After spending some time riding the manarail under the setting sun, the two of them finally returned to the academy.
"The manarail is a much more successful brother of the train..."
Cyril and Myra stood side by side, looking past the academy gates.
The old castle stood tall in the night, its grandiose looks setting it apart from the efficient and clean grey buildings that are so prevalent in the Empire.
A few lights still burned in the castle's giant windows, however, no human was seen walking on its grounds at this time.
Myra sighed before sending Cyril a grateful look.
"Thank you for this, I mean it."
"..."
"See you at the lessons."
They briefly said goodbye and parted ways.
Cyril slowly passed the academy's park. The butterfly on his shoulder eyed it with eagerness before switching to the dormitory in front of them.
As the entrance became clearer, he slowed down, soon coming to a halt.
Right near the dormitory doors, with her back straight, stood a maid. She had somewhat messy black hair, complete with a proper headband.
"Welcome, Master."
She bowed as soon as he was close, her face expressionless.
"Why do you call me that? You are not really a maid."
Ophelia straightened her back, confusion in her eyes.
"But I am? I've been for a long time now. I am not against this identity."
"...If you say so."
At this moment a four-legged black creature strolled from nearby bushes.
"Meow." It walked up to Ophelia and brushed against her leg.
The maid still kept her expression empty, but in her eyes something shook.
Cyril observed the cat, finding it familiar.
It's the one I met.
"It's your cat?"
Ophelia nodded before crouching and hugging the feline in her arms.
"I found it after you left for the academy. It seems to have grown attached to me."
She stood, the creature purring while lying on her chest.
"It looks cute."
Cyril shook his head and went past her.
"Just act as if you are working here now, I don't need a servant."
Ophelia nodded, following his departure with her black eyes.
"If I may add, the local rooms are unfit for you. Might you want to discuss transferring to different living quarters?"
"We'll see."
Leaving these words, he finally entered the dormitory, greeting the familiar attendant at the door.
Passing the corridors, he thought of Ophelia, of the cat cutely meowing in her arms.
Somehow, it doesn't feel that different.
"You pay too much attention to species. Human, demon who cares?"
He soon reached the door of his room and entered it.
Morpho excitedly flew off his shoulder, circling her familiar room.
Despite being away for less than a week, it felt like an eternity had passed for Cyril.
He stood in the middle of the room, taking in the feeling, before beginning his unpacking.
...
The moon was raised high in the sky, visible through the dorm's window.
Cyril lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Rhamn stood near with her arms crossed. She glared at him without speaking, her red eyes shining with a certain urge.
...Fine. What's on your mind?
On her face appeared a wicked smile as she sat on the bed, half turned towards him.
"Let's make another one now."
Morpho fluttered her wings in the terrarium. She was currently asleep, perhaps dreaming of something action-packed.
Cyril looked at her red shape for some time, mulling over the proposal.
Finally he sighed, sitting up straight.
Before he even communicated to her, Rhamn's smile became wider as a look of pure joy appeared on her face.
"Thank you!"
Right. Let's get this over with.
He got up from the bed and headed for the bathroom.
"Morpho, you wouldn't want to miss this. Come watch!"
The butterfly woke up, stretching her wings with some confusion, before flying after him.
Cyril removed the shirt of his pajamas and stood in front of the mirror.
"What will you make?"
He said to Rhamn's reflection visible to the side of his own.
"Hmm. Let me just try and see what comes out."
Huh.
Cyril held onto the sink, focused on his reflection.
Morpho curiously twitched her antennae, sitting on a shower door.
After a few minutes of silence, Cyril first felt a large drop in his mana, making him momentarily breathless.
Then, from the view in the mirror, he noticed the skin on his chest move.
The middle of his chest opened up as a window would, the flesh retreating as if alive to reveal a certain sphere of white fur.
It slowly rolled out, landing in the sink and painting it red.
...This really doesn't look that good.
He blankly observed as the hole on his chest quickly mended, leaving not even a hint of a scar behind.
Marveling at the lack of pain, Cyril first drank a blue vial before turning his attention to the white sphere.
Morpho fluttered down from the shower door and onto the sink, her compound eyes peeking with intense curiosity and a certain foreboding she couldn't quite explain.
The white sphere flinched, then slowly moved.
A four-legged creature unrolled itself, stretching out its soft paws. Its head was raised high as a cute, high-pitched sound came from its mouth.
"Meow."
"Look at that! It's a cute kitten!" Rhamn exclaimed, dragging her cheeks while staring at the newly created creature.
"We need a name for him!"
She began pacing around the room, a twitching smile on her face, sometimes chuckling as she mumbled.
"What could be a good name..."
Cyril leaned closer, observing the kitten in all details.
The feline stretched his body and shook his fur, sending a few droplets of red in all directions.
Is it really a cat?
Cyril compared him to the image of Ophelia's black cat, finding a few mismatches.
His fur was pure white with black stripes. The kitten's face was also broader, his ears relatively small and more round.
He reminded Cyril of another creature he read about.
Is it a tiger cub?
Rhamn froze in her path before slowly walking closer.
She narrowed her red eyes, staring at the kitten in detail.
Coincidentally, the feline opened his eyes.
With his bright blue eyes, what might be a kitten looked at the two of them and cutely tilted his head.
"Ooh! Maybe it is a tiger, it doesn't matter!"
That's true. Not too different from a cat.
Cyril carefully grabbed the small body and raised it in front of him.
The kitten meowed again, lightly pawing in the air.
Cyril brought him closer, and the kitten began licking his face.
Morpho landed on Cyril's shoulder at this moment, successfully capturing the baby tiger's attention.
He playfully tried to reach her with a paw, but Morpho, with skillful movements, dodged all of it.
"I got it! His name will be Tigris!" Rhamn exclaimed, hands on her hips.
"What do you think?"
A bit on the nose... but it's fine.
At this moment the tiger tried to let out a majestic roar.
"Meow."
But all that came out was a cute kitten's meow.
With a barely perceptible smile, Cyril lowered the mighty beast in the sink and turned on the water.
The invincible momentum of the tiger was quickly replaced by the meows of discontent.
But Cyril continued to mercilessly clean it.
I am not cleaning the whole bathroom again...
When the cub was finally spotless, Cyril dried his fur and lowered him to the ground.
The tyrannical beast walked a few majestic steps before turning around and meowing at Cyril with a certain sharpness in his blue eyes.
"This one has some pride, haha."
Cyril petted the cub on the head, and while he tried to dodge, Tigris was helpless in front of Cyril's strength.
Tigris rolled to his back in defeat and let himself be pet without hindrance.
The fur feels quite nice to touch.
Cyril nodded and got up, turning around to clean whatever blood was left in the sink or dropped on the ground during the wash.
In the meantime, Morpho flew down from his shoulder, landing in front of Tigris.
Under the tiger's curious blue eyes, the red butterfly twitched her antennae as some declaration.
With Rhamn's help, the two communicated in their own way.
After a conversation unknown to Cyril took place, Morpho flew in the air and slowly fluttered out of the bathroom.
Tigris, with a shine in his cat eyes, hurriedly followed after her. His claws made a characteristic tick every time his paws landed on the floor.
Morpho would hover in the air in front of different objects in the rooms, while Tigris would sit in front of her and nod his cat head occasionally.
The two explored the dorm with eagerness.
...
Done.
Cyril patted his hands and walked out of the bathroom. Immediately a noise attracted him from the kitchen.
Walking a few steps, he discovered the two siblings conquering the fridge.
Cyril blankly observed as Morpho carried snack after snack to Tigris, who devoured everything in quick, small bites.
When she noticed Cyril staring at them, Morpho immediately turned into a red blur, diving into her terrarium and hiding behind a plant.
The confused tiger could only tilt his head in her direction, as if asking, 'What's wrong?'
"Hahaha! It's becoming so lively here!"
Indeed.
Cyril closed the fridge and crouched in front of the tiger, observing him with interest.
He should have some special ability, like Morpho, right?
"He should..." Rhamn became silent, her red eyes observing the mighty tiger.
The kitten tilted his head in another direction, his cat eyes blinking with curiosity.
After a bit of time, Tigris walked towards a shadowed part of the room and suddenly melted into it, becoming invisible.
"He can blend with the shadows, quite useful."
"There is also something with his fangs and claws, but we are not sure. We should try it out when we get the chance."
Cyril walked towards the shadowed area and scanned it from top to bottom, failing to spot the conspicuous white fur.
Impressive.
Suddenly the tiger jumped out and playfully bit Cyril on his leg.
"..."
"He is a hunter!"
...
After playing around in shadows for some time, Tigris wobbly walked to the middle of the room and fell flat on his belly, falling asleep in seconds.
Cyril observed his rising and falling body, finding the sight quite pleasant to the eyes.
Then he looked over his room again. His sizable student's accommodations now appeared somewhat small.
Perhaps Ophelia was right.
Ophelia...
He narrowed his eyes, looking again at the sleeping tiger.
Cosmas's words echoed in his ear.
Cosmas was 'born' a few years ago already in the state of an adult.
Cyril glanced at Morpho hiding inside of the terrarium, pretending to sleep.
Tigris was born as a kitten, but Morpho as a fully grown butterfly already.
"Yes. That's because a kitten would need a smaller hole to get out."
...That's true.
He shook his head, sending Rhamn crouching nearby a glance.
You know what I am thinking.
Rhamn shrugged, on her face a smile.
"It makes sense. Morpho and Tigris fit very well the description of archdemons. They also hear a certain 'will,' my own."
"They also have unique abilities."
"So what? It doesn't change anything."
Cyril stared at her red eyes for a few long seconds before shaking his head.
You are right.
Still, that makes me curious.
If they are archdemons and you are the demons' will... then what am I?
Rhamn once again shrugged, the smile on her face turning playful.
"You are Cyril. It's not that hard, is it?"
"..."