Academy – Stroll (1)

“After graduating from the academy and becoming active, you’ll encounter various races. But lately, it’s become difficult to see Beastfolk and Elves. The reason, as you all know…”

Jade let the professor’s words go in one ear and out the other. Instead, he gazed toward the window-side seat.

Today, the golden hair that always shimmered in the sunlight there was absent. Even though classes had started, Rena hadn’t come to the academy.

When will Rena come? She’s never been late once during her academy life… What could have happened?…

Since this was unprecedented, Jade even worried something might have happened to Rena.

―Creak.

Right on cue, Rena opened the back door and entered.

“Phew…”

Seeing her seemingly unharmed appearance, Jade sighed in relief.

‘Did she oversleep?’

Judging by how she was panting from running, it was clear she’d simply overslept.

But Jade’s expression froze the moment he saw who followed her in.

“Hurry up and get in.”

“Eek?!”

Doran appeared behind Rena and wrapped his arm around her waist. Smirking broadly, he apologized to the professor.

“Ah, sorry. We played too vigorously last night and overslept.”

Instantly, Jade’s eyes met Rena’s flustered gaze from the entrance.

“!!”

Startled at seeing Jade, Rena quickly averted her eyes.

‘Ah…’

Jade stared at her momentarily before bowing his head. Though heartbroken, he understood Rena’s unavoidable predicament.

“Understood. I’ll deduct points, so take your seats quickly.”

As the professor finished speaking, Rena and Doran headed to their respective seats.

Rena immediately collapsed onto her desk upon sitting. She appeared utterly exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept properly.

‘Them being late together means Rena finally… with Doran last night…’

An image of Rena screaming beneath Doran surfaced in his mind. Even if she resisted, Rena would ultimately have had to submit to Doran.

What thoughts crossed Rena’s mind in that situation?

‘Did she wish to die? Could she possibly resent me?’

Jade felt like his heart was being torn apart knowing Rena had been violated by Doran.

‘I’m sorry. Your life was ruined because of someone like me…’

**

After class ended, Doran began making increasingly bold demands of Rena.

“Come here.”

Grabbing Rena’s face as she approached, he immediately started kissing her.

“Mmpph?! Chu-lup… Chuuub, Chu-rurup!”

After momentarily panicking and trying to push him away, Rena began accepting the kiss.

The sound of their kissing echoed through the classroom.

The sight of Rena kissing Doran was completely different from her usual demeanor Jade knew.

Her blue eyes glazed over as if savoring the kiss, a drop of saliva trickling down her snow-white neck.

Everyone in class found this never-before-seen side of her irresistibly alluring and sensual.

Gulp―

The sound of swallowed saliva echoed around them.

Suddenly, an angry voice reached Jade’s ears.

“Shouldn’t you do that somewhere else?”

Annie, having endured enough, stepped forward as if she couldn’t tolerate this spectacle.

At her words, Doran separated from Rena’s lips where he’d been fiercely kissing.

“Puh-ha―! Hahk, haa…”

“What’s wrong? My friend here wants to share some love with me. Be understanding.”

“Rena, you’re enjoying this too, right? Aren’t you?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

A weak agreement escaped Rena’s lips.

Annie looked at Rena with sorrowful eyes.

Annie desperately wanted to blast Doran’s smirking face with flame magic. But the one who’d suffer most from such an action wouldn’t be herself – it would be Rena.

Making things harder for her already suffering friend was no act of friendship.

“Ugh…”

Ultimately, Annie gave up intervening and trudged back to her seat.

“Going further here might violate regulations. Let’s go somewhere else for the real deal. Follow me.”

“…Yes.”

Doran and Rena exited the classroom.

“Wow, I’m seriously jealous. Getting to have Rena whenever he wants.”

“She used to be so prickly and arrogant, but look at her now.”

“Think he’d lend her out just once? She’s a slave after all.”

Male students began chattering as they watched Rena leave with Doran.

“…What?”

The conversation reached Jade’s ears as he sat gloomily.

‘Do those bastards feel not an ounce of sympathy for Rena?’

Jade’s anger surged seeing other students viewing Rena only as an object of desire.

“How can you say such things after seeing that? Don’t you feel any pity for Rena?!”

“What are you talking about?”

A student made a disbelieving face at Jade’s words. The following remark stabbed at Jade’s heart like a dagger.

“Rena ended up like that because of ‘you’. Everyone already knows. Have you no conscience?”

“What…?”

Jade was rendered speechless.

He wanted to retort, to make excuses, but no words came.

Ultimately, trembling with clenched fists, he stormed out of the classroom.

Jade ran like mad down the long road extending beyond the academy.

The truth he’d tried so hard to forget resurfaced in his mind.

Rena challenged Doran to a duel to protect me. But after losing, she became Doran’s slave.

‘Rena ended up like this because of me…’

As much as he hated to admit it, their words were all true.

He couldn’t deny his responsibility in Rena becoming a slave through these events.

Suddenly, anger and resentment flooded Jade’s mind.

Doran was the one who tormented him. Doran should clearly be the one paying for his crimes.

Yet Doran prospered while he and Rena endured hellish days.

‘Was my resolve to resist unfair oppression wrong?’

All Jade had done was endure noble bullying without giving up.

Jade prayed for rain to wash away this despair. But the sky before him was cloudless and radiant – the complete opposite of his heart.

‘Why has this trial come to me?’

-Thud.

Jade collapsed onto the roadside, blankly staring at the sky.

Hoping someone, anyone, would answer his question.

**

I headed to the academy park with Doran.

Upon arrival, Doran rummaged through his clothes as if he’d brought something, pulling out an object.

In Doran’s hand was a red collar. He immediately offered it to me.

“Try this on.”

Doran handed me the collar.

“Ha… What a terrible taste.”

Though throwing sarcastic remarks at Doran, I obediently fastened the collar around my neck.

―Click.

“Now get down. Today you’re my dog. Understood?”

Doran seemed intent on crushing my pride through humiliation today.

For someone as prideful as I was, showing humiliating appearances to others would deeply scar my self-respect.

People feel embarrassed just tripping in public. If forced to crawl around as someone’s dog…

“Not planning to resist, are you? Just accept it comfortably.”

Doran’s urging voice came, apparently interpreting my momentary hesitation as refusal.

“I’ll do it…”

As I placed my hands on the ground and slowly lowered myself, I felt countless eyes upon me.

“Hey, look over there. Who’s that wearing a collar?”

“Is that… Rena?”

The cloudless sunny weather meant many students visited the park for strolls or relaxation.

‘Haa…’

The shame of showing this appearance to so many students at the park’s center already made my body flush.

“From now on, you only bark instead of speaking.”

“Wh-what! Even if it’s this, doing it where everyone can see…”

“I said bark?”

When I hesitated at the repeated command, Doran raised his hand.

“Haa… Rena, get a grip.”

As Doran spoke, the mana inside me began raging wildly.

“Kyaaaahk?!”

A scream burst from my mouth as my consciousness blurred. It felt like thousands of needles were madly stabbing my internal organs.

Though not the first time, the pain remained utterly unbearable.

‘It hurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts!’

I couldn’t even voice the word “hurt” – it stayed trapped in my chest.

When stomachs hurt, people clutch their stomachs.

When legs hurt, people clutch their legs.

But this pain wasn’t localized – my entire inner body suffered.

Could Doran even imagine this agony? Likely not, hence his merciless actions.

My hands trembled helplessly, having nowhere to grasp.

But―

‘This feels so gooood…’

My body transformed even this absurd pain into pleasure. I felt blissful enough to want this moment to last forever.

-Thud.

As the raging mana stopped, I collapsed forward, strength leaving my arms.

“Still planning to refuse orders?”

“Keuk… Such… commands…”

‘Rena’ pretended to cling to shreds of pride by refusing the command to the end.

“Been too comfortable lately? Let’s see how long you last.”

“Kyaaaaahk!!”

But my attempt at resistance proved meaningless as Doran ruthlessly crushed my will.

Later, my blurred vision took in clothes and hair soiled with mud. Likely from thrashing on the ground in agony.

‘Hmm… Want to enjoy more, but stopping here for now.’

With my powers sealed, going further might actually kill me.

With trembling voice, I expressed submission to Doran.

“Keh, kehek… So-sorry… I’ll obey…”

Doran looked at me with a satisfied smile. He seemed pleased with my pitifully defiled appearance.

“Now you look like my proper pet.”

He tugged the leash, urging me to rise while demanding an answer.

“Well? Answer.”

Before inescapable terror… I finally opened my mouth.

“…Woof!”

“Haha! Such a cute puppy!”

Now I had to show everyone this appearance where I wasn’t even treated as human. The humiliation made me feel dampness below.

I was witnessing the collapse of my dignity firsthand.

“Follow.”

Doran began walking me around the park for everyone to see.

“Haa… Hkeuk…”

I barely kept pace with Doran, crawling awkwardly.

The unpleasant sensation of stones and dirt against my palms with each movement. Moreover, the torture’s aftereffects made crawling exhausting.

But Doran mercilessly yanked the leash whenever I tried to rest.

“Keuk! Kkeuk…”

“Why lagging? Disappointing if you can’t handle this much.”

Doran paraded me around the park to show off.

“Everyone see? The great top student Rena! Now my pet, so be nice.”

People watching my wretched state began chattering.

“Rena in that state…”

“Isn’t this excessive even for a slave?”

“It’s his slave – what can we do?”

I pretended to ignore them by bowing my head. But Doran had no intention of leaving me alone.

“Rena, what now? Bark.”

“……Woof, woof!”

Ultimately, I barked before all the students. Everyone looked speechless.

Imagining their thoughts made me grow wetter. The image of ‘Rena’ as a student was effectively destroyed.

Be more shocked. Be more disappointed. Push me deeper into the abyss.

“Our Rena seems happy. Right?”

“Woof…!”

I had to endure the humiliation of being dragged around by Doran while barking.