17 Fragments of the Past pt5

Meanwhile, Alduin successfully arrived at school and attempted to sneak into his class as quickly as possible.

He conjured an illusion on his eyes and fell asleep, while also implanting a thought in the teachers' minds to not call on him to come up to the board.

During lunchtime, Alduin sat on the roof and thought about what to do with his little "older" brother.

Yesterday's Thu'um did not have any effect, meaning that there were no mental triggers in Issei. Although he was just a mere mortal and often lacked self-control and was weaker than Paarthurnax, there was something in him that Alduin admired and that was his boundless loyalty to family. Alduin was willing to forgive Issei for his weaknesses and defend him as his younger relative, despite Issei being older biologically. However, there was a colossal difference between them in spiritual age.

And Alduin had no doubt that at the slightest threat from the sectarians of the Occult Club, he would crush them all into dust to protect his brother.

"Hey, are you Hyodo Tatsumi?" asked a blonde-haired guy who had just arrived on the roof.

"Suppose I am. And who might you be?" answered Alduin.

"Show some respect to your seniors!" the guy lectured, "I am your senpai, Saji Genshiro, a student council member. They sent me to tell you that the chairman is waiting for your explanation."

"Get lost" said Alduin, turning his back to the guy.

"I'm not finished yet!"

"But I am! Tell Sona I'm busy and I won't come. I'll visit her tomorrow at lunch." Alduin stood up demonstratively, walked past the guy, and headed back to class.

After class, he fulfilled his promise and left school with his brother, who had no club activities. As they were walking and discussing the expected raid, Alduin heard a woman's scream and the sound of a falling body. The brothers simultaneously turned to the sound and saw a girl's butt in white panties.

"I see heaven!" whispered Issei.

"Oh my. How did I manage to trip?" said the girl.

"A rare sight" Issei commented.

"Don't you prefer boobs?" Alduin asked, following Issei's gaze.

"Boobs are cool, but white panties on a blonde are a gift from the heavens." Issei replied.

"Mmm. She's a nun. They'll burn you at the stake, and I'll chop the wood for it."

"Don't be a buzzkill. We should help her!"

Issei ran over to the girl and helped her up. But when he saw her face, he froze like a statue, and the expression on his face surprised Alduin. It was not the lustful expression he usually had when looking at other girls. Though, Alduin admitted that the girl was relatively attractive.

"Excuse me, could you help me?" the nun asked, bringing Issei out of his trance.

"Yes, of course."

Alduin frowned. When did his brother learn Italian? And apparently, he spoke it fluently. Issei was never known for his eagerness to learn languages. He would have noticed.

"Issei, what is she saying?"

"She's asking to be shown where the local church is. Didn't you understand her?"

"Have you gone brain-dead from her panties? I wouldn't ask if I understood her. Can you handle it yourself?"

"Of course."

"You answered so quickly that now I'm afraid for this little nun. Who knows what you'll do to her when you're alone?"

"Am I a maniac or something?"

"Don't you know the rumors that are going around about you?" Alduin sighed in surprise. "Even I, your own brother, don't know what to believe.

"I'm not like that!"

"Sure? And, oh yeah..."

"What?"

"She won't fall for you. Forget it."

"Tatsumi!"

After saying goodbye to his brother, Tatsumi decided to take a walk and think about the complicated situation outside.

It was ambiguous. Paarthurnax turned out to be an even bigger traitor than everyone thought. The Higher Entities did not exist, and those who now bore that name were only shadows in comparison to Alduin's ancestors.

And the Dovah... his brothers... their fate was unclear.

Lorkhan mentioned that not all of the Dovah followed Paarthurnax and his Voice Path after the Elder Brother was exiled.

The reason for this was the Dragonborn, as well as the fact that Alduin only managed to resurrect a part of the Dovah.

This meant that not all of them were sacrificed by the traitor.

Perhaps, thought Alduin, at least some fragments of the souls of his fallen brothers survived, and he could revive them as full-fledged dragons.

Into the Dovah, not in the dragons described in mortal literature. Plus, there was still a chance to find an untouched dragon burial ground where the bones of the brothers who fell after his imprisonment in the Scroll were hidden.

Returning home, Alduin felt a strange aura at his house. He began to suspect who the guest was who had come to his home after seeing the boots in the hallway.

"And we're starting to worry about him. He's a good guy, just too headstrong" Alduin heard his mother's voice.

"Don't worry. I'm sure that beneath that prickly exterior lies a kind person" replied a voice that belonged to the woman who had surprised him with an unexpected proposal not long ago.

"Good evening, kaicho. What have I done to deserve the pleasure of seeing you in this humble abode?"

"Tatsumi, stop fooling around. Shitori-san told me that you didn't show up at the student council when you were called. Because of your disrespectful attitude towards your elders, Shitori-san had to go to you personally!" scolded him mother.

"Hey, woman, calm down. If she hadn't sent that idiot, I might have come. Probably" replied Alduin, but received a slap from his mother.

"Excuse this fool, Shitori-san."

"No worries."

"I'll go make some tea."

"So?" asked Alduin when his mother disappeared into the kitchen.

"I have a proposal."

"So do I" nodded Alduin, and seeing Sona's surprised look, added, "Well, a table at the café nearby, an evening, candles, and a smooth transition to more interesting horizontal activities?"

"I have to refuse, Hyodo-san."

"I'm already a 'san'? Just yesterday, you called me Hyodo-kun. I'm in despair."

"Hyodo-san, can you start behaving seriously?" sighed Sona.

"No. It's the transitional age. And what can I do when the third beauty of the school pays attention to me? At least that's what they say at school. But people are prone to error."

"What do you mean, Hyodo-kun?" asked Sona with a hint of interest in her voice.

"I'd put you in first place. Unlike Issei, I don't like girls with udders like Gremory-senpai. Cows belong on farms, not at school."

Sona tried to hide her laughter with a cough and then continued.

"Nevertheless, I want to see you among the members of the student council."

"I'm lazy."

"Lazy?"

"Yes. You have to work there."

"You have to work everywhere. You just don't want to take responsibility."

"Hey, hey, you know that sounds ambiguous, right?"

"Don't dodge the question, Hyodo-kun."

Alduin sighed wearily and rubbed his temples. It seemed like his foolishness was getting them nowhere. And this Dremora, he had concluded, wanted something from him. The question was, what exactly?

"Kaicho, what is it that you want from me?" Alduin asked, surprising Sona with his serious tone.

"I want to make the school better, and I need smart and talented people" Kaicho replied.

"She's not telling me everything" Alduin thought to himself, but he said aloud, "As far as I know, you have a full team on the student council. My presence there is unnecessary."

"That's for me to decide, Hyodo-kun."

"Not just for you." Alduin replied.

Alduin's mother, who had brought tea, allowed him to switch back to his foolish mode. She chatted with Sona about her sons' lives, constantly apologizing for Issei's behavior and Tatsumi's actions.

"I'm home!" Issei's voice rang out from the entrance.

"Well, I think I'll be going, Shiho-san."

"I'll walk you out, kaicho."

"Shitori-san. Good evening" Issei greeted them, looking a bit uneasy about the student council president being in his house.

"Still, Sona, you're much prettier than Gremori-senpai and Himejima-senpai" Alduin said.

"Thank you for the compliment, Hyodo-kun."

"If only you had a shorter skirt, a better expression, and a more lustful gaze, then you'd be the school's top beauty."

"You're impossible, Hyodo-kun" Sona replied, frowning.

"Until next time, Sona. It was nice seeing you today, and I'll be happy not to see you tomorrow."