After a few hours when Zach had gotten enough sleep, Yanael woke him up. Zach had asked her not to talk when others were around, but for his and his friends' safety, she had to interrupt his rest.
"...No, Nora…I didn't take your cookies…"
"Master, I must ask that you wake up."
"Yanael? Where's Nora?" Zach looked around while rubbing the sand out of his eyes and yawning.
"At the Academy, I think." Yanael couldn't say for certain since Nora might be out shopping or on a trip. But that wasn't important.
"Good." Zach nodded between yawns and got up to stretch.
"What's up?" asked Zach since Yanael wouldn't wake him up for nothing.
"I couldn't perceive an immediate threat, so I didn't warn you before. But I sense activity deep within the mountain, Master." Yanael got to her feet while speaking and helped Zach put on the still-damp clothes. But he was still tied to the other two with the rope.
"What kind of activity?" Zach looked at the knot on the rope with a frown. Did they not trust him at all?
"...It is too far away for me to discern any details. My apologies, Master."
"Well, I would like to say no worries, but I am pretty worried. Any ideas?"
"...You are the master, Master."
"Huhu. I guess that's true. Then… I kinda want to investigate?" Zach crossed his arms and looked into the cavern. He could barely see his surroundings thanks to the weak ambient light sneaking in through the cave's entrance. But he saw only darkness ahead.
Investigating would be difficult.
For multiple reasons.
Yanael gave the rope around Zach a pointed look. That look was enough to tell Zach that she thought Zach investigating was a bad idea.
"Hmph." Zach let out a puff of air but didn't say anything. He glanced at the Sentinel, which was silently floating next to Dukiel and Julius. He turned to Yanael.
"Hey, can't you lead the way?"
It was a very late question, considering how many times Yanael had accompanied Zach on his confusing trips around the campus when he was looking for the right classrooms and the cafeteria. Why hadn't Yanael helped him find the way even once? She didn't even need to speak. She just needed to point Zach where he needed to go.
Zach wouldn't have minded her doing something that might look like she was ordering around. She had no problem doing it with certain other things, even if she didn't take as many liberties as Nora.
"..." Yanael was silent. She looked down and avoided meeting Zach's gaze.
"Yanael?" Zach took a step closer and bent down slightly to get a peek under Yanael's tilted face.
"..." Yanael remained silent.
"Could it be…?"
"I apologize for hiding it from you, Master, but my sense of direction is not one of my strong suits." Yanael's cheeks blushed slightly as she admitted the embarrassing truth.
Zach's eyebrows rose slightly.
"That's…certainly interesting."
What were the odds that his perfect, S-rank, named, angel variant familiar with the ability of speech had the same non-existent sense of direction as him?
"My apologies." Zach wasn't listening to Yanael as he was too busy with his thoughts.
"...soulmates…" Zach's thoughts slipped out at less than a whisper.
"Pardon?" Yanael looked up, unsure of what to make of Zach's mumbling.
"Oh, it's nothing." Zach pretended like he hadn't said anything and turned around.
"..."
"I guess we won't be investigating anything tonight, then." Zach nodded decisively.
"I think that's a great idea, Master." Yanael nodded in agreement and sat down again. She leaned against the cave wall and opened her arms.
Zach didn't decline and crept into Yanael's embrace, quickly falling asleep again, despite—or perhaps thanks to—the softness, warmth, and delicate sunny smell of her figure.
Yanael continued looking toward the cavern's depths while Zach rejoined the other two in the land of dreams. Eventually, all three of them slowly woke up, still cold and tired but somewhat rested.
The cold had turned them apathetic and Dukiel and Julius wanted nothing more than to continue lying down until things just got better. But that wasn't going to happen without them doing anything. They also needed to move to get their blood flowing and body heat working again.
Dukiel and Julius also didn't want to continue cuddling if it wasn't necessary, which helped them get up.
When everyone was up and dressed, Zach told them about Yanael's discovery. They were skeptical, especially Dukiel since the Sentinel hadn't alerted him about anything.
But Yanael was S-rank, so it made sense she was better than the Sentinel. It would also be easy to confirm Zach's words. They just needed to venture deeper into the mountain. If they were lucky they might even be able to escape from the wet chill the rainweather had brought to the forest and the cave.
Now that Dukiel was awake, one of the hurdles of investigating the dark cavern was gone. The Sentinel's eyes could provide a light that, while weak, was enough for them to see where they were going.
Dukiel took the lead. Julius tried to find a mountain on the map. Zach covered the rear with Yanael by his side.
All three of them were a little worried about venturing deeper into the mountain when it was pretty clear the camp wouldn't be there. But it was still raining outside, and they didn't have anything better to do. Julius and Zach also trusted Dukiel to lead them right. He had done a good job finding both higher ground and shelter. He would do a good job with this little side quest.
***
"Great Ugor, I need to report something."
"Yes?"
"We have detected three students loitering around one of the foxholes in the mountain connected to the Academy's forest."
"...Is there a reason you have yet to dispose of them? Students get lost and disappear all the time in that forest. The Academy won't suspect anything."
"...We have identified two of the students as Zacharia Evandiel and Dukiel the Commoner. The S-rank and one of the three A-ranks of this year's recently admitted students."
"We have a base in that mountain, right? Capture them and try converting them. If that doesn't work, turn them into nutrition for our forces."
"Yes, Great Ugor."
"You said three students. What about the third one?"
"He appears to be Zacharia Evandiel and Dukiel the Commoner's underling."
"Capture him, too."
"Yes, Great Ugor."