Aoi was standing at the main entrance.

Not leaning against the wall or looking at her phone. Standing right in front of the door, looking inside, waiting. When Takeshi appeared down the hallway, she moved straight toward him, took his hand without preamble, and started walking.

"We need to talk."

Takeshi didn’t resist; he just matched her pace.

"Where are we going?"

"There’s someone who wants to talk to you."

They took the stairs, and Aoi didn’t let go of his hand the entire way. Takeshi checked her stats out of the corner of his eye as they climbed.

[AOI MIZUHARA]

[Life: 100%]

[Sanity: 28%]

[Trust: 92%]

’Good that her trust is going up.’

They reached the east wing of the second floor. It was a section Takeshi hadn’t explored before. The doors were wider than in the rest of the building and had plaques with committee names. Aoi stopped in front of one that read Main Room—Student Council, knocked twice, and opened it without waiting for a response.

The room had a long table with chairs on both sides and a large window overlooking the back courtyard. Merwyn was seated at the head with a closed folder in front of her. When they entered, she looked up and pointed to the nearest chairs.

"Thanks for coming."

She said it in a direct tone.

"I know you don’t have any context, so I’ll get straight to the point."

Takeshi sat down and Aoi sat beside him.

Merwyn opened the folder but didn’t look at the pages.

"Do you know the name Solynmar?"

"Isn’t that Nyx’s last name?"

Takeshi replied.

"Correct. Solynmar is also the name of one of the families with the highest economic capital in this city. They hold power in industry, real estate, and contracts with the municipal government. The main company is called Solynmar Holdings and has been operating for four generations."

She paused.

"The current head of the family is Draevan Solynmar, and three weeks ago he was diagnosed with an illness the doctors consider terminal. He’s expected to pass away within the next two months."

Takeshi listened without interrupting.

"The inheritance is split into two equal parts by family contract: one for Nyx and one for her older brother, Sylion Solynmar. That isn’t in dispute."

Merwyn closed the folder.

"What is in dispute is who will run the company. The bylaws of Solynmar Holdings state that when there is more than one heir, leadership is decided by an internal vote among the major shareholders. Sylion knows that if that vote happens, he could lose because Nyx has more support among the shareholders than he does."

"Why?"

"Because Sylion has been making decisions for three years that the shareholders don’t approve of, and because Nyx has technical training that he lacks."

Merwyn placed her hands on the table.

"If Sylion loses the vote, he keeps his share of the inheritance but doesn’t direct the company, and for someone with his current expenses, that’s a serious problem."

Takeshi processed the sequence and figured it out.

"So if Nyx doesn’t make it to the vote..."

"The vote is canceled for lack of a qualified heir and Sylion takes control by default."

A brief silence passed.

"Are there any concrete signs that Sylion is going to do something?"

"Nothing documented, but this afternoon during recess, Nyx received a call."

Merwyn looked at Takeshi, who remembered that call in the library.

"What did they tell her?"

"I don’t know the exact content, but what I do know is that right after that call she went straight to meet with the family lawyer."

Merwyn closed the folder.

"Which suggests she received information serious enough to activate legal counsel immediately."

Takeshi looked at the table for a moment.

"How do you know all this?"

"The student council has connections with several families in the city. It’s not public information, but it’s not inaccessible if you know where to look."

Merwyn looked at him directly.

"The reason the two of you are here is that I need you to protect Nyx while the situation gets resolved, until the vote happens or the threat is ruled out."

Takeshi looked at Aoi.

Aoi was looking straight ahead with a serious expression.

"Aoi has already agreed."

Merwyn confirmed.

"We’re waiting for your answer."

"Why me?"

Takeshi asked.

Merwyn looked at him without changing her expression.

"Because you’re the only person who interacts with her."

Takeshi didn’t answer right away.

"What does that mean exactly?"

"That she doesn’t have functional social connections outside this building."

Merwyn opened the folder to a page with handwritten notes.

"Nyx has been at this school for a year. She doesn’t have a group, she doesn’t have regular classmates, she doesn’t have anyone who looks for her or who she looks for. She usually spends recess in the library and eats lunch alone—or doesn’t eat at all."

She closed the page.

"When you accidentally bumped into her and helped her with the books, it was, as far as I know, the longest social interaction she’s had with anyone in her grade this school year."

Takeshi processed that.

Nyx had spoken fluently, explained complex concepts clearly, and handled the conversation without any sign of discomfort. She hadn’t seemed like someone who had trouble relating to others.

"She didn’t seem that alone."

"Knowing how to talk to someone isn’t the same as having someone to talk to."

Merwyn closed the folder completely.

"The point is that if someone approaches her with intentions that aren’t what they seem, she won’t be able to identify it because she has no frame of reference. She needs someone close who can."

Takeshi looked at the table.

The logic was straightforward. Nyx was in a situation of real risk and didn’t have a working social network to act as passive protection.

What Takeshi didn’t say out loud was that he wasn’t necessarily the most suitable person for this, given that his own situation was an active disaster alongside a deity manipulating the board in real time.

But there wasn’t a concrete reason to refuse, either.

"How long?"

He asked.

"Until the vote happens or until we have confirmation that the threat isn’t real. Possibly weeks."

"Does Nyx know you’re going to protect her?"

"Not yet. I prefer you two know first so you can coordinate before we talk to her."

Takeshi looked at Aoi.

Aoi looked back at him. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t look away either.

Takeshi looked back at Merwyn.

"Alright."

Merwyn nodded once.

"Tomorrow first thing I’ll talk to Nyx, explain the situation, and from there the three of you can coordinate."

She picked up the folder and set it aside.

"One more thing: if Sylion sends someone, it won’t be someone without combat capability. Keep that in mind."

Merwyn stood up, which indicated the meeting was over. Takeshi and Aoi stood up as well.

They left the room into the hallway. Merwyn closed the door from the inside.

They walked toward the stairs in silence, and when they reached the downward section, Aoi spoke.

"Are you okay with this?"

"Yeah... I guess..."

Takeshi replied.

"And you?"

"Yes."

They went down the stairs and left the building, stepping into the empty courtyard at that hour.

Aoi was still walking beside him.

"Did you know all this when you came to get me?"

Takeshi asked.

"Merwyn explained it to me yesterday and today she came to tell me you’d be involved too."

"And you agreed without asking me first?"

Aoi looked at him.

"I knew you’d accept."

Takeshi didn’t respond to that.

They kept walking toward the main entrance.

’An elf with a disputed inheritance, a brother who’ll probably send someone, and me with barely any way to defend myself.’

He opened the stats panel as he walked.

[Life: 100%]

[Sanity: 70%]

[Points: 9]

He closed it.

’I just hope I don’t die again.’