Chapter 179 - The High Elf Professor Visits My Home

  Chloe Evenhart:

  We were at home, and tomorroould have to return to the academy. Yesterday's outing was a lot of fu to visit some tourist spots around the city. There was even a tour showg the magical factories iion, but unfortunately, we couldn't attend si required prior booking, and the weekends were alacked.

  While we were resting at home, I reflected on the versation I had with my aunt about how to handle my feelings for Nate. I thought about inviting him to visit a shop with me, but before I could, it was already time to leave. Aunt Katie had been visibly worried wheiced a strand of silver hair on his head.

  Ba the fort of our home, I spent some time talking with Kinue about the academy. Finally, we maain the closeness we had before. For a long time, Kinue had remained distant, only unig with us through letters, but now, the three of us were reunited once again.

  My friend had always been very shy around strangers, but after living with us at the castle, she had learo open up a bit more. Martha, inspired by the lunch we had at the restaurant, prepared a special pork dish for dinner, which even Cyl wao partake in. She didn’t o eat much siabilizing her dition, but I suspected she ate more for pleasure than y.

  “How did this happen, Adrihna?” Aunt Katie paervously around the room, clearly worried.

  We were all in the living room while Professor Adrihna examined Nathan's hair.

  “It’s much worse... I never imagi would turn out like this,” the professor said, running her fihrough his hair.

  “The dye was supposed to solve the problem, but it seems it only made things worse. When I checked yesterday, it wasn’t this bad. Now there’s a rge patch of silver strands, more than before,” Aunt Katie added.

  Nathan remained silent, allowing the professor to duct her examination. Adrihna was using her special eyes to assess his body, even toug the spot where his Mana Gem was located.

  “Katherihis is o me, so my diagnosis isn't final,” the professan.

  Aunt Katie sighed and sat down, trying to calm herself.

  “Were you able to figure out what’s happening?” she asked.

  I watched the two of them, trying to better uand the seriousness of the situation. We k wasn’t time for Nathan to reveal his silver hair yet, but I didn’t fully grasp why. Aunt Katie had once expio Kinue ahat there were prohibitions against retionships between nobles from different kingdoms, depending on their positions. However, one of their aors had broken that rule to run away with the person they loved.

  I found the story a bit romantic…

  I learhat Nathan was in a plicated situation because he beloo two different politiobilities, and they were trying to annouhis to the other kingdoms in a way that wouldn’t seem like a political move. Unlike Aunt Katie and Kinue, who had only ied the abilities, he had ied not only the skills but also the silver hair of the High Elves, which could reveal his identity before any diplomatic agreements were made.

  “Why has Nate’s hair turned silver again so quickly?” Kinue asked, watg the professor adjust her monocle and pce her hand on his abdomen.

  Professor Adrihna could really stop toug him so much… She may be nearly 200 years old, but to us, she looks young, and on top of that, she’s very beautiful…

  I chuckled internally, realizing I had just thought that.

  “The hair of High Elves is silver due to the differen our mana. Just as demi-humans have distinimal traits, like ears and tails that reflect their species, on elves have pointed ears. But High Elves, besides having pointed ears, also have silver hair. This is part of the intrinsic biology of our race, and there’s no way to ge that. I didn’t know the dye would lose its effect so quickly. No High Elf has ever dyed their hair before, so we had no knowledge this could happen,” the professor expined.

  Professor Adrihna stood up, letting her usually tied-up hair fall loose. The long, silver-gray strands cascaded down, and they were so stunning that even I felt a tinge of envy. In that moment, my teacher truly looked radiant.

  She’s really beautiful…

  "The truth is, this isn’t hair," she said, catg everyone off guard.

  "What do you mean?" Nathan asked, fused.

  Adrihna held a strand of her hair between her fingers.

  "Look at how ‘perfect’ it is by human standards. It always looks fwless, even when ‘dirty.’ That’s because our hair is, in fact, mana els."

  The revetion intrigued us all.

  "That’s never beeioned in css..." I murmured, feeling even more curious.

  The professor smiled, shaking her head slightly.

  "It’s a little secret reserved for our species. We don’t talk about it with just anyone. What happens is that our hair is actually physical extensions of mana els, whistead of flowing invisibly through the soul, have bee physical in a part of us—our hair—being part of our bodies. That’s why it always looks beautiful. It reflects our spiritual e to mana," she expined.

  Nathan and I exged fused grying to process this new information.

  "We, High Elves, are known for our ‘mystical’ appearance. Remember, Nathan, when I told you that all of our race are mages? This is because of our deep retionship with mana. We live far lohan other races because this e nourishes us in a unique way. Our hair is part of this bond, a physical maion of our spiritual nature. It’s said that inally, we were nature spirits who took on physical forms over time. But those are just legends about the in of our species. Keep in mind, this is a closely guarded secret among High Elves. Guard this information well. I mentio only to expin why human logi’t always apply to Nathan, as he ied this ‘mystical’ side. This was one of the reasons the dye failed."

  Aunt Katie pced both hands on her face.

  "There’s also something peculiar that might have worsehe situation," Professor Adrihna added.

  "What could have worse?" Nathan asked, while Aunt Katie also looked at the professor, anxious for answers.

  The professor approached, pointing to Nathan’s eyes. "That little thing on your face," she said, indig Nathan’s special eyes.

  Adrihna adjusted her monocle and pced her hand on Nathan’s stomach, moving it upward toward his head.

  "Because of these special eyes, there’s a mana el directly eg the gem to your brain. As I mentioned before, the hair of High Elves is silver due to our exclusive mana. This gives us our unique elements and distinct appearance."

  "What does that mean?" Aunt Katie asked.

  "He’s a hybrid between our races and possesses the mana of a High Elf," Adrihna expined. "When he awakened his magid mana began cirg through his body, the process of abs mana through the body and hair started. It’s causing physical ges, making his skin lighter than that of humans. However, the pathway formed by the gem to Nathan’s special eyes is accelerating how his bck hair absorbs his elven mana."

  Adrihna sat down in an armchair, lighting a pipe with a small fliagic.

  "And now?" Nathan asked, trying to grasp the implications.

  "The solution is to increase the frequency of the dye application, as your mgested," the professor replied. "The magical dye lost its effect because your hair is being influenced by the mana of our species. It may seem dire, but this is only temporary until your situation is resolved."

  Aunt Katie looked at his hair, her face serious. "I hope this matter gets resolved soon."

  "We have a small problem..." Nathan said hesitantly.

  "roblem?" Aunt Katie asked.

  Professor Adrihna stood up, seeming to already know the answer. "I imagi’s about your military task," she said, adjusting her monocle.

  "I had fotten about that," Aunt Katie murmured.

  "Why did the headmistress assign us to that?" Nathan asked. "From what I uand, I’ll have to spend part of my free time at the academy iing with people we’re trying to avoid."

  Adrih out a soft ugh. "I’m against it too, but it’s mandatory for nobles in your position. The headmistress couldn’t just ig because of oudent. ging an academy tradition or pulling you out without raising suspi would be impossible. The best way was to act as if everything is normal, so when your existence is revealed, it appears ral and impartial."

  Aunt Katie fixed her gaze on Nathan. "Don’t draw attention, Nate."

  She’s really telling him that? I bet he’ll get involved in some kind of trouble, hehe.

  She turo the professor. "What exactly will they be doing?"

  "The selected nobles will serve as part of Princess Era’s small special troop. It’s also a leadership training exercise for the princess. Iure, she’s expected to bee a General," Adrihna expined.

  "A General?" Nathaed, surprised, before sitting down to process the information.

  "They pn to give her a higher position in the army as she gains experiend achieves some notable aplishments," Adrihna cluded.

  "Meow," Cyl appeared and jumped into Nathan’s p.

  "So it’s true!" Professor Adrihna excimed, approag with curiosity. "You really have a little panther."

  As Adrihna got closer, Cyl started pining, making the professh.

  "The headmistress told me, and I had to pretend to be surprised. Is she the cub of that panther you have?" Adrihna asked, exging gnces with everyone.

  Right, the professor doesn’t know that the kitten is actually Cyl.

  "Raising a cub like that requires a lot of responsibility, and I’ve heard they eat a lot of meat," Adrihna ented.

  Nathan looked at the little cat in his p aed her. "This os way too much meat..."

  We expio the professor that the supposed Moon Panther cub was actually the mischievous bird she often saw flying through the hallways and occasionally stealing our food.

  As the versation tinued, Aunt Katie started to rex. When the professor finished examining Nathan’s hair, my aunt began preparing the dye. She asked if Adrihna wao help, but the High Elf visibly tensed and said that doing so would be some sort of cultural crime. She even sidered leaving to avoid witnessing the se.

  I g Nate, who was being dragged off to soak his hair in cold water, and couldn’t hold back a ugh.

  "Auntie! You fot I gee water and make it really cold with ice?" I suggested with a mischievous smile.

  "Don’t give her any ideas, Chloe!" Nate protested.

  Ah, time for a little payback... for being so deh me.

  "Great idea, Chloe! With your help, this will go much faster. Nathan, take off your shirt so it doesn’t get stained," Aunt Katie said.

  "He’s taking off his shirt!?" Kinue asked, clearly flustered.

  I started feeling embarrassed too.

  "Meow," Cyl hid her fa her paws, as if she didn’t want to watch.

  I looked at the cat and whispered, "I saw you peeking..." Cyl jumped nervously, giving herself away.