Chapter 78: At the threshold (1/2)
”Here, grab those robes.” Instead of just leaving them be, the old lady moved to the back of her room before opening a small box hidden in the corner. Not even attempting to pretend that she wasn't prepared for the current situation, she pulled two sets of long, red outfits.
”Outer academy disciples are wearing whites, inner academy wears…” Before the lady could finish, Layn nodded his head before snatching the clothes from her hands. Passing one set to Irea, he rolled his eyes while nodding his head. ”Inner academy wears reds while the core disciples parade in blues.” Finishing the explanation on his own instead, Layn quickly pulled the cloth on top of his back.
”You look quite handsome in them…” Rather than panicking over the problem of changing out in the open, Irea waved her set before swinging it to the side and allowing the cloth to wrap itself around her shoulders before falling on her back. With a strangely deep smile, she admitted while keeping her eyes peacefully closed.
'This girl…' Prompted by the wide swing of the cloth, Layn reacted out of reflex. Using a tiny bit of his aura, he held several expensive-looking pieces of furniture in place, denying them the right to fall. 'If those people were any smarter, they could easily detect it!' Gnashing his jaws while keeping a calm smile on his face, Layn wailed to the heavens.
”So do you. But now,” As dangerous as her act of dressing-up was, there was no denying how well the colors of her new robe accented the elegant beauty of the girl's face. Vivid and focused back on the desert, the tomboyish feel that Irea had around herself now turned into a thoughtful grace.
'What a single piece of cloth can do…' Pandering over this sudden enlightenment for a short moment, Layn shook his head before finishing. ”Now, we should go to the inner academy. I just can't wait to see the great use those fellow disciples of ours put our shrine too!” Proudly exclaiming, Layn felt the corners of his lips twitching.
As grand as his statement was, he just couldn't hold his amusement back.
”Yeah, yeah.” Waving her hand at the incessant duo, the old lady hid the grimace of annoyance from her face. As the wrinkles around her eyes somewhat flattened, the female elder waltzed out of the room. Shaking his momentary joy off, Layn grabbed Irea's wrist before pulling her along.
”Mind explaining just what kind of mischief you are up to?” Somewhere halfway towards the center point of the outer academy, the elder couldn't stop herself from asking.
”Mischief? It's nothing of that sort.” Putting up a troubled look on his face while still devoting most of his attention to the younger girl cutely trodding beside him, Layn stirred his mind up to figure out a proper response.
”It's more like… The very reason why I wanted to start in the outer academy is now void. This lovely girl here,” moving his hand up, Layn let to of Irea's hand only to pat her gently on her head. ”she helped me to find out what I was looking for.” Rubbing Irea's scalp to the rhythm of her silent, satisfied moans, Layn dressed up his enlightened face type three.
'Just how can she be so cute?' Keeping only the strayest of her thoughts to maintain the conversation, Layn was fully encharmed by the simple motions of Irea body. The fluttering of her short hair, the glister on her slightly sweaty, porcelain skin… Every element from the swaying of her hips through the wiggling of her chest all the way to the gentle and warm smile on her lips was trapping the archmage in a box far more formidable than even the worst of prisons.
”So that's the case…” Seeing his expectations come to reality, Layn didn't even bother to hide his smile. 'Right now, it fits in my act rather well.' Moving his hand down Irea's head, he snuck back into the girl's palm. Reacting to his invitation, the girl turned her face towards him a bit before sentencing him with yet another charming smile of hers.
In a sudden motion, her fingers curled up, overcoming the bounciness of Layn's hand's muscles. Turning even the simple act of handholding into something pretty intimate, Irea fully ascertained dominance over the archmage.
”Gotchya!” Whispering in an excited yet low voice, Irea almost jumped while doing so.
”Hey, are you listening to me, you brats?” Snapping the two from the inner world they silently immersed themselves in, the old lady managed to regain their attention. ”This is it, I may be an elder, but I'm not allowed to make even a step further.” Pointing her hand, all in wrinkles, at a nearby gate, she used her other hand to pull out two rolled pieces of paper sealed with five wax seals.
”Those here are the certificates. You will need them once you get in.” For a moment, the face of the old elder soured turned serious. As if her entire naggish and annoying attitude was just an act, an honest worry filled her eyes as she looked at Archmage and the semi-teacher beside him.