The Blood Maiden sounded scary which prompted Number One to get as much information from Leon before they reached their destination. He realized he would have to carry Leon but the old man surprised him again.
"Oh, that won't be necessary. I have my own wings," Leon replied to Number One's proposal and his White Soul Energy burst out from his back. It formed instantly as if it knew where to go and Leon flutter his most basic wings with a smile.
"What…? You mastered Soul Wings while being a White Talent?" Headmaster Blake questioned dumbfounded while the girls stared at Number One in surprise. He was yet to tell them the real reason why he was interested in Leon but they figured it out on their own.
Number One thought Leon only had a Soul Weapon but it seemed to be more complicated. He was now more inclined to believe that Leon was like him and used some supporting Soul Arts like Heavenly Feathers. The only thing that he couldn't understand was his stable Soul Energy whose quality was comparable to Red or Black Talent.
"I'm not a Soul Artist but my wife taught me to form those wings so I can travel home faster," Leon explained casually. "My life couldn't be better since I met her. I even got so much more strength and I have not been sick for many years. My love for her keeps me healthy and I feel like a young man."
Headmaster Blake exchanged glances with Number One and questioned, "How old are you now if I may ask?"
"I should be ninety-five soon but I don't really feel old," Leon replied cheerfully. "My body is still strong and I can work just as efficiently as always. Now that I think about it, my life has been surprisingly long for an average human but I can't complain, right?"
'Ignorance is bliss…' Number One commented in his mind as he finally understood what could be going on.
Leon was a simple human before he met the Blood Maiden and she changed his life without involving him in the crucial parts of the Soul Artist's life. She must have improved the quality of his Soul Energy and taught him everything he needed to continue his peaceful life.
What Number One found weird was how Leon surrendered his Storage Ring without a fight. Why would Blood Maiden not teach him any offensive Soul Arts in case someone tried to kill him? Was she not worried about him when he literally worked right next to the Sand Bandits' hideout?
Headmaster Blake has also caught up on the mystery and he confirmed their thoughts with a single question. "Were you able to use your Soul Energy before you met your wife?"
"No. I actually tried when I was younger but I failed whenever I wanted to learn anything. I only managed to use it when my wife started teaching me so I guess I might have succeeded if I met her earlier," Leon explained with a sigh. "It's okay though. I enjoy mining more compared to fighting with beasts. I have been doing it all my life and I don't plan on stopping."
'So it must have been the Blood Maiden that improved the quality of his Soul,' Nami pointed out excitedly as she held his arm. 'This is your chance. Maybe she can help you too.'
'I know, but I won't hope for too much,' Number One replied calmly. 'There is a chance it's his innate talent or they are just similar to us. Either way, I am determined to find out the truth.'
Number One was already growing excited but he didn't let himself get carried away. There were no known ways to improve a Soul Talent or else everyone would already discover it. Blood Maiden had to do something to Leon's Soul which helped him receive the benefits of high-ranked Soul Energy without even touching his Soul Talent.
"If she really managed to find a way to break the rules of nature, this could be huge for the whole world…" Headmaster Blake muttered in amazement. "No wonder she stays away from the Soul Academies… If any of the powerhouses discovered this secret, they would rule the whole Outer World or even take over the Inner World."
"What secret?" Leon questioned innocently. "My wife only taught me Soul Arts…"
"You don't understand. She must have done something to your Soul, right? Can you tell us how did your wife teach you? Did she feed you something special? Any pills or elixirs?" Headmaster Blake questioned excitedly but Leon got intimidated.
"I feel I already told you too much… My wife is definitely going to be angry if I say anything else," Leon replied while scratching his head.
Headmaster Blake was already too far to give up and wanted to know more but Number One stopped him, "That's enough for now. He doesn't know much about Soul Artists' world so let's just talk with the person in question instead."
Number One wanted to question Leon on the way but his plan was suddenly ruined. Headmaster Blake's eagerness set off Leon's alarms and he got suspicious. It wasn't that big of a deal since he doubted Leon was aware of what his wife did to him. He thought it was all about having a good teacher but that was the last on the list.
Number One quickly burst out his Soul Wings to cut off the conversation and hurried everyone up. "Let's resume the travel or else we will be forced to fly at night."
It was already afternoon and they still had a long distance to cross so Headmaster Blake didn't argue against it. He still approached Number One when they already launched into the sky and suggested, "Leon is our only lead since the Blood Maiden won't talk to us if she knows we discovered her secret. We need to get as much information from her husband as possible since interrogating her is useless."
ƥαṇdα-ηθνε|·ƈθm "If she really knew a way to improve Soul Energy, do you think she would keep it a secret if there wasn't anything wrong with it?" Number One pointed out what he had been thinking. "I'm sure it requires a certain sacrifice to succeed. If it was a safe method, she could easily sell it to the Academies or announce it to the public which would change the world. She must be hiding it because the Soul Academies could easily abuse it."
Everything slowly made sense as Number One began imaging it from Blood Maiden's perspective. "She left the scene and settled down with her husband to stay low profile. That's also the reason why she told Leon to hide his Soul Arts from strangers. She must be scared of people like you who would use this method to strengthen their Soul Academy no matter the cost."
Headmaster Blake was clearly guilty of those thoughts as he didn't deny it. Winged Soul Academy would become an unbeatable force if every student was a top talent. He would only need a few years to create a skilled army that could dominate the Outer World.
"So what do you propose then?" Headmaster Blake questioned.
"I think you should forget about this method and think more about yourself instead of your Academy," Number One recommended seriously. "You are an ambitious leader but not everyone cares about it as much as you do. How do you expect to keep it a secret from the world once you obtain it? You would be quickly betrayed and someone stronger would come to take it away."
Headmaster Blake's expression collapsed as Number One continued, "Even if you manage to close the Academy and focus on training your current students, do you think you can keep your position? You are only the Leader because you are the strongest. Once you help everyone improve, the members of the Academy Board would definitely challenge your authority and take your place."
It felt weird that Number One had to teach Headmaster Blake about the cruelty of the world he lived in. He seemed to have lived a comfortable life and forgotten how competitive the world of cultivation was. No one would hesitate to step on him the moment they had the chance.
"You are right. This method would only bring chaos and destruction. The balance would be overturned if everyone reached the same level," Headmaster Blake admitted after a moment while gazing at Leon's back. "I will leave the Blood Maiden to you. I still want to cooperate with her since her crafting skills are the best in the city. The offer from earlier still stands."
Headmaster Blake was already a Red Talent so it wasn't a hard decision to make. Number One was in a completely different situation. He would even leave the Academy if it meant he could finally master his own Soul Arts.
"I will do what I can," Number One nodded as he finally flew away to accompany Leon for the rest of the trip. He could only try to repair their relationship which would help him later on with Leon's wife.
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