Three days later, in the evening, in one of the workshops…

Straf finishes engraving channels within a small metal tube. He sets down his screwdriver-like magic tool, and examines it closer. It flares outward at one end, and its appearance is strikingly like a flashlight, sans any glass or the lightbulb. He peers inside, turning its open flared end towards the light of the lamp hovering above his cluttered workbench filled with little hammers, chisels, forceps, tongs and many tools of similar purpose. A rainbow assortment of gems sits in a neat pile within arm's reach, too.

「Tsk… Well this works, but…」

He lowers the tube with a dissatisfied grimace. Straf plucks a random gem from the pile, inserts it into the narrower end of the tube, then twists its bottom half.

The tube lights up. While its rear merely glows a little, its flared front shines a bright blue light which flares out at roughly the angle of its physical shape. Straf plays around with it for a few seconds, pointing its bright beam at one end of the dark room, then another, though his slanted mouth remains unimpressed by the magic device.

「It's basically a flashlight… But inscribing its interior was a pain in the ass. There has to be a better way…」

He sighs out, twisting its bottom again. The magic flashlight goes dark, and he pulls its gem out, setting it aside. Straf takes the screwdriver-like tool into his hand again, and points it inside.

「Is it going to do something different if the beam is more focused?…」

He mumbles to himself, scraping another channel out.

「…There has to be a better way. Maybe an exterior control box?」

Straf utters out again, and blows debris and detritus out from the inside. He places the gem back in, and turns the flashlight on. Its beam is twice as bright, but only approximately half its previous width.

「Ah. Now it's real bright- Is that smoke?…」

His brows furrow when he sees something wispy rise chaotically above the beam on the wall. He points it at a nearby two-seat desk.

「Yeah, that's definitely smoke… What happened?-」

Tzzt…

Straf's head perks up when he sees the wooden desk start smoking, as if it were about to burst into flames. The gem within the flashlight makes a soft crackle, and the beam abruptly disappears.

「Ah. Already?… Tsk…」

He pulls the gem out, and holds it up against the light of the magic lamp hovering above. The blue gem is dull, scattering the light instead of diverting it inward like a charged one.

「Why is it smoking?… Ah.」

He asks himself, peering into the flashlight once more.

「…'Cause I got lazy with that one. So length and depth matters?… What if I completely fuck up the frequency?…」

Straf briefly rubs his chin, and taps the flashlight against his free hand as he inquisitively looks at it. He grabs his tool again, and starts scraping its interior again.

After a brief moment, he places a new gem in, and twists his device back on. Its beam is now narrowly focused. Bright sparks shoot away at a conical angle in the general direction of where the light is pointing towards. Straf points the flashlight at a nearby wall, and it is very obviously smoking, despite being made of the large pale bricks, the Academy's main building material.

「Heh. Cool.」

Tzzt.

Straf has mere seconds to appreciate the light's power, and his slanted mouth shortly twists into a mildly amused smirk. The gem lets out another crackle, much louder this time, and much sooner.

「Fuck… These gems really don't have a lot of mana, huh? Tsk…」

With one hand in his pocket, he lifts the dark and powerless magic flashlight up, examining it again. His eyes drift to the beam's last point, and his brows rise when he notices a hole bored into the solid stone.

「…Wait, it actually burned a hole in?」

He turns his gaze to the previous point on the wall, and notices another indent, albeit much more shallow. The desk he pointed the light at has visible scorch marks that he glossed over previously.

「Huh…」

Straf utters out as his flashlight arm drops limp by his side while he ponders the holes in the wall. He glances at his flashlight again, then looks outside the window.

「Already this dark?… Lia will get worried again… Well, whatever… Maybe I'll pick this back up tomorrow.」

He throws everything of use and even moderate value back into his [Portable Storage], leaving only the tools and the magic lamp.

「…An exterior control box should work, theoretically… It'll just alter the frequency a little…」

He idly mumbles to himself as he heads for the door, eyes aimlessly directed upward. Straf opens the door, and exits into the dimly-lit corridor, heading in the general direction of the dormitory.

「Straf!… Straf!… Wait up, I said!」

A familiar woman's voice calls out from the distance down the hallway behind him. No longer being able to pretend he can't hear her, he lets out a frustrated sigh, and turns around.

「There you are… You really should tell people where you are going to spend most of your time during the day.」

Professor Aria says with her mouth heavily scrunched to the side. She lifts the brim of her hat up with one hand, and rests her other hand in a fist on her hip.

「…Why?」

「So people can find you if there's an emergency… Good grief. Why do I even have to explain this to you?…」

She lets out an exasperated sigh in response to Straf's completely nonchalant question, and looks back into his eyes with a serious expression.

「What do you want?」

Straf asks, rolling his eyes.

「It's not about what I want… The headmaster wants to see you-」

「Oh fuuuck ooofff…」

With a disgruntled groan, he rolls his head away along with his eyes.

「No going「fuck off」when it's important!」

Aria leans in, angrily chiding him.

「Tsk…」

「And don't click your tongue at me!」

「Ooookaaay… Mom.」

Straf replies with his mouth heavily scrunched to the side. Her eyes snap open, the brim of her hat wobbles when her head perks up, and a light blush appears on her beauty-marked face.

「Mo-!? Hmpf.」

With her arms crossed, she lets out an angry huff, turning her eyes away from Straf.

「So what's this about?… The fucked up ceiling?… Or the floor, depending on whether you fell through the hole or not?」

He asks, briefly throwing his hand up before he returns it back to his pocket.

「Among others!… But that is a trifle compared to what has happened.」

Aria exclaims, and turns her serious gaze back to Straf, though hints of her blush remain on her cheeks.

「…Can't he send me a fucking letter? That asshole in demonology can get one, why can't I?」

He asks, pointing his hand in the general direction of the demonology study past Aria.

「Because Professor Arkeis is quirky… The headmaster is willing to humor him, because there just aren't many demonologists around, especially ones with his experience… And it's not a matter for a letter.」

She shrugs her bare shoulders, tapping her gloved finger on her arm.

「Quirky? It's like you'll use any word, except prick to describe him… What is it, then?」

Straf lets out a frustrated sigh again, and briefly spreads his hands.

「He will tell you when you see him. It's silent here right now, and I don't want to risk anyone overhearing… It's that kind of information.」

Aria replies in a serious tone, glancing over her shoulder before turning her serious face back to Straf.

「Can you tell me what happened anyway, or do I have to suffer through another old man's exposition?」

「No. Go see the headmaster first thing in the morning… There will be another mandatory announcement, but you and your bunch don't have to attend, provided that you relay to them what he'll tell you.」

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

「…Your bunch?」

Straf asks, furrowing his brows as he raises them.

「Ms. Lia, and others. You very well know who. Also, he wants you to check on Professor Arkeis and other relatively isolated professors from here on out.」

The big-hatted professor replies, staring into his tired eyes. He lets out another large sigh, briefly throwing his hands up before returning them back to his pockets.

「Anything else?」

He asks with a frustrated voice, heavily scrunching his mouth into a tight-lipped grimace.

「I suppose what I can tell you is… Whoever is behind it has finally shown their hand. That's all. Do not delay, I mean it.」

Professor Aria says, and walks past him.

A few moments later, she feels an eerie presence behind herself, and realizes her footsteps are doubled. Her sharp gaze snaps over her shoulder.

「S- Straf!? Why are you following me!? I don't need an escort!」

She exclaims exasperated as Straf is right behind her, looking at her with a tight-lipped grimace on his face.

「What do you mean following you? I'm going the same way. Do you think I'll wait for you to say something that sounds ominous, and then just watch you leave?」

Straf casually replies as he walks just a little behind her, right at her side. Her lips purse a little into a bashful frown as she turns her face away from him.

「Hmpf… Very well, I suppose we can return together…」

Aria huffs out of her nose, powerwalking away while Straf nonchalantly matches her pace…

…

The next morning, in Cycelia's room…

「Are you going now?…」

Cycelia asks as she's slipping her boots on, watching Straf approach the door.

「Yup. I'll let you know what it is afterwards… I'll go look for you in the cafeteria, so don't bother heading for the announcement.」

He nods, looking at her over his shoulder, and opens the door.

Crrrrreaaaak…

「Okay… We'll be waiting.」

Crrrreak.

Cycelia nods back, and Straf closes the door behind him. He places his hand in his pockets, and heads for the stairs. While on the way up, he encounters the same student that always got in the way.

They stare at each other, and the student takes the moment of Straf's idleness to slip by downward.

「…Wait the fuck up!」「Eep!」

The student lets out a terrified squeal when he grabs his blazer and pulls him closer. Straf squints at him with eyes full of suspicion.

「I just realized… What the fuck are you doing in the girls' dormitories, twerp? You keep getting in my way since the beginning, you little shit!」

He exclaims, forcefully tugging at the young man's collar. The student's face flushes pale, and he bites his lip into an extremely nervous expression.

「Are you stealing panties!? Is that it!? You perverted fuck!-」

「Nooo! That's not it!」

The student shakes his head and waves his arms in strong denial.

「What is it then, huh!? Explain yourself! Go on!」

「Please don't tell anyone!…」

「That you're a panty-thieving fuck!? Fat chance!-」

Straf scoffs, looking at the young man with a disdainful smirk verging on disgust.

「That I have a girlfriend!…」

The student shouts, covering his face with his hands.

「What!?」

Straf's head jumps back in shock, and his arm goes limp, setting the student down from his tiptoes onto his feet.

「…What the fuck? You're bullshitting-」

「No! I'm telling the truth!… Please don't tell anyone! It's not explicitly forbidden, but they frown on boys staying in girls' rooms overnight!」

The student explains, pleadingly holding his hands out.

「What?…」

Straf's arm drops completely limp, and seems to lose its energy, as well as its grip on the blazer.

「A fucking twerp like you?… She must be ugly.」

「No! She's completely out of my league!」

「You're rich-」

「No!」

「She's desperate-」

「No! She's turned down others!…」

The student shouts, and Straf stares at with a light grin at the completely unassuming student's face, although he is not amused in the slightest.

「Straf?… Has something happened?」

Cycelia asks as she approaches him from behind, holding a tome under her arm.

「No… I'm just experiencing a peculiar existential terror. Go on, Lia… I'll see you later.」「Huh?」

Straf glances at her over his shoulder, shoves the student aside, and heads upstairs while shaking his head…

…

A few moments later, in the headmaster's office…

Straf enters, once again not bothering to knock. Corvus turns his eyes to him, visibly not occupied by anything else but waiting for him.

「Straf… Come on in.」

The headmaster nods his head, and points his hand at the chair across. His tone is very grim and devoid of his usual cheerful energy.

「In 50 words or less, pique my interest.」

Straf says, pointing at the old mage as he stands in front of his desk.

「…Yesterday, we have found three corpses drained of blood.」

He says, looking at him with a serious face, fingers interlocked.

「…Wow, you did it. Okay, give me the rundown.」

Straf pulls the visitor's chair out, sits down, and puts his boots down on the headmaster's desk, crossing his arms while he lightly nods his head in approval.

「All of them were simple workers. There is no connection between them, other than the fact they worked outside, and their shifts were at night. It seems they were murdered shortly after the wraith was dealt with…」

Corvus explains, and begins brushing his mustache, visibly deeply troubled as he blankly stares at his desk.

「…Two of them were gardeners, and the other one… Well, he maintained and cleaned the fountains, as well as the paths… They were poorly hidden. Almost as if in a rush.」

He continues, turning his concerned eyes to Straf's mildly intrigued face.

「So, it's a vampire, right?」

Straf asks, spreading his hands. Corvus nods almost instantly.

「…I cannot think of it being anything else, unless we are being mislead.」

The headmaster sighs and replies, shrugging his robed shoulders.

「Lily?… Nah, she wouldn't do that…」

Rubbing his chin as he looks upwards, Straf mumbles to himself.

「Sorry, what was that?」

「Nothing. What else? Where were they?」

Straf shrugs, crossing his arms once more.

「Mostly in the foliage. Bushes around the inner perimeter, right by the wall on the western side. The fountainman was mostly towards the rear of the auxiliary building…」

Corvus says, and brushes through his beard. He stands up, and climbs up the stairs to the window in a hurried pace, looking down at the dueling grounds.

「I am sure Professor Aria has already told you, but I am concerned about Professor Arkeis and others. I was very reluctant to let her go alone to search for you, but it turned out well…」

The headmaster glances at Straf over his shoulder, and turns his eyes back to a particular spot below.

「…Despite his written wishes to never have you come back to demonology ever again, I am afraid you are the only one who can provide relative safety for him, as well as everyone else.」

The old mage says, and slowly descends back to his seat.

「So, I'm on old men's babysitting duty?」

Straf asks, and Corvus lets out a single amused huff, faintly smiling before his face turns gravely serious once more.

「You can think of it like that. Can I have the list of students and professors back? I will mark you the professors I want you to keep an eye out on especially.」

He asks, spreading his wrinkly hands. Straf clicks his tongue and sighs, but then a purple vortex appears next to him. He sticks his arm in, and pulls a folded paper out. He glances at its contents, slides it to him.

Corvus takes a moment to underline a selection of names, and write down an addendum. He returns the modified list, and Straf gives it a cursory read before flinging it back in.

「There is also something else I'd like to bring up… Straf, please stop destroying the Academy.」

The old man says, and lets out a frustrated sigh with his hands hopelessly splayed. Straf rolls his eyes, remaining silent.

「I know, it may seem like the damage is meaningless because it is fixed so quick, but we burn through a staggering amount of mana potions to keep the building well-maintained.」

「Look, I was trying things, okay?…」

「I am not upset at you at all, I fully understand… I just want you to keep our pains in mind. Do not break anything, unless there is no other choice. Please.」

Corvus sighs again, and a brief silence begins as the two maintain a prolonged eye contact.

「Straf… I have another request of you. Needless to say, it's extremely dangerous, but you are the only one I can ask this of without it being sending you to a certain death…」

The headmaster leans in, resting his mouth on his interlocked fingers as he intensely stares at Straf's face. He looks back at him bearing a tight-lipped grimace with his mouth's corners scrunched.

「…Please patrol the Academy every night in search of the perpetrator. Please notify the queen and her friends. Tell them to immediately and indefinitely suspend their nightly wandering.」

Corvus says, and lets out a large sigh as he leans back, furrowing his bushy brows deep in thought. Straf shrugs, and gets up, turning for the exit while the headmaster watches him leave.

「…Kind of weird how an undead vampire can maintain a life-linked barrier, huh?」

With his hand on the door handle, Straf asks, looking over his shoulder at the old man's troubled face. Corvus nods in silence, fidgeting nervously with his wrinkly hands.

「See? I can figure shit out on my own. I don't need an hour-long exposition…」

Straf spreads his free hand aside, and opens the door, shaking his head as he leaves…