Chapter 200

The contents of the message received by Omen, the Gilsberg Richmond branch manager, were roughly as follows.

— Student Roan Darc is scheduled to visit the branch to cash a one hundred gold coin check. Go out to greet and entertain him in advance, but do not bother him. After delivering this news, address him as follows. —

It was worthy of the successor of the Richmond family, so to speak.

Zorv had anticipated that Roan would visit the merchant branch to cash the check.

“Wow, Zorv is amazing!”

“I know. As expected, is the successor of Richmond truly different?”

Yusina and Espard marveled after reading all the contents,

and Omen smiled broadly as he called out to Roan.

“Welcome to Gilsberg, Successor of Dragon Street.”

At that, Yusina shook her head and said:

“Tsk, tsk. Roan, at that rate, you should take over.”

Since Zorv, who rarely stepped forward for anything, was pleading like that, refusing him outright seemed quite pitiful in Yusina’s eyes.

However, Roan felt completely different.

“I have no intention of doing so.”

If he granted every plea, even ten bodies wouldn’t be enough.

…As could be seen from him becoming a guest member of the Holy War Club.

“Gasp! W-Why is that?”

The one surprised by Roan’s declaration was actually Omen.

He naturally knew quite a lot about Dragon Street.

It was larger in scale than the branch of an ordinary city.

“I do not wish to cause needless misunderstandings.”

Roan spoke, frowning slightly.

Of course, his thought was of a misunderstanding like ‘Isn’t that bastard a black mage?’, but it sounded a bit different to others.

“Ah, so you’re worried your reputation might suffer while rebuilding the Darc family!”

They roughly assumed it was as Sion said.

Only then did the others nod as if they realized it.

No matter how much Dragon Street differed from other back alleys by not being associated with crime, it was still a back alley.

“It doesn’t align well with the righteous Darc family. Indeed.”

Espard nodded.

Still, it wouldn’t be easy for a young mind to refuse an opportunity to earn big money, so Roan was indeed admirable!

“Hahaha! You are indeed as I’ve heard. However, the Young Patriarch sent a separate message specifically asking me to convey, ‘It must be so for now’!”

Roan got the impression that Zorv was truly standing right in front of him.

Indeed, a named of that caliber wasn’t easy to handle.

‘Or is it? Giving away Dragon Street, which he raised himself, for free actually makes him seem too easy…’

The point was somewhat vague, but in any case.

“Now, let us stop by the guild first. I won’t hold you long since you came to sightsee the market, hahaha!”

Omen was proud of Zorv who had foreseen the entire situation, and laughed loudly repeatedly as he guided them to the branch.

He then exchanged the one hundred gold coins cleanly into Imperial currency and sent them off.

*Clink*—

“Have a great time in Gilsberg! And whenever you visit, please look for me, Omen!”

In particular, he provided half in gold coins and the other half in various small change to make it easy to use in the market.

Thus, the pouch containing the money was heavy enough to match the size of Roan’s head.

Yusina spoke to Roan in a trembling voice:

“Ro-Roan… can’t you open the pouch just once?”

“…You still won’t be able to take it.”

Roan drew a line first, wondering what had gotten into her all of a sudden.

Nothing normal ever occurred when Yusina wore such a dazed expression.

‘She is almost a female Demona… Mmh.’

Thinking that he had almost committed a major insult to Yusina’s character, Roan immediately apologized.

“I am sorry, Senior Yusina.”

“Huh? Why? Forget that, hurry up and open the pouch.”

Since he had done what he did, Roan obediently opened the pouch.

Inside, the brilliant gold coins radiated light.

They shone so brightly that a golden glow rippled across Yusina’s face as she brought it close!

Sion asked Yusina, who was staring at the gold coins with an ecstatic look:

“By the way, Saintess, why the pouch?”

“Ah, I’ve always wanted to try it if given the chance. Smelling a pile of gold coins, you see.”

At this, Yusina sniffed at the gold coins as if to bury her nose in them, forgetting the dignity of a Saintess.

It wasn’t that Yusina particularly craved money.

She simply liked pretty things excessively.

Although the probability was low, occasionally, when Yusina ascended to the Pope, she would bury herself in the treasures of the Pope’s Palace warehouse to soothe her mind and body.

“Yusina… I would have fined you even if I were a professor.”

Espard was dumbfounded, wondering what kind of Saintess behaved like this.

The Pope’s Palace did not enforce strict dignity on Saints and Saintesses, but there was still a basic image to maintain.

[The Saintess knows what she is doing!]

…On the other hand, Bel, who also liked shiny things, snorted and defended Yusina.

Had Yusina heard his voice, she would have made a massive fuss, saying there was only him after all.

“Sniff, sniff! So this is the smell of gold…”

Just before Yusina’s nose could touch the gold coins,

*Slide*—

Roan swiftly snatched the pouch away.

“It is dirty.”

Along with this single phrase!

Yusina, who usually laughed off Roan’s words, leaped in outrage this time.

“Hey! Dirty? Calling a Saintess dirty? I’ve never heard such a thing in my entire life?!”

“Then don’t do dirty things.”

“Oh my~ Totally ridiculous~ I washed clean at the inn! Roan, you must be dirtier! Yusina Le Panelia will remember this!”

Yusina stamped her feet in anger, looking ready to lie down on the market floor and throw a tantrum any second.

‘Sure, Yusina can live here. I’m going.’

Naturally, Roan was fully prepared to abandon Yusina if she caused a scene like that.

And in truth, there was a reason why Yusina was helpless before Roan, even as she raged like that.

“By the way, do you have Imperial currency, Senior Yusina?”

Roan asked Yusina with a smirk.

“Take it back immediately~ Immediately… Huh?”

Yusina stopped venting and stared at Roan with round eyes.

“I don’t. Sion, what about you?”

“…I told you, I don’t have any either.”

As mentioned earlier, the two of them had not a single penny to spend in the market.

Yusina looked up at Espard with pitiful eyes as if he were her last resort.

She seemed to ask if he really wasn’t going to give pocket money to his cute junior.

“You get no pocket money, as a lesson to maintain your dignity.”

Espard shook his head with feigned severity at Yusina’s earlier behavior.

“Ah~ Why~ Uncle Espard!”

“No, I can’t give you pocket money. Go back.”

Yusina pleaded, but knowing Espard’s personality, it was bound to fail.

In the end, there was only one place for Yusina to turn.

“Ro-Roan~”

“Didn’t you say Yusina Le Panelia would remember what happened earlier?”

“Th-That was a joke, of course! There’s no way I would truly get angry over that, right?”

Yusina forced the corners of her mouth upward to smile.

*Flutter*— *Flutter*—

Roque, who was sitting on top of her head, flapped his wings.

Honestly, I can’t live with this master!

“I really have something to buy this time, okay? Just fifty silver, no, thirty silver! In return, I won’t bother you anymore today!”

Yusina declared with a serious expression, as if she had made a grand resolution.

However, Roan was somewhat dumbfounded.

‘Today?’

As if that was a big deal…

‘Doesn’t that mean she’ll bother me again starting tomorrow?’

It was even more surprising that Yusina actually possessed the awareness that she was bothersome.

‘How on earth is the Empire going to run!’

At any rate, Roan sighed softly, put enough money for a day’s spend into an extra pouch, and handed it to Roque.

“Roque, this is money for you.”

*Flutter*—!

Roque bit the pouch with his beak as if truly delighted, and flapped his wings to encircle the sky once.

*Shine*——!

True to a Moonlight Sentry who received substantial bonuses when the moon rose at night, the night flight was even more beautiful than usual.

— Look over there!

— It’s a Moonlight Sentry! What’s going on?

— It’s pretty~ I think we’ll have good luck for a while.

The passing Gilsberg citizens pointed at Roque and rejoiced.

In any case, the money given to Roque was ultimately given to Yusina.

Yusina embraced Roque tightly upon his return, jumping up and down as she thanked Roan.

“Thank you! I’ll make sure to repay this favor!”

“Of course. Once we return to the academy, I will receive it in Talents.”

“…Are you really going to take it?”

Yusina asked with a look that seemed to ask if it was actually for real.

“I tend to be clear about money transactions. There are even two witnesses here.”

“Yes, I saw it clearly, Roan.”

“Uh… me too.”

Espard and Sion nodded.

A financial transaction witnessed by a Saint and a Saintess Candidate was practically notarized.

“Instead, I will make the repayment deadline within this year.”

Roan spoke as if showing immense generosity.

“Hmm, that is indeed a good condition.”

Espard also helped Roan out continuously.

Yusina drooped her shoulders, looking dejected as if she had no choice.

“It can’t be helped… Then I have something to buy, so I will take my leave.”

“Hmm? You’re moving separately?”

“Yes. There’s something I promised to buy for my close juniors.”

Yusina let out huffs and sighs repeatedly as she spoke.

At this, Espard was also slightly flustered.

He hadn’t expected that the proud Yusina would become so dejected.

“Let’s stay together if possible. I won’t nag you anymore.”

“It’s already too late! And I had originally planned to move separately anyway. It’s a secret among girls!”

Yusina turned her head away in a huff and spoke.

In fact, since Yusina was in her graduating year now, moving alone wasn’t a major issue.

The fourth-years were reliable enough that the academy trusted them to go on voluntary service outside the campus without a professor at times.

“If anything happens, I will send Roque.”

“Still, I am a bit worried…”

“And—”

Before setting off, Yusina glanced at Roan and said:

“If I fail to return, Roan will come to find me.”

“Mmh, that is true too.”

Espard nodded as if it were a highly reasonable statement.

‘Reasonable? My foot.’

Was it even feasible to send a freshman to search for a lost fourth-year.

Roan looked back and forth between Espard and Yusina in bewilderment, then spoke while grinding his teeth:

“I thought you said you wouldn’t bother me today.”

“It means it’s fine to that extent! I, Yusina, keep my word!”

Yusina crossed her arms, spun around, and disappeared into the market while muttering words like ‘Roan knows nothing!’.

“She seems to be sulking, doesn’t she?”

“It certainly seems so.”

“What should we do…”

Roan, Espard, and Sion spoke while watching Yusina’s retreating figure.

Unlike Sion, however, the other two did not look particularly worried.

Not only did they trust Yusina’s strength, but

she will probably have cheered up by the time she returns.

“I suppose so, right?”

they also knew Yusina’s personality very well.

Then Espard suddenly tilted his head and asked:

“By the way, Roan, have you spent time with Yusina since you were four years old?”

How do you know Yusina’s personality so well?