Ch. 33 - The Stargazer's Delirium

"I... I assumed you might be Lady Elena's daughter, or a relative..." Robb awkwardly averted his gaze, his voice thick with confusion.

She laughed again, more freely this time. "Daughter? These old bones have been around for centuries. Where would a daughter come from?"

Only then did Robb notice that despite the completely different appearance, her mannerisms and the sharpness in her eyes were unmistakably Lady Elena's.

"But you..." He didn't know how to describe the transformation before him.

"No need to be so shocked." Lady Elena turned slightly and explained. "During those few days each month when mana fluctuations are at their most active, I can briefly revert to my youthful form."

She stretched her body, seemingly savoring the comfort of this younger vessel.

"That's also why I closed early today. During these days, I usually shut the shop to focus on potion-crafting, catching up on a month's backlog of orders. Longtime customers like Hadrian are more or less aware of this."

Robb nodded, but his perception had already picked up far more.

With his newly elevated apprentice-level spirit power, he could clearly sense the terrifying mana fluctuations radiating from Lady Elena, an energy field as deep and vast as an abyss, far beyond what any ordinary apprentice or even High Apprentice could possess.

A staggering thought flashed through Robb's mind. Lady Elena's current strength had likely reached the level of a Morning Star Mage.

"I'd originally planned to tell you about this." The pink-haired beauty continued, seemingly unaware of Robb's inner turmoil. "But your conflict with Marcus landed you in detention before I got the chance, so..."

Robb was curious about why Lady Elena's mana was normally so diminished and her appearance so aged, but he tactfully refrained from asking.

Everyone had their secrets. Prying recklessly was seldom wise.

"Still, your timing isn't bad." Lady Elena's tone lightened. "A bit unexpected, but since you're here, let's get down to business."

"Yes, Lady Elena."

Robb felt the familiar dynamic between them return, and his earlier embarrassment faded. He answered respectfully. "I came to let you know I've been released from detention early. I also have some questions I'd like your guidance on."

Lady Elena studied him with interest, those green eyes glinting with an all-seeing light.

"It's not just the detention that's ended, is it? The change in your aura is quite obvious. You've broken through to Elementary Apprentice?"

Robb nodded. "Yes. It happened somewhat unexpectedly, while in detention."

"Unexpectedly?" Lady Elena arched one elegant brow, amusement playing at her lips. "Breaking through in that kind of environment can't be explained away by unexpectedly."

She circled the counter and took a few steps forward.

Her young body lent her movements an extraordinary lightness and grace, utterly unlike her usual hunched gait.

"Your aura is very stable, and the fluctuations in your spirit power are remarkably even." Lady Elena assessed. "Better than most Elementary Apprentices. It seems the detention environment actually did you a favor."

Robb didn't deny it. "Indeed. The isolation from the outside world allowed me to focus entirely on meditation and training."

"So then, what questions did you want to ask?" Lady Elena folded her arms across her chest, a posture that made certain features rather more prominent.

"I have two questions."

Robb kept his eyes fixed forward, answering concisely, he knew she valued efficient communication.

"First, I'd like to learn about higher-tier meditation methods. Basic Meditation can no longer meet my needs."

Lady Elena nodded, seemingly unsurprised. "Basic Meditation is like a children's phonics dictionary, eventually you learn enough to leave it behind. Your spirit power has indeed reached the point where it needs more advanced guidance."

"And the second question?"

Robb hesitated briefly, then decided to ask directly. "How much do you know about Oliver?"

At the name, Lady Elena's expression turned instantly serious. That young, stunning face took on a gravity and shrewdness entirely at odds with its appearance.

"Oliver? He came to see you?"

Robb gave a brief account of Oliver's visit and the Mana Crystal Fragments spent to secure his early release.

"That's not good news. That boy is never 'kind' without reason. Every gift he gives has a calculation behind it."

Her fingers tapped lightly on the counter in an erratic rhythm.

After a moment, Lady Elena walked back behind the counter. Her slender fingers brushed past a row of locked drawers, stopping at one that appeared unremarkable but bore a miniature sealing rune.

"Regarding your first question..." A small silver key had appeared in her hand from nowhere.

The key slid into the lock. With an almost imperceptible click, the drawer glided open.

Lady Elena withdrew a small book bound in dark leather. Set into its cover was an irregular blood-red gemstone that gleamed eerily in the lamplight.

"I do have some higher-tier meditation materials. Here it is."

As her fingers brushed the cover, the gemstone seemed to respond to her touch, flickering once.

Her gaze grew distant and deep, as though piercing the river of time.

"The Stargazer's Delirium, also known as the Stellar Meditation Method, a Gem-tier meditation method one full level above Basic Meditation. It was supposedly created by an ancient traveling mage whose mind was shattered by the terrible entities dwelling among the stars, forged at the razor's edge between madness and lucidity."

Lady Elena's finger stopped on a page depicting a complex runic structure.

It appeared to be dozens of basic meditation runes interwoven in an impossible fashion, forming a far larger, more complete energy circuit.

"It allows spirit power to flow along the trajectories of stellar movement, achieving twice the results with half the effort. Naturally, it also carries corresponding risks." The pink-haired beauty continued.

"It's perfectly suited for someone who's already broken through to Elementary Apprentice, and can even carry you all the way to Morning Star Mage..."

Robb nearly held his breath, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the runic structure.

Even from a brief glimpse, he felt an inexplicable pull, as though the rune itself contained some kind of summons.

Comments