Emil

Loud chatters chimed merrily in the background. It was a new day on campus. Emil once again found himself in the cafeteria after finishing his daily set of grueling morning lectures. Anna sat across from him as usual. But joining them for the first time was Ellen.

“Anna, I’ve been wondering! How do you get your hair to be this silky?!” Ellen suddenly asked, her eyes shining with a childlike curiosity. The girl who was shy during their first meeting seemed to have already broken out of her shell after getting acquainted with Anna.

“Eh? I don’t think I do anything special. Just shampoo. Brush. Dry,” Anna mumbled.

“You should come to my dorm later! Teach me! My hair is always so messy, it drives me nuts!” Ellen pleaded as she leaned in close, hands clasped, eyes flickering with a puppy-like expression.

Anna retreated backwards—her face visibly flustered by Ellen’s cute assault. “Y-Yeah? Sure. I don’t mind.”

Note to self—Anna is weak to compliments and being relied on. Emil made the mental observation as he picked at his food. After struggling last night, he decided to make a conscious effort to control his food intake.

The girl talk continued in the background as Emil went over the results of his investigation.

I think I saw something that I shouldn’t have.

A festering corpse, rotting, with distinct signs of being teared apart, hidden in a sketchy alleyway. The victim obviously wasn’t the person that he was originally tailing.

Those injuries didn’t come from a human weapon.

There were large glaring fang marks embedded in the victim’s shoulders and arms. Their torso was mauled by long, deep scratches—presumably from the claws of a beast, or perhaps am Exalted with the ability to shapeshift into something bestial.

And what about the person that I was tailing?

Assuming they kept moving down the alleyway, there was no chance they could have missed the corpse. The rancid stench in the air was unmistakable, and the narrowness of the path ensured that the carcass was visible even under the darkness of the night. Despite that, Emil didn’t hear a single sign of the person. No startled footsteps. No screams. Nothing to acknowledge the horrific sight. Even a seasoned Cleaner like himself had winced at the discovery.

Did they know that the corpse would be there then? Emil frowned. He needed more information. His investigation into the corpse had been cut short. Sentinels had entered the area shortly after, forcing him to leave. He would have to return tonight and—

Plat!

Emil winced. Someone suddenly tapped him on the back of the head. Startled, he immediately rose from his seat, hands raised, ready to defend himself from his assailant.

“What? You want to fight?” It was Anna. Her eyes were furrowed, visibly confused by his reaction. “We’ve been trying to get your attention, but you weren’t responding.”

Oh. Emil realized he was still in the cafeteria. Fuck. Inadvertently, thoughts of the investigation placed him back into the mentality of a Cleaner. He took a deep breath to cool his head and quell his combative instincts before settling back into his chair. Luckily, his overreaction didn’t seem to have draw any attention.

Ellen was staring at him, eyes wide, slightly trembling as she leaned back in her seat. Emil gave her an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, I zoned out. Lack of sleep. Looks like I’m still adjusting to living on campus,” he said, deliberately letting out a yawn before flashing a flippant smile at Anna, “But please, don’t hit me in the back of the head again. It’s my sensitive area.”

“Sensitive area?” Anna asked, raising an eye.

Emil sent back a wink. “Erogenous zone.”

Electricity immediately cackled in Anna’s vicinity. “…Should I report you for sexual harassment or do you prefer getting zapped instead?”

He instantly raised his hands to surrender. Okay, maybe I went overboard there. He had to be careful with his delinquent façade before he seriously turned into a second version of Van.

***

Somehow, he managed to pacify an angry Anna. All it took was surrendering the dessert that he was eagerly awaiting as a post-lunch snack. Emil eyed his sacrificed pudding with dismay before asking, “So, what did you want to tell me?”

“Ellen was wondering if you finished your assignment,” Anna said in between mouthfuls of the creamy pudding.

“…Assignment?” he muttered. Oh, right. The realization struck him like thunder. I had homework. Due this afternoon. He had completely forgotten because of the investigation.

Emil immediately spun towards Anna and put on his best impression of a heart-throbbing debonair. “Anna, is it me or do you look even more charming than usual today?”

Unfortunately, his frivolous behavior only earned him a flick on the forehead.

“First of all, gross. Second of all, you forgot do it, didn’t you?” Anna stared at him like she was looking at a piece of trash.

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Unfazed that his initial attempt was thwarted, Emil reached into his pockets and pushed a silver coin across the table. The implications were obvious.

“By the way, in case you forgot, I’m a former merchant's apprentice. My family owns a merchant company. I’m rich,” she casually said, pretending not to see anything.

Emil immediately slid the coin back into his pocket. He was forced to his last resort—begging. Mimicking Ellen’s earlier gestures, he leaned into Anna with his best pleading gaze. “Anna! Would you please help me?”

“Nope.” He was shot down without hesitation. Anna made no effort to hide the nasty smirk on her face. Dammit! Was I wrong? I thought she was weak to compliments and being relied on! Or did that only apply to cute bubbly girls like Ellen?!

“I-Is that any way to treat a dear friend?”

“A friend? You mean a squirming leech that ruined all my plans to have a fulfilling student life?”

Emil grimaced, exaggeratedly clenching his wounded heart. “I-I see you haven’t gotten over that yet.”

Anna shrugged, smiling in delight. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He ran out of cards to play. Well, whatever. He dropped the frivolous façade. I’ll just have to rush something together and pray that it’s enough to pass. Just as he was about to accept his fate, a surprise heroine appeared at his side.

“Um, Emil? You use my answers as a reference if you like,” Ellen suddenly offered. He turned around, his eyes beaming with gratitude.

“My savior!” he reached out and grabbed Ellen’s hands like a broken man who’s found salvation. She let out a surprised gasp. Hmm? Her tiny fingers were unexpectedly layered in calluses and blemishes.

“Ellen! Don’t spoil him like that!” Anna protested, “How can he learn to do better next time if he doesn’t suffer the consequences of his actions?!”

What are you, my mother? Emil stuck his tongue out at Anna.

Ellen giggled, “It’s fine, it’s fine. We all have our own troubles that we’re dealing with, right? I don’t mind helping out, as long as this doesn’t become a constant thing.”

“Ellen, has anyone ever called you an angel before?” Emil asked.

“No,” she replied with a radiant smile, “You would be the first!”

***

The rest of the day at the Academy passed by like normal. Night soon arrived as the student’s curfews began. Emil put on his night gear, ready to resume his investigations.

Sneaking out of the Academy campus was surprisingly effortless once he understood the patrol schedule of the Sentinels on duty. There weren’t many of them, especially for a vast campus that rivaled the size of Lower Dannan’s industrial district. After he left the perimeter of the boy’s dormitory, it was smooth sailing.

I guess the threat of being caught past curfew probably weeds out most of the delinquents.

As a boarding school, Exalted Academy provided all the facilities needed for a student’s daily needs. There were various stores scattered on campus that offered goods, such as food, toiletry, books, school supplies, amongst other miscellaneous items. Purchasing these goods could only be done using the Academy’s own proprietary currency—credits.

Every month, a set number of credits was allocated to each student. Students can gain more credits with achievements, such as performing well at school events and scoring well on exams.

More credits meant more luxuries. One of the main punishments for being out past curfew was a permanent reduction to the monthly credits that a student was entitled to. For a significant portion of the student body who was raised in a noble household, a reduction to their spending credits was akin to a death sentence.

Of course, students weren’t allowed to bring items in from outside campus nor could they exchange Ardairan currency for credits. This was, in effect, another way for the Academy to enforce control over its student population.

Emil was already beginning to feel the squeeze on his wallet. That damn girl. Anna had guilt-tripped him into treating her and Ellen to some luxurious desserts in exchange for helping him complete his assignment on time. Seeing Anna’s smug grin while she shamelessly swiped his credits clean was heart-breaking.

Whatever, I’ve already decided to eat less to get my weight down. He thought, frowning as he rapidly ascended the closest building in the First Sector. Shutting off all the frivolous thoughts of his academy life, he ran—leaping from rooftop to rooftop of the multi-story buildings in obscured silence.

***

An hour later, Emil was near the area of last night’s investigation. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and pulled open his mask, letting the chilly night breeze swipe away the festering heat beneath his night gear. He was perched atop of the multistory building across from the narrow alleyway.

I don’t see any Sentinels nearby.

Emil dropped down from his perch and entered the alleyway. It was eerily quiet. The moon glowed ominously. As he walked down the path, the rancid stench of rotting flesh soon appeared. The smell, however, was noticeably fainter.

Confused at the discrepancy, he channeled mana into his Azurite pendant. The dim azure light shone on the walls of the alleyway.

The body was gone.

Someone disposed of it. He noted the blots of blood smeared along the walls. And did a rather sloppy job. As he pointed his pendant on the ground, he found a trail of decayed flesh further down the path. The corpse must have been falling apart as it was being transported.

The trail led him to the other end of the meandering path. Emil soon found himself at the boundary of an uninhabited wilderness in the Third Sector. Dark woods loomed before him. There were distinct footprints in the soil, leading to a line of grass that had been freshly trampled over.

This is on the edge of District 7. He noted his surroundings first before venturing forward. Just as he took a step—

A muffled scream. Distant. It came from the woods. Under the stillness of the night, the shrill sound was unmistakable.

Emil broke into a sprint towards the direction of the scream. Someone’s life might be in danger. He brandished the knife hidden on his body as he entered the woods. The forest undergrowth was remarkably dense. He channeled mana, strengthening the blade of the knife as he hacked away at the branches and shrubbery obstructing his path. After some effort, he finally arrived at a clearing.

The first thing he noticed was a black silhouette darting back into the undergrowth at the other side of the clearing. Emil flashed his pendant.

Nothing. He was too slow to catch a glimpse of whatever escaped back into the forest. The sound of his approach must have alerted it.

Wary, Emil stepped out into the clearing. The area was terribly lit. The dense forest canopy allowed only a small vestige of moonlight to leak through.

There was a shovel discarded on the ground. A partially dug hole. A familiar rotting corpse had been dumped beside it. So that’s where the body went. It was in the midst of being buried. But where was the grave digger?

“H-Help…” a garbled voice mumbled close by. Emil spun to his left. A person was lying on their back. His pendant revealed a grisly pool of blood soaking the earth.

Shit. Emil rushed over. The victim had an enormous gash on their neck. A chunk of flesh had been ripped out. Blood was seeping uncontrollably.

It was useless. Before he could even do anything, the victim’s head tilted to the side. Limp. Emil pressed his fingers against their wrist.

No pulse. Dead.

Emil closed his eyes. Suddenly, he was exhausted as if an enormous weight had been pressed on his shoulders.

I was late.

For a moment, he stood there, silently berating himself for being too slow. After the guilt passed, he let out a long sigh to compose himself. The part he detested the most awaited.

He shone the light on the victim’s face.

“…Fuck me.”

His blood ran cold. His heart thundered, threatening to erupt out of his chest. A sickening revulsion gathered at the depths of his stomach. Emil pressed his hand to his mouth, fighting the urge to throw up.

This has to be a sick joke.

The victim had long disheveled hair. A petite and plain face. An unhealthy complexion. A pair of distinct moles beneath their lifeless eyes.

Ellen.

He was staring at Ellen.