Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: The Kitten and the Travel Club
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Philip finally made it back to the villa and could catch his breath only after enduring about two hours of torment from Felicia upon returning to the academy.
He ran into Lua right away, as she had just finished her morning classes.
"Instructor, you've been so busy...?"
Her voice had a sharp edge to it. She'd spent several evenings eating alone and falling asleep by herself, so it was understandable. Feeling a pang of guilt, Philip gave her an awkward smile.
"I've been a bit tied up, but it's all sorted now."
Lua's expression brightened a little at his words. Then she noticed his chest puffing out dramatically.
"Is that your boobies?"
"No, what kind of talk is that?"
Startled by Lua's unfiltered word choice, Philip hurriedly undid a few buttons on his overcoat. Their picnic the other day had closed a lot of the distance between them.
"Ah! A kitty!"
Lua's eyes widened as she spotted the tiny kitten asleep inside Philip's coat.
It was a small, black baby kitten. With its round face, short legs, and soft fur still in that tender phase, it was cute enough to charm a girl Lua's age without effort.
The Black Cat Tribe's Tania opened her eyes as the noise around her grew.
"Hiss!"
"Stay calm. No one's going to hurt you."
Seeing the unfamiliar girl right in front of her, she bristled her fur and bared her teeth immediately. Philip lightly tapped Tania's crown with his finger, scolding her.
"What's with that cat?"
"Well, here's the story..."
After hearing Philip's explanation about the Black Cat Tribe and why Tania was here, Lua's face fell into a sad frown.
"That's so pitiful..."
Of course, he'd skipped the torture details, but just knowing she'd suffered a huge shock was enough to make Lua's eyes well up with tears.
"Can I hold her?"
"Hmm. Give it a try."
Philip knew Lua had a knack for getting along with beasts.
Having grown up in the mountains since childhood, Lua hadn't played with dolls or house like other kids her age—instead, she'd raced squirrels up trees and trailed bears to share honeycombs. She might just have a shot at bonding with Tania.
As Philip suspected, Lua had a natural talent for handling animals.
She kept a proper distance from Tania, extending her hand palm-up or suddenly crouching down, repeating these seemingly cryptic gestures a few times.
Philip felt the fur on the bristling Tania start to settle.
"Meow. Meooow."
As Tania mewed a few times, her aggression fading, Lua seemed to understand and spoke up.
"She wants down, Instructor."
"Huh? You can understand her?"
Philip tilted his head in confusion but set Tania down on the floor as Lua suggested. She could catch her again even if she bolted.
The moment the kitten's paws hit the ground, Lua strode forward and crouched right next to her.
Tania's tail shot straight up as she sniffed at Lua with her tiny nose. Lua brought her hand close to Tania's snout and said,
"Hi, Tania. I'm Lua."
The girl's high, cheerful voice didn't feel threatening, so Tania allowed the approach.
'Is it because you're the first person to come at her so politely?'
Normally, she should've lunged to scratch or bite by now. Considering the hostility she'd shown Stella, that would've been par for the course.
But somehow, it made sense.
After living among selfish, brutal assassins who valued human lives less than pocket change, meeting someone who approached with manners for the first time?
"Miiiaow."
Lua succeeded in befriending Tania in no time. She scooped her up with a beaming smile.
"...Impressive."
"She's so pretty! I'll ask the maid sisters for some milk and feed her. Okay?"
"Y-yeah, go ahead."
Philip felt like he'd been possessed by a ghost. He hadn't expected that feral cat to turn into a perfect pet so quickly. Lua, thrilled at his permission, dashed off to the dining hall with Tania in her arms.
"Wait, I'll come with you."
Worried Tania might snap and attack a maid, Philip hurried after her.
He'd been agonizing over what to do with that cat, so this unexpected easy fix was a relief.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The next day at the academy, after finishing his afternoon schedule, Philip was summoned by Felicia and received some surprising news.
"You want me to be a club advisor?"
Felicia nodded at his question.
"Yes. All the other professors and instructors are already advising at least one club to support the students' independent activities. If you're serious about your academy duties, you should join in too."
"...Fair point."
Previa Academy had over twenty clubs.
Beyond the most popular ones like Swordsmanship Research and Magic Research, there were clubs for strolling, reading, debates, gardening, or even tea times.
First-years hadn't started club activities yet, but they would from May onward. Philip thought it over carefully before asking Felicia,
"What if I wanted to create my own club?"
She pondered briefly before countering,
"...Regulations don't prohibit it. The Swordsmanship and Magic Research clubs were started by staff to aid academics. But what kind of club are you thinking?"
"A card game club."
"Hey!!"
Felicia smacked the back of Philip's head hard. He writhed in pain for a moment, wiped away tears, and corrected himself.
"Kidding. I'm thinking of a travel club."
"Travel? That'd be tricky if external trips are the main focus. Costs add up, and the kids need proper rest on weekends, which might not be guaranteed."
Philip shook his head at Felicia's concerns.
"Don't worry about costs. And external activities would be just twice a month, returning by Sunday morning."
He'd already planned out the club details. Felicia mulled it over, then nodded.
"...True, you've got money to burn. Alright, fill out the application first. I'm not the final approver anyway—the Dean has to sign off on new clubs."
"Why would he turn down me spending my money to do something nice for the students?"
"Oh, and the most important part: a new club needs at least three students committed to joining. First-years can't yet, so from second-year up."
"...That's a bit tough."
Philip let out a small sigh.
'Though I could probably scrape together three if I think about it.'
As a brand-new instructor this year, he had no connections with upperclassmen.
But for the future, he needed to advise a club that allowed outside activities. It was the only way to naturally nurture Lua and the comrades she'd gain later.
He agreed and left the office straight for the library—to target the easiest student to recruit first.
"Ah, Instructor?"
Cheryl beamed and welcomed him as he entered. To her, Philip was a lifesaver, so her reaction was only natural.
"Hey, Cheryl. Feeling better?"
After the vampire encounter in the dungeon, she'd needed a few days of recovery.
"Yes! Thank you so much back then. I really thought I was done for... Seeing my mom's face after so long eased my heart a bit too."
"Glad to hear it. How about Janice Muriel?"
"Janice is... Oh, the young miss is fine too."
Cheryl lowered her voice to a whisper.
"She chewed me out about the uniform blunder, said it'd stay secret till we die."
She giggled as she said it. Philip nodded in satisfaction, realizing she and Janice Muriel had grown closer than expected.
"That's great."
"But what brings you here? You haven't visited the library in ages."
"I have a favor to ask."
Cheryl's eyes sparkled at the idea of Philip asking her for something.
"If I can help, I'll do anything!"
Moved by her enthusiasm, Philip got to the point.
"I'm planning to start a club, but to get approval, I need three students signed up. So, about twice a month..."
Before he could finish explaining, Cheryl nodded vigorously.
"Yes, I'm in!"
"Wait, I haven't even said what kind of club."
"Any club you make is fine by me, Instructor."
She meant it. She clearly remembered Philip's back as he risked his life against the vampire for her and Janice.
She'd passed out midway and missed the outcome, but she knew it had been an insanely tough fight.
"I'll convince Janice and young master Stefan too. Stefan always listens to me, so he'll join no problem. For Janice... worst case, I'll blackmail her?"
Philip pretended not to know exactly what leverage she'd use and nodded.
"That'd be a huge help."
"No trouble at all."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ An hour later, Cheryl returned with signatures from Stefan Bray and Janice Muriel, handing them to Philip.
He passed them to Felicia, who widened her eyes in surprise.
"...All from the Magic Department?"
"Yep, Magic Department students."
"But you're a Swordsmanship Department instructor."
"We got close during that field trip last time."
"Ah, those kids."
Felicia nodded in realization. She'd been worried sick over that incident too.
"With student signatures secured, we need to submit the proposal to the Dean. Coming along?"
Philip shook his head at her offer. He didn't particularly want to face the Dean. With her help, he meticulously filled out the proposal.
"Don't get too upset if it's rejected, just in case."
With that, Felicia headed to the Dean's office to meet Archmage Rosello Graham.
She returned shortly after with shocking news.
"Philip, the Dean wants a meeting with you. Says he'll only stamp the approval if you come in person."
"...What?"
Philip racked his brain for why the Dean might summon him.
'Too many reasons.'
There were plenty: the Magic Department field trip, the recent assassin squad incident. He didn't know what it'd be about, but he steeled himself and nodded.
"...No choice, then."
'He hasn't figured out about the dragon, has he?'
Everything else was fine, but if he'd sniffed out the dragon's existence, that would be a real problem.
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