[85.12] A Fateful Encounter

Moni/Felix got off of the carriage and entered through the gates of the Academy. After seeing Priscilla off to class, Moni/Felix attended his class. A small blonde-haired boy sat next to him, smiling weakly.

Moni forced on a smile to hide the pain ripping apart his stomach, "Prince Cyrus! I'm so glad you are okay! When I heard you got stolen, I was so-"

"Felix! Guess what!?"

Moni blinked, confused that the boy was grinning instead of wearing his usual gloomy expression. "W-What?"

"I met a girl!"

"Uh… Oh?"

"I want to make her my royal magician and enter the competition in the future!"

"Oooh." Moni leaned back and let out a sigh, "Why did I think you meant something else?"

"You should have seen her! She was so fantastic! I've never seen anyone with magic like hers!"

As Cyrus talked nonstop, Moni nodded with a fake smile plastered on his face. However, anything the boy said was drowned out by the scorching pain in his abdomen and the screams coming from deep within him. Felix made a mental note to remember everything being said and to give the information to Moni when he needed it.

Moni was relieved that class started so he wouldn't have to pretend to listen to the boy any longer. However, he still couldn't ignore the unbearable pain he got just by sitting near the boy.

After class, the two boys gathered their things and were just about to leave when the teacher stopped them.

"Cyrus. The Headmaster wishes to see you."

Caldwell was already waiting outside the door like a dog wagging its tail, "Young Master! I'm here to escort you!"

Moni/Felix watched the two leave, hanging back until the pain in his abdomen lessened. He then turned and started walking down the hall, ignoring the sneers of the children he passed and their sound of deprecating giggles.

Even with all the power in his palm, he still couldn't get rid of the image of 'the bastard child of the Newman family.'

<<Huh. I've never seen two familiars arguing so much>>

Moni turned to see what Felix was speaking about and froze.

"Ah-haha!" 

Moni let out a shocked, but ecstatic breath of air and quickly covered his mouth. He hid the quivering of his lips as he stared at the small fox child who was arguing with the butler-like owl. Beside the two of them was a girl he recognized immediately.

Moni whispered to Felix, "We need to keep this girl at Cyrus's side… No matter what."

"Huh?" Felix stared through his own eyes, which were stuck on the fox, in confusion, "Because she's strong?"

Moni didn't answer him and started running out of the Academy and to the group now on the lawn. He started waving in excitement, "Prince Cyrus!"

"Ah, Felix. Come greet Reika. She's the Headmaster's daughter."

Moni paid no attention to the girl as his eyes were drawn to the small fox child.

The joy and warmth in his chest silenced the screams and searing pain he received from standing by Prince Cyrus's side.

Was it real?

Was he really here?

Or has he finally lost the rest of his sanity?

For the first time, Felix saw a different side to Moni that he'd never seen before. Moni did his best to have a normal conversation with the two, but his trembling body gave away how excited he was. His hands desperatly desired to reach out and touch the little fox demon to make sure he was real, but Moni knew it would be too suspicious. So no matter how much he desired to hug his little brother, he held himself back.

Zephyr looked him up and down, "You're a bastard, ain't cha?"

Felix smiled awkwardly, but in his head he was writing down a mental memo to punish his little brother for swearing.

When Moni focused back on the conversation, he noticed that Cyrus and Reika were getting along… Too well.

Just like a child jealous of someone trying to steal his mother's attention, he spoke up, "Prince Cyrus is actually a descendant of a human and a demon."

Felix was dumbstruck.

First, Moni was overfilled with happiness.

Now he's even acting mischievous!?

What kind of person was he really?

Zephyr looked up with sparkly eyes, "Eh? Since when do humans and demons mate?!"

Moni nearly lost control of his smile. <<Is this really my little brother!? How could he forget that and Alora->>

Moni suddenly stopped thinking and joined back in the conversation.

Felix watched as the conversation played out in front of him, silently praising Moni's skill to fit in so flawlessly. However, the girl called Reika was strange.

She even started smelling the rest of them.

<<Moni, what is she doing?>>

He was oddly quiet but Felix knew something was wrong.

<<Moni? >>

He answered him telepathically: <<My Master used to do the same thing… She said she could see a person's true identity after smelling them.>>

Just as she leaned towards Moni, a flower appeared from the shadow behind his back and landed in his palm. And in one swift motion, he shoved it under her nose. She started gagging, "It reeks!"

He chuckled with a gentle aura, "That's because it has very strong medicinal properties. If you keep it by your bedside, it will give you pleasant dreams and when you wake up you will feel more refreshed."

She shook her head, "That's okay. I'd rather not feel refreshed."

Felix suddenly felt offended: <<How dare she not accept a gift from you!!!>>

His feelings were so overwhelming they pushed Moni to the side. Felix's eyes started to tear up, "You don't… Like it?"

Moni started to panic: <<Felix! Please don't cry! I didn't really want to give her it, just wanted block smell!!>>

Reika couldn't handle seeing him look so pitiful, so she snatched the flower from him, "I will take it! Just don't cry!"

His pitiful look disappeared as he giggled, "Yaay~"

Moni: "..."