Ellie shuddered and lowered her head as far as she could. Turmoil surged through her heart... Of course she understood what the Mage meant.
Only a Grand Sage could be so unconcerned with the great families and powerful organizations that wielded the might of entire nations!
Damn it! He was a Grand Sage!
What had she done? How had she dared to ask that of him?
Wait...
Only then did Ellie realize something else. Even if it was only in name, the man who allowed her to call him teacher was a Grand Sage!
Linde might be even more disappointed by that revelation.
But Ellie felt a rush of excitement from the soles of her feet to the top of her head!
If she had not caught sight of her younger brother, who seemed to be staring at the villa with his head tilted, delight might have spread across her face!
She quickly reined it in, though, as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head. If she had been better, smarter, would Teacher Belfran have valued her more?
Instead, she had tried to recommend someone even an Intermediate Magus would turn down to a Grand Sage!
Ellie's thoughts raced as she considered how to propose an apology to the earl when she got back. Respectfully, she said, "I will relay today's conversation to my father exactly as it happened.
"But I swear by Oaisis!
"From the beginning, my father, Earl Ster, never considered asking anything so outrageous of you.
"He only hoped to ask for your help getting around the Mage Pact.
"It was me. I was too greedy... As his older sister, I couldn't bear to see the disappointment in my brother's eyes.
"I will reflect on how presumptuous I've been."
Ellie soon understood