Chapter 25: School Guide and the Siberian Husky with a Cat Tongue

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Translator: Soafp

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The day after searching for the street slasher.

I was dragged by the scruff of my neck by Nee-san and brought to the student council room.

“Huh? A campus tour for the Hero Academy students?”

“Yes. We were planning to do it anyway, but their representative, Belchika-sama, requested it be done sooner, so it's been scheduled for tomorrow.”

“Heh. Good luck, Nee-san.”

“Wait. Why are you trying to casually dump it on me, you brat?”

Since it was a hassle, I tried to run away, but Nee-san caught me easily.

“Nee-san, there's no way someone like me can handle such an important task. It has to be the flawless, perfect beauty that is you.”

“Then here's an order from that flawless, perfect Onee-chan. Obey Princess Christina's command quietly.”

“Booo.”

And so it was decided that I would be the one to guide the Hero Academy students around campus…

There was one person laughing at me.

“Mm. Sometimes Ask should do student council work too.”

“You as well, Victoria.”

“Eh.”

“You haven't been doing any work lately. You've just been eating snacks in the student council room, haven't you?”

“…That's… not… entirely untrue.”

Victoria quickly hid the cookie she was holding.

“Onee-sama is worried. Imagine if you grow up to be a lazy, sluggish slime-like person…”

“Slime-like… mm. That would be very bad. It would damage the royal image.”

“Then I'll be counting on you, Victoria.”

Christina is starting to become more like Nee-san.

Christina, you should really choose your friends carefully.

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“So that's why I need your help, Gal.”

“Why me!?”

“Well, you're the information guy, right? Perfect for a campus guide.”

“Could you at least not spring this on me the day of…?”

While Gal resisted, Victoria bowed her head sincerely.

“Mm. I'm asking too, like this.”

“W-wait, Princess Victoria!?”

“See? The princess is bowing her head and asking for your help, so come on.”

When I said that, Gal grimaced.

“Ugh, I'm weak to that… but—wait, you bow too.”

“Oh? I'm the heir of the Medicus Viscount family, highly trusted by the king.”

“If you're gonna say that, I'm the second son of the Wolfen Frontier Marquis family, entrusted by the king with ruling the borderlands.”

“…Gal-sama, my sincerest apologies for my past rudeness.”

A frontier marquis basically stands on the same level as a duke.

I only learned that recently. Turns out I shouldn't be talking casually to him.

I thought I should treat him with respect, but…

“Tch, fine, fine. Alright already, just talk normally like always.”

“As expected of Gal. I'm lucky to have such an understanding friend.”

“Why the hell did I ever become friends with this guy…”

“Mm. I'm jealous Ask has such a fluffy friend.”

“And why has this princess been petting my tail nonstop? This is harassment, you know.”

With Gal's cooperation secured, we headed to the room where the Hero Academy students were waiting.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone from the Hero Academy.”

“Mm. We'll begin the campus tour now.”

“Thank you very much. Princess Victoria and… um, you were together with Fran, so…”

Belchika, the leader, looked at me and trailed off.

Oh right, I never introduced myself.

“I'm Ask Medicus. And this is Gal, helping out today.”

“A-ah, yes. Nice to meet you, Ask-san, Gal-san.”

“Okay Gal, let's start the tour—”

“Ah, please wait a moment. One person still hasn't arrived…”

At that moment—

The door suddenly opened, and a flustered girl rushed in.

She carried a large crossbow on her back, and with her moss-green hair in a half-up style, she was quite the beauty.

“Hah… hah… I'm so sorry I'm late!!”

“You are quite late, Lidiel. What were you doing?”

“Ugh. I'm sorry, Belchika-san. I was helping a classmate search for something they lost… We found it, but before I knew it, it was this late…”

The girl called Lidiel got a scolding from Belchika.

Then Gal gestured for me to come closer.

“Ask. Hey, Ask.”

“What?”

“That girl. She's the one I told you about—the one who gathered the lower nobles and formed a faction.”

“Oh, really? …She doesn't look like someone plotting anything bad.”

“…Right?”

I can't really explain it, but she seems like a good person.

And she was late because she was helping someone.

“Mm. Seems like everyone's here, so let's start the tour… Gal will.”

“Alright… Princess Victoria, could you please stop touching my tail?”

“No.”

And like that, our academy tour began.

At first, the lion guy—the one who picked a fight with Princess Christina—was yelling about how he wouldn't follow orders from weaklings…

But for some reason, the moment he saw me, he suddenly became obedient.

He himself didn't know why, but seeing him all meek like a cat was kinda cute.

“Um, we'll start with the main school facilities.”

“““““Okay—”””””

First, we headed to the cafeteria.

“This is the cafeteria. Food's good here.”

“Oh, I ate here before! The food is way better than in the Empire!!”

“The Empire's food is that bad?”

“…If only it were just ‘bad.' Ask-san, have you ever imagined fish jam? Or slime pie? The Empire has all sorts of foods that make you question why they were ever invented…”

Belchika spoke with distant eyes.

Maybe the Empire has lots of dishes like that “herring-in-jelly pie” thing from my past life.

I'm kind of curious now.

“This is the shop street. They sell human goods, beastman goods, elf goods, dwarf goods. Even rare races can request items to be stocked. There are food stalls too.”

“Wow, it's like a small shopping street inside the academy!”

For the record, students from lower noble families often work part-time here.

The Medicus family has plenty of money, so that doesn't concern me, though.

“Ara, if it isn't Gal. What are you doing here?”

“Ugh. Why is senior Kainsetts here…”

“As you can see, I'm working part-time at a meat bun shop!”

“Do you even need a part-time job? Your family's loaded, right?”

“Indeed, the Kainsetts Baron family is extremely wealthy from maritime trade. But our family motto is: ‘Earn your own money.' I shall become a millionaire without relying on Father!!”

“Senpai, your voice is loud…”

So step one toward becoming a millionaire… is working at a meat bun shop.

…Money, huh.

I'm not particularly obsessed with money, but if I plan to live my life doing roadside healing, I should think of a way to earn money steadily.

Ah, but the people at Nai nai-Chinchin Village seem to be doing all sorts of things, so maybe I can just rely on them to earn money while I focus on roadside healing.

Hmm? That sounds like being a freeloader? Eh, whatever.

“Ara, isn't that Lidi-chan over there?”

“Good day, Flude. And stop calling me ‘Lidi-chan'! I have no dignity that way!”

“You two know each other?”

“Yes!! The other day she helped me when I was in trouble!!”

“Fufun, helping those in need is only natural for a hero!! If anything comes up again, just tell me!!”

I see.

Lidiel is simply a genuinely good person, and people gather around her naturally.

She probably doesn't even realize she's forming a faction.

“Gal, buy my freshly steamed meat buns.”

“I'll pass. I've got a sensitive tongue.”

“If I don't sell these, my manager will scold me!! Just buy ten!!”

“You’re so greedy!!”

Come to think of it, I've never seen Gal eat anything hot.

Ah. So Gal has a sensitive tongue.

…A Siberian husky with a sensitive tongue is kind of funny.