Chapter 141 - The Elf Girl and the Wolf Girl
Nathan Evenhart:
" What do you think you're doing?!" a voice suddenly shouted, interrupting me.
I looked around and realized I wasn't alone. A door in the back was slightly ajar, and that's where the voice had come from. I turned and saw a very beautiful elf girl. She had blonde hair and blue eyes that matched her light blue dress. The expression on her face clearly showed her discontent.
"I'm just looking at the sword," I responded, not understanding the reason for her outburst.
"Are you crazy? Those swords belonged to the knights who founded the city. They're a historical artifact!" she exclaimed.
Quickly, I removed my hands from the sword, surprised by her reaction.
"Is it a crime to touch these swords?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"No..." she murmured, looking away with a bit of embarrassment.
I glanced back at the sword, trying to sense any mana, but there was nothing special about it.
It's just a regular sword.
"Then why can't I touch it?" I asked, still confused.
Suddenly, a laugh echoed through the room, and another girl appeared from a side room. She had wolf ears and a confident posture. It was clear she was a demi-human.
"I got scolded by this stuck-up too," the wolf girl said, laughing. "I found out she wants to be an archaeologist and hates it when people mess with these little swords."
The blonde elf turned red instantly.
"I told you not to tell anyone!" she shouted, embarrassed and irritated.
The wolf girl just laughed louder.
"So that's why?" I asked, surprised by the explanation.
The elf puffed out her chest, trying to maintain some dignity despite the situation.
"These swords are displayed out in the hall during the ceremony to honor the knights who founded this place, as a tribute to them and the new generation of students. The ones here were left to honor us," she explained proudly.
I was impressed by the historical importance that came with them.
"You're pretty smart," I said, giving the elf girl a playful look, while the wolf girl let out a loud laugh.
"You just don't want her to start telling you the history of every name on the sword. She'll turn into a parrot and never stop," the wolf girl joked, stepping closer to me.
The blonde elf began to complain, clearly annoyed by the comment, but the demi-human girl ignored her and approached me with a mischievous grin on her face.
"I'm Thyra," she said, extending her hand confidently.
"Nice to meet you, Nathan," I replied, shaking her hand. However, as soon as I did, I felt the pressure of her grip increasing.
She's strong…
Thyra began squeezing my hand with surprising intensity, and I could feel my fingers silently protesting.
'Bzzzt!' A blue spark ran through my hand.
"Hey! What was that!?" Thyra quickly let go of my hand, shaking hers in the air as if trying to shake off the pain. "I just wanted to give you the 'Thyra baptism!'" she said, laughing but clearly intrigued by what had just happened.
The blonde elf walked up, rolling her eyes.
"She does this to everyone she meets. She's crazy," the elf said, clearly used to Thyra's antics.
Thyra continued to stare at my hand, curious.
"How did you do that?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with interest.
I raised my hand and let a few sparks run along my fingers.
"You shocked me?!" Thyra shouted, surprised. "That power is badass!"
The blonde elf eyed me more closely.
"Thunder element? That explains why you were chosen. It's pretty rare for someone to have that element," she murmured, watching the sparks dance across my hand.
I looked around and noticed there was a representative from each race in the room, likely the most talented from their respective exams.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Syvis," said the elf, now friendlier, extending her hand for a handshake.
I greeted her, and suddenly, the door swung open.
A wolf-woman with an eyepatch walked in, radiating an aura of authority.
"Aunt! Finally, you're here! I want to get back to training already," Thyra said, excited.
The wolf-woman sighed.
"You need to get through the ceremony without complaining," the woman with the eyepatch said, giving Thyra a firm look.
Thyra slumped into her seat, grumbling and muttering under her breath.
"Director Victoria, are you here to give us the speech?" Syvis asked curiously.
"Me? You think I'd waste my time on that? Hahaha," Victoria laughed nonchalantly. "Someone else will come and hand you a script with what you need to say. Don't worry, you just have to read it, no memorizing required."
"Then why are you here?" Syvis asked, confused.
The wolf-woman walked up to me, her steps steady, and placed a hand on my shoulder. She was a bit taller than me, and her pats on the back were so strong they felt more like slaps.
"I came to check on this little guy," she said, still laughing.
I was surprised.
She came to see me? What for?
"Nathan Evenhart, I'm the Director of this academy, and for a time, I was the master of a famous high elf named Adrihna… ever heard of her?" she asked, still laughing. "I know about your special case... or at least part of it, which Adrihna told me. There's an opportunity for you, and I want to hear your answer. You can either give the speech as an honorary student, or you can pass your spot to someone else. What do you say?"
Finally, a chance to get out of this speech! I had tried to decline before, but both my aunt and Adrihna told me it wouldn't look good. Now, here was my opportunity.
"What do you mean, pass it to someone else? That's absurd!" Syvis asked, clearly offended.
"I'll pass my spot," I said without hesitation.
Victoria clicked her tongue, disappointed.
"I wanted to annoy that woman more..." the director muttered. "All sorted. I'll inform the event administration."
Before I could say anything else, Syvis stepped in front of us, looking surprised by my decision.
"You're giving up this opportunity? Every year, three students are chosen, and their names are recorded forever in this school's history. This has been a tradition for centuries, since its founding. Are you really going to do that?" Syvis asked, clearly incredulous.
"I am," I answered, feeling a genuine sense of relief.
The blonde elf froze, her face showing complete confusion.
"He's crazy... He's crazy..." she muttered, seemingly unable to believe what she was hearing.
"Hahahaha," the director laughed, slapping my back with enough force that I felt it all the way through. At that moment, it became clear that she and Thyra were definitely related — both had that same rough, energetic demeanor.
Maybe Chloe's a demi-human too? Sometimes she's as rough as a monster. I laughed to myself at the thought.
"The benefit of meeting the monarchs will remain, don't worry," said the director as she left the room.
I'd be happier if I could avoid this too. I'm not at all interested in seeing that human king. But at least I managed to avoid drawing attention.
"I couldn't care less about meeting those idiots. The only one I'd be happy to see is the queen of my kingdom," said Thyra casually.
"Hey!" Syvis shouted, clearly offended.
"Sorry, but we demi-humans respect the top of our own hierarchy more. The Beast Queen earns our respect through her power and strength," Thyra explained, shrugging.
So, it's true. I had studied that the demi-human kingdom is ruled by a powerful woman, a lioness.