"Emiya-kun, it is admirable that you are willing to do this out of generosity, but you really need to consider getting a brain check if you keep thinking that way. It is not healthy for you." Sona said it as she adjusted her glasses, catching the light as she did so.
That meant she was in business mode and I should accept it or suffer the consequence.
...
"Good." She pulled out a booklet from the drawer and wrote something before tearing the sheet and handing it over to Tsubaki, who took a glance before nodding. "You will be paid at half the costs for repairs, and part of your school fees would be subsidized based on your other activities. Would that be fine?"
"And even If I say that you don't need to do that, you would not do so, would you?" I remarked with a wry smile.
"Indeed." She replied with the slightest hint of a smile. "But if you do not wish to accept the monetary gift, there is always another option."
"And once again, I must humbly decline your offer to join the Student Council." I headed off her choice with another wry smile. After the incident with me stopping the Perverted Trio from peeking and a few other cases where I stepped in to either fix equipment or to help others from rival school delinquents, Sona came to my class to offer me a position in the Student Council. Although I had refused the first time, she seemed quite determined to get me into her club.
"Why don't you want to accept her offer? It seems like a nice deal." Tsubaki asked with a curious look. "Even if you do not want the position, won't the monetary award helped? I believe you live on your own right?"
Indeed, most of the male students would have cut off a limb to be in this group of women, if not accept the money, but then again I'm not normal, or of their age group for that matter.
"I just don't like the idea that I'm getting paid for something I just feel like doing, even if my circumstances are a little problematic." I rubbed the back of my head absentmindedly as I thought back to the times I got paid against my objections. Word got out about me living alone and that seemed to have struck a chord with quite a few in the academy. Half the time I helped them with something, they either paid me in cash or offered lunch, all while I was trying to convince them that they don't have to. It did not feel right considering I was technically an adult mentally and it was wrong for me to take any money.
But all my defenses fell apart the moment Sona came into the picture; if even the Student Council saw it fit to repay my kindness and bulldozed their way into doing so, there was no way around that. And Sona was particularly hard-headed in repaying a debt.
"Hmm... Well the offer is still open to you." Sona said with a notable frown, before it got replaced with her usual stoic expression. "For now, how about tea? If I recall, you should have no lessons for the next couple of hours, and I would like to ask some questions regarding your life here."
"Well, I guess that is okay…" I started to speak only to choke rather abruptly as my senses picked up traces of one other creature coming near the room. Ignoring their expressions of worry, I took a quick whiff and immediately stiffened in panic.
That scent of overwhelming sweetness that pervaded the room was sending alarm bells blaring in my head. That scent belonged to the one woman whom I felt the urge to run away at all costs. I knew it was just a stupid thought, but all my instincts were screaming at me to run away every time she was close by. The last time I smelled such a scent was when Rider activated her Noble Phantasm to drain the school of Prana, and that was really bad news. It certainly did not helped when the woman was also leaking Prana like a running tap set on high, making my hair stand on end.
But honestly, the scent I got from that woman was an unusual mix of sweetness and 'nothingness'. Unlike Rider's scent that was nauseating sweetness, this woman's scent gave the sense that it was almost intoxicating, that it was enticing me to drink from her blood or do something that would make lose my mental restraints, and that was the reason I should stay away from her.
"I'm sorry, I just remembered I got something to do, thank you!" I said that a little too quickly as I hightailed it out of the room just in time to barely miss the crimson-hair girl and her black haired pony-tailed companion.
"Ah, Emiya-kun, good after…" One of them tried to greet me only for me to move away in the opposite direction.
"Sorry, very busy, bye-bye!" I quickly dashed down the corridor and took the next corner. Again, I know it was stupid and cowardly of me to do this, but considering the amount of Prana I had felt from her the first time I seen her and the nauseating scent of sweetness I had closely associated with Rider, I would rather take my chances with Gilgamesh and Hercules at the same time.
...
"Mou~" Rias let out an annoyed sound as she pouted while entering the room. "Why does Emiya always run away every time I tried to talk to him?"
"Maybe you did something to him so terrible in the past that he has developed a fear for you?" Akeno teased as she put a hand on her cheek. "After all, you have a tendency to be a little problematic at times."
"I do not have any tendencies to do that!" Rias childishly kicked her feet against the floor. "And I don't think I have done anything to warrant such a reaction from him."
"Yes, I had asked him once about this." Sona remarked while offering a teasing smile of her own. "His reply was, I quote 'I feel that if I get any closer to that woman, my soul is in danger for some reason.' And I must say, he might have a point there."
"HEY!" Rias pouted even harder as she glared at Sona who only turned to Reya with a question. "So, Emiya-kun was working on that only right?" She pointed to the air-conditioner in question.
"Yes, is there a problem?" Reya asked with a slightly worried expression.
"Could you check it?" Sona asked as she raised a barrier in the room. That got everyone's expression changed to a somewhat serious look as they looked at her. They knew what she was referring to the moment she raised the soundproof barrier.
With slight hesitation, Reya touched the equipment and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she let out a sigh and directed her eyes at Sona. "It is faint, but I can detect some traces of magic. It is the same type that had appeared for the past few weeks."
"So it is true then." Akeno said a little cautiously. "Emiya-kun is a wizard in our area."
"But we did not get word about this." Rias folded her arms as she pondered. "The fact that he appeared without tripping our wards is a little disconcerting. Do you think he is an enemy?"
"No, I don't think that is the case!" Reya said with a notable tone before Sona could reply. "The magic I am detecting does not have any harmful effects at all. If anything, it was meant to test the integrity of the innards."
"And Emiya-kun won't hurt anyone, I know that!" Tomoe added in her words with clenched fists. Sona used her hands to gesture them to calm down with a comforting smile. She understood the reasons those two were reacting in a rather uncharacteristic manner. The two of them were among the first to welcome Shirou into the academy and were quite close to him during his time here. For Reya, she was happy to find someone who could understand all the literature references from the old books she often read, not to mention someone whom she could converse rather easily compared to others. As for Tomoe, she was ecstatic that someone else apart from the Student Council was able to keep up with her, and also he was the only one who could keep her in check at times.
For Sona's part, she could relate to their trepidations. Shirou aside from Kiba, was the nicest boy around. Unlike many of the males in the school, he was a total gentleman with the unusual quirk of going around helping others with everyday matters. He was also very modest about his academic scores and his archery skills which was displayed during the club recruitment drive. Although he had yet to join any clubs, many have been trying to recruit him for both his physical performance and intellect. And she was extremely thankful that he was not drafted into the circle of the Perverted Trio.
Still, he was an unknown magician in their area of supervision, and she can't get too emotional about it.
"So he is not really a bad person, but the fact still remains that he is an unknown in the area." Sona said as she adjusted her glasses. "We would need to keep an eye on him."
"But we would need to ensure he does not get tipped off." Tsubaki replied. "He may not have bad intentions towards us, but there is still the possibility that we may provoke a bad reaction from him." Everyone in the room nodded as they considered the idea.
"Well, I think we can hold off this discussion for tomorrow." Rias stretched her arms as she yawned. "For now, I need to distribute the flyers around town, and you are going to be busy with the new Pawn of yours."
Sona nodded while frowning. Technically she did not like loose ends, but in this case she could not help the situation. She could only hope that the situation would not worsen.
...
Hey guys I really need you to throw some power Stones ;)
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