I couldn't believe two weeks had already passed since the duel that shocked all the students and teachers at the academy. I had been visiting Lichtalia every day until she had fully recovered. As we walked hand in hand, many students looked at us differently than before. Instead of pity or disdain, their looks now reflected admiration and respect. My reputation as the worst loser had been shattered and Lichtalia's dignity had been restored after Desmond and Teradein's defeat.
A few days earlier, Vivianne had told us to come to the tower as soon as we had fully recovered. That was why the two of us were currently walking towards the tower together.
When we arrived at the lobby of the tower, Vivianne and Rilyco were already waiting for us. Rilyco accompanied Lichtalia to the elites' room while Vivianne guided me to the room where Merlin always stayed in the tower.
"Is there something important that makes Principal Merlin want to meet me and talk face to face?"
Vivianne stared at me as if she couldn't believe what had just come out of my mouth.
"Are you kidding me? You not only defeated one of the elites but also defeated a high-ranking demon in a duel. It would be strange if Principal Merlin didn't invite you to talk privately after all that happened."
Using the magic technology developed by the Blanch clan, we quickly reached the top floor with the help of an elevator.
"I'll wait here until you're done talking." Said Vivianne, who immediately stood guard at the door while inviting me to immediately enter Merlin's room.
Inside the room, Merlin, who had been waiting and anticipating my arrival, immediately smiled and invited me to sit in front of him.
"It seems that your body has recovered and become stronger than before, Ace. You can also channel your mana to various parts of your body and start training normally."
Of course I know everything is back to normal because Merlin gave me help in a critical moment. Otherwise, let alone losing one arm, my life would not have been saved.
I quickly thanked him in person considering it was rare for anyone to see a great figure like him face to face like this.
"You have shown something truly extraordinary. Despite the fatal flaws in your body for spellcasters like us, you are capable of extraordinary feats. Things that other spellcasters may not be able to do. Saving you is an obligation for the older generation like me. Besides, there is something important that I want to talk to you about directly."
Although I was happy to be praised, I still chose to be humble.
"What I did was all possible thanks to the help of Vivianne Blanch. Without the sword she made, let alone fighting Ifrit, I might have had a hard time facing Desmond. Compared to the elites like Lichtalia or Vivianne, the current me is still nothing."
Merlin laughed as if satisfied with my response. Looking at me seriously, he said, "A tiger will not give birth to a pup. You really are just like your father."
Hearing Merlin mention my father, I was shocked and reflexively asked the question that had arisen in my mind.
"Principal Merlin, do you know anything about my father?"
Merlin realized that he had said the wrong thing because of the joy in his heart. Realizing that he couldn't hide the truth any longer, Merlin said something that made my heart beat faster.
"Ah, it seems my mouth said something unnecessary. The older you get, the harder it is for you to remember things. Ace, since you were born, you have never seen your father's figure, right? I hope you don't hate him. He didn't die or intentionally leave you who was just born. There is a reason why he had to do it. You can ask him yourself if one day he comes back to you."
I unconsciously clenched my fists as I remembered that my father had never been by my side since I was little. My mother died a week after giving birth to me due to bleeding. It made me always alone even though other clan members helped take care of me until I was teenager before moving to the Zephyr Magic Academy. The clan members that took me in always said that my father left me because of the sadness of losing his wife who gave birth to me. Honestly, I felt hurt.
If Principal Merlin knew something about my father, this was the best time to talk about it.
"Principal Merlin, please tell me what really happened to my father. Where did he go and why did he leave?"
Merlin gave me a difficult expression. In the end, what came out of his mouth were a few sentences meant to calm me down.
"Ace, I have lived for a long time and seen all kinds of hardships and happiness. As I said before, your father has his reasons and it would be better for you to ask him directly if he comes back to see you. You may feel upset because you were abandoned by your father, but all your thoughts are not entirely correct."
"Do you want to know the reason why you were able to get an invitation to enter this academy even though you know your physical condition is far from perfect for a spellcaster? It was because your father begged me a few hours before he disappeared. You must think that it was all because of your connection as an Arcane clan. You need to know that even I would not accept the four noble clan if they did not have the talent as spellcaster."
All the explanations that Merlin told me made me speechless with mixed feelings. I still felt sad and annoyed because my father had the heart to leave me since I was a baby, but I also felt happy after knowing that he cared about me so much that he was willing to beg Merlin, who was a highly respected spellcaster, and he even success to do that.
Merlin, who saw that I was better than before, finally returned to the main topic that he actually wanted to discuss. Without further ado, Merlin immediately made an offer to me.
"Ace, the reason why I called you here is because I want to offer you a vacant position in the Six Elites. You still remember that you and your teacher owe me for helping you realize your wish to duel against Teradein and Desmond, right? If you join the Six Elites, I will consider that debt paid off."
Even though Principal Merlin called it an offer, after what he said, I knew I had no right to refuse.