---D-Day+58, Glenic 29th---

"What do I do?"

Its a cloudy cool afternoon but at least its not raining.  I'm walking thru a crowded campus on my way to Kashiwa Hall.  Only a couple hundred students are back.  But when you add four hundred hopefuls plus their families and servants on top of that?

Yeah, Stormgarde is packed.

The students in Delta Tau Chi are getting attention again.  At least in a good way this time.  The whole fraternity thing is a somehow a new concept here.  Many returning students are asking lots of questions.

Think I messed with Ymanie too much last night.  Something about her just demanded teasing though.

"Tell me abut your home world Jon."

They shouldn't be using my first name, right?  Or are they princesses so I'm the one who shouldn't be calling them heinie-nesses?

And they won over the harem way too quickly.  Had me looking for charm magic and checking their drinks for aphrodisiacs.  Poor things would have had their v-cards stamped before the ball was even over if Ushi and I hadn't refused.

You know?  This might be the first time I've ever told my wives 'no.'  Its gotta be the first time Frankie's ever tried keeping a girl out of my pants.

Its a king and duke's daughters.  Seriously, not worth the hassle.

Of course me putting my foot down did not fix anything.  Just made my wives switch to plotting mode.  Even Frankie joined in for that.

Sigh.

Probably won't stop until I'm sitting on the tourinese throne.

I'm not here for that!

Already had to apologize to the Redbrands, Ex-patchy, Rowl, Alex, Drabek, plus some black and greens this morning.  Kind of took out my frustrations on them.  Thank god for [Recovery Magic].

For exam week I've had to shorten my sessions down a lot, but I won't skip them.  Have to get stronger, fast, since the heroes are already moving against me.  Pretty sure that thief is here alone but, more could show up any day now.

Unless one them really is pregnant.  That should give me a few months if true.  Maybe longer.  Probably?

Ugh.  Brain hurts.  I think I think too much.

At least the dance exam this morning went okay.  Plenty of applicants are better than me and they aught to be.  An entire childhood of tutoring sure as shit should make them better than the guy only practicing for a month.

Queuing for the dance took out the rest of the morning.  And it was nice having my wives cheer me on.  Just Frankie, Red, Blue, and Lili though.  What a weird fucking feeling that was.  The last time I was cheered for like that in school?

My mom.  And I was probably around fifteen.  Yeah, really not sure how to process that.

Odaline and Simone weren't there because they're teachers after all.  So they are running exams with the rest of the faculty.

After we meet up and have a pleasant lunch, I'm heading to room 152.  My own corner of 'Kashiwa Hall.'  Yeah, its not the one hundred and fifty second room.  That got me at first too.  Its the fifteenth room, on the second floor.

Each floor of Kashiwa Hall has twenty rooms.  Along with the observatory at the south end and auditorium at the north end.  The first floor's rooms are the raised seating type.  Three rising rows with ten seats each.  The second floor's rooms are the typical open classroom lab style.

Over the last couple of weeks, lamer saruman's made some changes to my laboratory.  Besides upping the wards and barriers?  The two hallway doors in the classroom have been removed.

The storeroom at the back of the classroom has now become an entrance room.  An enclosed foyer.  With one door to the hallway and one door to the classroom.  In this room guards are present and identities are confirmed to keep the curious out.

Navigate thru the halls and rotunda.  Crowds of applicants heading to this room or that for more exams.  Wave at Milti and 'Elma' when we pass them.  Would chat but everybody's in a hurry of course.

I walk into 152's foyer and greet the black and greens plus combat maids.  Pearlden's silver halberds aren't allowed in here.  The Black Hart is only allowed because I work here.

So...  Why is knight chick here?

Geesh, don't take a knee.  God.  She's got a boob plate on.  Her kneeling like that shows me her entire grand canyon.

All six wives are with me now.  No way would Odaline and Simone miss a cultivation session.  Yeah, its getting crowded in here.

"It is an honor to meet you again Viscount."

"Uh.  Nice to see you again too.  Dame..."  Frankie mouthing the name to the rescue.  "...Matylda."

Did knight chick just giggle?

"May I ask a question, Lord Barton?"  Nod.  "Your, appearance has changed from the last time we met.  May I ask what happened?"

Huh.  Figured she would have gotten an ear full, being tin can's side piece and all.

"The church attacked me while in Colrac's dungeon and I ate a [Metia's Verdict]."

The room was pretty quiet before.  Now?  Its a tomb.

Knight chick seems to be having problems with words.

"A... Ah... I-isn't th-that i-im-imp... Ah."

"A few oracles setting that spell off in my face?  Burned away a lot of that muscle car you guys gave me."  Spread the arms.  "This?  Is what's left."

Let's not bring up the frankenstein stuff.  We don't want to make this, weird.

Huh?  Whoa.  Knight chick.  What's up with that look?

"S... So... S-s-strong..."

Uh... Yeah?

Wait.  Aren't those two old lady attendants the ones behind the dynamic duo last night?  Why are they here?

...

I got a bad feeling about this.

A combat maid opens the door and I step into Room 152.  The tables and chairs are still gone, and probably won't ever come back.  Three of the walls are covered by chalkboards.  Which themselves are covered in notes, formulas, incantations, and magic circles. 

The fourth wall is still all windows.

Along the walls are a few stools.  But most of the clusters of teachers and students, discussing and staring at the stuff on the chalkboards?  Are standing. 

Some are sitting.  But its on the floor, in spots along the cultivation spiral that's been drawn across the entire classroom.

Dozens are in the room but, of course, I can clearly hear the two conversations going on at the far side of the room.  One is Senior senior citizen, Rector Tharick, and my shadow dragon, Frazur.  Who has shrunk down to the size of a dog.

The other?  Frosty, Dean Franziska, and, you guessed it, Princess Isabeau, and Viscountess Ymanie.  Ugh.  Who the hell let them in here?  Whats the point of securing the room if you don't, you know, secure the room!

The three amigos, I mean lolis, are staring hard at all the crap on the walls

"Jon can really do all this?"  There is way too much awe in Isabeau's voice.

Why am I so happy when my wives use my first name?  But the dynamic duo saying it?  Makes me, uneasy.

"Yep!  Isn't my onii-chan great?"  Happy Frosty loli.  "And I won't rest until he promotes me to wife."

"W-w-wife?"  Ymanie is quite the blusher.  Reminds me a bit of Red.

Professor loli nods proudly.  Frosty...  Don't try to puff up a chest you don't have.

"Right now?  I'm just another mistress.  And onii-chan has buckets of those.  But someday I'll earn..."

Buckets?  Okay, what are the two 'adults' saying.

Tharick and Frazur are staring at the magic circle for [Embrace of Hygieia].

"What if we move Xanli Ascendant from the second ring to the third?"

~Good idea.  That should lower the mana pull in the second verse and maybe let us finally drop the earth school.~

All five of them, and everyone else in the room, stop when I soften my aura and let it expand to its regular size.  Displaying the true volume and depth of my spirit which immediately fills the space.  Several even jump, startled.

It was pretty big to begin with.  But the vault ambush made it a true monster.  Thank god Frankie knew techniques for condensing it.  I've kept practicing and its to the point where I can look, well, normal or even weak.

Would really rather not do this in front of the dynamic duo, but can't really meditate with it compacted too much.  Plus I'm in too much of a hurry to take the time to kick them out.

Barriers keep my aura slash spirit from spilling out of the room.  Room 152 and the Grand Suite are the only places with these special barriers.  So these are the only places I can truly, 'let my hair down,' so to speak.

"Onii-chan!"

Frosty is about to leap into my arms but I stop her with a look.  She's in trouble and knows it.

"Well...  They were really interested...  And you've let whoever we recommended join so far...  And their scores are so good they clear the top fifty...  And..."

As soon as my expression softens a smidge, Frosty has landed in my arms in a princess carry.

*whack*

Ouch, Frankie?  Already with the stick?  She's right though.  Shortened sessions means there's no time to lose.  Sensing this everyone arranges themselves into the familiar meditation circles.

Frankie and Tharick guide the wonder twins to spots.  From their movements its clear Frosty has already shown the process to them.

God dammit.

I take my spot, reach in, reach out, repeat.  Frazur takes his now favorite spot, my lap.  Says it feels like his soul is getting massaged.  While dozens of undead materialize and sit on the ceiling.  Yeah, the sessions have been getting pretty freaky.

After eating Frazur's soul these sessions have leveled up, again.  The air itself starts to hum and vibrate.  All your hairs want to stand on end like there is a static charge all around.  And running thru it all is, well, me.

Its beyond a splash now.  More like my mana becomes a steady rain.  Just coming at you from every direction.  At least that's how Red describes it.  Silvie uses dirtier words but the meaning is the same.

I'm a bottle of Palmolive.  And you're soaking in it.

As I soak into the princess pair, Isabeau whispers.

"Oh... Wow..."

---

"Good session, thank you everyone.  Tomorrow's is canceled for the games.  So enjoy yourselves.  And hey.  Let's be careful out there."

With numerous thank yous and touches.  Would really rather use the Cuzco, 'no touchy,' rule.  But some, especially the cultists, seem to get an extra kick out of it.  I'm out the door.

Hehe...  The wonder twins passed out and Frosty is trying to wake them.  You know?  Don't think I've ever had mana-less in these sessions before.  Hope they didn't hurt themselves.

That would be another pain I would rather not deal with. 

At least I got something I've really been looking forward to happening next.

Wanted to keep it private like the written exams but Ushi and Blue lobbied hard for me to take the instrument exam in the auditorium with everyone else.  Yeah, I caved.  Don't really care as long I get to play Cheri again.

Don't even care if I score well.  Any excuse to rock and roll on a magic guitar?  I'll take.

The compromise was that I would only go on stage if I was the last one.  If Cheri fights me today and I suck?  Or lose track of time, again?  At least I won't be fucking over the ones behind me.

But why the hell do I have to take the basement there?  I guess I sort of get it.  Thru shadows I see a lot of applicants and returning students in the building.  My entourage moving thru the halls would disrupt things.

And with today being the last day for the written and oral exams?  Stop it brain.  I don't want to get in the way of their scrambling.  Oh the returning students are working as assistants to the faculty.  Helping guide applicants and give tests.

So I enter the astronomy tower, go down to the second basement, and walk under under the building to the auditorium.  Find maid militants waiting there with Cheri.

The auditorium on the north end of Kashiwa Hall is three stories tall.  But one of those is technically the first basement.  Entrances on the south side.  Stage on the north side.  Classic auditorium design with seating rows raised like stairs.

The first floor and first basement are combined.  Stage near the bottom with seating climbing up to the first floor.  The second floor also has a balcony with open step seating too though it doesn't go out very far.  On the east and west side is booth seating.

A classical renaissance style auditorium, I guess.  Or would they call it baroque?  Not sure.  Well, whatever.

I'm waiting in the second basement and already playing Cheri.  It feels good when Cheri shows up in my mindscape.  Like a loved one coming home.  Switch back and forth between picking and driving.

Thru shadows I see the last applicant has left after playing a violin looking thing.  Stringed instruments are by far the most popular in Tourin. Wind instruments are a distant second place and percussion is even further behind.

Most applicants don't even bother with the instrument exam. Yes its part of a 'proper' education but most will never touch an instrument again. So they focus on getting more points from other tests.

Finally someone comes to get me. Frosty?

"You ready onii-chan?"

"Why are you here?"

Giggle loli.

"I love to hear you play mistress's guitar."  Smiles and hearts in her eyes.

Give her a kiss and follow her upstairs.  Ack!  Bright!  There are a string of lights across the stage front.  Sconces maybe?  All in those little reflective metal shell things to focus the light at the performers.  In this case, me.

Check the shadows to see that my wives are safe.  Yeah, I'm just not a trusting kind of guy.  They are, and sitting behind the faculty.  Damn.  The whole harem is here.

Usually the judges will ask what you're going to play but none of them knows the names of these songs anyway.

Frosty zooms over to join my wives and the wonder twins are with them too.  Sigh.  I see the team has shown up along with a few applicants. Glad Milti made it but, shit, 'Elma' is with her.  At least she isn't a cyborg with a freaking laser beam coming out of her head.

Frosty pipes up.

"Whenever you're ready onii-chan!"

A tribute.  Sang like an angel.  Screamed like a demon.

*pick*

♫ Here we go for the hundredth time. Hand grenade pins in every line. Throw them up and let something shine. Going out of my fucking mind. ¹https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnuuYcqhzCE♫

♫ I can't feel, the way I did before! Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored! ²https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYU-8IFcDPw♫

♫ In this farewell, there's no blood, there's no allibi. Cause I've drawn regret, from the truth, of a thousand lies. So let mercy come, and wash away. What I've done... ³https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sgycukafqQ♫

♫ I don't know how I got this way. I know its not alright. So I'm breaking the habit, tonight. ⁴https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H4l9RpkwM♫

♫ I remembered black skies, the lightning all around me. I remembered each flash, as time began to burn. Like a startling sign, that fate had finally found me. And your voice was all I heard, did I get what I deserved. ⁵https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysSxxIqKNN0♫

♫ Should have stayed, were there signs, I ignored. Can I help you, not to hurt, anymore. We saw brilliance, when the world, was asleep. There are things that we can have, but can't keep. If they say. Who care if one more light goes out... ⁶https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm8LGxTLtQk♫

Know I got some chords and words wrong, even with Cheri's help.  But god that felt right.  Hope you found peace Chester.  I really truly do.  And thank you Cheri for letting me bring a little bit of his light to this world.

Crap, wonder how long I've been playing again.  Hard to tell once I enter 'the zone.'  No applause?  Damn, the place really filled up.  Their looks remind me of that Chuck Berry scene from Back to the Future.  Why are some of them crying?

Well, would be lying if I didn't admit to shedding some tears too.

Its good to be reminded of why I'm here.  Protect my son's future.  So he can still hear amazing music.  Watch amazing shows.  Eat great food.  Find a love.  Make a family.  I will kill the one who aimed for him.

God?  Devil?  Planet?  Don't care.  You're dead.

"We miss you Chester."

With those words, I just walk off stage and go back downstairs to the basement.  Maid militants are waiting for me with odd looks but I don't care.  Hand her the guitar and go out a side door.  The wives will catch up if they want to.

Should cut them loose.  Should move on.  Some time alone to think might help.

Before I realize it I'm back in the Grand Suite.  Not-sebastian bows as the maids quietly undress me.  Can tell I'm not in the mood to talk.  Go straight to the bath.  Let my muscles relax and my thoughts melt.  There is a lot to consider.  Decisions to make.

Of course without the harem present?  The maids see a rare opportunity and I've got four on me in no time.  God dammit.  Hard to think with lips, boobs, and butts, working so hard to please me.

Fuck it.

"Its good to be the king."