Chapter 86: Truth and Lies

Chapter 86: Truth and Lies

Chapter 86 - Truth and Lies

Why are you standing there? Are you waiting for a written invitation to grace us with your presence? The old fogey waved his hand as if he was summoning a server.

The annoyance at Captain Zerith was rapidly losing ground to a new target. A battle unfolded between his rational self and desire to send them all to hell and storm out of there.

Why did I do this to myself, again? Right, to unravel the governors schemes

Choosing to participate in the selection had been impulsive, but he didnt regret it. He had learned a lot of valuable information. Elijah wasnt always going to be there to bail him out of trouble if things went wrong. Sooner or later, he would have to bid the estate goodbye.

That was the reason he asked Virya for an apprenticeship - to gain the power and freedom to navigate the wider world. Maybe one day he could ignore obnoxious individuals, but he wasnt there yet. He could only smile and endure, hoping to avoid further headaches.

Yes, sir. I apologize for my tardiness. Captain Zerith insisted on showing me the brilliant architecture of the building. I tried to tell him it wasnt necessary, but Kai didnt finish the sentence, Acting remorseful. No hesitation in throwing all the blame on Zerith.

If he made clear he had nothing to do with the captain, he might be able to direct the frustrations of the grumpy grandpa on him. They already seemed to have a bit of a feud going on. Being caught in the crossfire wasnt in his plans.The roots of this story extend from novell bìn origin.

Zerith be damned, I knew he was doing it on purpose. If he thinks Ill let this slide, he doesnt know who hes dealing with! I was already a third circle mage when he was sucking milk.

The tirade kept escalating. The bright yellow hat moved off place from all the shaking, showing the bald head underneath. Kai curiously observed the wrinkled mages face going from a pale red to bright tomato, till it almost reached plum color.

If he has a stroke, will I be charged with murder?

Kai waited silently for the surly mage to return to a more human color. He was starting to get bored, his eardrums hurt from the incessant yells.

Did your parents drop you on the head? Walk to that line. I hope you have at least Mana Sense at level 10 to make me waste my time.

Then people say Im the grumpy one. Does he run on spite and bad manners?

Kai thought after cursing Zerith for several minutes, the man would vent his frustration, but he only seemed more incensed. Snickers came from the back of the room, where all the other kids watched with pity and glee.

A series of white lines had been traced with a white chalk in front of the desk.

Lets get this over with.

Collecting all the motes of patience in his body, Kai walked to the first line. The old fossil raised his hand, mana gathering on it. Tell me what you see, boy. Be quick, I already wasted enough time with the likes of you.

If nothing else, its going to be a good workout for Acting. I should apologize to the butler for all the times I thought he was the most annoying person in the world.

With the most neutral tone he could manage, Kai began to describe the tiny shapes and letters in his mana vision.

The mage grumbled. At least you got the skill more than a week ago, go back two lines.

Kai obeyed, and the process repeated. Step by step, he moved farther from the desk. Grumbles turned into glares, as if each time he answered correctly, it was a personal affront. The hard part of the exercise was deciding how much to reveal.

Painfully mediocre. Is this what they teach children nowadays? Back a line!

His patience was running thin, together with the growing desire to flex his levels. But the old geezer was so self-deluded, that he would probably never admit he was a genius even if Kai showed a level 100 Mana Sense.

In his annoyance, Kai went beyond what Zerith advised him, showing an ability comparable to a level 40 skill. The satisfaction the old man showed, when Kai grunted he couldnt make anything out, was like a slap in the face.

Level 30 at best, and Im being generous. At your age I already.

Kai tuned off the ramblings. The mocking whispers of the other kids had turned into stutters of disbelief, eyes wide open in shock and awe. That was a nice stroke to his ego.

Have you unlocked Mana Manipulation, or did you waste all your time on Mana Sense to achieve these pathetic results?

Blessed spirits grant me strength. If you could also make him have a stroke, Id be eternally grateful. Im sure Captain Zerith can probably write it off as death from natural causes.

An agonizing twenty minutes later, Kai could finally leave that room behind.

I hope theyre doing well. I promised Ana we would meet again soon, but it has been three years.

Valela listened in silence. She didnt look annoyed that he was spending time on pointless details. After the relocation, Kai hurried the rest of his life story. Nothing of what he said was a lie, but he edited some events and entirely omitted others.

A quiet Im sorry escaped her lips when he informed her his father had died. A burning streak of anger pulsed beneath the surface.

How dare she feel sorry for him? It had been the Republics fault. The same people she went around singing the praise. The old wound never stopped hurting. He only got better at living with it.

And yet, what would be the point of yelling at her? She was just a child. At the time his father got murdered, she was too young to have done anything, for better or worse. Glossing over more details, Kai quickly wrapped up his story.

Is this answer good enough, princess?

The vacant look on her face washed away. Her gaze bright and focused again. Ehm Yes. What did you call me?

Kai shrugged. Thats what most people call you around here. The little princess from Higharbor, showered in gifts since she drew her first breath. She dresses only in silk and bathes in elixirs every night. Kai realized too late his mouth got him into trouble one more time.

Damn me.

Apologizes and justifications to contain the damage were ready on his lips, but there was no anger on her face, just sadness? Her ever-steady mana flow showed numerous ripples.

Please, no. Spirits help me, she cant start crying. Its not fair!

Is that what people think of me?

No. I mean, maybe a few. They are just rumors that spread in Sylspring.

Thankfully, I didnt get to the part where her father sold his soul to the devil.

Be honest! Her intense green eyes stared at him.

Well He might have overheard a dozen kids using the nickname just today. With many more ridiculous pieces of lore added each time. You are famous. To most, you are more like a story than a real person. Its inevitable for people to make up their own assumptions, spinning wild stories from a single grain of truth, or not even that.

Usually, facts and logic didnt work well to comfort someone, but that was the best he could offer. To his surprise, Valelas mana flow turned peaceful, a thoughtful look on her face.

So, you managed to reach Orange thanks to your master. She sat up straighter, the steel back in her pose. What did he want in exchange?

A way to kill time and somebody to torture? Maybe see how far Id go?

I dont think he would be happy if I talked about him Kai hesitatingly said. There had been enough honesty for one day.

She nodded to herself. I understand. That was all, thanks for satisfying my curiosity. If there is anything I could do for you, just ask.

And here she goes acting like a lady twice her age.

There is something. Could you maybe not mention me to anyone?

Just that? Valela looked surprised. I would have done that anyway. It was clear you didnt want attention from how you held back during the tests. I dont understand why you participated in the first place.

To spy on the Republic and destroy it from within one piece at a time. Muhahahaha!

Oh, you know. I was just curious. My master doesnt let me visit many places. The selection happened right as I got here, so I thought I should check it out.

Val gave him a long judging look. Do you always make such impulsive decisions?

Kai hoped she didnt notice him blushing with his tanned skin. I know it sounds stupid, but it felt like such a huge coincidence, I thought it could be fate. That there could be a good reason to come here.

A brief smirk flashed on her face. Youre right, it sounds stupid.

You little brat! If you knew I had 19 Favor, youd die of envy!