Few tricks up his sleeves

"They are my guests and you should treat them as such. Please try to act normal for once!" Tenji countered while pinching the bridge of his nose.

Aki folded her arms and glared daggers at Rumi and Asahi before focusing her attention back at her brother, "students? They ditched the academy because of you."

"What is your beauty going to think of this?" Aki taunted with a grin.

'Beauty?' Rumi tilted her head and furrowed her brows to the description that didn't refer to her.

"Do not meddle in my personal life, the reason I brought them is none of your business," Tenji said with a hiss, irritated by how she had brought Maiyu into the discussion.

Aki took a glance at the two again and scoffed. She brushed her hair behind her in a dramatic display.

"You must be on cloud nine because of your closeness to her, you're lucky I enjoy her company and she trusts you or you would be facing mother on this," Aki replied and stormed off to the kitchen.

'Who the heck is 'her'?' Rumi narrowed her eyes, yet said nothing.

Tenji stared at the ceiling for a while, contemplating flouting the house rules just to make Aki stay in line.

Looking back down at the two, he called on their attention before walking towards his study. "Come along, we have just a few hours to spare."

****

In the study,

Taking a sit on his high-back ergonomic mesh chair. He steepled his fingers in front of his face and looked across with a quiet stare.

It was time to explain a bit of what he had gathered on the two and no better time to do that than when they had managed to get an upgrade.

"Does professor Tenji seem strange to you?" Rumi whispered to Asahi through the corner of her lips.

Asahi was beyond stunned that Rumi would even notice this strange behavior and sarcastically replied, "I think I must have been blinded by how awesome this study is."

Tenji had watched with eerily silence at the two who bickered for a while. "Ahem!"

They froze in place at the interruption and stiffly turned towards Tenji with a forced smile.

"I'm sure you are wondering why I had brought you here and most importantly what was so essential that I couldn't say so in the academy."

Slowly nodding their heads to his words, they were silent as they waited for him to continue.

Tenji's lips curved upwards in satisfaction, "I have been observing the two of you and some other students, it would be better if I let you in on a few of my plans–"

"You've been observing? That sounds a little suspicious." Asahi raised a brow at Tenji.

Ignoring his words, he continued, "Rumi, I won't go back on my promise on the new spell. You both did well even though you weren't able to showcase your presentation." Tenji clapped his hands.

Rumi's interest sparked up at the mention of sharing his knowledge, this had been the main reason for her interest in him–he has vast knowledge on magical spells, formations, and ancient history that she wished she could get even if it's just a little in her lifetime.

Tenji conjured up a green hard covered book bordered with silver decorative ornament swirls.

It hovered in the air and its body was outlined with a green glow. The pages flipped open quickly until it got to its last page and slammed shut.

Rumi and Asahi flinched at the sudden action.

"What magic tricks do you have, professor?" Asahi muttered and whistled the moment Tenji glared at him.

Tenji shook his head and realized Asahi was hellbent on annoying him.

Exhaling, he made a mental note of the true reason for recruiting them.

"Rumi, could you get to your feet and stand a meter away from the Artiquem?"

Getting to her feet, she stood as stiff as a board and stared at the hovering book for a brief second and was skeptical about what new spell she could learn from a strange book while still being unsure of her decision.

Forcing her feet to move forward, she took six careful steps and stopped a meter away from it as instructed. "Now what?"

'Do not try to mask your pain, I can see right through it.' Tenji conveyed his thoughts through his blank stare.

"Tell me, what's your goal after you were abandoned in Erīto academy?" Tenji dropped the bomb of a question to start up a conversation.

Rumi froze upon his words, this was a piece of information that no one had ever suspected about her situation and she had thought she had been successful in hiding it.

Rumi's lips quivered at the unsettling knowledge Tenji possessed about her. "H–How d... do you know..."

"About your situation and your clan abandoning you to your fate all masked in sending you to work on your ability?" Tenji completed with a voice of indifference.

Asahi switched glances between the two and was stunned by the revelation of his friend, 'she was abandoned?'

"It's one of the few tricks up my sleeve." Tenji snickered and cast a glare at Asahi about his last words.

Asahi gulped and was reminded once more how he needed to consider his actions and tongue before being in the bad books of Tenji.

Tenji had a smirk on his lips at the reaction on Asahi's face. "Don't fret, once I'm done with her, it will be your turn."

'To hell with turns!' Asahi thought in a panic and subconsciously rejected the offer, wishing to get back to the academy.

Rumi had her eyes fixated on the floor, her index fingers twirling over one another and her eyes brimming with tears.

She hated herself for showing this side of her at the unfortunate time and wished her vision wouldn't blur from the tears welling up.

Snff!

She sniffled and quickly wiped the tears threatening to trail down her cheeks, reluctantly waiting for what other surprises Tenji would bring to their attention.

"The Artiquem is my personalized spell book which contains a fraction of what I've gathered and created so far in my research."

As soon as Tenji got to his feet, a strong, emerald stream of particles flowed from the Artiquem to Rumi, which caused her to gasp in shock.

"Professor Tenji, could you please explain?" Rumi looked around her and was wary of what the stream of particles meant.

"Would you be able to trust me?" Tenji interjected with a bright smile and his eyes glowing with a purpose.

*****

A/N

I would really appreciate your comments and support of this novel with your power stones. Your active comments would motivate me to write more chapters.

¶ A +1 if the personalities of these three characters are slowly building up and not cut out characters that move as the wind of plot directs(well the latter part about moving with the wind... is true, but you get the main motive of the sentence, right?)