Chapter 76 – Taisetsuna’s worry

After lunch, Taisetsuna went straight to the field and talked with Hinotsume.
Mizukonta was not there because she went to look around to check for damage and to find other Dragons to talk to, and she would return the next day with the news.
The afternoon classes started, and Taisetsuna could barely concentrate. Strategy class started and ended, Potions class started and ended. The entire afternoon went by, and she couldn’t focus.
As they were going to the outside to check on the Unicorns, Nozomu elbowed her. She forced a slight smile and didn’t say a word.

He then pulled her to the side, and while the others kept on walking to get to the Unicorns, he asked in a low tone, “Worried? Do you remember what I said? It is no use worrying without a certain.”

“I know, but… Hinotsume said that we should worry if the tremors happened for days or got stronger. Guess what, this is the second day, and there was a strong tremor…”

“That means nothing. Raluth could be moving during his sleep. But if it makes you feel better, I sent a message after lunch to the Guild, ordering as many chocolates as Mister Azusake could make, and to ask the cooks in the other Guilds and Inns that I taught to make a bunch for me, and I would pay them later for the trouble. In the next few days, I will get bags and bags of chocolates to give to Hinotsume so that he keeps some for himself and Mizukonta and delivers the rest to other Dragons. In that same message, I also asked for bags full of those blue flowers from the ‘Fool’s Death’ bush.”

Puzzled, Taisetsuna looked at him and asked, “Flowers? What for?”

“For the next part of my plan to deal with Raluth. Only if needed, of course.”

“You mean… blowing him up? And you? I don’t like that idea! Not a single bit!”

Nozomu put his arm over her shoulders and gently bumped his head against hers. “Remember what Hinotsume said, that Raluth might not even wake up so soon, and according to our tests, the chocolates might as well do the trick. “I doubt Raluth can handle all the Dragons in the World if they attack him at the same time and are immune to his Magic and the Magic anyone under Raluth’s control could throw at them.”

“It is a slim shot, you know?”

“I know it is, but it is better than nothing. By the way, I want to apologize in advance. If Raluth resurfaces, I will knock you out immediately. I won’t let you fall under his control, and I will tie you up and lock you inside a cave somewhere.”

“Hey! I can help, you know?”

He slowly shook his head. “I will not risk it. If you fall under his control, you might try to kill me, and it might force me to kill you. Hinotsume said that even he fell under Raluth’s control last time, and no Human or Beast-kind could ever resist. The last time I checked, you were a Beast-kind. Considering you still have your pretty ears and tail, nothing changed. But for now, things are still the same, despite the occasional tremor. Now, lighten up, or the others might get suspicious. You may need to think about an excuse for your mood because Viscount Robert and Hinen are looking at us.”

“Well, I can say I am at that time of the month, and I am feeling sad. That should work unless that stupid Hinen asks what time is that. He is dumb enough to not know what I am talking about!”

“Nah, he for sure knows. It is not possible that no one explained that to him!”

When they joined the others, Taisetsuna was still doubting if everything was going to be alright, and like Nozomu said, both Robert and Hinen wanted to know why she was so gloomy. She told them the excuse, and to Nozomu’s surprise, Hinen really asked what time of the month it was to make her so sad and depressed.
While Robert and Taisetsuna were rubbing their faces, doubting what they were hearing, Tresuria and Nozomu were staring at Hinen, wondering if he was as dumb as he sounded, and Chujitsuna was laughing her lungs out.

She put her right arm over the puzzled Cat-kind boy’s shoulders and said, “Come with me for a walk, and I will explain some things to you. You can’t be like that forever. Someone has to tell you how things work.”

Nozomu looked at them leaving, and he mumbled, “Unbelievable... He really has no idea... None of his parents explained things to him? Or one of his friends?”

Robert Keskula overheard him and answered, “According to what he said to me, he doesn’t have that many friends, because he tends to annoy people, and they get fed up with him. It seems we are the first ones that didn’t tell him to go away in a very long time. Well, if we don’t count that, you don’t trust him, and Chujitsuna wanted to kill him at lunch when he said that seeing her smile at Tresuria and talking with her all the time was weird.”

“Yes… that guy is so strange… I am not sure if he was born like that, or if he fell with his head on the floor when he was a baby, and something shifted places.”

As they were looking at Hinen and Chujitsuna, they saw him covering his mouth in shock, with Chujitsuna smiling and talking non-stop. He then returned his gaze to Taisetsuna, asked something to the still-smiling Snake-kind girl, and dashed straight to the main building, his face flushed and without looking back.

Chujitsuna happily slithered to meet the others, and Nozomu asked, “What did you say to him? He looked as if he was in a panic.”

“Nothing much, just how babies are made, and what happens every month to Human and Beast-kind women. I guess he had never heard anything about it, judging by his reaction! Kind of strange considering his age.”

“Maybe you should have told him only half of that? If he never heard anything about it…”

Chujitsuna shrugged. “Someone had to say it, and I didn’t see any of you willing to explain. He will get over it, eventually. At least now he knows why Taisetsuna looks so sad, and he won’t ask again and make a fool of himself.”

Suddenly, they saw Hinen coming back again, carrying a bag. He opened it and showed the contents to Taisetsuna and explained, “I went to the kitchen. I remembered that when my mother was alive, she was always sad for a few days every month, and I brought what she used to eat on those occasions. Fruit and cookies. She always said that it made her feel better. Maybe it works for you?”

Taisetsuna didn’t even know what to say. She took one apple and two cookies. She then smiled and hugged him. “Thanks, I kind of feel better already. You were really sweet for thinking of this, Hinen.”

He answered, sounding surprised by the hug and her smile. “No… no problem… I am sorry if I didn’t understand at first. I hope it makes you feel better, but if you need to cry, you can cry. My mother also cried on those days, but after two or three days, she would be back to her usual self.”

“I don’t need to cry, so no need to worry about me. I am sorry for my mood. I just… yeah……

Chujitsuna put one arm over Hinen and another over Taisetsuna as she said, “At least now you know you are not pregnant, and that your body is working perfectly, even after that beating you got in the morning. That was kind of funny, actually. Oaky took care of Nozomu, then you, then Teacher Muse got you again… Yup, a funny morning it was! Hehehe!”

“You say that because you got away! Or better yet, you cheated when you went after Tresuria, then you fled so that you didn’t have to fight Teacher Muse!”

“Shut up! You are just jealous because you didn’t have the same idea! It is not my fault if you thought you could win against any of them! You are not very good at this strategy thing, are you? Heheheh!”

Taisetsuna elbowed the laughing girl and tried to pull Chujitsuna’s hair, making her slither around Nozomu and Tresuria while mocking her for being slow.

While Taisetsuna was trying to catch the laughing girl, Robert spoke to Hinen in a low voice, “You might be a worthy opponent, after all. I guess I was underestimating you all this time. I won’t make the same mistake twice. If you want to rival me for Taisetsuna’s heart, I accept the challenge!”

“What challenge? What are you talking about?”

Robert made a slight grin and didn’t answer. He realized Hinen was not a conqueror of women like he was, but with only that kind gesture with the fruit and the cookies, he was able to melt the heart of the always serious girl that kept on puzzling him ever since he met her.
After they fed the Unicorns with Magic and brushed them, they went inside the Academy, because it was almost time for dinner.