Chapter 69 - Wesley's... Epilogue (5)

[Three Hours Later]

Wesley and Kellan were walking respectfully behind an azure-robed second elder. The distance between the Manor and the academy would only take an hour of walking, but the second elder insisted on stopping along the way to eat.

At the entrance to the academy, the second elder was currently talking about a spar he had with an old friend of his when he was younger. He was seemingly speaking to Wesley and Kellan, but he didn’t turn his head once, making it unclear who he was talking to.

Soon enough, the trio entered the academy and headed to the sixth floor, where the principal's office was located. Wesley and Kellan simply followed behind the second elder, as they had never been here before.

There was only one office on the sixth floor. Outside the entrance to the office were some sort of drawings. Directly above the door to the office was a crescent moon, and below the moon were six elements.

The second elder simply pushed the door open and walked in as if it were his own office. Wesley and Kellan hesitated a little but followed him in. As soon as they entered, they were met with the sight of nine azure-robed elders sitting around a round table.

At the head of the table sat a white-robed old man with white hair and a similarly white beard. Wesley instantly recognized this old man as the Headmaster he had seen on his first day six years ago.

All the elders in the office looked at the trio, and some even seemed ready to say something. But before they could, the Headmaster spoke:

"Simon. It has been a year since you left. How come you're just returning?"

The second elder simply laughed and spoke as he sat down on one of the empty seats around the table:

"My students just completed their final test. Mind confirming their graduation?"

The Headmaster looked at Wesley and Kellan with an appraising gaze, remaining quiet for a moment before speaking to them:

"Congratulations on passing your final test. However, I won't let you graduate unless you answer a question of mine."

Wesley and Kellan instantly became worried. What kind of question must they answer to be able to graduate? They couldn’t help but frown, but the Headmaster simply smiled and spoke:

"What is... my affinity?"

His affinity?

Neither Wesley nor Kellan expected this question, and neither of them had an answer. A person's affinity was not visible from their appearance. Kellan was the first to speak:

"Fire."

Fire was the most common of the affinities, so Kellan banked on statistics. On the other hand, Wesley remained quiet. The Headmaster looked at Wesley and spoke with a slight frown:

"What about you? What do you think my affinity is?"

"Darkness."

Darkness was the least common of the affinities, so unlike Kellan, who had banked on the most probable answer, Wesley had decided to go with the least likely. He believed the answer to an unlikely question was often just as unlikely.

The headmaster just looked at Wesley with an odd light flickering in his eyes. He was quiet for a moment and then he spoke:

"The two of you can graduate. Your names will be recorded as graduates of the Four Moons Royal Academy. If you ever reach the Elder level, you can come here and serve as instructors. You are also afforded the right to recommend a single student each year."

Wesley and Kellan just looked at each other wondering what just happened. Which one of them was right. Although they felt suspicious, they still weren't keen on arguing so they spoke in unison:

"Thank You Headmaster."

"Thank You Headmaster."

Wesley and Kellan turned to the second elder. The second elder was simply smiling but not looking at them. He then proceeded to wave his hand to tell them to leave. Earlier when the second elder insisted that they stop to eat, he has already said that that was their farewell.

The two of them bowed to the second elder and continued bowing for a few moments and then they turned around and exited the office without looking back. They have finally concluded the first part of their life.

- - - - - -

The headmaster looked at the closed door to the office and then turned to the second elder and spoke with a smile:

"He's a smart one isn't he Simon?"

The second elder also smiled and replied:

"He wouldn't be my and Rale's student if he wasn’t at least this smart."

The headmaster's gaze flickered slightly at the mention of Rale and he seemed to be thinking about something. All the elders in the office seemed to sense the mood of the Headmaster so they all remained quiet.

After a few minutes of silence, one of the elder present seemed to have run out of patience and spoke:

"Headmaster. Why don't you just contact Rale. Am sure he is willing to return now."

The headmaster turned to look at the elder that just spoke with a frown causing the elder to avert his eyes. The headmaster seemed reluctant for some reason and then he spoke:

"That brat remembers that incident from then too vividly. Am afraid he won't return anytime soon, and when he does, you can be certain that a lot of blood will be spilled."

The moment the headmaster spoke those words, the eyes of every elder present turned hostile. None of them will forget that incident twenty five years ago. The second elder was the one who was frowning the most, he turned to the headmaster and spoke in a growl:

"If Rale ever decides to make his move, I will be the first to follow him. I might not be a match for those old monsters, but I am confident I can take at least a dozen of those other bastards."

- - - - - - - - - -

Outside the gate of the Four Moons Royal Academy, two youths wearing black clothes and carrying swords on their backs stood facing each other.

"Wesley. What are you going to do now?"

Kellan's eyes were slightly moist, and he was clenching his jaw, making his words sound slightly forced. Seeing this, Wesley's heart clenched. Kellan had been his only friend for the last six years. Wesley remembered the first time he saw Kellan. At that time, he had approached him because they both had a few classes together. Now, however, Wesley thought of this youth as a close brother.

He looked deeply at Kellan and spoke:

"I will be heading home. I haven't seen my brother or Master for so long. How about you, Kellan? What are you going to do?"

Kellan also looked deeply at Wesley.

"I am also going back home. Although... I'm not as excited."

Kellan's voice contained some hidden meaning, which Wesley instantly noticed. However, he didn’t mention it—if Kellan wasn’t willing to tell him, Wesley wouldn’t press the matter.

Wesley and Kellan continued talking for half an hour, at which point they began saying their farewells. Wesley was the first to act, extending his right hand. Kellan looked at the extended hand, then reluctantly extended his own.

When their hands met, Wesley tugged slightly at Kellan. Although Kellan was much stronger than him, the tug caused him to stumble forward. Wesley also stepped forward, causing their two shoulders to collide.

He then spoke, just loud enough for Kellan to hear:

"My name is Wesley Holt. Good brother, if you ever find yourself in Castle Holt, come find me."

Kellan’s eyes twitched slightly as if he had realized something. Blue hair and green eyes, although not very rare, were most widely associated with the Holt family. He laughed slightly at the coincidence and spoke:

"My name is Kellan Faust. If you ever find yourself in Castle Faust, make sure you seek me out."

This was Wesley's turn to be astonished. The Faust Family were the rulers of the Norn Kingdom, which also incidentally happens to be his Ject Kingdom's greatest antagonist. The Ject and Norn Kingdoms have no direct borders since the Blackreach County separates them, however, that doesn't stop them from constantly fighting.

And, although no open conflict has ever broken out between the two, they have fought often through proxy wars and in the shadows. It is safe to say that no war has ever broken out without involving both of these kingdoms in some way.

Six years ago, Wesley received a warning from the four families that he, as a prince of one of the kingdoms, was not to act too wildly in their territory. At that time he felt that there were other royalty in the city, but the matter soon left his mind.

Who would've thought that his only friend was to be this prince. And who would've expected that he would've come from the arch nemesis of his own kingdom. If this was not a perfect example of poetic irony, the sort to be written about in poems, then Wesley knew of no such thing.

Both of them seemed to have realized the same thing as they started laughing out loudly. Both of them knew that the other will never end up in the other's territory, they also knew that most likely in the near future, they might meet as enemies.

However, even after this realization, none of them felt disheartened. They saw each other as brothers, and regardless of their backgrounds, they will always remain so for the remainder of their lives.

- -- - - -

The next morning, near the southern entrance of Blackreach city, a group of fifty or so dark armored soldiers were standing across from a group of ten green armored guards. The surrounding people instinctively avoided this group.

Between these two groups of soldiers stood four people. On the side of the dark armored soldiers, stood a blue robed man with wide shoulders and a black beard, he seemed to be barely past his forties, but exuded a noble air of an old king.

Across from the blue robed man, stood a group of three youths. One youth in particular seemed slightly older than the other two and carried a long dark sword on his back and a smaller dark sword on his hip.

The blue robed man spoke with some ridicule in his voice:

"Wesley, you are truly astonishing. A prince of the Ject Kingdom, Haha, you truly hid it well."

Wesley also laughed and spoke with a similarly ridiculing tone:

"Lord Black. You flatter me too much. What is a measly me compared to the reputable Lord Black of Blackreach City."

"Haha."

"Haha."

Lane and Stein who were standing besides burst out laughing at Wesley's words causing Neal to glare at them menacingly. He then spoke:

"Take care of yourself and my nephews. And make sure to visit. Little Sala is heartbroken at your departure."

"I know. Take care of the kids. I will visit sometime in the future."

"I hope you're not just saying that."

"Of course not. I am not so naive to think that I can escape your grasp."

Neal laughed. He knew what Wesley meant by not escaping his grasp because Neal has spent the last four years slowly expanding his spy networks. It wouldn’t be long before the entirety of the four kingdoms are under his surveillance.

"Indeed, very few people can escape my grasp. And those who do, I always find."

Wesley also laughed at Neal's cryptic words. Neal was speaking of the remaining family heads who he was unable to track down. However, Neal was confident that he would find them alive, and if they were dead he would find their bones.

The entire reason Neal spent astonishing amounts of gold to establish networks in the four kingdoms was so that he could find those remaining family heads. Neither Wesley nor Neal felt comfortable with their enemies in the shadows somewhere.

Neal then turned to Stein and Lane and looked at them with a hazy gaze. He didn’t speak anything, but his gaze was enough to convey his feelings. He truly doted on these little nephews of his and cared for them deeply.

It took Lane and Stein the entire night to convince Neal to let them go with Wesley. He was adamant on his refusal at first, but Wesley assured him they would be safe, and even told him his identity to put his heart at ease.

It was then that Neal agreed to let the two of them go with Wesley, but not before giving them a list of demands that they needed to adhere to such as writing every month. He really resembled a worried mother whose son was going to move out than a venerable high noble.

After bidding their farewells, Wesley and his group started walking south. Wesley's gaze seemed to pierce the horizon and fall on his brother and Master. He was finally returning, and he was stronger than ever.

[In Year 8150, Wesley Holt Left Blackreach City]