Cerulean Waves | Duke Ergi

Chapter 20

The soft breeze gently passed by her as her long blonde locks followed the direction of the wind. Sounds of laughter, greetings of fellow acquaintances, the bright weather that covered the sky. It was a pleasant day in the town square of Wilwol.

Looking at the children running after one another, a delicate smile graced her lips.

It had been a long time since she last visited this place. Seeing all of it for herself made her recall many precious memories that she had left. Turning her head to the female knight that accompanied her for the trip, she signalled for her to come closer.

"You can wait outside the academy. I'll be quick." Aria commanded before adding. "You can go investigate while I'm gone."

Lady Thalia nodded and stepped aside for the young lady to walk through. She had do to see the academy for herself, for this was the place where her older brother had found the gemstone that he had gifted her as a jewelry. And other than that, she had some business to sort out before leaving the empire again.

As expected, the dean of the magical academy welcomed her at the entrance with a bright smile. She returned his enthusiasm with the same amount of energy as she greeted him.

"It is a great pleasure to see you again!" He happily said.

"The pleasure is all mine." Aria smiled.

The dean extended his arm out for her. "Shall we?"

They walked along the hallways while sharing stories and tales reminiscing of their times when the dean himself was the student who diligently studied. When they entered the dean's office, he gestured her to sit down on a chair. After assisting the young lady to sit like a true gentleman, he sat on another chair opposite to her.

"Would you like some cookies?" He offered. However, Aria only shook her head.

"Tea would be fine."

"Very well."

He personally poured tea on her teacup before on his own before speaking. "I believe you would like an update regarding the situation?"

"Yes, indeed. They say that a mage studying here had lost their power?"

The dean released a deep sigh. "I'm afraid so. Once it was confirmed that it is possible for mages to lose their magical powers, we had been keeping a closer eye on her."

Aria hummed as she brought the cup to her lips, savoring the sweet taste.

"Unfortunately, she exerted too much of her energy yesterday that she fainted. Her powers had fully drained afterwards." The dean said grimly. "She is a very eager student. It was really terrible that such a thing happened to her."

"May I know who this student is, if it is okay?"

"Oh no, it is completely fine. She came from an orphanage who was personally chosen by Her Majesty herself as a sponsor. She was recognized for her unique talents and was able to study here because of Her Majesty." The dean explained.

Aria listened attentively. "I could only imagine the horror that dawned on her when her special talent slowly became weaker."

He nodded in agreement. "As unfortunate as it may be, we can sadly do nothing about it for now."

"My brother and the knights are working hard on the investigation. I'm sure new leads will be revealed sooner or later."

"I hope so too." The dean looked out the window deep in thought. "If the situation continues at this rate, I'm afraid the Empire will be in critical conditions."

Aria silently agreed tight lipped. The Eastern Empire, the most powerful nation in the Wol continent, is known for its vast number of mages. So if news got out that the main source of the empire's dominance are decreasing, many problems will surely arise and a political war of power may happen. That is why it is crucial to find a solution as soon as possible.