As the academy of summoning buzzed to life under Edgar Voldaren's supervision, Elara's steps took her back to the village.
With a deep sigh to chase her terrible mood away, she fixed her smile and raised her hand.
Knock
A second later, an ethereal beauty opened the door. She had never seen a girl like this before. Between the sparkling gray hair and eyes and the intricate robe fitting like a second skin, she felt like she stood before a siren rather than a human.
"ow."
The white-furred cat she held drew her attention for a second.
"What beautiful blue strips."
Unknowingly, the words escaped her lips, making her cough to mask the blunder.
"Humph. I recognise you. You are one of those detestable teachers."
Nova's words cut through her heart like a blade.
'As expected, they hate us.'
The air stalled in her lungs, and her eyes dimd for a second. However, Nova spoke again, reigniting a spark of hope.
"But since you like Stella, and he bought her for , I guess I can hear what you have to say."
Without lingering, Nova turned back, gesturing for her to co in.
She watched as the beauty sat, crossed her legs and held her cheeks in her right palm. An air of boredom veiled her face, clearly not pleased by the disturbance.
"Where is student Adam? I have a question to ask him."
She said, her tone carrying her genuine demand.
"Away. As his guardian against bad teachers, you must pass by first!"
'Since when does he have a guardian?'
She pondered, watching Nova's almost hostile glare.
Before she could speak a word, Nova continued, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"If you ca to offer him an apprenticeship, you can leave. Not only is he Shepard's disciple, but Orion's as well. The Alchemy and Transmutation college's teachers only show respect for his well-rounded abilities."
Her fists trembled upon rembering the humiliation they submitted him to earlier.
"Even a ghost king struck a deal with him!"
She failed to control her voice, yelling as she imagined how he must have felt when a crowd of thousands of dwarfs mocked him.
"And what did you all do? Refuse to assess his work, only to co back crawling after witnessing how incredible it was?"
An ugly grimace twisted her lips after Nova's tirade. She didn't know about his incredible achievents.
'Even a ghost king?!'
An icy shiver shook her body just at the thought. These creatures were much more dangerous and powerful than Moira! She rembered when one turned evil and wreaked havoc in their own country. Their dean shied away from her duty and remained locked inside her safe tower while Shepard repelled it with Elisabeth, Zayne, and Aurora. Worse.
When Shepard confronted her, she just shrugged and said she wasn't a barbarian fighter but an enchanter.
Back in the day, she didn't find any fault with her claims, but now...
Now, she understood where Moira's dislike stemd from.
'Anyone disagreeing with her opinions or actions is an enemy in her eyes.'
The realisation shattered her bias and the justifications she ca up with to cover Moira's attitude, revealing the truth in its most hideous form.
'I'm an accomplice.'
That's the conclusion she ca up with. By turning a blind eye, she tacitly approved of her actions for years.
'But not anymore.'
Her eyes brightened and blazed as a fierce determination glinted in them.
Without sha, her blue hair swirled with her movents as her always straight back bent. Before Nova's dissipating anger, she bowed.
Her tone, a soft murmur conveying her guilt, she started.
"Everything you said is right."
She raised her head, locking her eyes with Nova and noticing her confused frown.
"I want to extend my sincere apologies to him. I should have stopped Moira or at least sided with him."
Her eyes sparkled as she stepped forward.
"I ca to ask him not to hate everyone because of her. She holds imnse influence in our community. But I assure you that most aren't like her."
A montary silence lingered as she closed her eyes. No matter what happened now, she had freed her heart from lies and felt lighter.
anwhile, complex emotions flashed on Nova's face. The teacher seed sound, but Asha warned her against her naivety. She failed to find an answer despite her racing mind when she had a sudden illumination.
'Let him decide for himself!'
Uncaring about Elara's enlarging eyes, she gripped Adam's sleeping figure before shaking it.
"Wake up! Soone wants to speak with you."
Feeling the forceful pull from the dream place, urgency rocked his heart as he closed his eyes to wake up.
The next second, his wooden fra encased his soul as he scanned the surroundings and yelled.
"Are you alright? Describe the threat in a simple word!"
Then he saw the teacher who assessed his blade earlier and rolled his eyes.
"Why didn't you chase her away? I have nothing to say to hypocrites."
"She ca to apologise. She said Moira's actions were wrong and she should have sided with you."
Nova briefly sumd up their discussion before stepping back to let him handle the matter as he saw fit.
Narrowing his eyes into slits, he glared at her empty hands for a second.
"Must have taken a lot of courage to cast your arrogance aside."
He snorted, clicking his tongue.
"Yet, words are aningless. Instead, I believe in actions."
Stunned by the sudden implication, a tremor jolted Elara's shoulders.
"I-I thought you would be too proud and consider gifts bribery."
She stuttered, finding the situation bizarre. Did she misjudge him?
Unlike her, Nova puffed behind, knowing what would happen next.
"Bribery? That's an interesting concept."
He smirked like a predator eying its prey.
"W-What do you want? I can give you a tier-four mineral."
Feeling the gaze, dread's icy fingers wrapped around her heart, and her legs trembled. Like a rabbit standing before a tiger, her survival instinct kicked in.
Subtly, her eyes glowed golden as she muttered her scanning spell and regretted it instantly.
A tiger? No. What she saw made her legs buckle. She plopped to the ground, sweat dripping from her forehead, and her breathing beca ragged. Before her eyes stood the personification of death, wearing a multicolored mantle and wielding all the elents.
And amidst the terror, she understood Shepard's high praises. He wasn't a genius or a monster. He was an anomaly in this world, sothing that should have never existed in the first place.
Records about them were scant, but she knew their other na: mythical existences, beings who stood as overlords and the only ones who could shatter the absolute barrier limit to fight even stronger opponents.
Her mouth opened and closed, and her expression crumbled.
"I like the spell you used," he whistled, an innocent smile stretching his lips. "I also liked your comnt about the blade's decorations."
'He noticed it!' She thought, alarm bells deafening her mind.
Yet, a bright ray pierced her terror. His comnts were far from innocent, and she caught the clue.
"I can teach you the spell and advanced forging techniques up to the fourth tier."
She blurted out, hoping to fix their strained relationship. After all, who wouldn't befriend a monster?
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