Chapter 30
Roll Call is Never EasyRoll Call is Never Easy
"Heheh… huhuh…!"
"Tina, are you listening?!"
"Huh…? Yes, yes?!"
Tina, who had been drooling with her pupils dilated, suddenly snapped back to attention at my voice. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stood up straight.
"What happened just now? Are you feeling sleepy?"
"Yawn…? Oh, no! I was just thinking about that snack I had…"
"Oh? Snack…? You didn't finish it, I see."
"Yes…! I only had a bite…"
Tina's face fell with disappointment.
No matter how delicious it was, spacing out like that?
I felt a strange sense of unease, but seeing Tina back to normal, I chalked it up to her being young and sensitive to sweets.
"I see. You can have the rest after roll call. Now, let's proceed with the dormitory inspection."
"Ah, yes!"
Though I could have skipped this step, I was curious about Derke. I wanted to see firsthand how she was getting along with her friends thanks to the hardtack.
But still...
This was the most cheerful roll call I'd ever seen.
ㅡKyak, kyak…!
ㅡHehe, huhuh…!
Laughter echoed from all directions.
Laughter during roll call? In my military days, such a thing was unimaginable.
Were these really fresh recruits?
"This room is accounted for…"
As I checked each first-year dormitory, the laughter continued.
The attendance was fine, but the students' states were not. They were unusually cheerful to the point of being unsettling.
"Hihi, I want more…"
"Thank you so much, warden!"
Every room was the same. It could be seen as cute, but it was so out of the ordinary that it was hard to adjust. Everyone was grinning, high on the sugar from the rock sugar-coated hardtack I made.
Anyone looking in would think I'd spiked it with something. There were white powder residues everywhere, along with the empty paper bags.
In reality, it was just sugar and hardtack crumbs, but it looked suspicious.
"Enjoying snacks is good, but clean up after roll call, okay?"
Rustle-!
I collected the paper bags strewn about and reminded them to clean up.
"Ah, sorry! The snack Derke gave us was so tasty…!"
Tina apologized, shaking herself out of her daze. The other students quickly followed suit. Perhaps it was too much sugar for young hatchlings.
There was no other explanation. It wasn't like something else could have gotten into the mix.
"I understand. Make sure to thank Derke."
"Huh?"
"Derke suggested making the snacks for you all."
"Oh, got it! Thank you, Derke!"
Tina looked over at Derke, then nodded and responded loudly. It was a good call to make the hardtack.
Derke should be able to get closer to her peers now. There's no better outcome than everyone being happy.
"Make sure to clean up before bedtime."
"Sir? It's so tasty, we want to save some for later. What should we do…?"
"I don't mind, but what would happen if the seniors saw the state of your rooms?"
"Eek?! Seniors…?"
Tina's face immediately turned fearful.
It was surprisingly easy to train these fresh recruits. Just mentioning their fearsome seniors did the trick.
"Yes. The seniors won’t take it lightly. So, try to finish everything tonight. Also, keep today’s snack a secret, okay?"
"Yes, sir! Understood!"
Tina gave a clumsy salute, which I returned with a wink. I made it clear they shouldn't get caught by the seniors and should treat Derke well.
"First-year roll call over. Stand by."
"Yes, sir!!!"
The first-year girls remained lively until the end of roll call. None of them seemed to mind my criticism.
The hardtack had an incredible effect.
Seeing Derke so happy put my mind at ease.
"Bye-bye-♬"
Derke waved happily among her peers for the first time.
‘Though it’s strange…? Why didn’t I get a bonding success message?’
The only downside was not seeing a message indicating successful bonding. But it didn’t matter much. I’d already increased the proficiency of Gourmet Feeding.
And even if the bonding acceptance window had appeared, I would have declined. It was just a curious thought that passed through my mind.
Step, step, step…!
I went straight to the second floor. Tonight, I was determined to finish quickly. Even the first-year roll call felt draining.
"Second-year, total of 15. No absences. Thank you."
The second-year representative, a girl with pink hair, murmured in a frosty tone. It was understandable, given their age.
"Yes, confirmed. Roll call over. Stand by until it's over."
I ended the roll call immediately and turned to head to the third floor, skipping the dormitory inspection.
"Oh? Done…?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
As I turned coolly, the second-year representative looked puzzled.
"Ah, no. Thank you."
"You’re welcome."
Odd. She had complained yesterday. I didn’t see the need for unnecessary complications. Though the second years had the most SSR ranks, I had too many things to deal with. More importantly, I wanted to finish roll call and get to bed.
Step, step…!
I climbed another flight of stairs.
"Hello, old man? The third-year has no issues?"
Reaching the third floor, Tiana greeted me with her usual disdainful expression and her odd nickname for me.
"Excuse me? Oh, understood."
"What? You don’t like being called an old man? I put a lot of thought into that, you know?"
Tiana’s face turned more hostile as if she felt her favor was being ignored. How is calling someone an old man a term of endearment? At 20, being called an old man was a shock.
"Ah…! It’s not that. It just caught me off guard."
Smile.
Tiana’s lips curled up.
I felt like I’d fallen into a trap. I just wanted to move on quickly, but it seemed I’d given her something to latch onto.
‘Please, let’s just get through today without trouble….’
The third years seemed the most formidable. The fourth years were significant but seemed uninterested in me. Except for my desserts, of course.
"Hehe… Hey, old man? You’re quite popular, you know?"
"Huh? Me?"
"Don’t pretend. It’s already the talk of the town."
Sigh, whatever she was going on about, it wasn’t going to let me off easily. Don’t dragons get tired?
"I have no idea what you mean…."
"Really? You don’t know? The fourth-year seniors talk about you all afternoon─"
"Tiana, you idiot! It’s not old man, it’s Whitey?!"
"……?"
A sharp voice interrupted Tiana’s.
Looking towards the source, I saw the SSR twin sisters I’d seen before. Their contrasting blue and red hair was striking.
"Raylin? Don’t you see we’re in the middle of roll call?"
"You’re taking too long! And it’s not old man, it’s Whitey, how many times do I have to tell you?"
"Old man or Whitey, what’s the difference?!"
"It’s clearly different, you moron! And that nickname is mine, why are you using it?"
"Oh, come on! Why Whitey? His hair isn’t even white!"
"Don’t question my naming sense! It’s my nickname to use…!"
‘What’s happening…?’
Suddenly, Raylin and Tiana were arguing, leaving me out of it. They clearly didn’t get along.
"Hehe, let’s move along while they’re busy?"
Despite the chaos, Seylin, with her serene smile, gestured towards the stairs.
“…We’d better move on?”
She kept signaling me to go up to the fourth floor. Maybe she wanted to finish roll call quickly too.
"Thank you."
I whispered my thanks and quickly ascended the stairs.
‘Hah, finishing roll call early isn’t easy.’
It was only the second day, yet nothing was simple. Everyone had such strong personalities. How is it that there isn’t a single easy-going character?
‘By the way, why Whitey all of a sudden? I’ve barely spoken to Raylin, why such a nickname…?’
Shake, shake.
Fatigue made my head fuzzy. Shaking my head helped clear my thoughts. It was good that an SSR-level dragon was interested in me, but I couldn’t tackle all the girls at once.
I needed to focus on Sophia’s conditional bond.
"Hey, Brider! Late again today?"
"Ah, Diora?"
Reaching the fourth floor, Diora greeted me instead of Sophia.
She had a vibrant, friendly aura, like a lively older sister, but her sharp eyes gave her the impression of a mischievous sister. Her tan skin added to that image.
"Sophia has something to do today, so I’m here instead. You heard from Sophia, right?"
"Ah, yes. She told me earlier. Any absentees?"
"Of course not~! Who do you think is in charge today?"
Thud-!
Diora casually put her arm around my shoulder and showed me the green badge pinned to her shirt. It looked like a class representative badge. Sophia must have left it with her.
But Diora’s tracksuit-like outfit was distracting.
"Uh… Has Rayleigh not arrived yet?"
I turned the topic away from her chest and asked about Rayleigh.
"Oh, right! She’s not here yet? It’d be great if she never came. I wouldn’t get to play stand-in if she were here…"
"I see."
No absentees, huh.
I almost made the same mistake as yesterday. Diora wasn’t very reliable in many ways. I wanted to ask about Rayleigh, but talking now would only complicate things. Information was important, but I wanted to rest tonight.
"Well, then I’ll be heading do─"
"Wait! Where are you going?"
"Yes? Why?"
Grip…!
I tried to leave quickly, but Diora tightened her grip on my shoulder.
Why can’t these dragons leave me alone?
"Leaving already? I have more to say."
"Please, don’t pull so suddenly…?!"
Diora pulled harder, almost pressing her chest against my face.
"You and Sophia… something’s fishy, huh?"
But what met my face wasn’t her chest. Diora pressed her forehead against mine, trying to look serious. Her breath was hot against my face, her eyes scrutinizing me.
"Huh? Fishy? What do you mean…?"
"Don’t play dumb. You’re making special desserts for Sophia, aren’t you?"
"……?!"
"I know everything, so don’t pretend. You better serve me one of those special desserts too, understand?"
"Even if you say that, I don’t─"
"You’d better listen if you want a smooth academy life. I might just eat you up otherwise."
Lick♥
Diora licked her lips and whispered into my ear.
"Depending on what you do, I might just eat you up, or perhaps, in another sense, I could devour you too. I’m not picky about species♡"