Chapter 115
Affection or admiration.
The complexly mixed emotions made her body hot.
The girl recalled the warm stew.
The kindness of another that had come like a miracle when she had fallen to the lowest point.
It was a scene that now felt newly distant.
"Everyone eat slowly. I'll keep making food."
The dining table that filled the hungry foxes.
At the time, she had been wary, thinking there must be a hidden purpose, but thinking about it again now, it was the moment when all miracles began.
Now it had become a part of life, someone she relied on completely.
She hoped that someday she would become that strong too.
As much as she relied on the boy, she hoped to become someone the boy could rely on too, to become an existence he needed.
To not be abandoned.
To be loved even a little.
"...I'm thinking all sorts of things."
Irene shook off the needless idle thoughts.
Her mouth corners curving bitterly.
Her hands that had been hesitating continuously finally chose the simplest menu.
The decided dish was none other than beef stew.
This seemed better.
Rather than handling a menu she couldn't manage and burning everything, it seemed better to serve a modest but decent meal.
That person would surely praise it as delicious even with her poor skills.
A smile formed needlessly.
The girl moved her lightened footsteps.
"......"
A shadow seething like a heat haze.
Without even knowing that someone was tailing her from there.
***
At the same time.
An alley where people's footsteps didn't reach.
A strange woman was poking her head out there. Her yellow eyes were following the receding back of the fox.
Mana spurted in the air along with her flowing hair.
Her alluring lips moved.
"Hmm~ So that's the target this time?"
It was a tone that felt characteristically leisurely.
Though she had covered herself with a robe to hide her identity, that didn't erase the spirit of a strong person.
A tension like it would cut filled the alley fully.
The woman muttered as if enjoying herself.
"The face is quite my type."
Her identity was as follows.
One who doesn't rely, Injustice.
A big shot carrying out the fourth sword of the monarch.
Originally her role was to assist her master as royal guard, but today she had specially received orders and infiltrated the academy.
That order was to bring the recently noisy snake to the 'kingdom'.
Injustice quietly licked her lips.
'As expected... it's too dangerous to touch the snake directly. He's not the type to come along obediently if told to follow either.'
The war that took place in the empire's underworld.
The usurpation war.
As Injustice had experienced that incident, she knew how cruel the snake was at that time.
Even now he appeared in her nightmares.
He was part of a myth.
He single-handedly trampled the criminal organizations spread in the underworld one by one, and in the end even reduced the 'kingdom' the monarch had built to ashes.
The monarch who had reigned as number one at the time had to give up his right arm.
A one-sided defeat.
He was truly a figure with monstrous footsteps.
Injustice needlessly wiped cold sweat.
'I didn't want to face him again...'
She chewed over a short complaint.
She still had nightmares.
Coldly sunken eyes.
If she faced those eyes that didn't seem human again, Injustice was confident she would pee in her skirt without hesitation.
That's how strongly the snake was imprinted as a fear in the woman.
But
She couldn't disobey orders.
Instead, Injustice decided to use a trick.
'It would be easier to target those around him, right?'
She looked over the target she was tailing.
The opponent was a servant known to have lived closest to the snake recently.
Fox ears and a tail were seated on her head and bottom respectively.
She heard she was a fox beastkin taken from the businessman's auction house, but the reliability was low as it was information brought by Distrust who tended to be slippery.
Injustice fiddled with the whip hanging from her fingertips.
The plan was simple.
The master had ordered to bring him quickly, but hadn't put any restrictions on methods or means.
Even if she committed violent acts, it was fine as there was insurance.
The snake cherishes those around him.
If this side snatched one person and ran away, that side would have no choice but to chase the kingdom to get them back.
Even if they clashed, it was fine as there was some insurance.
The woman hummed happily.
"The hostage is my type too~ Shall I have some fun while he's chasing?"
Injustice was quite strong.
Though her ability didn't have an aggressive tendency, so she couldn't compare to the other royal guards' force, she could still twist student level with one finger.
She too was one of the five negations protecting the monarch (Roi) after all.
She could erase a girl who was still a fledgling from the world without anyone knowing.
Injustice leisurely continued tailing.
'Should I pounce when she enters the dormitory?'
She waited for the hostage to become a mouse in a trap herself.
The fox moved while holding a shopping basket.
When her delicate steps finally entered the dormitory building, Injustice immediately tore space and leapt to assault the opponent.
The shadow appeared in midair as if blinking.
Crack-!
"Peek-a-boo!"
The woman was smiling brightly.
Injustice swung the whip in her hand sharply.
The fox's eyes were dyed with bewilderment.
"...!"
The girl reacted belatedly to the surprise attack.
But
Injustice had already narrowed her focus to striking range.
The whip flying at supersonic speed struck.
Thwack-!
A dull bursting sound dyed the air, and one shadow sprawled on the floor.
Legs kneeling with a faint groan.
Truly.
It happened in an instant.
***
The academy I returned to after finishing work.
When I opened the dormitory door leading my tired body, I had to feel an inerasable sense of incongruity on my skin.
It was because of the thick darkness.
"......"
Only silence was seated beyond the wide space.
The world had greeted sunset and much time had passed, but it was strange that the interior lights still weren't turned on.
I moved while killing my presence.
Though I waited for a moment, the voice that would have come out to greet me usually wasn't heard either.
At that point, I sensed that something was wrong.
Rustle-.
A shopping basket was rolling around in the entrance.
As I picked up meat and vegetables spilled on the floor, suddenly a faint human presence brushed past my ears.
It was a sound coming from the innermost room.
"Ugh, hic..."
A faint groan.
At a glance, it sounded like sobbing.
I immediately ran towards that direction.
"Miss Irene...!"
Bang-!
I roughly kicked the door panel visible at the end of the noise.
There wasn't even a trace of hesitation in that movement.
The hot air stagnant in the room made me frown, leaving behind the wooden boards scattering in pieces.
I hurriedly examined the interior.
What greeted me there was none other than...
"Waaaaaah!! I'm sorry! I was wrong!"
A voice wailing noisily.
In the corner, a yellow-haired girl was kneeling with both arms raised as if receiving punishment.
Her face was a mess of tears and snot.
As if she had been playing with fire somewhere, black soot was smeared all over her body.
I raised a question mark.
"...?"
What's this?
As I froze for a moment with my brain stopped, suddenly there was a girl greeting indifferently.
Flames fluttered beautifully around her.
"Welcome back. You're a bit late today."
"Miss Irene?"
The fox was standing at the center.
Her orange hair was now dyed red, and mana was burning while emitting intense heat.
The noble appearance of crimson flame dominated the atmosphere.
The black sword also wrapped in fire was merciless, and its tip was glaring at the little girl kneeling down.
I asked about the incomprehensible situation.
"What happened?"
"I was ambushed."
"And?"
"I won though?"
"...?"
My head tilted once again.
The girl explained.
"I was wondering why she was tailing me from the shopping street, but when she suddenly ambushed me, I just knocked her down moderately."
Bonk-!
The fox struck the woman's crown with the back of her sword.
A terrified reaction returned.
"Eek, eek...! I-I'm sorry! I was wrong!"
The woman was trembling and rubbing her hands together.
No matter how I looked, she was barely over ten years old.
I silently turned towards the fox.
She awkwardly avoided my eyes, then soon muttered as if excusing her crime.
It was an explanation added barely audibly.
"...I guess I hit her too hard."
As if supplementing that one sentence, the woman burst into tears she had been holding back.
Large tears fell drop by drop.
"Ugh, hic... I won't do it again, s-so please stop the hot thing..."
"......"
"......"
A frail voice crying as if the sky was falling.
We silently looked at each other.
"Miss Irene."
"......"
"Have you perhaps heard of child abuse?"
"She was originally an adult... as we fought she kept shrinking, and in the end she became small like this."
"Then how about excessive suppression?"
"......"
The fox was silent.
We had to stand for a while amid the lingering awkwardness.
Until the kidnapper stopped crying.