Chapter 1

All clear. How is it on your end?

There’s nothing over here, either. …I’m really starting to doubt all these claims about stray dogs appearing on campus again.

The student council investigated things thoroughly and took the appropriate measures against them…

And since then, there’ve been no more reports. It’s just this one report of a stray dog sighting right now.

I’m gonna keep looking around a bit more… If you don’t have the time for this, you could head on out first, Vice President.

No, I’m already having you help me out in between your other duties.

It’s a little late to say sorry, but. For now, let’s take another look around the garden terrace, and if nothing pops up we’ll consider the matter resolved.

Got it~ I think there’s a trash can for leftover food out back… I’ll go check to see if it’s been torn up.

Right. I’ll leave that to you, Isara.

(Now then. We may have only received a single report, but we can’t just ignore it.)

(I would hope it is just a prank. It’d cause countless problems if there really are stray dogs on campus, especially if one of the students were attacked.)

(We have to be very cautious. We’ll take a look ourselves—and even if there’s nothing out of the ordinary, we’ll call in a contractor. It’s foolproof.)

Gyaaaaaaaah?!

That… Was that Isara just now? It sounded like a shriek—did something happen to him?!

What if he was attacked by a stray dog…? I’m coming, Isara!

(Mmm… I went out back, but there was no sign of stray dogs or Isara.)

(There was no evidence that the trash can had been rifled through, either. Where the hell did Isara go?)

(I heard the shriek from this direction, so I came all the way out to the garden space… but he’s not even here.)

(You better be okay, Isara.)

Eeeek! I just felt a chill down my neck! Someone, anyone! Please help meee~!

Isara?! Oh, good. You’re safe!

Ah—Vice President~! U–um, is there anything on my back? Actually, I think there’s something under my clothes?!

I’ve had this weird, clammy feeling for a while, like something’s crawling all over me… It’s honestly giving me the creeps~!

Hm. I’ll take a look. Don’t move.

…Oh, it’s a snake. It’s still just a little guy, so it doesn’t pose much of a threat.

Regardless, we can’t just leave it here. I guess I should return it to the mountains.

Umm, I didn’t expect you to be so cool-headed about this? It’s a snake, a snake! Even if it is a baby, it’s normal to not wanna touch it, right?

Why would you get so shaken up over a snake? I’ve seen them all the time at my family’s temple.

In the first place, snakes are a good omen. So really, you should be overjoyed. They’re also messengers of good fortune, so perhaps it’s bringing us some good luck.¹

Uh, if you say so… When you put it that way, I can convince myself that it wasn’t so bad that a snake was crawling all over me.

But even if it is a little guy, it’s still pretty scary. But you just picked it up without even flinching. I seriously respect you, Vice President.

This isn’t anything to give your respect to.

Anyway, Isara. You went out behind the garden terrace to investigate. So what are you doing here?

Umm, there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary in the back, so I thought I’d come take a look around the garden space, too.

It’s probably when I was sticking my face in some bushes that the snake got on me.

Hm, I get it now. But this isn’t the season for snakes to be active… Something must have woken it up from its hibernation.

Reptiles in general are vulnerable in the cold. If we leave it alone here, it might die.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the time to take it to the mountains right now. So for the time being, let’s cover it with some dirt and see what happens.

I doubt any students will be coming around here, but I’ll administer a warning not to approach it carelessly. I’ll return it to the mountains after its hibernation.

I’m sorry. That kind of thing should be a job for us peons, so sorry for taking up your time.

I keep saying it, but you’re not a peon. Snakes are a sign of good fortune, so I can’t just abandon it.

Ohh, you did say something like that. Something about bringing us good luck.

So then~ what kind of good luck am I gonna get?

…Who can say. If you think something is good fortune, then it is.

It all just depends on your own feelings. In any case, I hope you are blessed with that good fortune, Isara.