9. Starting the Academy Tour

9. Starting the Academy Tour

“I-I’ll let it slide this time…”

Priscilla, whose face had turned as red as her red rolled-up hair, seemed as if steam would rise from her.

As Priscilla, her strength completely drained, leaned into my embrace, I gently tightened my hold. It was a reflex stemming from the habit of treating my sister.

Of course, Priscilla wasn’t my sister, but perhaps because she was shorter than me, I kept seeing my sister’s face whenever I looked at her. So, it wasn’t that strange for me to treat Priscilla with the same feeling I had for my sister.

I could see her red crown. I could hear her taking deep breaths.

In the quiet dormitory room, filled with warmth, Priscilla’s good scent, and the sound of our pounding hearts, I gently stroked her hair.

The soft strands of hair flowed through my fingers, and Priscilla’s body trembled slightly. Her breathing became unsteady.

My sister used to tremble like this too when I hugged her tightly. And then, just like Priscilla now, she would always try to burrow into my embrace.

And whenever that happened, I would always do this.

-Kiss.

My cute sister… no, Priscilla.

I gently patted Priscilla’s head and then freely released her. Priscilla, wobbling uncertainly, then collapsed onto the bed with a soft thud.

“Uhe…”

Hmm.

Priscilla’s eyes were spinning. Her face was as red as if it were about to explode. Moreover, she was muttering incomprehensible words.

Is she… okay?

Just in case, I wanted to use healing magic, but I’m completely useless at magic, so I can’t.

Magic was entirely my sister’s domain; I only learned swordsmanship.

I was reincarnated into a fantasy world, so shouldn’t I learn at least one or two spells? I thought, so I had painstakingly obtained a basic magic book and a staff once…

My father said this when he saw me then.

“-Skadi. You have no talent for magic.”

“Still, learning basic magic…”

“No, you have absolutely no talent for magic. You probably won’t even be able to use basic magic properly, so instead of wasting time, swing your sword one more time.”

“Yes…”

Even so, I couldn’t give up and secretly read the book later, but surprisingly, no magic came out of my staff.

-Freya?

-Yap!

Before my sister’s staff shot out flames.

… So I gave up learning magic early on.

Swordsmanship has its own strengths, but even so, I can’t help but feel a sense of unfairness, wishing I could use magic at times like this.

The versatility of magic is endless.

What can you do with a sword, other than kill monsters and cut steaks more precisely?

Ah, I can also split an avalanche in half.

But that’s useless in everyday situations like this.

I wish I could have become a mage… No matter how much I regret it, I was born this way, so there was nothing I could do.

I approached Priscilla and looked at her closely. As I did, my swaying tail brushed past her face, but I didn’t pay it any mind, as Priscilla’s health was more important than my tail.

For some reason, Priscilla’s face turned much redder than her hair. I pondered why, but couldn’t find an answer, so I decided to ignore it.

Anyway.

“Priscilla, are you okay?”

“Ehe…”

“Priscilla?”

It seemed she was not okay at all.

But there’s nothing I can do for her here, so all I can do is cover her with a blanket so she’s not cold and pray to the heavens that Priscilla doesn’t get any sicker.

I left Priscilla, who had fainted with her mouth agape, and fled out of the dormitory.

——

“You think she’s sick?”

“Yeah. Her face suddenly got really hot.”

“Oh… um. Well, yes. We can meet again next time.”

Golden Sun, walking beside me, said this. It seemed she had been expecting me to bring a friend, as her hand, fiddling with my tail, held a hint of disappointment.

The reason we are walking like this now is simple. I wanted Golden Sun to show me around the Academy. She said she knew where everything was because she had explored it.

It’s a shame I couldn’t come with Priscilla. If we had come together, we could have strengthened our friendship. As I walked aimlessly, Golden Sun spoke to me.

“By the way, Skadi.”

“Yes?”

“Doesn’t this make you feel anything?”

Golden Sun said this, lifting my tail, which she had been fiddling with. She rubbed it as if to show it off, that fluffy white, thick, soft, and voluminous ball of fur.

I tilted my head.

What’s so strange about touching a tail? Is something on it?

Isn’t it common for beastmen to offer their tails to people they are close to? While the sensation of my tail being rubbed felt a bit strange, it wasn’t something I couldn’t endure.

Seeing my lukewarm reaction, Golden Sun began to rub my tail more passionately. She held it right in front of me as if to show it to me.

“Really? You don’t feel anything at all?”

“Why would I?”

Still, it was the first time someone had rubbed it so enthusiastically, so I felt a little strange. My sister always stroked it gently.

Hmm.

As Golden Sun’s hands moved, the fur flattened. My tail shrunk haphazardly, but as soon as her hands left, it plumped up again. White fur poked out between her fingers holding my tail.

Swish, swish. The relatively free tip of my tail swayed lightly.

“Hoo…”

“… Why are you looking at me like that?”

As if to say, ‘You still don’t feel anything?’, Golden Sun was now rubbing my tail against her cheek and fiddling with it. Then, she smiled as if she had seen something good and opened her mouth.

“This is ‘common among beastmen,’ right?”

“Right…?”

“Then do you know this too?”

Golden Sun spoke while holding my tail. I perked up my ears to listen, and soon, my pupils dilated.

“Beastmen often groom each other too.”

“Wh-what?”

Grooming?

Grooming, isn’t that what cats do? Licking their fur with their tongues to tidy it… I had never heard of beastmen grooming before.

No, maybe I’m just thinking that because of my past life’s prejudice. The meaning of the word ‘grooming’ might be different in this world.

“G-grooming, you say…?”

“Licking with the tongue.”

“Do they really do that?”

“Yes.”

Wait a minute, let me think. Yes, in a world where girls touch each other’s bodies and play, licking tails with tongues might not be such a big deal after all.

Moreover, thinking about it carefully, my sister often put my tail in her mouth and chewed on it when I was little. I didn’t understand why she did that then, but perhaps it was part of grooming.

Is this really common sense in this world that only I didn’t know…?

“Uh, um… H-here, here.”

I rolled my eyes around, then closed them tightly and brought my tail in front of Golden Sun’s face. If it’s common sense, then it can’t be helped. Yes, that’s why.

Gulp.

A tense moment.

No, maybe there’s no need to be so tense. As Golden Sun said, if this is a common occurrence.

Yes, this is normal, so there’s no need to be flustered.

It was the same when I learned common sense from my sister when I was little, but now I’m used to it and not flustered at all. This is the same.

I tried to calm my pounding heart and waited for Golden Sun’s grooming.

And then…

“Kuh, h-puhahaha!”

“Ugh…?”

Then Golden Sun started laughing, holding her stomach. Beside Golden Sun, who was shaking her body and hitting the ground as if she couldn’t breathe, I stood there, not understanding why.

“Why, why are you laughing?”

“No, that, hehe, you’re too pure… Phew…”

“Huh?”

Golden Sun, who was regaining her composure, then let out a sigh and said to me. I could see a little tear flowing from under her golden bangs that covered her eyes.

“I’m kidding.”

“Kidding?”

“About beastmen grooming.”

What she said earlier was a joke?

I stared at Golden Sun with wide eyes. Golden Sun’s eyes (where they were presumed to be) met mine.

“So, you don’t do grooming or anything…?”

“Of course not. Beastmen aren’t animals, why would we do that? Well, I heard they did in ancient times, but I don’t study that, so I don’t know.”

“Uh, um.”

It’s a relief that I don’t have to groom…

… Is it a relief?

I blushed at being so easily fooled by Golden Sun. I felt like I wanted to hide in a mouse hole. A wolf hole, but still.

Wait a minute.

If beastmen don’t groom, then why did my sister put my tail in her mouth and lick it?

I tilted my head, a sudden question arising, and followed Golden Sun to continue the Academy tour.

——

At that moment, Priscilla had her face buried in her clothes, sniffing the lingering scent of tail in the fibers.

“Uhe…”