Basque's blood boiled. He'd told that woman. He'd warned that woman. Now he would kill that woman.

Natt's hand gripped his knee. He looked at her, and she smiled, blinking both her eyes. When she was missing her left eye, Basque had already thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. That patch had given her a dangerous and mysterious allure. Fixed, she was a goddess walking among men.

Her presence was all he needed to calm himself. Reianna was alive, she was unharmed, and she was in his room relating what happened while he and Natt were off campus.

When Reianna explained about Daymein slicing Julvie's arm off, he danced a jig in his mind, but his joy soon vanished when Reianna told him about the battle between the two mages and the innocent girl who'd been caught up in their exchange. His stomach churned as he was devastated by the senseless loss of life, but at the same time relieved that it wasn't one of the students in his class.

"And leaving, we failed you," Reianna said, hanging her head. "Everyone was so discombobulated that we didn't adhere to our pod formations. Fawna and I went to look after the dead girl, and everyone else left. Our pods didn't stay with us."

Basque frowned.

Reianna lifted her head. "We understand that you have us stay and train in pods so that when something like this happens, it would be second nature for us to stay together, but we failed. I'm sorry."

Emotions whirled through Basque. While he was disappointed in them, he understood. It was their first real experience being attacked like that. He also hadn't been with them to help keep their heads on straight. They were children, and it was natural for their reaction to be like that.

No. He wasn't upset with them at all. Rather, he had some Kruamians that he wanted to teach a lesson to.

Natt squeezed his knee again, as if she was reading his thoughts.

"That's why we've come up with our punishment."

"Punishment?" Basque asked.

Reianna nodded. "Yes. We are all going to write papers explaining what we did and what we should have done."

"Excellent idea."

"And, we're going to move from place to place in four-legged pods."

"Four-legged pods?"

"Yes. We will tie our legs together."

Basque leaned back in his chair. She meant like a two-legged race, only stretched out four-wide. It was a brilliant idea. They would have to work as a team to form cohesion. They would be physically forced together. It would imprint on them being together.

"For four days," Reianna added.

"Pardon?"

"From the dorms to the cafeteria to the classroom and training grounds. For four days, that's how we will move."

Basque sat up straight. "Very well. I accept your suggestions. The papers are due on the fifth day. I'd like an addition of what you all learned working together like that. We will also have a race on the fifth day to see which pod is the fastest."

Reianna's eyes lit up. "That sounds so fun! Everyone's going to get into that!"

"Thank you for telling me everything, Reianna. I promise you, I won't do anything rash."

"Thank you, Gerenet-Shr." Reianna stood and headed to the door.

Basque got up and followed her. When he put his hand on her shoulder, she turned around and hugged him. He hugged her back.

"More than anything," he said, "I'm just glad you're okay."

Her grip tightened, then she pulled back. "Thank you," she whispered and dashed out of the room.

Basque closed the door behind her.

"So, what rash thing are you going to go off and do?" Natt asked.

Walking over to her, Basque dropped his head down and rested it on her shoulder. "I'm going to tell two young mages to stay away from Reianna."

Natt wrapped her arms around him. "Are you sure that's a smart thing to do?"

He rolled his head back and forth on her shoulder, shaking it. "No. They're just children."

Pushing Basque away from her, Natt held his shoulders and stared into his eyes. "They may be young, but neither of them has been a child in years. Will you be okay?"

Basque smiled. "Are you worried about me?"

"Daymein is a psychopath. He kills his opponents for fun. He cut a child in half today! Of course, I'm worried!"

"Oh, he's kind of insignificant. I'm more worried about Loushee."

"Daymein? Insignificant?"

Plopping down onto the couch, Basque grabbed Natt's hand and pulled her down onto his lap. "Yeah. He's too reliant on his abilities."

"You mean abilities that can burn people to a crisp or slice them into pieces?" Natt scootched off him so that her butt was on the sofa, but her legs were draped across him.

"Those are formidable abilities, and I'm sure he's got more, but those are handleable."

Natt glared at him, and his heart tingled. Even annoyed, her full gaze was captivating. He brushed his hand along the left side of her face.

She sighed. "It feels weird not wearing an eyepatch and being able to see so much more. To think such technology existed…"

Basque kissed her.

"You're not going to go after Julvie, are you?"

Basque backed away from her. "Way to kill the mood."

Natt laughed.

"No. She should be scared enough of Daymein and Loushee's threats that she'll leave well enough alone."

"You mean those 'handleable' mages?"

"I said they were handleable for me, not for everybody."

"Oh ho! Aren't you mighty full of yourself?" Natt put her feet under his legs and lifted them up. She spun him around, pushed him down, and straddled him. "When you can't even handle me?"

Basque grabbed her hips. "There's a difference between 'can handle' and 'want to handle'."

Lowering her face so that her lips were a hair's breadth away from his lips. "That doesn't answer my question."

So close were her lips that they tickled his as she spoke. Basque lifted himself up so that he could complete the kiss, but she backed away, perfectly maintaining that narrow distance between their lips.

Before he sat all the way up, his hand left her hip and took hold of the back of her head. Holding her still, he completed the kiss. Natt wrapped her arms around him and ran her fingers through his hair.

Basque broke the kiss off. "Still think I can't handle you?"

"What do you mean? That was your loss. You just proved that you couldn't."

"Or maybe I just didn't want to?"

She smiled. "Just keep telling yourself that."

Basque rotated his legs off the sofa, forcing Natt off his lap, and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"To talk to some mages."

"Now? Tonight?"

"When else?"

"You should talk to their teachers first."

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"And those teachers wouldn't be terrified? They'll just tell me to leave things alone."

"Basque!"

"It's okay, Natt. Trust me."

She fell silent.

"I'll be back in a bit."

She just nodded as he left the room.

Heading down the stairs, Basque made his way to the third-years' dorms. Since the third-years had so many excursions, they were closer to the school's back entrance and the training grounds.

Basque needed to handle the Daymein situation now, before the boy left for another excursion. It wouldn't be too much longer before Reianna could handle him herself, maybe half a year or so, but it would take longer for the rest of the class. He needed the boy to stay away until then.

Third-years gave Basque odd looks and stares as he climbed the stairs to Class C's dorm hall. From the tournament, Basque could tell from Daymein's movements that he only had middling combat abilities. Was that why he was only in Class C despite being a mage? Whatever the reason, Basque didn't care. It wasn't important. All that mattered was keeping the psychopath away from his class.

Basque knocked on the dorm hall for Class 3-C. Frankyl, a baronet with vivid burgundy hair, was their head teacher and the man who opened the door for Basque.

"Master Basque? Why are you here?"

"I need to speak with one of your students."

"Who?"

"Daymein."

"Mister Daymein?!" Frankyl's face paled.

Basque pushed past him.

"No! Wait! What is this about?"

"He attacked one of my students and killed a second-year during his battle with Loushee."

Frankyl stopped following Basque. "Mister Daymein and Miss Loushee fought again?"

"Yes."

"But there was only one casualty this time?"

Too much was wrong with that sentence, but Frankyl wouldn't be able to solve any of the problems with it, so Basque didn't find it worth commenting on. He just pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Did he win? Did he finally kill that topaz Yani?"

"No, Loushee is still alive."

"Damn. So that's why my Mast-Mister Daymein was in such a foul mood." Frankyl looked at the floor and bit the knuckle of his thumb. His hand fell to his side, and he looked at Basque. "You're not going to hurt him, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

A look of relief washed over Frankyl.

"What room is Daymein in?"

"501."

Basque twitched his head. "501? Shouldn't that be your room?"

Frankyl nodded. "Yes, but Daymein wanted it, so I gave it to him. He didn't want a roommate."

"Are you that afraid of him?"

"Afraid?! Yani no! Why would I be afraid of the greatest mage to ever live? He's going to take Kruami places! He will be the next king for sure! To sleep on the floor in one of the students' rooms is a price I'm willing to pay for our glorious leader."

Frankyl's eyes took on a faraway look, and he clasped his hands together. The man's fanaticism for a psychopath disturbed Basque. If someone like Daymein came to rule Kruami, the current hellhole would look like a paradise in comparison.

"Right. Thanks, Master Frankyl." Basque turned to open the door to 501, but Frankyl jumped in front of him.

"I can't let you disturb the master."

Basque grabbed Frankyl by his shoulders, picked him up, and then set him aside. With the impediment out of his way, Basque opened the door and paused before taking a step inside. He couldn't believe his eyes.

Daymein was living in some sort of fifteen-year-old boy hedonistic harem. The boy lay with his head in the lap of one of his classmates while she stroked his hair. His legs were stretched out onto the lap of another girl, who massaged his bare feet. Another girl sat on the floor and massaged his hand, while a fourth fed him grapes. Two other girls sat on the coffee table and made out while Daymein watched.

Fortunately, all the girls were wearing their school uniforms.

Frankyl had made Basque suspicious, but the scene in Daymein's room confirmed it—the boy had some sort of charm spell.

Basque punched a hole in the wall, and all the occupants in the room jumped. "Girls, leave, now."

All but the two who were being used as furniture stood.

"Ah. Ah. Ah. Ah. I didn't say you could leave."

The girls looked from Daymein to Basque and back. One of the girls who'd been kissing on the table and the one who'd been massaging Daymein's hand had walked past Basque and out of the room.

Daymein tsked, then screamed after them, "Tiffala! Jeanny! I'll remember that!"

"The other four of you need to leave, too," Basque said again.

This time, none of them made a move to leave.

"NOW!" Basque roared.

The five occupants covered their ears, and, at last, the remaining girls ran from the room.

"You Yani bastard!" Daymein screamed. He stood and threw a spinning disk at Basque.

Basque pulled a bejeweled club out of his inventory and smashed the disk. It lost all of its momentum and rained to the floor. "High-pressure water. Interesting technique."

Daymein threw a fireball at Basque.

Again, Basque swatted the spell with the club, and smoke wafted in the air. "Now, that's more generic."

"Who the Yani are you?" Daymein shot out a water disk and a fireball.

Basque swatted them both away with the club and closed in on Daymein. "I'm Basque Gerenet, the exchange teacher from Hianbru. You might have heard of me."

"I know who you are, outwaller! What I meant was who the Yani do you think you are to mess with me?!" Daymein backed away from Basque and continued to fling spell after spell at Basque, who continued to dispel them with his club.

"I'm someone who can mess with you."

Daymein backed into the wall and stopped casting. He panted from the exertion. "How are you doing that?"

Basque held up the club. "Never seen something like this before? It's infused with a mage Yani's stone. You see, a mage stone counteracts any caster abilities, like yours."

After wiping his face, Daymein put on a bright smile. "You know, Mister Basque, I think we got off on the wrong foot."

Basque felt a pull on his heart. He shook his head. He was right—a charm spell. Tossing his club into his storage, Basque closed the distance between them. He grabbed Daymein's hands and held them above the boy's head, pinning him to the wall.

"Hey! Yani! Did I overdo it? You don't need to be so rough! Let me go."

Transferring one of Daymein's hands over, Basque held him with only one hand while he pulled out a wide yellow wristband from his storage with the other. Once Basque held him with only one hand, Daymein struggled to break free, but he couldn't. Basque slapped the band onto the boy's wrist, then let go of him.

"Come, Daymein, we have things to discuss." Basque turned his back to the boy and walked over to the sofa.

Daymein shot his hands out as if he was going to throw a fireball or water disk, but nothing happened. The boy looked at his hands. He waved them again.

"What the Yani did you do to me?!"

Basque pointed at the chair across from him. "Sit."

Daymein launched himself at Basque, and Basque just used the boy's momentum to throw him into the seat. The young mage shot death at Basque with his eyes.

"We have a problem, Daymein." Basque pulled out another wristband from his inventory.

"You! You are the problem, outwaller."

Basque looked down at the wristband and began fiddling with it. "Ideally, I could take you in and maybe try to help you, but that's not going to happen. I don't feel good about this, but it's my only option."

"What are you going on about, freak?"

"Recently, you've taken an interest in one of my students."

"Miss Reianna belongs to me."

"I'm going to need you to stay away from her for about…six months. I want you to stay away from my class for about a year."

"Why should I?"

Basque didn't lift his head from his work on the wristband. "How many people can you control with your charm at once? There was your teacher and the six girls. Was there anyone else?"

"Why should I answer you?"

This time, Basque looked up. "Because you and I both know that you'll die on your next excursion without your spells. You are a pathetic fighter with no skills except for the ones the interface has blessed you with."

Daymein's face paled. "How…?"

"Yes, Daymein, how many?"

"Just the seven!"

"You were charming Reianna."

"Eight!"

Basque tilted his head.

"Ten! But the effects are much weaker on the last two."

Basque nodded. "Sealing your powers off forever would be the wisest choice since I can't help you. However, knowing how you are, I'm sure there are plenty of people who would like to kill you, not to mention the excursions. So, that's not an option."

"How are you sealing off my powers?"

"Still, I can't sit around and let…whatever it was you were doing earlier continue. Charm has to go. If you want to threaten people into obeying you, well, eventually that will catch up to you."

"One of these days, I'm going to take pleasure in killing you."

Basque finished diddling with the wristband and held it up. "I've adjusted this to block just your charm ability. I would highly recommend that you start physically training more."

"What are you on about?!"

"You really are a bad student, aren't you? I'm sitting here explaining things, yet you don't listen."

"That's because you aren't answering the questions I'm asking."

"Because you are asking the wrong questions. You keep asking why, when the only important question is how. How to survive is the only thing you need to know."

"Okay. How do I survive?"

Basque sighed. "I just told you. Stay away from my class. In fact, stay away from all the first-years. Train to use an actual weapon. You do know there are mage Yani out there that nullify castings like I did to you, right? What will you do then? Die? Honestly, the world might be a better place for it, but you're only fifteen—"

"Sixteen next month."

"See if someone can help you. You need a psychiatrist or something. Give me your hand that doesn't have the wristband."

Daymein stuck his hand out, and Basque slapped the adjusted wristband on.

"Other hand."

Daymein complied. Basque took the wristband off.

"Since you can only control ten people, realistically eight, I'll take that band off once I teach my class how to defend against mental attacks like yours. They'll be strong enough then. Oh, and if I find you control women to do what you had them doing today, I'll cut your dick off. You understand that, right?"

Daymein threw a water disk at Basque, who immediately knocked it aside with his club.

"Should we leave you powerless?"

"No!"

"Then start learning. No matter how strong you get, there will always be someone stronger. Right now, you may feel big, but by the end of the year, my entire class will surpass you."

Daymein pulled at the wristband on his arm.

"Don't bother. Only I can take it off. It will inhibit your charm powers, but leave the rest be. I'm assuming that fire and water aren't your only abilities?"

A glare was the only answer.

Basque slapped his knees and stood. "Anyway, safe huntings." He walked to the door.

"I'm going to kill you one day."

Not bothering to turn around, Basque said, "No, you won't."

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