Mika Torri POV

 

 

Once Shinra and Kan left I nervously fidgeted my hands and hoped that things would end quickly.

“Don’t worry, Mika you can relax we are not gonna bombard you with questions or anything like that. You can say no if you don’t want to.” Professor Goodwill reassured that I don’t have anything to worry about when that statement fueled my doubts a bit more.

“Hmm, Mika Torri if I remember you were originally from the Kingdom Auriora?” Professor Cainne asked recalling something. He started from the topic I tried to stay away from the most.

“Y-yes…” I didn’t know where to look or what to say.

“Stop asking her questions like that!” Tania-sensei smacked Professor Cainne bluntly.

“Y-you old hag!” Professor Cainne just sucked it up without fighting back and Tania-sensei asked while her eyes felt as if they were piercing through me.

“Mika Torri, I heard what happened and I am sorry…” I could tell that her eyes were sincere, and her words seemed to be aimed at her powerlessness to do anything back then. “To tell you the truth, I am friends with your Grandfather Prociscus and I taught your Mother Kiria healing magic as well as offensive wind magic.” It felt like she was reliving those memories. “I first saw you as a baby being held by your mother’s tender arms it was so…” As much as she would like to tell me more my eyes weren’t telling the same.

“It seems I trailed off… my question for you is…”

A question that I dreaded ever since, would come back to haunt me.

“Can you tell me who are you supposed to be?”

Tania-sensei's gaze rendered me for a few seconds. “Cause so far I don’t know who you are?” For a moment I could not feel their presence anymore… Even the beat of my heart seemed so far away. As if I was pulled to a state of beyond comprehensible.

“E-eh… who am I supposed to be…? Well, that’s…” My thoughts were overflowing to come out and I couldn’t keep them locked up forever. Still, there was my will to contain them until the end.

“That’s a bit rather odd to ask. Of course, I am Mika Torri.” Soon my vision enveloped darkness. Were they doing something I’m not sensing?

“I see, you are Mika Torri…?” A voice that belonged to Tania-sensei confirmed. Then my senses started to falter as the realm of consciousness started to close in.

“Don’t give me that crap… you are not Mika Torri…” The voice was filled with discontent and disappointment. “I’ll ask you again, who are you supposed to be…?” When was it…that I started wanting to kill myself?

“I…” Seeking for someone I started blurting out things. “I am Mika Torri, an u-unworthy daughter of Leous Torri and Kiria Torri. Born as a princess to eventually become a puppet, I never wanted anything, not once have I wanted anything more than the life of my parents… I wanted to keep being unworthy if that would make my parents alive but I… I just wanted someone after all these years… someone…! ---”

“Next! You may go, student of Tempest.” Although somewhere in my mind I understood that it was over, I could not calm the uneasiness ever since I was alone in the room.

“Why do you have to that grandma?” It felt that Secretary Inerva was saying something.

“If she does not find herself, I’m afraid she cannot know what her parents left behind.” A figure of tania-sensei’s eyes was filled with grief.

‘Why…what are they saying…?’

“Don’t Inerva, this is something she needs to understand sooner or later before-” Professor Cainne’s mouth moved.

“Hey, Mika!” Someone opened the door and was near me.

‘Kan…?’

 

Shinra Mavirus POV

 

After a while we wanted to see what was happening and got back to the hallway, the door from where Mika and the rest, was slightly opened and one look, I could already tell Mika was out of it.

Kan immediately noticed and rushed towards Mika. A sliver of chill registered through my body as if barring his fangs. “Kan…?”

“What happened here?” Without giving anyone time to reply, Kan marched in and lightly pressed Mika towards his body and slightly caressed her head with his right hand.

“You make it look like we did something wrong.” Sheila-san was the first one to answer, crossing her legs it was the same eyes earlier when she defended us. Oddly Sheila-san was also acting irregularly. What is happening as of this moment?

“What does that mean?” Kan’s posture was a lot firmer and there was depth in his voice. An unusual tension started to accumulate within Kan and Sheila-san that at one point I had find it harder to breathe.

“Seriously you guys...” Secretary Inerva stood up and walked to where Mika is. She slowly raised both her hands and clapped as if dispelling a curse.

“There… she won’t be waking up for a few hours. Let her rest in the meantime and since it should be one of your turns you should let me take care of Mika.”

“I’ll go first, don’t worry Kan make sure Mika is fine.” I step up and resolve myself. At the very least I should not let Kan and Sheila-san interact any further.

“Ok, Shinra I’ll be waiting for you.” Calming down, Kan’s voice felt a little powerless.

Secretary Inerva helped Kan get Mika back to her room.

“I’ll be going out for a while. Don’t do anything weird you old farts and especially you Sheila.” Secretary Inerva strictly reminded before closing the door.

‘What do I do now?’

“Well, why don’t you take a seat first, Shinra Mavirus.” Professor Goodwill gestured. I nodded and sat at the corner of the sofa.

I already felt nervous after Kan and Mika left. It feels like this exchange with the four of them would shatter my world.

“Now, Shinra you can ask what happened to Mika, but I assume there are other things you would want to know?” ‘The Century Witch Tania…’

There wasn’t even any time for me to think about and hesitate for a second. Facing their gazes, I voiced. “I wanted to know if you have information about The Nazarick of Oden.” Uttering these words is uncommon let alone knowing the existence of it.

“You, where did you learn of that?” Principal Cainne surprisingly asked. Professor Goodwill was silent and confused. Sheila-san seemed to just go along with the conversation but what I wanted to figure out was The Century Witch Tania’s reaction.

“This is indeed something interesting that you wouldn’t get to hear every day, in here at least.” Century Witch Tania seemed to not mind that I know its existence. “What do you want to know about it, boy?”  She added with her cold eyes that felt as if she can see through my heart.

‘It’s nothing but frightening being here and being gazed at like that.’

“I wanted to know its origins and simply how one can reach that place?” There was no going back now, and I know for a fact that once I learn of this.

I cannot remain innocent any longer.

 

 

Kan Uolo POV

 

Mika looked pale and seemed out of it. My emotions were hurling and boiling, yet I know I can’t just bash it all out.

“You make it look like we did something wrong.” It feels as if this is a completely different side of Sheila-san that I was never aware of. ‘There was that thing back where we helped Sheila-san and Shinra lost control.’

I couldn’t help but caress Mika’s head and slowly press her body towards me.

“Seriously you guys...” Secretary Inerva stood up and clapped her hand as if dispelling something. “There… she won’t be waking up for a few hours. Let her rest in the meantime and since it should be one of your turns you should let me take care of Mika.” She added.

Mika’s body suddenly got heavier as she lost consciousness. Secretary Inerva walked up to us and helped me carry Mika.

“I’ll go first, don’t worry Kan make sure Mika is fine.” Shinra’s left hand was shaking slightly.

“I’ll be going out for a while. Don’t do anything weird you old farts and especially you Sheila.” Secretary Inerva lightly closed the door.

“Why are you doing this to us?”  After I heard the door was closed, I remarked quivering with these emotions earlier.

“Before that, I think we should get Mika to rest first.” We carried Mika to her room.

 

 

I could not look at Mika anymore…being this close while knowing she is suffering so much…

After Secretary Inerva closed the door of Mika’s room, she paused for a second.

“I never lied to you three. I do want to help you. It’s just that these are the things you need to know and face.” Her voice remained crystal clear.

‘What the hell does that mean…?’

“We need to know and face? Basically, you are helping us for our own good… and yet why did Mika have to make a face like that?” I unconsciously increased my tone.

“You just went in and destroyed everything!” Out of nowhere what I had kept since earlier bursted forth.

I never understood why I felt such pain when I saw Mika’s face. Was it because it was something that somehow resembled my past? I never knew anymore as I could not shake off my mind seeing Mika’s helpless expression.

“I---I didn’t mean it like that, Kan Uolo. It’s just that--” Secretary Inerva nervously try to scrap words it was clear she was uncomfortable in the current situation. I didn’t look at her straight in the eye, but a figure of Mika’s state earlier clouded my sight.

“I didn’t know the outcome would be like this. It was my fault for suddenly bringing this matter and acting like I know what I am doing. Although as I’ve said I truly wanted to help.”

“As if helping can resolve the solution...” I softly mutter to myself. At this point I had a good grasp that I was being unreasonable for taking my anger out on Inerva-san. However, I couldn’t take back the words I’ve already said.

 

 

After calming down for a bit Secretary Inerva offered me to sit back in the withered tree before going back to where Shinra and the rest were.

I barely noticed Secretary Inerva being wary of what I might be feeling as of this moment. It appears that she was really sincere towards helping us, yet it just does not easily work that way. Carrying these thoughts, it was Secretary Inerva to break the silence.

“At first, I envied you, your group. This may sound as an excuse, but I do not want the bond you three have to be taken away, I guess it was just my own selfishness that I persistently pushed this matter and instead the outcome was this.” There was nothing I could have said back as I am still doubtful of Secretary Inerva’s true reasons. Even if it was for the better good was it truly the right decision to force us to resolve this matter in this manner?

 I don’t know anymore. I wanted to say something, yet I could not.

“We should head back, I’m sorry I dragged you out here to hear my pitiful excuses.” She said as I nodded and went back to where Shinra and the rest were.