"I'm sorry, although you've just arrived and courtesy demands I show you your lodgings, right now the administrative work is crucial. Can I take you all to the study chamber right away?"
Honestly, Borris didn't want to deal with children at the moment, nor maintain niceties, but he couldn't afford to appear rude.
Among these students were children of nobles, and respect had to be shown. His eyes even fell briefly on Celeste, clinging to Yuna's arm as she walked beside her.
The Aldrin child—who was said to have no close friends and whose reputation was further worsened by awakening a not-so-impressive sound ability despite belonging to a lineage of sound users.
That aside, thankfully there were only six noble children he could identify so far.
"Lead the way," Yuna said curtly.
She was already thinking hard about what she could do. Administrative work? She had no clue. Maybe she could read up on how the city lord planned and ran things? Well… whatever, she'd see it first.
But oh boy. Read up was a laughable word because—fuck this shiet.
Yuna looked at the endless pile of papers and immediately had the urge to leave the room. Some of her classmates even gave a low whistle at the mountain of paperwork.
Rubbing her glabella, Yuna turned to Lord Borris and directly asked:
"Can you please give me a rundown of your plan going forward, and the current work in progress with the city's dealings with the Black Rain? I'm not much of an administrative work expert, so I'll have to follow along with your plan. Please make it as simple as possible, since I am unlearned."
Lord Borris' mood lifted a little. This child, Yuna, was quite a sensible one. She didn't try to meddle in matters she had no experience in, nor did she attempt to force her own way. Of course, this was still an early judgment—there were many ways she could contradict him and make things difficult—but for now, this attitude was good.
"Of course," he said, beginning his report.
"Dealing with the aftermath of the Black Rain:
• Those already sick are quarantined in treatment and isolation wards.
• Sanitation crews have been formed to dispose of contaminated food and water.
• Controlled testing of soil, water, and crops under the barrier is ongoing.
• Rationing of uncontaminated stockpiles is underway.
• Centralized distribution points have been established, monitored by guards and officials to prevent hoarding and panic.
• Mages and healers have begun purification initiatives for contaminated supplies.
• Citizens are encouraged to remain indoors until zones are declared safe. Patrols and Wardens have been strengthened to enforce orders and prevent riots or theft.
Now, the barrier cannot be depended on indefinitely. We are preparing mages in case it fails, though covering a city this large is a challenge—both in terms of numbers and energy. Villages under our city's jurisdiction also suffer, but the mages are not numerous enough to divide everywhere equally.
Furthermore, people cannot remain in isolation too long, or unrest will spread. To counter this, small markets and workshops have been opened under controlled conditions, to give the sense that life is resuming.
Another priority is the establishment of emergency evacuation shelters, should the barrier collapse.
That is all for now, Young Miss Yuna."
Yuna nodded and jotted everything down in her notebook.
"You are doing well as is, please continue. I've noted the points, and while I don't yet know where I can help, I will think of a way to contribute. As for your mention of lacking mages—my classmates are at your disposal. Feel free to use them as necessary. For guards and patrols, my little warriors can also help. Here, this is the list of their groups—those good at runes, those good at fighting, those good at artifact making and such. Please use them as you see fit. At times like this, capable humans are needed most."
The stifling, pent-up frustration Borris had been bottling thawed at once.
Ahh… this child. Why hadn't he thought of this? Why did he treat these students as mere nuisances? What did his city need most right now? Exactly this—capable people. Human resources.
He admitted it—he had been narrow-minded.
"This is more than the city needs, Young Miss Yuna. Thank you. I shall assign them immediately."
Taking her paper, Lord Borris quickly began placing the students where they would be most useful.
Yuna then turned to her classmates, giving them a stern instruction before they dispersed.
"Do your best, and help as much as you can—but as selfish as this sounds, your safety and happiness are the priority. Don't get bullied, and don't bully others. Learn from the experienced ones, but if you're unhappy, come to me. I'll get upset if you decide to hide it and act tragic. If you don't like something, don't do it. No one is permitted to force you. Do what you're capable of, but if it's within your capability yet something you dislike, then don't do it. You come first. Everything else is secondary. Understand?"
All else considered, Yuna's performance was calm and acceptable—not outstanding, but good enough.
But that last encouragement… it lowered the goodwill of the people watching.
It was selfish, they thought. They had expected her to be passionate, to encourage the students to push through hardships, to endure, to give of themselves. But she didn't.
"What kind of encouragement is that?" someone muttered.
"Not fitting for a leader," another elder sighed, shaking his head.
"She just told them to be lazy if they don't like it," a merchant scoffed.
A group of women in the back whispered among themselves, their voices laced with disapproval:
"Soft words like that will spoil the children."
"Evigheden Academy produces strange ones, I tell you."
One old man even huffed, "If I said that back in my day, my father would've skinned me alive."
Yet, among the younger crowd, a few smirked or chuckled quietly.
"She's right though," one teen whispered to another.
"Yeah, why suffer if you don't have to? Finally, someone said it out loud."
The hall buzzed with a split reaction—half scandalized, half secretly agreeing.
However, above all else, Borris saw nothing wrong.
In fact, he firmly agreed with Yuna's view: one must always put themselves first. The reason he worked so hard for the city was because a stable city guaranteed his own stable life. But of course, as a city lord, he couldn't exactly say that aloud.
He felt a little envious of this girl, who spoke so frankly without filtering her words.
This girl, though she readily handed her classmates over, made sure in her own way to protect them—ensuring they would not be overworked or bullied. Her words though said to her classmate indirectly hint to him as well. Warning him. Clever girl.
Indeed, young as she was, to be chosen as a class representative of Evigheden Academy… she was far from ordinary.
The heart class, on the other hand, smiled brilliantly. Their eyes sparkled as they looked at Yuna. Their Yuna was really so lovely and cute, so endearing. How could they not love and adore her?
"Uhmm… I know."
"Yes, class rep."
"Of course, Mom."
"Yes, Yuna! Hehe!"
Yuna looked at their faces and felt it unbearable, quickly turning her gaze away. They looked like a bunch of idiots—she couldn't stand to see more of their silly expressions.
"Off you go to your assigned tasks," Yuna waved them off dismissively, while she herself remained in the city lord's study room to conduct a little in-depth study of Ravine City and figure out where she could contribute her help.