Mage Assassin 3 Chapter 2

When I got to the estate, the vines withdrew immediately to let me inside. I braced myself for Mazne’s shriek, but it still overwhelmed me when it came. Before I even made it all the way through the door, she was fluttering around me in panicked circles.

“Dex!” she cried hysterically. “What happened? Are you ok? What’s on your… Oh…”

She stared at the front of my shirt and her hands flew to her mouth.

“Is that blood? And…” she whispered.

“Yes, Maz, it’s blood,” I said. “I am an assassin, after all.”

I tried to make the quip sound lighthearted to reassure her, but she still looked more worried than I’d ever seen her. Other than when Master Abbot was murdered within the estate.

Mazne had lived in a house of assassins for years, but the sight of so much blood and gore on me seemed to shock her. To be fair, I didn’t usually come in looking like I’d bathed in it. I also rarely showed the slightest crack in my composure in front of Mazne. Seeing me look unsettled seemed to scare her more than the blood.

“I actually… could use a drink, Maz,” I said. “Would you mind…?”

“Of course,” she fluttered at me and hurried off.

I sort of did need a drink, but I mainly wanted to spare her from having to see my stressed and bloodied state for any longer. I had to chuckle a little to myself when I thought about the affectionate secretary. Sometimes she acted like a mother hen, but other times she felt more like a little sister, no matter how many years older than me she was. Mazne was awed by my every victory, and despite how much she fussed over me at times, she also seemed to think I must be invincible. I didn’t want to scare her.

I watched her hurry off while I closed the front door behind me. Immediately after she rounded the corner, a huge commotion broke out in the hallway she’d just walked into, and I could tell someone had collided with her. Four different voices screeched all at once, and there were several thumps and crashes, followed up by a growl. Multiple someones, then.

A heartbeat later, Cinis came flapping around the corner like a giant bat. She soared over and landed directly on top of me, and we collapsed in a tangle.

“Cin,” I murmured. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

I tried not to sound accusing, but we had agreed that she’d stay in her castle for safety while I was solving the whole murderous Voltid scenario.

“Dex,” she groaned. Her voice was muffled against my neck.

Even in my dazed and exhausted state, my pulse jumped at the feel of her soft lips against my throat. Then she recovered herself a little and pulled back to look at me, and concern and remorse were etched into her pale, beautiful face.

“What the hell happened?” she whispered.

Her question was almost drowned out by another voice demanding the same question in perfect unison, but at about ten times the volume.

I looked up and saw Nara appear from behind Cinis’ dark, velvety wing. She looked equally alarmed and curious. After a moment, Ephy came scurrying into sight, too, and her big teardrop-shaped eyes widened at the sight of me.

“Nara?” I cocked an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”

“I happened to be passing by,” the witch said and nonchalantly tousled her nest of hair.

I smirked because she seemed to be using this excuse a lot lately, and I knew damn well there was absolutely nothing in this quarter of the city that would be of interest to her.

Well, nothing except for me.

“But don’t change the subject!” Nara scolded. “What the hell happened, Dex?”

“A good question,” I answered with another dry chuckle.

The three women looked at each other in more alarm, and I realized laughing wasn’t the most reassuring response when it looked like I’d just bathed in blood.

I hastened to reassure them.

“None of this blood is mine,” I clarified. “See the splatters?”

They all nodded weakly. Ephy had her brow scrunched up, and Cinis looked like she might pitch a fit. Nara’s eyebrows shot up so high they almost disappeared under her wild brown hair, but then the green-eyed witch got a calculating expression on her face.

She moved forward a little and looked me over. I thought she even gave me a sniff. Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrows, and I waited for her to say whatever was brewing in her mind.

It only took one word.

“Magic,” she stated. There was nothing questioning about her tone.

I blinked in shock as I realized the witch had somehow sniffed out whatever had happened back in the Forest of Hud, but I shouldn’t have been too surprised.

The Headmistress was one hell of a witch.

“Something of the sort,” I muttered. “Let’s go somewhere more private.”

The three women trailed after me to my office, and Cinis walked inches behind me like she was scared I might collapse. This seemed even sweeter to me because of its contrast to the Ember Priestess’ usual fierce, sultry nature. I almost chuckled at the cuteness of it, but I remembered that laughing apparently made them think I had somehow cracked and lost my mind.

I quickly turned the chuckle into a cough.

Once we had all filed inside like a row of ducklings, Nara closed the door behind us with a snap and waited for me to sit down on the wide sofa. It was a recent addition to my office, and I was glad for it as I sank into the soft cushions.

Ephy and Cinis seated themselves on each side of me.

Nara stayed on her feet.

“So,” she began in a businesslike tone. The zany witch bent to rest her forearms on my desk. Her full bust was halfway spilled out the top of her tightly laced corset shirt. She watched me closely and was clearly bursting with questions, but I barely noticed because I glanced at Cinis.

The winged beauty was undeniably relieved to see me in one piece, and I had hoped she’d be alright once I confirmed I was completely unharmed. But now she was silent and scared-looking when she stared back at me, and she hugged herself like she was cold.

“Cinis,” I said in a soft voice. “It’s okay.”

Instead of comforting her, my words seemed to sever the last string that was holding her together.

“It is not okay!” she burst out. “It’s not okay at all!”

She leapt to her feet and started pacing restlessly around my office. Her voice was normally husky, but now it was actually hoarse like she’d been crying.

Ephy scooted closer to me on the couch and leaned close to my ear.

“She’s been pacing around for hours,” the sweet siren whispered. “I think she flew straight here from the Ardere. She said she couldn’t just sit around in her palace while you were out risking your life for her.”

Cinis returned from one of her prowls around the room and stopped in front of me.

“Dex,” she started again. “I’m so sorr--”

“Cinis,” I interrupted in a firmer tone. “This is not your fault.”

I was caught between concern, amusement, and exasperation.

Cinis flared up again.

“Yes, it is!” she stormed. “You went after the Voltie because of me!”

She stomped her foot for emphasis, and I could tell she was about to double down on blaming herself. But I couldn’t stop the smile that flickered across my face when she accidentally used my joking word for “Voltids.”

My grin made her pause, and a short, hysterical laugh burst from her lips when she realized what she’d said. I smiled in return and patted the couch beside me, and I exaggerated the hopeful look on my face to make her laugh again. It sounded more normal this time.

“Okay,” she exhaled and came to sit beside me.

I put my arm around her, and Ephy scurried past me to sit on her other side. Then the doe-eyed siren cuddled up close to Cinis and stroked her shoulder with soft, dainty green hands.

Cinis spoke up again in a calmer voice.

“I’m just… not used to feeling this way,” she admitted quietly. “I never liked the thought of you risking your life for me, but this was too much. All the blood and the--”

“Cinis,” I cut in. “I kill people for a living.”

“But this isn’t part of some job, Dex,” she flared up again. “This is completely diff--”

This time it was Nara who interrupted.

“Will somebody please tell me what exactly has happened?” the witch erupted, and she slammed her hands down on my desk in vexation.

She had obviously been fighting this off for a while, and I stifled a grin and turned to Cinis.

“Can you tell her, Cin?” I asked. “I need to go clean off. And then I have something to tell you three, and I need all of your help on it, so I’d like everyone to be up to speed when I get back.”

I suspected this was one thing I could say to get Nara to actually listen without any interruptions or distractions.

Cinis looked a little surprised that I wanted to let Nara in on things, but she nodded.

I thanked her with a kiss on the forehead and left her to it. Right before I walked out of my office, I could hear her start telling Nara about Sievni and his murderous plan, but Nara interrupted with a question before Cinis even finished her first sentence.

I laughed quietly to myself and shook my head while I closed the door behind me.

It took about ten minutes for me to fully scrub the remaining gore from my face, body, and hair. The last part was definitely the grossest. I was accustomed to blood and guts, but having little chunks of flesh and bodily organs stuck in my hair felt a little different.

But what actually disturbed me was the “how” and “why” of it.

That was what I hoped to figure out in my office today.

As the Headmistress of the Witches’ Estate, Nara was well versed in all kinds of magic, including some that she shouldn’t be. She also seemed to have some sort of sixth sense when it came to magic, judging by how she’d reacted to the sight of me when I first walked into my estate today. Cinis and Ephy each had their own connections to elemental beings, which would also be incredibly informative for me. Between the three of them, I hoped to find some answers, or at least unearth some piece of knowledge that might point me toward why the hell Sievni burst like a fleshy pinata when I fought him in the Forest of Hud.

When I walked back into my office, the three women immediately swiveled around to look at me. They all seemed to relax a little at the sight of me looking like my normal self.

“Hang on, Nara,” I said before the witch had even opened her mouth. She nodded uncertainly.

I walked over and sank to my knees by the side of the couch where Cinis sat.

“So, Cin,” I said. “You’re okay?”

“I’m okay,” she mumbled, and she looked a little ashamed. “I’m sorry for freaking out, Dex.”

I smiled and put a finger against her lips to shush her. She playfully nipped at my finger, and then eyed me teasingly with her full lips wrapped around it.

It took a lot of willpower to pull myself away, but I managed to. That would have to wait, and I peeled my eyes away from the Ember Priestess’ lips.

“So,” I repeated as I stood. “Your people are safe. I still want you to have extra security for a while, just in case. That includes at the ceremony tomorrow, Queen Cinis.”

Cinis started to get a stubborn look on her face as I spoke. I knew she hated feeling too fussed over, but she softened at my playful use of her title. Then she sucked her cheek in pensively.

“Alright,” she said after a moment. “But I need you and Ephy standing right up front, okay?”

“We’ll be there,” I reassured her.

Then I saw her look past me with a suddenly sly expression on her face.

I followed her eyes and saw Nara sitting quietly in the client chair near my desk. She was fiddling with a hole in her tights and looking politely around the room like she hadn’t been hanging onto our every word.

Cinis turned to me.

“You know,” the Ember Priestess mused in a carrying voice. “I’m still worried that those fire fairies will be all over you, Dex. They have such dreadful tempers, too. Ephy is positively stunning, but… well, there’s only one of her. I think I’d feel better if someone else joined her by your side at my crowning in the fire-lands. Someone powerful enough to hold them off, if need be…”

I saw Nara’s head perk up, and I could tell Cinis saw it, too. She got to her feet smoothly, and I admired the sway of her hips as she walked in Nara’s direction with her usual panther-like grace.

Then the Ember Priestess stopped and posed with an expression of innocent thoughtfulness on her face.

“Hmmm…” Cinis went on in a leading voice. “Someone who knows magic… A witch, maybe…?”

She paused again for suspense and tapped her lip with a pale, elegant finger like she was deep in thought.

Nara was practically vibrating with excitement, and at the word “witch,” she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“I’ll go!” she burst out. “I want to see th… I mean, I can help.”

“Excellent,” Cinis purred. She dropped the innocent act and gave Nara a sultry smile before she sauntered back my way. I had to bite back a laugh at Cinis’ seduction of the wild-haired witch. “But keep in mind, Nara… you won’t be able to stay for long. A mortal like you could shrivel up like a raisin if you spend more than a few hours in the firelands.”

“But Dex is going for longer,” Nara instantly protested.

“Dex carries the water of the goddesses within him,” the Ember Priestess laughed. “He’ll do just fine, but don’t worry, you’ll have an excellent time either way. I promise.”

Nara smiled giddily at us, and I could tell she was already imagining the Ardere and its powerful fiery inhabitants.

I got to my feet.

“Okay, so that’s settled,” I said and returned Nara’s grin before I moved on to the next thing on my mental checklist. Then I went and seated myself behind my desk. Sitting in “the Master’s Chair” helped me think more deeply when I was trying to puzzle something out.

Nara’s smile dimmed a little when she studied my face again.

“So what happened?” she asked me.

At that moment there was a timid knock on the door. Nara seemed prepared to ignore this, but I shot her a look.

“Pffft!” An irritated look appeared on her as she ground her teeth, but she appeared to decide it wasn’t worth the trouble to argue with me. Then the witch got up, marched to the door, and yanked it open so fast that the knocker came tumbling into the room.

“Terrible timing!” Nara caught Mazne by her elbows, and somehow the whisky glass in the secretary’s hand didn’t overturn. Then the witch snatched the glass out of Mazne’s hand, held it up to give it a sniff, and marched over to hand it to me without a word. I must’ve still looked like I needed it.

“Thanks, Maz,” I called out, and I tried to make up for the witch’s rudeness with an apologetic smile.

The secretary gave me a reassuring little wave and then, after a last wary glance at Nara, backed out of the room and closed the door behind her.

I shot the witch a somewhat stern look but decided that reprimands could wait.

“So,” I started off. “When I was fighting the Voltid, he sort of… exploded.”

Nara didn’t respond for a moment. She just gave me a little pause, like she was waiting for me to go on, and when I hesitated, she pressed me for details.

“What do you mean, exploded?” she asked. Her voice held a mixture of startlement, concern, and curiosity. And a little excitement, I thought.

“Well…” I muttered. “Blood and guts everywhere, just… for no apparent reas--”

“So, no fire when he exploded?” she asked. “No sparks or anything?”

“None,” I said with a puzzled frown. “And they had been everywhere before that. He shot flames from his fingers once or twice. But when he exploded…”

“Just blood and guts?” Nara asked.

I nodded.

Then the witch frowned thoughtfully and turned to Cinis.

“You said that Volties…” Nara paused. “Vol… tids… have limited fire powers. Would shooting flames be something they’re normally capable of?”

“If he was in a fit of rage, then it’s likely that he used his own powers,” Cinis said. “Voltids can do those things sometimes if they’re really worked up and lose control, but they can’t exactly use fire magic. They can’t really direct it, or channel it toward anything. It just kind of… bursts out of them sometimes.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him,” I muttered as I thought back on the fuming Voltid. “Big time fit of rage.”

“Hmm…” Nara murmured. “Anything else odd you noticed?”

“Other than him exploding into a thousand fleshy pieces, you mean?” I grimaced. “No. Well… My shot actually sort of bounced away from him when I first attacked. Like there was something invisible that it bounced off of. Oh yeah, and I think he made the wiring on my spear burn red-hot.”

“Why didn’t you mention all of that before?” the witch sputtered.

“We are telling about it now,” I chuckled, and I went over the story of Sievni’s purchase from the alchemists’ shop, and the loud sound that had rang out when my arrow ricocheted away from the Voltid.

Then I had a thought.

“Could the thing he bought have malfunctioned somehow?” I asked. “And--”

“Caused the Volt-splosion?” asked Nara. “I would think it unlikely. It sounds like the object they gave him created some sort of selective barrier field. But that’s totally external.”

The witch paused and fiddled with her long, wild brown hair like she was gathering her thoughts before she spoke again, and a few twigs rained down out of the nest.

“Magic gets a lot more complicated once it enters a living being,” she explained. “And it takes a hell of a lot more power to accomplish this. Plus, it’s not as easy to direct or predict when this sort of thing happens. So, if some sort of magic were to enter Sievni’s body, it would make sense for something crazy to happen, like organs exploding everywhere. But it would be really difficult for the magic to enter him, especially by an inanimate object. And since it was a protective object on top of that…”

“I see,” I mumbled, and then I turned to Cinis. “What about my spear wiring, though? Isn’t it kind of a leap for a Voltid to extend their powers into metal like that?”

“A leap, maybe,” the Ember Priestess answered. “But not an entirely surprising one. Voltids are always dabbling in things they shouldn’t be. Magic they can gain from others, or objects that can assist their efforts. They’re just usually not smart enough for anything to come of these interests, but I suppose he could have procured something like this as a protective measure for himself. I’ll look into things around the Ardere.”

The rest of our conversation was interrupted when Nara let out a shriek of excitement that practically rattled the windowpanes when she saw something behind me.

“Nipitar egg!” she gasped.

The witch bounded over to ogle the big, wine red egg that sat inside the protective glass orb I’d moved it to a few days ago.

The sun was shining on it, and the veins that ran through the egg’s surface gleamed. They looked like they were all different shades of gold when they were lit up.

“Oh, yeah,” I mumbled reluctantly. I hadn’t wanted anyone else to know about the nipitar egg.

It was now early autumn, and that meant the egg could hatch any day. I wanted to keep an eye on it, so I had started bringing it with me from room to room when I was within the estate. This meant it was usually in either my sleeping quarters or my office when I was home. And I hadn’t exactly planned this strange little gathering in my office, so the egg was still in plain sight where I’d left it earlier.

“And why is it in that glass orb?” Nara asked while she stared at it.

“To keep it safe, of course!” I retorted.

The orb was about the size of a large pot and held about six inches of fine black volcanic sand to give the egg a soft resting place. I had added some pillowy purple moss from the orangery to make it a little nest. The glass looked seamless at first glance, but its top half could be lifted off like a lid, and there were vents to allow some airflow without letting too much warmth escape. It was held snugly in a stand that was essentially a large brass hoop on four low, sturdy legs like a table. This kept it from rolling off and put it at a height where I could glance over at it every now and then when I was seated at my desk.

I did this more than I liked to admit. I was already incredibly fond of the little creature inside, even though I hadn’t met it yet. I couldn’t wait for the egg to hatch.

Almost like it was answering my thought, the egg suddenly made a strange thrumming sound. It wasn’t a noise I would ever expect to hear from an egg of any kind, but my nipitar egg was unmistakably the source of it.

It was a deep sound and not very loud, but powerful somehow. It seemed to send some sort of vibration through the air, and each time the sound repeated, I could feel it go through my chest like some sort of seismic wave.

“What the…?” My murmur trailed off as the noise came again. It came at the pace of a slow, steady heartbeat.

Nara answered me with a single word. It was the same word she said to me when she first looked at me this afternoon.

“Magic,” she breathed.

I stared at the witch for a second. That was the most reverent I had ever heard her sound about anything.

The thrum came again. All four of us hurried over to the egg, and I took off the top half of the glass orb. I set it on my desk, and then we crouched down around the egg in a circle. I glanced around and saw my own excitement reflected on the three women’s faces while they watched the egg intently.

The thrumming picked up speed and echoed faster and faster. I felt my pulse speed up, too. The sound went on like this for a few minutes, and the egg shuddered and jumped.

Then a startlingly loud crack rang out, and a coin-sized fragment of eggshell went flying. It bounced and skittered across the floor, and then a few more pieces quickly followed it. The thrums continued to pick up speed. Through each little hole in the egg, we could see an almost translucent, shimmery gold membrane that wavered like a bubble on the verge of popping, and tiny fractures spread across the egg’s deep red surface.

Finally, a deafening snap split the air, and one long, narrow gap split open across the entire length of the egg.

The thrumming stopped all at once, and all four of us leaned forward with fascination.

After a few long moments of stillness, a tiny, scaly little hand poked its way out of the gap. The hand’s scales glimmered a pale gold, and as we watched, it hooked its curved, needle-sharp claws around one edge of the cracked shell.

Ephy shuffled closer to Cinis and let out a muffled squeal into the Ember Priestess’s shoulder. They looked at each other gleefully, but Nara was staring silently at the egg like she was transfixed.

The clawed little hand pulled at the egg until the fragment collapsed inward. Then the nipitar slowly crept out, and my heart leaped at the sight of it as all the women cooed in unison.

The nipitar had a body shape similar to a dragon’s, but was smaller in size. It was covered in gleaming scales that were all different shades of gold, just like the veins in its egg had been. The lightest was a pale champagne color and the darkest was a shade of rich, burnished bronze. Most of the darker scales were concentrated on the nipitar’s face, so its big bright eyes shone like harvest moons. Eyes with long dark lashes fluttered a few times while it stared owlishly around at each of us in turn.

It got to me last, but the moment the nipitar laid eyes on me, it made the sweetest little humming noise like it was excited. I kept a straight face, but I felt like my heart might melt. I decided I should let it come to me, so I sat and waited.

It took a few seconds for the nipitar to get itself all the way out of the egg. While it was pulling its back legs out, the door-like fragment of egg caught on one of its claws, and the nipitar was stuck fast. After a few seconds of struggle, the little creature raised up its long, flat, crocodile-like snout and made a noise that sounded like a mixture of its little hum and the howl of a tiny wolf.

Ephy had inched right up close to the open orb to watch, so it was easy for her to reach forward and help free the little nipitar. Very gently, she gripped the egg fragment between two fingers and angled it slightly so that the next time the nipitar jerked its leg, the fragment slid right out from under the claw. Even though she’d been shaking with excitement, Ephy’s hand was steady as she assisted the little creature, and I felt a surge of affection for her while I watched her care for it.

The scaly little nipitar didn’t even notice the help Ephy gave it. After its claw was freed, it stopped and panted from the effort of all its tugging and pulling. While it did this, the nipitar’s tongue lolled out like a dog’s from between its tiny, razor-sharp teeth.

I exchanged mystified glances with the three women.

Nipitars were rare enough that I had never known anyone to have one for themselves, so I had no way of knowing if it was normal for them to breathe that way.

Then the nipitar gathered itself and started its journey toward me again. It was clumsy like most animals are when they walk for the first time, and the sand seemed to confuse it into thinking it needed to raise its feet above its head with each step. It was so cute and comical I couldn’t help but chuckle. Across from me, Cinis was biting down on her knuckles to stop herself from laughing.

At the sound of my voice, the little nipitar picked up its pace, and it finally reached my side of the orb. It half-jumped to hook its little claws around the edge for support and then stopped again to pant for a few seconds. Then it moved its dragony-hands forward on the glass edge and spread them further apart.

I watched open-mouthed as the newborn nipitar went through a suddenly graceful series of motions.

First, it braced itself on its puny arms while it pushed off the sand as hard as it could with its feet. As it gained height, it bunched up its legs and gained a grip on the edge with its feet, and then it quickly used them to push off the glass edge in a jump toward me. This happened so quickly that I was caught off guard when the tiny little creature succeeded in its leap. It spread out its translucent cream-colored wings and used them like a parachute to sail into my lap.

I caught the tiny nipitar almost by reflex. It was so small I could hold it like a little sandwich, and this was the position I caught it in, which made me laugh again.

The little creature started to hum happily, and I stroked one of the small spikes that ran from its head all the way down its spine and tail. They were the same wine-red color as the egg the nipitar had come out of. Even though its hands and feet were small, I noticed that they seemed big compared to the rest of its body, and I wondered if that meant it would grow to be especially big.

The women all gathered close to see the little nipitar, but the little guy snapped its long snout at them like it was trying to protect me instead, though. I patted its little head to reassure it and introduced it to the women one by one to show it that they weren’t a threat.

The women already seemed almost as attached to the thing as I was, and they spent nearly an hour cooing over it and debating whether it was male or female. Like lizards, there was really no way to tell for sure until they grew to adult size, even as far as Ephy knew, and she’d seen nipitars before in her travels.

She marveled over the shine of its scales.

“I have some memories of swimming near the nipitar nesting grounds when I was young,” the siren told us. “They were beautiful. But I don’t remember any of them being so… shiny.”

She ran a gentle, light-green finger over the nipitar’s golden scales, and it raised its head to click its pointed little teeth at her a few times.

“Is that clicking thing normal thing for them to do?” I asked her with a touch of concern.

Ephy giggled at the nipitar and waved her finger over its snout like she was trying to tempt it into doing it again.

Then she looked up at me.

“I’m not sure,” she confessed. “It was a long time ago. I don’t think it means there’s something wrong with him.”

She patted my hand like I was a fretful mother, and I decided to focus on just enjoying how surreal it felt to have such a rare and glorious creature scuttling around right in my office.

Soon after this, Cinis got to her feet with a sigh.

“I should go back to the Ardere,” she sighed. “I need to prepare for the ceremony tomorrow.”

She gave me a lingering kiss and then pried my hands from her waist to pull Ephy close. The siren giggled when the Ember Priestess reached up to tuck a strand of periwinkle hair behind her ear.

“We’re going to have so much fun,” Ephy sang. “I cannot wait to finally see your beautiful realm… even if it does sound a little scary.”

“Yes, we are,” the Ember Priestess said. She gave us a coy look and shot Nara a wink before she sauntered to the door.

Before Cinis closed the door behind her, she turned back for a moment.

“Tread carefully with the fire fairies tomorrow,” she reminded me. “They’re rather eager to meet the handsome mortal who slayed Ignis.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Nara piped up boldly. She answered my raised eyebrow with a cheeky shrug and then waved as Cinis smirked approvingly and walked out.

The witch got to her feet too after she gave the sleepy nipitar a final stroke on the head.

“I should get going, too,” she said. “Witch business.”

“Of course,” I chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Nara.”

“Goodbye Nara!” Ephy trilled.

When the stamping sound of Nara’s platform shoes had faded, the siren turned to me.

“I like her,” she sighed dreamily.

“I like her, too,” I grinned. Nara was truly a character, and one I was pleased I got to see more and more of lately.

The way Ephy and Cinis kept doting on her made me think they very much wanted Nara to spend as much time with me as possible, too, and I didn’t bother scolding them for being so obvious about it.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t very interested in getting to know the scandalous Headmistress a bit better.

But for now, I had my hands pretty full of beautiful women. Not to mention my very own and incredibly rare nipitar.

I glanced down at the now-slumbering nipitar in my lap, and it’s little golden head nuzzled into the crook of my arm as it let out a happy squeak.