CH 10: Scolding & Punishment
A day has passed since Isla and Sylveria's duel...
The soft glow of healing crystals filled the Citadel infirmary. Isla lay sound asleep on one of the beds, her breathing calm and even. Lady Solace sat nearby, visibly relieved.
“Finally… something that works,” she murmured with a gentle smile, glancing at the young healer beside her. The girl’s hands shimmered with a faint blue light as she used water healing magic, something that, unlike divine healing, wasn’t rejected by Isla’s strange white mana. “Good work. Keep it steady,” Solace said kindly.
On the other bed beside Isla, Sylveria sat upright with her arms crossed, a blanket draped elegantly over her legs. Her blue hair glimmered faintly in the morning light as her brows furrowed in thought. ‘How could that nobody matches my swordsmanship? I’ve trained since childhood, and Lady Accla even guided me for 3 months.’ she thought, frustration and confusion mixing in her chest. With an annoyed huff, she turned on her side, pulling the blanket over her head.
At the table nearby, Isao hummed while slicing apples into neat pieces. “La~ la~ la~” she sang softly, then pouted. “Ugh… this is so boring. Sylvie’s ignoring me, and Isla’s asleep. I’m cutting apples alone…” She looked between the two unconscious girls and sighed dramatically. “This is not how I imagined my morning in Aethalgard, I wanna explore...” she sighed again.
.
.
In Cateleya’s office, the atmosphere was anything but calm.
“I can’t believe the three of you!” Cateleya said, exasperated. Her voice echoed across the grand, marble-walled chamber.
Valerica sat slumped in her chair, looking as if her soul had left her body. “My money…” she whispered weakly, staring blankly at the ceiling. “My precious… money… gone…”
Cateleya pinched the bridge of her nose. “Especially the two of you, Accla and Sayuri,” she said, glaring at the two saints standing before her desk. “What in the world were you thinking!? Allowing a spar between the three children we’re supposed to nurture! And not just a spar, a deadly one!”
She paced behind her desk, her composure cracking. “Do you have any idea how fragile this peace is!? Those children represent the future! If even one of them had died in that duel, all our sacrifices would’ve been for nothing!”
Her anger radiated like sunlight made solid. “We are Saints, not… ugh! Reckless battle fanatics!” She turned to the window, breathing deeply, forcing herself to calm down as she is disappointed with the current Saints in front of her. Then she spoke again, “Three years of salary deduction for all of you.”
The room fell silent.
“T-Three years!?” Accla exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief.
“W-what!?” Valerica snapped out of her daze, her expression contorting in horror. “Th-three years!? I-I can’t survive that long without pudding money!”
In an instant, she lunged forward, grabbing Accla by the collar. “Grrrrr! This is all your fault! Why did you let that spar happen, you damn rapier-loving maniac!” she wailed, shaking Accla dramatically. “My pooor walletttttt~!!!”
“W-wait! Don’t blame me!” Accla protested, prying Valerica’s hands off her collar. “You were the one who trained that monster! How was I supposed to know she could blow up a training field!?”
“Because she’s a kid! You should’ve stopped them!” Valerica cried, flailing her arms like a desperate merchant watching her coin purse burn.
Cateleya watched them both with a tired sigh, rubbing her temple. “You two are hopeless…”
Lady Solace, standing by the door, covered her mouth to hide a chuckle. “At least it’s never boring around here…” she murmured.
“In truth,” Cateleya began, her tone calm but sharp, “Valerica hasn’t even started training Isla yet. She only showed the girl one of her signature moves, and Isla managed to replicate it perfectly. Furthermore, Isla has only been here for three days. Today marks her third.”
The room fell silent. Sayuri and Accla froze, their eyes widening in disbelief.
Accla’s brow twitched as she slowly turned her head toward Valerica, who was now dramatically clutching her chest. “C-calm down, Valerica… haha…” Accla said nervously, realizing that Valerica wasn’t the one at fault after all.
“Sigh…” Sayuri exhaled softly, her usual composed tone returning. “I truly apologize, Cateleya. We were careless.” Unlike the other two, she bowed her head sincerely, accepting the punishment without protest, even though she inwardly lamented, 'There goes my new furniture…' Ever since she left the East, her father had cut off her allowance entirely.
Cateleya crossed her arms, her gaze sweeping over them. “If the three of you are truly sorry,” she said, her voice cool yet firm, “then make sure your own students grow stronger, and that they learn the value of camaraderie. Consider it part of your penance.”
The word 'students' hung in the air for a moment before both Sayuri and Accla blinked.
“Students?” they echoed in unison.
“Yes,” Cateleya replied sweetly, but her tone carried a quiet, terrifying authority. “They are now your students.”
Sayuri’s polite smile twitched. “I… see.” and Accla, on the other hand, visibly paled.
‘My fun time… it’s gone…’ Sayuri thought bitterly, her brow twitching as she stared at the floor.
‘N-no more traveling!?’ Accla screamed internally. She loved roaming across the lands, fighting monsters, visiting towns, and basking in her freedom. Being a teacher meant being stuck in one place, and worse, dealing with children.
Cateleya’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked at the two frozen saints. "Do you have any objections?”
Both women immediately shook their heads in perfect sync.
“N-no, Lady Cateleya! None at all!” they said, straightening up and forcing smiles, while inwardly dying a little inside.
“Good,” Cateleya said, her sweet smile returning as she sat down and sipped her tea. “Class starts tomorrow.”
