Chapter 11 - The General's Meeting
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* CREEEEEEAAAAKKK *
Sounded the large door as it was slowly opened and entered a ninja-like dressed man holding a bunch of papers and documents. The room seemed to be a conference room.
Inside were three people; the samurai, the witch and a middle aged man already seated waiting for the last members to arrive.
" You're late!", yelled the witch. " The meeting should've started thirty minutes ago! "
" Sorry, I had an emergency errand to run.", replied the ninja.
" Ever since the king went away, Miss Grey always seemed to have a short fuse." , said the middle aged man.
" What do you mean by that, Nicholas!?", Grey, the kingdom's top spellcaster and one of the king's four generals, stood up and stared daggers at him.
Nicholas Brahman is the human representative of the kingdom. He advices the king on how to handle a kingdom with humans including their needs, common problems and solutions.
" Stop it, you old hag.", the samurai calmly said. " You're scaring him."
In an instant, a large ice sword came out from a magic circle above them. The samurai quickly grabbed the large sword with both hands. The impact shook the entire mansion and Nicholas got even more scared.
" I'll never get used to this.", he thought to himself.
" Who're you calling an old hag? Stan!.", she asked with a killing tone.
Stan is the kingdom's weapon master and one of the king's four generals.
" I also received some complaints coming from your sect that you have become less approachable." , said the ninja.
" Hmp!", she released the ice sword and sulkingly sat down her chair. " I see, even you Glenn! Everyone's against me and my broken heart! Only puff could understand me. Where is she anyway?"
Glenn is the kingdom's strategist and one of the king's four generals.
" She's the most punctial among us. I'm suprised that she is late.", Stan said as he sat back in his chair.
" Actually, Puff came to me this morning and told me that she already reached her quota for the whole month and is going on a vacation.", Glenn calmly said while reading the documents.
" Vacation? ", Stan thought of the places Puff might visit. " Don't tell me-"
" Yep, you're right.", Glenn nonchalantly replied. " Apparently, she already told Sebastian and he approved immediately."
" Wait, Glenn-, don't tell me-, the emergency errand that you had to run-", Grey banged the table with both her hands.
" Yes.", he calmly replied. " Puff enrolled herself as a student in the Golden Chalice Academy. She should be arriving tomorrow."
" WHHHHAAAATTTTT!!!!!!!", Grey was enraged. " PUFFFF! I thought we were friends!!!???"
Grey stood up and immediately walked towards the door.
" Shouldn't we stop her?", Nicholas asked with a worried voice.
" Let her be.", Glenn replied with his attention still focused on the documents. " She isn't going anywhere."
Grey abruptly opened the door, but what she saw wasn't the mansion's alleyway. It was only darkness. She looked back at them.
" What's the meaning of this, Glenn!?"
" It means, I'm not letting you leave with that hot head of yours.", he calmly placed the documents on the table and looked back at her. " I've transported this room into my shadow realm. The only way that you can get out is if I let you or you to kill me."
Gray clenched her fists. " How dare you!"
" The king ordered me to supervise the kingdom and everyone within it while he's away. That includes you and everyone in this room." , he calmly sat down. " Take a seat. We have something important to talk about."
" NO!", Grey shouted. " I'm going to force my way out of your spell!"
* Sigh * " As I've told you, Puff's construction sect had already met their quota for the whole month. That's why I agreed to let her go. You're magic sect still have a lot to do, right? We have to prepare everything the king asked us to so everything will go smoothly when he returns."
He then gave her a cold stare.
" And even if you go there without my permission, did you really think the king would be pleased if he knew that you left without finishing your job?"
Grey was frozen still and silently thought about it while pouting. " But-"
" He'd probbably lash at you and send you back here. Gahaha.", Stan said while laughing out loud.
" Fine!", she sulkingly stomped her foot and returned to her seat.
" Now that everyone's seated, let's begin.", Glenn passed the first document to Grey. " I received two letters this morning."
" This is-", Grey was surprised when she skimmed through the first doucments.
" That is from the king.", Glenn continued passing the other papers to them. " It entails the rumored " Aura Armors" Sebastian invented."
" This is amazing.", Nicholas was astonished while reading.
" Ohh! He really put a lot of effort into this.", Grey's interests were piqued. " I'll finish my job as soon as possible and take a look at these personally."
" Sebastian really made somthing out of those annoying sealing rings.", Stan said.
" Not only that.", Glenn replied. " These armors could actually bring out even the slightest power a being could have. That means, even the weakest human could have the strength to fight magic beasts in the underground."
" With these, even a country of humans won't be taken lightly by other races.", Nicholas said while trembling.
" I hope that idiot could convince Sebastian.", Stan worriedly said.
" I'm sure he's fine. He always get things done. He always did, right?", Nicholas reassuringly replied.
" The second part of the King's letter is quite disturbing.", Glenn read the part of the letter out loud.
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" What!?", Grey was surprised. " Demons attacked the human school!?"
" Not just any demon.", Glenn took a deep breath first. " The mastermind was Jamal, the demon king's only son."
" Ugh. I hope this event doesn't affect our ties with the demons. Since we are just developing nation. We can't afford another war breaking out with our forces not fully prepared.", Grey brushed her long grey hair with her long nails.
" That spoiled brat is alive, isn't he?", Stan crossed his legs. " Sebastian even took the liberty of sending him home. I don't see any problems."
" I just hope that would be the end of that issue and the demon king doesn't give us any trouble.", Glenn hopingly said.
" But was the punishment necessary though?", Nicholas asked them. " I mean, did he really have to tear his wings and horns? He could've just binded him and sent him back in one piece, right?"
" Hmp! Jamal should be considered a lucky guy if you were to ask me.", Grey crossed her arms.
" Lucky? You call that lucky?", Nicholas was confused.
" If anyone of us here were the one who confronted him, he would've been long dead by now.", Stan stared at him with a serious look.
Nicholas remembered that people that he was talking to were the heroes of the Unification War and probbably killed countless of demons and other beasts. He couldn't talk back at him or rather, he was scared to say anyhing that might anger them.
" He clearly broke many laws and is punishable by death. Maybe the demon king would be grateful instead that his foolish son wasn't killed and his acts weren't reported to the council.", Glenn said.
" As for Sebastian, I think keeping quiet about this matter is a wise decision in order to protect the reputation of his school."
" Jamal really had a bone to pick with Wade. I won't be suprised if other demons with the same mindset as Jamal would hold a grudge againsst us.", Stan scratched his head.
" I have acquired a personal maid that does all my chores for me. I also made two female friends. I'm enjoying my stay here, so don't worry about me." Wade wrote in the last part of his letter.
" I shouldn't say this part or Grey would freak out again.", Glenn thought to himself.
" That should be all for the king's report. We should continue keeping our guards up if ever anything happens."
Glenn collected the papers that he distributed and piled it to his side.
" Now, for the second part of our meeting.", Glenn took out a envelope that contained a photo. " Grey, Stan, what I'm about to show you may suprise you. So please try your best to stay calm."
" What is it?", Grey asked him with a serious look.
Nicholas was getting nervous that he started sweating. What could possibly inside that evelope that could suprise these monsters?
Glenn took out the photo and showed it to them.
Stan and Grey stood up to take a get a good look at the photo. Then their eyes suddenly widened, clearly shocked at what they saw.
Grey immediately grabbed the photo and took a closer look at it. Suddenly, tears started coming out from Grey's eyes and she started sobbing.
Stan took a deep breath and sat down looking really relieved.
Nicholas was astonished. Who could possibly in that photo that could make these monsterous people break in to tears.
" We need to get to her right now and bring her here!", Grey shouted.
" The photo was taken on one of the ships that was from Cyrene City port to the human continent through a sea portal.", Glenn calmly said. " So apparently, she is now on the other side of the world. Given our situation, we cannot chase after her yet."
" Excuse me?", Nicholas interrupted. " May I ask who is this person you're referring to?"
" Sorry for leaving you out. We have been searching for this person for a long time now. She's someone who is very dear to us."
Glenn took the photo from Grey and gave it to Nicholas.
Nicholas saw a person which seemed to be a woman in a silver cloak and a large scythe. He stared at the woman's face and was so shocked that he dropped the photo and stood away from it. Anyone from the underground world could recognize this person from the wanted posters posted in almost every town. Rumors says that just by uttering her name would bring anyone misfortune. The bringer of death, " The Phantom".
He picked the photo up and returned it to Glenn with his hands sweating and trembling.
" Just wait, Serene, we'll be coming to get you.", Grey took the photo and placed it in her chest.
" What exactly is your relation with her?", Nicholas reluctantly asked.
Glenn looked stared outside the window and looked back at him. " She is our Sister."
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Melissa jumped high above Rafaela and aimed her arrow at her.
" NOVA ARROW!!", Melissa released a large shining white arrow towards Rafaela.
Rafaela then transformed her orb into a cannon and fired a concenetrated energy from it.
The clash of their powerful attacks echoed in the whole training arena. Everyone that was watching were amazed.
Their regular practice sessions became popular in the academy that many students come to the training arena everytime the two of them are training.
Before the smoke cleared, Melissa used her invisibility and descended towards Raphaela.
Rafaela wasn't able to find Melissa after the smoke cleared so she isntinctively used her heat vision visor.
As her heat visor activated, she saw Melissa only a few meters above her aiming her short sword at her. She immediately guarded her attack using her cannon and kicked her away.
" Tsk! I was so close!", Melissa stood her ground after getting kicked in the gut.
" You're improving rapidly.", Rafaela transformed her cannon back into a double handed sowrd. " It will only be a matter of time before you reach the limits of your general class armor and ascend into King class."
The both of them prepared to charge, staring at each other with full intention of crushing their opponent.
" HEYY!! YOU GUYSS!!! IT'S PAST FIVE ALREADY!! WE NEED TO BE GOING!!", Alex shouted from the audience stand.
The two of them looked at Alex shouting and waving her arms at them.
" I guess winning will have to wait.", Melissa walked slowly towards Rafaela.
" Yes. About a hundred years more.", Rafaela smirked at her.
Melissa was ticked by what she said and just smiled back." Heh-"
She then suddenly threw her short sword at Rafaela which was a few meters in front of her.
Startled, Rafaela blocked her sword with her sword but in an awkward stance. " You little-"
" I got you!", Melissa pulled her bow, " White bolt!"
Melissa released a small yet quick lightning arrow.
" I won't let you!", even in an awkward stance Rafaela was able to swing her double-handed sword, " Raven's Cleave!"
Rafaela countered her attack with a purple cleaving shockwave.
" I TOLD YOU-", the both them looked up and saw Alex with her right arm burning with energy. " WE NEED TO GO!!!!"
BAAANNNNNGGGGGG!!!
Alex smashed the ground with her punch and the shockwave sent the two of them flying.
The shockwave reached the audience stand and everyone had to take cover from the flying debris from the arena.
" The general class are really in a different level than us."
" Even just the sixth royal seat can cause that much damage."
" No man would ever dare belittle those women, let alone ask them out."
Mumbled the crowd as the saw they three female general class students standing in the arena.
" What's the big deal, Alex!", Rafaela exclaimed.
" I told you! We need to get going!", Alex shouted back at her.
Melissa looked at the arena's giant clock. ( 5 : 27 )
" She's right. It's way past five. He must be starving right now.", Melissa deactivated her aura armor.
" Crap! Let's hurry or he'll try to cook the ingredients that I prepared in his fridge!", Rafaela quickly ran towards the changing room after seeing the time.
" Hey Raf! Can I cook for him this time!? Hey, wait!", Alex and Melissa ran after her.
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" I still couldn't believe that the great Raven is someone's personal maid.", Melissa said as the three of them walked out from the training arena.
" Honoring your word is part of a warrior's pride.", Rafaela replied.
" It's just isn't fair how you have to serve him just because he got lucky that you broke your sword."
" According to our rules; if your opponent surrenders, is unable to fight or if the opponent's weapon can no longer be used for battle, you'll be declared as the winner.", Alex explained.
" But only Raven's greatsword was broken, right? She had many other weapons on her arsenal.",
" Actually, my weapons are only the transformations of my weapon orb.", Rafaela materialized her armor's right arm and took out her weapon orb. " Meaning, that if one of my weapons gets damaged, the orb itself get's damaged and so will the other transformations as well."
" I see.", Melissa touched the floating purple weapon orb. " But it's still a surprise that nobody else ever found out that you've been sneaking into the male's dormitory."
" That's because we've convinced Shin that we will be the ones to patrol the Male's Dormitory every after class.", Alex grinned at her.
" And Wade's room is conveniently located near the emergency fire exit. Everytime I finish my round check, students will think that I used the emergency exit instead.", Rafaela looked at her watch. " Let's hurry, I need to pick something up from our house."
" Raven's house.", Melissa was curious. " I wonder what it looks like. I guess she and the principal lives together. From Raven's behavior, I can guess that the principal is also strict and proper even in his house."
" Have you been to Raven's house before, Alex?", Melissa asked her.
" Yup. I've visited there a couple of times already.", She replied. " You should brace yourself."
Melissa was starting to get nervous. " What did she mean by 'brace yourself'?"
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" Here we are.", Rafaela opened the gate and led both of them in.
Melissa was surpired by the design of the house. It was a very normal, snigle floored house. The house was located a bit further of the East side of the Main Campus.
" Dad! I'm home!", Rafalea shouted as she opened the main door. The two girls followed after her.
Suddenly, they heard a loud stomping noise coming from the kitchen.
" Rafaela! my precious child!", It was Sebastian running towards her with his arms wide open. " Welcome back!"
Rafaela calmly stepped aside and Sebastian rammed directly towards the door. She then walked directly towards her room. " Make yourselves comfortable. I won't take long."
" Gosh! You don't have to be so shy.", Sebastian said with his nose bleeding.
" Hello Principal!", Alex gleefully waved at him.
" Oh! Alex. You're also here and miss-, Melissa Mayer, right?". Sebastian greeted them.
Melissa was dumbfounded. " Who is this cheerful middle aged man? The Principal?No way. He's so different from in school."
" Good timing! I just finished my first batch of muffins! You can have some if you like.", He guided them into the kitchen. " Please sit down. I'll get some for you."
Sebastian then opened the oven and inhaled the sweet scent of the freshly baked muffins. " Mmmm! Perfect!"
Melissa was staring intently at Alex as they sat down at the dining table.
" What's the matter Melissa?", She asked after seeing Melissa's unpaintable face.
" Is this how he normally acts?", She whispered at Alex. " It's just too hard to believe."
" This is usually how the principal in his home. He likes cooking, doing chores and most importantly he loves Rafaela very much.", Alex smiled at her.
" Thanks for waiting!", Sebastian exclaimed as he placed a placed the freshly baked ovens in the middle of the dining table. " Please, dig in!"
" Mmmmmm! It's delicious!", Alex said while munching down on the muffin.
" You're right!", Melissa said with a very surprised look.
" Hey, Dad! Have you seen my apron!?", Rafaela shouted from upstairs.
" It's in your third drawer!", he answered back.
Melissa looked at curiously looked at him, " Umm,-Principal, Are you really okay with you only daughter working as a maid for someone?"
Sebastian smiled at her and walked towards the oven carrying the empty platter. " You need not worry, my dear. Wade is a close friend of mine. I trust him even with my life."
" Oh, yeah. You and Wade came from the Underground World, right principal?", Alex asked him.
" Yes, Alex.", He replied. " I can assure you that he's not a bad person."
" Really? You and Wade came from the Underground World Ms. Mary was talking about?", their conversation piqued Melissa's curiosity. " Wait-, Wade's only a high school student, right? And he's friends with you, a middle aged man?"
" Yes miss Mayers.", Sebastian turned to them carrying a new batch of muffins. " If you really want to know, you could directly asked Wade."
The two of them looked dissappointed as their heads were filled with so many questions.
" It's no use.", Rafaela entered the kitchen. " I've tried asking both of them a couple of times already and I've never had any straight answers."
" Sounds fishy to me.", Melissa said to Sebastian. He just gracefully replied with a smile.
" Let's go, you two.", Rafaela took their bags and headed towards the door.
" Okay!", Alex replied. " Thank you for the delicious muffins, Principal!"
" Thank you for having us, sir.", Melissa graciously said.
" And thank you girls. Please drop by again.", Sebastian waved at them. " Rafaeala, dear, please don't stay out too long."
" I promise, dad.", Rafaela replied while wearing her shoes.
The three of them left the house and walked towards the boy's dormitory.
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" It's almost six.", Wade looked at the clock while lying in his bed.
He held his stomach as it made a loud grumbling noise. " I'm hungry."
He stood up and took a peek at the fridge.
" Hmm. I think Raf would kill me if I touch these ingredients."
" Guess I'll take a bath first.", Wade walked towards the bathroom while undressing. Leaving his clothes on the floor.
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* Creeakkkk*
" Hurry up inside.", Rafaela said in a ssoft voice, so no one else could her them entering Wade's room.
" Sneaking into the boy's dormitory like this is somewhat exciting.", Melissa grinned as she entered the door.
" Right? You can feel your heart pounding. Teehee ", Alex said as they took their shoes off and orderly placed it near the door.
" Where is he?", Rafaela looked around the bedroom.
" Hey, Raf?", Alex called out to her. " Isn't these his clothes?"
Rafaela saw Wade's clothes scatered on the floor.
" Ugh! That obnoxious piece of-"
" Crap! I forgot to bring shampoo."
While Rafaela was bending down, picking up his clothes. Wade suddenly walked out of the bathroom fully naked.
" Oh! You're here! You were taking so long so I decided to take a bath first.", Wade said as she walked towards Rafaela.
" Next time don't leave yur clothes-", Rafaela stopped for when she looked up, his thing was near her face.
" There you are! Weve been-", Alex froze up when she saw Rafaela bending over while her face was close to Wade's nether area.
" What's wrong Ale-", Melissa was speechless at what she witnessed.
" What's wrong? Why did you suddenly clam up?", Wade asked them.
" KYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"
" PERVERTTTT!!!!!!!!", Melissa shouted as she covered her eyes and turned around.
" GET IT AWAY FROM ME!!!!", Rafaela screamed and walked away from him
" WHAT ARE YOU DOING RAFAELA!!! I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO SUCH INDECENT THINGS!!!!!", Alex shouted at them.
The boys walking in the hallway were surprised when they heard the screams.
" Did you hear that?"
" It sounded like girls screaming."
" It can't be. Girls aren't allowed to enter our dorm."
" SHHHH!", Wade put his finger on his lips, and told them to quiet down. As the boys were passing through his room. The girls covered their mouths and tried to keep quiet.
" Hmm. I can't hear it anymore."
" Maybe I was just hearing things."
" It's not possible for girls to enter our dorm anywahy."
The boys agreed that it was nothing and continued walking.
" Phew, that was close!.", Wade sighed in relief. " What's the matter with you-"
Before he could finished talking, a bag full of textbooks, flew towards his face.
" Ooooof----"
" Cover yourself you pervert!!!!!", Rafaela shouted at him. " Have you no shame!?"
" I'll go get your towel.", Alex ran towards his drawers, took a towel and handed it to him.
" Ah, thanks Alex!", Wade took the towel and returned to the bathroom.
" You did not look surprised at all, Alex.", Melissa asked her as she grabbed her arm with her hands shaking.
" I have three brothers after all. I'm used to seeing boys naked.", Alex replied while picking the gab that Rafaela threw.
" I-i-is that so?", Melissa's face was still red. " SO that's what a boy's thing looks like."
" Whatever! I'll go ahead and start cooking!", Rafaela stiffly walked towards the kitchen while still blushing. " He was so close! And so bi- NO!NO!NO!NO! What am I thinking!?"
- End of Chapter 11-
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!! <3 <3 <3