Date: Unspecified
Ti: Unspecified
Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Central Region, Central Academic City, Morningstar University District, Morningstar University Campus, Garden of Beginning
"You did?" Ahalya asked, her eyes widening with joy. She had doubted her beloved ntor when Lucine claid the ti-rule dentia that had plagued her for over a decade was resolved, but when it ca to , she accepted it instinctively—surprised only by my choice to help her ntor. She was no stranger to the difference between and her university.
"Of course he’s joking. How could a teenage card master cure a celestial disease? It doesn’t even sound believable," Lucine cut in, waving off my words as if they were nothing more than a silly boast. She shot a quick wink, urging to keep quiet and let her cover for . In her mind, my age explained everything—reckless, attention-seeking, and unaware of the trouble such claims could cause.
"Huh?" Ahalya blinked at her ntor, confusion and worry mixing on her face. Turning back to , she asked, "Wyatt... are you sure you cured her ti-rule dentia? Are these just side effects from the procedure? Nothing permanent, right?"
Seeing her ntor ramble like that, Ahalya began to wonder if Lucine truly wasn’t fully cured—or worse, if she was still experiencing lingering side effects from the procedure. Ever since she learned about and my sudden rise, she had followed my journey as a card apprentice obsessively—not quite like a fangirl, more like an elder sister with a younger-brother complex. She knew every one of my achievents, from how I cured Lucy Robert to the miracles at the orphanage. With all that in mind, she had no trouble believing I could cure her ntor’s ti-rule dentia; she was only surprised that I actually chose to help her master. After all, the reputation of my pettiness preceded .
"Laya, how can you believe him but not ?" Lucine demanded, genuinely hurt that her beloved disciple trusted my words over hers. The reversal rattled her so much that she stopped trying to cover for , her pride stinging. She knew Ahalya loved her, but did her disciple really think she wasn’t capable of curing ti-rule dentia? For a renowned researcher like Lucine, that doubt cut almost as deeply as questioning her daughter’s love.
"Master, that’s Wyatt," Ahalya replied matter-of-factly, offering no explanation—as if my na alone answered everything. I hadn’t realized my reputation had grown to that point in the Five Regions. Discovering it on the spot left both impressed and a little startled.
"I know who he is—" Lucine began, intending to ask for a proper explanation, but I interrupted her.
"Do you?" I asked. "Do you know who I am? Do you really know who I am?"
I finally let out the frustration I’d been holding back over Lucine’s dismissive attitude toward and undermining because of my age on every turn, catching both her and Ahalya off guard. With their full attention on at last, I decided it was the best mont to say what needed to be said before they continued their emotional reunion.
"I don’t have ti for this, so I’ll be direct," I said. "Ahalya, the next ti I see you, either you’ll be with your mother or she’ll be here with you—whichever works best for the three of you. Lucine, the next ti we et, you’d better know who I really am. And talk to your university—make every arrangent for what we discussed. If you don’t, I’ll approach another top-ten university instead. Make sure everything is ready by the ti I return."
With that, I delivered my ssage to the ntor-disciple duo and turned away, heading toward Henricks, who was standing beside Dean Sam. Henricks was an outsider here, unlike Ahalya, and Morningstar University had already gone out of its way to accommodate him for my sake.
"Wyatt, you’re leaving?" Lucine asked. I nodded, feeling drained by her stating the obvious, and answered, "Yes. I figured I might as well handle so of my other work while you talk with your university and get everything sorted out. Standing around while you all discuss things feels like a complete waste of ti. I’ll be back soon. Just do your part—I don’t want to hear any excuses."
"Hey, is that how you speak to your elders?" Lucine snapped.
I shook my head. "That’s how I talk to patients."
"See ya."
Before she could throw another question at , I was already beside Henricks. I had used my first space-rule aning in tandem with my celestial force to pull it off. By making the space between us elastic and then compressing it with my celestial force, I dragged myself to his side in less than a fraction of a millisecond—faster than teleportation.
"Oh, boss. Did you finally start comprehending the space rule?" Henricks guessed the mont I appeared beside him. He had clearly sensed the distortions in the air, and the way he narrowed his eyes in concentration made it obvious he was trying to figure out exactly which space-rule aning I had used. Considering how close he was to forming his own space-rule stream, I wouldn’t be surprised if he could pick up on such details.
"I did. But why are you slacking off here?" I asked, my brows tightening.
"Boss, how can you say that?" Henricks protested. "I ca to check on you, but these people wouldn’t give a straight answer, so I was trying to get to the bottom of it before you showed up." He explained himself quickly, careful not to sound like he was complaining. He knew full well that if the Freedom Fighters failed to justify the investnt I’d made in them, I wouldn’t hesitate to cut ties.
Watching him act like a tragic daughter-in-law being scolded by a tyrannical mother-in-law, I couldn’t help but snort in irritation. I had no intention of entertaining Henricks’s antics any further and was just about to tell him to take out when Dean Sam suddenly spoke up with unexpected sincerity.
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