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DN : [410] Encounter
🕑 Added 2025-01-11 16:00:02 +0000 UTCNatsuki Minamiya had to leave for her class, leaving August alone in her office.
With nothing to do and curious about Saikai Academy’s campus, which he was visiting for the first time, August decided to wander around. He figured that if Natsuki needed him, she would come looking.
Before long, his aimless stroll brought him to the middle school section of Saikai Academy.
The academy was divided into two zones: one for middle school and another for high school students. Typically, senior students had no reason to visit the junior section.
“August-niisan!”
A familiar voice called out. August turned to see Kanon Kanase running toward him with an excited smile.
“Kanon-chan! Good morning.”
“Good morning, August-niisan. Are you free right now?”
“Of course! I’m currently Natsuki-chan’s teaching assistant.”
“Natsuki-chan? You mean Miss Natsuki Minamiya?”
“That’s right.”
Kanon’s expression shifted to one of slight disbelief. After meeting him the previous evening and hearing him casually call himself “chan." and now referring to Natsuki Minamiya the same way, she started to think August had a knack for charming girls.
Meanwhile, the boys around them were anything but calm.
“Oh no, the saint has been stolen away! This is outrageous!”
“Who is that guy? We have to take him down!”
“Kanon is everyone’s treasure. We can’t let anyone snatch her away!”
“Let’s get him! Damn it, he’s too handsome!”
The air was thick with jealousy and resentment, making August chuckle quietly. The hostility was almost palpable.
“Well, well." August mused to himself. “These kids are sure precocious.”
Even so, none of the boys dared to step forward. August’s demeanor radiated an aura of someone not to be trifled with—whether it was wealth, influence, or simply his striking appearance and confident presence.
August found their envy amusing. It reminded him of his own school days when he had envied the popular kids who seemed to have it all.
“Kanon-chan, you’re really popular. I feel like these guys might tear me apart." He joked.
“August-niisan, don’t misunderstand!” Kanon protested, her face flushed.
“I’m not misunderstanding anything. My Kanon-chan is simply irresistible, admired by so many.”
“Your little…”
Kanon’s face turned bright red, her thoughts scattering.
August grinned. He was sure of it now—Kanon liked him, and not just a little.
The best part? He hadn’t even used his charm abilities. This was all her genuine affection. The thought gave him a sense of triumph.
“Kanon-chan, wake up. Don’t let your mind wander!”
“August-niisan, stop saying things that could be misunderstood!” Kanon stammered, her face as red as a cherry.
Her bashful demeanor broke the hearts of the boys watching.
“That’s definitely how she’d act around a boyfriend!”
“It’s over… she’s been stolen. And he’s so good-looking, too…”
“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind making cute Kanon-chan part of my family." August teased, enjoying her reaction.
“Ugh!”
Kanon’s blush deepened, and she looked like she might actually overheat.
The school bell rang, saving Kanon from further embarrassment. She snapped out of her flustered state.
“August-niisan, I have to go to class now!”
“Alright, take it easy. Don’t run.”
“It’s fine, really!”
Kanon jogged off toward her classroom, leaving August smiling as he watched her go.
She was exactly the type of girl that tugged at his heartstrings—a gem any man would treasure. But remembering her story from this world, his expression darkened.
Kanon Kanase was the illegitimate daughter of the former king of Aldegyr. After her mother left the royal family, they came to Itogami Island. Tragically, her mother passed away when Kanon was still young, leaving her in the care of her uncle, Kensei Kanase.
However, because Kanon carried royal blood, she had an extraordinary aptitude as a spiritual medium. This potential drew Gensho’s attention, leading him to include her in the “Artificial Angel” project.
The project itself was a grotesque scheme that essentially pitted candidates against one another in a battle of survival, consuming their opponents’ spiritual cores to grow stronger. Kanon was the sole survivor of this grim process.
Recalling this part of her story always pained August. Kanon was a girl filled with light, yet she had been dragged into the depths of despair.
Now that he was here in this world and had earned her affection, he couldn’t sit idly by. Whether the project had begun or not, he planned to intervene.
After all, August had encountered real seraphim before. The so-called “Artificial Angel” project was nothing more than a perversion of true divinity.
“Lost in thought about your little lover, are you?”
Natsuki Minamiya’s teasing voice snapped him back to reality.
Turning, August saw her standing behind him, arms crossed and a look of mild disapproval on her face.
“Don’t tell me you’ve already labeled me as a scoundrel." He said with a wry smile.
“Not far off." Natsuki replied dryly.
“Natsuki-chan, could you help me with something?”
“Oh? And what would that be?”
“Find out everything you can about Kanon’s guardian, Kensei Kanase.”
“Why? Planning to kidnap her outright?”
“No, I just need to confirm something.”
For a brief moment, a cold glint flashed in August’s eyes.
The sight sent a shiver down Natsuki’s spine. She wasn’t the target of his killing intent, but the chill in his aura was undeniable.
What could Kensei Kanase have done to provoke such a reaction? Natsuki didn’t know, but she intended to find out. With her position as a high-ranking officer on the island, investigating him would be no trouble at all.
