Everyone sat in the living room. Callisa, Frida, and Aiko took the armchairs. Morona sat on a stool. Evan, Arslan, Gator, and Ernst were in the armchairs. Rufus lay on the floor with his hands on his head, repeating over and over about those five tens for which someone had handed him over to the Varran brothers. The brothers were currently sitting in the pantry, waiting for the patrol.
"Let's deal with Evan later. First let's deal with Mr. Lapin." Here Arslan looked at the rabbit.
"Mr. Lapin."
Rufus only rolled around on the floor.
"Rufus Lapin!" he shouted.
Nothing. The rabbit was still thrashing on the floor.
"Evan."
"Yes, Frida?"
"What sauce goes with grilled rabbit?" Evan looked at her as if she were crazy. Rufus instantly froze.
"See? It worked."
"Good." Arslan cleared his throat. "Mr. Lapin. Do you suspect who from your dormitory could have stooped to something so… shameful?"
"I have no idea." Rufus only helplessly slammed his forehead into the carpet.
"Have you heard anything disturbing in the dormitory?"
Rufus looked at the director.
"Apparently they're looking for a pretext in the dormitory to throw me out."
Everyone fell silent.
"Please explain, Mr. Lapin."
"Apparently some strangers are hanging around the dormitory. The manager told me to disappear. In the corridor I heard rumors that they're collecting signatures to throw me out not only of the dormitory, but also of the school."
Evan clenched his hand on the arm of the chair. Frida growled. Arslan also growled. His mane seemed to ripple.
"Mr. Lapin, as long as I am director here, you will not be expelled from the Academy." Rufus looked at him with tears in his eyes. "The regulations of the Tenebrae Academy state clearly. A student's meat status, whatever it is, is not grounds for removal from the list of students."
"So you won't throw me out?" Tears were running down his face. He had a look as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"As long as you do not violate the regulations in a manner qualifying for such a punishment. By the way, do you know the number of your dormitory supervisor?"
Rufus nodded. He dialed the number and handed the phone to the director. The call connected. Arslan put it on speaker.
"Rufus, have you finally found some alternative accommodation? I've already had five complaints today."
"This is Arslan Flambe, director of the Tenebrae Academy, master chef, and member of the Council." Evan shuddered. He already knew this tone of voice. His master had entered strict mode. Stricter even than tartare.
"How can I help the director? Do you want to take Rufus? He's not here at the moment." The voice on the phone was outright panicked. It was easy to imagine that the person on the other end was shaking like jelly.
"Rufus is with me."
"That's good."
"It is not good." Arslan replied with full severity.
"True, ever since Rufus…" the director interrupted her.
"I'm not talking about that."
"What then, Director?"
"Someone from the dormitory sold information about Rufus."
A deaf silence fell for a moment.
"Probably someone just shared some post on social media."
"We arrested a hunter. He testified that he received the information from a person who claimed to live in the same dormitory as Rufus Lapin."
"That still doesn't mean anything. It's probably just some rumors."
"Rumors for which someone paid."
Another silence.
"What?"
"The hunter admitted that in exchange for the information he paid someone by money transfer. The hunt took place on protected grounds."
Another silence.
"This is no longer a rumor. This is facilitation of poaching. This is a very serious crime. Now listen to me carefully."
"Yes, Director."
"You are to ensure that Rufus's belongings remain in his room. You will secure the monitoring of the entrance to his room and the window. You are to listen to the students. If someone boasts about something, let's say that they solved the problem, you are to notify me. The hunter is already detained. The investigation is just beginning, and Chief Commissioner for Meat and Slaughter Ernst Vollmond is sitting right next to me. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"I won't disturb you further. You have a lot of work ahead of you."
Arslan ended the call and returned the phone to Rufus. All the students froze. Each swore to themselves that they would try not to end up on the director's carpet like that.
At that moment Gator laughed.
"I trained you well."
"Yes, master. As long as the Tenebrae Academy has such a Director, I can sleep peacefully, but let's return to Mr. Lapin. Do you have problems at work?"
"Well…" At that moment his phone rang. "SMS?" He read it. "They fired me…"
"What?"
He showed them the phone screen. There was a message on it. Dear Mr. Rufus Lapin, due to the inability to ensure safety for both you and our employees and clients, we decide to terminate the employment contract concluded with you with fault lying on the employer's side. We are transferring to your account the salary and the severance pay required by law in the amount of three times your salary.
We wish you success in your further professional path.
"At least they paid…" Aiko said.
"Well, rabbit, you've got time." Frida smiled ineptly.
"And I don't have to worry about being late for work." He completely flattened his ears.
"What do we do?" Evan said. "The dormitory is probably out."
"Go truant. Hole up somewhere. You'll order food through Uber." Arslan and Ernst began to cough at Frida's remark.
Rufus thought about the money. He had something, but he would have to hole up in some green zone to be safe, because there hunting was illegal in any form, and they were expensive, very expensive.
"Do you have any hideout?"
Rufus shook his head at Evan's question.
"Go to your family." Aiko suggested.
"They live in a yellow zone."
"Right. Bad idea." Aiko flattened her ears.
"HA!" Frida shouted. "Hospital!"
"They won't keep me long enough."
"I can injure you." She said it as if preparing for a fight in an alley.
"It still won't be long enough."
Rufus suddenly looked at Ernst. Hope appeared in his eyes.
"I can work for the Commissioner! For free! All I need is safety for the rest of the month."
Everyone looked at each other, then at Rufus, who was grinning like an idiot at Ernst, who had a very stern expression.
"Labor law prohibits employing someone without remuneration."
"Internship!" Rufus shouted.
"Are you training in…" Here several possible fields of work were named. Rufus shook his head each time.
"Minimum wage! I can carry coffee and clean!"
"I will not create a precedent of ghost positions arising."
Rufus fell to the floor.
"Tenebrae and other such universities exist to teach the young how to cope in an environment where instincts awaken. Each time we assume that some of the students will not survive to the end of school."
At that moment Evan swallowed. He remembered Stew. He didn't know him very well. He was a pickup artist. He picked up a predatory girl and ended up in her pot. The school newspaper wrote about it. There was also Maurice, who received a court sentence. The one who killed him was precisely him.
Ernst touched his head in the meantime.
"However, I have never seen anything like this. This pursuit of one rabbit has turned into some absurdity."
"Is there any way? Anything!!!" Rufus shouted the last at the top of his lungs.
Evan timidly raised his hand.
"If you've really had enough, maybe you'll find a cook. A proper dinner, a guest list, no streams and no humiliations."
Rufus turned in his direction. There was bliss on his face. He was already opening his mouth when suddenly shock twisted his face.
"Why do I think this is a good idea!?" He began pounding the floor. "Please, anything that will let me survive these 23 days!"
At that moment the doorbell rang.
"Are you expecting guests?" Gator asked.
"No?"
"Then who is it?"
Evan went to the door and asked.
"Who's there?"
A familiar voice came from behind the door. He immediately pressed his eye to the peephole. Behind the door stood Mateo Serrano and Butler Emilio Velasco.
"Young master Mateo Serrano requests a conversation with young master Evan Smith."
"Mateo! How did we meet?"
"I hunted you. Those were really good hunts."
"What did you consider better than the hunts?"
"Fast cars."
"Why did you give up my head?"
"The circumstances of your capture turned out to be unclear. The Serranos do not need trophies that do not speak directly of the hunter's honor."
Evan became convinced that it really was Mateo Serrano. He looked at Arslan. He nodded.
He opened the door.
"Sorry. I've had a lot of problems lately."
"Yes, it reached my ears. I would like to ask you for help in a certain matter."
"Namely."
Here Emilio stepped forward.
"The young master would like you to enable him contact with a young rabbit with the personal details of Rufus Lapin."
At that moment Rufus even jumped in the living room, and both guests noticed it.
"Please, let's talk first."
Mateo sat down in the living room. Beside him stood Emilio, straight as a soldier on watch. Rufus was hiding behind one of the armchairs.
"As you know, the Serrano family attaches great importance to tradition, including the hunting one." Here he looked at Evan. "I hunted Evan when he was moving on the border of the yellow and red zones. The moment the hunt began, however, turned out to be legally unclear, which is why I renounced the trophy. The Serrano family does not need trophies that ask rather than declare."
"You speak like a true Serrano." Gator nodded.
Evan looked at the jaguar.
"Mateo, everyone is already tense. Just be yourself." The jaguar looked at several people. He noticed approval in the council members' eyes.
"That hunt was incredible. Better than a race. I proved something to the family, but I still don't have a trophy."
"And you decided that my head is suitable?" Rufus said from behind the armchair.
"Most generally, yes." The jaguar replied. The butler twitched slightly.
"Listen to his offer." Evan whispered to Rufus.
"Sorry for him lately…" Here he summarized Rufus's entire situation. The guests seemed shocked by it.
"Returning," he cleared his throat, "I need a trophy, and after the hunt for Evan…" He scratched his head.
"You don't want anything less spectacular." Frida spoke up.
"Exactly. One can see the daughter of a famous huntress."
"Why him specifically. Because he's popular?"
The jaguar laughed.
"When it was only about that, so that I wouldn't come. For a week the whole city has been hunting him, and he's alive. On top of that his meat rating presents very high quality."
"That doesn't make me happy." Rufus spoke up.
"That's why I'm coming with a proposal."
Emilio placed documents on the table.
"I propose a Serrano hunting contract. The hunt will take place on a private island belonging to my family, which is also a recreational and hunting center for VIPs. No additional hunters. Only me and Rufus. If I fail to catch him within the specified time, then he wins. As a reward he will receive a monetary prize and shelter on the island until the end of his hunting consent resulting from the photos."
Rufus came out from behind the armchair. He still stayed on the floor, however, and was close to the back of the chair.
"And if I lose?"
"Then your head goes on the wall, and the meat on the plate."
Rufus looked around the room for a moment. He looked at Evan, Gator, and Arslan.
"Can he be trusted to keep his word?"
All three confirmed it. Then he handed the documents to Ernst.
"Everything is legal and in accordance with the meat law."
Rufus sat over the table for a moment, reading the papers. No one rushed him.
"Is that my choice? One jaguar or a whole gang of lunatics." He clutched his head. "I think I'd rather have the jaguar. I agree."
Emilio handed him an ornate pen and Rufus began signing everything.
"Mr. Serrano."
"I'm listening, Councilor Flambe."
"I must ask you for something…" Here he explained Evan's current situation with the black market. "…therefore I ask for the possibility of accommodating Evan and his girls on the family island until the end of the month. I would also like Evan to be able to take up work there as a cook in order to improve his culinary craft. All the students." They looked at him in surprise.
"I would go too. I would like to discuss a few things with Hernando Serrano."
Looks shifted to Ernst.
"I'm staying. I feel that a lot of work awaits me soon."
"Give me a moment, I must talk to my father."
He went to the adjacent room and took out his phone. For a few moments the indistinct sounds of conversation could be heard. After a moment Mateo returned.
"Pack up. Father agrees. Please be our guests."