The night of that day, Hresha was in her personal tent. As she was lying on the bed she made herself which should be the comfiest and doesn't lose out to the headmaster in that trait, she was in the least comfortable on the contrary.
'I messed up, I messed up, I messed up...'
Like a chant, she kept repeating in her head. She was in total stupor at what just happened that day. No matter how impossible it had seemed, she couldn't deny it. On that day, the pompous Hresha learned on critical life lesson... don't trust strangers.
She felt like a child for having learned that again right now. Curiosity killed that cat and Hresha never felt like a cat before more than that night.
Under her thick blanket, which should have been to fight the cold, Hresha was bathing in her sweat. When the sun settled down, she was in this state ever since. Fortunately for her, the rollcalls are only required for students and Academy Elite such as her is not considered a student.
If anyone saw her like that, not only would her pride will be put to risk, no, she doesn't care about that, what she feared was spoiling the beans accidentally or not. She doesn't trust herself that she will not give in to the interrogation of the respectable headmaster if that ever happened.
Although Hresha has no idea how strong that little monster was, whether if he's stronger than the respected Headmaster Hilbert, who is known as the Breath of the Blade.
'With me here, the headmaster's strength will extremely increase. No matter how many times he destroys his blades, I can support him by making in the background...'
She thought and that was when she realized something. Hresha sprang up from her bed with widened eyes.
"Des that mean the headmaster brought me because-!"
Hresha's words were disrupted when she heard something shuffling outside of her tent. With a roll of her eyes, she could see a shadow of a small silhouette. This silhouette was missing its left arm.
"Gulp..."
There was no need to guess who it was. The man- no, the boy outside did not move. Although she was not instructed or threatened, Hresha immediately moved, fearing that any later and she would be in danger.
She was about to go out but she suddenly felt the cold bite her. She looked down and it looked like she just took a bath with her clothes on.
'I was under the blanket the whole time that I didn't think of the cold!'
Except for their imaginative powers, Imagis are like any other humans. They get cold, they get hot, they get sick, and they die if stabbed... that is if they will let others stab them.
Unless they get knowledge about bioengineering which they can use their powers to control their very own DNA to become superhumans, they are vulnerable as anyone else.
Speaking of bioengineering, there is no way Elihim hadn't thought of it. In fact, that is his first choice for recovering his lost body parts. Even so, he still needs to prepare and train his imaginative power for that. As one can imagine, the realm of modifying one's DNA is several levels higher than the most complex realm of being an Imagi in Reland.
Elihim can't rush it. He can try since he has enough knowledge but what if he failed because he lacks the 'stamina' for it? Even doctors do not only need prior knowledge and techniques for a surgery, they still need to be ready for hours upon hours of executing those techniques, sometimes even, without rest. If he used sheer willpower to compensate his young body's feeble stamina, which is ridiculous yet possible, that is still not without any consequences.
Furthermore, it's not like he is in need of his body parts right now. In actuality, it's helping him create this beggar image. Therefore, he still has no plan on recovering his lost parts.
Finally, the tent opened and Hresha stuck out her head with a pale face. She looked left and right to see no one except the monsters of her nightmares.
"Igh..." she lightly squeaked when she finally has to look Elihim in the eyes.
Under the moonlight, Elihim's eyes looked exceptionally sharp. Not saying anything, he looked at Hresha while waiting.
With another gulp, she came out of the tent.
Fuu~ the wind breezed through.
"Achoo-!"
Like how a cat would sound if it sneezed, Hresha covered half of her face.
"Go change into something warmer."
Glancing at her wet clothes, Elihim said but his tone suggested that he was ordering.
Not wanting to incur his "wrath" and since she was also cold, Hresha came out a little while later with more refreshing clothes on.
Elihim nodded and said nothing more. He then turned around and walked somewhere.
Hresha saw this and does not know what to do. She panicked thinking that the visit was done and that he just wanted her to change her clothes. But of course, she fully knew that wouldn't be the case even if she wanted to. She spun around in confusion whether she would follow him or go back inside the tent.
After a few moments later,
"Haa...'
Hresha finally held the resolve and followed what she saw as her grim reaper. Since Elihim has small steps due to his small body, coupled with the fact that his pace was slow and steady, Hresha was able to catch up so easily.
Although she held her resolve, that doesn't mean that Hresha finally let go of her fears. She was scared but she just built the courage to not lie to herself and that there it is a fact that she's in a dangerous situation.
The only thing she was glad is that the person in front of him was just a boy and not a man. Although that would not make him less dangerous overall, he would be less in other terms. A man has a strong sexual drive and a boy is not so she doesn't have to worry about that.
After all, at this age and world, it is not uncommon for women to be treated like toys by stronger men. Hresha clenched her fists as if she remembered something horrible but soon, she forgot about that as she realized where Elihim was leading her.
"W-why are we going here?"
"I want to find a Death Dweller."
Elihim replied as if it was nothing but upon hearing that, Hresha froze.