Chapter 61 - 061: The Discussion Among Old People(1)

Chapter 61: Chapter 061: The Discussion Among Old People(1)

The cold evening breeze gently caressed his white hair, sending it fluttering, while behind him, the moon rose, like a guardian albeit not at full shine.

To his front, the last rays of the sun were kissing the earth goodbye, dying the sky in deep blue, purple, and ember red.

Below him, the bustle of the day’s trial had finally died. The nobles walked around in groups and chatted away, having already rested, leaving the academy’s grounds in a serene, calm state.

The bell at the clock tower chimed, indicating the nineteenth hour of the day.

"So it’s been almost five hours. Mortal time really does move fast. No wonder they die so quickly," he said, laying down on the slanted roof tiles of his dormitory, gazing at the moon that had snuck into his view. It was almost full, but it had a lackluster shine.

Mikael scoffed. If it was the Sovereign of Void looking at this sight, he’d have blown this piece of rock to smithereens ages ago, the moon. But now, in the frame of a mortal, it had a quiet beauty about it. Though, that was not what preoccupied his mind.

His connection to the Cosmic Gates had been discovered quite early. He hadn’t even gotten a single fragment or anything divine to reinforce his very weak foundation. This body could not store celestial energy; it would break into pieces and shatter at the slightest overuse.

He sighed, heavily.

"Skipping summons, I see?" a familiar voice asked slowly, lightly.

No ripple in the surrounding mana. Not even the usual smoke.

The old man simply appeared, as if he had always been there, stepping out from the dark between the eaves. His coat fluttered in the cool breeze. His expression was mild, very mild for a man who could level mountains with a single move.

’I couldn’t even sense him until he spoke.’’

Mikael lazily lifted his head.

"Headmaster," he acknowledged his presence. "For someone with bones that old, you walk so quietly."

Malcius chuckled, settling beside the teenager with unhurried confidence. "Quite the sharp tongue. Then again, I am old."

"What brings the esteemed Headmaster to sit on the roof with a mere student? Surely your status exceeds such... I don’t know."

The old man set down his cane.

"There is no such thing as a ’mere student’ here. I am the Headmaster because you students are students. Or about to be, at least. Without the students, there would be no Headmaster."

He cleared his throat before continuing.

"You didn’t answer the summon from this afternoon. I wanted to apologise for the inconvenience that happened, with the S class Ravager. I also wanted to reward your bravery and effort. Though the next time you don’t answer a summon, you might be expelled," the old man warned, still all smiles.

"Tsk. You speak as if I’m already a student of this kindergarten filled with spoiled, noble brats that everyone outside sucks up to. It’s disconcerting."

"Do not mock my school before me, lad," The old man’s voice was stern; not that Mikael cared anyway. "Be warned."

Micael cast him a side glance that concealed enough killing intent to kill half of humanity.

"I’ll try to keep it in mind, old man," he smiled.

A heavy silence settled between the two as they both gazed at the moon overhead. Neither spoke... until the Headmaster dropped a shocker.

"That apparition earlier today..."

Mikael gave the old man a whole side glance.

’So he did notice.’

"What was that projection and where did it come from? Depending on your answer, I might have to arrest you or outrightly end your existence right here, right now, Mikael of House Limnor."

’At my level now, I can escape him with the maximum power this body can muster, but I’ll end up destroying it. And who knows which other monster is lurking around?’

He sighed.

"Is this also about the Rank Breaker I created, Mr. Headmaster? The news surely spread like forest fire, that little shard." A pause.

"If I said I was from what you mortals call ’Heaven’, would you believe me? Not that I’m desperate for you to."

The Headmaster laughed quite loudly. "This brat, some nerves of steel you got. Trying to test my patience? It won’t end well, that I promise you." The smile on the old man’s face was replaced with a stern scowl and his aura flared.

"Do I look like somebody that messes around, huh, Headmaster Malcius?"

"With that goofy expression you’ve always got on your face? Sure, I’d bet my life on it."

Mikael laughed out loud, surprising the old man.

"Who would have thought that I, once a Sovereign, would suffer this much ridicule from a mere mortal. This fate of yours, Aurora, annoys me so much I want to claw my way to Heaven and rip you all to shreds with my bare hands. Oh, Mikael, how low you have fallen. Oh, how the Celestial Realm must mock you, they have laughed themselves to stupor."

"How hard I have fallen," his voice was now reduced to a murmur, his expression contorted with rage and sorrow.

The old man regained his composure as he gazed at Mikael, thinking: ’Either he’s saying the truth... Or his delusion is so much that it interferes with his perception of reality.’

"I have nothing to gain from lying to you, mortal. I fear you not, nor anybody in this plane of existence." His air literally charged up. "If you feel like going at it," the killing intent surged alongside his aura. " Then I’ll gladly send you to the Afterlife a bit earlier than you intended, old man," Mikael threatened with a voice as calm, collected and cool as ice. His eyes, the twin golden orbs, shone brightly and the patterns in them were spinning.

For a long moment, neither moved.

Then the Headmaster’s aura slowly ebbed, like a tide pulling back from the shore. The air stirred.

It was recognition.

Two people who understood the language of silence, and power.

The Headmaster broke the quiet first.

"I already suspected you weren’t human. But I didn’t expect them to personally descend just to taunt you."

Mikael’s golden eyes flickered with relief that vanished as soon as it appeared.

"I thought you all were frozen in time. Didn’t expect you to be able to sense the presence of celestials."

"I’m stronger than you think, good lad," he replied.

Mikael scoffed. "Lad? Why do everyone keep calling me that. I’m older than this reality, if you must know."

Malcius’ smile slowly disappeared.

"This reality, huh? Tell me, Mikael. So you are of the view that you are from Heaven, the ummm... realm of the Celestials?

"Pardon me, Headmaster, but may I ask what you know about the Seven Sovereigns and the One True Goddess? At least what you believe."

The Headmaster rubbed his chin. "Here we have the One True Goddess and the six Archangels. Aetherion, Seraphiel, Zephyr, Elyndra, Vaelthiela and Orion."

"Well, there are seven Sovereigns and I am the last one on that list."

Malcius looked at the white-haired teenager with complex emotions. He couldn’t tell if this was a bluff or if it was the truth.

But he had seen him talk back and almost threaten a piece of ’Heaven’s Fragment.’

The Sun Scriptures of the Aurorean Church claimed that whenever a fragment of Heaven descends, no one in the world could stand in its presence, much less fight it. But this teenager directly threatened it quite a few times, and even the Celestial who seemed to have sent it. These fragments have appeared very few times throughout history and were claimed to be apparitions, deemed holy and prophetic. Yet this lad didn’t even bat an eyelid in talking it down.

Even worse, the fragment actually came to taunt him personally! What mortal could attract Heaven’s attention so much it became spite?

Mikael sighed. "Damn that piece of... I really wanted to kill her."

"You threatened to kill her," the Headmaster noted mildly, now probing.

"Well, she was lucky I’m not yet of my true strength. I would have erased the concept of her from all realities."

"Hm," Malcius tapped a finger against his knee. "You must know that fragment had the power to collapse this realm."

Mikael opened one eye to look at the Headmaster. "That thing? Are mortals that weak? "

"It’s not that but..."

"As I am now, I can comfortably get rid of that talkative piece of illusory garbage, so I see no reason why someone like you can’t. You did somewhat escape its Time manipulation so, yes, you can beat it and survive."

That tone, simple and factual, made the Headmaster look at him directly.

"You speak like someone who has fought these Sovereigns you mentioned." It was all he could do to prevent his common sense from shattering.

Mikael scoffed.

"The whole lot of them. I lost though, and that’s why I’m here, bound with mortality and weakness. Damn that Aurora."

Malcius’ eyes widened with shock.

"You mean to say you have seen the One True Goddess of Creation!?" He couldn’t hold back his excitement.

"Yeah. One crazy, powerful lady. Even me in my prime pales before her, for a bit."

The Headmaster clasped both his hands and muttered a quick, fervent prayer. Mikael glanced at him, not caring to interrupt.

After the prayer, the old man leaned back on his palms, gazing at the now fully visible moon with a peaceful gaze in his eyes.

"You know," he began, "as one’s core continues to grow past decades, the longer they live. When you reach a high enough rank... time flows much more slower for you. Surely we die, but we live quite long. People around you change like seasons. Nations rise and fall. Students, also, come and go. Eventually you acquire a certain... loneliness."

Mikael didn’t respond but his eyes softened. Understanding.

"Mortality is a cage," the old man continued.

"Correction. A leash," The lad interjected. "Cage is too generous."

The old man huffed a quiet laugh.

"You hate it."

"Of course I do," Mikael said simply.

" And what else about the mystery of heaven have you got for me?"