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chapter 68
Slurp.
The blue-haired woman sitting across from him drank her tea in one go.
She sat with her legs crossed, displaying an attitude utterly devoid of manners, yet Kanis felt a peculiar sense of intimidation emanating from her.
Surely, it must be because of the monstrous behavior she had been showing lately.
Of course, for Extra B—the one sitting with such a monster—it was sheer misery.
“Am I going to die like this?”
Why had she dared to provoke someone like that?
Giving her juice now as an apology wouldn’t help; she should have behaved properly from the start.
“Bella.”
“…Yes, Sir!”
“? Why are you so tense?”
Kanis tilted his head at Bella, who was sitting up straight.
Contrary to Bella’s expectations, Kanis had not come looking for her out of anger.
“It’s about the juice you gave me last time.”
On the contrary.
“Can I get the recipe?”
“I’ve committed a terrible sin… what?”
Bella, who had been preparing a formal apology, widened her eyes.
Meanwhile, Kanis leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand.
“It was the best thing I’ve tasted here.”
“…?”
Bella’s expression twisted into confusion.
Even though Kanis had endured poor treatment until now, he was the only legitimate son of the Duke family. Surely, someone who had eaten every delicacy imaginable would never fall for a homemade juice from a rural estate.
‘What is this? Is he teasing me?’
Meanwhile, Kanis was thinking:
‘I guess I’ll quit the business and just make it myself.’
When Kanis first tasted Bella’s drink, he had intended to exclaim in classic isekai fantasy style, “Ah, so this is Starbucks!” But he quickly changed his mind.
‘But what’s the point of selling drinks?’
‘I don’t really need money anyway.’
‘It just seems like a hassle.’
Indeed. Starting a business was bothersome.
Besides, even in his previous life, he had bought things rather than studied business ideas seriously.
Felix cemented this decision.
“Money? Hmm, hunting monsters is the fastest.”
“A high-level mage could make… about a million gold per hour?”
One hundred coins make one silver, and one hundred silver makes one gold.
The average price of juice for commoners was about 1–5 coins per cup, meaning he would need to sell ten billion cups to make that money.
‘Ugh, it’s faster to just take control of the Duke family than sell all that.’
Kanis neatly scrapped his impractical business plan.
Instead, he poured the money he had left after sending some to Larisa onto the desk.
Bella’s eyes nearly popped at the endless cascade of coins.
“Is this enough?”
“This will do.”
Having bought the juice recipe with money, Kanis eventually discovered the truth behind the “hemoptysis (not really)” incident.
“Good grief. I never imagined it was because of that.”
He could never have guessed that a medical emetic would act as a seasoning.
Well, even Worcestershire sauce—the most famous steak sauce—was discovered by researchers accidentally after two years of failed experiments.
New flavors are often born from incredible accidents.
‘I can control the emetic component with magic… hmm. Maybe I should focus more on potion classes.’
As Kanis marked the potion lecture on his timetable, the faculty was buzzing, just like the students.
The cause, naturally, was that same “hemoptysis (not really)” incident.
“Do you really think His Highness the Crown Prince can beat the Lady?”
One professor posed the question, and Bernua replied with a sulky expression.
“Honestly, the question itself is laughable. Before the start of the second semester, Escleif was lucky just to avoid disqualification, let alone place first in the tournament.”
“That’s true.”
“Who would have thought? In that short summer break, Escleif achieved so much…”
“Agreed. Does awakening also boost intelligence?”
“Well, wizards usually start studying after awakening in childhood… Of course, many subjects require understanding of mana, but awakening doesn’t instantly fill one’s head with knowledge.”
“Indeed, that’s odd.”
“Exactly. We all accepted the miracle of awakening at age 20, but rationally, academic achievement…?”
“Ah, I have something to say on that matter.”
Amid the gathering opinions, a long-haired man wearing thin glasses raised his hand.
“In fact, the Lady didn’t change in the second semester of her senior year.”
And he spoke a shocking truth.
His name was Kiriel.
A professor of rune studies and the first person Kanis met after arriving in this world.
In other words, he was the first to witness her transformation.
“What do you mean?”
“She didn’t change from the second semester?”
For the other professors who missed the final class before summer break, this was earth-shattering.
Professor Kiriel explained to the murmuring group:
“Her unexpected performance was in the very last class of the first semester of her senior year.”
His eyes narrowed as if recalling the past.
“As you know, her attitude in class had always been terrible. Early in her first year, she at least made some effort, but by her second year, it was rare to see her awake in class.”
“Hmm.”
“Indeed.”
The other professors nodded in agreement.
Kanis, with her flashy hair, always drew attention even in the back row.
Even sitting quietly, she stood out, and while others struggled to keep up, she often slept through class, making her unforgettable in every way.
Moreover, remembering that she entered as a parachute student, even the most kind-hearted professors couldn’t view her favorably.
“That day too, she was sleeping in class, so out of mild annoyance, I had her attempt a rune exercise she hadn’t learned yet.”
Kiriel was among those professors.
“But she solved it.”
“Wasn’t that a relatively simple problem?”
“It was a question to draw the mana diagram for Fireball.”
“…! Fireball?”
At Kiriel’s words, the other professors widened their eyes.
Fireball.
It seemed basic at first glance, but very few wizards could use it correctly.
The power and formation varied wildly depending on the caster.
Furthermore, drawing a mana diagram in runes required full comprehension of mana.
That Kanis, still unawakened and lacking talent in fire magic, could draw a Fireball mana diagram was astonishing.
While people whispered, Selina Remembral, a professor of biological magic, asked sharply:
“So, Professor Kiriel, are you implying that the Lady was already awakened back then?”
Pink hair. Blood-red eyes.
This young prodigy had achieved remarkable feats and was both vassal and ward of the Escleif Dukedom.
Her influence in the academy was considerable, so Kiriel answered carefully.
“No. I think differently. It’s just a hypothesis…”
“Please, go on.”
Selina nodded.
“In my view, the Lady may have dedicated herself to study longer than anyone else from a very young age.”
“…Excuse me?”
The professors froze as if hearing the most absurd statement in the world.
Then, they started laughing hysterically.
“Haha, Professor Kiriel, you have quite a sense of humor.”
“Indeed. Even if we don’t know now, her reputation as a student was widespread in the academy.”
“It’s no joke.”
Kiriel cut off their words decisively.
At his serious expression, the laughter gradually faded.
