Two knights stepped forward to escort them back to the school. The mages that were levitating Dane and Shana accompanied them.
One of the knights pulled out a Warping Orb. The eight of them gathered together and the knight spoke the command that would return them to the campus. They found themselves in the courtyard in front of the main building once the red light faded.
"We should get these two to the infirmary so they can recuperate," the mage carrying Shana suggested.
The knights nodded in agreement. The knight who used the Warping Orb spoke first. "I'll accompany them to the infirmary while you take the other two back to their dorms," he told the other knight.
"Yes, sir," the knight mock saluted, a smirk placed firmly on his lips.
The snicker from his side had Demian looking down. Remi was looking at the knight's silly antics with amusement.
A smile unconsciously formed on his lips and his gaze softened. This did not go unnoticed by the knight who had finally turned serious.
The group parted ways. The older knight went with the mages to the infirmary while the younger of the two led Remi and Demian back to their dorms.
The walk was quiet, giving Demian plenty of time to think over his and Remi's earlier conversation. He felt elated in knowing that he was going to get to go on a date with Remi while on the other hand he couldn't help but wonder if this was just Remi's way of thanking him and that his words didn't have a more serious meaning like Demian hoped for them to have. Demian was perfectly happy with either option of 'date' Remi decided upon, but Demian knew that he would not be satisfied with just one date, especially if it were the 'indoor date' Remi had mentioned.
They arrived at Remi's dormitory first. Remi thanked the knight and then bid farewell to Demian before walking into the building.
Demian hesitated at the entrance. He was torn between going back to his room to rest and following Remi.
The knight at his side snickered, a knowing smirk was perpetually fixed on his face. "Follow him. If anyone asks, I dropped you off at your room."
A smile graced Demian's lips as he thanked the knight. He turned around and ran into the building. He caught up to Remi right outside his room's door.
"Remi!"
Remi turned around, his expression morphed from confusion to pleased and cocky in the span of a second. "Is there anything I can do for you, your highness?" He said teasingly.
Demian knew Remi was joking by his tone of voice and his facial expression but Demian still didn't like hearing that title coming from Remi's lips. "I want to ask about our date this coming weekend."
* * * *
Mattius stepped down from the temporary dais. Despite his appearance, he actually wasn't that fond of giving speeches. They were extremely headache-inducing.
The knight lieutenant who had stayed behind at the sight of the attack came over to him. Mattius knew the knight had come back from the feel of the space bending from magic.
"Headmaster Arien," the knight lieutenant started, after making sure no one was around to listen in on them.
Mattius quickly put up a soundproofing barrier without anyone realizing just to be on the safe side. The knight pulled out a small pouch and Mattius knew what it was by the smell alone. He felt the veins in his hands contracting.
"It's a bag of Merona," the knight said, confirming what Mattius already knew from the smell alone. "I found it in one of the destroyed tents."
Mattius pinched the bridge of his nose. So, someone was stupid enough to bring Merona along on a hunting trip. It would surely secure their victory as long as nothing more than they could handle showed up.
Merona was a small sagittate, an arrow-shaped leaf, that was blueish-green in color with a burgundy color towards the base. The Merona had strong pheromone-inducing properties that attracted magical beasts in its raw form.
The only question was, did one of the students do this on purpose to ensure they won the competition? Or was it a case of sabotage?
The knight lieutenant pocketed the Merona. "It was in the tent the girls shared based on the items that were still intact."
This narrowed their suspects down to Shana Bourgeois and Ophelia Rosewood. While one had the means and motives, his instincts pointed towards another.
* * * *
"I want to ask about our date this coming weekend?"
Remi fought back the smirk that wanted to come out. He opened the door to his room and gestured for Demian to follow him. "What do you want to ask?" He asked Demian after he sat down on the bed. Demian stood in the center of the room, looking around with curious eyes. Oh, how Remi loved those eyes that were deeper than an ocean at night.
Demian turned his eyes onto him and Remi could see the hesitation in them. Remi released a sigh. "If you don't want to go on a date with me we-"
"No!" Demian's frantic shout cut Remi off in mid-sentence while effectively startling them both. "What I mean is-" Demian nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "-can we meet at Lorella's?" Lorella was a famous bakery located in the town inside the campus gates.
"Sure," Remi beamed. Lorella's was his favorite sweet shop and he practically ordered Dane to go fetch him desserts from there almost every other day. Remi would go there himself but he didn't trust himself enough to not buy out their entire stock.
"Though I am surprised. With my looks, I would have assumed you would pick the other option." Remi was being very forward and his words sounded arrogant but it was the truth from his perspective. He had hit the jackpot in looks with this reincarnation and had become quite confident over the years.
Demian stared at him without saying anything for a long time. Demian finally looked away, his cheeks held a faint pink hue to them. "You are certainly very attractive but I am hoping that I may be able to ensnare you enough to agree to a second date."
Remi's eyes widened before lowering into crescents and a pleased smirk graced his lips. "Who's to say you haven't already."
Demian turned towards him with a start. His blue eyes were impeccably wide and his tongue flicked out to lick his bottom lip. "Even with the way I have behaved?" Which was something Demian still had to figure out. It was uncharacteristic of him to be undeniably drawn to a person but yet flock to another.
"Even then," Remi agreed. He got up from the bed and walked over to the door. "If that was everything then you may leave. I would really like to pass out right about now and from the looks of the bags under your eyes, so would you."
"We did have a long and exciting day," Demian chuckled as he exited the room. He turned to face Remi before leaving. "I'll let you know the time later in the week."
"I'll be looking forward to it," smiled Remi.
* * * *
Dane stirred awake. Before he even opened his eyes, he noticed he was lying on something soft and plump. There were silk sheets underneath his fingertips. The knights must have found them if he was lying in a bed.
"Ah, you're awake now, Mr. Willy."
Dane opened his eyes and turned his head to face where the voice was coming from. His nose scrunched up and his eyes narrowed when a pair of golden eyes came into his focus. The voice belonged to none other than the Headmaster, Mattius Adrien, someone Dane was very suspicious of.
He propped himself up on his elbows and scooted himself back until he was leaning against the headboard. "Was anyone seriously hurt?"
The Headmaster smiled and an amused light lit up his golden eyes, turning them yellow. "No. You and Miss Bourgeois suffered the most damage. Mr. Sato and Mr. Maxwell suffered some minor injuries that were easily patched up by the mages on standby."
Dane nodded, relieved to hear that his liege was safe. Though he will still have to confirm that with his own eyes. "What about the wyvern?"
"Mr. Sato and Mr. Maxwell killed it before we arrived." The Headmaster folded his hands on his lap, his legs crossed at the knees underneath the robes he always wears.
Dane's hands clenched into fists at his side and he grinded his teeth. Not only did he fail in subduing the beast, he even made his liege fight it, putting him in danger.
The rustling of fabric alerted him to the Headmaster's movement. The man leaned forward in his seat. "As I've said, Mr. Sato is fine. What I would like to talk about are the events that led you and Miss Bourgeois being separated from the rest of your group."
Dane released his breath and forced his hands to unclench, he needed to relax. "It was my fault. I let my guard down as I kept all my focus on the wyvern and did not realize that Lady Ophelia had sneaked up behind me to grab the Warping Orb. I didn't even realize she had stopped screaming at some point."
The Headmaster hummed as he leaned back into his seat. "I still need to corroborate your story with Miss Bourgeois, but it is helping me in knowing the truth. I had received two different accounts on the incident when the other half of your group arrived at the field." The man gave Dane a piercing gaze, his countenance hardening. "I would like to ask about the Merona and how it came to be in your group's possession."
Dane wracked his brain, knowing that he had heard that name before. It was something that Remington had researched before. "It's a plant that attracts magical beasts in its unrefined state. I believe it produces something akin to fake attraction." He sunk down into the bed, slouching a little, finally understanding why his liege had warned him. Remington must have been suspicious that Shana was going to use the plant to help them win the competition.
"That explains why we encountered so many monsters," he finally said, his voice heavy with anger. He was angry that his group believed they needed to cheat to win and angry at the fact that he failed the task that his liege had given him.