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"Don't you think you have been hogging the Sage a little too much lately?"

It was an innocuous but curious question directed towards Mithra, who had just entered the lounge room, fresh from his own room after recuperating on many hours of sleep. Snow and White both squinted at Mithra suspiciously, as if they were monitoring a wild animal's every move. Mithra had complained of hunger and decided to feast on the churros prepared atop the table in front of the couch without so much as seeking the twins' permission first. He swallowed one whole piece before answering.

"Yes? What do you mean?"

"We meant as we said. Don't you think you have been taking up the Sage's time a little too much?" Snow asked, raising his left brow.

"We barely see the Sage nowadays. He's always being holed up in your room," White said, raising his right brow.

"Yes, and he's helping me sleep. I'm unable to fall asleep on my own due to my affliction, you do know this?"

"Oh, Mithy-poo. You must understand that surely the Sage has other obligations he must take care of, too. His responsibilities aren't exclusive to cradling you to a good night's sleep," Snow began to chide.

"Not to mention, the other wizards want to spend time with the Sage, too. Contrary to what you think, the rest of us also need to recharge on some Sage juice sometimes. You must learn to share instead of possessing him all to yourself!" White protested.

"I don't remember imposing a rule of no-sharing, but okay," Mithra said, grabbing another piece of churro and taking a big bite out of it. He already sounded bored of the conversation. "However, it's also part of his job in a way. As the Sage, he should help his wizards. Therefore, he has a responsibility in my room and my bed. It's a very important night job that only he could fulfill."

"Yuck, I did not just hear that."

A new but familiar voice joined the conversation from across the room. The doors to the lounge room were left open, so nobody heard anything when Bradley came in. Now, Bradley realized that he may or may not have joined at the worst timing ever. When the twins and Mithra turned to look at him, Bradley immediately threw his hands up to his chest.

"I'm not even gonna ask for the context," Bradley said, defensively.

"Braddy! It isn't what you think it is. White and I are simply trying to knock some sense into Mithra for monopolizing the Sage."

"I do not need any sense knocked into me. I was simply stating the truth. I am not monopolizing the Sage. He has a nightly responsibility in my bedroom."

"Mithra, watch your words! Good heavens, anymore said without context and you shall give everyone else the wrong idea!"

Snow and White gave Mithra horrified looks, to which Mithra responded with an innocent tilt of the head. He didn't seem like he understood why they were so concerned about his choice of words. Bradley sighed as he approached the table where the three were seated.

"A bit too late for that, don'tcha think? Pretty sure the other wizards are already onto somethin'," Bradley shrugged, then reached out to snatch the basket of churros on the table. "Also, I'm takin' these."

"Please don't add fuel to the fire. We have enough rumours circulating around town about many sorts of things and we certainly don't need any rumours circulating within the Manor," Snow said through puffed lips.

"Well, I suppose I understand where Bradpoo is coming from. The other day, the youngins were talking, you see," White sighed, leaning back against the couch.

"You mean Heath and Shino? I mean, whaddya expect? Those kids ain't dumb," Bradley said in between mouthfuls of churros. "It's a natural conclusion to make after everything they saw and heard, anyway."

Mithra crossed his legs. "I'm afraid I don't understand where this conversation is going."

"You really have shits for brains sometimes," Bradley almost groaned, making a face at Mithra. "I'm sayin', if you came up to the Sage and said something like that while dragging him to your room, it's gonna give people ideas."

"What did he say?" Snow asked.

"Whatever did Mithy-poo say to our dearest Sage?" White asked.

Bradley swallowed the churro he was munching on and opened his mouth as if to say something, then he closed his mouth and his shoulders trembled. He looked like he was recoiling at the thought of something. Sighing, he relented and answered.

"Came up to the Sage while he was talking to Heath and Shino and said, "I can't hold back anymore. Come to my room right now,"" Bradley attempted to mimic Mithra's voice, but he ended up wincing. His shoulders shuddered again. "Ugh, sayin' it is giving me the creeps, man."

Snow and White let out a very dramatic gasp, then they glared at Mithra together.

"Mithy-poo, I do not remember raising you to be such an indecent child!"

"Where did you learn to utilize such innuendos? And in front of the children, to boot. We shall not condone this behaviour!"

"Huh? Okay. I just remembered I was close to snapping due to lack of sleep. It wasn't as if the Sage was discussing something important with those two at that time, anyways."

"Mithra, that is not the point!" Snow and White yelled in unison.

"Goodness, it's no wonder the youngins were all talk the other day. You have given them a very, very misleading impression of your relationship with the Sage," Snow sighed and held his own head.

"Okay? It doesn't matter, does it?" Mithra looked out of the floor-to-ceiling windows next to where they were seated, his fingers playing with strands of his own hair. "It's none of my business. I don't get what the big deal is."

"I mean, even if he's having that kinda relationship with the Sage, you can't really police his decisions. Dude's over 1500 years old, he ain't 15," Bradley said.

"But the problem is, Mithra isn't courting the Sage and the youngins have misunderstood the situation," White countered. "As we said, we do not need rumours circulating within the Manor for the sake of peace and harmony."

"Yes, yes. Jealousy is a very human trait. Some of the other wizards may think that they do not stand a chance with the Sage if they hear this. If we do not clear this up, it may lead to situations involving bouts of jealousy from the others," Snow added.

"You said it like all the wizards are after the Sage. Ain't possible, dude." Bradley narrowed his eyes at the twins. "Remember, we got kids in the Manor. Also, Murr? In love with the Sage? That weirdo's busy with his girlfriend up in the sky, trust me."

"I don't think anyone would get jealous. As I have said, it isn't as if I'm monopolizing the Sage," Mithra said, nonchalantly. "I think the three of you are just speaking of nothing more than baseless theories at this point."

"That's rich coming from someone who literally gets real fuckin' pissed everytime the Sage's too busy to sleep with you." Bradley downed the last of the churros and tossed the empty basket back onto the table. He looked at Mithra like he would if he was told that no dinner was going to get served today. "Did you forget the shit you tried to do to me the other day?"

Mithra didn't even look at him. "Which is?"

"You son of a bitch, you tried to fuckin' murder me with kitchen knives just 'cause the Sage was in the kitchen cooking up a meal for me," Bradley hissed.

"Ah, I vaguely remember doing something like that, yes," Mithra drawled, as if they were talking about the weather and not about the fact that he attempted murder on a fellow Sage's wizard. "I really needed to sleep that time, but the Sage said he had to make a meal for you first, so I figured I'd solve the problem the easiest way."

"Mithra, I don't know how to tell you this, but trying to end a fellow wizard's life over the Sage isn't the smart solution you think it is," Snow grimaced before sighing.

"It seems like we need to keep an strict eye out for this boy yet again," White sighed after his brother.

"No need for that. Also, speaking of the Sage, I'm starting to feel rather tired, so I'm going to try to sleep."

Mithra threw his legs up on the couch, making himself as comfortable as he could and paying no mind to Bradley's uttered insult about his apparent capriciousness. He nuzzled the back of his head against the arm of the couch. The twins could only sigh, for the umpteenth time, in defeat.

"Yo, Great Sage."

Akira stopped in the middle of the hallways when he heard a familiar voice calling out to him from behind. He turned around and found Cain waving at him a few feet away, pacing towards where he stood.

"Cain, good morning."

"Morning! You're up early today."

"I have some documents to look through, so I thought I'd get a few of them done before lunchtime."

"Oh, sorry to bother you while you're working, then. I just wanted to ask if you've seen Mithra anywhere."

"Mithra?" Akira blinked. "I haven't seen him around. Why do you ask?"

"I heard he was seen coming out of your room in the early hours, so I thought maybe you'd have an idea where he is. We're supposed to have a joint training session with the Northern wizards at Snow's and White's request, but he's nowhere to be seen."

Cain frowned in defeat and blew soft air upwards to his bangs before brushing them out of vision's way. He looked behind, and then around the hallways, while scratching his cheeks, as if searching for any sign of the Northern wizard in question.

"Well, if you haven't seen him, then it's fine. I'll ask someone else," Cain said, giving Akira a thumbs-up.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't be of much help."

"It's fine, man. Also, I've been meaning to ask, but is everything going fine with Mithra lately?"

Akira blinked a few times at the question. "Umm… yeah, everything has been fine?"

"That's great. I was afraid Mithra's been a load on you," Cain laughed. "He seems like the type to get real possessive."

"Oh, okay…?"

To say that he was confused would be an understatement right now. He wasn't sure what point Cain was trying to drive, neither did he understood where this question came from. Nothing really unusual happened between him and Mithra lately, except for the fact that Mithra had been breaking into his room without prior warning to climb into his bed more often than usual, but that wasn't something that could be helped much considering Mithra's curious affliction.

"Well, if he's not treating you weird in any way, then I don't have to worry as much." Cain moved forward to pat Akira on the back. "I'm gonna go ask the others if they've seen Mithra around, so I'll catch you around."

Akira didn't even have the time to question Cain what he meant before the knight went running off into the distance. He stood there, blinking a few times more, before he decided to leave the matter aside to priotize his work.

"Mister Mithra, I don't mean to pry and I apologize in advance if I'm stepping over a line, but I think you may want to rethink treating the Great Sage's room as though you own it, perhaps…?"

Afternoon tea with Rutile was almost always 10% about the tea-drinking aspect and 90% about the talking aspect. Normally, it wasn't the kind of tea party Mithra would bother with, but if he didn't have tea with Rutile, then only God would know who the boy was going to seek out as an alternative. Going along with Rutile's invitations was much easier than having to deal with the trouble that would come if, say, Rutile had tea with Owen.

Given Rutile's personality, he was unsurprisingly chirpy during these tea parties. Mithra wasn't one for long conversations, so most of the time it was Rutile doing the talking. He'd talk about all sorts of things from his childhood, about his younger brother Mitile and his mother Tiletta. These conversations usually bored him, but he forced himself to listen, anyway, especially since Rutile's stories gave him further context about Tiletta's words and actions in the past.

But, today, he was being posed with a rather unusual question.

"Huh? Where did that come from?"

"No, it's… I heard from the Great Sage that you have been barging into his room uninvited at night. I was getting worried. The Great Sage does need to have time to himself, after all. If you keep doing that, you may end up taking away from his personal time, Mister Mithra."

"Okay? You don't have to worry so much. The Sage is faring fine."

"That's not what I mean. I understand your desire to monopolize him is strong, but he needs his own space, too."

Was it Mithra's imagination or were Rutile's words mirroring the twins' from the other day? Mithra ran a hand through his hair and responded without a further thought.

"I don't get what you're trying to say, but I'm not monopolizing the Sage," he clarified. "I can't sleep, and you know that."

"Oh, do you mean that you simply wanted to spend time with the Great Sage, then?"

"Yeah? I guess." Mithra couldn't help but to raise a brow at Rutile's choice of words. "Again, I can't sleep, so sleeping with the Sage is my only solution."

"But the amount of times you do this may border on monopolization… Well, I suppose I can't fault you if your intention was purely that. After all, it's to be expected."

"Huh?" Mithra was starting to get annoyed. He had the feeling that Rutile's words were hinting at something much more, but he wasn't being straightforward about it. Was it on purpose? "If you have something you want to say, please just say it. I don't like playing the guessing game."

"Eh? I'm not sure what you mean by that? I was just saying that it's normal for a pair of lovers to want to spend some time together."

"What?"

Mithra stared at Rutile. Rutile blinked at Mithra.

"Huh? Have I said something wrong?"

"You said the Sage and I are lovers," Mithra pointed out.

"...Am I wrong…?" Rutile asked very slowly, blinking even more. "...Did I perhaps misunderstood the whole situation?"

In the first place, what prompted Rutile to reach that kind of conclusion? This was a first for Mithra.

"The Sage and I aren't dating."

"Huh? What!?" Rutile accidentally raised his voice in a fit of surprise. He quickly covered his mouth, looked around to see if he had disturbed anyone else that could be nearby, and uttered a quick apology. "You're not dating the Great Sage?"

"...? Why would you think we are?"

"That's because…" Rutile's words trailed off, evaporating into the air. He stared at Mithra, completely taken by surprise at this revelation. "...You act like you are!"

Mithra tried to put two and two together in his head. Was this what the twins were fussing about the other day?

"I don't know how you reached that conclusion, but we're not dating. You were the one who carried yourself away in this misunderstanding of yours."

Rutile's jaw dropped. "I'm terribly sorry about this. I had no idea. You just seemed so… convincing."

Mithra didn't really get it. All he did with the Sage was sleep with him. Maybe take him out for broom rides in dark, starry nights from time to time. He also really liked the Sage's scent, and they would get touchy from time to time. How was any of these a good basis for the assumption Rutile had?

"Well, it's just that you seem to really like the Great Sage…"

"...? Yeah, I do like the Sage," Mithra answered, then tapped on the table and pointed at the empty plate before him. "Also, we ran out of biscuits. Can we get some more?"

"O-Oh, sure, of course."

Rutile blinked at him again. He hadn't stopped blinking since earlier. Did this conversation give him some sort of a blinking problem?

But Rutile didn't say a word more before he took the plate and hurried off into the distance to fill it up.

The cafeteria was lively first thing in the morning when Akira stepped into the room. Seated at one of the bigger dining tables, were Mitile and Figaro. From a distance, it looked like Mitile seemed troubled about something. He was probably confiding in Figaro about it. In that case, maybe it'd be a good idea to not bother them.

"Oh, Great Sage, you're here."

But before Akira could head in the other direction to look for a seat for himself, Figaro had called out to him. Taking this as a sign that it was okay to approach them, Akira walked towards to them.

"Good morning, Figaro and Mitile. Are you two having pancakes?"

"Yeah. Nero made his special oats pancakes today. They're really tasty with some maple syrup. That aside, though…" Figaro paused and propped his elbow on the table, cushioning his chin on his palm as he looked up at Akira. "Mitile has something he'd like to ask you."

"Mitile does?"

"D-Dr. Figaro!" Mitile flailed, and Akira quickly realized that what Figaro said might have been meant to be a secret for Mitile.

"It's okay if you don't want to say it, Mitile," Akira quickly reassured him.

"...No, it's… okay," Mitile said, after pausing for a moment. He fidgeted slightly. "Umm… I just wanted to ask what your type is, Great Sage."

"My type?"

"Mhm. Like, your type in people. What kind of person you like, I mean," Mitile clarified. "Is it someone like Mister Mithra?"

"Eh? Umm…"

That was a very sudden and unusual question. Akira didn't think that Mitile, of all the wizards, would ask him this type of question. Then again, Mitile was a young teenager. When Akira was his age, he was definitely interested in questions related to romance and relationships, too. Maybe Mitile was asking out of pure curiosity.

"W-Well… Mithra is handsome," Akira said, scratching his cheeks. "He's really attractive and I guess he has the exact type of face that I like…"

"R-Really?! Wait, but then this doesn't match what Big Brother said…"

Mitile suddenly looked lost in thought, and Figaro laughed. "People can be attracted to others, but that doesn't automatically mean they're dating whoever they're attracted to."

"Ah, yeah. I'm not dating Mithra."

"Oh… then do you not want to?"

The question instantly put Akira on the spot, but Mitile was looking at him with those big, expectant eyes, and Akira didn't think he could just brush off a child's innocent curiosity and call it a day. He would definitely feel bad if he did so.

"W-Well, umm…" Akira fumbled to find the right words to say what he wanted to say, but he wasn't even sure what kind of response he should be giving. "I'm… not opposed, to seeing Mithra as a romantic interest?"

He paused to wonder if that was really the case, considering this was Mithra they're talking about, not the handsome but shy Heathcliff or the sly but sensual Shylock, both of whom would definitely make ideal partners. Mithra embodied the concept of sexiness, but otherwise he wasn't really the kind of man people would pin as an ideal boyfriend.

"...But as of now, it's not like there's anything between us."

Akira didn't even know if he was fully certain of the answer he gave. Figaro suddenly burst into laughter.

"This is interesting," the older wizard remarked. "And to think rumours of the opposite are already circulating around."

"Rumours?" Akira blinked, but Figaro didn't answer his confusion.

"Oh, I see! Ah, umm, I'm sorry if me asking these questions made things awkward!" Mitile quickly apologized, his cheeks slightly burning up. It was an extremely innocent sight; Akira knew that Mitile was simply child full of curiosity.

"No, it's alright, but could I ask what sprung this on?"

But before either of the wizards could answer his question, Nero suddenly came into the picture, both hands holding fresh plates of pancakes that smelled heavenly enough to distract Akira from his own question.

"I get that you guys get real chatty over meals, but save some of those conversations for later, yeah? Your food's gonna get cold otherwise," Nero said. "Conversation's over, time to get your morning energy. Eat up, Sage."

"Oh, I'm sorry, and thank you, Nero."

Just as Akira quickly seated himself at the table, Figaro laughed yet again, and it was giving Akira the feeling that both Mitile and Figaro seemed to know something that he didn't.

"Mithra, what do you think about the Great Sage?" Lennox asked, when the two of them were perched underneath a large tree with branches big enough to provide some cool shades to shelter under. "And would you please stop staring at my sheep like you're going to eat them? You're scaring them."

After his third attempt at a necromancy spell failed in succession, Mithra decided to stop trying any further lest his growing irritation gave him a migraine. It just so happened that he found Lennox about to walk his sheep outside the Manor, so he decided he'd kill some time by joining him, especially because the sheep all looked so plump. They look like they would make delicious steaks for dinner.

But his fantasies of a plate of lamb steak covered in that thick demi-glazed sauce were now interrupted by Lennox's sudden and unusual question. Mithra had to wonder what's going on with the wizards lately for them to keep asking him weird questions like this.

"Huh? The Sage?"

"Yeah. You seem to get along really well with the Sage."

"Do we? Well, he does make a comfortable bolster."

Lennox gave him an uncertain look, as if he wasn't convinced by what he just said.

"I see. Is your relationship with him that of an owner and a bolster?"

"If you want to put it that way, then sure."

"So, the Sage is an object to you?"

"What's going on now? You've been asking weird questions since earlier."

For some reason, Lennox's words struck a nerve somewhere in Mithra. It was true the Sage made an extremely comfortable bolster. His skin was soft and squishy, and thanks to that, Mithra would sleep well whenever he had him, but when Lennox called him an object, it sparked feelings of slight irritation.

"It's nothing. I just wanted to know, but if it's not something you wish to discuss, I will stop."

Mithra took a moment to think about Lennox's question again. What did he think about the Sage? Well, the Sage was small, so that was a first. He may make a comfortable bolster, but he was small and weak, and definitely needed protection and a lot of saving in dangerous situations. Because of that, the Sage was also a burden on his shoulders much like the Flores brothers were, just because he was so weak.

But he was also sweet and kind. Too kind, actually. Sometimes Mithra wondered if the Sage was even going to live past this year since he was always so eager to please others. He was loved by everyone around him. He was also very weird. In all of the 1500 years Mithra had lived, he had not met a weirder human than the Sage. What kind of human, who couldn't even live past the age of 60 on average, would just walk up to a wizard much, much stronger than they were, and continuously fussed over and worried about them?

Oh, and the Sage had a nice scent, too. And squishy skin. His looks were average, but Mithra supposed he could see at least a head or two turning if the Sage walked through the Central Country's marketplace.

"........."

Mithra didn't know how to answer this question, actually.

Lennox seemed to have sensed Mithra's confusion because he then asked, "Do you like the Sage?"

For some reason, being asked that seemed to irritate Mithra even further. It sounded like Lennox was trying to clarify his first question, but it only made things more confusing for Mithra than they already were.

"Meaning?"

"Ah… I don't know if you have ever experienced attraction before, but I was trying to ask if you love the Sage."

Love. Mithra had heard that word used countless of times, but it wasn't a word he found himself pondering over on a typical day. He especially heard it from Tiletta whenever she spoke of her husband, and Rutile whenever he spoke of his mother and younger brother. But Mithra himself?

"I don't know," Mithra answered without thinking. "Do I?"

"...I can't answer that for you," Lennox said. "Your feelings are your own."

"I don't understand what this 'love' is," Mithra began, trying to think back on the things Tiletta said about her lover. "Is it the desire to marry someone? Or when you want to procreate with them?"

"Well… Marriage and procreation aren't necessary when it comes to love, I think. They're just additions. Um… I'm not sure how to explain this," Lennox paused momentarily, deep in thought. "I think the best way to describe it is a desire to protect them and make them happy."

"Huh."

Well, he checked one of those two on the list. It was a chore, but he was always protecting the Sage, and he always felt like he had to, because otherwise the Sage was just so terribly brittle.

A desire to make the Sage happy, though. Mithra had never considered that, but sometimes the Sage looked happy to spend time with him. And Mithra did feel good spending time with the Sage, but he wasn't sure if 'happy' was the right word to describe those feelings.

"Maybe," Mithra answered without thinking again. He would like more explanation, but Lennox didnn't seem like the best person to give him that.

"I see."

"I suddenly have something to do," Mithra suddenly announced before getting up. He didn't even spare Lennox another glance before he turned around and walked the other way, leaving the sheepherder behind. He figured that if Lennox couldn't give him the explanation he wanted, then he'd just have to find someone else.

And he knew exactly who to find.

Owen materialized out of thin air and slithered towards Akira in the lounge room much like a snake in predatory mode. He went up and close. Close enough that Akira could feel him breathe down his neck from behind.

"Great Sage, I have a question," Owen started, then before Akira could say anything, he continued. "Are you sleeping with Mithra?"

Heathcliff choked on his tea loud enough that Shino began fussing over him. Shylock stopped talking and brought a hand over his mouth. Nero sped across the room faster than lightning and quickly covered both of Riquet's ears. Akira nearly dropped the book he was holding.

"By… By 'sleeping', what do you mean?" Akira asked after a moment of silence, figuring that it was best to confirm what Owen was trying to get at before reacting.

"All that book-reading and you're asking me that? Has your brain rotted?" Owen hissed, looking annoyed. "I'm asking, are you having nightly trysts with Mithra?"

"Okay, Riquet! I have some madeleines fresh outta the oven! We're going to the kitchen to getcha some, okay?!" Nero's voice hitched and cut across the room. Paying no mind to Owen clicking his tongue and telling him to shut his trap, he grabbed Riquet's wrists and started pulling him towards the door.

"Nero, what are nightly trysts?" Riquet asked, but Nero forced an awkward laugh.

"Nothing. We're gonna get you some real freakin' good madeleines, okay? Let's go."

Nero and Riquet disappeared out of the door. Heathcliff continued to cough as Shino attempted to soothe him by patting his back. Akira couldn't believe that this was really happening.

"I-I am not?!" Akira squeaked, feeling his cheeks burn up.

"Tch," Owen clicked his tongue again and looked even more annoyed than before, and Akira really wanted to protest that he should be the one clicking his tongue here. "You're so useless."

"Why are you asking me that?!"

"Because if you're having nightly trysts with Mithra, then I would know for sure that you're his weakness."

Akira couldn't believe his ears for even a second. He never would have thought he would hear those words come out of Owen's mouth. He clutched onto the book he was holding to make sure he wouldn't eventually lose grip of it at any point and drop it to the floor, and it also helped to ground himself in the present situation in the midst of his confusion, that this was really a situation that was happening.

Once Heathcliff was done coughing, his face immediately turned a bright red. Being an aristocrat meant he was likely no complete stranger to such subjects, but it was also because of his aristocracy that he developed an obviously reserved attitude towards said subjects. It was probably not in his culture for such things to be discussed so openly, and it was certainly not in the culture Akira knew either.

"Owen, as curious as you may be, I believe that taking the time and place into consideration would be vital to such conversations," Shylock cut in.

"I'm not curious about the fact that they could be having nightly trysts. I just wanted to know if the Sage is one of Mithra's weaknesses," Owen shot back.

"Doesn't mean you can just come in and ask someone that kinda question without considering the time and place. We had a kid in here," Shino countered, sharply.

"Oh, boohoo. Shino to the rescue again. How heroic."

"You little—"

"Shino, stop," Heathcliff quickly interrupted before the situation escalated.

But Shino wasn't listening. "Sage, if you're uncomfortable, then say so. Say the word and I'll kick him out of here."

And suddenly the situation had turned more complicated than it already was. Having Shino and Owen in the same room had rarely ever turned out well; the two of them had one of the most terrible compatibility in the Manor, and they possessed an impressive track record of having arguments over every little thing, regardless of place and time. Akira suddenly felt overwhelmed.

"C-Calm down, Shino," Akira said. "And, Owen, why would you make that kind of assumption in the first place?"

"Because Mithra seems to really like you," Owen replied, curtly. "You smell like him more than you think."

"...? What."

Heathcliff sounded really confused, and Akira even more so. "I smell like Mithra…?"

"I believe he's referring to Mithra's mana," Shylock explained. "His mana may have rubbed off on you, Great Sage. I must admit, I have picked up his mana a few times on you as well."

"I—"

Akira suddenly realized that all four of the wizards present in the room were staring at him, looking very expectant of something. The way this conversation had been worded so far was obviously liable to give people the wrong impression. He began to panic.

"Whatever the Sage does with Mithra shouldn't be any of our business. It's their relationship. Who are we to judge?" Shino said.

"Y-You're right. It's something that couples normally do, after all," Heathcliff followed after Shino, looking the other side in embarrassment.

"W-Wait, Mithra and I aren't a couple!" Akira quickly cut in. "There seems to be a misunderstanding here!"

Heathcliff blinked, and Shino squinted at Akira.

"You're not dating Mithra?" Shino asked.

Owen rolled his eyes and scoffed at Shino. "That's why I asked if they were having nightly trysts. The other day, Rutile was yapping on and on about how he misunderstood and thought Mithra was into the Sage, so I figured that if they're not lovers, then they might be having a relationship with benefits."

"Relatioship with benef—" Heathcliff stopped himself before he could finish his sentence, his face growing redder with each second.

"Wait, wait, wait." Akira raised a hand. "Why would you have these assumptions in the first place?"

"...Perhaps this misunderstanding has blown itself out of proportion," Shylock said with an slightly apologetic smile. "You see, word has been circulating around the Manor amongst some of the wizards, that you and Mithra might be an item."

"......I'm sorry," Heathcliff apologized, meekly. It was clear that he was one of those wizards who bought into those rumours. "I didn't realize it was a misunderstanding. I…"

"Heath, it's not your fault. Stop beating yourself up over it," Shino said. "Besides, it's normal to assume that considering how Mithra acts around the Sage. You two sleep together so often, too."

"I must agree that Mithra's behaviour has been a strong factor in this misunderstanding. The man himself appears to have taken quite the liking to you." Shylock gazed at Akira.

"Th-There's nothing between us, I swear! Mithra and I are just friends!" Akira clarified.

Shylock didnn't seem very convinced somehow, however. "'Friends' can be a callous word to use in such context, Great Sage. It might seem like it from your perspective, but from Mithra's perspective, however…"

The rest of Shylock's words evaporated into the air, leaving behind only an awkward silence in its wake. The first to break the silence was Owen, who simply clicked his tongue once more and hissed.

"I'm not about to sit here and listen to anymore of this. If you're not Mithra's weakness, then it's no longer of my interest."

Then, Owen disappeared, fast as he had appeared.

The silence persisted until Shino opened his mouth. "Well, at least the misunderstanding has been cleared."

But the problem was that the misunderstanding had definitely not been cleared entirely. Akira suddenly recalled the things Cain said to him the other day, and then Mitile's question and Figaro's questionable behaviour from just yesterday, and his face began to burn in seven different shades.

The whole Manor was suspecting something going on between him and Mithra.

"In any case, the situation has calmed down. Dearest Sage, I apologize on Owen's behalf for the trouble caused."

"N-No, I should be the one apologizing!" Akira pipep up to Shylock. "I… I didn't realize there was such a misunderstanding going on, and…"

Akira zipped his lips when he remembered Owen pointing out that Mithra's mana had rubbed off on him, and he started blushing again. He wondered if Mithra's mana was on him even now. They had been sleeping together nearly everyday lately. If he had been walking around while completely bathed in Mithra's mana, then it was no wonder that everyone now suspected something was going on.

He slapped both of his cheeks when he felt the heat rushing through him. "I think I have some explanation I need to do to everyone later…"

Shylock laughed. "There's no need to fret so much over this. I believe you have a more pressing matter to attend to, first and foremost."

Akira looked at Shylock. "What do you mean?"

"Perhaps you should inquire a certain Northern wizard on his feelings just to be clear on some things first, no?"

He wasn't sure what Shylock was trying to say. Was he referring to Mithra? What was there to make clear of?

"Sage, good luck," Shino said, walking over to give Akira a pat on the back. "You need it."

"S-Shino!" Heathcliff tried to stop his best friend from making the situation anymore awkward than it already was, but Shino's damage had been done, and Akira was now left to do the mathematics of what had been said to him on his own.

Faust's agenda of the day was to read up further on necromancy after his class with the Eastern wizards. He'd borrowed a couple of books from the library that looked like they could be useful in his research. They were really thick, so it'd undoubtedly take a few days to go through them, and he planned to stay in his room for the rest of the day because of it.

What was not on his agenda of the day, however, was coming back to his room to find a living nightmare perched on his bed.

"Good evening, Faust," Mithra greeted him very casually, like he didn't just break into someone's room and made himself home there. "I have something I'd like to talk to you about."

Those words were enough to make the hair on Faust's back stand. "What are you doing in my room?!"

"You didn't put a barrier over your room, so I took it as an invitation to come inside," Mithra said, crossing his legs as he made himself comfortable on the bed. "Your bed is very soft. Anyway, could you come over here please?"

Faust really didn't want to. If anything, he just wanted Mithra to get out of his room and leave him alone. Filing a restraining order surfaced in his mind for but a measly second before he reminded himself that it was Mithra he was dealing with here. Knowing the man's temperament, the easiest option Faust had right now was to hear him out and give him what he wanted.

"......What do you want?" Faust asked through gritted teeth.

"I have something I want to ask you. You're courting Lennox, correct?"

"I— what?" Faust blinked. Then, his cheeks began to dye in pink. "T-There's nothing going on between Lennox and I!"

"Huh. Okay. Anyway, how did you fall in love with Lennox?"

He wasn't listening. Faust internally grimaced. Talking to Mithra was like talking to the wall sometimes, with how dense and stubborn this wizard could be

"I told you, I have nothing with Lennox!" Faust said. "And what is this about, anyway?"

"I'm a little curious about what this 'love' feels like, so I thought I should ask you. You read a lot, too. You must know something from all that reading you do."

Is your head okay? Faust wanted to asked, because why on earth was Mithra asking a shut-in of all people about love?

"I don't know anything. Go ask the other wizards," Faust sighed. "Are we done here?"

"Am I in love with the Sage?" Mithra suddenly asked. "Do I seem that way?"

Faust was confused. He really wanted to ask exactly what was going on here. "...Why would you even ask me that?"

"Lennox told me that loving someone means you want to protect them and make them happy. I'm always protecting the Sage because he's so weak and brittle, and sometimes I feel good when I spend time with him. Am I in love?"

"Who knows. You're seriously asking the wrong person here." Faust pressed a hand against his temple, feeling a migraine pooling. "This is something only you can answer because it's your feelings. If you think you're in love with the Sage, then you're in love."

"Okay."

Mithra's response was so lackluster that Faust wondered if he himself had said something wrong or if Mithra just didn't fully understand anything that was said to him. He still didn't have any context as to what spurred this conversation, and the only supporting piece of information he had that could be related to this were the rumours about Mithra's relationship with the Sage that had been circulating around the Manor.

"Look, if you're looking for a serious answer, like I said, go ask someone else, but if you really want my opinion, I agree with what Lennox said. When you're in love, you probably want to protect them and make them happy. You might also have the desire to be intimate with them."

"Intimate?'

"Yes. Have you never heard of kissing? Sleeping together in the same bed?"

"Sleeping together in the same bed," Mithra repeated, his eyes wandering across the room as he did so. "I sleep with the Sage a lot, but I haven't kissed him."

"......You only kiss if you want to, and you need the other party's consent before you do it," Faust said. "God, why am I teaching this sort of thing to you, of all people? Are you done already?"

"Yeah. I've gotten the answers I need."

"Wait, really?"

Faust watched Mithra stand up from his bed and walk towards the door. He was really done just like this? Though, Faust wasn't complaining, of course, but was this seriously all he wanted to hear?

"You have my thanks for this, Faust. I'll give you something as part of my gratitude later," Mithra declared, paused, and then continued. "Would you prefer a bear's paw that's been harvested while it was alive or after it died?"

"Neither!" Faust said, quickly. "You don't have to give me anything! God, just leave it as that, please, and leave my room."

"If you say so."

And then, Mithra was out of the door, heading to… wherever he was heading to. Faust didn't think he'd like to know, but for some reason something compelled him to be worried about the Sage. Mithra wouldn't do anything outrageous to the Sage of all people… he hoped.

Guess he'd have to go check up on the Sage later.

It was almost a rarity in itself to see the Central and Western wizards together in one place. Half of the day passed within the a blink of an eye. Akira realized that time passed much faster when he immersed himself in his work. His eyes felt heavy after reading so many documents one after another, so he decided to take a walk in the courtyard for a breather.

Oz, Arthur, Chloe, Rustica, and Murr just so happened to be there as well.

"Rustica, what did I say about turning people in the Manor into birds?" Akira heard Chloe reprimanding Rustica from a distance, and approached them quickly to inquire the situation.

"What happened?" Akira asked.

"Great Sage, hello," Arthur greeted, brightly. "There is nothing for you to worry about. The matter has been settled."

"Matter?"

"Rustica turned Arthur into a bird!" Murr singsonged. "Chloe got super duper mad!"

"I'm not mad! I'm just trying to get Rustica to understand," Chloe tried to elucidate.

"I apologize, I had thought Prince Arthur was my bride," Rustica giggled. Akira wasn't sure whether or not he was really sorry about it.

"...Do not do it again," Oz said, firmly. It was a warning more than anything. Hearing his tone, Chloe looked panicked and quickly bowed apologetically.

"Oz, I'm really sorry! I'll try to get Rustica in line next time."

"Haha, it's nothing to fret over, Chloe. Raise your head," Arthur smiled. "In any case, what brought you here, Great Sage?"

"I thought I'd take a walk since it's approaching evening soon. It's good exercise before dinner, too."

"Oh? Then, please allow me to join you as well."

"Sounds good! Can I join, too?"

"Yaaaay! Walk time, walk time!"

Rustica, Chloe, and Murr seemed to want to tag along. Akira looked at the Central wizards.

"What about you, Arthur and Oz?"

"Unfortunately, I have to attend a meeting at the castle soon, so I have to get going in a few moments."

"...I will pass. I'm going back to my room."

"Got it! Then, I'll take a walk with the Western wizards―"

"Great Sage, there you are."

A familiar voice from a distance interrupted Akira's words and train of thoughts. He promptly turned around, finding Mithra standing just several feet away. He waved at him, and Mithra appeared to take this as an invitation to approach the group.

Oz didn't seem very pleased to see Mithra, but since Arthur and the Western wizards were around, the situation wasn't too likely to escalate into something unpleasant… or so Akira hoped.

"Mithra, are you here to take a walk as well?" Akira asked.

"No. I came here for business."

"Business?"

Mithra didn't explain. Instead, he walked up to Akira and got close. Really close. He bent over slightly due to their height difference, so that his face could meet Akira's at his level. Then, he asked something very, very unexpected.

"Can I kiss you?"

The world around Akira began to spin. "...Sorry?"

He didn't even have to look at the others to know that all five of the wizards were also just as scandalized as he was, each to varying degrees. He heard a shocked gasp, probably from Chloe, followed by a clearly exaggerated, dramatic gasp, probably from Murr. Akira didn't have time to check in on the other wizards, though, because Mithra suddenly brought his face in even closer than before.

"Your answer?"

"Um," Akira's breath hitched. Mithra was so close that their lips may as well be touching because he could literally feel the wizard breathing through his nose. Because Mithra was up and so close, Akira had a clearer glimpse of his impossibly perfect facial features, and he found himself suddenly overwhelmed by Mithra's sexiness. He forced himself to breathe out his answer. "You can't."

Mithra didn't miss a beat with his response. "Why?"

"Why?" Akira repeated, flabbergasted. "B-Because the others are around right now?!"

"So, it's okay for me to do it if we're alone?"

That wasn't what Akira meant. The pressure that came with being stared at by the other wizards suddenly created an oppressive force against his back. Having a deliriously handsome wizard so close in his face really impaired any ability to quick thinking, too, to boot.

"Can you answer, please? I'm trying to get your consent. You're dragging this out."

"...I'll… think about it?" Akira answered without thinking before the weight of his words crashed down like bricks, and it was already too late by then.

"Okay, then I'll ask again tonight," Mithra said, pulling away from Akira. "You're free tonight, yes? If you don't come to my room, I'll either teleport you by force or come to your room."

"I-I'll come to your room!" Akira said, quickly. He wasn't sure how to respond anymore.

"Okay. I'll see you tonight, then."

And then, Mithra disappeared into the distance, heading towards the entrance of the Manor while stretching his arms much like a cat would. Akira stared at him until he couldn't see his back anymore. Then, he very, very slowly turned around. True to his horror, all five of the wizards were staring at him, each with a different expression but all with the same intensity.

"Wow! Great Sage is getting laid tonight!" Murr announced, like he was just talking about the weather. The choice of words was enough to make Chloe gasp and blush, and Oz glared at him.

"Murr. Watch your words," Oz warned, seemingly concerned that Arthur was also listening.

"How wonderful. Consummation is one out of many parts of a couple's rites, after all. Intimacy should always be celebrated. Congratulations, Great Sage."

Rustica's words somehow managed to make the situation sound so much worse than it already was. Arthur looked lost for a moment, then he quickly looked down to the ground in what seemed to be a fit of shame, and his cheeks pinked.

"I-I apologize, Great Sage. I had… no idea that you and Mithra had such a special kind of relationship. It almost embarrasses me that I'm learning about it only now…"

"M-Me too!" Chloe followed after Arthur. "I honestly had no idea. I'm so surprised that it's Mithra of all people, but… I'll do my best to support you two in whatever ways I can!"

"Y-You got it all wrong!" Akira wanted to say so, calmly, but he ended up yelling instead. He gasped at how loud his voice was and momentarily held a hand over his mouth, allowing the embarrassment to sink in before clearing his throat. "There's nothing going on between Mithra and I."

"Huh? Then, why did he ask to kiss you?" Chloe asked. Akira wished he knew the answer to that.

"Are you not getting courted by Mithra, Great Sage?" Arthur tilted his head in question. "Have we misunderstood the situation?"

"Knowing Mithra, it could just be another one of his baseless stunts," Oz said, frowning. It appeared that he quickly noticed how troubled Akira had been since earlier and was trying to help him. "I don't advise that we take to heart what we just witnessed."

"If Mithra isn't courting the Sage, then perhaps a one-sided love?" Rustica suggested.

"Wow, spicy! Never thought I'd live long to witness the chaos that comes with one-sided affections in the Manor!" Murr cheered, even though this was far from something to celebrate.

"I… I don't believe so. Mithra and I are just friends," Akira tried to explain, but then he remembered Shylock's words and how Shylock had warned him about the usage of the word 'friends' being callous in such a context. It drove his brain to think for a bit. He and Mithra were just friends, right? At least he thought so. "Well, at least, I don't think so…?"

He sounded so unsure himself that he wouldn't be surprised if the wizards weren't convinced in the slightest.

"Sage," Oz started, and paused for a moment. A very long moment. Then, he opened his mouth again. "If this is a prank, then you need not pay any heed. But if it isn't, then how you deal with such situation is a decision you have to make. If he brings any further trouble, however, let me know."

Akira wasn't sure if Oz was trying to give him advice(?) or what. It sounded like he was doing that, but in a very Oz-like way. He wasn't even sure if advice was what he needed for this sort of situation, but when he thought about it, what Mithra did didn't seem like a prank. Mithra was too finicky for that sort of thing as well. Akira still didn't understand why Mithra would ask that kind of question, and so suddenly, too. Either way, the only way to find out was to do the inevitable: talk to him.

And maybe Oz realized that, despite having no context whatsoever of the situation (though it wasn't like Akira had any, either).

"...If I have misunderstood the situation, then I would like to, first and foremost, apologize. But if it isn't a misunderstanding, then I agree with what Master Oz said," Arthur said.

"I can't imagine someone like Mithra struggling with a one-sided love though," Chloe pondered aloud. "But if he's not courting Great Sage, then it wouldn't make sense for him to ask for something like that."

"May I suggest that you talk to him? It's the easiest solution we have thus far, and may bring you the closure you need," Rustica said exactly what Akira was thinking. Although Akira didn't know what to feel about talking to Mithra after what just happened, he had a point in that Mithra did have some explanation he needed to do.

"Will their love shine as bright as the love between the moon or I? Or will their love end in the same fashion of tragedy as the love between Snow and White?" Murr dramatically reached out for the skies above, seemingly to look at the moon. "Let's find out!"

…Sometimes, Akira wished Murr would just keep his mouth zipped instead.

He heaved a sigh. "Thank you, everyone… and I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I'll, um… make sure to talk to Mithra about it."

He was overwhelmed by everything so far that he wasn't even sure what to say anymore. He once again recalled the things Cain said to him the other day, the questions Mitile asked him and the way Figaro behaved, the assumptions Owen, Heathcliff, Shino, and Shylock had about his relationship with Mithra, and now this. It would be easy if Akira could just solve the problem by clarifying that he and Mithra were just friends, because he really did think that was all there was to their relationship, but Mithra's request completely threw things off the loop.

Maybe Akira really needed to talk this out with Mithra, after all.

"...By the way, are you all still going for a walk?" Arthur asked after a moment of silence. Everyone exchanged looks with one another.

"It's still too early to end the day, so I will take the offer," Rustica said, excitedly.

"I'm going just 'cause I wanna see if anything will happen on our walk!" Murr said, loudly.

"Is it just me or did that sound kind of ominous?" Chloe questioned.

For now, maybe a walk was what he really needed, so Akira raised his hand to signal that he was joining as well. He was thankful that his wizards were all so kind and non-judgemental. Even after what had happened, they were able to pick up their usual composure again and welcome him like they always did. Suddenly, he felt a lot better and supported.

After the walk, he'd go to Mithra's room and talk to him.

Night had fallen faster than Akira would like. After checking over the last of the pile of documents he needed to have checked by tomorrow noon, Akira stretched himself and leaned back in his chair. It was almost time for bed. He should probably get ready, even though he was far from being mentally prepared. He got up, anyway, and changed into his pajamas.

Whether or not he was mentally prepared didn't really mean anything because at the end of the day, he was still confused about the situation from earlier.

Akira wondered what was the first thing he should say to Mithra.

Once he got comfortable in his pajamas, he brought his pillow and headed to Mithra's room. The door was closed as it always was, and Akira took a moment to wonder what Mithra was currently doing. Sometimes he would walk in on Mithra in the middle of him just doing something that would look incredibly suspicious, like the one time he drew a magic circle on the floorboards and said he wanted to call upon an ancient beast that was said to have served a powerful wizard that lived in one of the villages in the Northern Country. Other times, he would walk in to find Mithra already in bed, making himself comfortable as he could be.

Akira knocked on the door. "Mithra, it's me."

But there was no answer. Akira wondered if Mithra wasn't actually in his room. He reached for the doorknob.

"I'm coming in, okay?"

He turned the doorknob and opened the door. The first thing that hit him ― or well, his nose ― was a strong, soothing scent with floral undertones. When the door was wide open, he found an unexpected sight.

The room was mostly dark, dimly lit by the presence of what appeared to be a scented candle placed on top of the table beside the bed. The curtains were open, revealing a gorgeous sight of the moon hanging in the night sky. Moonlight shining through the windows helped to illuminate the room further, making the atmosphere feel much more illusionary.

Completing that, was Mithra, perched at the foot of his bed. He looked like he had been waiting.

Akira blinked several times to take in what he was seeing. "Umm… good evening, Mithra," he greeted, because he wasn't sure what else to say. Usually, the lights in Mithra's room were turned on, and scented candles weren't something he imagined Mithra would have.

This looked intentionally set up, somehow.

"You finally came, Great Sage. I've been waiting for a while," Mithra said, casually crossing his legs. "I went through all that extra work for this, so please appreciate it."

"You did this?" Akira asked. "But why?"

"Figaro suddenly approached me in the lounge room earlier. He gave me this candle," Mithra paused, gesturing to the scented candle on the table. "And told me to use it tonight. I don't know why and for what, but he said you would like it if I do, so I did. He said to keep the curtains open, too."

Akira was pretty sure he had never once told Figaro that he liked scented candles, so he wasn't sure where or what Figaro was coming from, but since it was Figaro after all, there was absolutely no way he told Mithra to do all that without an underlying motive. Did Arthur tell him something?

"Um… I see? Thank you?"

It was unusual, but Akira did have to admit that the scent was extremely alluring. He wondered what it was. He smelled tones of lavender and… lemongrass? Definitely something herbal. It was soothing to the senses.

But the scent and the moonlight had a certain kind of effect, too. Akira didn't know if it was because of what happened earlier, but suddenly he found himself a lot more conscious of Mithra. The way he sat and crossed his legs accentuated his curves unlike before. His white coat was off, leaving only the black collar shirt, the first few buttons of which were undone to expose his collarbones and chest. Mithra looked at him expectantly, and Akira's cheeks began to burn up.

"Are you done standing in the doorway?" Mithra asked, staring at him. "What are you gaping at? You look like a goldfish."

"S-Sorry!" Akira quickly closed the door behind him and approached the bed. "I made you wait, right? I'm sorry. You must be really tired."

"Not really. It's true that I waited a while, though. Anyway, please come here." Mithra threw his legs onto the bed and nuzzled to the side, patting the empty space beside him on the bed.

"Okay…"

Well, this was awkward. How did Akira even begin to address what had happened earlier today?

Akira climbed onto Mithra's bed and tried to make himself comfortable, but considering he was just conscious of Mithra's sensuality, he couldn't quite settle into the bed as properly as he usually could. He laid there and waited for Mithra to hold his hand at any given time to lull himself to sleep, but his hand didn't come.

Instead, he found Mithra staring at him from beside him.

"Y… Yes?" Akira asked, awkwardly.

"About what we said earlier," Mithra started, and Akira started becoming nervous. Here it was. "You said you would think about it, right? Have you decided?"

Akira stopped to remember what he said earlier. He did say he'd think about it.

"Um… first of all, can I ask what brought this on? This is the first time you have ever asked something like this."

Mithra's gaze wandered off into the distance beyond Akira's shoulders, and then came back to him. "I was trying to figure out if what I'm feeling for you is love."

"Love?"

"Lately, the twins and Rutile have been telling me some things. They said that I was monopolizing you. I couldn't understand. Then, I talked to Lennox, and he said that loving someone means you want to protect them and make them happy," Mithra explains. "And since you're so weak, Sage, I always have to protect you. Otherwise, you'd die. You have me to thank for this because it's going to be a load on my shoulders too if you do die."

"Ah."

Akira was indeed grateful for Mithra's protection, but he really didn't have to point that out either.

"Faust told me that loving someone also means wanting to be intimate with them. You sleep in the same bed with them, and you kiss them with their consent," Mithra continued. "I already sleep with you, so that's one thing off the checklist, but I haven't kissed you. I thought I'd understand if I did, so I asked you to get your consent."

Mithra wasn't always the best at explaining things. He had always had a particular way with his words, and rather odd choices of words at that, but Akira understood what he was trying to say nonetheless.

"Is that enough explanation? Have you made up your mind?"

"...I understand, but first," Akira started. "Please don't ask something like that in front of everyone next time. You might cause misunderstandings, and it's more of a request you would typically make in private."

"Oh, okay."

"Secondly, something like 'love' isn't one that you can understand simply by kissing someone. It doesn't always work that way."

Mithra looked a little confused now. Akira took this as a cue to continue.

"Having a desire to protect someone and make them happy is love. Intimacy can be love, too, but let me ask you this." Akira looked into those emerald eyes. "Do you want to kiss me just to confirm a theory, or do you want to kiss me because you actually want to?"

For a moment, Mithra looked like he was deep in thought about it. He blinked a few times, as if trying to process the question properly in his head. Akira decided to give him time to flesh out his response.

"...I don't know," Mithra muttered. "I simply wanted to confirm, but I don't know if I actually wanted to kiss you."

"Have you ever thought about it?"

"I thought about biting your shoulders," Mithra said, and Akira really wanted to retaliate with, you did that before.  

"I see, because, you see," Akira paused and thought about the things he was going to say, and wondered if they'd clear things up for Mithra or make things even more confusing for him, but he wanted to be honest either way. "I don't want you to kiss me if you don't actually want to."

"......"

Mithra stared at him in silence. It seemed like he was only going to stare for a while, but he kept staring and staring, eyes boring holes into Akira with such intensity Akira was at loss for words. Eventually, after several minutes, it started to feel very awkward.

"Um… Mithra?"

"I suddenly feel like kissing you."

"?!"

Akira's eyes widened in surprise. He felt his cheeks burning up a little again. In the next moment, Mithra suddenly reached out to caress Akira's cheek. The gesture caused Akira to flinch at first, but the touch was surprisingly gentle and almost loving.

"Can I?" Mithra asked.

There was suddenly tension in the air that Akira couldn't quite put into words. He was blushing and he didn't think he had the time to thoroughly think about this, especially what with the lack of distance between their faces right now. He decided to think about kissing Mithra to see if the idea of it put him off. It didn't.

"I… I don't mind," he blurted out.

Mithra stared at him even more, and then broke into a series of innocent giggles. "You look like a tomato right now."

"P-Please don't point it out…"

No time was wasted before Mithra inched closer to Akira's face, and Akira slowly closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. Soft skin brushed against his lips at first, then it pressed against them, and Akira held his breath. He wondered if Mithra's eyes were also closed right now.

After what felt like forever, Mithra pulled away and Akira heaved a huge sigh.

"Ahaha. I feel good," Mithra said. His emerald eyes were suddenly more gem-like than usual. Was it the orange from the scented candle next to them?

"I-I'm glad to hear that?" Akira didn't really know what else to say, but he was glad that it wasn't bad for Mithra at least. He hadn't kissed anyone for the past five to six years, so he wasn't the best kisser around, and his lips definitely weren't anywhere as soft as Mithra's to begin with.

"Can I do it again?"

"Again?"

"Yes. I feel really good right now, so I want to do it again."

Akira pursed his lips tightly and looked away for a moment before looking back at Mithra, closing his eyes, and puckering his lips. It was a yes.

Mithra's lips pressed against his own again, this time with more pressure than before. He pulled away, then kissed again. And pulled away, and then kissed again, and it made Akira wonder if this was going to stop anytime soon. Then, Mithra licked his lips, and that was when Akira pulled away.

"M-Mithra?!"

"It doesn't taste like anything," Mithra said.

"I-It's not supposed to taste like anything!"

"How does it feel for you, then?"

"Umm…" Akira fidgeted. How did he feel? Well, Mithra's lips ewre soft and he definitely didn't dislike kissing him at all. In fact, his lips were so soft that they felt comfortable and good against his own. "I don't… hate it."

"I'm glad, then."

"Your lips are really soft… the softest that I've had so far."

There was a pause.

"You've had other people before," Mithra pointed out. The next second, Akira found himself getting being stared at with interrogative eyes.

"...Mithra?"

"......That irritates me."

"Ah…"

…Could it be that he was jealous?

"Arsim."

"Huh?!"

Out of nowhere, Mithra chanted his spell and something in the room felt different all of a sudden. Unable to understand what just happened, Akira looked to Mithra's face for answers to his own confusion.

"Great Sage."

"Y-Yeah?"

"I'm going to kiss you until I fall asleep. You will keep me company, yes?"

"Huh?!"

To say Mithra looked irritated would be an understatement. He looked like he was in one of those bad moods that he would normally have whenever he didn't get enough sleep. Mithra moved from his side and crawled on top of him, bringing their faces closer than ever.

"What you said really irritated me, so please take responsibility for it. I put up a barrier outside of my room so nobody can come in and interrupt us."

"What?! Please don't go doing things as you like!"

"Please stop talking so loudly. You're going to wake the others up."

That wasn't the point! Akira wanted to protest. His eyes were forcibly locked with Mithra's emerald ones, and he felt like the very core of his soul was being stared into. He literally had a full view of Mithra's handsome face right now. Akira felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

"You don't hate it when I kiss you, right?"

"I… I don't."

"Then, there shouldn't be a problem."

Akira wanted to say that there was a problem, and it was with Mithra's capriciousness. He was so fickle and Akira sometimes wondered just how on earth he'd been able to handle him thus far.

"Don't worry, I'll kiss you better than those that you had before."

"M… Mithra."

Again, that wasn't the problem. It was exactly because Akira didn't hate it that he suspected he wasn't going to survive what was about to be done to him. Never in Akira's dreams did he think he would have a wizard with such a ridiculous sex appeal on top of him in bed, announcing so boldly his plan of smothering him in kisses. Akira's heart wouldn't be able to take it, and he desperately wanted to be alive to see the next morning.

But, for some reason, he felt himself giving in. Maybe it was because of the scent from the candle, but something compelled Akira to let himself be absorbed by Mithra's alluring gaze and those dangerous eyes of his. In the end, Akira's resolve caved much more easily than he'd like.

"...Please be gentle."

Mithra only smiled in response. Something about it felt mischievous. That was the exact moment Akira realized his heart will not survive the night. It was the exact moment Akira realized that a new door had opened in their relationship.

When Mithra pressed their lips together, Akira's heart stopped beating.

When Akira came down to the cafeteria the next morning, he found that it was, quite literally, bustling with life. Or, should he say, a commotion was brewing.

"What's the commotion here?" Akira asked when he approached the gathering wizards. Not all of the wizards were present; it was really just Figaro, Heathcliff, Rutile, Bradley, and Shylock. An odd combination, he would say.

"Great Sage!" Heathcliff gasped, looking surprised to see Akira for some reason.

"Oh my gosh, you're okay!" Rutile called out.

"...? Did something happen?"

Heathcliff and Rutile especially looked very worried. From the looks on everyone's faces, it seemed like they were discussing something until he came, and if Heathclif's and Rutile's reactions were anything to go by, it was likely that what they were talking about earlier very much had something to do with him.

"Are you okay?" Heathcliff asked, almost worriedly. He quickly walked up to where Akira stood. "You weren't in your room last night, and Mithra had a barrier up in front of his door, so we thought―"

Heathcliff suddenly stopped. He looked as if he just noticed something out of the ordinary. His sapphire eyes scanned Akira up and down, and then he put a hand over his mouth.

"...Heath? Are you okay?"

"Yikes, you freaking stink. "

Bradley's words only served to confuse Akira further. Akira quickly sniffed his sleeves to check if he smelled bad. He showered last night, and his clothes were fresh from the dryers, too, so there was no way he could stink.

"Stupid, I don't mean literally." Bradley pointed at Akira and made a face. "You smell like Mithra."

"...What?"

"Um… Mithra's mana is really strong on you right now, Great Sage," Heathcliff said, in a small voice.

Rutile's eyes widened. "You're right… I sense Mister Mithra's mana on the Great Sage. It's really strong unlike before…"

For a moment, Akira barely registered what they meant until he remembered exactly what had happened last night. Mithra kept him awake up to ungodly hours, and he learned that Mithra was what people from his culture back in his world would call a kissing monster. He also learned that Mithra was, surprisingly or not, very good at kissing. His cheeks became hot at the thought.

In the background, Figaro whistled and Shylock didn't even look surprised.

"Did the scented candle do the trick? It seems like it did."

"Lavender and lemongrass to make sparks fly, rosewood for an aphrodisiac hint to make the night the most romantic that it could possibly be. You are a sly, sly man, Figaro," Shylock chuckled.

"I only have the Sage's best interests at heart," Figaro said, then he lookde at Akira and winked at him.

"What's with the commotion?"

Speak of the devil and it shall come. Mithra entered the cafeteria at what Akira could possibly consider to be the worst timing ever. He yawned and lazily ran a hand through his red hair as he approached the crowd.

"Mister Mithra, good morning!" Rutile greeted.

"Yo. I'm glad things worked out fine for you too," Figaro said, cheekily.

"Hm? Okay. Anyway, this is where you've been, Great Sage. If you're going to go get breakfast, you should have woken me up and told me beforehand."

"Huh? You seemed tired, Mithra, so I didn't want to wake you up."

Being asked to be woken up was a first. Mithra had never asked Akira of that before.

"That aside," Mithra said and ended the sentence there. He wordlessly walked towards Akira, ran his hand through his hair to the back of his head, and pushed him so that he closed into his face to kiss him.

Akira blinked. Everyone else blinked too.

Mithra pulled away. "It's a good morning kiss."

"M…" Akira's face went entirely red. "M-M-M-Mithra?!"

"I learned it after seeing Lennox and Faust do it once."

"Oh my fucking god, I'm outta here." Bradley threw both of his hands up and made a dash for the door.

"Mister Mithra, not in public!" Rutile cried, absolutely flabbergasted.

"G-Great Sage…" Heathcliff could only mumble that before looking in the other direction, clearly embarrassed by what he just witnessed.

Shylock sighed, the corners of his lips tipping upwards in an awkward smile. "It seems like, in addition to Owen, we have yet another fellow wizard who desperately needs to learn the concept of time and place."

"Looks like things are going to get even livelier from now on, huh?" Figaro laughed.

Amidst the endless string of protests that would come out of Akira's mouth, somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but to think that the nameless relationship between him and Mithra had taken a great leap ― a very dangerous, great leap. He could only hope that he would still be able to see to the end of the year with his heart still intact.