After having lunch with Mel and her supporters, Yavi went several more days without seeing her, and life returned to its usual routine of studying, training, eating, and sleeping.
Over the past few days, Yavi had often noticed students whispering in both the cafeteria and the classrooms. They were talking about the competition between the student council's two major factions in a few days, and everyone was heatedly discussing its outcome.
"I can't even imagine what'll happen if Senior Mel's Popular Election Faction loses this time."
"Yeah, if Vivian gets elected as the next student council president, our hard times will begin. The Royal Election Faction will get first pick of everything good, and we'll only get the scraps!"
"But Senior Mel's faction is still a little weaker. Ordinary students don't have that much backing, after all, and the rich and powerful students will definitely support Vivian. Who wouldn't want special privileges? Sigh..."
Yavi activated his Witcher Senses and heard every word from a short distance away. From these students' conversations, he learned that Mel and her faction were at a disadvantage, and their position had already become precarious.
"Looks like things aren't going well for Mel." Yavi put down the bread in his hand. The food in his mouth suddenly didn't taste quite so good.
Yavi really wanted to help his older sister, but he didn't know the details of the situation, so he could only worry helplessly.
After finishing his lunch in a few bites, Yavi went to find Loriess for his daily afternoon magic lessons.
That evening, Yavi was looking through his magic notes in his dorm room when he suddenly heard a soft knock at the door. He put down his quill, got up, and opened the door to find Mel standing outside. The torches in the corridor cast flickering light across her face.
"Mel?" A little surprised, Yavi stepped aside to let her in. "What brings you here so late?"
Mel entered the room and closed the door behind her, her gaze sweeping over the notes spread across the desk. "Have your studies been going well lately? Have you been eating properly?" she asked softly, her fingers unconsciously rubbing her cuff.
"Not bad. My studies have been going fairly well, and I've been eating properly." Yavi poured her a cup of warm water and handed it over. "You look... exhausted."
Mel accepted the cup but didn't drink, merely staring at the ripples shifting inside it. Silence settled over the room for a moment, broken only by the occasional faint crackle of wood in the fireplace.
Yavi noticed the deep shadows beneath her eyes and her slightly whitened knuckles. "Mel," he said, lowering his voice, "what happened?"
Mel raised her head. Her lips moved, only to press into a straight line again. Her gaze flickered, as though she were weighing something.
"You can just tell me." Yavi leaned forward, his golden eyes especially bright in the firelight. "I'll do everything I can to help you!"
Mel drew a deep breath and finally spoke. "Little brother, do you have any money to spare lately? I urgently need five hundred..." She stopped halfway through. "No, three hundred crowns will do!" Her face flushed slightly, and her fingers gripped the hem of her robe tightly.
At that, Yavi's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and a faint, helpless smile lifted the corners of his mouth. "I thought it was something serious!" He shook his head. "So it's just money."
Yavi concealed nothing in front of Mel. He made a grabbing motion in the air with his right hand, and with a flash of pale golden light, a bulging deerskin money pouch appeared in his palm.
"There are a thousand crowns in here. Take it and use it for now, sis." Yavi pushed the pouch into Mel's hands, frowning when he touched her icy fingertips. "The weather's been getting colder. Buy yourself some more clothes."
Holding the heavy pouch, Mel's eyes widened slightly. "This... this is too much. I only need three hundred..."
"Take it." Yavi interrupted her, turned to take one of his cloaks from the wardrobe, and draped it over her shoulders. "Tell me whenever you need more. This much money is nothing to me."
"Where did you get so much money? Don't let me affect your own living expenses!" Mel looked at the bulging pouch, slightly lost in thought.
"Your little brother has spent all these years out there slaying demons and monsters. I do have a tiny little fortune saved up. Spend it however you like, and just tell me when it runs out." Yavi calmly indicated that this amount of money was no problem for him.
Mel's fingers trembled slightly around the pouch. "I'll owe you this money. Once the election is over..."
"What nonsense are you talking about? We're brother and sister. How could this possibly count as borrowing money?" Yavi was a little speechless.
The firelight reflected in Mel's eyes, where tears seemed to shimmer. She suddenly stepped forward and hugged Yavi tightly, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "Thank you, little brother."
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself." Yavi gently patted Mel's back, his voice much softer than usual. "No matter what happens, I'm here."
Mel released him and wiped the slightly reddened corners of her eyes, but a warm smile lifted her lips. "Mm, I know. Having you here makes me feel much more at ease."
She adjusted the cloak, carefully put away the pouch, and headed for the door. Before pushing it open, Mel suddenly turned around. "Oh, right. The student council election is in three days. It'll be held in the great hall." There was anticipation in her eyes. "You'll come watch, won't you?"
Yavi leaned against the doorframe, his azure eyes gleaming faintly in the dim corridor. "Of course. How could I miss my sister's big moment?"
"Then it's settled." The exhaustion on Mel's face seemed to ease a little. "Remember to take care of yourself. Don't always eat that unnutritious cafeteria food."
"You're the one who needs to look after your health." Yavi shook his head helplessly. "Look at those dark circles. You're almost a panda."
Mel chuckled and waved. "All right, I know~ I'm off. Get some rest early too."
Only after watching Mel disappear around the corner of the corridor did Yavi slowly close the door. He returned to his desk, but instead of continuing to study his magic notes, he stared absently at the dancing flames in the fireplace. The election in three days... He silently resolved to ensure Mel's safety no matter what. His witcher's intuition told him that this seemingly ordinary student council election probably wouldn't be so peaceful.
Three days passed quickly, and the day of the student council faction competition arrived. Dean Loriess was going to watch the competition that afternoon, so she gave Yavi and Suge the afternoon off. Yavi and Suge also went to the great hall to watch. The hall teemed with people, and noisy discussions echoed beneath its vaulted ceiling. Yavi and Suge squeezed through the crowd and finally managed to find two seats near the front. Almost every seat in the hall was occupied, and even the aisles were packed with standing students. The air was filled with tension and excitement.