While Eric was busy thinking about various things, Elara was silently waiting for a 'thanks' for her promise to get Lysandra's help, but Eric stayed quiet.
So, she peeked at Eric a number of times, but he seemed to have gone completely quiet, almost as if their conversation had ended…
Elara panicked. She wished to know more about him, but if he stayed quiet, how would she make the conversation flow and know more about him?
What he liked, disliked—d-does he like more exposed outfits like her shameless mother, o-or just the way she was...
Elara had tons of things she wanted to ask and know about Eric.
Now that she recalled, she grew furious over Lysandra wearing such shameless inner garments in front of Eric! But leaving that aside for now, she also didn't know how to make the conversation flow.
She panicked while thinking that Eric had lost interest in her altogether.
No! She had to do something!
Elara quickly started thinking of all the storybooks she had read in the past, especially the romance ones.
After staying quiet for a long time—and Eric also being quiet—Elara asked while stammering, "S-So E-Eric, d-do you have any hobbies?"
Eric came out of his thoughts and realized that he had been completely ignoring his new diabetes-giving Angel!
'So, she wishes to know about my hobbies? Do I even have one?'
After thinking for a few seconds, Eric shrugged. "No, I don't have any, but passion—yes."
Elara's eyes brightened. Here it came—a chance for conversation flow!
She quickly asked, "W-what is Eric's passion?"
Eric chuckled while putting his hands behind him for support, then gazed upward toward the 'gorgeous' gloomy clouds, and answered with a smile, "I wish to travel the world, enjoy and live freely, and have fun, I guess..."
He wondered if creating chaos and destruction around the world was considered having fun or spreading love.
Elara grew excited hearing Eric's answer, as she also shared a similar passion!
She swiftly replied with her melodious voice, "I-I also have a similar passion and interest!"
Just like Eric, Elara also put her hands behind her and gazed toward the sky, continuing with her angelic voice, "I wish to become as strong as my mother and also travel and explore fantastic places that I have read and heard about in books or through rumors. I also want to be a doctor, so I can heal myself and others... I just don't want to be helpless."
She sighed with sadness and continued, "But no matter how much I try, I cannot become a Mana Wielder for some unknown reason. I am now far too behind my friends and everyone else..."
Her eyes turned wet.
All elves have longer lifespans compared to many races, but Elara didn't care about that or about living longer.
She had trained extensively, but as time passed, she grew more and more depressed watching all her friends walking far ahead of her. She had even dreamed of becoming a Mystical Knight, but that was a much slower-progressing path than the other two pathways—and due to this, she would be even further behind her friends even if she became a Mana Wielder now. This made her even more depressed and lost.
Riya took the chance and immediately screamed with delight, "See! See! Brother Eric~ both of you are simply made for each other! Both of your interests match, so how about you two also try matching lips together and let me experience those diabetes-giving lips?"
Eric ignored the black-haired girl's babbling. These days, it was all about green—the world needed more green!
He coughed and couldn't help but ask, "Elara, you mentioned your friends. How far have the young adults reached in terms of 'Ranks' or 'Spiritual Base,' as they call it?"
He was quite curious—after all, he was far behind compared to his age group according to Lyria and Livy—but he wasn't too bothered, as he wasn't in any race with anyone.
Elara answered with the same dejected tone, "Noble and wealthy families' children often become Mana Wielders by age 6 or 8, but depending on which path one chooses, the higher their Ranks usually are."
"Warriors progress slightly faster than Mages in terms of speed, and Mystical Knights are the slowest despite having far higher Constitution stats than the other two."
She sighed with despondence.
"My past friends and acquaintances—who are Warriors and Mages—have already reached Rank 2 and are speeding toward mid-stage or late-stage Rank 2. Only a few of them are Mystical Knights, but they will probably reach Rank 2 in another year or two."
"Sigh... I feel so defeated that everyone is reaching such high Ranks, and I haven't even become a Mana Wielder. I feel like giving up all hopes and dreams."
Elara was truly depressed. She, being the youngest princess of an entire continent—and still stuck as a mortal—was a huge insult to herself.
The dejection Elara held in her heart was enormous, and even if she ignored her identity—which she didn't really care about—just the fact that all her age-group High Elves were so high in Ranks meant that even if she became a Mana Wielder at this moment, she would always be stuck looking up to them, never able to see them eye to eye.
Eric glanced at Elara strangely as she suddenly sounded very downhearted—unlike a few moments ago—so he asked with confusion, "Are you hopeless about becoming a Mana Wielder? Can't your mother help?"
Elara, still gazing at the sky, shook her head gently and replied in a soft voice, "No, my mother said she has already found a way, and soon I can become one."
'Hm... now that I think, what about Eric?'
Elara suddenly felt that all her past dreams were no longer that important—as she just wished to stay beside Eric, and didn't even care if she died just as a mortal.
Eric was internally amazed by the world's Mana Wielders' age groups.
He wondered—if he became a Mana Wielder now, would his friends be little children aged 6 or 8?
Interesting... He could corrupt their minds while they were young!
Eric turned toward the depressed Elara and asked with genuine curiosity, "You said you wish to become stronger, an explorer, and a doctor. But you never said you wanted to compete with others on being at the top?"
He wondered if Elara was planning to become some sort of future champion or something. As for himself, he was least interested in targeting that position—but he would definitely clap his hands and cheer for Elara if she wanted to become one.
Not only her—Eric would definitely cheer for others too, as they somewhat looked like clowns to him.
Elara was startled. She quickly shook her head, "I have no interest in competing with anyone. My goals and interests are just the ones you mentioned."
Hearing that, Eric stared at Elara even more strangely.
"Then why are you so sad about being behind others in terms of Rank? Let them be in whichever Rank they like. As long as you are enjoying your own life and dreams, what does it matter if you are slower than others?"
Eric was just curious about others' Ranks—but he personally was least interested in comparing himself with others on who was fastest or slowest. Life should be about self-pursuit.
For fun, he might joke around and act 'jealous' and compete with others—but in the end, it was all about his own personal life journey. He didn't care even if he was last of everyone.
Anyone whose life was all about comparing themselves with others was living in their own self-made sickness. One day, that sickness would explode—and they would eventually grow frustrated and want to do vile things directly or indirectly, either being aware of it or by trying to play ignorant. This was inevitable.
Doing evil due to sadness and loneliness in one's heart was too pitiful and stupid. They were just too pathetic. Unlike him—who just wanted to do evil for no good reason! He belonged to the real class of villains! Not like those tragic villains!
Elara completely froze. She suddenly felt as if someone had poured a bucket filled with cold water over her head.
'That's right! Is there any reason for me to compete with my friends and others? Let them proceed at whichever speed they like. Since my goals were nothing about being the best, who cares about others' acknowledgments or accomplishments? I have no reason to compare myself with others!'
Elara's eyes widened with realization.
The more she thought, the more she realized that she had subconsciously gone down the path of comparing—and that was why she was so sad and despondent. Not because she couldn't become a Mana Wielder—but because she was behind others!
Her eyes teared up. She felt Eric had just blasted away all the negative thoughts and feelings she had been holding for so long—as if the darkness had been blasted away and the sun had risen brightly inside her heart.
Eric was speechless. He wasn't even trying to bully the girl—but she was still tearing up! It seemed he was truly destined to be the evil villain—fantastic!
Lysandra, who was listening to Eric and Elara's conversation from far away, felt strangely emotional.
She had suddenly recalled an old friend who had also triggered her instinct in the past. That woman had also lived just like that—largely because she was dumb and a pervert.
Till her 30 years of age, she remained at Rank 1 and played with many men for fun. She was very casual with her own lifestyle, with no big goals.
After a tragedy struck her family—she lost her home, and everyone in her family died—but she still didn't turn depressed. She clumsily started roaming around the world—and before she herself noticed, she had become the strongest swordsman in the world.
Even now, she was fairly casual with her life and didn't care about such titles. Although she no longer slept around with men, she also never hid her past.
And comically, people around the world vehemently argued that others were just making lies about such a 'goddess's' past. It was funny—but overall, she was just like what Eric had mentioned. She had never compared herself with others—and just focused on cutting everything in her path with no hesitation or doubts—almost like she didn't care about anything else, even her own life or pains, when she fought.
That woman was no longer dumb or clumsy—but she also didn't become competitive. Even now, she dueled with children quite seriously—as if she was learning even from an ant's battle.
Lysandra shook her head. She somehow didn't feel surprised about that mentality from Eric.
She dropped thinking about the past and focused on what she could do for Eric before leaving—as time was ticking. And although it was hopeless, she still wanted to do the best she could for Celestia.
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