How to Raise a Dumb Wolf - Chapter 44

“…I didn’t expect you to want to visit a place like this,” Pal said in surprise as they walked through a corridor at Wold Military Academy.

Aisha smiled and explained, “This is my parents’ alma mater. The place where their military careers… began.”

“Oh. Oh, I see.”

Pal knew who Aisha’s mother was and guiltily looked away. Unsure how to respond naturally, he could only mumble awkwardly, “Th-that’s a little unexpected…”

Aisha was not surprised by his reaction. In truth, even she had been shocked when she learned what her parents did.

She smiled again and continued forward, looking to either side from time to time.

“I didn’t grow up with my parents. They’re very good to me, but when I think about it, I know very little about them… They hadn’t had time to tell me much before I came here… Ah, I found it!”

The sudden delight in Aisha’s voice made Pal follow her gaze.

Aisha was gazing happily ahead, where the corridor walls began to change. A few more steps would take them into a passage covered entirely in old portraits.

Like the warrior school, Wold Military Academy had a tradition of hanging portraits of outstanding graduates on its walls. In fact, seeing the warrior school’s display was what had given Aisha the idea to look here.

But unlike Wold Warrior School, which displayed only the single finest graduate of each year, the military academy featured several. The number varied—sometimes two or three, sometimes five or six, and occasionally more than ten.

Aisha smiled. “Could you wait here for a moment? I want to find something. It shouldn’t take long. Once I’ve seen it, we can go somewhere else. I’m sorry to trouble you again.”

“Ah, it’s fine.”

By now, Pal had more or less guessed what Aisha wanted to see and readily nodded.

After considering for several seconds, he suggested, “Why don’t I wait downstairs? Uh… I happen to have something to do nearby.”

A school corridor was a terribly inconvenient place to hide. His cousin was still standing outside. It was time to give him an update. If they waited much longer, he might turn into a stone wolf. _(:з」∠)_

Aisha had no objection and quickly agreed.

After parting from Pal, she composed herself and continued, her gaze skipping lightly but carefully across portrait after portrait.

Suddenly, Aisha’s gaze stopped. Her steps slowed unconsciously, then halted. She turned and looked up at one portrait, overcome by the sense that time had turned back.

It was an old portrait painted more than twenty years ago. Four people appeared in it: three women and one man. A young Tina Killott stood at the center, smiling brilliantly.

Unlike the other portraits, this one was mounted in a special gold frame. A label beneath it carried an additional note:

Tina Killott, second from left. Graduated in 791.

At nineteen, Tina cut a valiant figure at the center, her long spear perfectly upright in one hand. Confidence shone across her face. Even through the frame, one could feel her deep, innate fearlessness.

Although the label did not identify him, Aisha recognized her father at once.

Hock stood on the far right, keeping some distance from the three warrior girls with their bold, carefree smiles. Compared with them, he looked more composed, if less spirited.

And…

Aisha was surprised to discover how young and handsome her father had been. He was striking, even. The terrible scar had not yet appeared on his face, and he did not look close to her mother.

From the portrait alone, no one would ever imagine that these two would have a child only a few years later. Tina seemed much closer to the two girls linking arms with her.

But…

Aisha could not tell whether it was merely an illusion born from being their daughter. Her mother did not seem to have noticed anything, but her father’s gaze angled subtly down and left.

He was not looking at either of the other girls.

He was looking at Tina.

Aisha pressed her lips together, filled with an indescribable feeling.

She suddenly felt closer to her parents. She and her mother faced each other across the portrait like two mirrors. At this point in their lives, only two years separated their ages.

If Aisha could become like her mother by nineteen, that would be wonderful. But it was probably… impossible, wasn’t it?

She looked at her hands, then could not resist taking out her wand. The engraved words *Aisha, from Ryan* remained clear. They were both a connection and an encouragement.

Strength rose from somewhere unknown. Aisha drew a deep breath.

Many people believed Tina’s rise to her present achievements had been smooth and effortless. But a woman forced to hide even her marriage and daughter had clearly faced pressure and hardship others could not imagine… or simply could not be bothered to imagine.

By comparison, Aisha had only just begun. A bottleneck lasting one or two weeks was nothing.

If she thought carefully, she would certainly find a way through—whether by looking for the answer in herself, in Eric… or in what Thorne had told her.

Once she understood that, Aisha looked again at the young versions of her parents. Her mood relaxed, and the corners of her mouth rose in a gentle, natural smile.

The uncertainty that had troubled her no longer seemed so intractable.

As for precisely what she should do… she might need to think a little longer.

…

Afraid of keeping Pal waiting, Aisha did not linger long before the portrait. She committed her parents’ youthful faces to memory, thought about how she might mention this in her next letter to her mother, and ran downstairs in high spirits.

Pal was indeed waiting when she arrived. Aisha waved, but for some reason, his expression seemed subtly stiff when he saw her.

“Hm? What’s wrong?” she asked as she approached. “Did your errand go badly?”

“No, no! It went extremely well!” Pal waved frantically. “I’m not nervous at all!”

“What?”

“…Fine, I’m nervous. But the thing I was nervous about is already over! Definitely over!”

Aisha continued looking at him without understanding. Pal, about to assist his cousin in earnest for the first time, felt his heart race. He quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, let’s go outside! Where would you like to go next? Uh, Wold has some famous landmarks. Have you visited the lighthouse? And there’s Central Park…”

The academic building Aisha had left was close to the school entrance. Pal had rattled off only a few famous attractions by the time they reached the gates.

Aisha still thought something about him seemed strange, but since it was Pal, she did not take it too seriously.

She smiled and asked, “What is it? What exactly did you go to d—”

Her voice stopped abruptly.

Aisha blinked unconsciously, then blinked again to confirm she was not seeing things. For some reason, she suddenly became flustered and instinctively turned to the black panther beside her.

“Pal, isn’t that person…”

Only then did Pal realize that he and Les had never discussed the details of whether to reveal Major General Wolf’s identity.

This was Wold, so exposure would not matter greatly. Still, concealment was safer.

Aisha’s question was already on her lips, and Pal knew she had met Les during the forest accident. In a flash, he made a decision and improvised desperately.

“I’ve met that person! Why don’t we go say hello? I happened to meet him while helping deal with the accident in the school forest—”

“What? Isn’t he your cousin?”

“—my cousin. Yes. He’s the cousin I happened to meet while helping deal with the accident in the school forest. We hadn’t spoken for so long that it was practically our first meeting.”

Pal forced the absurd explanation out with stiff composure and a blank expression.

Part of him was terrified that his cousin might truly kill him after today. Another part was shocked that Aisha knew who Les was.

Wasn’t she only supposed to have seen his face without learning his identity or name?!

Pal nervously checked Aisha’s expression, then relaxed when he realized she had not been listening to him anyway. Her gaze had remained fixed on Les in the distance.

At that moment, Les turned toward them.

He had caught Aisha’s scent from far away and known she was approaching. But… even Les had not expected their second meeting to make him more nervous than the first. He needed several seconds to prepare himself.

Pal had said… his gaze should be gentle.

Les had practiced several times in front of a mirror but had never gotten the hang of it. In any case… he could only try.

Yet he soon discovered there had been no need to think so much.

The instant he saw Aisha, he was naturally drawn to her and could not look away. There was no room to consider precisely what expression he ought to make.

He simply wanted to look at her.

Beneath his stare, Aisha instinctively took a step backward as a familiar sensation swept over her.

The stern man’s eyes were like icy arrows. His back was perfectly straight, and as he turned toward her, there was no hint of a smile on his face. His entire body radiated an unapproachable chill, as though one more step toward him would make him frown in disgust.

Without question, this meant…

He’s glaring at me again!

Aisha reached the conclusion immediately, then felt a tiny trace of doubt.

…Why had she thought *again*?

She was confused for an instant, but Pal patted her shoulder at just the right moment and interrupted her thoughts.

Following the script with perfect solemnity, he said, “Aisha, he looks as though he really wants to talk to you!”