A Patient Visit

"Do you know how to meditate?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"Do you know how to enter your mana heart dir-"

"I may have failed my test, but I'm not an idiot"

"..."

Tendan closed his eyes and meditated, Silas standing behind him.

"How do I push my mana out properly?"

"Sit at the middle and tug at the invisible force"

"I can't my core's in the way"

"Just… Sit near it"

"... I am. What force?"

Silas had to instruct him on every little process. It took minutes, then 10.

"Bring them here", he whispered into the boy's ears as he poked both arms with his two fingers. He didn't want to get noticed by the librarian after all.

"Hmm… What's that feeling?"

"Bring 4 of them to where you feel it. Leave the others behind for now"

"Ah sure, but how do I get there? There are so many paths…"

"Stop talking and focus, follow my fingers…", he leaned over to trail his finger from his chest slowly trailing them to his arms.

Whereby he drew another finger to follow 2 veins on each arm, moving them along as he witnessed a brownish glow trail behind his fingers, overwhelming the original colour of the vein.

On performing the first action successfully he had to do the same again, drawing his finger to his stomach and heels. And as the brown glow almost made it to the point Silas pressed on his heels…

Boom!

"Fuck!"

The librarian briefly looked their way before turning her attention to the door. A well-endowed woman stood in front of it, the doors hung wide open. A large pressure seemed to exude from her as she stood crossed armed with a haughty air.

"You", the librarian called out coldly while providing her with her full attention as she stood up from her seat.

"Dost thou hast no prudence?", the woman's voice boomed throughout the room.

"Quit speaking like a cretin, you sound like father", the librarian hissed as she squinted her eyes, her enmity on full display.

"Ah… Hm", the woman looked around the room to find all the many eyes gawking at her. She was used to this amount normally, but she didn't seek them now.

"You know of the trouble you've caused?", she spoke again, this time in a softer tone.

"I only did my job", she pulled at the chain on her neck, "I don't have much choice".

"The choice is yours if you want to pay off your dues. But you'll only ever leave this place if you behave"

"..."

The librarian only glared at her as her silence drowned the room. But following a sigh, the woman spoke up once more.

"Calm down I'm not here to punish you"

The librarian grimaced, but slowly descended back to her seat.

"He is", only for her to jump back up again to the appearance of a well kept middle-aged man.

"You!", she screamed, yet the students had similar reactions.

"Vicemaster? What's he doing here?"

"He's back?"

And amongst the clamor of students, Silas had his own thoughts, so he whispered to the boy before him to quell them.

"What's up with him? Did he go somewhere?"

"Didn't you hear? He was off trying to form an alliance against the demons that popped up recently. Didn't think he'd be back so early"

"Hm", Silas nodded his head, 'but will he bring word of what happened? Will he go public with it? Fuck…'

The vice principal strode forward to the librarian, each step causing her to falter backwards. Yet the chain kept her restrained.

"Go away…", she quivered, like prey trapped by its pursuer. But the man did not reply.

"Oh lil' sis, don't be like this. Please… Behave, it's for your own sake really"

"Go away!", she projected a blast force at him in an attempt to blow him away.

A huge gust of wind enveloped him, then faded the next instant with the swipe of his hand. Students gasped in awe at how easily he dispelt the magic. Only one grimaced within the room, or… Make that two, but his face contorted for different reasons.

'I need to act sooner than planned before the news goes viral… I need to do something risky'

Boom.

Splat.

The man's fist made contact with the librarian's stomach as he propelled himself in an instant to stop further harm befitting the environment. Yet as she coughed blood and keeled over from the impact, his other hand crushed her head down into the table. Yet the wood only contorted just a little bit. That was good quality right there.

"You know magic is forbidden inside the building. Why do you wish to lengthen your time spent with him, perhaps you have a crush?", the woman continued her speech from a distance. 

But Silas stopped paying attention at this point. He nudged the arm of the boy before him.

"Pay up, the doors open now, you can leave"

"Dude she fucked me over. I failed at the last part"

Yet Silas shrugged his shoulders, "you can try drawing it back in if you want, but you know what to do now, so pay me".

"But aren't there 3 different techniques?"

"I thought you didn't read the book…"

"Only enough for that, learning everything you knew was the deal"

"There was no such deal", 'and the other techniques were only mentioned later in the book…'

"Don't you want to extort me of more?"

"Pay up"

"Haaaa", and so he brought out a handful of points.

On turning around Silas witnessed the man haul the librarian over his shoulder, the woman taking her place behind the desk. That was his cue to head over before the others with similar intent reached her first. So he provided his name, handed in his card, and left before another disturbed him any longer. But it was not to be.

"Hey man, wait up"

"What more do you want from me"

"I should be asking you that, since I have more to offer"

"..."

"Are you… Interested? Or you trying to pretend you're not?"

Silas sighed, "go on".

"Well… I am a bank of information, trust me"

"..."

"I mean, just not on school stuff, people are more my style"

"So?"

"So~o, ask me of someone, anyone. I'll give you the information you seek, ah… For a price"

"I don't need your services", Silas rolled his eyes, 'though they could be useful later'.

"Dude there's power in information you know? Even my friends from earlier have it out for ya"

"Why're you trying to sell me on this?", Silas glared at him.

"Would it kill ya to think that I cared?"

"...", but his glare intensified giving him his answer.

"Well good, cause I don't, manner of speaking. But that's info on me, so that'll cost ya"

"..."

"Hm, stingy", he gave a deadpan look. But on receiving no response he flipped his head away and put on another amicable smile before returning it.

"So well. Then I'll give you a freebie. Rumors have it that Kiyah's about to be in for a bad time. That means that A, it's easier to make use of her to climb up the ladder of the Grismere faction before she goes with no strings attached. Or B, that she's vulnerable to being overtaken. My friend acknowledges that they've no hope of B happening. But A only occurs if they drag you down"

"Mm", 'that doesn't change the fact that the Grismere faction will collapse soon. Probably sooner than I could make use of it now… Though I might be able to make use of him…', he stared at Tendan, which made him smirk from finally being able to gauge a reaction.

"I've change my mind", Silas flicked a 10 point coin to him, which he nabbed swiftly in the air.

"Sweet, I don't have to go on rations tonight after all"

"What of your friend, the guy that slapped me earlier"

"What of him?"

"That's what I want to know", Silas squinted his eyes.

"I mean, that's kinda broad…", Tendan scratched the back of his head.

"He's in the infirmary right now, but you sent him there so you know that… He's kind of a douche that nobody really likes, but he's arguably the strongest in class, so everyone puts up with him…"

"Isn't he your friend?"

"I mean I have a lot of necessary 'friends', but really he's really much like an acquaintance"

"Then what of the guy you entered the library with?"

"That's gonna cost ya- oop", he caught another coin in mid air.

"Well he's a good friend of mine, certainly wishes to overthrow good ol' Phil. So he's gotta do the best he can while the guy's weak. Gotta steal the job from out under him. You did indirectly technically defeat Phil, so he can prove a point by beating on you. 2 Birds 1 stone and all that, who wouldn't wish you some impending doom?"

"Then you're no different I'd assume"

"Ah, now that'd be double for me"

Yet Silas didn't bother and only continued walking in silence. They travelled a few hallways in this silence, it was a wonder Tendan continued following him. Yet he did end up flinging another coin.

"What of the doctor?"

"Eh, I dunno. He keeps to himself, don't much see him outside of the infirmary"

"If you're not going to give me my money's worth…", Silas reached over while furrowing his brows.

"No, come on listen-", Tendan leaned away.

"No so… Well he's been rumored to be seen in the red light districts, middleground in the merchanting area. Some even say he's a vamp, that he brews potions from the blood of school victims. And that he conspires with a witch down in that area. Claims are false though, the academy wouldn't hire demons"

"Mmm…"

"Say… Isn't this-"

"The infirmary? Yes", he spoke as they entered a new room.

The room itself had a pathway split between curtains, mattresses hidden behind them. None were in use, as each curtain revealed an empty bed. At least, none with the exception of the last bed at the end of the row. Seated next to said bed was the most eye-catching man in the room.

With the exception of his fair skin, the rest of his features were encased in black, including his eye bags that looked swollen from many a sleepless night. A busybody from overexertion one would assume at first glance, considering there was no one else working in sight. Yet as only 1 bed was filled, even that theory seemed a little unlikely.

Silas and company walked down the narrow pathway, passed the beds and display cases of potions. Drawing near the end of the row finally sparked the doctor's attention.

"Are you friends of his?", he spoke in a deep accent, yanking his head in the direction of the sleeping patient, straddled down by metal clasps.

"Well I a-"

"Yes, we are", Silas spoke over him.

"Um, right. Well, why is he-"

"Mmm… Don't mind the bindings, his struggling proved annoying during healing"

'Isn't there a common perception of doctors?'

"That so-"

"Here", Silas threw the doctor a coin of 50 points.

"This is?"

"I heard the cafetiera is selling alcohol at half price"

"That so? Kid, I'm not about to leave a-"

"It's a promo deal that runs out soon"

"Kid… What do you take me for?"

"An overachiever?", Tendan finally spoke up, as if tired of being the one overspoken, "I think we both think you need some time to rest".

"And you said you were friends of his?", the doctor raised a brow.

"Yeah, he did", Tendan spoke again.

The doctor sighed, "if I go over there, and it's not discounted…"

Silas chucked another 50 over.

"Just don't go too far…", and with that they were left to their own devices.