Well-Risen Bread Dough is Great to Beat (1)
I hoisted up the pint-sized 138cm princess.
Right away—
"Airplane~"
"Hey!!!"
I spun her around several times.
"Now up high!!"
"You wanna die!?"
I pretended to toss her high, then let her drop just a little, repeating the motion over and over.
"Whoa, now you're trying to stand on me?"
"You, you...! If this were the Ershi Empire, your head would be—!"
"Watch your tone."
"!!!"
Evangeline di Ershi, her face flushed red with excitement, immediately clamped her mouth shut. Even though she hadn't done anything wrong, her cheeks burned even hotter with embarrassment as she averted her gaze.
Well, well?
Her ladylike speech had felt a bit off somehow, but it looked like that was just a facade.
"Hey, Princess."
I gently set Evangeline down.
"This is Esdinas Academy. Once the emperor or a commoner enrolls here as students, they're all equal regardless of status."
"......."
"So you don't have to act all high and mighty like a princess. Relax here at the academy. Especially since the Old School Building doesn't have many other students around."
Right now, our group was just me, Unia, Rydmila, and Evangeline—four in total.
"If you keep hiding behind that mask and acting all prim and proper like a princess, I'll have no choice but to treat you like one. Not as a teammate or classmate."
"......."
"Or do you actually want me to treat you as a princess, not just another student?"
"Uh...."
I deliberately lowered my voice, asking coolly and calmly.
"N-no, that's not what I meant...."
"If that's what you want, then I, Red Sol Phoenix, sincerely apologize for my rude behavior just now."
"N-no, that's not it!"
Just as I thought.
"I-I just...!"
Her mask—her socks, rather—had come off.
"...Damn it! Why are you acting so smug about it?!"
Evangeline jabbed a finger at me and yelled.
"I was trying to approach you politely since it was our first meeting, and you just grab a lady out of nowhere and give her an airplane ride—who does that?!"
"Me."
"You little...!"
"Sorry. You just feel like a little sister."
"I'm 17!"
"Little sister confirmed."
If she acts like a little sister, maybe it's fine to treat her like one.
Looks like some of the devs were into the little sister type.
Outside, she's this sharp-tongued princess lady, but in front of me, she turns into a bratty little sis?
Talk about a twisted taste.
I couldn't help but worry about the production team's warped desires in all sorts of ways.
And at the same time—
"If I'd grown a bit taller, you'd have to call me big sis instead of little sister!"
"Oh, really?"
They made her height a complex.
"You know where you're standing right now, right?"
I pointed to the spot where I'd set Evangeline down.
"You're up on a chair, eye-level with me. Step down and measure again?"
"You little...!"
"Or should I pick you up and put you down again?"
"Hah...!"
Evangeline glared at me, her hands trembling, then finally looked away.
"You two. How long are you going to just stand there watching?"
Maybe figuring I'd keep teasing her if she went after me, she turned to Instructor Esta and Marchioness Ludbekia.
"Sorry about that. But Phoenix doesn't seem wrong, so I stayed quiet."
"Pardon?"
"Evangeline di Ershi. If we see your current self as just 'student Evangeline,' then this is the most fitting look for an Esdinas Academy student, in my opinion."
Whether Evangeline wanted mediation or punishment from Instructor Esta, my actions weren't against academy rules.
"Phoenix's physical contact might be a bit much, but students getting close like this makes me happy as an instructor."
It was actually ideal.
"N-no way, Instructor! Aren't you supposed to take my side? This guy treated me like a kid and tried to give me a piggyback!"
"That'd be better."
"Whaaaat?!?!?"
Evangeline's voice pitched higher. She couldn't grasp what Instructor Esta was thinking, so she momentarily misunderstood, wondering if she was the one in the wrong.
Suppose, during the airplane ride where I held her under the arms...
Instructor Esta would've seen below me.
If I'd gathered mana down there to stage something risky, she'd have kicked my shin right then.
But she didn't. Because she knew I was picking up and playing with Princess Evangeline with pure intentions.
No ulterior motives, so it was just a bit rough play between academy students trying to bond.
"If you had siblings, it'd probably be just like this~"
"Marchioness... Ludbekia?"
Marchioness Ludbekia pressed a hand to her face with a wry smile.
"Even twins the same age do this. Normal siblings—not nobles—are supposedly born hating each other, right? Heh heh heh."
Words that Hapsderk Ludbekia never would've said slipped from her lips.
Maybe it was proof that, by breaking free from Hapsderk to build House Ludbekia, she'd escaped the curse and traditions, recognizing normal sibling bonds.
"Get along, Princess Evangeline. I talked with Phoenix here, and he's no bad guy at all."
"Thank you, Marchioness Ludbekia."
"'Mama' would be nicer~"
"Thank you, Mother."
"......."
Marchioness Ludbekia grinned playfully, then her eyes widened and her face flushed red.
Trapped between a rock and a hard place.
One side: a 138cm woman with academy bread-lover vibes that certain folks adore.
The other: not blood, but from a possessor's view, a -sister- type.
"Instructor Esta."
"Yes."
I had no choice but to call for rescue.
"It's getting late. Everyone's here now—shall we head back to the academy?"
A getaway.
"Let's do that."
Fortunately, it really was nearing evening.
"Thank you for your time, Marchioness Ludbekia. Next time...."
"We'll see each other at the next training. I'll prepare a feast in the territory then. Special class?"
Marchioness Ludbekia waved at me.
"Stay alive until we meet again. Don't die."
Leaving a slightly chilling warning.
* * *
On the way back to the academy.
The terminal platform to the Old School Building was about 5km, so we set off at a brisk pace.
"Huff, huff, huff...!"
"You need more physical training, Evangeline."
"Th-this...!"
Midway, Evangeline was drenched in sweat, breathing raggedly, and plopped onto a bench before we'd even gone halfway.
"A carriage, huff, or some mount at least...!"
"No such thing. No one rides mounts casually on academy grounds."
Instructor Esta ignored her plea with a stern voice, pointing down the main road.
"Student Evangeline. Are you a mage?"
"Of-of course...! I'm, huff, a descendant of a grand mage...!"
Being a grand mage's descendant doesn't make you a mage, but talent is hereditary anyway.
"I'm a dollmaster to begin with, huff...!"
"Dollmaster?"
Now this was an interesting class.
"Not the play-pretend kind, I hope."
"Of course not! ...Well, duh... Ugh, whatever."
She tried acting ladylike once, then gave up in frustration and stood.
"I don't have anything now, but a package with my puppets is arriving soon. You, just wait 'til it gets here."
"So you're totally defenseless right now?"
"That's not... What are you doing?"
As I leaned toward her on the bench, Evangeline poked me with her foot in surprise.
"D-don't tell me you want me to hop on your back?"
"Unia'll be mad if we're late for dinner."
"What?"
"We eat together as a team."
Not just dinner—unless there was other plans, meals were an unspoken rule for Old School Building students.
It started as a promise with Unia, but anyway.
"And one more thing. We've got [Sharp Wind] on the team."
"......."
"[Sharp Wind] treasures meals. Balanced diet, meal times, everything. As an A-rank adventurer, she's strict about self-care. If she thinks you're messing up the nutrition balance...."
"...I'll take the ride."
Evangeline grumbled and climbed onto my back.
"Hm?"
"Wh-what?! You're...?"
"Wait, didn't you say dollmaster?"
I hoisted her up piggyback-style and stood.
"Are dollmasters dolls themselves?"
"What?"
"You're way lighter than I thought."
"......Shut up."
Evangeline gripped my shoulder hard, like pinching.
"No weird talk. Hurry up!"
"Send the bill for the piggyback to the Ershi Imperial Palace later?"
"It costs money?!"
She reacted strongly to my joke.
"How much?"
"Dunno. One gold per hour?"
"...Then."
A rustling sound came from behind me.
"Twenty-four gold means I can ride like this all day?"
"......."
Clink clink.
I wasn't short on cash, but still.
"No plans to walk yourself?"
"If paying gets me a ride service, what's the harm?"
Evangeline smirked and nestled against my back.
"Go! Special class of the academy!"
"......."
Suddenly, I was her mount.
"Hm? What's up, Instructor?"
"......Nothing."
Instructor Esta glanced below me, tilted her head, but said no more.
"I get that your tastes don't run that way."
"Of course."
I grabbed the puzzled Evangeline and hurried after Instructor Esta.
"I prefer to raise 'em up and eat 'em."
"......."
"Right? That's how...."
Bread works that way.
Yeast makes the dough rise, and it's best eaten when fully puffed up.
Since Evangeline was a heroine.
I'd conquer her by matching her type, but I could change her to fit my way.
-Pedo's bread-puffing.
Not just puffing up, but 'adult-ifying' her. Puhuhu.
In short.
-Grow bigger!
Like dough, given time, it ferments and swells.
From 138cm to 168cm I-cup.