He was expected to wake up, whether he wanted to or not, in his large room inside the boys' shelter. But he was not alone.
Nachtwolf moved next to him and woke him up, something he didn't like at all.
Ethan noticed that Nachtwolf wasn't the only one nearby; he felt the breath of others surrounding him. He didn't recognize most of them, and only a few were recognizable. Just then, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him:
" Frenith!"
When he realized who it was, it was the son of one of the neighboring counties of the Oak Charter County, in the lands of the Vermouths.
Ethan knew the young man as Craven Valdheart, a descendant of the silver elite House Valdheart. His father held a position on the King's Council and had an old feud with Ethan's father. Ethan had inherited that hatred, but he felt that Craven did not feel the same way; he was here as an elite student, and it was his duty to check on him after the recent attack.
Ethan had reportedly passed out during the festival as a result of the attack, despite the fact that he was the vice president of his class.
Ethan moved with numb fingers in his limbs, perhaps from the long sleep. He straightened up and summarized:
At the festival, the crowd was so crowded, he didn't notice the attacker, or even hear his voice, as he recalls. He noted that the drug was so strong that he didn't even feel the syringes with which he was stabbed. At this point, Frenith explained that he chased the perpetrator but he disappeared, leaving behind only a worn peasant's cap that he used as a disguise.
Craven listened attentively to the statements, while his assistant Judy wrote everything down. It was understood that the report would then reach one of the academy's top masters.
Craven made sure everything was okay, as long as Ethan was able to return to school in the next three days. He explained to him that the elite Order cadets, the black suits, would act according to procedure, as the group's deputy commander was present.
Zev Nethar, one of the strongest swordsmen in the second year, would be investigating. Craven pointed out that these attacks had been repeated since last year, which was why it was necessary to investigate, especially since most of the suburb's inhabitants were of corrupted blood.
Nachtwolf, the black-furred one, had fallen asleep by the time the discussion came to an end. Miraslav, whose presence was barely perceptible, stepped toward Ethan. She was a girl with indigo-blue hair and copper-colored skin. She approached him and then said in a warm tone, conveying her positive energy:
"Everything will be fine, you can count on us... The Silver Elite Council will not compromise, we promise, you can be sure, even though I'm new, I'm confident."
She reminded him of their duty, the need to follow the example of protecting their kind and all that goes with it.
But Ethan felt nothing but weakness; he could only find in her words a subtle hint of offense at his current state, or so he thought.
In the end, they had no choice but to leave the room and leave the vulnerable Ethan to rest. Nachtwolf, who had caught the eye from the moment they entered, was the center of Miraslav's attention. Despite her kind treatment of him, the small horned wolf didn't seem interested in her.
When everyone else exited, Frenith paused for a moment, then apologized, feeling guilty for not being there in time. But Ethan didn't blame him, and it made Frenith's heart feel strangely warm but reassuring.
He walked out of the room, leaving the others behind to make arrangements, then closed Ethan's door behind him, finally letting him get some rest.
He found himself alone all morning, visited only by the maid who had to clean his room every day. She was surprised to see him today, as she was not used to seeing him at this time.
He was always busy, so she wondered why he was staying, but she merely checked on him with false compliments, while he paid little attention.
As for Nachtwolf, he seemed to be getting bigger by the day. Ethan thought it might be because he was sleeping too much, as he was growing at a rapid pace. He thought about taking him out in the coming days before he became too intimidating to the students, as mountain wolves with horns were not a common sight at the academy.
He enjoyed some rest today, reading a number of books that he hadn't been able to finish earlier.
He found himself lost in his thoughts half the time
He wasn't surprised when he heard a knock on the door; a number of students had visited him, apparently taking advantage of the day off. Among them were Urska and Serpur from his class, but even more surprising was the presence of Morana, and even more surprising was the arrival of Danisha, Thalia's stubborn friend. Ethan believed she had come in place of Thalia, as the latter had always been overbearing in everyone's eyes, but Ethan knew who she really was.
As expected, Nila and Ovind were not left out of the list.
They arrived with small gifts and some fruits, while Neela, as usual, brought a lot of noise. After checking on Ethan and exchanging pleasantries with him, I asked him:
"How can you not rise up against him? You defeated Frenith and I can attest to that, so how can you not finish off a bastard who is just a street hobo?"
Ovend interrupted, pointing out that his adversary was armed, while Ethan was unarmed. Ovend loved to defend him, but Morana interjected:
"So what? If he had practiced for such situations, he would have survived."
Then she added sharply: "If Henry, your older brother, had been in your place, he would have beaten him easily."
Morana didn't know Henry well, but she had heard enough about him. He was Master Leona's second disciple, with a unique talent for handling sword and wood.
Ethan could only see their conversation as an exaggerated noise, but it was an endearing one. Danisha interrupted, smiling, and gave him a small gift, a piece of candy she had bought with Thalia. She apologized for not bringing "that brat," meaning Thalia, and added with a laugh:
"Even if I forced her to come, it would have been difficult, she's so stubborn!"
As for Serpur, he was a very practical young man, but he respected Ethan enough to come with his friend Urska. Ethan appreciated it, and loved his bustling, lively environment.
He didn't feel the passage of time, indulging in card games and jokes with them until the afternoon sun set.
Their conversation was fast-paced, especially when it came to the festival recap, half of which went off without much of a hitch, except for Arthur's rooftop incident.
Yes, they referred to him as " The Adventurer Arthur," on the roof of Strager Hall, where he caused quite a ruckus. Serpur explained that Arthur was chasing thieves, as people had said.
Three guards were injured, and Arthur was sent for questioning before the board of directors. He was said to have been fired.
Ethan didn't understand: How could he be fired so quickly?
Urska, who reeked of oil from constant contact with mechanical tools, confirmed that Arthur had indeed been fired.
It was somewhat shocking, especially since Nila was devastated when she found out, but the others didn't care much.
Ethan thought about it for a moment. Arthur was nothing more than a hired adventurer, but he liked him somehow. He had to meet him again sometime.
Nachtwolf handed him a letter he had neglected for some time. It was from his sister.
The stamp on it immediately caught his eye: The coat of arms of the Vermouths - a leafless oak tree, printed in red wax.
The letter sounded official. She was checking on his health, telling him about his long loneliness. Ethan wasn't sure if she was exaggerating, but he felt he had to believe his sister, Eleanor.
In her letter, she explained that their brother, Henry, had been at court for a month, beginning his role as a knight in shining armor, charged with protecting the royal family, like the other sons of the great fiefdoms.
Their father, the current head of the House of Vermouth, is out on a diplomatic trip outside of Arentia, where they may now be crossing the Iron Dragons mountain range in their steam balloon.
At the end of the letter, she prayed to the gods to keep their father and uncle safe from the danger of those mountains.
She explained that she was now responsible for managing the family's affairs, under Aldric's protection.
She concluded her long sermon in the letter by telling Ethan that she would be coming to the academy in the next two weeks, despite the long distance, and emphasized that she would arrive to attend the meeting of the guardians in place of her father and her deceased mother.
Ethan felt a bit homesick, but at the same time he felt he had to be cautious. He knew how much his sister Eleanor hated animals, and that she would be furious if she saw Nachtwolf with him.
He really hoped that she would arrive safely, and he was willing to wait until that day came.