ƥαṇdαηθνε|
Headmistress Peach was deliberately taking her time, and the long way around, to get to her office.
Whoever was allied with this group of anti-Demon fanatics would surely know that they had been caught, and Wolfe wondered if they might have someone behind them who could clean up their mess, even out here at the Academy.
The Headmistress took them to a group of small offices in a back corridor instead of the main office and sat a small group in each of the unmarked rooms, keeping Wolfe for last.
Once she had him seated in what Wolfe was certain was an interrogation room, with spells etched into all the walls, a steel door and metal furniture bolted to the floor, the Headmistress turned a glare his way.
The atmosphere in the room was oppressive like he was being squeezed and tickled at the same time. The feeling made Wolfe realize that the wards were designed to suppress aura, so a Witch couldn’t use magic against their interrogator.
“You seem determined to end up in trouble, Mister Noxus. Where do I even start with you?” She began.
“Since you clearly know nothing of Witch etiquette, we will start there. Taking their Charms is permissible. Taking their clothes is not. Public humiliation will never be forgotten, and the group you are dealing with already wants all so-called evil species banned from the academy.
Publicly shaming Witches only proves their point and increases their support among the lower-ranked Witches who already believe that the Nobles, who are usually the ones to summon more powerful Familiars, are immoral.
They believe that the Familiar is a sign of moral character and that Witches who have a Demon Familiar are unfit for society.
If you must deal with them, do it discreetly, but the first priority should be to report the incident. Attacking Familiars directly is strictly forbidden here, and this lot will most likely be expelled after today’s fiasco.
They broke a lot of rules when they attacked Miss Christa Abilene and her Familiar, and they both have a prior history of violence against Familiars. But they are not alone in their thoughts. They are just the most violent about them.
Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Wolfe considered her monologue for a moment, then nodded. “I understand and accept my mistake. I was just a bit shocked that the High Nobles had actually given me solid advice, and I took it the wrong way.”
The Headmistress gave him a questioning look, so he continued. “When they showed up to rescue Luke Abilene and the Goblin, they suggested that I take the Witch back into my room to deal with her. My mind went in an unsavoury direction, but they most likely only meant not to make a spectacle if possible.”
The Headmistress shook her head. “I believe they meant both. The groups have a long history, and their ideologies have stratified the entire city. The High Nobles, as you call them, would have secretly laughed their heads off if you had enslaved both Witches today.”
That gave Wolfe a lot to think about. Was it possible that the slums of the lower levels were exactly as they were because of a conflict between Witches? Those with the power denying resources to those who opposed them, and the other side finding any reason to take action against Coven leadership?
The Witches had always seemed like such a monolithic force in the city that Wolfe had never thought to question if they had factions, much less what the effects of a conflict between such factions might be.
“I will keep it in mind. It’s not that I’m trying to cause trouble, though it might seem that way from your point of view. I’m just trying to make my Witches as strong as possible so they can finish their training without being bullied.”
The Headmistress smiled at his reply. “That’s a half-truth at best, and I suspect you are helping them mostly because it keeps two pretty women in your bed, but I won’t chastise you for that. Now go back to your room while administration deals with this lot.”
The Headmistress left abruptly at that point, leaving the door open behind her. Next to the room he was in was an entrance to the main office, so Wolfe took the shorter way back, jogging through the halls to make sure he was back in the room before class let out.
He was supposed to be taking care of the Familiars after all, but they had missed their meditation time and were about to miss their chance to eat lunch before the Witches got out of class.
Stephanie was reading the primer on basic nature magic that Wolfe had borrowed from the library when he returned while Pup and Flame were sleeping, so Wolfe motioned for the Familiar Cat to wait for him while he ran to the Staff cafeteria to get them some food.
Only Stephanie was a picky eater, Pup and Flame devoured anything you put in front of them, but Wolfe still took the time to make sure he picked a proper nutritionally balanced meal for all of them and ended up with a large takeaway bag to carry back to the room.
“Lady and Gentlemen, the food has arrived. For you, I have the finest lunch options. For Pup, your favourite mystery meat stew. Flame gets the barbecue beef and beans that I know your Mistress won’t let you have because you’re a messy eater and for Miss Stephanie, the catfish special, with a side of chicken salad.”
Stephanie was clearly laughing at him since the meal portion was for a human, not a kitten, but the kitchen staff insisted that she was still growing and needed to eat.
Plus, what she didn’t finish, Pup would. In fact, he would eat it if you gave him even a short distraction to get close to the plate. The giant fluff ball was a true glutton.
Wolfe had just finished cleaning the barbecue sauce off of Flame’s face and feet when the four Witches came racing into the room, eager to tell Wolfe what they had seen today.
“There are defence department buses here from the city. They don’t usually come until the end of the semester, but I heard that they are recruiting second-year students early this time.
Usually, only the Commoners are forced to serve, but I heard that they’re going to draft any of the second years who fail their midterms.” Cassie blurted out the moment they entered.
“Wait, back up a minute, draft? Since when is the city defence force not made up of volunteers?”