-3rd POV-
A few weeks later...
During the few weeks that had passed, Midoriya had met everyone else. He was slightly scared of the Octavinelle trio since they would either try to get him to make a contract or just plain scare him, but he did find Hearstlabyul, Scarabia and Pomefiore lovely. He was amazed but also slightly scared of Savanaclaw, since one of the students instantly wanted to fight him.
"Mya-hah! Ramshackle Dorm is back, baby!" Grim cheered.
"Wow, it looks brand new!" (Y/n) said, seeing the dorm sparkling.
Shoto deadpanned, 'Is it just me, or is the outside way nicer than before?' He thought.
Midoriya just stood beside them with a smile, happy to share a dorm with them. He did return the Diasomnia uniform and was back to wearing his U.A. uniform as he carried his hero case.
"Whew! It was suffocatin' staying in Pomefiore during renovations. Vil yelled at me whenever I had a midnight snack...People expect me to do some stupid "treatment" whenever I got outta the bath...And they kept naggin' me to brush every single bit of my body! Then again, your hair and my fur are like gloss city, so I guess it wasn't all bad!" The feline laughed.
"Oh, they're here! Hey, (Y/n)! Shoto! Izuku! Grim!" Kalim grinned at them, Jamil standing next to him.
"The guests of honor have finally arrived." Vil said.
"It's real fancy inside, too! Come on in." Epel smiled.
They all walked up the path to the dorm. Once at the front, the twins opened the door, walking in and seeing their dorm back to its Japanese style.
"Grimmy! (Y/n)! Shoto!" The ghosts exclaimed, startling everyone, but Midoriya was the most scared.
"Eeep! Oh, it's you guys." Grim said, smiling, "Don't pop up like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
(Y/n) smiled, "Hey, we're back!"
"Even the ghost tricks are a welcome sight to me now." Shoto said, a small smile on his face.
Sora laughed, "Welcome back, you three!"
"We're so glad you're safe and sound!" Cloud said.
"Don't scare your elders like that. We didn't feel alive when you three were gone." Bones said.
"Whaddaya mean, alive? You're already ghosts!" The feline deadpanned.
"Oh yeah, so we are!" Sora smiled, as the three ghosts laughed.
"Come in, come in. Wait 'till you see what they've done with the place." Cloud said.
The all walked in and to the lounge, which wasn't destroyed anymore.
"Hot diggity dog! Everything's all shiny and sparkly!" Grim said.
"I was worried because the roof and flooring got destroyed when we fought the Charons...But Styx kept their word and covered all the expenses needed to restore the place." Vil said.
"That meant we still had the money we'd set aside for flooring renovations. So we fixed up all the rooms that have plumbing like the showers and kitchen, and replaced your water heater and some other appliances. Now you should be able to shower without the hot water randomly running out." Jamil said.
The girl smiled, "It's not Ramshackle now."
Kalim chuckled, wrapping an arm around her, "I'm glad you like it! Personally, I wish we could've put in a fancier chandelier."
The black haired male deadpanned, "That chandelier would've eaten up our entire budget. Let it go."
"Oh, yes—(Y/n), we have a surprise for you in your room. Why don't you go take a look?" Rook said, gently pushing her towards the stairs.
As they got to the girl's room, they were met with brand new furniture.
"Whoa! What in the world? It looks like Pomefiore up in here!" Grim exclaimed.
"Well? Do you like it?" The Pomefiore housewarden smiled.
The girl smiled, 'It's so nice, but I'm afraid to ask what it cost...' She thought.
"Your jaw would hit the floor if you saw the price tag..." He chuckled, waving his hand, "Heh, I kid. Actually, the plumbing repairs and lounge renovations took more of our budget than we planned. So we couldn't do much for your room. Hence..." He pressed a button, "This."
"Mrah?! Now it's back to bein' the same ol' room? What's the trick?" The feline said, eyes widen.
"What you just saw was an illusion made with this magical projector." He said, showing them the small like globe that was a projector, "You can use this to inject a little fancy flair into your modest accommodations." He pressed the button again, which made the fancy room come back.
"Back in the day when CG effects and projection mapping were less advances...Magical projectors like this were indispensable in showbiz. This is a used one I got on the cheap from an acquaintance of mine. We also got one for Shoto and Izuku. It's more a toy than anything, but it'll lift your spirits, right?"
"It's amazing! Thank you so much!" Midoriya bowed.
"I'll have to make sure I thank everyone." (Y/n) said.
"Thank you, everyone." Shoto said.
Though, the doorbell soon went off.
"Hm? Sounds like someone's at the door." Grim said.
-----
"Yooo! Congrats on the Ramshackle makeover!" Ace walked in.
"Whoa! And I thought the outside was nice. It looks amazing in here!" Deuce said, looking around.
He chuckled, "It's enough to make me forget what it was like when we first enrolled. Dust used to fall from the ceiling every time I took a step! But I mean, (Y/n) did clean up as best she could."
The blue haired male handed the girl a container, "Here, Trey-senpai made a celebration tart for you."
The orange haired male held up a bag, "And this is from us. It's a stash of the newest snacks and drinks from the school store."
"Mya-hah! Score!" The feline said, grabbing a bottle, opening it and drinking it.
"Hey, mind your manners. Don't just open it right here in the foyer." Deuce said.
He only ignored him, "Oooh! Check the size of this strawberry tart! Let's eat it right now!"
"Why, that's a capital idea! Might I have a slice?" Crowley said, appearing behind them.
"Ack!" They all exclaimed.
"Headmage! You're back?" The blue haired male said.
"For cryin' out loud! Can you knock it off with the popping outta nowhere?" Ace exclaimed.
"I take umbrage at that. You're all grossly overreacting to a mere visit." The headmage said.
"So, whaddaya want?" Grim said.
"As the recent Styx affair has come to a close, I've ben making the rounds and reporting to each housewarden." He said.
Footsteps walked up, making them see Idia.
"Uh, uhh..." He raised his hand a bit, "Hey..." He said, very quietly.
-----
"Goodness, it was absurd, I tell you. I was called before parliament in the Land of Dawning. Bigwigs from Styx, the Department of Education, and the Department of Magic all bombarded me with questions and glared daggered at me..."Why are so many consecutive overblots happening on your watch?! How do you explain this?!" That's what I want to know! What have I done, except run this school as diligently as I could?!"
"Night Raven College has resident counselors and medical mages appointed by the Department of Education as it is. Since the assembly saw no major issues with the school's leadership, the inquiry came to a close...But I certainly didn't expect one of our students to bring about an off-campus catastrophe even as we convened!" Crowley said.
"......Sry." Idia averted his eyes.
"Luckily, the matter was resolved without any lasting damage thanks to the intrepid actions of our very own students. It was those deeds that convinced the assembly there was no issue with school leadership. As for Idia Shroud here..." He smiled, "He and his parents have expressed a desire for him to return to campus, and so he shall. I do hope you'll all be able to get along again."
"...Yeah." He nodded, speaking very quiet.
"He's been avoiding eye contact this whole time, not to mention mumbling. I see no desire on his part to get along with any of us." Vil said.
(Y/n) smiled softly, "I don't care. I'll be his friend." She said, making the rest eyes widen, especially Idia's, who blushed.
The headmage smiled, "In addition, I have one more person to introduce—a new transfer student."
"A transfer student?" Grim questioned.
"Hello again!" A familiar voice said, floating into the dorm.
There was Ortho, but his parts were now of Ignihyde uniform colors.
"As of today, I, Ortho Shroud, will be transferring to Night Raven College as a freshman in class C. Happy to be here!" He smiled.
"What?!" Everyone exclaimed, minus Midoriya, who didn't know who he was.
"Ortho...you're an android, right?" Epel slowly said.
"Yup. The technical term is technomantic humanoid." Ortho smiled.
"And a humanoid can enroll as a student?!" Ace exclaimed.
Crowley cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention, "Ortho Shroud is not strictly human, as you say. But he is the world's first self-aware technomantic humanoid."
"He's self-aware? Then that means..." Kalim tilted his head, "Uh...What does that mean?"
"Basically, I possess the same emotion and sense of self that humans do. I've always had an artificial consciousness and personality that were programmed into me...But something—possibly the lightning bolts you all hit me with—permanently altered my on-board technomantic circuitry. Which created a bug inside my core—it gave me a heart." Ortho explained.
"I still don't get it, but this is a big deal, right?"
"Yup. "I don't get it" is a perfect encapsulation of my current state! My nii-san and I haven't identified the cause of my circuits alterations yet. So since nii-san's my creator, I was accepted into the school as his research subject. As things stand, I'm the product of coincidence. But if future research efforts find a way to reproduce what happened to me...It would be a significant contribution to the field of technomantic engineering."
"Magnifique...You are truly a marvel, Ortho. Or should I say...Monsieur Wonder!" Rook smiled.
"Monsieur Wonder? Is that me?"
"Indeed. Your acquiring a heart is surely no coincidence. It is a wonder brought about by the love you and your brother hold for one another! I'm honored to have borne witness to this beautiful miracle."
"Many of our students aspire to a career in technomantic engineering, especially in Ignihyde. I'm sure Ortho's presence will be an inspiration to them all. Not to mention...The Shroud family has covered the repair bill for the buildings Styx destroyed, as expected. And they've made substantial contributions towards expanding the school's facilities. So when they asked for Ortho to be formally enrolled as a student, how could I say no?" Crowley spoke to himself.
Jamil and Vil deadpanned.
"Surprise, surprise." Scarabia's vice housewarden said.
"It's hardly our place to object if it's a win-win for all parties, I suppose." The Pomefiore housewarden said.
The headmage cleared his throat, "Given Ortho's humanoid status, he'll be limited in which exams and classes he can take...But he'll be a Night Raven College freshman, just like (Y/n), Shoto and Grim. I do hope you'll all get along." He took notice of Midoriya, "And who may you be?"
"I-I'm Izuku Midoriya. A friend of the Todoroki twins."
His eyes widen, "Another from their world?!" He sighed, "Ah, more paperwork to do. I'll have the teachers be aware of your presence. Since 1-A is full, I'll have you with Ortho. Is that all right, you two?"
He smiled, nodding, "Yeah."
Ortho nodded, "Of course! My first friend!" He giggled.
"First a direbeast and two from another world come into our class. Now a humanoid and another from another world? Are you for real?" Ace smiled.
Deuce chuckled, "I bet there's not another arcane academy in the world that offers this kind of experience."
"Well, isn't that somethin'! Ah'll be..." Epel trailed off.
"It doesn't matter who else joins our class! I'll be sittin' pretty at the top of it!" Grim smiled.
(Y/n) smiled, "Welcome aboard. Be prepared for chaotic things, especially because of this duo." She said, pointing at the Heartslabyul males, making them let out a noise of protest.
"Congrats on getting in." Shoto nodded at the two.
Ortho giggled, "I hope you, me, and my nii-san can all be friends!" Ortho smiled.
"No, really...S'cool..." Idia shook his head, "Just think of me as a bug or something and pretend I'm not here..."
"Come on, nii-san! Not this again." His eyes widen, looking at him, "Oh, right! We still have to give (Y/n), Shoto and Grim the thing we brought."
"Oh...Yeah." He looked at the three, "Uh, you guys can have this if you want." He took of a box."
"What's this big box?" The feline tilted his head.
Ace grinned, "Hey, that's a Wonderlink!"
"Okay, and what's that?"
"It's the latest game console. They're so popular, people line up at toy stores to try and snag one whenever a shipment comes in." Deuce said.
"Not for nothin', but I'm p. sure if the troublemakers hadn't put up such a fight...The floors and ceiling wouldn't have gotten those giant holes to start with. But anyway, this is basically a token of apology for you guys having to crash somewhere else while your dorm was being rebuilt." Idia spoke a bit louder, "But, uh, if you don't like it, feel free to sell it to a secondhand shop or put it up for online auction or whatever."
(Y/n) smiled, "Thanks so much for this, senpai."
"It comes with enough points to buy any 10 games you want from the online store." Ortho smiled.
"Whoa, really?" Ace looked at the twins, "Now I'm jealous, (Y/n)! Shoto!"
"We've already loaded up some of our own recommendations. Go on and try them if they pique your interest."
The feline looked at the girl, "Oo, oo, (Y/n)! Shoto! I wanna play somethin' right now!"
"Then nii-san and I will hook it up. We all might as well help you break it in!"
"I believe that's my cue to exit. You wouldn't believe the amount of paperwork that's piled up in my absence." Crowley got up from his seat and looked at the smiling Grim, "...Oh, and Grim?"
"Mrah?"
"How have you felt since coming back from the Island of Woe?"
"Hm? I ain't been feeling bad, I'll tell ya that. In fact, I feel downright great! My hospital exam didn't turn up anything wrong either. I've got grit for days! These other dudes got nothin' on me."
"I heard you received cutting-edge blot treatments at Styx HQ. I was worried for a little while there, but...I'm truly glad that you—ah, that is, all of you—made it back to the school safe and sound. Now, if you'll excuse me." He said, before walking off.
"What was that about? The headmage sure is a real weirdo."
-----
"Okay, everything's good to go!" Ortho smiled.
"Well, well. I see you included all the retro games we played on the Island of Woe." Vil said, noticing the list.
He giggled, "I thought it'd be nice to play 'em together again."
"You know, at the time, we were the ones playing. You two didn't even pick up a controller."
Idia smiled, "Well, yeah. We've already cleared everything in those games on hard mode, even the secret stages and hidden bosses."
"Hmm. In that case, might provide us with a gameplay demonstration today?" He said, picking up the controller and handing it to him.
Ace nodded, "Good idea. It's faster to watch someone else then play through a tutorial."
"I wanna see this Star Rouge game. It looks the coolest outta all of 'em." Grim smiled.
"In that case, how about we get nii-san to do a no-death run on Meteor Mode? It's even harder than hard mode." Ortho said.
"Really? I dunno, it wouldn't be very useful for them..." Idia sweatdropped.
"But a regular playthrough wouldn't be very entertaining either. You should give them the kind of demonstration only you can provide! Let's get this started!"
-----
Everyone sat around the couch, about to watch Idia start the game.
"Dang. It's so old-school, but the opening video's kinda sick!" Ace grinned.
Ortho smiled, "Right?! The game's over 10 years old, but it still holds up..." His eyes then widen, "Uh, nii-san? Your heart rate's exceeding 90 BPM. Are you nervous?"
"How could I not be? I've never played with a whole crowd watching me!"
"Can you really pull off the no-death run like this, Idia? If you want to bow out with grace, now's the time." Vil teased.
"Ex-cuse me? I could do this blindfolded! Just you watch!"
-----
"Ahh!" Kalim reeled back in shock.
"They're firing a mega-ton of lasers at you! Can you avoid all that?!" Jamil exclaimed.
"Aaah! Dodge, Idia-senpai, dodge!" Deuce and Midoriya exclaimed.
"Guys, the yelling is a wee bit distracting!" Idia said, startled by all the noise as Ortho giggled.
"Is it? You're still playing just fine. Here comes the hard part by the way. Pay attention so you don't miss what my nii-san can do!"
-----
"Wow. All you gotta do now is beat the boss, huh..." Ace trailed off, amazed, "Wait, look out! Enemy on your right!"
Idia grinned, "Yeah, nice try, Ace. You think you can psych me out with a fake warning? Not happening! It'll take more than cheap tricks to get me!"
"If you lose after all this big talk, you're gonna look like a total chump." Grim said.
"Oof...Low blow, Grim. Could you please not jinx me?"
"You've totally got this, nii-san! Chin up and focus on the screen. It's time for the final battle!" Ortho cheered.
-----
"Wow! How are you avoiding that barrage of laser beams?!" Deuce exclaimed.
"So, uh, the different colored lasers always come in set numbers and at specific times." Idia smiled, pressing the buttons on the controller, "It's easy enough to plan for when you memorize the pattern."
"Mraaah! I'm gettin' dizzy just watchin'!" Grim said.
Epel looked at the male's fingers, that were pressing each button and controlling the space ship in the game with skill, "Idia-san's fingers are flying."
"They certainly are. They're going so fast it almost looks like he has twice as many." Vil said.
"Boy, I could never do that..." Ace shook his head.
"Star Rogue only supports two players at a time. So once he's done, about we all play the racing minigame in The Hydra Strikes Back? That supports up to six players." Ortho smiled.
"Shall I draw up a competitive bracket?" Rook said.
"Great idea! We should probably make nii-san play holding the controller backwards or something, though. He's super good."
"I see what you're doing, Ortho. Trying to skate by without any handicaps for yourself, huh?" Idia grinned, "You're the one who needs extra restrictions, like no item allowed."
"I wanna get some food in my belly before we race." Grim said.
"Good call." Ace said, looking at the twins, "Hey, (Y/n), Shoto, is it cool if we bust out the snacks we brought?"
"We should cut up the tart, too. Though cutting slices for this many people might be tricky..." Deuce trailed off.
Jamil smiled, "I'll handle that. You can take over tea duty."
"Jamil, I wanna help!" Kalim grinned.
"You just sit tight and...hm, actually, why don't you get plates and forks for everyone?"
"Sure, I can do that!"
The lilac haired male brought out a large battle, "Oh, I brought some apple juice too. Would anyone like juice instead of tea?"
"I'll take some." The Pomefiore housewarden said.
(Y/n) went to the kitchen with Jamil and Kalim following after her, "Do you remember where the utensils are?"
The black haired male nodded, "Yeah."
Kalim looked at the girl, "Where are the plates, (Y/n)?"
"Oh, they should be up there." She said, pointing at a cabinet as she put a kettle on the stove to heat up water, "Sure brings back memories."
Jamil, who heard, softly hit her head, making her rub it, "Ace and Deuce told me to do it when you say words like that." He said, before slicing the tart.
Soon, the three walked out the kitchen, putting everything on the table in front of the others.
"Nii-san..." Ortho softly called out, as the two watched the rest.
"Hm?" He looked at the boy.
"We've had friends over to our place to play video games." He smiled, "But today, we've experienced hanging out at a friend's house and playing games with them there."
His eyes widen, "Huh?! What are you talking about? That's not what this is."
"Really? But we traveled to the residence of an acquaintance. Does that not count?"
"No, not at all. It's as different as Elysium and, well...a local park. For one thing, not all of these people are our friends. And Ramshackle Dorm isn't (Y/n)'s house. The school owns the building and all of the land, ergo this isn't a friend's house. QED."
"You're getting hung up on technicalities...Okay, fine. We'll race to see who's right."
The flame haired male grinned, "Ohoh. You wanna talk big to me? Fine, you're on. Time to flex my gaming muscle."
"You best watch what you say, nii-san. Don't come crying to me if you embarrass yourself in front of everyone."
"All right, we have our competitors for the first race. Idia, Ortho, Epel, Ace, Deuce, and Grim." Rook said.
"Does everyone had their controller?" Ortho said, looking at them, "Okay, then go!"
Then they started to play, having fun together.
"I still can't believe that when I pulled Grim out of the Underworld...He had Ortho's memory card lodged in his throat. I suppose miracle really do happen." Vil said.
"It may not have been a miracle." The hunter said.
He looked at him, "What do you mean?"
"The King of the Underworld was incredibly diligent, yes? I say it was turned away at the gate, to avoid bringing the soul of a living being into the land of the dead."
"You're suggesting that a memory card would be considered a soul?"
"Ortho's memory card is no mere mechanical component. It is the embodiment of his very essence. He—or rather, they—chose to try and boost their brother up from the depths below to the skies above. What do you call such love and affection, if not a soul?"
"Heh..." He looked at the brothers, seeing them smile, "You make a good point. I'm inclined to agree."
-----
Grim snored in bed, "Got 'em...Guess who got first place..." He talked in his sleep.
(Y/n) smiled softly at him, "Finally, back in my room again." She said, before turning off the projector, then looked at the mirror, "Oh yeah, it's been so hectic that I never told the others about Mickey."
Suddenly, the mirror glowed.
"...lo? Hellooo?" Mickey's voice called out, "(Y/n), are you there?"
The girl immediately walked up to the mirror.
"Ah, there you are, (Y/n)! Finally!" He smiled, though he then frowned, "I haven't seen you since you went looking for your roommate. I was worried, you know. Did you find your friend?"
She nodded, which made him smile.
"Oh, goodie!"
The feline kept sleep-talking, "Which on of you losers...threw that item at me..."
(Y/n) gently nudged him, successfully waking him up.
"Mrf..." Grim woke up, "Man, it was just gettin' good..." His eyes widen at the sight of the girl over him, "Mrah?! Mrow, what's goin' on?! Are those armored jerks back?!"
She smiled and shook her head, "Grim, wake up. Mickey's in the mirror." She pointed at the glowing glass.
He looked but saw nothing, "Mickey? In the mirror? What're you talkin' about, (Y/n)?" He looked at her, "No one's there. You're prolly still half asleep. Maaan. I was just about to beat Idia and Ortho in a race..." He then got comfy again, "I'mma go back to sleep and finish that race...Mrf..." He was then instantly asleep.
Her eyes widen, "Grim doesn't see Mickey?" She muttered, then went up to the mirror again.
"(Y/n)? Is someone else there? Is it your roommate? Or your brother?" Mickey questioned.
"My roommate." She said.
"There's always a bunch of fog around you, so I can't see anything but you...Can you see anything on my end? There's a moving chair here, and ottoman that acts like a dog, and a table with a walnut cracker on it. Do you see any of that?" He said, pointing at various parts of his room, but the girl shook her head.
"Hmm, that's strange. A shame, too. It woulda been mighty nice if I could make even more friends in my dreams." His eyes widen, "Ooh, speaking of friends! While you were out, I saw a stranger in my dream room. It was a boy with silver hair. His eyes were the most unique color. But he left so fast, I couldn't get his name...Boy, did that surprise me! I've never had a visitor here before. It'd be swell if you would come and visit too, (Y/n)."
The sound of an alarm went off on his side.
"Whuh-oh! That means it's time for me to wake up. See...again...(Y/n)..." He trailed off as he disappeared.
"There's a dream world through the mirror...?" She muttered.
-----
"Goodness gracious. At last, we can put the whole Watchman attack behind us." Lilia sighed.
Silver nodded, "Agreed. The riding grounds are all restored, and the Equestrian Club is back up and running. Riddle's regained his hair color as well. He showed up for our club meeting today."
"This happy resolution is owed entirely to our liege, of course." Sebek smiled, "The whole student body should prostrate themselves before him in gratitude!" His voice boomed.
"Sebek, indoor voice please. You're hurting Malleus-sama's ears."
Malleus on the other hand was silent.
"Malleus-sama?"
"...Hm?" He looked at him, "Mm, yes."
"What's the matter? You seem distracted." Lilia tilted his head.
"What?! Oh no, did you exhaust yourself sharing your magic with that commoner?!" The green haired male exclaimed.
Malleus smirked, "Hmph. Do you truly think losing such a paltry amount of magic would drain me?"
"Er, no, I never meant..." He bowed, "Please accept my apology for overstepping my bounds."
"Then don't just stand there zoning out, Malleus. That's not how Briar Valley's heir should behave." The black with pink highlights haired male said.
"...I know." The black haired male said.
The male soon got a notification, "Hm? A message?" He looked at it, smiling, "Oh, it's from Gloomurai!"
"What a curious pseudonym. Is this person one of your old war buddies, Lilia-sama?" Sebek questioned.
"He is, albeit from an online game. He hasn't logged on much as of late. I was afraid he might've had to quit due to trouble IRL, but it looks like he's back." He looked at the message, "Let's see here..."Would you like to run the new dungeon with me tonight?" Ooh, he's talking about that one extra-hard quest! I've been itching to try it." He typed his message, ""Very well. I look forward to returning to the field of battle with you once more, Gloomurai." Signed...Muscle Red." Then sent it.
"Father, please try not to stay up too late. It's not healthy to forgo sleep." Silver said.
The male let out a chuckle, "I'm retired from the field. I hardly need to stay in peak condition all the time. Besides, you two will be there regardless."
"No, your presence is still very much needed!" Sebek cut in, "You remain a role model for us! A shining example we strive to emulate!"
"That's nice of you to say, but I won't be in good health forever. I hope you'll both become independent soon and put my old heart at ease."
Malleus stayed silent, staring at him.
-Small Flashback-
Lilia smiled, "Come, let's make a wish—for all of us to be able to return to our normal lives."
"All right, Lilia."
He was silent for a bit, "I've wished upon these stars many a time...but this may be my last."
His eyes widen, "...What?"
-----
"Humans lives are as ethereal as silk thread on a spinning wheel—and just as easily cut short. But their fragility can be a boon. Interweaving and layering those threads creates the strong, resilient tapestry of their history. Such is the creature called man—neighbor to we creatures of the night." Lilia said, watching the rest.
-End of Flashback-
"As ethereal as silk thread on a spinning wheel, and just as easily cut short, hm..." Malleus muttered.
"Mm? Malleus, did you say something?" Lilia questioned him.
He shook his head, "...No. Nothing at all."