Chapter 306 Volume V - Chapter 24: A Knot of Trouble
"In short... he told you nothing more than that he was a half wiera and that's how he was able to maintain his own consciousness."
I nodded my head in agreement, trying to hide my nervousness, but I wasn't sure how successful I was. Still... I was also telling the truth.
Aiden didn't continue after telling me briefly about his condition. I also didn't ask... So that's really all I know.
"Yes..."
Professor Calvin leaned back in his chair again. When he turned his head slightly to where Melany was, she simply nodded her head up and down. Then the Professor sighed slightly.
"I understand. What you said was really important, Adrian, at least if Aiden didn't lie to you. Besides... for the moment no one sees him as an enemy, the dwarves won't let anyone even get close to him anyway. It's just a case of not being sure what to do about him."
"And his recovery? Are you trying to heal him?"
"Like I said, the dwarves won't let anyone even get close to him. I've only had a chance to see him through a screen, but they're doing their best to wake him up. For now..."
The professor narrowed his eyes slightly. His expression was much more... complicated than when he first entered the room. Like that, it was Rector Melany who continued the conversation, not him.
"You must have realized that you were the target of the attack at the festival. I think you also realized who attacked you, so... from this point on, try to stay in the academy as much as possible. And if you really need to leave, always let me know. At least until you reach a certain level."
I couldn't do anything but nod. I had no reason to leave the academy anyway... there was nothing the academy prevented me from doing, at least for now.
"We will keep your spear as we told you. You can ask me for it back at any time, but we will choose whether to give it to you or not depending on your condition at the time. There is no problem with that, right?"
I nodded again. With this, finally, Rector Melany slowly stood up. Then Professor Calvin and the Prince also stood up.
"Regarding your training... You will continue to train with your current spear instructor, Professor Mirva. But you will also learn more about ordea with Professor Calvin. When the time comes... we also plan for you to visit their community directly."
"Will my training with Professor Calvin be secret from the other students...?"
"Oh, no. Although the Professor is a sword instructor, his mana control is tremendous. On top of that, he usually takes two private students a year and the second position is still vacant. So there is no problem."
Melany finally smiled slightly. She spoke for the last time before slowly turning around and heading for the door.
"This is the end of this talk. Oh, and you don't have to hide your elven appearance anymore. If you feel more comfortable, the opposite is also fine. You will be escorted back to the academy by security after a few minutes and, needless to say, this talk will remain a secret between us."
She turned toward the guard, who had until now remained silent, even as if he was not listening to us or could not listen to us. After a slight nod of her head, the guard responded in the same way.
With that, Rector Melany walked out of the room as slowly and quietly as she had entered it. Professor Calvin followed close behind. But before Prince Lucas took his last step out of the door, he suddenly paused and turned toward me.
His bright green eyes sparkled for a moment in a way I couldn't quite make sense of. But then his lips curved upward. He smiled at me and before I knew what was happening, he was out the door.
When I was alone in the room again... or rather with the security guard right next to the desk, I don't know why, but a heaviness came over me. And it was a little... uncomfortable one.
Shouldn't they have asked more questions? I didn't think it would be so short, I had prepared myself for much tougher questions. I feel like... there's a lot that they left out.
If that's really the case... why? They said they were trying to help me instead of putting me in jail, yes, but did they really clear my suspicions so easily? I don't think so... especially with Aiden and the spear. And... they asked almost nothing about the period when I left the academy.
I frowned for a moment. I couldn't shake the uneasiness as a much heavier discomfort settled over me.
Something is going on here that I can't understand... They are hiding something from me.
*******
I couldn't help but sigh as I walked down one of the corridors, strangely devoid of any employees.
I looked at the two people walking next to me. One was a middle-aged woman with blond hair. The other was a crown prince with black hair. They both noticed my sigh and turned toward me.
"Adrian didn't tell the whole truth."
Rector Melany replied to me in a dull voice, as if the smile of a few seconds ago had never existed.
"It was quite clear. That's why I kept the interview short. Otherwise, we would have been in that room for at least another hour. "
This time, Prince Lucas, who was usually silent, interjected.
"He needs to trust us more. At the same time... we need to trust him. His connection with Lithoa Laergas is still uncertain."
Lithoa Laergas... even though I was only a child when his death was announced, his impact on the world was unquestionable. He was someone to be feared not only by normal people but even by Saligia or the Order itself. After all, their paths had crossed at some point in the past... and it hadn't ended well for anyone but the man called Lithoa.
A man who could wield neither ordea nor caora, but he was the embodiment of power and was so feared that he was even tried to be erased from history itself. Which was normal, given what he had done and what he had caused in the past.
But the problem was... even though he was announced dead, it was never confirmed that he was really dead. And that was something that could cause anyone on Lunerra who knew the past to shudder involuntarily.
And now... Adrian Caleo had appeared using his spear. The very spear that had been searched for thirty years, searched everywhere, but never found.
"If there really is a connection between him and that man, it doesn't matter what kind of potential he has. It doesn't matter how much he can help us in the future."
Prince Lucas said this while keeping his eyes narrowed and sharp. He continued in the same way.
"If we confirm that there is a bond between them, we must first understand what kind of bond it is. And if it is what we think it is, then we can do nothing but kill him."
He looked cold-blooded. He even looked as if he would not hesitate to do what he said with his own hands. It was like... he had changed a little bit.
I thought back to every time I'd ever seen him on screen, if not in person, then at ceremonies or events like this.
Prince Lucas was definitely not like this before. Before... he was a softer person, but now he looked like someone who would not hesitate to do what he had to do if it was necessary.
"We'll see... For now, I'll observe him while I train him. If he is as skilled with ordea as he is with mana, then new paths open up. But there is one other matter that puzzles me..."
Rector Melany and the Prince turned back to me. I could only frown.
"Silver hair, emerald green eyes. His appearance is too specific, even for an elf."
Rector Melany sighed as she continued walking. Her eyes filled with suspicion for a moment, but she was also thinking just like me.
"I don't think there's any connection between him and the Laute family. Rian Laute killed his own son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild without blinking an eye when he found out about his son's scandal. Besides... Adrian's age doesn't match the incident twenty years ago. He's about ten months younger than he should be. But this is also something we shouldn't jump to conclusions about."
Prince Lucas took a very deep breath. His green eyes, not as bright as Adrian's but with an air of their own, fixed on the ceiling.
"There's the possibility that he's connected to every single one of the worst things that could happen... He has a talent unseen in history, but he's someone who could be killed before he can manifest it. And then there's Aiden Tenebra, and the whole prophecy thing... He's like a knot of trouble. It's like he came into the world specifically this way."
It really was... It was as if the universe had sent him specifically in the middle of this particular era. He was connected to so many things and full of mysteries, just like Aiden himself.
"Anyway... Let's let him rest for a few days. Then... we'll see what to do. For now, both he and we need some rest."
Neither the rector nor the prince objected to what I said. They were both tired after the festival. One bad incident after another was giving them a headache as people in high positions of authority, and they were getting their share of it.
In this way, we finally left the building. As the three of us went our separate ways, I decided to stop thinking about Adrian Caleo for now.
Read latest chapters at f(r)eewebnov𝒆l Only