As Fragile As Spider - Silk | Jeanlisa [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 6 - Varka

"Same here," smiles Jean, as Varka himself steps out of his office. Affectionately nicknamed the "Titan" of the Knights of Favonius, Varka was an imposing man, with large muscles and a Claymore strapped to his back. Surprisingly, his nature and manner are a complete parallel to what he presented himself as. "Ah, the new recruits! Welcome, welcome! I'm Varka, as you probably know and I'm the current Grand Master for the Knights of Favonius. Hertha, this lot looks mighty fabulous!" exclaims Varka, excitedly shaking every student's hand.

"Mr. Ragnvindr, pleasure to see you, Miss Lawrence, hope to see you loosen up a little whilst you're here and have some fun, Mr. Alberich, looking smart as always and Miss Gunnhildr..." rambles Varka, pausing as he approaches Jean.

"Jean Gunnhildr, right? My new understudy... as the Acting Grand Master. You'll have a lot of work to do, no doubt, but no worries, I'll guide you through all of it," ponders Varka, grinning at the blonde, who smiles back. "Thanks, Sir," says Jean, and she gets a playful slap to her back as Varka exclaims, "Just call me Varka! And that goes for the rest of you too. Let's work hard for the betterment of Mondstadt, everyone!"

Everyone responds joyfully at this statement, as adults come in and out, taking the new recruits with them to help them get used to their new jobs. The Knight walks into the Grand Master's office, where Varka is reclining on his chair and seems to be lost in thought.

"Um... Varka?" asks Jean, peering in through the door.

The Grand Master jerks up, before inviting the blonde inside to take a seat. "So, Jean, here's the rundown of how everything's going to go. I'm going to spend this first year training you on all things Grand Master related, from the smallest of jobs to the most detailed of expeditions. I hope that you'll put in the effort in the same way I had to when I was a wee lad, for this job really demands a high level of skill and you've clearly proven yourself in Knight training," explains Varka, gesturing at the scrolls pinned to the wall around the room with illustrations and rules to follow.

"Of course. That is my job as a Gunnhildr, after all," replies Jean, confident. "Good job. Just one thing - don't overwork yourself, okay? Find some hobbies to do and some friends you know you can connect with, no matter how much time has passed since you last met, because this job really consumes a lot of your time, and burnout is inevitable if you don't carefully plan your schedule," chides Varka, eyes twinkling. Jean is left surprised by his statement because it was always 'work no matter your mental health' back home, and she nods.

When Jean returned home that day, her mom teared up at the sight of her daughter finally being a part of the Knights of Favonius, as she was once the Alder Knight. "Jean, I have two presents for you. First, these earrings," smiles Frederica, handing the blonde a pair of gold, knotted earrings that resembled crosses. "I wore these when I was a Knight myself, and I think it would be nice if you wore them too," adds Frederica.

"Second..." starts Frederica, pulling out a package from behind her back. "Seamus, bless him, still kept these. Barbara gave them to me because she found them earlier in one of our rooms. These were the clothes I personally wore when I was granted the title of 'Alder Knight.' Perhaps you'd like to use them too," chuckles Frederica, handing her daughter the ceremonial knightly robes that her mother once wore, which she affectionately called, "Gunnhildr's Legacy."

"Thank you, mother," smiles Jean, genuinely happy with the present. "No worries," laughs Frederica, walking off. Jean plucks out the rose that Lisa had given her from her breast pocket, placing it into the new uniform affectionately.

This was going to be a good year.

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A year passes, and by this point, Lisa is halfway through the Sumeru Academia course. The sheer number of professors that expressed their disbelief towards how clever she was starting to get old, and the compliments she received were becoming very similar. At this point, all Lisa really wanted was to leave the Academia and learn in the outside world, away from writing on hundreds of old scrolls (even though she used an enchanted quill to pen down her thoughts, leaving her free to sip her tea and relax) and from poring in multiple books. She wanted to experience the real world and go travelling for at least 6 months and experience a variety of cultures.

She felt her knowledge wasn't being put to good use whilst studying in the Academia. She knew she had to barely put in the effort to speed through her assignments, and multiple students came to her in hopes that she could assist them in their work but much to their dismay, she never thought much when doing her work, and her methods were difficult to explain. Rarely did Lisa have to rewrite any of her papers due to her brilliance.

Having personally witnessed raving - mad scholars in the wild, lush green forests of Sumeru and knowledgeable, powerful sages merely sitting on advisory councils, underutilized, the Mage realized what uninhibited erudition does to a person.

And it seemed like such a high price to pay - how much did one have to sacrifice to attain the profoundest knowledge of all?

This realization further propelled Lisa into overdrive, causing her to work even harder just so she could leave the Academia and leave Sumeru.

"Before demanding too many miracles from the gods, first consider if you are willing to pay the price they ask."

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