The Old Scholar

A/N: Hello! So, while the main chapter is still in the process of being rewritten due to some continuity errors, I have decided to just pump out a little chapter for you all to nibble on until the main chapter is ready. Apologies for the delays! Hope you understand. 

 

The sunlight filtered through the window behind her, inside Leilani's office in Imperia as she sat before a young man who had come to her proposing an agreement that had caught her eye. Said man was named Markus Bishop who looked like a standard noble from some agricultural sector of a kingdom or empire, as his brown hair was slicked back, the freckles on his face fading away, his hands being worn and rough from working in the fields no doubt and the suit he was wearing spoke volumes of the wealth he had as instead of the sparkling and shining splendor one would assume a noble had, his drab green coat and white shirt underneath had shown signs of wear and tear. Even the way he sat was different from that of a noble, instead of up straight and proper, he was slightly hunched forward while maintaining most of his back resting on the chair, his blue eyes looking at her with a sort of curiosity as he tried to read her unreadable expression as she looked down at the paper she was reading. 

"So, you wish for my academy to be one of your clients in the supply of grain for our wheat to make bread and other pastries?" Leilani asked as she looked up at him, her black eyes making him shiver a bit 

"Ye...Yes Ma'am. I believe that my farm is large enough to handle the needs of this academy...the harvest this year has been quite grand" Markus replied as he fidgeted his hands, wracked with nervousness as he kept his gaze on her 

"I see...well, if you have that much confidence in your own production, I shouldn't doubt that...but I will. Pardon me but where exactly is your farm situated?" Leilani added as she placed the paper to the side

"Ah! I own a large section of 20 acres primarily for farming in the Kingdom of Vallenso here on Kalani" Markus answered her as he glanced a bit to the side from the intensity of the staring with sweat trickling down the sides and back of his head 

"I see...Hmmm, if you own that much land, I do wonder why you choose to still do the farming yourself, your worn hands and patchwork clothing tell me that you may not be as rich as I assumed" The Dean added as she leaned into her chair 

"Aha...well, I usually love the feeling of farming and I don't care about the way I am presented, as long as people know I am a hard worker then I think that is all there is to it" Bishop stated as he tried to keep his fear down and suppressed 

Leilani nodded as she looked over at the paper, she could feel something magical about the paper and her mind was busy going through several reasons as to why, she also kept glancing over at Markus who looked more nervous the longer she did what she did instead of signing of on the paper right away which also contributed to the several scenarios going through her head. 

'Well, only one way to see which is which' she thought to herself as she let out a sigh and then placed the paper back in front of her 

"Considering your words Mr. Bishop, I will gladly become your client in the business of grain" She stated as she brought out her pen and placed it on the dotted line 

"Great! That is wonderful...Just wonderful" Markus replied with a smile that was getting wider and wider as he saw her write her signature 

{!} 

Suddenly, the moment Leilani's name was written on the paper, the damn thing vanished into the air as Markus began to cackle with delight, his eyes lit up from blue to purple as he stood from the chair, his cackling growing louder and louder as he raised his hands up into the air.

"You foolish woman! You just signed away everything you have! Your powers, your life, and your memories! All mine!" Markus bellowed as he looked at her 

Instead of seeing a frightened woman before him however, he saw a very annoyed one who crossed her arms and looked him up and down and then scoffed at his statement 

"Really? You think I would fall for that?" Leilani shot back 

"Tsk! Seems like you need to be shown the error of your ways! Die!" He shouted as he raised his hand and casted a fireball 

{!} 

But to his surprise and shock, nothing came out of the tip of his index finger. Nothing but smoke and sparks that sputtered out the more he tried to do it 

"What is this?! What has happened to my powers?!" He cried as he looked down at his hands, realizing that his magic was no longer coursing through him and his mana pool was empty 

"Uhuh...I suggest asking the Demonkin spirit who is residing inside you to answer that question" Leilani told him as she leaned into her chair 

{!} 

"wHAT?! How do you-" Before Markus could finish his sentence, his body spasmed and fell to the ground before quickly getting back up, the purple eyes no longer around and instead replaced with crimson red eyes 

"I am so sorry Miss. Had I known it was you he was targeting I would have-" 

"Save it for the Demon Lords, Corphus. You'd be lucky if they didn't kill you outright for trying to harm me" Leilani cut him off as she rose from her seat and walked over to him 

"Please, tell them to show me mercy" Corphus begged as he fell to the floor and on his knees 

"I would. But that would mean you wouldn't have learned your lesson" 

"I learned it! I learned it!" The demonkin spirit shouted as he tried to crawl towards Leilani feet and tried to grab it

"Fuckin get away" She said as she pulled her right foot back and kicked the demonkin away from her 

"Get up you stupid bastard. Or else I kill you on the spot" She stated as she walked towards the man who was now clutching his stomach in pain and struggling to get up 

{!} 

At the snap of her fingers, a set of chains wrapped around Corphus/Markus, making them scream in dismay as they could feel a powerful aura from the chains that bound them both together, there was no escaping now and they could feel it. 

"Listen, swindling other people is bad and is frowned upon, but trying to swindle me, using a con man posing as a farmer to take away my powers that are beyond even your comprehension, is something else, its like you had a death wish and I will fulfill it" 

"Wait no please! I swear we can-" 

"Shhhh, let the adult speak" Leilani cut them off as she placed her index finger on their mouth 

"There is no escape, there is no redemption. I am mad and have decided that you will die for it, because I hate many things, and swindling me is one of them, especially when it is trying to take away my powers so that you can continue your spree of crime. So, any final words?" She asked as she held up her hand close to their face 

"Please, mercy" 

"Uhhh...No" 

{!} 

With that, Leilani flicked her middle finger and struck the temple of Markus' body which then dissipated into dust that settled onto the floor, his and Corphus' souls now sent to the afterlife and probably hell if Armenakis was watching Leilani 

"I swear, it's like I am a fucking magnet for trouble and I don't know why"