The next day.
“This is strange.”
As class ended, Luna propped her chin on her desk and mumbled to herself.
Her out-of-the-blue remark made me tilt my head and ask,
“What is it?”
“…I think Fron has been really unwell lately.”
“Ms. Fron?”
I couldn’t help but be taken aback.
It was hard to imagine someone like Fron being sick.
That girl, with her boundless energy, sick? What could possibly ail her?
If she really was unwell, perhaps it was a nasty cold.
Even though Fron could be arrogant at times, we had faced life and death together. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of concern.
“Did you go to the infirmary with her?”
“No, I don’t think it’s a physical ailment. She doesn’t have a fever, and her body seems fine…”
“Then what do you mean she’s unwell?”
No signs of illness, yet she seems sick?
I wondered if Luna was mistaken about something.
But then again, the way Fron had acted yesterday left me with an uneasy feeling.
Fron had been watching me train when she suddenly got up and left.
“…I’m feeling sleepy all of a sudden, I’ll be on my way.”
After Fron left, Luna, who had also been observing my training, followed suit.
It was highly likely that Luna had noticed something then.
But she said there was nothing wrong with Fron’s body…
As I struggled to grasp the situation, Luna raised a hand to her chest.
“It’s like, here. It hurts here.”
Which meant,
Fron wasn’t suffering physically, but emotionally.
But there was a glaring inconsistency in Luna’s words.
Subtly,
I turned my gaze towards where Fron was.
I didn’t know what Luna had seen in Fron.
However,
“You slaves! Come and worship me, your superior!”
When I turned my head, I saw Fron yelling at the other students in Class A.
…Judging by her current state, she seemed perfectly fine mentally.
If anything, it looked like she had lost her mind.
That being said, there was no way Luna would lie to me, so I decided to keep it in mind for now.
If Fron showed any signs of distress or strange behavior, I would address it immediately.
Right now, I had more pressing matters to deal with.
‘…Today’s the day.’
I discreetly opened the top button of my uniform and glanced at Sijo and Gu Poison, who were sound asleep.
― Beep….
Sijo must have found my embrace warm and comforting because he was fast asleep, oblivious to the passing of time.
He might be a bird, but I could sense his emotions.
Right now, Sijo was radiating an aura of pure bliss.
On the other hand, Gu Poison,
― ……….
As if sensing my gaze, he opened his eyes and stared back at me, his lower jaw jutting out.
Luna flinched beside me.
“Oh, hello there.”
But she quickly gathered her courage and slowly reached out to stroke Gu Poison.
― …….
Gu Poison didn’t seem to mind Luna’s touch.
He simply accepted her caress without biting her.
It was an unbelievable sight compared to their first encounter.
One day,
Gu Poison, who had sprung out from within me, had slithered up Luna’s arm.
She had been terrified by the slippery feel of the snake, her eyes welling up with tears. But now, she could even touch him.
How was that even possible?
Even I still felt a tinge of fear when I looked at Gu Poison.
He might have resembled a viper, but the venom he possessed was potent enough to take down Terias.
I had been truly terrified when I first saw him back at the Bares family estate.
Of course, back then, he had been a little cuter than he was now.
But even so, he had been designed to kill me at any given moment.
If I hadn’t been able to use Position Exchange and Gu Poison had remained dormant within me…
…Just the thought of it sent shivers down my spine.
I shook my head to clear away the unpleasant thoughts.
Then, I addressed Luna, who was busy handling Gu Poison.
“You seem to have adapted well. Are you sure you’re not scared?”
“Yes, he might be scary, but he’s also the one who saved us…!”
“Hmm.”
It seemed like both Idea and Luna harbored no prejudice and readily accepted Gu Poison.
Perhaps Gu Poison’s appearance resonated with their Demon sensibilities.
Or maybe, their tastes were just a little unique.
‘I wonder what Samuel thinks.’
He had encountered Gu Poison numerous times as well.
After all, Samuel was the first student to ever lay eyes on Gu Poison.
During the battle with Terias,
Gu Poison had sprung out, so Samuel was naturally aware of his existence.
Of course, Samuel hadn’t shown any particular reaction back then, so I hadn’t given it much thought.
Well then…
The moment I gestured towards Gu Poison with my chin,
Swoosh-.
Gu Poison coiled his body, covering himself with his own thorns.
Simultaneously, I channeled a small amount of Mana towards Samuel.
Jolted awake, Samuel grumbled in annoyance.
[…What’s going on?]
“I was just curious.”
[Curious about what?]
“I was wondering if you dislike snakes, Mr. Samuel.”
My honest answer drew a dumbfounded response from Samuel.
[Snakes and insects are nothing new to me.]
“…?”
[I grew up surrounded by them every single day. Why would I be afraid of a mere snake? In fact…]
As Samuel trailed off, Gu Poison reacted strangely.
It flinched.
― …….
His movements suddenly froze, and he lowered himself to the ground.
What was that?
As I frowned at his incomprehensible reaction, Samuel’s sleepy voice rang out once more.
[I’m going back to sleep. Don’t wake me up for a while. And stop bothering me.]
“…Alright.”
[…….]
With that, Samuel fell silent once more.
I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t get the reaction I was hoping for, but what could I do?
There was nothing to gain from messing with Samuel.
As I clicked my tongue internally, Luna asked,
“By the way, why did you bring out Gu Poison and Sijo? What if someone sees them…?”
“Ah, don’t worry about it.”
I cut off Luna, who was starting to look worried.
Today was the day I could openly reveal Gu Poison and Sijo.
However, Luna simply tilted her head, looking even more confused.
In the end, I explained,
“Today’s the Familiar Recognition Exam.”
“Aha.”
Luna nodded in understanding.
The reason I could bring out Sijo and Gu Poison was that the exam was scheduled right after our next class.
I had prepared meticulously for this day.
Passing was a foregone conclusion.
Clang-.
The bell, signaling the start of our final class, echoed through the hallway.
And as the lesson drew to a close, I walked out with a smirk playing on my lips.
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