They say the quiet ones are the scariest.
Whoever said that clearly never met Clara Valac.
"So, Iruma, these are your textbooks and starter scrolls," the teacher said, handing me and Alice two thick stacks of dusty tomes that smelled like they hadn't seen daylight since the Demon King's last nap.
Alice held his stack effortlessly. I, on the other hand, was trying not to get crushed like a human pancake.
"Thank you, sensei," I said with my best polite smile. Inside, though…
These are going to break my spine, aren't they?
I was about to ask Alice if I could use him as a mobile bookshelf when—WHAM!
Something—no, someone—slammed into me from the side like a hyperactive raccoon on sugar.
"TAG! YOU'RE IT!" a girl's voice screeched in my ear, followed by manic laughter.
Books? Gone. Balance? Gone. Dignity? Very gone.
I flailed, spun like a beyblade, and crash-landed on the floor in a glorious display of flailing limbs and crushed self-esteem.
"...Ow," I muttered.
Above me was a creature. Green hair. Bright eyes. Chaos personified.
Clara Valac.
"Ohhh! You're squishy!" she chirped, poking my cheek while still sitting on top of me like a deranged goblin queen. "You must be Iruma-kun! I've been looking for you!"
"Looking... for me?" I asked, still processing the fact that she was using me as a chair.
"Yep! You're the new kid! The one that read the scroll! You're weird! I like weird!" she grinned wide. "Wanna play?"
Right. This is the part where Clara shows up, acts like a sugar-loaded menace, and drags me into chaos.
I sighed internally.
Time to activate Operation: Harmless Smile.
I sat up (barely) and gave her a warm, "Oh, how cute" smile. "Sure, Clara. But maybe we can walk and talk? We've got stuff to carry."
Clara gasped as if I'd proposed marriage. "You said my name! You know my name!"
"You introduced yourself just now," I replied dryly. Alice was watching all of this with the expression of someone who just got hit by a flying fish. A rare mix of what the hell and why me.
"Right, right! I'm Clara! Clara Valac! Wanna see what's in my pockets?"
I blinked. "...That feels like a trap."
Clara beamed, pulling out a bucket, a banana peel, and what looked suspiciously like a hand puppet.
Alice stepped forward. "This girl is... extremely loud."
"I'm fun!" Clara huffed, puffing out her cheeks.
I turned to Alice and gave him a look. "She's chaotic, but not dangerous."
Yet.
Clara latched onto my arm like a child with a favorite plush toy. "You're my friend now, Iruma-kun! Yay! We're gonna play every day!"
I let out a dramatic sigh and nodded. "Of course, Clara. We'll be the best of friends."
And by "best of friends," I mean "loyal follower #2."
Alice narrowed his eyes. "You don't mind this behavior?"
"Not at all," I smiled. "I find it... endearing."
Also, the power to summon ANYTHING from her pockets? Yeah, I'm keeping this gremlin close.
---
We finally managed to escape the teacher's dungeon of dusty books and made our way to the cafeteria.
Now, I wasn't expecting much. Maybe some weird demon stew or suspiciously twitching jelly. But what I got?
A banquet.
Like, seriously. There were floating trays, fire-breathing grills, and a literal chocolate fountain that roared when someone took too much.
Clara ran ahead screaming something about jelly beans. Alice calmly took a tray and picked the most elegant, dark-themed dishes that screamed "noble bloodline."
Me?
I grabbed everything.
Pudding? Yes. Bone-crusted meat thingy? Sure. That purple thing that blinked at me? Don't question it.
Alice blinked at my mountain of food. "You're going to eat all of that?"
"Watch me," I grinned.
And I did. Bite after bite, I devoured the entire tray like a man possessed—which, technically, I guess I kinda am.
Clara clapped. "Woooow! You eat like a demon!"
"…Because I am one," I deadpanned.
She gasped. "No way."
Alice facepalmed.
Just then, the cafeteria doors slammed open.
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
Oh no.
The background music of my life shifted into boss-battle mode.
There he was.
Professor Kalego.
Still scary. Still pissed. Still looked like he was two seconds from assigning someone to a volcano.
He stomped toward us with that slow, dramatic villain walk. "Misfits. Skipping class to stuff your faces already?"
Clara pointed at him with a big grin. "Hey! Is that your egg-sensei, Iruma-kun?"
I choked on my meat.
Alice looked mortified. "Clara, that's Professor Kalego—"
"I know!" she whispered loudly. "But doesn't he look like an angry egg? Like, a really grumpy one!"
Kalego's eye twitched. His shadow literally twitched.
He turned to me. "Control your… companions."
I bowed with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, sir. Clara's just, uh, spirited."
"Do not test me, Iruma," he growled. "Just because you're the headmaster's pet doesn't mean you're safe from detention."
I nodded furiously. "Yes sir, absolutely sir, detention is my greatest fear sir."
Please don't kill me.
With one final glare, Kalego turned and stormed out.
Clara leaned in and whispered, "So… he is your familiar, right?"
I sighed. "No, Clara. He's my curse."