"...And so this was a sad, scary time, but thanks to the quick thinking and actions of some students, no one was pronounced deceased because of this incident."
Ms. Emile spoke solemnly into the podium, her white gloved hands gripping on the wooden frame steadily.
After William Slachal appeared on scene, he was able to greatly contribute towards rounding up the escaped rogue beasts, speeding up the process by several fold alongside his crew.
There were some questions why William had only appeared after an hour the incident began, but Perukono put out a statement how the Crown Prince had been busy doing 'official business', and had just come back and heard of the situation, immediately leaping into action the moment he got back.
The news reporters who crowded around the stage, flashing special contraptions as many questions began to flow out.
"What caused the incident?"
"There's rumors it was the negligence of the Director of Magic and a Professor, any comments?"
"What happened to the Teacher in charge of the beasts!"
"Is it true Einsvul's power is slowly weakening?"
Ms. Emile did a perfunctory smile, choosing her questions wisely, as she replied back just as steadily.
"We do not disclose any information of an investigation to ensure 100% accuracy."
"The usual person in charge of the beasts wasn't available because of a family emergency at home."
"The definition of power is truly subjective, but Einsvul is certainly not devolving in its capabilities."
As Viv watched this spectacle from the distance, he sighed as he made sure to wrap his coat more securely against himself.
It had been a few days after the incident, and after all students involved got their checkups, then did Einsvul finally begin to allow reporters onto campus.
However, that whole unexpected ordeal wasn't completely useless...
It was during one of those checkups that Viv had looked out the window, coincidentally seeing a group of upperclassmen wedge themselves through a discreet bend through the fence. It seemed they were ready to sneak out and have fun again despite the recent disaster.
Whatever the case was, it was certainly helpful to him at least.
Jogging his way back to the dorms, Viv let out a shiver as the cold air pierced into his lungs, making it painful to inhale quickly.
After suddenly passing out in such a dangerous situation, Vivillian resolved himself that day, vowing to exercise to at least some extent in order not to let such an embarrassing thing happen to him again.
Luckily, there also hadn't been any trouble from Lizzy despite the interesting scenario of events that had played out earlier, probably due to her building and dorms being located across the campus.
"Ah, Hey."
Turning his head at the sound of the dorm room opening Elva looked unsurprised to see him as class had taken a break for a few days to let students recover from such an incident, leaving Elva and Viv to constantly run into each other.
".."
Giving a perfunctory nod, Viv let out the cold air he had been breathing in, taking off his coat to hang on the door. The days leading up to spring switched eccentrically between warm and cold, today being an especially cold day.
"...Do you want to go to town today?"
Unexpectedly, Elva continued the conversation, and even stopped reading his book to stare at him.
"What's the occasion?" Raising an eyebrow, Viv wondered if he had forgotten some sentimental day that he was supposed to remember.
"Well, there's not really an occasion..." Elva scratched his head awkwardly, averting his gaze.
"But it's been a while since we've went to town, and I even got a recent letter from our teacher, asking if we were doing good, which was unusual from someone like him."
"I don't think he's the sentimental type."
Viv half heartedly replied, thinking of how he had coincidentally met him in a black market pub.
Drinking an elegant alcoholic beverage and smoking a pipe while leaning on the counter, Viv was almost certain that man wasn't feeling lonely.
"Either way...how about we just hang out?Staying in here for too long will make us turn crazy." Elva tried to imagine the thought of his former teacher being lonely, instantly rejecting the idea and waving it away.
Vivillian hesitated, he had business to conduct in the black market still, and the deadline was getting closer and closer.
"Just go by yourself."
"But I want to go with you, it been a while since we last hung out..." Looking dejected, Elva stared at Viv with an earnest gaze, almost pleading as his black eyes shone pitifully. "Please?"
Guh
"...Fine."
"Nice!"
Finally relenting, Viv just prepared then to visit the black market after the trip in town. After all, he hasn't been treating his somewhat helpful companion of his quite nicely for a while.
It was still the morning after all, they could take a quick trip, come back, he could rest if there was time, and then go back to business.
Elva hummed a tune as he quickly got changed, putting on casual clothes for the first time in a while. Vivillian did the same, only keeping a black cap on his head while he slung over a puffy white jacket and some dark pants.
"Oh? You grew out of wearing a suit all the time?" Elva joked light heartedly, grinning at the unusual sight. "And here I thought you were always gonna dress as a prude..."
"It's too cold and too troublesome right now." Viv growled back unhappily, shoving his hands into his pockets as the pair exited the dorms, much to the surprise of Elva who expected a snotty retort.
Walking towards town, the pair poked at each other with remarks, getting along unusually well as they walked out of the school gates, making Elva breathe in deeply.
"Ah, freedom smells great."
"Smells like the crippling stench of poverty."
"Oh, quit ruining the mood!"
Bickering with each other, Viv and Elva went back and forth as they looked at the dense marketplace before them,
"Urgh, I don't have a lot of budget this month, so no expensive stuff." Viv looked at his pitiful bare wallet, frowning and closing it.
"I could say the same."
Elva responded with just as much sadness, pitifully examining the single coin left inside.
Staring at the singular coin in Elva's wallet, Viv wondered where in the world Elva's allowance went. Since he was his roommate, the academy shouldn't be too stingy in treating him...
They first visited the marketplace, looking at the small but beautiful trinkets made by the local people for tourists.
As Viv scanned an interesting glass ornament on the table, a person beside him decided to snatch it and call out to the owner.
"Hey Shopkeeper! How much!?"
Surprisingly, it was a male beast-men, most likely a tourist from the slightly different yet foreign garments on him. He was rather tall, around his 40's but his most striking feature was his white and black striped hair.
Observing the person beside him, Viv discreetly saw the man's well built body hiding under his clothes, and a tail that looked like it belonged to some sort of large feline waving behind him childishly.
"3 silver and five copper."
The old shopkeeper replied quickly, rubbing his hands as he smiled.
The beastman made a foul expression. "Expensive."
"Ah yes, you may think so, but actually it is a very exquisite handmade glass ornament made by the one and only Erik...." Immediately jumping into his sales pitch, the old man began to ramble on about the greatness of the ornament's origin and reason of price.
Not wanting to hear any more of the boring marketplace chatter, Viv prepared to leave, but stopped when the man replied very quickly back.
"Don't explain anymore."
"H-Huh?"
"I'll buy it."
The stunned shopkeeper looked up, seeing how the beastmen before him seemed rather...touched from the story he had been meticulously weaving. In fact, so touched, that Viv could almost see crystalline tears forming in the middle aged man's eyes.
Even the shopkeeper was surprised as he hadn't even went to the climax of the story, but he happily took the beast-man's money in exchange for the ornament.
Seeing the sight before him, an eyebrow of Viv's couldn't help but quirk as he walked away to find Elva.
Such strange actions from a man that looks so intimidating...
Thinking this to himself, Viv shrugged. There were always some strange eggs in the basket.
...
For the rest of the day, the pair spent the day buying meat skewers to snack on as they wandered through the market, looking at the displays in windows.
Though Elva had somehow managed to find a shady looking bar, and wanting to enter after thinking it was an antique shop, Viv quickly grabbed him and dragged him away in time.
After a few hours, Vivillian felt the feeling of exhaustion kicking in, as after a few more rounds, he convinced Elva to head back to the dorms.
"That's too bad, even after all that time, we still didn't get to explore everything that they had to offer."
Elva muttered, as he felt something warm clasp onto his back. "...?"
"...Home, now." A pair of darkened green eyes stared at him eerily, almost with the ferociousness of a poltergeist.
His hands grasped at Elva's coat to help guide him through the rest of the way back easily, enjoying the free momentum.
Holding back the urge to chuckle, Elva smiled and kept Viv close, as they eventually made their way back to the dorms.
Elva had brought a cool sword trinket to use, while Viv brought himself yet another book. Both fruitful rewards for their labor.
When they finally reached home, Viv unceremoniously went into his room, shutting the door behind him as he threw off his clothes and dove under the sheets, feeling the fresh coolness that swaddled him like a cocoon.
By now, all thoughts of visiting the black market had disappeared from his mind as Viv closed his eyes, wanting to fall asleep forever...
...
Ah...this is bad.
Viv stared at the pocket watch in his hand, its hands were already past 12.
Should he just go tomorrow...?
"...No, I don't know how long it will take for Sid to actually help me."
He muttered to himself unhappily, as he climbed out of bed, yawning as he opened a drawer, and extracted a slightly dusty mask from within.
He isn't able to transform tonight, so being extra careful is a must.
—-
After only around 20 minutes, Vivillian found himself surprisingly already out of campus grounds.
The entire walk towards the wedge in the fence was strangely empty, and the only living beings he did see on the way were seniors, coming back from having fun in town.
No wonder Einsvul has a curfew problem...
Thinking this inwardly, Viv played it safe as he pulled the cloak he was wearing over his head, his mask not yet worn.
After going through a variety of passageways, Viv felt familiarity as he began to find the sketchy tunnels of the black market once more.
It was then he masked himself, and found the same pub that John had brought him to before, The Siamese Cat.
As Vivillian entered the pub, he felt a slight hush engulf the place as he quietly made his way to a table in the corner.
Some people stared wearily at him despite Viv's short stature attached to the mask, however it showed just how influential and frightening the Black Hydra was in the underworld.
"...Any drinks?"
A tall, beautiful waiter curtly came up to serve him, her voice slightly cold as you could tell she held some distaste in her mouth.
Her blond hair waved forward, almost causing Viv to sneeze from the nice smelling fragrance that surrounded her.
"No."
Purposely trying to deepen his childlike voice, Viv spoke just as curtly back.
After hearing his response, the waiter seemed pleased with less work to do, and disregarded him as she went back behind the bar to serve.
It felt as the pub was getting more and more unsteady the longer Vivillian stayed in the corner, his unease steadily growing.
Last time he came here, Sid had clearly said to just appear with the mask on, and John would be able to find him just fine.
Feeling worried, Vivillian could only anxiously wait, grabbing a tissue from the table to tear nervously in his pockets.
During his 5th tear however, the laboring breath of a man could be heard as a hand grabbed onto his shoulder, shocking him.
"Hagh....! Guh..."
John panted roughly, his autumn eyes shining as he just silently stared at Viv with a dumbfounded expression.
"!..." Still slightly stunned, Vivillian instinctively reached to push John's hand off of him.
"You just had to come back when I was on the other side of town, did ya?"
Letting out an exasperated sigh, John removed the hand on Viv's shoulder himself and sat across from him, raising his hand for a glass of water, getting it almost instantly.
"Sid said you aren't busy."
"W-Well, it's still exhausting after getting news of your appearance and..." John trailed off, his eyes distant.
"Anyways, you came at bad date, you managed to come on the only day where Sid had a special occasion to attend."
"...Does this mean you're shooing me away today?" An involuntarily annoyed flicker entered Viv's eyes.
"Hm...more or less." Thinking about it briefly, John just shrugged and nodded.
"I have to meet him today."
"After making us wait for several days, now when it's time for you to come and actually discuss business, our boss has to bend his back for you?"
Now a warning edge was added to John's words, as he controlled his expression.
"..Apologies if it sounded demanding, but it has utmost importance. All I can say to you now is that it is something involving a terrorist attack and another black market organization." Vivillain lowered his voice, speaking solemnly. "Possibly treason as well."
A stiff pause was in the air, as John thoughtfully shut his mouth and looked around to see if anyone had been eavesdropping.
"...I get it, so don't say anything more until we're in private." John let out another sigh, rubbing his eyebrows as he stared at Viv. "You play a dangerous game with your words, if you are found to be lying..."
"I know what I'm doing."
Without even letting John continue, Viv answered resolutely, his voice not even having the slightest quiver as he reviewed his plans within his mind.
If everything goes smoothly...even small hiccups wouldn't matter towards the end.