Chapter 102
"Go to sleep, we have to get up early tomorrow." Xerath turned over, only showing a little bit of her profile to Sylas, most of it sinking into the soft pillow. She was more used to sleeping on her back, rather than curling up on her side like Sylas. But this time, she simply didn't know how to respond to being seen as the "best" student.
She's not... She didn't mean it that way. The archmage reminded herself not to let her thoughts wander like spiders, crawling about randomly this time.
But I've always been the only one in front of her... an example, the only person. Of course, she would consider me the best. Not just academically.
The archmage has always had confidence in her academic abilities. Otherwise, she wouldn't have made up her mind to teach such a special little creature from the beginning. But Sylas's imprint on her seems to be more than just about academics. There might also be emotional imprints.
No. She quickly dismissed this thought in her mind. As a child, one would regard their parents as the greatest people in the world, but after some time, they would start to rebel against the exaggerated perceptions they had in their youth and establish new understandings. Everyone goes through it, including the archmage herself. So she understands that when Sylas says these things, she might genuinely mean it, but it will eventually change.
Humans don't have imprints like fledglings. Even though the archmage secretly wishes they did, wishes to become... Stop, don't continue thinking.
She sighed deeply. Restlessness spread through her veins, clawing and gnashing, a very peculiar sensation. So it turns out that there is indeed a physical pain in one of the "heartaches," rather than just an exaggerated psychological feeling.
The next day, after Xerath woke up, Sylas was still not awake. She directly packed her things, left the room, and went downstairs to eat. Before leaving, Sylas rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up.
"Teacher? Where are you going?"
"Going downstairs to eat, little creature. When do you plan on getting up?"
"Hmm? Ah! I woke up!" She quickly crawled out of bed, facing away from Xerath and took off her nightgown.
Her back, slim waist, and young body that hadn't fully developed yet were breathtaking. The archmage turned around, took a deep breath, and said, "Sylas, come down for breakfast."
Young people are like this, they can go out without much preparation. Xerath took about half an hour to leave the room, while Sylas came down in about ten minutes.
Virgil and the archmage occupied one corner of the four-person table, sitting in a diagonal position. Probably because the table was too narrow, there wasn't enough space for each person's plate.
Sylas also got her own food and sat down next to Virgil.
Virgil was slightly shocked, looked at Sylas in surprise, then quickly glanced at Xerath. However, Xerath didn't even look up and was still focusing on eating a piece of perfectly toasted garlic bread.
"Not made by the Fire Lord, it has the earthly flavors. Sylas, which one do you prefer?"
"Hmm..." Sylas raised her head, tasted it, and smiled, "I think they both have their own merits. The Fire Lord can definitely make high-quality dishes quickly, but the dishes made by a skilled cook are diverse, capturing delicate changes in taste. That's probably something the Fire Lord can't achieve. However, I still really enjoy Elvis's cooking."
"If you tell it, it should be happy to start burning." Xerath picked up a slice of garlic bread from her plate and gave it to Sylas, "Try this."
Sylas took a bite of the cake directly from her fork and said, "Mmm, it's delicious. Would you like to try this sausage? It's also tasty."
"Okay, give me a little bit."
Sylas cut a small piece of sausage, brought the fork to her mouth, and looked at Xerath attentively. Xerath slightly turned her head, took a bite of the food, and slowly pulled it off the fork.
"It's really tasty," the sausage was sticky and filled with tiny pieces of rice and seasoned pork. It was both salty and fragrant, not just pure meat. Xerath chewed it thoughtfully while watching Sylas. Sylas also watched her, even after she finished eating and didn't take her eyes off her. Xerath touched her lips and asked, "What's wrong?"
Sylas smiled and reached out to wipe a grain of rice off the corner of Xerath's mouth. She lowered her head and said, "Nothing else."
She ate her meal earnestly, and Xerath had no choice but to continue eating with her head down. During the meal, she noticed the secret signal Virgil gave her. It was a series of taps, probably meaning "Don't leave after school." She hadn't received this signal in many years.
After finishing their meal, she asked Sylas, "Have you packed up your things?"
"Hmm... almost, the face-washing stuff is still drying."
"I've already finished mine, could you please help me take it down as well?"
"Of course?" She thought Xerath would go upstairs with her so they could have some alone time, but obviously that wasn't happening. She glanced at Virgil, who flashed her a big, fluffy, and prickly smile.
It wasn't time for her and Xerath to be alone, it was time for Virgil and Xerath to be alone. She reluctantly went upstairs.
"Tell me." The two watched as Sylas walked out of the basement restaurant. Xerath spoke first.
"Do you consider Sylas as your own child?" Virgil asked.
"No, of course not!" The thought of having to continuously deal with this question from Virgil gave her a headache. But Virgil was one of her few friends, and she needed to make it clear to him. After all, she couldn't actually harm Virgil. "I have always been committed to treating her equally, as mage to mage, not master to demon beast, stepmother or anything like that to daughter. We have a teacher-student relationship, the most equal kind."
She saw Virgil about to say something, and through gritted teeth, she added softly, "It won't develop into anything else."
"Phew, as an archmage who has lived alone for ten years and hardly goes out, you know that this type of intimate feeding, apart from parent-child relationships, usually only happens between lovers, right? If you don't want me or other onlookers to misunderstand your relationship or your intentions, you should..."
Xerath froze, staying still for a long time. "...But we... we have always interacted like this. I think this is common between adults and young children."
"Clearly, she will be an adult next year. Of course, it's not as easily misunderstood due to the same gender... but you are no longer a young female student, and you are not in a parent-child relationship. I am not ignorant about same-sex relationships either..." Virgil lifted his head, his smile fluffy. "I know quite a lot."
The powerful magician frowned and stared at Virgil, either thinking or simply threatening him with her eyes.
"Okay, I understand now. This kind of behavior is inappropriate in public places, and I will be more careful in the future."
"Old friend... Have you ever thought about what would happen if Sylas falls in love with you?"
Language has a mysterious magic - after hearing this, the archmage's heart began to beat fast. She adjusted her breathing and answered softly, "No, she respects me. It's just respect."
"Stop fooling around. You're a charming young man, and you have a deadly attraction to young girls."
"Even if that's true, it's because I was her only option before. In the future, she will meet different kinds of people and have more references and comparisons, so she will make a relatively objective judgment."
"Relax, I'm not your enemy. I'm your friend," Virgil patted her tightly clenched fist, trying to make her loosen her grip. "So try not to do things that could make Sylas misunderstand. I understand young girls' thoughts more than you do, even though Sylas isn't the type I usually flirt with, but humans are somewhat similar."
Xerath nodded. She liked hearing opinions from professionals, and what Virgil said made sense.
Interacting with people can be tiring, especially when you want to maintain a relationship that keeps swinging back and forth - either too much or too little. It's rare and worth cherishing to find someone you can easily get along with. Thinking this, she couldn't help but squeeze Virgil's hand in return.
"Teacher, your luggage," Sylas appeared at the door.
Xerath stood up to greet, but Sylas walked past her and went straight to Virgil. She cheerfully said, "Uncle Virgil, are you ready to leave?"
When she's serious, she only calls him by his name, Virgil. But when she's joking, she calls him "Uncle Virgil." This affectionate term makes Virgil happy, and he says, "Little beauty, you care about me so much. Uncle is flattered. My luggage is ready, let's go."
Sylas turned back to Xerath, who had been left behind for no reason, and said, "Teacher, let them handle the luggage."
"Alright, I'll go to the front desk to check out," Xerath said, then she waved to Virgil, "Virgil, let's go."
Virgil responded and walked quickly to be beside her, leaving Sylas behind. From behind, in terms of height, Virgil and the archmage standing together looked quite harmonious. Virgil is a tall and slender man, looking as flexible and powerful as a whip. His attire reinforced this impression, not like most adventurers they had seen on the way, who were untidy and disheveled. Just yesterday, at this counter, a young lady casually asked them if they wanted a double bed room, mistaking them for a couple.
Sylas pouted, feeling a little unhappy, but she didn't know why.
There was only an elderly lady sitting at the front desk. While Xerath was negotiating with her, Sylas squeezed in between her and Virgil.
Xerath didn't pay much attention and asked the lady, "The breakfast at this hotel is great. Your business must be doing well."
"No, it's just a way to earn a living." The aunt smiled happily and humbly said.
"This store must have been open for a long time, right?"
