Now that they were older, the girl gang—Iluna, Shii, En, Rei, Rui, and Roh—were attending school in the ovine village. They woke up in the morning, ate breakfast together, then got dressed and ready before leaving the dungeon, passing through the door to the ovine village. They went to class, and afterward, they either played with their new friends or went home to take care of Riu and Sakuya. Once home, they stuffed themselves with food, bathed, and went to sleep. A fun and fulfilling life.
Since Leila had taught them all kinds of things during their time in the dungeon, they didn’t dislike learning. There was Iluna, a perfectly ordinary child with a healthy curiosity. She was smart and understood the importance of knowledge, so she studied diligently. Shii disliked many subjects and found them difficult, but she wasn’t completely averse to learning. She enjoyed science experiments with Yuki and made an effort to learn about magic, which she understood the best.
En, reluctant to be away from Yuki for extended periods due to her pride in being his weapon, was also enjoying her school life and relishing her days of learning with Iluna and the others. She was single-minded in her pursuits. If one were feeling generous, she could be described as having the spirit of a craftsman. If one weren’t feeling generous, she simply had a stubborn streak. She became completely absorbed in things she liked, which aligned well with the attitude of the ovine people, known for their relentless pursuit of knowledge.
As for the wraith triplets, while mischievous, they did surprisingly well on their studies when they concentrated. Like Shii, their main interest was magic, and they only listened with half an ear to other subjects. But their comprehension abilities were on par with any normal child.
Now, the girls were just like every other student.
“The hardest thing about going to school is probably waking up in the morning...”
Iluna yawned as she passed through the door to the ovine village.
“Super hectic!”
“Yup... We can’t even take our time, or we’ll be late.”
“No, I mean it’s hard to get up because I’m so tired all the time, which makes me sleepy... Ugh, how do you all have so much energy? I wish I did too.”
Iluna sighed. Although Shii and En looked like children, they had more stamina than the average adult due to their special races. The wraith sisters, on the other hand, didn’t have physical bodies in the first place, so while they might hibernate, they didn’t actually sleep. Having lived a life of playing, eating, and sleeping well, Iluna was very healthy herself and had more stamina than others her age. In the end, though, she was still just a normal child. The others in the girl gang simply couldn’t understand her physical struggles.
“Iluna, want me cast healing magic?”
“Thanks, but it’s not that kind of pain.”
“Leila...said that getting sunlight and stretching is good for getting rid of sleepiness.”
“Hrrrm, I guess I’ll stretch... Girls, I know it’s a little late to ask, but are you okay in the sun?”
The wraith sisters tilted their heads, puzzled.
“Well, I was thinking that your race isn’t all that fond of sunlight. We’ve been playing together in the mornings without worrying about that kind of stuff until now.”
The triplets exchanged glances, and Rei was the first to respond, giving her a “The morning sun feels so nice, though!” Rui followed with “It’s easier to see when it’s bright,” and Roh finished, “I love sunbathing.”
“Because they all active!”
“I...understand your question, Iluna, but you should think of them like this: They’re wraiths, but they’re also not.”
“Hmm, I think you’re right. Then if they’re fine with it, so am I.”
Incidentally, wraiths were monsters that hated sunlight and appeared anytime between the hours of dusk and night. They especially preferred gloomy weather such as cloudy, rainy, or foggy conditions, and tended to lurk in the darkness. The triplets didn’t dislike those environments either, and one could say their mischievous personality reflected some typical wraith characteristics, but they also liked the daytime and had never been particularly bothered by the sun. In fact, they quite enjoyed sunbathing, and they even felt better in the brightness. Truly, the wraith sisters were incredibly unique.
While chatting about who-knows-what, the girl gang walked along their familiar route to school, and the school building soon came into view. Farencia Academy of Magic, a very famous and well-known school among those in the field. Though it didn’t accept everyone indiscriminately, there was a system in place to admit anyone who wished to learn. It was no exaggeration to say that it was the most advanced educational institution in the world, with famous graduates in every field of study. It was a place that could be called the ovine race’s driving force.
Iluna and the others had their lessons in the school building for the Junior Faculty. Compared to the others, it boasted many models and pieces of equipment designed to stimulate children’s curiosity, in addition to a well-equipped playground to help them develop their physical abilities. The students in this faculty were taught from a young age that learning was fun and that a healthy body was necessary for that.
However, despite receiving that sort of education during childhood, many members of the ovine clan became so engrossed in their research as they grew older that their daily routines fell apart, leading to lifestyles that were far from healthy. Being demons, they could push themselves past their limits. Staying up all night was a frequent occurrence.
Once upon a time, Leila had also lived a life where she didn’t care about her lifestyle and simply immersed herself in the pursuit of knowledge as she pleased. After she began living in the dungeon, however, she’d started leading a much healthier lifestyle. She still jotted down her observations in her journal after everyone else had gone to sleep, but unlike before, she rested enough to be able to function properly during the day, and she also made sure to get enough exercise. Because unlike before, taking care of others had become a newfound purpose for her, one of a few, and with Iluna and the other girls around, she had realized that she wouldn’t be setting a good example with her unbalanced way of life. That sort of awareness hadn’t come into play during her life in the village with her younger sister, Emyu, and her mentor, Eldgalia, simply because they shared the same attitude toward the pursuit of knowledge. Still, Leila often took care of Emyu since they were family.
“Ah, Emyu! Good morning!”
“Emyu! Morniiing!”
“Good...morning.”
The wraith girls also waved at her in greeting. They ran into Emyu just as they were entering the school building.
“Good morning, everyone! You’re all as energetic as ever today!”
“Super energetic!”
“Super...duper!”
After Shii and En, the wraith girls each gestured wildly in agreement.
“I’m a little sleepy, though. But it’s not like I stayed up late or anything.”
Emyu stared at Iluna sympathetically.
“I completely understand. Mornings are tough, aren’t they? Even though I slept a lot, I’m still tired.”
“Right?! But these girls are so full of energy that they just don’t get it.”
“It’s like this every day. During the boring classes, I can’t help but want to sleep. If I do, though, my teacher just gives me an evil grin and happily assigns me more work later, so I have to endure it...”
“I also dozes when boring!”
“Shii...you probably think it’s boring because you don’t understand it, but Emyu thinks it’s because it’s too easy for her.”
Shii smiled bashfully in response to En’s remark.
“You right, Emyu is smart!”
“Yup, you’re Leila’s little sister all right. You know so much, and you’re so smart. I really admire you.”
“Me...too.”
“Tee hee. Oh no, I mustn’t let all this praise go to my head. Also, Iluna, En, you’re both quick-witted, and the wraith girls are so exceptionally skilled in magic that they’re unmatched for their age. I’d just embarrass myself by bragging about knowing a little more than the average person.”
“What ’bout me?”
“You’re cute, Shii.”
“Yaay! Thank!”
Shii smiled happily. Emyu had already learned how to handle the slime girl.
And so, they entered the school building while chatting about who-knows-what.
✦ ✦ ✦
“We’re home!”
“We’re home!”
“We’re...home.”
The wraith girls gestured to say the same.
“Welcome back. I trust you worked hard today as well?”
“Welcome back, girls! Dinner will be ready in just a little bit!”
Lefi and Lew greeted them. A moment later, Yuki and Leila peeked their heads out from the kitchen and called out, “Welcome back, you guys” and “Welcome back!” respectively. The babies in Lefi’s and Lew’s arms both stared at them while a fluffy little wolf chased her own tail at their feet.
“Riu, Sakuya, Setsu, we’re home!”
“Da! Ooo!”
“Aoo.”
“So cute, so cute! I see you’re as energetic as ever, Riu. And Sakuya, you’re as quiet as ever. Waaah! Aha ha ha! Okay, okay, okay. I’ll play with you.”
Setsu stopped spinning around and bounced up on her stubby little legs, rubbing her head against Iluna’s leg. It was like she was saying, “Play with me!”
“Iluna, I jelly! Setsu loooves you.”
“Yes...she’s very attached to Iluna.”
“Just play with her and she’ll feel the same way about you.”
Setsu, Rir’s daughter, usually stayed with her parents, but she often spent time in the living room—the real throne room—with Yuki and the others. Rir wanted her to recognize each of them since the dungeon’s residents were technically their masters. Incidentally, since fenrirs grew faster than humans, she could already walk. She also knew who everyone was and loved playing with them all. She was particularly fond of Yuki, perhaps because her father’s scent was so strong on him, and Iluna, for whatever reason. Whenever she saw either of them, she often acted like this, wanting their attention. She also seemed to perceive Riu and Sakuya as siblings or members of her pack, so when she was brought into the living room, she tended to stay close to them.
The way the babies interacted with Setsu also reflected their different personalities. When Setsu rubbed her nose against her, Riu wiggled her hands and feet in delight, grabbing at Setsu’s head. On the other hand, Sakuya remained calm and let Setsu do as she pleased. Sometimes, he patted her. One thing they had in common, though, was that if they were crying, they would both immediately stop when Setsu came to them and start playing with her. The adults appreciated that little quirk for making their lives easier.
“Setsu, dinner will be ready soon! There, there. Good girl.”
Everyone petted and cuddled her a lot, doting on her. They played peekaboo with Riu and Sakuya, and greeted Nell when she came home from work. Then, finally, dinner was ready. They exchanged stories about their day, enjoying their time as a family, before taking a warm bath and going to sleep.