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And here it is continuation of the story about Lisandra Berlisensis, the magic academy and tails, of which there was a noticeable increase in the second part. Moreover, where they were not expected at all.
I'll say right away - this is damn masterpiece. Seriously. In light of the amount of reading I have previously novelfanta- this duology as a whole and this book in particular win on all fronts. I liked almost everything here (with the exception of a couple of points):
the humor of the authors, which is unrealistically enchanting,
the situations in which the Heroine finds herself,
how she gets out of these situations later,
Glavger and his wonderful tail, which smoothly crawled from Lissa’s kinks to mine,
that bottom of reality into which Lysandra’s perception of the world flies at superluminal speed,
skeletons in the closets of the Berlisensis family, which turned out to be more tailed than one might expect.
In a word: enchanting.
As we remember, Lissy’s family is in a difficult situation, because she was arrested on suspicion of treason. False, of course. She, in order not to die of hunger and not to end up as a kept woman with her ex-fiancé, it is worth noting, goes to the Magic Academy and enters the Faculty of Earth, where she works as a dean half-elf-half-demon Tarniel Kujimoshi. There our girl hopes to wait out the storm and find herself a lucrative match for marriage in order to sit on her neck, dangle her legs and continue to pretend to be a beautiful doll fool, because that’s what all noble ladies do. Why pretend? Yes, because Lysandra is in fact far from a stupid woman, who calculates the most complex formulas for constructing portals in her head and can beat even seasoned adults at cards. But men love stupid people, so we’ll continue to successfully pretend.
So Lissa’s days pass until the moment when a lawyer, hired with the help of the son of large traders, achieves the release of Lissandra’s older brother, Bruno. However, it didn't get any easier. At that moment, Lissie’s Universe had already slammed against the wall of Reality a couple of times and the powder that had been sprinkled on her brain for eighteen years was shaken out. And the kisses with Tarniel were not in vain, and the tail still attracted the eye. What to do? What should I do? How to compare the words of your grandmother and mother with your own experience, acquired through sweat and blood at the academy?
The biggest shocks for Lissie were perhaps two things: the realization that learning is actually great, and her feelings for Tarniel. It’s just a pity that the first one was given much more time than the second one. Well, judge for yourself: here is a girl who is, well, a typical blonde, an ambitious bitch, an aristocrat to the core, thinking that a woman must be stupid so that a man against her background feels like a cool alpha male, and in her head she calculates the most complex formulas without notes on paper . Or she’s trying to choose a man based on his status, while she’s staring at her dean’s tail, thinking in her mind that this is even cool, well. And all this took a long time, carefully. And then again! And the realization of my own falling in love with Tarni fell out of the blue. And then she understands that she loves, and on the next page she is already planning a wedding and choosing a name for her daughter. In general, the moment with the realization of falling in love somehow passed by, moving straight into the wedding planning stage. Moreover, one-sided, because Tarniel himself held out for a long time, well done man. I wasn’t fooled by batting my eyelashes or smiling, I tried to keep it at a distance, but can you really keep this train with the proud name “Lysandra”?
I really liked it Lysandra and Tarniel's relationship. Their little squabbles, Tarney's failed attempts to keep the girl away from him, the moments when he learned something new from Lissy and was surprised by it (especially when I realized that she is really smart) or Lissie herself understood that her dean could not stand stupid people beautiful dolls (cognitive dissonance in action), these kisses, the tail and going to the Aria concert (no comments). And most importantly, without unnecessary snot. Like for the lack of vanilla.
I was very pleased with Lysandra’s character. I really liked that the girl was persistent, despite her ostentatious appearance. (precisely ostentatious) fragility and feigned stupidity. If she sets a goal for herself, she will hurt herself, but she will achieve it. She knows how to admit defeat first of all to herself, so the bottom of Reality did not hit her as hard as it could have. If Lissie does something, she does it efficiently and to the end: play griffich until she wins, fight off fans, then only with a carnivorous pet, make cookies, even with her hands, as long as it turns out right. Sometimes she was struck... not by stupidity, but rather by naivety. For example, it took her quite a long time to get the point "session" Elena with the rector of the academy, which was very amusing and gods, how I screamed.
Well, the ending of the book, which I liked and didn’t like at the same time. As a denouement it is simply perfect. Seriously, it's perfect. I won’t spoil much, I’ll just say that in their family the matter wasn’t limited to ears.
If we consider the finale as the end of the throwing of Lissa and Tarni, then no. Too fast, too blurry and hey guys, don't do that, I want more passion. Two books to go to this and spend two paragraphs on recognition? Baba Yaga vs. Except that the idea of a seance made me happy.
Overall, ladies, great book. Sweet, kind, cheerful, a little sarcastic and gods, how cool the authors made fun of the type of women who reasoned like Lysandra in the beginning, by golly, they should be given a Nobel for this.
No wonder I entered the Magic Academy! I learned so much about spells, building portals and tails. And most importantly, they love me here. It’s a pity that one wayward dean has not yet fully realized this... But I, Lisandra Berlisensis, am ready to come to his aid and open his eyes to the true state of things. After all, the girl of his dreams is closer than he seems. There were mere little things left on the way to the goal - to win the Griffitch tournament, get permission to re-test kisses and save at least part of the strategically important cookies for seduction from his beloved brother.
Bronislava Vonsovich, Tina Lukyanova
They love me at the Magic Academy
Any use of the material in this book, in whole or in part, without the permission of the copyright holder is prohibited.
© B. Vonsovich, 2016
© T. Lukyanova, 2016
© AST Publishing House LLC, 2016
* * *
On the day Bruno was released, I couldn’t think about anything else, although it only happened after lunch. Phelan said that she would come with me, and I thought that we would fly on her Gina, but we got to the “Crosses” by teleport. Her desire to accompany me somewhat surprised me, because the presence of the person paying the bail was not at all necessary. And the graduate student’s outfit was too close to the one Elena wore at the rector’s ball. Not so vulgar, of course, but quite open. True, his bodice did not slide down, held in place by long sleeves, and the neckline was not so deep. But I still suddenly remembered how she told Kujimoshi about the necessary outfit for searching true love in the form of a short dress that attracts male attention. It looked very much like she was going to arrange her personal life right here and now. But the prison yard, in my opinion, is not the best place to look for a suitable fjord. Who can you meet here besides the guards? No, they, of course, expressed a desire to get to know us, but this did not meet with understanding from either me or Phelan. The law enforcement officials were quite intrusive, and I was already starting to worry that we had arrived too early.
Bruno flew out of the door as if he was being chased. He was rumpled, unshaven, his face was slightly sharpened and elongated. But his eyes still shone. And with those shining eyes he immediately stared at Phelan. Probably, there is still a certain rational grain in Elenina’s methodology.
- Phelan! – he could only exhale in admiration.
“Hello, Bruno,” the graduate student answered calmly. - Glad you were finally released.
“You look beautiful,” said the brother, who had come to his senses a little from contemplating her legs. “And you, Lissie, too.” The Earth Tower robe suits you very well.
Well, I finally noticed. It’s going well, he lied, of course – who could use such a worn out, faded rag? But it was still nice. I happily kissed his cheek and took his arm. At least someone dear is nearby. Now everything will be fine. The door opened again and released a satisfied Gobber. The lawyer was, as always, smart, shaven and elegantly dressed. Greeting Phelan and me, he gallantly raised his brand new hat above his head. He probably bought it with my money. He doesn't have any other clients yet.
– Well, has a partial family reunification happened? – Plevako grinned. “Unfortunately, they don’t want to release your parents, Fjord Berlisensis, on any bail.” But I'm working on it.
Phelan calmly walked up to my lawyer, took his arm and said to Bruno and me:
- I hope everything will be fine for you now. Good evening.
And he and Plevako left. Bruno stared after her so much, with a mixture of indignation and distrust in his gaze, that some suspicions arose in my soul about his relationship with this girl. But she doesn't have a tail. The length of the dress simply leaves no room for such suspicions. On the other hand, hers could simply be small... Or underdeveloped... Or she gave in to the request and cut it off completely. I don’t like uncertainty, so I immediately asked my brother:
“Bruno, do you happen to know if Phelan used to have a tail?”
-What kind of tail, Lissie? – he asked in surprise, without taking his eyes off the feet of Plevako’s retreating companion. - She's a half-elf. Elves don't have tails.
“Well, you never know,” I said hesitantly. “Suddenly some distant relatives showed up.”
“She doesn’t have a tail, and never did,” Bruno said somewhat irritably. – If there was, I would definitely know about it. Tell me better, where did you find such a lawyer? He is clearly a rogue, flattered by Phelan’s dowry.
Now I don’t even have any doubts about who the girl Bruno wanted to marry was. But she doesn't have a tail. And then I remembered that this word was not even mentioned in the conversation. I thought of it myself. And why? Because some deans twirl their body parts too much right in front of the students' eyes. IN Lately Just at the thought of Kujimoshi, my mood began to fall uncontrollably. As my grandmother said, you only need to fall in love with your husband, or at least your fiance. But I couldn’t consider Kujimoshi in this regard. He has a tail, not to mention ears, his family definitely won’t approve of that. And he will not approve of frivolous relationships even more.
- Lissie, what's going on with the lawyer? – the brother asked displeasedly, who was already tired of my silence.
- Do you think they lined up to protect you? – I was indignant. - Say thank you that I found someone who agreed to work on credit.
- Advocate? On credit? – Bruno stared at me suspiciously. – What did you promise him?
He looked angrily in the direction where Phelan and Plevako had gone, but there was already no trace of them. Perhaps this is for the best - there were furious fiery flashes in his brother’s eyes, which did not promise anything good for his opponent. In my opinion, even so bristly and rumpled, he was much more attractive than the elegant Plevako. Phelan should probably understand this, but for some reason she left with someone else.
“Not exactly a loan,” I explained. “I paid him part of the amount, the rest no later than a year later.” But by then you will already be acquitted, right?
Bruno sighed and hugged me.
“This story is kind of muddy,” he told me. – Correspondence found among us, which we did not conduct and have not seen before. The accusations are somewhat vague. It seems that even the investigator is sure that the case has been concocted. And it also looks like there is a lot of pressure on it from above, not allowing it to close. I would also like to know who and why.
“Surzhik,” I answered confidently.
And then she told Bruno all her thoughts on this matter. Everything that happened between me and Anther. How now the Nilte family is trying to establish relations with me. And that Nilte Sr. completely lost, but their estate was never put up for auction, because the crown guaranteed payment of debts. Bruno frowned more and more during my story.
“It was not for nothing that my grandmother dissuaded my father from giving Nilte consent. Apparently, she felt that they were with foulbrood,” Bruno summed up. – But as for involvement in our arrest... I wouldn’t be so sure. Perhaps they just took advantage of the opportunity.
– What about the royal guarantee of payment of the debt? – I reminded.
“We don’t know on what basis it was given.” No, accusations must be based on facts, not suspicions. Surzhik could definitely put pressure on you to be released. But to set up our arrest... You can’t talk about it like that, head-on.
But my confidence that the Nilte were involved in the case of my relatives never disappeared, and Bruno, it seems to me, objected without much ardor. It seems that he was now occupied with a completely different question. He kept looking to see where Phelan had disappeared, but the girl had no intention of returning. And how could Phelan exchange Berlisensis for some Plevako? Bruno, even so tortured, is still very handsome. And this lawyer doesn’t even have money. How can a decent fjord get involved with such a man? But then I remembered that Bruno now had no money, and I became sad. Not for long. And then I wondered if there were too many suitors for one Phelan? My brother would be enough for her. But no, Plevako has turned her head, Kujimoshi is constantly rubbing in his office, and even this elven groom found by her grandmother, whom she was talking about.
“And how long ago did Phelan get involved with this lawyer?” – Bruno suddenly asked.
“So they met for the first time on Wednesday, as far as I know,” I tried to reassure him. – Before this, we communicated only through the communication artifact.
“He doesn’t suit her at all,” Bruno said gloomily. “These lawyers are such scoundrels, they try to get money for nothing.”
“I don’t think she’s serious with him,” I again tried to reassure my brother.
- Yes? So she has someone at the academy? – he asked me even more gloomily than before.
“She doesn’t have anyone,” I protested. “Perhaps she drinks tea with our dean, but it seems to me that there is nothing like that.” Although there are rumors, I said honestly, after thinking.
“That Phelan is having an affair with the dean.”
– Where did Kujimoshi go? – the brother asked in bewilderment.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” I said in surprise. – Phelan is drinking tea with Kujimoshi.
- Why shouldn’t she drink tea with her own brother? - Bruno said.
He stopped looking for the couple; he realized that it was already useless, but he looked terribly upset.
- Is he her brother? – I was amazed. - They have different surnames! And then, you yourself claimed that Phelan does not have a tail.
– They are brother and sister on their mother’s side. This tail was given to you,” the brother snorted displeasedly. – Why are you suddenly talking about him?
“Well, how can I tell you,” I hesitated, yet Phelan did not speak directly, “I heard rumors that you wanted to get married, but demanded that your chosen one remove the racial attribute.” For some reason I thought about the tail. You definitely can't hide it.
“I asked Phelan to correct his ears a little, and that’s all.” Nobody would understand anything. And she said that when you love, you accept him as he is.
“And he’s not going to disfigure himself by indulging your tastes,” I finished.
- How do you know that? – Bruno asked suspiciously.
“I just assumed,” I managed to bat my eyes quite innocently. “Healers and cosmetologists can sometimes arrange something like this out of the simplest operation, and then you’ll have to suffer for the rest of your life.”
While talking, we reached the teleportation point. And then I realized that I didn’t have enough money for both of us. That is, it may be enough, but then I will have nothing left. But Bruno will also need to at least buy soap. And a razor, unless, of course, he decided to grow a beard. I wonder if he still has his scholarship? But you still won’t be able to find out until tomorrow morning. Today I would like to have time to move him into the hostel. I don’t think that the requirement “not to bring men around” applies to my own brother, but he won’t have a place to sleep with me. It is unlikely that he will want to visit Fiffi on a soft dusty heap...
“Bruno, I don’t have enough money for a teleport,” I told him.
My brother, who was already lining up at one of the booths, stared at me as if I had said something indecent to him. For example, that she was going to marry a fjord who was not at all suitable for the family. He simply couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that someone in the family might lack something as small as money for a teleport. Then he grinned incredulously, apparently deciding that I was playing him.
“Bruno, none of my friends accepted me after your arrest,” I tried to clarify the current situation for him. Yet he sat for so long without knowing anything about what was happening outside. “The only money I have is what Kujimoshi lent me.” And these are already ending.
The brother silently turned towards where the city tram stop was. The crowd that stood there did not inspire any optimism. This was precisely the crowd, demolishing everything in its path in an effort to get inside the cheapest Friendstadt transport. I think passengers would not be more enthusiastic even if they were paid extra for boarding. I have never ridden this before, and, perhaps, I would with great pleasure remain in the dark further. The tram did not inspire confidence in me - its walls were too thin, and they were about to burst from the inside under the pressure of the passengers crammed into the cabin like fish in a salting barrel. I imagined how this fjord, in greasy clothes, and not looking like a fjord, was pressed closely against me, breathing wine fumes right into my face, and I felt sick. Yes, they will break all my heels there and they will certainly tear my dress!
“Bruno, I won’t go on this,” I said firmly. – There must be a limit to everything. Berlisensis can't ride this.
- And what do you suggest? - the brother said displeasedly, to whom the idea of joining public transport I didn't like it either.
- Let's go on foot. You still need to warm up.
Bruno cast one last sad glance towards the teleport, then looked at the tram stop and nodded gloomily. After all, we won’t have to go through the entire city. The Academy is almost in the center, although it has been repeatedly proposed to be moved as a source of increased public danger. I asked my brother about what was happening at Kresty, but he himself understood little. He has not seen either his parents or grandmother since the day of his arrest.
“My grandmother asked me to convey the news of her arrest to a demon,” I remembered. – She stated that this was very important. Do you know what connected our family with... - I strained my memory a little, but still remembered the name - Aizawa Seishisai?
“I heard something about him,” the brother said uncertainly, “but not at all in connection with our family.” This name was definitely not mentioned in our house. And what did he answer?
- Nothing yet. It was not possible to convey the note to him - he was out of communication range.
Walking arm in arm with my brother was very good. For the first time in so many days I felt some kind of security. Now there was someone to accept right decisions, otherwise I was constantly afraid of making a mistake, of doing something unworthy of our family.
– Are you sure Phelan isn’t dating anyone? – the brother suddenly asked.
“Bruno, did I have nothing else to do but keep an eye on Phelan?” – I asked indignantly. – I can’t know for sure. But she told me that she was a free girl and was in search of personal happiness.
Bruno became gloomy.
- She can’t like this Plevako, can she?
He pronounced the lawyer's name with visible disgust, as if spitting it out.
- Why? Quite a decent young fjord,” I noted. – You refused Phelan, why shouldn’t she date someone else.
– I didn’t refuse at all! – Bruno was indignant. – I just gave her time to think! I gave her a choice!
- Choice? Between you and your own ears? – I clarified.
“Well, yes,” confirmed Bruno. - Nothing so impossible. What would you do in her place?
I remembered the elven grandmother Kujimoshi, who also turned out to be Phelan’s elven grandmother, and it seemed to me that she would not be at all delighted with her granddaughter’s choice. Even if she hadn’t cut her ears. She was so indignant that I was not suitable for her grandson, she also believed that my family was unsuitable. Yes, it’s actually heroic on Phelan’s part to agree to marry someone her grandmother didn’t approve of! And he’s unlikely to approve, by the way.
“If I were her, I would offer to grow your ears,” I answered firmly.
- What? – the brother even stopped in surprise. - Why did it happen? I didn't ask for much. Just to fit our family.
“You see, Bruno,” I drawled, wondering how he himself still hasn’t realized this, “you still wouldn’t be able to hide the fact that Phelan is a half-breed.” Too many people know her. This is the first. And secondly, Phelan also has a family, and she, too, may want you to fit in with her.
- Lissie, what is this talk? – Bruno was indignant. – Have you forgotten what kind of family we have?
- Bruno, why did you even start dating her? – I answered no less indignantly. “You understood from the very beginning that she was not suitable for our family.” You won’t claim that her ears have grown during your communication, will you?
– If you had seen the costumes of our support groups for griffitch teams, you wouldn’t have asked such questions. stupid questions, - the brother grumbled. – When I first saw it, I didn’t even have a question in my head whether this fjord was suitable for me or not. I didn't notice the ears at all.
I not only saw cheerleading costumes, but also wore them, but wisely did not tell my brother about it. Why upset him further? Most likely, they will inform him without my help, but the later this happens, the better. Bruno was silent the entire rest of the way, dejectedly thinking about something. Oh Phelan, probably. It even bothered me a little. Here he goes next to him Native sister, who has not been living lately, but survives at the risk of her life. Who made every effort to help the family, but they didn’t even say thank you to her. He accepted everything as if it couldn’t be otherwise. Tired legs were buzzing, resentment weighed heavily on my shoulders. At least for the sake of decency you could have asked how I was doing. But no, his thoughts were occupied only by Phelan, who now considered herself free from all obligations and behaved accordingly.
“You say she has no one,” Bruno said suddenly. - So it was just a demonstration, with Plevako. He's putting his price on himself. Shows that it is in demand. But she paid bail for me? “I missed you,” he smiled contentedly and threw his head towards the sky. “She ran around and realized that she couldn’t find anyone better than me anyway.” So we will still have everything.
I said nothing. For some reason, it seemed to me that he was completely wrong about Phelan, but telling him such words now would only upset him once again. We reached the academy shortly before dinner. What a big city it turns out we have! I never would have thought. On the griffin it takes no more than fifteen minutes from one end to the other, but with teleports it’s almost instantaneous. But now we could only rely on our legs. On his native territory, Bruno perked up and began looking around with interest. Every now and then someone would happily call out to him and start asking him about his business. The brother answered everyone briefly that nothing was known yet, and then said:
“I probably need to get a robe.” Mine remained in the mansion.
“You need to check into the hostel first,” I objected. - Otherwise the commandant will leave, where will you spend the night? And the robe can be returned as an essential item. They gave me some of my things.
- By the way, how did you manage to get here? – the brother caught himself. – After all, all enrollment deadlines have already passed.
Wow, I thought that he wouldn’t even ask...
“I was just lucky,” I explained. “Kudzhimoshi did not agree to take me into any role when Surzhik and Anter showed up in his office to arrest me. And the dean of our faculty has some kind of score to settle with the head of the city guard. So he said that I was already a student and did not fall under their jurisdiction.
Any use of the material in this book, in whole or in part, without the permission of the copyright holder is prohibited.
© B. Vonsovich, 2016
© T. Lukyanova, 2016
© AST Publishing House LLC, 2016
* * *
On the day Bruno was released, I couldn’t think about anything else, although it only happened after lunch. Phelan said that she would come with me, and I thought that we would fly on her Gina, but we got to the “Crosses” by teleport. Her desire to accompany me somewhat surprised me, because the presence of the person paying the bail was not at all necessary. And the graduate student’s outfit was too close to the one Elena wore at the rector’s ball. Not so vulgar, of course, but quite open. True, his bodice did not slide down, held in place by long sleeves, and the neckline was not so deep. But I still suddenly remembered how she told Kujimoshi about the necessary outfit for the search for true love in the form of a short dress that attracts male attention. It looked very much like she was going to arrange her personal life right here and now. But the prison yard, in my opinion, is not the best place to look for a suitable fjord. Who can you meet here besides the guards? No, they, of course, expressed a desire to get to know us, but this did not meet with understanding from either me or Phelan. The law enforcement officials were quite intrusive, and I was already starting to worry that we had arrived too early.
Bruno flew out of the door as if he was being chased. He was rumpled, unshaven, his face was slightly sharpened and elongated. But his eyes still shone. And with those shining eyes he immediately stared at Phelan. Probably, there is still a certain rational grain in Elenina’s methodology.
- Phelan! – he could only exhale in admiration.
“Hello, Bruno,” the graduate student answered calmly. - Glad you were finally released.
“You look beautiful,” said the brother, who had come to his senses a little from contemplating her legs. “And you, Lissie, too.” The Earth Tower robe suits you very well.
Well, I finally noticed. It’s going well, he lied, of course – who could use such a worn out, faded rag? But it was still nice. I happily kissed his cheek and took his arm. At least someone dear is nearby. Now everything will be fine. The door opened again and released a satisfied Gobber. The lawyer was, as always, smart, shaven and elegantly dressed. Greeting Phelan and me, he gallantly raised his brand new hat above his head. He probably bought it with my money. He doesn't have any other clients yet.
– Well, has a partial family reunification happened? – Plevako grinned. “Unfortunately, they don’t want to release your parents, Fjord Berlisensis, on any bail.” But I'm working on it.
Phelan calmly walked up to my lawyer, took his arm and said to Bruno and me:
- I hope everything will be fine for you now. Good evening.
And he and Plevako left. Bruno stared after her so much, with a mixture of indignation and distrust in his gaze, that some suspicions arose in my soul about his relationship with this girl. But she doesn't have a tail. The length of the dress simply leaves no room for such suspicions. On the other hand, hers could simply be small... Or underdeveloped... Or she gave in to the request and cut it off completely. I don’t like uncertainty, so I immediately asked my brother:
“Bruno, do you happen to know if Phelan used to have a tail?”
-What kind of tail, Lissie? – he asked in surprise, without taking his eyes off the feet of Plevako’s retreating companion. - She's a half-elf. Elves don't have tails.
“Well, you never know,” I said hesitantly. “Suddenly some distant relatives showed up.”
“She doesn’t have a tail, and never did,” Bruno said somewhat irritably. – If there was, I would definitely know about it. Tell me better, where did you find such a lawyer? He is clearly a rogue, flattered by Phelan’s dowry.
Now I don’t even have any doubts about who the girl Bruno wanted to marry was. But she doesn't have a tail. And then I remembered that this word was not even mentioned in the conversation. I thought of it myself. And why? Because some deans twirl their body parts too much right in front of the students' eyes. Lately, just thinking about Kujimoshi has made my mood plummet uncontrollably. As my grandmother said, you only need to fall in love with your husband, or at least your fiance. But I couldn’t consider Kujimoshi in this regard. He has a tail, not to mention ears, his family definitely won’t approve of that. And he will not approve of frivolous relationships even more.
- Lissie, what's going on with the lawyer? – the brother asked displeasedly, who was already tired of my silence.
- Do you think they lined up to protect you? – I was indignant. - Say thank you that I found someone who agreed to work on credit.
- Advocate? On credit? – Bruno stared at me suspiciously. – What did you promise him?
He looked angrily in the direction where Phelan and Plevako had gone, but there was already no trace of them. Perhaps this is for the best - there were furious fiery flashes in his brother’s eyes, which did not promise anything good for his opponent. In my opinion, even so bristly and rumpled, he was much more attractive than the elegant Plevako. Phelan should probably understand this, but for some reason she left with someone else.
“Not exactly a loan,” I explained. “I paid him part of the amount, the rest no later than a year later.” But by then you will already be acquitted, right?
Bruno sighed and hugged me.
“This story is kind of muddy,” he told me. – Correspondence found among us, which we did not conduct and have not seen before. The accusations are somewhat vague. It seems that even the investigator is sure that the case has been concocted. And it also looks like there is a lot of pressure on it from above, not allowing it to close. I would also like to know who and why.
“Surzhik,” I answered confidently.
And then she told Bruno all her thoughts on this matter. Everything that happened between me and Anther. How now the Nilte family is trying to establish relations with me. And that Nilte Sr. completely lost, but their estate was never put up for auction, because the crown guaranteed payment of debts. Bruno frowned more and more during my story.
“It was not for nothing that my grandmother dissuaded my father from giving Nilte consent. Apparently, she felt that they were with foulbrood,” Bruno summed up. – But as for involvement in our arrest... I wouldn’t be so sure. Perhaps they just took advantage of the opportunity.
– What about the royal guarantee of payment of the debt? – I reminded.
“We don’t know on what basis it was given.” No, accusations must be based on facts, not suspicions. Surzhik could definitely put pressure on you to be released. But to set up our arrest... You can’t talk about it like that, head-on.
But my confidence that the Nilte were involved in the case of my relatives never disappeared, and Bruno, it seems to me, objected without much ardor. It seems that he was now occupied with a completely different question. He kept looking to see where Phelan had disappeared, but the girl had no intention of returning. And how could Phelan exchange Berlisensis for some Plevako? Bruno, even so tortured, is still very handsome. And this lawyer doesn’t even have money. How can a decent fjord get involved with such a man? But then I remembered that Bruno now had no money, and I became sad. Not for long. And then I wondered if there were too many suitors for one Phelan? My brother would be enough for her. But no, Plevako has turned her head, Kujimoshi is constantly rubbing in his office, and even this elven groom found by her grandmother, whom she was talking about.
“And how long ago did Phelan get involved with this lawyer?” – Bruno suddenly asked.
“So they met for the first time on Wednesday, as far as I know,” I tried to reassure him. – Before this, we communicated only through the communication artifact.
“He doesn’t suit her at all,” Bruno said gloomily. “These lawyers are such scoundrels, they try to get money for nothing.”
He took me by the arm and dragged me in the direction where the couple had gone. Apparently, to check if the lawyer had started making money right now, without going far from “Crosses”. But Phelan and Plevako had not been here for a long time.
“I don’t think she’s serious with him,” I again tried to reassure my brother.
- Yes? So she has someone at the academy? – he asked me even more gloomily than before.
“She doesn’t have anyone,” I protested. “Perhaps she drinks tea with our dean, but it seems to me that there is nothing like that.” Although there are rumors, I said honestly, after thinking.
“That Phelan is having an affair with the dean.”
– Where did Kujimoshi go? – the brother asked in bewilderment.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” I said in surprise. – Phelan is drinking tea with Kujimoshi.
- Why shouldn’t she drink tea with her own brother? - Bruno said.
He stopped looking for the couple; he realized that it was already useless, but he looked terribly upset.
- Is he her brother? – I was amazed. - They have different surnames! And then, you yourself claimed that Phelan does not have a tail.
– They are brother and sister on their mother’s side. This tail was given to you,” the brother snorted displeasedly. – Why are you suddenly talking about him?
“Well, how can I tell you,” I hesitated, yet Phelan did not speak directly, “I heard rumors that you wanted to get married, but demanded that your chosen one remove the racial attribute.” For some reason I thought about the tail. You definitely can't hide it.
“I asked Phelan to correct his ears a little, and that’s all.” Nobody would understand anything. And she said that when you love, you accept him as he is.
“And he’s not going to disfigure himself by indulging your tastes,” I finished.
- How do you know that? – Bruno asked suspiciously.
“I just assumed,” I managed to bat my eyes quite innocently. “Healers and cosmetologists can sometimes arrange something like this out of the simplest operation, and then you’ll have to suffer for the rest of your life.”
While talking, we reached the teleportation point. And then I realized that I didn’t have enough money for both of us. That is, it may be enough, but then I will have nothing left. But Bruno will also need to at least buy soap. And a razor, unless, of course, he decided to grow a beard. I wonder if he still has his scholarship? But you still won’t be able to find out until tomorrow morning. Today I would like to have time to move him into the hostel. I don’t think that the requirement “not to bring men around” applies to my own brother, but he won’t have a place to sleep with me. It is unlikely that he will want to visit Fiffi on a soft dusty heap...
“Bruno, I don’t have enough money for a teleport,” I told him.
My brother, who was already lining up at one of the booths, stared at me as if I had said something indecent to him. For example, that she was going to marry a fjord who was not at all suitable for the family. He simply couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that someone in the family might lack something as small as money for a teleport. Then he grinned incredulously, apparently deciding that I was playing him.
“Bruno, none of my friends accepted me after your arrest,” I tried to clarify the current situation for him. Yet he sat for so long without knowing anything about what was happening outside. “The only money I have is what Kujimoshi lent me.” And these are already ending.
The brother silently turned towards where the city tram stop was. The crowd that stood there did not inspire any optimism. This was precisely the crowd, demolishing everything in its path in an effort to get inside the cheapest Friendstadt transport. I think passengers would not be more enthusiastic even if they were paid extra for boarding. I have never ridden this before, and, perhaps, I would with great pleasure remain in the dark further. The tram did not inspire confidence in me - its walls were too thin, and they were about to burst from the inside under the pressure of the passengers crammed into the cabin like fish in a salting barrel. I imagined how this fjord, in greasy clothes, and not looking like a fjord, was pressed closely against me, breathing wine fumes right into my face, and I felt sick. Yes, they will break all my heels there and they will certainly tear my dress!
“Bruno, I won’t go on this,” I said firmly. – There must be a limit to everything. Berlisensis can't ride this.
- And what do you suggest? – the brother said displeasedly, who also did not like the idea of joining public transport.
- Let's go on foot. You still need to warm up.
Bruno cast one last sad glance towards the teleport, then looked at the tram stop and nodded gloomily. After all, we won’t have to go through the entire city. The Academy is almost in the center, although it has been repeatedly proposed to be moved as a source of increased public danger. I asked my brother about what was happening at Kresty, but he himself understood little. He has not seen either his parents or grandmother since the day of his arrest.
“My grandmother asked me to convey the news of her arrest to a demon,” I remembered. – She stated that this was very important. Do you know what connected our family with... - I strained my memory a little, but still remembered the name - Aizawa Seishisai?
“I heard something about him,” the brother said uncertainly, “but not at all in connection with our family.” This name was definitely not mentioned in our house. And what did he answer?
- Nothing yet. It was not possible to convey the note to him - he was out of communication range.
Walking arm in arm with my brother was very good. For the first time in so many days I felt some kind of security. Now there was someone to make the right decisions, otherwise I was constantly afraid of making a mistake, of doing something unworthy of our family.
– Are you sure Phelan isn’t dating anyone? – the brother suddenly asked.
“Bruno, did I have nothing else to do but keep an eye on Phelan?” – I asked indignantly. – I can’t know for sure. But she told me that she was a free girl and was in search of personal happiness.
Bruno became gloomy.
- She can’t like this Plevako, can she?
He pronounced the lawyer's name with visible disgust, as if spitting it out.
- Why? Quite a decent young fjord,” I noted. – You refused Phelan, why shouldn’t she date someone else.
– I didn’t refuse at all! – Bruno was indignant. – I just gave her time to think! I gave her a choice!
- Choice? Between you and your own ears? – I clarified.
“Well, yes,” confirmed Bruno. - Nothing so impossible. What would you do in her place?
I remembered the elven grandmother Kujimoshi, who also turned out to be Phelan’s elven grandmother, and it seemed to me that she would not be at all delighted with her granddaughter’s choice. Even if she hadn’t cut her ears. She was so indignant that I was not suitable for her grandson, she also believed that my family was unsuitable. Yes, it’s actually heroic on Phelan’s part to agree to marry someone her grandmother didn’t approve of! And he’s unlikely to approve, by the way.
“If I were her, I would offer to grow your ears,” I answered firmly.
- What? – the brother even stopped in surprise. - Why did it happen? I didn't ask for much. Just to fit our family.
“You see, Bruno,” I drawled, wondering how he himself still hasn’t realized this, “you still wouldn’t be able to hide the fact that Phelan is a half-breed.” Too many people know her. This is the first. And secondly, Phelan also has a family, and she, too, may want you to fit in with her.
- Lissie, what is this talk? – Bruno was indignant. – Have you forgotten what kind of family we have?
- Bruno, why did you even start dating her? – I answered no less indignantly. “You understood from the very beginning that she was not suitable for our family.” You won’t claim that her ears have grown during your communication, will you?
“If you had seen the costumes of our griffitch team support groups, you wouldn’t have asked such stupid questions,” my brother grumbled. – When I first saw it, I didn’t even have a question in my head whether this fjord was suitable for me or not. I didn't notice the ears at all.
I not only saw cheerleading costumes, but also wore them, but wisely did not tell my brother about it. Why upset him further? Most likely, they will inform him without my help, but the later this happens, the better. Bruno was silent the entire rest of the way, dejectedly thinking about something. Oh Phelan, probably. It even bothered me a little. Here is his own sister walking next to him, who has not been living lately, but is surviving at the risk of her life. Who made every effort to help the family, but they didn’t even say thank you to her. He accepted everything as if it couldn’t be otherwise. Tired legs were buzzing, resentment weighed heavily on my shoulders. At least for the sake of decency you could have asked how I was doing. But no, his thoughts were occupied only by Phelan, who now considered herself free from all obligations and behaved accordingly.
“You say she has no one,” Bruno said suddenly. - So it was just a demonstration, with Plevako. He's putting his price on himself. Shows that it is in demand. But she paid bail for me? “I missed you,” he smiled contentedly and threw his head towards the sky. “She ran around and realized that she couldn’t find anyone better than me anyway.” So we will still have everything.
I said nothing. For some reason, it seemed to me that he was completely wrong about Phelan, but telling him such words now would only upset him once again. We reached the academy shortly before dinner. What a big city it turns out we have! I never would have thought. On the griffin it takes no more than fifteen minutes from one end to the other, but with teleports it’s almost instantaneous. But now we could only rely on our legs. On his native territory, Bruno perked up and began looking around with interest. Every now and then someone would happily call out to him and start asking him about his business. The brother answered everyone briefly that nothing was known yet, and then said:
“I probably need to get a robe.” Mine remained in the mansion.
“You need to check into the hostel first,” I objected. - Otherwise the commandant will leave, where will you spend the night? And the robe can be returned as an essential item. They gave me some of my things.
- By the way, how did you manage to get here? – the brother caught himself. – After all, all enrollment deadlines have already passed.
Wow, I thought that he wouldn’t even ask...
“I was just lucky,” I explained. “Kudzhimoshi did not agree to take me into any role when Surzhik and Anter showed up in his office to arrest me. And the dean of our faculty has some kind of score to settle with the head of the city guard. So he said that I was already a student and did not fall under their jurisdiction.
The commandant of the men's dormitory for the Fire magicians turned out to be Fjord, quite young for his position, so a couple of smiles on my part were enough for my brother to be given new bed linen and allocated a room, almost clean, only a little dusty over the summer. But Bruno cringed when he saw this dust, and, it seemed, was about to utter an indignant tirade, similar to the one with which I struck Grymza when I moved in. But I was on the alert - I lightly stepped on my brother’s foot so that he would calm down a little, and burst out with verbose gratitude. The Fjord commandant was so moved that he even gave his brother a cup from his supplies. And without any name on it. I immediately remembered Martin and became sad. Something bad happened to him.
- Disgrace! – my brother hissed indignantly, running his finger across the table and showing me how much dust there was on it. – Is it possible to move into such rooms? They had to clean it up here first. I don't understand why you stopped me.
“Because students clean their own places,” I explained. “Your commandant would just laugh at you, that’s all.”
“And how do you think I’ll clean up here?” – my brother asked gloomily, then looked at me and perked up. – Lissie, how do you cope with this?
“Fiffi helps me,” I admitted honestly. “You don’t know any household spells at all, do you?”
- Why dont know? - the brother was offended. - Here look…
A moment later I was extinguishing the blanket that caught fire, and Bruno was making excuses that he had slightly miscalculated the flow, and in general, it’s not a man’s business to clean things up. And the volumes here are small. Everything on the range is smooth and clean in a matter of moments.
“The others are coping somehow,” I hinted. “I don’t think your classmates have a layer of dirt in their rooms.”
- I've never done anything like this. Even while in prison, our floors were washed by special employees,” Bruno said dissatisfied.
– Do you miss prison already? – I asked sarcastically. – It must have been very good there? They feed, water, clean...
“It’s not funny,” my brother snapped. - Just think about it, how am I going to clean it? You know, my relationship with Air does not work out.
I knew. Moreover, my relationship with Air did not work out either. Except, of course, for Fabian, who has been trying hard to put them together lately. But even if he were a full-fledged bearer of this element, something told me that even in this case nothing would have been possible to put together. The parts from the designer were too different. Although Elena, who ran a couple of times between the shops where they purchased essential things needed for the wedding, directly said that the Chillag family would be glad to accept me into their ranks. But, alas, Fabian was not saved in my eyes even by the fact that he did not have a tail.
“I think you should find out from your fellow students how they cope with this,” I finally decided. - As a last resort, you probably also have a utility room here with rags for cleaning. Traditional methods also sometimes help.
Bruno looked at me with indignation:
“I see that life without family supervision has not done you any good,” he said pathetically. - Me - and suddenly with a rag? We are Berlisensis, don't forget that!
– What if they are Berlisensis, then you can live in the dirt, as long as you don’t have to clean it up? – I snapped.
During all this time, he never even asked how I managed here alone, but his concern for the honor of the family comes first. But I was even starving. And I didn’t have a change of clothes. And the money is not eureka. And if Kujimoshi had not helped, then no one would know where she would be now. It suddenly occurred to me that the dean had actually done so much for me and was not at all proud of it. And I didn’t even thank him properly. It probably runs in our family...
“Come on, Lissy,” the brother said conciliatoryly. - Let's go to dinner instead. Cleaning can wait.
In the dining room, he habitually headed to the paid half, but I held him by the sleeve and reminded him that we had no money and were not in sight for the next scholarship.
“No, I can’t get enough of this,” Bruno muttered, looking displeased at the porridge that was given to him. - I need meat.
Despite his confidence, he devoured the porridge quite briskly, and even looked greedily at my portion. But I was not at all going to offer him part of my portion - breakfast and lunch were shared with Fiffi, which means that dinner is simply vital for me. Bruno grabbed my piece of bread, but didn’t stop there.
“For all the time I was in prison, she never handed over anything, either to me or to my parents,” he grumbled. “I even regretted the chocolates.”
The insult almost brought tears to my eyes. I racked my brains trying to figure out how to help the family, and he reproaches me for the lack of chocolate. Yes, I don’t eat them myself. Lately, I only get sweets from Kujimoshi when he buys me ice cream! But I didn’t say anything to my brother; I had to understand it myself. With time.
After dinner, Bruno went to see how I had settled in. Fiffi was happy to see him, even wagging his branches like a dog’s tail. Apparently he recognized the creator.
“Wow, how he grew up with you,” my brother was surprised. – What do you feed him?
“Here,” I pointed to the bag of cookies standing on the cabinet.
Bruno immediately grabbed it and crunched it contentedly. Fiffi managed to knock off two cookies, but that was his only catch. A suspicion began to creep into my head that with Bruno’s return to my life the problems would not end, but, on the contrary, would increase. I simply cannot feed these two. There, the bag is already empty, and the brother looks inside intently, hoping to find a couple more pieces lying around in the corner. My pet rustled indignantly, he, too, was not at all averse to eating the entire bag in one sitting, it was not in vain that I tried to place the treat higher up. If he wanted, he, of course, could easily get there, but I really asked him not to do this. It was now noticeable from Fiffi that he regretted that he had exactly fulfilled my request. I was thinking about a less offensive way to hint to my brother that I could only feed one, the one who eats less, when there was a knock on the door.
- Bruno, dear, you have been released! “I’m so glad,” Della Nilte, my former future mother-in-law, flew into the room without waiting for an invitation, sweeping me along the way like a forgotten hanger. – And your sister broke off her engagement to Anther, can you imagine? He refuses our help, and even talks all sorts of nonsense about his fiancé. He is suffering so much. So he suffers.
She sobbed demonstrably. And Bruno stared at me with obvious condemnation. And this is after everything I told him. However, my brother doubted Anter’s guilt from the very beginning, when I just told him my conclusions. They were friends, they spent so much time together.
“And your sister behaves unworthy of a girl from such a family as the Berlisensis,” Della continued to develop her success, who immediately noticed the impression her words made on my brother. – He goes to all sorts of suspicious establishments in the company of various suspicious individuals.
– Since when is the Korbinian Policeman considered a suspicious establishment? – I asked her calmly. “If that were so, you would never have come there and you would not have invited your son to please the ears of those present with singing.”
The brother involuntarily snorted. Apparently, you've heard a lot of my singing ex-fiance. I could have warned him, then Anter’s performance wouldn’t have been such a blow for me. But Della was covered with ugly, uneven spots and said indignantly:
– Whatever the establishment, a girl from the Berlisensis family should only go there accompanied by family members or her fiancé. And not in the company of a merchant, even one as rich as Chillag.
- Chillag? – asked Bruno. - Fabian? By the way, he's a pretty good guy.
Della choked on the accusing tirade that was already bursting from her lips towards the jeweler, and gave birth to a new thought:
- Bruno, do you really think that he is worthy of your sister?
“No, of course not,” the brother snorted. “But Lissie wouldn’t date him anyway.” It is so?
He looked at me confidently, and I was forced to answer:
– Fjord Chillag helped me with a lawyer, and I just didn’t feel comfortable refusing to go to dinner with him after that.
“And you left dinner with someone else,” the accusing notes in the voice of my former future mother-in-law did not go away.
– Fjord Kujimosi was so kind that, seeing my predicament, he took me to the hostel.
Della looked expressively at my brother, showing with all her appearance that she didn’t believe me one bit. You never know what we could do there while we were flying on the griffin. But Bruno was not so easy to understand with such views.
“She definitely couldn’t have anything going on with Kujimoshi,” he said indignantly. – Fjordina Nilte, I don’t like what you’re saying about my sister.
“I’m not telling lies,” Della protested. “I am simply informing you, as a senior member of the Berlicensis family, about Lysandra’s unacceptable behavior.” I think her wedding to Anter needs to be speeded up. To suppress such rumors.
- Why? - the brother said arrogantly. – You broke the engagement yourself. And I see no reason to conclude a new one. I cannot allow my sister to live in poverty, but your husband has completely ruined her fortune.
- Bruno, what are you saying? – Della was falsely surprised. – What kind of money can we even talk about if children love each other so much?
“About ours,” the brother answered coldly. - Are you planning to pay off debts from Lissin’s dowry?
“It’s still unknown how things will turn out,” she said indignantly. “Maybe all your fortune will go to the crown.”
Fjordina Nilte stood with her nostrils flaring and looked from me to her brother. But he and I showed complete unanimity on this issue - neither I nor he needed her son as a relative. And not in any other capacity either. Then she rolled her eyes tragically and almost moaned:
- That's how you are! We extended a helping hand to you with all our hearts, and you... - Della put her hand to her heart, showing how hurt and offended she was, and continued: - But still, our home is always open for you. Even though you turned out to be so cruel and ungrateful.
She turned around, straightened her back proudly and left, clearly beating each step on the corridor tiles.
“And Anter also wrote a letter to Jaspers, where he claimed that I was having an affair with Kujimoshi,” I remembered.
It is better to report such things yourself before they inform your brother.
“Gods bless him, Kujimoshi,” Bruno waved his hand. - Who will believe this? But you better tell me what’s going on with Chillag?
“Nothing,” I answered honestly.
- Nothing? – the brother asked suspiciously.
“Except for that incident in the restaurant, I didn’t go anywhere else with him.”
I decided to keep silent about the fact that I kissed him completely by accident. You never know who kisses someone when the potion has not yet worn off. And it’s better not to upset a relative who has just been released from custody.
“And rightly so,” Bruno approved. “We’ll find you someone better than that loser Anther.” Our family is too good for all the Chillags.
He looked into the package again, still found nothing, crumpled it and threw it on the table. But I myself took no more than one or two cookies from this bag. What will I feed my pet now? Shouldn't you ask for scraps in the cafeteria?
– Don’t you have anything else edible? - asked the brother.
I still had a bag of treats for Maisy, but I don’t think Bruno would be tempted by griffin food, it smelled too specific, so I answered with a clear conscience that there was nothing like that. I just had a suspicion that in his current state, nothing could turn my brother away from food, not even an unusual smell.
There was a knock on the door again. Bruno looked at me questioningly, but I just shrugged. I didn’t negotiate with anyone, and I had no idea who was standing there now. Opening the door, the brother was surprised to find Fabian there.
- Oh, Bruno! – he said contentedly. “I’m glad that my girlfriend’s brother was released.”
- Your girlfriend? – Bruno said threateningly. – Lissie, you claimed that there was nothing like that.
He sat up and looked from me to Fabian. A very angry and distrustful look.
– I still affirm this. But Fjord Chillag refuses to accept the obvious. He is sure that if I agreed to have dinner with him once, for which, by the way, Kujimosi Fjord paid, then I had already become his girlfriend.
Any use of the material in this book, in whole or in part, without the permission of the copyright holder is prohibited.
© B. Vonsovich, 2016
© T. Lukyanova, 2016
© AST Publishing House LLC, 2016
* * *
On the day Bruno was released, I couldn’t think about anything else, although it only happened after lunch. Phelan said that she would come with me, and I thought that we would fly on her Gina, but we got to the “Crosses” by teleport. Her desire to accompany me somewhat surprised me, because the presence of the person paying the bail was not at all necessary. And the graduate student’s outfit was too close to the one Elena wore at the rector’s ball. Not so vulgar, of course, but quite open. True, his bodice did not slide down, held in place by long sleeves, and the neckline was not so deep. But I still suddenly remembered how she told Kujimoshi about the necessary outfit for the search for true love in the form of a short dress that attracts male attention. It looked very much like she was going to arrange her personal life right here and now. But the prison yard, in my opinion, is not the best place to look for a suitable fjord. Who can you meet here besides the guards? No, they, of course, expressed a desire to get to know us, but this did not meet with understanding from either me or Phelan. The law enforcement officials were quite intrusive, and I was already starting to worry that we had arrived too early.
Bruno flew out of the door as if he was being chased. He was rumpled, unshaven, his face was slightly sharpened and elongated. But his eyes still shone. And with those shining eyes he immediately stared at Phelan. Probably, there is still a certain rational grain in Elenina’s methodology.
- Phelan! – he could only exhale in admiration.
“Hello, Bruno,” the graduate student answered calmly. - Glad you were finally released.
“You look beautiful,” said the brother, who had come to his senses a little from contemplating her legs. “And you, Lissie, too.” The Earth Tower robe suits you very well.
Well, I finally noticed. It’s going well, he lied, of course – who could use such a worn out, faded rag? But it was still nice. I happily kissed his cheek and took his arm. At least someone dear is nearby. Now everything will be fine. The door opened again and released a satisfied Gobber. The lawyer was, as always, smart, shaven and elegantly dressed. Greeting Phelan and me, he gallantly raised his brand new hat above his head. He probably bought it with my money. He doesn't have any other clients yet.
– Well, has a partial family reunification happened? – Plevako grinned. “Unfortunately, they don’t want to release your parents, Fjord Berlisensis, on any bail.” But I'm working on it.
Phelan calmly walked up to my lawyer, took his arm and said to Bruno and me:
- I hope everything will be fine for you now.
Good evening.
And he and Plevako left. Bruno stared after her so much, with a mixture of indignation and distrust in his gaze, that some suspicions arose in my soul about his relationship with this girl. But she doesn't have a tail. The length of the dress simply leaves no room for such suspicions. On the other hand, hers could simply be small... Or underdeveloped... Or she gave in to the request and cut it off completely. I don’t like uncertainty, so I immediately asked my brother:
“Bruno, do you happen to know if Phelan used to have a tail?”
-What kind of tail, Lissie? – he asked in surprise, without taking his eyes off the feet of Plevako’s retreating companion. - She's a half-elf. Elves don't have tails.
“Well, you never know,” I said hesitantly. “Suddenly some distant relatives showed up.”
“She doesn’t have a tail, and never did,” Bruno said somewhat irritably. – If there was, I would definitely know about it. Tell me better, where did you find such a lawyer? He is clearly a rogue, flattered by Phelan’s dowry.
Now I don’t even have any doubts about who the girl Bruno wanted to marry was. But she doesn't have a tail. And then I remembered that this word was not even mentioned in the conversation. I thought of it myself. And why? Because some deans twirl their body parts too much right in front of the students' eyes. Lately, just thinking about Kujimoshi has made my mood plummet uncontrollably. As my grandmother said, you only need to fall in love with your husband, or at least your fiance. But I couldn’t consider Kujimoshi in this regard. He has a tail, not to mention ears, his family definitely won’t approve of that. And he will not approve of frivolous relationships even more.
- Lissie, what's going on with the lawyer? – the brother asked displeasedly, who was already tired of my silence.
- Do you think they lined up to protect you? – I was indignant. - Say thank you that I found someone who agreed to work on credit.
- Advocate? On credit? – Bruno stared at me suspiciously. – What did you promise him?
He looked angrily in the direction where Phelan and Plevako had gone, but there was already no trace of them. Perhaps this is for the best - there were furious fiery flashes in his brother’s eyes, which did not promise anything good for his opponent. In my opinion, even so bristly and rumpled, he was much more attractive than the elegant Plevako. Phelan should probably understand this, but for some reason she left with someone else.
“Not exactly a loan,” I explained. “I paid him part of the amount, the rest no later than a year later.” But by then you will already be acquitted, right?
Bruno sighed and hugged me.
“This story is kind of muddy,” he told me. – Correspondence found among us, which we did not conduct and have not seen before. The accusations are somewhat vague. It seems that even the investigator is sure that the case has been concocted. And it also looks like there is a lot of pressure on it from above, not allowing it to close. I would also like to know who and why.
“Surzhik,” I answered confidently.
And then she told Bruno all her thoughts on this matter. Everything that happened between me and Anther. How now the Nilte family is trying to establish relations with me. And that Nilte Sr. completely lost, but their estate was never put up for auction, because the crown guaranteed payment of debts. Bruno frowned more and more during my story.
“It was not for nothing that my grandmother dissuaded my father from giving Nilte consent. Apparently, she felt that they were with foulbrood,” Bruno summed up. – But as for involvement in our arrest... I wouldn’t be so sure. Perhaps they just took advantage of the opportunity.
– What about the royal guarantee of payment of the debt? – I reminded.
“We don’t know on what basis it was given.” No, accusations must be based on facts, not suspicions. Surzhik could definitely put pressure on you to be released. But to set up our arrest... You can’t talk about it like that, head-on.
But my confidence that the Nilte were involved in the case of my relatives never disappeared, and Bruno, it seems to me, objected without much ardor. It seems that he was now occupied with a completely different question. He kept looking to see where Phelan had disappeared, but the girl had no intention of returning. And how could Phelan exchange Berlisensis for some Plevako? Bruno, even so tortured, is still very handsome. And this lawyer doesn’t even have money. How can a decent fjord get involved with such a man? But then I remembered that Bruno now had no money, and I became sad. Not for long. And then I wondered if there were too many suitors for one Phelan? My brother would be enough for her. But no, Plevako has turned her head, Kujimoshi is constantly rubbing in his office, and even this elven groom found by her grandmother, whom she was talking about.
“And how long ago did Phelan get involved with this lawyer?” – Bruno suddenly asked.
“So they met for the first time on Wednesday, as far as I know,” I tried to reassure him. – Before this, we communicated only through the communication artifact.
“He doesn’t suit her at all,” Bruno said gloomily. “These lawyers are such scoundrels, they try to get money for nothing.”
He took me by the arm and dragged me in the direction where the couple had gone. Apparently, to check if the lawyer had started making money right now, without going far from “Crosses”. But Phelan and Plevako had not been here for a long time.
“I don’t think she’s serious with him,” I again tried to reassure my brother.
- Yes? So she has someone at the academy? – he asked me even more gloomily than before.
“She doesn’t have anyone,” I protested. “Perhaps she drinks tea with our dean, but it seems to me that there is nothing like that.” Although there are rumors, I said honestly, after thinking.
“That Phelan is having an affair with the dean.”
– Where did Kujimoshi go? – the brother asked in bewilderment.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” I said in surprise. – Phelan is drinking tea with Kujimoshi.
- Why shouldn’t she drink tea with her own brother? - Bruno said.
He stopped looking for the couple; he realized that it was already useless, but he looked terribly upset.
- Is he her brother? – I was amazed. - They have different surnames! And then, you yourself claimed that Phelan does not have a tail.
– They are brother and sister on their mother’s side. This tail was given to you,” the brother snorted displeasedly. – Why are you suddenly talking about him?
“Well, how can I tell you,” I hesitated, yet Phelan did not speak directly, “I heard rumors that you wanted to get married, but demanded that your chosen one remove the racial attribute.” For some reason I thought about the tail. You definitely can't hide it.
“I asked Phelan to correct his ears a little, and that’s all.” Nobody would understand anything. And she said that when you love, you accept him as he is.
“And he’s not going to disfigure himself by indulging your tastes,” I finished.
- How do you know that? – Bruno asked suspiciously.
“I just assumed,” I managed to bat my eyes quite innocently. “Healers and cosmetologists can sometimes arrange something like this out of the simplest operation, and then you’ll have to suffer for the rest of your life.”
While talking, we reached the teleportation point. And then I realized that I didn’t have enough money for both of us. That is, it may be enough, but then I will have nothing left. But Bruno will also need to at least buy soap. And a razor, unless, of course, he decided to grow a beard. I wonder if he still has his scholarship? But you still won’t be able to find out until tomorrow morning. Today I would like to have time to move him into the hostel. I don’t think that the requirement “not to bring men around” applies to my own brother, but he won’t have a place to sleep with me. It is unlikely that he will want to visit Fiffi on a soft dusty heap...
“Bruno, I don’t have enough money for a teleport,” I told him.
My brother, who was already lining up at one of the booths, stared at me as if I had said something indecent to him. For example, that she was going to marry a fjord who was not at all suitable for the family. He simply couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that someone in the family might lack something as small as money for a teleport. Then he grinned incredulously, apparently deciding that I was playing him.
“Bruno, none of my friends accepted me after your arrest,” I tried to clarify the current situation for him. Yet he sat for so long without knowing anything about what was happening outside. “The only money I have is what Kujimoshi lent me.” And these are already ending.
The brother silently turned towards where the city tram stop was. The crowd that stood there did not inspire any optimism. This was precisely the crowd, demolishing everything in its path in an effort to get inside the cheapest Friendstadt transport. I think passengers would not be more enthusiastic even if they were paid extra for boarding. I have never ridden this before, and, perhaps, I would with great pleasure remain in the dark further. The tram did not inspire confidence in me - its walls were too thin, and they were about to burst from the inside under the pressure of the passengers crammed into the cabin like fish in a salting barrel. I imagined how this fjord, in greasy clothes, and not looking like a fjord, was pressed closely against me, breathing wine fumes right into my face, and I felt sick. Yes, they will break all my heels there and they will certainly tear my dress!
“Bruno, I won’t go on this,” I said firmly. – There must be a limit to everything. Berlisensis can't ride this.
- And what do you suggest? – the brother said displeasedly, who also did not like the idea of joining public transport.
- Let's go on foot. You still need to warm up.
Bruno cast one last sad glance towards the teleport, then looked at the tram stop and nodded gloomily. After all, we won’t have to go through the entire city. The Academy is almost in the center, although it has been repeatedly proposed to be moved as a source of increased public danger. I asked my brother about what was happening at Kresty, but he himself understood little. He has not seen either his parents or grandmother since the day of his arrest.
“My grandmother asked me to convey the news of her arrest to a demon,” I remembered. – She stated that this was very important. Do you know what connected our family with... - I strained my memory a little, but still remembered the name - Aizawa Seishisai?
“I heard something about him,” the brother said uncertainly, “but not at all in connection with our family.” This name was definitely not mentioned in our house. And what did he answer?
- Nothing yet. It was not possible to convey the note to him - he was out of communication range.
Walking arm in arm with my brother was very good. For the first time in so many days I felt some kind of security. Now there was someone to make the right decisions, otherwise I was constantly afraid of making a mistake, of doing something unworthy of our family.
– Are you sure Phelan isn’t dating anyone? – the brother suddenly asked.
“Bruno, did I have nothing else to do but keep an eye on Phelan?” – I asked indignantly. – I can’t know for sure. But she told me that she was a free girl and was in search of personal happiness.
Bruno became gloomy.
- She can’t like this Plevako, can she?
He pronounced the lawyer's name with visible disgust, as if spitting it out.
- Why? Quite a decent young fjord,” I noted. – You refused Phelan, why shouldn’t she date someone else.
– I didn’t refuse at all! – Bruno was indignant. – I just gave her time to think! I gave her a choice!
- Choice? Between you and your own ears? – I clarified.
“Well, yes,” confirmed Bruno. - Nothing so impossible. What would you do in her place?
I remembered the elven grandmother Kujimoshi, who also turned out to be Phelan’s elven grandmother, and it seemed to me that she would not be at all delighted with her granddaughter’s choice. Even if she hadn’t cut her ears. She was so indignant that I was not suitable for her grandson, she also believed that my family was unsuitable. Yes, it’s actually heroic on Phelan’s part to agree to marry someone her grandmother didn’t approve of! And he’s unlikely to approve, by the way.
“If I were her, I would offer to grow your ears,” I answered firmly.
- What? – the brother even stopped in surprise. - Why did it happen? I didn't ask for much. Just to fit our family.
“You see, Bruno,” I drawled, wondering how he himself still hasn’t realized this, “you still wouldn’t be able to hide the fact that Phelan is a half-breed.” Too many people know her. This is the first. And secondly, Phelan also has a family, and she, too, may want you to fit in with her.
- Lissie, what is this talk? – Bruno was indignant. – Have you forgotten what kind of family we have?
- Bruno, why did you even start dating her? – I answered no less indignantly. “You understood from the very beginning that she was not suitable for our family.” You won’t claim that her ears have grown during your communication, will you?
“If you had seen the costumes of our griffitch team support groups, you wouldn’t have asked such stupid questions,” my brother grumbled. – When I first saw it, I didn’t even have a question in my head whether this fjord was suitable for me or not. I didn't notice the ears at all.
I not only saw cheerleading costumes, but also wore them, but wisely did not tell my brother about it. Why upset him further? Most likely, they will inform him without my help, but the later this happens, the better. Bruno was silent the entire rest of the way, dejectedly thinking about something. Oh Phelan, probably. It even bothered me a little. Here is his own sister walking next to him, who has not been living lately, but is surviving at the risk of her life. Who made every effort to help the family, but they didn’t even say thank you to her. He accepted everything as if it couldn’t be otherwise. Tired legs were buzzing, resentment weighed heavily on my shoulders. At least for the sake of decency you could have asked how I was doing. But no, his thoughts were occupied only by Phelan, who now considered herself free from all obligations and behaved accordingly.
“You say she has no one,” Bruno said suddenly. - So it was just a demonstration, with Plevako. He's putting his price on himself. Shows that it is in demand. But she paid bail for me? “I missed you,” he smiled contentedly and threw his head towards the sky. “She ran around and realized that she couldn’t find anyone better than me anyway.” So we will still have everything.
I said nothing. For some reason, it seemed to me that he was completely wrong about Phelan, but telling him such words now would only upset him once again. We reached the academy shortly before dinner. What a big city it turns out we have! I never would have thought. On the griffin it takes no more than fifteen minutes from one end to the other, but with teleports it’s almost instantaneous. But now we could only rely on our legs. On his native territory, Bruno perked up and began looking around with interest. Every now and then someone would happily call out to him and start asking him about his business. The brother answered everyone briefly that nothing was known yet, and then said:
“I probably need to get a robe.” Mine remained in the mansion.
“You need to check into the hostel first,” I objected. - Otherwise the commandant will leave, where will you spend the night? And the robe can be returned as an essential item. They gave me some of my things.
- By the way, how did you manage to get here? – the brother caught himself. – After all, all enrollment deadlines have already passed.
Wow, I thought that he wouldn’t even ask...
“I was just lucky,” I explained. “Kudzhimoshi did not agree to take me into any role when Surzhik and Anter showed up in his office to arrest me. And the dean of our faculty has some kind of score to settle with the head of the city guard. So he said that I was already a student and did not fall under their jurisdiction.
The commandant of the men's dormitory for the Fire magicians turned out to be Fjord, quite young for his position, so a couple of smiles on my part were enough for my brother to be given new bed linen and allocated a room, almost clean, only a little dusty over the summer. But Bruno cringed when he saw this dust, and, it seemed, was about to utter an indignant tirade, similar to the one with which I struck Grymza when I moved in. But I was on the alert - I lightly stepped on my brother’s foot so that he would calm down a little, and burst out with verbose gratitude. The Fjord commandant was so moved that he even gave his brother a cup from his supplies. And without any name on it. I immediately remembered Martin and became sad. Something bad happened to him.
- Disgrace! – my brother hissed indignantly, running his finger across the table and showing me how much dust there was on it. – Is it possible to move into such rooms? They had to clean it up here first. I don't understand why you stopped me.
“Because students clean their own places,” I explained. “Your commandant would just laugh at you, that’s all.”
“And how do you think I’ll clean up here?” – my brother asked gloomily, then looked at me and perked up. – Lissie, how do you cope with this?
“Fiffi helps me,” I admitted honestly. “You don’t know any household spells at all, do you?”
- Why dont know? - the brother was offended. - Here look…
A moment later I was extinguishing the blanket that caught fire, and Bruno was making excuses that he had slightly miscalculated the flow, and in general, it’s not a man’s business to clean things up. And the volumes here are small. Everything on the range is smooth and clean in a matter of moments.
“The others are coping somehow,” I hinted. “I don’t think your classmates have a layer of dirt in their rooms.”
- I've never done anything like this. Even while in prison, our floors were washed by special employees,” Bruno said dissatisfied.
– Do you miss prison already? – I asked sarcastically. – It must have been very good there? They feed, water, clean...
“It’s not funny,” my brother snapped. - Just think about it, how am I going to clean it? You know, my relationship with Air does not work out.
I knew. Moreover, my relationship with Air did not work out either. Except, of course, for Fabian, who has been trying hard to put them together lately. But even if he were a full-fledged bearer of this element, something told me that even in this case nothing would have been possible to put together. The parts from the designer were too different. Although Elena, who ran a couple of times between the shops where they purchased essential things needed for the wedding, directly said that the Chillag family would be glad to accept me into their ranks. But, alas, Fabian was not saved in my eyes even by the fact that he did not have a tail.
“I think you should find out from your fellow students how they cope with this,” I finally decided. - As a last resort, you probably also have a utility room here with rags for cleaning. Traditional methods also sometimes help.
Page 1 of 68
huge gratitude
for help and advice
Palmira Kerlis, Marga Talach
and Denis Shamkin
On the day Bruno was released, I couldn’t think about anything else, although it only happened after lunch. Phelan said that she would come with me, and I thought that we would fly on her Gina, but we got to the “Crosses” by teleport. Her desire to accompany me somewhat surprised me, because the presence of the person paying the bail was not at all necessary. And the graduate student’s outfit was too close to the one Elena wore at the rector’s ball. Not so vulgar, of course, but quite open. True, his bodice did not slide down, held in place by long sleeves, and the neckline was not so deep. But I still suddenly remembered how she told Kujimoshi about the necessary outfit for the search for true love in the form of a short dress that attracts male attention. It looked very much like she was going to arrange her personal life right here and now. But the prison yard, in my opinion, is not the best place to look for a suitable fjord. Who can you meet here besides the guards? No, they, of course, expressed a desire to get to know us, but this did not meet with understanding from either me or Phelan. The law enforcement officials were quite intrusive, and I was already starting to worry that we had arrived too early.
Bruno flew out of the door as if he was being chased. He was rumpled, unshaven, his face was slightly sharpened and elongated. But his eyes still shone. And with those shining eyes he immediately stared at Phelan. Probably, there is still a certain rational grain in Elenina’s methodology.
Phelan! - All he could do was exhale in admiration.
“Hello, Bruno,” the graduate student replied calmly. - Glad you were finally released.
“You look beautiful,” said the brother, who had come to his senses a little from contemplating her legs. - And you, Lissie, too. The Earth Tower robe suits you very well.
Well, I finally noticed. About it goes, he, of course, lied - who could use such a worn out, faded rag? But it was still nice. I happily kissed his cheek and took his arm. At least someone dear is nearby. Now everything will be fine. The door opened again and released a satisfied Gobber. The lawyer was, as always, smart, shaven and elegantly dressed. Greeting Phelan and me, he gallantly raised his brand new hat above his head. He probably bought it with my money. He doesn't have any other clients yet.
Well, has a partial family reunification happened? - Plevako grinned. - Unfortunately, they don’t want to release your parents, Fjord Berlisensis, on any bail. But I'm working on it.
Phelan calmly walked up to my lawyer, took his arm and said to Bruno and me:
I hope everything will be fine for you now. Good evening.
And he and Plevako left. Bruno stared after her so much, with a mixture of indignation and distrust in his gaze, that some suspicions arose in my soul about his relationship with this girl. But she doesn't have a tail. The length of the dress simply leaves no room for such suspicions. On the other hand, hers could simply be small... Or underdeveloped... Or she gave in to the request and cut it off completely. I don’t like uncertainty, so I immediately asked my brother:
Bruno, do you happen to know if Phelan used to have a tail?
What kind of tail, Lissie? - he asked in surprise, without taking his eyes off the feet of Plevako’s retreating companion. - She's a half-elf. Elves don't have tails.
“Well, you never know,” I said hesitantly. - Suddenly some distant relatives showed up.
“She doesn’t have a tail, and never did,” Bruno said somewhat irritably. - If there was, I would definitely know about it. Tell me better, where did you find such a lawyer? He is clearly a rogue, flattered by Phelan’s dowry.
Now I don’t even have any doubts about who the girl Bruno wanted to marry was. But she doesn't have a tail. And then I remembered that this word was not even mentioned in the conversation. I thought of it myself. And why? Because some deans twirl their body parts too much right in front of the students' eyes. Lately, just thinking about Kujimoshi has made my mood plummet uncontrollably. As my grandmother said, you only need to fall in love with your husband, or at least your fiance. But I couldn’t consider Kujimoshi in this regard. He has a tail, not to mention ears, his family definitely won’t approve of that. And he will not approve of frivolous relationships even more.
Lissie, what's up with the lawyer? - the brother asked displeasedly, who was already tired of my silence.
Do you think they lined up to protect you? - I was indignant. - Say thank you that I found someone who agreed to work on credit.
Advocate? On credit? - Bruno stared at me suspiciously. - What did you promise him?
He looked angrily in the direction where Phelan and Plevako had gone, but there was already no trace of them. Perhaps this is for the best - there were furious fiery flashes in the brother’s eyes, not promising anything good for his opponent. In my opinion, even so bristly and rumpled, he was much more attractive than the elegant Plevako. Phelan should probably understand this, but for some reason she left with someone else.
Not exactly a loan,” I explained. - I paid him part of the amount, the rest - no later than a year later. But by then you will already be acquitted, right?
Bruno sighed and hugged me.
This story is kind of muddy,” he told me. - We found correspondence that we did not conduct and have not seen before. The accusations are somewhat vague. It seems that even the investigator is sure that the case has been concocted. And it also looks like there is a lot of pressure on it from above, not allowing it to close. I would also like to know who and why.
“Surzhik,” I answered confidently.
And then she told Bruno all her thoughts on this matter. Everything that happened between me and Anther. How now the Nilte family is trying to establish relations with me. And that Nilte Sr. completely lost, but their estate was never put up for auction, because the crown guaranteed payment of debts. Bruno frowned more and more during my story.
It was not for nothing that my grandmother dissuaded my father from giving Nilta consent. Apparently, she felt that they were with foulbrood,” Bruno summed up. - But as for involvement in our arrest... I wouldn’t be so sure. Perhaps they just took advantage of the opportunity.
What about the royal guarantee of debt payment? - I reminded.
We don’t know on what basis it was given. No, accusations must be based on facts, not suspicions. Surzhik could definitely put pressure on you to be released. But to set up our arrest... You can’t talk about it like that, head-on.
But my confidence that the Nilte were involved in the case of my relatives never disappeared, and Bruno, it seems to me, objected without much ardor. It seems that he was now occupied with a completely different question. He kept looking to see where Phelan had disappeared, but the girl had no intention of returning. And how could Phelan exchange Berlisensis for some Plevako? Bruno, even so tortured, is still very handsome. And this lawyer doesn’t even have money. How can a decent fjord get involved with such a man? But then I remembered that Bruno now had no money, and I became sad. Not for long. And then I wondered if there were too many suitors for one Phelan? My brother would be enough for her. But no, Plevako has turned her head, Kujimoshi is constantly rubbing in his office, and even this elven groom found by her grandmother, whom she was talking about.
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