138 Fate

Well if I were in the same place as that hero, I might have done the same too. I know that it was bad to let my emotions get over me but I just can't change this part of myself, no matter how hard I tried. Perhaps, when I reached full adulthood, I might become mature enough to manage my own emotions and not get provoke easily like the current me, thought Sheila. It has been a month or so ever since the day when she had acquired a leveling system, yet it feels like it was just yesterday because of how she was unable to forget such important memory with the help of one passive skill, Photographic Memory.

Thinking back on it, I wonder what would have happened if I simply get a new phone. Would it find another host? Or would it still appear on my new phone? Well, that was just 'what if' situation, though it sounds interesting, I'm glad that I didn't do so. Although I'm still not fully trusting in this whole system, the benefit it gives me was enough to change anyone's life so you won't see me complaining. Though that was what I said in mind, I really wish for my sixth sense to tell me that the danger I felt is not real but, the god deny my wish. Sheila thought while she was listening to the story spoken by Mia. 

"So, if you were given a chance, would you take it? Although the price might be too heavy for you to shoulders. But would you still take this hand of mine?"

Right after Mia has finished telling the tragic tale of a hero, Sheila suddenly stood up before opening her mouth and spoke with a serious tone. When it reached the latter part, Sheila put her right to the front before continuing.

"If you take this hand, I would surely turn you into a full-fledged mage⁠—no, that's too low of a goal. How about this, I will make you into one of the strongest magus in the entire world if you take this hand of mine to follow me by giving your everything. And this, I promised to fulfill it on my name."

Mia stood frozen in place, visibly stunned by the scene happening in front of her. 

"If you think I was simply joking, you can reject the offer, though it would leave me disappointed, I won't blame you. So what do you say?"

Looking at the hand in front of her, Mia falls into deep contemplation. If she agrees to the offer, she would graduate from being an apprentice mage for five years. To conjure a spell, one has to prepare and memorize the chanting like it was in the back of their hand which could be done for anyone so long as they were given time to practice. But there is a rare case where no matter how hard they tried, by some unexplained reason, they were unable to conjure a spell properly. Mia falls into the latter case.

When she was adopted at the age of 10, Mia thought her family was a normal one but later learned that her current parent was actually a real magician like the one in the book. It was merely an accident, but it leads to where she was eventually accepted to a whole new world. When the mage was testing her aptitude for magecraft, they were surprised that her body was contained with more 'mystic power' than any apprentice they have seen so far. She was filled with hope when hearing that and so, though there were a lot of failures along the way, Mia didn't give up.

But after five years, her motivation and hope slowly deteriorate, to the point that she even wonders if the mage that had done the test back then was actually paid to do it. It was true that her body was loaded with a lot more mystic power than any apprentice out there, even so, she couldn't conjure a single spell, not even the most basic one without mishap occurring. And because of that, when Angelica had called her, she was thinking of taking a short vacation to relieve the stress that had accumulated till now. 

What she didn't expect was for someone to suddenly appear in her life and arose the almost extinguish hope within her. If the statement said were true, she would become an amazing mage or possibly even better than her teacher, by accepting her hand? Though the offer sounds too good to be true, almost as if the devil is the one making the deal, Mia still couldn't help but consider for a few moments in silence.

But in the end, she shook her head before saying.

"Can you give me time before I decide?"

"Sure, that's understandable and I'm kind of impressed. But..."

Sheila nodded her head in an understanding manner while she was speaking but when the word reached the latter part, the air in the room suddenly becomes heavy. Mia feels like she was suffocating as she could feel the invisible pressure spread through the room which also influenced her in some way or another. If the pressure didn't spread and decided to chose her as the center target, Mia was sure she would die a gruesome death from the force of the invisible pressure that came from the girl in front of her.

She couldn't believe such might of pressure is actually coming from Sheila, she didn't know how the latter did it but one thing she was sure of is that there's no way that the mage from Mage Association could do the same. 

"But... I also need to warn you. Don't tell anyone about what we had just discussed a moment ago, although I would like to give you a hand, I don't mind erasing you either if you cause trouble to me. Did I intimidate you? I'm so sorry, but I have to do this too as, if you spread this discussion, won't my life be in danger? You understand that, right?"

When Mia slowly nodded her head, the pressure around her immediately vanished as if there weren't any in the first place. Although she was scared, this proven to her that the girl in front of her is not by any mean, an ordinary mage like what she had thought a while ago. At least now her word hold credit and since she was given time to think, she could take her time to prepare herself before leaving the Mage Association once and for all. After all, she knew what would the mage do if they found out about Sheila.

Afterward, the two bid farewell to each other and promise to meet again at a later date before departing on their way. But what both of them didn't notice was after they took their leave, feminine and familiar figure also walk out of the building five minutes after they left.

"Magus... The greedy bastard, all of them."

The woman muttered softly to herself before heaved a sigh and continuing.

"In the end, she also crossed paths with them regardless. Is this what is predetermined by fate?"

The woman shook her head with her hand gripped into a fist.

"No. I won't let that happen again. This time, I won't make the second mistake."

"My fate..is my own. No one else but me can decide it."

The air of the surrounding vibrates for a moment as if shaken by her word but it soon disappeared the moment the woman let go of her fist. Yet no one in the surrounding notice this strange event happening in front of the restaurant, after all, they can't even see the woman figure.

"But first, I'll have to take care of the other problem. She is not ready just yet."

The woman suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving the said word as her parting.