Akko Kagari and the Gospel of Aradia
Chapter Four: The Cavendish Manor
"The Cavendish – "Akko began.
"Not here, girl!" snarled Ram. "Wait till we're inside!"
She pulled the piece of paper out of Akko's hand and passed it to Chris, who set fire to it was a lighter. As the message curled into flames and floated to the ground, Akko looked around the moor again. All she could see in every direction was patches of uncultivated landscape; not a hint of anything that would imply an entire manor was built there.
"Where's – "
"Think about what you've just memorized," said Izetta quietly.
Akko thought, and no sooner had she reached the part about the Cavendish Manor, than a giant set of double oak doors shimmered into existence in front of them, followed swiftly by stone walls and crystal windows of a grand castle. Akko looked around and the entire landscape seemed to wobble, as if reality itself was being twisted into a new shape. They were standing in a large front garden with a circular drive, a stone bridge crossing over the expansive moat that suddenly formed around the estate. A massive statue of a unicorn (or at least how people thought Unicorns looked, Akko thought bitterly, remembering her encounter in the second year) made of white marble stood in the center of the garden, its emerald horn glimmering beautifully in the moonlight.
Akko couldn't be blamed for looking so dumbfounded.
"Come on, hurry," growled Ram, prodding Akko in the back.
Akko walked up the stone steps, staring at the newly materialized door. The surface of the oak was etched with a pattern of seven leaves strung together in a circle with words written on each of them in some forgotten language; Akko swear she saw this sigil somewhere before.
Izetta knocked on the door once. Akko heard many loud metallic clicks and what sounded like the clatter of a chain. The door creaked open.
"Get in quickly, Akko," Izetta whispered. "Don't go far inside and don't touch anything.
Akko stepped over the threshold and winced from the brightness of the foyer by comparison of the dark moor they just came in front. She looked over her shoulder and saw the others filing in behind her, Izetta and Shantae carrying her suitcases. Ram and Chris were hanging back on the top step of the stairs, looking around like they were afraid they had been followed. Chris checked something on his phone, nudged Ram's shoulder, then the both of them stepped inside and closed the front doors.
"Here – "
Ram rapped Akko hard over the head with her knuckles; Akko felt as though something hot was trickling down her back this time and knew that the Transparency Spell must have lifted.
"What are you all standing around for?" Ram huffed. "Move it. Knowing them, the meeting's probably already started without us – again."
As they trotted further into the entrance hall, Akko's eyes finally adjusted to the brightness and took a good look around the place. It reminded her a lot of when she first arrived at the Manbavaran Manor last year, but was many times bright and had an overall regal theme compared to the Manbavaran's gothic style. The walls were painted in a symmetrical pattern of whites and golds with elaborate molding that looked like the branches of trees. A grand staircase led to the second level of the manor with an impeccably clean red-and-gold carpet running down the stairs to the front doors. And while the Manbavaran's decorated their entrance hall with musty tapestries and busts of previous family heads, the Cavendish foyer was lined with shimmering suits of armor made from Orichalcum – one of the rarest and most valuable metal in the world – each of them brandishing Mithril swords. Akko always knew that Diana came from a well-off family, but one look around the hall made it apparent just how ancient and wealthy the Cavendish family really was. If she were being honest, she found it a little intimidating.
There were hurried footsteps and Diana Cavendish emerged at the top of the staircase, leaning over the banister looking down at them. She was beaming with joy as she hurried down the stairs three steps at a time toward them. Akko's felt like her head had been caught in her throat. Even after knowing her for four years, Diana was always beautiful every time she saw her.
"Oh, Akko, it's wonderful to see you!" she whispered softly, pulling her into a tight embrace; Akko thought she would've melted on the spot. Diana pulled her back at arm's length with a soft, warming smile gracing her lips. "I've missed you more than you can believe."
"Aw, nice to know my girlfriend missed me," said Akko teasingly, emphasizing that most wonderful word. Diana flushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears as she looked away shyly; embarrassed Diana wads cut, Akko thought.
"As disgustingly sweet as this," Ram cut in, effectively destroying the mood as she spoke to Diana. "Has the meeting already started?"
"Everyone has just arrived," said Diana, instantly switching to a tone of serious urgency. "They're just waiting on you, Izetta, and Mr. Redfield."
The three people mentioned grunted in affirmation as they began filing past Akko and Diana through the door off to the side. The rest of the Akko's guard were yawning and stretching, clearly tired from the long trip, and started making their way up to the second floor, mumbling about catching up on lost sleep. Akko made to follow Izetta's group, but Diana held her back.
"Sorry, Akko, but the meeting is only for the higher-ups. The others are upstairs. We can wait in my room until the meeting is over and then Anna will have dinner prepared for us. Oh, Anna is our maid, by the way. Now come along and keep your voice down in the halls," she added in an urgent whisper.
"Why?"
"Because I'm sure you don't want to run into Aunt Daryl."
Akko made a disgusted groaned noise at the thought.
Akko had only met Diana's despicable aunt Daryl on two occasions and both of them stood out in Akko's memory. Daryl always had a look whenever she saw Akko like she was something undesirable and would rather gargle a gallon of bleach than be in the same room as her. Daryl was a strong believer of blood purity in ancient magical families and viewed anyone born or raised by Humans like Akko to be worth less than mud. And in their third year, Daryl pushed the Magic Council to execute a Qilin named Qing after Diana was injured for upsetting it and it took all of their cunning (and a bit of time traveling) to prevent the sentence from being carried out. Needless to say, Daryl was one of the few people Akko despised more than Amon or the Purifiers.
"Come on, this way, and keep quiet."
Pressing a finger to her lips, Diana led Akko on tiptoes up the grand staircase and down the hall on the left, past an ancient-looking tapestry of a woman standing next to a unicorn. Over a dozen polished doors lined the immaculate hallway on either side. Much like the Manbavaran home, a few portraits were hung up on the walls between the doors, but there were also several podiums holding various artifacts that looked like they belonged in a museum. Akko felt like she could break something just by looking at them.
"Wow, Diana, this place is incredible," Akko said in awe.
"Maybe, but a little ostentatious for my taste," said Diana with a tone of distaste. "Aunt Daryl had the entire estate refurbished when she became Head of House. Can't help flaunting our wealth and heritage to everyone who comes by. My mother would have hated it…."
Diana went quiet after that, slightly misty-eyed. Akko frowned, looking down at the floor. Diana was born to two powerful witches – both of them friends of Akko's mother, Chariot – but Akko didn't need to guess which one she was thinking of. Bernadette Cavendish died when Diana was still young and it had a monumental impact on her upbringing. But what Diana didn't know was that her mother wasn't killed by an unknown illness as she had believed, but was subjected to the Curse of Souls by Amon's followers, leaving her struggling for years until her death. Akko only knew this because she accidentally discovered the Horologium Clock in Professor Holbrooke's office last year and inadvertently traveled back in time. Professor Holbrooke made her swear not to tell Diana the truth, thinking Diana deserved to know it from her other mother, Athena, but it made Akko's stomach churn with guilt.
"I left our friends in my room while I went to fetch you," Diana whispered, shattering Akko's thoughts as they reached the eighth door on the right. "Hopefully they haven't cause too much damage."
Diana turned the bedroom doorknob and held the door open for Akko to enter, even bowing her it like a chivalrous gentleman.
Akko had barely caught a glimpse of the pristine high-ceilinged room that was the size the Kagari's living room when she felt a freezing-cold stream of water pour down on top of her, soaking her to the bone, and a tin bucket fitted itself on Akko's head. Akko could hear a cacophony of laughter through the bucket as she stood there, dripping all over Diana's clean carpet. She didn't need to guess who was responsible.
Diana removed the bucket with her head when Akko didn't do it herself and thankfully dried the Japanese girl with a flick of her wand. She then turned to the group sitting around Diana's king-sized bed, laughing themselves silly at her misfortune. It was the first time in almost a month since she had seen all her friends in one place. Lotte, the freckled, ginger-haired Finnish girl with glasses that somehow made her eyes bigger. Sucy, the palest Filipino in the world who could somehow make herself thinner than the bedpost. Amanda, the wild-styled American who was likely the one who set the trap. Jasminka, the plump and kindly-faced Russian who was constantly eating from her bottomless bucket. Constanze, the silent and brainy German girl who had now built a small army of miniature robots. And Hannah and Barbara, Diana's designated cheer squad and Akko's newest (and most reluctant) friends.
Amanda fell back onto Diana's bed, her eyes in tears from laughing too hard.
"Did – did you see – the look – on – on her face!" she said between breaths. "Priceless!"
"That wasn't funny, O'Neill!" Dian scolded her, throwing the bucket at Amanda, who deftly caught it in the air. "Akko could've been hurt!"
"Relax, Princess, it was only a prank," said Amanda, her laughter slowly dying down. "And if it makes you feel better, that trap was meant for you."
"It doesn't," said Diana bluntly.
"Akko, are you okay!" yelped Lotte, running over to her best friend in concern. "We didn't know you were arriving so soon! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? You must be so mad at us for not responding to your message well! Oh, I know you are! All our messages were useless! We wanted to tell you everything, but the Sphere was afraid that the Magic Council would intercept them like Marianna did! We've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us – Heartless! In Japan! When we heard – and that Council hearing – it's just not right! We've been looking up way to help with your appeal. They can't expel you for using magic in a life-threatening situation – "
"Breath, Lotte!" Akko yelled sharply, grabbing her best friend's shoulders. Lotte goggled her for a moment before she took a deep breath, visibly calming. "It's all right, I'm not mad at you guys. Izetta-obasan explained the whole thing. You had to keep quiet because you were afraid of the Magic Council finding out."
"You're not mad at us?" Lotte repeated, blinking. "I was so sure you'd be upset with us."
"I know I'd be pissed if I was being kept in the dark," Amanda threw in her two cents.
"Oh, believe me, I was angry for a long time, but it makes sense after Izetta-obasan explained it," said Akko. She moved over to the bed with Lotte and Diana; the others making room for them to sit on the edge. "We all saw the way Crawford Seam reacted when we told him Jennifer was back during the Contest of Champions. He doesn't want to admit that he screwed up, so he's going after anyone who knows about Jennifer. People like Ram and anyone else in this 'Celestial Sphere' thing or whatever it's called. I'm not saying that I'm happy about being left alone all by myself for a whole month, but I understand why you did it."
"So you don't hate us?" Lotte asked hesitantly.
"Hate you?" Akko snickered like she had told some humorous joke. "You're all my best friends. There's no way I'd hate you…except for you two," she added, gesturing to Hannah and Barbara. "I still don't like you two."
"The feeling's mutual," Hannah replied with a blank stare.
"Honestly, sometimes I think you are too kind for your own good," Diana scoffed. But she smiled softly, leaning in to give Akko a quick peck on the check; Akko's face heated instantly. "But that's one of the things I love most about you."
Out of the corner of her eye, Akko saw Amanda pretending to gag and Sucy, Hannah, Barbara, and Jasminka snickered behind their hands. Akko fell back on Diana's mattress, which was ridiculously soft; seriously it felt like she was sitting on a literal cloud. At the head of the bed, she saw a worn-out teddy bear with a faded badge on its chest and a clip on its ear like it was trying to be punk. Akko thought it was adorable. She noticed Diana looking between her and the teddy bear and promptly looked away, embarrassed. Akko chuckled; she was sooo teasing Diana later.
"So, what've you guys been doing while I was in lockdown for the summer?" Akko asked. "Have you all been staying here this whole time?"
An almost jarring silence suddenly fell over the bedroom. Akko shot up into a sitting position and looked around, noticing that all of her friends had the same somber expression. Jasminka stopped eating and Constanze set down her tools; Amanda's leg was twitching irritably and the redhead looked like she was about to punch the first person that spoke up. Even Sucy looked more dreadful than usual.
"W-what happened?" Akko stammered fretfully. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No! No, it's – it's not your fault," said Lotte hesitantly. "It's just, well, things haven't been going well for us back home."
"Whaddya mean?" asked Akko, concerned.
"The Magic Council has been attacking our families," Amanda answered sharply.
"WHAT?!" Akko, shrieked in shock. "Why?!"
"Isn't it obvious?" said Sucy dryly. "It's because we're your friends."
"What? But – I didn't – "
"No one blames you for what's happening," Diana stated quickly, gripping Akko's hand firmly in her own. "It's Crawford Seam and his sorry lot that's to blame."
"But – what happened? Is everyone all right?" said Akko quickly. Her mind flashed to the O'Neill family and their butler, Alphonse; to Professor Holbrooke and Anna the store clerk; to Mrs. Manbavaran, her husband Joe, and the twins, Garie and Sabi. If something had happened to them because her….
"It's not as bad as you think," said Lotte in a lighter tone.
"Don't sugarcoat it, Lotte; it's complete shit, especially for you," Amanda snapped harshly before turning to Akko. "You saw what happened in the paper last week? What a load of crap, right?"
"Er…what? What happened?" Akko asked, looking around at them all. They were all regarding her wearily.
"Haven't – haven't you been getting the news?" Barbara asked strangely.
"Yeah…?" said Akko, not understanding what they're implying.
"Have you…been reading it thoroughly?" asked Hannah, one of her brows quirked.
"Well, not cover to cover," said Akko, scratching her head nervously. "If they were going to report anything about Jennifer, it would be front-page news, wouldn't it?"
Several of them groaned in annoyance; Constanze physically palmed herself; Amanda huffed loudly and said, "Well, if you had read it properly, you'd know that Ministry's been dragging Holbrooke's name through the mud nonstop. They even threw your name in a couple times."
"But I haven't seen – "
"Not if you're only reading the front page, you won't," said Diana, shaking her head exasperatedly. "We're not talking about big articles. They've just slipped you in, like you're a standing joke."
"Whaddya – ?"
"It's very nasty, even for me," said Hannah in a whimsical tone. "They're just building on Scaglietti's stuff."
"But she's not writing anymore, is she?"
"Not possible," Lotte answered with a hint of satisfaction. "She's been in prison ever since Professor Crème turned her over to the American government for stealing their cloaking technology. But she laid out the foundation for what they're trying to do now."
"Which is what exactly?"
"Well, after that article about you and Diana, most of the blood purists already hate you because your parents are Human," said Sucy monotonously. "And then there was that whole mess with Andrew Hanbridge and the whole love triangle deal. And it got even worse after she wrote all that stuff about you collapsing all over the place and saying your scars were hurting and all that."
"Yeah, like I could forget," said Akko, vividly remembering the sheer amount of hate mail she got after the article was released.
"Well, now they're writing about you as though you're this deluded, attention-seeking brat," said Sucy. "They keep slipping in snide comments about you. If some far-fetched story appears, they say something like 'a tale worthy of Kagari' and if anyone has a funny accident or anything it's 'pulling a Kagari – '"
"I would feel insulted by that last one if it weren't true," said Akko bluntly, heaving a great sigh. "Yoruichi said the Magic Council was trying to discredit me in case people found out I was the Star-Born Child, but I didn't know they would go that far."
"It explains a lot, actually," said Diana. "Crawford Seam is scared of you. He knows he's never been popular with the general public, so he's trying to defame you before word gets out of who you really are. He wants as many people to think you're just some stupid girls who's a bit of a joke, who loves getting all the attention for herself. They've even built on Scaglietti's angle that you used a love potion to make me attracted to you – "
"But I didn't!" Akko yelled. "I would never do something like that!"
"I know, Akko," said Diana earnestly, giving her another peck to calm her down. "But that's what Crawford and the Council wants everyone to think. They're trying to go after anyone that might pose a threat to them. That's why they've been slandering Professor Holbrooke nonstop."
"Wait…," said Akko slowly, turning to Lotte. "What exactly have they been saying about your granny."
"They…," Lotte said in a small, hesitant voice, gripping her hem of her shirt. "They reported that she'd been voted out of the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of Demi-Humans because she's getting old and losing her grip on reality. But that's just not true! She was voted out by the Magic Council after she made a speech about Jennifer returning. They've demoted her from Chief Magician of the Magical High Court, and they've even taken away her Order of Morgan, First Class."
"My mom said that Crawford is trying to convince everyone that Holbrooke should be removed from Luna Nova, but they haven't made any progress yet," said Amanda.
"Can't your mom do anything about it?" Akko asked her hopefully.
"Not if she wants to lose her job," Amanda answered tonelessly. "Crawford made it very clear that anyone who sides with Holbrooke can clear out their desks. Twenty-nine years working at the Magic Council and she could have it all take away just because the Chairman throws a tantrum. There's also the fact that I'm friends with you, so Crawford's giving her three times as much work these days. Even with stuff that's not in her department. And she can't complain or she'll be fired. It's bullshit!" she snarled, jumping off the bed and kicking the post in anger. Akko had a funny sense of déjà vu watching her jump around on one foot, howling.
"Has…stuff like that been happening to the rest of you?" Akko asked everyone nervously.
"They haven't said anything outright, but the Council implied they'd revoke Ina and Ama's medical licenses if they help anyone associated with Holbrooke," said Sucy, her eye narrowing in a rare show of emotion. "We don't know if they actually have that power, but Ina's scared we might lose the hospital, even though she puts on a brave face."
"Jasminka and Constanze have it just as bad," said Amanda, looking pitifully at her two closest friends, who looked downcast. "Thanks to Scaglietti, everyone already knows Jasminka is a Titan Shift, but the Magic Council likes to keep reminding everyone in the Russian newspapers. Her family's company is facing a financial crisis because they're losing customers by the dozens. And both of Constanze's dads are Human engineers."
"So?" said Akko.
"So, the Magic Council threw out an accusation that they are Purifiers because some of their designs were used in making their Anti-Magic weaponry," said Amanda, snarling. "They don't have any proof, but both of her dads are facing inquiries at work and they took a huge blow to their public reputation."
"That's awful," said Akko sympathetically. She then turned to Diana, Hannah, and Barbara. "What about you three? Has the Magic Council gone after your families, too?"
"The Magic Council doesn't think we're friends – thank the Olde Witches – so they pretty much ignored us," said Barbara coolly. "Not that my mother would've noticed either way. I'm sure you've already met her on the way here, but she's not exactly the…brightest bulb in the bunch."
"And the Cavendish name still holds a significant amount of influence within the magical community," said Diana, flipping her hair in a haughty manner. "It would be social suicide for the Magic Council to attack our family. It's part of the reason why the Celestial Sphere chose our manor to be the central base for their operations. And when it became apparent that the Magic Council was going after our friends, we had to move them here one-by-one in secret. It's the only safe place for them right now."
Akko looked down shamefully, folding her hands in her lap and twiddling her thumbs. A massive boulder of guilt had suddenly formed in the pit of her stomach. She had been so angry about being left alone for a month that she hadn't even considered that her friends were having a hard time as well. And the only reason they were in trouble was because they were associated with her…. Akko's thoughts must have shown on her face because Diana and Lotte both grabbed her hands and offered warm, reassuring smiles.
"None of this is your fault, Akko," said Lotte softly. "None of us blame you."
"Speak for yourself," said Barbara bluntly. Constanze threw a wrench at her head. "OW!"
There was a long pause. And then, hoping to stir the conversation away from this dreary topic, Akko asked, "What is the Celestial Sphere, anyway?"
"It's a secret society, obviously" said Hannah, rolling her eyes. "It was founded by Chariot Du Nord and her friends way back before we were born. It used to be known as Aradia, but given what's happened lately, and because the Magic Council knew what it used to be called, they decided to change it to the Celestial Sphere instead."
"Who's in it?" said Akko.
"Most of the people who stayed loyal in the old group," said Amanda, counting her fingers. "Izetta, Blair, Diana's mom, Ursula, Croix, Ram – Holbrooke, Finnelan, and Elma joined after they rebooted it. You already met some of them while being transported."
"Theresa Apocalypse from Serenity Academy and Team Honnoji from the Contest joined," Diana continued. "John Constantine, Doctor Strange, the BSAA, several members from the Holy Sword, Flame Emperors, and Maple Tree Guilds. We know some heroes from U.A. were asked, but no one responded after All Might's retirement. Batman and several of his partners joined, but they're rarely around – "
"Don't forget about Sucy's girlfriend, Fu," Jasminka added delightfully.
"Shut up…," Sucy mumbled, looking away sharply.
"As far as we know, there are over a hundred members in the Celestial Sphere globally," said Diana. "That's five times the size of the original group, but I suppose having Holbrooke and Ram helped with the recruitment process."
"And what about Jennifer?" asked Akko. "What's happening with her? What's she up to? Where is she? What are we doing to stop her?"
"We don't know," said Lotte honestly. "The Celestial Sphere holds regular meetings about Jennifer, but only the higher-ups know what's going on."
"The higher-ups?" Akko repeated.
"I suppose you could call them the council of the Celestial Sphere," said Diana. "There are sixteen to eighteen of them in total and they keep the most important information to themselves. I suppose they are weary of others after what happened with Amon's coup. Like to keep things close to the vest."
"And who are the higher-ups?" asked Akko.
"Well, we definitely know Professor Ursula's old group is on it," said Amanda thoughtfully. "And I've seen Ram and that Redfield guy attend. I thought I saw Batman come out of a meeting one time. And a couple bunch of men I've never seen before – "
"We've been trying to sneak into their meetings for a while now so find out what they're talking about," said Hannah. "But every time we've come close, they always catch us at the last second. We should've expected nothing less from the best Humans and Demi-Humans on the planet."
"We do know some of the Sphere members have been following people suspected to be Purifiers," Barbara included, "keeping tabs on them, you know."
"Some of them are working on recruiting more people to the Sphere," said Diana. "Maple Tree has been a tremendous help in that regard because their Guild Master is so popular."
"And some of them are standing guard over something," said Lotte. "They're always talking about guard duty."
"Couldn't have been me, could it?" said Akko sarcastically.
"Could've been," said Lotte, humming. "They're always talking about the Magic Council when they do."
"So, if you guys aren't allowed in the meetings," said Akko, looking around again, "then what've you been doing all this time?"
"Ugh, the worst thing you could ever imagine," Amanda groaned dramatically. "Summer homework. Princess over here has been hassling us for weeks to do it."
"If you would stop being lazy and just do it already, I wouldn't have to keep berating you to do it," said Diana, her brow twitching in annoyance. "Honestly, if you put as much effort into your homework as you do in the dance hall, you would alre – AARGH!"
The wall beside the bed exploded without warning. Everyone jumped up and huddled together behind Jasminka, using her as a human shield. As the dust fell away, Sucy's younger twin sisters, Garie and Sabi, appeared through the hole in the wall, both of them wearing hardhats with headlamps while Garie held a sledgehammer over her shoulder and Sabi was looking over a map drawn in crayon.
"I told you we should've hit the south wall!" said Sabi.
"No, you didn't, you're just reading the map upside down!" Garie retorted.
"What – the bloody hell – are you doing!" Diana shouted shrilly.
"Sneaking into the meeting," Garie and Sabi answered in unison like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Through my wall?!"
"Hey, it's not my fault Sabi can't read a map," Garie scoffed.
"A map that you drew," Sabi snapped back. "If anything, this is your fault."
"Theirs is nothing wrong with my map – "
"Oy, you two," said Sucy, who had slid up to her younger sister like a silent shadow. "Stop what you're doing or I'm telling Ina."
In that instant, Garie tossed the sledgehammer back into the hole and Sabi ripped up the crayon map as fast as she could.
Akko cackled. As nice as Mrs. Manbavaran was to her, she was the only person who could scare Sucy and the twins into obedience. Then again, Akko, thought, she is deathly afraid of her own mother, so she understood them a little.
The bedroom door opened not a moment later. Stepping inside was a Japanese girl their age dressed like a punk goth; she had a prosthetic for her right hand made from gleaming-black steel.
"I knew if there was screaming involved, you wouldn't be too far behind, Kagari," said Nico Minoru with a teasing chuckle.
"Nico!" Akko yelped, surprised. "You're here, too?"
"I told you I was being moved overt the summer," said Nico nonchalantly. Turning to Garie and Sabi, she said, "It's a no go with any clairvoyance spells. I've tried nine different words in five different languages, but none of them are getting through. Bet Croix installed some kind of anti-magic field thing or something around the room."
"Aw, man," Sabi whined. "And I wanted to know who that guy in the black coat is?"
"Guy in a black coat?" said Akko quickly.
"Yeah," said Nico, carefully closing the door and leaning against the vanity. "Giving a report. Top secret."
"Who is he?" asked Akko with a bit of urgency.
"No one knows," said Lotte, frowning. "All we could find out was that Croix brought him from Dol Guldur and he was friends with Zeref. None of us have seen his face because he always keeps his hood up."
"I was attacked by a guy in a black coat before the Heartless showed up," Akko said worriedly.
"You don't know if that was the same person," Diana stated calmly. "Those black coats have been worn by dozens of people – both good and bad. It could've been anyone.
"Maybe," said Nico, tilting her head to the ceiling. "But I don't like him. Gives me a bad vibe for some reason."
"You can't judge a person without knowing them," Diana argued.
"I know he went to Dol Guldur," said Nico.
"So did Izetta and Zeref," Amanda countered. "If Professor Croix in the others think he's a good guy, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I did for you."
"You turned half the school against me in a smear campaign because you didn't get picked for the Contest," Nico retorted with a blank stare.
"Oh…right," Amanda muttered, chuckling nervously and looking anywhere but Nico.
Before they could broach the subject any further, a soft knock came from the door before it opened. An elderly woman with graying-brown hair pulled into a bun stepped inside. She cast a cursory glance around the ten teenagers scattered around the room before her thin eyes fell on the twins and the gapping hole in the wall behind them; Garie and Sabi chuckled nervously as they tried – and failed – to cover the hole with their small bodies.
The elderly woman looked up at Diana and asked, "Do I want to know what has happened, Miss Diana?"
"Probably not, Anna," said Diana with a defeated shrug of her shoulders. "Though I would appreciate if you had someone patch the wall before bed tonight."
"As you wish, Miss Diana," said Anna, bowing respectfully. "I wish to inform you that the meeting is over. You and your friends are free to come down to the dining hall for dinner."
"Thank you, Anna," said Diana. "We will be down in a moment."
Anna bowed to Diana once more then closed the door behind her as she left. Amanda jumped to her feet and stretched with an audible groan.
"Well, I think I've had enough conspiracy theories for one night," she said tiredly. "C'mon, I starving."
No one argued; Akko was quite famished herself after several hours of flying from continent to continent.
Nico led the way out the door and down the hall, but before they descended the staircase – "Hold it!" Nico breathed, flinging out her metal arm and accidentally smacking Akko in the gut. "They're still in the hall, we might be able to hear something – "
All of them looked cautiously over the banisters. The foyer was occupied by dozens of men and women, including some of their teachers from Luna Nova. They were whispering excitedly together. Near the front doors Akko saw the billowing cape and lavender hair of Akko's Modern Magic teacher, Professor Croix, talking to a tall man dressed in a black coat. Akko couldn't shake the fact that the coat he was wearing looked exactly like the one worn by the person who attacked him in Japan, but, like Diana said, there were a lot of people wearing similar black coats. Akko wished she had someway of listening in on their conversation.
Unfortunately, no sooner did the thought cross her mind did Croix and the man in the black coat exit through the double doors, along with most of the people in the foyer.
"Dammit," Akko heard Nico whisper, noticing that she had summoned her Staff of One and was holding it like a divine rod with one hand to her ear. "I couldn't hear a thing. Too much chatter."
"He never sticks around for dinner," Lotte told Akko quietly, no doubt knowing what she was thinking. "Always leaves as soon as possible. I think it's for the best. Let's go."
"And don't forget to keep your voice down in the foyer, Akko," Diana whispered.
As they descended the stairs, they saw Izetta, Mr. England, and Mrs. Parker at the front doors, magically sealing its many locks and bolts behind those who had just left.
"The dining hall is this way," Diana whispered at the bottom of the stairs, leading them to one of the side doors. "Just make sure you keep an eye out for Aunt Daryl – "
Ironically enough, when Diana pulled the doors open, the very last person she wanted to see was the first person they met inside.
Daryl Cavendish inherited the same natural beauty that was seemed to pass through all Cavendishes, but it was marred by the nasty sneer on her lips as her narrowed eyes rolled over their group. She seemed to hold all of them in general distaste, but the very instant her gaze fell on Akko, her lips quivered in a silent snarl. Akko couldn't say she was surprised by this reaction given past experiences, but unlike the past two instances where they were in public, Daryl made no effort to hide her loathing for the Japanese girl in private. Akko was almost afraid she would have pulled her wand on Akko if Diana hadn't stepped sideways to get between them, glaring up at her aunt.
"So…," Daryl spoke in a soft, venomous tone. "I see you're still consorting with these social deviants and…" She shot another glance at Akko. "Filthy Half-Breeds."
Akko saw Diana's hand clench at her side, but managed to restrain herself and responded calmly, "Who I 'consort with' is no one's business but my own. And you had best watch what you say, if I were you, Aunt Daryl. Prying ears and all that."
"As if I care for the opinions of criminals," said Daryl, shooting a leer at Izetta, who glared back. "The only reason I even entertained the notion of allowing them to stay in my estate is because 'Sphere' nonsense or whatever has offered up many good connections for the Cavendish family to build off of. I've already been in discussions with that Kiryuin girl about a collaboration between the Cavendish House and her family's company. Something your mother would never have considered."
"That's because my mother had a sense of moral decency," Diana hissed. "Don't get used to your position for much longer, Aunt Daryl, because the moment I come of age, I will undergo the succession ceremony. And when that glorious day comes, you might not be able to stay in my estate for much longer."
That seemed to strike a nerve in Daryl. The current Cavendish matriarch leaned forward into her nose was only inches away from her niece, blasting her with the coldest look she could muster. Akko grabbed ahold of of her wand in her pocket in case Daryl tried attacking.
"Don't be so cocky, Diana," Daryl hissed. "After all, the succession ceremony can be very dangerous. You might have an unfortunate…accident along the way."
"What kind of accident?"
Daryl stood up straight and turned back around, leering at the person who came up behind her. With bouncy, curled purple hair and a curled witch's hat atop her brow, the woman smirked with her hands resting on her hips in a condensing way.
"Please, go on," said Blair challengingly. "I'd love to hear what's on your mind, Daryl."
Surprisingly, the Cavendish matriarch said nothing, only giving Blair a nasty look that nearly rivaled the one for Akko. With a light scoff, Daryl rudely shoved her way through Akko's friend, never apologizing once, and made her way up the stairs where she disappeared down the left corridor.
With an exasperated sigh, Blair, Akko's familiar and guardian, swept the fringes out of her eyes and looked to Akko with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry about her, Akko-Nyan," she said. "It's times like this I remember why Daryl was always my least favorite cousin."
Another thing I hated about the original source was how the main character attacked his friends when they were in no position to do anything. He was right to be angry at the adults for keeping him in the dark, but he had no right to attack his own friends, especially when one of them was dealing with issues in his own family. Akko isn't like that. Sure, she can be angry, but she's also sympathetic to the plight of others like when she went as far to defy the Cavendish family to protect Diana's dream.
And yes, as of this chapter, Blair's full name is confirmed Blair Cavendish.
Next chapter: The Celestial Sphere