Chapter 558: Chapter 557- Take your time

In the reception hall, three men sat together—Charles, Nolan, and Adrian.

Elana had been called away by her mother for some reason, though none of them thought to ask why.

For a short while, the room remained quiet.

“It was quite surprising… what happened with Borodicus,” Nolan finally said, breaking the silence and bringing up the topic that had dominated headlines for days.

Charles secretly glanced at Adrian.

The man appeared completely at ease as he replied, “Well, he was apparently involved with a demonic cult. In that case, the outcome was inevitable.”

The reports circulating in the reports had placed the blame on Clark, accusing him of harboring cult members and participating in criminal activity within his town. Because of that, the organization known as Umbral had intervened and subdued the public offender.

Ever since the incident during the tournament, Umbral had been gaining increasing recognition.

And this latest event had only fueled the discussion further.

Adrian had noticed that more than half the public commentary remained neutral toward Umbral’s actions.

That alone was a positive development in his eyes.

“Still, I must say,” Nolan continued, leaning slightly forward, “I was quite impressed after reading the full report of what happened in Antonmine. Your debate with the man was… truly inspiring.”

Adrian gave a faint smile. “I would never have gone there if I didn’t already have a clear idea of what he intended to do.”

“Then…”

Charles suddenly spoke up.

But his voice faltered halfway through.

He went quiet, a flash of uncertainty crossing his face as he glanced briefly at his father.

Nolan noticed it and spoke gently. “It’s alright, Charles. Go ahead. Say what you were thinking.”

Adrian also turned toward the young man, waiting patiently.

He knew almost nothing about Charles. Until a few hours ago, the boy’s existence had been entirely unknown to him.

But from what he had seen so far, Charles appeared polite and well mannered.

The black-haired youth finally gathered his courage and looked directly at Adrian.

“Were you already confident that Sir Clark would make a mistake?” he asked quietly. “Is that why you decided to attend the event?”

The bluntness of the question surprised Nolan.

It sounded slightly rude.

But correcting his son in that moment might only crush the boy’s confidence in expressing his thoughts.

So instead, he glanced toward Adrian.

To his relief, the professor did not appear offended in the slightest.

Adrian leaned back slightly in his seat and said, “My actions seem to have created the impression that I was trying to compete with the late Mister Borodicus.”

Charles’s brows slowly rose. “Weren’t you?”

Adrian let out a soft chuckle. “This profession doesn’t require one to compete with others to obtain what they want. Money and fame can still be gained even if you are not the world’s greatest runesmith.”

He lowered his gaze briefly before continuing.

“Borodicus Clark, however, was determined to hold on to that title of being the best. That is why he rushed into creating something he believed could change the destiny of this world.”

Nolan nodded thoughtfully. “I heard about that. A fifth-grade armament that could have endangered the user’s life even if handled with care.”

Adrian gave a small nod. “I admire his ambition. But if good intentions alone could change the world, we would not be sitting here discussing this today.”

….

“Why didn’t you bring your bag?” Natasha asked as the two women stepped into Elana’s room.

Elana replied calmly, “I’ll be returning to the academy tomorrow with the Professor.”

Natasha’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You said your final exams were over and the holidays are approaching. Then why stay there? You could spend that time here with us.”

Elana pressed her lips together for a moment before answering. “Mother… you know I’m preparing to become a researcher for the Tower. I can’t afford to spend my time relaxing here.”

Natasha folded her arms. “Have you forgotten that you’re only eighteen? There’s no need to rush through life as if you must achieve everything immediately.”

Elana grumbled inwardly.

She had expected this conversation, but she had hoped her father would be present so he could support her side.

Instead, Natasha had cleverly taken her away from him.

“Elana…” Natasha said quietly, studying her daughter’s face. “…this isn’t about your pride or ambition, is it? You want to become a professor at the academy for another reason, don’t you?”

Elana’s eyes widened. “Who told you—”

She stopped halfway.

Why had she even asked?

Natasha smirked faintly. “You really think that man could hide anything from me?”

The elder Stronghart’s eyes gleamed with a sharp, knowing light.

Elana groaned and turned away. “If you already know everything, then why are you cornering me like this? You’ve never questioned my decisions before.”

Natasha sighed softly.

“That’s true. We never questioned your choices because you’ve always been thoughtful and mature about the path you take.”

She stepped closer and gently placed her hands on Elana’s shoulders.

Turning her daughter to face her, Natasha continued, “But this one time… I’m uncertain about your decision.”

Elana felt her chest grow heavy.

There was no humor left in her mother’s voice.

“My career choice?” she asked quietly.

Natasha shook her head.

“You know that’s not what worries me, Elana. You are free to choose whatever life you want.”

Her gaze softened, but the concern in it remained.

“What worries me… is the person you’ve chosen to share that life with.”

Elana had always known this conversation would come one day.

She simply had not expected it to happen so soon, nor imagined that it would be her mother confronting her first.

Still, there was no escaping it.

Lowering her head slightly, Elana spoke quietly. “Mother… you don’t like Professor Adrian?”

Natasha gave a soft hum.

“Well, he has everything a woman could desire,” she said calmly. “He is handsome, gentle in nature, a successful professor at a prestigious academy, and he has already made a name for himself in the world of runesmithing in such a short time.”

She paused briefly before adding, “Truthfully speaking, in some ways… you might not even deserve to become his bride.”

Elana smiled faintly.

Hearing someone praise her professor always warmed her heart.

But Natasha’s expression soon turned serious again.

“However,” she continued, “as your mother, Elana… I want you to marry a man who will cherish only you.”

Elana flinched and lifted her gaze to meet her mother’s eyes.

Natasha nodded slowly. “Yes. You heard me correctly.”

She turned toward the window, her eyes drifting outward as if recalling a distant memory.

“Do you know the only thing I asked your father when he stood before me to take our marriage vows?”

Her voice softened.

“I asked him to promise that he would never take a portion of the love meant for me and give it to someone else.”

She shook her head gently before continuing.

“I don’t judge people who choose to have multiple partners. But I truly believe that in a polygamous relationship, a man cannot give each woman the love and attention she deserves.”

Elana turned silent at those words.

She couldn’t come up with an immediate response and that was already a response in Natasha’s eyes.

Shaking her head, Natasha added, “I won’t stop you from choosing your life partner. But please, take all your time before making that decision, dear. That one decision would change your life for better or for worse.”

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. As a mother, she is right at her place to worry about her daughter.

Well, drop a comment.

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