Ch.184That NPC Oppa’s Little Sister (5)

“This is our team assignment, Assistant Rag.”

“…Hmm. Grace is the team leader… whose idea was it? Forming a team with students from another class.”

“Ah, that, well…”

“It was Latina here! Since it’s a grade-level evaluation! I predicted we’d be working with students from other classes! And since it’s not a class evaluation, I deduced we could form our own teams! Isn’t Latina super smart?!”

As Ira proudly pushes her friend forward with a bright smile, and Grace puffs her cheeks slightly as if envious of Latina being praised by Ira, I feel the corners of my mouth involuntarily lifting.

I’ve been well aware that our Ira has been isolated in her class since causing trouble on the first day of school.

However, I didn’t take action to resolve it. As Gorge said, I wanted to observe how she would handle the consequences of her own actions.

And seeing her handle the problem so well, albeit with a friend’s help, makes me feel so proud. I should tell Jack about this later.

“Alright. Even though they’re from Class F, you shouldn’t look down on them just because you’re in a higher class, understood?”

“Of course. I would never do anything that would tarnish the Müller family name.”

“Yes. I’ll be mindful of that.”

“Hehehe, I hope I can become your third friend~”

The two girls accompanying Ira are also incredibly kind-hearted. It’s hard to even imagine them looking down on or mistreating students from Class F. After delivering my standard assistant’s advice—simply because it’s part of the job—I sent the children on their way.

“Hmm, Latina, huh. But what exactly is this ‘Satan Unemployment Research Club’ she joined?”

Who is Satan, and why are they researching how to make him unemployed? Is he some notorious villain I don’t know about? Should I look into this later?

I’ve already completed background checks on the children who accompany Ira, and I’ve memorized the list of potential friends for her. But this girl named Latina is somewhat intriguing.

No matter how I think about it, she was a child who had “no reason to return to the Academy.”

“…Well, it’s certain she won’t have a negative influence on Ira’s emotional well-being. If she acts diligently, it might even be a positive influence.”

I’ve memorized that the Class F student they included, while academically underperforming, isn’t a bad person in character. Still, I should review her records once more later. With that thought, I made myself some tea and began to leisurely pass the time.

Ah, how boring. I wish I could leave work with Ira…

-SLAM.

“Assistant Rag, are you slacking off after I assigned you those tasks…”

“Slacking off? I finished everything you asked. It’s all on the desk over there.”

“If you finished, you should have brought it t…”

“The documents are too many for just me, a woman, to carry alone. The left half of the papers are the elementary and middle school division team assignments, and the other half are the supervisor lists. Next to that are the training schedules and individual zone assignments for the children. And that single document on the side is what Secretary Manie requested earlier, and at the end of the desk is…”

As I listed all the work I’d completed, the headmaster, who had been frowning at the thought of me slacking off, moved to check the documents. After skimming through them for about five minutes, she looked at me.

Naturally, her previously furrowed expression had relaxed.

“…Why did you prepare team assignments from elementary first year to middle school first year…”

“Since there was no one else, I did it for you. I heard you fi—cut all the assistants?”

“How did you include Gold-rank adventurers in the supervisor list? The budget…”

“I secured funds from two or three high school departments that receive budget but don’t do research, and covered the rest with my own money. Just so you know, I put Rey as Ira’s team supervisor, so don’t think about changing it.”

“…Manie gave you the confidential documents requiring the headmaster and vice-principal’s approval?”

“Are you stupid? I’m a secretary too. Oh, by the way, you should give that Manie person a break soon. Between being the acting vice-principal, elementary division head, and your secretary, her face looks half-dead. She might collapse at this rate.”

“…What is this additional budget calculation? The use of last year’s additional budget has already been…”

“After filtering out the garbage, the next step is to find the money tied up in that garbage. The reason you’re short-staffed is because money is tight after resolving the incident, according to your secretary who looked like she was about to cry. I found some hidden funds. If I search for another week, I’ll probably find twice as much more. Use that money to hire people.”

“……”

Perhaps displeased with my sharp responses, the headmaster looked at me in disbelief. I took a sip of tea and shrugged.

Well, what can you do?

“…Didn’t you say you would temporarily attend the Academy to ensure it was safe for Ira?”

“Didn’t I?”

“…Anyone can see you’ve gone beyond temporary, no, beyond the role of an assistant?”

“Ha, are you talking about overstepping boundaries just because I did that much work…”

“No. I’d rather you stayed on as a regular professor.”

“Huh?”

Surprised by the sudden remark, I turned my head, and the rejuvenated headmaster looked at me with a bitter smile and slightly bowed her head.

What, what is this?!

“As you probably know, the Academy is currently like a rotten fruit that only looks intact on the outside. One more incident, whether internal or external, and it wouldn’t be strange if everything collapsed. So, even though I knew everyone was struggling, I had no choice but to push them all. So, thank you. It’s clear that thanks to you, the work of professors and assistants has become much easier.”

“W-what’s with this all of a sudden?!”

Somewhat flustered by the headmaster’s grateful bow, I watched as she chuckled at something amusing, magically lifted the documents, and headed out the door.

“What I did to you and Ira that day was indeed my karma, and I know how you think about it. Truly, I can only explain it as me having lost my mind—an authoritarian abuse of power. However, I’m not so rotten that I wouldn’t change when given the opportunity.”

“W-why are you saying all this?”

Lately, things that exceed my understanding keep happening, leaving me confused. When I questioned the headmaster with suspicion, she smiled more gently than I expected and answered.

“Thanks to your words and your man, I got a chance to start anew at the edge of a cliff. And thanks to you, I can make amends more quickly. I was simply expressing my gratitude as it is. I have no ulterior motives. Ah, I just thought of one. If you’re really considering staying at the Academy, let me know. I could promote Manie to vice-principal and make you the elementary division head and secretary…”

“No thanks!”

“Hehe. I see. Well, if you’re done with work, you should head home.”

With an uncharacteristically cheerful laugh, she said she had more work to do and left, leaving me alone in the professor’s office.

Hah. It’s a first for me to have to keep changing my evaluation of someone like this.

“…Anyway, I’m doing this because I need it too, but it feels a bit guilty when she sincerely thanks me like that.”

Supporting Ira’s academy life is my responsibility, but what I’m doing now is also laying groundwork for what Gorge mentioned that night—a way to make myself stronger.

I feel like I’ve already seen some results in the past week.

“Sigh, well then. Let me finish up and head home.”

I gather the documents with unresolved issues, organize them, and prepare to leave.

[Class B.]

[Name: Kesath Salver. Age: 12. Country of Origin: Empire]

[Father: Ireid Salver Mother: ……]

[Special Notes: ……]

Without informing the headmaster that there are still issues I need to resolve at this Neti Academy.

*

Having left the Academy, I am now shopping with Lady Ira, holding her hand.

“♬~”

[You seem to be in a good mood.]

“Yes! Thanks to Latina, we were able to form a team with friends!”

I know. Since I never take my eyes off Lady Ira, it would be strange not to know. I’m aware that Lady Ira has been isolated within her class, and that Ragni had already prepared a solution to resolve it before things got worse. However.

[Fufu. You’ve made good friends. The master will be pleased.]

“Hehehe! I want to introduce the two of them to big brother~ I wonder when he’ll come~”

[He promised he would come soon, so I’m sure he will.]

Given that he set off on foot rather than by carriage, he’ll surely arrive in the shortest time possible. By my calculations, it should take about a year, but this is the master we’re talking about.

He might level up along the way, enhancing his stats and skills to become even faster.

Perhaps he’s already dropped Miho and is acting alone, having already arrived in Siltra. If that’s the case, my calculations are meaningless.

[So, since you’ll be eating at the outdoor training ground tomorrow, I should prepare a lunch box.]

“Ah! That’s right!!”

When I deliberately mention something Lady Ira forgot while she happily reports about team training with her friends, she looks at me with an “Oh!” expression.

Fufu. How cute.

[Don’t worry. We’re shopping now, so if there’s anything you’d like to eat tomorrow, I’ll prepare it according to your wishes.]

“Ah, then… waffles! Grace said waffles are even more delicious than skewers!!”

[Waffles, is it? Understood.]

As Lady Ira tells me about her conversation with friends about favorite foods, where Grace passionately argued that cream waffles are much tastier than skewers, I buy ingredients to make bread.

Hmm, we have most ingredients at home, so we just need to buy eggs, sugar, and a few unfamiliar ingredients. I think I’ll need to send a clone to check the recipe at a waffle shop as I fill the shopping basket…

-Whoosh!

“Hm? Gorge?”

[…A gaze?]

Feeling as if someone is watching me and Lady Ira, I check my status window and scan the surrounding humans.

Strange, there’s no one casting a gaze, nor anyone who seems capable of doing so…

“Ira! Gorge!! What a coincidence~!!”

“Oh, Sister Rey!”

[……]

From a distance, Rey comes running like a sunflower, smiling and spreading her arms as if wanting to hug Ira. Ira also smiles and approaches her.

Ah.

-Grip.

“Mmph?! G-Gorge?!!”

[You’re covered in dust, and there’s even monster blood in your hair. How dare you try to hug Lady Ira without washing first.]

“Eh? R-really?!”

“Yes! Sister Rey is dirty!”

When Lady Ira says this with a bright smile, Rey steps back as if shocked, going “Heuk!!”

But she doesn’t give up, snorting and standing up straight again.

“I’ll hug Ira after going home and washing up!”

“Yes! I don’t want to hug you right now either!”

“Kuk?!! T-this kind of treatment might actually be ni— No!! I-Ira! M-more importantly, th-this! J-Jack sent a gift for Ira!! I picked it up from the Adventurer’s Guild!!”

Suddenly blushing and about to reveal her perverse tendencies, Rey shakes her head as if trying to regain her senses, then tries to hand over an object wrapped in a blanket that was strapped to her back, but I take it instead.

This is also covered in dust.

“A gift from big brother?! Where is he now?”

“Ah, this, well…”

[This is the staff for Lady Ira that the master mentioned from Aigram. It seems the one he ordered before has arrived here.]

Lady Ira, who seemed more interested in the master’s whereabouts than the gift, droops her eyebrows slightly at my answer, but quickly regains her spirits and says she wants to see the staff at home.

How admirable.

After finishing shopping with Rey joining us, I hold Lady Ira’s hand and display text with my other hand, visible only to Rey standing beside me.

[Rey, from where were you watching us earlier? Please speak quietly.]

“Hmm? I spotted Gorge from in front of that clothing store over there and ran over.”

[…I see.]

“Why? Is something wrong?”

[Someone was watching Lady Ira and me. The gaze disappeared right before you saw us from the clothing store.]

“Does that mean… even you lost track of them, Gorge?”

-Nod.

Having confirmed that the gaze wasn’t Rey’s based on the timing, I decide to share this information with Ragni later this evening. I grip Lady Ira’s hand a little tighter.

…Whoever it is, if they pose a threat to Lady Ira, there will be no mercy.