Doggone Academy

Chapter 64 Dormitory (4)

She was a girl with brown eyes and black hair, giving off a fresh and lively impression similar to that of an adolescent cat not yet fully grown.

The problem was that she seemed familiar, but I couldn’t quite remember where from.

How does she know the nickname ‘Candy’?

“Why so stiff? We’ve met before, during the entrance exam.”

The entrance exam?

“Do you remember when you took Cecil Noona (sister) to the base?”

As I nodded, she continued her explanation.

“I was waiting for Cecil Noona at Base One, then after she joined up, she introduced you to me as ‘Candy Pouch.'”

Now that she mentioned it, faint memories started coming back. This girl was one of Cecil’s group members.

It was clearly an unexpected reunion and somewhat bewildering.

“And we are housemates now, aren’t you going to say hi, like you did with Noona?”

She was so certain in mentioning the word ‘housemate’ that there was no room for doubt.

So this girl is not a secret examiner or a maid of the mansion; she is a bona fide peer in the Masters’ Class.

“I’m Trisha. And you are?”

“…Is that your real name?”

“Does it matter? Even if you knew my real name, you’d still have to call me Trisha.”

“Then you can call me Candy.”

Trisha put her hands behind her back and smiled freshly.

“You really don’t plan on giving in? I already know your name is Damian.”

“How do you know my name?”

“It’s pretty obvious. You’re really bad at concealing your identity.”

“….”

“Actually, I’d like to tell you my real name, but I can’t on principle. Or more like, I could tell you, but then again, I must not. So, I won’t.”

“…What?”

“You know… the Empire trains its intelligence agents by keeping the trainees unaware of each other’s names and faces, right?”

“…?”

“They say when performing intelligence missions in foreign countries, the risk of blowing one’s cover is greatly increased if the agents recognize each other as colleagues. That’s why they don’t tell you from the start.”

So, if I apply this to the Masters’ Class, does it mean when we become aware of each other’s true selves, it increases the risk of others discovering our identities?

“So you’re not telling me because of that?”

“Yep. At least not until your acting improves.”

Alright, have it your way then.

“Firstly, something you need to know. We weren’t supposed to meet like this. It was against the rules even to become housemates.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That’s just how it is. You see, this mansion is actually my dormitory. Somewhere in this labyrinth, there should be a separate dormitory just for you, and you were supposed to go there.”

“So what went wrong?”

“Nothing’s your fault. The problem lies with my situation. I can’t even go to Witthrush Hall. I can’t leave freely, and after class, I’m confined here without being able to move, trapped in this suffocating, horrid place alone until graduation. Can you imagine?”

Despite being in the same Masters’ Class, it seems like stricter rules are applied to this girl.

But how does that relate to me being here?

“So, I begged them to bring you here. I knew your identity all along anyway, so at least I’d have someone to talk to.”

She begged?

Strange. This girl begs and they just change the rules and principles for her. Does that mean she engaged in an overreach of her authority?

“Shouldn’t my consent be the first thing to check?”

Trisha’s eyes widened a bit, perhaps taken aback by a response she didn’t expect.

“Don’t worry. You’ll end up grateful to me once you’ve lived here for a bit.”

“Why?”

“I’m way more important than you think. Getting on friendly terms with me will most definitely be of great benefit to you. Plus, you must have been lonely living all by yourself too.”

Despite her youthful appearance, she was filled with a strange self-assuredness.

As a Masters’ Class student, she surely possessed exceptional abilities unlike those of others.

But I had not requested this. Now here I am, being manipulated without understanding why, by a peer whose identity is a mystery.

And there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again. If she brought me in just by her own will, then she can just as easily kick me out.

“No, I won’t be thankful since I never asked for any of this.”

“….”

“I have no problem living by myself, and I never asked for help. This is just your presumption. No matter how much help you could offer, if it’s like this, I’d rather refuse.”

Trisha’s gaze wavered.

“Really? You don’t need any help at all?”

“I’d rather bleed more than accept.”

My words seemed to have struck a nerve in Trisha. Annoyed, she bit her lower lip, and with a sudden chill in her voice, she said,

“…Sure, be all high and mighty. I thought you might pity me a little, but seems I’ve been wasting my time. Do as you wish.”

A fleeting look of hurt crossed Trisha’s eyes.

She averted her gaze from me and stepped briskly towards the grand spiral staircase in the center of the hall.

And then she slammed the door with enough force to echo downstairs.

***

It was the fifth meeting. Azelis’s requests had been outright denied four times prior, leading to an exasperated Ella finally convincing her.

“There’s a reason we isolate Masters’ Class students individually. It isn’t arbitrary; it’s a judgment formed from long-standing experience. Any time they’re together, big problems arise.”

Extreme talent. And the Masters’ Class lives an extreme life dictated by that talent. Azelis understood that much.

“I won’t cause any problems.”

“It’s not as simple as it sounds. You know what the Masters’ Class students remind me of? A bomb that’s lost all its safety mechanisms due to an obsession with firepower. Put them together and an explosion is inevitable. Do you think a valedictorian who only trained for a few months will quietly pass the time?”

“He seem to get along with Professor Silveryn.”

Ella pressed her forehead as if a headache was starting and replied,

“…Doesn’t it occur to you that that’s possible because it’s Silveryn?”

“I’m special too. You know that. I just… need a friend.”

“You already have Cecil as a companion. Isn’t she good enough? Why him, of all people?”

“There’s no one more suitable. He’s at least a fellow. Someone who can understand each other.”

Letting out a deep sigh of frustration, Ella appeared exasperated.

***

Ella was right.

After locking the door, Trisha angrily stripped off her necklace and threw it onto the bed.

She removed the enchanted rings on her fingers and bracelets on her wrists, tossing them across the marble floor, creating a cacophony as they scattered in all directions.

As she cast aside all her artifacts, the magical aura swirling around her rapidly diminished.

Her black bobbed hair grew longer, reaching down past her hips, and began to turn a pure white color.

Her eyes shifted to blue, eyelashes growing longer – her facial features refining even more closely.

It was a sad and stifling situation. The more she lived as Trisha, the more alien it felt to be her true self, Azelis.

Azelis stood by the window, gazing at the garden below.

Damian was already leaving the dormitory, heading into the mist. Watching him walk into the fog, Azelis bit her lip hard enough to leave a mark.

Having hoped for empathy and understanding from someone in a similar predicament, she was met with cold indifference.

She had been isolated alone in the labyrinth for more than three months, driven by loneliness to grasp at straws.

To Azelis, this grand mansion was like a prison. She would’ve preferred sleeping rough like during the entrance exam than staying here, if only it wasn’t in this labyrinth.

She longed to mingle with other students and friends in the dormitories like any normal girl.

On her table lay a cookie recipe she had transcribed by hand.

She had prepared it hoping he might enjoy sweet treats aligning with his nickname, ‘Candy.’

Had Damian come, perhaps she could have emulated a semblance of life shared with others.

But things didn’t go as she wanted.

Azelis collapsed weakly, burying her face in her knees.

And then, she murmured to herself listlessly.

“I can’t stand this anymore… I just want to go back to the holy city.”

She regretted ever coming to Eternia in the first place.

***

As the sound of footsteps emerged from the dense mist, Ella removed the mask she had been wearing.

Through the blurry view, a boy wearing a wooden mask approached.

Ella had been waiting for Damian at that spot since she received the report that he was heading to the dormitory.

Recognizing Ella, Damian stopped and respectfully bowed his head without a word.

“It’s been a while.”josei

Damian slowly removed his mask to face Ella.

“You seem to be leaving the dormitory rather early. Isn’t it too soon?”

“Professor Silveryn is waiting for me outside.”

“Really? Is that the only reason?”

Damian remained silent.

“Just one question. Why do unrelated people keep meddling with the assignment of your dorm?”

“I really don’t know.”

“Do you like the Witthrush Hall dormitory they’ve assigned you to?”

“It’s a splendid room.”

“That’s good to hear. Because it came out as a result of someone incessantly pestering me.”

“….”

“It seems you’ve had a bit of a mix-up with Trisha. Blame me for that since I’m the one who made the final decision despite her insistence.”

“Is there a reason behind this decision?”

“Of course. Not sure how it will sound to you, but Trisha truly is one of the most special kids in the world. Which is why she is tremendously difficult to manage. You seemed like the only person capable of handling her besides yourself.”

“Is it because I’m part of the Masters’ Class? I’m not equipped to handle someone so special.”

“No, I’m confident you’re one of the best equipped to handle it. Hasn’t that already been proven in your relationship with Silveryn?”

“Professor Silveryn takes good care of me.”

“You don’t seem to realize that Silveryn was the farthest person from ‘caring’. You’re the reason she changed.”

“I’ve done nothing.”

“Good, then do nothing. That’s all I want from you. You don’t need to get close to her. Just coexist, like you do with Silveryn.”

“….”

Ella took a cigarette and placed it between her lips, inhaling deeply for a moment before speaking.

“Of course, I will ensure you are properly compensated for tolerating any inconvenience.”