The Academy's Eroding Discipline
The reason Breeder had been summoned lay on the southern edge of the continent—an academy island known as Valkyrie Island. The entire island served as both the academy and a special management zone for dragons. It was a facility built specifically for hatchlings. On the surface, it resembled nothing more than an educational institution, but its true purpose was a military installation designed to prepare for Ditronos's eventual assault.
That was right. For nearly four hundred years, the hatchlings had been trained in advance for the great battle that would one day come. While the continent itself was overseen by the female adult dragons, the academy had to be defended by the students themselves. It was one of the natural duties expected of them as cadets. Of course, they operated under the professors' command. Enormous responsibilities came with that role—the duty to nurture outstanding talent in preparation for the future. As the academy's practical administrators, it was only natural.
The students' skill and level were inevitably shaped by the instructors' own abilities. Yet now, more than four hundred years after the academy's founding, both students and professors had grown complacent in the temporary peace. It was understandable. Five hundred years had already passed since the demon dragon Ditronos was released from its seal. Though that span was not particularly long for dragons, the continent had remained far quieter than expected. Aside from the occasional appearance of magical beasts, everyday life had continued without incident. Only at the moment of Ditronos's release had the damage been severe; after enough time had passed, even wounds that once seemed eternal had begun to heal, and the pain had dulled.
Not everyone had forgotten, of course, but most had gradually grown accustomed to the peace. Some dragons even claimed that Ditronos must have perished on its own. After all, it had not shown itself even once in nearly five hundred years. That was why such complacent assertions could be voiced so casually. As the uneventful days repeated themselves over such a long period, the majority of dragons had slowly sunk into idleness and negligence.
The professors had even gone so far as to abandon weekend duties. As a result, night-watch shifts were left to the golems, while reconnaissance patrols and facility maintenance had been entrusted entirely to the students. The way tasks were handled had grown increasingly lax with time. Professors now approved reconnaissance teams composed solely of lower-year students without any detailed review, even when no substitutes could be found for regular shifts. In short, discipline had slackened to the breaking point. Most instructors no longer cared much about their duties and already felt weary of the repetitive academy routine. That was why, every weekend, they handed all authority over to the students and flew off to the continent to enjoy themselves—leaving the truly important work to the cadets.
Normally, first-years handled the overnight watches, second-years took care of patrols around the main building, and third- and fourth-years formed teams with the second-years acting as their seconds to handle reconnaissance across Valkyrie Island. They had even pushed the most critical after-school duty—the island-wide patrol—onto the students. The reconnaissance mission alone took half a day, requiring them to traverse the entire island. It was the kind of task that demanded caution, which meant the guidance of experienced upperclassmen was essential.
And yet, right now, this important duty was being entrusted to…
—Thudududududud…!!!
“Huff, hah…! S-Safe—!!!”
“Safe, my foot! You’re five minutes late, Eros!!”
Without any third- or fourth-year marksmen to lead them, the patrol was about to depart with only two second-years.
“It’s the weekend, so what’s the big deal?! Besides, the senior isn’t even here today, right?”
“Is that really something you should be saying on your first patrol?!”
The one who came kicking up a cloud of dust was, as expected, Zero s. Despite being late, she strutted about with an air of confidence, prompting Sonya to shout at her in exasperation. Zero s was also dressed in the combat uniform issued for patrol duty. Fitting for the Love Dragon, a heart-shaped purple gem was embedded in the center of her breastplate—an eye-catching detail.
Still… is this combination really going to be all right?
Sonya, with her honor-student vibe, was one thing, but Zero s was another matter entirely. Her perfect zero scores across every subject were already concerning enough, but her perpetually willful personality was even more worrying. It was like some bizarre balancing act between an elite and a complete failure.
“It’s just running one lap around the academy. What could possibly go wrong?”
“Ugh, it’s not that simple! And that’s exactly why we need to stay on our toes!”
“Hmph. Sonya, you sometimes act like you’re the only adult here. It’s just a stupid patrol!”
“Zero s…! We’re second-years now. So we should be setting an example for the new students—”
“Huh? Sonya? Did you just call me Zero s?”
The moment Sonya and Zero s met, sparks flew between them. The air felt like it could explode at any second.
—Slip, slip……
Johnson quietly slipped away from the tense atmosphere. What a sly dwarf……
“…Fine! Right now, Zero s suits you way better than Eros!”
“Y-You’re the one person who’s not allowed to call me that……!!!”
—Thud, thud, thud…!
The moment Sonya called her Zero s, Eros lunged at her. Arms spread wide, she leapt forward and the two began grappling. Apparently, the nickname Zero s was her trigger switch. From now on, I decided I would call her by her real name whenever possible.
At least they’re not seriously fighting. That’s a relief……
The two second-year girls rolled across the ground in a tangle of limbs. Their movements were fierce, yet neither was using her full strength. If I had to compare it to something… it was like two young beasts play-fighting during a hunting lesson.
“Sonya! Apologize right now…! You know I hate that nickname!!”
“You’re the one who should apologize! Why are you always late?! From this semester on, get your act together……!”
“Tch…! I don’t want to hear it! Dummy! Sonya, I hate you!!!”
Whoa. They were louder than a construction site. The noise had been nonstop since earlier. Sonya scolded her like a mother, while Zero s kept grumbling in her childish way. Though they looked like they were fighting, it was the kind of argument only the closest of friends could have. Neither of them did anything that would actually hurt the other. They just bickered with words. There was no real malice behind it.
I felt like I had seen this exact scene during yesterday’s tea party as well. Usually, Sonya would reluctantly give in and let the pointless squabble fizzle out. But if I left them alone any longer, there would be no end to it. More importantly, I had no desire to get dragged into a disciplinary issue for negligence myself.
“Um… ladies? I heard we’re already running late. Is it really okay for us to be standing around like this?”
I stepped in to mediate. At this rate, it would never end.
“Aah?! Why is this pathetic short-lived species here?!”
Well, well? Her arrogant attitude was as consistent as ever today. The playful tone and expression never changed. It was the kind of voice that made you want to give her a good knock on the head.
“Pfft-♡ Don’t tell me you’ve been stalking this Eros-sama since last time?”
The moment Zero s noticed me, she put some distance between herself and Sonya and started mocking me, her violet eyes sparkling with mischief.
“What are you talking about?”
“If you’re the kind of pervert who would fling open the door to a dorm where a lady is all alone, then stalking me wouldn’t be surprising at all……? Ugh, just imagining it makes me feel gross-♡”
“……”
Despite being much shorter than me, Eros leaned forward and glared up at me. With both hands on her hips, she looked me up and down while giggling. Her voice and gestures were perfectly optimized for teasing people. But her provocative act didn’t last long.
“What are you saying, Zero s? I told you yesterday, remember? Senior Raylin isn’t here, so Teacher Breeder is coming instead!”
“Hik…? S-Sonya?!”
“You couldn’t sleep all night because of that, right? And that’s why you’re late now.”
“P-Please be quiet…! W-When did I ever say that?! There’s no way this Eros-sama would stay up all night waiting for some inferior short-lived species!”
“That doesn’t sound right to me. If it weren’t for Teacher Breeder, you would’ve been even later, wouldn’t you?”
“What have you been saying since earlier, seriously…!!”
“Honestly, for Zero s, being only five minutes late is actually pretty good. When I think about it like that, it’s kind of amazing.”
“Sonya, you…! Are you seriously going to keep calling me Zero s?!”
At Sonya’s retort, Zero s’s mischievous expression crumbled in an instant. Blushing furiously, she shouted at Sonya. Even though I had tried to mediate, the two girls continued raising their voices with me caught in the middle. If the first-years were like chicks, the second-years were like wild cats. The constant commotion was giving me a headache. At this rate, round two was about to start. There really was no end in sight. Even though I wasn’t their marksman, as their “teacher,” I had no choice but to take control.
“Alright, alright, we don’t have time to keep arguing. Let’s get moving before we’re even later.”
—Grab! Grab!
Before their pointless bickering could escalate further, I seized both Sonya and Zero s by the wrists and pulled them away. If they had been as small as first-years, I would have grabbed them by the scruff of the neck and dragged them along.
“Aah…? T-Teacher Breeder……?”
“Kyaaah-?! I knew it—you really are a pervert! Grabbing a lady’s body so carelessly like this…?! I-It feels gross-♡”
Completely opposite reactions came from either side. Sonya froze for a moment, her face flushed with embarrassment, while Zero s once again branded me a pervert in that honey-dripping voice. Amusingly enough, despite all her complaints, she made no move to shake off my hand. Both girls were reluctantly being led along by me.
Of course, Zero s’s mouth showed no sign of quieting down. Even as her body obediently followed, she kept muttering things like “Pathetic♡ Pervert♡ Your palms are all sticky and gross♡ A short-lived species’s hand, yet it’s so warm it feels even weirder♡” while giggling. All while letting herself be guided without resistance.
“Miss Sonya? Have you reported to the main building yet?”
“No, not yet! We should probably report for patrol duty before we get any later…!”
In contrast, Sonya had become extremely docile. Even her speech had stiffened. She really lived up to being the Ice Dragon.
“Then let’s head over right away. Ah, by the way, Miss Sonya?”
“Y-Yes? What is it……?”
“The reason you asked me to take over the patrol yesterday……”
“Haat? I-It tickles……?!”
—Slide……
I leaned down toward Sonya’s face so Zero s wouldn’t overhear, bringing my mouth close to her ear.
“…Was it because of Zero s that you asked me?”
“H-How did you know, Teacher……?!”
Sonya’s face showed clear surprise at my question. From her expression, I could tell I was right. So that really was the reason after all.