"Really?" The Count's dream bubble popped up abruptly.
"Yeah. I mean little splendour is fine, but this? It's too much." He pointed at the gold decoration that kept shifting to silver and platinum, and at the gemstones embroidered at every corner, like shining eyes staring at them with contempt.
"Also how do you explain otherwise that girl rude attitude? She barely looked at us at all."
"Oh dear." The Count gulped. "Now that you point that out, this room resembles very much the King's antechamber for the unwanted guests."
"Is there such thing?" Lith was curious.
"Yes, is kind of an open secret. The King's room has more than one waiting room, depending on how much he cares about the visitor. The one for the unwanted guests is filled with tacky stuff like this, to remember the visitor the Crown's power.
It's also filled with painting depicting the previous Kings and Queens slaying rebellious nobles or mages. Depends on whom he wants to pressure."
"Like these ones?" Lith pointed to many magical paintings, all of them where short movies, showing how the Mage Association got rid of entire families of unruly nobles throughout history.
The event depicted would go to the point of showing the bloodshed, the mansions set aflame, before starting to tell their story back from the beginning.
"Precisely." The Count swallowed loudly.
Expecting to have to wait for hours, Lith made himself comfortable, trying to get asleep again. He wasn't disappointed. When the Count woke him up, he could see from his face that he had quite some pent-up stress.
He had waited patiently for long enough to get the message.
"Don't say a word. If we want to salvage this thing, we need tact and diplomacy. Leave everything to me." Count Lark said with barely a whisper.
The Headmistress' office was much less tacky than her antechamber, resembling very much a common principal office from Earth. She was a woman at least as old as Nana, but time had been kinder to her.
Her face was full of wrinkles, but her eyes were full of energy and life. Unlike Nana, she was ready to live a long life and stood straight as a string
Her hair was almost completely grey, only some shade of yellow still remained. She wore a robe with the colours of her academy, it was of a light blue, while all the decorations were of a bright yellow, most likely gold.
The way its fabric had been woven, made it seem like every movement of the Headmistress was the wind moving through the sky, while the gold embroidered appeared and disappeared like sudden lightnings.
She had only smiles and nice words, but Lith's instinct could sense no warmth in her.
"Dear Count, we haven't met for too long!" She extended her hand to him.
"You are too kind. It's only my fault that I can't bring you enough promising youths." The Count's poker face was impeccable. All traces of stress and anxiety had disappeared. His words were calm and gentle, like meeting a long-lost sister.
"Please, have a seat. Sorry for the long wait, but as you know this is the busiest time of the year." The apology sounded fake like a three-dollar bill.
"Do not apologize, I completely understand. Now, sorry if I go straight to business, I do not want to waste any more of your precious time."
The Count took out a folder that contained a chronicle of all feats Lith had accomplished, together with his official merits count.
The Headmistress pushed the folder back.
"No need. We always do a full background check on every applicant. I must say that you brought me a really interesting fellow."
This time it was Lith turn to gulp loudly, cold sweat going down his spine.
"What the heck did I do wrong?"
She took out a folder of her own, much thicker than the previous one.
"I can see that this young man, Lith, has earned a lot of merits by healing the poor and by getting rid of many of the menaces that threatened your County. Did you know that the criminal underworld has nicknamed him Scourge?"
"Beats me how the heck my beast title reached their ears. How can delinquents and magical beasts view me in the same way?" Lith thought.
"It seems that he likes his bounties dead as a doornail, and that's good. Being merciful with the scum of earth can only bite you in the back, sooner or later. He also had quite a number of magical challenges with some noble youths."
"And that's bad, right?" Lith clenched his fist, full of expectation.
"That's good too. A true mage must not fear to defend himself or his name, in our business talent and power are more important than etiquette.
Not to mention that those who have not the skill, should not fly too close to the sun and then complain about getting burned."
Lith felt like the earth was collapsing under his feet.
"So instead of sabotage I self-promoted all this time?! F*ck me sideways!"
"But…" Suddenly Lith's hopes revived, like a phoenix risen from its ashes.
"… sadly, I must say that he doesn't meet the requirements for a scholarship. I'm really sorry."
"F*ck yes! I forgive you, deceiving b*tch! I did it, and that's what matters."
The Count turned pale as a ghost.
"May I know why? Talent, skill, heart. I dare to say he is the best one I ever brought here so far." His voice was broken, Lith felt bad for the poor man.
"Off course you can, you deserve to know. You see, the real problem lies not in your protégé, but rather in his mentor."
"Excuse me?" Blood flushed back in the Count's face.
"Nerea is a fallen mage, akin to a disowned son of the academy, if not of the whole Mage Association. Like for nobles is forbidden to help a relinquished of their own, the same stands for us, or at least for me.
She has brought shame to the institution, and up to this very day she keeps meddling with us. Not to mention that even if indirectly, Lith has been involved in the purge of two noble households.
As a mage, I can't stress enough how despicable I find dragging the Mage Association into every single petty squabble. It's an abuse of power, and I want to send a message to all the rogue mages out there by rejecting her disciple.
You can try bringing him to other academies, but I think their answer will be the same."
"What?!" The Count was now bright red, his eyes almost popping out from the rage.
"Lady Nerea has protected and helped Lustria County for years, while everyone else did nothing! This young man saved my life, my family.
He did what he did only for self-preservation, and you are telling me that you are willing to ruin his life for your own petty revenge? For politics?"
"How dare you speak to me like that in my office!" The Headmistress jumped up from her armchair, her eyes glowing with power.
"I dare! I double dare and call this bullsh*t!" Lith never thought the Count to be such a brave fighter.
"You are just sacrificing a mage, and a powerful one, for your own political gain! Lith, let's go. The air stinks in here."
Before going out the door, the Count turned back, yelling.
"This doesn't end here! I'll let everyone know how the Lightning Griffon has stooped. You'll never get again a single copper coin from my County or any of my retainers. And by the way, he is the inventor of the chessboard on your desk."
The door slammed behind them, without giving her the opportunity to rebuke.
"Man, seriously? So much for tact and diplomacy. You are a mall cog in a big machine. Your threats are nothing but wishful thinking."
Lith happiness was clouded by the worries about the consequences that the Count's fit of rage could have on both his homeland and his friend. Count Lark had fought for him fiercely, and that was something Lith would never forget.