33 | Lu, Alpha of Craftsmanship

The Capital City of the 1st District is huge. There are people riding carriages and some flying with their gadgets or broom like the witches I saw earlier. Some even use teleportation scrolls and magic spells. Capital City has everything every person needed. It has malls, small and huge shops, an amusement park and a people's park, a public and private market, and last but not least — a place where lower-ranked people live.

Both me and Arbor went into the place and to my surprise, it felt warm and beautiful to see people smiling and laughing. From what I can remember, the Slums were originally where the people who were abandoned by their Gods lived here. They hated the Gods because of it but Tina, as the Lady of Prophecy managed to give them a hand — helping them overcome their poverty and it became a place where normal people can live.

I froze, wait. This is another world. Why did I have another memory of another world? I am getting confused. Which world is it? Olympia?

"Elyse, are you okay?" Arbor stopped his tracks and glanced at me. I nodded my head and just smiled.

"I'm fine." Right, I forgot to mention Tina was also known to be a dimension traveler. But I have a feeling that the memory I just saw right now came from the old ancient world — Olympia.

And from what I know, Tina didn't really manage to help the poor because of the interference from Aniya.

I am getting confused. For a moment I feel like I am not Elyse but someone else. For a second, I have Lucia or Tina's memories and for another second, I have another person's memory that I couldn't get a clue of whose memory it is.

Am I really just Lucia's Descendant? Or there's more to it? I badly want to know. But my first priority is my Family. I'll find answers about myself after I finish my mission. Right. I came here to personally investigate Arbor.

I took a glance at Arbor and he was walking beside me with his straight face. I really couldn't read him, unlike Arrow. She's a bright and friendly one while Arbor seems to be distant and uninterested.

"You've been staring too much." He spoke and I flinched. I quickly look away and blushed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention." I replied.

"Is there something in my face?" I felt him leaning towards me and I turn to look at him and to my surprise, I was indeed right. He was leaning closer to me and I couldn't help but blush at the sight of his handsome face.

Wait, he just asked me a question. I couldn't just answer him that he is handsome that's why I've been staring at him! Or maybe, I can say to him that he's unreadable or something along the lines?

"Hey, Arbor." He arched his eyebrow and I gulped.

"Please don't get offended but... why do you seem so distant?" I noticed him freeze and he smirked later on. He stood straight and sigh, "It felt like ages since I've heard that comment." He speaks.

"Oh! I don't mean to get you offended! I just want to know. Why do you seem so distant?" Right. He seems so distant. Even the first time I saw him he looked so mysterious and uninterested but after I spent some time in the Club trying to master the bow for the contest, it felt like I knew another part of him.

It was also the first time I saw his genuine smile under that tree in the Academy's Garden. But I didn't see that smile after that.

And then I came to a conclusion, why does it look like he's avoiding people?

Whenever I am beside Arrow, Eli, Chad, and the others. Arbor is not there. He would sometimes appear but he doesn't stay that long. I would find myself curious about his behavior. Is he avoiding someone? Or is he simply scared of conversing to people?

"Well, that's a difficult question, Elyse." He replied and I was taken aback.

"Why?"

"Actually, this isn't my first time to get compliments like that. Everyone said that to me." Compliment? What compliment? That wasn't a compliment. I was simply just curious.

He patted my head and just smiled. Ah, his genuine smile. I witnessed that again.

"Don't worry about it too much, Elyse." He said with his gentle voice as if it were whispering into me.

"You two done?" A voice came from behind us and I screamed in shock.

"Oh Lu, you're here." The woman with short black hair and dark skin scoffed at us while she glares at Arbor with her golden-brown eyes.

"Yeah. I was here like minutes ago. Now shoo from the way, I want to enter my house." She said and I noticed that we were already in front of her home. I didn't know after all those talking, we already arrived at her home.

But wait, Lu? Lu as in that genius craftsman?!

I turn to look at her once more and my eyes glisten in excitement.

"You're Lu! The infamous Lu! I finally meet you! I am Elyse." I said while shaking her hands.

I froze and takes my hand away from him, feeling embarrassed. "O-oh sorry. I just touched you—" I heard Lu laugh and I tried to stop myself from being too excited.

Lu just laughed at me!

"No worries. Anyway, you're so cute Elyse! I heard a lot about you." She said and glanced at her.

"Who? Me?" I pointed myself and she nodded.

"Yes. We should talk more inside. I'll make us some tea and snacks." She said as we entered her home.

Her house was small and it was enough for a person to live. When you enter the room, you're already welcomed by the living room and walls filled with family pictures and awards from the family members. A fireplace right in front of a couch and beside her small dining place.

On the left, there's a staircase for the second floor. I assume the second floor is for their rooms.

I glance at the wall where I can see their family picture. I suddenly felt aching in my heart, feeling homesick. Like this in the picture, their smiles are genuine and beautiful. Like a real happy family.

"Your family is lovely," I commented and she chuckled.

"You think so? Well, that's our family. Everyone is happy. Even if you don't want to be a craftsman heir, you're still happy since the family has always been like that since ancient times." She said and offered us some herbal tea and biscuits as she sat down with us drinking a cup of tea while leaning onto the couch and crossing her legs.

Arbor poured me tea and he did the same for himself and I took a sip. The tea tastes bitter and it was the first time for me to try this kind of tea.

"Not your taste? Sorry, I didn't prepare much. I wasn't expecting visitors." She stated with a sigh.

"Oh, no! It's fine! My apologies if we visit you at such a late announcement." She scoffs.

"Nah! Please don't do that. Just a letter will do fine not that grande ones." She replied and I looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Ah never mind that. So, Arbor, how's the Council doing?" Lu asked with such a dignified posture in her sitting. She looked silly and friendly earlier but now, I can see her superiority just like Raymond.

"All is well. But what's with you hearing lots about Elyse?" Her eyebrows arched and she nodded.

"Ah yes. I was the one who made Elyse's communication device. It's my first and genius invention since magic communication is sometimes prohibited or easily tracked down. Chad has been bugging me for days to make something for him." She sighs.

Huh? Chad?

Don't tell me he tried to convince Lu to make a communication device for me.

I tighten the grip on my teacup. Chad did that for me so I can communicate with my family although he didn't know they were dead. Just that simple thoughtfulness of him, made my heart skip a beat.

"Chad?" I noticed Arbor's face turned sour when he called his name.

The two of them talked furthermore and I sat there listening to them. It seems like Arbor's facial expression turned sour for a moment then it came back to normal. I also noticed that Lu didn't see his expression changing. Am I imagining things? Of course, Arbor looks emotionless no matter what you do.

But why did his face turn sour?

"Elyse?" I saw Lu walking toward me and I gaze up to look at her.

"Yes?"

"Can we talk?" I nodded my head and I followed her to her secret underground basement. The basement was full of materials for her craftsmanship and other materials for the weapons she was making.

"So, how's your life in the Council?" She starts the conversation and I stood there beside her while glancing at the surroundings.

"It's fine. I am slowly getting used to my new daily routine." I answered. Yes. My daily routine of getting tortured by the many papers that I need to do every single day early in the morning.

"I see. I also heard... that you're searching for the old Master?" She said and stares at me intently.

"Did Mr. President tell you?" Lu nodded her head.

"Yes, I'm indeed looking for her so I have a few questions."

"Go ahead."

"Your family looks so lovely... What happened to them?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"What do you mean happened? Hah, you mean tragedy or something?" I nodded my head.

"Well unfortunately for you, Miss Elyse. Nothing happened in my family." My eyes widen in shock after hearing her answer.

"What?"

"But I thought Lucia cursed everyone?" She smirked.

She picked up tobacco from her left side and fire appeared on her finger slowly put it into her tobacco and she blows a smoke. I cough, trying to get rid of the bad smell from the tobacco.

"That's just a wild imagination of ignorant peasants. We were never cursed in the first place and we are not even considered as part of the Alphas too." She replied.

"What do you mean? Then if you're not an Alpha, how did you get the title of Alpha?" I asked.

"Interesting question. I just told you we are not considered as one of the Alphas but I would never deny our Family came from the bloodline of God of Fire and Craftsmanship." She spoke.

"God? What's going on with a god here?"

"Do you know the ancient History of Olympia World?" I shook my head.

"Well, you still have a lot of time to know about it." She avoided my eyes while still smoking her tobacco.

"You can tell me now; we still have a lot of time —"

"Not yet." She cuts me off and I froze.

She sighs and puts the tobacco away by burning it completely using the fire from her hand.

"Well anyway. We weren't considered because of Aniya's mother." I froze. Aniya's mother?

"Her name is Vierra. She's a fvcking psycho and greedy at that. She's hungry for more power. Even she abandoned her own daughter." She continues and I flinched.

I finally remembered. That day when my professor told me I was a disappointment. I heard a woman telling me that I was a disappointment too, so my body and mind moved on their own and answered all of the professor's questions. I even answered him using a top secret.

"You are a disappointment." Her words lingered in my mind once again and I flinched.

"Vierra... who is she?" I asked.

"Vierra is a daughter from Ishtar Empire now known as Iona Empire. Born as a commoner she was married to a Duke. Hah, I don't know the details very much but I heard she had an illegitimate daughter from Rahania Empire, and that is Aniya your Ancestor." She spoke.

"What's worst? She had an illegitimate daughter after her husband from Olympia Empire died from an illness. Hah, really a bitch she is." She continues.

Hearing her explanation made me feel frozen. Something feels doesn't right as if there's a hidden connection in the identity of "Vierra". What is this? I was looking for the old Master and Lucia's information so what is this? What's with the connection with Aniya's mother? And why is my heart feeling strange as if something stabbed in my heart hearing Aniya's mother's name?

Lu looked at me with a pitiful gaze then she looks away.

"It must've been hard for Aniya." She commented.

"What do you mean?" I whispered.

"She was treated like an illegitimate child and her mother was very strict with her. She was raised like a puppet — a strong doll for everything. Aniya became a robot like she just exists to obey her master's words."

"In the eyes of aristocracy, Aniya was treated precious by her mother while Aniya kept on covering the bruises her mother put in her body."

"In the eyes of others, Aniya is a villainess who betrayed Lucia. But in our eyes as the Alphas, Aniya was the one who suffered too much just like how Lucia suffered too. Both want the love of their parent but they only received abandonment." Lu continues.

I don't know what happened after that but I know I fell into silence. Lu's words keep repeating in my head like a broken soundtrack while I walked beside Arbor now going back to The Academy.

****

"Are you okay?" Arbor asked when we arrived at the Academy. I nodded my head.

"Yes," I answered. I feel so strange. What's gotten into me? After what happened in Lu's home, something got into me that made me feel strange. Right here in my heart.

"If you ever need me, I will be there." Arbor suddenly kissed a tip of my hair and I turned to look at him. As he kissed my hair, our eyes met. Ah, his eyes looked so beautiful. Like the deep ocean trying to swallow me.

"Thank you." I smiled and turn my back away from him using different directions to enter the Academy while using my magic to avoid detection on the Academy grounds.

When I finally entered the Academy, I quickly went into my room and change into my original appearance. I quickly open my drawer and to my surprise, my necklace wasn't there.

A shiver ran down my spine as I found my necklace missing. I quickly use detection magic but before I could even use it, a shadow appeared from the darkness.

"Well, that took you so long Elyse." Louisette's voice echoed in the darkness and her flame eyes stared at me with her mischievous smile.

"Are you looking for this?"