Chapter 79
Sylas was convinced. If she wanted to continue receiving Xerath's favor, it seemed that going to school was the only way.
And just like Leunen said, maybe she should find a place without Xerath and experience these "beneficial" hobbies to see how fun they really are.
"You make a valid point... in fact, I can confidently say that you are right."
"Oh, so you have decided to talk to the archmage about your plans to go to school? That's wonderful, your choice is undoubtedly the right one, and remember, you have me. You're not alone."
That's right, Leunen is the one who convinced Hyectra to change sides, and these words are probably something Hyectra, the caring steward, would say.
Sylas buried her face in the cozy cushions of Titus, saying, "No... not now... it's too embarrassing, especially since I had a big argument with her..."
"Well, there's no rush, whether you plan to follow the archmage's arrangements or not, once you make up your mind, it's all good." The water lord reached out his hand and gave her shoulder a reassuring pat.
Sylas lacked the courage to talk to Xerath and would regret it even when they made eye contact. Xerath, on the other hand, would coldly ignore her and retreat to her room after a brief encounter during meals. This situation persisted until the afternoon of the fourth day, when Sylas grabbed Xerath just as she was about to leave after lunch.
Xerath clearly showed displeasure and resistance, which hurt Sylas as expected, but she still held onto her wrist.
"Sylas..." Xerath rubbed her temples with her index finger and said, "I'm still not ready to face you..."
"Teacher... I've made up my mind to go to school, can you face me now?"
Xerath lifted her eyes and saw a pair of eyes that shone like emeralds, filled with uncontainable joy and anticipation. Although her expression remained calm, Xerath could even detect traces of her deliberately imitating herself.
It was unsure whether this imitation was good or bad, but she always hoped that Sylas could express her likes and dislikes directly, as it was part of freedom.
"I'm glad you made this decision," Xerath took a deep breath before saying calmly, "I hope this is a well-considered choice. If you keep changing your mind, it will make me feel quite defeated."
"I won't... I've already decided."
"You shouldn't intentionally fail either. I know that with your abilities, you can probably pass the intermediate level exam."
Sylas widened her almond-shaped eyes slightly, making her even more adorable. "I never thought..."
Only then did Xerath smile. She wrinkled her nose slightly and squinted her eyes, looking quite alluring. "Don't even think about it."
This sweet smile was like the sudden appearance of sunlight after layers of dark clouds, finally dispelling the gloom in Sylas's heart.
"It's only two months, after taking the exam you can have a summer vacation of about two months."
"Can't I come back on weekends..." the young girl pleaded softly, "The twins in the Rost Family also come home on weekends."
Xerath frowned, "I hope you don't try to fool me with fake evidence. The procedure and cost for applying for a long-distance portal don't allow two people from the same family to use it every week. And I noticed the address you wrote, it's no longer in Withered Leaf City, right? They can only come home during the holidays as well."
Sylas pouted and murmured, "Teacher, do we still have classes tomorrow?"
Unlike before, Xerath shook her head, "No, there won't be classes this week, but you still need to continue writing your study notes. We will leave in approximately... um... two days, and I will show you around the school vicinity."
After hearing this, Sylas felt it was only natural, because she had almost no experience with the "mortal realm" just like the newly formed elemental creatures. Xerath, on the other hand, had lived in the mortal realm for thirty-seven years and she had become accustomed to having Xerath's guidance in everything.
On the eve of the departure, Sylas followed Xerath's advice and went back to her room early to pack her belongings, but soon Xerath came in as well. The items in the room seemed to come to life and, guided by invisible hands, folded themselves neatly into a specially made suitcase. In addition to the apprentice robe, there were thick coats, trousers, shirts, vests, suspenders, bowties, leather shoes, socks, and even sock garters.
Hyectra came down from upstairs and handed a medium-sized wooden box to the archmage.
"What is this?"
"All your stationery is inside. We won't bring any books or notebooks, we'll buy them when we get there."
The box was already filled with many things, but it still looked halfway full. Sylas couldn't take her eyes off of it.
"This has space magic attached to it," the archmage explained while leaning against the door. "It's mine, but I'm lending it to you. I'll buy you a new one next semester."
"No... no need..." She wasn't being polite. There was something indescribably intimate about using Xerath's things, which made her feel very special to the archmage.
You can share everything.
With the box packed, Xerath stared blankly at the half-opened box. Sylas waited beside it for a while and asked, "Teacher, is there anything else we need to take?"
Xerath shook her head slowly and said, "Nothing else, let's get ready for bed."
Sylas obediently went to take a bath. When she came out in a cloud of steam, she noticed that Xerath hadn't left. She was sitting on the chair by the bed, lost in thought.
"Teacher?" she approached slowly. "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?"
Xerath nodded and whispered, holding the hand that was only slightly smaller than hers, "Lie down on the bed, I'll say a few words and then leave."
Sylas obediently sat on the bed, leaning against her own pillow.
"I also spent some time at that school, attending a short-term training program for exams, about a year. Most of us, who came out of the tower, would study for two years before the graduation exam."
"You only took one year."
"Ah, yes, because my practical exams didn't require much practice. When I first took the test in my first year, I was grouped with Virgil, thanks to him, it went very smoothly." Xerath reminisced and smiled.
"So it's also my alma mater, I arranged for an old acquaintance to take care of you. We'll meet her tomorrow, but it won't be for long, I don't really like formalities with people."
But now she's doing it for Sylas.
Xerath held her hand and urged, "Observe first, then act, hm?"
"Hmm."
"People easily forgive children's mistakes, so it doesn't matter if you make errors."
"But I hope you will try your best to understand all the rules, because that's why I sent you to school."
"I will." Sylas replied softly.
"I really don't want you to go, you will come back to Aimekotes."
"I know, I know." Sylas felt happy because of her response instead.
Xerath always spoke slowly, taking time to think with her chin supported, adding a few more sentences, and then continuing to speak. Sylas sat on the bed, listening to Xerath talk nonstop for an hour and a half, realizing that she didn't seem to have any intention of leaving, which made her want to laugh a little.
Xerath was particularly different today, although her tone remained calm and even reached a level of coldness, Sylas could still sense her anxiety.
It was like a flaw on the surface, Xerath was eager to smooth it out, but didn't know how to do it, so she ended up talking about every little thing.
Sylas quietly watched her, feeling like she would keep talking for a long time.
That's very nice, Sylas always enjoys listening to her speak.
Xerath let out the first yawn, Sylas wanted her to go back to sleep, but for some reason didn't want to let go of her hand. She unexpectedly locked eyes with those silver-gray eyes, and couldn't let go.
She moved aside silently, silently inviting Xerath.
The archmage smiled lightly and, guided by her, lifted a corner of the blanket and sat down beside her.
Her hand didn't let go, on the contrary, their fingers intertwined tightly. They sat side by side, their legs touching.
"I hope you can... Do you remember when you learned to walk? Or have you seen other young children learning to walk?"
Sylas tried to remember, "I don't remember, but I think I saw it in Withered Leaf City, what's wrong?"
"Young children are unsteady on their feet and easily fall down. They probably just walk for the sake of walking, and they need someone's support.
Your learning process is like a toddler learning to walk, only with more tools to master and more complexity. Now I hope you can... walk on your own without my support, and go to many places you want to go."
Sylas understood this metaphor, which was similar to what Leunen said yesterday, but it had a different meaning coming directly from Xerath herself.
Feeling her nod, Xerath grabbed her hand and shook it up and down, saying, "It's not for me."
Sylas didn't know when she slowly slid down and leaned on her shoulder. After being reminded, she suddenly sat up straight, nodded, unsure if she had really listened.
Xerath pushed her head back onto her own shoulder but found herself sliding down even more, almost lying half on the bed. She simply turned sideways and lay facing Sylas, who also turned to face her.
This position reminded her of the time many years ago when Xerath held her hand and they slept together in her bed. The beautiful memories became even more beautiful in her mind, with an added sense of warmth that she only began to feel later on.
"Not just for me... not only for me, but also for yourself."
Unusual gentleness crept onto Xerath's face. "I know you always push yourself to do tasks that may be a bit overwhelming for you because of me."
"No, no!" Sylas quickly defended, "It's not forcing... as you said and Leunen said, human children need to be taught with all our efforts, and for skills, only continuous training can maintain proficiency."
Xerath smiled, "I never thought these words that educate you would come from your mouth."
"What you said makes sense, and of course I'll remember it."
Xerath reached out and gently touched her face, "When you first came to Aimekotes, you always wanted to run outside and play with the elements, pure like a little elemental baby. I like you... your pure pursuit."
