Outside the academy, while accompanying Annette for her usual training, she decided to call it a day. Since I had also finished my drawing, we started our way back to the academy. On the way, I decided to ask something I hadn’t been able to before.
“Hey, Annette .”
“Hmm?”
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but… do you know that twelve years ago, my father was the cause of that incident?”
“Yes, I know. Why?”
Her casual response puzzled me. I didn’t expect her to answer so nonchalantly.
“Your… grandfather…”
“My grandfather went by his own choice. He could have chosen not to go, but he decided to. Your father had nothing to do with it, right?”
Annette spoke with a wisdom far beyond her years, and it was clear that she had experienced a lot. To continue to blame the Lavelle family here would be rude. This conversation was over. I simply replied, “Yeah,” and we continued walking together.
As we passed through the academy gates, something swiftly moved near us. Annette didn’t notice it because it was both fast and camouflaged. It disappeared into the academy. It was definitely a living creature, but it didn’t seem harmful. I figured I could catch it if needed, so I let it go.
Upon returning inside the academy, there was a bustling commotion. Annette and I looked around curiously when Lena, out of breath, rushed by.
“Lena, what’s going on?”
“Brother! It’s terrible! A rare magical beast has escaped, and everyone is searching for it! There’s a reward for finding it! Please help us search, brother!”
Lena dashed off with remarkable speed. Magical beasts are rare magical creatures, not quite animals and not as dangerous as monsters. The fact that the academy is offering a reward indicates its importance. Well, it doesn’t really concern me.
“Must be tough,” I said, heading back to my dorm room, but I felt a tug on my clothes. I thought I was imagining it and tried to keep walking, but the grip was firm.
“…What is it?”
“Roy! We’re getting that reward!”
Annette ‘s eyes were sparkling with determination, and she had a tight grip on my clothes, assuming I would help her.
“…I wanted to sleep.”
“Please, please, please!!”
Annette waved her hands like a child. If it were just a selfish request, I would ignore it, but she needed the money for her younger siblings. Ignoring her would hurt my conscience. So, with a sigh, I muttered,
“Just a little, okay?”
“Yay! Thank you!”
Annette ‘s joy was pure, but she quickly turned serious and declared,
“Alright! Let’s go!”
“Do you have any leads?”
“No, but in times like this, it’s best to ask someone knowledgeable!”
With that, Annette started walking towards one of the dining halls. Since it wasn’t mealtime, it was almost empty. In the back, a girl was reading a book while elegantly sipping tea.
“Hey, Yukina-san! We need your wisdom!”
“Annette ? And Roy too?”
Yukina-san, the girl Annette called out to, tilted her head in confusion, wondering why we were here.
“How did you know Yukina-san was here?”
“I had tea with her here before. She treated me to a cup.”
Annette giggled. It seemed Yukina-san had quickly won Annette over with a meal to get information. No wonder she was so efficient at extracting details.
“This place is quiet and perfect for reading. But what’s going on?”
“Well, it seems a magical beast has escaped, and there’s a reward for finding it! We need your help to catch it!”
“Ah, I heard something like that. If I recall correctly, it was the Mirage Cat, a phantom feline.”
“You know what escaped?”
“The teachers mentioned it. I wasn’t interested and didn’t plan to look for it… But you two are searching together? How close.”
Yukina-san’s eyes narrowed sharply. Feeling an unspoken pressure, I naturally hid behind Annette , which only increased the intensity of Yukina-san’s gaze.
“Yes! I asked him to help!”
Annette smiled innocently. Yukina-san seemed slightly taken aback by her reaction.
“Is that so… But if you’re looking together, you don’t need my wisdom, do you? Besides, I’m still in the middle of reading.”
“No way! We really need your help, Yukina-san!”
Yukina-san seemed reluctant. This place was quiet and ideal for reading, so it would be annoying to have us disturb her. However…
“Annette wants to send the reward money to her siblings. Could you help?”
“…That’s a sneaky way to ask.”
“Please, Yukina-san.”
“…I guess I have no choice.”
Sighing, Yukina-san closed her book.
“Thank you, Yukina-san! I love you!”
Annette hugged Yukina-san, who started explaining while a bit flustered.
“Mirage Cats have advanced camouflage abilities. They can blend into any environment. It’s difficult to find them normally.”
“Even for you?”
“I’m not keen on searching the whole academy. There’s an easier way.”
Yukina-san pointed towards the dining hall kitchen, and I had a hunch about what she was planning.
“Huh? What are you planning?”
“I read in a book that Mirage Cats primarily eat fruit. It’s faster to lure it out than to chase it.”
“Wow! Baiting it, huh? As expected of Yukina-san!”
“But I don’t have any fruit with me.”
“Neither do I.”
Although it was a student cafeteria, it wasn’t free. Yukina-san and Annette both stared at me intently. Sighing, I pulled out my wallet. Unfortunately, I had some money on me. In hindsight, I should have captured it when I first saw it.
“Wow! Can I eat this? Can I?”
To lure the Mirage Cat, we set up a table with fruits and desserts from the dining hall. Annette was getting excited.
“You can eat while we wait. It would be a waste otherwise.”
“I don’t mind, but if we don’t catch it, it’ll be a loss…”
“If that happens, I’ll cover it.”
As expected of a lady. Her words were reassuring. If so, my wallet might recover. The primary goal, however, was to catch the Mirage Cat and get the reward. While thinking this, Annette began eating the desserts with a look of pure happiness.
“Mmm! So sweet! I’m in heaven!”
Seeing Annette ’s genuinely happy expression, I couldn’t help but smile. Suddenly, something jumped onto the table and started devouring the fruit. Yukina-san and I simultaneously tried to grab it, but the creature sensed us instantly, grabbed some fruit, and kicked the table hard. The table flipped, scattering fruits and desserts everywhere.
“Damn! It got away!”
I quickly stepped back to avoid the chaos. However, Yukina-san and Annette weren’t so lucky.
“My dessert…”
“I need to change clothes…”
Covered in the scattered desserts and fruit, Yukina-san and Annette looked a mess. Annette seemed more upset about the ruined desserts than her dirty clothes.
“I’ll chase it. You two can join me later.”
“Please do. Annette , let’s go.”
“But there’s still some I haven’t tasted…”
Yukina-san took the lamenting Annette away. After watching them leave, I resumed my pursuit of the Mirage Cat. I had a solid reason to move slowly—it left a trail of fruit and juice behind. This would make tracking it easier. Following the trail, I realized it led to a nearby building. It must have been very hungry, still clutching the fruit. I quietly entered an open room where I could hear it eating. I quickly closed the door behind me.
“There’s no escape now.”
Cornering the Mirage Cat, I placed my hands on my hips. Startling it would do no good. As I stared at it, the Mirage Cat seemed to realize its camouflage was ineffective and revealed itself. A small white kitten stood there, hissing but not very intimidating. I cautiously approached, trying not to scare it. However, it quickly scaled the wall and slipped through a small vent.
“Damn, underestimated a cat.”
Realizing my mistake, I resumed the chase, relying on the faint sounds it made. As I was running, it suddenly changed direction towards a room. Perfect, I thought, and opened the door hastily.
“Huh…?”
“What!?”
Inside were Yukina-san and Annette , changing their clothes. They both froze upon seeing me. Their underwear was fully exposed—Yukina-san’s light blue and Annette ‘s pink. They quickly covered themselves, but it wasn’t enough. Yukina-san had a slender, well-proportioned body, and despite her small frame, Annette had a surprisingly ample chest. This was extremely awkward. But the fact was, the Mirage Cat was here too. Before I could decide what to do, Annette threw something at me.
“No peeking!”
Dodging the object, I quickly closed the door and explained,
“Wait! The Mirage Cat escaped in here… Sorry!”
“What!? The reward!”
“Annette , focus! First, get dressed!”
“But the reward! Where is it!?”
The sounds of their hurried movements came from inside. By now, the Mirage Cat was probably gone, making me look like a pervert. I hoped they would understand, but…
“That damn cat…”
I leaned against the wall, frustrated. Later, I heard that another student found and captured the Mirage Cat. It was a stray separated from its parents, and the academy planned to find it a proper home.
“Ahh… my reward…”
Annette remained despondent for a while. I paid for the desserts and spent my time running around, so it wasn’t a great day for me either. Still, having seen two beautiful girls half-naked, it wasn’t all bad.
