บท 62: Thoughts from the other side
**POV Tessia Eralith**
"Grandma Rinia, are you sure there's no way to make it work?" I asked with puppy eyes.
"I already told you, little one, I can't. Besides, you should stop spying on Julian," she replied in a tired tone.
"I'm just checking that Julian is okay. Besides, he left over two months ago and no one knows where he is," I responded, trying to justify my actions.
"Haahhh, my child, if you want him by your side so much, you should try to be more proactive when you see him," Grandma Rinia replied.
"I do, but it's still not enough. I want to know more about him. Besides, you know Julian hides things," I responded with a pout on my lips.
"There are reasons for that, but if you insist so much, I'll give you this," said Grandma Rinia as she extended her hand with a small marble in it.
"What is this?" I asked, looking at the small neon green marble.
"As I told you before, you can't keep spying on Julian, but this will help you resolve your insecurities regarding your rival," Grandma replied in a nonchalant tone.
"Who's insecure?" I responded timidly with my cheeks blushing.
"I know better than anyone what worries you, and that's why I'm helping you. The only advice I can give you is to enjoy your time at the academy with him," Grandma Rinia replied in an increasingly melancholic tone.
Seeing her eyes, I felt something was wrong, so I decided to ask, "Is something bad going to happen at the academy?"
"No, little one," she replied with a smile while stroking my head.
"The object I gave you will allow you to see what Julian really thinks of you. It will also give you an important lesson that you need," Grandma Rinia said in a malicious tone.
I frowned because I couldn't fully understand her words.
"You'll get wrinkles if you make those expressions," Grandma Rinia said, removing her hand from my head.
"When you want to use the orb, you'll have to do it while Julian is asleep. You just have to inject mana while touching his head. Easy, don't you think?" Grandma spoke again.
"Yes, but I prefer the orb to spi... cough... observe that Julian is safe," I responded.
Grandma Rinia just gave me an amused smile and said, "Alea is looking for you to train with her in her beast tamer form. You should go; it will be very helpful."
"I understand. See you later, Grandma Rinia," I said goodbye while running towards the castle gardens.
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**POV Varay Aurae**
"She's doing very well, princess," I responded, somewhat surprised by the speed at which the princess was assimilating her beast will.
It's been over four months since she started the process, and it's been surprisingly fast.
The most curious thing is that no one has noticed, or at least no one has pointed out, that the mana beast the princess has is not a normal Wyvern.
The only one who could say he really believed Director Cynthia's excuse was King Blaine, which left me somewhat puzzled.
I wanted to inform him, but the queen asked me to keep it a secret. She even did so with Lance Bairon. Apart from the queen and us lances, very few know that the princess's beast is very special.
Another thing that worried me is that the queen has also kept the identity of that boy named Julian a secret. Is she favoring him? It's a possibility, but I don't dare to ask.
"Haaaah," pulling me out of my thoughts, I heard the princess's tired sigh.
"Do you want to stop for today, Your Highness? Given how things have gone, you're very close to finishing the process and being able to use the will," I asked.
"Yes, being so close, I think it's better not to overdo it," she replied.
"The queen mentioned to me that lately she has noticed that something is worrying you. Due to my work as a lance, it's increasingly difficult for us to see each other, but if you need help or advice with something, I'd be willing to help," I said, recalling the queen's words.
Princess Kathyln looked at me somewhat surprised and tried to make a warm expression, but she seemed a bit uncomfortable. I frowned slightly at the strange sight.
"Did I achieve my goal?" she asked expectantly.
Totally confused, I asked, "What did Your Highness want to achieve?"
"To seem friendlier and less cold?" the princess said in a confused tone.
Eh? Is this some kind of test from Her Majesty Priscilla? Or maybe she's trying to tell me something? Because if that's the case, I'm the least suitable person to solve this; I thought with concern, not noticing the princess's fixed and expectant gaze.
When I thought about ending everything here and saying goodbye to the princess, I saw her gaze totally focused on me, which made me feel very nervous and uncomfortable. I hadn't felt this way even in front of an S-class mana beast.
But why does the princess's gaze feel so suffocating? I thought, while avoiding her gaze. What do I do? It's clear she's expecting something from me, but I'm not very good with these matters.
Out of the corner of my eye, I looked at her again and saw her eyes full of hope. No, princess, don't look at me that way! I'm probably worse than you in this aspect, I screamed in my mind.
"Knock, knock, knock," I heard the sound of the door and then the voice of one of the guards in the castle's training area; "Lance Varay, King Blaine requests your presence."
An escape, I thought relieved as I looked at the princess and spoke, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, duty calls."
Quickly, I left the training area without looking back in case the princess wanted to keep me longer.
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**POV Hester Flamesworth**
"Your Highness, may I ask you a question?" I asked the queen after the meeting we had just had in the floating castle.
"Do you have doubts about my actions, Hester?" she responded with a question while walking through the halls of the floating castle, where the Dicathen council had recently started operating.
"Yes, I wanted to know why you lied..." before I could finish responding, she brought her hands to her mouth and said, "This is not a good place to talk."
Understanding her intentions, I followed her to the grounds of the human castle in Sapin, in total silence.
Upon reaching a secluded balcony and having dismissed the nearby guards, the queen activated a sound barrier artifact. Lately, I've seen these artifacts being used more as a necessity than a luxury, which surprises me considering the council's formation where all information should be shared.
"What do you think about the current situation of the continent, Hester?" asked the queen, placing her arms on the table and crossing her fingers.
The question surprised me a bit, but I didn't let it show on my face. Instead, I thought carefully about the meaning of Queen Priscilla's question.
"I think it's in a moment of positive change with the union of the three races," I responded hesitantly.
"Certainly, the formation of the Dicathen council is great news for the continent, but haven't you thought that everything was extremely smooth?" she replied.
I placed my hand under my chin to hide the strangeness I was feeling from the queen's words and thought deeply about my response.
"Certainly, it's unusual, but it's not something that couldn't have happened over time, Your Majesty," I responded.
"And what do you think accelerated the change?" Queen Priscilla replied.
"There were several factors, but if I had to choose one, it would be the discovery of the other continent," I said, recalling everything I could about the council.
"Yes, that's correct. The council was destined to form one way or another, now or several years later, all because the races were more than willing to reconcile. The problem is the speed at which everything happened and the situation that caused it," Queen Priscilla spoke in a soft tone.
The natural charisma the queen generates is incredible. She doesn't emit the sense of superiority or oppression that King Blaine does, and yet people tend to follow her more naturally than her husband, I thought to myself.
After a few seconds, I discarded those fleeting thoughts and responded, "Is that bad in your perception, Your Majesty?"
"Not exactly, but it's something I've been questioning for a while," she responded thoughtfully.
"May I ask why you have these thoughts?" I questioned.
"The basis for forming the council is the trust between the three races, which can only be achieved over time. Keeping that in mind, don't you find it strange that the dwarf leaders advocated as mediators and influenced the formation of the council even before the discovery of the other continent? Moreover, after the report on what the artifact found and the new continent were, the attitudes of Advisor Cynthia, Advisor Virion, and Artificer Gideon were very reserved," the queen spoke, revealing her thoughts.
"It's not natural for Director Cynthia and former King Virion considering their ages. Moreover, as far as I can remember, their attitudes have always been that way to avoid misunderstandings about influencing the council," I responded, recalling their interactions.
"At first glance, it seems normal, but due to Kathyln's talent, I've talked a lot with Director Cynthia in recent years, and recently I've had similar interactions with Elder Virion. That's why I can notice a certain strangeness in them. Besides, I think there's a strange air in the council as if we were being led by a greater force towards something else that I can't understand," Queen Priscilla responded insecurely.
"Is that why you've been keeping secrets and filtering incomplete information related to Her Highness Kathyln, to His Majesty King Blaine, and the general public?" I replied.
"Yes, that's correct. You might think I'm being a bit paranoid, but there's nothing wrong with keeping some things hidden for the benefit of my children," she responded.
"Well, following that logic and seeing that it doesn't hurt anyone, I can understand your decisions a bit. However, there are still things that don't make sense. May I know why you also hide the identity of the boy the princess is interested in?" I asked, trying to clarify the last doubts I had.
After all, Queen Priscilla, Princess Kathyln, and Lance Varay seemed to have a good opinion of this person I had never seen, to the point that they all remained silent to hide his identity.
That's why I'm somewhat interested in knowing what kind of person had gained the approval of these people. Considering how young Princess Kathyln is and how little contact she has with other noble houses, I can estimate that his origin is not of high status.
"Hmmm, it's because I want to maintain good relations with that person. Firstly, because he is a good prospect for the future due to his talent. Secondly, my daughter Kathyln feels a deep affection for him. And thirdly, he can be a bridge to improve our relations with Elenoir," Queen Priscilla responded in a satisfactory tone, as if she were reminiscing about good memories.
"Then is he an elf?" I asked, puzzled, as I hadn't heard that the princess had such close relationships with people of another race.
"No, he's human; however, his circumstances are a bit special. That's why I ask you to keep silent about this particular topic, and only when Blaine manages to catch him will you be able to meet him," the queen responded, looking at me seriously, revealing the kind of pressure and drive that only a person of high status can exert.
"It will be as you order, Your Majesty," I responded, placing my hand on my chest and making a slight bow.
"Thank you. I told you this so you can understand my thoughts, also so you can support me in case of an emergency. Moreover, if you happen to meet him before the time comes, treat him accordingly. Sometimes Blaine can be too impulsive in his actions, so I have to somehow keep the consequences under control," Queen Priscilla responded in a tired tone but with a warm smile.
Her Majesty really holds this person in high regard. I wonder who he really is.
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**POV Emily Watsken**
"Master, when is the person who created the rune system coming?" I shouted my dissatisfaction at Mr. Gideon.
"I already told you, brat, I don't know when he'll come. Besides, you should focus on the punishment I gave you for using artifacts from the forbidden area without my permission," he responded in an irritated tone.
"You were the one who gave me permission," I questioned, looking at him cynically.
"Brat, it was to collect the study materials you needed, not to test my artifacts," Mr. Gideon replied.
"Tch," it's been like this since I got that mana imprint. The master has been watching me and imposing punishments.
Not only that, he lied to me, saying he was the creator of the runes, but that's not true, and now I'm forced to ignore this new ability I obtained.
"Haaaah, Master Gideon, can't you really help me develop the ability I obtained?" I asked in a hopeful tone.
"No, girl, as I told you before, you are a very unusual case. Although I have contact with the creator of the runes, he is also busy. He will only come immediately if you are in danger, but since that's not the case, you'll have to wait a few months until he returns," Master Gideon responded.
I hope I can soon understand the gift I received, I thought as I continued assembling the circuits of the robot Tobi that the master asked me to.
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Haruto1028383
Haruto1028383 Hi guys, some of you might be confused, so I'm going to clarify. The chapter is presented at different points in time, but all within the framework of Julian's training in Hearth.
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