Chapter 34: Trying to Be Clever but Failing
Back when Lisa was still in the academy, she had a decent number of friends.
Not as famous as Elise, but she still had classmates she could get along with.
Following the idea of “if I can’t do it myself, I’ll ask for help,” Lisa began to look around.
She didn’t dare to be too obvious, because there were many Church staff inside. If she acted too openly, she might be questioned.
Disrespecting knowledge was not a small matter.
In serious cases, it could even lead to jail.
So Lisa carefully looked around, hoping to find someone she knew.
As her eyes moved around, she really did spot a small figure holding books.
Why is it her…
Lisa knew her, she was a top student in their class. Their relationship was okay.
She could definitely ask her for help.
But that would go against Anna’s instruction, not to reveal anything about the Ice Bear King.
Lisa still wanted to find someone she could truly trust.
She hesitated a lot. Then she opened the textbook again, but after reading for less than three minutes, she made a decision. She would just hide it from Anna.
As long as she didn’t say anything, no one would know who drew the map.
And since this top student worked at the Church, Anna wouldn’t dare come here and cause trouble.
Lisa stood up and walked toward the girl. When she got close, she cleared her throat and said:
“What a coincidence, Victoria. You’re here too?”
The girl turned her head and noticed Lisa, looking a bit surprised.
“Lisa? What brings you here to read? Did you fail your classes and get called back?”
Lisa smiled awkwardly. “I’ve already graduated. I’m busy with other things now. Let’s talk somewhere else?”
She pointed to a nearby quiet room.
Victoria nodded and followed her in, holding her books.
“What have you been doing here recently?”
Lisa held back the urge to immediately ask for help and decided to talk a bit first.
Victoria was fixing her tangled brown hair. When she heard Lisa, she replied warmly.
“Sorting books. My teacher asked me to help organize them here, said it would improve my abilities.”
“I see. Then I’ll get straight to the point. I’m preparing to defeat a boss, but I can’t draw the dungeon map properly. These are the terrain materials. Can you help me figure out where the boss is most likely to appear?”
Lisa placed the books on the table.
Victoria adjusted her small round glasses and frowned slightly.
“This boss doesn’t look simple. But I remember you had a very strong support with you, what was his name… Peiya? Why don’t you just ask him to draw it? I’ve seen the maps he made for you before, they were really good. Why ask me? Compared to him, I feel like a complete beginner.”
Lisa: …
Why does even a random person know Peiya’s name?
“When did I ever tell you about this?”
“Did you forget? During the tree spirit mission, you came here to check books too. Oh right, you were sleeping at the time, and the map next to you was probably drawn by him. I even looked at it. It was very impressive, very standard and well-made. I tried to copy it later and practiced all night, but I still couldn’t do it.”
Lisa clearly didn’t remember this. Her face suddenly felt hot.
Hearing someone praise Peiya made her feel uncomfortable.
“That’s all in the past. He’s no longer suitable for our team.”
“Huh? Did he leave on her own?”
In Victoria’s opinion, staying with Lisa’s team didn’t seem like a very promising future anyway.
But what Lisa said next completely shocked her.
“I kicked him out. Our Dawn Guild doesn’t need someone like him.”
Lisa lifted her chin, looking proud.
“???”
Victoria’s mind froze.
She wanted to curse, but the Church didn’t allow it.
So she could only speak in an awkward tone.
“Wow… you’re really amazing~”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean it exactly as it sounds.”
—Idiot.
Even though being sarcastic felt good, Victoria quickly calmed down. Her teacher had mentioned it before. If there was a chance, she should try to invite Peiya to visit the Holy Academy. This might be that chance.
Before this, she had tried to find Peiya, but couldn’t find Peiya at all…
Maybe Lisa knew something.
“So, your problem now is that you can’t draw the map? Then why not just invite him back?”
“Why should I invite him back? That person tore up the guild application form. I saw it with my own eyes.”
Victoria shook her head. “Did you ever think that maybe he had his reasons? My teacher really likes him, and even wanted to take him as a student. Do you know what a special admission is? Those spots are extremely valuable, not something ordinary people can get…”
“...Even I had to study for a long time to pass, and in the end, my mentor only helped me because he felt sorry for me. You know my grades, right? I’m among the top in our class. Even I can’t compare to his level. He doesn’t even need to take exams, he can go straight in. Lisa, don’t you understand what I’m saying?”
“Un… understand what?”
Lisa wasn’t a good student, so she didn’t really understand Victoria’s explanation. She only felt that Victoria was acting very exaggerated.
It sounded like something important, though.
“You… you dummy, is your brain filled with dung beetles? My teacher is a high-level leader in the Church. If someone like that takes interest in you, joining the Church is just a matter of nodding your head. Let me tell you, if I worked myself to death, I might still not secure a stable position in the Church. At best, I’d just be a contract worker. But him? He basically gets everything handed to him. I’m so jealous I could die. Comparing people really makes you angry. So, you silly Lisa. You just drove him away like that? Are you really that dumb? Honestly, even if I draw the map for you, you probably won’t understand it. How did you even get into such a good guild?”
“……”
Lisa was completely stunned by Victoria’s series of questions.
She clenched her fists quietly. She had never hated someone this much before.
She knew asking this girl for help would come at a cost. But to avoid being scolded by Anna again later…
She could only endure it.
After Victoria finished everything she wanted to say, Lisa finally spoke.
“Fine, I admit I’m not good enough. So, can you please help me draw the map? I can pay you.”
“I don’t want money. I can draw the map, but you need to tell me something about Peiya from your team. My teacher wants to meet him, and I’m just a poor worker. I want to make my teacher happy. If I get promoted later, maybe I can help you even more in the future.”
Lisa: …
Can she stop bringing up Peiya?
Just thinking about how easily Peiya could enter the Church made Lisa grind her teeth in anger.
Someone she once looked down on could suddenly rise so high.
Lisa didn’t understand the hidden struggles inside the Church, but she knew one thing.
If Peiya entered the Church, Peiya would be far above her.
That gap was something Lisa couldn’t accept.
Why should that person live better than her?
Why?!
When it came to jealousy, Lisa was no less than Anna.
In a way, the reason she followed Anna so closely was also because she wanted to enter high society.
And now, the chance she worked so hard for could be easily obtained by Peiya.
She couldn’t accept it. She really couldn’t!
Why did she have to struggle so much just to get a tiny chance?
She once thought that if she caught the eye of some noble prince, her life would rise quickly.
But now she realized that dream might be false.
It was all because of Peiya…
All because of Peiya!
Lisa’s eyes turned red with anger, which even made Victoria feel a bit uneasy.
“Lisa, are you okay? If you’re not feeling well, I can take you to the infirmary. I won’t call you stupid anymore, you’re super smart, alright?”
“I’m not angry at you. In fact, I’ve decided to accept your deal.”
Lisa smiled slightly. The image of Peiya appeared in her mind, and she said,
“Of course, as a sign of sincerity, I’ll tell you why you couldn’t find Peiya. I’ll only tell you this. Victoria, don’t tell anyone except your teacher. The reason is… Peiya is actually a girl.”