The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound
chapter-151

*****

*****

Chapter 151: Not a Brother, But an Uncle (2)

“Wait a moment!” Saint Dolores blocked Vikir’s path.

“Aren’t you being too harsh on the child? Did you receive a kiss?”

“I didn’t get one.”

“Not ‘didn’t,’ but ‘didn’t want to!” “The child wishes to kiss you; accept it!”

“I feel embarrassed.”

Dolores was taken aback, her mouth agape. She’d never heard anyone say the word “embarrassed” with such assurance.

In the end, she hugged Nymphet.

“Ah, this stubborn oppa doesn’t like kisses. How about giving one to your sister instead?”

“…”

“Oh, you don’t like your sister…?”

But Dolores was met with a very determined Nymphet.

Dolores looked at Vikir’s retreating back with a bemused expression, observing Nymphet’s dejected face.

“She never opened up with anyone before, but… why did Nymphet open up to Vikir?”

She, too, knew why Nymphet had opened up to Vikir.

Nymphet had dropped the ball into the sewer during the game, and Vikir had jumped into the sewer without hesitation to retrieve it.

Seeing the way Vikir casually returned the ball even while covered in filth, who wouldn’t be moved by that?

Dolores, who was probably watching the scene from afar, was moved to tears when she saw Nymphet herself, who had dropped the ball into the sewer.

“… Vikir. You’re quite an enigma.”

Dolores, who was looking at Vikir’s diminishing figure in the distance, suddenly became curious about her junior. She wanted to know more about him.

The day was drawing to a dark close.

Vikir left the auditorium and headed back to his dormitory.

The male dormitory, which accommodated four students in one room, was shared by Tudor, Sancho, Figgy, and Vikir.

As Vikir approached the dormitory, the daycare facility staff on duty gestured to the students.

“Come on in, volunteers! Don’t forget, if you’re late, all the building doors will be locked, and we won’t be able to open them for you!”

“After 10 p.m., you can’t leave the dormitory!”

Indulgentia Orphanage had remarkably strict curfews.

At night, all the building doors and windows were locked, and movement was strictly prohibited.

The dormitory supervisors always patrolled the hallways, ready to address any concerns of the volunteers. However, Vikir understood that their presence was more for surveillance than protection.

“Especially strict around the dormitories where the kids stay.”

Even Vikir, the great Night Hound, had never visited the dormitories where the children stayed at night. The external security staff patrolled the area, and inside, Quilt’s four shadows stood guard.

Gerento, Hebe, Pedo, and Ephebo.

Although he hadn’t seen them, their presence was detectable due to the faint stench that emanated from them.

These four vexing obstacles remained unmoving.

So Vikir waited for the appropriate moment. When their scent would be even more faint.

And it was finally time for the hunt today, on a night when the moon was obscured by thick clouds.

Vikir went to the communal showers, took a quick shower, and returned to his room wrapped in a towel.

The evening roll call would start soon, followed by bedtime.

*****

*****

As he nonchalantly dried himself off, Vikir didn’t seem to know anything.

All he did was rinse off the dirt from his body without any signs of being alert.

However, things took an unexpected turn when he was done.

“Hey, Vikir!”

As planned, Tudor approached Vikir and draped an arm around his shoulders.

When Vikir turned to look, Tudor let out a wicked laugh and whispered teasingly.

“Man, check out these rock-hard abs of yours. Who are you trying to kill with this chiseled physique?”

Tudor playfully poked Vikir’s stomach.

He squinted and, in a subtle voice, continued to tease Vikir.

“Are you seriously going to waste this incredible body and just go to bed tonight?”

“Then where should I go?”

“Come on, Vikir. Your body… after you die, it’ll rot away, becoming nothing more than dirt. We should make more efficient use of this young, energetic body, don’t you think? After all, we should do good for the greater good.”

Tudor stared at Vikir’s altruistic body with a sly smile.

Then, beside him, Sancho gently coughed.

“Basically, you want to sneak into the girls’ dorm at night, right?” You the one who’s supposed to be a wannabe hero?”

“There’s a saying, ‘Heroes are naturally inclined to seek colorful adventures. And who’s going to scold me for it?”

Sancho laughed heartily at Tudor’s remark.

Tudor started persuading Sancho and Figgy with sparkling eyes.

“Can you imagine how thrilling this would be?” Getting through the pitch-black night and the strict boundaries, climbing the rope to the girls’ dormitory, and finally meeting them! It’s like a knight’s quest! Our academy’s dormitories, as you know, are strictly separated for males and females. If we don’t take advantage of this opportunity, we won’t be able to spend a night in the same room as the girls for the next four years!”

“Um, what are we going to do when we meet them?”

“That’s a good question, Figgy!” What are our options? So… just drink, play games, and have a good time! We can play drinking games and tell some real-life stories. “What are your thoughts?”

“Hmm. Drinking games? Are we going to compete to see who can drink the most until someone passes out?”

“That’s such a northern-style way of thinking, Sancho. Why would we play that kind of game with the girls? Instead, we can play random games or truth or dare! You know?”

Sancho, who hails from the northern regions, had only experienced drinking with sweaty guys at night, so Tudor’s idea intrigued him. Figgy, who had never had a proper conversation with girls his age, watched Tudor with a mix of worry and anticipation.

“Hmm. I’m fine with it, but will the girls like me? They might think I’m just a musclehead blinded by lust.”

“Haha! Come on, Sancho. Girls think similarly to guys. I’ve already had my eye on one lady who matches my taste during the day. If we go to the designated spot at the specified time, the girls will secretly open the back door to welcome us.”

“Can I come too? I hope I won’t be too much trouble…”

“Haha! The more, the merrier! That way, if we get caught, we’ll share the blame! And Figgy, be confident! You’re a chubby, adorable guy, so there’s a high demand for your type!”

The conversation was going surprisingly well. Finally, Tudor successfully convinced Sancho and Figgy, and he turned to Vikir with a tense expression.

Vikir said clearly once again, “Let’s go. I like girls.”

It was the most mismatched expression and statement in the world.

Tudor, trying to keep the conversation flowing, said, “You do know that we’re not going there to have a duel with the girls, right? It’s just a friendly gathering.”

“Understood.”

Vikir nodded, and Sancho and Figgy followed suit.

“Vikir, are you feeling okay? If you’re in pain, please tell us. My ointment, made from herbs I collected in the North, can heal not only the body but also the mind…”

“Vikir, what’s gotten into you? You’ve never shown any interest in girls before…”

Of course, Vikir had never shown any interest in girls, unlike the concerns of his friends. He had other intentions.

“Tonight is the perfect opportunity to kill the demon.”

With the moon not yet rising on this dark night, it was the ideal hunting ground for a night hound.

Vikir would use the pretext of a secret rendezvous to slip out of the dormitory and find a gap in the strict security.

If he were to embark on an assassination and was detected early, he could possibly blame other male students.

As is common with boys of his age, the girls his age are generally understanding and might even smile with an air of indulgence at the sight of their young, foolish love.

Tudor was from a prominent noble family, and Sancho and Figgy were respectable students at the academy, so their credentials were impeccable.

Even if Vikir was caught wandering the halls and searching for the girls’ dormitories, if he said he got lost while looking for them, he might be able to avoid trouble.

Meanwhile, Tudor briefed the excited young students about today’s plan.

“Alright! Now that Vikir is on board, our roommates are all set. When we join the students from other rooms, we’ll have quite a few people. First, we’ll go to the bathroom and act like we’re using it when the clock tower’s midnight chime rings. Then we’ll head out into the corridor, follow the ceiling ducts, climb the plumbing, and go up to the first-floor bathroom window in the girls’ dormitory. The latch will be broken, and we’ll go up to the emergency exit. The girls will write the room numbers for today’s rendezvous under a flowerpot…”

The plan for this little escapade, created by the kids, was surprisingly detailed and thorough.

Vikir, with a rare serious expression, seemed to blend in well with their youthful adventure.

The more male and female students participated in this rendezvous, the more they could divert attention.

“Alright, like this. When the duty supervisors change and the roll call ends, we’ll meet by the bathroom. As soon as the clock tower’s midnight chime rings, We’ll go.”

The young and excited puppies were thrilled by this brand-new escapade they had never experienced before. But…

Among these fluffy bundles of energy, one experienced hunter hid sharp fangs.

*****

*****