บท 18: The search

Wanzi led the group out of the academy, embarking on their mission to search for the missing cadets. He walked at the head of the group, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

Lola followed closely behind him, as an obedient servant, while Alfred and Tod trailed along.

Alfred, never one to stay silent for long, decided to engage Tod in a somewhat peculiar conversation. "Are you sure that every headsman is infartile? There's no legend or myth in your books that says otherwise?"

Tod, looking somewhat exasperated, replied, "No, that is a factual truth. It has been tested and confirmed by many reputable sources."

"Hmm…" Alfred's grin grew wider, mischief dancing in his eyes. "Or maybe you just don't know as much as you think you do."

Tod was clearly offended by the suggestion. He stopped in his tracks and glared at Alfred. "Are you challenging me to an intellectual contest?"

Alfred shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, but I don't know what that is."

Tod was both angered and baffled by Alfred's response. He shouted, "Master Wanzi, please let me join another team!"

Wanzi, seemingly unfazed by their exchange, walked on with his eyes half-closed. "You two, just quiet down and stay alert."

"But Tod thinks he's smart when I know for a fact that he's wrong about something," Alfred persisted.

Tod's anger flared, and he shouted back, "Every headsman is infertile, and it's not 'INFERTALE'!"

Alfred chuckled. "Okay, sure. Then answer me this: how many chops does it take to bring down a one-meter-wide pine tree?"

Tod was bewildered by the bizarre question. "What kind of question is that?"

Alfred grinned mischievously. "Ah, you don't know because it's tricky. I'm sure you would know if I said 'oak'."

Tod shook his head in disbelief. "I'm not talking to you anymore."

As the group continued their journey with the tension between Alfred and Tod lingering, Wanzi began to share his perspective on life and the role of a headsman.

"Cadet life," he mused, "you guys still don't really know how the real world works, especially within the headsman institution. We fight to save innocent people, but in reality, we are just tools in the hands of the faith, used to make them more rich and powerful."

Tod, ever the idealist, responded, "Well, every man should have a purpose in society, like ants in a colony."

"Society?" Wanzi scoffed. "Society doesn't deserve anything. There are no innocent people to begin with. All of us are animals, and not the cute kind."

But then Wanzi suddenly opened his eyes wide and scanned the are that they wer.

"We are too far away. Come on, kids, let's head back," Wanzi urged, his voice tinged with unease as he tried to lead the group back to the academy.

Alfred, who had been trailing behind, suddenly stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened with recognition, and he raised his head, nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air with an uncanny sense of purpose. He was like a hunting dog picking up a scent. His eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Choco—"

Before he could finish his word, he took off running, and the rest of the group chased after him. They soon reached a small riverbank, and something gray and out of place caught their attention.

The group approached cautiously, their hearts pounding as they realized what they had stumbled upon: the naked body of a boy, his skin nearly translucent.

Tod stepped forward and began examining the body, checking the eyes, limbs, and other details. Then he stepped back to the group.

"I think he's dead," Alfred said, his tone oddly nonchalant.

The others stared at him in disbelief, their expressions a mix of shock and confusion. "Yes, and he died because of blood loss. All of his blood is gone," Tod pronounced, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air.

Lola, ever the opportunist, saw her chance and seized it. With theatrical flair, she clutched her head as if about to faint. "Oh God, Alfred, hold me…" she whimpered, her voice quivering with feigned distress.

As she began to tilt towards Alfred, he stepped away not even noticing her intent.. His eyes were locked on the lifeless body before him, his thoughts racing.

But Lola never hit the ground. In her own world of melodrama, she felt herself being tenderly held by Alfred. It was a romantic moment straight out of her daydreams, a fleeting fantasy of gallant rescue. For a heartbeat, she basked in the imaginary embrace. "Thank you, Al—"

Then, abruptly, she opened her eyes and found herself back in the grim reality of the situation.

Her words were cut off, and the romantic atmosphere shattered as she realized that Alfred hadn't been the one to catch her. Instead, she was greeted by the smirking face of Tod, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the situation. "My pleasure."

Lola recoiled in disgust and pushed him away.

Alfred, who had already knelt beside the body. He examined it closely, sniffed the air once more, and finally touched the corner of the body's mouth with his fingers, almost with sensuality.

Confusion and a hint of horror spread among the group as they watched Alfred's unusual actions.

Tod, feeling a wave of nausea, placed a hand over his mouth and looked as if he might be sick. Lola, on the other hand, was caught between horror and disbelief.

"You were just examining the body, how could you suddenly feel sick?" she questioned Tod, her voice wavering.

Tod face a shade paler, "There's a difference between looking at something academically and... and what he just did."

Just as Tod was speaking, in a shocking turn of events, Alfred extended his tongue and licked his own finger, the very same finger that had come into contact with the lifeless body.

Tod couldn't contain his disgust any longer. He staggered to a nearby bush and retched, his stomach heaving in protest.

Lola stood there, her horror deepening, while Wanzi, their teacher, watched with widened eyes, a mixture of surprise and concern etched across his face.

The horrified expressions of the others were not lost on Alfred, but he simply said, "Chocolate."