Headmaster Joss is in his office sorting through a mountain of paperwork when he hears a knock on his door.

Before the headmaster could say anything, in comes the boy with his now familiar pigtails maid in tow.

“May I sit here?” asks the boy nonchalantly, right after planting his behind into one of the two chairs in front of Headmaster Joss.

The headmaster groans as he puts down the document he’s been reading for the past five minutes back on the desk that separates the older man from the boy.

It’s too early in the morning, and I’m too sober for this shit, sighs Headmaster Joss resignedly inside. The older man hasn’t had a proper drink for days now, not since the boy had informed him that Master Haithur is out to poison him.

The headmaster looks at the smiling boy with his right arm in a sling who is sitting in front of him. He really doesn’t want to have this conversation with the boy. Every time they meet, the boy seems to be nothing but the bearer of bad news.

Headmaster Joss’ gaze lifts up to person standing behind the boy. The beautiful pigtails girl, a member of royalty, wearing a maid uniform like it’s the most natural thing in the world. She seems strikingly somber this morning. Compared to before, whenever Headmaster Joss sees the pigtails maid following the boy, she always seems to be in a cheerful disposition. But now…

The headmaster secretly wonders if something happened between them to put her in such a mood.

Speaking of which, Synnove Ciro… a princess from the Jazwin Kingdom… wearing a maid uniform… serving a boy... and a commoner no less. The headmaster really really doesn’t want to be the one who has to have that conversation with her parents, explaining to them how their daughter… got that way.

Headmaster Joss sighs again. He really wishes he could leave his post and go to the nearby town to get a much needed drink(s) from one of the many taverns there.

Little does the headmaster know that he is about to get his wish (well half of it anyway).

“Morning Headmaster Joss.”

“Morning.”

“Hard at work? Or hardly working?”

“None of your godsdamn business. Why aren’t you in class?”

“You seriously want me to be in the same room with the rest of the first year students?”

“Point taken. So, what do you want? Don’t tell me you have plans on snapping another elite student’s back in-half again today.”

“Not in the foreseeable future, no…”

“…”

“Anyways, I can see you have a lot of work on your plate so I’ll make this snappy…”

“…”

“I need you to accompany me to Sunnyvale. Oh, and bring your coin purse with you.”

“What the hell for?”

“Well, there’s a new bakery opening in town and they’re having a 50% off sale on all baked goods in order to commemorate. And Master Haithur is in currently in the Sunnyvale Town Hall engineering a coup to replace you.”

*shouts “What? Are you serious?”

“I know, right? 50% off on all baked goods? It’s going to be a feeding frenzy. They’ll be lines going all the way around the blo-“

“Fuck you!”

“Hmmm? What’s the matter Headmaster Joss?”

“Why didn’t you tell me what Master Haithur is planning sooner?”

“Oh that? I didn’t want to tip our hand early and alert the man. Gods know the man has enough spies in this school to let him know that we know what he’s up to.”

“…”

“If Master Haithur feels something is wrong he might call the whole thing off. Then we’ll have to wait another whole week for that man to gather his courage and try again. Only this time it will be harder for us to foil him because he’ll be more cautious.”

“So you’re waiting until the last minute, hoping for him to extend enough rope so he can hang himself huh?”

“Never interrupt a man when he’s too busy digging his own grave.”

“Unless it’s deep enough that he can’t climb out of it.”

“That would be the ideal time to reveal yourself so you can gloat over him.”

“I’m really glad you are not in class with the other first year students right now. Do you have a backup plan to keep the man from clawing his way out of that hole?”

“Meet the shovel that’s going to hit him in the back of the head.” smiles the boy as he takes out a brown notebook he had kept in his left pocket.

“And what’s that exactly?”

“It’s the journal of the late Joviel Gladwin, who sadly past away last year. It has details of the student’s daily accounts, leading up to the final moments before his life is tragically cut short, as you rightly suspected before, by our mutual acquaintance.”

Headmaster Joss exhales sharply, his eyes couldn’t believe the evidence the boy had magically procured in front of him or his ears the revelation that he had just heard the boy delivered.

The headmaster attempts to rise from the chair he’s sitting and to reach across the desk so he could examine the notebook closely. But the boy has already shoved the brown notebook back into his pocket.

“It’s not ready yet I’ll just keep it safe for now.”

Headmaster Joss eyes the boy suspiciously.

“Is that really Joviel’s journal? Or are you saying that because you know that I don’t know if you’re telling the truth.”

“Do you think Master Haithur will be in the proper state of mind to figure that out once we’ve ambushed him? Or that he’ll be calm enough to call us out on it?”

*sighs “This is a dangerous game you’re playing.”

“Revenge is the only dangerous game worth playing. And I have no plans of losing, not this time, not to that man.”

“…”

“You should know as well as I do that if anyone deserves it, it’s him. He has gotten away with it for so long, either due to his ability or luck, the man has forgotten about all about checks and balances. He should know the price he has to pay for what he did to us.”

“Judging by the way your eyes glazed over just now, I’m going to take a haphazard guess that this involves something beyond the business of you and me.”

“Damn straight. Anyways, let’s get to it then. If we hurry now, we might arrive at that new bakery shop before the line gets too long.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Hmmm?”

“How can you think of food at a time like this?”

“Relax. Nothing great is ever accomplished on an empty stomach. Although technically, I’m already full from having a big breakfast at Rolfe’s manor, he’s a real good cook by the way, you should drop by for a meal later. I mean it, just come to our place for a visit unannounced help me I’m being held hostage and he has plans of forcing me into a dress and parading me in front of people.”

“…”

“But I digress, where was I? Ah yes, empty stomachs. You know as well as I do that no day can start properly without a bite from a hot piping freshly-made blueberry muffin.”

“…”

“And I’m serious about that coin purse, Headmaster Joss. I haven’t got any money on me, and despite what you think about my special abilities, I can’t buy baked goods using only my good looks.”

“…”

The headmaster closes his eyes and sighs, his right hand is currently massaging his right temple, trying its best to soothe the throbbing headache he is experiencing right now.

After a few moments, the older man opens his eyes and speaks.

“Give me ten more minutes. There are some urgent matters I need to sort out first before I can leave the office.”

“What?” the boy exclaims loudly. Looks like it’s his turn to be surprised. “I’ve just told you your job is presently hanging by a thread, and you’re more worried about some food purchase order for the north hall?”

“Despite what you think of my leadership skills, I still have a job to do. I can’t just leave my post willy nilly. There’s still some-what is it now?” the headmaster asks when he notices the boy starring at him with his mouth agape.

“No, nothing. It’s just that… that’s like the second time I heard that phrase being spoken tod-you know what? It doesn’t matter.”

The boy stands up and proceeds to leave Headmaster Joss’ office.

“Your dilly-dallying..."

“…”

"…only means I have some more time to do some extra preparations. I’ll meet you at the stables whenever you’re ready.”

Just as the boy is about to step out of the room, his pigtails maid holding the door open for him, Headmaster Joss calls out from behind him.

“I know you might think of me as a meddlesome old busybody…”

“I think meddlesome and busybody means the same thing.”

“…and that you’ll probably have more right to it than any other person…”

“I’m as good as any, and better than most.”

“…but do you know that saying about revenge?”

“That it’s a dish best served cold?”

“No, the other one.”

“Which one is there? And don’t get me started on any Shahjahadian sayings, I’ve had enough fill of them today.”

“It’s the one about a man who’s on a journey for revenge should dig two graves.”

The boy suddenly laughs out loud long and hard. Even though there is nothing fake about it, even though the boy is smiling warmly and sincerely when he replies, the headmaster still feels a chill going down his spine.

“Believe me when I say this Headmaster Joss.” grins the boy as he wipes a tear from his left eye. “Down the road where I’m going, two graves won’t be enough for me.”

With that, the boy exits the room to continue making more preparations for his inevitable duel against Master Haithur. As Synnove is about to close the office door, Headmaster Joss notices her giving him the smallest of nods.

The headmaster nods back in reply, and the door is closed tightly, leaving the older man to the privacy of his work. But even though Headmaster Joss tries hard to concentrate on the paperwork in front of him, he couldn’t forget the small disturbing smile he saw creeping back on the beautiful pigtails maid's face.