Lina didn't like asking anyone for help. It was partly pride. Many members of the Sorcerer Guild looked down on her. First it was because of her age and what they saw to be a child playing at being an adult. Later, Lina was sure the condescending behavior masked the jealousy rooted in her proven superiority. After all, how many people could claim they had the capacity to cast a Dragu Slave? And she had mastered it at the unheard age of 12, only two years into her apprenticeship.
Another reason she didn't like asking for help was because of Nee-chan, or more accurately, her experiences with Nee-chan. When they were younger, Nee-chan would always give her that scary, glowing eyes look and rub her mace lovingly as she asked why Lina was asking for help. Sometimes, if Nee-chan thought it a very silly request, Lina would get a toss into the nearest water container and be held under water until she ran out of air.
Being the intelligent person that she was, Lina didn't think she'd get the same treatment from anyone else. She'd sooner send them ten stories into the air via a Dill Brando. The conditioned response though still existed though, even when Nee-chan wasn't the one she was asking.
"Lina-san! Can I come over to your house today? Please?" Amelia asked, walking besides Lina and interrupting her thoughts as they returned to class for the afternoon. "I bet there are lots of trophies from all of the dragons you've slain and the giants you've toppled."
"Actually, giants were considered an endangered species," Lina corrected absently, mulling over any other options she had for preparing for the finals. "How can you think of coming over to play at a time like this?"
"I was thinking we could study together! It could be like a study group. When one of us has a problem, we can ask the other person. And we can keep each other on track."
"That's a very good idea, Amelia-san," Sylphiel agreed. "But it would be more beneficial if those groups consisted of people in the same class year. Lina-san, if you don't have any plans today after school, would you like to begin your practicing for the domestic skills class?"
"Plans? No. So where would it be? Here?" Lina was hoping that it wouldn't be at school. That would have been embarrassing even if it was an understandable situation. The upperclassman perceived Lina's discomfort.
"It will be hard to get use of the room with the clubs. Why don't you meet me at the Western Gate after classes finish? I'll meet you there and we can go to my home. You wouldn't mind if we began with the cooking section do you?"
"Can I come as well?"
"Of course, Amelia-san."
"You'll be cooking something? Will there be anything left if I dropped by after clubs? I'm in charge of sparring and clean up today so I might be late." Gourry wore a very pleading, puppy-dog eyes expression.
"You know you're always welcome to come," Sylphiel said, blushing slightly. Lina and Amelia exchanged raised eyebrows. "Well then, I'll see you at the gate. Lina-san. Amelia-san."
"Bye, Sylphiel-san!" the lowerclassman waved. Then she felt someone tapping her shoulder. It was Lina. "Yes, Lina-san?"
"Amelia...isn't your class on the second floor?" Lina sighed as Amelia nodded. "So why are you still here on the third floor with thirty seconds on the clock?"
"I'm going to be laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate!"
Lina could almost smell the stench of burned rubber. Shaking her head, she opened the door to her classroom and came face to smiling face with her ancient history teacher. She managed a civil 'Hello', the force of her grip on the door's handle leaving indentions.
"Good afternoon, Lina-chan," he replied, still smiling and still not moving out of the way so she could step inside. Each move she made, he countered like a reflection in a mirror. "Is something wrong?"
"Let me see. I'm trying to get into class but someone won't get out of the door and if he doesn't do so in the next five seconds, regardless of who said person is, I will kick him so hard that his grandchildren are going to feel it."
"Assaulting a teacher? Picking habits from Zel-kun I see. It pains me to have such juvenile delinquents in my class. Where have I gone wrong as a teacher?" sighed the purple-haired teacher dramatically. "I must take the responsibility upon myself and to restore my honor, give up my own life for that of my students. Don't try to stop me, you will thank me one day for this service."
"BRIIIIING!" noisily interrupted the school bell, signaling that any student not already in class was fair game for detention. Xelloss gave the bell a death glare for interrupting his monologue but the metal contraption was 100% resistant to it.
"I wasn't interested in committing seppuku anyway," the teacher shrugged, putting away the wakizashi he had unsheathed during his dialogue. If the bell hadn't rung, he might have gone on to the ritual disembowelment but this isn't that kind of story. "Alright class, quiet down and let me do a head count. Or a body count if your head is missing."
More than a few students groaned at Xelloss's dark humor.
"Let's see, the only person we appear to be missing is Mr. Graywords. Is it just me or is he always absent for my class? I just can't imagine why he would do that." He shook his head sorrowfully. "We get along so well together."
Lina slid lower into her seat. Was Xelloss ever going to get onto the day's lessons? She wondered how did he even keep his job when half of his lectures go completely off topic. And what exactly was he? Lina hadn't forgotten that save during the festival fiasco.
Not only was the teleportation strange but also Zel's lack of a reaction to it. What was the connection between Zelgadiss and Xelloss? Zel had said he's known Xelloss for a very long time. Well, if Xelloss had been a teacher working under Zel's mother that would make sense but it seemed more than that. It couldn't be...
"Why, Lina-chan, your face is positively scarlet. Did you have too much sun? Or perhaps you're thinking about something naughty?" Xelloss's smooth voice asked, his smiling face suddenly there in front of her face.
"N-N-N-NO! Of course not!" Lina stammered. There was no way Zelgadiss and Xelloss could be having that kind of relationship. They were student and teacher for crying out loud. And Zel's mother was the principal!
"Your face is getting red-der," smirked the teacher. The whole class's attention was on them now. "Those must be very, very improper thoughts you're having, Lina-chan. They wouldn't be concerning me or Zel-kun would they?"
"Would you please get on with the class, TEACHER!" Lina yelled, slamming her ancient history text on top of Xelloss's head, which caused his face to connect with her desk. If it's not Zelgadiss annoying her, it was Xelloss.
"Achoo! Excuse me."
"Of course. Someone must be talking about you and it can't be from your fan club. You're immune to them now aren't you?" Principal Dynast of Northern commented, leaning back in his high-backed gray leather seat. "And you certainly don't sneeze when your family or when Xelloss speaks of you."
"I don't believe I was called to see you in order to discuss my health," Zelgadiss said flatly but civilly since it was a figure of authority he was speaking to. If there was an administration problem, as a student of Southern, Zelgadiss should have gone to the principal of Southern. However, since he was now sitting across from Dynast, which meant there was a conflict of interest. "So what have I been called in for this time?"
Dynast raised a silver eyebrow but didn't comment on the 'this time' phrase. "There's been a charge raised against you by one of the city's citizens, unprovoked assault on an unarmed civilian before plenty of witnesses. The descriptions by the eyewitnesses of the assailant all match and I doubt there is another student on campus that looks like you."
Zelgadiss crossed his arms and waited. He wasn't going to deny that he did do some bodily harm to an unarmed human but no one would believe him if he said there was provocation. Who would believe the words of a monster over that of a group of humans?
"Aren't you even going to deny it?" Dynast asked. "Denounce the humans for false accusation? Unveil the conspiracy to turn public opinion against the non-humans and drive them out of the city?"
"You aren't known for your sarcasm."
"Apparently. Now, Zelgadiss, the school is currently on shaky ground with the city council. I'm sure you were aware of the increased tension because of the two recent but small mishaps. Don't look at me like that, the Superintendent isn't making it rain burning sulfur so yes they were relatively insignificant happenings. However, the officials from the city government who dropped by earlier today didn't see it that way. They were quite ready to sentence you to one of those barbaric means of capital punishment. Stoning and such. The Superintendent did manage to talk them down to a term of volunteer work."
"...I'd prefer the stoning. It was hard enough for me just to find a job to pay my rent. Just where am I going to find a volunteer position that will accept me?" Zelgadiss flicked one of his metallic strands of hair and it barely moved. "Did she think of that when she was bargaining down?"
"If you were having money problems, you could always ask your parents for a loan," Dynast pointed out. "Or you could even move back in since there is no longer any need for you to meet the zoning requirements to go to Eastern. I really don't understand what all the trouble is."
"That's because you're still a bachelor."
"And proud to be one. At least wait until you have a job, Zelgadiss, before striking it out on your own. That's speaking both as a principal and your metaphorical uncle."
"Well, metaphorical or not, uncles do supply advice. What kind of volunteer work can I get to make up for that grievous assault I committed earlier?"
"This isn't something to be taken lightly, Zelgadiss. I mean the assault charge, not the volunteer work. You must learn to control yourself better. Hopefully, you'll learn some restraint on the assignment your mother and the Superintendent worked out." He held out a folder to Zelgadiss who took it. Skimming over the first page, he groaned.
"This is supposed to teach me self-restraint? Are you sure you aren't trying to get me arrested for homicide?" The student snapped the folder shut. "I'd sooner go to the detention facility."
"Trust me, Zelgadiss, you don't. And what's wrong with a tutoring assignment? It's a good way for you to review the material yourself and find out how well you really know it. Plus it builds patience, communication skills, leadership in a way I suppose - "
"The problem is who I have to tutor. Of all people, why her and why me?" His eyes narrowed as he thought more about it. "There isn't some little scheme in the faculty concerning me and her is there? Has Xelloss been spreading his half-truths again?"
"Half-truth is still a truth, from a certain point of view. What's wrong? You're a top student. Though she has no previous school record, her sister has vouched that she has the ability and her sister was one of the top students back in those days. It should be a relatively simple term of service, only for the next two weeks until the finals. And you'll be reviewing as well so there won't be lost time on your part. Just what is the objection?"
"The objection lies in her and her personality. We don't get along," Zelgadiss said coldly. "She's irresponsible, arrogant, and all around abrasive. Even if I offered to tutor her, she wouldn't accept it."
"So you're going to let her win."
"What?"
"You're letting her win, letting her get to you. You refuse to deal with her so by default she gets the upperhand on you. It's a ego gratification thing but that's something I imagine you both have in abundance. She challenges you, you don't like it, you leave, she wins. All very simple. Didn't you take anything away from those discussions I used to have with you?"
"This isn't a war, Dyna-, I mean Principal Dynast. This is a school with students, not soldiers. Perhaps you should step outside of your office a bit more often." Zel's tone bordered on insubordination.
"But the concepts of behavior still apply. It is only the setting and the weapons that have changed. But if you insist that you can't handle her, I'll pass that along to the Superintendent and your mother so they can figure out another assignment for you," Dynast shrugged, reaching to take back the folder.
"Who said I couldn't handle it?" The folder remained firmly in Zelgadiss's hand as he stood up. "I'll get her to pass her damn finals. Are all of you happy now?"
Dynast watched his metaphorical nephew storm out of the office and slam the door on his way out. He was used to hearing come from the school counselor's office. He opened his speaking end of the intercom located on his desk.
"He fell for it hook, line, and sinker. But do you think he was on to us? That last line of his..."
"It's hard to tell. At least you got him to accept the tutoring. I'm not sure how I would have explained it to Luna that we weren't able to procure a good tutor for her little sister," the school counselor winced. "If you had only been able to convince him to move back home as well, all would be right in the world."
"You win some, you lose some. By the way, you will show me the footages of the tutoring sessions if anything funny occurs. Zelgadiss has been missing from the home videos lately."
"Of course, all in the family."
Zelgadiss felt a cold shiver run down is back.