"Gwyn? What are you doing here?" Obol asked, looking at Mohg with a look of pure surprise.
"Uh, Sellen called me over to assist with some magical research."
"Ah, Sorceress Sellen..." Obol nodded slowly, an expression of "that makes sense" appearing on his face.
"Is there something special about her?"
"Nothing bad. It's just that she is an exceptionally gifted sorceress. It won't be long before she earns the title of 'Witch' and receives honors from the Academy. Currently, she serves as a lecturer. In a sense, we should all be calling her Teacher Sellen."
Obol offered this brief explanation before bidding Mohg farewell and heading off in another direction, seemingly occupied with other business.
Mohg was more than happy to be left alone. It gave him the perfect opportunity to wander the Academy grounds.
Right now, the classrooms within the schoolhouse were remarkably empty; not a soul was in sight. This allowed Mohg to pass through easily and reach the Academy's central plaza. Aside from a few passing sorcerers, there were also several commoners present.
They appeared to be workers recruited by the Academy to handle menial tasks—trimming the weeds and hedges or maintaining the various stone structures.
From his vantage point, Mohg could see the full span of the nearby bridge. It stretched down toward the lower reaches of the Academy, which looked like an entirely different campus sector. At the far end stood a familiar set of massive doors—the only path leading to the Grand Library.
Two sorcerers wearing Twinsage Glintstone Crowns stood guard at the entrance. Mohg surmised that one likely needed a certain level of status or clearance to pass through.
After committing the positions of the guards to memory, Mohg continued his exploration of the Academy's interior.
Unlike the version he remembered from the game, the Academy before him was a sprawling, labyrinthine complex. There were countless classrooms, private chambers, archives, and laboratories. Many areas were strictly off-limits to him for now.
However, thanks to his current "apprentice" status and the fact that he had just joined, the sorcerers guarding these zones didn't give him much trouble as long as he didn't do anything too egregious.
The only exception was the area guarded by the sorcerers of the Haima Conspectus.
Mohg made a conscious effort to avoid those magical "muscle-heads." In his eyes, aside from the top-tier powerhouses, these were the most troublesome sorcerers to deal with in the entire Academy.
He also noticed frequent signs of the Carian military's presence. Their stationed areas weren't numerous; they mostly focused on patrols, and even then, they stuck to specific routes. It seemed a clear agreement existed between the Academy and the Carian Royal Family, carving the territory into distinct jurisdictions.
I wonder where my mother-in-law is right now... The Grand Library? Probably not.
After all, even in the game, the Grand Library was where the Academy eventually imprisoned Rennala, not where she lived day-to-day. As the current head of the Academy, the most likely place for her to be was the Academy Head's office.
Identifying Rennala's exact location was his top priority. If that powerhouse was currently on the grounds, he would need to be extremely careful with his schemes.
Fighting her was out of the question. She was a woman capable of standing toe-to-toe with Radagon and the Golden Tree's expansionist armies. Him? Challenge her? Don't be ridiculous... I have no desire to be flattened into a two-dimensional sheet by a single Full Moon spell.
His goals for entering the Academy were twofold: acquire more magic and see if he could scout some potential allies or subordinates.
Suddenly, a wave of commotion rippled through the Academy. Mohg's interest was piqued, and he followed the gathering crowd.
Before long, the flow of people led him to a vast, open courtyard. To be honest, he hadn't realized the Academy possessed such a wide-open space outside of the main plaza. But looking at the layout, it made sense; it was an ideal spot for celestial observation. It was likely built at the behest of the Carian Royal Family.
None of that mattered, however. What mattered was the tall female knight in silver armor standing at the very center of the courtyard!
With a single glance, Mohg recognized her. It was none other than the sister of Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon—the "Twin Moon Knight," Rellana!
But why is she here at the Academy? This doesn't seem right...
Suddenly, Rellana's gaze locked onto Mohg like a radar. This abrupt eye contact made Mohg's heart skip a beat.
He could swear he had never been this nervous in his life. In a sense, this was the closest he had ever come to a "Game Over." If the Twin Moon Knight sensed anything amiss about him, he didn't believe for a second that he had the power to escape the Academy alive.
Fortunately, she only spared him a momentary glance before looking away.
At that moment, the Academy's Vice Head, Ward, came scurrying out of the teaching building, breathless as he approached Rellana.
"Your Highness Rellana, may I ask what brings you here so suddenly?"
Rellana looked down at Ward and spoke slowly. "I am here for one thing only: to notify the Academy that you are to dispatch sorcerers to participate in the coming war. I require no less than half of your numbers."
Gasp—!
The crowd erupted into an immediate uproar. Voices filled with indignation and doubt rose from every corner, questioning the decision.
A look of profound difficulty crossed Ward's face. Internally, he was cursing Rennala's name. He would much rather face the direct pressure of the Queen herself than try to negotiate with Rellana.
The reason was simple: Rellana didn't negotiate. She acted.
She wore armor with immense resistance to magic, and her mastery of both swordsmanship and sorcery was peerless. Couple that with the fact that the Lazuli Conspectus, the Carian soldiers, and the Carian Knights within the Academy were all loyal to her...
If things turned violent, Ward didn't even want to imagine the outcome. Rennala was rational; she wouldn't resort to such extremes. But Rellana... though she was usually sensible, she was prone to "episodes" where her patience snapped.
"SILENCE!"
Seeing that the crowd refused to quiet down, Rellana's expression turned cold. She instantly drew one of the longswords from her waist and swung it toward the ground.
A wave of deep blue magical energy erupted, carving a terrifying fissure into the flat stone courtyard in an instant. The lingering mana continued to hiss and crackle as it dissipated.
The crowd fell silent immediately.
"I am not here to debate," Rellana said, her voice like ice. "I am here to issue an order. All you need to do... is obey!"
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Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (369 Chapters – Ongoing)
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