at Professor Horace with anticipation.
“Senior, you fully understand the goodness of a New Trading Group, right?!”
“Of course I do! Isn’t that why I’m personally stepping up for the audit, just in case there are such bad misunderstandings! What could possibly be wrong with the work my junior is doing! As a senior, it’s my duty to prevent misunderstandings!”
Professor Horace laughed heartily.
“As expected of my senior!”
Pastel flapped both arms.
I’m so happy!
“As your junior, I can’t just sit still! To ensure your mouth isn’t Empty whenever you visit the Student Council, I will Sincerely Prepare a Fruit Basket for you each time! Please come Anytime!”
Fruit Basket (gold bars).
Professor Horace broke into a wide grin.
“Ooh! Will you do that? I didn’t expect it at all, but since it’s my junior’s sincerity, I have no choice but To Accept! As the Audit Professor, I shall visit regularly! I can’t neglect my duties, can I!”
“Of course, Of Course! Come often!”
Ahaha.
A harmonious atmosphere flowed.
Is this a gathering of good and Righteous Delivery Workers?
Oh yeah.
“Sigh.”
The Demon muttered.
“Don’t Hand Over bribes so naturally…”.
#
“To set up a Trading Group, you need to pick a good Merchant, especially for a unique Trading Group like yours, junior.”
“I will keep that in mind!”
“Hmm!”
Professor Horace moved his quill. Elegant handwriting filled the letter paper.
“Finding a Suitable Merchant is a very arduous Process. Since it’s a unique situation, it’s difficult to ask around to find one, but it’s also Awkward to just pick anyone.”
“Ah! That’s right!”
Nodding, Nodding, Nodding.
I couldn’t agree more.
“Even if you find a Suitable Merchant, it’s a problem: someone who is Tight-lipped, possesses Skill, and has a unique Sense of ethics. A Merchant who meets these conditions is perfectly suited To Betray their Owner midway.”
“Ah! Total Empathy!”
I empathize a thousandfold!
Empathy increased by a whopping 10 times!
“But there is bound to be a Suitable Merchant somewhere. If you’re willing to bear a few Minor flaws, the only thing needed at this point is the age and experience to recognize such a Merchant.”
Gasp.
“I don’t have either!”
Uwaaa.
Pastel was just a Cherry Blossom Tree…!
Cherry blossom, cherry blossom.
Professor Horace laughed.
“Just trust this senior.”
The quill was set down. The letter paper was Neatly folded and placed into the envelope.
“I will Fill in the age and experience for you.”
The envelope was closed. A candle was tilted, and wax dripped down. The wax sealed the Letter Envelope. The Professor’s ring was pressed onto the wax. The Family Crest was left in the wax.
Professor Horace handed over the letter.
“It’s a letter of introduction. It should Help lower their Guard. After that, it will be easy.”
His eyes subtly glanced at Pink Hair.
“Since my junior is persuasive in and of herself.”
Pastel Swallowed Dry Saliva.
“I will do my best!”
She received the introduction letter with both hands.
“For senior’s Fruit Basket!”
Professor Horace was momentarily flustered before laughing heartily, uhaha.
“Of Course! I’ll be waiting for good news!”
Pastel left the Professor's Office.
She walked with light, Gently Swaying steps.
“The senior is totally nice!”
Trot trot.
Trot trot!
Then there was one spin, spinning around.
Her vision rotated, swirling.
A beautiful World!
“Young Kraft, your sentiments are truly difficult To Understand. Think about that guy’s wicked intentions. He’s not helping you just to Receive some bribes. He’s establishing a connection in advance with a Marquis who will one day advance into the Central Political Circles. What is he doing to a child? He’s a truly wicked guy.”
“Oh, come on!”
Pastel Waved Both Arms.
“You say gloomy things because you Think gloomy thoughts! Look at me, look at me!”
One, two, three!
“Pastel Spin!”
She Spun Around in place. Her white dress fluttered. Her Pink Hair fluttered.
One, two, three!
“Pastel Reverse Spin!”
She Spun Around in the opposite direction.
Her white dress was Fluttering, Fluttering.
Her Pink Hair was Fluttering, Fluttering.
My mood is 'ahaha!'
“Lord Demon is totally gloomy!”
Ahaha.
Pastel refreshingly ignored the Demon's Whisper.
Refreshing Lemonade.
Wow.
She left the Academy and went to the Airship Dock.
Trading Group Buildings lined up. The Trading Groups that traveled back and forth between the Human Realm and the Demon Realm using the Sky Island’s Geopolitical Value were characterized by their solid Escort Personnel and armaments.
It was a completely different place from the Merchant Association around the Academy that she had subdued with Arm Wrestling last time.
“The expenses are high, too. You haven’t properly experienced it, but there are countless cases of encountering the wrong pirates, having trade ships seized, and going bankrupt just like that. It’s a common occurrence for buildings to be sold and signboards to Change overnight.”
Indeed.
“Smuggling is not an easy way to make money, especially as the scale grows large enough for pirates to covet it. I really wish you would realize that.”
Gasp.
I see.
Pastel roughly let it go in one ear and out the other while looking at her Surroundings.
“But somehow there are more Armed Personnel than before?”
Is it some special day?
“It’s because it’s the Vacation Season. When the Students who need to be protected return home, the Academy’s Sky Island Defense becomes lax. However, the trade itself doesn’t stop, so the Trading Groups' Mercenaries have increased.”
“The Pirates must know too, right? Their activities will become vigorous.”
“That’s why I know that every Vacation Season, the Trading Group Alliance subjugates some of the Pirate Lairs. It’s probably this noisy because they are preparing for Subjugation.”
“Uwaaa.”
Pirates, he says.
Trembling.
Totally scary.
Pastel walked the streets trembling in fear. Then she rejoiced upon discovering the signboard the Professor had told her about.
“It’s over there!”
Uwaaa.
It was a Trading Group of an appropriate size, neither larger nor smaller than its Surroundings. What was unusual was that the Armed Personnel outnumbered the Trading Group.
Pastel Swallowed Dry Saliva and Entered the Trading Group.
With big strides, she headed toward the desk employee. A lukewarm Gaze directed at a kid who visited without knowing any better came her way.
Then, the Gaze touched her Pink Hair, and after a moment of seeming thought, the employee’s complexion changed. A clattering commotion arose.
A short while later, Pastel was able to Receive Guidance in the Reception Room on the Building's Top Floor that the Merchant Guild Leader would return soon.
Uwang.
Left alone, she bounced her body on the sofa.
The sofa was soft and plush.
The Girl went, 'Wow!'
After fully enjoying the high-class sofa, she sat down calmly. With an expression of a noble befitting the Top Floor Reception Room, she glanced down at the teacup with steam rising.
Tea water that looked incredibly expensive.
She elegantly grabbed it with both hands and lifted it.
She blew on it hoo-hoo and gulped it down.
Bitterness filled her mouth.
Ugh.
Totally tasteless.
She elegantly set the teacup down.
Then her Eyes Widened.
Wait a minute.
This is no time to act like a fool.
The meeting with the Merchant Guild Leader is pending. No matter whether I have a letter of introduction, I can’t let my Guard down.
Uwaaa.
How much Harsh Reality will Strike the Hungry child?
A heartless Death Game was about to begin here…!
Uwaaa.
A smart Pastel is needed…!
The Merchant Guild Leader arrived in the Reception Room.
It was a middle-aged Woman in Antique Attire who also considered convenience. A Folding Fan was held in her hand.
Gasp.
Totally scary.
Business Mode, Business Mode.
Pastel put on a cool-headed face.
The Merchant Guild Leader sat down directly across from her.
Time passed as if they were Spying on each other.
Suddenly, the Merchant Guild Leader smiled.
“Do you perhaps not recognize me? You even sent me an Obituary Letter. We’ve also met when you were young. You were about knee-high.”
Huh?
Pastel retraced her memories.
I have no Idea.
Perhaps it showed on her face, as the Merchant Guild Leader looked slightly disappointed.
“I am the younger sister of Head Maid Emma. I even applied for a Maid position at Kraft and failed. I cried back then, but now it’s I, not my sister, sitting across from the Young Lady.”
It was a voice filled with bitter yet Faint emotions.
Pastel’s Eyes Widened.
Head Maid Emma’s younger sister?
The younger sister of the sacrificed Retainer…?
Oh, I see.
The Demon spoke to her.
“Do not let your Guard down. Even though the Academy is right next door, she didn’t come to find you. She is someone who likes profit and numbers.”
Ah, I know that.
This is because it’s strictly Business Mode.