“Oh, now I remember. Is it that you still haven’t learned a single spell, so you don’t dare see me for fear of being reminded of the past?”
“Move.”
Taking a deep breath, Aixi tried to walk around Kaelan and leave the Magic Equipment Shop, but Kaelan stepped sideways, blocking her once again.
Eyeing Aixi up and down, scrutinizing her clothes, Kaelan continued to ridicule her:
“I heard you joined that so-called Rose Knights? Hah, well, that makes sense. Someone like you, a magical failure who can’t even light a spark, could only end up in a knight order that doesn’t require magic.”
“It’s really a pity for your Father, though. As a renowned Grand Magus of the Capadovia Empire, he passed away with no one to inherit his legacy.”
At that moment, Teresa finished her purchases and walked up to the front counter of the shop.
Noticing that Aixi was being mocked by Kaelan, Teresa stepped forward and shielded Aixi behind her, her gaze icy as she spoke, “Miss, mind your words.”
As she spoke, Divine Grace emanated from within her, making the atmosphere inside the Magic Equipment Shop instantly turn solemn and oppressive.
Including the Sand Fortress, the members of the Rose Knights were true veterans of the battlefield. Relying on their presence alone to intimidate the academy’s students was all too easy.
That was why Kaelan subconsciously took a step back, a trace of fear flickering in her eyes.
But then, realizing this was the Magic Equipment Shop, her sense of superiority returned and took hold once more.
“What, you’re here to buy magic items? Things here aren’t something penniless knights like you can afford, after all…”
She deliberately drew out her words, then dropped a bombshell:
“Your family is even putting the ancestral villa up for sale, aren’t they? Aixi, without your Father, your family really is nothing.”
She didn’t dare mock Teresa directly, but that didn’t mean she would stop mocking Aixi.
Besides, no matter how impressive they were, did they dare to kill anyone in Mills City?
Not to mention the laws binding them—could they even beat her in a fight?
As a magic prodigy of Mills Academy, she was confident in herself.
After Teresa’s arrival, Aixi had wanted to leave with her right away, but Kaelan’s words made her slender body tremble.
“Putting it up for sale? What do you mean?!”
“What do I mean? Can’t you go see for yourself? Oh, that’s right—I remember now, you haven’t gone home for five or six years, have you?”
As Kaelan continued to needle Aixi, the light in Teresa’s eyes grew colder and colder.
“Didn’t you hear what I said?”
“Tch, penniless knights only know how to bully others by force. I have better things to do, so I can’t be bothered to waste more words on you. Aixi, between you and me, there’s an unbridgeable gap now.”
With a toss of her head, Kaelan strode out of the shop with the steps of a Noble, while Aixi stood silent, seemingly stung by her words.
Watching Kaelan’s departing figure, Teresa silently cursed.
She’d only wanted to bring Aixi out for some fresh air, but ended up running into Kaelan instead.
Not only had their stroll failed to lighten Aixi’s mood, it had made her feel even worse.
Patting Aixi’s shoulder, she consoled her:
“Aixi, you don’t have to take her words to heart. The ultimate goal of the Rose Knights is to save the world. Between us and her, there really is an unbridgeable gap.”
Indeed, the Rose Knights aimed to save the world, and nearly everyone in the Order had to reach at least level 90 as a Demigod. Mills Academy’s students were different.
Many among them, despite being hailed as magical geniuses, might only ever become Sages barely past level 50 in their lifetimes—not even close to being compared to a Demigod.
So she really couldn’t understand why this Noble young lady, Kaelan, had such an inexplicable sense of superiority, even thinking they were unworthy of comparison.
Could it be that magic had blinded her eyes?
For some reason, Anderi the Mentor came to mind, and she realized they seemed to share the same flaw.
In their eyes, it was as if magic was the only standard by which to measure a person’s worth.
“…I know.”
Faced with Teresa’s comfort, Aixi forced a smile, but to Teresa, no matter how she looked at it, it seemed like Aixi was just pretending to be strong.
…
The next day, in Mentor Anderi’s class, Aixi did not show up.
“No magical talent, so she skips class? Does she even have any respect for me as her Mentor?!”
With a slap of his hand on the desk, Mentor Anderi was furious.
He believed Aixi’s absence was a sign of disrespect, and in a fit of anger, he threw down his books and stormed out of the classroom.
The lesson turned into a self-study session for the girls.
Leanna’s dissatisfaction with Mentor Anderi was written all over her face, convinced he was unfit to be a Mentor.
Meilin’s eyes were dark and unreadable, her thoughts unknown.
On the other side, in the back garden behind the Temporary Encampment of the Rose Knights.
Aixi was curled up in a corner, hugging her knees, burying her face in her arms, her shoulders trembling.
A gentle shadow fell over her, accompanied by a soft, reassuring fragrance.
A pair of warm hands settled quietly on her shoulders, saying nothing, simply offering silent support.
Startled, Aixi looked up, her tearful eyes meeting Saintess Selis’s gentle face, full of concern.
Instinctively, she tried to hide, to wipe away her tears and pretend nothing was wrong, but Saintess Selis only shook her head and slipped a clean, soft handkerchief into her hand.
“The wind here is damp. If you sit too long, you’ll get a headache.”
Saintess Selis’s voice was as light as a feather, yet held a warmth impossible to refuse. “I’ve brewed some floral tea in my room. Would you like to join me for a cup?”
She did not ask, “Why are you crying?” nor did she say, “Don’t cry.” Instead, she offered a sanctuary where tears could fall freely.
Dazed, Aixi allowed herself to be led away from the cold corner, her icy hand gently taken in Selis’s warm grasp.
The room was filled with the scent of lavender.
After thoughtfully brushing the dirt from Aixi’s skirt with a handkerchief, Saintess Selis poured her a cup of warm floral tea.
Aixi didn’t drink it. She only gripped the hem of her dress tightly, looking nervous.
“How did you find me?”
“Because I pay attention to everyone in the Order of Knights.”
Selis sat beside her, warmly covering Aixi’s still-chilled hand with her own.
“Sometimes, a careless word from an outsider can hurt more than any blade, because it digs up the fears buried deepest in our hearts.”
“But do you know?” Selis tightened her grip slightly.
“If you take those bleeding wounds and let them bask in the sunlight, it might hurt, but only then can they truly begin to heal.”
“I… Can I really?” Aixi’s voice was hoarse and uncertain from crying.
“Of course. Here with me, you always can.”
Selis’s smile carried a power that could melt even the coldest snow.
Perhaps it was this unconditional acceptance that broke through her defenses.
Aixi’s tense body finally relaxed.
She tentatively rested her forehead on Selis’s shoulder, like a fledgling bird finding shelter at last.
After a long while, she finally whispered, so softly it was almost inaudible:
“…I’ve hated my Father since I was a child.”