Sam PoV

After showing off Big G, the negotiations proceeded rather smoothly. Funny how that works.

[Sword logic wins again! Its only natural that the country would bow before our might.]

It always circles back to sword logic with you, not sure why I expect anything else at this point.

[Its because the logic permeates-]

I don't need to hear your speech yet again, I heard it once in the game and waaaay too many times in these past few years.

[I suppose you already know the logic in and out...]

Of course I do. The cursed sword route was my favorite in the game.

[How about another topic then?]

?

[If you knew you were going to lose something important to you, would you rather spend as much time with it as possible or start to distance yourself to sheild from the pain?]

that's out of nowhere. What brought this up?

[Well, What's your answer?]

...I hate pain.

[Pain sucks right?]

But its a inescapable part of life. 

[Doesn't mean you can't minimize it, right?]

Aren't we looping back to the logic?

[I suppose we can end the discussion because I think I know your answer. Not what I'd do, but to each their own.]

You've been weird ever since that night at the lily's dew. What's up?

[The discussion is over. For now. I'll be doing what you constantly ask of me and shut up.]

No, I know my god damn clichés. That's foreshadowing, who gonna die?

[...]

I'm serious here!

[...pffft]

What's so funny?

[...]

ANSWER ME YOU SON OF A BITCH!

[Ok that's enough of that bit. Relax, nobody is gonna die anytime soon. I was just messing with you. Consider it revenge for leaving me alone.]

...Sorry about that, not much I could do to bring you with me.

[...]

Still sulking?

[No, I've just had a lot to think about is all.]

Had an epiphany while in that dark room?

[Sure. Lets call it that.]

Lavalivarus's newfound stability aside, thanks to the deal working out we now own a second mountain and will be opening a shop in the capital. I got some of the N'esk tribe guys I brought along to handle all that, so Sky, Mi'ara, and I are going to the magic academy. Of course today is the practical admission test so we're all heading to the academy. 

Just outside the academy two people are having a heated discussion. One a jacked man and the other a little girl with pale skin and red eyes. The man is sweating a bit and the little girl's expression is eerily neutral. The girl obviously miffed speaks,

"So you’re avoiding your responsibilities and pushing them on to me?"

"I-its not like that! There's just something I need to do overseas!"

"And it can't wait until the end of the semester?"

"Yes... its very important."

"..."

"..."

The little girl stares through the man's soul. The man's starts sweating even more.

"Do I look like PE teacher material to you?"

"Nonsense-"

The girl brings their nail to their wrist and the man starts to panic.

"Wait wait wait! Maybe someone else can fill in like..."

The man frantically looks around for someone to help him. His eyes land on Mi'ara.

"That snake woman over there! She looks tough enough."

"Snakefolk?"

The little girl, Cassandra looks over at us. I decide to move closer to the two teachers because it seems like we're now a part of the conversation.

In the game Cassandra is the homeroom teacher of Sky's class and there was an running gag where all the other teachers are absent for some reason so she has to teach every class Sky is in. Cassandra is the closest thing to a vampire you'll find on Esu. The result of an organization experiment trying to harness the power of goblin magic. It seems to have worked, but the methodology is either costly or difficult to pull off because the organization didn't bother to make more after Cassandra escaped. 

"So you wanna give my wife a teaching position is it?"

"Yes yes! The pay is generous and its a well respected position!

He comes closer to me and says the next bit quietly,

"C'mon help a dude out! If I upset that creepy little girl I'll surely end up cursed for at least a month!"

"Creepy little girl huh?"

Unfortunately for the PE teacher, Cassandra's hearing is excellent.

"EEP! Well I gotta go!"

"Hey wait! Damn these tiny legs."

The vampire realizing they have no chance of catching up to the fleeing PE teacher turns back to us.

"Haa... apologies for the suddenness of all of this. You don't have to listen to that dolt and take the position if you don't want to."

Looking over at Mi'ara it seems she's been pondering the proposal. After receiving Cassandra's apology she asks,

"If I wanted the position could I actually get it? Isn't there a whole process that'd I'd need to go through?"

Cassandra's eye's widen, then she smiles.

"Well considering everyone involved in the hiring process currently has the flu, I'm the one in charge. You'll only need my approval."

Mi'ara looks to me.

"Should I take the position?"

"I see no reason not to."

Mi'ara nods,

"Very well. I want the position."

"Well then, right this way! We have a ton of forms to fill out."

And with that Mi'ara gets dragged off. Sky looks on with ...is that envy?

"I'm kinda surprised you didn't ask for a position as well, considering your past life."

Sky turns to me and gives a smile with a tinge of darkness.

"Perhaps its for the best if I don't get a position. Besides I doubt I'd be taken seriously."

"Yeah that'd be bad, I can imagine you shouting something like 'these hands are rated E for everyone' and start punching your students."

"Pfft... I'd never do that to my students!"

"Hey, if it was me, I'd punt a child through a window."

"That's so messed up hahaha! Although in all seriousness, the root behind problem children tend to be the people who raised them. I'd never punch a student, but their shitty parents on the other hand..."

"I can get behind that sentiment. Well we should get going before the admission booth closes down for the day. Having to come back tomorrow would suck."

"Wanna race?"

[Oh are they challenging us? Smoke them.]

"Damn straight!"