As always, Sunders was oblivious of Flora’s venting.
He was grinning, and his stern expression became a little more gentle.
“Good. Project into imaginary to give birth to the truth. Your talent is exceptional.” Sunders reached out his hand towards Angor, who was still sitting on the floor.
Angor hesitated. A man feared by wizards was in front of him. If he did not react properly, would he get into trouble? After some more wavering, Angor chose to take Sunders’ hand.
Sunders pulled Angor up and looked at him with his dark brown eyes. “Do you want to be my student?”
Those words instantly quieted all conversations between the supernaturals nearby. Then, a commotion followed.
“Sunders is accepting Angor as a student?! This—this would be the biggest news in the southern region this year!”
“Sunders only took in two students in his life, and both of them became wizards. The mortal kid had some serious luck!”
“Humph. Luck? Use your brain. Think. Why is Sunders asking him to be a student?”
“Oh right. What’s so special about him? Something to do with the weird story during his talent test?”
“Shh! Sunders forced his way in before Heroline could do the talent test. That already explained it all!”
Someone’s reminder caused everyone else to think carefully.
Right… Sunders never did anything harsh. He did not even care when Jellal and Flora were arguing in front of the restaurant entrance. But now… he actually made a rash move. There must be something we aren’t aware of… Maybe the young man named Angor has a special talent that even Sunders could not wait to take him away?
But… A good talent was only an addition to wizards. They would not just accept a student because of his or her talent. Becoming a wizard had too many prerequisites, normal talents also had their own advantages.
Once someone actually became a wizard, talent would only determine the lower limit, while the upper limit heavily relied on the wizard’s accumulated knowledge.
If considered this way… then Angor’s talent was so special that Sunders was willing to make an exception.
A wizard’s talent determined his or her lower limit. So how grand would it be for Angor?!
Everyone took their own wild guesses. All apprentices were now looking at Angor enviously. Their own futures were not even determined yet, and this ordinary young man was already favored by the best wizard in the entire southern region!
How could people be so different?! And how lucky could he get? Golden card, Phantom Master’s student, why was he the only one getting all the good stuff?
The atmosphere in the room became strange. Not only the apprentices, but even the wizards were also envious now.
Level-1 wizards and level-2 wizards were tremendously different. If they could find a level-2 wizard as their teacher, they would surely make greater achievements…
Heroline finally understood the uneasiness she had been feeling.
Since Sunders acted like this before she could give Angor a talent test, there was no doubt about Angor’s outstanding talent.
A genius about to join White Coral Floating Island Academy… only to be intercepted midway. No wonder why she felt something wrong.
Heroline was struggling with herself. She wanted to speak, but Sunders never lifted the suppression. It even got worse than before. Heroline could not even move a finger now.
All she could do was praying in her mind: Don’t. Don’t accept the offer. Although she already knew that praying was futile.
People’s discussion did not take long, and the discussion did not change the situation.
Ever since running into the strange seabird on The Redbud, Angor felt something was changing. He had no idea what it was, yet an unknown force still led him here.
He had no idea how he got the golden card, how he came up to the deck, how he was taken away by Tom Weasel, how he chose Section Ephemera… When he thought his strange journey would soon end, this noble gentleman invited him to be his student.
An unknown force pushed Angor to an unknown direction and changed his future towards the unknown.
If the philosophers from Earth would discuss the situation, they might have a name for it.
Fate.
…
Angor did not know whether it was fate that put him in the center of the whirling chaos. However, he did know he should give an answer to the man standing in front of him. The other people were about to murder him with their sharp glares.
“Sir, I agreed to Mister Mara that I’ll join White Coral Floating Island Academy…”
“You want to save your teacher? Jon, am I right?” asked Sunders.
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you think a wizard at the academy would take you in and help you find a way to cure your teacher within five years?”
“I… don’t know. But I’ll try my best.” Angor hesitated. Mara told him that every apprentice would find a wizard as their tutor once inside the organization. However, the apprentices were only nominal students, and what they could actually learn relied on their teacher’s mood. It was extremely difficult to find a “real” teacher.
Heroline was trying to say “I will teach you”, but she never got the chance to move her lips, and the other wizards certainly did not want to offend Sunders now.
“Trying your best will not always get you a good result. If I’m your teacher, I will personally train you,” said Sunders. He stroke his white gloves as he continued, “If you can’t save your teacher in five years, I will give you a magic scroll that can freeze any life form in ice and give your former teacher another five years to live. However, if you are still powerless in ten years, his death will not be prevented.”
Angor immediately raised his head.
Ten years.
Almost half a year had passed since he left the Padt Manor, and he had not even reached Fey Continent yet. Returning to the manor and save Jon from his illness in five years was just too difficult. Angor appeared to be calm during these months, but his mind was not calm at all. If Sunders spoke the truth, that he could actually have ten years, Angor would make up his mind. Time was most precious.
“How about it? Do you have an answer?”
Sunders was acting relaxed and seemed indifferent about Angor’s decision, but as a student who knew him best, Flora recognized the tint of desire and stubbornness hidden in his expression. Flora was certain, that if Angor chose to refuse, Sunders would simply knock him out and kidnap him away.
“What kind of talent attracted teacher to such an extent?” Even Flora was becoming a little envious at Angor’s luck.
Angor stayed silent, then looked at Mara, who was standing not far.
Mara’s attention, however, was focused on someone else.
Heroline.
Heroline was gazing at Mara with pure hatred.
At first, Mara did not know why Heroline hated him so much but considering Heroline’s regretted look towards Angor, Mara realized what just happened.
It was clear. Heroline was blaming Mara, for not noticing Angor’s talent beforehand, thus giving Sunders such an opportunity.
Mara felt really upset. He did not know there was something else besides “floating” during the talent test. He was being excited about his own breakthrough on that day. It could not be helped.
Despite his feeling, Mara could not argue with Heroline. Otherwise, he would not be going back to the academy at all.
Heroline’s resentment sent a chill down Mara’s spine. An apprentice was like an ant in the face of a wizard. If Heroline decided to end his life right here, the academy would not even question about it.
With his future dangerously hanging on a thin string, Mara changed his train of thought, clenched his teeth in determination, and made a great decision.