16 The return of my mortal enemy (2/2)
”Dalla! Dalla! You're crushing me! I can't breath!!”
”I was so worried for you! You wouldn't come out so i feared something had happened to you!!”
”Air...! Air...!”
”Oh sorry...”
”Ooff... What do you mean something happened to me? Of course something happened, i was taking the exam!”
”I know but i thought you would fail the first one and then we would leave quickly...”
”Excuse me!? You thought i would fail from the beginning?”
”I was hoping for actually... I didn't want you to take such dangerous exam to begin with, but you wouldn't listen to me, so i assumed they would caught you lying about something and would reject you.”
”Well... Thanks for your concern but there is nothing to worry. I passed all the exams and will receive my piece of the tree in three days.”
At that moment all the individuals inside the guild who just happened to overhear the conversation aimed their eyes at the two of them.
”Evlin... What did you say...?”
”I said i passed. I will become an expert-rank mage or whatever.”
”Expert-rank?? What!?”
Some of the individuals who were in the middle of their drinks started to spit on their tables when Evlin left out that small bit of information.
”Oh yeah, the assistant that was with me was also very surprised... I guess this really is not very common...”
”We... We should go now...”
Dalla grabbed Evlin by the hand and started to walk towards the cabin.
”Dalla, is eveything ok...? You look tense... ”
”Evlin... Is what you just said to me true? You were ranked as an expert class?”
”That's what the guy that was evaluating me said... I didn't even know ranks were a thing until a couple minutes ago...”
”Evlin... There has never been an expert-rank below the age of twenty-five before.”
”...! Really... ?”
”You will receive your wand or staff from the royal family in three days right? Do not go there... If they find out about you, they will never let you go!”
”... Oh God... What have i done!!”
”If you go to get your wand, they will never let you return home ever again. Such a small girl with this much skill... They will exploit you for the rest of your life, even if you are just fourteen... ”
”Ugh... I told them i was twelve...”
”Evlin!!??”
”I wanted to show off a bit!! I'm sorry!”
”... You are not receiving the wand, are you?”
”I need to become a mage!”
”Why?”
”So i can repay you!!”
”Repay... You took this exam for me??”
”Well... Also because i wanted to see if it would help me return home... But you just have been so nice to me these last few days, i wanted to show i appreciate all you've done!”
”By almost killing yourself?”
”... You would have done the same...I know you would...”
”...”
”You found me on the verge of death right outside the castle's door. You must have known that i was being chased by the royal family! And yet you still took care of me despite me being a total stranger when you could have just sold me out and received some kind of reward for it! You risked yourself for me! Why can't i risk myself for you?”
”Because... You! Are! A! Kid!! You don't know what could happen to you! They could turn you into their slave! Or maybe worse! I'm an old lady who can probably still live for only ten years or less... You still have your whole life ahead of you!”
”What's the point of living if i am not doing anything important with it?? You want me to just stay inside your cabin for the rest of my life letting you take care of me?”
”Yes!!!”
”...!?”
”At least then you would be safe...”
”...”
”I don't want to repeat the same mistake again... ”
Evlin wanted to ask what did she mean by mistake but she assumed it could be a painful memory and decided not to dig it deeper. She did the same thing when she told Dalla that she had realized she wasn't at home anymore when they first met, and Dalla responded that she ”knew the feeling”. Dalla's life was probably much harder than she was letting it out to be. Evlin didn't know how to approach this kind of situation. Comforting people in pain was never her strongest skill. When her sister's cat died and she locked herself in the room for the whole day Evlin had no idea what to say to her. She didn't know what was the secret to fix broken feelings. The only thing she could do was try to reassure Dalla that nothing bad was going to happen.
”I will be fine!”
”And what if you're wrong!?”
”The examiner told me i was a genius, therefore i am never wrong! He he!”
Evlin tried to smile to the now teary-eyed Dalla and the two shared a hug.
Three days had passed, and it was time for Evlin to meet the prince and receive her wand.