Luke’s journey with Yerna has not yet come to an end, but he headed to the Academy alone.
He had things to report to the Academy and questions to ask Shirud.
Of course, this time he made sure to use a polymorph to avoid raising any suspicions or interests, ensuring his appearance had subtle differences, including his horns.
Still, the children were bombarding him with questions surrounding his place.
“Is it true that Luke will graduate when we become third-years?”
Yes.
The first thing Luke did upon arriving at the Academy today was to meet with Jenpei.
The reason was to inform him about his success in the International Magic Competition and request that he be included on the list for the graduation exam.
And, of course, that request was granted.
It seems the criteria for receiving the award needed for early graduation were unexpectedly lenient.
Thanks to that, he didn’t even need to bring up the topic of the Ras Award.
If it had been denied, he had been considering entering the Tosk Contest, but it turned out to be unnecessary.
Well, he does have intentions of participating in any contest with a prize in the future.
Thus, Luke would not be taking the final exams with the other children this time.
Later, he would take the graduation exam along with the other graduating students.
And that exam would probably be the last one Luke takes at the Academy.
Looking back, Luke felt a deep sense of nostalgia.
At first, he thought it was an institution that wasn’t particularly useful for him, but he learned far more at the Academy than he had expected.
The experiences he shared over the past year, mingling with pure children untouched by the darkness of society, would undoubtedly remain unforgettable.
‘Certainly, such experiences will be hard to come by again.’
As he lives his life, where else would he have the chance to share delightful conversations and experiences with these young children?
It would be a truly precious experience that could only be had at this time.
“…….”
For that reason, Luke also felt regret, but he couldn’t help it; he had worked hard for early graduation.
From the beginning, the Academy only required a diploma, and he had been considering early graduation, which is why he had spent time attending various extracurricular events.
There was no way he would give up on the early graduation exam just because he felt regret now.
For his growth, one must always say goodbye to the past.
Just like a bird breaking free from its egg, one cannot move forward without shedding that shell.
So, putting aside his feelings of regret, he decided to think about the bright future ahead.
Suppressing those emotions deep within, Luke muttered to himself.
“That will probably happen.”
“Ugh, that’s too bad….”
Even though Luke had been often absent from the Academy thanks to his autonomy since the beginning of the semester, his presence was certainly not light.
Smart, pretty, always graceful, and exceptionally capable, Luke was a kind and diligent helper for any request, making the atmosphere in the class much more enjoyable.
He was, in fact, much more like a class leader than Mary.
Thus, it was no surprise that the children expressed their regret about Luke’s graduation.
Moreover, since the kids in the class were merely second-years with plenty of time before experiencing the farewell that graduation brings, their feelings of regret were even greater.
Some children were even tearing up at the mention of Luke’s graduation.
Perhaps because Luke had not been around the Academy much, they felt they might never see him again once he graduated.
But the fact that he would lose the excuse to meet the adorable kids from his class that he had spent a whole year with also made Luke feel regret.
Wiping the tears from the eyes of the children with his handkerchief, he said,
“Don’t be like that; I’m not going anywhere forever. If you think of me, I’ll visit often.”
“Really?”
“It’s a promise!”
Upon making such a promise, the children’s faces immediately brightened.
At that moment, the atmosphere in the classroom seemed to glow.
Nodding, Luke said,
“Yeah, I will definitely do that.”
—–
A little while later, during lunchtime.
“…….”
Luke sat in his seat, wearing an unusually serious expression.
It wasn’t specifically due to the commotion caused by his graduation earlier.
He simply had something on his mind.
As Shirud was about to go for lunch, he came and asked,
“Are you still thinking about that?”
“……Yes.”
Luke recalled the conversation he had earlier with Shirud.
‘What do you mean? You’re unprepared?’
‘It seems so. My mom says there aren’t any marketing plans for the tea leaves you mentioned.’
‘No way….’
That was a shockingly surprising revelation for Luke.
To that, Shirud added,
“Apparently, your mom just mentioned it casually and didn’t think much of it. So, no contractual arrangements were made, nor was anything confirmed. Moreover, if we start now, even to sell the drinks and food, we need to undergo appropriate safety inspections, which will take a tremendous amount of time.”
“……I know.”
‘Now I do.’
The Huetri Group’s department store was not some corner shop run on a whim.
It was a business operated legally according to strict rules and procedures.
This meant that various safety regulations and transparency in distribution were also required.
One could not sell tea leaves made from undisclosed sources overnight without any procedures.
“…….”
Luke sat in silent contemplation, vacantly listening to Shirud’s words.
‘Well, the business discussions have never really been concrete.’
Again, Luke was a mage, not a businessman.
While he had some experience running a shop in a small village, that experience was of no help in a structured modern society.
The business structure from 5,000 years ago allowed merchants to sell products freely without regulations, which was rather lenient.
Because of that, Luke didn’t know how modern business structures worked, had no intention of learning, and had never had the opportunity to learn.
‘So, it seems I have to sort out my tea leaves personally!’
Luke felt deeply disheartened.
With a look that lost its sharpness, he stared down at the floor.
This was the first time Luke had looked so shocked.
Yet, oddly enough, he found it quite amusing.
‘Am I the odd one here?’
Luke’s gloomy demeanor felt strangely entertaining today.
It was peculiar.
Normally, he would want to help when Luke faced difficulties, but it wasn’t the same this time.
Now it felt like watching an arrogant kid who was always showing off tripping over a stone.
What had changed since the old days that gave him this feeling? Shirud could vaguely understand.
At that time, perhaps it was because he liked Luke as a romantic partner.
But now, it was different.
Well, regardless, if this state continues for long, even Shirud would start to worry.
“So, are you not going to eat?”
“Well… maybe later.”
How peculiar, Luke is saying he’ll eat “later.”
For a moment, Shirud wondered if he was plotting something like the previous time when he climbed over the gym storage’s window during lunch, but judging by Luke’s state now, that didn’t seem to be the case.
This was a bit worrying…
But he couldn’t force Luke into the cafeteria, as they were entering from different places.
He figured Mary would probably come along later and invite Luke to lunch, assuming she saw him.
“Well then, I guess I’ll go ahead?”
“Yeah, enjoy your lunch.”
After responding, Luke leaned against the window, looking out at the wind-blown leaves in the courtyard, letting out a sigh.
“Ha.”
Piles of leaves stacked to be discarded.
At that moment, those leaves appeared to be just like his surplus tea leaves.
There was no way to sell such a quantity personally.
Did that mean he would have to dispose of all those tea leaves?
Thinking that made another sigh escape him.
Luke stared vacantly at the design samples he had drawn in his notebook, feeling as if all his efforts had come to nothing. Weakly, he dropped his pen and notebook, letting out another sigh.
“Ha….”
“Ha….”
Coincidentally overlapping sighs made Luke turn his head in a strange manner.
“Uh?”
“Oh?”
There stood Amy Stella, a rabbit-human he had previously spoken to during an exam.
The two locked eyes, each with their own concerns.
—–
Thus, Luke began talking with Amy.
Since their eyes had met, and he could see the worry in her eyes, Luke could not just pass her by indifferently.
Even though he wasn’t feeling particularly at ease himself.
“It seems both of us are dealing with some worries.”
“You have worries too? I didn’t know that. You don’t seem like someone who would have problems. You’re good at everything.”
“Even I have things I can’t do and things I don’t know. No one is perfect.”
“I see. So, what’s your worry right now? Can you tell me?”
“Um, to put it simply, I made too many things without being prepared, and now I’m in trouble. I didn’t think about the original procedure and just made too much tea leaves.”
“Um, what are you talking about? Is that about the game?”
“No, it’s not about the game. That….”
Luke thought that if he explained his situation in detail to Amy, she wouldn’t understand.
Besides, his worries weren’t particularly significant to Amy, so he decided to brush over it.
“Anyway, in simple terms, I think I made some mistakes and will suffer some losses.”
“I see… That sounds tough.”
Even though Amy couldn’t fully comprehend what Luke was saying, she assumed it was something serious.
Understanding what Luke was worried about would be less pressing than sorting out her own concerns.
Having shared his troubles, it was now Amy’s turn.
“Well then, since I’ve heard your worries, it’s your turn to tell me about yours.”
At Luke’s question, Amy hesitated for a moment before starting to share her own worries.
“Um… do you know? After the exams, a festival is going to start.”
“Yes, I know…”
Once the final exams were over, the school festival would begin.
That was common knowledge among all students attending the school.
During that time, students would receive funding from the school to choose activities they wanted to engage in.
Whether putting on a performance, selling food, or selling goods.
And those activities tended to be carried out collectively by club units, as the children in the same club were already united by shared interests.
“I’m in the baking club. This time, my seniors and I decided to run a café.”
“Um, a café? That sounds like a good idea. But why?”
Amy shook her head and muttered.
“I’m worried that we might not have enough items on the menu. Especially the drinks. If there aren’t enough options, they won’t approve the funding. So, each club member was supposed to think of one drink, but all the seniors have already suggested theirs, and I can’t think of anything!”
“……!”
Hearing about Amy’s dilemma, Luke’s eyes opened wide.
Oh my God, drinks on the menu!
What a coincidence this is!
He just happens to have surplus tea leaves.
“……That sounds like something I can help with.”
“Really!? How?”
