Ch.181That NPC Oppa’s Little Sister (2)

“That concludes the announcements. Regular classes will begin tomorrow, so don’t forget your textbooks. Three strikes will result in penalty points. And Ira, come to the Class A faculty office immediately.”

“…Yes.”

The punishment for Ira, who had boldly admitted to hitting the boys, would be decided by the Class A homeroom professor, Kaina (the dean with a reversed name), after the announcements and notices.

She called on Ira and then walked out of the classroom, with me following behind.

For reference, the boys who had fainted were eventually taken to the infirmary, and I, as the teaching assistant, relayed the necessary information to their attendants.

‘…This is troublesome. It’s not just Ira’s grades that are at issue, but all the training she’s accumulated so far…’

Gorg had mentioned that our people have something called “levels,” and that Ira was already about ten times stronger than adults who aren’t involved in combat.

When I heard that, I wondered if the reason Jack left Ira in our care was because he thought she could now protect herself on her own.

‘So you’re leaving your too-strong little sister in the care of women you trust to clean up her messes? Is that it? Hmm? Jack? Care to answer?’

Ira had impressed both the dean and me with her exceptional intelligence and talent even before enrollment. And now this child had knocked out three boys a head taller than her on her very first day.

Moreover, Ira firmly maintained that she had hit them, forcing the dean and me to reluctantly postpone dealing with the situation.

*Knock knock*

“Come in.”

“De… Professor, I’m sorry.”

“How did you know I was the dean?”

“…The aura of the spirit beside you is identical.”

“……”

When Ira entered and explained how she had seen through the dean’s transformation magic, both the dean and I were speechless.

Wait, what’s going on? Spirit aura? Ira can sense that too?!

“…I see you didn’t know either.”

“If I had known, I would have given you a heads-up.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No, seeing through my identity isn’t the issue. More importantly, why did you fight with those kids?”

“W-well…? I! They! They made fun of me for being small!”

“……”

I finally found something Ira doesn’t have in common with Jack! Jack is quite skilled at lying, but Ira isn’t!! Her eyes are darting all over!! She’s fidgeting so much?! But it’s cute!!!

As Ira fidgeted with her fingers and stamped her feet, the dean and I saw right through… no, even a fool wouldn’t fall for this!!

“…Ira. Let me tell you now, if you hit those kids for such a reason, I will have to punish you.”

“Yes, yes!! I’ll take the punishment! I did wrong!!”

“…Ira. Violence carries a minimum of 3 penalty points. Do you remember what I told you before enrollment?”

“Y-yes! I mean, yes! Ragni sis…! I mean? T-teaching assistant…?”

“When it’s just us, you can call me ‘sis,’ but in front of others, call me ‘Assistant Rag.'”

“Yes! Sis! I remember! Three penalty points means expulsion if I can’t erase them with merit points within a week!!”

“Let me explain something: getting 3 penalty points on your first day and earning a merit point within a week is impossible under the academy’s system. Even the first external skill assessment that could earn you merit points happens in the second week. So if you get 3 penalty points here, you’ll definitely be expelled.”

“Hiccup!”

After hearing the dean’s explanation, Ira’s violet eyes welled up with tears, and she even started hiccupping. Sigh, what on earth happened that made this sweet child hit someone? My guess is that it involves the girl Ira was protecting earlier.

Oh, really!! The student who came to explain earlier only saw Ira avoiding someone’s hand and then suddenly hitting a completely different boy, so there’s not enough information to make a judgment!!!

“Gorg is outside, right? Let me first ask Gorg…”

*Grab!!*

“No, don’t!! Sis! It was my fault! I should be pun…!!”

“Ira?!”

Ira grabbed me desperately, as if determined to take all the blame herself.

Clearly, if we heard Gorg’s account, Ira’s punishment would be reduced. No, judging by Ira’s reaction, it would definitely be reduced.

Yet she’s so against it. Why? Really, when it comes to Jack and Ira, my brain just doesn’t work properly.

“…Ira. If you take the punishment as is, you’ll be expelled. If that happens, Jack will surely be sad. Are you okay with that?”

“Hiccup! S-sis…”

At my words, Ira finally shed jewel-like tears and began repeatedly calling me “sis” between sobs.

Aaaah!! D-don’t cry!! Ira!! Don’t cry!! Think! The brain once called the Blue Seer of the Empire!! Work!! Find a solution right now!!! Stop my sister-in-law’s tears!! This is the greatest crisis of my life!!!

Faced with my sister-in-law’s tearful assault, I felt a chill and fear I hadn’t experienced even when my father threatened my life, and I racked my brain.

‘Please! Please!! This damn brain!! Find an answer!!’

But with no time, no method, and not even the law able to escape the academy’s framework, there was no miraculous solution that could twist the situation where she had confessed herself, and just as my brain was about to short-circuit…

*Knock knock*

“Uh! Uwaah?”

“Hiccup…”

“…Who is it?”

[G-Grace Mueller. May I come in for a moment?]

The knock and a girl’s voice brought me back to reality.

The dean was looking at me like I was some kind of idiot, probably because I’d made some stupid noise. But what do you know?! Do you know how hard I’ve worked to earn points with my sister-in-law?! How hard I’ve worked to earn points with the legal wife?!! Do you know how pretty and strong my rival Rey is?!!

Forcibly suppressing my true feelings, I stroked Ira’s head to calm her down. The dean cleared her throat and called the girl in.

“…Um…”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I-Ira hasn’t come… I-Ira?!”

“Sniff. G-Grace…”

Ira, clutching my skirt and sniffling, looked at the brown-haired girl who had entered. I had to witness the girl’s eyes widen like saucers.

Huh, what’s going on? Why is she so surpr—

*Patter patter patter!! Grab!!*

“I-Ira didn’t do anything wrong!! She was just trying to protect me!! What have you been saying to her?!!”

The girl rushed forward, embraced Ira who had been holding my skirt, and pulled her away. She glared at the dean and me with hostile eyes and raised her voice aggressively. The dean and I looked at each other.

…Ah, I see?

“We haven’t said much to Ira. She just insisted she was at fault and was willing to be expelled for it, so we were going along with it.”

“Wh-what?!! Why, why?!! Ira, why did you do that?! What did you do wrong?!”

“B-becauuuse… if I mentioned you were involved, Grace… sniff!”

“L-listen!! Ira just used her hands when I got into trouble with some boys and she was trying to protect me!!”

“…Student Grace Mueller. Let me remind you that if you admit the trouble occurred because of you, you could also receive penalty points. You’re aware of that, correct?”

“Ugh!!”

“S-sis!! Rag Assistant!! Grace didn’t do anything wrong! Waaah!!”

Ira grabbed the hand of Grace who was hugging her and finally burst into full-blown tears. The dean and I understood the situation completely.

Probably, as the dean had mentioned, these two had quickly become friends. Then, this girl got into some trouble with the boys, and Ira intervened with force.

And Ira, being no fool, surely calculated that her intervention had escalated the situation into a fight. She also knew that her friend would receive penalty points as well.

‘…But wait, how did she become friends with the top student so quickly? And what’s with that look? Am I the villain here? Am I the bad guy?!’

“M-making Ira cry! That’s too much!!”

“…Haha. This is ridiculous.”

“Mmm… Student Grace Mueller, please explain the entire situation clearly. It seems Ira is trying to protect you.”

The dean genuinely rubbed her face in exasperation, and I took Grace aside to hear her account.

Meanwhile, watching Ira clutching the dean’s skirt and anxiously looking at Grace, I thought:

‘This must be Ira’s first friend. She wanted to protect her that badly.’

Smart yet emotionally vulnerable. And she doesn’t hesitate to protect her own people.

After fully understanding Ira’s actions, which mirrored her brother’s perfectly, we issued punishments to both of them.

“Ira will receive 1 penalty point. As punishment, she will write a reflection paper and clean the Class A faculty office for a month. Grace Mueller has done nothing wrong, so no penalty points. However, for not coming forward when called and complicating the situation, she will also submit a reflection paper and clean the Class A faculty office as punishment.”

“Needless to say, the three students who threatened Student Grace will receive a minimum of 2 penalty points. And if it’s confirmed they spread malicious rumors that damaged the academy’s reputation, they’ll also receive ‘direct guidance from the Dean.'”

“…Thank goodness… hiccup.”

“You idiot! You were trying to protect me, so why did you try to take all the blame?!”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Y-you. You’re s-so c-cute…!!!”

Grace Mueller raised her eyebrows as if she had something she wanted to say to Ira, but seeing Ira clutching her clothes with teary eyes, she ended up embracing Ira instead of speaking.

A wonderful friendship blossomed in just one day, or so I’d like to think, but…

‘…Sigh. It’s only the first day at the academy and I’m already exhausted.’

The dean’s muttered comment beside me—”Twenty years of teaching experience, and this will be the most difficult class yet”—was the final blow to my spirit.

Looking after Ira is going to be much harder than I calculated!