Chapter 19 - A Student and A Teacher

It was since that separation that their previous close relationship became so distant and cold, like that of strangers.

Joan looked at the woman who had once been a mother figure for her, a true example, someone one should strive to be. The Sage herself, just being her student, made kings and powerful families bow down to her. At the start of her solo journey after being separated from her master, her goal had been to become just as famous as her teacher. She made studies that delve deep into the essence of magic and made experiments that created several advances in magecraft.

However, that goal changed. She did not know what her master had been doing all those years, with a single visit, the one from twenty years ago, their only interaction. She did not know what she sought, or what could motivate the cold and stoic Astra to abandon her to travel the world.

So she started to want her attention, like the spoiled child that she once was, the child that once had Astra's full attention.

Her studies become completely engrossed in her master's works. Little by little, she believed to be getting closer to her master's proficiency in magic, or so she thought.

It was two years ago, a member of the Royal Guard of Uclaria came to her island, seeking an audience.

Knowing of Joan's interest in her own master's works, they revealed what they assumed to be a seal designed and cast by The Sage. That caught her interest.

When she saw it for the first time, she had been excited as she recognized her master's handiwork on the seal, however, that excitement soon turned into perplexion. The more she studied that seal, the more she learned of the gap that was between Astra and herself.

The Seal's array and details were engraved in her mind, and she kept thinking about it, trying to figure it out. In the end, the Saintess was able to break the seal, revealing what was believed to be the body of Rex Draco.

"I've got the opportunity to look at the seal you used against Rex Draco, truly a piece of art." A hidden resentment was placed between her words.

"That was one of my three masterpieces. In the end, I'm glad it worked."

"One of your masterpieces? Just how long did it take you to develop such a seal?"

"The entirety of the Age of Monsters."

The Age of Monsters was the era marked by the presence of Rex Draco as well as the phenomenon known as The Calamity. At the start of that era, a great wave of demonic power drowned the world, corrupting several magical beasts and turning them into monsters.

The era ended with the supposed death of Rex Draco, lasting a total of five hundred years.

Joan took her words silently and went deep in thought. If there was something that had never changed in their relationship, it was that Joan trusted everything her master said, they were all the truth.

"If it took five centuries, it is normal to become such a spectacular work."

With this, Joan felt a little better, it turned out that this seal was the biggest of deals even for her master, she had convinced herself that with five hundred years of work, she also could achieve such level of work.

"You mentioned three masterpieces?"

"I think I told you about another one of them."

"The 'Ether Cannon', the spell that separates the soul power and natural energy in mana, and shoots them in their rawest form. According to you, it halved Rex Draco's power, allowing The Last Hero to face him in combat."

"Halving it is an exaggeration, but not far from the truth."

"What about the third?"

"It's still a work in progress, but I am already convinced that it will surpass every single one of my previous works."

"Is that so?"

Joan smiled slightly and then waved her hand. Right now they were both at the edge of her floating island, watching over the capital city of Uclaria.

As she waved her hand, a table and a pair of chairs were conjured out of thin air, the magic circle used to do so barely visible in the ground.

"Well, sit down, master, I believe you wouldn't visit me for no reason at all, right?"

"There was a matter that I stumbled upon that reminded me of you, considering that it has been awhile since we've seen each other, I decided to meet you."

"What matter would remind you of me?"

Joan was not asking because of curiosity, it was not like her master delved into day-to-day simplicities, so whatever reminded her master of her student was definitely related to some sort of magical research, a topic that Joan was eager to discuss.

"By coincidence, I stumbled upon the list of participants for this year's entrance exams for the Uclaria Academy. I found an interesting name there."

"..."

She waited for Astra to continue.

"Mara Flamma."

Joan's eyes widened. The name Flamma carried a profound meaning to her because of her past, hearing her master mention it, was quite triggering.

"What about it?"

"She is quite the talented mage, for what I gathered, just not in the way the elders of the family wish for, so she is in a similar situation you were in a few years ago."

"..."

Joan once again fell silent. Considering such coincidences, it was normal for her master's mind to drift to her old student.

"Seeing such a situation again, I made a decision."

"A decision?"

"Joan . . . What do you say about me starting to visit more often?"

Joan felt a sudden warmth and joy surge within her and a smile almost illuminated her face, however, she soon composed herself.

"Is that so? I have a tea that I think you would enjoy, I'll make sure to have it ready on your next visit. Well, I believe this isn't the only reason you visited?"

"R-right, . . . Joan, you have delved into the area of Psychology, correct?"

"Huh, yes?"

It was weird to see her master stuttering like that, was she embarrassed? Did she think that Joan would refuse to receive her? Nonsense! No matter how much resentment was inside Joan for being "abandoned", she loved her master more than anyone.

She was her second mother, after all. And her only Mom.

There was no reason to reject a visit from her.

However, her master's sudden interest in psychology was weird. Was she interested on it because of specific magic research? Could it be, mind magic? Really! After all that scolding?!

A few decades ago, while she was an unruly teenager, she had fallen in love with a popular noble, however she was quite awkward and completely incapable of proper social interactions. So, she delved into the area of psychology, determined to find a way to manipulate the mind using magic in order to force the famous noble to accept her as his girlfriend and be eternally loyal to her.

At the time, her master had caught wind of her plans and stopped her, before she could put them it into action. She was stopped by her and received a major scolding.

And now she was asking for her psychology studies?!

"Master, I will have to remind you that my materials in psychology do not have any connection to magic research, do you truly need them?"

"I'm not planning to use them for any type of magical research, however, in one of my recent projects, a lingering doubt sprouted in my mind. I believe that after my experiment, the subject is now at risk of several mind-related issues. I just want to be prepared for any issues they might encounter, as it is my fault they ended up like that."

"Is that so? Then, I don't mind sharing it, you could probably find some of the books I have in a public library, so don't expect too much."

"Do not forget, that it is because of me that you gained the habit of scribbling your thoughts on the subject in the corner of the pages. Surely, you've written good notes on those pages that would benefit me just as much as a whole book."

"You flatter me, master. Psychology is merely a hobby that I picked up after that incident. Seriously, who would think that I would find one of my favorite past times because of a boy, thinking back he wasn't really that much, huh? What was his name again?"

They both then started talking about random topics. Astra recounted some of the strange things she encountered ever since their last encounter, and Joan started complaining about how petty some nobles were. To that, she was only met with a "I told you to not meddle with politics, you didn't listen . . .".

"Right, there was something else that I would like to ask you, Master."

"Hm. What is it?"

"If the first layers of the seal on Rex Draco were broken off . . . Could he break free on his own?"

Silence radiated the atmosphere. Astra understood the implications of Joan's question, they were already aware of Ray's disappearance and were investigating. If she was right, there were probably two sides of the investigation that the ones involved were in. Either Rex Draco escaped, meaning the world was in great danger, or someone stole his body and was planning to do something with it, not a much better outcome really.

"It is hard, his mind was separated from his body, and therefore he wouldn't be able to do anything, even if someone completely released the seal, however, I was alive throughout his whole life, I saw him do many things that I believe to be impossible."

"What kind of things?"

"Have you heard of 'The Gap' ?"

"Huh, supposedly an event that happened in the eastern islands at the start of the Age of Monsters, supposedly the archipelago was an enormous single island, but it was split into various islands, right?"

"Indeed, that story holds some truth. Do you know how Rex Draco became the King of Dragons?"

"By defeating the usurpers of the original title, the Dragons of Sin, right? Wait, what are you trying to say, master?"

"Rex Draco encountered the Dragons of Sin in what was once the Island of the Setting Sun, their battle is most commonly known as 'The Gap', not because of the gap between islands that was formed but because of the gap in power between a Rex Draco of around half a century in age and some of the most ancient dragons to ever live."

A single drop of sweat traveled on Joan's frowning face.

"And this is only one of many, Rex Draco is without a doubt the strongest force that I ever met. As soon as he was born, the world tried to get rid of him, but he refused and became so much more, after the world blinked for a split second, he was already at the pinnacle, causing events before claimed to be impossible.

"Creating planes of glass, 'The Gap', the destruction of 'The Nest', the genocide of the elven race, the extinction of the Drake tribes in the north, The second great calamity of Humanity, surviving an attack that I created with the purpose of weakening, but it would evaporate a normal target, and so much more. Truly, there is no guarantee that he wouldn't find a way to reunite his mind with his body."