New Teacher?
About two weeks later in a meeting room inside the castle a dwarf-sized person completely covered in black cloth with a staff the size of their body talks to Carmilla and the Queen.
Their voice seems to be magically altered to be unrecognizable, “Just to make this clear, the only reason I am even considering taking a look at your brat is due to the funds you promised me and the guarantee for a certification of personhood. I have no intention of taking on a pupil I’m not interested in no matter what you offer me and you won’t be able to trick me with magical artifacts either.”
Carmilla answers, “I am aware. But I’m also aware that if you don’t think my niece is qualified to be your pupil, you were never qualified to be her teacher anyways.”
“Oho? I have been invited by many nobles with so-called prodigy brats before. I’m quite confident that I know my standard and if she doesn’t fit it that’s just how it is. How old is the brat?”
“Almost two years,” the queen answers.
“Excuse me? Do you mean two hundred?”
“No, I mean two. She’s just an infant.”
Having their entire body language show disappointment they answer, “Sigh This is such a waste of my time. Fine I’ll meet her, let’s get this over with.”
The queen then leaves the room and returns with Rose. She is currently wearing her pink fluffy pajamas.
When the mage looks at her she has to make a double take but it’s not because of her looks or the mismatch of her age, it’s because of the intense mana leaking out of her. Their eyes are glued to what they perceive as a large clump of fire mana on Rose’s shoulder and an even larger chunk of earth mana coming from her heart.
Excited, the mage mutters an incantation covering their hand in darkness. They then take off their glove and walk over to Rose, touching her hand. Almost feeling a shock through their body from the purple colored mana that has affinity to all elements except the void element, the mage starts to sway from side to side in excitement.
“Fufufufufu, this is beyond talent. I finally found a real prodigy.”
—-----------------------------------------------------------
“Uhm…Mama, is that my teacher? They are kind of creepy.”
“And it speaks too? At this age? What intelligence! Marvelous! Tell me, what is your name, brat?”
“Rose…Can you let go of my hand now? You’re cold.”
“Sure!” Letting go of my hand the creepy mage puts their glove back on and bows, “I will gladly take on this pupil. I will teach them everything I know.”
“Uhm...I will only be here for about another three months though. After that I need to get ordained and then I’ll go adventuring until I reach A-Rank.”
“Ordained? Adventuring? Aren’t you but a cursed infant?”
“Well yeah, but I’m also a saintess candidate, demons are after me so I need to get ordained. After that I want to become independent before I come back home.”
“Fufufufu, FUFUFUFUFU! A saintess!? FUFUFUFU! Three months is not nearly enough but as long as you will come back I do not mind. We have thousands of years to learn together after all! Fufufufufu. I will take my leave now. I need to prepare. I did not think I’d actually be teaching anyone, fufufufufu.”
Waving their hand the mage opens a portal with ease and disappears.
“I don’t think I like that teacher, mama.”
“I understand why you think that, dear…But at least try to give some of her lessons a shot. If you still don’t like her afterwards we’ll find you a new teacher, okay?”
“Okay…”
Auntie adds, “I would not have suggested her if she wasn’t a great mage. From what I know she might have been practicing magic for over three thousand years now and a lot of the fundamental breakthroughs of magical research have come thanks to her theses. The few disciples she has taken have also all become great mages, so her skills seem to be quite good.”
“I’m not really that interested in being a great mage, though. John constantly reads new books or writes out magical formulas to get better and I’m not sure I want to do that as a job…”
“Love, there is no need to worry. You won’t have to become a mage or a researcher. The reason we called her is so you learn enough control of your mana to not have dangerous accidents in the future.”
“Dangerous accidents? Like what?”
“Well, with such high mana it’s not unlikely that you might accidentally cause a magical phenomenon to happen when you are feeling strong emotions or you’re tired and not in full control. You might accidentally light something on fire, create a small tornado in your room that hits you with your toys or you might accidentally use some light magic and hurt yourself.”
“I see…Yeah that would be bad.”
“Right? That’s why you should learn the basics.”
“Speaking of basics…Auntie, can I train the water ritual with you?”
“Absolutely not. It’s too dangerous.”
“But it’s not as dangerous when you watch me, right? It’s better than me doing it alone.”
“Are you trying to tell me that you will do it regardless of whether I watch you or not?”
“I mean…I’ll have to learn it one day, right?”
Suddenly getting really serious, auntie answers, “Rose Carmen Carmilla Heather Resplandor, if you think you can emotionally blackmail me into giving you permission to harm yourself you’re sorely mistaken.”
“I…Uhm...I wasn’t try-”
“You are aware that I am the leader of the adventuring guild association, right? The only reason I’m not banning you for life from the guild is because your mother insists that you should be allowed to harm yourself if that’s what you want to do. But I am not your mother. I am extremely against you doing this. If you think you have any leverage here you’re wrong. I will gladly be your doting aunt for the rest of both of our lives but not if you are going to harm yourself!”
“I…sniff…I’m sorry Sob.”
“Don’t cry, dear. It’s alright I-”
Pushing mama away from me, auntie says, “Don’t comfort her Ruby. If she wants to live like an adult, you should treat her like an adult. Rose, the world is a harsh place. Especially when you are an adventurer. You need to make a choice. Will you live with us and be happy or will you leave us and live a life of danger and unhappiness!?”
“I-I Sob sob.”
“Choose Rose. Do you want our love or not!?”
—------------------------------------------------------
Falling down on her knees, Rose goes silent and lowers her head.
Kneeling down and putting her hand on Rose’s shoulder, Carmilla uses a softer voice and says, “I’m sorry, Rose. Perhaps I was a bit too harsh bu-”
SLAP
To the shock of both the Queen and Carmilla, Rose slaps Carmilla in the face and answers in Elvish, “Get your disgusting hand off of me monster.”
Confused, Carmilla takes her hand off of Rose’s shoulder, “Rose?”
“So this was the plan all along…Under international law the kidnapping of a foreign Princess is grounds for war. I demand my immediate release.” Rose says, as she stands up from the ground.
Her entire body language has changed to look graceful and composed and her eyes are completely glossed over.
Shocked and confused, the Queen asks, “Rose, what are you saying?”
But Carmilla stops her from approaching Rose, “That’s not Rose right now,” in Elvish Carmilla asks, “Who are you?”
“Please, if this is the way the Blaze empire mocks their captives I don’t wish to partake in it.”
“Isn’t it customary for nobles to introduce themselves? Tell me your name.”
“My name is-UGHHH!!!”
Holding her head in pain, Rose falls unconscious and just narrowly gets caught by Carmilla before hitting the ground.