Chapter 49 - The Territory of the Magical Beast (Part 1)

Chloe Evenhart:

I was practicing meditation, focusing on feeling my mana circulate throughout my body. I was in my room, and in front of me sat a beautiful blonde girl with fox ears on her head.

She’s so pretty… even though she’s only ten years old.

"Lady Chloe… you’re making me a bit self-conscious. You’ve been staring at me for a while," Kinue said, lowering her head slightly. She was a very shy person.

"Sorry, Kinue. And what did I say about calling me ‘Lady’? We’re friends, and you even asked how I’d like to be addressed."

She looked at me, but her ears remained lowered in embarrassment.

"You’re right, but you’ve been staring at me for a while… I thought I did something wrong."

"I just got lost in thought and got distracted," I replied, trying to cover up.

She glanced at me, then adjusted her posture.

"You shouldn’t get distracted; you need to stay focused. This process is tedious, but it’s essential until you can make the mana flow through all your channels. That’s the secret to evolving. Lady Adrihna’s method works best because we’re still children, and this will ensure our mana channels grow correctly with us. If you keep doing this, your mana will naturally learn to circulate properly, which will help you evolve your Core better," she explained, though I had already heard this a few times before.

I sighed.

"I’m going to take a break…"

"That’s okay. The method is like that—tedious. If you’re not fully focused, it’s just a waste of time."

I remained seated, looking at my new friend.

"How did you end up with Lady Adrihna? Aren’t you from a tribe in another kingdom?" I asked.

Kinue seemed to think for a moment.

"The truth is, it was Lady Adrihna who found me. I was born in a very poor village, and I’m an orphan. Lady Adrihna said she was looking for my father; I think she had some business with him. But when she found him, I was the only one living in my house. I was struggling… I’m different even among other demi-humans. My spirit animal is a golden fox, which is quite rare. Lady Adrihna took me in as her apprentice, and I’ve been with her for four years now."

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Hearing that made my heart ache a bit. I had spent five years complaining about being stuck within the mansion’s walls, yet I had everything I could ever need. I realized she hadn’t had an easy life, and I felt a bit foolish for worrying about my own problems.

"I’m glad you have a mentor, Kinue. If you ever find yourself alone again, you’re welcome to live here with us at the mansion. Don’t worry, we have plenty of rooms, and you’ll never lack anything," I told my friend.

She blushed, her ears perking up.

"I really appreciate that," she said. "I’m living with Lady Adrihna at the Academy of Apsalon, but sometimes she takes me to the Elven Kingdom. I’ve met some people there who she said are important, and they also offered me a place to stay if I ever need it," she said, smiling.

"Lady Adrihna sounds really kind."

Kinue nodded.

"She told me to accept the offer but to take my time—she said it’s a very boring place, and meanwhile, I could enjoy seeing the world. She also told me that even if no one had offered me a place, I could stay with her at the Academy. She has a big house in Apsalon, and I could stay there with her."

"Really? I thought High Elves didn’t experience emotions."

Kinue seemed to ponder that for a moment. "It's not that they don't have emotions; it's more that they prioritize their own feelings, but not in a bad way. You could say they prefer to do what they enjoy and take their work very seriously. The professor is meticulous, maybe even a bit obsessive with her work. Most of the time, she’s buried in books, and I've gotten used to her ways. She doesn’t even eat regularly—she can go days without food."

That makes sense. So, a High Elf just focuses on themselves and their interests? Is that why it seems like they don’t have emotions? I guess if you’re only concerned with your own well-being and don’t care much about others, it can make you seem emotionless, especially if you live for 300 years.

We continued talking about life in Apsalon. I was really nervous because I knew one day I’d have to go there. Kinue reassured me, saying that the Academy wasn’t as intimidating as the rumors made it out to be, even though it was a place for the elite. She explained that the exams were just to assess students since being accepted there meant you had magical potential. The Academy accepted high-ranking nobles and any talented student, regardless of their background. If a student couldn’t afford the tuition, the school offered scholarships. Kinue mentioned that she got a scholarship because she was the first non-elf to awaken the Element of Light, and she even received marriage proposals.

"Ma-marriage proposals?!" I asked in disbelief.

She blushed. "I received proposals from some nobles, but the professor turned them down for me. It seems they were interested in my magical potential because of my Light element. Luckily, Lady Adrihna was there to help because I was so embarrassed."

I hate those vultures!

I looked at Kinue again and noticed just how beautiful she was.

"Maybe they also proposed because you’re really pretty..." I muttered.

"You think so? I’m not so sure. I tried asking the professor, but it’s pointless since she doesn’t have a concept of beauty."

"I think you’re very beautiful. If you inherit even a bit of the professor’s beauty, you’ll be able to win over anyone," I told her.

Kinue turned bright red, and her ears drooped as if she was trying to hide.

"Are you sure? I... I don’t know. In my village, they thought I was strange because I wasn’t like the other foxes..."

I see! So that’s why...