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Rain pattered against the glass as Silver sat in Professor Trein’s history lecture, mustering all of his energy to try and stay awake. He was susceptible to falling asleep anywhere, but this particular class had a way of speeding up the process. Meanwhile, a certain hyena-like student was eyeing him mischievously from across the room. Silver’s head leaned to one side, eyes becoming far too heavy to stay open when he received a bop to the nose.
Jerking up, his eyes focused on a black and white cat in front of him on the desk. Trein glanced up from his papers, clicking his tongue in disapproval, but was clearly accustomed to this by now.
“Mr. Silver, please keep in mind that the upkeep of your grade starts with the effort you put in during this class.”
Soon, the bell rang, and the students spilled out into the hall to head back to their dorms before the rain worsened. Ruggie spotted Silver trailing behind everyone else, his head lowered to the ground. Chuckling to himself, Ruggie took this as the perfect time to enact Leona’s plan. Approaching Silver, Ruggie called out to him with a beaming smile and a concerned tone in his voice.
‘Heya, Silver! Something got you in a bind?”
Looking up, Silver quickly erased the faint frown on his face to greet Ruggie with his usual serious expression.
“Oh, Ruggie, it’s you. Is there something the matter?”
“I dunno, you tell me.” Ruggie said casually, resting his hands behind his head. “You’ve looked down ever since Trein looked at you all disapprovingly during class.”
Sighing, Silver realized he should have known better than to be able to hide something from Ruggie, who always seemed to work his way into the soft spots of others. He rested his hand on his head, sleep still begging to take the wheel for a bit.
“Ever since enrolling here at NRC, it has been my goal to make my father proud and get the best grades I possibly can. Furthermore, as Malleus’s retainer, the last thing I want is to disappoint anyone. I put my all into my studies, yet the lingering feeling of drowsiness clouds my mind more often than not.”
After pausing for a moment to think, Ruggie brought his hand to his mouth and began to laugh, much to Silver’s surprise.
“Shee hee hee! Is that really all there is to it?”
To Ruggie’s dismay, Silver’s eyes widened. Quickly, he sought to redirect the conversation onto his desired path.
“I mean, sure, having the weight of all those expectations mustn’t be easy, but you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. One of Trein’s lectures could lull even the fussiest cub to sleep!”
Considering this, Silver’s expression softened, a small smile creeping up one side of his face.
“Well, I must say that you have a point. Thank you for your kind words, Ruggie.”
“Hey, what can I say? You could say I have a knack for making people’s day.”
Resting his hands on his hips, Ruggie sighed, satisfied. Then, he remembered his goal.
“Heh heh, you know what they say~” Ruggie smiled slyly, walking in a small circle. “Making others smile can improve your mood a hundred times over!”
Quirking an eyebrow, Silver couldn’t recall hearing anyone ever say that. But he wasn’t going to be so quick to judge someone trying to make him feel better.
“Really? I haven’t ever heard that particular phrase before. You make a good point, though–”
“You betcha! In fact, I know a way you can spread some of that sweet, sweet joy right now. You’re friends with Lilia, right? I hear he cooks–not to mention, with some…questionable flavors~”
Silver leaned back, not sure how to respond to Ruggie’s insistent energy. On top of that, the mention of his father’s cooking. A shiver ran up his spine, recalling the soup Lilia had made for him a couple of weeks ago when he had a cold.
Malleus had tried to distract Lilia as Sebek went to discard the soup. They would say it was an accident, that he had dropped it or something. Their plan had failed, and it ended in Lilia calling Sebek up with the soup. The amount of pepper in the soup revitalized Silver enough to get him out of bed to rush down to get milk from the dorm kitchen to combat the intense spiciness.
Out of love, they let Lilia believe it had cured him. At the end of the day, they cared about Lilia’s feelings. Sadly, his cooking was another story. Ruggie snapped in front of Silver’s face, returning him to reality.
“Oh, uh? Sorry about that. Yes, my fa–Lilia cooks, but let’s just say each meal has a very distinct taste.”
Pulling out a small container from his bag, Ruggie held it up to Silver. It had little holes in the cap, and appeared to hold some kind of cooking spice. Smirking, Ruggie whispered.
“This spice is called summer savory. It is commonly used for enhancing and improving the flavor in dishes. In fact, this one comes enchanted, so the effects of the spice are even more powerful! I would know, I use it in Leona’s meals all of the time. Lilia might like it!”
Giving Lilia a spice would only encourage him to cook more. While not bad in itself, Silver wasn’t sure he could face Sebek and Malleus’s desperate glares if they were held captive as his father’s test subjects.
As he was about to politely refuse, Ruggie sensed the doubts and extinguished them just as quickly.
“Did I mention that while this particular spice enhances flavors, it also sweetens them? It could help to cover up any particularly unpleasant tastes. That way, you are encouraging Lilia’s passion, and you can genuinely enjoy it!”
Thinking long and hard, Silver stared at the container in Ruggie’s hand. He did always feel bad when he avoided test-tasting one of his father’s concoctions. If there was a possibility Silver could make Lilia’s meals more appetizing, he could genuinely cheer his father on.
“Very well, Ruggie. If you say that this spice can really accomplish such a feat, I will take your word for it. I must say, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in such a generous mood… before….”
Ears perking up, Ruggie dropped the container into Silver’s hands without hesitation. Within the blink of an eye, he was walking down the hall while waving back cheerfully.
Turning the corner, Ruggie chuckled to himself.
“Just wait until Leona hears about this!”
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That night, equestrian practice had run particularly late for both Silver and Sebek. It was Silver’s turn to help brush the horses and refill their water troughs. Not wanting to leave Malleus unattended for longer than need be, Sebek went ahead of Silver. (Also, Sebek didn’t want to miss his liege’s nightly briefly of his day to the dorm)
Upon re-entering the dorm, Silver came face-to-face with the housewarden, standing with his arms crossed. Most people would say Malleus’s expression looked neutral, maybe a little bored, but Silver knew that when his eyebrows furrowed more than usual, they knew something was definitely bothering him.
“Ah, Silver, how was equestrian practice?” There was an edge to Malleus’s voice. “We have been awaiting your arrival. I am sure you must be aware…Lilia has a new dish he insists we try.”
Silver gulped, as there was no getting out of something like this. Then, he remembered the spice.
“Malleus, you have nothing to worry about. I gave him an enchanted spice that enhances a dish’s flavor and makes it sweeter. I just wanted to give my father something that might actually improve his cooking skills. He works so hard, yet never sees much progress.”
Seeing Silver’s earnest expression, Malleus softened slightly, uncrossing his arms. However, he still did not seem fully convinced.
“Hm, I see. Is the purpose of the spice to overlay a sweeter, stronger flavor to mask a more foul one beneath?”
Thinking back, Silver thought about how Ruggie had described it. Nodding, he explained how it was enchanted and that, while vague, the description was rather promising.
“So…you are saying we should try Lilia’s cooking this time. I suppose it would start to become suspicious if we began to avoid it every time.”
Sharing a small smile, Silver followed Malleus to the kitchen. He trusted Silver, so all Silver could do was hope for the best from Ruggie’s enchanted spice. Diasomnia’s kitchen was empty except for Lilia and Sebek, who were sitting at the counter. Seeing Silver and Malleus enter the room, Lilia stood up, a beaming smile on his face.
“Ah, Silver! You’ve finally returned. I have been telling Sebek here all about the stew I made with that wonderful spice you gave me earlier. I insist that the three of you have some!”
From behind Lilia, Sebek wore an alarmed expression as he aggressively shook his head ‘no’. Catching sight of his unease, Silver glanced over at the pot on the stove.
“A stew, you say? What sort of ingredients did you include in it, Father?”
Lilia’s eyes sparkled, so glad that Silver had asked. For a moment, Silver was glad that he was finally able to encourage his father’s hobby in a genuine way. That was, until Lilia opened his mouth.
“I combined ghost peppers, cake frosting, yogurt, egg shells…” Lilia rattled off ingredients that had no business being on the same plate. “And of course, the basics, like pork and beans. Protein must be prioritized for growing boys such as yourselves! Oh, and don’t forget…the special spice you gave me~”
The three boys stood there, too stunned to speak. They had never seen Lilia add so many ingredients into one meal. Malleus side-eyed Silver, practically begging the enchanted spice to work. Lilia cheerfully hummed a tune as he began to pour three bowls of the stew. Leaning forward, Silver whispered to Sebek.
“It will be alright, keep it together. The spice I gave him is enchanted to improve the taste of food.”
Snapping his head around to face Silver, Sebek was about to protest that someone would even suggest he was having trouble keeping it together. Then, Lilia turned around, carrying a tray with three bowls of stew. They straightened up in unison, smiling. The liquid in the bowls was purple, and something inside seemed to be twitching.
Lilia extravagantly motioned for the boys to sit down, and sit they did. A steaming bowl of stew bubbled in front of each of them, and for a moment, all they did was stare down at their bowls. Silver glanced up at his father, the widest smile on his face he’d ever seen. Stirring his spoon in the stew, Silver finally lifted it to his mouth and bravely swallowed.
For a split second, he didn’t move. Lilia turned to look expectantly at the other two, who quickly did the same. Smiling brightly, Lilia began skipping toward the kitchen door.
“You three stay right there, I’ll go fetch some delicious tomato juice to accompany your dinner!”
As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, all chaos broke loose. Malleus shot up, practically climbing over the counter toward the sink to rinse out his mouth. Sebek banged on the counter with his fists, desperately trying to cough the burning away. Silver simply sat, paralyzed in astonishment.
The flavor was unlike anything he had ever tasted. With the enchanted spice, the sweet and tart natures of the frosting and yogurt was enhanced ten times over. Simultaneously, the spiciness of the ghost pepper could be felt all the way down his throat into the pit of his stomach.
Sebek ran to the fridge, downing an entire jug of milk. Malleus was running around, beginning to breathe literal fire in a pitiful attempt to overpower the ghost pepper. The curtains in front of the sink caught fire, and Sebek’s arms went up in a panic, the jug of milk flying all over the floor. Silver’s ears began to ring as he spectated the madness, a faint dizziness starting to creep up on him.
Fumbling to get a cup, Sebek filled it with water and splashed it onto the curtain. Malleus cast a water spell at the fire, which ended up soaking Sebek when he tossed the water. Feeling bad, Malleus then cast a wind spell to dry his retainer off, only to forget his own strength and send Sebek flying across the room. That was when the kitchen door opened, Lilia’s figure dropping a bottle of tomato juice.
Finally succumbing to his lightheadedness, Silver’s world began to spin as he felt himself hit the floor. Someone shrieked his name, and then it all went dark.
…
Regaining consciousness, Silver felt something soft wrapped around him as he rolled over. He was in his bed, a blanket tightly tucked around him the way his father had done for him when he was little. Speaking of which, Silver spotted Lilia sitting on a chair at the edge of his bed. Lilia’s head snapped up, worry written all over his face as he rushed to his son’s bedside.
“Silver! Are you alright? How do you feel?!”
Taken aback, Silver moved his hair from his face.
“Father? What happened?”
Sighing deeply, Lilia sat down on the bed, looking down at his hands.
“When I returned with the juice, you fainted on the floor. The curtain had been burnt, there was milk spilled all over the floor, and Sebek had crashed into the wall. Another student and I carried you to your room as Malleus and Sebek cleaned up after I checked up on them. The nurse came to examine you, she said you should be fine.”
“Were they…alright?”
He nodded. Not able to meet Silver’s eye completely, Lilia sounded exasperated as he continued.
“Sebek was incoherent, so Malleus explained why they had reacted that way. And most likely what caused you to faint.” Clenching his fists in his lap, Lilia’s feeling of guilt was evident in his expression. “I’m so sorry, this was all my fault. If I hadn’t fed you the stew–”
The look on his father’s face nearly broke Silver's heart.
“Father, no, the fault is all mine. The spice was meant to enhance a sweeter flavor in your cooking, yet the flavor may have not been enhanced in the way that we had hoped. I truly wanted to support your hobbies, I know how much love and passion you put into your cooking.”
After considering his words, Lilia raised his head to look at Silver, a small smile on his face. Then, his father quirked an eyebrow.
“Say, Silver. Where did you ever come across such a powerfully enchanted spice to begin with?”
“Oh, it was given to me by Ruggie from Savanaclaw. He saw I hadn’t had the easiest day, and said the best way to improve your day was by spreading kindness. He had actually been the one who suggested I give the spice to you.”
Alarm bells immediately went off in Lilia's head. The door opened, Malleus storming in as Sebek hurriedly walked to keep up with him.
“Savanaclaw?!” A furious Malleus stood there, a fire in his eyes. Then, he coughed awkwardly before continuing in a quieter voice. “So, my guess is that Kingscholar is behind this.”
Lilia sighed, scratching his chin.
“Those problem children from the Interdorm Spelldrive Tournament…where did they get the gall to pull something like this?”
Sebek tensed up, causing all eyes to turn to him. Lilia locked his gaze on him.
“Sebek…we won’t be mad. Just tell us what you did.”
Puffing out his chest, Sebek folded his arms.
“I had no intention of bringing negative attention upon my liege! I-I heard that ruthless clown disrespecting you! He said you were a slimy lizard, so I stood up for you and tried to convert him to our side by clearly stating all the reasons why you will always be better than him!”
Silence befell the room as Malleus slowly approached a nervous Sebek. Resting his hand on Sebek’s shoulder, Malleus smiled slyly.
“My friend, you have done well. Do not worry, we will not let them think they can toy with us so easily.”
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Midnight, Leona’s dorm room.
“Ha! That incompetent lizard and his crew of herbivores fell for the bait we left for them!”
“Shee hee hee, aren’t you just so proud of me, Leona?”
While chaos ensued in Diasomnia’s kitchen, Ruggie had secretly been recording the instance on his phone. Now, he was showing the video to Leona. Yawning loudly, Leona tossed the phone back to Ruggie, who fumbled to catch it.
“Hey, unlike you, I can’t just afford another phone on a whim!”
Ignoring Ruggie’s remark, Leona glanced at him.
“I must say, you did rather well this time. Just like we agreed on, you get the day off tomorrow from doing my chores.”
“Yes!” Ruggie chuckled to himself, proud of his win.
Then, there was a knock at the door. Both Leona and Ruggie looked in the direction of the door suspiciously, but Leona tilted his head for Ruggie to investigate. Upon opening it, there was no one outside, which only annoyed Ruggie.
“Hey, who’s out here? Don’t you know not to mess with the housewarden this late at night?”
Stepping out into the hallway, Ruggie looked down either side before shrugging. As he was about to turn back to head into the room, a hand covered Ruggie’s mouth as he got pulled up toward the ceiling. The door slammed shut, shocking awake Leona, who had just begun to doze off.
“Hey, Ruggie! Quit making so much noise. Just because you’re on break, it doesn’t mean you have permission to do whatever you want.”
When there was no response, Leona fully sat up on his bed, confused. Then, there was a faint pattering sound on the balcony. Quietly keeping along the wall, Leona peaked onto his balcony to see a cloaked figure in all black, the height of two men.
Angry, Leona marched onto the balcony and looked up, standing feet from the figure as it looked down at him.
“Hey, punk! What kind of a joke do you think you’re playing at, here?! What, too afraid to reveal your true identity in my presence?”
The wind began to pick up, and the bottom of the figure began to glow bright green as it ran circles around Leona, nearly one with the shadows as it vanished and reappeared. The figure’s arm reached toward the sky, and green lightning crackled down directly in front of Leona.
Lurching back, a yellow light began to grow in Leona’s palm as he watched the figure run around on his balcony. He shouted above the wind as he assumed a battle ready stance.
“Alright, so you think this is funny? What do you want from me?!”
The figure began to slow down, heading straight for Leona. Though, they were going faster than they had expected, and the creature came to a halt, nearly falling over. The wind picked up, and the cloak blew away to reveal two people, one standing on the other’s shoulders. Magic enveloped the one that acted as the feet for the alleged ‘creature,’ as the two levitated above the roof of Savanaclaw.
“Get back here, you cowardly herbivores!”
Leona stomped the balcony in frustration, but paused when one of the two silhouettes was illuminated by the moonlight, highlighting two curved horns.
“Tch. That sorry excuse of a lizard.”
Soon, Malleus and his supposed lackey vanished into the night. Leona returned to his room, annoyed more than anything. Not more than a few minutes later, Ruggie rushed into the room, holding a tray with a bowl of stew on it. Turning around, Leona’s annoyance only grew.
“Ruggie! Where did you go?”
Setting the tray down on the nightstand, Ruggie rubbed his forehead, flustered.
T-That Lilia dude teleported me to the Savanaclaw kitchen and wouldn’t let me leave until I made them a new stew without the spice I gave ‘em!”
Folding his arms, Leona gritted his teeth.
“Why didn’t you just walk past him or something?”
“B-Because!” Ruggie stammered. “He said that if I didn’t do what he asked, he would find ways to make noise outside of my room every night, all night, for the rest of the year.”
Leona winced. That situation was all too familiar.
“Whatever, it’s over now. So, what’s with the stew?”
Ruggie squinted his eyes, sleep starting to catch up with him.
“Well, Lilia only ended up taking so much. I’m not hungry, and there’s no point in wasting hot food. Don’t go saying to dispose of it, either.”
Leona rolled his eyes, and went to inspect the stew before tasting a small portion of it. An overwhelming feeling of disgust overcame Leona, the stew both the spiciest and the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. Once Ruggie realized something was very wrong, he hightailed it in the door and down the hall to his dorm room.
In the hallway, Lilia peaked around the corner, smiling smugly to himself as he clutched a certain spice container in his hand.