How To Live As An Academy Extra Villain

64 – Both Sides (3)

“Hu…ha…hu…”

“Ellie, what are you doing there when you’re not coming in?”

“Oh my gosh. Just wait a moment…huu…”

The day after I stopped by Draketon. We decided to start studying right away. I thought of many places, but I couldn’t think of a place that wouldn’t attract others’ attention.

After much deliberation, I finally invited Ellie to my house.

“Phew… Then excuse me… But you live surprisingly frugally… No, this is something that goes beyond frugality… Who is the employee…?”

“There is nothing in particular. It is not appropriate to bring in someone from the family, and hiring a new person is a task…”

“Then what about meals…? Laundry…? Waiting…?”

“Eat your meals outside or cook them in moderation, and there is a place to leave your laundry. You don’t really need any attendants. Even nobles don’t always live like that. Anyway, you have to do everything yourself later on during field training.”

“…I didn’t mean to ask that way… Anyway, it’s amazing… Wow… How can we get to a place like this…”

As Ellie carefully entered the room, she looked around her as if she was looking at a mysterious scenery.

And then he asks me, as if he suddenly remembered something important.

“I have a question.”

“Suddenly?”

“Yes. It’s important. Have you ever brought a friend to this house other than me…?”

“Ellie. Are you kidding me? Is there a friend I can bring?”

“Right…Right…? Then I’m the first, right…?”

“Yes. It’s my first time. It’s my first time having a friend. It’s my first time being invited to my house.”

“hehehe…Good…If that’s enough…”

Ellie exhaled lightly and returned to her usual face, smiling brightly as always.

***

“The season is fall, the time is 7:30 PM. Pietas enters the lower angle, orbits for 30 minutes, and exits 15 degrees to the right.”

“…7:30…? 15 Degrees upward…?”

“If I’m not sure, should I move on to the next question? I don’t really need to go to this level…”

The moment I was about to turn over her paper, Ellie raised her hand and stopped my action. Ellie grunted and thought for quite a long time, and then, as if she finally realized something, she clapped her hands and shouted her answer.

“Ah! I remembered…! In three days, it’s going to rain from dawn until sunrise…!”

“Correct… Correct. Then, next question. At midnight on the last day of April, when Flamenica reappeared after being obscured by clouds for 10 minutes.”

“Wait…Wait…! Ah! You may have been cursed with fire, so avoid going out for four days and keep an eye on embers in your house!”

This time, Ellie was in trouble, but she succeeded in solving the problem much faster than before.

“This is also the correct answer. Ellie. Are you really weak in astronomy? I think this is enough skill to challenge B…?”

“hehehe…I think it will come to my mind better if we study together…”

“After hearing it, I think I’m a bit like that too. So shall we do it again next time?”

After studying with her for several hours, Ellie’s skills were already well beyond D. However, he seemed a little weak in astronomy, so we decided to focus on studying that part.

Astronomy is a very important subject, and all academy students, regardless of major, are required to learn astronomy. The stars here all have their own unique movements, and their movements are very active.

And each one acts as a variable that affects the weather and seasons, and if you observe the stars carefully, you can even have a small prediction of misfortune, good luck, or fate.

It is said that those who made a name for themselves as great prophets were able to see through all the stars in the sky without exception.

However, the number and type of stars that can be seen vary depending on the intelligence of mana that an individual possesses, so astronomy was also a discipline whose achievements varied greatly depending on the individual.

“The stimulation is too strong…But I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I didn’t expect to really study…But it’s better than I imagined…”

“Stimulation?”

“…No…But Ed. What are those papers?”

Ellie moves her gaze to the bundle of papers in my hand.

From noble mtl dot com

“This? This is the genealogy that senior Efania gave me. He said I might need it during the promotion exam. I got it because I was wondering if you might need it, but looking at it now, it doesn’t seem like it…”

“… Ed. She really is that girl… No, she’s not that close to that senior, right? We’re not even close, so there’s no way she could say something like that…”

“I didn’t just accept it. Instead, he asked me to do him a small favor later, so I said I would understand and accepted it.”

“Stupid… I feel really stupid… Ugh…”

Ellie thumps her chest as if her stomach is exploding and glares at me lightly. She suddenly looked out the window and saw that the sun was setting outside her.

“Let’s stop here for today. Time goes by faster than I thought.”

“Already…? It’s so disappointing…”

Ellie looks regretful after hearing what I said. I thought she only liked playing, but Ellie may surprisingly like studying too. I mean, didn’t she have that kind of cultural ability?

-Knock knock!

While she was immersed in trivial thoughts, she suddenly heard something lightly tapping on her window. I went to the window and unlocked it, and a small bird flew in, making a fluttering sound.

“Huh…? Ed. Isn’t this the kid that hit you on the head last time and ran away…?”

“I don’t know. I think they are the same species. But this one is very calm. Look at this. It really likes it when I pet it like this.”

This cute bird with fluffy white fur on a black background is the one that sat outside my window every morning and chirped.

I continued to worry about it, so I tried to tame it little by little, and now it has become a routine for me to come every evening, accept my touch, and then leave. But today the bird’s reaction is a little strange. The bird that made eye contact with Ellie literally froze as if its body had frozen.

“Why are you like this…? I don’t usually do this. Is it because I see strangers?”

“Wouldn’t it be okay if I touched it gently…? Where…Ouch!”

“Ellie!”

The moment Ellie was about to pet her bird, the bird came to her senses and lightly poked the back of Ellie’s hand with her beak. For some reason, the bird seems to be vehemently rejecting Ellie’s touch.

The bird twisted its body, slipped out of my hand, and flew out the window where the setting sun was setting and disappeared.

“Fortunately, there were no injuries. I guess he was surprised because he was seeing someone for the first time.”

“…I’m sure I’ve seen those eyes somewhere…What is it…?”

Ellie strokes the back of her hand and mutters to herself in a slightly ambiguous tone.

***

“…Ellie, I think it would be better for me to help you…”

“No, absolutely not…! This is an experience I’ve always wanted to try! Just stay still…”

There are various sounds coming from the kitchen. The crunching sound of peeling skin, the crackling sound of cutting boards and knives clashing together. The bubbling sound of water boiling. And at the center was Ellie.

Her motivation never breaks despite my dissuasion. Ellie bustles through her kitchen with her hair clumsily tied up and her apron sloppily tied up.

But her cooking skills seem close to a disaster. The potatoes have been peeled off so much that they are as small as a bird’s egg. Onions have skins still attached, and cut carrots are crooked. I poured too much water into the pot, and now it’s on the verge of boiling over.

“It’s strange…? I obviously did what Anje told me…?”

Ellie scoops up her soup, tastes it, and tilts her head. Looking at what you call experience, it doesn’t seem like you’ve done much cooking. Somehow I don’t feel very good…

-Clink!

“Ouch!”

“Ellie!”

Hearing her scream coming from her kitchen, he runs to see Ellie sitting on the floor, clutching her own fingers. Her bright red blood oozes out from between her fingers where she is held.

“Are you okay? Look. Ugh, I said I’d help you…”

“…I wanted to do it…”

“Still, it doesn’t look like the cut is that deep. Stay here. I’m sure there’s some recovery potion left…”

“…Last time I heard, saliva is good for disinfecting wounds…You just lick it once…”

“Ellie, just in case, you should never say something like that in pharmacy class. The professor will scold you very much. If the needle gets in, it could actually cause more damage. Just stay. I’ll come right over.”

“Chi…”

Luckily, the wound wasn’t that big, and I found an emergency potion and poured it on Ellie’s finger.

“Ugh…”

Gently supporting Ellie’s finger with my hand, I took her bandage and tied it to the spot where she had applied the potion. The strength of her bindings must have been a little strong, and Ellie lowered her head and let out a light scream.

“I told you the stimulation was too strong… Ugh…”

“Even if it hurts, just hold on for a little while. If you tie it properly, it won’t open again. How about now?”

“…Good…”

Ellie must have been a little embarrassed by her stubbornness and the fact that she ended up getting hurt, so she sat down on the kitchen floor and couldn’t raise her head. As her silence prolongs, she speaks up as if to get Ellie out of the situation.

“…Ed. What does Ed think of me?”

“You? Of course you’re a good friend.”

“…Why are you such a good friend…?”

“There has to be a reason for liking a friend…?”

“Still…Think about it…”

If we had to look at the reasons, there are not just one or two reasons. However, it’s a bit embarrassing to even say those things out loud. However, due to Ellie’s continued urging, I had no choice but to raise the white flag.

“He just listens to my stubbornness and always says nothing about how difficult it must be for us to go together at the academy. Of course, I’m grateful. He does that for me.”

“It’s not particularly difficult… But other than that…?”

“Other than that… You feel comfortable when we’re together? Even though I’m a noble, honestly, being polite like that is really annoying and difficult. There are a lot of things to worry about… Even with other nobles, but if I meet the royal family in the future… Ugh… “

“K…Keu hum…”

Ellie clears her throat and brings up a different topic this time. Now that we’ve started, are you thinking of brushing off all the things you’ve always been curious about?

“…What will Ed do when he graduates later…? Are you thinking about advancing to Central…”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

In response to my sharp answer, Ellie purses her lips.

“Aren’t you being too firm…? If it’s because you don’t have enough connections, then I…”

“It’s not like that in particular, it’s just that I don’t want to get caught up in central politics. As soon as I complete my mandatory stay period, I will go straight to my hometown and live quietly as a local noble.”

“Then you become distant from me…Is that okay…?”

“What? Come to think of it, Ellie, where is your hometown?”

“It’s the West. It’s the Crest Bridge…”

“Crest Bridge? That’s under the direct control of the imperial family. Ellie. I expected it a little, but you’re the daughter of a more precious family than I could have imagined, right?”

Crest Bridge is a term used to collectively refer to the cities surrounding the capital or the entire region, including the capital. It is a place where the central nobles and the very wealthy among the commoners mainly live.

Given various circumstances, I assumed that even though she was a commoner, she did not come from an ordinary family, but it seems that Ellie was raised more precious than I thought.

“…It’s not that precious…But Ed, then you’re in the same faction as your cousin, no, you have the same thoughts…?”

“Not really. I get along well with Estelle, but that’s another story. My family has been close to neutrality for generations, and I don’t think unnecessary conflict is a good thing. Peace is best…”

“…I see…”

Ellie sighs loudly after hearing what I said.

After the conversation, I cleaned up her kitchen and finished cooking what Ellie was doing.

And Ellie couldn’t lift a spoon because of her pain, and when I eventually served her stew, she took it and ate it with a satisfied look on her face.