After the long stretch of today's school day, the five of us (me, Leon, Luna, Elithia, and, as usual, Lumi following us) headed toward the academy's main courtyard, choosing to settle in the academy's nursery filled with various flowers and scents that bring comfort to our simple souls.
Leon exchanged jokes with me, Elithia and Luna were chatting between themselves about feminine topics, and Lumi was holding onto the edge of my jacket.
"I took pictures of the entire fight that happened between you and the teacher on my phone. Want to take a look?"
"No… I don't want that," I said with a heavy breath, pushing Leon's phone away as he eagerly shoved it toward my face.
We reached our destination, focusing all our attention on the soft grass sprouting with different kinds of flowers. Everything went normally, as if we were crawling inside an empty loop filled with happiness—until a person stood before us, his shadow stretching down to our feet.
"So, you're here, Klo Yuthnir. Have you healed from the scars of the wave of troubles that swam in its depths?"
"Yeah, yeah. You can leave now. I want to enjoy my time before it sours with your presence."
Leon leaned his mouth close to my ear and released a warm breath, whispering light words with a frightening meaning for him.
"Klo, do you know who that man standing before you is?"
"If I did, what would happen to me?"
"He's the director. Please behave politely with him; I don't want to get caught up in trouble."
"Huh? You want me to lower my level to talk to that thing with noble eyes? You're joking, right?"
Leon pulled his head away from me, murmuring deeply, as if I had hurt his feelings.In the middle of my conversation with the director, I felt Lumi's grip holding me tightly. I shifted my gaze to see her. She carried a mixture of anger and hatred fully aimed forward.I lowered my head a bit, approached Lumi, and whispered in her ear,
"What's wrong?"Lumi raised her hand, pointing her finger toward the director.
"That— that bastard, he's been sealing me all those years and destroyed my loved ones and friends!"
I had never seen Lumi with these expressions. I was used to her childish behavior and silly jokes, but what my eyes stared at was not what I was used to seeing.I turned my gaze away from her, directing it toward the director, whose face bore only a smile hiding the destruction of his deeds.
I smiled as if mocking Lumi's sorrow and the director's pride. I opened my mouth, parting my cracked lips.
"Tell me, noble one, have you previously asked a mythical entity to grant you its knowledge but was refused?"
The director tilted his head slightly to the right, scratching his chin with his hand covered by a white glove.
"Hmm, I think so. It was a Snow Fox."
"And what happened after she refused your offer?"
The director took a few short steps, squatting to face me.
"I fought her, leaving wounds on her weak body, then sealed her in one of the dungeons whose location I forgot. If only you could see the face of the entity that everyone fears, begging for its life before a lowly human."
Lumi wanted to leap at him, but he was stronger than she could handle. She trembled—fear… or maybe not. I think it was called desire for revenge.
"Why did you ask me about this, Klo Yuthnir?"
"Nothing, just a passing question."
He stood up and headed back the way he came, waving goodbye.
"That's great, goodbye, Yuthnir."
After he left, Lumi punched the dirt with her frail human body, shedding tears that reflected her pale skin.
"Klo, why is the dirt flying from your side?"
"Don't worry, Luna, I'm just playing with dirt."
I turned my gaze to Lumi, who had gathered her hands covering her face in sorrow.
I sighed, feeling sorry for her.I stretched my legs straight, patted my knee for Lumi to lay her head on it.
"Put your head on my lap and let out everything that's trapped in your heart."
Lumi did as I said, stretching her body and lowering her head slowly, closing her wet eyes.
A long time passed until Lumi slipped into dreams.
Why do I feel this heaviness in my chest?
"I guess we should leave. Good night, Klo."
"Good night, Luna, Elithia."
I carried Lumi who was lying in front of me.
"Why are your hands like that?"
"They're cramped."
"Oh, I see."
He didn't really understand.
…
Morning came, sunlight streamed in through a hole in my window, sneaking into my dark room, making the beam look like a light of hope.
I got out of my messy bed… I think the whole room needs tidying up. I stood in the middle of the room and opened the window with its rusty iron frame.I walked toward Lumi, who had spent the whole night struggling in despair. Should I let her keep sleeping or wake her?
I left Lumi to continue sleeping and continued my way to the kitchen to cook food for us.While cooking, Lumi entered the kitchen, rubbing her eyes, drowned in sleepiness and dark circles.
"Good morning, Lumi."
"Good morning, Ethan."
She took small, swaying steps toward the chairs surrounding the table. I prepared breakfast, serving it in two square plates.
"Here's your meal."
Lumi yawned and started eating. I followed her until we finished.I changed my clothes and left my room to meet Luna and Elithia in front of the dormitory separated by a fence—one side for girls, the other for boys.
"Good morning, Klo."
"Good morning, Luna and Elithia. Shall we go?"
We walked to the hall until we arrived. I found Leon as usual with that silly expression on his face and at his spot that will never become a spider's den. By God, Leon, have you ever missed even half a day?
We sat in our usual seats in the same order (Leon, Klo, Luna, Elithia).I turned my head to Leon who seemed to enjoy this morning rhythm.
"Do you always spawn in this hall?"
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind."
"Um, Klo… Yuthnir?"
I heard a female student's voice from the wall next to Leon. I followed the source with my eyes that were smelling his path, to find a girl with cat ears and tail?She was a half-beast.
"Yes?"
"Can— can you help me review our previous lesson?"
Our previous lesson? What lesson? And why is she shy from someone like me?
"Sure?—"
"No!"
Luna's voice cut in, sounding strict in the conversation between us two.
"Your wife is strict."
"Shut up."
Luna looked at me sideways, my soul almost left its place for a moment.
"I—I wasn't with you, I was with Leon."
"Why me?"
I stared at Lumi, whose presence I hadn't noticed.
"What are you doing here?"
"Following you, as usual."
She continued the discussion between the three of us.
"Why not, Luna?"
"I want to attend your review."
Luna looked really serious. But that doesn't mean I would stop my goal to ascend to the throne of this academy.
"What do you think about break time, uh—"
"Mawi."
Mawi?
"M—Mawi!"
Lumi fell to the ground, rolling while bursting into laughter.
"I agree, Yuthnir."
"Fantastic."
We finished our talk as the teacher entered and prepared the hall to start the lesson. We continued the morning classes like this until the mana-powered bell rang for break.
I went to meet Mawi where I promised, she was sitting on one of the benches planted in the concrete courtyard of the academy, under a tree bearing pink flowers on its branches.I sat beside her, leaving a safe distance between us.
"Where's Luna?"
"I don't know, she didn't come with me."
"…"
Lumi took out her notebook and ink pen from her bag. All I could think about was focusing my attention on teaching this cat.
"What lesson didn't you understand, and which subject?"
"Mathematics."
Ugh, salt in the wound.
"I'll help you."
Mathematics in this world was relatively easy, a mix of the logic from my world combined with mana from this world. It might be difficult for them despite its simple rules here, but complex for someone like me who studied differently.If I were born in this world, I think I would excel in it.I explained the lesson to Mawi step by step, and when we finished and before we both left, I tried to ask her,
"Wait, Mawi, can I ask you something?"
"Y-yes."
"What do clans mean, and how do their abilities differ?"
Mawi stepped back, holding the edges of her skirt and bending forward.
"Sorry, Yuthnir, I don't have the right to disclose the private matters of our clans—the half-humans—to other races."
Mawi turned to continue on her way, while I sighed in despair from the answer she gave me.
"Private matters," she said. If only they knew I was the owner of this world, they would all submit to me.
I opened the system window and used the writer's board on it. I read her stats, history, and interests.
"Interested in Klo Yuthnir!"
I felt a sudden choking in my throat. I rushed forward coughing as hard as I could until I fainted.Cough~ cough
Lumi ran toward me, hurrying to pull out a water bottle hidden in her bag.
"Here, drink, Klo. Sorry if my answer was shocking."
Wonderful. Now I can exploit this weakness of hers.