Chapter 53: A Pretty Girl with the Soul of a Crude Guy
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 53: A Pretty Girl with the Soul of a Crude Guy
"Here, take your room card. Keep it safe. This is for the dorms the academy provides for free. If everything goes as planned, it should be a three-story independent villa," I said, handing the card to Quan Xiuzhu.
Quan Xiuzhu seemed lost in thought. After taking the card, she just stared blankly at the information printed on it.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing. It’s just… I don’t know where this place is…"
"Just use the navigation on your phone," I said bluntly.
"This phone has navigation?"
"Why wouldn't it? Once you’ve got the route, just hop on a bus. All the buses within the academy are free." I explained with a smile. It seemed she still hadn't quite adjusted to her current situation.
To be fair, neither had I, but I was at least making an effort to live my life here.
"Thank you for telling me all this…"
"It’s nothing. Just consider it a favor between friends." I watched as she prepared to leave with her room card, then quickly spoke up again. "Hey, wait! Where are you going?"
"Since I have a place to stay now, I shouldn't trouble you any further. Besides, it’s getting late…"
"You’re just going to leave like that?"
I was a bit surprised, though I suppose it made sense. I had been the one helping her all along; she probably didn't want to be a burden anymore.
But there was no way I was letting her run off just yet. Not only did she still have my Witch Cape, but my chest badge was still pinned to it. She was practically walking away with all my belongings!
"Hmm? Oh! I’m sorry, I forgot… here, I’ll give your clothes back." Realizing her mistake, she hurriedly started to take off the cape.
"No need. It actually fits you quite well, so you can keep it. It’s part of the Witch Academy school uniform, after all."
"The uniform? Then I definitely should give it back to you."
"But you’ve already worn it. Even though I’ve worn it too and it’s technically second-hand, would you mind helping me pick up a new set? I just need the cape."
"That’s true… since I’ve already worn it… I’m sorry. I’ll get a new one to exchange with you," Quan Xiuzhu said apologetically, as if she had suddenly become aware of her own circumstances.
She was, after all, a boy who had been turned into a witch. In this world, there was still the concept that men and women should maintain a respectful distance. In her eyes, my request probably made me look like someone with a "mental germaphobia" regarding personal items.
At the same time, this interaction seemed to snap her back to reality—or rather, it served as a reminder of the fact that she used to be a man.
She realized with a start that she had accepted all of this far too quickly. It was strange.
It shouldn't be like this!
She was supposed to be resisting all of this. When she was fighting that Senior Sister, when she first learned the truth, she had been so defiant. Even if it was all in vain, she had struggled…
I stood by, silently watching the shifts in Quan Xiuzhu’s expression. Watching her transformation wasn't quite satisfying enough yet; I needed to reinforce her current perception of herself. If she "fell" too quickly, I wouldn't get that sense of accomplishment.
Besides, I really did have a bit of a mental hang-up regarding this "fallen youth" known as Quan Xiuzhu.
If I didn't know her past, I wouldn't care. I would default to treating every Senior Sister as a cute, pretty girl. But once I knew for a fact that the person in front of me used to be male, that knowledge stuck. There was no point in denying the reality.
I would still be her friend, of course. The fact that her body was female was undeniable. And honestly, a pretty girl who was secretly a crude guy who picks his toes? That’s practically a bonus in my book.
At least, that’s where my "XP" lies. Developing a friendship was all well and good, but based on all the transformation literature I’d read in my past life, I was worried about the friendship "turning sour."
The probability might be low, but it wasn't zero.
So, maintaining a certain level of distance was necessary.
"Since you’ve agreed, let’s go get your school uniform! Honestly, that Senior Sister who brought you here was so irresponsible. You still have so much to do—picking up your uniform, awakening your talent, binding your student card… she didn't mention any of it. What were you going to do when school actually starts?"
"There are still that many steps?"
"Of course." I nodded, looking at Quan Xiuzhu’s surprised face.
From her response, it was clear she had accepted the fact that she was now part of the Witch Academy, and her resistance toward the upcoming procedures was low.
Was this girl the type to just go with the flow?
Moreover, we were about to go get her uniform. My first thought was: Uniform? You mean girl's clothes? And she didn't even react?
Or was she just passively accepting it because she felt she owed me a new cape?
Either way, it didn't matter. I was just an Amusement Seeker.
At least, that was the role I was playing for now.
I checked the time. It was still relatively early, though I wasn't sure if the Senior Sisters would still be at their posts this late at night.
The ones at the registration desk were still there, so the others probably were too, right?
What a drag.
Following my memory, I led Quan Xiuzhu through the rest of the enrollment process. I felt like I was experiencing the hardships of the Senior Sisters firsthand.
No wonder those irresponsible ones ditched the new students so quickly. Even though there weren't many tasks left, escorting someone to each location one by one was a real hassle!
I was now wearing a brand-new Witch Cape and a new chest badge. Since my old badge was still on the other cape, she chose the default Fireball Spell for her own, so we didn't bother swapping them.
I looked at Quan Xiuzhu. She was still wearing her tattered clothes underneath my old Witch Cape, with a large witch hat on her head and a long magic wand—taller than she was—in her hand.
She actually looked like a proper witch now!
When she found out that the "school uniform" actually referred to the Witch Four-Piece Set, I could clearly feel her sigh in relief. It seemed she still cared about the "girl's clothes" issue.
But that wasn't my concern. These things usually go from "zero times" to "countless times" very quickly. I wasn't worried.
She’d be wearing dresses sooner or later!
Quan Xiuzhu still looked a bit uncomfortable, but the fact that the uniform didn't include a dress had clearly put her at ease. Now, her entire face was hidden under the wide brim of her hat, and her hands gripped the large magic wand she had chosen as if it were her final lifeline.
In reality, her best lifeline was the chest badge. That held the spells, which were a freshman's only means of self-defense at this stage.
"Um… what do we have to do next?"
"Hmm… Talent Awakening and student card binding? Sorry, I’m a freshman too, so I’m not entirely sure about the process. But let’s just finish those two things today and head back. You look exhausted."
"Well… anyone would be exhausted after going through all this, right?"
"Fair point."