Second-Generation Skipping Class King

"Kiana! Come here for a second!" Xina pulled Kiana away from the Game Console just as she was about to squeeze in one more round before heading out, then mysteriously dragged her into an empty corner.

"Xina, what is it? Do you want to play the newest Myth · White Howl with me too?!" Kiana held up the game disc in her hand and curiously looked at Xina, who seemed to have something difficult to say.

"I heard that you..." Xina clenched the hem of her clothes tightly in both hands, her little face red as if it had been scorched by fire.

"What?" Seeing Xina stammering, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, Kiana's knightly spirit was instantly ignited.

"I heard you're really good at skipping class. Could you... tell me about it...?"

After saying that, Xina nervously lowered her head and silently began to pray.

"Huh?!" Kiana stared at Xina in shock and could not help digging at her ear. She felt that she might have been sleep-deprived lately—she was actually starting to hear things!

After a long silence, seeing that Xina had no intention of taking back her words, Kiana struggled to process the meaning behind her request. "You mean... you want me to teach you how to skip class?!"

"That's right!" Xina nodded. "Can you tell me how?"

"Well, you came to the right person!"

Having never been asked a question for advice before, Kiana experienced that feeling for the first time. She patted her chest, proudly draped an arm over Xina's shoulder, and seemed ready to impart all her lifelong secret techniques for skipping class.

"To tell you the truth! In all of St. Freya, I'm the only one who has ever skipped class! Although it's been a long time since I last did it, but... since you're asking so sincerely, I'll teach you properly!"

Xina was overjoyed upon hearing this. She quickly took out a small notebook and pen from her pocket, putting on the appearance of a student listening attentively. "Okay, tell me! I'm listening!"

"First, when doing this, you have to pay attention to... timing!" Kiana raised one finger, seemingly gathering her thoughts.

"Timing?" Xina glanced up at Kiana and silently wrote down the word "timing" in her notebook.

After pondering for quite a while, Kiana offered her advice based on her own experience. "Right. You need to disappear during an appropriate window of time. Since most classes take attendance before they begin, you absolutely have to vanish after roll call..."

"It's best to slip away when everyone is busy with their own things and has no time to keep an eye on you. That's the perfect opportunity!"

"Oh!" Xina nodded deeply in agreement, writing "after roll call" and "blend into the crowd" after the word "timing."

Watching Xina diligently take notes, Kiana nodded slightly and continued with the air of a teacher whose student showed promise. "The second point is to be fast!"

"Fast?"

"That's right, fast! Your movements have to be quick, and your speed has to be even quicker! It's best if you've already disappeared before they even notice you!"

As she spoke, Kiana used herself as an example and listed several times she had failed. Every one of them had happened because she had not moved fast enough and had been caught red-handed.

"As expected of you!" Xina praised her, continuing to take notes. "Are those the only two points?"

"Of course not! The most important part comes next!"

At that, Kiana poked her head out from the shadows. Only after seeing that no one was eavesdropping on her "little lesson" did she breathe a sigh of relief and continue.

"You also need to carefully choose where you skip off to, because it concerns the most crucial part of this operation!"

"Mm-hm, mm-hm, go on..." Xina put down her pen and looked at Kiana seriously.

"The place you go has to be close to a survival point. Ideally... wait, I'll find you a map!"

Perhaps feeling that simply talking in the abstract was too boring, Kiana actually pulled a hand-drawn simple map of St. Freya out of her pants pocket.

She spread the map out on the floor, bent over, and pointed at several places marked with red circles. "Look, these places circled in red are several good spots I identified after numerous experiments and analysis!"

"Um... the restroom, the Library, the training grounds!" Xina read out the names of the locations Kiana pointed to, then could not help asking, "Why these places?"

"You just don't get it!" Kiana swallowed, leaned close to Xina's ear, and explained in a low voice.

"Even if you get caught in these places, you can still come up with a reasonable excuse! If you go to the electronic operations room or run back here, then no matter how you explain it, Aunt Himeko and the others won't believe you, right?"

"...As expected of you!" Xina nodded to show that she understood. Then she looked at the other parts of the little map and began drawing inferences. "Then these places marked with yellow circles seem to be snack shops and milk tea shops? So those are places like supply points!"

"Smart!" Kiana slapped Xina's shoulder, nearly smacking her straight into the ground with the Kaslana Family's monstrous strength.

"Kiana, class is about to start! Stop playing games and hurry up and check your things. We're leaving!"

Kiana, who had planned to teach Xina a few more tricks, immediately remembered upon hearing Mei's call that she had arranged during breakfast to play tennis with Mei at the Gymnasium.

"..."

After hesitating for a moment, Kiana folded up her precious map and stuffed it into Xina's pocket. With a serious expression, she instructed, "I'll lend you my secret map for now. I'll tell you the rest of what I haven't finished explaining next time."

With that, Kiana dashed up to the second floor as swiftly as she had come, returning to her room to change into sportswear suitable for playing ball.

"..." Xina looked down at the map in her pocket and silently resolved to immediately put the secrets Kiana had taught her into practice!

After enduring Fu Hua's morning training!

She realized that what she was doing now was not skipping class—it was survival!

Expressionlessly following Kiana and the others to the entrance of the indoor Gymnasium, Xina saw that in just a few minutes, the entire class of more than ten students had already arrived.

As class monitor, Fu Hua gave the group a brief once-over. Seeing that everyone in the class was gathered here in twos and threes, she carried out her duty by taking out the roster and calling attendance for the teacher.

"Kiana, Mei, Bronya Zaychik... Mary... Rosa... Xina... Mm, everyone's here!"

After placing a check beside every name, Fu Hua nodded at the students before her. "Since everyone is here, let's go inside the Gymnasium and wait! Teacher Himeko will be here soon!"

With that, Fu Hua turned around and pushed open the Gymnasium doors, leading the dozen or so Valkyries behind her toward the empty court.

A perfect opportunity! Now's the time!!