EP.13 S1. 황자와 꽃과 레지스탕스 -3 - Academy’s Undercover Professor

EP.13 S1. The Prince, the Flower, and the Resistance -3 "Do you by any chance have a job?" "…" The question struck Centra like a spear to the heart, and the second prince's complexion paled. "Aaah, don't look like that! I know it's not easy for imperial citizens to find work⋯ especially for someone with blonde hair." Persecution inflicted upon the imperial citizens, particularly those of the royal bloodline. Although it had been only three days, Erid had experienced it more than enough. Even with his status gone, Erid was a man of high caliber. The position of a prince demanded not only authority but also extensive learning. Literature, martial arts, horsemanship, and hunting, formidable combat skills, and a thorough knowledge of imperial laws and decrees. Nevertheless, he had been unable to find employment. Persecution had robbed him of even the slightest chance to struggle. Erid thought of his original world. The empire relied on a massive labor force of slaves. Not only did they turn criminals' statuses to that of slaves, but children born between slaves were also enslaved. Until now, he had never given much thought to the cruelty of the slave laws... Perhaps the empire's system of slavery and discrimination against other races had more flaws than he had realized. "At our inn, umm⋯ we provide job assistance." "Job assistance?" "Yes! There are many people like Erid, not slaves but not treated as free citizens either. There's a small group of such individuals. It's embarrassing, but I'm leading that group⋯ If Erid is willing?" "I'm against it." "Ronya!" The female mercenary Ronya interrupted with objection. She looked up at Erid with a scornful glance and said. "All the fools we've taken in had at least some form of identity proof. But not that guy. I investigated him while you were feeding him." "…" "Nothing. Not a trace of his past. Even those with contacts in other cities, no one knows a person named Erid with bright yellow blonde hair except for the Fallen Emperor. That guy, it's like he just dropped out of the sky." And that was indeed the case. He had been transported here, a hundred years into the future, by a mage's dimension travel magic. As he had appeared across time, he had no ties, no documentation to prove his identity. Erid checked the tattoo on his wrist. It had been half a day since he had indulged in the luxury of eating stew and washing himself with warm water. He still had five and a half days left. The warmth of the inn and Centra's eyes, concern brimming within as they looked up at him. The heat conveyed by her gaze. She wriggled her hand as if offering to take his hand once more. Erid looked out the window of the inn. The outside was filled with nothing but chilliness. He really, really did not want to go out. Erid crossed his arms and faced Ronya squarely. Although his spirit was crushed by a series of shocks, the movements ingrained in him over decades did not fade away. He mimicked the air of an arrogant imperial. "Bring me a document." "What?" "The inn's ledger, a contract, a policy paper, anything is fine. Just bring me one, and I'll prove my worth." "Hey, you're under suspicion right now. Who would entrust documentation to a suspicious guy⋯" "Are you talking about a suspicious guy who couldn't find a single job even after being beaten for three days? And the uncertainty of identity and a person's competence and character are different matters. I swear, I will not cause any loss to Centra." "So why should I trust what you⋯!" Erid turned his body swiftly, cutting off Ronya. It's a waste to try to persuade someone who's merely suspicious for the sake of suspicion. He changed his target. He faced Centra– and said slightly off to one side. "How about it?" "Okay! We just happen to have a contract that needs reviewing. It's for sewage cleaning services, could you take a look at it for any issues?" "By all means." "Hey! Don't ignore me!" After receiving the contract from Centra, within five minutes, Erid found three toxic clauses, six typos, and one violation of standard employment form. Five minutes later, three sets of revisions to the contract were produced. The position of the emperor of such a vast empire required solving an array of major and minor issues. Naturally, a prince would need monstrous document review skills. Or, they would need a devoted and skilled retainer with such abilities. The second prince, whose power was weaker and lacked talented individuals, had had no choice but to enhance his document review skills, and that was now shining brightly a hundred years into the future. "…This is." "Wow⋯" Even the picky and brusque Ronya, who sought to find fault, could only stare intently at the documentation, as there was a vast intellectual gap between a mercenary and a prince. Erid's lips curled into a slight smile at their surprised reactions, but he felt conflicted about wielding the skills he learned for administering an empire to handle a sewage cleaning service contract, and even feeling proud of it. It was a clash between the pride of a prince cultivated over twenty years and the desire for recognition of a commoner born in just three days. That confusion, too, was neatly forgotten as soon as Centra reached for his hand. "Cough cough, I'll employ you!" "Please take good care of me." Their hands shook up and down. --------------------------------------------------------------- Three days had passed since Erid began handling document work. In the morning, he would wake up from bed─Erid had just learned that common people used straw in place of mattresses─ and eat the stew prepared by Centra. He processed various documents next to the complaining Ronya. From time to time, Centra would bring someone in, and he would cast them a wary look. Ronya was doing the same beside him. There were many documents to work on, but it was a small amount for a prince. The mountain of paperwork that had accumulated was completely dwindled down to a few pieces by Erid's working speed. He had free time, and during those moments he would take casual strolls. (Too frightened to go out, he walked inside the inn instead.) He often engaged in small talk with Centra, and occasionally with Ronya. These days, he found himself frequently looking at the watch tattoo on his wrist. Centra noticed this behavior and commented, "Did an insect bite you there? I can apply some medicine for you!" It seemed like no one else could see the tattoo. The time on the watch tattoo was ticking from 1 towards 0. Less than two and a half days remained. The end was drawing near. "…" "What’s with that gloomy face?" "…No, it’s nothing." "That expression and you say it’s nothing? Haven't you learned to lie, Erid?" "It’s none of your business." "This brat…" Erid thought that perhaps he should inform Centra. That in two days, he would be leaving for a faraway place. But if⋯ the disciple of the Master of the Purple Tower has mastered dimension travel magic. If it was possible to return him to his own world within the same realm. Then there would be no need for farewells. For when he wanted to share warmth in this humble inn room, he could just request dimension travel from him. He regretted not learning more about dimension magic. When the inn was void of guests, Centra often left her post. Considering how the blonde-mixed laborers would sometimes visit asking, "Has Lady Centra stepped out again today?" it seemed she had a habit of going out frequently. "Hey, Fallen Emperor." "What is it, mercenary?" By now, Erid had become accustomed to casually ignoring Ronya's habitual insults. Although the mere mention of the three words "Fallen Emperor" caused him enough stress to give him a headache, thinking it was a merely a clueless creature babbling made it slightly more bearable. "I have an errand for you, go and do it." "I signed a contract with Centra, not you." "Go and meet Centra." "Where should I go?" "…" Erid felt awkward at his own too prompt response. "…This is why guys with balls are. Anyway, head out towards the intersection next to the eastern adventurers' guild. She said she was going to buy ingredients, so go and help her out." "Alright then." Erid carefully flipped over a mat to cover his blonde hair. It didn't smell, thanks to Centra's thorough washing. As he picked up a large basket from the cupboard and prepared to head out, Ronya spoke up quietly. "Hey, but, you know." "If you have something to assign, say it before I go." "No, it’s just... prepare yourself mentally. The Founding Festival is coming up soon, isn't it?" "The Founding Festival?" "Yeah, it’s the day we celebrate the victory of the Kingdom Confederation over the Empire. It's in two days." "…" Coincidentally, it was the same time as Erid's return. "After the Founding Festival, it will be hard to see Centra. We'll be moving into a new era." "What kind of era?" "Of course, the era of beer and shouts. Get going." Erid thought back on the documents he had processed recently, taking Ronya's meaningful words into account. Some documents had suspicious details. There was diversion of supplies, and assortments of goods that could be used for armaments. He could have looked into it if he wanted, but he didn't bother to take the trouble. Erid was a stranger, and someone who would soon leave. He decided to disregard the fact that this cozy inn might be involved in resistance activities. --------------------------------------------------------------- Erid walked through Crownhall, once the capital of the Empire. He was well-acquainted with the geography from his frequent patrols. Having memorized all the shortcuts of the back alleys, he managed to avoid numerous threats. Like the retired soldiers or the noblewomen who, suspiciously enough, seemed to be tightening their net around him. Walking proudly and with his blonde hair concealed, no one mistook Erid for a slave. He went to wait for Centra near the adventurers' guild as Ronya had advised. "…?" Tap. Thud. The hurried sound of footsteps. Was someone running away? Erid analyzed the direction from which the sound was approaching, correlated with his knowledge of the surroundings to predict the escape route of the runner. He had no desire to get caught up in the commotion. But if the runner was a murderer, and if they posed a threat to Centra⋯ It was an unlikely possibility, but it bothered him, and Erid scaled the wall. At the predicted end of the escape route, he waited with his arms folded. If his prediction was correct, the person would appear soon. 3, 2, 1⋯⋯. "Ah!" The escapee, taken aback by Erid, who blocked the path, slammed on the brakes in surprise. He faced someone in a bizarre outfit. Tight black material that glistened and hugged the figure, revealing the body's curves in full. It was a full-body tights suit. While he could understand its functionality, the idea of displaying one's figure so unabashedly made him wonder if they had no sense of shame. Erid thought this as he looked at the stranger's face. It was a flushed Centra. "…Centra?" "This, this is. Let’s just run first!" "That direction is disadvantageous. Follow me. It’s better this way if we want to dodge the guards." "…Okay!" Erid vaulted over the wall without looking back. Now knowing the owner of the figure was Centra, he could not bear to look⋯