Scouting Duty and Hidden Motives
“Is this request because of Zero s?”
“H-How did you know, Teacher?!”
Sonya cried out in shock, her pink pupils widening instantly. The look on her face said it all—she couldn’t believe he had figured it out.
—Shiver…!
At the same time, faint scales rippled across her neck, like goosebumps rising on human skin. She had been so startled that her Polymorph had slipped slightly.
‘Breeder Teacher’s face is this close…?!’
The fact that it was Breeder made it worse, but Sonya’s ears were quite sensitive. His breath had tickled them. On top of that, the way he had cut straight to the heart of the matter was startling.
“So my guess was right after all.”
“W-Well… actually, Teacher is correct, sir…”
She was right. Sonya had another reason for specifically calling Breeder. While the root cause was failing to find a substitute for Raylin, the real reason she had turned to him was Eros.
And for good reason—Eros was an absolute walking disaster. She had been famous since the day she enrolled, much like Derke now, only in a slightly different way. From the very beginning, Eros had been rebellious. Not just in grades, but in conduct as well. That was how she earned the nickname Zero s.
She was arrogant toward everyone without exception. It was simply her natural personality. Her way of speaking was to draw attention with words she didn’t even mean—purely a method to capture interest. In short, she was clumsy at making friends. Her manner of expression was just twisted and distorted. Deep down, she wasn’t a bad person at all.
Considering all that, the attitude she showed Breeder was actually quite tame. In contrast, she had always been rude to her seniors, starting from the moment she entered the academy. She had been like a puppy that didn’t know the fear of tigers. It was bad enough that she nearly received the academy’s “Problem Child” badge—the first time since its founding.
Of course, the current third-years hadn’t let Eros’s behavior slide. For an entire year—meaning a hundred years—they had kept a close watch on Zero s as a high-priority case. As a result, Eros had no choice but to learn firsthand just how terrifying her seniors could be. Thanks to that, now that she was a second-year, she had become relatively well-behaved. She no longer talked back to her seniors and moved quietly to avoid drawing attention. She had finally developed some sense of caution.
Naturally, she still showed her true colors in front of juniors and other races…
Yet the seniors’ intense supervision hadn’t been entirely beneficial. While Eros had grown much calmer compared to before, she had completely lost interest in both academics and academy life. As a result, her grades hit rock bottom—not just figuratively. She had actually scored zero in every single subject.
That was why the nickname Zero s hadn’t actually followed her from the start. Getting zero in every subject wasn’t easy either; even a zero required knowing the answers. Eros had deliberately failed as an act of rebellion. That was when people began calling her Zero s.
It was a meaningless rebellion, of course—nothing but self-harm. Moreover, crushed under her seniors’ surveillance and discipline, Eros naturally grew distant not only from her studies but from her relationships as well.
Even in that situation, the ones who stayed by her side were Sonya and Raylin. Sonya was her friend and roommate, while Raylin treated all second-years—her sister’s peers—with special care. That was why she had looked after Eros so attentively. Yet Eros’s closed heart refused to open. She only let her guard down around her peer Sonya; she showed no interest in focusing on her studies.
The same went for her work attitude. Tardiness like today happened all the time, as if she were still a freshman who hadn’t adapted to academy life. Even so, being only five minutes late was relatively good. She had prepared quickly once she heard Breeder would be joining this shift.
‘So that’s why they put me in instead of her usual senior supervisors.’
Breeder nodded inwardly, finally understanding. He now grasped Sonya’s true purpose in dragging him into this.
Eros actually acted even more prideful toward Sonya, her only friend and roommate. Their conversations were constant arguments. Yet for some reason, this same girl behaved relatively well in front of Breeder. She still grumbled with her usual cheeky tone, but it was only verbal provocation—she kept a certain line. Right now, she was even letting herself be led along by the hand without complaint.
‘Is it because of the favorability?’
At first, Breeder hadn’t understood Eros’s double-sided attitude either. But after thinking about yesterday, everything clicked. For whatever reason, her high favorability made her flustered whenever she stood before him. All Breeder had given her were meringue cookies and cream-chocolate pies. They had no personal connection. Yet whether it was because she had a big appetite or simply craved affection, her favorability was quite high. She had even triggered a Condition Resonance yesterday.
The sharp-eyed Sonya had noticed all this and pulled Breeder into the shift. She hoped that if Breeder—someone Eros secretly liked—stayed by her side, Eros might cause fewer incidents.
“Sonya? So… you’re asking me to play babysitter for Zero s?”
“I-I’m sorry. But I couldn’t think of anyone else who could control Zero s besides you, Teacher…”
Breeder and Sonya walked toward the academy’s main building, speaking in low voices.
“Hehe♡ I-It feels weird. But your hand is pretty big…? And warmer than I expected…♡”
Meanwhile, Eros was blushing furiously, savoring the dizzying sensation of having her wrist held by Breeder. She muttered to herself in a tiny voice. Whether the two were whispering or not, none of it reached Eros’s ears. All she could hear was the pounding of her own heartbeat.
“Haah, I suppose I have no choice. A promise is a promise, after all. I’ll keep it.”
“Thank you for understanding, Breeder Teacher…!”
Sonya replied in a noticeably shorter tone, enduring the ticklish feeling in her ears. Breeder, unaware, continued whispering close to her.
“There isn’t some other reason, is there?”
“Huh? A-Another reason, you say…?”
Breeder was still suspicious. It wasn’t that he doubted Sonya’s words, but something else bothered him—the system message he had seen yesterday. It had clearly stated to finish the shift “without any harm befalling anyone.” That phrase kept nagging at him.
He could manage Eros somehow, but the possibility of unexpected variables made him uneasy. Without cooking or Beast Taming, his body was practically useless. He had no way to protect himself, so he couldn’t help but worry. That was why he was pressing Sonya with questions now—checking if she had any other hidden intentions for calling him.
“Well? There isn’t another reason you called me, right?”
“……?!”
At his question, Sonya’s face flushed bright pink—exactly the same color as her hair. While asking Breeder to help control Eros was part of it, she also had quite a few personal motives.
“Hm? Sonya? You suddenly look pale.”
“T-Teacher?!”
“Yes? What’s wrong? You’re not trying to change the subject, are you?”
“I-It’s not that…! Actually, the reason I called you was—”
“Gahaha! What took you so long?!”
“Ah…?”
Just as Sonya was about to say, “Actually, I mostly wanted time to get closer to Breeder Teacher…!” a bizarre wooden voice cut her off.
“Oh? Department Head Indrago, you’re on duty again today?”
“That I am. More importantly…”
They had arrived at the front gate of the academy’s main building. This was where outdoor duty reports were handled.
“Hurry up and move! You’re already very late!”
“……”
Indrago gave Breeder a perfunctory greeting before urging Sonya along. But Sonya, whose words had been interrupted, didn’t respond. She simply walked forward with a completely stiff expression.
—Step, step…!
Even as Indrago pressed her, she moved slowly, her face clearly displeased.
—Slurp…!
Indrago paid no mind and continued sucking on the sap in her canteen through a straw while waving them over. With her tiny knot-like eyes, she couldn’t properly see Sonya’s expression.
“Sluuurp…! Are these today’s scouting duty personnel?”
“Yes. Reporting Sonya plus two others for duty deployment.”
Sonya glared at Indrago with an icy expression and delivered the report in a rigid tone. Though she normally used honorifics toward faculty out of courtesy, her eyes now held a chilling, almost murderous glint.
“But… the substitute is Breeder?”
“That’s correct. Is there a problem?”
“There was no prior report…!”
“So what are you going to do about it?”
“Gahaha…?! A servant participating in duty is unprecedented since the academy’s founding—”
“It’s fine. We’ll return safely without any issues, so just stay quiet and issue us our equipment, won’t you?”
“Gah…?!”
Sonya shot Indrago a sharp glare, her attitude even colder than when she had first faced Breeder.
—Grind…!
Invisible frost even began crystallizing around Sonya. It was a clear warning to back off while she was still being nice.
“…If you don’t like that, shall I make you chew on frozen sap? With that toothless mouth of yours?”
“Gahaha… I-I understand…”
Only now reading the mood, Indrago backed down hesitantly. No matter how young Sonya was, she was still a dragon whom the treants served. Even as the Academic Affairs Department Head, Indrago couldn’t treat a second-year dragon carelessly.
—Clatter, clatter…!
Indrago reached into the wooden storage box in front of her and pulled something out. It looked exactly like a temporary weapon rack.
‘Equipment? Do they issue weapons like in the military when going on duty?’
—Slide…!
As Breeder guessed, Indrago took out a small object and handed it to Sonya first. It was small enough to rest on Indrago’s slender palm.
“P-Please sign the issuance log…”
“Second-year Sonya, Frost Armlet. Received in proper condition.”
With that, Sonya finished signing and equipped the silver bracelet on her right wrist. At the center of the metal armlet labeled “Frost Armlet” was a transparent, ice-like crystal set in an oval shape.
‘As expected of an Ice Dragon. She channels mana through that, I suppose? Interesting.’
Breeder nodded as he watched Sonya. The purpose was easy to guess from its appearance. It seemed they issued practical combat gear for training and duty shifts.
“Next is Miss Eros’s turn…”
Indrago rummaged around and pulled out Eros’s equipment next. Come to think of it, Eros was the Love Dragon, wasn’t she? What kind of gear would she have?
‘Judging by her name, don’t tell me it’s something like Cupid’s arrow…’
—Clack!
“Here, sign and take it…!”
Huh? That… that’s Eros’s equipment?!