“Marriage… marriage.”
It was a word that felt both close and distant to Merlin.
She had been married once, but she was a failure at it. It had ended miserably, and she still hadn’t completely forgotten it even now.
In the Empire, fifteen was considered adulthood, but Merlin was only just starting school.
Objectively speaking, since she had only recently become a girl, she hadn’t fully adapted to many details of daily life, and living independently was still a bit difficult.
Furthermore, Merlin was currently being supported by Ophelia. Calling herself an adult didn’t feel real at all.
It felt like she had come full circle, returning to a state similar to her previous life. Even though she was technically an adult, she was still in school, still relying on her parents, and the idea of marriage was something she wouldn’t even dare to consider.
*Sigh…* As expected, she really shouldn’t have agreed to Masina’s proposal back then.
It had been nothing more than two children playing house.
If the two of them hadn’t taken their relationship a step further, Merlin probably would have been able to smile as she saw Masina off when she was adopted by the Taran family.
Just like with Li today; even if Li said she was marrying some man she didn’t know, as long as the person was decent, Merlin would smile and give her blessing.
There would be almost no negative emotions involved.
If she hadn’t agreed to Masina back then, could she have handled things with more dignity?
But then again, if she hadn’t, she might not have been adopted by Ophelia.
Whatever. There were no “ifs” in life. Merlin gave up on thinking, succumbing to a sense of self-abandonment.
“What is it? You have a very pensive look on your face.”
“It’s about my friend’s wedding, of course.”
Naturally, Ophelia knew about Merlin’s disgraceful past.
But when Ophelia first heard Merlin’s story, she had only smiled and said, “If that’s how it ended, it would have been the same regardless of age. Stop overthinking it.”
It would be for the best if they could move into a new home before the wedding. It could even serve as a wedding gift.
Considering that the others were also adults now, it might be better to use this opportunity to find a new place with enough rooms for everyone.
*Sigh…* But the sales of the Starry Roses would have to go according to plan for that to happen.
Ophelia took Merlin’s hand.
“Rather than marriage, you should hurry up and think about yourself. Self-improvement is the most important thing right now, especially with the Grand Exam approaching. Don’t forget what Mother told you at the very beginning.”
“Mm, I’ll work hard to improve.”
The Grand Exam…
The Grand Exam at Zelion Academy was divided into two parts: the Academic Exam and the Comprehensive Exam.
The Academic Exam was easy to understand; you were tested on whatever subjects you were taking.
However, the Comprehensive Exam was different. The school would throw students from all disciplines together and evaluate them based on dungeon standards.
*Sigh,* but when it came to the Comprehensive Exam, there was no avoiding Masina. Merlin would definitely run into her.
The Comprehensive Exam was the true focus of the academy.
She heard that the rules for the last one involved throwing first through third-year students together into random three-person groups and grading them based on their performance.
One person was taken from each of the three disciplines to form a three-person squad.
The reasoning was to strengthen the students’ ability to adapt to situations and cooperate.
Fourth and fifth-year students no longer participated in the exams; their grades were based on their external achievements.
This was a disadvantage for students in the Alchemy Department, as their brilliance was easily overshadowed by their teammates.
Unless something unexpected happened, the rules would likely remain the same this time, right?
According to the upperclassmen, the rules had been roughly the same for the past few sessions.
Merlin didn’t know how to use magic either.
Right… magic.
Merlin glanced at Ophelia. They were already walking inside the campus grounds, so it should be fine to ask questions now, right?
“Mother.”
“I’m here.”
“All elves can use magic, right?”
Ophelia looked down at her daughter.
“You’re just a little slow. Maybe you’ll be able to use magic if you wait another two hundred years or so. Just be patient.”
That was way too late.
For Merlin, her two lives combined only added up to about thirty years. Ophelia casually mentioning two hundred years was something Merlin found difficult to adapt to.
“Really?”
“Who knows? Maybe there’s a faster way.”
Ophelia continued to walk, holding Merlin’s hand.
“This isn’t the way to the student dorms, is it?”
Ophelia turned her head. Her long, violet hair shimmered under the light of the setting sun, and a faint, lingering smile played in the depths of her eyes.
“Stay with Mother again tonight. Isn’t tomorrow Sunday?”
Feeling the gentle pressure of Ophelia’s palm and her soft voice, Merlin agreed subconsciously.
“Mm.”
Ophelia’s fingertips curled slightly, tightening her grip on Merlin’s hand.
The setting sun plated their overlapping hands in a layer of warm gold, making even their shadows appear intimately entwined.
“Back when you were still Merlin, you used to keep your distance when we walked. Now, Merlinlia stays quite close.”
Merlin felt her ears turn hot and hurriedly turned her face away.
“Isn’t that because you’re the one actively holding my hand right now? Let go, then.”
Clearly, Merlinlia was the one allowing her to get closer; if she had hissed at her approach, Ophelia wouldn’t have been able to do anything.
However, Ophelia decided not to expose her, lest she get moody again.
“Yes, yes, yes. My mistake.”
Even though it was a holiday, many students were gathered on campus in the evening. This pair of elven mother and daughter still attracted a lot of attention.
Ophelia let out a soft sigh.
“Merlin.”
Ophelia reached out and tucked a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind Merlin’s ear.
“Yes?”
“Do you want to use magic?”
If you asked Merlin if she wanted to, the answer was definitely yes.
She had once even thought that if she had a talent for magic, if she could have been taken away together with Masina…
Would she have been able to stay by her side?
Coming to this school made her realize the true power and importance of magic in this world. If Merlin could use magic, it would obviously be for the best.
“I do.”
Merlin’s answer was carried by a sigh, landing as light as a feather.
“I see.”
Because they were backlit by the dusk, Merlin couldn’t see Ophelia’s face clearly.
“Mother…”
“What is it? Didn’t I say? You’ll be able to use magic sooner or later. It’s only a matter of time, just like how you recovered your original appearance. You are an elf, after all.”
“Do I not have a Mana Core? Don’t they say elves are born knowing how to use magic?”
“It seems you’ve been studying hard. Mother thought you were only busy creating scandals.”
“I haven’t.”
Ophelia took out her key. The lock turned with a crisp click, and Merlin followed her mother into the foyer.
“If you… didn’t have a Mana Core, you would have died long ago. How could you not have one? At most, your soul was damaged like before and needs time to recover. Because your Mana Core is currently fractured, your soul is also recovering very slowly.”
Ophelia closed the door and turned the deadbolt twice.
“Mother doesn’t know what happened during your childhood. I didn’t look at your memories during our last contact.”
“Wait, you can look at them?”
“Theoretically, once you enter that state, you can do anything. However, the more complex the operation, the higher the requirements. Trust, blood ties, and the things lovers do can all increase the margin for error…”
“I see…”
“Since you’ve already learned about Mana Cores, think carefully about what happened in your childhood. It would be best if you could remember why you were living in the slums. Ideally, I hope you can remember before the Day of Radiance. We need to make a trip back to the Forest of Elves.”