Chapter 27: Chapter 27: A proposal
The evening had grown late so Elias and Imaya returned to the castle, shocking all the guards that stood watch, who had not seen them leave the castle but somehow they were re-entering.
"Come with me," Elias said as he led Imaya toward the throne room
Recognizing who Elias was, the chamberlain, a tall, stoic man nodded and led them to the throne room.
As Elias and Imaya entered, they were greeted by the king, "Elias Ashdown" he began, "We have been looking for you, at first I thought we scared you off with all our talks of war and whatnot.
But as soon as I noticed the girl you came with was also missing, I called off my guards who were out searching for you. For I too was young and adventurous once," He said
The banquet had already been wrapped up and the other guests had left, leaving only the four family heads, the queen, and one other person that Elias recognized, the headmaster of the Royal Academy; Headmaster Hugh.
His appearance was unmistakable, his figure stood tall and imposing, nothing less than six foot three, draped in an elegant cloak with golden patterns embroidered into its edges.
His stance was confident, his sharp gaze was framed by a neatly groomed mustache and graying hair. Clad in a tailored dark coat, he had an authoritative aura about him.
In his gloved hand, he held a staff topped with a finely crafted Dragon head, its eyes set with a fiery red gem.
"Ahh…It's not what you think sir. We just took a stroll, to clear our heads" Elias replied
"There are better ways to clear your head, isn't that so Seraphina" King Alaric laughed, but Seraphina's face remained unmoving, she even seemed slightly Irritated by his remark
"Anyway, the Headmaster of the Royal Academy came to see you. He couldn't make it to the feast due to some reasons.
Elias Ashdown, meet Professor Hughenden Silverstone, headmaster of Eldoria's prestigious Royal Academy and an Archmage at the pinnacle of Magecraft" He continued
"I greet the headmaster, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Elias Ashdown" Elias politely greeted
"Hmm, he is a bit rough around the edges but I see a lot of potential. By the way, the mana is reacting to his presence, I can tell he is loved by mana, he would make an excellent Caster Mage. Become my student, and I will make sure you become a Master mage in five years." Professor Hughenden said his black eyes gleaming with mana
"As expected, so what do you say? Ready to join the academy now? An archmage is rare to come across, imagine having an Archmage as a personal trainer, the church won't give you that.
Across the four Continents, there are only a handful of them, and in Eldoria alone we have three Archmages " King Alaric said
"I appreciate the offer King Alaric, but I thought we agreed to give me more time to sleep on this matter. Pressuring me would not make me join the academy any quicker, if anything it is making me more suspicious" Elias said frankly
"I know I know, but just the thought of you achieving the greatness meant for you makes me excited, so pardon my hastiness," Alaric said, his voice carrying an underlying cunningness
"No need to apologize, sir, I understand. And Mr. Hughenden, I appreciate your offer"
"I sense a 'But' incoming"
"But, first off, a Master mage in five years? On my own, it'll take me two years at most to become a Master, and in five years, I would have become an Archmage" Elias said sternly but politely
The family heads looked at each other, adjusting themselves in their seats as they heard Elias' bold declaration.
"Preposterous!! An Archmage in five years? It took me my whole life to get here and you think you can do it in five years, don't make me laugh boy." Professor Hughenden sneered,
"It is possible, and the fact you think it's impossible proves that I cannot accept you as my teacher," Elias said flatly
"You!! Are you saying I'm not competent enough to be your teacher?! How dare you?!" Professor Hughenden barked, as he stamped his staff on the floor and his mana began to visibly rage
"I said no such thing…headmaster, I apologize if I offended you" Elias said, bowing his head
"Calm down Hughenden, you are in the presence of the King!" Varric scolded Hughenden, and Hughenden calmed down
"Hmph, let's make a deal boy. We'll meet five years from now, and if you aren't an Archmage by then, Child of light or not, I'll show you the power of an archmage" Hughenden proposed
"And if I am? What do I benefit?" Elias asked
"Hmph, then do with me as you wish, my life would be yours" Hughenden added
"I accept" Elias nonchalantly agreed.
"See you in five years boy" Hughenden hissed
"If your alive by then" Elias muttered, just enough for Hughenden to hear but not the others
"What did you say?!" Hughenden flared up
"Calm down Hughenden" King Alaric cautioned Hughenden
"So Elias, you have made up your mind about not going to the academy?" King Alaric asked
This was a critical question for Elias, it was apparent what king Alaric's intention was, for some reason, he wanted him to be on his side. Perhaps there was something deeper than that going on that was not yet revealed to him.
'If I answer this question wrongly, I have a feeling I would become useless to them and that wouldn't be good for me. I'm still not strong enough, I haven't gotten my blessings yet, so if I die here, another child of light will be chosen. There's only so much being the child of light can get me through.'
"Would you keep the King waiting?" Thane asked, "Answer him!" he added
Then suddenly an Idea was born in Elias' mind, a way to get out of the tough situation he found himself in.
'If answering the questions would not end well for me. Then why answer the question at all!'
[+100FWP]
"Regarding that sir, please allow me to follow in the footsteps of Headmaster Hughenden. I have a proposal to make King Alaric" He said, a confident smile on his face as he bowed his head slightly.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone