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134th Chapter: Nebia Chromag (3)

The season was just short of full bloom for the cherry blossoms.

Even though it was still too early to feel excitement, Aligieri was already immersed in a festive atmosphere.

The academy’s founding anniversary held significant meaning for both the scholars and the villagers.

A ceremony was held to express gratitude to the Great Sage who made this barren land a rich tourist destination and a place of learning.

While it might hold little significance elsewhere, Aligieri was in a true festive spirit.

Finally, the first day of the three-day celebration arrived.

*

“Why is she taking so long?”

I was waiting for someone in front of the enormous statue located at the town’s center. Today was the day I had made plans to go out with Saint Nebia.

Being a saint doesn’t mean she’s completely restricted.

She may have been busy moving around for prayers before, but now, as a student of Aligieri, she could momentarily forget that status.

Being in the academy affords a certain level of freedom, as that’s generally the purpose of enrollment.

As long as they don’t create complicated situations themselves.

‘Somehow, it feels like I’ve been swindled. I hear she has a terrible temper for a saint.’

‘No way. Maybe she just can’t recognize us because we’re in disguise?’

The person I was meant to be with was the saint.

If I had blundered and showed up without disguise, I’d instantly draw attention and feel awkward.

If the disguise was so remarkable that she couldn’t recognize me, that would make sense.

‘If that saint hadn’t been late, I wouldn’t have been stuck here staring blankly.’

As I stood still, time dragged on, and I leaned against the statue’s base, observing the town’s atmosphere.

The festive vibe was palpable, likely due to the long-standing tradition.

A massive structure had already been built beside the statue, adorned with ornaments reminiscent of lights.

When people tested the lights, a gigantic, glowing fox figure became visible.

The fox structure began to move closer to the statue of Dantia, as if the two were approaching in a friendly manner.

‘Is this model based on the appearance of Great Sage Dantia and the Divine Beast, the Thousand-Year Fox?’

Muto observed the two alternately.

When someone leaves a great achievement behind, they’re undoubtedly deified. It was this aspect that piqued Muto’s interest.

‘One looks more like a benevolent saint than a sage, while the other fits the description of a divine fox.’

No one had seen them in their true forms.

Back then, spirit magic hadn’t been devised, so there was no way to leave behind any direct likeness, except for paintings that varied based on the artist’s interpretation.

Yet, no one ever drew Great Sage Dantia without her exceptional beauty.

Regardless of her actual appearance, she had always been captured in a way that embodied an elegant beauty, ensuring familiarity with that version.

‘It’s ridiculous how they blindly beautify based solely on that idol and her achievements.’

‘Well, if she’s pretty, it makes sense that she’s known to be pretty. Let’s not overthink it.’

‘If she’s been deified like this, wouldn’t her descendants receive special treatment?’

‘Descendants, you say?’

Dantia was a prodigious being who excelled in all studies, including magic.

What would happen if the fact that such a great sage encountered a demon became known?

“Radon, my senior.”

In the midst of my musings, a voice called out from the side.

Turning my head, I saw a girl calling to me.

Normally, I would have wondered who she was, but as I observed her features and voice, I recognized her.

“Saint Nebia?”

“You recognize me!”

With a joyous expression, she wasn’t adorned in her usual green hair.

Just like before when she disguised herself, she had brown hair and eyes, and her outfit was completely different.

“Who else could it be if not you when you mention my name? But… what’s with that outfit?”

“What?”

“Aren’t you embarrassed?”

It was neither a school uniform nor a saint’s attire.

She was wearing a rabbit costume and had paired it with an extravagant skirt in a peculiar combination.

It looked like the kind of magic girl cosplay that a little girl would wear waving a wand.

More accurately, it seemed like a haphazardly sewn outfit made by girls admiring magical girls.

For someone who was supposed to be accompanying me, it was an outfit too juvenile to frown upon.

“Isn’t this the trend now?”

“Trend? Who says something so ridiculous?”

Someone must have put those ideas in her head.

No matter how much she receives saint education, that subject doesn’t cover dating.

Moreover, considering her upbringing, she could be exceptionally innocent in that area.

What kind of person would…

“Professor Stella said so.”

“Ah…”

Say that again. Who did you just mention?

“I talked with her and she said that Professor Stella is actually an experienced person in love. She knew exactly what outfit to wear when meeting a guy.”

“….”

Another tremor in my brain.

Currently, she was dating Professor Radian. If she succeeded in love while dressed like this, it couldn’t be…

‘Hahaha! That Combat Department professor isn’t ordinary either!’

‘Damn it.’

The only person I believed to be normal, Professor Radian, turned out to have odd tastes too.

That absurd realization began weighing heavily on the back of my head.

I was already feeling dizzy.

“If my outfit isn’t normal, then Radon senior’s isn’t either.”

Nebia pointed out, looking at my long hair that reached my waist.

“Oh, thinking about it, you’re right.”

I nearly forgot.

Currently, I was also in disguise, just like her.

Since we had performed the Ceremony of Flash before, my hair had become straightened as well.

‘Haha, I completely forgot. This White Snake look isn’t so bad after all.’

Muto had also transformed into a white snake, slithering around in the air like an eel.

The reason for undergoing this absurd ceremony was purely for this moment.

As she was a saint, clergy opposed any impure representation while accompanying her.

“But now that I look at it, you really do seem like a girl.”

“….”

Being mistaken for a girl has always been the case, now and then.

The influence of the ceremony left my face a ghostly white and my hair elongated, making it feel as if all masculinity had vanished.

I had to endure the disgust each time I looked into the mirror.

“But actually, it works out. No one’s going to recognize us this way.”

Ultimately, I didn’t feel it was too bad either. This level of disguise was just enough.

“Let’s use casual language while we’re at it. Complaining about how we speak might raise suspicion.”

“Okay, then I’ll call you ‘little sister.’”

“….”

As if waiting for the moment, he began to speak informally while patting my head.

In turn, Nebia pouted, acting like a clumsy younger sister.

“Alright, so let go! You idiot sister!”

She too tried to remove my hand while getting used to the informal speech.

That sight seemed unexpectedly cute…

“Wait a second. What did you just say?”

“I called you ‘sister.’”

“Who’s calling me sister?”

“Who else is standing in front of me except a sister?”

“….”

I was rendered speechless again.

Though because of our appearance, it was fitting to be called that, it was exceedingly irritating.

It had often been easy to misinterpret us as siblings due to the same brown hair and a slight height difference.

However, I could assert that I wasn’t her sister.

“What do you mean sister! My voice is clearly masculine! Wait… why is my voice like this?”

My rough voice suddenly transformed into a feminine tone.

I hadn’t done anything in particular, and the last bastion of proving my masculinity vanished without warning.

I glanced up at Muto, the apparent culprit lurking within me.

‘Hoo hoo~’

That guy floated leisurely, whistling as if it were of no concern to him, but I could tell immediately that was a lie.

“You little bastard snake!”

‘Well then, have fun on your sister date~’

“Hey!”

Muto swooped into my body.

I was losing my mind, as I couldn’t just slap myself to get it out.

“Sister, what are you doing? Let’s go quickly.”

“….”

Thud!—

Unknowingly, I instinctively hit my head against the base of the statue.

Not just once, but several times. I wasn’t such a fool as Mary, how could I withstand such madness.

“Sister! You’ll only hurt your head like that!”

“Shut up! It’s all your fault!”

Please don’t call me sister! Every time I hear it, rage boils up making me want to bash my head against something.

How do I suppress this feeling that I’m going to regress as if my limbs are shriveling?

“Hey! What are you doing?”

At that moment, the town guards sprinted in like cheetahs.

Upon seeing them, I remembered another fact I had forgotten about and flinched.

“What vulgar act are you performing at the statue of Dantia!”

“Are you students of the academy? Then tell me who your supervising professor is.”

It just had to be a festival day when security was particularly tight.

As such, guards who were usually elusive stood out exceptionally well today.

If our identities were revealed here, it would be a disaster.

At least with our disguises in place, I had no choice but to resort to my long-standing friend, ‘acting.’

“Hmmm…”

However, before that, I steadied my mind. Using ‘that act’ in this state would be quite exhausting.

Ready or not. Now it’s time…

“I apologize sincerely, sir.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been waiting for my friend since morning, but he hasn’t arrived yet, so I just leaned my head for a moment. If I seemed unpleasant, I truly apologize.”

[De-escalation rate decrease: -15%]

[+1500 Credits]

The guards became greatly flustered, and Nebia was completely frozen in place.

Could this really be the same person who had been banging her head against the base just moments ago?

Nobody could deny that she resembled a pitiful girl on the verge of tears, shaking hearts in the process.

“I truly apologize. I’m very sorry.”

With a bowing, long brown-haired girl.

Her voice was so beautiful it would be unusual not to be mesmerized.

“Oh, no, my lady! It seems we misunderstood.”

“So just stop crying. Dry your tears!”

The guards had been blushing for a while now.

Their displays of embarrassment as she bobbed her head in apology were utterly adorable, making it hard to contain oneself.

If I stayed like this, I felt I wouldn’t be fulfilling my duties as a guard.

“Are you perhaps an academy student?”

“No, we arrived here on a train from another village.”

[De-escalation rate decrease: -8%]

[+800 Credits]

“Haha! You two are on a trip together, aren’t you?”

“There are many attractions in Aligieri, so make sure to explore it thoroughly, my lady.”

Wince—

In that moment, the girl struggled to suppress a vein from popping on her forehead.

And finally, she mustered a bright smile and said,

“Well then, take care, sirs!”

Her hands formed a heart shape accompanying her words.

Before long, the guards were utterly entranced as they let her (or him?) go.

It had almost led to my identity being exposed, but thanks to improvisation, I managed to evade the crisis.

“That was brilliant. Sister, you’re truly amazing.”

“….”

Nebia commended me on that point, but I didn’t share in the relief.

I was walking like a zombie with dead fish eyes.

“Hey… sister?”

“Sorry, but I really need to use the restroom…”

I rushed toward a prominent public restroom.

As soon as I entered the men’s restroom, the sounds of a girl retching echoed throughout.

And then came the cries of men asserting why a woman was in their restroom.

*

“This can’t be happening!”

Angela, who was watching from a distance, was utterly speechless with shock.

What she saw was undoubtedly Radon Crawler.

The onigiri delivery… I mean, the benefactor who once saved herself when she became a Nine-Tailed Fox and a close friend of her sister.

She witnessed him managing to seduce the guards while disguised as a woman.

‘And the one next to him is undoubtedly…’

Even while disguised, Angela recognized Nebia as another saint.

Radon, despite the change in appearance, had no difficulty recognizing her scent.

But why were those two together?

‘Somehow, I feel like my sister would have a fit if she saw this.’

Angela felt fortunate that her sisters weren’t around, especially since Nebia was an evident rival.

Recently, Radon had often been refusing to deliver onigiri, which raised Angela’s suspicions.

With a hand on her chest, Angela felt a change within at that moment.

Saints always possessed a certain artifact that allowed them to transform into other forms.

Using that power, Angela’s tail and ears disappeared. Her hair turned black, and her eyes red, transforming her into a completely different person.

Since this was in a back alley, no one witnessed her disguise.

‘As long as I don’t get spotted by Nebia.’

Thus began the covert tracking of the Nine-Tailed Fox saint by the fox saint.

 

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