Charmed [✔]

11.1 ▌His Past

Year 3988, 22nd Day of the 8th Moon
Ember Isle, Fliamma Kingdom, Continent of Humana

ELISE HAD not caught a glimpse of Aricson's shadow since their meeting at the library. She had decided to personally apologize but she was occupied dividing her time with Erkhan in the morning and with Orin for the rest of the day.

During sword practice, Erkhan shed off his flippant personality. The smile that was forever pasted on his lips became subdued as his eyes gleamed with alertness while he went all out on her. Orin was also a great mentor. He sternly drilled all knowledge on her with such high expectations.

It was only two days yet the exhaustion was palpable. She could not skip reading and have been sleeping late. She was back in her workaholic mode but the pressure was gradually becoming heavy on her shoulders. It was as if she returned to her college years when she had no choice but to multitask everything.

"It was a good thing the Rei made you stay here. Or else, I would not have such a good apprentice. I cannot even imagine you lost your memories," Orin stated.

She flinched from his words and quickly admonished herself for being an overachiever. Her cover was doomed to be blown if she kept on going like this.

Elise cleared her throat and replied, "Thank you, Master Orin. I'm gr—"

A sudden glare from the window flashed in her eyes. She got up after taking the mortar in her hands and changed locations, walking away from the warm light emitted by the setting sun. They had been grinding the moment she stepped inside and it had been a few hours since then.

Orin was going to create a pill that was only exclusively made by those people with magic and they needed a lot of ingredients. With that said, manual labor was still needed before magic was applied.

"I am truly grateful they let me stay here, Master. I am a stranger yet they welcomed me," she continued right after she sat again.

"Naturally. The siblings may be known as reserved for those who don't know them but they are indeed good people. I have been taking care of them and saw each of them grow. They are kind and generous like their father," Orin gleefully shared, his eyes dancing with doting every time he spoke about the siblings. Which, he had been doing most of the time. 

If he didn't discourse about medicine, he would talk about the siblings. She could not help the pang in her heart as she was reminded of her dad. He always gushed over her and her siblings' achievements. He was their number one supporter together with their mom.

She bit back a sigh and inquired instead. "How are you related to them, Lord Orin?"

They did call him 'uncle' but there was no semblance between any of the siblings and him except for the red hair.

"You could say I'm their great-great-grand uncle if it was based on the blood ties but if we refer to our relationship, alone, I was the younger brother of the previous Rei."

"How old does that make you?" she probed, her hand stilled as her eyes widened.

"I stopped counting but I think I'm nearing the 300s already."

Her eyeballs almost flew from their sockets after hearing the number while Orin just chuckled at her apparent expression.

"No need to be so shocked. I'm just a decade older from Aciel."

"Who?"

"Aciel is the previous Rei and the father of the children."

By 'children', he probably meant the rest of the Flamion Clan. Elise knew that Dryann was in her sixties and she was positive that Aricson was older but she still could not grasp the idea of calling them children when they were far from one based on age alone. Nonetheless, Orin had a right to since he was centuries older.