Chapter 140: A cold elf as a professor
Kaiser stopped two steps from her, hands plunged in his pockets.
"No question this ti. I just wanted to... chat a little."
She finally raised her head, her finely featured face a mask of impassivity.
"Chat? With ? You have a very particular sense of humor. But I am not your friend."
A relaxed smile ford on Kaiser’s lips. "Your classes are excellent, Professor. Really. You explain concepts with impressive clarity." He paused, his gaze holding hers. "And you are very beautiful when you are angry."
Seraphina raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Easy complints do not impress . And this is inappropriate coming from a student."
"Ah... So I should make them more difficult?"
He then slipped his hand into the inner pocket of his vest and pulled out a small tinted glass vial, which he gently placed on the edge of the lectern. A bluish liquid slowly swirled inside.
Seraphina lowered her eyes to the object, her curiosity piqued despite herself. "What is it?"
"A spiritual resonance potion. I thought it might interest you."
Seraphina took the vial between her thumb and index finger, raising it to the light hanging from the ceiling. She observed it for a long mont, scrutinizing the dance of the essences, before setting it back on the wood with a small sharp click.
"It is extrely expensive... At least 30 gold pieces. Where did you get this?"
"I bought it, it wasn’t difficult, I’m rich."
"What do you want?" she asked, frowning.
"It’s just a gift, Lady Seraphina."
She crossed her arms, a posture that accentuated her slender build. "Why should I trust a human who spends his ti disrupting my teaching with untily interruptions?"
"Because I am sincere when I say I admire your mastery. And because you are magnificent." He indicated the vial with his gaze. "Your eyes have exactly the color of this potion, you know."
A silence followed. Then, against all expectations, Seraphina’s severe lips softened imperceptibly. She sighed...
’Anyway, this is neither the first ti nor the last ti soone falls under her charm.’ She thought.
"You are ridiculous."
"Perhaps. But it seems that doesn’t displease you in the least. May I at least have a smile as a reward?"
"Do not cross the line, student!"
Kaiser inclined his head slightly, accepting the rebuff without being affected. "Then I will persevere until it is a real smile."
Seraphina shook her head, and when she spoke, a nuance of weariness had replaced the hostility in her tone. "You are exasperatingly tenacious. It is deeply irritating."
"You know." He began, his voice low tinged with gentleness. "Usually, I am rather distant." He raised his eyes, his gaze settling on Seraphina. "But with you, it’s different," he added, sketching a smile.
She looked at Kaiser for a mont before picking up her staff and circling the lectern to descend from the platform. "Keep your potion. I have no use for gifts from a student." Yet, instead of leaving the room imdiately, she stopped at his level. Their gazes t again, and he could see that he towered over her. "And stop interrupting
during my classes. Next ti, I will have you escorted out. Understood?"
Kaiser nodded, his smile persisting. "Promised. No more idiotic questions."
She stared at him for another second, her eyes scrutinizing his.
"It’s Kaiser... Kaiser D. Paragon..."
"I don’t care!"
Then, without another word, she turned on her heels. Her long cape billowed in her wake as she disappeared through the side door leading no doubt to her office.
Kaiser remained alone in the silence of the room. His gaze settled on the small vial and he carefully put it away in his pocket.
"We’re making progress," he murmured to himself, before leaving in turn.
Kaiser left the empty room and crossed the corridors of the building. His steps echoed on the floor. Without the slightest hesitation, he headed toward Director Daeron’s office. Arriving in front of the heavy door, he knocked three tis, calmly.
A deep voice resounded from inside, imdiately followed by a brief order.
"Enter."
Kaiser pushed the panel and entered the spacious and orderly room. On the other side, Daeron was seated behind his desk, slumped behind a pile of docunts spread out in front of him. He raised his eyes from his papers, and his irises t Kaiser’s.
"What brings you here, Kaiser?" he asked, while indicating a seat while rubbing his eyes full of dark circles.
"No need, Director..."
Kaiser remained standing, hands plunged in his pockets. He ignored the invitation.
"I ca to make a request."
Daeron set his quill down with a light click and crossed his fingers on the desk. He thought for a mont, then his gaze beca slightly sharper.
"Don’t tell
you’re already planning to challenge one of the top 50 students?"
Kaiser shook his head, a slight ironic smile at the corner of his lips.
"I do intend to take the place of one of those incompetents sooner or later, that’s certain. But that’s not for today. I’m here for a completely different reason."
"In that case, enlighten ," Daeron replied, visibly intrigued. "And what is it?"
"I would like to benefit from private lessons," Kaiser declared.
Daeron’s eyebrows rose noticeably. He leaned back against the back of his leather armchair, clearly surprised.
"Really? That’s unexpected. I would never have thought to hear such a request from you. It’s rather hard to believe, given your... independence."
"And yet it is the truth," Kaiser replied calmly, holding the director’s gaze. "I wish to enroll for private lessons in elentary magic."
Daeron observed him in silence for several seconds, as if searching for any trace of irony or ulterior motive. Finding none, he let out a light sigh.
"May I know what pushes you to make such a request?"
Kaiser shrugged slightly.
"Nothing particular that deserves to be detailed. I simply want to deepen my understanding of elentary magic, that’s all."
The director stared at him for another mont, then slowly nodded, deciding not to dig further.
"Hmmm. I see. Very well, in that case, I will write you a letter of recomndation."
He took a blank sheet of parchnt, dipped his quill in the inkwell, and wrote a few lines in elegant handwriting. A minute later, he folded the docunt, sealed it with a sharp tap of his wand, and handed it to Kaiser.
"Here. Take this to Lady Seraphina. She is, without a doubt, the best placed to teach you solid foundations... as well as the most advanced subtleties of elentary magic."
"Thank you, Director," Kaiser said, taking the sealed parchnt.
"Oh, you’re welco," Daeron replied with a light wave of his hand. "I’m sincerely glad to have been able to facilitate this. If you really want to thank , let
take a look at your swords."
"Ah... I would like to, but I left them in my manor."
Kaiser inclined his head slightly, turned around, and left the office without another word. The door closed behind him with a discreet click, leaving the director alone with his thoughts.
...
Reviews
All reviews (0)