Chapter 53: First Meeting with Cecilia
"The commission is effective immediately."
"A staff member will take you to meet the intern shortly. As for the specific teaching plan and when to take her out of the city to begin the actual internship, that’s all up to you."
The old man paused, as if he’d thought of something.
"As for that Breathing Technique you wanted, that thing has been collecting dust for too long. I’ll need some time to have someone dig it up."
"Come back and get it from me tonight."
"Thank you, President."
Lance thanked him politely, folded the commission request neatly, and tucked it into an inner pocket before turning to leave the office.
As the heavy oak door closed once more, the room returned to silence.
Necros picked up the quill pen from his desk again, preparing to continue approving the mountain of supply requisitions.
However, just as the tip of the pen touched the paper, his movement suddenly froze.
The old man looked up, his gaze turning in the direction Lance had left. A hint of amusement flashed in his sharp eyes.
"That little rascal..."
Necros rubbed the rough stubble on his chin and couldn’t help but smile.
’He couldn’t have guessed that I didn’t actually have any other candidates besides him, could he?’
He recalled the negotiation from moments ago.
The kid’s eyes had clearly lit up when he heard about the Gold Coins reward; he was obviously tempted.
But the next second, his expression changed, and he refused, posturing as if he’d rather die than take the job.
’Thinking back on it now, he was clearly testing my limits.’
’And I, an old man who’s lived for decades longer, actually fell for his trick.’
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Having figured this out, Necros wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he let out a hearty laugh.
The laughter was so loud it made the inkwell on his desk tremble.
’An interesting kid. Sharp as a tack.’
Those who knew how to read a situation, who even dared to play mind games with their superiors, were often the ones who survived the longest in the dangerous Underground City.
The old man’s fingers tapped lightly on the desk. An idea began to form in his mind—the thought of properly training this kid.
Since he was so eager for Power and possessed such keen Intuition and decent skills...
’Perhaps...’
Necros pulled open a drawer, his gaze falling on a rust-spotted badge in the corner.
’Could he go to those ruins in my stead and bring back what we couldn’t all those years ago? Could he right that wrong?’
The old man’s eyes gradually dimmed as he sank into a memory that was anything but pleasant.
A long time passed.
A heavy sigh echoed through the room.
Necros closed the drawer and refocused his attention on the documents before him.
’It’s too early to think about that,’ he thought. ’First, let’s see if this kid can make something out of this delicate little violet.’
...
「Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Adventurer’s Guild.」
The once-bustling crowd had mostly dispersed. The majority of the interns had already departed with their respective mentor teams.
At a round table in a corner of the hall sat a lone girl in the uniform of the Violet Academy.
Cecilia’s hands were placed primly on her lap, her back ramrod straight.
But her delicate, porcelain doll-like face was etched with confusion and helplessness.
Her crimson eyes would occasionally dart toward the hall’s entrance, only to quickly look away again.
"It’s okay, Cecilia."
The one sitting next to her was a girl with ear-length short hair and a few cute freckles on her cheeks.
Yuna reached out, took Cecilia’s icy hand, and gave it a gentle pat.
"Your mentor team must have gotten delayed by some important mission, or maybe they’re just gathering supplies. They’ll be here soon."
Though she offered these words of comfort, Yuna wasn’t so sure herself.
When dorms were first assigned, she’d been terrified to learn she would be rooming with the legendary young lady of the Rosenthal Clan.
She had been afraid that this so-called genius heiress would be arrogant and boss her around like a servant.
But after spending a few days together,
she discovered that this young lady wasn’t arrogant at all. On the contrary, she was a sweet and somewhat naive girl.
Her doll-like, exquisite appearance, paired with her occasional clumsiness,
had instantly captured Yuna’s heart, overwhelming her with protective, motherly feelings. She had immediately designated Cecilia as someone to be protected at all costs.
"But..."
Cecilia bit her lower lip.
"The internship Manual says that the completion of each day’s tasks will be quantitatively scored."
"If I can’t set out today, I’ll lose a day’s worth of base points."
She could feel a sliver of anxiety creeping in.
The evaluation rules this time were very strict.
Although the score from the internship team only accounted for thirty percent of the total grade, the final honors were awarded based on a ranking of everyone’s total scores.
Only the top three students with the highest overall scores would be awarded honors.
Whether it was for the information on qualifying for Rare Professions or for the honor of the Rosenthal Clan, she had to do her best to earn an outstanding evaluation.
"Yuna Clement!"
Just then, a loud shout echoed from the other side of the hall.
A female Adventurer wearing Light Armor with a Two-Handed Greatsword on her back was waving a piece of parchment and shouting Yuna’s name.
"Over here! I’m here!"
Yuna immediately stood up, raising her arm high in response.
It was the team that had come to pick her up for her internship.
She turned her head, looked at Cecilia with some concern, and quickly advised:
"Looks like I have to go too."
"Don’t you worry. Just wait here a little longer."
"If no one comes after a while, go to the front desk over there and ask that friendly-looking clerk to help you look into it."
"And don’t wander off. This place is crowded and full of shady characters, you hear?"
Cecilia nodded obediently.
"I know. You should go. Don’t keep your team waiting."
After Yuna left, the anxiety over her own team’s absence, combined with being alone in an unfamiliar environment, made Cecilia’s palms begin to sweat.
She closed her eyes and began to try the little trick Yuna had taught her for relieving anxiety.
Deep breaths.
She parted her lips slightly and began to inhale slowly, trying to fill her lungs with cool air.
Just as she was halfway through the breath, before her chest could fully expand...
"You’re Cecilia, right?"
A calm male voice suddenly sounded from above her head without any warning.
"COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!"
The sudden voice startled the girl, who had been completely focused on her deep breathing.
The air went down the wrong pipe, triggering a violent coughing fit.
Cecilia clutched her chest, coughing uncomfortably as she frantically looked up.
What met her eyes...
was a young man in a gray, hooded Chain Armor shirt, most of his face hidden in its shadow.
Her crimson eyes, misty from coughing, unexpectedly met his scrutinizing gaze.