Bab 36: Elise Story
"So you're telling me that while you were in the park, this young girl who saw your strength came to you and asked you to fight her. After fighting with her, you defeated her and as a result, she asked you to be her teacher. Then, when you agreed to her request, she fainted. Sine you thought that bringing her to a hospital will attract unwanted attention, an underage girl whom we knew nothing about and most likely has a great background is now lying unconscious on my couch. Is that right?"
Jane's face was completely serene when she summarized everything that happened to Nex.
"Yes, I guess so?"
Nex wore a sardonic smile. He knew very well that calmness usually precedes a storm.
*Smack!*
"Don't you dare act nonchalant in this kind of situation!"
Yep. He called it. The storm came pretty quickly.
"I just can't believe it, you beast!"
Jane's face became ferocious and if Eddie wasn't studying in his room and saw it, he would immediately run to hide. This was the famous seriously-pissed-off-face and also one of the things he feared the most.
"Not only did you take this kid to the middle of nowhere, you also beat her up so much that she lost her consciousness. Then you brought her here where there is no one who could properly examine her and check if she's okay!"
"But I checked her---"
When Jane is on a roll, no one can stop her. Nex wasn't even able to defend himself properly before he was cut off. Her face turning more livid by each passing moment and her voice start to shrill, building a crescendo that threatens to rupture eardrums.
"And not only that, if what you said is true, then this kid has great powers backing her up. They probably won't be glad when you suddenly took her away to an unknown location and return with her completely out cold and covered with battle marks! What will you do if they come looking for trouble?"
"That's simple. I'll just beat them up until they go."
As expected, he replied his favorite solution to every problem. Jane wasn't buying any of it though. She even gazed at him sharply that made him feel somewhat hurt.
"Are you an idiot? Unless they are from the Dark Faction, the moment you start a fight with them, we will probably be targeted by most of the world even if you win! The last thing I want is for Eddie to live a life of a fugitive. Do you hear me?"
"Oh… Right…"
What Jane said made sense and he realized that lately, he was once again behaving in a not-so-rare moments of idiocy. Unlike in Perias, due to the constant presence of the Dark Faction, almost all of the large forces of the Light Faction that are united will support each other when one of them is in trouble.
"But you still don't have to worry. Now that I am this girl's teacher, she will---"
Nex still tried to ease Jane's worry… to no avail. He was once again cut off as this was what bothered her most.
"And finally, this subject. Did you not really understand what you have agreed upon that you are treating it so casually?"
"It's just teaching her how to fight, isn't it?"
He furrowed his brows, perplexed. It was just a simple teaching job. Why should he worry? It doesn't even involve preparing syllabus or complicated worded reports.
Jane could only sigh and shake her head.
"I always forget that you lived under a rock somewhere out there. To accept someone as a personal teacher or student for Hunters is something they will have to think through thoroughly a billion of times and never act lightly. The reason for this is that the teacher and student will share each other's secrets and abilities. Through this, the student will learn the teacher's way of training and techniques. And because of that, the student will most likely have only one teacher for all of their entire life. Not only that, the bond they will have may even turn into one of an adoptive parent or even one of a l-lover."
At her last word, Jane stuttered and even blush a little. Something that Nex noticed and made him reach a realization.
"Don't worry. I will not enter such a relationship with this girl."
Jane stared at him enough to see his honesty.
"As long as you understand…"
She turned her head away, blushing from his smile.
…Only to feel a rush of coldness creeping on her back with his next words.
"Not to mention that you can be considered as my student as well, yet we obviously don't have that kind of relationship! Haha!"
"Oh? Still in the mood for jokes, are we?"
Her voice was bitingly cold while an aura emitted from her that made even Eddie, who was in another room and couldn't hear anything, feel the chill.
"No dinner for you tonight!"
"Please! Anything but that!"
Almost instantly, Nex fell to his knees and hugged Jane's leg while staring at her like an abandoned puppy.
After all the crappy food he ate back at Perias, eating Jane's heavenly meals is something he never wanted to miss out on. The so-called godly meats and fruits there are utter garbage when being compared to her food.
"What are you doing? Let go!"
Jane was completely unprepared for Nex's "surprise attack" on her legs but it wasn't the thing that made her feel uneasy the most. No. What made her blush deep red and weakly attempt to pry off his grip was the face he was making.
Not only was Nex ridiculously handsome, when he was deep in his thoughts or feeling great emotions, he will spread around an aura that made him seem so unnecessarily… charming! So Jane knew that if she stared at his current expression, her brain will short-circuit and she may do something she will definitely regret!
"I will not let go unless you cancel the punishment!"
"Are you a kid?! It's just a meal!"
"For you, it's just a meal! For me, it's paradise!"
*Blushing harder*
"Y-you fool!"
"Mhmm…"
"!"
While they were having their little argument, a young voice was suddenly heard. It made them both freeze in place.
"Teacher, is that you?"
Elise slowly rose from the sofa and turned to the current scene of Nex kneeling in front of Jane, hugging her legs and making pitiful expressions. He was even pouting!
"…"
"…"
After an awkward moment of silence, Nex and Jane managed to get away from each other. Elise went straight to where Nex was and hugged his arm while looking at Jane with vigilance. She looked very much like an adorable small animal.
"Don't bully my Teacher!"
Upon seeing this situation, Jane knew that if she doesn't do something quick, she would be mistakenly condemned by this girl who was becoming increasingly cute by the minute. Jane immediately acted.
"Is that how you talk to your Senior Sister?"
Jane lifted her head arrogantly and stared straight at Elise.
"Senior Sister?"
Elise had a cute frown on her face as she became confused. She lowered her vigilance a little and gave more thought to what the woman said.
"Of course!"
Jane had a warmer gaze and waved her hand, causing sparks of light to appear in the same way that Nex once had showed her.
Seeing the trick that was of the same style as the abilities that Nex had shown before, Elise became unusually excited.
"Really? I thought that Teacher is a loner who doesn't have any friend. I also thought that I will be trained alone!"
Feeling pricked in the heart, Nex opened his mouth.
"Since when did you get this---"
But he didn't manage to finish his sentence when another prick came.
"Oh, he indeed doesn't have any friends. My brother and I are the only ones he knows. It's mainly due to him being a bum. Aside from training me and eating my food, he doesn't do anything but play games. Don't worry, your Senior Sister… No… Big Sister is here to make sure he won't make you suffer."
She took Elise in her arms and even began to petting her like she would pet a puppy.
"Elise, don't listen to her! She is doing it just to---"
Nex tried to argue and salvage his defamed image. Tried being the keyword…
"Big Sister!"
Partly because of Jane's mesmerizing charm and beauty, but mostly because of the fact that she got the Big Sister figure that Elise always wanted, the latter didn't take a long time to hug Jane back with sparkly, round eyes filled with joy.
"Yes, I am here."
Jane continued to pat the younger girl as if she was her baby sister. While she was doing that, she finally noticed the gaze that Nex gave her. She knew exactly what the meaning behind it was and returned it with one of her own.
'And you call me a beast, huh?'
'Oh, shut up! Can't you see how cute this girl is? There is no way I'm giving up on her!'
Understanding that there is no point in continuing the subject, Nex decided to ignore it and move on to something else.
"Elise, now that I am your Teacher, I need you to answer me a few questions."
Once she was called, she immediately let go of her Big Sister and obediently answered.
"Yes, Teacher! You can ask me any question!"
Sneaking a victorious smile at the annoyed Jane, Nex then turned back to Elise and asked her with a serious expression on his face.
"Why do you want to become stronger so much? I know there is a reason behind it."
"This…"
Elise's face became slightly uneasy but she took a deep breath and continued.
"There is a story behind it."
♦♦♦
Elise was born as the daughter of the Clan Leader of DiamondFang, one of the greatest guilds in the world. As she grew up, she didn't disappoint the expectations placed on her. She showed great talent in cultivating and her results were far above her peers.
Sadly, as per the agreement made by her grandfather and the previous leader of another great clan, when she turns 18, she will marry the latter's obnoxious grandson who was two years older than her.
She tried to annul the marriage several times on her own but she didn't manage to succeed as there was only one way to do it. Defeat her fiancé in a battle.
At first, she thought that with her talents, that won't be a problem. Before she knew it, something happened. It changed the situation completely.
Her superpower awakened.
Although it showed low gains despite having high cost, she tried to train and improve it. But even after she had wasted many hours of cultivation, she was still unsuccessful. As a result, she lagged behind and fell to the level of the rest of the people in her age group.
Now, she found herself a whole rank behind her fiancé and her eighteenth birthday only a few months away!
Thanks to her incessant training, she found herself without any friend. Her mother had died when she was young. Her father and grandfather are both strict and show little care for her difficulties. They only rush her to train more.
But it seems that luck didn't give up on her and a few days ago, she found someone who might be able to help her.
♦♦♦
"And so, after searching in the area, I finally found Teacher again and here we are."
Elise concluded while leaning on Nex's hand without anyone noticing.
"So this is the reason…"
Jane murmured before snatching Elise and hugging her close.
"Don't worry, Elise. Nex and I won't let anyone take you away."
Elise's eyes became misty. She was so overwhelmed by Jane's protectiveness. So this is what it actually feels like to have a Big Sister.
"Elise…"
Nex's serious voice burst the little bubble of both girls. They both looked towards him and saw, to their surprise, his brilliant smile.
"I need you to tell me how hard you want to beat him so I could train you accordingly, okay?"
And like a broken dam, Elise's tears poured from her eyes as she nodded. Having Teacher is awesome as well!
Looking at the little girl, Jane couldn't help herself from taking her back into her embrace and pat her back.
"There. There. Let it all out. I don't mind that my cute Little Sister is a cry baby."
Nex smiled wryly as he stared at how Jane had easily "tamed" Elise.
'She sure loves to be a big sister.'
After Elise had finished crying, Nex told her to call back home so that people won't think something bad might have happened to her.
And just as Elise finished doing that, a young voice was heard.
"Wow! Sis! Big Bro! I didn't know you knew Elise from the school!"
Eddie exclaimed and went to Elise and slightly bowed.
"Hello, Miss Elise!"
Facing such attack of cuteness head-on, Elise did exactly what Jane would do. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and hugged.
"It isn't Miss Elise, it is Big Sister! I never thought that the Little Prince of the school will be the little brother of Senior Sister!"
"Hey there, he's not a toy."
Her gaze told another story.
'Only I am allowed to hug him like that.'
Nex tried to hide the smile on his face when he saw Jane's reaction. He immediately tried to lighten up the atmosphere.
"To think that you would know Eddie and even study in the same school."
Elise reluctantly let go of Eddie who immediately hid behind Jane.
"It's not exactly the same school. He in in the elementary section and I am in the high school one. Not to mention inside the school, even other schools know the famous Little Prince who excels in any subject while keeping a distance from other people."
Nex turned to the blushing Eddie and teased him.
"Oh? I didn't know you are so famous Eddie. You must be popular with the girls. Am I right?"
Eddie blushed harder but still nodded shyly.
"Yeah, a little."
Nex had a teasing smile on his lips.
"Have anyone you like…"
*Piercing glare!*
"Don't bother him with this subject. He is still a kid!"
It was a subtle way of saying, "there is no way in hell I am going to let vixen a take him and corrupt him!"
Realizing that he stepped into a dangerous territory, Nex stepped back and changed the subject once again.
"Never mind. Anyways, how do you know Elise?"
"That's simple. Everyone knows miss, I mean, Big Sis Elise. She is the most beautiful and talented person in the school if she didn't have her training injury, she would have long been an S-class Hunter. She's amazing!"
After managing to hold Elise back from "assaulting" Eddie again, Nex once again diverted the conversation.
"Elise, you are playing The Mythical Age, right?"
Elise nodded as if it is the most obvious thing in the world.
"Of course, Teacher. Every young Hunter that belongs to a large clan is required to play the game at the very least during their sleeping time."
"Good, then what is your level and in which city are you?"
"I am level 14 and I am in the Northern City."
"If so, then can you teleport to the Western City in a few days? I am about to reach there soon."
Elise's face turned uneasy at first then resolute.
"Western City? No problem, Teacher! Tell me when and I will be there!"
Hearing Nex's words, Eddie came out from his hiding place and ran to him.
"Big Bro, you are coming to the Western City?"
Nex patted the kid's head.
"Yes. After all, I did promise I would play with you and Jane."
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
matanman
matanman Author: matanman. Proofreader: bet2z.
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone