Rimholm University: Clandestine

Chapter 35

"What do you mean you can't find a mere girl?" A voice filled with serenity asked the four men kneeling and never lifted their gazes. He stared at the fire illuminating on his furnace then tapped his black shoe against the carpeted floor. His frigid gaze is once a block of ice that made the four men froze.

"How come a mere girl escape from your grasp?" He asked once again with a small hum. It sends shivers to the four of them as they watcher his black shoes getting close.

"S-She lost on our track."

"In half a year and you didn't get back here?"

"We woke up after those giants made up of fire attacked us." One of them defended.

"What giant? Come on. Tell me. I'm interested in that story of yours." He kneeled to the guy's level and waited for his story to tell. His face is half-covered by his hood but they can tell that his smile defined how interested he is in the story.

"While we're on the human realm, we already caught her but a woman accompanied by a wolf and fox stopped us." He smiled and motioned him to continue, "Go on, I'm waiting."

"My apologies, Sir. That's all far I can recall." His smile vanished away and got replaced by bitterness. He stood up then put his hand behind his back; clasped on each other, "I see." He said while looking at the fire.

"When the things are too useless for me, what do you I did?"

"G-Get rid of it." One of them stuttered. Already accepted his fate that his life will end by their master's hand. Their breaths are coming to be shaky, making him laugh hysterically. He shook his head and wiped his tear that nearly escaped from his eye, "Not yet, the Festival of the Mother Goddess is not over."

"Sir?" They looked at the hooded man's broad back facing them.

"You heard me. I assumed that you're ears are not disabled or you want me to do that for the four of you?" He turned at them with a pissed expression. They shook their heads before yelling.

"No, Sir!" "Good. I want you to gather yourselves because we're going to capture that girl before the seventh night of Mother Goddess' festival. Also, prepare for a hunt. I should replace my carpet with fox's and wolf's skin."

Mira's point of view 

"You're getting stronger, that's a good improvement." Zachary smiled at me while I tried to keep my grip on my gun and chased my breath. He's doesn't lift a finger but hitting him using a single projectile is hard. I even applied my magic on my speed yet this shifter moved so smoothly.

Now, the seven of us are preparing ourselves for the opening ceremony of the games. Good thing that we are no longer wearing our ordinary uniforms. Instead, we are wearing our military-style uniform that I didn't know we have. However, this is a favorite for me since I can move comfortably.

"Please, if you're going to display that affection of yours Zachary get out of my sight, will you?" Kellion grimaced; preventing Zachary from patting me on my shoulder.

"Where's my cute little Percival?" Hailey sang as she entered the room together with Erin and Keiro. Freddy immediately rose from his seat and rushed to her. It's been a month or two since I saw them and it feels new for me when I meet them again.

"Did you eat properly? Are they treating you well? How's the training?" She bombarded him while holding both of his cheeks and checking him like a mother. Freddy laughed and held her hand, "I'm eating properly, they're nice and the training was a bit rough."

"Mira and Mattheo have grown too." She said. I pointed myself in disbelief while Mattheo looked away, making her laugh, "Even if you ask Zachary and Julius, they both answer the same."

"Long time no see, Kellion." Erin greeted the guy standing beside Salem. He frowned then waved at the dwarf despite how is his mind stirring up in confusion, "Hi?"

"Is it just only I or Mira look so gorgeous today?" Keiro laughs after eyeing me. Zachary leaned at the chair then looked at him with a smirk, "She's always gorgeous every day. Trust me, even she's asleep she's gorgeous."

'His eyesight probably has a problem.'

"What are you talking about, Zachary? Stop saying that. I'm not looking good as both of them." I cling my arm on Kellion and Salem's shoulder that which takes a hard time for me to reach. Salem glanced at me; still have her grumpy attitude before saying, "Don't involve me in that."

"Me too." Kellion whispers.

"Guys! Guys! Have you heard about the two goddesses are famous talk among those five universities participants? I heard their conversation and they said that both of them are opposed to each other. They also said that both of them are part of the Rimholm team. I never thought that both of them are popular among those participants." Erin barge into the conversation.

Maybe they mistook Kellion as a girl since he got those soft looks that you can compete with every girl. But they're looking at me and Salem at this very moment? Is there anything wrong with me or her?

"Anyway, why did the three of you didn't participate in the games?" Zachary asked. Three of them exchanged looks then let Erin speak, "About that. We didn't participate because we want the three of them to experience it." He explained while glancing at me, Freddy, and Mattheo.

"Also, fairies and dwarves have different practices on celebrating the festival." Hailey sits on the vacant chair beside Erin, "Fairies are in charge of keeping an eye on participants, you know?"

"Really?" She nodded in reply to my question.

"Lady Mira, I advised you to prepare yourself. They'll summon your team's presence any minute from now." Ellistal said. I tied my hair into a ponytail then straightened my wrinkled uniform's sleeves.

"All of the teams participating in the Lutheran Games, please proceed to the school grounds."

As we made our way towards the school grounds with silence filled the atmosphere between all of us. I noticed something along with the crowd. Something inside me is telling me to ignore it and listen to the rules discussed by Lady Marionette.

"I found you now." The chill breakout to my skin as I turned around and search where the voice came from. I slid my hands inside of my pocket then tapped my boots against the ground because of this uneasy feeling. Cold invades my body even the temperature is not low today, the sun sets upon us.

"How sweet of you to look for me."

"Hey, Mira. Are you alright?" Zachary asked.

"Yeah. There's something--- never mind. We should listen to the rules so we won't get disqualified." I gave Zachary a reassuring smile. Freddy on his usual self clings to me as we listen to Lady Marionette's speech.

"The rules of this game are simple. Be the last team standing with your team's flags and of course, the flags that you collected from the other team. Each team has three flag bearers. Those flags indicates your points. Once the three flags got stolen, the team is out from the game. Inside of the forest, we deployed fairies and watcher birds to observe since this game lasts for a day or two. That's all. May Mother Goddess and the divinities bestow their glories with you." We went to the forest neighboring our school. I take a deep breath as I look at my whole surrounding. The forest floor got covered by the bed of snow. The trees serve as shade under the sun. Indeed, the northern region never feels the heat of the scorching sun because winter never leaves this place as my mother said.

"Who's your team captain?" Lady Selene asks.

"Hey! Who pushed me?!" Zachary turned at Kellion and Julius who's both giving him innocent looks. They both pointed me. Crazy b*stards.

"What? No!" I defended myself.

"Alright stop fighting. Zachary, choose the flag bearers." Lady Selene said. Zachary motioned to Lady Selene to give him a minute before facing us, "I need your opinion about this."

"The flag bearers should be those who can secure it until the wipeout." He added.

"Then why you don't give it to those unexpected members to hold it?" I raised a question. Salem and the others agreed with me.

"Mira is right. Then her, Mattheo, and Salem should hold those flags." Kellion commented, "Come think of it, they'll think Julius or you, or maybe I and Freddy will hold it."

"There's still a loophole in that. Some might think that we're holding it and four of you are guarding us." I replied.

"We got Salem and you for that." Zachary answered back with a grin, "Can you do that, Mira and Mattheo? Salem?" I hesitantly nodded. Mattheo raised his thumb. Salem just shrugged.

"Good to know." Zachary smiled before turning at Lady Selene.

"We decided it." He takes the ocean-colored flags and handed them to the three of us. .

"Six Universities participant, this is Lady Marionette. I hereby announce that the Lutheran Games is now started." Lady Selene is now out of the sight and the seven of us are left at the spot where we are. I analyzed the flag on my hand and I noticed that it has our university's crest. Zachary tapped his shoe against the snow while thinking about something.

"Lady Marionette didn't say about hiding it, right?" I asked them.

"She didn't say anything about it." I grinned at Salem. She smirked and took a twig then lowered herself to reach the ground.

"Why did you ask about it?" Julius asked.

"She means is, we can hide the flags or fool other teams." She replied. I nodded in agreement.

"You're crazy. Both of you are. Flag bearers should be three and not seven." Mattheo scoffed. Salem eyed him emotionlessly, "For only once, can you use your brain?"

"The team should have functioned as offense and defense. That's why we should attack and defend the flag bearers at the same time." Zachary said. He takes the twig from Salem then started to draw small and stick figurines.

"Wow. Can you draw nicer than that, Zachary?" Salem said while eyeing his drawing at the ground. If I were to ask, it's not bad at all.

"We should act all the same. By that, it takes a hard time for them to figure out." Zachary changed the topic.

"Like what Mira meant and Salem said earlier, we can hide the flags or we can fool them. However, hiding the flags is plan a, and plan b is fooling them." He added.

"Wait for a second," I tapped Zachary's shoulder, "We can put up the two plans together."

"Three out of four of you should take the fake flags then we hide the real one," Salem explained.

"But who should hide it?" Freddy asked. Salem and I looked at the four of them but Mattheo spoke up, "Zachary is out of the choices. He's the captain and they'll think that he got the flag. They'll find out and the plan will get jeopardized."

"Then only me, Freddy, Julius?"

"For some instances, yes," I answered back, "I think that we could perhaps split into two groups."

"This is a twisted plan." Julius laughed, "I'm in."

"What about one of us should come with Zachary's group then one of our group will come with Mira's group as a decoy?" Salem looked at me.

"Good idea."

"So, Mattheo will come with us. Freddy will come with you." Zachary draw Freddy's stick figurine on our group.

"What about those who's stealing the flags?" Freddy eyed us all.

"Don't mind that. We can do it all."

"Zachary's group will go wander here," Salem pointed the pathways of the forest.

"What about us?" She pointed the tall trees.

"What the..."

"Are you sure that they won't hear us or see us?" Freddy asked from out of the blue. Zachary shook his head.

"There's a magic barrier cast on this spot. They won't hear, see, or smell us." Our whole surrounding luster in white indicates that there's an invincible dome surrounding us.

"Ellistal," I called my familiar's name as my fingers brushed against my gun. Within a second, a pair of familiar shoes greeted my sight.

"How can I help you, Lady Mira?"

"Can you create three fake flags like this?" I showed him the flag. He grasped it then nodded. Ellistal tapped his pocket before pulling out something from it.

"Here are the flags that you're asking for." I passed it on to the three members who's in charge of holding the fake flags. Salem, Mattheo, and I hide our flags using magic. Julius and Freddy stepped into the drawings to erase them. The barrier collapsed into million pieces. Zachary flashed a grin.

"Let's show them what we got, shall we?"