Chapter 57 Damiens Own Little Piece Of Heaven (1/2)
”Welcome to Haytham, an institute of intellectual refinement.” Gladstone ushered in a group of potential students for next year along with several visiting bankrollers.
They did this each year at the start of the first semester, apparently, and this time he was the one who had the responsibility of giving the tour.
One of the many downsides of being Principal.
”What's that over there?” One of the bankrollers pointed.
There was slight congestion of students down the hall where a checkpoint had been set up. There was a group of white-clothed students patting down their fellow classmates.
The leader of the group wore a large white and gold-trimmed greatcoat with a silver badge in the shape of a triangular shield upon his breast that read, ”Discipline.” He wore an eyepatch, with a face set at a stern angle while a giant great club hung at his back.
Gladstone called upon his years of military service and remained calm.
”Oh this station is just a formality. Pay no--”
Damien pulled out a box.”Here's a bunch of stuff we confiscated just this week.”
”Mr.Claybrook, no need to show them that.” He coughed, an obvious hint that was ignored.
The boy pulled out a long, ornate stick that had a dark iron rod attached to the end. ”This a wand with a silencer on it. Why? But I ask again, why?”
A little baggie holding a blue powder substance was next.
”Bag of fairy dust. Contraband.”
The visiting students and bankrollers began whispering among themselves.
”Let's move on, shall we?” Gladstone glared at the youth and brought them deeper into the building.
Damien tagged along. ”1 out of 5 girls in this block is pregnant with a devil baby!” He suddenly announced.
Gladstone nearly fell to the floor. ”That is not true!” He insisted. But no one listened. His face was full of black lines.
Just then a blast of red energy pelted the wall behind them. Damien pounded his oversized club onto the ground, bursting with an auspicious golden radiance. The whole floor shook.
”Knock it off with that grab-ass, touchy-feely*-ass nonsense!” He barked. ”Damn kids.” A weary shake of the head. ”Yesterday a guy's fingers got blown the fuck off before I even got here. Shame, but it happens. Haytham is Haytham, after all.”
Gladstone narrowed his eyes when he saw the boy covertly passing a fat purse to one of the kids involved. A vein nearly popped in his forehead, nose flaring.
”What kind of school is this?” Everyone following expressed concern.
Damien gazed at Gladstone with a look of smug victory in his eyes. The man wanted to throttle him.
”What are you doing!” He hissed hatefully when out of earshot.
”Motherfucker, I came here to learn magic and I'm dumped in the only place with no goddamn magic instructor. You expect me to take this lying down? Fuck off, ya wee little cunt. Watch how I reduce this school's reputation to ash.”
It was too much. Even back in his military days no one dared speak to him that way. He was treated with utmost fear and respect, having trained hundreds of the best talents in his time.
Now he was bad-mouthed by some snot-nosed brat just barely weaned off his mother's milk who didn't even both to remember his name. And before this, he was forced into accepting the kid's so-called ”disciplinary committee.”
Unforgivable!
Unacceptable!
”You'll never learn even a single spell here! Goddamn brat, you think I'll give in to you?”
Eventually, after scaring off five more groups and losing around two dozen important bankrollers, he did, in fact, give in.
However, Damien was personally banned from Blocks A and B under threat of expulsion.
Gladstone assigned him the laziest and most bullish magic instructor for Block C, sure the kid would learn nothing but misery and helplessness.
***
It was just around mid-morning.
The whole class took two days to get back in order after his week-long disappearance.
The boys were easy to take care of, but the women were simply atrocious!
”You there! Your skirt is 5cm too short, lower it immediately. 10 demerits.”
”Hey, who said you can eat food in class? 10 demerits!”
”And you, stop the graffiti. 10 demerits. Damn kids, that's already over 100 demerits since yesterday. Are you trying to piss me off? All three of you pissants strip down and get over here right now!”
Three rough-looking girls with outrageously colored hair, painted nails and piercings on their lip or nose promptly took off their skirts and cried as they got ready for their punishments.
He's already said that anyone getting 100 demerits had to go through that sort of shameful display again. He understood they'd become little masochistic exhibitionists, but he allowed it.
Why?
Well…
”Hey, bro, why don't you join the Public Morals Department?” The boys were easier to manipulate when they were distracted.
All he needed was their signature for this waiver he'd written up. And they were his to do with as he wished.
Now?
”Good morning, Lord-Commander!” Every one of the boys stood abruptly at Damien's entrance, eyes dull. They all wore the standard white uniform of the Disciplinary Committee, the entire classroom having been converted into the club room and the students appointed as members.
”At ease, men.” He gestured them to sit.
He ascended the stairs and sat down heavily upon that goddamn gaudy throne that'd SOMEHOW made it's way all the way here from the Dry Lands.
He had a red velvet pillow thrown on the seat to make it comfier.
Big D rested to his left, while Milly leaned against the throne's right arm.
”Master, I'm so glad you're back!” Minerva had been very curious about his sudden disappearance and had no idea what to do with him just gone.
After thinking about it carefully she took to the other blocks and spread the Good Word of Day along with the Holy Texts, Nekopara volumes 1-3.
Although her efforts were valiant, she was ignored. She was quite put out. People here simply didn't want enlightenment. She felt they were pitiable souls and kept at it to no avail, finally falling into depression as she thought she was useless without Evie and Milly to back her up. Some people even began picking on her. Ah, so worthless….
But then Master came back and she found he was as splendid as ever, quickly establishing order.
Just then, the door flew open. It wasn't Henry who entered, but an old man with wild hair, a stubble, and disorderly robes.
He yawned, walked to the desk, and sat his bag down with a thump too loud for it's size.
He snapped a finger. Instantly a giant sphere of light brightened the room. Magical runes spread in all directions and covered the walls. ”Anyone who wants to learn magic get inside. Last ten minutes.”
And promptly fell asleep.
The students were all gaping with their mouths wide open. What was going on?
”Is he...serious?” One of them asked. They heard that block C never got to learn magic on account of their ”untrustworthy natures.”
Not to mention most magic was dangerous to the user so only those who go through the physical training of block B or people who pass several physical exams would be allowed into block A where magic was taught.
Though even if they had the qualifications, those in block C never normally got the chance.
”We shouldn't go, right? Who knows what's inside.”
”But he's a teacher. He wouldn't harm a student.”
”He's in this kind of place, who's to say he wouldn't? This old coot seems fishy.”
Damien was already walking down. ”All of you are pussies.”
”Fuck, if that guy's not afraid I'm not going to be a chicken either.” A stocky youth rose.
”Y-Yeah, what's the worst that can happen?” A girl with piercings on her left ear hesitantly followed.
”I'll learn magic and beat that asshole within an inch of his life.” Several malevolent students thought to themselves quietly as they, too, stood and followed.
One by one, they all entered.
***
”Is it fine to do things like this?” A disembodied voice ruined his nap.
It was one of the spirit friends he'd become acquainted with some time back, Fa, the only one capable of communication in human speech.
”Why not?” He replied telepathically. ”They'll just be in an out, thoroughly crushed, and I'll be free to sleep.”
”What sleep? All you do is peep on the female teachers!”
The wise old sage was reduced to a pervert in the spirit's eyes. His astral projection was laying on the floor in front of the stairs as a couple girls unknowingly walked over him.
”Shut up. ” He told Fa, not denying the claim. He stayed there as many more students got up and started following their peers.
Soon enough they all disappeared into the sphere of light.