[V5C4] Nero-senpai is Harsh

Isaac was the self-proclaimed disciple of the Silent Witch, but he also needed to appear publicly as the second prince, who served as the Duke of Erin.

Although his official duties were significantly reduced since relinquishing his right to the throne, they would never disappear entirely. He still needed to develop his territory, and visit various tea parties and banquets, keeping him reasonably busy.

As a result, Isaac returned to his territory once a month to fulfill his duties as Felix Arc Ridill.

“Well then, I’ll be returning to my estate for a while. Monica, make sure to lock up, alright?”

“Right.”

“I’ve prepared some meals that keep well, so I’d be happy if you eat them.”

Isaac knew that Monica tended to skip meals. By speaking in this manner, he could ensure that she ate properly.

Monica nodded obediently and then looked at Isaac’s shoulder with a curious expression.

On Isaac’s coat-covered shoulder sat Nero, unmoving.

It wasn’t unusual for Nero, who often begged for meat, to hover around Isaac while he cooked. However, Nero didn’t particularly favor Isaac, so it was rare for him to deliberately perch on Isaac’s shoulder or lap.

“Nero? Ike won’t be able to leave if you stay there, you know.”

When Monica scolded Nero, he chuckled proudly, “Nya-ha-ha,” and replied in a self-important tone.

“Well, you see, this guy wanted to entertain me at his mansion. So I’ve decided to go visit.”

“…Nero, you’re going to Ike’s mansion?”

Alternating her gaze between Nero and Isaac, Monica looked puzzled.

Isaac smiled and picked up Nero by the nape of his neck. It was a casual and rough manner, reminiscent of kicking out a stray cat.

“Yeah, that’s right. I wanted to entertain the great Nero-senpai at my mansion.”

“Oi, don’t casually drag your Senpai around by the neck!”

Ignoring the flailing Nero in his hand, Isaac maintained his refreshing smile toward Monica.

“Anyway, we’re off. Goodbye, my revered Master.”

“Yes, take care.”

In the early days when Isaac became her disciple, Monica hesitated to say, “Take care” or “Welcome back.” This place was Monica’s home, not Isaac’s.

However, Monica had recently grown accustomed to Isaac’s presence. Now she casually said such greetings to Isaac, which made him very happy.

Reflecting on how the small exchanges of words brought him happiness, Isaac departed Monica’s house and boarded the carriage waiting for him.

Isaac finally released Nero, putting him down on the seat across from him.

Even if Nero generally took on the appearance of a black cat, Isaac didn’t enjoy having someone who could transform into an adult man on his lap.

“Now, before we arrive at my mansion, shall we do a little shopping? I need to buy you some clothes.”

“Clothes? I can reproduce them to some extent with my own power.”

“Is that so? I had assumed you could only wear that robe of yours.”

Nero always wore an ancient-looking robe after transforming into a human.

Isaac had seen Nero wearing servant attire several times before, but he thought that Nero changed into a different outfit specifically for those occasions.

Though according to Nero, it seems other clothes could be reproduced as well.

“I can easily reproduce that robe because I ate it.”

“…Huh?”

Although Isaac felt like he just heard something strange, Nero ignored Isaac’s doubtful gaze and continued.

“I can roughly reproduce other clothes by imitation, but I can’t replicate details like lining or decorations. Once, when I tried to reproduce the school uniform, I accidentally added the image of Monica’s uniform and ended up with a skirt…”

While it was quite shocking to hear that Nero had put on a skirt, there was something more intriguing to Isaac.

“…You ate a robe?”

To the puzzled Isaac, the black dragon disguised as a black cat grinned with a fierce smile.

“What, don’t you know? Greater dragons can absorb information from what they eat. Well, I guess it’s not as simple as just eating; there are some annoying conditions.”

Nero had mentioned this casually, but this was a fact that would likely startle magical creature biologists who researched dragons. Since greater dragons were scarce, much of their ecology was shrouded in mystery.

While Isaac had a fair understanding of the ecology of spirits due to his contract with the greater water spirit, Wildianu, he wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about dragons.

Suddenly, Isaac realized something.

If a dragon incorporates information from what it eats and then transforms based on that…

“So you transforming into a human or a cat means…”

Instead of answering, Nero gave a toothy grin. It was a menacing smile that didn’t match his appearance as a black cat.

Isaac gulped as he realized the true nature of the lively cat before him. After suppressing his agitation, he put on his usual smile again.

“The transformation magic you and Wildianu use is quite fascinating. It’s different from illusion magic, right? Since you have a physical form.”

“The transformation used by spirits and dragons may look similar, but we are very different. The biggest difference is that spirits won’t bleed even if you cut them with a sword. Those guys are basically just clumps of mana.”

“So you would bleed?”

“Yeah, in dragon form, nothing will hurt me except on the forehead. But if you cut me when I’m in human or cat form, I’ll bleed just like anyone else. I might even die.”

Isaac fell silent for a moment, carefully choosing his next words.

“…Wait, then is transforming into a human or a cat quite risky for you?”

“During my fierce battle with the stray dogs in Sazandol, I seriously debated whether to revert to my original form or not. Those assholes called for reinforcements.”

Isaac couldn’t help but stare at the black dragon in disbelief.

The Black Dragon of Worgan, which once shook the entire Kingdom of Ridill down to its core, was on the verge of being killed by stray dogs and even contemplated returning to his original form with the intent to go all out. Hearing this might break the spirits of the strongest of Dragon Knights.

“…Researchers would consider you an extremely intriguing entity. Did Monica never try to study you?”

Although Monica didn’t specialize in magical biology, Nero’s existence was a treasure trove to anyone engaged in magical research. It was impossible not to be curious.

However, Nero swayed his tail and, for some reason, spoke with a distant look in his eyes.

“When I asked Monica once if she ever thought about investigating me, she fidgeted and said something like…”

Well, I’m not good at dissections.

“…Oh.”

According to Monica, it was natural to dissect and examine Nero if studying him from a biological standpoint. Dissection was an unavoidable road in mastering biology.

“She casually says some scary things. I mean, I’m not good at dissections? What the hell? At least say, I don’t want to dissect you. Heartless Monica.”

“…Sounds just like her.”

Not even Isaac, who was sweet to his master, could fully approve of Monica’s behavior here.

Nero looked up at Isaac’s strained smile with a sullen expression and swayed his tail.

“You better not be thinking of dissecting me.”

In response to Nero’s distrustful question, Isaac answered with the flawless smile of the Second Prince, praised by many for being “filled with sincerity and compassion.”

“I would never do something so horrible to the Senpai I respect so much.”

“With that dubious smile, I suddenly lost any trust I had in you.”

How much do the characters eat?

Isaac and Glenn: As much a high school male in the sports club.

Monica: Light eater. Can easily skip one or two meals when immersing herself in research.

Cyril: Light eater.

Nero: ???

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