༺ Last Class Standing (5) ༻
There’s a saying that just watching someone eat can fill you up. It could be because they’re eating so heartily, or maybe because the eater was so pretty that it was just delightful to watch. I’ve heard of something like that, but I have never experienced it myself.
But today, I stepped into a new world.
‘They eat really well.’
Both Amelia and Olivia were eating an astonishing amount, especially Amelia. It was a wonder how so much could fit into her small frame.
‘To think they eat this well.’
These girls, who ate well when given food, had only turnip scraps. The elder sister wouldn’t even eat since it wasn’t enough for the both of them, so only the younger one did…
An indescribable feeling of sadness rose in my heart. I haven’t felt this way since I found Yuris and Sophia starving to death in a back alley.
Olivia, who was larger than Amelia, seemed to eat faster. However, her portion wasn’t decreasing. Meanwhile, the food in front of us was quickly running out.
“We’ll need more.”
As I stood up to get more food, Amelia hurriedly followed.
“No, no, it’s okay! We’ve already eaten more than enough!”
“But you’re competing, right? You need to eat well.”
I pressed Amelia’s shoulder down. She trembled, but then sat back down.
Olivia just looked on with sparkling eyes at the mention of more food.
“Thmfk yff!”
“…Okay.”
I couldn’t understand what she was saying because her mouth was full of food, but it seemed like she was saying thank you. This friend might have a light wallet, but she definitely had manners.
I nodded at Olivia and quickly turned away. If there were no eyes on me, I might have cried into my fist.
‘The Empire owes them.’
A society where even commoners with talent could succeed and where active social mobility was possible. That was the pride of the Kefellofen Empire. Yet to see an academy student, a symbol of talented commoners, in such a state…
It was the Empire’s fault, and mine. If I had properly inspected the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Welfare, this wouldn’t have happened.
With a heavy heart, I ordered a large amount of food, also including desserts this time.
“Th-thank you…”
I almost cried when I saw Amelia sobbing as she bit into a macaron.
‘I’m weak to this kind of thing.’
I wonder if these children even knew what happiness was.
***
Fortunately, I didn’t have to do a soul-crushing inspection.
Whether it was a good thing was debatable, but at least the Empire wasn’t completely corrupt.
“Do you have siblings?”
“Yes, there’s three after Olivia.”
I couldn’t tell if Amelia’s shaking had calmed down because she was full or because she saw me as a kind person who fed her. Regardless, her trembling had lessened compared to before.
When I gently inquired about their dire poverty, she cautiously opened up. She said that the money from the academy wasn’t insignificant, but she added that she was sending it all to her siblings.
“They are at an age where they need a lot, and with Olivia also enrolled, we needed to hire someone to look after them.”
Her words were somber, but her face lit up with pride as she talked about her siblings growing up.
The poor girl was skipping meals to care for her siblings. Damn it, I’m weak to this sort of thing.
“I-I’m sorry!”
Interpreting my expression in her own way, the pale-faced Amelia bowed her head as if she were about to hit it on the desk.
“I’m sorry for using the money meant for my studies elsewhere! But my siblings have no other source of income…”
I closed my eyes tightly.
Her words made it seem like I was interrogating her. After all, how a student used their scholarship or living allowance was their own business.
“Unnie didn’t do anything wrong!”
‘Ah.’
Olivia, who had been quiet, also joined in.
Unable to stay silent as her precious elder sister trembled, she hugged Amelia, or rather, enveloped her, her eyes glistening with tears.
“It was me who insisted on sending the money! Unnie tried to stop me, but I was the one who wanted to do it!”
Please, don’t do this to me.
From a distance, this would look like a noble oppressing two commoners. It’s like something out of a morality tale.
Speechless, I simply watched the two impoverished sisters. Before I knew it, Amelia was slapping Olivia on the back, scolding her for saying unnecessary things.
‘The Empire’s karma…’
If there had been a welfare system for Amelia’s siblings to live worry-free, none of this would have happened.
It might be an impossible utopia, but it was still the Empire’s karma. That was how I’ve decided to think about it now.
“It’s not something to blame yourself for, so be quiet.”
First, I decided to calm down the two sisters who were gnawing away at my mental peace.
The story of them starving themselves to send money to their siblings was worthy of commendation and not criticism. What kind of deranged noble would berate them after hearing that story and say, “How dare you spend the money of the empire for your personal use?”
Even the paranoid Emperor possessed a spirit of benevolence towards the common people. In fact, he would probably lament his own shortcomings upon hearing such stories of poverty among his subjects.
Of course, ‘lamenting his shortcomings’ usually meant cracking down on those beneath him.
“The money is the student’s once it has been given. Whether it’s used for family or gambled away is not something for us to interfere with.”
Amelia nodded repeatedly, reassured by my firm response.
“But the fact that the money is meant for the student, and yet the student is in this state…”
She tensed up again.
This was troubling. The Ministry of Education and Welfare had done its part. They provided appropriate support to these sisters, and there were no issues in the delivery process from the Academy.
The problem was that what I thought was the final destination for the aid was merely a stopover and that the aid was passed on as soon as it was received. What could be done about that?
‘There’s no solution.’
There was no way to help in this situation. We couldn’t just increase the financial aid from the already compliant departments. And even if we did, these sisters would likely send any extra funds to their siblings.
Demanding them not to send the money to their siblings? That would be too harsh.
“Do you have a moment?”
After some thought, an idea came to mind.
No matter how much I thought about it, there seemed to be no other solution.
***
After a simple meal and some work, Carl visited. Although I had things to do, it wasn’t so pressing that I had to send Carl away.
In fact, this was good. It meant that Carl was really into me if he wanted to see me despite knowing that I was busy.
“Ah. Marghetta, hello…?”
“Hello, senior!”
But I was taken aback by the unexpected combination.
I knew these faces. Amelia, being one of the relatively few commoner students and in the same grade as me, was familiar to me. She was quite capable and affable, so I remembered her.
And Olivia was her sister and also a commoner student. Her theoretical skills were poor, but she had enrolled in the upper ranks based on practical skills alone. The head prefect eyed her, but they never managed to bring her in since she was always with Amelia.
“Hello, Amelia. And Olivia, nice to see you too.”
It was an unexpected combination, but it was impolite to ignore a greeting, especially when Carl brought them as guests.
I smiled warmly at the two guests and turned to Carl. There must be a good reason he brought them, but I had to hear it directly.
“It seems you know each other.”
“I know them a little. Actually, I’m more surprised that Carl knows them.”
Carl, seeming a bit embarrassed by my comment, placed his hands on the shoulders of Amelia and Olivia.
I felt a bit slighted to see him touching other women in front of me. If it were Lady Louise, maybe I’d understand.
“I heard the student council is short-staffed.”
Hiding my feelings, I nodded in response to Carl’s words. Although there had never been a vacancy in the seven-member student council, we were indeed short on members for lower roles. The student council wasn’t exactly a popular destination.
I glanced back and forth between Amelia and Olivia. If Carl brought up the student council with these guests, then his next words were predictable.
It wasn’t a bad idea. Olivia was already a talent sought by the head prefect, and Amelia was known for her good grades. It was indeed rare to find a commoner student lacking in ability.
“We’re short, yes. Just two more members would give us some breathing room.”
“That’s good. How about these two?”
“What?”
“Huh?”
Carl’s words surprised them both.
‘So he decided on his own.’
Carl should have explained before bringing them here. Doing this without the parties knowing was a bit much.
I almost laughed at the somewhat clumsy scene but held back, not wanting to make Carl a laughingstock in front of others.
“The student council is always open.”
“Then it’s just up to these two.”
Carl then whispered something brief to them—
“I’ll do it.”
“We’ll do it!”
And just like that, we had new members in the student council.
***
I sometimes forget, but my official role at the academy was a Prosecutor. So, I was aware of the funds and resources used within the academy.
Thanks to that, I also knew about the very minor and seemingly insignificant privileges of the student council, privileges likely unknown to anyone not part of it.
“Members of the student council can use campus facilities for free.”
“F-free?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, even the cafeteria?”
“Yes.”
At my whisper, Amelia and Olivia eagerly joined the student council.
Free use of campus facilities might sound grand, but it really wasn’t much. What’s so expensive about using campus facilities?
Noble students wouldn’t care, and even ordinary commoner students, with their scholarships and support funds, often overlooked such privileges. It was no different from offering free coffee from a vending machine to someone with a wallet full of bills.
‘I didn’t expect anyone to actually use it.’
It seems my tear ducts were working overtime today. Watching Marghetta happily sign the paperwork I offered made my heart ache.
Giving these girls more money would just mean more sent to their siblings. This was the right choice. Let them eat as much as they want.
Honestly, they’re humans; they must get hungry. They ate heartily when I offered them food, and they even looked like this after learning that they could use the cafeteria for free.
‘Poor things.’
I suddenly realized that I had two more people to write recommendation letters for.
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