The Golden Retriever's Secret
Extermination time. Lulu and I began investigating Clare. Where exactly had the mosquito laid its eggs? We still lacked definitive proof that she had come into contact with the Vampire. That left us with only one option: pounding the pavement ourselves.
“You want to see the outing logs?”
Ha. Honestly, keeping up the mute act was getting exhausting. It was frustrating as hell every single time. Body language only let me express so much. I should’ve learned sign language. Then again, this was another world, so it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.
In that sense, Lulu was an excellent hire. She became my microphone when I had no voice.
“Yes, there’s something I need to check.”
“It’s personal information, so I’m not sure I can show it.”
I watched Lulu negotiate from a distance. At the Academy gates—the boundary between inside and out—a somewhat lazy-looking guard sat yawning in his chair. Rumor had it he was skilled but not particularly diligent.
The Academy guard turned her down once. Lulu slipped a single gleaming coin into his hand. Life flickered back into the guard’s dull eyes.
“Just for a moment.”
“Of course.”
“And don’t tell anyone I showed it to you. Got it?”
“Naturally. I’d get disciplined if we were caught.”
The guard glanced around, then ushered Lulu into the guardhouse. A short while later, she emerged and came straight to me.
“Did you confirm it?”
“Yeah. Clare stayed at the Academy even during break. And just like we thought, she went out every single weekend without fail. Mostly on weekends, of course. Though Clare is pretty outgoing…”
“Someone who likes going out wouldn’t have any reason to stay at the Academy. It’s too early to jump to conclusions, but we should start preparing ourselves.”
“P-preparing ourselves!?”
Lulu flinched in surprise.
“Hwanjong possess powers far more convenient and mysterious than your magic. The Vampire is especially good at controlling people’s minds. Clare might be under his influence.”
I tapped my own face with a finger.
“Especially since he’s handsome.”
“So what? You’re saying Clare fell for his looks and got bewitched by the Vampire?”
“It’s possible.”
“That’s ridiculous. Clare’s pretty too, and her status is nothing to sneeze at. Why would she need to be charmed by a Vampire?”
I should state upfront that I respect all sexual orientations and have no intention of mocking anyone. That said, the Vampire possessed a beauty so perfect it could turn a straight man gay and a lesbian straight. One of the researchers studying him had fallen head over heels just from seeing his face. Two weeks later, the man was found as a dried-out mummy, every drop of blood drained. It was a famous story at the Supernatural Research Institute.
The most beautiful creature in existence. If he had been born in ancient times, nations and peoples would have destroyed themselves fighting over him—his allure rivaled the goddesses of myth. His appearance itself was a plot device. To me he was just an arrogant bastard, but apparently that wasn’t how others saw him.
“You’ll understand when you see him.”
“…Right.”
Lulu stared at me, unconvinced. I shrugged.
“Wait here until I give the signal.”
“Got it.”
I let out a long yawn. The clock read 11 p.m. Time had flown. It was already bedtime. Clare showed no signs of moving. Since this wasn’t my assigned area, I had no excuse to barge into the girls’ dorm—and no courage to do so anyway. The opportunity would come when she went out.
“Well, sleep well.”
“You too.”
After parting with Lulu, I returned to my quarters.
***
My Academy routine had more or less solidified. It went like this: finish cleaning and organizing, then spend the rest of my time observing Clare. Simple. Clear. Easy to follow and easy to execute.
“Ugh, he stinks and he’s filthy!”
“I heard he’s mute. Do you think he even understands us?”
“Can a mute even work as a cleaner?”
There were occasional small troubles. Some rude students would look down on me and pick fights. But they were just the Academy’s problem children—the kind who got left behind. Compared to the stares I’d received at the Institute, it actually felt kind of cute.
I’d planned to ignore them outright, but—
“Who exactly are you talking to like that?”
“L-Lulu!”
“How about you worry about your own reputation before badmouthing others?”
“S-sorry…”
Whenever Lulu appeared like a relief pitcher and delivered some righteous education, the students harassing me vanished overnight. Lulu held one of the highest positions in the Academy—status, talent, everything. Even if her chest and height were lacking, her specs were clearly superior to everyone else’s. She also belonged to an elite group. At a single word from her, the problem students could only whimper and roll over.
Like a lion at the top of the food chain. Honestly, it was reassuring.
“Why are you just standing there like an idiot taking it? If something like this happens, you should tell me.”
“I was playing the role of a pushover.”
“A pushover? There you go with weird words again…”
Thanks to Lulu’s help, I could observe Clare in peace. Whether I had a talent for stealth or Clare was simply oblivious, she still hadn’t noticed me tailing her.
I sat on a bench outside the hallway where I had a clear view and took a drink of water. Clare passed through the corridor in my line of sight. Today was the day of the one-minute sparring class between professors and students. The dark circles under her eyes suggested she’d been training hard until yesterday.
Wait. This was starting to feel a little too stalker-ish. Still, it was for the greater good. I was willing to become a pervert if it served the public interest.
Clare was like a girl made of sunlight. She got along with everyone at the Academy, a golden retriever of a girl.
“Hello~”
Whenever our eyes met, she would wave and greet me without fail. She seemed so genuinely kind that I almost felt guilty for following her. It reminded me of the way Naram noona’s forehead used to sparkle back at the gloomy, dark Supernatural Research Institute.
I waved back through the window at her greeting. Lulu, walking beside Clare, shot me a glare. Time to change locations.
I settled into a corner spot with a good view of the sparring class. The class was simple: professors fought students directly to gauge how much they had grown. Most Academy professors were old—ranging from middle-aged to elderly—with very few young ones among them.
The professor running today’s class looked to be in his fifties. Though his hair was streaked with white, his body was still muscular. The hearty smile on his face suggested he was still full of energy.
Students took turns facing him. As expected, the matches were one-sided victories for the professor. Each student fought desperately, squeezing out everything they had in that single minute to land even one hit, but it was nearly impossible. The skill gap was simply too large.
Judging from my own experience fighting mages since arriving in this world, the professor’s level was just below that of Sword Tiger. If Sword Tiger really was fifth-tier, then this professor was probably around fourth or fifth tier as well.
The one-sided beatdown was starting to get boring. I looked at Clare’s eyes and finally understood why she was such a big shot in the arena. Despite her golden-retriever personality, she clearly loved fighting. The way her eyes sparkled as she watched the matches—she was a total fight maniac. If she’d been born on Earth, she probably would’ve been a hardcore UFC fan.
“Oh.”
About an hour later, while countless students had been reduced to losers, someone finally landed a hit on the professor.
It was Lulu.
“Tch, he got me.”
“Yes!”
A red mark appeared on the professor’s forehead. Lulu’s blade-like wind had reached him. Panting with exhaustion, she looked at him with a satisfied expression. The professor laughed heartily and praised her. Students showered Lulu with cheers and applause, envy clear on their faces.
Even as everyone’s attention focused on Lulu, I kept my gaze fixed on Clare. She was looking at Lulu with an odd expression. Not admiration, envy, or longing—but something closer to obsession and jealousy. A dangerous feeling.
“It’s about time.”
The scent of Hwanjong around Clare was fading. If my guess was right, she would go meet the Vampire tonight.
Suddenly, my mouth watered. I stood up. Time to prepare. I stopped observing and headed back to my quarters to check my firearms.