I, Herrscher Slayer

Watching the food on the table disappear at a visible rate while Mei merely sat there, Shen Gonglin felt he could not play favorites. He picked up a soup dumpling and held it out before Mei. The girl's mind went blank. Just when she had been thinking about it, it happened—but now she...

What should she do?

The Problem with Dumplings

She could practically hear the people around them whispering. Mei's cheeks slowly reddened. She had fed Kiana before, but being fed herself was a little too much for her. Besides, Shen Gonglin was a boy. If she accepted it in front of everyone, would they misunderstand?

Completely unlike Kiana, Mei was more like a reserved young lady. If she ate the food Shen Gonglin offered her now, everyone would surely think they were very close. Though they really were not on bad terms... Still... if she refused, Shen Gonglin would probably lose face. He was a boy, after all. For that reason alone, she should accept it.

"Okay, then I..."

Mei was just about to open her mouth when Kiana, agile as a white bear, beat her to it and swallowed the soup dumpling. The girl puffed out her cheeks as she chewed and swallowed it. She could easily eat these dumplings one at a time. After finishing, she affectionately wrapped an arm around Mei's neck and stuck out her tongue at Shen Gonglin.

"Idiot, can't you see Mei is having a hard time? You really don't understand her. She barely eats anything for breakfast. Idiots shouldn't go around causing trouble for others. Right, Mei? See how good I am to you? I'm not even afraid of getting fat for your sake!"

With her appetite in full swing that morning, Kiana showed off her affection for Mei this way after filling her stomach. No one in the world understood Mei better than she did. A dumb elk like Shen Gonglin understood nothing. You had to be attentive when dealing with girls. Mei had definitely been about to force herself just now. With Kiana here, how could she let Mei feel troubled?

This girl... was probably the cancer of Earth, wasn't she? She was happy after eating the soup dumpling that had belonged to him, wasn't she? And now she was shamelessly clinging to Mei. When exactly should Mei deal with her?

From an angle Kiana could not see, Mei stared at her with a terrifying gaze. The girl hid it so well that no one noticed, not even the perceptive Fu Hua. This was how Kiana had slowly claimed what belonged to her, wasn't it... Heh heh.

"That's far too little. Eating a bit more won't hurt. Mei, you've put on weight in all the right places. Here, have one. I saved this especially for you. It's got a bite taken out of it, but don't mind that."

Kiana had intercepted his feeding attempt again, but Shen Gonglin rather enjoyed feeding pretty girls. Besides, he genuinely could not eat anymore, so he once more held a dumpling out before Mei. And he was not wrong—Mei was so slim, yet all her extra flesh had grown exactly where it should.

"Tch, I said Mei doesn't want any! I'll have to reluctantly eat it myself... Ow!"

"Thank you. It's delicious."

Kiana frowned and prepared to reluctantly take it again, but this time Mei was not going to let this pest succeed. She pushed Kiana away and happily opened her mouth. Compared to the cancer of Earth, Shen Gonglin was practically a little angel. Her previously stormy mood instantly cleared. Why had she never noticed that this restaurant's soup dumplings were so delicious? It seemed she could not just cook in the dorm from now on. When she had time, she should come to the cafeteria and enjoy herself more often.

In her improved mood, even Kiana looked more pleasing to Mei. That girl had not done it on purpose just now, right? She could let her live a little longer.

"Shen Gonglin, Bronya wants some too."

Having watched everyone's actions in silence, Bronya suddenly tugged on Shen Gonglin's sleeve. The Class President, Mei, and even Kiana had all gotten some, but she had not. Judging by Sister Mei's expression, it had to smell delicious. Bronya wanted some too.

"Uh... but there aren't any left. Bronya, do you want to try that? The big buns with chive filling. I wanted one earlier but didn't take any. Why don't you give one a try?"

Shen Gonglin pointed to the freshly steamed large buns nearby. Why eat soup dumplings all day? Bronya already had two soup dumplings. She should be eating big buns instead. It was terrifying how the Class President only ate toast. Fu Hua seemed like the one who should eat soup dumplings. Someone with such promising room for development as Bronya could absolutely eat big buns for encouragement.

Fu Hua, who was eating a sandwich, stiffened. She somehow felt as though someone had insulted her for no reason. She had often felt this way since meeting Shen Gonglin. Surely it was not just her imagination?

"No. Bronya wants soup dumplings."

"Tch... Then how about this? I'll ask another table for one?"

"No. Bronya wants the steamer from just now."

Now Shen Gonglin was in a bind. Why had this expressionless little loli become so difficult too? There were clearly none left. Had Bronya learned to throw tantrums as well? Why did she not learn good things, only bad ones?

Only at times like this was she happiest. Manga, the best! Snacks, the best!

In the office of the St. Freya Headmaster, Theresa looked at the snacks and manga on her desk with a satisfied smile. Yesterday, Shen Gonglin had swept away all her stock, and Theresa had been unable to say anything for the sake of her dignity as headmaster. She had never suffered such humiliation since becoming the St. Freya Headmaster. Thankfully, she had fully replenished everything now.

Sure enough, only staying in an environment like this could make her feel at ease and comfortable. He was just Shen Gonglin. How could she let him affect her mood? So what if he took them away?

Whether it was manga or snacks, this headmaster could replace them all!

Happily lying sprawled across her desk, Theresa swung her pale little legs beneath her nun's dress. This office was her little place to relax. Shen Gonglin, Kiana, headmaster duties—none of them mattered more than reading manga. Why was this manga so good?

Her cherry-red lips tore open a bag of potato chips. Theresa munched on the chips while engrossing herself in the manga. Sure enough, if someone looked like a loli, then she was definitely a loli. Who could tell from this appearance that she was actually a fake loli in her forties? An old cucumber painted green.

"Auntie, we're here again!"

Just as Theresa thoroughly enjoyed her leisurely life, an energetic voice sounded outside the door. Upon hearing it, Theresa sprang up from the desk like a startled bird. Why was that dumb elk here at a time like this? Clean up, clean up! For the headmaster's dignity, she needed to clean up quickly!

Sweeping Everything Clean

Shen Gonglin rudely pushed open the door and walked in first. Like Kiana, he had no concept of knocking. The moment he entered, he saw Theresa sitting upright in her office chair. Shen Gonglin's keen sixth sense told him something fishy was going on here. What was it?

"Kiana, I've told you several times that you need to knock before coming in... Eh? You're Shen Gonglin?"

Theresa swiftly put away all the snacks and manga. She had practiced this. If necessary, she could even rip the manga into pieces too small for the naked eye to identify. After handling everything, the headmaster folded her arms and scolded Kiana. That idiot was nothing like her mother. Could she not be a little more ladylike? But when Theresa looked up, she discovered the person in front of her was not Kiana. Still, she remembered those clothes clearly. Shen Gonglin wearing Kiana's clothes did not look out of place at all.

"Good morning, Headmaster. The headmaster is as cute as ever today."

On the way here, Mei had secretly told Shen Gonglin to say more nice things whenever he saw Theresa. Thus, Shen Gonglin praised her the moment they met. But it was not a lie. Theresa really did look cute.

"You're not allowed to call someone older than you cute. Shen Gonglin, you need to show me some respect. You're all here, then. Perfect, I was going to call you over anyway... Shen Gonglin, don't touch my head!"

Theresa jumped down from her chair and carefully examined Shen Gonglin. He looked much cuter now than he had yesterday in his hospital gown. Clothes really did make the man. Seeing him in Kiana's clothes made her feel like she had another adorable niece. She really wanted to pat his head.

However, before Theresa could act on that urge, Shen Gonglin moved first. With a cute white-haired loli wandering about in front of him, any normal person would want to reach out. Even Shen Gonglin, who was not a loli lover, could not resist helping her smooth her hair. It felt like petting a cat. Shen Gonglin was quite skilled at it. Theresa instinctively wanted to stretch out her neck and let him scratch under her chin, but the dignity of a headmaster forced her to stop at the edge of the cliff. Theresa stepped half a pace back and bared her teeth at Shen Gonglin.

What was he doing, touching her head so casually? Did he have any respect for her as the headmaster?

"But you seemed pretty comfortable. Look, when I pet Kiana, she cooperates just fine. Kiana, bring your head over."

Shen Gonglin looked at his hand. This loli headmaster's head felt pretty good, and she had seemed quite comfortable just now. Why was she resisting so much? Shen Gonglin turned toward Kiana. Both had white hair, and they were relatives. Their heads should feel about the same, right?

"Oh, here you... Hey! What are you saying so casually? This young lady will never let you touch her head! Don't even think about it!"

Kiana instinctively lowered her head and offered it over. Feeling the strange gazes of everyone around her, she immediately started shouting. Shen Gonglin was far too good at leading people on. He made it sound like he had rubbed her head before. In fact, she had rubbed his head several times—when he was unconscious, and while he was sleeping last night. Kiana had messed with him plenty.

"Tch, then Bronya. Come over and let me take a look... No, let me touch you."

Shen Gonglin shifted his attention to Bronya, but the silent little loli hid behind the Class President before he could reach her. Tch, her hair was so fun, yet she would not let him play with it. Why was Bronya so stingy? Was that why her chest was so... No, he probably should not call her small. In this room, she was actually in the middle. She was at least bigger than two of the girls. Bronya was actually average. That was a serious problem.

His gaze drifted over Theresa and Class President Fu Hua. Bronya really was better endowed than the two of them. How tragic and true that was.

Heh heh, Shen Gonglin had skipped over her again. First Kiana, then Bronya. Just wait. Once she got stronger, she would kill both of them... Eh? Why would she think something like that? That was not right. Could it be because of the book she had read before bed last night?

Watching Shen Gonglin and Bronya circle around in front of her, Mei clenched her fists as that thought surfaced in her mind. Even after realizing it, the girl was shocked by what she had just thought. It seemed she could not read those strange things before bed anymore. There was definitely something wrong with that... But why had Shen Gonglin skipped over her? She clearly would not have refused.

The black-purple-haired girl pondered. Did she give Shen Gonglin the impression that she was stern and reserved? Should she adjust her image a little?

"Enough, enough. Stop fooling around. What did you come to see me for? Don't just play around in the office!"

Watching Shen Gonglin dart all over the office, Theresa hurriedly stopped him. This was the dignified and solemn headmaster's office. What was with all this running about? This child was a little like Kiana. Were they both the type who could not stop once they started making a fuss?

"It's nothing major. It's about Shen Gonglin's living arrangements. Headmaster, you know he's a boy. It's fine for him to stay in our dorm temporarily, but it's really a problem if he keeps sleeping on the sofa. So we came to see what you could do. Could Shen Gonglin be given his own private dorm room?"

Mei stepped forward and explained why they had come. They could make do for a day, but it definitely could not continue long-term. Mei was sure she had no problem with it, but she was not the only one in the dorm. What if one night Kiana, Bronya, or the Class President could not resist and took care of Shen Gonglin in the living room? Or what if Shen Gonglin sneaked into one of their rooms?

This was a serious problem, so it had to be resolved as quickly as possible.

This guy always skipped over her, so she had to prepare for the worst. For now, she barely held an advantage, but if Teacher Himeko returned, that advantage would vanish completely. After all, how could a young girl compare to a true mature beauty?

"Oh, so it's about that. Don't worry, I've already figured out what to do. Shen Gonglin's private dorm is being approved... But before that, Shen Gonglin and Kiana, this headmaster has a mission for you. Once you complete it, Shen Gonglin will have his own exclusive dorm!"

Theresa folded her arms with great authority and looked at Shen Gonglin. But that one look made her panic again. What was Shen Gonglin holding in his hand?

What kind of naughty brat was this? She had hidden them so well, so how had he rummaged them out?

Packing Up and Heading Out

Her intuition had been right. There really was food in this drawer. The headmaster really was amazing. Snacks actually grew inside her drawer, and she had even thoughtfully opened the bag for him. Theresa was incredible. She looked like a little loli, but Theresa's image in Shen Gonglin's heart kept rising. For no other reason than this drawer that could automatically grow snacks and manga!

Following his instincts, Shen Gonglin opened the headmaster's desk drawer. He had no idea what politeness was. Happily, he took out the potato chips and manga Theresa had hidden away. This really was a beautiful world. Drawers could grow potato chips and manga. If only there were drinks too.

"Theresa, you're amazing. I took everything away yesterday, yet there's food here again today. You must have confiscated it from some disobedient student again, right? It would just sit here otherwise, so I'll help you eat it all. No need to thank me."

Sitting in Theresa's chair and eating her snacks, Shen Gonglin sensed the white-haired loli's devastated gaze and gave her an understanding smile. After all, she had said yesterday that she did not like this stuff, so of course Shen Gonglin had to help her deal with it. He was just kind-hearted; there was nothing he could do about it. Everyone who knew Shen Gonglin knew he had a good heart.

"Th-then you really are kind, Shen Gonglin. Thank you so much."

Her little fists clenched tightly. She was on the verge of tears, but she still had to keep smiling. Calm down. Stay calm. This was what one had to bear in the adult world. Were adults not creatures who cried inside while smiling on the outside? She was the headmaster of St. Freya. She could not cry so pathetically.

The white-haired loli had a strong heart. She turned away so she would not have to look at Shen Gonglin, while silently swearing that she would never hide snacks in her office when he was around again. This guy had the initiative of a naughty child and the destructive ability of a husky. She had put them at the very back of the drawer, so why had Shen Gonglin still found them?

Being headmaster was hard, wasn't it?

Mei could not help worrying as she watched Theresa's clenched little fists. What if the headmaster could not hold back and smashed Shen Gonglin with a cross... No, what if she got herself sick from anger? The headmaster was the one they should worry about. Having sorted out her priorities, Mei took the initiative to change the subject. If Theresa had to keep watching Shen Gonglin crunch away at her chips, she might really start crying.

It was not as if they did not know Theresa liked hiding snacks. They simply pretended not to know in order to preserve her dignity as headmaster. Who could have expected Shen Gonglin to appear? Judging from his expression, he probably thought he was doing a good deed.

"Headmaster, you just said you had a mission for Kiana and Shen Gonglin. What exactly is it?"

Mei changed the subject. After all, she was the most suited to do so here. The Class President and Bronya would only watch, while Kiana was already itching to join Shen Gonglin in eating. Please, dumb elk, could she not see that her auntie was about to cry? Shen Gonglin was bullying a loli, so Kiana should not add fuel to the fire. That was her auntie, after all.

"Right, I wanted to ask that too. It's one thing for this young lady, but why does Shen Gonglin have a mission too? He'll only get in the way. I might even have to distract myself protecting him."

Seeing Shen Gonglin eat so happily, Kiana wanted to join in. Why had she never noticed that Auntie's office had snacks? Luckily, she had only recently eaten breakfast, so food had not fully occupied this white-haired girl's brain. When Mei brought it up, Kiana became curious as well. Shen Gonglin had only just woken up, so why did he already have a mission?

Hearing Kiana say that, Fu Hua adjusted the glasses she had put on at some point. As someone who had fought Shen Gonglin, she had the most right to comment. If physical strength and constitution were not considered, Shen Gonglin could easily handle Kiana. Moreover, he had now fully learned Mindful Essence. Fu Hua truly did not know where Kiana got the confidence to say something like that.

Did Kiana not know who had taught him?

Of course, Shen Gonglin had never experienced a life-or-death battle. If it were merely a spar, he could probably suppress Kiana. But in a true fight to the death, who won and who lost remained unknown.

"That's exactly why Kiana will accompany and protect him. Grandfather... the Bishop issued the order. Kiana, you and Shen Gonglin are to report to headquarters. I don't know what it's about either. That is the mission assigned to you two. By the time you return, Shen Gonglin's private dorm should be finished. Kiana, Shen Gonglin, that's your mission. Understood?"

He was still eating. Shen Gonglin had eaten another bag of the snacks she had painstakingly saved, and Theresa unconsciously began grinding her teeth as she watched him. He had only been awake for two days, yet he had already raided her office twice. He was even harder to deal with than Kiana. Her original guess had been right—Shen Gonglin only brought her trouble. It would be better to send him and Kiana off on a mission. Anyone who touched her snacks had to die!

"Understood. Don't worry, Auntie. I'll carry out the mission properly. I guarantee nothing will go wrong!"

She could finally leave the academy and look around. Kiana straightened up and assured Theresa. Like Shen Gonglin, she was naturally restless. Staying at the academy all this time had nearly stifled her. Going out on a mission would be a perfect chance to relax. She had not moved around properly in so long that she felt her body was rusting. And if she completed more missions, would she not be able to become an A-rank Valkyrie sooner? Once she reached A-rank Valkyrie status, Auntie would tell her where that stinky old man was, right?

"Fine, then Kiana, you and Shen Gonglin should pack up and get ready to leave... Hey! Shen Gonglin, did you hear what I said? Hurry up and get ready, then obediently follow Kiana. Did you hear me?"

He had actually finished them all. Watching Shen Gonglin tip back his head and pour the last crumbs into his mouth, Theresa felt her heart shatter. Someone, please take this guy away already. Every time he came, it stabbed her in the heart. Did he really think this was an all-you-can-eat buffet? He did not even leave her a crumb. Did his conscience not hurt?

"Hm? I don't have anything to pack... How about this, Kiana? Take this manga with you. That'll be my luggage."

Under Theresa's increasingly vacant gaze, Shen Gonglin handed the manga to Kiana. A mature loli like the headmaster surely would not like reading something like this anyway. Time to go. He was taking it with him.

Master's Blessing

"The world outside, this young lady is coming!"

At the entrance to St. Freya Academy, Kiana raised both hands and shouted energetically. This girl had always been so full of energy. Making her stay at the academy for so long really had been difficult for her, so Kiana was extremely eager for this mission outside. Even bringing along deadweight like Shen Gonglin was no problem. She needed some fresh air too. She believed this would definitely be a perfect journey.

Then the eldest daughter of the Kaslana family waited at the school gate for a full half hour. From bursting with energy at first to nearly being roasted stupid by the heat, Kiana stuck out her tongue and looked into the academy. What was going on? Had they not agreed to meet at the gate after packing? Where had Shen Gonglin gone? Had he stood her up?

Just as Kiana's patience gradually ran out, Shen Gonglin finally arrived. Kiana gritted her teeth and looked at him. So that was why he had been so slow—he was carrying so much stuff. Had Mei packed all this for him? It looked like he was about to empty out the entire dorm.

"This is facial cleanser for the morning, and this one is for nighttime. This is sleepwear. There's a bento I made for you in the lunchbox. To keep Kiana from stealing it, I made an extra-large portion. This is the game console Bronya prepared for you, so you can pass the time while riding in the car. And these are clean clothes. I packed them all in the bag. They're all useful things."

Mei held the backpack and introduced its contents to Shen Gonglin. Honestly, the headmaster had assigned this mission far too suddenly. She had not even given them time to prepare. In such a rush, something would definitely be forgotten. Think, what else had she failed to pack for Shen Gonglin?

"Mei, you don't need to go through so much trouble. We're just going out for a while, not heading into some uninhabited wilderness. So I don't think we need to bring the survival bracelet and portable paper pot. Besides, I can't carry this much stuff."

Shen Gonglin was helpless too. The moment they left the headmaster's office, Mei had gone alone to the academy supermarket. When she came back, she had prepared all this luggage for him. Never mind whether any of it was useful, Shen Gonglin was intimidated just looking at the size of the backpack. If he put this on, he would probably collapse before even leaving St. Freya. What did Mei think he was going to do?

"Ah? It does seem... a little too much? It's fine, Kiana can carry it. She can definitely handle all this. These are all daily necessities. I can only feel at ease if you bring them. Honestly, why did the headmaster only choose the two of you for this mission... How about this? Shen Gonglin, you and Kiana wait here. I'll go beg the headmaster and see if she can add me to this mission too?"

Only after Shen Gonglin said so did Mei realize that the backpack she had prepared seemed a bit too large. With Shen Gonglin's frail constitution, he definitely could not carry it for long. This was when they needed the all-purpose Kiana. Her physical abilities were far better than Shen Gonglin's. Yet even so, Mei still could not rest easy. Letting Shen Gonglin and Kiana go on a mission alone was just too awful. She had to go with them.

No one could blame Mei. After all, it was Kiana and Shen Gonglin. Neither of them was easy to handle on their own, much less when they were together. That was simply a disaster waiting to happen.

"Mei, calm down. We're only going to headquarters. The journey will definitely be safe, so you don't need to worry so much."

Fu Hua helplessly pulled Mei back. Since headquarters had set the number of people for the mission, they surely had their reasons. Even if Mei begged Theresa, it would be useless. This girl was simply too worried about the two of them. Concern made her lose perspective. Even if Shen Gonglin had no experience, Kiana was there. Before she went to Senba Academy, she had wandered alone all the time. She might look like a carefree fool now, but she was actually quite dependable... Well, probably under certain circumstances.

"But... right, Shen Gonglin, are you fully charged? If you go with Kiana, you won't pass out like before, will you?"

Even with Fu Hua saying that, Mei could not relax. There was also this problem. What if Shen Gonglin lost the ability to move again without her there to charge him? He felt like an electric toy. How could he manage without her charging him?

"It's fine. Last time, I just used up too much all at once. I can recover on my own too, so that won't happen again. But Mei, it would still be best if you charged me up once more... Then nothing can go wrong."

Shen Gonglin reached out and hugged the girl before him. He was all packed and ready to go. Now all he had to do was wait for the mule... no, Kiana, to come take the luggage.

"Shen! Gong! Lin! Let go of Mei, you bastard! Let go of that girl!"

Speak of the mule, and the grasshopper showed up. Sensing the fierce wind at his back, Shen Gonglin dodged aside before Kiana could attack. Seeing Shen Gonglin hug Mei, Kiana rushed over in fury. She had not even hugged Mei yet, but Shen Gonglin had gotten to do it first. No, she wanted one too!

Mei really was pitiful. Seeing Kiana tightly hug Mei, Fu Hua shook her head. Then she turned to Shen Gonglin. Mei was done speaking, but Fu Hua also had something she needed to warn Shen Gonglin about. She only hoped he would remember it properly.

"Shen Gonglin, although your Mindful Essence has reached great success... you've at least entered the beginner stage, you must still train diligently during this period, even if I am not at your side. You cannot slack off in the slightest. I've said before that the sword heart must be tempered constantly to ensure it always remains at its peak. Also, if your physical condition permits during the journey, try carrying the luggage. Consider it the beginning of physical training. As long as you improve your constitution, Shen Gonglin, you'll get twice the results with half the effort when learning Form Resonance."

Like a master advising a disciple about to set out on a journey, Fu Hua earnestly instructed Shen Gonglin. Yet he merely nodded away, and no one knew whether he had listened. Physical training? Did that mean training until he became some burly man with arms thick enough to race horses on? Practicing Mindful Essence was no problem, since it was not tiring anyway... But none of that was important. What mattered was... his disciple was about to travel, so should his master not give him a blessing?

"Okay, I'll remember. Class President, just stay at the academy and wait for me to come back. I want a different reward."

Without giving Fu Hua time to react, Shen Gonglin reached out and hugged her, just as he had hugged Mei earlier. Though, now that he thought about it, hugging the Class President really was not as comfortable as hugging Mei.