"Why were you telling me these now?" Minerva asked.
However, Sora just nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I was honestly curious. So you should, too."
With his words, Minerva felt that something had snapped inside her. This brute!
"Hmp." She didn't want to see talk to him anymore!
"Hey, weren't you also curious about it? How about you'd go and ask around about the beast tide? Preferrably the red haired Great Swordmaster that you had met. He surely knew the answer!" Sora insisted. He even rose up from lying on the couch to sit closer to her. Minerva couldn't help but scowl at him.
"Were you for real? Didn't you hear about what Dad had said? He didn't want me to associate with him."
Sora sneered and recline himself to the backrest of the seat, "And you believed him? Master had also said the same thing about Percival and Khalil. But didn't you still have a goo
"Did you prepare everything you needed?" Santi asked as soon as he wiped his mouth with a table napkin."Yes, dad. I already did." Minerva answered.Santi nodded his head. "Just tell me if you still need anything. Also, check your things again to make sure that you won't forget anything.""Yes, dad, I will." She said, helplessly. But deep inside, Minerva knew that her father was just worried about her. After all, this would be the first time that she'd be away from him. She'd stay in the academy for months and would only return for a short vacation.Frankly, Even she, herself, couldn't believe that this day would finally come. Minerva became so used to being with her father that the idea of her living away from him made her sad. But of course, she didn't show it. If she did, her fathe
"Be careful over there okay? If there was someone who displeased you, tell me immediately. If you don't want to go to school anymore, that's also fine. I could work it out." Santi said with seriousness as he stood in front of her. They were in front of the Bexerth Academy and her father went with her to personally escort her to the academy.They were just fine a while ago when they were inside the carriage. However, as soon as she was about to bid her goodbye, he suddenly started to nag.Minerva stifled a laughter and smiled helplessly at her father. "Don't worry, dad. I'd make sure to take care of myself."Santi had a conflicted look on his face. Minerva pursed her lips and stepped forward to hug him."You should also take care of yourself, dad. I'll have Alvin and Cassie look for you. If you were bored, you could call Uncle Lorenzo to keep you company.""Now it was you who were nag
The red-haired Great Swordmaster narrowed his eyes at Santi. Minerva, who was on the side, couldn't help but be nervous."Yeah, almost a hundred years had passed, yet you still hadn't changed a bit. You're still as brutal as ever."Santi shrugged his shoulders. "Well, that's one of my charms. Something that you didn't have."Minerva snapped her head at her father. Seriously, He's still going at it? Dad was making him even angrier!"Dad..."She was about to say something when her father interrupted her by patting her head."Don't worry, he wouldn't dare to lay a finger on me, much less on you. If he did, I'd kick his virgin ass." Santi said, obviously trying to console her. Unfortunately, it didn't work at all. Instead, Minerva felt like crying inside. Why did her father keep on saying such things? And how in the world did he know about this?
At the top of the west tower of the academy, a blonde woman was reading beside the window. Silence enveloped the whole room aside from the occassional flipping of the pages. However, the silence was suddenly broken when a hurried footsteps was heard. She knitted her brows and placed the book she was reading on the table. Within just a few moments, the door swung open and the man with a red hair came inside."What happened?" She asked in a serious tone. This was the first time that she saw him on this state. He looked extremely pale and sweating. If she looked closely on his arms, he seemed like shaking. Even his legs looked like they were about to give up!The red haired man just gasped on his breath before he sat down on the couch. He breathed heavily as he clutched on his chest."What's wrong with you? Did something happened?""I..." The red haired man muttered between his gasps, "I... I made a mist
"Uh… Dad, was that okay?" Minerva asked the moment the red haired Great Swordmaster, whom her father had called Roland, left them as soon her father dismissed him."Who cares?" Santi nonchalantly replied. The coldness that he emitted earlier instantly vanished. His laidback and arrogant looking self was back.Minerva just sighed. Seriously, she didn't know what to do about her father who offended a lot of people from left to right. She wasn't even that fazed when someone was angry at him. Well, who wouldn't? If her father had talked to her like how he was to the others, she would seriously get pissed without a doubt.Fortunately for her, Santi treated her differently. Unlike the others, he never talked to her in such a brute manner. He would even shower her with compliments that she felt embarrassed most of the time whenever he did it."Dad, I have to get inside now."Minerva
"Didn't you just said earlier that the North Dormitory only had the nine of us?" Minerva asked in a strange tone."Yep." Zinnia nodded."Then how come this was too huge?" Minerva asked while pointing at the building in front of them."Uh, I don't know...?"Minerva just shook her head. She wasn't kidding. The building was too huge to only be occupied by the nine of them.When they were walking earlier, Zinnia had pointed at Minerva on where the other dormitories were located. There was where the scholars resided, the main dormitory, and the north dormitory. While the North Dormitory wasn't as huge as the Main Dormitory, it was still comparable to Southeast Dormitory where the academy's scholars resided. And compared to the North and Southeast, the Southeast Dormitory housed hundreds of students."Did the other nobilities talk about this?" She asked.
"This would be your room. Ta-da!" Zinnia enthusiastically said as soon as she opened Minerva's room."Although your room was in the third floor while mine was second, it's fine since I'd still see you whenever you'd go down hehe."Minerva looked around the room that she would stay while inside the academy. Actually, "room" wasn't the correct term for this. This was freaking an apartment, if she would base it on earth.There was a dining room, a living room, a study room, a closet, and then the bedroom. How was this a freaking "room"?"This…"Was this truly okay?She might've sound like fussing over such details. But this "hospitality" was too much! Were the board of directors that desperate to cling on the jeweled eye wielders' thighs?"Was this room to your liking, Your Highness? If Your Highness didn't like it, this one would immediately p
"...can we go to the west instead?" Minerva said after a thought."Huh?" Zinnia looked at Minerva with a confused expression."Don't tell me you were that curious about the Legendary Vicious Beast? As what I said earlier, it was just a rumor." Zinnia said."But everyone who came inside the Inner Restricted Area had felt that huge pressure the beast had emitted." Minerva argued."Whatever. You normally wouldn't insist and this was the first time that you werethiscurious about something. Fine, I'd take you there. Still, we're not allowed to venture the Restricted Area. Did you understand? We'll just walk around the west. Nothing more." Zinnia said in a serious tone. She sounded like Serena whenever she acted like a caring big sister that Minerva had an urge to laugh. However, she stopped herself and nodded her head vehemently."Yes, yes. Now let's go?"
"Minnie?"Minerva snapped back from her thoughts as soon as she saw Marcus waving his hand in front of her. She was too lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice that he was calling her name."Oh, you were finally back from thinking deeply. Seriously, Minnie, you were the only one I knew that would often daze even in the middle of a tense conversation. Sometimes, I couldn't help but wonder what was running on your mind." Marcus said as his right cheek rested on his palm and looked at him with unmasked curiosity.Minerva scoffed and smacked his arm, which she often did to him."Shut up." She rolled her eyes, "And what was that about what was running on my mind? Seriously, Marcus, if you only knew, you wouldn't have wished to know."Of course, she was only joking. But Minerva didn't want to entertain Marcus anymore with this topic hence she ended this
"Do you perhaps understand this language?" Minerva asked. Marcus raised his head to look at her."Kind of. I was still studying that language but I don't have enough time. There were words and phrases that didn't make sense for me so I decided to take that books when I return home." He answered, "But if you wanted that book, you could borrow that before me.""I see." She muttered as she caressed the book."This language was rare. How did you learn about this?""Oh, that." Marcus knitted his brows as if he was recalling, "He had books that had the same language as that on his private library. I was curious about the book hence I asked him to teach me how to read that language. Although father didn't personally teach me how, he instead gave me an old book that teach how to read that language." He paused and looked at her, "Why, did you want to learn that language?"Minerva pursed her l
"Do you perhaps understand this language?" Minerva asked. Marcus raised his head to look at her."Kind of. I was still studying that language but I don't have enough time. There were words and phrases that didn't make sense for me so I decided to take that books when I return home." He answered, "But if you wanted that book, you could borrow that before me.""I see." She muttered as she caressed the book."This language was rare. How did you learn about this?""Oh, that." Marcus knitted his brows as if he was recalling, "He had books that had the same language as that on his private library. I was curious about the book hence I asked him to teach me how to read that language. Although father didn't personally teach me how, he instead gave me an old book that teach how to read that language." He paused and looked at her, "Why, did you want to learn that language?"Minerva pursed her l
"Where did you get these books?" Minerva asked Marcus who was crouching down on the floor. Piles of books surrounded him as he reclined his back on the couch. There was a throw pillow on his lap while above it was an opened book.She didn't want to disturb Marcus. Minerva wanted to quietly sit in front of him as he looked too immerse on what he was reading. But as soon as she saw the title of the books that was piled up, words subconsciously blurted out on her mouth. And before she could react, she had already questioned him."Oh?" Marcus raised his head and looked at her, "Which of these?""Those at the back." She answered as she pointed at the four piled up thick books who obviously looked worn out."Oh. I found that inside the box at the library's storage room. It was interesting hence I took it." Marcus nonchalantly answered. As he looked at Minerva who had a complicated look at the old books, he
"Dad, I heard that the faculty wanted to talk to you." Minerva said in a small voice once she managed to connect the communication device to her father.Although he admonished her earlier and they already made up, Minerva still spoke carefully at her father in case that his mood hadn't dampen yet."I see. I'd talk to them later." Her father answered which made Minerva hummed. She didn't know what to say next and it seemed that her father had felt her discomfort as he sighed."I'll just finish my things first and I'd head there. Take care, okay?""Yes, dad. You too."Minerva watched as the light of the stone began to wane until it appeared to be a common rock. She placed the stone on the table and sighed."Chill out. Nothing would happen to your father. The faculty were obviously just followed the protocols as Master had breached it. At most, he would need to compens
Minerva was looking at the window on her bedroom. She sat on the chair and leaned her body to the desk. Her right cheek rested on her right palm as she gazed outside. However, although she looked like busy admiring the chipping birds on the tree and the clear blue sky, she was actually immersed on her thought.Her father had already left after he talked to Claire and the board of directors. Although Minerva wanted to follow, her father had forbid her to do so. He also said that she didn't need to meet the board of directors when it wasn't necessary. And if they insisted, her father would make sure that they'd understand what "no" meant.Minerva couldn't help but let out a sigh. Her father didn't reprimand her for strolling around the academy. But since Zinnia hadn't returned yet and Marcus was nowhere to be found, she decided to stay here for the meantime."Minnie?" She heard Zinnia said after three consective knocks.
Santi just got home after he talked privately with Sora. With that, he found out thoroughly what actually happened on the day that Minerva and Zinnia was attacked.He couldn't help but purse his lips. He had eyed this organization for years yet he couldn't find anything. Adira had already helped yet the results were the same. Even Winter, the Pope of the Church of Larin, secretly sent out information about this unknown organization yet they couldn't find anything at all. Worse, Sora had been unable to track those three who attacked Santi, Kristina, and Minerva while they were on the Halen Empire ten years ago.Although they hadn't found anything despite their combined efforts, Santi had a little bit of an inkling on who might behind all of these. After all, nobody in this world was capable enough on hiding away from Sora's radar unless it wasthem.If it truly wasthem just like what Santi a
Out for Santi's courtesy, Marcus excused himself so Minerva and Santi could have a time to talk. Although the tension increased as soon as Marcus left, Minerva chose to remain silent and let her father vent out. After all, it was her fault that she didn't say a word about the incident."Minerva Chrysalis, didn't I tell you to report to me immediately if something had happened to you? We talked last night before you went to sleep, right? I asked you if something happened but you just told me that you and Zinnia went outside to stroll. Nothing more. And yet just this morning, Claire had talked to me about the attempted assassination that happened yesterday? When you and Zinnia went outside?"Minerva bit the bottom of her lips and lowered her head. She knew that her father would certainly be mad about her hiding this for him. However, now that she had faced his anger, she couldn't help but feel regret on her decision."Wh
The breakfast was over and Serena, Parker, and Sancho went home. Although Serena and Parker were sent together in a mission with Vernon and Hansel, it was also the same case for Sancho. He was sent into an A rank mission. Therefore, what was left was Minerva, Zinnia, and Marcus."Lady Zinnia, a student sent a message saying that the young lady was summoned by Professor Claire." A maid said after she knocked three times on the dining room."Ah? Okay." Zinnia stood up and looked at Minerva."I'll be back. If you want, you could go with Marcus.""It's fine. I'll just wait for you here." Minerva said with a smile. Then, Zinnia left leaving Minerva and Marcus."So…" Marcus began, "Uncle Santi didn't permit you to go outside the Larin Continent?""Huh?" Minerva took a bite from the cake before she answered, "I thought you already knew?""I had a h