So, here’s the thing.

Thanks to the Kat underwear’s effect, I can rapidly regenerate.

Which means, minor wounds aren’t even a problem since they heal nearly instantly.

But it also means that I can receive non-lethal injuries one after another without a break.

In other words…

If anyone ever captured me and decided to torture me…

…

Ughhh…

What a scary thought…

I hope that never happens…

…

Except…

It just happened!

Seriously!

This isn’t funny anymore!

You almost crushed my bones, you stupid gorilla!

“Ahh, hugging cute girls is always so refreshing…”

How can you still call that ‘hugging’?!

Isn’t this a move some pro wrestler would use?!

Argh, whatever!

I recovered now, so I’ll let it be…

But you better not repeat that!

“Well anyway, let’s find a better place for this discussion.”

Good idea.

This dreary corner isn’t the best of places to plan out a battle strategy.

Especially not if there’s a death gorilla who likes staring into your soul and crushing your bones…

Well, that aspect won’t change even if we go elsewhere…

“Where are you two staying at?”

Why, at the secret underground cat base, of course!

“W-we couldn’t find an inn last night… s-so…”

Oh, welcome back Ignis.

You still look terrified of this ape.

I bet seeing my torture session earlier didn’t help either, did it?

“Wait, you slept on the streets?! That’s unacceptable!”

?!

She grabbed my hand!

The torture is resuming?!

“Come with me! We’re going to my room in the school dorms!”

O-oh…

So, I’m not about to get tortured…

What a relief.

…

Or, wait…

She said ‘school’, didn’t she?

That word itself already implies torture.

Is she hinting at something…?

Eh, I’m overthinking it.

Let’s just follow her.

Ah, school.

The dreaded facility that exists for the sole purpose of torturing kids.

Well, it isn’t the first time I’m visiting this place.

Last time, I was an undercover guard for Deliah.

And it ended with me encountering Cana and being sent straight into a hospital bed for several days.

Yep, that confirms schools are bad.

I really hope nothing bad happens this time…

“Halt, show me your identifications.”

A guard at the school gates?

I thought we don’t need any identifications since Mable just said to follow her…

What do we do now…?

“Here’s mine. And these two are my guards, they haven’t been issued an identification yet.”

“Guards…?”

Oh, is this the story we are going with?

Well, the gate guard is eyeing us with suspicion.

I bet he thinks we look too weak to be guards.

Maybe showing him our adventurer cards will work?

Me and Ignis look at each other before nodding and bringing out our cards.

“C rank… and a provisional D rank adventurers…?”

Oh, yeah…

We didn’t turn in that stupid quest, so I’m still at this ‘provisional D rank’.

Damn…

My rank up keeps being delayed!

Well, it’s not really that important right now, I guess…

There are other things to worry about.

“… Ignis?”

Oh, he read our names.

And he stopped when he read Ignis.

Does he recognize her?

That’s like the third person now.

Well, I don’t doubt that she is famous anymore.

“… young lady, you shouldn’t steal things from your relatives.”

… huh?

What kind of reaction is that?

“Relatives…? What are you talking about?!”

“Look, this is clearly stolen. It says it belongs to Ignis, the tall and beautiful female fire mage adventurer with large-”

“THAT’S ME YOU JACKASS!”

“… miss, there are limits to lies.”

Well, I think the guard is unknowingly digging his own grave.

Ignis looks lke she is about to explode.

“Alright then… how about I prove it to you then…? BY BURNING YOU ALIVE YOU PIECE OF-”

“Hooold on there hothead!”

Oh, Ignis got captured.

In the ape’s embrace, no less.

She isn’t burning anyone alive now.

“Sir guard, I assure you that these two are legitimate adventurers strong enough to act as guards.”

Nope, after Ignis’ outburst, there’s no way he is believing you anymore.

No matter how mature and professional you sound.

Hmm…

Maybe we just need to show him directly…

It’s said that actions speak louder than words, right?

Well, here I go!

Cat soul: activate!

Do a little hop to make the cat on my head separate from me.

Before he can fall back on my head, dash forward and circle around the guard.

Jump on his back, extend my claws and put them in front of his face.

“Agh, wh-what?!”

“Nina… that was a bit forceful… but I guess it works.”

It’s the quickest way to make him understand!

Literally!

“See, Mr. guard? They are definitely capable enough to be my guards! They are no frail little girls!”

Well, technically I am.

It’s this Kat clothing that makes me overpowered.

“I… get it…”

Good.

I can separate from you now.

Come back here Kuro…

Sorry for throwing you away like that.

…

Hmm?

What’s with the pale face, sir guard?

I wasn’t going to kill you for real, you know?

I even waved the claws in front of your face instead of putting them against your neck!

Well, whatever.

I’m sure he will recover from this.

Or rather…

It’s good experience for him, right?!

After this incident, he will realize just how weak he was all this time and then go on a journey of self-improvement!

And one day, he will become a legendary hero!

Yeah!

That’s right!

And it’s all thanks to me!

“Let’s go then.”

Uh, yeah.

Right.

Enough fantasizing.

We made our way through the school yard and into the dorm building.

There weren’t many students or teachers walking around.

It seems like classes are in session.

Huh…

Does that mean Mable is skipping?

Or does she simply not have classes today?

Hmm…

As we approached the dorms, another obstacle appeared.

An old woman with wrinkles all over her face, clad in dark blue robes and holding a wooden staff.

“Well well well, what do we have here?”

She doesn’t seem very pleasant.

“If it isn’t the prodigious monkey.”

Whoa, a teacher is insulting a student?!

Pretty sure that would have gotten her fired in my previous world!

Or wait…

Is she even a teacher?

“So? What do you think you are doing, smuggling outsiders into the dorms, hmm?”

“They are my guards, no need to worry.”

“Guards… you say?”

Oi, what is this sense of deja vu?

Didn’t we JUST go through this exact scenario?!

“Yep, guards. Now let us through. We’re in a hurry.”

“Hmm… sure, sure. Go on through, then.”

…

Well…

That was easy.

I thought I would have to do my back-climbing stunt again.

Maybe she isn’t as bad of a person as she looks.

… is what I thought at first.

But I ate my own words as soon as we passed her.

I noticed Ignis turning around to where that old woman is, panic visible on her face.

Naturally, I turned around too.

“Cold blast!”

Only to have my face struck by a snowball.

It knocked Kuro off of me.

…

“What are you doing?!”

“MEOW!”

“Hah, what shabby guards you have! If they get done in by just this much, what are they even worth?”

“Nina! Are you okay?!”

…

No need to panic, Ignis.

“Yep, I’m fine.”

“… huh? What the… A-are you a monster?”

What’s with that sudden change of tone!

Aren’t you supposed to be concerned?!

“W-what! How are you unharmed?! That spell should have knocked you out!”

Well, it’s simple really.

Although I have forgotten about it, this dress gives me resistance to extreme heat and cold.

And it seems like it extends to my entire body, including my face.

That ice spell from before?

Shoving my head into a bucket full of lukewarm water would feel colder!

“Well, let’s go.”

I totally ignore the baffled old woman, pick back up Kuro and walk ahead.

The two redheads follow after me.

I think I heard someone say ‘wait!’ in an old woman voice, but eh…

We’re in a hurry here!

Cana and that guy might appear at any time!

We need to figure out plan as soon as possible!

As we ignored the yells behind us, we reached Mable’s room.

She pulled out a key and opened the door.

The inside wasn’t particularly spacious.

Most of the space was taken up by two beds and several closets.

…

Wait, two beds?

I guess that’s for her roommate, huh?

Err…

Is this really a good place to discuss our plans?

What if your roommate comes back?

“Well, if you guys don’t find an inn after this, feel free to sleep in Deliah’s bed. She doesn’t have classes today and rarely sleeps here even if she does.”

Oh, what?

Your roommate is Deliah?

I thought she doesn’t live in the dorms…

Well, I guess you did say she doesn’t sleep here often…

But then, why even have a designated room in the dorms?

Argh, whatever…

“Well then, let’s get started. First, tell me some details about who we are up against.”