Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2486: Time Rule Dementia

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Central Region, Central Academic City, Morningstar University District, Morningstar University Campus, Garden of Beginning

”Young man, this is not melodrama. I have no idea why you have such a low impression of Morningstar University, but if we were as villainous and domineering as you make us out to be, do you think we need to resort to such tricks? Believe me, there are a lot simpler and direct ways we would resort to before even thinking of using the time vestige to hide our crimes,” Lucine remarked with a smirk.

Something about the way she said what she said made me feel that she was speaking from experience. Considering that she was the 3rd dean of Morningstar University, she was the dean somewhere during the demon invasion and the monster mayhem, the times back then were chaotic and totally different from the peaceful times like now.

Lucine proved a tough opponent to read, I will just have to ask her directly, ”Why are you keeping Auntie Denise from her daughter? Don’t act like you don’t know what I am talking about. With your power and influence, you could easily get Auntie Denise enough privilege to move to the central academic city and live with her daughter. Yet, you didn’t. Why?”

”Isn’t it obvious? I don’t like to share. I want Ahalya all to myself. She is my dearest daughter and disciple. If it were up to me, I would have never allowed to contact her birth mother, let alone periodically,” Lucine answered honestly, knowing that the young man before her had keen eyes and would not buy anything but the truth. If not for the sake of the temporal anchor, she wouldn’t have bothered to bluff earlier either. She thought lying was beneath someone of her status and wisdom.

”Woah, you are surprisingly honest. That makes things easier for me but bad for you because I am here to help Ahalya reunite with her mother,” I informed, having deduced Lucine had no idea who I am, let alone why I was here. I had no idea how someone in her field wouldn’t know who I am. Was I overestimating myself or was Lucine living in a bubble?

I also kept an eye on Dean Faust’s expression. He appeared indifferent, but his eyes gave him away. They seem to look at Lucine in reverence but occasionally in pity too, especially when she spoke.

”Reunite, Why? Ahalya is a grown woman. She can decide for herself. If she wants to meet her birth mother, she will. She doesn’t need you to help her,” Lucine refuted, looking at me as if looking at a fool.

’What’s going on here?’ I couldn’t help but ask myself. Clearly, I was missing something here. Because, from Lucine’s response and reaction, it seemed like Ahalya wasn’t being kept in Morningstar University against her will. Talking to Lucine painted a totally different picture compared to when talking with Dean Faust or Chief Denise or what Hive Spirit found during its due diligence.

Seeing me glance at him suspiciously, Dean Faust came forward and finally spoke up, ”Madam, don’t waste your breath on that fool. Leave that troublemaker to us.”

”Sam, I would love to do that, but we can’t take any chances with the temporal anchor. Especially, when there are still our people in the past,” Lucine rejected Dean Faust’s suggestion as she was worried for her disciple/daughter’s life.

As for the time vestige. Even if it was lost in time, it will eventually find its way back home, the garden of beginning. The artificial field dungeon was built on the site where the time vestige was first discovered. Its founders believed that the time vestige would help complete and support the ’garden of beginning’ for ages to come.

”Fuck!” I exclaimed in shock after I used my primordial soul pupils to observe Lucine and, to my dismay, I found that most of her soul pathways and arrangement of her head were missing — no — in the past. Making it past that, I tried to understand how she was even alive. Only to learn that she was suffering from something similar to dementia. That explains it. Though it was surprising that Morningstar University had not only kept her around but still revered her, It could be seen in the way Dean Faust and the demigods surrounding me looked at her.

I mean, in times when one’s own family can’t be trusted, this woman, Lucine, had an entire organization caring for her. And from the looks of it, they seemed to be doing it out of genuine gratitude and reverence, and not out of any ulterior motives. This was what I wanted and had been seeking and building towards. Somehow, this female card apprentice before me had achieved it.

Yes, I envied her.

”Young man,” Lucine uttered aloud with a stern stare in response to me cussing.

”Ma’am, don’t get excited. Please head back to your work. Don’t waste your precious time on these small squabbles. I promise you I will not do anything to the temporal anchor as long as they don’t force me,” I assured, seeing the more Lucine got excited, the more of her soul pathways moved to the past.

Listening to my words, Dean Faust and other demigod staff of Morningstar University were astonished. They looked at me in shock, realizing that I knew what was wrong with their ex-dean Lucine.

Now that I knew I was dealing with a patient, I couldn’t help but take a step back. Regardless of Lucine’s past, she was now a loon. I didn’t bully loons. Ask Corey if you don’t believe me.

I swear ever since I arrived here, nothing was going according to my plan. First Dean Faust with his laid back and easygoing welcome and now Lucine with her time rule dementia. These guys were really making it hard for me to step on them and announce to the world ‌my plans for the Southern Academic City starting next academic year.