"Axel-kun!"
"Whoa!"
It was Monday, the day after I'd spent the afternoon wandering the city with Kakizaki, Kugimiya, and the others. The moment I swung the classroom door open to start the week, that energetic shout nearly knocked me back. I couldn't help the startled yelp that escaped my throat.
Behind me, Ayaka, Chizuru, and Natsumi—who had walked to school with me as they usually did—wore expressions of equal surprise.
"N-Negi? What's up?" I managed to ask.
Two days ago, after his failed attempt to attack Chachamaru, he'd slunk away looking like his entire world had collapsed. Today, however, the kid seemed to be running at 120% capacity. He was practically vibrating with nervous energy.
"I'm sorry to spring this on you, but do you think you could come with me for a bit?"
"Come with you? Where?"
"Well, I had something I needed to discuss with Evangeline-san, but it seems she's skipping class again today."
"Skipping, huh...?" I muttered.
I squeezed past him to drop my bag at my desk. I cast a sideways glance toward Eva's seat; as expected, it was empty. No bag, no books, no tiny vampire. That was strange. Given the 'School Attendance Curse' placed upon her, she usually had to physically show up at least once a day, even if she planned to play hooky later.
"So, I've decided to go to her house," Negi continued, "and I was hoping you'd come along."
"To Eva's place?"
"Yes. I want to apologize for what happened with Chachamaru-san. I need to speak with her face-to-face."
I could follow his logic. With a personality as earnest as Negi's, it was only natural that he'd want to offer a formal apology once he realized he was in the wrong. But still...
"Why do I have to go?"
That was the sticking point. If Negi knew about the strange sort of friendship Eva and I shared, it would make sense for him to use me as a bridge. But as far as I knew, Negi was still in the dark about my history with the High Daylight Walker.
"Well, you did put your own body on the line to protect Chachamaru-san," Negi explained. "That makes you a primary party to the whole incident."
I see. That's the angle, then. Still, I noticed two distinct absences: Kagurazaka and Kamo, who were both deeply involved in the 'Chachamaru Raid,' were nowhere to be seen.
"Where are Kagurazaka and Kamo?"
"I'm the one who led the operation," Negi said, his expression darkening slightly with resolve. "I should be the one to handle this."
He was taking the entire burden on his own shoulders again. Well, whatever. I figured I'd leave the character-building and 'growth' lectures to Takahata or the Headmaster. My job was just to provide backup if things went sideways; fixing Negi's martyr complex wasn't in my job description.
"Fine. Let's head to Eva's."
"Oh? Are ye headin' off to Evangeline-san's place?"
The voice belonged to Konoka, who had intercepted us just as we were about to bolt.
"Yeah," I replied. "Negi's got some business with her."
"Is that so? Only, I heard a report that she's callin' in sick today with a cold..."
"A cold? Evangeline-san?" Negi looked utterly bewildered.
I felt the same way. What kind of overpowered, "God-tier" virus do you have to be to infect a Shinso vampire who's lived for six hundred years? That's some serious dedication to the craft of infection.
"In—In that case, we can make it a sick visit, too! Axel-kun, let's go!"
"Hey, wait—!"
Before I could finish my sentence, Negi grabbed my arm and dragged me down the hallway at a dead sprint.
Hey, kid, aren't you technically the teacher? Is it really okay for you to encourage your student to cut class?
I sighed. Then again, the School Headmaster was also the Chief of the Kanto Magic Association. I imagined they had a fair amount of "administrative flexibility" when it came to the rules. I thought I heard Ayaka's voice crying out my name from inside the classroom, but I decided to ignore it and follow Negi's lead.
And just for the record: I wasn't doing this because the soft spring sunlight made the prospect of sitting through a lecture feel like a chore. Definitely not.
"Let's see... Evangeline-san's address is..."
Negi muttered to himself, squinting at a slip of paper. Since he'd only recently arrived at Mahora Academy, he still hadn't mastered the local geography. Granted, I'd only arrived about a month before him, but I'd made the trip to the log house enough times to know the route by heart.
"Not that way. Take a right at the next path."
"Eh? Axel-kun, you know where she lives?"
"I've dropped by a few times."
I stepped into the lead, acting as his guide as we wound through the campus woods.
"There it is. Right there."
The familiar log house came into view. To me, it was a common sight, but Negi stood frozen for a moment, staring up at the structure with wide, surprised eyes.
"Whoa. It's... much more normal than I expected."
"...What exactly were you expecting?"
"Well, she's the vampire Evangeline-san! I thought there'd be a graveyard, or maybe some coffins?"
"I mean, I can't say your mental image is wrong, exactly."
I walked up to the door with the casual air of a frequent visitor and rang the bell. The chimes echoed through the clearing, but the house remained silent.
"Empty?" Negi wondered aloud. He reached out to touch the door, and it swung open with the slightest nudge.
"U-Um, excuse me? Is anyone home? It's your teacher, Negi! I've come to see how you're feeling!"
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