CHAPTER XVIII (18)- Disciplined

Basil slept like the dead in the opposite bed, motionless save for the occasional snores and grunts. Kizu marveled at how the creature could still produce noises without possessing any apparent lungs. His bones, visible through his translucent skin, bent like they were made of soft clay.

Just when Kizu began to finally nod off himself, there was a knock at their door. He opened it groggily to find a nervous looking first year with a face full of quills. Surprisingly, he recognized her. Evie, from Combat F.

“Kaga Kizu?” she asked quietly.

“You know I am. What are you doing here, Evie? How did you get into the third year boys’ dormitory? You could get in massive trouble if they find you here.”

“Th-the headmaster’s administrator sent me. She would like a word with you.”

“Oh.” Kizu rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Yes, that’s right. Can you lead me there? I misplaced my scrying orb.”

She nodded and started walking away with one last nervous look over her shoulder at him. Nobody in the common room questioned Evie as she escorted him out of the dorms. He imagined they must have satisfied their curiosity when she first arrived. He did, however, notice one of the third years jeering smugly as he was escorted away. It was the same student he had punched on his first day. Kizu gave him a little wave.

Kizu tried to ask Evie questions as they walked, but she only gave little squeaks as responses. Even his earring couldn’t translate those.

They arrived in front of a massive clock that ticked at the end of a hallway. Evie pressed her gloved hand against the 6 and it opened into a door. Kizu followed after her.

Two separate staircases spiraled up and down on either side of them, but they followed neither one, instead opting to move straight forward to another, more plain doorway. Evie knocked on it softly.

“Enter.”

Evie opened the door a crack and poked her head in.

“Administrator,” she said. “Kaga Kizu is here.”

“Well done. Send him in, Evie. Classes will be starting soon, so hurry along.”

Evie stood aside, looking relieved.

Kizu stepped past her into the room. The walls appeared to be made entirely of aquarium glass, with fish swimming on the other side. In just half a dozen paces, it looked as if he had been transported to the bottom of the sea. A shark passed by one window, eyeing him as he walked by. Kizu considered what enchantments they must have used to keep the glass from shattering. Or, perhaps, what illusions they had placed on the walls to create the effect. It looked so visceral and lifelike.

The room itself was neatly organized with a desk setup as the centerpiece. At the desk, an elderly woman sat, looking displeased. In front of her, the human constable sat at a chair with an empty seat beside him.

“Sit down, Kaga,” the hag said to him, directing him to the vacant seat. As he did, he recognized her. She was the same old lady that had been in charge of disposing of the blood samples.

“You’re the headmaster?” he asked.

“Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped. “The headmaster has far more important duties to attend to. However, I act with his authority.”

“More important duties than an open investigation on your academy students destroying constable property?” the constable said.

“I just said as much, did I not? And this was the student, correct?”

The constable glanced at him with his jaw clenched. His face was beet red, though Kizu didn’t know whether it was from embarrassment or anger. “Yes. Undoubtedly.”

And this was the calmer constable, Kizu thought to himself.

“And, why was his arrest not reported to the academy immediately?”

“He refused to give us his name. There was nothing to go off of.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“And yet, lo and behold, you’ve found him now without knowing his name. What excellent luck. Unfortunate that you couldn’t accomplish that a few hours earlier.”

The constable spluttered incoherently.

“Now Kaga, why don’t you explain yourself? I’ve heard my fill of this man’s blathering about a student breaking into one of the villas in the middle of the night. Is this a true story?”

“Yes, but-”

“And then he says that this student melted down the bars of the cell he was being kept in. True?”

“Yes, but-”

“And then knocked out his compatriot using magic and escaped the constable’s authority. True?”

“No!” Though, he didn’t add that he probably would have if the need had arisen and he’d had the means to do it.

“Ah, at last we arrive at a fork in the road. Curious indeed. Why admit to so much, but not this final act? Very well, Kaga, tell us your side of the story.”

Kizu launched into his story, freely admitting that he broke curfew, but not lingering on his motivation to locate his sister, instead just saying that his bond with his familiar often kept him awake at night. The last thing he wanted at the moment was to bring up his expelled sister and bring up his association with another troubled student. He wanted to distance him from the subject of expulsion as much as possible. But everything else he covered in full. Getting booted out of his family’s villa, being imprisoned because of his brother’s false claim, and pleading his case over and over again to both constables, until finally escaping.

“So,” the old woman said, “Let’s see if I understand this correctly. The constables are not only completely inept in matters of interrogation and investigation, but in addition to that, their security is easily thwarted by a first year who’s only just started attending classes. Is this an accurate assessment, Constable Kimura?”

The constable looked around the room as if counting the physical escape routes out. “But, even if the younger Kaga lied during an active investigation, that doesn’t explain why the Kaga villa booted him out as a trespasser. If he’s not some imposter, then he should be able to come and go from it without issue.”

“The Kaga family has had some drama in their household over the past few years,” the administrator said dismissively. “Kaga Anna ended her time at the academy prematurely. Her family decided to disown her as a result. As such, they would have set up new defense measures. As Mr. Kaga Kizu was presumed dead at the time, his inclusion in the new wards was likely overlooked. All of that information could have been easily found in the course of a proper investigation.”

“Fine then,” Constable Kimura said. “I can still prosecute him for destruction of government property. And the younger Kaga, too, for impeding an active investigation.”

“Are you certain this is a road you wish to go down?” the administrator asked coolly.

The constable fidgetted. Then he stood up, not meeting either of their eyes. “Very well. I’ll entrust their punishment to the Shinzou Academy and its headmaster.”

The old lady leaned back in her chair and allowed herself a slight, pleased, smile.

“Very well. We will of course compensate your department for the damaged property.” The administrator threw the offer of compensation to him like a monkey tossing aside a fruit pit.

After the constable left, the lady steepled her fingers in front of her. “Now Mr. Kaga, what am I to do with you?”

“Send me back to class?” he suggested.

She shuffled some papers on her desk. “Enchanting C, Astronomy E, and Music F today. All in all, you’re a very underwhelming student, ranking as one of the overall lowest in the academy.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but she silenced him with a look.

“Excuses are not becoming of a man, Mr. Kaga. Instead of looking to your past for an out, accept what you are now and look forward to what you could be.”

“And what could I be?”

The old lady actually rolled her eyes at him. “You’re human, aren’t you? You’re nothing but potential wrapped in skin. Decide what you want for yourself.”

Kizu watched the shark outside the room’s window. It prowled about, opening its mouth to bare its pointed teeth. Small fish swam away in every direction, but he noticed the smallest fish sticking near the shark. They appeared so small as to be insignificant nutrition. Scavengers, feeding off the strength of others.

“Could you teach me?”

“You mean could I add to my already overflowing schedule for the sake of a single troublemaker with almost no skill to speak of?” The old woman leaned forward. Then she smiled again, showing her teeth like a predator. “Of course.”

Her tone didn’t sound sarcastic, but the structure of her acceptance seemed that way. He hesitated, trying to figure out how to go forward.

“I can help you with your schedule,” he offered. “Run errands and things.”

“I’d expect no less from my assistant. You’ll be taking over the disposal of blood samples every week, for a start. It hurts my back.”

That seemed like a very easy trade.

“In return, I will review and advise you on your studies at the end of every week. Expect less time to yourself on the weekends. My tutelage will be grueling. Some might even call this academic detention and a punishment for your actions.”

He grinned and nodded.

“Very well then, I expect to see you here in this office tomorrow after lunch to summarize your education so far. Any questions about our arrangement?”

“Just one,” he said. “Um. What’s your name?”

She barked a laugh. “Refer to me as Roba. Now, unless you have any other pleasantries you should have already exchanged, you need to attend the last bit of your Enchanting C class. Off with you, Kaga.”