Hello, this is Saku Kinoshita.
I do apologize for my sloppy writing lately, but I've been having a hard time writing lately. I can't seem to find much stuff that's interesting to write about. And I fear that I may end up getting off track with my updates, but I'm very grateful to all my wonderful fans and readers. You've all been a great help in motivating me to write when I have very little inspiration to write with. And all your comments brighten up my day. I really do appreciate them.
Well, just to let you know, I've been too focused on updating Unknown Entitiy that I haven't had time to update my other works so I'll be taking time off from Unknown Entity for a while to update my other fanfics. Sorry.
Chapter 54: For the Students
As much as Rood tolerated his companions' idiocy, this was taking it on a whole new level. At both his sides were Dio and Linus clinging to him while dripping tears and mucus all over him wailing like little babies.
"Rood!"
"Rood-nim!"
"Waaaahhh! Rood!"
"Rood-nim!"
Now this was just plain unconformable. Any longer and Rood would suffocate under their bone crushing holds.
"..." Rood wondered how much longer did he have to endure this. Was this some kind of punishment?
Somehow, it feels like he's forgetting something really important but brushes it off since Rood had other matters preoccupying him at the moment.
It was a relatively peaceful afternoon.
"This is unacceptable! Twice! Twice did yet another incident occur! What do you people take your jobs for?!" One undercover investigator shouted.
"Like you're not to blame! Weren't you supposed to be sent here to investigate these mysterious incidents?! And what have you come up with nothing!" A professor yelled back.
"At least, we're doing something productive! All you guys do is sit around in your classes giving boring lectures! I've learned better lessons from a rock!"
"Exactly, whose lessons are boring! I'd like to see you try and teach a bunch of savage wild animals!"
"Oh yeah! And I'd like to see you try and get off your lazy rump and try finding some clue to this investigation!"
"I'd like some more tea, please." One professor calmly asked in the midst of this chaos.
If one ignored the screaming and shouting of angry professors cursing one another.
It's strange how a meeting on how to ease the students' anxieties over the sudden transfer to the Tower turned into a childish verbal fight on the same level as two ten year old kids blaming each other. And it was so peaceful before all the arguing, just a simple meeting with tea and cookies.
"At least, I don't have the voice of a wild banshee!"
"And at least, I don't have a pair of short stubby legs!"
"They are not stubby! They're just under development. I've been so busy with grading tests and keeping my students in check that I haven't had the time to work out lately."
"Whatever makes you happy." The female investigator sarcastically remarks.
"Oh, you wanna tussle!"
"I'm not asking for a dance, little man!"
"That tears it!"
"More cake, please. And more sugar for my tea." asked the same collected professor from earlier who asked for more tea.
To think all this yelling and shouting started off with a minor fight over who wanted the last cookie.
Well, this certainly wasn't the meeting Marquis Hadelio imagined. Concerned about the students who were on the receiving end of those annoying Tower magicians' selfish actions, Marquis Hadelio had taken the time to organize a meeting with the professors and investigators to collaborate together for the sake of the students. As the progress of the investigation behind the mysterious incidents surrounding Helios was important, so was the mental health of the students. However with the way things are, it might be a while before they even restore the peace of the room.
"Pig woman!"
"Midget dwarf!"
"She-beast!"
Sigh~ Marquis Hadelio couldn't help but let out a sigh. What did he do to deserve this...
Regardless, Marquis Hadelio had to get this meeting moving.
"Ahem!" Marquis Hadelio clears his throat successfully ending the pointless arguing and returning the peace. "As all of you are aware, due to the Tower Magicians' interference, the students and staff of Helios were all transferred to the Tower. It seems that they want to keep the students close at hand to get a more thorough study of the investigation."
"This is just preposterous! They're treating us no different than prisoners this way!"
"Those pompous stick-in-the-muds think it's alright for them do as they please saying it's all for the good of the kingdom."
"Hiding behind the emperor's name like that... Who do they think they are!" Another professor grumbled.
"I understand how you all feel, but what's done is done. No matter how much we complain, it won't change a thing. For now, all we can do is focus on the present." Marquis Hadelio stated in empathy. "Our main concern should be the students. With the way things are, the students are likely mentally exhausted from all that's happened to them. Distress. Confusion. Unrest. We've got to do something to ease them of their worries."
"How about we hold another party for them in celebration of their survival from the last incident?" One professor suggested.
"No, it's too repetitive to hold another one." Marquis Hadelio shot down. "We need something different."
"How about we hold an all-you-can-eat banquet?" One hungry professor suggested at the sound of his growling stomach drooling over the thought of the bountiful amount of imaginary food.
"This is for the students, not your stomach!" Marquis Hadelio retorted.
"Maybe a school-wide event of hide and seek!"
"At their age?" Marquis Hadelio wasn't sure what kids were into these days but he was sure it wasn't hide and seek.
"Hide and seek is too childish." An investigator remarked. "Let's do 12 hour long game of Super Tag where we have one group be 'it' while the rest have to run away from the 'its' and if they're touched even once by one of the 'its' they're automatically out. The winner will be determined by whoever isn't out by the end of the time limit or if all the participants are out then the 'its' win."
"It's still tag either way."
"That's way too outdated. Let's just go with magicians and demons. Half of the students will be the magicians and the other half will take the role of the demons. The demons will have to run away from the magicians and avoid being caught. If caught, they'll be put in a magic field until they touched by another demon who hadn't been caught freeing them or until all the demons are caught. The winner is determined after a period of time. If the magicians catch all the demons within the time limit, they win. But if the magicians don't catch all the demons, then the demons win."
"That's no different from the last suggestion!" At his wits end, the Marquis couldn't help but let out a sigh. Wasn't there anyone here with a decent idea?
"Haunted house." A feminine voice spoke out.
All attention soon shifted on the owner of the suggestion: Professor Rowell who simply gave everyone her usual indifferent look. This was unusual not because the idea of sounded bad, actually that sounded pretty good, but because this was Professor Rowell, the same professor who only took up the job of being a professor for the sole purpose of guarding the imperial princess. Aside from matters regarding the princess, the cerulean haired woman didn't have any interest in anything else. Normally during meetings, she would just sit and not say a word or in most cases sleep.
What could have possibly motivated her to participate?
3 hours earlier~
Upon arriving at the Tower, Princess Yutiarien was placed in a special room away from the other students due to her royal lineage. While the room was nice for Tower standards, it lacked on crucial element: fun. No classmates nearby. No cute animals to cuddle. No Ming Ming. Being a princess didn't mean a thing if it meant being separated from the others like this.
Nothing else to do, Princess Yutiarien took out a magazine she got from Xatyre when she secretly in sneaked with the help of her faithful bodyguard Professor Rowell. It was too bad that she couldn't play with Ming Ming like she originally wanted to, but she got to see so many cute animals so it was okay in the end. The sad part was having to say goodbye to all those cute, little creatures. Luckily, during her little infiltration, she met a nice person who gave her a bunch of magazines and other booklets when she asked for something to read. The boy seemed kind of young to be a staff member with pale blue hair maybe a few years older than her, but he wasn't the Helios uniform so he couldn't have been a student at her school.
"Princess! What are you reading?!" Rom screeched in horror at the sight of the magazine in his beloved princess's hand. "That kind of book is inappropriate for you!"
Princess Yutiarien didn't see what was so wrong about reading a magazine about popular, local spots.
"Those places are not suitable for someone of your position! If you wish to go sightseeing, the imperial garden will suffice."
"That's just the garden back at the castle. I want to see more exciting places!" Princess Yutiarien whined seeing one's own backyard was hardly fun. "Like this!"
The blonde and pink haired princess opens the magazine in full view to both her bodyguards, Rom and Professor Rowell, to the page she was reading. One that turned Rom into a ghost.
"A haunted house?!" Rom shrieked.
"Looks fun, right?"
"It does." Professor Rowell nodded in agreement much to Rom's shock.
Rom did not understand the female mind.
Present time~
For the sake of her happiness, Professor Rowell will give the princess the haunted house she's wants so badly. And according to that magazine, apparently, haunted houses are famous places to enter as a pair which is the perfect place for the princess to play with her Ming Ming.
"A haunted house?"
"That doesn't sound bad."
"But it seems kind of risky, since the students have gone through so much already. And a haunted house wouldn't seem welcoming at all."
"With all the incidents going on, I doubt a haunted house will scare them."
"You know kids these days. They're all into those scary stories and test of courage stuff. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it makes their heart jump out they'll all be on board."
"That's true. As long as they aren't hurt, they'll be okay with a little scare."
Marquis Hadelio had some doubts about the haunted house idea, but the others seem to be fine with it.
"Very well, then we'll go with a haunted house." No choice, but to concede. He just hopes it'll all end well. "Since this was your proposal, Tessiana, we'd like to hear more about this haunted house you have in mind."
Back straight up. Arms crossed. Soft snores... Snores?!
"Zzzzz~"
While the others were busy chatting among one another, Professor Rowell somehow took the time to doze off.
This certainly did not bode well. They were in the middle of an important discussion and got a promising proposal, but the proposer just goes to sleep. If only that were the bad part. For the professors of Helios, it wasn't unusual for the cerulean haired professor to do strange things like sleeping in the middle of a meeting since she's known for doing unconventional things like stalking a chronically ill student or randomly assault someone. The worrisome part isn't Professor Rowell falling asleep but rather someone else, a certain someone who took time to organize this meeting and deliberate about the students. That someone was currently seething... no boiling in anger at the moment.
"WAKE UP!"
Could this day get any worse?
Could this day get any worse?
"Shic..."
It was bad enough that Shicmuon was chasing after a poor chronically ill child.
"Shic!"
To make matters worse, the two (unintentionally) kissed! Van couldn't tell his boss this, but he had a job to report back anything regarding the investigation and more importantly keep an eye on Shicmuon which he was horribly failing at right now. And to top it all off, he lost Shicmuon.
"Shic, where are you!"
God knows what possible things Shicmuon could be doing.
...
If he doesn't find Shicmuon quick, he could lose his job!
"Co-Co-Come out. Come out wherever you are!"
He wasn't near the stairway.
"I have a nice treat for you."
He wasn't in the male restrooms and hopefully not the female ones either although the painful stares he got from the students who were there was agonizing. Great, now others will think he's some sick pervert.
"If you come out now, I won't get mad."
He wasn't in the dining hall.
"You know it's a crime to go after under-aged children."
"Shhhhhh."
He wasn't in the library. And Van ended up getting scolded by the librarian for making noises and disturbing the students with his weird talk about criminal actions towards under-aged children. Van made a quick note to never return there again.
"Damn it, Shic! Quit hiding and show your face already or I'm going to take matters into my own hands!" Van screamed out from all the bent up frustration of being unable to locate the redhead with one slight setback. The fact that he was a designated area for Iduns which was currently full of students slipped his mind.
Forget sick, they'll all think he's plain crazy.
"Huh?" He could have sworn he heard something.
"Rood, where are you looking? The dining area's this way." Dio motioned his blond friend.
"Nothing. I thought I heard something." Rood told Dio.
"Really, I didn't hear anything. Must have been your imagination."
"Probably..."
After a long chat and explanation from his two friends and others, dinner time approached so all six of them headed off to the dining hall for a nice meal. Well, more specifically, Dio got hungry so he wanted to eat practically pleading and begging Rood to go with him when the undercover magician didn't feel like going. Lidusis didn't mind. The problem was getting Rood to say 'yes.' It didn't take long for Rood to cave in to Dio's pleads mainly because it embarrassing to have Dio beg towards him and he couldn't stand that weird puppy dog look on Dio's face. And if Rood was going, by default, that also meant that Linus and Lapis were going too. Linus would never miss out on the chance to have dinner with his idol, and Lapis would never leave a chronically-ill child by himself. And somewhere along the line, Chevel was roped in too.
"So you really don't remember anything from Xatyre or coming to the Tower?" Chevel asked out of curiosity.
"Not really. I don't really understand but..." All color drained from Rood. His pupils constricted.
Could this be some kind of side effect?
"Every time I try to recall something, my head..." On reflex, Rood's hand was already on his head. He could practically feel the throbbing sensation in his head.
"It's alright! You don't have to remember! Humans are very delicate." Hearing the boy's answer already said more than enough, Chevel stopped pressing for information. He knew that headache wasn't a normal headache. It was a self-defense mechanism preventing him from remembering that traumatic experience he just had. Chances are the reason he can't remembering anything during his memory loss episode was for the same reason so that he wouldn't remember any that kiss he had with Shicmuon. It's likely that his mind subconsciously suppressed that horrible memory deep within his mind.
"If you're in pain, then I'm more than happy to lend you my shoulder to lean on." Linus offered blushing like a teenage girl in front her crush.
"No, I'm pretty sure. He doesn't your help." Chevel retorted.
"That's right. He needs his Big Brother to carry him. Now hop on Big Brother's back and I'll take you to the..."
"He definitely doesn't need your help either."
"What do you know! All you do is bully weak, little kids!"
"Huh! An outsider like you has no right to say that!"
"What was that!"
Hissing and cursing at each other, Chevel and Lapis intensely glare at each.
Sigh~
Linus lets out a sigh. "There they go again. When will they ever learn."
Linus shakes his head like a disappointed parent. Those two don't know when to quit.
What a weird bunch... Glancing at the three, Rood wondered if all the older students were like this. Then while his attention was focused on Chevel, Linus, and Lapis, Rood bumped into Lidusis.
"Hey, why'd you stop?"
Lidusis wasn't the only one who abruptly stopped in his tracks as was Dio. Both seemed to be staring at something. Wondering what made his friends so motionless, Rood peered over Lidusis's shoulder to see. What he saw left him speechless. He nearly gasped upon sight.
Twenty meters away from them was...
Shicmuon.
