Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Encounter (2)
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I thought for a moment.
“I heard you were kidnapped. You managed to come back in one piece, I see?”
“…”
Should I consider Chloe’s information network to be fast?
Or should I be disappointed that she knew nothing about the kidnapping plot?
*Tsk*, pressing her on it would be pointless.
Even if I brought it up, she’d just say she never imagined it, just like last time. I agreed with that, so there was nothing more to say.
“Was the culprit Ilensia?”
“So it seems.”
“Hmm, that’s a bit surprising.”
“I think so too.”
Not all my memories had returned, but…
Among the Hero candidates, she was one of the more amicable ones.
I thought she might covet Jace, but I never expected her to be so aggressive.
Well, whatever.
Instead of dwelling on questions, I’ll focus on countermeasures.
The only person who could handle Ilensia with ease.
I needed to get Aruru, the S-rank Spirit User, on my side.
Aruru was beyond neutral; she was thoroughly independent.
It was partly her personality, but she never had any need to lead a faction in the first place.
She commanded dozens, even hundreds of spirits.
A one-woman army, she was immensely powerful.
Especially against Ilensia, her win rate was guaranteed to be over ninety percent.
A girl born with the highest affinity for spirits.
The moment Aruru said, “Don’t play with her.”
The elf girl’s spirits would vanish without a trace.
Then she’d be only half of what she was.
How futile would that be? It was a perfect counter.
“How about we get something to eat first?”
Chloe suggested tactfully.
Was it because she felt she wasn’t being very helpful?
Hiding her look of embarrassment, she seemed to be trying to make up for it with food.
Right, I was getting thirsty anyway.
Soon, we were sipping coffee in a quiet café.
Perhaps it was the caffeine, but my head felt much clearer.
“Here, take this.”
She casually handed me a stack of papers.
It seemed she had finished the investigation within the timeframe.
I skimmed through the information about the Hero candidates.
Some of it matched my knowledge.
But there were a few parts that had changed.
Just comparing them like this was a great help.
‘Some of them are outside the academy.’
Slaying monsters, exploring dungeons, and so on.
There were those trying to get stronger through special training.
I could take them off the priority list.
The Hero candidates I needed to worry about right now were the ones inside the academy.
I had a general idea, but the whereabouts of the most important person were missing.
“I’m not sure where Aruru is. As you know…”
Aruru was a free-spirited girl.
You never knew when or where she would show up.
Even if I did meet her, there was no guarantee she would side with me.
I had one thing I was counting on, but I would have to meet her to see how it would play out.
“Are you sure she’s in the academy?”
“Yes. I confirmed she was wandering around a few days ago.”
“In that case…”
“You’re thinking of joining forces with her. To keep Ilensia in check…”
She read my intentions perfectly.
Well, after talking this much, it would be stranger if she didn’t know.
“Stuck right from the start.”
“???”
“I need to find her quickly…”
“!!”
“…”
Hmm, how should I put this?
I felt a strange sense of unease from Chloe’s reaction.
She looked bewildered, as if she’d seen something she shouldn’t have, then jumped in surprise a beat later.
“What is it?”
“…”
Without a word, she pointed to my side.
I casually turned my head, but there was nothing…
“!!”
She was so tiny I almost missed her.
A girl with a petite frame was staring up at my face.
Her eyes darted around as she constantly twitched her fox ears.
The fox beastkin, Aruru.
The S-rank Spirit User had appeared on her own.
To share a quick bit of trivia…
Beastkin, who combine human and animal traits, are the designated cuties of this world.
Walking mascots, so to speak.
Aruru was the only one here, but you saw them everywhere outside.
They worked in all sorts of professions, like innkeepers, item shop merchants, and guides.
Their main characteristics were a childlike appearance and monstrous strength.
Beastkin keep their small stature even as adults.
Aruru was tiny too, but despite her appearance, she was older than me.
“…”
She was incredibly adorable in person.
The expression “a living doll” fit her perfectly.
Baby-soft skin and chubby cheeks? That’s just cheating.
So tempting that I wanted to pinch them without even thinking.
She exuded a devilish charm that made even her baby hairs seem lovely.
“Were you looking for me?”
She tilted her head slightly, her lips parting.
Befitting her cute appearance, her voice was just as captivating.
As if possessed, I stroked Aruru’s head.
“Eheheh…”
Far from rejecting it, she seemed to welcome it.
A faint memory surfaced… Jace used to do this often.
“Yes, I was.”
My intuition was spot on.
She would definitely be on my side.
Unlike her delicate appearance, Aruru’s power was something no one could ignore.
Later on, she makes a pact with the Spirit King.
While summoning the Spirit King, she was practically invincible.
She may look like a little girl, but she’s older and stronger, so I’ll rely on her without any reservations.
But… she wasn’t listening to me at all.
She was drooling, staring at the untouched food.
“…”
That’s right.
A key trait of beastkin was being a glutton.
Luring her with food—that was what I was counting on.
However, she didn’t just accept food from anyone.
If she did, someone would have already recruited her.
In Aruru’s case, she only ate what was given to her by someone she trusted.
“You can have it.”
“Really?”
“I don’t mind, so go ahead and…”
Before I could finish, she moved.
She climbed onto my lap and swallowed the slice of cake in one bite.
“!!”
Overwhelmed by the sweetness, she cupped her cheeks with both hands.
As if declaring she was the happiest girl in the world, she expressed her joy with her entire body.
I’d said it on a whim, but…
it seemed a baseline level of trust was already established.
Hmm, maybe I’ll benefit from being Jace this time?
His usual proper conduct and a face you couldn’t help but like.
I guessed most of the female students were probably favorable toward him.
Which meant he’d be drenched in the envy and jealousy of the male students…
“…”
Chloe was looking at me with a strange expression.
Was it because she was surprised by how close I was with Aruru?
She seemed flabbergasted, as if giving me a non-reprimanding reprimand about how nice it must be to be so popular with girls.
Why? What’s the problem?
It’s not like you haven’t had your fair share of that, right?
“Looks like your problem is solved.”
Well, that remains to be seen.
She just had a favorable impression of me; now was the time to actually win her over.
“Well then, I’ll be going. I have a lot to do…”
She tactfully excused herself, as if to let us talk comfortably.
Meanwhile, Aruru was still focused on the food.
When I tried to move her from my lap to the seat beside me,
she wiggled her bottom back and forth, as if to say she liked her current position.
Ah, what do I do? Her reaction is too adorable!
Not just foxy, but a girl who was literally half fox.
It felt like I’d gained a cute daughter, which was very heartwarming…
“Did you switch?”
“Hmm?”
“Your fiancée is a different girl.”
“???”
My mind went blank for a moment.
I wondered what she meant. It seemed she mistook Chloe for my new girlfriend.
“Never mind if I’m wrong.”
Aruru didn’t seem to think much of it, but…
from now on, I might have to be more conscious of prying eyes…
I should avoid doing anything that could be misunderstood by people, especially Ceria.
“I heard you’re doing a bit better now.”
“I was lucky.”
“It seems you’re being targeted from all over. How’s that?”
“Well, it’s just a little annoying…”
“If you’re honest, I might be able to help.”
“…”
I realized instinctively.
Aruru wasn’t someone you could bluff.
She was more pure than her appearance suggested.
Purity and goodness are slightly different, but either way, it was better to tell her the unvarnished truth.
“Actually, it’s been really tough…”
“Call me ‘Big Sister’.”
“???”
“Just once is enough.”
My mind went blank again.
B-Big Sister… No, this isn’t right.
She’s older, so ‘Big Sister’ is correct, but she looks like a little kid, so it feels weird!
Still, for this price, the value was incredible.
Gaining the cooperation of an S-rank Spirit User for just one word.
“…”
As I continued to ponder, a certain memory suddenly came to mind.
After recalling the girl’s circumstances, I hesitated no longer.
“Elder Sister?”
“Not ‘Elder Sister,’ ‘Big Sister’.”
“B-Big Sister…”
Aah, I felt a strange sense of depravity!
It felt like I had just called my own daughter ‘Big Sister’…
Unconcerned by my devastated look, Aruru gave a bashful smile.
“…”
The ultimate healing…
Her bright, pure smile melted away my complicated feelings.
The girl turned to face me.
Then, she placed her tiny hand on my head.
“Good boy, good boy.”
“…”
She continued to pat my head.
Without context, you’d wonder what was happening.
But I could understand Aruru’s feelings.
She was the head of her household.
She lost her parents in an attack by the Demon King’s Army.
She was in a position where she had to take care of her younger siblings alone.
After that.
She somehow managed to enter the Hero Academy and awaken her abilities.
Given the nature of the Hero Academy, a Hero candidate was essentially a top scholarship student.
She received a scholarship and various other forms of support, but…
Aruru was saving even her allowance to send money back home.
Which was why she herself couldn’t even eat properly.
How pitiful is that? She was a glutton, but she had to starve herself!
Anyway, it seemed she missed her siblings.
Being so far away from them, she must be very lonely.
But did she see her siblings in me?
Well, maybe she just hoped her siblings would grow up to be as splendid as Jace.
“Don’t you go astray again.”
“…”
She spoke firmly, telling me not to go off the rails again.
Hmm, maybe having her as a big sister instead of a daughter wouldn’t be so bad? This feeling wasn’t half bad!
“Oh, right, I have a condition.”
“…What was that just now?”
“That was the first condition.”
“…”
She grinned, looking out for her own interests.
Good. I wasn’t keen on receiving help one-sidedly.
Besides, Aruru’s demands were only ever about one thing.
“You’ll be responsible for my food expenses.”
As expected, it didn’t stray from my prediction.
It wasn’t a particularly demanding condition, so I nodded.
It couldn’t get any cheaper than this.
Regardless of the condition, I wanted to take care of her anyway.
“The third condition is…”
“There’s a third one?”
“Mhm, I’ll just tell you later. Think of it more as a request than a condition.”
Well, how big of a deal could the third one be?
Considering Aruru’s capabilities, I would have accepted up to ten conditions.
Before I knew it, she had devoured the slice of cake.
As if asking for more, she wagged her tail, her eyes pleading.
Right, eat up.
I might be short on other things, but I had plenty of money.
I went all out and ordered everything on the menu.
Soon, the table was filled with all sorts of desserts.
“!!”
The girl was moved as if she had been given the whole world.
Just watching her made me feel full.
Om nom nom.
I tried to ignore the terrifying speed at which the food was vanishing and took a moment to gather my thoughts.
This all wrapped up more cleanly than I could have hoped.
Now, no one could act rashly against me.
Just as I was feeling satisfied, I sensed numerous gazes on us.
“…”
A fair number of students had gathered before I realized it.
Most of them were completely captivated by Aruru’s cuteness.
It seemed just watching her from afar was healing their hearts.
I was about to accept that and move on, but then…
I whipped my head toward a specific spot.
“…”
“…”
Our eyes met.
It was my lovely fiancée, but her expression was colder than usual.
Aah, this situation… surely it’s not…
It’s like being caught red-handed on a date with another girl!
As if facing the crisis of a lifetime.
A cold sweat started trickling down my back without me even realizing it…