Chapter 91: A Night of Surprises
Mr. Blade’s eyes, already wide, seemed to almost drop out of their sockets. He stumbled back a step, a comical expression of astonishment on his face. He looked back at Eirin, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly as he stammered, "I-Is he...?" Eirin could only offer a small, weary nod after the professor pointed a trembling finger at Shade, the unspoken truth hanging heavily in the air.
Just when Eirin thought she had finally found help, a guide of sanity in their increasingly absurd situation, the young professor’s face began to contort. His lips twitched, his cheeks puffed out, and then, despite his best efforts, a strangled, suppressed burst of laughter escaped him.
It was gruff, almost painful sound of mirth, causing Shade Cromwell’s already fuming small face to darken further. He immediately raised his small arm, clenching his tiny fist, clearly thinking he could punch the man for his insolence, but Eirin, anticipating his move, quickly held him back, her hand closing around his small wrist.
’What in the world is going on right now?’ the teenage girl thought, a sense of exhaustion getting to her. Her head throbbed, her body ached. ’I just want to go to sleep. Is that too much to ask?’
Mr. Blade, wiping away a tear of suppressed laughter, looked around the hallway as if suddenly remembering their surroundings. "Okay, okay," he managed to gasp, regaining some semblance of control. "Get inside, both of you. And explain to me, very slowly, what in the name of the Arcane happened." He stepped aside, allowing the two students to enter his apartment room.
The professor flicked a switch, and the room was bathed in a warm, inviting light. Eirin’s gaze swept around, taking in the space. It was a simple but remarkably neat room, far more organized that she might have expected from the sometimes-disheveled professor.
A small, functional kitchen area with gleaming pots and pans was tucked into one corner, and a small dining table stood near the entrance. As you stepped further inside, a comfortable-looking sofa was positioned in front of a... television.
"You have a television? And it’s the modern one too?" Eirin’s mouth hung open, her voice filled with a mixture of awe and disbelief. It felt like it had been so long since she had last seen such a device. In the Proprius, such frivolous technology was unheard of, deemed unnecessary for their rigorous magical studies.
Mr. Blade, seeing her wide-eyed wonder, immediately gestured for the teenage girl to keep quiet, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Regina told me to bring it back to the Infirmus, said it was a distraction," he whispered conspiratorially, his tone suddenly childish and defiant.