Carlos walks to the First Aid room after he got bit by a dog on his hand. I, a loyal dog, will not let any man touches my owner ever.
The club's class times out. We completely forget to buy the grocery from the store. Surely, it opens 24 hours, and the nighttime allows the professors to buy boozes or to entertain themselves. It won't look good if students come across and see their wild behavior. As for the result, students are not allowed to leave the dormitory after 7 PM. Now, it's calling six and we don't have much time to wander around, considering from the distance between the store and dormitory.
The convenient store named 'Head Hot' or literal translated 'Hot-headed store' boasts more than ten branches scattered around the school grounds, their acquisition funded by unimaginable how-to. But for me, burdened by a superior, the phrase "full belly, wallet intact" rings with genuine truth.
Each branch's character differs drastically. The main branch stands at the school's heart, encircled by eight castle-like buildings. Four directional gates face the large, circular convenience store, which itself has four entrances to accommodate the throng of over a thousand students. Naturally, the main branch can't handle everyone, so smaller branches are sprinkled throughout the school, offering alternatives for those who find the main one inconvenient.
We arrive at a smaller branch nestled in a corner of the castle-like classroom building. It's a comfortable five-hundred-meter walk from the towering dormitory, allowing us to leisurely soak in the twilight atmosphere of the school, feeling almost like tourists.
This 'Dormitory' branch is shaped like a typical Seven Eleven back home. Dusk begins to settle as the sun dips below the horizon, leaving only the convenience store's lights to bravely fight back the encroaching darkness. Inside, the decor is unremarkable, save for the thousands of items lining the shelves.
I'd bet my entire fortune that this store employs some kind of space-expanding magic. The feeling of spaciousness inside is undeniably greater than the exterior suggests. A silver-hued spirit floats behind the counter, their eyes glazed over, as if still mourning their past lives. If I were to die and become one of these spirits, what would I mourn first?
"Nappo, you said earlier you don't like kibble, right? But you must eat it because some brands have nutrients that are good for you." Anya says with concern, her eyes wide at the magnificent display of food – snacks, drinks, meals, and necessities – all around us. "You said you wanted meat earlier, didn't you? Should we get you some kind of sausage or something like that?"
"That sounds good, Master," I reply, affecting a strange voice and letting my tongue loll out in a playful manner. Suddenly, the girl's fist connects with the middle of my head.
We browse the various items, lost in our own little world, until Aneia suddenly remembers.
"Whoa! Crap! What time is it?!" Her gaze darts to the clock mounted on the wall, reading six fifty. She promptly casts a spell, sending the shopping basket floating through the air towards the checkout counter. The ghostly convenience store employee just stands there, oblivious to the need for payment. Impatient, she decides to head to the self-checkout area. She places the basket on a mysterious silver slab. Naturally, it takes me a near-death sprint to catch up, my short legs limiting my speed.
"Four silver coins?! Seriously?! How is it this expensive! I didn't even buy that much, damn it!" The girl exclaims loudly, unconcerned about disturbing anyone since the store has been empty since we entered. "What?! What's so expensive?! ...Oh..."
Anya turns to me, her gaze malevolent, glowing with an eerie green light, radiating a psychic killing intent that makes me instinctively draw my wand, holding it in my mouth, trembling with fear.
"A...Anya...er, Master...what are you going to do to me...?"
"You ate food worth 1 silver Sickle and another 5 bronze Knuts!" She snatches me up, lifting me by my short paws, suspending me above the ground, shaking me until the world spins. "Just because you can talk and use magic!? You're a money sink! Mother only gave me a hundred Sickles for the whole term! How are we supposed to last until the end of the term like this?!"
"We can just steal food from the school kitchen. They do it all the time in the Harry Potter novels," I raise my front paws in a gesture of surrender, blurting out the irresponsible suggestion.
The girl furrows her brow in confusion. "What's Harry Potter?" When she sees the clock above the wall indicating that dormitory curfew is less than a minute away, she tosses two Sickles onto the counter, sweeps the provisions into her arms, and then bolts out. Seeing this, I propel myself forward at the same time. "Keep the change!"
"Wa...wait for me!" I shout after her, unable to keep up with my master's speed due to the length of my legs.
"You have four legs, don't you!? Run until your paws break, Nappo!" Anya can't slow down any more than this.
Just a little further to the dormitory entrance.
Just a little further. Just a little further!! Just a little further!!!
Thwack!
The girl collides with some invisible wall, her body thrown back, sprawling on the ground.
Finally, I catch up, panting heavily.
"Hah...hah...I don't want to run my paws off like that again. Enough with these short legs! Hah...hah!" I pant, my tongue lolling out. Anya doesn't listen. Her face is ashen, her beautiful eyes wide. She pushes herself up on her legs, reaching out, grasping at the air. Finally, her palm touches something resembling an invisible barrier.
"T-this is bad...it's a timed barrier charm." The girl's voice trembles, as if she's about to cry, as she frantically pounds on the invisible wall. "Open up! Open up! Hey! I'm still out here!"
"Anya! Don't talk so loudly. There might be a prefect nearby," I hiss at her softly before trying to drag her away from the door, but I can't because my strength is too weak. "We have to get out of here right now, Anya! If we get caught, we'll be punished according to the rules! You don't want that, do you!?"
She tries to regain her composure, tears streaming down her face. Her knees buckle, and she collapses to the ground in despair.
"W-what do we do...? Nappo..."
"We have to hide, Anya. We have to hide. Hide until morning," I say, resting my front paws on my master's slender thighs, my gaze determined. "If we're lucky, we might find a secret passage where we can hide and sleep until morning."
"Will there be one?" she asks, wiping away tears. I stretch up and lick the large and small droplets of tears until they're gone.
"With a castle this big, there has to be at least one room."
"Who's there!?" A voice rings out unexpectedly, followed by heavy footsteps, like combat boots, getting closer.
"This is bad! We have to put all this stuff in the ring bag." I take the wand out of its leather case and cast a spell quickly. "Appareo Sacculus!"
"I smell a student using magic outside the dormitories. If I catch you, you'll be punished severely, just you wait!" The booming voice echoes as an orange light approaches us.
As the ring bag dimension opens, I hurriedly kick the snack wrappers, water, and belongings worth 1 silver Sickle and 5 bronze Knuts inside before closing the bag. Then, I gently bite Anya's ankle to snap her out of it and tug on her robes, pulling her to run.
"Stay right there! This Baron will personally escort you to the Head of Discipline!" The voice gets closer. We quicken our pace even more.
But then, it's like out of frying pan into a fire…
A small group of people is also heading straight for them. He bets his life it must be the faculty. Right now, they are on a long, winding path with no secret place to hide. Their shadows, cast upon the wall, are moving closer, causing both the girl and him great anxiety. In his head, he frantically searches for any spell that could be used in this dire situation.
"I've got it!" He re-clamps the wand in his mouth and begins to chant a spell he has never successfully cast before. In his past life, he saw in a cartoon that casting this spell requires unwavering resolve, no hesitation. He thinks this moment is perfect to finally cast it flawlessly. "Leviosa!"
In less than a breath, Anya's feet slowly lift off the ground. At first, only a few inches. As he tries to push more power, she immediately floats up to the ceiling of the hallway. Just then, the orange light from the torches, along with the booming, half-growled voice and the chattering of the faculty, is drawing near. Terrified, both his ears droop, the sharp tips pointing to the floor instantly.
"Leviosa…" His own feet lift off the ground, sticking to the ceiling. Anya leaps to hug him, using her hands to cover both their mouths, and they try to breathe as quietly as possible.
Soon, over twenty faculty members walk past, chatting loudly. Some are even speaking loudly, arguing and insisting that their brilliant theories can be proven by the principles of the dark arts. However, many other teachers disagree. Most of them are middle-aged, but there is one who looks many times older. That is the one walking at the very back of the group.
He says nothing but exudes an indescribable aura of respect and fear.
Just a few seconds after the faculty passes them, an old man carrying a storm lantern, its light cutting through the darkness, encounters the group of sharp-witted intellectuals. The faculty members show no surprise at seeing the other party so late at night.
"Good evening, Baron. Was your nocturnal patrol uneventful?" A short, stout teacher in a suit and tightly buttoned coat asks with a friendly demeanor.
"Not entirely, gentlemen," Baron replies. He is a small man, wearing a faded, tattered dark green cloak. If one observes, his thick, dark eyebrows are constantly furrowed. His eyes are filled with anger, and he sniffs like a bull. His head is completely bald, with only a single strand of long hair. On his right shoulder, a fist-sized hamster perches, its nose twitching, sniffing at everything. "I sense that a student has not returned to their room. If I find them, I will punish them severely for disobeying the rules."
Suddenly, the old teacher standing at the very back slowly raises his head and looks directly at them. The other's gleaming eyes fix on them, accompanied by a sinister smile.
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To Be Continue Ep.9