บท 24: Raiding the Operating Room
Nervous, Elenia opened her bedroom door. But her steps were calm and her face was tranquil. In her hand, Elenia carried a briefcase with the insignia of a crown in front of a "W."
She walked past her parents' bed chamber and continued to the main lobby. Entering the central courtyard, Elenia walked to one of the buildings at the corner of the walled estate. Whenever a servant saw her, she offered a wave while shaking her briefcase.
That got Elenia into the workshop no questions asked.
The first floor was just as it was the day prior. The stone floor tiles were spick and span. And she couldn't see anyone else inside.
*Thanks for the tea, Mother,* Elenia thought to herself, jogging down the hallway. *I couldn't do this without your help.*
Elenia soon turned a corner and found the room she was looking for. Turning the door, she felt the lock engaged. But it didn't discourage her.
She walked three doors down to a door labeled "Lord Rifton's Private Office." With a glance to make sure no one was around, Elenia pressed onto the "O" in "Office," and the tilted open. A small recess was behind the sign, from which Elenia grabbed a key.
*Thanks for the key, Father,* she thought while closing the hidden compartment. *I promise, I'm not as weak as you think I am. And I'll prove that I can do things without you always controlling everything.*
Elenia rushed back to the previous door with the key in hand. It was a perfect fit.
With the door unlocked, Elenia carefully closed the door and zipped past the many counters and work trays. Everything Elenia needed was in the cabinets.
The first cabinet was opened without a hitch. She spotted a jar of enchanting brushes, staring at them in a pause of thought.
'... Do we really need that many brushes? Shouldn't one be enough–'
'No! The more the better!' Rizz telepathically screamed. 'Oh yeah, and don't forget the vials. We want lots of those.'
The jar of brushes vanished the moment Elenia grabbed it. The same was true for a bag of thin glass vials. 'I have some beast blood leftover from the academy, but how much do you need?'
'Plenty. As much as you can get. Fresh is best,' Rizz demanded. 'And make sure it's from a water-based beast!'
'But why water-based? I used fire-based blood for familiar crest–'
'Duh, that's why we want water-based ink to break it,' Rizz reasoned, wagging his finger though no one could see him. 'Are you supposed to know how seals and curses work? Or is your school just dumb?'
Elenia ignored that telepathic jab. She was too focused on the other cabinet to answer.
She approached it and grabbed the handle.
'It's locked…'
'What's locked?' Rizz asked.
'My Father's supply cabinet. It's where he stores some of the beast materials and mana crystals.' A fog of worry set in around Elenia's words. 'Can't we just use the leftover blood I have to make some ink–'
'Do you want to learn the differences between curses and seals or not?' Tapping his foot, Rizz counted on his fingers till she answered.
'... How do I know you're not just making this up… fiend?'
Rizz sighed, 'You don't. But I'm sure every goblin knows all about the ingredients needed to make sealing ink.'
C-click.
Elenia's back straightened as if the opening door was a whip crashing against her back.
"Oh, it's just you, Elenia." The door closed behind a grey-haired man offering her a friendly smile.
"Dr. Draevis, I'm so sorry to disturb you during your working hours." Elenia held her academy briefcase in front of her, giving him a full bow.
The man brushed some of his long grey hair aside while approaching the young woman. "Is something the matter, Elenia? I don't think I've ever seen you in here without your father."
'What's going on?' Rizz telepathically asked.
'Someone entered and I don't know what to say,' Elenia admitted straight away, hiding nothing.
The doctor stepped toward the locked cabinet. "Elenia? Is something wrong? What brought you to the operating room?"
Elenia was stuck between two conversations, with no responses in mind for either of them.
But Rizz speedily exclaimed, 'Hey! Just say it's an academy thing!'
"I'm doing a project. It's my honors project," Elenia mumbled, speaking up louder as the doctor started nodding. "My graduation is just a few weeks away and my only hope of earning honors is to finish some tests I've thought up. But I kinda need materials, and Father forbade me from going to the leaving the estate. So I can't go to the academy…"
Dr. Daevis nodded and adjusted his glasses. "Ah, I see. So you're still trying to surprise your father with high marks. Were my tutor sessions not enough to bump up your grades?"
"No, no, you were a great help, Dr. Daevis!" Elenia laughed with the older man.
'Hey? Tell me what's happening!'
Ignoring the goblin, Elenia continued, "You see, I'm definitely graduating. But I know that they're expecting me to graduate at the top of my class, just like my father. And… well… the only way to do that is by turning in something so amazing that it earns me the top spot.
"But please keep this a secret! I don't want to disappoint my father if my tests fail. I'd rather him not know I did them at all."
The old man rubbed his scalp through his thin grey hair. "You know, I bet your father would be more than willing to help you–"
"No, I can't have that." Elenia shook her head profusely. "If I get my Father involved, he'll just do everything and hold my hand through it. I won't do anything substantial on my own."
"Mmm… That does sound like your father," sighed Dr. Daevis. "And you're sure you don't need my help?"
"Your tutoring is more than enough. I've learned plenty thanks to you, Dr. Daevis. It's because of you that I can even test out these crests and seals."
C-click.
The cabinet doors drifted open and Dr. Daevis reached inside. "In that case, go ahead. Take what you need. Your secret tests are safe with me, so long as you come ask for help the moment you need it."
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