Fantasy Library, Ch 406-410

Chapter 406: Then Let It Rain

Although they were both in the South District, there was still some distance between the apartment where Kaiser and the Akatsuki siblings lived and Saikai Academy.

Therefore, to go to Saikai Academy for school, it was best to take the train.

If one got off at the station closest to Saikai Academy, it wouldn’t even take ten minutes to walk to the academy.

Thus, Kaiser and the three Akatsuki siblings took the monorail together, chatting and laughing all the way to Saikai Academy.

Though it was said they were chatting and laughing, in reality, only Kaiser and Akatsuki Nagisa were talking; Akatsuki Kojou was sulking on the side, secretly glaring at Kaiser with a face full of bitterness and resentment.

Akatsuki Nagisa naturally had a bit of a chatterbox trait, and Kaiser never let her words fall to the ground, always responding, which made their conversation more and more enjoyable, their rapport growing ever stronger. As a result, Nagisa's brother, Kojou, was completely neglected, left to stare blankly at the side. How could this siscon not wear such a bitter and resentful expression?

It was still commuting time, and many fellow students from the same school were coming and going around Kaiser and the Akatsuki siblings. Upon seeing this scene, they began whispering among themselves, especially those who knew them.

“Isn’t that Akatsuki-san?”

“Who are the two boys next to Akatsuki-san?”

“I know. That gloomy-looking guy is Akatsuki-san’s brother, and the other one seems to be the high school senior who transferred in just yesterday.”

“A senior... He must be a friend of Akatsuki-san’s brother?”

“Then no wonder they’re going to school together.”

“But why do I feel like Akatsuki-san is closer with that transfer student?”

“Yeah, they seem really close…”

Such whispered discussions occurred from time to time, clearly indicating that among the three who were the center of attention, Akatsuki Nagisa was the one drawing the most eyes.

That was only natural. After all, Nagisa was cheerful and cute. While she wasn't as stunningly beautiful as Kanon, she was still a beauty in the making. If she wanted to debut, she could definitely become a cute girl idol.

A girl with such a cute appearance wasn’t aloof at all, but rather a chatterbox who could talk to anyone, and because of her naturally caring personality, she was considerate toward others. How could someone like that not be popular?

You could say that Akatsuki Nagisa and Kanase Kanon were two extremes. One was so beautiful that people didn’t dare approach easily, which made her seem somewhat solitary; the other was so cute and cheerful that everyone wanted to be her friend. That’s why Nagisa was very well-liked at school, especially among the boys.

Compared to her, her brother Akatsuki Kojou seemed rather ordinary, while Kaiser had just transferred yesterday and didn’t know many people. Naturally, this made Nagisa the most eye-catching person, garnering no small amount of discussion.

In such a situation, when the automated monorail arrived at the station, the three of them exited along with the groups of other students, passed through the ticket gate, and stepped onto the gently sloping man-made ramp.

At the top of this gently sloping ramp, less than ten minutes away, was Saikai Academy.

However, once they left the air-conditioned station, a wave of heat immediately washed over the crowd, making many people show expressions of being unbearably hot.

“So hot…”

Just moments ago, full of energy and excitedly chirping away with Kaiser, Akatsuki Nagisa suddenly broke into a sweat on her forehead, and her liveliness dropped considerably.

“It’s already September, so why is it still this hot?”

Akatsuki Kojou also stopped glaring at Kaiser and instead glared at the clear sky, from which the scorching sunlight poured down, his face full of bitterness.

“September isn’t exactly a cool season, right?” Kaiser, bathed in the sunlight, felt like a fish in water and said calmly, “Summer vacation just ended, and with Itogami Island’s year-round summer climate, not to mention September, even October probably won’t cool down.”

“While clear weather is nice, when it’s too hot it gets unbearable. If I don’t wear sunscreen, I’ll definitely get sunburned.” Nagisa began muttering habitually, saying, “I wonder when it’ll rain next, that would definitely cool things down.”

“Should be soon, right?” Kojou replied casually, “Even though the weather forecast didn’t mention it, with Itogami Island’s climate, it rains pretty easily.”

Due to being isolated in the Pacific Ocean, even though Itogami Island had a year-round summer climate, it was still prone to rain and frequently hit by typhoons.

Even if this streak of sunny days lasted a while, once you endured it, a nice cooling rain would likely arrive.

“Rain, huh…”

Kaiser looked up at the clear sky, then glanced at Nagisa, whose cheeks were flushed red from the heat, and felt a slight stir in his heart.

He himself couldn’t feel any heat at all. For someone empowered by the sun, this kind of sunny weather was just buffing him. But if it were gone, he wouldn’t feel any loss.

With his strength, even without the blessing of the Eye of Horus, he could basically be considered invincible on Itogami Island.

In that case…

“Then let’s have it rain.”

Thinking so, magical power surged within Kaiser’s body.

“Buzz…”

The Yagrush and Aymur, which had been quietly resting inside him, trembled slightly, emanating power that Kaiser released outward.

“Rumble rumble…”

Suddenly, clouds began to drift across the previously clear sky, and thunder and lightning soon followed.

Not long after, heavy rain started pouring from the sky, causing a commotion throughout the entire Itogami City.

“It’s raining!”

“Awesome!”

“Finally, it’s going to be so much cooler!”

“Awesome my ass! I didn’t bring an umbrella!”

“Run! We’re gonna get soaked!”

On the sloping ramp, the students in Saikai Academy uniforms all cried out and began to run.

“Ah! It really started raining!” Nagisa also let out a surprised cry, both happy and anxious. “Let’s run too! Or we’ll get soaked!”

As she spoke, she instinctively grabbed Kaiser’s hand and dashed toward Saikai Academy.

“…………”

Watching his own little sister ignore him completely and grab their classmate’s hand to run off, Kojou’s mouth twitched, and veins popped on his forehead.

“This is school! Keep some distance, damn it!”

Fuming, Kojou chased after them.

Chased by the downpour, the trip that usually took nearly ten minutes was covered by Kaiser and the others in just two or three minutes.

“We still got wet, huh.”

In the school building’s entrance, a thoroughly drenched Nagisa stood dejectedly in front of the shoe locker.

“What do I do? I don’t have a spare uniform at school. Should I change into gym clothes or the cheerleading outfit? Wait, the clothes at home are still drying, right? Can’t go get them!”

Nagisa kept chattering away, making Kojou, who was also soaked, look annoyed.

“Forget the clothes at home. But you, Nagisa, are not allowed to wear gym clothes or a cheerleader outfit to class.”

Kojou’s face was full of wariness, clearly thinking that if his sister showed up to class in those, she’d be giving out free fanservice to their classmates.

“Then what should I do like this?” Nagisa asked, then suddenly paused and said, “Wait, Kai-kun, how come you’re not wet at all? Did you use an umbrella?”

Indeed, while everyone else was drenched, Kaiser alone was completely dry, with not a trace of moisture on him.

“How did you do that?”

Kojou, who had been running behind Kaiser, was certain he hadn’t used an umbrella.

Then how did he stay completely dry in the downpour?

“Simple.” Kaiser shrugged, walked up to Nagisa, placed a hand on her shoulder, and said, “Like this.”

As he spoke, a burst of heat suddenly emanated from Kaiser’s hand, instantly evaporating all the moisture on Nagisa’s body.

In an instant, Nagisa was dry again.

Akatsuki siblings: ︽⊙_⊙︽

“H-How did you do that?”

Kojou was dumbfounded.

Not just him—even Nagisa was stunned for a moment. Once she recovered, she remembered: Kaiser wasn’t an ordinary person, but a Sword Shaman.

Since he was a Sword Shaman, he definitely knew some kind of curse technique or magic—he might even be a Hyper-Adaptable like her and their mom, Mimori.

In that case, it wasn’t so surprising.

“Thank you, Kai-kun. That’s much more comfortable.”

Nagisa thanked him very frankly.

“It was nothing. Don’t be so polite.”

Seeing her grateful expression, Kaiser naturally reached out and did a head pat.

Smack!

Kojou wasn’t stunned anymore—he slapped Kaiser’s hand away with veins bulging.

This bastard was just using every opportunity to get close to his sister, and right in front of her brother, no less—clearly had no respect for him.

“Kojou-kun, seriously…” Nagisa muttered with some dissatisfaction, then said, “I’m heading to class first. Kai-kun, see you after school!”

Maybe to show her displeasure, Nagisa didn’t even say goodbye to Kojou and just ran off without a trace.

“Nagisa…”

Kojou stared sadly after her, looking exactly like a calf abandoned by its mother.

“Alright, stop staring.” Kaiser patted Kojou’s shoulder, evaporating the moisture off him as well, and said with a smile, “If someone didn’t know better, they’d think your girlfriend dumped you. Hurry up and get to class.”

“Spare me…”

Kojou didn’t even have the strength to argue with Kaiser anymore. He sighed and slowly walked toward his classroom.

Just as Kaiser was about to follow, a broadcast sounded.

“Kaiser from First-Year Class B, please come to the staff office. Your homeroom teacher, Natsuki Minamiya, is looking for you.”

Hearing the announcement, Kaiser stopped in his tracks.

“Here comes the reckoning?”

Guessing what it was about, Kaiser didn’t bother greeting Kojou and headed straight for the staff office.

Chapter 407: I Should Be Thanking You?

Faculty Office Building, top floor, teacher's office.

When Kaiser arrived here, the first thing that entered his sight was Natsuki Minamiya, dressed in a white Gothic outfit, sitting behind an extravagant desk, fanning herself with a lace fan while also using an electric fan.

"...What kind of operation is this?"

Kaiser was rendered speechless for a long while before finally saying this sentence.

There was already an electric fan blowing, yet she was still fanning herself—wasn't this the same as wearing a padded coat under a quilt?

"Also, why don’t you turn on the AC?"

Kaiser voiced his doubt.

“Hmph.” Natsuki Minamiya immediately snorted coldly and said, “Thanks to a certain someone, I can no longer face air conditioning directly.”

Having been ambushed from behind yesterday, with cold air blasted inside her clothes, Natsuki Minamiya had developed a temporary aversion to air conditioning.

Now, just feeling the AC made her whole body shiver involuntarily, and seeing Kaiser's face immediately made her grit her teeth in hatred—she very much wanted to smack him with her fan.

"That wasn’t my fault, was it?" Kaiser immediately put on an innocent look and said, "I was just trying to help you, Natsuki-chan."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kaiser swiftly sidestepped and dodged the lace fan flying at him like a bullet.

"Don’t put ‘-chan’ after a teacher’s name!" Natsuki Minamiya glared angrily at Kaiser and complained, “Weren’t you calling me Minamiya-sensei yesterday? Why the change?”

“No choice, the classmates all call you that.” Kaiser spread his hands, still looking innocent, and said, “I don’t want to be the odd one out and get ostracized.”

“Tch, those brats.” Natsuki Minamiya looked displeased and said, “One of these days, I’ll punish them properly and teach them how to respect their teacher.”

“I doubt it,” Kaiser said honestly. “Unless you actually become twenty-six, otherwise there’ll be plenty more riding you and calling you ancestor.”

“What do you mean by actually become twenty-six? I am twenty-six!” Natsuki Minamiya said somewhat angrily, “To think you dare question your teacher’s age, you’ve got some nerve, transfer student.”

You look like a loli.

With that look, forget twenty-six—even sixteen sounds like too much.

Kaiser silently complained in his heart, but didn’t say anything more aloud.

If he kept going, this witch would probably start throwing hands again, and he really didn’t want to play with her anymore.

“So, dear Minamiya-sensei, why did you call me over?”

Kaiser decided to get to the point.

Natsuki Minamiya had opinions about the “dear” prefix, but thinking about having “-chan” added after her name, the former was still easier to accept.

So, Natsuki Minamiya ignored the prefix and looked at Kaiser with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Last night, on a street near the academy, agencies related to the Artificial Island Management Corporation detected an immense amount of magical power,” Natsuki Minamiya said slowly. “That magical power’s level was extraordinarily high—easily surpassing the previous recorded peak values for all known demonic beings.”

“Based on calculations, even under conservative estimates, it would take several hundred vampires releasing their familiars together to barely reach that level.”

“And under the condition of a single individual, no registered demonic being on the entire Itogami Island could release magical power of that magnitude.”

Natsuki Minamiya spoke as if interrogating a suspect.

“Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”

Upon hearing this, Kaiser blinked.

“What is there for me to explain?” Kaiser put on his innocent face for the third time and said, “I’m just an ordinary human—how could I possibly know where magical power of that scale came from?”

“Still pretending?” Natsuki Minamiya gave Kaiser a sharp look and said, “On Itogami Island right now, the only people who can release magical power of that scale, aside from that thing inside you and the thing inside that little girl in Misaki’s class, who else could it be?”

“Even faking ignorance should follow basic logic!”

The person Natsuki Minamiya referred to was Misaki Sasasaki, a homeroom and P.E. teacher for Class 3-C in the junior high division.

She was Natsuki Minamiya’s junior and, like her, a national attack mage officer, one of the so-called Four Fist Sages.

Nagisa Akatsuki was a student in Misaki Sasazaki’s class.

So, the “little girl in Misaki’s class” Natsuki Minamiya mentioned undoubtedly referred to Nagisa Akatsuki.

“So what?” Kaiser dropped the act and said, “Don’t tell me you guys didn’t find out what happened. I don’t believe the Special Zone Security Team failed to investigate anything in a whole night.”

It wasn’t just Kaiser and Nagisa present at the time—there were a lot of people on the street.

When Nagisa’s demonphobia caused her to erupt, forcing Avrora to awaken, the bystanders all quickly fled, and even those two delinquent demons ran off. But afterward, as long as the Special Zone Security Team investigated, they would definitely be able to get some intel from those people and reconstruct the situation.

In other words, what Kaiser and Nagisa did last night was basically fully exposed.

At the very least, for someone like Natsuki Minamiya, who was a guiding officer for the Special Zone Security Team, it was already enough to convict.

“Then why were you still pretending?” Natsuki Minamiya snorted coldly.

“Aren’t you the one asking knowingly?” Kaiser shot back, “You’ve already confirmed the source was us, yet you still bother asking—totally unnecessary.”

“It’s procedure,” Natsuki Minamiya said with a smack of her lips. “Unless you really want to be arrested?”

“Let me remind you, I wasn’t the one who caused the trouble last night.” Kaiser crossed his arms and calmly said, “If I hadn’t been there, things would’ve gone far beyond just setting off an alarm.”

Natsuki Minamiya fell silent.

Indeed, if Kaiser hadn’t been there, things definitely would’ve escalated, possibly affecting the whole Itogami Island and causing turmoil.

“So what, I should be thanking you?”

Natsuki Minamiya gave a cold sneer.

“You’re welcome.” Kaiser accepted it directly and laughed, “I’m an sword shaman too—this is part of my job.”

“Tch...” Natsuki Minamiya’s displeasure was completely written on her face.

This was like an outsider colleague blatantly snatching her job, duties, and turf right in front of her—of course Natsuki Minamiya wouldn’t feel happy.

Itogami Island was her domain. A mainland attack mage officer causing chaos here really embarrassed her.

“Let’s see how long you can keep up that glib mouth,” Natsuki Minamiya narrowed her eyes as she stared at Kaiser. “Since you stopped a major incident last night, I’ve suppressed the matter. You don’t need to worry about the Special Zone Security Team suddenly coming to invite you for tea.”

“But don’t say I didn’t warn you—those watching you and that little girl aren’t just the Itogami Island and the Lion King Organization.”

“To others, that little girl’s matter may be a secret, but to those who’ve always been watching the Fourth Primogenitor’s movements, it couldn’t be more transparent.”

“Since four years ago, many have had their eyes on you. Now that you’ve ended up together on this island, do you think those people will stay quiet?”

Natsuki Minamiya’s words made the smile on Kaiser’s face fade.

“So you’re saying... last night’s incident wasn’t a coincidence?”

Kaiser asked expressionlessly.

“I know what you’re thinking, but fortunately, those two idiot demons from last night weren’t arranged by anyone to test you,” Natsuki Minamiya gave Kaiser a sideways glance and said, “That was pure coincidence. The instigators have already been thrown in jail to reflect on their actions.”

“Really?” Kaiser’s expression eased slightly and asked, “Then Avrora... the awakening of the true Fourth Primogenitor—how many people know about it now?”

“Anyone who’s been paying attention to you two probably already knows.” Natsuki Minamiya said blandly, “The Artificial Island Management Corporation, the Lion King Organization, and even the Three Great Night Empires likely have received the reports.”

“Especially the War King Domain under the First Primogenitor—someone troublesome has already been drawn here.”

Upon hearing this, Kaiser raised an eyebrow.

First Primogenitor: Lost Warlord.

Second Primogenitor: Fall Gazer.

Third Primogenitor: Chaos Bride.

Fourth Primogenitor: Kaleid Blood.

These were the four current Primogenitors—kings among vampires.

Among them, the Fourth Primogenitor, as rumors say, had no vampire kin, sought no dominion, held no territory, and had no empire of the night to call their own.

The other three Primogenitors were different—not only did each command tens of thousands of troops and kin, they had also established autonomous Night Empires across three continents, each ruling their own lands with vassals.

The First Primogenitor’s War King Domain was located in Europe. The vampires under him were classified as Type D, capable of transforming into mist and closest to human impressions of vampires.

The Second Primogenitor’s Dynasty of Destruction was located in West Asia. The vampires under him were classified as Type G—their bloodline abilities were still not fully confirmed.

The Third Primogenitor’s Chaos Zone was located in the Americas. The vampires under her were all female and classified as Type T—their bloodline ability allowed them to transform their familiars into living weapons like blades, swords, spears, whips, etc.

These vampire clans mostly descended from the Primogenitors. The closer the bloodline to the Primogenitor, the stronger the power.

Now, someone from the War King Domain under the First Primogenitor seemed to have already taken action, drawn here by Kaiser and Nagisa Akatsuki.

“If even you call them troublesome, then at the very least they must be nobles from the old days, right?”

Kaiser said so.

To this, Natsuki Minamiya replied with a look of disgust.

“That guy’s indeed a noble, but way more troublesome than the average noble.”

Chapter 408: It's Time to Fall in Love

Although they were a race known as the strongest among the demon clans, there were still disparities in power between vampires, and some of those disparities were as vast as night and day.

Generally speaking, as immortal beings, the strength of a vampire was primarily determined by the years they had lived.

This was because vampires could accumulate strong emotions and desires, thereby obtaining increasingly powerful strength.

To put it more simply, the more memories a vampire accumulated, the stronger their power became.

And this power was stored in their blood, known as the "Blood Memory."

Blood was the source of a vampire’s magical power. It served as both the medium for summoning their familiars and the foundation of their existence.

The longer a vampire lived, the more blood they absorbed, the more memories they seized, and the more magical power they could accumulate.

Therefore, as the progenitors of the vampire race, the True Ancestors possessed unmatched power, having lived far longer than any other vampires and accumulated far more powerful Blood Memory than any other bloodline.

As an artificial vampire, the Fourth True Ancestor required the holding of an event like the Blazing Banquet during their awakening. One of the purposes was to seize a massive amount of memories, thereby increasing their inherent accumulation time and constructing a powerful Blood Memory to obtain magical power on par with any vampire.

In view of this, vampires from the old generation—generally those over two hundred years old—possessed far greater strength than the younger generation, and the familiars they had were also stronger and more fearsome.

Of course, this was not absolute.

If they were the descendants of powerful vampires, then even as part of the younger generation, they would inherit a portion of the Blood Memory from the previous generation, and be born with power far exceeding that of ordinary young vampires.

For example, the Second Generation vampires—namely, the offspring of the current three True Ancestors—were born from True Ancestors and their partners. By nature, they possessed powerful Blood Memory and familiars. Even if they were younger than the old-generation vampires, they were still stronger than many of them, and depending on the individual, some could even display special abilities capable of rivaling a True Ancestor—completely incomparable to vampires outside of that lineage.

Slightly inferior to these Second Generation vampires were the Third Generation vampires. These were generally people acknowledged by the True Ancestors and granted their "blood." Though not necessarily biological offspring, they still possessed power close to that of the Second Generation, and some were even stronger.

If the Second Generation were considered royalty, then the Third Generation were elders—nobles who could receive titles and serve important roles in the three major Night Empires.

The elders of the Third Generation would continue to have descendants, and their offspring would also possess considerable power. Even distant descendants had the potential to become nobles, not inferior to some ancient old-generation vampires.

And if someone was originally a noble of the old generation, even if they couldn't compare to the Third Generation elders, they wouldn't fall far behind either.

As the instructor of the Special Zone Guard on Itogami Island, Minamiya Natsuki not only held the title of "Witch of the Void," but had also once been known as the "Demon Slayer."

She had once rampaged across Europe, capturing and even slaughtering demon criminals, and to this day remained a figure of dread among Europe’s demonic offenders—a true Strike Mage.

So, don’t be fooled by her petite figure and assume she was just an ordinary Strike Mage. Her strength was definitely not inferior to some old-generation nobles, and even Second Generation royals or Third Generation elders wouldn't dare underestimate her.

Given that she said a troublesome existence had arrived from the War King Domain, Kaiser speculated that the other party must at least be an old-generation noble.

But unexpectedly, Minamiya Natsuki said this:

"Someone even more troublesome than the average noble?" Kaiser had some suspicions in his heart, but on the surface he feigned ignorance and asked, "Could it be a Third Generation elder, or even a Second Generation royal?"

To this question, Minamiya Natsuki responded like this:

"You’d best regard him as such an existence—or even treat him as someone more troublesome than that." Minamiya Natsuki said expressionlessly, "In any case, I’ve given you the warning and reminder. If you’re not afraid of dying, just pretend you didn’t hear it."

With that, Minamiya Natsuki began unceremoniously ushering him out.

Seeing this, Kaiser didn’t continue to ask questions. He waved his hand and decisively turned to leave.

Staring at Kaiser's gradually receding figure, Minamiya Natsuki was silent for a long time before opening the laptop beside her and clicking on a video being played.

In the video, a girl with an icy familiar capable of destroying the entire Itogami Island appeared behind her. After exchanging a few words with the boy in front of her, she suddenly launched an attack, commanding the icy demon bird behind her to strike.

However, faced with an attack strong enough to crush an entire street, the boy remained completely unfazed. Instead of retreating, he advanced, charging forward while letting the attack fall on him—and then deflecting it with a loud blast.

Afterward, the boy casually slapped away the terrifying familiar.

"Clack."

Minamiya Natsuki pressed pause, stopping the video.

"He can ignore even a True Ancestor’s familiar... and casually slap one away at that..."

Minamiya Natsuki clicked her tongue in a heavy tone.

"Just what kind of monster has the Lion King Agency raised?"

Minamiya Natsuki could already foresee just how lively this island was going to become.

"Seriously... what a pain."

……

On the other side, having left the faculty building, Kaiser was walking through the corridor toward the high school division's classroom building.

"A noble from the War King Domain, huh..."

Kaiser walked while contemplating.

"Avrora just started to show signs of awakening, and I only just arrived on this island—and they’re already impatient to show up?"

As for who would do such a thing, Kaiser could only think of one person.

"Tch, what a pain."

Kaiser muttered the same words Minamiya Natsuki had.

No helping it.

"Even in this world, I still can’t get away from those battle maniacs."

Kaiser felt a little helpless.

In the previous few worlds, Kaiser had encountered one battle maniac after another, but in this world, perhaps the number of battle maniacs was even greater than before.

The reason? Simple. Vampires were simply too bored.

Being ageless and immortal, once they had lived through long years, most lost interest in all forms of entertainment and things, suffering torment from boredom.

If they were just ordinary vampires, it might still be okay. Though exaggerated as ageless and immortal, vampires weren’t truly indestructible. If their magic-controlling brain or heart responsible for blood circulation took serious damage, even old-generation vampires could die. But if it were Second or Third Generation vampires, whose power was close to that of the True Ancestors, then even with brain or heart damage, they might still survive.

As for the True Ancestors, there was no need to even mention them. Even if their brains were smashed and hearts pierced, they could still resurrect—eternal beings living in solitude.

Such beings had basically lost interest in the outside world, and only in battle could they find stimulation and entertainment.

In other words, most vampires from the old generation upward were likely to be battle maniacs.

Especially the True Ancestors, each and every one of them was a full-on thrill-seeker, a hedonist. Just imagining scenes of encountering them gave Kaiser a headache.

If the noble from the War King Domain taking action this time was who Kaiser suspected, then it was indeed as troublesome as Minamiya Natsuki said—perhaps even more so than dealing with Second or Third Generation vampires.

Because that person was a pure battle maniac. Once they had set their eyes on prey, they were harder to shake off than Vali, Kenpachi Zaraki, or even Doni.

"Seriously, with so many types of entertainment in the world, why must they seek stimulation and pleasure only from battle?"

Kaiser, having lived for nearly a hundred years, truly couldn’t understand these people’s way of thinking.

"Could it be that Athena said I would change in the future because of this?"

Kaiser suddenly thought of this.

Kaiser tried imagining—what would he become if he lived for hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, even billions of years?

"Probably wouldn’t change much, right?"

Kaiser murmured to himself.

After all, he was different from others—not only had he lost all concept of age, but even his mindset and mental state had remained forever fixed at the age when he first entered the Fantasy Library.

Perhaps in the future his views might change slightly, and he might mature more with experience, but at least his mindset and spirit would remain unchanged.

So, he could say with certainty...

"Even if I don’t hate fighting, I’ll never become a battle maniac who lives only for it."

He did have interest in battle, and found it enjoyable, but at the same time, he also liked food, liked travel—and without the pressures of daily life, he even faintly enjoyed flirting with girls.

Thinking back on a few of his previous “uninhibited” experiences, Kaiser even had a new idea.

"Maybe it’s about time I fell in love and shook off this lifelong single status?"

With that thought, Kaiser arrived at the high school building, went to Class 1-B, and stepped into the classroom.

But the moment he stepped in, Kaiser realized something was off.

He saw the students, who had been chatting noisily just moments ago, suddenly fall silent, all casting strange looks his way.

In those gazes were curiosity, puzzlement, oddity, scrutiny—and even envy, jealousy, and resentment.

The latter mostly came from the boys in class, while the girls’ gazes held more of the earlier emotions.

"What’s going on?"

Kaiser was immediately puzzled.

It wasn’t until he returned to his seat that someone spoke to him.

"Yo, Classmate Kaiser, you finally showed up."

Sitting in front of Kojou Akatsuki, Yaze Motoki turned around with a frivolous smile, greeting Kaiser.

"Morning."

Aiba Asagi, sitting on the other side of Kojou, didn’t even turn her head as she greeted Kaiser while busily tapping away at her laptop at lightning speed.

"Hmph..."

Kojou seemed to still be sulking, showing no good attitude toward Kaiser either.

"Morning to you all."

Kaiser nodded toward the three of them.

"What did Natsuki-chan call you over for? Don’t tell me it was a lecture?"

Yaze Motoki asked with a smile, acting casual, but in fact subtly fishing for information.

As a High Adaptability Type, Yaze Motoki’s ability was quite rare—it was control over airflow.

Through manipulating air currents, Yaze Motoki could do many things, like amplifying vibrations in the atmosphere to gather and absorb sound.

This made his ability extremely suited for surveillance activities, and he often used the headphones around his neck to assist in eavesdropping.

He could even amplify his hearing to a level rivaling precise radar, allowing him to observe sounds just like visual perception.

This ability, based solely on listening to reflected sound, didn’t cause any interference or disturbance to the surroundings, so even the most sensitive individuals couldn’t detect Yaze Motoki’s eavesdropping.

And his surveillance range covered the entire Saikai Academy.

He had set up a surveillance net covering the entire academy, constantly monitoring every move on campus.

Unfortunately, though his ability was hard to detect, it couldn’t deceive someone as thoroughly familiar with him as Minamiya Natsuki.

Therefore, Yaze Motoki never dared to eavesdrop on Minamiya Natsuki’s office—for fear of the consequences.

Because of this, he had no idea what Kaiser and Minamiya Natsuki talked about or did in the office.

So naturally, he had to probe Kaiser.

Too bad for him, Kaiser was just as thoroughly familiar with him.

"Nothing much, just some transfer procedures that needed to be finalized." Kaiser casually brushed him off, then immediately changed the topic. "What’s up with everyone in class? Why are they all looking at me like that?"

The one who answered wasn’t Yaze Motoki—it was Aiba Asagi.

No, actually, Aiba Asagi didn’t really answer Kaiser’s question.

"Do you have some kind of relationship with the Saint of the Middle School Division?"

Aiba Asagi stopped typing, turned to look at Kaiser, and asked with great interest.

The other classmates had been secretly paying attention to them the whole time, and the moment Aiba Asagi asked, everyone perked up their ears.

"The Saint of the Middle School Division?" Kaiser blinked, surprised. "You mean... Kanon Kanase?"

"Who else could earn such an exaggerated title?" Aiba Asagi shot a glare at the boys in class, then said, "From the look on your face, you really do know that girl, huh?"

"If it’s just knowing her..." Kaiser asked puzzledly, "What about her?"

Only then did Aiba Asagi answer Kaiser’s original question.

"She just came looking for you."

Chapter 409: An Overly Pure Heart

At Saikai Academy, Junior High Division, Third Year, Class A.

At this moment, with only a little time left before lunch break, the teacher who had just finished the last part of the lesson had already left, allowing the entire classroom to be filled with a relaxed atmosphere of dismissal, creating a bit of noise.

The students had already gotten up in small groups, gathering with their acquaintances, chatting and laughing.

However, if one observed carefully, they would notice that during the chatter and laughter, many people’s gazes would involuntarily shift toward one spot.

There, a girl as pure as a saint was sitting properly, for some reason, her face carried a trace of melancholy.

Looking at such a girl, the topics of discussion among those around her unknowingly shifted to her.

“Kanase-san is as beautiful as ever today.”

“Seriously, it’s great to be able to see someone like Kanase-san every day. My friend from the neighboring class is jealous to tears.”

“How can someone in this world look so good?”

“I guess… it’s just extraordinary talent?”

“I’ve always thought Kanase-san is the prettiest girl in the whole academy.”

“I think so too, but the upperclassmen in high school might have some objections.”

“The high school division… ah, you mean second-year Class B’s Aiba Asagi-senpai, right?”

“Exactly. A portion of the upperclassmen are fans of that senpai.”

“True, Aiba-senpai is also very pretty and mature, has that ‘gyaru’ vibe. But I still prefer Kanase-san.”

“Of course I think Kanase-san is more beautiful. Actually, Kanase-san’s popularity in the academy is higher than Aiba-senpai’s.”

“After all, Kanase-san is just too unfair.”

“Just don’t know what she’s thinking. She seems kind of down…”

This was the topic of nearly every boy, and even some girls were saying nearly the same thing.

The Saint of the Middle School Division—this title was simply too prominent, causing those who shared a class with her to constantly pay attention to her and gaze at her with admiration.

Unfortunately, Kanon Kanase was simply too beautiful, too holy. That kind of pure and flawless sacred aura made most people dare not approach, afraid of disturbing the atmosphere.

Thanks to that, Kanon Kanase had very few opportunities to converse with others in class. Most of the time, she was like this, sitting quietly while being secretly watched, and she herself thought it was because something was wrong with her. Thus, she didn’t know just how popular she actually was at Saikai Academy, or how admired she truly was.

If nothing unexpected happened, this scene would likely continue until Kanon Kanase left the classroom.

However, today unfolded differently from usual.

“Um… Kanase-san!”

A female student standing at the classroom door suddenly called out to Kanon Kanase, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Ah, yes.”

Kanon Kanase didn’t seem to expect to be called on either. She was dazed for a moment, then quickly stood up.

While marveling at the fragile beauty of her classmate, the girl at the door hesitated as she spoke.

“Someone’s looking for you outside. I don’t know if it’s someone you know?”

As she spoke, the girl pointed outside the classroom, drawing everyone’s gaze there.

The next second, including Kanon Kanase, everyone saw a person standing outside the classroom.

“Kanon, over here.”

Kaiser stood at the door of Third Year Class A in the Junior High Division, ignoring the gazes of others, and waved at Kanon Kanase.

“Senpai!”

Kanon Kanase’s eyes lit up instantly, and an expression of surprise and joy surfaced on her face.

That gentle and beautiful smile caused everyone present to involuntarily stop breathing, their hearts suddenly speeding up.

When had they ever seen this scene?

Normally, Kanon Kanase always appeared quiet and serene. When had she ever shown such a smile?

With angelic features and known as the academy’s saint, this sudden smile made her seem like she was glowing, making many people feel like they had fallen in love.

However, the more they were entranced by Kanon Kanase’s smile in that moment, the more they hated the boy standing outside the door in the next.

“You came to see me, Senpai?”

Kanon Kanase walked up to Kaiser, her eyes filled with gratitude as she looked at him.

“Yeah.” Kaiser looked at the beautiful, otherworldly girl and nodded with a smile, saying, “I heard from people in class that you came looking for me this morning, right?”

“I’m very sorry.” As usual, Kanon Kanase apologized first and said, “I know this might bother you, Senpai, but I really had no other choice.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t feel bothered at all. You don’t need to worry.” Seeing that Kanon Kanase was about to bow to him, Kaiser instinctively placed his hand on her slender, delicate shoulder to stop her and said, “For you to come to my class to look for me, it must be something urgent, right?”

“Go ahead, what happened?”

Hearing this, Kanon Kanase was just about to speak when she noticed the atmosphere around them was a bit off.

Kaiser naturally noticed too. When he placed his hand on Kanon Kanase’s shoulder and made physical contact with her, the people who had been watching them all showed expressions of murderous rage.

That expression, so easy to read, made Kaiser raise an eyebrow and reveal a faintly amused smile.

As for Kanon Kanase, she remained completely unaware.

“Looks like I was too loud and disturbed everyone.”

Kanon Kanase lowered her voice, looking apologetic.

“Disturbed?” Kaiser chuckled and said, “I’m afraid I disturbed the pure image they have of you in their minds?”

“Hmm?” Kanon Kanase tilted her head in confusion and asked, “Pure image?”

This girl still hadn’t realized what kind of sacred and untouchable presence she was to others.

Kaiser didn’t explain either. Ignoring the waves of killing intent around them, he naturally took Kanon Kanase’s hand.

“Let’s talk outside.”

“O-Okay.”

Kanon Kanase nodded shyly, not resisting Kaiser’s touch, obediently letting him hold her hand.

The two left just like that, completely unaware of the shock their intimate actions caused to those around them.

“I-I didn’t see wrong, right?”

“Kanase-san got taken away!”

“H-Holding hands too!”

“Who is that guy?!”

“I’m going to duel him!”

Not long after, a series of wailing cries rang out from the classroom of Third Year Class A, causing quite the uproar.

……

Saikai Academy, courtyard.

On a bench next to a vending machine, Kaiser handed a can of drink he had just bought to the neatly seated girl.

“Here, hope it’s a flavor you like.”

Kaiser bought a bottle of cola and a bottle of yuzu tea. What he handed to Kanon Kanase was the yuzu tea.

“Thank you, Senpai.”

Kanon Kanase carefully accepted it, holding it in her hands, but didn’t open it to drink.

Clearly, the girl was still a little shy and reserved.

Well, that was natural. This was only their second meeting. Facing a senior, unless she was a naturally outgoing type, of course she’d be reserved.

Rather, Kaiser had already acted a bit too familiar earlier, placing his hand on her shoulder and holding her hand. But Kanon Kanase didn’t seem to mind, which made Kaiser wonder if this girl might just be too defenseless.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to come find me in my class.” Kaiser took a sip of his cola and smiled at Kanon Kanase. “I thought it’d be a while before we met again.”

“I’m really sorry.” Kanon Kanase apologized instinctively. “If I disturbed you, Senpai, please do tell me. I’ll be more mindful.”

“I already told you, I didn’t feel disturbed at all.” Kaiser looked helpless seeing her apologize again and said, “Don’t keep apologizing. You didn’t do anything wrong. Actually, being approached by such a beautiful girl—most people would feel happy, not bothered.”

“Beautiful…?” Kanon Kanase tilted her head, looking incredulous. “Is that so?”

This girl seriously had no awareness of her own outstanding appearance, huh?

“No wonder people at the academy call you ‘saint.’ It’s not just your looks—your heart is unbelievably pure too.”

Kaiser sighed and didn’t dwell on the topic, instead getting back to the point.

“So, what did you come to find me for? Is it about the cat from yesterday?”

That was the only thing he could think of.

After all, their only interaction yesterday was over the kitten Kanon Kanase took in.

So if she came all the way to the high school building to look for him, it could only be because of that cat.

Sure enough...

“It’s all my fault.” Kanon Kanase lowered her head, looking a bit down. “I couldn’t take good care of that child.”

“What happened?” Seeing Kanon Kanase’s low spirits, Kaiser immediately asked, “Did something happen to the little one?”

“Yeah.” Kanon Kanase looked helpless. “I clearly took it to the mountain behind the school yesterday, but when I went there this morning, it was gone.”

“Gone?” Kaiser frowned and said, “You couldn’t find it?”

“Yes.” Kanon Kanase said gloomily, “I’ve searched almost the entire mountain and even looked around the school during breaks, but I haven’t found it.”

This was Kanon Kanase’s first time encountering something like this.

She had raised quite a few cats on the mountain behind the school. In fact, she had raised many. But those cats were all well-behaved, rarely showing themselves unless she was around, let alone running off. At least, she had never experienced this before.

But this time, the one that ran off was the kitten Kaiser entrusted to her yesterday.

That made Kanon Kanase not only anxious but also very guilty, feeling like she had betrayed Kaiser’s trust.

“I see. Don’t worry too much.” After understanding what happened, Kaiser didn’t say much. He simply patted Kanon Kanase’s shoulder and comforted her. “That little guy is still young and wild. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have snuck into the school, climbed a tree, and gotten stuck up there.”

“This isn’t your fault. That little guy just loves to run around.”

“Hold on, I’ll try searching now.”

As he said this, Kaiser stood up and moved to the front of the bench.

“Senpai?”

Kanon Kanase didn’t know what Kaiser intended to do and softly called out.

Kaiser didn’t reply. He crouched down and extended two fingers, spiritual energy pulsing at his fingertips.

“Heart of the south, pupil of the north, fingertip of the west, toe of the east.”

With a soft chant, Kaiser began drawing a mysterious pattern on the ground with his fingers.

“Gather with the wind, scatter with the rain.”

This was a Kido spell used to sense spiritual pressure and track the target’s location.

After Kaiser had written it into his Grimoire, this Kido could be used to sense energy beyond just spiritual pressure—just like how Kaiser could activate it with the spiritual energy of this world.

Now, what he was trying to track was the spiritual energy he had left on the kitten yesterday.

Because he had lightly used his Authority on the kitten, some of his energy remained on it, so Kaiser thought of using this method to locate it.

“Bakudō #58: Kakushitsuijaku.”

As the incantation ended, Kaiser finished the drawing, pressed a single hand on the pattern, and infused it with spiritual energy.

In the next instant, the circle lit up from within, flashing like a liquid crystal screen.

An invisible wave of spiritual energy spread out, reverberating throughout the Saikai Academy.

“Eh?”

Seeing this, Kanon Kanase’s eyes widened in surprise.

Kaiser looked at the pattern on the ground and read out a coordinate from the flashing screen.

“This place is…?”

He checked the map, then froze.

“What’s wrong?”

Kanon Kanase couldn’t care less about what just happened. Seeing Kaiser’s odd expression, she hurriedly asked.

“...Nothing.” Kaiser raised his head and said with a strange look, “It’s just… that little guy ran somewhere really unexpected.”

“Unexpected? Where is it?” Kanon Kanase asked in confusion.

Kaiser deactivated the spell and stood up, muttering with a wry smile.

“My classroom.”

……

High School Division, First Year, Class B.

By the time Kaiser and Kanon Kanase arrived here, only a few students remained. The rest had gone out during the lunch break.

And rather coincidentally, the only three people Kaiser was familiar with in this class were all present.

“So, this little one came looking for you?”

Aiba Asagi, along with Kojou Akatsuki and Motoki Yaze, gathered around Kaiser’s seat, looking at him teasingly as he entered.

On the seat the three surrounded, a kitten lazily let out a meow.

“Meow~~~”

That look—utterly content.

Chapter 410: I’ll Be the One to Take Them In

There was no doubt that this little kitten, once taken away by Kanon Kanase, had come looking for Kaiser.

Perhaps it was instinct, or perhaps because Kaiser had used an Authority on it yesterday, leaving traces of his magical power within its body, it subconsciously sought out Kaiser and eventually found his classroom, arriving at the seat still lingering with his aura.

“You really have a talent for missing me at the perfect time, huh.”

Kaiser picked up the little kitten meowing cozily on his seat, looked into its round eyes, and said with a wry smile.

“If you had shown up before I left the classroom to find Kanase in the middle school section, that would’ve been perfect, wouldn’t it?”

Kaiser didn’t care whether the kitten could understand him or not and just started voicing his complaints.

Beside him, Asagi Aiba and the others also spoke up.

“This little one appeared not long after you left the classroom,” said Asagi Aiba, hands on her hips. “It jumped in through the window, landed on your seat, and wouldn’t budge no matter what.”

So even though she didn’t know the whole story, Asagi Aiba had always thought this kitten must have something to do with Kaiser.

“You really ought to thank Asagi,” said Motoki Yaze, slinging an arm over Kaiser’s shoulder and grinning. “If she hadn’t stopped them, the girls in our class would’ve taken it to Natsuki-chan’s office. If she found out you were keeping a cat on campus, you’d definitely get an earful again.”

This guy clearly knew the whole story—after all, he’d been eavesdropping on everything in Saikai Academy and was already aware of what happened between Kaiser and Kanon Kanase.

“And Kojou, too. Before you got back, he even spent his own money to buy milk for this little guy.”

Everyone immediately looked toward Kojou Akatsuki upon hearing that.

“I just lost at rock-paper-scissors, that’s all,” Kojou scratched his head, looking annoyed. “Damn it, why did it have to be me? That was some of my rare allowance money.”

Kojou actually got a decent allowance, but because he had a thrifty and overbearing little sister at home who always managed his spending strictly, he couldn’t carry too much pocket money on him.

Thanks to that, he was probably going to have to settle for a cheap lunch set today.

“I’m really sorry. This is all my fault.” Kanon Kanase bowed deeply to Kojou and said, “It’s all because I didn’t watch the little one properly and made senpai spend money.”

Kojou immediately forgot his irritation.

“Uh… no, it’s not really your fault.”

Kojou, uncharacteristically nervous, stumbled over his words a bit.

This made Asagi Aiba very displeased.

“Hey, Kojou, what are you getting all nervous for?” She gave him a look of disdain. “Even if you’re trying to play it cool in front of a cute underclassman, there’s no need to be so flustered.”

Motoki Yaze burst into laughter.

“Well, I get it. She’s the saint of the middle school section, after all. I heard the boys in Kanase’s class get fined if they even try to talk to her.”

Motoki Yaze slung his other arm over Kojou’s shoulder, teasing him. “By the way, Kojou, Kanase is close friends with little Nagisa, you know?”

“Huh?” Kojou was stunned and looked at Kanon Kanase in surprise. “You know Nagisa?”

“Yes.” Kanase seemed to have heard of Kojou before and answered politely, “Nagisa and I were in the same class until last year. Back then, not many classmates were willing to talk to me, but she always came to chat with me and helped me a lot. I’m really grateful to her.”

“Yeah… That’s something Nagisa would do.” Kojou gave a wry smile. “It’s not that she’s oblivious to social cues, she just doesn’t like seeing classmates left out. Just think of her as a bit of a busybody.”

“That’s not true.” Kanon Kanase quickly shook her head. “I really appreciate that Nagisa was willing to talk to someone like me. I don’t think she’s a busybody at all.”

“That’s just Nagisa-chan’s charm.” Asagi Aiba shot a glance at Kojou. “Compared to a certain useless older brother, she’s really amazing.”

“But she can be scary sometimes too.” Motoki Yaze, perhaps remembering some painful memory, shivered and muttered, “Best not to make Nagisa-chan mad. Keep that in mind, Kaiser.”

“Oh…” Kaiser squinted and said, “I’d love to thank you for the advice, but why are you directing it at me?”

“Because you’re already pretty close with Nagisa-chan, right?” Yaze said meaningfully. “This morning, Kojou wouldn’t stop whining about it, saying you two were practically inseparable already. That’s why I figured I should give you a warning.”

It wasn’t Kaiser who reacted to that statement, but Kojou Akatsuki.

“What do you mean, inseparable?! I never said anything like that!” Kojou practically shouted, as if someone had stepped on his tail. “And I was just speaking casually! I wasn’t complaining to anyone on purpose!”

That panicked and revealing reaction left everyone speechless—and Kanon Kanase looked at him in disbelief.

“Siscon…”

Asagi Aiba muttered the insult softly, making Kojou panic even more.

After that, the scene devolved into Kojou desperately trying to argue—no, defend himself.

Unfortunately, no matter how he tried to explain, Asagi’s disdainful stare remained unchanged, and Yaze kept up his smug “yeah right” expression, nearly breaking Kojou entirely.

Seeing this, Kaiser and Kanon Kanase didn’t disturb the trio’s antics and quietly left the classroom with the kitten.

Neither of them knew that the sight of them entering and exiting classrooms together, moving between the high school and middle school buildings side by side, had already been witnessed and spread by many, quickly becoming the talk of the entire Saikai Academy.

“A high school transfer student who just arrived yesterday and the saint of the middle school might be unusually close”—such rumors spread through the academy at a terrifying speed, and with it, Kaiser’s name was gradually becoming widely known.

……

After finding the lost kitten, Kaiser didn’t even hesitate and prepared to hand it over to Kanon Kanase.

But once again, something unexpected happened.

“Meow! Meow meow meow!”

Just like the day before, the little kitten that had been resting quietly in Kaiser’s arms suddenly started struggling fiercely when he tried to pass it to Kanase.

“Stop it!”

Kaiser uttered just one command, and the kitten obediently calmed down again. But Kanase no longer dared to take it.

“It seems like it really doesn’t want to leave senpai.”

Kanase looked troubled.

“No worries. I’ll make it obey you,” said Kaiser without concern.

But Kanon Kanase didn’t think it was that simple.

“Even if it listens to you and stays quiet for now, it might run off again tomorrow.” Kanase looked into the kitten’s eyes with a pitiful expression and said, “I just feel like it’ll come looking for you again.”

This time, Kaiser didn’t know how to respond.

Because he, too, felt her words made sense.

He couldn’t understand the language of animals, but as someone bearing the Authority of the King of Beasts, Kaiser could still grasp the thoughts and feelings of beasts.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this kitten, having never seen its mother, likely regarded him as family.

And the reason it chose Kaiser instead of Kanase was because he had left some of his magical power within it, triggering its animal instincts to seek him out.

So unless Kaiser used his Authority to command it to never seek him out again, it would certainly escape again and come looking for him.

The solution was simple—just give the order—but that felt a bit cruel...

After all, the kitten had only come looking for the family it had never known. Forcing it to stop felt wrong.

“What should we do?”

Kanon Kanase looked quite troubled too.

“No helping it now.” Seeing the little thing lying comfortably in his arms, Kaiser scratched his face and said, “Since it’s already come to this, I guess I’ll just take it back with me.”

“Huh?” Kanase was stunned. “Senpai, you’re going to adopt it?”

“More or less.” Kaiser shrugged. “There’s not really any other option now, is there?”

“Is that okay?” Kanase said worriedly. “I thought pets weren’t allowed in your apartment?”

“Well, that rule was set by the building owner, and it’s not unchangeable.” Kaiser gently stroked the kitten and smiled at her. “I’ll get in touch with them and negotiate the terms.”

Now was the perfect time to make use of the Lion King Agency and his status as a national attack mage.

As long as he explained it was necessary for his mission, the other party would surely fill in the blanks and assume this was part of Kaiser’s duties.

“That’s a relief.”

Kanase looked like she had been released from a heavy burden, her smile a bit airy, but still extremely beautiful. If Kojou had been here, he’d probably have been stunned speechless.

“Oh, right. Kanase, don’t you have a lot of cats already?” Kaiser suddenly remembered. “Can you manage them all by yourself?”

“…Honestly, it’s a bit tough.” Kanase lowered her gaze and whispered, “But with Nagisa and a few classmates helping out, it’s manageable for now.”

“For now… huh?” Kaiser understood what she meant. “So you can’t care for them long-term either?”

“Yes.” Kanase gave a slightly sorrowful smile. “Where I live now doesn’t allow pets either, so until they get adopted, I’ll do my best to look after them.”

The cats Kanase kept behind the academy were all abandoned strays, and there were many of them.

If her current family weren’t fairly well-off and somewhat willing to accommodate her wishes, she probably wouldn’t be able to feed them all.

She didn’t know how much longer she could care for them, so she just did what she could until she no longer could, while trying to find them new homes.

It was hard work. Kanase always felt she wasn’t well-liked, often excluded by others. Her personality was shy and reserved, and even if she did manage to strike up conversation, others might not be friendly in return.

That’s why she had been racking her brain to find good homes for the cats, even planning to ask for help from Nagisa and others who had supported her all along.

She didn’t like bothering people, but when there was no other way, she had no choice.

“Seriously, what is up with this island? Why are there so many abandoned stray cats?” Kaiser sighed, then turned to her and said, “If you trust me, why not let me take them all in?”

Those words made Kanase freeze again.

“All… all of them, senpai?” she asked in surprise and confusion. “Are you saying you’ll raise them all yourself?”

That was more than a dozen kittens. Kanase knew firsthand how hard they were to care for.

It was hard enough to manage them outside—let alone bringing them home. Only pet shops had dedicated staff to handle that kind of thing.

And Kaiser’s apartment didn’t even allow pets. Even if he convinced the owner, once they found out he wanted to keep over a dozen cats, they’d surely oppose it even more.

Thinking of that, Kanase couldn’t help feeling anxious.

But Kaiser wasn’t joking.

“Don’t worry, I have it way easier than you.” Kaiser grinned. “You’ve seen it, right? I’m not just some ordinary person.”

Kanase instantly recalled the Kido arts Kaiser had used in the atrium.

“I have my own special methods for raising cats, and I have the means to care for them.” Kaiser winked. “If you’re willing to trust me, then I’ll be the one to take them in.”

Kanon Kanase immediately began to hesitate.

“Of course, if you’re not willing, that’s fine too.” Kaiser added quickly, “This is only our second time meeting. It’s only natural that you wouldn’t trust me yet.”

Those words made the kind-hearted saint panic.

“N-No, that’s not it. I do trust you, senpai!” she said hurriedly. “You’re a good person. I know that very well.”

Now that’s where you’re wrong.

Me? I’m definitely not a good person.

Kaiser chuckled silently to himself.

(End of Chapter)