Chapter 10:

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ１０-𝓖𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓑𝓾𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓭

Training a dog from another world shouldn't be this hard

Tara: “You want us to do what?!”

The princess stares at her nails

Penny: “Relax… nothing much. I just want you to make things as uncomfortable for her as possible. You hate her, yes?”

Tara: “I mean, she is not significant for me to stress about. So I don't care—“

Penny: “Exactly, so she is INSIGNIFICANT. Meaning, there is no reason for her to be here unless she proves herself.”

Tara raised a brow.

Tara: “She really bothers you that much because she gets a free pass to be here? But what about you, Your Highness? Didn't you use your special connection to get here?”

The girl froze suddenly, feeling the immense pressure in the room with a terrifying aura. The princess points her wand at her, and they could feel some sort of energy seeping from the girl.

Penny: “DO NOT ASSUME THAT I GET A FREE PASS. DO NOT COMPARE ME TO THAT WEAKLING. I HAVE TO WORK MY WAY TO GET HERE. IF YOU EVEN ASSUME THAT AGAIN, I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER. “

She then whispers coldly in her ear

“Do you understand?”

Tara had no choice but to nod. She felt cold in her body, but wasn't sure it was because of fear or the princess’s presence.

Erica interrupted this by speaking up.

Erica: “It's an honor that the princess would ask favors of us. But I will have to decline this.”

Penny's eyes hardened more, if possible.

Penny: “You would refuse your princess? The future heir of the nation.”

Erica looks down as if debating what she'll say.

Erica: “No offense, your highness… but I believe. You coming to this academy made it clear where you stand for our nation.”

The princess slams her hand to the wall as her face hovers slightly over the timid girl.

Princess: “There is more than one way to rule a nation. Or even better, the entire world.”

The two girls look horrified

Erica “You can't be serious… you're aiming for…”

Tara: “The Forbidden Knowledge?”

Erica immediately hushed her, giving her a look.

Erica: “Do not say that so casually…you don't even know who's listening…not even the Gods…”

Penny scoffs

Penny: “I don't fear the gods, but she is right. Do not say that word so casually, unless you're asking to be hunted down. It is something they have been fighting to keep from us, after all.”

Tara: “Well, that's just rumors…like some sort of superstition. It may not be true.” Yet Tara looks pale as a ghost

Erica: “No…no way. This is crazy. You really shouldn't go after anything like that unless you want something bad to happen to you. Your Highness, I thank you for your time, but I'll have to go.”

The princess blocks her way.

Penny: “You are not. I won't allow it. Unless you want me to report you for treason”

Erica's blood runs cold as she sweats.

Erica: “Why would you…why?”

Penny: “I am the princess. So I do expect my followers to obey me. And honestly, who do you think they will believe? A random student no one knows about? Or their beloved princess?” She smirks.

Erica slowly nods, gripping her hand hard.

Erica: “Ok…y-yes. Your Highness“

Penny turns her heel to Tara.

Penny: “And you…”

Tara tenses up.

Tara: “Um… Yes, H-Highness?”

Penny: “I'll give you 500 gold coins if you manage to scare her off the school forever. After all, you seem like you have potential.”

Tara suddenly looked thrilled and full of greed.

Tara: “Deal! Thank you, your Highness!”

Erica looks at Tara, who looks shameless. She only sighs in disappointment.

“ Eh…”

Flora just came back from using the bathroom only to see that her desk was vandalized. She was taken aback that it had words written with some unknown, thick brown substance. The words were scribbled close to words that read “Disappear.”

She looked around the classroom and saw people staring, but there wasn't a trace of who did it. She saw Erica still eating in her seat, silently

Flora: “Um… Erica, do you…umm, perhaps…know who might have done this?”

The girl pushed her glasses higher up her nose.

Erica: “No. I don't. Ask someone else.”

Flora felt something was off with her tone, but couldn't place her finger on it. She barely talked to anyone in class, so she was hesitant to even talk to anyone else. She looked around again to see who was easy to talk to. And her eyes landed on the princess and Tara.

‘Since…when did they become friends?’

Just then, she caught it. The princess gazed at her. There was a dark look. A glare so intense that it made her throat dry.

Flora looks back at the desk and grips Mochi's leash hard. She wonders how she will explain this when the teacher gets back.

Bark bark!

She looks down to see Mochi clawing the desk and standing on two legs as if trying to climb. She saw him lick his lips and sniff. She slowly picks him up, and he wiggles his way to the desk, licking the substance.

She was astonished by how little time it took for him to get rid of everything. She felt something warm in her chest as Mochi licked the entire desk clean. She hugs Mochi, patting him before giving him a treat.

“Good…good boy,” she says with a small smile.

The princess watches the scene unfold and glares at Tara.

Penny: “Really? You covered her desk with peanut butter?”

Tara: “S-sorry, my mom got me that for lunch. I'll do better next time.”

Penny: You better.

As Flora walks down the hallway to get to her locker, she feels someone suddenly trip her. She landed on her knee and scraped it. She winced in pain, seeing that it was bleeding.

“ Oops~” she heard Tara say before she walked away.

Mochi gets closer to her wound and licks it. And then a bar appears in front of him

+----------------------------------------------------Mochi----------------------------------------------------------+

Healed Flora 20 points of HP.

Restored Flora 20 points of MP.

You gained 2XP.

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Mochi looks confused, while Flora widens her eyes.

Flora: “Wait… Mochi… that's incredible. I didn't know you could do that…good dog…” She hugs Mochi again and feeds him a treat.

Then he heard a voice near him.

“Ahem… It's Umina again. You know the goddess? Don't worry. No one can hear me but you. And I'm not actually here here.”

Even so, Mochi still looks around, confused.

Umina: “Like I said. You're not going to be able to see me. I only wanted to explain this one thing. So my master fixed up your skills. I'll only explain this skill you just did. Healing HP and MP will recover as long as any of your bodily fluids touch them. It doesn't have to just be…you know, urine.”

Bark bark!

Umina shushed him.

Umina: “Shhhh! You're in public; be quiet. I still don't understand anything you say.”

Even Flora looks confused as to why he was barking.

Flora: “Mochi…are you okay? Who are you barking at?”

-Return me to Aya, you fowl hooman!-

That was what most of what his bark is all about, not understanding the difference between a human and a goddess.

Umina: “Ahhhhh, forget it, you stubborn dog! Why did I think helping explain was a good idea? You should be grateful I even checked up on you. I knew you wouldn't understand. I am out of here!”

With that, her voice can no longer be heard, and Mochi stops barking after some seconds have passed.

Flora got back on her two feet, pulling Mochi forward. She felt with Mochi here, it was a little easier to handle everything, even if it hurt.

But when she got to the locker, she was shocked to see Erica opening Flora's locker and taking her textbook slowly. The girl turns around with a shocked expression.

Erica: “This… this isn't what it looks like… I'm s-sorry!” She dropped the textbook and ran away.

Flora looks at Mochi, worried.

‘What's going on?’

Penny: “You guys are all worthless. You couldn't even do a single thing right. This clearly isn't driving her away.“

Tara scratches her head.

Tara: “It's not us. It's familiar. He ruined all my plans.” The girl hears the princess click her tongue in annoyance. Her gaze turns to Erica, who avoids her gaze.

Penny: “And you! If you were already halfway through taking her textbook, you should have followed through and run away from the scene.”

Erica: “And then what?”

Her tone was quiet, yet it felt sharp like a blade. The princess felt her eyes twitch.

Penny: “Excuse me. What did you just say? Care to elaborate?”

Erica: “I'm just disappointed… I'm just thinking… if this is how a ruler should act, then I would rather not be part of it anymore. This isn't right. That's not why I became a mage.”

The girl walks away towards the bathroom door.

The princess blocks her path.

Penny: “You're leaving? Did you forget what I said earlier?”

Erica: “I did. And I said, I don't want any part in it anymore.”

The princess went to grab her, but Erica slapped her hand away, giving her a warning look.

Before Erica truly left, she turned her head back and said softly.

“I really would be careful if I were you.”

The door slams after she leaves.

Penny looks infuriated with how things turn out. Tara looked nervous but spoke up.

Tara: “Um… I, um, have more plans if you want me to give it a try.”

Penny: “Forget it. This isn't going anywhere. I'll take charge of things my way. “

Her expression darkens