Regashi incessantly tapped his finger on the arm of his golden throne, holding an empty gaze as he contemplated silently. So far, the second stage of his plan has been initiated, and it is working.
Mostly.
"I do not see the problem, Regashi. We have thousands of disposable troops to throw at them." Imawashiki said, who stood off to the side.
The brown-haired male glimpsed at the fiery butler, surveying the man with red sideburns. It was not too long ago that Regashi learned of his minions being freed. It was a bit of a concern when reflecting on the entirety of the plan. Shanti was the first to be attacked, and Zebulun was supposed to be next.
Until a particular boy became an impervious obstacle.
Regashi hummed. "You didn't see it, Shiki, so it's understandable as to why you wouldn't understand…"
Although Regashi would have to dispatch more troops, the green-eyed male was not too dissatisfied. In fact, a small grin had begun to surface on his face. Regashi remembers the boy who stopped his minions—the very same boy who infiltrated the castle for the sake of saving the little boy that previously harbored the Kekkan no Sosei.
Tanjo Nozomu.
Such a smart boy. His intellect alone would rightfully terrify even High-Class warriors; the power the boy also harnessed was impressive. But still lacking. To others, including Imawashiki, Tanjo would appear as only a prodigy at most—just another run-of-the-mill fledgling with his head held too high and luck by his side; however, that was far from the truth. Regashi knew this.
Regashi also knew the boy's secrets, all of them. Nothing ever gets past the brown-haired male's eyes.
"They know it's us, Shiki. They found out too quickly. But, then again, we weren't being all too stealthy, either." Regashi smiled at the fiery butler, an idea brewing within his head.
Imawashiki folded his hands behind his back. "What do you suggest we do, Regashi? We can send one of our rogues to deal with them. Gimu would make it quick."
"Gimu would be dead within the hour if you did that." Regashi claimed, leaving the fiery butler confused. "The people who took our minions weren't just anybody—it was the boy and his teacher, the one you know quite well, might I add."
That would explain it perfectly. Imawashiki spared a few seconds to remind himself of the duo: the boy with the jet-black hair was tenacious, and apparently proved to be a slight hassle, but nothing too threatening when taken seriously. The woman was much more dangerous.
'Asami…' Imawashiki thought of her name briefly.
That would explain it perfectly. Imawashiki spared a few seconds to remind himself of the duo: the boy with the jet-black hair was tenacious and apparently proved to be a slight hassle, but nothing too threatening when taken seriously. The woman was much more dangerous.
"So, what do you plan on doing?" Imawashiki queried, breaking himself out of his stupor.
Regashi's smile deepened as he leaned back on his throne, his green eyes shining glamorously. Whenever such excitement brimmed within the brown-haired male, chaos or anguish was destined to follow. Such has been apparent since day one of working under the past Ketsueki prince.
"I vote on dishing out some ironic trauma…"
XXX
*KNOCK, KNOCK!*
Oshieru, who was peacefully sleeping with his head resting atop his wooden desk, perked up at the sound of someone knocking at the classroom's door. All of the students had already departed and headed home due to the school day reaching its end. Unfortunately for Oshieru, the school day never seemed to end.
"You either come in yourself or don't at all. I'm not getting up from my desk." Oshieru called out to whoever was outside the classroom, sighing as he sat straight up in his chair.
The door slid open, revealing the principal of Buraunmajikku. She was, as usual, dressed in an ornate outfit, professionally clothed in a dark blue suit. Oddly, there was no trace of mirth or glee radiating off of the principal today.
Oshieru groaned in annoyance.
"Am I being fired?"
Reberu Manabu ambled into the classroom elegantly, her brown hair swaying as she closed in on the instructor. "No, you're not. It's about the students."
The blue-haired teacher sobered up after hearing those words, his exhaustion quelling within him as he rose from his seat. Everything about Oshieru was dependent on his students, whether he liked it or not. They were his career and his purpose in this world—the reason why he continues to fight and teach.
Though, nobody likes it when a man in his twenties is openly sentimental so he never states such things out loud.
"What about them?" Oshieru asked, wide awake.
Manabu cleared her throat as she said, "The council is being… demanding again."
"Sounds normal. So, what of it?"
The principal struggled to let the words escape her mouth, closing her eyes as she continued: "A war is being waged against Adonai, courtesy of Shanti. And, with Adonai experiencing the destruction of its own villages due to the growth of rogues within the nation, the council decided that…"
Oshieru's jaw clenched.
"Don't you dare tell me what I think you're going to say!"
Manabu breathed in. "I'm sorry, Oshieru… but the students are required to participate in the war."
"They're children! The oldest kids we have here at the academy are eighteen and nineteen!" Oshieru hollered, his gray eyes widened.
The principal nodded softly, a storm of depression raged within her heart, mirroring the blue-haired instructor that stood before her.
"Did you try to reason with them!? Or with the Chief!?" Oshieru argued desperately.
"Haishi didn't want it to happen, either. Believe me, we both tried." Manabu choked on her words, failing to raise her head.
The teacher clenched his fist, throwing himself down onto his chair. How could so much change in such little time? Not too long ago, his students were training to protect the village of Buraun. Now they are forced to line up with the big league warriors in the midst of war?
"Oshieru… I know how much this scares you. After losing your first class, a war is the last thing you need—!"
Oshieru slammed his hands on the desk, splintering the wood. "I'm going to lose them again! And I can't do anything to stop it!"
The two lapsed in silence, the tension within the atmosphere of the room thickening with every passing second. For a teacher and principal, the reality of the students they avidly taught and cared for being sent to war was like a kick to the gut, a fact that stressed the academy immensely.
"Tell me…" Oshieru exhaled, looking up at the principal. "Are teachers being sent as well?"
Manabu shook her head. "Teachers are invaluable in this case. Needing more troops and all."
Suddenly, the blue-haired teacher lifted himself out of his chair once again and started walking out of the classroom. Manabu followed close by, full of worry.
"When are the students being sent out?" Oshieru asked as he stomped down the academy's hallways.
Manabu thought back to her discussion with the council. "By the end of this week. Shanti's forces are being more aggressive, so villages are doing everything they can to ward them off."
The teacher only hummed in response.
"Why? What are you going to do?" Manabu pressed, matching the male's walking speed.
For a few moments, Oshieru remained quiet, proceeding to march out of Buraunmajikku Academy's doors and into the village.
Then, for no more than five seconds, he stopped.
"I'm enlisting into the military. I'm using up all of my vacation days, so don't leave my paycheck empty for when I return." Oshieru admitted, disappearing into a crowd of villagers.
XXX
You know what? I like this pace. It makes things easier. Before, it used to take me hours to plan events out that would lead up to catastrophic or main situations, but now, I'm slicing the extended parts out and getting more or less straight to the point. I do not wish to have no context behind what occurs, nor am I willing to excise most dialogue, but the pace is notably quicker and I'm acclimating to it rather well. Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_