C13 distractions

"You mean Alvana's joining you? Are you taking the rest of your students or is it just you two?" I hadn't thought about that, but why do I feel that Ataraxes is asking for another reason? "I can, I was going to take Ciora anyway, more experience will never hurt, so it wouldn't be hard to alert the rest of the team. we decided over lunch that after she gets her equipment refitted we'll go together to collect my sword and from there we'll go straight to the ruins, I'll find my students tomorrow and tell them to go to the mountain." I go back to my book and after a few seconds look up at him, "did you need something else? I don't have much time, and there aren't many books on foreign languages in your library, I've gotta read these while I can." He shakes his head and contemplates something.

"is it about Celeste? Alvana said she came to her so I wouldn't be surprised if she came to you. Let's see, she offered you something you've been wanting for a while? I'd say her cultivation technique, sadly you can't use it since you've gotten too far in your own. What did she ask for?" I set the book down, and he laughs suddenly. "alright detective, do you intend to guess what color underwear she was wearing at the time?" I feel the sun get warmer, maybe he does too because he stops laughing "black, but that's beside the point, if you want me to tell you what they looked like start paying, but remember that my life is on-" fire roils up around the window and she appears from the flames, that's a pretty amazing way to move "we were just talking about you, would you like to join me in delving some ruins?"

She opens her mouth but I cut her off, and by the end she's distracted "of course, if you don't that's fine, I'll just mope on somewhere else." I put on a sad face and she laughs before calming down and coming over to us, Ataraxes steps back a bit and she takes a seat beside me, looking over my shoulder to read the book "why are you so interested in magic kid? Besides, I'm trying to stay out of your way so that you can train and experience things properly, I don't want to smother you, nor will I accept you turning into someone who expects his teacher to save him." I don't need that much experience though. I turn to look at her and set the book Assiss when I close it this time, since it doesn't seem like I'll be reading anytime soon. "Miss, I don't know if you know this, but My name is Nicta Vallen. That last part is the only thing that really matters here, and it's enough. We were a family that bathed in blood and war. I don't need experience in fighting, amid anything it's my social skills that I could use help with. In case you didn't hear from our earlier conversation, I don't exactly know when to stop with my jokes." She lays her head on her arms and looks at Ataraxes for a minute. Finally he gets the message and leaves but not before putting one of my reference books back "that bastard, I needed that one. I was serious though, do you want to join us? You don't have to fight or anything, my students treat me like a teacher, Ciora treats me like her savior, and alvana treats me like a mystery, it'll be good for my mental health if someone who doesn't care joins us, it might help my ego stay small." She starts laughing softly and turns her face to her arms "you really are beautiful, I didn't notice that the first time we met, and the second time I wasn't paying much attention." She glares slightly at me and I shrug, most women do t exactly like being ignored, and this woman in particular shouldn't be. "I'll go, I would've gone even if you hadn't said I was beautiful, if only just to annoy you every day. I don't govern a city so I do t need to stay in one like Ren, I'm not a guild master, though Alvana seems mighty underworked. Did she really tell you that I went to meet her? And why did you think I had black underwear on?" It seems I got the color wrong, she would be angrier about it if I was right "so, we're they blue or white?" She shrugs and refuses to answer so I move on "I said black because it was a safe bet, and i was going to go for lacy because... let's be honest, you represent the sun. The sun has yang energy, what does that type of energy do to women?" I wait until it dawns on her, and she rushes to deny it "the sun doesn't make me... it doesn't! I am a normal woman that has a fiery attitude, and for your information I haven't ever been with a man, so kiss it mister." I expected the first part but with how beautiful she is I never thought she was a virgin "Alvana doesn't need to worry about leaving for a period of time because her son is second in command, and yes, she told me that you came to her and made a deal, more students for my class and some other things though I don't remember them. She also told me that someone doesn't want me getting stronger and commanded her to stop my rise in the guild. That wasn't you, I highly doubt she made it up, and Ataraxes is on my side. That leaves the city lord or one of two other people. If it's the city lord I won't be staying here, if it's one of the other two I'll deal with them personally." She nods and lays her head back in her arms, she seems content watching g me so I go back to reading. I struggled with this language at first but it seems that I have a talent for at least this one, I'm able to decipher most letters in just one and a half days.