Chapter 2 – The Tome Spirit
Kei open his eyes and find that he is lying on a bed.
Chatter can be heard outside the window, and the bright morning light enters the room.
His head hurt, Kei can actually heard the blood pulsing through his vein.
As he gazes to the white ceiling, Kei noticed something and sat up. This isn't his room.
What he's wearing now isn't even the Dragleid Academy uniform, what Kei is wearing now is a white pajamas, and as he look around the room almost everything inside it was white.
"This reminds me of a hospital…" comment Kei as he tries to get of bed.
Just as he yanked the blanket and try to get out of the bed, a book fell over from the top of the bed to the floor.
As the thud noise subsided, Kei had a really strange feeling about that book, and as he approach it, his feeling became true.
"Ouch! That hurt!"
"What the heck?"
Freaked out, Kei frantically steps back until his back touches the wall, while the book whence he heard the voice from, still lying there on the floor motionless.
"Just what the hell was that?" said Kei as he slowly walks to that book.
"Don't call me 'that'! I'm a proper Book Spirit!"
Once again that book shouted out, this time it cried out extreme protest about how Kei calling it. Kei was now astonished, although he was still shocked that the fact there is a talking book right in front of him right now.
"What are you?" ask Kei, still maintaining his distance.
"Didn't I tell you before? I'm a book spirit!"
The high voice went out from that book highly resemble the voice of a girl, in fact it is a voice of a girl. Kei muster the courage in his heart and pick up that little book.
Despite it slim size, that leather-covered book was actually quite heavy. Kei measure the weight while tossing it lightly to the air.
"Watch it, you drop me and you're dead." threaten the book.
"And how exactly?" taunt Kei.
As soon as Kei realize it was a bad move, the book in his hand suddenly lit up in a blinding light, and when the light finally disappears, a cold metal was already touching Kei's neck.
"Exactly like this."
As Kei feel the cold sharp metal touching his neck, in front of him already stand a girl, about the same age as Kei, but strangely her appearance is the same as the woman that meet him in his dream.
"Sherry?" escaped from Kei's lips was the name of the girl in front of him. "!"
A groan escapes Kei's mouth as sharp pain felt along his neck, accompanied by a warm, thick sensation slowly dripping down his nape.
The girl who looked like Sherry but with a sharp expression has already pulled back the sword, blood tainted a small portion of the blade, then with a gentle motion as if licking a popsicle, Sherry lick the blood.
"Your blood is quite rich and warm, full of vitality, not like those damn magic users." said the girl, gulping down.
Kei who was in the state of shock put his hand on his neck, but strangely when he look at his hand, the blood that was supposed to be there are gone. His nape doesn't even feel any pain at all.
"You're quite gullible for a man that was able to pull this side of me, but I guess meeting my lovey-dovey side would have been too good."
"What do you mean?"
"Ah, it looks like I forgot to mention my name; I'm Leona, the two-faced Sword Goddess."
"Two-faced?" ask Kei in bewilderment.
"I believe you've met my weaker self, Sherry. She's the other side of me here standing in front of you, and because I don't have the ability to go inside your mind, she did the job."
Kei, who still confused only show a stupid expression in his face.
"*sigh* Just let me show you…"
At a moment, the girl who called herself Leona closed her eyes, and after a while it opened again, now the expression on her face seemed to be gentler than before.
"We finally meet in this world, Kei." said the girl, smiling like Kei remembered her in his dream.
"Sherry?" once again Kei call that name, in questioning tone.
"Don't be so surprised, after all I'm the one who didn't tell you about my other self."
She chuckled gracefully, like last time. And suddenly her face showed a stern expression.
"As you can see, I'm a weaker version of the Sword Goddess. And after the contract is formed, you subconsciously give power to both of us, but even then, I do not enough power to maintain my personality in this world."
"So what you mean to say was you're a Goddess with two sides of personality?" said Kei in disbelief.
"That's right, but not only our personality, my given power and Leona's power became different as she gains her power from your will, and I get it from your dreams."
"I still can't understand… How come you can't have your own body?"
"Because we're one, I am just a part of her."
As Kei was going to talk, Sherry closed her eyes again, and the moment she open her eyelids, the sharp expression from before are back.
"You're stupid, can't you tell by listening to her?" protests Leona abruptly.
"Wait? What the, you're Leona again!"
"Of course, dumb. She is my other self; just get it over with in your head."
Kei was certainly shocked, but as he try to comprehend what was going on, his head felt like it can't handle something more crazy than this.
"Now that has been taken care of, I have to dote on my master first." said Leona with a bewitching smile.
"Dote?"
The instant that word escapes Kei's lips, he was already lying on the bed once again, Leona is sitting directly on his hips that he can't move his body anywhere at all.
"What are you doing? Get off!" said Kei as he struggle to free himself, which is a futile attempt while his hand are pinned down by Leona.
"Like I said, I'm going to dote on you." said Leona, looking disdainfully towards Kei.
"Sorry Kei, since you are our first master, Leona urges are getting restless, so please bear with it." Sherry's voice rang inside Kei's head.
It seems that Leona can hear what Sherry is talking, so she showed a little ticked expression.
"Sherry, don't blame it all on me, you like this kind of thing too."
"Well, it's not that I dislike it; we need his power after all."
The Sherry in his head and the Leona that was talking in front of him completely derailed Kei's train of thought.
Pinched between Leona's thighs, Kei's breathing starting to get ragged as Leona placed her two hands against Kei's chest, rubbing it gently.
The expression that Leona's bring about on her face while looking down impishly at Kei, her bewitching smile slowly takes over Kei's senses.
Slowly, Leona rests the upper parts of her body at Kei's chest. Her face was so close that the two of them can feel each other's breath. It was so close that it brought about something that made Kei hesitate to speak, the sweet aroma of a girl.
In his dreams and just now, he didn't have the privilege to observe Leona's figure, but as their limbs touching each other right now. Kei finally feel the volume and softness of the woman resting on his body. Her body is as bewitching as her smile was.
Getting close as they get, Leona's upper body hugged tightly to Kei, while her luscious lips letting out hot air at Kei's ear.
Kei's body shudders, the shock from having his ear blown made him shivers all over.
"Cute. *giggle*" whisper Leona to Kei's ear.
Even the whisper just now made Kei's skin tingle from a pleasant sensation, and everything Leona did made his mind slowly turning blank.
And slowly, as his breath even became more irregular, Kei gradually lost his consciousness.
Once again Kei opened his eyes, his breathing was ragged and his heart is racing. He realized that it was just a dream.
The dream he was just seen right now really took a toll on his body; he felt the extreme fatigue as if everything happened inside the dream was real.
Kei sat up, looking around the room. The room he's in right now is extremely clean and everything inside that place is colored white with a light stripe of golden.
The household items and the furniture are high class, and somehow the room gives him a familiar impression.
"This is the dormitory…" muttered Kei.
But as far as he can say, there is no way that his room can be this clean, and everything inside that place was so luxurious that it's not even near possible for Kei to afford those things.
This room certainly gives off the atmosphere of a girl's room.
Suddenly a door that leads inside the room opened.
"Ah! You woke up."
A girl wearing maid attire carrying a towel and a basin emerged from that door. She looks slightly older than Kei, but somehow her sophisticated way of talking even more elegant.
"Wait, who are you might be?" ask Kei.
After putting the basin and the towel right at the little table beside the bed, that girl stands beside the bed.
"My name is Natalia Sabine. You can just call me Natalie." said the maid introducing herself.
"Ah, I'm Mitsurugi Kei." answer Kei nervously.
Natalie just stood there at the bedside, smiling gracefully at Kei. While Kei himself was tortured by the awkward silence, a minute pass by and there's still nothing.
"I'm sorry, but Natalie, can you tell me where am I right now?" ask Kei.
"You're in Young Mistress Claire room."
"Eh? Claire?"
Shocked, Kei fell into silence and think hard.
Is it really that Claire? The one who tried to kill me at the field? But she saved me when the Minotaur attacked… She's a Dragger!
Those words were spiraling in his head as he trying to comprehend the situation he is in. He tried his best to recall that event from before.
First he beat Claire, surrendering voluntarily that looked like more likely an insult to Claire, getting messed up with the incident at the market, and then he kind of passed out later. There is absolutely no way in his mind that Claire would care enough to bring him to the room, thought Kei.
When Kei is still trying his best to think how this development could be possible, the uninformed Kei is given another surprise as another person enter the room.
"Ah, I see you already woke up." greet Claire as she enters the room, while gracefully waving her ponytail.
"Y-yeah…" reply Kei.
It seems Claire had a very sharp sense towards these things; she is able to sense the doubt within Kei's voice.
"Is there something wrong?" ask Claire.
"No, it's just that, why did you treat me like this? I'm a human."
"I see, so that's what you're worried about. Just to be sure, I'm not doing this on my own will, the board requested that you are to be treated until recovered, since they need some information from you regarding the Minotaur attack." said Claire as she slightly turns her head aside, a faint red appears on her cheek.
"My Lady, you should be honest sometime." comment Natalie.
"Na-Natalie, don't say something that would cause misunderstanding!" complain Claire, she is somewhat flustered.
Seeing another side of Claire made a huge improvement of Kei's image of her, and Kei couldn't help but to smile. To Kei, this side of her really suits her.
"Ah…! W-well… since you've already up and moving, could you please get out from my room?" said Claire.
"Uhm... Yeah, I guess I better do that, since this is your room that means that this is the girl's dormitory, not a place for a guy."
As he was trying to get off the bed, he slowly get out from the bed while sliding the blanket off him, and just when he already got out from the bed, the three of them in that room noticed a strange bulge in the blanket.
"Eh? That's strange." mutter Kei.
"What is this?"
Curious, Claire goes over to the bed, and yanks the blanket away with one pull. Under it was a book.
"Is this yours?" ask Claire as she take the book.
"I don't remember having that book, but it feels kind of familiar…" answer Kei.
"Well, whatever, this is not my book so go on and bring it."
While ignorantly speaking, Claire tossed that thick book across the room to Kei.
Kei catch the book with little effort, and after he gets his clothes and belonging from Natalie, Kei quickly snuck out the girl's dormitory with little effort.
Moments later, Kei had already back in his room, lying nonchalantly on his bed while inspecting the book he found from Claire's room to the smallest nook and cranny.
"What is this book anyway? I've never seen this kind of writing around, it looks like an ancient writing of my primitive ancestor, though I can't really read it though." Mutter Kei as he inspects the book closely.
The book is quite thick, no matter how one would see it. That book is also covered by leather made hard cover with some unique embellishment at some edges and the spine. And finally the most noticeable part is the symbol made of silver that seems to be molded together with the hard plate under the leather cover.
The symbol looked like a girl sleeping, entwined in some kind of binding, tree root or something like that while holding a slender piece of rapier next to her chest, Kei felt somewhat familiar to that symbol, like he was drawn to it naturally.
"Be sure to go to the Principal's Office after you get back to your room, he wanted to hear your part of the story regarding the Minotaur attack."
In the middle of his pondering, Kei suddenly remember the thing that Claire had told him right before he sneak away from the girl's dormitory.
"I guess it's time to go to the Principal Xavier Office…" mutter Kei.
He get up from his bed and put down the mysterious book on top of the bed, and after swiftly changed into another set of uniform Kei walk out from his room.
Today Kei was supposed to have a full recovery in his own room, like instructed by the principal, but since the Principal himself requesting him to come down to his office to explain some matters that happened yesterday, he can't help it but to go anyway.
Dragleid Academy campus ground is astonishingly wide, and all the buildings there just making it looking more and more majestic. That was the first impression Kei had been imprinted with the first time he step his foot inside that place, and that impression once again struck him as he walk the way to the Campus Administration Building where the Principal's Office is located.
"*sigh* this place is indeed beautiful, too bad that I can't enjoy anything in this place because of my status as a human." Kei talks to himself.
Kei walks on a paved road that is cutting the square campus ground into a four section; there is something in the center of the campus ground that resembles the center of beliefs of all Draggers. It is a statue of the Draglied Goddess Lissia.
After cutting straight to the center of the plaza, Kei take a turn to the left towards the Administration Building.
Despite being the most important place in the campus, the Administration Building is considerably small, and only three stories high.
Principal Xavier Office is on the third floor and is located at farthest point of the building that faces directly to the campus ground.
After stepping inside the mana-powered lift, Kei pressed the button to the top floor, and the metal box starts to ascend with a wheezing noise.
However, as the lift ceased to move and slowly opening its gate, what greet Kei there was only a handful of books that is scattered in the straight door-less hallway. Dark as it is, only a speck of golden light that was visible at the very end of the hallway.
Strangely, that hallway wasn't looking as new as the very building outside appearance. That hallway, if put into words, are the hallway of a dilapidated old house, dark and abandoned.
There is a moment of doubt in Kei's thought, and it is growing intense as he gets closer to the door in end of that hallway. Something in Kei just telling him that something is wrong.
Finally after some walk, Kei arrived at the front of that door. Just one push of his hand and that door would be opened and reveal the inside of the room, but there is something that pushing him back.
"Why do you hesitate? Please, enter."
A heavy yet gentle voice echoed from inside the room, and it was enough to persuade Kei to open the door.
Inside, Kei discover a dimly illuminated room by candles that are standing all over the floor. And sitting in the middle of the room is the figure of a man in his middle twenties, inhaling a big cigar that permeates the room with a distinct tobacco smell.
"I see that you found this room quite fast, even my brightest student would have a problem finding this room."
"What do you mean, sir?"
Instead of answering Kei's question, Principal Xavier just chuckled. There was something that amuses him in Kei's answer.
"I'm sorry; I forgot that you didn't have the ability to muster mana."
"And what about it, is it something strange?"
"You must've seen the scattered books in the hall way right? Those books are not really books, but a type of rune that I made myself to disturb the mana flow of the people around it, so that hallway should look like a maze to a Dragger."
"I see, so the reason I was able to find this room right away because I have no mana flowing in my body."
"Good conclusion, my boy."
Principal Xavier stands up after laughing for a while.
"It's good to finally meet you, Kei. Your master Reika was a really good friend of mine." Says Principal Xavier as he raises his hand to shake Kei's hand.
"My master also talks a lot about you, Principal."
After they had shook each other's hand, Principal Xavier sit back down on his seat.
"Please, sit down."
After sitting down, the two of them exchange look, and they started a rather serious conversation.
"So since I am already here, I'm just going to ask why you are calling me."
"You're really not wasting your time aren't you?" Comment Principal.
"I believe that you are going to say something important, so I won't." reply Kei shortly.
"Well, I was hoping I can have a little chat before jumping into the serious stuff, but if you say so I will leave the chatter."
After saying that, Principal Xavier reach out his hand to the desk beside him and take a book from there, then open it right away by using the marker that he must've put in there before.
"I believe that you are familiar with this planet myth, Kei. So you must've known a mythical beast from the Greek Mythology called Minotaur."
"Yes, I do. Minotaur is a beast which had a bull as a head and human as its body."
"Well, and it is the very beast that you fought yesterday."
"I am well aware of that."
"Frankly, I was amazed of how you are able to take down such a huge creature. And seeing your ability at the match-ups I was thinking that you could do some favor for me."
"What is it?"
"I will give you time to think, so come to the cafeteria tomorrow noon. There will be someone who will be waiting for you there, that person will give you some briefing."
"I see… So if I didn't want to accept it I simply just don't have to go to the cafeteria."
Principal Xavier only nods his head while smiling.
"I see, I will be excusing myself then." Said Kei as he stands up and leaving the room.
This is going to be interesting. Thought Xavier as he watch Kei walks out from his door.
The next day, and the Academy is still busy with the ceremonial event that there is not even a single student in the class and studying. They are all either preparing themselves for the next round in the match ups that will decide for who get to fight in the Ceremonial Dragleid, or taking their time to decorate the place as much as they can to liven things up.
And as for Kei, he is walking leisurely at the campus grounds and was heading to the cafeteria to go see what favor that had been asked to him by Principal Xavier yesterday.
When he arrived at the cafeteria, Kei is little shocked by the fact that there is so little presence of the other students there in cafeteria despite being the liveliest place at the whole campus when it comes to this kind of free time.
"Kei, I've been waiting."
An unfamiliar voice calls Kei name from one of the eating table, and at the middle of those empty seats and table, sat one girl with her eyes looking towards Kei while her gaze is signaling that she is the person that Kei was supposed to meet there.
"How do you know my name?" ask Kei as he approach the sitting girl.
"Fufu~ I wonder now~" giggled that girl in an enticing tone.
"Then I guess you know my name from the Principal since he said that someone would be waiting for me here, and I think he is referring you." said Kei as he point out his conclusion.
"Bingo! You're quite sharp despite that stupid looking expression that you had all day." That girl compliment Kei while coating some kind of harassment under it, Kei notices that and just giving up a wry smile. "But that aside there would be no one that wouldn't know you in this Academy actually, since you're the one and only human in this place and the first male to even tame the Princess."
After saying those, she suddenly tenses up and reacts as if something had slipped up her mind and now she is remembering it suddenly.
"Ah! I forget to introduce myself. My name is Matsuri Rea, nice to meet you!" said that girl as she stands up and raise her hand to shake hands with Kei.
"I'm Mitsurugi Kei, and I believe I don't have the obligation to reveal more than my name since I believe you already done your background check on me already."
"Ah, you impress me even more now. I guess it's not really a shock since you are the only human that was able to attend this Academy. But to clear things up, I'm not the one who really did all the check, it was the Principal that gives me your entire document, and I of course took that chance to read some things."
"I see. So what is this favor that the Principal wanted me to do?"
"Before that, let's sit down before my foot gets tired from all the standing. Being the Head Knight of this school requires me to always patrol here and there most of my free times off the lecture."
As she said that, the two of them sat down at the eating table where Rea had sitting down earlier when she called out to Kei.
"So, you're a Titania then?" ask Kei first thing as soon after they settled down on the chair.
"Yeah, I'm the Captain of the Titania Knights that protect this Academy, though some people out there just think of us as a cover to make an army consisted of Dragger." Explain Rea with an annoyed expression.
"I see, typical image misunderstanding. But if you're having that kind of high position, why are you sitting right here on your own, that is kind of defenseless, don't you think?"
"Maybe, but I don't really like to be tailed here and there by some bodyguards. It's not really ladylike."
"Your appearance already told me that much."
Kei, who was bluntly said those things suddenly changes his expression as he felt an ominous feeling coming from the direction of Rea.
"Ah… we only have met for about ten minutes and you already said such things." Answer Rea darkly, there is that ferocious intent coming from her.
"I'm sorry, I said too much."
"Hah… good thing you're an honest person that quick to notice his own fault. I'll let you off this time."
As Kei watch Rea sighs with a big voice, there is an impression that suddenly building up inside him about Rea.
She was fine, her looks and appearance is not really a problem. She is quite beautiful, and her long brown hair that was set loose really matched her high body posture. She was about the same height as Kei and that was about 170 cm, quite high for a girl standard. But other than that, she has the body of a normal girl like usual.
"Washboard…" mutters Kei quietly to himself.
"Did you say something?" ask Rea.
"Eh? No-nothing in particular, so what about the favor?" said Kei quickly and changed the subject.
"Hmm… I sense something fishy… but whatever. The Principal asked me to do some investigation on a rather mysterious event that has been happening quite frequent at the small village to the north. What's it called again?"
"Cloud Hill?"
"Ah! That's it, Kei! You're really knowledgeable even though you're not from here. I don't even remember the name of the small villages around this region." Says Rea as she laughs cheerfully.
"You're the Head of the Titania Knights, aren't you? I think it might be a better idea to learn about such things…"
"Don't worry yourself with significant details! Hahahaha!" said Rea once again while laughing, almost maniacally.
"What is this, a fraud!? How can an airhead oblivious girl like her be the head of the Titania…? My internal image kind of hurting me…" thought Kei in his heart after looking at Rea's way of thinking.
"Leaving that aside… What is this mysterious event that you're talking about earlier?" ask Kei.
"Well, from what I know, it seems that every night a girl from the village would disappear suddenly. And 2 days later the townspeople would find the girl sleeping soundly while being tied to a tree."
"Hmm… is there any information about what really happened?"
"From what we've been dug up in until now, every victim would hear a girl's voice the night when they are being taken. It called out to them, and when they woke up after they'd gone to sleep, it was either after the townspeople found her, or they woke up while still being tied."
"In your opinion, what is happening?"
"I suspect something like a network of human trafficking when I first get my ear in this case. But that wouldn't be right because the victim was released 2 days after the abduction day. So I have no lead to what the perpetrator might be after. So that's why the Principal asked me to do more investigation while recommending you for the job." Rea explained the situation with a completely different expression than the carefree attitude she had before.
"Ah… So how are we going to start the investigation?"
"Well, since the information network just got us so far, the three of us will be inducing a field investigation~ so let's get ready and we're going to go right after sunset."
"Wait a moment, did you just say 'three of us'?"
Kei cut Rea's sentence and ask that particular question with a confused look on his face. To him, this "favor" only includes Rea and himself, based on what he had observed until now. But there is no confirmation that he did to know exactly how much people that is included.
"Is there a problem? Of course there will be three of us since I don't want to protect a human if something bad would come up, so I arrange someone to keep me company. And you know what they say about taking a trip alone with a boy."
"I see. Then I'll meet you at the Academy gate right at sunset. And one more thing, that superstition is just a joke made by mothers to make sure their daughter doesn't do stupid things that would make them regret it."
Kei walk away while saying those things, a small smile formed at the end of his lips, while Rea is watching him slowly disappearing to the school grounds.
"He's gone now, Claire. You can come out."
Rea call out and not long after that, a girl with long dark blue hair come out from her hiding spot and stand near Rea while looking at the direction Kei had disappeared to.
"He's lot more serious than when he is fighting. It's actually refreshing to see that." Comment Claire.
"Yeah, I see that fight. He's practically toying with you yesterday." Reply Rea with a slight giggle.
"Don't put more salt to my wound, Captain. I don't need more humiliation than I have now."
Claire is getting annoyed as she remember the ungraceful victory that she had yesterday noon, but just after a moment her composure is back to how it is before.
"Sorry, I just can't picture you who is one of the brightest fighter in this Academy were to be completely played by that man. By the way, are your preparations finished?"
"Yes, I can go whenever. But I'd like to ask something before you go."
"What is it?"
Rea who is ready leave turn her face once again towards Claire.
"Why did you didn't tell him that I was also in the team, but instead you just told him like you did earlier?"
"I didn't have to, since even if you're not the one that was coming with us, nothing will change."
"I see."
"Be ready, we will gather at the rendezvous point at five."
