With a cough to recover his bearings, he tried to shove so sense into the archmage’s head. After all, he didn’t vow to avoid Elisabeth at all costs to end up shackled by her.
He bit his lips as he spoke, ignoring her ntion of forbidden knowledge since it wasn’t that relevant to his situation.
"I can’t remain with you forever. I must compete in the inter-academy tournant and have obligations with Orion and Elisabeth next year."
He noticed her scoff in ridicule until she heard Elisabeth’s na registered.
Then, the noise of her teeth cracking resounded, and he saw her jaws bulge in suppressed anger as the surrounding temperature dropped by a few degrees.
"That saintly bitch who’s lying in everyone’s face?! How are you related to her and... who are you?!"
The potent mana of an archmage flared up under her brutal rage, collapsing on him like an oppressive tsunami.
’Shit! I knew Elisabeth was far from normal, but to garner the hate of the oldest archmage when she’s only in her thirties? How did she do it?’
His mind swirled into chaos for a second before the hateful sensation of being crushed by mana pressed on him.
But what was the point of acting proud and refusing to answer? Especially when they weren’t related, and he disliked her as well.
"Calm down, Marina! I’ll explain everything from the beginning without a single lie or omission!"
She lowered her mana output to make the pressure almost bearable but still uncomfortable as her face contorted into a terrifying grimace, clearly showing him she wasn’t playing.
In a hurry, he recounted his eting with the arcanist in July and how she tried to recruit forcefully enrol him in her academy. He also insisted that he planned to escape and hide from her after the tournant.
Fortunately, Marina believed him and retracted her mana, forcing a sigh of relief out of his dry throat.
Panting because of the Kraken’s branding and the slight damage he had just sustained, he scrutinised her pensive expression until she spoke again.
"This is my last offer: renounce your schedule and remain with until the tournant starts. I’ll teach you alchemy every day while you craft items of the seventh tier. You can either return with after the competition and continue learning or swear a soul oath to never work with that bastard Beast Emperor, the bitch Elisabeth, or the soul sucker magus, and leave."
Brows creasing into a frown, he pondered the reasonable offer under her insistent gaze.
’Even if it wasn’t reasonable, I don’t really have a choice and should thank her for the opportunity to leave in a year...’
He exhaled sharply and straightened his back, worried she would change her mind if he took too long to answer. After all, the power difference and situation didn’t allow him to negotiate too much with a half-mad archmage.
"I’ll do it, but I want a tier-five mythical tendons. That’s why I braved all these dangers to reach your subrged city."
"Oh yeah! You ntioned them. I should have a few dozen useless pieces in the treasury. I’ll give you one later."
Uncaring about his constricting pupils, she opened her arms wide and raised her head towards the ceiling in a grand, welcoming gesture.
"Welco to Kumari Kandam, the cradle of magic and the only place safe from the magus’ prying eyes in the world! The barrier can endure tier-eight strikes, so no one can bother us so long as we stay inside. You can explore the city, but I gathered everything of value in the palace, so don’t waste your ti. Now, follow and let teach you."
As he gawked in awe at the history-filled city and his soul trembled in excitent, she tucked her fingers around her chin, thinking about the first recipe she could show him.
"I know! I’ll show you my speciality and why the others crawl to on their bellies! My life-extending potion!"
His eyes bulged at the revelation, and an icy shudder ran down his spine.
"Are you sure you can share that recipe?"
"Ah! You’re right. I can’t share it, but who cares? Keep it a secret, like your mana affinity and Kwa’s grimoire."
’How does she know?!’
He leapt back in shock, sizing her up warily as she voiced his deepest secret, one he had never shared with anyone! Not even Julius.
"Hehehe."
Her eyes narrowed as her nacing chuckles echoed through the silent city.
"I felt the mana absorbed by the water shackles and t the fool a thousand years ago. He stord into Rose, the capital of the Franca empire, roaring vengeance against the magus and killed Zuberi Nyota in a one versus three battle of catastrophic proportion. Did you think I wouldn’t recognise his mana conjuror’s theories and wouldn’t kill you for using them?"
’Was she playing with ?!’
As dread’s icy finger wrapped around his heart and his soul trembled, Marina’s lips curled into a mischievous grin, and her shoulders shivered in suppressed laughter.
"Hahaha! I’m joking. He ca here for a month during his travels. A charming man from the southern continent and the hermit, according to old grimoires. Ah! I should be the empress."
Ignoring his rolling eyes and pale face, she turned and began to step away.
"Bring the unconscious pirates with you. I’ll let them leave since they couldn’t hear a thing. Oh! I’m not the one who sent the sea beasts. It’s Kraky, who still believes his long-dead masters will return. So they can share a piece of their minds with it instead if they’re dissatisfied."
He gritted his teeth at the stupid joke that almost caused his soul to crumble and cursed under his breath for a second.
Then, he used mana to carry the unconscious pirates and chased behind her, admiring the old yet still pristine houses as he pondered her relationship with Shepard and her ntion of Gaston’s stupid card deck.
’Please, don’t tell she’ll speak about them when I left that fool and his delusions at the college. I can at least divert her attention by asking about Kwa. I’m interested in his life and skills.’
Despite her joke, he knew Kwa killed Zuberi Nyota a thousand years ago through his discussion with Ossian. Therefore, Marina spoke the truth and fought against him in Rose.
’For better or worse, I’m stuck with her for a year. So, let’s try to reap as many benefits as possible while I slave to furnish her wardrobe...’
A bitter taste filled his mouth as he reached the Gate and saw Flintwaters punching it with all his strength like a dented man.
’...’
’What’s this fool doing?’
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