Chapter 22
The permafrost ice wall—how could it be—melted by human hands—?
Back then, even Lian Qi’s multiple explosion magic spells couldn’t even scratch it.
I stared, dumbfounded, at the awakened dinosaur. The green-haired girl looked just as frightened, completely unaware of what she had done. She stumbled backward, accidentally bumping into another ice wall. That ice wall melted too, releasing a flock of colorful birds.
“What on earth did you do? How did you—”
“Coo, coo, coo—!”
A cry interrupted Lian Qi’s questioning. She glanced back at the sound, looked up, and complained, “Is that what a T-Rex is supposed to sound like?”
“Watch out!”
I pulled Lian Qi aside. The T-Rex’s foot slammed down right where she had been standing, and the floor trembled violently.
That was close. Just as I sighed in relief, in the next second, Lian Qi was swatted and sent flying by its tail right in front of me.
This…
It really is ferocious.
Worrying about Lian Qi aside, I felt I had to take back what I said earlier. Don’t be fooled by its ‘adorkable’ appearance; it’s still a 10-meter-tall giant beast.
The T-Rex turned its head and looked down at me. I gave it a weak laugh, “Um… I don’t taste very good…”
Just then, a fissure spread through the air, extending until it reached the beast’s massive, feathered body, and exploded with a boom.
The T-Rex seemed frightened by the explosion magic. It dragged its long, feathered tail and fled, crashing rampantly, knocking over countless exhibits.
I turned my head to look at Lian Qi. Thank goodness for her Mana-Wreathe; she wasn’t injured.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just… a little sore, like being hit by a giant tree.”
She clutched her stomach as she spoke, then her expression turned to one of disbelief.
“Did I… just scare off a T-Rex?”
“The museum is going to be in trouble now…”
I looked in the direction the T-Rex had fled. The path was a total mess. The sound of its rampage still echoed in the empty museum hall, mixed with the occasional terrified screams of onlookers.
“We have to chase it! It’ll be a disaster if a dinosaur that big gets out onto the streets.”
I nodded and ran after Lian Qi, leaping over countless ruins along the way until we reached the museum’s forecourt. That girl who melted the permafrost has caused a disaster! How could she create such a huge mess?
We passed a museum staff member. He was sitting on the floor against a wall, having a complete breakdown. Seeing Lian Qi in her boys’ uniform, he must have thought she was also a Magic Academy student, and hurriedly shouted, “Don’t go near it! Go find an adventurer to handle this!”
“I am an adventurer.”
Lian Qi tossed that line behind her and, without looking back, charged the T-Rex.
The beast was chasing a small child, trying to bite him. Lian Qi stomped down on its tail. Suddenly, a wave of blue magic erupted from around Lian Qi, sweeping across the entire forecourt.
“Hey. Your opponent is me.”
The massive T-Rex was actually held in place by its tail by Lian Qi. At the same time, the burst of magic had caught its attention. It turned its head, looked down at Lian Qi, and recognized the person who had just hurt it with explosion magic.
I seized the opportunity, rushed under the T-Rex’s belly, and scooped up the child. I ran until we were in a safe place before putting him down.
“Big sister, you saved me.”
“No, that big sister saved you.”
“Huh? Isn’t that a big brother?”
Oh, right. Lian Qi is wearing the boys’ uniform. No wonder he mistook her for a “big brother.”
“Is that big sister… the big brother’s girlfriend?” the child asked naively.
“…”
It poked my sense of shame completely off-guard.
Right now, I couldn’t leave Lian Qi on the battlefield alone. I have to go help…!
I looked toward Lian Qi. Stomping on its tail had clearly enraged the T-Rex. It opened its massive, bloody mouth and snapped down!
Lian Qi seemed startled. She dodged to the side, its teeth grazing past her chest. Each tooth was like a sharp dagger.
I rushed forward, preparing to summon the Hammer of Holy Light, only to see a bizarre sight—the T-Rex’s head lifted Lian Qi off the ground.
What was going on? I looked closer and found that Lian Qi’s tie was caught on the T-Rex’s tooth.
So when she dodged, the wind blew her tie up, and it accidentally got snagged by the T-Rex’s teeth?
At this moment, the T-Rex was dangling Lian Qi by her tie, shaking its head back and forth. Lian Qi, meanwhile, was being choked by the tie and instinctively grabbed onto one of the T-Rex’s teeth with both hands.
Being hung up in the gap between its teeth… This is way too dangerous!
But Lian Qi hadn’t given up. While clinging desperately to the T-Rex’s tooth, she activated her explosion magic.
The space around the T-Rex’s head shattered like glass. A high-energy reaction followed, and with a “BOOM!” its head took a direct hit from the explosion. Flames engulfed half its head, and thick smoke billowed.
Was one blast not enough?
Lian Qi immediately followed up with a second.
Still not enough?
A third.
Still not—no, a fourth wasn’t necessary. After three blasts of explosion magic, the T-Rex’s massive body finally lost its balance and crashed to the ground.
I secretly sighed in relief and rushed over. Lian Qi was staring at her own hands with an expression of disbelief, the fallen T-Rex behind her, its head still burning.
“Oh my god, I… I actually… defeated a T-Rex…?”
“Your hand is bleeding!” I asked, concerned.
“Yeah. Even with magic protection, I still got cut by its teeth.”
I thought to myself, even a Fourth-Rank magician can get injured fighting a T-Rex. If it were a goblin, Lian Qi could stand there and let it hit her all day and night, and it still wouldn’t be able to break her magic protection.
“Um… you don’t mind if I…?”
I couldn’t worry about that now. I shyly… put her wound in my mouth. Healing it by sucking on it like this would make it close up quickly.
Lian Qi watched me silently, her face showing an expression that was both itchy and hard to endure.
“Why do you get hurt every time we fight? You’re just too reckless.” I released her wrist, licked my lips, and said.
“Who knew my tie would get caught on its tooth? But thank goodness the T-Rex has such short arms. If it could have reached me, it would have just stuffed me in its mouth.”
“It’s your fault for insisting on wearing the boys’ uniform today…? If you hadn’t worn the tie, this wouldn’t have happened!”
As I said that, Lian Qi’s gaze suddenly turned sharp. Her eyes looked past me, landing on someone else.
“Hey. Stop right there. Don’t even think about running.”
Lian Qi darted forward. Not far away, the green-haired girl in the Magic Academy uniform stood frozen, completely bewildered.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done? What exactly did you do to the permafrost?” Lian Qi grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.
“I… I…”
fix The T-Rex gag comes from the author of One-Punch Man.
Attaching his drawing of a “real” T-Rex.
Chapter 23
“Senior Lian Qi, please don’t. You’re hurting me.”
“…Huh?”
Lian Qi’s hands recoiled as if she’d been electrocuted.
“…You know me?”
I stood off to the side, stunned. This was the first time I’d ever heard anyone call Lian Qi “Senior.”1
“There isn’t a single person in the Magic Academy who doesn’t know you, Senior Lian Qi. You… you’re the legend who took on the entire Student Council single-handedly.”
So that’s why. I knew it. Back at school, I was always with Lian Qi, and I never saw her interact with other girls.
And since Lian Qi was wearing the boys’ uniform today, this “Junior”2 in front of us had no idea that the “Senior” she idolized was actually a girl!
“My name is Vivian Talmonia. I’m fifteen this year, and still studying at the Magic Academy. So, please don’t treat me like some strange person.”
The green-haired girl introduced herself.
I had originally thought she was the timid type, just like her delicate, grass-like appearance, giving off a frail feeling. But in reality, facing me and Lian Qi, she was graceful and remarkably calm. Was it because Lian Qi was her “Senior”?
“I… I don’t know what I did, either. I just felt… that it was so pitiful for those animals to be trapped in the permafrost… and then I touched the ice wall and…”
“You probably cast magic by accident,” Lian Qi said.
“Magic…?”
The girl calling herself Vivian looked astonished.
“I don’t know… I… I shouldn’t have learned my Inherent Magic yet.”
“Is this the first time something like this has happened?” I asked.
Vivian nodded sincerely. “This is the very first time.”
“You’re probably the first person in history to… manually thaw the permafrost, right?” I said.
“M-Maybe… my sympathy for the animals… transformed into a magical miracle…”
Lian Qi and I looked at each other. She was annoyed, and put a hand on her hip. “Even so, you shouldn’t have released the T-Rex! Look at the massive disaster you’ve caused.”
I tugged on Lian Qi’s sleeve. “I don’t think she did it on purpose.”
“I really didn’t… But what I want to say is… those animals weren’t dead. They were just trapped in the ice, yet they were put on display for people to see. Humans… probably never considered their feelings, did they?”
“—”
Not far away, two museum staff members were gathered around the T-Rex’s corpse, sighing. “The permafrost has been melting more and more frequently in recent years. I didn’t think even our museum would be affected.”
“Yeah, we need to report this to the director. We shouldn’t exhibit animals frozen in ice anymore. What if another one thaws out one day and kills someone?”
The girl listened quietly, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
The museum staff had no idea this melting was man-made. They just assumed it was a random event, like the permafrost thawing all over the world.
“Are you… going to report me?”
Lian Qi sighed. “What’s the point of reporting you? Even if we sold you, you probably couldn’t cover the museum’s losses…”
“I’m not thinking about the museum’s losses. It’s the fact that a person who can thaw the permafrost has appeared… I have a vague feeling…”
I stopped, hesitating. I had a vague feeling that this was no small matter. I needed to discuss it with Sister Aijieliya and Tristina.
“Why don’t we go somewhere else to talk?” I suggested. “I… actually have a lot of questions I want to ask you.”
“Somewhere else? To the Church?” Lian Qi asked.
“The Church…”
I instinctively looked down at the Lolita dress I was wearing, and my face turned red.
“No, no… How can I go back to the Church dressed like this?”
If everyone at the Church, from top to bottom, saw the Saintess dressed so ‘loli,’ it would be too shameful!
Vivian studied me. “Actually… I’ve been noticing… Are you the Saintess?”
“You… you can recognize me even when I’m dressed like this?”
“S-So… Saintess, you… like this style of dress?”
“N-No…” I denied it.
“She not only likes to dress ‘younger,’ she also likes high heels,” Lian Qi said with a smile. I wanted to punch her.
Vivian looked at me, then at Lian Qi. “Senior Lian Qi… are you dating the Saintess?”
“About that—”
“Yeah, we’re dating.”
Lian Qi cut me off, and very domineeringly, pulled me into her arms. I blushed and glared at her reproachfully. What happened to keeping a low profile? That smile on her face was so triumphant!
“A talented man and a beautiful woman. What a perfect match,” Vivian sighed.
I wished I could just disappear. It felt like I really was a girl, Lian Qi was a boy, and I was her girlfriend. You have no idea how shameful it felt.
“I knew it. For a girl as outstanding as the Saintess, it would take a boy as outstanding as Senior Lian Qi to…”
Stop talking!
When did Lian Qi get such a good reputation at the Magic Academy?
“Fei’er, didn’t you say we should go somewhere else? You just said you had a lot of questions for her.”
My face felt like it was burning, and my head was a mess.
“I… I forgot what I wanted to ask her…”
At the same time, Lian Qi suddenly stared behind me, surprised.
“What’s wrong—?”
Before I finished speaking, a pair of hands covered my eyes.
The size of these palms, this warmth, and the fragrance that came with them…
“…Qifeng, stop playing around.” I sighed, helpless.
“I found you~” Qifeng giggled.
I wasn’t surprised at all that she could find me. As far as I knew, it was a new function she’d developed for her magic.
“Eh? Fei’er, why are you…?” She blinked at me, stunned. She must have been staring at the Lolita dress I was wearing. A look of obsession spread across her face. “So cute~”
“It feels… really weird, being described like that by you.”
Qifeng let out a surprised “Eh?“. Only after noticing my unusual attire did she notice the… T-Rex… lying there, its head billowing black smoke and flames.
“Wh… What’s with the T-Rex?”
“The permafrost melted and it woke up. It’s… a long story. I’ll tell you later.”
Vivian studied Qifeng. “Are you… Senior Qifeng?”
I was startled. “You know Qifeng, too?”
This time, at least, she got the “Senior” part right.
“And you are?” Qifeng asked, looking puzzled.
“My name is Vivian Talmonia. I’m still studying at the Magic Academy.”
“Oh~ so you’re a Junior?”
“I know Qifeng because… before she graduated, she was the school beauty of the Magic Academy.”
“Oh, stop it. You don’t need to bring up ancient history like that,” Qifeng said, covering her face, embarrassed.
…
This ‘silly girl’ with M-tendencies… was the school beauty? I thought.
“Did something happen? For you to come find me all of a sudden?”
“Oh, right!” Qifeng’s expression was one of sudden realization. “Queen Tristina sent someone to the Church looking for you. She said it’s urgent. Thank goodness I can find you no matter where you are~”
Chapter 24
24
“Tristina has something urgent for me?”
Hearing the news from Qifeng, I gave Lian Qi an apologetic smile. It looked like this “date” would have to be cut short.
“If the Queen is looking for you urgently, it must be important. Go ahead. Just… take me with you.”
“…Why are you being so understanding?”
I hadn’t forgotten how I used to be punished—like being forced to kneel on a washboard—every time I came back from being called out by my “sisters.”
“I used to be mad because you’d abandon me all alone, okay?” Lian Qi put a hand on her hip, her tone full of complaint.
“From now on, I’ll take you with me everywhere, okay?”
“Fei’er, me too~”
Qifeng’s playful voice chimed in from my side.
I pointed at Vivian.
“Then you’re in charge of taking her back to the Magic Academy first.”
“…”
Qifeng looked stunned. I added, “Then come find me at the palace.”
“Yes, ma’am~”
She agreed readily and gave me a salute.
It really felt like a subordinate obeying a superior… and Qifeng seemed to enjoy it.
I turned to Vivian. “We have to go see the Queen. Let Qifeng take you back to school, okay?”
“A Senior… is personally taking me back…”
And Qifeng seemed pretty happy about being called “Senior” over and over. I remembered how she used to pull rank on me at the Magic Academy, calling herself “Senior,” until I… put her in her place.
A while later, Lian Qi and I arrived at the royal palace—Château de Châtillon.1
Before we even entered, I was received by Tristina’s personal guard, the “Valkyrie,” Silv’er.
“What happened?”
We asked as we walked down the long corridor.
Silv’er spoke very quickly. “Three hundred kilometers north of the Royal Capital… another patch of permafrost has melted.”
“…Melted?”
“After that area thawed… it turned out to be a country.”
“A country!?”
So the permafrost didn’t just seal away prehistoric creatures from millions of years ago, but also prehistoric civilizations?
“It’s a nation composed of demi-humans with cat ears. They call themselves the ‘Beastkin’.”2
“People… with cat ears…”
Lian Qi was also surprised. “So your world doesn’t just have elves? There are other races too?”
“Yes. Historically, many races existed, but they were all sealed in the permafrost,” Silv’er said.
“Envoys from the Beastkin have arrived. Her Majesty is granting them an audience right now.”
“Envoys!?”
“So, Her Majesty urgently summoned you, Saintess, to meet these Beastkin envoys and… discuss countermeasures.”
“I understand…”
At this point, I was also curious to see what people with cat ears actually looked like.
Pushing open the doors to the royal court, the first thing I saw were three Beastkin envoys. They were wearing brown cloaks, and their features were so delicate that I almost mistook them for girls. And most importantly—they really looked identical to humans, except for the cat ears!
“They are all male. Surprising, isn’t it? According to them, there is no difference in appearance between male and female Beastkin,” Silv’er whispered to me.
Boys look like girls? How incredible.
Several Royal Ministers were also present, lined up on the left and right sides of the throne, with the Beastkin envoys standing in the middle.
Then… everyone looked at me.
And I suddenly remembered I was dressed very childishly today. So awkward.
If I had known I’d be seeing so many people, and foreign envoys, I would have changed into my nun’s habit before coming. It’s too late for that now… I wonder what the Royal Ministers are thinking of me…
“This is the Saintess of humanity,” Silv’er introduced me to the three Beastkin envoys.
The three envoys looked at each other.
“Saintess? What’s that?”
“Something to do with their god, probably? Seems to be a “speaker for the god,” like our tribe’s Oracle. Just a different name.”
“Humans… actually still have faith?”
Their tone was off. I didn’t get a friendly feeling.
“You can’t put it that way. It’s precisely because they are weak that they place their hopes in faith, praying for their god to save them, right?” his companion said.
The first Beastkin youth heard this, thought it made sense, and couldn’t help but grin.
The Royal Ministers heard their conversation and began to whisper among themselves.
“Is it wrong for humans to have faith?” I asked calmly.
“Humans are nothing but slaves to the Dragon Tribe,” he followed up, his tone full of disdain.
“The Dragon Tribe has already been sealed in the permafrost,” I reminded them.
“So… although we don’t know how our ancestors were oppressed by the Dragon Tribe, don’t try to use the Dragons to pressure us. We’re not buying it, and we’re not afraid.”
“Hmph. The monkey rules when the tiger is not in the mountain. Do you humans have any idea how long we were frozen?”
“Eleven thousand years.”
In my eyes, these three Beastkin envoys were like… transmigrators from ancient times. When they woke up from the permafrost, they found the world had completely changed.
“What? It’s… it’s really been ten thousand years?”3
“No wonder even a race as weak as humans has managed to develop.”
They mentioned humans being a “weak race” more than once. Contrary to their cute appearances, their words were making me very angry.
And to say such provocative things so openly, in human territory… One, they look down on humans. Two, they must be very confident in their own strength.
“This city… it was built by the Dragon Tribe, wasn’t it? And you just… occupied it?”
“No. We humans built it ourselves,” I replied, annoyed.
The three Beastkin envoys were either astonished or scoffed, as if they couldn’t believe humans were capable of building a city as magnificent as the Holy Flame Royal Capital.
“Enough with the pleasantries. Let’s get to the main topic!” The one in the middle, who seemed to be the leader, spoke to Tristina on the throne.
“As the first human nation our tribe has encountered, we demand the establishment of trade relations and open commerce.”
“That… can be discussed.”
“One more thing. Although we don’t know why we were sealed for eleven thousand years, we have awakened now. We don’t care what the current world order is… we will take back what originally belonged to us.”
“Meaning…?”
“The entire region of the Mafa Forest… all of it… belongs to our Beastkin tribe,” the other said, without a hint of politeness.
“Where is Mafa Forest?” I whispered to Silv’er.
“That’s their own name for it. They’re probably referring to the large forest near their settlement. But that is also our kingdom’s territory,” Silv’er replied.
“In principle, our kingdom does not permit a ‘nation within a nation.’ Your territory is, in fact, within our borders. This point is still up for discussion, and… the forest you demand is presumably also part of our kingdom. I’m afraid I cannot accept this,” Tristina said.
“Human Queen, I must remind you, the Beastkin have an extremely strong sense of territory.”
“Coincidentally, humans also have a strong sense of territory.”
“Then there’s nothing left to talk about,” the Beastkin youth said coldly.
“Since humans desire war, then we will give you war.”
Chapter 25
I had never met anyone so arrogant and domineering.
This is the human royal palace!
It wasn’t just me; the Royal Ministers present were also enraged.
“Do you really think humanity has no one left?”
A middle-aged uncle with graying hair, a full beard, and a roguish-looking suit smiled disdainfully, as if he didn’t take the Beastkin seriously either.
I recognized him—wasn’t he the father of the Student Council President, Alian Honneste?
He was also one of the Royal Ministers. It wasn’t surprising to see him here. It’s just… I’d had conflicts with his son before, so seeing him also made me feel a bit uneasy.
The three Beastkin envoys, having made their threat, walked toward the door, right past me. Did they think we’d be scared? That we’d beg them not to go, to talk it over?
Tristina’s personal guard, the “Valkyrie” Silv’er, who had entered with me, blocked the doorway, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword.
“Let them pass.”
At Tristina’s command, Silv’er’s hand moved away from her sword, and her killing intent vanished.
“Please go back and inform your king: We do not fear war. Because humanity is not what it used to be.”
“It seems… you have forgotten the fear of being dominated.”
The Beastkin envoy glanced at us, then left without looking back.
The palace fell silent. The Beastkin had come with ill intentions. Everyone was thinking about how to respond.
One minister was the first to break the silence. “Your Majesty, the situation is urgent. I advise we immediately recall General ‘Scarlet Flame’ Phylicia to the Royal Capital. The Beastkin territory is only three hundred kilometers away. It’s like a nail… hammered right there. We cannot rest easy until it’s pulled out.”
If we recall Sister Phylicia, then war is inevitable. As the Saintess, I naturally don’t want to see lives lost. But the problem is…
Just take the attitude of the Beastkin. Even I, the Saintess, have to admit they were far too arrogant. They completely slammed the door on any possibility of peaceful coexistence.
This was the first time I’d encountered this kind of problem—an “insurmountable gap between different races.” It’s giving me a headache.
Tristina hesitated for a moment. “…But the rebellion in the north…”
“Your Majesty, you need not worry too much.”
The one who spoke was Minister Honneste.
“I happen to be on good terms with some adventurers. It wouldn’t be too late to have them scout out the Beastkin’s strength before we make a decision. Saintess… wouldn’t you agree?”
I hesitated. I hadn’t expected him to suddenly ask for my opinion.
“…We… truly know nothing about the Beastkin’s situation right now.”
“See, even the Saintess agrees.”
“Then it’s decided. Honneste, have your adventurer friends go and gather intelligence. Report back as soon as possible,” Tristina said.
“It is their honor to serve Your Majesty. I will see to it at once.”
“Very well. You are all dismissed.”
The Royal Ministers began to file out. Lian Qi and I didn’t move. Tristina, in her red dress, gracefully pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed through her small, cherry-pink lips.
“The permafrost has been melting more and more frequently in recent years. I wonder what the cause is… I think it’s necessary to send people to investigate all the permafrost within our borders. We need to see if any other… racial nations… are frozen inside. Having a ‘nation within a nation’ pop up so suddenly is… hard to deal with.”
I had stayed behind because I had something to tell Tristina—about the permafrost, of course.
As Minister Honneste, the last to leave, closed the great doors, I said to her, “…There is something I must report to you. Today, Lian Qi and I… met someone who can manually thaw the permafrost.”
Tristina, who had been rubbing her forehead, immediately looked up in surprise.
“Fei’er, what did you say?”
“Her name is Vivian Talmonia. She’s still a student at the Magic Academy. Her self-created Inherent Magic can melt the permafrost’s ice walls.”
“How… How could someone create such magic…?”
“I haven’t had the chance to ask for details, but… I know she’s someone who cares deeply for animals.”
“Isn’t magic just a miracle born from hope? She must have felt it was too pitiful for the animals to be frozen, so she unconsciously created this magic,” Lian Qi said.
“In any case, this is the first time in history that human magic has been ableto interfere with the permafrost,” I added finally.
“Besides her name… what’s her background? Her family? Fei’er, I have a vague feeling this is no small matter… We cannot have the permafrost melting.”
“…Ah… The permafrost is already melting more and more. I don’t want her adding to the chaos. I don’t know anything about Vivian right now… but, I think Sister Aijieliya, as the Headmaster of the Magic Academy, might know more about her. I’ll go find her right now.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you, Fei’er. Help me… keep an eye on her.”
“Mhm. It’s okay.” I gave Tristina a gentle smile. “Easing your burdens is my responsibility, too.”
Tristina walked down from the throne and took my hands, her face full of sincerity.
“Let’s make this country better… together.”
“…”
I gave a weak laugh. Tristina had put a lot of emphasis on the word “together.”
After bidding farewell to Tristina, Lian Qi and I left the palace… and immediately ran into Qifeng. It seemed she had safely delivered Vivian back to the Magic Academy.
Along the way, I told Qifeng all about the Beastkin.
“…Beastkin? Do they really have cat ears?”
Qifeng, acting very childishly, folded her golden hair into the shape of cat ears.
“…You can do that with long hair?” Lian Qi had a speechless expression.
“Don’t tell me you want to grow your hair out now?” I glanced at Lian Qi, smiling.
Lian Qi didn’t answer.
“Fei’er, want me to do yours, too?” Qifeng reached her hands toward my hair, eager to try.
“No way!”
“It matches the Lolita dress you’re wearing today perfectly!”
“That would just be even more shameful, okay!?”
…Qifeng actually looked surprisingly cute with the cat-ear hairstyle.
If I bought her a cat-ear headband, maybe…
“Do the Beastkin boys and girls really look the same?” Qifeng asked.
“Yeah. I almost mistook them for girls. In my original world, there’s an old saying—‘Two rabbits running side-by-side, how can you tell which is male and which is female?‘” Lian Qi said.
I felt so guilty listening to that…
“After all, with animals like cats and dogs, you can’t tell if they’re male or female just by looking. The Beastkin probably inherited that trait, right?”
I decided to change the subject.
“Today, among the Royal Ministers, was the father of the Student Council President, Alian Honneste. He’s the one who suggested sending adventurers to investigate.”
“That uncle? Speaking of which, I thought he looked a bit like Wu Xiubo,” Lian Qi said.
“Who is… Wu Xiubo…?” I asked weakly.
Chapter 26
“It’s nothing.”
I still had no idea who Lian Qi was talking about. She… occasionally blurts out things from her old world that I completely don’t understand. I’m pretty much used to it.
Lian Qi spoke as we walked. “His son is a bastard, but he seems like a loyal subject, dedicated to protecting the Queen’s interests. …But who knows if that’s just an act.”
Ever since the precedent set by Professor Einstein, I’ve had to be more cautious around “sanctimonious” people.
I turned and asked Qifeng, “Qifeng, as an Inspector, have you heard any… scandalous rumors about Minister Honneste?”
“Hmm…” Qifeng pressed a finger to her lips, thinking. “I’ve heard he enjoys adventuring and hunting. Doesn’t seem to have any scandals, but… I also heard that the ‘Riding Dog and Slashing’ entertainment, so popular with the nobility, was a trend he started.”
“‘Riding Dog and Slashing’ is… what?” Lian Qi asked.
“It’s what I mentioned before. Riding a husky-pulled sled to chase and chop goblins.”
“Sick hobby,” Lian Qi said, her eyes cold.
“But… since it’s just killing goblins, no one really says anything,” Qifeng added.
“He hasn’t been targeted by the Animal Protection Side? In their eyes, he’s basically committed a heinous crime.”
“He’s probably been on the Animal Protection Side’s bounty list for ages,” I said with a helpless laugh.
“From the sound of it, he has a group of adventurers working for him. Who knows what kind of intel they’ll bring back from the Beastkin nation.”
“Um… are the Beastkin really that arrogant?” Qifeng asked.
“‘Arrogant’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. Don’t let their ‘cute boy’ looks fool you; they were just asking for a beating. If you had been there, you would have been pissed off too,” Lian Qi said coldly.
“It’s just as Lian Qi said…”
“In short, they look down on humans.”
“Look down on humans? Why?” Qifeng asked, confused.
“It seems that in the eyes of the Beastkin, humans are extremely weak. They even said we used to be nothing but slaves to the Dragon Tribe,” I said.
We walked into an alley. This was a shortcut to the Magic Academy. The three of us had already decided to go find Sister Aijieliya.
Suddenly! Three black shadows flashed over my head. Noticing the danger, Lian Qi yanked me back, and she and Qifeng immediately shielded me.
I was baffled. I looked closely, and the three black shadows were blocking our path. It was those three Beastkin envoys!?
“You…”
“That’s right. It’s us,” the leader said curtly, his eyes fixed on me. “You’re the human Saintess?”
“Yes. What about it?”
“Only two people protecting you? How careless!”
“What are you trying to do!?” I watched them take a step closer to me.
“Hmph. Humans are far too arrogant. They need to be taught a lesson! Why don’t we just… capture you and humiliate you for a while?”
Humiliate… me? I… I suspect they’d be disappointed. Although I’m the Saintess, I’m not… what they imagine…
“You’re really pushing your luck. Don’t blame me for getting rough,” Lian Qi said coldly, about to make a move, but Qifeng’s reaction was even more intense.
“Say that again, I dare you.”
Qifeng took several steps forward to confront them. There was no stopping her. She’s never heard anyone dare to speak so disrespectfully to me her entire life, so she must have snapped.
“Lian Qi, you don’t have to do anything. They actually… said such a blasphemous thing… to the Saintess! As an Inspector of the Holy Light Church… I will not forgive this!”
With that, Qifeng unleashed her magic, and a blue light wreathed her body.
The arrogant faces of the three Beastkin envoys showed surprise.
“What’s going on? Why is she glowing?”
“What kind of special effect is that?”
“Don’t make a fuss in front of mere humans! You’re disgracing the Beastkin name.”
The lead Beastkin envoy took a step forward.
“Hey, move it.”
He said it lazily. The next second, he vanished from in front of Qifeng, reappearing in the blink of an eye… in front of me and Lian Qi.
In that brief instant, Qifeng seemed to have been hit a dozen times. The sound of the blows was so fast it was almost half a beat behind his movement!
“My target isn’t you. Since you dared to block us… we’ll just capture you and humiliate you, too,” he said contemptuously, not even looking back.
Qifeng swayed, looking unsteady on her feet.
And then.
She lightly tapped his shoulder.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
“???”
The Beastkin envoy’s face looked as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Why… Why is my ultimate Beastkin fighting art, the ‘Hundred-Slaughter Style,’ useless against you?!”
“Get out of the way, let me!” Another Beastkin youth spoke, and from under his cloak, he produced a crescent-shaped blade, which looked incredibly sharp.
“Let me show you a real Beastkin skill.”
He flicked his finger, and the crescent blade spun around it, like a flat gyroscope.
Then he produced a second one, using the same method to make it spin on his other hand. It was like juggling… a truly spectacular display!
“This blade of mine… can—”
“—easily lop off your head!”
He threw them both at once. They flew toward Qifeng, spinning at high speed.
The Beastkin who had just attacked Qifeng immediately leaped far away, as if afraid of getting hit by mistake.
Qifeng barely dodged, ducking to the side. The two objects flew past her, hitting the alley wall and carving deep gashes.
The two blades spun around… and, like boomerangs, flew back to the hands of their wielder. He went right back to juggling them.
“It’s useless to just dodge! No one can break my ‘Wind Blade Double-Strike’!”
He smiled, pleased with himself, and threw them at Qifeng again.
This time, Qifeng didn’t dodge. She focused her magic into her hands, wreathed them for defense, and caught the flying blades bare-handed.
The envoy was so shocked, his jaw nearly hit the floor.
“How… How did you catch them!? Why aren’t your hands… shredded!? H-How is this possible!?”
“This seems… kinda fun?” Qifeng completely ignored him. She tried to spin the crescent blades on her own fingers, but they didn’t even make one rotation before clattering to the ground. “I can’t do it at all.”
The three Beastkin envoys were dumbstruck. They couldn’t process the reality of what was happening. It was understandable. They had been frozen for eleven thousand years. Humanity was not what it used to be.
“Have you exhausted your tricks?”
Qifeng was right. Using the proverb “the donkey has exhausted its tricks”1 to describe the Beastkin was perfectly fitting.
“You’re done with your performance. Is it my turn now?”
Next, right in front of them, Qifeng activated her magic, summoning golden chains from thin air.
Chapter 27
27
The three Beastkin youths were stunned by the sight of Qifeng summoning chains with magic.
“Where… where was she hiding those chains?”
It seemed the Beastkin knew nothing about magic.
“Never mind that! Use our Beastkin trump card—Beastification!”
“Oh, you had a trump card?” Qifeng tilted her head, staring at them with a ‘silly girl’ look.
Right now, they had split up, surrounding Qifeng from three points, and had all drawn their weapons—a pair of daggers each.
I saw their pupils, all of them, narrow into cat-like slits.
This… is this some kind of “serious mode”?
“Go die, nya!”
They simultaneously blurred into black shadows and rushed Qifeng.
So fast!
They slammed into Qifeng, bounced off the alley walls, and darted back, their forms becoming crisscrossing meteors.
Human eyesight couldn’t even follow their speed! After their eyes changed, their explosive power must have increased by several times. Is this “Beastification”? I didn’t think the Beastkin were hiding a skill like this.
Qifeng raised her arms to protect her face, blocking their relentless, leaping attacks.
“Are… you… done…?”
Qifeng was angry! With a great wave of her hand, she manifested a gleaming golden chain.
“?”
One of the Beastkin youths, who was in the middle of attacking Qifeng, suddenly looked down in shock. An ethereal chain had attached itself to his shoulder, embedded under the skin, impossible to pull out.
Qifeng, holding the other end of the chain, slammed him heavily onto the ground. THWACK! He landed face-first. That looked like it hurt.
I see. I’ve figured out Qifeng’s battle tactics. The first chains she summoned were just a feint. They were on guard against the “visible chains,” but completely ignored the “hidden chains.”
They had no idea… that when Qifeng “patted” his shoulder earlier, she had, without him even noticing, “leashed” him.
The Beastkin couldn’t understand magic; they thought it was just “glowing.” Therefore, they really couldn’t understand the special effect of Qifeng’s magic—anywhere she touches, a chain becomes attached.
Qifeng grabbed her end of the chain, and, like swinging a meteor hammer, yanked him off the ground, and swung him. BAM! BAM! He crashed right into his two companions, sending them tumbling. She then, in one smooth motion, tied all three of them together.
“All done.” Qifeng released the chain, symbolically dusted off her hands, and turned to me with a smile.
“Are you hurt?” I asked, concerned. She had just tanked all the attacks from three high-level Beastkin!
“…How should I put it? It felt… like being poked all over with a dull knife.” She stuck her tongue out bashfully. “As expected, Transmutation/Illusion magic isn’t very good for defense.”
Poked… with a dull knife? I couldn’t imagine what that felt like. It must have still hurt a bit.
“Then why did you just stand there and let them hit you? You’re not an Enchanter, you know,” Lian Qi said, exasperated.
…Theoretically, the Transmutation/Illusion school has the weakest physical defense of all four magic types.
I walked over to the three Beastkin youths, who were bound together by the chains. Seeing me approach, they struggled violently.
“Wh-What… what sorcery is this!?”
“It’s not sorcery. It’s magic,” I corrected them, very seriously.
“Magic? What is… magic?”
“Fine. As expected from someone protecting the Saintess… no wonder you’re so strong! We… admit defeat,” another one said, looking at Qifeng.
“Me? Strong?” Qifeng pointed at her own nose, looking completely baffled.
“To be honest… I’m actually one of the weak ones…”
“WHAT!?”
The three Beastkin youths couldn’t believe their furry ears.
“You mean… there are many humans… stronger than you!?”
“Of course.”
You have to understand, in my circle of friends, Qifeng has always been at the bottom of the food chain, both in terms of combat power and personality.
“I advise you to give up any ideas of starting a war,” I said, crouching down to face them. “There are eleven other human kingdoms just like Holy Flame, and almost everyone in them can use magic.”
“That’s impossible! How could humans have become so strong!?” The Beastkin youth tilted his head back and howled, tears of humiliation streaming from his eyes.
Nothing more needed to be said. I hope they learned their lesson this time and won’t try to smash an egg against a rock.
I stood up, ready to continue on our way. Qifeng said to them, “The chains will automatically dissolve in an hour. You’re on your own.”
With that, she jogged to catch up with me and Lian Qi.
“Fei’er, where are we going now?”
“To the Magic Academy. Tristina asked me to… keep an eye on Vivian. …She’s a student at the academy. How am I supposed to ‘keep an eye’ on her? This is a problem.”
“…If I’d known, I wouldn’t have bothered taking her back to the Magic Academy. Fei’er, you don’t have to do everything yourself. Why not… have the Church assign someone to watch her in secret?” Qifeng suggested.
“But, she’s at the Magic Academy. It won’t be easy to watch her, right? I… I’ll talk to Sister Aijieliya about it.”
“Just have the Headmaster arrange for you to plant two people in the school,” Lian Qi said.
“Mhm.”
We walked away without looking back. Hmph. Let those three Beastkin youths stay there and reflect on their actions!
Twenty minutes later, I stood in front of the Magic Academy gates for the first time in a long while. Watching the students come and go, I was overcome with embarrassment.
If I’d known I was going to the palace and the Magic Academy today, I shouldn’t have dressed so ‘loli’…
“Fei’er, look! Isn’t that Vivian?” Lian Qi said, then froze. “Wh… What’s happening to her?”
I looked over. Just at the street corner, not far from the school gate… Vivian was being forcibly shoved into a carriage by two men in black suits and sunglasses.
I was shocked. A kidnapping, in broad daylight!?
Some students witnessed it, but no one dared to intervene.
Lian Qi “tsked” and dashed forward. Qifeng and I chased after her, but we were too late. We could only watch as the carriage sped away.
“Qifeng! Check whose carriage that is!”
The carriage disappeared in a flash, leaving behind a cloud of dust that made me cover my mouth and cough.
“I saw… the Honneste family crest on the carriage!” Qifeng said, panting, hands on her knees.
I have to admire this silly girl’s sharp eyes.
“Honneste…”
I muttered the name, my anger rising. We were just talking about him. I didn’t expect my suspicions to be proven right so quickly.
“They kidnapped her… right under my nose… Qifeng!”
“It’s time to mobilize the power of the Church. Call a squad of knights and follow me to Honneste’s house!”
Our opponent is a Royal Minister. Against someone of that rank, I’m not stupid enough to go with just me, Qifeng, and Lian Qi.