I Can Copy And Evolve Talents

An array of identical airships floated close to the academy walls, each one slowly drifting towards the center, lowering itself beside the foldable bridge.

These airships paled in comparison to the one Northern had boarded to the academy, both the first and second time.

Those were built with the capacity to take five hundred passengers, while these could only take a hundred.

Ten of them lined up in front of the academy. Students walked on the bridge and climbed aboard their assigned ships. When the seventh ship came into place, Northern and his cohort also boarded.

It didn't matter whether one was joining the contest or not—every student was mandated to leave. Of course, it wasn't compulsory, but they would be missing a lot.

Northern couldn't help but think about Eleina and her stubborn, rage-fueled banter withe the forgemaster.

A few hours before the ships arrived, he had gone to pay her a visit at her quarters. When he couldn't find her there, he made his way to the private forge, but she wasn't there either. He really hated having to go to the general forge—it had been a very long time since he last visited—but he had no choice.

As Northern entered the smithy, he heard heated arguments between Eleina and the head forgemaster.

"This is madness! Why won't you talk to the principal about this?"

The man sat in front of a furnace, staring deeply into the fire with an expression that held many cautions, secrets, and fatigue. He sighed and responded after seconds of silence.

"It is not my place to meddle with the affairs of the academy. They made their choice. I am an instructor here like every other person; my relationship with the principal does not give me any excuse nor privilege to interfere in matters like this."

Eleina lowered her head, her bangs darkening her eyes. She bit her lips fiercely, then lingered in silence before saying:

"You are wicked and nonchalant. You lost one hand in just the side effect of the brewing war, and you won't do anything to stop the principal from making a dangerous decision like this." She raised her head, her eyes flaring with flames of anger.

"A revolution is literally boiling in the central continent. Some mad soldier rose to conquer the continent for himself, and every damn person is shrugging it off as insignificant because they haven't seen what the war has done to people. You have seen it, you were there. I mean... look at you—forging is impossible for you. But you're still going to turn a blind eye to this? Make me understand."
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"I am not turning a blind eye to it, Ele. I have informed this to him as a friend. As an instructor of the academy, I am necessitated to comply like every other person."

Eleina stood there, staring at the forgemaster, her eyes trembling.

"You know... since I was young up until now, I have never felt proud that you are my father. The entire continent might see you as a legend, but you're just a bag of shit that leaves his smell everywhere he goes. You could have stopped mother from leaving if you wanted to, but this is the same attitude you had."

She stormed out, pausing for a beat as she reached Northern. A small frown folded her features as she said to him:

"If you know what's good for you, do not go off this island."

Then she bounced out of the forge on her crutches.

The entire place was left in an awkward silence. No one was there except the forgemaster and Eleina. Northern had a feeling that even he wasn't supposed to be there, and so he slowly withdrew.

He wanted to approach Eleina after that time, but he had nothing to do or say to her. The conversation was going to be very awkward, and the thought of it alone made him detest it.

So he decided to leave the academy without speaking to her, hoping to see her again.

He could not fully understand her anger, but he could try to. Whatever battle they were caught in had been so dangerous that the forgemaster and she suffered irreparable damages.

Her fears about the students venturing into such a place were well understood. But what made the entire situation a bit confusing and difficult to look into was the nature of Eleina and the forgemaster's banter.

It seemed there had been an underlying issue before this event; Eleina's argument seemed to lean towards it more than it was about the students being allowed to venture into the heart of the continent.

Northern shrugged as he entered the ship.

'I'm sure everything will be fine. I am here after all.'

A few minutes later, the last person boarded, and the ship slowly rose away from the bridge and drifted towards the middle of the red cloud, slowly making its way towards the edge of the island marked by a thick, usually green forest that was now covered in snow.

Northern stared down from the ship's rail. He looked at the forest and looked back at the academy where there was no snow at all.

'Huh?'

This was the first time he was noticing something like this.

"You are just noticing it?" Aster asked with a small smile on his lips. His sleepy eyes glanced over the red clouds.

"They say snow doesn't fall on the academy because of that thing."

Northern tilted his head slightly.

"Really? What is it? What does it do?"

Aster shrugged with his hands.

"I have no idea really, but I know it's one of the nine wonders of the continent and visitation is not allowed. I think rain doesn't fall either because of it."

Northern frowned a little bit towards the sea of crimson cloud, remembering the last tough battle he had fought.

The eyes the creature had all over its hand and the eyes that glared back at him from the depths of the crimson cloud had a very striking resemblance.

'Very... ominous.'