The Unwitting Heroic Tale of a Corrupt Merchant - Chapter 10, 11, 12

Special Student
The girl who had been bullied was likely one of the students attending the academy through the new admission system introduced this year.

――In the royal capital, there are orphanages for children who have lost their parents for various reasons.
Normally, those attending such facilities wouldn’t even have the right to take the academy’s entrance exam.
However, according to the information I’ve gathered, a "special admission slot" was established this year for a certain reason.

And that reason is the commoner girl standing before me.

Her name is Connie Lyle.

A cute girl with distinctive silver bob-cut hair.
She has magic aptitude… but not just any magic aptitude.

The details are classified as state secrets, so I couldn’t gather more specific information.
However, testimony from those close to the facility suggests that she possesses an extraordinary talent for magic.

To tell the truth, she was at the top of my list as a candidate to lead the magic division of my business venture.

A talented and adorable commoner.
She fits perfectly into the type of individual I’ve been searching for.

――But naturally, someone like that tends to become a target of bullying.

You could say that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.
Wealthy or high-status individuals often dislike being outdone by those of lower social standing.

This was something I’d seen far too often in my previous life.

Still, this situation is favorable for me.
If I swoop in and rescue her now, her affection for me will undoubtedly skyrocket.

The male students picking on her come from the upper class—though only from insignificant families that are hardly worth fawning over.

My ultimate goal is to dominate the power held by the nation's three great houses.
Any other conflicts along the way are inconsequential.

No time like the present.

I grabbed the arm of the male student who was about to punch Connie.

"Who the hell are you!?"
"No matter the reason, raising a hand against a woman is deplorable."
"Huh? What nonsense are you—ahhh!"

I twisted his arm slightly, applying just a bit of pressure.
That alone was enough to make the male student cry out.

Isn’t he a bit too fragile?

"You bastard!"

Another male student rushed to help his friend, but I loosened my grip and let go just in time.
The released student and the attacker collided head-on.

And… oh dear… their mouths bumped.
If that was their first kiss, I’d feel bad—though not even remotely.

"Don’t get cocky!"
"Take this!"

Two others came at me together. That worked to my advantage.
I smoothly dodged one, delivering a front kick, while grabbing the other by the collar and tossing him aside.

Behind me, Lucina seemed eager to join in, but I signaled with a glance that her help wasn’t necessary.

Incidentally, the underside of her maid uniform skirt is packed with hidden weapons.

“I’m not fond of maid outfits, but I do appreciate how many weapons they can conceal,” she once said with a smile.
Though, I doubt maid outfits were designed specifically for weapon storage.

Regardless, her help wasn’t needed; the opponents had already lost the will to fight.

"Still want to go?"
"Tch… Remember this!"

The four students staggered to their feet and fled.
Hmph, they’re just weaklings who can only act tough when in a group. They were no match for me.

"Impressive as always, Master Lake."
"Hmph. Dealing with them was only natural. – More importantly, are you alright?"

I directed my attention to Connie, who was still sitting on the ground, trembling.
She hadn’t yet realized she was safe, her gaze darting nervously.
She must have been terrified.

"The ones who tried to harm you are gone now. You can relax."
"Th-thank you."

I offered her my hand, and she took it, standing up.

"May I ask for your name?"

Although I already knew a lot about her, I couldn’t break the pretense of this being our first meeting, so I asked for her name.

"Ah, um, I’m Connie Lyle."
"I’m Lake Gallard, also a new student. And this is my attendant, Lucina."
"Nice to meet you."
"N-nice to meet you, too."

The fear disappeared from Connie’s face.
She finally seemed to realize she had been saved.
Frankly, she seemed a bit clumsy, though.

"Really, thank you again for saving me from such a dangerous situation."
"Don’t mention it. I only did what was natural. Well then, we’ll be on our way."
"Y-yes."
"Let’s go, Lucina."
"At once! Always at your side!"

With that, I swiftly left the scene.

――Normally, I would seize this chance to bring her into my fold with some sweet words, but… for now, I’ll hold back.

This decision was based on my quick assessment of Connie’s personality.
With her type, it’s better to pull back initially and close the distance gradually.

As a commoner, she’s unlikely to attract the attention of the aristocracy.
I’ll take my time building a connection and eventually invite her to a ball.

Meanwhile, my rescue of a girl from delinquents seems to have sent Lucina’s loyalty soaring past the limit and into uncharted territory.

It’s only the beginning.
I need to proceed cautiously with my plans.

----------

The Consequences of Inviting the Girl I Was Interested in to Dance
The next day, regular classes at the academy began.

In the first year, all students are in a shared class, and from the second year onward, they split into specialized courses.
This arrangement allowed me to share the same classroom with Connie and, by sheer luck, sit next to her.
Thanks to our shared status as commoners and yesterday’s events, we were able to talk.
However, there was one issue.

“Good morning, Young Master Lake.”
“Ah, good morning, Connie.”

Connie’s demeanor was still stiff and formal.
I wouldn’t mind if she loosened up a bit more, but she seemed to keep a certain distance and acted reserved.

It likely had to do with her upbringing in the orphanage, as my investigation through the resources of the Gallard Company revealed.

Connie was an orphan raised in a church on the outskirts of the royal capital.
From a young age, she had an extraordinary amount of mana and excelled in controlling it.

Her talent far surpassed that of ordinary people, to the extent that it overturned the academy's long-standing unwritten rule against admitting students with unclear backgrounds.

Yet, exceptional talent often attracts envy and resentment.

The boys who had harassed her the previous day were likely the same.
While they came from notable families, their substance was no different from that of ordinary commoners.
Truly, small-minded individuals.

As a result, Connie remained an isolated figure in the class.

I had never seen her conversing with other students—she was completely alone.

Not that I was any different. I was the ultimate loner too.
If anything, having Lucina to talk to made my current life slightly better than my previous one.
However, Lucina’s dramatic actions and overzealous sense of justice made her stand out in the class more than any other attendant, earning her the reputation of “someone best avoided.”

Honestly, I started wondering if she was an enemy disguised as an ally.

… Well, it didn’t matter.
My focus was solely on building connections with people who would work for me and future valuable clients.

Anyway, Connie’s isolation worked in my favor.
Without trusted companions, she would more easily come to rely on me.
It was time to advance my plans to the next stage.

◇◇◇

After class.

I approached Connie, who was quietly packing her things alone.

“Do you have some time after this, Connie?”
“Eh?”

She looked startled at first but straightened her posture the moment she realized it was me.
… I still felt that barrier between us.

“My secretary—or rather, my maid—has been working on an intriguing magic tool.”
“A magic tool!?”

Oh? Her reaction was unexpectedly enthusiastic.

“Are you perhaps interested in magic tools?”
“Wha—!? I, um, well… yes.”

Her face turned crimson as she stammered, seemingly embarrassed by her earlier outburst.

There was nothing shameful or criminal about being interested in magic tools.
She could afford to be more confident about it.

Her overly reserved demeanor when interacting with people of higher status was more serious than I had expected.
Still, her interest in magic tools seemed promising for conversation.

“In that case, I’d love for you to take a look.”
“Me?”
“The tool we’re working on is at a critical stage involving mana, and it’s proving tricky. Unfortunately, Lucina here isn’t knowledgeable in that area.”
“I have no interest in anything but Master Lake.”
“… Right.”

Hey! I appreciate your loyalty, but your overwhelming intensity is scaring Connie!

“Could you be quiet for a bit?”
“Understood! As you wish!”

With Lucina silenced for now, I continued the conversation.

“I wanted advice from someone well-versed in magic. Would you consider lending us your expertise?”

At first, Connie looked puzzled by my request.
But soon, her face turned beet red, and she lowered her gaze.

Uh-oh. Was I too direct?
Maybe I should have approached this more subtly.
While I was reflecting on my words, she surprised me by saying:

“I-I’m not sure how much help I can be, but if there’s anything I can do, I’ll gladly assist!”
“Thank you! That’s a huge help.”

Finally, a significant breakthrough.
Now, it was time for the finishing touch.
I had to invite her to the upcoming ball at all costs.

----------

The Villainous Merchant Gets Rejected
We relocated to a workshop within the academy grounds.
This place is typically used for magic tool classes starting in the second year, but we had obtained permission to borrow it for our purposes.
Inside, Lucina placed the weapon on the workbench.

"This is..."

Seeing the weapon for the first time, Connie seemed intrigued.

"Once it's completed, this will allow non-magic users to use magic."
"Wh-What!? Is that even possible?"
"It is. However, the key lies in its refinement."

I pulled out three small stones—blue, red, and green—from my pocket and placed them on the workbench.

"Are these... magic ores?"
"Correct."

Magic ores are items mined to aid daily life.
Red ones generate heat with minimal magic input, blue ones exude water, and green ones create a gentle breeze.
These are often used for cooking or as substitutes for wells, but their offensive capabilities are too weak to be practical.

However, with my magic tool design, I plan to amplify their power to rival combat magic.
For that, I needed expert input.

While reference books existed, my lack of practical experience left gaps in the process.
This was why I turned to Connie, who had broken the academy’s unspoken rule against admitting students with unclear origins.

After explaining everything, Connie silently picked up the weapon, examined it, then took a magic ore and began concentrating her mana.

"Hmm?"
"Oh?"

Both Lucina and I reacted simultaneously.
The rumors were true—what an extraordinary amount of mana.
It was so potent that it was visibly radiating from her body as a purple aura, like steam.

After a while...

"It's done."
"Huh?"

Her nonchalant declaration left Lucina and me dumbfounded.

"I refined it as per your instructions. How does it look?"
"I-I see... Let’s check."

Taking it in my hands, I found it perfectly crafted to my specifications.
Achieving this level of quality in such a short time... I had underestimated Connie Lyle’s magic prowess.

She is undeniably a genius.

—I need her! She’s a talent I must secure for my business!

"Excellent work, Connie."
"Truly... I’ve worked with many magic tools as a smith, but creating something of this caliber so quickly is nothing short of remarkable."
"T-Thank you."

Blushing from our unrestrained praise, Connie seemed overwhelmed.

—This is the moment! The air is thick with success!

I seized the opportunity to broach the other matter.

"Connie... I have one more favor to ask."
"Anything! I’ll do my best to help!"

Boosted by her recent success, Connie smiled confidently.

This is going perfectly. Surely, she won’t refuse a dance invitation now.

Filled with near-certain confidence, I asked, "Connie, about the upcoming welcome ball... Will you partner with me?"

Striking my best pose, I extended a hand toward her. Her response—

"I'm sorry!"
"... Huh?"

She turned me down.

… Wait, what? But the mood was perfect!?

Stunned, I couldn’t process it.
Then, as if to pour salt on the wound, an unexpected figure appeared.

"There you are, Connie. I’ve been looking for you."

A male teacher entered the workshop. I recognized him immediately.

His name was Craig Beckart, a professor of magic history and last year’s admissions officer.
I remembered him from the interview—his annoyingly handsome face was hard to forget.

Without hesitation, Professor Craig placed a hand on Connie’s shoulder.
To my surprise, Connie didn’t seem uncomfortable; in fact, she accepted it.

"Sorry, but Connie won’t be attending the ball."
"What?"
"She’ll be working on magic research with me."
"Y-Yes... That’s correct."
"With that, we’ll be taking our leave. Oh, and one more thing."

As he turned to leave, Professor Craig glanced back at me.

"A student with such a bad reputation shouldn’t be bothering Connie. Please refrain from approaching her in the future."
"What?"

What nonsense is he spouting? Anyway, Connie is—

"Pl-Please don’t speak to me anymore. You’re causing me trouble."
"... What?"

Bowing her head slightly, Connie’s words froze my thoughts completely.

I couldn’t respond.
All I could do was watch the two of them leave in silence.

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