The halls in the Sage Raufid Magus Academy were filled with a special suggestion magic. That inherently meant the students were not allowed to challenge the rules set in place by Bertund.
K: (恒定! Constant status – Self!)
If he were ever caught for this he would be punished dearly. Katachi scurried towards the library as quietly as he could. Since the magic restricted him no longer Katachi could move freely in school, but being liberated from its influence also meant that he had to find the library via his own effort. As luck would not have it, Katachi was not made for memory work.
K: (I sort of remember it being up the stairs or something...? I went up, up, left, down, along the corridor and past the female's toilet-... Wait, where is this?)
It surprised no one that Katachi spent at least twenty minutes walking around the school aimlessly, his feet numbed against the icy floor.
*** ***
Halfway through his blind search, Katachi stumbled upon a rather interesting scene. There were two, a boy and a girl, sitting on one of the benches in the halls. They were excessively and unnecessarily conspicuous so he quickly hid behind a pillar, camouflaged by its shadows well.
K: (This shouldn't be possible – The curfew should be in effect! Who are they?)
"This is so romantic! I've never done this before...What if we get found out?"
D: "Shh, hush, we won't get busted. I promise."
He immediately recognized the male's voice.
K: (! Dante! What's he doing out here?)
Katachi peeked around the corner and saw Dante and the girl engrossed in undressing themselves.
K: (They haven't noticed me yet? I'm glad I went barefooted instead of wearing my usual wooden sabots. The chill of the marble floor was worth enduring.)
They were holding some sort of wooden tag that had some Anikan characters shaped like 方針 carved onto it. As they attempted to undress awkwardly they made sure to hold onto their respective tags tight.
K: (I don't know what the words on that tag mean, but it must be responsible for letting them stay out here without being affected by the magic. They're clutching it tightly, so does it block the magic or something?)
D: "Show me that beautiful ass, Sherayal. I wanna see it reflect the moonlight into my eyes."
The girl proceeded to hook the panties with her pinkies and slipped her underwear off.
K: (The Sherayal girl is performing that banal act with Dante? Why would they-... Wait, now is not the time to chastise them or worry. If anything, this is a great opportunity.)
Patiently, Katachi waited for the two of them to drop their guard fully. As they primed themselves to conjoin their respective genitals Katachi finally found a window where they were both looking away in the same direction.
K: (... ! Chance! 固定! Fixate position – Sherayal! Fixate position – Dante!)
A golden word formed on the girl's stomach and Dante's bare back.
K: (Good. They can't move at all.)
He was still skeptical about the power working as intended so Katachi waited for a few seconds to affirm that they were properly immobilized. When that was verified Katachi took the long way about and sneaked up behind them.
They were both facing the same direction, so it was a great blessing they chose to act like hounds in heat instead of having the girl hug and mount Dante like a sloth. Forcing the wooden tags to slip from the girl's hands was easy since she held it with three fingers, but Dante's grip was rather strong so a little more effort was needed to retrieve the tag out of his immobilized hand.
Katachi made sure to avoid their lines of sight and left quietly. He shouldn't be careless, considering that both of them were still perfectly capable of hearing their surroundings, as limited as their visions may be.
K: (You two stay there and repent for what you were about to do.)
The normal reaction would have been arousal, but Katachi had only anger for them. How dare they perform the gift of life, pretending they were responsible enough to raise the child? Was his existence itself not a prime example that showed why the gift of life should not be performed carelessly? And yet the two thoughtless children, though older in physique, showed none of the wisdom he expected.
Katachi retreated back to the same corner and made final preparations.
K: (Anyone can see those words if I just leave them on the stomach and back. I should hide them as well. 固定! Fixate position – Sherayal! Fixate position – Dante!)
The words on both of them faded off and reformed around their ankles where their own garments concealed the sigils. He would handle and dispose of them at a later time during his return from the library.
K: (They can stay there and pose pretty until I'm done. Now, which way is it to the library? It should be somewhere on the second floor, but was it the Intundia or Tinjengel section?)
*** ***
While walking aimlessly, Katachi observed the wooden tags he confiscated.
K: (These strange characters appear to be of an Anikan origin, and I don't understand them at all. If only there was some sort of instructive diction or- Ow!)
Katachi walked right into a wall. Without the suggestion magic to assist him, there was no feasible way to avoid any obstacles including the walls. Katachi felt the urge to undo the Word of Power counteracting the magic, but he quickly regained his restraint to do so.
K: "Aaaergh... Huh?"
Perhaps it was a sign, a call for him to observe his surroundings once more.
K: (I found it. What luck.)
Katachi headed inside with haste and checked that no teachers were on patrol before unwinding from the tension.
K: (Great. It's a bit dark since nobody is expected at this hour, but I will have to make do. Where's the R section?)
*** ***
Katachi retraced the exact same route he took to the library and reached the junction where Dante and the Sherayal girl were. But standing there and observing them with a cold glare was a peculiar figure the three of them least expected. As usual, he was in his green suit with the slime hat and white gloves.
K: (! Bertund? But... It's not even five in the morning!)
B: "I received reports from teachers that their tags went missing. I wouldn't find it surprising if you were behind it, Dante, but I certainly didn't expect your accomplice to be Sherayal."
The principal shook his head. While doing so, the funny slime top hat he wore wobbled along with his head's inertia.
B: "It pains my heart to know that even a marvelous student like you can be swayed by your libido. It is another issue if you did it at an inn or in your own homes, but you two should know clearly the consequences for illicit sexual relations on school grounds."
The look on his face was seriously harrowing and even his oft-whimsical grin turned into a hollowed smirk. It was like watching a powerful sorceror trick his opponents into killing their own men, a dark and triumphant chortle void of all mercy.
B: "Thievery, violation of curfew and illicit sexual activity... That's three strikes in one convenient package."
Bertund's right glove glowed yellow and the slime top hat changed its shape to a viscous pointed hat with a crooked crown. What he did next was simple.
The principal gently patted the magic circles on the left arms of both Dante and Sherayal with his glowing right hand. The magic circles on their arms glowed yellow and faded off to nothingness. Despite the severity of the act Dante and Sherayal froze there, still unable to move.
K: (... Oh, right! The words are still on them. But, in that case, Bertund already knows about my violation as well, doesn't he?)
The words on their ankles wore off silently.
S: "D-D-Dante, look at what you've done! I'm expelled now! You liar, you had better take responsibility for this!!"
D: "Huh? What... What happened? Couldn't I move at all? Was there some time limit to the tokens?"
B: "You two, come with me. Don't lag behind."
Bertund signaled both stude-... Correction, ex-students to his side and stormed off. The two dressed hastily to cover their revealing parts and quickly chased after the principal.
K: (... That was close. But it would be a lie to say I'm in a good position.)
Katachi sighed in relief as the three turned a corner.
K: (That was really cool, though. His hat can actually change its shape like that.)
Perhaps that comeuppance was simply the fates having Dante repent for his misdoings. Katachi rested on a bench and waited for the five-o-clock chime to invalidate his violation. He placed the tags with him on the bench in false pretense that the two left it there accidentally.