Chapter 7: Mentorship

Elisa managed her first week well. She was handling her classes, as well as the dual Ego course, pretty well. In her free time, she was either sleeping or sparring with Sylia. Soon enough, midterms were already here. During the Dual Ego class, Prof Cal had Elisa spar against Lucas using wooden weapons. She put up a good fight but ultimately lost.

" Are you in the medium?" Lucas asked suddenly. He stood over her as she lay on the ground, her puzzled expression only served to annoy him.

" Your grades need to be at a certain threshold after mid-term exams, else you get kicked."

"HUH?" Elisa shot upright, shouting, startling Slyia, who had been falling asleep, "You didn't know? Well, good luck then." he said in laughing, Elisa felt dread build within her, its not like she was falling behind in her class works or anything, its just she hasn't really been putting much effort into her non-combat related courses... Eh, she'll figure something out. From then on, she started putting in more effort for her other classes, studying for midterm exams. If she does well on those, then she'll be able to be well within the medium. Two days before the exams, she had been called to an instructor's office, though she didn't know why. The instructor who called her was Ferno, the guy from the entrance exam. His office was relatively clean and arranged in a very normal way. His desk was straight with the door, two cabinets on either side of the door, two chairs sat on the other side of his desk, and papers were scattered on top. When she entered, it looked like he was sleeping. "Good, you're here. Close the door behind you and take a seat; this won't take long." Elisa did as told, taking the chair on the left, which was pretty comfortable. "Just to clear things up right away, you're not in trouble...at least not with me. I did hear you beat up some noble's son, now that could be trouble. Anyway, I called you down today to give you an offer," He opens a drawer and pulls out a piece of paper,

"Mentorship?"

"That's right, I'm offering you a mentorship program, I believe you'll benefit greatly from-"

"What is it?" He stared at her mouth agape. She had a hunch about what a "mentorship" was, but it was one of the many things she had never learned about. They sat in silence for a bit. He was probably hoping she'd tell him it was just a joke, but once he realized, he let out a sigh and explained. "Did the Grandmaster tell you to do this?" Based on what she knew, the Grandmaster definitely knew what her second Ego was, why else had Ferno suddenly approached her with this when he could've gone to Sylia or Lucas... Did he know the true nature of her Lightning Ego?

" At first, yes, he did approach me asking to mentor you, but I said no." Harsh, "I spoke with Professor Caland, I watched one of your matches against the plant girl, from that I had changed my mind," He spoke while spinning a pencil, "You changed your mind after watching me get whopped once?" Her comment earned her a chuckle, the spinning pencil stopped as he tapped the butt against the dark wood desk, "I changed my mind cause for once, something appeared before me that would prove to be fun." His answer was odd; he gave her some time to think about it and let her get back to studying. This began to eat away at her; she didn't understand why, either, like the choice was obvious. Taking the mentorship would put her ahead in her goals, plus she'd be stronger. Elisa has never stressed this much in her life before; it was awful. She nearly failed one of her exams after having zoned out thinking about the mentorship, but she managed to finish on time.

Thank god it was over now. After midterms, they would be given the next few weeks off before the second term began. Elisa used this time to sleep in whenever she could, because a week off classes doesn't mean a week off her dual Ego class. Today was Thursday, no dual Ego course, but she still went to the grounds anyway; she was looking for someone. Professor Caland was at the grounds, seated on the bench, enjoying a cup of tea, where he'd usually be. "Good evening, Ms. Elisa." The sky was covered in grey clouds today, and a slow breeze swept through the empty grounds.

" Spar with me, first to land one hit wins." She held out a wooden blade to him, her eyes locked with his. Unlike the Grandmasters, Professor Calands were warm, orange. A gentle smile envelopes his face as he sets his cup aside, taking the blade's handle. Elisa lets go and steps back into the ring, drawing her own wooden sword. She braced herself and then lunged forward. Professor Caland was evading all her attacks perfectly; despite his old age, he was light on his feet. Elisa feinted an attack, allowing her to land an attack, or at least it should've. The space around her swing distorted, as something forced it away from Professor Caland, which allowed him to tap her shoulder with his blade, his win. "My Ego allows me to freely mess with any space designated as mine, though there are conditions to activate this, but you haven't reached the level necessary to know that one," He said, chuckling. After that one match, she kept going.

5 matches in, he was pretty hard to hit. "From this point forth, I permit you the use of your Ego, only to aid you in movement, nothing more." Professor Caland announced, Very well then. Electricity crackled around her body; she had gotten better at keeping it only around her, plus wood wasn't conductive. She dashed around, hoping to catch him off guard, when something grabbed her mid-sprint, forcing her to a halt mid-air, allowing Professor Caland to strike her. Elisa persisted, upping her speed in hopes it would be too much for his spatial setting. Boy, was she wrong.

20th match, not a single win yet. Her attacks became more desperate, her speed sloppy. "Something's weighing your mind, the way you fight is wavering compared to when you fight with Lucas or Sylia, you've gone 10+ matches against Sylia alone, and you've never wavered this much. Tell me." Professor Caland had put distance between them; she knew he would continue to keep his distance until she told him. "The mentorship, Professor Ferno told me about it. I'm just...I don't know if I want to take it," Her confession surprised Professor Caland. "An offer to learn and become stronger doesn't come often, especially when it's from a man like Ferno. What makes you hesitate?" They continued to exchange blows as he spoke; he stopped using his Ego. She lost her footing backing away from his attacks. Elisa sat cross-legged. "...I need you to answer my one question before I answer yours,"

"Very well,"

" Do you know who I am- who I truly am?"

"...I have my suspicions, but who you are matters not to me," when the question left her lips, Professor Caland visibly flinched, which backed what he said about having suspicions... "I'm afraid to accept help from someone affiliated with an Empire...what if they find out? Everything I've done to get here will be undone, I'll most likely be sent to him, and my goal will remain lost forever. I'll never be able to face my parents if I can't get back at him!" Professor Caland lowered his sword, his brows knitted, and then he smiled. " Well, I believe what you need is to have faith in us. You don't have to believe me, but Ferno is not the type of Hunter to turn his back on people like you. But I understand, trust is a very delicate and fickle thing, but it's important. If you don't have anyone whom you can call an ally, allow me to be the first." Professor Caland extended his hand to her, but she hesitated. Instead of a hand, Professor Caland found a sword. "I win," Elisa was grinning as he processed what had happened before chuckling. He bonked her on the head before pulling her up. She embraced him in a hug, startling him for the second time today. "Thank you," He smiled. This girl had been through a lot, though she may not speak of it; she was allowed a moment to be in the comfort of someone she trusted.

" Remember, the path you walk isn't built on hesitation, but action." Professor Caland says, patting her shoulder. " Can I call you Gramps?"

"No."

"What about Prof Cal?"

"...I'd prefer if you stuck with Professor Caland."

"Yeah, I get it, we aren't there yet, ooh! What about old man?"

"You're dismissed now, please leave."

Later that same day, Elisa returned to Fernos' office, where he had been grading some work from one of his classes. "Have you made a decision?" He asks, setting his pen down. "The path I walk isn't built on hesitation, but action." Or, so I've been told. Anyway, I'd like to accept your offer, Professor Ferno." He seemed pleased when she told him, and with that, he let her leave. She made a quick stop by the cafeteria and grabbed something quick to eat before heading to bed. She felt more relaxed than before; perhaps things would get better from now on.

A nice warm cup of Vei tea, a sweet tea made by the people of the N'rell Empire years ago using the Vei fruit. The fruits are harvested once fully ripe, and some of them are sent to a factory. There, they are peeled and dried before being diced into small pieces. The skin of the fruit is used to form the bag, making it edible. The whole process is very meticulous and time-consuming, but it's a tradition at this point, and the final product is rather delightful. Caland's arms ached from the few times he swung his blade; he was too old for this. And yet he had to continue; surely his body could hold for a few more years. He was enjoying the quiet night alone in the Dual grounds, where he held his class. The sound of footsteps echoes through the hall; he half expected it to be Elisa, but it was Ferno. The younger man sat next to the old man, offering him a sip from his metal flask, filled with what smelled like alcohol. Caland gave him a very disdainful look, to which he accepted with a chuckle.

" How are you feeling? I know using your Ego takes a toll on you now, didn't seem like you used it heavily but those small uses can add up," Ferno was right to be concerned, "Ah Im fine, if its to help the new generation I will glady use all of my Ego to do so, speaking of the new generation, has she spoken to you about the mentorship?" Ferno lightened up upon mention of this, "I came down here to thank you. She seemed different from when I offered the mentorship to her a few days ago. I'm glad she accepted it. Guiding someone who's piqued the interest of the strongest Hunter should be fun," Ferno reached into his coat and pulled out a leatherbound flask. He handed it to Caland. "It's brand new, I just thought that you'd need something easier to carry around, you can put your tea in it," Caland accepted the gift. The two spoke for a while before Ferno got up to return to his office. "Do you know who she is?" Caland asked out of nowhere, stopping Ferno from leaving. He turned to face his old friend in confusion, worried that his old age might have finally caught him. "Aside from her name being Elisa, and that shes a student here?" His response was good enough for him. Ferno wishes him a good night and walks away, leaving Caland to himself. The night sky was empty, not a single cloud in sight. Under the light of the fire-lit lamps, the stars were visible. He couldn't help but think back to his conversation with Elisa; she reminded him very much of his granddaughter, and they were a lot alike. In fact, they are the same age. They would've been good friends if she were still here. Caland sipped his tea, reminiscing times no more.