Chapter 205 - The Wolf Girl's Rival
Chloe Evenhart:
Nearly two weeks had passed since we captured the kidnapper. I had reached out to Martha without Nathan knowing, feeling a pang of guilt, as the likely reason for the attack was me.
Over the weekend, we discussed this possibility without Nathan. Nikolaus Wolves knows I'm engaged, and Nathan's death would spark a major crisis for our family. It could drive Wolves to try again what he attempted last time: pressuring my mother into a marriage alliance. He might even be behind the rising violence in our duchy.
Nathan, with his sharp mind, had deduced that this faction of nobles might be involved. Even my mother was surprised by his solution of checking their financial activities. While it wouldn't legally prove anything, it had set off alarm bells: Nikolaus Wolves and his allies could very well have pooled their resources to place a bounty on Nathan's life.
A part of me wants to personally go and end that bastard for daring to threaten my fiancé!
As a precaution, we weren't allowed to leave the academy unaccompanied. Aunt Katie and Martha remained at the mansion, with the maids doubling as guards. Aunt Katie was busy creating golems, filling the place with deadly plants.
My mother had decided not to report the assassination attempt on Nathan to the kingdom. She preferred to handle this her own way, and I knew that Nikolaus Wolves was already as good as dead. He and his faction had crossed every line, and now it was our turn to handle it in our way.
My class had ended, and I was free for the afternoon. Entering our apartment, I was surprised at what I found.
"Kinue? Looks like we're having lunch together today," I said.
My friend was crouched down, searching through the cabinet, and turned to me with a smile.
"Chloe, I was looking for something to cook."
She stood up, and I noticed that her uniform blouse was a bit loose.
Her chest is way larger than mine…
"Don't you wear a bra?" I asked.
"They're uncomfortable. Too tight for me."
Of course… with a figure like hers.
I sighed, lamenting life's unfairness. Kinue had a lovely figure and a charming demeanor, undoubtedly a beautiful woman.
I'm only 15, and she's 17… I'll get there someday.
"Let's have lunch in the dining hall. No need to cook; I'll go with you today," I said, and Kinue's eyes lit up.
"Will Nate be there too?"
Hmm…
"I'm not sure. He has a class on Builder Mages, and our class was split up. Practical lessons can take forever."
"True. At first, they make us sit through all the pragmatic content, even if we don't have the element being taught."
We left the apartment and began walking down the hall.
"Speaking of mage classes, have you chosen yours yet? You're both a transmitter and an emitter," I noted.
"I chose Shooter Mage, given my early training as a Combat Mage. Professor Adrihna is pushing me hard since she's officially taken me as her apprentice at the academy."
A solid choice.
"That makes two Shooter Mages then," I replied, showing her my wand.
As we walked down the corridor, we came across Syvis and Thyra.
"Fox girl!" Thyra muttered.
"Flea-ridden mutt…" Kinue replied seriously.
"Wolf! Thyra's a wolf!" Thyra corrected.
What's going on here?
"You two know each other?" I asked, interrupting the exchange.
"Is this your other rival?" Syvis asked me.
"Rival?" I repeated, surprised.
Kinue shrugged.
"It's nothing serious, just a dog girl who tried to fight me once and ended up getting her tail kicked," my friend commented.
What? They fought?
"You just got lucky that time, little fox! I'm going to beat you, just wait and see!" Thyra exclaimed.
It seems like there's some kind of invisible rivalry going on here.
"You haven't even fully awakened your beast form… or maybe it's just the form of a little lap dog," Kinue teased, starting to walk away.
Wow! Kinue's bold…
"Take that back! Thyra's a wolf!" protested Thyra.
"I think it's better if we stop…" said Syvis.
"I apologize for offending you… puppy," Kinue added in a serious tone.
The two of them showed their claws, ready to spring at each other.
"Enough!" Syvis shouted, and something green wrapped around Thyra, pulling her back.
I stared, shocked. In Syvis's hand was what looked like a bamboo sword. It had extended and wrapped around Thyra like a whip, and with a flick of her wrist, Syvis pulled it back to its original form.
That was amazing. Is this her power? She's using her plant element to make the bamboo sword grow and change shape.
"No fighting!" Syvis ordered.
Kinue retracted her claws, her expression softening back to normal.
"My apologies…" my friend murmured, now a bit shy.
"I knew I smelled you around here…" Thyra muttered.
Syvis gave her a light tap on the head.
"No fighting," she repeated.
"Thyra agrees…" Thyra added with a resigned tone.
Kinue stepped back, and Syvis guided Thyra away.
"I'll meet you both at lunch," my elven friend said, disappearing into her room.
"Alright," I replied, rushing to catch up with Kinue.
When I reached her, I noticed her face was bright red.
"I'm sorry, Chloe… I ended up showing a bad side of myself."
"It's no problem, but you were a little intimidating."
My friend hid her face in her hands, visibly embarrassed.
"Don't tell Nathan about this side of me…"
Why is she so worried about what he thinks?
***
We arrived at the cafeteria and picked up our trays. As we chatted, my curiosity about Kinue's beast form consumed me. I remembered that during periods when she showed small reflexes of her transformation, her mood would shift a bit, but I'd never had the chance to actually see her transformed form. Kinue mentioned that transforming was something that drained her and couldn't be used needlessly because of the physical toll it took. She told me she became a large fox with golden fur.
It must be really beautiful.
We sat down at our usual table, which had essentially become "ours" by habit. Some students still watched us, curious. Kinue was something of a mysterious celebrity at the academy, only showing up for classes. Since she lived with the professor, she wasn't seen in the dorms, which only added to the fascination around her.
"Have you decided what you'll do next free weekend?" Kinue asked, interrupting my thoughts.
"I'm not sure yet. I want to explore the city a bit," I replied.
We'll need to put ourselves in controlled public spaces to try to lure out the assassin.
Though I'm hoping he's given up by now.
Kinue nodded. "I explored some tourist spots last year, but there are some places that are nicer to visit with company."
"You went alone?" I asked.
"Sometimes I went with the professor, but she prefers reading. Even on outings, she'd just sit on a bench and read. I didn't make enough friends to invite anyone else."
It must have been hard for her.
"Now that Nate and I are here, we can always go out together," I suggested.
Kinue's ears perked up with excitement. "That would be so much fun! I know several… romantic places," she said, her tone a bit shy.
"Romantic? What do you mean?" I asked, intrigued.
Kinue blushed. "Pretty places! I meant to say pretty places!"
Hearing that, an idea sparked in my mind. "Tell me more about these 'pretty places.' Do you think… I could… take someone on a date?"
"Of course! I would, too… if I could take a certain someone," Kinue said, a sparkle in her eyes.