"What do you think of him?" A voice of a young girl sounded inside the room.
The room exuded an aura of efficiency and professionalism, with neatly organized shelves lining the walls.
Books and files were labeled and arranged, giving off a sense of purpose and authority in the air.
There could be seen. Another young girl kneeling before the desk. She had green hair flowing to her chest.
"He is a remarkably intelligent individual, Your Highness. His intellect surpasses what one might initially assume." The girl answered without raising her head. "Moreover, his capacity for learning is near perfection."
Hearing this, the girl on the desk raised her brows, her captivating purple eyes sparkling with an enigmatic glint. She leaned forward, her posture radiating authority. "Elaborate," she commanded, locking her gaze on the kneeling figure.
"As per our arrangement, his assigned elemental affinity is wind, while mine is fire," the girl continued, her voice unwavering. "In line with our plan and my role, I deliberately approached him in front of others, seeking to test his response. Even though the rumors surrounding him were not true, the way he hadn't taken any stance needed to be investigated.
As I asked him while keeping my act, I saw a faint glint in his eyes. As he could see through me, it was the first time I felt this, but that feeling instantly passed."
As the kneeling figure stopped for a second, the princess' burrows furrowed more. "So, you are saying, as a member of Shadows, you felt like your identity was exposed?"
With those words, pressure dawned upon the girl, forcing her to kneel more. "I-It was slightly different, Your Highness." Her voice was slightly cracked from the pressure, but she still managed to keep up.
The princess leaned back in her chair, her expression unreadable. "What was different, Elara? Don't play with your words." However, there was an undoubtful chill in her voice.
"I-I a-am sure my identity was not exposed….. It was just a small feeling…." Elara managed to stutter in the end as she lowered her head more.
The princess, whose brows were furrowed, relaxed herself while pulling her pressure back. "You can continue."
With those words, Elara got the signal as she started recounting everything. "At first, I wanted to test him on his general knowledge of wind magic. And I noticed that his knowledge was shallow. Even though he does know the chants and the surface knowledge related to the beginner spells, he doesn't possess advanced magical knowledge when it comes to those."
The princess nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "It aligns with what we know of his circumstances. Being banished from his house, he would not have had access to advanced magical teachings. But there is something that sets him apart, isn't it?"
Elara's eyes sparkled with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. "Yes, Your Highness. It is precisely that difference that has caught my attention. Despite his limited knowledge, he possesses a unique intuition and an inherent connection to wind magic. It's as if he has a natural affinity for it, an untapped potential waiting to be nurtured.
While we were discussing, the ideas that he presented to me were like he had already started grasping the basics of wind magic, even though he hadn't used any before."
With those words, the princess' eyes wandered around the room. "Then? What is your conclusion?" The princess asked, her eyes fixing on the girl.
Elara took a deep breath, her voice steady and unwavering. "I believe, Your Highness, that Callius possesses a wind affinity as well."
"Ho?" Hearing her words, the princess had a surprised expression on her serious face for the first time. But soon, she gained her control. "Elara. Do you know what your words mean?"
Of course, Elara knew this was the most important moment of her report. The thing she was suggesting was normally discarded, but her intuition as a mage was saying this was true. "Yes, Your Highness. I am fully aware. However, I believe Callius has somehow managed to remain undetected by the academy's artifacts."
The moment her words reached the ground, the princess rose from her seat, gracefully approaching Elara. Her hands moved with practiced precision, gently patting Elara's shoulders before gliding towards her neck. As the princess leaned in, her face coming ever closer, she stopped just beside Elara's ears.
The room seemed to hold its breath as the princess's voice, low and filled with an intensity that sent shivers down Elara's spine, whispered into her ears. "Elara… The words you have spoken just now…. If they are true, then it could change everything we know…. However, that might also mean he is working with insiders…. You do know what I mean, right?"
Elara's heart raced as the weight of the princess's words settled upon her. "Y-yes… Your H-Highness…." She managed to answer. Even though she was a trained assassin, whenever she came into the presence of her master, she was never able to keep her composure. Even the head of the shadow unit could never pressure her to this extent, showing the princes harbored quite a lot of secrets.
The princess drew her body back as she released the girl. "Interesting. It seems our young exile possesses hidden depths. We shall explore this further, for it may hold the key to our objectives." Her words returning to their normal tone, she spoke. "You are dismissed."
Just like that, the girl left the room, instantly disappearing from the place she was in.
As Elara left the room, her presence swiftly dissipating into the shadows, the princess remained standing, deep in thought. She paced back and forth, her elegant movements betraying the weight of her contemplations. The room seemed to hold its breath as if anticipating the inner musings of the enigmatic princess.
"Callius, Callius, Callius…." the princess whispered to herself, her voice a mere breath in the silent chamber. "The more I delve into this… The more it becomes different from how it is supposed to be….Wind affinity and fire affinity…. You were not even supposed to use any magic…. Secrets are hidden within your being. How intriguing…" A hint of a smile played upon her lips, both enigmatic and calculated.
Her purple eyes, bearing the weight of unknown experiences far beyond her youthful appearance, shimmered with a complex blend of emotions. "At first, it was your appearance in the academy. I never thought that I would see you in this place. I had already assumed that you have joined hands with them."
Her fingers tapped the handle of her chair at a fast speed.
/TAP/ /TAP/ /TAP/
She continued to pace, her thoughts racing as she pieced together the fragments of her memories. "But, you are different now. That aura surrounding you…. It was the first time I had witnessed such an aura…."
Her words were filled with allure. "Your attitude, your gaze, your mannerisms….Everything is different from how it is supposed to be…."
Yet, beneath her intrigue, her eyes gleamed with ambition and a darker intention. "I wonder, Callius, will you become an obstacle in my path, or will you prove useful in the pursuit of my goals? As much as I am captivated by your gaze, I cannot afford to spare my enemies."
She paused, her gaze drifting toward the moonlit window. The soft glow illuminated her face as she contemplated the uncertain future. "I can't help but wonder how you will react when you discover the truth about the one who had a hand in your father's demise. The possibilities that lie ahead intrigue me, both for myself and for you."
With those words, the princess fell silent as she pushed a button on her side.
"Your Highness." And in an instant, a young man appeared right beside her. Her trusted aide.
"Ethan. Report."
Just like that, the princess' mind danced through the labyrinth of strategies and choices, plotting the path she was going to take while listening to her aide's words.
In the end, she had many enemies, both inside the academy and inside her home…
The moon continued its serene watch over the room, casting an ethereal glow upon the princess…..
******
The moment I returned to my room after I finished studying with Elara, I had a smile on my face.
'At this point, you must have noticed something was different about me.' I thought.
While studying with Elara, the first thing I noticed was her passion for wind magic. Even though I knew she was a spy, thanks to my [All Seeing Eye] and the warnings from Aliya, I still thought her passion was not normal to be an act.
It was like she was proud to explore magic.
Then, I thought. If it is about my capabilities, then she will probably notice that I have an affinity since she herself was engrossed with it. Of course, I knew how to use wind magic, and I even used it for quite a long time.
Thus, while discussing about wind magic, I gave my ideas and opinions based on my experiences. Like, I already knew how to use wind magic.
Just to make her suspect this fact. Because I knew that once she suspected, she would be reporting about it. Of course, there is a chance that she would just ignore the idea thinking it was crazy since the academy's bracelets are absolute.
'But, if you report to the princess, then she will observe me more. It should be soon that she approaches me….'
With that thought, I went to sleep….
--------------------A/N--------------------
This was a fairly long chapter with 1600 words, different from before. Hope you liked the foreshadowing about the princess…
Anyway, one more is on the way, and the small time skips will also come now with small events….
Check out my new book if you are interested.
This time it will have a modern hunter theme, where MC will be driven by the feeling of vengeance.
The name is; Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest
You can check my discord if you want. You will be able to see the illustrations here and engage in a conversation with me if I am available.
https://discord.gg/ufP7aaZu
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