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An Otherworldly Scholar - 32
🕑 Added 2023-07-12 21:56:21 +0000 UTCA sudden knocking on my door woke me up. I jumped to my feet and guided by instinct I reached for the practice sword by the side of my bed. Half awakened and half disoriented, I raised my sword and waited but the attack never came. I felt my mushy brain stumbling against the walls of my skull.
Wine hangovers were the worst. My mouth was dry, my brain felt bruised like a ripe fruit, and my mana pool was asking for a timeout.
“Yes?” I asked tentatively.
Elincia had caught the bad habit of entering my room and shaking me awake every time I overslept, so I assumed it wasn’t her.
Zaon’s voice came muffled from the other side of the door.
“Mister Clarke, we are starting today’s training. If you are tired you can sleep a bit longer. Miss Elincia is also sleeping, so Firana and I cooked breakfast for the younger children.” The boy announced.
A quick glance through the window told me it was well past breakfast time.
“I’ll be there in a second. Start with warm-ups.” I said through the door as I swiftly grabbed my clothes. I jumped on one foot trying to put my pants on as I reached for my well-worn shirt and almost ended up on the floor.
Last night I learned something important. I was physically unable to resist Elincia’s puppy dog eyes. When the half-elf pleaded for more ‘movies’, we stayed up late until she was too tired to ask for the next one. If my memory didn’t fail me, the wine cask ended up empty.
As bad as it sounded, it wasn’t the first time I taught a class suffering from a hangover. I left my room and walked down the sleeping quarter’s corridor to find a group of orphans hanging outside Elincia’s room.
“Keep it down, Miss Elincia is tired.” I greeted them as the little ones rushed me.
“During breakfast, Zaon said that you were also sleeping, Mister Clarke.” Shu squinted her eyes as she talked. “Did you stay up late with Miss Elincia?”
A round of murmurs soared across the flock of orphans.
“Miss Elincia and I were working on a secret project to help the older kids become great warriors.” I lied.
As mysterious as my answer was, the kids weren’t happy with it. And they showed it.
“I think you two stayed up late to kiss—” Shu said but I was quick enough to catch her before she could finish the sentence.
“Wanna see something cool?” I said in a whisper.
With a movement of my hand I let my mana flow through my fingers creating a translucent curtain of blue particles. The kids glanced at the trick with open mouths and astonished eyes.
Moving my arms in an exaggerated way, I shaped my mana in the form of a small Black Wolf, no taller than a poodle but with all the details of the actual monster. The orphans were ecstatic when the mana wolf started running between their legs. They tried to catch it but their hands passed through the mana particles.
“Bigger!” Ash yelled as the wolf jumped over the couch to avoid Nokti’s quick hands.
“Bigger! Bigger!” Other voices echoed Ash’s request.
I could only oblige.
Pouring my mana out of my body, I nurtured the wolf until it was the size of a big dog. Then, the panic ensued. Nokti croaked in panic, saying something about protecting the potatoes. No orphan tried to catch the mana wolf anymore, instead, they ran away from the creature in a mixture of panic and joy.
I laughed as I made the wolf chase them around the room, they screamed, yelled and begged for mercy. Luckily enough, the wolf was ethereal and every time it caught an orphan the creature just merely passed through them, leaving them unarmed.
Suddenly, the door of Elincia’s bedroom slammed open, revealing a grumpy and disheveled half-elf on the threshold. I dispelled the illusory wolf.
“Run for your lives!” Shu yelled as she escaped with her clumsy steps towards the corridor. The rest of the orphans obeyed and, after a second, she dropped from the first to the last place in the race to escape. A moment later I was alone with Elincia.
“I’m sorry, I just got carried away.” I quickly apologized.
“What? No, it’s okay. I should’ve been up hours ago.” Elincia yawned and stretched her body without holding back. “I think it’s cute, actually. How well you get along with the children. It’s like you are still a kid at heart.”
Elincia smiled at me warmly. Despite the fact we drank elbow to elbow, she didn’t seem to be suffering from a hangover.
“People my age play games all the time.” I replied.
Elincia signaled with a movement of her head for me to follow her to the hallway.
“Movies, games, sugary pastries, schools for all children. The City of Light has a lot of great things.” She commented as we walked to the kitchen.
“And poverty, corruption, pollution, and misery. Don’t forget those.” I replied as I followed her. As grim as my words were, Elincia’s scent made me forget about the harsh reality of the world. I walked behind just for a bit more before catching up.
“And I thought you were the optimist in this relationship.” Elincia bumped my shoulder.
“I’m not an optimist, I’m a realist. And I do think we are going to survive the Marquis’ scheme if we play our cards right.” I replied.
We entered the kitchen just to find the younger ones enjoying the heat of the stove.
“Mister Clarke is alive!” Shu yelled and pointed her finger directly to me.
“Of course he is alive. Did you think I was going to eat him, Shu?” Elincia replied, eliciting a cheerful laugh.
“I don’t know… maybe? I’d rather Mister Rob not being eaten until I’m grown enough to train the swish and the whoosh.” Shu said as she cut the air with an imaginary sword.
There was a generalized agreement that I must be kept alive until I could teach them swordsmanship.
Elincia turned around and acted as if she was watching the kettle but in reality she was holding back her laughter. Meanwhile, I glanced at the orphans, hands on my hips, and accepted my fate. This was nice. Nicer than any movie or sugary pastry, and absolutely nicer than the shitty job I left behind.
And it will be even nicer when we make enough money to secure the orphanage’s long term survival.
“Wouldn’t you mind if I kidnap Miss Elincia for a moment?”
Shu, of course, grinned at me.
“Kidnaping, so romantic.” She cradled her face in her hands as she sighed deeply.
I exchanged a quizzical look with Elincia. I wasn’t all that sure from where the little harpy got those ideas considering she couldn’t even read properly.
“Alright, ankle biters, everyone go play outside. And no disturbing the training session of Mister Clarke’s class!” Elincia hushed the kids with both hands and the swarm of kids obeyed with no complaint. “Jackets first! I don’t want anybody getting sick this winter!” Elincia cut them off as Ash opened the door to the backyard.
A minute later we were alone again in the kitchen.
“They are going to get sick anyways.” Elincia broke the silence with a long sigh. She grabbed her long dress with a hand and leaned against the kitchen counter, watching me with her inquisitive emerald eyes.
“Then we’ll just nurse them back to health.” I replied, shortening the distance between the two of us and sitting next to her. “We can take turns looking after them so we don’t lose too much sleep.”
Elincia arched her eyebrows.
“Offering a full night of sleep to a governess in charge of a dozen orphans? You truly are a sweet talker, Robert Clarke.” Elincia said in a playful tone.
I was expecting a jab against my shoulder but the change of pace was well received. To be completely honest with myself, I wanted to spend more time with Elincia. Our daily schedules left us little time to just chat about miscellaneous things, and when the kids left to sleep, we were too tired to even keep our eyes open most nights.
Effects of Denial are subsiding. You have obtained Denial Lv.4. Temporary.
Oh, fuck off.
“So, what was all this kidnapping thing about? I don’t think it’s only to have a moment alone with me.” Elincia said with a mischievous smile.
“Actually, it is about having a moment alone with you.” I replied.
“Wha-”
“If we are going out to the Farlands we will need proper equipment. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to the market this afternoon.” I quickly explained before Elincia could utter another of her snarky comments. The woman had mentioned last night that she enjoyed hanging around without the kids, so it might be a nice gesture to invite her.
“Absolutely yes.” She beamed. “I’m all about some adult-only time for the two of us.”
Curious selection of words.
“Language, lady.” I adopted my best teacher tone.
Elincia seemed to understand because she redened to her hair roots.
“Silly.” She softly slapped my shoulder.
* * * * *
When I got to this world for the first time, I never pictured myself walking down the street with the most beautiful woman I had seen perched on my arm. More than a loner like me could ever deserve.
“I’m really enjoying this adult-only time.” I puffed out my chest while glancing at Elincia with the corner of my eyes. Her reaction was as priceless as the first time I made the joke.
Elincia’s face caught a soft shade of red if only for a moment.
“Cut it out, Rob. People are staring.” Elincia whispered as she dug her nails into my arm.
“If you put it that way, people would only get more suspicious.” I replied with the biggest shit-eating grin ever.
“I swear to the System that this is the last time I will go out with you.” Elincia pouted but despite her words she clung even more to me.
Now that the royal taxmen’s caravan had left town, the streets near the market seemed to be even more crowded. I grabbed Elincia by the waist as we danced around a pair of half-orcs carrying a massive log over their shoulders. Whatever they were doing, I didn’t want both my legs broken before our picnic into the Farlands.
The side streets of the market were a labyrinth of narrow alleys, winding paths, and water puddles. Without the everlasting pressure of the main street’s crowd, one could find quieter shops filled with curiosities. What was more, the narrow streets encased the aromas giving them an unusual intensity.
Elincia dragged me through a cloud of freshly baked pastries into the acrid aroma of a blacksmith’s forge, then into the pleasant smell of tanned leather, and the almost salacious scent of salty cured meats. The most pleasant aroma throughout it all was still coming from Elincia’s hair however.
The crowd, although more sparse than in the main street, still pushed us together from time to time as the goods carts rolled down the street searching for the store they had to restock.
“To think this used to stress the fuck out of me.” Elincia commented as we pressed ourselves against the building line to let a specially wide cart pass. A quick peek revealed a load of firewood, probably bound to the Great Hall.
“Shopping?” I asked.
“Spending money. We had so little and there could also be a bigger emergency in the future that I never knew if I was doing the right thing.” Elincia replied with a grimace on her face.
The firewood loaded cart passed and we continued our way. Sometimes it wasn’t a matter of finding the best words but just staying quiet and listening to what the other has to say. And Elincia seemed to have a lot to get off her chest.
“I used to follow Mister Lowell into the market without him noticing. I didn't have many friends back then, so I scurried through the fence and followed him into the big city. By the System, everything seemed so large and mysterious back then.” Elincia continued reminiscing about the past as we walked among the shoppers and vendors.
Her tone of voice only became more nostalgic.
“Instead of coming directly to the market, Mister Lowell always took a detour to the main gate, from where the Sentinels came and went. Everytime a Sentinel squad entered the city, Mister Lowell stopped to see them go. I think he was giving me time to look at them without losing him in the crowd.” Elincia smiled slightly.
“He sounded like a great man.” I said, realizing how little I knew of the orphanage’s previous caretaker and Elincia’s father figure.
“Strict but good, yes. You could describe it that way.” Elincia tugged my arm and guided me through another side alley, away from the main street.
We arrived at a small square with a well in the middle and a multitude of green patches of grass, ferns, and small trees along the road. I didn’t know Firecrest had something like a pedestrian boulevard. We sat on a wooden bench in front of what once was a fountain.
“By your titles I’d say you were a handful.” I joked.
“I was a weird kid, ok? One day I wanted to be a Sentinel, the next I wanted to be a Sky Pirate, the next week I wanted to be the most famous Bard on this side of the kingdom. And I would beat up anyone who dared to say that orphans didn’t make good Sentinels, or Pirates, or Bards.” Elincia smiled as the memories returned to her but her words sounded nostalgic. “Sometimes I wonder what would’ve become of me if Mister Lowell would’ve lived longer.”
The same question kept me awake some nights. What would have happened if I had chosen law school, what would have happened if Laura and I didn’t break up, what would have happened if I had returned through the trap door. The answer was easy. Nothing would change. I would be the same stranded fool that I used to be, but maybe I was getting better.
“Crap! I must’ve been a constant headache for Mister Lowell.” Elincia sighed as she buried her face in her hands, falling prey to embarrassment.
“I’m sure you were a pain in the ass, but isn't every kid like that?” I softly elbowed Elincia’s ribs, making her squirm by my side. “The teacher’s favorite student usually is the most motivated and gifted in the class but it's not always that way. I like the outgoing students, the ones who are always making a fuss, the ones who ask the most unrelated questions. For me, those are the funnier ones.”
Elincia glanced at me with an indignant gesture.
“I can’t believe you have favorite students! That’s outrageous!” Elincia bumped my shoulder.
“What? Ash is a natural troublemaker and I love him.”
“I thought your favorite was Zaon.” Elincia shrugged her shoulders.
“Zaon is great and so is Ilya, don’t get me wrong. But Ash, Nokti, and Shu? They are unhinged.” I couldn’t hold my laughter any longer. They also retained some of the naïveté of childhood.
“Weirdo.”
We remained in companionable silence as we watched the flowerbeds and the trees.
“Alright, we dragged this long enough.” Elincia suddenly stood, looking more nervous than usual.
We left the square and returned to the alleys. Soon we reached a secluded store that occupied a whole corner. Unlike most of the stores, there was no signboard hanging over the door. However, a single glance through the windows revealed all kinds of stacked goods.
We crossed the doorway and the chime of a bell announced our arrival.
“We are not handing out freebies, lady.” An old woman behind a counter announced as soon as we entered. Or maybe she wasn’t that old, I usually forget hair dyes weren’t a typical occurrence in this world.
“I brought silver today, thanks.” Elincia growled back.
As I observed the interaction, I couldn’t quite discern the nature of their relationship. While they seemed to have known each other for a while, there was clear animosity. Not friends, that was evident.
“Silver of yours or from your walking wallet? This is a new low from you, Elincia.” The old woman said with a raspy and smug voice. “Don’t be fooled by this lady, young man, she has over a dozen mouths to feed. Beware of elven charms, your pouch will dry out quickly if you are not careful.”
Never before had I wanted to hit a woman in the face.
“Robert Clarke, Scholar, I work at Elincia’s orphanage.” I introduced myself as calmly as possible.
“I can’t believe you tethered down a talented man to that doomed orphanage.” The old woman continued bashing Elincia. “Any smart person knows what the Marquis is trying to do with Farcrest. And anyone who dares going against him is a fool.”
This time, the woman smirked towards me.
“Being foolish isn’t as reprehensible as allowing injustice.” I replied.
The woman smirked again, however, this time she didn’t seem as mocking as before.
“So, what do the lovebirds want with this old woman?”
Without missing a beat, Elincia started listing the items for our journey and I found myself fading into the background. Wool cloaks to keep us warm during the day, thick blankets to sleep comfortably at night, fabric alchemist pouches to carry herbs, and a sturdy backpack to carry everything.
With a critical eye, Elincia inspected each piece of equipment to ensure it met her standards. By the admission of the store owner, everything on the table was secondhand. What had happened to the original owners I didn’t want to know.
“Traveling to the Farlands for ingredients, aren’t you?” The woman arched her eyebrow. “Even with the Alchemists Guild stoppage on potion deals?”
A shiver ran down my spine. The purchase wasn’t exactly covert but I didn’t expect the woman to draw conclusions so quickly.
“Not dangerous so long as we don’t get caught.” I replied as Elincia failed to find the words.
If the shop owner wanted to denounce us with the Marquis she probably had enough evidence to curb our small entrepreneurship. However, I noticed a sparkle on her eyes that could only mean one thing.
Suddenly it hit me. The old hag was Elincia’s black market contact.
“If you come across some potions I might be able to find a buyer for them.” The woman smiled.
“What’s your cut?” I asked with my best salesman voice.
“Half for low grade, a third for medium grade, and tenth for high grade. No negotiation, this is a dangerous endeavor and I have expenses to pay.” She grinned at me and offered her hand. A weird gesture considering nobody shook hands in Farcrest.
The rate for low grade potions was ridiculous but I only intended to craft potions of the highest quality. Ten percent didn’t seem such a great loss considering we had secured a proxy for our operation. Or rather, the woman had secured a secondary source of easy income.
“Blatant robbery but we accept.” Elincia said by my side.
With just one look, the old woman caused Elincia to find cover behind me.
I shook her hand and grinned back. This was going to be more profitable for us than for her but she didn't know yet. The day would come where she realized her mistake and I waited expectantly for it, if only to avenge the harsh words the woman had for Elincia.
“One gold and seven silver for the lot and you know I’m lowballing it.” The woman said as she glanced at the overgrown pile of items. I took my two golden coins and put them on the counter as Elincia packed everything in the backpack.
I received the change and we walked back to the entrance.
“It's good to see there are Scholars with an actual spine in this world. Don’t let him off the hook, Elincia!” The woman waved goodbye as we crossed the doorway.
We walked in silence until we were ten alleys away from the shop. The backpack, although filled to the brim, wasn’t so heavy.
“What a lovely lady.” I said, knowing we had gotten much more out of the visit than the old woman did.
“Miss Nasiah has helped the orphanage since Mister Lowell’s time. She is related to one of the orphans my age.” Elincia sighed, the stress still visible on her face.
“One of the orphans you used to beat?” I asked, trying to cheer her up.
“No, one of the orphans I didn’t beat.” She shrugged, ending the conversation.
I wondered who that orphan was. Other than Ginz and the howling-girl-from-the-roofs, Elincia never mentioned them individually. At least it was reassuring to know Elincia had at least one good friend back in the day. Even if in the end she was left as the sole caretaker of the orphanage.
The alleys slithered under our feet. Elincia was still perched on my arm but this time she let me lead the way. Without hesitation I took us to the same boulevard we had visited before.
“Let’s have a bit more adult-time before coming back.” I joked, guiding the girl to an empty bench.
There were few people on the boulevard considering how beautiful it was.
“Care to watch over our stuff for a moment while I go to check something out?” I asked.
Elincia gave me a weak smile, making my leaving even harder. Maybe it was an Earthling thing, feeling pity for those experiencing hardship but I wasn’t so sure about that. I wasn’t all that virtuous either. Maybe it was because Elincia was pretty.
I expelled those thoughts from my mind and entered the labyrinth of alleys.
Suddenly, a bakery display case appeared in front of me and my eyes became fixated on the golden and fluffy pastries. Flaky croissants dusted in powdered sugar and caramel sauce, buttery tarts filled with mashed berries, and aromatic loaves of bread welcomed me with their irresistible forms and colors. The bakers of my land surely had fierce competition.
My stomach growled in anticipation, demanding food from skipping lunch. Pastries were a luxury right now but sharing a tart sounded like a nice act to mark the beginning of a new, more prosperous era at the orphanage.
The smell of freshly baked bread assaulted my nostrils. There was something magical in the air, as if the act of baking was some kind of spell that turned simple ingredients into something more. Or maybe the bakers were actually using skills and spells to bake the bread. In any case, I forgot my troubles and savored the delightful scene, magical or not.
In the end I bought a single-serving custard tart and a berry tart and returned to the boulevard as quickly as I could without putting the pastries in danger.
Elincia was observing the empty fountain, still sitting on the same bench. I couldn’t help but stop to admire her. The simpleness of her renaissance-esque peasant attire contrasted with the elegance of her refined posture. And yet she seemed unaware of her charms which only added to her whole appeal.
Sitting next to her I took a small bite from the custard tart.
Elincia’s mood changed instantly when her eyes fell into the pastries.
“Oh, Rob, you are so sweet. You shouldn’t have.” She said with the widest smile on her face.
“What? Both are for me. Get your own.” I replied in a dead serious tone.
Elincia’s back stiffened up.
“Robert Clarke, hand over that berry tart and nobody gets hurt.” Elincia said even more seriously as she shifted her position to face me. She had a roguish grin in spite of her aggressive tone.
“You can take my berry tart from my cold dead hands.” I replied, raising the tart out of Elincia’s reach.
“Oh, now you fucked up Scholarboy. Nobody gets between me and my berry tart.” Elincia grabbed my other hand with an iron grip. “I have beaten half-orcs twice your size for less than a quarter of a berry tart.” She said in a whisper.
Her face was very close to mine.
“Is that so?”
“You bet it is.”
“I would like to see you try.” I grinned at her.
“Then I hope you are not too ticklish.” She replied with a mischievous smile.
Suddenly I remembered both my hands were occupied, and there was the fact I was really, really ticklish. Not wanting to tempt my luck, I brought the berry tart down to Elincia’s eye level and for an instant I thought she wasn’t to accept my peace offering.
“Good boy.” She gave me a shining smile and took a small bite from the tart in my hand. “If you had called my bluff I couldn’t have done anything. Not in a million years would I put the tarts in danger. But now I know your weakness.”
“Well, I guess both of us got something out of it.” I replied, saving the picture of Elincia eating the pastry from my hand in the deepest and safest part of my brain.
I refused to elaborate and after a minute Elincia got bored of insisting.
“I had a good time, thanks.” Elincia said after finishing her tart.
“Yeah, we totally need more adult-only time.” I replied, barely holding my laugh.
Elincia softly jabbed at my shoulder.
“I swear to the System you are a child at heart, Robert Clarke.” Elincia sighed but I could see the remnants of a smile in the corner of her mouth.
Effects of Denial are subsiding. You have obtained Denial Lv.3. Temporary.
Comments
Elra
Gintoki is my hero
The Magician
I'm surprised he doesn't have "Child at Heart" as one of his titles. You know, like Sakata Gintoki in Gintama when he takes Shinpachi and Kagura to the public baths and tells the attendant: "two youth tickets for the brats and I will also pay the youth price because I'm a child at heart."
Jack
"Your world has a lot of great things." Idk if i missed the scene where he's revealed it but shouldnt it be "Your country has a lot of great things." since iirc he's still lying about coming from another world?
