Chapter 28 - [Bonus ] The Sacrifice

Joren didn't know what Ness was talking about. Nekyia? What's that?

"Obviously, he doesn't know that."

Virena sighed which didn't anger Joren. He was beginning to realize just how there are so many things in this world that he doesn't know about.

"No, if I'm correct since this is an academy, there should be a library, right?"

Joren asked which Ness turned her eyes to the side.

"Y-yes, there was a library."

Virena coughed as she answered.

"... something happened to that library?"

Joren's eyelids dropped.

"Anyway, let's play a game. Who needs studying anyway? I'll teach you everything you know while we play."

"Okay, then I want to know what happened to the library."

Joren straightforwardly asked as he stepped forward, meeting Ness in the eyes but she kept evading.

"Don't invade the Principal's personal space!"

Virena immediately stepped in, pushing Joren away.

"What are you hiding? Did Ness destroy the library or something to avoid reading?"

Joren said as an example.

But Virena's eyes just rolled to the side.

"No... way?"

"I couldn't be blamed, right? I-I mean, they need me to check each book's content since I'm 'knowledgeable', why not someone else?"

Ness fidgeted her fingers as she smiled widely, trying to act cute.

'That's ridiculous.'

Joren thought but it seemed that Ness was able to read his mind.

"It's not like the ghosts know how to read, right?!" Ness laughed it off before sitting down and handing Joren the controller.

"Nekyia is a ritual where we summon a ghost which we can talk to. Basically, a seance."

Joren no longer pursued the topic which Ness desperately changed.

"Hm, so how do you do this nekyia? Is there some tools needed?"

"We just need a sacrifice."

Ness said before starting the game.

"Oh, a sacrifice..."

Joren nodded.

"Here... you choose a character. Since you're a beginner let me pick something that's strong with button smashing."

"Oh, okay, this is my first time playing Spirit Fighter."

"The controls are easy, but for a beginner like you, the combos will be hard."

"I'm getting excited... but what about the sacrifice?"

Joren's face became pale. He knew that Ness and Virena may be ridiculous sometimes but they don't lie or joke about serious matters.

"Ah, for the ritual? It's needed for the summoning of the ghost. It's for blah blah blah, you don't need to know the details. Here's the character."

"Oh, he looks strong."

"Do you know the controls?"

"Wait, let me check. Is this how you block?"

"Yeah! Right, so you know some of it! But heh, I'll still go easy on you, don't worry."

Ness said with a smug. A moment later, Virena came with two cups of tea.

"Here's for you, Principal."

Joren glanced to the side and waited for Virena to give him the tea. But a moment later, she sipped it.

"Ah, sorry, did you think it was yours?"

Virena crouched down on the floor between Joren and Ness.

"No... I did not."

Virena smiled seeing Joren frown with a reddened face.

"Do you like tea or coffee?"

"Coffee..."

Virena then stood up and went back to the kitchen.

"Joren." Ness then leaned forward and giggled at him.

"What?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing... the game's starting. I'll let you practice first!"

"S-sure... but what about the sacrifice?"

"What? The sacrifice?"

Joren blinked a few times as he looked at Ness who kept forgetting what they were talking about.

"What kind of sacrifice would we need?"

He gulped as he waited for Ness' answer.

"... Virena, can you call Jack here again?"

Ness smirked.

"Wait, why do you want to call him?"

A moment later...

"Hah! I finally defeated you!"

Joren shouted in victory while Ness screamed in defeat.

"How could a button-smasher defeat me!? This is not real! Let's do it again! You got lucky!"

"Sure!"

Joren then took a sip of his coffee before he heard someone clearing his throat. He turned his head around and saw a horse sitting with its legs and arms crossed like it was a human. It's also dressed like a human. However, at the peak of its head, there was a horn that stick out.

"Mister Jack...?"

He asked.

"Hello, again, Joren. I didn't know you were so close with the principal. I would've understood if the principal ignored me but even you, my own student?"

Jack said as if he's hurt.

'But I don't even go to class that much.' Joren thought as he did not dare to say it out loud.

"Principal, Mister Jack is here."

Virena said.

"An hour ago." added Jack.

"Oh, you're here."

Ness said.

"An hour ago." added Jack.

"Are you sure you're here, Mister Jack?"

Joren worriedly asked.

"About what?"

"..."

However, Joren couldn't say it as he looked at Ness who was wearing a smirk.

"Jack, we're going to perform nekyia and we need you."

"W-wait, Ness, I don't think I will agree on using Mister Jack as the sacrifice!" Joren stepped in as he tried to protect the unicorn behind him.

"Joren..."

Jack was touched as he saw his student act this way towards him.

"Even if he's disgusting sometimes,"

"Disgusting sometimes?"

"I'm really uncomfortable killing him just to ask some questions about my soul."

"Just uncomfortable?"

Jack's emotions were neutralized as he just laughed.

"Don't worry about it, Joren. The principal is not that homophobic to sacrifice me just because I'm homosexual."

"What? If I'm going to sacrifice you, I'm going to sacrifice you because you're Jack, not because you're a homosexual."

Ness replied with a deadpan face. Jack and she stared at each other. Meanwhile, Joren slowly moved towards Virena and whispered.

"I noticed this earlier too but Ness and Mister Jack don't seem to be doing well together."

"Can you stop invading others' personal space? But no, if Principal didn't meet me, Mister Jack would've been the person she's most closed with."

Joren nodded in understanding.

"The first time they met, Mister Jack mocked the Principal's hobbies so she broke his horn. The second time they met, the Principal appointed him to the lowest League, School, and Class at the First Level. The third time they met, Mister Jack intentionally smoked in front of the Principal. The fourth time they met..."

Virena continued enumerating the times Ness and Jack met until she finished narrating as if it was embedded in her head.

"As they say, keep your friends close but your enemies closer. I think this is the perfect example of that."

"You... seem irritated?"

Joren noticed as Virena gritted her teeth.

"I should be the closest to the Principal...!"

"Oh, okay, good luck with that."

Joren took a side step away from Virena as not to further annoy her.

"So you want me to perform an alternative to the sacrifice. What? You think all gays are magical?"

Jack mockingly smiled.

"Maybe it's because you're a unicorn? A being filled with magic? How about that logic?"

"You got me, yes, I'm magical since I'm homosexual but why should I help you?"

"Because if you help me, I'm going to stop your neck from bending the wrong way."

Ness said with a smile.

"And how are you going to do that?"

"Controlling myself."

"... okay, I will do it." Jack finally agreed, "With one condition."

"Fine, tell me."

Ness didn't hide how bothered she is by Jack's words.

"Promote me to the Second Level! I can't deal with teaching stupid ghosts every single day! If Joren's not there to satisfy my desires, I would've taken an unpaid vacation!"

Both Ness and Virena rolled their eyes towards Joren. They couldn't hit their shock.

"H-hey, you can't seriously believe that, right?"

Joren's face heavily paled as he shook his head.

"No, of course, we know how delusional this unicorn is. It's just that..."

Ness shivered in disgust so Virena had the responsibility to continue her words.

"... we imagined the... terror."

"Don't get traumatized by your own imaginations and you, stop blushing!"

Joren tried to get it out of his head as he reprimanded his own teacher.

"Ness, what about promoting him to the Second Level?"

"Ah? O-oh, yeah-"

"Wait,"

Virena then stopped Ness as she stared at Joren.

"Aren't your skin getting thicker? The Principal isn't going to do everything for you for free."

Joren didn't expect that Virena would take it like that. He just wanted to change the topic. However, he didn't shrink as he said with a serious face.

"Tell me, I'll do it whatever it is."

"I'll change my condition."

Jack immediately proposed.

"Denied!"

The three of them replied in a unison.

"Joren, find a way for Jack to be promoted. Actually, I can't promote him since I'm not the overall head of the Myth Academy. I can do whatever I want in the First Level but I can't just promote someone into the Second Level without the Second Level's Principal agreeing."

Ness pointed at Joren which he nodded.

"Alright, I promise I'll do it after I get my soul back!"