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Chapter 46: Wiser Than The Wise
“D-D-Director Goodsky! I-it’s an honor to meet you in person.” Elijah gives a forceful bow that looked almost comedic towards the ever-graceful Cynthia Goodsky.
He lifted his head back up too quickly, almost dropping his glasses in the process while the Director gave a polite smile, the crow’s feet around her eyes adding more charm.
“Please come in Director Goodsky. Elijah, stop blocking the doorway.” I pull out the chair from my desk, motioning for the Director to take a seat on the sofa.
“I told you to call me Cynthia.” She gives a pouting face as she almost floats past Elijah and takes a seat on the couch, the door closing on its own. The amount of harmony she has with the wind element continues to amaze me as the air around her almost seem to bend to her will without even a command.
“I don’t think it would be wise of a twelve year old with no background to be on a first name basis with the Director of the most prestigious academy in this Continent.” I chuckle as I take a seat on my desk chair as well as she sits cross-legged, her back kept straight and proper.
“My…your bond has changed a lot in appearance since the last time I met. Intriguing.” Cynthia tries to hold Sylv, who was curled on the couch, but she hops out of her reach and nestles herself on top of my head.
“Haha, as shy as before I see.” She gives Sylvie one last studying look before she starts staring at me. “Hmmm… how peculiar. I seem to only sense your wind and earth attribute mana inside of you. Are you, by chance, using a seal?” She tilts her head to the side while Elijah was standing ramrod straight behind her, as if he was in front of his commanding officer in war.
I lifted my left arm to reveal my bracelet with two charms dangling on it to answer her question.
“Can’t say I’m not disappointed. I was hoping to go around flaunting you as my little protégé but I guess even a dual elemental augmenter is rare enough to do so. But you becoming a Scholar Mage student was something that I definitely expected.” She gave a soft chuckle.
“I was planning on taking a visit to your office to update you on some things but it saves me the trouble by you coming here I guess. I’ve probably made an enemy from a not so friendly family while I was an Adventurer so I don’t want to give anyone any reasons for him to suspect me, at least not right now.” I lean back in my chair as I studied the two charms on my bracelet.
“Yes, I’ve read the reports on the case between Adventurer Note, and Adventurer Lucas Wykes. Quite a troublesome foe you’ve managed to pick up. While I do have a certain amount of authority over his family, as they are a military house, they have too many hidden workings that continue to elude us.” Director Cynthia was rubbing her chin, thinking of a solution.
“It’s fine. I don’t consider that an urgent matter. He’s just a piece of trash I’ll have to pick up someday. If I do something rash now and it goes back to my friends and family, THAT’S when it would be a problem. I would like your help with another matter.” I put my elbows on my knees as I lean forward towards Director Cynthia.
“Please speak.” She kindly replied.
“I want to take higher level mana theory classes, especially those on deviants.” I state simply.
“Hmm… That wouldn’t be too difficult to do, but Arthur, wasn’t one of your main reasons for attending this academy to fit in with your peers?” She eyed me in a studying manner.
“I don’t mind taking these extra classes on top of my normal ones, where I would be with students my age. I’m just impatient to learn a bit more about deviant mana manipulation since I’ve hit a ceiling on that recently.” I almost blurted out saying, ‘since there was no deviation magic in my old world.’
“Fine. I can make that happen, and I can even give you a pass to permit you to observe the upper class top mages mock battle as well in their practices.” She sounded magnanimous but I only eyed her suspiciously.
“Okay… So what’s the catch?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Arthur! I’m heartbroken! I only wanted to do this for your growth!” She over exaggerated her act as she placed both hands on top of her heart as if struck by an arrow.
“Art! You’re being rude to the Director!” Elijah looked a little panicked, as he couldn’t see the Director’s facial expression as she did this.
I didn’t say anything, only staring at her to get an answer.
“Sigh… Very well. Of course I would like some sort of ‘reward’ for doing these favors for you.” She finally caved in, baffling Elijah.
“I hope you don’t say something absurd like joining the student council.” I shake my head. These situations seemed like it called for that type of response.
“Pfft! I heard of your little bout with the Princess earlier.” She starts laughing, as my face turns a bit red in embarrassment.
“I didn’t expect the ever calm and composed Arthur Leywin to explode like that. I guess Princess Eralith is a bit special?” She was still snickering at my embarrassment.
“Wait what does she mean by that Art?” Elijah walked towards us so he could see the both of us now, although he remained standing out of respect towards Cynthia.
Before the Director answered, she looked to me to see if I was okay with it. After giving her an unconcerned shrug, she tells Elijah. “Your best friend is also happens to be the childhood friend of the Student Council President that every male student seems to be enamored with.” The Director gives a sly grin, as if she was just a teenager that was telling some rich gossip.
I was a little worried that Elijah’s jaw might unhinge by how much his face slacked. I could see a mixture of emotions, from shock to betrayal to envy all in his face.
“How? When? What??” He couldn’t produce complete sentences as he was still trying to wrap his head around the whole situation.
Ignoring him, I turned back to Cynthia. “How did you find out anyway? I’m not surprised that you know but shouldn’t be something you could just stumble upon either.” I asked, curious.
“Haha~ about that. Virion Eralith happens to be an old acquaintance of mine. I didn’t tell anyone else, but I did excitedly mention to him that my academy would be receiving a gifted quadra-elemental mage in a couple of years. Him and I were quite competitive from way back then, but he took the news quite calmly, which made me suspicious. However, I didn’t find out until I took in his granddaughter as my disciple. Do you know the first thing she said when I took her in?” She was trying to hold in her laughter.
I just shook my head in defeat, my face becoming even a deeper shade of red.
“When is Arthur Leywin going to start attending this school?” Director Cynthia said, purposely making her voice sound more like Tess’. For how grand and mysterious she might seem to everyone else, was here laughing like a preteen, taking joy in my embarrassment.
“What? Art! How do you know her!?” Elijah practically wanted to choke the answers out of me but I could tell he was holding it in since the Director was still here, although she probably wouldn’t have cared.
“Eventually, I pieced the two and two together. Really…Being trained by Virion, I feel somewhat betrayed Arthur.” She put on a pouting face again, making me roll my eyes.
By this time, Elijah just sinks into his desk chair, giving up, done with life.
“I don’t mean to intrude in on your love life but she thinks very highly of you Arthur. I’m sure she didn’t mean to come across as the way she did earlier. My training regimen is not easy and the few that have tried have failed. The reason she was able to keep up and continue to train under me is to catch up to you Arthur. Even you know that you acted quite immaturely there.” She does a complete 180 as she puts on a motherly vibe now, confusing me.
“Yeah. I know how dumb I acted there as well, no need to remind me.” I sigh, leaning further back into my seat.
“You will make up with her soon right? I’d hate to see my disciple disheartened while she trains.” She smiles at me gently before continuing. “What I want from you is not to be in the student council, but actually a committee that is going to start this year. The Disciplinary Committee.”
I knew she wanted me to do to something like this. “Forget it. I don’t need the theory classes. I’ll just teach myself from the books in the library.” I shake my head.
“The books on deviants aren’t accessible to underclassmen and even for upperclassmen, you need to show that you are a deviant, something that you can’t do right now right?” She calmly refutes my plans.
“Being part of this disciplinary committee or whatever…how does that make sense? I’m a new student that’s in this academy as a Scholar Mage student, what would the other members think anyway?” I try to reason.
“While they might not agree at first, with some time, I believe you will be more than capable of changing their minds, even with your self-placed handicap.” Director Goodsky throws in a playful wink, dead set on going through with this.
“Arthur, unlike the Student Council members that are chosen on a broader criteria, the Disciplinary Committee is strictly based on strength. Your responsibilities won’t nearly be as much as the Student Council and being in the Disciplinary Committee gives you the chance to work with students, some of which are also deviants, that are all strong in their own fields.” Her arguments were getting stronger.
“You mentioned that the Disciplinary Committee members are based on strength…” Before I finish my sentence, she cuts me off.
“No, Lucas Wykes will not be on the Disciplinary Committee if that is what you are curious about. Arthur, this opportunity is something that other students would take as an honor. I insist on you taking it.” She leans in, her face a bit more serious now.
“…” My head is bent down as I think things over. On top of regular and extra classes, I would have to do committee work, putting a big strain on my individual training time, all of which I would have no idea where and when to do it.
As if she read my mind, she threw out her final offer. “Since the amount of work may be a bit too much, on top of self practice at who knows where, how about I offer you access to a private training facility where you wouldn’t need to worry about anyone intruding.” She points at my bracelet.
“Please, Arthur, I really feel like this could be a good deal for the both of us in the long run.” Her face softens a bit as she sows sincerity.
I start thinking of how being in the Disciplinary Committee would fit into my plans and finding no particular detriment in agreeing to this, I answer. “Fine, I’ll agree to be a part of the Disciplinary Committee.” My shoulder loosens as I let out a sigh.
“Good! Since classes start tomorrow, I will give your new schedule to your first period professor. Here is your new uniform I prepared in the case of good news. The knife is just meant to be the symbol of the Disciplinary Committee, but it is quite expensive so do take care not to lose it.” She gives me a wink as she throws me a uniform fitted for me with a sheathed knife and strap. It irritated me that she already had this prepared when she came in, even if it was just in case.
It dawned on me that even with my previous life and this life put together, both Grandpa Virion and Director Goodsky would still be older than me; after all, I only lived until the age of late thirties, around where it was getting past prime as a duelist. I’ve been so caught up in the fact that I had two lives that it didn’t occur to me that there are still people here that are older. Of course I still had the advantage from traditional mages here because where I came from, the ‘magic’ usage was a lot more advanced.
The advantage that the older mages from this world would have, however, would be that they’re used to the amount of mana in the atmosphere here and have mastered it to a certain degree.
I guess even with two lives, there was still bound to be someone wiser than you.
I involuntarily shake my head from my thoughts, which causes Director Goodsky to tilt her head in curiosity.
“Now that the matter I’ve come to settle are settled, I shall take my leave! Enjoy your first dinner here and do please patch things up with my dear Tessia as fast as you can. I don’t want my precious disciple to keep moping.” She wisps away, leaving me wondering why she didn’t just enter here like that. It was probably to respect our privacy or something.
As soon as Director Goodsky leaves, I see a shadow loom over me as Elijah is looking down at me, his facial expression akin to a demon.
“You’ve got some explaining to do.” I swear I thought I saw pointed teeth as he grinned evilly.
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