Heartless - Chapter 19：The fruit is a part of the forest

For the second time in this school year, I entered the Dean’s office.

“Please sit,” he said in his raspy voice.

I stared at him as I sat down, waiting for him to get to the point as he often does.

“As you know, I have appointed a permanent substitute for your afternoon class,” he said, and I responded him by nodding.

“Can you stay at school until the end of the school day?” he asked, “as trouble seems to be brewing between the upper class and the humans.”

“I see,” I replied. As the human in my class sat in in the back, the farthest from the elites, I haven’t seen much conflict between them. However, I suspect that isn’t the same as outside of class.

For the supernaturals, there has always been a ranking system. However, human’s weren’t on that ranking system and so the control that those on top of the ranking system has no effect on them. Originally, you would think that the supernatural’s would be able to take care of such skilless human’s. But what humans have that most beings didn’t is their short lifespan. Short to the point that they seemed to be able to develop things quickly as they wanted to finish their inventions within their lifetime and so they were always working. Whereas an incubus or a supernatural had a long time span and so took their time in making things.

“Have you been making any progress in figuring out who the Kikimora is?” the Dean asked.

“Xander still has a long time to live,” I replied, “just wait until the human’s die.”

“But he wants her now,” the Dean replied.

“So she might overpower him,” I said, “if you wanted to get rid of him then help the girl out.”

It wasn’t a secret that the Dean and Xander weren’t on good terms. They were the exact opposite, one compassionate while the other ruthless. One selfless while the other selfish. However, Xander had an extremely good relationship with the Council.

And in this world, the Council rules all. Whether it be justly or unjustly doesn’t matter, their word is final. But of course, there are always exceptions.

“You don’t have to focus on the forest, remember that even the fruit is part of the forest [1].”

“But the fruit will never be as important as the forest,” he responded.

“The fruit is what makes the forest and the forest the fruit.” [2]

[2] Without the fruit (seeds) there won’t be a forest, without the forest there won’t be a fruit .