After seeing her teach into the night, the group left for the cafeteria for dinner as she returned to her slumber feeling a little tired as she opened her book from her bag. Cater returned with snacks for her and she ate them although she was not hungry. The night grew colder as she pondered about the cultural festival in the school and everyone had finally returned to their dorm as she remained by the fireplace. Cater watched her stare at her books in silence. He knows that Riddle tasked him with making sure that she didn't faint again, but it really was difficult when that person had threatened them when he only expressed his suspicions.
All he did was express it, not act upon it. As he thought this, he couldn't help but inwardly sighed. However, it was clear that she did not threaten him again since then so he wasn't sure on what to do either. He could bring up conversation regarding alchemy, but he wasn't as well-versed in that. He could just not talk to her...
But, if he doesn't know her current situation, what would happen if something happened later? Riddle would kick up a fuss if he learned that he didn't talk with her over her current state. Trey knew he isn't willing to talk with her, but he still left him to do this.
"Isn't that a little cold?" Cater sighed in disappointment.
"Hm? Not really?"
"Wah!" Cater jumped in surprise at the sound of her words, "Ah- Oh, well, I see..."
Lotus tilted her head in confusion before turning back to her books by the fire.
Seeing this, curiosity finally won him over as he glanced over curiously. For once, he was sort of thankful for having taken that weird stuff that had polluted their waters and glanced at the papers. From seeing this, he saw that the pages were covered with alchemy methods and pill recipes. At the sight of this, he was surprised to see that she was reading this rather casually and recalled how she took a break from tutoring shortly after he had withdrew from using his unique magic. Could it have been to spend more time on these books again?
He couldn't help but wonder if he was actually taking things seriously or not. If not, he would be making an enemy out of these freshmen by the time of the festival. He continued to watch her focus in her reading as the book continued to touch up on some unfamiliar looking plants or familiar ones. He recalled try having tried to follow one of these methods before using their own methods in alchemy for potions and he managed to extract the flesh of a some succulents and flowers compared to the previous methods. The only problem is when he tried to make a pill that it just wasn't successful. The container he used would either blow up or the things would remain a liquid.
After talking about it, they realized that something like this still required a more delicate touch with magic as if they were using their own hands to mold the pill. Looking the books over, they've learned the control of mana between a cultivator and a magician is very different. Cultivators do not use creativity or the mana from their surroundings to use their magic. Rather, their skills aren't really like magic. All of this is done through either martial arts or the manifestation of mana into the types of elements.
Seeing her studiously studying something she has no ability to achieve yet still manage to achieve something, it makes him wonder if her efforts in the end would become fruitful or not, especially since she has no magic. Would it all be worth it in the end?
Thinking this, he shook his head seeing that she was so focused that she didn't notice him just over her shoulders. Speaking of which, he was rather surprised that her frame was so small. It reminded him of Epel's feminine appearance, but hers wasn't frail, which was unusual. Could it have to be due to a petite gene? She did say that she was adopted and she came from a nomadic background before then, so there was no way to be sure.
Surprised by this thought, he quickly shook his head and turned away seemingly rather embarrassed. He doesn't even think this way around his sisters or Epel before either, so why in the world is he thinking this now?!
With this, he quickly turned around and cleaned up the table swiftly before rushing out the room!
.....
A week quickly passed as Lotus remained in the dorm. Due to heavy snow and rain, she was unable to leave and often had to remain in the lounge as the days grew colder. Throughout the days, Yuu and Grim often came by to check in on her and even went as far as to bring the nurse and headmaster, whom both were shocked to find her so frail from the cold, since she was becoming too weak to take part in classes. In all honesty, it was because she had no access to her pills in her room and only managed to do so after the siblings realized that she had gone missing for over a week and overheard Grim and Yuu's concern for her. The nurse couldn't find anything after a detailed investigation which worried her teachers for a while. However, once the weather began to warm up, she could finally start attending classes again and return to Ramshackle dorm.
Seeing that the teachers were this concerned with her was really surprising and touched her. They really didn't have to come and see her as long as the headmaster or the nurse explained to them of the situation. They can even send her back home to seek more professional help than to bring them to school. Perhaps it was due to the fact that it was cold outside that she can't leave without warmth. Well, perhaps, it didn't matter at all.
However, the moment she entered the dorm, she was met with a familiar and surprising figure.
"Bonjour, Prefect and Grim!" Rook called out with a wide smile, "I'm looking forward to staying here for the next four weeks. I'm counting on you to take care of us."
"Rook-senpai?" Lotus spoke up curiously before she sensed something and raised a brow, "Welcome. Although I'm a bit confused on what you mean..."
"Right there was something I haven't told you about." Yuu said with a sigh, "I forgot to tell you about it when I went to pick you up with Grim."
"Oh?" Lotus looked to him with a look of confusion, "Is it important? Maybe something to do with the VDC that our friends got accepted into?"
"Well, that's it." Yuu responded with a nod and a smile, "Sorry for not letting you know ahead of time."
"This is all for tuna cans. We just have to deal with it, y'know." Grim added with a wide smile.
"You will forever be a glutton..." Lotus shook her head with a small sigh, "Don't think I won't control your portions just because you got the funds for your treats."
"Fgna?!" Grim cried out in horror when he heard this.
She had heard that there had been an offer for 5 million madols as long as the group passed the application process and reach the finals in the VDC. She wasn't surprised to find the group inside their dorms with their luggage. With just one glance and she can tell that they are here to train for the event. However, she was still a little hesitant about this despite having already predicted this when he heard that Yuu and Grim would be taking part in this tryout application process.
"All right, all right. They'll be staying here for the next four weeks." Yuu broke up the conversation with a wide smile.
Lotus frowned but seeing that it was some familiar faces, she decided to let it go for the time being. Seeing that she was not against this, Yuu was also relieved as well. He knew the fault was his this time as he did not tell her about this plan since he was also shocked to receive this sudden notice out of the blue by the headmaster. He turned to the group and smiled, "Welcome, come in."
Lotus huffed quietly in exasperation as she watched them trickle in slowly, "Thus, the curtain rises on the training camp."
"Oh my, it's nicer in here than I thought."
Hearing this, Lotus froze and furrowed her brow as she noticed two familiar figures in purple enter the dorm.
"Pardon the intrusion." Epel called out softly.
"Hm? Aren't you..." Lotus frowned in dismay as her eyes left the young boy onto the tall and familiar yet irritating figure before her.
"The guy/potato that ran into me!!"
Hearing the two say that in unison, Rook looked between the two guys and could already feel the tension rising in the air as he frowned hesitantly while muttering under his breath, "Oh no..."