Fewer candidates could be seen on the campus now. Elyandra noticed the absence of some important names, like Ernest or Celestina. She began to wonder if everything had gone well in their tests. Even Eliora's recent disappearance caught her attention. She then looked to the side and saw Seraphina in silence, immersed in reading her book with a black cover.
Being stared at by Elyandra did not go unnoticed by Seraphina, who said:
— Staring at people like that is not very subtle, Lady Valemortis.
Elyandra let out a light laugh and waved her hand in front of her face, denying any misunderstanding.
— There's no need to worry about that — she replied. — I was just wondering what that book is that you read so much.
Seraphina glanced at her from the corner of her eye and closed the book. She handed it to Elyandra, who, upon seeing the gesture, extended her hand and took it.
— It's a book that explains point by point about navigation and maritime affairs — said Seraphina, while Elyandra opened it.
Elyandra, already used to reading, flipped through the pages of the book at an abnormal speed.
— It's quite self-explanatory — she commented. — I wouldn't say it's good reading for a late afternoon, since it's a very explanatory book. Do you have that much interest in becoming a Navigator or something like that?
Seraphina turned her eyes upward, watching the birds flying in the sky.
— The Vancroft family is a family of Lords and Ladies of the Sea — she said. — Sailing is in our blood for generations.
Elyandra closed the book.
— But that doesn't mean you have to follow the same paths. Isn't there anything else on your mind?
With a shake of her head, Seraphina said:
— No, sailing is something I've always wanted to do. There's nothing better than that for me. Isn't it the same for you?
Elyandra stared at her from the corner of her eye for a few moments.
— No, actually not — she replied, closing her eyes and smiling. — Military matters is something that never crossed my mind, to be honest.
Seraphina then turned her face toward her.
— So you prefer the paths of the Church?
A smile carrying a tone of reproach crossed Elyandra's lips.
— No, no, that's a path I don't see myself following.
Seraphina looked confused.
— Well, those are the most plausible paths… So what does the heir of House Valemortis plan to do, then?
Elyandra stared at her, smiling, her eyes carrying a rather fearless sparkle. Her lips moved.
— I want everything.
Seraphina widened her eyes, her face showing a certain confusion.
— What do you mean, everything? — she asked.
— It was a bit subjective, wasn't it? — Elyandra said. — Well, to summarize in a few words, I want to be able to have everything my hands can reach. I just don't know how I'm going to do it yet.
Seraphina let out a light laugh that went against the serious atmosphere Elyandra was emanating.
— That's quite an ambition you have.
Elyandra crossed her legs on the bench and raised her hand upward, as if trying to grab something invisible.
— When you think about sailing… what do you feel?
— Calm, perhaps a bit of… happiness — Seraphina replied, in a serene manner.
Elyandra then lowered her hand, pointing at Seraphina, who was surprised by the gesture.
— Exactly! — said Elyandra. — In my case, I lack emotion. I want to be able to feel something overwhelming and exciting, but I don't think I'll be able to feel that if I follow these easy paths, especially because the name Valemortis already carries a great weight. I want my name to be remembered not because I am a Valemortis, but for the things I conquered by myself.
Seraphina listened to those words and felt something change in Elyandra, but she didn't know what it could be.
— You have a… rather grand dream, don't you? — asked Seraphina, a slight tone of surprise in her voice.
Elyandra laughed at the tone Seraphina used.
— It sounds stupid, right? But I think most dreams are stupid depending on the point of view, so I can't judge you. The truth is that there are many things bothering me. I want to have the power to change that, and for that I can't depend on the name Valemortis. When I stop to think about it, maybe this is the best possible scenario.
A challenging, almost imperceptible smile appeared on Elyandra's face — the smile of someone rediscovering her motivation. Seraphina then clasped her hands together to think.
— Power to change things… indeed, there isn't a practical way to make big changes — it was a vague comment, but one that Elyandra understood well.
She then stood up from the bench where the two were sitting.
— Changing the subject, what is the last test about?
Seraphina also stood up.
— From what it seems, an interview with a professor. In your case, Mr. Armand is probably the most likely one.
Elyandra thought: "Considering he was basically the one who conducted all the other tests, then it would indeed be the most likely."
Seraphina continued:
— Interviews with the professors are the easiest part of the entire evaluation to enter the academy. It doesn't mean you will definitely pass, but compared to the tests, it's not something difficult to get through.
— Really? — Elyandra asked. — You seem quite prepared for this. What is your basis for so much certainty?
Seraphina turned her eyes to the side.
— My brother took this exam last year. Since I would also be taking it the following year, he made sure to pass on everything he had seen so I could use it as a study base. I just didn't think it would be practically the same as what he had told me.
Elyandra thought at the same moment: "It was basically a timeless cheat sheet she had…"
— I'd say you had quite an advantage — Elyandra commented, a slight provocative smile.
Seraphina immediately retorted:
— I said it was the same in terms of structure and bases, not that it was exactly the same thing! — said the girl, with a somewhat annoyed face.
Elyandra, noticing that she had bothered the girl, said:
— Sorry, that's not what I meant.
Their conversation was interrupted when one of the servants approached them.
— Lady Vancroft, it is time for your interview — said the servant.
— My turn came earlier than expected — Seraphina commented. The girl then turned to Elyandra. — I wish you luck, Lady Elyandra. I hope to meet you again soon. — Seraphina said while bowing.
Elyandra, observing that, also bowed to Seraphina and replied:
— I wish you good luck as well, Lady Vancroft.
Seraphina then turned to the servant.
— Could you show me the way?
— Certainly, please follow me — replied the servant.
Elyandra simply watched the girl walk away as she followed the servant and wondered if, in this world, there were people as interesting as those she had already met. She then turned and headed toward the academy dormitory. As she walked through the now dark and deserted corridors, Elyandra noticed that the bustling scene from before was gone. The sound of nobles talking had been replaced by the sound of her own footsteps in a silent corridor. "It seems I was left for last…" she thought.
She then opened the door to the room and immediately lay down on her bed, sinking her head into the pillow. She yawned sleepily and thought about what she would do the next day. Her eyes blinked once, twice, three times. Then she passed out.
A few hours passed, and Elyandra woke up. She sat up in bed.
— Did I sleep? No… wait! How many hours have passed? — said the girl, looking frantically around.
In the midst of her agitation, she saw a figure sitting on the bed that originally belonged to Seraphina. Her eyes focused on the figure, who was staring at her with a curious look before letting out a light laugh. She then noticed it was Armand reading a book. He began to laugh in a disordered way and hid his face with the book.
Elyandra, after realizing it was him, said:
— Professor? What are you doing here?
Armand then calmed down and closed his book, sitting properly on the bed.
— The servants couldn't find you anywhere — he said. — They were unsure if you were here, but they didn't want to enter to check. They even tried knocking on the door and calling for you, but received no answer. So I decided to come in to see if you were here and found you sleeping. I thought it would be better to wait for you to wake up.
Elyandra stared at him with a vague look.
— And how long have you been sitting there?
— Well… long enough to read half of this book — Armand replied, with an amused smile.
The information shocked Elyandra. Before she could say anything else, Armand stood up, fixing his hair, and said, looking at her:
— Anyway, I need to finish your interview soon so I can go home, or my wife will get a little angry with me. Shall we begin?
Elyandra looked at him with a disconcerted tone.
— Wait! Here? I'm not properly dressed.
— There's no need to worry about that — Armand reassured her. — Let's take a little walk outside. The night light is magnificent today.
Elyandra agreed with the proposal and both left the dormitory. As they passed through the now dark and deserted corridors, Elyandra noticed that not even the servants were present in the area.
— Surprised? — Armand said. — Classes only start next year. Our previous students have already graduated, so this place will be empty for a while.
— Graduated… — Elyandra murmured. — May I ask something, Professor Armand?
He nodded.
— It might sound like a silly question, but… what do you think of the students who took the exam this year?
Armand thought for a moment.
— We had some good acquisitions this year, some prodigies, yes. But I would say that compared to some years ago, we had far fewer promising young people.
— I see — said Elyandra. — Have you been teaching here for a long time?
Armand stopped and looked at her with an uneasy face.
— Do I look that old to you?
At the same moment, Elyandra said:
— No! No, that's not it. It's just curiosity.
Armand sighed in relief. He raised his face.
— Not very long, about four years. After I graduated, I had some adventures here and there, but in the end I chose to become a professor. Things are calmer here.
Elyandra listened to his words in silence. Armand then continued walking, and Elyandra followed him.
— What did you think of your visit to our academy, Lady Valemortis? — Armand asked.
Elyandra thought for a moment about everything she had seen and gone through, and finally said:
— It was enlightening.
Armand listened and said:
— Really? That's good. I don't always get the chance to hear a sincere report from the students.
Elyandra became somewhat apprehensive.
— Don't the students usually talk to you?
— Well… — Armand said, thoughtful. — When they first meet me, they are usually sociable and even try to interact with me, but after a while it seems they start to fear me. I don't know why that happens.
Elyandra thought: "You are literally scary in your actions…" The memories of Armand with somewhat frightening smiles and his famous pressure-based treatment that she had seen several times during the magic test answered the girl's doubts.
— I wonder why, right? — Elyandra said, letting out a light laugh.
Armand then opened a door, looking at Elyandra.
— I would like to know too… I don't think I'm too harsh with the students.
Elyandra smiled shakily as she passed through the door to the outside.
— Yes. Yes, of course.
However, inside she thought: "For a long time, I learned that there are people who are so egocentric that they don't realize how stupid they are. It seems he is some kind of variation of those people. He probably doesn't realize how weird he can be in certain actions." Elyandra glanced sideways at Armand, who was walking right behind her and admiring the starry sky. She thought again: "If there's one thing I learned in my previous life, it's that to get along well in something you need to be as fake and selfish as possible. So there's no reason for me to point out his mistakes. If I do something like that, it will open room for him to focus even more on something I might have fallen short in."
— I think the night sky on campus is very beautiful — said Armand, his voice soft. — Normally, where I live, I don't have much time to see it, so it's complicated to have peace in these moments.
Elyandra looked at the sky and found herself facing a sea of stars so vivid they seemed to have come from an artificial sky — something beautiful that made her eyes sparkle.
— Really… It's very beautiful — she said.
Armand then took the bag from his back and pulled out a black envelope with the academy's engraving. In a somewhat funny gesture, he spun the envelope and extended it to Elyandra, who, somewhat hesitant, took it in her hands. She observed it for a few minutes.
— What would this be about? — she asked.
Armand replied, stretching:
— To tell the truth, I should ask you a series of things, desires and such, so I could get an idea of your profile and whether you would be a good student. But, to be honest, it's late, I'm tired, and I've been observing you these past few days. I came to the conclusion that you are like a broken cup.
Elyandra, at that moment, had a confused expression.
— What do you mean by that? — she asked.
Armand stared into her eyes.
— You haven't been polished yet. In my perspective, something inside your head is still trying to fix itself. Several times I saw you demonstrate some kind of focus or obsession that surprised me, other times I saw you indecisive or a little strange. Something is pushing you forward instead of you running with your own feet.
Elyandra absorbed Armand's words and then stared at the envelope.
— I can't say you're incorrect — she admitted.
— From my point of view, this smells like potential, Lady Valemortis — Armand said. — And for that, I want you to come to our academy.
Elyandra stared at him with some confusion.
— Well… that is something I do desire, indeed, but… why did you put it that way?
— I like to analyze things — Armand explained. — This year we had very good students. Lady Vancroft, for example, was one of the candidates who scored the highest in all our tests — a prodigy without a doubt who will clearly be at this academy next year. We also had bad candidates who would only pass the tests thanks to others' merits; many of them have already been eliminated. — He made a gesture as if throwing something away. Then he turned to Elyandra with an inspired smile on his face. — And then… we had candidates who exude potential but don't know how to use it. You are exactly that case, Lady Valemortis. — Armand pointed at her and continued: — I see in you a perfect cup, but one that is shattered, trying to build itself in the best possible way. But a cup cannot fix itself, which is why I imagine our academy is the right place for you. After watching you these past few days, I don't need to ask stupid trick questions to know that you have talent — a talent I really want to polish. That's why I don't plan to waste my time or make you waste yours… Elyandra Valemortis, I approve that you have what it takes to be part of our academy.
Elyandra then turned her eyes to the envelope in her hands and opened it, revealing an acceptance letter to the academy. Her eyes sparkled for a moment before she closed the envelope and smiled, hiding her eyes.
— Congratulations, Lady Valemortis. We will be waiting for you next year — Armand concluded.
Elyandra then turned to Armand and bowed.
— I count on your guidance, Professor Armand.
He made a noble bow and then turned in a theatrical manner.
— Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a wife not to irritate. Take care.
In this way, both ended that rather unusual conversation, with Elyandra leaving through the academy gates still intrigued by Armand's actions, but pleased with the results. As she entered the carriage in the middle of the night to return to House Valemortis, she thought: "A broken cup… huh?" A rather strange smile formed on her lips.