Mortal Goddess

04. Let Her Be

No words followed so I guessed it was high time to leave. There would be a tournament in Hasfor and I might miss it. I suddenly wished I had Father's teleportation magic. It would be easier to travel between continents if that was the case.

I spun on my heels. I was about to go, but a slender hand caught my arm.

"What are you doing? Let go." I quickly brushed off her hand.

Mhilrim did not rebuke and only asked, "Where are you going?" 

"Going back, of course."

Her lips pursed to the man. "Bring him with you."

"Excuse me?"

"He has finished his training here in the temple and it's your turn," she said. "I am supposed to send him to you tomorrow but now that you're here, you can tag him along."

My arms folded on my chest. The selection of the Holy Knights was held last year. It would take three years of training in Mhilrim's temple and the next three years on mine. As far as I recall, there were only twenty pages accepted and he was none of them. 

His appearance was not something easily forgotten. That meant he must be a latecomer. It only made him more unqualified in my eyes. It was too early for him to be promoted to the black robes of my temple.

"He is an outstanding talent. He already completed all the scriptures. I gave him the test and he only missed one mark. He has the highest score recorded and he had done it with only several months of studying," Mhilrim explained when I bared no hint of speaking.

That was indeed a high achievement but I had no need of a scholar. Many had struggled with the balance of the brain and brawn. Having someone too smart could only mean he was a weakling, far from the warriors I taught.

Yet my attention was grabbed by a certain part of Mhilrim's statement.

"What question was it?"

She instantly avoided her eyes, twisting her neck away from me. "That's not the point."

"But I'm curious." Once my interest was piqued it was difficult if I was not able to satiate it but Mhilrim had no signs of answering. "Did you lose your tongue?" 

I turned to the man who had his head bowed during the whole conversation. No words were uttered from his mouth and the useless temple servant was quivering when I did not even do anything.

"You know I don't enjoy talking to mute people. If you won't answer me, forget it. Let him stay here for two more years."

My sister finally gave in when she faced me once again. If there was one thing I liked about Mhilrim, it was no doubt her pushover personality. The whites of my teeth showed but they disappeared as soon as she talked.

"It's a question about you."

My eyebrow almost shot up to the peak of my hairline. "Really... Mind sharing?"

Mhilrim was far from the nonchalant person when I first arrived. Her body shifted in place coupled with restless hands. I could already tell that her next words would set the bar on my temper.

"When you wreak mayhem, what should they do?"

And I was not wrong. I sneered at the thought that I came here to reprimand her people and yet I found another backstabbing.

"Bring me the test!" My voice rose an octave, reverberating to the empty halls and making everyone flinch.

I had never cared much for the written tests but learning that it involved me... How dare they?