Free Web NovelChapter 190: Chapter 190 - Elise’s Signature Spell
Theo slowly came to a halt.
"Everything to do with spells?"
Elise nodded once.
Turning around, she wandered toward one of the nearest bookshelves lining the wall.
She pulled back one of the books ever so slightly before a loud click echoed through the room.
SHHHH!
The bookshelf trembled slightly.
Slowly, it folded backward, revealing a large opening hidden behind the wall.
Theo stared at the scene in utter amazement.
"Now that’s cool," he said, glancing at the staircase descending into the darkness.
Elise smiled faintly but didn’t respond.
Instead, she stepped onto the staircase and began walking down.
Theo followed closely behind.
The passage was lit by small crystals embedded in the walls, bathing the narrow corridor in a pale blue glow.
"Theo," her voice echoed out softly. "Do you know what a signature spell is?"
"Yes. It’s the spell you’re known for, right?" he answered without hesitation.
Elise nodded once.
She glanced back at him while continuing down the staircase.
"And do you also happen to know what spell I am known for?"
Theo’s steps slowed slightly.
He scratched his chin as his mind churned but eventually shook his head.
Turning back to the front, Elise let out a faint chuckle.
"Then, do you at least know what country I’m from?"
Theo paused, his brows furrowing slightly.
He searched through his memories for a few seconds before his eyes lit up.
"Yes, Alia told me once, I believe," he answered, hesitating slightly. "She called you the Water Princess from the Netherlands."
Elise remained silent for a few seconds.
A few mumbles left her mouth, which were completely inaudible to him.
Finally, she glanced back at him and cleared her throat.
"That’s correct," she said, no longer smiling. "I’m going to guess you don’t know a lot about that country, right?"
Scratching the back of his head, Theo nodded once.
Elise didn’t seem surprised.
"The Netherlands has always had a special relationship with water," she explained. "For centuries, our people have fought against it, lived alongside it, and learned to control it."
She continued descending the staircase at an unhurried pace.
"Because of that, our country has produced some of the finest water mages in the world. Many of the spells used internationally today can trace their origins back there."
Theo listened quietly.
He practically had no knowledge of countries outside the States himself.
But slowly, things began to click.
"Is that also where you earned your title?" he asked.
Elise smiled slightly.
"In a way, yes."
The staircase continued downward for several more seconds before finally opening into a vast underground chamber.
Shelves packed with books and ancient scrolls stretched across the room, while softly glowing mana crystals illuminated the space from above.
Theo couldn’t help but slow down at the sight.
"In all honesty, most of my title comes from only one thing," she said, walking further into the room.
At the center, she slowly came to a halt.
"I was born into the ruling faction in the Netherlands but beat every mage my age."
Theo blinked once.
"So you were an actual princess?"
"You could say that," she responded. "Though I never fancied politics."
Blue mana rushed out of her hands, pouring into the floor below.
Before Theo could react, a large box slowly rose out of the ground.
"As the most talented mage there, I inherited a lot of spells that have been passed down for generations."
The large box slowly opened up, revealing a single manual on top of it.
"But the one I am most known for..." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
She gently picked up the deep blue manual with foreign text.
"...is this spell called Ocean’s Dominion."
Theo’s gaze remained fixed on the manual.
"Ocean’s Dominion?" he repeated quietly.
Elise’s faint smile widened ever so slightly.
She walked toward a nearby table, the large box slowly sinking into the floor behind her.
"It’s an Obsidian Core-level spell, with an entry point at the Bronze Core Rank," she said, pulling back a chair. "And I’m planning to teach it to you."
Theo froze as he was about to pull back a chair for himself.
Before he could say something, Elise continued speaking.
"But don’t get too excited," she said, her voice low. "This particular spell hasn’t been mastered in over three hundred years."
"Even I was only the first one to reach the Diamond Core stage after fifty years."
Theo simply stared at the manual.
His face had gone completely blank.
"You’re giving this to me?" he finally managed.
Elise met his gaze and nodded once.
"I am."
Theo remained frozen for a few seconds longer.
This was far outside any of the rewards he’d ever expected.
A spell like that... you couldn’t even put a price on it.
"...Why?"
Elise glanced down at the manual in her hands.
For a moment, she remained silent as she brushed against its pages.
"Because I think you’ll be able to reach that stage and master it."
She glanced up, a faint bitterness appearing in her expression.
"Unlike me, who’s running out of time to reach the Obsidian Core stage."
Theo opened his mouth, but no words came out.
He looked from Elise to the manual and back again.
"You really have that much faith in me?"
Elise didn’t hesitate.
"I do."
She carefully set the deep blue manual on the table between them.
"Though I’ve barely taught any students, I know for a fact that your talent is far, far beyond ordinary."
"You even possess a special gift that has never been seen before."
Theo lowered his gaze.
He clearly knew she was talking about his affinities.
Elise continued before he could say anything.
"I’ve also seen your talent for comprehension, your rapid improvement rate, and your strong instincts," she said. "Not to mention your good personality."
She paused for a moment.
"So, yes," she said. "I have faith that you’ll succeed."
Theo’s mouth was slightly open.
The entire room fell silent around him.
His eyes remained fixed on Elise as her words echoed through his mind.
My comprehension and instincts?
Until now, he’d never really thought of those.
He’d always assumed his rapid progress was simply the result of his system.
But hearing that he himself was also talented, and knowing that it wasn’t something originating from the system...
It almost felt like a weight had been lifted off his heart.
After nearly half a minute, he finally took a slow breath.
"Thank you."
The words were simple, but they carried genuine sincerity.
Elise nodded once.
Then she slid the manual across the table. freewёbnoνel.com
"You’ll only be allowed to learn it in this room, with me present," she said. "Also, don’t leak it to anyone else."
Theo nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the manual.
The foreign text on it made him pause for a moment.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
"Is there anything I can do in return for this?" he asked. "I feel like this is way too valuable of a gift..."
Elise instinctively shook her head.
"No—"
She paused.
"...Actually, yes."
Theo looked up immediately.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"When the time is right, I’d like you to accompany me to the Netherlands."
His brows rose slightly.
"I want to introduce you to my faction," she said. "If possible, I’d like you to remain on good terms with them too."
For a brief moment, Theo simply blinked.
Then he let out a quiet laugh.
"If that’s all, I’d be more than happy to."
Theo’s fingers lingered on the edge of the manual but didn’t open it.
Then Elise finally nodded once.
"Alright," she said. "Before I bring you back, there were some more questions you needed answered."
Theo snapped out of his thoughts and nodded with a smile.
Despite how much he wanted to start learning the spell now, with how late it was and how exhausting the day had been, there was no way he’d start training the spell today.
The system is also coming up, he thought, having calmed himself. Even though I think I can trust her... I’d prefer to keep this a secret.
For how long, he didn’t know himself.
He might even take the secret to the grave with him.
’Enough about that,’ he thought.
Theo glanced back up at Elise.
"Can you tell me about that blonde woman now?" he asked. "I’m especially curious why she wanted to kill me and why she got slapped."
Elise let out a very faint chuckle.
"Of course I can," she said, leaning back in her chair. "Though you’ll find the last two parts of your question are closely related."
One of Theo’s eyebrows rose.
"What do you mean?"
Elise let out another faint chuckle, clearly remembering the satisfying slap.
"I think she got slapped because she wanted to do something to you," she said, clearly amused.
Theo blinked once, taken aback.
"I don’t know what you did," Elise continued, leaning forward, "but Lucienne didn’t seem to want any part in underhanded tactics."
Theo frowned in confusion.
"So... she was the one trying to act behind Lucienne’s back?"
Elise gave a small nod, and the conversation continued from there, one question leading to the next as Theo pieced together more of the world hidden behind the public eye.
Before long, well over two hours had slipped by.
Theo found himself holding on for dear life atop the giant owl once again, all while a transparent screen hovered quietly before his eyes.
[System Upgrade completion: 00:24:12]
