Chapter 2-8 (1/2)

Blacksmith Volume 2 Chapter 8

The first Magic Science class is being taught in the park today, so Vaine and I arrived there early in the morning after waking up.

There sure is some spare time until class starts though, maybe we should do a little training as we wait.

Crossy doesn’t really get up on weekday mornings, so we followed through the stretches with just the two of us.

First, with our backs to each other, we connected our arms, and taking turns we bent over, stretching each other overhead.

“Uuu~”

My body feels good with that stretch, and my drowsiness has completely disappeared. Its also nice being able to see things from this angle.

“Uuu~”

Now it’s my turn to pick up Vaine. Ah! Yup, he’s heavy, I think I just broke my hip.

“Yesterday, even though I was reading it all night long, I couldn’t understand the spellbook I got from home at all.”

I said back over to Vaine while I helped him stretch.

“I see, so Kururi does need to study.”

“Vaine, how about you, what’d you do yesterday?”

“Hmph!”, Vaine stretched with heavy breath before answering.

“Yesterday I was practicing my swordplay.”

“Swordplay huh? That’s rather diligent of you.”

With my reply, for some reason Vaine stopped moving, he just stood there without even acknowledging that he stopped.

Since it was my turn to stretch, I turned my neck towards him in dissatisfaction.

“Ah.”

That’s when I saw it. To my left, right in front of Vaine.

…it was a cat.

A human sized cat.

Was it lion?! Nope, it was a cat. Vaine probably stopped moving because of this.

Its face wasn’t one that said it had a terrible attitude, in fact, its eyes were actually a little cute.

Somehow it also gives off the atmosphere of a kitten.

Even if it is a kitten though, it’s big. Even though it’s a cat, it’s the size of a human. A huge furball.

“Good morning, nyaa~”

It just spoke.

It just spoke to us.

“Hey Vaine, do you want to go somewhere together with Crossy and I this weekend? Just the three of us.”

“Hey, don’t just ignore meow~”

“Oh, that sounds nice.”

“You’re ignoring meow too, big guy?”

Big?! Isn’t that what we should be calling you?! …Don’t answer that.

Is this a dream?!

“Vaine, pinch me.”

“This isn’t a dream, nyaa.”

Vaine and I released arms, and confronted the reality that was in front of us.

“Who are you?”

No, What are you?

“The Magic Science Sensei(instructor), nyaa.”

“Really? …and why are you a cat?”

Vaine, hey! Did I just hear you right?! You’re going straight to the point just like that?!

“What’s the problem with that, does your teacher have to be a human, nyaa?”

To that response, Vaine whispered in my ear.

“This is dangerous.”

“Definitely dangerous.” I whispered back.

“Don’t be afraid, nyaa. I’m just your Sensei, nyaa.”

Or so you say with that nonchalantly cute face of yours, but what are your true intentions? I can’t help but feel a little suspicious.

“Then what’s your name then, Sensei?”

I asked gingerly.

“There are no names for cats without owners, nyaa~ Is that nyat common sense? What’s wrong with you people, nyaa?”

Oh, um… sorry about that.

“Then, Sensei?”

Vaine summoned up his courage and raised his hand.

“What is it, nyaa?”

“Sensei, are you a boy cat, or a girl cat?”

“I’m a girl, nyaa! How rude, nyaa!”

Oh, umm… sorry. Vaine was probably thinking the same thing.

“Even so, you! Big guy! That no good, nyaa! Your body is strong, but your magic is so weak I can barely feel it trickle out, nyaa.”

Whew, she wasn’t referring to me. As I was sighing, she put her hand on my shoulder.

No, her paw! She just put her paw on my shoulder!

“You should learn from this one, nyaa! His body is thin compared to yours, but… nyeah, an amazing amount of magic is overflowing from him, going ‘Doppyu Doppyu (sfx: something being powerfully ejected)’, nyaa.”

I’m happy about the compliment, but stop looking at me like that!

“You look like a promising student, nyaa. What’s your nyame?”

“I’m Kururi.”

“Kururi-chan, nyaa? I’ll remember that, nyaa.”

Vaine placed his hand on my shoulder too, what a chilling moment.

What?! What are you thinking about?! No, don’t answer that! I already know!

“Umm… Neko-sensei!”

“What is it, nyaa? Do you nyeed something Kururi-chan?”

“Neko-sensei is the instructor for magic science, right? So does that mean you can use magic?”

“Nyeah, of course.”

As she said so, Neko-sensei activated soil magic, creating an image of herself in the dirt.