Ep 53. This Is Growing Pleasantly Out Of Hand. (2)

  “That won’t be necessary. I-“

  “Please. Allow me to apany you.”

  “…”

  Serenis’ eyes remained locked with the professor’s in silence.

  In her eyes, a lot of people were seemingly going haywire all of a sudden; first Iris, now Karas.

  ‘Whatever’s the matter with him? Seems like a rather exaggerated rea.’

  At least the professor already know Serenis’ identity as a dragonlord. Any other instructor, and she would’ve deed in a heartbeat.

  “…Do as you will. But I pn to leave within tomorrow.”

  “I’ll finish the files and make necessary arras within today. You’ll need but call on me, and-“

  Knock. Knock.

  Both Serenis and Karas’ eyes shifted over towards the door.

  With the dragonlord already present with him, it was easy to guess who was behind the knog for the professor.

  “…e in.”

  When the door creaked open, Light expetly popped into the office. Ilias was trailing behind the half girl to close the door.

  “Professor!...Wait, Zion, you’re here too? Where were you earlier, skipping css?”

  “At my , looking after my brother.”

  Serenis then shifted her attentioo the red dragon, happily waving at her from behind Light.

  “…I see yht Ilias with you now?”

  “Well, css was done a while ago, so we went on a little tour around the campus. We popped by to say hi to the professor, but we didn’t know you’d be here too.

  Ilias enthusiastically the remark. If the office had been any smaller, her tail would’ve been knog things over left and right.

  “Lor…I mean, uh, Zion! This pce is so cool! It has tons of people using all sorts of magic. There’s even a pce where you make poison!”

  Light let out a nervous ughter as she corrected her sister.

  “Potions, Ilias. Potions.”

  “…Oh. Yeah, that! And apparently we’re super popur, everyone’s staring at us wherever we go.”

  Karas watched the ongoing versation in silence. He’d seen Ilias then and there, living in the neighb house and all – but this was the first time the dragon hysically in his presence. And even he couldn’t take his eyes off of Ilias, who inly a dragon – unlike Serenis who hid her features most of the time.

  ‘Well, she IS a dragon…it’s not an everyday sight.’

  Meanwhile, Serenis was nodding towards the youngling like an approving mother. Uerally everyone else on campus, seeing a dragon was the least surprising thing for her.

  “I’m gd you’re enjoying your time here, child. Also, you’re free to call me as you normally will.”

  “Huh, really? But Light said you were trying to be…uh…’Zion’?”

  “Everyone in this room knows who I am.”

  When everyone nodded in unison, Ilias let out a relieved sigh.

  “Ohh. Well, that’s a relief! I’m so used to calling you Lord Serenis.”

  Oher hand, Light begged to differ. The notion of ‘lord’ was still alien to the half girl who was looking at Serenis with a flicted expression.

  “…I’m never gon used to that name. I still like Zioer.”

  “Do as you will, the both of you.”

  After a few brief nods towards the shrugging dragonlord, Light raised her previous question once more.

  “So, whatcha doing here with the professor? More research?”

  “No. We’ve only been versing about the necessary procedures to leaving the institution.”

  “Aha. Leaving the institu…tion…”

  …?

  When the half girl betedly processed what she’d heard, the pitch of her voice soared upwards.

  “You’re leaving the institute?! Why?!”

  “…Iing, I wasn’t expeg such heated responses. Is it truly that surprising?”

  “Of course it is! Who leaves school in the middle of the semester like this? Are you hurt somewhere?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  “Then why’re you leaving??”

  “It’s because I’ve learned what I wished to learn. And I must be elsewhere in a short while.”

  “Elsewhere? Where-“

  The professor loudly cleared his throat, cutting the half girl’s bursting questions midway to clear her misuanding.

  “Now, now, settle down. Serenis isn’t ‘leaving’ the institute, per se. She’ll simply be attending a workshop in Aldrid Forest.”

  Light’s curious eyes turo Karas this time. That answer didly make seo her, either.

  “A workshop? Didn’t those aff approval? And a supervisor?”

  “I approved it. And I’m supervising.”

  “Eh? What about the csses you’re teag right now?”

  “…I’m sure the headmaster will take care of them.”

  ‘Though he’d hate to admit it, even Gio should know how valuable a student like Serenis is. He’ll do whatever he to keep her enrolled.”

  While Karas’ irresponsible thoughts muddled his mind, Light rapidly darted her eyes between the professor and Serenis. When she finally rested her gaze on the dragonlord, the curiosity in her expression was slowly turning into doubt.

  “What the heck…is this for real?”

  Serenis returned a curt nod at the question.

  “Apparently so.”

  “…”

  Workshops were usually pnned months ahead of time, and carefully coordinated with instructors for review. In all fairness, Light had every right to be fused by the sudden news.

  And the fusion was only worse for the red dragon who’d tended a school. Ilias turo her little sister, quietly whispering her question into the half girl’s ear.

  “…Light, what’s a workshop?”

  “Oh, uh…it’s where a supervisets together with students to teach them work experieside of school.”

  “Outside? we follow them?”

  “No, we…wait a sec, we?”

  Light turo Karas, who’d vaguely heard Ilias’ question. The half girl couldn’t tell if the professor was sweating underh all his feathers, but it sure seemed like he was.

  “Professor, you take more thaudent to a workshht?”

  “That’s…well…I really…”

  While Karas scrambled for words, Light pressed her statement further.

  “You said you’re heading to Aldrid Forest, right? That sounds fun! Take us with you!”

  “No well, this is-“

  “Aww , it’s just another name on some paper!”

  The professor nervously cleared his throat as he avoided his student’s gaze. Even the dragonlord’s judgmental stare would be better than Light’s eyes gleaming iement. He gave an answer with what little logic he had remaining.

  “Well, you see Light, I really shouldn’t. For one, Ilias isn’t even a student-“

  “Oh, don’t worry about me. If you’re just going to a forest, I follow along on my own, no need for you to take me anywhere.”

  …And just like that, Karas’ st remains of logic were destroyed uhe red dragon’s reassurance.

  Serenis gnced around the chaos.

  “…Well then. This is growing pleasantly out of hand.”

  Everyone present in this room knew who she was. At the very least, if Aldrid was truly as benevolent as Iris and the books made the deity out to be, there shouldn’t have been any danger involved in taking them along.

  Finally, the professave in. He simply didn’t have a good reason to turn down Light’s question.

  “I’ll…make the necessary arras.”

  “Yay! Workshop! Zion, Zion, raise your hand!”

  Serenis curiously stared at her half peer, slowly raising one hand into the air.

  “Hand? What for-“

  “High five!”

  A loud spping noise filled the office as the half girl excitedly spped the dragonlord’s palm. Serenis soon lowered her hand, quizzically watg her peer boun excitement.

  “Do yurly sp others when you’re exhirated?”

  “Eh? Don’t you know what a high five is?”

  “No?”

  “You do it with someone else when somethiing happens! It’s where you raise your hands and sp them against each other!”

  “Is that so…”

  The dragonlord stared at her palm. The sting shock from the sp was slowly fading away.

  ‘Hurting each other even in the face of good fortune…humans develop the stra s.’

  A brief nod followed as Serenis internally he erm.

  “I see. I’ll remember that.”

  Only Ilias was staring at the dragonlord in evident worry. A long time ago, she’d heard the exact same expnation herself – which wasn’t the clearest o there for a dragon.

  ‘…I don’t think she uood that right…’