Author's Note: SPOILER WARNING. This chapter contains details from Sword Oratoria Light Novel Volume 13. Read at your own risk.

Beautiful Mistake Chapter 5: Promise

Alya and Bell stepped out of the carriage once they arrived in Melen, the journey taking more than a week after leaving their home. From where they were standing they could see the towering structure that acted as a lid to the infamous dungeon, the Tower of Babel. Even with the Dungeon City being a fair distance away, the tower of the gods still looked massive from where they stood.

Marvelling the building constructed by immortal hands, the siblings continued to admire the grand structure before snapping out of it and putting off thoughts about Orario for later. They'll have plenty of time to gawk at the tower when they go to Orario as adventurers after graduating from the School District. The Cranel Siblings instead focused on the other marvel of the world, the colossal ship that would serve as their new home and where they would begin their education.

Their imagination did not do justice to the marvellous beauty of Hringhorni. Rather than being a traditional boat made from solid wood as they thought it would be, the ship looked like it was delicately crafted from ivory and marble with a rainbow weaved into its gleaming spires as a final touch.

From the lower area where they were located at the side of the ship, they could see several enormous stones that glowed with power. Underneath the ship were the magic stones that acted as the source of Hringhorni's unique ability to float in the air as well as traverse the seas with ease.

Magic stones were as valuable as gold in the current age and refining them would cost more than the precious metal's worth. For this floating fortress being equipped with exceptionally large magic stones that number in the hundreds truly put into perspective just how magnificent and opulent Hringhorni is.

"Quite a magnificent sight isn't she, children? said Baldr, who gestured for the Cranel Siblings to follow him in boarding the ship while Leon went ahead and ordered several crew members to take in their luggage. When Alya and Bell were about to ask how they would enter the ship as they couldn't see an opening and the ship's bridge that connected to the port was located farther away, a small section of the ship opened and a ramp materialised like solidifying light.

"Now usually we would use the main bridge to enter the ship but I think it's best for us to use another smaller entrance as to not overwhelm you." said Baldr.

The God of Light casually stepped on the newly formed structure and gestured to the children to follow with a smile and speaking soft words of encouragement to reassure them of the gangway's safety. But his worries about their fear were unfounded as the children were not scared but at awe of seeing such magical construction.

Once the small party entered the ship and walked into one of its many halls, Professor Vardenburg requested that Alya and Bell follow Lord Baldr to complete their registration while searches for available dorms and students who will act as their guides. Bidding his god and future students goodbye, the teacher walked away to coordinate with some of the staff that appeared by his side when they all entered and went to another section of the school for his other tasks.

"Step this way, children. The main building is a bit farther away from here but we can treat the walk there as an impromptu tour before Professor Vardenburg introduces you to your guides." Said Baldr who walked ahead and into the white halls of his school, once again gesturing the children to follow.

Now entering the inner sections of the school, Alya and Bell could see up-close the rainbow-coloured material that was incorporated into the ship's structure. The mysterious material seemed to glow by itself and radiated a powerful aura that harmonised with the oceanic environment.

"Adds quite a bit of colour to the bland white structures of the ship doesn't it? The rainbow spires were a new addition to Hringhorni as it was acquired from the Leviathan as a drop item." Explained Baldr.

It seemed that the god was deliberately using the long way to his office as they were avoiding the main entrance to the building at the centre of the ship, with him taking the chance to chat more with his new students and offering bits of trivia about the other structures on campus.

"No wonder he's the headmaster of the school. The guy loves talking and teaching about stuff." Thought Alya as their little tour group somehow walked farther away from the main building and were now touring the other side of the ship where several arenas for training and other combat related studies were undertaken.

"Hringhorni was not only designed for combating sea monsters but offer a comfortable yet sturdy living space for passengers. With it originally belonging to exploration familias that possessed numerous combatants, the training halls and arenas are well-furbished to accommodate training and study of destructive magics along with other more extreme activities that necessitated the rooms to be just as reinforced as the outer defences of the ship."

Baldr's explanation was supported by numerous other students engaging in mock battles in several corridors of the training hall, with the other side having mages casting attack magics of various effects. One fighter seem to blur in a flurry of movements as they clashed with another student while a young mage fired off blasts of energy that incinerated several dummies.

Deciding that his new students now have an adequate understanding of the facilities and knowing they would be given a second tour later, the Norse god led them back to the main building through the lush garden at the back of the ship.

After passing through the field of trees, bushes and blooming flowers, the finally entered the headquarters of the School District and made their way up to the headmaster's office.

Entering the room, the children were once again in awe of grand design of the office that matched with the general theme of elegance Hringhorni had. The desk at the end of the room looked to be made of varnished mahogany, the other knick-knacks and other furniture in the office spoke of Baldr's status as a god and leader of one of the world's great powers.

Before the god could get down to business and grant the children his blessing, the doors of the office flew open and revealed Leon with a grim expression and another man who the siblings recognized as one of the villagers back home, Farmer Jed.

Jed was a gruff but honest man who worked closely with the Cranel Children's grandfather during crop harvesting and other business that required him to leave the village. He was also one of the few adults in the village that didn't fawn over Alya incessantly, though he did treat the young elf with more tenderness than his usual grumpy disposition would allow.

"Many pardons Lord Baldr, but this gentleman has some bad news for the children…" said the professor who spoke with a sombre tone.

Farmer Jed's clothes showed that he made the journey to Melen without stopping to rest as his clothes were crumpled with a bit of dirt covering it, his eyes having a few more wrinkles that indicated a lack of sleep.

"Alya. Bell… there's no better way to tell you this but…" began Jed, the rest of his words wasn't heard properly after saying his piece. No more words needed to be spoken or heard as Jed basically told the siblings that they lost everything.

While Alya and Bell remained catatonic, Farmer Jed sadly told the tale of how the Cranel Home caught fire suddenly in the middle of the night. The inferno started a day after the children left for their journey and was impossible to put out with it quickly consuming the cottage.

In the aftermath everything was reduced to ashes, with the bodies of Peter and June Cranel not recovered and presumably disintegrated by the raging fire. The only thing that could be salvaged from the ruins of their home was one of grandpa's handmade storybooks about Argonaut, one of the few remaining heroic storybooks that Bell didn't rip apart all those years ago that Grandpa Peter kept until this fateful day.

Aside from informing the children of the terrible news, the old farmer was there to hand them the only item left to remember their grandparents. With the children still being despondent, Farmer Jed respectfully handed the book to Leon while Baldr tried to console the bereaved children who were silent as a grave.

"I can't believe they're gone… just like that and…" thought the distraught girl, who couldn't even finish her thoughts on the painful loss. It took her a couple more minutes to recover her wits and thanked the old man who informed them.

"…Thank you for coming all this way to tell us, Mr. Jed." Said the young, wiping away the small tears that she shed and gave a sad smile to the old man.

Jed didn't give a verbal response and only nodded his head and tipped his straw hat. With the task of handing the last memento of his old friend to Alya and Bell complete, the old farmer bid the children a goodbye and left.

While the children remained catatonic at the loss of their guardians since they were born, Baldr was internally conflicted at wanting to inform the children that their grandparents were alive but also maintaining his vow of silence to his lord and lady.

Zeus and Hera had instructed him in detail to never divulge the truth of the pair's survival. It was imperative that their grandchildren accept the fact that their grandparents had perished, in order to push them to greater heights with the pain of loss and not tie the children down with worrying about family members who aren't directly involved in the adventures they would have.

Before the God of Light could try and comfort the children, Bell had quickly left the office and threw open the doors before running off.

Alya had anticipated the action from her brother and asked Baldr if they could postpone receiving their blessing and enrolment. Not wanting to be cruel as to prevent two orphan children from mourning the loss of the only family they had left, the god agreed to give Alya and Bell as much time as needed to process their grief.

Thanking the god for his kind understanding, Alya performed a perfect curtsy that would have made her grandmother incredibly proud and left to find her brother. Leon spoke to his god just as the young elf closed the doors of the office.

"Everything went according to Lord Zeus and Lady Hera's plan down to the timeframe of when the children would be informed of their 'deaths'. But is making them suffer such anguish necessary, Lord Baldr?" asked Leon.

Leon had long accepted that even the kindest gods like Baldr would do things that seemed counterintuitive and to the detriment to the mortals that they professed to love and favour, all in the name of their personal agenda that would benefit the world and millions of other mortal lives. One would only need to look at the state of the world to know that the gods were only here for personal gain, amusement and a mysterious goal that made the deities descend from their lofty abode in heaven, not to improve or save lives.

"My trust in the decisions of Lord Zeus and Lady Hera have never steered me wrong before, so I will not question their decision now." Said Baldr, his answer said in a terse tone that indicated his refusal to speak further on the situation.

Silence was all that could be heard in the headmaster's office as Baldr stood up from behind his desk to a wall that held a collection of broken weapons, armour and other equipment belonging to both warriors and mages.

The wall held treasures that were beyond priceless, as they held the memories of past glories and triumphs. It was a common practice for the Norse gods to hold onto mementoes from their children's battles, with broken weapons of a particularly grand battle being kept as a reminder of the story it told.

Baldr's wall had taken up an entire section of his large office which told of the grand victories the god and his familia had experienced as well as the suffering they endured. A majority of the weapons and other items on the wall belonged to long deceased children of Baldr, a testament to the god's calm temperament that he could bear to constantly remember the deceased mortals that he grew fond of. As he continued to examine the items of past glory, he remembered why they were there in the first place, to remind him that the suffering of mortals is integral to who they are.

Suffering is the fire that would forge a mortal's soul into steel, to be pointed at the challenges of the world and grind it's edge against the numerous challenges that a mortal would face. In the end the blade would come out sharper and deadlier than before or become brittle before breaking, to make way for the next assortment of blades for the gods to choose from and use.

"And the only thing gods can do when their children are thrown into the crucible is to watch them rise or fall…"

Meanwhile back to the young elf, Alya was hastily crossing the large campus of the school in order to find her brother, the grounds of the School District devoid of people which the girl was grateful for since it would mean less distractions.

While the young elf had many things in her head and still trying to process the loss of her grandparents, it didn't stop her from worrying about her brother. With that in mind, she headed towards the one place that Bell could possibly go with his emotions in turmoil. Despite still being new to the layout of the school, Alya had enough knowledge of her surroundings to figure out where her brother ran off to.

Following the trusty sister gut feeling that she developed after years of living with Bell, the young elf walked past the campus landmarks and buildings to the school's training halls. Alya was curious as to why all of the students who bustled about were missing, but then reasoned the student body adhered to a strict curfew as the sun had already began setting.

Walking down the halls of the training area, the young elf spotted one of the rooms lit and sounds of splintering wood from it. As she entered the room, she saw that Bell had taken to brutalizing many training dummies available for use as target practice and warmups. Forgoing his personal weapons that would probably make him feel worse as they were a gift from their deceased grandfather, Bell was expressing his grief by using a wooden practice sword from one of the racks to smash apart the dummies.

Alya knew that her brother was more than just a quick learner when it came to training and fighting, the boy possessing superior senses and physical abilities that clashed with his harmless appearance. It showed with the ease that he completes any strenuous activity that their grandfather would come up for training and was seen now with how easily the angry boy was smashing apart dummies that could withstand the force of magic and attacks by those with a blessing.

Just as Alya was about to approach Bell to calm him down, the grieving boy let out one last mighty scream before demolishing the training dummy and breaking apart the sword in his hand. Once he was finished venting out all of his frustration and anger, the sadness caught up with the white-haired boy and he proceeded to weep uncontrollably. The sounds of a boy crying his heart out was all that could be heard in the room and continued for a while before his sister finally went close to her brother to slowly embrace him.

The young elf was considering what to say to comfort Bell but came up short. What could you tell someone who lost everything so they would feel better… But then again Bell hasn't lost everything, he still has her.

Deciding that her best course of action is just to be there for Bell, the young girl tightened the hug which seemed to work in helping her brother cope as his cries lessened until only light sniffles were heard.

As long as she was around, Bell will never be alone. Through good or bad times he can count on his younger sister to be there. With that thought she finally found the words to say for her to say.

"…I'm still here." Whispered Alya, the boy's cries subsiding but his tears still flowing down and soaking her blouse as he pressed his face into her shoulder. The girl's words both a vow and reassurance that resonated deep in the souls of the siblings as the final rays of the sun disappeared, the darkness that encompassed everything reflecting the grief of a family of four that is now reduced to only two.

Alya and Bell continued to hug each other for a short while before getting their bearings and making their way back to Baldr's office. But before they left, Bell had recovered his bearings to witness the destruction of the equipment from his rage.

"Oh… I'm in so much trouble." Muttered the boy as he grimaced at the sheer number of training dummies he reduced to splinters.

His elven sister tried to reassure her brother that their headmaster could probably write this off as a minor expenditure since Bell was not in the right state of mind but even she was slightly wincing at the high quality and probably very expensive equipment that Bell wrecked.

"At least we know Bell won't be falling behind other students if he could do this without a falna." Thought Alya, amazed at the strength that her brother wields himself without the blessing of the gods.

Thinking about a god's blessing jolted Alya's memories of her and Bell almost receiving theirs and quickly mentioned it to her brother. Knowing that they needed time to process their loss, she mentioned Headmaster Baldr willing to postpone giving them their falna and starting classes as well.

"No. Grandpa and grandma did so much for us to get here in the first place, they wouldn't want us to delay it. Unless you need more time before we can receive our blessing?" said Bell. While the boy's heart was still aching at the loss of their grandparents, it was now a dull pain since he remembered that he still had his sister who needed him more than ever. The time is now for him to get a falna and work hard so that he can always protect her, but he won't go ahead with this decision without Alya's approval.

He breathed a sigh of relief as his sister readily agreed to get their falna together. With their decision made, the siblings went back to see their new god and finally receive the power of a divine and fulfil the hopes and wishes that their grandparents wanted for them. Just as Bell was about to quickly make his way to the office, he felt Alya's hand grabbing his and holding him firmly in place.

"You don't have to dash everywhere like it's the only mode your body could move at. Let's go together, Bell." Chastised Alya. Bell responded by chuckling while nervously scratching the back of his head.

The siblings navigated the campus that was lit up with magic streetlamps, the moon and stars above also helping to light their way back the main building. Once again the Cranel Siblings were in the office of the headmaster, with Baldr greeting the pair and asked in a worried voice if everything was alright with his new students. The children reassured the god that they had time to grieve and humbly requested to enrol immediately as well as receiving his blessing.

"If that is your wish children then so be it. So, who would like to go first? asked Baldr. He didn't need to wait long as both brother and sister agreed to get their falna now.

Bell was the first one to receive his blessing, the boy removing his shirt per his god's instructions and sitting on a chair while Baldr sat behind him on another chair. Alya was nearby who showed support by holding the boy's hand while the falna was being placed on him.

A bright light appeared that brightened the room and filled it with a slight pressure. The feeling wasn't unpleasant but rather felt as if a weight was being pressed down inside their very souls, with Bell feeling it most since it was his soul that was literally laid bare before Baldr's eyes as he continued applying the falna. As Bell continued receiving his blessing he looked at the face of his sister who had a gentle smile and twinkle in her eyes, her hand squeezing his to comfort him if he was feeling uncomfortable.

"She's always been there for me, for good times or bad. Now that grandma and grandpa are gone I'm the only family that Alya has left." As Bell thought of all the times his sister was by his side, the falna that was slowly forming on his back began to brighten up considerably to the shock of Baldr. The children were ignorant of their god's shocked expression as Alya focused on her brother while Bell continued his inner monologue.

"But when the day she needed me the most came…I ran. No more. I won't be running away like a coward or pretend to be some stupid hero. I'll be someone who people could depend on, someone Alya can always look to for help. I'll save everyone and I'll protect her…always… I promise!"

With the final vow roaring in his heart, the nascent blessing quickly took form and the light coming from Bell's falna grew to blinding levels before subsiding.

"Extraordinary…", was all that Baldr think as he finished the blessing ritual and stared at Bell's status sheet. He was snapped out of his amazement as both children had started shaking him, the Cranel Siblings looking at their new god with worried gazes.

"Lord Baldr, are you alright? We tried calling you but you just stared at that piece of paper. Is something wrong?" asked Alya, who noticed how the god had a slack-jawed expression since the light from Bell's falna stopped blinding them.

"It's nothing, my dear children. I've always been a tad emotional when bestowing a blessing to a new child under my care. And please, just call me by my name when we are in private. But during school time please refer to me as headmaster or simply teacher. Above all else, I am an educator first and a god second." Said Baldr with a bright smile.

After reassuring his children, the god placed Bell's status sheet away to study later and asked for the newly blessed child to check his senses and how he was feeling. While receiving a falna doesn't cause any pain or other negative side effects, the sudden improvement to their senses and power would disorient those who aren't used to the sudden increase in physical strength.

"I'm feeling good, Lo -… I mean, Mister Baldr. In fact I don't just feel good… I feel amazing!" answered Bell, who quickly adapted to his improved senses and revelled in the newfound strength he received. He enthusiastically practiced kicks and punches in air, creating minor gusts of wind from the strength and speed of his movements.

Bell's senses had always been sharp and his physical abilities top notch, a result of rigorous non-stop training he had undergone since he was a small child. For an unblessed person, the boy was unusually strong and could deal with any of the weaker surface monsters without difficulty.

As Bell continued testing out his enhanced physical abilities with some shadow boxing, Baldr continued to contemplate about the skill that manifested in Bell's status as well as the abnormal power that was displayed by the fresh level 1. The god would need to come up with a new lesson plan to accommodate Bell's unique abilities, since he's certain that the boy is probably equal to the more experienced level 1's in the school now.

"Congratulations and welcome to Baldr Class, Bell. Now that you had your turn, its time for your sister to receive her own blessing." Said Baldr, shoving down his shock at the revelation of Bell's innate potential.

Baldr asked Bell to wait in the other room to give Alya more privacy as it would be inappropriate for a boy to be around a near naked girl, sister or not. However, the young elf interjected and said she didn't mind her brother staying and took off her shirt immediately, to the mild surprise of the deity and exasperation of Bell.

Ever since reincarnating into this world as a girl Alya had felt little to no shame when it came to nudity, both of herself and others. Having seen and experienced the best of both worlds and now having full knowledge of the physiology of both genders, she didn't find being naked or seeing naked people as a big deal anymore. Even her embarrassment at Bell staring at her privates when she had her period was more about him witnessing her menstruation than getting an up-close view of her lady parts.

"Lord only knows how many times grandma yelled at me to put on clothes in the house when the only people who see me naked are her, Bell and grandpa. Grandpa may be an old lecher but even he has standards and Bell had already seen me naked since we were little. We did bathe together loads of times and his impromptu physical exam when we were ten showed him what to expect." Thought Alya, remembering that one time when Bell cried about her "weenie" being gone and wanting to go on an adventure to find it. Grandpa was laughed so hard that it was a surprise his lungs didn't burst and grandma was torn between comforting Bell or also laughing.

"Okay, I'm sorry Bell." Alya proceeded to sit in the chair with her back facing Baldr, who recovered from the girl's casual strip and was now amused at the banter between the Cranel Siblings. "I promise to only strip in front of you from now on. Would that please you, brother?" said the elf girl in a cheekily, with Bell scoffing at his sister's attempts to tease him.

The cheerful atmosphere died down when Bell had walked to the table where the last memento of their home was laid on. The young boy's face became an emotionless mask as he grabbed the burnt book and returned to take a seat near his sister just as Baldr began inscribing his blessing on the elf girl's back.

Despite rejecting heroes in his life and no longer finding amusement in listening to the tale of lies that his grandfather enjoyed telling, Bell always remembered the handmade storybook his grandfather lovingly created. Even with the burnt cover and charred outer edges, the boy could instantly tell that the book in his hands told the tale of his once favourite hero, the foolish Argonaut.

How he loathed the tale of the clown that brought nothing but hardship for his sister and took advantage of her love to help him out of situations that he got himself into just because of his false bravado and weakness. What was the point of bringing smiles to everyone when you those closest to you miserable? Why try to start an age of heroes only to condemn your sister to care for you for all time once you became a useless cripple to start it?

Bell will never worship another hero for as long as he lived, his naïve aspirations replaced with a dream to really help people rather than becoming a spectacle. In his eyes, heroes have done nothing but indulge in false pride of "inspiring" others rather than giving it their all to make the world a better place.

As Bell's unflattering thoughts on heroes continued, his sister looked on sadly at her brother's scowling expression, the young elf knowing that he was once again having an inner monologue of how worthless heroes are and the how much he despises them.

"What I would give to hear Bell squeal in delight at hearing another story about several heroes or even repeating his favourite part about Argonaut's fight against the Minotaur."

Any further thoughts that Alya had were abruptly stopped once she felt a tingling sensation on her back along with some warmth that flooded her entire being.

"Oh my. It seems that you're first magic slot is already primed to receive a spell, Alya!." Said Baldr. He told the young elf that the ritual will take a bit longer for her as he needs to properly translate the hieroglyphs to discover what her first magic is.

"Guess the ears really aren't just for show. Can't wait to pull a rabbit out of a hat or something…"

Alya's musings on what kind of magic she would manifest were halted when she focused on the book in her brother's hands. The charred remains of the cover serving as a bitter reminder that the loving home that held many memories of her family were gone forever.

"My life was perfect in that moment and suddenly everything was reduced to ashes. Why was I reborn here just to lose everything in a stupid fire…"

The young elf's bitter thoughts were unknowingly bringing about changes in her soul, which were then brought to reality from the falna reacting to her anger. The once brilliant light now shined with an undertone of malice, the warmth that permeated the area suddenly becoming uncomfortable as the lights of the room seemed to grow brighter.

On Baldr's end the god was in deep thought as he continued diligently engraving his blessing on the girl's back, taking note of the sudden magical pressure being emitted from the falna and spreading throughout the room. With one final force of divine will, the god forced the magic to stabilize and reveal itself on the falna.

At that moment the surge of ambient magic burst out like fire, the lights transforming to ethereal flames that harmlessly licked at everything but made the occupants of the room feel as if they were being scorched. While his newly blessed children were panting from the feeling of being slowly roasted, Baldr was intently examining Alya's status sheet to make sure that what he read was true.

Once the readings of the magic were proven to be true, many thoughts swirled in the god's mind regarding the children's true purpose here and what he should do with this new knowledge that could shake the balance of the world. The skills of his children would definitely flip the world upside down, with Bell's skill bringing discord to the Dungeon City of Orario and Alya's making the mages of Altena cry tears of blood. But Alya's spell in particular…

"Outstanding, my children! This is perhaps one of the most intense blessing rituals I have conducted in all my years in the mortal realm. Here are your status sheets for you to check on your falna parameters. Feel free to ask any questions if you're confused." Said Baldr, putting on an act of cheerfulness to calm his new children's nerves.

Giving the status sheets another check and altering details on Alya's sheet, he handed both papers to the Cranel Siblings. He was a bit concerned at their confused expressions but then remembered that the description of skills and magic are sometimes vague, especially if it's rare.

"I apologize for my ignorance! In my excitement I forgot that most abilities won't have clear descriptions and are quite vague in what they do. Allow me to help, children."

Alya and Bell listened to their god's explanation in rapt attention as he went into detail how the falna functions and deciphering the mysterious language of the gods that described their skills. Their grandfather had already told them the basics of what a falna is during their early training but Baldr will be able to share even more information about the power that helped save mortals from extinction and transformed regular people into legends.

Baldr explained that the falna was similar in nature to the contract that the spirits of old made with mortals before the gods descended, but possessed several more abilities superior to what the spirits could bestow.

For starters, the falna grants enhanced physical capabilities such as the sharpening of senses and granting those blessed with a god's favour a stronger constitution. This divine boon is so potent that those who are granted a falna could live longer lives than what their respective species could as well as maintaining health and vitality for a longer period. But the real kicker came from the accumulation of a special resource called excelia, which had a variety of effects such as strengthening basic abilities and manifesting new skills and magic.

Baldr forced himself to stop talking more about the falna when he realised that he was getting off topic. "I can explain more about the falna's capabilities but then what would be the purpose of attending classes?"

Getting back on topic, Baldr was about to tell his children about their new abilities before realising the consequences of doing so. Revealing such sensitive information to the children would endanger them as well as make them develop reckless tendencies. He lost count how many times newly blessed children would go overboard to use or develop their new skills and magic, only to end up severely injured or dead.

But he also remembered that trust is an integral part of a bond between a god and their chosen mortal children. Not telling the truth to them would cause problems in the long run and might even stifle their progress. After weighing the consequences of either telling the truth or lying, he decided to go for the third option of partially revealing the full truth.

Baldr told the siblings to sit down in one of the sofa chairs while also taking a seat on the opposite end of the coffee table placed between, where he placed the two printed status of the pair.

"Let's start with Bell's status as he only has one skill… which is arguably one of the most dangerous skills in the world. Bell, your skill grants you accelerated growth and it was formed through a solemn vow to the one you pledged your heart and soul to. The skill has also 'crystalized' your emotions, thus granting you resistance if not outright immunity to effects that tamper with your mind and emotions."

When Baldr mentioned that his skill was made by a promise, the young boy stopped reading his status sheet to look at his sister who was busy paying attention to every word their god is saying and didn't notice her brother's stare. As long as the skill helps him get stronger then he would accept it with no questions asked.

"Bell…Alya, both of you need to listen very closely." At hearing the normally relaxed god speaking in a grave tone, Alya and Bell snapped to attention and saw the serious look levelled at him which made the siblings sit up straight and gave the god his full attention. "A skill that accelerates growth is unheard of and would be highly sought out by many gods. Grabbing the attention of other deities would be detrimental as not every god would have benevolent intentions, so please children… keep this skill's effects to yourselves and only those you trust."

After getting nods of understanding from the children Baldr apologized for being so intense and carried on with helping his students decipher the effects of their abilities, with the god moving on to Alya's.

"Now on to Alya. Sweet girl, you are in possession of a peculiar skill that would suit the way you fight that Professor Vardenburg described to me. It allows you to cast magic without the need of uttering a spell's chant in exchange for reduced effects and mind cost. But by casting a spell with its chant, the effects will be greatly increased." The God of Light paused for a moment and internally debated if he should reveal more about the elf's magic before continuing.

"…your first magic is a fire based elemental spell. I would like to withhold in telling you the spell's chant as your skill already allows you to use it in a more regulated manner. Using its full power while you are still inexperienced would be…unwise seeing as how powerful it is. As for the spell's effects, it allows you to conjure flames for a variety of effects – PLEASE!... only perform it in the training hall and under the supervision of a prefect or teacher. Regardless of their effects or power, you should never, ever underestimate fire spells especially with how… 'extreme' yours is…" said Baldr, who almost jumped out of his seat and raised his voice at the young elf to not use her magic in the office when he saw tiny sparks around her fingers.

After Alya profusely apologized for scaring the life out of her god, Baldr calmed down from her almost committing arson and guided them to his private rooms connected to the office. He waved away their protests and said that it would only be their sleeping quarters for tonight as they would be introduced to their new roommates and set up in their dorms tomorrow.

Wishing the children goodnight, the god closed the door behind him and went back to gather the status sheets of his new children and seated himself behind his desk.

"The headache with Bell's skill is somewhat solved. Hopefully the children will heed my warning and keep it to themselves or risk ambitious gods wanting to claim Bell for themselves. All that's left now is Alya's magic… this changes everything…" thought Baldr, whose thoughts now drifted to the potential chaos that was ensue from the revelations about his new children.

Remembering his status as a god who was at the forefront of previous chaotic events worse than the conundrum he is facing now Baldr brushed off his worries and focused on doing as he always did, guiding and protecting children under his care.

By his honour he had made a sworn to care for Alya and Bell or return to the heavens by his own hands. But it still didn't explain why his lord and lady didn't disclose such shocking information about their grandchildren. Did they purposely let him find out when applying the blessing or were they similarly in the dark about it?

He'll have to find out the old fashion way and continue observing the children, these innocent souls that his fellow deities believed to be the key in solving their crisis and saving the world from the disaster that is to come.

With the thoughts about disasters coming to mind, Baldr's headache has reached incalculable levels as he now remembered the high elf dignitaries that came aboard Hringhorni as liaisons between the School District and the Alf Royal Forest.

The decision of the High Elf King to suddenly command his people to end their isolation from the rest of the world and encouraging them to follow in his daughter's pursuit of adventure was one of the most polarizing decisions in the history of the high elven edicts.

The world certainly benefited from the end of elven isolation but it has also stirred up controversy in the perceived degradation of traditional values and increasing tension between the other races with elves. Elves are barely tolerable in small doses but now the world truly understands just how difficult get along with the self-proclaimed superior race. It's amazing how the various dwarven factions hadn't declared open war against the elves yet.

While Baldr was able to temporarily avoid having his school become involved in the recent political drama regarding elves, it was only a matter of time before the School District would have to play an active role in accepting the new diplomatic ties that the elves reluctantly wanted to establish.

Accepting the high elf ambassadors into the School District was actually the real reason why Hringhorni had made port earlier than it's usual three year stop at Melen for maintenance. The God of Light neglected to inform Lord Zeus and Lady Hera about it because of the former's intense dislike of elves, with the notable exception being the few ones who were a part of her Familia and her granddaughter.

"Lady Hera would have bludgeoned me to death with a rolling pin if she knew that Alya would have exposure to greater elf culture and the race's incredible hubris. But young Alya would need to be exposed to this sooner or later, and Lady Hera had already hurt the girl in the long term by neglecting to teach her more about her heritage…"

While Hera does not deny the magical supremacy and otherworldly beauty of the elves, the queen of Olympus had immense disdain for the race's holier than thou attitude and hypocritical cowardice. This dislike had only intensified since the high elven princess played a major part in pushing out her and Zeus from Orario.

Perhaps raising her elven granddaughter among humans was petty revenge and to protect Alya from becoming as self-absorbed and ignorant as other elves. But Hera risked much from taking in Alya as it was highly illegal for elven children to be raised outside of an elven forest per the royal edict of the high elves. Yet another secret he will have to keep under wraps for fear having to listen to more spiel from the high elves on his ship.

The god decided to stop thinking of the stressful events with the elves and set out to create Alya and Bell's lesson plan. With the unique abilities they possessed, the regular curriculum will not bring out the Cranel Sibling's potential. Slowly getting engrossed in his new work, the god was able to relax and spend the rest of the night planning the children's schedules and other miscellaneous plans to tailor to their needs.