Chapter 22

Be: "Come in, come in!"

Katachi walked into the principal's office without bothering to knock on the door. On his hasty entry, he noticed that Bertund closed a flap to his left – The flap which dropped down whenever people stepped on the carpet outside.

K: "Good afternoon."

Bertund was busy doing paperwork, his quill dancing and scribbling on paper upon paper while dabbing on an ink fountain occasionally.

Be: "Ahh, Mister Kotsuba. Are you prepared to leave?"

K: "Is it fine if I walk around the school one last time? I'd like to bid my farewells."

Be: "Go ahead. But surely you don't intend to carry that large bag with you around the academy? Leave it there in the corner – I'll keep watch until you're done."

Katachi left the bag in the corner of the room while the principal used his left hand to scoop the slime from his head before tossing the lump at his bag. The scene was quite confusing to him, but nevertheless, Bertund's safekeeping was trustworthy enough. He had the decency to permit Katachi's victory in the tournament, so any unwarranted doubt would be unbecoming. He left the room while the principal continued with his work.

*** ***

S: "Mister Kotsuba!"

Katachi encountered someone familiar after leaving the Principal's office for a few steps. Though, the frequency of her presence ought to be expected given that the office belonged to the couple.

K: "Good afternoon, Missus Shelly."

S: "You're pretty early today, aren't you?"

K: (The clock in the room is ten minutes faster than the actual time... I think. A personal timepiece would be nice, but that's a luxury too much for me.) "Yeah, I guess the clock in my old room is responsible."

S: "Calling it old already? You sure adapt fast, Mister Kotsuba. That's a splendid trait. Right then, let's begin your next lecture. It'll be your last."

K: "... Right. If you please- Ah, can I move Rekter out of here? I don't want him to hear any of it."

It was a new level of humiliation for a child to address oneself as though he were merely an object. However, Rekter was clearly in no position to object or rebuke his mistreatment.

S: "Certainly."

The child walked down the winding stairs of the atrium and looked at the immobile teacher briefly. He could only wonder what it felt like to be fixated in the poor sap's place for more than a few hours already. Katachi dragged him into a janitor's closet before sealing him in the dark completely.

S: "Right. Follow me into the guest room, Mister Kotsuba. I'm not keen on standing for long periods."

The two walked into the guest room and closed the door gently with no concern for Rekter's depleting sanity.

*** ***

S: "Let us conclude for the day. Summarize the lecture, Mister Kotsuba."

K: "When using the Words of Power, I have to be specific about what I want to happen or it will be very vague and give the Word a chance to produce an undesired effect. Also... Also, I have to be careful using 了解 because of its potential to grant and reveal any kind of knowledge – If I ask questions with a complex or vague answer like 'What will I become in the future', I might faint and even die from having too much in my head at a time."

S: "Good. That much should suffice."

Shelly switched her folded legs around out of discomfort.

S: "Mister Kotsuba, have you no plans as to how you would begin the search for the other 290 Words of Power?"

Katachi nodded briefly.

S: "You may have it easier now that you have Rekter's sigil but using that to find other Words of Power can be tricky. As I've taught just now, you need to use specific commands or the answer will always be undesirable – You still have your original Word of Power so you won't be leaving the detection range any time soon."

K: "I understand."

S: "It's good that you do. I can offer guidance, but you will have to find the means yourself."

Shelly walked up to Katachi and placed her hand on his shoulder.

S: "Finally, I would like to thank you for helping Bertund. As you know, there are some matters which adults cannot intervene in no matter how unjust Rekter may be. Your interloping has overturned what was otherwise an impossible feat."

But was it really ethical using a child to achieve that which an adult could not, to usurp and invalidate another's rights with a war underlying another's scuffle, regardless of how despicable Rekter might be?

K: "You're welcome…?" (I don't feel that happy about it, though.)

The darkness within those words was never meant to be fully understood, not with any amount of time or progress. It was a dilemma even their descendants would have difficulty answering. But that very darkness was also responsible for the gracious funding that went into the travel gear, so there was no room for argument.

Shelly walked out of the guest room, and as though in cue Bael entered a few seconds later. She appeared rather fidgety and agitated for reasons unknown to him.

Ba: "Katachi."

Bael quietly sat down on one of the comfortable, velvet seats adjacent to Shelly's warm seat. The two remained silent in the room, suffocated by its awkward atmosphere and unable to break the ice.

K: (What would be a good topic to talk about? She has six years of experience on me regarding the things in the academy. But it's not like I'm particularly interested in the stuff related to this facility. It would be useless to talk about them when I'm leaving.)

Ba: (I want him to have the best, but I also don't want to limit or hold him back... I want to plead him not to go, but he's been expelled so it's not like anything I say will change the outcome. I want to go with him if he really does leave, but I'm under a contract. Besides, this academy is important to me as well.)

The topics they could discuss were minimal.

K: (Ah!) "Bael, you mentioned to be careful in Cosmatral Silo about me not getting impaled. What did you mean by that?"

Ba: "Oh, that? You got a different platform. Yours was covered with greenish gas, right?"

K: "Yeah?"

Ba: "That one was affected by a previous student casting a metal decaying spell. I remember that on the platform I competed in I used a Rhodan's trap while the enemy used some sort of spell to make half the arena filled with spiky metal spokes."

K: "Spiky... Metal?"

Ba: "Yeah. The metal bits on the floor were all drawn out like tiny needles. I didn't step on any of them nor did I destroy them, so they might still be there even now. If you were to face that hazard, it would have been very dangerous especially since you often run through the field to hurt the enemy."

Katachi shuddered at the idea of his new shoes getting perforated by the terrain filled with needles.

K: (Scary...) "So that was just wishing me good luck if I ever got that platform?"

Ba: "Yeah."

K: "I see. Thanks."

On the topic of wishing him good luck, Bael mustered her courage to confront him.

Ba: (He's not coming back... If I don't ask him now I don't think I'll ever get the chance to.) "Hey, Katachi?"

K: "Hmm?"

Ba: (But what should I say? 'Do you like me?' What am I, ten? Well, he should be at least ten years old, so that makes me a big sister figure?) "Do you think I'm a good big sister?"

K: (Big sister?... I've never had a big sister, so I don't know for sure. She's more like a mother, like Mother. She has been pretty helpful like a friendly aide.) "Well, not really. I can't tell for sure, because I've never had a big sister. You're helpful and really friendly though... More so than I'd imagine a big sister would be."

Ba: (More so than a big sister would- !? Is that... Is that implying that we're already beyond that?!)

Bael blossomed blissfully on the velvet chair with a big grin on her reddened face.

Ba: (That settles it! He really does see me in a romantic light.)

K: (Speaking of 'big', there's the oversized uniform in my room. I have to return the uniform I borrowed from the pile.) "I still have some matters to attend to, so if you need me I-"

Ba: (He's running away already?!) "T- This doesn't excuse you from ignoring and leaving me here all alone, Katachi! I want to know the reason behind your recent attempts to avoid me!"

In an aggressive fit Bael challenged his introverted nature. The child was unsure what the best way to convey his true thoughts was.

K: "Do I really have to say it?"

Bael nodded her head violently, hell-bent on hearing the answer.

K: (If she insists, then I suppose...)

Katachi took a deep breath and gave a slight sigh.

K: "... Because the departure becomes that much more painful otherwise."

He wasn't wrong to think that way. People were inherently social, after all. The desire for someone who understands. The want of company and acknowledgment. The necessitation of events and festivals. If there was one thing he knew with certainty, it was that when the time to part with Mother Rinnesfeld came... Katachi felt an overwhelming sadness from leaving her along with the fear of the uncertain future.

Departures hurt more when bonds were stronger, and one might even feel compelled to stay and avoid getting hurt. But, having a second Word of Power early on was significant progress in his journey and the hampering cowardice meant that more of the children to come would suffer the cruel world's malice. He was compelled to keep the momentum going when it had such a strong start.

Ba: "... Oh..."

As she began to understand the wisdom behind his actions, Katachi left the guest room for her to ponder over it alone.

*** ***

After apologizing to Mister Lamale for borrowing the perforated uniform without permission, Katachi walked up the stairs to Bertund's office while Zirco walked down towards the exit. They glanced at each other briefly and continued to walk on. They were both getting expelled for violation of the school rules – Yet the atmosphere between the two was a stark contrast.

He thought that Zirco would at least thank him for healing his hands and carrying him out, but he appeared too prideful to apologize or admit it. Katachi didn't mind; it would take too much effort to succor or appease him. Furthermore, there was no obligation to befriend everyone he met, certainly not when they caused him much grief and suffering in the first place.

K: (... The more I think about it, the less I want to.)

Friends were great to have; but for the child accused of heresy, that was a luxury he could never afford. Katachi affirmed himself and walked towards the principal's office.

*** ***

Be: "Come in!"

Bertund greeted the sullen child with a slight grin, closing the book in his hands.

Be: "I presume that your presence here means that you are finished?"

K: "Yeah."

Be: "Good. Let's get this over with then."

Bertund's palm glowed yellow and he approached Katachi slowly. With a gentle pat, the magic circle on Katachi's shoulder evaporated.

Be: "Mister Kotsuba, in accordance with the following terms violated, you are hereby expelled for usage of magic devoid of supervision or authorization, attempted assault on our staff and casting non-healing magic on the academy faculty."

It would be mortifying for anyone else to hear those words had they not known the story behind the breach in conduct. But since that was all as planned it wasn't a very emotional event in particular.

Be: "Okay then, now that this is settled I suggest you begin setting up camp immediately. It is getting dark and the night can be quite unforgiving, even in spring. You can stay the night if you want-"

K: "I don't need to."

Be: "Are you sure?"

K: "... To be honest, this academy is great. It's a wonderful place, a peaceful and conducive environment to perform studies and learn about the world. But, how should I say it?"

Katachi gave Bertund a look he wasn't expecting; a maddened glint in his eyes, the desperate and unstable vibe of a forlorn victim in the tides of fate.

K: "The teachers, the other students, the school itself... It unnerves me. I'm not used to being protected."

His distrust and paranoia was a horror most wished their children never had to face until the latter part of the latter part in their lives when the hairs on their heads turned white.

Be: (How many times has he been derided for him to doubt another so much? Maybe his desire for the Words of Power isn't as ludicrous as people want to believe.) "... I understand. There's your bag."

The slime grew in size behind Katachi and held up the bag in an extended state, ready to hand him the object. Katachi slipped his arm around the strap and situated the bag next to his hip for stability.

Be: "May the gods guide you. I have faith that you will excel in your future endeavors."

With a brave step, he walked towards a new road. The second piece, Kotsuba Katachi's turn has begun.