Chapter 35
“N-N-No, I’m not Cardin! Cardin’s that guy. That guy!”
Gus pointed at Cardin with a trembling hand.
When Cardin’s eyes met Sigrin’s, he flinched and stepped back.
“Why’s Cardin crawling on the floor?”
Sigrin looked at Gus.
“Name.”
“Gus, Gus Ogile!”
“Gus, why’s Cardin crawling on the floor?”
Her calm, gentle voice carried weight.
“His sister, Wearin, owes me a huge debt, so I had personal business with him, but you beat me to it.”
“….”
“That’s very unpleasant.”
Sigrin frowned, and Gus hurriedly spoke.
“His brother’s an idiot, so I was educating him on your behalf, Senior Sigrin!”
“You did something unnecessary. I don’t like people invading my territory without permission.”
“….”
“Are you deaf?”
“No!! I didn’t know you had a conflict with Cardin’s sister!!”
Sigrin smiled and released Gus' hair.
She wiped her hand on the wall, as if touching something dirty.
“Luca.”
“…Got it.”
Luca walked to Cardin, grabbed his jacket, and lifted him.
“Gack, ugh!”
Cardin choked slightly, struggling to breathe.
Luca clicked his tongue and loosened his grip.
“Come with us.”
“Why, why! What did I… What did my sister…”
Gus' gang huddled, whispering.
“What do we do… He’s screwed.”
“He’s gonna get crushed by the big leagues.”
Cardin wanted to protest, but his will crumbled.
Sometimes, even asking why felt too exhausting.
Cardin was dragged by Luca, following Sigrin.
Unable to predict what would happen, he shut his eyes tightly.
✦ ✦ ✦
“…??”
“Poor baby, suffering from bad friends. Have some cake.”
“…You must feel awful. It’s okay to cry.”
Sigrin took Cardin to the Sereb Potion Café.
Surrounded by Sigrin and her gang, Cardin was being pampered.
“He’d hate being called a baby. He’s clearly sensitive about his size.”
Luca mumbled, eating strawberry cake.
“…What’s this?”
Cardin muttered.
Too stunned, he couldn’t swallow the cake.
“Don’t worry, high schoolers should be in class, but we’re free since we’re on probation.”
“That’s not… Ebenkera.”
“Just call me Sigrin.”
“Okay… Can you explain what’s going on?”
“Wearin gave me a request to pretend to bully you.”
“Oh…”
“I’ll visit your class during probation.”
Cardin, awed and guilty that the infamous Ebenkera was doing this for him, lowered his head.
“If Gus tries to bully you alone later, tell him you need to see me and slip away.”
“Thank you…!”
With this sturdy mafia visiting during breaks, Gus' gang wouldn’t dare touch him.
Cardin looked at Sigrin with worried eyes.
“What did my sister offer as a condition?”
“Condition?”
Oh, they hadn’t set clear conditions.
She just wanted to help, so she didn’t care about conditions.
The money offered was probably pocket change anyway.
Being a subordinate was fine, but Sigrin preferred friends.
“Do you need conditions to help a subordinate?”
“….”
“….”
Apple and Luca turned to stare at Sigrin.
It could be empty words, but it felt oddly unfamiliar.
But Cardin’s expression darkened.
“…Because of me, Wearin… got involved in something dangerous…”
“I won’t make her do anything weird, so don’t look like you’re dying.”
Cardin recalled Bilha sprinting like a dog in a mask and froze.
Looking at Bilha, still in his mask, slurping parfait with a straw, he thought:
At least the benefits are great.
He felt oddly reassured.
Pop!
“Ow!”
“Thinking useless thoughts?”
Sigrin flicked Cardin’s forehead, smiling.
“Alright, we’re done eating. Let’s go. We have another cleaning area.”
Sigrin tucked a napkin in her pocket and stood, followed by the others.
Cardin stared blankly at Sigrin’s back as she walked away with her subordinates.
Strangely, he felt a strong energy coursing through him.
✦ ✦ ✦
“White Head.”
Bilha pointed at Sigrin’s nose.
Trickle.
Sigrin pulled out the napkin and wiped her nosebleed.
“Miss, you’re bleeding???”
“…You diabetic?”
“No way.”
It was from using her “Grow-Grow Core.”
She couldn’t keep watching Cardin forever, and once her attention waned, the bullying might resume.
Since he already had a sizable latent core, she activated it.
Having done it for Bilha a few times, it was easier.
Now you need to get stronger on your own.
Sigrin wiped her nosebleed, thinking of Cardin.
With no middle schoolers having formed cores, Cardin’s the strongest now.
The thought of the frail, crying boy becoming the strongest middle schooler was satisfying.
It felt like an accomplishment.
Smiling contentedly, Sigrin stopped the nosebleed.
She planned to brag to Wearin.
Several days passed since meeting Cardin alone.
The terrified Gus Ogile gang started giving Cardin pitying looks, and the bullying stopped.
Wearin’s plan had worked.
Visiting Cardin and sweeping diligently, Sigrin’s probation was nearly over.
Since her probation was the longest, she was the last one sweeping.
What about my credits?
Haaaa!!
Sigrin sighed heavily. Time passed meaninglessly, and her obsession with credits grew.
While sweeping absentmindedly, voices came from afar.
“Gus, your toy got taken by that mafia. What now?”
“Don’t know, annoying! Gotta find another easy target.”
“How about the new transfer student?”
“…Transfer student?”
“He’s always giggling, seems kinda dumb. Small build too. What do you think?”
“Hm…”
Gus made a thoughtful sound. His friend put an arm around his shoulder.
“Listen, use that beast lure you got as a gift to drive him into the Cardia Beginner Hunting Grounds.”
“Oh?”
“He’ll scream and run around hilariously. Record it and mock him forever.”
“…That’s a good plan for once. Very detailed. Not like you, Campbellin.”
Campbellin’s eyes briefly met Sigrin’s as they walked.
“Eek!!”
Gus also met Sigrin’s eyes and yelped, fleeing in a panic.
“They didn’t hear us, right?”
“No way…”
Sigrin leaned on her broom, watching the two boys disappear.