Hate Me, Miss Witch!

"Sigh."

"Flat pockets, flat pockets."

Xaya absentmindedly filled the blank slot in his skill bar with the name "Amaterasu."

With a slight mental shift, he gathered his wandering thoughts.

In the next moment, the icy expanse of the northern tundra surrounding Xaya vanished.

It was replaced by a steam train car hurtling forward with a loud roar.

Thanks to achieving "perfect" proficiency in Tsukuyomi, he could now create illusions and freely control the fantasy world within them according to his will as a Beastmaster.

Through the training and simulations in the illusion, Xaya managed to help Silver complete the prototype for the Amaterasu skill during the few days spent on the train.

As for why the illusion's backdrop was a frozen northern tundra, it wasn't just because that snowy northern plain was Silver's birthplace—

It was also Xaya's own hometown in this lifetime.

...

Feeling his consciousness return to reality, Xaya opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings.

Although he was immersed in the Tsukuyomi illusion, Xaya had left enough of his mental energy in reality to guard against unexpected situations.

The reason he had ended the Tsukuyomi was because he sensed someone approaching him in the real world.

In the aisle of the train car, a young girl in a pristine white dress leaned toward him, her face full of curiosity as she gazed at Xaya.

More precisely, her eyes were fixed on the small, delicate snow ferret perched on his shoulder.

Noticing Xaya's gaze, the girl's cheeks flushed shyly, seemingly caught off guard by his sudden awakening.

However, she quickly composed herself and replaced her embarrassed expression with a more composed one. "Um, excuse me..."

"May I touch it?"

It turned out that fluffy little creatures were irresistible to women from ages seven to seventy.

Truly deserving of being a species blessed with innate charm as part of its skillset.

Xaya's gaze swept across the girl's innocent face and paused at her chest—not because of her figure, but because of the silver badge she wore.

The intricately designed silver badge featured an engraving of a rapier and three golden laurel leaves.

Xaya had an identical badge in his spatial pouch.

He turned to look at the snow ferret on his shoulder.

Sensing the girl's overflowing maternal instincts in her gaze, the ferret leaped from Xaya's left shoulder to his right, elegantly expressing its refusal to interact.

Xaya shrugged. "Sorry, looks like my pet is shy."

In truth, with Silver's aloof nature, any stranger attempting to pet it would first have to brace themselves for a Tsukuyomi attack.

"Is that so? What a pity."

The girl looked genuinely disappointed, her eyes still lingering on the ferret with an air of longing.

"Then... could you at least tell me its species?"

"I'd love to raise a decorative pet like it."

"Chirp chirp~ (A decorative pet? You're the decorative pet! Your whole family is decorative pets!)"

Silver swished its tail irritably on Xaya's shoulder.

The motion startled the girl.

"A decorative pet couldn't possibly possess this level of intelligence."

Her gaze shifted back and forth between Xaya and the snow ferret before settling on Xaya's face.

"Xaya Egut, isn't it?"

"Sorry, you must have the wrong person." Xaya's heart skipped a beat as he picked up a nearby newspaper.

"I'm not mistaken."

"Among all the senior students at Saint Roland Academy, only you have a seemingly harmless snow ferret as your main pet."

The girl's expression suddenly grew serious.

"Xaya , as a member of Saint Roland Academy, you should consider the challenges we in the student council face."

"You've skipped the semester exams twice in a row."

"Not only that, but as one of the academy's few mid-tier Beastmasters, you're never present for exchange events where the school represents the empire against the young Beastmasters of the Church and the noble alliances."

Xaya raised the newspaper higher. "I'm telling you, you've got the wrong person. My name's Amuro—Amuro Ray."

"What does finding Xaya have to do with me, Amuro?"

However, it was clear that the girl wasn't planning to let Xaya off so easily.

"Let's set all that aside for now."

"But during the academy's centennial celebration, you were nowhere to be found."

"Do you know how much effort we in the student council had to put in to cover for you in front of all those noble dignitaries who came to attend?"

Xaya took a sip of water. "I actually have a reason. President Dyris, hear me out."

"For the past six months, I've been acting as a champion of justice in Reza City, helping the local authorities fight evil. They even wanted to award me a medal for exemplary citizenship, but I turned it down."

"So now you admit you're Xaya, not Amuro?"

"And you're finally willing to acknowledge me as the student council president?"

Dyris rubbed her temples in exasperation. "I understand that as students without noble family backgrounds, it's hard for us commoners to gather the materials necessary for advancing our pets."

"Sometimes, we have to take on bounty missions from local authorities or the military to earn enough money and contributions."

"But that doesn't mean you can completely ignore the academy."

"And no matter what, it's good to build connections with your peers. Many students at Saint Roland Academy are from noble families with extensive networks."

"Forming good relationships with them will benefit you after graduation."

With that, she extended her hand toward Xaya decisively.

"In any case, you need to come with me to the student council. Let's settle the two missed exams first."

"In a few days, the academy will host a social banquet. Many senior instructors and noble families will attend, and I'll introduce you as the student council president..."

Woo—

Just as Xaya was racking his brain for an excuse to slip away, a long whistle interrupted Dyris mid-sentence.

The train began to slow until it came to a complete stop.

"Dear passengers, the train is about to arrive at its destination."

"Welcome to the capital of nations—Camelot."

Accompanied by the soft broadcast from the sound transmission array, the train doors slowly opened.

As the announcement ended, the aisle of the train car was instantly crowded with a rush of passengers, blocking Dyris's view.

When Dyris finally regained her footing amidst the chaos, she realized that Xaya had disappeared, leaving her stomping in frustration.

"This guy..."