39. Raising and Devouring
39. Raising and Devouring
I handled the talk with Morgan appropriately for now.
Noah hadn't specifically asked me to, anyway.
In fact, Noah kept saying he was fine.
So I just kept it casual—told her he's a kid I know, and to go easy on him. That was it.
I didn't push it any further than that.
If she had been bullying a party member like that back in our adventurer days... I would have seriously considered freezing her solid, freezing her sword, and teaching her a lesson so she couldn't do anything.
But since he's a student, and it was all in the past, I decided to just let it slide.
"Anyway...."
How on earth did that human butcher end up at the Academy?
It was a genuine mystery.
I actually meant to ask her about that.
But that bitch kept asking for a beating, so I forgot.
"Did she have a talent for teaching or something...?"
But putting that aside, I don't remember her having the personality to teach anyone. Seriously, what happened?
Besides, she must have been teaching at the Academy last year too.
How did we never run into each other even once?
It's baffling, almost impressive.
Not that I'd be happy to see her face, though.
"Nuna, why did you leave the shop empty?"
"Just went out for a bit. Why?"
"Well, I came to see you, Nuna. You were away, which is unusual. I was a bit surprised."
After dealing with that old nemesis and returning, even though it was the tail end of the break... Noah was guarding the front of the convenience store.
Like a guard dog.
His hair is black and he's pretty tall, so he felt like a Black Hound.
"If I'm not here, you should assume I have things to do. You should know how to value your break time. What's with waiting until I get back?"
"Hmm.... I just thought maybe a thief might break in while you were gone?"
"Isn't it more suspicious to be standing in front of a closed door?"
"Ah. Is it...?"
"Sigh."
Still, his thoughtfulness was admirable, and it wasn't like I was going to scold him anyway.
We chatted as I reopened the convenience store door.
Honestly, it was just a matter of unlocking the bottom latch and opening the padlock on the door.
Once back inside, I clicked on the mana lamps, repeating the morning routine a little.
Noah even helped me out a bit on the side.
That made it easier for me to get back to the counter.
"...Break time is almost over. Are you going to stay?"
"I think I can stay a little longer. The classroom is close by, and if I run... 30 seconds?"
"Sigh... You really need to be a more diligent student."
"But I don't skip out in the middle of class like I did in the first semester, right? You kept pointing it out, so I fixed it."
"......Yeah, good job. Well done."
It's baffling, but it's true that he's improved compared to before.
Actually, that's how a student should be.
Somehow, the kid is getting... harder to win arguments against, but I couldn't say anything bad about him being like this.
Anyway, after that short chat, Noah went off to class, and I started business again.
It was an ordinary day, not much different from usual.
*
Somehow, the number of acquaintances I have inside the Academy has increased.
But that didn't bring any huge changes.
Just doing business on weekdays, and tutoring a certain high school student on Saturdays. That's about it.
"The midterm exam is less than a month away. Getting this part confused is...."
"Ah."
"Sigh... What can you do. Keep studying."
Today was one of those days.
I was tutoring Noah, as promised.
Last time I taught him history, and this time I was trying to teach him literature... but honestly, there's still a long way to go.
Of course, literature.
It's hard.
It's literature because it's hard.
The novels you generally find in street bookstores are different from the high-class literature enjoyed by nobles and high-ranking people.
But in Noah's case, he's a commoner.
He's bound to find those stuffy texts that only high-ranking people read boring.
If it's not fun, naturally, his will to learn drops.
That creates a chain reaction, leading to this situation.
"Your literature is much weaker than your history. Let's focus on this. The weightage in the midterm exam is similar for all subjects, but this... it's just too weak. Your grades from last semester were......."
Still, we couldn't avoid it.
I had to teach hard, and Noah had to learn hard.
Just because your grades are lacking in a few classes doesn't mean you'll be automatically expelled or dropped.
But separate from that.
He's just too far behind.
It would be a relief if he could just hit the middle, but I knew it was a bit difficult to demand all that from a commoner student.
"Haa... It's hard......."
"Still, you're following along well."
"...If you say so, that's a relief. But I'm worried. If I've done all this and my grades stay the same, I'd feel sorry."
"Well, you should feel sorry. Isn't that obvious?"
"......Ah."
Still, Noah was following along quite well.
Honestly, even as a first-year at the Academy, he must have a lot on his mind.
Seeing him study like this on the side, I find him quite admirable.
When I was at the Academy, I was honestly lazy when it came to studying.
It wasn't fun, right?
I'd often just quit halfway through and go out for some fresh air.
But in Noah's case, he doesn't even do that.
Seeing him sit still and study hard is honestly commendable.
It might be a result-oriented perspective, or too much about "hard work," but... in the end, isn't studying just a battle of how long you can keep your butt glued to the floor or chair?
"Noah, drink this while you work."
"Oh, this is super refreshing."
"I just made the ice. And I froze the surface of the drink a little, so that's why."
"Wow."
He was the one who brought it up first, but seeing him work so hard, I handed him a drink.
Ice or slush, it wasn't anything difficult.
And his reaction when I handed it to him was cute too.
"...Ah, right. Is Morgan still giving you a hard time?"
"Yes?"
"You know, with training and stuff. Does she make it dangerous when she teaches you, or push you until you're exhausted?"
"Ah... hmm.... I think that's decreased lately. Since the semester has started. It's hard to call me in for training every time."
"That's a relief then."
During the short break, I asked about something I was curious about.
It's not like Morgan and I are on good terms.
If anything, Morgan finds me quite uncomfortable, and I find her frustrating.
There's no reason to go see her, but I was curious.
Back when we were adventurers outside the Academy, she was a pretty eccentric bitch.
A dangerous bitch who was even called the [Sword Ghost]... would she be doing a good job?
From my perspective, I couldn't help but worry.
"By the way, how did she end up taking you as a disciple? She was the type who lived with the mindset that the world is a lonely place, let alone taking on a disciple."
"Hmm.... I don't know?"
"You don't know?"
"Yeah, I just got picked while taking a swordsmanship class."
"......."
...No way.
Could it be?
That thought crossed my mind.
Of course, it makes absolutely no sense for that bitch to act and think like that.
But without that, there's honestly no other answer.
"...Hmm."
It can't be.
Even so, there's no way that bitch called the [Sword Ghost]... took him as a disciple because she liked the kid's face... right?
I thought it couldn't be.
Of course, she is younger than me, but still?
Putting that aside, it makes no sense for her to just do that, and for the target to be some 17-year-old boy.
...Of course, Noah, that kid.
He does have parts that she might like, though.
'What? Your family told you to get married and picked a match for you? Wow, you nobles live such annoying lives.'
__
'I can just refuse anyway.'
__
'Is that really okay? Even so, you're still part of the family.'
__
'Tsk.'
__
'Why not just pick a decent guy, someone with a decent face and a personality that isn't too shitty, and then just live with him?'
__
'I have no intention of doing that unless it's a man stronger than me. Or at least, a man comparable to me.'
__
'Oh... In that case, you'll just get stronger and stay a virgin past 30, which is the standard rule.'
Hmm.
Hmm....
A bit of a flashback.
"......Hmm."
"Why?"
"No, do you want some other snack? It's better to eat something sweet than just something cold."
"Ah, hmm.... I feel like I'm being too much of a nuisance... but if you give it to me, I'll gratefully eat it."
"Really? Then sit there for a bit. I'll go bring it."
...No matter how I think about it, it seems quite plausible.
Of course, I know Morgan is still just before her mid-20s.
The youngest [Sword Master].
To meet a man of that level, it was clear that any ordinary opponent wouldn't stand a chance, and even if there were, most would be old men.
Various reasons mixed together, and the result was...
"......."
Raising and devouring a student who has talent by the standards of the youngest [Sword Master] and a decent face.
"Huh......."
I had thought Morgan had some strange parts to her, but...
Would she really do that?
I let out a hollow laugh while preparing the snacks alone... but something felt ominous, and it seemed highly likely that this was the answer.
"Sigh...."
Yeah, well, he's young and handsome.
Even that bitch Vivian would make a fuss about him.
In her own way.......
"Sigh."
"...Nuna? Are you okay?"
"Hm? Why?"
"I've been hearing sighs from the kitchen for a while now. If it's because of tutoring me...."
...Was it because the sound of me sighing while filling the plate with snacks was louder than I thought?
Noah, who was in the living room, had come over here.
Of course, it didn't matter much.
"It's not that. Don't worry about it too much, just take this. Eat it and let's start studying again."
"Ah, yes."
I couldn't needlessly worry the kid as an adult.
Besides, it wasn't like I could suddenly say his master is a weird bitch, a dangerous bitch.
To begin with, even excluding her... the kid has so many women around him.
"Noah, open your book again. Let's start studying."
"Yes, Nuna."
He'll handle it well on his own.
If he doesn't... he'll end up being obsessed over by all sorts of girls and end up on a nice boat, though.