Despite her petite and cute appearance, Lucy was someone who believed in order. She was just as strict with instructions as she was frugal with compliments. However, just now, she said something that surprised even her audience.
"Voidbringer and White... they're exceptional," she said. For someone like her who valued hard-earned results stemming from genuine actions, commending two newcomers felt strange.
"Well, it's good you think so highly of them, but..." Rose started to say.
"Your other subordinates are highly skilled too. If we groom them well, they should be more than able. That is, if you groom them well," Lucy interrupted, flashing Rose and Null a sharp look. A smug smile appeared on her face as she rested her back on her seat, waiting for what came next.
"Are you trying to imply that I won't be able to handle it? Is that it?" Rose muttered, her fist tightening.
Null was quiet, as always, but even he, looked affronted by Lucy's words. This showed the dedication they both had to their jobs as team leaders.
"I'm not implying anything. Didn't I just compliment you two?" Lucy shrugged lightly.
"O-oh, yeah..." Rose and Null exchanged awkward glances, then nodded at each other.
"Fine. I'll do my best to train them. But in the very unlikely event that they're not ready by the time of the mission, please don't let them go," Rose said.
Lucy affirmed Rose's words and also saw that Null was in agreement. One would think the presence of his mask and the fact that he hardly spoke would limit his ability to express himself, but Null was well understood by everyone in the room.
"I'm sure you won't disappoint. After all, the only reason you two are still in B Class is because of your team-leading and teaching skills. You should have been promoted a long time ago," Lucy added.
A Class officials operated solo missions, while B and C Class had teams they led, depending on the type of Link they were assigned to. Since Rose and Null were so good at their jobs, they were left in their current positions within the Society, of course with their consent.
"I really don't know what I'd do without you two," Lucy sighed.
"I'm pretty sure you say that to the others." Rose smiled.
"Damn straight. Those A Class guys need to feel special. But you don't see me talking about these issues with them, do you?" Rose and Null shook their heads.
"That shows how much trust I place in you. I don't even need to say anything more, do I? We go way back, after all."
All three smiled at each other. Well, they could only assume Null was smiling given the mask on his face.
"Well, that's about it. Any questions?" Lucy asked.
There was a moment of silence in the room until Null raised his hands.
"Oh? What is it?" Lucy asked.
Pointing his finger in the empty space before him, Null began to write in midair. Letters began to form as his fingers moved with elegant precision and great speed. Before long, his question floated in the air.
"Who do you think is more exceptional, Voidbringer or White?" he asked.
Lucy smiled upon seeing his question. She hadn't expected someone like him to be so interested in such things.
"Why are you suddenly interested?" she asked.
"Just curious," he responded, writing in the air once again.
"Well, are you curious too, Rose?" Lucy's smile widened.
"Well, yes. But I have a good idea of who it is. After all, I was the one coordinating the exams," Rose replied.
"You realize that White didn't use his full power in the exams, right?" Null chimed in.
"Neither did Voidbringer. And I didn't even say he was superior," Rose retorted.
"We all know what you meant..." Null replied.
"Why do you even bother with the ellipsis and punctuations? I can't ever get you..." Lucy said, trying to defuse the argument between Rose and Null before it escalated.
"Voidbringer is more exceptional, in my opinion," she said, changing the subject. Her words were enough to halt the heated conversation between the two, causing them to look at her. Rose had a smug look on her face
"I say it's Voidbringer, not because he's stronger, but because he was suddenly thrust into this whole thing, yet he possesses such power. White has been groomed for years, and the only thing we were waiting for was for him to turn 18 before he could join the Society. He has had more experience and more chances to grow."
In contrast, Matt had never really used his powers until the exams, yet he was able to exceed the Magia limit.
"There were three warnings for Voidbringer, and only one for White. That means the intensity and Magia concentration in Voidbringer's battle were greater. Both White and Voidbringer also didn't display any signs of Magia exhaustion, so we can only conclude that they have a large pool of Magia."
In addition, both their Imagi were powerful.
"They're both in the starting phase now, so it's a bit too early to tell, but I'm more curious about Voidbringer. Does that answer your question?" Lucy looked at Null.
"Yes. Thank you, director," replied Null.
With the conversation practically over, Lucy excused the two from her office. "I expect great things from you and your team," she said before they both left, still arguing on their way out. It seemed she didn't really do anything to stop their disagreement. One could even argue that she fanned the flames of the discord. Fortunately, it was all over the moment they shut the door to her office, leaving her alone.
"Haa… things are getting more complicated than I would like," Lucy sighed. Her mind went to the current issues she was facing, as well as the future events that were already rearing their heads. There was a lot to think about, and even more to prepare for.
"This is all a bother, but I must carry your burden, Dad," she said, closing her eyes. "If I don't do it… who will?"
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[END OF ARC 1: ORIGIN OF THE VOIDBRINGER]
A/N: Please support this book, and help me out as we progress to an even better Arc.
Coming next: Rise Of The Voidbringer Arc