CHAPTER 126: THE VEIL
Aurora watched as Cithrel comforted Taqiyya while hugging her gently.
Caressing her face and giving her a warm hug, Aurora’s expression trembled as Cithrel secretly gave her a wink.
Turning her gaze away from that princess, Aurora observed the surroundings that were filled with police, who were controlling the bar.
The gang members had long since been imprisoned and taken away.
The biggest reason was the person who was talking to the police authorities.
Wearing a fancy robe, Director Vincent was talking to the police chief, who was sweating, trying to hide his pallor.
It was not as if Director Vincent was criticizing him, however; the policeman was talking to a heavyweight who was an SS-rank, whose presence was heavy.
The Director’s serious expression did not help the poor police chief much.
Aurora was sure that this police chief was considering this subsequent assignment as one of the heaviest jobs of his career.
When he finished speaking, Director Vincent approached her.
“Thank you for your help, Aurora,” Director Vincent said with a sigh.
To Aurora, the Director was one of the few powerful individuals who were humble.
Some would not even come if she called them for this type of situation or would let others take care of the work, very different from Director Vincent, who came.
Even though she mentioned to him she had controlled everything, that man came to help and now he thanked her with complete honesty.
“It was nothing. I was just helping a friend. That’s all.” Aurora replied with a half-smile.
She heard about this situation, since Vanessa asked her for help and Aurora was happy to help and more when the situation could have been complicated.
That gang leader seemed more reckless and troublesome than Andrés’ report had mentioned.
“The current situations have given me too much to work with. I’ve realized that I can’t be everywhere,” Director Vincent commented and looking at Taqiyya, he added. “Sometimes I forget that, at the hero academy, it’s not only heroes fighting monsters one finds.”
In the academy, you would find different students and even though sometimes some of them would not go out to fight monsters, they would help in other ways.
An alchemist, a craftsman, or someone focused on computers... The Hero Academy trained all kinds of heroes and, together with the hero guild, they sought to help.
Each of the professions that were present at the academy was necessary for the heroes to continue to function as usual.
Unfortunately, it was common to think of all heroes as individuals who could take on any enemy.
Sometimes it was forgotten that they were young students, just like anyone else.
“I will have to encourage teachers to pay more attention to the students in their personal lives. And I have to get the students to depend on the academy,” Director Vincent muttered.
He didn’t seem to report to Aurora, but seemed to arrange his plans by talking to himself.
“If they don’t want to depend, you can make other students confident that the academy will back it up,” Aurora interjected and, giving a subtle half-smile, added. “It may be an option.”
Vanessa, instead of going to the Director, went straight to her.
It could be said that she did not wish to violate her friend’s privacy, but it also showed a bit of a desire not to upset the academy.
Some students were not wealthy or from influential families and were simple scholarship students who had no power, authority, or backing.
It was difficult for those students to remain dependent on the academy, as the thought that they might get rid of them for being troublemakers would inevitably appear.
“Yes, that will do as well,” Director Vincent replied, and turning to look at her, asked. “And how are you feeling about what is coming?”
Aurora watched him for a moment and on the man’s face, she could perceive no change of emotion.
He controlled his tone, his face, and his eyes to show nothing, as if it were a casual and unimportant question.
Even though he was talking about the Abyssal Portals.
“Uncertainty is sometimes heavier than the waiting itself,” Aurora replied with a bitter smile.
Not knowing the situation and having to wait for something to happen... It was usually stressful.
Perhaps her involvement could not change a situation that was beyond her. However, Aurora believed that it would at least reduce the consequences.
Even though she was now protecting Cithrel and could be taken as a ‘vacation’ because of the ease of the job, it actually felt overwhelming to wait.
Not knowing what would happen or when.
It didn’t matter if tomorrow when an important event she could not intervene for whatever cause; what mattered was to be informed of what was happening.
“I also think the same thing. Ignorance is a curse,” Director Vincent said, and looking at her, he asked. “How about exchanging information? Maybe that will help us calm down.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Aurora looked at him with surprise and even though the Director was serious, she realized he was trying to exchange information to return the favor for what happened today.
Just as she had helped her student, now he was paying her back... It was the only way she could be seen when a Grand Archmage of SS-Rank was offering to exchange information.
While Director Vincent wasn’t at the top of humanity, he was a step below, being one of the most influential humans both for his hero academy and his involvement in the hero guild.
Even though Aurora had contacts, receiving information from a knowledgeable Grand Archmage, was certainly a splendid gift.
“I would be happy to exchange information. I don’t think mine will be of any use to you, though,” Aurora replied in an animated yet slightly embarrassed tone.
Her source of information came from Cardinal Brousseau or Urfin, and being honest, information might have been something Director Vincent could get on his own.
“Believe it or not, all information is useful,” Director Vincent announced and seeing Taqiyya recover, he commented. “It looks like she will have to stay in your care for the night.”
Before Aurora could understand what he was referring to, Director Vincent took his leave, leaving her alone.
At that moment, Cithrel and Taqiyya approached.
“Aurora, can she stay with us today? You know she just went through that whole situation,” Cithrel said and, giving a soft smile, added. “I think she needs some good company.”
Aurora felt as if that princess was asking her to have a lost puppy stay at her house.
Denying such ideas, she watched Taqiyya with a smile.
“Of course you can stay with us. However, don’t forget to let Vanessa know you’re okay,” Aurora reminded with some calm encouragement.
Not that she minded another visitor staying in her home and, according to the information Andrés had given her, Taqiyya was an orphan whose scholarship covered both her rent and the other aspects of her life.
Perhaps that was the reason she didn’t want to bother the academy with her situation.
For Aurora, instead of Taqiyya being in her own home alone, it was better for her to stay with them at the mansion, so that way she would have good company.
The mansion was enormous enough to receive visitors, and Taqiyya seemed to get along well with Cithrel.
“Thank you. Thank you so much for helping me,” Taqiyya said lowering her head, trying to contain her emotions.
Such words carried a huge heaviness and release from someone who was just realizing that everything bad had passed.
It was impossible not to identify the relief and yet gratitude she was expressing.
Uniquely, she knew the difficulty and pressure of what had happened and Aurora, in response, gave a smile.
“It was a pleasure. You can count on me when you find yourself in difficulty.” Aurora replied with a soft smile, full of confidence.
It didn’t matter if they met for a few hours.
As long as someone needed help and Aurora could afford it, she would help.
That was her way of life.
******
Sitting in a meditative position, Clémentine concentrated on feeling the ‘outside world’ through her mind.
Even though her eyes were closed, she could ‘see’ her meditation room and she could ‘see’ herself as a bright light.
That bright light represented her mental force slowly condensing.
This time Clémentine instead of just looking at herself concentrated, even more, sinking down and losing the feeling of her room.
It was hard to explain, as it was a strange place, but her senses seemed to work in a mysterious way.
Perhaps it was her mind trying to give ‘concept’ to something she didn’t understand, and it was in this unexplainable state that she sensed her surroundings.
She could pick up some vibrations and could observe some bright lights.
It was like being in a dark place and suddenly seeing light.
Every human being had mental strength, regardless of whether he was a magician, a fighter, or an ordinary person with no abilities.
However, only a psionic could make use of that mental strength through psionic energy.
Those faintly glowing lights were the consciousnesses of the servants in her house.
Although her senses were not strong enough to sense the entire mansion, in this state, she could pick up the presences of the people in her house, and the only negative was the lack of precision.
If a murder had occurred, she could replicate mediumship and attempt to contact the spirituality of those wretched souls.
Unfortunately, she was in no such situation.
Still, Clementine ‘looked’ around.
Unlike when she was a B-Rank and seemed to walk blind now, she could ‘see’ more.
Away from her, she could see a large current.
Her mind in that state tried to make explanation and sense of it by following her most basic knowledge; her senses.
And though she forced herself to achieve it, the only method she could think of to describe it was to ‘see’ a translucent current, which she could not reach.
A world beyond her capacity, which she could not grasp, understand, or explain.
And covering it was a veil that hid that distant place.
However, Clémentine could make out some lights shining brightly on the other side of that ‘veil’.
Before she could realize it, she had to come back to her body when her mind became completely exhausted.
Opening her eyes, she could again observe her training room, where the psionic energy was helping her recover.
“Impressive, don’t you think?”
A voice echoed behind her back, and when Clémentine turned, she noticed her father smiling at her.
She had already realized that she had tried to ‘explore’ that place.
“Yes, it is... But what is it?” Clémentine asked with a frown.
Her father laughed at that question.
She had seen it herself, but she couldn’t explain it.
What was that place? That veil? That current that made her feel like it was a distant ‘world’?
“Terra nova helped humanity understand magical energy, and unlike them. We too have psionic energy. But we are not the only ones.” Her father explained, and when Clémentine’s eyes narrowed, the man laughed and asked. “What? You hear stories of a magical fantasy world, but you hesitate when I talk about a world with psionic energy?”
His question was a clear mockery, and it was a revelation.
“Such a place, does it exist?” Clémentine asked with honest curiosity.
“I don’t know. The Archmages of Terra nova have only ever gone to worlds with magic. Well, if they’ve gone to a world without magic, then it’s possible they got stuck because of the same lack of magical energy,” replied her father and, putting on a serious look, he commented. “Only someone like the Goddess of Order knows the answer.”
Clémentine smiled as she saw her father put on a stoic and serious expression again when talking about the Goddess of Order.
That man slowly softened his face and continued.
“Anyway, our goddess does not prevent us from exploring on our own. However, keep in mind that all exploration is dangerous, and the unknown is full of unimaginable dangers,” said her father, giving a half-smile and heading for the entrance, he stopped, and without looking back, warned. “Remember, ‘if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you’.”
With those words, her father calmly withdrew, leaving Clémentine taking a deep breath.
The Nietzsche words made perfect sense with her case... After all, if she could look across, didn’t that mean the other side could do the same?
“I think it’s best to avoid it for now.” Clémentine murmured with a sigh.
Was that what her father wanted?
That she would look at that place and realize she was a tiny psionic who did not know her smallness?
Such an idea made sense.
Letting out a long breath that released some of her nervousness, she stood up.
The academic tournament was continuing and even though the individual Rank-A matches were scattered among the individual Rank-B matches, she had to buck up.
While group matches were also scarce because of the number of groups, this month was not only about the academic tournament.
The first week was over and during that period, half of the students faced each other, leaving the other half to face each other in the week to come.
Now, this week that was to come, they not only had to dedicate themselves to their study in some classes that would surely start taking exams, but also the ones selected so far to take part in the international tournament would be revealed.
Even though the international tournament itself didn’t call her attention, having fights with other students from different areas and with different styles was something that motivated Clémentine.
She was sure it would help her progress even further in her skill control, and that was all that mattered.
Clémentine knew she wasn’t the only one who thought that way.