﹡ ⊹ ⊰ Chapter 12 ⊱ ⊹ ﹡
Did I mistake Clerivan's expression of brushing off the wood debris from his clothes to be looking very happy? That strict Clerivan?
There was confusion for a moment in the classroom. All of the children, including me, were so busy looking at the log in the front and Clerivan alternately.
"Sell this?"
Bellesac was the first to break the silence. The guy who was lying on the sofa flat as a pancake throughout the entire lesson made a mocking tone as he asked Clerivan.
"Yes. The task is to sell the log and get money from it."
Bellesac or not, Clerivan's smile remained unchanged.
"You can use any method to sell this thing. You can cut it, split it, or made it into coal if necessary."
So, in a word, you just need to sell it, regardless of the means and methods.
“Hmm......”
It was the same for me that I can't point it out.
As Clerivan said, it's just a log and it didn't seem to have any special corners.
It's timber from a Bubo tree, but you won't be able to lift it and move it yourself. Besides, this kind of tree is so common that it can be sold to anyone who needs firewood at best.
It was when I was wondering what to do when Clerivan added a hint.
"However, you shouldn't use your position. You should only sell this tree to people who need it."
"Alas."
A little sigh came right next to me on the last condition Clerivan gave.
It was Mairon and Gillieu. The two guys were sighing with their eyes lowered looking disappointed.
What were you two thinking of doing to it?
As I was looking at them with suspicion, Laranne, who was quietly listening to Clerivan's words, carefully raised her hand.
"Uhm......"
"Yes, Miss Laranne, you may speak."
“Carry...... Do we have to carry it ourselves?"
Embarrassed to ask such a question, her white face turned red.
“Don't worry. This is just a sample. The actual product will be delivered each to your place.”
"Ah, alright."
If I'm having to go with that heavy thing, I would protest, whine even.
Hearing the answer, Laranne only smiled, and a pretty dimple formed on each of her cheeks.
"I don't like it."
I was admiring Laranne, who was pretty as a lily, when I hear a rough voice with a hint of defiance.
Anyone can tell who it was without having to look where the sound came from.
It was Bellesac's crude voice.
"Why do I have to do that?"
This guy is also brusque, just as expected.
His mouth was still smiling, but the laughter disappeared from Clerivan's eyes.
"What do you mean, Mr. Bellesac?"
"Selling things like that. Why do I have to do such inferior things that only commoners do?"
"Why do you think it's only for commoners?"
"My mother told me that it's vulgar to deal with money yourself."
It was such a serene word that I grinned.
Serral, an Angenas, a second-rank family in the Lambrew Empire, was truly 'noble'.
In fact, in the past, there were times when direct money transactions and obsession with money were regarded as non-aristocratic.
But that's all in the old days.
The nobles were shocked by the appearance of Lombardy starting commerce and taking control of everything with the power of money.
Realizing the power of having multiple assets, they were making a revolution with either the money they had been sleeping on or actively setting up a trading organization and jumping into commerce.
That's why the Angenas family, which lasted until the end, created the Durac merchant guild and reached out to the textile market.
I recalled the last time Durac visited the mansion to seek Lombardy's help in regards to money. But Bellesac, a descendant of Angenas, is making such a contradictory fuss.
“Then it can't be helped.” Clerivan shrugged.
“I have no choice but to give Mr. Bellesac a failing grade for this assignment.”
"Fail?"
For a moment, Bellesac's face as he was muttering the word quickly turned red.
"Why would you give me a failing grade?"
"There's nothing I can do about it. The assignment is to sell this log, but Mr. Bellesac refuses to do so, so I have to fail you."
“Then it’s okay for the teacher to change the assignment! The problem is that the assignment is stupid from the start!”
"Is that so? Alright."
That was it. Clerivan was neither angry nor tried to make Bellesac understand. He just turned around and spoke to us excluding Bellesac.
"You can have the money from selling the tree logs, and the person who earns the most money has a reward from me, so please work hard."
Eventually, Bellesac, completely excluded, groaned.
'Bang!'
The door burst open and he left.
That didn't mean anyone cares.
I went a little closer and looked at the log.
"Hmm."
I wondered if there was anything missing from what I know, but it was really an ordinary log.
Clerivan said we could use any method.
I squatted in front of the log, poking the rough barks and starting to work my head fiercely.
Where can I use this log?
It was obvious that I would not receive a few pennies even if I tried to sell it as it is. If so, it means that I have to process it.
The moment I thought about it, a memory suddenly flashed in my head.
Oh, there was that person. The person who will make these crude logs reborn as masterpieces.
That man was now in Lombardy.
* * *
The room that my father and I use was more like an apartment than a 'room'.
There is only one entrance door to this place, but there are four rooms connected to the space used as a living room and the reception room.
Compared to the place where the other brothers of my father live, it looks a lot smaller, but it is a perfect size for us.
That is if my father doesn't mess with the books all over the parlor like today.
When I arrived in the living room, I was amazed at how messed-up the place was. I was standing far away, but my dad couldn't see me because he was immersed in what he was doing.
Being careful not to step on the books on the floor, I went to my father's side and saw him drawing something with a serious look.
"Dad …?"
"Oh, our Tia have come?" Hearing my voice, my father raised his head and smiled brightly.
"Are you busy?"
"No, I'm not busy." As my father said so, he set aside what he was drawing and put it away.
Even if your daughter may be a little annoying in interfering with what you were focusing on, you will still give her your full attention and even hugged her tightly.
“Actually, I have a request for you, Dad.”
"Oh, our Tia is asking for a favor. Dad will listen to anything you say."
"Then, please draw me a picture."
"A picture?" Father said, tilting his head.
"Then, what kind of picture would you like me to draw? Flowers? Trees? Or cute animals?"
"Grandmother's face."
"... Grandmother's face?"
What I asked for was pretty embarrassing, my father blinked, lost for words.
"Yes, I wonder what Grandma was like."
My grandmother died a few years before I was born. I saw her image in the portrait left behind, but that was all...
With a curious face, he grabbed the sketchbook again, which he had pushed back even though he was scratching his cheek.
“Well... The last time I saw her was too long ago. I don’t remember well but I'll try.”
While saying so, my father's hand moved quickly. Without hesitating a few times, the pencil in his hand moved like it was dancing on the white paper.
I quietly sat next to my father and watched him. There was only a crunching sound in the living room.
"Oh, this is it."
"Wow!"
It wasn't false praise. When I saw the finished drawing, admiration flowed out of my mouth unconsciously.
The grandmother that my father remembers was smiling with a tender look. There were some light wrinkles around the eyes with tips drooping a little, similar to my father.
Although it was drawn only with black lines, I could feel the love portrayed in both eyes.
"My mother was a very friendly person."
His words were blurred as if Father misses her. He stroked the edge of the paper a few times with his thumb before carefully tearing off the page from the pad and giving it to me.
“But why did you suddenly ask me to draw Grandma's picture, Tia?”
"Well, I have someone to show it."
"Who?"
My dad seemed to want to ask more, but I didn't answer instead I rolled a piece of paper in one hand and jumped down from the chair.
“I'll come after playing outside for a while. I'll be back!”
"Huh? Outside?"
My father, who seemed flustered for a moment, rushed to shout as I opened the door and ran out.
"Please be careful so as not to fall over!"
I'm not going to fall on my own feet, Father. How old do you think am I?
* * *
Does my father have the ability to read the future?
Tuk.
"Ahh!"
I exited the main building where I live and headed for my destination in excitement, but my feet got caught in the stone jutting out of the ground.
"Ugh!"
My seven-year-old self was able to maintain a bit of balance as not to fall on the ground hard, but the pouch I had tied to my waist fell to the ground.
Oh, my snack pouch!
I could see a piece of candy rolling out of the pouch. It rolled on the ground, but fortunately, it didn't get much dirt. I quickly picked it up and blew on it.
It's not over 5 seconds yet so it's still okay to eat it.
After confirming that there was no visible dirt on the surface, I threw it inside my mouth.
"Hey!"
Looking at the direction of the sound, two small heads quickly ducked behind the wall.
These golden heads were familiar.
"Come out you two." Even though I talked to them, they still haven't given me an answer.
"Gillieu, Mairon."
When I called their names, the twins were hesitating before approaching me. However, their facial expressions are strange.
Gillieu was staring at me, and Mairon seemed to be restless.
"You ate what fell on the ground."
"They said that what fell on the ground must be thrown away.”
Oh, you saw it, huh.
"Why? Why would you do that?"
I was very embarrassed to be found out eating candy that fell on the ground, but I decided to stand firm.
"You will die, Tia."
"Let's go to Dr. O'Malley, Tia."
The twins grabbed each one of my arms and tried to pull me.
“A person barely dies from that, you know?”
What bothersome guys.
"Why are you two stalking me?"
I quickly changed the topic before they could drag me away.
"Well, that's..."
Fortunately, the twins suddenly became speechless and quiet.
"If you don't have anything to say, then I'll go. Bye."
There was no time to be wasting here like this. I'm busy and I need to go somewhere.
When I turned around, Mairon said urgently to me.
"We want to go together with you!"
"Do you even know where I'm going?"
"I don't know, but it will be fun!"
"Right! Because Tia is fun!”
Are you kidding me?
I thought about it for a while, but I know one thing is for sure. I'm not one to follow when others say don't follow them.
"Then, stay quiet so as to not be a bother. I'm busy."
"Okay!"
"I'll be sure to be quiet!"
The twins nodded while laughing with identical expressions. They sure were cute. These sprouts were already a beauty as kids, how much more if they grew.
Soon, I started moving in the direction where I was supposed to go.
I intended to walk faster, but my legs were still too short, so I didn't get any much faster than I am.
“But where are we going?”
The one who asked me was Gillieu, walking leisurely as if he's out for a walk.
“Just wait and see. I know he was here somewhere.”
This is hard. Fortunately, the person I was looking for was not far away.
Among the oversized Lombardy mansion buildings, it is the most outlying, but the most vibrant.
It was a small area occupied by small single-detached houses. It has a completely different atmosphere from the main building where we live in.
“Wow, whoa! Where is this?"
"I didn't know there was such a place in our estate!"
The twins couldn't shut up and look around in amazement.
"This is the residences of Lombardy's employees along with their families." I triumphantly explained by wiping the sweat off my chin.
Now all I have to do is ask and I will be able to find him.
A genius sculptor who bloomed late at the age of 30.
An artist from Lombardy who later sculpted the future Emperor's statue.
Alpheo Jean, now 16 years old, is living here.
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January 08, 2021
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