Chương 341: Epilogue 15. Immortal

Celadon Soul Butterfly tried keeping her aura in check as she waited outside the simple yet exquisitely made doors, the porcelain teacup in her hands clattering somewhat as her nerves nevertheless betrayed her. It was the same as back home, yet still different, much like… Well, everything else here in Vitesse. There were houses, people, flowers, smells, impressions; all vaguely familiar yet so different in scope and nuance.

Even the teacup in her hand, given to her by a nice elf secretary with a kind smile, fit the description as it had a handle as opposed to the more uniform cups Butterfly had drank her tea from back home. Was this all a mistake? No, it couldn't be. She was also way too excited. It was just… Just…

"A bit overwhelming, isn't it?" The voice, deep and rumbling, had come so out of nowhere that Butterfly couldn't hold in a most undignified 'eeep' as she dropped the cup. Fortunately, that was also when her training kicked in, iron-ranked reflexes and many, many hours of drilling with her father, mother and siblings letting her instantly correct her mistake." Sphere of the magister!"

Before the cup and its content could clatter onto the floor, a small sphere of shimmering magic appeared around it all, the porcelain cup blessedly intact as it hadn't gotten the chance to properly gather momentum. Only after having cast her spell and sighing in relief did Butterfly's mind actually catch up with her and inform her that the speaker from just now was probably in the room with her and had then also witnessed all of that.

She could feel herself starting to flush with embarrassment - a cursed trait inherited from her mother - as she slowly started looking up. Yes, there was indeed a pair of slippers there peeking out from beneath the hem of a dark robe sporting embroideries of plants, flowers and other greenery that Butterfly took in as she followed the robes upwards and finally - completely mortified - met the eyes of the man who had spoken.

He was a thick-set fellow with bushy eyebrows and a rich dark beard, and Butterfly immediately recognized that timeless near-perfection of a gold-ranker, given that she had spent so much time around them growing up. And given that the man matched the description she had gotten, it only made her heart sink even more as she truly felt tongue-tied before the man who was supposed to become her teacher.

"I- I'm sorry, I–""Heh. Good reflexes," the man chuckled slightly, eyes twinkling beneath thick eyebrows as he seemed to pretend not to notice her embarrassment.

"They didn't exaggerate then. You do have adventurer training too. Sorry for the scare. This old man has yet to grow bored with his pranks." This all caused Butterfly's mind to finally catch up, and she dove at the opportunity to salvage her dignity like a drowning woman seeing the glimpse of an offered hand just above the surface. Straightening, she cupped her hands and made a proper formal bow, finally managing to introduce herself.

"The student greets her teacher! Celadon Soul Butterfly has arrived. I shall be in your care!" Silence met her, eventually causing Butterfly to glance upward where the man in question had cocked his head as he was observing her.

"Uhm… Teacher?"

"Oh? Oh! Sorry, sorry. I was just taking in this greeting of yours. My studies aren't in the field of culture or sociology, but I still find it fascinating to study the mystery of small manners from around the world. Let me see…" He then cupped his hands - the gold-ranked body of his affording him an enviable grace - as he mimicked Butterfly's bow.

"Then the teacher greets his student…? Is that the correct way to reply?"

"I… Yes. But you aren't supposed to bow as low as me– Oh, sorry Teacher. I didn't mean to offend."

"No worries, no worries," the man said, waving off her concern.

"Honestly, the depth of a bow carrying meaning is a widespread tradition around the world, so I should have figured that out myself. Well, I suppose I didn't properly introduce myself either, even though you already know. Greetings, Celadon Soul Butterfly. My name is Armand Cheval. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Magic Society, and to my little piece of this fine mess of an organization. Come, come. I have cleared a bit of my schedule to welcome you myself.

You did come recommended by a member of my family, after all. Then one of your senior apprentices will handle the rest of your initial orientation. Another cup of tea? While contained, yours does look a bit… All over the place." Thus, Butterfly soon found herself inside the office of Armand Cheval, her teacher. It was… It sure was something.

While the doors looked ordinary, the inside was more a greenhouse than an office, with the two seated amongst spectacular flowers and bushes whose names and properties Butterfly could only imagine.

"I was a bit surprised when I got the request through my family, but it seems that your father made quite the impression on a younger member of the main branch on some of his contracts with the task group," Armand continued, seeming happy to fill the silence as Butterfly simply tried taking it all in.

"As you can see, I am rather far removed from all such business, but my team is always looking for new talents, and your connections and initial vetting did indicate you to be a good match."

"I… Thank you, Teacher. My honored father does try his best to help us get started, even though he has made it quite clear that it is we ourselves who need to start the climb towards the heavens."

"As it should be, even with connections such as ours," Armand nodded approvingly.

"And your little show of spellwork there did show me that you haven't been neglecting your preparations. Sphere of the Magister is a useful one, if applied correctly. From your magic essence?"

"Uhm, yes Teacher."

"Well, I was honestly a bit surprised when I first saw the essences in your application. There aren't many of my apprentices who haven't had at least a plant essence or something similar. We are botanists, after all." The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"I understand, Teacher. Thank you for taking me in anyway. I promise I will do my best to compensate–""And you seem most earnest in your drive to perform," Armand interrupted her kindly.

"That is all well and good, apprentice Butterfly. But that wasn't a mark against you. Some of my best apprentices have found ways to use their less than conventional essences to make great and interesting strides while out in the field performing research. From what I gathered, you also have a few awakening stones shaping your power set more towards nature-aspected mana. Life, magic, renewal, immortal… The immortal confluence must be a boon for any parent.

I would know, as I still worry about my children even though they are well past a hundred years by now." What followed then was a series of rather touching anecdotes that - while probably embarrassing to the now grown children in question - caused Butterfly to gradually start to properly relax into her seat. It felt a lot like listening to her grandfather, just with a different touch. As such, when Armand posed her another question, Butterfly finally didn't startle or tense up.

"Well, listen to me prattling on like that. My apologies. I did want to ask you, apprentice… Why? Why did you hope to come here? Join the Magic Society and follow the path of the botanist? Your parents are both more conventional adventurers, no?"

"Yes, that is true. As are most of my siblings," Butterfly replied, finding her stride a lot more easily.

"But while growing up, one of my aunties - well, she's more like my grandmother in most senses, given how she raised my father and all - she has always had the most wonderful garden. She's an alchemist with the plant essence, and for as long as I could remember I always loved spending my time there, no matter what I was doing. They even found me asleep beneath some bush somewhere more times than I can count…" Butterfly did flush slightly, but given that Armand was only nodding for her to continue, she did.

"So Auntie Dove - that's her, the alchemist - started asking me to help out… And well… I did. A lot. At first I felt a bit lost when nearing the age of being able to absorb my essences as I didn't really know where to start… There were so many paths available to me, after all. But it was during a talk with my grandfather - Grandfather Ardent is a great listener - that I realized that there were ways for me to walk many paths.

I could perhaps be both an adventurer and a botanist, especially after being told of whole branches of the field who did their research almost exclusively out in the wilds… Well, my heart was set. And I do love the thought of cultivating and preserving, Teacher. I was always so sad when some plants did not thrive or did not make it. That was probably why I received a power from my immortal confluence to help preserve things, both people, plants and other things I hold dear. I hope it can be of help."

Part of Butterfly felt embarrassed after letting loose a bit more, but Armand didn't seem to mind. The gold-ranker was even smiling, nodding along.

"Well, apprentice Butterfly, it does seem that you have come to the right place, given that my team and I strive to research ways of preserving dying species of all things plant-related while striving to also help them thrive in other environments. There are so many of them that could mean a world of difference to the people of the world if we could have them grow in greater quantities, especially those not taking well to the more controlled environment of the greenhouse. The immortal confluence…

I had not thought of that. We'll have to make sure to teach you enough for you to be able to help develop new rituals and formations, with your powers acting as clues… Yes… Yes indeed. I do believe that you will be able to find a place among us with ease."

"Dear little Butterfly! How was it? Were they nice to you? Treat you well?" Butterfly had barely stepped inside the door of the inn they were staying at before Auntie Dove swept her up in an embrace. Knowing her auntie, Butterfly knew that it was futile to struggle, and she had to admit that it felt rather nice coming home to something so familiar in a land so far away from home.

"Dear, her aura does feel rather pleased. I am sure everything went splendidly," came the voice of Auntie Crow from the next room, leading to Dove eventually letting go of Butterfly.

"She's right, Auntie Dove," Butterfly confirmed.

"They… They were really nice to me. The teacher, the other apprentices… It sounds amazing too. They go on so many expeditions, and I'll be joining one of the junior teams. They even praised my combat prowess when I was tested, hinting that I might be one of the foremost they have among them."

"Most of them haven't been as widely trained as you, dear," Crow said as she now joined the pair in the hallway, giving Butterfly a much more brief and controlled hug in welcome.

"Some researchers are just that. You probably have much to learn from them."

"I… You're right, Auntie. It was just… I was so nervous, but it did go well. Just imagining all of the projects they have going is making me giddy." The evening continued on that note, with Butterfly answering hundreds of questions from her aunties which helped her process the day. She was really here. She was really an apprentice botanist to Armand Cheval, to be part of his teams. It was so amazing. And terrifying.

However, as she was going to sleep that night, Butterfly found that squeezing Auntie Dove's hand as she came to say goodnight did chase away her fears even though the seventeen year old in her protested that she should have grown out of that by now. That part was thoroughly squashed by the feeling of safety and familiarity though, and Butterfly had enough of her father in her to speak her mind even on such earnest matters.

"Auntie?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Thank you for coming with me."

"Oh, little one. Of course," Dove said, leaning down to hug Butterfly again.

"I wouldn't say moving across the world for a few years for me is that much of a given."

"Well, it was to us," Dove said, tucking away a stray curl of Butterfly's hair that had always refused to be contained by hairpin nor braid.

"Raven is long grown and all caught up in her adventures and experiments. At least The Grove and Kite's contacts there was a good starting point for her craft. Sprite is out doing only gods knows what with Pom and the rest. As are your parents and siblings. We have plenty we'll miss back home, but we would have missed you even more, little Butterfly. Our youngest little chick, now all grown up and on your way. Your parents are lovely, but now that you're all grown they also have their paths to pursue.

Little Kite and his work for the task group and your mother with those students of hers. This venture of yours is even a good opportunity for us to see more of the world and learn from the bright minds here in Vitesse. It's all very exciting even though I feel like a country bumpkin too. Having you here and being a bit of a rock for you to return to now that you're starting out on your path… It helps a bit. Mothering is something Crow and I know, after all. So we should be thanking you too for having us.

The Gods know that some of your siblings would probably have perished on the spot rather than having us or their parents come live with them."

"Auntie! That's not true. They all love you!"

"Oh, they do," Dove laughed.

"And we love them. But some of them need to fly free for a little while. You will probably feel the same at times in the years to come too."

"I doubt it… Everything is just so grand here."

"Well, I still believe you will. And when you do, I hope that you can at least bear with us a bit more and be our rock for a while longer as we too find where our paths will take us next. Do you think you can do that, little Butterfly?"

"Always, Auntie," Butterfly replied, rising to give Dove a hug of her own. It felt so nice to let herself regress just a bit in these moments, to allow herself to just feel small and be held. But she meant what she said too.

"But still, thank you again. Let's be in each others' care then, alright?"