The Academy’s Guide to Useless Students – Chapter 8

“Inspection? What a joke! I’m friendly with the madam here, so what nonsense are you spouting? Which military are you from? I’ll have a word with your captain! Hey!”

With Yuto’s entrance, the room became a whirlwind of commotion.

Before long, the madam, waiters, and doormen were all rushing into the room.

“Hey madam! An inspection, you say? Wasn’t this supposed to be about trust?”

“I’m sorry… We had no choice but to do a covert inspection.”

“Dammit!”

Whoosh!

The leader of the group, Clank, pulled out a metal bat from his waist.

“Hey, Inspection Unit. You look green, so let me break it down for you. In the Empire, if you don’t subdue with strength, you can’t make arrests, you know?”

“I see. ‘Strength,’ you say?”

“Right. We’re not rookie adventurers, and you should’ve brought enough numbers!”

The doormen also pulled out their weapons. It was clear that one doorman and one from the Inspection Unit couldn’t overpower five gold-ranked members.

However, they were missing one crucial fact.

“How straightforward! I like it.”

“What? You little brat, are you…”

“I’ll commence public service now.”

The fact that Yuto was not part of the ‘Inspection Unit.’

“Eh?”

Yuto was already behind Clank.

He snapped a pair of reinforced handcuffs onto his wrist.

“Eh?”

The remaining party members were dumbfounded, swallowing dryly.

“What’s happening right now?”

“I didn’t see him move at all?”

No one could follow Yuto’s movements with their eyes. Ellie Ingrid stood frozen, her hand resting on her blindfold. Even her senses, honed through Spirit Perception, couldn’t register any motion.

‘There’s no way someone like that exists…’

He was a Class C student. Even at the Class A level like hers, there hadn’t been a talent like him, making it hard to accept this bizarre occurrence.

“Arrest completed.”

“You little punk, you dare to lay hands on our leader!…”

“Do you want more?”

“…No…”

Clank’s crew complied with the restraint obediently. Only when all five had been secured did Ellie feel a sense of relief.

Then, a slew of questions arose in her mind about the absurd farce that had just unfolded.

“Yuto, why are you pretending to be part of the Inspection Unit..?”

“Because there shouldn’t be any backlash.”

“Excuse me?”

Yuto didn’t elaborate further. With his usual expressionless face, he walked away to the madam. He was a man whose thoughts were impossible to read, yet this time, it was hard to let it go.

Stealthily, Ellie Ingrid crept closer, straining to eavesdrop on the conversation between the madam and Yuto.

“Madam, with this, I’ve kept my promise.”

“Thank you so much. I never thought you could take them down by yourself. Didn’t you say you were a student?”

“It was easier thanks to their complacency. This incident should keep them from stepping into the shop again.”

“Thank goodness. They had been a headache… Now I can rest easy.”

“You’ve worked hard. And as promised, please consider Ellie’s hiring off the table.”

“Of course. It was an agreed transaction between us. By the way, if you were that worried, wouldn’t it have been better to approach me directly and talk? I imagine you were a bit shaken by this incident.”

“No. It’s crucial to learn through experience. I believe Ellie also learned something valuable from this.”

“Oh my, you sound quite affectionate. Are you two dating now?”

“Haha, it’s not like that.”

Ellie Ingrid’s mind struggled to follow the conversation between them. Midway, it veered into incomprehensible territory that sent her thoughts spiraling in countless directions.

“What’s all this supposed to mean?”

Keeping promises? An agreed transaction? Wanting someone to learn from their own mistakes? Affection? What even is that?

Amid the confusion, a burgeoning thought took root as well. The underlying meaning of all this was that it had been aimed at her. After all, had Yuto ever shown her any malice?

He had merely exposed secrets, yet it was her who had been falsely accused of having secrets revealed against her will.

“…”

If he had truly done this for her, if he had approached her to offer help…

“Why…?”

She was curious about the feelings he held toward her. Her heart felt like it might burst.

No one had ever cared for her so much. Not her father, nor her mother, nor her older brother.

What they gave was just a façade of respect, a mere form of neglect dressed as freedom.

Even the men who approached her in social circles were just sleazy folks looking for opportunities tied to the Duke Ingrid’s background and her looks.

But that man was different.

He acted without regard for her background.

He didn’t show greed for wealth.

It turned out that all his actions had been for her sake.

“What’s this? Why do I feel so at ease?”

For the first time, she felt a sense of relief.

Along with the realization that he knew her secret, it took on a special meaning.

“Could this be… camaraderie?”

She had long admired tales of heroes. Even in her youth, she would read them compulsively whenever she had the chance. A common element in those countless tales of heroes was always there.

“Camaraderie.”

When it came to their comrades, they risked their lives to fight. They cherished their comrades as if they were real family. They would annihilate ‘anything’ that dared to touch their comrades.

She envied that simple yet profound bond.

“Hehe.”

At that moment, a strange smile crept beneath Ellie Ingrid’s blindfold.

“Maybe, just maybe, I can trust him a little!”

Pretending not to care, pretending to be indifferent. The sparks of extraordinary change ignited within the previously uninterested girl’s values.

“Oh my, you sound quite affectionate. Are you two dating now?”

Hahaha, what a joke.

I tuned out the madam’s conversation and peered behind the door where I sensed some commotion.

Nice job, eavesdropping, huh?

Just as planned.
This would further enhance Ellie Ingrid’s obsession, making it easier for her to bend to my will.

Originally, I planned to save her just before being assaulted.

But those third-rate villains turned out to be easier than I expected, which was disappointing.
I should’ve dragged it out a bit more.

This whole happening was a skit I had devised in collaboration with the bar madam. She had wanted to get rid of the troublesome customers bothering the young ladies, and I needed a stage to teach Ellie Ingrid a lesson. The result was a mutual win-win.

“Madam, we’ll be heading back now.”

“Alright, come visit sometimes. I’ll treat you properly.”

“Haha.”

Will I really?

Ellie Ingrid and I stepped out of the tavern and into the bustling streets of the slums at night.

The aroma of roasted meat wafted in the air. The scent of potent alcohol was intoxicating. Spicy and aromatic spices wafted through the streets, designed to lure customers in.

“How about a meal before returning to the dormitory?”

“Eh?! Are you serious?”

Why is your reaction like that?
Who’s asking you to eat?

Ellie Ingrid flinched, shrugging her shoulders.

“Y-yes, I’d love to….”

“Well then, let’s go to a nearby place.”

She’s behaving surprisingly well.
Could it be because she had a rough time?

But what to do? She’s destined to keep rolling this way.

“Ellie, have you settled on a menu?”

“Ah! I’d like the cube steak set, please.”

This is really hard to adjust to.
The fact that she seems so obedient feels strange. It’s odd that she’s changed overnight.

“You don’t need to feel burdened.”

“Excuse me?”

“I was the one who arranged that job for you.”

“No, that’s because I asked you to connect me, right?”

She’s sharp.
The educational effect is impressive.

“Well… I’ve realized something this time.”

“What do you mean?”

“That I shouldn’t expect to make easy money.”

Oh, how commendable.
She’s fully respectful now, ready to earn money slowly.

“That’s a good mindset. The value of money is also evaluated by the quality of labor put into it.”

“Yuto, were you intentionally…”

“Yes?”

“Ah, never mind!”

She cut herself off.
I wondered if she had anything else to say.
But soon, it was clear that it didn’t seem important since she started devouring her cube steak as if a storm were raging.

“Nom! Nom!”

“Ellie, please eat slowly.”

“Ah! I’m sorry. I haven’t had much of an appetite lately…”

Wait. She could’ve set down her dish and spoke before digging in.
Ellie buried her face in the dish, finishing off the meat like an animal. It felt like I was rearing a pet. I took a bite of my B-set meal, savoring it.
Honestly, it had been a long time since I felt hungry.

[b][i][‘Ellie Ingrid’s obsession is growing stronger.] [/i][/b]

Looking at this makes me feel full, even without eating.
Experience points are overflowing.
The stock price is soaring.

However, the subsequent phrase raised a question.

[b][i][‘Laura Freeze’s obsession is growing stronger.] [/i][/b]

Huh?

The obsession of a girl who isn’t even here was rising.

No way.
I scanned the interior of the restaurant.
As expected, there was no sign of Laura Freeze.
There was no way I could find her unless she consciously decided to ‘hide’.

‘Hey, protagonist, what are you doing right now?’