Although Knox could pretend not to see her, Simon couldn't keep ignoring the presence at the window. He finally turned his head.
The moment he did, the girl's face instantly ducked out of sight.
"...…"
Does she not want to be seen?
Simon turned back around and took out another chiffon cake.
Slowly, cautiously, her face peeked back up over the windowsill.
Blink. Blink.
Her blue eyes blinked innocently.
Every time the chiffon cake moved closer to Simon's mouth, the speed of her blinking increased.
And when Knox started munching on his food—
Not only did her blinking speed up, she started drooling as well.
Suppressing a laugh, Simon opened his mouth. "You're welcome to join us, Lady Nefthis."
Knox sighed. "Nefthis, haven't I already given you plenty of snacks behind Sister Jane's back?"
At those words, the girl immediately popped her head fully into view.
"Ah! Is that really okay?" she asked.
As if she'd been waiting for permission all along, Nefthis hopped over the windowsill and scurried inside, sitting neatly with her knees together in front of the food.
First, she stared at Simon's chiffon cakes. Then, she turned to Knox's spread.
Fish and chips.
Pasta.
Fries.
Drinks.
Her eyes practically sparkled.
The sight of her reminded Simon of a puppy wagging its tail while waiting for food, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Of course," Simon said gently. "Please, go ahead."
"Just eat, Nefthis," Knox added with a grin. "Aren't you usually the type who eats first and asks questions later?"
"Hehe! Thanks! I'll eat well!" Nefthis beamed.
"Oh, and Knox—how many times have I told you already? You can just call me auntie, you know~"
Simon froze. "…Auntie?"
Knox let out a long sigh. "Didn't you say I could call you that when nobody's around?"
Nefthis answered while munching happily.
"Indeed! That's why you can call me auntie now!"
"..."
Simon stared at the scene in silence.
Watching her plump cheeks puff in and out as she chewed, Simon felt an irresistible urge to pat her head—never mind the fact that she was supposedly the ruler of Kizen or whatever.
Then he noticed something even more unbelievable. Right in front of him, the great ruler of Kizen was being fed by Knox.
Casually. Naturally. Like an older brother pampering his little sister.
"..."
She mumbled between bites of cake. "At home, they never let me eat sweets!"
"…Ahaha." Simon laughed awkwardly.
Knox rolled his eyes "What are you talking about? That's because whenever you start eating sweets, you don't just eat a lot—you completely ignore your work. And then Sister Jane gets furious."
"Ha… ha… ha," Nefthis laughed, clearly unbothered.
And just like that, Knox and Simon found themselves having dessert with the great Nefthis.
As they shared snacks, the three of them chatted about all sorts of things.
They talked about how Knox and Lorain had bought Simon his first subspace, and how grateful Simon was for it. They talked about Lorain. And naturally, the conversation drifted toward school life.
"It's your first time attending school, right?" Nefthis asked, looking between Knox and Simon. "How has it been?"
"It's fun!" Simon answered immediately.
"The professors are cool, the friends are nice, and the classes are interesting… I think I'm more suited to school life than I expected."
Nefthis beamed and nodded enthusiastically.
Knox hummed. "Mm. School life is fun. It radiates this… 'youthful' aura. Interesting things happen, and making new friends is always a plus. Though it'd be even better if there were no homework."
"Hahaha~ no can do!" Nefthis laughed. "Homework is important! Besides, Knox, what are you talking about? 'Youthful aura'? You sound like an old man!"
She grinned. "Speaking of school life, it reminds me of Richard—Simon's father."
"My father?" Simon blinked.
"Yeah! Your dad was a Kizen student too. Didn't you know?" Nefthis said casually.
It was the first time Simon had ever heard that.
Knox kept a neutral expression, as if this was news to him as well. But inwardly, he already knew exactly who Nefthis was talking about.
Nefthis chuckled and wagged her finger. "Richard was something else. Unlike you—so calm and composed—he was a total troublemaker. One of the worst in Kizen's history."
"…My father was?" Simon's jaw dropped.
He couldn't reconcile the image of his strict, serious father with the idea of a notorious delinquent student.
"He was ridiculously smart," Nefthis continued. "Even while causing trouble, he'd still manage to outwit the professors. I can't even count how many times I had to chase him down when he tried to skip class and run away."
"…That's hard to believe," Simon said slowly. "Then… did he graduate from Kizen in the end?"
Nefthis shook her head. "Nope. He dropped out in his second year."
"…Ah."
"He suddenly declared that this school was too small for him and just left," she said with a shrug. "There hasn't been another student like Richard in all of Kizen's history. He was one of a kind."
Nefthis placed both palms on the floor and tilted her head back, staring up at the ceiling.
Despite her childlike appearance, a deep, wistful emotion flickered across her face.
"Yeah… I was young back then too," she murmured.
"..."
Simon wanted to make a snarky remark—but held himself back, sensing that now wasn't the time.
"Me too," Knox added casually. "I was young back then…"
Simon could only stare at him helplessly. "…Why are you included in that sentence?"
"Anyway!" Nefthis suddenly clapped her hands together, brightening up.
"Richard probably explored every corner of Roke Mountain. If you look closely, you might even find traces of your father hidden around the school!"
"Oh! That actually sounds fun," Simon said, eyes lighting up.
Nefthis stood up and dusted off her clothes.
"Well, I have evening plans, so I should get going! If I'm late again, I'll probably get scolded. Hehe."
"Already?" Simon blurted out, surprise—and a hint of disappointment—slipping into his voice.
He realized a moment later that he'd enjoyed their time far more than he expected.
"I'll bet ten cakes that Sister Jane already knows you sneaked out~," Knox said with a mischievous grin.
"Then I really need to hurry!" Nefthis yelped.
Before leaving, she turned back and flashed them a bright smile. "Thanks for the snacks! Bye!"
She leapt over the windowsill.
As she did, something small slipped from her clothes and fluttered down.
Simon picked it up and rushed to the window.
"Lady Nefthis! You dropped—!"
Whooosh.
She was already gone, without a trace.
Scratching his head, Simon looked down at the object in his hand.
Knox glanced at it and spoke calmly. "Given the timing… I'm guessing she dropped it on purpose. That's for you."
"…So this really is meant for me," Simon muttered.
He sat down and unfolded the paper. It was a map.
The route led beyond Kizen's grounds, pointing to a location outside the academy. The destination was marked with a skull symbol.
"…A skull?" Simon frowned. "Shouldn't this be a treasure chest or something?"
He examined the map more closely, but aside from the destination, there was almost no additional information.
Why would Lady Nefthis give him this?
—If you look closely, you might be able to find traces of your father hidden throughout the school.
Simon clenched his fist. He'd set out tomorrow.
While Simon felt nothing but excitement, Knox's thoughts moved in a very different direction.
…With this, the resurrection of the Seventh Legion will soon begin.
Simon. This is the turning point of your life.
I could absorb the Seventh Legion by killing Peer, the administrator—but that would be catastrophic.
I'm not particularly attached to preserving the original story… But changing your fate—and the fate of the Seventh Legion—is a completely different matter.
Altering the Seventh Legion's destiny could ripple through the main storyline itself. My knowledge of what's to come is my greatest advantage.
If possible, under no circumstances can I afford to gamble that away.
So instead of changing the main protagonist's fate…
A lost fly will need to be swatted.
Or more precisely—an ivory-colored fox.
Right, Serene Aidark?~