UNAWARE of her master’s capture, Nichika returned to the penthouse after class that evening to a wolf restlessly pacing the room. His ears flicked upright and he ran over and jumped on the girl wailing.
“Awoooo! Nichikaaaa! Welcome baaaack!”
“Hey there. What’s wrong?”
Wolfie let out a distressed howl then gave her the unbelievable news. “Maaaster has…Master has vanished!”
“H-How?”
Wolfie tearfully explained that Oswald had snuck into the Five Eldra Steorra’s mansion earlier that day to further his investigation. He ordered Wolfie to keep watch outside, but time flowed on endlessly without any signs of him returning. As the wolf paced back and forth debating what to do, the man with an unhealthy love of dogs came back, reigniting Wolfie’s trauma from the other day and he scampered away.
Oswald didn’t return at the time he set? Nichika’s thoughts arrived at the worst possible conclusion. She clapped her hands around Wolfie’s fluffy cheeks and shouted, “Doesn’t that mean he got caught?!”
“Awooooo! What do we dooooooooo?!”
Nichika was about to ask more questions when she noticed a sudden change. Pebbles of red light rolled from her hair and melted into thin air.
“Oh no!”
The magic disguising her wore off with a loud POP. Her flashy red hair reverted back to its original subdued color. Oswald had activated the magic item clipped into her hair, and its effects continued to be in use by constantly burning a minuscule amount of his magic. Something must have happened to him if he couldn’t even maintain that low-scale spell.
Wolfie seemed to draw the same conclusion as his fur stood on end and he let out a long howl. “Awoo! Something’s happened to Master!”
“Let’s go look for him, Wolfie!”
Nichika snatched the magic orb from its hiding place under her pillow and flew from the room with the wolf. Someone called her to a stop just as she made it to the bottom of the dorms and was about to pass through the entrance hall.
“Ohh? Why are ya in such a hurry?”
“Mister…Lambert!”
Dyed orange in the evening sunlight, he flicked his hand in an amused wave. He was being stared down by the girl and her pet wolf, but tossed them a friendly grin and fussed, “Aw, shucks. Don’t treat me like a stranger. Call me by name.”
“Uhh, who are you, mister?”
“Me? A champion of justice.” Lambert messed with Wolfie who was meeting him for the first time.
“You’re a hero?!”
Nichika held her head in one hand at her friend whose eyes twinkled. “Sorry, I’m in a rush! I’ll deal with you later!” she shouted, her boots squeaking on the hardwood floor as she broke into a run past him.
“Could it be you’re searchin’ for good ol’ Oswald?” he casually remarked.
She skidded to a halt just past him and looked over her shoulder at his mildly startled expression. She took three steps toward him and growled, “You know where he is?!”
“Uh-huh. I sensed someone usin’ teleportation magic somewhere on campus a short while ago. That was him, probably.”
“Please! Tell me where the user teleported!”
Surprise flashed across his face when the girl grabbed him by the collar, but it was immediately replaced by a deadly grin. “You might be the first person to ever outright ask me for what they wanted.”
Bargaining and haggling dictated most of the exchanges in this world. Ashamed of having forgotten that rule yet again, Nichika released his shirt.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“No worries. My heart did a little flip. Oh, but I think I’d like a reward in return.”
“If it’s something I can give—” she said, her fists clenched and head tilted back to face him.
Something brushed Nichika’s lips. Unsure of what just happened, she merely stared at his face only an inch or two from hers.
“……”
Lambert licked his lips which curled into a satisfied smile. “Thanks for the taste.”
✦ ✦ ✦
THAT was just payment. That was just payment. That was just payment. That was just payment, Nichika repeated in her head like a litany as she ran. Why do the people of this world kiss without permission? Do kisses have no feelings attached here?
Unconcerned with the great state of dismay he put her in, Lambert showed the way, explaining things as it pleased him. “Students can’t teleport because there’s a barrier covering the entire campus. Only professors or higher are allowed, but from the bitter taste in the air, I’d say that spell was cast by the headmaster.”
He spun around and skillfully ran backward, a big grin spreading across his face. “Speaking of taste, your magic tasted delish. Can I have another bite?”
“Quit your yapping and focus on getting me there faster!” Nichika demanded, her cheeks crimson. Lambert cackled at her.
“I didn’t know you were a friend of Master’s, Mister. You a student here?” Wolfie asked out of curiosity as he frolicked alongside Lambert.
“Moi? I’m more a grad student. I currently work at the magic lab assisting the Prof.”
“Prof?”
“Yup. Lolo Village’s lil’ Makina’s old man. Professor Logical.”
Nervous tension shot through Nichika, staying her legs. Right, this guy used a magic item to control Sumire into throwing herself off a cliff.
Suddenly stopping and eyeing him with a dark expression told Lambert more than he needed to know about what she was thinking.
“What’s wrong?” he asked in a friendly voice that went along perfectly with his always approachable expression. “Lemme guess: you’re worried I’m gonna lead you straight into the wicked arms of my Prof?”
Laughing, he waved his hand in front of his face and denied the question he put out there. “Nu-uh. Not happening. Relax. I’m the type of guy who follows through with a job after I’ve been paid. I really am gonna bring you straight to where upperclassman Oswald is.”
“……”
His assurances did nothing to alleviate her wariness of him.
“The whole ordeal with the maid in Lolo Village wasn’t my doin’,” he added for good measure. “I didn’t have much choice since it was Prof’s orders. Gotta work for the money received, y’know?”
“That doesn’t give you the right…”
Lambert, who’d only been laughing and smiling the whole time, suddenly turned serious. His tone dramatically shifted to a deadly calm as he stated the conviction he lived by.
“Anyone who deals with magic must keep a promise once made. Even the most trivial verbal agreement becomes a contract to us.”
He’s saying the same thing as Oswald. After an internal struggle, Nichika finally conceded.
“Fine. I’ll trust you to lead the way.”
Lambert grinned and resumed his backward run. Sneaking a peek at the girl running beside him, he snickered on the inside.
She’s as innocent and trusting as a child. They say sincerity is a virtue, but put another way, it just makes the person more convenient. He purposefully didn’t warn her about it. After all, her trustfulness might make things “more convenient” for him later. Not that I know when that’ll be.