The Old Coot

"You mentioned that there would be drama?" Malleus raised a brow curiously.

"It's a party, but it's unfortunate that the person behind it is suspicious." Lotus explained with an irritated sigh, "Just what in the world is that old geezer doing?"

"Was there anything that raises your suspicions?" Malleus frowned hesitantly.

"I'm afraid so." Lotus nodded, "I don't think I've told you about this before, but, while Sebek's grandfather was my god father and martial mentor, the fairies in the court had difficulties in either tutoring me or thinking of tutoring a human and not blood related to the royal family. So, my parents had to seek the human lawyer granny introduced to help find a proper tutor for me. Someone knowledgeable in literature and philosophy. To their surprise, he brought in an old human man whose body shape was misshapen when he was a fetus in the mother's womb. His form was horrifying and painful for fairies of the court who were in his presence, but my father and mother were convinced that he was the best choice to tutor me. So, they took this chance and asked a few questions to test his knowledge. To their surprise, he displayed more than just vast knowledge, my mentor was a very religious and righteous man. He put his entire life onto the pursuit of knowledge and justice, even going as far as to have written a famous book used by law students to this day. The history of the laws. You could say he was also extremely religious and would not sit by when injustice is occurs on the side. Some say he is shameless and others say he is a just person, but, really, he is just an overly religious old coot who will always have the word god on his lips ever five minutes."

She groaned a heavy sigh with great hesitation, "However, one day, he received a message and told us that he had to return to Flower City immediately. That was the last I ever saw him and heard from him."

"It seems he is someone important to you if you were able to talk so much and fondly of him." Malleus frowned.

"Fondly... Who knows. He was a peculiar old geezer, that's for certain." Lotus huffed bitterly, "Whenever I got into trouble, no fairies were willing to scold me aside from my parents at first. Naturally, my parents were always busy as rulers leaving my care to my caretaker. Idiots in the courts saw this as a chance to use me to cause trouble that they could take advantage from. I hated those types of people the most, so I kicked up a fuss like they wanted, so much so that they no longer could find me again. My parents knew this, but they were always at a loss on what to do. The reason being that those idiots would only come find me whenever they were not around. At the end, I got sick of it all. I would often sneak out of the castle after that. At first, everyone searched high and low for me while those idiots used my absence to however they saw fit. I'd normally just go back by the end of the day and kick them out of my wing after that. However, once he arrived, he would always go out and always managed to drag me back by the collar. Those annoying fairy nobles, that I did not even understood how they got their position with an empty skull, also stayed clear from me more and more after that. He'd stick a scripture in my face and force me to copy it over and over again even when it felt like my hand would fall off from all that writing. When I thought that was over, he would then start the lesson as though that was more important then the lessons he had planned. I got so annoyed that I always tried to sneak out during my lessons. However, he was quite attentive for a human. I never left his sight and, when I did, I would be dragged back for more preaching and royal etiquette. One day, I finally thought enough was enough that I sat down and listened through his entire lecture instead."

"He sounds to be a rather capable human with a lot of patience. There are not many who are like him." Malleus noted curiously, "However, I'm more confused why you would change your attitude so suddenly?"

There was a pause before Lotus slowly opened her mouth, "One day, I had snuck out like I had planned. My goal was to check on the border and make sure that the more ignorant humans don't try to bypass the gates and do something as stupid as those fairy hunts. However, my martial mentor was there working with our commander and I didn't want to get caught, so I returned empty handed thinking I would focus on my alchemy instead. However, when I returned, I heard a loud angry voice echoing in the halls. Following that was a loud shattering noise. When I peeked over to see what was going on, I saw that my mentor was swinging his cane angrily over at those idiots. He scolded them harshly for treating me and my position so lightly saying that not even god would overlook their actions this time or something. I was confused what had happened, but then I noticed that the place where a jug had shattered on the carpet was melting away."

"They tried to poison you?" Malleus frowned.

"It would seem so. In the past, they had often tried to entice me with sweets and drinks, but, as I noticed their behaviour was suspicious, I ignored them and burnt those food to discourage them. Hence, I was not surprised. It would seem that my mentor took notice of this that day and yelled at them. The leader of that small group was a racial supremacist and not a very humble one at that. When he heard my mentor scolding them, they tried to attack him. My mentor's magic was not highly regarded back then, but the reason was simply because he was a peaceful man who did not like violence. So, he resorted to strong defensive spells throughout that fight. Just as he was such a person, he was also one who never raised his voice or a hand at me. Hence, him yelling had surprised me greatly. After that, my caretaker arrived with the guards and arrested them easily. To begin with they had been caught by him previously when they went through my room during my absence. So, they were not allowed entry into my wing. When they were caught with poison this time, they were certainly suspected and apprehended on the spot. My parents wanted to execute them immediately, but he insisted on a fair trial regardless of what we felt right then and there. they were thrown in prison and investigated. There many things were uncovered. While the others got it light with prison for life and their title stripped away, the one in charge was exiled to work with a human magic school of the lowest rankings. My mentor said he wanted to use this chance to make him understand the hardships that people had to go through to gain the current peace we have and my parents agreed with his decision."

"So, those times those nobles did not approach you was because your mentor was shielding you from them during your absence." Malleus nodded, "This is a very generous trait coming from a human of great merit. You were lucky he was your mentor."

Lotus nodded back, "After that, the court had experienced a great change in political powers and influence with my father at the front of it. It brought a lot of chaos into the court, but my parents were determined to see it through to the end. After that, my father wanted to grant a title onto my mentor, but, as expected, he was not interested in it. Instead, he pulled out all the stops and poured more and more knowledge on literature, law and philosophy onto me. How a member of royalty in our society should act and hold themselves. How history shaped the world's laws and morals. When he was done with that, he made me sit through hours and hours of his lecture on the scriptures. Then, he always made sure that I would carry the scriptures with me telling me that it would protect me... Seriously, I don't even remember if it was a good or bad memory after he started teaching me that. After that, he left."

"Did he say it was an important errand?" Malleus questioned in confusion.

Lotus shook her head, "He didn't say, but he was so rushed that day that he had forgotten his scriptures which was too unusual for him. He then promised he would return in time for my thirteenth birthday, but he never appeared. My mentor was never someone who would break his promises on purpose. If he ever did, he always made sure to apologize immediately then return to apologize in person if the apology was over the phone. He always tried to make up for his mistakes no matter the situation. Then he contacted my parents the other day. He didn't say much. Just that he was sorry he couldn't make it to my birthday and he wanted me to come over to the city of flowers when they hold their ball once more. This year, the ball was postponed due to a strange imbalance of magic in their city. To protect the school, they decided to withhold ringing the bell and postponed the celebration all together. After that, this message came telling me that I have been invited to take part in the celebrations by the headmaster of noble bell college."

"Is something not to your expectations?"

"The letter was very formal and welcoming. However, that's not how my mentor is. My mentor is very formal and welcoming for sure however he is also to the point. There was no point for a flowery introduction to the school either. More importantly, the name of the headmaster is incorrect." Lotus frowned.

"What makes you say that?" Malleus looked to her in confusion.

"My mentor IS the headmaster of Noble bell College."