The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War ~And Thus, I Became The Strongest Knight Disciple (♀) in The World~-Novel

And so, on the morning after the knight academy’s vacation ended, “Hmm~♪ We’re back, our beloved cafeteria! Let’s start fresh and work our way from the top of the menu~!”

Rafinha stepped into the cafeteria with a smile.

“Good morning, everyone~!”

Many students turned around at her greeting.

“Good morning!”

“Morning!”

What a morning full of smiles.

“Oh…! There you are, Rafinha! We’ve prepared it all, come at us!”

Even the cafeteria lady peeked out from behind the counter to greet her opponent. After all, she wouldn’t forget the gluttonous duo.

“Sure will, Auntie…! We’re looking forward to your cooking! For starters, we’ll have one of every kind on the menu!”

After she greeted her, Rafinha made a reckless order right off the bat.

“Sure thing!”

But this was just another day for the kitchen warriors. The cafeteria lady rolled up her sleeves and picked up her beloved frying pan.

“Good morning, Rafinha. Is Inglis not with you?”

Silva, having finished his breakfast, passed by Rafinha.

“Ah, good morning, Senior Silva. Glis is here, you know?”

“? I don’t see her anywhere…”

“No, look under you…”

That was when Inglis peeked out from behind Rafinha’s legs. Not that she was hiding, but the height difference was so significant that Inglis was obscured behind Rafinha.

“Good morning, Senior Silva.”

Inglis was still stuck in the body of her 6-year-old self. Rafinha was the only one who had returned to her original size, while Inglis remained small.

The child-sized uniform of the Knight Academy was prepared by Principal Miliera.

“What…?! Why do you look like that?!”

“So kyuuute~~~~~!!”

Both the male and female students cheered; their voices filled the cafeteria.

“Well, there was this accident… the Artifact that I made exploded in my face.”

“And now you’re a child…? Well, I’m just glad that you appear unhurt…”

“She’ll be back sooner or later anyway, so enjoy Mini Glis while we can! Don’t you think she’s cute, Senior Silva?”

Rafinha picked up Inglis and nuzzled her cheek. She totally treated her cousin as if she were a stuffed animal. They had agreed that the one who managed to return first got to enjoy holding the other, and it turned out it was Rafinha.

It wasn’t something that Special Envoy Theodore or Principal Miliera did, but rather, Rafinha returned on her own. Inglis should have had higher resistance to magical phenomena, yet it was Rafinha who returned first. The reason still eluded both of them.

Was it because Inglis was closer to the artifact when it exploded? There was a possibility that range played a part in the effectiveness of the Gift.

But could the slight difference in range be enough to overturn Inglis’ superior resistance? After all, her body was clad in Ether. It wouldn’t be strange if Inglis remained unaffected by the Gift going haywire, leaving Rafinha as the only victim.

However, since Inglis had poured Ether into the Artifact to test it, perhaps the Gift’s power momentarily surged enough to bypass her Divine Knight blessing. As for the duration of the effect, it could be that the stronger the target, the longer the duration. It made sense, logically speaking.

Either way, they decided against seeking medical treatment, as Inglis would naturally revert to her original appearance. After all, during their visit with Special Envoy Theodore and Principal Miliera in the city of Arlman, Rafinha had spontaneously returned to her normal form mid-conversation.

“Y-, yeah… She is cute, very cute…”

As Silva mumbled, a hand swiftly reached out toward Inglis, stroking her gently while she was still cradled in Rafinha’s arms.

“Kyuute.”

Despite her complete lack of expression, Yua’s words echoed with an unspoken fondness, suggesting that even as a child, Inglis had a certain allure.

“Senior Yua! Good morning. Long time no see.”

“Little boobie girl, you’re not so ‘boobie’ anymore, huh.”

“Ahahah, in a way…”

“Do you want to hold Glis too, Senior Yua?”

“Can I? Yay.”

Although her words implied excitement, Yua’s face remained utterly impassive. That said, she eagerly took Inglis into her arms.

“Ooh, so soft. And smells good,” she remarked, sniffing Inglis.

“R-, really? Thank you.”

“Up we go.”

Effortlessly lifting the pint-sized Inglis over her head, Yua showcased her extraordinary strength.

“Hahaha. That’s more suitable for much smaller children, Senior.”

“Oh, really? So, higher?”

With that, Yua launched Inglis into the air. Catching her as she descended, almost touching the ceiling, Yua propelled her upward again.

“Is it fun? Little boobie girl?”

“That’s not what I…besides, my body shrank, not my mind.”

“Don’t treat a small child like that, Yua! That’s dangerous!”

“…jealous much, four eyes?”

“Th-, this isn’t the time for that!”

“Here you go.”

Yua then offered Inglis to Silva.

“No, that’s not what I…”

“You don’t wanna?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“So, here.”

“Hahaha…”

Feeling thoroughly objectified, like some sort of stuffed toy or pet, Inglis could only chuckle in resigned amusement.

“Hngh… V-, very well…”

As Silva extended his hand to take Inglis—

“Sike, you thought.”

Yua whisked Inglis away, just a split second before Silva’s hand could make contact.

“…!”

“Say no to sexual harassment. Her body may be small, but her mind isn’t.”

“I-, I know that much…!”

“Feeling dejected? Bleeh.”

“Why you…!”

“Hahaha… I don’t mind if you’re okay with it, Senior Silva.”

“R, really?!”

A smile stretched across Silva’s face, revealing his envy of Rafinha and Yua.

“Here you go.”

“O-, oh! W-, well, if you’ll excuse me!”

Silva carefully took Inglis from Yua.

“Ha ha ha. This takes me back. I always wanted a little sister, especially since it’s just my brother and me.”

“Ahahaha, it’s the first time I’ve seen you smile so widely, Senior Silva. Mini Glis is truly captivating~”

Rafinha nodded in agreement. However, just as Silva was relishing his moment with Inglis, another person burst onto the scene.

“Senior Silva! Please, may I hold her next? Let me be the next one to hold her!”

It was Liselotte, her eyes shining like twin stars. Inglis hadn’t seen her throughout the vacation but was relieved to find her friend in high spirits and good health.