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JUSTICE, UCHDRYD, VESPER, AND Max were left dumbfounded to see a powerful white uniform standing in front of them with his hands raised like some kind of criminal. Out of everyone they expected to see in the middle of the night, the vice president of the Elites was the last on their list. They almost looked like they saw a ghost because of their reaction.

     "What the hell are you doing here?" Justice finally says.

     "Who is it?" Vesper asks curiously, sticking his head out the gate as well to see who it is. He thought it would be someone from the association, or maybe even another brotherhood member from a different house, but when he saw that it was actually Gavriil, his eyes instantly widened in shock, and Vesper awkwardly started whistling as he slowly walked back inside.

     "What's with the reaction? You're acting like I'm some kind of infected person here," Gavriil sarcastically answered while everyone continued to stare at him in disbelief.

     "What are you doing here?" Justice repeats, and this time, Gavriil takes a deep breath and puts his hands down. He was about to take a step forward, but Checkmates' leader, Uchdryd  Rease, suddenly reloaded his gun, making Gavriil stop moving.

     The vice president looked at the people in front of him and assessed the situation. When no one tried threatening anymore, he finally decided to speak.

     "I am Gavriil Ivanovich Alexeev, the Vice President of J.S High's student council, the Elites," Gavriil suddenly introduced with a bow as if they didn't know that already. "I apologize for my ill-timed arrival, but none of the members of the Elites wanted to come, and I was the only one willing to do so. Unfortunately, I had an initial meeting that ended way past schedule, but I'm here for official business and nothing more. I hope you understand."

     "What official business?" Justice asks.

     "The council has been trying to contact this house for days now, yet we have not received a single reply. President Ian told me to check the situation, especially the current standing of the representatives we sent here," Gavriil explains, almost glancing at Max but trying his best not to. "I am not aware of the situation, but based on how this interaction is going, it is safe to assume that something grave has happened here, correct?"

     Justice massaged his temple and looked at Uchdryd before looking back at the Vice President. This wasn't in their plan at all. He never wanted to get an outsider involved in their business, especially when the said outsider was a member of the highest student council.

    "What are you hoping to get here?" Justice asks next, and Gavriil looks straight into his eyes, his cold and almost empty expression making Justice uncontrollably swallow the lump in his throat.

     "I don't know. You tell me, President Thorndyke."

     The two council officers stared into each other, not daring to look away. But before the tension could get even more heated, Uchdryd pulls Justice away and faces Gavriil instead.

     "We are thrilled to hear that you are worried about us, Vice President Alexeev, but like what you already mentioned, your visit is very untimely. We will not entertain you, not at this hour. But if there are any concerns regarding our house, then I suggest you don't stick your nose into it. I believe you have bigger things to worry about than here," Uchdryd bravely answers.

     Well, there was no reason for him to be intimidated. This was their house, their school, and their territory. If anything, Gavriil should be the one shaking in his boots. This isn't J.S High. And whatever happens in St. George Academy doesn't always stay in St. George Academy.

     "Now, I request that you turn back, head inside your car, and drive off to your little castle. An Elite is not needed in our cathedral," Uchdryd finishes.

     Everyone around them could feel the dark aura growing between the two. It was so thick that no one could even approach or stop them. But just when Uchdryd was about to give Gavriil another piece of his mind, the vice president suddenly chuckled, surprising the brotherhood leader.

     Uchdryd furrowed his brows in confusion. "What the fuck is funny?" he then asks him.

     Gavriil suppresses a grin, and then he glances at Justice before saying, "I'm sorry, but I didn't know that the president of the Saints had his own spokesperson."

     "W-What?"

     "Or did I understand it wrong? Does the president have no significant power here that a mere brotherhood leader can just speak on his behalf like that? Do you make his decisions for him too?" Gavriil asks, obviously provoking the Checkmate, which ends up becoming very effective because Uchdryd immediately grabs Gavriil by the collar before anyone can even stop him.

     "You better watch your mouth, white uniform," Uchdryd warned while Gavriil kept his expression neutral. Max also wanted to intervene, but he knew that standing by was the best course of action at the moment. It wouldn't be wise to run towards two lions fighting.

     "There's something that you're forgetting here, Mr. Rease," Gavriil says while Uchdryd continues to pull his collar. "I don't care if you're the highest-ranking brotherhood in this house. I don't care if this is your school, your territory, or your cathedral. I am the vice president of the Elites, the second strongest white uniform among the five houses, and an official underling of the kings. You will let me in, and you will entertain me like an honored guest. Know that this is not a request but a demand. Are we clear?" Gavriil finally asks, and for a moment, Uchdryd's eyes wavered, almost like he was afraid.

     So this is the power of the Elites.

     No wonder the students of J.S High are afraid of him.

     "Now I suggest you let go before I break your fingers," Gavriil threatens this time.

     Uchdryd clenches his teeth, but President Justice finally butts in and goes in between them. "Enough of this. Uchdryd, let go of him."

     Uchdryd turns to look the the Saint. And when he saw the serious expression on his face, the leader didn't say anything anymore and finally lets go. Even though Justice is his underling, he knows well enough to respect his position as the council president when needed.

     "Thank you," Gavriil says while fixing his disheveled uniform.

     "Look, I'm gonna let you in, but be warned, St. George is no longer the paradise you remember," Justice tells him.

     "Well, it's not like it was paradise to begin with," Gavriil answers back.

      With little to no choice left, Uchdryd finally heads back inside, followed by the Saints' president. Gavriil got ready to step inside as well, but he glanced at Max first, only to realize that the heir wasn't looking back at him at all, or rather, it seemed like Max was avoiding his gaze. Gavriil wasn't even mad and just gave out a small smile. Seeing him is enough. He's here for other matters, so he shouldn't get sidetracked. 

      When everyone was now back inside, the members of Checkmates pushed the gate shut. Gavriil was keeping his expectations as low as possible, but he was definitely curious to know why everyone was being so secretive. But when he saw the state that their house was in, the Elites' vice president finally understood what the commotion was all about.

     St. George Academy was a complete mess. It was almost unrecognizable. This was no longer the campus that he was always amazed by whenever he came and visited. The vice was surprised, but deep down he could only be disappointed. He somehow expected that something like this would happen to them eventually.

     "You have a lot of explaining to do, President Thorndyke," Gavriil says, making Justice sigh and nod his head.

     "Follow me to the Saints Dormitory. I'll tell you everything there," Justice answers before turning to the members of Checkmate. "Can you all stand as guards while we conduct our meeting?"

     The lords turned to their leader, Uchdryd, who was still pissed by how Gavriil talked to him, but instead of whining about it, he takes a deep breath and nods his head in approval.

     Gavriil looks at the state of their house for one last time before following the members of Checkmate to Saints Haven. Justice is also going to come with him, but he stops first and looks at Vesper and Max to tell them something. "When you return to Hell Sanctum, can you tell Levi and the others to head to the meeting room? Tell them we'll wait for them there," Justice instructs, and the two serfs touch their chest as Justice finally takes his leave.

     "Are you joining them?" Max asks, looking at the Checkmates' leader.

     "There's no reason for me to join them. I'm a brotherhood leader, not a council member. I'll head back to my base and wait for the others to come back," Uchdryd explains before taking his leave.

     Vesper and Max eventually return to their dorms to tell everyone what had happened, and who was waiting for them outside the gates. Levi didn't even react as he stood from his seat and left without saying anything else. Perseus Odair and Adam Hall followed right behind him.

     As soon as the rest of the Saints left, Vesper turned to Max and asked, "How about you? Shouldn't you attend that meeting as well, considering how you had a huge part in everything that happened here in St. George?" Vesper then tells Max as soon as the door closes.

     "Why would I? Like what Uchdryd said, I'm not part of the Saints. I have no right to say anything in their meeting room, let alone listen to whatever they're about to talk about there," Max answers with no hint of hesitation, even though Keigo could tell that Max is only trying to deny the fact that he wants to run to Gavriil to embrace him.

     As soon as Max and Vesper mentioned the vice president, Keigo was already worried about his dear friend. He was certain that Max would want to see Gavriil after everything that happened here. After all, his friends know that Gavriil is a huge help when it comes to Max's peace and state of mind, so he is certain that Max would want to at least speak with him.

    Vesper, on the other hand, had a hunch about Max and Gavriil's relationship after seeing the bracelet that Max had been wearing. There's also the fact that almost everyone in Crème de la Crème is aware that Gavriil had a thing for Max even when they were kids, so it's natural for Vesper to know about it.

     "Are you sure?" Keigo then asks, making Xander and Stefan look back at them, unsure as to why they're forcing Max to join the meeting.

     Max sighed and was about to be blunt with them when someone suddenly opened their door, revealing a serf who had a bite mark on his arm.

     "What on earth happened to you? Are we having a real zombie apocalypse now?" Vesper asks with his brows furrowed.

     "The Tax Collector you brought here finally woke up. He started throwing a tantrum in the other room and almost removed the rope we tied around his wrist. I tried holding him down, but he bit me during the struggle. Thankfully we were able to tie him down before anything things got out of hand," the serf explained.

     "So he's finally awake. Looks like I knocked him out real good. I didn't expect the bastard to be down for a whole day," Vesper says, almost with a proud smile.

     "Alright, I should talk to him," Stefan suggests.

     "I'll come with you," Max then adds, immediately walking out of the room so Keigo and Vesper wouldn't have to pester him anymore about wanting to be with Gavriil.

     "Alright, am I missing something here?" Xander then asks as Stefan follows Max out of the room.

     "It's best if you don't think too much about it. Just concentrate on looking for clues about the Secretary of Education," Keigo explains, and Xander finally lets it go.

     Vesper chuckles and walks up to the window to stare at the state of their campus again, which has been a great pastime for him because he does it like a game. Sometimes he'd guess what changed or what got destroyed. But while he was staring at the fountain at the Garden of Eden that's no longer producing clean water, Vesper turned to stare at the Saints' dormitory, wondering how they're gonna explain everything to J.S High's infamous vice president.

...

"Kim Hee-joon of PHD declared the Brotherhood Custom under the authority of Buster's 2nd commander, Hedeon Stallion," Justice explains while Gavriil listens to him attentively at the other end of the long table in their meeting room.

     "Are you certain it was Hedeon Stallion?" Gavriil asks, making everyone glance at the Clan's brooch on his collar.

     Justice was about to answer him, but then Levi raised his hand and continued for him. "The moment Hedeon arrived, the Custom was declared. Of course, there might be other factors to this, but who made Joon decide to declare the custom is no longer important here. The custom is now implemented. The brotherhoods, who have been hungry for power since the Division Program was made, took advantage of the situation and created chaos," Levi explains further.

     "Then why not work on the implementation of the White Uniform Protection Code? During crucial times like this, the white uniforms would definitely want to get it approved," Gavriil suggests.

     "What do you think we've been doing all this time?" Justice answered with an almost tired expression.

     "The White Uniform Protection Code will remove the protection the gaffers get from the Division Program, which was why it never got approved. But with the trajectory of everything that's happening to us so far, even the dwellers and the serfs might not support it anymore," Secretary Perseus says this time.

     "And why is that?" Gavriil asks next.

     "It's because the implementation of the White Uniform Protection Code means that the Brotherhood Custom would become official," Levi answers with a serious expression. "With how things are going, a lot of the students would hesitate. Some brotherhoods have good intentions, while others are overusing it."

     "Then your best course of action is to make Kim Hee-joon take the Prince Law back," Gavriil says matter-of-factly like it was the easiest solution. But based on the reaction of the council, that wasn't the case at all. Who would even dare come up to PHD and just casually tell them to stop all this madness? The ex-princes' would definitely end up shooting them before they can even open their mouths. The Saints aren't like the Elites who can just make the brotherhoods follow them.

     "Well, it seems like you have no solution here," Gavriil says as he adjusts himself in his seat. "Or rather, you're trying not to think of one because there's something more interesting happening in your house and you're purposely not telling me about it. Have I not been clear earlier? I don't remember I agreed to be fucked over. If you are hiding something, this is the perfect time you explain the situation and—" Before Gavriil can even say anything, he stops midsentence when Vice President Levi suddenly gets up from his seat to bow to him; the kind of bow someone from J.S High would give, which surprised everyone in the room. The only one who wasn't surprised was Gavriil himself.

     "I understand that we've been blowing smokes on you, but please, Vice President Gavriil Alexeev, do not report this to the Elites. We will handle the situation ourselves. I promise that if things are no longer in our control, we will call the Brotherhood Association. But for now, please let us fix our own mess," Levi says with his head low.

    The room was quiet, and for a second the rest of the members of the council were about to follow their vice, but then Gavriil sighed and massaged his temple.

     "There is no reason for you to bow to me," Gavriil says, making Levi lift his head back up. "If you want to solve this problem yourselves then fine, I will not stop you. But I am giving you three more weeks. The House of Bishops is literally in Code Red right now. The association should have already taken over, but I'll give you one more chance. Once the Exchange Program has ended, and if the state of your house still has not changed, then you will have to explain yourselves to President Ian and President Janus instead. And believe me, I am way kinder than any of those two."

     "Thank you," Levi answers, and the rest of the members of the Saints finally get up to bow to him as well.

     Gavriil sighs for the hundredth time before standing from his seat. The vice adjusts the brooches on his collar, and then he looks back at the white uniform in front of him.

     "Then I will head back. Remember, three more weeks, Saints. The clock is ticking," Gavriil says as he walks towards the exit. "Oh, as for your representative..." Gavriil then adds before he can even reach for the door. "We've been protecting him since he arrived, and fortunately he was given back to us yesterday. If you want to know more about his situation, I suggest you find a way to call him. He's been very...worried."

    The Elites vice president walks out of the room without saying anything else. As much as he wanted to tell Ian everything that's been happening here, he'd respect Levi's wishes and keep quiet about it for now. He doesn't really know exactly what's happening, but he can already guess that it's something beyond his imagination. And even though he's trying not to worry about him, Gavriil can already guess that Max is somehow involved in this too.

     It's not like Gavriil cares about this house. To be honest, he doesn't really mind if it falls. But if Gavriil tries anything that might affect St. George Academy, it might end up getting Max in trouble, so he'll have to hold things off so such a thing won't happen.

     "Let's go back to my car. It's late and I—" Before Gavriil can even finish his sentence, he realizes that the members of Checkmates, who were supposed to stand as his guards outside the dormitory, were now lying on the ground, unconscious.

    Gavriil immediately raised his guard and looked around to find who the culprit was. When he felt a presence sneaking behind him, Gavriil immediately pulled a gun from his coat and pointed it at the man who was now standing right in front of him.

     "Hedeon..." Gavriil says as the king stares back at him with an equally blank expression. "What is the meaning of this?" he then asks, not even putting his gun down.

     "Come with me. Viktor wants you to have something," Hedeon answers, making Gavriil furrow his brows in confusion. The vice wanted to ask what this was all about, but then Hedeon started walking away, forcing Gavriil to just follow him in silence.

     "I can't believe he knocked out all the members of Checkmate by himself and there's not even a single scratch in his body," Gavriil thought to himself as he stared at the king's back. After a few more steps, the two of them finally arrive at the place that Hedeon intended to bring him. Gavriil didn't know where they were at first, but then he saw the flag at the entrance of the building.

     "S-Serfs' Division? Why did you bring me here?" Gavriil asks in disbelief.

     "Fifteen minutes...that's all I can give you two," Hedeon answers instead, confusing Gavriil even more.

     "What are you talking about?"

     "Viktor's gift," Hedeon then added while looking directly into Gavriil's eyes. "It's waiting for you inside."

- END -