Fox (6)
There was a strange misunderstanding for a moment, but it was quickly cleared up.
The definition of taming. It seemed the girl had taken it in a rather naughty way.
It was fortunate that I hastily added an explanation…
'I almost got labeled as a shameless human.'
What would she think if she understood the relationship like that?
Of course, I meant to be friends. Has she never even read a fairy tale in her life?
I looked at the fox with narrowed eyes.
"… …."
Irene was sitting there, deliberately looking away.
She was acting indifferent, but her ears were already flushed red.
Her tail was flapping around frantically.
It seemed she was embarrassed for having such naughty thoughts on her own.
Seeing her fidgeting brought a smile to my face.
Is this what they call 'gap moe'?
She has a fierce atmosphere, but she crumbles when poked.
I opened my mouth.
"You have an unexpectedly cute side."
A playful remark.
Irene, who had flinched for a moment, glared at me fiercely.
"… … I said I was sorry."
"This is revenge."
"No…"
"My heart is still racing from the indecent thoughts you were having."
"… …."
In the end, the fox falls silent.
Seeing her head hanging low made the corners of my mouth twitch.
A mischievous smile spread across my face.
'Interesting.'
It's quite fun teasing her.
This was one of the reasons why she was so popular in the original.
Especially, she showed great chemistry with the whimsical Little Prince, drawing explosive reactions from users.
[Irene's reactions are so freaking cute lol]
[I used to find Irene prickly and unlikable, but after this episode, she's my favorite!]
[Is the Charlotte-Irene ship sailing?]
[What ship, dude?]
[The developers already said there are no romance routes]
[Until all the glaciers in the Arctic melt]
[Ship shipshipshipshipshipshipshipshipshipshipshipshipshipshipshipshipship]
[Get out;;]
For your information, these are the comments that were posted on my video.
There are some strange comments in between, but… let's just ignore them.
Anyway, Irene's impact was significant. When the [The World as Seen by the Little Prince] character popularity poll was held, she proudly took 3rd place.
'Of course, I voted for Regia…'
Still, seeing her in person like this, I could understand the fans' feelings.
There's always a demand for tsunderes.
She's the complete opposite of the gentle and kind Regia.
"Miss Irene."
"… … What."
"Cheer up. I'll stop teasing you now."
I patted the fox's head a few times as if to comfort her.
I heard a fierce growl, but I ignored it and casually removed my hand.
"We were getting sidetracked. Let's get back to the main topic."
Clap, clap!
A clap to signal focus.
Irene, irritated, glared at me, but she couldn't bring herself to attack.
I continued speaking nonchalantly.
"As I said, I'll guarantee the safety of the children."
"You did."
"And in return, you promised to be my 'friend'."
"I don't know exactly what a friend is… but… I'll do anything as long as it means saving the children."
"Anything?"
"… … Within reasonable limits."
"Haha, of course. Please don't worry."
I flicked my hand lightly.
I was being playful with Irene, but it was a one-sided advance.
She must still be afraid of me. Suspicious, too.
It wasn't really a problem.
There was plenty of time. We'll be spending a lot of time together, so we can build trust.
"In that case, Miss Irene."
"What now."
"This is my first request as a friend. And by the way, I won't take no for an answer."
The snake flickered its tongue.
The dangerously gleaming golden surface seemed ready to swallow the fox whole.
I whispered softly.
"Come with me to the Academy."
It was time to move on to a new story.
***
Meanwhile, at Galimar Academy.
The week-long entrance exams had come to an end.
With the grades calculated and all the tedious paperwork completed, the faculty were gathered in the Headmaster's office, discussing the results of the exam.
Every year, the new students received a lot of attention, but this year was on a whole other level.
Not only was the overall level of the applicants high, but there were also several promising individuals who were considered geniuses.
The Empire's first princess, Charlotte Little von Staufen.
The twin siblings of the Vanity ducal family, Emilia Vanity and Ruska Vanity.
And even a commoner who possessed the ability to summon a Wyvern.
It was as if all the promising individuals, who appeared only once in a generation, had made a pact to gather this year.
The faculty had high expectations…
"This is outrageous!"
"This is unacceptable. I'm very disappointed by this unilateral decision."
"This needs to be corrected immediately!"
However, the atmosphere in the Headmaster's office was somewhat chaotic.
Heated voices filled the room.
In the center of the faculty stood an old man with white hair, sitting at his desk with a tired expression.
He massaged his forehead and tried to calm the professors.
"Everyone, please calm down."
"But, Headmaster…!"
"That's enough."
"… …."
His voice was firm and left no room for argument.
As the commotion died down, the Headmaster looked down at his desk with a heavy gaze.
A thick document lay before him.
[Galimar Academy New Student Entrance Exam Ranking]
1. Judas Snakus
2. Charlotte Little von Staufen
3. Emilia Vanity
4. Ruska Vanity
5. Regia Pilots
.
.
.
1206. Dexter Hollent
1207. Margo Frank
[Document Approved - Selena Drunkard]
"Sigh…"
The Headmaster couldn't help but let out a sigh.
He rubbed his weary face, trying to suppress the dizziness he felt.
The reason why the professors were collectively protesting was because of the contents of this document.
"This ranking is absurd!"
"Not only did Her Highness the Princess lose the top spot, but to think that someone of such inadequate skill would take her place!"
"We were all present at the entrance exam."
"He may be from a prestigious family, but his skills were barely above average!"
"Honestly, this result is unacceptable."
Judas Snakus.
The biggest topic of conversation in this entrance exam.
Despite showing somewhat lacking results, he had somehow secured the top spot.
The Headmaster quietly turned his head.
"… …."
Standing there was a woman.
Her long, flowing purple hair and alluring red eyes sparkled captivatingly.
She had an indifferent expression on her face.
As if she had no interest in the matter at hand.
"… … Selena."
Selena Drunkard.
The Head Professor of the Academy and the person in charge of this entrance exam.
The Headmaster sighed once more.
"Selena."
"Yes, Headmaster."
"Explain how this happened."
"As you can see."
Her reply was confident and unwavering.
The smell of alcohol clung to her, indicating that she had been drinking again.
"Did you not give your approval?"
"Selena, even though I delegated all authority regarding the entrance exam to you, this is…"
"I was merely fulfilling my assigned role."
Selena responded nonchalantly.
The Headmaster felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
No matter how much leeway he gave her, wasn't she being too brazen?
As the old man pondered his growing doubts about his disciple, the complaints of the professors continued to assault his ears.
"We can't let this slide this time!"
"Professor Selena's conduct is questionable. Last time, she was grading papers while intoxicated and messed up the entire ranking!"
"That was only once."
"Once is more than enough! Professor Selena!"
"Hmm?"
Selena tilted her head as if she had no idea what they were talking about.
Her actions only served to further aggravate the already irritated faculty members.
'This is going to turn into an emotional argument at this rate.' The Headmaster swallowed a groan and forced himself to regain control of the chaotic situation.
"That's enough. Let's conclude the matter of the top freshman here."
"But, Headmaster…!"
"Am I not making myself clear?"
"… …."
"Don't we have the class placement exam coming up anyway? If there's a problem with Selena's judgment, the rankings will change then."
"… … Very well."
The Headmaster's tone left no room for further discussion.
A strange tension filled the air. The faculty finally seemed to realize they had gotten carried away and backed down.
Only Selena remained unfazed.
"Selena."
"Yes, Headmaster."
"I'll let it slide this time since I already approved the document… but this incident has raised some concerns."
"My apologies."
"Don't take your position as Head Professor lightly."
"I'll keep that in mind."
The Headmaster frowned.
He wanted to end the reprimand there, but he knew the other faculty members would be dissatisfied.
This matter couldn't be simply brushed aside.
"The student who placed first this time. Do you remember him?"
"Yes, the Snake's son, I believe."
"If he doesn't maintain a top 10 ranking in the class placement exam in two weeks… I'll strip you of your position as Head Professor. You were responsible for this, so it's only right that you take responsibility."
"I accept your judgment."
"Good. I trust this settles the matter for everyone?"
The other professors remained silent.
It was their way of expressing their agreement with the Headmaster's decision.
Although his words were mild, they essentially meant that Selena would be dismissed.
The princess, who had placed second in this year's entrance exam, was a once-in-a-generation genius. There was no way a student with merely above-average skills could compete with her.
He would surely be defeated.
'It's over for her.'
'What a pity.'
'Serves her right. She became arrogant, hiding behind the Headmaster.'
'She was a talented individual, if only it weren't for her excessive drinking…'
'So this is how it ends.'
The faculty members harbored various thoughts.
They glanced at Selena for a moment before averting their gazes.
Perhaps that was why they didn't notice.
'… … The class placement exam, huh? I'm looking forward to it.'
The fleeting smile that graced Selena's lips.
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
***
The chaotic fox rescue operation!
A week had passed since then.
The calendar, seemingly flipping through the days with a mind of its own, now indicated the date of the Academy's entrance ceremony.
The moment the original story truly began.
"I'm so excited~! I can't wait~!"
"… … Be quiet."
"How can you say that?! It's our first day at the Academy!"
The fox reprimanded me for my excitement.
Irene and I were walking towards Galimar Academy.
"Hehe."
I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
Perhaps it was because of the anticipation bubbling inside me. My steps felt lighter than usual.
Wheeew-.
The spring breeze felt particularly refreshing today.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my fluttering heart.
As we continued our walk, I heard a strange whimper coming from beside me.
"Ugh…"
"Miss Irene? What's wrong?"
"Are you… seriously asking that…?"
Her voice trembled.
I turned my head to see the girl with her face flushed bright red.
Her sharp gaze pierced through me.
I pretended to be oblivious and replied, "Hmm? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You're… the worst."
"Now, now, Miss Irene. Such harsh words aren't very becoming."
"You're the one who put me in this outfit…!"
Finally, Irene exploded.
Her short skirt swayed with her violently shaking tail.
Black and white color scheme. A tight-fitting design that accentuated her curves.
The girl was dressed in a maid outfit.
"It suits you very well."
I casually remarked.
But even my compliment seemed to be a critical blow to her. The fox ears on her head twitched in response.
She seemed incredibly embarrassed.
"… … You pervert."
Her eyes welled up with tears.
Irene, consumed by shame and anger, glared at me with intense hostility.
"Friends, my foot… You had this planned all along, didn't you?"
"Don't say that."
I was worried that she might really start hating me, so I quickly explained myself.
"Didn't I tell you? This was the only way for you to enter the Academy with me."
Irene couldn't enroll in the Academy.
Or rather, she had missed the opportunity.
The entrance exam was already over.
She would have to wait at least a year to be eligible to enter the Academy as a student.
That's why I had chosen the next best option.
- I'll hire you.
- Become my exclusive maid and serve me.
In other words, I would make Irene my attendant.
In principle, the Academy was a space exclusively for students, but there were some exceptions.
Each student was allowed to bring a few attendants.
It was probably a courtesy extended to the children of noble families.
- I'm all alone.
As it happened, I had an open attendant position.
My family hadn't assigned anyone to me, so I was free to hire whoever I wanted.
And that's how Irene became a maid.
"E-Even so…! This, this revealing, s-shameless outfit…!"
"It's the latest fashion. I got you the most popular one from the store."
"I don't understand human society…"
"What do you think? Isn't it as naughty as your thoughts?"
"Shut up!!"
She finally threw a punch at me.
I dodged her attack with ease and continued to tease her playfully.
Her prickly reactions were amusing.
As we continued to bicker, Irene suddenly fell silent.
As if she had just remembered something important.
"Miss Irene?"
The atmosphere shifted abruptly.
Her expression hardened. She hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"… … The children are alright, right?"
"Ah."
It seemed she was worried about the little foxes.
We couldn't bring them to the Academy, so we had to leave them in someone else's care.
Irene must be feeling anxious.
She couldn't protect them herself.
"Don't worry."
I reassured her, "I called in a favor from some acquaintances. They're trustworthy, so I'm sure they'll take good care of the children."
"That makes me even more worried… since you're the one who called them."
"Ouch."
"They're not dangerous, are they…?"
"They should be fine. They follow my orders absolutely."
"That… doesn't sound very reassuring."
"You wound me."
I deflected her question with a playful smile.
Irene eyed me suspiciously, but I managed to distract her with a few more teases.
I muttered to myself, 'Come to think of it… It's been a while since I last saw them.'
The last time was when I sent them a letter six months ago.
I wondered how they were doing. I hoped they hadn't caused too much trouble in my absence.
I should pay them a visit soon.
'Astro.'
The name of the infamous criminal organization in the slums.
I savored the name for a moment before continuing on my way.
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Happy reading!
'Judas' seems to fit better in his character, y'know the original is a traitor as well, no?
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware of the reference, it makes sense, will go with Judas then!
DeleteThanks for the chapters! I never been disappointed in a narrow-eyed web novel! Another banger!
ReplyDeleteThe best babysitters: a literal criminal organization
ReplyDelete