Conquering the Academy with Just a Sashimi Knife (Novel) - Chapter 116 - Awkward Relationship (1)

Chapter 116 – Awkward Relationship (1)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“Abel, but how are we getting to the city?”

The destination, downtown Geneva, was far away. From what I remembered from when we first came to Castle Sigurdr, it was a little over three hours by car. On foot, it was a distance that would take roughly two full days.

On top of that, this place was on the slope of the Alps. A severe incline stood in the way. The roads were not even well maintained, so there probably would not be any buses coming through.

In the first place, since this was Nibelung property, outside buses probably wouldn’t even be allowed in.

At my question, Abel tilted her head to one side.

“How would we go? By car, obviously.”

“A car……? Don’t tell me, Abel, you have a license?”

“No, I don’t.”

“…Then are you driving without one?”

Then again, every inch of this place was Nibelung territory, its own country.

Just as Rome had Roman law, it might be that here, a license simply wasn’t necessary.

And besides, Sword Emperor Siegfried was the king of this country. The law itself.

Even if his granddaughter got behind the wheel without a license, there would surely be no issue at all-

“Hey!”

That was when my thoughts were cut off by Abel’s voice. She looked at me with an incredulous expression.

“No license, therefore unlicensed driving. How does your mind even connect those things like that? Wouldn’t a normal person assume someone else is going to drive us?”

“Ah-.”

Now that she said it, that made sense. It seemed I had adapted a bit too much to this world where social rank was rampant.

At some point, the wiring of my brain had clearly gone bad.

`Miracle’s Blessing M` had a more common-sense world setting than I had imagined.

“Good grief, really, Geom-ma, you’re way too strange. Well… not that I can possibly keep up with the way your mind works.”

Abel muttered bitterly. I scratched at my temple.

Crossing her arms primly, she said.

“Shail said she’d drive us.”

Ah, right. There were employees in this house.

Their presence was so faint that I often forgot the two of them existed.

“I’m telling you this so you don’t worry. Shail drives well. Whenever Grandfather or I go into town, it’s always Shail who drives us. On the other hand, Mr. Charon has no sense of direction, so he can’t drive.”

…That part was honestly a little surprising.

The youthful-looking maid was the best driver, while the head butler, who looked like he ought to be effortlessly handling a steering wheel one-handed, was apparently the type who got lost. The character contrast was pretty sharp.

Just then, a car suddenly entered my field of vision.

A four-wheel-drive with a robust frame. The kind of vehicle specialized for mountain roads.

Screech.

The tires dragged through the dirt. The sound was rough, but the cornering was smooth. The driving skill was no joke.

Bam. Shail opened the car door and stepped out. She gave us a light bow of the head.

“Miss, Mr. Kang Geom-ma. I will deliver you safely to Geneva.”

“You must be busy, so thanks again for this, Shail.”

Abel smiled softly. Shail returned the smile.

“For me as well, it is a pleasure to be able to escort you again after so long, Miss.”

Shail personally opened the door for us. Abel got in with practiced ease. I gave Shail a quick sidelong glance and followed after her.

Shail settled herself into the driver’s seat. The cushion sank down a little. Resting her palms gently on the steering wheel, Shail spoke.

“Since Mr. Geom-ma is with us today, I will drive more slowly than usual.”

“Mm, please do. With your driving, Shail, I never have anything to worry about.”

Abel answered with a smile.

“It should take roughly thirty minutes, so during that time the two of you may rest your eyes if you like.”

“……?”

Had I heard that wrong? Thirty minutes? As I said above, Geneva was three hours away at the very least. And the road there was all curves, wasn’t it.

Even a skilled driver should have trouble guaranteeing the time. Unless they were a Formula One driver. If you pushed even a hundred kilometers an hour, one mistake would send the car tumbling off a cliff.

‘What in the world?’

The moment that doubt surfaced, Shail adjusted the angle of the rear-view mirror. The eyes reflected in the glass were as sharp as a bird of prey’s.

Vrooooooooooom.

The car gave off a fierce exhaust roar. It was not the sort of sound a vehicle should make while crossing a mountain valley.

Just as my lips were about to part in a sense of danger, Shail beat me to it.

“Please fasten your seatbelt tightly, Mr. Geom-ma.”

“……!”

Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!

The accelerator was stamped down, and the scenery beyond the window vanished behind a cloud of dust.

“W-wait a second!”

A scream burst out of me without my intending it. Shail ignored it neatly.

“Departing now.”

Shail sharply twisted the gear. The snap of the movement was anything but ordinary.

At once the vehicle shot forward, unleashing terrifying speed.

Waaaaaaaang.

The car slid forward along the mountain road.

The speedometer needle was wavering between 180 and 200.

* * *

“Hoo.”

The Sword Emperor let out a long sigh. Yesterday had felt unusually long.

His encounter with the Spear Saint had lasted only thirty minutes, but handling the aftermath had taken an entire extra day.

Richard de Muir. That bastard’s sudden ambush had nearly caused a diplomatic uproar. Even so, because it had remained within the range that could be cleaned up, the Sword Emperor had personally run around and resolved it.

‘That muscle-brained pig bastard.’

If he followed his feelings, he wanted to stab the Spear Saint immediately.

But if he did that, he would be no different from that boorish fool. The dignity of an old man came from calmness.

Letting out another long breath, the Sword Emperor composed himself. If he allowed his insides to boil, his blood pressure would spike and damage his health.

‘I feel as though I’ve aged ten years.’

For a man in his seventies, that was a terrifying expression. Old men could not make guarantees about a span of ten years. The Sword Emperor shook his head reflexively.

Butler Charon, who was standing beside him, spoke in a worried voice.

“Are you all right, Sword Emperor?”

“Of course not, Charon. But if one lives long enough, isn’t this sort of thing bound to happen from time to time? Though if that Spear Saint bastard pulls this sort of dog act again, I will not let it pass next time.”

“…You have worked hard.”

Pour.

Charon refilled the Sword Emperor’s teacup. The scent of black tea spread softly through the study.

With a mellow smile, the Sword Emperor raised the cup to his lips. Tea was one of his few hobbies.

Sip.

“Hahaha, as expected, the tea you brew is truly exceptional, Charon. Even while I was at the academy, I had no idea how much I’d miss this flavor. Media can brew tea now too, but of course she still can’t compare to you. Compared to this, the black tea Media made was no better than poison, truly!”

“……”

Charon could not respond in any way. Though they were outside Media’s sphere of influence here, Charon knew her true nature.

The tyrant Media. If one slipped up and got caught in her hands for even a single word…… merely imagining it made it feel as though the rest of one’s lifespan would shrink.

So Charon simply tilted the teapot and warmed the teacup. At the far end of silence, one’s lifespan grew longer. It was a vital sort of insight earned through long years of butler work.

“That aside, did Geom-ma have his training this morning?”

“Yes, at this point he handles it on his own without any supervision.”

“I see.”

The Sword Emperor nodded and took another sip of tea. By the time he set the teacup down, a satisfied smile had already formed on the old man’s lips.

‘He really is a boy with remarkable patience.’

When a person had talent, arrogance naturally followed. Countless gifted individuals had ruined themselves because of that. The Sword Emperor himself had gone through such a period once.

‘But that boy Kang Geom-ma is definitely different.’

His attitude was sly enough. He also complained plenty.

But when given a task, he carried it out responsibly.

A once-in-a-generation genius who did not even refuse hard work. To what kind of realm would he eventually arrive?

The Sword Emperor very much wanted to see that end with his own eyes. To do that, he had to live a long time. He would resume taking the blood pressure medicine he had set aside and keep stress to a minimum.

‘At this rate, even that trial should be manageable within a month.’

A light glimmer circled in the Sword Emperor’s eyes. He glanced sideways at Charon. By chance, Charon had also been about to refill the cup, so their eyes met.

Laughing low, the Sword Emperor casually began.

“By the way, where are the children? Neither Geom-ma nor Abel has been seen at all today. Come to think of it, Shail isn’t here either.”

“Ah, the two of them went into Geneva this afternoon. Shail went to drive them the-”

The sound of laughter stopped.

Crash!

The teacup shattered. Or rather, to be precise, it exploded. Only the handle of the cup was left dangling from his fingers.

…!

In the next instant, blood vessels rose in the Sword Emperor’s eyes.

“…Charon, what exactly did you just say?”

The voice thick with killing intent struck Charon’s cheek. It stung.

But the real interrogation was only just beginning.

“You are going to have to explain very carefully why you let the two of them go like that. This isn’t a matter of abusing my authority, so don’t misunderstand. I am simply asking for a proper explanation.”

“Ah……”

Butler Charon engraved the importance of silence upon his heart once more.

* * *

The moment we arrived in downtown Geneva, I got out of the car.

“Haa- haa-”

My heart was still pounding violently. There was no sign of it calming down at all. I lifted my eyes only slightly and looked at Shail.

She was looking at her wristwatch and clicking her tongue.

It looked as though even the time it had taken to reach the destination had not satisfied her.

‘That maid is insane.’

She had covered a three-hour distance in thirty-one minutes. And not on a straight road either, but on winding mountain routes.

One corner after another had sent chills running down my spine. The road had not even been well paved, and there were stones everywhere. Yet the number on the speedometer had never dropped below 200.

I asked Abel.

“Is it always like this when you come into town?”

“Mm, pretty much. Even today, Shail held back a bit. Normally, it wouldn’t take even thirty minutes.”

“No, I mean……. Forget that. You got motion sick on the airport bus, didn’t you? Why are you perfectly fine now?”

“Ah, I only get motion sick when things move slowly. Fast is fine.”

Abel shrugged.

Right. What point was there in saying any more.

“I will come pick you up four hours from now, at eight-thirty. Until then, I hope the two of you enjoy yourselves.”

With those words, Shail put the key in and twisted it. The way she stomped down on the accelerator was fierce.

As if aiming to set a new record, her momentum was savage. And just like that, the car Shail was driving sped out of sight.

‘Behind that youthful face is the soul of a street racer……’

Grab.

“Hey, what are you standing there blankly for? You said you wanted to eat dinner, didn’t you? There are only ten minutes left until the reservation time.”

Abel seized my wrist as I stood there rooted in place. In reality, she was dragging me along, but from the outside it looked like we were walking arm in arm.

At once, eyes gathered on us. Envy rose across the faces of the men.

Abel drew attention wherever she went.

In technical terms, she was a walking crowd-control effect.

And all that attention was also pouring onto me, the one beside her.

“Hey, Abel. Let go of me and walk separately. Can’t you see everyone staring?”

“Unlike Korea, the streets in Europe are old, so without a guide it’s very easy to get lost. There aren’t even signposts. And the reason those people are staring is because your hair color stands out so much, so just ignore it.”

“……”

Let’s just think of it as innocence. Otherwise, I felt like my fantasy about Abel would shatter. She had been the whole reason I spent money on Miracle’s Blessing M in the first place.

‘…And if they’re staring because of my hair color being unusual, isn’t that just racism?’

While we walked down the street, I endured countless glances. Question marks floating above people’s heads. Then they would suddenly look shocked and begin whispering among themselves.

‘This definitely feels like some weird rumor is going to start spreading.’

Please, just don’t let it reach Chloe’s ears.

We arrived at the restaurant Abel had reserved. It was a place that served a dish called Raclette.

Raclette. Apparently, it was a dish where melted cheese was poured over meat or sausage. Together with fondue, it was said to be one of Switzerland’s representative dishes……

Just hearing the description made me desperately crave kimchi.

‘…Well, we came to this place instead of eating sushi.’

Besides, I had something to ask Abel. To suggest that she join my party for the Undead Dungeon. This meal was the opening move for that.

We stepped inside the restaurant.

The interior was simpler and cozier than I had expected.

Of course, I had no chance to look around properly, because Abel’s forceful escort continued.

We sat down at the reserved table. Abel ordered without even looking at the menu.

“The usual, please.”

It was the tone of someone who had come here often. Abel, sensing my gaze, made an oddly subtle expression.

“…This is a place I used to come to often with my parents when I was little.”

A faint wistfulness passed through her eyes.

‘When you were little, your parents……’

Those two words felt rough as they rolled around inside my mouth. I did not know what sort of family circumstances Abel had. To be honest, I was curious, but I had no intention of asking.

If something itches and you scratch it, it left a scar. Even a careless question could leave a scratch on someone’s heart. Because I myself had gone through troubled family circumstances in both my previous life and this one, I know that well.

‘At times like this, it’s best to stay quiet.’

During that brief awkward silence, the food arrived.

Meat, sausage, bacon. There were no vegetables.

Then a man who seemed to be the chef came out carrying cheese. He melted the cheese over candlelight and then poured it straight onto the plates.

The meat was buried beneath a waterfall of cheese. Before I had even started eating, I found myself missing the cup ramen asleep in my suitcase.

“Lady and gentleman, I hope you enjoy your delicious dinner.”

“……”

Leaving behind his rich line and the food, the chef withdrew.

I stared blankly down at the mountain of cheese.

On the right lay a fork, and on the left a knife, placed neatly atop the tablecloth.

‘Knife.’

That short little blade… for some reason, it irritated my eyes.

“Do you eat food with your eyes? This place is good.”

Abel tossed out the teasing reproach playfully. I, on the other hand, was thinking about this with complete seriousness.

At a table where I needed to make an important proposal, was it really right to say something like this? The scale in my head tipped back and forth.

…And after thirty seconds like that. I reached my conclusion after countless possibilities.

I pushed my plate toward Abel.

“Hey, Abel.”

And then I made my request.

“Can you cut this for me instead?”