I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 230

Chapter 83: Janthea’s Wish

Today, the Adventurers’ Guild was as noisy and bustling as ever.

Amid the crowd, a woman in an exquisite robe, with flowing green hair, stood alone in a quiet corner of the guild, gazing at the wall covered in memories of adventurers long gone.

Specifically, she was looking at a broken harp.

That was the relic of Ain Violet, her late husband.

It was one of the few memories she had of him.

Ain had requested that this harp, which accompanied him for half a lifetime, be left in the Adventurers’ Guild he so loved—the very place where their love story began.

Adventurers of all shapes and sizes hurried past, some carefree and others curious, much like Janthea herself when she first came here, filled with excitement and a bit of nervousness.

Yet, under her concealed extraordinary powers, no one noticed the stunning elf standing there.

Janthea slowly fixed her gaze on a corner, lost in thought, as if she was back in the past.

She saw her handsome lover playing a lyrical tune and that dark-haired, dark-eyed friend who was always offbeat.

That feeling of familiarity from her youth was now a nostalgic memory, forever lost to her.

“Janthea, you could have let me know before you arrived. I would have come to greet you personally.”

As a gentle, aged voice echoed in her ears, Janthea turned around, finding no trace of longing in her eyes, nor the innocence and naivety of her youth.

She had transformed back into the leader of the elf descendants, the chair of the Verdant Council.

The newcomer was a kind old man with a staff, draped in gray robes, white hair, and beard. He resembled the friendly grandpa from fairy tales, yet stood on par with any great mage of his time.

The headmaster of the Academy of Magic, her mentor, the legendary grand mage who participated in the victory against the Demon Race during the Third Mage Tide—Sage Booker.

He too had the means to hide his presence, enough to make the entire guild overlook him.

Booker looked up at the broken harp on the wall, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his gray eyes, reminiscent of Nia.

Ain had been his most outstanding and proudest pupil.

But in Janthea’s cold eyes, there was no trace of respect, only a hint of distance.

“You could have at least told me about Nia, but you didn’t.”

“What? A legendary grand mage, the hero who led humanity to victory against the Demon Race, can’t even see through a little girl’s disguise?”

Booker remained calm, smiling mildly: “That child is quite exceptional; she should stay at the academy for further study.”

“Even if she’s sneaking across borders, forging identities, just a naïve child?” Janthea raised an eyebrow, her tone laced with mockery.

Booker stroked his beard and shook his head slowly: “I’d rather call it cleverness.”

“Perhaps you could be a little more lenient in your discipline, and not force her to do what she doesn’t wish to.” The old man offered his advice gently.

But Janthea’s brows furrowed, glaring at him, coldly retorting: “Maybe you could respect a mother’s decision and not meddle in her family matters.”

Seeing the old man silent, Janthea pressed on: “You know well that Nia shouldn’t be showing herself so freely. I’m doing this to protect her.”

Booker understood precisely what Janthea was implying.

This was no mere scare tactic.

The more powerful the bloodline, the more it drew the envy and greed of sinister individuals, and the Forest Elf lineage was particularly intense in this regard.

As a mother, Janthea’s concern was entirely justified.

But after a moment’s silence, Booker still offered his advice.

“You can’t protect her forever.”

Janthea’s fingertips trembled slightly.

“Sometimes, eagles have to drop their eaglets from a cliff to teach them how to fly. I’m not saying you should do that, but that child is bold and gifted; keeping her in the nest will only bury her potential to soar freely in the sky.”

It was a simple truth.

Booker didn’t believe she didn’t understand.

Yet this heartfelt counsel neither moved her nor eased her frown.

“Is that all you wanted to say?”

Impatience flickered on Janthea’s face.

Booker’s brow finally furrowed.

“Janthea, as long as she’s at the academy, I can ensure her safety. Children need to be tested to grow, just like Ain…”

“Ain is dead!”

In an instant, winds roared and lightning flashed.

A horrific surge of extraordinary energy swept through the guild like a sudden hurricane, causing the entire building to tremble as if it might crumble at any moment.

The wave passed in an instant, and Janthea quickly reined in the terrifying aura.

The once peaceful morning was thrown into chaos.

Frightened adventurers rushed about, searching for the source of the energy, unaware that two high-level extraordinary beings were hiding right under their noses.

But Janthea’s fury did not subside with the extraordinary wave.

“Booker! How dare you even mention his name?!”

“You can’t protect anything! Eighteen years ago, Ain and Rolin both…”

Mid-sentence, Janthea suddenly halted.

She saw her much older mentor, the legendary Veszyra, hanging his head, sadness and loneliness filling his gaze.

The shared pain made it hard for her to continue blaming him, yet the thorn deeply embedded in her heart made it impossible for her to forgive the old man before her.

After a deep sigh, Janthea finally managed a hoarse bitter smile: “I don’t need Nia to grow up; I just want her to live happily.”

Since losing her beloved and dearest friend eighteen years ago, this had become Janthea’s only wish.

————————

The next day, a small celebratory gathering took place outside Roy’s humble abode as scheduled.

There were two things to celebrate: Nia and Roy’s outstanding performance in the combat test, achieving full marks, and the same feat by Alice and Qiao Ke.

It had been nearly three to five years since anyone at the Academy of Magic scored full points, and now they had two at once, which was truly a cause for joy.

However, while full marks were impressive, it wasn’t exactly an honor worthy of a special celebration from the school; at most, they’d announce a commendation.

Since the academy wouldn’t host a celebration, everyone resorted to a private one.

In Roy’s view, these girls just wanted to find an excuse to borrow his venue and enjoy his maid’s cooking.

But he didn’t mind, in fact, he welcomed it.

After all, seeing beautiful girls of various shapes and sizes chatting happily together was certainly a delightful sight.