Maiden’s Independence – 7
After the commotion, the church people analyzed my magical capabilities. It’s pretty fishy since they’re taking a long for the process.
Jes once said that it would be as quick as an injection would. But what are they injecting in the first place? But it took only a short time to show me a slate of my affinity details in the text.
“Affinity: Light-impure. What does light impure even mean?” I asked.
“That means your major magic affinity is the light element, but you’re also capable of the other basic elements. But your dark element affinity is zero,” Jes replied.
“Does that mean I can also do every magic spell accompanied by the elements except dark magic?”
I expected a reply, but she bit her lip and looked away. Her jaw tightens as her fists clench. Her puffed cheeks redden her face up to her ears.
“I—It’s not like I’m jealous or anything! The West also has a record like yours, but he has a dark-impure affinity. You’re not the only talented one here!” She exclaimed.
“He?” I asked with a tilted head.
There’s only one candidate I can think of, the dark lord himself. I encountered the backstory overload in the novel.
I’ve read a hundred pages that even included what they eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and how they use soap in baths. It’s complete nonsense.
To summarize, when the male lead and his older brother, the dark lord, went to the church, his brother received greater power than him.
It’s not mentioned, but I foreshadowed the moment that he’ll become the antagonist. But the author made it to plant a million reasons to be jealous of his brother.
That jealousy was never resolved, and it never will until the author finishes milking the kid’s money from his trash.
But thanks to that, I already know I will soon become a saintess!
Princess Veniara’s ceremony would’ve commenced after her marriage. She never knew she was a saint until she died. But now…
I’m the saintess, and some people know my identity now. It’s the reason why they’re shocked to death.
“Teacher Jes. If I told you I already know I’m the soon saintess, would you still teach me magic? Even if I became the threat of the century?”
“That doesn’t matter. A student can never surpass her teacher,” she pouted. Is she still jealous of me? “But how did you know about your affinity?”
Should I tell her? She’ll soon monitor my everyday practice, but I just knew her earlier. Is she someone worthy of my trust?
“J—Just a hunch,” I joked, pulling my tongue out. In the end, I’m still wary of her.
After the ceremony full of prayers, I went back home. I didn’t waste time rushing toward the library and reviewing the basic magic books.
Since I’m capable of all elements except dark, I should mimic elementary spells for every element. Magic might be the one I’m focusing on now.
I welcomed the morning sun from the window with only three hours of sleep. Eyebags shelter under my eyes, but general magic knowledge inhabits them.
Ellyn entered the library with a newspaper in her hand. She puts it on the table I slept on. Her teeth grit with strength.
The two headlines read:
“A Saintess Candidate Appears? The Royal Family Archetypes: Pervert, Tomboy, Dumb!? Who created this absurdity, Ellyn!?” I shouted, gasping and cringing my head back.
I bared my teeth the same as Ellyn did. My flinty eyes faced her with a reddened face—my vein pulsed, crawling up to my forehead.
Ellyn bows, but her expression doesn’t change.
“I humbly beg for forgiveness, little princess. Even though I’m not fully involved, I still went overboard.”
“I really can’t trust you, Ellyn.”
Ellyn flinched back with a flushed face and a slack mouth. “That really isn’t me! I even have secrets I could never showcase. My identity has been cleansed since months ago.”
“Then who does? The church didn’t even know the archetype part. The only people in the carriage are…” I suddenly paused, having an idea who it was.
“A gossiper.”
Jes arrived at the mansion’s double door at ten in the morning. When it opened, two furrowed eyebrows welcomed her.
Ellyn and I showed her the newspaper with the headline pointing to me. “I wonder what will the next headline be? A tutor ends up dead after exposing scandals?”
“Jes, explain,” I demanded with my furrowed eyebrows burning towards her.
“Ehe!” She smirked with a cute gesture. She’s pretty, but that’s not the point. I won’t let her escape.
“Don’t ‘Ehe!’ me. I can raise this news to my father. Don’t you hold your precious ‘High Mage’ title with care? I can raise it to—”
“Don’t!” Jes squealed as she extended her palm to me. From her cute pose, she kneels, bowing her head and facing the ground.
“I’m sorry, Princess Veniara! I committed my whole life as a slave to education to get that title. That’s my only possession. You can do everything to me other than that.”
“Everything?”
“Little princess, do you know it’s already her habit to expose vulgar stories? She even adds spice to exaggerate it,” Ellyn whispered to me.
“You already know. Why didn’t you tell me yesterday? Don’t you two know that any information from the royal family’s personal lives is confidential? If you can’t, I will put it inside your bones.”
Ellyn kneels at me too. Both of them apologized synchronously. “We’re very sorry!”
I coughed, “Ehem! Stand up. Honestly, I should have kicked you out if I just knew how dishy you are.” I’m lucky I didn’t tell her how I knew that I’m the soon saintess.
Both of them stood up and agreed. Jes continues to explain herself.
“I’m trying to hold it in my tongue, but it feels tingly. Words pull my vocal cords out, and I can’t even control the consequences. It’s just… addicting.”
“Can I ask? Are you a masochist?”
“Why does a nine-year-old ask that question?” Jes asked with squinting eyes.
“I’m going to stop that addiction.”
“W—What do you mean, little princess!?”
“Accompany me the whole day today.”
Jes stumbled with a gasp and exclaimed, “The whole day?!” Her eyeballs attempted an escape from her face.
I burst, exhaling, and smirked. “Twenty-four hours.”
10:37 AM, I pulled Jes to the kingdom’s garden and dome, considered the event arena. The castle had a magnificent park in its backyard, where colorful blossoms swayed in the gentle breeze.
The scent of roses, lilies, tulips, and daisies filled the air with a sweet fragrance. The field was a favorite spot for the royal family and their guests, who often strolled among the flowers or had picnics on the grass.
At the center of the field was a splendid building with a dome roof, which was used for balls and ceremonies filled with joy and celebrations.
The dome glittered in the sunlight, reflecting the beauty of the flower field. The building was spacious and elegant, with marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and velvet curtains.
Because no one’s usually here, we can practice our magic all out, but it doesn’t mean we’re here to wreck everything with an arson.
Jes picks out and opens a book made for light affinity magicians. I also encountered one in the library, but the complexity of the texts confused me.
“First, let’s start with the basics.”
“I think I can handle complex magic,” I suggested since I got to heal Elara from her wounds accidentally.
“Don’t you know the saying ‘everything starts from the basics?’”
Is that this world’s catchphrase? Even Brodveth mentioned it when he taught me side steps on our first month. Ellyn also said it when she taught me about formalities.
But I’m confident that she made the wrong choice. “Then, from the basics, shall we?” I mocked with a grin of preparation.
“Well then. First, I’ll demonstrate to you how light magic works.”
She raised her hands and spoke a vulgar word: “bitch.” A soft light enveloped her body. A surge of energy coursed through her veins.
She casts enhanced magic, a spell that boosts her abilities and senses. The warmth of the sun, the vibrations of the earth, she sensed it all.
I sucked a quick breath as I stiffened. My mouth hangs open in convex. I couldn't believe my eyes as she waved her hand and conjured a ball of fire in the air.
Like a scene from a fantasy movie, a surge of excitement and curiosity hits me, mixed with a hint of fear and awe. I’m drawn to her as if by a magnetic force.
“Wow! Amazing!” I exclaimed. “Teach me that! I want to learn that!”
“Finally! I’ve seen the nine-year-old act like one,” Jes smirked in fulfillment. “You enjoying is somewhat satisfying to see.”
“I—I’m not enjoying!” I shouted with my blushing face. I’m not doing this for fun! I do this to survive. I’m not feeling happy at all!
But why do I feel like my chest will float anytime soon? It’s too light. My breathing stalls as adrenaline covers me like armor.
I’ve felt the same thing before when I… This isn’t fun! It’s impossible that I’m enjoying this!
I looked down in disarray as I muttered, “I’m not having fun. It wasn’t fun at all.”
“Princess? Are you alright?” Jes asked with wrinkled eyebrows as she approached me. “Maybe we should let this pass for tomorrow. You looked pale.”
“Am I?” I touched my face, but my dry lips roughened the soft touch of my fingers. But when I realized… “You can’t fool me. The 24-hour training will continue!”
“N—NO!!”
Time skipped: I’ve learned to use enhanced magic to boost my strength, agility, and fencing blows. It isn’t perfect yet, but I’ll commit to this ability to overwhelm Brodveth.
As per Jes, if I can master light-affiliated abilities, I can change my chant to some of my liking, like what she did earlier. It’s also possible that there’s no chant at all.
The thought counts. If I imagine a symbol of that spell, I can use it without lifting a word. That might be the case in Elara’s recovery.
She didn’t teach me to heal yet. Instead, we focused solely on different types of enhance and nested enhance. Ultimately, I learned and tested four enhanced spells while sparring with her.
She’s a flexible magic user. With another chant, blades appear in the extension of her hand and on the sky. She did harm me, but nothing was fatal.
Tiredness visited her not because of her stamina drain but because of her mana drain. Her cheeks siphoned like a zombie.
It only took us eight hours to knock down Jes. She fell to the ground with eyes open, pupils hidden. I chuckled, which soon turned into a devilish laugh.
“High-mage, you say!? No one can compete with me from overwork pays!” I laughed with only my abdomen could exert.
I soon stopped after the air hit my head. Was the air too strong to push me? There’s no air at all, only myself. My vision blurs; Jes duplicates.
Suddenly, the ground pulled me. The world shakes around with my head still. My breathing prolongs. I couldn’t move my body at all.
Slowly, my vision turns darker and darker, drowning in the void. Open or close, my eyelids change nothing.
The next is, I don’t know.