"Hello, I apologize for the sudden visit. I am Kamishirasawa Keine." Remilia examined the visiting Keine with a scrutinizing gaze. She could largely guess the reason why the teacher Kars mentioned—the one who dragged him to class—had suddenly appeared here.
"Are you here for Kars?"
"Yes, it seems Miss Remilia already understands my purpose."
Remilia nodded slightly. "Kars has already told me about you. He strongly disliked your lessons and had no interest in your teaching. I tend to agree. Frankly, the history you teach seems unnecessary from my perspective."
"But this can expand his knowledge. Especially living in a place like Gensokyo, knowing the history of the yokai here can help him, at least by allowing him to identify dangerous ones and avoid trouble. Miss Remilia, are you aware of Kars's behavioral issues?"
"The first time he met me, he proposed marriage! If he were to say something like that to other, more volatile yokai, it could be very dangerous." Keine hoped Remilia would take this seriously and that they could reach a consensus.
"I am aware of that. I've thoroughly warned him when he did that before, but he went out and did it again anyway. That's why I gave him a good spanking when he came back the other day."
"While a little discipline is necessary, it shouldn't be excessive. That can only create negative emotions in a child." Keine heard this and immediately worried that Remilia had harshly punished Kars.
"My approach shouldn't have been too much, right? The boy was laughing afterward." Remilia recalled Kars's demeanor after she spanked his bottom—calmly putting on his trousers and cheerfully running to her to snuggle. He showed no signs of negative emotions.
"Well…" Without seeing it herself, Keine couldn't be sure. It wouldn't do to make a judgment based on a misunderstanding.
"But let's talk about something else. Teacher Kamishirasawa, your purpose here is to get Kars to attend your Terakoya, correct?" Remilia largely understood Keine's intention. Based on her previous statements, Keine wanted to educate Kars, driven by her concern over his behavior and wanting to prevent him from running into danger.
"Yes. I hope I'm not causing you any distress or inconvenience, Miss Remilia, but I am very concerned that this child's behavior will lead him into danger."
Confirming her suspicion, Remilia also sensed Keine's good intentions, but the main problem wasn't with her.
"I can't really decide this matter. Although I am Kars's Little Auntie, the child has his own mind. I can't use my authority to force him, especially since he clearly told me he doesn't like your lessons."
"If I force him knowing how he feels, Kars will definitely grow to resent me." Being disliked by her great-nephew was the last thing Remilia wanted, so she couldn't interfere with this.
"Furthermore, when it comes to learning, Kars is much more interested in studying magic with Patchouli than in what you teach."
"Is that so? If possible, could I meet Kars and this Patchouli you mentioned?" Remilia's words made Keine realize the target of her persuasion. She wanted to meet Kars and Patchouli.
"No problem. Sakuya, please take Teacher Kamishirasawa to the Great Library."
"Yes, Mistress. Teacher Kamishirasawa, please follow me."
"Thank you for your trouble." Keine stood up from her seat and followed Sakuya to the Great Library.
"Mmm… this kind of lesson is so much more comfortable." Kars, sitting in Patchouli's lap as usual, felt that this learning environment was exactly what he wanted—comfortable, never boring, and easily understandable. That Teacher Keine simply couldn't compare.
"Young Master Kars, Teacher Kamishirasawa is here to see you."
Kars's pleasant mood instantly shifted when he heard Sakuya's announcement. He turned his head and saw Kamishirasawa Keine silently following Sakuya, staring at him. His expression froze.
No… she didn't? She came straight here? There was really no need for this, was there?
"Te… Teacher Keine…"
"Yes, we meet again, Kars." Keine offered a faint smile when Kars spoke her name. Patchouli lifted her gaze from her book, looked at the person causing Kars distress, and closed the book.
"Hello, you must be Miss Patchouli."
"Yes. And you're the Teacher Kamishirasawa who took Kars as a student. Are you here for Kars?"
"Yes. I hope to teach this child. If he is not properly guided, I fear he will do something that puts him in danger. I believe Miss Patchouli understands this, too, right?" Keine's words clearly referred to Kars's tendency to disregard advice. This was certainly a headache. She had tried to change him before, but the result…
"I… I don't think I need to attend the Terakoya." Kars weakly expressed his opinion, hoping Keine would drop the idea.
"I understand what you're saying, but that doesn't mean I agree, does it? After all, he doesn't like it. If he were willing, I wouldn't object, but since he is unwilling, I won't allow you to take him away."
"Patchouli!" Kars looked at Patchouli with gratitude. She was reliable when it mattered most!
The situation was clear: if Kars agreed, Patchouli had no objection. But for Keine, the difficulty of her task hadn't diminished at all.