The guard's eyes widened in disbelief when he saw an old woman with gray hair and light blue eyes, wearing traditional Magus robes, standing at the entrance of the academy, and glancing at them with a light smile.
"Headmistress Godfrey!" The guard blurted out.
Helene Godfrey, the Headmistress of the Clover Academy, approached the group. She turned to the guard and nodded. "You may leave. I'll take it from here."
"Y-Yes, my lady!" The guard nervously replied before leaving.
Headmistress Godfrey then saw Kaspar alighting from the horse and standing before her.
Her lips curled into a faint smile, "When I noticed a powerful Magus approaching the Academy, I couldn't help but co to greet you personally."
Kaspar pressed his right hand on his chest and gave a light bow, "We apologize for our sudden arrival, Lady Magus."
Helene nodded ever so slightly. "May I know the reason for your visit?"
"Yes, we have co here to et a student studying at your academy," Kaspar said with a smile.
"Oh?" Helene was slightly taken aback. She was not aware of any student currently in the academy who shared a relationship with a Mana Vortex Magus.
So she couldn't help but beco suspicious of this traveling group. "May I ask who?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.
Anna got off her horse and walked up to the Headmistress. "His na is Adam," she said. "Adam Constantine."
Hearing her say that, Headmistress Godfrey frowned. She looked at everyone in the traveling group before her gaze settled on Kaspar.
A few monts later, she turned to Anna and asked in a low voice, "Why are you looking for Adam, may I ask?"
"I wish to fill in his paperwork for an early graduation," said Anna. She paused before adding. "I wish to take him ho."
"Ho?" Now, Headmistress Godfrey was even more confused. "But Adam is an orphan."
"That he is," Anna nodded, patiently explaining. "But he is my adopted little brother."
"Adopted…" Helene Godfrey slipped into silence, seemingly recalling sothing.
After a few monts she looked Anna deep in the eye and asked, "Considering you've co here to et Adam, I am assuming you don't know what is happening."
This ti it was Anna's turn to frown. "My Lady, what do you an?" She asked politely.
No matter her station as the princess of a kingdom, the woman in front of her was a powerful Magus and that demanded her to show basic respect while conversing. "Did… sothing happen to Adam?"
"Well, quite a lot, if you ask ," the old Headmistress chuckled. "Please follow to my office."
With that, she turned around and guided the group through the campus. On the way, several students and professors stopped by and respectfully greeted Helene while glancing at Anna and her group curiously.
"My Lady, what did you an by that?" Anna stepped forward, asking with concern.
"When I first saw your group, I suspected you to be one of those people who claid to have so relationship with Adam," the headmistress began. "In the past few weeks, there have been several instances like that."
"Lady Magus, could you please explain?" Kaspar asked curiously.
"Helene," said the headmistress, introducing herself to him. "Helene Godfrey."
"Lady Godfrey, it is a pleasure to et you." The old man smiled. "I am called Kaspar York."
Helene nodded before continuing her explanation, "Many have co, claiming to be Adam's family mbers."
She paused, recalling a certain incident and chuckling, "A few won had also arrived at the Clover Academy, claiming to be Adam's wives. Then, all of them started quarreling amongst themselves."
When the group heard this, they were dumbfounded. Especially Anna! She couldn't help but ask, "My Lady, what… just what has been Adam up to?!"
"Oh, sweet child," Helene looked at her and sighed. "It seems that you truly do not know."
Don't know what? Anna thought to herself.
Just what is this woman talking about?
"Well, if it hadn't been for Lord Kaspar here, I would have assud your group to be the sa as the many others that ca before you," said the headmistress.
"Still, I would like to confirm it for myself," she added.
She guided the group into the administrative builidng, then up the stairs, until finally they arrived at her office.
"Please, take a seat," she said as she sat at the large mahogany table.
As Anna and her traveling group took their seats, Headmistress Godfrey retrieved a paper file from the drawer.
Opening the file, she read the contents of one of the papers. Then, she looked at Anna and asked flatly, "You said you were Adam's elder sister?"
"That is correct, my lady." Anna nodded with a solemn expression.
"State your na," the Headmistress muttered, her tone low but firm.
"Anna Fireborne."
Hearing her answer, Helene Godfrey's lips curled into a gentle smile. "So, you weren't lying, after all," she said, pushing the docunt towards Anna.
The red-haired young lady picked up the docunt and began reading its contents.
It was the personal information form that Adam had to fill in when he was admitted to the Clover Academy twenty years ago.
At the bottom of the form, in the guardian details section, Adam had jotted down the na Anna Fireborne.
Seeing this, Anna's lips curled into a warm smile. Attached to the form was Adam's photograph which was taken the day he had joined the academy.
Anna brushed her fingers across the surface of the black and white photograph and gently said, "Yes, that is him."
She turned towards the Headmistress and eagerly asked, "My Lady, I wish to et Adam. Also, I would like to discuss with you the possibility of him graduating."
Helene Godfrey found Anna's words very amusing. "I'm afraid that will not be possible, child," she said.
Anna frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Why not? Did Adam do sothing?"
Helene looked Anna in the eye and said with a smirk, "Adam has already graduated from the Academy. He is no longer in Moon City. He is also no longer a Mana Foundation Magus."
Everyone was stunned!
"He… has already beco a Mana Liquefaction Magus?!" Anna was wildly taken aback before being filled with joy.
"Hoho, not bad! Not bad at all!" Kaspar York stroked his beard, laughing rrily. He turned to Anna and asked, "Princess, how old did you say Adam was?"
"He should be around thirty-five now," said the red-haired woman, her eyes flashing with pride.
"A Mana Liquefaction Magus in his mid-thirties, hmm!" Daryl nodded, crossing his arms. "Now, that is sothing believable."
"And also quite admirable," he hurriedly added, secretly glancing at his sister-in-law.
"Lady Godfrey, may I ask where he is now?" Anna asked excitedly.
Seeing the group's interaction play out, Helene found it very amusing. She answered with a chuckle, "He has shifted to Ravenfell, dear. Adam now studies in one of the Four Pillars of Acadia, Saratoga Castle."
Anna was now even more astonished. "He… is now a student of Saratoga Castle?!"
Saratoga was famous even across the Galestine Ocean. In fact, all Four Pillars were renowned across the world.
She never thought that Adam would actually beco a student of one such arcane institution.
Headmistress Godfrey decided to divulge shocking news to them. "Yes." She nodded with an amused smirk. "Adam graduated from Clover Academy fifteen years ago, and then started pursuing the higher arcane arts in Saratoga Castle right after."
Suddenly, Anna and the rest of the group found their expressions frozen as a wild possibility erged in their minds.
Graduated from Clover Academy fifteen years ago.
Student of Saratoga Castle.
Thirty-five years of age.
"Don't tell …" Kaspar York, the old Rank 3 Magus, spoke in a shaky voice.
"I-Impossible!" A drop of cold sweat trickled down Daryl's forehead.
anwhile, Ada covered her mouth in absolute shock, unable to utter a word.
Helene Godfrey looked at each of them and revealed a knowing smile. Then, she turned to Anna, her smile deepening and her eyes flickering with pride.
"Your little brother now goes by another na. You should know what that is by now."
Anna felt like her entire worldview had crumbled as she found herself speechless for a long ti.
Finally, her lips parted and she muttered in a daze.
"The Dark King…"
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