My Eneru ran through the wood, it took a few seconds to reach the forest, but when it did, I felt like my eyes had been opened. My Eneru could only reach out to the third tree from me, but even then, I had full knowledge of every detail within a meter of the trees' furthest branches. I tried remote casting pressure magic from my furthest range, an insignificant breeze made the fall leaves stir, and I couldn't cast anything more powerful from the third tree. From the second tree, I could conjure a decent gale, enough to stop arrows. From the first tree, I could cast almost as if I were in my normal range. Finally, from the cedar, I could cast... better? My Eneru was empowered by the infused wood and only suffered from a small reduction to casting speed.
'So much new information! Now I just need to apply it!'
I felt a presence approach the cedar.
"Who goes there!" I shouted, enhancing my voice with a little pressure.
The presence got closer and I got a clear view of them when they entered my range, They were wearing an academy security guard's outfit.
THUNK!
The tree's door flew open and I found a sword at my abdomen, pointed at Spirit. A limb of wood threw the security guard into a wall, and that wall restrained him.
"You can't pull the same trick on me hunter scum! My tree is my castle, and you don't have a catapult!" My voice was strong, but my real hand was shaking, I had been through this situation before and it left bad memories.
I picked up his wayward sword from the ground to point at him.
"Who sent you!" I was trying to quell my fear, but the sword shook regardless.
"Headmaster Sivor! Unhand me!"
I switched the sword to my recently-finished artificial arm, it had taken way longer than expected.
"That's what the last guy said before he lost his head!" My tone was off and anyone in their right mind would discern my lie.
The security guard continued to struggle until he managed to press a button on his amulet.
"What he says is true." A projection of the headmaster appeared and his voice carried as if it were echoed through a cave.
"How do I know this isn't trickery?"
"You just tampered with the defenses of the school and are under arrest." Headmaster Sivor was dead serious.
'Damnit Spirit! Calling me reckless!'
"I can assure you that I didn't do it." I showed no hint of a lie, surprising both the headmaster and Spirit.
'But you did.'
'No, you did.'
"What do you mean you didn't do it? The exception was for you and someone else." Headmaster Sivor seemed intrigued.
Orin stormed through the door aggressively, he intuitively knew I was in danger from our link but didn't know exactly what was going on, he could only read my mind from a short distance or in my shadow. I felt his presence against my mind and he bared his teeth at the guard.
"You pointed a sword at the little cub and expected to not get bit by the pack?"
The guard was unable to know, but Orin was referring to Spirit, not me.
"Who are you with!? Who threw me into this wall?!" The guard was hysterical.
"Release him, please?" Headmaster looked concerned for the man.
"He looks like he'll kill me if I do that."
"You have your beast, you could easily defeat him, he would be fired. There, three reasons to not attack Ingen, got it, David?"
"Yes, sir." David's restraints loosened, then fell, and he was free. "My sword?"
I handed the humiliated soldier his sword and he left.
"Now, how is it that you didn't intrude on the field but your name ended up on the exception list as well as the user list."
'Damn, dad is good at this, too good, he's ruining my experiments.'
"Spirit did it."
"Who is Spirit." Headmaster Sivor was starting to doubt me even more.
"He's the superior spirit that inhabits my spirit core."
"Hmm, I guess since superiors are unique that is possible... Hey! Janet! Bring me my file on superior spirit core holders!"
"Yes, Arthur!" A muffled voice came from the background, accompanied by a door closing.
"Please come to my office, no matter what you're in trouble for this."
It was a short walk and I picked up Denny on the way there, just to have the whole gang there. A guard met with us but ended up having to ask for backup.
We reached the headmaster's office with a large group of guards, a golem, a nine-year-old, and a towering fox.
"When did my office become a party house? Get the golem out, Orin, you get smaller, and all you guards must leave!"
"Yes sir!" rang out with perfect unison among the guards.
"Denny, stand next to the door in the hallway and don't walk through the wall."
Denny followed my directions, ever since I decided to add "Don't walk through the wall." to the end of all my commands, there have been fewer new holes in the school.
"Now, what is my punishment?"
"Detention, as for Spirit, they will be isolated from you, the same way you went under Eneru suppression when you were under suspicion for cheating."
"What! No! You can't do that! That's not fair!"
"You're right, if I'm being fair, Spirit would be surgically removed and forced to work as a bore for the rest of its lifespan, but I'm not going to do that."
'Spirit! Why are you not helping me!? This can't be fair!'
'I'm sorry, but he's right, think about what I did. I forced my way into a defensive array, altered it to allow you and I access, and then got rid of the evidence. There is nothing I can do, I messed up.'
A red light snapped me out of my conversation, my artificial arm went limp.
My anger very quickly faded and turned to sadness while I started sobbing.
"Why?"
Orin curled up around me and stroked my back with his tail. "It's ok, he'll be back, don't cry."
"Your Eneru and your friend will be returned to you in five days."