AFTER leaving Elminage Academy for Gifted Witches and Wizards behind, the group headed for the town gate at the bottom of the hill. Wolfie, who’d been sleeping like a log, happily frolicked ahead of the other two, the golden feather from Ini bouncing on top of his head.
“Lookie look! I got a pretty gold feather too!” he exclaimed, alternating looks between his master and Nichika with a smile that showed his pink gums. “Now everything’s back to normal!”
Nichika stole a peek at Oswald. “Rather than being back where we started, it’s more like Oswald is in my employ now, right?” she confirmed, her voice brimming with hope.
As far as she understood, Ini and Grindieda, the Spirit Priestess Project sponsors, released Oswald to her as an escort. Cheeks twitching at her question, Oswald shoved her head from behind. Nearly falling on her face, she tripped two steps forward and narrowly caught her balance.
“Ooph!”
“Don’t be silly. We’re back to being master and apprentice. The world will stop rotating before I serve under you.”
“What the heck? You’re the loser who one-sidedly ended our contract! Are you implying you’ll never stand on equal footing with me no matter what I do?” she argued vehemently.
Wow, it’s been a long time since we last bickered like this…
“I’ll gladly do so the day you surpass me at something,” he haughtily declared before she could revel in nostalgia.
“Oh my word! Do you ever stop looking down on people?! If you’re going to act like this, I’d prefer you to switch back to butler mode!”
“Your wish is my command, my lady.”
Nichika’s careless remark in the heat of the moment flipped a switch in her master. He caught her right hand in his, stopping her from moving forward, and reverently kissed her knuckles.
“I shall accompany you to the ends of the world as long as you so desire it. As I live and breathe, I shall become your hands and feet. For my greatest joy in life is to offer myself up to you and die for your sake, my lady.”
“—!”
His passionate oath set her body on fire and her cheeks flushing. The gentle brunette butler had his own appeal, but flattering her as the frigid witch in all-black had a destructive power on a whole other level. She came dangerously close to saying, “please do!” and had to convince herself it was all an act.
“S-Stop it! I can’t stand it! Butler mode is too much for me!”
“It is a butler’s job to look after his incompetent mistress.”
“Don’t insult me in that buttered-up tone!”
“My lady could be the model for idiocy.”
“I asked you to quit it already!” she snapped at him for layering his disparaging remarks in flattery.
“Ha!” he snorted and released her hand from his grip, finally returning to his usual demeanor. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. I’d rather die than go through that stifling farce again.”
“Good. I hope you never do…” Nichika concentrated on quieting her rollicking heart.
“Ah,” Wolfie uttered in the middle of watching them with a toothy smile. “I just remembered that someone who knows where the next Great Spirit is will being showing us the way there. That’s what the headmaster said.”
“Really? Are they waiting for us somewhere?”
“Yep. She said they’ll be waiting for us at the town’s gate wearing the same gold feather as me.”
Then they should be able to see the person soon. The trio swept their gaze around the area and stopped when they spotted someone waiting a little ways ahead.
“Oooh! You’re here. You’re here. You’re late!”
Unkempt dark-green hair came into view first. A gold feather glittered in the chest pocket of the young man with snakelike yellow eyes.
✦ ✦ ✦
……
A woman living in the neighborhood reported a fire in the corner of a city apartment early last night.
The fire was extinguished approximately two hours later, but the entire apartment believed to be the source of the fire completely burnt down.
The woman (38) living alone in the studio apartment was out at the time and has been reported safe. The police are investigating the cause of the fire, which is currently believed to be due to a short circuit……
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Next in the news……