After breakfast, I found myself chatting with Asia and Saji before the morning meeting in the dining room at the girls’ dormitory.
“…So Fafnir is delving into Albion’s Sacred Gear?” I asked.
“Yes. The current White Dragon Emperor is having difficulty bringing around his predecessor’s lingering thoughts. Fafnir appeared in my dreams last night saying Ddraig and Albion needed him, and that he was going to lend them a hand,” Asia explained.
Huh. So it hadn’t been a dream when she called last night… I had put it down to a simple nightmare.
Saji looked puzzled. “Vritra showed up in my dreams, too. He told me the Two Heavenly Dragons were calling for him, so he was heading out… I’ve tried calling to him since this morning, but he hasn’t responded, so I guess it must have been real… The Sacred Gear seems to be working fine, but I’m running into issues controlling it without him.”
Ah, it sounded like Saji was facing the same sort of problem I was. Without Ddraig around, controlling my abilities had become a real challenge—my True Queen in particular. Right now, I was in much the same situation as when the stray mages attacked Kuou Academy. I couldn’t summon my Dividing Wyvern Fairies, either, and I was just starting to get the hang of using them… To think that two Dragon Kings had delved into Vali’s Sacred Gear. The Red Dragon Emperor Victims’ Association must be having a tough time of it in there… I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty, suspecting I was to blame… But all I could do was trust those legendary dragons.
“No one from the Bael Familia today?” I asked Saji.
“Only for the morning. They’ll be joining us this afternoon.”
“Has something happened?”
Saji pointed outside the window, to the aerial city of Agreas. “You’ve heard how Emperor Belial’s shooting a movie, right? Sairaorg and his Familia have cameo roles, so they’re helping out with the shoot. Seekvaira Agares is with them, too, apparently.”
Wow. So Sairaorg and his Familia were going to be in the movie starring the Rating Game champion? I remembered hearing that Sairaorg and Belial knew each other, and that the former had sought advice from the latter on several occasions. And Seekvaira Agares would be there, too? It sounded like the Rookies Four were all gathered in one place!
On top of that, the mages’ conference would be kicking off today as well, so its members, Rossweisse’s grandmother Gondul included, could discuss their research and the Trihexa issue. I was curious what they would talk about.
Just then, our third-year students—Rias, Akeno, Chairwoman Sona, and Vice-Chairwoman Shinra—entered the dining room.
“Let me fill you in on the schedule for the second day,” Chairwoman Sona said as the Sitri Familia distributed papers outlining our agendas.
And so began day two at Auros Academy!
✦ ✦ ✦
After breakfast, we members of the Occult Research Club split up to see to our respective tasks. I only learned what the others were doing later, but here’s a quick rundown.
For instance, Xenovia and Kiba were taking part in a Knight demonstration.
Sword in hand, Xenovia launched into a passionate lesson to the children, “Listen up! A sword is like a mirror that reflects your inner self. If you’re unsure of yourself, it will show in your swordsmanship. You’ve got to keep a cool head and be ready at all times. And remember, strike first, before your opponent gets a chance to hit you. If they start talking, that’s your chance!”
Kiba approached the topic from a different angle. “However, it’s risky relying solely on brute strength. Above all else, a Knight needs skill. And then there’s their special trait of speed. A Knight can dart around the battlefield to outmaneuver their opponents, to find openings and strike with precision.”
The children listened intently to the two contrasting approaches.
Meanwhile, Irina was in charge of a special lecture about angels.
Angels were the rarest of the rare in the underworld, and most of the children had never seen one before.
For that reason, Irina’s pure white wings and halo were a strange and wondrous sight.
“Wow! A real-life angel!”
“My dad said angels will spirit you away if you’re bad!”
Some of the children were curious, while others hung back in terror. Heaven and the underworld may have entered into an alliance, but angels were still widely feared by regular demons.
“I would never do that!” Irina declared, her eyes sparkling. “Angels are on the side of everyone who serves Heaven! Why don’t we pray together? Amen! Come on, I’m handing out homemade bread! Eating it will deepen your faith!”
The second this self-proclaimed angel started proselytizing, the parents stepped in to put an end to her lecture. I found out later it had turned into quite a scene.
Asia focused on teaching exorcist knowledge she had picked up during her time in the Church, while Gasper held a special lecture on vampires and Koneko one on youkai. Gasper, never confident appearing in public, all but panicked each time a child asked him a question.
Rossweisse continued to teach her magic classes, just as much a hit today as they had been yesterday.
Our Familia’s key members—Rias and Akeno—were giving lessons about Kings and Queens, the most important Evil Pieces.
“The relationship between a Familia’s King and Queen is incredibly important, both in the Rating Game and in private life. It’s essential to always keep your Queen by your side.”
Neither Rias nor Akeno were formal teachers—they were still young, and they both had much to learn. They were very upfront about not being in a position to teach, and that they were merely sharing their knowledge and experiences.
All the same, it was a valuable lesson for the children, and I was told they were all ears throughout.
And so we members of the Occult Research Club fulfilled our various roles across the school to the best of our abilities.
Meanwhile, the student council stepped in at times to support the teachers, while the chairwoman and the vice-chairwoman were running sessions for parents to keep them fully informed.
We may not have had a lot of staff, but both the Occult Research Club and the student council found the endless activity hugely rewarding.