CH 48

The trainer-tamers were in an uproar.

“What the hell? What’s going on, ……?”

“The pet that does what I say is ……, so it ignored my orders and went to ……?”

“And of all people, you’re going to the unemployed piece of garbage. ……!”

“Look, all our pets have hearts in their eyes!”

“No way! That’s the greatest expression of affection from a pet!”

“I’ve never seen that look before, not even on me, the pet owner. ……?”

“Isn’t that legendary ……?”

I think I have done something wrong, so I hastily lower my charm.

At the same time, the vice principal comes flying in..

“Keeeeeee! Leave him! Leave! Pets! You’ll get sick if you stay attached to that thing!”

Finally, the pets return to their owners.

The next thing I know, Domanna-sensei is by my side, arms outstretching in great admiration.

“Wow, …… Wanda Ho! I’ve never seen a student so smitten with an animal before! All the whipping I said earlier is wiped away! As a reward, I’ll give you the best nudge ever!”

Domanna-sensei squeezes my head like an animal.

Then she pushes her cleavage into my face and give me a big hug.

I can’t breathe, and I am like, “Mugioh!”

As the boys say, “Looks so nice!” and the girls glare, “The worst”

The vice principal interrupts again, his face changing color.

“No, no, no! Domanna-sensei! The students are watching! Not to mention the supporters at ……!”

But  Domanna-sensei keeps choking me and says without a hint of remorse.

“Oh, come on, vice principal! He’s a genius! He’ s going to be a world-famous trainer-tamer! So you can reward him with something like this ……!”

“No way! And that’s a problem! If you don’t do as we discussed, ……!”

“Yes.”

After all that, Domanna-sensei reluctantly lets me go.

The vice principal moves to the podium with Domanna-sensei in tow.

“Cough! Let’s get back on track and continue with the lesson! Since it’s a pet battle today, we’ve prepared a special prize for you! The student who is recognized by Domanna-sensei will receive the ‘Domanna’s Nudging Award’!”

When the students hear that there is a prize, they cheer, “Oh!”

Everyone seems to suddenly become motivated.

However, one of the female students blurts out.

“It seems like Leopin-kun was being nudged just now. ……”

“Keeeeeee! This award is valid from now on! From now on!”

“Then, everyone, move outside to the arena! There is a tournament list, so let’s start in that order!”

Following Domanna-sensei, I go out through another exit of the tent.

There is a kind of ring made of heaped up dry soil.

On the blackboard, there is a tournament list, and the first round is ‘Leopin vs Special Guest.

“Let’s get started then! Let’s see, the first one to fight is ……. Leopin! Get up to the blue corner of the ring with a bang!”

I follow the flow of the crowd into the ring and enter the blue sand area.

“Now, let me introduce you to your opponent, Leopin-kun!  The Sage Weiss, who has joined this class especially for today!”

Weiss slowly emerges from a small tent near the red corner.

I am expecting to see who is coming out, but I am a little disappointed.

“Oh, it’s you. I didn’t know you are also a trainer-tamer.”

Weiss chuckles.

“I’m not like you, you know. I have a special job, status, family, popularity, wealth, everything. And of course, my pets. ……!”

Weiss holds up his hand in a rude gesture and shouts, 

“Come on, Black Panther!”

…… bang!

A black shadow soars above the ring and lands in the air, spinning gracefully.

It is a black panther with shiny black fur.

In a very theatrical way, Weiss says, “This is the reason why I am here in the forest. This is my pet, which I found in the forest and disciplined.”

“Whoa! The students go wild.

“Oh, wow!　It’s a black panther!　That’s one of the strongest animal pets I’ve ever seen!”

“It’s hard to tame unless you’re a professional, right?　And you’re a student and you’re able to do it!”

“You’re right, Weiss is a Sage. ……!”

The students are looking at him with envy, even though Weiss seems to be making a lot of mistakes lately.

And then they cast pitying glances at me

“You trash, you’re done. A rat and a Black Panther are no match …”

“You know, in pet battles, you can even attack the owner, right?”

“Oh, poor thing. …… You’ll probably get hurt badly. If you’re not careful, you could end up dead.”

I raise my hand and ask the teachers.

“Well, Sensei. Can I call my pet too?”

“M-ho-ho-ho! Of course you can! If you have a pet, you can call as many as you want! But it’s no use trying to buy time like that!”

I take a chance.

I put a drop of “Whirlwind Voice Potion,” on my finger which I opened in my coat pocket, and licked it off.

Then I hold up my hand and shout gallantly

“Come on! Mark!”

…… But nothing happens, and the area erupt in laughter.

“Hahahahahahaha!　Come on, it’s Mark!”

“Come on, you’re imitating a Sage!”

“And what’s a mark? That’s a pet name you came up with on the spur of the moment!”

“I know what you’re thinking, Leopin. What’s next, ‘The wolf is coming’?”

“M-ho-ho-ho!　All that’s coming are the blackbirds!　Mu-ho-ho-ho……-ho-ho……?”

Laughter erases from the surroundings.

Because everyone heard it, felt it.

The air around them trembles and the earth shakes with an overwhelming presence. ……!

…… doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo!

A cloud of dust, tearing down the tents around us, and he’s coming.

It is a tremendous sight, like a landslide approaching.

…… boom!

Everyone except me is shaken by the huge body that appeares through the tent.

“Ehhhhhh!”