Behind the veil of gentleness, Kora could see something... terrible. He just didn't know how to phrase it, but he had a gut feeling that he fucked up.
"Amazing..." The Queen exclaimed beaming with unparalleled happiness.
'Fuck!' Kora cursed internally but showed a surprised expression on his face. He could already tell, by the looks and peculiar features of the woman in front of him, that she was Nixie fairy. And the fact that this Nixie fairy was bursting with power, along with her matching facial attributes to Arcene, adding on the fact that this woman was in the Academy, Kora guessed she was the Queen. Since King mostly dealt with political and military matters, while the Queen dealt with the teaching sector and added more firepower in the military.
"Beautiful." Kora flattered with a smile, so fake, that even the Queen felt Kora was displeased with her.
Only now, she noticed that Kora was hovering in the air, horizontally, on a blanket of blue materialized Qi, and not vertically like she was. "Oh sorry!" She snapped her fingers, covering Kora in swirling, silvery blinding embers as they both vanished from their places.
Kora gawked at her powers but kept his mouth shut as there was no way he could escape from an Elemental Lord, succumbing to himself in the hands of fate. Elemental Lord Realm came after Ace-Tribulation Realm and so far in the entire Glipike Kingdom, only a handful of individuals, that could be counted on fingers reached that level of power. Most Elemental Lords were from the Royal family and it was unknown whether someone else managed to reach that Realm or not.
As Kora opened his eyes, his eyes scuttled around the room only to see a man and woman inside with the Queen standing beside him. Queen was slightly shorter than him at 1.8 meters while Kora was around 1.9 meters tall. When he saw Sofie, he instantly realized her identity but he didn't know about the man next to Sofie. Sofie was the Grand Duke, who had relations to the territory in which Kora lived in, as she has made a name for herself for being absolutely loyal to the crown. With so many powerful individuals inside, Kora deduced that the man's identity could at least be at the same level, probably a Duke.
'Fucking bitch! Pulling me into your political games?' Kora although was displeased, he was not angry, he didn't have any emotions, except sensual ones.
"I am here to announce that I have decided to make you my disciple..." The Queen muttered with a small smile as Kora almost lost his footing. She looked at the two individuals in front of her, as she displayed a 'gentle' smile, "I hope you wouldn't mind me training a promising cultivator?"
"Of course not!" Sofie bowed slightly and gladly accepted this proposal as it would mean, a new Ace talent would be added to Royal's Faction, and Sofie as a loyal subject would never reject such a tempting offer as she has always been rewarded for her fealty.
Zalark's stomach twisted into grimace but outwardly remained calm as he countered, "But, This is going against the neutral rules of the Academy. Your preferential treatment wouldn't look good in the eyes of nobles."
The Queen's wings fluttered slightly, showing her displeasure, "When did I say I will give him better treatment or resources? I will only teach him how to use weapons, and Qi effectively, the rest is up to him to make use of the skills I impart in him and become useful for the glory of the Glipike Kingdom."
Zalark could only grumble inwardly as the point made by the Queen shunned him from coming up with a counter.
The Queen looked deeply into Kora's azure eyes, "So it's decided, from today onwards I will be taking Void as my disciple!"
Kora could have tried to escape from the Queen's clutches and reject her offer if he was alone, but every move that Queen made further pressurized Kora to not have any other option except to become her disciple, 'Apple doesn't fall far from the tree...No wonder Arcene is such a bitch!'
From the moment Queen brought him into viewing chambers, Kora knew she was panning ahead to make him yield. She purposefully brought him here, instead of directly giving him an offer. In lieu of him, Zalark was the one denying the offer as the Queen shut him up to make Kora realize that he had no other option. If a Duke and a GrandDuke, along with the Queen agree with the Queen's proposal, who was a nobody like Kora? He had to bend his knee and accept the suggestion.
'Well played,' Kora exhibited a small smile as he feigned ignorance, "And who might you be to make decisions on my behalf, beautiful lady?" He still had some cards to play to get out of this predicament.
"..." Sofie narrowed her eyes, "Insolence, young man, how could you not recognize the Queen of the Glipike Kingdom?"
"R-Really?" Kora 'stuttered' and looked at the Queen who was already deep in thought, faking a fearful expression, he added while getting on his knees, "Forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty! A commoner like me doesn't deserve your grace!! I-I am not apt to be taught by the Queen herself after the poor disposition I have displayed." He spoke in a wobbly tone while begging for mercy.
"Yes, Your Majesty! He doesn't deserve to be taught by you!" Sophie suggested with furrowed brows.
Zalark was quite happy with the development so he stayed silent, approving Sophie's stand.
The Queen's brows twitched slightly, while her lips curved up mischievously, "That won't be necessary, Sophie." She waved her arm and as if by magic, Kora stood up on his feet, "Inside the Academy, I am just an overseer," The Queen turned towards Sofie as she smirked, "If youngsters don't make mistakes then who would?" She extended her eyes back to Kora who knitted his brows at the Queen's tactics, "As your teacher, it would be my task to teach you everything, along with manners and names and faces of all the influential people in the Glipike Kingdom, Void."
Kora sighed internally, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The Queen took out a messaging talisman from her storage ring and sent a message after which, the doors of the viewing chambers opened instantly as a beautiful Ralvuzeth with black sclera-less eyes, long black hair in maid robes entered with quick strides.
"Follow me," She spoke in a neutral tone, while looking towards Kora, and turned around immediately, giving no room for further talks.
'Sigh...Fate doesn't want to let me do things according to my way...' Unwillingly, he followed the Ralvuzeth, who led through the serene puzzle-like hallways. At first, Kora was silent, thinking she would lead him towards some courtyard, but soon his expressions slightly changed to a frown. The more they walked, the more Kora felt like something was wrong.
The Ralvuzeth turned towards a normal wall and waved her fingers in esoteric gestures, then she tapped a few bricks. And soon, a door made up of bricks opened.
'Oh no... She doesn't want to kill me, then what does want?' Kora's brain ran at top gears to solve the puzzle but nothing came to his mind. He couldn't afford to run as the Ralvuzeth's cultivation base was much higher than him.
Reluctantly, he followed the Ralvuzeth on an excruciatingly long walk through a narrow underground tunnel, adorned with white marbles.
The hallway came to an end with two doors on opposite sides, making Kora frown even deeper. The Ralvuzeth stood in front of a door and opened it after performing some esoteric gestures again.
He stood silent as she just stepped aside, indicating Kora to go inside alone. Helplessly Kora stepped forth and as soon as he entered, the door behind him closed.
He raised his brows at the scene in front of him.
It was a boudoir, with a luxurious bed in the middle, a mirror at one end with a seat in front of the mirror. A chandelier at the ceiling, glowing the entire room, devoid of any shadows, while the room looked incredibly girly because of the minute decorations all around.
"Thank god, it isn't the torture chamber again!" Kora chuckled amusedly and sat on the soft bed.
*Creek!*
The doors of the room opened, shortly after, and a Nixie fairy appeared.
"WHO ARE YOU?" She yelled in shock!
'Arcene?'