The following day, the situation with arriving at one of the Taisha's compounds could accurately be described as tense for Negi and Fate. After being picked up by the Taisha and driven to yet another area, the pair were greeted by one of the organization's members.
"Welcome. Please, come with me. We have prepared a room for you to wait in while everyone else is informed of your arrival." The man bowed, a mask obstructing his face and his robes swaying slightly with movement, before leading the pair into the compound and toward the location in question. The room in question was a traditionally styled Japanese room, if rather simply decorated. Within the confines was a low, plain table, with a tray on it containing some food and two cups.
The demeanor of the man or the other Taisha weren't the cause for the atmosphere. If anything, the tray in the room had been a welcoming gesture. It had been what occurred the previous night.
After having arrived at the lodgings provided by the Taisha, a mostly barebones room with minimum furnishings, the pair had discovered their housing was set up with listening devices. As part of the extrasensory perception all mages possessed, magic users could feel when they were 'being observed', with the strongest able to detect even the subtlest attempts at spying. Despite Fate's initial idea to make such a fact known to whomever was listening on the other end, Negi had used a little lightning magic to fry the devices almost immediately so the two could talk in peace, arguing it'd be best to not strain relationships any further. Already off to a bad start, the two had wasted no time in investigating what they could about the world, using magic to access the local area's internet via their phones. So dedicated to the task, the two mages had spent the entire night up, right until shortly before another car had arrived to take the pair to the meeting location. A normal person would have been left tired and ill-prepared for the meeting to come, but the combination of immortality and world-class level body reinforcement magic, meant that the two had no difficulty staying awake for weeks, even months without feeling any ill effects, provided their magic usage was properly controlled and regulated. During the investigation, both found more unsettling information and quickly concluded that the Taisha were hiding something, as many bits of information were incomplete, or even outright missing from the public space. The Vertex, the exact duty and powers wielded by Gin, Sonoko, and Sumi, or the landscape's otherworldly transformation, all were facts seemingly kept out of the public eye. Even more odd, the reason for the start of the "Divine Era" nearly 300 years ago, was apparently a virus from beyond the Shinju's barrier that had nearly wiped out humanity. Combined with the Vertex, it felt like there was far more to the story than public records let on.
Yet, aside from the concerns over how much information was being locked away, another reason remained as the cause for the current atmosphere.
Fate, sitting at the table, starred down at his cup, his usual dull and unamused expression, tainted with a hint of a scowl. "This is tea."
"Yes, is there a problem...?" The man asked, standing just outside the room. While his facial features were obscured by the mask nearly all Taisha wore, assuming their expression shifted to mildly perplexed would have been a safe one.
The Averruncus slowly turned their head toward the voice, starring at them with an unblinking and piercing gaze that seemed to be less directed toward them, and more looking directly through them. "I hate tea."
"Fate, don't be rude. They meant well." Negi said with mild exasperation, yet he couldn't help the slightest hint of amusement creep in his tone.
Fate knew the other had to be enjoying every second of this. They quite often had heated arguments involving coffee and tea, and which was the superior drink. He favored coffee, Negi supported leaf water. The mage wasn't going to let this slide so easily.
"I-I see. Is there s-something else you would prefer?" The Taisha man, voice slightly quivering, asked.
Fate starred at the other in silence, the seconds ticking by and the atmosphere growing even more intense with each passing one. His gaze unwavering, menacing, a cold fury, like an ocean surface hiding a storm just beneath the calm waves.
Even with the heavy clothing obscuring their body language, the Taisha member was visibly becoming unnerved by the glare, hands placed low in front of their body, like some kind of shield, fingers shifting uncomfortable.
"Hurry calling us in, so as not to waste anymore of my time."
"V-very well." The man closed the door and practically shot down the hallway like a bullet, judging from the loud footsteps that soon faded.
After a few moments, Negi sighed, erecting an invisible magical barrier in a circle around the two. "There, now we shouldn't have to worry about them listening in on anything we say." He paused for a brief moment, before adding. "I know you're not going to drink that. Do you mind if I have it? I'd hate for the tea to go to waste."
"If you wish to defile your taste buds with this leaf water, then go ahead." Fate replied indignantly, passing the cup toward Negi. It hadn't even taken a minute for him to get the perfect opportunity to get the last word.
Negi shot Fate a disgruntled look, taking the cup. "Another world, and yet, you still won't even gi-" The remainder of Negi's sentence died in his throat once he looked down at the contents of the cup. Face turning to horror, Negi saw that the tea within the cup had been petrified. From what he could sense, Fate had used the highest-grade petrification spell he could muster without a chant. Negi couldn't undo that. The tea was completely unsalvageable. The child looked up at the other, glaring at Fate with barely contained contempt, as if they had just burned down his house. His grip on the cup tightening in sync with his growing frustration at the other. "How dare you waste perfectly good tea."
"Come now, Negi-kun, we have more important matters to discuss. Our relationship has barely even begun, and already the Taisha are proving ofquestionable character. Serving me tea and attempting to spy on our conversations. They are doing a poor job at building any trust." Fate stated. Though, his face was nearly the same as ever, his voice revealed the Averruncus' true intentions. Containing just the slightest touch of bemusement, it was almost undetectable, given his normal manner of speaking, but with just enough of a pinch, he knew Negi would notice it. He also knew that Negi was aware he spoke the truth, and would let the argument rest, for now, to focus on the more pressing concerns. They had important matters to discuss before the meeting.
With great reluctance, a frustrated sigh, and a stare that plainly said, 'We'll settle this later', Negi put the cup back onto the table, letting the matter of coffee vs tea be continued on another day. "I know." The other mage replied, frowning mildly, mood soured slightly over what just occurred, but also due to Fate's assessment being correct. "However, the Taisha appear to be the absolute authority here. While they seem to have more than a little healthy caution, I would like to try and work with them to some degree, if possible. We already discussed this matter yesterday."
Fate's eyes slightly narrowed, once again unimpressed. "This was before we learned they had placed listening devices in our room. Even if they do possess anything of use to us, I highly doubt it will be shared without expending effort that would be better placed elsewhere."
"And, that is exactly why I came up with a few ideas last night to offer them in ways we could provide assistance, try to build some trust with them." Negi calmly replied, smile returning to his face after taking a sip of his tea, from the cup Fate hadn't defiled with his petrification.
"After the current issues, you and I both know there is more to some of your proposed ideas than merely trying to get into the Taisha's good graces." Fate knowingly stated. Negi was the kind of person who always wanted to help people, arguably overextending himself to provide aid sometimes. If not for his immortality, Fate wouldn't have considered it an outlandish possibility for Negi to work himself half to death on furthering the Blue Mars Project. He already did enough work to kill a normal man, all with a smile on his face. "You're concerned about the three girls we spoke with yesterday."
"You know me well enough, that that shouldn't come as a surprise." Negi admitted, his voice shifting to a more serious tone. "But, given they seem to work for the Taisha and their attitude, I think it would be far easier to teach those three if they trust, or at least tolerate, us. That's-"
A knock sounded from the door, cutting off Negi's words. The arrival had been unexpectedly quick, all but confirming to the two mages it had likely been another attempt at trying to listen in on their discussions.
"Ah, that must be them. Let's get going, Fate." Negi said, placing his cup back on the tray and rising from his position at the table, soon joined by Fate.
Life was filled with unexpected twists and turns, a statement which, in Sonoko's opinion, was an accurate way to describe everything that had happened not even within the last 24 hours. Yesterday had started as a simple and fun day, with Gin and Sumi even agreeing to teach her how to cook tomorrow! That was an activity she was greatly looking forward to and seemed like it'd be great fun, especially given how masterfully Gin prepared some of the food on their field trip.
But, it had all changed the moment the Vertex attacked. Their happy field trip morphed into a nightmare in short order, the fight started terrible, with her and Sumi being knocked unconscious shortly into it. After waking up, she'd been scared, no, terrified when seeing Gin wasn't around and learning what she'd gone to do. The axe user was the strongest of them by far, but three Vertex at once was more than a daunting challenging. Thankfully, almost like a miracle, everything had turned out better than fine with the arrival of Negi and Fate. Two people her age wielding fantastical magic powers and possibly even coming from an entirely different world… She wondered what kind of history they had. Just from initial impressions, she felt like there was quite a story to them, one that might make a good novel and let her try out some new ideas. However, things weren't going to go back to business as usual so easily.
The day after had barely begun before things immediately started getting eventful. Instead of waking up in her comfortable bed with Sancho, her special pillow, and preparing for Saturday, the girl, along with her friends, instead found themselves in a hospital, despite all injuries being fully healed. Odd, but the explanation provided by the people there, that they wanted to monitor the Heroes' conditions themselves as a precaution, seemed reasonable. Unfortunately, it meant the plans they'd made for today had to be shelved, but at least everyone was ok.
Shortly after a quick check up, a visit from concerned parents, and confirming nothing was wrong, the Taisha had arrived. The Heroes were to be taken to another location for an additional checkup to ensure there were no residual issues, something about, given the more mystical origins of the methods used yesterday, it would be best to have some priests within the Taisha double check their conditions. That was where things started feeling weird to Sonoko.
The entire process felt a bit odd and become a topic of discussion for the three Heroes on the ride toward the other location, the group wondering why all the extra measures for something like this? They all felt perfectly fine. However, once at the location, which she noted was oddly remote, Sonoko caught sight of another red flag, Negi and Fate. Sonoko had always been far more perceptive than her laid back and spacey demeanor portrayed. With the last clue, everything fell into place and Sonoko understood exactly why they had been brought here. The Taisha didn't fully trust the two new arrivals, whom wielded otherworldly powers that far exceeded a normal person's strength, if their apparent ability to help Gin against the Vertex meant anything. This power, if it had to be fought against, needed a Hero. A Hero, like herself.
The physical, while likely done out of legitimate concern for the safety of their only defense against the Vertex, was not the only reason her, Gin, and Sumi had been called to the same building as the two mages. They were insurance, something to provide the Taisha a sense of security in the event any 'incidents' occurred. Of course, that wasn't the only reason she and Sumi hadn't made any attempts to leave once their exams, both indicating perfect health, finished. The two were waiting for Gin, who's was taking a lot longer than either of theirs had. It'd been well over a few hours now and both of the remaining Heroes were starting to feel a bit anxious.
Suddenly, the door opened, with Gin strolling out from wthin. "Finally, I thought they were never going to let me out of there!" Gin stated with an exasperated voice and her arms in the air in an exaggerated manner, before promptly slumping her shoulders in a similarly overdramatic fashion.
"Mino-san's back!" Sonoko exclaimed, happy to see her friend again. After hearing nothing for a while, she was starting to get worried something had actually been wrong with Gin. "How'd it go~?"
"I kept telling them I felt fine, but they still checked me over three times. Couldn't find anything, but a couple battle scars. Gonna take more than that to bring down Gin-sama." Gin stated triumphantly, puffing out her chest with a proud smirk.
Sumi, on the other hand, starred at Gin with a stern glare. However, her attempts to look imposing weren't as successful as she'd have liked, the obvious worry on her features weakening the effect of her glare somewhat.
"Oy, Sumi, what'd I do this time?" Gin questioned, looking mildly uncomfortable under the other's watch.
"I'm happy to hear you're alright, but Gin." Sumi stopped for a brief moment, collecting herself. "Don't do something like that again."
Gin's smile faltered slightly at the indirect mention of the near disaster yesterday. "Hey, everything turned out ok, right? We're all just fine now."
The other's words did little to ease the worry in Sumi's face and tone, voice shaking slightly with her reply. "But it almost didn't. If those two didn't show up when they did, you could've-" But, any further words died in her throat. It was painful, remembering the near disaster from not even 24 hours ago. They all knew how bad Gin's injuries had been. She had holes in multiple places on her body, large gashes across her arms and sides, with terrifying amounts of blood coming from all of them. A Hero's body was more resistant to trauma and could even heal moderate injuries at a much quicker pace than a normal person's, but it still had limits. Limits that Gin had almost certainly exceeded in the last fight.
"Sumi." Gin, breaking the silence and heavy atmosphere that had quickly taken hold, spoke up, putting a reassuring hand on the top of her friend's head. Her voice more heavy than normal, but still containing some of her customary spirit. "I'll be more careful, alright? I ain't planning on going anywhere anytime soon. We said we're gonna be friends forever, didn't we?" More of her typical strength returning to her voice, Gin shot Sumi a cheeky grin.
While Gin's attempts at lifting the mood helped, the atmosphere of the room still felt heavy and a touch oppressive, the unsaid worry of the axe-using Hero' death, still looming over the room, like an invisible fog.
"Hey~" Things had gotten a little too dark for her liking. Feeling that a change in subject would've been good for the conversation, Sonoko spoke up, using her usual bright and cheery tone. "Since everyone's fine, that means we're ready for tomorrow, right~?"
For a brief second, Gin and Sumi shared a look of confusion, only for realization to dawn on Gin's about what Sonoko referred to, an instant later.
"That's right! We were going to teach you how to cook!" Gin, energy and warmth returning back to her face, excitedly stated, slapping herself on the forehead for almost forgetting.
"Ah, between everything that's happened, I almost forgot." Sumi admitted, sounding slightly embarrassed.
"Sumi, you know how much Sonoko was looking forward to that. How could you." Gin, grinning, teased in a mock scolding tone.
"Forgetting about that, Wasshi's so mean..." Sonoko, joining in, whined in a light hearted and teasing manner, looking hurt.
"H-Hey!" Face turning red in embarrassment at the other's comments, Sumi barely managed a few stuttering words. "I didn't forget!"
In a matter of moments, the dark topic and air of earlier had completely evaporated, instead replaced by the usual fun and casual one their talks usually had, exactly as Sonoko had been hoping for.
"We were going to make yakisoba, right?" Gin, shifting the subject slightly, asked while reassuringly patting Sumi's head, calming her slightly, but doing little to remove the blush from her face and getting a low whine from the girl.
"Yep. I can't wait~." Smiling widely, Sonoko answered. Even if learning how to cook may not have been technically needed, her household had people who would get or do anything for her as soon as she asked, it didn't make her any less excited. If anything, this just made her look forward to it more. It was nice to have something you could do for yourself with some independence, especially if it made for a good excuse to spend time with her friends.
"Great! In the meantime, I don't know about you girls, but I'm feeling restless after being stuck in there for hours, and who knows how long the Taisha will still want us to stick around. I'm gonna go walk around a bit and stretch my legs." Gin declared, already taking a few steps away.
"Waaaaaait. I'll come too~." Sonoko called out, following after Gin. While she also wanted to move around a bit, letting Gin go off on her own wasn't exactly the best idea. Knowing her luck, the girl would somehow get involved in something to delay coming back, even in the middle of one of the Taisha's buildings.
"We have been here for a while, but I think we should continue waiting until the Taisha return and tell us what to do next. As you said Gin, we might not be finished today." Sumi, having composed herself from the earlier teasing, protested, shaking her head against the idea.
"Come on, Sumi. Aren't you feeling bored, just sitting here the whole time?" Gin stopped her steps, turning back to address the other.
"It'll be fine, Wasshi~. We won't be gone long~." Sonoko chimed in casually.
The comebacks gave the raven-haired girl brief pause, making her silently think the options over for a moment. If she was honest, things were starting to feel a bit oppressive and stir crazy. Getting a few minutes to relax wasn't a bad idea. "Alright." She relented with a sigh. "But, no going too far from here, and I'm coming along." Sumi added. Besides, she didn't like being left out of group activities.
"Yay~"
"Heh, that's what I'd expect from Sumi. Let's get going!" Gin said, resuming her walk.
Standing outside a doorway with his arms crossed, Negi sighed, eyes closed and with a worried face. {I don't like how that went.} The mage telepathically sent to the one standing beside him, Fate.
{I don't trust them.} Came Fate's immediate reply, alongside a glance toward him.
{Yes, the entire topic relating to the Vertex and that virus felt questionable. I can't help but wonder just how serious what's being hidden is.} Negi agreed, looking tense. Despite the distrust, he still wanted to try and help however he could.
The meeting with the Taisha, to put things lightly, had been turbulent. Discussion started easy enough, with Negi explaining to the Taisha, most of what he had told the girls last night. They seemed to readily accept the idea, especially in the face of Fate having completely and utterly destroyed 3 of the Vertex with no knowledge of the Shinju, making it hard to deny. Afterwards, the topic shifted to if they had any clue of if the Shinju was responsible for being called here. The Taisha mentioned they were still investigating and deciphering if that was the case, and they'd likely know soon. With that line of thought at a dead end, things moved onto the Vertex themselves and details, as neither he nor Fate could find anything in public spaces.
The answers given by the Taisha, that they were related to a virus that had wiped out humanity 298 years ago, didn't hold much weight to him or Fate. The two had immense experience with the supernatural and could spot something related to it when they saw it. Compounding this, when questioned about the idea of them exploring the outside world, given both he and Fate were immortal, possessed magical protection of the highest grade to render them immune to any sickness, and strength to combat the Vertex, the Taisha present had swiftly, nervously even, tried to dissuade them with excuses, none of which seemed to be terribly convincing. Furthermore, why name something based on a virus, 'Vertex', something referring to a peak? How would a simple virus create these monsters? Too many red flags. If not for him reigning in Fate after asking if the Taisha took them for fools, who knew how things could have gone. While he didn't exactly disagree with the Averruncus and wanted to know more on this, he hadn't wanted to put the Taisha on the defensive that early, not while he could still fish for more information and see if they could slip up on anything else.
{I understand what you said earlier about everyone having their reasons for secrets, and their's may be a grave one, but based upon first impressions, they are a fanatical organization with an extreme leaning toward information control, and accustomed to possessing unchallenged power, while likely believing everything they do is justified and in the name of the greater good, by right of their deity. I know exactly this type, from my time with Cosmo Entelecheia.} Fate sternly continued with a shake of his head dismissively.
Negi frowned, tilting his head slightly toward Fate. The other had been part of an organization, led by the god and creator of the Magical World, dedicated toward trying to save the inhabitants of the world, by sending them to an idealized world, before the current one had collapsed. They employed various methods to manipulate the world and its people toward their believed noble purpose, some of them fanatically devoted and thinking themselves correct by divine right of the world's creator. Not all of them were exactly bad people, but still… {I don't exactly disagree with all of your assessment, but…. I think that comparison might be a bit too far, especially when we barely know them. Besides, even though Cosmo Entelecheia's methods were questionable and they refused to compromise, the people in it weren't all bad. Some of them, and the Magical World's Government, thought it was the only way in a desperate situation.}
{Perhaps, but they do not trust us and earning it is unlikely. That much is clear after the meeting.} Fate said, narrowing his eyes at Negi.
{I understand and agree we should be careful going forward. However, that doesn't change my desire to at least give them a chance and to help the girls. Besides, when I offered to teach the Heroes some magic, the idea wasn't immediately thrown off the table. That's progress.} Smile returning back to his face, Negi responded optimistically and with an affirming nod. {Those three are risking their lives to protect this place, and one of them almost died last night. I can't just ignore that, and I don't believe the Taisha would be so stubborn as to either.}
Afterwards, the topic had shifted toward less awkward topics and some minor discussion, mainly concerning living arrangements if they'd be staying a while. During that conversation, he'd been met with quite a bit of disbelief at evidently being a college graduate, something he offered to take any kind of test to prove, but Negi had finally managed to bring forth his idea of teaching magic to the Heroes. If there was to be any hope of receiving aid, he had to provide something in exchange. The Taisha were, understandably, initially skeptical, but he couldn't be certain to what degree, given their masks and thick robes obscuring much of their body language. After all, he knew that it was usual for someone of his age to be teaching others in this manner. However, after offering to first demonstrate the combat abilities of magic for the Taisha first, so they could better understand what they would be agreeing to, and explaining, the fact he'd already been a teacher and likely possessed more live combat experience than the three Heroes combined, they seemed to relent ever so slightly, perhaps even considering the idea, judging from the brief silence that fell. Offering to showcase your powers to an unknown organization may have been a questionable idea, but it seemed like an easy way to get some trust. Besides, him and Fate weren't going to reveal everything.
Further supporting his case to teach the others, was Fate mentioning, albeit somewhat dark and bluntly, that Gin certainly would have died without their intervention and it didn't seem like whatever their current strategy was, was working, coupled with they wouldn't be here for long in case anymore disasters happened. In his words, magic could be something to prevent further incidents like this. However, the Averruncus did mention that, even if they learned magic, it could take a while to master it and a short-term solution may be needed in the meantime. The mage didn't think he was wrong, but would have perhaps phrased things a bit more diplomatically. Regardless, the two mages seemed to have left some kind of impression, as afterwards, they had been ushered out for the Taisha to discuss the matter, leaving them in their current situation of waiting outside the door.
Fate once more shook his head, a rare and small grin briefly appearing on his face. {You always do try to save everyone. Provided it doesn't consume your attention, I hope you're right and that your plan works, Negi-kun. However, in respect to trust, as things currently stand, the listening devices and-} Fate's telepathic communications suddenly cut off. "-the eavesdroppers are a poor indication that we possess any." Speaking traditionally for the first time in the exchange, voice accusatory, the Averruncus leisurely glanced down toward the opposite end of the hall at three small figures that were poking their heads out from the sides of the entrance.
Caught red-handed, two of them immediately and reflexively ducked behind the walls they were glancing out from, at the acknowledgement of their presence by Fate.
"Well, guess they saw us~." The yellow haired remaining one said.
"Hey!" Negi called down the hall, waving. "You can come out, it's alright."
Moments later, Gin and Sumi, cheeks slightly flushed in embarrassment, emerged from their hiding places and, joined by Sonoko, approached Negi and Fate.
"I apologize for eavesdropping, it wasn't our intention." Bowing, Sumi apologetically stated.
"Yeah, sorry about that. We were just going to walk around a bit, then we saw you guys, and you looked like you were having a conversation, but didn't actually say anything, guess we got curious, and before we knew it, started starring." Gin added with a slightly sheepish laugh.
"Was it more magic~?" Sonoko interjected, eyes sparkling with curiosity at the idea.
"Actually, it was. We can speak telepathically." Negi answered casually.
"Ooooooooh! That's so cool! How do you do that~?" The reply just seemed to further excite Sonoko.
"Well, it's kind of a long story and we might be called in at any moment. I'm not sure if I'd have time to explain it in detail. Perhaps another time, when I get the chance to teach you some." Negi continued. The mage knew himself well enough to acknowledge he could talk for an extremely long time on a subject, it partially came with the territory of being a teacher, and now was not the best time for a lecture.
"That sounds like it's going to involve a lot of studying…" Gin dryly remarked, the energy and life slowly fading from her face at the idea of more studying. Fighting giant monsters and arduous physical training, that was one thing and she was fine with it, it could even be fun at times. Having to sit still for a while and read a book? Completely different matter.
"Gin, this is why I always tell you that you shouldn't neglect your studying habits. They're important." Sumi sternly scolded.
"Well, part of using magic involves the mind and willpower to control the spells." Negi interjected.
"Sooooo, like your spirit and guts?" Life and enthusiasm started returning to Gin's features at this new piece of information. "Perfect! I'll master it in no time!"
"But, it's also a lot of intense studying and academics as well."
The addition visibly deflated Gin. She looked like a child who had just been given the key to a candy store, only to find the building had already been torn down. "Ugh, I thought magic was supposed to be fun."
"I'm sure you'll take to it just fine. I'm accustomed to teaching people as well. I had one student in my class, they didn't take to studying regular subjects much, but they had quite a passion for magic, once they discovered it. Perhaps you'll be the same." Negi comforted with a smile. He briefly thought back to the student in question, Yue Ayase, which then sent his mind wandering toward the rest of his class. It hadn't even been a full 24 hours since he and Fate had vanished, but he hoped everyone was doing alright and not worrying too much. He'd gone long periods without much contact before, on account of his busy schedule traveling and organizing the Blue Mars Project, but he could always get to them if any emergencies happened, not like now. With The Lifemaker, God of the magical world, still out there and unaccounted for, he couldn't help worrying.
"Maybe. All the stuff you can do does look fun." Gin admitted.
Exactly half a second of silence passed.
"Wait." Her eyes slowly went wide, realization overtaking her face. "What was that?" The implication of someone the same age as them being a regular teacher was so past being reasonable, it evidently took a few seconds delayed reaction for it to be proceeded. Having superhuman abilities was one matter, as it was something they themselves were already used to. Sumi even had some teacher like moments, but imagining a kid their age in the same kind of position as their school instructor full time? That was something else entirely.
Three curious pairs of eyes starred at Negi. Sonoko had even taken her phone out, fingers hovering over the screen, prepared to start taking notes.
Negi opened his mouth to reply, but the feeling of an approaching presence, followed by the sound of the door opening behind the group, cut him off.
One of the Taisha emerged from the entrance, glanced briefly at Negi and Fate, before looking toward the three Heroes, then pausing for a moment. It appeared the presence of the Heroes had not been expected. "Excuse us for one more moment." Briefly speaking, the other then headed back into the room.
That had taken less time than Negi had expected. He had been hoping for at least a few more minutes to discuss matters with the three girls, but he could still make this work. He'd just have to move things along quickly if he were to set his current plans in motion.
Firstly, he had to use a little magic to muffle the discussion and ensure no one in the other room would hear this. Then, he could keep talking until the last moment someone came to retrieve him and Fate. "Looks like we'll have to address that later. One quick question, before Fate and I go for now. We're currently discussing demonstrating some magic for the Taisha, and I think it would be a good opportunity to also show each of you what magic can do in terms of combat and gain an understanding of what to expect using it. It's a lot more than just cleaning stains on your clothes. We're still deciding on exactly when, but I imagine they'll want to see this as soon as possible, within the next few days, maybe even tomorrow. Are there any issues if you came along?"
He knew, to a degree, Fate was likely right about the Taisha and their obsession with information control and power. That obviously was a problem, as the presence of him, Fate, and magic, represented something beyond their control, that couldn't be so easily kept under a lock. They had already asked him to try and keep magic hidden when discussing living arrangements, giving further weight to his concerns. By itself, that wasn't something to fret over. The child was used to operating in secret, magic was hidden from society at large on Earth in his world, but given the circumstances, he couldn't help being concerned about the exact motives here. They might try to distance the Heroes, who Negi still couldn't be certain of how much they knew but it wasn't likely much, from it as much as they realistically could to keep a better handle on it, perhaps not even bringing them to the demonstration, instead judging for themselves. Negi would've disagreed with that, that the Heroes had every right to know what they were getting into. If he planted the idea into them already and gained some support from the Heroes themselves, knowing they could easily come to whatever arrangements were made and having already discussed it, perhaps he could use that as some pressure or to try and schedule a time he knew they'd be available. Of course, there was always the possibility he was overthinking things and no such resistance would be met by the Taisha. He hoped for that being the case, but the mage would have rather been over prepared and covered all his bases, than under prepared and outplayed.
Sumi frowned lightly. "Tomorrow is not a good day, we have plans."
"Mino-san and Wasshi are going to teach me how to cook~."
Moving on from the interjection by Sonoko, Sumi continued. "Then, we have school on the following week, along with regular practice."
"Hey, after what happened yesterday, you don't think we'll get any vacation?" Gin shot toward Sumi, looking off-put by the idea of barely even getting a day's break after the ordeal last night.
"According to the Taisha, we're all in fine condition. If anything, what happened means we need to train more. We also missed our scheduled practice today." Came Sumi's almost immediate comeback.
"Don't worry too much about the time. I still need to use today to find a location, but we're able to teleport, so getting everyone there and back in a timely manner, even late in the day, isn't an issue. I'm sure we can work something out." Negi quickly added to prevent anything else from further derailing the conversation.
"Jeeze." Sighing, Gin spoke up. "Teleporting too? What can't you do?"
"Plenty of things, but we'll discuss more another time. Fate and I have to go now."
As if cued by Negi's words, the door behind the group swung open, revealing the same robed Taisha from earlier. "Negi Springfield-san, Fate Averruncus-san. Please, come with me." The voice of the man was neutral, borderline robotic even. "Heroes, we will come for you later." Shifting attention to the others, he added.
"Goodbye, for now. We'll talk later." Giving some parting words, Negi trailed behind the man into the meeting room, followed by Fate. He hoped this one would go smoother than the last one.
"I can't wait to see what else magic can do." Gin, voice brimming with wonder, said, breaking the silence that had briefly overcome the group after Negi and Fate's departure while the trio traveled back to the room they'd been waiting in. "I wanna learn how to shoot fireballs. What about you girls?"
Sonoko tilted her head, looking skyward in thought about what she'd want to do with magic. "Weren't they flying? That looked fun~. I wonder what it's like to sleep on a cloud…"
"Knowing you, you'd probably end up floating off into space while asleep…"
The blonde was utterly unphased by the comment from Gin and, if anything, just seemed to grow more excited at the possibility. "Hey, hey, Mino-san, Wasshi~! Let's learn how to fly and go to space~!"
Sumi sighed at the grand idea suggested from her friend. The girl could often spout out some rather off the wall and unpredictable sentences, but this ranked pretty high up there. "Sonnochi, I don't think it's that simple."
"What about you, Sumi? What kind of ideas are bouncing around in your head?" Gin chimed in, shifting her attention to the black-haired girl, eying her curiously.
Now, that was a good question that the girl had to stop and think about. Putting her hand to her chin, the girl pondered the possibilities. What would she do with magic? What could it do? She was familiar with some various supernatural abilities from mythology, but given the circumstances, the Hero couldn't be certain if it could be used as a reference. Aside from Gin's battle with the Vertex alongside Negi and Fate, they'd only seen a few minor displays. Her last line of thought made Sumi stop dead. Shouldn't Gin have already seen them fight and some of the combat abilities of magic and already know what they could do? "Wait, Gin. Didn't you get a chance to see them use magic against the Vertex?" Sumi asked, brows knitted.
Gin shook her head in response. "Didn't really get to see too much. I was so focused on fighting, I didn't realize exactly what happened, until the Vertex had already been taken care of, and Negi-san jumped in and pulled me out of the fight, just before something hit me. It all happened pretty fast. Fighting one minute, everything's fine the next."
"Hmmm." Sonoko leisurely hummed, mind clearly starting to drift somewhere else. "So, he showed up at the perfect time to daringly whisk Mino-san away to safety~?" Her eyes were sparkling with the familiar indication of planning one of her novels. Her often heavily romantic novels, whose content could get questionably appropriate for the author's age and drew legions of fans online.
"T-that's what you got from this?" Gin fired at Sonoko, light blush starting to appear on her face. "What's that supposed to imply?!"
But, Sonoko already seemed to be lost in her own world. "Oooh, and wasn't Spring-san carrying you bridal style~?" Eye's shining like a kid on Christmas morning, Sonoko continued. The other name for such a thing was a princess carry, however, the blonde already knew about Gin's dream of being a bride. Combined with it carrying stronger implications, the novelist was naturally more inclined toward that name in this instance. She knew it was going to fluster Gin far more and get a cuter reaction. "That gives me some ideas~."
Gin's face instantly turned a deep crimson at Sonoko's teasing comments. There weren't too many topics that could seriously fluster her, but, on the small list of things that could, this sat near the very top. "S-S-Sonoko! It's embarrassing already! J-just what kind of story are you thinking about this time?!" Seeking retribution for the flustering comments, Gin grabbed and pulled at Sonoko's cheeks.
"Depends on a few things. You'll find out later~." Sonoko, smile and mood utterly unflinching in the face of Gin's assault, casually replied.
"And what's that supposed to mean!?"
Sumi couldn't help forming a light smile at the scene. Even with the dramatic and wild turn the events from yesterday took, being able to still have life feel normal with these small moments was nice. While their duty was still top priority, events like this were what kept a person going. She also wasn't going to complain about a break in being the subject of Sonoko's ideas this time. Last time the budding novelist had roped her and Gin into helping her with writer's block, it involved getting princess carried by Gin, while Sonoko watched the entire thing and kept telling them to keep the mood romantic whenever they started talking. Whatever mechanism lurked in Sonoko's mind that made these stories, was both a terrifying and impressive thing indeed.
Still, there was something about the current events that bothered the Hero, lurking at the back of her mind and preventing her from fully enjoying the scene. While she had certainly expected Negi and Fate being strong, standing up to the Vertex, especially to get out without any apparent injuries, took quite a bit of strength, there was something that concerned her. In the battle against the three Vertex yesterday, things had deteriorated very early into the battle, with her and Sonoko taking heavy injuries early on. Yet, Gin's words carried the implications that Negi and Fate had quickly defeated the same monsters. Children wielding amazing powers wasn't a new concept to her, she was one of the three blessed by the Shinju with superhuman abilities, but just what kind of a world did they come from that had people her age with so much strength, and how had they gotten it? Perhaps she could learn more and ask questions when they displayed some magic. Whatever date chosen for it was going to be a long day.
Author's Notes:
Chapter 3 here! I'm not late! I'm still within the 2 week update window I promised at the story's start! That said, I do have some bad news on the note of updates. While I had planned my update schedule in order to give me more time to write stuff, I've kinda had a persistent case of bad insomnia for this last month. It's been weeks since I slept more than 4 hours a night and it's seriously messing with my ability to focus and put out writing on the quality level I'm satisfied with, in part due to a lot of my energy going to managing life and just being so mentally unfocused by the time I can write. I wouldn't want to be putting out content I'm not satisfied with. I'm still getting stuff done, but I didn't manage to get as much done as I'd of liked. Was expecting to have gotten several chapters comfortably done+editing by the time I posted this. I'm gonna still try to keep updates rolling at a similar rate, but lemme just say in advance I'm very sorry if there's any delays on future chapters.