Eldric raised an eyebrow, gazing curiously at Alariel as she entered the grand hall with an elegant stride. The sunlight streaming through tall, ornate windows bathed the expansive room in gentle warmth, illuminating the intricate carvings and polished furniture within.
"Little girl, visiting without notice, hmm? Sothing important on your mind?" he asked, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Alariel tilted her head playfully, returning his smile with quiet amusent. "Aren’t you going to invite to sit first, Sir Eldric?"
Eldric chuckled heartily, gesturing toward the cushioned seat opposite him. "Co, co—no need for such formality between us. It isn’t our first eting, after all."
"Haha, true enough," Alariel laughed softly, gracefully settling herself into the offered seat. Her silver eyes sparkled mischievously as she studied him. "You’ve grown younger, old man. Secretly taking rejuvenation elixirs?"
Eldric shook his head, a nostalgic expression passing across his face. "You and your jokes never change, little girl. Makes recall that day I first brought you down from that mountain."
Alariel’s lips twitched involuntarily at the mory, her playful deanor faltering briefly. "Must you always ntion such ancient history?"
"Ancient?" Eldric laughed, genuinely amused. "It’s barely been two decades!"
"Seventy-three years," she corrected him firmly, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Not everyone is a centuries-old monster like you, old man. We mortals feel every passing year keenly."
Eldric paused, montarily surprised. "Has it truly been that long? Ah, ti does slip away."
Alariel regarded him thoughtfully, noting the peaceful air about him. "Yet, for you now, ti seems to have finally slowed its relentless march."
Eldric smiled warmly, a gentle light flickering in his eyes as he thought of Orion. "Indeed. For the first ti in centuries, I wish ti would move slower, so she and I can savor these precious monts a bit longer."
Alariel’s expression softened, a note of empathy coloring her voice. "A golden age—though perhaps an inconvenient ti for it to finally arrive."
Eldric rely shook his head, unconcerned. "Inconvenient perhaps for , but perfect for Orion. Such turbulent tis breed extraordinary heroes. I have no doubt he’ll flourish in this era."
Alariel leaned in slightly, curiosity sharpening her features. "Speaking of Orion... exactly how much more is he hiding?"
Eldric raised an eyebrow, acting clueless. "Hmm? What do you an still hiding? I’m pretty sure he showed all the things he had during his ti in the academy."
She paused, montarily taken in by his act, but quickly recovered, shaking her head gently. "Please don’t try these gas with , Sir Eldric. With your perceptiveness, it’s impossible for Orion to hide anything significant from you."
Eldric’s smile faded, replaced by a sudden intensity that chilled the air around them. His voice dropped to a quiet, dangerous calm. "And if he is hiding sothing, what of it?"
Alariel felt a subtle shiver run down her spine, realizing she’d touched upon a sensitive point. "Relax, old man. You know —I hold no ill intentions toward Orion. Quite the opposite."
Realizing his reaction had been too strong, Eldric let out a gentle sigh, relaxing visibly. "You’re right. Forgive —I tend to grow overprotective regarding Orion."
She nodded in understanding. "I can understand that, after all, what happened to..." she stopped, realizing she was about to open old wounds. "Anyway, he showed off his Thunder Affinity during his ascension of the Tower. How much more is he hiding?"
Eldric’s seriousness lted away into a relaxed smile. "Ah, that would spoil his surprises for you, wouldn’t it?"
Her eyes widened in genuine astonishnt. "So, he truly has even more hidden depths?"
Eldric chuckled softly, eyes twinkling with pride. "Naturally. He’s my grandson, after all."
Alariel sighed softly in disbelief, leaning back in her chair. ’Both his son and grandson turned out to be monstrous talents. First Lucian, now Orion... I don’t know what to think of this.’
Seeing her genuine astonishnt, Eldric poured tea leisurely, placing a cup before her. "Care for so tea while we talk?"
Taking the offered cup gracefully, Alariel’s expression grew playful once more. "Actually, there is sothing else. Your dear grandson nearly destroyed our Origin Mana Pool. And it would take too big of a toll on the academy if we tried to fix it ourselves. How about you donate a little sothing to the academy?"
Eldric’s eyes danced with amusent as he sipped his tea casually. "Why should I do that? It’s your academy’s responsibility to provide for your students. If you can’t manage that much, perhaps you should close your doors."
Alariel’s lips twitched in mild frustration. "That pool would’ve sustained lots of students for months. I still can’t fathom how Orion managed to absorb it entirely in one session."
Eldric shrugged nonchalantly. "Not my problem."
Lowering her head slightly, Alariel took a deep breath to steady herself before raising her gaze sharply. "You sent Orion to us to compete with others fairly, rather than depending on your personal treasures, correct?"
Eldric raised a curious brow. "Indeed, that was my intention."
She smiled triumphantly, seizing upon that point imdiately. "Then helping us repair the Origin Mana Pool would align perfectly with that goal. Otherwise, by the ti it’s repaired, Orion would’ve already progressed beyond its usefulness, losing a valuable incentive for growth."
Eldric’s gaze turned thoughtful. "Hmm... you have a point. Improving the academy indirectly supports Orion without spoiling him directly."
Alariel nodded vigorously, eyes shining. "Precisely. Orion gets motivation and incentive; the academy also benefits—a win-win."
After a long pause, Eldric finally nodded, retrieving a glowing crystal orb from his spatial ring.
Imdiately, dense ambient mana flooded the hall, powerful enough to suffocate most lower-level cultivators to death.
"This should be good enough for your academy," he said casually, tossing it lightly toward her.
Alariel caught it instinctively, eyes widening dramatically as she recognized its value, her hands trembling. "A Paragon Grade Origin Mana Vein?"
"Your eyes are still sharp, little girl. But don’t use it on yourself. Otherwise, I won’t give you good stuff next ti," he said with a slight smile. He had given her this both because of Orion and because he wanted to test her.
The Paragon Grade Origin Mana Vein was good enough to significantly help even Alariel to progress further in her mana path. However, with Eldric’s words, she would need to remove her selfish thoughts and use it for the betternt of the academy.
She hesitated montarily, a trace of longing flashing across her eyes. Taking a steady breath, she tucked it away reluctantly. "I understand. Rest assured, I’ll put it to good use."
Satisfied, Eldric nodded calmly, not asking further about how she planned to use it or anything.
The atmosphere relaxed again, their conversation drifting toward kingdom affairs and recent happenings.
"The demons have beco more active again," Alariel remarked quietly, her eyes serious. "The southern regions are already stained with blood."
Eldric’s gaze grew distant, thoughtful. "Hmm, I might need to head out in the next couple of days and make a trip toward the Empire to gather news about demon movents."
Alariel’s eyes flashed eagerly—exactly the developnt she’d hoped for. Rising gracefully, she bowed respectfully. "Then I wish you safe travels, Sir Eldric."
He chuckled lightly, waving a hand dismissively. "Again with the formality? You never change."
Smiling warmly, Alariel straightened up. "Then I won’t take more of your ti. I’ll await good news from your journey."
Eldric stood as well, stretching lightly. "I should speak with Edgar now about certain arrangents."
Alariel nodded understandingly, giving one final graceful bow. "Thank you for your hospitality."
With quiet footsteps, she turned and departed the grand hall, leaving Eldric gazing thoughtfully after her retreating figure, his mind already focused on preparations for the journey ahead.
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