Yun Jianlan didn’t elaborate on what came after, but Latia understood her meaning.
If she was in charge of managing this matter, then who was mafia and who wasn’t would be up to her.
Something like leaving out a few unimportant small fry would be normal, right?
“But how can I get into Shengxiu Academy? I’m long past the enrollment age, aren’t I?”
Latia remembered that Shengxiu Academy only enrolled students under twelve.
“You can rest assured on that. As long as you agree, I’ll take care of the rest.”
Yun Jianlan looked at Latia and said, “Obtaining the ‘Star of the Academy’ won’t be easy. You need to think carefully before answering.”
However, Latia didn’t hesitate at all and answered directly.
“I agree!”
—
Time returns to the present.
After the family reunion, Latia changed her name back to her pre-disappearance name, “Ruri Yuriko,” at her sister’s request, and underwent several days of ladylike training to shed her vulgar, thuggish demeanor.
‘What did I do to deserve this? I was doing fine as a mafia boss, and now I have to come here to school…’
Yuriko felt a wave of humiliation thinking about those days of training.
She, a true man standing tall, was forced to undergo “girl” training, learning how to act more like a lady—an absolute disgrace!
But obtaining the Star of the Academy was related to popularity, and personal charm was an important criterion in the evaluation.
That was why Yuriko deliberately put on a good-girl image.
At the same time, she needed to hide her mafia identity.
If it was exposed, she would be caught in a storm of public opinion, lose her chance at the Star of the Academy, and ultimately be killed by her cheap sister herself.
So, she absolutely could not be exposed!
‘Your sister actually managed to get you a transfer spot at Shengxiu Academy. Truly incredible.’
The black cat on Yuriko’s shoulder remarked.
Hearing this, Yuriko also became curious.
‘Is it that hard?’
Yuriko only knew that Shengxiu Academy was a very prestigious institution, enrolling only the world’s top geniuses, and every graduate was a leading authority in their field.
‘Of course it’s very hard, meow. Because Shengxiu Academy has never had a situation like this before. There are only a thousand places for the first year, and every year at least half the students are dismissed for failing assessments. Moreover, the Academy’s system is notoriously strict, and the Dean doesn’t even give face to kings.’
‘Then I’ve hit the jackpot, haven’t I?’
Yuriko didn’t expect her cheap sister to have such influence.
Was she clinging to a super powerful thigh?
‘At least graduating from fifth grade is more promising than being a mafia boss, meow.’
‘That makes me feel a lot better.’
Yuriko took out her wallet from her pocket and looked at the gilded black card inside.
This card had her monthly pocket money—a full million!
It seemed her sister was indeed quite successful.
While Yuriko and Phantom were talking, a light brown-haired girl spotted her from afar and jogged over.
The girl looked about the same age as Yuriko.
Even with just a small jog, certain parts of her body wobbled uncontrollably, making Yuriko’s eyes blur.
‘Yuriko, her boobs are even bigger than yours.’
‘I can see that, you don’t need to point it out.’
The brown-haired girl stopped in front of Yuriko, panting lightly, and asked, “Hello, are you Ruri?”
The girl’s voice was a little husky yet gentle—a softness that came from her very bones, different from the gentle act Yuriko put on.
And her voice was so small.
Her exceedingly soft tone made Yuriko suspect she could be blown over by the wind at any moment.
The girl before her was undoubtedly a soft, gentle girl—a kind Yuriko had never seen in all her years dealing with the underground mafia!
Moreover, this girl’s appearance was prettier than any girl Yuriko had ever met.
Even with a pure outfit, she somehow gave Yuriko a seductive feeling.
“Um, classmate?”
Seeing Yuriko not responding and just staring straight at her, the girl thought she had done something improper and grew nervous.
Yuriko was snapped back to reality by the girl’s voice.
Having been in the mafia so long, she only saw ugly faces every day, so when she saw this girl, she subconsciously stared a bit longer.
Staring like that was definitely rude.
At times like this, she should apologize.
“Sorry, you’re so beautiful that I couldn’t help staring for a moment.”
Yuriko bowed slightly to express her apology, then answered the girl’s initial question.
“I am Ruri Yuriko.”
The girl’s face suddenly reddened a bit.
She shook her head and said, “It’s fine. And if we’re talking about beauty, Ruri is even prettier.”
“I’m sent by Teacher Avier to help you adapt to Academy life. You can call me Carmilla.”
“I understand. Thank you, Carmilla, for coming to help me. I hope we can get along well~”
Yuriko smiled at Carmilla and extended her hand.
Carmilla looked at Yuriko’s extended hand.
She recognized this as a greeting custom in some regions, so she also extended her hand and shook Yuriko’s.
So soft.
Yuriko had never known that a girl’s hand could be so soft.
In the mafia, she was always gripping her mace and fighting, and her most frequent contact with people was using her fist to break their noses.
She had no idea that people could be so soft and fluffy.
“Mm, this is already my duty as class monitor. Ruri, you don’t need to be so polite. Just call me by my name.”
Yuriko withdrew her hand, the soft sensation still lingering in her palm.
“Then Carmilla, you can call me Ruri directly too.”
“Then I’ll call you Ruri directly. Your family name sounds very nice~”
After greeting, Carmilla seemed to relax.
She patted her ample chest and said somewhat thankfully:
“Actually, when I heard a new student was joining suddenly, I was a bit nervous, worried about what to do if our personalities didn’t match. But after meeting you, Ruri, I’m completely at ease.”
Then you’re a bit too early to be at ease.
But she’s so gentle.
‘This is great. This is the first time I’ve interacted with such a beautiful girl. Were those ugly faces I met before really girls?’
‘Your thinking seems a bit too extreme.’
“It seems our compatibility is pretty good. Maybe we can become friends.”
Even though she was acting, Yuriko thought there was nothing wrong with becoming friends with such a cute and gentle girl.
Just looking at her made her feel better.
“I’m also looking forward to becoming friends with Yuriko~”
After saying this, Carmilla noticed Phantom perched on Yuriko’s shoulder.
“Such a cute cat. Is this your pet, Ruri?”
Yuriko looked at Phantom on her shoulder and picked her up, holding her in her arms so Carmilla could see her better.
“Her name is Phantom. But she’s not my pet; she’s a friend who has been with me for many years.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know she was your friend. I, I…”
Carmilla quickly apologized to Yuriko, afraid that calling her friend a pet might upset her.
She really was so gentle.
She even apologized for mistakenly calling Phantom a pet.
In just a few sentences, Yuriko understood the personality of this girl.
She must be a very considerate and good girl, always mindful of others’ feelings.
“It’s okay. Most people would see a cat and think it’s a pet. See, Phantom doesn’t mind at all.”
Yuriko lifted Phantom up.
The little cat’s face showed no expression.
“Is that so?”
Carmilla looked at Phantom held up in front of her, blinked her lively eyes, and actually bent down to say to Phantom:
“Hello, little cat Phantom. I hope we can become good friends too~”
Seeing Carmilla speak to Phantom, Yuriko thought she had discovered Phantom’s special nature and knew she was actually a cat that had become a spirit.
Phantom lazily opened her mouth and let out a soft meow, as a response to Carmilla.
‘Phantom, she hasn’t discovered that you can actually talk, has she?’
‘Probably not.’
Sure enough, after Phantom meowed, Carmilla said to Yuriko with delight, “Oh my, she’s so smart! She actually responded to me!”
“Right? My Phantom is super smart~”
Yuriko showed a proud expression, as if Carmilla was praising her.
‘Looks like she really didn’t find out. She actually said hello to a cat—she’s so gentle!’
Only if she truly regarded Phantom as Yuriko’s friend and respected Yuriko’s feelings would she treat a cat like a human.
‘Are you falling for her?’
‘Of course not. My goal is to conquer all of Pilgrim City. But if I could have a gentle girl like this as my girlfriend, I’d even be willing to beat up those thugs.’
‘How are you getting both?’
‘Just kidding. A girl this nice probably already has a boyfriend.’
Even Yuriko, who had lived two lives and was now a girl herself, couldn’t help but feel the urge to protect Carmilla while interacting with her.
For those hot-blooded young men, it went without saying—Carmilla definitely had a ton of suitors.
After a short conversation, Carmilla also remembered her current purpose and said to Yuriko, “It’s getting late. Let me take you to Teacher Avier’s office first. She seems to want to see you.”
Yuriko didn’t know this Teacher Avier, but from Carmilla’s words, she would be her future homeroom teacher.
It was normal for her to want to see her.
Carmilla led Yuriko into the Academy, and when they passed certain locations, she would briefly introduce them.
“This is the Sword Training Hall, a venue specifically for students to practice swordsmanship.”
Carmilla introduced the place they had just passed.
For Yuriko, who usually only stayed in the mafia and had attended only an ordinary public school before her transmigration, she had never seen a place dedicated to training a specific skill.
“Swordsmanship training. Do we have swordsmanship classes in our curriculum?” Yuriko asked.
“Yes, but those are all lower-grade courses. This year’s curriculum teaches some higher-level martial arts techniques, and swordsmanship is included within.”
Hearing this, Yuriko suddenly became a bit worried.
Shengxiu Academy had six grades total.
The first five years were for focused training, and the sixth year allowed students to study freely.
That meant Yuriko had missed all the knowledge from the first four years and hadn’t learned any decent martial skills.
‘Not good. I’ve missed so many years of classes. Am I going to embarrass myself right away?’
‘Don’t worry, I’m here, meow.’
Phantom gently tapped Yuriko’s cheek with her little paw, reminding her of her presence.
‘Are you sure it’s okay? Even though you know a lot, this is Shengxiu Academy.’
‘My knowledge database contains all the knowledge from the Shengxiu Academy library from five hundred years ago. Even if there are differences from the current content, it won’t have too much impact.’
‘Then I feel relieved.’
With Phantom backing her up, that faint worry completely disappeared, and Yuriko even walked more confidently.
“I haven’t learned swordsmanship yet. It seems I’ll need to come here and train hard.”
Carmilla’s steps faltered, and she suddenly stopped.
Her sudden action made Yuriko curious.
“Eh, so Ruri hasn’t learned swordsmanship?”
Carmilla looked surprised.
Yuriko didn’t know why she thought she had learned swordsmanship.
Did she mistake her for an aristocrat’s child and assume she had learned it?
“Is that strange?”
“No,” Carmilla shook her head, scratching her cheek a bit awkwardly.
“It’s just that when we shook hands, I felt a thin layer of calluses on your hand, so I assumed it was from sword practice. I was being presumptuous. I must have made a fool of myself, Ruri.”
“!”
Yuriko raised her palm, looking at the thin calluses formed from daily beatings with her mace, and realized she had been careless.
She couldn’t very well say it was from swinging a club to shatter people’s bones, could she?
“This, well, actually it’s because I work part-time. I’m an orphan, so to support myself, I work ten hours every day!”
As soon as Yuriko finished speaking, Phantom said in her mind:
‘Idiot, calluses from sword practice are different from calluses from manual labor. If the other person is good at observing, they’ll easily spot your lie.’
‘Ugh, how was I supposed to know? Couldn’t you have warned me?’
‘You didn’t ask me.’
Realizing the flaw in her words, Yuriko grew nervous.
A detail-oriented girl like Carmilla would definitely easily discover she was lying.
Fortunately, Carmilla didn’t notice anything amiss.
Upon hearing that Yuriko was an orphan, she was filled with sympathy and didn’t pay attention to the flaw in Yuriko’s words.
“I’m sorry, I had no idea you worked so hard, Ruri. Working ten hours a day must be very tiring.”
Carmilla stepped forward and took Yuriko’s hand, gently holding her palm in her own.
Her pretty, slightly seductive face was full of concern.
This sudden action made Yuriko, a lifelong virgin, blush.
She instinctively wanted to pull her hand back, but worried it would seem odd, so her movements hesitated.
“Carmilla, you don’t need to apologize. It was tough, but recently I found my family, so I don’t have to work as hard (at shattering people’s leg bones with a mace) anymore.”
“That’s really great~ But suddenly coming to study at Shengxiu Academy must be quite uncomfortable. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to come to me. I’ll help with anything within my power.”
Yuriko felt Carmilla’s tone had become even gentler.
Did her orphan status invoke her sympathy?
“You’re such a good person. If I have a gentle girl like you to comfort me, I feel like I could work twenty hours a day!”
“Eh, you need to rest properly. Working twenty hours a day will wear your body out.”
“Just kidding, haha~”
Carmilla lightly patted her chest, seeming to have taken Yuriko’s joke seriously.
“Phew~ So it was just a joke. But Ruri still needs to take care of herself. Now that you’ve found your family, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Mm-hmm, I will.”
After over ten minutes, Yuriko finally arrived at Teacher Avier’s office.
Carmilla knocked on the door and called out in a slightly louder voice, “Teacher Avier, I’ve brought Ruri!”
However, her voice was still very soft.
Even her yell sounded gentle to Yuriko’s ears, not harsh at all.
“Come in.”
Avier’s response came from inside.
Carmilla pushed open the door and led Yuriko in.
The office wasn’t large.
Besides a desk, there was a wooden cabinet for files.
Avier sat across from them, casting her gaze at Yuriko.
Avier was a woman who looked very young, only about twenty years old.
She was about half a head shorter than Yuriko, probably around 1.5 meters tall.
“Carmilla, you go to the classroom first. I’ll have a private chat with the new student, and then I’ll take her over.”
“Okay, I’ll head off then. Goodbye, Ruri. Goodbye, Teacher Avier.”
After saying goodbye, Carmilla left the office, closing the door behind her, leaving Yuriko and Avier staring at each other.
Normally, Yuriko should be nervous meeting her homeroom teacher, but this Teacher Avier didn’t feel very strict, making it hard to feel any awe.
Finally, Avier spoke first.
“You’re Ruri Yuriko, right? Have a seat.”
Yuriko looked down, searching for something to sit on in front of the desk, but she didn’t find a chair or stool.
“Excuse me, are you telling me to sit on the floor?”
Yuriko suspected Avier was trying to intimidate her as a privileged transfer student.
Telling her to sit without offering a chair was clearly meant to humiliate her, right?
Faced with such provocation, Yuriko’s usual response was to fight back with fists.
Her hands instinctively clenched, her instinct wanting to solve the problem in the most violent way.
But thinking of her purpose for coming to school, Yuriko unclenched her fists.
Beating up a teacher on her first day as a privileged student would ruin her reputation even if she wasn’t expelled.
Was she going to suffer humiliation here?
How should she retaliate at a time like this…
“Huh? Why would you sit on the floor?”
“Hmm?”
Avier blinked, puzzled why Yuriko said that.
Then her gaze turned to the side and saw the stool placed under the windowsill.
Her eyes widened.
“Waah, sorry, I forgot to bring the stool back!”
Avier hopped off her chair, hurriedly moved the stool to the desk, and was about to let Yuriko sit, but then remembered she had recently stood on it to water the flowers, leaving her footprints on it.
She asked Yuriko to wait.
“Ruri, wait a moment… Eh, where’s my rag? Ah, I used it to wipe the windowsill. Let me go wash it first…”
Watching the flustered Avier, Yuriko suddenly felt she was unreliable.
She took a handkerchief from her clothes and handed it to Avier.
“Teacher, use mine for now.”
“Oh, thank you!”
Avier instinctively took the handkerchief and wiped the footprints off the stool.
After she finished wiping, she belatedly realized what she had done.
“Waah, this is Ruri’s handkerchief! I used it to wipe the stool! I’m sorry, I’ll wash it clean and return it to you!”
“Ahaha… Teacher, you don’t need to worry.”
Yuriko felt this teacher was a bit airheaded.
Was she really her homeroom teacher?
But at least there was a place to sit.
Yuriko smoothed her skirt as she sat down to prevent wrinkles.
‘Sigh, why is the uniform a skirt? Every time I sit down, I feel so girly.’
‘What’s wrong with a girl being girly?’
‘Of course there is! Although my body is a girl, my heart is still a macho man. If anyone calls me girly, I’ll make them pay!’
‘You’re deceiving yourself. From your appearance, you are undoubtedly a girl so girly it can’t get any girlier.’
‘You bastard!’
Yuriko picked up Phantom and placed her on her lap, vigorously rubbing her head.
‘Stop it, my fur is getting messed up!’
Just as Phantom was about to hiss, Yuriko timed it perfectly and stopped, successfully avoiding being bitten.
Avier folded the handkerchief and placed it on her desk, then sat back down in her own chair.
After this embarrassment, Avier successfully lost all her teacherly authority in front of Yuriko, and she felt a bit dejected.
“Failed again. I wanted to appear more authoritative in front of the new student.”
Your authority was already gone the moment you said that, Teacher Avier!
But Avier quickly regained her confidence, patted her cheeks, and said to Yuriko, “Ahem, Ruri, I am Simon Avier, your homeroom teacher for the coming year, responsible for managing your affairs in the Academy.”
So you really are my homeroom teacher!
Despite thinking this homeroom teacher was unreliable, Yuriko hid her feelings and continued to put on her good-student facade, saying:
“Then I’ll be in your care, Teacher Simon.”
After Yuriko spoke, Avier was taken aback, as if she hadn’t realized Yuriko was talking to her.
“Were you just talking to me?”
“Is there anyone else in this room?”
After confirming that Yuriko was indeed addressing her, Avier immediately became excited, even standing up from her desk.
“Finally, finally someone is willing to address me with a respectful title! Wuwu!”
“Uh, isn’t that the most basic etiquette?”
Yuriko was a bit dumbfounded.
Why such a big reaction just for being called “Teacher”?
“You don’t understand. When I first started as an assistant teacher and I didn’t have much of a temper, someone started calling me ‘Little Avier.’ I’m not little! Then the nickname spread more and more, until everyone called me that. Even now it hasn’t changed. Wuwu, these students are so mean!”
“…”
So from that perspective, Carmilla calling you “Teacher Avier” was already quite respectful.
“Sigh, let’s drop it. Ruri, you’re a good kid. When I heard from Yun Jianlan that you were found in a mafia, I thought you’d be a tough delinquent girl, and I was worried about how to talk to you.”
Yun Jianlan—that seemed to be her cheap sister’s name.
She seemed to know this Teacher Avier?
Wait, cheap sister, why did you tell her that I was in the mafia!
“Um, Teacher Simon, are you very familiar with my sister?”
“Mm, of course. I graduated in the same year as her. In terms of relationship, we should be considered friends, right?”
Why the question mark?
Aren’t you sure yourself?!
“So, about me being in the mafia—does anyone else know?”
“Probably not? Yun Jianlan asked me to take good care of you, which is why she told me. She usually doesn’t talk to others, so she probably won’t tell anyone else?”
Damn it, you stinky sister, telling my business to such an unreliable teacher!
Yuriko suddenly felt her future was uncertain.
Would this unreliable teacher spill the beans the very next day?
No, she had to think of something!
“Teacher Simon, since my sister was willing to tell you about me, it means she considers you one of her own. She must see you as an important friend.”
“Eh, is that so!”
Avier’s face suddenly flushed, like a smitten young girl, adding a touch of shyness.
Only a blind person couldn’t see that Avier was happy about her relationship with Yun Jianlan being recognized.
‘Phantom, I think this teacher has a thing for my cheap sister.’
‘Based on my many years of observing humans, your guess is correct.’
Now that she confirmed Avier had feelings for her cheap sister, Yuriko could use that to make her keep the secret.
“Exactly, exactly. If you weren’t close, my sister wouldn’t have casually told you about me, right?”