Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Education
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“Ughhh…”
Splish… splish…
The Poliwag was still getting yanked this way and that by all those hands grabbing it, stretched out long and thin.
I offered it a brief moment of silence, then carefully made my way over to the distant field.
And then… I flopped down onto my back in the grass.
The scent of grass tickled my nose.
The sky had already been dyed in twilight hues, and the wind tousled my hair.
‘…There’s a lot.’
Stars embedded in the dreamy sky.
I shifted my gaze, connecting the stars one by one.
Drawing lines, curving them together, completing symmetries.
A strange focus.
That focus let me forget myself for a little while.
‘…Ngh.’
But the peace didn’t last long.
Thoughts came creeping back in, dragging my soul along.
My mind, drifting in the void, snapped right back into my body.
‘…Such a hassle.’
The task looming ahead.
The final exams scheduled after the break ended.
And all of them… were sparring matches.
It was impossible not to find it annoying.
‘…In the middle of that.’
Sandwiched in between… the Calamity of Greed.
And…
‘…After that.’
The calamity that would stand next after the Calamity of Greed passed.
Just as I tried to picture the next scene in my head…
Step.
A soft footfall brushed through the grass.
A familiar voice shattered the silence.
“………What’re you doing?”
I turned my head to see Rev crouched beside me, cradling Bahamut in her arms.
Her face still expressionless.
“…….”
The light faded bit by bit, darkness slowly swallowing the sky.
In that gloom, a red glint flickered in Rev’s eyes, while the Bahamut in her arms wore the most utterly serene expression.
I lifted my whiteboard toward Rev.
[Resting]
“………Tired?”
[Yeah]
“………Me too.”
With that, Rev lay down right beside me.
Still holding Bahamut, lying parallel to me.
“……The director said to stay for dinner.”
…I could just leave.
But the director insisted on keeping us for dinner.
Refusing would’ve been… awkward.
“…….”
“…….”
And so our conversation ground to a halt.
Neither Rev nor I were the talkative type, so there was no reason to find the quick-arriving silence awkward.
Just as I wondered if I should say something…
Surprisingly, Rev spoke first.
“……Does Adel… enjoy coming to the Cradle?”
It was an unexpected question.
I turned my head wordlessly to gaze at the sky.
Twilight was slowly being overtaken by darkness, and amid it all, I slowly repeated the word ‘enjoy’ in my mind.
“…….”
Going to the Cradle wasn’t a choice—it was survival.
The one and only place I could stay, with no status or home to return to.
Since I was more or less forcibly tied there, I couldn’t even be sure myself if it was truly ‘enjoyable.’
‘…Do I enjoy it?’
I hovered on the boundary between ‘enjoyable’ and ‘not enjoyable’…
Then, slowly, very slowly, nodded.
[I think I do]
It really was surprising.
I still didn’t understand the classes…
Assessments stressed me out and filled me with irritation.
Even as the calamities drew nearer…
“…….”
Watching Neru cause trouble and Carnel scolding her while docking points was pretty entertaining in its own way, and moments like this, talking with Rev, weren’t bad either.
Maybe that’s why.
I felt that this moment, this life right now…
Was pretty satisfying.
“……I see.”
[What about Rev?]
“………Dunno.”
Same as always.
Even during lectures at the Cradle… even now.
When I asked something, she’d answer with silence or toss out a short, blunt reply like this.
“…. ”
And it was the same in ‘Aka Calamity.’
Try to interact to start a conversation, and it’d be “…….” or “……Dunno,” cutting things off.
Like forcibly knocking on a door someone had shut tight.
I still… didn’t know Rev.
‘….’
What lay beyond that expressionless face?
Was she laughing in there?
Or crying?
With some expression that was neither laughter nor tears…
Was she hiding herself away?
I still didn’t know Rev.
And…
I probably never would, in the end.
‘…I don’t like that.’
So I wanted to know more of the you beyond that blank face.
To understand you a little better.
To recognize those wordless feelings, if only by me…
That’s what I thought.
***
“………Nom.”
After quickly finishing dinner, we returned to the field and pulled out some snacks.
The sky had fully darkened by now, and at my feet lay a fish gone cold and stiff.
I muttered a quick prayer for its soul, then pulled a can from my inventory.
Splish.
After sprinkling some nearby puddle water on it a few times, the Poliwag revived like a miracle.
As usual, it slithered up my body, climbed my shoulder, and settled on my head.
“……Nom.”
Rev munched on a cream puff, staring intensely up at my head.
Of course, the target of that gaze was the Poliwag.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
[ Rev de Lumiere ]
Favorability: [Strange Friend]
Status: [Positive (88%)] , [Negative (0%)]
■■■■■■■■□□□ (79/100)
Faction: 『Holy Kingdom』
Info:
[Volunteering at the orphanage with Adel.]
Psychology:
「.........Fish.」
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
Splish.
I lightly lifted the Poliwag and held it out to Rev…
And her expression lit up just a tiny bit, hard to notice.
Poke.
But the moment it landed in her hand, she reverted to blank-faced, cradling the slightly pouty Poliwag.
I quietly scooped up some fruit from the can with a spoon.
The tangy flesh filled my mouth.
Its sweet, cool flavor seemed to unwind the knots in my head from the whole day.
“……Nom.”
Rev took another bite of her cream puff, quietly holding her spot with the Poliwag and Bahamut tucked on either side.
And the shadow draped over her shoulder.
【Oh.】
Lamenta peeked out slyly, poking at the Poliwag’s squishy cheeks.
The Poliwag flicked its tail and widened its eyes, while Rev watched the scene in silence.
“…….”
Rev eventually flicked Lamenta away with the back of her hand, still mid-bite on her cream puff.
【Let me join too…!】
A voice brimming with jealousy.
It stretched its shadow this way and that, twisting its body to claim a spot.
Just then…
“Ah, there you are.”
The orphanage director approached cautiously.
“Thank you so much for today. The kids really loved it.”
[It was tough]
“To be honest, I was worried at first. The children are quite scared of nobles.”
[I’m not a noble]
“…Pardon? But I heard you’re the top admit to the Cradle…….”
[I’m a commoner]
“Oh… that’s impressive.”
Genuine admiration shone in the director’s eyes.
Well, the top spot at the Cradle usually went to nobles.
The only commoner top admit I knew of… was Klaus from ‘Aka Calamity.’
“You can head back now. You’ve helped more than enough.”
[Okay]
“…….”
The director bowed politely to me, then gave a small nod to Rev beside me.
“Thank you. Saintess.”
“………You knew?”
“I was once a cleric myself. It would be a grave discourtesy not to recognize the Saintess.”
The conversation seemed about to drag on…
But the director wrapped it up tactfully.
“Now, now, off you go. You finished two days’ work in one, so you must be tired.”
[Yeah]
“……Yeah.”
We’d wrapped up two days’ worth of weekend volunteering in just one day.
No need to come back tomorrow, which satisfied me greatly.
“Then, farewell.”
[Okay]
“…Yeah.”
And so…
Leaving the orphanage behind us, Rev and I returned to the Cradle.
Splish.
The Poliwag leaped from Rev’s arms toward my head…
But I twisted away slightly.
It splatted onto the floor, glaring up at me with a grumpy face.
In the end, it slithered back up my body and claimed its spot on my crown.
“…….”
Meanwhile, Bahamut was hugged tight in Rev’s arms, dozing with half-closed eyes.
…Even clinging to Rev like it didn’t want to let go.
“…….”
Fine.
I got Rev…
But you, Bahamut.
You can’t do that, you little punk.
【Get out!】
Lamenta started shoving Bahamut with its whole body.
But Bahamut didn’t back down easily.
It pressed its tiny body firmly against Rev’s arm.
“…….”
Rev, the owner of those arms, remained utterly blank-faced.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
[ Rev de Lumiere ]
Favorability: [Strange Friend]
Status: [Positive (89%)] , [Negative (0%)]
■■■■■■■■■□□ (80/100)
Faction: 『Holy Kingdom』
Info:
[Lamenting the fact that it has to part with the lizard.]
Psychology:
「.........Lizard.」
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
I watched the passive tug-of-war unfolding on both sides in silence…
Then finally sighed and picked up Bahamut to hand it to me.
No, I took the lizard and hugged it tight with both arms.
So it could never return to Rev’s arms again.
…Or more precisely, because I knew it wouldn’t budge once nestled there.
【…….】
Bahamut looked up at me with sad eyes.
Despair and betrayal.
All those emotions swirled in its tiny peepers.
***
Back at the dorm, I headed straight for the kitchen.
I opened the ceiling panel, rummaged around, then glanced down… quietly grabbed ‘something’ and went to my room.
Splish.
Next to the tank.
The Poliwag carefully spread out a tissue and lay down on it.
It pulled the tissue over itself like a little blanket and stared blankly at the ceiling, ready to sleep.
Tap tap.
I approached the Poliwag and poked it with my finger.
“?”
It wiggled its slimy fin and looked up at me.
Still looking grumpy.
I quietly placed ‘something’ into that slimy fin.
“??”
Total bewilderment, like ‘What am I supposed to do with this?’
Instead of answering, I turned my gaze to Bahamut, who was hiding in its nest in the corner of the room.
And…
I lifted my whiteboard.
[Time to educate it]
“…!”
The Poliwag’s eyes sparkled.
Its mouth corners curved wickedly…
And its two slimy fins gripped the chopsticks.
Swish. Swish.
Light swinging practice.
“Heh.”
The small, slimy, great and mighty mission to reform one lizard…
Was about to begin.
[Don’t turn it into skewers]
Splish.
The Poliwag saluted solemnly with its right fin.