The sun had risen three rods into the sky, its light spreading across the land as a signal for all living things to awaken.
At Crown Villa, the new team greeted their first morning together. In the midst of this bonding period, each member sought to build camaraderie with their teammates through the little details of daily life.
“Plod, plod…” Dillin raised his head from a stack of books, letting out a massive yawn as he woke to the chirping of birds outside his window. Looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings, a gentle breeze brought clarity to his muddled mind. Dillin remembered how he had stayed up late into the night reading, made cozy and full by a late-night snack provided by Wenfu. His eyes grew heavy as the words on the pages transformed into indecipherable characters, lulling him to sleep.
Sunlight filtered through the transparent windows and half-drawn curtains, casting a warm glow on the wooden floors and adding a touch of coziness to the room.
Dillin opened the slightly ajar window, allowing the crisp morning air scented with the fragrance of the garden below to waft in.
Peering down, he noticed that Filisia, who had been training vigorously in the backyard the day before, was nowhere to be seen. He wondered when exactly she had taken the time to rest.
As he stood up, something fell to the ground. Bending down to retrieve it, he found a blanket.
This blanket must have been placed over him, but Dillin distinctly remembered not planning to fall asleep in the study. There was no way he could have prepared it himself.
Had someone come into the room in the middle of the night to cover him with it?
Who could it be?
Before he could dwell on it too much, the answer came to him. Upon inspecting the blanket’s corner, a cute pink paw print met his eyes.
Recalling Wenfu standing on a stool like a little wife to cook for him yesterday, Dillin couldn’t help but smile wryly.
That little kitty, unexpectedly, was quite meticulous.
Stepping out of the room, Dillin descended the stairs feeling refreshed despite not having slept on the bed but rather nodding off on a recliner the night before.
Glancing at the clock in the living room on his way down, Dillin realized it was already eleven—nearly noon.
Had he really slept in until close to lunch?
“Ah, Mr. Dillin, you’re awake?”
“Hmm…huh?” Lifting his eyes, he saw their homegrown (misunderstanding) cat-girl wearing an apron, stepping on adorable cat paw slippers, with her bare, smooth legs and ankles exposed as she squatted to place a dish on the table nearby. Upon seeing Dillin, her tail and ears twitched and a sweet smile graced her lips.
Wenfu’s appearance today in a full-fledged maid-style outfit was quite different from yesterday’s casual skirt, taking him a moment to process.
For some reason, the sight made Dillin feel that if Wenfu ever wore a maid costume, it would absolutely be a knockout.
A gentle maid cat-girl…
“Mr. Dillin?”
“Ah, sorry… I guess I’m not fully awake yet.” Dillin handed the blanket back to Wenfu. “This blanket, you probably put it on me last night, correct? Thank you.”
“Nothing to it; a simple gesture. Mr. Dillin fell asleep reading last night with the window wide open. That’s sure to catch a cold,” Wenfu said with a honey-sweet smile. “Especially with the final exams approaching; getting sick would’ve surely been bad news.”
“Tomorrow’s the written exam, so it’s quite nerve-wracking. Although diligent studying is important, don’t forget to take care of your body.”
Wenfu’s words brought an unfamiliar sense of maternal care to Dillin.
“Thank you,” Dillin said, recalling how the window had been adjusted differently when he woke compared to how it was last night.
So, Wenfu must have closed it for him then.
Looking down at this petite cat-eared girl, Dillin felt a warmth in his chest. Instinctively, his hand moved to pat her head—only for him to catch himself mid-action, realizing it might not be appropriate given their relationship. Instead, he smoothly pulled his hand back.
“Thankfully, I have you, Miss Wenfu.” Dillin returned a warm, friendly smile.
“Mm, it’s really nothing.” Wenfu lowered her head slightly in embarrassment, her ears moving softly.
“Is…the life here too difficult for you?”
“Why does Mr. Dillin suddenly ask that?” Wenfu tilted her head, puzzled.
“Last night, I don’t remember how I fell asleep, but it must have been quite late. You were still awake so late… are you perhaps experiencing insomnia?”
“…Mr. Dillin is truly observant.”
“It’s fine; everything requires some adjustment process. You, Wenfu, want to fit into this group, but don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I understand…,” Wenfu responded, wondering if she was imagining things, but this boy who was comforting her somehow reminded her of Tillysha.
“Well, it’s getting late. Mr. Dillin, come eat breakfast, I’ve kept a portion for you.”
“Hmm, okay… wait? Breakfast?” Seeing the bread, fried eggs, and a glass of milk on the table, Dillin paused. “Where does this breakfast come from, Miss Wenfu?”
“Does Mr. Dillin think this is some kind of joke?” Wenfu chuckled. “Of course, I made it myself.”
“…You made it?”
“Yep, yep.”
“But, isn’t this whole wheat bread the kind you have to rush to snag at the cafeteria on the third floor by seven every morning?”
“Ah… well, I wanted everyone to wake up tomorrow morning without having to run all the way to the cafeteria for breakfast, so I got up a bit earlier.”
Staring at the full wheat bread, milk, and fried egg set on the table, Dillin shifted his gaze back to Wenfu.
This was just the second day…
This child, Wenfu, was really making a great effort to fit into the group, almost to the point of being overly ingratiating.
Perhaps Wenfu, having been left by a team before, was extraordinarily desperate for teammate approval.
Dillin quietly sat down, realizing that this mindset of Wenfu’s, good or bad, could lead to trouble if she ended up in another team with less scrupulous teammates who might exploit her goodwill.
She should know that among friends, relationships should be equal—not based on one party excessively pandering. However, these things couldn’t be rushed.
Dillin picked up his fork and kn*fe to begin eating the fried egg. Wenfu stood beside him, her hands pressed flat against her stomach, anxiously observing every bite Dillin took.
There was no need to guess—this fried egg was her masterpiece.
“It’s delicious. This has to be Wenfu’s work, right?”
“Eh, really?”
“Naturally. Wenfu’s skills are so evident that a single bite of this is all it takes to identify the creator.”
“Ah… it seems that way.” Wenfu’s hands were folded neatly against her stomach, her face betraying little emotion, but her tail wagged back and forth at a high speed, conveying the excitement that words failed to capture.
The speed only increased, almost matching that of a fan.
“Did Aistride and Princess Filisia and Tillysha already have breakfast?” Dillin asked, noticing signs that other seats had been used at the table.
Of course, Dillin knew Tillysha wouldn’t come down for breakfast. Mentioning her was simply to avoid implying he already knew she wouldn’t.
“Both Miss Aistride and Princess Filisia had breakfast. Princess Filisia’s off for training, and Miss Tillysha…” Wenfu looked upstairs. “I called her this morning at her door, but she didn’t respond. When I opened the door, Miss Tillysha wasn’t there. The blanket was folded neatly, suggesting she must have been up for quite some time already.”
“Guess we don’t know where Tillysha went for training. Did she have breakfast?”
“Ah, well, she’ll surely take care of herself.”
“On second thought, why didn’t you wake me up earlier this morning, Wenfu?”
“I saw how peacefully you were sleeping, Mr. Dillin. You must have been quite exhausted after reading for so long, so I couldn’t bear to disturb you.”
“I see.”
After finishing eating, Dillin offered to help clear the dishes. Turning the corner and entering the kitchen to put away his plate, he found Aistride already washing up in there.
For a moment, he stood stunned. He suddenly remembered that during their previous team times together, Aistride often took on these chores without complaint.
The noble elf princess managed these mundane tasks with grace, her silver hair catching moisture from the sink, giving her an ethereal charm.
“Di…lin?” Her pointed ears twitched, sensing someone behind her, Aistride turned around.
“Oh, I can wash my own dish, don’t bother!” Dillin approached the sink with his dish.
“…” Seeing Dillin insist on washing his own dish without any discussion, Aistride’s eyes briefly flashed with something she herself hadn’t noticed—a flicker of disappointment.
Aistride had already taken care of all the dishes, leaving only Dillin’s. Watching him clean, she felt inexplicably out of sorts.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Realizing that Aistride had been watching him, Dillin turned his head to ask.
“…It’s nothing.” Aistride kept her usual cold expression and turned away.
The roster for each team was mostly locked in. Tomorrow would be the grand coronation ceremony, followed by the class division exams in the afternoon. The schedule was tight.
After the meal, the trio headed for the library.
Filisia had gone out for training, likely a daily routine. It seemed she was confident in her written exam abilities, not even postponing her regular training even as the test loomed near.
Dillin’s study progress was decent too. Sons of the divine tended to have a strong curiosity, so unless they strayed too far, their learning often wasn’t lacking.
As for Aistride, it went without saying. The brilliant elf princess excelled in everything, including studies, which Dillin vividly remembered from her stellar performance during the entrance exam.
The trio settled into the library of the Crown Villa, which boasted nearly as many books as the school library. This was the benefit of champions, no need to cram into the crowded library; they could leisurely learn at home with a cup of coffee.
Seeing Dillin sitting quietly by the table reading, Aistride felt an inexplicable sense of peace.
She recalled that in the past, they would often silently sit together, reading. They’d only interrupt each other to ask questions when something puzzled them, answering each other accordingly.
Feelings accumulated bit by bit through daily life, flowing steadily like a gentle stream.
And now, it seemed she had returned to this familiar daily life.
Indulging a little in private thought, it was oddly nice that Miss Tillysha wasn’t around during these moments.
“Is something the matter, Wenfu?” Dillin asked without even glancing up from his book.
“Eh? No, nothing’s wrong,” Wenfu blinked, surprised by the random question.
“You just placed down your book three times and leaned over towards this side.” Putting his book down, Dillin continued. “If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Don’t hesitate.”
“But… wouldn’t I be disturbing you?”
“What a notion. We’re teammates, aren’t we?” Dillin gave her an amicable grin.
“Uh… Mr. Dillin, could you explain this problem to me? I’m a bit confused…”
“Let me see.” Dillin leaned closer. “Oh, this problem, right? It’s certainly challenging; it can’t be solved with just a formula. Let me solve it for you step by step…”
“Um…Mr. Dillin…” Wenfu still seemed hesitant.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Well, I wasn’t referring to that problem… This one down here…”
“…” Dillin frowned upon seeing the problem Wenfu pointed out.
Not because it was particularly difficult, but because…
It was too simple. Simple to the point that Dillin could compute the answer in his head without needing scratch paper.
Some parts of the curriculum in this otherworld overlapped with his past world. Mathematics, alas, remained constant.
Dillin wasn’t the worst scholar in his previous life and with this new life’s enhanced learning capability, these types of problems posed no challenge.
“Miss Wenfu, are you telling me you have no clue on this one?”
“Yes…” Wenfu’s cat ears drooped.
“Miss Wenfu, can you possibly tell us what your math score was on the entrance examination?” At this point, Aistride spoke up as well.
“Six, six…sixty…”
“Sixty? That’s not so bad; you’re at least passing. Shows some level of foundation.” Dillin mused.
“No, no… I… my score was not sixty…”
“Then what? Surely not… six?” Both Dillin and Aistride fell silent momentarily as the idea struck them.
“Exactly, six…” Wenfu timidly gestured with her fingers.
“Is there any hope left for this score?”
“Six,” Dillin evaluated.
“Six points? …That’s pretty low, Miss Wenfu.”
“Perhaps you should focus on your other subjects; I don’t see improvement on this within the short term.”
“Uh… you don’t think…?”
“My other subjects… aren’t exactly high either.”
“How high exactly?”
“About… two to three times higher than math?”
“…” Both Dillin and Aistride exchanged glances.
In unison, they stood and each placed a hand on one of Wenfu’s shoulders.
“Eek?!”
“Miss Wenfu, brace yourself,” Aistride’s usually frigid voice gained a resolute tone.
“From this moment on, we will embark on an emergency, brutal, no-pets-allowed, super-powerful mega cram session across all subjects. Are you ready?” Dillin continued.
“Ah!?”
