Simon stared down at her, his expression utterly blank. ‘...L-Lady Nephthys?’
"Ooh! Food!" Nephthys chirped, scampering past him and struggling to hoist herself onto his vacant chair. Her eyes sparkled as she surveyed the spread of snacks.
"Aww! Who is this?" Meirin squealed.
"She’s so, so cute!" Kamibarez echoed, clasping her hands together.
Nephthys tilted her head, her innocent eyes blinking owlishly.
’Don’t tell me they have no idea,’ Simon thought, horrified. He threw out his arms.
"W-Wait a minute, you guys!"
"Do you want a cookie?" Meirin cooed.
"Yeah!" Nephthys nodded eagerly. Meirin looked as if she might die from the sheer cuteness as she stroked the girl’s head.
Kamibarez turned to Dick. "It’s okay to feed her, right, Dick?"
"Uh? Uhh..."
"Yay!" With permission granted, Nephthys began stuffing her face, her fluffy cheeks puffing out. She smiled blissfully. "It’s delishush!"
"Awwww!" Meirin shrieked with delight. "Do you want this, too?" She unwrapped a cookie and held it out. Nephthys opened her mouth and took a huge bite.
"Nom nom!"
"She ate it!"
"Me too! Let me try!" Kamibarez pleaded.
The situation was spiraling into a catastrophe. "Wait, everyone!" Simon tried again, his voice strained. "This person is—!"
"You’re so cute!! What’s your name?" Kamibarez asked gently.
Nephthys, still chewing, beamed at her. "Yep! My name is Nephthys!"
"Teeheehee!"
"So cute!"
They didn’t believe her in the slightest. Most people outside of Kizen had no idea that the legendary, 300-year-old Nephthys had the appearance of a small child. She hadn’t made a public appearance in decades, operating entirely from behind the scenes. On the rare occasions she did show herself, she assumed a different form. The name ‘Nephthys’ carried a weight of terror that had spawned countless wild speculations, most of which involved a monstrous witch, something not quite human. The thought that she could be standing right here was simply inconceivable to them.
’Wh-What do I do?’ Simon felt like he was staring at a ticking time bomb.
Dick, meanwhile, had already assessed the situation. He was quietly inching away from the girls, his face pale.
’Dick! Do something!’ Simon pleaded with his eyes. But Dick wasn’t looking at him. He had moved to a separate chair and was now sitting with a rigid posture.
"...Dick?" Kamibarez finally noticed, turning her head. He was kneeling on the chair, his face stiff as a board. "Why are you suddenly kneeling?"
"Wh-What are you talking about! I’ve always sat like this!" he stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. He clearly wanted to explain, but Nephthys kept shooting him subtle, warning glances that sealed his lips.
"Is it good?" Meirin asked, reverting to a girlishness Simon had never seen before. She gently patted Nephthys’s head, and the ancient witch giggled.
"Yep! It’s delishush!"
"Aww, my heart..." Meirin clutched her chest.
"I’ve never seen such a pretty child!" Kamibarez gushed.
After eating her fill, Nephthys patted her small, round belly and hopped off the chair. She trotted over to Simon and took his hand.
"Simon, can I see you for a moment?"
"...Ah, yes, of course."
The two stepped out into the hallway. "Lady Nephthys," Simon began immediately, "I apologize on their behalf! They didn’t recognize you..."
"Hehe, it’s fine! It happens all the time," she said with a laugh. "And the snacks were delicious." She stopped walking and looked up, her eyes fixed on his. Simon stopped as well, waiting.
"Hmph." A wry smile touched her lips. "You’ve finally obtained your army, Simon."
Simon’s heart hammered against his ribs. She returned to her innocent, childlike expression and tugged on his hand.
"It’s a bit public to talk here. Shall we find somewhere else?"
"Pardon?"
Holding his hand, Nephthys leaped into the air. The world dissolved around Simon in a dizzying sensation of weightlessness, a feeling of being pulled across dimensions. When he opened his eyes, the scenery had changed completely.
’Where am I now?’
He was in someone’s bedroom. The walls were a soft cream and pink, the curtains were trimmed with frills, and the shelves were lined with cute animal dolls and charming trinkets. The air smelled sweet and pleasant.
’Don’t tell me.’
Simon turned to look at the girl who best matched the room’s aesthetic. "Lady Nephthys, I didn’t know you had this kind of taste..."
"This isn’t my room."
"It’s not?"
A rustle of blankets came from behind him. Simon spun around, startled. A beautiful girl with expressionless red eyes and damp, black hair was sitting up in bed.
"L-Lorraine!"
Simon’s face went up in flames. She was wearing a pair of comfortable shorts and nothing but her underwear on top. She crossed her arms over her chest, her face a mask of indifference as she stared at Nephthys.
"Mom."
"Yes!"
"Teleporting a boy into my room... you’re just blatantly trying to mess with me, aren’t you?"
"What are you talking about!" Nephthys declared, planting her hands on her hips. "I came here because I have something to say to both of you at the same time!"
Lorraine let out a long, weary sigh, her red eyes flashing menacingly. "You’re always like this."
"Hmph, you’re one to talk!" Nephthys shot back, bouncing on her feet. "It’s exam season and you overslept again, didn’t you? Simon here gathered his group for a study session!"
"I can handle it myself."
"Do you have any idea how many professors have been complaining to me about you?"
"Not knowing a few stupid formulas has nothing to do with my actual skills!"
A tense energy crackled between them. While the words were those of a typical mother-daughter squabble, the sight was of two sisters on the verge of battle.
’...I want to go back to the dormitory.’ Pinned in the crossfire of the world’s most terrifying family dispute, Simon stood plastered against the wall, his face pale.
"Just get this over with, Mom," Lorraine said. "And Simon?"
"Ah, yeah?"
"Could you stop sneaking glances at me?"
Simon swallowed the lump in his throat. ‘It’s not like I want to look.’
Lorraine rose from the bed, grabbed a random robe from a hanger, and wrapped it around herself. Only then could Simon breathe properly.
"Now then, Simon," Nephthys began, plopping down onto a nearby chair. "About that report of yours."
"My report?"
"Mhm. The spy who infiltrated Kizen."
’So Lorraine told her.’ Simon waited, his body tense.
"For now, I’ve ordered my most trusted subordinates to investigate. They’re already starting to find some clues."
"Phew, that’s a relief."
"But I came to warn you," Nephthys continued, her voice turning serious. "It seems that the traitor knows who you are."
Simon felt his blood run cold.
Nephthys went on, her tone measured. "Remember the Cyclops evaluation? The creature your group faced was unusually strong. That wasn’t due to some side effect from capture. Someone intentionally tampered with it."
Nephthys smiled faintly. "I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what their intention was, do I?"
’To disguise it as an accident.’ Simon swallowed hard.
"Simon," Lorraine said, her voice sharp. "You said you met this person in the Forbidden Forest. That means the spy is far more likely to be someone at the school, not at Kizen’s headquarters. As long as you’re here, your life could be in constant danger."
"Mhm, that’s right," Nephthys added, crossing her arms, her smiling gaze fixed on him.
"My little Lorraine was so worried about you!" Nephthys chirped.
"Mom!" Lorraine yelped.
"Anyway," Nephthys continued, "are you quite sure you don’t want to accept Kizen’s protection?"
Simon’s lips remained a thin, firm line.
"If you’re worried about being expelled, I can have you held back a year like your roommate, Kajan," she offered. "You could go home until this is all resolved and start fresh next year."
"I am truly grateful for your concern, but I’ve made up my mind." Simon slowly lifted his head. "I believe the life I’m building here is worth protecting, risks and all. Please, let me stay. I’m looking for clues on my own, so I might even be of some help."
Lorraine bit her lip, her expression a mixture of complicated emotions, while Nephthys simply nodded. "I expected as much! You’re Richard’s son, after all."
She produced a silver necklace from a pocket of Subspace. As Simon stared, wondering what it was, she gestured for him to kneel. He quickly dropped to one knee, and Nephthys rose onto her tiptoes to fasten the delicate chain around his neck.
"What is this?" he asked.
"An artifact," she explained. "There have been a lot of unsettling things happening on the continent lately, so I can’t devote all my attention to you. This will have to suffice. The power it holds will protect you."
Simon swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the brilliant light shimmering from the necklace. It was undoubtedly more valuable than anything he had ever owned.
"If this artifact alerts you to danger, you must immediately stop whatever you are doing and flee," Nephthys instructed, her tone suddenly serious. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, I will keep that in mind."
"And," Nephthys added, turning to Lorraine, "you keep an eye on my little Simon, too."
"I know, Mom," Lorraine replied, her voice tinged with haughtiness.
Just then, Nephthys leaped onto the bed. "Get uuuup! Hurry and get uuuup!"
"Ow, that hurts!" Lorraine protested.
"Simon," Nephthys called, looking back at him while still tugging on Lorraine’s arm. "I’ll send you back to your study group, so take this lazybones with you!"
"Mom!" Lorraine cried, her face flushing with embarrassment. "Why would I go there?"
"Hmph! It’s the only way to get you to leave the house!"
"It’s a study group! I’ll just make things awkward, and I’ll be a nuisance to Simon’s friends!" Lorraine shouted, wrenching her arm free.
Nephthys plopped onto the bed and sniffled.
Tears instantly welled in her eyes. "Oh, my, my! My own daughter does nothing but break my heart! Lorraine is stuuupid!" As she flailed her arms and legs, she looked exactly like a small child throwing a tantrum.
Simon watched, frozen with uncertainty, while Lorraine, pricked by a sliver of guilt, pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. "Fine. I’ll go."
"Okay, okay! Then please take good care of my little Lorraine, Simon!" The tears vanished as if they had never been there. Nephthys hopped off the bed, her mood completely transformed. Simon was taken aback, but Lorraine merely grumbled as if this were a regular occurrence and opened her closet.
"Come out when you’re both ready!" Nephthys chirped, humming as she left the room.
Lorraine pulled her uniform from the closet. "Sorry about this. I’ll just stay quiet for an hour or so and then leave."
"No, it’s fine. We’d be happy to have you."
Lorraine suddenly froze and stared intently at Simon’s face.
"What is it?" he asked, confused.
"Are you planning on watching me change?"
Simon’s face turned beet red, and he scrambled out of the room.
A short while later, Lorraine joined Group 7’s study session.
Meirin, Kamibarez, and Dick went pale upon recognizing the famous senior. A tense silence descended upon the classroom as the five of them sat facing one another, broken only by the frantic darting of eyes. Meirin shot Simon a look that clearly demanded an explanation, while Dick’s heart hammered against his ribs. ‘First Nephthys, and now Lorraine!’
"This is Lorraine from Class L," Simon said, introducing her with a casual smile. "She’d like to study with us, just for today. Is that okay?"
The three of them nodded immediately. It had to be okay, whether they liked it or not.
After sweeping the room with an unreadable expression, Lorraine spoke in a calm, even voice.

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