"Grand Soul Rooting." As soon as Lone has activated his newly evolved skill, both he and Swind saw a massive astral tree root grow from Rachel's chest.

This tree root passed straight through Kyuubi and Garadia without disturbing either of them.

The two men watched anxiously as Rachel's face morphed into one of confusion. Her eyes scrunched up and she looked... lost.

The tree root kept growing and growing and didn't stop until it covered all of Rachel's body. Maybe a minute or two passed before the root seemed to be finished affixing itself to her. It then shrank and entered her body before disappearing entirely.

Slowly opening her eyes and blinking them, Rachel's gaze wandered around the room. "... Where?"

Swind almost burst out into tears right then and there. "A word... She said a word that made sense and wasn't random..."

Lone held the young man's shoulder and softly said, "Remember. She probably won't know who she is or have any of her memories. It will take time to stimulate them... if they still exist. It's completely possible that the Rachel you knew is already... is already dead..."

Swind shook his head. "That doesn't matter. Rachel is Rachel."

Lone smiled sadly upon hearing that. "Well... Let's see if we can get her up on her feet, shall we?"

"Yes, let's. If she doesn't remember anything, it will take some time for her to remember how to use her limbs properly," Swind mumbled.

Lone nodded. "Her tails especially. It took me quite some time getting used to nine of them, and she has eight, so here's hoping those're things her body recalls using. She still knows how to breathe, so there's hope at least, right?" he joked to lighten up the mood.

Rachel looked back and forth between the two talking people and didn't understand anything they were saying. Her eyes wandered to her chest and landed on the two infants sleeping on her. The girl's eyes lit up and the tiniest of smiles wormed its way onto her face. "... Cute..."

A few silent tears finally escaped Swind's eyes. 'Soph... forgive me. You were right. The children did help...'

Infa awoke from his slumber as he felt something soft slowly clamber up his body. "Good evening, Radiance Sister."

"Gao," Garadia replied as she settled on the Rock Dragon's head.

"You are capable of speech, are you not? While far younger than myself, I am aware that you are a far superior race of dragon than I," Infa claimed.

"Gao," Garadia cutely replied. Her head shifted and her eyes locked onto Kyuubi who was in Lone's arms.

Her father and his friend were very slowly walking around The Glade as they assisted the very fluffy and tiny foxkin use her thin legs and prevent her from tripping over herself.

"Ah, I see. Waiting for your sister so you can surprise your parents together. You are very mature for an infant," Infa praised.

Garadia closed her eyes and smiled. "Gao." She loved how quick to catch on to the meaning of her adorable roars her fellow dragon was. Warming up to him had been a decision that she had not regretted making even in the slightest.

Across the stream that flowed from The Glade's waterfall, Rachel's legs wobbled like jelly before her knees gave out. Swind caught her before she could collapse onto the ground.

Looking up at him in confusion, she said, "... Light..."

Swind laughed very softly before he kissed the girl's forehead. "I'm carrying you, so of course you're light."

Rachel didn't seem to understand, but she felt comfortable, so she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off. Walking for a little over 5-minutes had left her completely drained of energy.

Lone frowned. "I imagine her Strength, Vitality and Vigour have all decreased permanently due to her inability to move for over a month. She'll need a lot of time to build her muscles and those stats back up. She's a lot like Soph and Eolande; more magic than is reasonable, but as weak as a small animal. Well, Soph's a bit tougher since Sophie trains in her martial arts and swordsmanship, but you get the point."

Swind nodded as the two of them walked, one holding a girl, the other a baby. "I do, Mr Immortus... I know that I already owe you more than I could ever hope to repay, but I simply cannot return to The Academy just yet. With Rachel like this, I would much prefer to spend every waking moment by her side, helping her recover... or... or helping her become a fully-fledged person again."

Lone smiled and reached over with his free hand to grasp Swind's shoulder. "I gotcha. Leave it to me. Headmaster Erion likes us for some reason, so I'll arrange for you have as long off as you need. Once Rachel's regained some common level of... intellect, we'll see if we can change your classes. If we can split them so all of your non-combat classes can be replaced with classes to accommodate Rachel, and then arrange for both of you to be in all of the same classes, then she can maybe learn fire magic without leaving your side."

Swind was lost for words. "That sounds like a dream..."

"I'll do it. For a friend and precious little brother and for Rachel who's basically my non-blood-related cousin? It'll be a cakewalk," Lone arrogantly claimed.

Swind couldn't believe how lucky he was to be viewed so kindly by Lone when he had done nothing but take from the man and leech off of his kindness like a parasite ever since they had first met. "I will repay you one day, Mr Immortus. I swear on my life."

Lone grinned. "Just be happy. That's all the payment I need."

"Rejected," the expressionless woman who had just listened to Lone's request brutally declared.

Right now, he was inside The Academy's administrative building and he had just finished filing an official request for Swind to be exempt from all of his classes for the time being.

Frowning, Lone replied, "Why? It's hardly his fault that his lover needs his constant attention to help with her recovery."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Student Lone, Student Swind is not the only person with poorly loved ones. If we accepted every leave request for every little reason when it isn't a life-threatening emergency, then our student count would permanently drop by over a third. From my understanding of your friend's situation, you could hire a maid to care for her while Student Swind uses the opportunity that he has been granted by Headmaster Erion to learn."

The foxkin's frown only deepened. "You can't make an exception? I'm willing to use money to fix this problem. You've already been told by Headmaster Erion to admit Rachel as a student even though she can't attend classes, so if The Academy is lacking funds somehow, I can help with that. Not to brag, but I'm probably the richest person on the entire planet."

The lady shook her head. "The Academy wants for nothing but new students. And the case with Student Rachel is the exception, not the rule."

"If that was true, you wouldn't be pushing one away," Lone spat out in frustration as a response to the first half of what she had said. "Hell, at this point, I'm almost tempted to pull all of The Wanderers out of The Academy and sign up at the most prestigious academy run by Petroleum. Their current leading archon is only coming here to teach since he's interested in me, right? You can kiss him goodbye as well then if I leave."

"We do not appreciate threats, Student Lone," the woman replied in a very tired tone. She was far too used to dealing with stuck up noble children. It was rare for a demi to act like this, but regardless, she was beyond done when it came to handling the insufferable Lone.

"Is it a threat if it's a fact?" Lone was starting to care less and less about all of this. "Anyway, you won't budge, right?"

"Indeed. If you are quite done, I have other matters to attend to like ordering food for the cafeteria for next week," the lady replied.

'Fuck this. Swind is taking time off one way or another. If they won't let him, we will join a different school. I'll make sure to beat the shit out of The Academy in the coming tournament to show them what they were missing.' This petty and childish idea of Lone's was actually getting him pretty fired up.

"Well, well, well. What an ideal time for me to come and apply for my holiday hours, now isn't it?" a tall and spindly man that Lone recognised from the entrance test said as he approached him.

The woman behind the desk nodded politely. "Hello, Professor Fredley."

"Professor Fredley?" Lone had been told by his sister that this man was the one who had been incentivising the teachers and professors to give him a hard time. She'd apparently learnt this from Professor Luff's thoughts.

Of course, the Snow Bearkin wasn't an idiot and had no intentions to follow through with the suggestion to bully Lone after what had happened to Professor Alroy - Lone's first earth magic teacher. "You, you're the cunt trying to make things more difficult for me, aren't you?"

"In the flesh." Professor Fredley saw no reason to lie. "Many people are dissatisfied with your friends being accepted into the school as well as with the special treatment being afforded to you specifically, so while the students can vent by forcefully challenging you, it is only fair that the teachers and professors can vent by putting a bit of pressure on you. After all, as Headmaster Erion's personal disciple, such petty actions should be nothing to you, no?"

Lone nodded and grinned. "Yeah, you're right. What's hilarious though is that only one teacher really went hard on me thus far. The others either haven't tried to yet or I convinced them not to be assholes."

"So it would seem," Professor Fredley replied. "Anyway, Student Lone, I happened to overhear your conversation with lovely Miss Vermont here. I have no issue using my authority as assistant vice-headmaster to grant Student Swind an indefinite leave of absence."

Lone narrowed his eyes. "I don't trust you even slightly. What's the catch?"

"Catch? Please. I'm an academic man with a heart full of empathy," Professor Fredley loudly claimed. "Haha, however, yes, I suppose you would feel better were I to make you earn this indefinite leave of absence, no? In that case, follow me."

Lone shrugged. "Sure," he said. 'Fingers crossed I get a new skill from whatever's about to happen.'

"An arena?" Lone asked.

Professor Fredley nodded. "A duel. Between you and I, Student Lone. I used some simple utility magic to make a school-wide announcement stating that I would give you an opportunity to fight me. As we speak, everyone should be making their way to this arena. Worry not for its size. I happen to dabble in enchantment and space magic, so this one room can easily host all students and teachers."

'Ah, I get it. He's trying to humiliate me. If I back down at this point, he wins and shows he's 'superior'. He's a triple-X-ranker, so to any sane person, I don't stand a chance at beating him in a duel. So, from his perspective, it's a win-win for him,' Lone commented internally. 'Fuckin' sucks to be him. He's in way over his head.'

Seeing the look of contemplation on Lone's face and mistaking it for one of frustration, Professor Fredley offered him a compromise. "I know that this is unfair since obviously, I am for more skilled than you."

"Obviously," Lone sarcastically repeated.

Smiling, Professor Fredley continued, "In light of that, I have decided that I will accept ten attacks from you. Any ten attacks, magical or not. I don't doubt that it's possible for you to injure me, so if you can seriously injure me to the point that healing magic is required, I will consider it your win."

'This is what it looks like when arrogance is unwarranted. God, it's ugly,' Lone jested. "Sure. Can I use weapons?"

"Naturally. I have no issue with that. I assume you do not mind if the students and teachers gamble on how much damage I shall sustain, do you? They'll be gambling items and coin with me acting as the house broker." Professor Fredley had revealed another of his goals.

'Not only trying to humiliate and make an example out of me but also trying to line your pockets a bit too, huh? Two can play at that game,' Lone thought. "Sure, but only if they bet their MP too. I could certainly use more," he said as he took his Eternal Mana Crystal out from his Dimensional Storage and began juggling it between his hands.

Professor Fredley eyed in with envy and greed momentarily before he readily agreed. "Of course. What would be the point if all you stood to gain was Student Swind's indefinite leave of absence?"

"Great," Lone said with a big fat smirk on his face. 'I didn't expect a chance to fill this baby up to show so quickly, but I certainly won't look a gift horse in the mouth.'