"Who are you?" the mage asked, looking at the youth in front of him. He was shocked that the youth seemed eerily similar to the statue of Odemore's founder.
"I want to see Signy. Can you call her for me?" Arthur asked.
The guard, not wanting to waste any time, ran towards the central area of Odemore in search of Signy, who was the person in charge.
He was not worried that Arthur would go in and invade the school, as the protective barrier surrounding it was not something anyone could destroy. The barrier was an invisible wall of energy that kept students, teachers, and staff safe from harm.
Signy was huddled inside her office on the third floor of Odemore's main building, working tirelessly to deal with all the school's affairs. The situation was so bad she did not hear the guard knocked on the door and only returned from her daydreams after he was standing right in front of her.
"Excuse me, Miss Signy. Someone at the gate wants to speak with you," the guard said, bowing in respect.
"Someone wants to see me? Who is it now?" Signy said.
People often went to meet with her, usually wanting to ask for things, so she was angry that someone tried to see her, but then the mage said something which turned her emotions into a rollercoaster.
"I am not sure, but he looks much like the founder's statue."
When Signy heard that, she threw all the unfinished papers on her desk and sprinted out of her office, running straight to the school's main gate. Some students were walking around the courtyard, and doubt filled their minds when they saw Signy running towards them. Who could it be to make her act so uneasy? Could the school be in danger? These were some things the students thought as they watched Signy run through the school.
Her heart was full of emotions, and even though the guard said it was someone who looked like the founder, she was afraid it was a misunderstanding. Her stomach was in knots, and she couldn't calm down. "It has to be Arthur!" she thought as she reached the gate, looking at the youth who stood there, waiting for her.
Arthur smiled as he said, "long time no see, Signy. How are you holding up with taking care of the school?"
"Arthur!"
Before talking, Signy wanted a hug, and when Arthur saw her doing that, he did not avoid it. It took her some time to get her arms wrapped around his waist, but she did it. Arthur was surprised by her sudden embrace, but he did not pull away. Then, after seconds of hugging, Signy realized it was getting out of hand. "I am sorry for this." She backed off.
When Arthur heard her words, he said, "It's okay. Don't worry about it."
"So why are you here out of a sudden? Should I be worried?" Signy asked, afraid that Arthur's sudden appearance came with trouble.
"Can we talk in a more private place?" Arthur asked.
Signy nodded and led the way to her office, where she had just left. The guard, who had not been fast enough, met the two along the way. He looked at Arthur and asked, "are you Odemore's founder?"
The students only heard stories about Arthur and how he single-handled built the school with the help of the Queen itself! A statue had been made in the middle of Odemore to symbolize his greatness.
"Yes, I am. It is a pleasure to meet you." Arthur said.
The man couldn't hold his tears as emotion filled up his heart. Being able to meet the founder of Odemore, someone who was considered a legend, was a blessing. Arthur was happy to see his presence held such importance in the school he created.
Some of the students strolling inside the school's courtyard noticed Arthur, and it was easy to link him to the face of the statue. Murmurings started, and within seconds almost everyone knew the founder of Odemore was present, paying a visit.
Anyone would want to meet such an important figure, but all the students restrained themselves, unwilling to get in the way of their founder. The situation was not simple for someone like Arthur to be there, so no one wanted to get in his way, as there was a slight chance he would get mad at them.
"This place looks way better now. These towers are for what?" Arthur asked, pointing toward two towers, one at the school's south and another at the north.
"We use them to study the stars. You know, anyone is interested in other planets."
The study of stars and other planets was something that the world lacked, and hearing Signy talk about it surprised Arthur, although he did not believe they would find much with their level of strength.
After some time of walking, they arrived at the main building of Odemore and went directly toward Signy's office, where they would discuss many things.
"Don't overthink about the mess. I have been busy with lots of things recently." Signy said.
The room had lots of papers scattered around the floor and table. When Arthur saw it, he realized Signy looked tired, as if she had worked too much in the past few days.
"Is there something happening?" Arthur asked.
Signy sat on her chair, sighed, and said, "the other schools did not take our ascension very well. You must know Frostpeak is a well-known school, and they support us, just like the Queen. We are a threat to them."
"No wonder. Do you want me to teach a lesson to anyone in particular?" Arthur said.
Now that he was a rank three mage, not even the mages of the central continent could go up against him, much less the mages from a weaker continent.
"Can you do it all by yourself?" Signy asked, visibly concerned about his safety.
"Well, that is obvious. You must know I am a rank three mage now," Arthur said, stuffing his chest with air to look bigger.
"What?"
The other mages from the central continent had similar reactions, but Signy, who had not even seen rank two mages, was startled! If what Arthur said was true, he was unstoppable anywhere he went.
"Are you being serious about this?"
"Of course. Now, there are other things we must discuss. Can I sit here?" Arthur said, pointing at the chair in front of Signy's table.
It was time for Arthur to explain the situation about the demon continent, the position of Odemore, and his plans for the future. He wanted Signy, Helga, and Eleonora to leave with him for the central continent. That was the best way to keep them safe and give them more chances of increasing their powers in the future.
"Eleonora's father is there too?" Signy said, pondering the situation.
"Can you give me a few hours to speak with the others? I have some talented teachers who are likely to be strong enough to take the position of a leader here." Signy said.
Arthur was okay with her doing that and decided to visit Eleonora while Signy was busy with those things. She was training in sword-fighting with a youth.
"You are rapidly improving, Eleonora!" the youth said.
It was clear that the youth had a crush on Eleonora, but she only saw him as a friend, and the moment Arthur entered her sight, the youth was no longer present for her, and all Eleonora could look at was the handsome face of a black-haired youth!