Trill nodded, "This was all a long time ago. I recall the caretaker has retired, however, the prince still seeks him out as his caretaker. As for this incident, I believe her majesty was asked by the caretaker to be kept a secret from him. Now that such an incident has occurred, the Queen is nervous for her grandchild.That and Peony's decision is why the Queen is here."
Trill sighed as he walked over to the window and looked up to the stars shining bright above.
"But why was her magic rejected?"
"Who's to say." Trill shrugged, "In this world, things happen without a reason. Other times, there is a reason. The question is, what path will you decide to take when those things happen?"
"But what if they take the wrong path?" Rollo hesitated.
Trill hummed, "You know? A long time ago, I've tried to get the stubborn little girl to take on a religion. She had a power capable of turning herself into a divine being, but her mind and heart were chaotic. I've searched through so many other countries to find a religion she could follow the morals of. However, she picked up the tomes and just put them back onto the shelves. Again and again, she did not find guidance for her own troubles. So I asked her why has she not taken a path of her own?"
"What did she say?"
"Hmph! Don't play coy with me! I know the reason why you drop all these books in my arms and I am not interested in following any of them."
Trill sighed wearily, "So you do admit you are lost."
"Am I?" She hummed as she jumped ontop of the shelves for a seat, "Old coot, in the world there are many paths. Too many for the heart to count. Whether those paths delve into the darkness or re-emerge from it, it does not change the fact that they are all one and the same thing, a path. A religion began as a seek for solace and guidance in a world where anything can happen. Nobody stays in the light all the time. In the Kingdom of Dawn, there was a legend of a man who flew into the skies. An uncle and his nephew tried to escape their unjust confinement in a dangerous maze by creating wings and soaring in the skies. However, that person's nephew got too close to the sun that melted his wings and plundered into the deep dark ocean below where only rocks awaited him."
She hummed as she skimmed through the second tome he had given her prior, "All paths will lead to death one day. However, that day doesn't have to be now. Even if we expect ourselves to be perfect, even perfection itself can become a flaw. To have a flaw is to be a person. Nobody is right but nobody is wrong. In the end, a path is just a path and we must all must take the next step eventually no matter if what created that path is fueled from regret or perfection. I'll just take my next step without any regret."
"She's as willful as she is now." Rollo grumbled, "However, to take the next step without any regret…"
"What is it?" Trill raised a brow.
"Teacher… Is it possible to keep moving without any regret?" Rollo hesitated.
"So you're curious too." Trill smiled, "Hardly. Like she said, to have a flaw is to be a person. Likewise, to live is to make regrets in life. A person who has not lived has made no regrets.there is no such thing as living without any regret. My wife, my parents, myself… everyone around us has to have had regrets. There's no classification to what makes what happened a regret to us. They are simple: regrets. That's just part of life. It's how we confront the next step forward with these regrets that always confuses people."
"Then, she always has her regrets…"
"Of course." He sighed, "From the day she was born, she was determined to step onto this path because she also have regrets. However, what she doesn't know is that you aren't void of creating more regrets in the future even if you are careful. I'm sure as she grows and live to the end of her path, she will have carried on more regrets but have dropped a couple as well. It all depends how strong your heart is. Some will continue to live their life and move on from their regrets. Others will continue to wallow in their regrets and pull others down with them in their despair. However, there are those such as yourself who understand your pain but still drag you away from self harm."
"Understand my pain?" He scoffed, "How could any of them understand how I feel?"
"Oh, there was a person there." He sighed, "Someone who lost his younger brother despite being in range to save him. He, like you, struggled to move on from his regrets and blamed himself for the incident. He pushed everyone away from him and focused solely on his mistake and trying to fix it to no avail. That said, the only difference is that he has moved on and chose to carry it with him. Hence why he blew a fuse with you when he learnt of what you are doing. You could say, it struck a chord in him."
"He blew a fuse-?" Rollo muttered as he recalled the fight he had. Finally it dawned on him! That guy?!
Seeing him like this, Trill wore a warm smile, "Though you may not get along with anyone from that school now, I have a feeling you will do just fine on your study abroad. The people there are from many different parts of the world. So you will see many different people and cultures. Peony has told me that they are all driven people. However, it is because they are driven to prove themselves that they are ambitious. If you require any help, Peony will be there as well. The two of you will be in the same dorm and so is my son. You may feel rejected toward him or uneasy around him, however, the two of you will have to restart from scratch. With the three of you together, it puts me at ease."
"The headmage will be with us?" He looked to him in surprise.
"That's right." He nodded, "She had sustained some injury a while back and was recuperating when some event occurred at Night Raven College, now she will have to stay at the school until she graduates. During that time, me and Another one of her attendants will help her manage the school and city until her return."
"Oh… Wait." Rollo's eyes widen slowly.
…..
"Oh? So the dorm they would we staying in is a building which once house students and now ghost staff." The queen looked to her curiously as Zhang Li poured her tea in the headmage's office, "Are you certain this building is habitable?"
"It is now." Peony replied, "A while back the headmage was forced to send the new human to that building due to him being new, not having magic, and could not be sorted into other dorm which were already full of freshmen. Since then, the three of us had been restoring the building by ourselves with the funds provided by the headmage and the school. After the destruction, STYX has helped rebuild the dorm making it much more habitable with the minimum nessecities for its students. It is not as new nor refined, but it works and we recently received a gift that could cover up some of the blemishes which could not be fixed. After having received the relief funds from Night Raven College, I was able to calculate the necessary costs for the school's revival, the city's reconstruction and the school's new staff. After observing the guilty party, I've deduced it safe to deliver this punishment and rehabilitation. The cost for the rehabilitation will come from the relief funds provided to us from Night Raven College. I can also ensure the safety of the students within the school."
She stated this as she presented the queen a stack of papers. She continued, "If it had been other people, we would not have come to such a conclusion. However, it is evident that the cause of his behavior was man-made and intentional. Thus, the punishment was reduced to work and studying abroad rather than imprisonment. In normal cases, we would ensure that the victim and the culprit do not meet. However, the situation led me to conclude both parties will respect one another without pulling another dangerous stunt again."
"Oh?" The queen raised a brow, "And you can confirm this?"
"I can. Because the school has me and my people." She stated calmly and allowed her to read a few of them.
"You were prepared…" she hummed after skimming over the first couple pages.
"In my world, to be a teacher is like to be the second parent of the student. Education is the duty of adults. However, the papers is not to persuade the leaders." She smiled.
The woman laughed, "You're confident you can persuade everyone."
Peony nodded calmly and sipped her tea, "I just did. Just as I know Her majesty is not here to discuss the details of the proposal."
There was a brief moment of silence before the room with filled with laughter.
"I see! So you've seen through everything already." The fae woman wore a brilliant smile, "You've grown bold, child."
"I'll take that as a compliment." She set the tea cup on the table, "I may have only just became headmage, but I know the child will not repeat the same deed."
The queen hummed with a raised brow, "And why do you say that? Another vision of the future?"
"Haha…" she smiled, "If I keep continuing to use foresight, I wouldn't be standing here. As reliable as it is, it can also be the caster's downfall."
"Hm." She tossed the papers back onto the table, "Then, give me one good reason why I should believe you."
Peony's smile widened as she heard this, "Because you still need a honest errand boy for a little request."
The queen's eyes widen in disbelief as she sneered. Honest? That's rich coming from a snake tongue viper… However, she was tired. People continue to lawd her as one of the most powerful magicians in the world and, although it had flattered her grandchild, it was tiring for herself. What she wanted was no longer revenge but to protect what was hers. Now her grandchild is growing older and have become a little more rebellious like his mother. She had thought all was finished when this little child of man popped out of nowhere with an indescribable aura around her. Thinking back, she had recalled her tiny little figure but an unyielding pair of eyes. Even under her aura, the girl continued to stand and withstood the pressure with her retainers sheltering under her. Thinking back, perhaps her determination reminded her of her. Ever since she whimsically let her go, things have become…
"Interesting." She finished her thought with a smile, "Then we will give you this chance."
"Of course." Peony smiled and sipped her tea.
"By the way… Have you still dreamt?" The queen questioned curiously as she picked up her cup.
Peony wore a smile, "Every night I close my eyes. Have you not experienced it before?"
The queen breathed softly as she huffed, "With age comes experience."
Peony gave her a glance as the queen calmly smelled the tea and drank it. The once proud and beautiful queen was now looking more of her age. Old, weary and nostalgia touching her eyes. She will soon have to step down and there was nothing Peony can do to help this time.
Age.
It is something cultivators fear only when they've reached the limit of their own strength and can't continue forward. Eventually, that fear will eat away at their hearts and mind until it consumes them in the very end. In the past, Peony only learnt to fear it, not for losing all she loved but for everything around her to change. Nothing was the same as time slipped by. Even her…
An image of him flashed in the back of her mind as she paused in surprise.
"Child?" The queen looked to her in confusion.
Peony shook her head with a dry smile, "Ah sorry. I just recalled something minor just now."
…..
"Achoo!"
The air became still as all eyes turned to him.
"Did the Diasomnia dormleader just sneezed?"
"No way, right?"
"Shh! Let's just get out of here."
The murmur of students didn't reach his ears as the young dragon fae was busy looking through a book on the table.
"Are you okay, milord? It's unlike you to suddenly sneeze without a cause."
A voice caught his attention as he looked up.
"Hm? Ren. Has your club ended?" Malleus noted in surprise.
"Milord, I think you're confused from the reading. We're in the same club. The only two members." Ren wore a dry smile.
"So we are." Malleus mumbled in surprise.
Ren hesitated, "Perhaps someone was talking about you?"
"Hm? What brought up this idea?"
Ren shook his head, "There's a saying or old belief that, when you sneeze for no apparent reason, it would mean someone is talking about you behind your back. However…"
He glanced around as Malleus followed suit and noticed all the other students hid away and even disappeared behind doors to avoid their gaze. Malleus could, however, imagine one person talking behind his back without fear.
"Have you discovered a new place of observation?"
Malleus's words caught his attention as he noticed his expression.
Pay them no mind…
Ren nodded, "I tried to find other places. I've only heard of this old home with number of strange statues on top. People have called them gargoyles, but they aren't sure. The owner is saying they aren't gargoyles but his father, the previous owner, claims that they are gargoyles and were originally made to drive away evil spirits. I was able to get permission to come and examine the statues. However, a figure that only scares away evil spirits… can they be gargoyles without the function of diverting water?"
"Certainly not." Malleus sighed, "I'll go."
"Understood. Oh!"
"What's wrong?" Malleus raised a brow.
"The owner wishes not to relay to his father if the statues are not gargoyles. Humans are fragile, but an elderly is far more fragile as a child. The old man is strong willed, but a blow to his pride could affect his frail heart medically. He simply wishes his father to live a full life without regret. According to them, the father may only have a few more years left due to his frail heart."
"Humans are indeed fragile creatures." Malleus sighed, "But it's strange…"
"Hm?"
"Do you remember when we first met?" Malleus questioned curiously.
"Most certainly." He nodded with a small laugh, "I was sent to the castle that day with the purpose to make a connection with you. I was told many things of the royal family and to fear them as monsters. Instead, I was whisked away to the phantom general's home and properly dressed out of the tight clothing I was wearing and bathed. Then I became playmates with two children of two prestigious families my father disliked so much. I can't believe father held such deep resentment against them."
"Had I not learnt of their true nature, I'd have thought there were some obedient lapdogs."Malleus scoffed, "The look on his face was quite satisfying to see upon return. I had imagined he'd have learnt his lesson, however…"
"Its all right…" Ren replied hesitantly, "Father likely has his reasons…"
Malleus sighed in disappointment. It's been a mere decade since. Yet, Ren is still the same naive child as he was back then. If Ren was a little wiser to the mindset of others, Malleus would have taken him as his retainer with ease. "Regardless, you have become quite different from back then. However, compared to those humans, you bare a more formidable aura."
"Thank you, milord." Ren replied politely with a blush of embarrassment.
Seeing this, Malleus brow furrowed as a sense of unease continued to linger. A child he simply decided to play guardian with suddenly grew to become immune to his aura.
Raising a child is not the same as playing house.
He's heard it before from Lilia, but it wasn't till as of late that he's begun to notice the changes in the child. The aura Ren exerts is different from the Ebonsveil family members. Although he had been wary before, he can confirm as of late that Ren doesn't have the traits of the Ebonsveil family.