I Became the Academy’s Pink Airhead

‘This child… I’ve felt it before, but her way of speaking is really…’

After hearing my story, Freya suddenly criticized that she understood why I became an idiot. So I spoke with a slightly indignant feeling:

“Waaah―♪ So mean―☆”

“B-But… Saying that… It’s not like it will change… I have no intention of saying it either… Now that I see… Y-You’re really… p-pitiful…”

“Oooh―☆ If you say such mean things I’ll hate you~☆”

“Perhaps th-that’s just a crappy destiny… you have to keep carrying…”

I couldn’t gather my thoughts from the endless criticism.

‘…I have nothing to say since it’s all my own doing.’

It’s true that I did various concept acts.

But to receive such harsh condemnation for that.

However, Freya somehow showed a slightly softened attitude.

“B-Both… you and I… are equally… slaves to [Fate]…”

“…?”

Freya looked at me with her purple eyes shimmering faintly like jewels. That color was somehow like amethyst embedded in a deep cave… so it was a little scary.

“…”

“…Why are you looking at me like thaat―♪”

Freya didn’t answer my words and approached me. Then she nonchalantly got on Red Hare, and timidly tapped my back while saying:

Tap

Tap

“Wh-What are you doing, ruffian. Hurry up and drive the bicycle… I’m getting h-hungry…”

“Oh, okay―☆”

“Y-You ruffian… Your way of speaking is foolish, and you have insensitive parts… but your bicycle speed is excellent… Rather than living like a beggar as you do now… If you pulled a rickshaw in the g-golden street… You might make a good living…”

“Ahaha…☆”

“Th-Then I’ll… reserve an exclusive seat… Y-You ruffian serve me well…”

“Ahaha…”

“C-Consider it an honor… There are… t-tons of workers wanting to work in the golden street…”

“…”

Though her words shot out in a timid tone were sharp. Her closed heart opened a little, and friendly emotions could be felt through her actions. Thanks to that, I felt like the subtle distance with Freya had been resolved.

But I felt a little… just a tiny bit annoyed too.

‘Since I’m quietly accepting it, she’s really endlessly timidly acting high and mighty…’

When I first saw Pang Tong acting arrogant with equipment, did I get heated like this? I seriously considered whether I should play another cute prank on our Phoenix Chick Teacher Pang Tong sometime…

* * *

We quickly returned to school riding Red Hare.

Perhaps because of the time we spent leisurely walking in the middle, the sun had already completely set and darkness had fallen. ’s facilities were shining with more vibrant lighting than ever before, since Maya and Kara had been going around doing a lot of repairs in the meantime.

Seeing that, Freya acted high and mighty again in her timid tone:

“H-Hmph… It’s j-just lights lit up in a beggar village… But it’s more r-romantic than I thought…”

“Hey―☆ There are girls’ dreams here too―☆”

“H-Honestly, including you ruffian… I don’t know what vision those riffraff have… But c-certainly… one person is… quite plausible…”

Freya muttered while nodding her head, seeming to find Rota’s unorthodox interpretation of the magic left by [Golden Witch] quite plausible.

‘Originally, Freya who was an outsider even within the school wouldn’t have encountered Rota who is the protagonist of the main story… Could Rota’s awakening timing be earlier than in the original work…?’

Rota’s talent that hasn’t even sprouted yet at this point.

[Purple Spinning Wheel], the strongest magician in the academy city, quickly recognized it.

It’s the first time I’ve seen her speak so favorably about someone when she’s usually indifferent to others.

I felt an opportunity and started getting a little excited.

‘If by any chance… Freya were to give private tutoring, it would be an amazing synergy…!’

Shouldn’t I stir up a little commotion for my junior’s sake?

I decided to subtly scratch at Freya’s pride as someone from a prestigious magic school. Then this timid and arrogant child might eagerly accept tutoring.

Recalling Rota’s future as I knew it from the original work, I made a fuss with a little sincerity:

“Oh my―☆ For the picky alley cat to nod and acknowledge to that extent―☆ Could our cute house cat have tremendous talent in magic studies♪ Ah! Perhaps the magic☆prestigious school title will now belong to our ―♡”

“D-Don’t get carried away… You don’t know talent until you dig to the bottom… A r-ruffian who doesn’t even know the ‘ma’ in magic…”

“…”

I was flatly rejected.

I was so deflated I couldn’t speak anymore.

‘Sorry for being an incompetent dad…’

As we parked the bicycle and headed towards the dormitory building like that.

I quietly smiled contentedly feeling a certain presence.

And Freya also perked up her ears and looked in one direction.

“…Huhu♪”

“Hmph.”

A girl with orange hair fluttering approached from far away.

“Senior~!!”

The first to come greet us was Rota.

She welcomed us waving both hands while wearing an apron and headscarf.

It was cute seeing her quickly approach while shaking her short arms and legs.

‘Aww… how admirable.’

I ran towards Rota while waving my hands back at her.

“Senior―!”

“Waaah~♡”

Hug―

We expressed the joy of a small reunion with a hug.

Rota who had become closer to me over the past few days now snuggled into my arms without hesitation. Then her orange hair swayed and tickled the back of my hand. As I bent my waist due to our height difference, a savory bread smell came from her cat ears.

‘Better than cats… is a cat that cooks…’

This was surely heaven.

A cat welcomes you, hugs you, and even cooks for you.

The academy city is heaven for cat lovers.

‘…Though there’s also an alley cat that endlessly acts high and mighty in a timid tone.’

Feeling the warmth of those warm cat ears and hug, I said to Rota:

“I’m back―☆”

“Welcome back senior! Senior Freya, welcome too!”

“I-I’ll go slowly…”

“Ah… Yes, take your time…”

“Wh-Why are you giving me instructions… I’ll go as I please…”

“…?”

A tilting head along with swaying orange cat ears.

Rota was flustered by Freya’s endless retorts.

But Freya didn’t care about that reaction and walked haughtily towards the dining hall.

“…?”

“…?”

The back view of the purple alley cat moving away.

I spoke to Rota whose eyes were full of question marks:

“Were you worried and waiting all this time? I’m happy but―☆ I’m fine now―♪”

“No… I just finished preparing dinner and came out just now.”

“Huhu―☆ I see~♪”

Though I had already seen her waiting anxiously…

Rota had already finished preparing dinner and had been waiting continuously.

‘She’s still very worried.’

The delicious smell wafting from the dormitory dining hall. 

Students drawn by that smell were gathering after finishing their respective tasks.

Various dishes spread across the table. Smoked fish, baked ham, stew with vegetables and meat. And a basket full of warmed bread.

Freya was sitting primly, eating those as if it were natural.

“It’s… better than I expected…”

“…”

I looked at that sight with incredulous eyes. And at that very moment, Alvit entered the dining hall after finishing cleaning a room for the new guest and even showering.

“Rota!! Meat, meat~! Today there’s meat dishes as expected, right!!”

“Hm…? What are you saying? I always prepare meat dishes?”

“A table full of only meat is a meat dish! Rota, what you always serve together… Those dishes with grass or flour aren’t meat dishes!”

“Shaaaak―!!”

The nonsense of carnivore Alvit. 

Rota hissed as if her pride in cooking skills had been hurt.

I waved at Alvit who was giggling seeing that.

“Welcome back Alvit~☆”

“Ah, you’re back? Are you feeling okay?”

“Yes―☆ Completely fine☆”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Aah―♪ So mean☆”

Alvit didn’t listen to my words at all. She approached and examined my wrists and calves with her rough hands.

The wounds and marks on my arms and legs had completely faded now, with no more parts needing to be covered by bandages. But the scar on my nape visible through the collar of my uniform was still clear.

The wounds had healed but… the scars seemed like they would remain forever.

“…”

Alvit made a gloomy expression seeing that, but soon changed her face and smiled at me saying:

“This much is… Hm. Pass.”

“Yay I’m excited―☆”

“But you still shouldn’t overdo it.”

“Okay~♪”

Freya glanced at our appearance, then lowered her head again and focused on eating.

The dormitory dining hall became bustling with Maya and Kara who entered afterwards joining in. The evening meal where everyone staying at ate together. After the mealtime that came like a storm passed, the tea time where everyone sipped a cup of tea was quiet.

The broadcast played by the Press Department could be heard through the open window.

[Good evening everyone. This is the evening news delivered by the Press Department to you in the academy city.]

[I am Herr, a 2nd year in the Press Department who always delivers news to you. The time is approaching when many schools are conducting midterms.]

[For your first semester, first exam preparation… I hope you can all achieve results as much as you prepared. To all the student councils, I, Herr of the Press Department, will pray to the light for you to safely conduct the exams.]

As soon as she heard those words, Freya spoke in a low voice:

“That Herr person… seems to be an elf… A white one at that… From …”

Maya answered while sipping tea:

“Ah… Certainly, talk of light and prayers and such is often used by those kids. Though the black ones from don’t pray for anything except money.”

“That’s right, those black ones worship only mammonism and materialism.”

“Mm, that’s exactly right.”

Since Kara and Maya were also from , they seemed to have bad feelings towards the dark elves… kids.

“Ahaha…☆”

I flinched hearing that casually natural racist talk.

‘Now that Rota is at school too… I should probably tone down thinking of them as furry beasts and such.’

Even if I only think it to myself.

It felt like I might make a big mistake of actually saying it out loud someday.

‘Since the pretty filter sometimes makes pointed remarks too…’

While thinking that, I watched Rota’s reactions as she drank tea.

Glance…

Fortunately, Rota was holding a teacup with her small hands, constantly blowing on it to cool the tea. Though it had been a while since it was poured and was lukewarm, she still couldn’t drink it.

Alvit sitting next to Rota like that suddenly looked at me and said:

“Senior, by the way how will our school conduct midterms? I don’t know much except that the student council operates it directly…”

“Schools with less than 50 students don’t need the student council to do it―☆ Just submitting a simple assignment at the local branch office is enough♪”

“Eh… I was worrying about that for a while.”

“Huhu do your best, Student Council President―☆”

“Y-Yes…”

Sip

Returning silence.

Through that, Freya spoke again:

“C-Come to think of it… At our school, the noble faction riffraff with no ability but blue blood… Instead of presenting papers… They said they’re replacing midterms with d-dungeon conquest results… Those illiterates making excuses because they don’t want to study…”

Freya continued speaking in an aggrieved voice while sipping tea:

“Wh-When I said something about that as the research faction representative before… They s-suddenly came and set fire while I was alone exploring a dungeon… My camp was empty… I l-lost all my luggage and maps because of that…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…What did you say?”

The suddenly revealed reason why Freya was wandering the wilderness.

Hearing those words, the comfortable silence until just now turned chillingly cold.

I too couldn’t help but be surprised hearing those words.

‘I knew from original knowledge that Freya was disliked by the noble faction kids… But I thought she left home on her own this time…? Even so, to really torment [Purple Spinning Wheel] like that.’

If Freya returns to school it will definitely be a life or death situation.

Even in the original work, she only made timid checks out of fear of that.

Just what aftermath were the noble faction students planning to deal with by doing this?

‘No… How could you tell such an important story only now…!’

That’s why I kept asking while watching her reactions.

She kept trailing off so I thought it wasn’t a big deal.

I closed my eyes tightly at Freya’s shocking announcement.

The noble faction, a group of students centered around nobles. The research faction, a group of students sincere about magic studies. The two factions were forces that swayed the direction of ’s management.

‘But in the story… at this point in time the research faction relied solely on Freya’s reputation, while the noble faction students had completely taken over the student council.’

Freya felt sick of such a school, so she spent most of her time wandering. Even so, the noble faction that didn’t dare touch her… had done something this time.

“…”

“…”

Us just staring in shock.

Freya, unconcerned by those gazes, muttered in an eerie voice that didn’t match her tearful eyes:

“I-I… thought I should wander for at least a few days… But if I go back tomorrow… I’ll have to t-teach them a lesson… Just because I’ve been running away alone… Th-They think I’m some kind of fool…”

At that moment.

Herr’s voice calmly delivering news from outside changes to panic.

[And… What? Ah… Yes. I understand.]

[An emergency announcement for students residing in the northeastern part of the academy city.]

[We have news that multiple armed students have appeared in the northeastern wilderness. Um… And.]

The sound of paper turning rustles vividly.

[Th-Those students’ place of origin is…]

[…presumed to be . Forceful breakthrough by high-level ether ability users is expected, so students residing in the northeast including are advised to be cautious.]

“…”

I was at a loss for words hearing that news.

‘The dungeon conquest… meant other people’s dungeons…’

What is this…?

Though the furry beasts are arrogant, they weren’t a group that acted so recklessly…?