After that bizarre healing phenomenon, Rosalie’s through-and-through wound was already closed.

  Even so, Rosalie still wouldn’t wake up, so he was taken to the medical school hospital for emergency treatment.

  Enid left the scene immediately.

  She ignored the security staff who tried to call after her and demanded she stay for questioning.

  Enid had no interest in dealing with a group of useless latecomers who had now failed twice and let Rosalie end up in danger both times.

  If they were merely incompetent, that would have been bad enough.

  But what truly set Enid off was how they shouted about "revelations" and a "Hero" the moment they saw that strange light, then completely ignored Rosalie’s condition.

  Not one of them went after Mr. Q.

  Instead, they dropped to their knees and started praying like that would solve anything.

  With the curse already making her irritable, Enid’s patience snapped.

  When the security staff kept crowding her, she cast a spiraling fire tornado around herself, a clear warning to stay back.

  To Enid, short-lived folk came in only two types, the smart ones and the stupid ones.

  She was willing to talk to the smart ones.

  That did not mean she was willing to have even the slightest connection to the stupid, useless kind.

  The way humans hated filthy bugs crawling near them, that was how Enid felt about these "tin cans" pushing into her space.

  As an immortal being, and a high-born nature elf at that, she had already shown more mercy than they deserved by tolerating them breathing beside her.

  Enid had never been the sort to lower herself.

  Once people saw the spell blazing around her and the fury in her eyes, they decided it was best to keep their distance.

  It was probably the first time most of them had ever seen Professor Innis truly angry.

  The fear hit them on instinct, the natural terror short-lived beings felt toward the long-lived.

  Even the bravest among them couldn’t stand in front of Enid like nothing was wrong.

  Before she left, Enid said coldly to everyone around her, "You ignored the wounded, gave up the chase, and all you can do is kneel and pray. If this is your academy’s security force, then the students here are truly unlucky, being protected by a bunch of loud tin cans who can’t do a single thing right."

  Then she walked away without looking back.

  She even ignored Felicité, the head of the officer track and the security captain, who had just arrived and was still trying to figure out what had happened.

  On her way back to the Nature school, Enid scanned the area one more time, just in case.

  Only after she was sure Mr. Q had vanished into the shadows did she return to her sitting room.

  From her window, she finally saw those same "tin cans" putting on a show of extra patrols and searching for suspects.

  Too little, too late.

  All they were doing now was disrupting students’ sleep.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Useless after-the-fact heroics.

  Fine.

  Out of sight, out of mind.

  Enid had more important things to do.

  She needed to write Antonio a spell letter explaining what had happened.

  She didn’t want to report in person at the headmaster office. Her mood was sour, and the curse flare was messing with her thoughts.

  But before she could finish the letter, Antonio came to her.

  Enid hadn’t even spoken yet when Antonio opened with, "Felicité already told me what happened. Enid, we need to talk."

  From their conversation, Enid learned the "tin cans" were Felicité’s new recruits.

  They had only just been assigned, had no real experience, and reacted slowly with terrible judgment under pressure. It was a staffing mistake on Felicité’s end.

  So Felicité asked Antonio to pass along an apology, and promised she would discipline the recruits harshly.

  Antonio added, "Those kids just graduated from the officer track. They’re new, and they’re also devout Holy Church believers. I don’t approve of what they did, but their poor handling is understandable, don’t you think"

  Enid answered with no warmth at all.

  "Those fools nearly got a student killed inside the academy, twice. And you’re defending them. You’re the headmaster. Student and staff safety is your responsibility."

  "Of course," Antonio said. "You’re right, but…"

  He paused, then continued, "The former emperor of the Stahill Empire died too suddenly, and the heir is still a child. Tensions between nobles and the crown, and between nobles and commoners, are growing worse by the day."

  "Even the noble houses themselves are divided. Threats from neighboring countries keep rising, and the demon race in the north is stirring again."

  "Most of the empire’s forces are tied down along an overgrown, sprawling border. The empire is in chaos, and every region needs soldiers and hands."

  "Felicité pulling together a security team that’s at least usable is already difficult. We elders need to be a little generous with the young, don’t you agree, Enid"

  With that, Enid couldn’t keep pressing without it turning into something else entirely.

  Enid was a nature elf. She didn’t consider herself part of any short-lived nation, so she didn’t care about the Stahill Empire’s politics, and didn’t want to.

  Besides, she couldn’t even solve her own curse. Why would she spend her energy on a mortal nation’s endless mess.

  Antonio couldn’t afford that luxury.

  He was one of the empire’s pillars, one of the Four Saints who defeated the demon king and founded the nation.

  Enid couldn’t help wondering how heavy the weight on his shoulders had become.

  "Alright," Enid said at last. "I understand. Now tell me what you’ve been hiding about Rosalie, and what you can actually share with me."

  Only then did a hint of a smile return to Antonio’s exhausted face.

  "Thank you for understanding. As for Rosalie… what I can tell you right now is that his identity is more than simply being the Holy Church’s chosen heir."

  "Before Elena took Rosalie in, she received a revelation. Rosalie is fated to be the Hero. For safety reasons, it was never made public."

  "The power inside Rosalie hasn’t awakened yet. At this stage, it’s more accurate to call him a candidate, someone waiting for the right trigger to awaken what’s inside him."

  Enid’s eyes narrowed.

  "So you had Rosalie get close to me on purpose, so my curse would刺激 him and help awaken that power."

  Antonio gave a small smile.

  "Based on what I’m allowed to share, yes."

  "You’re still keeping a lot from me."

  "I am," Antonio admitted. "And I’m sorry. But it’s unavoidable. Once everything settles, I’ll tell you everything."

  Enid looked at him.

  The fiery red-haired young man she remembered had been reshaped by time.

  His face no longer had the clean edges it once did. Wrinkles had carved themselves into his skin, especially around his eyes and across his forehead, marks of long, brutal years.

  Even his hair had turned to silver, the light catching it like a quiet confession of age.

  His back was still straight, but the ease was gone. His steps had slowed, heavier than before.

  And those eyes, once bright and sharp, now carried a dull fatigue, the kind that didn’t fade after one good night of sleep.

  A faint ache rose in Enid’s chest.

  This wasn’t the lively, almost adorable apprentice she remembered.

  Aging had come without sound, and it had changed him, slowly, relentlessly.

  To Enid, who would outlive entire eras, it felt unfamiliar, and it hurt.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about the years she hadn’t been there, the memories she’d lost. What had Antonio gone through, to be worn down into this.

  "...You’ve gotten old, Antonio."

  Antonio laughed softly. "That’s a cruel thing to say. But until I finish what I have to do, I don’t get to enjoy old age."

  "You always carry everything alone," Enid said. "Why won’t you tell me the truth and let me share the burden"

  "My burden can’t be shared," Antonio replied. "And keeping things from you is also for your sake, for your memory, and for your recovery from the curse."

  "I’ve hidden a lot, yes, but please trust me. We tried many ways to restore your memories. None of them went well, and the cost was always too high."

  "Letting you slowly feel the world again and recover naturally is the best path we have."

  "But don’t worry about me. I’m not alone. I have allies I can trust."

  Antonio’s smile warmed, just a little.

  "And you’ve always been behind me too, haven’t you. That’s why I’m confident I can win this fight."

  After that, Antonio stood to leave.

  There was still too much waiting on his desk.

  "I hope everything goes smoothly for you," Enid said.

  Antonio smiled.

  "Thank you. Then let’s hope everything goes smoothly for all of us."