Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?

Chapter 235 - H, help!

On confirming that the vampire girl has gained the Envy skill, I turned up at the academy dormitory to forbid her the use of the skill. My inter-personal skills are still weak, but I should be able to talk to the vampire girl fairly well. Unlike with Argnar the discussion shouldn’t take a whole damn day. So thinking that, I faced against the vampire girl in the dormitory visiting room.

「Why do I have to talk about such things?」

When I asked the vampire girl why she had acquired the Envy skill, she answered irritably. Eh? Well, it’s not like I want to know no matter what, but isn’t it bad to refuse so strongly?

「Is that all you came for?」

Perplexed, the vampire girl says that and moves to return to her own room. Hmm? Why is she in such a bad mood? It’s not like you get time of the month yet. From what my clone saw, there wasn’t anything indicating that she was in such a bad mood though.

Anyway, it would be meaningless to come all this way for just that. Though I’m interested in reason she gained the skill, I don’t actually need to know no matter what, so I’ll compromise on that and just make sure to forbid her from using the skill.

「Hey! Why do I have to listen to such an order?」

O, okay. You’re in a REAL bad mood today huh. But, this is one thing I cannot back down on.

「No matter what, it’s not allowed.」

「Such a nag. I’m free to use whatever skill I like surely?」

Eh, ehhh? Seriously, what’s with you? For her to be so hostile is totally unforeseen right?

It’s time for, THAT. The final option.

「No matter what.」

I raise my voice a little and open my eyes. Immediately, the vampire girl shudders and starts to twitch. I have learned from Argnar’s case. Laborious negotiations are impossible for me. So then, I should threaten like this from the outset, and I can then just forcibly make them listen to my orders only.

「I, I got it.」

Yup. Wonderfully efficient.

「So we’re done? Then I’ll go back.」

But, vampire girl is rather different today. She just walked off without allowing me to stop her. On top of that, immediately on returning to her room she grabs my clone and throws it into the closet. Wh, what should I do…?

Or even, what can I do? Has she lost her temper that badly?

I’ve returned to the mansion before realising it. I don’t remember how. Vampire girl’s attitude, was a big enough shock that it even gave me some pause. What’ll I do? Vampire girl has hit the rebellious age!

Is there anybody I can consult with? I’m lost on how to quell a rebellious child? Demon King - rejected. I doubt that that dunce can do something delicate, such as handling a daughter in their rebellious age. Not just to her children, but to her many grandchildren, what she’s done can’t be written off as your average child abuse.

Kuro - nope, he seems the kind of useless father who is dominated by their wife, case closed. Balto - with his everyday work even at the best of times he looks like he’s about to die from stress, so if some additional responsibility is added he seriously might die. Hoodlum - as if I could let vampire girl meet the likes of him! Argnar - though he seems to be a decent sort, he still seems to be hiding some kind of objective so no go. The other commanders - not familiar enough with them.

Oh? Now that I think about it, I guess I don’t have too many people I can rely on huh? Or rather, it’s at the level where my only friendly ally is the Demon King. I, I’m not lonely or something!

Nah, talking seriously, it’s not like personal relationships are something I’ve been particularly bothered about though. How troubling. There’s nobody to consult with. Suddenly, D’s face comes to mind, but that person is the very worst to consult with. It’s obvious that she’d definitely amuse herself and make the situation even worse.

D? Yeah? Ah! Of course there’s one! The great entity that knows all!

I immediately teleport. To Wakaba Hiiro’s dear home.

Help me, great ○○○gle-sensei!

I see, I see. The two occurring rebellious ages come in infancy and adolescence, called the first rebellious age and the second rebellious age - got it. For the vampire girl, she’s surely passed her infancy long ago and this is her second rebellious age I guess? Hrmm. Going by her body you could say that she’s still barely an infant, but inside I guess she should be a proper adult huh. But putting it that way, on the inside it wouldn’t be strange to say that she should also be past the second rebellious age too, right.

For the second rebellious age, a feeling of independence is foremost, and they react with hostility to being told by their parents to do this or that. Hmm. That’s like a perfect match with the current situation. I get it. She has separated from me at the new environment of the academy, starting to gain independence by herself, that’s the situation. Then, on suddenly being told not to use a skill, I guess anyone would be hostile after being ordered like that. But, this is for the vampire girl’s sake. The child cannot know the parent’s heart. Though I also want to support her independence, I must harden my heart.

So next, how to deal with the problem? Let’s see, let’s see. Unilaterally scolding them and opposing them both have the opposite effect? Ah, crud. I might have done that already.

Well, this can be recovered, possibly! Now then. It’s critical to watch over them with an open mind? Gently turn aside what the child says, and leaving them alone to a degree are additional options? I get it. Have faith in the child, letting them find their own way, basically. From there their feelings of independence will develop in a proper way, allowing them to become proper adults right. Only scold them when they’ve made a clear mistake, then they can return to the correct path huh. Well, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Okay then. Thank you, great teacher. For now I shall respect the vampire girl’s feeling of independence, refraining from excessive intervention. Yup. It’s the vampire girl’s second incarnation after all, I’m sure she’ll be able to mature on her own. I’ll believe in that. All I need to do is carefully watch over her. When things seem to be going in a bad direction, only then do I need to correct her

Okay! Now that I’ve decided that, I guess I’ll watch over her so that she doesn’t gain any strange skills. Then if she seems about to gain something strange, at such times I’ll then show her something better to gain instead. Yup, yup. The rebellious age, it’s not even worth fearing!

Notes:

Shiraori refers to Google as “dai-sensei” which is like saying “great sensei” (great teacher) or “sensei of sensei”.

“The child cannot know the parent’s heart” - this is a Japanese saying.