"Hmm, it’s weirdly not on the map at all."

Nova called out, accessing her map through her interface.

There was nothing at all, like they didn’t exist anywhere on the academy grounds.

"The Essence is so...pure."

Morgaine noted.

White was already a couple meters away, his eyes looking around.

A garden of blue, and instead of green grass, it was white.

It kinda reminded him of that place where he had met the golden-haired woman.

The peculiar aura lingering around the place made his brow furrow a bit, and he got down on one knee, smelling a flower.

This time, he could pick up the scent perfectly, and his brows creased a bit.

"We gotta go."

White rose to his feet and turned back, only to freeze.

"Why the rush?"

Morgaine asked, but then noticed White freezing, and she unconsciously turned her head back only to freeze as well.

Nova was still unaware, flickering around with her runic watch, but she sensed the abrupt silence and turned to them, noticing them looking right at her.

"What? I’m just trying to make sure we’re not trespassing into some unmapped grounds."

"Actually, you are."

The voice was familiar, but one she didn’t expect to hear here.

She turned back, her jaws hanging.

"Mi...Mimura!?"

Of course, it was the white-haired twin, whose eyes were currently narrowed at a single person.

"You call her by her name now?"

White couldn’t help but notice.

"Mentor-student perks..."

Vice Mimura said.

"And why are you in such a sudden rush, White?"

She continued stepping towards White, who lowered to the ground, pointing at a flower.

"There’s just this weird smell around these flowers that irks me off..."

White responded as a vein popped on Vice Mimura’s head.

This bastard!

Those flowers had some of the best smell in the world. Anyone with half a nose could smell it and discover that.

But she used to glide her hands over them every morning, and the bad smell White was referencing must have been hers.

While appearing like he didn’t like the flowers, to Nova and Morgaine, he was really saying that he hated her smell directly to her.

And by the slight grin he had at the sight of the vein on her head, it was clear he knew perfectly well what he was doing.

"Let me guess, you were the one who led them here, White. I’m sure they wouldn’t have come to such a bad conclusion on their own."

"A bad conclusion?" White asked, feigning surprise.

"Why would a girl bringing her best friends to her mentor’s home be a bad conclusion?"

"This is Vice Mimura’s home!?"

Morgaine blurted out in shock as White’s expression plummeted and Vice Mimura grinned.

"You two girls can return back. I’ll find some punishment for you later."

Vice Mimura said.

Nova turned, only to have her shoulder grabbed by Morgaine, who pulled her back before asking,

"And what about White? He comes with us too, right?"

She pressed.

"No. His punishment starts from here, after you both leave."

Vice Mimura said.

"I’m afraid they won’t be able to do that."

White said as Vice Mimura asked,

"And why not? You’ll try to stop them?"

"Actually, no. I’m just thinking, what are the statistics of a female academy staff doing dirty deeds with a handsome male student?"

White called out, placing his hands over his chin as if trying to find the number.

"What?"

Vice Mimura asked confusedly.

"I mean, it can’t be zero. I bet a way that starts is the staff member asking the rest of the students to leave while she punishes the student, only to carry out her dirty plans."

"And what’s that got to do with anything?"

Vice Mimura asked as White shrugged.

"If you ask me, I’d say this perfectly fits the scene."

"You!"

Vice Mimura almost lost it, but then she scoffed, replying,

"Is this you reciting your dirty wishes out loud, White?"

"Why would I ever wish dirty deeds on an old mentor, when her student, who just happens to be the most beautiful lady in the world, is my girlfriend?"

Hearing that made Nova’s face redden.

"Are you calling me a dirty old hag?"

Vice Mimura asked, a second vein popping in her head.

"Dirty hag... you said that yourself. Old... maybe?"

"You bastard!"

---

Dumbly, Morgaine and Nova watched in silence as the endless argument continued, with White managing to appear innocent while Vice Mimura only got madder and madder.

"You didn’t tell me they both had a ’thing’ together..."

Morgaine whispered to Nova, who looked on blankly, whispering back,

"I had no idea."

"What thing?"

Vice Mimura’s ears picked it up, turning her fiery eyes to Morgaine, who flinched.

"Nothing?"

"Vice Mimura!"

Nova called out, walking towards the Vice, who seemed just a tiny bit from exploding in rage.

"You know how much I wanted to know where you lived, and even accompany you home after classes."

"If I knew this was your home, I wouldn’t decide to just wander in, would I?"

She asked, placing her hands on Vice Mimura’s. It seemed to do some damage, the veins fading, only to reappear at the sight of White, who whistled past.

"It was a one-time mistake, my first, if I remember. You’ll let me off this one time, right?"

Nova asked, and Vice Mimura inhaled and exhaled deeply, calming her anger.

"There won’t be a next time... especially for you!"

She shouted at White, who shrugged his shoulders, muttering a,

"Whatever."

That only Morgaine was able to pick up on.

"Thank you!"

Morgaine said, and in the next moment, Wings appeared, blurring her forward as she grabbed both White and Nova’s hands, dragging them back into the pool that had brought them here.

Silence covered the place before a loud angry snort broke it.

"That bastard!"

Vice Mimura said angrily.

"He really knows how to piss me off, doesn’t he?"

"Isn’t it surprising that your anger lasted so much without you clenching up a fist and punching him in the face though? You do that to people who don’t even say a word and just irk you off with a gaze."

A second voice resounded and she turned her head up to find a figure floating down from the sky.

"Amora."