Chapter 78: Patrician

I lurched up in alarm. My chest heaved in unrest, head too foggy to recognise the shift in my surroundings. Through blurry eyes, I saw the familiar slanted ceiling, wooden beams supporting the roof of my room. I was rested on my bed, feeling a deep-rooted fatigue in my muscles. Even moving took an effort I’d rather not invest.

[Congratulations! Way of Arcane Resistance IV (107/100) is complete.]

[+4 Fortitude.]

[Way of Arcane Resistance V (107/250) is available.]

[Congratulations! Way of Essence Unification VII (1002/1000) is complete.]

[+24 Unallocated Points.]

[Way of Essence Unification VIII (1002/2500) is available.]

[Congratulations! You have taken another step into your Path.]

[As you are unable to choose which aspect to empower in time, your weakest aspect has been chosen for expansion.]

[Influence: 2 (+10%)]

The Spell’s voice jolted me into clarity, as a scowl settled on my face. I had clearly wanted to empower my Will, but it seemed I couldn’t win everywhere.

For reasons unknown, I didn’t feel all that down about it. Still a bit angry about the whole deal with Ao, but a stomach-twisting hunger clawed at every fibre of my being, dispersing the very thought of the impudent shaper.

My stomach growled promptly. Forming an Aether Root was nerve-wracking, especially under such stress. Although, in this case, the stress had probably helped with the formation, it was still a gruelling process.

Ignoring the ache, I crept up from my bed and headed toward the kitchen, only to hear the sounds of a heated debate coming from the other room.

I perked my ears and snuck closer to the open door. It was Mum’s voice.

"I don't care what you have to offer, Larius. I won't let my son attend that stupid tournament or even the stupid school of yours."

The one she was berating was apparently Headmaster Larius, who must have been the one to bring me home after I collapsed.

"Lady Ashlyn, I think you're overreacting a bit," the balding headmaster said. "I know it was a terrible oversight on my part, but—"

"Overreacting?" Mum glared at the man, who seemed to shrink a couple of feet despite his tallish stature. Well, he was taller than her, but that never seemed to affect Mum.

It was then that her eyes found me, and all the argument in the room fell into silence.

"Pumpkin," she said, rushing to embrace me as though I were still the little boy she could always hold and protect.

"Are you feeling all right?" Father asked, his eyes gentle, mirroring Mum's concern.

I nodded while Mum checked me thoroughly. She had probably done so before when I was unconscious, but Mum was unreasonably protective when it came to me.

Then I finally spotted Eran, sitting in the corner by the couch, looking thoroughly out of place in the argument among adults. He seemed to have come straight to our house after the evaluation.

"I am fine," I said. "Just hungry. I could eat a whole chicken by myself."

I grinned foolishly, trying to lift their mood. That worked to a certain extent, though Mum wasn’t done fussing over the matter.

"How many?" she asked me.

I looked at her quizzically.

"How many threads did he use in that attack?" Her voice made sure there was no room for evasion.

"Umm, he began with thirty-two,” I said, “and increased the number by sixteen each time."

“He didn’t stop seeing your flesh torn off or when blood came out of your mouth?”

I kept my silence. Despite having no such memory of my skin tearing, the soft tear marks that had been closed by either a healing spell or potion evidenced that what I had been through was no simple endurance test.

Seeing me without an answer, Mum continued, “How far did he go until you fell unconscious?”

"He implemented one hundred and twenty-eight threads," I mumbled. Fortunately, Ao was poor at complex weaves, or else I wouldn’t have ended up with just skin injuries.

Where I was relieved myself, Mum's eyes blazed with fury, as though she was about to storm out of the house and murder someone. And we all knew who that someone was.

To my relief, Father caught her before she did something regrettable. Of course, Mum wouldn’t go that far. I had complete faith in her.

"And you still think I will let my son attend your institution?" she said through gritted teeth.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The Headmaster was embarrassed. It wasn't really his fault, but considering he was in charge of the whole institution, he had to shoulder much of the blame.

Honestly, if it were simply about the schooling, I didn't care much about the institution. In one year, I had learned whatever the school had to offer. However, I did have an interest in joining the inter-district meet. Other than fulfilling my desire to travel, I wanted to compete against stronger opponents. Coming first in a small, backwards town like Karmel meant little when I had seen examples like Rosalyn and even Iris.

I hugged her silently. Finally, under Father's and my collective effort, the anger in her heart quelled.

“I think I’ll come at a later time to discuss this matter,” said Headmaster Larius, preparing to leave.

"Don’t come back if you haven’t done anything about that insolent instructor of yours," Mum sneered, though her voice had fallen into more neutral territory. "And merely cutting his salary won’t do."

The Headmaster exhaled audibly, which was almost a sigh. “What do you want me to do, Lady Ashlyn?”

“Start by firing that bloody instructor from your institution," Mum said. “I was already told how unprofessional and incompetent he is multiple times. I can essentially substitute all that he does with a mere tool that doesn’t require any more effort or time than it takes me to boil water.”

Larius shook his head helplessly. "If I could, I would have done so ages ago. Not only does he lack every quality of a teacher, he's also disrespectful to a fault. When that whole fiasco with Tullia and Delric occurred, I had already tried to appeal it to the Serpent’s Spite Guild to remove him. To our misfortune, it seems the guild has left him here because they didn't want to deal with him, or offend House Daenerys, who's one of their primary patrons."

Daenerys. It was that name again.

Mum scrunched up her nose, distaste evident in her eyes.

"No, no,” the Headmaster quickly added. “I don't think it had anything to do with Tribune Alexis Daenerys, or that he is in any way involved in this matter. Although they came from the same house, it's likely Ao’s brash and spiteful nature that made him act that way."

Father narrowed his eyes, exchanging a significant look with Mum. He was as oblivious to the political climate of the Empire as I was, so we could only rely on her.

"There may be some clout to your thinking,” Mum said, “but in the end, it’s merely that thinking. Conjecture without hard evidence. But the truth of the matter means little to the people in power. Whether this Ao acted on someone’s behalf, or if he’s simply audacious beyond reason, means nothing. Ultimately, the Empire and House Daenerys will protect what they consider their asset.

“And from what I hear, Ao isn’t much of that.”

While she meant to answer the Headmaster, her eyes darted to me as she finished.

In truth, I didn’t understand the whole law and politics of the matter. Those were never my strong suit or preference in reading. But I grasped that the patrician class was sheltered from many consequences of their actions. It was why people like Alexis, Ao, and even Magus Selene, to some degree, acted as flagrantly as they did. Their ancestors had bled for the Empire, and they were reaping all the benefits.

Yet Mum brazenly implied, if Headmaster Larius didn’t do anything about it, she would take the matter into her own hands.

Larius left, saying he'd not let Ao take any more classes, even if he couldn’t get rid of him.

Mum finally prepared something fresh for me to eat. It was simple oatmeal with a heavy dose of sliced fruits. I munched through the fruits, essentially slurping the hot meal without flinching. When I finished, I noticed both of my parents were staring at me tensely.

"I am perfectly fine," I said, running a careful tongue to wipe my lips. "You won't believe it, I even formed my seventh Aether Root."

That only made her more worried. She sat beside me, running a gentle finger through my hair.

"What happened at the test, Pumpkin..." Her lips pressed into a thin line, measuring every word coming out of her mouth. “You could have been hurt terribly and...”

What she meant to say was that I could have withdrawn.

“I know I’ve done something stupid,” I said, words coming out rapidly. “I don’t know what came over me. I just didn’t want to lose.”

Not after the words he said, and how he chastised me in front of my classmates and friends. Perhaps time would have eroded the shame if I had bent my knees, but in that spur of the moment, I didn’t even think that far ahead. I simply didn’t want that vain man to humiliate me or my family.

Mum shook her head gently, tousling my hair. "You talk like your father," she said, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Huh, you talk as if you would have compromised,” Father snorted, coming to support me from my other side. “Knowing you, you would have challenged him to a duel."

A spark lit in my eyes, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Mum.

She glowered at Father. “Go on, give him more ideas.”

Father coughed with a sheepish smile. Then he faced me, palm resting over my shoulder, eyes brimming with seriousness. "How you acted, lad, was undoubtedly courageous and bold," he said. "But it was foolish, too. You're lucky you didn't suffer any grievous injuries, that Larius provided the timely healing. Next time you attempt anything like this, be sure to think thoroughly first."

I nodded solemnly. “So I cannot challenge Ao to a duel?”

“I didn’t say that,” Father said, cracking a rare smile.

Mum shot him a withering glare.

“Only after he advances to Noble Class, of course,” Father quickly supplied, but he had already lost the war.

Mum exhaled softly and was about to leave, but Father caught her arm. He pulled her closer to whisper, “You cannot keep him under your wings forever, Ash.”

“I know,” Mum breathed the words.

I peeled a banana and ate silently, while Father did his best to butter up to her. Finally, I learned from Eran that my condition had been almost as devastating as Mum made it out to be. Ignoring the fleshly wounds, the essence within my channels almost tore into internal injury, causing me to cough out blood. If not for the headmaster, it wouldn't have ended with just some scars.

Finding me in good shape, Eran finally left for home. While I closed my eyes, peering inwardly into my weave and Aether Roots.

I still couldn't believe I had formed my seventh Aether Root. It hadn't even been a full month since the last breakthrough, and I was only one step away from reaching Noble Class.

The wall I'd been feeling in my Essence Unification had been cleared with the breakthrough as well. That also meant I had now met another criterion for upgrading my Arcane Affinity and Arcane Acuity.

Opening my eyes, I found my parents were staring at me, a melancholy in their eyes.

"Perhaps I had been a little harsh on Larius," Mum said, clasping Father's arm.

Father nodded with a smile. "If not for him, one of us would have been in jail right now."

Mum crooked her nose.

“That means I can attend the inter-district tournament, right?" I asked in a pleading voice, knowing exactly what could melt Mum’s heart. “Can I please, Mum?”

Mum gazed at me, her eyes tender. “You may,” she said, “but only under one condition.”

I looked up at her inquisitively.

“You have to come first in whatever tournament you enter.”

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