Vincent knocked on the door.

  “Come in,” said a soft female voice—a voice he recognized perfectly, despite only having heard it speak to him once before.

  Vincent opened the door and stepped into the Student Council office. The other members weren’t there; only Elizabeth Bathory, sitting behind the desk with her legs crossed and her hands on the armrests. She looked like a queen on her throne.

  “Sit.”

  Vincent sat. He hadn’t spoken to her since the fight, months ago now. He’d seen her around afterward, of course, but that was it. She was a second-year student. They didn’t share classes or responsibilities, so they’d had no reason to meet until now.

  “Do you know why you’re here?”

  Even so, Vincent wasn’t afraid. He knew she was a good person, that she cared about people, not just rules, so it couldn’t be that bad.

  “Disciplinary issues,” Vincent finally answered.

  Elizabeth nodded. “That’s one way to put it. What are your thoughts?”

  Vincent decided to be honest. If he tried to deceive her, she’d probably see right through him anyway. “I don’t think I did anything wrong. Can you honestly say I was mistaken?”

  It was a sincere question, not a challenge.

  “We’re here to talk about actions, not feelings. I believe you’re right, but that doesn’t mean you weren’t in the wrong.”

  Vincent leaned back in his chair. He felt the urge to cross his legs to mimic her but restrained himself. He was just a kid. I shouldn’t have just threatened him; I should have actually broken his jaw. Maybe he was being too honest for his own good. He’d better shut up before he dug himself a hole he couldn’t climb out of.

  “We’re also here because of what you said to Verona, and your conduct during the field mission. But I suppose the other matter is what you care about most, so let’s focus on that for now. Your goal was to defend Ayame’s sister, correct? Was violence really necessary? No one would have said a thing if you’d used your words.”

  “I’m not sure words would have changed anything,” Vincent admitted, “but I understand there are rules to follow, and I understand my position is a bit precarious. I’m willing to play whatever game needs to be played, no matter what.”

  “That might be all the faculty wants, but I want you to understand. Not to agree with me for fear of being expelled—that’s the last thing I want. We need to treat the disease, not the symptoms.”

  “Yeah, something like that.”

  Elizabeth rose from her chair, clasped her hands behind her back, and looked down at him. He didn’t like being judged, but he liked it even less from someone he considered a good person. A person whose judgment mattered, even if just a little, because he knew she had the right to judge him. He knew it wasn’t hypocrisy.

  “First question, Vincent. Who said your words would have changed anything? Would they have changed anything? That was never the goal, was it? By being violent with that jerk, by threatening him, you didn’t change him either—you just made him stop. So, why was that your first resort? Making him stop and making him change are two completely different things. Two opposite goals.”

  Vincent grimaced. What could he say to that when she was right? He supposed the only thing left was the truth, even if it wasn’t a good answer. “I don’t know. I guess I wanted to stand up for myself, and I didn’t think it through. I took the easy way out.”

  Elizabeth nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it. “It takes strength to admit that kind of thing. You’re ahead of a lot of people, Vincent. But I have to ask myself, if you could have stopped that boy with words just as well as with violence, why did you attack him? Was it for you, or for the little girl?”

  “Because I wasn’t thinking. There’s no mystery to it, and I understand I was wrong, okay?”

  “Vincent.” Elizabeth placed her other hand on his other shoulder. “Yes? Is it really that simple? Or did you want that little girl to admire you? To look good in her eyes and make her feel secure in the strength of her big sister’s protector? After all, if you’re willing to go that far for her, what would you do for her sister? Is that what you were thinking?”

  Vincent tensed up. “I already told you, I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Subconsciously, I mean. It’s a sincere question, not an accusation. I’m not here to be your therapist.”

  Vincent thought about it honestly. He owed her that much, at least.

  “I have no fucking idea,” he finally admitted. “Maybe partly. But what happened in Hansburg—you can’t take that apart.”

  “I’m not trying to take apart what you did for Joué, either.” Elizabeth turned and walked around the desk. This time, she sat on top of it, not in the chair. “I’m proud of what you did. Don’t get me wrong. As much as you could have handled it better, what’s important is that you have a good heart. And you’re willing to fight for what matters. Those are qualities that are becoming scarce. As for Hansburg, I don’t think we need to discuss it. It would be pointless for me to say you weren’t wrong at all. But you should have swallowed those words for your own sake and for your team’s. You already know that. I’m not going to torture you with it.”

  Vincent felt a measure of gratitude. “Alright, then let’s get to the point. What do I have to do to loosen the noose around my neck?”

  Elizabeth crossed her arms and legs. She peered at him from under her bangs, her gaze as hard as a diamond, direct and penetrating. “You’re so dramatic. It’s not like you’re on thin ice, just… But fine, yes, let’s get to the point. To put it in your overly dramatic terms, you have to do some community service to stay out of jail. That’s all.”

  “Community service?” he repeated.

  “Yes. Think of it as some rather personal side quests.”

  [New Quest Line Received: Atonement]

  Elizabeth pulled a piece of paper from her desk. As she bent over, especially from so close, well… certain movements occurred that would have caught a blind man’s attention. Vincent looked away, a little ashamed of himself. He heard her place the paper on the desk. Only then did he turn his head back.

  “This is your first side quest. Read it carefully. And then, if you have any questions, fire away.”

  [New Quest Received: Atonement (1/5) - Groundskeeping]

  Objective: Mow the three designated lawn areas on campus.

  “The first of how many?”

  That was, of course, his main question. But something told him she wouldn’t answer, so he didn’t waste time trying. He started reading, hoping this whole frustrating exercise wouldn't rob him of too much valuable time. He had bills to pay. Seriously, what was he supposed to do? Not to mention homework, of course. There was homework, too.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  When he finished, Vincent leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I see you’re not planning on making this easy for me.”

  “Don’t include me in that. I wasn’t the one who chose these quests. But yes, the idea isn’t to make things easy for you. That’s for sure.”

  He hadn’t done anything that bad to deserve such a strange and excessive punishment. But all he could do was suck it up. That was life, wasn’t it? No matter where you went or what you did, you had to get used to eating shit. You had to enjoy the good, but sometimes the bad that came with it, too. This wasn’t a bad way to practice. Besides… well, besides, maybe it would be fun. Maybe not this one, but the others. Going around helping people. For now, this was just something a Knight had to do.

  ——

  “This is not what I was expecting,” Tara said, perched on a fence.

  “I know,” said Elizabeth, sitting beside her, legs crossed, looking judgmental. Judging him from up there, just as she had in her office. “You should have seen his face.”

  “I can hear you,” Vincent said.

  “We know,” Tara replied.

  Vincent clicked his tongue and got back to his work. What was his job? Mowing the lawn. Yes, seriously. Three areas of grass to mow. Nothing more, nothing less. It wasn’t a humiliating task or beneath him, not at all, though more than a few students walking by seemed to think otherwise, pointing, muttering, and laughing. He was a country boy. He knew the value of simple, honest work perfectly well. Still, the fact that this was his first side quest, his first penance for crossing the line a bit… well, it annoyed him. He was here to help others, to feel useful. He wanted to get this over with and move on to more important things. He wasn’t going to say no, though. He didn’t feel humiliated or punished. Just that his skills were being wasted. That was all. It was a fact. An objective one. It was his first time mowing a lawn—well, using a machine—but it wasn’t that complicated. He could go on autopilot while he did it and think about other things. Or empty his mind for a change. Well, that was probably too much to ask. He had too much to think about.

  “How are you doing, Vincent?” Elizabeth asked after a while.

  “As fast as I can.”

  “No, no. That’s not what I meant. Do you want a break? Should I get you some water or something?”

  “Oh.” Always jumping to the worst possible conclusion. Elizabeth was a good person, damn it. She had probably spoken up for him as much as she could. He had to remember that, respect it. “No, thanks. I’m good.”

  He’d been working for a while, but he had stamina. Besides, it was better than cleaning the bathrooms, he thought. He hoped that thought wouldn’t tempt fate. He went back to trying not to think and kept working. He finished the job before he even realized it had been kind of fun. He looked over at the girls.

  “That wasn’t so hard.”

  “Come on,” Elizabeth said, “let’s go to the next area.”

  She wasn’t wasting any time, that was for sure. She hopped down from the fence and showed him the way. Tara, of course, wasn’t far behind. She couldn’t help him, but that didn’t matter. He appreciated her company. For this, well, and for anything, really. But this would get tedious without company. Despite this, Vincent glanced at Elizabeth out of the corner of his eye.

  “You’re going to watch me the whole time? Doesn’t the president have better things to do?”

  “Not the whole time. Just for this first one.”

  “It’s not that I don’t like your company.” And that wasn’t a lie just to be nice. He genuinely appreciated her for her moral values, for not being afraid to fight for them. Plus, not long ago she’d proven she could chew someone out in a way they understood instead of just making them feel bad. An apparently rare skill. His curiosity was piqued. That was all.

  “Why? Because I decided to,” Elizabeth finally answered. “Are you surprised? What answer were you expecting?”

  “Ha! I don’t know. It’s the only one that makes sense. It’s not like I get paid to do this.”

  So the position came with extra responsibilities but no real reward. Wow. That just proved her good heart even more, but… it wasn’t a good thing. That it took someone like her to volunteer to be the Student Council president. Well, people like her and those just seeking the prestige of the title, he supposed. Tara was watching them with a curious expression. He wondered what she was thinking. He didn’t have to wait long to find out.

  “You two get along.”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “He’s a good kid. He’s easy to get along with.”

  Vincent blushed. He wasn’t used to hearing compliments so directly. Even less to feeling like he deserved them.

  “I agree,” Tara replied.

  “I hear a ‘but’.”

  Tara didn’t agree, but she didn’t deny it either. “He’s easy to get along with, but he’s not very transparent. Though that has nothing to do with it.”

  “You think he’s transparent with me? Far from it!” Elizabeth laughed abruptly. A sincere, unrestrained laugh. It had caught her by surprise.

  When they arrived at the next area, Vincent got to work immediately. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, after all. There was no time to lose.

  But of course, it wasn't going to be that easy. The task itself was no more difficult. It was the same job, with the same equipment. But the area was… quite a bit… larger. How many acres? It would be hard to estimate by eye, but… a lot.

  For fuck’s sake, he thought. I’m so fucked.

  Well, the less he complained, the sooner he’d finish. But once he found his rhythm again, it stopped feeling like an endless punishment and more like an opportunity to slow down a bit. And breathe. For a change.

  Sure, he could be doing more useful things with his time. Things that actually affected people. But not everything had to be useful, let alone essential. There was nothing wrong with just mowing the lawn. Damn it.

  Part of him was anxious. He was, of course, in a hurry, because he wanted to transform into something he wasn’t. But always wanting to go full throttle—that wasn’t a strength. Not at all. It just showed he was scared. Acting as if there were no solid ground beneath his feet. As if he’d be lost if he ever stopped. If he wanted to get anywhere, he couldn’t let fear have any power over him.

  He focused on his task. Ironically, now that he wasn't in a rush to finish, it didn't feel any longer than it was. On the contrary. It was over in a flash. It was even a little disappointing. He could get used to this. Not to do it every day. He wasn't crazy. But for a change.

  Elizabeth hopped off the fence and walked over to him, hands on her hips. “Are you ready for the last area?”

  “You say that as if it’s going to be worse than the first two combined. It’s the same task. At most, it’ll just take me even longer. Besides, I think I’m starting to like it.”

  “Oh, really? I’m glad.”

  “You are?”

  “Of course. I chose the Quests. All of them,” she admitted, smiling.

  “Ah! I see. So that’s why you’re here. And they trusted you with more of my punishment than I thought.”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “That’s what the student council is for, isn’t it? Though I’d normally delegate a task like this.”

  “So why didn’t you?” Tara asked first.

  “He’s a good kid,” she replied, as if it were that simple.

  Maybe it was.

  They reached the third area. The first thing he noticed was that, indeed, it was much larger than the previous two. Elizabeth had thought this through. But not to punish him, as he’d first assumed. She’d hoped it would calm him down and prepare him for what was to come. And she’d been right, which was something not even he could have predicted.

  They’d only spoken once before their meeting in the office. How did she know him so well? Had she researched him? Or was he just predictable? He figured it was the latter. He was no… special… snowflake.

  If tasks like these helped calm down people like him, then she could assume—without having to know anything about him, or rather, she already knew enough. He was a blacksmith, but now he was facing the same sources of stress as the combat classes. And he’d been through one shitty thing after another. She was a second-year. This surely wasn’t the first time she’d done something like this for someone or seen it with her own eyes.

  Well, no need to overthink it. The point was, she was helping him, and that was a good thing. That’s all. It wasn’t a problem whether she knew him well or not.

  Vincent got to work. He forgot about the time, about the quests waiting for him later. He just mowed the lawn, whistling, his mind blank. It was so hard, so very hard, to clear his mind. To forget his problems, the things he’d rather not think about. He never thought such a simple task would work so easily. But it wasn't a bad idea. If his hands were busy, his mind couldn't race at a thousand miles an hour, turning over the same old things.

  Working at the forge was also something he could do on autopilot, but it had never been something that brought him peace. If it ever had been, well, that was so long ago he couldn’t remember. For years, it had been nothing but another source of stress. Something he detested. Something he wished he could escape. It was self-imposed. Any pleasure he might have found in the forge had vanished because of that fact alone. If he had been allowed to practice and find that pleasure for himself, perhaps he would have lived the rest of his life as a blacksmith. By his own choice. But well, that ship had sailed.

  When he was done, he walked over to Elizabeth and Tara, who were sitting on the fence, just like the other times. Didn’t their asses hurt, sitting on that wood that surely had splinters and the odd loose screw? Their skirts didn’t look like they were made of very tough fabric. But well, it was none of his business.

  “Ready for the next Quest?” Elizabeth asked.

  “You’re not going to let me breathe, are you?” But it wasn’t a question. He had expected it.

  [Quest Complete: Atonement (1/5) - Groundskeeping]

  [New Quest Received: Atonement (2/5) - A Sunken Treasure]

  Well. It was already afternoon, but he surely had time for at least one more before nightfall.

  “Alright.”

  Elizabeth handed him a piece of paper. “Here you go.”

  Vincent took it and read it carefully. Okay. This wouldn’t be relaxing, but at least he’d be useful to someone. He could do this.