Chapter 106 - Take a Deep Breath and Try Again
“I see you’re still here,” Johan addressed Benette. “What time does your classes start?”
“I-it starts at 9, I only have classes with Prof. Althea, after all,” the medic replied nervously. “M-my father kicked me out of the military program, so, aside from magic defense, there’s really nothing more...”
“See, it’s better not to have classes so early in the morning!” Johan said with a grin, ignoring the facts about Benette’s father. “Right, Sebastian?”
[Of course,] the other replied. [But have you noticed anything weird about Eirian?]
“What weird?” asked Johan.
[How she keeps enchanting people around her.]
“She does?” asked Benette. He looked at Sebastian wide-eyed and just as quickly gazed away. “I... I never really noticed...”
“Hmm... now that you mentioned it,” Johan frowned, “Xander and his minions kept staring at her, Mordecai didn’t even finish his waffle.” He pointed at Mordecai’s plate that still had half a waffle on it.
“I-I guess, I was busy feeding Dog to notice,” Benette said shyly.
He looked down at the big skinny dog lying by his feet and rubbing its back on the living room carpet. He was so skinny you could see the deep ridges of his ribs.
“B-but you know...” he shyly added, “ever since Eirian arrived, I’ve noticed that Prof. Althea doesn’t ask about Dorin as often as she did before...”
“What’s wrong with that?” asked Johan with a frown.
“W-well... I... I-I-I j-just...” Benette looked at him wide eyed.
“Hey, I just asked a question, no need to panic!” Johan raised an eyebrow at him. “Take a deep breath and try again!”
“I-it’s just that, I was with Prof. Althea that morning when she came and introduced herself,” Benette finally told them.
[You were there?] Sebastian raised his slate, looking interested. [How did she introduce herself?]
“Just that she was Dorin’s friend, and that someone called Hermione told her that she would find the professor here...”
“Who’s that?” asked Johan
[That is Dorin’s mother.]
“Then I guess what Eirian said was true. His mom told her Dorin was here so she decided to enroll here as well,” Johan pointed out.
“B-but, there was something weird by the was she said all of it,” Benette added.
[How weird?]
“Well... it was like, she was talking to someone well below her level,” he continued. “Like she was addressing a slave, and the way she looked at the professor...”
[And you were there all along?]
“W-well... she didn’t notice me when she entered the room, since I was seated behind the professor’s desk...”
[And you are a very inconspicuous person.] Sebastian finished.
“So what did she do to the professor?” asked Johan with a curious look on his face.
“Nothing, really, I was actually expecting the professor to get pissed and blow up and tell her off for being rude, but she just stood there, her back to me, and simply answered all her questions.”
[What questions?]
“She asked three in particular,” Benette replied, his brows creasing. “The first was, ‘How is Dorin Doing?’, to which the professor gave her a detailed report of his current physical condition. The second was ‘What has happened to him so far?’, and again, the professor told him a summary of all the events that happened around Dorin, dates included...” he paused a while and looked at Sebastian shyly. “I-is it true that the two of you were replaced by changelings without anybody knowing?”
[She even told her that?]
“Y-yeah... and about a failed abduction attempt by the empire...” he looked apologetically at Sebastian and Johan. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to listen in, but by that time, they were already talking, and I was too scared to say that I was still there...”
“And the third question?” Johan asked. “What was the third one?”
“The third was a little weird...” said Benette who scratched his head. “She asked Prof. Althea ‘Do they know?’ and the professor simply replied, ‘No’ then Eirian gave this weird smile and told the professor to fix everything that needs fixing for her to return to university.”
[Return?]
“Yes, that’s what I heard. But she also said that her new name is Eirian Marie and that she wanted to try joining all of Dorin’s classes this time.”
[I see.]
Sebastian looked thoughtfully.
Or more like, his expressionless face seemed to look at the distance.
“All this happened and you didn’t bother telling us any of it?” Johan said, frowning at Benette.
“W-well... this happened the day after that terrible fight in the Magic Defense class. The one you said none of you could remember?” Benette said, trying to defend himself. A thing he thought he could never have the guts to do.
But these are his friends.
Or at least, he’s starting to think that they can actually treat him as one.
“Was that the night when Dorin and I got back, and you kept asking us what happened?” Johan frowned and rubbed his chin. “But we just had some boring drills and went home.”
“I told you, I was there with you, and you defeated Xander, and Dorin and Mordecai were still fighting when you told me to take Dagon home... B-but no one seems to remember this, and even the area where the fight took place was back to how it was before...”
“Then perhaps you just dreamed about it?” Johan insisted.
Benette’s shoulders sagged, his head bowed down.
“That’s what I think as well. That’s why I thought I was still hallucinating when I overheard Eirian and Prof. Althea’s conversation.”
Sebastian went to Benette’s side and raised his slate.
[I guess thinking it’s just a dream is a safe bet for now] he wrote. [We all know that Eirian is a very strong enchantress, and who knows what else she is capable of doing. I suggest you keep away from her. I don’t trust that person even if she’s Dorin’s best friend.]
“I-I’m already too terrified of her to try to get close...” Benette confessed. “I have never seen anyone talk to Prof. Althea that way before.”
[Well, it’s good that you weren’t affected by Eirian’s charms, it helps that you’re hard to notice and that you don’t look at people in the eye when they talk to you.]
“S-sorry about that...” Benette said awkwardly.
{I meant that as a compliment.] Sebastian added.
“Oh, thank you, then...”
[Same goes with you, Johan, her charm doesn’t seem to work when Dagon is near you, but take care, none the less.]
“But what could Eirian possibly do to us?” Johan asked with a frown. “It’s not like she plans to abduct us or something, right? Besides, Dorin can’t even leave the University City since his mom placed a curse on him!”
“Yeah, I heard he can’t move beyond the school’s walls,” agreed Benette.
[It’s not a curse, it’s a geis,] Sebastian corrected them.
“Anyway, I’ll treat her as I see fit. She try something weird, I hit her. We don’t treat women any different in the mines, you know?” said Johan. “Unless they’re elderly.”
[Well, it’s just in case.]
“And while we’re at it, why not just tell Dorin everything?”
[Do you think Dorin would listen? It would be our word against his best friend.]
“Well, then, a confrontation is always better, all we have to do is face each other and-”
[You want to simply confront a mind controller and manipulator who could easily erase and alter all our memories?]
That made Johan pause.
[The best plan I could think of, is to let Dorin see for himself what his friend has been doing. I think only Dorin could stop her. A confrontation might only lead us to harm. She could simply deny everything and even turn Dorin against us.]
“But what could she possibly do to us?” Johan asked stubbornly.
[Anything.] replied Sebastian. [I don’t know. And I don’t plan to find out without an actual plan.]