Now, here I am, standing in front of the Academy Director. Anyone would be thrilled to be in the presence of someone so wealthy, but I couldn't hide my irritation at this unexpected guest.
She was an exceptionally tall woman, standing around 1.7 meters, much taller than the average woman here. She held herself with a remarkably straight and composed posture. She wore a simple yet elegant light blue robe adorned with gold thread. Her long white hair was intricately tied back. Attached to the side of her robe was a white crystal staff with a neon gemstone. Even my untrained eyes could tell that this staff was extremely valuable. Strangely, her face had very soft features, reminding me more of a kind neighbor than a person of great importance. Yet, the aura around her made her seem like a fairy; her face was both beautiful and captivating. The crow's feet at the corners of her brown eyes only enhanced the charm of her smile when she introduced herself.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Eizan," she said, extending her hand.
What should I do in this situation? Should I shake it or should someone of her status expect me to kiss it or something?
I took the safe route and shook her hand.
"Err… Nice to meet you too, Director."
The Director seemed somewhat taken aback by my introduction.
"Eizan! That's disrespectful!"
"I apologize for my nephew, Director Emilia. He just arrived and isn't familiar with formal customs." Jeff bowed his head, forcing mine down with his hand.
Apparently, when meeting someone of high status, it was customary to kneel and shake hands while bowing.
How foolish.
"Hehe, no, it's quite alright. No offense taken. And please, Eizan, call me Emilia." She laughed politely, covering her mouth with her free hand.
"I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late hour, but unfortunately, the only free time I have is after my evening meetings. I hope you don't mind," she explained, looking at me.
"Oh, is that elf beside you your friend?" Emilia chuckled, seeming to tease that Sophia was my date.
"Haha, very funny," I forced a smile.
"No, no, we appreciate you taking the time to visit our son." Jeff spoke this time.
With formalities out of the way, I began to wonder if this young woman called Director could compare to the White Witch.
Director Emilia nodded. "Indeed, it's rare for me to travel home to visit a potential student. Otherwise, even with a hundred bodies, I wouldn't be able to find the time."
"However, Jeff is a good friend and has made significant contributions to Axeris Academy. So when he excitedly told me about the prodigy living in his house, I couldn't help but be intrigued. I must say, my curiosity got the better of me. Would you mind leading me to an open space so I can see a demonstration?" She continued, her gaze fixed on me, assessing.
"At least let me eat... Ow!" Eva slapped Alex's butt before he could finish his sentence.
"Of course! Follow us, Director Emilia." Jeff led the way, guiding Director Emilia while the rest of us followed.
"Let's see if what Jeff said wasn't just an exaggeration. He didn't tell me much, except that you're a Knight. He said the rest would be a surprise." She smiled wryly, making Jeff blush.
We arrived in the backyard, and everyone took a seat, giving us enough space. Alex struggled to break free from his mother's grasp.
"You're not going to use your staff?" I began stretching.
"It wouldn't be fair for me to use a weapon when you're empty-handed, right?" She winked at me.
She had a point.
I stomped my right foot on the ground, and a body-sized piece of earth rose. I hurled the rock towards Director Emilia.
A wind wall appeared instantly in front of her, knocking the rock high into the air.
Ooh, instant casting.
I guess she wasn't just a director sitting behind a desk signing documents.
Her eyebrows raised in surprise at my sudden attack, but she quickly composed herself. I knew she didn't expect an elemental attack from me, especially since she knew I was a Knight.
I channeled Mana into my legs and propelled myself towards her.
Her expression grew more surprised as I effortlessly leaped three meters into the air with the aid of my Mana attribute skills, darkness enveloping my right fist. Using the rock that Director Emilia had just shattered as a foothold, I kicked off to gain enough momentum to hopefully breach her barrier.
The collision of our two spells created a turbulent wind, forcing the spectators to shield themselves.
The impact surprised me, but Director Emilia remained steady on her feet. Before I could regroup, she had already completed her next move as gusts of wind swirled and formed into four small tornadoes. Even without a visible command from her, the twisters shot towards me.
Gathering the Darkness Mana attribute around me, I formed a small tornado, spinning in the opposite direction of Director Goodsky's spell. Using the centrifugal force generated by my Darkness, I began spinning with it, using my hands to form blades.
The clash between the four twisters and my darkness created a small crater but otherwise left me unharmed, albeit very dizzy.
"Impressive. It seems I need to take you a bit more seriously."
In an instant, I was flung backward, my ears ringing and my vision blurry.
She was a deviant… a seasoned mage at that.
I steadied myself, glancing at my opponent, who looked at me with a rather impressed expression.
My mind raced, trying to think of various possible moves to win, but she had me in checkmate. Suppressing my pride and stubbornness, I sat down on the ground, admitting defeat.
"That's enough for a demonstration, right, Director?" I rubbed my temples.
"Yes… that's enough," she murmured. There was a long pause as she began studying me with newfound interest.
She snapped back and walked towards me.
"The element you're using seems to have a will of its own. You can't use your element continuously because it's far more powerful than you, Eizan," Director Emilia slightly bowed her head towards me.
I wasn't too surprised by her statement, as I often faced internal resistance when I tried to use it.
The noble figure who controlled the most prestigious school on the continent staggered forward, barely making it to a seat. Then, unexpectedly, she started to laugh. It began as a small chuckle but soon grew into a wild laugh that seemed to come from sheer joy.
Finally, turning back to the audience, she said, "Sophia, if I may repeat, you're a controller of the Four Higher Elements, correct?"
"Correct," Sophia answered immediately, not bothering to elaborate.
"Please demonstrate." Director Emilia's eyes grew intense, and the once friendly woman now seemed like a seasoned killer as she raised her hand, the mana around her fluctuating.
This woman…
I willed water into my right palm and a dense fireball into my left. She was eager to see, so I had to show her.
Combining the two opposing skills, I created a massive steam cloud, completely obscuring us from everyone else's view.
The steam cloud didn't last long against a wind mage, but it gave Sophia enough time to create an ice spear. Sophia immediately positioned herself after throwing the ice spear just as the steam dissipated. As expected, the director easily blocked her ice spear just before Sophia was within range to land a lightning-imbued punch. However, as before, Sophia was repelled by a powerful sound wave. Fortunately, she had reinforced mana in her ears, but there was no way for her to get close.
"Wow! I must say I'm thoroughly convinced! You both pass, Eizan, Sophia." She clapped, breaking the silence.