I woke up the next day in my office beside Sev. Due to my late night activities, everyone celebrated together and forgot about me.
Jull and Nefertiti seemed to have crashed the night with Alina at my place and the Firemanes joined them too.
"Okay, what's on my schedule?"
Sev handed me my morning coffee and answered.
"A servant from the college came with a word from Lady Nurina, she is summoning at noon so I pushed anything else after it."
"Good, I need to thank her for yesterday and inquire about those mysterious masters."
"There was that High Elf elder that goes by 'Master Alchemist Nurelion', how do you want me to kick him away?"
"Kick away? Are you out of your damn mind? Apologize to him for me and tell him that I will meet him as soon as I finish up with Nurina."
"... okay! What about the Firemanes?"
"Leave them at the bottom of the schedule."
Sev moved her quill on a piece of paper and nodded.
"Everything is in order, Boss."
"Good… Is there any news from 'Team 0'?"
"Nothing, unexpected. The Stormcloaks left yesterday immediately and the Imperials are waiting for their ship to be loaded. They are expected to leave tomorrow."
"Glad to hear."
"It also seemed that your cat…"
"Haaa!" I pointed a finger at Sev with a spark of fire on it.
"... I mean her meowjesty… phew! Her meowjesty Nefertiti went on a hunt last night alone."
"A full moon night, huh! It is okay. I can sense her location anyway so no need to keep an eye on her anymore. She is a big girl now."
"Noted! The last report is about some of the Firemanes sneaking to the bathhouse last night."
"... I see. Did anyone of them look like me?"
"Hmm! The report mentioned that the girls got confused when they saw someone how resembled you but it seemed to be a baseless misunderstanding. How did you know about that?"
Tsk! That bastard!
"Make seven copies of that last report. Ask our craftsmen to carve one of them on a plate of steel."
"... How evil!"
I got you now.
***
After picking a fast breakfast from a food stall in the newly established market square, I rushed to the College in a hurry.
The one who received me was the second in command of the Mysticism Department., Laaneth.
"You are late."
"Well hello, stranger. Long time no see."
"Right back to you. I heard you did well with the diplomats from the Empire and Windhelm. Good Job keeping it peaceful around here."
"Glad to be of service! What about you, what were you up to?"
"I just arrived yesterday from High Rock with some new research paper. Lady Nurina said I can borrow you."
"Tsk! Do I look like some pair of glasses you borrow from your friend? I am a businessman now, my time is..."
*smack*
And some book landed on my head.
"I am sorry, teacher Laaneth. Call me whenever you are free."
I followed her silently to Nurina's room with a gloomy mood and a bruised head. As we entered, I could see some people drinking tea together there. These were Faralda, Nurina and the Khajiiti Arch-Wizard, one of the four hermits from yesterdays.
"Jon, this is Elder Jo'noud." Nurina said.
"I am Jon Dare, it is an honor to finally meet you, sir."
The Khajiit elder opened his narrowly open eyes which gleamed with a sharp light.
"Fufu! Good seedling, Jo'noud is pleased to see you too, Jon Dare. Come, have a seat."
[A/N: 'Jo' before the name means 'Respected person']
"Jo'noud heard that Jon loves cats, is that true?" Jo'noud asked in a third person figure of speech like most of his kind.
"It is indeed true."
"Shame! Jo'noud prefers dogs."
Traitor to his kind! How dare he?
To my change of expression, Elder Jo'noud laughed.
"Ah, hairless ones! They can be very unreasonable. What is wrong if Khajiit like dogs, hmm? Dogs are fun to play tricks on. Hahaha!"
The traitor cat was having fun on his own.
"Anyway, Jo'noud would like to thank you for safekeeping Winterhold and rebuilding it once again. It was something Jo'noud wished for dearly but the policies always prevented from helping."
"I am glad to be of service."
"Also, please convey Jo'noud's regards to your grandfather Tormund. Tell him to come and have a drink with Jo'noud if he is free."
The hell! Why does this elder know that I am a Firemane?
I looked at Nurina who wasn't really surprised or anything but she didn't answer me.
What is going on?
"Jo'noud and Tormund are friends from way before the Firemanes leave Winterhold. We used to sniff Moonsugar together when we were kids, he could even last more than Jo'noud... Ahaha!"
Oh! So, drug addiction is a thing in my clan?
Good to know!
The Old Khajiit kept cracking strange jokes and telling stories for almost an hour, my head almost fell from his lame old jokes. I wanted to suggest for his name to be Dro'noud.
[A/N: 'Dro' means Grandpa.]
The strange thing was that Faralda, Laaneth and Nurina were smiling with every joke as if it is that funny. I also had to laugh too. Being a student means you must laugh to every joke an elder teacher says or one can say goodbye to his grades.
After the old cat had his fun for almost an hour, his tone turned serious.
"Jon Dare, Jo'noud has something to ask you about. Your familiar beast, the Little One that was beside you in the meeting yesterday, can I see her?"
"... Of course, is there anything wrong?"
"No, my friend. Jo'noud is just curious about something."
It seemed that this was the topic that he was after from the start. Still, why Nefertiti?
Even Nurina seemed not aware of Jo'noud's purpose but she nodded for me that it is okay.
All I had to do is to look to the side and gesture with my hand, a second later, Nefertiti popped up under Nurina's desk and jumped on my lap.
"Oh, so Little One was here after all! Jo'noud couldn't feel this little one at all."
"I know, even I can't feel her without the bond we share."
"Interesting! The Firemanes bonds with beasts are fascinating. Much potential when used right!"
"Used right?"
"Fufu! Jo'noud doesn't need to tell you something obvious. You understand so much already about magic and beasts. Why don't you tell Jo'noud what you think?"
"... I am not really sure but... I know that Mage Sentry Cats and some other intelligent creatures are able to tell magic apart and some Magical Creatures has the ability to cast simple spells… wait! Are you saying that… it is possible for Nefertiti to use magic?"
Jo'noud smiled.
"Little one already can!"
"What?"
Nefertiti can?
I held her in my hands and looked to her in the eyes.
"Can you?"
She just tilted her head adorably.
"It doesn't seem that she can though!" I said.
"Jo'noud can tell. Little One can hide in the shadows without anyone finding out about her location which is a magical ability she imitated from someone, who do you think she imitated it from?"
"... From Jull?" I asked.
"From you, dimwit!" Nurina replied.
Oh!
I can do that but…
"Still, that's an ability granted to me by the Shadow Stone's star constellation. Why would it… oh! You said that she 'imitated'!"
"Jo'noud is pleased that you are this perceptive."
"Cool, does that mean that she can imitate my other magic and the Thu'um in the future?"
"... Maybe not too perceptive!" Jo'noud seemed a bit disappointed.
That time, it was Laaneth who spoke.
"Unlike Humans, Elves, Bestfolk, Akavir and high ranked Daedra, other creatures have limited access to magic or a natural ability to use a unique form of Magic."
I already know that.
"Jo'noud thinks that Little One has been influenced by you, Jon Dare. Jo'noud can tell that Little One can hardly be called a normal Mage Sentry Cat anymore."
"I know about her abilities but what does it mean for her to be influenced by me?"
"Simply put it like this, Little One is from a species of cats that is sensitive to both in the aspects of sensing it and getting affected by it. Little One has gained an ability related to the Therianthropy and encountered strange energies which caused her ability to mutate even more."
"Something like an Evolution?"
"You can say that."
"So, what kind of magic she can use?"
Jo'noud smiled and looked at Nefertiti closely.
"It is…"
***
Jo'noud left Nurina's place and I sat opposite to her.
"What was with him just now?" I asked.
"Impressive, right?" She said.
"I can tell, but why is he interested? And why did he came to tell me personally?"
"Life is dull for those kinds of hermits, didn't you hear the jokes he cracked?" Faralda said.
"Yeah, thank goodness my head is still fine."
"Well, it is good that you only smiled. If you argued with a grandpa like Jo'noud, he can go on forever."
"Nope, one hour is my limit. But what is his real identity? And those other three hermits from yesterday?"
I asked the question that was on my mind.
"They are the core part of the hidden force behind the College. They reside here but they don't go in public."
"Hidden Force? I thought the College is only an educational facility."
"It is, but there are generations of strong masters that grew up in this place, while some left to make a mark in the world, some stayed and decided to watch over the younger generations."
"I see. But why did they come to the meeting yesterday?"
"Think of it as a way to thank you for keeping the town around their College safe from wars, if any problem struck it will affect the students and some massive quarrels may start."
"Hmmm! Good to know."
"Anyone above the rank of a 'Scholar' can get in touch with these hermits as long as one is willing to be part of the hidden force of the College. Your case is an exception though..."
Faralda kept lecturing me about the hidden force and how important it is. It seemed that if not for them, the College would have been swallowed by the other forces a long time ago.
It is logical and all but where were these people in the game? Shouldn't they have appeared when the College was in its time of need?
I guess I'd have to find out on my own.
"Still, for Nefertiti to be able to use that magic, I am impressed! My research can help her if you are interested." Laaneth mentioned the important topic now.
"I am interested of course, this is not just a thing that I can let slide by." I said as I played with the sleepy Nefertiti on my lap.
To think that this cute, fluffy, adorable child can use one of the most fearsome types magic, The Shadow Magic.