Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Invitation
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‘What the hell is this hardship.'
The water jet that Loach had shot out with a *pffft!* had soaked the dorm room floor, and I was wiping it all up bit by bit.
"A loser must accept their humiliation as it comes."
[Why do I have to clean up what you messed up?]
"That's the law of the victor."
[Is that even worth calling a law?]
"Of course. This is the essence of authority."
I didn't even feel like responding anymore, so I just silently cleaned the floor.
Then, with a sigh, I shot the Loach a side-eye.
[I can't tell if I'm raising you or you're raising me.]
"Consider it an honor, human, to have a noble dragon by your side."
[A Noble one, eating canned food and shooting water everywhere?]
"That's... uh... the privilege of the victor."
[You said it didn't even taste good.]
"...Spiritual fulfillment is what matters most, human."
This is bad. Really bad.
The academy is about to enter its vacation break soon.
And during that break... I'll have to stick with this loach every single day.
[Vacation's coming up soon.]
"So?"
[Means I have to stick with you for a whole month.]
Sure, the loach was next to me every night when I slept in the dorm.
But spending an entire month, from morning till night, glued to this fish...
Just thinking about it was horrifying.
"What's the problem? Our friendship will deepen, our bond will grow richer..."
[Horrifying. Utterly horrifying.]
"......"
The Loach heard that and buried its head into the corner of the tank.
"Hmph... If you hate it that much, human, then you get out and live somewhere else."
Ah, it's sulking.
Veronica was like this too—why are all dragons so petty?
[I'm just kidding, I'm kidding.]
I waved the whiteboard teasingly toward the tank's corner to coax it.
"My delicate feelings can't be swayed by such childish pranks."
[Your delicate feelings are the ones shooting *pffft pffft* water everywhere.]
It shoots water *pffft* all the time, and I'm always the one cleaning it up.
Having to live like this for the entire break already gave me a headache.
"Doesn't the human have a hometown? How long do you plan to hole up in this dorm?"
[No hometown or anything to go to?]
"Doesn't the human have family?"
[Does it look like I do?]
"Nope."
[Yeah, that's exactly it.]
"What a pity."
[I don't think it's a pity.]
"True enough."
...Shouldn't you deny it in moments like this?
Why do all dragons lack any sense of empathy...
"Whatever. Just feed me already, human."
[You just ate?]
"I'm hungry."
The taste of victory—guess hunger comes separately no matter the time.
I let out an endless sigh and headed to the kitchen.
'What to feed it.'
As I scanned the kitchen thinking it over, I rolled the translucent orb in my hand.
I overlaid 【Illusory Dream】 onto the translucent orb... that is, 【Mask of Illusion】.
[ 【Illusory Dream】 activated. ]
The translucent orb vanished, replaced by a plain-looking silver ring on my finger.
I glanced around the kitchen and picked up some food.
Then, with a sly smile, I activated 【Illusory Dream】 once more.
[ 【Illusory Dream】 activated. ]
*Shrrk...*
The mist cleared, and the food's shape changed.
I flung it straight... into loach's tank.
- *Plop!*
"Oh... An apple this time?"
The Loach rubbed the apple-like thing preciously, then chomped into it vigorously.
"...Huh?"
With an unexpectedly cute sound effect, Mikurebi froze and looked at me in bewilderment.
[ 【Illusory Dream】 deactivated. ]
The illusion faded, revealing the true nature of the apple-lookalike.
"Eek...!!"
A bright red spicy pepper.
Not just one, but several at once.
"Humaannn...!! HUMAAANNN!!"
The loach flailed with its mouth wide open.
A storm whipped up inside the tank...
- *Splash! Splash!*
The floor turned into a watery mess in an instant, and I grinned in satisfaction.
[Perfect score on artistic merit.]
But the moment I glanced down at the floor...
'...Ah.'
...I picked up the towel anyway.
***
[Dean.]
"What."
[I have a question.]
"What is it."
[Why are you here?]
"Why not."
It was the club room.
As usual, I opened the door and tried to flop onto the sofa, but it was already taken.
Veronica, who should be in her dean's office... had somehow occupied my club room.
"What're you doing for break?"
[Hunkering down in the dorm.]
"For the whole month?"
[Yes.]
"No family?"
[No.]
"Well... yeah, you look like it."
[Pardon?]
What.
Do I really look that family-less?
...Veronica just nodded without answering.
Her face openly said, 'As expected.'
It irked me for no reason.
[What about you for break, Dean?]
"Me? Hanging with you."
[Pardon?]
What kind of horror story is this now.
One dragon to babysit is plenty—now another was added?
"You seem like you'll cause trouble no matter what, so I'm nipping it in the bud early."
[I haven't caused any trouble.]
"The guy who broke the mirror says that?"
[That was a mistake, not trouble.]
"Same difference."
...The mirror really was an accident.
Veronica held grudges forever.
"Kidding. So, how about some special training?"
[Special training?]
"Yeah, let's do intensive training the whole month. You've got nothing else anyway."
Intensive training for a whole month.
She's insane.
She's completely lost it.
[Dean.]
"What."
[Break is for resting.]
"I don't rest."
[That's not my problem as a student.]
"I'll just dump everything on Kaus."
...Why does it always turn out like this.
Veronica casually stretched out on the sofa and grabbed some snacks from the side table.
Then she crunched into them like it was nothing.
...Those are Neru's.
"Om nom nom... Tasty."
Neru would flip out if she knew, but Veronica said it nonchalantly.
"Ahem... Anyway, how're you gonna practice your magic?"
[I can handle my own practice.]
"Without my help?"
[Dean.]
"Yeah?"
[I can practice alone.]
No matter how hopeless I am... I can at least practice by myself.
"Right... Speaking of magic, I remembered something..."
Mid-sentence, Veronica looked up like she'd recalled something.
"Be careful with that unique magic of yours, okay?"
[Be careful?]
"You're not aware, but... that thing's seriously dangerous."
I know unique magic is dangerous.
It's "unique" for a reason—its power defies imagination.
"Mess up, and you could get it banned like the President's."
[The President's got banned?]
Unique magic can get banned?
...I don't even know what Carnel's unique magic is.
In "Aka Calamity," there was no need to use unique magic.
Basic spells wiped everything out.
"Yeah. So be careful."
[I'll try.]
"Good... Then if I'm bored during break, I'll drop by."
[No, don't come.]
"Why? I'm bored."
[I'm not.]
"I'm bored though?"
[Hang out with the Vice Dean.]
"Kaus goes into hiding."
[Why assume I won't hide?]
"You're easy to find even if you hide."
...So that's the issue.
With that, Veronica sprang up.
At the same time, the club room door opened, and Neru and Klaus walked in.
"Nya?"
"...Dean?"
Seizing the moment they both froze, Veronica smiled coolly.
"Take care~"
And vanished without a trace, as always.
"...What was that?"
[A bit of a commotion.]
As I brushed it off, Neru spotted the table and her eyes went wide.
"Nyaack!! My snacks...!!"
"Huh...?"
"Who did it!!"
Neru perked up her ears and tail, sniffing every inch around the table.
"Uh... Let's calm down first."
"I can't calm down in this situation, nya!"
"Not Adel, right?"
[I don't eat that stuff.]
For real.
Even if I did, I couldn't taste it properly, and it's cheap anyway—I don't touch it.
"Then... the Dean?"
[I’ll just buy you some more.]
It was Veronica's doing, but... dean's prestige and all.
I decided to sacrifice myself here.
...Just get her a cheap pack.
"Hmmnya... If you say so."
I stared in bewilderment at Neru, who snapped back to normal in an instant, then just flopped onto the sofa.
"By the way, why was the Dean here?"
[She asked what I'd do for break and left.]
"Break...? Oh, break's soon."
[Yeah.]
"Break! I love break, nya!"
Neru pulled out snacks from a corner.
...Why are those there? Hiding them?
"What about you for break, Adel?"
[Staying in the dorm.]
"Oh?"
[You?]
"Me... "
Klaus scratched his cheek awkwardly for a sec.
"Charlotte invited me to her place."
[?]
Charlotte?
Already?
...The story isn't even flowing normally, and they're already that close?
[You're progressing fast.]
"Well... It's not like that."
"No such thing as friends between guys and girls, nya."
[Exactly.]
Neru actually said something right for once.
No such thing as girl friends or guy friends in relationships.
"But the way you say it but... Adel, you too..."
[Me what?]
"Uh... The President and Saintess alone..."
Klaus glanced at Neru and trailed off.
[What?]
"...Nothing."
...What?
Why stop there?
What about me, the President, and Lev?
"Anyway... Charlotte's place is huge, they say."
[It's a Ducal family, obviously.]
Klaus averted his gaze and changed the subject.
"Ahem... What about you, Neru, for break?"
"Nya? I'm helping Dad with stuff, nya!"
She was talking about Uncle Beru, probably.
Come to think of it, I hadn't had time to visit Uncle Beru lately.
No more slime hunting... no need to sell monster parts.
[You are a Dutiful daughter Neru.]
"Hehe... That's right! I'm a dutiful daughter, nya!"
Neru wagged her tail proudly.
...A sudden thought hit me.
Everyone's heading somewhere, but I'm stuck in place.
Everyone meeting family or bonding with others...
And I'm just alone.
...That's when it happened.
- *Bang!*
The club room door flew open violently.
"Adel!"
Our next-door neighbor, Student council President Carnel, made her entrance.
Carnel strode toward me *clack clack* and pointed right at me.
"You! Come to my house!"
"...Gasp."
"Whoa..."
Klaus and Neru gaped at the bold declaration.
"......"
I couldn't process it for a moment.
...So, to Carnel's house.
Meaning, the Delbar Ducal House?
[What?]
"I'm inviting you to the Delbar Ducal House."
[Me?]
"No refusals!"
With Carnel nailing it down, Klaus muttered beside her.
"See... Adel, what'd I tell you? The President already—"
"Shh, junior. No need to say it."
But... Violet clamped a hand over Klaus's mouth.
"Heh... Consider it an honor!"
Carnel lifted her head high and grinned triumphantly.
"You're the first I've invited to the Delbar Ducal House besides Violet!"
And with that, three sets of eyes on me.
Klaus with a 'See what I mean...' look.
Neru with eyes screaming 'I want chocolate chips,' totally uninterested.
Violet wearing a complicated 'I support it but don't get it' expression.
"......"
Everyone but me, who was speechless...
The problem was how naturally they all accepted this.