"Heh..."
Olivia gave a low chuckle. Her laughter had a rich, resonant quality, but sounded a little out of place in the room piled high with liquor bottles.
"From all the reports and rumors at the Academy, I really had no idea you were such an... interesting person, Greg Sass."
"Well, now you know."
Greg remained unmoved and even played along. "So, if there's nothing important, may I leave? My cat really is hungry."
"Why are you in such a hurry to leave? I'm not going to eat you."
Olivia seemed quite amused by his reaction.
She finally deigned to set down her glass, reached for the controller beside her, and pressed a button, pausing the magical drama playing on the wall.
Then she lightly kicked the swivel mechanism of her high-backed chair, smoothly turning herself a hundred and eighty degrees to face Greg.
She finally took her fair feet off the desk as well, resting them casually on the soft animal-hide rug.
"Actually, I called you here for two main reasons."
Olivia leaned forward slightly, propped her elbows on her knees, and rested her chin on her interlaced fingers. Her molten-gold eyes locked onto Greg. Though her posture remained relaxed, her gaze became clear and sharp, as if her earlier drunkenness had been nothing but an illusion.
"Two reasons?" Greg grew even more wary.
"First."
Olivia raised a long, slender finger. Her smile was radiant, yet Greg felt there was something decidedly ill-intentioned about it.
"I wanted to thank you."
"Thank me?" Greg was genuinely confused.
What had he done to deserve this Academy Head's thanks?
Olivia nodded as if it were perfectly obvious.
"The Magic Tower Exchange Conference was utterly boring. Thanks to your sudden disappearance for over a week, I had the perfect excuse to leave."
Greg: