Chương 23: BONDS

Ortis sighed dramatically, throwing his hands up.

"Look, Elara, it's not that I don't want to teach the boy. But as the head of House Mellou, I'm actually quite busy." He folded his hands." Wait, this guy is the head of a House?" Elias looked at his uncle, surprised.

"Our lineage, the House of Mellou, is known for its… active engagement in the world. We have vast arcane libraries to maintain, ancient ley lines to monitor, and certain… delicate political negotiations that require my personal touch." He paused.

"So, no, I can't be a full-time tutor. I have responsibilities, unlike some." He shot a pointed look at Elias.

"Besides," Ortis continued, ignoring Elara's exasperated huff, "for a prodigy, he's a bit… dull. He awakened his Flow, yes, a big bang, very flashy. But he couldn't even sense Aina's Flow. A true prodigy, especially one who awakened so young, should have felt her power even if she used an extremely small amount, and she's practically glowing with it." Lady Elara immediately bristled, shifting closer to Elias.

"Ortis! He's only six! He just awakened! Give him time!"

"Time?" Ortis scoffed, crossing his arms.

"I awakened my Flow when I was barely older than him. And you, Elara, while not as young awakened early as well! It's in our Mellou blood to grasp these things quickly. This boy, however…" He gestured dismissively at Elias.

"It must be the Dukker blood, dulling his senses." Lady Elara's face hardened, her green eyes flashing.

"Don't you dare speak ill of Alaric, Ortis! Or his House! My husband is 'Alaric the Still' for a reason, a master of Flow far beyond your own 'flashy' displays!" Elias, observing the sudden tension, felt a strange mix of annoyance and fascination. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there." So, there's bad blood between the Mellou and Dukker Houses?" he thought.

"Then how on earth did my parents even get married? Was it an arranged thing? A political move? No. They really do love each other despite their crazy families. Even I can tell that much." The thought of his parents' genuine affection made the family feud seem even more absurd. Ortis, seeing Elara's fury, raised his hands in mock surrender.

"I was merely speaking objectively, dear sister. No offense intended." He pushed himself off the chair and stood up.

"Alright, we'll stay for a few days. I'll put him through some basic training. We'll see if he's 'worth it.' That will determine if I waste any more of my precious, busy time." With that, Ortis walked out of the dining hall, presumably to his assigned rooms. Aina followed him, but paused at the door. She turned, her cold eyes meeting Elias's, and a faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched her lips before she continued on. Elias felt a distinct throb in the vein on his temple.

"That smug little…" Lady Elara immediately pulled him into a tight hug.

"Oh, Elias, don't mind your uncle. He doesn't mean all those things. He's…probably just tired from his travels." Elias forced a wobbly, innocent smile.

"It's alright, Mother. I understand." He gently disentangled himself.

"If you'll excuse me, I think I need to… rest." As he walked away, his small back ramrod straight, the innocent smile vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. The servants walking down the hallways and going about their business visibly shivered at the cold aura he exuded, stepping out of his path. Elias didn't notice. He was already planning.