Chapter 96: Not Quite a Hot Springs Episode… Yet

- Dwarven Settlement, Calidus - Rose's POV -

[Okay everyone, settle down! I know you're excited to finally be here but I'm gonna need you to quiet down for a moment.] - Older Female Teacher

[S-So why'd you have to hurt the poor man like that? It's not like he stood a chance regardless. P-Plus the way you d-did it...] - Rose

[You don't know the first thing about blocking unwanted advances, do you? You have to make it completely clear that you're not interested or they'll hold onto even a small piece of hope and it'll just hurt them in the long run. And as for what I said... eheheheh!] - Karen

[A-Ah! U-Umm but is that even true though? Won't it just hurt the poor guy?] - Rose

[Nice deflection there but no, tell me, if I had let him continue under the assumption that he could somehow impress me into being interested would that have helped him? No, he'd just obsess over the next few weeks about what he could have done differ-] - Karen

Set into individual groups of each classroom lined up in a row before the impressively massive gate before us I briefly noted that we seemed to all be roughly the same age, distinctly missing some of the older members that had been present while in Crossroads the night before. Maybe each grade went to a different place? Well whatever the case having a group of primarily pre-teens, or pre-7 year olds by the standards of this world, only meant that the ability to keep them under control was nonexistent, even more so when those same kids were hopped up on the excitement of being in a new city. This, of course, was especially true for the overly prideful noble children that made up the majority of the school's numbers bumping up the difficulty level even higher for the lone teacher trying to gain the attention of over a hundred unruly 5-6 year old tweens. Never thought I'd think that sentence.

I, of course, was being the responsible adult of our group and completely ignoring the senior teacher of the group leading us spectacularly as I grilled Karen on what I viewed as particularly cruel as a former member of the male persuasion. Blushing as I recalled her rather suggestive comment that had ended the poor man's infatuation, I was soundly beaten into submission by the logic of my ex-girlfriend's actions. And she was right, I'd always been particularly terrible at making my disinterest known to perspective partners. That'd been true with a few of the women in my life, up to and including that particularly cougar"ish" boss of mine that had wanted me as a boytoy. Always making excuses rather than straight up telling her that I was uncomfortable. Hell, there'd even been this one time that I'd been in a gay bar with Karen and some guy had almost taken me home with him... Karen had saved me that time too, and the look on her face at the time had almost seemed... jealous for some reason. Well regardless, despite my former experience with the actual sex part of dating my actual knowledge of the romance and, in particular, the rejection side, was limited.

Unfortunately our talk, as well as that of the rowdy group around us, was interrupted by a childlike voice that, despite its innocent sounding timber, immediately silenced everyone around it in an expanding wave of eerie quiet.

[QUIET DOWN OR I'LL GIVE YOU AN INTIMATE MEETING WITH THE BOILING WATER DIRECTLY UNDER THAT THERE WATERFALL!!!] - Lolianne

[...] - Everyone

[Good. Please continue Joanne Sensei.] - Lolianne

Quiet fell over the surroundings as even the peripheral members of the convoy we'd rode in on froze at the sheer intimidation coming from the tiny person's body. Of course, it helped that said tiny person was also holding an enormous war hammer that looked absolutely ridiculous for a human but boggled the mind for someone her height.

Pausing for a moment that small, terrifying force of nature known as Legal Lo- Uh I mean... Lolianne Sensei, smiled, before nodding once and giving the nervous wreck of an older teacher the go-ahead to continue.

[R-Right, as I was saying I realize that this might be exciting for most of you but this IS a school sponsored trip and as such during it you represent the school and in particular the class that you come from. Because of this I'd like to ask you to please conduct yourselves as a honorable member of both your school and your family during your assigned free time and work hard to fulfil both your teachers and parents' expectations during any planned events. Thank you.] - Joanne Sensei

[...] - Everyone

[Well go on then you fools! Meet with your gods damned teachers!] - Lolianne Sensei

And suddenly the world exploded with noise and movement once more with the permission from its once and future goddess. Hehe, just kidding. But seriously though, even the merchants and guards watching us in the distance only began moving once more after being given permission from the most terrifying loli this world had probably ever seen. And of course, said terror loli turned towards our group of idiots with a smile on her face. A terrifying, terrifying smile.

[Now then, despite what Joanne Sensei may have failed to mention I'll EXPECT you to behave yourself while in my hometown like this. If you don't...] - Lolianne Sensei

<gulp> - Everyone

[Do I need to say more?] - Lolianne Sensei

<shakes head> - Everyone

Turning to face our group of troublemaking children was a literal demon, her implied threat punctuated by her tapping her warhammer on the ground lightly which, to our utter horror, cracked.

Every one of us, our eyes wider than dinner plates, collectively gulped as she once more addressed us. Our response being a unanimous decision to not piss her off, of course, to which she smiled more naturally before continuing, her war hammer vanishing into thin air as a ring I'd never noticed before glowed faintly. Hammerspace? Item Box? Couldn't be Boob Space...

Giving our loli teacher a look of pity I briefly felt a stab as I glanced down at my own nonexistent chest too.

[... Good, well then let me go over exactly what's going to be happening over the next 2 weeks. Since none of you morons read the damn notice.] - Lolianne Sensei

[...] - Everyone

[Ahem! Anyway, what's going to happen now is each class is going to split off from the group and head to our assigned housing for the duration of our stay. Most of the groups will be staying in various hotels and spas spread throughout the city. Ours, however... will be staying at my family's estate instead. Any questions?] - Lolianne Sensei

Pausing to give me a strange look our "definitely not small" teacher continued her explanation of what would be awaiting us the next two weeks. And it made a sort of sense actually. I mean, previously we'd been told that our destination WAS our teacher's hometown, so it made a sort of sense that we'd be staying with her family during our time here. But an estate? Really? Was Legal Loli Sensei a princess of some noble family or something?!?

Regardless of the thoughts running through our group's heads though none of us dared voice them out loud and when Lolianne Sensei asked if we had any questions no one moved an inch for fear of becoming a target of the terrifying little person in front of us.

- Dwarven Settlement, Calidus, Sens Estate - Rose's POV -

[Woah!!! S-So big!!!] - Rose

[Hmph i-it's only like a quarter the size of Papa's house!] - Argent

[How the hell is this a minor family's home?!?] - Karen

And what awaited us when we finally reached said "minor family's" home: A massive estate situated directly next to the massive waterfall streaming from the darkness above. Minor family my ass!

[Well we're still a fairly inconsequential family in Dwarven politics these days, most of the pomp and circumstance is just old men clinging to history. Useless idiocy!] - Lolianne

Of course, the cold water of reality came splashing in our faces an instant later as Lolianne Sensei dispelled any thoughts we might have that she'd been fudging the truth a little. It seems politics are complicated no matter what world you're in. Setting us straight on how unimportant her current family was I still felt that it went a little deeper than what was presented before us and I could see that the rest of our class thought the same. Regardless, it wasn't our place to butt in so we all collectively decided to leave it be, is what their eyes told me.

[Well that's quite a harsh view little sister, glad to see that your opinions haven't waned over the years. Those "old men" you speak of could use some of that fire. Ah are these those students that you're so proud of?] - Older Looking Shota Dwarf

[Big Brother? I thought you were in the capital!] - Lolianne Sensei

[Ah! While I am happy that you still love your Big Brother is it okay to show off to your students like this?] - Typical Big Brother Otome Protagonist

And surprising all of us a voice spoke out from behind our group as we all turned as one to a slightly older looking dwarf with an elegant, pretty-boy face that wouldn't look out of place at all in a popular boy band. This NStink wannabe was then immediately bowled over by a streak of loli flesh going by the name of Lolianne; she jumped into his arms enthusiastically, surprising all of us.

Legal Loli Sensei AKA "Totally a Brocon" Lolianne, rubbed her cute little cheeks against the newcomer's face whilst making what could only be described as "happy loli noises". Her Big Brother, looking extremely amused at her antics, slyly winked at us and reminded her of her audience- namely, us. Frozen in place mid cheek-rub our class watched as her face went from extremely happy, to embarrassed and immediately into extreme anger as she turned on us, her face red enough to melt iron.

[Huh? Ah! Aaaaah! You saw nothing! NONE OF YOU SAW A THING!!!] - Lolianne Sensei

[Oh, like our Legal Loli Sensei diving into her Big Brother's arms? Yeah we saw noooothing like that.] - Heine

[Heine you little shitstain if you even mention a word of- Hey come back here you gods damned coward!!!] - Lolianne Sensei

And of course he did. Whilst the rest of us were intelligent enough to keep our damn mouths shut after witnessing what was undoubtedly a motive for mass murder, of us I might add, unfortunately Heine either wasn't as smart or in control of his faculties as the rest of us. Either that or he was a masochist. Either or, considering his past history of teasing the literal tank of a war loli. Said war loli's Big Brother, shaking his head at the muffled sounds of destruction as Heine dodged his little sister's blows immediately took charge of explaining what would be happening as per our living arraignments. His seeming experience with taking charge making it seem like this was planned more than anything else.

[Alright then since my little sister is... indisposed at the moment I'll give you guys a tour of where you'll be staying for the next two weeks. Well come on then, don't fall behind.] - Suspicious Big Brother?

And so, we quickly fell into line behind the newcomer as I shivered slightly. I could swear that I saw his stare pierce me for an instant as I lined up behind him, but it didn't make any sense, so I decided to ignore it. Meanwhile, the man with his back to us smiled slightly as he began leading us through the estate before us.