Chapter 33

A figure entered the room, standing out like a blazing beacon. It was a woman whose appearance evoked the very essence of fire. Her crimson hair fell in undulating cascades, like dancing flames that moved with every gesture she made. In contrast, her skin was as soft and white as alabaster, further intensifying the bright, fiery tone of her mane. But perhaps the most captivating were her eyes: two amber orbs that shone with the intensity and warmth of lit embers, capturing gazes and drawing them into their glow.

She wore a tunic as white as fresh snow, intricately decorated with patterns that seemed to be made of gold and silver, snaking and shimmering around the fabric. These adornments appeared to tell stories of magic and mystery, with runes and symbols exuding a latent power. What made this garment even more special was how it adapted to its wearer. The tunic delicately clung to the woman's body, outlining and enhancing her slender, curvaceous figure, giving her an elegant and sophisticated air to her already beautiful figure.

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Upon seeing the woman enter the room, Erik's expression turned unpleasant, while he turned to look at Seraphina, trying to express his desire to leave there through his teleportation spell, but at that precise moment the beautiful woman spoke gracefully and authoritatively.

"What a surprise to find the great disciple Erik in this humble abode."

"It is an honor for me to meet Master Sunforge," Erik spoke with an ugly expression while bowing respectfully and trying to find an excuse to leave with Seraphina so that she would send him directly to Sigrún's mansion.

Everyone in the room was almost stupefied to see Master Sunforge, the most important and powerful fire mage of the faction, only surpassed in reputation by Master Eldurdóttir, speaking directly with disciple Erik and even calling him by his name. Despite being famous and having two masters, his rank was too low to catch the eye of Master Sunforge, let alone for her to speak to him directly.

"Fufufufu, it doesn't seem like it, as you seemed to run away the moment you knew I wanted to see you."

The attendees felt as if a bolt had struck through their bodies and looked at Erik in unison as if he were some kind of two-headed monster or something similar. Erik, for his part, was having a furious brainstorm in his mind, looking for some excuse that could get him out of that room and avoid the headache that would be dealing with that woman who looked at him with sharp eyes.

"Hahaha, you don't have to make that face, I just want to meet the disciple of my friends."

"Hahaha, of course, that's exactly what I was thinking, Master Sunforge. Right now, I'm about to meet with my masters. How about we meet later for dinner and get to know each other a bit more?" Erik commented with a polite expression while trying to locate the nearest exits, at the same time cursing his damned mouth for putting him in the sights of this crazy woman.

"Fufufufu, no need to bother, after all, crazy women like me are very impatient."

"Hehehe, Master Sunforge has a curious sense of humor, but if it's not for too long, I wouldn't mind accompanying you, since I have to meet with my masters after this."

Erik sighed and resigned himself to his fate with a defeated expression. The reason he didn't want to meet Thalia was that he had a horrible feeling that this woman could only mean trouble for him, besides the issue of him calling her crazy, something that was sure to come back and bite him.

The first time Erik saw Thalia at the boarding station, he honestly didn't care much about the woman, just felt that she was ridiculously powerful and very likely very problematic, so at that moment, it seemed easy to cheer up his masters a bit by calling her crazy, as it was evident to him that they were angry with the woman. Besides, at that moment, she did seem a bit crazy to him.

Thalia approached Erik and Seraphina with a small smile as a beautiful magical circle appeared on the ground beneath them. After a flash, Erik found himself in a beautiful room, very elegant, emitting an atmosphere of great serenity.

The polished marble floor softly reflected the lights of the oil lamps hanging from the ceiling, suspended by chains that seemed to be made of silver and gold, with their flames dancing serenely in the air. The heart of the room was an elevated tatami, framed by cream-colored silk curtains that fluttered with every breeze. In the center, a low table made of noble wood and legs carved with motifs of nature, around which were placed embroidered cushions in pastel tones.

The walls, lined with rice paper, were in themselves works of art, with delicate paintings of mountainous landscapes, cherry blossoms, and meandering rivers, which seemed to come to life with each ray of sunlight that penetrated through the lattice windows. Rosewood shelves housed an impressive collection of ceramic and porcelain teapots and cups, each with its own story and meaning.

The aroma that permeated the room was an intoxicating mix of the finest teas, blended with notes of incense and fresh flowers. In one corner, a small pond with water lilies and koi fish provided a gentle murmur of water, adding a sonic dimension to the oasis of peace.

Erik looked around the room, which had an obvious Asian inspiration, a bit confused. Although he knew that such a culture existed in the galaxy, it was the first time he had seen a place of this style. But then again, he didn't go out of his master's mansion much in the first place.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable."

"Thank you very much, Master Sunforge," Erik commented tiredly and sat on one of the beautiful embroidered cushions, while Seraphina sat behind him in an elegant and feminine manner. Thalia, on her part, sat opposite Erik, while two cups appeared on the table, one in front of her and one in front of Erik, and a beautiful teapot began to gently levitate in the air.

After filling Thalia's cup, the teapot moved towards Erik, but as it was about to reach its destination, a beautiful and delicate hand took it in the air, putting an amused expression on Thalia's face, who cheerfully commented.

"You really haven't changed at all, Seraphina."

"I don't understand what you mean, Master Sunforge, it is my duty to serve my young master," Seraphina commented with an innocent expression, which made Thalia laugh again.

"Hehehe, you really don't change, I still remember when you were always following Sigrún around."

"Of course, at that time I was the personal maid of my young lady, but now I have become the property of the young master."

"Hahaha, I will never really understand that strange fetish of yours."

Seraphina's expression didn't change, but she started to release terrifying amounts of murderous intent while commenting in an emotionless voice, "What do you mean, M.a.s.t.e.r Sunforge?"

Thalia cursed herself for her loose tongue, and while her back was covered in cold sweat, she tried to make her voice not tremble, "Haha, I was just joking, it's just that I really envy how beautiful your dress looks, it's very beautiful."

The murderous intent of Seraphina disappeared as if it had never existed while she commented in a sing-song voice, "I see, it's understandable, after all, this was a dress created by my young master, so of course, it's beautiful."

"I didn't know Erik also had a talent for creating clothes," Thalia observed Erik with interest while the boy made every possible effort to be inconspicuous.

"Hehehe, it's not that much, Master Sunforge."

"Yes, my young master is adept in too many things, designing clothes is just one of his minor skills," Seraphina said, brimming with pride, which earned her an angry look from Erik.