Chapter 61
“Miss Kaitlyn! Paw!”
“······.”
“Paw!”
“Fuck···.”
“Tsk, do you want to be expelled?”
“······.”
Kaitlyn's expression was thoroughly miserable.
Through her fallen hair, I could see her trembling golden eyes.
Perhaps it was because the heat had built up. The girl's naturally healthy copper-colored cheeks had deepened with a flush, as though their saturation had increased.
“Paw!”
“······.”
“Paw!”
“Please···.”
“Now, now, what dog in the world obeys human speech?”
“You fucking, goddamn pervert···.”
“Expulsion?”
“······.”
She rebelled with her teeth clenched, only to be crushed by a single word from me.
The rebellion of this pet died down in less than three minutes.
Kaitlyn lowered her head deeply.
Tremble, tremble—the girl's moderately muscular shoulders shook.
After hesitating, the girl eventually placed her hand on my palm.
“Woof, woof woof···.”
“Good girl~!”
Ruffle, ruffle, ruffle—.
I ruffled her hair until it was completely tousled.
The first step toward becoming a good dog owner.
Building a sufficient bond with one's companion dog.
After basic training, be sure to praise them whenever they complete a task.
Kaitlyn clenched her fists, perhaps happy to receive my praise.
“Good dog, good dog.”
“······.”
Crackle, crackle—.
The fact that static kept crackling meant she was extremely furious.
Regardless, I kept pressing down on the top of her head, which was growing hotter by the second.
‘She's much hotter than I expected.’
Apparently, constantly emitting high-voltage current meant she was the type to heat up easily.
It seemed like I could put a pot on her head and cook with her.
‘I could even boil ramen.’
A brilliant idea flashed through my mind, but I decided to shelve it.
There was no way an item like ramen existed in this world, after all.
I figured I could try it later with stew or some other variation.
“Now, Miss Kaitlyn.”
I decided to think about this problem later.
I shook off my idle thoughts and continued bonding with my partner.
“This time, the other hand!”
“Woof, woof woof···.”
“Turn around once!”
“Woof···!”
“Jump in place!”
“M-mmph···.”
“More energetically! Do it properly, I say!”
“Woof, woof, woof woof···!”
At my command, Kaitlyn held out her hand, spun around once, and jumped in place.
The one standing there was no longer the tyrant who had reigned as Class B's top student.
She was merely a Pokémon obediently following her master's orders.
“This is quite rewarding. I feel like I've become the hot-blooded police protagonist rehabilitating some third-rate delinquent extra···.”
“Fucking bastard···.”
A small pool of tears covered the girl's eyes.
Kaitlyn endured it, biting down hard on her lips—perhaps her last shred of pride.
Leaving that admirable tenacity behind, I pointed at the target set up in the center of the classroom.
“Go, electric mouse! One million volts!”
“······.”
“One million volts!”
“······.”
“Expulsion?”
“Woof···!”
Kzzzaaa—!
High-voltage current erupted ferociously.
The attack turned the target standing on the platform into ash.
“Nailed it.”
It was a perfect combination.
At this level, we wouldn't miss out on winning the world championship.
To signify that she had done well, I gave Kaitlyn's collar a slight shake.
Jingle—.
“······.”
The girl sat back down as though exhausted.
I petted her a few more times in congratulations.
She looked so delighted that I felt oddly rewarded.
‘The world is still a warm place.’
People helping people and setting friends who have strayed onto the wrong path straight.
Looking toward a villain's rehabilitation, rather than punishing for punishment's sake.
Thus, punishing with love rather than hatred.
Believing in goodness, and believing that anyone can become good.
I was the first to deny the saying that people never change.
People can live again.
People always change.
Because life (人生) is walking along a winding, crooked curve.
However, so that the path may wind without plunging and so that we may stagger without falling, we must hold one another's hands.
People must hold one another's hands.
If we don't let go, we won't fall.
If we don't let go, we won't stumble.
I believe that someday, we will learn warmth from the hands that meet ours.
What I was doing for her, and what I was doing for these children, carried that meaning.
What? You're saying I was just bullying them?
Your mama.
“Heh heh.”
I smiled broadly.
Perhaps it knew that kind of joy too, because the corners of the mask's mouth twitched and trembled as well.
Behind us, the Class B students stood in neat rows.
Of course, not all of them—only the ones who had acted cocky and gone around picking fights with students from lower-ranked classes.
““······.””
The tyrant's downfall.
Those who gazed miserably at Kaitlyn, reduced to a pet dog.
Even as they glared resentfully, they jumped in surprise when I turned around.
“Everyone.”
““······.””
I suppose it was because I'd shown them hell for the past week.
Even the students who had originally been especially cocky had now become gentle lambs.
“You all know what you have to do today, right?”
““······.””
“You only have to do it for two hours, like yesterday.”
““······.””
“Huh? No answer. Shall we make it eight hours, then?”
“N-no, no, no! No, I understand! We understand!”
“Sorry! I'm really sorry··· I just got distracted for a moment!”
“So please, anything but eight hours···!”
Only then did answers begin to spill out hurriedly, one after another.
“Hmm.”
I rested my chin on my hand as though pondering.
The students were sweating buckets.
“Your answer was late··· Well, shall I let it slide this once?”
“Th-thank you! We are grateful for your mercy···.”
“Uuugh···.”
The students breathed sighs of relief.
Of course, that did not mean the thing that would soon befall them had disappeared.
With a happy smile, I gave the students a light push on the back.
“Shall we get going?”
““······.””
Though trembling, the students followed my lead.
We left the B Main Building and stopped on the academy's main street.
Students from other classes often passed along this road as well.
The Class B students lined up there in neat rows.
“You've done it once yesterday, so you have a rough idea now, right?”
““······.””
“Now, let's do this with bright smiles! Think of it as bringing bright smiles to Grandia Academy!”
““······.””
There was only one task assigned to them.
A morale-boosting performance.
Entertaining the other students worn out from their studies.
After checking that Class B was lined up in a row, I shouted the signal in a booming voice.
“Then~ let's begin!”
Glance, glance—.
Students passing nearby looked over, wondering what was going on.
Attention began gathering, one person after another.
In that situation··· Class B began to dance.
A very fresh, cute dance, the sort female idols might perform.
“Now, keep your dance lines straight!”
A sight of fifteen or so students dancing in a heap, without any music.
Every one of Class B's faces was flushed bright red.
I stood in front of them as though I were their director.
Controlling the corners of my mouth that kept twitching, I warned them in a solemn voice.
“Every time I see someone not dancing properly, I'll add an hour~ Let's finish this in one go!”
At those words, even the students who had merely been waving their arms began dancing in earnest.
Still, perhaps because they'd practiced together for six hours yesterday, their group dance gradually seemed to be taking shape.
They didn't seem far from their goal of becoming the world's greatest idols either.
I drew the audience's attention and called out to the dancers.
“Now, greet the audience!”
““······.””
“Greet them!”
““······.””
“Shall I tack on five full hours?”
“N-no, sir···!”
“Please, anything but that···.”
The students pleaded even as they panted from the vigorous dance.
See? Wouldn't it be nice to just do it when I told you to?
I gave the signal in a sharp voice.
“This is your last chance! Greet the audience!”
““We are the ones who spread love and hope···!””
“Adorable.”
““Adorable!””
“Cute.”
““Cute!””
“Who?”
““The academy's guardians! We are Class B's Idolsss!!!””
Class E's Shuttles.
Class C's Point Doormats.
Following them, it was the moment Class B's Idols were born.
The students passing by looked thoroughly bewildered.
‘Ah···.’
Class B, considered an elite.
Its leader had become a Pokémon, and her followers had become idols.
‘Thrilling.’
This was it.
This was why I went to an academy in the first place.
I laughed as I enthusiastically directed the Idols.
‘Who told you to bully the other kids?’
It's all right.
I heard third-rate villain extras often got left unwashed, but I'll take responsibility for washing you clean.
‘Your life just got a break, you punks.’
I'll scrub you until you're as white as fresh tissues.
***
“Brother, you've arrived!”
“Ah··· Big brother!”
After finishing the idol performance, I returned to the Class E classroom.
As soon as I entered through the door, the Class E guys greeted me enthusiastically.
A particularly radiant smile caught my eye.
“Good to see you all.”
““Welcome back!””
The Shuttles came rushing over in a group and greeted me with crisp right-angle bows.
I forced myself to smile despite the slightly burdensome atmosphere.
After the ranking duel, I had become nothing short of a hero to them.
I had overwhelmed Class B's top student and properly taught a lesson to the Class B kids who had been bullying them.
‘Somehow··· I may have overdone the popularity-building a little.’
I scratched my head.
Whether they knew what I was thinking or not, the Shuttles escorted me to my seat with utmost devotion.
“Please, sit down!”
“Ahaha··· Thank you.”
Their eyes shone brightly.
Without showing it, I drew the other students' attention.
“Um··· Could I have everyone's attention?”
““······.””
Unlike Class B, the Class E students obeyed immediately.
After clearing my throat a few times, I began my introduction.
The plan I'd been conceiving little by little since right after enrollment.
The time had come to set that plan in motion.
Chime—!
[Sub Quest]
-Content: Raise every Class E student into a combatant of B rank or higher.
-Quest duration: Until graduation
-Failure penalty: None
-Reward: Character-exclusive item ‘Black Arbiter's Scales (S-)’
I was creating the pieces I could use.
People who would move at my command above all else, no matter what situation arose at the academy in the future.
While completing the quest, I intended to select only the loyal ones and form an organization as well.
I held out my hand toward the children standing in orderly rows.
“Everyone.”
First, the quest.
I had to raise the children before me into combatants of B rank or higher.
“Don't you want to become stronger?”
And.
It was time to start preparing for the next chapter.
Chime—!
[Main Quest]
-Title: Water Knows the Answer!
-Content: Secure the vampire ‘Jersian’ affiliated with the New Kingdom. Make them submit through various means of persuasion.
-Failure penalty: Accelerate the progress of the Fourth Calamity, ‘Red Night.’
-Success reward: ???
[Time limit:134 days]
New Kingdom.
The ruffians who were the main culprits behind Red Night and had stolen Carmilla's daily life.
Because it was time to bring that faction down.