Chapter 41: Fox (part 2)

The cadets threw themselves into the water, floating in tubes made from the bodies of floating monsters. 

Who wouldn’t love it? 

In the distance, wood-attributed summons rooted themselves in the bath, while the fire summons enjoyed the boiling hot water. This was a water park created by summoners.

‘Why on earth is this place here?’ I thought, frowning. It was one of those facilities that simply didn’t belong in the academy. Having an indoor pool was odd enough, but a full water park?

“Developers, you crazy fools,” I muttered under my breath, unable to suppress a bit of profanity at the sight. 

As I stood there, caught up in the absurdity of it all, someone approached me from behind.

“Yoohh!”

Boing!

Something pressed hard on my back, then something covered my eyes. From past experiences, I could tell it was a pair of arms—additionally, a pair of mounds were pressed against my back, shielded by some sort of fabric.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“Syrah.”

“And, why is she doing this?”

“Stop playing around,” she said, laughing as I tried to pull her hands off. 

When I finally broke free and turned around, Syrah stuck out her tongue, feigning innocence.

“Where’d you get the strength to break free?” she teased.

“My heart,” I replied dryly.

“Really? Then—voilà!” she exclaimed, throwing off the cl0thes she’d been wearing. Underneath, she revealed her swimsuit, leaving me stunned.

“What are you doing?!” I quickly shielded my eyes, but Syrah tilted her head, looking at me as if I were the strange one.

“Why are you covering your eyes?” she asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“Why am I covering my eyes? …” I trailed off, uncertain myself.

“This is a swimsuit,” she replied matter-of-factly.

“… What?” I asked, lowering my hand to see her outfit. She showed off her attire, which was indeed a swimsuit, not underwear.

Yes, we were at a pool, and swimsuits were normal here. And in this world, a b!kini was hardly unusual.

‘No… I really thought it was underwear,’ I thought, inwardly grimacing. Given her eccentric personality, it wouldn’t have been too shocking if she had actually shown up in her underwear, claiming she thought it was a swimsuit. She had the sort of confidence to do something like that without a second thought. However, the fact that her b!kini looked so much like underwear hadn’t helped.

“… What kind of swimsuit looks like that?” I asked, baffled.

“Is it strange?” she replied innocently.

“It’s not strange…not exactly,” I muttered, trying to avoid the stares of the other male cadets, who were now glaring at me enviously. 

Syrah’s swimsuit was a white b!kini with a ruffle along the chest, enhancing her cute appearance.

“… So, why did you call me here?” I asked, trying to ignore her outfit and focus on why she’d summoned me to the pool. 

But true to her playful nature, she didn’t answer directly. Instead, she put a hand to my lips and sighed.

“Is that all?” she asked, feigning disappointment.

“All of what?” I replied, confused.

“It’s about feeling! Feeling!” Syrah laughed and turned around, emphasizing her attire even more with a dramatic flair.

Seeing how much she seemed to enjoy showing off, I decided to give a half-hearted response. “It’s nice.”

“That’s it?!”

“Yeah,” I replied, shrugging.

“Hmph… Looking at a lady’s clothes and saying just that? That’s a penalty. Follow me,” she declared, grabbing my hand firmly.

Before I knew it, Syrah had seized my left hand and was pulling me along. 

With her strange strength, I found myself helplessly dragged around.

‘What on earth did she bring me here for…?’ I wondered as I trailed behind her.

***

[Syrah’s POV]

Syrah led Ian to an ice cream shop and pointed at the display. “Alright! Buy this for me.”

“I don’t have any money,” Ian replied.

“It’s a penalty; no excuses!” she insisted, clearly expecting me to pay. With a resigned sigh, Ian entered the shop to order the ice cream she wanted.

Meanwhile, Syrah glanced at the back of his hand, deep in thought.

‘… It’s different,’ she mused. If someone had betrayed humanity and joined with demons, their marking patterns would have changed—sometimes subtly, sometimes drastically. Ian’s pattern had, indeed, changed.

‘Did Ian really betray humanity?’ she wondered. It was just a suspicion, a possibility drawn from cold, rational data. The idea was based on the unlikely feat of a mere 3-star summoner defeating high-level demons. But something felt off.

Noah, Stella, and Senior Dinua had all remained unaffected, yet Ian’s pattern had changed. Furthermore, if Ian had truly betrayed humanity and seized control of the Duchy of Eritz, demons would have invaded from the south by now. But things were quiet.

These factors, for now, held back any orders from her family to eliminate Ian.

‘I’ll confirm when the time is right,’ she thought, certain her family would have already sent a messenger to the Duchy of Eritz. Her duty was to prepare for any surprises. 

As Ian returned with the ice cream, she silently hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

‘Ian, please… don’t make me have to k!ll you,’ she thought, watching him approach with the ice cream.

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