༺ A Walking Textbook (1) ༻
I felt a warm and beautiful feeling after leaving the dormitory after a long time, although it had actually only been just a week. Now, it was time to return to being Prosecutor Carl Krasius.
[Congratulations on your release.]
“Jerk.”
But that warmth suddenly cooled. That damned Crown Prince must’ve been excited about sending this message and timing it just right. Does he have nothing better to do?
But then again, I should put myself in his shoes. If the Crown Prince was going to be released today after being put under probation by the emperor, then I could somewhat understand why he was doing this. After all, I would have done the same. I can’t stand being taunted.
‘Release, my foot.’
I wish he would use the proper way to word it, though. It wasn’t imprisonment; it was just probation. Why was he acting like it was imprisonment when he was the one who decided on probation?
I couldn’t even laugh it off because writing just one more report would land me in the actual prison. Were the capital’s prisons warm?
Even if it were, it would probably be colder than my communication crystal.
[You’ve been through a lot.]
[I’ve heard you’re returning to work. Please let me know if you need anything.]
[There haven’t been any issues for the past week. Please return at your ease.]
The influx of messages warmed up my communication crystal. In turn, my heart regained its warmth.
This was how it should be. This was the right way to send greetings. My time at the academy wasn’t wasted, after all.
‘These are coming from people I’ve known for less than a year.’
The Principal, the Vice Principal, and Villar were people I only met in March. I’ve seen the Principal at official imperial events, but we only exchanged greetings.
Compared to that, I’ve known the Crown Prince for two years, but what a piece of work he was.
[Congratulations to the end of your third penalty! I’ll give you tofu if you come to the capital!]
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})I quietly put away my communication crystal after seeing the message from the 1st Manager.
I was reminded again that there was a worst among the worst.
***
I promised Marghetta that she would be the first person I would visit after my probation ended. Though there was that small incident where the demon of lust influenced me, a promise was still a promise.
How can a person build trust if they can’t even keep such a small promise?
“You really came here first?”
“I promised Mar, so of course I’m here.”
Besides, I didn’t really have anywhere else to go apart from the club room. I suppose she overestimated my range of activities.
“Fufu, thank you.”
But I didn’t want to ruin Marghetta’s happiness, so I held back any unnecessary comments.
“Meeting Carl is good, but please make it so that I don’t have to come looking for you first.”
“I’ll try.”
She made a somewhat grumpy request for me not to undergo another bizarre probation at the academy.
I replied that I would try, but it was honestly not up to me. The Crown Prince’s mindset was beyond my comprehension.
Moreover, Marghetta wouldn’t be able to come looking for me even if she wanted to if I was penalized with regular probation or imprisonment.
‘There wouldn’t be a need for her to look for me.’
The prison was in the capital. Since Marghetta was a student, she wouldn’t even be able to attempt a visit.
Anyway, it was no different from a monkey’s paw wish.
Of course, I didn’t say this out loud.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})After lounging around for a few more hours, I headed to the club room. I wondered if she would bring up the polygamy topic like yesterday, but she didn’t mention it. Why that came up in the first place remained a mystery to me.
***
My steps to the club room felt light. Finally, it was the day oppa was released.
No, he wasn’t released. It was just the end of his probation. Rutis kept calling it ‘released,’ so I ended up saying it too.
‘I mustn’t make a mistake.’
Talking about release in front of oppa, who likely felt bitter about being put on probation, would only deepen his wounds. That’s something I absolutely cannot do.
It would be embarrassing to make a mistake in front of him when I haven’t seen him in a while. Although I visited him every day, seeing him in the club room felt different.
I liked our private meetings, too. But the club room was filled with my memories of oppa, and that made it even more special.
“A week flies by, doesn’t it?”
Erich said nonchalantly as I gathered my resolve.
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but glance at Erich. Even if oppa wasn’t facing severe discipline or a well-being issue, that comment seemed too indifferent.
“Have you ever gone to meet oppa?”
It was a question of whether he had done his familial duty.
Come to think of it, this mess started when Erich chose oppa for the four-person event. He also seemed apologetic when Rutis fainted.
“I was going to, but then I changed my mind.”
Erich’s expression as he said this looked somewhat bitter.
“Someone told everything to Mother.”
“Everything?”
“About her second son being dumped.”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})It was my turn to quietly lower my gaze.
Because I was the one who rejected him.
Moreover, the thought of my mother looking at me with pity after hearing that I was rejected by Carl oppa felt heart-wrenching. And I certainly wouldn’t have the courage to face the person who spoke needlessly to my mother.
‘Oppa went too far.’
This was definitely oppa’s fault.
That was something not even I can defend.
But… something felt off. If oppa told their mother that Erich was rejected…
‘…How much did he say?’
A chill ran down my spine. It would be considered unfortunate if oppa had simply said that Erich had been rejected. But what if he also mentioned who did the rejecting?
Then I would become ‘the lady who rejected my second son’ to oppa’s mother. And such a lady wanted to become the eldest son’s wife.
‘Wow.’
A sigh escaped me involuntarily. What a situation. Mother would probably disapprove.
I hope that’s not the case. I hope oppa didn’t go into detail.
“He’s here.”
Erich’s words made me quickly lift my head. Light was spilling through the club room’s window.
Strange. I had been so eager to see oppa just moments ago, but now I felt hesitant.
However, the tension filling my chest dissipated the moment I saw oppa.
“Oppa.”
“Ah, you’re here?”
Seeing him wave and greet me brought a slight smile to my face.
That’s right. What was the use of worrying now? If oppa had already told his mother in detail, then I just had to work hard on making a good impression from now on. And if he hadn’t, then that was a relief.
‘Let’s not worry.’
Honestly, I was looking too far ahead right now considering the current uncertain state of my relationship with oppa.
This was a sad assessment, but it was similar to trying to run before I could walk.
“Rutis came, but you didn’t even show your face.”
“I sent a gift instead. You received it from Rutis, didn’t you?”
“Did you prepare that too?”
“I bought the box.”
Oppa was having a strange argument with Erich when I turned to him again. He normally wouldn’t act like this, but it seemed that oppa was quite bored during his probation.
***
Several days have passed since the probation ended. Still, nothing special had happened.
It was getting to the point where I was starting to feel anxious. How big of a storm was brewing beneath the calmness?
‘It’s scarier when it’s quiet.’
There was a law of effort conservation in this world. It was either you relax now and hustle like mad later, or you keep a consistent pace. Either way, you had to meet your quota.
So, this peace was no different from the calm before the storm. Thankfully, it hadn’t led to a situation where the incompetent one was revealed yet.
‘It’ll work out somehow.’
I’ve been worrying alone while living the life of an Academy Prosecutor for several months. I suppose I was starting to learn how to think positively.
Yes, it would work out somehow. After all, I wasn’t the only civil servant at this academy.
Thinking that while taking a bite of a cookie surprisingly soothed my mind.
‘Thanks, you jerk.’
Months of struggling and then being under probation made me realize that what I needed to do was to let go.
Could it be that the Crown Prince took on the role of the villain to give me this realization?
“It’s complicated, isn’t it?”
“Is it because the names are different from ours?”
Voices broke through my reverie.
Turning around, I saw the members fidgeting with pens instead of their usual flour and eggs.
‘They’re hard at work.’
There was always that teacher who enjoyed springing pop quizzes. It seemed that the academy had its fair share of them too since it was a place where many people gathered.
Maybe it was their small mercy that they didn’t give it as a surprise test this time, though being informed the day before an exam hardly seems merciful.
Thanks to that, the members were cramming knowledge as if their lives depended on it. Given their royal and noble statuses, failing wasn’t an option.
“How do you translate ‘Sareitou Dobra Gala’?”
“It refers to the Gala of the Dobra clan, which rules over the Sareitou tribe.”
“What’s the difference between a tribe and a clan again?”
Erich’s defeated muttering filled the air. He looked like a college student overwhelmed by assignments.
‘History, of all things.’
The name sounded familiar, so it probably had something to do with the North. I didn’t expect to hear that bastard’s name at the academy.
Watching them for a while, I approached the members. I had nothing else to do, and since I knew something, I might as well speak up.
“Think of a clan as a family. The head of the family would be the clan chief.”
The members’ attention focused on me.
“A group of such clans forms a tribe. Usually, the chief of the largest clan becomes the tribal chief. It’s similar to our concepts of territories and lords.”
“Oh.”
Erich nodded, understanding. It wasn’t too complicated, anyways. It was just a matter of different terminology.
“And this is written incorrectly. It’s not ‘Sareitou’ but ‘Sarei,’ and not ‘Gala’ but ‘Tala.'”
I corrected their spelling errors as well. Getting the tribe’s name wrong was one thing, but what was Gala? A show?
Despite my helpful correction, Erich just blinked.
“Uh, oppa. The teacher taught us this way…”
I shook my head as Louise spoke.
“They might have taught it wrong. The script in the North is different, so I guess they misinterpreted it.”
I don’t know who the teacher was, but they can’t know better than me. I’ve even been formally introduced to that bastard.
“I am Sarei Dobra Tala! The sword of the great Kagan, the fury of the wolf!”
Thinking back, it seemed absurd. What was he doing while running around with a knife in his throat?
“But you should probably write it as he taught you to. Don’t mind what I said.”
“Ah, okay.”
The translation error was funny, though. Mr. Gala Show, the fury of the wolf.
***
Apparently, it wasn’t just Louise who cared.
The day after I corrected Gala to Tala, a teacher unexpectedly stormed into the club room. What was happening? It was still morning; weren’t there classes going on?
“Prosecutor! I’m really, really sorry, but could you possibly spare some time!?”
However, his overwhelming enthusiasm made it impossible to say no.
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