Chapter 69 - The High Elf Professor's Gift (Part 2)
Kinue:
I watched through the window as the swift carriage sped away, and the castle gradually faded from view.
"Until next time... my first friends..." I murmured, as they disappeared from sight. A small tear rolled down my cheek.
One day, we'll meet again... and we'll play together, just like before.
I returned to my seat, glancing at the professor who was holding a sword of light.
"What are you doing, Lady Adrihna?"
She kept her focus on the sword.
"Nathan's sword didn't break, not even once, and it managed to pierce my shield after a few strikes. That thing was truly made of thunder. What he did was craft a sword of wind and trap his element inside it... something both physical and energetic. It's definitely powerful... but it completely drained his mana reserves, which are still quite low since he's only recently awakened to magic," she explained, analyzing her yellow sword of light. I noticed she was trying to replicate what Nathan had done, inserting another blade of light into her sword.
"He's the only one who can make a sword like that... but it was very unstable," she added.
I remembered what he did and nodded.
"He's far beyond what a newly awakened mage should be. I'm a few years ahead of him and I can't even compare to what he did..."
The professor looked at me.
"Don't compare yourself to Nathan Evenhart. It's precisely because of his rapid progress that you shouldn't compare yourself to him. Some people are simply prodigies in magic, and he's one of them. What he's capable of at eight years old, I haven't seen even High Elves accomplish in a hundred years. But that doesn't mean you won't become a powerful mage. You have talent and the advantage of your demi-human heritage. You're just on a different path."
"I'm not upset that he's surpassed me... I'm... proud."
As soon as I said that, the professor looked at me, adjusting her monocle, and smiled.
"Are you getting fond of Nathan Evenhart?" she asked.
"WHAT!? No, I'm not!"
"Hahahaha," the professor laughed heartily. "I've spent the last few months reading nothing but romance novels, and you're blushing and denying it immediately. Those are the classic signs of a shy, side character with a secret crush who shows up in the middle of the story, hahaha."
"Y-you're wrong! I'm not in love... I just like being friends with him," I said, turning my face away.
I'm so embarrassed...
"Not in love? What a pity... I could've helped if you were..." she said.
"C-could you? How?"
"Of course, but only if you really wanted it," she teased.
"And how... how would that work? Just... just out of curiosity."
Professor Adrihna grinned.
"In the novels I've read, women often wait until they're more... developed before they capture the heart of the man they like. As you grow older, you'll become more... developed, at least by human standards."
"Developed? I don't get it."
The professor placed her hands on her chest and wiggled them.
"Professor... that's so embarrassing..." I muttered, feeling my face burn as I turned away.
Calm down... she's just being herself...
"Do you... think I'll become prettier?"
"Of course, everyone already calls you cute wherever you go. Focus on getting stronger with your element and mastering your beast form. Catch his attention not just with your beauty but also with your talent. Don't worry, though; you'll have a chance to be close to him since you'll be growing up together."
I made a puzzled face.
"What do you mean by 'growing up together,' professor?"
The professor looked at me and laughed.
Adrihna snapped her fingers, and suddenly the horses stopped and began to turn the carriage back in the other direction.
"I just had an excellent idea to shake up that boy's life."
"What are you going to do?"
She took out a book from her storage bracelet.
"I'm going to spice up this plot. From today onwards, you'll be living with the Evenharts... hahahaha."
"WHAT!?"
She looked at me, laughing.
"It's all right. I'd need to train you for battle at some point anyway, and seeing how interested you were when you practiced with Martha helped me make this decision. Remember, I can only teach you magic—I'm not a warrior."
I couldn't believe it. We were heading back towards the castle.
"Are you abandoning me?" I asked.
"No. I'll always come to stay here for a while since the boy and his mother are also elves. If you want, you can refuse my offer and just visit them occasionally with me." She snapped her fingers, and the carriage stopped.
The professor looked at me.
"The choice is yours, Kinue. Do you want to stay here and grow up with them, or live with an old High Elf who spends her days reading?"
"I… I want both."
She shook her head.
"I have my duties at the academy and within the elven kingdom's nobility. I can only come here every four months or so. The choice is yours. You can stay with them for a few months and experience what it's like to grow up with other children, or come with me and wait until I visit them."
It was a very difficult decision for me to make. The professor had been with me for four years and had changed my life. I didn't want to turn her down.
She sighed.
"I'm not abandoning you, and you're not abandoning me, my princess."
Princess?
"I'm just giving you the chance to live and see the world, as I told you I would. You can always leave whenever you want. It's not forever, just a little break from this old elf. When I visit, you can come with me or stay with them. The choice will always be yours. What do you want to do?"
"And what about our training?"
"When I visit, I can help you, and we'll have all the time in the world when you live with me at the academy in a few years."
Professor Adrihna looked at me, and I lowered my head.
"I liked living with them. Do you think they'll accept me? It's different living here as your assistant than just suddenly moving in with them…"
She placed her hand on my head and ruffled my hair.
"They're good people, even though they're a peculiar family. Of course, they'll accept you, and technically, you're all family… you'll be living together sooner or later."
"Family?"
"That High Elf ancestor of yours is like a grandfather to you, Nathan, and Katherine. So those people are your family."
I have a family? I thought I would live my life alone. Does that mean… they were my family all along, and I didn't know it? Why didn't the professor tell me earlier?
"Why are you helping me, Professor?"
"Because I want you to have a childhood. The time to live with the old High Elves will come eventually. So, what do you say? Do you want to grow up with friends or continue alone?"
I lower my head and think about my choice.
"I… want to live with my friends, but I also want to live with you. I'll stay with them for a while, and then I can stay with you. I want to live with both, and whenever you visit, I can switch homes."
She nods in agreement.
"I told you I'd help you with a romantic interest."
I blush.
"I'm not thinking about that… they're my friends above all."
She laughs.
"Childhood friends who build a background with the protagonist have a better chance, but the story always shakes up when a new heroine arrives. You're going to be both—a childhood friend and a new heroine, hahaha."
I listen to the professor, but I don't understand any of it.
"I think you should stop reading those stories…"
The carriage starts moving back towards the castle.
"I've grown fond of those romantic stories, and I'm doing this for you… and also because I want to mess with that boy. He's been giving me a lot of trouble, hehe."
Nathan Evenhart:
I returned to my room, and as soon as I closed the door behind me—
'Squaaak!'—I was tackled to the ground by an irritated Cylla, who immediately started licking my face.
Looks like they finally let you out of your confinement.
"Stop it, you little pig! You're slobbering all over me!" I tried to push her off, but it was no use.
'Squaaak!' She continued to slobber all over my face, trapping me in her deadly embrace.
"Fine, fine! I'll let you crush me today since you haven't seen me much lately."
The moment I said that, she squeezed me even harder.
"Easy there, you idiot! That hurts! I'm just a kid!"
I stayed pinned to the floor, wrapped up in her furry embrace for a while, but eventually, I managed to escape.
"Finally free..." I muttered, stretching my limbs.
"At least the silent treatment between us is over. I hated being ignored. Not that you didn't ignore me before… but with those other people around, I was certain you wouldn't pay me any attention," said Athena, lying beside me on the bed.
I looked at the crazy goddess beside me.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"Where else would I be?"
"I don't know, like… DEAD!" I said to her. "Are you really the goddess Athena? Let's be honest here. Are you really her?"
The goddess Athena shrugged.
"If I told you, it'd ruin the fun."
"Then I'm fucked..."
"We're both fucked, Icarus. Do you think I want to be here?"
I looked at her.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you'd want to torment me even after death."
She laughed.
"You're right, I definitely would do something like that. Hahahahaha!" she burst into laughter.
I pulled a pillow over my face, trying to hide.
"Stop being such a baby. I don't have a choice; I'm stuck here with you, so at least talk to me."
"No..." I muttered from under the pillow.
She sighed. "General Icarus... I can't believe you're really acting like a little kid."
"Fine, I'll give you all the attention in the world and always talk to you."
"Finally!" she cheered.
I peeked out from under the pillow. "Just answer one thing for me. How did Kinue manage to see you?"
The smile instantly vanished from her face.
"Conversation's over, Icarus. I'm out," she said, getting up.
"Oh, now who's acting like a little kid?" I teased.
"I'm a sweet and adorable little girl on the inside, remember?" she said with a smile.
I ignored her and turned over, trying to take a nap.
"Damned goddess... even in death, you come back to haunt me..."
'Slam!' The door burst open with a loud bang.
I shot up, startled. "Chloe?"
My cousin stood there, grinning.
"Kinue's going to live with us!"