As a mother who loved her daughter more than anyone else in the world, Clara could already see the path unfolding. With Kraven's support, Elara would not merely remain a prodigy. She would rise.
Peak Sovereign would become a stepping stone rather than a destination. Arch Mage would follow. And beyond that, the distant threshold of Grand Mage would no longer be a dream reserved for the most ancient monsters of the continent. It would become a realistic future.
The image was so vivid it made Clara's chest flutter.
However...
A small, private part of her felt a quiet sadness that she herself would never fully experience that endless breakthrough. The brief taste she received today was enough to show her what was possible.
Yet the feeling lasted only a moment. If the choice stood between her own advancement and Elara's future, there was no real choice at all.
If it is for my daughter, she thought, then I must make certain the betrothal moves forward.
