Candace blinked, her mind struggling to catch up. Did the professor just… jump off the ship?
Without thinking, she rushed to the railing, gripping it tightly as she leaned over to scan the sky below. All she could see at first was the vast sea of clouds stretching endlessly, with green hills rolling far beneath them. Then, something caught her eye—a streak of golden light, racing forward at an astonishing speed. It was heading directly toward the wyverns.
"What—" she began, but her words were cut short as an elderly man suddenly appeared at her side, seemingly out of nowhere.
"Oh, you've come to watch as well, Miss Lionheart?" August asked casually, his gaze fixed on Venera as she hurtled through the air. His tone was so calm, so matter-of-fact, that it left Candace momentarily speechless.
"I—I asked to stay and watch, Chancellor," Candace stammered, fumbling over her words in a way that felt foreign to her. "I can leave if you'd prefer."
"No need. You're free to observe if you wish," August replied, stroking his long beard thoughtfully. "Although, at this distance, you won't see much of the action."
Without looking away from the sky, he snapped his fingers, and two simple pairs of reading glasses materialized in his hand. "Farsight glasses," he explained, holding one pair out to her. "Would you care for a pair, Miss Lionheart?"
Candace hesitated, glancing between the glasses and the shrinking golden streak that was Venera. Before she could decide, a shriek pierced the air, distant but bone-chilling. One of the wyverns. The sound sent a shiver down her spine, and she quickly snatched the offered glasses, slipping them on with slightly shaking hands.
Beside her, August chuckled softly as he put on his own pair. "Good choice," he said, his tone carrying a note of amusement.
The lenses sharpened her view instantly, bringing the distant scene into startling clarity. Candace's breath caught as she focused on the professor, her golden glow blazing brighter as she streaked toward the oncoming threat.
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Venera soared through the air, her golden aura enveloping her like a shield, radiating warmth and light as it flowed around her. The wyverns loomed ahead, dark shapes against the pale blue sky, their leathery wings beating rhythmically. She dove lower, piercing through the dense blanket of clouds, the mist parting around her as she emerged into clearer air below. Now just a few hundred feet beneath the cluster of wyverns, she steadied herself, her focus sharpening.
With a deep breath, she cast her spell. Twin muskets materialized before her, glowing with the same golden light as her aura. Each weapon hovered for a moment before she grabbed them, one in each hand, she surged upward, flying fast and true beneath the trailing wyvern in the group.
She pulled both triggers.
The muskets roared, twin beams of golden light streaking forward. The beams hit the wyvern squarely, piercing through its scaled body. The creature let out a guttural scream, its wings faltering as it spiraled out of control. Within seconds, it was plummeting toward the earth below, vanishing into the green expanse.
The cry of their fallen comrade alerted the rest of the wyverns. They turned in unison, sharp eyes locking onto Venera as they began to circle her like vultures. She hovered, her golden aura brightening as she tracked their movements, her gaze calm but unyielding.
The first to strike was a larger wyvern, its red scales gleaming as it dove toward her with claws outstretched. Venera twisted in mid-air, narrowly dodging its talons. She spun gracefully, her muskets already aimed at its retreating back. With a sharp pull of the triggers, a barrage of golden blasts tore into the creature, felling it silently as it plummeted lifelessly to the ground.
Two more wyverns closed in from either side, their icy breath cutting through the air in twin streams of frost. Venera darted upward, narrowly avoiding the freezing blast. As she ascended, she summoned two additional muskets to her side. They floated briefly before their barrels trained onto the enemies below. With four weapons now at her disposal, she unleashed a relentless volley of light, the blasts tearing through the creatures with precision. Both wyverns fell, their bodies limp as they tumbled downward.
"One left…" she murmured, her sharp eyes scanning the skies.
It took a moment, but she spotted the last wyvern retreating in the distance, its wings beating frantically as it fled. Venera dispelled her muskets with a flick of her wrist, the golden weapons dissolving into wisps of light. In their place, she summoned another musket—this one far more ornate. Its silver barrel gleamed brilliantly, and intricate bronze carvings adorned its stock, catching the sunlight like a work of art.
Raising the musket, Venera took aim, her aura steadying her even as the wind rushed around her. She exhaled slowly, lining the wyvern perfectly in her sights.
She fired.
The musket cracked like thunder, a golden orb the size of a cannonball erupting from the barrel. The projectile streaked across the sky and struck true, blasting a massive hole through the retreating wyvern's back. The creature faltered, a strangled cry escaping it before it too fell, vanishing into the horizon.
Venera lowered the musket, letting out a breath as the tension eased from her body. The air was silent now, Verena looked down at the musket in her hands before tossing it aside. It fell for a moment before it disappeared into a golden wisp.
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Candace slowly removed the farsight glasses, her hands trembling slightly. The fight was over. All five wyverns had been killed, their forms vanishing into the distant landscape below. She stood frozen at the railing, her mind racing to process what she had just witnessed.
Her professor—Venera Osiros—had single-handedly decimated the creatures in a matter of minutes.
It was nothing short of incredible.
Wyverns were no ordinary foes. Their scales were said to be as tough as steel, a natural armor that made them formidable opponents even for seasoned mages. They were cunning hunters, their agility and deadly breath attacks a challenge few could face alone. And yet, Venera had made it look effortless. Every movement had been precise, every spell executed with power and grace.
Candace's heart pounded as she replayed the battle in her mind. This wasn't the relaxed, occasionally clumsy professor who taught magic theory and scolded students for forgetting their visualization exercises. This was someone else entirely—someone dangerous, powerful, and deeply skilled.
She glanced down at the glasses in her hands, her grip tightening. The question echoed in her mind again, louder now than ever.
Who was Venera Osiros?
"That was quite the display, wasn't it?" the Chancellor remarked as he lowered his glasses, his tone casual but carrying a note of admiration. "Although, I must admit, I expected her to be a little flashier with her spells. Oh well."
"Flashier?" Candace turned toward him, her curiosity piqued. She couldn't imagine anything more impressive than what she'd just seen, especially from a first year professor.
"Oh, yes!" August replied, his eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. "Generally speaking, your professor tends to favor more… dramatic methods—lots of explosions, a bit more flair. Or at least, she used to. What you just saw was her holding back. She kept things rather tame out there."
"Tame?" Candace echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief. The way Venera had taken down the wyverns already seemed far beyond anything she'd thought possible. It looked…so easy.
The Chancellor chuckled, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Indeed. But perhaps I've said too much. Best not to reveal all her secrets." He paused, his gaze shifting to the sky. "Ah, look—she's coming back."
Candace turned back toward the horizon. The golden glow of Venera's aura was growing larger, brighter, as she flew steadily back toward the ship. For a moment, Candace forgot her questions, her attention entirely captured by the figure cutting through the sky with an almost serene confidence.
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Venera flew toward the HGF Expanse, the golden glow of her aura dimming as she approached the ship's deck. The rush of the fight had eased some of the tension knotted in her chest, but the weight of the previous night's events still lingered, heavy and persistent. Something was missing, though she couldn't quite place what.
When her feet touched the deck, she was greeted by two figures waiting for her. Candace stood slightly to the side, her expression a curious mix of embarrassment and admiration. It was as if the girl couldn't decide whether to praise her or avoid her altogether. Venera, however, paid her no mind. Her focus shifted immediately to the other figure.
August was leaning lazily against his staff, a small but unmistakably smug smile on his face.
"Welcome back," he said, his tone light and teasing. "That was quite the show you put on."
Venera fixed him with a deadpan stare, her golden eyes unamused. "It wasn't a show," she replied flatly. "I was defending the ship. As one does."
Her tone carried a finality that made it clear she had no interest in entertaining his commentary. August, however, was unfazed. If anything, his grin widened, the lines on his face crinkling with amusement. But he didn't press further—yet.
Venera crossed her arms, her attention briefly flickering back to Candace, who still seemed lost in thought. Whatever questions the girl had, Venera wasn't ready to answer them. Not yet.
Venera strode past the pair without a word, her movements deliberate and controlled. Her golden aura had long since faded, but its memory still clung to her, like the lingering warmth of a distant flame. She made her way toward the doors that would lead below deck, her footsteps steady against the polished metal floor.
She could feel their eyes on her, though she didn't turn to confirm it. Candace's gaze, curious and uncertain, seemed to press against her back. August's was heavier, tinged with his usual knowing amusement. But she refused to acknowledge either, her focus fixed on the path ahead.
What she didn't notice, however, was the third pair of eyes tracking her movements. Hidden, silent and watchful, they followed her as she disappeared below deck.