Chapter 34: Chapter 34 – Dean’s Office
Matthew arrived home carrying his bag tattered on his hand. His uniform stained with blood, both his and from the robbers. He was not in any pain, the paramedics healing was effective. But he was very tired.
Sarah was the first who saw him. Her jaw dropped seeing him covered in blood.
"Matthew! What happened?!" She said hurrying to him.
"I almost got robbed." He answered with a chuckle trying to make light of the situation.
"What?!" Sarah didn’t laugh. She just grabbed him trying to look for wounds, but all she saw was a new scar over his shoulder. "Where are you hurt?"
"It was nothing serious. The paramedics already healed me."
Soon his mother appeared hearing Sarah’s loud voice and screamed:
"Matthew! What happened?!" She grabbed him trying to look for wounds.
"Someone tried to rob him. But he’s fine now." Sarah answered for him.
Then was their father who showed up:
"What’s going on?" And upon noticing his son covered in blood also screamed: "Matthew! What Happened?!" He grabbed him trying to look for wounds.
"Someone tried to rob him. But he’s fine now." His mother answered for him.
"I’m home..." Matthew smiled. "I’m really fine. They didn’t take anything."
"Give me those clothes, it’s going to stain with blood if we don’t clean it now." his mother said pulling his uniform out of him.
"You fought back?" His father asked.
"Kicked their asses." Matthew said trying to make light of the situation again.
But Matthew’s father just gave him a tired look. "I don’t think I need to remind you how dangerous the world is. Even if they’re just robbers, Matthew..."
Matthew looked down a bit ashamed about his behavior. He already knew better than anyone how things can turn bad in a blink of an eye.
"But I’m glad you gave them hell." His father patted his head. "Just be safe out there son."
Gave them hell. Those words hurt Matthew. He did, almost literally.
"You got another uniform to wear tomorrow?" Sarah asked following him to his room.
"They sent me two. So yes."
"That uniform is really cool..." Sarah said with a mischievous smile. "Shame you look like a pirate in it!" She complemented running to her room laughing.
Matthew tried to protest, but he was too tired to follow her. And also, she was right. He just sat down by his desk and opened his backpack. His book on introduction to law was ruined. He didn’t know if the school would replace it.
When he got the scholarship, the school sent him the uniforms and the books he’d need for that year. He wasn’t sure if they would replace the book and the uniform for free. He had another backpack though, a smaller one from his high school he could use.
But those were the least of his worries. First, he could go to jail for beating that man so badly. And second, he still had demonic mana inside of him. Why didn’t the purification work?
After a shower, he got another eye patch from his drawer, a blue one he left the hospital with. The one he lost fighting today was a gift from his sister. A gag from her calling him a pirate and making him use a black round eye patch. But he ended up liking that one. Now he had to go back to the hospital one.
He booted his computer and searched information about the purification skill. How to get rid of demonic mana. He laughed to himself upon reading that demonic mana was tricky to get rid of and you needed to know how to use the skill correctly to get rid of all of it or the demonic mana would hide itself inside the patient.
He needed to seek a specialist. Perhaps Vanessa could help him?
His finger hovered above his cellphone. Debating with himself if he should concern her with that. He still could remember her face when he used the demonic mana in front of her. Even though she was so supportive of him after, he felt it was better to deal with it himself. He didn’t want to burden her with it.
Perhaps someone in school? A professor?
He felt he could trust Firynn. He was very powerful and knowledgeable, he would know what to do. Orpheu also seemed like a professor he could count on. He was very attentive to him the first time he went to the school.
The next day, when Matthew got to school, Faralynn was not waiting him by the gate like the day prior. He knew she wouldn’t, but part of him was hopeful. He walked slowly to class. Should he tell the others what happened yesterday?
When he got to class, all the girls were sitting on their places and his was empty. Erin smiled and waved at him which made some male students in class stare daggers at him. Matthew shuddered, he was already making enemies in class without doing anything.
He barely had time to sit. Professor Orpheu soon appeared at the door:
"Matthew. The Dean wants to talk to you. Now."
It sounded serious. Faralynn almost got up to go with him, but stopped herself. She was curious to know what her father wanted with him.
Erin was less timid:
"Did you do something?" She asked looking at Matthew.
"I’ll explain later." He said getting up with a smile to reassure Erin.
One of the boys who were jealous of him commented as he passed by:
"Bet he’s already being expelled." and chuckled alone to himself.
Despite Matthew knowing that he said that for pure jealousy, a part of him got scared. Laufgraan was am elitist adventurer school and fighting on the street could most likely lead to his expulsion.
At the dean’s office, a beautiful gold haired elven woman was sat behind a desk. Farzan’s secretary. She instructed Matthew to sit down at a couch while the Dean was finishing prior business.
"You’re the kid who saved Lady Faralynn." She commented while serving him a cup of water.
"Yes..." He said, but soon added: "But it’s more like I helped her than saved her." Matthew didn’t like to brag. At least not about things he didn’t feel he did.
"You’re cute." The secretary said sitting down at her place. "I wonder if the Lady likes you."
Matthew choked with the water with that comment taking a giggle out of the secretary.
"You’re really cute." She said putting her chin over her hands.
"We’re just friends!" He said cleaning his face from the water he spilled. "I doubt she looks at me like that." Matthew complemented blushing about the obvious flirt.
"That’s a shame..." The secretary said with a sultry voice. "But that also means..." She open a devilish smile.
Before she could continue, the door to the office opened. Farzan came from inside together with the detective from last night.
"Oh! Matthew." Detective Richter said seeing him on the couch. "Sorry to come up to your school, but I needed to follow up with yesterday’s business. Hope you’re not in trouble."
Matthew just nodded to the detective unable to say anything.
"Thank you for bringing this to my attention." Farzan said shaking the detective’s hand. "And don’t worry. Matthew is in no trouble. Taking what you said."
The detective also said goodbye to the secretary and went away.
Farzan then guided Matthew inside his office and closed the door.
"Sit down Matthew." He said.
"Okay." Matthew timidly said while taking a seat.
"I heard you had trouble yesterday." Farzan commented while taking a seat.
"Yes." Matthew took a quick breath to calm down. Farzan had a very intimidating presence. Specially since he saw how powerful he was first hand. "Some men tried to rob me and... Things got violent."
"The detective said you almost killed one of them." Farzan sounded disappointed.
"I... I lost my head." Matthew confessed feeling ashamed.
"You didn’t seem like the type of person to be particularly cruel. And, by what the detective said, you were quite cruel... The man in the hospital is in a coma. They’re waiting for a regeneration machine to be available to see if they can save him. He’ll probably not make it. The other one is so scared of you that he practically ran to jail to get away from you."
Matthew froze. He didn’t know how to respond to that.
"Did I make a mistake taking you in?" Farzan asked looking Matthew deep in his eyes.
Matthew didn’t say anything. He just shrank a little on his chair.
"Well? Tell me Matthew. What happened last night? Why should I keep you around my daughter?" Farzan was stern.
Matthew breathed heavily. He adjusted himself on the seat and said looking at the floor:
"I got overwhelmed by demonic mana."
Farzan raised an eyebrow:
"From hell still? Faralynn said you got rid of it."
"I thought I did. I got the Priest class and have the Purification skill. But it seems it’s not enough to get rid of it just purifying myself. I need the help of a more competent Priest."
"I see." Farzan’s voice was softer now. "I’m sorry. I should’ve made sure you were free from that curse."
"It’s not your fault. It’s my own inexperience." Matthew said feeling less pressured.
"Go back to class. I’ll ask Professor Claude to purify you during lunch today. Look for him in the teacher’s office after morning classes." Farzan said while writing something down.
"Thank you, sir." Matthew breathed relieved.
Farzan walked him out and shook his hand. Then sat down deep in thought. He was now questioning his decision of taking Matthew in the school.