Chapter 39: White Tiger Under the Sun

The faces of the Elders who had gathered for the meeting were grim.

Their meticulously planned operation had been thwarted twice, and they were still in the dark as to why.

It was no wonder their wrinkles deepened like furrows in a field.

But that wasn’t all.

Their fatigue was stemming from more than just this one issue.

“Hmm…”

It was time for them to pool their wisdom and think of a profound solution to prevent similar mishaps in the future.

Recently, a significant problem had arisen in another quarter.

“The Princess has been asking a lot of strange questions as of lately. Do any of you have an inkling as to why?”

“She’s been asking me similar things as well.”

“Hmph! Where did she pick up such nonsense…?”

Assuming it was just another one of her occasional acts of rebellion, they reacted as they always did.

However, the Princess’ reaction was different this time.

Simply urging her to focus on her training, as they had done so in the past, failed to make her back down easily.

And with slight exaggeration, her persistent pursuit of answers was enough to even make a leech recoil in surprise and flee.

“Such aggressive behavior becomes tiring just to witness as I grow older.”

“The way she pokes at such uncomfortable truths… She truly is of Testarossa’s blood.”

“Heh heh, I thought the same.”

She had insisted on attending the Elders’ meetings, claiming it was her right as royalty, or at least demanded that meeting minutes be prepared and delivered to her.

They found her sudden, impossible requests and her refusal to back down incredibly bothersome.

“She said that to me as well.”

The Princess hadn’t forgotten the fabricated story they’d concocted to smooth things over back when she was younger.

She wanted to know if her compatriots, whom they claimed had safely settled in another country, were doing well, and in which country and where they had been sent.

She even expressed her desire to meet them and offer words of comfort if possible.

“How can we arrange for her to meet the compatriots who have returned to their mother’s embrace for the greater good?”

And if she continued to pry like this, this matter would become even more troublesome than the previous one.

It seemed that the Princess’ unprecedented behavior required strong suppression this time.

“Chief Elder, what should we do?”

“Hmm… I told her to abandon such distractions if she desired to become the weapon that would reclaim our glory. She has yet to learn her duty.”

Testarossa’s lineage held the potential and the qualifications to become the bullet that would pierce Frozenheart.

Like it or not, she was a presence they had to embrace.

However, her increasingly deviant behavior was far from pleasing to the Elders.

“For now, let’s set that aside. We have more important matters to discuss, don’t we?”

“Hmm… it won’t be easy to simply set it aside…”

Tap! Tap!

The Chief Elder struck the floor with his staff, ending the conversation.

The Elders shut their mouths and turned their gaze to the head of the table.

“With all this commotion, will we even be able to address today’s main topic?”

“…”

“Let’s postpone the discussion about the Princess and focus on the most crucial matter at hand.”

Wearing robes too extravagant for their current surroundings, the Chief Elder pulled an object from his bosom.

The aged Elf seated at the head of the table revealed a gleaming, jet-black coin.

On both sides of the coin, which seemed like it would invite misfortune with a single touch, was an image of a human hand.

As soon as the Elders saw it, they gasped.

“Oooooh!”

“Are those individuals assisting us again?”

“Ah…! I can feel our long-cherished wish is within reach!”

The Chief Elder calmly observed the Elders’ clamor.

Now that they were confined to this cramped place, they must have been feeling a thirst for the wealth and glory they once enjoyed.

In fact, he had anticipated this reaction.

“Now that we have found our answer, we must prepare to show our sincerity. Otherwise, we might be forced into another disadvantageous contract.”

“We still have some treasures remaining. We’ll pick from those.”

Although they had incurred future debts by accepting Tigrova’s assistance, their abilities were beyond doubt.

With this, the Elders firmly believed that they would once again clear the path ahead.

Saturday, a day without Academy classes.

After Rohan finished his workout in the training room and stepped, he found a message from Clara.

She finally ate them.

The girl, who had been hesitating to eat the gift because she found it too precious, had finally tasted the macarons today.

He had received a long message filled with appreciation and thanks, expressing how it was her first time trying such a treat.

The rainbow macarons Rohan gifted Clara cost 8 Points.

And he didn’t think it was a waste at all.

Just seeing that she enjoyed them was worth more than that.

Even Ichinose praised them. I guess the quality of food bought with Points is guaranteed.

After replying to Clara, Rohan packed his bag, left the training room, and made his way back to the dormitory.

As he walked, he began to reflect on Clara’s recent behavior.

“Hmm…”

She looked more comfortable talking to him at the bookstore and even gave him bright smiles.

Even the messages they exchanged were more affectionate and intimate than before, but Rohan sensed something.

Clara’s recent actions felt strange at times.

This is difficult.

Her timid behavior was within the normal range of what Rohan knew about her.

However, the change in her gestures since their conversation at the cafe was the problem.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Whenever they talked, she would often trail off mid-sentence, as if something had just come to mind, and then gave up.

It was clear she was curious about something.

Well, I’ll have to wait.

Even if he was curious, he couldn’t pry too much.

This was the definite answer when it came to Clara.

Still, he was happy that the distance between them had considerably decreased.

His relationship with Clara was progressing  steadily.

“…”

Having finished his workout earlier than usual on the weekend, he walked along the brightly lit streets of Academy City.

Shops that were yet to open when he passed by earlier in the morning were now open for business, and there were quite a few pedestrians.

Rohan slowed his pace and looked around.

He was planning to buy something he had thought of while giving Clara the macarons.

I should get the bookstore owner a gift too.

He wanted to repay his kindness.

Additionally, he couldn’t deny that he had played a role in his connection with Clara.

He said he doesn’t like hard things. I should look for something soft.

Rohan turned away from the path back to the dormitory.

While he remembered the prominent buildings of Abyss City, he wasn’t familiar with the specific shops in this area.

So, he decided to take this opportunity to explore.

And as he thought about gifts, Juyeon came to mind.

What kind of gifts would an Instructor accept from a cadet…?

This was a difficult one.

Regardless of her preferences, she would probably refuse, citing regulations against accepting gifts from cadets.

Unsure about either option, he temporarily set the thought aside.

He passed the shopping district he had seen earlier and ventured deeper inside.

Oh! There’s a place like this.

Just looking around made him feel like he had traveled abroad.

Rohan stopped in front of a traditional confectionery shop from the Three Kingdoms Union.

He sampled a thin slice of yokan offered for tasting.

It was quite delicious and it seemed like the sweetness would pair well with the hot tea the bookstore owner always drank.

“I’d like to buy this as a gift. Can you wrap it?”

“Certainly!”

The man dressed in traditional Three Kingdoms Union attire nodded vigorously.

Rohan followed him inside the shop and looked at the neatly displayed goods.

Three Kingdoms Union Chestnut Yokan. The small size costs only 2 coins, so it’s not too burdensome… This should be perfect.

Rohan wasn’t exactly rolling in money.

But he could consider this an investment to save Points.

“Please wrap one of these for me.”

“Thank you!”

With skilled hands, the employee quickly prepared a neat paper bag.

After paying and leaving the store, he felt the sunlight was too inviting to simply return.

Deciding to continue his stroll, he walked down an alleyway.

He came across a quiet park when heard a familiar voice from beyond the bushes.

─ Roll left.

─ Meow!

─ Look at your form! Roll right.

─ Meow!

A hunch led Rohan to quicken his pace and peak beyond the bushes.

“You can’t just run into the street. Understood?”

─ Meooow…

As expected, the voice belonged to Noa Frozenheart.

Although his prediction was correct, the scene unfolding before his eyes was so incomprehensible, that he was speechless.

“?”

Plump cats were rolling around in front of Noa, undergoing what appeared to be disciplinary training.

“Your hearing is better than ordinary people’s, right? So if you ignore the sounds around you and get hit by a car, it’ll be a big problem. Got it?”

─ M-Meow!

As Noa growled menacingly, the cats flipped onto their backs, exposing their bellies.

It was quite a spectacle.

“What are you doing…?”

Rohan, who had been observing the situation in silence, emerged from the bushes.

Perhaps startled by the sound, Noa Frozenheart’s eyes met his.

“Huh?”

She seemed surprised to see him, her round ears twitching.