The Old Scholar

A few days had gone by ever since Leilani had sent the letter to Veryat II and dealt with the mercenaries who had come to take her. Her first action in the aftermath was to post more guards and knights to newly constructed guardposts on the rooftops and corners of the town that the mercenaries used to get around the usual patrols. She also ordered there to be a fully rotating shift of guards near said teleporters at all times to ensure that such an event would never happen again and even installed more magical security such as magi-cams, a device that was practically a security camera powered by a magic crystal, that fed directly into a nearby guardhouse and set up more alarms. 

As she was busy writing several reports of the situation for Veryat II to read, she heard someone knocking on her door,

"Who is it?" She asked as she still focused on filling out the report 

"It's me Master, I have returned from my leave" A familiar high pitched feminine voice answered, causing Leilani to stop writing and walk over to the door

Opening the door, Leilani saw a large and tall arachnia woman standing before her, her human part was dressed in a lovely green coat and white long-sleeved shirt, her black hair and green eyes complemented her beautiful face and the spider part of her body was clad in a similarly green cloth that wrapped around everything, including the legs. 

"Welcome back Feisha. How was the trip?" Leilani asked with a smile 

"Ah! It was a fine trip Master. I even got some souvenirs for you and Bots" Feisha answered as she pulled out a box containing some pastries and a key chain that depicted a palm tree

"Fufufu, thank you Feisha. Well, you take the rest of the day off since you just got back. I will see you soon" Leilani said as she patted the arachinia on the head

"Master wait!" Feisha called out as Leilani was closing the door 

"Hmm? What is it?" 

"Uhh, a student by the name of Victoria Eliess submitted a form asking for a meeting schedule. It says on the form at 9 PM tonight" Feisha said as she read the form before giving it to her master 

"I see, thank you Feisha. I will handle it so you go talk with your sister and have a chat to catch up on stuff while you were gone" Leilani told her 

"Understood. Thank you Master" The arachnia answered with a bow before walking away as Leilani closed the door. 

Looking at the request form, Leilani detected trace amounts of magic scribbled onto the blank back of the form, and when she used her own magic to reveal it, her interest was piqued as she saw 

I FOUND SOMETHING THAT MAY SHAKE THIS WORLD ASUNDER! 

- Victoria 

"Hmm. Interesting, I wonder what she found from those books...I read them already and Oh. Oh fuck...It can't be that....shit" Leilani's expression shifted into nervousness and disbelief. 

For you see, although she has been alive for over five thousand years, she is still susceptible to making mistakes she would normally make as a human, although she is still human but only half human considering she has been made immortal but regardless, she makes mistakes. And one of those mistakes is sometimes forgetting about events, even important events from time to time. 

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Victoria found herself staring at the ceiling of her dorm room, Tatiana had gone home for vacation while she was still here invested in her findings. Even the letters from her family asking when she would return were answered with her asking them to give her a week. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were bloodshot as she lay on her bed surrounded by countless notes and scribbles. These past few days have been eye-opening and the fact she could not speak of the information she had read was driving her mad. She had filled out the request form for a meeting and she was hoping to see her professor later tonight. 

Victoria's friends were back in their homes for the break and she was about to leave as well, but after she had discussed what she had found in history books. 

"What the fuck...." 

Sitting up, Victoria looked at the massive whiteboard in the center of the room she wheeled in the night before. There were numerous notes she had taken from the history books as she could not rip off the pages due to a spell binding the book together and the thought of paying for the damage haunted her mind. The numerous notes she had written were connected in a web of threads that were arranged in such an order that centered around a note that just read 

WHO IS THE FIRST AND ONLY SCHOLAR OF SANTOMIN?! 

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Later that night, Leilani walked into the library a little late from the mentioned meeting time. She strolled into the library and made her way to the reading area she had assigned for Victoria to do her readings.

'Oh...Oh fuck it is' Leilani thought to herself as she saw the whiteboard with hundreds of notes and threads, even seeing the main note in the center that had the question. 

"So, what is this?" Leilani asked as she approached Victoria who had washed up and was looking normal 

"Oh! You're here already Ma'am. Well, it is the culmination of reading the first volume of the history books you gave me" Victoria answered as she got up and walked over to her 

"Just the first volume? In three days? That....is impressive" Leilani remarked with a surprised face

"Oh, I did not finish the volume Ma'am. I am barely a quarter of the way through" 

"Huh? So why are we..." 

"Ma'am. I looked through the dates of the first chapter alone and I noticed a huge discrepancy from our standard history books" 

"Which is?" 

"There is a sixty-year gap from 1632 to 1692, called the "Leviathan War" but there is no other description of that war. Heck, it's not even mentioned in our regular textbooks. The only thing I found is that there was a note that said "Redacted under orders of the First and Only Scholar of Santomin" This alone shatters my previous theory that there was no one blessed by Santomin and reaffirms that there was someone who had taught the scholars of the world!" Victoria added as she ran her fingers through her hair 

"Hmm....that is very interesting...can you show me your notes?" Leilani asked as she passed her student and looked upon the whiteboard

"Of course! I have so many questions such as what was the Leviathan War? why did it happen, where did it happen? why was it retracted from the textbooks of the world? and who is the First and Only Scholar of Santomin?" Victoria replied as she began showing her notes 

Leilani's eyes fell upon the numerous scribbles and words that were plastered over the handful of pages that Victoria showed her. Using her quick reading skills she was able to glance at these papers and make out everything they said. Numerous questions were asked within the confines of the paper that asked about the Leviathan War and the timeline gap, but they all pointed back to searching for the identity of the scholar she had just uncovered. 

'Shit, I completely forgot that Svetlana had written about this originally before I told her to remove it...I also forgot to fucking make sure my name was never mentioned...hayss, I really did mess up with this one' Leilani thought as she continued to exam her student's notes. 

"These are interesting notes Victoria....but I have to ask, how will you explain these during the expo?" Leilani asked as she placed down the notes

"Whu, I mean. I thought I could bring the history books with me" Victoria replied 

"You cannot do that, unfortunately, as these books have been spellbound to the library. Meaning they will shatter upon leaving the confines of this building" Leilani stated as she looked at her 

This was a lie as she had never casted such a spell but Victoria did not know that, and Leilani was not going to just let a history book that could expose her leave the confines of her university 

"Really? I...by whom?" the young student asked 

"By the previous Dean. It's a spell even I cannot undo, and the last time I tried I ended up in the hospital near death" Leilani replied, a wry smile on her face 

"Oh...well...that is....unfortunate to say the least Ma'am. N..not you not dying no, I meant the fact I cannot bring it out" 

"It's fine. I understand...let me ask you this Victoria...why do you think that certain aspect of the history book was redacted?" Leilani asked as she locked eyes with her student

"Well....hmmm....given the title of the event, I assume because it was a conflict but that doesn't make sense as by applying that thinking then all of the conflicts of the world should never be listed" The blonde crown princess answered her, her expression that of inquisitiveness and deep thinking 

"Mhmm. That is a good thought, now answer the question" 

"Well...hmmm....I....I do not know Ma'am. Maybe it was because it was a. small conflict? But that couldn't be since it lasted sixty years..."

"You know of the phrase "Sometimes things are best left forgotten?" Leilani asked as she sat down on the table 

"Uhh...no, but given the wording...you wish for me to forget this discovery?" Victoria replied as she stood near the whiteboard, with her seeing Leilani nod in reply 

"Let me tell you this. Your theory is right, there was a person who taught the other scholars, and by all means, that person was the first scholar of the world. She went by the title of "The First and Only Scholar of Santomin" She was the one fighting the Leviathan invasion on her own during that wretched conflict. I know because I was a child during that time. I watched as she saved us multiple times and I can only imagine what it had done to her" Leilani said as she stood up and stopped right in front of her

"Oh...so wait...that means"

"Yes, I am much much older than anyone expected me to be...in fact, I have been the Dean of this university ever since said scholar gave me the position around fifteen hundred years ago" 

"Due to your vampire heritage?"

"Yep, due to my vampire heritage" 

A silence then followed as Leilani saw her young student try and grapple with everything said. She saw the shifting in her eyes from the whiteboard to herself and after a few more moments of silence let out a sigh. 

"Well this sucks. Stumbling upon such groundbreaking information yet not being able to use it" Victoria said 

"Well, I never said you could not use it. In fact I am still very much in favor of you giving your theory to the expo. But instead of revealing about the Leviathan War, you can discuss the fact that there was indeed a scholar who had taught all the other scholars, you can even use me as a witness to support your theory" Leilani stated as she picked up one of the notes and handed it over to Victoria 

{!}

"Really?!" Victoria asked, her fire rekindled as Leilani could tell by staring into her eyes 

"Yep. I am amazed that out of the numerous intelligent minds throughout the generations, only you have noticed that gigantic piece of hidden history and although while I will not allow you to expose the hidden conflict that should remain hidden I am willing to help you bring the knowledge of the First and Only Scholar of Santomin to light. Albeit with the little knowledge that is known" Leilani added 

"I see, thank you so much Ma'am. But is there no one else who can testify to knowing that such a scholar existed?" 

"Unfortunately I fear I may be the only one as I predict that most of the elderly population from those times are dead" 

"What about the other vampires?" 

"Well, I am the eldest vampire. Sooo" Leilani answered with a wry smile 

"Oh...I see" Victoria finished with an understanding expression 

"Well, now that we have come to this understanding. You will no longer need the history books for now at least. I will instead ask you to go home and enjoy your vacation, we can pick it up when you return" Leilani said as she summoned forth several floating arms of magic 

"Yes, I understand. Mother and Father have been persistent in asking when I will get home" Victoria stated with an embarrassed smile 

"I know. They have sent me several letters" Leilani added as she glanced at her 

"Ohhh. I see" 

"Mhmm. Go along now, I will keep the books" At those words, Leilani's magical limbs began picking up the books and moving them back to the restricted area 

"Yes Ma'am. And thank you" Victoria said with a smile and a bow 

"No problem" Leilani replied with a smile of her own

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Later that night. Leilani found herself standing on the balcony of one of the many towers of the university. Looking down she saw the groundskeeper and the cleaning staff walking about performing their final tasks before settling in for the rest of the night. The last of the students like Victoria who had no summer class were to leave tomorrow, leaving only those college students with a summer class on campus, which there were only a few, and Leilani had arranged that whenever it was situations like this, she would personally teach the summer class. From what she had heard from her staff, these students were unruly and disrespectful, which made her blood boil but also gave her a reason to go all out and be just as harsh to show them their errors. 

"Fuck....to think that someone would get so close due to my mistakes" Leilani muttered as she let out a tired sigh. 

Her mind went back to the exchange she had with Victoria and how she would help her in showing the world that there was indeed a scholar who had taught the First Scholars of the different continents. A sigh escaped her lips as she tried to figure out why she did that, why she was still willing to help someone who had almost exposed her nor why she was helping in bringing her past to light through a lie. Perhaps it was the old feeling of educating people and bringing enlightenment that still burned inside her like a small ember had once again become the roaring inferno it once was. Regardless, she was going to uphold her promise as she was never one to back down from anything, no matter what they were or what the consequences were, 

"Leilani you old coot, you're getting lost or have you been lost for some time now?" She muttered as she crossed her arms and allowed the wind to blow through her hair with her tired expression staring at the campus below her

A/N: And here we are with Chapt 12! I hope you enjoyed reading this one as much as I had fun writing it. Also Leilani picture bc I felt like it was fitting.  If your have thoughts or comments leave them down below and as always Stay Safe and Enjoy Your Day!