"So yeah, here is the situation: I've been suspended," Nathan Modernson announced to the crowd of Salvation Club members sitting around him, making sure that he was loud enough for everyone to hear.
The giant, empty space inside the pillar that upheld the levels of the academy had been under renovation under Daniel Whitedawn's blueprint design. The once lifeless chamber was now filled with furniture that lined up in intentional, delicate convention. The room, once dominated by a throne, was now a home that provided a seat to everyone who sought shelter. The sofas and chairs were of different shapes, but none were more superior than another. This renovation was a collective effort among most members of the club, though the most noteworthy contributors were the Representative Students.
David Edmonds and Jay Short were in charge of transporting the furniture into the academy. With their wealth unable to be spent within the academy grounds, they joyfully accepted the mission to provide for the club and contribute in ways they were most familiar with. The transporting process was strategic, with internal and external cooperation between them, other ordinary students with a business background, and stores and workshops that they were familiar with.
To ensure that their activities were mostly hidden from academy professors, except under Henry's omniscience, Joseph Gravekin, Jennifer Lumendra, and Charlotte Clayfield came up with all sorts of ways to bypass other people's attention. Though most of them revolved around simple distractions, such as Jennifer creating havoc on the other side of the academy.
What did Monica Gladius do? Her responsibility was the greatest among all—
Considering the fact that nobody could lift the furniture except for her.
In comparison, Leo and William's commitment to the renovation was rather minuscule. They put their heads into other important matters for the club, notably grabbing more members and support from the original supporters of both families. Nathan could never get enough of the students' faces when they heard that the two opposing families were within the same club, and under the lead of Ash Robert, a mere commoner.
Nathan acted as an overall arbiter who overlooked the system. He believed that a noble aristocrat like Arthur Paradox would never break a promise, but the Student Council's attitude did not represent the attitudes of Amy Blanc and Jonathan Schwarz.
Jonathan did not seem to have too much of a problem with their operations, or rather, he couldn't care less about what his brother was up to. He solidified forces that supported him, which were mostly Year 3 students that even Nathan didn't dare to approach and convince. He visited William every once in a while, only for casual conversations asking subtle questions about their activity. Nathan always thought of Jonathan as an indifferent bystander, not someone that he necessarily needed to take action upon.
Amy had been relatively quiet despite Nathan's mockery a few months ago, but what remained unchanged was her foul attitude towards Leo, which was only catalyzed by Nathan's constant provocation. Other members of the Blanc clan outside the academy mostly shook their heads at Amy's inanity, that even a branch family member like Leo was more significant in Nathan's eyes. Although, at this point, Amy would rather be expelled from the academy than bow down to Nathan. Sure, his identity may be scary, but hers was no joke either.
Whenever someone mentioned Amy before Leo, his gaze would always darken in layers of hatred. It had been 16 years since he was born into this world, 16 years of hard work to obtain recognition from the Blanc Clan. Even older members of the main clan occasionally praised him for his considerate and conservative personality, but Amy had always looked down on him like a stray by the side of Lostburg. He couldn't understand why, and this confusion eventually turned into an irreversible hate.
He would have to face his doom if Amy ever became the clan head, Leo knew as much if anything at all.
Thankfully, under Nathan's protection, the situation didn't seem as suffocating. But now Nathan was suspended; what could happen was now unknown.
"Surely you can appeal for this," Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows in worry. "Is Principal Nox crazy?"
The situation of the academy would change drastically without Nathan, in fact, completely turning around to the other side. Every faction, suppressed under Nathan's authority, would hop out and turn the academy grounds into the battlefield it was supposed to be. Perhaps, this was what Henry planned to achieve.
"I have no reason to object," Nathan sighed. "He said he would not provide me answers for the midterm exams… I will fail it for sure, and the outcome wouldn't be any different. But if I'm suspended during that time, I am permitted to skip it."
"How does a suspension work in the Imperial Academy anyway?" another boy asked. "Do you just get kicked out until you can come back?"
"I suppose it's like a free vacation? Not so bad, then," one of the few Year 3 students commented.
"You guys take care after I leave. Things may get chaotic, but I'm sure our faith can overcome all trouble," Nathan nodded in resolve. "Ash, I will leave everything to you. The Salvation Club is ultimately in your hands. Remember, whatever I did, replicate them with a fearless heart. Watch out for the Student Council, be at peace with them. For everything else, refer to William and Leo if trouble arises."
"Leave it to us," William and Leo, sitting side by side on a sofa, said in harmony.
"And if it is a problem that they can't even resolve… there is one more person we can fully rely on: Henry Nox," Nathan concluded.
Ash raised his head, which had been buried in anxiety moments ago. "I… I don't think I can…"
Nathan stood up and walked towards the doorway. As he passed Ash, his hand traced across Ash's arm. "Suppression is an abyss that cannot be replenished. The only thing we can do is climb out of it."
"Ash, you have a flame in your heart that is yet to be unleashed. As long as you are not consumed by it, it will ravage through the academy with a force greater than those of noble origin," Nathan said seriously.
Though he had to admit, he was solely trying to sound cool and convincing.
The trick seemed to have worked well on Ash, however. For a person who had been looked down on his whole life, recognition from someone of Nathan's class was something they would cling to forever.
Gossip of worry started behind Nathan's trail, unwilling to accept his temporary departure. Nathan was the sole reason that they could walk with their heads proudly pointed towards the sky. Even though William and Leo were still with them, they could barely protect them from the debts they owed to Jonathan and Amy.
Was Henry Nox truly trustworthy? They couldn't yet know. The future ahead was shrouded in mist; with every step they made, there was a chance that the space below their feet might be an empty, bottomless cliff
"David, I will use this opportunity to help you investigate the RunaLine case, alright?" Nathan pushed the door open and said.
"Excuse me," Jennifer left her words behind and quickly rushed out after Nathan. No one was able to read the expression on her face.
She followed behind Nathan in silence, through the lively constructions of the Imperial Academy. There was a distance between them, too far to hear the heartbeat that came from each other, but just enough for them to know they were not alone.
Nathan never looked back once. Only when he slipped into his dormitory did he open his mouth.
"Jennifer, now I'm on a vacation, you overlook the situation for me, cool? I don't trust anyone to replace my role but you."
"Ash Robert…" She followed him inside his room without asking for permission.
"Do me a favor," Nathan interrupted. "When I come back, I want to see all members of my club alive and well."
"You know I'm behind Alisher's case, right?" Jennifer took a deep breath and finally decided to ask. She knew it might not be the most appropriate question to ask at this moment, but she couldn't help herself.
"Of course I do…" Nathan replied in muttering while he tidied the blanket that he didn't bother with in the morning.
"Why did you save me?"
"So you owe me a favor and can help me in club matters."
"You wouldn't be suspended if you didn't…" Jennifer pressed on. "Why are you always so selfless? When will you take your mask off?"
"Jennifer, you are my—"
"Friend? So what? No one is willing to go that far to save a friend. You could've cost your life."
"No, our relationship goes much further than a simple friendship could suggest." Nathan was done with his matter and turned to Jennifer in seriousness.
"Jennifer, we are partners of benefits, mutual supporters of each other, allies that we can fully trust our futures and dreams upon. Friendship is brittle and abstract; we are different. We NEED each other. I need you to help me venture into the darkness I cannot bring myself to step down to, and you need me to help you overcome trouble that you cannot yet solve by yourself."
"We are two extremes, the most selfish and selfless kinds the world could suggest. But that doesn't mean we have to go against each other. In fact, it means we can substitute for each other's shortcomings."
Jennifer clenched her fist. "What you said… I cannot argue, but I also cannot fully… trust you." She seemed hesitant on the last two words, as if she cared for someone else's feelings, for once in a long time.
"Even after I saved your life?" Nathan furrowed his eyebrows. What had caused Jennifer Lumendra to become the person she is now?
"I haven't saved yours, though," she confronted. "Until I save your life, our partnership will never be fair and mutual."
Nathan's tongue was tied in a knot, not knowing what to say against that, as if he didn't know how to reply to a sentence, for once in a long time as well.
"Can I do something more than protecting the Salvation Club?" Jennifer asked.
Nathan was so relieved that he didn't need to reply to her prior sentence. "Tell you what? There is something else you can do for me."
"Please, I will do whatever I can to help."
"I want you to deliver a message to Amy Blanc."
Jennifer seemed disappointed at the simple request, but still nodded vigorously for elaboration.
Nathan approached her closer and whispered a sentence into her ear.
"Have you gone crazy?" she exclaimed as she pushed Nathan away in embarrassment. "How come you care so much about my life but not Leo's?"
"Leo will be fine," Nathan reassured. "Amy Blanc is an arrogant imbecile; she will react in the exact way I expect her to react."
"Fine, not like I care anyway," she dismissed. "But that isn't enough for me to compensate you."
"This is just the beginning. What you need to do next would be enough to compensate me."
"What will I do?"
"End Amy Blanc's life."
"Huh?"
"I will explain the rest, but now, is it enough for us to form this oath of partnership?"
"Su… sure."
"Whoever you want to destroy, I will help you to shatter. And whoever I want to save, you will help me to liberate. Deal?"
Nathan extended his arm towards Jennifer. Under the dim, comforting light of the representative students' dormitories, only half of his face was successfully lit up, though the faint, almost amusing smile was still crystal clear on his face.
"Are you going to leave me hanging?" He grinned.
This scene was stupidly familiar, Jennifer seemed calm and maybe a bit dumbfounded, and released the last question regarding her concern.
"What if I want to destroy the very thing you want to save?"
"Then you destroy it, then I save what is left. Or if you are willing to, I save it, and you destroy what is left. Both loyalty and despair in these scenarios are always most impactful."
Jennifer didn't reply with words, but Nathan felt a cold hand softly grasp onto his, completing the handshake that never happened during their first encounter.
"Deal."