《More to Love [Otome + Action RPG Isekai]》 Chapter 1: Life is Okay Annie¡¯s earbuds pinged, letting her know she received an email on her smartphone. Blearily wiping her eyes, she dug in her pocket to pull out her phone, glancing at the flashing LED lights on the train map to make sure she hadn¡¯t missed her stop. Focusing back on her hand, she unlocked her phone and swiped open the email notification.
The Stream Summer Sale has begun! Based on the games in your library, we think you would enjoy this game.
¡°Free, huh?¡± Annie murmured, tapping the link to open the game¡¯s store page. It was a new release, from an indie developer she had recently started following. They hadn¡¯t gained much of a following yet, so she had been picking up their (small) catalog of games at prices as low as a dollar whenever they decided to put their games on sale. The games weren¡¯t perfect, but Annie enjoyed them. She could tell the developers put a lot of love and heart into their games. The new game was just like the other releases from the studio: a visual novel dating simulation game. Annie wouldn¡¯t say visual novels (or dating sims, for that matter) were her favorite genre of video games, but she liked to say that visual novels were all she could afford when it came to experiencing life. ¡°For the price of five dollars, I can have relationships with five different attractive guys, all on my own schedule, guilt-free!¡± Annie joked to her friends. Honestly though, the biggest reason was that her laptop was a hulk of an artifact, and she wasn¡¯t confident it could handle games more intense than visual novels. It wasn¡¯t that Annie didn¡¯t want to be in a relationship. She was twenty-three years old, and anxiety about the lack of progress on the social side of her life was starting to kick into high gear. She just didn¡¯t think she had the luxury to go on dates to meet anybody. Her parents were getting old, and their family just wasn¡¯t in a place where she could focus on her own wants. Annie worked two jobs to help support her parents: Her daytime job was an almost-full time job as a receptionist at an optometrist¡¯s office, and she worked nights at a twenty-four hour gym. She had a two-year Associate¡¯s degree from the local community college, nominally so that she could transfer to the local four-year university, but when she compared the immediate debts she¡¯d take on to her projected earning potential if she were to complete her education, she concluded the reward did not outweigh the risks. She wasn¡¯t bitter at her parents for having to give up her life. Her parents were hard workers themselves, so it wasn¡¯t like she was the only one sacrificing her time to help make ends meet. It was just that the cost of living was so high in the major city they lived in, steadily increasing every year while wages slowly fell behind, and they didn¡¯t have the seed money to uproot their lives to move to a cheaper area. They were effectively trapped. Annie¡¯s father had been injured during a construction job while she was in middle school, so was limited in the kind of work he had been able to take on. Right now, he worked the night shift as a front desk security for some luxury apartment building - fortunately, the front desk wasn¡¯t a role that required him to patrol. All he had to do was help buzz in drunk yuppies when they inevitably failed to scan their key fobs, after the actual security guard outside confirmed their names and unit numbers. Annie and her mother weren''t sure why they needed two people to open the door for one person (and more often than not their entourage), but they weren¡¯t going to complain about the need for such a relatively cushy job. Annie¡¯s father assured them his job was secure: the doorman wasn¡¯t allowed to touch residents¡¯ belongings as a matter of liability, so they couldn¡¯t assist residents with scanning the building¡¯s keyfob. The doorman also wasn¡¯t allowed his own keyfob in case some thugs or hooligans jumped him and stole the keyfob off of him. Annie had mixed feelings about what the building¡¯s safety policy implied about the safety of her father¡¯s work neighborhood, but she had to concede that at least her father was able to be on the safe side of any altercations. Annie¡¯s mother worked evening shifts as a cleaning lady/snack stockist at a major tech company, and would pick up some daytime childcare duties for neighbors as the need arose. Her mother was enthusiastic about her job, because that meant that she could bring home some expensive snacks for the family to try, and they didn¡¯t have to worry about buying cleaning supplies for their home. Her mother would also sneak some hard boiled eggs and leftover milk or fruits. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why they insist on replacing the milk so often, but we¡¯re the ones benefiting,¡± she would declare cheerfully. The train slowed down, the conductor announcing the arrival of Annie¡¯s stop. Stretching, Annie yawned as she exited the train. Almost home. It was late Friday night (or more accurately, early Saturday morning), and she only had to work Saturday night. She could fire up the new visual novel game for a couple hours before she went to bed. Annie smiled as she thought about the screenshots and blurbs she had scrolled through. The studio had definitely increased their budget for this game¡¯s art. The boys looked like they were designed and rendered by a reputable anime studio, with no weird body proportions, and the game also promised RPG leveling elements in addition to the typical visual novel decision-making playstyle. The developers admitted it was a big endeavor for them to try to combine a dating simulation with fighting mechanics, but they hoped they could do their inspiration Starview Valley justice. If this game lives up to expectations, they¡¯ll definitely hit it big. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Annie really only got to play the game for half an hour before she fell asleep. She spent over an hour customizing her character. Other than appearance, she also had to distribute stat points for her character, and also decide on what her elemental affinity was. Annie was impressed by all the customization options. Off to a strong start. In the end, while Annie took a bathroom break with the resolve to get further than just meeting her in-game best friend (Aida, a pretty black-haired girl with a sweet expression and came across as a dandere), she was distracted by a text message from her father.
Good night Anastasia. C u in the morning.
Gn daddy, see you soon
Go 2 sleep. Don''t stay up so late if u don''t have to
Ok, going to bed now
Annie tapped in a heart and closed her laptop, releasing the yawn that was bubbling at the back of her throat. Her brain was slowing down, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy the game anyway. Lying on top of her thin bedsheet, Annie plugged in her phone and started scrolling through the game developer¡¯s blog post announcing their newest release. She liked the look of Levi the most, she decided. He had long, dark green hair pulled back in a low ponytail, with sharp bronze eyes and an impish smirk in his character splash art. The post described him as an ambitious bachelor with a powerful wood affinity, who "is just as willing to fight for his love as for furthering his family¡¯s reputation¡­if only he could meet her." Annie nodded to herself. First route material for sure. The second bachelor that caught her eye was Ezra: the best metal-affinity student the Academy had the privilege of teaching in decades, he had silver hair and eyes, and an aloof expression. He exuded the aura of a cool and collected man, one who was indifferent to whispers of awe or the slavering platitudes of those attempting to cozy up to him. He apparently was the ¡°old money¡± of the eligible men - but precisely because of his family background, he "is reserved with others, since he doesn¡¯t trust that people would like him for him. Who will be the one to open up his heart?" The third and final bachelor was Caleb. He had dark brown hair, violet eyes, and a sweet, unassuming disposition. Caleb is the ¡°poor¡± one of the cast, but is an unparalleled earth-affinity genius with a great work ethic. However, he "doesn¡¯t seem to have time to notice that there¡¯s more to life than just working. Will any girl be able to catch his attention, and show him the beauty in life?" Annie winced. Too close to home. Definitely going to court him last¡­I play for escapism, not reskinned reality. Turning her phone¡¯s screen off, Annie rolled over to face the wall. She and her family had come a long way from when her father first got injured. Once Annie quit school and started working two jobs, the financial strain had lightened considerably, and now they no longer lived collective paycheck to collective paycheck. Her decision to end her college career resulted in many arguments that ended in tears on all sides. Her parents insisted that everything would be fine, and that what was most important was Annie getting the qualifications that would catapult her into the white collar elite. They didn¡¯t move to America just so Annie would have to work the same jobs she might have back in their home country. Annie fought back, pointing to the income and cost of living reports that laid out exactly which few options she had if she wanted to pay off her and their family¡¯s loans in a reasonable time frame. ¡°I DON¡¯T EVEN LIKE MATH,¡± she bellowed. Ultimately, her parents accepted her decision because they weren¡¯t able to argue against the facts. ¡°I just wish you didn¡¯t have to grow up so fast,¡± her mother whispered tearfully, clinging to Annie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I failed as a mother.¡± ¡°If I was a better provider, you wouldn¡¯t have even had to make this choice,¡± her father quavered, squeezing Annie and her mother in his arms. Annie remembered hearing his heart hammering and jerking with silent sobs as she was crushed against his chest. She couldn¡¯t speak through her gasping breaths then, but she remembered promising herself that even if she deviated from the formulaic path decided for her by her high school counselors and teachers, and deviated from the route all her friends (who were already midway through their four-year programs with the expectation that they would simply pick up a job that suited their degrees or interests upon graduation like they would pick up their afternoon coffees) were dutifully following, she would make smart decisions and claw her way to the life her parents hoped for her. Despite Annie¡¯s insistence that she hated math, she found a certain calm that came from knowing numbers could clearly characterize a situation. She handled the family budget, taking comfort in watching their numbers inch up, and understanding the higher the number, the more security they had. They still didn¡¯t have a lot of savings, but they had enough that the family was able to relax a little, to go out for a family meal once a month when their schedules all lined up. Annie smiled bitterly into her pillow, curling into her thin blanket. She wasn¡¯t cold, and the air was stale. Her narrow bedroom window was open, but it didn¡¯t help to alleviate the muggy summer air. Her blanket¡ªa ratty piece of fabric with faded pink flowers that¡¯d been on her bed for as long as she could remember¡ªwas just like her dreams: something she wished was substantial enough to wrap her in a safe cocoon as she floated towards the future, but ultimately was just something that would unravel at the edges the older she got. Chapter 2: Annie meets Suelina Annie awoke to loud bells chiming through her window. Stretching luxuriously, she was distracted by the resistance on her feet. Pushing herself into a sitting position, she saw that instead of her lumpy twin size bed, she was in a firm, very even full size bed. Not only that, her tiny, worn out childhood blanket (one that she had already outgrown in late middle school) had transformed into an elegant wine-colored blanket that looked brand new. Confused, Annie rose to her feet and took stock of her surroundings. She was no longer in her tiny bedroom with its low ceilings, surrounded by frumpy, sagging furniture containing her worn belongings. Instead, immediately next to her bed was a sturdy no-nonsense wooden desk with books neatly lined along the edge, accompanied by a similarly sturdy no-nonsense four-legged wooden chair. The desk was pushed right in front of a large window, with glass that reached up to the extremely high ceiling of the room. On the wall opposite of the bed were bookshelves, containing books and items Annie had never seen before. Next to the bookshelves, on the wall directly across from the excessively large window, was a single door with what looked like a school uniform hanging from a hook on the middle of the door. Next to the doorframe was a full-length mirror on the wall, and next to the mirror was a large, heavy dresser made of dark red wood. Resting on top of the dresser was a slim leather briefcase-looking bag, something that looked like it came straight out of one of those high school animes Annie used to watch. Bemused, and more to establish that she was dreaming, Annie tilted her head to look at the books stacked on the desk. Wyndian History. Mana:Balance. Beginner Water Techniques. Intermediate Water Techniques. Advanced Water Techniques. Beginner and Intermediate had colored tabs poking out at various intervals throughout the book, and Advanced had a bookmark nestled within the first few pages. Presumably, whoever owned these books was only beginning to read Advanced Water Techniques. Through the window was a breathtaking view of a large courtyard, edged with plenty of trees, grass, and flowers, and a large statue spouting water in the center of the cobblestone bricks. The layout reminded Annie of the fancy quads that were a staple of university marketing materials. Annie rubbed her eyes. The fancy quad was still there. Backing away from the window, Annie turned to the bookshelves, peering at the objects, but careful not to touch anything. She expected the shelves to hold some trinkets, photos, decorations, or any other personal effects that could indicate the type of person who lived in this room; but all she saw were some items that might look at home in a curio shop: a few rings, a couple necklaces, some dice with unfamiliar markings, a number of small pouches containing who knew what, a slender rod of wood with a small jewel embedded in one end. Annie rubbed her eyes and squinted at the objects again. No question about it - all of these items were glowing faintly, as if they were traced with a blue outline. Cautiously, Annie placed a finger on the rod of wood, and immediately snatched her hand back when it started vibrating. Heart pounding, Annie poked at the other glowing items on the shelf, to witness the same effect - but none of the items vibrated as hard as the wooden stick. Perplexed, knowing in her gut it was a bad idea yet unable to stop herself, Annie reached for the rod. Gripping the wand tightly¡ªbecause there was no doubt that¡¯s what it was¡ªAnnie felt something explode from her stomach - zip through her shoulder, through her elbow, to her wrist, through every joint of her fingers¡ªand blast through the tip of the wand. Annie shrieked, her hand flying through the air from the kickback. The wand arced from her hand, clattering against the wall before thumping onto the bed. ¡°What the¨C¡± A knock sounded on the door. ¡°Aida? Are you okay?¡± Annie froze, staring into the mirror next to the door. Instead of the overlarge T-shirt and short shorts she wore to bed, she was dressed in a pale-blue gossamer nightgown that extended to her knees. Instead of the messy bun that was piled on top of her head, she now had long, flowing waist-length black hair, and a face that most decidedly was not her own. Approaching the mirror cautiously, Annie pressed a finger against her cheek, stuck her tongue out, smiled - the perfectly symmetrical face in the mirror matched her movements exactly. Annie now had clear, unblemished pale skin, large deep blue eyes, delicate features, and lips that naturally turned up slightly at the corners. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Annie¡¯s reverie was interrupted by more insistent knocking, accompanied by a girlish, worried voice. ¡°Aida? Can you open up? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± Annie called back. Geez, even her voice was pretty now. She quickly unbolted the door, opening it no more than a crack to peek outside. Annie stared. Standing right outside, wearing a worried expression on a face that made Annie¡¯s new visage seem average, was the character Annie had spent close to ninety minutes tweaking the previous night. Upon seeing Annie - Aida - safe and sound, the familiar stranger relaxed into a smile. ¡°Aida! That was kind of a scary noise in your room. What happened?¡± Floating through the door without waiting for an invitation, the stranger prowled straight to the bookshelf, her long, wavy, nearly platinum blonde hair surrounding her in a halo. She picked up the items scattered on the ground along the way. Annie fumbled the door closed and followed after her. ¡°Hey¨C¡± ¡°Wow, I haven¡¯t seen you make this kind of mess since our first year here. What happened? What made you lose control?¡± she flashed a lovely lilac eye at Annie, a mischievous sparkle in her eye. ¡°Did you finally get matched with someone?¡± ¡°Uh¨C¡± Annie paused, panicking. ¡°I¨C¡± ¡°There, you can organize your things properly later.¡± The newcomer spun around to face Annie, hands clasped neatly in front of her. Her eyes widened. ¡°How come you¡¯re not dressed yet? We need to get some breakfast before class starts!¡± completely ignoring the flummoxed Annie, the new girl bustled over to the uniform hanging on the door, and proceeded to undress and dress Annie like her own doll. ¡°Where do you keep your comb?¡± she fretted, opening the dresser drawers randomly. ¡°Um¨C¡± ¡°Never mind, I found it. I really should remember where you always keep your things, you¡¯re so good at being organized.¡± Approaching Annie with a small wooden comb in her hand, the main character sat her on the bed and began pulling the comb vigorously through her hair. ¡°Let¡¯s get this done so we can go eat!¡± Annie squeezed her eyes shut, overwhelmed and in pain. ¡°Ouch! Okay, I get it. Let me do my hair myself and I¡¯ll meet you outside in a minute.¡± The blonde girl beamed. ¡°Okay, sounds great! I¡¯ll go get my things.¡± She held out the comb to Annie, literally causing the air around her to sparkle with her beauty. Annie numbly accepted the comb from the girl, her eye drawn to a red gleam at her chest. A metal name tag, embedded with a glowing red gem, etched with SUELINA, was pinned to her blazer. Annie sighed as the girl skipped out. Suelina was way too energetic, and brought more questions than answers. Was she in a dream? But there was no dream-logic impairing her thoughts. Her reasoning skills were still intact; there were no inexplicable time skips or decisions made that she could blithely gloss over and accept as she marched unquestioningly towards whatever story her mind was trying to tell herself. But I can¡¯t just stand here and try to figure this out - Suelina is going to come back. Stepping back to the mirror, Annie began untangling her hair (after the female lead¡¯s ministrations, her hair was actually worse than when she first got out of bed). Going through the familiar motions reflected the utter incongruity of her situation. Here she was, brushing out her hair as if everything was fine - but she wasn¡¯t at home, wasn¡¯t about to head out to work, and had no idea what caused her to wake up in the side character¡¯s body. Annie wasn¡¯t a stranger to doing things just because she had to - she had been a cog in the system for years now, and had learned long ago that it was easier to follow the processes in place than to try to tease out what the best solution was on her own. This situation seemed to warrant following the process - follow Suelina¡¯s lead - if only so she could buy herself more time to figure out what was happening. Then she could try to figure out what the best solution was. Placing the comb back on top of the dresser, Annie smoothed down her pale gray blazer and pink skirt, gave a final pull on her pink-and-gray plaid tie, and straightened her name tag: AIDA, with a blue gem. So I¡¯m Aida now, best friends with the character I created for More to Love. Aida glanced into the mirror. It was really weird seeing someone who wasn¡¯t her moving just like her; she hadn¡¯t ever really noticed how little quirks and habits that people subconsciously did defined the person she was interacting with. Or were the little quirks defined by the person? Would she be able to sufficiently pass as Aida, having no idea what kind of person Aida was, or what specific and personal habits she had? Firming her resolve, Aida grabbed her schoolbag, checked the doorknob to make sure there wasn¡¯t a lock other than the deadbolt on it - there wasn¡¯t - but how would she get back inside? Praying that Aida really was as organized as Suelina flippantly commented and had the key to re-enter her room packed in the schoolbag somewhere, she stepped out to face her new life. Chapter 3: Bully ¡°Aida! You¡¯re finally done, I was about to come get you again,¡± Suelina chirped. She was carrying her own school bag and had her wand poking out of the fist that was gripping the bag handle. Aida¡¯s eyes locked onto the wand, and she deliberately let the door close behind her. ¡°Ah, oh no, I think I forgot to bring my wand,¡± Aida said, trying to inject a tone of helplessness into her voice. She opened her bag, rifling through the contents. Notebooks and a box? Pulling the slim lightweight box out of her bag, Aida flipped the lid open to reveal a small glass bottle of ink and a dip pen with a wooden handle, both tucked snugly into the cushion adorning the box. ¡°Silly Aida, why would you keep your wand in your pen box?¡± Suelina asked airily. She reached out and snatched Aida¡¯s name tag off her chest, marching to her door and passing it over the door knob. The knob melted away, and Suelina pushed the door open, leaning against the door to invite Aida in. Aida gave the most genuine smile she could as she passed Suelina. ¡°What would I do without you?¡± Suelina smiled back, slapping Aida¡¯s name tag into her hand. ¡°I know, right?¡± Aida clicked her name tag back on her blazer, feeling a small tingle through her fingers as the tag zoomed towards the magnet in her blazer pocket. Approaching her bed, she hesitated. She still didn¡¯t know how to pick up the wand without causing another mini explosion, but Suelina was waiting, humming as she straightened the items she helped replace earlier. Nothing to do but just go for it. After all, Suelina seemed to be pretty forgiving of Aida¡¯s stumbles this morning. Holding her breath, Aida reached for the wand, grimly preparing for the kickback. If she couldn¡¯t stop the wand from exploding, she could at least make sure the wand didn¡¯t take out Suelina¡¯s eye. As her fingers closed over the wood, Aida had a sudden implicit understanding of the energy that had erupted from her core just earlier. Almost as if she was in a meditative trance, Aida imagined herself barely catching onto the amorphous blob of energy that strained towards the wand. Triumphant, Aida picked up the wand, feeling the smooth wood gently vibrating under her fingers, until¨C ¡°Hey Aida!¡± Suelina jostled Aida¡¯s shoulder, causing Aida to panic and lose her grip on the energy she was containing. The blob - granted, it was smaller than the one earlier - exploded out of her wand, ricocheting off the wall and up to the ceiling, where it fortunately dispersed harmlessly. ¡°Seriously, Aida, are you okay?¡± Suelina demanded, peering up at Aida from underneath the slim volume she had instinctively ducked under. ¡°You normally stink at mana control, but why are you extra bad today? It¡¯s like you completely forgot what we learned over the past two years!¡± Offended, Aida opened her mouth to retort, before turning thoughtful. This might be the handicap I need to catch up to what I¡¯m supposed to know in this world. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know! I just woke up so confused this morning, and¡­¡± Aida inhaled and held it for a beat before exhaling, and dropped her eyes. ¡°...I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready to talk about it yet.¡± ¡°Oh, you poor thing, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Suelina said mournfully, embracing Aida. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean what I said about you being bad with mana. I was just surprised, and¡­and I¡¯m really hungry too,¡± Suelina said sheepishly, her stomach rumbling helpfully. She gave Aida another tight hug. ¡°But I¡¯ll be here once you¡¯re ready to talk about it!¡± Aida awkwardly patted Suelina¡¯s back. ¡°Anyway, what were you asking me, Sue?¡± Suelina pulled back, her eyes round. ¡°¡®Sue?¡¯¡± ¡°Um, should I call you Suelina¡­¡± ¡°NO! No! Sue is great!¡± Sue smiled, lighting up the room. ¡°I just never thought you¡¯d come up with a nickname for me after all this time. But I love it!¡± After swaying on the spot for a few seconds, Sue held out the book in her hands. ¡°That¡¯s right! I wanted to ask if I could borrow your notes? You know how sloppy mine are¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I actually haven¡¯t reviewed my notes yet,¡± Aida said apologetically. ¡°Can I give them to you later?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Sue said agreeably. She placed the notebook on Aida¡¯s desk. ¡°Now can we finally please go to breakfast?¡± Smiling and nodding, Aida picked up the notebook Sue had just deposited. ¡°For when there¡¯s downtime, so I can finish reviewing faster,¡± she told Sue, who smiled in return. Praying that she actually had time to read the notes before she got identified as sus, she followed Sue out. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Sue led Aida down the marble and rich wood stairwell to the cafeteria on the first floor, where breakfast was in full swing. Looking at the menu overhead (it was laid out much like a build-your-own-bowl menu, with steamed rice as the base option), Aida didn¡¯t see any prices - and she didn¡¯t recognize many of the menu items, so she couldn¡¯t judge how much the food might cost. ¡°Hey, Sue, what are you going to get?¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m feeling a little too fire, so I think I might get some sweet porridge and stir-fried mushrooms,¡± Sue said thoughtfully. Not helpful at all¡­ Perusing the menu again, Aida identified the items Sue called out. Sweet porridge was underneath a category with a blue border, and stir-fried mushrooms was in the brown category. All the other items on the menu were listed in their own colored categories, and it looked like there were five categories total: blue, brown, green, red, and yellow. As far as Sue¡¯s cryptic reasoning went, Aida still had no idea what distinguished the different-colored foods. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll get teppan-style beef and braised bamboo shoots,¡± Aida said, taking a stab in the dark. Teppan-style beef was under the yellow category, and braised bamboo shoots were green. Aida didn¡¯t feel ¡°fire¡± like Sue, so she reasoned she could fly under the radar a little longer with a combination that Sue wasn¡¯t getting. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Are you sure? Maybe you should get a water side instead of bamboo shoots, since you lost control so easily this morning,¡± Sue teased, going up to the worker at the counter. Aida bit back her retort. She hadn¡¯t played the game long enough to understand the mechanics of this world, but she was extremely confident her diet was not the reason for ¡°losing control.¡± And besides, beef and bamboo shoots over rice sounded comforting. Watching Sue¡¯s interaction with the worker carefully (she made no moves to bring out any currency or swipe her name tag anywhere), Aida took her own place at the counter. ¡°And what can I get for you, miss Aida?¡± the worker asked pleasantly. Aida placed her order, the worker nodding and turning away. Within a couple minutes, the worker returned with one tray in each hand, setting the trays in front of Aida and Sue. ¡°Amazing, thank you so much!¡± Sue said enthusiastically, collecting her tray. Aida smiled and thanked the worker before following Sue to a round table near a floor-to-ceiling window. The cafeteria looked nothing like any school Aida had been to. The entire wall was made of glass, giving the impression that they were outside, except for the lack of a breeze. Instead of long tables and benches like the cafeteria at Annie¡¯s public schools, there were clean round tables and chairs scattered around the large room. Despite nearly every table being occupied by hungry students, the dining hall still felt very spacious. ¡°Skies above, I¡¯m so hungry,¡± Sue moaned, digging into her rice. Even though her actions were uncouth, she still managed to look beautiful while stuffing her mouth. She would make an amazing mukbanger, Aida thought, amused. ¡°Hi, Suelina?¡± a nervous voice asked from the side. A nondescript male student, in a gray blazer, navy blue pants, and blue plaid tie, bowed low over a cream envelope extended in both hands towards Sue. ¡°P-Please accept this letter!¡± Aida choked on her bamboo shoots. It¡¯s happening already! Confused, Sue reached towards the letter before it suddenly burst into flames. The boy let out a shout, snatching his hands back as the fireball fizzled out. ¡°Move along, scum. Why would Suelina be interested in someone who isn¡¯t in the top ten?¡± a haughty voice rang out. The chatter that was echoing around the dining hall quieted as all eyes turned towards their table. The speaker was a somewhat short boy with piggy eyes and thin, mud-colored hair that was swept across the top of his head, the stiffness implying the hair was coated in product. He had his eyes fixed on Suelina, greed evident on his face. He wasn¡¯t the one who had fired the fireball, though; standing behind him was a group of his cronies, with one boy casually tucking his wand into his blazer, trying to affect a slick and cool vibe; unfortunately, though he was taller than his leader, his bearing was awkward and made Aida cringe. The leader leveled a pompous gaze upon Aida, his simpering face taking on a shade of contempt. ¡°...though, I guess I can understand why you might think Suelina would pay attention to you. Are you ready to be cannon fodder for the rest of the class again this year, Aida?¡± he sneered. Oh dear. Aida supposed it wasn¡¯t unreasonable for her, as Sue¡¯s best friend, to be a target of bullying. I¡¯m here to let Sue demonstrate her righteous and principled character. Right on cue, Sue pulled out her own wand and aimed it at the bully. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Aida like that!¡± Aida stayed behind Sue, not saying anything; nominally to allow the script to play out as it should, but also so she could get her bearings of what the social hierarchy looked like. ¡°Or what?¡± the bully - Pritchard, according to his name tag, with a brown gem - asked mockingly. ¡°Words are just words. Don¡¯t be so sensitive.¡± Aida unconsciously put a piece of beef in her mouth as she waited for Sue¡¯s response, which was apparently the wrong thing to do. ¡°Hey! Who said you could eat while your betters are talking?¡± Pritchard demanded. Pausing mid-chew, Aida looked towards Sue, who had retorted without missing a beat: ¡°She didn¡¯t even say anything! Since when did you get so sensitive that you¡¯re getting affected by literally nothing?¡± Aida couldn¡¯t help but giggle at Sue¡¯s response, which only served to incense Pritchard further. ¡°I notice you didn¡¯t refute the fact that she¡¯s inferior?¡± the boy who had shot the fireball drawled out from behind Pritchard. Everyone laughed. Sue¡¯s actually not looking very good, Aida realized as the blonde girl opened her mouth furiously. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Sue.¡± At Aida¡¯s interjection, everybody paused, seeming surprised she had spoken out. Aida drank a sip of water to wash down the remainder of the food in her mouth as she stood up - it wouldn¡¯t do to have chunks of debris in her mouth while she tried to make a point. ¡°It¡¯s the first day of school, and breakfast isn¡¯t even over. Can we just finish eating so we can go to class? You can confirm my inferiority when we have exams or something.¡± Pritchard was turning red. ¡°You be quiet! You have no right to interrupt our conversation and tell us what to do!¡± He pulled his wand out of his blazer and aimed it at her threateningly. He¡¯s going to be angry no matter what, Aida thought, resigned. She stepped forward, her hands raised placatingly. ¡°Look, Pritchard, I don¡¯t know who hurt you, but I can assure you¨C¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know who hurt me?¡± Pritchard yelled - shrieked, more like, his eyes bulging. ¡°I¡¯ll show you hurt!¡± Aida yelped as the ground suddenly crumbled beneath her, her arms windmilling as she reached helplessly for balance. As her feet sank into the marble floor like quicksand, it firmed right below her knees, trapping her. The adrenaline rush from the sudden fall brought everything around her - the bystanders¡¯ faces, in mixed expressions of shock and excitement, Pritchard¡¯s obvious vengeance in his eyes - into clear focus, wiping away any lingering belief that she was dreaming. This is real. Aida could feel the magic building behind Pritchard¡¯s wand, but was helpless to stop it; the rest of the student body seemed to realize Pritchard wasn¡¯t going to back down, but nobody was ready to stop Pritchard¨C ¨Cexcept for the one person who caused a sapling to burst underfoot, toppling Pritchard over with a squawk. Chapter 4: Character Profiling Seeing that she was safe for the moment, Aida began pulling at her legs, trying to ascertain a way out; but no luck, she was firmly entrenched in the ground. ¡°Hey now, what¡¯s all the fuss?¡± drawled a honeyed voice. ¡°First day of school, and we¡¯re already bullying girls?¡± Glancing around, Aida caught sight of the speaker. Oh SHEESH. It was Levi Ashet, Annie¡¯s first choice bachelor¡ªand he looked much better in 3D than in the splash art. He was tall¡ªeasily a head taller than Suelina, who wasn¡¯t petite. He had broad shoulders, and even underneath his unbuttoned blazer and cotton button-up Aida could see he had a tight stomach and waist, with strong but gentle lines rising to meet - Aida¡¯s breath hitched - the smooth swell of well-developed pectorals. The boys¡¯ blue tie hung loosely between Levi¡¯s chest muscles, casually draping the collar closed, since Levi apparently decided it was too hot to keep the top three buttons properly buttoned. Levi¡¯s evergreen hair floated around his high cheekbones in a shaggy wolf cut, with the excess length swept into his signature low ponytail. His bronze eyes swept lazily over the scene, resting for a fraction of a second longer on Aida, effectively on her knees in front of the group of boys. Levi strolled up to the group, school bag casually dangling from his fingers over his shoulder and wand hanging loosely in his other hand. With a flick of his wand, Levi caused two more sprouts to start growing around Aida¡¯s legs, breaking apart the rock so she could pull herself out. Sinking unwillingly to her knees on firm ground, Aida rubbed her shins; now that she (paradoxically) no longer had the support of the ground around her legs, she was starting to feel the nanofractures caused by the tremors. ¡°Are you all right, Aida?¡± Levi asked solicitously. Aida glanced up at him, and could have sworn she saw the glittery visual frame effects commonly used for ikemen introductions. Levi had his hand held out to her and was gazing down at her through half-lidded eyes, lips curled in a small reassuring smile. Aida really wanted to feel how soft his hair was, wanted to run her fingers through the fringe falling into his eyes to push it back. I bet his hair looks sexy pushed back. Restraining herself, Aida merely grasped his hand and allowed him to pull her easily to her feet. Levi held her elbow in a firm grip as he supported her to a chair next to Sue. Glancing at Sue, Levi flashed a charming smile at her. ¡°Morning, Suelina. Looking as lovely as ever today.¡± Sue dipped her head at him cautiously, her eyes bouncing between Aida, Pritchard, and Levi. Sue still had her wand gripped tightly in her hand, but didn¡¯t seem to know what to do with it. Leaning his head over his shoulder so that his body was mostly turned toward Sue, Levi leveled one eye at Pritchard. ¡°Hey, why are you still sticking around?¡± Muttering darkly, Pritchard wiped his sleeve over his face and ran a hand through his now-mussed hair, trying to straighten his strands. ¡°I¡¯m not sticking around, I was just getting ready to leave, since I think Miss Aida Loreh has learned her lesson about respecting others,¡± he retorted loudly. ¡°Good day, mister Ashet.¡± Aida scowled at Pritchard¡¯s defiant back as he marched away, nose in the air. ¡°Are you okay, Aida?¡± Sue asked worriedly, rubbing Aida¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Aida responded quietly. She looked up at Levi, who was watching Pritchard depart with an inscrutable expression. ¡°Thank you for your help, Levi.¡± Levi glanced down at Aida and gave her a warm smile that made her cheeks heat. ¡°Not a problem. The Spoak family ran into some difficulty expanding one of their businesses over the school holidays, so I imagine Pritchard is trying to vent some frustration.¡± Levi tilted his head, his amber eyes enthralling Aida much more firmly than the small liquefaction pit Pritchard had created at Aida¡¯s feet. ¡°Do you need to go to the healer¡¯s, Aida? You look feverish.¡± Before Aida could do more than clap a hand over her eyes, bells started tolling, and the sounds of chairs scraping back and students chattering flooded her ears. ¡°Oh no, I think Aida should go to the healer¡¯s,¡± Sue said fretfully. ¡°But our homeroom teacher is Professor Havi, and he¡¯s super strict¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can take Aida to the healer¡¯s. My homeroom teacher is Professor Lloyd,¡± Levi said. ¡°Come on, Aida. Hold onto my arm.¡± Aida complied as Sue puttered around, stacking their half-eaten breakfast trays together. Shoving Aida¡¯s school bag into the hand not curled around Levi¡¯s (very firm) bicep, Sue bid them farewell and rushed off to class. Levi carefully led Aida to the healer¡¯s room, which was several turns and hallways away from the dining hall, murmuring encouragement all the way. On the slow journey to the doctor¡¯s office, Annie contemplated the flutter in her stomach. She didn¡¯t think she was particularly superficial. Granted, she hadn¡¯t met anyone in her very normal life who looked quite like Levi before, but she had certainly never felt as meek and shy as she was now - or at least, not since her elementary school years, when she still didn¡¯t know how to interact with other children on the playground but desperately wanted to join them in their games. But even then, she was shy because she was a child and wanted to be accepted as part of the large and intimidating pack, not because any of the children looked like fairy tale characters. Even when she crushed on the young men she met through school or work, she never felt like she wanted to ¡°jump his bones,¡± as one of her closest friends called it, or felt like she was on the verge of losing control. She had kissed other men, of course, and it was enjoyable¡ªbut it never made her want to go beyond kissing. And just like that, Annie reached twenty-three years old as a virgin, wondering if her biological clock finally decided to start ticking. Of course, Aida reminded herself, she was back in a teenager¡¯s body; it probably had the proper healthy mix of hormones, not diluted by stress. Levi guided Aida to a bed and made her sit, promising that he would find the healer to attend to her before he pulled the curtain around the bed and departed. In the privacy afforded by the thin sheet of fabric, Aida put a hand to her heart - and suddenly half a dozen semi-transparent blue boxes flashed around her. Confused, Aida tried to read the box nearest to her, but was interrupted by another box that appeared over that one. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Character Profile: Aida Loreh Elemental Affinity: Water Class Rank: 30/30 RP: 0 Character Stats (expand) Skill List (expand) Item List (expand)
The notification boxes confirmed Aida¡¯s hallucination: she really was in the video game she was planning on playing the following day. She cursed herself for giving in to her weakness and going to bed; if she had managed to play the game, she would at least have an idea of what potential death flags would arise. As it was, she was going into this world blind. Ignoring the character profile box, Aida focused on the other boxes (which obligingly brought themselves to the forefront of her view).
You cast Mana Blast Lv1 on Maglica Academy Bookshelf! Nothing happened. You cast Mana Blast Lv1 on Maglica Academy Wall! Nothing happened. Pritchard Spoak cast Quake for 10 dmg! Levi Ashet cast Sprout to free you!
Clearing the notification boxes with a mere thought (she had to admit she was impressed by how intuitive this all was), Aida pondered her profile. She raised her finger to tap on the (expand) option next to her Character Stats, but the box expanded without actually needing tactile input. Her character stats were displayed to her in a pentagonal chart, as well as numerical values below the chart. Aida¡¯s jaw dropped. Her attributes chart showed humble (more pathetic, actually) spikes towards each attribute.
Character Stats STR: 2 - 0% to next level. FOC: 5 - 0% to next level. INT: 3 - 0% to next level. DEX: 2 - 0% to next level. VIT: 2 - 0% to next level.
Contemplating the chart, it looked like the maximum stat level was 10. Based on what she knew of typical character strength classifications in video games, her character stats made her...there was no word around it...weak. However, maybe she had something to make up for it... The Skill List obligingly opened:
Skill List Mana Blast (Lv1) 0% to next level. Water Manipulation (Lv1) 0% to next level.
Aida stared at her skill list, disappointed. After two years of education, Aida (the character) only knew these two level 1 skills? No wonder Pritchard and the rest of the student population seemed to have low regard for her. The curtain slid open, revealing Levi, followed by the healer. Instead of being captivated by Levi¡¯s aesthetics, Aida focused on the Character Profile that showed up. Unlike the actual numbers she had on her chart, all Aida was provided was a basic attribute chart, along with his class ranking - 3rd - and element: Wood. The attribute chart itself showed that Levi¡¯s pentagon was much larger and more developed than Aida¡¯s pitiful chart. If Aida had to guess, all five of Levi¡¯s stats were at least 6 or 7. ¡°Aida,¡± Levi said delicately. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Blinking away the character profile, Aida looked up at Levi, noticing as she dragged her eyes along his tall frame to meet his smooth amber eyes that her gaze had been fixed directly between his legs. Aida flushed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry - I was thinking,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Well,¡± Levi said smoothly, stepping to the side and inviting the healer into the room. ¡°I brought Healer Luk in to check you over. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± Nodding cordially at the squat woman, Levi tucked his school bag under his arm and shut the curtain. ¡°Student Ashet told me what happened in the cafeteria,¡± Healer Luk said crisply as she placed Aida¡¯s school bag on the side table. She laid Aida down on the bed, straightening her arms and legs and covering her midriff with a short blanket, leaving her limbs exposed. She circled Aida¡¯s wrist with her fingers and checked her pulse. ¡°It seems that nobody expected you to get into an altercation with Student Spoak.¡± Aida lay quietly, unsure what to say. But Luk wasn¡¯t expecting a response. ¡°Slight bruising below your knees, but your pools are sufficiently stable, albeit low. How is your appetite?¡± ¡°Um.¡± Aida thought back to her half-eaten meal. ¡°I actually didn¡¯t finish breakfast.¡± Luk nodded. ¡°Make sure not to overcompensate during midday meal. Your legs will recover on their own, though you could perform some Mana Cycling exercises to help speed up your recovery. You should be fine to return to class. Let me get you a note for your homeroom professor.¡± Leaving the curtain open, Luk bustled to her desk in front of the healing ward¡¯s door, expecting Aida to follow. Taken aback by the sudden dismissal, Aida slowly sat up. Reaching for her bag, she glanced around to make sure she hadn¡¯t scattered any other belongings around (she didn¡¯t, since she didn¡¯t do anything) before approaching Luk. Receiving her note, Aida was waved briskly out of the healing ward. Aida stood in the hallway, bemused. Healer Luk had shut the door firmly behind her, and there didn¡¯t seem to be any maps on the walls to point her to where the classrooms were. Aida resolved to head back to the cafeteria and backtrack from there, but hadn¡¯t even taken a step in that direction before she heard the door next to the healing ward open. Turning around, Aida came face to face with a tall and broad young man with chocolate brown hair and violet eyes. Chapter 5: Poor stats ¡°Oh, Miss Loreh - how are you feeling?¡± Caleb Tulver had a sincere gaze that harmonized with his soft and boyish voice. Where Levi had the smooth voice of a man comfortable in his toned body, a body belonging to someone who had the resources to carefully sculpt his physique, Caleb spoke with the hesitancy of a boy recently introduced to manhood, and had the build of a genetically gifted young man who also happened to do a lot of manual labor. He had broad shoulders and a bicep that still managed to make itself known underneath the blazer¡¯s structured sleeve as he closed the door he stepped out of. His waist, though not as narrow as Levi¡¯s, was proportionally narrow to his own shoulders, giving the impression of a very solid young man. Aida idly wondered if Caleb would even sway if she were to jump on his back. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you. Healer Luk says I should perform some Mana Cycling exercises to help speed up my healing,¡± Aida said offhandedly. ¡°What are you doing here¡­Mister Tulver?¡± Since he addressed Aida seriously as ¡°Miss Loreh,¡± Aida assumed they weren¡¯t as close as she was with Levi. Caleb glanced into the room he just exited, which Aida saw had a sign hanging over it declaring it to be the instructors¡¯ lounge. His soft voice got softer. ¡°I was having a¡­career discussion with Professor Gemma.¡± Caleb shrugged one very developed shoulder half-heartedly. ¡°It¡¯s all right though, I still have the year to try to ¡®find my dreams.¡¯¡± Aida nodded sympathetically. ¡°It is a bit ridiculous to expect us to know what we want to do at our age.¡± Caleb smiled, causing the entire corridor to light up. Aida struggled not to flinch. This world she was in was definitely manifesting all the tropes. ¡°I don¡¯t disagree, but I thought you already knew what you wanted to do with your life?¡± Crap. ¡°Well, you know, I¡¯ve been doing some thinking, and it seems a bit foolish to commit to something when you haven¡¯t seen the world yet,¡± Aida responded airily. She gestured in a random direction, waving off any further conversation. ¡°Should we head to class?¡± Caleb inclined his head, thick hair falling into his eyes. He led the way, allowing Aida to follow him quietly. Out of curiosity, Aida activated his character profile. The transparent box hovered over the middle of Caleb¡¯s back, declaring him to have an Earth affinity, a class ranking of fourth, and showing a pentagon that skewed noticeably towards the STR, VIT, and DEX attributes, with FOC and INT at a more modest range. Modest compared to his physical attributes, but still higher than Aida¡¯s own attributes. Aida consoled herself with the knowledge that since Caleb was a main character, he should have more impressive stats. ¡°Whose homeroom are you in?¡± Aida blinked away Caleb¡¯s attribute chart, taking in his side profile as he turned towards her. ¡°Um¡­Havi. Professor Havi.¡± Aida was graced with a curve of his lips. ¡°Same. We¡¯re here.¡± Caleb slid open the classroom door and stepped through, bowing to the instructor at the front of the smallest classroom she had ever seen - there couldn¡¯t have been more than a dozen students in the room. Aida followed, also giving a bow to the gray-haired man. ¡°Ah, glad you two were able to join us,¡± Professor Havi said disapprovingly. He lifted his beard towards the back of the classroom. ¡°Mister Tulver, you¡¯re at the desk next to Miss Heslia.¡± Havi squinted at Aida through his spectacles and sighed. ¡°Miss Loreh, you¡¯re right here.¡± he pointed with his eyes at the desk closest to the door. Dammit. Glancing at Caleb, who was making his way towards the empty desk in the back of the classroom¡ªright next to Sue, in her stereotypical last-window seat, who met Aida¡¯s eyes and clenched her fist in a small ¡°you got this!¡± cheer¡ªAida quickly blinked, activating character attributes for everyone in the class. What the hell! Even from a quick glance, Aida could tell that everyone in the classroom had higher attributes than her¡ªtheir pentagons were much more filled in than Aida¡¯s own measly distribution. Aghast, Aida struggled to keep the tears from welling in her eyes. ¡°Miss Loreh,¡± Professor Havi said sharply. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Aida took a deep breath, swallowing her emotions. Despite the body she was in, she was a full-grown adult at heart, and had experienced adult responsibilities and struggles. She knew how to be professional. ¡°No, sir.¡± Back ramrod straight, Aida strode firmly to her desk, avoiding everybody¡¯s eyes (and their attribute charts) and tucking her chair underneath her with a loud scrape. Breathing deeply, Aida snapped open her school bag and dragged out the first notebook she got her hands on, opening it to the nearest blank page. Fumbling out her dip pen and ink bottle, Aida glared at Professor Havi, who apprehensively turned to the rest of the class, clearly trying to pretend Aida didn¡¯t exist. Even in this world, Annie couldn¡¯t catch a break. She had made peace nearly a decade ago with the fact that she was unlucky, born into a family that was one minor accident away from spiraling into the relentless cycle of poverty¡ªespecially unlucky since her father did end up in an accident that permanently stunted his earning potential, eliminating any possibility of entering the middle class. She frequently wished she was born into a family with some amount of financial security, so that she was set up for at least some modicum of success if she even remotely applied herself. Instead, she worked harder than her peers (her parents somehow lucked into settling in a middle-class school district early on), only to end up falling off from the path everybody else casually queued up for. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. When she first woke up in this body, in this world with real magic, she had considered it a second chance¡ªeven if she had to wake up from this dream eventually, at least she could enjoy herself for a little bit. She could attend a fancy school, learn things she never would have had the chance to, and experience life without responsibilities. But even in this dream, her starting point was still the same as her real life. This was a reskinned reality. Not reskinned¡ªhard mode, because I have no idea how to even use whatever magic I¡¯m supposed to have. My starting point is even further back. Aida pressed too hard on her dip pen, crumpling the tines of her nib and leaving a thick smear of ink on the last word she had mindlessly scribbled. The bell¡¯s toll sounded through the windows, unleashing a flurry of activity in the classroom. Aida crammed her writing implements and notebook back into her bag, and was the first out the door. Aida pushed against the flow of chattering students, ignoring Sue¡¯s calls for her to slow down. All she wanted was to get away from the horde of optimistic youths¡ªwhat¡¯s the point of attending class if she didn¡¯t have the ability to start with? ¡°Aida! What are you doing?¡± Speeding up to outrun Sue¡¯s increasingly shrill queries, Aida darted around the corner. She hadn¡¯t been paying too much attention when Levi lead her to the healer¡¯s room, but her general sense of direction (which was quite good, honed from not having a smartphone with a GPS until she was firmly established as a college dropout) told her that this was the direction to return to the cafeteria, where she had seen a large door that lead to the courtyard she saw from her room when she first woke up. Indeed, Aida found the cafeteria. A quick glance told her no one was manning the counter where she had picked up breakfast with Sue earlier, although the clattering and shouts in the kitchen told Aida the staff was still cleaning up after breakfast. Aida strode purposefully towards the large glass door that separated the cafeteria - if you walk like you know where you¡¯re going, no one will stop you, she coached herself - and slammed through the door. It was only when she finally rounded the massive willow tree (its trunk had to be a diameter of at least six feet) in the center of the courtyard where no one could see her through the glass wall that Aida finally stopped, releasing the breath she didn¡¯t realize she was holding. Aida slumped against the willow tree, rubbing her shins. Her fast walk, coupled with the bruising that had turned darker over the hour, reminded Aida that she was in a weak body. Aida scoffed, lowering her head until her forehead pressed against her knees before the first tear fell. What¡¯s the point? Her peers¡ªand supposed mentors¡ªalready didn¡¯t respect her as a mage, so it wasn¡¯t like she was ruining whatever trajectory the true Aida had. If Aida failed out of school, nobody would bat an eye. But if you really don¡¯t try, what if you end up in a worse position than in the real world? Not Annie¡¯s problem. This wasn¡¯t her life, anyway. Why should she expend effort to try to improve someone else¡¯s lot? ¡°Hey¡­¡± a low voice rolled over Aida. She gasped and whipped her head around, scanning the courtyard. She had been positive she was alone before she let her guard down. ¡°Up here.¡± Aida looked up. Propped casually in one of the many forks the ancient willow had was a pale-haired young man. Aida¡¯s heart stopped. The wind gently combed through his soft strands, strands long enough to poke his eyes, yet somehow only serving to frame the rest of his sculpted features. The serene green of the willow¡¯s leaves seemed to reflect off of his form. He gazed down at her with hooded gray eyes, contemplating her before parting his lips. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Ezra Riolt¡¯s smooth voice jolted Aida¡¯s heart back into beating. ¡°Just felt like it.¡± ¡°...I see. Do you have to do it here?¡± ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know where else to go.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t go to your room?¡± ¡°This place was a lot closer when I felt like crying.¡± Aida could tell Ezra was trying to insinuate that she should leave, but she really didn¡¯t care about other people¡¯s comfort at this point. In a moment of masochism, she activated Ezra¡¯s character profile.
Character Profile: Ezra Riolt Elemental Affinity: Metal Class Rank: 1/30
Below that was Ezra¡¯s attributes, which showed him to have the highest DEX, FOC, INT attributes Aida had seen so far, with slight dips in VIT and STR¡ªand it went without saying that his VIT and STR were still higher than Aida¡¯s strongest attribute. Aida closed out his profile with a scoff. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in your room then?¡± Ezra leaned back against the tree trunk, seeming to accept that Aida had no intentions of leaving him to his peace. ¡°I have the whole rest of the day to spend in my room.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t think you should attend classes?¡± Ezra lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug. ¡°The important classes don¡¯t start until next cycle, so there¡¯s no real point to attending the review lessons.¡± He blinked, his eyes seeming to sharpen. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be attending review lessons?¡± Of course¡ªAida¡¯s a weak student. Thinking back to the character bio given for Ezra, the faculty probably had no concerns that Ezra would fall behind if he skipped classes. Aida threw her hands in the air, her frustration causing her to vocalize her entire life¡¯s debate. ¡°What¡¯s the point of attending lessons when everyone expects me to fail anyway?¡± Ezra scrutinized her thoughtfully, tilting his head so that dappled sunlight landed on his well-defined clavicle. Aida couldn¡¯t help tracing his unbuttoned shirt with her eye, to the blue boys¡¯ necktie loosely draped on his chest. His Adam¡¯s apple moved. ¡°I was meditating, to purify and strengthen my mana control. Would you like to join me?¡± Chapter 6: Unlocking Mana Aida stared at Ezra with rounded eyes, dimly aware that her mouth had dropped open. ¡°You - I don¡¯t¨C¡± she took a deep breath. How much could she lean on Aida-the-character clearly not having any sort of mastery over basic skills in order to get as much information as possible to get up to speed? ¡°Will you teach me from the beginning?¡± Ezra nodded as he leapt down from the fork¡ªa whole fifteen feet from the ground¡ªlanding neatly on his toes beside Aida. ¡°I was planning to anyway. I never understood how anyone who tries as hard as you could have such a weak grasp on mana control.¡± Aida barely managed to keep her grimace from surfacing. At least her assessment about Aida-the-character¡¯s abilities was spot on. Ezra faced Aida, towering over her. They were only half a foot apart, if even that, making it very clear how much taller Ezra was than her. Aida fought to keep her heart steady¡ªrampant teenage hormones plus whatever magical dating sim effects made it difficult to keep a clear head. Ezra¡¯s long fingers gently supported her wrists, lifting them until her hands hovered over his, their palms almost touching. Aida held the position, waiting for Ezra¡¯s instructions. ¡°I¡¯ll start by channeling my flow through you. You¡¯ll feel perturbations in your own flow, but don¡¯t fight to correct it. Just feel it, and let it happen.¡± They were standing so close, Aida could feel the deep breath Ezra took. She couldn¡¯t help but notice Ezra¡¯s chest expanding as well; if she leaned her head forward, her forehead would rest on his sternum. ¡°You¡¯re agitated,¡± Ezra said softly, his voice breaking through Aida¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Ignore everything that¡¯s happening outside, and focus on what¡¯s happening inside.¡± Aida bit her lip, then forced herself to take a breath, focusing on her breathing since she couldn¡¯t push away thoughts and tingles about Ezra¡¯s proximity. In through the nose, down the neck¡­inflate the lungs, then proceed to expand the diaphragm¡­ While tracing the breath¡¯s return path through her exhalations, Aida noticed a pulsing - foreign? - traveling through her arms. Focusing on the feeling, Aida got the impression it was gold¡ªalthough it didn¡¯t make sense for an abstract feeling to look gold. Curious, Aida followed the gold pulse. It traveled from her left hand, flowed to her heart, and seemed to seep through the entirety of her torso, before the bulk of the foreign substance flowed up to her head, seeming to clear her mind. It was almost as if the gold pushed the haphazard blue - TIL my own mana is blue - into orderly lines at the edges of the gold. Ezra¡¯s mana performed a small parade through Aida¡¯s head, then flowed back down her spine to join the mana that had been trickling down Aida¡¯s legs the whole time, renewing the speed of the flow. After the flow performed its victory lap through her legs, the mass of gold congregated for a smooth exit through Aida¡¯s right arm, and departed her palm back into Ezra¡¯s. Interestingly, Aida noticed none of her blue exited her palm with the gold¡¯s exit. Aida imagined a bunch of little Ezra security guards (wearing little gold security vests) redirecting a bunch of little Aidas (wearing little blue dresses) to U-turn back into big Aida¡¯s body. The unbidden imagery broke Aida¡¯s concentration entirely, and she found herself staring into Ezra¡¯s pale eyes, barely able to suppress her grin. ¡°Sorry,¡± Aida whispered. She cleared her throat and then spoke at a normal volume. ¡°I thought of something funny.¡± Ezra blinked, and the tint of blue that was in his eyes seemed to clear. ¡°I take it you felt how your mana should flow?¡± Aida nodded slowly, pulling her gaze from Ezra¡¯s eyes to collect her thoughts. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel how¡­chaotic it was inside until you spread your¡­mana¡­inside me.¡± Aida flushed, struggling to remain composed. She soldiered on. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have realized I could move mana like that if it weren¡¯t for you, so¡­thank you.¡± Aida still had a lot of questions (like would this exercise help her prevent her mana from blasting willy-nilly out of her wand), but she wanted to experiment on her own first before she made it obvious she was a complete newcomer to the world. Ezra nodded, dropping his hands. He ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling it nicely. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice any particularly detrimental habits. It¡¯s almost instinctual for mages to fight back against someone¡¯s mana entering their system, but you seemed like you¡­¡± his voice trailed off. Aida smiled bitterly and completed his thought for him. ¡°It seemed like I didn¡¯t even know how to move my mana?¡± Ezra nodded, lowering his gaze to meet hers. He seemed to be probing her, questioning her identity without saying anything; questioning how she made it to the final year of this academy without knowing how to control her mana. This was getting into dangerous territory. Ezra was kind, but she couldn¡¯t trust him with her secret. She hadn¡¯t considered what had happened to actual-Aida, but now that she started evaluating how Ezra might react to Aida being a completely different person (or how any normal person might react to an acquaintance being body-swapped), she had to concede it was better to keep up appearances for her own safety. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Fortunately, Ezra was gracious enough to invent an excuse for her. ¡°Our texts really are useless. I never got much use out of them myself. They are full of theoretical philosophies, and don¡¯t give enough guidance on how someone can put their theories into practice.¡± Surprised, Aida nodded mutely. She hadn¡¯t read any of the books yet, so couldn¡¯t comment. ¡°If you have any more questions on mana control, feel free to ask me.¡± Ezra bit his lower lip thoughtfully, looking like he was trying to come up with appropriately diplomatic words. ¡°...I imagine it isn¡¯t easy to pick up nuances of our craft if you aren¡¯t¡­fortuitous enough to have other¡­experienced people to help guide you.¡± With a final nod at Aida, Ezra tucked his school bag underneath his arm and ambled towards the other end of the courtyard, in the opposite direction from the cafeteria - no doubt to find some other secluded location, less likely to be intruded upon. Aida looked after him with mixed feelings. He was from a wealthy family. In Annie¡¯s experience, children from privileged families tended to assume everybody had the same basic opportunities and upbringing, and would therefore judge people who took an undesirable and unconventional path as somehow morally corrupt¡ªas if people who were forced to cut their potentials short in order to pick up jobs nobody in their right minds would do were choosing to throw away their opportunities to move up. Or worse, privileged children would assume they were on the lower end of the privilege spectrum, victims of their circumstances, while everybody else got lucky or found a benefactor¡¯s coattails to ride on. It was the first time Annie had met anyone so high up the food chain who acknowledged he had people help him attain his talent¡ªand absolutely the first time someone admitted it without a good reason to fake humility. Aida was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Caleb¡¯s voice calling after Sue. She peeked around the willow. Caleb was following Sue, who had a distraught look on her face. ¡°She¡¯s been so upset since this morning,¡± Sue was telling Caleb. ¡°She said she wasn¡¯t ready to talk about it, but it must be really serious for her to act out - provoking Pritchard, skipping class¡­¡± ¡°I did notice she seemed different when I met with her outside of the healer¡¯s,¡± Caleb agreed reluctantly. ¡°Right?! I know everything about her, so I can¡¯t imagine what happened to her over the recess for her to become such a different person,¡± Sue said anxiously. Aida melted against the tree, trying to avoid being spotted by Sue or Caleb. She heard Caleb stop Sue from proceeding. ¡°Miss Heslia¡­¡± peeking around the trunk, Aida watched Caleb sheepishly release Sue¡¯s wrist. He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°You seem to really care about Miss Loreh, and you also seem to be able to do everything you do very well¡­¡± Sue tilted her head in the universal language of confusion as she waited for Caleb to form his thoughts. ¡°...I was just wondering what your plans were after graduation. You have many career paths available to you, but you also seem to worry over Miss Loreh a lot. I wonder if you ever get confused about pursuing your passion over taking care of Miss Loreh.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Sue said blankly. ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t thought about that at all. I just take one day at a time.¡± Caleb¡¯s brow wrinkled slightly. ¡°Do you intend to keep Miss Loreh around in your life?¡± ¡°Yeah! I can¡¯t imagine my life without her.¡± ¡°Are you ever worried she won¡¯t be able to keep up with what you do in the future?¡± Sue tilted her head in the other direction and tapped her lip. ¡°Is there something you are worried about, Mister Tulver?¡± she snapped her fingers. ¡°Do you like Aida?¡± Caleb¡¯s face flushed, highlighting his innocence. ¡°I-it¡¯s not that. She¡¯s very nice, but I like¨C¡± he scrubbed a large hand down his face, breathing deeply. Aida bit her lip to keep her bitter laugh from alerting Sue and Caleb to her presence. He likes you, you dummy. A couple hours into the supporting character¡¯s life, and she¡¯d already witnessed two instances of the male leads flirting with the female lead. ¡°Professor Gemma was encouraging me to meet with some leading Earth practitioners when they visit the Academy in a few cycles, and she all but implied that they were coming specifically to meet me.¡± Caleb gazed intently at Sue. ¡°Professor Gemma had been keeping me apprised of their correspondence over the holiday, and they promised my life would change significantly for the better if I were to agree to work with them¡­but I¡¯m worried about how my family will fare once I leave.¡± Sue wandered to a bench, motioning Caleb to sit down with her. From Aida¡¯s vantage point, she could see both of their faces. ¡°That¡¯s a tough position to be in¡­I understand what you¡¯re asking.¡± Sue turned toward Caleb, smiling softly at him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t really give you advice on what you should do for your situation, especially since I¡¯m not sure how I would handle a similar situation with Aida. If I could have it my way¡­¡± Sue drifted off, tilting her head back to look up at the clouds floating dreamily overhead. ¡°If I could have it my way, I would make my own adventuring group with me and Aida, and we would be joined by anyone else who wanted to follow us¡­¡± Sue laughed, and even though there was a note of melancholy in her laugh, it was still a laugh that made Aida want to listen for hours. ¡°I know it¡¯s impossible though. My family and district doesn¡¯t have the resources to fund our own party, and no one with the capital to invest in a brand new unproven party would accept someone of her ranking¡­¡± Aida¡¯s eyes moved to Caleb¡¯s reverent face as Sue trailed off. With the way the sun struck Sue¡¯s face, Aida could see why Caleb was enamored. The sun glanced off her delicate cheekbones, and her pale hair blew gently in the wind, outlining Sue like a gentle halo. The wistful expression on her angelic face was enough to capture anybody¡¯s heart and make them want to do everything in their power to give her what she wanted. Aida slid around the tree, ducking behind bushes that would allow her to make her way out of the courtyard. As she stole away from the courtyard, she heard Caleb¡¯s soft voice offer apologies for bringing such a heavy topic up. Chapter 7: Culinary Education Aida made her way back to her room without incident. Plopping onto her bed, she contemplated her path forward. She had a year to try to bring up Aida¡¯s skills to something respectable enough for her to actually be able to get a job. The unfortunate reality was that since Aida had already cemented her reputation as the bottom of the class, she would be fighting an uphill battle - instead of merely acquiring the skills, she had to prove to others that her skills weren¡¯t a fluke. With the time limit, that sounded like an insurmountable ordeal. Was there a way she could go back to her world? This life was putting Annie right back at the beginning of her real-life struggles, and she was only willing to restart her life if she could correct her mistakes¡­ Annie paused. She might be a complete novice when it came to actually wielding magic, but human psychology and behaviors were all the same - and thanks to her two front-facing jobs, she had the luxury of observing how people acted towards others they perceived as less-than, in both (relatively) more sophisticated and primal environments. After having lived several years longer than the rest of her peers, Annie was confident she understood politics and social structures a lot more than the rest of the students - and while merit was based on magical ability, which she didn¡¯t have (yet), she could likely leverage her efforts into what really made the world turn: connections. Cheered by having a plan forward, Aida sat up on her bed, and inadvertently activated all the notifications she had been ignoring in the courtyard.
Character Profile: Aida Loreh Elemental Affinity: Water Class Rank: 30/30 RP: 5
Congratulations! You have learned Mana Cycling (Lv1). +5 RP Congratulations! You have enough RP to learn a new Skill. Please select from the following: 1. Water Blast (Lv1) - Costs 5 RP to learn. 2. Heal (Lv1) - Costs 5 RP to learn.
Pleased by the second notification box, Aida selected the Water Blast skill to read its description. Utilizing Water Manipulation and Mana Blast, you can now shoot a watery projectile at an opponent. Aida tapped her lip. It sounded like a basic elemental attack, which could be useful in fending off Pritchard & Co if they ever came for her again. Heal, the second skill offered, might not be very useful in protecting herself. However¡­
Heal (Lv1): Utilizing Water Manipulation and Mana Cycling, you can now assist the body with minor recovery. 50% more effective on self than others.
Aida sat back. What she learned in the real world was that if a fight were ever to occur, the best self-defense move is always to run, especially if your opponent is stronger than you. Thanks to the Character Attribute charts, Aida knew she was definitely on the bottom of the totem pole¡ªso even if she learned Water Blast, it very well might only be as effective as squirting someone with a spray bottle. If she took Heal, on the other hand, she might be able to sustain herself for long enough to make it to safety. Aida resolutely selected Heal. Tiny fireworks appeared on the edges of Aida¡¯s vision, bringing a small smile to her face. Even if she was going to be screwed in this world, at least there were cute effects celebrating her miniscule milestones. As an experiment, Aida focused on her legs, which had grown steadily more purple. Heal? A small voice in the back of her mind bubbled up. At Aida¡¯s acquiescence, she felt her mana¡ªinitially circulating in her system languidly¡ªbegin to speed up, and within seconds she saw her skin lighten back to its original color. Her mana stopped circulating, returning to its placid rate. Cautiously, Aida stood on her feet, feeling the muscles flex as it accepted her weight. There was no pain or soreness¡ªAida did a couple jumping jacks, with no further pain. Grinning, Aida moved on to the next phase of her experiment: burpees. She had read somewhere that burpees were the best exercise if you were short on time and equipment, so she tended to rely on burpees back in her real life as her main form of exercise. After just a few burpees, Aida was breathing hard, a testament to how weak her body was. She pushed through the pain in her lungs and heaviness in her limbs until she managed to complete ten burpees, then rolled onto her back, panting. She could barely lift her arms, and her core was burning. Heal? Aida closed her eyes, breathing deeply and feeling her mana begin circulating in her body again. After a few moments, she sat back up, marveling at how completely refreshed she felt. She toggled on the notifications that were blinking in the background. There wasn¡¯t anything visually informing her they were blinking, but the more time she spent observing her body and surroundings, the more obvious it was that there was an entire system working in the background to try to offer up pieces of information to her.
You used Heal (Lv1) on self. You have repaired minor damage. You have earned 10 EXP in Heal (Lv1). You need 90 more EXP to reach the next level. You have completed one set of ten burpees. You have earned 20 EXP in STR. You need 80 more EXP to reach the next level. You have earned 20 EXP in VIT. You need 80 more EXP to reach the next level. You used Heal (Lv1) on self. You have repaired minor sustained damage. You have earned 10 EXP in Heal (Lv1). You need 80 more EXP to reach the next level.
Aida felt a genuine smile spread across her face. She had a chance¡ªshe could improve her stats, and she could learn new magical abilities. She wouldn¡¯t be trapped with stats that made it so even she couldn¡¯t take herself seriously. She might not be able to catch up to Sue or the male leads by the time graduation rolled around, but she would at least be able to cultivate skills that allowed her to survive. And, it looked like her decision to choose Heal as the first skill to learn was the right one. By healing herself whenever she got too sore she could easily gain a level for STR and VIT before the day was over¡ªif the leveling system was like other games, Aida expected the number of experience points needed for higher skill points would begin exponentially increasing. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Another notification appeared, this time accompanied by a progress bar.
Warning: You are below 50% mana, which is influenced by your VIT stat. Increase your VIT stat to increase your mana pool size, or level up your skills to improve mana efficiency.
Well, that knocked Aida¡¯s plan off its tracks. She should save her remaining mana for now, since she didn¡¯t know how long it would take to regenerate. Another notification helpfully popped up.
In order to recuperate your mana, proper rest and nutrition is key. The base rate at which your mana regenerates depends on your VIT and overall health. Skills like Mana Cycling will also tonify your mana pool, and incrementally improve your mana flow and efficiency, allowing you to eke out more skills without having to expand your pool!
Aida was irrationally touched. Even if her mana pool was limited for now (what kind of a healer could only heal minor aches and pains three times a day?), with effort and practice she would be able to increase her mana pool and increase the number of skills she could use in a day. Aida was interrupted by a hesitant knock, followed by a muffled call. Startled, Aida glanced out the window, noticing that the sun was now high in the sky. Apparently, Aida¡¯s sulking and subsequent experiments had taken up the rest of the morning. Opening the door, Aida was greeted by Sue, who was holding a tray of food in her hands, followed by Levi, who was balancing two trays in his much larger hands. Sue gave Aida a tentative smile. ¡°We brought you lunch.¡± Stepping back to let the two into her room, Aida felt her insides twist. It was clearly lunch break, so there wasn¡¯t a convenient excuse to cut the conversation short if it started straying into dangerous territories. ¡°Since you seemed out of sorts today, Sue decided to bring you a menu of all your favorite foods, so you could choose what you would like yourself,¡± Levi said courteously, laying the trays on the ground. Sue joined him. They were clearly planning on picnicking in her room. Mindful of decorum, Aida sat demurely on the ground, smoothing her skirt over her thighs. She looked over the feast Sue and Levi brought. Notification boxes hovered over all the food items, providing the explanations she would have sorely appreciated during breakfast. A small dish of curry was labeled as Flamin'' Hot Curry. A short blurb described it as helpful for replenishing one¡¯s pool of Fire. Another dish containing a variety of stir-fried mushrooms was labeled Mushless Mushroom Mash Up, great for supporting one¡¯s Earth pool. The third dish was Flat-Ironed Steak, and looked and smelled like grilled beef. The fourth dish was Brinestrone, and was a hearty soup with colorful vegetables. The last dish was Nut Mix, looking very much like roasted trail mix. Sue handed chopsticks and a bowl of steamed rice to Aida, which was simply labeled as Steamed Rice: simple fare that increases all elements¡¯ levels equally, albeit in small quantities. Another box with several status bars popped up, depicting Aida¡¯s Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood levels, along with her overall mana. Her Earth bar looked to be pitifully low, nearly empty. A small box popped up to cheerfully inform her of their purpose.
These are your elemental pools. They are your first line of defense against other elements, and will erode with time if you do not replenish them. When your elemental pools run out, you will see detrimental effects in your thinking, endurance, vitality, spirit, and overall health. You can maintain - and increase! - healthy levels of your elemental pools by eating the appropriate foods, engaging in activities that correspond to the elements, and avoiding performing any specific activity for too long in a short period of time.
That made sense - Pritchard had used an Earth attack on her, so her Earth pool must have taken the brunt of the damage, getting nearly wiped out. Reaching towards the spread of food on the floor, Aida selected the mushroom dish, heaping a generous serving onto her rice bowl. Her first bite - savory, with the slightest crunch on the outside of the cap, blending neatly into the steamed rice - reminded Aida that she essentially skipped breakfast. Eating with abandon, Aida fished at the other dishes on the floor, pairing every delicacy with a bite of rice. She didn¡¯t notice that Sue and Levi weren¡¯t eating until a notification popped up alerting her that her elemental pools had reached a healthy level, and that continuing to eat would become detrimental and start draining her pools. Regretfully, she set her chopsticks down. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Sue blinked and shook her perfect head, her tresses shimmering around her, smiling. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯ve just never seen you eat with so much enthusiasm before.¡± Sue took a small bite of beef, chewing carefully. ¡°So¡­how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Um¡­much better than before,¡± Aida responded, picking at the grains of rice left in her bowl. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I ran away from you earlier. I wanted to be alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay! Our first day back has been a bit hectic¡­but how are you feeling about¡­you know?¡± Sue pressed, her chopsticks hovering in the air. Aida bit her lip, trying to contain her frustration. Clearly, game-Aida was a sensitive person, with how gingerly Sue kept treating her. Annie could appreciate a friend being thoughtful, but having to guess at meanings and context was a huge mental drain. Aida tried to be direct, but still nice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, can you be more specific?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Sue twirled her chopsticks in the air, then looked to Levi helplessly. ¡°Given your history with Pritchard, we were worried that today¡¯s incident may have unsettled you,¡± Levi supplied delicately. Aida pursed her lips. She didn¡¯t want to make assumptions, but based on their attitudes and Pritchard¡¯s response to her taunt, she could imagine the kind of history they were implying. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Pritchard¡¯s behavior is a sign of immaturity, and no one needs that kind of pestering in their lives.¡± Sue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But Aida! You even kissed!¡± Chapter 8: Aidas Backstory Aida choked, pounding her chest. Aida kissed that slimy kid? Just thinking of Pritchard¡¯s blubbery lips pressing against hers made her want to hurl. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I didn¡¯t like it,¡± Aida said flatly. ¡°And if I did back then, I certainly don¡¯t want to do it again now.¡± Aida glared at Sue, who had the decency to quail at bringing up personal issues with someone else around. Levi coughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel that way now, Aida. I always admired you for being so patient with him.¡± He paused, considering his next words before offering diplomatically, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything against him personally, but he doesn¡¯t really seem to have any redeeming qualities.¡± ¡°Oh, I thought it was so romantic when you told me you two kissed,¡± Sue said dejectedly. ¡°I wonder when I¡¯ll be lucky enough to have someone kiss me¡­¡± Aida felt a tingle run through her body, and her gaze shot to Levi. Levi seemed to have been tapped by the same shock, a feeling that something important to the story had been made known, except instead of meeting Aida¡¯s look, he was staring at Sue intently. Levi had always given off a friendly vibe towards Sue. He was flirtatious, but the compliments and remarks had always seemed more friendly than intentional; more like statements of fact about her beauty, the same way he would compliment a bro looking swole, or whatever. But now, he was staring at Sue as if realizing she was the only woman in the world, and he was imagining how he could make her wistful comment come true. Aida shuddered. If this was what it looked like being on this side of a dating game, she wasn¡¯t sure she could ever end up playing another one¡­if she managed to get out of here at all. Just then, the bell tolled, signaling the end of lunch. Aida successfully managed to convince Sue and Levi to leave for class, with the excuse that she needed some more rest and would therefore be skipping the afternoon classes. Levi didn¡¯t question Aida at all, with his focus wholly on Sue; he merely started loading up the empty plates and trays, while Sue tried to help Aida get ready for rest by trying to help her change out of her uniform. ¡°No, really, Sue, I can handle it¨C¡± ¡°You need to get right to bed, I¡¯ll come check on you after class and share my notes with you¨C¡± ¡°I can¡¯t undress when Levi¡¯s in the room, you should just go¨C¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right - we¡¯ll get going then¨C¡± Finally shutting the door behind Sue and Levi, Aida breathed a sigh of relief. First order of business. Aida pulled out all the heavy drawers in her desk, digging through papers and flipping through notebooks to find what she was looking for. Aha. On one of the shelves right at eye level - right in plain sight - was a slim journal in a lavender paper cover. Upon flipping through the pages, the journal confirmed its contents as original-Aida¡¯s diary. Settling at the desk, Aida leafed through the pages, hunting for words that could explain to her what happened between Aida and Pritchard. Finally, she found an entry dated back to¡ªaccording to the small desk calendar on her desk¡ªroughly the middle of their second year. In the original Aida¡¯s neat, rounded handwriting, she declared her confusion when Pritchard kissed her. Per the previous entries, original Aida had apparently considered Pritchard a Very Nice Boy, someone who was so nice because he had no motive: he would share snacks from his mother¡¯s care packages, offer her moral support when she struggled academically (despite receiving help from Sue and Levi, apparently original-Aida was still only barely able to keep up with the curriculum), and always seemed to be around to keep her company whenever she was alone; interestingly enough, he was never mentioned in the adventures Aida recounted with Sue and other classmates. Reading between the lines of Aida¡¯s later entries, Annie could see why Pritchard felt entitled to act so vengefully during breakfast earlier today. After Aida expressed her confusion about where Pritchard¡¯s feelings came from, he apologized for misinterpreting her actions as reciprocal feelings, and asked for her forgiveness - and also if she would consider him as a boyfriend. Aida said she would think about it and promised (she wrote it right there) that she would get back to Pritchard (and she did think about it, for several entries after), but there were no further entries about any conversations with Pritchard after. It seemed that Aida thought since she had come to her own conclusion about Pritchard (the words she wrote when she reached her conclusion was that she didn¡¯t see him as a romantic partner¡ªwhat was really interesting was that she really seemed to struggle in parsing out her feelings), that was all she needed to do. Pritchard didn¡¯t approach Aida for months afterwards, until right before final examinations. Aida¡¯s handling of that conversation made Annie want to rip Aida¡¯s diary apart: she acted clueless, making the boy repeat and relive his humiliation. He stormed off in tears after realizing Aida wasn¡¯t going to give him a straight answer. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Nothing about the entry, no agitated change in script, no extra or crossed-out words that provided any subtext, gave any indication that Aida had a purpose or master scheme to deliberately embarrass the boy. The girl was seventeen, and literally so self-absorbed and concerned with her own comfort that she couldn¡¯t think far enough ahead to consider the consequences of her actions. Annie still didn¡¯t like Pritchard, but she didn¡¯t have sympathy for Aida either. Granted, she was a teenager, so couldn¡¯t be expected to handle delicate situations with finesse; however, having to be the one to suffer the consequences of another person¡¯s careless actions greatly annoyed Annie. Annie shook her head; she didn¡¯t like how condescending everyone was towards her, but after getting a glimpse of Aida¡¯s thought processes¡­Annie really couldn¡¯t blame everyone for having such low expectations of her. Literal head of air. Tossing the diary onto the desk, Annie pressed her knuckles into her temples. Aida¡¯s hair is so soft and smooth. Annie curled a lock of Aida¡¯s hair around her finger as she thought. Reading Aida¡¯s diary was a slog. Annie did keep a journal on and off throughout the years, but she had never gone back and reread any entries. Her journal was just a place for her to dump her worst thoughts without fear of judgment from others, a place she could release her true, petty feelings without having to worry about how she might look. After purging her feelings, she could then focus on the more productive task of how to move forward. Once she had worked through the problem that had driven her to spill her tears and frustrations onto paper, she tended to feel better, armed with a path forward; therefore, she had never had to revisit her moments of weakness. But Aida¡¯s diary¡ªwas odd. Aida¡¯s writing seemed so detached, like she was narrating what happened to her, offering labels for what she was allegedly feeling, but not providing any details that indicated the events actually happened to her. Annie hadn¡¯t read other people¡¯s diaries, but she didn¡¯t think people would typically keep diaries in such a dry manner. There were no hopes or plans for the future, just words that conveniently told the reader what Aida had gone through. Unnerved, Annie flipped to the most recent entries. Aida didn¡¯t mention any discomfort or ailments that foreshadowed having another soul transplanted into her body. It was literally just more lists of what Aida did during her days, with nary an indication of what she wanted. It was the most recent entry (still written in Aida¡¯s impersonal but neat hand) that made Aida pause.
Mother and Father spoke to me before I returned to Maglica. They told me they appreciated my efforts at school, but we had to be realistic. With my grades and ranking as they are, the best option to secure our future is marriage. They have begun talks with some of the local families. Mother assured me as long as I do my part and graduate Maglica, that will guarantee me at least a family beyond Father¡¯s journeyman status in the sanitation industry. They promised they will have suitors prepared by the time I return home from school.
Snapping the book shut, Aida tossed it back onto her desk and pressed her fingers against her forehead. Her time limit¡ªthe one school year¡ªwas a lot more critical than she thought. In a way, this was worse than her original life; at least her real parents didn¡¯t try to pawn her off via marriage. An arranged marriage was a huge gamble, one that Annie wasn¡¯t willing to take. Given how casually Aida¡¯s parents mentioned the arrangement, Annie had a feeling refusing the marriage would do more harm to her reputation in this world than insisting she make her own way in life¡ªespecially if she didn¡¯t have the magical ability to back it up. Gazing out the window, Annie watched as students convened in the quad. It was early afternoon, and the relaxed bodies of the students indicated they were done with classes for the day and fully planned on enjoying their free time before dinner started. Several students took up positions facing each other, their wands in their hands. It didn¡¯t look like they were fighting each other seriously; the groups of students on the side were eyeing the matches with casual interest, sometimes hooting or clapping when a participant pulled off a particularly notable move. Curious, Annie leaned over the desk to get a better view. She was too far away to distinguish any identifying characteristics among the students, but she could see the sparring matches weren¡¯t simple stand-your-ground-casting fights; the participants were weaving around, avoiding enemy attacks while also casting their own combinations at their counterparts. Annie was fascinated, then immediately disappointed as she realized all five of Aida¡¯s low stats would make it so that she likely wouldn¡¯t be able to win in that kind of environment. Almost nearly as immediately, she rallied as she recalled that she had visual breakdowns of her improvement. If only she had that kind of concrete evidence that she was improving in her normal life, then it would be a lot easier to remain motivated and maintain focus on her goals, so that she and her family didn¡¯t have to constantly suffer. It felt like a bucket of cold water poured over Annie, bringing her back to reality, as she stared at the obviously unreal scene of elemental combat in front of her. How would she return home? Annie was certain she wasn¡¯t dreaming: her thoughts were coherent, not a mixed jumble of ideas that made sense as they surfaced, but would slip away as she tried to parse out further details; things happened chronologically throughout the day, all events proceeding rationally with no major aberrations; no inexplicable time skips where she couldn¡¯t vouch for what she was doing. Annie brought nothing of hers with her as she entered this world and bodysnatched another person¡¯s life. She had no clue how she would even find out the fate of what happened to her original body, let alone what happened to Aida¡¯s actual persona. She felt a chill close in on her as she tried (but failed) to fend off the idea. Did I die in my sleep? What about my parents? Her breath hitched. I never got to say goodnight to Mom. Thinking of her parents made the pressure of the day and dismal realizations of her position unbearably heavy. In this world, there was no one to share the burden with Annie. She was completely alone. Chapter 9: Its a Date Aida had already put in her order at the counter (Bovine in a Spa, which she chose primarily for its humorous name) when the bell rang to signal dinner. Her plan was to bring her dinner to her room, so that she could eat while continuing her skim of Beginner Water Techniques, and hopefully avoid spending time with the rest of the student body by pleading sick if Sue came calling. However, she saw Ezra sitting quietly in a corner booth, his food mostly untouched and clearly cooled. He was intently examining something in his hand, and seemed to be emanating a silvery aura that kept anyone else from entering his sphere. Ironically, the silvery aura also seemed to draw several fangirls along its periphery, all of them huddling together to whisper and gaze at him with sparkling eyes. Aida hesitated, her tray in her hands. Nodding resolutely to herself, she stepped towards Ezra¡¯s booth, scattering the fangirls in her wake. ¡°Do you mind if I sit here?¡± Aida asked, feeling the girls¡¯ resentment burning at her back. Ezra glanced up, closing his long fingers over the objects in his hand. His silver eyes pierced hers briefly¡ªalbeit deeply¡ªbefore he nodded. Muffled shrieks of outrage burst in the background as Aida slid into the booth. Ezra seemed unconcerned, but Aida was worried about painting another target on her back. Praying that this conversation could proceed as quickly and painlessly as possible, she cleared her throat. ¡°Thank you again for teaching me how to circulate my mana earlier. I have a question about how to make my training more efficient.¡± Aida hesitated, glancing at the girls who had begun crowding closer to the table. Ezra followed her gaze, and at his look the girls faded back to the unspoken boundary they had been hovering around before. ¡°I¡¯ve been - reviewing - the texts for how to perform Mana Blast and Mana Cycling exercises, but I¡¯ve noticed that they seem to be treated as entirely separate exercises. Is it possible to perform Mana Blast and Mana Circulation together?¡± Ezra raised a perfect eyebrow. ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°Mana Blast releases mana that¡¯s already in the body, and Mana Cycling improves the efficiency of mana flow in the body, which also improves mana recovery. Mana is recovered by food, rest, and to some degree, absorbing mana that is circulating in the natural world. Blasting mana doesn¡¯t mean mana is destroyed, it just means it gets returned to the natural world in order to maintain balance,¡± Aida recited. ¡°Is it possible to focus Circulation so that you can recapture your own mana?¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes flickered, and he leaned forward. ¡°How did you come to this conclusion?¡± ¡°I¡­reread the theory in Introduction to Mana and Management, and thought about how Mana Cycling looked - felt - like when you were showing me how you did it.¡± Aida didn¡¯t realize how close her face was to Ezra¡¯s. She had unconsciously mirrored Ezra¡¯s movements, and now she was captured in his bright eyes. Her voice had also dipped to a murmur, following Ezra¡¯s lead. With huge effort, Aida blinked and pushed herself back into an upright position, forcing her voice to return to its natural volume. ¡°So, is it possible?¡± Ezra remained leaning forward for a few seconds, easily ignoring the distracting humming from the girls in the background. His gaze flickered between her eyes, as if he didn¡¯t believe she was being serious. Finally, he pushed himself back and released a breath of air, scooping his hair back from his eyes. Aida heard swooning. ¡°It is possible, but it¡¯s not as straightforward as you make it out to be. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s dangerous,¡± Ezra added, misinterpreting the slump in Aida¡¯s shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s a perfectly viable training exercise for intermediate-level mages, but¡­well¡­¡± ¡°You doubt my ability to execute that exercise,¡± Aida finished for him, grinning half-heartedly. ¡°I understand. Honest question: how would you rate the ability level of the rest of our peers?¡± A ghost of a smirk flitted across Ezra¡¯s face. ¡°Certainly not intermediate.¡± ¡°And your own?¡± ¡°Advanced.¡± When Aida continued to stare at him, Ezra relented. ¡°Advanced in theoretical knowledge and understanding, but¡­intermediate in execution.¡± Aida grinned. ¡°What about Levi Ashet, Caleb Tulver, and Suelina Heslia?¡± Ezra lifted his eyes to the ceiling; a polite way of rolling his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re all roughly the same, but each is held back by their own preconceptions.¡± ¡°Preconceptions?¡± Aida probed. Ezra¡¯s words sounded arrogant on their own, but his delivery made him sound¡­legitimate? Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Levi Ashet¡¯s interest in magic is purely motivated by helping his family achieve prominence.¡± Ezra¡¯s words dripped with disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Caleb Tulver or Suelina Heslia¡¯s families, but from what I¡¯ve seen in classes, they are comfortable following what the texts and instructors say about magic theory and application, and have expressed no further interest in exploring the subtleties and exceptions to our curriculum.¡± Ezra¡¯s silver lashes lowered, and he gazed at Aida from underneath hooded lids. ¡°If I may ask¡­why are you asking these kinds of questions?¡± Aida carefully fished out a morsel of meat, placing it on a small spoonful of rice before delivering it to her mouth. She chewed carefully, thinking through how much she should reveal. In her previous life, she had worked with many coworkers lacking integrity. One of the most valuable lessons she had learned from them was that the ones who got caught were ones who wove too many lies together, and therefore left too many threads to keep track of, making it only a matter of time before someone decided to inconveniently expose them. Likewise, the ones who were really good at lying and getting out of unpleasant responsibilities were ones who told the truth - vague truths in the moment to establish a framework, so that when questioned later, they could fill in details as necessary. Truthful frameworks with enough of a structure that it would be easy to remember what the intended lie was, but not so many concrete details that could flag anybody¡¯s attention if the later story didn¡¯t match. Aida swallowed before gazing into Ezra¡¯s eyes. This time she wasn¡¯t affected by the striking young man in front of her. ¡°It might be difficult for you to believe, but I found a reason to care about my future with my magic.¡± Ezra held her gaze for a long moment - or was it only a few seconds? - before he nodded, acknowledging her statement. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to successfully pull off the Circulation Blast exercise, but there might be a couple exercises you can do that can help you build up to it.¡± He paused, thinking. ¡°What are you doing these restdays?¡± ¡°Ah¡­I didn¡¯t have anything planned,¡± Aida replied, unable to keep her heart from skipping a beat. Ezra nodded. ¡°If you have time on Sun¡¯s morning, meet me at the fork where the road splits for Shale Port and Buddington Town. I¡¯ll show you how to do the exercises that will let you do Circulation Blast¡­eventually.¡± Ezra unfolded himself from the booth, towering over Aida. ¡°Let¡¯s meet at dawn.¡± Shocked by her good fortune, Aida could only nod. Before Ezra took more than two steps away, she blurted after him. ¡°Do I have to bring anything?¡± Ezra stopped, looking over his shoulder at her. ¡°Just your wand. And keep practicing your Mana Circulation.¡± Aida nodded mutely after his tall form, despite him not even turning around to acknowledge her response. Only a few girls remained to cast dirty looks at Aida; the rest of the girls had drifted after Ezra, with a couple bolder girls skipping up to him and offering to take his tray for him. Focusing back on her food, she methodically started chewing, barely registering how tender and flavorful the meat stew was. Thinking back to the notebooks and class schedule she reviewed, she knew she had four more days before Sun¡¯s day, the first day of this world¡¯s weekend (they also referred to a single week as one ¡°star cycle,¡± and a month as one ¡°moon cycle¡±), arrived. Four more days before she would meet with Ezra, and four more days for her to get a better grasp on her magic and geography so she could pass as a local. Aida peeked at her mana and elemental levels, and was pleased to see that she had replenished the majority of her pool levels, and her mana was just a few ticks away from being full; indeed, she was feeling quite good physically. Finishing her meal in a much more cheerful mood than she had been in all day, Aida dodged the chattering groups of students to deposit her tray and cutlery at the dining hall¡¯s dish dropoff. Before Aida took the staircase that led to the girls¡¯ wing, she looked out the window and paused. The sun was inching towards the horizon, but there was probably still an hour or so left before it got dark¡­and the sooner Aida familiarized herself with the grounds, the easier it would be to slip into Maglica Academy¡¯s student life. Making her decision, Aida turned towards the door next to the staircase, exiting the central building that housed general services: teacher¡¯s lounge, classrooms, the healer¡¯s room, main library, and of course, the cafeteria. The rear of the building (the side she was on now) was facing due north, and there were several paths snaking between a copse of trees. Rising above the trees a fair distance away was an expansive set of mountains, its stony fingers stretching towards the sky as if to wave the sun farewell. Aida could see snow still tucked between the crags at the top. Aida took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. She had gone camping once as a child - at least, her parents told her she was going camping. Really, they just brought her to her godparents¡¯ house and set up a small tent in their backyard, hanging a tarp over a line stretched between two fences. They also put down another layer of tarp below the ¡°tent¡± to lay her pillow and blankets on. Annie was too young to argue that wasn¡¯t camping, especially since the adults set up a small grill in front of her ¡°campsite¡± and held a small barbecue party, complete with hot dogs and s¡¯mores. After dinner, they handed her a small flashlight (they convinced her it was a lantern by tying a string to the handle so she could dangle it like a real lantern), promised they would keep the backyard light off, and bade her goodnight. Young Annie had been excited for all of two minutes before she realized camping wasn¡¯t much better than going to bed in her bedroom. It was too dark to do anything; there were no shooting stars to make a wish on, and she could only stargaze for so long (she knew constellations existed, but she didn¡¯t know how to identify any); and she didn¡¯t bring any toys or books, which made the flashlight useless. The biggest thing Annie missed from ¡°camping¡± was the smell of plants and soil at night. There was something so calming about flora at night. The cool dampness of the night air seemed to trigger the plants to release some sort of wet scent: musky, but not foul like the smell of urine that would float up to her window at home in the city. Annie had the most peaceful and restful sleep that night, and woke up to the chirps of birds. Shaking her head to clear her reverie, Annie chose the path directly in front of her, following it into the trees. Chapter 10: First Combat Aida regretted her choice - why didn¡¯t she take a path around the small wood? - until she reached a small area with felled trees. Intrigued by the growth from the stumps, she leaned down to investigate. Even in the waning light, Aida could tell the haphazard collection of plants and fungi growing together were colorful and fun. She had never seen anything like it. The mushrooms had caps ranging from small and bubbly to tall and sleek, and every other combination in between; there were flowers that looked like a typical daisy, chrysanthemum, or tulip, as well as flower colors and designs she had never seen before. Aida squinted. There were even a few flowers whose petals began glowing, with small motes of light lifting off from the middle of the petals. Since she had no idea if those plants were dangerous (they were quite pretty, but also brightly colored), Aida decided it would be safer to back away. Returning to the path, Aida continued wandering, making note of how dark her return path would be. She didn¡¯t need to worry; fireflies were starting to wake up, lighting up her path. Absorbed by the ethereal scene in front of her, Aida was startled by a shriek in the distance. With no idea what her plan would be, or even if she could help, Aida moved as quickly down the path as she could, careful not to stumble over roots or other obstacles. When she finally broke out of the small forest she was in, she was standing at the edge of a field, with tall grass and glowing blue flowers that reached up to her waist. In the middle of the field, elegantly illuminated from below by the petals, with a clear sky of stars casting its blessed light from overhead, stood Sue and Ezra. Ezra was holding a bundle of flowers in one hand out to Sue, who was clearly flustered. Aida was too far away to hear what they were saying, but she saw Sue run her fingers through her luscious locks in an effort to straighten her mussed hair before gratefully accepting the flowers from Ezra. Aida melted back behind a tree so that she wouldn¡¯t disturb Sue¡¯s romance flag with Ezra. She knew Sue was the protagonist of this world, but she still couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed at how conveniently the world arranged things for Sue. After all, she chastised herself, just because Ezra offered to teach her magic didn¡¯t mean that he intended to overcome the natural order of things. Annie knew she - or rather, Aida - was pretty, but there was no way Aida held a candle to Sue¡¯s protagonist aesthetic. Aida was pretty in that ¡°cartoon characters are pretty because they have symmetrical features and no blemishes¡± kind of way, while Sue was literally the embodiment of every girl and guy¡¯s dream. Side characters never received notable attention from romantic leads intended for the main character. Blowing her bangs out of her face, Aida started making her way back towards the school. She paused, hearing shifting in the trees. Taking a steadying breath, she pulled her wand out of her blazer pocket, wishing she had chosen to learn the Water Blast skill instead of Heal. Aiming her wand to her left, she focused and gathered her mana, feeling the thrumming gathering in her wand. Her fingers tightened, more of a physical manifestation of her mental strain in containing the mana, rather than her body actually requiring tension to hold back the Mana Blast that was so eager to leave her body. When no further noises emanated from the forest, Aida released a small spurt of power at the tree she heard noise from, expecting a small creature to scuttle away from the disturbance. Instead, a lithe form stepped out languidly from behind the tree she shot past. Levi ducked underneath a hanging branch, fireflies swirling around him in a halo, emphasizing his high cheekbones and chiseled jawline. He gave Aida a half-hearted smirk. ¡°Hey Aida. What are you doing out here?¡± Aida scoffed. ¡°I heard Sue scream, so I came here to see that she¡¯s okay. What about you?¡± Levi¡¯s smirk turned into a grimace. ¡°Similar story.¡± He glanced at the field, where Sue and Ezra had stepped closer to each other. He tilted his head back towards the school. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Breaking into a jog to keep up with Levi¡¯s long strides, Aida continued probing. ¡°You don¡¯t even want to check for yourself to see if she¡¯s okay? You¡¯re okay with leaving her in the dark with a guy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried. Suelina can handle herself with the regular monsters that prowl the school grounds, and Ezra¡¯s a pretty great practitioner himself,¡± Levi replied genially. Despite his relaxed response, Levi¡¯s footsteps started to take on a stomping quality. Aida picked up her pace. ¡°You¡¯re right, and Ezra¡¯s the top of our class too. She¡¯s probably safest with him,¡± she agreed, her last phrase coming out in a huff. She collided into Levi¡¯s back. ¡°Aida,¡± Levi started, not turning around. ¡°Aren¡¯t you jealous of Suelina?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Aida rubbed both hands on her face, trying to remove the sensation of how Levi¡¯s back felt. Firm, yet still pliable where her forehead had bounced off the divot between his lats. Warm, even though he was wearing his school blazer over his button up. Levi turned around to face her. ¡°I mean, Suelina is really smart, is a naturally gifted fire practitioner, and honestly, one of the most beautiful girls the world has ever seen. And what¡¯s more, she has a personality of gold.¡± Levi¡¯s copper eyes seemed to melt to amber as he continued in a softer voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think she even realizes how amazing she is.¡± Stunned, Aida grappled for a response. It would be really nice if I was given a couple options for responding. ¡°I mean, even if I was jealous of her, what do you expect me to do about it?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Levi stared at her, dumbstruck. ¡°Well¡­I just wanted to hear your thoughts.¡± Aida scoffed again. ¡°Do you really care about what I think? Or did you just want to talk about Suelina? Given that the whole world revolves around her.¡± Levi¡¯s eyes flickered between hers, seeming to see her for the first time. Aida took a deep breath. He¡¯s just a teenage boy. Of course his worldview is small. And the narrative is centered around Sue anyway. ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re right. Sue has so many amazing qualities. But I have enough troubles trying to get myself up to speed that I can¡¯t afford to be jealous of her.¡± ¡°...Are you just saying that, or are you really not jealous?¡± Levi asked cautiously. ¡°A bit of both,¡± Aida replied ruefully. ¡°I can¡¯t deny that life would be a lot easier if I had even one of Sue¡¯s traits or skills. But since it¡¯s impossible for me to just copy one of them, the best I can do is focus on improving myself, however I can.¡± Considering the conversation completed, Aida strode past Levi, who followed her hesitantly. ¡°...I¡¯m also a bit jealous.¡± Aida glanced behind her, startled. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Of Ezra,¡± Levi clarified. His lips, normally curved in a good-natured grin, were pressed in a thin line. ¡°He comes from one of the most influential families, and has access to all the best resources. He doesn¡¯t have to worry about the fate of his family, or about any consequences if he fails.¡± The displeased look on his face transformed to an outright ugly expression. ¡°He¡¯s probably already betrothed, and he¡¯s still messing around with other girls, leading them on.¡± Aida stayed quiet, thinking over his words. She agreed with the sentiment that people from well-off, highly influential families had more freedoms and privileges than regular people, but in her interactions with Ezra, he had been nothing but kind to her. Even when he offered to teach her, he didn¡¯t exude any kind of condescension she would have expected from someone of his caliber. He treated her like they were both regular people, with no judgment that there were things she didn¡¯t know or couldn¡¯t do. Aida¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by Levi¡¯s sudden grip on her forearm. ¡°Pull back, Aida.¡± Levi¡¯s voice was low and brooked no argument. Following his gaze, she saw a giant beetle trundling across the path. The crest of its shell rose up to her sternum, and its antennae were swinging back and forth, almost like a drunk man swinging his arms to maintain balance after a great night, but being dragged by his own momentum due to overcorrection. ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Aida asked softly as Levi pulled her further away, both careful to make their steps as noiseless as possible. ¡°It normally isn¡¯t,¡± Levi murmured back, urging her along. ¡°But it¡¯s been soaked in aggression spores. The idiot underclassmen probably grew too many Stimflowers and then didn¡¯t bother to clean up after themselves.¡± Aida looked more closely at the beetle, and saw that what she thought was mere firefly reflection off of the beetle¡¯s glossy shell was really more of a glow from the shell itself. There was even a brighter glow in the crevices of the creature, outlining the insect in neon green. ¡°Okay¡­so what¡¯s the plan?¡± ¡°Plan A, don¡¯t draw attention to ourselves and wait for the beetle to leave on its own.¡± Aida had a foreboding feeling. ¡°You know, saying it like that is literally asking to be jinxed.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Implying there¡¯s alternative plans means that the worst-case scenario is always going to be¡ª¡± Aida¡¯s lecture was promptly interrupted by the beetle crashing into a tree, right at the edge of the path. Aida and Levi both froze. The giant insect let out an adorable chirrup, shaking its head. One of its antennae was bent at an odd angle. The beetle swung towards them and froze, its antennae quivering. Letting out a screech, the beetle lurched towards them, compound eyes seeming to glow in its frenzy. Levi cursed, pulling Aida behind him. ¡°Get ready to fight your way out!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any offensive skills!¡± ¡°Then Mana Blast it!¡± Levi took aim at the charging beetle, causing a variety of vines to grow down and up from the surrounding plants, neatly capturing the mindlessly rampaging creature. ¡°Can¡¯t we just escape while you have it trapped here?¡± Aida asked, pointing her wavering wand at the flailing beetle. ¡°It¡¯s going to eat through everything before we can get far enough away to lose its attention,¡± Levi said grimly. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough mana to hold it forever either.¡± Resigned, Aida started blasting at the beetle - for all the good it did. Her blasts just ricocheted off of the insect¡¯s tough exoskeleton, and even its eyes and other soft joint areas seemed to knock her mana away. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough power to bring it down!¡± Levi cursed again. ¡°I¡¯ll try to cripple it so that we can run.¡± Aida felt a shiver pass through her body; Levi was gathering mana, at a much larger scale and faster pace than Aida had ever managed. Feeling helpless (and useless), Aida started looking for a path around the beetle. Her eye fell on the bent antenna, which was barely moving, while the other antenna continued its frenzied thrashing. Aida didn¡¯t know if she was just imagining things, but she thought she almost saw a glimmer of desperation in the beetle¡¯s eyes. ¡°Wait!¡± Aida latched onto Levi¡¯s wand arm, and was almost overwhelmed by the vortex that seemed to suck Aida¡¯s power away. She felt like all of her mana and energy was getting drawn into Levi, and Levi¡¯s presence and power seemed to grow while hers dwindled. Levi threw Aida off his arm, looking at her with fury. ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Just - wait¡ª¡± Aida gasped, clutching her chest. She pointed a trembling arm at the beetle. ¡°Can you - grow something - to calm it down? You said normally it¡¯s passive?¡± Levi¡¯s eyes flickered, and his incensed expression melted into an annoyed frown. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have had enough mana, but maybe now¡­¡± He turned towards the thrashing beetle, which had started tearing through some of the vines. He waved his wand at the ground below the elevated beetle, almost as if he was sowing seeds. Then he deliberately pointed his wand at the beetle, and with his other hand, palm held forward, started slowly pushing up. Nothing happened, until Levi¡¯s hand reached shoulder height. As soon as his fingers broke chin-level, a cluster of colorful bulbs also broke out of the ground. Levi let out a clenched breath and grinned, and pushed harder with renewed strength. ¡°Aida, back up.¡± Aida obliged, retreating to safety behind Levi¡¯s back, but still keeping an eye on the mushroom caps that were unfolding. Unlike the pops of color they were as the fungi first came out of the ground, as their caps unfurled the color seemed to retreat into the stem, leaving the cap a sleepy gray color. When Levi decided they had grown enough, he clenched his fingers, and the mushroom caps violently inverted, like hundreds of mini umbrellas that were simultaneously blown inside out by a strong gust of wind, releasing a cloud of spores right into the beetle¡¯s head. After a few seconds of continuous thrashing, the beetle¡¯s movements started to slow down, until its head and antennae dropped limply. ¡°Genius idea, Aida,¡± Levi said approvingly. He finally turned to her and held his hand out, offering to support her. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Aida said, ignoring his hand and moving towards the beetle. ¡°It hurt its antenna.¡± ¡°So what? We should go before it wakes up.¡± ¡°Let me just try something.¡± Stopping a safe distance away from the still-entangled beetle, Aida checked her mana levels. Despite the sudden drain when Aida touched Levi - what was that, anyway? - she still had enough mana remaining for one round of Heal. Should I use it on this beast that tried to attack us, or should I save it for an emergency? Chapter 11: Control ¡°Aida, what are you doing?¡± Levi asked warily. ¡°You said the beetle is under the influence of something that makes it aggressive, right? That means normally it wouldn¡¯t attack humans.¡± Aida turned to Levi. Bathed in the light of the fireflies, which had finally settled down to their original languid speed after being so violently disturbed by the prior action, Levi was outlined in a green halo; his natural coloring glowed in the ethereal light. Levi nodded slowly, still keeping a vigilant eye on the slumbering creature. ¡°Correct. It¡¯s only dangerous because it¡¯s basically a boulder. Getting whacked by its wings is like crashing into the side of a mountain at terminal velocity. If you get rammed by it at its full speed you can expect survival only if there¡¯s a team of healers ready to act.¡± ¡°If we heal its antenna, then it won¡¯t have a reason to come after us once it wakes up, right? The sleep spores you doused it with might counteract the aggression spores¡­and it looked like it wanted to attack us because it was in pain in the first place.¡± Levi bit his lip, clearly frustrated. ¡°Fine, you can try healing its antenna. But no matter what happens after, we have to leave.¡± Aida nodded, gathering herself as she turned back towards the beetle. She raised her wand and pointed it at the inert insect. Heal. Different parts of the beetle lit up in Aida¡¯s vision, almost like an infrared overlay: angry red areas indicated severe damage, spanning to a soft green color that indicated good health. The joint the antenna was bent at was heavily inflamed, while some of the softer flesh beneath the shell that she managed to strike at were yellow. Prioritizing the bright red bend, Aida slowly pushed her mana out, forcing the soft flesh beneath the shelled segments to straighten. She carefully unknotted the kinks, repaired the crushed portions of the segments. Aida released her mana after the antenna turned back to a tender green shade. She still had a little bit of mana remaining, since she didn¡¯t heal the slightly wounded yellow areas¡­this would have to do. She estimated she could probably fire three more (small) Mana Blasts if she had to. She stepped back towards Levi. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready to go.¡± Levi grabbed her wrist, his long fingers wrapping completely around her, dragging her after him without another word. Aida didn¡¯t resist; she picked up her pace so they could move faster. His fingers encircling her wrist were so warm. He had her in a firm grip, but it didn¡¯t hurt; if she were the main female love interest, Levi¡¯s rough actions would probably be driven by concern for her. He¡¯d be worried that she would separate from him somehow, her attention caught by some small injured woodland creature that needed help, and thus a target ripe for ambush. Aida cracked a smile at the ridiculous thought. Levi finally released her when they reached the edge of the woods, the Academy¡¯s walls showing through the trees. He looked down at her, holding an arm out to bar her way. A strip of moonlight fell across the side of his face, highlighting his cheekbones and glimmering eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anybody what happened.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Aida stared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t mention anything about the beetle, or that we spied on Suelina and Ezra. We can just say that we ran into each other on the way back to school.¡± Levi curved one corner of his mouth up, clearly trying to charm her. ¡°But why? Shouldn¡¯t we report to the school that there¡¯s an overgrowth of Stimflowers?¡± Aida asked, unimpressed. He laughed awkwardly, scratching a cheek with his forefinger. ¡°About that¡­I¡¯m actually the one in charge of the underclassmen¡¯s growth practices, so alerting the faculty would just add more pressure on me. Aida,¡± Levi leaned in, backing Aida up until she bumped against a tree trunk, his breath brushing over her eyelashes, ¡°you wouldn¡¯t put me in such an awkward position, would you?¡± Aida glanced past his figure, nervous that someone would spot them in such an intimate position - not nervous because of the intimate position. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t say anything, as long as you actually take care of the overgrowth.¡± Levi stepped back immediately, beaming at her as if she were his best friend. ¡°You¡¯re so dependable, Aida. I owe you one.¡± Raising a hand in farewell, Levi headed back towards the school without a backwards glance. Aida stared after him, simultaneously affronted and resigned. She knew she wasn¡¯t the female lead, and therefore had no right to any of the male leads¡¯ attentions, but being literally left in the dark (even though it was a generally safe location) still stung. Wrapping her arms around herself - the chilliness of the evening was suddenly extremely obvious - Aida slowly made her way back to her room. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The rest of the week - star cycle, Aida corrected herself - was uneventful. Aida attended classes, read old notebooks and textbooks, and practiced her exercises (both magical and physical) in her free time. Sue floated around Aida, keeping her company in the library and during meals, cheerfully oblivious to Aida¡¯s minimal enthusiasm for participating in social gossip. Aida had to admit there was an upside to being a side character: the main character would just keep doing what she wanted to do and wouldn¡¯t notice any oddities about her best friend. Aida¡¯s study was fruitful. She finally learned the fundamentals of the five elements¡¯ interactions with each other. In addition to the more straightforward protections in having full elemental pools, the elements also supported (and in extreme cases, harmed) each other. A robust Water level contributed to faster replenishment of the Wood element (and subsequent protection against draining Wood too quickly). Wood supported Fire, Fire supported Earth, Earth supported Metal, and Metal in turn supported Water; with all five elements at healthy and high levels, mana practitioners were reportedly able to survive catastrophic levels of damage. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. However, the texts gravely warned the reader not to neglect a single element in favor of increasing only one element at a time. If one¡¯s Fire level was too high, it would quickly consume the Wood mana pool, to the point where Wood would not be able to replenish itself quickly enough to sustain Fire¡¯s burn rate; eventually, Wood¡¯s overdraft of Water would result in overdrawing from Metal, which would overdraw from Earth, which would then cause the cycle to peter out because Earth wouldn¡¯t be able to draw from the overproduction of Fire fast enough. The end result would be a sickly mage, one who would need to take elemental-balancing brews constantly in order to not be bedridden. Aida also kept an eye on Sue¡¯s interactions with the other bachelors¡ªby her count, she had already witnessed one romance flag per love interest, which meant the story had already kicked off. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), Sue wasn¡¯t really going out of her way to progress the story. The same was true on the male counterparts¡¯ side: other than Levi joining them during meals and flirting uselessly with Sue, none of the boys gave any indication they were going to make a move on Sue. Aida was tempted to ask Sue about her feelings for the boys, but her paranoia made her worry that the moment Sue actually thought about her romantic prospects was the moment that Aida would lose all control of her side-character life. If Sue progressed the main story, then would Aida be helplessly dragged along to fulfill every scheme that would help bring Sue and the boys closer? Or would she still be able to focus on building herself a respectable life outside of the machinations focused on creating drama and intrigue for a small group of people she wasn¡¯t allowed to be a part of? Aida was at her favorite desk in the corner of the library (a massive, sparsely populated structure with an unreal number of comfy chairs and cozy nooks) reading a theory book discussing the balance between the different elemental manas when she was distracted by a gentle tapping on the edge of the desk. Blinking her eyes, Aida gazed up at Ezra, who had rested his delicate fingertips right next to her elbow. His other hand was draped casually in his pocket, his slouched form emphasizing instead of diminishing his height. ¡°Yes?¡± Silver scanned the text Aida was reading. ¡°Hard at work on a Loam night?¡± ¡°Just trying to better understand the underlying principles of the elements,¡± Aida said lightly, resting her elbows on the pages. She propped her chin on her fists, looking up at Ezra through her lashes. ¡°Can I help you?¡± Silence stretched as Ezra pierced Aida with serious eyes, one sophisticated eyebrow neatly quirked. Aida gazed back at him, expression neutral. A ghost of a smile finally crossed his lips. ¡°If only you could.¡± Aida rolled her eyes, but barely managed to put a lid on it before adopting a sweet smile. ¡°So what pleases Lord Ezra to seek out the lowly Aida Loreh in the most unlikely of locations?¡± ¡°Lord Ezra is here to remind Miss Aida of her appointment tomorrow morning,¡± Ezra returned monotonously. ¡°And to make sure she understands and appreciates his generosity in volunteering his time so early on a restday morning.¡± In one smooth motion, Aida pushed her chair back and caught her skirt in her fingers, dipping into a shallow curtsy. ¡°Your loyal subject Aida can do nothing but proffer the greatest gratitude for His Lordship¡¯s generosity, with no promises that she can even come close to matching his magnanimity in a future favor.¡± Aida kept her head bowed until she felt a hard poke on her forehead, pushing her upright. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to pay me back for my time,¡± Ezra said, keeping his finger on Aida¡¯s forehead. He dipped his head lower, making sure her eyes followed his silvery pools. ¡°Just don¡¯t make me waste it.¡± Aida nodded cautiously, struggling not to bite her lip. Maybe she had misread the situation. She thought he wasn¡¯t sensitive about their differences in status, but maybe he really did get upset at her overly exaggerated performance¨C ¡°Get some rest tonight,¡± Ezra said, finally letting out a small smile as he lowered his finger. ¡°Tomorrow is sure to be interesting.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°Aida,¡± Sue sang as Aida opened her door moments after she had returned to her room. ¡°What are you doing tomorrow? Do you want to go to town with me?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Aida started awkwardly. ¡°I actually made plans for tomorrow already¡­¡± Sue¡¯s face fell. ¡°Well¡­I guess there¡¯s nothing to be done about it then.¡± Sue fidgeted, twirling a lock of hair around her finger and avoiding Aida¡¯s gaze. ¡°Um¡­was there something you wanted to do? Maybe we can do something on Moon¡¯s day?¡± Aida offered. She felt a little guilty about not even trying to be Sue¡¯s friend; after all, Sue hadn¡¯t done anything cruel to Aida. Sue smiled, perking up as soon as Aida¡¯s words left her lips. ¡°Moon¡¯s day would be great! I was going to procrastinate on my errands tomorrow, but I¡¯ll get them done instead!¡± Sue skipped back to her room with a cheerful wave, and Aida slowly shut the door. Leaning her back against the door, Aida took a deep breath. Such is the life of a side character. Opening her eyes, Aida checked over her progress from the past star cycle.
Character Profile: Aida Loreh Elemental Affinity: Water Class Rank: 30/30 RP: 26 Character Stats STR: 3 - 65% to next level. FOC: 5 - 70% to next level. INT: 4 - 40% to next level. DEX: 2 - 0% to next level. VIT: 4 - 85% to next level. Skill List Heal (Lv2) 20% to next level. Mana Blast (Lv1) 40% to next level. Mana Cycling (Lv2) (Passive) 60% to next level. Water Manipulation (Lv1) 0% to next level.
Aida allowed herself a small smile. Even though her stats were still abysmal, and she would likely lose in a fight against Pritchard again, the fact that her time and effort translated into tangible improvements was a soothing balm. Chapter 12: Road Trip Aida had a restless night, punctuated with nightmares that she would oversleep and therefore forfeit Ezra¡¯s tutelage. After thirty minutes of trying to go back to sleep after her most recent nightmare (she imagined that she somehow got lost, despite following the single straightforward path laid out in the maps she consulted), Aida decided rest was a lost cause and she¡¯d be better off preparing for her meeting. When Aida finally stepped outside of the school¡¯s gates with a map clutched in her hand, she gasped. Despite the sconces not providing very much illumination, the moon was large and so close she could see individual craters on the moon¡¯s glowing surface. The path wound down the gentle slope of the foothills the school was nestled in, languidly carving out a spacious path through the solemn trees. From her vantage point, Aida could see a small lamp, illuminating a tiny sign pointing in two opposite directions where the large path split. Very straightforward. Aida tucked her map away into her worn rucksack (Aida had found the rucksack stuffed unceremoniously under her bed while she searched for a suitable going-out bag), double checked she still carried her name tag and wand, and began the hike down the mountain. Aida had only taken a few steps before a notification box flickered in front of her face.
Warning! You are now departing Maglica Academy and its protective enchantments. Beyond this point, you may encounter beasts stronger than what you may encounter on Academy grounds. It is recommended that you travel in parties of two or more. Encounter Danger Level: Yellow Would you like to proceed?
She nervously eyed the trees lining the empty path. If she had been playing any other RPG, she would have carried on without any concerns; but she was the weakest character in this game, and she was extremely dubious of her ability to handle any monster (let alone a group) alone. On the other hand, even though Aida was only a supporting character, surely she had some amount of plot armor? She might be needed to set up a scenario for Sue to bond with a bachelor, and no such scenario had occurred yet. Or I might be the best friend who gets maimed or killed and becomes the reason for the love interests to comfort the main character, Aida reminded herself glumly. Too bad she didn¡¯t play the game at all. Regardless, now was as good a time as any to test her combat prowess in the wild. Pulling her wand out, Aida considered briefly. Then she opened up her skill box.
You have enough RP to learn a new Skill. Please select from the following: 1. Water Blast (Lv1) - Costs 5 RP to learn. 2. Freeze (Lv1) - Costs 10 RP to learn. 3. Detox (Lv1) - Costs 5 RP to learn. Total RP: 26
Aida bit her lip. She had been saving her RP in case she came across other skills that would be more helpful, but in the face of unknown danger, it might be better to have all the available combat skills at her disposal. Small fireworks popped around the edges of her vision at her selections. Taking a deep breath, Aida tried to calm herself as she stepped past the safe boundary. She still had 11 RP left, which was plenty if she ended up learning some new techniques that could trigger new skills available for her to spend RP on. According to what happened last time, each technique learned would grant Aida 5 RP. If she gained levels on one of her abilities, she would earn 3 RP. Maybe she should practice her Mana Blast and Water Manipulation for some easy RP? Likewise, her DEX stat was pretty low, and she had gained 5 RP for each level she had gained on her attributes. She should probably work on her DEX, since according to the texts she had read the principles behind efficient casting were an aggregation of a healthy mind, body, and work ethic, which could be seen in the more complex skills used at higher levels¡ª Aida stopped in her tracks as she heard a low growl float through the trees. Of course. Scanning her surroundings furtively, she regripped her wand, for the first time taking comfort in the hum beneath her fingers; even though she may be weak, at least she wouldn¡¯t be completely defenseless. Aida tightened her fingers just as a pair of orange eyes flickered into existence in the shadows. I¡¯ll be damned if I let myself go down without exhausting everything I have. A lynx the size of a tiger crept out of the trees, its eyes fixed hungrily on Aida. Skittering out from underneath the bushes, a pack of capybara-sized rats surrounded Aida, their noses twitching in anticipation of an easy meal. Gritting her teeth, Aida considered her options. It would likely be easier to escape¡ªthere weren¡¯t nearly enough rats hemming her in to make escape impossible. But the primary predator, the giant cat, looked like it could cover any ground she put between her and these beasts in three bounds max with its massive paws and long, muscular legs. On the bright side, the rats didn¡¯t look like they¡¯d take any initiative in attacking her; they were merely following the apex predator for scraps. Aida whipped her wand around before she could talk herself out of her plan. Freeze. Stolen story; please report. Immediately, a block of ice encased the lynx, effectively freezing it in place¡ªbut also leaving Aida staggered. Oh crap! Aida could almost hear Ezra¡¯s calm voice in her head, chastising her for her impatience. You didn¡¯t allocate your mana properly. Next time you shouldn¡¯t use a skill for the first time in battle. Aida¡¯s status box blinked into existence, confirming the feeling of emptiness in her soul¡ªlike her body lacked buoyancy, so that even just keeping her wand raised defensively felt like she was pushing against rubber. Fortunately, the rats had no interest in attacking her; they devolved into shrill squeaks and chaos as they converged and separated, then converged again. If their intelligence scaled with their size, Aida would bet they were collectively trying to figure out what their next move was. Taking advantage of the pandemonium, Aida dragged her legs away from the distressed huddle of rodents and slowly managed to reach a respectable walking pace.
Warning: You are at 0% mana. When you have depleted your mana, you can still perform physical activities, but will be severely limited in your abilities. In order to recover mana at an expedited rate, it is recommended to use the skill Mana Cycling.
¡°Yep, first order of business when I finally reach where I¡¯m going,¡± Aida muttered, dismissing the warning box. She heaved herself forward, finally coming within sight of the little signpost and lamp. As soon as Aida entered the lamp¡¯s field of illumination, another notification box popped up:
You have entered a Safety Zone, where monsters will not attack humans. Typically, Safety Zones are areas where practitioners have established wards to deter monsters from approaching and consist of area rest points, human settlements and establishments, or campsites using temporary ward camp kits.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Aida made her way to the signpost, seeing neat lettering on the signs pointing to the two places Ezra mentioned: Buddington Town to the left, and Shale Port to the right. Dropping her rucksack at the base of the signpost, Aida flopped down and leaned against it, taking deep breaths. She was already starting to feel less winded, and her status box affirmed the feeling: already 5% mana had been recovered. Gazing back along the path she came, Aida took in the view from where she was. She could see the road she hiked down clearly, so that meant she¡¯d be able to notice if someone came down from the Academy. The sky was also still dark; that meant dawn was still at least half an hour away, so she might as well try to recover as much mana as she could before Ezra showed up. Arranging her legs and arms into a more proper position, Aida closed her eyes and began Mana Cycling. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°You¡¯re here early.¡± Aida started, snapping her mouth shut. She looked up at Ezra, who was watching her with a stoic expression. ¡°Um¡­.¡± The sky had a tinge of purple in it. ¡°So are you. The sun hasn¡¯t risen yet.¡± she scrambled to her feet, dusting her bottoms off and feeling distinctly frumpy in her jeans and ill-fitting, colorless sweater. Ezra was dressed in dark athletic pants and a black-and-white color-blocked bomber jacket over a crisp white shirt, with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He looked casually fashionable, like one of the streetwear models Annie would see around her city. Searching for an excuse to look away from Ezra¡¯s model-esque physique, Aida checked her mana. 20% recovered. Not bad compared to her first day when she used up all her mana on Heal. Heartened by her progress, she looked expectantly at Ezra. ¡°So, we¡¯re here! What now?¡± Ezra quirked an eyebrow, the only indication that he noticed her change in demeanor. Unruffled as always, he rolled with it. ¡°We¡¯re going to go to Shale Port. It so happens that I need to take care of some things there, and it¡¯s also a good place for your training since there¡¯s a lot of water there. We can take my golem.¡± Aida glanced behind Ezra, looking for any indication of his golem. Understanding her confusion, Ezra unzipped his duffle bag and pulled out an oblong hunk of silver metal, looking somewhat like an elongated egg with a yellow gem the size of her palm embedded in it. Instead of catching the light like normal gemstones, the jewel in the egg appeared to glow with its own light. Ezra cupped the gem, and light flashed through his fingers before the metal egg started melting, shifting into a two-piece contraption consisting of a large metal ball on the ground, capped by a small standing platform hovering an inch above the ball. ¡°It might be a little crowded on the platform. I don¡¯t have enough metal to make the platform larger, not if we want to get to Shale Port in a reasonable amount of time.¡± Ezra turned to Aida and held out his hand. Aida gaped at him. She had no idea how Ezra¡¯s ¡°golem¡± was supposed to operate, but she was even more startled by Ezra holding his hand out to her. The sky had lightened noticeably, but the sun still hadn¡¯t peeked its rays through the trees yet; the overall effect was that the dawn¡¯s rays washed out the lamplight, making the small patch of ground Aida and Ezra were standing in very dim. Despite the murkiness, Ezra was glowing. His silver hair and clear, pale skin caught whatever little light the lamp threw off and amplified it, illuminating his entire being. Aida couldn¡¯t even come up with anything to say, despite all the questions she had ¨C how were they supposed to stay balanced on the platform? How did the golem work? Would they have to fight off monsters on that thing? ¨C and she finally convinced herself to do something by extending her hand to Ezra. After all, there was no chance of any romantic feelings kindling between the two of them¡­and therefore, she could indulge the fantasy of flirting with a handsome man without worrying about any repercussions. Ezra wrapped his thumb around her fingers, gently stroking her knuckles with his thumb in passing, and guided her to the ball. He helped lift her as she clambered up the platform, and then handed her rucksack up to her. He instructed Aida to scoot towards the back of the platform, then formed the metal so that it securely anchored her ankles in place; then he climbed up the platform much more gracefully, straightening up to face Aida. She looked up at him and caught a whiff of cologne. He smelled clean and fresh, like a fresh load of laundry. ¡°I¡¯ll start moving slowly, so you can get used to this golem. Feel free to hold onto me if you need to.¡± Aida nodded numbly, not trusting herself to speak. Ezra looked at her for a moment longer, to make sure she had no further questions. Then he turned around, displaying his broad back to her. She hesitantly grasped his now-empty duffle bag, which he had slung across his back, and did her best to hold on without leaning against him. Chapter 13: Welcome to Shale Port ¡°So how long will it take to get to Shale Port?¡± Aida asked, once the novelty of riding Ezra¡¯s golem had worn off. She had spent the first five minutes of the ride fascinated, marveling at how smoothly the two of them moved along the winding path. Once Ezra was certain Aida wasn¡¯t going to lose her head and fall off, he had increased the speed, so that the forest fairly blurred around them. Aida had spent another quarter of an hour grilling him about how his golem operated, and why the ride was such a smooth experience. It turned out that Ezra¡¯s superior control of Metal allowed him to effectively keep the platform floating above the ball underneath (Aida didn¡¯t fully understand Ezra¡¯s explanation, but understood it to be something akin to having the ball and platform acting like magnets and pushing and pulling against each other, allowing Ezra to roll the ball wherever he wanted while also carrying the platform along). ¡°Probably another half an hour or so at this rate,¡± Ezra responded, turning his head to make sure his words weren¡¯t lost in the wind. ¡°What are the odds that we¡¯ll be attacked by a monster?¡± ¡°At this speed? Not possible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reassuring. I blew all my mana this morning escaping a giant cat while walking down to the crossroads.¡± Ezra twisted his head even further, eyeing Aida with surprise. ¡°That was you? That¡¯s impressive.¡± Aida tilted her head, unable to keep the self-satisfied smile from her face. ¡°You saw it? I thought it would have broken through the ice by the time you had arrived.¡± ¡°It had mostly broken free, and it was shivering because it was wet. It wasn¡¯t in the mood to take me on, though, so it fled once it got its paws free.¡± Ezra looked at Aida thoughtfully. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯ve exhausted all your mana.¡± ¡°I was Mana Cycling while I waited for you,¡± Aida said. She smiled shyly at Ezra. ¡°I recovered enough to keep moving. My mana circulation and recovery time have improved a lot thanks to you.¡± Ezra gave her a small smile ¨C was it the first smile she had ever seen from him? ¨C that made her heart thump before turning back to face the road. ¡°Now is a great time to continue recovering.¡± Not even bothering to hide her smile, Aida turned inward and began Mana Cycling again. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Shortly after, Ezra slowed the golem to a stop. He leapt down lightly, then turned around and freed Aida¡¯s feet from the platform before helping her down. As Ezra molded his golem back into its gleaming egg shape, Aida took in the new location. Ezra had stopped them about a hundred feet from the town¡¯s gates, which were flanked on either side by squat little watchtowers made of bamboo. Each watchtower held a pair of guards, who for the most part were just leaning against the rails chatting with each other instead of actually watching the town¡¯s entrance. Spanning between the watchtowers was a wooden sign reading WELCOME TO SHALE PORT. ¡°We still have a little over an hour before my appointment, so I¡¯ll show you the exercise you should perform in order to achieve Mana Cycling efficiency.¡± Aida nodded, following Ezra through the gate. The watchtower guards raised their hands, smiling amicably at Ezra; clearly they were familiar with him. Shale Port was a small and bustling town. Ezra led Aida down the main street, a crowded cobblestone road packed with stalls, with proprietors preparing for the day¡¯s sales. He stopped at a stall that displayed a red flag with a fish¡¯s tail poking out of a bun embroidered on it, and spoke with the older woman manning the stand. She smiled at him as he passed her a few coins, handing over two paper bags and two paper cups in return. ¡°Here,¡± Ezra said, handing a bag and cup to Aida. ¡°Breakfast.¡± Surprised, Aida murmured a quick thanks and examined the two items. The paper bag held a golden bun, but instead of a fish¡¯s tail poking out of it, the small opening showed what looked like shreds of tuna instead. A notification box declared it a Spiced Fish Bun. The cup held what looked like soy milk, and it sported a Legumilk label. ¡°It might not be what you need, but it¡¯s the best breakfast bun I¡¯ve ever had here,¡± Ezra said, taking a bite and chewing with relish. He closed his eyes in contentment after taking a sip from the cup. ¡°That stall makes coming to port worth it.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not what I need, it can¡¯t be worse than not eating at all,¡± Aida agreed heartily. She took a cautious bite. The bun itself was sweet, with a crispy exterior, but an incredibly soft and airy interior. The fish meat was moist and savory, and mildly spicy. The combination of flavors and textures flowed across Aida¡¯s tongue, rolling down her throat smoothly. Her eyes widened. ¡°Oh, wow.¡± Ezra smirked at her, taking another sip from his cup. ¡°Try the beverage.¡± Swirling the cup in her hand, Aida sniffed the drink. Slightly sweet, definitely fragrant. Sipping from the small opening, Aida felt her eyes widen even more. It was sweet, but it wasn¡¯t only sweet. Somehow, the milky drink managed to taste like sugared, creamy milk, but with strong overtones of an earthy flavor that calmed the spice on her tongue. ¡°That is incredible.¡± Ezra nodded, leisurely strolling along. They had left the main street now, and were on a side path winding down to a pebbled beach. ¡°Their legumilk is a family recipe. The owner said they actually started selling legumilk first, before they branched out to their breakfast buns.¡± ¡°I wish I was part of her family,¡± Aida said mournfully, her mouth full of bun. Ezra glanced at her, but didn¡¯t comment. They finished their breakfasts just in time for them to toss their trash into the last bin on the path before formally stepping onto the beach. ¡°The premise behind combining Mana Blast and Mana Cycling is as you said before: recapturing the mana you released into the environment and back into your body. However, the difficulty lies in whether you truly have control over that mana, for the whole duration of the exercise. Even the great masters who are able to Mana Blast and Circulate at the same time cannot do anything else while they¡¯re doing it.¡± Ezra unloaded his golem from his bag as he spoke. He scooped out a small ball from the egg, holding the mass of metal in front of Aida. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to start with what we¡¯re most familiar with. Go get yourself some water.¡± Fumbling in her pockets, Aida pulled out her wand, pointing at the waves languidly lapping up the rocks. Water Manipulation. A small stream trickled through the air towards her, wavering uncertainly. ¡°...You might not get as far as I was hoping to go. For today, I¡¯ll just try to get you to handle water consistently,¡± Ezra said, speaking stiffly. Aida looked at him, dismayed; however, after meeting her gaze for a few seconds he finally cracked a smile. Aida relaxed as well. Ezra had a really dry humor, but he still believed in her enough to try to teach her. Ezra talked through his demonstration with the metal ball: he warmed up by changing the ball¡¯s shape without actually using his hands, squashing the ball into a flat disk, then stretching the ball into a narrow rod; he then sped up, squashing and stretching the ball until Aida was certain the material would snap. Once he achieved what he deemed optimal focus, he sent the metal ball flying through the air, ping-ponging back and forth around them. After a few volleys, the ball thudded into the sand, and he shook his head as if to pull himself back to the present. ¡°Ideally, you¡¯d have enough control to move your mana the way I could move my metal. The metal is acting as a focus item, because at the end of the day, I¡¯m calling upon my mana to manipulate the metal.¡± Ezra smiled bitterly. ¡°I had a master who was so powerful he could condense mana into visible form as a demonstration. You could see how clean and efficient his control was. Not a speck went to waste.¡± ¡°Well, if it makes you feel any better, I believe your Lordship did an adequate job of explaining the concept to this simple commoner,¡± Aida said lightly. She pulled another stream of water to her, willing it to pour into a small sphere and stay. As the water maintained its form for a few seconds, Aida noticed that she didn¡¯t have to think so hard to keep the liquid in position. Slowly, not quite daring to believe it, she looked up at Ezra, who was contemplating her ball of water floating steadily in front of her. ¡°...is this for real? Have I been overthinking how to control my mana this whole time?¡± Ezra looked up at her, surprise flitting across his face. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not such an idiot after all!¡± with a mere thought, Aida rolled her ball through the air, having it perform cartwheels over their heads. She let out a delighted laugh, and in that moment of elation, lost her focus. Chagrined, Aida fumbled in her pockets, withdrawing the crumpled (unused) napkins from breakfast. She offered the wad to Ezra, stammering apologies. Ezra was still, water dripping from his bangs. Moving slowly, he collected his hair into his hands, twisting carefully to wring the water from his silver locks. He swept his wet bangs back, exposing his forehead and making his features seem sharper than usual. Brushing the rest of the water off his bomber jacket (which fortunately was decently water-resistant), Ezra looked at Aida impassively. Aida giggled nervously. ¡°I guess I spoke too soon?¡± ¡°You know what to do now. I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± Swiping the napkins from Aida¡¯s hand, Ezra wiped his face and neck down. He fixed gleaming silver eyes on her. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in about an hour and a half. I expect to see better control.¡± Giving a tentative salute, Aida watched Ezra make his way up from the beach, heading back to Shale Port¡¯s main road. She turned back to the water, trying to slow her heartbeat. She was thankful Ezra didn¡¯t go through the cheesy model motions of slicking their hair back before smoldering at her - she wasn¡¯t sure she could handle it, despite being an adult woman who knew better. She wasn¡¯t even immune to his wet look. Most boys (and men) she knew in real life looked flat after getting drenched, but if anything the water made Ezra seem more 3D. The water highlighted his cheekbones and nose, and the wet hair that got chunked together, contrary to ruining Ezra¡¯s proportions, apparently just emphasized the texture in his hair, looking more like deliberately styled curls than just sticking to his head. Male lead plot armor sure is powerful, Aida thought grimly. If she got herself wet, Ezra would probably just see her like the drowned rat she was. Pulling herself together, Aida pulled another ball of water from the lapping waves, and began trying to find the balance between control and letting instinct take over. Chapter 14: Oops
Congratulations! You have improved the following attributes: FOC: 6 [+5 RP] INT: 5 [+5 RP] Congratulations! You have learned the following skills: Mana Manipulation (Lv1) [+5 RP] Congratulations! You have leveled the following skills: Mana Cycling (Lv4) [+6 RP] Mana Manipulation (Lv2) [+3 RP] Water Manipulation (Lv3) [+6 RP] Total RP: 41
Aida reviewed her experience notifications, impressed. She had been worried that she would hit a cliff on her skills that she wouldn¡¯t be able to surmount within the given time limit, but she seemed to level faster when she took on progressively challenging exercises. So if she could convince Ezra to teach her more training techniques, then that meant she should be able to climb out of the bottom of the class ranking by the time the school year was over. Taking a well-needed stretch, Aida checked her mana levels. Sufficiently low; she could leave her training guilt-free for now. She glanced up at the sun, gauging how much time had passed. An hour had definitely already elapsed. The only question was, should she stay on the beach and wait for Ezra, or go look for him? The port town was small, Aida reasoned. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to explore a little bit; it might even help her blend in as a native to this world, if she had at least a rough sense of where things were here. Feeling pleased with her progress from this morning - and ignoring the brief flush of embarrassment passing through her body from how she accidentally soaked Ezra - Aida nearly skipped her way up the path from the beach. The town really was small; so small the main road was packed, making it difficult for Aida to pass. Letting herself be swept along with the crowd, Aida took in all the bright colors, loud voices and laughter floating above the crowd, and various smells. She wrinkled her nose as she pushed past some sort of laborer, the gentleman raising his arm to beckon at someone else and unfortunately wafting evidence of the morning¡¯s hard work her way. The main street ended at the actual port, where the traffic dispersed along the massive pier that housed more boat docks than the size of Shale Port had any right to. Small fishing boats were docked closest to the main street, larger boats with substantially more equipment were docked in the middle of the pier, and at the end a couple massive double-decked ships were moored. Curious, Aida wandered along the pier, watching everybody go about their business. Fishermen had set up shop in their fishing boats, selling their morning¡¯s catch. Crew members of the nicer medium-sized boats strode about importantly, unloading their hauls and bellowing at anybody getting in their way. She dodged children stampeding along the planks, the older ones carrying missives and running errands, the younger ones playing. As she approached the behemoths at the end of the pier, the crowd steadily became more sophisticated. Well-dressed men and women stood in loose groups around the gangway, leisurely chatting and entirely oblivious to the flurry around them as porters buzzed about, hefting suitcases and carpetbags. Stepping to the side of the pier to get out of the way of traffic, Aida marveled at the construct. The general shape of the ship looked like a luxury cruise, but with no visible seams in the hull - the clean lines of the ship looked just like Ezra¡¯s golem. A few more stories were stacked on the deck, with what looked like a large brazier centered on top of the highest point of the ship. Unlike the typical ships Annie had seen in her world, these hulks were completely unpainted - the only evidence of color and artistry was at the prow. Each of these behemoth liners had some sort of sculpture molded into the front of the ship, with a dazzling array of large, lustrous gemstones embedded into the mascots. The crews seemed to take great pride in the gems: each prow seemed to be crowded by its respective crewmembers, each person reaching towards a gemstone to lovingly rub it. Intrigued (and also a bit skeptical about the fussing the gemstones deserved), Aida made her way closer. When she got close enough to see the expressions on the crewmember¡¯s faces as they bantered with each other, Aida also saw that they weren¡¯t caressing the jewels as she first thought. In fact, they were merely resting their fingertips on the gems, channeling mana into the stones while they chatted. As some of the dimmer stones received mana, they glowed incrementally brighter as the magic-users charged the massive crystals. While Aida contemplated the mana batteries, she felt air congeal around her. Gritting her teeth to break through her paralysis, she turned with a shudder to see a man with silver hair pass by her. Silence fell as everyone around Aida also stilled. Oblivious to all the eyes on him, the newcomer leisurely strolled down the pier, his long silk coat trailing breezily in the wind, seeming to have missed the memo that air had stopped moving. There was no doubt he was related to Ezra; the silver hair and bearing was already a strong indicator, but the facial features were a dead giveaway. He had Ezra¡¯s base features, but where Ezra¡¯s lines evoked a sense of elegance, this man had sharper features. Looking at him, Aida felt goosebumps rise. Shark. The man stopped behind Ezra, who must have known he was there. Ezra was bent over a clipboard, making notes while the workers in front of him subtly shifted to attention. Carefully signing at the bottom of the page with a flourish, Ezra handed the clipboard to one of the workers in front of him. His voice carried clearly through the still air. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Mumbling their thanks, the two men who had business with Ezra swiftly retreated, double-timing it up the gangplank of a shipping liner with a tiger figurehead. ¡°If I had known you were going to be here to oversee the deliveries, I wouldn¡¯t have made the trip down here.¡± The newcomer¡¯s voice was smooth like Ezra¡¯s, but instead of being pleasant to listen to, it instead made Aida feel slimy. ¡°If Mother had bothered to pass on the news that I was going to be here, then you wouldn¡¯t have had to make the trip down here,¡± Ezra responded coldly, still not bothering to face his relative. Somehow managing to avoid actually looking at him, Ezra spun on his heel and marched straight down the pier back towards the main street. The stranger kept pace easily, the chill that accompanied him doing its part to keep everyone out of their path. ¡°Ezra, you¡¯re in your final year at school; you shouldn¡¯t rely on your parents to communicate on your behalf. You really should act more like the adult you are,¡± he admonished. Aida¡¯s nose wrinkled at the condescension dripping in his voice. No wonder Ezra was so tilted. Slipping away from her spot - Aida could feel the breaths everybody released as the pair moved away - she trailed after them. Ezra¡¯s posture was stiff, looking much more like a child pretending to be an adult than the casual class she usually associated with Ezra Riolt. The family member, on the other hand, continued to lecture Ezra languidly, refusing to let Ezra escape. She caught bits and pieces of the gossip that began brewing as she passed. ¡°Poor young master¨C¡± ¡°I never liked that Jasper Riolt¨C¡± ¡°Lord Riolt doesn¡¯t care¨C¡± ¡°Young master¡¯s mother does favor his brother more¡­¡± Firming her resolve, Aida picked up her pace, catching up to the two. Ezra was finally facing his relative, jaw set firmly. Seeing their profiles in stark contrast, Aida could clearly see they were a physical match - most definitely brothers. Jasper Riolt didn¡¯t look too much older than Ezra, maybe in his mid-twenties; but he carried himself with an air of arrogance and entitlement, expecting that everything would go his way. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Ezra Riolt! I¡¯m so happy to see you here,¡± Aida gushed in the most nasally voice she could manage, pasting a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. She turned to Jasper, fingers flying to her lips as she gasped dramatically. ¡°Ohmigosh, what an absolute honor! What a blessed day, I¡¯m so pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Jasper Riolt,¡± she babbled vapidly. She reached out, grabbing at his hand while she continued driveling nonstop. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be so fortunate to meet the head of the Riolt household¨C¡± the instant she made firm contact with Jasper¡¯s cold, frigid hands, she felt like her mind was overwhelmed with crushing pressure. Everything was simultaneously too loud and too quiet, as if all the sound was absorbed away. She was lightheaded, like when she would hyperventilate following a jog after a long period of no exercise, and at the same time feeling like she couldn¡¯t breathe no matter how desperately she gasped for air. When Aida came back to awareness, she was looking into Ezra¡¯s alarmed face. She was crushed against his chest, his long fingers easily cupping her two wrists, and his other hand supporting her shoulder. ¡°...huh?¡± ¡°Is she all right?¡± Jasper¡¯s snide voice floated over Ezra¡¯s shoulder. Turning her head (more like lolling, her head was so heavy) to peek over Ezra, Aida took in Jasper¡¯s condescending stare. He even had a slight wrinkle around his haughty nose, clearly repulsed she had tried to touch him in all her drab glory. ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Ezra gritted, refusing to acknowledge Jasper. Releasing her hands, he slid his now free arm underneath her legs and easily boosted her up. Still ignoring Jasper, Ezra made his way to the edge of the crowd that was watching the spectacle, and which obligingly closed around him, finally offering Ezra reprieve from his damned arrogant relative. Aida dropped her head against Ezra¡¯s chest, grumbling. ¡°What was that?¡± Aida tried again. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting that to happen,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Was that all his mana, or was it something else?¡± Ezra finally stopped on the side of the road, thanking a young couple as they vacated a bench for him to deposit her on. He crouched in front of her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. ¡°Hold on¡­are you telling me that was all an act?¡± ¡°Ow,¡± Aida complained, shrugging his hands off and pressing the heels of her palms into her temples. ¡°Of course that was all an act. You think I¡¯d want to actually become friends with such a pretentious ass?¡± Ezra was at a loss for words. He was looking at her as if he¡¯d never seen her before, an expression of pure wonder. He looked so young, like a child. She wanted to hug him and protect him from the ugly truths of the world. She furrowed her brow, pushing that protective feeling away. ¡°...Hello? Are you okay?¡± Immediately, Ezra¡¯s typical aloofness smoothed over his face. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­but seriously, what were you thinking?¡± ¡°Helping you get away from your brother,¡± Aida retorted. ¡°He clearly wasn¡¯t going to let you go any time soon, and I already fit the stereotype of the kind of scum he hates to associate with.¡± She gestured to her shabby attire and damp sneakers. ¡°Although¡­sorry for bringing his opinion of you even lower. I¡¯m sure I just reinforced his perception of your incompetence even more,¡± she said apologetically. Ezra stared at her, shocked, before letting out a peal of laughter. Genuine laughter. His eyes were squeezed into slender crescents, and his lips curved up with his cheeks, putting his perfect teeth on display. He wiped his eyes before roughly mussing her hair. ¡°You are unbelievable.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s hard enough trying to look presentable next to you without you messing with me,¡± Aida complained, smoothing her hair back. ¡°Anyway, what happened with your brother? I felt like¡­¡± she trailed off, gesturing to communicate the contradicting sensations. Ezra pressed his lips together. ¡°That was the first time you touched someone so powerful who refused to contain his mana, so you got utterly overwhelmed. It¡¯s common courtesy to contain your mana so that you don¡¯t adversely affect others. Jasper likes to inflate his mana, to pretend like he¡¯s more impressive than he really is,¡± he said in disgust. He sank onto the bench next to her. ¡°If you meet a Master-level practitioner, you likely wouldn¡¯t be able to feel their mana. They¡¯re so efficient they prevent any sort of mana leakage. It¡¯s very easy to underestimate a true Master if you don¡¯t know who they are.¡± Aida nodded thoughtfully, comparing the lower levels of energy she felt in Shale Port to the significantly less populated Maglica Academy, despite the inverse population sizes. She hadn¡¯t really noticed before, since she attributed the feeling of emptiness to just being in an unfamiliar locale. But sure enough, as she started paying more attention to the people thronging the street, she could detect small waves of energy as certain people passed. A group of young men wearing crew uniforms from one of the ships she was admiring earlier passed by, and brought with them a noticeable wave of energy. Aida tried to verbalize her thoughts. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you can detect who has the ability to channel mana, and judge their ability accordingly¡­up to a certain point, when they can hide their mana and pretend like they¡¯re just a normal civilian who can¡¯t manipulate mana.¡± Ezra followed Aida¡¯s gaze. ¡°Correct. Those apprentices in the Traveling Peace crew are relatively inexperienced, so you can detect the ripples of their mana more easily. Now¡­¡± Ezra drew Aida¡¯s attention to a pair of older, more rugged crew members trailing after a woman dressed in a crisp white captain¡¯s uniform. Other than looking more sophisticated than the apprentices, the trio seemed completely unremarkable. ¡°...look at the Fortuitous Haul¡¯s captain and her officers.¡± Aida concentrated, before shaking her head as they ambled out of view. ¡°Are they Masters? I couldn¡¯t sense anything.¡± Ezra offered a small smile. ¡°No, they¡¯re not Masters. I could detect a very small aura around them. You may just need more practice fine tuning your mana control.¡± Aida clapped her hands together, remembering the whole reason she went looking for Ezra in the first place. ¡°Speaking of mana control, I have something to show you!¡± Grabbing his sleeve, she pulled him through the crowd back down to the pebble beach. Pulling her wand out, Aida quickly scooped a perfectly-formed ball of water out of the ocean, sending it swirling through the air like a bubble traveling through a spiral straw. She then threw the ball at Ezra, causing the water to SPLAT right in front of where his face would have been, had he not ducked. Aida laughed as she gathered the droplets back together, letting it hover in place. ¡°That¡¯s incredible,¡± Ezra said, surprised. ¡°Your control has improved so much.¡± He inspected the ball. ¡°I managed to unlock another mini breakthrough while you were gone,¡± Aida said happily, making the ball expand in a slow-motion rendition of the splat she psyched Ezra out with. Following up on her earlier realization that she shouldn¡¯t try so hard to keep all the pieces in her head when she had no idea what she was doing in the first place ¨C trying to keep track of all the microactions she was supposed to be doing ¡°correctly¡± instead of just focusing on achieving the goal regardless of how it happened was simultaneously a progress blocker and a great source of frustration ¨C Aida made another crucial (albeit obvious, in retrospect) realization: her mana was part of her. She had been treating it as if it was something that she had to make an effort to use, like using every other body part except for hands to intercept a soccer ball coming her way; not as if it was directly part of her, like her eyes; she didn¡¯t have to actively direct herself to look at something, she just looked. Sighing, Aida released the ball of water and rubbed her eyes. ¡°Mana manipulation has gotten a lot easier, but I¡¯m definitely still limited to using water to focus. I tried manifesting mana outside of my body, but I end up losing it.¡± She looked up when she was only greeted with silence. ¡°What?¡± Ezra was looking at her strangely. ¡°...Do you realize that almost none of the graduates of Maglica Academy are able to do the Mana Blast Cycling exercise?¡± ¡°But you said that was an intermediate-level exercise!¡± Aida spluttered. ¡°I consider it intermediate,¡± Ezra corrected. ¡°Most people don¡¯t bother with it, because it¡¯s too advanced for the masses to find beneficial.¡± Aida gaped at him, willing him to take his words back. When he didn¡¯t, she groaned, sinking into a crouch. She just spent precious time working on a skill that most mana-users didn¡¯t bother with. She wasted time and effort working on an advanced skill when she would be better off working on remedial skills to bring her up to middle of the pack. Trying to find a silver lining to her misprioritization, she looked up at Ezra. ¡°If you were me, and you only had one year to bring your skills up to something employable, how would you build off of this mistake?¡± ¡°Mistake?¡± Ezra repeated. ¡°Becoming better at mana manipulation isn¡¯t a mistake.¡± Aida waved her hand impatiently. ¡°Yes, of course it¡¯s not a mistake in the grand scheme of things, but when your time is limited, wasting time on a moonshot goal is a mistake because you¡¯d be better off using that time making sure your foundation is solid. So, what would you do?¡± ¡°Fortunately, I wouldn¡¯t have made the mistake of asking to learn a technique without understanding the ramifications of what I¡¯m asking,¡± Ezra said coldly. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Aida said, taken aback by his suddenly hostile demeanor. ¡°I have some other things to take care of. You can take the community transport back. The golem leaves every hour.¡± Ezra tossed a gold coin at Aida before striding away, rapidly removing the silver egg from his duffle. Looking down at the gleaming coin in her hands, Aida wondered how she was going to repair the rapport she thought she had built with Ezra. Chapter 15: Welcome to Buddington Town It was late afternoon by the time Aida finally reached the school gates. The ride was bumpy and uncomfortable, the golem a giant wooden wagon on wooden discs for wheels. The golem operator didn¡¯t have his own magical ability, and instead depended on a large, cloudy crystal with a crack running through it to operate the vehicle. Fortunately, he gave Aida a discount on the fare, if she was willing to charge the crystal with some of her mana. She was so nauseous from the ride she declined the operator¡¯s offer to drop her at the school gates, instead opting to take her chances on the thirty-minute hike from the fork she had met Ezra at earlier in the morning. Breathing a sigh of relief as she let herself into her room, Aida had only just unloaded her rucksack from her shoulders before a quiet knock sounded. Looking at her bed longingly, Aida regretfully opened her door to Sue¡¯s sweet smile. ¡°Hi Aida! I just heard your door close, so figured you were back. Want to go get dinner?¡± Aida was about to make an excuse not to, except her stomach loudly betrayed her. ¡°...Sure, I¡¯d be happy to.¡± Closing her door behind her, Aida followed after Sue¡¯s skippy steps and attempted to focus on Sue¡¯s chatter. Sue was very excited to go to Buddington Town tomorrow with Aida; she wanted to pick up some school supplies she forgot to bring with her, and also wanted to check out the spa clinic Caleb¡¯s family owned ¨C apparently, Caleb had invited her this past cycle, because his family was having trouble attracting clientele; his parents were hoping that he could bring some classmates over, and help give their spa the illusion of popularity. She was also excited about the upcoming cycle¡¯s activities: the instructors were going to have the students spar against each other in order to determine their preliminary class ranking for the year. The news ruined Aida¡¯s appetite. Sue¡¯s next words, spoken in a hushed voice, made Aida perk up. ¡°There¡¯s a rumor going around that they¡¯re going to change the judging criteria a bit¡­¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Well, it is only a rumor, but Lily said she overheard a heated discussion in the teacher¡¯s lounge today about expanding the criteria, from only combat results to including execution, even if the execution fails!¡± Sue said excitedly. She reached out and pushed Aida¡¯s shoulder hard. ¡°That means even if my Fire loses to your Water, as long as I can pull something crazy off they¡¯ll be more lenient with my score!¡± Aida couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I appreciate your confidence in me, but we both know there¡¯s no way I could beat you even with all the odds stacked in my favor.¡± She grew thoughtful. ¡°Does Lily know why they were even considering this change?¡± Sue shrugged, shoveling rice in her mouth. ¡°Beats me, but it totally makes sense. I got rank two last year purely because I ate up Levi. My Fire gave me a huge advantage over his Wood.¡± She made a face. ¡°The fact that I couldn¡¯t dominate Ezra, though, that¡¯s a testament to his skill for sure.¡± Aida nodded slowly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t they do it like that from the beginning?¡± Sue shrugged again, picking at Aida¡¯s untouched green bean side dish. ¡°It makes it harder to monitor the fights. If they¡¯re really going through with this change, they¡¯re going to have to cut down the number of matches they have at one time.¡± Sue wrinkled her nose. ¡°Or they¡¯d have to assign teachers to judge different matches, and Professor Havi is so biased against Fire types. Honestly, thinking about the logistics of this change almost makes it not worth it,¡± she sighed. Sinking back into her thoughts, Aida didn¡¯t even notice as Levi slid into the booth across from her. ¡°Hey ladies,¡± he purred. ¡°Talking about the preliminary rankings next cycle?¡± ¡°Yeah! We were thinking about how they would be able to judge it and not take forever to do it,¡± Sue responded. She pushed Levi with her shoulder, where he was leaning on her. ¡°Stay in your own seat, you oaf!¡± ¡°Excuse me,¡± Aida said suddenly, sliding her tray out. Levi and Sue ignored her as they bickered, Levi poking her forehead as she pushed at his chest. In the light of their good spirits, she couldn¡¯t help but think of the warm look that instantly vanished from Ezra¡¯s face that morning. After depositing her tray at the return counter, Aida caught sight of Ezra as he was leaving the cafeteria. He saw her, but immediately turned his head away as she opened her mouth. Biting her lip, she let him go. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Sue knocked on Aida¡¯s door bright and early. Fortunately, Aida had woken up an hour ago; she had a restless sleep the night before, still unsettled by how her friendship with Ezra had taken such a drastic turn. Sue was dressed like she was headed out for brunch, wearing a pastel pink cardigan over her brightly flowered sundress and topped with a wide-brimmed sun hat, complete with a comically large canvas tote bag. Aida, on the other hand, was dressed in another colorless sweater and baggy linen pants, carrying her trusty rucksack. Resolving to make the most of her last restday, Aida reminded herself to focus on learning something, anything, on her trip to Buddington Town with Sue. I need a win after the disaster at Shale Port. Sue led the way to the front gates, where she proceeded to withdraw a brazier that spanned the length of her arm. Cheerfully waving off Aida¡¯s tentative offers for help, she began assembling her tote bag into a ¨C This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Is this a hot air balloon?¡± Aida asked, fascinated. Sue laughed heartily, her voice tinkling like the sweetest bells as she activated the gem embedded in the brazier. A white-hot flame came to life, floating above the jewel. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you come up with these. Buh-llooooon.¡± Sue laughed hysterically as the foreign sounds left her mouth, her genuine joy making Aida join in her laughter. The canvas bag above the brazier tautened, slowly filling with hot air. ¡°It¡¯s not the nicest model available,¡± Sue said, shaping the flame so that it could fill the sac faster while avoiding setting it on fire. ¡°My parents got this fire float for me as an early graduation gift. I told them I don¡¯t mind traveling on the ground, but Mom says being in the air is always safer.¡± When the fire float lifted off the ground, Sue quickly attached the five waxed cords dangling from the brazier to a sturdy board, beckoning Aida to join her on the platform. Stepping cautiously on the gently drifting deck, Aida emulated Sue and sat down, slipping her legs through a harness that was attached by a length of rope to the center of the platform. Sue leaned over to make sure Aida¡¯s knot was sufficiently tight, then with a beam, waved at the gem, causing the float to lift off at an alarming rate. Aida couldn¡¯t help but squeak as her stomach fell with the earth, clinging to the rope closest to her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sue called over the rush of air, slowing the float down. ¡°Yeah, just afraid of heights,¡± Aida responded shrilly. Sue laughed again, reaching over to grab Aida¡¯s hand reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you fall!¡± Aida gripped Sue¡¯s warm and steady hand tightly, closing her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t look down, Aida. Look ahead!¡± Cracking one eye open, Aida looked at Sue, who was pointing forward. The rising sun was at their backs, dancing between Sue¡¯s pale strands of hair. Looking in the direction Sue was pointing, Aida forgot how high up she was. The sun (which had already peeked over the mountains the academy was nestled in) perfectly illuminated everything, lovingly displaying the texture and lush greenery of the mountain forest. They were floating over the fork that Ezra told Aida to meet him at yesterday, and beyond the fork was a wide river running alongside the path to Shale Port. Sue was aiming the float along the other path, which crossed the river, and further branched off to what looked like cultivated farmland in the distance. As Sue steered the float further to the left, Aida could easily see where their destination was. The path Sue was following ended in a long white wall, with tall buildings rising within the encirclement. Unlike Shale Port, which boasted a mostly wooden decor, Aida could see Buddington Town utilized a lot more limestone and other stones in its architecture. ¡°This is so much faster than walking!¡± Sue exclaimed, bringing the float lower. ¡°So much more peaceful too,¡± Aida agreed, watching as a flock of birds burst out of the forest below, followed by a larger winged predator snapping uselessly after them. Sue guided the float to a large parapet that a city guard waved them towards, carefully slowing the descent as the guard called instructions to her. A few other guards approached, grabbing on to the fire float¡¯s ropes as they steadied the craft. At the head guard¡¯s command, Sue slowly deflated the balloon, allowing the city guards to capture the cloth neatly. ¡°Would you like to take your fire float with you, ma¡¯am, or leave it here?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to leave it here, please,¡± Sue replied melodically. Nodding, the guard quickly tagged the brazier with a wooden card, handing another card to Sue with a warning that if they did not leave by sunset, they would charge her an overnight fee. Thanking him sweetly, Sue led the way down the stairs. Relieved to be back on the ground, Aida tightened the straps of her rucksack as she bounced down the stone steps. Shale Port was an easy town, with one main road to follow. Buddington Town, on the other hand, was certifiably a city; and not a city with straight, obvious roads either. It had all the evidence of a town that quickly outgrew any civic planning, with cramped alleyways that could only fit one person at a time, and roads that theoretically should have been wide and comfortable turning into meandering paths because of all the street stalls set up in front of the main shops. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Sue stepped to the side of the path, pulling Aida along with her to avoid a cart of textiles. ¡°Caleb gave me a map of where his shop is¡­¡± Rummaging through a petite satchel Aida hadn¡¯t noticed before, Sue finally pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. While Sue studied the map, Aida took in the surroundings. Just like her home city, Buddington Town (should it really be called a town still?) had signs on every level of the buildings. They might be in the commercial district, because there didn¡¯t seem to be anything resembling homes or a private space. ¡°Okay, I know where to go!¡± Sue said triumphantly. She linked her arm through Aida¡¯s, steering her through the crowds. A number of twists and turns later, Sue and Aida pulled up in front of a large torii gate sculpted out of stone. Emblazoned across the top of the gate was a sign in calligraphy script proudly declaring ¡°Tulver¡¯s Bathhouse.¡± Inside the gate was a large, spacious courtyard, looking just like a zen garden, complete with the pristine lack of customers. ¡°So, Caleb said his parents wanted to get more customers?¡± Aida finally managed to get out. She clung to Sue¡¯s arm, unwilling to be the first to step inside the gate and ruin everything. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re not doing well. This place looks great!¡± Without hesitation, Sue marched through the gate, her sandaled heels making an audible crunch on the perfectly raked sand. A woman with violet eyes peered around the sliding door at the end of the courtyard, bustling outside the moment she realized guests had entered the gate. She was dressed in a dark purple yukata, and had her hair done up in an elegant bun. ¡°Welcome! How may I help you?¡± ¡°Hi, my name is Suelina and this is Aida. We¡¯re Caleb¡¯s classmates, and he invited us to visit your establishment,¡± Sue said brightly. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad! He mentioned that you might come,¡± the woman said enthusiastically. ¡°My name is Connie, and Caleb is my son. Please, come in! We¡¯re running a grand opening special right now, where we¡¯re offering a buy one get one free hot spring soak and massage after!¡± ¡°Incredible! We¡¯re looking forward to it,¡± Sue gushed back. Connie led them to the front counter, where she and Sue hammered out the pricing details. Aida pulled out her coin purse, intent to pay her portion, but Sue generously forced her purse away, insisting that Aida buy her a dessert after the massage. After sorting out the payment, Connie ushered the two girls to the rear of the establishment, where she handed each of them a small key on a leather cord they could wear around their wrists, and instructed them to change into the robes and footwear provided in the lockers affiliated with their keys. Bemused, Aida followed Sue¡¯s lead; she seemed to be very familiar with the spa procedure. Daintily stepping out of her sundress, Sue neatly tucked her clothes, undergarments, shoes, bag, and hat into her locker before locking it, tying her long wavy hair up with a cloth also provided with the spa robe. Trying not to fall over while she hid her private parts from Sue, Aida unceremoniously stuffed her rucksack and clothes into the locker, thankful that she got her spa robe on before Sue looked over at her. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for our girl talk!¡± Chapter 16: Girl Talk Aida forced a smile back at Sue, trying to swallow her panic. ¡°For real, I have no idea what¡¯s been happening with you this past cycle.¡± Sue giggled mischievously, moving over to help Aida tie her hair up. ¡°Nothing¡¯s been happening with me. But what about you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Aida¡¯s hands spasmed, fingers missing the loop she was aiming for. ¡°What about me?¡± Sue leaned closer, her breath tickling Aida¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Levi is into you?¡± Aida froze, her face flaming with Sue¡¯s intima¨CABJECT INCORRECTNESS. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Sue sat back, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. ¡°Come on, girl, he comes over whenever we¡¯re hanging out all the time.¡± Aida stared back, utterly nonplussed. Was Sue being serious, or was she really that obtuse? ¡°Girl, he comes over to hang out with you all the time.¡± Sue looked back slyly. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fine, we don¡¯t have to talk about it yet. We have two hours in this spa,¡± she jabbed a finger at Aida¡¯s nose, ¡°and then another hour of a full body massage after, so I can be patient.¡± Skipping out of the dressing room, Sue began chatting with Connie, who had been anxiously floating around the dressing room entrance. Drifting after Sue, Aida wracked her brains trying to figure out where Sue was coming from. Was this some variant of Main Character Syndrome? Sue was very obviously the Main Character in this world, but she seemed to be willfully oblivious that she was the center of attention. She never even brought up the confession letter during her first day here, nor the bouquet of flowers she received from Ezra that evening. Levi¡¯s extremely obvious flirtations also completely went over her head; surely she knew? Maybe she was humblebragging? But no, she was genuinely kind and friendly to everybody. Aida had been watching her closely, while also maintaining whatever distance she could from Sue, and Sue had never once given any indication that she was playing 4D chess. The hypothesis that made the most sense right now was that Suelina Heslia was Perfect. ¡°Come, girls, come this way,¡± Connie sang, guiding them through a curtain into a steamy room. ¡°We have four pools: three held at varying hot temperatures, and one ice bath. Don¡¯t worry about prying eyes; even though we¡¯re in the city, we have carefully cultivated a bamboo forest to maintain our patrons¡¯ privacy.¡± ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a very relaxing time,¡± Sue said warmly. Beaming at the two girls, Connie gave one last bow and backed out of the hot spring room. ¡°This place is so cute,¡± Sue said happily, looking around at the setup. Aida nodded in agreement. There was a tall bamboo wall at one end, presumably separating the men¡¯s hot spring section from the women¡¯s. The hot spring at the bamboo wall was set three steps up, and was clearly the hottest, with the most steam billowing from it. One side of the hot spring was cut lower, creating an artificial waterfall for the hot water from the hottest pool to flow into the second pool, which was releasing slightly less steam. Like its parent spring, the second pool had one side cut lower, allowing the water from the second pool to flow into the third hot spring, which was a lukewarm pool. Opposite the trio of hot springs was the cold spring, which had a small fountain trickling cool, calm water into it. ¡°Let¡¯s get rinsed!¡± Grabbing Aida¡¯s wrist, Sue dragged Aida to a line of hooks along the wall, pulling her spa robe off and hanging it up, forcing Aida to do the same. At least this isn¡¯t really my body, Aida thought, agonized. Sue marched around with pure confidence, not a care in the world. She had grabbed two ladling buckets, and was beckoning Aida over to the cold spring. The instant Aida came within reach, Sue dumped icy water over her shoulders. Aida opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Shivering, Aida glared at Sue, who easily poured two ladles of ice cold water over herself, shivering in delight. Completely ignoring Aida¡¯s discomfort, Sue grabbed Aida and hauled her to the third hot spring, the least-hot one. Smoothly dipping her legs in, Sue slid down, releasing a sigh of satisfaction. Teeth chattering, Aida clambered in, almost screaming at how hot the contrasting water was. ¡°This is luxurious, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sue asked dreamily. ¡°Better than the cold water,¡± Aida gritted. She took a deep breath. She could feel her heart rate rising as her body started to go into shock. The edges of her vision started to blacken. ¡°...I don¡¯t feel so good.¡± ¡°Aida, focus on Mana Cycling,¡± Aida heard Sue say. Her voice seemed to come from far away. ¡°Come on, you can do it. You¡¯re in water right now, it¡¯s your element!¡± Acknowledging Sue¡¯s point, Aida begrudgingly closed her eyes (not that it mattered, as her vision had collapsed into a pinprick already) as she rested her head on the side of the hot spring, focusing internally. She felt herself drift away from her body; her awareness seemed to extend far beyond her body, which was just a lethargic lump. There was so much life in the water, pulses and waves of water roiling over each other, trying to rise to the top. Intrigued, Aida rode the waves, tumbling over herself, getting pushed down while at the same time being buoyed up, until she broke the surface and splashed back down. Feeling both elated and calmed by the soothing rhythm of the waves, she extended her senses further, hunting for the brightest source of energy. There were three obvious sources: one small, but familiar source that Aida recognized as her own body. A second source that was extremely bright, next to Aida¡¯s own vessel. Aida did a cursory examination, recognizing the red barrier as Sue¡¯s energy, so please kindly do not explore further than you already have, thank you very much; acquiescing, Aida moved on to the third energy source, the steady stream feeding her comfortable extended awareness. Aida opened her eyes, suddenly full of vigor. ¡°Wow. That was incredible.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Sue smiled at Aida lazily. ¡°I could tell your mana awareness got upgraded. Who knew what you needed was just a hot spring session?¡± Sue stretched, her arms breaking out of the water. ¡°Shall we move to the next hot spring?¡± Less apprehensive than when she first approached the third spring, Aida followed Sue to the second hot spring, not even bothering to cover herself anymore. Sliding into the warmer water, Aida felt the now-welcome sensation of the stronger energy pressing against her chest, seeking to infuse her with its restorative power. The feeling she initially considered suffocating, she now embraced; taking a deep breath, deeper than she¡¯d ever taken before, she let the energy soak into her body. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Hey Sue,¡± Aida murmured. ¡°Are you also getting mana benefits from being in a hot spring?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± Sue sloshed through the water to Aida, linking her arm through Aida¡¯s floating arm. Aida was so relaxed she didn¡¯t even flinch at the affectionate gesture. ¡°I probably don¡¯t get as much benefit as you, since you can extract more mana out of this medium than me, but I still get plenty of mana from the heat. Here, check this out.¡± With what felt like a warm ray of sun shining over her, Aida felt Sue push a pulse of mana through their skin contact. ¡°Is this what your mana feels like?¡± Aida asked, surprised. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­heat?¡± ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Sue agreed. ¡°The first practitioner my parents took me to as a child warned my parents that I wouldn¡¯t do well in cold and wet places.¡± She stroked Aida¡¯s fingers thoughtfully. ¡°This is the first time you¡¯ve been able to feel my mana. Remember how in first year, we had to do the mana exploration exercises, and you felt nothing?¡± she laughed. Thankful that she was already in hot water, Aida tried playing it off nonchalantly. ¡°Yeah, it was hard to feel anything. You¡¯re right that being in the hot spring really helps me feel the flow of mana.¡± Hesitant, Aida figured her next question wouldn¡¯t raise any awkward questions: ¡°What does my mana feel like?¡± Tentatively, Aida pushed a small stream of mana towards Sue, who eagerly accepted the exchange. Sue stilled. ¡°Aida¡­¡± Surprised by Sue¡¯s suddenly serious tone, Aida looked at her. She didn¡¯t have her usual bright smile on her face, but instead was looking at Aida as if she had never seen her before. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aida laughed nervously. ¡°Your mana flow¡¯s improved so much! You feel like a completely different person!¡± Sue exclaimed, delighted. ¡°I can¡¯t believe one hot spring session made such a difference.¡± Aida relaxed. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t have a lot of help in finding my sticking point¡­¡± Sue cocked her head. ¡°Really? What happened? We spent the last two years trying to get you in touch with your mana.¡± Uh oh. Resigned, Aida slid down into the water to give herself time to sell her story. Give her something else to latch on to. ¡°...Ezra helped me out.¡± ¡°Ezra?¡± Sue repeated incredulously. ¡°Really? What did he do? He doesn¡¯t even talk to anybody.¡± ¡°He was pretty helpful,¡± Aida said, slightly defensively. ¡°He walked me through from the beginning how to feel my mana.¡± Still skeptical, but clearly trying to be supportive, Sue probed for some more details. ¡°Okay, so when did this happen?¡± She gasped, seeming to be struck by an epiphany. ¡°Wait, did your parents arrange for you ¨C and ¨C¡± her fingers flew to her mouth, as she stared at Aida with wide, purple eyes. ¡° ¨C are you and Ezra ¨C after graduation ¨C¡± ¡°No!¡± Aida said, feeling her stomach drop. She couldn¡¯t seem to stop digging herself new holes; and how would she explain what happened at Shale Port yesterday? ¡°My¡­my parents said they¡¯d have some suitors lined up when I graduated,¡± she finished in a mumble. ¡°Oh, Aida¡­¡± Sue said sympathetically. She wrapped her arms around Aida. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m sure your parents will find some good men,¡± she said hopefully. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get married,¡± Aida blurted. She rubbed her eyes. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t want to get married like that. I want to get married on my own terms, I don¡¯t want to be married because I¡¯m a burden and I can¡¯t provide anything else of value.¡± Pulling back from Aida, Sue grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at her. ¡°Aida, I know we haven¡¯t really talked about this very much¡­but, and I¡¯m only asking this because I think you really have a chance: when we graduate, would you be interested in making an adventuring group with me?¡± Aida met Sue¡¯s gaze, looking between her eyes to gauge her sincerity. Sue really believed Aida had a chance? Was this just the main character confidence talking? The protagonist¡¯s belief that everything would work out the way they hoped? Did Sue¡¯s plot armor extend to Aida too? She would be lying if she didn¡¯t fervently wish that close association with the main character would yield some fringe benefits, but she also knew depending on someone else would lead to the biggest vulnerability. ¡°I mean, it won¡¯t be easy. We won¡¯t be able to bid on the lucrative contracts right out the gate,¡± Sue said quickly, Aida¡¯s silence making her nervous. ¡°But we can start small, just start with local requests¡­we can slowly build up our reputation over time. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s so much good we can do while we build up our humble origins. So, what do you say?¡± Sue asked, clearly on tenterhooks. Aida shook her head slowly, Caleb¡¯s words drifting through her mind. Are you ever worried she can¡¯t keep up with you? ¡°Sue¡­I¡¯m honored that you want me to be in your party,¡± she said carefully, trying to organize her thoughts. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you realize the full ramifications of having someone like me in your company. I know it seems easy and straightforward right now, because you haven¡¯t experienced it yet¡­but one reputational flaw would outweigh all of your merits when it comes to trying to find work.¡± Sue gazed at Aida silently. Finally she exhaled. ¡°You sound just like my parents. And I mean, that might be true back then, but come on, they don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like now. People aren¡¯t as judgmental anymore! Besides, you¡¯ll be a graduate of Maglica Academy,¡± Sue argued. ¡°That¡¯s nothing to sneeze at! The fact that you can practice any magic at all gives you a lot of advantages!¡± Listening to Sue¡¯s passionate speech, Aida couldn¡¯t help but smile sadly. She remembered those same arguments passing her lips: everything would work out eventually, for one reason or another. Times were different than when her parents were younger; they were in an entirely different culture, even. Adults were jaded, slowed behemoths who didn¡¯t have the energy to forge their own future, so they just assumed the worst all the time. Being young was the best time to take risks. If not now, when? Gripping Sue¡¯s hands in the water, Aida looked at her seriously. ¡°Sue, everything you¡¯re saying is right. Being a Maglica graduate is a privilege that grants advantages over someone who isn¡¯t affiliated with Maglica. But what I¡¯m saying, and what your parents are saying, is that this individual benefit isn¡¯t going to give you everything you want. Because I¡¯m not as talented with mana as you, I will only hold you back when you start pursuing your dream.¡± Aida blinked back the tears that mirrored Sue¡¯s. ¡°You have so much potential, and I would hate to know that I¡¯m the one who dragged you down and stopped you from getting everything I know you want and can get.¡± ¡°Why are you talking like this,¡± Sue cried. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just be happy that I would never abandon you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to know that you¡¯re such a loyal friend,¡± Aida said, shaking Sue¡¯s hands gently to pull her attention back. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be dependent on anyone¡¯s charity, especially yours. I want to stand next to you as an equal, where people can¡¯t dismiss me by calling nepotism.¡± her voice softened. ¡°I promise, Sue, I¡¯ll work really hard to establish myself and my own reputation while you take on all the tricky quests and get all the fame. Then, when we¡¯re both seasoned practitioners, we can partner together, and no one will be able to use me to bring you down.¡± Sue nodded slowly, her eyes watery. ¡°You¡¯re such a selfless friend,¡± Sue sniffled. She straightened her back, setting her mouth in a firm line. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll achieve so much power, nobody will question my choices.¡± Aida couldn¡¯t help but laugh, reaching out to pinch Sue¡¯s delicate cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Sue caught Aida¡¯s hands, looking deeply into Aida¡¯s eyes. ¡°Promise me one thing?¡± Aida cocked her head. ¡°Promise me that if there¡¯s anything I can do to help you, you will ask me.¡± Aida¡¯s heart melted at Sue¡¯s sincerity. ¡°Of course.¡± They smiled at each other, before Aida finally said. ¡°But maybe we should get out now. I¡¯m pruning really hard.¡± Chapter 17: Mana Awareness Aida and Sue rinsed themselves off and donned their spa robes in silence, accompanied by an occasional sniffle. Sue gave Aida a watery smile as they both stepped through the curtains back to the lobby. Connie was there to greet them. ¡°This way, girls! How was your soak?¡± ¡°It was wonderful,¡± Aida said, since Sue was still lost in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t see why you don¡¯t have more clients.¡± Connie tsked. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying! We¡¯re the first spa in this district, so I don¡¯t know why word isn¡¯t spreading more quickly.¡± Gesturing them to a private room with a sliding door, Connie gave them instructions to remove their robes, lay face down on the two beds with their foreheads placed on the cushioned rack, and to cover their backsides with the cloths provided; she and one of her assistants would be in shortly to give them their full body massages. Finally seeming to come back to her usual cheerful self, Sue stepped into the massage room first, making soft ¡°ooh¡±-ing noises as she took in the decor. The room overall was quite dim, with only a small skylight in the center, and aromatic candles burning in the corners. Twin massage beds were placed in the room, with a curtain separating the two beds. Aida¡¯s favorite feature was the rivulet flowing through the room in front of the door, providing soothing ambiance as the water made its way through the pebbles placed throughout the small channel. The bamboo bridge that allowed them to cross over the rivulet produced a satisfying clock with their clogs as Sue and Aida made their way to the beds. Hanging her robe up on the hook on the wall, Aida could already hear the creak of the bed as Sue climbed on to it. Feeling rushed, she quickly wrapped her towel around herself and lay on the bed, becoming self-conscious again now that there was no steam providing any illusion of cover. Her timing was good ¨C almost immediately after she straightened her legs, Connie was calling through the door. Sue responded that they were ready, and the door slid open a fraction, Connie¡¯s words coming through more clearly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry girls¡­my assistant ran out to grab some items, but isn¡¯t back yet. Is it okay if one of you has a male masseuse?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sue said, a smile coming through despite being muffled by the headrest. ¡°Excellent! If it makes you feel more comfortable, my son Caleb will be the replacement. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen his Earth mana prowess at school, but it is something else when applied to massage,¡± Connie said proudly. ¡°Mother, please stop,¡± Caleb¡¯s soft voice mumbled. ¡°Oh, stop being so modest,¡± Connie chastened him. ¡°Go ahead, why don¡¯t you take Suelina, and I¡¯ll take Aida.¡± Ignoring Caleb¡¯s stammers, Connie stepped in, surefooted, bearing a tray with bottles and vials on it. She smiled at Aida, who immediately dropped her head back into the headrest as Caleb, also dressed in a dark purple yukata, stepped through the door cautiously, his face red. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to close the door,¡± Connie reminded Caleb, sweeping Aida¡¯s hair away from the back of her neck. ¡°Have you ever had a massage before, dear?¡± ¡°Not a full body massage,¡± Aida confessed. Just whatever shoulder massages her mother or father gave her at home. ¡°No worries, you are in for a treat! Do you mind if I tie your hair up?¡± Acquiescing, Aida felt her hair being tucked to the top of her head, and felt the tickle of something silky skimming the back of her neck as Connie wound it around her ponytail. She could hear murmurs on the other side of the curtain as Caleb and Sue conversed, but she couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. Connie pulled the towel down, folding it over her buttocks. ¡°I¡¯ll start from the top of your spine, and then slowly move down and outwards, treating whatever knots and blockages you may have,¡± Connie informed her, gently touching various points along her back to trace out the path she would take. ¡°Just let me know if I¡¯m pressing too hard, or if you want some more focus on a certain area.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°If this is your first time at a massage, I would also recommend you do some mana circulation during this session,¡± Connie advised, beginning to oil her hands up. ¡°Caleb has said he believes that helped him expand his reservoir and awareness.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Aida asked, intrigued. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, are you an earth mana practitioner too?¡± ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mind! And yes, John ¨C Caleb¡¯s father ¨C and I are both mana practitioners. Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t have enough power back then to be admitted to Maglica, but I assure you we have refined our technique to guarantee you will feel refreshed,¡± Connie promised, beginning to spread oil along the back of her neck. ¡°I believe you,¡± Aida assured her. ¡°Out of curiosity, how do you use your mana to facilitate your massage?¡± Connie made a thoughtful noise as she began working her fingers right below Aida¡¯s neck. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact terminology you learn at school, but I¡¯ll do my best to explain what I do.¡± She started kneading Aida¡¯s shoulder blades. ¡°When I started my apprenticeship, I was only taught the physical aspects of acupressure ¨C you know, where the major acupressure points are, how to release and encourage blood flow ¨C but eventually, since massaging is as meditative for me as it is for my clients, I found myself connecting with my clients¡¯ energy circulation. Not exactly mana circulation,¡± she added hastily. ¡°But more of the barebones energy circulation that every living creature has that sustains their life force. Don¡¯t forget to circulate your mana, dear.¡± Shutting her eyes, Aida attempted to relax as Connie¡¯s fingers pushed firmly into the knots in her back. ¡°Your circulation helps me identify blockages more easily as well, so don¡¯t be shy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to circulate, but I keep getting distracted by the pain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much? I¡¯ll let up, so you can get into the zone.¡± With that, Connie¡¯s touch lightened to a soothing rub. Aida followed her flow, expanding her awareness through her body. After hearing Connie¡¯s description, Aida noticed some areas of her body seemed to constrict her mana flow. Curious, she focused on one such area (her shoulder), and immediately felt Connie¡¯s own energy ¨C innocuous, almost imperceptible ¨C pushing its way through the knot in that muscle, stirring up the concentrated, albeit stagnant, mana there, and burst through the blockage to unimaginable relief. Gratified, Aida decided instead to follow where Connie¡¯s fingers decided to go ¨C to the opposite shoulder of her dominant hand. Unlike the first release, Connie didn¡¯t use too much energy to remove any blockages; likely because there wasn¡¯t as much of a blockage here. Instead, Connie just massaged the muscles, relaxing her body (which certainly still helped to improve her circulation), before moving down to Aida¡¯s lower back, where she started feeding energy again. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Fascinated, Aida observed Connie¡¯s workflow. The woman certainly seemed to be in tune with Aida¡¯s own mana. She prioritized the worst blockages, but she also kept a balance; once she cleared one blockage, she would focus on the opposing side of the body, slowly working her way out. Seeming to follow Aida¡¯s thoughts, Connie explained her process, her voice distant. ¡°You might wonder why I don¡¯t focus on treating the muscle groups following the blockage clearing, and why I move to another part of the body: that¡¯s because I want to give your energy the time to settle. There¡¯s nothing wrong with doing the whole group at the same time, of course, but I would run the risk of wasting my energy trying to supplement your flow, so I prefer to let your body and energy sort itself out where it can and just assist with major blockages.¡± Content with Connie¡¯s explanation, Aida relaxed into the massage. She didn¡¯t even really feel pain in her body anymore, just relief as Connie cleared blockages. As the session went on, the bursts of release became less and less satisfying, as Connie focused more and more on the incremental blocks. Finally, Connie gave Aida a head massage, before announcing her task complete. Lethargic, Aida slowly pushed herself up on the table as the door slid shut behind Connie and Caleb. She could feel Sue on the other side of the curtain stirring as well. Her eyes snapping wide open, she focused on her expanded senses. It was true ¨C she couldn¡¯t see Sue or a thermal outline of her or anything, but she could sense what Sue was doing. She was stretching ¨C and yawning. Bewildered by these details, Aida moved on, and could sense Caleb still standing outside the door, motionless ¨C although with an elevated heart rate. ¡°Aida? Are you all right?¡± Sue asked, concerned tingeing her voice. ¡°Never better,¡± Aida said slowly. ¡°...Sue, is this¡­are you able to sense people¡¯s mana and energy? Like, even when you can¡¯t see them?¡± ¡°Ooo, did the massage unlock a new ability for you?¡± Sue asked happily. She began pulling the robe on. ¡°Yes, I usually can sense other living creatures. I¡¯m so glad this was such a beneficial trip!¡± Coming around the curtain and totally ignoring Aida¡¯s nakedness still, Sue fetched her robe for her. ¡°I find my awareness typically dulls with time ¨C you never feel as refreshed as immediately after a massage, you know? But I can still sense things normally. I¡¯ve also heard that water practitioners usually are more sensitive and aware than the rest of us other elements.¡± Though intrigued by the new information, Aida kept her attention on Caleb through the door. He seemed conflicted, but he didn¡¯t seem to hear the discussion between Sue and Aida, so it probably wasn¡¯t related to that. ¡°Hey Sue,¡± Aida murmured. ¡°Did something happen with Caleb?¡± ¡°Hmm? No, not really. Why, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°No worries, we¡¯ll talk about it when I buy you your dessert.¡± Aida smiled at Sue. Oblivious main character. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ It turned out Aida didn¡¯t have to buy Sue dessert at all. Caleb brought Aida and Sue to a small bench in the zen garden, where Connie had prepared small bowls of nutritious jelly and hot tea for them. Caleb was doing his best to act normal, and Aida had to admit he was doing a great job of it. If it weren¡¯t for her heightened awareness, she wouldn¡¯t have thought he was acting any differently than at school. As it was though, his pulse would spike whenever he looked at Sue or heard her voice. Sue, on the other hand, was totally unaware of the effect she had on Caleb. Perhaps she was so used to everyone physiologically responding to her that way that she didn¡¯t realize it was abnormal. Aida worked hard to keep her mirth hidden; fortunately, everyone seemed to think her placid smile resulted from an excellent spa day. After Connie and Caleb left, Sue leaned against Aida as she scooped her jelly. ¡°Thanks for coming with me,¡± she said happily. ¡°It¡¯s so much more fun going to a spa with a friend.¡± ¡°Thank you for inviting me along,¡± Aida returned, taking a bite of her jelly. It was a dark brown color, and smelled earthy. It certainly tasted earthy too, and carried an undertone of bitterness, counteracted by the drizzle of honey on top. The tea itself was smooth, and easily washed away the bitterness from the pudding. Overall, Aida enjoyed the new flavor combinations. ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡± Sue leaned in closer, speaking in stage whisper. ¡°Are you into Caleb?¡± Aida rolled her eyes. ¡°No, I¡¯m one-hundred percent certain he¡¯s into you ¨C precisely because of my heightened awareness.¡± Sue scoffed. ¡°Okay, Master. Tell me more. What evidence do you have?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so glad you asked,¡± Aida declared. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the everyday observations. Have you noticed that he can¡¯t stop staring at you whenever you¡¯re around?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just keeping tabs on his rival. It¡¯s not surprising that someone of his ability pays attention to those who could be a threat to him,¡± Sue said loftily, sipping her tea. She flicked her wrist. ¡°Next.¡± ¡°Really? Does he keep tabs on Levi and Ezra the same way?¡± Aida asked, interested. ¡°Um¡­¡± Sue pulled up short. ¡°I don¡¯t know, actually.¡± ¡°Do you keep tabs on Levi and Ezra ¨C and Caleb ¨C the same way?¡± Aida persisted. ¡°...kind of,¡± Sue said, scrunching her face up cutely. She rallied almost immediately. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s no need to. I don¡¯t consider them a threat.¡± At Aida¡¯s pointed look, she relented. ¡°Okay, no, you¡¯re right, we¡¯re all kind of neck-and-neck. But I have better things to do, okay? Keeping track of the political climate isn¡¯t the most fun thing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Caleb is interested in politics, either,¡± Aida pointed out. Caleb was at the other end of the zen garden, smoothing out and crushing the pebbles into white sand on that end before raking it with a short wooden rake. Presumably he was working to improve the texture, but from her perspective he was blowing off some steam. Unfortunately, he was too far away for her new and improved senses to confirm his intentions. ¡°Levi and Ezra seem like the type to keep track of the political situation.¡± Sue sighed. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. But still, Caleb hasn¡¯t acted any differently since we first met in first year. You were there!¡± Aida shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m pretty certain this isn¡¯t a new development.¡± She glanced slyly at Sue. ¡°Trust me, his body is responding to you, even if you think his mind isn¡¯t.¡± Sue frowned at Caleb in the distance, before shrugging. ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it, so no point in thinking about it.¡± Aida laughed. Contrary to what she expected of being a supporting character to the main character, it wasn¡¯t as bad or annoying as she thought. Sue certainly had the Main Character characteristics, but she was a genuinely likable person with a decently level head. ¡°We should probably get going,¡± Sue said, looking up at the sun. ¡°I still want to get my shopping done, and then we need to get my fire float before sundown.¡± Collecting their bowls and cups into the tray, Aida followed Sue back to the locker room, stopping by the reception area to hand the tray back to Connie. Aida dallied at the counter, letting Sue enter the locker room first. Connie smiled at Aida inquisitively. ¡°I just wanted to thank you for explaining how you use your mana to improve your work,¡± Aida said sincerely. ¡°You helped me deepen my understanding of mana, and I can tell my mana flow and awareness has improved so much already.¡± Connie¡¯s eyes became watery. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so sweet,¡± she said. ¡°You are the reason why I do what I do. I love being able to help people feel their best. I know you have a great future ahead of you, but if you are ever interested in learning more about acupressure and massage therapy, we would be happy to have you take on an apprenticeship here after you leave school.¡± Connie laughed lightly, embarrassed. ¡°Hopefully we will have more customers by then.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯d do that for me?¡± Aida asked, touched. ¡°I would be honored.¡± Clasping Aida¡¯s hand, Connie brought her into a gentle hug. ¡°Just come back when you graduate, and we can talk more.¡± Chapter 18: Combat Basics The rest of the trip wasn¡¯t very eventful. Aida bought Sue lunch at a stall selling what looked to be soft shell tacos, but the ingredients inside consisted of some sort of root vegetable, sour fruit, and a roasted bird. The tacos were savory, but the combination of flavors and texture left Aida mystified by Sue''s declaration that grain cakes were her favorite food. Following their meal, Aida followed Sue around the same district the Tulvers¡¯ Bathhouse was located, where she browsed some stationary shops. She left with a few bottles of colored ink wrapped in cotton cloth and a couple packages of paper. ¡°I need to plan my strategy for the placement matches tomorrow if they¡¯re really going to change the judging criteria,¡± she told Aida. Yikes. Aida comforted herself with the thought that at least she had some new skills she could use, so that she wouldn¡¯t embarrass herself too much. When they finally returned to the guard tower where they had left Sue¡¯s fire float, they were both so exhausted they didn¡¯t exchange many words on the ride back. Bidding Sue farewell outside their doors (Sue confessed that she was going to take dinner in her room to avoid distractions from her spar preparations), Aida flopped onto her bed. She opened her status box.
Congratulations! You have improved the following attributes: FOC: 7 [+5 RP] VIT: 5 [+5 RP]
Congratulations! You have leveled the following skills: Mana Cycling (Lv5) [+3 RP] Water Manipulation (Lv3) [+3 RP]
You have enough RP to learn a new Skill. Please select from the following: 1. Detox (Lv1) - Costs 5 RP to learn. Total RP: 57
Aida sighed. She had a decent chunk of RP saved up, but she didn¡¯t have any new skills available to learn. On the other hand, she did need some more practice with her current skillset, and she needed to see what her limits were before she entered combat. Deciding to get an early dinner so she could snag a training dummy for the rest of the evening, Aida headed down to the dining hall. Ordering a vegetable stew with fish to supplement her mana pools (the day¡¯s activities and meal had given her a nice boost), Aida was about to dig in at her favorite booth when Levi slid into the seat across from her with his own tray. ¡°Sue not joining you for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°No, she wanted to focus on preparing for the matches tomorrow,¡± Aida said, looking up from her stew. Levi was wearing a teal flannel that made his piercing bronze eyes pop. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not doing the same thing.¡± Levi raised an eyebrow. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m not preparing?¡± Aida grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t think eating dinner with me will give you any advantages.¡± Levi laughed, the timbre of his voice bouncing around the hall unrestrained. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡± He leaned forward. ¡°Are you preparing?¡± Levi¡¯s cologne wafted through the stew¡¯s aroma, the spicy woody scent gently tickling her nose. Her dinner looked even more appetizing. ¡°I was going to get some practice in after dinner.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Levi said heartily, leaning back. ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡± Eyeing him suspiciously, Aida said nothing as she spooned soup into her mouth. As she was about to pry at his motivations, Aida felt a surge of anger aimed at her ¨C or more accurately, someone who had just entered the dining hall with a measured heart rate and steady, controlled mana suddenly spasmed into incoherent, disjointed spikes. Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted Pritchard with his lackeys, staring at her and Levi and seething. Aida giggled, but then caught herself and glanced at Levi. ¡°Um¡­am I going to regret laughing?¡± He smirked. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t.¡± Ignoring Pritchard visually, Aida focused on the mood of the rest of Pritchard¡¯s group. They were also nervous ¨C and scared. A few of his compatriots drew him towards the ordering counter, attempting to soothe him. Curious, Aida glanced back at them, and opened their character profiles. The one actively leading Pritchard to the counter was Shon, a boy with almond-shaped eyes and hair the color of walnuts, flanked by Abedi, a tall, muscular fellow with dark skin and golden hair. Myk, the skinny, awkward kid who had burned the confession letter meant for Sue, was glaring disdainfully at Aida and Levi on behalf of Pritchard. The last member of Pritchard¡¯s entourage was Devinne, a boy with ice-colored hair and a faintly embarrassed look on his face.
Character Profile: Shon Yanomo Elemental Affinity: Wood Class Rank: 15/30
Character Profile: Abedi Bellow If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.Elemental Affinity: Metal Class Rank: 11/30
Character Profile: Pritchard Spoak Elemental Affinity: Earth Class Rank: 9/30
Character Profile: Myk Chy Elemental Affinity: Fire Class Rank: 6/30
Character Profile: Devinne Flau Elemental Affinity: Water Class Rank: 5/30
Turning back to her meal while still perusing their profiles, Aida thought she could at least hold her own respectably against them. Their attributes were pretty average, and with all the progress she had made this past star cycle she was no longer the utterly incompetent wimp the system had initially classified her as. ¡°You¡¯ll want to be wary of Dev,¡± Levi informed Aida, scooping the last of the rice into his mouth. ¡°His parents were not impressed with his final ranking last year, so they bought him tutors for intensive study during the holiday.¡± ¡°Really? Am I honestly in competition with him?¡± Aida asked sarcastically. ¡°Top five versus dead last?¡± Levi grinned, sending her heart fluttering. ¡°Fair. I just mean you should focus on protecting yourself, because his mana might totally overwhelm you this time.¡± He glanced back at the group, who were now receiving their trays. ¡°Are you done? We should go get some practice in.¡± Nodding, Aida followed Levi out of the booth. They skirted the perimeter of the dining tables, avoiding Pritchard¡¯s group but not the mean mugging from Pritchard and Myk. Levi led Aida to the combat field. There were six flat dirt rings in the middle of the circular yard, marked with chalk. Spaced out along the combat field¡¯s walls were wooden training dummies, standing sentry for the entire field. Only a few of the dummies were taken. The students out here were serious, focused on their own dummies, except for a few girls who smiled and waved at Levi, who raised an arm and smiled back in return. They swooned, obviously. ¡°All right, let¡¯s start with some warmups?¡± Levi asked, swiping his wand in three quick slashes, sending arcs of colorless energy speeding towards the dummy they commandeered. The mana dissipated against the dummy, but painted on red streaks that marked where Levi¡¯s mana had struck. Pointing her own wand at the dummy, Aida focused on bringing just a smidge of mana out, unwilling to expend more than she had to. The puff of mana that came out of her wand colored the dummy a light green over Levi¡¯s confident red. ¡°What are you trying to do, tickle your opponent?¡± Levi laughed. ¡°This is a warmup, is it not?¡± Aida retorted. She aimed her wand again, allowing a larger portion of mana to emerge. This blob showed as a solid neon yellow on the dummy, looking like a splatter of highlighter ink. Deciding to go for it, she let the largest amount of mana she could control surge through her wand, which only ended up making the dummy look like a pumpkin, with a slight tinge of red. How much power does Levi have to get it red? ¡°That¡¯s a pretty decent improvement,¡± Levi said, observing the hues. ¡°I think for tomorrow¡¯s placement matches you can do something between your second and third blasts.¡± Looking quizzically at Levi, Aida took a quick peek around at the training yard. Sure enough, everyone else who was working on their blast combo seemed to temper their blasts to be a yellow-orange color. ¡°I think I can handle that.¡± Gathering herself again, she attempted channeling the correct amount of mana, releasing it in three quick swipes like Levi - only to have all three fly off to the sides of the dummy, missing entirely. On the other hand, it seemed like the walls of the training yard were similarly enchanted to the dummy, displaying the power level of her mana blasts. The first blast that struck the wall was peach-colored, and the two following became progressively more yellow. Levi tittered, before clearing his throat and adopting a serious expression. ¡°Okay, looks like accuracy is still an issue for you.¡± He took a stance next to Aida, his wand pointing straight in front of him at the dummy, his shoulders square. Aida mirrored his stance, standing next to him. ¡°Your aim is fine when you don¡¯t have to move, so that¡¯s a good start. Unfortunately, that limits your range of attack; you¡¯ll have to be super accurate and precise in order to land your skill.¡± Aida nodded, understanding the logic. Levi continued talking, raising his wand arm and bringing it down slowly in a swiping motion, ending in the same square position with the wand pointing at the dummy. ¡°We¡¯ll go through the motions of adding the swipe, but we won¡¯t release any mana until the wand is pointed at your target.¡± Following Levi¡¯s cue, Aida raised her wand, and then brought it straight down in front of her for a couple practice strokes, before releasing her mana on the last swipe. The straightforward exercise yielded a mana blast that hit squarely on the dummy. Aida tried a few more times, with different starting stroke positions, each blast landing unerringly on the dummy¡¯s torso. Levi had her progress to the next level, where she would complete the arc of the swipe, but still only release her mana right when the point of her wand reached over her target. ¡°Excellent,¡± Levi declared, after Aida had loosened up from her rigid form. ¡°Shall we move on to a friendly sparring match?¡± Aida reluctantly nodded, taking her position opposite Levi at the nearest training ring. She could see some of the students trying to covertly watch their match. Levi fell back into his ready stance, holding his wand out in front of him like a sword. Aida mirrored him, shuffling her feet as she tried to feel comfortable in position. She glanced at him, waiting for him to make the first move. She could tell he was trying to suppress a smirk, which stirred the smolders of the competitive fire she had long thought quenched. It¡¯s just sparring. Biting her lip to keep herself from throwing all of her mana at him, she fired a controlled jet at him, which he easily sidestepped. He countered with a large, exaggerated sweep of his wand, sending a broad burst of energy at her that she ducked under. Catching herself on her toes, she sent a swipe of mana back at him as she straightened back into a standing position. He easily cut through the arc with his wand, letting her energy dissipate harmlessly to either side of him. Levi began circling, his smirk broadening into a grin. Aida followed, keeping the distance between them the same. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do something for a change?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡± With that, Levi charged at Aida. Chapter 19: Placement Match Rules Aida rolled out of bed the next morning with her stomach tense. She had gotten thoroughly manhandled by Levi the evening prior, but she had used her remaining mana to Heal herself before she collapsed into bed. Even though it was just one match, and Levi was likely holding back against her, Aida still felt better having had that little bit of combat experience. Nevertheless, her nerves would not relinquish her body due to the upcoming placement matches. Sue met her out in the hallway, giving her a tight-lipped smile along with a perfunctory hug. The two girls went down to breakfast in silence. The energy in the cafeteria seemed to vibrate with excitement, though several individuals were tense. Sue and Aida both noticed the board, crowded with students, displayed along the cafeteria wall at the same time. A petite girl with short, pale yellow-green hair turned around, noticing them. ¡°The lineups are up!¡± Darting over to Sue and Aida, the girl looked at Aida with an apologetic expression. She had a shaggy bob cut, chunks of hair framing her cute round cheeks and darker green eyes. ¡°¡­your first opponent is Dev.¡± Instinctively activating the character profile, Aida took in her information.
Character Profile: Lily Moon Elemental Affinity: Wood Class Rank: 16/30
¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Sue said bracingly. ¡°You¡¯d have to face off against him eventually.¡± Stalking towards the board, Sue perused the listings, devolving into incoherent mutterings. ¡°Thanks Lily,¡± Aida said softly, giving the girl a small smile. Lily hovered uncertainly, wanting to comfort Aida but not knowing how. ¡°It¡¯s better to just get it over with.¡± Aida approached the board. It was separated into five columns, each column headed by an element. Each column was further separated into its own table, displaying the matches that would happen each day. Aida traced her eye down the Water category.
Day Ring 2 Ring 4 Ring 6
Sparks Levan Bota vs. Lara Lorr Devinne Flau v. Aida Loreh Weyn Bure v. Lyn Trippe
Mist Devinne Flau v. Lyn Trippe Weyn Bure v. Lara Lorr Levan Bota v. Aida Loreh
Shoots Aida Loreh v. Lara Lorr Levan Bota v. Lyn Trippe Weyn Bure v. Devinne Flau
Ore Levan Bota v. Devinne Flau Weyn Bure v. Aida Loreh Lara Lorr v. Lyn Trippe
Loam Aida Loreh v. Lyn Trippe Levan Bota v. Weyn Bure Devinne Flau v. Lara Lorr
Aida released a breath. At least she only had to fight one opponent a day; she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about conserving her mana, which she was certain would have made it even harder to try to climb the rankings. Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves¡­I still might not be able to climb the rankings. ¡°Wow, talk about unlucky, huh?¡± a warm, deep voice floated into Aida¡¯s ear. Jerking to the side, she looked up at Levi, who had placed his face over her shoulder and was perusing the Water matches. ¡°What do you mean? Looks like a normal day to me,¡± Aida quipped, quickly sliding out from underneath Levi. ¡°How do your matches look?¡± He shrugged, supremely unconcerned. ¡°Nothing to worry about.¡± His eyes moved over to scan the other columns. ¡°The real matches will happen next star cycle.¡± He seemed lost in thought, but then glanced down at Aida with a half smirk. ¡°Next cycle is when we¡¯ll get matched against the other elements of the same rank, so we can finalize our rankings, remember?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Aida said automatically. She glanced over at Sue, who was running her finger down down the list. ¡°How are you doing, Sue?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Sue looked up, lilac eyes shining. ¡°Great! My matchups are lined up pretty well with my strategy.¡± ¡°Do you really need a strategy?¡± Aida asked skeptically. ¡°I do! My strategy to beat Ezra relies on making sure I don¡¯t reveal my new moves too early,¡± Sue said mulishly. Sue looked at Levi, hovering behind Aida. ¡°What¡¯s your strategy to beating me, Levi?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning on it,¡± Levi said matter-of-factly. ¡°Being third in the class grants me just as many perks as being second or first.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, Caleb Tulver is going to take your spot,¡± Sue warned. ¡°Fourth place grants me just as many perks as being third.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, Sue¡¯s not going to respect you,¡± Aida said under her breath. ¡°Touche!¡± Levi winked at Aida before turning back to Sue. ¡°My strategy is secret.¡± He swept around Aida and Sue, shepherding them with his arms towards the ordering counter. ¡°And part of my strategy is to make sure we¡¯re all well-nourished for today¡¯s matches.¡± While waiting to receive her food tray, Aida noticed Pritchard and his posse enter the cafeteria. Pritchard¡¯s eyes slid smugly over Aida¡¯s trio, and focused onto the match board. His mana began bubbling around him as he stalked towards the board, his boys drifting after him. Aida focused on the last boy trailing after the group with a bored expression on his face, flicking open his profile again briefly.
Character Profile: Devinne (Dev) Flau Elemental Affinity: Water Class Rank: 5/30
Dev was tall, probably as tall as the male leads. He had a good-looking aristocratic face, with slicked-back platinum blond hair (Aida could guess where Pritchard received his hair inspiration from) and flinty blue eyes. Aida frowned, contemplating her opponent. Just looking at his physical characteristics and making assumptions about his aptitude, Dev seemed like a prime candidate to be a male lead as well. Dev glanced at her as he passed, sending a tingle of electricity through her body. Focusing to regain her balance, Aida probed his energy, trying to get a sense of who he was. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Dev, unlike Pritchard, was balanced. The energy he exuded was completely stable and unruffled. Even as Pritchard began crowing about the day¡¯s matches, shaking Dev¡¯s shoulders, he merely brushed Pritchard¡¯s hands off him with a liquid grace that indicated his potential combat prowess. Aida gulped, bringing her tray to the table Sue and Levi were heading towards. Maybe it was just because she didn¡¯t know Dev, but he gave off an aura that made him seem much more dangerous than the other top students; not even Ezra made her goosebumps pop. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°All right, settle down,¡± Professor Havi said wearily. ¡°As you are all aware, today marks the first day of your placement matches. However, there has been a change in the match rules this year. Unlike last year, the evaluation does not depend only on if you win your matches. Quiet, please,¡± Professor Havi admonished as excited murmurs spread among the class. His spectacles glinted sternly as the students settled back down before speaking again. ¡°As I was saying, the evaluation will consist of a point system, where if you win a match, you will earn two points for that match. If you lose a match, you earn zero points. If, however, you perform an amazing feat, or the match ends very nearly equal between you and your opponent, you may earn one point, despite losing the match. These points you earn will be used to finalize your class ranking. Are there any questions?¡± ¡°Professor, what qualifies as an amazing feat?¡± Tera Trippe, the twin sister of Aida¡¯s Day 5 opponent, asked. Interestingly enough, twins did not have to share the same element. Lyn was Water with hair the color of thunderclouds, while Tera was Earth with caramel-colored hair. They also did not seem to share the same level of ability, as Tera was ranked in the upper half of the class, while Lyn was ranked closer to the bottom of the class. ¡°There are no strict guidelines as to what qualifies as ¡®amazing,¡¯ but this point system was implemented in order to afford some more balance to disadvantaged elements. In that scenario, the combatant at an elemental disadvantage may do something clever to surprise and shock their opponent, despite ultimately losing at the end. As for these first rounds of placement matches, the guidelines are more ambiguous.¡± Professor Havi paused to push his spectacles up his nose as he contemplated. ¡°We will be evaluating your level of mana control and efficiency, so you will certainly not earn a point for merely expending all your mana on one impressive technique early in the match that does not even strike or affect your opponent. We will also consider tactics, your ability to evaluate your opponent while under stress. As I said, be clever about it.¡± Seeing there were no further questions, Professor Havi continued explaining the rest of the evaluation cycle. Like the first star cycle¡¯s matches, the second star cycle would also be round robin style. Except while the first cycle¡¯s matches were among the same elemental peers, the second cycle¡¯s matches would put them up against the other elements who ranked in the same level in their own peer group, with the total points from both cycles determining final rankings within that bracket. Professor Havi drew a table on the chalkboard as he explained.
Rank Fire Earth Metal Water Wood
1 - 5 Kozu Earth 1 Metal 1 Water 1 Wood 1
6 - 10 Fire 2 Gemma Metal 2 Bruce Wood 2
11 - 15 Fire 3 Earth 3 Lloyd Water 3 Havi
16 - 20 Fire 4 Earth 4 Metal 4 Water 4 Wood 4
21 - 25 Fire 5 Earth 5 Metal 5 Water 5 Wood 5
26 - 30 Fire 6 Earth 6 Metal 6 Water 6 Wood 6
¡°Let¡¯s use this as an example: if we have completed this first star cycle¡¯s placement matches - let¡¯s say I would be ranked third among the Wood elements - during next cycle¡¯s placement matches, I would be pitted against Fire 3, Earth 3, Professor Lloyd, and Water 3 to determine my final ranking, while Professor Kozu would be pitted against Earth 1, Metal 1, Water 1, and Wood 1. Any questions?¡± Aida raised her hand. ¡°How do the cumulative points work? For example, what if you finished the cycle with the same number of points as Professor Lloyd¡­who would be the higher rank?¡± ¡°Final rankings will ultimately be at the discretion of the instructors, of course,¡± Professor Havi said. ¡°Please keep in mind this new point system is merely a tool for helping us evaluate your ability level, and not treat it as a rigid system for you to game in order to earn a higher ranking than you deserve.¡± He glared sternly around at the class, eyes lingering on a girl with long deep-blue hair. She gazed stoically back at him, her chin resting on her palm. Despite her relaxed posture and relatively stable energy, Aida could feel her tension in keeping it all together. She opened the girl¡¯s profile.
Character Profile: Lara Lorr Elemental Affinity: Water Class Rank: 8/30
Based on Professor Havi¡¯s chart, Lara probably had the chance to be in the top 5, if only it weren¡¯t for Dev. Aida looked back down at her notebook, where she had written down her match order for the week. Hello to Lara on Day 3. Glancing around the classroom, Professor Havi continued on in his gravelly voice, enunciating clearly. ¡°All right, if there are no further questions, let me remind you why you should do your best in these placement matches. Not only will your rankings grant you opportunities to learn more advanced theory and practice more advanced techniques, following the same format as previous years, but this is also your final year where prestigious adventuring companies and defense units will come recruiting.¡± A ripple spread through the class, as friends gave each other meaningful looks. ¡°The higher your preliminary rankings, the more opportunities you will have to interface with the recruiting bodies, and the more likely you are to receive a job offer upon graduation. Of course, they will attend the final placement matches at the end of the year that finalize your ranking for this graduating class, so there is potentially an opportunity for you to impress them then¡­but as you all know, networking and building positive relationships is a long-term development. Are there any further questions?¡± ¡°No, Professor Havi,¡± the class recited, vibrating. Professor Havi¡¯s speech had further stirred Aida¡¯s class¡¯s energy levels, making them all eager to get out of the classroom for one reason or another. ¡°Good. Now let us all proceed to the combat field. The Fire elements will begin their matches first¡­¡± Chapter 20: Prematch Shenanigans ¡°Are you ready to watch Sue kick some butt?¡± Aida grunted as Levi flopped casually into the seat next to her. She was glad she wasn¡¯t in the first round of matches; she wanted to see what to expect. But on the other hand, she also didn¡¯t enjoy being forced to sit and contemplate her upcoming humiliation. Sue was already down in the center of the arena, along with Professor Lloyd and her Fire cohort. Professor Lloyd was the Mana Applications instructor, and was the complete opposite of Professor Havi. Young, exuberant, and with a full head of thick bronze hair, his passion for his subject was self-evident. He spoke enthusiastically, but never wasted any words, the combination making it easier for the students to stay focused in his classes. Needless to say, he was Aida¡¯s favorite instructor so far. Professor Lloyd began sending the group off in pairs to their own rings. Sue was paired with a boy with ruby-colored eyes and hair, and they didn¡¯t seem to feel any of the tension in the air; they were both laughing and joking with each other, utterly ignoring the two other pairings that were alternately glowering at each other or avoiding each other¡¯s looks. Myk, Pritchard¡¯s right-hand man, was partnered with a girl with long, coal-black hair and eyes. Despite being so near to his opponent, Myk was more preoccupied with keeping track of Sue¡¯s every move, constantly glancing over at her ring with a scowl on his face. ¡°Sue doesn¡¯t look worried at all,¡± Aida commented. ¡°Yeah, Calvin¡¯s a fine student, but he¡¯s not exactly top five and he knows it.¡± ¡°Does Myk actually think he has a chance against Sue?¡± Levi shrugged. ¡°Who are we to crush his dreams?¡± Aida¡¯s eyes roved over the crowd of students in the spectator stands. It looked like all of the student body was here to watch the matches, presumably since all five Maglica instructors were also here to score the third years. The first and second years were wearing their regular school uniforms, making a nice aesthetic against the white seats with their pink- and blue-accented uniforms. The third years were dressed in corresponding gray and pink/blue tracksuits and fabric shoes, seated in the shorter stands on the opposite side of the spectators awaiting their turns in the arena. The four other instructors were standing on separate platforms ringing the arena. Professor Havi was glaring at the younger students, warning them from getting too rowdy. Professor Gemma, the physical training instructor, was pacing around on her platform, flipping through the papers in her hands. The mana control professor, Bruce, was meditating on his platform as he waited for the matches to start. Professor Kozu, the combat instructor with rumors swirling around him about his life before becoming part of the Maglica faculty, had his eyes fixed on the students in the arena, already assessing. Levi shifted next to Aida. ¡°Hey Ezra, how¡¯s it going?¡± Startled, Aida glanced over. Ezra had seated himself behind Levi and Aida, his fists hanging loosely in the pockets of his tracksuit. His silver eyes were on the arena. ¡°Hello,¡± Aida said cautiously. Ezra¡¯s eyes flickered, but he didn¡¯t look at her. Chewing on her bottom lip, she wondered if it was worth trying to apologize in front of Levi, who had turned back to the arena. He let out a whoop as the rest of the arena fell silent. ¡°You got this, Suelina!¡± Reluctantly turning back to the front, Aida saw Sue sticking her tongue out at Levi¡¯s fist pump before focusing back on Calvin. All of the combatants were facing their opponents, their wands at the ready. Professor Lloyd glanced around at the three occupied rings, checked with the other four professors to make sure they had no objections, then roared ¡°BEGIN!¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°Nice job, Suelina!¡± Levi said heartily as Sue joined them on the bench. She grinned, accepting his fistbump. She nodded at Ezra, who was still lurking behind Levi and Aida, before giving her a hug. Aida returned the hug, murmuring a congratulations. ¡°It looks like Caleb is up next, huh?¡± Aida nodded, unable to speak. Levi launched into an interrogation of Sue¡¯s techniques, most of which she rolled her eyes and ignored, or gave a sarcastic response in return. Aida stared numbly at the arena, as the Earth cohort began their matches. Caleb was matched against Tera, the Earth twin. Unlike Sue, Caleb wasn¡¯t aggressively bombarding his opponent at an inhuman speed; instead, he was cautiously trading blows with her, fighting a lot more defensively despite the fact he could probably ground her immediately. Tera, on the other hand, was desperately dodging and returning skills as she could. It was clear she was getting exhausted. Watching the two made Annie think of the lopsided tennis matches she had seen before, where one player had full control of the ball and and made the other player chase the ball across the court. ¡°He¡¯s kind of ruthless, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°You think so?¡± Sue followed Aida¡¯s gaze to Caleb and Tera¡¯s ring. ¡°He looks pretty merciful to me. GET HER, CALEB!¡± she hollered. Caleb flushed, falling straight into Tera¡¯s trap - the same Quake move that Pritchard used on Aida her first day, neatly capturing his foot. ¡°Nice job, Tera!¡± Levi called. Tera blushed, promptly losing whatever advantage she had just gained over Caleb. ¡°I just mean it looks like he¡¯s playing with her,¡± Aida continued doggedly. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that she doesn¡¯t stand a chance against him, and that he¡¯s holding back. It¡¯d be more merciful to end it quickly, like how you did for Calvin.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Caleb¡¯s a nice guy. I think he¡¯s trying to give Tera a chance to earn one point off of him.¡± ¡°Would that one point actually be considered ¡®impressive¡¯ enough by the instructors?¡± Aida asked skeptically. ¡°With all the openings he¡¯s offering her, it¡¯s kind of insulting.¡± ¡°Well, going fast was actually part of my strategy,¡± Sue chimed in. ¡°The sooner I end it, the less opportunity I give people to analyze me and come up with counters.¡± Aida remained skeptical, but was distracted when Ezra stood up. ¡°Good luck, Ezra!¡± Sue called after him. Ezra joined the five other Metal students being flagged down by Healer Luk, who was gathering them by the arena gate so they could be ready to populate the field as soon as the current matches ended. There was a noticeable distance around Ezra, the Metal cohort huddling away from him. Dev was sitting near the front bench, slightly away from Pritchard¡¯s group. Ezra¡¯s silver hair and Dev¡¯s pale, nearly white hair was eye-catching as a set. Aida wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed; she heard whispers start up as girls and some boys leaned towards each other, hissing and glancing at the two boys. ¡°It¡¯s almost as if they haven¡¯t seen that before,¡± Aida mumbled. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Sue asked, leaning over. Aida gestured briefly at the commotion surrounding the pair. ¡°Oh, they look especially like a matching set today, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°You know who else would look like a matching set?¡± Levi purred. ¡°Me and Aida!¡± Sue chirped, pulling Aida¡¯s arm through her own as Aida choked. ¡°Precisely what I was about to say,¡± Levi agreed, his enthusiastic grin looking more like a grimace. Professor Lloyd¡¯s voice floated through the air. ¡°Earth Round 1, complete! Metal class, please come out to the field!¡± Sue and Levi stilled next to Aida, seeming able to feel her nervousness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Aida, there¡¯s still some time before you have to go down there. Ruth and Abedi will definitely take a while duking out their spots,¡± Sue said reassuringly. Professor Lloyd kicked off the matches. ¡°I think I¡¯ll head down to the waiting area,¡± Aida said mechanically. Levi thumped her on the back as she passed him. Taking the long way down the bleachers to avoid Pritchard and his group at the front, Aida gave a tight-lipped smile to Lyn Trippe, the more timid Trippe sister, who had also decided to line up at the waiting area early. Aida activated her profile box as Lyn returned her smile with a similarly tight smile of her own. ¡°Can¡¯t handle the nerves of the talk from your friends either?¡±
Character Profile: Coralyn (Lyn) Trippe Elemental Affinity: Water Class Rank: 25/30
Lyn nodded stiffly, her face taking on a slightly green hue, clashing with her thundercloud-blue hair. ¡°I wish Tera and Natalie could just talk to each other about their matches, you know? Leave me out of it.¡± Aida could hear Pritchard¡¯s exultation as he crowed about ¡°utterly dominating¡± in his match against Vanita Helms, as well as feel his jagged mana flowing over her, seemingly directed at her. She shuddered, trying to ignore the pricks in her skin. Mistaking the reason for her tremble, Lyn hesitantly reached out, patting Aida¡¯s shoulder softly in presumed solidarity. Focusing on the ring closest to the waiting area, Aida watched as Ezra held out a hand to pull his opponent to her feet. Her face flashed from humiliation to thankfulness to awe to straight up slack face as he led her, limping, towards Healer Luk, who had left her position next to the arena gate to meet them halfway. Healer Luk set down the small stool she was carrying, and Ezra lowered the girl onto the seat, gently peeling her fingers off of his elbow before walking closer to the gate, leaning against the wall a good distance away from the actual gate, studiously avoiding the corner Aida and Lyn were standing in. Aida let out a breath. It was good that he wasn¡¯t nearby. She was already stressed enough as it was for her first placement match, and if she actually had to talk to Ezra she might as well just forfeit entirely. She decided to do some last-minute Mana Cycling - other than the satisfaction Aida got from seeing her skill level increase, she was also surprised to find it actually delivered on the relaxation benefits all the lifestyle gurus touted about meditation out in the real world. Soon enough, Pritchard¡¯s prickly mana intensified, sharp enough to pierce through Aida¡¯s carefully cultivated bubble of mana. Even Lyn, standing next to Aida, unconsciously retreated. ¡°I envy you your first matchup,¡± Pritchard¡¯s lofty voice floated over. ¡°I mean, my match was easy enough, but it would have been nice if I could have matched with someone at the bottom of the class. Save myself some effort.¡± Aida contemplated. She didn¡¯t really have a good reason to resent Pritchard, despite his grudge; it wasn¡¯t truly her life, after all. But it sure was annoying listening to an immature boy throwing whatever unoriginal insults he could in an attempt to get a reaction out of her. Before she could open her mouth and ask him to at least be more witty, Dev¡¯s husky voice responded. ¡°Can you please go back to your seat? You¡¯re disrupting my flow.¡± ¡°Sure, sure¡­you¡¯ll do great, my guy,¡± Pritchard said genially. When Aida glanced over at him, his mana swelled, ineffectually battering her along with his glower. She couldn¡¯t suppress a quirk of her lips as she slid her gaze over to Dev, casually meeting his icy stare. Dev, surprisingly, held eye contact with her, which seemed to kick Pritchard¡¯s mana into an aggressive storm. Aida didn¡¯t try to stop the broad smile spreading across her face at Pritchard¡¯s tantrum, and Dev, even more shockingly, returned a faint smirk. Aida saw Pritchard physically swell up out of the corner of her eye, preparing to say something - but was immediately elbowed out of the way by Lara. Her long hair fanned out behind her as she marched up to Aida, executing a clean pivot on her heel to face the arena next to her. ¡°I know my cousin is a bit out of your league, but please do your best to throw him off his game at least a little bit,¡± Lara said lowly, not looking at her. Her voice had a pleasant deep quality to it. Aida blinked, trying to parse through the (double?) meaning of her words. ¡°Well¡­I¡¯ll certainly do my best.¡± ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re all here,¡± Healer Luk said briskly, coming up to gate. She opened the gate, waving the Water students through. ¡°Come now, come on through.¡± Aida stepped through the gate, looking out at the combat field. The individual combat rings all looked much larger from this perspective than from up in the stands. She felt her stomach shrivel even more tightly. ¡°Remember the fundamentals.¡± Ezra had finally approached Aida. He still wasn¡¯t looking at her, and he wasn¡¯t standing too close, but he was definitely addressing her. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to be able to beat Dev based on raw power. But you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals of mana control. Show that to the rest of us.¡± Aida opened her mouth again, but Ezra had already departed, the last of his Metal cohort to exit the arena. Chapter 21: Match 1 Professor Lloyd had efficiently directed Aida and her cohort into their own rings, while Aida tried to rapidly sift through what she learned in the past week that would help her in her match. ¡°You and Riolt seem pretty friendly.¡± Aida glanced up at Dev, distracted. Despite his slouch, he still stood tall. Standing on his own, away from Pritchard¡¯s group, he actually looked like he could be a male lead. A tangible example of the reverse-cheerleader effect. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± ¡°He never acknowledges anyone.¡± Aida shrugged. ¡°I suspect there is pity involved.¡± Dev made a thoughtful noise as Professor Lloyd called out to them, asking if they were ready. Dev and Aida both nodded to him as they shifted into their stances. ¡°BEGIN!¡± Aida shot an experimental mana blast at Dev - just a smidgen of energy to see how he would react, rather than a serious shot. He dodged it easily, of course, but his footwork was inefficient. He kept his feet planted, so that he had to waste time shifting his weight to his other foot before moving. A far cry from Levi¡¯s quick steps and reaction time. Despite being a bit slow on his feet, Dev was quick with his hands. He returned a mana blast that would have struck her face, if she hadn¡¯t darted to the side. Aida fired three blasts at Dev, not too concerned with her aim - although she was pleased they were still mostly concentrated around her target - and he actually looked a bit surprised at how aggressive she was being as he was forced to slash through her first burst. Aida considered her options as Dev responded in kind, sending larger waves of mana at her. If she and Dev continued with this low-power exchange, she was sure to lose the war of attrition. She had enough mana to cast one full-body Freeze, but that strategy sounded like it fell precisely into Professor Havi¡¯s example of what not to do in order to earn a point. She was already starting to get winded just from dodging. Maybe I should focus on cardio and physical development next. ¡°SHOW HER WHO¡¯S BOSS,¡± Pritchard screamed from the stands. ¡°End her in one move!¡± Rolling his eyes, Dev gave Aida an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry, Loreh. I don¡¯t want to have Spoak yammering at me for the rest of the day.¡± Swinging his wand around like a lasso, Dev summoned a thick, serpentine stream of water from the air, the fluid hanging around him like a massive floatie, before he shot the column of water at her. Desperately grasping at her mana, Aida reached out with her hands to tug at the jet aiming at her as she dodged, succeeding in prying a bit of water away from the main body of water. Before she could think, Aida hurled the small stream of water back at Dev, who was too shocked to move. The water splashed onto his face, forcing his eyes closed. Seeing her chance, Aida pointed her wand at him, unable to keep a cry from escaping her lips as she mustered all her focus. FREEZE. The thin layer of water over Dev¡¯s face froze over, causing him to stumble back as his hands reached up to his eyes. It only took a few seconds for him to get over his panic, easily melting the ice away. He looked up at her fiercely, his eyes shards of ice. He pulled his wand back behind his head, and Aida noticed the sunlight quiver around her - as well as felt the tingle of a large portion of mana envelop her. Knowing she shouldn¡¯t, knowing she should move instead but unable to force her locked, fatigued muscles to bring her elsewhere, Aida looked up and behind her, seeing the remaining water that she wasn¡¯t able to commandeer from Dev surging up above her like a monster wave. Unable to do much more than cover her face with her arms, she was slammed into the ground by the wave¡¯s collapse. Aida felt her feet lose purchase with the ground as the water lifted her up. Forcing her eyes open in the water, Aida saw that Dev had trapped her in a sphere. Realizing she was in very real danger of drowning, she couldn¡¯t help releasing a precious gasp of air, before she clamped her hands over her mouth. Focus! Water Manipulation, make a pocket of air! She was only able to take a brief gasp of air before Dev filled in the void with more water, easily puncturing her little bubble of mana. Terrified, Aida tried swimming to the sides of the water sphere, but Dev merely moved her watery prison with her. Playing with her. Making one last attempt to fight back, Aida tried launching some water at Dev from her position in the cage, but he was ready for it; he kept a firm hold on his water, refusing to let her penetrate his control. I¡¯m out of options, Aida thought, despairing. None of the skills she had learned the past week would help her out of this jam. Her magical skills weren¡¯t strong enough to win in direct combat against Dev, and her physical skills weren¡¯t developed enough to allow her to flee and avoid Dev¡¯s attacks. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Accepting her fate, but unable to allow herself to drown with dignity, her heart pumping in overdrive, Aida couldn¡¯t stop struggling towards the elusive air inches from her fingertips, despite the edges of her vision creeping inwards. Maybe now I can wake up and see my parents again? This was all a terrible dream, after all. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida woke up to three pairs of unnatural eye colors staring at her. Sue¡¯s eyes were the largest, her purple orbs blinking at her with concern, and finally brightening to joy as Aida focused on her. ¡°Aida! How are you doing?¡± Aida grunted, as the bronze eyes slimmed to crescents. ¡°That was some clever manaplay! Very impressive, Aida!¡± ¡°Too loud,¡± Aida muttered. The final pair of indigo eyes blinked, admiration coming through the depths of purple. ¡°That was very quick thinking on your part.¡± Aida squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep breath as she felt her awareness come back to her. Sue, Levi, and Caleb¡¯s energies were swirling around her. She was fascinated to observe that the mana of each was gently tinted a different color: Sue¡¯s was red, slightly pink; Levi¡¯s was a lovely shade of green; Caleb¡¯s was a soft, golden brown. There was also a small stream of nearly colorless aura floating around her, that flicked away as soon as Aida reached out to it. Opening her eyes, Aida looked beyond Sue, Levi, and Caleb¡¯s grouped heads and saw Ezra turning away. ¡°Has she returned to us?¡± Healer Luk asked, walking over and grasping Aida¡¯s wrist to check her pulse. ¡°Good. Professor Lloyd was quick enough on the uptake to end the match and apply some of his mana circulation to yours. Make sure you eat a full lunch and light dinner, and go to bed early tonight.¡± Dismissing Aida, Healer Luk headed to the cluster of instructors standing in the center of the combat field, where Professors Lloyd and Gemma were glancing at her with concern. Sue came to Aida¡¯s side, slinging her arm over her shoulders to pull her up from Healer Luk¡¯s stool. ¡°Day one is done!¡± Sue declared, dragging Aida into the building. ¡°And that was an impressive show against Dev. You should have heard the spectators when you froze his face!¡± ¡°Do you know when the points will be revealed?¡± Aida murmured. She didn¡¯t really want to eat; she just wanted to curl up in bed. But her mana levels were out of balance, so she conceded Healer Luk¡¯s advice to eat a full meal was a good one. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll be able to post scores so quickly. Maybe by tomorrow morning? They looked pretty deep in discussion when we left.¡± Sue seated Aida at a table, and looked at her expectantly. ¡°What would you like to eat for lunch? I¡¯ll go get your meal for you.¡± Aida gave Sue a list of food elements she was low on, and Sue immediately headed to the ordering counter, followed shortly by Levi. Caleb volunteered to stay with Aida, giving a more simple menu to Levi to pick up. He kept glancing at Aida. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Aida sighed. The nervous jitter of his mana was quite distracting. Caleb flushed and cleared his throat. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just¡­I was really impressed with how you handled yourself in your match against Devinne Flau.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida responded flatly. She thought back to Caleb¡¯s words to Sue. ¡°What are you really trying to say?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Caleb scrubbed his hand over his face. ¡°I¡¯m making everything worse, aren¡¯t I?¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°I know you haven¡¯t had a chance to evaluate your match against Devinne yet, and I don¡¯t want to push anything on you¡­but, well¡­¡± glancing at her nervously, his next words came out in a rush. ¡°It¡¯s probably too late to do any meaningful training for the rest of the placement matches, but if you¡¯d like, we can train together to improve your stamina and general physical abilities?¡± Surprised, Aida stared at him, causing Caleb to redden as time went on. ¡°I appreciate the offer,¡± Aida said slowly, trying to keep suspicion from creeping into her voice. ¡°But why are you helping me?¡± Caleb mumbled something that included the words ¡°my mother,¡± only straightening up and speaking more clearly when Aida raised an eyebrow at him. Despite the awkward juxtaposition between his built physique and unconfident demeanor, Caleb¡¯s personality was still endearing. ¡°My mother encouraged me to help you where I can¡­she really liked you when you came to our bathhouse.¡± Aida blinked. ¡°Oh¡­that¡¯s so nice of her. But I don¡¯t want to hold you back from your training¡­¡± Caleb shrugged. ¡°I keep a consistent training schedule, so if you show up then it won¡¯t be a bother.¡± Aida nodded, her spirits lifting at the idea of being able to boost her physical attributes soon. Caleb gave her a small smile, offering to meet with her later that afternoon. ¡°Here you go, Aida!¡± Sue chirped, depositing a fully loaded tray on the table and pushing it towards her. ¡°Eat up!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best,¡± Aida said enthusiastically, diving into her food with gusto. Sue had gotten her mixed-grain rice, fried eggs, an assortment of steamed vegetables, pan-seared fish that really looked more like a steak, and a small bowl of miso soup with cubed tofu and seaweed. ¡°I think she¡¯ll be fine,¡± Levi said to Sue, looking at Aida impishly. ¡°A hearty appetite is a sign of good health.¡± Sue let out a tinkling laugh before digging into her own meal. Levi passed Caleb his tray, and the table was silent save for the sounds of utensils clinking and hungry mouths working. Sue finally sat back, daintily patting her lips with her napkin. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan later today? Since we have the afternoon off to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s match.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to review how my match went with Dev,¡± Aida said slowly, when no one else volunteered their plans. ¡°And then later this afternoon Caleb and I are going to start training together¡­¡± Sue¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, wonderful! That¡¯s so kind of you, Caleb.¡± Caleb reddened at that, shaking his head as if it was nothing. ¡°Do you want any of my notes on your performance?¡± ¡°That would be helpful,¡± Aida agreed. ¡°I think I know what happened, but I¡¯d appreciate an objective view as well.¡± Levi snapped his fingers. ¡°Excellent. I¡¯d like to be part of your performance review as well.¡± Sue looked earnestly at Caleb. ¡°Would you like to join the performance review committee? I¡¯m sure you have great insight on what physical activities she should focus on.¡± Caleb gave a small smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to overstep, but I do have some ideas. I think we can cover them later this afternoon though.¡± Sue nodded excitedly. ¡°Sounds good! Let¡¯s break then!¡± Chapter 22: Performance Review Aida was honestly grateful to get away from Sue and Levi after several hours of listening to Sue¡¯s neverending stream of commentary and Levi¡¯s praise of Sue¡¯s analyses. The most helpful bits of information she got from them was the aftermath of her drowning. Professor Lloyd was the fastest on the uptake, and had essentially teleported over to their ring, cutting Dev¡¯s mana channeling, and causing the sphere of water Aida was floating in to drop, leaving Aida in a heap. He immediately started channeling his own mana into Aida, while shouting for Healer Luk to come in and take over. Luk had allowed Sue to enter the combat ring and dry Aida¡¯s clothes and hair with her Fire mana, while the instructors focused on the rest of the matches. ¡°Pritchard was an absolute blister. He was so happy about the way you got knocked out,¡± Sue said angrily. ¡°Although I¡¯d rather get a defeat like that than the way he lost to Caleb.¡± Levi nodded gravely. ¡°Yes, much more respectable to go out forcing the highest ranked Element to use all of his mana instead of losing because you ran out of mana first.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Aida said slowly. ¡°¡­I kind of wish I could have just lost without having to drown, though.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m sure the instructors will give you a point for that,¡± Sue said cheerily. The conversation devolved into Sue and Levi theorizing how the instructors might grade people¡¯s performances, and predicting which students would get a point from today¡¯s matches. Aida took this opportunity to clear out her notifications and evaluate her current stats.
Character Stats STR: 3 - 0% to next level. FOC: 7 - 88% to next level. INT: 5 - 75% to next level. DEX: 2 - 57% to next level. VIT: 5 - 80% to next level.
Congratulations! You have leveled the following skills: Freeze (Lv2) [+3 RP] Mana Blast (Lv3) [+6 RP] Water Manipulation (Lv3) [+3 RP]
You have enough RP to learn a new Skill. Please select from the following: 1. Detox (Lv1) - Costs 5 RP to learn. 2. Ice Blast (Lv1) - Costs 5 RP to learn. 3. Water Cage (Lv1) - Costs 110 RP to learn. Total RP: 69
Shocked and intrigued, Aida flicked through the two new skills available to her. Ice Blast and Water Cage were exactly as they sounded: she could create a small spray of ice particles for the former, and form a watery prison for the latter. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have nearly enough mana to sustain the Water Cage for more than a few seconds, let alone be able to maneuver it the way Dev was able to. She cheered slightly at the thought that she forced Dev to use such an ability on her, and that she managed to catch such a powerful opponent off-guard at all. Glancing out the library¡¯s windows, Aida finally decided it was time to take her leave of Levi and Sue. Bidding the two farewell, Aida made her way almost to the front hallway before she realized she had left her wand on the desk. Smacking her forehead at her negligence, she headed back to the library. Lightly running her fingers along the books on the shelves, Aida wondered what types of fairy tales existed in this world. What genres, series, and authors were popular? What even constituted as fantasy in this world that allowed its inhabitants to cast magic? As Aida approached the desk the trio had been occupying (it was one of her favorite tables: nestled in a corner of bookshelves that provided comfortable privacy, yet received ample natural light due to its placement right in front of a floor-to-ceiling window), she felt a flutter of mana - no, two swirls of mana - emanating strongly from the nook, accompanied by unintelligible murmurings. Pausing where she was, she withdrew her own mana, trying to avoid detection. Aida peered through the shelf on her right, where she was able to get a somewhat obscured view of the table she had been approaching. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Suspicious, Aida retreated, rounding the corner of shelves so she could get a better view of what was happening. Stuffing her fist against her lips, she stared wide-eyed at Sue and Levi, feeling like an absolute pervert. Levi had Sue pressed against the bookshelf, one forearm placed above her head and the other hand pressing against the shelf at her waist, effectively boxing her in. Sue was gripping the sleeves of Levi¡¯s tracksuit, gazing deeply into his eyes. They were positively aesthetic; if it weren¡¯t for the ridiculousness of the pose, Aida would have been certain they were posing for her. Slowly backing away, Aida decided she didn¡¯t need her wand for physical training anyway. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Creeping among the stacks of books, Aida didn¡¯t relax her movements until she had exited the library. Only then did she exhale, releasing her tightly held mana at the same time. ¡°Aida.¡± Aida jumped. Ezra was standing next to her. He had changed out of his blue and gray tracksuit, and was wearing the regular gray and blue blazer and slacks. ¡°Ezra¡­hello.¡± They stood there for a moment, Ezra awkwardly avoiding Aida¡¯s gaze. Aida couldn¡¯t help but admire the clean lines and proportions in his uniform, looking as if it was made for him. Maybe that¡¯s why I don¡¯t ever look at regular people. Their clothes never fit quite like that. ¡°Well, it was good seeing you, Ezra,¡± Aida said, deciding she should go meet Caleb instead of ogling a minor. ¡°You did well,¡± Ezra blurted out. ¡°In the match.¡± Aida paused. ¡°Oh¡­thank you. I¡¯m not sure I was able to use your advice very effectively¡­¡± ¡°You did it exactly right.¡± Aida blinked, her head falling to the side as she tried to comprehend his words. ¡°Everyone else is intent on creating their own affinities with their own power, but it¡¯s incredibly mana-intensive to do so. You focused on the basics, which is just using raw mana - pure mana, not clothed in your Element - to use the water Devinne created against him.¡± Aida mulled his words over in her mind. What he said made sense. Water Blast consumed much more mana than throwing water around with Water Manipulation did. She had thought Water Blast¡¯s mana cost was a result of it being a combat skill, but didn¡¯t she utilize the sphere of seawater the same way Water Blast was used? Removing the consideration that she didn¡¯t create the actual liquid of the sphere at the pebble beach, the fact that she could treat the sphere like a projectile made it effectively the same mechanic. ¡°So that¡¯s why you brought me to Shale Port,¡± Aida said slowly. ¡°So that I could have a ready source of water to practice my Water Manipulation on, without having to unnecessarily spend mana on creating it¡­¡± she smiled at Ezra. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ezra looked away from her as he waved a hand, indicating that it was nothing. ¡°No, really, Ezra. Thank you. Truly. I appreciate you teaching me these things.¡± Aida took a deep breath. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry I offended you at Shale Port. You were right: that training session wasn¡¯t a mistake.¡± Aida bit her lip as she thought about her next words. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of pressure on me to improve, but I shouldn¡¯t have taken my irritation out on you. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Ezra stared at her silently as she spoke, finally exhaling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I abandoned you at Shale Port. And I never thanked you either for what you did for me at the docks.¡± Aida flushed at the memory of her vapid yammering at the two silver-haired young men. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a big deal¡ª¡° she cut herself off, staring in shock at the back of Ezra¡¯s head. Ezra was bent at the waist, bowing to her with a straight back. A cloud of fresh, lemony scent wafted gently through the air, tickling her nose. His voice, slightly muffled because they were spoken to the floor, still managed to send a tingle through Aida¡¯s body with its husky quality. ¡°You have my sincere thanks for standing up to my brother the way you did. I don¡¯t know why, but he¡¯s not been as much of a nuisance since.¡± ¡°Really? What happened after that?¡± Ezra straightened, towering over her. When had he moved so close? ¡°He¡¯s still the same. Arguably worse, but for some reason¡­he annoys me less now,¡± he murmured, one corner of his mouth creeping upwards. ¡°Riffraff.¡± Aida bit her lip, trying to stop a goofy smile from spreading across her face. ¡°I¡¯m glad. It¡¯s the least I could do after everything you¡¯ve taught me. My reverence.¡± They smiled at each other. Aida felt a warmth spread through her chest. I missed this. She extended her hand. ¡°So¡­forgive me for my thoughtless words at Shale Port?¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes lingered on hers before he finally extended his own hand, carefully taking her fingers in his long, slim ones. ¡°Only if you¡¯ll forgive me for not understanding where you were coming from.¡± ¡°Done.¡± Ezra¡¯s palm was so warm. She could feel his mana lightly emanating from his hand, the golden aura comforting and familiar, reminding her of simpler times. The time when she had just been warped into this world, and had discovered she was ridiculously weak with no knowledge of how to tap into her power. She was still ridiculously weak compared to the rest of her peers, but damn it all, she would carve her own standing in this world with everything she had before accepting the system¡¯s designation for her. Speaking of everything I have¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ezra. I have to go meet Caleb now. He promised to help with my physical training.¡± Ezra nodded. ¡°Caleb is a good person to learn from. All of his aptitude is in the body.¡± Smirking a little at Ezra¡¯s phrasing, Aida gave Ezra a small wave before running down the hallway, severely late for her lesson to become stronger. Chapter 23: Mana Surge Caleb was engaged in conversation with a few younger boys in front of the cafeteria, their agreed meeting location. The boys were a mixture of first and second years, and they seemed to be hanging on to every word he said. Aida stopped a fair distance away from the group, unwilling to disturb their conversation. Caleb saw her and extricated himself, patting the underclassmen on their backs as he passed them. ¡°Hi Caleb, I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯m late.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Shall we?¡± Caleb led Aida to the boys¡¯ wing, where the school had set up a quaint little gym. Unlike the gym Annie worked part-time nights in, this gym had a lot of equipment she didn¡¯t recognize; they looked more like farming or gardening tools. Wheelbarrows, buckets and rods, sleds, and boulders of varying sizes littered the edges of the room. ¡°I take it you don¡¯t come here often?¡± Caleb asked, seeing Aida¡¯s curious glances around the room. There were surprisingly no students in the room. ¡°Consider me as if I¡¯ve never stepped foot in here,¡± Aida replied apologetically. ¡°That¡¯s okay. Nobody seems to think they need to work their physical body just because we¡¯re all mana practitioners.¡± Caleb turned to face her, folding his arms across his broad chest. Even though Caleb was wearing a loose-fitting tracksuit, the fabric still seemed to be straining over his muscles. Caleb had always seemed so shy and soft-spoken every other time they had crossed paths, but being in the gym seemed to give Caleb a confidence she had never seen in him before. He was like a completely different person. ¡°While you were fighting Dev, it looked like you had an idea of what you wanted your body to do - dodging or moving to a more strategic position - but you couldn¡¯t get to where you wanted to go without overcorrecting and taking another step, correct?¡± ¡°I suppose,¡± Aida said slowly. ¡°Let me demonstrate.¡± Caleb reached down and grabbed a small pebble, tossing it over his shoulder. He pointed to where it landed. ¡°Let¡¯s say you were trying to go there. This is what you do.¡± He dashed towards the pebble, his long strides covering ground quickly. His last stride landed right next to the pebble, and he skidded to a stop. He gestured at the skid marks in the dirt floor. ¡°Look at this overshoot. By reading your body language, most people would expect you to stop here, where I am right now, and aim a shot at this location, which would force me to have to dodge the attack at this location.¡± Aida nodded slowly, agreeing with his breakdown. Caleb retreated back to where Aida was standing. ¡°Now, this is where it gets difficult. I¡¯m going to stop at the pebble, but notice how I won¡¯t give any indication that I will stop at the pebble.¡± Caleb stood next to Aida, rotating towards the pebble marker with his arms at his sides so that he looked like he was waiting for something to happen. After a moment, Caleb exploded forward. She blinked, and he was already in motion, striding towards the marker. She blinked again, and he was standing still at the pebble, as if he had never moved at all, and not looking the least winded. Caleb turned around, a small smile playing about his lips. ¡°Did you get that?¡± Aida worked her jaw, finding her face slack. She settled for a mute nod. ¡°I think¡­I didn¡¯t notice before, but¡­your mana disappeared.¡± Caleb cocked his head at her observation. ¡°Really? I haven¡¯t noticed that before. I suppose that makes sense. I do have to draw more mana into my muscles in order to move like that - it¡¯s about making efficient use of your body, which means your mana has to be flowing optimally within your muscles, which means your body has to be in good form¡­¡± Caleb gave a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Sorry, I know this is getting a bit jumbled. I say this to the other guys, and they get it¡­¡± ¡°I think I understand,¡± Aida assured him. ¡°You¡¯re saying the normal way someone moves doesn¡¯t depend so much on mana support, and is primarily driven by the body¡¯s natural mechanics. But with training, utilizing proper form in conjunction with mana support, you can achieve superhuman levels of speed.¡± ¡°And strength and endurance,¡± Caleb added, smiling. ¡°Thank you, I haven¡¯t heard it phrased that way before, but it sounds completely correct.¡± Who knew meatheads actually had logic behind their broscience? Aida thought to herself, amused. She deflated as she looked down at herself. Aida¡¯s body was slim, but had no muscle tone. Maybe she could achieve a stronger and more efficient physique by the end of the year, but from watching the patrons at the gym she knew it would take much longer than a single academic year to achieve something impressive. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°People think physical training is easy compared to mana and focused skills, but they don¡¯t realize how much mana and focus is required in order to optimize physical performance,¡± Caleb said, looking at her with serious indigo eyes. ¡°Physical training must be done with intention. You have to pay attention to how your body feels and what it¡¯s doing. You can¡¯t just train mindlessly.¡± Aida flushed, thinking about how in her previous life she would go on mindless runs. No wonder running never really got easier. ¡°You might become efficient at the one thing you¡¯re training, but you won¡¯t be able to apply the skill elsewhere, to another technique or activity,¡± Caleb continued. ¡°I know I have the reputation of only being gifted in the physical realm, and everyone else assumes I have some natural reservoir of mana power. But that¡¯s not the case.¡± He leaned towards her, towering over her. Aida had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact with him. Caleb was massive, both taller and broader than Levi and Ezra, looking more like one of the well-respected gym regulars she was familiar with than the high school boys with aspirations to become gym regulars themselves. Is he really supposed to be seventeen? ¡°My mana and my physical strength are directly related to each other. If my physical condition isn¡¯t good one day, I won¡¯t be able to channel my mana efficiently. If my mana levels aren¡¯t maintained, even if my body is in good condition I won¡¯t be able to maximize my output. The two disciplines are intertwined.¡± Aida nodded, trying to identify the scent wafting from Caleb. Earthy, musky, but not BO. A small, suppressed part of Aida wondered if Caleb¡¯s scent would change if she wrapped her arms around his torso right now. Fortunately, he stepped back before she could contemplate acting on her fleeting urge more seriously. ¡°Let¡¯s start with some basic movements, to see if you are in tune with the larger muscles of your body,¡± Caleb said, gesturing Aida to mirror him. ¡°Right, mind-muscle connection,¡± Aida said automatically. Caleb tilted his head thoughtfully, before nodding in approval. ¡°That¡¯s a catchy phrase.¡± Stretching her arms above her head, Aida planted her feet, emulating Caleb¡¯s stance. He had her squat a few times, observing her first visually, and offering advice to modify her posture and form. Then he had her get down in a pushup position, where fortunately he didn¡¯t ask her to actually do any pushups. Finally, he had her grab onto a bar and hang, and instructed her through various muscle activation exercises. ¡°Come down from there.¡± Relieved, Aida dropped down. Caleb looked at her thoughtfully. ¡°You¡¯re not connecting with your body very much, are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know what I should be feeling,¡± Aida confessed. ¡°I just focus on doing what you tell me to do.¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°Are you okay with me channeling some of my mana through you? To guide you on your mana flow and muscle connection?¡± Aida shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t get worse than what¡¯s happening right now,¡± she sighed. Caleb gave a lopsided smile, finally generating a few sparkles floating around his face. He moved her in front of him, with her arms extended straight out in front of her. He placed his palms below her flattened hands, barely touching. Her hands looked so small and fragile on top of his. ¡°I¡¯m going to start channeling my mana through you; you¡¯ll feel your muscles contract, but just go along with it,¡± Caleb warned. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything else.¡± Aida nodded, staring straight forward, focusing on her hands. She felt Caleb¡¯s foreign mana enter through her palms: the same golden-brown color as before, but unlike when she was met by him outside the arena, the aura was bolder, more confident than when he was among Sue and Levi¡¯s auras. Clearly, the gym and working out was Caleb¡¯s happy place. Aida¡¯s legs contracted, dropping her torso. She shrieked, surprised by the sudden displacement, and Caleb¡¯s large hands engulfed hers immediately. Her little blue aura was immediately washed away by Caleb¡¯s, and almost just as immediately swept into Caleb¡¯s own body. Immersed in Caleb¡¯s mana, the only thing she could take in was how intense his mana was. It was like being caught in a waterspout, where she couldn¡¯t extricate herself even if she wanted to. Helpless, she allowed herself to be carried along by his mana. When she finally relaxed her control, she noticed a fundamental difference between her own mana circulation and Caleb¡¯s. She had finally improved her control to the point that she could visualize her mana as flowing languidly through her body in neat little tubes, but Caleb¡¯s mana, though still orderly, seemed to seep into his torso and limbs. Curious, she observed the offshoots in his arm, seeing how the tendrils of mana directly fed his shoulders, bicep, and forearm; there seemed to be a lot of activity, the tendrils pulsing softly as they pushed mana through¡ª Aida pulled back into her own body, aghast. Caleb¡¯s arm, the one she had been so ardently observing a moment before, was flexed because he was holding onto something¡­onto her shoulder. Somehow, she was laying on him, her cheek resting on his chest. Pushing herself up hastily, she backed away, feeling her face burn. Caleb slowly sat up, keeping his head lowered as he avoided her eyes. ¡°Sorry,¡± Aida squeaked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± ¡°That was my fault,¡± Caleb mumbled. The shy, quiet Caleb Aida knew from regular classroom and school interactions was back. He was no longer the confident master of his domain. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize your mana could be so easily penetrated, so I went overboard, and then when I tried to pull back, I accidentally pulled you in with me¡­¡± ¡°Um,¡± Aida floundered, trying to get her thoughts in order. ¡°Well, I think I understand mana-mind connection now, and how to use your muscle to enhance body performance¡­¡± she trailed off, before pulling herself together enough to form a more coherent sentence. ¡°I think I need to go think a bit of a lot.¡± Leaving Caleb behind her with a hand partly raised in farewell, Aida tried to scrub the memory of the gently sloping fabric underneath her fingers from her mind: warm and firm, but pliable. Chapter 24: Semi Victory Aida woke up groggy the next morning. She hadn¡¯t been able to stop thinking about what had happened with Caleb the evening before - more specifically, how it felt to be wrapped in muscular arms, and how rounded Caleb¡¯s chest was. Even when Sue dropped by with Aida¡¯s wand, she hadn¡¯t been able to focus on discerning any developments with Sue¡¯s romance plotline with Levi. Sue was still her usual chirpy self, and had brought Aida a whole list of last-minute tips (which she had been completely unable to absorb) for how to handle her match with Levan Bota the next day. She wondered if Sue¡¯s tips would have made more sense coming from Ezra. Dragging herself into her athletic uniform - the instructors had admonished them to wear their tracksuits for the remainder of the week - Aida trudged out of her room, met immediately by a bright-eyed Sue. Getting dragged along as an unwilling hostage of Sue¡¯s chatter, Aida didn¡¯t realize anything was amiss until Sue shook her arm excitedly. ¡°Aida, they gave you your point!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sure enough, they were standing at the cafeteria¡¯s notice board. In thick red ink, the number 1 was printed next to Aida¡¯s name in the Water column. Dev¡¯s name had a 2 next to it. ¡°You did great, Aida!¡± Lily Moon, the small green-eyed girl who had given Aida news of her opponent yesterday - it felt like it was so much longer than that - exulted. ¡°One point against Dev - that¡¯s a huge improvement!¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess I should just keep it up,¡± Aida said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. Surely her future opponents would be aware of what she did, and be on guard against her. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Pulling out a bouquet of colorful chrysanthemums, Lily handed the arrangement to Aida with a flourish. ¡°This is for you. I grew them yesterday afternoon while training my mana.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± Aida said, surprised. She looked over the colorful arrangement. Lily didn¡¯t seem to have any particular imagery in mind, as her bouquet spanned all the colors of flowers Aida had ever seen. ¡°Chrysanthemums are supposed to symbolize hope and rebirth,¡± Lily explained. ¡°They also normally bloom later than most other flowers, which I thought also represented your performance yesterday¡­no offense.¡± ¡°None taken,¡± Aida said, a genuine smile spreading across her face. ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you. Thank you so much.¡± Giving Aida a smile and a shoulder pat, Lily skipped towards the ordering counter, hopping onto the shoulders of a tall brunette with a pixie cut. ¡°Lily¡¯s sweet,¡± Sue said fondly. ¡°She gifts me some tinctures and fragrances she makes sometimes to help me sleep.¡± Carrying her fresh blooms with her, Aida felt like her feet were lighter as they collected their breakfast trays. ¡°We¡¯re starting with the Earth matches today,¡± Levi informed them, dropping into the booth seat next to Sue. Aida eyed them beadily. Sue gave no indication that anything had occurred between them. ¡°That means you¡¯re fighting last, Sue.¡± Sue sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to fall asleep before then.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep you awake,¡± Levi teased. Aida coughed into her soup. ¡°Gross.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sue asked, concerned. Waving Sue off, Aida mimed a sipping motion with her hand as she slid out of the booth, heading to the water pitchers at the counter. As she poured herself a cup, she felt a malevolent aura trickle over her back. Releasing a sigh, she set the glass pitcher down and reached for her wand. Sure enough, Pritchard was glowering at her a short distance away, looking remarkably short in his tracksuit. Aida leaned back against the counter, raising her eyebrow at him as she sipped slowly from her cup. Ezra¡¯s words floated through her mind. If he tried anything, at least she had water nearby. Behind Pritchard, Dev glanced over, seeing the trouble about to commence. With a long-suffering expression, he rose from his chair, shoulder-checking Pritchard as he headed towards Aida. ¡°Congratulations on your one point.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Aida said, keeping her eyes on Pritchard, who was flustered and seemed uncertain what to do. Shon Yanomo, one of the quieter ones of Pritchard¡¯s group, had left his seat and was now pulling at his arm, trying to urge him away. Myk Chy, Pritchard¡¯s primary yes-man, crossed his arms and scowled at Aida from his seat. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Sorry about that guy,¡± Dev said, his voice lowering. ¡°We keep telling him to let it go, but he refuses.¡± Aida blinked up at him, surprised by his candor. She relented. ¡°Well, as long as I¡¯m not the only one who thinks he¡¯s being absurd.¡± Dev gave her a half smile. ¡°Hey, you better get at least one point on all of your other matches, okay? I¡¯m never gonna hear the end of it if it gets out to my family that I was the only one you managed to score on.¡± Aida bit her lip to keep from smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s a lot to ask. Miracles don¡¯t happen often, you know.¡± Shaking his head, Dev returned to his table, casually catching Pritchard around the shoulders as he passed and bringing him along. Refilling her water cup, Aida caught sight of Caleb watching her with his food tray in his hands. He seemed to have been watching her exchange with Dev, although he was standing too far away to hear anything. When he met her eyes, he flushed. Hesitating, Aida swallowed the gulp of water she had been swirling around her mouth before she headed towards him. ¡°Hey Caleb,¡± she said cheerily. ¡°Do you want to sit with me and Sue?¡± He blushed harder. ¡°I¡­sure.¡± The silent walk to the table was painful. ¡°We¡¯re still on for training this afternoon, right?¡± ¡°Yes, if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°I would,¡± Aida said firmly. ¡°I was thinking it might be good to work on the mana ¡®penetration¡¯ you were talking about yesterday, in addition to working on the physical workout.¡± ¡°Mana penetration?¡± Levi interrupted. He greeted Caleb with a fistbump. ¡°What¡¯s this about mana penetration?¡± ¡°Nothing really,¡± Caleb said before Aida could elaborate. ¡°Aida just thought it would be a good idea to review her defenses against someone piercing her mana, since she did it yesterday to Dev. And I think it¡¯s a really good idea,¡± he added forcefully. Levi¡¯s eyes lingered shrewdly on Caleb, before he turned to Aida. ¡°It¡¯s definitely good to learn from different people, but if you want to practice your mana resistance, might I suggest learning from someone who isn¡¯t a mana genius?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a genius,¡± Caleb protested, before immediately adding, ¡°Levi¡¯s right though, he¡¯s a great guy to learn resistance from.¡± Aida looked at Levi expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate. Sue interjected. ¡°Yeah, Levi¡¯s figured it out! Professor Bruce built on Levi¡¯s explanations to help us tailor our own defenses.¡± ¡°He did not, I was just dumbing down what he said,¡± Levi said modestly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean Levi¡¯s the actual mana genius?¡± Aida pointed out. Levi raised his hands in a casual shrug, a smug look crossing his face as Aida made his point for him. Sue and Caleb groaned, chastising her for stroking his ego. Aida stifled a giggle. She hadn¡¯t had a casual conversation among friends like this for almost a decade. She forgot how much fun it was to just talk, with no fear of judgment. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Caleb was matched against Pritchard this round, which Aida watched with interest. Caleb demonstrated superior body control, which Aida knew he had based on yesterday¡¯s short training session. However, seeing him utilize his explanations in action was far more educational. Pritchard¡¯s plan was to ensnare Caleb in various potholes, which Aida had to admit would probably have worked on her. He had enough mana and control to cause the combat ring to ripple like the ocean, attempting to predict where Caleb would land next. Unfortunately for Pritchard, Caleb¡¯s mana control was exceptional as well: he was able to override Pritchard¡¯s Quakes, solidifying the ground underneath his feet at precisely where he stepped, barreling towards Pritchard, who was finally forced to move. Pritchard was unexpectedly agile, ducking below Caleb¡¯s arms. Unfortunately, he was only able to keep up the dodges for a few seconds, as Caleb fed his body with more mana to catch up to him. In a last-ditch effort to avoid Caleb¡¯s long reach, Pritchard blew all the sand around him in a ten-foot radius at Caleb, carving out a crater in the ground in an attempt to obscure his vision. However, Caleb sliced through the sandstorm, catching Pritchard under the arms as he caught him in a rib-crushing tackle, disappearing into the dust. Everyone in the stands winced, and Professor Gemma, who was the referee for today¡¯s matches, zoomed over, cocking her head towards the cloud as if she was listening for something. The dust cloud immediately collapsed back into the hole in the ground. Caleb was kneeling, patting the ground carefully. He finally stood up, stepping back to reveal Pritchard¡¯s head poking out of the ground, screaming incoherently. Aida laughed as everyone in the stands around her cheered. Pritchard¡¯s ire was clearly obvious on his dirt-streaked face, making him look like a toddler trapped in a sandbox. The Metal cohort¡¯s matches followed. Ezra faced off against Abedi Bellow, one of Pritchard¡¯s group members. Abedi was tall, dark, and muscular, with golden curls clipped close to his head. Abedi seemed to spend all of his mana conjuring a massive metal battlehammer from the ground. His muscles flexed with the weight of the hammer, but its bulk didn¡¯t seem to slow him down at all. Ezra didn¡¯t deign to use metal at all, it seemed; or at least, he didn¡¯t bother conjuring his own weapon. He seemed to focus on redirecting Abedi¡¯s weapon, catching the flat of the hammerhead on his fingertips whenever he couldn¡¯t shove the head off-course. Abedi was clearly frustrated at being unable to break through Ezra¡¯s guard, as he bared his teeth in his strain to push through Ezra¡¯s control. Ezra¡¯s match took much longer than Caleb¡¯s match, as Ezra carefully and stoically wore Abedi¡¯s stamina down. The match finally ended when Abedi¡¯s control slipped, and the hammer quickly melted into gleaming gloves that manacled Abedi¡¯s hands together. Refusing to give up, Abedi swung at Ezra with his much shorter bludgeoner. Ezra merely stepped out of his reach and continued manipulating the metal, spreading it all along Abedi¡¯s body like some perverse armor, until finally Abedi was trapped in a metal cocoon. ¡°Aida!¡± Startled, Aida glanced to where her name was being called. The Water cohort was already standing at the gate, waiting for their turn in the combat rings. Lyn and Lara were waving at her urgently, as Healer Luk gestured to come down. ¡°Good luck, Aida!¡± Sue called as Aida headed down. Moving as quickly as she could without falling over, Aida couldn¡¯t help but notice that, unlike yesterday, she was really looking forward to this match. Chapter 25: Match 2 Aida filed into the arena behind her cohort and was pointed into a ring with Levan Bota, currently ranked 19 in the class. After all the monsters Aida had been in close contact with, Levan¡¯s attributes (despite still being higher than hers) didn¡¯t seem intimidating at all. Levan had an open, guileless face, with aqua eyes and dirty blond hair. He greeted Aida with a smile, none of the mockery in his expression that was usually present in her other classmates when they thought she wasn¡¯t looking. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you pulled one over Dev yesterday.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t try to replicate it,¡± Aida assured him. Unless you make water for me. The match kicked off, shouts and cries from the other two rings floating into the air. Since Levan seemed unwilling to make the first move, Aida tried incorporating Caleb¡¯s training tips, focusing on expanding her mana flow throughout her body. In the small part of her brain that she had put away her confusing feelings from yesterday, she was glad she had entered Caleb¡¯s body. Seeing how he used his mana to fuel his muscles helped her understand how she was supposed to structure her mana network. She crouched into a ready position, keeping her eyes on Levan. He mirrored her, and they began circling. Some of the spectators in the stands began calling for them to fight. Levan obliged them, firing a mana blast at her. Aida swept it aside, surprised at how slowly Levan was moving. When Levan saw her dissipate his blast so easily, his expression focused on her. Still moving slowly - faster than before, but still slow and telegraphing his move - Levan aimed his wand at her. It wasn¡¯t until the mana blast left his wand that Aida realized Levan wasn¡¯t moving slowly. She was faster. Her mana was improving her reaction time. Moving around the blast that Levan had sent at her, Aida ran at Levan. She didn¡¯t feel any faster than normal, but judging from Levan¡¯s expression of shock she was. As Levan raised his wand at her, Aida fired two blasts at him, then stepped off to the side and sent a third. In an effort to avoid her first two shots, Levan stepped right into the third one, which knocked him sprawling. Aida stopped, holding her wand at the ready, tense. Levan scrambled up, awe and confusion blooming across his face. He formed globules of water around himself, then shot them at her, in a replication of her mana blast. Feeling giddy and a little sorry for him, Aida caught the three orbs he shot at her with an outstretched hand, absorbing all three into one large sphere the size of a beach ball. Spinning with her hand outstretched, the sphere of water floating at her fingertips, Aida killed the momentum of the spheres. Launching the watery ball up into the air, Aida focused her hardest. Ice Blast. The ball sprayed outward into a cone, pelting Levan with hail. A mana blast hit Aida square in the chest, knocking her down. Levan had taken the opportunity to strike while she was channeling her Ice Blast. Winded, Aida climbed back to her feet. Levan was finally moving at normal speed, covering his head as he ran out of the area her little ice storm was hailing on. Deciding to take the risk, Aida aimed her wand at Levan and cast Freeze. It was a good choice. Levan still had ice on him from the Ice Blast, which saved her some mana. He also didn¡¯t notice that anything was happening until the ice had solidified around his body. Aida held the ice, pulling her mana back until it was just a trickle: enough to sustain Levan¡¯s ice prison, and prevent him from piercing her control, but not enough to drain the rest of her mana, which was dangerously low. Levan sighed and smiled. ¡°I yield.¡± ¡°Levan Bota yields!¡± Professor Gemma¡¯s voice echoed. Relieved, Aida released her hold, dropping onto her butt as she relaxed. With Aida¡¯s control gone, Levan slowly broke out of his ice suit. Shivering, he came over to her, holding out his hand. Clasping his wrist, she let him pull her up. ¡°You lied to me,¡± Levan joked. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t do what you did to Dev yesterday.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Aida responded, holding a hand to her head. The world was spinning, and she felt a little nauseous. ¡°You had already released control of that water, so it was fair game.¡± Noticing that she needed assistance, Levan scooped her arm over his shoulder so she could lean on him as they limped towards Healer Luk. ¡°I¡¯m not complaining,¡± Aida said, trying not to slur her words. ¡°But why did you yield?¡± Levan shrugged. ¡°I saw how much you wanted it,¡± he said, a bite of chatter in his words. ¡°And to be honest, that was a really cool match.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Aida laughed, unable to say much else. She shoved herself away from Levan as she landed on her hands and knees, emptying her breakfast onto the ground. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Levi clapped Aida¡¯s shoulder as she passed him at the gate, shaking her roughly. ¡°Great work, little droplet.¡± ¡°Little droplet¡¯s out of juice,¡± Aida responded, trying to keep her feet. Healer Luk had handed a hot tea to Aida and Levan, to boost their energy after their fight. The drink was comforting, giving Aida fresh energy in addition to clearing her mouth out, but she still longed for her bed. Levi laughed at her response as he pushed her towards where Sue and Caleb were seated, his hand lingering on the small of her back. ¡°Aida, your first win!¡± Sue crowed as Aida made her way over to them. ¡°That was great!¡± ¡°Levan was generous,¡± Aida said, though her heart swelled at the victory. ¡°He definitely could have outlasted me. He still had it in him.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Sue said dismissively. ¡°Mental fortitude in battle is more important than physical fortitude.¡± ¡°Suelina¡¯s right,¡± Caleb said earnestly. ¡°Willpower can make or break physical performance.¡± Sitting down with a grateful sigh, Aida sipped at the dregs of tea in her paper cup. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind having more of this.¡± ¡°Lily can probably come up with a brew that¡¯s similar,¡± Sue told Aida. ¡°No caffeine, though. She says stimulants are cheating and it¡¯s better to encourage rather than override the body¡¯s natural processes.¡± Sue lightly rolled her eyes at the philosophy. ¡°Do you think Lily might have taken something for her match against Levi?¡± Aida asked, watching as Levi said something that made Lily laugh. She struck a pose that reminded Aida of K-pop celebrities, resting her face on the backs of her hands that made a V shape. She smiled cutely at Levi, fluttering her pale lashes. Levi gripped his heart, a pained expression on his face. ¡°She might have, but I doubt it would make a difference against him,¡± Sue said, tapping her foot impatiently. She wasn¡¯t looking at Levi and Lily¡¯s interaction, and was instead looking at the rest of her cohort in the stands with a predatory look in her eyes. The purple gleamed. ¡°I sure hope Wood class doesn¡¯t take too long.¡± Aida patted Sue¡¯s back absentmindedly, trying to get her to calm down. She checked her stats. Unfortunately, no new breakthroughs. Her Mana Cycling progress bar had increased significantly, though. The system seemed to acknowledge her active use of Mana Cycling as a challenging skill, bringing her three-quarters of the way to reaching Mana Cycling Lv6. She had more modest increases in her skills for Freeze Lv2 and Water Manipulation Lv3, bringing her close to leveling those skills as well. Satisfied with her progress, she winked out of the notification boxes, catching the beginning of the Wood matches. The combatants in the two other rings seemed to be mostly blasting mana at each other, while small plants slowly sprouted around them. Levi and Lily seemed like the most adept growers: several weedlike clusters were spidering out of the ground, strangling the stems that Levi was trying to draw out. On top of the botanical warfare, Levi and Lily were physically exchanging blows. Lily was fast, darting around Levi like a grasshopper as she aimed axe kicks after spinning kicks at him. Levi was fast as well, serious focus replacing his typical good humor. In between Lily¡¯s kicks, which he either avoided or blocked with a braced forearm, he would thrust various elbow or knee strikes at Lily, forcing her to pull her kicks or risk injury. Finally, Lily cried out as she lost the mana fight. Levi had drawn her into a prolonged match, forcing her to grow more and more weeds, and ultimately splitting her concentration beyond what she could handle. With her sudden break in concentration, everything happened at once. Levi caught Lily in her belly, bending her over his thigh with the force of his knee kick. Vines erupted from the ground, catching Lily¡¯s arms and legs and winding around them in the blink of an eye. Within seconds, Lily was suspended in the air at Levi¡¯s height, her arms and legs spread as if she were flying. ¡°Levi versus Lily, winner Levi!¡± Professor Gemma announced. Levi plucked a sunflower that was growing from the ground, tucking it into Lily¡¯s hair. The flowerhead dwarfed her scowling face. The ensemble of her flower hat and vine clothing made her look like some small, angry fantasy plant creature. Sue stood up, hopping on the balls of her feet as she cracked her neck. Spinning her wand in her fingers like a pen, she leaned down to give Aida a quick hug. ¡°I¡¯m going to head down now,¡± she declared. Her voice nearly cracked with excitement. ¡°I feel bad for Sue¡¯s opponent,¡± Aida murmured. ¡°She¡¯s a bit scary,¡± Caleb admitted quietly. They sat in silence for a bit. Even with her muted senses (Professor Luk had warned her and Levan that the tea was just a stopgap for the rest of the day, and that they still had to get a full night¡¯s rest in order to recover fully), Aida could feel Caleb¡¯s tension in being alone with her. ¡°Listen, Caleb,¡± Aida finally said. ¡°I know yesterday was weird and uncomfortable for both of us, but I just want to make sure you¡¯re okay.¡± She fixed a stern eye on him. ¡°It was weird, but I learned a lot from it, so I can move on. Can you?¡± Caleb blushed as he met her eyes. His lips were pressed into a thin line, emphasizing his jawline. She saw his Adam¡¯s apple bob. He finally nodded. ¡°Yeah, it was an accident,¡± he agreed. Aida clapped her hands as she sat back in a more casual position. ¡°Great! So, training session later this evening? I want to pick your brain on how I can improve my mana control in combat.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Caleb agreed eagerly. He was clearly relieved to return to the topic of training. ¡°You did really well your first time mana surging. The bulk of your improvement will come from just practicing surging more, especially since you¡¯re still new at it; you¡¯ll get more familiar with the technique¡­¡± Chapter 26: Oh no By the time lunch rolled around, the knot that Aida had nearly forgotten in her stomach had loosened. Lily couldn¡¯t stop gushing about Aida being a weed: overlooked and unappreciated, until one day she commanded the whole garden. Sue was indignant on Aida¡¯s behalf, insisting she was a flower instead of a weed. Aida, however, was amused by Lily¡¯s analogy. ¡°I don¡¯t mind being a weed,¡± she told Sue. ¡°Weeds are indestructible.¡± Lily clapped her hands, pointing at Aida in triumphant approval. ¡°She gets it!¡± Vanita, Lily¡¯s tall brunette friend with sweet brown eyes, smiled at Aida. ¡°At least you¡¯re a plant of some kind. Lily calls me fertilizer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re the most generous and nourishing individual I¡¯ve ever met!¡± Lily said loyally. ¡°Well¡­I guess fertilizer is also composed of organic matter, so you would encompass all plants?¡± Aida offered tentatively. ¡°YES,¡± Lily cheered, clapping her hands and dancing around the group. ¡°Only Aida gets me!¡± ¡°Ladies, please, let¡¯s not talk about fertilizer while we eat lunch,¡± Levi said soothingly. ¡°What are you all planning on working on for the rest of the day?¡± ¡°More weeds,¡± Lily said promptly, albeit sourly. She glared at Levi with mock venom. ¡°Watch your food.¡± ¡°Bring it on,¡± Levi shot back. ¡°More training for me.¡± ¡°What time did you want to train?¡± Aida asked Levi. She glanced at Caleb. ¡°Caleb and I are going to do more squats in the evening, I guess.¡± Caleb nodded affirmatively, eyes gleaming with excitement. ¡°We can go after lunch,¡± Levi said. He turned to Sue. ¡°What are your plans?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to borrow Caleb,¡± Sue replied thoughtfully. She turned to Caleb. ¡°Is that okay? Were you planning on doing anything after?¡± ¡°Uh, no, not at all,¡± Caleb stuttered. ¡°What¡­were you planning on working on?¡± ¡°I was hoping we could practice grappling,¡± Sue said matter-of-factly. ¡°Just basic techniques, no mana involved. I¡¯m certain that¡¯s what it will take to beat Ezra this year,¡± she finished darkly. Aida swallowed her lips, keeping the smile from her face. By her count, Sue was soon to trigger her third romance event with Caleb. Levi was still at two, and Ezra was at one. Caleb looked even more flustered at the thought of grappling with Sue, though the confident musclehead part of him pulled his shoulders back. She glanced inquisitively at Vanita, who seemed to be perfectly content being on the edge of the conversation. Catching her gaze, Vanita reached out and planted her hand on Lily¡¯s head, grounding the spinning girl. ¡°I¡¯ll be with Lily, trying to create a soil composition that her weeds won¡¯t grow in.¡± Lily nodded smugly. Since they had a larger group than usual, they took one of the big tables in the center of the dining hall. Aida looked around at the merry band she was now part of. Everyone was so light-hearted, tossing jokes and roasts back and forth. Aida blinked back wetness. She hadn¡¯t thought about her high school years for so long, it felt like another life - it literally was another life, Aida reminded herself. A life where rent and bills were academically understood as being a burden, but hadn¡¯t leeched into every corner of her life yet. A life where casual decisions weren¡¯t made based on opportunity costs, and were instead influenced by what sounded fun. Levi belched delicately into his fist. Lily scrunched her face in exaggerated disgust and Sue wrinkled her nose. ¡°Excuse me.¡± He looked at Aida¡¯s near-empty tray. ¡°Shall we?¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°Did you ever get rid of the stimflowers?¡± Aida asked as they picked their way through the forest. ¡°Oh sure,¡± Levi said amicably. ¡°I actually handed the task off to Lily. She said they were low quality, but she still took them.¡± ¡°Is it necessary to be all the way out here?¡± Aida continued, trying to keep the whine out of her voice. She was still tired from exhausting all of her mana on Levan. ¡°I just wanted to make sure we¡¯re far enough from the school for some privacy.¡± ¡°Is training Mana Resistance something that requires privacy?¡± Aida asked slowly. Levi sighed. ¡°You really need to be more aware of the things you say, Aida,¡± Levi said softly, finally turning around to face her. The intensity in his face, along with the emphasis on her name, sent chills down Aida¡¯s spine. Standing under the dappled light of the trees, Levi looked like a dangerous - and beautiful - predator. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Aida licked her lips, hyper conscious of how her body was positioned. She had stashed her wand in her track pants¡¯s long pocket, and wouldn¡¯t be able to get it out in time. ¡°What are you saying?¡± The corner of Levi¡¯s mouth lifted in a slight smirk. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I know anything. I just have observations.¡± He turned away from her, placing his hands on his lower back as he stretched, wholly at ease. ¡°And my observations lead me to conclusions that don¡¯t quite make sense.¡± He turned to a fallen log and sat down, gesturing for her to join him. ¡°Come, sit. Let¡¯s talk.¡± Cautiously approaching the log, Aida sat on the far end, facing him. He was clearly trying to put her at ease with his body language and invitation to sit. He straddled the log, leaning back against a tree trunk. Deliberately making it tedious for him to make any sudden movements. His fingers were loosely clasped on his belly, in plain sight. ¡°You can have your wand out, if you want. But I promise I just want to talk.¡± Slowly easing her wand out of her pocket, Aida kept it pointed in his general direction as she tried to relax. Not that she had the mana or ability to actually stop Levi if he attempted anything. They stared at each other, ocean blue eyes into glinting bronze depths. Levi finally broke the silence. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the basics. Feel free to interrupt me if I¡¯m wrong.¡± Levi slowly released his fingers, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. ¡°For the past two years that we¡¯ve known her, Aida has shown herself to be - dull. So dull most of us wonder how she entered Maglica Academy in the first place. She¡¯s not utterly incompetent,¡± he added. ¡°Her effort and focus is commendable. Too commendable,¡± he admitted, wincing. ¡°She is so oblivious when she¡¯s focused. But she just doesn¡¯t get it. No matter how many explanations she receives, no matter who helps her¡­¡± his gaze sharpened. ¡°I find it hard to believe that someone can mentally mature in such a short period of time.¡± Aida remained mute. Levi continued when he saw she wasn¡¯t going to say anything. ¡°It¡¯s not just that either. Let¡¯s say she received the bestest, most intensest tutoring during break. Why would she forget basic, elementary concepts of mana, in order to¡­for lack of a better word¡­become smarter?¡± This time Levi was expecting her to say something. ¡°Nobody else seems to have a problem with it,¡± Aida said softly. Her stomach relaxed. She was no stranger to giving satisfactory nonanswers to customers demanding answers to unanswerable questions. Levi was asking questions she didn¡¯t know the answers to, so there was no web of lies for her to keep track of here. However, what was the right move? She had never been good at lying - always paralyzed by fear whenever someone called out something she did that she knew would land her in hot water. Unable to act on her sense of self-preservation, despite the impending doom. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Levi agreed. ¡°They¡¯re letting Aida¡¯s inherent idiocy blind them to something happening.¡± He looked up at the trees thoughtfully. His next words were more of a soft musing to himself than anything else. ¡°I¡¯m convinced you aren¡¯t the Aida Loreh we know, but I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± He looked back at her, his usual charming smile back in place. ¡°Great talk! Let¡¯s try to bring your fundamental knowledge base up so you don¡¯t draw anyone else¡¯s attention.¡± Aida gazed at him in disbelief. Levi had gotten to his feet, leaning into comical body stretches. The predator in him was completely gone. Her mind whirled at the whiplash from feeling cornered, trapped, dragged inexorably down a whirlpool - to being freed. ¡°Hold on, that¡¯s it?¡± Aida demanded. ¡°You level this outrageous accusation against me, and then just decide to drop it?¡± Levi folded his arms. ¡°Would you tell me the truth?¡± She struggled. Obviously she wouldn¡¯t tell him the actual truth - but she couldn¡¯t come up with a red herring on the spot for him either. ¡°¡­No,¡± Aida admitted. She sighed, annoyed. ¡°People like you are so obnoxious.¡± ¡°Because of how practical we are?¡± Levi grinned. Aida scowled at him. She felt a lot more sympathetic towards Lily. She paused, frowning. The sense of relief she felt just a moment ago froze over as she finally caught up to the abrupt shift in Levi¡¯s behavior. ¡°But¡­why did you tell me this? And why are you helping me?¡± His grin broadened. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I like more than deciphering a mystery - and you are still a mystery, but I¡¯ll get you eventually - it¡¯s keeping a secret.¡± Levi stood up from his side lunges, stretching his hand out towards her. His eyes glittered in a way Aida couldn¡¯t interpret. She hesitated. She was out of her depth. She felt like Levi intended to use her, but she couldn¡¯t imagine how. Levi saw her reluctance. ¡°Think of it this way. You can trust me to help you, and not to hurt you. Or you can go back to school right now, continue to meander around asking silly questions like a child, and pray everyone continues to take pity on you and ignore how drastic your change is.¡± Aida glared at him. One and a half weeks in, and she was already being forced into making a choice she didn¡¯t understand the full ramifications of. ¡°Is there a contract of some sort?¡± Levi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Contract?¡± When she nodded, he burst into laughter. ¡°Skies, I almost believed you were our lovable Aida again.¡± Wiping his eyes, he looked back at her seriously, his voice low. ¡°You understand that you have no leverage here, right? It¡¯s only a matter of time until someone else notices you¡¯re not Aida. And it really doesn¡¯t matter to me; I can enjoy the fallout from a distance.¡± She hated how right he was. Levi might be the first to notice, but he certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last - if she tried to spread out her contextually odd questions among her classmates, that would lead to increased likelihood that people would start putting the pieces together - while if she trusted Levi at his word, that he would help her, then she could contain her lack of knowledge to just one person. Just because it was the best move didn¡¯t mean she had to like it. Aida punched his arm as hard as she could without using mana. ¡°You could have humored me,¡± she muttered. She strode away from the log, folding her arms as she looked at him defiantly. ¡°You have yourself a deal. I¡¯ll trust you to help me in the interim. But since you never specified what you want in return, I reserve the right to say no when you ask for something from me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how deals work,¡± Levi protested, feigning hurt. He rubbed his arm, looking at her with wounded eyes. ¡°You know I¡¯m doing this out of the goodness of my heart. I care about you!¡± Aida picked up a stick and hurled it at him. She missed in her fury, but she got her point across. ¡°Okay, okay! I accept your ¡®deal,¡¯¡± Levi yelped, overexaggerating his avoidance of her projectile. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about mana resistance and penetration¡­¡± Chapter 27: Get Cultured ¡°Mana Penetration and Mana Resistance are two sides of the same baen,¡± Levi said authoritatively. ¡°But I like to think that Resistance¡ª¡° ¡°What¡¯s a ban?¡± Aida interrupted. Levi looked at her in disbelief. Aida looked back mulishly. He massaged his forehead as he looked down at his feet, maintaining the same dumbstruck expression. ¡°Okay. A ¡®baen¡¯ is our currency. Do you know what ¡®currency¡¯ is?¡± Levi asked cautiously. ¡°Yes. So what¡¯s the denomination of your ban?¡± Levi pinched his lips together, but didn¡¯t comment on her pronunciation. She really was trying to get the accent right, though. ¡°One gold baen makes ten silver baen makes one hundred copper baen.¡± Aida pursed her lips. No wonder Aida¡¯s coinpurse only had copper-rimmed tokens in it. ¡°And what¡¯s the typical cost of living? Like, how much would Maglica¡¯s meals cost outside of school?¡± ¡°Five silver baen.¡± Aida¡¯s eyes popped, before Levi hastily added, ¡°But the Academy¡¯s meals are high quality. A lot of customization options, and all ingredients sourced from the best hunters and gatherers.¡± ¡°The meals are included in the cost of tuition, right?¡± Aida demanded. Levi nodded, for once seeming genuinely intimidated by her ire. ¡°And is the tuition already covered, or am I on a payment plan or something?¡± ¡°To be honest, students can¡¯t buy their way into the Academy. We¡¯re all here on scholarship. The school¡¯s philosophy is that when baen becomes a school¡¯s priority, then the passage of knowledge and ability suffers; that¡¯s why they only accept thirty students every year.¡± Inside Levi¡¯s explanation hung the question Levi had posed earlier: how had Aida Loreh gained entrance into the selective Maglica Academy? Aida forged on to the more utilitarian concerns. ¡°What¡¯s the typical earning potential of a Maglica grad? What¡¯s the lower bound?¡± ¡°Adventurers are kind of a catch-all profession, where you are hired for a specific job at an agreed-upon rate. You can earn nearly nothing, or you can earn up to five hundred gold for a long-term job. The typical going rate is usually a couple to tens of silver baen, but those are usually mind-numbing jobs.¡± Levi hurried on, realizing her impatience at the imprecise information. ¡°If you join an established company or business, though, your meals and lodging are provided for, and they will pay you a salary to keep you on contract. The salary range depends on your industry, as well as the reputation of the company you join within that industry, but the usual flow of things is that Fire industries are most lucrative, albeit more stressful; Earth industries are slower-paced than Fire, but you can still make good baen in, so that¡¯s the sweet spot most people tend to aim for; Wood and Metal industries are a step below in terms of earnings and respectability, but since they are so necessary to the functioning of society, you¡¯ll never go hungry; Water industries, unfortunately¡­¡± Levi coughed delicately. ¡°¡­Nobody really wants to go into the Water industry, but you can still make good baen there. Especially as a Healer.¡± Aida pondered the information, tapping her wand across her palm. ¡°Okay¡­so what are the defining characteristics of each industry? How do I know what constitutes ¡®Earth,¡¯ for instance?¡± Levi massaged his forehead again, fluffing his bangs. The bewildered expression was back on his face. ¡°What have I gotten myself into,¡± he muttered to himself. He straightened. ¡°Look, there¡¯s a lot of sociology and history to cover if you want to fully assimilate and pass as a native Wyndian. More than we can cover before you scurry off to your training session with Caleb. Why don¡¯t you keep doing what you¡¯re doing, but if you have any questions about society, you come to me first? Don¡¯t try asking anyone else.¡± Aida didn¡¯t like that at all. ¡°You know, it¡¯s really hard for me to just go along with trusting you when I have no idea why you want to help me,¡± she said acidly. Levi dipped his head in acknowledgment. ¡°That is fair. My first justification - though true - was flippant.¡± He fixed her with a serious gaze. The bronze in his eyes softened to amber, becoming more pliant. ¡°I suspect you¡¯ve already noticed, but I am interested in Suelina. Not just as a temporary liaison, but as a partner for life.¡± Aida nodded slowly, a frown creasing her forehead. Levi¡¯s constant flipping between serious and playful was starting to give her a headache. ¡°You probably aren¡¯t aware, but being kind and helping you - that is, helping Aida - is the most straightforward way to garner Sue¡¯s attention. Believe me on this one,¡± Levi added, lip curling into a grimace. ¡°I¡¯ve tried all other approaches.¡± ¡°You realize I can¡¯t in good conscience influence her to choose you?¡± Aida asked dryly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust you to anyway,¡± Levi admitted, his grimace transforming into a smirk. ¡°You¡¯d likely end up sabotaging me instead, intentional or not.¡± Aida paced in a circle, swirling a lock of Aida¡¯s silky hair around her lips in thought, as if she could paint the right words onto her lips. ¡°So let me make sure I understand our alignment. Your major incentive in helping me blend into this world is so that you can spend more time with Sue? I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s kind of a weak rationale.¡± Levi swelled. ¡°What do you mean? Love is the biggest accomplishment one can achieve,¡± he said indignantly. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Aida gave him a withering stare. She almost forgot she was talking to a teenager, with how witty he¡¯d been earlier. ¡°I mean¡­earning someone¡¯s love isn¡¯t as straightforward as a game¡ª¡° Aida paused. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, you realize there¡¯s at least a sixty-six percent chance that even if you do everything right, Sue very well might choose to be with someone else?¡± ¡°Uh, that¡¯s a very specific number, but yes, I realize. As long as I have the opportunity to play, that¡¯s all I can ask for,¡± Levi said warily. He shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Can we please not talk about relationships as a game? It¡¯s pretty dehumanizing.¡± Aida was flabbergasted. ¡°You were the one who was trying to manipulate me like a pawn in the first place! And you¡¯re lecturing me about dehumanization?¡± Levi¡¯s brow wrinkled. ¡°Manipulate you like a¡­pond? You do realize I¡¯m Wood, right?¡± ¡°Oh for crying - an aquatic ecosystem is heavily influenced by the immediate terrain and vegetation, is it not?¡± Aida demanded. ¡°One could argue that water is manipulated by literally everything around it.¡± ¡°This is getting way too philosophical,¡± Levi said plaintively. ¡°Let¡¯s just agree to work together, whatever that may mean to you, and move on?¡± Aida glowered at his outstretched hand. She couldn¡¯t think of a good reason to object for the moment, so she begrudgingly clasped his hand. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ After Levi¡¯s explanation about how Mana Resistance worked (it was one of the most confusing concepts Aida had ever heard, but Levi assured her the more she practiced the easier it would become), they spent almost an hour trying to enable her to get the hang of it. ¡°What if I don¡¯t get it because I don¡¯t have any mana left?¡± Aida complained. Her fingertips were placed together, the logic being that she was supposed to channel mana in never-ending loops between her fingers while Levi tried to disrupt the flow between the ten digits. ¡°I used up all my mana just trying to prevent Levan from breaking through my Freeze.¡± ¡°This is the best time to work on it,¡± Levi responded. ¡°When you no longer have your usable mana as a fallback is when you can actually determine how strong your foundation is.¡± He pointed an accusatory finger in her face, still keeping his wand pointed at her fingertips. ¡°And just think, if you were actually competent at resisting mana, you wouldn¡¯t have had to use any excess mana to block Levan¡¯s attempts to break through your freeze. You don¡¯t think about how to walk, do you? You just walk.¡± ¡°If it was that intuitive, then how did I break through Dev¡¯s resistance?¡± Aida shot back. She couldn¡¯t stop being combative with Levi, even though she knew she needed his expertise. She had spent the whole time wondering if Ezra could have explained it better. ¡°People still trip,¡± Levi said dismissively. ¡°Right now, a loud noise could make you drop your rice bowl even if you were sitting. Metaphorically speaking.¡± Aida had finally settled down, grumbling. She didn¡¯t understand how to put Levi¡¯s explanation together into a usable practice. Being so aware of her mana, that she didn¡¯t need to focus on her mana? That was counterintuitive. How did you even reach that point in the first place, without putting in uncountable hours? Levi had proceeded to harass the flow between her fingers, to the point that Aida had started to develop a pounding headache. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much!¡± was Levi¡¯s unsympathetic response. ¡°You need to stop thinking and just do it.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say, you¡¯ve lived your whole life doing this,¡± Aida growled back. ¡°Babies don¡¯t start walking at birth.¡± Levi sighed, finally accepting the futility of teaching a hostile student. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s break for today. When you practice your Mana Cycling, see if you can Mana Cycle without thinking about it. Let¡¯s meet every day after the rest of the matches, so that we can keep working at this.¡± Aida bit back her response, annoyed at being assigned another moonshot goal. ¡°Fine,¡± she grumped back. She stomped away from Levi without a backwards look. The physical training session with Caleb was a welcome reprieve. Caleb acknowledged that physically, one needed to go through the motions a number of times before the mind became familiar enough with the movement itself to begin monitoring how the movement felt. Then one could begin optimizing the movement for efficiency, and then branch out the awareness to see how the muscles felt, building familiarity with one¡¯s body. At least this is straightforward. ¡°There¡¯s no shortcut, you have to put in the work,¡± Caleb recited. He seemed mentally absent from their training session as well. After setting Aida the task of squatting to pick up a small boulder weighing 10 kilograms and then pushing it above her head when she stood up, Caleb had loaded up the sled with the rest of the boulders in the gym, molding it all together so none of the mass would roll off. He proceeded to push the sled across the length of the room, then drag it back with ropes. He worked with the intensity of a man trying to outrun - or, in his case, push away - his thoughts. It was a relief when Aida finally made it to the third-year girls¡¯ showers. Dinner was awkward. Caleb and Aida had wordlessly reconvened with Sue, Levi, Lily, and Vanita; but aside from the three girls (and Levi, to a certain extent), conversation was much less animated. Whenever Aida opened her mouth, Levi would pierce her with a warning glare, making her swallow her words along with a spoonful of spicy stew (tofu chunks with ground beef and diced vegetables, one of her comfort foods). Stripping out of her sweaty clothes, Aida stepped gratefully into the shower. The hot water reinvigorated her. Sweeping her long hair back and out of her face, Aida let the water hammer around her face and neck, enjoying the gentle massage. The water washed away the grime of her efforts, but also seemed to wash away the stress and anxiety she had been bundling away once Levi revealed what he knew about her. Opening her eyes just wide enough to see through the relentless droplets, Aida relaxed her jaw, letting the warm water pool in her mouth. Did what Levi said make sense? Was he really just looking for a chance to worm his way into Sue¡¯s heart, or did he have a more insidious motive? Sue was supposed to be the object of everybody¡¯s desires, Aida reminded herself. And surely Levi didn¡¯t know that he was supposed to be drawn to her, so that likely wasn¡¯t a manipulative line to feed what he thought she expected him to say. But even if that was true¡­was that really enough of a motivator for Levi to help her to the best of his ability? He could have just said some simple sweet words, and entered Sue¡¯s orbit of attention. So why was he actually trying to help her? Aida struggled with these circular thoughts. She never had to think so deeply in her regular life. She thought she understood politics and social hierarchy better than teenagers, but that was only on a broad, macro level. She never had the time to consider individual motivations - she never had to, because anybody who knew Annie knew she had nothing of value to offer anyone. Shutting off the water, Aida mindlessly gathered the water on her body and in her hair. She stepped out of the water, leaving an Aida-sized bubble of water behind her. It was only when she rubbed her towel along her dry body that she noticed what she did. Chapter 28: I think I got it ¡°Hey, Levi,¡± Aida hissed. Levi was humming as he waited for his breakfast tray. He raised an eyebrow, inviting her to speak. ¡°Can you, please, concisely explain the thought process behind having a robust mana resistance?¡± Levi sighed, lowering his voice. ¡°I already told you, you just do it.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the best you can do, I¡¯m going to ask Ezra to explain it to me,¡± Aida whispered fiercely. Levi¡¯s lips curled down at her threat. Aida thrust out her hand. ¡°Here, try it again.¡± Levi reluctantly reached out his own hand, placing a fingertip on her palm. His eyes widened. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°Shower thoughts.¡± When Levi continued to look at her expectantly, Aida huffed out a breath. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be the one explaining how this is done?¡± Levi sniffed. ¡°But the student explaining it is part of the learning experience.¡± Aida stared icily at him. It was only when she made a move to go place her breakfast order did he catch her arm and explain. ¡°The fundamental thought behind Mana Resistance is distrust,¡± Levi said quietly. His mouth was next to her ear, a puff of warmth brushing over her cheek. ¡°You don¡¯t trust whoever is trying to break through your guard.¡± Releasing her arm, he leaned back. His gaze was intense, willing her to tell him what she had done. Aida chewed inside her lip. She was off-kilter. Her epiphany with the water bubble last night seemed to correlate with Levi¡¯s explanation, but she was reluctant to give him more details about her - details he might decide to use against her later. It wasn¡¯t necessarily the creation of the Aida bubble that made her realize how to activate the passive Mana Resistance. It was the shape of the watery outline, a layer of water thin enough to capture each nook and cranny of her face, individual tubes of water shaped to her strands of hair, giving Aida the impression of armor. Armor perfectly shaped to her body, protecting her from incoming attacks. With the image of a shell underneath her skin, protecting her from any foreign mana attempting to penetrate and take over her own mana, Aida had felt a flash of understanding illuminate her tired mind, giving her a second wind. A shield that could protect her from the world¡¯s bullshit? What a wonderful idea. ¡°Please, let me bask in my distrust of you,¡± Aida said sweetly. ¡°I would like to savor this victory in peace.¡± Pirouetting on her toe, Aida fairly skipped to the ordering line. ¡°You¡¯re in a good mood this morning.¡± Glancing behind her, Aida couldn¡¯t contain her smile. ¡°Dev, good morning. How do you do?¡± It was so nice to talk to someone in Pritchard¡¯s group without first being assaulted by malicious mana. After exchanging pleasantries, Dev turned the conversation to today¡¯s matches. ¡°You¡¯re fighting my cousin today, correct?¡± ¡°I suppose so,¡± Aida said noncommittally. ¡°Please do your best today as well. Your victory over Levan yesterday was good, but I¡¯d consider it a personal favor if you managed to at least score a point on Lara.¡± Aida eyed Dev cautiously. More politics. ¡°I¡¯ll certainly do my best, but I imagine Lara would be prepared for whatever I do.¡± Fortunately, the counter attendant called for Aida just then, putting an end to their conversation. Aida nodded at Dev after she placed her order. She retreated to the water pitchers, pre-filling her cup so she could have something to sip on, and make it clear she wasn¡¯t in the mood to continue any conversations. After collecting her breakfast tray, Aida escaped to a corner booth, huddling herself in there to be alone with her thoughts. She began shoveling food into her mouth, so that she could have an excuse to dodge Sue when she inevitably tried to join her for breakfast. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t that lucky. Ezra slipped into the seat across from her wordlessly. Aida glanced at him, but other than briefly meeting her eye, Ezra said nothing. He began eating his rice. Slowly. One small mouthful at a time. Thoroughly chewing every bite. Delays in his chewing as he picked at his side dishes. She was suddenly very embarrassed for him to see her eating like an animal. Reaching for the cloth napkin on her tray, she wiped her mouth, trying to match his dignity. ¡°You seem particularly tense today,¡± Ezra finally said, as Aida began fidgeting with her chopsticks. ¡°I would have expected you would be more relaxed after yesterday¡¯s victory.¡± Aida didn¡¯t know what to say - what could she say? Ezra must be smart enough to notice the difference. But if he did, then he would have known much earlier, since she had the deepest conversations with him. And as someone who had all the luxuries available to him, why would he be so kind to her? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. It was this last question burning in her mind that made her finally blurt out her thought. Ezra paused, a small chunk of fish suspended in his chopsticks. He carefully set the morsel back down, returning it to where it had been torn from its body. Ezra¡¯s lashes were long, only showing a sliver of the gray storm brewing underneath them as he thought. He finally raised his eyes, meeting hers. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ezra said slowly. His irises rippled like mercury. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been especially kind to you. I certainly haven¡¯t gone out of my way to be cruel to you either.¡± ¡°Why have you been helping me so much?¡± Aida asked, trying another approach. Ezra¡¯s response was honest, but didn¡¯t answer what she was really asking. Ezra¡¯s response this time was quicker, though equally unsatisfying. ¡°Because I could. It was never any trouble.¡± Aida struggled, trying to come up with the right words to make him answer her uncouth question: Will you abandon me when I can¡¯t deliver? It was true that in her real life, she had drifted apart from her friends. She had been telling herself that it happened because she never made time for them - she never had time for them, in between balancing her jobs, her family, and her general well-being - but the real answer was closer to the fact that her friends never contacted her after they reached certain milestones in their lives. The milestones that acted as benign gatekeepers to social class differences. They never texted her first, and invitations to birthday parties dwindled over the years as the guest lists were steadily pruned to consist of university friends, and then coworker friends. Her texts to them were answered later and later, always with a quick apology mentioning how busy they¡¯d been - as if she wasn¡¯t busy as well - while they would post photos and videos of gatherings with their mutual friends between the usual uploads of fun activities and trips. Eventually the text conversations stopped entirely. The last half dozen speech bubbles were always on the right side of the screen, starkly separated by dates. ¡°¡­Aida.¡± Aida blinked. Ezra was no longer sitting in front of her. Instead, he was in the booth next to her, his shoulders curled over her to shield her from the rest of the cafeteria. He had his own napkin in his hand, holding it up to her face. Reaching her fingers up, Aida felt warm water on her cheeks. She felt the other side of her cheek. Also wet. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on,¡± Aida said, forcing a laugh. Ignoring Ezra¡¯s napkin, she grabbed her own. ¡°Must be the stress of the matches getting to me. I¡¯m fighting Dev¡¯s cousin later, you know?¡± Slowly pulling back, Ezra looked at her with - pity? Aida forced strength into her voice. ¡°Thanks for worrying about me, but I¡¯m fine. I think I should go for a walk to clear my head, get ready for the match.¡± Ezra obligingly backed out of the booth, letting Aida out. Quickly dabbing the rest of her tears away, Aida grabbed her tray and scooted out, power walking to the dish drop. Ezra easily kept pace with her. ¡°You should stay and finish eating.¡± ¡°I am finished.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep me company.¡± ¡°I¡¯m stressed too. I¡¯m fighting in the first match.¡± Aida glanced at Ezra. He looked supremely unconcerned. They walked out of the cafeteria together, drawing stares and whispers from the students. Ezra, despite his longer stride, walked next to her, letting her lead the way. They walked in silence, until they finally lapped the combat arena twice. Aida stopped at the far end of the arena, the furthest away from the cafeteria. Their classmates and spectators were finally beginning to populate the stands. Ezra stopped immediately as well, as if he was attuned to her every thought. ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida said, watching the students fill the stands. Ezra didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Regardless of what happens in the future, thank you. You¡¯re a good friend.¡± ¡°¡­Friend,¡± Ezra repeated softly. He said it with a slight lilt, almost as if he was asking it as a question. Aida glanced at him. Her eyes were finally dry, her nose clear, her breathing normal. Ezra had a slightly furrowed brow, and was mouthing the word friend gently. ¡°¡­We are friends, right?¡± Ezra looked startled at the question, even a bit panicked. It was as if he had never been in this situation before. Aida suppressed a smile. ¡°Let me try again.¡± She turned to face Ezra, then stepped back into the deepest curtsy she could manage, her wrists delicately elevated to mimic holding a long skirt. ¡°Your humble servant offers her most gracious thanks to His Lordship for accompanying her during her time of distress.¡± Aida held the pose, until Ezra finally laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s stop doing that. It looks so wrong when you do it.¡± Ezra had a smile on his face when Aida straightened. He placed his pointer finger on her forehead, gently pushing on it. ¡°I accept your proposal to promote our affiliation to that of ¡®friends.¡¯¡± Sparkles popped around Ezra, framing him in a sublime aura. Aida smiled, for once not taking issue with the special effects. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°Aida, are you all right?¡± Sue asked anxiously when Aida finally approached the group in the stands. Only Levi and Caleb were sitting with Sue this time. ¡°I heard people saying you were crying this morning.¡± ¡°Yeah, is everything okay?¡± Levi¡¯s words carried an accusatory undertone. His eyes were communicating dozens of warnings and accusations. Aida lifted her nose and ignored him as she addressed Sue. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. I was nervous, since I¡¯m facing Lara today, so I decided to go for a walk after breakfast. Ezra thought he¡¯d be moral support, so he joined me on my walk.¡± Sue smiled. ¡°That¡¯s so nice of Ezra. I was worried Levi might have pushed you too hard yesterday.¡± She glared at Levi as she said the last bit. ¡°I told you, she woke up this morning and had perfect Mana Resistance!¡± Levi looked at Aida helplessly, actually having the gall to act like he was an innocent victim. ¡°Levi did what he had to do,¡± Aida said coldly. She sat down firmly next to Caleb, keeping him and Sue between her and Levi so she didn¡¯t have to look at him. ¡°Levi¡¯s method is a bit scummy,¡± Caleb agreed softly. ¡°But it really does give good results.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a kinder person than I am,¡± Aida muttered darkly. Beyond Caleb, Sue was giving Levi a dirty look. Aida couldn¡¯t help but feel a vicious satisfaction knowing that Levi had damaged his progress with Sue with this latest interaction. Chapter 29: Match 3 Aida was waiting in the wings with the rest of the Water cohort as the Metal cohort finished their matches. She had wedged herself between Levan Bota and Lyn Trippe, their small group in mutual agreement not to discuss their upcoming match - or anything at all, really. Levi had tried to follow her down, nominally to offer her encouragement, but she had been so snappish with him that he opted to stay in his seat with Sue. Finally, Healer Luk opened the gate, letting the two cohorts swap places in the combat ring. Ezra gave a brief nod to Aida as they passed each other, giving her a small boost of confidence. Professor Havi was the boots-on-ground match supervisor today, and he immediately dismissed them to their combat rings. Aida and Lara Lorr were in the ring closest to the third-year class¡¯s seats, and Aida could hear Sue¡¯s bright cheers rising above the cacophony. Lara was a serious girl. Her skin was smooth as porcelain, face a stiff mask, with no smile lines around her angular nose. Knowing that Lara and Dev were cousins, Aida could somewhat see the family resemblance. Lara glanced at Aida, a grudging look of respect in her eyes. ¡°I never got to thank you for humbling Dev the other day. But be sure I won¡¯t make the same mistake of underestimating you.¡± ¡°Appreciate the warning,¡± Aida replied. Dev¡¯s request from earlier in the morning swirled through her thoughts. She hated to admit it, but maybe she should reconcile with Levi - enough to at least be able to ask questions about the social side of Maglica. ¡°Combatants ready,¡± Professor Havi¡¯s voice warbled through. Aida raised her wand, while Lara raised her two hands to her face, elbows out, bending over her hips. Wandless. That doesn¡¯t look standard. ¡°Begin!¡± Lara charged at Aida. Too late, Aida realized Lara had no intention of creating any water at all this match - maybe she intended to avoid using mana entirely. Lara was going to get physical. Flooding her own body with mana, Aida grasped for her adolescent mana surging ability. She managed to barely dodge Lara¡¯s tackle, her fingers latching onto Aida¡¯s jacket enough to send Aida into a tailspin. Panicking, Aida kicked out with her foot, which didn¡¯t do much to dissuade Lara from entering her personal space. Lara lunged at her, catching her around the waist and bringing her down to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. Trapped on the ground, Aida began lashing out with her elbows and knees, striking ineffectually at Lara¡¯s back and head. She was making contact, but she could tell that she wasn¡¯t hurting Lara at all. Below her flailing limbs, she could feel Lara charging her mana. Aida tried disrupting her flow, but Lara easily blocked her attempt, turning her away like a stony-faced guard calmly removing a drunkard from store premises. With one firm stroke, Lara launched her fist into Aida¡¯s ribs. Aida heard the crack before she felt the pain. Screaming just intensified the agony, which made her scream harder. Lara stood over her. ¡°Stay down.¡± Through her pain-induced haze, Aida almost decided to take her advice. She saw all the third-years¡¯ shocked faces in full clarity. Pritchard looked triumphant. Ezra was grim. Caleb looked resigned and sympathetic, and Levi had the courtesy to wince. Sue had leapt out of her seat and was moving her lips, fire raging in her eyes. She was so incensed her hair was lifting around her, surrounding her in an ethereal halo. Sue¡¯s casual words from yesterday floated through her mind. Mental fortitude in battle is more important than physical fortitude. HEAL! Slowly, painstakingly, Aida¡¯s mana realigned her broken ribs, sealing everything together. She knew she had a massive bruise over and around it, but she couldn¡¯t afford to spend the rest of her mana fixing those. She rolled over, climbing to her knees. ¡°Miss Loreh, stay down if you would like the match to end. If you stand up, I will have to let the match continue.¡± Professor Havi had arrived at their ring. Aida stayed on her elbows and knees, still wheezing heavily. ¡°Good. On the count of three¡ª¡° ¡°Wait,¡± she rasped. She dragged one knee under her, propping her hand on it as she pushed herself up. She heard Lara scoff out an ¡°are you serious?¡± behind her. Ignoring her, Aida slowly pushed herself to standing. She turned slowly, wincing at the throbbing pain in her torso. Fortunately, it was more of a dull pain, rather than the sharp pain from earlier. Taking shallow breaths - that seemed to aggravate her internal bruising less - Aida nodded at Professor Havi, who was looking faintly impressed underneath his usual disapproving stare. ¡°Very well. Resuming match.¡± He stepped back. ¡°Aida, don¡¯t be stupid,¡± Lara said softly. Her hands were slowly rising again. ¡°You don¡¯t have enough mana in you to keep going.¡± ¡°If not now, when?¡± Aida returned. She activated her Mana Surge again. Now that she was prepared for it, Lara¡¯s incoming charges were easier to anticipate. Unfortunately, Lara was right. Aida didn¡¯t have the endurance or mana to do much against Lara¡¯s onslaught, let alone counter. Despite the inevitable outcome, Aida focused on reading Lara¡¯s body and mana, seeking to predict her every move. She knew she couldn¡¯t outright win the match, and likely was unable to score a point on her, but Aida set a more modest goal for herself. She was going to get better at observing how people used their mana in conjunction with their bodies. She didn¡¯t have the power to control the stage, but she was going to anticipate their moves before they executed them. Lara wasn¡¯t surging. Perhaps she felt she didn¡¯t need to, but Aida was grateful for the reprieve. Aida watched Lara¡¯s back foot push on the ground, launching herself forward - she was obviously coming towards her, but Aida didn¡¯t know exactly where she would go, let alone where her airborne foot would land. Lara¡¯s mana control was excellent; she didn¡¯t let any of it leak through, so Aida couldn¡¯t tell where, when, or if she was planning on using any mana. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Aida¡¯s focus moved to Lara¡¯s hips and shoulders. There was a bit more of a tell there. The way Lara balanced herself gave some indication of what her next move was. Even the slightest tilt backwards indicated Lara was going to slow down. But it still wasn¡¯t enough. Aida met Lara¡¯s eyes. This. This was where Aida was able to consolidate all the information. Lara¡¯s eyes were fixed on Aida¡¯s, but there was no true desire to hurt her, the way Pritchard so wished to. Lara¡¯s eyes were focused on only one impersonal objective: win the match. Her face turned as she leapt into the air, her long hair streaming behind her like a cape. Her fist pulled back to prime a devastating punch, but her eyes continued tracking Aida¡¯s. She knew she won. She knew Aida was too exhausted to avoid her strike. Her eyelids lowered in a blink. And Aida blasted her with the rest of her mana. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida woke up in the healing ward. It smelled faintly of burnt herbs or incense. It was dim, with only stars and moonlight streaming through the window. The room was silent, and the curtains were drawn around her bed. Aida flexed various parts of her body, feeling no pain; just heavy. Too exhausted to try to deduce what happened to her, Aida opened up her notification boxes.
Congratulations! You have improved the following attributes: FOC: 8 [+5 RP]
Congratulations! You have leveled the following skills: Heal (Lv4) [+6 RP] Mana Surge (Lv2) [+3 RP]
You have enough RP to learn a new Skill. Please select from the following: 1. Detox (Lv1) [5 RP] 2. Water Cage (Lv1) [110 RP] Total RP: 78
Too tired to be pleased about the chunk of RP she earned, she closed out of that notification box to look at the attack logs.
You cast Heal (Lv2) on Self. You have repaired major damage. You have earned 50 EXP in Heal (Lv2). Congratulations! You have reached Heal (Lv3)! You have repaired major damage. You have earned 100 EXP in Heal (Lv3). Congratulations! You have reached Heal (Lv4)! Warning: You are below 30% mana. You cast Mana Surge (Lv1). Your reflexes have increased 170%. Warning: You are below 25% mana. You cast Mana Blast (Lv3). Warning: You are at 0% mana. You have fainted.
Closing out of the battle logs, Aida shifted her head to look out the window. The stars were beautiful, bright and twinkling. They were large, due to the school being in the mountains, Aida supposed. A small draft from the open window at the ceiling made a paper on the end table rustle. She saw her name written across the top of the note. Laboriously pushing herself to a sitting position, she reached for the note with a shaking hand.
Aida, You were amazing! I¡¯m so proud of you. You pushed through a really challenging fight, and knocked yourself out to do it. You¡¯re a blitz! Rest up, and I¡¯ll come see you tomorrow. This is your year! I feel it in my bones. Talk soon, Suelina Sue <3 P.S. Don¡¯t worry, at least your next two matches aren¡¯t going to be as tough as Lara and Dev :)
Finally feeling regret for her recklessness in fighting Lara to the end, Aida sank back into her pillows. She still had two more matches to go. She had no idea what kind of shape she would be in by the time morning rolled around. She cursed herself for her ambition. Try to predict an opponent? When she couldn¡¯t do anything about what they planned to do? What a foolish delusion. Especially against a top-10 student like Lara. She would have been better off staying down like Lara warned her to, and saving her energy against the two remaining Water classmates. She wasn¡¯t even certain the professors would grant her a single point in the match against Lara, so the risk wasn¡¯t even worth it. Would they consider it admirable to stand her ground, or short-sighted to waste all of her mana on one fight everyone already knew she would lose? She probably hobbled herself with this match, and was now on track to lose against Weyn Bure and Lyn Trippe. Depressed anew, she checked her mana levels, and was pleasantly surprised to see they were close to midpoint instead of near empty. Perhaps they were untouched since Lara didn¡¯t use any elemental abilities. Well, I¡¯m already here. No point in beating myself up for something I can¡¯t change. Deciding to make the most of the rest of her night in the healing ward, she settled down to do some Mana Cycling. Chapter 30: About Time? Aida woke up when Healer Luk slid her curtain open. The room was still dim; the sun hadn¡¯t risen yet. She bore a small rectangular tray with a lit candle in it, the flame swaying languidly as if it also wasn¡¯t quite awake yet. She placed the tray on the end table next to Sue¡¯s note. She slid her fingers around Aida¡¯s wrist as she offered a quiet ¡°good morning,¡± feeling Aida¡¯s pulse. Aida felt Healer Luk¡¯s mana, a soft gray the color of rainclouds, dance through her body, probing her vitals. ¡°Better than I expected,¡± Luk said in surprise. ¡°Youth recovers so quickly.¡± ¡°Do I have to be careful in today¡¯s matches?¡± Aida asked, her voice small. ¡°You should always be careful with your health,¡± Luk scolded. ¡°But yes, you shouldn¡¯t push yourself to the level you did yesterday. Your body needs more time to recover.¡± She turned to the tray beside her, sorting through the items in it. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last acupuncture treatment, which should help boost your recovery for today. Do not take it as license to drain yourself again,¡± she warned severely. She pulled down the blanket to expose Aida¡¯s hospital clothes: a baggy white linen top and shorts. She folded the linen top above her ribs, exposing Aida¡¯s belly. With quick and practiced movements, Luk popped needles into Aida¡¯s torso, making her look like a pincushion. From underneath Aida¡¯s bed, she dragged out what looked like a satellite dish, except without the antenna in the middle. She quickly assembled the dish so it attached to a rail on the bed, the dish now suspended over Aida¡¯s belly like a desk lamp. Placing two fingers on top of the lamp, Luk channeled some mana into the gem on top, a comforting warmth washing over Aida¡¯s exposed belly. Satisfied with the temperature, Luk turned back to the remaining items on her tray. Picking up bundles of dried herbs, she held them to the candle, smoking the end of each bundle before dropping them into a small cone that she then placed on the needles. The herbal incense smell Aida noticed last night emanated from the smoking herbs. ¡°Go back to sleep,¡± Luk whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll remove the needles in an hour.¡± Lifting the candle from the tray, Luk returned to the other side of the curtain. Aida was left in the dark, albeit slowly lightening corner. Curious, Aida observed the activity around the needles. She had no idea what the herbs were, but the smolder seemed to release the plants¡¯ inert mana, which was drawn along the needles and fed into her body. The mana seemed to be supplementing her own, feeding her mana energy she didn¡¯t know she was missing. Her own mana seemed to swirl more energetically, flowing through the rest of her body to remove the heaviness: like smoking out buzzy insects, leaving a clear path behind them. Finding the treatment relaxing, Aida closed her eyes, enjoying the peace. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ A gentle brush along her brow drew Aida out of her slumber. Sue was looking down at her with a tender expression. Her expression brightened when she saw Aida wake. ¡°Good morning, ya little weed,¡± Sue teased. She gestured to the side table. ¡°I brought you some breakfast.¡± Giving Sue a small smile, Aida pushed herself up. Sue rushed forward, helping to prop her up. She set the breakfast tray on Aida¡¯s lap, then pulled up a small stool to sit next to her while she ate. ¡°It probably wasn¡¯t a good idea to knock myself out like that yesterday, was it?¡± Aida asked as she ate. ¡°I lost a whole day I could have spent training¡­¡± Sue¡¯s lips twitched. She looked like she was forcibly holding herself back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she finally said soothingly. ¡°It was just a learning experience, after all.¡± ¡°But Healer Luk warned me not to overexert myself against Weyn today,¡± Aida said quietly, lowering her voice so Luk wouldn¡¯t overhear. ¡°I probably had a better chance to score a point on him today if I wasn¡¯t so reckless yesterday¡­¡± Sue couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore. The largest grin Aida had ever seen spread across her face. ¡°But Aida, even if you don¡¯t score a point on Weyn today¡­you scored a point on Lara yesterday!¡± Sue clapped her hands against the side of her thighs in a sitting version of jumping with excitement. ¡°What?¡± Aida asked in disbelief. ¡°Yeah!¡± Sue reached out, clasping Aida¡¯s hand in two of her own. Sue¡¯s mana flickered like fire around Aida¡¯s hand. ¡°You showed everyone your grit. You blasted Lara clear across the ring, she didn¡¯t even touch you. Rumor has it when the instructors were debating whether or not to give you a point, Professor Kozu fought for you to get the point. He said Lara didn¡¯t win decisively, she won just because she was the last person standing.¡± Aida stared at Sue, unable to believe it. Sue nodded importantly, her eyes gleaming like amethysts as she continued narrating. ¡°He said most students nowadays aren¡¯t willing to put their everything on the line, and that they¡¯re ¡®too comfortable demonstrating mediocrity.¡¯¡± Sue leaned back triumphantly. ¡°Professor Lloyd backed him up. He said people need to take risks in order to discover their limits. And breaking perceived limits is how society advances.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°That¡¯s a lot of detailed information from a rumor,¡± Aida said, her smile beginning to mirror Sue¡¯s. ¡°How do we know what the actual truth is?¡± Sue stuck her tongue out. ¡°I asked Professor Kozu about it.¡± She lowered her voice conspiratorially. ¡°He agreed with me you deserve a point, but don¡¯t let it get out that I asked him, okay? People might think I influenced his decision.¡± Sue rolled her eyes. ¡°Did you?¡± Aida asked, her smile feeling more like a grimace now. ¡°Influence his decision?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Sue said indignantly. ¡°He¡¯s the one who said the line about the students demonstrating mediocrity, and Professor Lloyd heard us talking and agreed with us that you deserved the point.¡± ¡°But you talked to them before they posted the results?¡± ¡°Yes, but why does that matter?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± Aida said, looking back down at her breakfast tray. Not anymore. She was hungry, especially since she had missed lunch and dinner the day before, but the steaming curry on her tray was no longer appetizing. ¡°Thanks for updating me on what happened.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Sue pulled back, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small glass jar. ¡°Lily also wanted me to give you this. And this.¡± Aida took the jar and envelope from Sue. Setting the jar next to her rice bowl, she opened up the envelope to a frenetic scrawl.
Hi Aida! I loved that tenacity you showed in the ring yesterday! If I ever manage to breed an inspiration plant, I¡¯m going to name it after you. This is a poultice that¡¯s excellent at speeding bruise recovery time. My own recipe! Give it a try, let me know how it works. Fight on!
Instead of a name signed at the bottom of the note, there was a small detailed drawing of a lily. The steady and precise lines in the drawing were in stark contrast to the rest of the scribbled words. Smiling again, Aida unscrewed the jar and dipped her finger into the paste. Lifting her shirt up, she smeared the paste across her purple ribcage. Immediately upon application, she felt a warming sensation, not dissimilar to the heating lamp Healer Luk used on her, spread underneath her skin. ¡°Wow, Luk¡¯s treatment is impressive,¡± Sue said, observing Aida¡¯s bruising. ¡°If she had left you to heal on your own, your ribs would still be black.¡± Before Aida could respond, the curtain opened, revealing Ezra. His eyes lingered on her exposed ribs, and Aida hastily pulled her shirt back down. ¡°Hey, Ezra!¡± Sue chirped. She stood up, grabbing his sleeve and pushing him into the stool she had just abandoned. She grabbed another stool and sat down next to him. ¡°We were just talking about how Aida¡¯s recovering quite nicely after yesterday¡¯s match.¡± Ezra nodded, now looking at Aida¡¯s untouched food. ¡°You should be eating.¡± Aida picked her spoon up. Ezra and Sue made for a very nice pairing in the morning light. The silver in Ezra¡¯s hair and eyes complemented Sue¡¯s golden, shimmery hair and aura. Aida chewed without tasting her food, trying to avoid looking at the pair. ¡°What is your plan for your match today?¡± Ezra finally asked quietly. He was still intently focused on Aida. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Aida said, her spoon dangling in the air. She laughed, hearing the embarrassment in her own voice. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can handle a hand-to-hand match.¡± Ezra nodded slowly. He never took his eyes off of her. ¡°If I were Weyn, I¡¯d go for a physical match,¡± Sue said thoughtfully. ¡°He would be banking on you having been weakened by Lara. But he¡¯s also not that talented of a brawler, so it¡¯s hard to say how he¡¯ll decide his strategy. He¡¯s always trying to act bigger than he is though, which is ridiculous given how tall he is.¡± She shook her head in amusement. ¡°What do you think?¡± Aida asked Ezra. ¡°I think,¡± Ezra said slowly. ¡°That you should fight in the way you feel most confident.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Aida drifted off. She wasn¡¯t confident in any style. She had never been in a physical fight before, and she already knew she wasn¡¯t good at the casting side of things. The one win she had against Levan was pure luck, and Weyn Bure was ranked higher than Levan, in the top half of the class. ¡°Do what feels most comfortable,¡± Ezra said. He reached out and touched Aida¡¯s shoulder briefly. ¡°Your mana is agitated and unstable, which won¡¯t help your performance. When you are forced into a challenge, at least strive to be balanced. You¡¯ll be most capable of an optimal response when you are calm.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sue said slowly. ¡°I find I always do better when I¡¯m fired up.¡± ¡°People have different constitutions,¡± Ezra said calmly. ¡°What works for you may not work for Aida.¡± ¡°Thank you for your advice, Ezra,¡± Aida said quickly, seeing Sue open her mouth to argue back. Sue seemed startled at being interrupted. ¡°Thank you for your view as well, Sue. I¡¯ll take both your opinions into account.¡± Sue settled back, mollified. Aida continued spooning at her food. ¡°Miss Heslia, Mister Riolt, please make your way to the combat arena,¡± Healer Luk said, peering around the curtain. ¡°Miss Loreh needs to get changed as well.¡± ¡°Oh, of course - we¡¯ll wait for you outside,¡± Sue said brightly to Aida. She slipped past Luk, followed by Ezra. Luk came in, bearing Aida¡¯s athletic wear from yesterday, freshly laundered. She pulled Aida¡¯s curtain to give her some privacy, then puttered around on the other side as she gathered her things. Aida changed quickly, aware that Luk had no intention or desire to walk down to the combat ring with a student - not that she wanted to make small talk with an established adult, either. Adults were more likely to be suspicious of unusual behaviors. Exiting the room with a quick thanks to Healer Luk and a reassurance that she wouldn¡¯t overexert herself again today, Aida shut the door behind her and sped out into the hallway, where she saw Sue smiling sweetly at a pink-cheeked Ezra. Chapter 31: Match 4 Aida skidded to a stop, and her sudden appearance seemed to take Ezra and Sue by surprise as well. Ezra broke away from Sue, while Sue beamed and came towards Aida, reaching out to grab her by the hand. ¡°You came out sooner than we expected! Let¡¯s walk together.¡± Ezra¡¯s cheeks were still pink. Letting Sue pull her along, Aida could only keep looking at Ezra. He seemed unable to meet her eyes, acting more like school-Caleb than the stoic Ezra she first met. It was only when she had finally been pulled past him did he finally turn his head - only to look after Sue with the slightest hint of respect in his face. Aida felt a small part of her wither away. The familiar feeling was absolutely unwelcome. She chastised herself for feeling that way. You knew that he was a male lead, and it was only a matter of time until Sue activated the romance events. The thought Aida had been keeping at the back of her head, refusing to acknowledge, finally forced its way to the front. How will being Sue¡¯s friend affect the rest of my life? It was one thing to be overlooked; Annie was used to that. But there was a certain special pain associated with losing a friend due to them finding that special someone. Part resignation, part jealousy. No matter how she convinced herself it wasn¡¯t anybody¡¯s fault, she couldn¡¯t help but feel abandoned. The same song and dance all over again. ¡°AIDA! How are you feeling?¡± Channeling the working professional Annie had come to rely on, she smiled at Lily, who had bounced down the stands to walk with her and Sue. ¡°I¡¯m doing well, thanks for asking. I got your bruise medicine and note, thank you so much.¡± ¡°Did it help?¡± Lily asked eagerly. ¡°It did! Aida¡¯s bruises went from purple to green as soon as she applied it,¡± Sue informed her. Lily clapped her hands. ¡°It¡¯s working better than I expected!¡± Lily leaned closer, pulling Aida down so that she could look into her eyes with an uncharacteristically concerned expression. ¡°Look, you really were impressive in all of your matches so far. But please, please please please, be more careful. There¡¯s no shame in stopping and resting. You¡¯ve already come so much further than¡­all of us expected, honestly.¡± Lily¡¯s last words were tinged with shame. The words of concern cracked Working Professional. Shoving the bubbling emotions back down, Aida smiled brightly at Lily. ¡°Thanks for your concern. I¡¯ll be more careful today.¡± Lily nodded uncertainly, stepping back. She gave Aida a small fistpump. Grabbing Aida around the shoulders, Sue gave her a tight hug. ¡°You got this,¡± she whispered in Aida¡¯s ears. She also stepped back from Aida, leaving her at the combat gate. ¡°Come along,¡± Professor Kozu said. He was a man of average height, with a lean, wiry build. He had a burn scar around one eye, which was usually covered by a mop of charcoal-black hair. Despite his intimidating red pupils, he gave Aida a kind smile. ¡°Mister Bure is already in the ring you two will fight in.¡± Aida entered the combat ring, where a tall boy with black hair and ocean-blue eyes stood waiting. He looked at her with assessing eyes. ¡°You look well this morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been better.¡± Aida met Weyn¡¯s gaze.
Character Profile: Weyn Bure Elemental Affinity: Water Class Rank: 14/30
¡°You¡¯re looking forward to this match, aren¡¯t you?¡± Aida asked softly. Weyn blinked. ¡°I¡¯ve been hurt pretty badly by Lara. You¡¯re going to try and take advantage of my physical condition, and overpower me with raw strength, aren¡¯t you?¡± Weyn flushed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the smart thing to do.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Smart. But not impressive, is it?¡± Aida gazed at Weyn, unblinking. ¡°It would definitely look smart to everybody else, to take physical advantage of a girl half your size, at half her strength, already weakened by another girl.¡± Aida released a dramatic sigh. ¡°Not to mention she¡¯s ranked last in the class. I guess I¡¯m going to get manhandled again today¡­just don¡¯t hurt me too much, okay? I promise I won¡¯t put up as much of a fight against you.¡± Weyn had been turning redder and redder with every word Aida spoke. Before he could say anything, Professor Kozu had already yelled ¡°START!¡± Weyn screamed, firing a barrage of Water Blasts at Aida. ¡°I don¡¯t need physical strength to take you down!¡± Aida skimmed off the edges of the watery projectiles, the layer that Weyn¡¯s mana didn¡¯t fully control. She held onto her handful of water as she turned her body, letting the water hit her hunched form as she let out a cry. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t able to gather the rest of the water that Weyn had shot at her before it seeped into the ground and clothes. Once the water soaked into a more substantial material, it was trapped there, and Aida didn¡¯t have the skill nor mana to pull it all out again. Deciding to make do with the water she had already collected, Aida straightened, her lone orb orbiting her. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°You¡¯re a cheater!¡± Weyn roared, seeing her take advantage of his attack. ¡°A filthy, stupid¡ª¡° Aida cut several Mana Blasts at him, surging to boost her speed. Weyn, in his unfiltered rage took the Mana Blasts entirely. Aida ran at him, the orb streaking along with her. By the time Weyn had recovered from the Mana Blasts - which were essentially just slaps to the face to him, more startling and distracting than actually painful - Aida had already crossed the ring and had already fired her watery orb at him at short range. The water made contact, as a ball of ice the size of Aida¡¯s fist that slammed into his forehead. Weyn tripped backwards, more shocked than hurt. Incensed, he began gathering his mana from the ground. Aida flung her hand out, seeing her opportunity to disrupt his mana. Inadvertently, her hand whipped Weyn across the face. A spike of pain radiated across her palm. ¡°Ouch!¡± Fortunately, Aida¡¯s concentration broke only after she had managed to spear into Weyn¡¯s mana, wholly disrupting his gathering. Weyn was turning red; he just realized what happened. Aida danced back from him, shaking her hand out. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to hit you like that,¡± Aida said apologetically. The skin on her palm and fingers felt numb, now that the pain from the initial impact had faded. She truly hadn¡¯t planned to slap him; she had never slapped anybody before, so didn¡¯t brace for any impact. She was expecting to gently touch him, or something. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me!¡± Weyn shouted. He lunged at her, and this time Aida went down. Aida struggled underneath him, but Weyn was too large and strong. His hands caught her wrists, and he pressed down, so that she couldn¡¯t move. He squeezed, and Aida¡¯s wand fell from her fingers. Aida kicked, but he was straddling her waist, so she couldn¡¯t even kick him. Aida tried surging, but Weyn had finally gotten ahold of his emotions, and was able to realize what she was trying to do and matched her surge, effectively negating whatever advantages she might have had. He glared down at her. Looking up at Weyn, with his look of pure anger directed at her, Aida felt a primal fear run through her body. She wet her lips, trying to get control of her shaking. ¡°¡­yield.¡± Weyn lifted her from the ground and slammed her down again. ¡°You don¡¯t get to yield,¡± he hissed. ¡°You¡¯re going to stay through the rest of it.¡± ¡°I yield!¡± Aida screamed, terrified. ¡°Mister Bure, your opponent yields. Release her,¡± Professor Kozu commanded. ¡°I refuse!¡± Weyn bellowed. His cold control over his anger faltered, and he began shouting over Professor Kozu as he raised a fist. ¡°SHE INSULTED¡ª¡± Professor Kozu blasted Weyn off of Aida. With the sudden release from her prison, Aida curled into a small ball, unable to stop shaking. She barely registered Professor Kozu calling for the healer, and only responded after he had called her name several times. ¡°Miss Loreh, can you hear me?¡± Aida nodded. She was now sitting upright, looking into Professor Kozu¡¯s red eyes. He lifted his hands from her shoulders, and she felt her mental clarity recede. Seeing her fall back into shock, Professor Kozu reached out a finger, touching the back of the hand that was clutched around her shoulder. Aida felt herself focusing again as he fed her a trickle of his mana. ¡°Miss Loreh, are you all right?¡± Aida nodded, fighting to box her emotions away, to control her shivering. ¡°Can you tell me what your intention was? You know the Academy does not look kindly upon disrespectful behavior.¡± ¡°I expected him to capitalize on the fact that I¡¯m still weakened from my fight with Lara yesterday, and I know I don¡¯t stand a chance of beating him physically,¡± Aida mumbled. ¡°I thought my best chance at evening the playing field was if I made him upset enough to use mana, to create water so I could use his water against him¡­and preserve my own mana. I¡­wasn¡¯t expecting him to get¡­like that.¡± Part of her wanted to protest that Weyn was overreacting over a little bit of trash talk - she hadn¡¯t even said anything wrong or malicious, after all. Or even insulted him personally - how could she have expected he would respond the way he did? Professor Kozu¡¯s one good brow had been lifting with every word Aida spoke. ¡°Let me make sure I understand correctly. After taking into account your current condition, you decided the best path forward was to knowingly provoke your classmate. On the off chance that he might get angry enough to create water that you could use yourself.¡± ¡°I¡­I also thought it would be easier to disrupt his mana if he was already unfocused,¡± Aida admitted. She convulsed, as if her body was trying to remind her that she was no longer physically trapped. Professor Kozu was silent for a long moment, looking at her with pity. ¡°Very well. It is the student¡¯s responsibility to think through the consequences of their actions, and in order to move on peacefully I believe an apology is in order,¡± he finally said. He waved over Healer Luk, who had been standing a respectful distance away while they spoke. ¡°Try and get yourself together while I calm Mister Bure down. She has something to say to him,¡± he said to Luk, who nodded. ¡°Silly girl,¡± Luk muttered. ¡°What were you thinking?¡± ¡°I know,¡± Aida said softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Luk tsked. ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should be apologizing to. I can only take care of physical ailments, not spiritual ailments.¡± Weyn approached, glowering. Professor Kozu had a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping him restrained. ¡°Miss Loreh, you had something to say?¡± Aida took a deep breath, willing herself not to flinch when she met Weyn¡¯s fierce glare. She felt herself begin trembling again as his mana boiled over her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I said what I said. I said it because I was trying to gain an unfair advantage over you, and I¡¯m ashamed I had to resort to that tactic. I also really didn¡¯t mean to slap you, I was only trying to touch you, to disrupt your mana, but I - I don¡¯t have good control over my body, so I accidentally hit you instead. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Aida babbled, trying to cover all her bases so that he''d stop. Weyn continued to glowering at her, taking vindictive joy in seeing her lose her composure before Professor Kozu prompted him to respond with a shake of the shoulder. ¡°Fine. Forgiven. Whatever.¡± The look he gave her was not convincing. He winced as Professor Kozu gripped his shoulder sternly. He finally relented, giving Aida a wary look. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry for not containing my emotions. I went too far. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He shrugged off Professor Kozu¡¯s hand and stalked back to the stands. Kozu looked after him, frowning, but didn''t stop him. ¡°Does Miss Loreh need any healing?¡± Kozu asked Luk. She shook her head. ¡°Her injuries today are much more minor than the previous days. Only time will tell¡­¡± she drifted off, exchanging a meaningful glance with Kozu. ¡°Come along, dear,¡± her voice was uncharacteristically gentle. ¡°Go sit in the stands and watch the rest of the matches.¡± Chapter 32: Downhill Momentum Sue met Aida at the gate, squeezing past the Wood cohort in order to be the first one to pull her from the ring. She rubbed Aida¡¯s shoulders as she consoled her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you still put on a great performance,¡± Sue said soothingly. ¡°At least the worst of it is over. Tomorrow¡¯s the last match, and you¡¯re not hurt today. Flare up!¡± Aida didn¡¯t even know what to say. She felt numb. She didn¡¯t know what to think. She was just glad she wasn¡¯t in the ring anymore. She didn¡¯t even care about the matches anymore. Why did she provoke Weyn like that? She had the life experience. She should have anticipated a volatile response from a teenager - her interactions with the leads and Pritchard had made her think everyone in this world was predictable. Out in the real world, she had always been careful to not draw attention to herself, because she had crossed paths with and seen people go through psychotic breaks. All it took was one innocent mistake, one unintended stumble into someone¡¯s path, and you could expect a screaming maniac following you for three blocks, or worse. She had always managed to extricate herself safely, but she had never been grabbed and so utterly overpowered before. She had to admit to herself: because she got teleported into this world, she thought she would be safe. After all, nobody ever got hurt from playing a video game. Video games weren¡¯t real. But when Weyn forced his whole body weight on her, and she couldn¡¯t do anything about it, that was when she realized she really was a nobody in this world. Just like in her real life. Not even Sue¡¯s Main Character plot armor would extend to her. Caleb touched her shoulder. Aida flinched. ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked softly. She focused on him. Sue was filing out to the combat ring, taking her place with the rest of the cohort, and Levi was coming back to them. She had totally missed the Wood match. Aida forced a bright smile on her face. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± she reassured him. ¡°Are we still on for training this afternoon? I missed yesterday¡¯s session, so I really think we should make it up today!¡± Caleb glanced at her hesitantly. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need some more rest?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m good,¡± Aida insisted. ¡°Besides, I really need to strengthen my body, so that¡ª¡° Aida cut herself off. What could she even do? The easiest answer was obviously don¡¯t get caught, but what would she do if she got caught again? Should she focus on her mana, make herself so powerful that everyone would get blasted back if they came too close? But she was already so far behind compared to everybody else. Maybe Caleb knew some grappling moves, and could teach her how to get out of such a position again? After all, he was training grappling with Sue. She had never had time in the real world to take any women¡¯s self-defense classes, and those classes usually taught women how to get out of larger and stronger men¡¯s grips. But surely the existence of those classes meant that it was possible for women to fight their way out of an impossible situation? ¡°It¡¯s okay, she¡¯s fine, just give her some time,¡± Sue was saying to Lily. She had returned to Aida¡¯s side, and Caleb was now in the combat ring. Aida shook her head. She kept zoning out. ¡°Hi Lily!¡± Aida said brightly. ¡°How did your match go?¡± ¡°It was okay,¡± Lily said hesitantly, clearly unnerved. She peered at Aida, before leaning over to whisper to Sue. Sue bit her lip and shook her head, looking back at Aida with concern. ¡°What is it?¡± Aida asked. ¡°Do you want a sleeping brew tonight?¡± Lily asked nonchalantly. ¡°I bet you didn¡¯t sleep well last night, since you were in the hospital bed. I can give you something for tonight so you can fully rest up. You know, finish off strong for tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so thoughtful, I think it¡¯s a great idea,¡± Aida agreed mechanically, her cheeks aching. Lily and Sue glanced at each other. ¡°Excellent, I¡¯ll bring you something at dinner!¡± Lily said with forced cheer. ¡°Great match!¡± she reached out to pat Aida¡¯s shoulder, but at Aida¡¯s flinch she immediately pulled her arm back into an awkward L shape, bent at the elbow. Giving a robotic wave with her stiff elbow, Lily slowly backed away, as if she was afraid to startle a dangerous beast. ¡°Aida, do you want to go rest in your room for the rest of the day?¡± Sue asked her quietly, looking at her with concern. ¡°I think you should.¡± ¡°No, I really should be training,¡± Aida said decisively. ¡°I need to make up for yesterday.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°There¡¯s always this upcoming restday to catch up. You should take today off,¡± Sue coaxed. Aida shook her head firmly. ¡°There¡¯s one more match tomorrow, so I can¡¯t rest quite yet.¡± ¡°If Aida doesn¡¯t want to rest, I don¡¯t think we should convince her to rest,¡± Levi piped up. He leaned forward from his seat behind Sue and Aida. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to do physical training with Caleb. It won¡¯t hurt to review some basic theory. I can help.¡± Sue looked at Levi apprehensively. ¡°I can help her review in her room.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s theory, I don¡¯t think either of you are qualified to help,¡± Ezra butted in. He was apparently sitting behind Levi. Levi¡¯s expression froze over, but he refused to acknowledge Ezra¡¯s remark. ¡°Aida, what do you want to do?¡± Sue asked anxiously. All of the focus was now on her. Aida bit her lip, thinking. She definitely didn¡¯t want to be alone with Levi. Her head hurt too much from trying to guess his motives, and she didn¡¯t want to spend her night playing political chess. However, she also didn¡¯t want to spend time with Sue; Sue meant well, but her plucky energy was just¡­too much for her to handle right now. She normally wouldn¡¯t have minded spending time with Ezra - especially because the amount of knowledge he had was fascinating. But she couldn¡¯t stop thinking of the pink flush on his face from this morning when he looked at Sue. Aida almost decided on training with Caleb, but then she caught herself. Caleb was a big guy; not quite as tall as Weyn, but significantly thicker. If they really were to work on grappling¡­she shivered, imagining a faceless man of massive bulk holding her down. When she put Caleb¡¯s open and sweet face over the shadowy figure¡­Aida shook her head violently, trying to clear her mind from that image. He doesn¡¯t deserve that. Maybe¡­she should just be alone today? Work on her Mana Circulation, maybe do some burpees, like when she first started in this world. Use the rest of her mana to heal up her body as much as she could in preparation for tomorrow. And then she could think. Aida didn¡¯t want to think. She wanted to do something. Something productive. She looked up from her hands. Everyone was looking at her, all with varying levels of concern. Aida locked her eyes on Levi. ¡°I want to train with Levi today.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida followed the crowd of students back to the cafeteria for lunch in a haze. Everyone had accepted her decision to train with Levi today with minimal protests. Sue had tried to persuade Aida to let her join Levi with the training, but Aida flatly refused. Sue then made Levi promise he wouldn¡¯t mess with Aida, while Levi and Ezra exchanged smug and dark looks, respectively. Caleb looked relieved that he didn¡¯t have to be responsible for her, while also uneasy about her peppiness. Aida was at the watering cups again when Pritchard sauntered up to her. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see someone finally put you in your place,¡± he said loftily, leaning against the water bar. ¡°I only wish you had learned that lesson earlier.¡± He shook his head in mock regret. He leaned forward when she didn¡¯t answer, snapping his fingers in her face. ¡°Hey!¡± Aida startled. ¡°Oh, Pritchard. Hello.¡± ¡°Did you even hear what I said?¡± he demanded, the corners of his mouth literally turning down in an upside-down U shape. ¡°Uh, something about learning¡­¡± Aida said vaguely. She blinked, seeming to realize who was actually standing in front of her. ¡°Are you here to gloat?¡± Pritchard gaped at her, utterly deflated. ¡°Okay, sure, no problem,¡± Aida said, taking a deep breath. Held it. ¡°Hey, you know what¡¯s weird? I got a lecture today about disrespecting my fellow classmates, and how this Academy doesn¡¯t look on that kind of behavior favorably, which I would imagine would have deterred your behavior, but you¡¯re still being a right little bitch any chance you can get. Is it because the school thinks you¡¯re harmless?¡± Aida peered at Pritchard, furrowing her brow as if deep in thought. She shrugged. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m not in a position to refute them. Now if you don¡¯t mind, I have more important things to deal with.¡± Turning back to the water jugs, Aida sedately poured herself a cup of water. Picking up her cup, she tried to sidestep Pritchard with a polite ¡°pardon me.¡± Pritchard refused to cooperate. Smacking the cup out of her hands, Pritchard screeched at her incoherently. ¡°Will you please shut up and use your words?¡± Aida asked rudely. Turning back to the water bar, she proceeded to pour herself another cup before Pritchard snatched the whole pitcher away from her. ¡°You WILL stop disrespecting me!¡± Pritchard screamed, slamming the pitcher down on the bar, splashing everything. Aida grimaced. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to respect you when you¡¯re acting like this¡­¡± ¡°STOP IT!¡± Pritchard howled, reaching towards her, his fingers crooked like talons. Aida had had enough. Pritchard¡¯s ruckus was ear-piercing and obnoxious, and after all she went through this past week, she just wanted some goddamn peace and quiet. ¡°YOU STOP IT,¡± she yelled back, swinging her foot towards him. Her shin soared between Pritchard¡¯s legs, making contact with something squishy. Pritchard¡¯s eyes bulged, and his face turned from red to blue. He slumped with a quiet ¡°Eep.¡± Aida¡¯s eyes widened. She tried to pull her leg back, but it was clamped firmly between Pritchard¡¯s thighs. ¡°What is going on?!¡± Professor Havi¡¯s gravelly voice cut through the commotion in the cafeteria. He glared at Aida, who pulled futilely at her foot. He reached down, pulling Pritchard up with strength Aida would never have expected from a man his age. ¡°Miss Loreh, come with me.¡± Slowly setting her cup down, Aida trudged after Professor Havi. She saw Sue detach herself from the crowd, rushing up to the three of them. ¡°Professor Havi, it wasn¡¯t Aida¡¯s fault. Pritchard has been doing stuff like this for a while now¡ª¡° ¡°Now is not the time, Miss Heslia,¡± Professor Havi said sharply. His flyaway hair seemed to vibrate in anger. ¡°We will bring this to the school council and sort this out.¡± Shrugging at Sue, Aida waved farewell as she left the dining hall. Chapter 33: Spark Professor Havi impatiently shooed Aida into the instructors¡¯ lounge before dragging Pritchard in with him. Shutting the door firmly behind them, he lead the two students into the center. It seemed all of the professors were already present, looking curiously at them. The room, like the rest of the school¡¯s architecture, had tall windows that reached up to the ceiling. Five individual cubicles were spaced along the walls of the room, and in the center was a large round table with six ornate chairs around it. Four of the chairs were currently occupied by the professors, stacks of papers in front of them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Professor Lloyd asked quizzically. His clever dark eyes took in Pritchard¡¯s sulk and pinched legs, and Aida¡¯s neat and demure stance. ¡°I caught Miss Loreh assaulting Mister Spoak in the dining hall,¡± Professor Havi said aggressively. ¡°It had escalated to such a point I thought it prudent to bring them both in here.¡± ¡°What caused this?¡± Professor Gemma asked in concern. Her deep brown eyes bounced between Aida and Pritchard. ¡°Miss Loreh, what happened?¡± Before Aida could speak, Professor Havi cut in. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what happened, what matters is that she committed such an act. You know our policy says students are not to fight each other or cause such harm outside of the approved combat matches.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Aida asked loudly. Professor Havi looked scandalized by her rebellious attitude. ¡°Did Pritchard receive any punishment when he attacked me last star cycle in the cafeteria during breakfast?¡± ¡°Mister Spoak attacked you?¡± Professor Kozu asked curiously. ¡°Yes,¡± Aida said defensively. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d be the one to initiate a fight?¡± ¡°Given what we¡¯ve seen in the ring today, I believe it¡¯s plausible,¡± Professor Havi said severely, despite the raised eyebrows on Professors Lloyd and Gemma¡¯s faces as they conceded her point. ¡°Anyway, we are not discussing what happened last star cycle. We are discussing what happened today. Just now.¡± ¡°Pritchard still started it,¡± Aida said. ¡°I did not!¡± Pritchard said shrilly. ¡°She disrespected me first!¡± ¡°You approached me during lunch today, while I was minding my own business, to gloat about how I lost the match this morning. Did you not?¡± Aida¡¯s voice had been growing louder and louder with every word to drown out Pritchard¡¯s attempted interruptions. ¡°You¡¯ve been disrespecting me since last sun cycle!¡± Pritchard accused, approaching Aida and thrusting a threatening finger at her. ¡°We¡¯re discussing what happened today,¡± Aida shot back. ¡°Just now.¡± She gestured at Pritchard¡¯s finger still quivering in her face, in case the professors had missed it. ¡°You see this? Is this not considered intimidation?¡± ¡°Quiet, please.¡± Professor Bruce finally spoke. Just like always, he was the most collected in the room. ¡°If we are to discover the truth of the matter and pass the proper judgment, we must question them separately.¡± He steepled his fingertips together, looking faintly aggrieved. ¡°Professor Gemma, can you please speak to Mister Spoak? As for Miss Loreh, I can¡ª¡° ¡°Don¡¯t overexert yourself, Bruce,¡± Professor Kozu interrupted. ¡°I will speak to Miss Loreh.¡± Professor Kozu stood up, gesturing at Aida to follow him. Professor Bruce looked relieved. Leading her to what she presumed was his cubicle right in a corner next to the windows, Professor Kozu casually pressed open a hidden door, inviting Aida into a tiny conference room with a single round table and two chairs. On one wall was a window, and on the opposite wall was a blackboard. Professor Kozu pulled out a chair and sat, indicating for Aida to do the same. Aida sat, waiting for him to speak. Professor Kozu appeared in no rush to begin the conversation, instead considering her deeply. Finally, he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. ¡°It sounds like there is a complicated history between you and Mister Spoak. So, please allow me to first explain what Professor Havi¡¯s motivation is in trying to draw a conclusion as quickly as possible, and then if you may, please provide as succinct of a summary of what happened between you two.¡± Aida nodded cautiously. Professor Kozu continued. ¡°Excellent. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, Maglica Academy has a Code of Conduct that we expect all pupils to adhere to. The most important of which is that we are not to attack each other outside of sanctioned matches, which are closely supervised in order to mitigate injuries as much as possible, such as during our placement matches for this star cycle and next.¡± Aida nodded in agreement. ¡°The second most important Code is that we respect our peers equally. After all, one-fifth of the population is born with the ability to harness mana, and of that one-fifth, a further one-fifth have the aptitude to wield their mana at a young age. Among this fifth of a fifth of population, we only select thirty adolescents every year to bring into the fold to hone their abilities, with the goal of drawing out your full potentials. As such, it is imperative that we foster a culture of camaraderie, as you will find that when you graduate, the only other people who may be able to help you are other Maglica alumni.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Aida was frowning by now. She didn¡¯t like the messaging that the school¡¯s culture was steeped this deeply in exclusivity. But given that Maglica was essentially a high-end boarding school with a very generous scholarship program for their students, she supposed she couldn¡¯t criticize the school too much. Maybe this was how they encouraged the student body to work hard and not take their place at the school for granted. Professor Kozu was still speaking. ¡°This is why Professor Havi is so quick to dole out punishment, and close the matter. He believes in making strict examples of students who do not adhere to the Codes. However.¡± Professor Kozu paused here, picking his words carefully. ¡°I do not believe it prudent to adhere so rigidly to the philosophy that students should be¡­so strictly corralled in their actions.¡± He looked at her gravely. ¡°A healthy forest ecosystem requires that all plants in that environment coexist with each other, each plant understanding its place so it does not overtake its neighbor. That is Professor Havi¡¯s guiding principle, that manual pruning is required to achieve optimal results.¡± Professor Kozu¡¯s red eyes glowed, turning from its normal oxblood color to crimson. ¡°I, however¡­believe that healthy competition is required to grow a stronger forest. Even if that means the forest has to be burned down to make way for new growth.¡± Aida stared at him, intimidated. Professor Kozu¡¯s eyes simmered back to a dark red. ¡°All that to say, I¡¯m curious: given that we already had a discussion about respecting our classmates this morning, why did you decide to provoke another student?¡± ¡°Because your rules are stupid.¡± Professor Kozu raised his good eyebrow. ¡°If the Codes really were as important as Professor Havi believed it to be, then Pritchard should have been reprimanded or disciplined for his behavior already. Since nothing has been done after he Quaked me in the dining hall on the first day of school - ask anyone - the only conclusion I can draw is that I can¡¯t depend on the school to protect me.¡± Aida felt tears start forming at the corner of her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she continued fiercely. ¡°And I know and accept that I can¡¯t live life expecting someone else to protect me - to prune back Pritchard - and that I need to learn to protect myself.¡± Professor Kozu bowed his head. Aida finally noticed her hands were shaking. She tucked her hands under her armpits, only to discover that her entire body was shaking. ¡°I¡¯m impressed,¡± he finally said, lifting his head. His eyes were compassionate. ¡°Usually, Water types are placid. Much like how water conforms to the container it is poured in, Water practitioners don¡¯t complain when they get pushed around. They bow their heads and continue on with their lives. But based on your explanations today, I don¡¯t believe - contrary to Professor Havi¡¯s opinion - that you were being rash and impulsive, in need of ¡®clipping.¡¯ I believe you made rational decisions in the heat of the moment; they may not have panned out exactly as you expected, but that is due to inexperience. What¡¯s important is that you have the will to commit to those decisions.¡± Aida was at a loss for words. She wasn¡¯t expecting to find an ally in Professor Kozu, especially without Sue around to grease the wheels. ¡°Very good,¡± he said, standing up. ¡°Let us return to the lounge. I¡¯m sure you are hungry, and we teachers have much to discuss.¡± ¡°Professor, what¡­what would you have done?¡± Aida asked. He paused at the door. She elaborated, ¡°I mean¡­if you were in my position, getting bullied, knowing you shouldn¡¯t act out but there¡¯s no other way to stop it¡­¡± Professor Kozu returned to his chair. He lifted his hand to the burn scar on his eye. ¡°Believe it or not, I was bullied when I was also a student at Maglica.¡± Aida stared, surprised. He seemed so self-assured, and not at all like she would expect of a bully victim. Then again, she didn¡¯t think she would get targeted as well. ¡°Oh, this wasn¡¯t caused by my tormentor,¡± Kozu said lightly, mistaking her consternation for his injury. ¡°I did this to myself - which I¡¯m sure is surprising. How incompetent does a Fire practitioner have to be, in order to burn himself?¡± he chuckled ruefully. ¡°I never thought that,¡± Aida said quickly. He placed his hands together as if in prayer and dipped his head in a light bow, thanking her for her confidence. ¡°I did what you did. My tormenter was also an Earth boy, funnily enough. And as I¡¯m sure you can imagine, his ability to absorb Fire was naturally high¡­so in order to warn him off, I had to sacrifice something in order to produce a fire hot enough to give him a lasting reminder I was not to be trifled with.¡± Kozu looked deep into Aida¡¯s eyes, trying to make sure she understood the full import of his words. ¡°My injury is not a source of shame, Miss Loreh. Rather, it is a reminder to myself of what I am capable of - and to bear in mind the potential consequences before I act.¡± Kozu gripped Aida¡¯s shoulder firmly. ¡°Despite everything that has happened today, I encourage you to remember that you have achieved what few others have. You fought for yourself, even when the situation seemed hopeless. Especially when the situation seemed hopeless. Not many others can say they have the courage to fight in the face of extreme adversity.¡± Aida felt a spark ignite in her heart. For her whole life, she¡¯d been going with the flow, accepting that she would never have the chance to attempt something amazing without question. Her justification was always that she just didn¡¯t have the resources - time, money, energy¡­freedom. But Professor Kozu verbalized an important concept for her, releasing the dam that she had built around her heart years ago. Sacrifice. She chose to sacrifice her dreams, her opportunities, in order to help her family make ends meet. It had been the right decision. She loved her parents, and she wouldn¡¯t have chosen otherwise if she could go back in time. Her heart panged at the vision of their smiling faces, even as she felt herself relax for the first time ever since she could remember. But as Aida Loreh, she had true freedom. The stakes were much lower. She was already in an exclusive system, ready to be pumped out of this world¡¯s Ivy League with all its prestige. She could afford to experiment with her actions here. She had time to maximize her skills and ability; she didn¡¯t have any debt to worry about. She didn¡¯t have to focus on surviving - she could spend her time doing what she wanted, guilt-free. Almost as if he was able to witness Aida¡¯s evolution, Kozu clapped her on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else this, but I am wholeheartedly impressed by your performance in the placement matches so far. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would think you were a Fire instead of a Water.¡± Chapter 34: Onwards Pritchard and Professor Gemma were already waiting in the teacher¡¯s lounge when Aida and Professor Kozu returned. Pritchard was red-faced and sulky, but seemed much calmer. Professor Gemma was impassive. She nodded imperceptibly to Professor Kozu. ¡°Well?¡± Professor Havi asked impatiently. ¡°Mistakes were made on both sides,¡± Kozu said serenely. ¡°But I believe it was a good learning opportunity for Miss Loreh.¡± ¡°Very good,¡± Gemma said, relieved. ¡°Mister Spoak has something he¡¯d like to say.¡± Shuffling forward at her stern look, Pritchard faced Aida, keeping his gaze on his shoes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for antagonizing you,¡± he mumbled. Surprised, Aida didn¡¯t speak for a moment. Kozu nudged her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hurt you,¡± she finally replied. Technically true, Aida reflected. In every sense. ¡°All right, very good,¡± Professor Bruce said briskly, before anyone else could speak. ¡°Now that we have this settled, can we make an agreement so that something like this doesn¡¯t happen again?¡± Both Aida and Pritchard nodded. Havi looked disgruntled, but was unable to resist the tide. The rest of the professors were unwilling to pursue further disciplinary action - probably because they didn¡¯t want to do any paperwork. Professor Lloyd led the the two of them to the door, smiling and bidding them a good day. Aida saw several students lined up in the hallway when she stepped out. On the left was Sue, Levi, Caleb, and Ezra; on the right was Pritchard¡¯s group, with Dev standing closest to the door. She blinked; the way they stood reminded her of - gangsters, she decided. Gangsters waiting for their mob boss. Every single one of them stood with their feet shoulder-width apart, their hands clasped behind their backs, long-suffering expressions on their faces. Sue smiled when she saw Aida step out, breaking her composure. She threw a last dirty look at Pritchard and his group before sweeping Aida under her arm and bundling her away. Before Sue spun her around, Aida saw Dev relax, watching her out of the corner of his eye. Sue waited until they had turned the corner before pulling out a small bun. ¡°Here you go, I was expecting Havi to hold you two all through lunch, and I was right¡­¡± Aida bit into the bun gratefully. ¡°Were you really just standing in the hallway this whole time? You all looked so silly,¡± she teased. Small smiles appeared on everybody¡¯s faces. ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t want to cause a scene with Pritchard¡¯s boys,¡± Levi said playfully. ¡°They didn¡¯t want to start anything anyway,¡± Caleb added. ¡°What happened in there?¡± Ezra asked. Aida shrugged casually as she continued chewing. ¡°Havi wanted to pin everything on me, but then Kozu and Gemma took me and Pritchard apart and got our stories. We apologized to each other. No punishments, Bruce just made us promise not to do it again.¡± ¡°All¡¯s well that ends well,¡± Sue said heartily. She looped her arm through Aida¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯ve had a trying day. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Honestly, I think I¡¯ll be back to normal once I sleep tonight,¡± Aida said, polishing off the last of the bun. ¡°But since we still have several hours¡­Levi?¡± Levi nodded, stepping forward. ¡°We can grab some texts and review some techniques outside.¡± He smirked. ¡°Studying in the fresh outdoors is very recuperative.¡± Sue reluctantly released Aida¡¯s arm. ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to be with you?¡± she finished in a whisper. Aida smiled at her affectionately. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I need to talk to Levi, anyway,¡± Aida whispered back. A scowl crossed her face. ¡°I need to yell at him.¡± Sue snickered. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re burning and need to get it out; I won¡¯t smother that.¡± She stepped back and looked to Caleb, seeming to steel herself. ¡°Some more sparring today?¡± When Caleb nodded, she hesitantly turned to Ezra. ¡°Ezra, did you want to join me and Caleb?¡± Ezra gazed at them impassively. Caleb looked back expectantly, while Sue had a studiously blank expression. Shrugging his shoulders, he acquiesced. Forcing a smile back on her face, Sue turned back to Levi and Aida. ¡°See you guys at dinner?¡± Splintering off from the group, Aida followed Levi to the boys¡¯ wing, where he stepped into his room to grab a few notebooks for cover. Then they made their way back to the same forest patch where Levi had first revealed his suspicions about Aida. ¡°Are you sure this is a safe place to talk?¡± Aida asked, sweeping off the leaves that had collected on the log where she sat last time. ¡°Absolutely,¡± Levi said confidently. ¡°I grew all the flora here. If anyone encroaches, I¡¯ll know, since all the plants contain essence of my mana. And don¡¯t worry about anyone else sneaking any plants in - I weeded them out, or turned them into furniture.¡± Levi patted the log they were sitting on. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Aida raised an eyebrow. ¡°You turned the bones of your rivals into furniture?¡± Levi laughed. ¡°You can certainly say that. Anyway, don¡¯t worry about being overheard. As long as you don¡¯t start screaming, we¡¯ll have privacy within a ten-meter radius.¡± Looking at Levi¡¯s private garden with new eyes, she could appreciate the small details that characterized him. At first glance, it was just a random location in the woods, with random clusters of plants, as forest growth was wont to do. However, upon closer inspection she could see the colors were arranged deliberately, and vines and other stems carefully pruned - not aggressively shaped like topiaries, but lovingly trimmed to maintain their natural shapes while still encouraging growth. Each plant had a purpose. Taken as a whole, the artistic effect was quite soothing. Levi¡¯s command of his environment extended beyond the vegetation: he had taken great care to grow them in such a way as to offer a home to birds and insects. No doubt to help pollinate his plants, and minimize his mana expenditure. Aida was impressed at how Levi was able to unobtrusively blend aesthetics and functionality. ¡°You should check out Lily¡¯s garden,¡± Levi said, watching her. ¡°Hers is the definition of controlled chaos. She maximizes her space and is the master at companion planting.¡± Shaking her head, Aida sat back down on the log with him. ¡°I have no affinity for art, but even I can tell that your composition is very balanced. Very¡­zen.¡± Cocking his head, he looked at her questioningly. ¡°Nevermind,¡± Aida said quickly. ¡°Colloquialism from my world.¡± ¡°Seems like you¡¯re finally comfortable,¡± Levi commented, leaning back with a self-satisfied smile. ¡°Yes¡­about that.¡± Aida pierced him with a glare. ¡°I¡¯m deciding to ¡®trust¡¯ you, only because I have nothing to lose in this world. Nothing. So, if you plan on betraying me, you¡¯d better betray me in such a way that you¡¯re sure I can¡¯t - or won¡¯t - come after you.¡± Levi slowly raised his hands, eyes widening in mock fear. ¡°Woah, those are some intimidating¡ª¡° Aida slammed Levi against a tree trunk, her muscles thrumming with her mana surge. She gripped the collar of his tracksuit tightly, leaning over him. Levi¡¯s eyes were wide - not playfully this time, but in genuine shock. They were so close that Aida could hear Levi¡¯s shallow breath hiss as it left his lips - like the air was scraping against his teeth. ¡°If you¡¯ve been paying even the slightest bit of attention this past week, you¡¯ll know that I¡¯ll go to great lengths to get what I want,¡± Aida breathed. With her senses magnified by the mana surge, she could feel Levi¡¯s pulse accelerate. Levi¡¯s bronze eyes were bright, feverish. Kozu¡¯s voice echoed in her mind. Sacrifice. Levi¡¯s lips firmed, silencing his breathing. She felt his Adam¡¯s apple bob as he swallowed. ¡°What¡¯s a week?¡± Aida stared at him. Dropping his collar, she stood up on the log, towering over him. He stayed resting against the trunk, his arms splayed to the sides to indicate his harmlessness, looking at her earnestly. ¡°A star cycle,¡± Aida snapped. ¡°Your culture uses so many unnecessary syllables.¡± Raising his hands slowly as if to placate her, Levi sat up, but remained sitting, looking up at her. ¡°Okay, okay, I understand.¡± He bit his lip, as if he was resisting the urge to say ¡°calm down.¡± ¡°Just to make it clear,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Even if you ¡®trust¡¯ me¡ª¡± he punctuated the word by shaping brackets with his hands ¡°¡ªwhat if I decide to not give you the full information? Out of fear that you¡¯ll - I don¡¯t know, become some sort of tyrant demon?¡± ¡°If I die because you withhold some crucial information that causes me to act in a way that maims or kills me, that¡¯s on you,¡± Aida said, stabbing her finger at him. She gestured at Levi¡¯s garden. ¡°But knowing you, you¡¯re not heartless like that. You care that even the smallest creature has a comfortable home, so that it can be a productive worker and help you keep your habitat running at maximum efficacy. You can¡¯t cultivate your reputation by keeping company with the incompetent. ¡°So if you do deliberately sabotage me, you¡¯d better hope I die.¡± ¡°You think I want to cultivate you like one of my beloved pets?¡± Levi asked in disbelief. ¡°Not a pet, because pets aren¡¯t expected to return anything close to the value of the unconditional love and care you give them,¡± Aida retorted. She smiled sweetly at him. ¡°You have higher expectations for your network. You expect them to work for you. But at least in the short term, if what you said about desiring Sue¡¯s love is true, you¡¯ll have to help me¡­and trust that I won¡¯t turn into a ¡®tyrant demon.¡¯¡± Levi stared at her, clearly struggling for words. Aida suspected he had never had to think that deeply about long-term consequences before - just like she didn¡¯t, until earlier this morning. But who expected seventeen-year-olds to make decisions within the context of mortality? Aida felt ashamed for corrupting his innocence. Deciding she couldn¡¯t make her threat any clearer, Aida hopped back down, settling herself on the log. ¡°Tell me more about Lyn Trippe. What¡¯s her motivation?¡± ¡°Are you going to play mind games with her?¡± Levi asked hesitantly. Aida shrugged. ¡°If it will help me win my match. But I don¡¯t want to make her cry if I don¡¯t have to,¡± she added quickly. ¡°Sue said it best: the winner is the one who has greater mental fortitude. If I can break her concentration, then it will be easier for all of us.¡± Levi bit his lip before nodding. ¡°I can tell you about the Trippe family, but I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable coming up with ways to upset her. Makes me feel like a defoliant,¡± he said sadly. Aida nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Maybe just tell me about all of our classmates¡¯ backgrounds, so I have better context on how to interact with them.¡± Levi agreed, looking much more at ease with the revised proposition. Aida listened closely to his commentary, asking questions when there was an information gap. Levi¡¯s body language was relaxed, confident, and smooth as he explained. He seemed like he was being straightforward and¡­trustworthy. The crash course he gave her all made sense, filling in and fleshing out interactions and reactions she¡¯d been observing so far. Too big and detailed of a web for him to be lying to me. Armed with all the extraneous information, Aida felt much more confident in navigating the rest of her¡­stay? Life? She bit her lip, pushing away the useless questions she didn¡¯t have time for. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Anything not making sense?¡± Aida glanced back up at Levi. He had been pacing next to her as he expounded on the necessary information she needed to blend in better. She shook her head, a dry smile curling her lips. ¡°No, this is all super great. Thank you for sharing.¡± Aida tilted her head up, looking through the leaves to the clear, slowly darkening sky as she thought. She nodded decisively. ¡°This is really good information. I¡¯ll work on my end of our bargain.¡± Standing up, she brushed the dust off her pants. She gave Levi a smirk that would rival his. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll start working on getting what we want.¡± Chapter 35: Back on Track Aida woke up feeling extremely refreshed. Lily had delivered a small envelope of powdered herbs when all the students had converged in the dining hall for dinner, as promised. ¡°I mixed all the soporific plants I have in my garden, and added some sweetflower pollen so that it doesn¡¯t taste like evil dreams,¡± Lily had explained. ¡°You should be able to have a restful and dreamless sleep tonight.¡± The brew had tasted awful, when Aida mixed it according to Lily¡¯s instructions. She wondered if it might taste better if the sweetflower pollen hadn¡¯t been added - the sweetness, instead of negating the horrible bitterness, seemed to amplify it, and also brought out a salty aftertaste. It had worked very well, though; her body took the cue from her tongue that it had worked hard enough for the day, and immediately shut down as soon as she slid under the covers. Aida checked her health and mana. As close to a hundred percent as she had ever seen. To confirm, she performed a few experimental stretches - no pain. Even her torso¡¯s bruise had faded, leaving only a shadow. Aida marveled at the effect of a good night¡¯s sleep. She switched to the window detailing her Skill Levels.
Skill List Freeze (Lv2): 69% to next level. Heal (Lv4): 2% to next level. Ice Blast (Lv1): 40% to next level. Mana Blast (Lv3): 78% to next level. Mana Cycling (Lv5): 82% to next level. Mana Surge (Lv2): 86% to next level. Water Blast (Lv3): 20% to next level. Water Manipulation (Lv3): 46% to next level. Total RP: 78
Aida was disappointed. No new level ups, though she could see that she had made decent progress towards leveling thanks to all the recent combat experience. Likewise, her physical attributes remained the same. Sue knocked, singing her morning greeting through the thick door. Grabbing her wand, she met Sue with a smile, feeling much more relaxed about today than she had been this past star cycle. ¡°Well don¡¯t you look like a bright dewdrop this morning!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Lily¡¯s tea. I never realized how restless my regular sleep was.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Turning around, Aida saw Lily bound up the hallway towards them, Vanita following at a more sedate pace. Lily¡¯s face brightened. ¡°You look much better than yesterday!¡± The girls chattered as they headed towards the dining hall, excited that the star cycle was nearly over. ¡°I don¡¯t even care if I lose today, I just want it to be over,¡± Lily said, making a face. ¡°But we¡¯ll have to do it all over again next star cycle,¡± Vanita pointed out. ¡°At least it will have some variety. These first matches are literally just raw power struggles, with none of the creativity required to handling your opponent of a different element,¡± Lily grumbled. ¡°Ooo, we should check the results!¡± Following the girls over to the board, Aida casually looked at her points. Frowning, she checked the running total for the rest of her cohort. ¡°Am I¡­¡± Leaning over to look at the Water column, Vanita quickly scanned the list. ¡°You are!¡± ¡°Aida¡¯s what?¡± Lily asked, squeezing between them. Her eyes widened. She reached out, swiping her finger down the columns as she compared the numbers. ¡°Aida is!¡± Sue joined the cluster eagerly, positively vibrating with excitement. ¡°I knew it!¡± Aida was, as of this morning, ranked third in the Water cohort, at five points. Dev and Lara were neck and neck, both tied with eight points. Weyn was ranked fourth, with four points; Levan had two points, and poor Lyn had zero points. Aida focused on her individual match scores, trying to keep her excitement from overwhelming her. Aside from her two points from Levan¡¯s forfeiture, she had one point from all of her other matches. Even if she threw her match against Lyn today, she would still be solidly middle of the pack, and would no longer have to worry about bearing the shame of being the bottom of the class. ¡°Well look at that,¡± Levi spoke, making them all jump. ¡°Congratulations, Aida. Looks like the teachers really do appreciate willpower.¡± He sparkled at her, green shimmers reflecting off his smooth skin. Rolling her eyes, she made her way to the ordering line. He followed. ¡°Are you still going to try to exploit Lyn?¡± he asked her softly. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. She grimaced. She didn¡¯t want to, but it would be a mistake to underestimate Lyn just because of her current score. ¡°I¡¯m going to try treating this match as a reset,¡± she replied equally quietly. ¡°See where I rank against her after all the other insane matches I had.¡± ¡°Excuse me,¡± Sue trilled, squeezing between them. She looked at Levi suspiciously before turning back to Aida, placing her body protectively between her and Levi. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask yesterday, but how did it go? Do you want me to tell him to set a forest fire somewhere else?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Aida said, surprised. Behind Sue, she could see Levi jut his chin out in a small pout, reminding her of their promise. ¡°No, we had a good talk¡­but speaking of Levi¡­¡± Aida pulled Sue closer towards her. ¡°How are you getting along with him?¡± Sue pulled back. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aida twirled a lock of hair around her finger, trying to think of what to say. She had never tried playing matchmaker before. In the dating sims it was so easy, because as the player she was provided opportunities to respond favorably, complete with dialogue lines; but when she had to be the one trying to create opportunities as a supporting character? She had no idea how to even start. ¡°You can tell me, Aida,¡± Sue said fiercely. ¡°Don¡¯t feel like you have to hide anything with me.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s nothing like that!¡± Aida said, waving her hands helplessly. Screw it, at least Levi can¡¯t accuse me of not trying. ¡°I just get the feeling that Levi - really likes you,¡± she said quietly, forcing Sue to lean closer to hear. Sue froze, not even breathing. Aida stared at her for a moment, growing increasingly concerned, until Sue finally blinked and smiled uncertainly. ¡°Are you going to try convincing me that Levi likes me like you did with Caleb?¡± ¡°I¡­was hoping I didn¡¯t have to,¡± Aida said cautiously. She eyed Sue. ¡°You seem oddly suspicious of him lately. Did anything happen with him?¡± ¡°He went overboard with his Mana Resistance training with you!¡± Sue said, a small whine coming through. ¡°Other than that, has anything else happened? Did he do anything to you?¡± Aida probed. ¡°For the record, we¡¯ve cleared the air about that, and we¡¯re friends again.¡± Sue shook her head adamantly. ¡°No, nothing at all.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re being really weird about this, Aida.¡± She snapped her fingers, a spark flying from her fingertips. ¡°Do you like Levi?¡± Aida took a deep breath, willing herself to be patient. Sue¡¯s deliberate obtuseness was making Aida¡¯s wingman attempt the most frustrating ordeal she¡¯d experienced in this world thus far. She had a better chance convincing Professor Havi that she was Pritchard in a skirt. A lightbulb flashed in Aida¡¯s mind. ¡°If I said yes, what would you do?¡± Sue¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°That¡¯s so wonderful! No wonder you were so insistent on spending time with him,¡± she cooed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you out.¡± ¡°Wait¡ª¡° ¡°But if he breaks your heart, you let me know, okay?¡± Sue leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°He might be handsome, but I won¡¯t let him get away with hurting you like that.¡± She winked. ¡°No¡ª¡° Sue spun around, completely ignoring Aida¡¯s interjections. She headed back towards Levi, who straightened as she approached him, hoisting his characteristic charming smile back into place. Snatching him by the elbow, she dragged him to Aida, who was watching them with a horrified look. ¡°Okay, friends, feel free to water each other¡¯s gardens,¡± she said melodiously. She smiled serenely at the two of them before pointing two fingers to her own eyes and jabbing at Levi, in the universal sign for ¡°I¡¯m watching you.¡± ¡°What have you done?¡± Levi asked, looking after Sue as she departed. ¡°I really thought she would take the bait,¡± Aida said hopelessly. ¡°What did you say to her?¡± Levi¡¯s voice was devastatingly calm. Aida squirmed. ¡°She was being dense¡­she did say you were handsome, though,¡± she offered weakly. ¡°Aida.¡± Aida squirmed harder. ¡°I¡¯ll fix it, don¡¯t worry,¡± she promised. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s only the beginning. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s gotten much further with Caleb and Ezra anyway.¡± ¡°What does Caleb and Ezra have to do with it?¡± Levi finally turned to her, with an almost murderous gaze. Oh sweet summer child. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida managed to put off explaining to Levi what happened with Sue until after the match, but that didn¡¯t help alleviate her nerves as she headed to the stands. The Wood cohort was fighting first today, which meant the Water cohort would be fighting last. She wished they could have gone first, so that she could just get it over with. Seated in the stands next to her, Sue was humming happily. Aida leaned over. ¡°Hey Sue, you do realize what I said was just a hypothetical, right? I don¡¯t actually like Levi.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to convince me,¡± Sue said breezily. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°I only said that because you were being aggravating!¡± Aida hissed. ¡°I was just trying to see if you would do anything other than stick your head in the ground.¡± Sue stiffened. ¡°Nothing happened with me and Caleb,¡± she growled back. Her mana flickered, causing Aida to flinch back. Thinking quickly, Aida started piecing hints together. ¡°Sue¡­what happened after the second match?¡± Aida asked softly. Sue continued bristling. ¡°You invited Ezra to spar with you and Caleb yesterday¡­and you two haven¡¯t even been looking at each other lately.¡± Sue finally relented. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what you said when we were in Buddington,¡± she whispered back. Her purple eyes were watery. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were serious, but then during our grappling session - I don¡¯t know.¡± Sue covered her eyes. ¡°We were training without mana, just to get the foundation and techniques down, but then he pinned me and - I wanted to win,¡± she confessed. ¡°So I Surged, but you know, Caleb¡¯s Mana Resistance isn¡¯t that good, so I accidentally pierced him - and - we mixed our mana,¡± she finished, mortified. Aida gaped at her, unsure what to say. Mixing mana? Sue nodded despairingly, misinterpreting Aida¡¯s expression. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone!¡± she whispered, her face red. ¡°But¡­I haven¡¯t been able to stop thinking about him since.¡± Aida pressed her lips together, nodding slowly. She patted Sue¡¯s hand comfortingly. Well¡­shoot. ¡°So¡­I take it you aren¡¯t interested in Levi?¡± Aida asked lightly, trying to inject some levity. ¡°I can¡¯t even think of that right now,¡± Sue moaned, burying her face in her hands. Patting her gently on the back, Aida tried to think. Sue had three events with Caleb already, and two with Levi. There was still time for Levi to catch up, if she could convince Sue to spend some time alone with him. She could still hold up her end of her bargain with Levi. Squeezing Sue¡¯s shoulder, Aida gently alerted her that the Wood matches were almost over. Glumly, Sue squeezed Aida¡¯s hand before heading down to the gate, her head bowed. Aida looked around, spying Caleb sitting alone in the back. He was watching Sue make her way to the gate, a conflicted expression on his face. He met Aida¡¯s eyes and immediately flushed, ducking his head. ¡°What did you say to Suelina now?¡± Levi whispered aggressively, taking Sue¡¯s seat. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we have a chance,¡± Aida reassured him. ¡°The story¡¯s finally picking up steam.¡± Chapter 36: Match 5 ¡°A story? You¡¯re treating my love life like something fictional?¡± Levi demanded. ¡°No, it¡¯s a figure of speech,¡± Aida said smoothly. ¡°I only said it like that because Sue never seemed to show any romantic inclinations when I first spoke with her. But now¡­¡± ¡°Now she likes someone, who isn¡¯t me?¡± Levi asked shrewdly. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you¡¯re so optimistic.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still wavering,¡± Aida insisted. ¡°Trust me on this. We just need to get her alone with you, you can be your usual suave self, and then you¡¯ll be a strong competitor for her affections.¡± ¡°How are you so certain it will be this simple?¡± Levi asked, his lower lip jutting out in contention. ¡°Emotions aren¡¯t this easily manipulated.¡± Aida fixed him with a beady stare. ¡°I can guarantee that if you don¡¯t go along with my plan, you will have even less of a chance than you think.¡± Levi frowned, thinking through her logic before finally acquiescing. ¡°The most important thing for you to do, Levi Ashet, is that you don¡¯t try to put down your love rivals in front of her - or at all, for that matter,¡± Aida said authoritatively. ¡°You want to look like the bigger man at all times, so that means you can¡¯t be petty because you have no idea how it will get back to her.¡± ¡°Love rivals,¡± Levi repeated blankly. ¡°How many rivals do I have?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it - it¡¯s better you don¡¯t know so you don¡¯t get tempted to sabotage them in some misguided attempt to make Sue think better of you. I promise you it will always backfire.¡± Levi looked at her, exasperated. ¡°You might think I¡¯m treating you like you¡¯re stupid, but when emotions get involved people do really irrational things,¡± Aida said defensively. ¡°I just want to make sure you¡¯re aware and you don¡¯t fall victim to short-sightedness.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to start with this ridiculousness,¡± Levi muttered. ¡°By the way, when Sue comes back after her match, don¡¯t harass her, okay?¡± Aida added hurriedly. ¡°Just treat her as normal for now, until I manage to get you two alone.¡± ¡°Why do you have to be the one orchestrating these encounters?¡± Levi asked belligerently. ¡°Surely as long as I stick to your guidelines of ¡®don¡¯t be petty, don¡¯t suffocate her,¡¯ I can achieve whatever arbitrary target you¡¯ve laid out.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s not about you, it¡¯s about Sue,¡± Aida said impatiently. ¡°You can hover around her all you like - I¡¯d call that suffocating, by the way - ultimately she has to be the one to decide she wants to spend time with you. She also is more likely to be less resistant to the idea of spending time with you if I clear the way.¡± Levi exhaled, clearly unhappy with leaving the fate of his romance in her hands. ¡°Fine. Do you have any guidelines for how I should behave if I actually get time alone with her?¡± he asked sarcastically. ¡°I think you¡¯ll know when it happens,¡± Aida said wisely. ¡°But act normal, she¡¯s coming back.¡± Furious at the unproductive and frustrating conversation, Levi continued to glare at Aida as she waved her hands excitedly at Sue¡¯s return. ¡°Nicely done!¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Sue said half-heartedly as Aida slid over to make room for her. She dropped into the seat right between Aida and Levi with a sigh. ¡°At least you¡¯re done for the day,¡± Aida said encouragingly. ¡°I suppose so,¡± Sue said glumly. Her lilac eyes continued to stare straight ahead. Levi and Aida exchanged awkward glances. He arched an eyebrow, almost as if he was asking for permission to talk to Sue. Aida gave a slight shrug, nodding. ¡°Next star cycle will be different,¡± Levi said, leaning back casually. ¡°I imagine we¡¯ll all be less friendly.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aida asked, when Sue didn¡¯t respond. Levi smirked, slipping right back into his original devil-may-care demeanor. ¡°With how competitive Suelina is, I imagine she¡¯s going to refuse to spend any amount of free time with us while we¡¯re all fighting for our class placements.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Sue said, brightening. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see any of you guys next cycle!¡± Biting her lip to keep her smile in check, Aida leaned into Sue¡¯s good mood. ¡°Oh good, I was getting sick of looking at Levi¡¯s face.¡± ¡°I mean, I guess Levi can stick around,¡± Sue decided. ¡°He¡¯s Wood, so he¡¯ll be helpful in keeping my mood up.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Aida objected. ¡°I¡¯m so happy to be of service,¡± Levi said courteously. ¡°Please feel free to use me however you best see fit.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Aida wrinkled her nose in disgust, but the innuendo seemed to fly right over Sue¡¯s head. ¡°The only people I don¡¯t want to see are Ezra and Caleb and Dev,¡± Sue continued darkly. ¡°We can certainly avoid seeing them next cycle if it makes you feel better,¡± Aida agreed, suppressing her triumph. Looks like Levi¡¯s event is going to happen next week. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ By the time Aida walked into the combat ring, she was feeling very relaxed. There was a path forward in upholding her end of the bargain with Levi, and just looking at Lyn¡¯s trembling form made Aida confident this last match would be much more straightforward. Don¡¯t let your guard down, though, Aida chided herself. ¡°Lyn, are you okay?¡± Aida asked. Lyn was shaking so hard that her knees were knocking together comically. She reached out with her mana senses, wary that the terrified girl was covering for a sneak attack on her. Lyn¡¯s pulse was racing, and her mana completely disordered. Her muscles were slack, which explained the drastic tremors. Aida could feel sweat oozing out of Lyn¡¯s pores, as well as the excessive pooling of saliva in her mouth, as the girl kept swallowing. ¡°Lyn,¡± Aida said, alarmed. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s only a placement match.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t afraid,¡± the girl whispered shrilly, her long blue hair beginning to whip around her. ¡°But after seeing what you did¡­my family is going to be so upset,¡± she choked out. ¡°What¡­why does it matter?¡± Aida asked, perplexed. I wasn¡¯t the scary one¡­ ¡°It didn¡¯t matter that I was ranked below average in the class, but I can¡¯t be in the bottom five,¡± Lyn wheezed out. ¡°You were supposed to rank last in Water!¡± Aida¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Begin!¡± Professor Bruce cried. Deciding it might be worth it just to make a statement to the weaker twin, Aida drew on her mana, ready to blow three-quarters of her mana on Ice Blast - before realizing that Lyn was already soaked in her own sweat. Screw it. Whipping her wand around in front of her to grab it with both hands, Aida focused on the sheen coating Lyn¡¯s body - and noticed with a start that the gem in the base of the wand seemed to provide a clarity she had never noticed before. With her palm brushing the gemstone, she was able to see the outline of mana interactions, instead of focusing to feel the auras with her senses. With the gem, she could easily see that Lyn¡¯s control was¡­not at all controlled. Her mana was swirling around her, but not actually directed to do anything. Feeding her own mana through Lyn¡¯s gaps, she was easily able to reach the sweat - but found resistance when she tried to take hold of it. Perplexed, she fed a little more mana in. ¡°Stop it!¡± Lyn shrieked, firing a wild mana blast at Aida. Aida yelped as she dove to the side, losing her concentration. Seeing her chance, Lyn kept up a barrage of mana blasts, shooting with no plan or regard. Bemused, Aida directed mana into her muscles, surging to keep ahead of the profligate blasts of energy. Slipping between the blasts, Aida rammed Lyn with her shoulder, sending the slim girl flying. With all of her (wasted) efforts so far, she still had about eighty percent of her mana left. Might be easier to just whack her physically. Lyn was still curled on the ground, wheezing from the tackle. Flipping the wand in her grip so that her thumb was pressed on the gem, Aida approached Lyn. She was clearly in pain, not having expected to be physically struck by a mana-surged Aida. Whatever control she had over her mana had completely dissipated. Grabbing Lyn by the back of her collar, Aida proceeded to drag Lyn over to the edge of their ring, employing a small amount of surge. ¡°Professor Bruce,¡± she called, panting. ¡°I don¡¯t think Lyn is feeling too well.¡± Bruce cast a critical eye towards them, before waving at the professors on the platforms and making a gesture indicating he would be occupied. Making his way over to Aida and Lyn, he crouched down, bringing Lyn¡¯s face around to face him. ¡°Miss Trippe, are you well? Would you like to forfeit?¡± Caramel-colored eyes (the same shade as her sister¡¯s hair) met Bruce¡¯s, pupils dilated in pain. Tears squeezed out as she nodded, choking back a sob. Inexplicably, instead of feeling relief or happiness, Aida felt a swell of anger. ¡°Wait,¡± she said, interrupting Professor Bruce before he could make the announcement. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t give up so easily.¡± ¡°Miss Loreh¡ª¡± Bruce started. ¡°No! She¡¯s not injured, and she still has plenty of mana left in her,¡± Aida argued. She addressed her next words to Lyn. ¡°If you really were supposed to be ranked above me, say it with your chest. Back up your words. Don¡¯t take the easy way out by forfeiting now, and then being mad at me for not capitulating to what you believe I should be doing.¡± Reaching down, Aida grabbed Lyn by the collar, lifting her up to her feet. Lyn stumbled, gasping in fear. Aida pointed her wand at her chest. ¡°Keep fighting me, and make me believe that I should be ranked last.¡± Fear continued swirling in Lyn¡¯s expression, and apologies fell out of her mouth. ¡°SHUT UP,¡± Aida bellowed. ¡°Don¡¯t walk your words back. Believe in what you say, and stand by your words.¡± Aida¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°Take responsibility for your life.¡± ¡°Miss Loreh!¡± Professor Bruce stepped between them, blocking Lyn from Aida¡¯s view. ¡°That is enough, we have to respect¡ª¡° ¡°Professor Bruce!¡± Stepping out from behind Bruce, Lyn was still shaking, but less so. Her wand was gripped tightly in her hand. She lifted her trembling chin. ¡°Aida is right. I¡¯ll fight until the end.¡± She looked into Aida¡¯s eyes, grim acceptance firming her resolve. ¡°At least I can tell my family I did my best.¡± Nodding, Aida backed up, her wand held in a ready stance. Hesitating, Professor Bruce looked between the two girls, before backing up as well. ¡°Very well; resume.¡± Lyn created water - lots of water. She spread the liquid in a large hemisphere, suspending it around the two of them. She didn¡¯t do anything else, just waited for Aida to make the next move. Touching the gemstone, Aida examined the blue-haired girl. Her own wand was held at the ready, but her eyes seemed to be looking past Aida - as if she was focused on maintaining the bubble. She¡¯s trying to bait me to steal her water, Aida realized. Indeed, she could see that Lyn had a thick layer of mana over the water - enough mana for Aida to lose the fight of attrition if she attempted to hijack it. Fortunately, Lyn¡¯s body looked soft, like she didn¡¯t prioritize physical training. Surging mana through her body, Aida ran at Lyn, all the while keeping her eyes on Lyn¡¯s torso. Triumphantly, Lyn prepared to dodge Aida¡¯s charge - except she didn¡¯t notice that Aida had sent a mana blast at the foot she primed for the dodge, blasting the earth out from underneath her. All of her weight was suspended in the air, and she crashed down to the ground with a cry, her concentration shattered by the sudden feeling of weightlessness. Immediately, Aida grasped for control of the water furthest away from them, batting away the scrabbling tendrils of Lyn¡¯s mana as she attempted to regain control. Ice Blast. Feinting a low kick at Lyn crouching on the ground, Aida rolled over her shoulder as her icicles shot past her, slamming into Lyn¡¯s body. Landing on one knee where Lyn¡¯s body had been just before a second prior, Aida glanced around herself. Did I just accidentally do a gainer? Chapter 37: Mana Mixing There was an abnormal buzzing among the third years as Aida made her way to the gate, leaving Lyn in the hands of Healer Luk. Curious, she made her way to Sue and Levi, who were approaching her. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Lara beat Dev.¡± Levi¡¯s voice was low, and he spread his arms to corral Aida into heading back inside the school for lunch. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Lara¡¯s in the top five now, and Dev is in top ten,¡± Sue said softly. ¡°Nobody expected this.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± As they passed the scoreboard, Aida paused to look at Dev¡¯s and Lara¡¯s scores from this morning again. Sure enough, eight points each. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°Honestly¡­¡± Sue¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°It looks like he just gave up. Like he didn¡¯t want to fight anymore.¡± They waited in silence as the kitchen crew prepared their trays, each consumed in their own thoughts. ¡°I guess Lara is happy?¡± Aida finally said. ¡°She¡¯s been wanting to beat Dev for a while.¡± ¡°I imagine she is, but she was totally emotionless when the match ended,¡± Sue said uncertainly. Taking her tray from the counter, Aida caught sight of Dev entering the cafeteria, flanked by Pritchard and his other friends. He was composed, hands casually slung in his pockets, giving no indication that he noticed nor cared about the hushed whispers surrounding him or the results from just a few minutes earlier. Lara walked in shortly after, surrounded by her own excited friends. Like Dev, she looked utterly unbothered. ¡°So, why such a commotion that Lara beat Dev?¡± Aida whispered to Levi. ¡°It¡¯s not just the fact that she beat him; she¡¯s beaten him on major tests every once in a while, but the Flau clan leader announced over the holiday that she was going to begin the selection process for her successor once the current crop of heirs graduate. That¡¯s led to a lot of eyes watching Dev and Lara,¡± Levi explained quietly, keeping an eye on Sue to make sure she didn¡¯t notice anything amiss. Sue was playing with her food, clearly preoccupied. ¡°And it¡¯s no secret that Lara has been trying to prove that the Lorr family should be taken more seriously in their clan.¡± Aida pressed her lips together. Family politics. She supposed it wasn¡¯t too surprising, given the way Levi had described the Flau and Lorr families. Lara¡¯s aunt had married into the Flau family, the main clan stem and premiere sanitation family; they had set the standard for how biological waste should be treated and upcycled, and owned the framework and major contracts with other Fire, Earth, and Wood families to keep society clean and healthy. The Lorr family was also a large, well-respected sanitation family, but lower on the totem pole. Their primary business was in setting up the infrastructure, and getting new regions and buildings connected to the waste disposal network. Aida conceded that Lara had a point that the people doing the actual work should have their voices be valued just as much, if not more, than the management. ¡°And¡­does Dev care?¡± Aida asked, remembering Levi¡¯s dismissive attitude towards Dev (¡°He¡¯s lazy. Been lazy since he first arrived. I remember talking to him in first year, and he had literally no interest in his future, which is a shame because he could become a hurricane in his own right¡±). Levi snorted. ¡°Probably not. Even if he doesn¡¯t become the next clan leader, I can¡¯t imagine they would just cut off resources to him.¡± Making a thoughtful noise, Aida scooted over to Sue, taking her spoon from her hand and scooping up some rice and gravy. Sue obligingly opened her mouth, obediently chewing her lunch. ¡°Sue, do you want to sit with me and Levi this afternoon? He¡¯s going to help me figure out my basic strategies against my opponents next cycle,¡± Aida said brightly. Blinking the glassy look out of her large eyes, Sue looked at Aida and Levi, who beamed at her without missing a beat. ¡°Oh¡­um¡­sorry, I think I¡¯ll pass. I think I¡¯ll go on a walk,¡± she said. ¡°I just want to clear my head a bit, since I haven¡¯t been outside all cycle,¡± she added hurriedly, seeing Aida¡¯s look of concern. ¡°Oh¡­well, okay then. I¡¯ll see you at dinner?¡± ¡°Dinner!¡± Sue nodded enthusiastically. She took her spoon back from Aida, waving them off as they reluctantly drifted away. ¡°Was that supposed to be your attempt at getting me alone with her?¡± Levi asked dryly as they dropped their dirty dishes off. Aida sighed. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. ¡°I think she needs a little bit more time to process what happened. By the way, what does it mean to ¡®mix mana?¡¯¡± Levi stumbled at her question, looking at her with wide eyes. ¡°I mean, what does it mean socially?¡± Aida amended hastily. ¡°I can imagine what the phenomenon is, but I don¡¯t understand the implications.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Levi glanced quickly around them, making sure no one was around, before grabbing her wrist and dragging her through the hallways to his room. Quickly snatching his badge off his chest, he swiped the door open and pulled her unceremoniously in. Aida gazed at him with wide eyes. He was pacing at the door, one hand clasped to his forehead and the other pressed to his waist, consternation evident on his face. Finally, he whirled around to face her, both hands on his hips. ¡°Context?¡± Aida frowned. ¡°Sue said she accidentally mixed mana with someone.¡± Levi groaned, striding over to his bed and sinking into the soft mattress, head held in his hands. Aida glanced around the room as Levi worked through his distress. His room layout was a mirror image of her own, which made sense since it was in the wing opposite the girls¡¯ dorm. The major difference was that his room contained a lot more belongings than hers, with several books and potted plants interspersed around his room. Where Aida¡¯s room had a bland and barebones feel, Levi¡¯s room was casually neat. ¡°Did she say who she mixed with?¡± Levi¡¯s question drew her attention back to him. He had his palms placed firmly on his knees, an expression of forced calm on his face. ¡°Does it matter? I already told you you can¡¯t do anything that would make you look petty,¡± Aida reminded him when Levi scowled. ¡°Fine, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter in the grand scheme of things.¡± Levi said grimly. He took a deep breath, recentering himself. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a good way to explain it, but ¡®mana mixing¡¯ is an intimate act.¡± He glowered at her as he explained. ¡°Everyone¡¯s mana is their own, unique essence, derived from their spirit. Even non-practitioners have mana of their own, they just don¡¯t have the capacity to manifest it in the world to the level that we do. When the spirit is strong, or at least healthy, it can resist malignant spirits¡¯ attempts to corrupt them. ¡°So we all have a fundamental barrier against our spirits getting affected by the nether spirits. That is good. That is fine. However, and this happens more often with mana practitioners - when two people have a deep emotional, spiritual connection, they might decide to mix their mana, in order to feel their spirits come together as closely as possible.¡± Aida felt the blood drain from her face at his explanation. ¡°And so, when we were in the forest¡­¡± Levi nodded tightly, a tic working in his jaw. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t truly mixing,¡± Aida pointed out weakly. ¡°I didn¡¯t get anything from you, you took from me.¡± Levi stood suddenly, towering over her. Aida found herself backed against his bookshelf, his arms boxing her in from either side. ¡°How convenient for you,¡± Levi hissed. ¡°That you don¡¯t have to deal with the baggage of my culture¡¯s intimacy.¡± Aida wilted under Levi¡¯s ferocious glare, his hot breath brushing over her cheeks. Suddenly, her eyes widened, another realization striking her. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± ¡°What now?¡± Levi demanded. She could feel his muscles tensing around her. ¡°I mixed mana with Caleb, too,¡± Aida whispered, horrified. She reached out, pushing Levi away from her. ¡°Too? Are you saying you mixed with the two of us, or that Sue also mixed with Caleb? Aida!¡± Levi called after her as she darted out of his room. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida ran around the entire school, looking for Caleb in all the common areas - but couldn¡¯t find him. Not even in the gym. Defeated, Aida headed to the courtyard where she had first come across Ezra. She had no particular reason to - maybe because she felt just as lost now as she did back then. Maybe Ezra would be there, too. Stepping around the trunk of the willow tree, she nearly stumbled over Caleb. ¡°Caleb! I was looking for you,¡± Aida blurted. Caleb glanced up at her, his chocolate bangs skimming his violet eyes. He was seated casually, one forearm propped on a knee while the other leg fell open in half of a cross-legged sit. When he didn¡¯t give any indication that he wanted to be alone, Aida slid down the tree, taking a seat next to him. She wrapped her arms around her knees, expanding her mana senses to make sure they were sufficiently alone. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was so - glib - during our conversation after the second match,¡± Aida mumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize¡ª¡° she cut herself off. She couldn¡¯t say that. She searched for a rational, yet true, explanation. ¡°¡­I was too focused on the matches, so¡­I just convinced myself that it wasn¡¯t a big deal. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Caleb said nothing for a long time. Finally, he exhaled. ¡°I accept your apology.¡± When Aida¡¯s only response was to sink her head into her knees, he nudged her with an elbow. ¡°Hey, at least your conviction worked, right? You scored quite a few points.¡± Aida smiled delicately. ¡°Yeah, that just makes next cycle¡¯s matches harder.¡± Caleb leaned his head back. ¡°I admire that about you.¡± Aida cocked a head at him, confused. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re able to push - such distracting thoughts away, and focus on what¡¯s important.¡± Caleb shook his head, his bangs fluttering as his cheeks reddened. ¡°If you can give me any tips, I will consider your apology completely unnecessary.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Aida was completely out of her element. How do you tell someone to throw away their emotions? Forget cultural contexts that they grew up with? ¡°¡­you can keep my apology.¡± Caleb dropped his head against his chest with a pained laugh. ¡°I figured.¡± ¡°But maybe¡­¡± Aida started. She bit her lip. ¡°Maybe¡­try to find a useful focal point? I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I learned a lot from¡­that.¡± Caleb looked skeptical, so she turned herself around to face him on her knees. ¡°I¡¯m serious. When you pulled me in, I was able to see how your mana connected itself to your body, and that made it easier for me to Surge.¡± Caleb considered her words thoughtfully, before nodding. ¡°You¡¯re right, you showed incredible improvement from one training session,¡± he said slowly. He smiled; the honest, sweet and open Caleb was back. ¡°How did you figure that tip out?¡± ¡°It took me a long time to figure out,¡± Aida said slowly. Especially when so much of life sucks. ¡°You kind of have to, especially since life is so distracting¡­find the good things and focus on them, because otherwise, if you look at everything, everything is usually¡­awful.¡± Caleb digested her words. ¡°Life is awful, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked distantly. ¡°Pretty awful most of the time,¡± Aida agreed. ¡°But so gratifying when you finally figure something out. Like Mana Surging.¡± Caleb smiled in response. ¡°Thanks for talking to me, Aida. I have some thinking to do.¡± Aida climbed to her feet, accepting her dismissal. She paused. ¡°So¡­would you still be comfortable holding physical training sessions with me?¡± He hesitated for a minute, before smiling at her. ¡°Of course. No mana, though,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Just pure, hard work.¡± ¡°No mana,¡± Aida agreed gladly, relieved. She paused. ¡°¡­Can I Surge?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No. No problem.¡± Chapter 38: Friendship Aida was waiting for Sue at the entrance of the dining hall. Studying her expression carefully, Aida relaxed. Sue smiled at her with her usual bright demeanor, the cloud that had been over her face from lunch cleared up. ¡°Good walk?¡± ¡°Very refreshing,¡± Sue said briskly, scooping Aida¡¯s arm into hers. Dinner was a peaceful affair. They took a small table, with an unspoken agreement that they would have a more private dinner tonight. Sue gasped softly. ¡°They¡¯re putting up the matches for the next star cycle!¡± Whipping her head around, Aida saw Professor Lloyd pinning sheets of paper up on top of the board that listed their points. Then he carefully removed the score sheets, and replaced them with fresh score sheets. ¡°Shall we go look?¡± Abandoning their meals, Aida and Sue ran up to the board, beating the small stampede of other interested students. Sue clutched Aida¡¯s hand. ¡°It happened! You¡¯re in!¡± Her stomach clenching, Aida looked at her next opponents.
Ring 3 [Rank 11-15]
Day Match 1 Match 2
Sparks Natalie Wok (Fire) vs. Tera Trippe (Earth) Abedi Bellow (Metal) vs. Shon Yanomo (Wood)
Mist Tera Trippe (Earth) vs. Abedi Bellow (Metal) Aida Loreh (Water) vs. Natalie Wok (Fire)
Shoots Abedi Bellow (Metal) vs. Aida Loreh (Water) Shon Yanomo (Wood) vs. Tera Trippe (Earth)
Ore Aida Loreh (Water) vs. Shon Yanomo (Wood) Natalie Wok (Fire) vs. Abedi Bellow (Metal)
Loam Shon Yanomo (Wood) vs. Natalie Wok (Fire) Tera Trippe (Earth) vs. Aida Loreh (Water)
¡°Wow,¡± Aida said softly. She really was going against the top fifteen. ¡°Any chance the teachers will drop me back down when they see how poorly I do against them?¡± she asked, half joking. ¡°No way,¡± Sue said adamantly. ¡°You proved your mettle in the preliminary matches.¡± Aida looked at Sue¡¯s matchups.
Ring 1 [Rank 1-5]
Day Match 1 Match 2
Sparks Suelina Heslia (Fire) vs. Caleb Tulver (Earth) Ezra Riolt (Metal) vs. Levi Ashet (Wood)
Mist Caleb Tulver (Earth) vs. Ezra Riolt (Metal) Lara Lorr (Water) vs. Suelina Heslia (Fire)
Shoots Ezra Riolt (Metal) vs. Lara Lorr (Water) Levi Ashet (Wood) vs. Caleb Tulver (Earth)
Ore Lara Lorr (Water) vs. Levi Ashet (Wood) Suelina Heslia (Fire) vs. Ezra Riolt (Metal) The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Loam Levi Ashet (Wood) vs. Suelina Heslia (Fire) Caleb Tulver (Earth) vs. Lara Lorr (Water)
¡°Oh Sue, your first match¡­¡± Sue¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said, more to reassure herself than Aida. Guiding Sue back to their meals, Aida soothingly rubbed Sue¡¯s back. ¡°Just¡­imagine he¡¯s someone else.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can,¡± Sue said tightly. ¡°Even if I close my eyes, I can tell by his mana it¡¯s him.¡± They fell back into silence, as Sue brooded and Aida tried to think of how to comfort her. She remembered those feelings back then, when she had unrequited crushes as a teenager. They were debilitating. She promptly lost track of whatever she was doing whenever her crush passed through her line of sight, and even when she knew her crush wasn¡¯t around, she still couldn¡¯t focus. She would think about every little glimpse throughout the day, fantasize about how to orchestrate an accident that would lead to a meeting, then a friendship, and then romantic love. Aida felt sorry for Sue, but had no helpful wisdom to impart. To be young and in love. And honestly, part of her had no sympathy for Sue¡¯s ¡°predicament.¡± Like it or not, they will fall in love with you if they haven¡¯t already. When it was clear that Sue didn¡¯t have an appetite for the rest of her meal, Aida coaxed Sue into spending the rest of the evening with her. ¡°Let¡¯s go on a walk,¡± she suggested brightly. Glumly trailing after Aida, Sue made half-hearted protests about having already walked. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t walk yet. Please?¡± Aida pouted, putting on the puppiest eyes she could. Sue giggled reluctantly at her look. ¡°Fine. I can never say no to you anyway,¡± she said affectionately. They exited the dining hall and rounded the girls¡¯ wing of the building, strolling in silence. They finally approached the lake that Aida had seen from the library windows, but had never felt like she had the time to visit. The lake was calm, and exuded a cooling sensation. There were a couple first-year students jogging around the perimeter. Aida took a deep breath. The smell of fresh water was foreign, but not unpleasant. It smelled¡­pure. Like wet leaves after heavy rain. There were some small waterfowl swimming in the center of the lake, lazily paddling their webbed feet. When Aida focused, she could hear the fish swimming below the surface, feel them pushing the water around with their fins. ¡°Wow, Aida, your mana control has improved so much.¡± Startled, Aida pulled back into herself. She saw an orb of water floating in front of her, with a small fish trapped inside, swimming around as if it were in a fishbowl. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize.¡± Carefully, she lowered the orb back into the water, releasing the creature. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just did that without using my wand.¡± ¡°Yeah! That means you¡¯re much more in tune with yourself now,¡± Sue said enthusiastically. ¡°Oh, this is so exciting.¡± ¡°Speaking of the wand¡­I touched the gem today, and I noticed I could see Lyn¡¯s mana?¡± Sue clapped her hands together. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! You¡¯re finally catching up!¡± ¡°Am I?¡± Aida asked eagerly. Sue nodded back, equally excited. ¡°Yep! I don¡¯t think too many of our classmates can yet - I know Ezra, Levi, and Caleb can, and I think Dev and Lara, and obviously Myk can.¡± Sue made a face. ¡°But honestly, it¡¯s pretty hard to attune yourself to a crystal. I don¡¯t think I did it until my second year, and I don¡¯t think I could even do it if you gave me a different crystal,¡± Sue said thoughtfully. Interesting. ¡°Have you tried combat without using your wand?¡± Sue shook her head, her long hair rippling out, glowing as it caught the last of the light from the setting sun. ¡°I can do some small things without my wand, but I¡¯m actually terrified to experiment without it. I don¡¯t want to accidentally set anything on fire,¡± she whispered conspiratorially. Aida laughed. ¡°Yeah, water is safer to experiment with.¡± Thoughtfully, Aida tried replicating what she did without her wand, but was unable to even incite a small wave. ¡°You¡¯re trying too hard,¡± Sue said, watching Aida. ¡°It¡¯s more like a meditative exercise. That¡¯s why Professor Bruce pushes us so hard in the meditation exercises¡­so ironic, forcing us to disengage when it¡¯s supposed to not be a compelled effort.¡± Sue settled down into grumblings. ¡°Anyway, I can kind of do stuff with a candle, but it¡¯s really hard for me to not just¡­connect with the flame, you know? And I just want it to burn brighter and brighter, and see how big it can get - but Professor Bruce says what I¡¯m doing is letting the flame run wild and not controlling it, but what if that is what I want?¡± Aida listened to Sue¡¯s animated complaints with a smile. Her personality really did suit that of fire - bright, lively, never staying still. When she was in the combat ring, her focus was white-hot and utterly terrifying. She was a controlled - yet uncontrolled - burn: steadily consuming her opponent, but unable to be stopped. Aida shivered at the thought of having to fight Sue. ¡°Aida, what do you want to do when you graduate?¡± Caught off guard by the question, Aida glanced back. Sue had stopped walking, and they were now at least fifteen feet from each other. Sue was standing with her hands clasped behind her back, her feet together, her chin dipped. She looked like a chastened child, apprehensive of the consequences. She looked up at Aida, capturing her in her lilac eyes. Aida could see the restrained hope in her eyes. Sliding her eyes away from Sue¡¯s, Aida looked over the lake. What do I want to do? Levi hadn¡¯t given her any detailed job descriptions yet, so she didn¡¯t know what the prominent career tracks were in this world. Adventurers made sense, but it was too broad and vague. Connie had offered her a position at their hot spring¡­Aida was certainly intrigued, and she had enjoyed the thought of helping people relax, recuperate, and expand their awareness the way hers had. What would I want to do, if money was no object? Before deciding to drop out of college, Annie had considered working in social services. She had been so let down by the system growing up - a mix of bureaucratic nightmares designed to impede the dispensation of help when she and her family needed it the most, and the soulless operators who fielded her calls and visits, devoid of empathy as they repeated ¡°there¡¯s nothing I can do¡± like a mantra - that she was convinced she could do a better job. However, the older she grew, and the more she worked, the more she realized the social service workers were trapped in the rut with her. Wanting to help, but unable to. Seeing how the government consistently misprioritized funds, refusing to help the hardest and most deserving workers despite their claims that they cared about the people - Aida felt the familiar anger bubbling up inside her. They weren¡¯t able to afford the physical therapy for her father when he was injured, and couldn¡¯t even make him comfortable while he was recovering. As a child, all she had wanted to do was hold her father tightly - so tightly that she could take his pain away. But she hadn¡¯t even been able to do that. Levi¡¯s words about being a Healer floated through her mind. ¡°You can make good baen there.¡± In the real world, she had immediately dismissed the thought of any medical profession in her future, daunted by the tuition and time costs. But here, where she would be a Maglica grad¡­ ¡°I want to be a Healer.¡± Aida was surprised by the confidence in her own voice. She nodded, more assured in her choice. Healer Luk had worked some amazing treatments on her, and she already had the Heal skill at Lv4. Her heart panged. If only she could use Heal on her father. Sue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Aida! That means we can form a group together!¡± Aida shook her head. ¡°We can¡¯t, not when we¡¯re right out of school,¡± she said gently. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough mana to be able to heal major injuries - and none of the funders would be willing to pay for me. I need to find a job that lets me learn more about the body, and how I can most efficiently heal. I need to find some way to optimize my mana usage.¡± Sue deflated as quickly as she had inflated. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°But give me some time, so I can learn, and I think we can definitely make our own adventuring group,¡± Aida said reassuringly, smiling. ¡°I need to at least be able to do what Healer Luk does, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Sue agreed wanly. She rallied, raising her fist in the air. ¡°Okay, so the plan¡¯s still the same! I¡¯ll continue to become stronger, and you learn to be the best Healer in Wyndia, and then we¡¯ll team up and no one can say a flaming thing about it!¡± Thrusting her fist in the air with Sue, Aida echoed her. ¡°No one can say a damp thing about it!¡± They both collapsed into giggles, linking their arms together again as they continued their walk. Sue was warm, her natural heat keeping the cool evening chill at bay. Aida¡¯s heart was full. Having a plan - a goal she felt good about - it provided her an anchor she didn¡¯t even know she needed to stay grounded. The goal buoyed her up, and illuminated her path, making her fears about blending in to Maglica Academy seem so much smaller than before. Much more manageable. Aida squeezed Sue¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks for being such a great friend.¡± Sue said nothing, returning Aida¡¯s squeeze. Her mana glowed around them, making Aida feel like, for once, she was the main character in her own life. Chapter 39: The Real Match 1 Aida spent the rest days training - more to establish a routine, than to actually eke out any significant improvement for the second half of the placement matches. She hoped she would be able to maintain a similar training schedule once classes officially started. I won¡¯t fall below rank 15, at least. In that regard, the pressure was alleviated. Her routine was simple. First thing in the morning, she would go for a thirty minute jog (more like a power walk, honestly) around the lake. Then she would take a quick shower (practicing her Water Manipulation with the free water) before grabbing breakfast, when Sue would usually join her. After breakfast, she would go to the training field, where she would practice her Mana Blasts and Mana Surging on the dummies until she had about half of her mana left - that usually brought her to lunchtime. After lunch was usually when all of the other characters felt up to socializing - teenagers - as they finally decided their hunger needs outweighed their sleep requirements. Aida was able to convince Ezra to spend time with her after lunch to evaluate her attempts at Blast-Cycling (he had raised his eyebrow skeptically at her request, but admitted that she had improved greatly since Shale Port); the first day had just been purely for evaluation and critique purposes, so she was surprised when he followed her the next day back to the lake. When her mana would deplete to about a quarter, she would declare her Blast-Cycling attempts over for the day, and head up to the gym for training with Caleb before dinner. Caleb¡¯s workout program for her consisted of a lot of exercises that reminded her of crossfit fanatics: sled pushing and pulling, carrying buckets of sand, squat lunges while carrying a load, as well as sprints and footwork - and whenever she tried to sneak in a mana surge to aid her flagging strength, he would shoot a small burst of mana at her to disrupt her concentration, giving her a stern look. Aida would gratefully devour her dinner, rush her shower, and collapse into bed, painstakingly using the rest of her mana to heal her muscles before being claimed by slumber. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ When Aida woke on Sparks Day, she considered skipping the matches in favor of squeezing in some more training - except this would be the best opportunity for her to observe her opponents, and possibly come up with a plan for when she faced them later in the star cycle. Resigned, she fetched her school bag. Just don¡¯t get intimidated. The dining hall was significantly more tense this cycle than last cycle - except the focus seemed to be on the top ten and bottom five. The middle echelons of the class were like Aida, apathetic about their outcomes now that they were already bracketed into the safe, essentially anonymous ranks. ¡°What¡¯s the bag for?¡± Levi asked. ¡°I have to take notes on my opponents,¡± Aida informed him. Levi sighed heavily. ¡°You¡¯re taking this a little too seriously.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk the instructors finding an excuse to drop me from the top fifteen,¡± Aida said primly. ¡°That would never happen.¡± ¡°I would be the first this happens to,¡± Aida said darkly. Shaking his head, Levi dropped the topic as Sue approached, her whole body tight. ¡°Hey, Sue. How are you feeling?¡± Aida asked, concerned. She assumed Sue¡¯s current pinched expression could be described as ¡°constipated¡± on normal people, though all it did to transform Sue¡¯s looks was make her look like she was smoldering. Sue shook her head queasily. ¡°Feeling pretty watery this morning, I need to get some spice into me,¡± she said, her voice strained. ¡°Do you think Lily will have something that can help?¡± Aida asked, spotting the girl come in with Vanita. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just Mana Cycle while I eat¡­that should help. I just need to relax.¡± Aida exchanged a look with Levi. ¡°Any thoughts you¡¯d like to share about your match today?¡± Levi shrugged helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s Ezra. I¡¯m going to get soundly chopped. I would rather have my first match be a sustain match.¡± Seeing Aida¡¯s brow come together in confusion, he leaned over to her to speak more quietly. ¡°We call matchups like Match 1 ¡®sustain matches¡¯ because one element feeds the other, but the fed element doesn¡¯t actually have increased effectiveness against the feeder element. Match 2 types are called ¡®advantaged matches,¡¯ because one element has an inherent weakness against the other.¡± Aida nodded, accepting his explanation, unwilling to ask more questions within earshot of Sue. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. When they finally went to the combat rings, Sue¡¯s mood had gotten worse, despite the eye-watering spice in her breakfast. Levi and Aida bid Sue good luck before they headed to a seat in the stands. Aida promptly pulled out her notebook and (barely-repaired) dip pen. ¡°Can you go into more detail about how the sustain and advantaged matches work? What¡¯s the strategy for each type of matchup?¡± ¡°Well, when you¡¯re in a sustain match, it¡¯s all about making sure your attacks count. It¡¯s not exactly a ¡®feed,¡¯ like a one-to-one transfer of mana, but more of how your affinity can naturally absorb and process the feeder element. When you¡¯re on the feeder side, you¡¯ll have to put in - say - twice the amount of power you normally would to damage any other element. If you¡¯re on the fed side, you might find that you¡¯ll be able to regain some mana from the attack. That¡¯s not always true though,¡± Levi added. ¡°It really depends on how the feeder element shapes their attack - if they manage to hold their mana and concentration, and your Mana Cycling isn¡¯t up to par, you¡¯re not going to be able to absorb any of their attack at all.¡± Aida exhaled, scribbling as fast as she could on her wobbly nib. ¡°So, in an ideal match, I¡¯d absorb all the attacks from my Metal opponent, and I¡¯d have a bunch of mana I normally wouldn¡¯t have?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°And if I were to fight a Wood opponent - you, for instance - in order to beat you, I¡¯d have to make sure I¡­put in enough mana to overwhelm you, more than you can absorb, or make sure my mana control is so tight that you can¡¯t digest any of my attacks?¡± Levi¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­not the way I would describe it, but I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Okay, great. Now what about the advantaged matches?¡± ¡°Advantaged is a bit more straightforward. If you were fighting Sue, then your attacks would have greater effect on her - you¡¯d effectively be dampening the fire of her soul, so she would have to struggle more in order to produce the same output she normally would. You don¡¯t exactly have a natural resistance against her, though - your benefit against her is that you don¡¯t have to use as much mana against her to wear her down,¡± Levi explained. ¡°Now, if you were fighting against Caleb, same thing. His Earth would suffocate your Water¡¯s flow, so if you wanted to beat him, you would have to be very clever with your skills, and figure out some combination of outlasting him and making sure your skills all hit.¡± Aida tapped her notebook with her pen, leaving several dots on the page. ¡°So that¡¯s what the instructors intended with the new point system? ¡®Afford more balance to disadvantaged elements,¡¯ or whatever the phrasing was. It was to account for Match 2 types?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Levi agreed. He heaved out a heavy sigh. ¡°It¡¯s so demoralizing starting off the matches in a disadvantaged position.¡± ¡°Just score a point on Ezra,¡± Aida said loftily, slipping her notebook back into her bag. ¡°Oh shoot, I missed the entire first match.¡± ¡°By the way, just as a point of reference,¡± Levi said, getting up and stretching. ¡°Try and stick with your element¡¯s theme when you need to curse. It sticks out when you use another element¡¯s.¡± Aida looked blankly at him. ¡°¡¯Shoots¡¯ is something Lily or I would use,¡± Levi advised. ¡°Aida used to say ¡®drops,¡¯ so give that a try next time.¡± Aida grumbled about having her language policed as Levi headed to the gate. In her rank¡¯s grouping, Abedi and Shon were lined up at the gate already. Exiting the arena, Tera was nursing a few burns, while Natalie looked pale and clammy, needing to walk with the support of the wall. Is it better to drown, burn, break a bone, or what? Aida wondered idly. Her eyes drifted to Sue, who was sitting on a stool in front of Healer Luk, a humiliated expression on her face. Frowning, she searched for Caleb, only to find him walking slowly towards the gate with an equally sober countenance. Did Caleb beat Sue? ¡°That was a disappointing showing.¡± Lara had slipped into the seat behind her, and was leaning forward on her knees to speak to Aida. Aida adopted a politely puzzled expression. Seeing her face, Lara elaborated. ¡°Sue¡¯s number two, but she lost to number four?¡± She shook her head, and said, almost as if to herself, ¡°It¡¯s almost like you seeped into her.¡± ¡°That was unnecessary,¡± Aida said, her lips barely moving as she tried to keep her composure. Lara nodded somberly. ¡°You¡¯re right. That was a joke in poor taste. My apologies.¡± She stood up to leave, but paused to add, ¡°Please tell her to get her head back on straight. I would hate to beat her only because she wasn¡¯t at her best.¡± Aida watched Lara depart. The impassive girl said all the right things, and arguably hadn¡¯t done anything offensive, but Aida didn¡¯t like her. She looked up and smiled as Caleb approached. ¡°Congratulations.¡± Caleb nodded, conflicted feelings finally crossing his face. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It seems that match¡¯s results were unexpected.¡± Aida nodded after Lara, who had just elegantly seated herself back among her friends. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to win either,¡± Caleb replied softly. He blinked owlishly at her. ¡°Your advice worked, I guess.¡± Aida looked at him inquiringly, and he finally smiled, the purple in his eyes glimmering, throwing off fireworks in her peripheral vision. ¡°Your advice about focusing on something useful.¡± Aida laughed awkwardly, waving the glitter out of her vision. ¡°I¡¯m glad my ramblings helped.¡± Caleb opened his mouth to explain more, but Aida stood up abruptly. ¡°Sorry Caleb, I¡¯m going to go check on Sue.¡± Giving him a quick wave, Aida scurried down the steps to the gate, where Healer Luk was gently guiding Sue through. ¡°Are you all right?¡± she asked anxiously. Sue gave Aida a watery smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just¡­want to rest for the rest of the day.¡± ¡°Let me come with you,¡± Aida offered. Sue shook her head. ¡°No, you should stay, watch how Abedi and Shon fight, so you can be prepared for them,¡± Sue insisted. She swiped her eyes with her wrist before forcing another tremulous smile. ¡°You have to become the best Healer in Wyndia, right?¡± Aida probed Sue with questioning eyes. Sue¡¯s reply was adamant. Please leave me be. Hesitant, Aida slowly nodded, waving Sue goodbye. Chapter 40: What do Although Aida was worried about Sue, she was glad that she stayed to watch Abedi Bellow and Shon Yanomo fight. Natalie Wok and Tera Trippe¡¯s styles would be a mystery, but at least she would be somewhat prepared against Pritchard¡¯s friends. Abedi had a very strong physique, and he used that to his advantage. When the match started, he gathered all of his mana to pull a massive battlehammer out of the ground. Shon evidently expected that; he had caused vines to sprout over the battlehammer, grasping the head in its tendrils, so that Abedi had to flex his powerful muscles in order to yank the weapon out of the ground. Shon took advantage of Abedi¡¯s temporary entanglement to grow several more vines around Abedi¡¯s legs, causing him to kick his legs out in irritation. How does Wood win a match? Aida wondered, baffled. She drew vines and flowers in her notebook, all wrapped around a mallet. How much mana does Abedi have to create metal out of the ground? Unless there¡¯s an ore deposit down there? Aida glanced up from her drawing to see that Abedi had finally freed his weapon, and was now swinging the hammer haphazardly at Shon, forcing the smaller boy to stay constantly on the move lest he receive a pounding. Shon began directing his plants to fire leaves at Abedi, leaving superficial cuts across his skin. Abedi moved like he didn¡¯t feel them, but Aida could tell from his grimaces that they hurt. Death by a thousand cuts, Aida thought, wincing. At least the tracksuit uniform held up. How would she counter Shon¡¯s plants? Finally, Abedi missed his footing and tripped over a plant that reached up to catch his toes, sending him and his hammer sprawling. Unluckily for Shon, the hammer spun straight toward him, and he was not able to get out of the way of the projectile. The handle of the hammer whacked him squarely in the face with an unmistakable crunch, and the boy collapsed. Aida peeked from behind her notebook, horrified. She had been more worried about how she would handle Shon and his leaf-spitting plants, but now she was worried about how she could protect herself against Abedi¡¯s armament. Healer Luk was already leaning over Shon, her hands spread over his face and an intense glow emanating from her hands. ¡°Caleb, how do you recommend I deal with Abedi¡¯s hammer?¡± Aida asked queasily. Caleb also looked uncomfortable about what had just happened. ¡°I think as long as you¡¯re careful, you can avoid an accident like that happening,¡± he said helplessly. ¡°But I don¡¯t even have enough mana to make my own water,¡± she said, slightly hysterically. Her mind began spiraling. ¡°How am I even going to fight Natalie tomorrow? Surely I can¡¯t just keep shooting mana blasts?¡± Caleb gripped her shoulder tightly to calm her down. ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes, that¡¯s what it takes.¡± Aida took a deep breath, nodding. Panicking would do her no good. But neither is my lackluster skill. She felt her breakfast push against the back of her throat. Clapping her hand over her mouth, she stumbled away from her seat and upended the contents of her stomach on the ground. ¡°Aida?¡± Caleb called after her. She heard him climb over the seats towards her and lay a gentle hand on her back, rubbing in gentle circles. She kept heaving, even after she threw up a few more swallows. The back of her throat burned, and her mouth tasted acidic. ¡°I¡¯m going to go get Healer Luk,¡± Caleb said worriedly. He squeezed her shoulder. ¡°Stay here.¡± Aida remained hunched over her puddle of vomit, suddenly weak. Her arms were shaking. Gentle hands pulled her upright, leading her to a seat a fair distance away so she couldn¡¯t smell her own byproduct anymore. ¡°Here.¡± Wiping the tears away from her eyes, Aida saw an orb of water floating in front of her, hovering over an unfamiliar hand. Tracing her eyes along the hand up to its owner, Aida came face to face with Dev, who was sitting next to her. His ice blue eyes were locked on hers. He lifted his hand, moving the ball of water closer to her lips. ¡°Rinse your mouth out.¡± Carefully opening her mouth, Aida took a few sips from the sphere. The water was cool and refreshing, and revitalized her. Swirling the water in her mouth, she turned to the side and spat it out. Dev offered her a few more sips, which she gratefully took. ¡°Feeling better?¡± Aida nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Nerves?¡± Aida nodded again. Dev nodded in understanding. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry too much. You¡¯ve already made it further than anyone would have expected.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried until I saw Shon¡¯s nose get broken,¡± Aida mumbled. The slight wrinkle that appeared around Dev¡¯s nose was the only indication of his disgust. ¡°An unfortunate accident.¡± Aida pressed her hands over her eyes, trying to suppress the memory of the crack and her concerns about her matches this star cycle. ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t belong in the top fifteen, do I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± The certainty in Dev¡¯s voice made Aida drop her hands and eye him skeptically. He was still staring unblinkingly at her. ¡°You did things no one¡¯s ever dared do before.¡± He tilted his head, finally breaking their gaze as he looked off into the distance. ¡°¡­and your recklessness might be what gives you an edge over the rest of us.¡± Aida frowned at the cheesy attempt to comfort her. ¡°Yeah, I think I learned my lesson about being reckless.¡± Dev glanced at her, but before he could respond Healer Luk arrived, with Caleb, Ezra, and Levi following at her heels. ¡°Miss Loreh, are you all right? Mister Tulver said you started vomiting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine now, thank you,¡± Aida said awkwardly. Levi was eyeing her and Dev suspiciously. Dev rose from his chair, excusing himself. Ezra let him pass with a hard look, while Caleb looked worried. Luk put the back of her hand on Aida¡¯s forehead, feeling her temperature. ¡°It was just nerves about tomorrow¡¯s match,¡± Aida explained. ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better now.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Healer Luk tutted. ¡°Very well. Remember that your ability to manipulate your mana is highly dependent on your mental health as well. Take some time to meditate today and find equilibrium.¡± Aida thanked her for the advice as she bustled off. The three boys stood around her. ¡°Um. So who won?¡± Aida asked brightly. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida paced around her room during lunch, worrying her lip. Her status boxes hovered around her, keeping pace with her pacing.
Character Stats STR: 4 - 15% to next level. FOC: 8 - 20% to next level. INT: 6 - 5% to next level. DEX: 2 - 60% to next level. VIT: 5 - 30% to next level.
Skill List Freeze (Lv2) 69% to next level. Heal (Lv4) 32% to next level. Ice Blast (Lv2) 0% to next level. Mana Blast (Lv4) 0% to next level. Mana Cycling (Lv6) 0% to next level. Mana Surge (Lv3) 20% to next level. Water Blast (Lv3) 20% to next level. Water Manipulation (Lv3) 90% to next level.
Unlearned Skills Detox (Lv1) [5 RP] Water Cage (Lv1) [110 RP] Total RP: 99
She flopped her whole body onto her bed, screaming into her pillow. She was 11 RP shy of learning Water Cage. How could she get 11 RP before tomorrow? She could feasibly level up Water Manipulation and Freeze today, but where would she get the last 5 RP? Aida sat up. She had low DEX still - and she hadn¡¯t done any training yet today, so she might be able to level up her DEX, and still have time to level Water Manipulation and Freeze. Her breath hitching, she scrambled off of her bed. She was going to have to be very careful with her time and mana management. She still had full mana, so first stop was to see if she could eke out Water Manipulation. Sprinting down the hallway to the bathroom, Aida turned on the faucet at the nearest sink, waiting for the water to collect in the basin. Holding her wand at the ready, she took a steadying breath, then pulled the stream of water straight from the faucet. She felt the weight of the water in her mind. Pulling the water like a rope, she drew it around her body like a lasso. The more water she pulled, the heavier the toll it took on her mind. A small voice in the back of her mind whispered anxiously that she was going to drop it all, and she would have to start over. She felt her heart rate rise in response to the nagging thought, and she firmly forced it away, forcing herself to breathe deeply and calmly, and just focus on the water. Eventually, the water¡¯s weight stopped increasing - or at least any additional water she pulled from the sink didn¡¯t seem to add to the strain anymore. Curious, she kept pulling water, just to see how much she could hold¡ª SPLASH ¡°Aida, what are you doing?¡± Lara demanded. She had her wand out, and was the one who had disrupted her concentration. She was surrounded by several other third-year girls, all watching Aida with wide eyes.
Congratulations! You have leveled the following skill: Water Manipulation (Lv4) [+3 RP]
Perfect timing! ¡°Sorry, I was training. Hey, can you clean this up for me? Thanks so much!¡± Without another word, Aida sloshed through the pool of water, pushing through the girls crowded in the bathroom. Bursting through the bathroom door, Aida was nearly upended as the water rushed out behind her ankles. Clinging to the door handle, Aida regained her feet before dashing down the stairs, flipping open her status box. Excellent. Her Water Manipulation had only consumed a tenth of her mana. Daring to feed a bit of mana for a surge, Aida hopped over the banisters, back and forth, as the stairs folded back around on each other. When Aida finally landed adroitly on the ground floor, several students in the hallway yelped in surprise as she dashed around them, sprinting towards the boys¡¯ wing. Aida skidded to a halt in the gym, panting as her eyes darted around, searching for suitable boulders she could use as a dexterity exercise. ¡°Aida,¡± Caleb said in surprise. He was with a few boys from the younger classes, coaching them in a training session. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
Congratulations! You have improved the following attribute: DEX: 3 [+5 RP]
¡°Nothing! See you later!¡± Waving haphazardly behind her, Aida dashed off again, back in the direction of the girls¡¯ wing. She slowed down as she approached the groups of students lingering around the main hall, taking a breather as she headed to the door that exited from the girls¡¯ wing and took her towards the lake. Stepping outside, Aida noticed the sun was beginning to set. She still had about three-quarters of her mana left, but would she have enough? Enough time, enough mana? She pressed her lips together. No time to wonder. Striding purposefully towards the lake, she began Mana Cycling, if only to take her mind off of the anxiety that was nipping at her heels. When Aida finally reached the bank of the lake, she was feeling significantly calmer. The lake¡¯s tranquility reached out to her, sharing its peace. Leaning into the feeling, she drew her wand, focusing oh-so-gently, oh-so-carefully. Freeze. Instead of losing control of her mana like when she faced the giant wild cat, Aida was able to leverage the lake¡¯s ancient wisdom in helping her guide her mana. The Lake had seen many seasons, and was familiar with winter, and freezing. But not all the way. The Lake had incredible depth, so never completely froze. The Lake guided Aida¡¯s mana, teaching her how to control how much water to freeze. She didn¡¯t have to force the water to crystallize, she just had to guide the droplets into the form they were familiar with.
Congratulations! You have improved the following skill: Freeze (Lv3) [+3 RP] Total RP: 110
Chapter 41: Day 2 Match When Aida entered the dining hall the next morning, there were numerous murmurs and looks that were thrown her way. Glancing around uneasily, she confirmed they were all talking about her. Levi caught up to her. ¡°I hope whatever you were doing yesterday was worth it,¡± he said lowly. ¡°You drew a whole bushel¡¯s worth of attention with your stunts.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find out if it was later today,¡± Aida murmured back. ¡°Have you seen Sue? She didn¡¯t answer her door, so I thought she might have come down already.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Levi drifted off, concern crossing his face. ¡°She hasn¡¯t come down yet. Perhaps it would be a good idea if we brought her breakfast?¡± Looking at him suspiciously, Aida and Levi approached the counter and ordered a variety of dishes. Bearing two trays each, they carefully made their way up two flights of stairs to the third floor. Remembering how Sue did the same for her when she first arrived in this world, Aida blunted her annoyance. Is there an elevator equivalent in this world? Stopping outside Sue¡¯s door, Aida concentrated. Sure enough, Sue was still in her room. Her mana was dull, a faint pulse of red. ¡°Sue, please open up,¡± Aida called through the door. ¡°Levi and I brought breakfast.¡± The pulse shifted, but no sound came through the door. ¡°We have a match soon,¡± Aida tried again. ¡°You need to eat, so you can be at your best.¡± After another moment of silence, Aida looked at Levi. He shrugged. ¡°You know, Lara was saying some pretty unpleasant things about you,¡± Aida said through the door. ¡°You¡¯re not going to let her just automatically win, are you?¡± Sue¡¯s mana flared up, and the door finally opened. Sue looked at Aida with red eyes. ¡°What did she say?¡± she asked, her voice husky. She was still dressed in her nightgown, a pale pink slip of a dress that made her glow. ¡°She said I ¡®seeped in to you.¡¯¡± Sue laughed dryly. ¡°I wish you did. You did great.¡± Her eyes were gloomy. ¡°I¡¯m glad you think that way,¡± Aida said briskly, forcing her way into Sue¡¯s room. ¡°Let¡¯s eat up.¡± Sue¡¯s room was the opposite of Aida¡¯s. Where Aida¡¯s room was neat by virtue of having very few belongings, Sue¡¯s room was neat despite all the items inside. Her fire float was tucked neatly on top of her dresser, and her bookshelf was full of books, all the edges perfectly lined up. Her schoolbag was placed perfectly square on her desk, and even the cover on her bed was thrown off in a neat triangle. Aida¡¯s room was bland, but Sue¡¯s room seemed too perfect. Kneeling down on the carpet to set the trays down, Aida gestured at Sue to join her and Levi on the floor. Hesitantly, Sue sat down on her hip, her legs laying neatly to the side. Aida glared at Levi, and he studiously lowered his eyes, focusing on the food. He began pushing dishes towards Sue, firmly keeping his mouth shut. ¡°Did you have a good night¡¯s sleep?¡± Aida asked calmly, ignoring Sue¡¯s appearance. ¡°¡­No,¡± Sue said, subdued. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I was¡­thinking.¡± ¡°Thinking about what?¡± Sue was silent, glancing at Levi, clearly unwilling to talk about her issues with him around. Aida proffered a rice bowl, and Sue took it, if only to avoid having to answer. Aida proceeded to pile food on her rice, forcing Sue to begin taking reluctant bites in order to prevent the stack from becoming too tall. They ate in silence, Aida pointedly glancing at Sue whenever she slowed down. Cowed, Sue dutifully continued eating. When it was clear Sue could no longer force any more food down, Aida sent Levi out to the hallway with the breakfast trays, sternly ordering Sue to get dressed. As Sue silently pulled her tracksuit on, Aida examined her. Her movements were slow, and her eyes were dulled. She had clearly been crying yesterday. Her mana, though brighter than it had been before she and Levi showed up, was still a shadow of the fireball it was before. ¡°Suelina Heslia,¡± Aida said quietly as Sue tied her hair up in a long ponytail. ¡°I know you¡¯re confused about your feelings, but you can¡¯t think about those things now. You have to focus on what¡¯s in front of you.¡± ¡°But Caleb¡ª¡° ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to ignore Caleb. Remember what you said before? There¡¯s no point in worrying about something you have no control over.¡± Sue nodded, her eyes watering again. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but it was so easy to say before, and so hard to do now,¡± she whispered. Aida reached out, cupping Sue¡¯s cheeks between her hands. Her cheeks were hot. Pulling Sue¡¯s head down so that they were level, Aida gazed deep into Sue¡¯s wide, innocent eyes. She hasn¡¯t felt pain before. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Wrapping Sue tightly in her arms, Aida whispered into her ear. ¡°It¡¯s hard to do, because it¡¯s the first time you¡¯re experiencing all these complicated emotions, during a stressful time in your life.¡± Sue started shaking, her mana flickering. ¡°I¡¯ll warn you now, this won¡¯t be the only time you feel this way,¡± Aida said softly. ¡°But you¡¯ll get used to it. I promise we¡¯ll talk about your feelings later, but right now, you need to just focus on getting through the matches.¡± ¡°What if I lose again?¡± Sue¡¯s voice was muffled. ¡°Who cares? As long as you do your best, that¡¯s all you should demand from yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose.¡± Sue¡¯s shaking become more violent. ¡°You will always lose.¡± Pulling back from Sue, Aida shook her shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for someone to never lose in their life. But what¡¯s important is that you keep going. A winner is someone who kept going when everyone else dropped out.¡± Sue looked tearfully at Aida, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. Wiping Sue¡¯s tears away with her sleeve, Aida held her hands in both her own. ¡°Remember our plan? We both have to get stronger in order for it to work.¡± Sue nodded, sniffling. She choked out a laugh. ¡°We¡¯ve all been underestimating you. When did you become such a philosopher?¡± Aida smiled encouragingly. ¡°There are some lessons you can only learn at the bottom.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida and Sue walked into the combat ring together. Sue headed towards Ring 1 with a straight back, her face clean, though still slightly shaky. Lara was gazing at Sue with a piercing look, clearly evaluating her condition. Biting her lip, Aida sent a burst of mana towards Sue, chucking her in the back to perk her up. Sue¡¯s steps became firmer. Heading towards Ring 3, Aida approached Natalie Wok. She had flaming orange hair - her orange hair literally looked like flames, as the choppy segments waved gently in the still air. Her narrow dark-gray eyes watched her carefully. Aida returned Natalie¡¯s nod. From what Levi had said, her family was essentially a blacksmith family, using traditional manufacturing techniques to make various household utensils. ¡°Like woks?¡± Aida had asked, a smile on her face. ¡°What are woks?¡± was Levi¡¯s curious response. ¡°You know, like a big pan for cooking.¡± ¡°Oh, yes of course. Cooking pans, knives, and spoons and chopsticks.¡± That conversation had left Aida to wonder how the translation feature worked in this world. Gripping her wand, Aida prepared her mana, trying to recall the peace and tranquility the Lake had showed her. Everything had seemed so obvious with the Lake guiding her. With all of the other Maglica Academy students and staff in the area, it was hard to find the almost effortless focus and stability she experienced yesterday. ¡°Begin!¡± Professor Gemma cried. Without giving herself a chance to second-guess herself, Aida released her mana. A swirl of water coalesced around Natalie, rapidly draining Aida¡¯s mana. Natalie froze, uncertainty and confusion making her mana spike and flicker. By the time the girl realized what was happening, it was too late. Ice began crystallizing at her feet, and spreading rapidly upwards. Natalie quickly rallied, directing fire from her wand towards her feet - but the fire was quenched just as quickly by the water still swirling around the ice. Panicking, Natalie aimed her wand at Aida, sending a blast of fire at her. Aida saw the fireball come at her in slow motion. She had a choice to make. She could break her concentration to defend herself against the fireball, or she could take the hit and continue executing her original plan. Beyond the fireball, the ice had climbed to Natalie¡¯s hips. The tidal wave around Natalie¡¯s body had reached her armpits - just a second more, and she would lose use of her wand. But in just a second more, the fire would strike Aida. Closing her eyes, she focused on her mana. Pouring the rest of her mana into her attack, she deftly hardened the water around Natalie¡¯s torso, and pushed the remaining free water around her shoulders, elbows, hands - through the fingers - and around her wand - she felt the heat of the fire caress her cheeks - Freeze¡ª Aida¡¯s fleeting triumph was immediately overwhelmed by stinging, unendurable pain. Screaming, she stumbled backwards, her face on fire. In agony, she slammed into the ground, clawing at her face. Heal heal heal HEAL¡ª After what felt like forever, the blistering pain eased. Pushing herself painfully into a sitting position, she looked around herself. She had thrown herself around so much while in pain that she was now facing Ring 1, and she was horrified to see Sue trapped helplessly in the same Water Cage she had been trapped in her first match. Sue hadn¡¯t given up though - she still had her wand pointed at Lara, and the force of her Mana Blasts was enough to shoot out of the Water Cage, walloping Lara in the stomach as a trio of strikes, doubling her over. Reminded of her own match, Aida looked around. Natalie¡¯s face was contorted in frustration as she attempted to break free of the ice. Glancing around at the other rings, it seemed like Aida had timed her combo perfectly. Professor Gemma jogged over, inspecting Aida¡¯s handiwork. ¡°Very good,¡± she said. ¡°You managed to disarm Miss Wok in under five seconds.¡± She turned to the other professors on the platforms, raising her arm in Aida¡¯s direction to indicate her victory. ¡°Wait!¡± Natalie cried. ¡°I can still fight!¡± ¡°If you are able to channel enough mana to break out of Miss Loreh¡¯s ice, I will allow the match to continue,¡± Gemma said calmly. ¡°However, I see that Miss Loreh has caused you to lose your grip on your wand, and you no longer have any contact with it. Would you still like to try?¡± Natalie¡¯s face twisted in concentration for half a minute, before she finally surrendered. ¡°Can you please release me?¡± she asked begrudgingly. ¡°I would be happy to,¡± Aida said, exhausted. ¡°But I¡¯m completely out of mana.¡± Suppressing her smile, Professor Gemma pointed her wand at Natalie, sending a pulse of mana through the ice and shattering it. Natalie fell out, shivering. She crawled towards her wand, snatching it up and stalking away from the ring without another word. Gemma turned to Aida, who was still resting on the ground. ¡°Are you all right? Do you require assistance?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, thank you,¡± Aida said, flopping back onto the ground. ¡°I think I¡¯ll just rest here until the other matches are over.¡± Chapter 42: Poor Sue Aida lay on the ground, gazing dimly up at the clear blue sky. She could hear the sounds of the other combatants in the rings around her fighting. Her mana was slowly but surely recovering. She couldn¡¯t believe that had worked. She really appreciated the ground¡¯s sturdiness, supporting her while she rested. The sun felt pleasant on her skin. A silhouette fell over Aida¡¯s face, making her squint a little less against the sun. ¡°Miss Loreh, are you all right?¡± It was Healer Luk. ¡°Mhmm.¡± ¡°That was some very quick healing on your part. You only have a first-degree burn right now, but you are also missing your eyelashes and eyebrows. Would you like me to help regrow those for you, or would you like to do it yourself?¡± Aida checked her skill progress bars. ¡°I can do it myself later, once my mana recovers a bit more.¡± ¡°Very good. Please depart the combat arena for now, as your match is over.¡± Reaching up to grasp Luk¡¯s outstretched hand, she allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. Luk stayed nearby to make sure Aida could walk without assistance before bustling away to be on standby for the other matches. Slowly making her way across the arena, Aida eyed the still-ongoing matches in the other five rings. Everyone¡¯s mana pool was so large compared to hers. They were able to employ various strategies and attempts; recover from a mistake, learn how to get better. I only get one shot, while these kids have multiple attempts. Not a stranger to the dissatisfaction of not having a safety net, Aida gloomily kept her head down until she finally reached the gate. Sitting on a stool near the gate wall, Aida leaned her head back and began Mana Cycling as she waited for the Water-Fire matches to resolve. Soon enough, she heard the chatter of several combatants returning to the waiting area. ¡°That¡¯s such a surprise¡ª¡° ¡°Is it really, though? Suelina is the weaker element¡­¡± ¡°I mean, she was second best the other two years, and now she¡¯s lost two matches in a row?¡± Opening her eyes, Aida looked towards Ring 1. Sue and Lara were still in there, fighting - except Lara was on Sue, having pinned her to the ground. They were both straining against each other, each grasping the other¡¯s wrist with one hand; both wands lay on the ground, forgotten. Aida headed towards the ring, concerned. Sue looked worse for wear, with a bloody lip and bruised eyes. Lara just had her lip curled in a snarl, the only indication that exhaustion had broken her composure. Suddenly, Sue slammed her head into Lara¡¯s face. Lara didn¡¯t lose her grip on Sue, however, instead managing to redouble her efforts during Sue¡¯s momentary slack, slamming Sue¡¯s wrist to the ground while her own fist broke free from Sue¡¯s grasp to rock her across the cheek in a rear hook. That was it for Sue. Lara began pummeling Sue across the face. ¡°Stop it!¡± Aida shrieked. Lara didn¡¯t stop. Aida waved at Professor Gemma, yelling for her to end the match. ¡°Miss Heslia, if you don¡¯t fight back in three seconds, I will declare victory for Miss Lorr,¡± Gemma shouted. ¡°Three, two, one! Miss Lorr, please cease your attacks!¡± Lara paused, her fist raised in the air, shoulders heaving as she panted. When Sue didn¡¯t stir, Lara pushed herself up laboriously, breathing heavily. She sluggishly picked up her wand from the side before exiting her ring, swaying gently as she walked. As she passed Aida, she leaned towards her. ¡°I really don¡¯t see how she can be considered top five, let alone top two.¡± ¡°Judgmental much?¡± Aida asked irritably. Lara stopped, turning towards Aida. ¡°I¡¯m being serious. I would question my friendship with Suelina if I were you.¡± She spoke condescendingly, as if Aida were a child and Lara was her parent. ¡°Fortunately, my friendships are not any of your concern.¡± Lara stepped towards her, leaning forward, her steel-gray eyes intense. ¡°Aida, listen. I understand your struggle, coming from a family with nothing, and having to claw your way up when everything is stacked against you. But it would be in your best interest to make sure you align yourself with strong people. You will never climb out of the sewers if you keep company with dregs.¡± ¡°Thank you for the unsolicited advice,¡± Aida said coldly. Lara¡¯s eyes hardened. ¡°Look, I¡¯m just being considerate. I don¡¯t have to say any of this to you, but I am because I want to give you hope that you can improve your life.¡± Aida laughed, a full belly-laugh that made her double over. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aida wheezed, wiping a tear away. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, that was just such a self-absorbed statement.¡± Lara¡¯s mouth pinched shut. She looked angry, but she didn¡¯t say anything else. She turned and stalked away, leaving Aida chuckling. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Composing herself, Aida approached Sue and Healer Luk, still smiling. The audacity of a teenager giving advice to a working adult. Aida chuckled again. Swallowing her merriment, she put on an appropriately somber expression as she knelt down next to Sue. ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Luk said absently. ¡°I healed the internal bruising and bone fractures, so she¡¯ll be fine tomorrow, but I¡¯m leaving the more superficial marks.¡± She glanced at Aida. ¡°If you have any mana left after healing your burns, perhaps you could practice healing Miss Heslia¡¯s minor injuries.¡± Nodding, Aida waited for Luk to depart before she leaned towards Sue. Pulling her to her feet, Aida looked closely at Sue¡¯s face. Her swelling had gone down, and the blood cleaned from her mouth, but she was clearly dismal. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Sue¡¯s response was petulant. ¡°Did Lara say anything¡­?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Sue snapped. ¡°Okay.¡± Gently taking Sue by the elbow, Aida led her out of the ring, where Levi, Ezra, Caleb, Lily, and Vanita were hovering. When Sue saw Caleb, her movements became stiffer, but she continued at the same pace. ¡°Can you take Sue to get lunch?¡± Aida whispered to Levi, who was the first to approach them. ¡°She¡¯s in a bad mood, and I need to talk to Caleb.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Levi murmured back. ¡°Anything I should avoid?¡± ¡°I think don¡¯t talk about any of the matches, unless she brings it up,¡± Aida murmured. She glanced over at Sue, who was striding towards the dining hall, ignoring Lily and Vanita as they asked after her. Ezra and Caleb were slowly following, uncertain if they should follow Sue or wait for Aida and Levi to catch up. ¡°And don¡¯t talk about Lara, she¡¯s been a bit of a¡ª¡° ¡°I can imagine,¡± Levi said grimly. He gave her a small salute. ¡°Consider Suelina taken care of.¡± Nodding, she watched as he jogged after Sue. She turned her gaze back to Ezra and Caleb, who were both awkwardly standing there, trying to look like they were casually busy and not just waiting around. She reached out and touched Ezra¡¯s elbow, pulling him away from Caleb. ¡°Can we talk later?¡± she asked softly. ¡°I have questions on how best to fight Abedi tomorrow, since I don¡¯t know how I would approach Metal.¡± Ezra nodded, eyes tracing her features, as if he was making sure she didn¡¯t have any other injuries. She touched her browline, wincing as she felt smooth, tender skin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll heal myself up once I recover some mana. Luk says I¡¯ll be able to grow my eyebrows and lashes back.¡± Ezra nodded again. ¡°When did you want to talk?¡± Aida bit her lip. ¡°Dinner? After dinner?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do dinner.¡± Aida nodded, smiling gratefully at him. Ezra slouched away, leaving her alone with Caleb, who had started shuffling towards the dining hall alone. Jogging after him, she pulled lightly on his sleeve, getting his attention. ¡°Aida, amazing job,¡± Caleb said, smiling. ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida said, smiling quickly, but wincing again as her skin pulled. ¡°Ouch, I shouldn¡¯t do that yet.¡± Caleb laughed softly. ¡°How did you do it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even sure,¡± Aida confessed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting it to work, but I figured if I didn¡¯t try I would definitely lose.¡± He shook his head, a wondering smile on his lips. ¡°You have incredible willpower.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s the only thing I have.¡± Aida smiled bitterly. ¡°Everyone else has so much more mana than me that they can have a prolonged fight.¡± ¡°Was what you were doing yesterday related to what you did today?¡± Aida tilted her head at him, confused. ¡°You ran into the gym, then ran out again immediately after,¡± Caleb clarified. ¡°Oh right!¡± Aida laughed, embarrassed. ¡°Yeah, it was. I mean, not directly. I was going to try to squeeze in some more physical training, but since the gym was busy I thought I¡¯d head to the Lake and work on my mana challenges instead.¡± ¡°The lake?¡± ¡°Oh yes,¡± Aida said. She considered how much to say. Will he think I¡¯m crazy? ¡°I went to the Lake initially to practice more Water Manipulation, to conserve mana by avoiding water creation¡­and then I guess I was inspired by nature? And I realized Freeze wasn¡¯t as hard as I thought it was at first, so¡­I got really lucky at figuring out my strategy today.¡± Caleb looked at her with a bewildered smile, but he seemed to accept her explanation. ¡°Um, about Sue¡­¡± Aida trailed off. She hadn¡¯t figured out what she wanted to say before approaching Caleb; she just knew she wanted to keep Caleb away from Sue, at least until Sue had a chance to process her feelings with Caleb. Caleb¡¯s expression had tightened at the mention of her. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what happened between you two, but¡­Sue has been weird, when it comes to you. So¡­if you¡¯re comfortable sharing, I¡¯d appreciate hearing what might have happened,¡± Aida said carefully. The tightness in his face remained, but he exhaled, the breath whistling between his teeth. He took a seat in the stands, putting his head in his hands. ¡°I¡­we¡­¡± Aida sat next to him as his voice faded, her movements careful, as if she were moving around an invalid and didn¡¯t want to disturb him. ¡°¡­we mixed mana,¡± he mumbled. ¡°You and Sue mixed your mana?¡± Aida asked quietly to confirm. ¡°Was it an accident?¡± Caleb¡¯s hands dropped from his face. ¡°Of course it was,¡± he said forcefully. ¡°I would never force or coerce anyone into doing that against their will.¡± Aida raised her hands in a placating gesture. ¡°I know,¡± she said soothingly. ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Caleb continued to glare at her, his anger melting away when she didn¡¯t push him further. Aida put a gentle hand on Caleb¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t force your will on anyone,¡± she reiterated. ¡°Thank you for telling me. I was just worried about Sue.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°You don¡¯t suppose the advice I gave you would work on her, would you?¡± she cracked a small smile, trying to assure him she wasn¡¯t accusing him of nefarious intentions. Caleb¡¯s head dropped into his hands again. ¡°Honestly, your advice is mud.¡± While Aida tried to figure out the connotation of his metaphor, Caleb added, ¡°It¡¯s the worst advice. I think if I didn¡¯t have that slight advantage over Fire, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to beat Sue.¡± ¡°But you did focus on something other than Sue, right?¡± Aida asked, slightly defensively. Caleb half laughed, half scoffed. ¡°I did,¡± he allowed. ¡°I focused on you. ¡®What would Aida do? What did Aida do?¡¯¡± he shook his head, bemused. ¡°There really isn¡¯t better advice, is there?¡± ¡°None that I¡¯ve been able to find,¡± Aida said quietly. She sighed. Teenagers. Chapter 43: Weaknesses Ezra was waiting for Aida at the base of the girls¡¯ stairwell when the dinner bell rang. She was caught in the jam on the stairs, confused at the holdup until she heard giggles travel through the pack of girls on the stairs. Surmising the cause, she decided to take the boys¡¯ staircase instead. ¡°Aida, what are you doing here?¡± Levi asked genially. ¡°Someone has created an obstruction on the girls¡¯ staircase,¡± Aida said grimly. She fell into step beside Levi. ¡°How is Sue?¡± Levi puffed his chest out, smirking. ¡°She is feeling much better now.¡± Aida eyed him beadily. ¡°It sounds like your relationship with her progressed favorably.¡± Levi¡¯s casual smirk dimmed into a more serious expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I got the feeling when I was with her that¡­it was contrived. Supposed to happen that way.¡± ¡°Maybe you¡¯re overthinking it,¡± Aida offered half-heartedly. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Levi admitted. His voice lowered. ¡°I hope I¡¯m overthinking it, because it doesn¡¯t feel right. I feel like I¡¯m taking advantage of her when she¡¯s most vulnerable.¡± Aida stopped on the stairwell between the first and second floors, pulling Levi into a corner and out of the flow of foot traffic. ¡°Look,¡± she said quietly, glancing around to make sure the other students were continuing on their way. ¡°You have good instincts about consent. But you do need to be aware that if you¡¯re overly cautious about everything, and leave initiative completely to the other person, then you run the risk of killing romance. I¡¯m not telling you what to do,¡± she went on before Levi could speak. ¡°I¡¯m just saying even if these intrusive thoughts come up, it doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t keep doing what you¡¯re doing. Or should?¡± Aida puzzled over the conundrum. If Levi was starting to become self-aware¡­what would happen? Would he still be involved in the machinations of Sue¡¯s romantic life? Or did Sue¡¯s momentum with Caleb already hit critical mass, eliminating Levi from the running for Sue¡¯s heart? But it¡¯s only been two and a half star cycles! The game is supposed to span the whole school year¡­ Levi sighed, running his hand through his hair, leaving it neatly ruffled. ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying. It still makes me uncomfortable, though,¡± he grumbled. Aida gave him a half smile. ¡°It¡¯s confusing,¡± she agreed. ¡°Just remember, if she ever says ¡®stop¡¯ or ¡®no,¡¯ just do what she says.¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± he said dryly. ¡°By the way, how does Metal support Water?¡± Aida asked, even more quietly. ¡°I was doing some research on it earlier this afternoon, but I didn¡¯t find anything that explicitly explained it. The other elements¡¯ interactions were more intuitive.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Levi started walking again, and Aida followed. ¡°Metal allows the existence Water. Think about a metal bowl or container. When it rains, water collects in the bowl. If the bowl isn¡¯t there, the water gets absorbed into the earth, or by the plants, or evaporates near a fire.¡± ¡°But what about large bodies of water, like the school lake?¡± Levi glanced at Aida. ¡°Have you read the bit about what happens when you have too much of an element?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Aida remembered. The other elements wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb the excess fast enough. ¡°But then¡­where¡¯s the balance?¡± ¡°That is balance. There is a lot of water at the lake, but there will be a dearth of water in places like the Sundry Plains.¡± Levi pronounced it like ¡°sun-dry,¡± but Aida recognized the name from her cursory skim of Wyndian History. Her initial thought when she read about it was that the Plains were made up of different types of flat geological structures, such as grasslands and plateaus, but the way Levi named it made it sound more like a desert. ¡°Oh,¡± Aida said lamely as they finally approached the dining hall entrance. She could see Ezra leaning against the banister of the girls¡¯ staircase, reading a book and looking just the slightest bit ill-tempered at the girls hovering around him. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you later. Ezra and I are going to discuss my strategy against Abedi over dinner.¡± Levi smirked, promptly hitching his carefree attitude back in place. ¡°Try flooding him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have enough mana for that,¡± Aida sang back, raising her hand in a backwards wave. Ezra glanced up at the sound of her voice, snapping his book shut. Aida waited for him at the dining hall entrance, her hands clasped behind her as she tried to make herself look as inoffensive as possible to the girls glaring at her with icy, wooden, flaming, jagged, steely, and overall stabby eyes. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Sorry for the wait,¡± Aida greeted him. She spoke blithely. ¡°I had to take the other staircase, since the girls¡¯ side was frozen.¡± Ezra nodded jerkily. ¡°I didn¡¯t wait long.¡± They placed their orders, Aida trying to keep a serene expression on her face as she felt the other girls¡¯ mana poking at her. ¡°What were you reading?¡± ¡°War tactics.¡± Alarmed, Aida glanced at Ezra for an explanation. ¡°After watching Lara and Suelina¡¯s match today, I thought it prudent to prepare myself against her. She is quite ruthless.¡± Noticing Aida¡¯s grimace, he smiled. ¡°I imagine your point against her was a great blow to her ego, and now she¡¯s coming at us with a vengeance.¡± ¡°Is there an exercise you would recommend to increase the size of one¡¯s mana reservoir?¡± Aida asked. ¡°I know Mana Circulation can help with the recovery speed, but as of now, I don¡¯t have enough mana to be able to have a sustained fight.¡± She dropped her voice to a dramatic whisper. ¡°If I miss my attack, it¡¯s over for me.¡± Ezra tapped his finger on his book as he thought. ¡°Unfortunately, increasing the size of one¡¯s mana reservoir is not a quick endeavor,¡± he said slowly. ¡°Common wisdom says the more you use your mana on certain techniques, the more often you can use those techniques in the same period of time. But that is a result of improved efficiency, as well as incremental increases in the size of your mana reservoir as you exhaust it. However, if we were to consider strictly on increasing the size of your reservoir¡­¡± The discussion tapered off as they searched for a table, to no avail. Aida couldn¡¯t quite say for certain, but it seemed like Ezra¡¯s fans had spread out around the cafeteria, every feasibly available table claimed by one or two girls, pointedly ignoring them as they looked innocently around the cafeteria or occupied themselves in conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s eat in my room.¡± Aida¡¯s eyes nearly popped at the volume of Ezra¡¯s voice. He had made no effort to be discreet with his suggestion, and it had unequivocally been heard by the girls. Even Levi, sitting with Lily and Vanita in a corner, had heard. He gave a mock salute disguised in a casual stretch as he leaned back in his chair, leering at her and Ezra. Aida was exasperated that the girls¡¯ pettiness made her have to take the stairs again, but also amused at how their plan to keep Ezra away from an ¡°unworthy¡± backfired so neatly. ¡°As I was saying,¡± Ezra resumed when they had reached the relative privacy of the staircase. ¡°The most direct way to increase the size of your mana reservoir - although still slow and tedious - would be endurance training.¡± ¡°Endurance training¡­like long-distance running?¡± Aida was disappointed, but also not surprised. From her recollection, mana recovery had strong correlation with lung health, which was why Mana Circulation and meditation went hand in hand. ¡°Yes, but Mana Cycling at the same time.¡± Aida wrinkled her nose. That sounded like a very un-fun time. ¡°How do you do that? I need a lot of concentration to Mana Cycle, and running for a long period of time is a challenge in itself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of the difficulty.¡± Ezra unlocked his door, balancing his tray in one hand as he held it open for her to pass through. ¡°Do be aware that it is substantially different from Mana Surging, as that is an active use of mana. Mana Cycling is inherently a passive skill, so it is very difficult to do two opposite things at once, so to speak.¡± Aida sucked in a breath, taking in Ezra¡¯s room at the same time. Like Levi¡¯s room, his room contained a significant amount of belongings that denoted his elemental affiliation. But his room was hyper organized. Sue¡¯s organized room gave the impression that she never really touched her things, Levi¡¯s organized room spoke to his self-respect; but Ezra¡¯s room was painfully neat. As if he was compensating for something. All of his metal knick-knacks were stacked carefully, edges perfectly parallel with other edges. Rounded objects were carefully enclosed in metal frames, keeping them from rolling all over the place. The different varieties of metal were all carefully segregated in their own areas: gold with gold, silver with silver, copper with copper. In the middle of his room was an additional circular metal table that clearly served as a workspace of some sort. All the surfaces were meticulously dusted. The contrast made Aida self-conscious about the dirt hitching a ride in the wrinkles of the toe box of her shoes. Placing his tray carefully on the metal table, Ezra pulled the school-provided wooden desk chair over to the table. ¡°Sit here.¡± Carefully placing her feet where Ezra himself stepped, Aida took the desk chair as Ezra pulled out a small metal stool for himself. ¡°It must be convenient, being able to make your own furniture,¡± Aida commented. Ezra glanced at the table. ¡°It gives me something to do. I can practice my Metal Manipulation here.¡± They ate in awkward silence. Without the buzz of public chatter, the silence was amplified. Aida cleared her throat. ¡°So¡­I don¡¯t really know how to approach my fight with Abedi tomorrow. I don¡¯t expect my trick on Natalie today would work again, I don¡¯t have the mana to go for a battle of attrition like Shon was doing¡­and I don¡¯t have the ability to go for a physical fight like Lara,¡± she listed off. She peered at him hopefully. ¡°Is there some sort of angle I¡¯m missing?¡± Ezra chewed over her words carefully. ¡°It¡¯s good you know your weaknesses. But now let¡¯s consider Abedi¡¯s weaknesses.¡± He put his chopsticks down, straightening on his stool. ¡°He is overly dependent on his physical strength, which is immense. However - and this is a common trend among Metal practitioners, since we do not typically have easy access to metal - he has not cultivated his mana arts very much. That is why he spends the bulk of his mana creating a weapon, and then using his creation for the remainder of the fight.¡± ¡°So I should try to disrupt his creation process?¡± Aida asked, trying to imagine how she could do it now that she no longer had the element of surprise. Ezra dipped his head. ¡°That is the easiest method.¡± Aida lapsed into thought. Abedi¡¯s physique pointed heavily to great stamina and strength, but it didn¡¯t seem like he put much stock into Mana Surge to supplement his weapon. She had assumed before that it was because he didn¡¯t want to surge against his friend, but wasn¡¯t it more likely that he didn¡¯t have the mana - or control - to do so? Even if he didn¡¯t want to accidentally crush Shon¡¯s skull, he could have still used the surge to avoid getting tripped in such a silly way. Aida nodded determinedly. Perhaps she wasn¡¯t such a one-trick pony after all. Chapter 44: Day 3 Match Aida nibbled on the multigrain bar and washed it down with a glass of green juice (they were uninspiringly named Varinut Pastry and Herbal Milk, respectively) as she looked out over the combat field. She was the first one out, since she didn¡¯t want to eat in the dining hall with everyone else¡¯s mana exuberantly swirling around her. After Ezra¡¯s analysis yesterday, she had attempted the Mana Cycle-while-exercising exercise he had recommended, but found it too difficult. She found it easier to Cycle with her eyes closed, but she couldn¡¯t run without her vision. When she tried Cycling with her eyes open, she found herself slowing to a stop as she focused on keeping her mana moving. It was impossible. She tore a chunk of pastry off with her teeth. She could easily cycle her mana while chewing. Maybe she should start there? She could ask the kitchen to make her a nutritious biscotti for her to grind on while she Cycled. Or maybe a gum would be better? Could the kitchen make her a gum? Her jaw was getting tired just thinking about it. ¡°Hi, Aida.¡± Aida glanced up to see Sue give her a wan smile. ¡°Sue! How are you feeling?¡± Aida stood up to give Sue a hug. She looked thin and drawn. ¡°Did you have breakfast already?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like eating,¡± Sue responded quietly. Her stomach growled. Pressing her half-eaten Varinut Pastry into Sue¡¯s hand, Aida rubbed her back. ¡°Sounds like you skipped dinner last night too.¡± Urging her to at least get something in her stomach, Aida sat the two of them back down. Sue took even smaller bites of the pastry than Aida did, delicately holding the bar with her fingertips. She sniffled. ¡°You¡¯re such a good friend.¡± Caught off-guard, Aida floundered for something to say. ¡°I¡¯m just returning the favor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fighting so hard, and you¡¯re still worrying about me,¡± Sue mumbled. She lowered the pastry to her lap. ¡°I lost yesterday not because Lara was stronger than me, but because I was weaker.¡± Pressing her lips together, Aida continued rubbing Sue¡¯s back soothingly. Sue continued. ¡°She said some things that made me really angry, and it completely broke my concentration. I knew I shouldn¡¯t let her get to me like that, but I was so angry.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± Aida kept her voice soft, though she could imagine the type of crap Lara spouted. ¡°She taunted me for being weak at first, but that didn¡¯t bother me so much. Ash talk is pretty normal, you know? But then she started bringing you into it.¡± Sue¡¯s hands tightened. The pastry began to crumble. She visibly forced her fingers to relax. ¡°¡­and I got so angry, because you didn¡¯t deserve to be targeted like that. And she took advantage of my lack of control, and was able to disrupt my mana.¡± Aida let out a whistle, but it came out as more of an exhale. She couldn¡¯t blame Lara for exploiting people¡¯s mental weaknesses, since she had done the same thing in the first stretch of placement matches. ¡°That¡¯s okay, Sue. It was a good learning experience.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sue looked at Aida tearfully. ¡°People can say anything they want,¡± Aida said gently. ¡°They can lie about you, call you names - insult you, your family, your friends, the things you care about. But what¡¯s most important is that you don¡¯t let their words get to you.¡± Sue stared at Aida, hanging on to every word. ¡°You know what the best revenge is?¡± Aida smiled. ¡°Proving them wrong. Then they look like liars.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not upset that she insulted you?¡± Sue asked quietly. ¡°Not really,¡± Aida admitted. ¡°I know whatever she said isn¡¯t true - and even if it was true, how silly is it to get angry at the truth? And honestly¡ª¡° Aida laughed lightly ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t have time to worry about what she said, when I have a lot more important things to worry about. Stuff that would actually impact my life.¡± Aida nodded towards the students beginning to filter through the gates. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but the beatings I took last cycle were painful, and I¡¯d rather avoid that kind of pain than whatever silly words Lara decided to string together.¡± Sue laughed. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve never gotten hit like that before.¡± She grimaced, touching her cheekbone. ¡°Can you heal me after your match? I¡¯m still a little tender.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Aida stood opposite Abedi. He looked uncomfortable; he kept scrubbing his dark hand through his blond hair, making the tight ringlets snarl together. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Pritchard,¡± he finally said, his low voice pained. ¡°We - most of us - kept trying to get him to lay off of you.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay,¡± Aida said, gratified. ¡°Dev already mentioned that, but thank you for saying it.¡± Abedi nodded gratefully, his face relaxing just a bit. ¡°Just wanted to make sure our friendship won¡¯t be tarnished by something so ridiculous.¡± Professor Havi gestured at them, getting their attention. Aida and Abedi nodded back to him, letting him know they were ready. Performing one last cursory check of all six rings, Havi started the matches. Aida threw a mana blast at Abedi¡¯s face as she ran towards him, more of a puff of air than anything truly damaging. He didn¡¯t flinch, instead concentrating on the ground. Quickly reversing her grip on her wand, she placed her thumb over the gem, activating the mana overlay so she could see Abedi¡¯s mana flow. Abedi had a truly impressive amount of mana. He had directed all of his mana into the ground, so that the entire combat arena - not just their ring - was glowing with his aura. She could see him drawing all the metal fragments in the ground together, consolidating it all into the beginnings of a handle, using his wand as the foundation. Aiming her wand at his hands, she focused on the narrowest thread of mana nestled in his palm. The bulk of his mana control was at the tip of the wand, focused on collecting the metal; the thread at the back was just a small highway to funnel the metal particles into their proper places. Her aim was good. She severed the connection, causing Abedi¡¯s wand to explode with mana. Fortunately, she had already started surging, allowing her to dive to the ground before the shockwave reached her. Abedi¡¯s face twisted with indignation, upset at having to start over. The metal that had already formed over his wand still remained, and he kept an eye on Aida as he began collecting metal again. This time, he made sure to reinforce the weak point Aida had exploited. Aida felt dread creep through her. Abedi had robust mana control, and there were no additional obvious exploits she could target. Only one thing I can focus on. Keeping her surge flowing, she sprinted towards Abedi, lunging to grab hold of his knee. She had heard wrestlers and jiujitsu enthusiasts in her gym brag about how untrained people didn¡¯t know how to keep their balance, and that the easiest way to conduct a takedown was via the knee. Clasping her hands behind Abedi¡¯s kneecap, Aida pulled with all her might. It didn¡¯t take too much force. Abedi hadn¡¯t expected her to get up close and personal, so didn¡¯t brace his legs. However, Aida had also never performed such a feat before, so she felt herself sail over his leg as he inadvertently kicked her during his fall. Landing on her back knocked the wind out of her, and she lost her surge. Rolling onto her front, she saw Abedi push himself up as well. She supposed it was a victory that he lost his concentration again, but now he was definitely annoyed. Keeping their eyes on each other, they both climbed to their feet. ¡°I see you would prefer to grapple?¡± Abedi asked, staying crouched. Aida swallowed. ¡°No, actually. I don¡¯t know how to grapple.¡± Abedi grinned. ¡°Thanks for letting me know.¡± He lunged for her. Panicking, she activated her surge, and was able to fall backwards out of his reach. Quickly recovering her feet, she fired a mana blast at him, that he seemed to shrug off. This guy¡¯s a tank! She was glad to see her hypothesis that Abedi didn¡¯t use Mana Surge was correct. She could at least stay out of his reach for a few moments longer. But how much longer? Her combination of dodging and whittling him down with pure mana was a (very slow) losing strategy. He didn¡¯t seem to be getting tired, and from what she recalled of his attributes he was really high in the STR and VIT department. She had already expended more than half her mana just avoiding his grasping paws and splashing him with ineffectual blasts. Suddenly, Abedi matched her speed - he Surged. Catching her in a tackle, he sent her flying across the ring, bouncing helplessly. Something interesting happened. Because Aida had maintained her Surge despite the shock of seeing big, lumbering Abedi doing the unexpected, she was able to anticipate how she would fall and land. More out of ephemeral curiosity than desperation, she sent mana towards her impact points - and found it lessened the pain. Flipping in the air after the last bounce, she landed on her feet, stumbling a little. She grinned, excited. Abedi slowed to a stop, looking at her warily. ¡°Did you hit your head?¡± ¡°Maybe, but I didn¡¯t feel it,¡± Aida bragged. ¡°Let¡¯s do it again!¡± Running at Abedi, she regained her Surge, jumping high in the air. Dragging her knees to her chest, she reveled in the feeling of nearly flying as her body began its slow descent towards Abedi¡¯s head. Abedi brought his fist back, anticipating Aida¡¯s landing. Since she knew that he knew that she was aiming for his head, she reinforced her feet, ankles, and knees with mana as she shot her legs downwards in a stomping motion, the heels of her shoes meeting Abedi¡¯s massive fist. It was just a matter of willpower at this point. Aida¡¯s intense concentration was like a drill, throwing sparks against Abedi¡¯s thick cast-iron shield that refused to yield. Aida¡¯s concentration and mana gave out, and she was blown backwards by Abedi¡¯s powerful blow. Uh oh. Flying through the air again, but this time not of her own will, Aida scrambled to scrape together the last of her mana to protect herself against the harsh impacts of the hard ground. Third time was the charm; she was able to land limbs akimbo, relatively unhurt. She heard Abedi¡¯s heavy footsteps thud ominously towards her, clearly intent on continuing the fight. ¡°YIELD! I YIELD!¡± Aida hollered from the ground, shooting her arm straight up in the air in front of her. Abedi skidded to a stop over her, pointing his wand down at her. ¡°Do you really yield?¡± he panted. Aida let her hand flop to her side on the ground. ¡°I do. I¡¯m all out of mana.¡± But I learned a new skill. A maniacal grin spread across her face.
Congratulations! You have learned Defense Up (Lv1). [+5 RP]
Chapter 45: Kicking Back Caleb and Levi were both waiting at the gate for their turn when Aida approached. ¡°You¡¯re always surprising us,¡± Levi accused, raising his hand in a high-five. Slapping his hand down, Aida puffed her chest out, playing up the fratboy stereotype. ¡°Never skip leg day,¡± she said demurely. Caleb looked pleasantly confused as he offered a high-five himself, and Levi made warning eyes at her, glaring meaningfully at Caleb¡¯s back. Aida cleared her throat. ¡°Good luck.¡± Ezra met her in the stands just as she stepped through the gate. ¡°I take it that since the instructors haven¡¯t confiscated a hammer from Abedi, the plan to disrupt his channeling worked?¡± ¡°It worked,¡± Aida agreed. ¡°But then he decided to get physical.¡± She grimaced. ¡°I think I convinced him to begin training Mana Surge now.¡± Ezra gave a half smile, throwing silver sparkles in the air. ¡°You win some, you lose some.¡± Waving the sparkles out of her face, Aida continued walking towards Sue. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to work on my physical fighting, too. I saw a lot of openings, but I didn¡¯t know how I could capitalize on them.¡± With a thoughtful expression, Ezra loped after her. Sue smiled, looking mostly back to her usual bright self. ¡°That was a great strategy. Sorry it didn¡¯t work out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all good,¡± Aida assured her. ¡°It was a good experience, and I figured out what else I need to work on.¡± Expand mana pool, learn how to fight so I can use my Mana Surge and Defense Up more effectively¡­ ¡°Oh, before I forget.¡± Reaching her fingers towards Sue¡¯s face, she probed her with mana, examining Sue¡¯s injuries. An overlay appeared over Sue¡¯s body, mostly green, but some places were highlighted yellow. Sue sighed in relief. ¡°Finally, it doesn¡¯t hurt when I make expressions anymore.¡± ¡°Great, because I¡¯m out of mana again.¡± Settling back in her seat, she glanced over at Ezra, who was watching the matches in the seat next to her. ¡°By the way, how did your match with Lara go?¡± ¡°I defeated her.¡± After a moment, Ezra added, ¡°She really did seem to have a vendetta.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Sue exclaimed. She leaned over Aida to talk to Ezra. ¡°She¡¯s never been so bitter before. Did she say anything to you?¡± Ezra contemplated. ¡°Nothing I haven¡¯t heard from my brother before.¡± Aida snorted, drawing Sue and Ezra¡¯s attention. ¡°Sorry. I was just thinking she¡¯d probably get along really well with your family.¡± Sue made a face. ¡°Can you imagine if the Riolt family arranged a marriage with the Lorr family?¡± Ezra whipped his head to look at her, horrified. Aida couldn¡¯t hold back her giggles. ¡°I mean, it might not be so bad if she married your brother, right? You already don¡¯t get along with him. Or would you rather marry her yourself?¡± she teased. Ezra stared at her with an expression of utmost betrayal, his face slowly reddening as he met her eyes. On the other side, Sue swooned dreamily. ¡°Oh, can you imagine? What if, no matter who she marries, the two brothers fight over her to win her heart?¡± Ezra turned his gaze on Sue, face tomato-red. He looked like he was about to have a conniption. Unable to hold herself back, Aida added on mercilessly. ¡°And Lara, because she¡¯s such a good person, will try to repair the relationship between the two brothers by offering to marry both of them.¡± Aida paired her words with a truly overdramatic performance, placing her hands to her cheeks and peeking shyly at Ezra, leaning towards Sue. Sue had mirrored her movements at the exact same time, both of them blinking innocently at Ezra. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Sue¡¯s manifestation of red sparkles. Ezra glared at both of them, struggling not to explode. ¡°You two,¡± he said stiffly. ¡°Are incorrigible.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Lunch was a lighthearted affair. Sue¡¯s repaired mood drew everyone towards her again, so they all sat at the largest table in the dining hall. There was still some mild tension between Sue and Caleb, but for the most part everyone was laughing and joking again. Under the cover of good cheer, Aida took a seat next to Levi. ¡°I need some pointers,¡± she said quietly. Levi leaned over, listening. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to fight without using mana. I think having a strong foundation in striking would be a good complement to having mana abilities.¡± Levi nodded. ¡°Like Lara.¡± Aida gave him a deadpan look. He grinned. ¡°Okay. You have a point.¡± He looked around the table. ¡°Caleb¡¯s the one you¡¯ll want to ask for any grappling and close-combat tips. I don¡¯t know how helpful it will be for you, though, since he relies on his size. Ezra doesn¡¯t like to get his hands dirty, so to speak, so he¡¯s more of a kicking guy. Now me,¡± Levi did a couple mini jabs at an invisible opponent. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of getting up close and personal, and pounding people who deserve it.¡± Aida eyed Levi¡¯s winning smile. ¡°I think I¡¯ll ask Ezra for help.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Levi dropped his hands to his hips in mock outrage. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m a good teacher!¡± ¡°Yes, I think kicking is a good idea,¡± Aida decided. ¡°I¡¯d rather not get up close and personal with people.¡± And I can chain wand attacks together¡­ ¡°Your loss,¡± Levi said loftily. ¡°At least it won¡¯t be too surprising of a request. Aida was awful with her leg coordination.¡± Aida grimaced. Good to know. ¡°But here¡¯s a free tip, so that you don¡¯t give yourself away too easily: power always comes from the hips. So use your hips.¡± ¡°Thanks, Teacher,¡± Aida muttered. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°Let¡¯s see your balance.¡± Aida lifted one knee up, and promptly felt her torso tipping to the side. Windmilling her arms, she managed to regain her balance and stay upright with her hands on her hips. ¡°Now extend your leg.¡± Stretching her foot out, she felt her quads and calves begin shaking with the effort to remain elevated. ¡°Repeat on the other side.¡± Aida¡¯s balance was even worse, and she had to put her foot down before quickly lifting it into position again. She wasn¡¯t even able to fully extend her foot on this side. ¡°Relax.¡± She put her foot down with a sigh, rubbing away the beginnings of a cramp. Ezra looked at her silently, chin resting on his fist as he contemplated her performance. Aida returned his look, attempting the balancing exercise while she waited for his judgment. She wanted to show him she was willing to put in the effort. She got better at it, at least. She never realized how many muscles were required just to stand stably on one leg. Ezra exhaled, rubbing his nosebridge. ¡°If I were to teach you something you can use tomorrow, it would be the turning kick.¡± Aida nodded enthusiastically. I¡¯m going to Bruce Lee the shit out of the turning kick. Ezra continued speaking, his voice taking on a lecturing tone. ¡°The turning kick is a good, basic kick, but very predictable. Another good kick you will want to learn eventually is the back kick, which is a good, basic counter if your opponent is rushing you. But I don¡¯t anticipate you will be able to learn it today.¡± He came to stand next to Aida, his legs spread so that one foot was in front and his torso was open to her. Aida mirrored him. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the front turning kick. Using your front leg only, raise your knee, keeping it still in this turned position. Kick out.¡± Ezra demonstrated slowly, raising his knee in one smooth motion, pausing, and then kicking his foot neatly out, holding the position so she could appreciate his clean lines. ¡°That¡¯s the basic motion. To add power to it, incorporate your hips.¡± Resetting his front foot on the ground, Ezra did a turning kick with his front leg, torquing his hips so rapidly she could barely notice the fabric twitching. A small boulder tilted, before settling back into its groove in the ground ten feet away in front of them. ¡°Did you use mana on that kick?¡± Aida asked, staring at the boulder. There was no wind in the gym. Ezra looked at her quizzically. ¡°Never mind,¡± Aida said quickly. ¡°Carry on.¡± ¡°You can use mana,¡± Ezra conceded, ¡°but don¡¯t use it today. Give it a try.¡± Copying what Ezra did, Aida hesitantly raised her knee, before snapping it out in a bid for balance. ¡°Faster.¡± Aida tried again, and again, and again, each time feeling more confident that she wasn¡¯t going to lose her balance. In fact, it was easier to go fast than it was to go slow. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s do another variation: the rear turning kick.¡± It was the same as the front kick, but using the back leg. Easy enough. ¡°This one has more power than the front kick, because you have more room to use your hips. Make sure to keep your knee in the same line as your body as you travel.¡± ¡°For efficiency,¡± Aida realized, as she experimented with turning her hips with her kick. ¡°Exactly,¡± Ezra said approvingly. ¡°You understand the hips very well. The next step to harnessing power for your kick is to use the ground.¡± Ezra bent his knees slightly, then fairly exploded off of the ground on his back foot, flying across the gym floor with the distance he covered. ¡°Did you use mana that time?¡± Aida called shrilly, holding her hair back out of her face in the wake of his takeoff. ¡°No.¡± Trying to emulate what Ezra did, Aida landed heavily as she set her kicking foot down. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to spin on the ball of your foot; you don¡¯t want to break your ankle while you kick.¡± The training session continued, with Ezra providing useful tips to correct her form incrementally. Aida couldn¡¯t remember the last time she felt this fulfilled by repetition. Even though this one kick wasn¡¯t going to be a game-changer in any sense of the word, being able to feel the improvements to her technique, understanding how and why she was getting better, and knowing that she would be slightly less defenseless in a fight gave her self-confidence - and a stronger sense of purpose. Training was fun. Getting better for the sake of getting better - not to avoid some looming existential threat, but just because it was fun - was something she had never understood. She had always considered ¡°improving¡± to be important because it would lead to better outcomes: a demonstration of merit that would result in preferential treatment from others. But what was happening now? I want to see what my limit is, Aida realized. Not so that I can rank in the top five with Ezra, Sue, Levi, Caleb¡­but just to see what I can do. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ezra was looking at her with concern. ¡°Huh?¡± Aida looked at Ezra, wiping the sweat off her chin. ¡°Are you all right? Did I push you too hard? I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Ezra trailed off, looking completely flummoxed and contrite. ¡°What¡­¡± Aida started, before she felt tears beginning to slide down her cheeks in full force. She started laughing. The look of panic on Ezra¡¯s face made her laugh harder. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Aida reassured him, wiping her tears away. She hiccuped. ¡°I think I understand you now. And why you were angry with me at Shale Port.¡± Ezra¡¯s expression turned wary. ¡°I told you, I didn¡¯t¡ª¡° Aida waved his explanation away. ¡°No, you weren¡¯t in the wrong. You care about improvement for improvement¡¯s sake. I¡­had an ulterior motive driving my desire for improvement. But now¡­¡± she smiled at Ezra. ¡°¡­it¡¯s fun. I¡¯m having fun.¡± Ezra stared at her. Then he slowly began to smile. ¡°Do you want to try the kick with mana now?¡± Chapter 46: Day 4 Match Aida woke up sore the next morning. She reveled in it. So this is what they meant. Work hard, play hard. Unfortunately, she needed to be in tip-top shape today. Regretfully, she sent a quick wave of Heal down the length of her body. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t only her legs that were sore; her core and back had a light layer of yellow as well. She quickly flashed open her profile box for a cursory glance of her stats.
Character Stats STR: 4 - 30% to next level. FOC: 8 - 27% to next level. INT: 6 - 5% to next level. DEX: 3 - 13% to next level. VIT: 5 - 50% to next level.
She frowned. Most of her attributes had seen a steady, if slow, increase the whole time she¡¯d been here, but her INT seemed to have been stalled for quite a while. That probably has to be my next focus. She could already imagine Levi¡¯s delighted look at her admission that she needed to increase her intelligence trait. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida held a nutrition bar in her hand as she practiced some more turning kicks on one of the straw dummies ringing the edge of the combat arena. One of Ezra¡¯s talking points yesterday had been that while kicking air was a beautiful art form, one had to learn to kick through an actual target. That had made sense to her, but he had left it to her to work on her own, since he had to prepare for his match with Sue. Once he departed, she had felt her progress slow. It was hard to judge distance, and even though she could tell when a kick was weaker or stronger than the last one, she wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint why, the way Ezra could just by watching her. I guess that¡¯s part of the 10,000 kicks Bruce Lee says to do. ¡°Aida, it¡¯s almost time.¡± Aida choked on her bite of Five-Spice Nutty Leaf Biscuit. Caleb lobbed himself over the wall from the spectator side to pat her on the back, handing her the glass of Fruity Milk Juice she had set on the arena wall. Gratefully accepting her drink, she downed half the glass, washing away the spices stuck in the back of her throat with the thick but sweet juice. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t eat those biscuits too often. It¡¯s better to eat real food.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Aida sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just so much more convenient. You don¡¯t have a match today, right?¡± Caleb nodded. ¡°It¡¯s my day off.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait until the placement matches are over,¡± Aida confessed. ¡°I just want to work on my known weaknesses already.¡± Caleb grinned. ¡°You¡¯ll regret saying that once they start us in classes. All of our free time will be gone, especially with all the affiliate recruiters that are going to come.¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± ¡°I bet you¡¯re excited,¡± Caleb said, almost as a question. ¡°You¡¯ll get some time to meet with the affiliates.¡± Aida grimaced, unsure how to answer. ¡°I guess I just don¡¯t like the reminder that we have to choose a career so early. I want to explore, you know?¡± Caleb dipped his head in agreement. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s always later,¡± he said softly. ¡°Get a job first, establish yourself¡­and then when you¡¯re secure, you can take up your interests then.¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s such a trap,¡± Aida said, looking down at her hands. ¡°You start focusing on your job, then you focus on how to climb the ladder, earn more, because you don¡¯t feel secure in your position¡­and you decide that it¡¯s worth postponing your hopes and dreams for later, because you¡¯re still not secure.¡± Aida¡¯s brow furrowed as she thought of the insecurities she overheard from her customers at the gym and optometrist¡¯s office¡­they all followed a similar refrain. ¡°I just feel trapped, you know? Everyone is getting promoted, and moving in with their significant others¡­it seems like just yesterday, we were so excited to graduate high school¡­and then college¡­But now there are all these expectations¡­and I still have loans to pay off¡­¡± ¡°I should get going,¡± Caleb said, breaking Aida out of her reverie. He hesitantly patted her shoulder. ¡°¡­Good luck.¡± Professor Kozu was heading towards Aida, as the other Water and Wood students trickled into the arena. ¡°Miss Loreh.¡± ¡°Professor,¡± Aida greeted. ¡°How are you feeling today?¡± ¡°Not angry and misunderstood, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about,¡± Aida replied, trying to stay lighthearted. Kozu smiled briefly, his burnt eye gazing at her kindly. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that. I wanted to commend you for how you¡¯ve handled your other two matches so far.¡± Aida blinked. ¡°But I lost yesterday.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Of course,¡± he agreed. ¡°And we decided not to award you a point. However, you showed remarkable understanding of your limitations. Reaching it, but not blowing it, like in the previous matches. Very remarkable.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida said, flattered. ¡°Keep it up,¡± Kozu continued. ¡°Even though you are not top five, I would be more than happy to work with you to place you with an affiliate you are interested in working with.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida repeated, stunned. This was more than she had ever expected. Nodding smartly at her, Kozu gestured at her to enter her ring, where Shon was already waiting. Shon had brown hair and eyes, with bronzed skin that indicated plenty of time spent in the sun. He had a wiry build, and was only slightly taller than Pritchard. He nodded hesitantly at Aida. ¡°Good job fighting Abedi yesterday,¡± he said cautiously. His demeanor suggested he had a strong preference for peace. ¡°Thanks,¡± Aida smiled. ¡°No offense intended, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re not him.¡± Shon relaxed, smiling back. ¡°Yeah, same. Nothing personal about all this, right?¡± ¡°Right. Let¡¯s just do our best.¡± Aida held out her hand in truce, and Shon grasped it, clearly relieved. They backed up to their starting points, both adopting a look of concentration. Aida could already feel Shon gathering his mana, and saw his eyes flicker around the ground, taking stock of the landscape. She began feeding mana through her body, a slow drip, as she waited for Professor Kozu¡¯s word. ¡°Begin!¡± Springing forward as the first syllable left his mouth, Aida aimed a kick at Shon¡¯s head. She was pleased that she was flexible enough to get up there without losing her balance, and even more pleased to see Shon¡¯s eyes widen in surprise. He clearly hadn¡¯t been expecting a physical assault. Dipping his head back, Shon narrowly avoided getting clocked in the face. Aida took advantage of Shon¡¯s destabilization to follow her kick with a diagonal slash, unleashing a hefty Mana Blast at close quarters. Shon absorbed the blow, stumbling back several steps. He pointed his wand at her, and Aida reminded herself that she had to keep moving. She blasted away the tendril that was creeping around her ankle, and followed Shon relentlessly, avoiding the plants that were already starting to crop up around the combat ring. The good thing about Shon focusing on growing plants was that he wasn¡¯t able to defend himself very well against her as she rained mana-charged kicks at him; the best he could do was dodge and duck. The bad thing about Shon focusing on growing plants was¡­well¡­they were getting larger and more prevalent. Aida was quickly depleting her mana with all the free openings Shon was offering her, but unfortunately they weren¡¯t powerful enough to actually disrupt or hurt him too badly. Annoyed that she couldn¡¯t even land a kick on Shon, she quickly surged mana to the foot she was standing on, jumping into the air as she rotated her hips in the opposite direction she had originally been going. Shon had been ducking neatly below her kick, her foot traveling in a beautiful arc above his back and neck - but that meant that he approached her rising knee with momentum. She felt Shon collapse over her shin, his stomach so squishy compared to the straw dummies she¡¯d been practicing on. Shocked that her plan actually worked (it wasn¡¯t a plan, it had been a vague idea), Aida dropped her kicking leg, watching him wide-eyed. Shon had landed on his hands and knees, wheezing. He lifted his head, looking at her with anger. She raised her hands in apology. ¡°Sorry, nothing personal, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± he gritted out, thrusting his wand towards her. Aida felt herself get hoisted into the air by her ankle, the rest of her limbs getting wrapped in other tendrils that restrained her movement. Straining, she aimed her wand at the plants. Though she was able to blast away some vines, they were quickly replaced by more. So this is how Wood wins. ¡°Do you yield?¡± Shon asked grimly. He had finally climbed to his feet, though he was still holding his stomach. Aida tugged half-heartedly at her restraints, even trying to send some mana into the plants. Unfortunately, Shon had a thick layer of mana running through every stem and leaf, and easily repelled her attempts. She sighed and relaxed. ¡°I yield.¡± ¡°Miss Loreh yields!¡± Professor Kozu announced. She had no idea when he had even arrived. Shon directed his plants to let her down, Kozu waiting for her to get clear before he casually sent a blast of fire at Shon¡¯s constructs. After all the plants had been burnt to a crisp, Kozu stepped back, waving at Professor Gemma on a platform. She pointed her wand at the ashes, the ground rippling like water, swallowing the ashes into its depths. The combat ring was left pristine. ¡°Hey, do you want a spot of healing?¡± Aida asked, turning to Shon. He was still grimacing, and was now starting to hunch over. ¡°I still have some mana left after our fight, so I thought I¡¯d offer¡­¡± He eyed her warily, before saying ¡°Please.¡± The overlay appeared over Shon¡¯s body. He was mostly green, except deep in his torso, below his ribcage, was a blotch of red that was slowly growing. Uh oh. Swallowing her lips, Aida focused on sending her mana deep into his body. She could tell it was some kind of internal bleeding, although she didn¡¯t know which organ. She managed to staunch the flow, but couldn¡¯t do much more. ¡°Professor! Where is Healer Luk?¡± ¡°She is attending to another student,¡± Kozu said from beside her. He crouched down, hovering his hand over Shon¡¯s stomach. ¡°Are you able to heal more?¡± Aida shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m out of mana,¡± she said helplessly. She still kept a small trickle running. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to keep that one from growing.¡± ¡°Luk, Bruce! We require assistance,¡± Kozu roared. He looked at Aida. ¡°I will share some of my mana with you for now. It won¡¯t be efficient, since we are not compatible affinities, but please use it to keep Mister Yanomo stable until Healer Luk arrives.¡± Aida nodded. Kozu placed two fingers against her palm, carefully feeding a thread of molten mana into her system. When he was certain she had control of his mana, and was able to incorporate it into the thread that was flowing into Shon, he slowly increased the amount of mana he gave her. Trembling from the pressure emanating from such dense mana, Aida carefully routed the energy to Shon¡¯s injury. The bleeding stopped. ¡°I¡¯m here. Please continue to hold your Heal, Miss Loreh,¡± Healer Luk said. She placed her fingers over Shon¡¯s wrist, closing her eyes as she evaluated his condition. She looked at Aida with wonder. ¡°Very good, Miss Loreh. Please release your mana. I can handle it from here.¡± When Aida finally released her mana, it felt like a huge weight had lifted from her shoulders. She felt like she could finally breathe again, and her limbs felt so loose and free. She felt sweat drip down her forehead. Wiping her face with her sleeve, she took a deep breath. Kozu gently touched her shoulder. ¡°Excellent work.¡± Giving him a wan smile, she allowed him to point her towards the rest of the third years. Now that the crisis was over, she felt faintly impressed with herself. Less than a thousand kicks in, and I already caused internal bleeding? Chapter 47: Miscalculations Sue was hanging over the arena wall when Aida arrived, Ezra behind her. His hand was hovering over Sue¡¯s back, ready to reach out and grab her if she ended up falling over. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Shon ran into my kick, and he got a bit of internal bleeding,¡± Aida replied. ¡°Healer Luk says he should be fine.¡± ¡°Wow! Maybe I should learn some physical combat too,¡± Sue said appreciatively, her eyes gleaming. ¡°I bet it felt really good to do that.¡± ¡°I feel a little bad,¡± Aida confessed. ¡°It¡¯s not like Shon was the main instigator¡­¡± ¡°Oh, true,¡± Sue agreed, her lips drooping into a cute pout. ¡°I still think it would be really cool to do what you did though¡­chain your mana attacks with your punching and kicking¡­¡± Sue demonstrated, kicking out like a ballerina and flicking her wand elegantly. Her hair twirled around her like a cloak, making Sue look like a spinning music box figurine. She let out a shriek, falling. Ezra leapt towards her, his arms outstretched. Alarmed, Aida pushed through the gate and ran up the steps. Ezra was holding Sue in his arms, and she was looking up into his face, bundled safely against his chest. Aida felt like she was trapped in time, forced to witness something she didn¡¯t want to see. Ezra¡¯s face was hovering over Sue¡¯s, their lips inches away from each other. Was the distance decreasing? Forcing herself to move, Aida called out. ¡°Are you all right?¡± They snapped apart from each other, though Ezra still held Sue¡¯s shoulders snugly. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Sue said, her face red with embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened - I¡¯m never this clumsy.¡± With Ezra¡¯s support, his hands lingering on her back and hand as he helped support her to her feet, Sue smiled ruefully at Aida. ¡°Maybe I should stick with what I¡¯m good at, huh? Just - mana overwhelming.¡± Aida forced a smile back. ¡°Yeah, no reason to fix what isn¡¯t broken.¡± She glanced at Ezra, who was focused studiously on the arena, his cheeks lightly tinged with pink. ¡°Hey friends,¡± Levi sang out, clomping up the stairs. ¡°Were you all waiting for me?¡± ¡°Not all of us,¡± Aida said diplomatically. ¡°Good luck, Sue, Ezra.¡± Without waiting for another word, she headed towards where Caleb was sitting in the stands. She heard Levi call out encouragement to Sue, before following after her. ¡°What was that all about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think your progress with Sue is further behind than I thought.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Tell me,¡± Aida said, facing him. ¡°How many romantic incidents have you had with Sue so far?¡± Levi¡¯s brow furrowed, thinking. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to say. Maybe one?¡± Aida looked at him in disbelief. ¡°One? No way, I¡¯m certain you¡¯ve had three so far.¡± Levi looked at her fearfully. ¡°Have you been stalking me?¡± Scowling, Aida pivoted away from him. He chased after her. ¡°Okay, stop, please - joke¡¯s over, I¡¯m serious now.¡± She turned back toward him, pinching her lips shut. He looked at her, glancing between her eyes. Finally, he said seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, but all I know is that there isn¡¯t much that has happened between me and Sue that could even be considered romantic.¡± When Aida continued to glare at him, he sighed, his shoulders slumping. ¡°Look, I want to help you. I really do. Especially if my future wedding is on the line. But I can¡¯t help you if you won¡¯t share with me what you know. Please? Help me so I can help you help me?¡± He dropped his chin, looking at her with puppy dog eyes. Aida scoffed, flapping her hands at his face, making him flinch back as she cleared the melancholy bubble effects from around him. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s talk in your private place later.¡± ¡°I like the sound of that,¡± he purred seductively. ¡°Your clearing,¡± Aida clarified. ¡°I keep myself well-groomed.¡± ¡°Your forest,¡± she growled. ¡°That¡­will take a while for it to grow back to its natural state.¡± She turned to him with a murderous glare. He raised his hands in surrender. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°That was pretty good form,¡± Caleb said appreciatively. ¡°And you only learned to kick yesterday?¡± ¡°Thanks to Ezra,¡± Aida agreed. ¡°I wonder if I can learn back kick now.¡± ¡°You did well as well,¡± Caleb said to Levi. Levi shrugged. ¡°I had multiple advantages over her. You¡¯ll want to be wary, though,¡± Levi warned. ¡°She¡¯s been saying some really crazy things.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Aida asked curiously. ¡°Oh, you know - she was saying I¡¯m trying to hitch my plow to the wrong ox, I have better things I can spend my time and effort on, suggestions on what I can do better,¡± Levi listed off airily. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it too much, just wanted to give a fellow top five brother a warning.¡± He extended his fist to Caleb behind Aida¡¯s head, who hesitantly returned his fistbump. ¡°I mean, she might have a point¡­you don¡¯t seem like you work nearly as hard as Sue or Caleb,¡± Aida said fairly. Levi smacked his thigh. ¡°It¡¯s not about working hard, it¡¯s about working smart. And I work plenty smart, thank you very much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m interested to hear what her suggestions of improvement are for me,¡± Caleb said earnestly. ¡°It¡¯s always good to get an outside opinion.¡± ¡°My guy, you need to have a better sense of self-esteem,¡± Levi said incredulously. He leaned over Aida, forcing her to duck below his chest. ¡°You¡¯ve been doing great the past two years, and you¡¯ve got the eyes of the Agriculturalists, Builders, and Strongholders.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s good to get an outside opinion,¡± Caleb said reasonably. ¡°With that many opportunities, having many different perspectives will help me narrow down which ones are most suitable for me.¡± ¡°Sure, but you don¡¯t listen to someone who isn¡¯t your friend,¡± Levi argued. He actually put his elbow on Aida¡¯s back in his vehemence. ¡°Lara is actively trying to get in our heads - didn¡¯t you see what she did to Suelina?¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough!¡± Aida snapped, straightening up so that Levi¡¯s arm slid off her. ¡°Levi, stop trying to convince Caleb when he hasn¡¯t even done anything yet. You¡¯re being just like Lara. Caleb, you listen to what Lara says, take what works for you, and toss the rest. I¡¯m sure Levi and the rest of us will be happy to offer input for your decision-making when the time comes.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Caleb said emphatically, giving Levi a dirty look. ¡°All this stress when we still have the rest of the year to figure this out.¡± Levi scoffed, leaning back and crossing his arms as he watched the Fire-Metal matches. Aida leaned her head back, stretching her neck. The sky was mostly cloudless, just a few small wisps of clouds floating lazily across the sky. Levi and Caleb¡¯s conversation reminded Annie uncomfortably of all the discussions she had with her parents whenever one of them came across a job opportunity. It was always a risk to agree to the interview process - none of their jobs really allowed for them to take time off to attend any in-person interviews. Even trying to sneak taking a phone call was an effort that required heist-like planning. ¡°I can¡¯t take a thirty-minute call,¡± her mother would fret. ¡°My breaks are only fifteen minutes, and my supervisor will come look for me if I don¡¯t make my rounds.¡± ¡°Can you ask the company to schedule a lunch interview?¡± Annie would ask anxiously. ¡°I tried, but they said they are on their lunch break then,¡± her mother said, wringing her hands. ¡°Why can¡¯t they understand?¡± ¡°You know what they say,¡± Annie¡¯s father would chime in at this point. He¡¯d inflate his chest self-importantly. ¡°''Nothing worth doing is without risk.''¡± The only time his accent would disappear was when he would parrot some aphorism tossed about by a drunk yuppie. His impression would always dispel the tension, as they laughed about the ¡°new job worth risking your current job for.¡± Aida wondered what kind of job opportunities she had in this world. Would she end up in the same type of dead-end job as in the real world? One where she could theoretically survive on, but not much else? With a pang of guilt, she chided herself for worrying about her own predicament instead of worrying about what happened to her parents. She hadn¡¯t given much thought to how she was transported to this world since she first arrived, so intent was she on just¡­surviving. Annie remembered hearing kids discussing webtoons and manga as they waited for their eye appointment, where the story premise seemed to be that a normal everyday person like her would get transported into some fantastical fictional world with amazing new powers - isekai, she believed the genre was called. That genre seemed to be the new craze, replacing the superhero trend - although technically, isekai powers basically seemed to make the protagonist a superhero in that new world, so she supposed not much had changed; just the flavoring. She struggled to recall the reasons behind the character getting isekai¡¯d. Being a victim of Truck-kun seemed to be a common and easy solution to teleporting the protagonist - she really hoped that hadn¡¯t happened to her, though she supposed it would be reassuring to know she had died painlessly. Another common explanation was that it was a dream - or a coma. That one made chills run down Aida¡¯s spine. There was no way her parents would be able to afford her hospital bills if she was in a coma. If she was, then it would be imperative for her to figure out how to wake up as soon as possible. But there had been no indication of any sort that she had the chance to wake up - no random flashbacks, no odd dreams, no signs from a higher power - so what could she do? Levi touched her shoulder gently, snapping Aida out of her spiraling thoughts. ¡°Are you all right?¡± he asked quietly. Both he and Caleb were looking at her with concern. Aida took a shuddering breath, feeling the little mana that had recovered swirling like a whirlpool around her. Breathing deeply, she calmed her mana down, thinking more pleasant thoughts. Actionable thoughts. ¡°Yep, all good.¡± She looked back up at the sky. The clouds had burned away under the sun. ¡°Just trying to figure out my own career plans.¡± Chapter 48: Levi Knows ¡°So, what can you tell me?¡± Levi stood in front of Aida, arms folded across his chest. He gazed down at her, not a hint of mirth in his eyes. Aida took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m not from this world.¡± Levi nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I came here, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m in Aida¡¯s body. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m supposed to do. I also don¡¯t know what you all might make of what happened to me - like if you¡¯ll lock me up in a psychiatric ward, convinced I¡¯m schizophrenic or something, or burn me at the stake as some insane form of exorcism.¡± Levi¡¯s brow was furrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize most of those words, but they sound bad. I can understand why you wouldn¡¯t admit to anything.¡± ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡± Aida took another breath, as she began pacing. How much should she admit to him? ¡°This¡­world. It was a game, back in my world. So I isekai¡¯d into this game - but clearly it¡¯s a real world, which is why this is confusing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying my world - this world - already existed in some form, in your world?¡± Levi asked carefully. Aida nodded. ¡°Okay, the answer is obvious then¡­you are from the spirit realm.¡± Aida blinked at him. Levi nodded decisively. ¡°Sometimes, spirits will come through for one reason or another - maybe the layer between the living and the spirit world got thin, and you dropped through into Aida¡¯s body.¡± Aida gaped at him. He was accepting this way too easily. ¡°Um¡­how often does something like this happen?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Levi deflated. ¡°Honestly, stuff like this is more along the lines of a myth. The types of stories we get told as kids to avoid doing disrespectful things, like visiting tomb terraces during spirit hours, disturbing the dead at rest¡­¡± Aida stared at him flatly. He rallied immediately. ¡°But it makes sense! We get told stories of great masters having to either banish malevolent spirits or guide lost spirits back to their world.¡± ¡°And again, how often do these stories crop up?¡± Aida asked, trying to keep from sounding too combative. Levi deflated again. ¡°Nothing in modern times.¡± Aida sighed, rubbing her forehead. ¡°In these myths of yours, are the spirits already familiar with the customs of your world, or do they wander around, lost?¡± Levi nodded thoughtfully. ¡°They are unfamiliar with our customs, which is how they are identified.¡± ¡°You¡¯re accepting this way too easily,¡± Aida accused. Levi shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the only explanation that makes sense.¡± He smirked at her. ¡°And besides, I¡¯ve been reading up on the old legends ever since you spat out your food when Suelina mentioned you kissed Pritchard.¡± Aida gagged as Levi laughed, his rich voice bouncing around the trees. ¡°That¡¯s the exact kind of reaction Aida wouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°Please, let¡¯s not talk about that,¡± Aida said, nauseated. ¡°But if I can be honest¡­Aida treated Pritchard pretty terribly.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Levi asked nosily. ¡°I read Aida¡¯s diary, so I have a rough idea of how she offended Pritchard¡­and I¡¯m not on her side,¡± Aida said, shaking her head solemnly. ¡°She didn¡¯t leave the boy with any dignity at all.¡± Levi tittered. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so refreshing to hear Aida be introspective.¡± ¡°I bet,¡± Aida said glumly. ¡°I¡¯m honestly curious as to how Sue put up with her for so long, if she¡¯s as dull as she seems to be.¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± Levi trailed off. ¡°I think it¡¯s just because they grew up together. Suelina is very loyal, and I guess Aida¡­isn¡¯t smart enough to betray anyone.¡± ¡°You think Suelina will recognize the change?¡± Aida asked warily, kicking at a tree root. ¡°Probably not. She¡¯s always been excessively forgiving of Aida. Don¡¯t push your luck, though,¡± Levi warned. ¡°Out of everybody, I think she would be the most eager to get the ¡®real¡¯ Aida back if she knew something was amiss.¡± Aida snorted. ¡°Well, good talk. Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Hold up.¡± Aida froze at Levi¡¯s abrupt reversal. ¡°We¡¯ve established you¡¯re from the spirit world. What¡¯s next?¡± Aida bit her lip. ¡°¡­I honestly don¡¯t know.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go back?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Aida¡¯s brows knitted. ¡°¡­my life¡­wasn¡¯t great. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love my parents, but other than them¡­I don¡¯t really have a reason to go back.¡± Aida blanched, realizing what she just said. She glanced warily at Levi to see his reaction. Would her admission that she wanted to stay in Aida¡¯s body classify her as a ¡°malevolent spirit?¡± Levi, to her surprise, was looking at her with compassion. He shook his head ruefully. ¡°I know the moral answer is that taking over someone else¡¯s body and life is wrong, but¡­I¡¯d be a liar if I said I didn¡¯t prefer this version of Aida.¡± Aida said nothing, waiting with bated breath for him to come to a conclusion. He folded his arms, looking up into the trees as he thought. ¡°This might just be a justification,¡± he finally said. ¡°But since you don¡¯t have any ill intent, I can¡¯t say you need to be banished.¡± He looked at her, holding her gaze. ¡°And besides, it¡¯s not like we can skip the last year of school to try to restore order.¡± The corner of his eyes crinkled. ¡°You might be able to help Aida and her parents out by getting her a better job than she could ever get herself. Then maybe after graduation, we can go find a master who will be willing to talk to us about banishing you back to your world, after we set Aida up for success.¡± Aida looked at him, flabbergasted. ¡°You expect me to work that hard just to give it all away?¡± Levi laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if we can¡¯t find a master you can keep your life. I even doubt we¡¯ll find one. The last historical ¡®record¡¯ - if you want to call it that - of a successful banishment was when Wyndia was first founded. Masters have long lives, but not that long.¡± Feeling ill at ease, but also relieved, Aida nodded tightly. Nothing worth doing is without risk, her father¡¯s yuppie accent echoed. ¡°Hold up!¡± ¡°What now?¡± Aida asked, exasperated as she turned back towards Levi. ¡°What were you going to tell me about these ¡®romantic incidents¡¯ with Suelina?¡± Levi asked suspiciously. ¡°Oh. Well, as I said, back in my world, this world was a game,¡± Aida said promptly. ¡°And in the game, the objective was for Sue to date you, Ezra, and Caleb, and aim for a happily-ever-after ending with one of you.¡± Levi stared at her, open-mouthed. ¡°A game¡­¡± ¡°You know what a game is?¡± Aida asked sarcastically. ¡°I know what a game is,¡± he snapped back. He turned thoughtful. ¡°So, you were playing the game? In the role of Suelina?¡± ¡°I was going to,¡± Aida said regretfully. ¡°But I fell asleep.¡± ¡°So that means,¡± Levi said slowly, enunciating every word. ¡°I, along with Ezra and Caleb, were objectives to be won. You had to woo us.¡± Aida stared at him, not liking the feral smile that was spreading across his face. ¡°Who were you going to try to date?¡± She colored. ¡°None of your business,¡± she shot back, as Levi¡¯s smile turned triumphant. ¡°You¡¯re such an idiot!¡± She stomped out of the clearing, hurling insults over her shoulder as his laughs echoed behind her. ¡°This is what happens when I talk to a dummy! Misconstrue everything! I hate you!¡± She continued raging as she forged her way through the forest, fighting against brambles that tried to hold her back and kicking at undergrowth that conveniently decided to set down roots in her way. ¡°I was going to date everyone! You¡¯re all the same! Don¡¯t feel so smug!¡± She yelped as vines whipped around her waist, bringing her to an abrupt stop. Levi caught up shortly after, chortling. ¡°Calm down,¡± he said soothingly. ¡°I was just joking.¡± He ruffled her hair over her glare. ¡°But let me assure you, I haven¡¯t had as many romantic incidents with Suelina as you are convinced I have.¡± ¡°Well, since I¡¯m not playing from Sue¡¯s perspective I guess you would know best,¡± Aida grumped. ¡°How much do you like her right now?¡± Levi paused, his hand still resting on her head. ¡°She¡¯s pretty,¡± he said thoughtfully. ¡°And the man in me wants to make sure she doesn¡¯t cry. But I don¡¯t feel any particular loyalty for her at the moment.¡± Aida sighed, her head dropping. Levi¡¯s hand still stayed on her head, like a hat. ¡°I guess Caleb¡¯s the farthest ahead, then.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°That means if things keep going as they are, then Sue¡¯s happily-ever-after will likely be with Caleb. Or Ezra,¡± Aida said, popping her head up as she thought. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I witnessed a pretty serious event between them right before you came out from the arena.¡± She chewed her lip thoughtfully. Since she was so off about Levi¡¯s event count, she probably couldn¡¯t trust her original judgment of what counted as an event or not. But unless she managed to get Caleb and Ezra to tell her the truth about their feelings, the evaluation of Sue¡¯s progress was going to be wholly inaccurate. ¡°Can you get me out of this thing?¡± she demanded, wriggling in her plant chains. Levi reapplied pressure to her head, tangling her hair even more for good measure. ¡°Sure thing, droplet,¡± he said teasingly. The vines slowly unraveled, depositing her on the soft forest floor. Running her fingers through her hair testily, she cast a Levi dirty look as she attempted to straighten the muss. ¡°You¡¯d better try harder if you want to get with Sue,¡± she lectured. ¡°I thought you were pretty even before, but given what you¡¯ve said about your feelings that doesn¡¯t bode well.¡± ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Levi said amicably. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. But by the sounds of it, it¡¯s not only my efforts that matter in getting Suelina her happy ending. She has to court me as well.¡± ¡°Well¡­yeah,¡± Aida said, taken aback. ¡°So we¡¯ll just play it by ear,¡± Levi said sagely. ¡°I don¡¯t want to force myself on her, after all. What did you say about consent?¡± ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Aida muttered as they traipsed out of the woods. Chapter 49: Last Match The next morning found Aida with another breakfast bar, experimenting with new kick combos before the last day¡¯s placement matches started. Shon had been able to anticipate her kicks, because she only kicked with one leg at a time. He was only caught off guard - and subsequently injured himself - because she decided to try using her second leg while her first was still in the air. Even she knew (with how awkward that kick was) that no one else in their right mind would fall for a trick like that again. ¡°We brought you some more biscuits!¡± Sue¡¯s cheerful chirp permeated the crisp morning air. Aida stuffed the rest of her bar in her mouth, attempting one last double kick on the dummy before turning to Sue. It was getting smoother: she was able to get decent rotation in her hips in the air before having to land. Hopefully she would be able to pull that move off smoothly in an actual fight. ¡°Are you and Levi ready for your match?¡± Aida asked as she received the handful of bars Sue pressed on her. She picked through the trove of goodies: Hardened Nut Milk, Floret Roll, Bovine Bits Biscuit, Fruit Cider Cookie. ¡°We all know Sue has the elemental advantage,¡± Levi sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just aiming to not get hurt.¡± ¡°With how poorly I¡¯ve been doing this cycle, you¡¯ll probably end up beating me too,¡± Sue said mournfully. ¡°You seem like you¡¯re in a better mood, though,¡± Aida observed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you said? Mental fortitude and all that?¡± She was careful not to look at Caleb as she spoke to Sue. ¡°Yep, feelin¡¯ pretty good, at least today will be my day!¡± Sue cheered. She aimed a quick one-two punch at Aida¡¯s dummy, her movements bouncy and cute. They looked more like a playful endearment than a serious attack bolstered with power. ¡°What about you?¡± Aida asked Caleb. ¡°How are you feeling against Lara?¡± ¡°Ah, well, not too different than normal. I just have to focus on doing my best,¡± Caleb said diplomatically. ¡°I swear to the great tree, you¡¯d better not lose your match,¡± Levi said loudly. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to,¡± Caleb retorted, bristling slightly. ¡°Levi,¡± Aida said disapprovingly. ¡°Focus on your own match.¡± Levi fell into a sulk, crossing his arms dramatically. Blissfully unaware, Sue took the Floret Roll from Aida, nibbling delicately. ¡°At least things will be over today, and we can go back to normal schedule next cycle.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Sue and Levi¡¯s match showed Sue returning to form. Despite Levi¡¯s strong combat prowess, he couldn¡¯t match Sue¡¯s raw speed and destructive power. She never even gave him a chance to grow anything, and he couldn¡¯t get close enough to hurt her. It seemed like she took the disgrace of her four straight losses very seriously, engulfing Levi in a ball of fire and brimstone. The flames threw Sue¡¯s face into stark relief, making her delicate features look terrifying and vengeful. Aida shivered. ¡°I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t ever have to fight Sue.¡± Professor Bruce was hovering near Sue and Levi¡¯s ring, his wand raised at the ready to douse the flames and rescue Levi. Caleb nodded silently next to her. ¡°I don¡¯t think I deserved to win our match.¡± ¡°Take what you can get, I suppose.¡± They continued to watch the bonfire silently. Finally, Bruce called into the flames, voice lost in the crackles. He listened, then shook his head, sighing as he waved his wand. A disc of water appeared over the flames. Bruce carefully held the disc with his wand, then dragged it down in a straight line. The thick layer of water smacked viciously into the ground, quenching the blaze. Levi stood in the middle, very much drenched, but looking not at all like a wet dog. Aida pried her eyes away, scowling. He probably looked just as great as Ezra when wet, but she wasn¡¯t going to arm him with ammo by admitting she had seen him when he was wet. ¡°So Sue gets at least one win during this cycle,¡± Caleb said conversationally. ¡°Yeah, all of the earlier matches were just bad luck.¡± Aida hesitated. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What do you think of Sue?¡± Caleb¡¯s mana, originally placid, began rumbling. Aida¡¯s gut clenched; it was the same kind of instinctual fear that would spread through her body whenever the ground started shaking in her home city. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me,¡± Aida said quickly. ¡°I¡¯m just being nosy.¡± And being this shaken is answer enough. Levi had been relatively calm and controlled with his mana when she asked him about his feelings, so Caleb¡¯s reaction tracked with her suspicions. Caleb¡¯s mana, instead of calming down, actually became more agitated. Alarmed, Aida put a hand on his shoulder, attempting to soothe him - but his mana started to downright pulsate, throwing her own mana off. Dimly remembering what everyone said about Caleb¡¯s mana control not being the greatest, she quickly backed away from him, the hand that had been on his shoulder held in front of her like a shield. ¡°Sorry for asking,¡± she heard herself saying. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later. Going to get ready for the Earth-Water match.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Booking it towards the gate, Aida ran smack dab into Dev and Pritchard, who were coming down from the stands themselves. ¡°Aida,¡± Dev said in surprise. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Behind him, Pritchard¡¯s face twisted, but he looked away from her, not saying anything. ¡°Hey!¡± Aida said brightly. ¡°How are you guys doing?¡± Dev smiled back, holding his arm out to let her pass in front. He looked behind her, frowning. ¡°Did you two get in a fight?¡± Aida glanced behind her. Caleb was still sitting in his seat, his face in his hands. His mana was roiling off of him. ¡°No, I just asked an annoying question,¡± Aida said in a small voice. She cleared her throat. ¡°Caleb! It¡¯s time.¡± Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have to go back and get him. He took another moment to pull his mana back, then stood up. He nodded at Dev and Pritchard as he approached, his face stiff. ¡°You all right?¡± Dev asked warily. Caleb said nothing, brushing by them. Aida released her breath. Focus. Talk to him later. Or maybe even not at all. Following several steps after Caleb, she waited for Healer Luk to let them through to their rings. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida shuffled her feet, trying to avoid Tera¡¯s gaze. She didn¡¯t know how the girl would react to Aida beating her sister, especially in the wake of Lyn¡¯s irrational expectation. Tera seemed to be in a similar dilemma, awkwardly forming an anthill with her mana and kicking it down when it reached her knee height. ¡°Miss Trippe, please do not use your mana until the matches start,¡± Professor Bruce said sternly as he walked past their ring. ¡°Right, sorry.¡± Tera dissolved the pile, stamping it firmly back into place. There was a pregnant pause. ¡°Thanks for beating some sense into Lyn.¡± Aida blinked, looking up at her. Tera was casually looking up at the sky, squinting into the sun. Her caramel-colored hair fluttered around her. Even though she was clearly uncomfortable, she still stood with poise. The kind of poise that comes from someone confident in themselves and their abilities, yet still humble enough to not tip over to arrogant. ¡°¡­You¡¯re welcome?¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a bit of a long story,¡± Tera said, looking down at the ground again. ¡°But Lyn¡¯s kind of been coasting. She doesn¡¯t see the point in trying, because she says she¡¯ll just end up wherever she¡¯s at now, so why try, you know? Why fight destiny and all that sludge.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you worried she¡¯s going to see losing to me as even more of a reason not to fight?¡± Aida asked cautiously. Tera grinned. ¡°That¡¯s the beauty of it! She¡¯s always had a backup with our family, so she never got to see the worst-case scenario. But if she really did end up on the bottom¡­¡± Tera shook her head ruefully. ¡°Anyway, she was really banking on using the excuse of being just slightly better than you, but after you shot up to top fifteen she¡¯s lost her escape goat.¡± Aida smiled awkwardly as she tried to make sense of what Tera just said. Unfortunately, Bruce didn¡¯t give her time to respond. Tera moved immediately, opening up holes in the ground and causing Aida to stumble. Cursing herself for being distracted, Aida quickly Mana Surged, buying herself some reaction time. She was able to lift her foot out of a hole that closed as soon as her toe cleared the ground, while she scouted the terrain to get a feel for Tera¡¯s combat style. Tera was similar to all the other Earth types Aida had seen (and everyone but Lara, admittedly): she relied primarily on using her mana to manipulate the earth. Unlike most of Aida¡¯s other opponents, though, Tera was agile. She didn¡¯t stand in place as she directed her element as she pleased. She was careful to keep pace with Aida, aiming to stay at least several leg lengths away from her. Aida fired a few Mana Blasts at her to see what she would do. Tera didn¡¯t bother doing anything, knowing Aida¡¯s Blasts were just fancy lights. She tried charging Tera, to see if she could get a few kicks in - but Tera stayed away, even erecting several earth walls in front of Aida to block her. Aida swore. This might be the match she couldn¡¯t even do anything in. Tera seemed to come to the same conclusion, as more walls started sprouting up around her. Realizing her predicament, Aida dashed out of the enclosure Tera was making, easily leaping over the budding walls with her mana-assisted jumps. As she flew over a dirt wall on the edge of the arena, she saw Dev in the next ring over, fighting Pritchard. Pritchard¡¯s strategy seemed to be similar to Tera¡¯s: trap the Water opponent in an earthen tomb. Except Dev was strong enough to blast holes through the constructs with his water, allowing him to escape and return fire. Her eyes lingered on the water still puddled within the structures Pritchard created. Why not? Extending her mana as far as she could, Aida snatched at the water Dev no longer had use for. Landing on the ground, Aida continued running, trying to get a good view of Tera around all her walls. She was distantly aware of Dev¡¯s water trailing after her, slowly catching up. Tera had slid to a stop, eyes wide. Taking advantage of her opening, Aida sent the water at her, the stream collapsing on Tera at the center. Ice Blast. Tera pulled a shell of earth over herself, capturing the icicles in the dirt. Drops. Swerving, Aida sprinted towards the little outcrop Tera was huddled behind, coming upon the girl just as she looked up, her mouth slowly dropping open. Without thinking about it, Aida slid along the ground, dropping below the mana blasts Tera sent at her. Their legs tangled, with Tera tumbling on top of Aida. Grasping her wand in two hands, Aida aimed her wand at Tera, firing a Mana Blast with most of her remaining mana at point-blank range. The blast hit Tera in the face, knocking her head back and into her rock formation. Aida paused, panting. She felt for Tera¡¯s mana. The girl was out cold. Slowly releasing her surge, she climbed to her feet, rubbing at her sore derri¨¨re. Professor Bruce arrived, looking conflicted. Beyond him, she saw Professor Havi yelling on his platform, thrusting a finger at her, tomato-red. On another platform, Professor Kozu¡¯s smile was so broad she could see it from where she was. Professor Lloyd had a similar smile reflected on his face, though he quickly tempered it with a more professional demeanor. Professor Gemma simply looked amused, and a tad bit exasperated. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Bruce asked. When Aida shook her head, he gestured for her to exit the arena as Healer Luk bustled over to where Tera lay. Dev walked with her, glancing at her with a sly smile. ¡°That was sneaky.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida offered belatedly. She returned his smile. ¡°For the water, not for your slander.¡± She glanced back towards his ring. ¡°Where¡¯s Pritchard?¡± ¡°He¡¯s waiting for Luk to finish with him. She had started healing him, but then she felt Tera get knocked out so deemed her condition more severe than his.¡± Aida sighed. ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s all over now.¡± She stretched, finally enjoying the sun on her face. At least she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about nonstop daily fighting until the end of the school year. Chapter 50: Recalibrating Professor Havi was vehement about Aida breaking the rules, and how that should automatically disqualify her from victory on her last match. Rumors went around saying Professors Kozu and Lloyd were arguing in favor of allowing her victory, while Professors Bruce and Gemma were more neutral on how to handle the situation. ¡°Does it really require that much debate?¡± Aida asked when everyone sat down to dinner that night. ¡°I¡¯m already top fifteen. I don¡¯t think we have too many differences in opportunities at this point, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re pretty solid in your position,¡± Lily chimed in. ¡°These kinds of fine details are probably more important for when we meet with the Affiliates. They won¡¯t know you, after all, so they¡¯ll be judging us based on our final preliminary rankings.¡± Aida pursed her lips. She didn¡¯t look forward to the recruitment process. What did interviews even look like in this world? How could she suck up to the hiring managers when she didn¡¯t even know the culture? ¡°Isn¡¯t it such a relief that you¡¯re in Class 2?¡± Vanita asked Aida, smiling. ¡°You get more opportunities to meet with the Affiliates for mentorship than Class 3 does.¡± ¡°Not as much as us in Class 1, though,¡± Levi interjected snidely. Lily blew a raspberry at him. ¡°Be nice, Levi! Aida was on track to be in Class 3. We should be celebrating her!¡± Lily said indignantly. Sue nodded primly at Lily¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aida. I¡¯ll tell you exactly who the top Affiliates are, and if any of them interest you I¡¯ll make sure to hold a torch for you.¡± Aida smiled gratefully at Sue¡¯s offer, but shook her head. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to find an Affiliate who I can work well with.¡± ¡°Do you guys have a company in mind?¡± Lily asked. She was positively vibrating with excitement. ¡°I hope the Border Stronghold sends a recruiter to Class 3. I¡¯ve heard they have facilities everywhere, so I can experiment with plant growth in every biome if they¡¯ll offer me a contract.¡± ¡°I think I would like to join the Naval Stronghold, to help protect the coastal villages from ocean storms and better help them rebuild,¡± Vanita said thoughtfully. ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t mind joining the Agriculturalists as well.¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t find a top tier Adventuring corp to contract with me, I think I¡¯ll join the Border Stronghold,¡± Sue said thoughtfully. She glanced at Aida. ¡°I just need something that can help me improve my skills¡­¡± ¡°I myself am likely to enter my family¡¯s business,¡± Levi said nonchalantly. ¡°I¡¯m banking on using my family¡¯s safety net as a negotiating chip. If the Affiliates really want to contract with me, they¡¯d better offer me amazing terms.¡± Aida wrinkled her nose at his blatant mercenary attitude, but she also couldn¡¯t blame him for using what he had. Screw big businesses, however you can. Caleb was the next to speak. ¡°I think,¡± he said carefully, keeping his eyes on his spoon, ¡°I may join an Adventuring group, just so I can make some connections with other people, and be able to return home occasionally to help my parents with their bathhouse.¡± ¡°Oh, but Caleb, that¡¯s such a waste of your abilities,¡± Vanita said earnestly. ¡°You could be so much more secure joining a Stronghold.¡± Caleb shook his head. ¡°All the Stronghold facilities are too far from home, and I won¡¯t be able to get leave to visit my parents as often as I wish.¡± Caleb is such a sweet boy, Aida thought fondly. She hoped he was able to successfully juggle his own career and help his parents. She became aware that all eyes were on her now, waiting for her to share her future career hopes and dreams. ¡°Oh.¡± Aida looked at Levi, panicked. He looked equally alarmed, but gave her a small nod to encourage her to speak. ¡°¡­I was thinking¡­maybe a Healer, or¡­it might be neat to join a shipping company, to travel,¡± she said lamely. Levi relaxed at her answer; clearly she hadn¡¯t said anything too out of character. Lily nodded avidly. ¡°That¡¯s right, travel would be nice. Your family isn¡¯t really well off enough for you to have traveled too much, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± Aida agreed, relieved. She would accept the small blessings that came from sharing similar backgrounds. She caught sight of Ezra leaving the dining hall. Should she do it? Caleb¡¯s reaction to her question about Sue should have been plenty of warning for her today, but she reasoned with herself that Ezra was the best at controlling his mana. And besides, I need to figure out the flow of the game. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Excusing herself, Aida hurriedly dumped her dinner tray before she hurried after Ezra. Ezra seemed to anticipate her, waiting for her in the hallway outside the dining hall. ¡°Hey,¡± she greeted him, going for a perfectly normal smile. ¡°What are you up to now?¡± ¡°Not much,¡± he said lowly. ¡°I was going to do some reading before bed.¡± There was an awkward pause. ¡°Do you have any plans for the rest days?¡± Aida asked. ¡°No, I was just going to enjoy the remaining free time before school starts up again.¡± Another awkward pause. Finally, Ezra said, hesitantly, ¡°Would you like to go for a walk?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, a walk sounds great,¡± Aida said brightly. She facepalmed internally. Why was she acting like she was sixteen again? Ezra turned down the corridor that led to the girls¡¯ wing, exiting the door that took them to the lake. They walked in silence, meandering around the lake as the sun began to dip below the landscape. The Lake, as usual, was calm. Aida reached out to it, seeking the same stability it had offered before. But for some reason, the Lake refused to indulge her this time. Is it because it¡¯s not a life or death situation? Aida thought, annoyed. A ripple spread along the glass surface, almost as if the Lake was laughing. At her. ¡°Was there something you wanted to talk about?¡± Aida startled, pulling her attention back from the lake. Ezra was looking down at her, silver eyes staring unwaveringly at her as they walked. She quailed under the attention, before finally pulling herself together. Come on, put on your big girl pants. It¡¯s a simple question. ¡°What do you think of Sue?¡± Ezra stopped. His eyes dilated, and he seemed to be looking past her. Aida waited on tenterhooks, apprehensively probing at him with her mana, but careful not to probe too hard to distract him. His mana was utterly still, almost congealed around him like armor. Aida took it as a good sign that he didn¡¯t seem to have a meltdown the way Caleb did. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Aida reassured him. ¡°I was¡­just curious. As a friend!¡± ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Ezra asked, his tone stiff. ¡°It must be something other than curiosity.¡± Aida squirmed. ¡°What if¡­it really was just curiosity?¡± His pupils closed, the silver coming back. ¡°Where is this ¡®curiosity¡¯ coming from?¡± Aida fumbled. This nonanswer is answer enough¡­how to disengage? ¡°I mean, right before your match with her,¡± she teased. She was pleased to hear that her voice was steady and confident. ¡°When you caught Sue as she fell - that was literally some sort of romance trope!¡± she batted her eyelashes at him. ¡°Are you telling me your heart didn¡¯t flutter at all?¡± Ezra¡¯s cheeks slowly tinged with pink at her words. He pressed his lips together in a tight line. ¡°It was merely an accident. There was nothing special about it.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± Aida agreed merrily. She began walking again, skipping at intervals as she maintained her cheery facade. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry I¡¯ll say anything! I¡¯m your friend, and I¡¯ll keep your secret.¡± She spun around, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°I just want you to be happy, after all.¡± She nodded confidently at Ezra, a smile fixed on her face. ¡°Let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do to help!¡± Without actually looking to see what effect her words had on Ezra, she swung back around, swinging her arms in long arcs as she continued to march around the lake. When Ezra didn¡¯t follow her, she paused, peeking over her shoulder. Ezra was looking down at his shoes, his silver hair orange in the sun¡¯s last rays. He must have felt her looking at him, because he looked up, meeting her gaze. With an inscrutable expression, he strolled toward her, catching up to her in just a few strides. Aida walked normally, dropping her excessive movements. Aida contemplated the information she had. Caleb and Ezra were the only ones who refused to admit their feelings, though their mana and body language gave sufficient indication that they did feel something. So Sue was making good progress with Caleb and Ezra, but not with Levi. But does it matter? Levi didn¡¯t seem all that upset about the prospect of not being able to win Sue¡¯s heart. As Aida churned through these thoughts, one question floated to the top: Why do I care? Offended by her own question, Aida struggled to come up with a respectable rationale. I want Sue to be happy. But Sue could be happy regardless; she had loving parents, great talent, good friends, a bright future. I promised Levi I would help him get Sue. But Levi already professed he didn¡¯t want to engage in any manipulative behavior. What else is left? ¡°Please don¡¯t help.¡± Aida blinked. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want your help¡­with Sue.¡± The words came out as a struggle. ¡°Oh.¡± Aida stared up at him. His bangs covered his eyes, so she couldn¡¯t even tell what he was thinking. His jaw was tense, though. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain.¡± The words came out more forcefully. Ezra¡¯s eyes lifted, and he stared ahead. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not worth it?¡± Aida asked, confused. It was like they were having two separate conversations. Ezra shook his head. ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s better to keep friendships as they are.¡± Relieved that Ezra at least admitted to something - wanting to ¡°remain¡± friends, so he¡¯s probably in between Levi and Caleb - Aida nodded reassuringly. ¡°Keeping the friendship.¡± Chapter 51: Interlude I Aida ran into Sue outside their rooms the next morning as she was about to go for her morning jog. Sue was wearing her tracksuit bottoms, although she opted for a white tank top instead of the school-issued T-shirt and track jacket. Even underneath the layer of fabric, Aida could see the light definition of abs. ¡°Morning, Sue,¡± Aida said brightly, trying to stifle her jealousy. ¡°You¡¯re up early.¡± ¡°So are you,¡± Sue smiled. ¡°You¡¯re running?¡± Aida looked down at her full get-up: tracksuit. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s usually kind of cold and breezy near the Lake.¡± She looked back up. ¡°Do you want to come with?¡± ¡°Oh, no thanks,¡± Sue said quickly. ¡°I was going to do some light exercise in the gym, before I went out to practice on the dummies.¡± She made a face. ¡°Running is so mind-numbing.¡± Aida laughed as they began heading towards the stairs. ¡°It really is. But for some reason, being near the Lake is soothing.¡± Sue affectionately swished Aida¡¯s ponytail. ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s Water! I¡¯m glad you found motivation in the lake. It¡¯s really nice, but I just get sleepy around it. We should have a picnic one day near there, though.¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± Aida said enthusiastically. ¡°Maybe tomorrow? It will be our last day of freedom before we start our new schedules, and don¡¯t get to see each other as frequently.¡± A pang of loneliness reverberated through Aida¡¯s chest. The notice board had posted schedules for the third years - the only year where the students were further split into separate groups for educational purposes. The top five students (Class 1) had their own schedule, ranks 6-15 (Class 2) had their own schedule, and the remaining students (Class 3) had their own schedule. The primary difference, other than shuffled classes, was that Class 3 had their evening period as a mandatory remedial period; for Class 2, it was a free period; and for Class 1, it was an advanced studies period, where Class 1 was to receive additional focused tutoring time. The notice board went on to say that in the new sun cycle, two moon cycles hence, the advanced studies period would become Affiliate Affairs, where presumably the top five would have an hour and a half of unfettered access every weekday to meet with the Affiliates seeking to recruit them. That wasn¡¯t to say the top five monopolized all of the Affiliates; the board had posted encouraging words to Classes 2 and 3, reassuring them they would have plenty of opportunities to meet with the Affiliates as well. Class 2 would have two days of the week to meet with Affiliates, and Class 3 would have one day of the week. The subtle warning was that Classes 2 and 3 shouldn¡¯t slack, so that they could make a good impression on the Affiliates. Aida was frankly relieved at the thought of only having to shmooze with recruiters twice a week instead of every day. She would have preferred just one day, but acknowledged that two days in a more intimate setting was probably the best balance she could hope for (compared to jostling with fourteen other students for attention for one day). Sue was nodding excitedly. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do tomorrow! Who did you want to invite?¡± ¡°Well, Caleb, Ezra, and Levi, I suppose. Lily and Vanita. Is there anyone else you¡¯d like to invite?¡± Sue shook her head. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m happy with the guest list!¡± Bidding each other a good workout, and promising to alert any of the guests they run into to the pending picnic the next day, they split off at the ground floor. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The next afternoon, Aida cheerfully changed into the most picnic-appropriate attire in her dresser: a plain, oversized pale blue T-shirt, and black cotton shorts that had a string tie instead of elastic. Rest days were the only time Maglica students could wear the clothes they brought from home, so even though she knew her clothes were less nice than what everyone else would likely wear, she relished being able to actually choose comfortable clothes. Looking at her reflection, she decided to tuck her shirt into her shorts, since otherwise she looked like a child wearing her father¡¯s shirt. She still looked childish swimming in all that fabric, but at least she looked like she had more adult proportions. Sue was waiting outside her door, her hair done up in a half ponytail, wearing a pink sundress with flowers on it. ¡°Aida! You look so cute!¡± ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Aida responded, smiling. ¡°Is the kitchen ready for our picnic?¡± ¡°Yep! Let¡¯s go get ready.¡± They headed down to the kitchen, their arms linked and chattering. They lugged the three massive baskets away from the dining hall (Nolem, the kitchen worker Aida was most familiar with, had winked as Sue and Aida retrieved their baskets. ¡°Three boys? You need all that food.¡±), taking breaks as they heaved the baskets down to the lake. ¡°Should we wait for one of them to find and help us?¡± Aida asked breathlessly. They had just reached the crest of the hill that would slope down to the Lake. The sparkling surface was a deep, calm blue, and the lush greenery around it swayed gently in the wind. ¡°No way,¡± Sue said grimly. ¡°What kind of hosts would we be if we made our guests help us set up?¡± Conceding the point, they continued transporting the bulky baskets down. Aida plopped down, leaning back against the gently sloping grass. ¡°Let¡¯s take a quick break; I can barely breathe.¡± Sue flopped down next to her, also panting. ¡°That¡¯s some really good conditioning.¡± ¡°I really thought about using mana for that,¡± Aida admitted. ¡°But I thought that was a bit ridiculous¡­and such a waste.¡± Sue giggled. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have to tell anyone! We can tell them we did it all on our own.¡± ¡°Hey, you guys got here so early!¡± Sitting up, Aida saw Lily and Vanita making their way down the slope towards them. Lily was wearing a green-striped T-shirt and jean shorts, topped with a bucket hat, and Vanita was wearing a demure yellow cardigan over a coffee-colored dress. ¡°We meant to set up the picnic before everyone got here,¡± she said apologetically. ¡°Sorry you saw us being slobs.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Lily giggled. ¡°No worries. Vanita and I came early to help set up.¡± Between four hands, the feast was quickly set up. Nolem had also included a large picnic blanket for them in one of the baskets (¡°No wonder the baskets were so heavy! We¡¯ve been carrying cotton.¡±). Aida tried to examine the names of all the dishes laid out, but the notification boxes utterly overwhelmed her. She recognized some of her favorites, such as Brinestrone and Spicy Soy Sponge Stew (¡°No wonder the baskets were so heavy! We¡¯ve been carrying liquid.¡±), and others she recognized as Sue¡¯s favorites (mainly all the red spicy items, as well as the taco things that she and Sue had in Buddington Town). ¡°Wow, what is all this?¡± Aida looked up to see Levi heading the approaching group of boys. He was dressed in a dark-green short-sleeve button-down, with the top two buttons unbuttoned for the collar to lay on his chest in a V-neck. He wore dark pants underneath, and an accompanying black bucket hat. ¡°Levi! Fashion breach! I¡¯m already wearing a hat so you can¡¯t!¡± Lily screeched. ¡°Who¡¯s gonna stop me?¡± he retorted. Lily began jumping at him like a grasshopper, trying to snatch his hat away as he dodged her groping hands. Aida smiled at Ezra and Caleb, gesturing for them to sit down. Ezra was wearing the same color-blocked bomber jacket from their visit to Shale Port, but underneath he was wearing a U-neck white shirt with a thick silver chain across his throat. He also apparently decided to dress up today, because he was wearing white pants. What Annie would normally have clocked as ¡°who does he think he is,¡± on Ezra it looked like ¡°I¡¯m trying to be respectful and look nice.¡± Caleb wore a simple white T-shirt over dark jeans. He was kind of like Aida: fabric floated around his waist, since he was wearing a shirt that fit across his shoulders. If Aida didn¡¯t know him, she would have assumed he was carrying excess weight underneath all that material. She clucked internally. Ezra should recommend him a tailor. Sue handed out bowls and chopsticks (¡°No wonder the baskets were so heavy. We were carrying dishware,¡± Sue grumbled), and everybody settled down. Vanita had arranged all the food in such a way that everybody was able to grab what they wanted with minimal crossover. ¡°We should do this more often,¡± Lily said, her mouth full. ¡°The whole reason we¡¯re doing this now is because we won¡¯t have time to do it later,¡± Sue responded, laughing. ¡°We can make it happen,¡± Lily insisted. ¡°Just set aside one rest day every moon cycle. Everybody better make it!¡± She glared around the circle impressively. Aida smiled to herself sadly. Sounds familiar. Her friends had made the same declarations, but time would always erode good intentions. But that didn''t mean she couldn''t enjoy the time as much as she could. ¡°I¡¯m down for it. Once every moon cycle. I mean, why not, when the kitchen is willing to pack a picnic for us?¡± Aida gestured at the three baskets that were now stacked behind her. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Vanita agreed. ¡°We may as well take advantage of these experiences while we can. Once we leave school the effort is much greater.¡± Vanita¡¯s sobering words brought a damper to the party, and they picked at their food quietly. ¡°You know, even though school¡¯s been a slog, and I¡¯m in the bottom half of the class,¡± Lily said slowly, her chopsticks suspended in the air. ¡°I¡¯m still really glad I came to Maglica. The coursework is intense, and they drive us so hard, but we all still managed to become friends.¡± Lily slammed her chopsticks and bowl down, burying her face in Vanita¡¯s sympathetic arms. ¡°You know what they say,¡± Levi said, aiming for levity. ¡°Like spirits wander ¡®til they bonder.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how that saying goes,¡± Caleb said, half-amused and half-worried. ¡°You mark my words,¡± Levi said, pointing his chopsticks in Caleb¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll be a Master one day, and everything I say will become written record.¡± ¡°Are you sure becoming a Master won¡¯t be too much work for you?¡± Ezra asked dryly. Levi pursed his lips. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Don¡¯t worry, Ezra - when you become Master, I¡¯ll have a whole book of quotes for you to spout out whenever you want to make a point.¡± ¡°Really,¡± Vanita said disapprovingly as she patted Lily¡¯s back. ¡°You¡¯re too casually blasphemous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Lily said, pulling back from Vanita with a watery giggle. ¡°Levi¡¯s right, I was being silly.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re acting like this is a gathering for the end of the school year instead of the beginning!¡± Sue teased. ¡°Should we all agree that we¡¯ll have a picnic once every moon cycle? Say, the first or second rest day?¡± Everybody nodded at Sue¡¯s words, with varying degrees of excitement. Aida pulled out her wand, summoning a stream of water from the lake to rinse out her bowl and clean her hands. ¡°Ooo, can I get some?¡± Lily held out her bowl. Aida acquiesced, smiling. She poured water into seven bowls, everyone rinsing their utensils. ¡°Aida, you¡¯ve gotten so good at Water Manipulation,¡± Sue said admiringly. ¡°Yeah, thanks to Ezra!¡± Everyone looked to him, and a slight flush crept up his neck. Hurriedly, Aida pulled another stream of water from the lake. ¡°During the first major training session we had, I actually managed to surprise him.¡± Shaping the stream into a ball, Aida tossed the ball around the heads of the group, making some of them flinch. It was almost second nature now, like checking both sides of the road before crossing. She threw the water and caught it, treating the water as a familiar tennis ball she tossed from hand to hand. She didn¡¯t even have to track it with her eyes anymore. A mischievous thought crossed her mind. Why not? She glanced at the boys, who were all sitting together, watching her play with her mana. Ezra had a content expression, Caleb was smiling, and Levi had his characteristic half-smirk on his face. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, and sent the ball of water rocketing into the sky. Completely disengaging her mana, she put her hands over her eyes. Amid the cacophony of shouts and laughter, Aida peeked through her fingers to see who the unwitting victim was. It seemed like Caleb had taken the full brunt of the water, and was now sopping wet. His white shirt was completely soaked through, clinging to his muscular shoulders and outlining his pecs. His head was dipped, the water flowing along his nose. ¡°Bad luck, bro,¡± Levi tittered on the side. ¡°Maybe you should take your shirt off, so you don¡¯t get a cold.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make a fire,¡± Sue said, her voice wavering. Her lips were twitching as she tried to keep from laughing. Her eyes sparkled. ¡°Levi, Lily, can you grow some firewood?¡± Caleb slowly lifted his head, fixing dark purple eyes on Aida. His face was grim. Aida gulped. ¡°Um, sorry about that, I thought it would be funny¡­¡± she slowly began backing away at the look on his face. ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry, okay?!¡± ¡°Not good enough,¡± Caleb growled as he lunged forward, clearing the empty plates and picnic blanket in one leap. Aida shrieked, activating her Mana Surge to escape. Unfortunately, she only managed to take one step before Caleb¡¯s thick arms snaked around her waist, hoisting her into the air. Aida immediately felt water seep through her shirt. ¡°You¡¯re wet!¡± she wailed plaintively. Caleb had lifted her over his shoulder, and she was looking back at the group. Everyone had some variation of shock or laughter on their faces. Levi looked delighted. ¡°Actions have consequences,¡± Caleb said from behind her. He was striding purposefully away from the group. ¡°Wait, let¡¯s talk about this¡ª¡° ¡°We are beyond the time for talking.¡± Caleb brought her forward, so that she was hanging in his grasp with her feet dangling above the ground. ¡°This is war.¡± With that, Caleb threw her away. Chapter 52: Interlude II Aida splashed into the lake, the cold seeping through her whole body, forcing the air from her lungs. She kicked her legs futilely until her feet found purchase. Pushing herself up, Aida took deep gasping breaths as she sat in shallow water. Caleb was looking down at her, his muscular arms crossed smugly across his chest. ¡°Have you learned your lesson?¡± ¡°Never,¡± Aida growled. She pulled a stream of water out from behind her, making it sway behind her like a dancing snake. She climbed to her feet, feeling the water tug at her clothes as she left its sweet embrace. Caleb backed away, a wary expression on his face. ¡°Maybe we can talk about this?¡± ¡°Never!¡± Aida pointed her wand at the group, sending her stream of water at the boys. Ezra, quicker on the uptake, dodged to the side, while Levi got smacked in the face. ¡°Girls versus boys!¡± Lily screamed, sprinting towards Aida. She waved her wand haphazardly around her as she ran, looking like some dancing jumping forest sprite as she pulled various weeds and plants out of the ground. Vanita and Sue followed shortly after, shrieking with laughter. Caleb, realizing he was in a bad position, Mana Surged back to the picnic blanket, narrowly avoiding the water that slammed down where he was standing just a second ago. He swept up a small wall, still covered in grass, as a defense. Levi jumped over the abandoned picnic, ducking behind Caleb¡¯s wall. Ezra reluctantly followed, though it seemed easy for him to dodge Aida¡¯s and Lily¡¯s (courtesy of the plants she grew in the water) water missiles. Vanita followed suit, hauling up a small battlement for the girls as Aida hurled ball after ball of water at the boys, preventing them from raising their heads. Sue yelped, falling forward against Vanita¡¯s wall. She looked behind her. ¡°Levi¡¯s got some plants in the water!¡± she sent a fireball at the offending water plant that was just beginning to reload its stigma. ¡°His range is so long!¡± Lily fumed. She was growing some sort of waterpulting plant. It had a lovely flower head that looked like a lotus flower, except for the fact that the center of the flower opened deep into the water. A large leaf grew from behind it, shaping itself into a ladle as it dipped into the water. When it reached maturity, the leaf flung a glob of water in a tall arc, adding to the chaos. ¡°Ezra, friend, what are you even here for?¡± Aida heard Levi yelling. ¡°I came for a picnic, not a war,¡± was Ezra¡¯s calm response. ¡°We¡¯re outnumbered, we could use the help!¡± Caleb cajoled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have the proper elemental affiliation to assist in this endeavor.¡± ¡°Can you cut Lily¡¯s plants down? They¡¯re everywhere!¡± Levi was getting frustrated. ¡°I suppose I can do that,¡± Ezra agreed. ¡°We¡¯ve got them, girls!¡± Sue exulted. She kept her eyes on the lake, burning any plant that turned suspiciously towards them to a crisp. ¡°Keep it up!¡± ¡°Students. STUDENTS!¡± Everyone froze, all eyes turning up the embankment. Professors Lloyd and Gemma were standing there, looking down at them. Lloyd had his hands on his hips, a thunderous expression on his face. Gemma had her arms crossed, looking stern. ¡°What is going on here?¡± Lloyd demanded. His eye traced a path from the remains of the picnic, to the three boys huddled behind a grassy wall, to the four girls standing at the lake shore with their own defensive wall. Aida became aware that she still had her wand raised, and quickly tucked it behind her back, making a loud splash as she released the water she had been holding. ¡°We¡¯re having a picnic, professor,¡± Sue said innocently, blinking her large eyes. The wind blew as the two professors glowered at them. Finally, Lloyd exhaled. ¡°Very well. Just make sure you put the landscape back the way you found it.¡± Everybody nodded vigorously as one. Gemma nodded back, then recommenced her stroll. Lloyd stayed a little longer, casting a keen eye over the scene. ¡°Carry on.¡± As soon as Lloyd turned his back, several things happened at once. The lake shore¡¯s soft sand gave out underneath Aida¡¯s feet, and vines whipped around Aida¡¯s hips, pulling her into the water. The screams on either side of her let her know the same thing had happened to her comrades. With all the girls utterly drenched, the boys came running down, whooping. Shaking the water out of her face, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Lily, Vanita, and her own bedraggled self. Sue looked amazing, like the boys when they were wet. Her wet tresses just looked like they added texture, and her skin glowed with dewiness. She tossed back sparkles as she pulled her head out of the water, doing a model-esque hair flip. Sue joined in Aida¡¯s laughter, and Lily and Vanita reluctantly followed suit. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have won if Professor Lloyd had followed Professor Gemma,¡± Lily groused good-naturedly. ¡°You have to always be aware of your surroundings, lil¡¯ weed,¡± Levi said primly. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get warmed up,¡± Sue said, beginning to shiver. ¡°Lily, Levi, can you please grow some firewood?¡± Under Lily and Levi¡¯s directions, Aida drew all the water out of a small patch of earth, while Caleb and Vanita funneled the appropriate composition of earth and soil towards the little growing patch Lily and Levi worked around. Once they grew a pile of dried stems and leaves that Sue deemed large enough, they molded a pit around the pile. Caleb and Vanita backed away, dusting their hands. Everyone retreated a safe distance up the slope, leaving Sue alone in front of the pit. She cupped her hands together, sparks flickering between her palms. Opening up her hands, she revealed a small flame. She blew on the flame, stoking it until it filled her hands. Then she lobbed it into the pile of plant matter, as if she were scooping water with her hands. The flame clung to a large piece of wood. Pulling her wand from a dress pocket, Sue coaxed the flame to travel around the pile, leaving bits of itself on every piece of flammable matter. Finally, she had a merry bonfire going. Sue turned towards them with a bright smile, the backdrop of fire outlining her slender shape and lending her a celestial air. ¡°Come and sit!¡± Lily and Vanita moved to the fire first, shivering in the sun¡¯s waning light. Although Aida had felt the water¡¯s coldness when Caleb first tossed her in, she didn¡¯t feel it now. Levi, Caleb, and Ezra moved towards the fire as well, all of them finding their own seat. Aida watched the group. Vanita and Lily were sitting on the leftmost side, huddling together. Ezra sat on the rightmost side, noticeably away from everyone else. Caleb sat at the five o¡¯clock position, making a cornerstone around the fire. Levi took the other cornerstone position at seven o¡¯clock, poking fun at Lily and Vanita¡¯s constitutions. Sue, seeing that Ezra was noticeably segregating himself from the group, sat between Ezra and Caleb. Everyone looked so content, leaning into the warmth of the fire. The dancing flames lit up everyone¡¯s blissful smiles; no worries about what happened after the picnic ended, or the distant future. Aida¡¯s heart was simultaneously full and melancholy. Things were so simple at this age: worry about school, worry about achieving some base level of competence, worry about having friends. Extremely straightforward endeavors. Even though she¡¯d only been in this world for three weeks - star cycles - she felt¡­a kinship with these unlikely characters. Even though she was ignorant of their culture, their lives, and knew them basically by their archetypes, they were so open and honest with who they were that she felt like she had known them for much longer than three star cycles. Levi turned back towards her. ¡°Aida, what are you doing? Come sit down!¡± Aida blinked. Everyone had turned towards her, and was looking at her with welcoming smiles. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time a group of people looked at her with that kind of warmth: not a contrived, practiced smile to coerce a favor out of her, or a strained smile to cover the tacit sense of pity, but a genuine desire for her to join them, just because. She smiled back as she headed towards them, her sandals sinking into the wet earth. She sat next to Caleb, who had turned back to the fire with a gentle smile on his face. They sat in silence, staring into the flames together. Caleb was leaning towards the fire, elbows on his knees. ¡°Thanks for coming,¡± Aida said softly. ¡°I¡¯m happy to be here,¡± Caleb replied, equally softly. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t come,¡± Aida said hesitantly. ¡°Because I made you uncomfortable the other day.¡± Caleb shook his head. ¡°That wasn¡¯t your fault. It was mine. I should be better at controlling myself.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re doing great, for your age.¡± Aida smiled at him. He returned her smile, before leaning back on his palms. ¡°To be honest, I did a lot of thinking after you asked me that question. ¡®Why would I be so upset by a simple question?¡¯¡± He inhaled, eyes fixed on the fire, before he exhaled and looked beyond the fire, to the placid lake just beyond. The sun had finally dipped below the horizon, painting the sky a lovely gradient of red hues blending into deep blue. ¡°And the answer is that I¡¯m confused. I¡¯ve never felt this way before, and it¡¯s just a lot of¡­feelings.¡± On the last word, Aida felt the sand she was sitting in quiver slightly, settling her ever-so-slightly deeper into it. She glanced around. No one else seemed bothered. ¡°It was my fault for triggering you in the first place,¡± Aida said, contrite. ¡°It was a very nosy question, so I¡¯m sorry I made you feel that way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize,¡± Caleb said quickly. ¡°It was only a question, and you wouldn¡¯t know how I was feeling anyway¡­which is why you asked, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aida nodded, impressed with his maturity. ¡°Although, now that we¡¯re talking about it¡­¡± Caleb grimaced. ¡°I¡¯d prefer we not talk about stuff like that again. Please.¡± Aida nodded eagerly, glad that he was so quick to forgive. ¡°I promise. I won¡¯t bring it up unless you bring it up.¡± On the other side of Caleb, Sue and Ezra started tussling, drawing everybody¡¯s attention. ¡°Are things okay over there? Suelina, Ezra?¡± Levi called, leaning on his elbow so that his head bunted Aida¡¯s arm. She frowned, pushing his head away. ¡°Ezra is emotionless!¡± Sue said, exasperated. She jabbed him in the sides. ¡°I¡¯m trying to get him to react to something.¡± Ezra placed his hands on her head, pressing her away from him. Sue¡¯s arms scrabbled at him, unable to surpass his reach.¡°I am not emotionless. I just don¡¯t let my emotions control me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s hopeless!¡± Sue cried, gesticulating at him. She pushed her head against his hands, trying to get close enough to poke him again. ¡°Is that what it takes to be number one? Not enjoying life?¡± Aida giggled. Everyone looked at her, laughing in the face of this serious situation. She giggled harder. Ezra looked like a disgruntled cat, that same deadpan look a cat had reflected in his eyes. Sue looked like an overly exuberant dog, whimpering as she tried to get the cat to play. ¡°Look at them,¡± she choked out, pointing first at Ezra¡¯s face, then at Sue¡¯s. ¡°Look. A cat and a dog.¡± She dissolved into full-on laughter, arms wrapped around her belly. Levi joined in her laughter, his deep, sonorous laugh belting out. Lily joined in next, her joy tinkling through the night. Vanita followed, her soothing laugh melding Lily¡¯s high notes and Levi¡¯s deep notes together. Caleb joined in last, his tenor rounding out their ensemble. Even Ezra was smiling begrudgingly, the gentle curve of his lips making his expression more cat-like, sending the rest of the group howling. As they all collapsed in mirth, Aida looked up at the darkened sky, wiping the tears from her eyes. The sun had set so quickly. Tomorrow would be the start of a completely new adventure, with completely different challenges, but tonight she would enjoy the warmth of camaraderie. Chapter 53: Catching Up
Character Stats STR: 5 - 22% to next level. FOC: 8 - 54% to next level. INT: 6 - 55% to next level. DEX: 5 - 35% to next level. VIT: 6 - 15% to next level.
Skill List Defense Up (Lv3) 15% to next level. Freeze (Lv5) 15% to next level. Heal (Lv6) 0% to next level. Ice Blast (Lv3) 25% to next level. Ice Shield (Lv2) 20% to next level. Mana Blast (Lv6) 0% to next level. Mana Cycling (Lv8) 12% to next level. Mana Surge (Lv5) 16% to next level. Water Blast (Lv5) 20% to next level. Water Cage (Lv2) 50% to next level. Water Manipulation (Lv8) 30% to next level.
Unlearned List Detox (Lv1) [5 RP] Total RP: 82
Aida tapped her wand against her palm thoughtfully. It had been one moon cycle since the placement matches had ended and the actual ¡°education¡± part of Maglica Academy started for the third years. The classroom life had been a huge relief - when she first got transported into this body, she had felt like she was being thrown into the ocean with no warning, no training, no equipment, and no idea which way she should even be trying to swim. Being confined to a desk and chair and being lectured at had been a great boon in helping ease her into her new life. The improvements in her character sheet spoke for themselves. Her character stats had been absolutely abysmal when she first arrived, the smallest pentagon she had seen compared to the rest of her classmates. Now at a glance, her pentagon could blend in among the other students¡¯. It was still noticeably paltry compared to her closest friends, the Main Leads of this world, but Aida was grateful just to not be pinpointed so easily among the rest of the school. Her Skill List had grown as well, the bulk of her RP being earned from the improvements. She had first arrived in this world with only Mana Blast and Water Manipulation, and had been an utterly useless mage. Now, she was still on the weaker end of the spectrum compared to her primary cohort, ranks 6 through 15, with her relatively diminutive mana pool size, but she could feel that her mana was much more efficient than before, and her skills felt much more natural to execute. She had been gratified to discover that she could stumble upon new skills and earn RP from them. She found Ice Shield on accident in the middle of a Mana Applications exercise (Professor Lloyd had posed the class a question: ¡°You¡¯re all very familiar with using your own mana and element, but what would happen if you were to use a different element in conjunction with your own?¡±), holding some water in front of her face while standing in a circle with the other four girls in class when Ruth Cadmum (Metal, rank 8) had sneezed, sending her globs of molten metal (courtesy of Natalie Wok, rank 13, who had been idly heating Ruth¡¯s metal) rocketing straight towards Aida. Aida herself had frozen, startled by Ruth¡¯s explosive sneeze, but her mana had detected hostile incoming projectiles, and froze over right before the hot droplets shot through her liquid wall. Ruth had apologized profusely for losing control of her mana, blaming Bella Kipling (Wood, ranked 10) for activating her allergies with her spores. Bella and Ruth had squabbled for several minutes on who was at fault while Aida examined the ice wall, wondering how she had managed to instinctively create it without the faintest intention. Tera Trippe (Earth, ranked 11) and Natalie had checked on Aida, worried that she was under-reacting. Aida had reassured them that she was fine, it was a mistake, and it was no one¡¯s fault, finally soothing the two arguing girls. Professor Lloyd had drifted over during the commotion, an eyebrow raised as he listened. After class, Aida spoke with him, trying to draw out an explanation for how she had unintentionally done something useful without giving away the fact that she was not originally from this world. Professor Lloyd, though enthusiastic in their discussion, eager to hear her thoughts on what she thought happened, wasn¡¯t very helpful in giving her a satisfactory answer. She got the impression that his philosophical posits that formed the basis of their Applications exercises were straight up ¡°what if¡± scenarios he was throwing them into. The other students revered him, thinking he was ten steps ahead of them all, leading them towards some grand, masterful teaching plan, but Aida strongly suspected he was along for the ride, watching them struggle as some odd form of entertainment. Aida couldn¡¯t even be mad at him for not guiding them in a more traditional instructor-pupil method - his classes were by far the most entertaining classes in her schedule. And after a whole moon cycle, she had to admit she had learned a lot more about the ways she could manipulate her own mana and her surroundings. Hands-on experimentation is a lot more effective than memorization. She closed out of her character sheet as a knock sounded on her door. Grabbing a ribbon and knotting it around her wrist so she could tie her hair up later, she opened her door to Sue, Lily, and Vanita¡¯s beaming faces. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°We sent the boys to bring the picnic baskets this time,¡± Lily said importantly as they headed down the stairwell. ¡°So we can alternate the setup every moon cycle.¡± ¡°Thanks for planning this one,¡± Aida said, smiling. ¡°Not a problem,¡± Lily said briskly. ¡°Gotta spread the workload to make it easier to keep going, you know?¡± ¡°Do you need help carrying that?¡± Aida asked Vanita, who had a wooden crate in her arms. Vanita shook her head, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s not heavy, just delicate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so excited for you guys to see what¡¯s in there,¡± Lily said, dancing around them. ¡°Vanita worked so hard¡ª¡° she coughed, catching Vanita¡¯s stern eye. ¡°Anyway. I helped.¡± She sewed her lips shut as Vanita glared harder, keeping her lips swallowed as they finally exited the doors of the girls¡¯ dormitory wing, setting them on the sunny path down to Maglica Lake. Ezra was laying out the contents of the picnic baskets on a raised mound of earth, shaped as a table, as Levi coaxed some trees to grow their branches over the table, making a canopy covering over the picnic area. Caleb was carefully sculpting seven individual stools out of the earth, evenly spaced around the table. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t expect us to go through all this effort next moon cycle,¡± Sue informed the boys as they approached. She sat herself down on the nearest stool, squealing. ¡°It¡¯s so comfortable!¡± Aida sat down as well, marveling. Caleb had kept soft sand on the interior of the stool, so that instead of a hard surface as expected, it molded to the shape of her bottom. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not fair,¡± Levi said loftily. ¡°There¡¯s four of you, and two of us. Ow - I mean, three of us.¡± Ezra had thrown a chopstick at Levi, catching him in the temple. Snagging the chopstick out of the air as it rebounded off Levi¡¯s head like a boomerang, he held it out to Aida silently, who hid her smile as she pulled a stream of water from the lake¡¯s surface nearby to clean the chopstick. ¡°Oi, how dare you! My face is clean!¡± Levi said indignantly. ¡°Very well, you can have this one then,¡± Aida said pleasantly, tucking the chopstick into the breast pocket of his fitted green flannel. Snatching the chopstick out of his pocket, he glared at her with mock irritation, unable to keep the smile from his lips. ¡°How have you been? I didn¡¯t think the teachers would keep us so busy that we couldn¡¯t even eat together.¡± Aida sighed, settling back into her seat. Everyone else was already engaged in conversation, catching up with each other. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing better. I was worried how classes would go, since - you know, Pritchard, but it¡¯s been surprisingly smooth.¡± Levi nodded sympathetically. The third years had been split into three separate classes, each with their own schedules. The top five students (Class 1) had their own schedule, ranks 6 through 15 (Class 2) had their own schedule, and Class 3 (ranks 16 through 30) had their own schedule as well. Aida was expecting some sort of mixing between all three groups, but only Classes 2 and 3 shared mealtimes together. None of the other students seemed miffed about the segregation, so Aida had been wary of questioning the school¡¯s system. After the placement matches held over the course of two star cycles, Aida had barely made the cutoff to be placed in Class 2, with her bully Pritchard Spoak and his cronies. She had been expecting the bullying to ramp up with all the extra time and fewer classmates around her, but Pritchard had been leaving her alone, albeit with a pinched expression Aida assumed accompanied his toilet time. She wasn¡¯t complaining though; the less time she had to devote to watching her back, the more time she could spend on catching up. Vanita began doling out food, passing plates so they could all begin eating. ¡°Let¡¯s begin sharing how things have been by rank order, so we can all catch up. Ezra?¡± Ezra stared at her, a clump of rice partway to his mouth. Dejectedly, he put the rice back in his bowl, carefully patting it down so that no one could tell it had ever been disturbed. ¡°¡­Things have been fine.¡± He studiously avoided all the expectant expressions, reaching for side dishes to add to his side plate. ¡°I¡¯ll tell everybody,¡± Sue said, annoyed. ¡°Things have been great for him. None of the professors bother him in class, because he¡¯s so perfect. Meanwhile, the rest of us are being treated like we¡¯re the bottom five instead. Constantly pushing us to ¡®do better than last time,¡¯¡± she finished bitterly. ¡°Wait, why?¡± Lily asked, shocked at Sue¡¯s vehemence. ¡°We were expecting you all to - I don¡¯t know¡ª¡° ¡°Have picnics every day?¡± Aida suggested. ¡°Go on exclusive field trips with the professors? Learn some fancy new techniques?¡± ¡°Yeah, something fun,¡± Lily nodded. ¡°No, the professors are trying to ¡®polish us up¡¯ so that we can be ¡®presentable¡¯ to the Affiliates when they come and meet with us in the new sun cycle,¡± Levi said glumly, sketching air quotes around each phrase. ¡°I never heard the third years from the other graduating classes complain about this kind of treatment, so I wasn¡¯t expecting this at all.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it like in your classes?¡± Aida asked Lily and Vanita. ¡°Similar to second year, I suppose,¡± Vanita said thoughtfully. ¡°Nothing too different, honestly, just mostly covering things from Advanced Techniques.¡± ¡°What about your classes, Aida?¡± Caleb asked curiously. ¡°Well,¡± Aida said slowly. She picked at an egg and ham stirfry. ¡°I¡¯m enjoying my classes quite a bit. A lot,¡± she amended. She smiled at Lily¡¯s jealous expression. ¡°Pritchard has been leaving me alone, and since we¡¯re a smaller group the rest of us are getting along pretty well.¡± Lily sighed, thoroughly mixing the toppings she had stacked into her rice bowl. ¡°Sounds like you get the best of both worlds. You get to do something different, while not being pressured to overperform.¡± Sue agreed. ¡°It would be nice if we had some more people, to buffer us against Lara.¡± ¡°Is she still causing trouble?¡± Aida asked, concerned. ¡°Not explicitly. She¡¯s focused on executing the professors¡¯ feedback, so she doesn¡¯t exactly pay attention to the rest of us¡­but she¡¯s also pretty unfriendly.¡± Levi wrinkled his nose. ¡°She treats us all like we¡¯re just a waste of time.¡± ¡°Being classmates with her¡­it makes the stress seem even heavier,¡± Caleb agreed glumly. ¡°I¡¯m glad we are able to support each other, because I would have felt incredibly inadequate.¡± He nodded at Sue, Levi, and Ezra. Sue smiled shyly at him, while Levi gave him an up-nod and Ezra returned a regular nod. ¡°Well¡­I¡¯m sorry to hear about your difficulties,¡± Vanita said hesitantly. ¡°But I have something to give you all¡­¡± Lily¡¯s eyes rounded. ¡°Ooo yes, give it to them!¡± She cleared the space in front of Vanita, so that she had somewhere to place her crate. Carefully digging through the wood shavings, Vanita pulled out a small sculpture with a base the size of her two hands. She handed it to Lily, who carefully accepted with both hands. Walking slowly and carefully, a wide grin on her face, she handed it to Caleb, who was seated next to her. Vanita and Lily carefully distributed the sculptures Vanita pulled out of her box, murmurs of awe floating in the air as each person received their gift. Aida examined hers. In the middle of her statue was a luxurious red gem an inch in diameter. Set around the gem were seven figures, each painstakingly painted to resemble the seven of them sitting around the bonfire from their first picnic. The edges of the sculpture were rimmed with blue and green gem clusters, looking like water and grass. Aida inspected her figure. The details were exquisite - she supposed being able to manipulate earth with only a thought was a distinct advantage when it came to sculpting stone. Even though she no longer had her original face, somehow the figure with long, dark hair and deep blue eyes had a distinctive look that made Annie instinctively aware that it was her. ¡°It took me several star cycles to grow the gems to make these statues,¡± Vanita explained. She twisted her fingers nervously. ¡°And the pigments to paint the figures were made by Lily.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Sue said softly. She blinked rapidly. ¡°Thank you. This is lovely.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s not all!¡± Lily crowed. ¡°Try feeding some mana into that ruby in the middle.¡± Curious, Aida poked her finger at the gem, sending a small trickle of mana in. The gem glowed, before it sparked and a small flame lit up, floating above the gem. ¡°Wow!¡± Vanita was blushing, but looked very pleased at everybody¡¯s reactions. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like them.¡± ¡°This is incredible work,¡± Levi said, examining his piece. He poked his finger into the flame. ¡°Did you use some Helms secret techniques on these?¡± Vanita nodded, her cheeks pink. ¡°I took this opportunity to practice. These gems wouldn¡¯t be sale-grade anyway in our distribution network.¡± Aida recalled Levi¡¯s explanation that Vanita¡¯s family was the primary grower of gems for mana batteries. Fascinated, she tried pouring more mana into the lustrous gem. It greedily absorbed her mana, but the flame didn¡¯t get any bigger. ¡°I suppose with these gifts, we can¡¯t initiate a war on you,¡± Ezra said. He held his statue delicately on his fingertips. His silver eyes moved to Levi, while Caleb discreetly dipped his head below his statue. ¡°It would look very bad if we carried out your plan.¡± Levi chuckled, feigning ignorance as four cold expressions turned to him. Chapter 54: Festivals Aida woke up at dawn the next morning for her usual personal training regimen. Light hadn¡¯t fully permeated her room yet, so the small flame from Vanita¡¯s gift caught her eye. Peering at the sculpture, she saw that the flame was still steady, the size of her thumbnail. She hadn¡¯t fed too much mana into it yesterday and would have assumed the fire ruby would have exhausted its energy already, but Vanita had explained to them that since they were on Maglica grounds, which was teeming with mana, their gems would continue to burn, drawing on the surrounding mana, once they activated it. She said if they were bothered by the light at night, they could just extinguish the flame and light it again with a bit of mana. ¡°So this is why the Helms¡¯ mana gems are so sought-after,¡± Aida said admiringly. "Passively drawing in energy, no maintenance required." Vanita blushed. ¡°I think the technique for growing the gems can be applied with great results to other use cases,¡± she confessed. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to join the Strongholders instead of work in the family business, so I can see what other disciplines could benefit from this technique.¡± Aida had looked at her with new respect. Vanita was always sweet and kind, but she had also seemed passive, following along with Lily¡¯s bullishness. If I had played this game as Sue, would I even have been able to meet Vanita and hear her true thoughts? Humming as she pulled on her tracksuit, Aida tied her hair up in a long ponytail and left her room, watching the merry mini bonfire on her desk until the door shut. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ When Aida finally arrived in the dining hall for breakfast, she heard a lot of girls giggling in groups and floating around the notice board, eyeing the boys who entered the hall. The male population of the school, for their part, seemed to be determinedly keeping their eyes away from the board. Curious, she made her way over to the new, large piece of paper posted on top.
Old Moon and New Sun Festivals In observance of the Old Moon and New Sun Festivals, classes will be canceled the star cycle between Old Moon Day and New Sun Day. Pupils who decide to stay at the Academy during the Festival recess may do so. Please contact your homeroom teacher to make the arrangements.
Concerned, she dug through her schoolbag, looking for her planner. She didn¡¯t see anything marking the festivals in her planner. How much time did she have to make arrangements? ¡°Good morning.¡± Glancing up from her shuffle, she saw Dev standing at the board as well, reading the notice. Several girls eyed the pair of them. ¡°Good morning,¡± Aida replied, stymied. Dev had never spoken with her again after the placement matches had ended. She thought it odd, but he deliberately ignored meeting her gaze in classes and would go out of his way to avoid being in her vicinity - granted, Pritchard and his boys made up the male half of the middle class, so they all collectively seemed reluctant to engage with her. ¡°Are you planning on staying at the Academy during the Festivals?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± Aida said slowly. ¡°What about you?¡± Dev¡¯s chin dipped, though he still refused to look at her. ¡°¡­also still deciding.¡± ¡°Aida! What are the odds?¡± Levi materialized between them, his roguish smile operating at maximum power this morning. ¡°Shall we eat together today?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Aida agreed, relieved. She nodded at Dev. ¡°See you in class.¡± Levi and Aida queued up at the ordering counter, both carefully avoiding Dev¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you made it to breakfast today,¡± Aida said. ¡°Nolem said the top five was so busy that you¡¯re all getting your food to go.¡± Levi grimaced. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, but I¡¯m skipping the extra practice session this morning. All work and no play makes Levi wither away.¡± Aida snorted. ¡°Regardless, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. What¡¯s the Old Moon and New Sun Festivals?¡± she finished in a whisper. Levi raised his eyebrows, ignoring her question as he placed his order with Nolem, who greeted him with great enthusiasm. After some quick chitchat (¡°Those pastry bars you¡¯ve been making have been the life giver.¡± ¡°Thank Aida for requesting them! We¡¯d never have thought about baking a fully balanced treat to be eaten on the go.¡±), Aida and Levi received their breakfast trays. They went to an unoccupied booth, several girls waving at Levi excitedly. ¡°Still as popular as ever, even with your absence.¡± ¡°If you water your garden consistently, your flowers will bloom even when you¡¯re not present,¡± Levi informed her. He dug into his food with gusto. ¡°Very wise.¡± There was no further discussion as they both ate with abandon. Aida because she needed to replenish her elemental pools after her morning workout, and Levi because he clearly enjoyed eating warm food again. ¡°So. The Festivals.¡± Levi wiped his mouth with his napkin. ¡°The Old Moon Festival occurs on the last Moon Day of the sun cycle, and the New Sun Festival occurs on - would you like to take a guess?¡± ¡°The New Sun Festival occurs the first Sun Day of the new sun cycle?¡± Aida guessed dutifully. Levi nodded. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°The Old Moon Festival is usually more of a family-oriented affair, while the New Sun Festival is more about cultivating external relations; you celebrate with friends, business partners, or those you hope to improve your relationships with over the course of the new year.¡± Aida nodded slowly. The Old Moon Festival sounded like Christmas, where close family members would gather together to close out the year, while the New Sun Festival sounded like the typical New Year¡¯s celebrations where people would greet and wish each other fortuitous years. ¡°So the notice board¡­it says students can stay at the school during that time?¡± Levi nodded, lowering his voice. ¡°Aida typically went home, but¡­maybe you might be able to argue against going home this year? Since you¡¯re in Class 2 now, you could say that you want to prepare for the meetings with the Affiliates.¡± ¡°That sounds like a great idea,¡± Aida said gratefully. She lowered her voice to match Levi¡¯s volume. ¡°Do students usually stay during this recess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of for third years to stay,¡± Levi nodded. ¡°But usually it¡¯s those who feel they would be on the cusp of receiving Affiliate attention, and want to work on their skills more. Rarely do the first and second years stay - they usually stay if they have a companion they plan to spend the Old Moon Festival with,¡± he said lightly. ¡°So I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ve stayed your other two years?¡± Aida asked, curious. Levi coughed delicately. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯ve had to prioritize preparing for the New Sun Festival, so I never stayed.¡± ¡°And this year?¡± Aida persisted. She snapped her fingers. ¡°You¡¯ll stay this year because you are all getting drilled so hard by the professors, yes?¡± He adopted a long-suffering expression. ¡°It¡¯s extremely likely.¡± ¡°I wonder if everyone else will stay too,¡± Aida said thoughtfully. There¡¯s no way the plot would let all the leads just leave during a major holiday. The rest of the breakfast period was spent with them debating who would stay and who would go; supporting Aida¡¯s hypothesis, Levi admitted that the top five were all extremely likely to stay during the recess, while most of the bottom and middle class would go home. ¡°The odd thing is,¡± Levi started during a lull. ¡°Why they¡¯re pushing us so hard. I¡¯ve been talking to the professors when I can, but they all give the same canned response - like they¡¯ve all been provided a script to what they can and can¡¯t say.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the response?¡± ¡°¡¯There¡¯s no excuse to not be prepared for the future,¡¯¡± Levi said severely, mimicking Professor Havi¡¯s demeanor. He dropped back to his musing tone. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be so surprising if only Havi and Gemma said it, but even Lloyd and Bruce seem strained - like there¡¯s pressure on them as well.¡± Aida tapped the table, leaning her cheek on her other hand. Her experience with the school staff over a month ago put to rest any idealism she might have had for a fantasy magic school. The instructors (doubling as stewards of the school) were just as bland as any other worker in the real world: they didn¡¯t want to deal with additional paperwork, and they were subject to the pressures of maintaining arbitrary performance metrics instead of fulfilling the noble roles of educator and mentor. But they didn¡¯t seem to have any direct bosses they answered to¡­instead, it seemed like the five of them had to convince each other to reach consensus on how to move forward with the school¡¯s future. So who was exerting pressure on them? Or what? ¡°Is there anything that¡¯s happening in the rest of society that¡¯s causing them to act a certain way?¡± Levi frowned in concentration. ¡°Everything I¡¯m aware of is just family or business politics. Nothing that would directly influence the school.¡± Aida bit her lip. Even though it was just family or business, that was a lot to unpack, and she didn¡¯t have the mental energy to do so. Levi¡¯s smart, but what¡¯s the likelihood that a teenager is also a political genius? She shook her head. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no use in trying to figure out why they¡¯re so stressed this year,¡± she sighed. ¡°As long as Wyndia isn¡¯t about to plunge into war or something.¡± Levi shook his head adamantly. ¡°No way. If we were, I¡¯d have heard about it.¡± Aida¡¯s mouth quirked at his confidence just as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the morning classes. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll keep an ear out.¡± The two parted, with Aida heading towards the gym for her Physical Training class with Professor Gemma, and Levi glumly heading towards the lake for Mana Control class with Professor Bruce. After Levi¡¯s reveal that the teachers seemed pressured to make sure the students achieved a higher level of aptitude than expected, Aida paid more attention to Gemma. It was hard, not having a frame of reference for how she normally behaved. But even she could tell that Gemma was tense - her mana was rumbling, and there was a tautness around her eyes and jaw, despite the fact that none of the students were disobeying any of her instructions. What if I¡¯m just reading too much into it? Aida wondered, as she dodged the jagged rocks Gemma shot at her. They were practicing dodging maneuvers, in a perverse game of reverse dodgeball - Gemma would pelt them with rocks ranging anywhere from the size of a small pebble to a boulder the size of one of their heads. Fortunately, there were rules: no one was allowed to touch one another, so in addition to avoiding flying shrapnel, they also had to avoid their classmates¡¯ constantly moving bodies; shields were allowed, but only to block one projectile, so they couldn¡¯t just cower in place. What¡¯s the likelihood of having a peaceful academic year? she argued with herself, snatching up some water that Dev had conjured to create a small ice shield that shattered as a tennis ball-sized rock struck it. But this is a romance game! There can¡¯t be war. Mana Surge to leap over Pritchard¡¯s head as he ducked behind an earth shield. Why else would things be kept so hush-hush? There has to be a better explanation than ¡°for your own good.¡± Blast a fragment that was falling on top of Tera¡¯s head away. Tera gave her a grateful nod. You don¡¯t even know what¡¯s normal procedure here. Aida ducked as someone else leapfrogged over her, surging to her legs so she could reverse the direction she was barreling in. The ruling class always tries to limit information to control the populace. ¡°Aida, look out!¡± Instinctively, Aida grabbed all the water within her reach, enclosing herself in an ice spike. WHAM. ¡°Enough!¡± Aida heard Gemma¡¯s command through her wall of ice. ¡°Miss Loreh, please come out.¡± Slowly thawing her ice prison, Aida stepped out. Everyone else was panting, or resting against something. Gemma looked at all of them, her lips pressed tightly together. ¡°Today was better. You¡¯re starting to cover each other¡¯s backs without thinking about it now, so that¡¯s very good. But that¡¯s not enough. We will drill this exercise again next star cycle.¡± With that foreboding pronouncement, Professor Gemma dismissed them. Aida glanced around at her cohort¡¯s expressions. They were all too tired to think about the intention behind her words, and were instead muttering about her assessment of their skills not being enough. This is ominous. Chapter 55: Politics It was at the end of Aida¡¯s last class that day that they received any information about Affiliates. ¡°As you all know, we will have Affiliates visiting us at the beginning of the new sun cycle, and staying with us through the rest of the academic year,¡± Professor Lloyd began. ¡°This year¡¯s recruitment process will be¡­a little different. We have more Affiliates coming, which means as Class 2, you will have more contract opportunities.¡± He gave a tight smile. ¡°This is a great year for you.¡± Aida frowned. Too forced. ¡°Professor, when you say more Affiliates¡­do you mean more companies are coming, or that the original roster of companies are going to be sending more recruiters?¡± Lloyd pressed his lips together, seeming to see her for the first time. He visibly forced himself to relax, quickly recapturing the needle of mana that pierced through his calm flow. ¡°More recruiters from the Strongholds, as well as a select number of other companies. They have decided it¡¯s worth the investment to increase their hires.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Aida kept her expression neutral, looking politely curious to Lloyd¡¯s probing look. He exhaled. ¡°I suppose they decided they should spend more of their baen to mentor young talent,¡± he said reluctantly. ¡°In any case, that¡¯s not anything for you to worry about - just focus on growing and polishing up your abilities.¡± Aida nodded docilely. She could recognize a nonanswer when she received one. He¡¯s definitely hiding something. His response was too poised - if he truly didn¡¯t know anything, he would have shared opinions on what he thought was happening. But the fact that he outright refused to indulge indicated there was something he didn¡¯t wish to divulge. Lloyd released the class, to everyone else¡¯s relief. Aida trailed after them, not noticing the suspicious gaze Lloyd trained on her. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida pressed her knuckles into her temples. She had never enjoyed her social studies or history classes, and she liked it even less now. Especially since she felt like she was being overwhelmed with information - she¡¯d been effectively isolated in Maglica, and didn¡¯t have a good frame of reference about what life, politics, and culture outside of school was like. It¡¯s going to take years for me to be able to catch up to what¡¯s happening. Charma had charitably spent half an hour pulling books for Aida to read. Under the guise of wishing to better understand her future career options, Aida had sought out the sweet librarian¡¯s help in researching material about the Border and Naval Strongholds and major industry businesses. She had come through with two equally thick volumes describing the founding history, mission, and achievements of each Stronghold, as well as a stack of thinner (but still thick) volumes covering general history and development of the cornerstone industries: construction, agriculture, sanitation. The last pile of books she brought were a hodgepodge of some of the more notable industries Charma thought would suit Aida¡¯s elemental affinity: spa and healing, dessert and soup-making (¡°I¡¯m sorry, your affinity is quite limited in the Fire industry,¡± she said apologetically) and water transportation. Aida¡¯s biggest takeaway from reading the books was that none of them were very objective: it seemed like every book¡¯s author was closely intertwined with the subject matter being discussed, whether as a direct practitioner in that industry, or as a family member of a famous practitioner. They all had a vested interest to portray their industry and jobs as the most noble of all undertakings. This world could do with having some forum for anonymous opinions. Because of the skewed portrayal, she didn¡¯t feel like she could make any sort of judgment call on which industry (or Stronghold) would be more¡­less corrupt. She didn¡¯t even have a good grasp on what earning potential would be like in these industries. For all she knew, she could probably make more baen making confections than as a Healer. Aida pushed Dignity of Desserts away, feeling her head begin pounding. She was too ambitious, trying to figure out the political field in one day out of a school library. This was a waste of time. She felt a familiar curl of mana float over her. Glancing through the bookshelves, she smiled as Ezra stepped out. ¡°It must be my lucky day. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Ezra gave a brief smile as he pulled out a chair. ¡°The teachers have started relaxing their grip on us. You weren¡¯t at dinner.¡± Alarmed, Aida looked up at the massive clock on the library¡¯s ceiling. Sure enough, there were only a few minutes of dinner left. She moaned, burying her face in her hands. What a massive waste of time! Ezra poked at her elbow. Peeking over her fingers, she saw him pressing a folded cloth napkin against her. Smiling at him gratefully, she carefully unwrapped the napkin, revealing a nutrition bar. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t encourage your bad habits,¡± he said conversationally. His gaze roamed over all the books on her table. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Aida grimaced, swallowing. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to figure out which career path I should choose.¡± ¡°I thought you wanted to be a Healer?¡± She nodded. ¡°I do¡­I just thought I should look into other options as well. What do you want to do? I don¡¯t think you ever said.¡± The corners of Ezra¡¯s lips turned down ever so slightly. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure.¡± The corners dipped further. ¡°¡­I would like to not be part of the family business.¡± Aida felt her jaw drop at his admission. She knew he didn¡¯t get along with his older brother, Jasper Riolt - but she didn¡¯t think about what that meant for him. He was avoiding her gaze. Hoisting her jaw back up, she aimed for a lighthearted comment. ¡°Well¡­I guess that means you¡¯ll get all the Affiliates fighting to court you when they arrive next moon cycle. I bet the Border Stronghold would love to have you - oh, but maybe the Naval Stronghold needs your metal skills more for their ships,¡± she guessed. Ezra nodded slowly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to keep my options open.¡± He glanced at her. ¡°¡­if you¡¯re committed to learning Healing, you¡¯ll have a lot of resources at your disposal if you join either of the Strongholds.¡± Aida frowned. She had never really wanted to join the military (which was absolutely the impression she got from reading the books), but it made sense that they would have all the resources to support her educational goals. ¡°Other than resources¡­would they be the best to learn from? I was thinking maybe some independent clinics¡­¡± ¡°The reputable clinics with challenging cases can be very competitive to get into, especially considering that the Healers there are usually overworked, and less willing to take on the mantle of mentorship. That is just what I have heard. I don¡¯t know if it is true,¡± Ezra added. Aida sighed. Just like in my world. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t give up hope just yet,¡± Ezra said softly. ¡°I just wanted to make sure you knew that there are options other than clinics.¡± Aida smiled at him. ¡°Thanks for the reassurance. I¡¯ll keep an open mind.¡± She looked at the Naval and Border Stronghold books, both propped open to the ¡°Mission¡± section. She had thought it would be more interesting to see where they differed, since the books seemed to follow the same dry textbook format and style. The original Stronghold force started as an Adventuring group focused on battling back the monsters that preyed on humans. Thanks to their efforts, Wyndians were able to expand beyond the small settlements they clustered in, and were able to erect towns and cities. Because the Stronghold tamed the wilderness, Wyndians experienced an era of growth, prosperity, and technological advancement as they acquired the living margin to specialize. As the Wyndian population grew, so did the Strongholders. Eventually, the original Stronghold founders (five individuals, each affiliated with a different element) decided to create a second branch: the Naval Stronghold. They passed on the governance of the renamed Border Stronghold to their proteges, as they spearheaded the naval effort: to battle back the sea monsters that preyed on Wyndians who had to make their living along the coast. The two Strongholds shared the same overarching mission: to protect the people of Wyndia, and enable safe passage between settlements. The book claimed they were not driven by a particular ideology, and did not engage in local political disputes. On the surface, they seemed like two respectable organizations, but Aida had an inherent distrust when it came to large entities comprised of powerful people. There are always skeletons. ¡°Excuse me! No food allowed in the library!¡± Aida jumped at Charma¡¯s aggressive tone - a complete one-eighty from the sweet and helpful librarian she had grown familiar with. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Aida squeaked, crumpling her napkin as she swept the crumbs into her hand. ¡°I missed dinner, I don¡¯t know what I was thinking¡­¡± Charma sniffed haughtily, whipping out a dustpan and brush. ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see it this time, but next time eat your snack in the hallway. Leave the books,¡± she added sternly. ¡°I¡¯ll hold them for you if you plan on reading them later.¡± ¡°Yes please,¡± Aida said meekly. She apologized again, backing out of the library with Ezra. She sighed out in the hallway. ¡°The Strongholds really aren¡¯t a bad option,¡± Ezra said, continuing their conversation like nothing had happened. ¡°They pay well, and you have the option to change assignments every few years in order to gain a diverse range of experiences. Most Adventuring groups are founded by former Strongholders.¡± Aida nodded thoughtfully. The Stronghold¡¯s system sounded like an extended training program, except they would pay her for it. But¡­if we¡¯re on the brink of war¡­ Even if the Strongholds were adamant about not partaking in political disputes, if the conflict escalated eventually they would have to take a side¡­and Annie had heard enough horror stories from her parents¡¯ escape from their home country about how violent ¡°disputes¡± could become. But if the Strongholds get pulled into war¡­then nothing really matters at that point. Aida sighed again, this time more forcefully. Her head throbbed even more. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ezra was looking at her with concern. ¡°You look very worried.¡± He hovered his index finger between her brows. Aida lifted her hands, pulling the skin taut between her brows. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to figure out what I really want. But I guess I should wait until I meet the Affiliates before I make my decision anyway,¡± she said to him, speaking beneath her hands. He was looking at her with slightly furrowed brows. ¡°I see. That¡¯s true, we don¡¯t have to decide now,¡± he agreed. He slowly raised his hands to his own brow, before pushing his eyebrows up. ¡°¡­this is what you look like.¡± Aida looked at him. He was staring at her with wide eyes, courtesy of his fingers pulling his skin up. His mouth was completely immobile, giving him a wide-eyed, deadpan look. She chuckled reluctantly. ¡°I do not.¡± He nodded seriously, keeping his fingers on his brow. ¡°You do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I look sillier than you do,¡± Aida retorted, dropping her hands. But she kept her smile on her face. ¡°Want to go for a walk? I could use some fresh air.¡± Ezra dipped his head, keeping his fingers on his brow. She smacked his arm, unable to hold back her laugh. Chapter 56: Monster Aida took the route to the Lake, with Ezra accompanying her. The moon, lovely and full tonight, had risen above the horizon and was reflecting off the Lake¡¯s glassy surface. Her month at this school had helped her acclimate to her new mana sense, and now she was able to easily tag the bright mana auras walking around in her vicinity, even if she couldn¡¯t see or hear them. She wasn¡¯t surprised that there were several auras floating after them - they were likely Ezra¡¯s underclassmen fans, with less control over their auras and who (unlike Levi¡¯s fans) seemed to see Ezra as more of an unattainable celebrity, and wound up stalking him because he refused to talk to them. As they came closer to the Lake, Aida noticed a disturbance in the water. She slowed her pace, Ezra slowing with her. ¡°Do you feel that?¡± Ezra nodded silently, slowly sliding his wand out. Following his lead, Aida slipped her wand out as well, casting her mana senses into the Lake. The Lake itself was largely undisturbed, seeming to not notice the ominous mana percolating through the environs. Focusing her search, she began sifting through the depths, trying to find the source of the tendrils. She froze - more out of fear than deliberation. Just as she had found the source of the tendrils, so had the source found her. ¡°Aida,¡± Ezra¡¯s voice came out as a whisper. His fingers slowly slipped around her elbow. ¡°Back up.¡± She let Ezra pull her away physically, step by step, but was unable to pull her mana away - the monster in the depths seemed to have wound around her spirit itself, and she had the feeling that if she made any sudden retractions, it would squeeze so that she couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°Can you let go?¡± Ezra¡¯s voice echoed distantly. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can,¡± she whispered back, her voice muffled in her own head. ¡°It has me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to channel some of my mana through you,¡± he whispered. She was barely aware of his breath on her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything.¡± Gently, carefully, Ezra reached around her front, placing his hand over her core, where the bulk of her mana was generated. He kept his wand arm raised, pointing into the center of the Lake, effectively enclosing her in his arms, though he wasn¡¯t touching her aside from his hand. She felt him begin feeding his mana into her, bolstering hers the way Professor Kozu had when he helped her heal Shon Yanamo. But unlike Kozu¡¯s mana, which had been almost too hot for her to handle comfortably, Ezra¡¯s mana was cool and smooth, like a metal pipe that a water droplet ran down. Carefully tracing along her own mana, Ezra slowly encased her wavering mana with his own stronger mana. She felt herself relax slightly as Ezra fortified her, no longer having to withstand the monstrosity¡¯s pressure by herself. ¡°On the count of three, pull your mana all the way back,¡± Ezra said quietly. She was dimly aware of his heart pulsing strongly and steadily, steeling himself for what was about to happen. ¡°¡­one, two, three.¡± So many things happened at once - Ezra¡¯s mana formed spikes, stabbing the foreign energy, creating a thorny barrier around Aida¡¯s own mana as she fled. The unknown force writhed and twisted, malevolent aura evolving into murderous intent as it tried to spear at her fleeing spirit. The bulk of Ezra¡¯s mana followed closely, closing off behind them as they escaped. She withdrew into herself, clutching at Ezra¡¯s arm as they were both thrown back from the water by the force of their own energies collapsing back into their souls. The water erupted immediately after them, a feeling of blackness engulfing Aida¡¯s senses. She couldn¡¯t see, couldn¡¯t hear, couldn¡¯t even feel anything with her mana senses. The only thing she could feel was an immense feeling of wrongness, and - at the edge of her consciousness - Ezra¡¯s hand, gripping her own fingers tightly. The feeling disappeared. Aida slowly opened her eyes, to be greeted by Ezra¡¯s palm laying before her. She pushed herself up, feeling something jostle against her waist. She looked down, seeing Ezra¡¯s limp arm hanging over her. Panicking, she twisted, taking stock of her surroundings. Ezra was knocked out cold, his arms outstretched in front of him as if he had curled his body around hers to shield her from the blast. His wand had dropped from his fingers at her hip. Feeling lightheaded, Aida quickly got to her knees, putting her fingers on his neck to check his pulse. Still alive. Releasing a quick prayer, she probed for his mana. Weak, but flowing. ¡°What happened?¡± Aida heard several shrieks increase in volume. She looked up, seeing several second- and first-year girls running down the grassy bank towards them. ¡°Did you see what happened?¡± she shouted. Her ears were still plugged, making her own shout seem muffled. The girls shook their heads, expressions ranging from confusion to terror. ¡°You, go get one of the professors! You, go find Healer Luk!¡± She pointed separately at two girls at the rear of the pack: the first a small girl with deep green hair and fear shining in her hazel eyes, and the second a girl with sky blue hair and stormy gray eyes. ¡°Ezra needs help!¡± Nodding, the two girls scrambled back up the slope, clearly relieved to escape from the unerring wrongness of the locale. ¡°The rest of you, stand perimeter here,¡± she snapped, pointing at the edge of the water. ¡°Don¡¯t stand too close, keep an eye out and make sure nothing else comes up. I¡¯m going to try to heal Ezra until Healer Luk gets here.¡± The remaining five girls took positions in front of Ezra and Aida, bringing their shaking wands out to shield them from whatever else might come up. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Aida focused on Ezra. She sure hoped a level 6 Heal was enough. The ever-helpful heat map appeared over Ezra¡¯s prone form. Oh no. His body was a healthy, fluorescent green. Not even a hint of yellow, where he absorbed the impact of the ground. ¡°Is Ezra all right?¡± one of the girls asked, her voice trembling. ¡°He¡¯s not hurt,¡± Aida replied tersely. She rolled his body, so that he was laying on his back. Still no signs of injury. Why isn¡¯t he waking up? ¡°What happened?¡± Professor Kozu¡¯s voice cut sharply through the night. ¡°I don¡¯t know! He¡¯s not injured!¡± Aida¡¯s voice sounded high-pitched, even to herself. The cotton that was in her ears seemed to have cleared up. ¡°But he won¡¯t wake up.¡± ¡°Healer Luk is here. Please make room,¡± Kozu commanded. Aida stayed on her knees, her fingers pressed to his faint pulse below his face and her other hand hovering along his body, hunting for his mana flow. She was unwilling to step away¡­the first friend who treated her well in this world, with no expectations. She didn¡¯t know how else she could help him, but she knew she didn¡¯t want to not be there if he slipped away. ¡°Miss Loreh, he will be fine.¡± The words cut through the fog in Aida¡¯s mind. She looked up at Healer Luk with blurry eyes. ¡°What?¡± She rasped out. She blinked, and Luk came into focus, though still a bit fuzzy at the edges. ¡°He will be fine,¡± she repeated. She patted a handkerchief to Aida¡¯s eyes with one hand, the other hand circled around Ezra¡¯s wrist. ¡°Get ahold of yourself. His mana pools are very low, and he¡¯s nearly depleted his usable mana, but as long as we can get him into the healing ward and I can perform my treatments on him, he will wake up soon.¡± Numbly, Aida accepted the handkerchief, dabbing at her eyes. She sat back on her heels as Professor Lloyd squeezed past her, easily lifting Ezra up. ¡°Miss Loreh.¡± Aida turned toward Kozu. He pulled her away, separating her from the girls who were currently speaking with Professor Gemma; several of them were sobbing. ¡°Are you able to share what you witnessed?¡± Aida nodded, stumbling over her words as she tried to convey what happened - until Kozu lifted his hand to stop her. ¡°Not right now; let us wait until all of the other students have been sent to bed.¡± He nodded towards the lakeshore where Professor Bruce was standing, his head bowed. ¡°We will need Bruce¡¯s observations as well to try to put together what happened.¡± Aida nodded again, taking a deep breath to hold her sob back. What did happen though? There was so much nothing. Her eyes widened, and she extended her mana senses again. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Kozu asked quietly, tensing as he felt her mana wash over him. ¡°¡­No,¡± Aida replied, her voice cracking. Her brows furrowed as she swept her mana around her in large arcs. Her range had improved so much compared to when she first arrived, but she still cursed at how short it was - surely the monster couldn¡¯t have disappeared already. ¡°There was a monster here¡­in the Lake. But I don¡¯t sense it anymore¡­¡± Kozu pressed his lips together, looking towards Bruce. ¡°We will know more when Bruce is ready.¡± Aida shivered. Now that her adrenaline had worn off, she felt drained, and cold¡­which was odd because she usually appreciated the Lake¡¯s coolness. Kozu created a small fireball in his palm, holding it out to her. She huddled around it gratefully, pressing her fingertips against the heat. They stood there in silence for what felt like hours, waiting for Bruce to finish communing with the surroundings. The girls who followed Aida and Ezra had already been escorted back to the building, and Lloyd, Gemma, and Havi came back to join them on the shore, waiting for Bruce to reconvene with them. Finally, Bruce raised his head. The moon was high in the sky, reflecting a perfect crescent on the Lake¡¯s surface. He came back to them, his face grim. He glanced at Aida. ¡°Has Miss Loreh been questioned yet?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Kozu said. ¡°We were waiting for you, so we could all get the story together.¡± Bruce nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s speak back in the office.¡± ¡°Are there any precautions we should take?¡± Professor Havi asked gruffly, his eyes tracing the treeline in the distance. Bruce shook his head. ¡°Whatever was here¡­it¡¯s gone now.¡± Without another backward glance, Bruce began traipsing up the grassy embankment. ¡°Come,¡± Kozu said quietly to Aida. He held out his hand, indicating she should go first. She followed Bruce without fuss, the rest of the teachers falling in behind her. Lights were already out by the time they reached the teacher¡¯s lounge. Professor Bruce unlocked the door, holding it open so the rest of them could enter. Kozu offered Aida a chair around the giant circular table in the middle of the lounge, then excused himself to go make tea as the rest of the teachers populated the table. Everybody sat in silence as they waited for Kozu to come back. Aida avoided all of the instructors¡¯ eyes, and held her feeble mana tightly against herself, wary of giving away her thoughts and emotions. When she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, she blurted out, ¡°Can I go see Ezra?¡± The four instructors in the room exchanged glances. ¡°It¡¯s late,¡± Gemma said soothingly. ¡°You can see him tomorrow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± Aida mumbled. ¡°I just want to make sure he¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°If Healer Luk says he¡¯ll be fine, he will be fine,¡± Lloyd reassured her. ¡°Please be calm.¡± ¡°Would you like to share why you think it¡¯s your fault?¡± Havi asked sardonically. Even Bruce glared at him for his remark. The door opened just in time, Luk and Kozu entering together. Kozu was bearing a tray with several steaming mugs, and Luk was carrying a blanket. She placed the blanket on Aida¡¯s lap, then held her hand out. Knowing the drill, Aida handed her wrist over for Luk to take her pulse while Kozu placed a mug in front of her, sedately circling the table delivering drinks. ¡°Is Ezra okay?¡± Aida asked Luk in a small voice. Luk nodded, before releasing Aida¡¯s wrist. ¡°He will be fine, but he will need a few days¡¯ rest. I¡¯ve never seen him exert himself to that level before.¡± She shook her head in bewilderment. She looked at the rest of the professors significantly. ¡°I won¡¯t clear him for any classes for the rest of this star cycle. He needs to rest.¡± ¡°Can I see him tomorrow?¡± Luk hesitated at Aida¡¯s question, before she slowly nodded. ¡°You can see him at lunch. Only after you¡¯ve eaten a proper meal, not those baked convenience goods you¡¯ve been having the kitchen make,¡± she said threateningly. ¡°I can tell from your mana levels that you haven¡¯t even had a proper dinner.¡± Aida winced at Luk¡¯s ire, before promising she would. Giving her one last severe frown, Luk departed. Aida turned back to the professors, now the center of attention. ¡°Very well¡­Miss Loreh, if you please. From the beginning.¡± Chapter 57: What Happened? Aida didn¡¯t know what she expected from speaking to the teachers, but it certainly wasn¡¯t ¡°nothing.¡± Which was essentially what they gave her. They let her speak, telling the story of how she and Ezra were planning on just going for a walk around the Lake so she could clear her mind, the feeling that something was wrong, how Ezra helped extricate her from the clutches of whatever that was - and then how the next thing she knew, Ezra was unconscious next to her, and she couldn¡¯t do anything to help him. Aida lapsed into silence, the teachers¡¯ expressions grave. Havi had a pinched expression, not even trying to hide any of his displeasure. The rest of the teachers wore similarly grave expressions, exchanging glances. Finally, Professor Gemma exhaled. ¡°Miss Loreh, thank you for sharing your story. You may be excused to bed.¡± ¡°Wait, don¡¯t you have any ideas on what happened?¡± Aida looked around at all of the professors. None of them met her eyes directly, dropping their gazes to the notes they took, or looking off to the side. Kozu had the decency to give her a small, sad smile. ¡°We have ideas, but we need to discuss among ourselves¡­and we don¡¯t want to accidentally spread rumors when we aren¡¯t even sure what happened ourselves.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t spread any rumors,¡± Aida insisted. She wiped her eyes fiercely, not dropping her gaze. ¡°Please, I want to know what you think happened.¡± The other professors shifted uncomfortably. ¡°We will put out an announcement if there is any danger,¡± Bruce said finally. ¡°The announcement will include whatever information we determine is true.¡± ¡°Do you think hiding information will prevent rumors from spreading?¡± Aida demanded. ¡°Six girls saw Ezra get knocked out. Do you think the fact that he doesn¡¯t show up to classes tomorrow is going to go unnoticed?¡± The professors exchanged begrudging looks, while Kozu¡¯s lips quirked. ¡°Point taken. However, it is very late; don¡¯t you think you should go to bed so you can wake up early enough to eat a full breakfast? Luk will know if you skipped breakfast, even if you ate lunch.¡± Aida sulked. Kozu made a good point, and she felt abnormally tired. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ve made your point,¡± Kozu added. ¡°We won¡¯t hide any information we think is essential, but we also don¡¯t want the students¡¯ imaginations to run away as we try to work through what we think happened. In the meantime, can we trust you to not add fuel to the fire?¡± She glowered at him. She knew exactly what he was doing, and the unfortunate part was she agreed with his rationale. ¡°Fine. When will you let us know?¡± ¡°As soon as possible,¡± Kozu said smoothly. ¡°We are aware that the longer we delay relaying information, the more time it gives untrue information to take root.¡± Aida nodded tightly. At least he acknowledged that. She stood up, depositing Luk¡¯s blanket on the chair she had been occupying. ¡°Good night, Miss Loreh,¡± Kozu said as she left the room. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida did not have a restful sleep. She was plagued by the feeling of being watched, even though in her fitful dreams there was no actual manifestation of any eldritch horror. That¡¯s worse than a nightmare, Aida thought groggily, dragging herself out of bed. At least in her nightmares with an actual monster, her terror was focused at the monster. Her not-really-a-nightmare dream kept her tense, never knowing how she could find safety, making her feel like she had stayed awake all night instead of actually sleeping. She choked down her breakfast - she had woken up too late for her regular independent morning training, though she admitted to herself with a shiver she didn¡¯t want to be near the Lake at the moment. Classes were a grind. Fortunately, the professors cut them all some slack today, their barked comments and critiques less heated than normal - which was the opposite of what she would have expected after yesterday. By lunchtime, rumors were already swirling around the school, a palpable fear permeating the student body. The news that the uncontested top third-year student was laying unconscious in the healing ward made everyone realize that Maglica Academy wasn¡¯t the safe bastion of learning they all thought it was. Aida stood at the dish drop, trying to force down the soup she opted for instead of food that required chewing. Placing the remaining third of soup onto the rack, she bolted for the hospital. Caleb and Levi intercepted her outside of the healing ward, looking haggard and worried. They looked like they had just stepped outside. ¡°Levi! Caleb!¡± Aida slowed down, breathing heavily. ¡°Did you just see him?¡± ¡°We did,¡± Caleb said, smiling reassuringly. ¡°Healer Luk says he¡¯s stable and recovering.¡± ¡°We were going to go get something to eat. Did you want to join us?¡± Levi asked. ¡°I just ate. Luk said I couldn¡¯t see him until I ate a real meal,¡± Aida confessed. Levi nodded. ¡°Okay. We were going to grab something to eat, and bring Sue something as well. She¡¯s inside right now.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Aida nodded, relieved. If Luk insisted that Aida¡¯s levels were insufficient, Sue would surely have the sway to convince Luk to let her in. Carefully opening the door to not disturb Ezra, Aida snuck through, casting a wary eye around. Luk could be heard clattering about in the small kitchen attached to the healing ward. Quietly shutting the door, she slipped around the closed curtain, coming to a dead stop. Blood rushed to her face. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she stuttered, backing away. ¡°I sh-should have knocked. I¡¯ll give you two some privacy.¡± ¡°Aida, wait¡ª¡° Sue¡¯s plea went ignored, as Aida sidestepped Luk, barely missing her tray holding needles and vials and herbs. ¡°Miss Loreh¡ª¡° Ignoring the cries behind her, Aida flew back out the healing ward, her face flaming. In the midst of the month (technically longer than a month, since one moon cycle consisted of five star cycles) where she barely met with the main leads of this world, she had nearly forgotten that the story still revolved around Sue - or at least, she had convinced herself that she did have some value in this world. But seeing Sue embraced in Ezra¡¯s arms was a stark reminder that¡­she still didn¡¯t really matter. It shouldn¡¯t matter, she chided herself. Technically speaking, they were all underage - while she was a fully-grown adult in her twenties. Being in a teenager¡¯s body didn¡¯t really make her a peer. She found herself at the Lake again. Unlike yesterday, there was no foreboding feeling; the Lake and its surroundings looked and felt peaceful, like it always did. A small breeze blew across the surface, brushing through her hair. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of sun on her skin, wind in her hair. I¡¯m not jealous romantically. She was just¡­lonely. Now that she had gotten into the groove of life at Maglica Academy, a life where she didn¡¯t have to worry about rationing her food, paying bills, getting to work on time while dealing with the unpredictable excitement of public transport, and in general just working as much as she could, she found she had time to¡­feel things. True, she had a lot of work, just catching up on filling in missing information as Aida Loreh, and working on training herself up to an acceptable standard¡­but there really weren¡¯t too many critical responsibilities burdening her anymore. Now that she was able to keep up in Class 2, and was more confident in her ability to wield and adapt her powers, and had promising, achievable employment opportunities coming her way, the single-minded focus she had on bare survival had started to relax. She had the brainpower to think about¡­silly things. Daydreams. A future with a partner¡ª Aida shut that thought down. She had been imagining an individual taller than her, wearing a Maglica uniform - but she couldn¡¯t. She was older than them. Even though they would all turn eighteen by the time they graduated, she was still half a decade older than them. She had a completely different mindset, one jaded and with blunted emotions, while their default state tended to be raw. Where many experiences were still new and exciting, accompanied by correspondingly extreme emotions. Innocent. The rustle of cloth made Aida open her eyes. A tall young man with pale hair stood next to her, looking out over the lake. He didn¡¯t bother acknowledging her. His hands were tucked in his pockets, casually slouched. Aida turned her eyes forward, avoiding looking at him. ¡°Devinne.¡± ¡°Aida.¡± They stood in silence for several moments. ¡°I heard about what happened yesterday,¡± Dev finally said. ¡°Did the teachers finally announce something?¡± ¡°No. Rumors.¡± Aida inhaled, but didn¡¯t indulge his curiosity. ¡°So why are you finally talking to me again?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aida shrugged. ¡°You and the rest of your friends have been avoiding me in our classes. It¡¯s pretty obvious when there¡¯s only ten of us, and we spend nearly all day, every day together.¡± Dev paused, clearly thinking over his response. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a guess.¡± ¡°Pritchard?¡± Dev dipped his head, shuffling his feet next to her. ¡°Think of it as solidarity.¡± Aida sighed, too tired to be empathetic to her former bully. ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes for him to be civil, I can¡¯t complain.¡± ¡°Just¡­give him some time. He¡¯s working on it.¡± Aida scoffed. ¡°It sounds like you actually want us to be friends.¡± ¡°I do.¡± At Dev¡¯s blunt response, Aida turned to him incredulously. His expression was serious. ¡°What kind of stu¡ª¡° Aida bit back her words. She tried again, slowly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± ¡°No.¡± When Dev didn¡¯t elaborate, Aida scoffed again. She turned back towards the school, striding up the path. ¡°Do you think Lara actually beat me based on skill?¡± Aida paused at Dev¡¯s question. She looked over her shoulder. Dev was looking at her, blue eyes stoic, the tips of his white hair ruffling gently in the breeze. ¡°She didn¡¯t.¡± Aida furrowed her brow. ¡°You¡¯re saying you gave up your spot in the top five just so we could be friends?¡± ¡°Something like that,¡± he said simply. ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone like you before. Your meteoric rise - it¡¯s inspiring.¡± This is getting dangerous. ¡°Thank you for saying so,¡± Aida said coolly. ¡°Your attitude in class has been very misleading.¡± ¡°I apologize. I¡¯m not the only one who respects you.¡± Dev followed her back towards the school, easily keeping pace with his long legs. ¡°The rest of us - Shon, Abedi - we respect your work ethic.¡± Aida grunted, wary of what she would give away if she said any more. Dev seemed satisfied with the fact that she didn¡¯t actively push him away, and the remainder of their trek to their next class was made in silence. Right before they reached Professor Bruce¡¯s Mana Control class, Dev spoke again. ¡°I truly hope you will give Pritchard - and us - a chance again. He will make amends soon.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Aida said noncommittally. Without another look at him, she slipped into the classroom and took her place among the other four girls who were already sitting in a cluster, chatting. They made way, smiling greetings at her as they accepted her into their fold. Tera leaned secretively towards her, her gray-blue eyes wide. ¡°Hey, we heard something happened yesterday - can you confirm or deny?¡± Aida suppressed a sigh. Teenage gossips. Chapter 58: Denial Aida took dinner early, opting to enjoy the peace and quiet of the dining hall as everyone else was occupied with being productive during their free period (in the case of Class 2) or required classes (additional ¡°voluntary¡± training sessions for Class 1, and remedial sessions for Class 3). Then after dinner, she could return to her room early and sulk. Not sulk, she said to herself firmly. Process my feelings. From previous experience, she knew that once she had a good, long, full-fledged ugly-crying session, she was able to box the unhelpful emotions away and continue smiling. Besides, when was the last time she indulged herself in a bawl? It was long overdue. Somewhat more cheerfully, Aida slurped down her soup, waving at Nolem as she left the dining hall. Shutting her door securely behind her, Aida leaned her school bag against the wall on the ground. Her room had started to take on her personality. The books on her desk were pushed haphazardly towards the sides, leaving the middle of the desk clear for whenever she needed to jump to work. The covers of her bed were left in the same position from the morning when she tossed the impediment away. Her nightgown was draped over a pile of clothes that didn¡¯t have to be hung on the top of her sturdy wooden dresser. Collapsing into her chair, she buried her face in her hands. With nothing else to distract her, she let herself go. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida was staring into the fire ruby¡¯s small flame when a timid knock came from her door. She watched the flame flicker a few more times before heaving herself to her feet. The room was dark now, since the sun had completely set. Activating the gem that powered the chandelier in her room with a wave of her hand, she checked her appearance in the hanging full-length mirror next to the door. Her face had mostly evened out, and aside from a few strands of hair sticking to her cheeks, one could barely tell she had been exercising her tear ducts. She created a small globule of water, swiping it across her eyes to clean up the crusts. Taking a deep breath, she flexed her sore cheek muscles, practicing a smile before she opened the door. ¡°Hi Sue.¡± ¡°Aida, are you all right?¡± Sue asked anxiously. She stood uncertainly at the door. ¡°Can I come in?¡± ¡°Um.¡± Aida balked. Her room was messy, which was embarrassing enough, but it was also undeniably unlike Aida. ¡°Want to go for a walk instead?¡± Sue nodded eagerly, glad that Aida wasn¡¯t in the mood to shut herself away. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you saw, but the teachers put up a notice during dinner saying that for the time being, students shouldn¡¯t stray too far from the school buildings,¡± Sue said quickly. She leaned over, looking into Aida¡¯s face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine. We can walk around the building. I just need some fresh air.¡± Sue walked silently next to Aida, occasionally glancing at her to try to get a read on her mood. Aida hummed, relaxed. She felt much better after her emotional release, as expected. ¡°So it seems like Ezra woke up?¡± she asked casually, holding the door open to let Sue pass her into the night air. ¡°About that,¡± Sue said hurriedly, ¡°It¡¯s not what¡ª¡° ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Aida interrupted. ¡°You don¡¯t have to explain anything to me, I¡¯m just glad Ezra is okay.¡± ¡°It really isn¡¯t¡ª¡° ¡°Oh, the teachers really did do something.¡± Aida craned her neck to look around at the perimeter the staff had erected. It looked like all of the instructors had pooled their abilities to create a robust defense. Gemma had shaped pillars out of stone, Lloyd had created a gate that spanned between the pillars, Havi added plant fortifications to the wall, Kozu had set torches along every pillar, and Bruce had laid down a moat on the other side of the wall. The entire assembly spanned around the main building, restricting access to the Lake and the forest where Aida and Levi had first spied on Sue and Ezra. Aida¡¯s stomach tightened at the memory before she slammed the flap shut on that cardboard box of memories. ¡°Yes, the teachers put the wall up so they can monitor any monsters approaching the school,¡± Sue explained. ¡°But anyway, that¡¯s not the important thing. I¡¯m trying¡ª¡° ¡°Not the important thing?¡± Aida asked in disbelief. ¡°Did they explain why they¡¯re doing this? Did they tell the rest of the school how Ezra ended up needing to miss class?¡± ¡°Yes - I mean, no - enough! They told us enough,¡± Sue said desperately. ¡°Well, they didn¡¯t say anything explicitly - the notice was just a warning. They mentioned there might be danger, but they¡¯re still trying to determine what the danger is.¡± Aida was initially impressed that the teachers had shared the fact there was danger, but then almost immediately after her skepticism kicked in. ¡°Did they say how long this boundary will be up? How restricted will we be from the rest of the grounds?¡± ¡°They said this boundary will be monitored throughout the night. We¡¯ll have access to the rest of the school grounds during the daytime, but they¡¯re instituting a curfew,¡± Sue said earnestly. ¡°Anyway, before I get further distracted - are you really okay?¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Aida frowned at Sue. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Why are you asking?¡± ¡°I just - you seem like you¡¯re trying to avoid certain topics,¡± Sue said, wringing her hands. ¡°I¡¯m trying to tell you¡ª¡° ¡°It¡¯s my fault, okay?¡± Aida said loudly, hoping this last interruption would be the one that would stick. She fought to keep her face from crumpling. ¡°It¡¯s my fault that Ezra exhausted all his mana while protecting me, and I was too weak to support him. I¡¯m fine, while he isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ezra will be fine, too!¡± Sue exclaimed, exasperated. ¡°He did wake up today, after all.¡± ¡°I know he did,¡± Aida mumbled. ¡°I saw you two.¡± ¡°And what you saw isn¡¯t what it looks like!¡± Aida peered up at Sue suspiciously. Gratified that Aida wasn¡¯t going to interrupt her, Sue continued speaking rapidly. ¡°I felt your mana out in the hallway, and I was going to come get you, and he felt your mana too, but he got confused between us so thought I was you!¡± Aida continued frowning at Sue. ¡°He thought I was you, and that ¡®you¡¯ were leaving, and he wanted ¡®you¡¯ to stay,¡± Sue elaborated. She punctuated every ¡®you¡¯ with a poke to Aida¡¯s forehead. ¡°He was really embarrassed when he finally came to his senses and realized he grabbed me instead.¡± She smiled triumphantly, pleased that she finally got the story out. Aida felt like her brain was mush. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± she declared. ¡°With his mana control and senses as good as it is, how could he make that kind of mistake?¡± Sue rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, he was out of it for almost a whole day, and Luk still hasn¡¯t cleared him to resume classes. Besides, you were with him when he got attacked. Weren¡¯t you saying just now how worried you were about getting him hurt beyond recovery? It shouldn¡¯t be shocking for him to be confused upon awakening, right?¡± Aida mumbled incoherently, annoyed at how Sue was turning her words against her. Sue rolled her eyes again. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re so dense sometimes.¡± Aida sputtered. ¡°Me? Look who¡¯s talking!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bring that stuff up again,¡± Sue warned. ¡°We finally got into a good place, managing ourselves just fine, and we have an understanding to not talk about it because we have goals.¡± ¡°Goals?¡± Aida asked, blinking. ¡°Goals,¡± Sue nodded. ¡°Goals that are incompatible with¡­with¡­dating.¡± The last word was spoken in a whisper, accompanied by pink cheeks. Aida stared at Sue, thoroughly disarmed and discombobulated. ¡°That can¡¯t be,¡± she said stupidly. Sue¡¯s gaze hardened into a glare. ¡°Seriously, Aida, if you keep insisting on whatever narrative you have in your head, I¡¯m going to get really mad.¡± The air around Sue began to shimmer, like a heat wave. Aida raised her hands apologetically, miming sealing her lips. What does this mean, though? Sue sighed, the heat wave dissipating. ¡°This is so stupid. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re letting dumb boys make us get into fights.¡± Aida nodded glumly, kicking at the dirt with her shoe. Nothing is going as expected. ¡°Anyway, you should visit Ezra tomorrow,¡± Sue said conversationally, acting as if she hadn¡¯t just been about to incinerate Aida. She winked conspiratorially. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to stay out in the hallway so he doesn¡¯t accidentally confuse us again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely not what you think it is,¡± Aida muttered. Sue took a deep, patient breath. ¡°Don¡¯t get into a fight, it¡¯s not worth it, don¡¯t get into a fight¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Aida insisted. Sue gave her a patronizing look. ¡°If you say so.¡± Sue¡¯s voice took on a sing-song quality as she pivoted on her heel. ¡°But wait, this¡ª¡° Aida gestured at the teachers¡¯ carefully cultivated boundary as she jogged to catch up with Sue ¡°¡ªmonitoring wall. That must mean the danger is pretty serious, right? The fact that they¡¯re setting up overnight surveillance.¡± ¡°I mean, you tell me,¡± Sue lowered her voice. ¡°You and Ezra were the only ones close enough to the thing. What do you think?¡± Aida bit her lip. ¡°I¡­it felt very powerful to me, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it was just because I was¡­I¡¯ve never encountered anything like it before,¡± she said lamely. Concerned, Sue draped her arm around Aida¡¯s shoulders, giving her a hug. ¡°That¡¯s okay. The fact that it knocked Ezra out is definitely a sign it¡¯s dangerous. Second-year students are supposed to be able to handle the monsters on the grounds in groups, and third-years are supposed to be able to fight the monsters independently¡­so if that monster took out Ezra, then¡­¡± she left the conclusion hanging in the air. ¡°What do you think happened?¡± Aida asked quietly, watching red eyes in the forest blink at them. Fortunately, the beasts didn¡¯t leave the cover of the forest, instead just watching her and Sue warily through the five layers of protection the instructors had enacted. ¡°That such a powerful monster showed up all of a sudden.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sue said slowly. She brought her wand out, summoning a fireball on the outside of the wall. The eyes blinked out of existence. ¡°But¡­I imagine the presence of that level of monster is going to change our sponsored assignments in a huge way this year.¡± Aida worried her lip. Sponsored assignments were something like volunteering hours the third years had to complete in order to graduate. Sponsors would offer assignments to the graduating class, a small task that could be completed over the course of the rest days. The types of offerings ranged from collecting materials and ingredients from the wilderness, to exterminating monster-pests, to helping local companies complete tasks using the appropriate mana skills. The justification for farming out Maglica students as free labor was to provide the graduating students work experience. Internship quests. If it weren¡¯t for the very real and near danger she had recently experienced, she would have found the concept adorable. ¡°Miss Heslia, Miss Loreh. It is past curfew. Please return to your dormitories.¡± Professor Bruce had shaped a small bell out of the moat, the edges of his words not fully formed due to the poor acoustics of the liquid medium. ¡°Sorry, Professor,¡± Aida and Sue said together. They turned back towards the school, both girls consumed by their own thoughts. Chapter 59: Hospital Visit Aida paused outside of the healing ward, collecting herself. Sue tapped her foot impatiently. ¡°You seem nervous for just visiting a friend.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of guilt here, okay?¡± Aida snapped back. She took another deep, slow breath, just to annoy Sue. She sighed noisily, tapping her foot harder. ¡°I¡¯ll go get a snack or something,¡± she announced. ¡°He might be in the mood for something salty.¡± She batted her eyelashes at Aida. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already got sweet covered.¡± Aida choked on the third deep breath. ¡°I told you it¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°Now you know what your pestering is like,¡± Sue said loftily. She clapped her hands to Aida¡¯s cheeks, squeezing her face so that her lips puckered. Sue¡¯s hands were hot. ¡°Just go inside. You¡¯re wasting lunchtime.¡± Releasing Aida¡¯s face, she gave her a sly smile and wave as she left. She¡¯s right. If I were in the hospital, I¡¯d just be happy to see a friend, not worried about speeches. The door swung open before Aida could complete another pep talk. Healer Luk stood in the doorway, looking bad-tempered. ¡°Miss Loreh, if you¡¯re going to come in, please come in.¡± Meekly, Aida entered, holding her schoolbag in front of her. Luk pointed her to the curtain covering Ezra¡¯s bed, then entered the small kitchen where there was a mortar and pestle and several bundles of dried herbs on the worktable. Aida peeked around the curtain, seeing Ezra sitting up in bed. His head was turned towards the window, looking outside. His jaw and collarbone were highlighted, hair fluttering softly in the stray breeze from the open window. He turned to face her, silver eyes creasing in a soft smile when he saw her. ¡°You¡¯re all right.¡± His statement had a slight lilt at the end, hinting at an inquiry. ¡°Of course I¡¯m all right.¡± She moved closer to him, letting her relief show on her face. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re asking about me when you¡¯re the one in recovery.¡± The corner of his mouth turned up. ¡°I worried because you didn¡¯t come to see me.¡± Aida made a face, trying to repress the memory from yesterday. Ezra laughed softly. ¡°It¡¯s all right. You¡¯re here now, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± She pulled up the stool next to him. ¡°So¡­how are you?¡± He settled back in his pillows, releasing a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m quite bored. Luk won¡¯t allow me to do anything but Mana Cycle.¡± Aida nodded wisely. ¡°Yes, that was her entire treatment regimen for me as well.¡± ¡°I started manipulating the bed frame, just to break up the monotony, and to also help her shape her tools into more useful shapes, but she became unreasonably upset,¡± he said, lowering his voice as he glanced through the curtain. ¡°She said I was impeding my recovery.¡± Aida tittered. ¡°It must have been really bad. You¡¯ve never been this talkative before.¡± ¡°That was another point I made to her,¡± Ezra complained, sounding almost petulant. ¡°The core to being healthy - physically and mentally - is balance. If I¡¯m so bored to the point that my behavior changes, then surely that means the treatment is suboptimal?¡± Aida nodded vigorously. ¡°That makes sense.¡± ¡°You know what she said?¡± She shook her head. Ezra¡¯s voice raised in pitch, becoming an accurate mimicry of Luk¡¯s voice. ¡°¡¯If you focus harder on your recovery, you¡¯ll be discharged sooner.¡¯¡± Ezra shook his head in disbelief. ¡°If that¡¯s not faulty logic, I don¡¯t know what is.¡± ¡°You do have a point,¡± Aida said, her voice wavering as she tried to stifle her laughter. ¡°You¡¯re becoming like Levi, which is the last thing any of us want. But perhaps that¡¯s Healer Luk¡¯s point? You are clearly, very obviously mentally unwell.¡± Ezra looked at her, affronted at the lack of support. The door opened, but the mana entering the room wasn¡¯t Sue¡¯s warm aura, and instead was a chilly one. ¡°Hello, Healer Luk. I¡¯m here to see Ezra.¡± ¡°Go on in, he¡¯s in the first bed.¡± Confused, Ezra and Aida both turned towards Lara Lorr. One hand carried her school bag, and the other hand was curled around a stack of notebooks. ¡°Hello,¡± Aida said cautiously. The lighthearted mood was gone. ¡°Hello.¡± Lara¡¯s greeting was perfunctory. She walked towards Ezra, holding out the stack. ¡°I brought you notes for the classes you missed.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need them.¡± Ezra¡¯s voice was cold, his face closed off. He was back to being the Ezra Riolt that everyone else knew him as. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Lara shrugged, dropping the stack of books on his bed. ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t. You seem like you¡¯re mostly back to normal now. Regardless, I¡¯m not taking these back. They¡¯re your problem now.¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Aida asked, unable to keep the rudeness from her voice. Lara turned steely gray eyes on her. ¡°I came to visit an injured classmate.¡± They stared at each other, neither blinking. ¡°If your visit is over, I¡¯d appreciate your departure.¡± Not one to mince words, Ezra still managed to keep his tone polite. Lara¡¯s lip curled, before she transformed it into a smirk. ¡°Anything I can do to support the wellbeing of the top student of the illustrious Maglica Academy.¡± Dipping into a mocking bow, Lara left, firmly clicking the healing ward¡¯s door shut. Aida glanced back at Ezra. His face was rigid, his jaw tight. His lips were neutral, but there was a tightness about his eyes that suggested considerable restraint. ¡°What was that about?¡± Ezra shook his head tightly. ¡°Nothing.¡± Knowing that pushing him for details would only push him away, she gestured at the notebooks. ¡°Do you want me to get rid of them for you?¡± ¡°Please.¡± Aida stacked the books on the ground, so that he didn¡¯t have to look at them on his bed. ¡°I¡¯ll have Sue burn them later or something,¡± she promised him. He smiled briefly, but the mood was ruined. She asked after him about classes, and life outside of classes, but he was just as taciturn and light on details as during the picnic. The only time he became more animated was when she asked his opinion on how the sponsored assignments would be structured in the wake of the attack. He shook his head thoughtfully. ¡°At minimum, I would expect them to adjust the criteria so the lowest grade assignments would have to be completed by two students instead of one. That would be a shame, because it would be a waste of time, but that would be the easiest way to address the attack.¡± ¡°But maybe it¡¯s better that way?¡± Aida asked hesitantly. ¡°The assignments could be completed faster that way¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps, perhaps not. An assignment that technically - under regular conditions - could be fulfilled by one student but is assigned two? The two students at best would split the work, and have half the time to train their mana abilities. Their work experience would be halved.¡± Ezra grimaced. ¡°I can imagine the instructors attempting to make up that deficit by demanding we perform twice the number of sponsored assignments.¡± Aida was appalled. ¡°That¡¯s awful.¡± Ezra nodded gravely. ¡°The only thing we can do is hope for the best.¡± The bell chimed just then, signaling the end of lunch. ¡°Enjoy the rest of your classes,¡± Ezra said mournfully. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to keep one or two of Lara¡¯s notebooks?¡± Aida asked, retrieving the stack from the floor. She waved the top notebook at him. ¡°Surely it won¡¯t be as mind-numbing as the rest of your stay.¡± Ezra wrinkled his nose. ¡°I¡¯d rather have my brain rot.¡± Suppressing her smile, she gave him a final wave before departing. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The rest of the week wasn¡¯t exciting. Aida visited with Ezra during her meal times and free periods, which he was exceedingly grateful for. Sue, Levi, and Caleb would stop by occasionally, but often they were too busy and would only show up briefly to pass along announcements from class. Aida would surreptitiously probe at Ezra with her mana, trying to see what Luk saw, but was never able to come to any conclusion remotely close to Luk¡¯s judgment. Ezra¡¯s mana seemed the same as always to her. ¡°Today is your last day in the healing ward, right?¡± Aida asked brightly during lunch on Loam Day, the world¡¯s equivalent of a Friday. ¡°Luk said she wasn¡¯t going to clear you for any classes for the rest of this star cycle.¡± ¡°It is,¡± Luk said through the curtain with a sigh. ¡°I was going to hold Mister Riolt until dinner, but since I want him to stop reshaping my tools, I¡¯ll clear him to leave now.¡± She came around the curtain with a tray and two steaming mugs. ¡°Once you take these two draughts, you can go.¡± Aida moved out of the way, retrieving Ezra¡¯s freshly laundered clothes from the shelf near the door as Luk passed him the mugs. Plopping them down at the foot of his bed, she smiled as Ezra grimaced at the bitter brew. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you out in the hallway.¡± It felt like only a moment passed before Ezra dipped out into the hallway, looking simultaneously haggard and elated. ¡°That was fast.¡± ¡°That brew was disgusting.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still time for lunch, if you want to get some tasty food,¡± Aida suggested. ¡°Or¡­do you want me to get something for you, since the dining hall is going to be¡­¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°Yes, maybe it would be a good idea to eat elsewhere. I¡¯ll meet you at my room?¡± Aida nodded, and Ezra gave her a small, grateful smile as he headed towards the boys¡¯ staircase. Hurrying back to the dining hall, Aida flagged down Nolem and asked for a hearty, comforting meal. ¡°Aida, you¡¯re getting a second lunch?¡± Lily asked curiously, passing by with a water cup. ¡°Ezra just got discharged from the healer¡¯s,¡± Aida informed her. ¡°And he didn¡¯t want to eat in the dining hall, because¡­you know¡­¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Lily nodded wisely. ¡°Yeah, his fan club has been very distraught¡­they would definitely overwhelm him.¡± She put her fist up in a go get ¡®em salute. ¡°Tell him we say hi!¡± Aida nodded, bidding her farewell as a tray scraped along the countertop. ¡°I added an extra pudding cup to the tray for you,¡± Nolem informed her. ¡°So Ezra won¡¯t have to eat alone.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida said, gratified. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the utensils back before my next class.¡± ¡°No rush!¡± Aida headed to the staircase that would take her to the third floor, but before she could even step foot on the first step she was intercepted by Professor Gemma. ¡°Miss Loreh, do you have some time?¡± ¡°Oh, hello Professor¡­I was actually on my way to Ezra¡¯s room with his lunch.¡± Gemma nodded reluctantly, her brown eyes lingering on the tray in her hands. ¡°I see. Can you please come to the instructors¡¯ office after you¡¯ve delivered his meal?¡± ¡°Oh, but¡­it¡¯s lunch break.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡± Aida hesitated. Maybe they had some new developments or ideas they hadn¡¯t shared with the rest of the school yet? Ezra said they had already questioned him for his perspective of what happened, and he obviously had a better guess as to what happened, so she couldn¡¯t imagine why they would call her to the office. But maybe there were some follow-up questions they had. ¡°Okay. Should I bring Ezra, too? He can probably come up with better hypotheses about what happened at the Lake that evening.¡± ¡°Ah, no, no need to bring Mister Riolt,¡± Gemma said hastily. ¡°We only require your presence.¡± ¡°But¡­I¡¯ve already told you everything I know,¡± Aida said blankly. ¡°That¡¯s all right. We can discuss further when you arrive. Speak soon.¡± Nodding at Aida briskly, Gemma continued on down the hallway. Aida¡¯s brows knitted together as she looked after Gemma. Her shifty behavior was making Aida nervous. What could possibly be going on? Chapter 60: Interrogation Aida dropped off Ezra¡¯s lunch tray with an apology, explaining her encounter with Professor Gemma to him. He looked concerned, offering to go to the office with her, but she declined his offer. ¡°Can you imagine the fuss Healer Luk will make if she sees you? She¡¯ll probably lock you in the healing ward until dinner.¡± ¡°She already discharged me,¡± Ezra refuted. He put the tray on his work table. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡° ¡°If they really are going to talk about the monster we encountered, I want to know.¡± ¡°But you haven¡¯t eaten¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯ll skip class to eat, since I¡¯m technically still supposed to be on bed rest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so ornery now,¡± Aida teased as they headed back down the stairs. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need a good nap in your luxurious bed? Or a full meal for your tummy? The healing ward¡¯s accommodations must have been miserable for one of your esteem.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so delicate that I cannot handle the same conditions that you peasants experience,¡± Ezra grumbled. ¡°Although I will concede I am not used to being knocked out.¡± Aida made a face at him before she knocked on the instructors¡¯ lounge door. The door opened immediately. ¡°Miss Loreh, please come in - Mister Riolt, what a pleasant surprise to see you up and about,¡± Gemma said in surprise. ¡°We only wish to speak to Miss Loreh, so you may return to your room.¡± ¡°If you are discussing the monster from the lake, I believe it is only fair that I am present for the conversation as well.¡± Gemma hesitated, glancing back to her colleagues in the room. ¡°¡­This is not going to be a pleasant conversation.¡± ¡°Just let him in,¡± Professor Kozu said from the back. His voice was frosty. ¡°Having Mister Riolt in the room isn¡¯t going to make it any worse for her.¡± Worse for me? Aida stepped in nervously, feeling her body lock up despite her improved dexterity from the past month. Kozu had an angry look on his face, his uninjured eye narrowed in a slit to the same size as his burned eye. He was glaring at Professor Havi, who had his nose raised loftily as he stared down his nose at her. Professor Lloyd¡¯s lower lip was jutting out in dissatisfaction, also side-eyeing Havi. Professor Bruce looked only mildly disturbed, which compared to his original demeanor, meant he was extremely disturbed. Gemma looked resigned as she shut the door behind her and Ezra. ¡°Please take a seat,¡± she said quietly to Aida and Ezra, pulling up two chairs for them at the table. She went to stand against the wall, crossing her arms and looking deeply unhappy. ¡°Would you like to start us off, Havi?¡± Kozu asked sarcastically, after a minute of Aida and Ezra staring at the teachers. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with a speech, no amount of nectar is going to make whatever you want to say palatable.¡± Feeling the pit in her stomach grow heavier, she looked at Havi, who had the courtesy to lower his nose slightly. ¡°Very well,¡± he said stiffly. He cleared his throat, speaking in a stronger voice. ¡°Can you please, Miss Loreh, explain once again, what you did when you were at the lake on Spark Day evening?¡± ¡°I told you, Ezra and I were taking a walk, sensed something off, and then we both investigated the source of the unfamiliar mana, which came from the Lake,¡± Aida said blankly. ¡°There¡¯s literally nothing else. Did you find something?¡± ¡°Miss Loreh, have you noticed anything odd during your trips to the lake prior to Spark?¡± Bruce asked gently. ¡°Did you experiment with your mana at the lake, perhaps, or anything else?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve used the water from the Lake for my training,¡± Aida admitted, furrowing her brow. What are they looking for? ¡°But I¡¯ve never noticed anything out of the ordinary.¡± ¡°And to clarify, you¡¯ve never used your mana to create anything at the Lake? Just Water Manipulation?¡± Lloyd asked, leaning forward. ¡°Correct,¡± Aida agreed, her confusion growing. ¡°Just Water Manipulation.¡± Technically true, because Freeze was just manipulating the water¡¯s molecular structure, as the Lake had taught her. But with the hostility in the room, she wasn¡¯t going to admit to anything more. Kozu exhaled noisily. ¡°I think we can agree that beating around the bush isn¡¯t going to get us anywhere,¡± he said, renewing his glare at Havi. He turned to Aida, sparks snapping in the air around him. Despite his aggression, she had a feeling his ire wasn¡¯t directed at her. ¡°Aida, ¡®we¡¯ have suspicions about you, and therefore have a few questions we hope your answers can help clear up.¡± He threw a nasty look at Havi. ¡°Given your academic performance the past two years, how did you go from being consistently ranked 30th to being ranked 15th this year?¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Aida felt her heart lodge in her throat. Stick to the truth. The truth is your anchor. ¡°Well¡­you changed the point system this year,¡± she said slowly, fighting to keep her voice steady. She took a steadying breath. ¡°The other years, you determined rankings based purely on number of matches won. If we had followed the same format this year, then I would probably be ranked no higher than 20th. Would that ranking have been too unbelievable?¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Kozu said crisply. ¡°A follow up question: you have put in significantly more effort this year than previous years. Why is that?¡± Aida pressed her lips together, focusing to keep her heart from beating out of control. How much truth can I stick to? ¡°¡­My parents. They are planning to marry me off. When I graduate.¡± Next to her, Ezra shifted slightly. Her voice cracked. My real parents never saw me as a burden. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t want that. So I¡¯m trying to make something of my life. Something of my own.¡± The room was silent, though Aida couldn¡¯t get a read on the atmosphere. Her mana was too unstable for her to get any clarity on everyone else¡¯s mood. She was just as blind as the tears in her eyes made her. ¡°I believe I know what you are trying to say,¡± Ezra said from next to her. His voice was steely. ¡°And if it is what I suspect¡­I firmly refute your conjecture.¡± Aida swiped the tears from her eyes, looking up at Ezra. What is he saying? ¡°I¡¯m inclined to agree with Mister Riolt,¡± Kozu said, tapping his fingers on the desk impatiently. ¡°There is no way Miss Loreh has the capacity to do what you¡¯ve suggested. A significant jump in rankings, in conjunction with the new system we¡¯ve implemented this year, is too large of a variable to support your hypothesis.¡± ¡°What are you all saying?¡± Aida demanded. ¡°You are being accused of bringing about the monster,¡± Ezra said lowly. She whipped her head to him, aghast. He didn¡¯t look at her, but was instead glaring directly at Havi. A tic worked in his jaw. She whipped back to the teachers, but none of them gave any indication that Ezra was wrong. ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°As part of our duties in ensuring we understand everything that happens on school grounds, I put forth a possible cause to explain the oddities we''ve observed. It was merely to serve as a starting point of discussion,¡± Havi said stiffly. ¡°But I can see that no one else thinks there is merit in this hypothesis.¡± ¡°Causation doesn¡¯t equate to correlation!¡± Aida said, outraged. ¡°Is there a reason you don¡¯t suspect other, stronger practitioners? What about Lara Lorr? Haven¡¯t you seen her in the placement matches? She¡¯s ruthless!¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Lloyd said, raising a hand. ¡°It was not an accusation,¡± he said, addressing Ezra, ¡°it was merely a suspicion, and we had to do our due diligence to explore all possibilities. That was why we asked for Aida only, just to get some more details ironed out so that we could eliminate this most unlikely of options on the list.¡± Aida bit her response back. Law enforcement would do scummy underhanded tactics like this: bring an unsuspecting suspect in under the guise of collaboration, and then pin the crime on the suspect as soon as they said something even remotely incriminating. Fortunately, it seemed like of the five teachers, only one was inclined to believe that she had the motive or the method of creating the monster that hurt Ezra. ¡°If you have satisfied your curiosity, then Aida and I will be taking our leave now,¡± Ezra said coldly. Grabbing her by the wrist, he pulled her out of her chair, casting a scathing look over his shoulder as he lead the way out. Ezra let her go when they had reached the end of the hallway, far away from the teachers¡¯ lounge. ¡°My apologies,¡± he murmured, gesturing at her hand. ¡°I may have gripped too hard.¡± Aida folded back the sleeves of her blazer and long-sleeved shirt. She had instinctively used Defense Up when he grabbed her so she didn¡¯t really feel any pain, but there was still a faint bruise. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s okay. I can just heal it up really quickly.¡± She looked back up at him. ¡°Thank you for standing up for me in there.¡± Ezra shook his head, silver eyes glimmering with anger at the accusation. ¡°Even if what they say is true, that they¡¯re just evaluating all possibilities, that¡¯s too far.¡± He bit his lip, looking like he was swallowing words. ¡°But¡­if it really is true, that might mean they don¡¯t have any other likely explanations,¡± Aida said softly. ¡°They¡¯re out of ideas¡­they don¡¯t know what that monster is, or how it came to be here¡­so they don¡¯t know what might happen later.¡± A chill went down her spine. She was a lot more sympathetic to the staff now. They were shaking all the trees, trying to find a clue so that they could plan their defenses accordingly¡­but if they didn¡¯t have an explanation, they wouldn¡¯t know what to expect at all. They were hamstrung by the lack of information. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Down the hall, the door to the lounge opened, and the teachers trudged out in a line. The fact that they still had classes to attend seemed so incongruous with the danger and uncertainty lurking over them. Aida shook her head, bewildered. Just when she thought she had settled into a comfortable routine, things had to get shaken up again. Ezra sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to go eat my lunch. Let¡¯s have dinner together?¡± Aida smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± Waving goodbye to each other, Aida watched him head up the staircase. As soon as he turned the landing, she dropped her hand. Even though she was outraged that Havi had the gall to accuse her of deliberately unleashing something that dangerous, and accusing her of cheating somehow in order to tie the two events together, a part of her wondered if he was the only one who might be on to something. The series of questions had been heading inevitably towards revealing Aida¡¯s secret, and if it wasn¡¯t for Ezra interjecting himself into the questioning they might very well have uncovered enough answers to make her look extremely suspicious. Suspicious enough that they would probe deeper into her, and she wasn¡¯t confident she could keep ahead of them. I may not have intended to unleash the monster, but what if my arrival into this world is related? The warning bell rang, causing Aida to sprint to her next class. Chapter 61: Doubts After Aida¡¯s lunch meeting with the professors, it was immensely obvious that the teachers intended to prepare the students for some sort of looming war. While Professor Bruce¡¯s Mana Control class was still largely focused on meditation and improving one¡¯s mana control, Professor Lloyd¡¯s Mana Applications class¡¯s topic was incredibly on-the-nose (¡°Please develop synergy with a partner who is not a compatible element¡±). The obvious elemental pairings that provided optimal synergy were two elements that ¡°fed¡± into each other, while the ¡°disadvantaged¡± pairings Levi had described were the pairings that Lloyd was asking them to develop. It was difficult. Aida alternately tried ¡°creating synergy¡± with Natalie and Tera, but her mana was so incompatible with theirs that they were effectively trampling each other whenever either one of them tried to do something other than just let their mana coexist. Remembering how Professor Kozu had managed to condense his mana into something manageable (albeit difficult and somewhat painful) for her to use while keeping Shon¡¯s injury from growing gave her a profound respect for the level of control fully-fledged practitioners had. She and her partners weren¡¯t the only ones who were frustrated. Pritchard and his friends ended up devolving into some sort of four-way argument as the boys tried to offer advice and shouted each other down, each one accusing someone else of trying to make them fail. ¡°How are they friends?¡± Bella whispered to the rest of the girls, as they all silently observed the animated ¡°discussions.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I definitely feel less upset with you guys,¡± Natalie admitted quietly. She reached out to Ruth and Aida, who both wordlessly took her hands in solidarity. Lloyd, for his part, merely sat in the corner, watching the boys bicker as he pressed his knuckles against his forehead. Pritchard¡¯s voice pitched higher and higher, while Myk shouted louder and louder, trying to speak over him. Finally, Lloyd declared the class over. ¡°As I told you at the beginning of class, in order to be able to use incompatible mana you have to learn to take on characteristics of that other element,¡± he lectured. ¡°Think about that over the rest days, and we will resume next cycle.¡± Stumbling out of class, exhausted and with her head pounding from the argument, she was pleasantly surprised to see Ezra leaning against the wall outside of her classroom, waiting for her. ¡°Ezra! It¡¯s supposed to be a free period, not dinner yet.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I was bored.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, I guess it¡¯s good you¡¯re here then - we just had a class where I don¡¯t think any of us succeeded in ¡®developing synergy¡¯ with either of our controlling elements,¡± Aida said, making a face. ¡°Whenever Natalie tries to draw on my mana, she accidentally extinguishes hers, and then whenever I try to use Natalie¡¯s mana it¡¯s like¡­¡± Aida struggled to come up with a meaningful analogy. Ezra waited patiently. ¡°¡­it¡¯s like trying to capture smoke, or something,¡± she finished lamely. She shook her head vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s still not quite right, but I don¡¯t know how else to explain it!¡± Ezra nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That is a very complex task Lloyd is asking. Class 1 has been working on this exercise since the beginning of the moon cycle, and even now we have not had any success in utilizing incompatible mana.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t know what the key to this is?¡± Aida asked, crestfallen. ¡°Unfortunately not,¡± Ezra confessed. ¡°At this point, I¡¯m convinced it is a skill issue.¡± ¡°But if even you can¡¯t do it, then how can the teachers expect the rest of us to?¡± Aida asked, miffed. They lowered their voices as they entered the library, heading to Aida¡¯s favorite desk in the corner. ¡°I didn¡¯t say my skill was the issue,¡± he said quietly, affronted. ¡°Didn¡¯t Professor Lloyd explain the theory? Using mana among controlling elements is a joint effort.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, you can¡¯t really prove that you aren¡¯t a contributing factor, can you?¡± They continued bickering good-naturedly as they settled at the desk, with Aida pulling out her notebooks from her school bag to try to cram some last-minute studying in before dinner. ¡°Anyway, Levi and I talked about this briefly earlier¡­what are your plans during the Festival recess?¡± ¡°I¡¯m staying,¡± Ezra replied promptly. He glanced at her. ¡°Are you?¡± Aida nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯s the best idea¡­I want to take that time and prepare for when the Affiliates arrive.¡± ¡°About what you said in the instructors¡¯ office¡­¡± Aida stiffened, looking at Ezra warily. He matched her body language, his arms and torso overly rigid as he tried to maintain what he clearly thought was a casual pose, resting his chin awkwardly against his hand as he looked to the side, eyes traveling along the shelves nearby as he searched for a book of interest. ¡°Yes?¡± she asked cautiously. ¡°¡­Have your parents decided on your match yet?¡± Ezra stood up and reached for a book, pulling it out by the spine before barely glancing at it and pushing it back. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Not yet,¡± she said slowly. She bit her lip. ¡°¡­They said they would line up some¡­suitors¡­by the time I returned home from school.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to postpone that return as long as I can.¡± Ezra was silent. He wandered to another shelf and pulled out another book. ¡°Anyway, that won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Aida said, forcing cheer into her words. ¡°All I have to do is impress the Affiliates and get them to offer me a contract, right? Surely my chances are much better now that I¡¯m in Class 2.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Ezra agreed slowly. He gave her a strained smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get a good offer.¡± ¡°Hey, come on now,¡± Aida pouted. ¡°Just because the offers I get won¡¯t be as sterling as your offers doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re going to be bad.¡± Ezra smiled reluctantly. ¡°Point. I really shouldn¡¯t take your potential offers so personally.¡± Aida leaned forward across the table, resting her chin on her arms as she fell into an unwilling funk. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest¡­I don¡¯t even know if I will get any offers. I might be in Class 2, but I¡¯m also definitively the worst-performing one in there. How different would that be from just being in Class 3?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think like that,¡± Ezra commanded. ¡°You¡¯ve climbed up half the class ranks, and your mana control abilities have improved dramatically. Don¡¯t downplay what you¡¯ve achieved.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s like I told the professors,¡± Aida argued. ¡°They changed the scoring system this time around, and Havi even admitted it was a lot more of a subjective evaluation¡ª¡° ¡°Stop it,¡± Ezra hissed. ¡°You can easily think of ten thousand reasons why you don¡¯t deserve the opportunity you have, but that¡¯s a waste of time at the end of the day.¡± Aida looked at Ezra, wide-eyed. He spoke with a vehemence she had never witnessed from him before. ¡°You fought hard for your opportunity, and questioning the validity of your ranking is not only spitting on the judgment of everyone who believes you deserve this position, but is also insulting your own effort.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡° Aida fumbled for words, but Ezra didn¡¯t give her time to formulate her argument. ¡°I promise you - if you didn¡¯t deserve rank 15, you wouldn¡¯t have been ranked 15. The most productive and efficient thing to do now is to focus on becoming better.¡± Ezra¡¯s silver eyes were gleaming, and she could feel his mana enveloping her, pushing against her, trying to make her understand. She swallowed. ¡°I know,¡± she whispered. Her insides shriveled. Logically, what Ezra said made sense. Emotionally, she couldn¡¯t reconcile the logic with her belief that her scores in the placement matches were a fluke. After all, the instructors probably gave me one point in all those matches because they were comparing me to Aida¡¯s pathetic performance before. I had a lower bar to clear than everyone else. Ezra seemed to read her thoughts, because his glare became sharper. ¡°Think: say you convinced the teachers to put you back to rank 30. Back at the bottom, with almost no opportunities to meet with the Affiliates. Forced to go through with your parents¡¯ scheme to marry you off.¡± Aida flinched. Ezra noticed; his voice became silky. ¡°Do you think you deserve that?¡± Aida shook her head, numb. Ezra stared at her intensely for a long moment, before finally exhaling. The pressure against her eased. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I went too far.¡± Aida shook her head again. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry¡­you said what needed to be said.¡± I just¡­need some time to believe it. Because truly, objectively she agreed with him. She worked her ass off, acclimating to this new world and new powers while being forced to wield these very-new powers against her supposed peers who had grown up with their abilities. But¡­why was it so hard to accept? ¡°I just¡­please let me say one more thing,¡± Ezra said tiredly. He rested his back against a bookshelf, eyes laden with guilt. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t believe you deserve your position yet¡­please consider using your position to climb as high as you can, so that you¡¯ll be able to help others.¡± At Aida¡¯s questioning gaze, he flushed and lowered his eyes. Aida didn¡¯t understand his guilt, because everything he said made sense. If she managed to successfully leverage her opportunities to launch her up the hierarchy, that would give her more opportunities to help others in similar positions as her. She wanted to know why he was uncomfortable, but he seemed so¡­fragile. ¡°Well¡­helping others as the end goal makes being in Class 2 a lot easier to swallow,¡± Aida said after a long pause, giving him a tentative smile. ¡°It¡¯s a lot easier to think of it as achieving something for others, instead of doing it for myself.¡± Ezra returned her smile with his own small smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad. Just stop apologizing for your achievements.¡± ¡°I never did apologize for my achievements,¡± Aida countered. ¡°I was just wondering if they really could be counted as achievements.¡± He gave her a flat look, his mana simmering. Aida smiled perkily at him. ¡°Joking!¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ When Aida finally flopped into her bed that night, she lay awake for a long time, watching the fire ruby¡¯s flickering light dance across her ceiling. With each sparkle popping into existence, she thought of a line, an expression, from all the conversations today. Ezra¡¯s anger at her forlorn words. ¡°How did you go from being consistently ranked 30th to being ranked 15th?¡± Ezra grabbing her arm. ¡°Have your parents decided on your match yet?¡± The tic in Ezra¡¯s jaw. ¡°Do you think you deserve that?¡± Sighing, Aida rolled onto her side, staring at the wall. Ezra was definitely right. She could do much more good in the world by becoming as strong, knowledgeable, and accomplished with her abilities as possible, than if she was somehow able to miraculously correct the record and - what, be expelled from Maglica? Follow Aida¡¯s original trajectory to get married to a complete stranger? Get ¡°banished¡± back to her world? Tucking her blanket firmly underneath her chin, she resolved to stop feeling sorry for herself and focus on manifesting success. At that thought, she couldn¡¯t help but smile ruefully. Look at me now. I have the emotional bandwidth to actually throw myself a pity party. Chapter 62: Learning Opportunity Aida ran into Caleb the next rest day morning as both grabbed an early breakfast. Like Aida, Caleb was freshly showered, his hair damp and sweetly tousled. ¡°Morning Caleb, just finished a workout?¡± Aida greeted. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, smiling as he combed his fingers through his hair. ¡°You finish a workout too?¡± ¡°Yeah, a nice run around the school grounds. Followed the torches Professor Kozu planted as the safe zone.¡± They caught up on pleasantries as they waited for their breakfast trays; Caleb took the opportunity to ask after her wellbeing after what had happened earlier that week, and she reassured him she was fine. ¡°But how is your mom doing?¡± she asked quickly, to deter him from the topic of the unknown monster. ¡°Oh! She¡¯s doing well, actually - we¡¯ve gotten some more customers, to the point that rest days are starting to become busy now. I was actually going to head to Buddington after breakfast.¡± Caleb hesitated, pausing the conversation as Nolem brought them their trays. With a quick smile and thanks, Aida and Caleb headed for a booth. ¡°So, I know this is very last-minute¡­but would you like to come to Buddington Town with me?¡± Caleb asked cautiously. He added very quickly, ¡°my mother keeps telling me I should invite you over again.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s so nice of her,¡± Aida said, surprised. Before she could continue, Caleb soldiered on. ¡°She says since you expressed an interest in her mana arts last time, she¡¯d be more than happy to teach you her techniques¡­and if you got good enough, and you liked it, you could maybe help out at the spa whenever you¡¯re available,¡± he said, avoiding her gaze. ¡°Of course, we¡¯d pay you for your time,¡± he added quickly. ¡°It won¡¯t be too much though¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to!¡± Aida interrupted, before his face turned completely red. ¡°The fact that she wants to teach me is already such a privilege. I¡¯d love to learn from her!¡± Caleb flushed anyway at the compliment. ¡°My mother will be very pleased to hear that.¡± ¡°So when are you leaving?¡± Aida asked cheerfully. ¡°Ah¡­I was actually planning on leaving after breakfast. I did mention it was very last-minute,¡± Caleb said apologetically. ¡°Are you still able to come? If not, we can arrange another time.¡± ¡°No, that should be okay,¡± Aida said after a brief pause. She didn¡¯t have anything too critical; it wasn¡¯t like Maglica Academy was too focused on scholastic performance, so the very little written homework there was (courtesy of Professor Havi¡¯s History and Theory class) had already been turned in for the week. Since Maglica was focused on practical application and ability, she was basically practicing her abilities on a daily basis. ¡°How long are you staying in town? When are you planning on coming back?¡± ¡°Um¡­I was going to stay for the entirety of the rest days,¡± Caleb mumbled. He shifted even more uncomfortably. ¡°And¡­I don¡¯t have a passenger golem either, so¡­¡± he seemed to shrink into himself. ¡°Maybe this was a bad idea¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Aida prodded. ¡°So how were you going to get to town?¡± ¡°I was going to run,¡± he confessed. ¡°But¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to make you run with me, and it¡¯s too late to arrange for a public carrier golem, so maybe we should postpone the visit¡­¡± ¡°Well, I guess I could use the training,¡± Aida said, stifling her surprise. Caleb looked so miserably embarrassed, and it wasn¡¯t his fault that he didn¡¯t have a vehicle for her to freeload off of like she did with Sue and Ezra. ¡°How long does it take to run to Buddington?¡± ¡°About an hour for me, with Mana Surge,¡± Caleb said, abashed. ¡°It¡¯s a three-hour walk¡­¡± Aida struggled not to let the dismay show on her face. ¡°Well, if I go with you, it will certainly take more than an hour, since I will need to take a break,¡± she said lightly. ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Caleb said very quickly. ¡°We can go next rest day, or whenever you¡¯re free.¡± Aida hesitated, picking at the remnants of her porridge. But if I stay, I¡¯ll just be distracted by coming up with a conspiracy theory. Or wallowing in my thoughts about the future I can¡¯t control. She perked up. Maglica Academy was a fairly isolated establishment. If she went to Buddington Town with Caleb for the weekend, then she would be among regular citizens. She could get a feel of how the general populace felt, which would be a better gauge of public opinion and provide her a basis to anchor her analyses and predictions of what was happening. No matter how she sliced it, she would get a lot more benefit out of going to Buddington Town than staying at school. Plus, I get to see Connie again, and might be able to get a discounted hot spring session in addition to learning whatever she¡¯ll teach me. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Caleb looked up at her questioningly. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Buddington Town,¡± Aida said enthusiastically. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind taking a break during the middle¡­but at least it would still take less than three hours to get there, right?¡± she asked jokingly. ¡°If I can keep up with you for at least half an hour, then¡­¡± Caleb was looking at her in disbelief. ¡°Um, if you¡¯re not pressed for time or anything,¡± Aida said hastily. ¡°Up to you, I wouldn¡¯t want to impose¡­¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s fine! Even if it takes the full three hours, we¡¯ll still get there before noon,¡± Caleb said eagerly. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about accommodations - we have plenty of space.¡± Aida smiled at him, equally excited. ¡°Great! Let me go pack some things.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida met Caleb at the front gate with her rucksack, her sleeping gown and the next day¡¯s set of clothes packed, along with her beat-up canteen. Caleb had packed similarly lightly, and like her, was dressed in the school¡¯s athletic uniform. With a sweet smile that made the sun¡¯s rays refract around him, Caleb headed down the road, leading the way. ¡°Did you let Sue know you¡¯re leaving?¡± Aida nodded. ¡°I slipped a note under her door, since she was still sleeping.¡± They reached the gate, and Caleb tightened the straps on his backpack as he kept walking. The strap buckled across his front emphasized the broadness of his chest, while the waist strap cinched his shirt against his narrow waist, emphasizing his shape. ¡°So, you¡¯ve gotten the hang of Mana Surge - the key behind endurance running and Mana Surging is, believe it or not, finding your optimal stride length. So less about mana usage, and more about knowing your body.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Aida said slowly, trying to make sense of his words. Caleb flashed a smile at her, his confidence peeking through now that they were in his domain. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we can start slow, and you¡¯ll see.¡± Following Caleb¡¯s instructions, Aida started at a slow jog, where he explained that the best way to train endurance - without any mana support - was to jog at a pace where she could still hold a steady conversation. After a few minutes of jogging at barely-faster-than-walking speed, where Caleb continued to call out minor things for her to pay attention to (like her breathing, making her respond to his queries, describe what she felt), he instructed her on how to utilize her mana while running. It was much more difficult than using Mana Surge in combat. In combat, all she had to do was flood her primary muscle group with mana, and her body sorted it out for her. For endurance running, she had to provide enough mana, but also not too much; if she flooded it the way she was used to, her body would waste that mana. If she didn¡¯t supply enough, she would begin exhausting her muscles, which took longer to recover than her mana. They had to take a break, with Caleb watching her in amusement as she panted. ¡°After one moon cycle - every morning - along with Gemma¡¯s training - I thought I was getting used to running, but your instructions make it a lot harder!¡± she complained. ¡°That¡¯s because you learned some bad habits,¡± Caleb countered. ¡°I bet you don¡¯t pay attention to your stride or your breathing during your morning jogs.¡± ¡°No,¡± Aida admitted reluctantly. ¡°It¡¯s been¡­kind of mindless.¡± Caleb wagged his finger at her. ¡°Remember what I said about mindless training?¡± ¡°It only makes you good at one thing,¡± Aida sighed. Caleb smiled triumphantly. ¡°As long as you know.¡± ¡°I guess it will take us the full three hours to get to Buddington anyway,¡± Aida said sadly as she began walking along the path. Caleb joined her, laughing softly. ¡°You said you needed the training, remember? Three hours of training, not three hours lost.¡± ¡°Two hours lost for you,¡± Aida reminded him. He smiled down at her, locks of chocolate brown hair bouncing around his eyes as he nearly blinded her with his joy. ¡°I¡¯m having fun.¡± Aida grunted, annoyed that the sparkles kept pace with him, framing his face even as he moved. ¡°Anyway, the next thing that will help with your endurance running - stride length. I know I made you jog at a slower pace than what might have been comfortable for you just to maintain your breath, but once you get the hang of breathing properly you¡¯ll want to find your optimal stride length: the natural length your legs extend to, and feels most efficient,¡± Caleb explained. ¡°This part is what would make running with me difficult. I have much longer legs than you, so no matter what, our leg lengths would make it so that I would outpace you. You can only catch up if you were to sprint, which would fatigue your body and drain your mana much more quickly.¡± Aida grunted again, still focusing on Mana Cycling. It was much easier to catch her breath while Cycling, since her body fell into a natural rhythm as she focused on the meditative aspect. Was Caleb¡¯s training/travel method what Ezra had meant when he tried to describe the exercise she had to do in order to substantially increase the size of her mana pool? A muffled crack sounded through the trees before she could even open her mouth to ask. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Caleb frowned, stopping. They both listened. The woods were still, without any bird calls. Exchanging glances, they extended their mana senses: Aida¡¯s flowed through the air, while Caleb¡¯s mana burrowed into the earth. Before Aida¡¯s mana even broke the treeline, Caleb tensed, his voice coming out in a low growl that made a shiver run down her spine. ¡°Be careful.¡± Chapter 63: Charred Zard Withdrawing her mana, Aida slipped her wand out of her pants pocket, holding it at the ready. ¡°It¡¯s a¡­¡± Caleb swore softly, shaking his head as if to clear it, before focusing again. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Aida pulled her eyes from Caleb, deciding it was better to be helpful and keep an eye on whatever was approaching than respectful by keeping her eyes on him. ¡°I think¡­it¡¯s a charred zard,¡± Caleb said, perplexed. ¡°But¡­they don¡¯t live this far down in the forests.¡± He tensed. ¡°How much mana do you have?¡± ¡°Slightly less than half,¡± Aida said. She began Mana Cycling. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to recover some more before it gets here¡­what¡¯s our strategy?¡± Caleb hesitated. ¡°Honestly, I would say to run, but since you can¡¯t yet, it would likely catch up to us quickly.¡± His violet eyes darkened and hardened. ¡°So we¡¯ll have to fight. You distract it with your Water or Ice Blasts, and I¡¯ll take care of it. Just make sure you avoid its attacks.¡± Aida nodded, retreating to where Caleb pointed, a fair distance behind him and off to the side. He turned towards the forest, facing the approaching monster. Even without her mana senses, she could hear loud cracks, sounding like splintering trees, followed by heavy footsteps crunching the leaves and undergrowth, growing louder and louder. Caleb dug his feet into the ground, lowering himself into his grappling stance. Mana pooled around him, ready to be used at a moment¡¯s notice. Something fiery hot washed over her, making her vision hazy. It was the charred zard¡¯s mana, Aida realized. It wasn¡¯t even directed at her, it was just that powerful. Dread dripped down her body, paralyzing her. Before she could suggest to Caleb that they run anyway, a jet of flame shot between the trees at Caleb - only to be bisected by the earthen wall that Caleb pulled up. The secondary flame missed Aida by a wide margin, though she had to hide her eyes behind her arm to keep the heat from drying her eyes out. Finally, the fire abated. Unfortunately, the foliage that caught the brunt of the two flames caught on fire. Oh drops. Black eyes gleamed, reflecting the birth of the new flames as a large reptilian head the width of her door floated through the trees. A long, sinewy neck followed, looking more like it was trailing after the giant head instead of supporting it. ¡°Are you sure we shouldn¡¯t run?¡± Aida asked, slightly hysterically. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough mana to distract it and put out forest fires.¡± Caleb glanced over his shoulder at her. ¡°That might be a good idea. You go first, I¡¯ll follow.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Go!¡± he shouted, spearing the dragon-looking thing with a massive stalagmite underneath its chin. The collision shook her bones, as the rock spire cracked against a hard place. The zard reared its head, bellowing. Following Caleb¡¯s command, Aida ran - if only to put distance between her and the real-life dragon. Surging, but also trying to control the amount of surge, she just focused on the path in front of her, not thinking about what was behind. Fortunately, Caleb caught up soon after, easily keeping pace with her. ¡°Keep going!¡± Gritting her teeth, she focused harder, though she thought she could hear heavy wing beats behind them. It has wings? How fast can it fly? She heard the ground rip apart - a whistling noise - followed by another roar. Caleb caught back up to her. He must have thrown a piece of the ground at the zard, which apparently hit its mark. Aida despaired. Her inefficient use of her mana was going to get them killed. She was already at a tenth of her maximum. She released her mana, slowing down to her regular sprinting pace. I can¡¯t keep this up. ¡°Keep going!¡± Caleb shouted again. He grabbed her, throwing her over his shoulder. Looking up behind him, she saw the charred zard in all its raging glory. Much like the beloved fire monster in the popular collect-¡®em-all franchise of her world, the tip of its tail was flaming. It had wings, certainly, but that was about where the resemblance ended. It was covered in black scales, with a white belly. Its leathery wings had red veins spidering through it, making it look like fresh lava flowing down obsidian. With every beat of its wings, the veins glowed and pulsed, adding to the illusion of liquid fire. It reared its head, a small lump traveling from its deep chest, up along its throat, to the jaw as it snapped open. She watched the ball of flame travel unerringly towards them. The Ice Shield sublimated as quickly as it had appeared, absorbing the fiery missile and leaving Aida gasping. ¡°Nice!¡± Caleb panted. He renewed his effort in running. Aida gritted her teeth. That one Ice Shield had very nearly wiped her out. She began Mana Cycling again, intent on recovering as much mana as she could while she was useless. All too soon, the charred zard sent another gout of flame at them. ¡°No!¡± Aida cried. She didn¡¯t have enough mana to help. Hearing her warning, Caleb added a slight burst to his speed - but all that did was help him avoid the main blast, not the aftershock. The two of them tumbled through the air, landing limbs akimbo. Disoriented, she heard the charred zard land heavily on the ground. Fighting to straighten her scrambled senses, she pushed against the ground - wall? - she was leaning on. She ended up rolling, her supporting arm giving out underneath her so that she was laying on her back. The leaves and the sky danced above her, spinning and spinning¡­ ¡°Aida, get up!¡± she could hear Caleb¡¯s shout in the background, followed by the tremors as the earth rearranged itself, aiding Caleb in his fight against the charred zard. That¡¯s right. He¡¯s in danger. I¡¯m in danger too. Clenching her eyes shut, she pushed herself into a sitting position. So far so good. Caleb was yelling at the giant lizard. She slowly opened her eyes. Less woozy. She turned around. Too quick. Clenching her eyes shut again, she took a deep breath. She looked again. Caleb had drawn the lizard¡¯s attention, so that it was focused on him and completely away from her. They were now completely separated by the lizard¡¯s body. The flaming tail danced in front of her as it served as a counterbalance for the dragon¡¯s movements. Taunting her. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. That was when the stupidest idea hit her. Why not? She barely had enough mana to do anything - she was guaranteed to knock herself out again. But Caleb needs help. What if she missed? She only had one chance. What else is new? The charred zard was moving away from her. If you don¡¯t do it now, you¡¯ll definitely miss. Caleb screamed in pain. She dragged her wand forward, aiming her wand blearily at the tail. She shut her eyes, trying to blink away the haziness in her vision. It didn¡¯t help. She shut her eyes, relying on her mana senses instead. The lizard wasn¡¯t hiding its mana - it was a beast, it didn¡¯t have the slyness of a human to hide or misdirect others about its strength. Its spirit shone as bright as the sun. Her arm steadied. She spent the very last of her mana on Freeze (Lv5). ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ When Aida came to, she was aware of water. It was nice. It was comforting. It was soothing. It was¡­hot. She opened her eyes, becoming aware of burbles. Lifting her head, a towel resting on her forehead plopped down into the water - Tulver¡¯s Bathhouse? It didn¡¯t look too much like how she remembered it - but that was probably because it was dark, and the hot spring room she was in was illuminated by small wooden torches set in the walls instead of natural sunlight. She heard a gasp and frantic slapping sounds as she looked around. ¡°Aida, my dear, you¡¯re awake!¡± Connie spoke with a shaking voice. She brushed Aida¡¯s forehead with another towel from the stack she was carrying in her arms, her violet eyes glimmering with wetness. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Hot,¡± Aida rasped. She cleared her throat. ¡°Do you have anything to drink?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Connie produced a mug of steaming tea on a small saucer. Regretfully, Aida took the saucer in both hands, blowing shakily on the steam. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry - would you like to come out of the spring before you drink?¡± Connie took the cup and saucer back, setting it on a small stool. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this here, if you want it - I¡¯ll go prepare you something to eat and drink. I¡¯ll be back!¡± she hurried out of the hot spring room, her slippers slapping along the stone floor. Laboriously, Aida pushed herself out of the pool she was in. She was in the lowest-temperature spring, and based on how wrinkled her palms were, she had been in there for hours. The cool night air was a relief on her feverish skin. She took a deep breath, enjoying the reprieve from the heat, before a fresh breeze made her shiver. Pulling a large towel from the stack Connie had brought, she wrapped it around herself just as Connie hurried back in, a fluffy robe draped over her arm. She hastily swept the robe around Aida¡¯s bare shoulders, helping her cinch the robe shut as Aida exchanged her towel. ¡°Please, come this way,¡± Connie said tremulously, lightly placing her hand on Aida¡¯s arm to guide her, like she was an invalid. Aida followed her to the hot spring entrance, where Connie had laid out slippers for her as well. Connie then led her down the veranda, past the room she and Sue had received a massage in, to the other wing of the building. Carefully sliding open the paper screen door, Connie gently pushed her inside, softly warning her to watch her step. ¡°Aida,¡± Caleb said, standing up from the hearth where he had been kneeling with who Aida presumed was his father. The man followed suit, his tight expression relaxing. He was built like Caleb, but a full head taller, making Caleb look appropriately sized for his age. He had Caleb¡¯s features, except his face was lined, and he had chocolate brown eyes instead of violet. Looking at the three family members, all dressed in simple yukata, Aida was struck by deja vu. In the light of the hearth¡¯s flickering fire, Connie and her husband¡¯s crows¡¯ feet belied their age, giving them an overwhelmingly exhausted look. However, the smile lines were equally deep, making the wrinkles around their eyes look like laugh lines instead. With all three of them smiling and tearing up, it was obvious they had enough. They had each other. ¡°Come, sit down,¡± Caleb said, reaching out for her. He took her hand delicately in his own, leading her to a cushion placed on the ground next to the hearth. He collected a tray of utensils from the corner, and began ladling broth from the pot hanging over the hearth into a large bowl. ¡°Thank you for saving Caleb,¡± the man said, kneeling on the cushion next to Aida. She looked up at him. Even kneeling, he was at least a head and a half taller than her. He placed his hands in front of his knees, dipping his head. ¡°My name is John - we did not have the pleasure of meeting the last time you came to our bathhouse.¡± ¡°Not your fault,¡± Aida said, flustered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t get a chance to meet. But¡­¡± she looked at Caleb, who was now scooping rice into a bowl. ¡°May I ask what happened?¡± At her words, both Connie and John nearly broke out in tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Connie said, dabbing at her eyes. ¡°It was such a close call - when we found out we almost lost Caleb¡ª¡° she buried her face into John¡¯s chest. He cleared his throat as he rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. ¡°From what the Strongholders have told us, Caleb was battling a charred zard about halfway between Maglica Academy and Buddington Town. Caleb held out until the Strongholders arrived to defeat the beast, and then they brought you two to town, where they relinquished you into our care. Connie has been tending to you since you¡¯ve arrived - at noon.¡± His eyes were moist. ¡°Caleb told us some more after they left - he explained that you used what little mana you had remaining to injure the lizard, letting him hold out just long enough for rescue to arrive. For that, Connie and I are eternally grateful.¡± Connie let out a loud sob as the words left his mouth. ¡°I - It was all Caleb¡¯s efforts,¡± Aida said, feeling her face flush. ¡°It was really my fault¡­if I had the endurance to keep up with him, we wouldn¡¯t have been attacked by the lizard in the first place¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Caleb said adamantly, placing the tray on a small folding table in front of her. The steam from the broth swirled up, tickling her nose. Creamy and savory, with a hint of basil. ¡°Your Freeze was timely.¡± ¡°Please, please eat,¡± Connie said tenderly, sniffling. ¡°We can talk after you¡¯ve eaten.¡± Her stomach revved at the meal in front of her. Aida ducked her head meekly in gratitude to the family before diving in. Caleb and his parents bustled around, preparing for bed, letting Aida dine in peace. As Aida ate, she couldn¡¯t help but contemplate the Tulver family¡¯s home. The bathhouse, where they received guests, looked elegant and luxurious. The wing this family sitting room was located was distinctly detached from the commercial side of the compound. If she hadn¡¯t stepped through the sliding door, she would have thought it wasn¡¯t attached to the bathhouse at all. The tatami mats here looked worn and broken in certain areas, stains were amplified by the shadows, and the wood columns and walls looked aged as well, with patches in several locations to keep the elements out and the structure standing. The cooking pot hanging over the hearth and the mismatched plates she was eating off of were heavy, old, and banged up. The Tulver family¡¯s utilitarian living reminded Annie of her own family, where they kept and used everything until it broke, then would patch it up, to be used until it broke again. Maybe it was just because the Tulvers were tiptoeing around her, but Annie felt extremely vulnerable as she thought about her parents and wondered what they were doing without her. Connie finally came back to Aida, clearing her dinner tray. She offered Aida a fresh cup of hot tea, which she gratefully accepted. They sat in silence together, both staring into the fire. ¡°I know John already said it, but I have to say it myself,¡± Connie said softly. ¡°Thank you for saving my son.¡± She teared up. ¡°He¡¯s the only one we have left in the world, and we wouldn¡¯t know what to do if we lost him.¡± Aida shook her head, embarrassed. ¡°I told you, he saved me.¡± ¡°You two worked together,¡± Connie insisted. ¡°Regardless of how you ended up in that situation, the fact is that you were attacked by a charred zard. You two helped each other, and for that I am so thankful that you two have become such good friends.¡± Connie reached over, grasping Aida¡¯s hand tightly. Her purple eyes shimmered in the firelight. ¡°Thank you for coming into his life.¡± Aida gripped her hand back. Connie¡¯s touch stirred all the emotions she had packed away, and she found herself sobbing again - except this time, she wasn¡¯t alone. Chapter 64: Nighttime Musings Aida looked up through the sky light of the small single-person massage room Connie had brought her to. The sky was clear, so she could see the stars through the glass. The Tulvers slept in the same room together, on Japanese-style floor mattresses. Connie had insisted that Aida stay in one of the rooms in the commercial wing, so that she could be more comfortable. ¡°We get up early, so you won¡¯t be disturbed in the massage room.¡± The massage bed, though comfortable, was quite narrow as a regular bed. It was even narrower than her original twin-size bed. She was worried she¡¯d fall if she rolled in her sleep. She sat up, sighing. After a whole day of sleeping, it was hard to actually go back to sleep. It was weird, though, having her mana so depleted that she couldn¡¯t sense anything beyond the room she was in. She felt like she had cotton in her ears, or a stuffy nose, or blurry eyes. But whatever the mana-sensing equivalent of that was. She didn¡¯t realize how quickly she had adapted to having superhuman senses. She quietly slid open the massage room door. Might as well get some fresh air, and maybe do some Mana Circulation on the veranda. Part of her had always romanticized the scenes in animes where the protagonists would sit on a veranda, contemplating the peaceful scenery, perhaps receiving some critical guidance or acquiring a breakthough that would allow them to smash through whatever power ceiling they were faced with at the time. Now was her chance to live out that kind of childhood dream. Aida stumbled as she stepped through the door, spooked by the massive figure already sitting on the veranda. ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± Caleb asked softly, not looking at her. He had his gaze trained on the moon, which was just starting to wax. The slim crescent looked down on them with glee. ¡°You couldn¡¯t either?¡± Aida padded out, sitting next to him. Her feet hung comfortably above the ground, while the bottoms of Caleb¡¯s clogs skimmed the earth. She looked over the zen garden. The light from the moon wasn¡¯t much, but with how white and fine the sand and stones were, the garden still glowed with a celestial quality. The windows from neighboring buildings were dark, and the main gate was shut, giving the illusion that they were completely alone. ¡°¡­How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alive.¡± Aida smiled briefly at him, though her assurance didn¡¯t seem to lift his melancholy. She poked him. ¡°Hey, come on. Surviving a charred zard is a huge accomplishment!¡± Caleb shook his head remorsefully. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have brought you today¡­we should have made plans for next cycle.¡± Aida frowned at him. ¡°I wanted to come. You didn¡¯t force me.¡± ¡°I should have known better,¡± Caleb lamented. ¡°You already warned me that you wouldn¡¯t be able to run, but I didn¡¯t think¡ª¡° Aida shoved his shoulder, not hard. But hard enough to interrupt his spiraling. ¡°You should listen to your mother more. Neither of us are at fault for landing in this situation today - the road from Maglica to Buddington is supposed to be safe in groups of two. Your proposal to run was purely to save time - it wasn¡¯t a necessary condition to be safe.¡± Caleb was silent for a moment. ¡°But if I didn¡¯t insist on running, then you would have had more mana¡­¡± ¡°And we might never have made it to Buddington either, because we were too far to receive help,¡± Aida countered. ¡°This can go on forever, Caleb, but it¡¯s not productive.¡± He shrank into himself, his eyes downcast. He looked so much like a chastised little boy, despite his size and musculature. Aida softened her tone. ¡°Caleb, what happened? Your parents said the Strongholders found us just in time?¡± Caleb perked up slightly. ¡°Yes, your Freeze was genius. It didn¡¯t quite extinguish the flame on its tail, but it was enough to make it hibernate for a few moments until the flame recovered. That gave me time to rest, and grab you so we could go a little further¡­and when it started running after us again, some of the Border scouts arrived in time to subdue it¡­They gave us a ride in their golem, and I received some healing while they questioned me.¡± Caleb sighed, reaching up to rub his shoulders. ¡°Maybe joining the Border Stronghold wouldn¡¯t be too bad, if I could patrol the woods around Buddington¡­¡± ¡°Did they say anything about why the charred zard was around here?¡± Aida asked. ¡°You said it shouldn¡¯t be down here¡­¡± Caleb shook his head. ¡°They were just as confused as us¡­though they did mention they were seeing a lot more monster activity down here.¡± He shook his head again, baffled. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s happening¡­¡± Aida bit her lip, hesitant to say what she thought. Caleb sensed her agitation. ¡°I¡¯m certain it¡¯s not related to what happened at school,¡± he said hastily. ¡°For one thing, we actually know what the charred zard is¡­¡± ¡°But what if it got driven away from its natural habitat by the thing that attacked me and Ezra?¡± Aida whispered. She wrapped her arms around herself. The night had been pleasantly cool before, but now it was downright chilly. The fluffy robe Connie had given her, nominally a luxuriously soft garment, all of a sudden felt too flimsy. ¡°The teachers couldn¡¯t identify what that thing was, and don¡¯t even know where it went¡­¡± Stolen novel; please report. Caleb reached out to her, worried, before quickly excusing himself. Leaving the clogs on the ground, he dashed silently on stockinged feet into the hot spring¡¯s locker rooms. Aida didn¡¯t even look after him, instead pulling her knees up to her chin. The glowing zen garden had been beautiful before, but now the luminescence made the rocks look ominous. Like bones jutting out of a barren landscape. Everything bleached white. Aida scooted away from the edge of the veranda, so that her toes were pressed into the warm wood. A heavy blanket dropped around her shoulders. Gripping the edges of the blanket, Aida blinked up at Caleb. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t paying attention¡­you¡¯re still recovering from your overexertion today, so I should have made sure you wouldn¡¯t catch a chill,¡± Caleb apologized, tucking the blanket in tightly around her so that no air reached her body. Aida ducked her head into the blanket. It was irrational, but being wrapped in a thick cocoon felt much safer than just wearing the robe. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said softly. Caleb sat back down next to her, smiling at her as he patted her head like a child. ¡°You might as well sleep out here. This is the best bedtime tuck I¡¯ve ever done.¡± ¡°Did you tuck your parents in?¡± Aida asked, laughing softly. Caleb¡¯s gaze dropped, along with Aida¡¯s heart. Why did he look so sad? ¡°¡­I had a younger brother.¡± Oh no. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Aida said softly. Connie¡¯s words and stricken expression made so much sense in retrospect. ¡°He¡¯s the only one we have left in the world.¡± Caleb shook his head tightly, letting out a breath. ¡°It¡¯s all right. It was a long time ago.¡± He smiled sadly, his pupils drifting in memories. ¡°¡­he was the whole reason we started this bathhouse.¡± Aida looked at him inquiringly. She didn¡¯t want to push him, but she was curious. He continued speaking softly, slowly, choosing his words carefully. ¡°He was always sickly growing up, because we never had much¡­Mother worked at a health spring, which was where she learned her massage skills, while Father would work whatever heavy-lifting jobs were available.¡± Caleb leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. ¡°That meant he was out of the house a lot¡­and my mother would take my brother to the springs whenever she could, because the spring water would help improve his constitution a lot. But¡­what he really needed was a dedicated Healer.¡± Caleb pressed his hand to his eyes briefly, before straightening. His eyes were dry, though his voice was strained. ¡°Before he passed, he told Mother and me that he really enjoyed going to the health spring, and that he would love it if our family could have our own hot spring.¡± Caleb smiled grimly, gesturing at the entrance of the old wing that was carefully covered by beautifully embroidered partitions. ¡°We¡¯ve been living here for as long as I can remember. Once¡­once Father¡¯s pay didn¡¯t have to go to my brother¡¯s treatments anymore¡­they talked about moving into one of the better districts, where they could commute more easily to their jobs. ¡°I¡­I begged them to stay. Build their own hot spring business.¡± Caleb closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. ¡°I was eight. And already incredibly gifted at manipulating earth.¡± He reached out his hand, and the white sand streamed slowly into the air, like water. Aida watched him, her eyes wide. He didn¡¯t have his wand on him, yet the sand moved like the water she had become so adept at controlling over the past five weeks. Caleb opened his eyes, watching the sand flow through his fingers pensively. ¡°I created the zen garden. And built the hot springs. Father spent the money on remodeling this wing. On piping in the spring water. Mother has been working on advertising¡­¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you don¡¯t want to leave this place when you graduate,¡± Aida said quietly. He built this place. He was already invested. He had a purpose. Caleb nodded, suddenly shy. With a flick of his wrist, he deposited the sand. ¡°That¡¯s why we wouldn¡¯t be able to pay you much,¡± he said, abashed. Aida tried to smack him, but she was wrapped too tightly in the blanket to free her arm. Shifting her weight, she collided with his shoulder in a soft thump. ¡°Stop talking about pay,¡± she scolded gently. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m doing yet, and my goal is to just learn whatever your mother can do.¡± Caleb was looking down at her with wide eyes, violet the only other color in their monochromatic setting. Aida sighed, pulling her gaze away from him. Caleb¡¯s backstory was similar to hers - except he actually lost somebody. Her father¡¯s accident was painful, but Caleb¡¯s loss was tragic. She didn¡¯t know how the Tulvers¡¯ business was faring, but at least they - Caleb - had the ability to build something of their own. He was lucky to be an Earth practitioner. She worried her lip. She wished the Tulvers well. And if Caleb decided to stay with his family, or managed to find a job close to them, they would certainly be safer than if he left. Even though they were within the walls of Buddington Town, they were still at the edge, closer to the woods. If some flying monsters decided to bypass the town¡¯s meager defenses (from her impressions of the last time she visited with Sue, the guards on the wall were more adept at stopping law-abiding visitors than actually stopping monster attacks), their district would likely see danger. Aida resolved to gather more information on what Buddington¡¯s citizens thought was happening on the morrow. The Border Stronghold had already mentioned more monster activity¡­surely the citizens would be buzzing. Neighborhood gossip was always more accurate than what official reports said, accounting for near misses and close calls. Things that would never make it into a report, because ¡°no crime occurred.¡± Real perspectives, from those who had to live the experiences. Caleb reached his arm around her bundle, squeezing briefly, though she could barely feel it through all the layers. ¡°Thanks for listening. But I¡¯ve kept you up too late - you need to rest.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Aida agreed. ¡°Is the bathhouse open tomorrow? I¡¯d like to help however I can - maybe cleaning, or checking in customers or something. I¡¯m not sure how much mana I will have recovered by tomorrow to learn what Connie can teach me.¡± A quick glance at her mana pools showed that they were still thoroughly depleted, even though she had recovered some usable mana. She couldn¡¯t believe it. Even though she had been on the edges of the charred zard¡¯s fireballs, never getting directly struck, the brushes still managed to deplete all of her elemental defenses. The fire pool was the lowest, desperately drawing on the wood pool, which overdrew from water - all the way around the ring of elemental interactions. I guess even my natural affinity doesn¡¯t mean anything when the opponent is so much stronger. ¡°We¡¯ll be open tomorrow, and I¡¯ll check with Mother,¡± Caleb promised. With one fluid movement, he lifted Aida¡¯s bundled cocoon. ¡°But it¡¯s off to bed with you.¡± Carrying her like a rice sack in his arms, he deposited her on her guest room¡¯s bed. ¡°If the bed is too narrow, you can sleep on the floor. Let me go grab you a spare futon and pillow¡­¡± Chapter 65: Reception Aida woke up the next morning significantly refreshed - her senses were back to normal, and she was able to trace faint outlines of the few bodies passing around outside of her room. A quick check of her mana pools indicated they had leveled out to a somewhat balanced level - her fire level was still low, though, despite the hot spring soak. It was fascinating how two opposing elements could come together in one medium. She carefully folded the futon and blankets Caleb had provided her last night, making sure to tuck them with her rucksack next to the door so she could grab them quickly if Connie needed the room for a guest. Connie had also left her a simple yukata to change into. Padding over to the reception counter, Connie quickly came to receive her. She took a good look at Aida, holding her shoulders as she looked over her visage from all angles. ¡°You¡¯re looking much better!¡± Connie said, relief coming through her smile. ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡± Aida shook her head, and Connie ushered her to the family wing. ¡°I left my sleeping things and bag in the massage room¡ª¡° ¡°That¡¯s fine, we won¡¯t be using that one today.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can do to help today?¡± Aida asked earnestly. ¡°Caleb had told me that you would be willing to teach me your acupressure techniques so I could help out on the rest days.¡± Connie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, yes! I¡¯m so happy you want to learn.¡± She efficiently prepared a hearty breakfast tray for Aida, plopping massive portions of food into her bowls before setting her down in front of the warm hearth. ¡°Eat up, and I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s anything I can quickly train you on.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be acupressure and mana today,¡± Aida added hastily. ¡°It can be anything. Helping check customers in, cleaning the changing rooms - anything. I mean it.¡± Connie blinked wetness out of her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so sweet. Let¡¯s talk about it after you finish eating. I¡¯ll meet you at the reception desk.¡± Giving her a quick wave, Connie hurried out. Aida ate as quickly as possible, blowing on the porridge between every bite. She could hear voices out in the courtyard. There weren¡¯t too many customers yet, but it seemed like regulars were beginning to trickle in, as Connie - and occasionally John, as he passed through - chatted with the customers. Finally, she couldn¡¯t eat anymore. Connie had clearly been working on autopilot, serving her the same amount of food she would normally give John and Caleb. She found lids to cover her bowls of leftovers before hurrying out to the courtyard as well. Several customers smiled at her as she passed them. She smiled back, feeling her body automatically straighten into Customer Service mode. Connie looked up from the counter when Aida arrived, gesturing her over to the other side with a smile. Connie quickly ran Aida through the check-in procedure. It was very simple, since the records kept were all analog. The male and female lockers had their keys on different-colored cords, and all Aida had to do was note down the time in the logbook (there was a convenient clock on the desk in front of her) of when she first handed keys over after receiving payment, and again when a customer checked out. If they ran out of keys, then she would direct the customers to please wait either in the zen garden or at the small seating area in front of the reception counter after assigning them numbers. ¡°If you could please manage the reception for now, I will go see if John can take over when we have a customer who won¡¯t mind being practiced on,¡± Connie said to Aida. She winked. ¡°Grandmama Rylla is coming in before noon, and she¡¯s very forgiving.¡± Aida smiled tentatively. She liked Connie, and didn¡¯t want to ruin her business¡¯s reputation - a far cry from how she felt about her previous jobs. Hopefully Grandmama Rylla really is forgiving. The morning went quickly - Caleb stopped by very briefly, looking harried, to let her know that he had made arrangements for them to take a public transport golem back to school in the late afternoon so they could get dinner at school. Before she could do more than nod, he had disappeared. Shortly before noon, a tiny old woman with a pleasant round face and a white bun high on her head arrived. She wore a red short-sleeved dress with a wide purple cloth belt. She carried a cloth bag that was much too large for her, clanking and rattling with every movement. ¡°Good morning, pretty young lady,¡± she quavered. Her words lilted with smiles, and she sounded very¡­grandmotherly. ¡°One hot spring session followed by a massage, please.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Aida said pleasantly. ¡°May I have your name?¡± ¡°Rylla Klin, though everybody calls me Grandmama,¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°Grandmama! You are here early.¡± Connie bustled over, beaming at Grandmama. ¡°Your session today will be on the house, if you would be so kind¡­¡± Grandmama¡¯s smile lines deepened as she glanced askance at Connie. ¡°¡­I was hoping I could teach Aida here some basic massage techniques, and¡ª¡° ¡°You¡¯re looking for a practice golem!¡± Grandmama chuckled merrily. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind. Don¡¯t you worry, pretty lady, you won¡¯t hurt me - go as hard as you like. I¡¯m stiff as a board, so if you manage to crack me at all, I may have to pay you for your service anyway!¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. With a cheery smile, she waved at Aida and Connie before tottering towards the dressing room. ¡°She seems very nice,¡± Aida said, charmed. ¡°She¡¯s our best customer,¡± Connie confided. ¡°She has been instrumental in our word-of-mouth marketing.¡± ¡°Connie! Hello, Aida,¡± John arrived, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. ¡°Caleb is infusing the water reservoirs right now, so I can come take over. How are you liking the front desk, Aida?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going well,¡± Aida nodded. ¡°I hope I can eventually be of more help.¡± Connie beamed. ¡°Caleb mentioned that we should check with the school to see if we can sponsor some assignments. That would be helpful, wouldn¡¯t it? If you don¡¯t find an assignment you like, you can come here on your rest days.¡± ¡°That sounds great,¡± Aida said enthusiastically. The greedy part of her had been sullen about losing her chance to learn anything yesterday, but if she could have other opportunities to visit the Tulvers - and fulfill a school requirement - that was most ideal. Grandmama¡¯s arrival was only the beginning. Slews of patrons began arriving, in groups of twos and threes. Even with John¡¯s help in handling customers and dispensing keys, they were so busy there was no further opportunity for them to chat. Connie had departed to handle the massage treatments of the few who purchased the package (the majority of customers seemed satisfied with just the hot spring soak - and Aida could see why. The price for the massage was eight silver baen, while one hour of hot spring soaking was three silver baen). Aida was bringing the linen hamper of used robes and towels out of the women¡¯s changing room when Grandmama stepped through the curtain, a very satisfied expression among her wrinkles. ¡°Hello, pretty lady! Is it time for you to break my back in?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it my best shot! Please come this way.¡± Aida lugged the hamper to the front desk, where she was relieved to see Connie resting. ¡°Oh, excellent, thank you dear - Grandmama, are you ready for your massage now?¡± Connie asked, beaming as she jumped to her feet. She guided the two of them down the veranda, to a single-person massage room next to the one Aida had spent the night in. Ushering the two in, Connie slid the door shut behind them, muffling the conversations and laughter outside. Grandmama had already started disrobing, completely comfortable and familiar with the drill. ¡°Thank you again for your cooperation,¡± Connie said to Grandmama, with Aida echoing her sentiment. Grandmama waved the thanks away genially, bringing out a stool from under the massage bed so she could climb up. ¡°Now, Aida, you remember how I treated you last time, yes? It is the same, you hunt for passages where the mana is blocked¡­¡± Connie was an efficient instructor, never wasting any words. Aida could tell Connie¡¯s mana senses were duller than her own, not noticing blockages in Grandmama Rylla¡¯s body until her hands approached the stagnant pools; yet, despite her ¡°blindness,¡± she worked with the speed of competence and experience. Under Connie¡¯s tutelage, Aida learned how to massage the body¡¯s muscles, loosening the fibers so that the mana she applied could more easily permeate the flesh, clearing Grandmama¡¯s mana blockages more readily. As she worked, she noticed that her Heal overlay had improved resolution. Grandmama¡¯s body was green overall, but underneath the layer of green, she had another overlay, one that looked like a stick figure that aligned with Grandmama¡¯s limbs. Along the stick limbs, she saw swollen nodes, which as she worked towards, she could see lined up with the blockages she sensed. Fascinated, Aida burrowed her knuckles into Grandmama¡¯s muscles, separating the fibers while needling the blockages with her mana. Grandmama let out a moan, making Aida stop. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Aida asked, embarrassed. She hadn¡¯t been paying attention to Grandmama¡¯s comfort at all, as she was so focused on clearing the blockages. Like popping bubble wrap. ¡°No, no, keep going,¡± Grandmama¡¯s voice was lethargic. ¡°Connie, dear, you have a natural talent on your hands here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I know it,¡± Connie said proudly. ¡°She is a student at Maglica Academy, so it¡¯s not a surprise that she picked this up so quickly.¡± ¡°You are?¡± Grandmama turned her head towards Aida. ¡°Are you classmates with young Caleb?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Aida said simply, continuing to pop Grandmama¡¯s blockages. ¡°Not just classmates - they are good friends!¡± Connie continued. Now that she was confident Aida knew what she was doing, she settled back to gossip. ¡°Caleb brought Aida and her friend Suelina here one moon cycle ago, and Aida expressed interest in learning acupressure, so they came this rest day to learn.¡± Connie let out a dramatic sigh. ¡°The school is working the students so hard; Caleb didn¡¯t have time to come back until this cycle, but then unfortunately¡­¡± Grandmama gasped at all the right moments as Connie recounted Aida and Caleb¡¯s harrowing journey. She clucked her tongue disapprovingly at how late the Border Stronghold arrived. ¡°They¡¯ve known the monster attacks are becoming more prevalent this past moon cycle, you would think they would have more patrols out.¡± ¡°When did the increase in attacks start?¡± Aida asked, unable to help herself. ¡°Hm. Well, we¡¯ve heard of some close calls from some hunters during the Eighth Moon? But nobody started reporting incidents to the Border Stronghold until the Ninth Moon - that was when one of the lads from the Death Cullers was grievously injured, so that group made the first official report. Everyone had thought the hunters¡¯ near misses were just a result of their working independently, you see. The Borders sent out an announcement warning to be more careful in the middle of the Ninth, promising to send out more patrols - but who knows how that¡¯s going right now.¡± Grandmama peered up at Aida. ¡°Am I done?¡± Aida flushed. She had stopped massaging Grandmama, enthralled with the story as she was. ¡°Just a few more.¡± She resumed her treatment, as Grandmama sighed in satisfaction. ¡°I certainly hope you and young Caleb aren¡¯t going to go back to school on foot.¡± ¡°Caleb said he made arrangements for us to take a golem back later this afternoon.¡± ¡°Oh, most excellent. I would hate for something to happen to you.¡± Grandmama fixed Aida with a stern eye from her position on the massage table. ¡°You and Caleb are the future of our society, and if we lost you we will be devastated. Not just lady Connie and mister John here, but me as well. So mind you take care of yourself, you hear?¡± Aida nodded, feeling her throat close up at the heartfelt insistence. It was so odd, having literal strangers - people she had spent less than a day with - openly show so much care for her wellbeing.
Congratulations! You have learned Regen (Lv1). +5 RP
Chapter 66: Return to Maglica Grandmama Rylla was so satisfied with Aida¡¯s massage afterwards that she pulled out a bottle of soup from her clanking bag when she turned her key in. ¡°This is my special soup I made for my grandchildren,¡± she said, pressing the bottle into Aida¡¯s hands despite her protests. ¡°I had made one bottle for each of them, but they can share the remaining bottle this time - there are two servings in one bottle.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida stammered, folding the glass bottle carefully in her hands. The bottle was still warm, and held a golden broth with specks of green garnishing floating within. ¡°Drink it on the way back to school,¡± Grandmama admonished Aida. ¡°Share it with young Caleb, if you¡¯d like. My children and grandchildren always swear they feel energized after drinking my soup.¡± Grandmama gestured at Aida with both hands, and she leaned down, accepting a kiss on each cheek. Grandmama waved cheerfully at Aida as she left, her body less stiff and steps more buoyant. ¡°Congratulations, Aida,¡± John said. ¡°That¡¯s high praise, receiving Grandmama¡¯s soup.¡± ¡°Grandmama is right, though,¡± Connie said affectionately. ¡°Aida is a natural at clearing blockages.¡± With Aida back at the reception, John was able to go relieve Caleb¡¯s post, while Connie kept the changing rooms stocked with clean towels and robes. Soon enough, the time came for Aida and Caleb to head back to school. Connie gave Caleb and Aida a hug and a kiss each, while John clapped Caleb on the shoulder and shook Aida¡¯s hand. Connie tried to press some coins upon Aida, but she refused to accept them. ¡°You¡¯ve taught me an invaluable skill today, and didn¡¯t even charge Grandmama Rylla for the service. I¡¯ll accept payment the next time I come and work.¡± Connie teared up, giving her another tight hug. ¡°You two take care of yourselves and each other, you hear?¡± she said fiercely to the two of them, grabbing them both in one-armed hugs around the neck so that Caleb¡¯s broad shoulder jostled Aida¡¯s own. ¡°We will,¡± Caleb murmured, patting Connie on the back gently. ¡°You and John take care of yourselves too, okay?¡± Aida responded, hugging Connie back. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The public transport golem was just like the same vessel Aida had taken back to school when Ezra first left her alone at Shale Port, albeit in significantly better condition with actual spoked wheels and a gleaming crystal. Caleb had negotiated with the driver that he would help smooth out the path for the golem in exchange for an extreme discount. Only a few other passengers were aboard the wagon, and they kept to themselves, wary of making too much noise and accidentally drawing the attention of some monster. Fortunately, Caleb¡¯s control was excellent, and the golem sped along the road with minimal rattling. After seeing that Caleb didn¡¯t need to focus too hard on keeping the dirt path smooth, Aida pulled out the bottle of soup. She unscrewed the cap, sniffing it. Even though the soup had mostly cooled, it still smelled divine. She offered it to Caleb, who took it from her enthusiastically. Clearly he had partaken of Grandmama¡¯s soup before. Gulping down his half of the soup, Caleb released a sigh of contentment as he handed the bottle back to Aida. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I¡¯ve been trying to make time to go back home just so I can get some of Grandmama¡¯s soup.¡± Aida took her own sip of soup, feeling the creaminess slide over her tongue. Her eyes widened. ¡°Do you think Maglica can make something like this?¡± Caleb shook his head sorrowfully. ¡°They might be able to, but¡­I don¡¯t want to share the secret of home,¡± he whispered. He stretched, trying to pop a crick in his neck, though his movement was limited due to lack of space. He exhaled. ¡°I knew I should have stretched before getting on this golem.¡± Jumping at the opportunity to practice her new Regen skill (the description she read from the few minutes she snatched before diving back into work said it promoted improved circulation, allowing an individual to Heal over time), Aida activated her improved overlay. Caleb had some swollen nodes in his body as well, though mostly in his shoulders and arms. ¡°Ah, I see where you¡¯re getting blocked. Do you mind?¡± she asked, prodding at some nodes with her fingers. He nodded, turning in his seat slightly so that more of his back faced her. She dug into the biggest node on his traps with a knuckle. His musculature was much more firm than Grandmama Rylla¡¯s, yet it yielded to her touch much more readily. Remembering the uproar that had occurred during her first couple weeks in this world due to accidental mana¡­application, she sent the smallest spear of mana to the node, making sure to keep it contained. Fortunately, Caleb was young and healthy, and didn¡¯t need as much assistance to begin flowing again. He sagged underneath her fingers with a deep exhale. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said, smiling as he turned back around. ¡°I feel much better now.¡± He began massaging his arms, popping each node himself. ¡°I guess that explains why you got the soup. I don''t think even my mother is that effective.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t have done it without her tutelage,¡± Aida said, embarrassed. She redirected the conversation. ¡°What were you doing that you created all those blockages?¡± Aida asked curiously, sipping from the bottle. Each gulp of the soup was restorative, bringing up and leveling out her mana pools. She was tempted to ask Nolem to try to recreate the broth, but she understood Caleb¡¯s sentiment about keeping Grandmama¡¯s legacy separate from the school. Some traditions, no matter how good they were, just weren¡¯t meant to be shared at large. ¡°I was infusing the water that feeds the hot springs with beneficial minerals. You¡¯d think it¡¯s a mana-only activity, but I find it¡¯s easier to control the mana by pairing it with physical movement,¡± Caleb sighed. A brief image of Caleb doing some kind of war dance around a barrel of water made her choke on her soup. He thumped her back absentmindedly. ¡°And your father does it while you¡¯re at school?¡± Aida asked, when she finally cleared her throat. ¡°He has mana too?¡± Caleb nodded. ¡°He started picking up Earth manipulation from his previous jobs, and he took shifts at one of the bigger bathhouses where he learned the basics of infusion. He started teaching me what he learned when my parents noticed I had an Earth affinity.¡± ¡°Wait, if you¡¯re using your Earth mana to change the water¡¯s quality - are you able to carry out Professor Lloyd¡¯s synergy exercise?¡± Caleb shook his head regretfully. ¡°Unfortunately not. The water is natural, and effectively inert. I¡¯m only adding to it, as well - I¡¯m not actually using the water.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Aida said, bummed. The driver in front of them turned towards the back, speaking over his shoulder to Caleb. ¡°Son, we¡¯re almost at the intersection to Maglica Academy and Shale Port. Where would you like to get off?¡± Caleb glanced at Aida, an eyebrow raised. She quickly swallowed the last gulp of soup, before giving him a thumbs up. Caleb turned back to the driver. ¡°Please drop us off at the signpost.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Caleb and Aida stood at the edge of the signpost¡¯s safe zone, looking up the winding path back to the school. ¡°You ready for the run?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± Aida said, checking her straps and limbering up. Grandmama¡¯s soup made her feel great. ¡°At least it¡¯s short enough that even if I mess up the actual running part, I can just Surge to safety, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly right.¡± They looked back along the path, neither one willing to be the first to step out despite their bravado. The sun hadn¡¯t quite set yet, and the woods were still, with the sound of woodland creatures minding their own business encouraging them. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t sense anything,¡± Caleb finally said. Aida nodded in agreement. ¡°Last one to the gate has to be the one to tell Sue what happened to us!¡± she shouted over her shoulder as she leaped over the invisible line. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Caleb and Aida were met at the gate by a cross-armed Professor Gemma. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you two are fine,¡± Gemma said, a glower simmering underneath her calm demeanor. ¡°We¡¯ve received reports that two Maglica students were attacked on the way to Buddington Town.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve learned our lesson,¡± Caleb said earnestly. ¡°We¡¯ll be scheduling a golem transport the next time we leave.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Gemma said grimly. ¡°We¡¯re also going to put some new guidelines in place for the rest of the school year. No more foot travel, unless you¡¯re traveling with one of the Affiliates for a sponsored assignment.¡± Aida and Caleb exchanged a look, with Caleb shrugging. ¡°What if we travel in groups larger than two?¡± Aida asked, as Gemma and Caleb stepped through the gate. She paused, contemplating, before she casually lay her hand on the stone. Caleb¡¯s eyes bulged at her movement. Gemma raised her brow at Aida¡¯s dallying. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll consider a minimum party size of four students for foot travel,¡± Gemma finally said. ¡°We are aware that not all students can afford the travel fare, Miss Loreh. But do bear in mind that it is better to be safe than save a few baen.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Aida said humbly, letting her hand slip off the wall. Gemma left them at the entrance of the school, splitting off to the teacher¡¯s office while Caleb and Aida made their way to the dining hall. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you,¡± Caleb muttered. ¡°I obviously reached the gate first.¡± ¡°But I touched it first,¡± Aida murmured back. ¡°You can ask Professor Gemma.¡± ¡°Aida!¡± Sue cried, flying towards them. Aida had to add a Surge to brace herself so she could catch Sue and not topple over. ¡°The school¡¯s been talking about two Maglica students getting attacked, and your note said you and Caleb were going - are you okay?¡± ¡°We¡¯re perfectly fine,¡± Aida reassured her, patting her back. ¡°It¡¯s such a good story, actually - you should ask Caleb to tell it, since he had a better view of what was happening.¡± Sue turned to Caleb, her eyes glimmering with relief at Aida¡¯s lighthearted response. He balked, running his hand through his hair. ¡°Maybe we can tell it after dinner?¡± he asked hopefully. ¡°We haven¡¯t put our things down yet either¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay! I¡¯m sure we all want to hear what happened,¡± Sue said brightly, pulling off Aida¡¯s rucksack and holding her hand out for Caleb¡¯s bag. ¡°You two go get your food, I¡¯ll put your bags at the table for you.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t get out of it,¡± Aida smirked as Sue bounced away. ¡°And hey, we survived! The story has a good ending.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so excited about the story, you should be the one telling it,¡± Caleb mumbled. ¡°You did the majority of the heavy lifting,¡± Aida countered, poking his bicep. ¡°I was useless or knocked out the moment the charred zard showed up.¡± She waggled her brows at him. ¡°Or did you want me to embellish the story and make you seem even more amazing than you already are?¡± Caleb¡¯s face flushed at her threat. ¡°Don¡¯t - don¡¯t make it worse.¡± Chapter 67: Another Week Catching the rest of the crew up on what happened was just as tedious as Aida had expected. Lily, Sue and Levi bombarded Caleb with questions, while Vanita looked sympathetically at Aida. She shrugged off their concerns, easily redirecting their attention back to Caleb. ¡°What do you think their policy will be for the Festival recess?¡± Lily asked, worried. ¡°I was thinking of staying, but with the increase in attacks they might not even let us leave the school at all.¡± ¡°They may still let us out in the day time, as long as we don¡¯t go out alone,¡± Vanita said uncertainly. ¡°I certainly hope so¡­I wanted to hike up the mountain and have some time to do some Earth training up there¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have me at least,¡± Lily said loyally. She wilted slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the two of us will be strong enough to handle the new breed of monsters¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Sue declared. Her eyes gleamed. ¡°This is a great time to gain some experience against stronger monsters.¡± ¡°Well, if Sue¡¯s going I might as well tag along, too¡± Levi volunteered, leaning back as he tucked his arms behind his head. ¡°Won¡¯t hurt to be a party of four.¡± Lily and Vanita beamed at him, bolstered by the friendly support. They looked at Aida expectantly. ¡°Um¡­I guess I don¡¯t mind coming along for one day,¡± Aida said hesitantly. It might be fun to see the view from the mountain, and there would be five of us¡­ Sue clapped her hands. ¡°Perfect! I can bring my fire float along if we¡¯re tired after the hike,¡± she chirped. She pointed at Levi. ¡°You¡¯ll have to stand in the middle. Girls will sit at the edges.¡± ¡°This is discriminatory!¡± Levi gasped. ¡°Nonsense! You¡¯re too heavy, so you¡¯d unbalance the float platform if you were on an edge,¡± Sue retorted. Levi jutted his bottom lip out in the worst pout ever, crossing his arms in a childish sulk. ¡°She just called you fat,¡± Aida whispered dramatically across the table. Lily and Sue sniggered, while Vanita and Caleb smiled reluctantly. Levi tossed his napkin at her in mock rage, before nodding his head behind her. ¡°Hey, Ezra.¡± Aida looked up. He nodded at Levi and Caleb, before looking down at her. ¡°So it was you two?¡± ¡°Yes, we got unlucky,¡± Aida responded. ¡°Or we got lucky, I guess? Since the Strongholders got to us in time.¡± He pressed his lips together, eyes dim as he thought. ¡°And it was a regular monster this time?¡± ¡°It was a charred zard!¡± Lily exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a zard coming down into the forests.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very odd,¡± Vanita agreed. ¡°And the fact that it actively hunted Caleb and Aida¡­they¡¯re normally quite peaceful.¡± Aida swallowed her words. She didn¡¯t have enough familiarity with the local wildlife to chime in on the oddity of the zard¡¯s behavior, but based on context she was getting the feeling that the hike up the mountains would put them across the paths of more charred zards. But there will be five of us, so it should be safer¡­ ¡°I think,¡± Caleb said hesitantly, ¡°it was hungry. It looked kind of shriveled, and the flame on its tail was quite small for the size it was.¡± Aida stifled her horror. A regular healthy charred zard was going to be an even tougher fight. ¡°On second thought¡­maybe it won¡¯t be such a good idea to go on that hike?¡± All eyes turned to her. She scrambled for a believable explanation. ¡°If the zards really are starving, then wouldn¡¯t it be possible that they might¡­hunt us? There will be five of us, and they might, I don¡¯t know¡­team up to take us out so they have a better chance to eat?¡± Aida¡¯s theory was met with silence and awkward shifting. ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that,¡± Lily finally said. She looked a bit ill. ¡°I was certain five of us could take on a zard easily, but I don¡¯t know if we can take on more at once¡­¡± Vanita looked forlorn. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­with how chaotic everything is right now, maybe it would be better to not push it. I don¡¯t want anyone to get hurt because of my whim.¡± Levi exhaled. ¡°Who knows. Maybe the instructors will clear out certain zones for us. I can¡¯t imagine they would want to deal with a build-up of monsters near the school.¡± Everyone else nodded hopefully. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The rest of the star cycle passed quickly. All the students seemed to take their training more seriously in light of the news that there was a close call for a Class 1 student on the path to Buddington Town, which was typically regarded as one of the safer routes to travel for third-year students. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The girls in Aida¡¯s class expressed concern, while Dev, Abedi, and Shon cast sympathetic glances in her direction. Pritchard avoided her gaze, which in itself was a win, since he seemed to be focused completely on his own training and was less interested in meddling with others. It was only when Aida managed to corner Professor Kozu during the free period on the last day of the star cycle did she manage to get any insight into what the teachers were thinking. ¡°We were worried,¡± Kozu admitted, as they walked the perimeter of the new boundary the teachers had established. ¡°The Border patrol that found you came to us immediately after delivering you and Mister Tulver to town. We were already aware that monster activity had increased in the vicinity around the school - even before you and Mister Riolt were attacked, so please do not think I¡¯m accusing you - but certainly not to the level of having a charred zard roaming the woods.¡± Kozu lit a torch with the flick of his wand before they continued on their way. ¡°However, this is causing a headache for the logistics next sun cycle,¡± Kozu sighed. ¡°We haven¡¯t finalized anything yet, but we will likely have to eliminate all the solo sponsored assignments. It is just too risky to allow a student to go out on their own without an escort, which would completely defeat the purpose of a solo assignment. Were there any assignments you were looking forward to doing in particular?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Aida was alarmed. ¡°I enjoyed helping out at the Tulvers¡¯ Bathhouse, so if their assignments are approved, I would have liked to have practiced my Regen skills there¡­but otherwise, I think I would be interested in developing my Healing abilities.¡± Kozu nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Healing should be an easy enough assignment. If we must, we could coordinate with Luk and have her offer some assignments. The sky knows she needs help preparing medicines.¡± ¡°Do you have any recommendations on which Affiliates might be interested in taking on a Healer?¡± Aida asked quickly. Kozu had offered to hook her up with some connections during the placement matches, and here he was discussing career opportunities with her¡­ Kozu thought as they made the rounds, peering beyond the wall into the wilderness before lighting the torch and continuing his patrol. ¡°We always have a few clinics come recruiting,¡± he said finally. ¡°I would say those should be the first Affiliates you speak with.¡± Aida mulled over his words. He seemed reserved about the options; he didn¡¯t seem against her being a Healer (which she appreciated, since as a Combat specialist she would have expected him to look down on people who didn¡¯t specialize in combat), but he definitely seemed to feel some type of way about the Healer Affiliates attending Maglica''s career fair. ¡°Is there something I should know about these Affiliates?¡± Kozu¡¯s lips quirked. ¡°I hesitate to say more, because I don¡¯t want to poison your perception of them¡­¡± ¡°Why do you not trust them?¡± It wasn¡¯t difficult for Aida to keep her tone curious and free of judgment. Her experiences in the real world showed her that many medical professionals could sometimes come across as even more callous and uncaring than regular people; she understood the concept of empathy burnout, so she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Kozu¡¯s experiences mirrored hers. ¡°Please believe me, I do not think this of all Healers,¡± Kozu said delicately. ¡°¡­But the Healers that are afforded the privilege to come recruit at Maglica¡­¡± Aida considered the words hanging in the air. ¡°Would this brand of distrust extend to other Affiliates as well?¡± ¡°By the flames, I¡¯ve said too much,¡± Kozu sighed. ¡°It is against policy for me to say more. The last thing I shall say is that there are many Affiliates who have it in their interests - and hearts - to do right by the common people, and that includes mentoring you up-and-comers. So my advice remains the same: speak to everybody you are interested in, ask questions for yourself and your future.¡± Aida absentmindedly followed Kozu back up to the school, having completed his rounds. He stopped in front of the steps leading up to the school¡¯s main door. ¡°Anything else on your mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just wondering what my alternative path might be, if not a Healer,¡± Aida sighed. Kozu raised his brow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you enjoyed helping out at the Tulvers¡¯ business?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­they¡¯re still growing, and¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see. They may not offer the most competitive salary?¡± ¡°Something like that,¡± Aida mumbled, abashed. She really would love working with Connie and John¡­but with their margins as thin as they were, she felt awful thinking about receiving payment. She had to admit to herself: she felt much more comfortable with the thought of getting paid by a corporation. A headless entity. It was easier to remain emotionally disengaged from a large company; thinking about working for the Tulvers made her think of her family - hard workers, willing to roll up their sleeves and get in the trenches beside her. Knowing she would be highly valued, and could actually make a noticeable difference in their business¡­along with a correspondingly heavier sense of duty and responsibility. ¡°Joining one of the Strongholds is not a bad idea. They can always use a Healer - and if you find you would like to do something else, it would be easy to transition to another role within their system.¡± ¡°Yeah, Ezra mentioned that,¡± Aida murmured. She peered up at Kozu. ¡°Do you distrust the Strongholds as much as you do the Healers?¡± ¡°My dear,¡± Kozu said, shaking his head. ¡°Do you recall the advice I shared just a moment ago?¡± His words were reproving, but he dampened the effect with a slight smile. ¡°Ask questions for myself and my future,¡± Aida mumbled, flushing. She understood his point. No organization was completely black or white. The best she could do was find an organization she could live with¡­and hope that their goals were compatible. Kozu placed an understanding hand on her shoulder. ¡°It is difficult to make plans when you don¡¯t have any distinct details in front of you. My last piece of advice to you is to always remember your goals, but do not expend unnecessary effort on forcing a specific outcome. You can fan a flame to burn in a certain direction, but you cannot force it to burn in a specific path.¡± Aida nodded thoughtfully. Keep my eye on the prize, but remain flexible and open to opportunities. She cracked a smile. ¡°Not even you can force a flame to burn in a specific path, Professor?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Of course I can. But we¡¯re talking about you, not me.¡± Chapter 68: Reconciliation The mood in the rest of the school was noticeably sour the next star cycle. The teachers had put up a notice forbidding students from leaving the school during their rest days, and had even strictly limited their access areas. The students were now effectively confined to the barrier the instructors had set up, and after two weeks the students were starting to complain. Caleb was forlorn. Even he wasn¡¯t allowed to return to Buddington Town on the rest days to help his parents, despite having arranged for golem transport. When Aida had asked him how he felt about it, he responded despondently that he understood it was for the best. She ached with him, wondering how his parents would handle the business without him. ¡°They¡¯ll be able to manage,¡± Caleb murmured. ¡°They will have to spend some more baen to pay the workers for the shifts we would cover, but that¡¯s the price to pay for safety.¡± ¡°Are you going to stay during the recess?¡± Aida asked hesitantly. ¡°It seems like a good time to visit with your parents.¡± Caleb¡¯s cheeks pinked. ¡°I think I will stay for the Old Moon Festival and a few days after, and then possibly return home for the New Sun Festival.¡± Aida nodded enthusiastically. ¡°That makes sense! See your family and friends for the new year.¡± ¡°Yes, and then I will be able to make some more preparations so my parents don¡¯t need to rely on outside labor so much when more of my time is occupied with the sponsored assignments.¡± Aida glanced curiously at him, but he didn¡¯t seem inclined to explain. He steeled himself to say something, but before he could, they were interrupted by a pompous throat clear. Peeking over her shoulder, Aida was surprised to see Pritchard standing behind her, with his hands tucked behind his back. At the table on the far side of the dining room, she could see Pritchard¡¯s friends trying to unobtrusively offer moral support, quickly hunching back to their breakfast trays when they caught her looking. ¡°May I please speak with you?¡± he asked stiffly. ¡°¡­in private.¡± Aida frowned, glancing back at a bemused Caleb. He didn¡¯t seem to be defensive, and Aida couldn¡¯t sense any malicious intent from Pritchard. She wasn¡¯t very comfortable with the idea of wandering off with him, though, despite his - at the moment - seeming harmlessness. ¡°No offense, but¡­¡± Aida trailed off, unsure how to voice her discomfort without antagonizing him. ¡°¡­maybe we can talk here?¡± Pritchard fidgeted, glancing at Caleb. The uncharacteristic deference was perplexing and stirring some alarm in her. Caleb glanced at Aida questioningly. She shrugged back. ¡°I¡¯ll go drop our trays off,¡± Caleb said quietly, nodding at the dining hall entrance. ¡°And I¡¯ll wait for you there.¡± Pritchard stood still as Caleb departed, his face red as he struggled with some internal turmoil. Aida cautiously rose from her seat, moving to the other side of the table and claiming Caleb¡¯s chair. ¡°Do you want to sit?¡± He walked robotically over, dropping into the seat Aida had vacated. They stared at each other - or more accurately, Aida stared at him while the muscles around his lips worked furiously, his own gaze aimed at his fingers laced tightly together. Pritchard¡¯s mana was superficially calm, but she could sense that underneath the veneer of stillness he was roiling. His jaw worked as he attempted to open his mouth. After a few moments of watching Pritchard struggle, Aida finally took pity on him. ¡°What was it you wanted to talk about?¡± Pritchard closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ¡°I wanted to apologize.¡± Aida felt her eyes widen. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°I apologize,¡± Pritchard repeated. He began rambling, as if he had a whole speech memorized, but was so nervous that he stumbled over his words. She caught the words ¡°my actions,¡± ¡°insecurities,¡± ¡°unwarranted vengeance,¡± and other generally apologetic phrases. ¡°I¡­I appreciate your apology,¡± Aida said lamely, when Pritchard had finally stumbled to a halt. She wasn¡¯t sure what he was expecting with this interaction, but she would much prefer it if they could just keep doing what they¡¯ve been doing these past couple moon cycles - ignore each other. Pritchard nodded, his face red, but his posture visibly more relaxed. Even his mana was starting to move more naturally, wisps of it beginning to swirl around his person. ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to say.¡± Pritchard got out of the chair, his arms stiff at his sides. He jerked an awkward nod towards her, not meeting her gaze. ¡°Thank you for hearing me out.¡± Before Aida could even think of a response, he scampered out of the dining hall, a light comical cloud of dust kicking up behind his heels. Aida looked after him in disbelief. Did that just happen? Pritchard found the maturity to apologize, and not use that opportunity to demand a response from her? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I take it his apology went well?¡± Aida looked up at Dev. He smirked lightly at her mystified expression. ¡°Where did that come from?¡± ¡°Professor Gemma has been having regular mentoring sessions with him,¡± Dev said softly. ¡°She said it¡¯s shameful for a practitioner to so easily fall victim to the whims of his desires¡­and also that he needs to grow up and learn the world won¡¯t bend to an individual¡¯s will.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Aida was impressed. Maybe the teachers weren¡¯t as useless as she had thought. She was struck with a sudden thought, and she looked at Dev with apprehension. ¡°Is Pritchard hoping that we¡¯ll be friends?¡± Dev met her eyes, and his flinty blue eyes seemed to thaw a bit as a smile crossed his face. ¡°No. But I am.¡± Aida felt a shiver run down her spine. ¡°Well, I guess that might be a possibility now that Pritchard is less against my existence. I¡¯ll see you in class.¡± Sliding away from Dev, Aida sped towards where Caleb was waiting. ¡°Is everything all right?¡± Caleb asked, looking at her with concern. He glanced behind her, a slight frown on his face. Aida pulled on his sleeve, hurrying him out of the dining hall. ¡°Pritchard apologized - can you believe that?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Caleb asked, startled. ¡°Was it sincere?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t follow it up with any other demands, so I guess it was sincere.¡± Aida dragged Caleb out through the front doors of the school, where she was certain she had placed enough barriers between her and Dev in the dining hall. ¡°If the apology was sincere, why are you so agitated?¡± ¡°Dev!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t get a read on Dev,¡± Aida hissed. ¡°Earlier this moon cycle, he insinuated that he deliberately lost his match against Lara so that he could be placed in Class 2.¡± Caleb¡¯s brow furrowed as he frowned. ¡°That¡¯s odd. Why would he do that on purpose? Especially when their clan¡¯s heir selection will be happening so soon.¡± Aida felt the heat rise up her neck. She had a suspicion, but it would be so egotistical to say it out loud. Caleb leaned down, bringing his face in front of hers so he could peer into her eyes. His violet eyes blinked innocently, the corners of his lips turned down in a small pout. ¡°Aida?¡± he reached out, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. She was enveloped in a whiff of earthy musk - Aida had never noticed Caleb¡¯s scent before. Was it the first time she was close enough to smell him? Or had Dev set her so on edge that she finally noticed these minor details? To be fair, it is very light¡­ ¡°Aida, are you all right?¡± Caleb repeated. He placed the back of his hand on her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re burning.¡± She stepped back several paces, pulling away from Caleb¡¯s touch. She rubbed her cheeks, taking a deep breath to recenter herself. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She opened her eyes, looking at Caleb. He looked so nonplussed. She couldn¡¯t help but smile at his cluelessness. I wouldn¡¯t know what to say in his position, either. Her theory couldn¡¯t possibly make sense. She was a side character. Side characters weren¡¯t meant to have romantic relationships. Or was it acceptable, since Dev was also a side character? Aida staggered as the obvious thought struck her. Can it be? But he was the scion of a powerful family in this world - and she was just the daughter of a lowly sanitation family. She almost felt ill at the possibilities that opened up before her. Because why couldn¡¯t she try kindling a romance with someone who was all the way up there? Especially if he was also interested - it wasn¡¯t like she went after him first. And he wasn¡¯t off-limits like all the other male leads in this world - the ones who were safely earmarked for Sue. ¡°Aida!¡± She was broken from her reverie by Caleb¡¯s incessant shaking. He had her by both shoulders, and was now looking thoroughly alarmed. ¡°Do I need to bring you to Healer Luk?¡± ¡°No,¡± she managed. ¡°No, I¡¯m okay¡­I just had a lot to think about.¡± ¡°Aida! What are you up to?¡± Sue¡¯s soprano sang through the air as she skipped over to them. She was dressed in her typical rest day attire: a comfortable blouse and shorts. ¡°Were you guys going to try to sneak out of school? I¡¯ll help!¡± She had a feral smile on her face. ¡°No, we can¡¯t,¡± Caleb said, looking scandalized at her suggestion. ¡°What if we were attacked by something worse than a charred zard?¡± ¡°I was just joking,¡± Sue said, sticking her tongue out at him. ¡°But what are you guys going to do? It¡¯s so boring since we aren¡¯t allowed to go anywhere now.¡± ¡°Well, Aida was¡ª¡° ¡°Do you guys want to help me train?¡± Aida asked hopefully, interrupting Caleb. She didn¡¯t want to know how Sue would react if she got ahold of Aida¡¯s suspicions. It was one thing to tease Ezra with Sue, but she had a feeling Levi and Sue¡¯s teasing would get extremely out of hand. ¡°It¡¯s been a couple moon cycles since placement matches, so I want to see how much I¡¯ve improved in Class 2!¡± Sue¡¯s groan transformed from annoyed to interested as Aida completed her thought. ¡°Yeah, actually! That might be fun! At least this training session will be less pressure than the other training sessions.¡± Aida turned her gaze to Caleb, smiling brightly. He hesitated. ¡°I suppose, since there¡¯s not much else we can do at the moment,¡± he agreed reluctantly. Sue did a small happy dance, throwing off sparkles as she shimmied her shoulders. ¡°Yay! This will be so much fun - we haven¡¯t had a chance to spar since first year, Aida!¡± ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t want a real spar,¡± Aida protested. ¡°Can we just compare our abilities against the training dummies?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Sue declared cheerfully. ¡°We¡¯re beyond training dummies! Don¡¯t worry Aida, I won¡¯t go hard against you - let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got!¡± Chapter 69: Sparring Aida had been apprehensive about sparring against Sue, but it turned out she needn¡¯t have worried - Sue was too supportive, leaving several openings for Aida to execute her attacks, and literally leaping into her poorly-aimed mana blasts. Sue would wildly whip her wand about, firing gouts of fire near Aida, but not at her. It was quickly obvious that Aida just had to stand in place, and she could have the relaxed dummy training session she wanted. ¡°Okay, I need a break for now,¡± Aida said, thoroughly amused. Sue was rolling on the ground, mimicking drowning in the bit of water Aida had generated for her finale. ¡°I need to recover some mana. Caleb, your turn with Sue?¡± ¡°Aww, but you were doing so well!¡± Sue popped up, pouting. Caleb was amused, but also slightly exasperated at Sue¡¯s antics. ¡°It¡¯s hard to gauge if she really was doing well, since you were being so lenient with her.¡± ¡°I was not!¡± Sue said indignantly. At Caleb and Aida¡¯s deadpan exchange, she relented. ¡°¡­Not that much!¡± ¡°Anyway, off with you two. I need to do some Mana Cycling.¡± Aida waved them off, hopping up the ledge of the arena wall and dropping into the bleacher seats. Sue didn¡¯t give Caleb the heavy handicap she had given Aida; the moment Caleb indicated he was ready, she had turned into the fireball she was during placement matches. Aida was shocked. She knew Class 1 was getting pushed hard, but the improvement was beyond what she had thought possible. Sue and Caleb were blurs, stalagmites bursting out of the ground and literal explosions sounding as Sue¡¯s fireballs detonated against his shields. She rubbed her eyes; the heat and flashing lights and dust particles made it so that she couldn¡¯t track what was happening between them. ¡°I thought it was supposed to be a friendly sparring match!¡± she shouted over the booms. Two more explosions answered her, making her cough. Two hands clapped over Aida¡¯s shoulders, shaking her roughly. A voice roared in her ear. Blearily, she peered behind her. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Levi bellowed. Ezra was behind Levi, squinting into the arena. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a sparring match,¡± she shouted back. Levi wrinkled his brows, cupping his ear. She shouted louder, just as silence descended upon the arena. ¡°I was just asking a question. You didn¡¯t have to yell at me,¡± Levi said conversationally. She smacked his shoulder in retaliation, running a quick Heal through her eardrums. ¡°I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d go that hard.¡± ¡°They¡¯re probably just frustrated from being cooped up in the school for the past two cycles.¡± Levi leaned over the barricade next to Aida. ¡°Are you two done yet?¡± he called down. The dust all condensed into a small ball floating above Caleb¡¯s palm, clearing the air. He waved at them casually. ¡°Yes, I think we¡¯re done for now.¡± Next to him, Sue was stretching, a content expression on her face. Her eyes brightened as she saw Levi and Ezra. ¡°Are you guys here to train with us?¡± Levi and Ezra glanced at each other. ¡°We weren¡¯t planning on it. We heard a commotion and thought we¡¯d investigate.¡± ¡°Well now that you¡¯re here, maybe you want to participate?¡± Aida offered. She peered beyond the two newcomers. ¡°Now might be a good time to show off to your fan club.¡± Blinking, Levi turned around, catching sight of the stragglers who also came to see what the ruckus was. A smile split his face. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll pass. Now¡¯s as good a time as any to socialize. Ezra, let¡¯s go!¡± Ezra dodged Levi¡¯s friendly arm, wrinkling his nose at the idea. ¡°Fine, keep up your mystique. That¡¯s one strategy to maintaining popularity.¡± Levi headed towards the crowd with a backwards wave. ¡°Do you want to spar?¡± Ezra asked softly. He cast a nervous glance behind him. Several girls had said a quick hello to Levi, giggling at some joke he made, before slinking by him and making a beeline towards Ezra. Aida stifled her smile. ¡°Sure. I¡¯m not at full mana, so I can¡¯t go for very long.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right. I¡¯m curious to see how you¡¯ve improved.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡± Hopping over the wall, Aida and Ezra met Sue and Caleb at the bottom. ¡°You two are going?¡± Sue asked. She smiled at Ezra, who nodded to her question. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Have fun,¡± Caleb said halfheartedly. He and Sue both Surged, jumping onto the arena wall with ease. ¡°You know, even though you¡¯re the top student at Maglica, it¡¯s odd that you¡¯re so afraid of people,¡± Aida said lightly as she and Ezra headed to the center of the arena. ¡°I am not afraid,¡± Ezra said stiffly. ¡°I just find being around them to be a drain of my mental resources.¡± ¡°Oh sorry, I forgot that you don¡¯t enjoy mingling with the peasants.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®peasants¡¯ I have an issue with. It¡¯s¡­¡± Ezra trailed off as he tried to complete his thought. ¡°¡­the vapidness of their interests.¡± They faced each other in the ring, both raising their wands as they stepped into a ready stance. Ezra stood like a butler, straight-backed with one shoulder forward, his wand arm bent at the elbow like he was holding a fencing sabre instead of a wand. His other arm was tucked politely behind his back, and his feet were neatly squared. He looked utterly pompous - or regal, as the sunlight gleamed off his silver hair and illuminated his fitted white shirt. ¡°I won¡¯t attack, so do whatever you like.¡± Aida pursed her lips. On the one hand, she was certain Ezra¡¯s confidence was real. On the other hand, she had started becoming more sure of herself. Two moon cycles ago, she would have appreciated his mercy. Now¡­she felt slightly offended. Without another word, she launched herself towards him - and immediately dodged to the side. She had led with her knee, feinting a kick, but in Professor Gemma¡¯s training sessions she had become adept at using Mana Surge for incremental muscle adjustments, allowing her to alter directions slightly without having to retire a whole movement. Ezra¡¯s eyebrow raised as he witnessed her athletic improvement, but Aida was unnerved at how his eyes easily tracked her. She tried to send a Mana Blast at him - and blanched. Her wand coughed out a small puff of mana. He interrupted me! Aida grimaced. Ezra¡¯s mana control was impeccable - she couldn¡¯t feel him around her at all. She only felt him - for one instant - when he pierced her wrist, disrupting the flow of mana that was traveling through her wand. She flew backwards away from him, trying to muddle his mana senses with distance. It didn¡¯t work. He easily punctured the bubble of mana she had left behind him, leaving her gasping as her mana escaped into the atmosphere. At the same moment, he poked her wand hand again, preventing her mana from flowing through her wand. Aida was starting to understand Abedi¡¯s frustration in their placement matches. She sprinted towards Ezra, intent on at least hitting him. Ezra stood still as she approached, the corner of his lips lifting in the faintest smirk. She sent a surge through her whole body and spun through the air, collecting momentum for her final heel strike on his head. As she spun, she caught sight of Ezra¡¯s smirk widening into a grin, and was caught by a flicker of doubt. He¡¯s not even surprised! Stomping away the distracting thought, she focused on straightening herself out in one smooth move, squeezing her core and backside tightly so she could release an explosive kick¡ª She felt a jolt run through her body, just before she was supposed to uncoil herself for a devastating hammer kick. She fell, helpless, time speeding up around her as she lost her Mana Surge. Scrambling to reorient herself (it was really hard, when she was up in the air and all she could see was the sky), she felt her arms and legs instinctively swim through the air, trying to find purchase. She felt a scream start bubbling through her throat¡ª And she landed in the most foreign position she¡¯d ever been in. Ezra was looking down at her, expression serene. His silver eyes sparkled, giving away his good mood, and his hair fluttered about; the breeze made Aida aware she was feeling particularly warm. ¡°Huh?¡± Aida inquired intelligently. A smile spread across Ezra¡¯s face, utterly dazzling Aida. She scrambled down - Ezra had been holding her bridal style. He clearly saved her as she fell from the sky. Aida stomped her foot, unable to contain her frustration. ¡°You sabotaged me!¡± she accused. ¡°You kept interrupting my mana flow! You¡¯re so annoying!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying!¡± Sue called faintly from the stands. ¡°I was just testing your Mana Resistance,¡± Ezra replied calmly. He had gotten his smile under control, and was now just smirking. ¡°You¡¯ve improved.¡± Aida huffed. ¡°Can you do that against¡ª¡° she cast an eye towards the stands, where Sue, Caleb, and Levi were watching. Levi was handing Caleb a nutritious pastry from the armful he had received from his fans, and Sue was already happily munching on one ¡°¡ªthe four of us?¡± Ezra eyed Aida warily, taking in her determined finger as she pointed at the other leads, before he turned to look at them. Sue pointed to herself, tilting her head quizzically, and Caleb turned to look at the crowd behind him. Levi caught on more quickly and began shaking his head violently, clutching the pastry bars in front of him like a shield. Ezra turned back to her, nodding gravely. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be difficult.¡± Glaring at him with mock severity, Aida marched towards the stands, waving towards the three third-years. Sue grabbed Levi by the collar as he took a step to leave, dragging him down with her as she jumped down into the arena. Caleb followed, bemused. ¡°No! No! I don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s a rest day!¡± Levi was whining as Aida approached. ¡°What are we doing, Aida?¡± Sue asked brightly, ignoring Levi¡¯s tantrum. She still had his shirt in a tight grip, making him hunch over to match her height. Aida smiled at the three of them, feeling her adrenaline begin pumping. ¡°What do you say we all team up against Ezra? See if he can take all of us on?¡± ¡°No,¡± Levi moaned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight, I just want to relax!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just to see how good his mana control really is,¡± Aida argued, poking Levi in the chest. ¡°Look, with four of us, it should be easier to take him down! Have you ever tried grouping up? It might be great for building synergy!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, it might be a good exercise,¡± Caleb said hesitantly. ¡°Gemma¡¯s training sessions are all of us against her. Surely that¡¯s a good enough basis for trying it among the students¡­¡± ¡°Say no more! I¡¯m ready,¡± Sue declared. She began bouncing on her toes, her lilac eyes fiery. ¡°This might be our only chance to surpass Ezra. Just once!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need to recover your mana?¡± Levi demanded. He poked Aida back. ¡°I was watching that fight you just had. He totally ruined your mana efficiency.¡± Aida opened her mouth to retort, before a calm voice sank down. ¡°Why don¡¯t I take Aida¡¯s spot?¡± All four of them looked back up to the stands. Lara was standing over them, her elbows leaning languidly against the wall, chin resting against her palm. She was smiling benignly down on them. Chapter 70: Team Fight ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary.¡± Even though Sue was smiling, her eyes were cold. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure Aida¡¯s ready to go,¡± Levi added. He was better at hiding his feelings than Sue, but his response was still clipped. He turned back to Aida. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°Um¡ª¡° ¡°Oh come on, you said it yourself just now. Aida needs a break,¡± Lara cajoled. She leaned over the wall, catching Aida in a steely gaze. ¡°What do you say, Aida? Let me get in on this extracurricular training session.¡± Aida frowned. The dynamic among the top five was weird. Something was off about Lara, but she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on it. Even Caleb was fidgeting uncomfortably. Ezra was approaching, his expression wintry. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ª¡° ¡°Please?¡± Lara dropped her mask for a moment when the word slipped out, leaving Aida perplexed. She glanced around at the others to see even they looked disconcerted. ¡°¡­I mean, I do need to recover some more mana,¡± she muttered under her breath. Sue frowned, nodding slightly. Levi clicked his tongue, looking away; letting them decide. Caleb shrugged uncertainly. Aida looked towards Ezra. He was impassive. ¡°What do you think?¡± she prodded. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to be ganged up on.¡± ¡°Whatever you all decide,¡± he said after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°It won¡¯t matter to me.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Aida said cautiously, after another round of indecision. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it short, then. You all get five moves each, and Ezra has no limit. If you can¡¯t make him surrender in five rounds, he wins.¡± She raised her eyebrow at him, asking if it was fair. He nodded. Aida hesitated, patting him on the back for good luck when he kept his gaze on her. She leaped onto the wall as Lara dropped down, neither girl acknowledging the other as they passed each other in the air. On the other side of the wall was Lara¡¯s posse. They had already commandeered the bleachers at the front from the other fangirls, chattering to each other and completely ignoring Aida. Foregoing a seat, she decided to lean against the wall to watch the match. The four challengers fell into position, facing Ezra. Caleb took point, standing closest to him. Levi was slightly off to the side, while Lara and Sue took up positions in the back. Nothing happened as they all stared at each other. Then Sue sent a fireball at Ezra, forcing him to leap backwards - a streak of silver. Vines that had just sprouted out of the ground where Ezra¡¯s feet had been a split second before curled in the flames. Iron chains sprouted out of the ground, latching around Caleb and dragging him to the ground, utterly immobilizing him. Levi, Sue, and Lara dodged their own manacles, shouting. Sue and Levi immediately started bickering about their wasted turns. Lara, for her part, dashed after Ezra, trying to capture him in the biggest Water Cage Aida had ever seen: it took up half the arena. It didn¡¯t stop Ezra - he pierced right through the sphere, leaving a hole behind him that immediately gushed out water as Lara swore, trying to regain control of her element. Ezra easily dodged all the potholes Caleb had opened up in the ground, snaking his way around the widening maws. ¡°Stop growing those holes, we¡¯re not going to be able to navigate either!¡± Levi shouted, growing a cluster of mushrooms and failing as Ezra sliced through the stems and tapped Levi in the chest for good measure. Levi stumbled back, swearing as he recovered from the disruptive mana. His eyes widened as he ducked, trying to avoid another fireball Sue aimed at him. Fortunately, Caleb was a good guardian - a pillar shot up in front of Levi, melting into glass as it absorbed Sue¡¯s blast. ¡°CAN YOU NOT WASTE YOUR ATTACKS LIKE THIS,¡± Levi roared from behind cover. ¡°Get out of the way then!¡± Sue shot back as she zoomed after Ezra. Aida watched the battle below, enthralled. Ezra wasn¡¯t even really doing much - he was mostly just dodging, using well-timed Mana Surges to bait attacks out of his opponents, turning them against each other. He even - double jumped? - through the air. Aida stared, wide-eyed. A light ping drew her attention to her Unlearned Skills list.
Double Jump (Lv1) [100 RP]: Combining Mana Surge and Mana Blast, you will be able to use Double Jump to change directions in midair. Total RP: 146
Before she could select the new skill, one of Lara¡¯s friends leaned against the wall next to her. ¡°Hi there,¡± the girl said brightly. Her profile box labeled her as Stella Feiron, a second-year Metal student. She blinked her large green eyes at Aida innocently. ¡°We never really had the chance to speak. My name is Stella.¡± ¡°Aida.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± Stella held out a limp hand, which Aida unwillingly took. Stella retracted it as soon as Aida squeezed. ¡°Anyway, I was wondering - how did you get Ezra to pay attention to you?¡± Aida blinked slowly. Stella continued prattling, acting as if Aida was her best friend who was equally as invested in Stella¡¯s interests as she was. Lara¡¯s other friends had crept closer as well, following Stella¡¯s lead. ¡°¡ªalso tried asking him about how their new build is going¡ª¡° This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Are you trying to get to know him, or trying to prove to him that you know him?¡± Aida interrupted. Stella frowned, as if Aida was being silly. ¡°Trying to get to know him, of course! That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Aida turned back to the match. She felt the girls shuffle uneasily behind her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t really help. You¡¯ve done a lot more research on him than I have.¡± ¡°What do you talk to him about?¡± Stella asked, looping her arm through Aida¡¯s. Aida pulled away, giving Stella a look that did nothing to faze her. ¡°I dunno. Casual stuff.¡± ¡°Come on, there¡¯s gotta be something that gets him to open up to you,¡± Stella persuaded. ¡°Is it clothes? Vacations? Golems?¡± Aida hitched a broad grin on her face, reached out and clapped a friendly hand on Stella¡¯s shoulder, and pushed her away in the same firm movement. ¡°It¡¯s not about what we talk about. It¡¯s about how we talk.¡± ¡°How do you talk?¡± Stella asked breathlessly, pressing against Aida¡¯s hand as she tried to creep closer. Aida dropped her grin, letting her resting dead face come to the forefront. ¡°Don¡¯t be weird.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be weird.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­but I¡¯m not weird,¡± Stella stammered. ¡°Trust me. You¡¯re being weird.¡± Aida stared expressionlessly at Stella while she and her friends exchanged confused glances. ¡°H-How am I being weird?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know, then that means you¡¯re weird. Be chill.¡± Some of the girls¡¯ expressions transformed from bewildered to offended. ¡°Not all of us can be chill,¡± a redhead snapped, while a girl with hair the color of emeralds nodded, affronted. Oh dear. Aida raised her hands helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you. I can¡¯t speak from another element¡¯s experience.¡± Turning back to the arena, Aida studiously avoided the discontented murmurs rumbling behind her. Aida slammed her fist against the arena wall, swearing. Ezra had somehow strung Levi up so that he was dangling from a tall metal post, looking very much like a bad-tempered street lamp. Sue and Lara were trapped in the same column of metal, back to back. Both girls were yelling over their shoulders at each other, accusing the other of sabotaging her efforts. Caleb was still in his nest of chains, resigned. Aida glared angrily at Lara¡¯s friends for making her miss the match. They shriveled together under her baleful gaze. Leaping down from the wall, she ran over to Ezra, leaping over deep cracks and wilted plants, avoiding puddles of water and small flames taking far too long to gutter out. Ezra was standing between the three monuments he made, arms folded. Sue stopped yelling as she saw Aida approach, smiling. The blood started receding from her face. The anger on Lara¡¯s face faded as well, leaving her with a small - smile? - though her face was still flushed. ¡°Nice job, everybody,¡± Aida said enthusiastically. ¡°Ezra looks slightly more tired!¡± ¡°They did all right,¡± Ezra conceded, as he started melting the metal away from everybody. Levi squawked in protest as his cocoon just split, dumping him from thirty feet above the ground. ¡°So, what did we all learn from this match?¡± Aida asked the challengers, adopting Professor Havi¡¯s gravelly old-man tone. ¡°Suelina fights as if she¡¯s the one getting ganged up on,¡± Levi complained. Lara nodded vigorously. She opened her mouth¡ª ¡°After two years, everybody should know I do best as the primary attacker," Sue declared. ¡°It¡¯s a waste of mana for me to try to shepherd Ezra somewhere - I¡¯m more likely to cause collateral damage that way!¡± ¡°You could¡ª¡° Lara started, before Caleb chimed in. ¡°I¡¯m more useful as support in general. My Earth manipulation can change the combat landscape in unexpected ways, so if I learn Suelina or Levi or Lara¡¯s fighting styles I can shape the environment to better suit their attacks,¡± Caleb said earnestly. Lara¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she opened her mouth again¡ª ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t even think it¡¯s necessarily the meshing of our abilities at this point - Ezra¡¯s been harassing my casting every time I try something, so I can¡¯t ever pull off one of my awesome attacks!¡± Levi barked, throwing his hands up. He turned a critical eye on his teammates. ¡°Is it the same for you?¡± They all nodded sullenly. Lara, however, seemed ecstatic. Weird. Very weird. ¡°I guess that settles it,¡± Ezra said dryly. ¡°I¡¯m just better than all of you.¡± Aida giggled as Levi and Sue started chasing after Ezra, waving their fists at him as he fled - no, strolled quickly to the arena¡¯s exit. Chuckling, Caleb jogged after them. Aida felt her giggle fade away as she observed Lara¡¯s expression. Normally a very stoic girl, Lara had a gentle smile on her face, and her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes gave her a youthful expression. She¡¯s lonely, Aida realized, thunderstruck. She wants to be friends with them. ¡°What?¡± Lara asked, finally noticing Aida gaping at her. She had closed her expression back up. ¡°Are you - do you want to be friends with them?¡± Lara stared at Aida, lips barely parted in shock. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You just seem so happy to have been involved in this match,¡± Aida said, shrugging. Lara colored. ¡°I¡¯m not like you,¡± she spat. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask to train with them today so that we could become friends. I just did it because it was obvious you wouldn¡¯t have been able to put up a challenge against Ezra.¡± Aida was taken aback at the sudden venom. ¡°I mean, sure, but it didn¡¯t look like you put up much of a challenge either.¡± Lara scoffed, stepping away from Aida with a straight back. ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep up at all.¡± Aida stared after her. She forgot how touchy schoolgirls could be - especially when it came to admitting emotions. Almost worse than boys. Boys would play it off, and never admit to their true feelings - but girls? They got vicious. That¡¯s okay, Aida allowed. At least I know why the dynamic is so weird now. The leads must have sensed Lara¡¯s desperation to be included - a desperation that didn¡¯t exist when Lara was away from the leads. And Lara likely wouldn¡¯t take Aida¡¯s advice that desperation was unattractive. Shrugging, Aida followed after Sue and the others as Lara reconvened with her friends, who latched on to her and sent scathing looks Aida¡¯s way. Based on how furiously their lips moved, she could imagine the kinds of opinions they were vomiting on Lara. Chapter 71: Old Moon Festival 0 ¡°Hey, Aida!¡± Aida glanced around at the hiss, to see Levi beckoning at her from one of the corner classrooms. She looked around curiously - nobody was in the hallway, since most of the student population had gone home for the upcoming Festival recess. So no reason for Levi¡¯s secretive attitude. Levi shut the door behind her as soon as she stepped into the classroom. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Old Moon Festival. It¡¯s tonight.¡± Levi crossed his arms, seeming uncharacteristically wary. ¡°Uh huh. The teachers have organized a small get-together to moongaze, right?¡± Aida tilted her head at him, frowning. He was so uptight, and seemed distracted. She stomped towards him, thrusting her face into his at the same time. ¡°Boo!¡± Levi gasped, collapsing against the door with a hand over his heart. ¡°What was that for?¡± Aida snickered. ¡°You were so tense, so I wanted to mess with you. What¡¯s going on with you?¡± Levi waved her back as he straightened, his cheeks colored from the shock. ¡°I just wanted to make sure you understood the ramifications of the Old Moon Festival.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Aida considered. She had done some further research about the event after Levi¡¯s brief explanation, but she didn¡¯t notice anything particularly convoluted about the celebration. ¡°It seems fairly straightforward, just an end-of-year celebration with family and loved ones. What¡¯s important about it?¡± ¡°The loved ones part,¡± Levi prompted. ¡°Are you planning on engaging with an individual in that portion of the celebration?¡± Aida laughed. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. I would have thought you would ask me to help orchestrate something for you and Sue.¡± ¡°Humor me,¡± Levi wheedled. ¡°What are your plans?¡± Turning thoughtful, Aida started pacing. ¡°Well, if it makes you feel any better I wasn¡¯t planning on partaking in the romance part of the event.¡± Not least because everyone around her was younger than her - she doubted any of them had eyes for her, not with Sue around. Dev¡¯s cryptic message about friendship flashed through her mind, and goosebumps rose on her skin, making her rub her upper arms unconsciously. Don¡¯t be silly, she chided herself. For all she knew, Dev might be trying to orchestrate some sort of forgiveness campaign for Pritchard. No matter what he said about Pritchard having learned anything from Professor Gemma¡¯s mentoring sessions, the fact was she still didn¡¯t know what their motives really were. ¡°You know, in order to avoid any awkward questions, you could always spend the Festival with me,¡± Levi suggested delicately. Aida tripped on her own ankle as she turned to look at him incredulously. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me - you don¡¯t think you can get Sue alone, so you¡¯re trying to use me as a backup plan!¡± Aida accused, slamming her hands on the desk she caught herself on. It was accidental, but it added a nice touch to her mock severity. To his credit, Levi looked appropriately aghast. ¡°No! That¡¯s not my intention!¡± Aida leered at him, but he refused to relent. ¡°I just thought it would be a mutually beneficial arrangement! If you spend the Festival with me, no one else will try to seek your company - and since I know the truth about you, we don¡¯t have to worry about any misunderstandings arising between us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Aida replied, waving his concerns off. ¡°I was already planning on sticking with the staff during the moongazing event, and then returning to my room as soon as the event was over. I¡¯m unlikely to run into any trouble following that plan, right?¡± Levi actually started to look a bit frustrated. He opened and closed his mouth several times, before finally raising his eyes to the ceiling. ¡°Fine. I can see there¡¯s no convincing you.¡± Aida rested her elbows on the desk, leaning her chin against her hand as she looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. ¡°Levi¡­are you trying to court me?¡± she teased. She swished her hips for emphasis. Levi leaned down to meet her gaze, his arms folded across his chest. ¡°What if I am?¡± His voice was deep and humorless, and his lips were serious. His bronze eyes were steady, completely serious. Aida swallowed, trying to keep her smile on her face. She couldn¡¯t play chicken with him. Who knew how much practice he had wooing girls as the resident playboy of the cast - and even though Annie knew he was a playboy, she was starting to acknowledge she might not be able to hold her own if Levi actually turned his charm onto her for real. She blew into his face, forcing him to close his eyes as she stood up. She was able to think more clearly when he didn¡¯t have her pinned by his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s a good plan, isn¡¯t it? As long as I stick with a group, there shouldn¡¯t be any issue. Why are you so worried about me, anyway?¡± Aida asked suspiciously. Now that she started questioning motives, she couldn¡¯t seem to stop. She didn¡¯t like it; it took too much thinking. Levi looked at her with exasperation. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll be making sure you stick to the crowd,¡± he declared, pointing a stern finger at her. ¡°No roaming off on your own.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Aida rolled her eyes as she hauled open the door, leaving Levi swelling indignantly behind her as she headed for lunch. She really didn¡¯t understand why he was so worried; she wasn¡¯t planning on seeking out trouble. Dress modestly, keep her head down, go home at the appropriate hour - what could go wrong? Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She skidded to a stop, seeing Ezra approach from the other end of the hallway. ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Ezra asked, wariness tingeing his dispassionate question. His eyes lingered on Levi stepping out of the classroom behind her. Before Aida could fumble for an explanation, Levi swung his arm around her neck, dragging her towards him. ¡°Aida and I were making plans to get together for the Old Moon Festival tonight!¡± Aida squawked in outrage - or at least, she tried to. Levi was nearly choking her in his enthusiastic embrace. Ezra nearly rolled his eyes but managed to put a lid on it, maintaining his refined demeanor. ¡°Since you¡¯re the one who said it, I know that¡¯s not true.¡± He glanced at Aida. ¡°What were you doing?¡± Aida fought her way out of Levi¡¯s hold, taking a moment to catch her breath - and also come up with a reasonable answer. ¡°What are you all up to?¡± A dulcet voice floated over them, making a shiver run through their group. Lara had just come down the staircase, and was smiling serenely at them. Her eyes glossed over Aida, lingering on Levi and Ezra. Aida swallowed her laughter. Of course Lara would show up - just in time to save her from an awkward situation, and thereby making things even more uncomfortable with her presence. ¡°Hey Lara,¡± Aida said neutrally. ¡°We were just talking about the Old Moon Festival tonight.¡± ¡°Ah, of course,¡± Lara said smoothly. ¡°You are attending, yes?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Aida said. Ezra and Levi just nodded stiffly, exchanging glances. ¡°Excellent. I shall see you all there.¡± Inclining her head, Lara moved sedately past Ezra, not even bothering to look at Aida. After Lara turned the corner, Aida turned to Ezra and Levi. Both of them had sour expressions on their faces, thoroughly distracted from the original topic at hand. That could have a lot been worse. ¡°Should we get lunch?¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Levi and Ezra were reluctant to remain in the dining hall while Lara was in there, so they ate on the lawn in front of the school¡¯s massive front doors. ¡°So¡­is there anything you¡¯re looking forward to in the new sun cycle?¡± Aida asked brightly. Levi and Ezra were both silently eating, and the silence between the two was awkward - Aida was partially worried Ezra would begin interrogating them again about what they were discussing in the classroom, and was trying to forestall that thought process. Levi smirked. ¡°Graduation, obviously. I can¡¯t wait for the freedom from this grind.¡± ¡°But once you start working, that¡¯s another grind itself,¡± Aida pointed out. ¡°At least work will have more flexibility than this,¡± Levi said dismissively. ¡°Work will just be about how your perform at your job, and once you¡¯re done for the day there¡¯s no more expectation for you to keep practicing your skills for another exam the next day.¡± Levi grimaced. His words reminded Aida of her last year of high school, where every one of her classmates suffered a severe bout of senioritis. Aida grinned, turning to Ezra inquisitively. Ezra wasn¡¯t as gung ho as Levi; he actually had a look of melancholy on his face as he contemplated her question. ¡°I think I will miss it,¡± Ezra finally said. ¡°Miss what?¡± Levi gaped at Ezra. ¡°School?¡± Ezra nodded, ignoring Levi¡¯s shock. ¡°I like having this routine. I know exactly what will happen each day, and that makes it easier to plan my studies.¡± Levi continued to goggle at Ezra. ¡°You want structure, so that you can do more work?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not work if I enjoy it,¡± Ezra informed Levi haughtily. ¡°I think Ezra has a point,¡± Aida said quietly, cutting off Levi¡¯s response. ¡°I like knowing what¡¯s going to happen in the short term¡­thinking about the future is¡­intimidating.¡± ¡°But - that¡¯s going to get so boring!¡± Levi leaned forward, peering into her face. ¡°If you know you¡¯re going to do the same thing every day, day after day¡­¡± Aida shrugged. ¡°Honestly, I like having there be one clear goal in front of me, instead of¡­nothing.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the beauty of it,¡± Levi argued. ¡°You can decide what your goal is. You¡¯re not going to be forced to achieve some arbitrary goal decided by the teachers. And besides, you have a goal, don¡¯t you? Becoming a Healer.¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t truly know what being a Healer entails,¡± Aida confessed. ¡°I think I¡¯m romanticizing the idea of being a Healer, but what if I find out I hate it?¡± ¡°But nobody knows exactly what something is going to be like before they do it. What are you really afraid of?¡± Levi challenged, scooting closer to her. Aida scooted back. ¡°Just¡­what if I make the wrong choice?¡± Aida asked softly, looking down at her hands. She couldn¡¯t meet Levi¡¯s insistent gaze. ¡°What if my choice leads to a worse outcome?¡± Her question was met with silence. She glanced up to see Levi and Ezra exchanging glances. ¡°I know it¡¯s illogical,¡± Aida assured them hastily. ¡°Since no one can anticipate the future, but I just can¡¯t help but feel that way, you know?¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth,¡± Levi said lightly, ¡°Even if you, say, pick the ¡®wrong¡¯ job from among the Affiliates, you¡¯ll still be able to get a new job relatively easily. So don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re locked in to your choice at the beginning.¡± Don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re locked in to your choice. Even though Levi¡¯s sentiment had been floating in the back of her mind, futilely battling the irrational fear of making a mistake regarding her future, hearing him say it seemed to crystallize the meaning of the words. Making the prospect of escaping from a job she hated more tangible. Even though this world had magic and monsters, everything she¡¯d seen so far indicated it was just as fluid and susceptible to random chance as the real world. She wouldn¡¯t be forced into a single job she hated¡­she did have the Tulvers¡¯ offer, after all. That¡¯s so much better than nothing. Aida smiled gratefully at him. ¡°I guess all I needed was to hear someone say it.¡± Ezra coughed lightly. ¡°If I may¡­surely any career decision you make won¡¯t be worse than¡­¡± he trailed off, glancing meaningfully at her. She gazed blankly at him, before feeling her cheeks flush. Something about having a boy mention relationships in direct relation to her made her feel¡­giddy. It was easy to talk or gossip about someone else¡¯s relationship status, because it was never about her. But having Ezra broach the topic of her impending arrangement¡­it was almost as if he really did see her as a girl, and not just a friend. ¡°Yeah, it can¡¯t get worse than that,¡± she muttered, pulling her knees to her chin. ¡°Can¡¯t get worse than what?¡± Levi asked keenly. ¡°None of your business,¡± Aida said curtly. ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m going to go do some more mana exercises before the Festival tonight.¡± ¡°You are attending the Festival event the staff is organizing?¡± Ezra asked quickly, following her with his own lunch tray. ¡°Yes, Aida and I are,¡± Levi sang from behind Ezra. ¡°Will we see you there?¡± Aida looked at Levi, exasperated. Teasing Ezra for no reason. ¡°Of course I will be there,¡± Ezra responded stiffly, squinting at Levi. ¡°You¡¯re not going to spend the evening with¡­someone else?¡± ¡°Like who?¡± Levi asked airily, squeezing between Ezra and Aida to return his tray first. ¡°Aida and I are good friends. We¡¯ll have fun at the event.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m out.¡± Muttering at the needless posturing between the two boys, Aida made her way down to the Lake. Chapter 72: Old Moon Festival I Aida opened her door to Sue¡¯s beaming face, which immediately fell into horror as she swept Aida from head to toe. In contrast to the neat dark pants and blouse Aida had on (her research for the Old Moon Festival gave her the impression that ¡°seeing off¡± the Old Moon was something akin to meeting with family elders in order to thank them for their leadership in taking care of the family over the course of the star cycle), Sue was wearing a simple silken dress in a pale pink color. The fabric was light and floaty, swishing with every movement despite draping demurely against Sue¡¯s curves. ¡°No no no,¡± Sue declared, forcing herself into Aida¡¯s room. ¡°I¡¯ve been letting you get away with a lot of things lately, Aida, but I will not let you get away with this!¡± ¡°What¡ª¡° Dragged unceremoniously back into her room, Aida was thrust back onto the foot of her bed as Sue started digging through her wardrobe, recreating the mess Aida had painstakingly cleared during the recess. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you were going to moongaze looking like that!¡± Sue huffed, holding up a long cotton dress that was thoroughly creased. She tossed it onto the bed before diving back into the drawers. ¡°Just because we were beaten and smothered by the teachers these past moon cycles doesn¡¯t mean we will let them see our spirits smoldering!¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t plan on being there that long,¡± Aida protested weakly. Sue shushed her, snapping her fingers in Aida¡¯s direction as small plumes of flame burst at each click. ¡°If you plan on sneaking away with someone, that means even more that you can¡¯t look like that,¡± Sue fussed. She pulled out a woefully crumpled length of sky-blue fabric from the depths of the wardrobe, flapping it open to look at it. ¡°Aida, what have you done to this poor thing,¡± she moaned. ¡°I¡­forgot about it?¡± Aida offered, laughing awkwardly. Sue clicked her tongue, sliding the dress onto a hanger. ¡°Come on, help me steam it and it should be good to wear for tonight.¡± Sue took out her wand and lit a small flame at the tip, and Aida mustered up a misty stream to send through the flame. As soon as the last wrinkle was melted out of the dress, Sue turned to Aida with a mischievous glint in her eye. ¡°So, who are you going to be spending the Old Moon Festival with?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aida asked blandly, turning away from Sue as she began changing. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s your first year attending the Festival without your parents¡­and there are a lot of boys here,¡± Sue hinted. She waggled her eyebrows at Aida, making her laugh. ¡°I was just going to attend the school¡¯s own moongazing portion,¡± Aida said, smiling slightly. The more Sue (and Levi) talked about the Festival, the more Aida could see that what she learned about the Festival¡¯s history was purely academic. To the current generation, the Festival had become more of an excuse to have a date, instead of honoring its original traditions of appreciating having survived through the dead of winter. She remembered how Christmas and New Years events used to be all about friends and family as a child, and as she got older everyone in her peer group seemed to think of it as something that required a date. If she said she was just going to celebrate with her parents, her friends would respond with surprise, and the mood would be much more subdued after her admission; as if they didn¡¯t want to rub it in her face that they all were spending the holidays with their significant other¡¯s family, and not just their own. I mean¡­Levi did offer to spend it with me¡­Aida shook her head slightly, frowning. Even if Levi did offer to spend the Festival with her in earnest, there was still no getting around the fact it was a pity date at best. Since the Old Moon Festival was starting to look more like a popularity contest than just peacefully moongazing and appreciating the past sun cycle, Levi was probably just trying to have a partner on his arm so that he wouldn¡¯t, heavens forbid, look like a dateless loser. ¡°Sure, we all are, but¡­what about after?¡± ¡°No plans after,¡± Aida said as stoically as possible. She straightened out the dress: it hung to just below her knees, and it didn¡¯t hang as low on her chest as she had feared it would. Overall, it was quite demure, which was a relief. Sue cooed as Aida turned around. ¡°You look so pretty! I¡¯m sure one of the boys will try to get you alone during the last half.¡± She bounded forward with a blue silk ribbon, tying Aida¡¯s hair up in an elegant half ponytail. ¡°There! Now you look like a Moon Maiden!¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Please, if anyone¡¯s a Moon Maiden, it¡¯s you,¡± Aida responded playfully. It was true; the Moon Maiden described in one of the fables associated with the Old Moon Festival was an ethereal being who came down from the Moon when it was at its largest. A lonely person (the most popular story was a man without a family, and some variants said it was just someone in need of a friend) would find the Moon Maiden glancing around, perplexed and lost, and offer her aid. The Moon Maiden would gladly accept, and spend the rest of the night cavorting and experiencing all the sights in the mortal realm, chaperoned by the Lonely One. When the night was almost over, the Moon Maiden would return to the moon before it faded away. Aida was glad she had read that fable and was able to pass Sue¡¯s sniff test, but wished she had spent more time thinking about the Old Moon Festival in that kind of context. The Moon Maiden fable seemed to hold much more cultural significance than the actual gratitude part of the tradition. ¡°So¡­are you planning on spending the rest of the event with anyone?¡± Aida asked, turning the questioning back on Sue. She knew how the script was supposed to go: Sue, as the dedicated best friend, would do her best to encourage her bestie that she would have a date. And Aida, as the support character, was supposed to help her get an event with one of the love interests. Whether or not Aida actually had a date at the end of the night was no one¡¯s objective. But given how little information Aida had at the moment, she had no idea who was in the lead with Sue. But maybe it¡¯s better this way. Not being in control of the narrative made it easier for her to just live as Aida. Sue was positively glowing, thanks to the sparkles being thrown off her body. ¡°Well¡­Caleb kind of asked, and I kind of said yes¡­¡± Aida tilted her head, feeling her eyes widen. ¡°Kind of? Kind of?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just going to see how it goes,¡± Sue said hurriedly. ¡°If the mood strikes, then¡­well¡­you know.¡± Sue''s excitement was contagious. Aida couldn¡¯t help an uncharacteristic squeal from escaping her lips, before clapping her hands over her mouth. Sue¡¯s blush deepened at Aida¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°Don¡¯t make a big deal out of it, okay?¡± Sue pleaded, unable to stop the smile from spreading across her face. ¡°It¡¯s not set in stone.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Aida promised. ¡°But I will do my best to make sure you two get your moment together.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t tempt the fates,¡± Sue scolded, her cheeks still red. The sparkles had dimmed, but were still illuminating her like a goddess. ¡°Okay okay, let¡¯s go before we lose your opportunity,¡± Aida teased, feeling more like Sue than herself as she bounced in place. As they left Aida¡¯s room, both giggling as Sue pushed her for who she would want to spend the evening with, they ran into Lara, wearing a silvery gray slip dress similar to Sue¡¯s, who had also just left her own room. With Lara¡¯s sophisticated posture, she looked undeniably elegant. She looks like she really could be the Moon Maiden. ¡°Good evening, girls,¡± Lara said smoothly, her gray eyes bright. Her mana was steady and controlled, though Aida thought she could see through the veneer of calm and control to the undercurrent of wavering mana. ¡°I thought I was going to be the only one who was late. Let¡¯s head down to the courtyard together?¡± Unable to come up with an excuse not to walk with her, Aida and Sue fell in beside her, neither one giggling. ¡°So, have either one of you made plans after the Maglica-organized event?¡± Lara asked delicately. ¡°No,¡± Aida answered honestly. Sue shook her head stiffly, not bothering to answer. Lara glanced at the two of them from the corners of her eyes. ¡°Do you¡­have your sights set on anyone?¡± Aida glanced at Sue, who was stony-faced. When Sue didn¡¯t answer, Lara looked to Aida, who just shrugged. Lara sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not planning on doing anything nefarious. I¡¯m just trying to make conversation.¡± ¡°Do you have your sights set on anyone, then?¡± Aida asked. Lara gave a thin smile. ¡°Why yes. I¡¯m going to see if I can get Ezra Riolt to invite me.¡± Aida couldn¡¯t stop her mouth from dropping open. Lara¡¯s smirk widened. ¡°Were you expecting Ezra to ask you?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Aida said slowly. ¡°But I certainly didn¡¯t expect him to ask you. What makes you think he will?¡± she asked, trying to regain her tone of polite curiosity. It didn¡¯t work; Lara¡¯s face had frozen into a mask of cold fury. ¡°It¡¯s common sense,¡± she said, biting each word out. ¡°We run in the same social circles. Our upbringings are similar. Our skill levels are much closer together. And since Suelina already has the attention of Levi, it only stands to reason that Ezra will choose me.¡± ¡°Levi?¡± Aida couldn¡¯t help but laugh, which only served to infuriate Lara even more. ¡°I apologize for laughing.¡± Aida took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. I knew Lara¡¯s social skills were bad, but I didn¡¯t expect her observation skills to be bad, too. Sue was frowning between Aida and Lara. ¡°Levi¡¯s just Levi. What are you talking about?¡± Sue demanded. Lara gave Sue a withering look. ¡°You may be good at using your mana, but you really are so obtuse, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Just ignore her,¡± Aida told Sue quietly, pulling on her arm to walk faster. She stifled a smile. ¡°Lara¡¯s not really great at reading social cues either.¡± ¡°Where does she get off on saying that?¡± Sue whispered angrily, throwing a scathing look over her shoulder as Aida rushed her ahead. ¡°I hate how she just assumes she knows things.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Aida said soothingly. ¡°And you know that she does that a lot too. Just ignore it.¡± ¡°But it makes me so angry!¡± Sue stomped her foot. ¡°Hey hey, calm down! We¡¯re almost at the courtyard, you don¡¯t want people to know Lara got to you, do you?¡± Sue nodded aggressively, taking a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re right. The Old Moon Festival is not the time to get angry.¡± She took several more deep breaths before finally smiling at Aida, though her eyes were still fiery. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Aida nodded back, feeling a thrill pass through her stomach and squashing the feeling of misgivings. Time to experience my first cultural event here. She hoped she wasn¡¯t missing anything important that would out her as a fraud to this world. Chapter 73: Old Moon Festival II A long banquet table had been set up in front of the willow tree and was covered in trays of bite-sized sweets: the warm smell of freshly baked sugar floated throughout the courtyard, welcoming Aida and Sue into the homey atmosphere. The teachers were milling around the front of the table, greeting students as they approached. Other than the third years, only a few second years were still at school, and they were huddled in their own group at the edge of the courtyard. Caleb and Ezra were standing at the far end of the courtyard, both looking harried as Levi tried to force a sweet into their mouths. The boys were wearing similar cuts of clothing: long, cotton pants paired with a cotton tunic, and a heavier open-front jacket. Despite the simple fabrics, their outfits still carried their wearers¡¯ characteristics. Ezra¡¯s clothes were various shades of gray, with his pants being the darkest shade and his jacket nearly white. Silver thread gleamed along the seams. Levi¡¯s attire was a lot more flamboyant and green, though it followed a similar chroma to Ezra¡¯s. The sleeves of his pale green jacket had contrasting green vines embroidered along the opening, matching the color of his pants. Caleb¡¯s was the most simple: dark, dependable brown pants, with a sand-colored top and an eggshell-colored jacket. The three of them undeniably looked like a matching set, fit for a dating game. Dev, Abedi, and Shon, all dressed in their own corresponding colors (Dev in shades of blue, Abedi in yellow and gold, and Shon in more muted shades of green), were off to the side, snickering as they watched Caleb and Ezra dodge Levi¡¯s attempted force-feeding. As the two girls headed out to the courtyard, all eyes turned to Sue. Aida glanced over at her friend, suppressing a smile as Sue was bathed in moonbeams. With the way the pale light gleamed off of her perfect skin and hair, and somehow highlighting her lilac eyes instead of washing them out, there was no question that the world was supposed to revolve around her. A small part of Aida was envious that Sue had the natural ability to effortlessly look amazing under all lighting conditions. Sue was smiling as she took in the setup, taking in a deep breath of the sweet air. She reached out and looped her arm through Aida¡¯s elbow, pulling her along to greet the teachers. ¡°Miss Heslia, Miss Loreh, we¡¯re very happy you could make it,¡± Professor Gemma said, inclining her head courteously as they approached. ¡°Please, feel free to have some desserts and socialize with your fellow students.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about keeping your mana pools balanced tonight,¡± Professor Lloyd added, smiling benignly at them. He spread his arms to take in the courtyard. ¡°Treat this as if it were your last night in this realm and enjoy yourself!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit too grim, Lloyd,¡± Professor Kozu interjected genially, placing a hand on Lloyd¡¯s shoulder to pull him back. He addressed the girls next. ¡°Enjoy yourselves, but do be responsible.¡± Professors Bruce and Havi merely nodded at them, acknowledging their arrival. Aida and Sue took their time picking through the desserts on the table, giggling at the cute shapes, before finally choosing one small pastry each. Sue selected a pastel pink pastry shaped like a rosebud, while Aida chose a simple dessert that looked like a mochi: white like a full moon. ¡°You two finally made it,¡± Levi commented as they approached the three boys. ¡°We were all about to call it a night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Caleb protested, embarrassed. ¡°The night is still young.¡± He couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off of Sue, while she seemed to have a difficult time maintaining eye contact with him. She smiled nervously at Levi and Ezra; Levi was amused, his eyes dancing between Sue and Caleb, while Ezra just blinked. ¡°What a relief,¡± Aida sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t mind heading back to my room after finishing this.¡± She held up her little mochi. It was squishy, with a gently powdered surface just like the regular confection in her world. She bit into it, chewing carefully. The outside of it was gelatinous and mildly sweet, as expected. But the inside filling was something she had never tasted before: faintly salty, just enough to provide a hint of savoriness, perfectly balanced with the gently toasted sugar. Overall, the combination was extremely mild, leaving Aida with a craving for more. ¡°You like that one?¡± Levi asked impishly. He offered her another one of the addictive mochi balls, pinched gently between his thumb and forefinger. His small dessert dish was piled high with a variety of desserts from the banquet table. ¡°Ezra and Caleb don¡¯t seem to want any.¡± Aida held out her own sampling dish, but Levi waved the dessert tauntingly in front of her. ¡°Dispense with the needless actions! Just eat it like this.¡± She gave him a deadpan look, while Ezra reached out and snatched the mochi from Levi¡¯s fingers. ¡°It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want them, it¡¯s just that we didn¡¯t want you feeding them to us. Nobody does,¡± Ezra refuted. He spoke calmly, but his expression publicized his bad temper. Aida let out an unwilling giggle as Ezra chomped the mochi aggressively, looking very much like the meme cat celebrity Grouchy Cat. It was nice to see Ezra opening up and making friends with the other boys. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°I agree, that¡¯s quite unsanitary,¡± Aida agreed. She plucked a rosebud pastry from Levi¡¯s plate, biting into it delicately. It was a flaky confection. She didn¡¯t know how the dessert was made, but each layer of the petal crumbled in the most divine way: not too dry, so that no crumbs flew out of her mouth from a wayward breath; just moist enough to melt against her tongue, wrapping it in a thin sheet of creaminess. The interior of the rosebud was just as much of a palatable experience: smooth cream oozed out of the small opening, more like a syrup than an airy pudding. I see why Sue likes this one. Aida opened her mouth to share her thoughts with Sue, only to see that she and Caleb had drifted away from them. Sue was the perfect image of a chaste and demure maiden, gazing down at her plate with the rosebud on it as she laughed lightly at whatever Caleb said. Caleb himself looked like he didn¡¯t know what he was doing with his body, constantly shifting on his feet and readjusting his hands. Despite the uncharacteristic unfamiliarity with his own body, Caleb could barely refrain from hiding his abashed joy at Sue¡¯s attention. Aida swooned at their courtship. To be young and in love¡­ "You¡¯re looking lovely tonight, Aida.¡± She caught herself at the unexpected voice, quickly rearranging her expression into a less sappy one. Levi and Ezra had both stiffened, and adopted more formal stances. Turning around, Aida saw Dev standing a respectful distance away. He had his head lowered deferentially, and held his own sampling plate with a variety of colorful desserts on it. He offered the plate to Aida. ¡°May I entice you in another delicacy?¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, but I¡¯m done for the moment,¡± Aida said quickly, smiling at him. ¡°The desserts that I¡¯ve had were quite filling.¡± Dev straightened, smiling at her. ¡°I¡¯m relieved you were able to make it.¡± ¡°We are too,¡± Levi said loudly with an obnoxious guffaw from behind her. He stepped up next to Aida. ¡°It¡¯s nice being able to gather with friends to observe the setting of the Old Moon. Maybe you should get back to yours as well?¡± Aida gazed at Levi, nonplussed. What¡¯s with the open hostility? She thought they had all become friends after the sparring session earlier in the star cycle. She glanced at Levi, trying to convey her annoyance at him. However, he refused to meet her gaze, and instead remained squared up with Dev. Ridiculous. Dev¡¯s flirting was harmless, since Sue was safely in Caleb¡¯s orbit right now. Even if Dev moved on to Sue after his perfunctory words to Aida, there was no way Sue would give him the time of night. ¡°It¡¯s almost time,¡± Ezra said from Aida¡¯s other shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s head over there. It¡¯s a better vantage point for viewing the moon than here.¡± Ezra¡¯s hand ghosted over Aida¡¯s shoulder, directing her towards the center of the courtyard without actually touching her. Levi followed shortly after, with a casual ¡°excuse us¡± to Dev. ¡°But what about Sue and Caleb?¡± Aida inquired, looking over her shoulder. Dev was looking after them. She caught a brief glimpse of the resignation on Dev¡¯s face before Abedi and Shon covered him as they approached their friend. Beyond Dev, Sue and Caleb were still flirting, completely ignorant of what had happened. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine,¡± Levi said blithely. ¡°They know what they¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°But they¡¯re not at a good¡ª¡° ¡°They will be fine,¡± Ezra affirmed Levi. ¡°Stand here.¡± Ezra placed Aida directly between himself and Levi, the three of them facing the banquet table. The teachers had started calling for everyone to gather, and Aida saw several school staff members join them as well. Nolem waved merrily at Aida, winking, and Charma smiled indulgently as their eyes met. Aida flushed for some reason, looking away. I need to go greet them later. ¡°Fellow Maglica Academy residents,¡± Professor Bruce began, his tone somber. ¡°Another sun cycle is about to end. The night of the Old Moon is meant to be a gathering among family members, where we can all reminisce about our successes, sorrows, or other significant events that occurred during this past year. Despite our inability to spend this precious time with our own families, know that you all are a part of the Maglica Academy family. As you observe the waning of the Old Moon tonight, please remember that you are not alone: you are surrounded by peers, friends, and mentors who have shared memories with you.¡± Aida looked up at the sliver of moon hovering over their heads as Bruce finished his speech. Maybe it was because they were in the foothills of the mountains, but for some reason the moon appeared to be bearing down on them all, pressing them against the ground. His words about family made her quiver a bit. Even though the calendar in this world was off, she had still spent a total of twelve weeks in this world - three earth months without her parents. And she was about to ¡°celebrate¡± the end of the year without them. I wonder how they¡¯re doing now. Heavy fabric dropped around Aida¡¯s shoulders, and her hands reached up to instinctively clutch the cloth about her, preventing it from falling to the ground. Gentle hands rested on her shoulders, further securing the jacket about her. ¡°There you go,¡± Levi said tenderly. ¡°It¡¯s cold. Take my jacket.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± Aida said blankly. She hadn¡¯t really noticed the chill in the air - she supposed it was due to her improved VIT stat. But there was no denying that the jacket was a sensible accessory for a winter event. How come Sue didn¡¯t tell me to wear a covering? Aida thought, mildly annoyed. Sue herself wasn¡¯t wearing one either; her bare shoulders gleamed underneath the light from the moon and stars. She and Caleb¡¯s arms were nearly touching as they both looked up at the moon. Actually¡­none of the other girls were wearing a covering either. A couple of the younger girls were shivering, eyeing some of the other boys in their warm jackets enviously. She looked at Ezra and saw that he seemed to be particularly tense, refusing to look at her. He had his hands folded in the sleeves of his jacket. Lara was alone at the far side of the courtyard, looking up at the moon with her arms crossed. Despite her perfect posture and tranquil expression, she held the same kind of tension all throughout her body like Ezra. She turned to her other side. Levi had a smug look on his face. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she whispered. Levi leaned closer to hear her repeated question. ¡°Why don¡¯t the girls get to wear jackets?¡± Chapter 74: Old Moon Festival III ¡°You¡¯re wearing a jacket right now,¡± Levi murmured back. ¡°You know what I mean,¡± Aida hissed. She felt her stomach drop as she noticed how intimate their positions were. Levi still had his hands resting on her shoulders, and his ear was only a breath away. She could smell pine needles wafting from his hair. ¡°¡­There¡¯s a cultural significance to the jacket thing, isn¡¯t there?¡± Levi slowly exhaled, straightening back to his normal height. He pulled her away from Ezra, and this time Ezra completely ignored the two of them. ¡°There is. But don¡¯t worry¡ª¡° The teachers interrupted Levi¡¯s explanation, though Aida didn¡¯t turn her glare away from Levi. She had dropped her hands from the collars of the jacket, and had her hands on her hips - though with how billowy the jacket was, it really wasn¡¯t that obvious. She kept her glare trained on Levi as Bruce talked. ¡°Thank you everybody for attending and reminiscing. Please collect some more moon snacks before we have them cleared away. Have a good night, and do not stay up too late - tomorrow is a good time for you all to catch up on anything you might wish to work on, so please be responsible about how you spend your time.¡± There was a flurry of movement around them as several students and staff members went to grab the desserts before they were taken away, and everyone departed, careful to give Aida and Levi a wide berth. Levi laughed awkwardly. ¡°It worked. You can give my jacket back now.¡± ¡°Levi¡­¡± Aida¡¯s voice was deadly calm. Given the looks they had received from everybody, she could imagine the implications of what Levi giving her his jacket had done. She struggled to keep her temper in check. Customer service face. ¡°Tell me what you did.¡± Levi tried to dally, but relented when Aida swept the jacket from her shoulders and whipped it over his shoulder, relinquishing her possession of the problematic garment. Fortunately for him, the courtyard was already empty. ¡°I just made it clear to others that they weren¡¯t to approach you tonight.¡± ¡°And what right did you have to make that decision for me?¡± Aida¡¯s voice was so icy that her jaw was tight. ¡°I was just looking out for you,¡± Levi argued. ¡°You didn¡¯t understand the full scope of this event, so I expected you to walk in and accidentally cause a misunderstanding with someone else - which I was right to expect, because you did just that. But fortunately, you made that mistake with me.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t think it would be easier to explain to me the full scope of this event?¡± Aida fumed. ¡°You kept me in the dark, so that when I make a mistake, you can say ¡®I told you so?¡¯¡± Being set up for failure like that - Aida couldn¡¯t think straight with all the blood rushing to her head. Levi¡¯s own voice hardened, and his expression transformed into that of the predator she had met in the forest the night he accosted her about her real identity. ¡°If you recall, I was trying to explain to you earlier today, but you kept avoiding the topic. And you already knew there was a romantic part of this event, so who was I to assume you didn¡¯t already know the ¡®full scope of this event?¡¯¡± ¡°You waited until the last minute!¡± Aida struggled to keep from shouting. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier, when the teachers first posted the notice about this Festival? Or any of the other star cycles in between from then ¡®til now?¡± ¡°For your information, I thought it would be fine - that maybe everybody would still think of you as Aida. But the more I watched, the more I noticed people weren¡¯t just thinking of you as Aida - and if it wasn¡¯t for me tonight, some other guy would have given you his jacket.¡± Aida threw up her hands. ¡°I still don¡¯t see why you couldn¡¯t have just told me clearly about how this event goes!¡± ¡°Why do you care so much?¡± Levi demanded. ¡°You¡¯re acting like you already had someone in mind you would want to receive a jacket from - why weren¡¯t you honest about that, then?¡± Aida scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous! No one was going to give me their jacket anyway.¡± ¡°I gave you my jacket,¡± Levi finally shouted at her. Aida fell silent. She had fallen into a groove in the argument, and had been prepared to throw her response back in his face - but his response, the vehemence in it - it did something to stall her arguments out. The meaning of his words finally broke through the fog of anger in her mind, and her brain seized up as she tried to reconcile what he said with what she knew. Levi scoffed, whipping his jacket back around his own shoulders. ¡°Forget it. I can¡¯t handle this right now. I can¡¯t handle you.¡± Without another glance, Levi strode past her and back into the school. Aida stood there, frozen, for what felt like hours. But I¡¯m the side character. She wasn¡¯t meant to have a love plotline. She was just supposed to support Sue. Levi did give her his jacket, though - and he was so insistent that others would give her a jacket as well. None of this makes sense. The only thing that made sense was that Levi, playboy as he was, with knowledge that she wasn¡¯t Aida, was released from the original More to Love plot. So maybe he developed enough self-awareness to go for someone other than Sue - but that didn¡¯t mean the other leads did. So why was Levi so insistent that she would get jackets from other boys? Her heart thrilled at the thought of who else might have given her a jacket - but she quickly clamped that train of thought down. Now was not the time. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Does Levi really like me? Aida wondered. If she took him at his word - and she knew she couldn¡¯t; he was far too flirtatious to be trustworthy - he allegedly did. But words were one thing - actions were where the real intentions could be discerned. But he gave me his jacket. She shook her head violently. Not counting this most recent action¡­she frowned. He never really did anything to indicate he was interested in her romantically. Granted, he did go out of his way to help her assimilate to this world - but he had forthrightly admitted that was just because her predicament was an interesting pastime to him. This is impossible. Only one thing was for sure¡­Levi had no real good reason to like her. After all, nobody had been interested in Annie in the real world. If the dates her friends had set her on had taught her anything, it was that nobody was interested in quiet, serious Annie. The Annie who had no time - or means - to go on spontaneous adventures, who was limited to walks in the park or the occasional meal, who had serious obligations to her family. It had only taken two ¡°serious¡± relationships for Annie to realize that no matter what her dates said in the beginning, they did not have the patience to wait for Annie to climb out of the financial and social debt she was in. Nor did she have a right to expect them to - if she was faced with a potential partner who was deep in debt and responsible for aging parents, she also would not want to be tied to that obligation. Not when there were so many other¡­options with no baggage. Sure enough, each of her dates she had built remarkable rapport with had drifted away within months of learning more about her life. Her current position as Aida - no time, no means, all efforts directed towards just catching up - was equivalent to Annie¡¯s life. She just didn¡¯t have the standing to be considered a romantic partner. Feeling more vindicated, Aida straightened, feeling the puzzle pieces come back together to form a coherent image. The cold winter air was refreshing on her heated face, helping draw her back to her current problem. Though it was also starting to raise goosebumps on her bare skin. She could agree that Levi exercised his best judgment in protecting her identity - this all boiled down to misunderstandings. She should have let Levi explain to her how the event worked, instead of trying to show off her knowledge when he pulled her into the classroom. After all, Levi had consistently given her good information and help in laying low at Maglica - so in that regard, she believed his intentions were still good. As for Levi liking her? That was clearly false. Levi was comfortable enough to flirt with everybody, so he would have no compunctions about misleading everybody into thinking he liked her for one night - especially if the alternative was to have the whole school in an uproar about the fact that Aida Loreh had received a personality transplant. As far as anybody else expected, if he started chasing Sue again tomorrow it would be completely in character for him. Now that Aida thought about it, she had a grudging respect for how decisive Levi was when it came to taking critical action - especially when it came to protecting others. I guess that¡¯s something I should learn from him - screw what anybody else thinks, do what¡¯s necessary. He was really angry when he left her, though. Aida bit her lip. She¡¯d have to apologize to him. But she wasn¡¯t as good with words as he was¡­and she didn¡¯t have it in her to wait until tomorrow, letting the anxiety eat at her all night and wondering if she would see him the next day - he could easily avoid her for the rest of the star cycle if he wanted. Making up her mind, Aida turned towards the school again, when a shiver ran down her spine. Glancing around uneasily, she didn¡¯t see anything - and neither could she sense anything. But she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was watching her. She looked up at the sky. The sliver of moon winked out of sight just as she looked up, leaving only stars glimmering down at her. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida knocked quietly on Levi¡¯s door. It was late; the rest of the boys¡¯ hallway was still, and she couldn¡¯t sense anybody in Levi¡¯s neighboring rooms. She knocked again when she got no answer. ¡°Levi, I know you¡¯re still awake,¡± she called quietly. After a grudging moment, Levi¡¯s door finally opened. Levi was still wearing the festival pants and tunic, though he had removed the offending jacket and his hairtie. His dark green hair hung in long locks around his face, down to his chest. Aida¡¯s heart thudded at his simmering eyes. Yup, still angry. ¡°Can I come in?¡± she asked quietly. Levi glared at her for another moment, before finally stepping back from the door and allowing her entry. The first thing she noticed was that Levi¡¯s festival jacket was crumpled in the far corner, as if he had hurled it there as soon as he walked in and had no intention of picking it up any time soon. The next thing she noticed was that Vanita¡¯s gift was sitting at the foot of his bed, precariously close to the edge. The fire ruby was glittering gently, a tiny flame dancing merrily between the sculptures. Completely disrespecting the mood between Aida and Levi. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried it¡¯s going to burn your room up?¡± Aida asked softly, pointing to Vanita¡¯s gift. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Levi asked coldly. He was not in any mood for chit chat. Aida swallowed. ¡°I came to apologize.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For¡­not understanding you,¡± Aida said softly, unable to meet Levi¡¯s thunderous gaze. ¡°I thought about it, and I realized it was my fault - I got too comfortable here these past two moon cycles, and I thought I knew everything about your culture already.¡± She blinked, focusing on what she had to say before she lost it. ¡°It was wrong of me to blame you for what you did¡­you only did what was necessary to keep me out of trouble, and I took it for granted. Beggars can¡¯t be choosers, right? And I¡¯m the one who needs your help more than you need mine.¡± Aida couldn¡¯t hold back a choking laugh. That¡¯s right. Even here, I¡¯m still technically a beggar. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s all I wanted to say,¡± Aida said, her voice thickening. ¡°You¡¯ve been a better friend to me than I¡¯ve been to you, but I promise, as soon as I can, I¡¯ll repay all my debts. I¡¯ll help you in any way I can, no questions asked.¡± Blinking her tears away, she looked up at Levi, determined to meet his gaze with her own strong will. As an equal. Levi was looking at her with his lips parted in confusion. She took in the shape of his lips, with its perfect cupid¡¯s bow. His perfectly sculpted nose, that led gracefully to his bronze eyes that shimmered in the dim light. ¡°What¡ª¡° he started to say. He sounded so lost and confused that Aida¡¯s heart crumpled. I can¡¯t believe I made a friend feel this way. Swiping her arm across her eyes, Aida blubbered out her apology again - for questioning his integrity, for accusing him of malicious behavior, for making him feel like she didn¡¯t value him. ¡°Aida¡ª¡° Levi said helplessly. He handed out a handkerchief, but Aida couldn¡¯t stop crying. ¡°Sorry for everything,¡± she choked out, knowing she was botching her dignified and sincere apology. Deciding to cut her losses, she fled from his room. Chapter 75: Recess - Healing After the fiasco that was the Old Moon Festival, Aida resolved to be productive during the Festival Recess. Get her head back in the game, eyes on the prize, give Levi some space. She spent the first few days shadowing Healer Luk in her work, asking her questions about being a Healer. Luk had been gratified at the interest, and appreciated the help in preparing herbs and ingredients. ¡°Most people who express interest in Healing only do so because they want to become combat or field Healers,¡± Luk told Aida as they ground dried leaves with a mortar and pestle. ¡°They idolize the idea of bringing back someone from the brink of death - and that¡¯s all well and good, but it is extremely mana-intensive to do so. Even the most successful combat Healers spend much of their time preparing potions and antidotes beforehand for their party members, so that they can sustain themselves while the Healer focuses on critical injuries.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t the potions be purchased?¡± ¡°Of course they can! If the Adventuring group wants to spend all of their earnings just staying alive,¡± Luk snorted. ¡°Commercial potions are not worth the cost. Listen to me, girl: if you want to make baen and satisfy the urge to call yourself a Healer, become a potion maker.¡± Luk fixed Aida with an almost threatening glare. ¡°I would prefer to take a more active role in Healing,¡± Aida said quickly. ¡°I - if I could ease anyone¡¯s pain, whether it¡¯s through physical therapy or using my own mana in conjunction with potions, I would prefer to do it that way. My end goal is to make myself valuable to an Adventuring group.¡± Luk eyed her beadily. ¡°Then it¡¯s good that you¡¯re focusing on Healing. You realize Healing is almost always at odds with Water combat? Every party that goes out for combat has to choose between having a dedicated Water Elementalist and a Healer, just because of the mana expenditure required.¡± That put Aida on pause. ¡°Well, I suppose that would make it easier for everyone involved. As long as the job descriptions are clear,¡± she joked. That was some relief - if she wanted to specialize as a Healer, there were no additional pressures for her to improve Water Cage or other abilities. Luk¡¯s mood softened. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to deter you from the path of a Healer - it is inherently a very noble profession - but oftentimes, I will see several young Healers become disillusioned with their path. Healers do not get as much acknowledgment as other professions - when everyone is healthy, there is no need to seek out a Healer. When a patient incurs a mortal wound or affliction, and there is no saving them¡­there is no end to the blame a Healer receives.¡± Luk¡¯s grinding became harder, rougher. Aida quickly added more leaves to Luk¡¯s mortar, and Luk nodded in thanks as she renewed her grinding with ferocity. ¡°Additionally, even if you work as a party Healer, that doesn¡¯t mean your only work is to heal up your members after battle. In fact, you have to keep track of your members at all times - a good Healer keeps their party members healthy, but an excellent Healer anticipates and prevents their members from requiring Healing in the first place.¡± ¡°With Regen?¡± ¡°Yes, Regeneration is a good support skill. As well as Defense Up and Mana Shield.¡± ¡°You can cast Defense Up on someone else?¡± Aida asked curiously. ¡°Oh yes - a bit more difficult than using Defense Up on yourself, of course, because you¡¯ll have to insert some of your mana into someone else - but done correctly, you can sufficiently protect them so they are still able to keep their feet and avoid the next onslaught of attacks, which means you won¡¯t need to spend more mana Healing them.¡± Aida nodded vigorously. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, Healer¡­how do you know so much about combat Healing?¡± She poured the powder she had been pounding into a big mixing bowl that held all the other powders she and Luk and been producing. She added another handful of leaves to her mortar, diligently keeping her eyes on her work so that Luk wouldn¡¯t feel so pressured to answer. ¡°Like all young Healers, I had aspirations,¡± Luk finally said. Her voice was somber, less clipped and brusque than normal. ¡°I did my time with an Adventuring group - and learned sooner than most the pain that Healers experience.¡± Luk met Aida¡¯s questioning gaze. ¡°There is a reason very few people want to become Healers, Miss Loreh. It takes an emotional toll - not just from losing a patient, but from the amount of mana you must give. Minor to moderate injuries are easy to come to terms with, as you¡¯ve seen yourself - but when you try to Heal a major injury? I¡¯m talking an injury more severe than that silly puncture you accidentally caused to Student Yanomo, or your drowning - I¡¯m talking about¡­their life hanging balanced between one breath and the next. Very intimate, for both the Healer and the patient. Now¡­¡± Luk¡¯s voice trembled, but she continued to gaze with hooded eyes into Aida¡¯s own. ¡°¡­what if your patient dies, despite your Healing? While you are Healing?¡± Aida thought back to when she and Caleb had accidentally mixed their mana: the thrill that ran through her entire being, knowing and feeling someone else was there, that she wasn¡¯t alone; the expanded senses of being in two bodies simultaneously, and the awareness that came with it - the feel of his heart beating in tandem with her own, her blood flow speeding up to match his rate, feeling the smooth softness of her own skin through his touch. She remembered how empty and alone she felt when she and Caleb finally withdrew from each other. Cold. Newly aware of the loneliness she had grown used to, after having experienced what it felt like being part of a whole. What would having one part of her die feel like? She involuntarily convulsed as she imagined that secondary mana suddenly disappearing. Snuffed out. Leaving her in that heightened state of sensitivity, without that second soul supporting her. Perhaps she would be so connected that she would feel the oncomings of death herself? Feeling their heartbeat fade, struggling to continue pumping blood but failing to; each breath a monumental effort to keep living, to no avail; the suffocation when their body could no longer breathe, the stasis as the blood stilled and muscles starved of air, the heart beating its last¡­and trapped alone in a flesh coffin. Luk nodded mutely, the lines around her mouth deepening. Aida worked her mouth, trying to offer condolences, but realizing how¡­useless? That would be. Luk had already experienced that pain¡­what could she say now that wouldn¡¯t come across as patronizing? You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Not many people realize or appreciate the sacrifices a Healer makes,¡± Luk said quietly. ¡°All they know is that the Healer supported the heroes who slayed the beast - or they know that the Healer wasn¡¯t able to save someone at a critical point.¡± Aida focused on pounding the herbs with her pestle, her cheeks hot. She had already had two close calls lately - she hadn¡¯t been able to Heal Ezra or Caleb in either scenario, and she already felt awful. But what if she had been able to Heal? It was obvious her mana wasn¡¯t enough to sustain a major injury - but if they had been in such a situation, she¡ª She froze, as all of her friends¡¯ faces flashed through her mind. Knowing the emotional toll Luk had just warned her of¡­would she still use all of her mana to try to save one of them? When she first decided on becoming a Healer, she hadn¡¯t realized the commitment the Heal skill required - she just thought it was like all the other RPGs she played, where all it took was some arbitrary resource she could train up the capacity for. But it made sense - the intimacy of sharing large amounts of mana between two people - Aida felt her face flush again as she pushed her memories with Caleb and Levi away. When Levi first explained the cultural meaning behind sharing mana, she thought she wouldn¡¯t be affected. After all, her parents considered public displays of affection to be acts of intimacy that deserved the respect of privacy, and would never have put their own emotions on display outside. Meanwhile, Annie didn¡¯t consider hugs, hand-holding, or chaste kisses in public to be anything that should be hidden. But¡­surely her feelings of affection for her friends were only because their relationships were improving? No romantic feelings - just feelings of friendship and camaraderie, a natural development of being classmates and living in the same area together. I mean, I care about Lily and Vanita, too¡­ Would she sacrifice all of her mana for Lily or Vanita, in light of Healer Luk¡¯s warning? That answer was easy - no. But she could also easily justify it by saying they would be unlikely to end up in a situation that would cause them to sustain mortal wounds. What about Sue? She would definitely be the one to end up on the cusp of death. And what about Caleb? Levi? Ezra? Her heart trembled, unwilling to follow through with her questions. ¡°Miss Loreh,¡± Luk said gently, placing her hand gently over the hand that had the pestle in a death grip. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you all this to dissuade you¡­if you know all of the risks beforehand, you can make a better-informed decision for your future. You can prepare, so that you¡­may not ever end up in the situation most unprepared Healers enter.¡± Of course. Aida released the breath she didn¡¯t realize she was holding. There was risk in everything, and this was just the risk of being a Healer. And Healer Luk had already mentioned combat mitigations; there were certainly more. ¡°So¡­is this why you spend so much time preparing brews and other treatments?¡± Luk nodded briskly, back to her professional efficiency. ¡°Correct. Both because it conserves mana on my part, but also because it provides an emotional buffer.¡± Healer Luk proceeded to outline the relationship between mana and herbs - just like Aida had observed during her stay in the Healing ward, the herbs Luk had burned to aid in her recovery during the placement matches still contained some of their own mana, despite no longer being attached to a root. The harvested herbs could be made into healing draughts (Luk recommended a starter book to understand the basics - ¡°And whatever you do, don¡¯t ask Miss Moon to teach you herbalism. She¡¯ll skip all the important fundamentals¡±) or burned as incense - or even cooked and eaten (¡°There are multiple ways to harness mana from things no longer alive, you see¡±). The emotional buffer Luk alluded to was essentially mixing the Healer¡¯s mana into medicines before handing off that medicine to a patient. Combining the Healer¡¯s mana with the inert ingredients allowed the Healer to use less mana to facilitate healing in the patient¡¯s body, and the separation between the source and the receiver helped to make the ¡°mana giving¡± more impersonal. ¡°Recovery is slower this way, but that is how you maintain longevity in this field.¡± Luk waved Aida over, showing her how much mana she poured into making tablets out of the powders they spent all morning pounding. Mixing measured amounts of beeswax and water into the concoction, Luk stirred thoroughly with a thick metal rod, all the while transferring pulses of mana into the mixture. As Luk shifted her grip, Aida noticed a small gem set in the pommel of the rod. ¡°That¡¯s not your normal wand, is it?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve noticed - no, this is my stirring rod. Metals are less permeable, so make for better mixing utensils and easier cleaning than wood or clay instruments. If you¡¯re out in the wilderness and have lost your healing tools, anything can work as a focus item in a pinch - but it¡¯s certainly better to use well-crafted equipment.¡± Luk wiped the end of the rod with a wet cloth before handing it to Aida to examine. ¡°Go on, see how it transfers your mana compared to¡­this.¡± Luk selected a similarly-sized glass stirring rod, without a gem in it. Taking both rods to the open window, Aida aimed the metal one outside. She cautiously sent a small pulse through, and yelped when the pulse boomed out the end. ¡°Try the other one,¡± Luk called from behind her. Aida heard the sounds of clinking as she worked. Placing the metal one down carefully, she pointed the glass one out. She felt resistance as she tried to push her mana through - screwing up her face, she put both hands on the glass rod as she tried to force out her mana. A wheeze of mana puffed out at the end. ¡°That¡¯s so weird!¡± ¡°Any thoughts as to why the metal rod is easier to channel than the glass one?¡± Luk came over, wiping her hands on a cloth. ¡°Is it because metal is a supportive element, and the glass is derived from earth, a disadvantageous element for me?¡± Aida guessed. ¡°That¡¯s the gist - as well as the gem helping to establish a focal point for your mana exiting your body. The glass rod, even though it¡¯s also made out of earth and also has a precise crystalline structure, is too much earth for us. That¡¯s why you¡¯ll see practitioners with different types of wands or staves - different materials assist different elements. Lloyd has been teaching you to synergize with incompatible elements, yes?¡± Aida half-shrugged and half-nodded, and Luk nodded back, a small grin on her face. ¡°It is a difficult skill, and most elements have no need to be able to do so - but as a Healer, it is possibly the most important skill to learn.¡± ¡°Professor Lloyd¡¯s theory makes sense, but is difficult to put into practice,¡± Aida grumbled. ¡°Understandable. It may help to think of it as filtering your mana: everyone¡¯s mana is fundamentally the same, but is imbued with our natural elemental disposition, which is how other practitioners can recognize our energies. The purpose of the synergy exercise is to only extract the raw mana, free of any of your own personal contaminants.¡± Luk smiled at Aida¡¯s expression. ¡°Let me remind you: only Masters have achieved the level of purity Lloyd is trying to teach to you all. If any of you are able to even connect your mana, that is a significant step.¡± Luk bade Aida farewell cheerfully, reminding her to eat a full meal. Aida thought about all of Luk¡¯s words - with everything Luk had shared with her, it was a lot to process. She was fairly certain she still wanted to be a Healer, but being told that she had to learn to synergize her mana with other elements¡­it was silly that was the factor that would convince her to not become a Healer, after considering the trauma from experiencing death with a patient. Aida thought back to her father¡¯s pain. Even if she couldn¡¯t do the clutch heals as a combat Healer, she could at least help the regular citizens with their pain - citizens like Grandmama Rylla, and the majority of the population who weren¡¯t mana practitioners and couldn¡¯t recover as easily on their own. I need to talk to more Healers. Luk had knocked the rose-colored glasses off - during the new sun cycle, she vowed to be more skeptical as she spoke with the Affiliates. Chapter 76: Recess - Training Levi flagged down Aida on Shoots Day, where they had a handshake agreement to resume their regular friendship. Receiving Levi¡¯s forgiveness for her social transgressions did much to lighten her mood. Just in time, as well: Sue proposed more one-versus-all matches. Aida begged off by offering to run a Regen clinic on the side, helping the sparring partners recover while also allowing her to practice the new skill Caleb¡¯s mother taught her. It worked out well - one versus two was more manageable for both the solo duelist and the duo partners, since they didn¡¯t have to worry about getting in the way of each other. The massage therapy was fun. Everyone had been intrigued and was willing to be practice dolls for Aida. Caleb had shaped a bed out of earth, with soft, beach-like sand on top. Levi grew leafy fronds over the bed, dappling the sun that passed through its leaves so that the two people in the shade could have cover. Sue had Caleb carve out a small fireplace underneath the bed, so she could light a fire that would heat the bed. Ezra¡¯s silent contribution was to mold out a long, winding chimney away from the bed, so that none of the shelter¡¯s inhabitants had to inhale noxious fumes. Aida learned a lot from running her Regen recovery unit. Since the top five were young and healthy, they didn¡¯t need hands-on massage work to feed mana into their bodies the way Grandmama Rylla did. It was also harder to find clogged points - that meant Aida had to be a lot more diligent when tracking their mana flows, but the end result was that she had built up a blueprint of what healthy flow patterns looked like. An interesting phenomenon also occurred: as she became more familiar with Sue, Ezra, Levi, and Caleb¡¯s flow patterns, she became faster at casting Regen, and they seemed to recover their mana faster as well. Eventually, she was able to just poke her wand at them to clear their plugs all at once. ¡°This is amazing!¡± Sue fired three massive fireballs into the air in quick succession. ¡°Are you able to cast Regen on yourself, Aida?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see myself very well,¡± Aida confessed. ¡°Most of the deep pressure points are on the back. I can do the superficial ones, on my legs and arms, but that¡¯s more beneficial for physical recovery than mana recovery.¡± Levi shook his head wisely. ¡°This is why Healers seek out other Healers for their own ailments.¡± ¡°I might be able to help you with Regen,¡± Caleb offered sheepishly. ¡°I learned a bit¡­it¡¯s probably not as good as yours, but I¡¯ve helped my mother out whenever she was busy.¡± Aida stretched, hearing her back pop. ¡°That would be good. Every little bit will help,¡± she agreed. Lying down on the beach sand bed, Aida let out a contented sigh. The sand was comfortingly warm, and molded around her body. She felt Caleb gently place his hands over her back, prodding at her as he grasped for her mana. His mana pulses, though more heavy-handed than his mother¡¯s, were a welcome reprieve after a few hours of working. ¡°Hi Caleb, Aida.¡± Aida fluttered her eyes open, pushing herself up onto her elbows so she could see who spoke. Shon was standing in front of them with a hand raised, followed by Abedi and Dev. He had an embarrassed smile on his face. Caleb and Aida greeted them, curious. Shon relaxed, putting his hand down at their welcome. ¡°We saw you guys were hanging out here, so thought we¡¯d come chat.¡± ¡°Welcome to join us,¡± Aida said. ¡°How did you enjoy the Old Moon Festival?¡± ¡°It was fine,¡± Shon said carefully. ¡°I was hoping I could speak to the teachers more during the Festival, but it seemed like they were all busy monitoring the perimeters.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit odd, if you ask me,¡± Abedi said thoughtfully in his sonorous voice. ¡°If they were worried about monster attacks again, I¡¯d have expected them to cancel the Festival entirely.¡± ¡°That would be quite unlucky,¡± Caleb said in surprise. ¡°We should give thanks for our fortunes and progress of the past year.¡± ¡°Have you been part of the sparring matches, Aida?¡± Dev asked, interrupting the conversation. ¡°I haven¡¯t, and I have no desire to,¡± Aida announced decisively. ¡°I¡¯m happy just being able to practice my Regen skill right here.¡± Dev nodded at her answer, before looking to Caleb. ¡°Will the rest of you be interested in having a Water as part of the mix?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with it,¡± Caleb replied after a pause, gratified. ¡°But I can¡¯t speak for the rest of them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re done, so you get to ask them yourself,¡± Aida noted as Levi reached out a hand to Sue. She mockingly smacked his hand away, turning her nose up in the air. He collapsed to his knees in front of her, groveling as he simultaneously rubbed his hands together and knocked his head against the ground comically. Ezra stood looking at them, arms folded. He finally began walking back towards Aida¡¯s tent without waiting for them. ¡°Well, you can ask Ezra at least,¡± Aida conceded. ¡°Sue and Levi are still playing.¡± ¡°Ask me what?¡± Ezra asked, silver eyes scanning the newcomers. He nodded lightly at them. ¡°Are you okay with having a Water join your sparring sessions?¡± Dev asked casually, resting his hip against the bed. Aida climbed all the way up into a sitting position, brushing the sand from her face and hair. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Ezra glanced at Aida, before looking to over to Shon and Abedi. ¡°Are all three of you looking to join the sparring?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Shon said hopefully as Abedi nodded. ¡°This is a great chance to get some practice in with the top five.¡± ¡°I like the sound of that,¡± Levi called, finally making his way over to Aida¡¯s tent. ¡°I need a break - you can be my stand-in, Shon.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s up for the next round?¡± Abedi asked. ¡°Caleb and you guys!¡± Sue chirped. She hoisted herself onto the bed next to Aida, leaning against her and causing her to dip dangerously close to Dev. ¡°We need a break!¡± ¡°Yes, go on ahead,¡± Ezra agreed abruptly. He reached a hand towards Dev, urging him and his friends towards the field. Ezra¡¯s hand laid firmly against Dev¡¯s bicep, and Aida swore she saw lightning zap between their eyes. Uh. Looking between Ezra and Dev with wide eyes, Aida had an epiphany. Of course. It all makes sense. Standing directly in front of Ezra, with his white hair and icy blue eyes, Dev looked just as charismatic and imposing as Ezra. And the fact he used to be part of the top five - Dev¡¯s a secret love interest! Goggling after Dev as he headed onto the field after his mates, Aida peered around Ezra to keep him in her sights. It certainly made sense - Sue had one suitor from every element, except for Water - so Dev being a secret romance option tracked. He had the perfect balance of a male lead: tall, but not too ridiculously tall like Weyn; distinctive but still attractive facial features, not inoffensively bland like Aida¡¯s own face, or those of the rest of their classmates; powerful in his own right, with minimal effort required. Aida shook her head in wonder. ¡°Aida.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Aida said quickly, hopping off the bed. She gestured for Ezra to take her spot next to Sue. Levi was already sitting on the other side, eyeing Aida suspiciously. She took her position behind the three of them and activated the Regen overlay. Focusing, she quickly identified the points where the mana flow was a bit sluggish on all three of their bodies. Gathering her mana, she dispelled the blockages with one burst. Simultaneously, the three of them relaxed, the chorus of relieved sighs perfectly in sync. ¡°I¡¯m getting really good at this,¡± Aida said impishly. She was disappointed to see group Regen was not a learnable skill - but just from today¡¯s work, she had already increased to Regen (Lv5). She was pleased to see the higher her Regen level, the less mana consumption the skill required, allowing her to be able to sustain her friends¡¯ mana while she recovered her own mana in between their battles. ¡°You know, Regen is a skill that every combat Healer uses,¡± Sue hinted. Aida swatted her hair playfully, smacking the end of Sue¡¯s ponytail into Levi¡¯s face. ¡°I know, Luk gave me a pretty detailed overview of what being a combat Healer is like.¡± Sue¡¯s eyes brightened, and Aida smiled at her affectionately. Sue¡¯s unconditional enthusiasm and support for her made it really hard to not want to go along with her wishes. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot I need to learn, though. Luk told me how much prep work I would need if I want to be more effective than just healing someone once - keeping the party well-stocked with potions and pills, for one thing. I think it might be a good idea for me to see if there are any apothecaries I can work with so I can learn some potion-making before I get distracted trying to keep you all alive.¡± As the last words left her lips, Luk¡¯s anguished expression flashed in front of her eyes. Aida blanched. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Levi asked, concerned. Sue was looking at her worriedly, and Ezra¡¯s eyes had never left her face. ¡°Yeah¡­Luk just also mentioned to me the dark side of being a Healer too,¡± Aida mumbled. She couldn¡¯t meet Ezra¡¯s gaze. He had come too close. ¡°Ah yes, the Healer¡¯s degeneration,¡± Levi nodded wisely. He stood up, patting the sand from his bottoms. ¡°That¡¯s why you should consider a less stressful career - I¡¯m sure my family would be happy to hire you to help with watering the crops,¡± he offered breezily. ¡°Just water twice a day - or, Father¡¯s actually trying to start up some water cultivation research for our farms, if you¡¯d like to try something more interesting.¡± ¡°What kind of research?¡± Aida asked, latching onto the topic change. ¡°Something for the villages that don¡¯t have the space to grow their food in the more conventional way - Father had a crazy idea to grow some basic crops with only water and sun, so that individual families can set up a small garden against the walls of their homes. Or if it works well enough, they can then use the freed up land to raise animals.¡± Aida gazed at Levi, dumbfounded. His nonchalant explanation sounded like his father was trying to invent hydroponics. ¡°Wait - so your father is trying to come up with a solution to mitigate hunger¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Levi asked defensively. ¡°He¡¯s a nice guy.¡± ¡°¡­how is he so unlucky to get you as a son?¡± Levi gazed at her, affronted. ¡°You take that back!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t apologize for my question!¡± Aida declared, avoiding Levi¡¯s swipe. She skipped over a sprout Levi grew, ducking underneath a leaf that reached down to smack her. Ezra made a move as if to stop Levi, but Sue held out a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t, let Levi burn out his mana,¡± Aida heard Sue say to him before Levi¡¯s shout drowned out the rest of the conversation. Aida cackled as she ran, if only to annoy him. She ran towards the four boys sparring in the middle of the arena, using the disturbed terrain to avoid Levi. As she passed by, she ducked behind Shon and laid a supportive hand on his shoulder, who was the most injured of the four combatants. Heal. ¡°That¡¯s cheating!¡± Caleb yelped in disbelief. ¡°You and Dev versus Shon and Abedi seems pretty uneven,¡± Aida retorted as she zoomed away. Levi passed through the battle shortly after, bellowing. ¡°You dishonored my family!¡± ¡°You dishonored them yourself!¡± Reaching the wall at the other end of the arena, Aida slowed down to let Levi catch up. Unable to stop the grin from spreading across her face, she looked back at Levi, who was reaching for her with exaggerated anger. Leaping up towards the top of the wall with Mana Surge, she felt Levi leap after her - and then she activated her new skill. Double Jump. She flew through the air, laughing as she turned at a sharp angle from where she was originally headed. As Aida faced towards her new direction, she saw from the corner of her eye Lara watching her. Turning her head to track Lara, Aida saw hurt and confusion mingling in her porcelain face - and huffed out a breath as strong arms closed around her waist. ¡°Gotcha,¡± Levi said triumphantly, landing in the bleachers with Aida in his arms. ¡°You can¡¯t escape me now!¡± ¡°Levi, look¡ª¡° smacking Levi¡¯s arm with the palm of her hand, she pointed to where Lara was - except she was gone. ¡°You¡¯ll not trick me with underhanded tactics!¡± Levi proclaimed. ¡°Lara was here,¡± Aida insisted, not playing along. ¡°Skies,¡± Levi muttered, finally releasing her as he looked in the direction she pointed. ¡°Well, she¡¯s gone now.¡± ¡°She looked sad.¡± Levi rolled his eyes. ¡°Why do you care?¡± Aida glared at him. ¡°She¡¯s lonely.¡± Levi looked at her with a deadpan expression. ¡°Why should I care?¡± Aida hesitated. That was a fair question. He wasn¡¯t obligated to be nice to Lara - especially since Lara herself wasn¡¯t the least bit personable. She still couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for her, though. ¡°Fine.¡± Aida squirted Levi in the face with a small jet of water as she passed him, heading back towards the Regen tent where everybody had convened. They were all making conversation and laughing, none of the chilliness from before present. If only everyone could just get along. Chapter 77: New Sun Festival I Aida and Sue headed down to the dining hall together, Sue cheerful and Aida with her stomach clenched. The notice board had said that the dining hall would serve a New Sun meal for brunch, and afterwards, any third years who were interested in meeting with some early-arrival Affiliates could do so in the courtyard. Having learned her lesson from the Old Moon Festival, she had spoken with Levi about any potential triggers she should avoid during the New Sun Festival - but he had assured her the only dangers of being found out were if she couldn¡¯t pass for a Wyndian native - not reassuring at all. Fortunately, he had advised her on how she could best avoid any gaffes. ¡°Avoid everybody from the Sanitation industry. The Lorehs are a small family, so they¡¯re likely to expect some sort of deference from you - and even if they don¡¯t know who you are, there¡¯s no way they won¡¯t find out once you get noticed by them.¡± Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t interested at all in Sanitation - and he had told her that the Affiliates were usually stationed at their own separate areas, so that interested students could walk up and talk to whichever Affiliates they were interested in. That was nominally to give the students the advantage: they could choose which employer to engage, and not feel the pressure of being overlooked as employers all swarmed to their top picks. But Aida knew better than to take that reasoning at face value; the students were ultimately still the supplicants, approaching the employer for a work opportunity. The New Sun Festival meal was marvelous. It was another colorful spread of food, but Aida wasn¡¯t in the mood to indulge herself. She picked at safe options, while Sue loaded her plate up. Several other third-year students had returned for lunch as well; allegedly, the rest of the students would return the next day, since they had no incentive to return to school early. Lunch was quiet, with none of the joking and antagonizing Levi was wont to do. It seemed like the top five were pensive about what would happen after the meal as well. Through the glass window, Aida could already see several tables with banners and small signs set up in the courtyard, though none of the Affiliates were manning the desks. The scene reminded Aida of the job fairs she used to attend at community college, making dread fill her stomach. ¡°It looks like the Gullbeaks are here,¡± Levi informed Sue. She jumped, a multitude of expressions crossing her face. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know if I should talk to them,¡± she squeaked out. She kept her eyes on her food. Aida glanced inquisitively at Sue. It was odd to have her be so demure and timid. ¡°Are they an Adventuring group?¡± ¡°Yes! Do you remember¡ª¡° Sue started, her eyes sparkling as she looked up before Levi smoothly interrupted her. ¡°Remember Tyda Auyn? Sue¡¯s childhood hero?¡± Levi rolled his eyes good-naturedly. ¡°Sue wants to see if she can get into their group and be the firepower they need.¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± Aida nodded vigorously as if she knew what he was talking about. ¡°I¡¯m so surprised they¡¯re here.¡± ¡°No, they probably aren¡¯t looking to sign with another Fire,¡± Sue said quickly, blushing. ¡°They only signed Lula Glimm a few years ago, and their group roster is too imbalanced for them to take on another Fire¡­¡± From Levi¡¯s demeanor, Aida knew this was something she was supposed to know - possibly some sort of obvious shared history between Aida and Sue. Ducking her head down, she focused on stuffing her mouth, so that nobody could expect her to engage in reminiscing. Shortly before the lunch hour ended, Professor Gemma entered the dining hall with a large group of adult practitioners behind her, the crowd¡¯s powerful mana presence easily drawing the attention of the students. Gemma waited a beat for everyone to settle before gesturing at the group behind her. ¡°Hello third years, in a few moments the Affiliates that arrived early will take their places at their tables outside. We¡¯ll be having the three classes meet with them separately, so as soon as you¡¯re done eating please group up with your class, and we can all go meet the Affiliates together. Please remember to be on your best behavior, be courteous, and don¡¯t feel pressured to compete with each other. This is just the first meeting; you all will have plenty of time to meet and get to know the Affiliates as the school year goes on.¡± Gemma¡¯s unspoken words were clear: don¡¯t be awkward. Aida vowed to do her best. Sue, Levi, Caleb, and Ezra departed, all of them bidding Aida a quick farewell. She waved at them before looking at the rest of her food with resignation. Deciding there was nothing to do but go for it, she followed after Class 1 to dump her food, and made her own way to where Class 2 was clustering. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Hi Aida, any Affiliate you¡¯re looking forward to meeting?¡± Natalie asked. She was combing her fingers through her fiery hair, trying to create some semblance of discipline among her locks. ¡°Just going to keep an open mind,¡± Aida responded with what she hoped was a nonchalant attitude. Fortunately, everyone else was nervous enough to ignore her state of nerves. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to work for my parents,¡± Tera muttered to herself, eyeing the Affiliates who weren¡¯t fortunate enough to be approached by one of the top five. Sue was already deep in conversation with a young, cheerful blonde woman with blue eyes wearing a black armband that had a blue wing emblazoned on it, the two of them matching each other¡¯s energy with their dynamic body language. Based on Sue¡¯s starry eyes, Aida assumed the Affiliate was a Gullbeak adventurer. ¡°Did Gemma say how long we get to talk to Affiliates?¡± Aida asked no one in particular. ¡°She said about fifteen minutes, just to introduce ourselves. Not enough time to get too deep,¡± Bella responded as she pulled her long, platinum hair out of its ponytail after deciding she didn¡¯t want her hair up. She huffed in frustration. ¡°I thought it would be a good idea to come back early to meet them, but now I regret it¡­¡± The other girls murmured sullenly in agreement, shifting uncomfortably. Aida gazed at all the other Affiliates, trying to decide which one she should approach with her precious fifteen minutes. Levi had managed to engage in conversation with all the adjacent Affiliates at once and, just as expected, they were all charmed. Ezra was the unwilling captive of a Construction Affiliate - as denoted by a gray band - who just so happened to have snagged his attention. Caleb himself was earnestly speaking to an Adventurer. Aside from Levi, Lara seemed the most relaxed in speaking to the Affiliates. She had perfectly controlled smiles and laughs, and had the social etiquette to encourage a smooth back-and-forth with the Affiliate she was talking to. Aida shook her head at Lara¡¯s blatant two-faced personality. Knowing what she knew of the girl and her background, she was probably like Levi - raised to be comfortable and confident in that upper echelon of industry, where knowing how to converse and talk business was merely a matter of learning manners. But why can¡¯t she be like Levi and treat everybody else the same way? ¡°Girls, it¡¯s time for you to come out now,¡± Gemma called to them. As Class 2 clustered around Gemma, she handed out small ceramic teacups to each student. The cup¡¯s base fit easily in Aida¡¯s palm, the texture smooth. Aida watched as her classmates all automatically adjusted their grips on their own cups, holding it in their traditional receiving grip. Aida surreptitiously matched her grip to theirs. Taking a deep breath, Aida worked to calm the flutter of her pulse. I probably don¡¯t even have to talk to anyone. In fact, it might be safer not to talk to anybody. There¡¯s ten of us, chances are I can just fade away more easily than Class 1. Comforted by the thought of her escape plan, Aida stepped through the door, focusing on Bella¡¯s pale hair waving as the air blew through her tresses. One step at a time, don¡¯t fall behind. Sue waved the Gullbeak Affiliate goodbye, before prancing over to Aida. ¡°I just met Kuri, and she¡¯s amazing - I think I might have a chance to get into the Gullbeaks,¡± she whispered excitedly, her eyes shining. Sue looked so happy that even Aida¡¯s worries lightened.¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡± Aida whispered back, beaming. ¡°You were worried for nothing!¡± ¡°The match hasn¡¯t been struck yet or anything - but she promised we¡¯ll do a lot of sponsored assignments together, and she said she¡¯s really looking forward to mentoring me - if I wanted her to,¡± Sue added. Sue was on cloud nine, a dreamy expression on her face. She snapped back to reality. ¡°Anyway, good luck! Maybe you should talk to Kuri too - they don¡¯t have a dedicated Healer yet, so they might have a spot for you, too!¡± With that, Sue skipped away, trailing shimmers in her wake. Aida smiled after her, nodding at the boys as they all approached her. Levi leaned over as he passed. ¡°Avoid the ones with sky-colored bands,¡± he reminded her quietly. ¡°Those are the ones in the Sanitation industry. Healers have white bands.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Aida murmured back. She gripped the small teacup in her hand that Gemma had handed her. The teacup was part of the New Sun ceremony: similar to pouring people drinks in the real world for a toast, two people seeking to do business together in the new year would pour each other a drink. Of course, from what Levi said, the toasts between young people had less weight, so it wouldn¡¯t be too surprising to see young people toasting others left, right, and center. However, the older the person pouring the toast, the more significant the meaning behind it - and the expectation. It was how the clans and conglomerates made their deals, climbing to the top of their respective industries. From watching Ezra, Levi, and Lara, it was obvious they were all familiar with receiving drinks. Keeping her teacup in the traditional grip, Aida took only a few steps before noticing Affiliates wearing sky-blue bands eyeing her beadily. Avoiding their gazes, she scanned the rest of the Affiliates - but nobody seemed to be wearing a white band. Her brow furrowing, she swept her gaze over the crowd again, and noticed a blue-banded Affiliate approaching her. All of her other classmates were already involved with an Affiliate, so there was no doubt the Affiliate was coming for her. Making a split decision, Aida decided to head for Kuri, who was currently unoccupied and was whistling casually to herself as she observed the clouds. She seems friendly enough. Before she made it even two steps, she was seized around the elbow by an Affiliate wearing a blindingly white band with a gold leaf and aura swirling around it. ¡°Hello! Are you Aida Loreh? It said in your file that you¡¯re looking to be a Healer - is that true?¡± Aida looked around at the young woman. She was smiling widely at Aida, all of her teeth on full display. Chapter 78: New Sun Festival II ¡°Hello! Yes I am!¡± Aida said, reflexively pasting her service smile onto her face. The woman had a sheaf of papers in her hands; Aida supposed it wasn¡¯t so surprising for the school to give every Affiliate a profile of their graduating students. ¡°Excellent! My name is Teena Vega, with the Fortune Favors Clinic. I¡¯m very interested in speaking with you, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± the Healer said, her grin not relenting. ¡°Of course,¡± Aida said politely, pulling her own lips into a close-lipped smile. The Affiliate¡¯s blatant display of teeth made her uncomfortable. ¡°My first question is: What makes you think you¡¯re qualified to be a Healer?¡± Aida was able to answer without too much of a hitch. ¡°Currently, I know the skills Heal and Regeneration. I¡¯ve been practicing Healing whenever I can, and I¡¯ve been able to help Heal one of my classmates after our placement matches - he had some internal bleeding, and the only thing that stopped me from healing him all the way was that my mana was exhausted, but I was able to keep him stable until Healer Luk came to take over.¡± The Healer¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t blink, and Aida soldiered on. ¡°For my Regeneration skill, I¡¯ve only recently learned it, but I have been using it whenever I can to help Class 1 recover more quickly during their training sessions. I believe with my aptitude in learning new skills, I can learn other healing quickly, especially if I am provided with the opportunity and mentorship.¡± Teena¡¯s teeth remained on full display as she spoke. ¡°Thank you, your self-confidence is something to be admired. My next question: in your file, it is noted that the development of your mana pool capacity is¡­significantly behind, shall we say. Closer to the capacity of a child being considered for entry to Maglica Academy, even. After two and a half sun cycles of intensive training, what would you say about the, ah, ¡®progress¡¯ of your development?¡± Aida felt her lips quiver at the implications. Fighting to keep her face as smooth as possible as all the nearby Affiliates stilled, she tried to come up with a response that wouldn¡¯t sound petulant. Teena tilted her head inquisitively, the squinting of her eyes from her smile looking more ominous than ever. ¡°I acknowledge a smaller than average mana pool can make things more challenging,¡± Aida said slowly, careful to keep her voice steady. Her heart was thrumming solidly in her chest, ready to begin hammering at a moment¡¯s notice. Stay calm, stay focused. ¡°However, I have been working hard to improve my efficiency, so that I can utilize all my skills to the best of my ability.¡± ¡°Ah, of course,¡± Teena said, nodding vigorously, as if she was in full agreement. ¡°There is evidence that you¡¯ve been working hard - you started off the first two school years at the bottom of the class, and then this year you were able to make it to the very respectable rank of fifteen, for example. It is a marked improvement, certainly; a sign that, perhaps, you can work hard if you are truly desperate and driven to a corner. However,¡± Teena coughed delicately, lowering her voice and leaning towards Aida as if she was imparting advice, though her words still carried through the courtyard to all the other Affiliates, ¡°do you believe this is the kind of mindset any employer is after? It is consistency and determination that matter in the long run, after all.¡± Aida pressed her lips together tightly, fighting the outburst that was coming. I didn¡¯t beg to be in this position in the first place! She glared at Teena, unsure what she could say. She agreed with the Healer¡¯s words in principle, of course, but it wasn¡¯t like she had been deliberately slacking since the beginning. ¡°I see,¡± Teena said softly as Aida struggled to come up with a response. One corner of her lip curled in a sinister smirk. ¡°It seems you disagree with me on that point. Let me ask you this: perhaps you think, because of this burst of achievement, that you are such a genius that you can overcome your classmates¡¯ well-earned progress in fundamental skills with your more efficient control of your mana?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I said and I don¡¯t think¨C¡± ¡°No need to shout, miss Loreh,¡± Teena interrupted smoothly, her calm cadence infuriating Aida even more. She ground her teeth together, fighting to maintain some veneer of professionalism as she saw all the intrigued expressions around them. Teena continued speaking, golden eyes glimmering in triumph as she solidified the fact that she had the upper hand - and knowing that Aida knew that. ¡°We¡¯re just having a conversation. I¡¯m just trying to understand how you earned your fifteenth rank. Were there any¡­extenuating circumstances that allowed you to make such a drastic jump?¡± At the last question, Teena raised one hand to casually simulate an obscene motion while under the guise of brushing a blonde lock of hair behind her ear, simultaneously raising her voice to catch the attention of anyone who wasn¡¯t already paying attention by this point. Aida stared at Teena, stunned. Teena was smiling sweetly back at Aida, melting back into a kind-hearted Healer persona. When Aida still hadn¡¯t responded, Teena shook her head slightly. ¡°As I said, this is just a casual conversation, and won¡¯t be held against you. I¡¯m just curious as to how you managed to improve so dramatically in the matter of a few moon cycles.¡± Glancing around, Aida could see that Teena had successfully managed to draw everyone¡¯s attention. The tension was beginning to spread through the courtyard, eliciting whispers as it rolled through the crowd like particularly powerful flatulence. ¡°The professors decided to alter the ranking system for the placement matches,¡± Aida said stiffly. She tried to keep her voice quiet, but it seemed to echo through the stillness. ¡°The new system allows for evaluating student aptitude in more ways than one, and rewards cleverness and risk-taking. Don¡¯t you think part of being a successful practitioner means taking risks others aren¡¯t willing to take?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Of course,¡± Teena agreed brightly, her voice ringing. There was no doubt that everyone in the courtyard could hear her. ¡°I completely understand the allure of taking risks and being clever. I suppose my question was really: what kind of cleverness did you employ? And what about your risks? Are they of a more¡­risque nature?¡± Teena¡¯s tongue flicked out between her lips in a vulgar representation of what she was hinting at. Aida felt blood slowly boom through her head. She straightened, so that she was staring directly into Teena¡¯s predatory gaze. Aida saw a glint of mirth pass through Teena¡¯s eyes as the Healer waited to hear how the pitiful student would respond. She opened her mouth to respond scathingly, professionalism be damned - because Teena could disparage her ability, her work ethic, if she wanted to - since other people might have higher standards - but the one thing she refused to let anyone belittle was her integrity. Aida stopped, trapped in the gaze of all the Affiliates in the courtyard. The wide, judgmental eyes of the surrounding Affiliates seemed to be daring Aida to talk back, to spice up the event - and embarrass herself even more. Her courage faltered, and she felt herself shrivel despite her best efforts to stand proud. If I speak up, that would be taking Teena¡¯s bait - I¡¯ll look emotional and overly sensitive, and nobody will want to hire someone who loses their cool so easily. If she walked away right now, she could preserve the illusion that she was unruffled, and that Teena¡¯s words were obviously false. She already had a poor track record, so she couldn¡¯t afford to risk looking like trouble. If she acted out even more, then rumors about how unhinged she became on New Sun Day could spread among the rest of the Affiliates - and completely decimate her chances of getting a job from among these recruiters. ¡°Stop it.¡± Aida¡¯s spiral into angry, helpless compliance was interrupted by the forceful voice behind her. Whipping her head around, she saw Dev¡¯s name tag in her face. Raising her head, she saw Dev glaring icily at Teena. ¡°Your slandering of Maglica Academy - and Aida - is offensive. If you have any concerns with the school¡¯s conduct, I recommend you take it up with the professors instead of taking it out on students.¡± Teena bowed, hiding her face. ¡°My apologies, Mister Flau - I wasn¡¯t trying to slander you or the school, I was just trying to understand¡ª¡° ¡°Suggesting that sexual favors are a way to earn ranking at Maglica is an insult to the school and everyone in it. And even suggesting that all it takes to get to the middle of the rankings is a little last-minute desperation is an insult to everyone in this class.¡± Aida was gently moved aside as Dev stepped closer towards Teena, towering over her deferential figure. ¡°As you¡¯ve noted, our hard work is not so easily overcome. Aida has practiced with a single-minded dedication that many of us admire, and her cleverness and talent in executing mana might be unmatched in Class 2 for her to have achieved so much with so little. Every deficiency you point out she will overcome with time, and all that will be left will be her talent and hard work.¡± Aida was stunned at Dev¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t realize he had been watching her so closely, with how much of a distance he kept. Teena kept her head lowered, but made no move to apologize or admit fault. Her mana was still steady. Dev seemed to notice that she was just waiting out the storm, because he continued talking. ¡°It¡¯s easy to judge someone on paper. On their statistics. When you haven¡¯t seen the effort that goes into achieving that record. But for the ones who have, we¡¯ve watched Aida work hard, and give up so much of herself in order to get to where she is now. She went against all odds and expectations, and I can confidently say that everyone in Class 2 agrees that she belongs in this courtyard with the rest of us.¡± Flabbergasted, Aida looked up at him. His initial words made sense, because he was protecting the reputation of the school. But doubling down? Especially to try to preserve her reputation? ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Tera said loudly. ¡°She¡¯s been able to hold her own in all of our training matches.¡± ¡°And she¡¯s also very cooperative,¡± Natalie added. ¡°Even though she¡¯s Water, she¡¯s still been able to assist me so that we can do some pretty awesome things during Lloyd¡¯s mana applications classes.¡± ¡°She deserves her spot here,¡± Abedi agreed in a low growl. ¡°Putting her back in the bottom of the class would make no sense.¡± Aida was dumbfounded, listening to every one of her classmates chime in to stand up for her. The frustration and hostility she had been accumulating from Teena¡¯s attack clashed with the shock and gratification from her classmates¡¯ support. The overwhelming mix of conflicting emotions broke through the remainder of Aida¡¯s control, and the tiny teacup in her hand shattered. The tears of anger she had been holding back spilled out. Almost instantly, Dev grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd, away from the school. As she passed Teena, the woman lifted her gaze briefly, a triumphant smile on her face - and Aida was able to get some amount of satisfaction in seeing the smug woman blanch as Aida kept her murderous gaze fixed on her until Dev pulled her completely away from the crowd. Dev didn¡¯t stop walking until they reached a secluded corner of the school, where there were no windows and no other students. He finally turned to face her, concern in his blue eyes. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Aida nodded, wiping her eyes with her wrists. She paused. Dev was still holding onto her hand. Dev released her, lifting his hand the rest of the way to wipe away her tears gently with his fingertips. His hand rested lightly on her cheek, his fingers blessedly cool against her hot skin. Aida didn¡¯t know when Dev had gotten so close, but all she knew was that she had her back pressed against the wall with nowhere else to retreat. Dev¡¯s eyes, normally so flinty and cold, were looking at her with compassion. Quickly ducking her head, Aida wiped her eyes, brushing away Dev¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks for standing up for me,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Of course. That Healer was insulting all of us.¡± That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not about defending me specifically, it¡¯s about protecting their reputation as a whole. Aida gave him a watery smile. ¡°Either way. I appreciate it.¡± ¡°You know what Teena Vega said about you is completely wrong, right?¡± Dev asked quietly. Aida looked up at him. The way he said it - so calmly, so confidently, as if he was just stating a fact, and not merely sympathizing with her - it made her want to agree with him. The corners of Dev¡¯s mouth lifted in a rare smile. His normally cold and intimidating facade thawed, and his eyes softened, causing a shiver to run through Aida¡¯s body; like stepping out of a freezing air-conditioned grocery store into the warm summer breeze, the shiver reminded her she didn¡¯t have to be wound so tightly, be so on guard anymore. Aida parted her lips. ¡°You really were serious about wanting to be friends, weren¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 79: New Alliance Dev tilted his head at Aida¡¯s inquiry. Aida mirrored his head tilt, returning his smile. ¡°Of course I was serious about being your friend.¡± Dev stepped back, leaving Aida leaning against the wall. He ran his fingers through his hair, leaving it mussed. He turned back towards Aida, arching an eyebrow at her. ¡°Are you finally interested in engaging in friendship with me?¡± Aida laughed awkwardly. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t say no, after what you did for me back there.¡± She shook her head ruefully. ¡°I accept your friendship.¡± She stuck out her hand to him. Dev looked at her outstretched hand for a long moment, causing Aida to begin panicking. He¡¯s basically nobility. Am I being too forward in presuming to shake his hand? Fortunately, he reached out before she could draw her hand back, clasping her hand firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve waited a long time for this.¡± Aida grimaced at him; partially at his mock formality, partially at trying to slip her hand out at their done deal. He didn¡¯t release, only smiled as she shook their hands. ¡°Okay, agreement¡¯s been reached. You can let go now.¡± ¡°I have a question for you, if you don¡¯t mind - as your friend.¡± Dev finally released her hand, his fingers briefly brushing the palm of her hand. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on with you and Levi?¡± ¡°What do you mean? We¡¯re friends.¡± Dev let out a thoughtful hum. ¡°Well, I noticed that you two seemed pretty intimate during the Old Moon Festival¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Aida dropped her gaze to the ground, flushing. ¡°That¡­we had a misunderstanding that night, but we cleared it up. We¡¯re still friends. Just friends.¡± ¡°Just friends,¡± Dev repeated. ¡°Friends like how we¡¯re friends?¡± ¡°Well technically, he¡¯s a closer friend than you,¡± Aida said apologetically. ¡°We¡¯ve spent more time together, you see.¡± ¡°Right¡­like how Pritchard and I are closer friends than we are,¡± Dev stated, gesturing between the two of them while watching her carefully. She nodded at his analogy. ¡°I see. Well, I suppose this is not a bad position to be in.¡± Dev smiled at her again, this time more relaxed. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me saying, but I hope our friendship can surpass that of yours and Levi¡¯s.¡± ¡°You might have a chance,¡± Aida said airily. ¡°Since I haven¡¯t had as many chances to see Levi and Sue and the rest of the group since they split us into three classes.¡± Dev shook his head mournfully. ¡°Poor Levi and Ezra. Who would have thought my loss to my cousin would have been a blessing in disguise.¡± Aida frowned, playfully offended. ¡°I thought you said you deliberately lost to Lara so that you¡¯d be in Class 2.¡± ¡°Ah, you remember that.¡± Dev flashed a smile at her, catching a stray sunbeam. ¡°That¡¯s true. Our friendship is young, but you are already quite a good influence on me, keeping me honest.¡± ¡°Congratulations on successfully achieving your goal of becoming my friend,¡± Aida said, saluting him. ¡°Now, I have a question for you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Pritchard - do you really believe that he will let bygones be bygones?¡± Aida tried to keep her tone light and the suspicion from her voice. She hadn¡¯t wanted to dwell on Pritchard¡¯s apology, because even though he said all the right words - and had stopped tormenting her - she could very well imagine that he was merely biding his time. She had a sneaking suspicion that Gemma¡¯s ¡°mentoring¡± sessions might be like those employee training sessions, where all they did was teach offenders how to better hide their unsavory behaviors instead of actually changing their opinions. Dev¡¯s smile faded away. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry about him,¡± he finally said. He refused to meet her gaze. ¡°Dev,¡± Aida said slowly. She ducked to the side so that she could capture his eyes. ¡°What are you not telling me?¡± He turned his head even more, trying to avoid her, but she followed his movements, staying in his view. ¡°He won¡¯t bother you for the rest of the school year, that I can guarantee,¡± Dev said unwillingly. He hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m hoping Gemma will be able to get through to him, but with his personality¡­it¡¯s hard to say.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aida felt dread build up in her stomach. Now that she thought about it, Pritchard didn¡¯t pitch in with any fuzzy feel-good anecdotes about how she was a good classmate either¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t think you should worry,¡± Dev said with finality. ¡°I think we can help him see reason.¡± ¡°You know, you not telling me the full story behind what¡¯s going on with Pritchard isn¡¯t going to help me not worry,¡± Aida pointed out. ¡°All I¡¯m learning from you is that he only apologized because Gemma made him, and not because he wanted to¡­which makes it an insincere apology.¡± Dev clicked his tongue. ¡°I could have sworn you wouldn¡¯t have caught onto that kind of nuance during the previous school years. Have you just been hiding your true abilities since you joined the school?¡± he teased. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Aida flushed. She was getting too comfortable, and forgetting that she had a well-established bimbo cover to maintain. ¡°I was just trying to point out that it would be difficult to be your friend if your other friend doesn¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Dev agreed after a pause. ¡°But I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll come around, especially if you are willing to extend a hand of friendship to him. After all, it seems like you and Pritchard have been cordial in class exercises.¡± ¡°And what if he thinks my ¡®hand of friendship¡¯ gives him license to expect more?¡± Aida asked flatly. ¡°I don¡¯t really look forward to making matters worse.¡± Dev exhaled lightly as he chose his next words. ¡°Pritchard is¡­I know I said his personality can be difficult, but he¡¯s not a bad person,¡± Dev said gently. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to believe, after everything that¡¯s happened, but¡­if you gave him another chance, I¡¯d appreciate the effort. As a request from your friend.¡± Something about the way Dev spoke made her look at him again more carefully. From the way he acted before, she always assumed he was friends with Pritchard just because he was part of the clique - he never outright stoked any flames the way Myk did, but he did have an air of resignation whenever she observed the group. The way he was now petitioning her for clemency¡­he was serious. He wasn¡¯t just saying things to appear ¡°nice,¡± he really believed Pritchard had some sort of redeeming quality. Someone who doesn¡¯t like their ¡®friend¡¯ wouldn¡¯t ask for a second chance on their behalf like this. Aida stepped away from Dev, dropping her gaze to the ground. She couldn¡¯t think clearly with how intently he was staring at her - she had never been particularly good at public speaking in school, and even though Dev was one person, she couldn¡¯t help but feel like she had a whole classroom of eyes on her. Honestly, she was happy with the current status quo, where she and Pritchard left each other alone and just focused on their own lives. But knowing that the peace came more from Gemma¡¯s influence over him - which was guaranteed to expire as soon as they graduated - meant that it would be in Aida¡¯s best interest to try to seek true reconciliation with Pritchard. Especially since he was from a prominent family¡­she didn¡¯t know how much influence the Spoak family would have over her life once she entered the workforce, but she knew it would be better to try to head off any animosity before it snowballed into something far beyond her control. Especially since she had just acquired another enemy in Teena Vega. ¡°¡­No promises.¡± She lifted her gaze back to Dev. ¡°I¡¯m not going to go out of my way to be Pritchard¡¯s friend, but I¡­¡± she steeled herself to say the words, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try not to treat him so suspiciously.¡± The smallest smile spread across Dev¡¯s face, loosening his facial muscles. ¡°That¡¯s all I could ask from you. And in return, I¡¯ll do my best to help make sure your interactions with him go as smoothly as possible.¡± Aida shook her head, unable to withhold her own smile. ¡°You really are a good friend to him.¡± Dev shook his head slowly. ¡°Believe it or not, he¡¯s been a good friend to me as well.¡± Aida said nothing, only nodded with a serious expression on her face. She could believe that Pritchard could be a good friend to a brother-in-arms, despite his sense of entitlement. She just had to figure out how to position herself as a ¡°bro¡± to him, so that he would stop thinking of her as a romantic interest. Can¡¯t be too hard¡­ She sighed. ¡°I guess we took enough time to ourselves. Do you think the professors or Affiliates will expect us back to socialize with them?¡± Dev shrugged. ¡°It will be a more difficult case for them to punish the two of us than if we trickle back one at a time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, because I didn¡¯t get a chance to pour any tea before Teena caught me,¡± Aida muttered. ¡°Seriously, where does she get off on saying all that?¡± she burst out, unable to hold back her anger. ¡°I suspect she has an inferiority complex,¡± Dev supplied delicately. ¡°She¡¯s not a Maglica alumni, and your unique situation provided an easy target for her.¡± Aida huffed, annoyed. Classic bully. ¡°And she¡¯s a Healer too¡­how badly do you think my chances of getting into a clinic is after that altercation with her?¡± ¡°Fortune Favors is one of the primary clinics servicing the large families,¡± Dev admitted reluctantly. ¡°And unfortunately, though the Flau clan is the primary patron for Fortune Favors¡­I don¡¯t have the pull to override Healer Vega¡¯s words.¡± Aida laughed dryly, heading back towards the school. She took the path in the opposite direction, towards the front of the school so that she didn¡¯t have to return to the courtyard. Dev ambled after her. Of course. The one new alliance I make, who is theoretically at the top of the food chain, doesn¡¯t have the power to make my problems go away. ¡°Speaking of pull¡­what¡¯s going to happen with the Flau clan¡¯s succession?¡± Dev¡¯s steps became stiffer, though he still kept up with her easily. ¡°¡­Honestly, I haven¡¯t thought much about it.¡± Aida looked at him questioningly. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before sighing heavily. ¡°Before school started this year, I didn¡¯t care if I became the next head of the clan or not. But¡­¡± he trailed off as he lifted his head, looking up into the sky. Aida followed his gaze, but all she saw were clouds. ¡°¡­it goes back to what I said before. You tried so hard, even though you had no reason to. I suppose in a way, watching you made me ashamed of myself.¡± Dev¡¯s lips twisted in a sardonic grin. ¡°Here¡¯s this girl, historically the worst student in the class, finally fighting. Even though she knows she¡¯s likely to be last again, and arguably is choosing to fight at the worst time, when everything is pretty much already settled¡­she comes out swinging.¡± Aida bit her lip, uncomfortable with his characterization of her. It wasn¡¯t like she finally decided to get her act together...she just did what she was used to doing. Aida set a really low bar for me to clear¡­ Dev shook his head, the mocking smile still on his lips. But he wasn¡¯t mocking her; he seemed to be talking to himself. ¡°If this girl is fighting even when everything is hopeless, what does that say about me, when I have all the advantages over her?¡± He looked up at her, mirth sparkling in his eyes. ¡°I even wondered to myself - how stupid are you? Why didn¡¯t you fight like you did earlier? What kind of losing strategy were you operating off of, that you decided to fight against momentum like that? ¡°But then, you actually made the cutoff to be in Class 2. Even though I saw your performance in the placement matches, part of me was still like Vega; I thought that must have been a fluke - a result of the change in scoring. But when you kept up your efforts in the actual classes, there was no denying it. You didn¡¯t give up, and now you¡¯re here.¡± Aida couldn¡¯t breathe. Dev had crept closer to her during his monologue, and his voice had quieted as he spoke, so that in order to hear his words she had to hold her breath. But now, he was far too close for her not to breathe onto him. Nodding aggressively, Aida skipped backwards, sucking in a much-needed breath. ¡°I guess I really am a good influence then. Are you feeling like you need to compete with me?¡± ¡°Ironically, yes,¡± Dev laughed. ¡°You truly are an inspiration.¡± Unable to stop the flush in her cheeks, Aida waved off his words as she started on her way again. ¡°Sounds like I made things harder for myself. I¡¯d hate to fight you when you¡¯re doing your best.¡± Dev laughed again. ¡°You¡¯re really not giving yourself enough credit.¡± Aida laughed, shaking her head as she took the steps two at a time. Pulling the door open so that Dev could pass through, she felt a wave of hostility pass over her. Chapter 80: Prejudice Peeking through the door, Aida saw Levi and Ezra glaring her way. Caleb and Sue were hovering in the background, Caleb looking distressed as he tried to calm Sue down. Ah, they must have heard the commotion¡­ ¡°Hi, guys. Were you waiting for me?¡± Aida asked brightly as Dev stepped past her. He casually raised his hand in a salute. ¡°We heard what happened,¡± Sue fumed, reaching Aida in three strides. She gripped Aida by the shoulders, looking over her intently as if she was expecting Aida to have been injured. ¡°Are you okay? I swear, the next time I talk to that Healer¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± Aida reassured Sue. ¡°Dev and the rest of Class 2 stood up for me, so I¡¯m feeling a lot better than I was before.¡± Sue relaxed, finally glancing at Dev, who hadn¡¯t left Aida¡¯s side. ¡°Thank you, Dev. You¡¯re pretty okay.¡± ¡°I was just correcting the record,¡± Dev responded courteously. ¡°Healer Vega¡¯s words were deliberately inflammatory, in addition to being blatantly wrong. It made no sense to let her speak her mind unopposed.¡± ¡°Speaking of opposition, doesn¡¯t the Flau family have the power to ensure Healer Vega doesn¡¯t slander a Maglica student who hasn¡¯t even graduated yet?¡± Levi asked loudly. He was still standing in the middle of the hallway, his arms crossed as he glared derisively at Dev. ¡°You know, since your family is the main patron of Fortune Favors. Surely you can put in a word to the head Healer to make sure his employee faces disciplinary action for her transgression?¡± Dev turned frosty eyes onto Levi¡¯s heated bronze ones. Sparks flew between the two, making Aida shuffle uncomfortably. This is an effect I haven¡¯t seen before. ¡°Guys¡ª¡° ¡°For your information, even though we are the primary patrons of Fortune Favors, that does not mean we have any say over how the clinic operates.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Levi¡¯s voice dripped with disdain. ¡°You mean to tell me that all the Flau family members who seek to work in the Healing industry and thus get funneled into Fortune Favors all have no pull in the clinic? Or are you just saying you don¡¯t have any influence in the family?¡± Everybody stopped breathing. Even mana stopped flowing. Aida¡¯s eyes darted between the two boys. Levi¡¯s hostility was a bit excessive - in the context of his goals, she could understand why he might be frustrated at how Dev professed to having no power despite his family¡¯s reputation, but his anger seemed unreasonable and misplaced. What kind of pull was a teenage boy supposed to have, especially when the insult wasn¡¯t directly targeting their family name? ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Ezra commanded. ¡°This petty argument serves no purpose other than wishful thinking.¡± He turned probing eyes onto Aida. ¡°You truly are fine?¡± Aida nodded vigorously, grateful for Ezra¡¯s intervention. ¡°Yes, I know Vega is only making assumptions without the details. Although I am grateful that she was so straightforward with her biases¡­I¡¯m not going to work with her if I can help it.¡± Her stomach clenched as she thought about how that argument might have affected her chances with the other Affiliates. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aida, she was the only Healer I saw today,¡± Sue said soothingly, draping her arm around Aida¡¯s shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing the other Healer Affiliates are too busy to come early, huh?¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll hear about what happened when they get here?¡± Aida asked, trying to keep the gloom out of her voice. She tried for a joke. ¡°Or do you think Vega¡¯s reputation is so poor that they¡¯ll automatically support me?¡± Instead of laughing and reassuring her with exaggerated agreement as she expected, everyone looked to Dev. He looked uncomfortable. ¡°Well¡­to be honest, her reputation is that of a knowledgeable, conscientious Healer with a strong work ethic, who worked her way up from humble origins. She may not have attended Maglica, but that in itself fed into her reputation of a dependable Healer who gave her all for her profession.¡± Aida sighed heavily. Teena Vega¡¯s motivations for such an aggressive confrontation made a lot more sense now. She likely saw Aida as a privileged and lazy student who wanted to become a Healer for the respect, and was planning on coasting up to the position with her pedigree. She felt anger stir at the unjust assumption. She knows nothing about me. ¡°How is that professional of her?¡± Aida burst out, startling everyone. Sue quickly resumed patting Aida on the back. ¡°Surely treating me the way she did will reflect poorly on her professional reputation too, right?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned back to Dev, who by now was looking like he regretted hanging around. ¡°Unfortunately, she has already established her reputation as one who¡­¡¯calls it as she sees it,¡¯¡± he said reluctantly, sketching the phrase in air quotes with a grimace. ¡°So despite Class 2¡¯s support of you today, it¡¯s likely she will have a good amount of her own vocal supporters speaking out and backing her opinion.¡± Aida groaned, burying her face into Sue¡¯s shoulder. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Sue said soothingly, brushing her hair comfortingly. ¡°You¡¯ll prove her wrong.¡± ¡°I just hope the other Healers will give me a chance when we have to do sponsorship assignments,¡± Aida said, her voice coming out muffled. ¡°I¡¯m sure they will,¡± Levi said brusquely. ¡°And if not, I¡¯ll have a word with them. I might not have the pull of some of us here, but I¡¯ll put in a good word for you.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Sue said quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to talk you up!¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t do that,¡± Aida interrupted, lifting her head from Sue¡¯s arms. ¡°If too many people say it, that will just make Vega¡¯s case against me - and the school - even stronger. It will be emphasizing her point that I can¡¯t get by on my own abilities.¡± Ezra clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. ¡°I hate to say it, but Aida¡¯s right. We shouldn¡¯t interfere, because people like Vega will take it as a sign of weakness.¡± He leveled his eyes on her. ¡°But I believe Aida will be able to prove to everyone else - if not Vega herself - that she can make an excellent Healer.¡± Aida sighed, pulling away from Sue¡¯s warmth. ¡°Thank you. All of you, for worrying about me.¡± She met everyone¡¯s gazes. ¡°I already knew I would be against numerous odds in getting the job I want. The good thing about having Vega come at me like this is¡­now I can prepare for when we actually meet the full roster of Affiliates. I won¡¯t be caught off-guard like today.¡± ¡°If you ever need to complain about a stupid Affiliate, you come to me, okay?¡± Sue said hotly, grasping Aida¡¯s hands tightly. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go do something fun¡­Professor Lloyd said we¡¯re going to be seeing them during meal times, so let¡¯s get your mood up before you see her again.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Despite her friends¡¯ best efforts to cheer her up and her own logic reminding her that Healer Teena Vega¡¯s judgment of her character was unfair, Aida was still in a bad mood when they finally went for dinner. Fortunately, the dining room was crowded enough that Aida was able to avoid crossing paths with Vega, though she did see her sit at one of the large central tables with several other Affiliates who seemed to have no qualms with her, and were in fact quite friendly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Caleb murmured to her, blocking Aida from Vega¡¯s view as they walked towards their own table. ¡°I think if she gets a chance to get to know you, she¡¯ll realize you two are more alike than she thinks.¡± Aida appreciated his sentiment, though she could only bring herself to acknowledge his words with a tight nod. If it was a typical faceless ¡°stranger,¡± Aida would be inclined to believe Caleb¡¯s words. But having her first encounter with Vega happen the way it did, where this literal stranger went out of her way to seek her out and humiliate her, Aida didn¡¯t share Caleb¡¯s optimism. The woman came here with a chip on her shoulder, and there was no denying that Aida Loreh made the best target for this woman to push her agenda against the elitism that Maglica Academy embodied. Aida had doubts about her ability to navigate the political situation, especially since it extended beyond the school at large. When she first came here, she thought she might have had the upper hand compared to her peers purely because of her additional work experience, but given how tight-knit the local politics was - there were even such things as clan inheritance disputes, for goodness¡¯ sake - she was beginning to realize she had even less ability to climb the social ladder than she had first thought. She was a lot more dependent on her affiliation with Maglica than she expected if she wanted to be taken seriously. The agonizing thing was that Aida understood where Vega was coming from. Having to work three times as hard just to prove herself because she wasn¡¯t part of the ¡°old boys¡¯ club¡± or have anyone to vouch for her - and seeing people who were her peers by title, but receiving preferential treatment despite subpar work¡­Annie could empathize. She had heard enough stories from gymbros bragging about how they managed to land their cushy jobs, all because their fathers or mothers knew someone¡­Their parents might have gone to a good university, but they themselves just went to a party school. Her mind whirled as she realized she might have enough social standing to inadvertently step on people¡¯s toes just by existing. It was a heady feeling, one that made her realize she had to reevaluate her position more precisely. How much power do I really have here? Aida glanced around the table at her friends. Her friendship with Ezra and Levi were the most valuable relationships if she wanted to climb the social ladder. Same with Sue; she had the natural charisma and talent to easily attract patrons. She sucked in a breath. She didn¡¯t like this way of thinking. Viewing her friends through such a cold, utilitarian lens made her feel scummy. Levi nudged her. ¡°Are you all right?¡± She gave him a wan smile. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine¡­just trying to get used to the idea that I might be perceived as privileged and entitled.¡± Aida spoke quietly to avoid drawing Sue¡¯s attention on her other side. Levi raised an eyebrow. ¡°You know what the best way to handle that kind of perception is, right?¡± ¡°Ignore it?¡± ¡°Lean into it.¡± Levi popped a piece of fruit into his mouth. ¡°Give the people what they want. They¡¯ll build an image of the kind of person they think you are, and treat you that way.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want them to treat me as privileged and entitled,¡± Aida hissed. ¡°Let me finish,¡± Levi said, poking a multicolored berry into Aida¡¯s mouth. She bit down, savoring the sweet juice as she waited impatiently for Levi to finish his thought. ¡°You know how you would treat someone who is entitled, right? So that means you know how Vega will treat you.¡± Aida frowned thoughtfully, nodding at him to go on. ¡°And since she¡¯ll have you pegged as a one-dimensional spoiled girl from Maglica Academy, she won¡¯t have her guard up on how you might subvert her expectations. That means,¡± Levi pointed his chopsticks at Aida¡¯s nose, making her sit up straight to avoid being skewered, ¡°You have the opportunity to catch her off-guard whenever you decide to show your true colors.¡± ¡°So I should bide my time with Vega,¡± Aida said slowly, trying to make sure she understood what Levi was saying. ¡°Let her think I¡¯m exactly what she thinks I am, until some opportune moment shows up for me to undercut whatever her agenda might be.¡± Levi¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°Exactly. You¡¯re still an unknown quantity, and Vega¡¯s words will weigh more than yours. The more she slanders you, the heavier her downfall will be when you prove her wrong.¡± ¡°You really are familiar with the social game, aren¡¯t you?¡± Aida marveled, looking at him with new respect. She squinted at him. ¡°Do I need to be more careful with you?¡± Levi smirked at her. ¡°Not at all! What you see is what you get with me.¡± He winked. Aida laughed, getting Sue¡¯s attention. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Sue asked curiously, turning away from Caleb. ¡°Levi¡¯s being silly,¡± Aida said, smiling. She began digging into her meal, her mood greatly improved after having a plan of action in place. Chapter 81: Affiliates Though Aida hoped most of the Affiliates would be more open-minded about the students they were trying to recruit than Healer Vega, she was still pleasantly surprised that everyone was professional enough to not allude to the dispute that occurred during the New Sun Festival brunch. ¡°Hi! Aida, right?¡± the Gullbeaks Affiliate, Kuri Kisa, cheerfully greeted Aida during the first evening session Class 2 had with the Affiliates. She was slightly shorter than Sue, making her slightly taller than Aida. Her friendly blue eyes danced like flames, giving Aida the impression that Kuri didn¡¯t have the patience to put up with steady political maneuvering when she could just make friends. ¡°Yes, hello,¡± Aida smiled back tentatively. ¡°You¡¯re part of the Gullbeaks, right?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve heard about us!¡± Kuri exclaimed, pleased. She was very affable, and spoke with great humility; as if the Gullbeaks were still a small upstart Adventuring group, instead of the highly respected organization it was (as Levi had strongly impressed upon her during a crash course of Sue¡¯s heroes). ¡°Yes, my friend Suelina has been gushing about you guys,¡± Aida said politely. ¡°She¡¯s said her dream is to either join the Gullbeaks or start her own Adventuring party, so¡ª¡± ¡°Ah yes, Suelina!¡± Kuri nodded ecstatically. ¡°I really loved talking with her! She¡¯s got such a rare fire. But I also wanted to talk to you!¡± Aida hadn¡¯t realized, but Kuri had casually led Aida to a more private corner of the classroom Class 2 and other Affiliates were in. Glancing around quickly to make sure no one could overhear them, Kuri dropped her voice. ¡°I saw that fiasco that happened during New Sun Day, and I just wanted to make sure - how are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Aida said after a brief pause. She hadn¡¯t expected Kuri to be so straightforward about it, but she was looking at Aida with sincere concern in her expression. Aida searched for the politically correct words to reassure Kuri. ¡°I mean, I understand where Healer Teena Vega¡¯s concerns are coming from¡­my track record hasn¡¯t been stellar, especially when compared to the cream of the crop; but all I can do is continue doing my best. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, she¡¯s wrong about me,¡± Aida added fiercely when Kuri continued to look at her with doe eyes. Kuri grinned, reaching out to grasp Aida¡¯s hands tightly. Her hands were warm, and her spirited mana licked happily at Aida¡¯s own, beckoning brightly. ¡°I knew it,¡± Kuri declared happily. ¡°I could tell in the courtyard that you weren¡¯t the pushover Teena was hoping you would be, even before you fought back.¡± She winked. ¡°I - and the rest of the founding members of the Gullbeaks - haven¡¯t been to Maglica either, but we¡¯re not so stuffy that we¡¯ll judge people based on their history.¡± ¡°Thank you?¡± Aida said blankly, trying to make sense of Kuri¡¯s meaning. Her words themselves didn¡¯t really inspire confidence that Kuri wasn¡¯t judging Aida, but her demeanor certainly seemed harmless. ¡°Oh, I just meant history isn¡¯t everything,¡± Kuri said quickly. ¡°It¡¯s just one factor - we want dependable people in our company, you know? But we don¡¯t eliminate candidates just because their background is a little weird - lots of reasons, you know?¡± ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Aida said, bemused. ¡°But I just want to get it out there¡­I¡¯m not looking to become an Adventurer immediately after graduation. I¡¯d like to work on my Healing abilities first.¡± ¡°Ah, understandable!¡± Kuri nodded. ¡°Healers are always so valuable. And I absolutely did not mean to impose on you - I hope I didn¡¯t ruin your perception of the Gullbeaks.¡± Kuri wilted, her grip on Aida¡¯s hands loosening. The young woman wasn¡¯t acting; her mana felt ashamed as well, curling in on itself. Either that or she was excellent at controlling her mana. ¡°Not at all,¡± Aida said quickly, feeling slightly guilty for accidentally insinuating that she didn¡¯t like Kuri. ¡°I just wanted to be honest about my goals, in case you wanted to spend your time meeting other candidates who might be more aligned with yours¡­¡± ¡°Oh no, never!¡± Kuri redoubled her grip on Aida¡¯s hands, pulling her closer. She dropped her voice into a conspiratorial whisper. ¡°To be honest - I didn¡¯t want to come to Maglica to recruit, but since I¡¯m the youngest senior in the company, I got sent here. So I¡¯d rather spend my time talking to people I like than - you know - interviewing.¡± She stuck her tongue out, before pulling back and resuming in a normal voice. ¡°Anyway! I¡¯ll be here for several moon cycles, so there¡¯s plenty of time to get to know the rest of the graduating class.¡± She grinned at Aida cheekily. Aida couldn¡¯t stifle her chortle. Kuri¡¯s guileless attitude was so refreshing, especially considering the professional environment they were supposed to be in. ¡°Well, as long as you don¡¯t have any expectations of me,¡± Aida replied quietly, covering her mouth so that the rest of the Affiliates in the room didn¡¯t see her stupid grin. Kuri¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh flames, sorry! Am I keeping you from meeting with anyone you wanted to talk to in particular?¡± she asked earnestly. ¡°Well¡­¡± Aida glanced surreptitiously around the classroom. ¡°¡­I guess at this point I¡¯d like to talk to anybody who doesn¡¯t see me the way Healer Vega does.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Kuri hummed, her bright eyes scanning the room as well. ¡°I think you could probably talk to Healer Bokar. His clinic specializes in treating poisoned individuals - not just the typical poisoning you¡¯d get from the wilderness like venomous creatures or eating poisonous mushrooms, but also therapeutic treatments for allergies.¡± She blinked her large eyes at Aida. ¡°Since people like to avoid poisons, he¡¯ll talk to anyone who won¡¯t turn their nose up at his work.¡± Aida looked at the gentleman Kuri indicated. He was a squat fellow with dark skin and gray streaked in his purple hair, and he had a bounciness to his body language that belied a cheerful personality. He had rectangular glasses resting on top of his head. Bokar was speaking animatedly to Kozu, buttressed by occasional nods and laughs as Kozu kept a casual eye on the classroom. ¡°Sounds like we have a lot in common,¡± Aida said, pushing her uncertainty aside. He looked friendly enough, but even with Kuri¡¯s endorsement she was worried how affected he might be by the scandal Healer Vega had caused. After all, Vega theoretically shared enough background traits with Aida that she should have been more supportive than critical of her. ¡°Good luck!¡± Kuri said cheerfully, waving both hands at Aida. ¡°Feel free to come hang out with me if you don¡¯t find what you¡¯re looking for!¡± Waving goodbye to Kuri, Aida made her way towards Kozu and Bokar. Kozu caught her eye as she approached, and he smiled in relief as he straightened up. ¡°Aida! Let me introduce you to Healer Bokar Evins. He¡¯s the head researcher of the Relief for Health Clinic. This is Aida Loreh, water element.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Aida said, shaking his hand. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re able to take the time to come and participate as an Affiliate.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on sabbatical,¡± Bokar said, peering at her. His eyes were a deep purple. ¡°The rest of my staff have taken on the bulk of treating patients, so that gives me some more flexibility with my time. I¡¯m pleased to meet you. Kozu mentioned you were interested in being a Healer?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you two talk,¡± Kozu said, touching Aida¡¯s shoulder lightly as he excused himself. He gave her a reassuring nod before he left. At least Professor Kozu trusts this guy. ¡°Yes, I am! I have been practicing my Heal and Regen skills recently, but I am open to learning anything that can help cure patients and improve their lives.¡± Aida rattled off the speech she had prepared ever since the Old Moon Festival, describing her motivations, desire to learn and help, and work ethic. ¡°I also have a personal stake in learning about poisons, because I feel it¡¯s an underutilized field,¡± Aida concluded. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m flattered that you want to learn more about my work,¡± Bokar responded, pleased. ¡°Most people think of the bad in poisons when they hear the word, so would prefer to avoid it entirely. Why do you feel it¡¯s an underutilized field?¡± Aida gave an embarrassed laugh, trying to hide the guilt from bubbling through her. Let¡¯s see how convincing I can be. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have the raw power of the top five. Or even the top ten. But because I don¡¯t have the luxury of their mana reservoir, I have to be more careful with my mana use - and because of that limiting factor, I have to think a bit more creatively about what I can do with my limited resources.¡± Aida bit her lip, but Bokar nodded encouragingly at her. ¡°So¡­and this is just me hypothesizing here, but having at least a basic knowledge of poisons and how they work might expand my opportunities to be a Healer, either in combat as a poison user, or as a Healer in your clinic.¡± Bokar stared avidly at Aida as she finished. ¡°Interesting. Very interesting.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound so selfish about my desires,¡± Aida said quickly, her brain still spinning as her own words unlocked a line of questioning in her mind. ¡°But I¡¯m also wondering - medicines are a mixture of controlled poisons, right? Too much of anything can always become toxic. So in that vein, studying potions and brews from the perspective of poisonous ingredients in the first place might be safer than studying from the potion-crafting perspective. So that I could learn the fundamentals of the ingredients I might be working with.¡± ¡°Why yes,¡± Bokar said, a grin spreading across his face. ¡°You are correct. Medicines are certainly controlled poisons, which is why we do not recommend regular healthy people to take medicine if they don¡¯t need it, and why Healers have to prescribe the right quantity and mix of herbs only after they understand the ailment. You are very thoughtful for your age, young lady.¡± Aida smiled back at him, trying to keep her composure. Bokar seemed elated that Aida wasn¡¯t just saying things to butter him up; he seemed to appreciate her showing a genuine interest and asking questions about his field. ¡°Fascinating, most young people your age wouldn¡¯t have the foresight to think that broadly, even at Maglica,¡± Bokar continued, pulling the glasses down from his head. He cleaned the lenses with a small stream of water he summoned between his fingers. ¡°I really like the way you think, and even if you decide poisons aren¡¯t your interest, I¡¯m excited to see what we can teach you. Perhaps you may even learn enough to make a breakthrough in another discipline! What do you say to doing your first sponsorship assignment with me, this upcoming rest day?¡± Aida stopped holding herself back, letting a full smile split her face. ¡°I¡¯d be honored!¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± Bokar finally put his glasses on his nose, making his purple eyes smaller as he looked her in the face. His face mirrored her own wide grin. ¡°I¡¯ll have to change up the sponsorship assignment - my list initially had some basic things, gathering materials, you know, but I think we can make it more interesting for you. Do you know Detox?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Aida was brought up short. ¡°I¡­I know it, but I haven¡¯t really had occasion to use it.¡± She quickly brought up the skill menu, looking through the translucent blue box at Bokar as he continued speaking. ¡°Fair enough, I imagine the school has been keeping you all healthy and safe anyway. Study up a bit on detoxification, if you must - this first sponsorship assignment will be experimental, give you the chance to understand how poisons feel, what to look for - if that¡¯s amenable to you?¡± He glanced inquisitively at Aida. ¡°Of course,¡± Aida nodded. ¡°I trust that the school won¡¯t let you poison me to death,¡± she chirped. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let that happen to you anyway!¡± Bokar laughed heartily. ¡°Very well, let¡¯s meet after breakfast on Sun Day. Make sure you eat well.¡±
You have learned Detox (Lv1). Total RP: 76
Chapter 82: Poison Basics A bespectacled Healer Bokar enthusiastically welcomed Aida into the classroom the following Sun Day. There were racks of vials containing colorful liquids on the teacher¡¯s desk, and herbs were carefully placed in small piles across several student desks. ¡°Thanks for coming so early. I already alerted Healer Luk that we¡¯re playing with poisons today, so she¡¯s aware,¡± Bokar said, settling his glasses more firmly on his nose. ¡°Of course, we don¡¯t expect to need her help, but it¡¯s always better to have backup. And I suppose that¡¯s the perfect lesson to start with: when dealing with poisons, have as many layers of support as you can get.¡± He looked at her sternly, making sure she understood his point. Aida nodded vigorously. ¡°Excellent. Now, we¡¯ll start slow, just to see how sensitive you are. The characteristics that differentiate a poison practitioner from a regular Healer are that poison requires more focus, more awareness, than regular healing. The category of ¡®poisons¡¯ as a whole is merely a loose classification of any substance which, in sufficient concentration, can disrupt or hijack biological processes and harm a patient¡­¡± Healer Bokar began pacing as he dropped into lecture mode; Aida was fascinated. According to Bokar, regular healing, like with her Heal ability, was meant to address the body¡¯s health as a whole. A Healer needed to identify inefficiencies and blockages at a macroscopic scale, while treating poisons and toxins required focusing on the local region around the toxin; observing and understanding the interactions between the foreign compound and the surrounding tissues. Fundamentally, Heal and Regen were about helping the body optimize its natural healing capability. But poisons could hinder the body¡¯s recovery, and there were even risks of spreading the poison further throughout the system if regular Healing was applied, causing problems to propagate. ¡°Your explanation about the importance of toxicology seems very straightforward,¡± Aida said when Bokar took a breath. ¡°Why is it that people don¡¯t talk about this discipline much?¡± Bokar sighed. ¡°Yes, it is not as popular because of the superstition that any association with negative things will invite bad luck into your life. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve encountered such beliefs before?¡± Aida hesitated, uncertain how to reply. Fortunately, Bokar seemed to think he had stumbled upon a social mishap. ¡°Of course, the perspective of being from a sanitation family might be different,¡± he said hastily. ¡°My family has been studying poisons for several generations now, so we¡¯ve come to accept that the superstitions are just that: superstitions. It¡¯s all about perspective, after all.¡± Aida nodded. She hadn¡¯t quite noticed that kind of cultural belief yet, but now that Bokar mentioned it she could see it. Levi¡¯s explanation about the industry tier levels made much more sense in that framework, with work in the sanitation and cleaning industry being rarely mentioned as an aspirational goal. The view was overly simplistic, but it tracked with what Annie knew in the real world as well. Janitors and garbage workers were always invisible, working thankless jobs. But without those workers and infrastructure in place, the upper echelon wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the sparkle and glitter of their offices and homes at the appropriately luxurious level to impress everybody who had the privilege of stepping foot in their spaces. Heck, rich people spent so much money and effort to disguise their bathrooms - making their bathrooms look more like high-end spas with large mirrors, gleaming marble and bamboo aesthetics. The humble, utilitarian purpose of disposing of their waste efficiently was treated as a mere afterthought. Rich enough to keep their hands and consciences clean. Aida thought grimly, thinking of her mother¡¯s stories about how her employers demanded their cleaners keep themselves out of the way while broadcasting to the public about how they supported all their workers equally. ¡°¡­why it¡¯s so important that we have people from all walks of life enter into whatever industry they desire,¡± Bokar was saying fervently. ¡°Different perspectives can offer different solutions. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Aida said quickly. ¡°Just like how a well-rounded adventuring group would have all the elements in the group.¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± Bokar beamed at Aida. ¡°But that¡¯s enough philosophy - let¡¯s have you start with this tincture. It¡¯s diluted beekle nectar, and before you ingest it, I¡¯d like to see if you can sense the signature of the compound within the water¡­¡± Over the course of the next hour, Bokar handed Aida various vials of diluted toxins, having her try to sense the differences between the compound of interest and the carrier material the toxin was mixed with. It was a very interesting exercise. Aida¡¯s mana senses could detect mana from living creatures like heat signatures, but having to focus on inert compounds was a special kind of challenge that required great focus. She didn¡¯t know the names of most of the toxins Bokar handed her, but she was able to identify the rough quantity of the toxin in each mixture. Bokar, for his part, seemed to have nothing but praise for her, making Aida embarrassed and distrustful of his enthusiasm. But he doubled down, insisting that she was truly gifted at detecting poisons. ¡°It took me years to be able to identify the quantity to such accuracy,¡± he declared, nodding in approval at Aida¡¯s pinched fingers as she pointed out where the toxin¡¯s boundaries were in the vial she was holding. ¡°I do believe you have a natural gift for this!¡±
Congratulations! You have improved the following attribute: Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. FOC: 9 - 0% to next level. +5 RP
¡°I¡¯m glad you think so,¡± Aida said, peering at the vial herself. The poison itself took on a glowing purple hue, with the more concentrated core of it being more opaque than the edges. Each of the toxins themselves had their own shades of purple, which Aida assumed was how she would differentiate between the different compounds. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, I know so,¡± Bokar said, unable to keep still in his excitement. ¡°I tell you, if you wanted to work with poisons, you will be a great asset for Relief for Health.¡± ¡°Where is your clinic based?¡± Aida asked, placing the vial carefully in its rack before looking up at him. ¡°Burston City, to the south of Buddington Town. Have you ever been there?¡± ¡°Unfortunately not,¡± Aida said politely. ¡°It¡¯s close to the Sundry Plains, right?¡± ¡°Yes, quite close - we regularly get Border Stronghold patrols stopping through our town, so we primarily fund our clinic by brewing potions for them. So if you¡¯re interested in brewing, that could also be something we teach you.¡± ¡°Your clinic does a lot,¡± Aida said, wide-eyed. She was in disbelief that the first Affiliate she worked with could be such a good match with her professional goals - what were the odds of that happening? ¡°Well, we try,¡± Bokar said lightly. ¡°Have to do things to combat the bad image that poisons have, yes?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Aida said quickly. She hesitated. How did she express her enthusiasm without making it sound like she was committing? ¡°I¡¯m really excited that we get along so well, Healer Bokar¡ª¡± ¡°But you will want to speak with the other Affiliates, yes, I understand,¡± Bokar interrupted. ¡°Not to worry, I¡¯ll hold out hope for you! The new sun is young yet, and we also have plenty of time to get to know each other. For all we know, we might find that we¡¯ll get sick of each other after a couple more meetings.¡± He winked cheekily at her, making Aida laugh. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t want you to feel pressured to say yes - you won¡¯t do your best work if you feel you are coerced or obligated to come work with me, which is the last thing I want. I want a Healer who has the drive and motivation to try and learn things on her own initiative, not because I tell her to.¡± Bokar nodded sternly at Aida, and she could sense the sincerity in his words. ¡°And in order to have a good working relationship, we need to be able to trust each other. And in order to trust each other¡­we must both willingly agree to work together. Does that sound good?¡± Aida could do nothing but nod, gratified by Bokar¡¯s words and candor. This was a completely new feeling for her. Bokar didn¡¯t treat her like a mere student curious about his work - he already treated her like she was a real Healer, and taught her fundamental knowledge about his field in a clear, concise manner, with only the intent to teach and no expectation that she would return the favor. ¡°Very good,¡± Bokar said, returning Aida¡¯s smile. He raised the first vial of beekle nectar he showed Aida. ¡°Are you too tired from detecting poisons? Would you like to try Detox?¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida had lunch with Healer Bokar afterwards. In the end, her Detox skill was too low level to completely eliminate the diluted beekle nectar on her own, so Bokar ended up forcing an antidote down her throat. ¡°That was a great effort for your first time using Detox,¡± Bokar was saying to her as they walked slowly to a dining table. Aida¡¯s feet dragged on the ground as she tried to keep up with Bokar¡¯s sedate pace, but her mana felt like it had congealed in her body. ¡°You were able to keep the beekle nectar from spreading too far, so you didn¡¯t have to take as much of the antidote as I would have expected.¡± Aida¡¯s tray trembled in her hands as she slowly set it down on the table, collapsing into the chair Bokar had courteously pulled out for her. ¡°That was a misjudgment on my part¡­I should have diluted the nectar more, or given you another poison. But the nectar tastes the best and is the least painful one, so I didn¡¯t want to scare you off¡­¡± Bokar glanced at her with concern. Aida shook her head at him, smiling wearily. ¡°That¡¯s okay. It did taste amazing, even though it was such a small quantity.¡± The nectar was incredibly sweet. It didn¡¯t hurt her as it permeated her organs; instead, it made her see sounds and hear colors and feel everything beneath her skin; it froze time and sped it up so that she could see the past and future at the same time. She had enough wherewithal to activate Detox, as Bokar had advised her to prep it, but even though she had only been under the influence of the poison for less than three seconds (by her mentally altered count and Bokar¡¯s corroboration), her body had exhausted itself from that brief period of time. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to experience that again, though,¡± Aida allowed. As much as she had felt elevated from that experience, she didn¡¯t like how she lost touch with reality. ¡°Of course not,¡± Bokar agreed immediately. ¡°I will also teach you some poison resistance skills, which are always helpful.¡± ¡°Bokar! Miss Loreh, hello. Do you mind if we join you for lunch?¡± Aida braced herself at the pleasant voice, meeting Teena Vega¡¯s gold eyes and perfectly practiced smile. ¡°Not at all, please sit,¡± Bokar said, gesturing to the two other chairs next to them. He looked to the student accompanying Vega. ¡°My name is Bokar Evins. You are¡­Mister Levan Bota?¡± ¡°Hello, yes sir,¡± Levan said humbly, taking a seat. He smiled at Aida. ¡°Hi Aida. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°It has. How are you?¡± Her mana still moved thickly like sludge, but seeing Vega lit a fire in her that burned away at her sluggishness. Bokar and Vega fell into conversation, discussing their stay at the school. Aida and Levan were left to their own devices, and they just chatted about their training. ¡°Healer Vega and I went to gather local materials for potion brewing,¡± Levan told her as they ate. ¡°And I got to practice healing, since the more potent herbs have a lot of defenses against being harvested.¡± He grimaced, drawing his finger across every surface of exposed skin to mark the length and number of cuts he sustained while harvesting the plants. ¡°Were any of them poisonous?¡± ¡°Fortunately not, just overly aggressive. What did you and Healer Bokar do?¡± ¡°I learned to detect the presence of toxic compounds, and then I tried using Detox.¡± Aida gave him a wry smile, and his eyes lit up in understanding at her sickly pallor. ¡°It was a good learning experience, overall.¡± ¡°Aida did very well,¡± Bokar chimed in. ¡°Especially for her first time getting poisoned.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯d love to hear more about your first time,¡± Vega said, leaning towards Aida. Her chopsticks twirled in a lazy circle as an invitation for Aida to speak, very nearly brushing a lock of Aida¡¯s hair. Aida flinched involuntarily away from the utensils invading her space, narrowing her eyes at Vega. The woman had a smile on her face, but her eyes were hard. ¡°What would you like to know?¡± Aida asked sweetly. Chapter 83: Toxicity ¡°Well to start with, I¡¯d like to hear what you think of Healer Bokar here,¡± Vega said, tilting her head in his direction without taking her golden eyes off Aida. ¡°He¡¯s a great teacher, and the sponsored assignment he gave me was extremely informative,¡± Aida said pleasantly, refusing to blink. Was Vega petty enough to shade a professional colleague? Did she have the same prejudices against poisons that Bokar had talked about? ¡°Have you ever had the privilege of working with him?¡± Vega blinked, but her smile remained on her face. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t say that I have. Fortune Favors Clinic doesn¡¯t deal with poisons.¡± An undercurrent of obviously floated in the empty space over the table. ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate,¡± Aida said softly. She lowered her gaze to her food in disappointment. ¡°I would have thought you, of all people, would appreciate the value of incorporating knowledge and perspectives from different backgrounds.¡± ¡°Well, we have our hands full just maintaining the health of all our patrons.¡± The smile had dropped from Vega¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s a bit much to expect us to open another branch just based on the opinion of a student.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about me,¡± Aida said earnestly, looking up at Vega with wide, innocent eyes. ¡°I just thought that you with your admirable rise up to such a respected clinic would be advocating to incorporate other disciplines in an effort to improve treatment.¡± Fury was brewing in Vega¡¯s eyes, but it didn¡¯t spill across her face. ¡°And as I just said, the way our clinic is run is no business of a student.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Aida nodded deferentially, keeping her eyes lowered. ¡°I was just wondering, and not questioning the efficacy or quality of the treatments available at your clinic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite all right,¡± Vega said politely. She paused to take a sip from her cup. ¡°I can see you wonder about a great many things, and are not shy about verbalizing your curiosity. Is that how you are so easily able to attain support from Healer Bokar and Professor Kozu?¡± ¡°Curiosity is a characteristic of intelligence! It¡¯s no wonder Aida¡¯s performed so well,¡± Bokar said enthusiastically, interrupting the sparks that flew between Aida and Vega. Aida seethed as Vega smirked at her. Bokar was expounding about how curiosity led to breakthroughs, but the only person listening was Levan, who nodded along in agreement. Vega¡¯s insinuation was gross and completely unfounded. Aida didn¡¯t have enough practice in throwing barbs in a professional setting, and she knew if she kept engaging she would eventually explode. Levi¡¯s words floated through her mind: ¡°Lean into it. Give the people what they want.¡± Aida took a deep breath, closing her eyes to Vega¡¯s aggravatingly triumphant expression. Trying to defend her own honor wasn¡¯t working, so what did she have to lose at this point? ¡°Healer Bokar¡¯s words are too kind,¡± Aida said demurely. ¡°I just feel so blessed to be able to attend Maglica Academy.¡± Aida smiled wistfully, ignoring Vega¡¯s shark teeth. Levan and Bokar returned her smile. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been so fortunate as to have this opportunity, then I wouldn¡¯t have been able to meet and learn from Professor Kozu and Healer Bokar. I can only imagine how bleak my original future would have been,¡± she sighed. Aida nudged Levan. ¡°What about you? Are you happy you got to meet and work with Healer Teena?¡± ¡°Oh, sure, of course,¡± Levan said quickly, nodding his head in the way that young people did when they were trying to impress someone they didn¡¯t know. ¡°I really enjoyed my time harvesting herbs¡­¡± Vega¡¯s jaw stiffened, though she didn¡¯t let her bad temper through. ¡°I enjoyed working with you as well, Levan.¡± Aida felt a little sorry for Levan as he brightened at the meaningless praise. He doesn¡¯t deserve being a pawn. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Moon Day was spent hanging out with the leads and Lily and Vanita. The girls had gone home for the Festivals, so they made up for their first-of-the-month picnic the star cycle after. ¡°Kuri is amazing,¡± Sue was raving. She was on her knees, her empty plate in front of her on the ground and punctuating her story with energetic punches. ¡°She¡¯s so powerful, and we cleared the forests around Maglica¡ª¡± Sue snapped her fingers, small plumes of flame bursting ¡°¡ªlike that.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t burn down the forests did you?¡± Aida asked, amused. Like everyone else, she was relaxing after their meal underneath the shade of a brand-new willow tree at the edge of the Lake. ¡°Or did Levi and the other Woods have to regrow the forest for their sponsorship assignments?¡± ¡°Only the monster variety,¡± Sue conceded. ¡°There were a lot of pests feasting on the herbs, so we had to support the Healers who went out for gathering.¡± Aida giggled at the thought of Sue and Kuri rescuing Vega and Levan. Vega¡¯s pride would undoubtedly be hurt if that happened. ¡°I¡¯m so jealous you got to work with Bokar Evins,¡± Lily said mournfully. ¡°I was looking for his name on the list of assignments, and didn¡¯t see it anywhere. Then I saw you guys eating lunch together!¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I can put in a good word for you if you want,¡± Aida said, smiling. ¡°I think you two would get along really well.¡± ¡°Please! And if you are interested in growing vegetables, I¡¯ll introduce you to Rheyna Limpiks,¡± Lily promised. ¡°How about you?¡± Aida asked Vanita, who was lounging next to her. ¡°It looked like you were headed out with a Border Strongholder?¡± Vanita sighed. ¡°It was mostly scouting work. Which I understand, since it¡¯s our first meeting, but it was unfortunate because it was nothing special. We didn¡¯t find anything, obviously, since so many practitioners were out and about.¡± ¡°I would have loved scouting for nothing,¡± Levi grumbled. ¡°I thought going with a zen garden Affiliate would have been relaxing, but she kept pushing me in order to ¡®find my limits.¡¯¡± He gestured at the willow tree they were under, as well as all the other fresh and spry landscaping plants that now edged the Lake. ¡°Thank you for your service,¡± Sue said importantly, saluting him. ¡°You made this place so much prettier.¡± Aida had to agree. Even though Levi was complaining, she didn¡¯t believe that he could grow so many plants with such care if he didn¡¯t actually want to improve the look of the area. The additional plantlife served to completely transform the Lake, interrupting the dread she used to feel whenever she looked at the scene where Ezra was hurt. ¡°Did you scout mostly near the school?¡± Caleb asked Vanita. He had also gone with a Border Affiliate, but it seemed he had gone further. When Aida saw him for dinner, he had rips in his shirt and pants. Vanita nodded sympathetically, having also seen his state when he returned. ¡°I still think it would have been smarter if the Affiliates had partnered together on the scouting missions further away from the school. Travel in groups of four instead of only in twos.¡± ¡°They likely didn¡¯t anticipate that level of danger this close to the school,¡± Ezra said quietly. ¡°And if it was a scouting mission, they weren¡¯t expecting to engage in combat.¡± ¡°That¡¯s silly though,¡± Aida said indignantly. ¡°After all the news that¡¯s been circulating in town, you¡¯d think they would have taken more precautions.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t the Affiliate¡¯s fault,¡± Caleb said hastily. ¡°He was taking every precaution to make sure we were safe, but the nature of being so far away from everyone else increased the chance of being attacked¡­¡± Aida pursed her lips, but couldn¡¯t come up with a justifiable comment. At least Caleb and the Affiliate had returned to school safely - better than her trip with Caleb. She glanced over at Ezra, who was watching the Lake¡¯s surface quietly. ¡°How was your assignment?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Ezra replied. ¡°Construction is always construction.¡± ¡°At least it¡¯s easy, eh?¡± Levi rolled over, poking Ezra with his elbow. ¡°It¡¯s not like they asked you to do anything beyond your abilities.¡± Ezra shrugged. ¡°Are there any Affiliates you¡¯re interested in working with?¡± Aida asked. He had mentioned he didn¡¯t want to work for his family, but never explicitly said what he wanted to do. He exhaled, his silver hair glimmering as it caught the breeze. ¡°Out of all the Affiliates present, I believe the Strongholders would be the ones who would be able to provide me with the time and resources to conduct my studies.¡± Levi muttered something that vaguely sounded like ¡°book insect,¡± but she ignored it. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you talk to any of the Strongholders? There¡¯s no way they would turn down the chance to mentor rank 1.¡± For some inexplicable reason, color bloomed in Ezra¡¯s cheeks. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll get around to it.¡± Puzzled, Aida looked around at everybody. No one else seemed bothered by Ezra¡¯s reaction, though Levi caught her eye and shook his head imperceptibly. ¡°Okay, well¡­¡± Aida took a deep breath. ¡°I know it¡¯s too early to commit, but I really enjoyed working with Healer Bokar during my first assignment. I don¡¯t want to get my hopes up, but¡­right now, I think I¡¯d really like to go to Burston City after graduation to work at the Relief for Health Clinic.¡± Aida¡¯s words were met with wide-eyed silence. She looked around nervously. Lily was the first to clap, her characteristic grin on her face. ¡°Yes! I support you!¡± ¡°They have a potion division there, right?¡± Levi asked thoughtfully. ¡°That could be a really great place to earn baen.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to associate with poisons, though?¡± Sue asked carefully, her lilac eyes large and worried. ¡°If you really want to, I support you too, but I¡¯m just worried that people will think¡­¡± she clamped her lips shut, looking around at everybody else for help. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Aida said gently. ¡°I know what the risks are. But no matter how you look at it, if I learn something important, there¡¯s a chance I can use it to do something transformative with it, right? If we never try anything because we¡¯re afraid, then we¡¯ll never do anything amazing.¡± Aida¡¯s words were met with silence. ¡°I agree with Aida,¡± Lily said in a stage whisper. Vanita patted Lily¡¯s head, smoothing her pale hair down. Lily nodded decisively. ¡°That¡¯s also how I¡¯ve been feeling, but I couldn¡¯t put it into words like that. Everyone thinks I¡¯m weird because of my interest in ¡®useless plants,¡¯ but they don¡¯t see that what we need could be right in front of us!¡± Aida smiled at Lily. ¡°Everyone¡¯s too focused on only sticking to what is proven, huh?¡± ¡°Completely! Ezra might be able to discover something new following all this structure, but what about the rest of us?¡± Lily demanded. ¡°No offense, Ezra.¡± Ezra nodded indifferently. ¡°I, for one, thoroughly encourage your experimentations,¡± Levi declared. ¡°Bonus points if they actually pan out to be life-changing discoveries.¡± Caleb and Vanita both nodded, smiling. Sue¡¯s eyes were watery, and she blinked rapidly at Aida. ¡°That was beautiful, and I know you have it in you to make it work!¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s only the First Moon - we still have until graduation in the Sixth Moon, so a lot of things can change,¡± Aida said quickly, feeling her face heat. ¡°I just¡­I felt really good about working with Bokar yesterday.¡± Like she could trust him to actually be invested in her growth. Not a conniving, backstabbing authority figure like Vega. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing the school has the policy that says the Affiliates can¡¯t work with the same student twice in a row for a solo assignment,¡± Lily said in satisfaction. ¡°Otherwise I¡¯d never get a chance with Bokar.¡± ¡°Sounds like you have direct professional competition,¡± Levi joked, prodding the soles of Aida¡¯s sandals with the toe of his boots. His eyes twinkled mischievously. ¡°You know, zen gardens are also an important fixture of maintaining client health. You could meet with the lady I worked with yesterday - I promise I won¡¯t be competing for that contract.¡± Aida stuck her tongue out at Levi, as everyone else started comparing the Affiliates they had met with over the week. She was amused by the horse trading they were attempting - as if they had any sway over the Affiliates¡¯ decisions. She caught Ezra¡¯s eye, who was silently watching the bartering with quiet exasperation. Shaking her head with a barely suppressed smile, she looked away from him, avoiding his eyes. She hadn¡¯t noticed until now, but she realized she hadn¡¯t really talked with Ezra one-on-one ever since the Old Moon Festival passed - and for reasons she was unwilling to dive into while in public, she felt her heart squirm. Chapter 84: Confession I Aida helped the other girls clean up the picnic as the boys headed back up to the school. ¡°So how was Old Moon Festival? Did anything happen?¡± Lily inquired, waggling her eyebrows. ¡°Lily! Keep your voice down,¡± Vanita said reprovingly, before glancing inquisitively at Sue and Aida. Sue adopted a pretty pink blush. ¡°Well, it was pretty small since there weren¡¯t that many people there. So not much happened.¡± Lily blew a raspberry. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant! Did anybody get together?¡± Her eyebrows waggled more aggressively. Sue was red now. ¡°¡­I spent most of the Festival with Caleb.¡± Lily and Vanita squealed. ¡°But all we did was talk,¡± she added quickly. ¡°We took a walk around the school after the teachers dismissed us, but that was it.¡± ¡°So just to make sure,¡± Lily leaned closer, drawing all of the girls in with her, ¡°you didn¡¯t kiss? Or wear his jacket?¡± Sue shook her head, tomato-red. ¡°No, but that¡¯s okay - we just said we¡¯d see how it went, with no pressure.¡± ¡°Caleb didn¡¯t give you his jacket?¡± Aida asked in disbelief, her hands stilling as she stacked clean bowls into the basket. She was so certain Sue would - didn¡¯t they look super cozy during the moongazing portion? ¡°That¡¯s okay!¡± Sue responded quickly, waving her hands to bat away any sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m not upset or anything - if things work out, they work out, you know?¡± She reached forward to lug the massive basket away from Aida. Despite not having a successful romance event, Sue still had a pleased smile on her red face and engaged in playful banter with Lily and Vanita, who seemed particularly engrossed in the topic of love. Aida followed the girls wordlessly, utterly confused. Based on the argument with Levi, she would have expected that a home-run, knock-it-out-of-the-park successful Old Moon Festival would be to have the boy offer his jacket on a chilly night. But Sue seemed genuinely thrilled and satisfied with whatever transpired between her and Caleb. What even counted as a successful romance event? Maybe Caleb did give Sue his jacket? After all, despite what Sue said, there were no witnesses. All Aida could confirm was that Sue and Caleb looked very intimate during the Old Moon Festival; and Sue did mention that they had career goals that were incompatible with dating, so perhaps, as part of their effort to take it slow, they agreed to keep some of the more significant details under wraps? ¡°Aida, you stayed here too, right? Did anything happen with you?¡± Vanita asked, interrupting Aida¡¯s reverie. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Aida pressed her lips together, unsure what to say. Sue was looking at her with curiosity as well, not a hint of suspicion in her face. Was Sue so busy with Caleb she didn¡¯t even notice me and Levi? ¡°Well, I was¡­¡± Aida trailed off, feeling the blush coming up. When was the last time she talked about boys and romance with friends? Because even if she just described the act of receiving a jacket from a guy, the girls were going to read more into the meaning behind the action than the intention. And she couldn¡¯t very well explain the intention in a sensible way without revealing her secret. ¡°Ezra!¡± Aida blurted, catching sight of the silver-haired boy standing next to a bush. ¡°What are you still doing here?¡± ¡°I was waiting for you,¡± Ezra said, ignoring the gazes that bounced back and forth between him and Aida. ¡°¡­Can we talk?¡± Aida looked at her girlfriends helplessly, and they all nodded eagerly, converging on her to take the bundle of blankets from her hands and push her towards Ezra. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you later!¡± Sue called, waving cheerily at Aida before she dashed after Lily and Vanita. Aida stood awkwardly, looking after her friends, their brightly colored heads bobbing together in the distance. They just abandoned her! ¡°Aida?¡± She snapped her mouth shut, looking up at him. He was looking at her seriously, and¡­ Aida focused, trying to get her own emotions under control so that she could confirm what she was sensing. It was a constant refrain from the professors that they had to keep their own feelings in check, so that they wouldn¡¯t introduce any errant signals into their mana senses. That was how mana practitioners could be ambushed: they were too nervous in the wilderness, or distracted, and they would miss the slow, steady mana of a monster on the prowl. What was just another day for a monster would end up as a very unfortunate and unlucky day for a practitioner. Ezra¡¯s pulse was - abnormal, was the best way to describe it. It was steady, albeit with small flutters punctuating the rhythm. His mana was deceptively calm. If Aida wasn¡¯t standing so close to him and able to detect his pulse, she would have assumed this would be just like every other conversation with him. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Aida asked with forced cheer. His nervousness was making her nervous. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Ezra bit his lip, a rare instance of seeing him discomfited. ¡°I was going to leave this alone,¡± he said slowly, shaping each word carefully. He seemed especially uncomfortable, unable to meet her gaze for longer than a moment. He was acting like Caleb, and it was disconcerting. His next words came out in a rush. ¡°But I had to ask. Is there anything going on between you and Levi?¡± Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Aida felt the blood rush through her ears. Ezra¡¯s eyes flickered at her silence, slowly dimming. ¡°Nothing¡¯s going on,¡± Aida managed to get out, right as Ezra turned away. He froze, listening. ¡°We¡¯re just friends.¡± He turned back towards Aida, his eyes brighter but still cautious. ¡°But what about the Old Moon Festival? He¡­¡± Ezra tapered off, pressing his lips together tightly as his hands vaguely made a draping gesture. ¡°That didn¡¯t mean anything,¡± Aida assured him quickly, her cheeks flaming. She did not want to think about that night - the most guilt she¡¯d suffered since entering this world, in how she embarrassed Levi. ¡°You know how he is, he flirts with everyone¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ezra asked softly. ¡°You¡¯re not¡­upset? That it doesn¡¯t mean anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Aida said firmly. ¡°He¡¯s a good friend, and that¡¯s it.¡± He makes a better friend than lover, probably. Emotionally, anyway - even though Levi had been Annie¡¯s first choice love interest, she didn¡¯t think she would be able to handle him as an actual committed lover. His casual charisma was magnetic, and he treated every girl who fawned over him very well. Granted, he never explicitly crossed any lines that could easily be misconstrued as meaningful with them - but he also never really pushed anybody away. That¡¯s what made it so hard to know if he was really serious about ¡°courting¡± her when he summoned her to that classroom before Old Moon Festival. Aida had enough to worry about with preserving her professional reputation, and she didn¡¯t need the baggage that would come with having that kind of association with Levi attached to her. Ezra exhaled, sounding almost like a sigh of relief. He gave her the tiniest smile. ¡°That¡­is reassuring.¡± ¡°Why is that? Did you catch Levi mooning after some other girl?¡± Aida asked, smiling. Now that Ezra was relaxed, it felt like they could joke around again. He shook his head, silver strands dancing above his eyelashes. ¡°No, I don¡¯t care about him.¡± He glanced at her again, but this time sending goosebumps down her spine. ¡°I only care about you.¡± Aida stared at him, her clever repartee dissolving in her throat. Something about the way he said that - and the way he was looking at her - gave her a feeling that this wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. That he didn¡¯t say what she thought she heard him say. That she imagined it, and all he was doing was just looking at her, in a friendly conversational manner. She swallowed, trying to get the lump out of her throat. ¡°Um¡­I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°I care about you,¡± Ezra repeated slowly, his oblique glance turning direct. He had ducked his chin, so that there was no way for Aida to break eye contact. ¡°¡­I like you.¡± Aida¡¯s brain froze - all of her froze, actually. She had unwittingly encased herself in an icy stalagmite, causing Ezra to leap back to avoid being pierced. In the peace of her tiny little ice prison, Aida¡¯s thoughts swirled. Mostly with various iterations of how?! and why?! and what?! and huh?! She felt like she was in freefall. Sure, she was confused by how Sue¡¯s romantic progress with the leads wasn¡¯t really going anywhere, but the comforting lie she had told herself was that there was still five moon cycles until graduation, when Sue had to make a choice. And besides, she wasn¡¯t in Class 1 with them, so she had no idea what specific developments might look like - and Caleb and Sue had their mini event at the Old Moon Festival, which indicated that at least there was some progress. Part of her had also wondered if she was truly slipping into the side character role - where she would also start losing sight of the big picture of the plot that was meant to serve Sue, and why she would even actually entertain the thought she might have a chance at love in this world, especially with the leads. Fortunately, all she had to do was think of Lara to keep her delusions in check. But this? An actual confession from Ezra? It was a literal bolt out of the blue. Of course, Levi had said some things about how he liked Aida, which was what first planted the seed of a love opportunity for her in her mind¡­but she had been able to keep that delusion at bay by reminding herself that any possible interest from him was just a phase. If he started getting to know her for real, he would find that she was less available than many other girls whose hearts were ripe for love. But this couldn¡¯t be a phase. Ezra wasn¡¯t frivolous with feelings like Levi. And furthermore, he didn¡¯t joke. His humor was dry, but never cruel. And he always thought carefully before he spoke; he wasn¡¯t the type to speak thoughtlessly. So if he said he liked her¡­that meant he actually spent time considering his feelings for her. Aida wracked her brain, but she couldn¡¯t come up with another explanation as to why Ezra might confess his feelings for her. He might like you now, but once you two become intimate he¡¯ll see how inadequate you are and lose interest. The cruel voice in her mind made her sob, if only because it felt true. Ezra was talented, an unquestioned genius in mana arts. He was from a wealthy and respected family. He was handsome. He had everything. While she was a fraud in some poor teenage girl¡¯s body, barely able to keep up with school and blend in with the culture. Teena Vega¡¯s merciless golden eyes and shark-toothed smile flashed in front Aida¡¯s eyes, pressing her tighter against the wall, cornered. She¡¯s right. I don¡¯t deserve to be here. But you earned your place. The quiet voice took offense at Aida¡¯s lizard brain¡¯s hiss. The lizard brain continued on doggedly. Can you trust him with the truth? Aida gasped, feeling her heart wrench anew. Levi had handled her secret relatively well, but would proper, knowledgeable Ezra behave the same? You don¡¯t have to tell him the truth. Just see what happens. The logical part of her brain insisted she take this chance, go on a date or few; it wasn¡¯t like he was proposing to her, after all. She could always back out if Ezra got too close to the truth. She looked through the ice wall, where Ezra had pressed his hands against her protective barrier. She could see his lips move, and hear his voice reverberate through the ice, but the clarity and transmission of the ice wasn¡¯t very good, so she couldn¡¯t make out what his expression was or what he was saying. Taking a deep breath, Aida steadied her breathing and clamped down on the anxious writhing in her stomach. She raised her hands, lining them up against Ezra¡¯s. Don¡¯t mess this up. With one last pep talk, Aida shattered her frozen walls, chunks of ice crumbling around her. Chapter 85: Confession II As the ice came down around her, Ezra and Aida¡¯s hands fell forward, meeting in the middle. Their fingers interlocked, clutching each other tightly. Aida took a deep breath of fresh air, holding it in as she looked up into Ezra¡¯s eyes. He met her gaze steadily, not pulling away, not dropping her hands, not releasing her. His grip on her remained steadfast, his heat permeating through her chilled fingers. ¡°Really?¡± Aida whispered, her breath coming out in a puff of air in the sudden cold. Ezra¡¯s fingers tightened around hers. ¡°Yes.¡± Ezra pulled her out of the slush, holding her hands tightly so that she didn¡¯t slip in the muddy snow of her own making. Once they were on firmer ground, Ezra quickly dropped her hands, stuffing them into his pockets with a faint blush on his face. He glanced around them, nominally to make sure there was no one around, but he seemed embarrassed to meet her eyes. Aida looked at him, conflicted. He seemed like a typical shy teenager who was confronted with a crush knowing his feelings; completely at odds with the refined, mature Ezra she knew. ¡°I know it must have been a shocking thing to hear,¡± Ezra murmured, keeping his eyes on her sandals. ¡°I understand if you need some time to think about it¡­¡± ¡°No - I mean, yes,¡± Aida admitted reluctantly. ¡°I thought¡­you¡¯re a good friend¡­¡± she cringed at her own words, seeing how her words battered at Ezra¡¯s dignified bearing. ¡°I just¡ª¡° she took a deep breath, before forcing out the most obvious reason. ¡°I never dared to think about the possibility, because you¡¯re a Riolt. And I¡¯m a Loreh. I¡¯m not even in Class 1 - I¡¯m only in Class 2¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the difference between our status,¡± Ezra said firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t like you because of your ranking. I like you because of who you are - your strength and fortitude, your optimism¡ª¡° Aida squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head vigorously as Ezra listed out all the qualities he found admirable in her, with examples. She wasn¡¯t sure what she expected, but she certainly didn¡¯t expect Ezra to double down on his reasons for liking her. It battered against her willpower to stay strong, skeptical¡­to protect her heart. Could she actually date Ezra without opening her heart? It was sure to end in disaster - despite what Ezra said about not caring about their differences. She wasn¡¯t so naive as to expect there wouldn¡¯t be external pressure on them due to the drastic imbalance between them. The higher up the totem pole, the more judgment there is¡­ The logical, survival-focused part of her wanted her to take that risk, say yes to Ezra so she could leverage his reputation against whatever discrimination Vega represented, but the emotional part of her feared the consequences of committing to the bit. She wasn¡¯t like Levi; she didn¡¯t have the mental capacity to share her affections easily with many others. If she agreed to date someone¡­ She grasped at the thread of foreign emotion that flicked through her chest at the thought of actually dating Ezra. It wasn¡¯t¡­an upsetting feeling. But it was strong. Not anger. Maybe a little bit of stress, a little bit of anxiety, some tension in considering how their interactions would change. He¡¯d probably expect her to eat dinner with him every day. Spend their free time together. Those activities would be fine, it would be an excuse to actually hang out, instead of having to seek him out and feel like she was bothering him whenever she had to ask for advice. Would he expect them to¡­.Aida flushed, refusing to complete the thought. That definitely wouldn¡¯t be right - he was years younger than her, they were both still students, and she had no idea about any contraceptives in this world. But he didn¡¯t seem to be the physically affectionate type, so he might not be expecting that too quickly. ¡°If you need time to think about it, then you can have it,¡± Ezra said softly. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides as he awaited her verdict. ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t¡­¡± Aida hesitated, unsure what to say to assuage his anguish. I do like you. The thought surged to the front of her mind, stampeding through all her rationalizations and leaving her thunderstruck at the realization. It was so simple. So pure. So true. ¡°I see,¡± Ezra said softly, forcing himself to relax his hands. They flexed, balling back into fists. He dipped his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you.¡± He slowly lowered his head, his mana congealing around him again. When he straightened, his eyes were hooded. ¡°I¡¯ll head back first then.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Aida cried, latching onto his arm. Her heart was hammering in her throat, and she felt tears start collecting in her eyes. Now that she was able to name the feeling, she felt a sense of relief. Everything was so easy now, in contrast with all of the logical mental hoops she had been deftly jumping through to keep her feelings from getting entangled in these complications. Even though getting emotionally involved would inevitably lead to other complications, it still gave the clarity that came from simplicity. Denying the existence of her feelings, though admittedly the practical thing to do so she could focus on establishing her career, painted a grim picture of her future ahead of her. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. While Annie¡¯s family would never turn down an opportunity for more money and better financial security, she was fairly certain the only reason they even strove for better living conditions was so they could share the happiness together. Their strength and mental fortitude, pushing through tough times and constant stress, was because they knew they could go home to a loving and supportive family at the end of their shifts. Since Aida didn¡¯t have that core family here¡­she had to build her own. She looked up at Ezra, blinking the tears away. He was watching her intently, body stiff, as if he was afraid to move and startle a timid bird. ¡°I do like you,¡± Aida said emphatically. Her admission was freeing. She started laughing, the tears that were balanced on the corners of her eyes rolling down her cheeks. ¡°I like you!¡± ¡°Then - then why are you crying?¡± Ezra asked, bewildered. ¡°Because I¡¯ve been so silly!¡± Aida continued laughing, releasing his arm so she could wipe her eyes. ¡°I never let myself think I could be with anyone. Or that anyone would like me for who I was, with no other expectations.¡± ¡°I understand the sentiment,¡± Ezra said softly. ¡°I¡­have always been wary of people who approach me because I¡¯m a Riolt. They see me as only a member of the Riolt family, and not as my own person.¡± Aida tilted her head up at him, her tears finally under control. He was looking at her with an odd mixture of gentleness and gratification¡­he smiled at her in understanding. ¡°You were the only one who treated me like my family name didn¡¯t matter.¡± She laughed, embarrassed as she hiccuped. ¡°My motives aren¡¯t as pure as you make it out to be¡­I needed help on improving my abilities, and I figured you were the best person to help.¡± She clapped her hands to her mouth, mortified. Is it okay to say that out loud? Ezra laughed quietly. ¡°Every relationship is transactional, when you cut down to the core of it. Even the most innocent of friendships wouldn¡¯t grow without some sort of motive. Children who grow up together¡­they are friends because the other person is more interesting than being alone.¡± Ezra¡¯s lips tightened briefly before he gave her a small smile. ¡°I suppose what I am saying is that I do not mind being the one who helps you improve on your abilities. It makes me feel¡­valued for my own skillset and knowledge, instead of being valued for something I have no control over.¡± Aida nodded slowly. Ezra made a good point; it might be annoying being the one that everyone went to for answers, but it was infinitely better than being someone that everyone tried to butter up because they were hoping to be blessed with some opportunity they didn¡¯t deserve. Like customers who thought complimenting Annie¡¯s big box store buttonups would get her to sneak them some secret benefits or something¡­while the moment the doctor stepped out to receive them, they would drop any false pretenses and speak to the doctor with genuine respect. At least being known as the specialist meant there was some degree of respect for the work and effort Ezra put in, while just being known as a Riolt meant people would only see him as an extension of the family, simply a puppet, and not a real person with his own feelings and interests. ¡°This is a most fortuitous event,¡± Aida proclaimed with a wicked smirk. ¡°I accidentally secured the affections of the youngest son of the Riolt family, in my pursuit of mastering mana. Two birds with one stone, I say. I should capitalize on this experience to mentor other young girls hoping to secure their futures with such desirable bachelors.¡± Aida curtsied to invisible crowds around her, as if receiving the praise and clamors of Ezra¡¯s fangirls with grace. Ezra sighed despondently. ¡°I suppose I have no choice but to suffer in order to keep you happy. Speaking of which¡­¡± He reached out, his fingers lightly brushing her shoulders to stop her from continuing her aimless curtsying. ¡°¡­are we in agreement that we both share the same feelings?¡± Aida nodded, trying to pinch her lips into a serious line. Even though she found her own confession freeing, having to say it again to his face was still embarrassing. Ezra¡¯s hands were comfortingly warm on her shoulders. Firm. Real. ¡°Then if that is the case, I suppose we will have to set some ground rules.¡± Ezra lifted one finger. ¡°First: you can¡¯t stand too close to another man.¡± Aida raised her eyebrow, amused. ¡°How close is ¡®too close¡¯?¡± ¡°If he can put his arms around you, that is too close,¡± Ezra replied promptly. He lifted a second finger. ¡°Second: you can¡¯t eat anything from another man¡¯s hand.¡± Aida raised her other eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s very specific.¡± ¡°That is the rule.¡± Ezra gave her a deadpan look. Aida shrugged, acquiescing. Ezra raised a third finger. ¡°Finally: if you have to leave the school, or any other safe place, you must tell me.¡± Aida stared at him, the familiar feeling of dread settling heavily in her stomach, popping the buoyant little bubble that had been inflating her mood just now. The first two rules Ezra laid down had a humorous air to them, as if Ezra was inviting her to poke fun at them. The last rule carried an ominous tone, and Ezra¡¯s grim expression belied his seriousness about that last rule. ¡°All right, I promise,¡± Aida said quietly. Ezra didn¡¯t put his hand down. ¡°One last rule.¡± Aida glanced at him inquisitively. The blush that had receded during his list of rules colored back in, and he was glancing off to the side. He mumbled something, making Aida blink. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Ezra cleared his throat. ¡°We have to hug each other goodnight every night before bed,¡± he mumbled. After a pregnant pause, Aida giggled, unable to help herself. ¡°I¡¯m breaking that rule now!¡± Ezra whipped his head towards her, cheeks bright red. ¡°This is not negotiable¡ª¡° Before he could do more than shoot her a humiliated look, Aida slipped her arms around his torso, squeezing him tightly. Her cheek was pressed against his chest, and she could feel his heart thud against her ear as she snuggled against him. After a moment, Ezra relaxed, his arms wrapping hesitantly around her. She felt his chin rest gently on her head. ¡°I¡¯m breaking that rule because I didn¡¯t want to wait until night time to hug you,¡± Aida said, her voice muffled against his chest. ¡°I suppose my rule was too strict,¡± Ezra admitted quietly, his breath making her hair flutter. His voice was much more resonant now that she was pressed against him, and she could feel the vibrations run through her as he spoke. She burrowed against him, enjoying the warmth. She stiffened, pulling back. ¡°But¡­do we tell everyone else?¡± Ezra shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see why we shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What if they treat us differently?¡± Aida asked hesitantly. ¡°What if they do? We have each other, do we not?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Aida considered. Things sure were simple from a boy¡¯s perspective. ¡°I just mean¡­it might cause some complications, because¡ª¡° her eyes widened. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Aida laughed awkwardly, disengaging from Ezra. Even though he was still right in front of her, only a hand¡¯s breadth away, she already felt like she was missing something. ¡°It has to do with who you are¡­¡± Chapter 86: Confession III As Aida described Lara¡¯s belief that she was going to eventually marry him, Ezra grew more and more grim. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, I just thought you should know that she has these thoughts in her mind,¡± Aida said reassuringly. ¡°I am less concerned about her actual belief, and more concerned about the conception of that belief.¡± Ezra sighed, running his hands through his hair. Aida furrowed her brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He glanced at her, a flush rising back up his face. ¡°¡­you mentioned your parents were going to arrange a marriage for you.¡± Aida nodded, discomfort rearing its ugly head. ¡°¡­in light of the Flau clan¡¯s impending power struggle, I could see the Lorr family attempting to secure social connections to better consolidate their power.¡± Aida caught a tic in Ezra¡¯s jaw. ¡°And one such convenient way to secure a strong social connection is to arrange marriages between two families that might mutually benefit from being intertwined.¡± Aida felt the blood drain from her face as Ezra concluded his hypothesis so dispassionately. Ezra might be forced into an arranged marriage, too? She acknowledged it was possible, though she had never considered that possibility before. She always thought rich people had the luxury of marrying for love; after all, they didn¡¯t have to worry if their partner couldn¡¯t contribute to putting food on the table every night. It seemed willfully barbaric that they would regress to treating marriage as a purely transactional partnership. But in light of political maneuvering¡­she could see it. Greed¡­is so strong¡­ ¡°So,¡± Aida said weakly. ¡°¡­what are you going to do?¡± Ezra took a shuddering breath, and Aida was aware of his mana churning around them. Her hair fluttered around her, wrapping around her face. ¡°Ezra!¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes were shadowed, and his hands were clenched into tight fists next to him. She reached for him, not knowing what she could do to help calm him down, but not knowing what else she could do. There was a barrier around him - not a physical barrier, but a pocket of air that refused to give no matter how she pushed. Collecting her mana within her, Aida pressed forward, to no avail. Even her Mana Surge was ineffective. Is this how powerful Ezra really is? ¡°Ezra!¡± Aida screamed, hoping that he could hear her underneath all the pressure that surrounded him. When he didn¡¯t respond, she gritted her teeth, pulling her wand out. ¡°Ezra, please!¡± He still couldn¡¯t hear her. Gasping for breath - because the mana Ezra had lost control of was pressing so hard on her - Aida aimed her wand at him. Briefly praying that she wouldn¡¯t be hurt too badly by whatever happened next, she sent a needle of mana through his bubble. Her mana control had improved significantly. She was able to guide her sliver of mana through the weak currents in Ezra¡¯s mana shield, finally reaching his person. With one last, shuddering breath, she jammed the needle into his hand. Aida toppled forward, her face planting firmly into the grass. The pressure she had been pushing against had disappeared, and her mana-enhanced push had sent her rocketing forward into the ground. ¡°Aida!¡± She heard Ezra¡¯s footsteps thump towards her. He hauled her roughly up from the grass. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry - are you all right?¡± ¡°Ow,¡± Aida said thickly, reaching for her nose. Heal. She sighed in relief. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Ezra repeated, horrified. He crushed her against his chest, almost breaking her nose again. ¡°I should have maintained control¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Aida pushed herself away from him, poking at her nose cheerily. ¡°It was only soft tissue damage, nothing major!¡± Ezra looked unconvinced, guilt written all over his face. Sighing in exasperation, Aida reached up, clamping his face between her hands. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m okay! Look at you, though - you¡¯re definitely not fine. What¡¯s running through that pretty head of yours?¡± The guilt transformed into mortification. ¡°P-pretty?¡± Aida pinched her lips together to hold in her laughter. Underneath his cool exterior, he really was so innocent. ¡°I think I can guess what¡¯s running through your charming mind right now.¡± She squished his cheeks together, pinching his eyes shut. She released him, leaving him with a frazzled expression. ¡°But really, what happened?¡± Aida asked gently. ¡°You can tell me.¡± Ezra hesitated, biting his lip. ¡°You¡¯re not¡­afraid of me?¡± ¡°Why would I be afraid?¡± Aida asked blankly. ¡°Because¡­I almost hurt you.¡± ¡°Occupational hazard of being a student at Maglica Academy,¡± Aida reassured him. ¡°I¡¯m not going to take it personally.¡± When she saw that Ezra still wasn¡¯t convinced, she took his hand in her own. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what exactly went through your mind that caused you to lose control of your mana - and you don¡¯t have to tell me, but just know that I get it. You were clearly upset, and¡ª¡° Aida hesitated ¡°¡ªI¡¯ve felt that before. Rage so potent that you can¡¯t think clearly, and that makes you lose track of where you are.¡± Except I¡¯ve felt that in a world where magic isn¡¯t real, so I wasn¡¯t an explosive risk. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Aida¡¯s voice softened. ¡°Just know that I¡¯ll be here for you. If you want to talk. I don¡¯t know that I can help you with your problems, but I¡¯ll be here to listen.¡± Ezra squeezed her hand. ¡°Thank you,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I need to think, but¡­thank you.¡± ¡°Not a problem.¡± Aida smiled brightly. ¡°Do you want to head back inside?¡± Ezra nodded, deep in his own thoughts. Taking him gently by the elbow, Aida guided him back towards the school in silence. ¡°So,¡± Aida said as she started detecting flickers of mana in the school building. ¡°Do you still¡­want to proceed with our - um¡­¡± she faltered, unsure how to refer to their relationship. It was so weird to think of Ezra as a boyfriend, let alone her boyfriend. Ezra hesitated, coloring. He clearly had the same reservation as his eyes flitted from hers. ¡°¡­I think we should¡­delay our commitment.¡± Ezra¡¯s words thudded into the pit of her stomach, dragging her breath down with her. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s - I¡¯m sorry, it won¡¯t be for long,¡± Ezra said quickly. ¡°I just need to clear some things on my family¡¯s side¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Of course.¡± Aida was unnaturally aware of her own shallow breath. Even though her stomach was thoroughly grounded, she felt like she was having difficulty finding her balance - like she had just gotten off of a county fair roller coaster. ¡°So¡­we won¡¯t say anything then. Nothing has changed.¡± Ezra grabbed her arm, stalling her. ¡°Not nothing. We know that we care for each other.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Aida nodded vigorously, forcing a smile on her face. ¡°We do.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take long,¡± Ezra said quickly. ¡°Just - just give me two - no, one star cycle.¡± ¡°Take all the time you need,¡± Aida said, her assurance feeling empty even to herself. She hitched the smile back on her face. Ezra was already so worried about his family¡¯s opinions - she wouldn¡¯t be helping him by pressuring him to commit to her now. After all, she trusted him to keep his word. ¡°Anyway¡­I¡¯ll head back first then.¡± Slipping her arm out of Ezra¡¯s grasp, she waved at him before turning towards the school, studiously keeping her expression from collapsing. Aida made it all the way to the third-year girls¡¯ hallway before she was stopped by the sight of Sue, Lily, and Vanita all lounging in the common area. Vanita was sitting primly on a couch, her hands in her lap as Lily and Sue had an animated discussion about the Affiliates, continuing their negotiations from the picnic. Conversation ceased as they all saw Aida coming up the stairs. ¡°Aida! How did it go?¡± Lily asked, beaming as she scampered over. She hauled Aida over to the couch next to Vanita, the three girls converging around her. ¡°Anything you¡¯d like to share?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Aida replied blandly. Her empty smile was still on her face. Nothing changed. ¡°Nothing happened.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sue asked keenly. ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like nothing would happen. Did you see the way Ezra was looking at her during the picnic?¡± Sue looked from Lily to Vanita conspiratorially, and they all giggled in unison. The tacit agreement between the three girls broke something in Aida. The excitement in the girls¡¯ faces turned to horror as they all scrambled to help. Aida felt herself being pulled off the couch by Sue¡¯s warm, comforting hand, and Lily¡¯s short arms circled her waist as she cooed soothing nonsense at her. Vanita¡¯s arms reached around Aida¡¯s shoulders, providing a motherly embrace as the three of them guided Aida towards her room. Aida continued bawling as the girls led her gently to her bed, setting her down before they started hunting for handkerchiefs to staunch her tears. ¡°There there, let it out, that¡¯s a good girl,¡± Vanita murmured, pressing her own handkerchief to Aida¡¯s nose. ¡°Blow.¡± Aida followed Vanita¡¯s directions, feeling like a complete child as Vanita wiped her face. ¡°What did Ezra do?¡± Sue demanded angrily. ¡°Do I need to blow him up?¡± ¡°Calm down, he wouldn¡¯t hurt her on purpose!¡± Lily hissed as Aida wept louder. ¡°Tell us what happened, Aida! Before Sue does something drastic!¡± ¡°Lily!¡± Vanita scolded, her voice uncharacteristically authoritative. ¡°Sue, you two stop it. Aida doesn¡¯t need this right now.¡± Aida continued sobbing as the other two girls settled around her, Lily on the bed next to her and Sue on the ground in front of her. She was wrapped by arms all around, and she felt Sue rest her head on her lap, much like a dog would. She didn¡¯t understand why she couldn¡¯t stop crying. She and Ezra had admitted their feelings for each other; Ezra was also honest that there might be some political mischief that could interfere with their relationship. It was completely reasonable that he wanted to sort out those problems before they actually started dating, right? After all, he was the one who broached the subject. It wasn¡¯t like he was trying to get out of an awkward confession from someone he had no interest in. He initiated everything. He even gave her a timeline and everything. But it still felt like she had lost something. She should be happy, because she and Ezra were on the same page. If they really liked each other, then the delay in actually starting their relationship shouldn¡¯t matter. It wasn¡¯t like he rejected her. Is it because I really am a side character? Aida felt her friends¡¯ hands tighten on her as her sobs renewed in strength, choking on her own gasping breaths as her lungs tried to keep pace with her misery. That made the most sense. Ezra was slated for Sue, if she didn¡¯t choose anyone else. And before Sue made a decision, all the bachelors had to remain available, otherwise the game would end. Why else would their relationship be so cruelly curtailed before it could even start? The world was clearly doing its best to restore the plot; it would do the story no good if one of the bachelors was paired off with a side character. Aida was too tired of fighting. She¡¯d been fighting her whole first life, even before she realized she couldn¡¯t balance a relationship and her family obligations. She¡¯d been fighting since she first arrived in this world to improve her base abilities, to get to where she was in Class 2. She didn¡¯t want to have to fight for love as well. Love shouldn¡¯t be this hard. If she spent all her energy fighting for a relationship that already had everything in the world against it¡­she¡¯d be wasting her efforts. And there was no guarantee that she would actually achieve anything. This was too risky to commit herself to, especially considering Ezra¡¯s status. The Riolts would be certain to disapprove of her if they really were as utilitarian as Ezra made them out to be. And they certainly had the power to substantially interfere in their relationship. No, she was better off following her original plan: build herself a stable career, so that she wouldn¡¯t be at the mercy of anyone else¡¯s puissance. That way, she wouldn¡¯t be dead weight for Ezra; as of now, she had no good reputation to support Ezra¡¯s opposition against his family. She would only cause trouble for Ezra now. Finally knowing what she had to do, Aida calmed down, her sobs quieting, her breathing leveling out, her shaking hands steadying. Leaning against her friends¡¯ warm embraces, she reaffirmed her mission. I don¡¯t have the luxury to love. Chapter 87: Duelist Aida didn¡¯t see Ezra all cycle, which was for the best. She didn¡¯t know how their conversations would go - if Ezra still had confidence he could change his family¡¯s mind, or if he would be swayed by their insistence to stay within their circles. All she knew was that she had already decided on her path forward, and the emotional instability that would come from reconsidering would be enough to make her break down harder than last time. It was a very good thing Aida finally had her focus back. With the Affiliates becoming more comfortable with the students over the course of the star cycle, the weekdays became just as busy as the previous months, if not more so. The evening lesson blocks that were self-study sessions for Class 2 became more akin to in-depth applications and career discussions - mentoring sessions, if you would - with whichever Affiliates happened to rotate into their session. Kuri had pounced on her earlier in the star cycle, coercing her to take on an assignment with her. Despite her protests about her dismal combat ability, Kuri had been adamant it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°I know what your file says. I think you have a lot of potential, and I¡¯d like to try growing that,¡± she said, nodding importantly. Mollified, Aida acquiesced to Kuri, earning her starry looks from Tera and Natalie. Are all Fire types this confident? Aida met Kuri outside the school gates on Sun Day, as promised. Kuri beamed, waving with both arms and bouncing on the balls of her feet as Aida approached, her own travel pack bouncing cheerily along with her. ¡°Thanks for coming so early! Did you have a good breakfast?¡± Aida nodded, feeling queasy. She hadn¡¯t been able to eat much, nervous as she was for the adventure Kuri was about to bring her on. Kuri and Sue were so similar; the young woman shared Sue¡¯s enthusiasm for getting into random battles to test her mettle. Aida just hoped Kuri realized she wasn¡¯t built the same way. ¡°Perfect! We¡¯re going to take a small hike down to the river,¡± Kuri said cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you tend to prefer using water that already exists instead of creating your own, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, because my mana pool is pretty small,¡± Aida said apologetically as she followed Kuri¡¯s skippy form down the road. ¡°Not a problem!¡± Kuri spun around to face Aida, somehow able to continue skipping backwards. ¡°That¡¯s not the worst problem to have, since it¡¯s fixable. The fact that you already recognize you need to focus on efficiency is great, it gives you a really good foundation for improving. So that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to be working on today!¡± As Kuri and Aida took the fork in the road that lead them towards Buddington Town, Kuri explained to her their goal for the day. Aida was leery at first as Kuri talked like she was going to make Aida a combat specialist, but as she continued her explanation Aida started to see the value of her perspective. ¡°So you have to be super familiar with monster physiology in order to pull this off?¡± ¡°Well, I do - but Tyda, he cheats by using his water affinity.¡± Kuri made a face. ¡°He learned a little bit of Healing, just so he could help support us while we were trying to get off the ground in the beginning - but he ended up just using that to identify monsters¡¯ weak points, so now he doesn¡¯t have to study at all. Since you already know Heal, this exercise should be easier to pick up for you!¡± Aida was nervous about Kuri¡¯s expectations for her; she spoke so blithely, as if Aida had the knowledge and experience of growing up in this world, and all she needed was some dedicated coaching time. Watching Kuri¡¯s lithe form striding ahead fearlessly recalled Aida¡¯s feelings of insecurity from when she first woke up in this world, seeing everybody use their magic so easily while she could barely hold her mana within her. Three Wyndian months of hard work isn¡¯t going to be enough to catch me up. ¡°Does Tyda still heal for you guys?¡± Aida asked, interrupting Kuri¡¯s tuneless whistling. ¡°Sometimes,¡± Kuri nodded. ¡°Not so much anymore, because we¡¯re a pretty cohesive unit, so we fight well enough together that we don¡¯t tend to get hurt. Ah, I think this place is a good spot!¡± Aida braced herself as Kuri skipped off the path, waving Aida into the woods. They picked their way through the vegetation, Kuri seeming to have no concerns about running afoul of any monsters as she continued humming some clearly off-key melody. ¡°We¡¯ll head down to the river, so that you have access to water so you can fight,¡± Kuri told Aida brightly. She must have seen the concern on Aida¡¯s face, because she flashed Aida a quick thumbs up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen to you. I promise!¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. They made it down to the river with nothing more than a few scrapes as they forged their way through some particularly stubborn vegetation, which Aida confirmed were not poisonous, much to Kuri¡¯s amusement. ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s try to put the theory into practice.¡± Kuri grabbed Aida by the shoulders and steered her to the river¡¯s edge. Her soft voice was right next to Aida¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about keeping your senses on alert, just focus on my voice.¡± Aida closed her eyes warily, covering them with her hands for good measure. Following Kuri¡¯s encouraging words, she searched for a harmless creature that also wasn¡¯t so jittery it would flee. She settled on a snail that was slowly making its way along the bottom of the river, completely unperturbed by the flow and uneven terrain. She first observed the snail¡¯s own mana, which was flowing smoothly and evenly in a perfect sphere around itself; Professor Bruce would have been proud. Activating Heal, Aida looked for weaknesses - any sign of injury, anything that could be a shade off from the bright, healthy green the snail was flaunting. ¡°That snail doesn¡¯t have any weaknesses!¡± ¡°False,¡± Kuri declared. ¡°You just need to look a little more carefully. Try zoning in on the edge of the shell.¡± Skeptical, Aida did as Kuri instructed. The shell seemed to have another layer over it, a translucent barrier that gave Aida the impression it would be extra difficult to break through. However, as she narrowed in on the edge where the snail¡¯s flesh met with the shell, she noticed what Kuri was trying to point out to her. In addition to the shell¡¯s natural barrier, the snail had also developed scales on its body. Those scales had their own mana shield, but right where the shell sat on the snail was just¡­smooth skin. It was a small, almost inconsequential sliver of exposed skin, but once Aida saw it, she couldn¡¯t seem to unsee it.
You have learned Crit Up (Lv1). Total RP: 89
¡°You see it?¡± Kuri breathed, excited. ¡°You¡¯ll probably need to practice on some more creatures before identifying weaknesses become second nature, but that¡¯s the gist of it. For people with small mana pools like us, we have to make sure every attack counts.¡± ¡°You have a small mana pool, too?¡± Aida asked, turning around to look into Kuri¡¯s sparkling blue eyes with new respect. ¡°Yup! That¡¯s why I thought I could help you,¡± Kuri said cheerfully, shaking Aida¡¯s shoulders so enthusiastically that her head bobbled like a toy. ¡°So many people think practitioners with naturally small mana pools are ineffective and useless, but it¡¯s about how you use mana that¡¯s most important. Practitioners with big pools are inefficient and depend on overwhelming you - but if you¡¯re careful and get good at dueling, you can outlast them!¡± Aida laughed awkwardly, shaking her head in wonder. Since she had been surrounded by the naturally gifted leads, she always just assumed everyone who was a worthwhile combat-oriented practitioner had a base level of ability that she didn¡¯t have, and that it wasn¡¯t worth trying to catch up on. Like trying to force a square peg into a round hole. But here was a young woman, the primary damage dealer of an elite Adventuring party that Sue professed to idolize¡­and she had a similar handicap as Aida? She gave Aida hope the way Dev and Ezra¡¯s heartfelt words of support weren¡¯t able to. Hearing someone with the same limitations as her succeed was much more meaningful than well-meaning but empty platitudes from people who just didn¡¯t have to start from the same line as her: far behind everyone else. Kuri smiled at Aida, raising her hand for a high-five that Aida returned. ¡°Awesome! You can totally do it - let¡¯s try finding a monster for you to practice on. I¡¯ll keep its attention on me, so that you can take your time aiming for its vital points.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too soon?¡± Aida squeaked as Kuri dug through her pack. ¡°Maybe I should practice on a bird or something?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we can handle it between the two of us,¡± Kuri reassured Aida. ¡°And I find having a sense of urgency really helps to solidify a new technique.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not like Sue¡ª¡° Kuri put a comforting hand on Aida¡¯s shoulder, smiling at her gently. ¡°Really, Aida. Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± She winked before leaning in conspiratorially. ¡°After all, the first time Tyda brought me out to train me up we were in a much more dangerous place than this, and much younger than you are now.¡± Aida gulped, but retreated to a small outcropping jutting out over the water Kuri pointed her to. She pulled out her wand, tugging experimentally at the water with her mana to make sure she could grab a hold of it immediately if she needed to. Just stay level-headed. I¡¯m still full on mana, there¡¯s plenty of water, and Kuri¡¯s a professional. Aida shook her head firmly, clearing her mind of all useless thoughts and focusing on Kuri¡¯s frame. Kuri¡¯s mana was already swirling, in much different patterns than Aida had seen in the school. Unlike the perfect defensive sphere Bruce pushed the students to hone, Kuri¡¯s mana jabbed out in streaks periodically, as if she was probing her surroundings. Before she could even try to come up with her own theory as to why Kuri let her mana run wild like that, Kuri spoke to her. ¡°Just use your mana blasts for now to hone your accuracy. Don¡¯t worry so much about doing damage,¡± Kuri called back as she finally pulled out a large stick of incense. ¡°And most important of all, don¡¯t be afraid to run away if you have to.¡± After one last smirk for good measure, reminiscent of Sue¡¯s scary smile before heading into a fight, Kuri lit the incense, waving it above her head. Chapter 88: Crit Up I After a few tense moments, Aida felt a predatory aura approach. Kuri remained where she was standing, facing away from her as she held the lit incense stick above her head. But unlike her bubbly demeanor before, now she stood stock still - as if she was a statue. Matching her body¡¯s rigidity, Kuri¡¯s mana continued to stab out in various directions. Aida glanced around, trying to discern where the aura was coming from. It wasn¡¯t as if it came from a single point source¡­there was a general direction it came from, which was from the trees, but other than that, she couldn¡¯t even tell if there was one or more monsters. All she knew was that she was being watched, and they were waiting. ¡°Aida,¡± Kuri said, her voice ringing through the stillness that suddenly overtook the little patch of water they were at. ¡°Stay where you are. No matter what.¡± A squeak was all Aida could muster in response as the pressure bore down more heavily on her, triggering her instinct to flee. Kuri says stay. So stay. She was dimly aware that the ground beneath her felt unstable, and that her wand was starting to slip through her fingers. Aida wiped her palms on her pants, hyper aware of the texture of threads crossing over each other to form the pattern that arbitrarily kept them together in orderly fashion. Regripping her wand, she forced herself to extend her awareness outwards instead of inwards. And not a moment too soon. As soon as Aida felt like she had a better grip on her wand (and nerves), she saw blurs of brown descend upon Kuri, completely obscuring the young woman from view. Before a scream could bubble out of her throat, the creatures were blown back, smoke tracing the trajectory they took. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Aida! These are Jumpers - they¡¯re fast, but they aren¡¯t too bad,¡± Kuri called, keeping her position with the incense still held above her head. She twirled her wand in her fingers and cracked her neck, completely at ease. ¡°Just practice getting a shot on them - see if you can find their weaknesses!¡± ¡°O-Okay!¡± Aida did her best to focus on the spiders, but they were just too fast, skittering and jumping all over the place. It was fortunate Kuri had the incense - it seemed the smoke incensed them, and kept them focused on Kuri instead of going for Aida. Kuri herself merely dodged or knocked the spiders away with well-placed strikes or mana blasts, all the while staying in the same three-foot radius, allowing Aida time to practice using her new technique. Scolding herself for being so easily distracted and wasting Kuri¡¯s time, Aida refocused. She was able to get the overlays going on the spiders, but with how quickly they moved and disappeared among their brethren she was unable to examine them for any useful details. Frustrated, Aida edged closer to Kuri and the spiders, but made sure to still stay on the rock Kuri had stationed her. ¡°There are too many and they''re moving too fast for me to get a good read on one!¡± ¡°Oh, okay! Let me get rid of a few.¡± Kuri casually incinerated the bulk of the swarm, leaving five fist-sized spiders. ¡°Is this better?¡± ¡°I think so!¡± Aida was getting better at controlling her overlay. Keeping track of the colors of the remaining spiders was much simpler; they were all relatively healthy, since Kuri didn¡¯t really hurt them as she continually batted them away. Experimentally, Aida sent a blast at one spider, just to see what would happen. The spider tumbled through the air as her blast caught it in the middle of a jump, but otherwise it ignored her. ¡°Not quite! Since these are small, try going for a needle shot instead. Accuracy is much more important for this exercise,¡± Kuri called. ¡°Try again!¡± Aida poked another spider, though with the improved precision of her attack it was obvious she didn¡¯t hit any vital points. Kuri giggled, smacking a spider away with a simple backhand. ¡°Don¡¯t attack if you don¡¯t see its weak point! This exercise is all about practicing the skill, not mindlessly taking these creatures out.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Aida said, wincing. ¡°I¡¯m struggling to see where the weaknesses are.¡± Kuri hummed as she blasted another spider away. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you a hint. It¡¯s not the exoskeleton.¡± She giggled at her joke as she waved the incense, dispersing the smoke more. Aida couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Kuri has a really cute personality. She forced herself to narrow her focus on the spiders even more. Not exoskeleton. So maybe eyes? If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Not the eyes! They know to protect their eyes,¡± Kuri said as Aida¡¯s tiny blasts did nothing to faze the spiders. Maybe the underbelly? The longer Aida watched these spiders, the easier it was to pick out details of the creatures even as they moved at speed. In the beginning, she had been overwhelmed by all the movement and details and didn¡¯t know where to look, but now she could see the spiders clearly as they zoomed around Kuri. These spiders didn¡¯t use any spider silk, and were intent on taking Kuri down with their fangs. Every time they leaped at her, their fangs were poised to latch onto the woman. The closer she looked, she even noticed a small sac underneath the spider¡¯s eyes, pulsing purple. Poison, then? So the spiders probably incapacitated their prey with poison, if not outright killed them. The fact they hunted in packs probably meant they weren¡¯t extremely toxic individually. She aimed for the sack, but her mana ricocheted off the poison sacs even faster than when she targeted the underbelly. ¡°Smart, but not quite! Try again!¡± Kuri¡¯s encouragement was starting to get a little annoying, but Aida reminded herself of the spirit of the exercise. Being able to land critical hits consistently was an invaluable skill for someone who didn¡¯t have much mana to spare. What else is left? Aida hopped off her rock to get closer to the creatures, and several things happened at once. All she was aware of was that the instant her shoe stepped onto the river bank, several somethings significantly larger than the baby spiders she and Kuri were practicing on converged on the woman, leaving Aida shocked - but nearly a second later one of the newcomers went up in flames, a spine-chilling trill keening through the air. ¡°Kuri!¡± Aida began running towards her, but Kuri¡¯s voice made her skid to a stop. ¡°Stay back! Hunters are here!¡± Dismayed, Aida retreated from the battle, not sure what to do. Kuri seemed to have herself handled, although she was no longer as relaxed as she was with the Jumpers. She had tossed the incense stick off to the side, away from Aida, and was looking very much like a Jumper herself as she flew around the newcomers, leaping off trees and spiders the length of the Adventurer, aided by Mana Surge. Even though she was using the spiders as a launching pad, the weight and speed of the woman did nothing to deter the creatures. Aida saw Kuri twist in midair as she aimed her wand at a Hunter that was at the edge of the attacking pack, a lance of fire blasting out of her wand. An eerie shiver ran down her spine, and she looked wildly around herself. She hadn¡¯t felt anything other than the creepy sensation of being hunted in the beginning, and then, trusting Kuri¡¯s words to just worry about honing her own technique, she had lost track of what was lurking around her as she tried to use Crit Up. But now, she realized the feeling of dread was much stronger than before. ¡°Watch out!¡± Aida threw herself to the ground as a flaming body soared over her, shrieking until it splashed into the river. Deciding it would be smarter for her to give Kuri some more space to fight, she scrambled off the rock to the other side, giving herself some cover. That seemed to be the worst move, as the instant her shoe dropped to the ground she was suddenly whisked away, staring down at the river as she soared through the air, the nebulous shadow of a monster rippling over the river¡¯s surface. I don¡¯t think this was supposed to happen. Aida looked up to see that she had somehow been trapped in some sticky material and was dangling from the abdomen of a massive spider. She couldn¡¯t help but scream. PLEASE KILL IT WITH FIRE! The small spiders had been fine, because she thought of them as little practice golems, and they were far away from her and wholly focused on Kuri. But she was way too close to this one, and just the gleaming puke-brown abdomen itself was easily ten feet across. She saw the leg segments attached to the sternum, working in perfect unison as they moved the body along, as well as the thick brown hairs that furred the legs as the giant spider caught onto trees and then pushed off again. Her head was unceremoniously flung in various directions, a victim of gravity and momentum, making her nauseous. She struggled in her cocoon, which she unfortunately realized was much too strong for her. The goo had stuck Aida¡¯s wand hand to her chest, pointing at her own ear. She couldn¡¯t use her wand. Aida gritted her teeth, trying to send mana into the material holding her; alas, the spider¡¯s own mana resistance was too strong, and was completely impenetrable to her mana piercing. She looked back up at the spider, feeling her breakfast come up as revulsion overtook her. The spinnerets pulsed, disgorging more of the sticky substance that slowly dripped along the thick rope she swung helplessly from. She supposed the spider itself could be considered majestic. It was certainly symmetrical, especially in the way it moved: smooth, lithe, and elegant, deftly catching itself on surfaces and launching off in clean, efficient moves. But the way the legs rippled as it carried the massive body along made her ill. Aida wondered if it would be easier to just pass out, so she didn¡¯t have to keep looking at it. At least it will be a peaceful death. Aida slammed into a tree, and stayed stuck there. The spider had detached her, and was now doing a could-be-comical tap dance with its furry legs as it rotated its body back around to survey its meal. It even had the audacity to tilt its head cutely at her as if it were a dog, clicking its fangs, observing its prey. Her world swimming in front of her, Aida looked the thing back in its eyes. She saw her own terrified expression reflected eight ways, and that fear seemed to bring her clarity. The spider took on a green silhouette, and she noticed two things. The first was that bigger creatures were easier to dissect. They were larger, and in addition to their raw strength being correspondingly greater, so were the cracks in their defenses. The second thing was that the bright neon green in front of her wasn¡¯t the only living creature interested in her. Chapter 89: Crit Up II Aida¡¯s ears were plugged by the sound of her own breathing. Behind the giant spider that had kidnapped her was an army of smaller spiders, all leisurely making their way down webs that spanned between trees. The mass rippling of spiky legs made Aida¡¯s skin crawl. Aida was beginning to feel overwhelmed, and struggled to keep her eyes from darting everywhere, instead focusing on the creature in front of her to avoid watching the approaching terrors. Blinking rapidly, she tried to calm herself, focusing on her breathing - only to notice how rapidly her heart was beating. Focus on what¡¯s in front of you. Summoning all her willpower, Aida crammed her fear into that familiar little corner of her mind where she stashed all her problems for later. The same place where she shoved Ezra¡¯s attack into, along with every other worry and concern she had no control over. Her heart thudded as silver flashed in front of her eyes - but it was just a tiny spider - ironic, calling a spider the size of her head tiny - dropping down from the trees above to inspect her at close range, its thick cord of silk glinting as it caught the speckled light peeking through the leaves. A scream bubbled out of her throat, refusing to be contained. Aida thrashed her head, squeezing her eyes shut. Spiders at home never bothered her; she actually took comfort in seeing them hang out in the corners of her bedroom ceiling, reassured that her docile roommates would help keep her room free from pesky intruders. But now, she was the pesky intruder. And they were clearly planning to feed soon. ¡°AIDA!¡± A scream pierced the clearing, and a wave of powerful, fiery mana swept through them all. The spider in front of Aida would have brushed her nose as the wave gently pushed it, if Aida hadn¡¯t strained her neck in an attempt to avoid the horrid thing. ¡°Kuri!¡± Aida gasped, her voice hitching from all the screaming she¡¯d been doing. ¡°Come on!¡± Kuri bellowed at the spiders, rampaging through the crowd of smaller spiders near her. ¡°Come at me!¡± Aida watched her, terrified and relieved at the same time. I¡¯m going to be okay! The thought whisked away as soon as a deep, foghorn-like belch rumbled through, accompanied by an earth-shaking THUMP. Kuri flew through the air, taking advantage of the tremor sending everything that wasn¡¯t secured flying, her burning blue eyes fixed directly on Aida. She spun herself around, planting her heel on the spider that was still dangling in front of Aida¡¯s face and knocking it off its silk cable. Aida thought she heard a gentle crunch and a tiny squeal as the spider flew away, its legs convulsing, but she couldn¡¯t be sure with the pandemonium that had now taken over the clearing. Kuri clung to the sticky mass that covered Aida, her face inches away and furrowed in concentration. She had her wand pointed at Aida¡¯s sternum, and Aida smelled something burning as smoke tickled her nostrils. ¡°We don¡¯t have too much time,¡± Kuri shouted over the cacophony of screeches from the spiders mingling with several deep roars. She clamped her wand between her teeth and grabbed Aida¡¯s fist, wrenching her arm free of the congealed goo. Kuri had apparently sliced through the webbing somehow while Aida was overwhelmed by everything that was happening. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to fight - can you free the rest of yourself?¡± ¡°I-I think so,¡± Aida stammered. Her newly-freed arm felt like jello, and if it weren¡¯t for the mass of glue still on her hand, she was certain she would have dropped her wand already. ¡°Good! Do that, while I keep the spiders and the doublehabs off of us!¡± With that last instruction, Kuri did a backflip off the tree and plummeted towards the forest floor, tight streaks of blue fire spitting out from her small stature and setting the spiders that were crawling towards Aida ablaze. Aida was left to her own devices. Aida tugged at the rest of her body, but was still firmly stuck. How did she do it? Scrambling to get her mana in order, Aida focused on the semisolid goo still holding her against the tree. Success - there were still traces of mana running through it, though it was beginning to still and fade. Watching the flow congeal reminded Aida of the inert mana stored in all the dried ingredients she helped Healer Luk prepare. Should I try to bring some of this back to her? With how thin the still-flowing strands of mana had gotten, Aida was able to slice through the remaining bonds - and Mana Surge helped her break free of the stiffened shell. ¡°Kuri!¡± Aida fell through the air towards the woman spinning like a tornado on the forest floor, barely managing to land on her feet. She caught herself on her hands and knees, breathing heavily. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Aida! We can¡¯t fight them all, so we¡¯re going to try to escape in the chaos - stay as close to me as you can!¡± Kuri reached down and pulled Aida roughly to her feet, pointing towards the thick of the fighting. ¡°Hide among the spiders so the doublehabs don¡¯t target you - never leave yourself exposed as a single target!¡± Aida gaped at the doublehab Kuri was pointing at - it looked like a giant frog, its skin glistening and gooey even in the dim light. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was just a trick of the light, but the creature seemed semi-transparent, its internals a confusing mass of throbbing organs; its throat was pulsing, sending out a warbling that left the spiders closest to it stumbling. Several small blobs of acid shot out from its back, indiscriminately leaving splotches of dissolved spiders on the floor. ¡°Just - follow my lead, and stay as close as you can!¡± Barely giving Aida a chance to process, Kuri grabbed Aida¡¯s arm and began sprinting right towards the doublehab. As soon as Aida got her own legs working, Kuri let go of her and the two of them darted through the spiders that were battling the massive, see-through beast. The giant arachnid that brought Aida here was moving with incredible alacrity, jumping from tree to tree and shooting balls of gunk onto the doublehab, making the creature look like it was molting. The closer they approached the doublehab, the more precise Kuri¡¯s footwork became - and the more difficult it was for Aida to keep step with her. She didn¡¯t have time to wait and observe how Kuri handled avoiding spider fangs and acid showers - she ended up depending more and more on her own mana senses, which led her to become less and less certain of what exactly was going on around her as she avoided clearly obvious danger as she tried to continue heading in the same direction. ¡°Look out!¡± Aida¡¯s focus was broken as she felt herself tackled, flying in a completely different direction. They landed with a whuff, Aida¡¯s breath completely gone. She heard a groan from her stomach, before feeling the pressure on her belly ease. ¡°Hey, you got any mana in you for a Heal?¡± Kuri mumbled, pushing herself up onto shaking arms. ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Aida clambered to a sitting position, letting out a strangled gasp as she saw the state Kuri was in. The entirety of Kuri¡¯s upper and mid back was exposed, and the skin was red, raw, and in some patches, completely gone. Acid burns - from the doublehab, maybe? Remembering what she learned from Healer Bokar, Aida quickly examined Kuri¡¯s injuries under the Detox lens - fortunately, the acid didn¡¯t have any lingering effects, leaving Kuri¡¯s wounds quite clean. Relieved, Aida swiftly Healed Kuri¡¯s back, watching as skin began to knit itself together. Kuri sighed in relief as her pain subsided. She glanced over her shoulder at the main fight, before nodding back towards Aida. ¡°We need to get going.¡± Not bothering to object, Aida helped Kuri climb to her feet, taking the young woman¡¯s arm over her shoulders as they trudged in the direction Kuri pointed towards. ¡°I used most of my mana to save you,¡± Kuri said softly, her breathing labored. ¡°But if we stick around for too long some stragglers may come after us.¡± ¡°Should I use my Regen on you?¡± Aida asked, concerned. She started walking faster, with no complaints from Kuri other than heavier breathing. ¡°That might be good,¡± Kuri gritted out. ¡°But later. We¡¯re still too close.¡± Aida shut up, focusing on getting the two of them further away from the scene of carnage while Mana Cycling. She could feel Kuri Cycling as well, though she continued to send her mana out in sharp spikes, keeping tabs on the predators. ¡°The path¡­up there. Safer,¡± Kuri whispered, pointing limply in another direction. Aida turned them in that direction, completely disregarding the need for stealth in her haste to get them closer to civilization. They crushed twigs and dried leaves underfoot, forcing themselves through brush, to finally reach the main path. ¡°Can we rest for a bit?¡± Aida asked, setting Kuri down on her knees without waiting for an answer. She turned her Regen on, observing Kuri¡¯s sluggish mana flow. Kuri¡¯s overall health was similar to Sue and the boys¡¯, but she had clearly overexerted herself during her rescue mission. She had huge blockages throughout her whole body. If she was bubble wrap, she¡¯d provide hours of fun. Delicately placing her fingers against Kuri¡¯s newly-healed skin, Aida sent mana through the biggest blockages in her back. Kuri moaned in relief as Aida methodically worked through the largest nodes, clearing the pathways for her mana to begin moving on its own again. ¡°I guess it wouldn¡¯t have been a terrible idea to stop in the forest just for that Regen,¡± Kuri said, smiling at Aida tremulously. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that. I didn¡¯t expect so many monsters to come from that incense. Are you okay?¡± ¡°A little traumatized, but otherwise I can¡¯t complain,¡± Aida said, sinking down next to her. ¡°I hate giant spiders,¡± she added, making Kuri chuckle weakly. ¡°Yeah, that Matriarch showing up was unexpected. When she snatched you¡­¡± Kuri¡¯s face crumpled, and she quickly pressed her hands over her face. The rest of her words came out muffled. ¡°¡­I knew I messed up. I didn¡¯t listen to you when you said you weren¡¯t confident in your combat abilities. And I should have just told you what to look for in order to improve your Crit Up more quickly. I thought you would learn best by grinding out the ability yourself, but¡­you could have died because of my arrogance.¡± Aida felt ashamed at Kuri¡¯s words, even though she knew she had no reason to. Kuri was the professional, and should have had the skill to protect and mentor her charge safely. But she couldn¡¯t help thinking that she had plenty of opportunities to speak up and advocate for her own safety as well. I could have insisted she just tell me the secret when my attempts didn¡¯t go well¡­If I had just said no to this mission in the first place¡­ ¡°Hey, at least we survived,¡± Aida said weakly, punching Kuri in the shoulder lightly. ¡°And I did figure out what the weaknesses for the spiders are¡­¡± Chapter 90: Crit Up III As they waited for Kuri to regain her strength, the two of them talked over their options. ¡°So unfortunately, we¡¯re quite far from the school at this point,¡± Kuri said apologetically. ¡°We¡¯re just south of Buddington Town, and frankly, I¡¯m not even sure I can get us safely back to the school today¡­are you opposed to resting for the night and then I take you back tomorrow?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in a position to have an opinion,¡± Aida confessed, shrugging weakly. ¡°My mana pool has gotten larger, but just escaping from the spiders¡­I¡¯m low on mana as well.¡± ¡°Ah, and you helped Heal me too.¡± Kuri grimaced, melting into a pitiful whimper as she covered her red face with her grimy hands. ¡°You really must think poorly of me, huh? I convinced you to come on assignment with me, almost got you eaten, and then had to depend on you to help me escape¡­¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t think like that!¡± Aida said, panicking. ¡°After all, you saved me! Twice, at least.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not supposed to happen!¡± Kuri wailed, clutching her hands to her chest. ¡°You were supposed to be safe, I wasn¡¯t supposed to put you in a position that you had to be saved from. And twice, at least!¡± ¡°Ah, maybe it would be better if we don¡¯t cry so loudly,¡± Aida said hastily, lowering her voice soothingly. She tried to channel Vanita¡¯s calm, motherly aura. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s start walking.¡± Reaching out, Aida gingerly took Kuri¡¯s elbow and pulled her up. ¡°Which way should we head towards Buddington?¡± Kuri pointed dully, sniffling. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Aida. I used up all my potions to catch up to you and the Matriarch, so I¡¯m out of supplies to help us get back to the school¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to explain yourself, what¡¯s important is that you got to me,¡± Aida said, trying to sound encouraging. Kuri was very nice and meant well, but she was acting more like a child than an adult. Which honestly, was making Aida more nervous. She hoped they were safe, but she wasn¡¯t sure if Kuri could protect them if a charred zard decided to randomly show up. Fortunately, Kuri seemed to rally and took up the mantle of detecting for danger, her mana spiking out in short, smaller bursts. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can you explain to me why you use your mana that way?¡± Aida asked, after a few minutes of silence. Kuri tilted her head quizzically. ¡°Professor Bruce makes us circulate our mana in a perfect sphere around us,¡± Aida explained. ¡°And I thought that was the norm.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. That is best practice,¡± Kuri nodded. ¡°Spherical detection allows you to be aware of anything approaching. That¡¯s ideally what you want when you¡¯re in an unknown environment, but you¡¯ll find most experienced Adventurers use their mana the way I do when they go on hunts - it¡¯s a bit counterintuitive, but that¡¯s because we are already expecting a certain type of danger.¡± Kuri waved up at the sky. ¡°Based on the locale, we know there aren¡¯t too many aerial threats in these forests. And anyway, we¡¯re likely to see them approach. So instead of wasting mana on thoroughly scanning our surroundings, we use our mana to check the more likely danger zones.¡± Kuri pointed up into the boughs of the nearby trees and behind bushes. ¡°Incidentally, focusing on a specific direction also allows us to sense further than we normally would in a wider scan.¡± Aida nodded, impressed. She supposed she had done something similar, when she and Caleb had first sensed something wrong. She had redirected her senses towards a specific direction, although not as sharply or quickly as Kuri. ¡°Anyway, since I feel flaming awful that you weren¡¯t able to practice your Crit Up¡­do you want to see what you can sense on that bug?¡± Aida looked at Kuri, who was thumbing at a perfectly placid bush. Poking her own mana curiously into the vegetation, she noticed a familiar outline. ¡°The beetle?¡± ¡°Yup. Those things are normally docile, so it won¡¯t attack us. We can just observe it. So, what do you think? Where is it weak?¡± Kuri slipped her arm from around Aida¡¯s shoulders and knelt down to peer under the bush at the giant beetle resting peacefully. Aida joined Kuri, kneeling on the ground. ¡°Um, the antenna?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one! Anywhere else?¡± Kuri prompted. ¡°The joints?¡± Kuri slowly turned her head towards Aida, a look of wonder on her face. ¡°Are you guessing, or do you actually see those?¡± Kuri asked, her mouth in the shape of a small ¡®o¡¯. ¡°Well, when I was observing the Matriarch¡­¡± Aida shivered upon thinking back to her terrifying ordeal. ¡°¡­that was the major thing I noticed. Because it¡¯s bigger, the¡­cracks in its armor are also bigger. And once I saw it, I couldn¡¯t not see it, even with the smaller spiders.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Kuri continued to gape at Aida, before snapping her mouth shut and tearing up. ¡°Ashes, I¡¯m so proud of you!¡± Flinging herself at Aida, Kuri wrapped her arms tightly around Aida¡¯s neck, choking her. ¡°I think that¡¯s the best outcome we can get today, so let¡¯s head to town! The next step is just accuracy - making sure your attacks hit at the right spot, but we can save that for another time¡­¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°Well, we made it,¡± Kuri sighed after they passed through the gate¡¯s security check. ¡°Do you want to go home for tonight, see your parents? Good opportunity to, you know.¡± Aida glanced around nervously. They had entered the town through a gate she was completely unfamiliar with, and she wasn¡¯t even sure she could find her way to the Tulvers¡¯, let alone her family¡¯s home. This district was a lot more polished than the other entrance¡¯s district, with wider streets, fewer independent storefronts, and no gaps in the road. ¡°Where do you live? I can drop you off there before I head back to the Gullbeaks¡¯ headquarters,¡± Kuri said gently, seeing Aida¡¯s deer in headlights look. ¡°Or¡­is there a reason you don¡¯t want to go back home?¡± Aida chuckled nervously, running her fingers through the tangles in her hair. ¡°I¡¯m afraid my - parents - might get the wrong idea about what¡¯s going on at school, and insist on me doing something else.¡± She focused on a particularly stubborn knot, taking the thing in both hands. ¡°I see,¡± Kuri finally said. Aida peeked up at her through her mussed bangs. Kuri¡¯s face was carefully composed, though she smiled at Aida when their eyes met. ¡°No worries! We have room at HQ, so you can stay with us for the night. This might also work out well, since you can meet the rest of the team and see what a typical day - um, night, I guess - will look like.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida said faintly, feeling her face flush at what must be running through Kuri¡¯s head. Was she judging her for not getting along with her parents? Was she worried Aida would have problematic baggage that could spill over professionally? Or did she think Aida was just trying to eke out more time with an Affiliate? She shook her head, scolding herself for overthinking. She already knows I want to be a Healer. ¡°Come along! We¡¯re not on this side of town - the rent¡¯s too high, and we need more space than we can get here.¡± Kuri waved down a two-seater golem, the driver pulling forward eagerly when he recognized who she was. Aida detected a bit of trepidation in his voice as he inquired after their bedraggled state, but Kuri cheerfully reassured him there was nothing to worry about; all signs of the childlike remorse she had displayed out on the path had been neatly boxed away, and was instead replaced with her original cheerful competence. ¡°And we¡¯re here! Home sweet home,¡± Kuri trilled, hopping off the golem. She turned back to the driver. ¡°Sorry, I lost all my supplies on the hunt. Can you wait while I get someone to pay your fee?¡± Aida stepped forward, looking up at the Gullbeaks¡¯ Headquarters with wonder. The neighborhood was a far cry from what Aida would have expected of a highly respected Adventuring company; it more closely resembled the district Tulvers¡¯ Bathhouse was situated in, but not as tightly packed. The ground floor of the nearby buildings were all food stalls, though they had the luxury of offering seating areas inside the building behind the cooking stalls placed on the street. The floors above were windows, and also appeared to be the humble abodes of the proprietors on the ground floor. The Gullbeaks¡¯ building was the only one that didn¡¯t have a commercial space on the ground floor. Instead, it had a heavy wooden door on the front, with single-paned windows on either side of the door. The Gullbeaks¡¯ symbol was carved into the door: a motif of a bird with a sword-like beak cutting through clouds. ¡°I know our home base doesn¡¯t look as impressive as some of the other companies,¡± Kuri said conversationally. ¡°But we like this neighborhood a lot - the food is great, and we spent a lot of time putting down roots in the community so that we can get raw information on what the concerns of the people are. Moving ourselves to the Adventurers¡¯ District would be such a waste, you know?¡± All Aida could do was nod, overwhelmed by the sincerity in Kuri¡¯s voice. She didn¡¯t have a frame of reference for how regular Adventuring companies presented themselves, but just based on first impressions she felt like the Gullbeaks did have a mission deeper than just¡­making baen. ¡°Well, come on in!¡± Kuri grabbed the heavy iron pull handle on the door, dragging it to the side so that it slid slowly open. ¡°Make yourself at home while I take care of our ride!¡± Ushered in by Kuri¡¯s energetic gestures, Aida stepped through the door to see a couple of figures seated at a long wooden table and benches in the middle of the room. On one side of the room was a tall bar counter, where a muscular young man wearing a bandana was glancing curiously at her. ¡°Kawa! Can you pay the golem transport for me outside?¡± Kuri called to the young man at the bar. ¡°I lost all my equipment on the hunt today.¡± ¡°All of your equipment?¡± Kawa repeated disapprovingly. He had a warm baritone, a sharp contrast with Kuri¡¯s bright voice, yet they seemed to complement each other very well. ¡°Not all,¡± Kuri whined. She slipped through the door behind Aida, letting the door slide slowly shut with a grind. ¡°Just whatever I brought for the day.¡± ¡°Your shirt is ruined,¡± Kawa said flatly, coming around the bar with coins jingling in his hand. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re still covered.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know. Go on and take a seat with Tyda and Arryn over there,¡± Kuri said to Aida, gently pushing her towards the table. ¡°I¡¯m going to get changed. This is Kawa, by the way, my brother! And everybody, this is Aida from Maglica!¡± Kuri¡¯s last words rang through what was clearly an old tavern, taken over by the Gullbeaks. Aida smiled uncertainly as she raised a hesitant hand in greeting. ¡°Hi, nice to meet you. I¡¯m sorry for imposing on you.¡± The young man with messy, sun-bleached hair raised a welcoming hand at her, reassuring her approach with a kind smile. ¡°Welcome, Aida. Come take a seat. My name is Tyda Auyn, leader of the Gullbeaks.¡± Chapter 91: Gullbeaks HQ I ¡°Sorry for the inconvenience,¡± Aida murmured, bowing slightly to Tyda and his dark-haired companion. ¡°Not at all! Seems like you and Kuri have a story,¡± Tyda said, amused. He patted the space on the long bench next to him. ¡°Come and have a seat. Unless you want to clean up a bit first?¡± Aida glanced down at her clothes, flustered. She wasn¡¯t in nearly as bad of a shape as Kuri, whose entire shirt had been so shredded by acid that it looked more like a stringy halter top. Regardless, she still looked like a complete mess, with the sticky web-goo still clinging to her clothes, dirt smeared into her skin from all the dust kicked up from the fight - and Aida reached up to her hair, conveniently dislodging a leaf. ¡°Yes, please,¡± Aida said faintly, embarrassed by how these two professional Adventurers were clearly trying to hold back their laughter. She was sure they meant well, but what did they say about first impressions mattering? ¡°Come this way - you can start washing up, and I¡¯ll get Kuri to bring you something to wear so that we can get your clothes sent out for sanitation.¡± Tyda swung his leg over the bench with the casual confidence of an athlete, not afraid to hide his strength. Despite her leery perception of athletes in high school (loud, obnoxious braggarts), Annie now appreciated Tyda¡¯s unapologetic confidence in himself: What you see is what you get. I have nothing to hide. If he really was the leader of the Gullbeaks she could see why Kuri embraced her personality so wholeheartedly, even among the other Affiliates who held themselves stiffly and graciously: intent on portraying the most polished versions of themselves. Tyda led Aida up the stairs to the second floor, pausing briefly to knock on a door that was painted in a garish orange color with an equally garish yellow sign with a smiley face on it. ¡°Aida¡¯s going to wash first,¡± Tyda called through the door in response to Kuri¡¯s muffled inquiry. ¡°Can you bring her something she can wear?¡± ¡°Take this first!¡± Kuri¡¯s door popped open a crack, and a towel was thrust through the opening. ¡°I¡¯ll bring something for you in a bit!¡± ¡°Thanks, Kuri,¡± Tyda said, smiling briefly. He waved Aida towards the end of the hall, where he opened the door to a washroom. ¡°Take your time. We¡¯ll all be in the mess when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida said, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat, saying in a rush, ¡°Thank you so much for your hospitality.¡± ¡°Baw, don¡¯t even mention it,¡± Tyda said airily, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°We¡¯ll chat in a bit.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ After a very thorough shower to get the feeling of phantom spider feet off her skin, Aida made her way back down to the ground floor, her dirty clothes in a laundry sack Kuri had brought her. ¡°Hey, Aida! You feeling better?¡± Kuri sang, waving; Kawa was seated next to her, and he leaned back on the bench to avoid her haphazard arm swings. Kuri was dressed in casual, comfortable shorts and a shirt, looking much more like a college girl on laundry day than a formidable warrior. ¡°So much better,¡± Aida agreed, smiling. She didn¡¯t realize how much the grime and feeling of spiders crawling on her skin had affected her mood. Even her perception of how the Gullbeaks perceived her seemed refreshed after the shower, the negative, squirmy feeling gone. Everybody was looking at her with cheerful welcome. ¡°Now that we can actually see your face, let¡¯s do introductions!¡± Kuri bounced to her feet, skipping around the table to drag Aida over to the group. She swept Aida¡¯s long hair behind her shoulders affectionately, facing her towards the three men at the table. ¡°Everyone! This is Aida Loreh, ranked 15, Water element! Her primary interest is in Healing, and she¡¯s got serious potential!¡± Kuri shook Aida¡¯s shoulders proudly. She turned to face Aida, pointing at each man as she introduced them. ¡°You¡¯ve already met Tyda Auyn, our beloved leader, Water element! That old man there is Arryn Rothir, Metal element. He kind of took us in when we first started banding together, so he¡¯s the dad of our family. And that guy there is Kawa Kisa, my brother! He¡¯s Earth element, and it¡¯s his responsibility to keep me alive,¡± Kuri said, puffing her chest out importantly. Aida giggled as Kawa and Arryn both sighed at their introductions. Arryn stood up and held out his large hand to Aida, whose fingers were barely able to grasp his entire palm. ¡°Welcome, Aida. Kuri was telling us how you two unexpectedly ended up at headquarters this rest cycle.¡± ¡°Thanks for letting me stay with you guys,¡± Aida said hastily. ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can help with¡ª¡° ¡°Don¡¯t be so formal,¡± Kawa said lightly, standing up to shake her hand as well. ¡°You¡¯re our guest, and it¡¯s technically Kuri¡¯s fault for taking you on an expedition that risked your life.¡± Just like Arryn¡¯s hand, Kawa¡¯s hand was covered in calluses. ¡°But she learned Crit Up!¡± Kuri argued, shaking Aida vigorously as if she was the one arguing. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a total waste.¡± ¡°Sit down and relax,¡± Tyda said, taking the laundry sack from Aida¡¯s hand and bringing it behind the bar. ¡°Lula and Yoon are bringing lunch back, so we can all eat together when they get here.¡± Feeling very disoriented by all the chaos, Aida allowed herself to be pressed down onto the bench next to Arryn, just as the tavern door slid open again. Two women entered, one a brunette with short hair and green eyes, and a taller woman with a regal bearing and long black hair done up in elegant braids and red eyes. Both of them were carrying packages wrapped in cloth. Both women cast a cursory glance around the room, offering Aida small smiles as they approached. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Hello, I didn¡¯t realize we would be entertaining Kuri and a student this rest day.¡± ¡°Yeah, we got into a scrape with the spider infestations, so we thought we¡¯d recuperate here before heading back to school tomorrow,¡± Kuri said, abashed. She seemed slightly intimidated by the taller woman, giving her a cursory hug before latching onto the brunette as her usual pert and perky self. ¡°Yoon! I¡¯ve missed you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too,¡± Yoon said, smiling as she leaned her head against Kuri¡¯s affectionately. ¡°So what happened? I wouldn¡¯t have thought you¡¯d run into issues. We¡¯ve been busy keeping the region clear of monsters ever since that nasty attack on those two Maglica students last moon cycle.¡± Aida opened her mouth to ask more details about the development of attacks, their professional opinions and theories, perhaps, but she held herself back as the conversation continued. ¡°Kuri got overconfident,¡± Kawa said, sighing. ¡°She thought she could protect Aida, even though Aida warned her combat wasn¡¯t her specialty.¡± Kuri made a distressed noise, swatting at her brother. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, we¡¯re being rude - I¡¯m Yoon, Wood element,¡± the brunette said brightly, turning to Aida with Kuri still clinging to her. Her bright green eyes crinkled in a sweet smile as she deposited her parcel on the table. ¡°I¡¯m actually Kuri and Kawa¡¯s cousin!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m Lula,¡± the taller woman said, inclining her head. Her voice was deep and soothing. ¡°I¡¯m a Fire, so I¡¯ve been filling in for Kuri while she¡¯s been at Maglica.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Aida said softly, dipping her head at the two women. Their self-confidence was intimidating - quite different from Kuri¡¯s own energetic spunk. Will I ever be like them one day? ¡°Thanks for bringing lunch,¡± Tyda said, taking Lula¡¯s package from her hands to the other side of the table. He began unwrapping that stack. ¡°Here, everyone grab something.¡± The Gullbeaks fluttered around, setting up the takeout boxes Yoon and Lula brought back. ¡°So Aida, you said you¡¯re from Maglica. What career are you interested in?¡± Yoon asked. She was very friendly, and seemed like a less boisterous version of Kuri. ¡°I want to be a Healer,¡± Aida confessed, feeling somewhat ashamed that she was such an outlier among these Adventurers. ¡°Kuri knows I have a small mana pool size, so she offered to teach me how to be more efficient with it¡­it really wasn¡¯t her fault that we got attacked and overwhelmed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Lula said softly, glancing down the table to make sure the men were occupied with their own spread of food. ¡°Kawa is tough on his sister, but it¡¯s only because he cares - he was very worried about her while she was gone, but we can only send one Affiliate to Maglica.¡± ¡°How many graduates are you hoping to recruit?¡± Aida asked, curious. Yoon and Lula looked at each other. ¡°Well, we¡¯re trying to remain open-minded. If we find the appropriate talent, we¡¯re not going to restrict our budget. Likewise, if we don¡¯t find anybody suitable, we won¡¯t be pressuring ourselves to make an offer. We do want to grow our company,¡± Yoon said thoughtfully. ¡°But we don¡¯t want to just hire anybody, you know?¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Aida said quickly. She considered for half a beat before saying, ¡°My best friend at school really looks up to you guys, and she¡¯s also in the top five - I think she got along really well with Kuri, too.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Yoon asked, smiling in delight. ¡°What element is she?¡± ¡°Her name is Suelina Heslia, and she¡¯s a Fire element,¡± Aida responded. ¡°That¡¯s why she was worried - she said your roster probably doesn¡¯t need another Fire, so she was feeling pretty uncertain.¡± Lula leaned back, considering. ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true. Fires tend to burn out pretty quickly if they don¡¯t manage themselves well, so it can be helpful to have more Fires. That was why I agreed to officially join the Gullbeaks in the first place - I hated seeing Kuri push herself so hard every time they have to go on an expedition, because everyone relies on her so much.¡± Lula also gave Aida a sly smile, glancing at Kuri as she entered a loud conversation with the men, waving her chopsticks vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s also part of why we sent her to Maglica, because I can better manage the burn solo than she can.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Aida said, following Lula¡¯s gaze. She supposed it had to do with age - Sue and Natalie and Myk were more on the energetic side of the spectrum, while Lula and Kozu gave the impression of being steady flames. ¡°I¡¯m sure Sue will be reassured to hear that she still has a chance.¡± Lula turned to Yoon. ¡°We don¡¯t have a dedicated Healer.¡± She glanced at Aida. ¡°Any particular reason you don¡¯t want to join the Gullbeaks? We can arrange for you to get Healer training as well.¡± ¡°Ah, well, I don¡¯t think I can keep up with the combat,¡± Aida said, laughing awkwardly. Especially if it¡¯s going to be worse than today¡¯s encounters. She picked at her food. ¡°And I don¡¯t know how to brew potions yet - I¡¯m not entirely opposed to joining an Adventuring company, but I just feel like I have a lot to learn before I can become a valuable team member.¡± ¡°Is there a clinic you¡¯re looking forward to working with?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Aida tapered off, uncertain how much to reveal. ¡°I do like Relief for Health, down in Burston City; but I¡¯ve only had one assignment with Healer Bokar Evins so far, so it¡¯s probably too early to make any commitments.¡± ¡°Poisons,¡± Lula said thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good field. Not too competitive, if you¡¯re worried about that kind of thing.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, Healer Bokar did explain to me about the stigma associated¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, times are changing.¡± Yoon nodded reassuringly. ¡°Besides, Poison specialists are finding their own niche in serving the Adventurer market - we¡¯re a less superstitious bunch, compared to the industrialists.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Aida paused, hesitating. ¡°Can I ask you¡­about the increased level of monster activity around the area?¡± Yoon and Lula looked at each other, then glanced past Aida to look towards where the rest of the team was chatting. Tyda caught their eyes, and his expression turned serious. The rest of the table quieted, turning towards the young women. ¡°Before we talk about this, I just want to make it clear that the city council - and even the Strongholds, actually - doesn¡¯t want this getting around. So just keep that in mind,¡± Yoon said seriously. ¡°We don¡¯t agree with that policy because we believe people deserve to know so that they get a chance to prepare protections for themselves and their families. But¡­¡± ¡°The city council is concerned that panicked citizens might create chaos,¡± Tyda said softly, picking up the narrative as Yoon trailed off. ¡°And to a certain degree, they¡¯re right. Most citizens wouldn¡¯t be able to fight off the monsters that are starting to approach more aggressively anyway, so getting them agitated wouldn¡¯t help.¡± He looked around at the rest of his team, who all had grave expressions on their faces. ¡°Regardless, we¡¯re not going to hide any information from anybody who¡¯s asking questions. But neither are we going out of our way to cause panic. However, since you asked¡­¡± Tyda looked over to Arryn, handing the floor over to him. ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way,¡± Arryn said, his voice deep and taking on a husky quality. ¡°Let¡¯s have a match. If you do well, you¡¯ll get more information.¡± Aida blanched, looking to Kuri for help. She leaned on her elbows and cupped her face in her hands, looking at Aida with a charmed expression. What have I gotten myself into? Chapter 92: Gullbeaks HQ II ¡°I regret asking for information,¡± Aida muttered to Kuri. ¡°No, it will be fine!¡± Kuri reassured Aida. ¡°Arryn¡¯s a nice guy, and we don¡¯t expect anything from you.¡± Kuri pondered for a second. ¡°That sounded bad, but what I mean to say is don¡¯t stress about it!¡± Aida took a deep breath through her nose. ¡°Is it normal to trade for information like this?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Tyda said, patting Aida¡¯s shoulder comfortingly. ¡°But we¡¯re also not ones to pass up opportunities for entertainment.¡± ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Kawa called from the other side of the courtyard, interrupting Aida before she could do more than give him a mournful look. Upon Arryn¡¯s challenge, the Gullbeaks had shepherded Aida through the dining room to the back, where there was a large courtyard that clearly used to see a lot of drunken activity. Broken furniture was stacked along the edges of the yard and random potholes pockmarked the ground. The middle of the courtyard itself had several practice dummies, as well as a table Kawa, Arryn, and Lula were fussing around. Grabbing Aida¡¯s hand, Kuri skipped over to the table, dragging Aida reluctantly behind her. ¡°Should we take bets?¡± ¡°No way,¡± Aida objected. ¡°That might be fun,¡± Kawa said, a smile splitting his face. Without his stoic and serious expression, he looked just like Kuri. ¡°I¡¯m going to bet on Wood.¡± ¡°I think Aida can get to Fire!¡± Kuri chimed in. Lula looked at Kuri and Kawa in disappointment before turning to Aida. ¡°Ignore them. We¡¯re not going to take bets. Just do your best.¡± Aida looked down at the objects on the table Lula gestured at: a small bowl of clean water, a bundle of twigs, an unlit candle, a glittering cut gemstone, and a small silver dagger. ¡°Even though we treat this as a game, it¡¯s really quite a valuable training exercise. The objective is to transfer your mana between each element.¡± Aida looked at Lula quizzically. ¡°But¡­I can only manipulate water?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not manipulating the other elements,¡± Lula said gently. ¡°You¡¯re only transferring your mana through these mediums.¡± Aida looked back down at the elements, perplexed. Arryn jumped in. ¡°Let¡¯s start with some background. You can manipulate water because you have an affinity for it, just like Kuri can manipulate fire because that¡¯s her affinity. However, sometimes when we¡¯re on a hunt, she runs out of mana, and she needs to take some from Yoon or Kawa, who have larger mana reserves than her. Mana itself is all the same, but when it¡¯s in our bodies, it takes on some of our unique characteristics.¡± Arryn reached for the silver dagger, holding it gently in his hand. ¡°Watch. I¡¯m going to focus on transferring my mana into this blade, which I have an affinity for, and then I¡¯ll transfer it to the water. I won¡¯t be able to manipulate it like you do, but I should be able to keep it in that medium before transferring it to the wood. And so on and so forth.¡± Biting her lip in focus, Aida watched Arryn. His own mana was a dark gray color, and seemed to cause the dagger to take on an ominous dark shade. He moved the tip of the dagger to the bowl of water, where the gray oozed into the water. Arryn¡¯s mana just settled in the bottom of the bowl, lifeless. Carefully, Arryn set down the blade and picked up the bundle of twigs, dipping it into the water. Slowly, the mana began funneling through the stems, until the brown darkened to the color of iron. Moving as if he was in a trance, Arryn struck a match, lit the candle, and then held the bundle of twigs to the small flame. Instead of catching fire, the bundle smoldered as the gray receded from the stems, leaving behind only its natural color. The flame, however, burned larger, while also taking on the same darker hue that had been in the bundle of twigs and water. Aida watched, fascinated, as Arryn then lifted the gemstone and held it within the flame. As the fire licked at the gem, it seemed to shrink, pouring its dark essence into the crystal. Finally, Arryn palmed the gem and picked up the dagger. Pressing the flat of the blade against a facet, he relaxed as the dagger greedily sucked all the dark color out of the gem, now a lighter gray than before. ¡°I would say that¡¯s about half efficiency,¡± Kuri said, peering at the blade. She looked back up at Aida. ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t get as much mana transferred as Arryn. Just try to transfer mana for the full cycle.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to do this,¡± Aida said faintly. ¡°That¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll walk you through it,¡± Yoon said encouragingly. ¡°Let¡¯s detail the terms of the wager. If you can complete one whole cycle, regardless of your efficiency, we¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know. If you can¡¯t, then¡­Kuri will have to clean all the bathrooms.¡± Arryn released the mana in his knife with a sigh, placing the blade back down on the table. He stepped back, ignoring the flail of blows as Kuri pounded his back with her tiny fists. Aida stepped forward, nervous. Listening to Kuri¡¯s stream of impassioned instructions, tempered by Yoon¡¯s more detailed and serene advice, she pooled her mana into the water, which was easy. Her own hue was a gentle light blue, making the clear water take on the tint of a deep lake. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Following Arryn¡¯s previous steps, she dipped the wood medium into the water, doing her best to forget what her expectations of her mana was. Filter it. She screwed up her eyes in concentration, trying to force her mana into the wood, but all she did was succeed in splashing the water out of the bowl. ¡°That¡¯s okay! Try again,¡± Yoon said encouragingly. ¡°Just hold your mana in the water, and let it settle. The longer you can keep it separated, the easier it is to figure out how to let it be on its own.¡± Trying to understand Yoon¡¯s advice, Aida filled the bowl of water again with her mana, closing her eyes. Keep it separated. How could she do that? The mana came from her, and it was part of her. They might as well have told her to cut her hand off. Aida pulled her focus inside, feeling her breath draw mana from the air, cycle it through her lungs, trying to pull her awareness away from the bowl of water while still keeping her essence imbued in the liquid. She was aware that everyone was watching her exercise, their own mana focused lightly around her and the bowl of water. Many hues brushed against her own color, and she noticed the small stream she unconsciously held against the liquid medium. Separate it? Aida backed her mana away from the bowl, slowly thinning her connection, without retracting it completely. Success! Aida managed to sever her connection with the bowl of water, and she felt discomfited - like each eye was focusing on a different image. Trying not to dig into the logic behind the feeling - treating it as if she saw an image at the corner of her eye, but if she turned to look at it, that image would disappear - Aida slowly reached the bundle of twigs into the bowl again, inserting the base into the liquid. Still trying not to think too hard - why is it so hard to not pay attention? - Aida tried to command the mana that was no longer part of her to make its way into the wood. The mana refused to budge - but at least she didn¡¯t lose the entirety of the mana in the bowl. Withdrawing the wood, Aida took a deep breath to recenter herself and get used to the feeling of the mana just hanging around in the bowl, without her interference. When she felt ready again, at Yoon¡¯s encouragement, she dipped the wood back in. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Yoon said encouragingly. ¡°You already have your mana disconnected, now just let it flow. Think about the wood.¡± Falling into a meditative trance, Aida focused her attention on the wood, feeling the small bumps and grains underneath her fingers - and feeling just the slightest bit of mana poking its way into the wood, seeming to be drawn towards her focal point, trying to reconvene with her. Passing through the wood felt - not necessarily wrong, but foreign. Not at all like when Aida would grab water that was laying around - she felt as if she had stepped into a friend¡¯s home, where they would feel comfortable, and she would feel on edge. Not exactly unwelcome, but afraid to talk or laugh too loudly, pressured to be on her best behavior. Fortunately, she was able to forge her way into the wooden sticks, aware that there was some stagnant mana from the twigs¡¯ own mana in stasis, but able to flow past them. Out of curiosity, she prodded at the still mana, and found that she could move it around - but couldn¡¯t do much else with it. Good enough. Next one. Bringing the bundle of sticks to the still-lit candle, the flames began sizzling on the wood, causing the end to smolder. Panicking, Aida tried to force her mana into the flame, but to no avail - she just fanned the flame, which burst into a small inferno, consuming the bundle. Aida¡¯s fingers involuntarily dropped the flaming bundle, flying to her lips to quench the singed tips. ¡°That¡¯s okay!¡± Kuri cheered, quickly scooping the flames off the bundle. ¡°That¡¯s pretty good - you managed to get through the second one on your first try! All you need is practice.¡± ¡°It is difficult to move beyond a compatible element,¡± Tyda agreed. ¡°But once you can do it, it¡¯s all the same.¡± ¡°So this exercise,¡± Aida said faintly, her head spinning as she finally came back to herself. She felt so disconnected during that exercise - she had no idea how anyone could do it, while also in combat. Although she supposed that was why Arryn had been in a trance-like state while he demonstrated the exercise. ¡°¡­is it a common exercise?¡± ¡°Not exactly,¡± Kawa said hesitantly. ¡°We¡­picked it up¡­before we really started taking off as a company. But we found this exercise makes it so that we can more efficiently convert mana, so we can synergize and synchronize our attacks better. That¡¯s part of why we¡¯re such a versatile and effective team.¡± Aida shook her head, bemused. This sounds like a lot of mana mixing¡­but can I ask that? ¡°I can guess what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Lula said softly. ¡°It¡¯s - similar to mana mixing, but it¡¯s not the same. You¡¯re cutting a segment of your mana off. So if someone were to utilize your mana, you won¡¯t feel it as much as if they tried to pull directly from you as a source - it¡¯s much less invasive.¡± Everyone quieted, looking at Aida with¡­apprehension? Aida glanced around at everyone, unable to quell the feeling that she was missing something big. It sounded taboo on the surface, but their explanation of how it wasn''t mana mixing was sensible as well. ¡°That makes sense, I think,¡± Aida said slowly, trying not to sound as confused as she felt. She scrunched up her face, deep in thought. ¡°Either way, this sounds like the exercise Professor Lloyd has been trying to teach us in Mana Applications, where he wants us to be able to utilize mana from incompatible elements. Is that the core of this exercise?¡± She looked up, surprised to see startled and gratified expressions on the Gullbeaks¡¯ faces. ¡°Absolutely!¡± Kuri said enthusiastically. ¡°It¡¯s so good to hear that the next generation is being taught this - most practitioners don¡¯t realize how important this skill is, and¡ª¡° Kuri cut herself off at Tyda¡¯s warning glance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said smoothly. ¡°It¡¯s just different ways of thinking. Feel free to keep practicing your mana,¡± he said, gesturing towards the table. ¡°Since Kuri¡¯s your mentor this cycle, she can help you out. We have some other things to take care of to get ready for hunts next cycle, so we¡¯ll catch up with you two during dinner. Don¡¯t forget about the toilets, Kuri.¡± ¡°Thank you for all your help,¡± Aida called to everybody as they gathered themselves to go back to work. She turned back to Kuri, who beamed at her, studiously ignoring Tyda¡¯s pointed glance. ¡°¡­does that mean I don¡¯t get the information I asked for?¡± Chapter 93: Gullbeaks HQ III The rest of the afternoon at the Gullbeaks¡¯ Headquarters was more relaxed once everyone departed for their duties. Kuri offered to give Aida a tour around the HQ building and neighborhood, introducing her to the local businesses the Gullbeaks maintained relationships with. Just as Aida thought, their headquarters used to be a tavern with an inn above it. But as Buddington Town grew, expanding away from the district the tavern was at, fewer and fewer people came to stay at the inn or dine at the tavern - especially since the more humble food stalls next to the tavern offered more affordable dining options, and the newer districts had more comfortable inns. The tavern was already closed when the Gullbeaks finally approached the owner about leasing the space, so they were able to acquire it easily. ¡°Not to stoke our own fire, but we¡¯re the reason why this district is revitalizing,¡± Kuri said proudly. She pointed at some of the more run-down looking businesses that had construction materials around them; clearly undergoing some remodeling. ¡°Knowing that one of the more prolific Adventuring companies has settled in this area is encouraging the local families who are staying here to open up businesses that help supply us with gear. It¡¯s great for all of us, because they don¡¯t have to spend as much time and baen traveling to another district for work.¡± Everyone they passed smiled and greeted Kuri, who greeted them back with a bright smile and affable words. Their friendliness extended to Aida, asking after her, and inviting her to visit when she was next in the area again. Several food stall owners even pressed small snacks upon her, insisting that a young practitioner like her needed all the food she could get. As much as Aida appreciated the free food and kindness from literal strangers, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if these people were only friendly because of her association with Kuri and the Gullbeaks, or because they were trying to curry favor with a Maglica student. Is this why Teena hates me? ¡°Let¡¯s head back to HQ,¡± Kuri decided. ¡°There¡¯s another exercise I want to show you.¡± They ambled back towards the tavern, chatting idly about life as an Adventurer. ¡°I really do believe in our mission,¡± Kuri said wistfully. ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t say for certain, since I¡¯ve been with the Gullbeaks ever since we first started working - but I feel like we¡¯re the only company where every member really stays plugged in with the neighborhood and our roots, you know?¡± ¡°I bet,¡± Aida said softly. She hadn¡¯t met with any other Adventuring companies yet, but she could imagine what Kuri was saying - the Gullbeaks were the hardy startup, not yet corrupted by shareholders who demanded profit above all else. They only had their neighborhood to look after, allowing for a synergistic relationship between the locals and the company. ¡°You¡¯ve all been working for so long as such a small company. How do you not burn out?¡± Kuri made a thoughtful noise, turning the corner so they could see the tavern across the street. She slowed, the arm linked through Aida¡¯s arm dragging her to a halt. ¡°It¡¯s not easy,¡± she said softly. Her sharp blue eyes stared unwaveringly at the tavern. ¡°Especially as the main attacker on the team at first. You know we only hired Lula recently?¡± Aida nodded, remembering Lula¡¯s words during lunch. ¡°¡­It was a struggle,¡± Kuri said baldly. ¡°We needed to make baen - startup costs, you know, and we had to go to the more pricey districts to replenish our supplies in the beginning - so we worked way more than we rested.¡± Her eyes were unfocused now, looking deep back into her memories. ¡°I¡¯m not saying nobody else worked hard,¡± Kuri said quickly, squeezing Aida¡¯s arm. ¡°But¡­with how small my mana pool was, I got drained a lot faster than everybody else. And everyone really did try to support me¡­but that just made me feel¡­guilty, you know? Like, if I were stronger, or had more mana¡­¡± she drifted off, her voice wavering. Uncertain what to do, Aida threaded her arm out from Kuri¡¯s loose grasp, and put her arm around the young woman¡¯s shoulders in a gentle hug. ¡°Hey, at least you made it here now. And you¡¯re really strong! I don¡¯t think anyone would have known you have a ¡®small¡¯ mana pool if you didn¡¯t tell me.¡± Kuri gave Aida a tremulous smile, leaning lightly against Aida¡¯s side. ¡°Thanks, I keep making you comfort me - it should be the other way around! I just wanted to let you know it is possible to get your mana pool to a functional size. I¡¯ll show you when we get back to HQ!¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The two of them piled into Kuri¡¯s room, a small domicile that could only fit a single bed, a desk, and a dresser. Kuri¡¯s room was cluttered, reminding Aida of a girl with a lot of memories - colorful memorabilia hanging from walls and on all available surfaces, along with a more serious-looking wall with pictures and scribbles that Kuri casually said served as reminders and critical lessons learned. Seated on Kuri¡¯s bed, Aida watched as Kuri dug through her drawers, trying to find the equipment she needed for the exercise. ¡°Do you still do this exercise?¡± Kuri sighed as she continued rummaging. ¡°I should do this more often - there¡¯s no downside, you know? But it¡¯s boring - it¡¯s just a grind. Ah!¡± Kuri brandished a massive red cluster. Doing a tiny skip in the cramped space, Kuri thumped next to Aida on the bed, holding the uncut gem out. ¡°Here, take this: it¡¯s a low-grade mana battery, but it works great for this exercise.¡± Receiving the raw crystal with both hands, Aida looked at Kuri questioningly. She nodded importantly. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°A high-grade battery makes it easier for you to store your mana into it - more efficient in mana transfer, you know? But a low-grade battery depends on you. If your mana isn¡¯t clean enough, then you¡¯ll lose a lot of mana to the environment.¡± Pressing her lips together, Aida tried feeding her mana into the rock. This was the first time she had interacted with a low-quality mana battery, and now she fully appreciated why Vanita¡¯s secret family technique was so coveted. With the little fire gem in the statue Vanita had grown, it sucked in mana greedily, easily. With this mineral, she felt like she was just washing mana over it. All the impurities in the stone - the hardened sand, rock bases, other materials she couldn¡¯t make out - interfered with her mana flow. ¡°Remember to filter your mana,¡± Kuri chided her gently. ¡°Just like when you transferred mana from water to wood.¡± Closing her eyes, Aida tried to remember how it felt when she had severed her mana from herself. Being aware it was there, but not putting too much awareness onto it. She felt the smooth edges of the rock¡¯s natural facets, as well as the rough points where the mineral was splintered from its cluster. She was also dimly aware of Kuri next to her: her quiet, steady breathing as she watched Aida perform this exercise; her chest rising and falling in slow breaths. Unconsciously, she felt herself match Kuri¡¯s breathing rhythm: deep breath in, expanding the lungs, then expanding the diaphragm fully, holding it for a beat, then slowly releasing the breath. Aida opened her eyes, blinking warily at Kuri. ¡°How much time passed?¡± ¡°About a quarter hour?¡± Kuri tilted her head at Aida, a small smile on her face. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°A bit light-headed,¡± Aida confessed, setting the mana battery down in her lap. Remembering what she had been doing, she raised the battery again, looking at it in wonder. It wasn¡¯t much, but the battery had a faint glow. ¡°I did it!¡± ¡°That you did!¡± Kuri said eagerly. ¡°Awesome, you did great at purifying your mana! Now this next part is the easy part: wait for your mana to replenish itself, and when it¡¯s full, draw this mana back into you.¡± Kuri placed a gentle finger on the battery. ¡°Won¡¯t that take hours?¡± Aida asked uncertainly. ¡°Or are you saying I should Mana Cycle in between¡­¡± Kuri smiled knowingly at Aida. ¡°You see now why I said it was a grind?¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ After a rambunctious dinner with the Gullbeaks that night, Aida sat outside in the tavern¡¯s courtyard with the mana battery. Kuri had to replenish her supplies, so left Aida to her own devices as she ran some last-minute errands. ¡°Everyone else will be around, so don¡¯t be shy if you need to ask for help!¡± Kuri had told Aida before departing. Aida fingered the battery, feeling the mana¡¯s faint swirls inside its rough exterior. Fortunately, her Mana Cycling (Lv11) was high enough level that she was able to passively recover a significant portion of her mana since the unfortunate attack in the morning. She had been actively Mana Cycling through dinner, and was most of the way recovered. ¡°Hey, mind if I join you?¡± Aida glanced up, startled. She hadn¡¯t even noticed Yoon approach. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Yoon pulled up a rickety stool next to Aida¡¯s equally suspect chair, looking up at the moon rising in the night sky. They sat in companionable silence, Aida still Circulating as she waited for Yoon to speak. Yoon was calm; self-assured, with a kind eye that never missed anybody¡¯s discomfort, no matter how fleeting. If Aida had to guess, she was likely the mother figure in the Gullbeaks. ¡°How are you doing?¡± Yoon finally asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Aida murmured back. ¡°¡­Thanks again for letting me stay with you guys.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Yoon said, waving her hand dismissively. ¡°We have plenty of space. Anyway, I wanted to ask you¡­¡± she turned on her seat, glancing at Aida with those knowing green eyes. ¡°¡­what you thought about the exercise you and Arryn did today. Your honest thoughts.¡± Aida blinked. ¡°It¡¯s¡­hard.¡± Yoon nodded, encouraging Aida to elaborate. ¡°I mean¡­I see the value of it, no question. I just¡­¡± Aida felt her inner walls crumble as Yoon¡¯s green eyes glowed in the rising moonlight. Despite her being a stranger, Aida felt like she could confide in her. Yoon was far enough removed from Aida¡¯s regular circle that she didn¡¯t have to worry about rumors spreading, and she also had the air of understanding and respecting privacy. Aida¡¯s insecurities spilled out. ¡°It¡¯s really frustrating. I know it¡¯s unreasonable to expect myself to do well on an exercise the first time I try it out, and it¡¯s difficult enough that everyone else has warned me that it¡¯s hard - but I still wonder, if Sue was the one who came here today and was presented with this exercise¡­¡± The rest of Aida¡¯s words shriveled in her throat as soon as she realized what she had just said. I don''t think I''m supposed to show weakness... Yoon reached towards Aida, placing her hand on her shoulder gently. ¡°I understand. Kuri told us some of her observations about you at school,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Nothing bad, I assure you - but she did mention that your closest friends are all in Class 1, and¡­I can imagine that there is some comparison there, despite the best intentions.¡± Aida nodded silently, focusing on the mana battery. Maybe I can do the next part of the exercise now. ¡°You know, Tyda has the same struggles as you,¡± Yoon said softly. She began rubbing Aida¡¯s shoulder in gentle circles, drawing Aida¡¯s attention away from the rock. ¡°I don¡¯t normally like to apply stereotypes, but you two really do embody the Water trait of¡­trying to fulfill all your perceived obligations.¡± Aida blinked, looking back towards Yoon. She smiled, embarrassed. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not a bad thing, at all. It¡¯s just¡­it can hold you back, if you¡¯re not careful.¡± Yoon considered, glancing back towards the tavern entrance to ensure no one else was approaching. ¡°I¡¯ll use Tyda as an example, because we¡¯ve been together for so long. He¡¯s never been weak - none of us are, let¡¯s be clear - but he¡¯s always been so focused on his weaknesses, that he¡¯ll overlook his own strengths. Which makes sense - in order to live a happy life, we must strive to achieve balance.¡± Yoon sighed, her comforting rubbing stalling. ¡°At the cost of his own happiness, and maybe even the expense of growing upon his own natural strengths¡­he strives to shore up his weaknesses. And¡­perception of strength and weakness is relative.¡± Yoon pulled her hand back from Aida, leaning forward so that her elbows rested on her knees. She seemed to be talking to the moon, which was now completely in the sky. ¡°When you¡¯re surrounded by people equally as capable as you, even when their strengths are in other areas, it¡¯s easy to lose confidence in yourself. Especially when you only notice your weaknesses - you don¡¯t realize that your strengths can compensate for areas you¡¯re lacking in - because it¡¯s impossible to be perfect.¡± Yoon flashed a melancholy smile at Aida. ¡°I¡¯m seeing some of that in you.¡± Chapter 94: Gullbeaks HQ IV Aida woke up early the next day, staring groggily up at the unfamiliar ceiling before remembering she was still in Buddington Town, at the Gullbeaks¡¯ Headquarters. Heaving herself out of the unpleasantly firm bed in one of the unused inn rooms, Aida stretched. She didn¡¯t get a chance to practice Kuri¡¯s exercise that expanded her mana pool last night, because her talk with Yoon lasted longer than anticipated. She¡¯d felt gratified when Yoon insisted that she wasn¡¯t giving herself enough credit; everyone liked to hear good things being said about them. But she also couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious - because why would someone as accomplished as Yoon compliment someone who was strictly in the middle of the class rankings? And besides, she hasn¡¯t seen what I¡¯m normally like. The only conclusion that made sense was that Yoon was just an extremely nice person. Still, Yoon seemed so thoughtful and insightful that Aida really wanted to believe what Yoon said about her was true. In the conversation that followed her observations of Water types, Yoon started sharing more about the Gullbeaks¡¯ history, their childhood adventures, and what lead them to pursuing the hard work of being an Adventuring party. Arryn was in his forties and was a Border Stronghold veteran. During one of his rare visits back to his village, he found desolation: their tiny village had been decimated by a particularly vicious monster attack, and by luck, the children, led by the teenagers Lula and Kawa, had avoided their parents¡¯ grisly fates. ¡°I never liked leaving the village to play so far away, but everyone convinced me that day,¡± Yoon confided in Aida. Her voice grew heavy. ¡°Ironically, I thought being in the village meant safety¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aida said softly. Yoon smiled sadly at Aida. ¡°I am, too. But that¡¯s our origin story¡­and why we aim to take contracts that truly help the disadvantaged population, those who don¡¯t have the resources to hire their own guards.¡± Aida made her way downstairs, holding the mana battery in her hand. After knowing their history, she couldn¡¯t help but look at everyone through new eyes: they were all much more serious for their ages, of course (she was shocked when Yoon confirmed Lula and Kawa were in their late twenties, while everyone else was in their early twenties), but she couldn¡¯t see any signs of the trauma they must have felt from being orphaned at such young ages. They joked, they squabbled (mainly Kuri and Kawa), but ultimately they all directed their energy to their work. Tyda was constantly glancing at the wall where they had pinned maps, notes, and small flags, highlighting monster hotspots. Arryn kept his eye on the mana of anyone entering headquarters, barking reminders at them to focus on one exercise or another. Lula rarely socialized, preferring to keep to her room; Aida could feel strong pulses of mana thrum through her door, so assumed she was training in her own way. Kawa seemed to be the one in charge of the company¡¯s books. He was behind the counter, thumbing through a ledger and paging through sheets of paper with illegible scrawls on them. Yoon was next to him, helping to sort the paper into several different stacks, before she retrieved a slimmer packet that she then brought to Tyda. ¡°It was quite lucky that Kuri found that nest of spiders and the doublehab,¡± Yoon was saying to Tyda, pointing to two empty spots on the map. Tyda pinned those areas carefully, attaching scraps of paper as labels. ¡°There haven¡¯t been any sightings or reports of any monster activity in that area, not since the Ying Eyes cleared that area last star cycle¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t good¡­¡± Tyda murmured. He glanced over at Aida, flashing her a brief smile. ¡°Come have breakfast. Kuri¡¯s picking up your clothes from sanitation, and you two will be taking a golem back to Maglica as soon as she¡¯s back.¡± Aida sat down, looking at the map. ¡°¡­is Wyndia getting overwhelmed by monsters?¡± Tyda and Yoon looked at each other, with Yoon shrugging one shoulder lightly. Tyda turned to her, crossing his arms in mock severity. ¡°You know, you didn¡¯t do well enough on Arryn¡¯s exercise yesterday to justify asking these questions.¡± Aida knocked her head with her knuckle, bowing her head submissively. ¡°My mistake, I¡¯ll trust in the adults to take care of this unprecedented surge of activity.¡± Tyda sighed, sitting down in the seat across from her. ¡°We joke, but it¡¯s better for you to have the information anyway - although we do ask that you exercise caution in who you share the information with.¡± He paused, biting his lip as he decided what to say. Yoon turned back towards the map, sifting through her reports as she started updating the flags on the map. ¡°You¡¯re right that this level of activity is unprecedented. This uptick in activity started being noticeable one moon cycle ago, but we haven¡¯t been able to trace it to a specific event, which makes it hard to decide what we¡¯re going to do about it. Right now, most of the companies - and a significant percentage of the Strongholders - are dedicating their personnel to just culling the herd, so to speak. But because of that, we have been unable to put together expeditions to seek out the source.¡± ¡°So¡­the reason the city council doesn¡¯t want to broadcast the monster activity at large¡­¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Is because without a solution, spreading the information to people who aren¡¯t able to do anything about it would just cause unnecessary stress.¡± Tyda nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re willing to maintain the status quo, despite believing in being open with information.¡± Aida picked at her food: a hearty porridge with some shredded chicken and pickled vegetables. ¡°Do you¡­have any suspicions on what caused this?¡± Tyda hesitated. ¡°We do, but¡­¡± ¡°We were hoping we could meet with some Masters to discuss their observations,¡± Yoon said quietly, turning towards them. She leaned against the wall, playing with a handful of pins. ¡°But getting out to their villages has been difficult, and the city itself isn¡¯t willing to spare their supplies on helping nonresidents¡­even though it can be beneficial.¡± ¡°There are more Masters than you''d think,¡± Tyda smiled, misinterpreting Aida¡¯s wrinkled brow for skepticism. ¡°The cities tend to act like they don¡¯t exist, because they never really come socialize. But that¡¯s by design: they would rather cultivate their mana far from society, than risk being distracted by materialistic concerns.¡± ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s why it¡¯s so difficult to convince anyone to fund such an expedition,¡± Yoon sighed. ¡°It would be a risky venture, with no guarantee that the Master won''t just run them out for peace.¡± Aida looked down at her empty bowl, feeling her stomach twist. She could clearly see where the ¡°action¡± genre of More to Love came in now - it wasn¡¯t only limited to the school¡¯s tournaments. There was a very real reason why Sue and the love interests were strong: the world was heading towards chaos and destruction, and it seemed like the surge in monster activity was synchronizing with when the leads graduated. Are they going to have to fight the monsters? Figure out what¡¯s going on with the world? Restore things to the way they were? ¡°Anyway, I see Kuri gave you that mana battery she used to practice on,¡± Yoon said quickly, trying to lighten the mood. ¡°Have you done her exercise yet?¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°Sorry, I should have warned you about how terrible this exercise feels,¡± Kuri tittered as Aida fought back a wave of nausea. They were riding in a three-seater golem, built for speed; the golem was whizzing along the path, guided by the driver. ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Aida muttered, pressing her knuckles into her temples. Yoon had talked Aida through the mana pool expansion exercise, and Aida had done it - but it felt awful. While her mana pool was full, she had to draw the excess mana she had stored in the battery within herself - and then hold it for as long as she could. The best way for her to describe the horrible sensation was as if she¡¯d gorged herself on Thanksgiving dinner, drank her body weight in soda, and was hung over, all at the same time. She needed to burst in more ways than one, but even after releasing the excess mana she still felt no relief. ¡°I can see why you don¡¯t want to do this exercise¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­I¡¯m super jealous of people who don¡¯t have to do it,¡± Kuri said comfortingly, helping to massage Aida¡¯s head. ¡°But hey, once you get enough mana, you don¡¯t have to do it anymore!¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather train my pool naturally,¡± Aida grumbled, closing her eyes in relief. ¡°You can if you want,¡± Kuri said agreeably. ¡°But even if you just do the filtering exercise, that will still help improve your mana control a lot. So keep the battery, and just charge it every night before you go to bed.¡± Murmuring her agreement, Aida turned to rest her head against her arm, closing her eyes as they continued on their way back to the school. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°Aida! Are you okay?¡± Aida smiled wanly at Sue, who was at the head of the welcoming party. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You look terrible,¡± she said anxiously. She turned to Kuri. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s my fault,¡± Kuri said apologetically. ¡°Aida did a mana exercise I suggested, and it took a bit of a toll on her.¡± Sue relaxed, smiling with relief. ¡°I¡¯m so glad. I thought she was injured when - when you two¡ª¡° Sue stuttered to a halt, looking nervously between Aida and Kuri. ¡°Ah, yeah, we went on a bit of a detour,¡± Kuri said hastily. She glanced at Aida nervously, then guided her through the school¡¯s front doors. ¡°Anyway, Aida had a long couple days - maybe you should go get some much-needed rest.¡± Nodding numbly at Kuri¡¯s idea, Aida kept her head lowered as she trudged towards the girls¡¯ staircase. ¡°Wait, Aida¡ª¡± ¡°I think you should let her rest¡­¡± At the commotion behind her, Aida paused, glancing warily behind her. Ezra had his arm outstretched, gazing beseechingly at her, with Levi firmly gripping his arm. Sue had positioned herself between him and Aida, her own hands raised in a placating gesture. Caleb hovered anxiously among them, his own hand raised, uncertain who to assist. Kuri watched the commotion with interest, before glancing at Aida and taking in her expression. "Um...Well, I guess I''ll head back to my quarters. Good work, Aida!" With a cheery wave, Kuri strolled away, whistling innocently. Aida sighed as she heard Sue continue trying to talk Ezra down. Sue knew the whole story, of course; Aida had told the girls about Ezra¡¯s confession and retraction during her moment of weakness, and made them promise to leave Ezra alone. She assumed Levi would have heard the gossip, of course, and it wouldn¡¯t be too far out of the realm to expect Caleb knew as well. Might as well get this over with. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said, tired. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± Glancing uncertainly over her shoulder, Sue probed Aida with her gaze. ¡°Are you sure? You do look exhausted¡­maybe you can talk later.¡± Aida shook her head as she moved closer to Sue. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I can rest well until we resolve it anyway,¡± she said softly. Sue bit her lip, her lavender eyes watering as she watched Aida earnestly. ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered back. She grabbed Aida in a tight hug, her warm breath enveloping Aida¡¯s ear. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­don¡¯t hold yourself back, okay? Don¡¯t think. Just¡­let yourself do whatever comes to your mind first.¡± Aida patted Sue¡¯s back gently, feeling her own emotions bubble up at Sue¡¯s words. I wish I could afford to do that. ¡°I will.¡± Chapter 95: Resolution Ezra followed Aida silently to the courtyard, where she settled herself at the base of the willow tree where they had first met. It wasn¡¯t as far of a walk as the Lake, yet it still afforded them privacy: nobody could easily see them from the dormitory windows due to the willow¡¯s coverage, they could see if anybody approached from the other side of the courtyard, and it was open enough that they could sense if anybody approached. Aida kept up a constant sweep; more to give herself something to focus on, instead of allowing her thoughts and fears to run amok. Hesitantly, Ezra joined her, sitting an arm¡¯s length away. Aida kept her head lowered, her feelings mixed about the distance. Could be good, could also be bad¡­but what¡¯s good? ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe,¡± Ezra said quietly, his voice throwing her trance-like thoughts into disarray. ¡°Ah¡­yeah.¡± After another long, awkward pause, Ezra exhaled. ¡°About what we discussed last star cycle¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Aida unconsciously pulled her knees to her chest, tucking her chin. ¡°Listen¡ª¡° ¡°I spoke with my family.¡± Aida paused, peeking over at him. He sounded restrained, cautious - but hopeful? His back was ramrod-straight, chin lifted, jaw set, as he looked straight ahead at nothing. Seeing him be so upright and regal made her realize just how frumpy and unsuitable she was for him, slumped over her knees. ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡± Aida¡¯s heart fell. ¡°¡­of course.¡± ¡°I want us to be together.¡± Aida¡¯s heart expanded, but she scrabbled at the strings so that she didn¡¯t lose control of it. ¡°...but?¡± ¡°¡­but the complications are related to the future.¡± Her heart in her throat, Aida turned her entire body towards him. His eyes were hooded, despite his strong facade. ¡°Just say it.¡± He took a deep breath. Held it. Aida held her breath with him; it seemed her heart also ceased beating in anticipation of his answer. The next words came in a rush. ¡°I see two outcomes. If you agree to be with me now, my parents may force us to part later.¡± Aida¡¯s heart punctured, her body unwillingly slumping again. ¡°If we both decide to go against their wishes, I would be all but guaranteed to be disowned from the Riolt clan.¡± The blood thrummed in Aida¡¯s ears as she caught the hypothetical. ¡°¡­¡¯we?¡¯¡± Ezra nodded, his jaw tight. ¡°I already know what I want.¡± Aida stared at him for a long moment, before her vision blurred. Sue¡¯s cracked whisper floated through her mind. Don¡¯t hold yourself back. Don¡¯t think. The logical side warred with the emotional side. The Annie who had a brief taste of happiness a week ago screamed at her to take this second chance. The hurt Annie, the one who took on the burden of recovering from a broken heart by coming up with a strategy, demanded that Aida go through with the plan. You¡¯re asking to be hurt, you stupid idiot. Ezra leaned towards Aida, his silver eyes boring into hers. ¡°I don¡¯t care what my family or anyone else thinks. What I care about is what you will think of me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aida managed to get out. ¡°I don¡¯t care if they disown me. I know I can take care of myself, and I know you can take care of yourself. I know we can help each other. We don¡¯t need anyone else.¡± Aida blinked, speechless. Ezra continued speaking, leaning closer to Aida with every word. ¡°I have faith in you, me, and us. What I worry about is how you will see me¡­us¡­if I am no longer a Riolt.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care that you¡¯re a Riolt,¡± Aida said stupidly. But to be fair, I probably don¡¯t even know the extent of the Riolt influence¡­ ¡°But¡­are you sure you want to do this? Your family really would disown you?¡± Ezra¡¯s lip curled. ¡°They¡¯ve made it very clear what my value to the family is.¡± Aida stared at him, overwhelmed by the words coming out of his mouth. He was so set on nuking his relationship with his family¡­just for her? ¡°I - this is a lot,¡± Aida said faintly, feeling her head begin to spin. ¡°I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll regret destroying your relationships with your family¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. If individuals decide to stand by me, then we have no quarrel. If they decide to follow the clan¡¯s edicts, then they were never to be trusted anyway.¡± Aida put her head to her hands, her thoughts swimming. She couldn¡¯t imagine the level of distrust Ezra had for his family, that he would be so willing to throw everything away for a girl. If presented with a similar choice, one where she could choose whether to keep life the same, she couldn¡¯t imagine herself abandoning her parents. Another pang shot through her heart as she wondered again what they were doing, if they were getting along fine without her... This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Aida,¡± Ezra said gently, taking her wrists in his hands. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling pressured because you feel responsible for my relationship with my family¡­don¡¯t. I¡¯ve made my decision already. Just¡­make your choice. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± She stared at her hands, held loosely in Ezra¡¯s own. Her fingers were quivering. Compared to Ezra¡¯s own long fingers, her hands looked so small, so helpless. And Ezra had proven, time and again, that he was dependable - he helped her at the beginning of the school year, and continued to help her, when she had nothing to offer him - she still had nothing to offer him in the moment¡­and yet he had already decided to accept the consequences of leaving his family. For her. For some inexplicable reason, the Matriarch¡¯s eyes flashed in front of her, overriding her image of her fingernails. Aida convulsed, clenching her hands tightly. She had come so close to death barely twenty-four hours ago. Life was short, life was delicate, life wasn¡¯t guaranteed. Worrying so much about the future, when she might not get the chance to savor the fruits of her labor - fury and resentment bloomed in her. Why do I try so hard? Why do I deprive myself? She looked fiercely into Ezra¡¯s silver depths. ¡°Yes.¡± They stared into each other¡¯s eyes for a long moment, each one daring the other to blink. ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Aida said boldly. ¡°Let¡¯s do it. If we end up breaking up, let¡¯s do it because we decide it¡¯s over, not because someone else says we can¡¯t be together.¡± A hint of a smile flickered on Ezra¡¯s serious face. ¡°That¡¯s an ominous pronouncement for our future.¡± ¡°Should we put our relationship to a vote then?¡± Aida challenged him, leaning towards him. Ezra flipped his grip on her wrist, lacing their fingers together. ¡°No.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida shut the door behind her with a small smile, her heart full. She had spent all day with Ezra. As soon as they affirmed their relationship, it was as if an invisible wall neither of them were aware of had come down. They had lapped the Lake several times, aimlessly meandering, sharing minor, useless details about how their lessons and lives had been going ever since they were segregated into their own classes. Though Ezra was still reserved with his emotions, he seemed much more relaxed; he had a lot to say about the techniques they were being taught in Class 1, and his observations of how his other classmates handled their mana were neverending. Aida couldn¡¯t understand most of what he said, despite being enthralled by the fervor he spoke with. He really is fascinated by the study of magic. For her part, Aida shared with him more secular details about the skills she learned from Healer Bokar and Kuri, as well as her unasked-for adventure deep in the forests outside of Buddington Town. Ezra didn¡¯t have much to say about her crazy escapades, only looking at her more carefully to make sure she wasn¡¯t exhibiting any signs of trauma. On the whole, it didn¡¯t really matter what they talked about. They just walked, enjoying each other¡¯s company, their fingers occasionally brushing as they kept pace with each other. It was the first time Aida felt like they weren¡¯t rushed for time; every other occasion she met with him, she had been under pressure to understand or learn something, and he had patiently obliged her desperate pleas for help. It was nice, being able to hang out for no reason. Aida opened the door, feeling Sue¡¯s mana vibrating through the heavy wood. With a smile, she let her in without speaking. ¡°So?¡± Sue whispered, entering with Lily clinging to her skirt and Vanita a few paces behind at a more demure pace. Aida glanced out into the empty hallway, making sure no one else saw the procession into her room. Aida hummed, shutting her door again and leaning against it. ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°So you two are¡­¡± Lily asked in a strangled voice, her hands clasped in front of her mouth. Her puppy eyes sparkled at Aida, making her smile in embarrassment. All three girls celebrated with silent shrieks as Aida nodded, her face hot. ¡°I knew it!¡± Sue cheered in a hoarse whisper. She grabbed Aida in a bear hug, crushing the breath out of her. She spun Aida in a circle, making her flail in panic. ¡°I knew you two would make it!¡± ¡°It must be so nice to have someone at the end of the day,¡± Vanita sighed contentedly. She was absentmindedly brushing Lily¡¯s hair, while Lily literally sobbed into her waist. ¡°Have you kissed yet?¡± Aida choked, feeling as if Sue had set her on fire. ¡°No way,¡± Sue said confidently. ¡°Ezra¡¯s a coward; he wouldn¡¯t do it on the first day. And Aida¡¯s too dense, she probably doesn¡¯t even realize Ezra wants to kiss her.¡± Sue peered at Aida, smirking. ¡°Am I right, or am I right?¡± Aida spluttered, unable to form coherent words. ¡°You see?¡± Sue giggled, turning to Lily and Vanita with her hands spread in a flamboyant display. ¡°It didn¡¯t even hit her until I mentioned it just now.¡± ¡°Aida, I¡¯m truly very happy for you,¡± Vanita said in mock disapproval. ¡°But let me remind you that you shouldn¡¯t wait for the boy to make a move if you really want something. You must bring it up first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡° ¡°Yeah! Ezra¡¯s really smart and all, but he¡¯s kind of dumb emotionally,¡± Lily chimed in, sniffing. She wiped her face on her arm before drawing herself up to her full height, joining Vanita and Sue¡¯s pompous lineup as they all gazed down at Aida with identical expressions of disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s too soon,¡± Aida said weakly, cowed by the three girls¡¯ unimpressed eyes. ¡°We¡¯re going to take it slow¡­¡± ¡°Yes, slow,¡± Sue drawled out. ¡°It¡¯s been, what, three moon cycles now, before you two finally kindled your relationship? If you two take any longer, how will the flames of your love be able to withstand graduation and separation due to work? You need time to establish yourselves!¡± Sue clapped her hands, the loud smack making Aida flinch. ¡°One moment,¡± Lily interrupted, sliding in front of Sue. She stared at Aida contemplatively before turning around to gather Vanita and Sue into a small huddle, their backs to Aida. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Aida asked, feeling a sense of foreboding. She tried to eavesdrop on their discussion, but before she could creep over to decipher their furious whispers, they straightened. ¡°Nothing,¡± Sue chirped, smiling at Aida tenderly - though her eyes were gleaming with mischief. ¡°We were just talking about how we¡¯re so happy that you and Ezra finally get together. You¡¯re going to see him tomorrow, right?¡± Aida couldn¡¯t help but narrow her eyes at the question. All three of them looked so giddy she couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Great,¡± Lily said cheerily, hopping over to squeeze Aida in a tight hug. ¡°See you!¡± Vanita smiled warmly at Aida before following Lily out the door, leaving Sue alone in her room. Sue stepped right up to Aida, smiling deeply into her eyes. ¡°Remember what I told you earlier today? Don¡¯t think, just do whatever you want to do.¡± With that, she planted a kiss on Aida¡¯s cheek. Chapter 96: Calm Before The Storm Aida puzzled over Sue¡¯s cryptic message, though all thoughts about it fled her mind as soon as she saw Ezra approach her the next morning. Even if his small, gentle smile made her heart flutter, she had to admit there were unexpected inconveniences to being known as his girlfriend. For one thing, his fangirls had renewed their attention on her, and seemed determined to get underfoot any chance they got. They weren¡¯t even malicious, unfortunately; they seemed to view her as a mascot, some sort of dark horse success story who succeeded in landing a silver prince. So even though none of them were going out of their way to harass her, they completely encroached on her privacy, following her much more closely than they used to follow Ezra. You¡¯re a much more relatable target to them than Ezra. Aida wished they could be rude; it would be much easier to tell them off and demand her space back if they overstepped her boundaries. As it was, Aida had no good reason to berate the girls who happened to follow her to the library, taking neighboring desks for their own studies; or the girls who trailed after her as she went down to the lake to do more mana and water manipulation exercises, lounging a fair distance away while still being within sight; or even the girls who gathered in the lounge area on the floor outside of her room, smiling and bowing meekly at her whenever she looked at them. Ultimately, they were innocent. Annoying, but harmless. It was ironic that the only reprieve Aida got (when not in her own room) was when she was with Ezra. It seemed what made Aida appear approachable amplified his intimidating aura, all of her fans melting away as soon as they felt Ezra¡¯s presence. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Despite being under more scrutiny than she was used to, Aida had to admit it was pleasant being in a relationship. Even if they were too busy to really spend more time than usual together, just knowing that they would see each other at least once before bed, knowing that there was someone who wanted to know she was doing well, bolstered her spirits and allowed her to smile blandly at Vega whenever they crossed paths. The brief moments of reprieve they had together were undoubtedly the highlights of Aida¡¯s days. A quarter hour before curfew, they would sit cross-legged on Ezra¡¯s bed, facing each other and talking about their day. They never sat close enough to touch, but just being able to look at Ezra as he spoke, taking in the shapes his lips made, watching his eyes flutter closed as he recalled some minor detail¡­after Ezra walked her back to her room, Aida would always curl in her bed, committing every detail of every conversation to memory. And of course, adhering to Ezra¡¯s ground rules, they always hugged. Ezra had been shy and awkward at first, despite being in the privacy of his room. Aida had been about to exit, but he leaned on the door, blushing furious, his arms slightly raised from his body as he tried to initiate the hug, teetering on the balls of his feet as he alternated between committing to the act and pulling back. Aida, also blushing, had tried to follow his lead; though because of their indecisiveness, they had ended up in an awkward dance back and forth, chasing each other for a hug. That was one of the memories Aida wished she didn¡¯t remember, but it was the one that would surface most often, making Aida bury her face in her hands at the embarrassment. She had also been nervous about how their friends would take the news that the two of them were dating now. After all, she remembered how awkward it had been in high school whenever her friends would bring their fresh relationships to the friend group; unrepentant flirting and physical affection, completely ignoring the rest of them. Rubbing their happiness in their faces. It was a good thing, then, that they really didn¡¯t have free time to all get together as a group. Whenever she ran into them individually, they all seemed happy for her; Caleb had even commented that she seemed much more relaxed, now. ¡°Really?¡± Aida asked, startled. She didn¡¯t think she was doing anything different. She still kept her same routine of keeping to herself. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s only obvious after the fact. It¡¯s not like you were sad or upset before, but it¡¯s clear something has changed,¡± Caleb said, running his hand through his hair. He smiled wistfully. ¡°I guess that¡¯s what my mother means by love changing someone.¡± Aida¡¯s hands flew to her mouth as she looked at Caleb with wide eyes. ¡°Did you - your mother - Sue¡ª¡° Caleb flushed a deep red. ¡°N-No, not at all. We¡¯re not¡ª¡° he stammered into oblivion, before finally excusing himself when some younger boys approached him. Aida looked after him, torn between the desire to interrogate him for details and respecting his and Sue''s privacy, before finally heading to her own classes. Sue was constantly on her case, keen on any developments that occurred. ¡°Have you held hands yet?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re still just talking.¡± ¡°Does he put his arm around you when you¡¯re talking?¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°We hug each other goodnight¡­¡± ¡°How long is the hug?¡± Aida crossed her arms, fixing Sue with a stern glare. ¡°When are you and Caleb going to make it official?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not - we¡¯re busy¡ª¡° Sue whined, withering into a husk. ¡°What did you and the girls say?¡± Aida asked severely. ¡°¡¯You can¡¯t wait for the boy to make a move if you want something¡¯? So what¡¯s your excuse?¡± Flipping the script on Sue was enough to shut her down, but Aida had to admit she didn''t mind being bombarded with questions about her love life. Shockingly, constantly being asked to talk about the thing that brought her so much joy was not annoying. Levi was the only one who seemed too busy to even say hello to her. He would give her a nod in passing, always walking with one classmate or another. When she mentioned it offhandedly to Ezra, he merely nodded. ¡°He¡¯s been a bit less friendly with me as well.¡± Aida couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of discomfort, but she was reluctant to voice her concern. But how could she have known he wasn¡¯t joking? And what could she do if he really was jealous? She couldn¡¯t just break up with Ezra - not that she wanted to. Ezra sensed her inner turmoil, and reached out to grasp her hand gently. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said, forcing a smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I know it¡¯s irrational, but I can¡¯t help but feel¡­¡± ¡°Guilty?¡± Aida nodded, shamefaced. Ezra didn¡¯t say anything, but instead moved over so that he was sitting next to her. Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he pressed her against him, tucking her head under his chin. He didn¡¯t say anything else, just sat there quietly as his fingers traced gentle circles on her shoulder. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t feel bad,¡± Aida said quietly, trying to work through her thoughts. ¡°But¡­Levi¡¯s been a very good friend to me, and I wonder¡­¡± she cut herself off, worried what Ezra would think of her next words. ¡°You wonder whether he really meant it when he gave you his jacket.¡± Aida froze, her breath trapped in her chest. This was the first time they had alluded to the Old Moon Festival. ¡°Yes,¡± she finally whispered, when Ezra continued to calmly rub her shoulder. Her heart thudded as she wondered how he would react. What if he thinks I¡¯m fickle, and that he can¡¯t trust me? ¡°As much as I wish it wasn¡¯t so, I do believe Levi has genuine feelings for you,¡± Ezra said reluctantly. ¡°That was why I had originally decided not to interfere¡­but when nothing seemed to change between you two after the Festival, I just had to know what you were thinking.¡± Aida nestled herself deeper into Ezra¡¯s arms, embarrassed at his forthright words. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± He tightened his grip on her, the first sign of his own tension. ¡°If he had presented his feelings to you before I did, what would you have done?¡± Aida hesitated. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t think I would have believed him.¡± Levi had forced his jacket on her, and then hid behind the excuse of looking out for her best interest - she had thought she was in the wrong for misunderstanding him, but if he had just been honest from the beginning, then¡ª She paused, confused. She was angry, of course, that Levi had woven such a robust web of confusion around his intentions - whatever he did, he had plausible deniability. But even if he really did like her, and had the best intentions for her¡­would she have agreed to date him? He knows your secret, and he accepts you for it. A shudder ran through her, accompanying the pang in her heart. If only he wasn''t such a playboy. Because he had never really demonstrated any sort of commitment, she found it hard to trust anything he said when it came to expressing his own feelings. Ironically, it was less painful to consider their friendship as superficial - after all, friendships budded and languished, easily affected by changing circumstances. They had also reached an acceptable understanding between the two of them, when he offered to help her assimilate to Maglica life, for the sake of using her as a means to improve his relationship with Sue. That had been straightforward. But if he wasn''t a playboy, if he wasn''t touchy-feely with any girl who giggled at his jokes...she probably would have said yes - because he would be trustworthy. Their relationship would be built on a foundation of honesty. As it was¡­now she had a sour view of their entire friendship. Even if he hadn¡¯t done anything terrible to her, or put her into any awful situations, all of their interactions were now tainted by suspicion. His manipulative nature, refusal to commit to any firm principles, perfectly happy to live in a state of limbo, all so that he could snag a favor out of thin air if it suited him¡­she couldn¡¯t see him as the easygoing, friendly ally anymore. ¡°Aida?¡± Aida pulled back at Ezra¡¯s concern. His lips were curled down, his brows gently furrowed. She reached up, poking his soft cheek with her finger. He might be cold on the outside, but once you get to know him it¡¯s really obvious what he thinks. ¡°I¡¯m okay. I was just¡­reevaluating my entire friendship with Levi.¡± Ezra¡¯s gaze softened, though his lips took on a more pronounced pout. ¡°You¡¯re not planning on promoting your friendship with him to something else?¡± Aida couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°How could I when you have your strict rules about standing too close to another boy?¡± ¡°Man,¡± he corrected automatically. ¡°You can stand next to young children and I have no issue with that.¡± He reached up, gently curling his finger around hers. ¡°What are you thinking now?¡± Aida bit her lip, latching her finger around his as she lowered their hands into their laps. ¡°I¡¯m upset. That he¡¯s so opaque. I thought we really were friends, but the way he operates¡­¡± she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can trust him.¡± Ezra was silent, his thumb gently caressing her fingertip as he traced the outline of her nail. His fingers were warm, his touch firm; as if he was trying to reassure her he wouldn¡¯t leave her. Trust me, his touch seemed to say. Aida sighed, smiling at Ezra. She withdrew her finger from his touch and poked at his cheek again. ¡°Thank you.¡± He raised an eyebrow, this time letting her finger continue poking. Aida elaborated. ¡°Thank you for being you.¡± Chapter 97: Moongazing Aida was drifting off to sleep when she heard a light tapping on her window. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she squinted at the dark shape obscuring the moon¡¯s light, gasping as she scrambled out of bed. Not a dream, Aida thought in disbelief as Ezra gestured for her to retreat from her window. She watched in bemusement as Ezra slowly manipulated the glass from its frame, somehow creating a sliding mechanism that allowed the glass to separate itself from her room¡¯s walls. A light breeze blew through her room, disturbing the papers on her desk. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Aida whispered as she collected the stray sheets under a textbook. ¡°You should be in bed! What if you get caught?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Ezra murmured back. He stood on a narrow metal platform that certainly hadn¡¯t been there before, supporting himself with a hand on the wall. ¡°It¡¯s a full moon tonight, and I¡­I wanted to moongaze with you.¡± Aida gaped at him, torn by the responsibility to follow curfew rules and the desire to take Ezra¡¯s outstretched hand. A million ways in which they would get in trouble streamed through her mind - someone¡¯s going to report us, we¡¯re going to fall, we¡¯re not going to get a good night¡¯s rest for tomorrow¡¯s classes¡­ ¡°Please hurry,¡± Ezra whispered. ¡°The roof is clear, but this position is precarious.¡± Biting her lip, she scrambled onto her desk and took Ezra¡¯s hand, squeezing next to him on his platform. He guided her to the silvery ladder on the side, where he had descended from. She could see Sue¡¯s form, sprawled haphazardly across her bed without a blanket through the window right next to them, and she clung to the side as she tried to avoid sticking out too much. Knowing my luck, she¡¯s going to turn around and catch us. At his urging, she quickly climbed the twenty feet to the rooftop where she hauled herself over the parapet, followed shortly after by Ezra. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not alerting you sooner,¡± Ezra said without preamble as he pulled the metal up in a silvery stream and packed it into a block. ¡°I didn¡¯t decide to follow through with this until right before bed.¡± He exhaled, glancing all across the empty rooftop. ¡°¡­I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡°An act of spontaneity and rule breaking?¡± Aida asked, amusement finally overtaking her shock now that they weren¡¯t dangling off the side of the wall. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a full moon,¡± Ezra repeated, slightly defensively. ¡°And¡­you came, so¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The moon really was very bright tonight; nearly as bright and large as during the Old Moon Festival. She felt her cheeks heat at the reminder of what had happened a month ago. ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have snacks, but I brought some tea,¡± Ezra mumbled, pulling a metal thermos from a bag stowed at his feet. He handed her a double-walled metal mug, carefully pouring the steaming beverage into it before pouring one for himself. ¡°Please, drink.¡± Blowing at the steam, Aida took in the smell of barley tea before sipping at it. It was comforting and warmed her core, relaxing her. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never broken curfew before.¡± ¡°I have not either.¡± They stood in silence, looking out over the brightly lit school grounds. The forest and lake were tranquil, and Aida could see the landscape beyond the professors¡¯ defensive perimeters were also peaceful. There were no clouds in the sky, and the brisk night air was fresh and sweet. With how still and quiet the night was, it felt like Aida and Ezra were the only two people in the world. Aida was hyper aware of Ezra next to her. She was in her sleeveless nightgown, and a tingle ran down her spine as the sleeve of Ezra¡¯s shirt brushed against her skin. He seemed to realize how close they were standing as well, as he held himself very rigidly. He looked down at her, his hair, eyes, and skin glowing under the moon¡¯s white light. ¡°May I¡­offer you a jacket?¡± Aida¡¯s heart thudded in her throat, the significance of his words rendering her unable to speak. Nodding jerkily, she swallowed as Ezra reached down into his bag, pulling out the same silver-embroidered jacket he wore during Old Moon Festival. Shaking out the wrinkles, he hesitated, looking deep into Aida¡¯s eyes. Uncertain. Questioning. Requesting. She felt heat crawl up her neck. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. She turned around wordlessly, offering her back to him, her fingers clutching nervously at the collar of her nightgown. Slowly, delicately, reverently, Ezra slipped the garment over her shoulders, the heavy fabric a welcome reprieve from the suddenly chilly night air. She felt Ezra¡¯s warm breath caress the back of her bare neck. Aida blanched, her hands flying up to her hair. She had tossed it up into a sloppy bun, in preparation for her sleep-mode. I must look so messy! ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I just - my hair - didn¡¯t look good,¡± Aida mumbled, quickly tugging the ribbon and releasing her locks. Her hair tumbled free, and Aida quickly combed her fingers through the length, trying to make herself presentable while cursing herself for making things weird - yet too late to take back her spastic behavior. ¡°But you looked beautiful,¡± Ezra said, bewildered. A blush crept up his neck as well. ¡°You still look - beautiful,¡± he amended. Aida felt the heat on her neck creep up to her cheeks. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered, unable to meet his gaze. She pulled his jacket tighter over her shoulders, giving up on trying to rectify her behavior. He gave you his jacket, and all you can think about is how you look. That¡¯s right - he gave her his jacket. Even though it was a month from the official romantic event, and technically unwitnessed by others¡­it felt so much more significant. She didn¡¯t get a jacket in front of everyone else, but the fact that it only happened between the two of them in a secluded location with no fanfare¡­it felt more important. More serious. More genuine. It wasn¡¯t a mere declaration, like the way Levi treated it: where he dropped the jacket on her shoulders to warn the other boys off. This was intimate. Deliberate. A wholehearted display of giving his heart. Aida ducked her head, leaning her forehead against Ezra¡¯s chest, unable to keep the tears from her eyes. Get it together, girl! Don¡¯t cry when you¡¯re supposed to be happy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ezra murmured, his arms rigid and floating. He finally folded his arms over her shoulders, nestling her deeper against him. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± he asked helplessly. ¡°No,¡± Aida laughed. ¡°I mean, maybe. It¡¯s just¡­¡¯beautiful¡¯ is such a heavy word.¡± Almost as heavy as the ¡®L¡¯ word. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been so awkward if you just said I looked good.¡± ¡°But beautiful is the truth.¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± Aida burrowed her face deeper into his chest. ¡°You¡¯re embarrassing me.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯m sorry.¡± They remained in that position for a long moment, taking in each other¡¯s warmth. Aida listened to Ezra¡¯s heartbeat, soaked in his mana flow. He was nervous, though also¡­calm. At peace. Happy? He was nervous, but his body wasn¡¯t tense, as if he was primed for action. She wound her arms around his torso, pressing herself tighter against him, basking in his now-familiar mana. He¡¯s mine. The thought floated up through the fog of serenity, making Aida¡¯s heart fill with a multitude of familiar and unfamiliar emotions. Disbelief was an easy one to identify; even now, after what felt like eternity in his embrace, a significant part of her was still waiting for her to wake up from this dream. To wake up alone in a cramped, lumpy bed. Fear and resignation were also familiar emotions. The part of her lurking quietly in the background, rapidly running through all the ways this scenario could go wrong, was patiently waiting. I won¡¯t be surprised. It was only when Ezra shifted his grip on her, tucking her head underneath his chin so that the entirety of her body felt like she was wrapped in a safe cocoon, did she break out of the destructive spiral she had given herself to. His hand gently stroked her hair, pulling her back from the depths of her mind; back to the present. Aida consoled herself with the thought that if something did go wrong, at least she would have Ezra at her side. Things will very likely go wrong later, but at least we can have this right now. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to feel safe. Loved. A shiver ran through her body, and Ezra tightened his arms around her, soothing the chill. It was peaceful up on that roof with just the two of them. Aida hadn¡¯t fully appreciated how little privacy they had until now, or how rushed their alone time in Ezra¡¯s room before curfew was. In a way, she felt like she had more freedom to express herself now, without so many curious eyes or exploratory mana bubbles pressing on her. Her heart pounding, she lifted her head from Ezra¡¯s chest, peeking up at him. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he looked down at her. Entranced by his silver eyes, Aida felt like she had difficulty breathing. Ezra¡¯s fingers gently brushed her cheek, lifting away errant strands of hair the night wind had decided to throw about; his touch made her shiver, and his hand cupped her cheek. This is happening, she thought dimly as she lifted her chin. A brief pause, an infinitesimal amount of space hovering between them, so close yet so far¡­ Chapter 98: Conflict I Aida followed the girls down to the Lake on the following First Moon Day of the second moon cycle. They were all chattering happily, looking forward to a relaxing picnic the boys were setting up. Aida tried to keep the mood lighthearted, but had a pit of anxiety in her stomach. She hadn¡¯t had a chance to speak to Levi individually for three whole star cycles, and she wasn¡¯t sure if he would even show up this time. Ezra wasn¡¯t bothered by Levi¡¯s social withdrawal, though he conceded that for the most part they were still interacting in classes as they normally did: mock competitiveness from Levi, cool indifferent tolerance from Ezra. Levi¡¯s baritone laugh floated up to them, easing the knot in her stomach. At least he¡¯s not too upset to leave the friend group. ¡°You all finally made it!¡± Levi said languidly, waving at the girls. He was wearing an apron, and instead of the usual picnic blanket, there was a dugout pit piled with charcoal and a grate over it. Behind him was Caleb, also in an apron, chopping meat on a large wooden block. Ezra was silently arranging the meat chunks on some metal trays. ¡°Nolem said there¡¯s been an influx of monster meat from the sponsorship assignments, so told us to have ourselves a barbecue.¡± Sue and Lily squealed, darting over to the prep station. ¡°Should I start the fire?¡± ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± Levi said courteously. He clicked the tongs he had in his hand and swept the hair out of his face, throwing some sparkles into the air. ¡°I¡¯m here to support.¡± ¡°What kind of support?¡± Aida asked, looking at everything laid out. ¡°Are you a master griller?¡± ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m here to taste test the meat to make sure Caleb¡¯s grilling ability is up to par,¡± Levi scoffed. He poked at some of the coals with a long stick, rearranging the spread. ¡°C¡¯mon Suelina! Let¡¯s get the party started.¡± Aida headed towards Caleb and Ezra, who were now being assisted by Lily and Vanita. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re done,¡± Caleb said, inspecting his handiwork. ¡°Maybe you can help with cleaning?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Aida took the cutting board and knife over to the Lake, where Ezra joined her shortly after. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°Good,¡± Aida murmured back. She pulled water from the Lake, scrubbing the cutting board. Ezra picked up the butcher¡¯s knife, holding it out so she could scrub both at the same time. ¡°Levi seems normal.¡± Ezra shrugged noncommittally. ¡°He never gave any indication that he wouldn¡¯t participate in this gathering.¡± ¡°I wonder if I should talk to him,¡± Aida said softly, rinsing the board and knife. ¡°If he¡¯s treating things like normal.¡± ¡°It is up to you,¡± Ezra said quietly. He hesitated. ¡°If you¡¯re planning on talking to him, I would advise you decide on your course of action with him first.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Since not knowing what Levi is thinking bothers you, I agree you should talk to him,¡± Ezra said slowly. ¡°However, I expect the conversation may be easily taken in a new direction if you let him.¡± Aida bit her lip. I just want to know that he¡¯s okay. But Ezra was right; if Levi was acting normal, he was signaling he was fine with them. On the other hand, he was also a political animal; he blended in with the status quo very well. And even though he had responded to her, he still hadn¡¯t looked at her¡­or even acknowledged the fact Aida and Ezra were together. I have to talk to him. ¡°Just make sure you are prepared for the least desirable outcome,¡± Ezra said softly, recognizing the look on her face. ¡°Levi¡­is not the type to bend easily to another¡¯s will.¡± Aida gave the cutlery one final rinse, nodding tightly. Ezra¡¯s warning made her think of things in a different light. She didn¡¯t have a plan - did she want Levi¡¯s blessing? It didn¡¯t make sense to ask for that from him, because it wasn¡¯t like she had to ask for permission from him. At best, ignoring how he withheld critical information from her, they were friends. He knew the truth about her. The pit in Aida¡¯s stomach expanded. If he decides to completely end your friendship, then you¡¯ll be isolated again. Despite Levi¡¯s casual assurance to Sue that Caleb would be the one grilling the meat, he was the one who was doing the actual cooking. He distributed the cooked meat evenly, but he never spoke directly to her, while he didn¡¯t hold himself back from teasing everyone else. Whenever Ezra and Aida entered the dialogue, Levi would always smoothly extricate himself from the conversation by focusing on cooking the next batch of meat. Even though she wasn¡¯t being deliberately excluded, the change in behavior was hard to ignore. Maybe I should follow his lead. If he really did like me, he probably needs the space to adjust. After all, it had only been three weeks so far. The fact he even showed up in a more intimate gathering indicated there was no ill will. But was there harm in checking in with him? She could just drop him a quick word, let him know she appreciated that he was still maintaining a cordial relationship with everyone¡­ What purpose would that serve? If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It might cause more harm than just leaving him to his devices¡­but what if he was leaving the ball in her court? One of those convoluted rationales that said since she never mentioned the relationship to him, he would also pretend it didn¡¯t exist so that he wasn¡¯t poking his nose into something that didn¡¯t affect him? But Levi is nosy by nature. The more time Aida stewed in these thoughts, the more confused she became. She glanced up, just in time to see Levi plop a juicy piece of meat on her plate. ¡°Eat up! We don¡¯t want to bring food back to the kitchen.¡± Despite having his easygoing smile on his face, there seemed to be a dimness in Levi¡¯s eyes that Aida barely caught. Did I imagine that? Shaking her head firmly, she berated herself for imagining things. But¡­there¡¯s only one way to find out. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida actually ended up helping the boys with the picnic cleanup, by virtue of waiting for Ezra. ¡°Huh, I guess that¡¯s one way of equalizing the labor between the girls and guys,¡± Levi joked as Aida held the grate in a small whirlpool. ¡°Caleb, when are you going to recruit another helper to our side?¡± Caleb ducked away, muttering sheepishly. Ezra lightly bonked Levi¡¯s head with a clean pair of tongs. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you recruit another helper? Skies know you have much more opportunity than the rest of us.¡± Levi clucked his tongue. ¡°I have to be careful about my selection, my good brother. If I invite another friend, all other friends will be expecting an invitation, too.¡± ¡°It must be difficult being popular,¡± Aida commented, handing the now-clean grate to Levi to pack away. ¡°Well, we learn to manage,¡± Levi responded lightly, turning away from her. Aida followed the boys as they headed towards the school, with Caleb splitting off to return the basket and Levi making an excuse to go tend to his garden, leaving Aida and Ezra standing at the edge of the courtyard. Ezra glanced at Aida. ¡°I¡¯ll be in my room, if you need to talk.¡± Aida swallowed, her eyes following Levi¡¯s strolling figure. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll come find you.¡± Nodding, Ezra raised his hand and placed it on Aida¡¯s head, his eyes soft. ¡°Good luck.¡± As soon as Aida heard Ezra open the door into the building, she took off at a run, Levi¡¯s figure fading into the shadows. Cursing at the random overhangs and overgrowth on the path, Aida reached out with her mana to see if she could still track Levi¡¯s presence. She hadn¡¯t visited his garden in a while, so she wasn¡¯t sure she could remember how to get to it; she didn¡¯t recall the path being so difficult to traverse, though. ¡°You really can¡¯t take a hint, can you?¡± Aida stopped struggling when Levi¡¯s own mana briefly met hers - as he effectively slapped her essence away. ¡°¡­hey.¡± Straightening up, she peered through the vegetation as Levi stepped out. ¡°Out with it. What do you want?¡± ¡°I¡­I just wanted to see how you were doing.¡± Aida¡¯s voice quivered at the last word, and she mentally smacked herself for showing weakness. Levi rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Is that all?¡± ¡°Well¡­we haven¡¯t talked in a while, so I thought something was wrong.¡± She tried to keep her tone lighthearted, but Levi¡¯s glare didn¡¯t lessen in the gloom. ¡°If something was wrong, I would have said something.¡± Levi¡¯s careless response inflamed Aida¡¯s temper. ¡°Really?¡± Aida shot back. ¡°Would you have said something if it was heading towards the wrong direction? Or would you have waited until something was irreparably wrong before saying something?¡± Levi gave her a withering, albeit begrudging glare. ¡°Point. Come on then.¡± He cleared the obstacles from Aida¡¯s path and led her towards his grove, which was starting to take on the clean, manicured look she had been expecting. Once they reached the clearing, he strode towards the far side where a large leafy stump was, and he plopped down with his arms crossed. Aida decided to take a seat on the same log she sat on before, directly across the clearing from Levi¡¯s throne. They stared at each other, neither blinking. Levi¡¯s face was impassive, his dark green hair looking almost black in the dim lighting. The mischievous spark that was normally in his eyes was gone, replaced by a steely glint. His shoulders lifted as his chest swelled, taking in a deep breath. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re not okay.¡± ¡°I could be better,¡± Levi allowed. ¡°But I could also be worse. So what?¡± ¡°Does it really bother you that Ezra and I¡­¡± Aida tapered off, unwilling to vocalize the words. She didn¡¯t even dare think of Ezra as a - her - boyfriend, let alone acknowledge they were finally in a¡­relationship. Not even in the privacy of her own thoughts. ¡°¡­are no longer available?¡± she finished reluctantly. Levi scoffed as he leaned back, crossing his ankle over his knee as he propped his head on his fingers. He cut an impressive figure, looking just like one of those arrogant, rich male leads who didn¡¯t have to follow decorum. ¡°You really think the world revolves around you, huh?¡± Aida pressed her lips tightly together, uncertain how to deal with his hostility. Be calm. Don¡¯t fight fire with fire. It will just get worse. She took a deep breath. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to communicate, then all I can do is try to guess how you¡¯re feeling. So, given that you¡¯ve been avoiding me since¡­Ezra and I got together, I can only assume you¡¯re upset by that development.¡± ¡°Communication, huh? Okay, you want to talk about communication,¡± Levi said lowly, planting both feet on the ground as he leaned forward in his seat. ¡°Have you told Ezra that you¡¯re not Aida? Is that why you¡¯re able to be so happily in love with him? He knows who you are, and he¡¯s fine with it?¡± Aida suddenly felt very hot. ¡°I - it¡¯s such a new relationship, so I thought¡ª¡° ¡°What¡¯s with the delay?¡± Levi drawled. ¡°Are you withholding some information from dear Ezra? What ever for?¡± His eyes glinted and he stood up, his tall body looming over her despite the distance between them. ¡°Do you think Ezra was able to make a properly informed, independent decision with you holding back such an important detail?¡± Aida¡¯s face burned as Levi echoed the argument from the Old Moon Festival. Ezra was right - she should have prepared better, not let Levi drive everything off-track. But Levi¡¯s not wrong¡­ ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she whispered. ¡°What?¡± Levi snapped. Aida cleared her throat, projecting a strong front. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell Ezra the truth. So I¡¯m sorry for getting mad at you when you also withheld the truth from me.¡± ¡°And compared to my transgression, yours is¡­¡± Levi rolled his wrist, inviting Aida to finish his sentence. ¡°It¡¯s worse. I know. Bigger than yours.¡± Aida stood up, straightening her back so she could at least be on a more even footing with Levi. Levi continued to stare at Aida, a blank expression on his face before he finally sighed mournfully. Chapter 99: Conflict II ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to do with you.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so stupidly self-righteous, but you¡¯re also honest and admit fault. I could destroy you and all the principles you think you stand for, but I don¡¯t want to. Why is that?¡± Levi sighed, pinching his nose bridge. ¡°I mean, why do I even bother with you? You¡¯ve already shown how defenseless you are against unethical people - people you know would bleed you for all you¡¯re worth and more just to make a point - with how easily you admit fault. Associating with you would be a weakness.¡± Levi prowled towards Aida, his hard, bronze eyes fixed on Aida¡¯s own watery ocean blue eyes. Everything he said was technically correct - she was too naive. She understood, intellectually, that she should never admit she was wrong; that would open the door for cutthroat adversaries to take advantage of her, break her spirit¡­just like how Teena Vega very nearly overwhelmed Aida in the courtyard on New Sun Day, if it weren¡¯t for her classmates standing up for her. As much as Annie hated the notion of needing to be dishonest just to protect herself from getting steamrolled, like Teena Vega did to her, like Levi was doing to her now, she hated even more how guilty she felt for being so susceptible to bad-faith players. ¡°¡­yet, the fact that you¡¯re so innocent and naive makes me want to protect you from reality, so that you can keep being yourself, no matter how stupid you are.¡± He was standing in front of her now, his eyes boring into her own. ¡°Are you just playing some game I¡¯ve never seen before? You said my world was a game to you - is that what you¡¯re doing? You¡¯re playing on some higher level I don¡¯t understand?¡± ¡°N-No,¡± Aida stuttered. She felt the tears balancing precariously on the corner of her eyes; the accusatory tone and glare made her feel like she was being scolded, even though some part of her felt like she should be flattered that Levi was claiming she was some sort of political mastermind. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here with any intentions to manipulate you - I know I can¡¯t outmaneuver you, and I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°So why did you come here then? I think I made it pretty clear that I was going to stay out of your and Ezra¡¯s relationship. What more do you want?¡± Levi¡¯s voice was icy, cutting through the remnants of Aida¡¯s confidence. ¡°I¡­¡± Aida faltered. When she first stepped into the glade, she had imagined that they would have a calm conversation about how Levi felt, maybe chastise him for being so secretive with his feelings if it went in that direction¡­but ultimately, that they would become friends again, recovering easily much like how they did after the Old Moon Festival. In retrospect, Aida cringed at how simple-minded and idealistic her expectations were. ¡°¡­I guess my motivations ultimately were selfish.¡± Aida was looking down at her toes now, wriggling in her sandals. ¡°What are your motivations?¡± Levi¡¯s voice was oddly gentle and calm; almost more terrifying than if he had been shouting at her. ¡°¡­I missed our friendship. Our interactions.¡± Aida took deep breaths, trying to convince her tears to withdraw. Levi was silent for a moment before he finally exhaled. ¡°I see. So you want your plant to grow, without sowing your seeds.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You want to be able to have a happy, unproblematic relationship with the guy you like, and also keep me around, as your friend.¡± The way Levi framed her desires made Aida feel selfish and dirty, and his eyes were, shockingly, full of pity. ¡°¡­so, you really do like me?¡± Levi swore, spinning on his heel and striding away from her. ¡°You still think I don¡¯t?¡± he spat. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Aida felt her knees shake, and she let herself collapse onto the log behind her. She lifted her shaking hands, burying her face in them. This was too much to handle. She didn¡¯t know what to do. She already was with Ezra, and having that one choice had already been its own ordeal, fraught with indecision and fears about what would happen to them in the future. But now that Levi actually admitted it, she had no idea what she was supposed to do with this second option - and she was disgusted with herself for thinking of these two boys as options, as if they were coupons for different meals instead of real people with their own desires and thoughts. The awful thing about having confirmation from Levi was that she really didn¡¯t know who she would have chosen if she wasn¡¯t already in a relationship with Ezra. On the one hand, with Levi already knowing about Aida¡¯s background - both as a Loreh family member and as a foreign character - she would have been in a more secure, much more relaxed position, because there would have been no secrets between the two of them; and there also promised to be less drama between the families. She was about to ask him why he didn¡¯t say anything earlier, before clamping her teeth shut. He already tried. During Old Moon Festival. And his casual touches, warm looks, all held a second meaning now. I didn¡¯t believe him, because he had that playboy image. Anger flared up again, that same anger Aida thought she had thoroughly extinguished under the remorse of misunderstanding Levi¡¯s intentions from Old Moon Festival - except now she knew it wasn¡¯t a misunderstanding. It had all been theater. ¡°Look, I can tell you¡¯re struggling with what to do.¡± Levi¡¯s voice was hard, merciless. ¡°So I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Walk away right now, and I¡¯ll continue treating you and Ezra the same way I did today. I won¡¯t cause any issues. Go, before I change my mind.¡± ¡°What else will you do?¡± Aida¡¯s voice was muffled. ¡°If I don¡¯t walk away, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°What?¡± Levi asked in disbelief. ¡°Why would you stay?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s selfish of me to ask, and makes no sense,¡± Aida started, pulling her hands away from her eyes and glaring at him, forcing him to let her speak. ¡°But unfortunately, even though you¡¯re a manipulative bastard that I would normally never think to include in my friend circle, for some reason I trust you. You¡¯ve known my secret for so long, and you¡¯ve done nothing to use it against me. You help cover for me, even though there¡¯s no real reason to.¡± Levi rolled his eyes, unimpressed. Aida raised her voice as she continued speaking, determined to get her piece out. ¡°Maybe because you¡¯re such an unrepentant asshole, I feel comfortable putting my walls down with you. I don¡¯t care that I show you the bad sides of me. You let me be myself around you, not Aida Loreh¡­as much as I¡¯m angry at you for playing me like you would a political adversary, instead of treating me like a friend, I still want you to be in my life.¡± Levi looked at her in exasperation, then shook his head solemnly. ¡°You really are selfish, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Am I more selfish than you?¡± Aida countered, her voice wavering. ¡°You could have told me straight to my face seriously, without joking, that you liked me. Instead of playing both sides - pretending like you¡¯re only casually flirting with me, and if I didn¡¯t give an indication that I liked you, you could pretend it was all a joke. You never risked anything.¡± Levi¡¯s face froze, and his lips slowly clamped shut. He shook his head slowly, denying it. ¡°You really¡ª¡° Aida leaped up from the log, stalking towards him, driven forward by anger that was finally welling up from identifying the double standard Levi was imposing on her. ¡°You¡¯re mad at me for acknowledging and acting on my feelings for Ezra, when he¡¯s the one who put in the effort to make sure I understood how he really felt? He deliberately made himself vulnerable when he told me he liked me.¡± Aida felt her voice gain strength, and tears came back to her eyes. She swiped them away with her wrist and stabbed a finger into Levi¡¯s chest. ¡°You¡¯re mad at me for not reading your mind to know you¡¯re serious, for not ignoring your history of playing with everyone else¡¯s hearts. Well, I think you should be mad at yourself!¡± Levi¡¯s face had closed up, and he was staring at her in fury. He opened his mouth¡ª Only to freeze, one hand held up in caution. ¡°What?¡± Aida demanded loudly. She didn¡¯t like how he just looked past her, completely ignoring the very good point she had made. ¡°Be quiet,¡± Levi said softly. His eyes had unfocused. ¡°Come on.¡± Grabbing her by the wrist, he pulled her from the grove, making sure wild growth thoroughly obscured any evidence of the path they left behind. As Aida probed about tentatively with her senses, she discovered what had set Levi on edge. A murky gray aura was bobbing along, slowly but steadily approaching them. Please, no¡­ ¡°Just follow my lead,¡± Levi said lowly, not slowing his pace, though he did release her wrist. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll get out of this with minimal pain.¡± Chapter 100: Conflict III ¡°Why hello,¡± Teena Vega said pleasantly as they finally caught sight of each other. Her eyes were narrowed to golden crescents that could be perceived as the natural result of smiling, but on her looked more like a Cheshire cat smile. ¡°Fancy seeing you two here.¡± ¡°Afternoon, Healer Teena,¡± Levi said, somewhat breathlessly. ¡°What brings you to this part of the woods?¡± ¡°I felt a mana disturbance during my daily walk, and thought I should come and investigate. Fortunately, it seems to just be you two,¡± Vega said conversationally. She peered past Levi at Aida, tilting her head in overexaggerated innocence. ¡°What are you doing so far from the school? Surely there¡¯s no reason to come all the way out here for a¡­simple conversation?¡± Her eyes lingered on their flushed faces and she seemed pleased by what she saw, if the feral smirk that spread across her face was anything to go by. Aida clenched her teeth, knowing what Vega was imagining: Aida, the scum of the school who didn¡¯t deserve her position in the school, at the source of a ¡°mana disturbance¡± with a boy from Class 1 - who wasn¡¯t her boyfriend. ¡°Thank you for taking on the mantle of patrolling the grounds for us,¡± Levi said courteously. ¡°I¡¯m sure the professors all appreciate having Affiliates volunteer their precious time to make sure the school is safe.¡± ¡°My pleasure,¡± Vega responded back equally as politely. Aida couldn¡¯t help but feel her face twist in disgust at how fake they were being. Smear it on even thicker, why don¡¯t you? She quickly smoothed out her expression as Vega glanced back at Aida. ¡°But I really am quite surprised to see you and Aida out here - enjoying some private time together? I¡¯ve noticed you two seem to run in different circles during the school days.¡± Levi sighed as he began walking, forcing Vega to walk with him. ¡°To tell you the truth, Aida asked me to help grow some plants so she could start experimenting with brewing her own potions, so we were just checking on the garden layout. Please keep this to yourself, by the way. I don¡¯t want other aspiring Healers to come bother me for ingredients as well.¡± Vega looked over her shoulder at Aida, who was tagging along silently and frowning at Levi¡¯s back. ¡°Really? That¡¯s very generous of you to spend your efforts on something like that. Are you doing something for Levi in return for his favor, Aida?¡± Levi turned around at Vega¡¯s question and continued walking backwards, giving her a sharp look while Vega kept her attention on Aida. Don¡¯t say something stupid, his look seemed to say. Aida shrugged nonchalantly, falling into the vapid character she had prepared for the hostile healer. ¡°I don¡¯t see why I need to do more for him. If it weren¡¯t for me, Levi wouldn¡¯t have as many best friends as he does now.¡± Vega raised an eyebrow. ¡°Best friends?¡± ¡°Yeah, you know: me, Suelina, Lily, Vanita, Caleb, and Ezra,¡± Aida said, ticking off the names on her fingers. ¡°We get together during meal times and breaks, when we can. Poor Levi would have been so lonely if it wasn¡¯t for me.¡± ¡°My, you certainly are very friendly, aren¡¯t you? As the paste that holds all of you together,¡± Vega mused, smirking slightly before turning away to look significantly at Levi. ¡°Is her friendship worth it, Levi?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Levi said blithely. ¡°Aida¡¯s an extremely likable person; that¡¯s why so many people are willing to put their reputations on the line for her, because she¡¯s such a beacon of goodness. Not a seed of malice or deceit in her heart.¡± ¡°How sweet! You should be careful not to lose your innocence, though. There are lots of bad people out in the world,¡± Vega said, turning back to smile kindly at Aida. Aida kept herself from bristling at the condescension by shrugging her shoulders and sticking her tongue out at Levi playfully. ¡°Ah, she doesn¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± Levi said airily, drawing Vega¡¯s attention back to himself. He smiled cheekily at the two of them. ¡°Aida¡¯s never going to be alone; she¡¯ll always have friends who will be willing to give their lives for her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Aida giggled, skipping ahead of Vega and slapping his back playfully. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to never be alone. Let alone sacrifice their lives - what a horrible thing to expect.¡± ¡°Well, I just meant you would never be alone in the way that mattered,¡± Levi conceded as they fell into their own conversation, ignoring Vega plodding along behind them. ¡°You know we¡¯re never going to abandon you, right?¡± Vega laughed from behind, loud enough for them to be forced to acknowledge her. ¡°That¡¯s a big commitment! If I didn¡¯t already know Ezra was courting Aida, I would think you were confessing your feelings to her, Levi!¡± Aida felt her fake smile freeze on her face in a rictus, though Levi seemed to take Vega¡¯s comment in stride as he guffawed. He waved a hand dismissively in the air, turning his head over his shoulder to respond while still walking forward. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Aw, I wouldn¡¯t do such a thing! I know she wouldn¡¯t choose me anyway - she deserves someone better than me, someone who can help her become the best version of herself, not drag her down to my grubby level.¡± Levi shook his head sadly, giving Vega an impressive pair of puppy eyes. ¡°I worry I¡¯d corrupt her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s stupid,¡± Aida spat, hoisting her simple-minded persona back onto her face when Levi gave her a warning look. She continued brightly, ¡°You didn¡¯t corrupt me, I already know the world can be a nasty place. By the way, Healer Teena, how did you deal with all the adversity someone of our birth faces without forsaking your principles?¡± she turned wide, innocent eyes onto Vega, slowing to a stop. They had reached the edge of the forest now, and the school¡¯s main building was in full view. ¡°¡¯Adversity someone of our birth faces?¡¯¡± Vega repeated, her megawatt smile gleaming in the shadows. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you mean; I never had the opportunity to affiliate myself with somewhere as prestigious as Maglica, so I had to climb ranks the difficult way: with hard work and maximum effort.¡± ¡°Of course! You must have had a much more challenging time,¡± Aida agreed, nodding vigorously. ¡°Hard work and maximum effort only got me to the middle of the class. I just wonder¡­did you have to compromise your ethics in order to get to where you are? Is that how you got successful?¡± Aida waited, her hands clasped behind her back as she gave Vega her full attention, a small pout on her lips to show she was taking Vega¡¯s answer seriously. Vega blinked slowly at Aida, and though her face was smooth and impassive, Aida could feel her mana begin rippling dangerously. She braced herself. The tension was broken when Levi laughed, and he clamped a large hand over Aida¡¯s head. He ruffled her hair playfully, the motion serving to simultaneously turn her away from Vega. He began leading her away while saying, ¡°Silly Aida. There¡¯s no doubt Healer Teena worked hard, and I¡¯m sure Fortune Favors wouldn¡¯t have hired her if she had done anything that didn¡¯t exemplify honesty, fairness, and empathy.¡± Aida whined back at him as she smoothed her hair out, babbling about ¡°just wanting to know¡± and ¡°it¡¯s just so hard when you don¡¯t come from a good family¡­¡± They both fell into silence as soon as they reached the courtyard, safely out of earshot of Vega, though they continued strolling at a sedate, guiltless pace. ¡°You just made her hate you even more,¡± Levi said quietly. Aida scoffed. ¡°Did I ever have a chance of making her like me?¡± Levi sighed. ¡°As long as you know you antagonized her.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± Aida muttered. She grabbed onto his arm as he reached for the door. ¡°Levi, about what you said to Vega¡­¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Levi asked lightly. Even though he turned towards her, he didn¡¯t look at her. Aida exhaled. It was obvious Levi was going to continue tiptoeing the line of not having to admit anything, but it also wasn¡¯t fair for her to demand he change the way he communicated. After all, when push comes to shove he still defended me against Vega. ¡°¡­Thank you. For however much of that act you meant.¡± Squeezing his arm gratefully, Aida opened the door and let herself in. ¡°I meant it.¡± Aida turned back towards Levi, who continued standing in the doorway. He was outlined by the setting sun, so his expression was difficult to see; but Aida could still see that his eyes were steady and focused on hers. ¡°I don¡¯t like your relationship with Ezra, but I¡¯m also not going to abandon you. And I know Suelina and Ezra won¡¯t either.¡± He hesitated, dropping his gaze incrementally. ¡°I won¡¯t abandon you, but¡­I also need some time to get used to it. As a friend.¡± Aida bit her lip, feeling her emotions bubble up. She nodded slightly. ¡°Let me know if¡­if there¡¯s anything I can do.¡± The corner of Levi¡¯s lip quirked. ¡°Just give me some space.¡± That¡¯s fair. Aida nodded again. ¡°Then¡­I¡¯ll be going.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°I see,¡± Ezra said, after Aida took a breath. She had just told him everything that had transpired with Levi and Vega, and was gratified to see that he had taken everything in stride. ¡°You¡¯ve certainly painted a larger target on your back with Healer Vega.¡± Aida grimaced. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what Levi said, too¡­¡± He smiled briefly before looking at her with concern. ¡°But how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Better than before!¡± Aida reassured him. ¡°Levi¡¯s still going to be Levi, but at least he¡¯s more straightforward about needing space.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking about that,¡± Ezra said softly. ¡°I was asking about¡­knowing that you could easily be with him, if you wanted to.¡± Aida blinked at him, astonished. ¡°Why are you suggesting¡­¡± ¡°You seem much more happy, unreserved, with him,¡± Ezra clarified. He wasn¡¯t smiling anymore. ¡°I just¡­I would rather you be happy than be with me, if you feel stifled by me.¡± She looked at him, aghast. ¡°No! Why would you think that I¡¯m unhappy or stifled by you?¡± He shrugged lightly, his silver eyes misting over as he glanced off to the side. ¡°I would not characterize you as unhappy with me, necessarily, but¡­I fear I¡¯m holding you back. Keeping you from attaining your true potential.¡± Aida flopped backwards on his bed, staring up at his ceiling. Boys! They were so indecisive and insecure. After all the struggle to make sure everyone was fine with their relationship, it was extremely ironic that Ezra would worry that she would feel differently enough to want to leave him. ¡°Aida?¡± Ezra said hesitantly. She felt the bed move as he scooted a little closer to her, though he didn¡¯t breach her personal space. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Aida popped back up, giving him a severe look. ¡°After all you sacrificed with your family, and after one talk with Levi, you¡¯re expecting us to break up?¡± ¡°¡­No?¡± Ezra said uncertainly, unnerved. ¡°Good. Because I knew what I was getting into, and I decided to get into it,¡± Aida said firmly. But he doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s getting into. ¡°Aida? Are you all right?¡± Ezra asked, concerned. ¡°Is there something else bothering you?¡± Chapter 101: Truth I ¡°I really don¡¯t think this is a good idea,¡± Aida said nervously as Ezra pulled a sword out of the ground. He inspected the sharp edges carefully before rounding out the blade with his fingers and handing it to Aida, hilt first. ¡°It will be a worse idea not to have any basic training in the first place,¡± Ezra responded as he formed another blade over his wand. ¡°Besides, even though you won¡¯t be wielding a sword in combat, it can still be useful.¡± Aida looked down at the sword Ezra handed her. It was lighter than she would have expected for something that was made entirely out of metal. Its hilt was long enough for her to hold with two hands, and it looked like one of the old medieval longswords she had seen in video games with a broad guard and straight blade. ¡°How will knowing swordplay be useful if I don¡¯t plan to use a sword?¡± ¡°Similar to how bare-handed martial arts and other training can be therapeutic when one is experiencing stress, using a weapon releases stress in a different way.¡± Ezra gave his katana a few experimental strikes in the air, testing its weight. Satisfied with the weight distribution, he blunted the blade. ¡°I thought it might do you some good to have a target to direct your anger and aggression on.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hit you,¡± Aida protested. ¡°You won¡¯t hurt me.¡± ¡°Even if I can¡¯t hit you, I don¡¯t want to strike at you,¡± Aida amended. Ezra considered. ¡°We can always start with one of the training golems.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how this will help,¡± Aida repeated weakly, following Ezra to the edge of the training yard. ¡°I have found that when I am particularly frustrated by a problem, cutting through an object helps to relieve my frustration so I can focus on a solution with a clear mind. Granted, everyone has preferences for how to best release their stress - Caleb is perfectly happy directing his energy in physical strength training, while Suelina likes to burn things. I thought perhaps you could try what works for me.¡± Aida bit her lip, approaching Ezra with the sword drooping at her side. I guess it doesn¡¯t hurt to try. ¡°Hit the golem as hard as you can,¡± Ezra instructed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about form or technique - if you want to learn, I can teach you later. This is just for you to release whatever pent-up emotions you may have.¡± Awkwardly, Aida stepped up to the golem, smacking the body with her blunted sword in a two-handed grip. The impact vibrated up her glorified metal rod and through her elbows. ¡°Hold the sword tighter, and don¡¯t loosen your grip when you strike. Imagine you are cutting beyond the point of contact.¡± Ezra demonstrated on his own golem, firmly embedding his own blunted blade into the head of the dummy. Feeling silly, Aida copied his stance and swung her sword in a long arc from the top, feeling like she was a woodchopper. The blade crunched through the head. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Like I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Aida confessed, pulling the sword out of the wood. The dummy smoothly regrew, patching in the dent she created. Ezra smiled briefly at her flustered response. ¡°That¡¯s all right. We are not here to pass judgment on technique, just to battle our inner demons.¡± Ezra turned toward his practice dummy, and despite not using any mana, rained a flurry of blows down on the dummy. The magic that kept the dummy intact was barely able to keep up with his quick strikes. Aida watched in awe as Ezra beat the dummy relentlessly. Even in the sanctioned school and sparring matches, she had never seen Ezra do anything that even looked like he was exerting himself. But against the dummy, he looked like he was fighting against an opponent who matched his own skill, despite the training golem being immobile. He dodged and spun around the dummy, every strike sending wood chips flying, each consecutive strike cutting deeper and deeper into the golem until finally he came to a stop, breathing heavily. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Aida asked tentatively. Ezra sighed, dropping his arms and leaving his katana embedded in the training dummy. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad, because it looked like you were really angry at the training golem,¡± Aida said as she circled his dummy. It was steadily filling itself in, completely unperturbed at having just been the victim of a vicious assault a moment ago. ¡°Really,¡± Ezra said softly. She glanced back at him to see a pensive expression on his face. ¡°I suppose that is accurate.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Poor training golem. What did it do to deserve your ire?¡± she teased as she pulled the katana out of the golem, allowing it to finally repair itself completely. ¡°Ezra?¡± Aida asked softly, when he didn¡¯t respond. His eyes were downcast. ¡°If I may be frank,¡± he said quietly. ¡°I was imagining that I was fighting myself.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Aida stepped over to him, laying her hand on his arm. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Ezra exhaled, misery spreading across his features and making Aida¡¯s heart ache. ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel I¡¯ve misled you.¡± ¡°Misled me? How so?¡± Aida asked, dumbfounded. I should be the one saying that. Ezra raised a hand, his fingers hovering near her cheek before dropping heavily onto her shoulder. He couldn¡¯t meet her eyes, and the misery came off of him in waves. ¡°Even though I projected confidence that as long as we were together, we would be fine¡­part of me is still afraid that we will struggle and not be able to make good on that promise. ¡°Despite my confidence in our abilities and work ethic, there is no denying our opportunities will be limited without the backing of my family¡­perhaps even deliberately restricted. I worry that we may be in a worse position than if I wasn¡¯t a Riolt at all.¡± ¡°Well, worst case scenario you can probably join the Gullbeaks,¡± Aida said encouragingly after an unpleasant pause. She almost wanted to laugh at how inconsequential Ezra''s concerns were, but knew now was not the time to make jokes. ¡°They¡¯re affiliated with nobody, because they came from their own destroyed village, and Kuri has said they plan to snap up as many capable candidates as they can in order to grow their group. I¡¯m certain you will at least have a role with them, if nowhere else. And Healer Bokar doesn¡¯t seem to care about any affiliations, either, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me at all.¡± Ezra stared at her, a mixture of disbelief and frustration on his face. ¡°I appreciate your faith, but do you not understand the extent of the Riolt family influence?¡± ¡°They may have a lot of influence, but like you said before: people who truly are worth associating with aren¡¯t going to let your family¡¯s influence deter them from hiring you,¡± Aida argued back. ¡°How short-sighted would they be to ignore a prodigy¡¯s ability just for the sake of maintaining status quo?¡± In the back of her mind, she knew most people would be intimidated by his family¡¯s reputation¡­but her argument was as much for herself as it was for Ezra. If nobody is willing to take a chance on us, then there¡¯s no point in trying¡­ ¡°Never mind,¡± Ezra sighed. He ran his hands through his hair. ¡°But believe me when I say the Riolt reach may be enough to make even the Gullbeaks think twice about associating themselves with me.¡± Aida shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt to do an assignment with Kuri, right? See if you like them, come up with your own conclusion as to what they¡¯re like.¡± Ezra shook his head mutely, sighing again. Aida tried to rally his spirits. ¡°Look, Ezra,¡± she said softly, leaning the two blades against the wall before taking his hands in her own. ¡°I understand why you¡¯re worried. It¡¯s a terrifying feeling, losing something you thought you could count on¡­losing your footing, when you thought you were on firm ground. ¡°And I hope you¡¯ll trust my experiences, but I¡¯m used to struggling with nothing. Fighting against terrible odds. And look at me now,¡± Aida said, laughing lightly. ¡°Middle of the pack, with at least one person who would like to work with me.¡± Ezra finally looked up at her with a glimmer in his hooded eyes. ¡°¡­You¡¯re taking this remarkably well.¡± Aida bit her lip. He was so vulnerable right now, baring his soul to her. Not at all like the cool, collected number one student at the academy. She felt like she was taking advantage of him, preserving her secrets while he shared this moment of weakness with her. If she was Levi, she wouldn¡¯t feel so disturbed by the unequal sharing of information, even if she was planning on supporting him. And it wasn¡¯t fair to Ezra that he didn¡¯t know who exactly he was talking to. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I¡¯m not upset by your fall from grace,¡± Aida mumbled. Now she was the one who couldn¡¯t meet his gaze. She gripped his hand harder. She hadn¡¯t had time to consider what Ezra¡¯s response might be to her reveal, but she was very aware this might be the last time she could touch him. ¡°What is it?¡± Aida hesitated. What¡¯s the best way to tell him? You don''t have to tell him. If she didn''t tell him, the only problem they''d have to deal with was his family''s blacklisting efforts. But if she didn''t tell him, was their relationship truly valid? It''s just a little white lie. Everybody has their secrets. In fact, it would be an easy secret to keep track of. And Ezra''s estrangement from his family actually made it easier to justify keeping her lives separate. As Aida felt herself relax into her decision to maintain her lie, a smile already spreading across her face, Levi''s bitter expression flashed through her mind. I don''t want to be like Levi. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not Aida.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not Aida,¡± Annie repeated more clearly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, raising her chin. She had to look him in the eye as she told him. He deserved at least that much. ¡°I¡¯m not even from this world. I woke up on the first day of school in Aida Loreh¡¯s body, and I have no idea how I got here. I didn¡¯t know how to use my mana, and I didn¡¯t even know who the major families in this society are.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but give a choked laugh as she finished her sentence. Ezra¡¯s face was blank as he took in her words. Annie bit her lip, uncertain what else she could - or should - say. There¡¯s so much. ¡°If you have any questions¡­I¡¯ll do my best to answer them.¡± Ezra¡¯s hands had slipped out of her grasp. He hadn¡¯t backed away from her, which was a good sign, but he also seemed to be leaning away from her now. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°My real name is Annie,¡± she said softly, her fingers twitching as she ached to reach for him. But even with the slightest movement, he seemed to flinch. ¡°I¡¯m from a different world.¡± Chapter 102: Truth II ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Ezra said quietly. Aida shook her head. Understatement of the year. ¡°I don¡¯t either. Levi has a theory¡ª¡° ¡°Levi¡¯s known? Since when? Who else knows?¡± ¡°Only Levi right now,¡± Aida said hurriedly. ¡°And he found out during the first week of matches.¡± Ezra swayed on his feet, heading towards the training dummy. He pressed a hand on the torso, leaning his weight on it as he hung his head as if he was drunk. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Aida asked anxiously, hurrying to his side. ¡°How can it be?¡± he murmured, flinching away from her hand. ¡°Your mana feels exactly the same.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ezra turned toward Aida suddenly, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders and staring deep into her eyes. Aida felt his mana probe insistently at her, just as his gaze probed deep into her eyes, making her feel unbelievably vulnerable. ¡°Your mana signature feels exactly like Aida¡¯s - other than more fluidity and dexterity, there¡¯s no difference,¡± he whispered. His breath was hot on Aida¡¯s face. ¡°But it¡¯s such a minor thing in the grand scheme of things - I assumed it was due to training, a maturation of your mana control, but¡­¡± Ezra released Aida, stepping away from her. Aida couldn¡¯t read his expression, though his body language seemed to take on a deranged, jerky movement. ¡°How did Levi find out?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Aida stammered. ¡°I think he said¡­some of my behaviors weren¡¯t like Aida, and the things I said tipped him off¡­¡± ¡°So he didn¡¯t depend on mana sensing?¡± Ezra asked, seemingly to himself. He lifted his eyes to the sky, as if the answers he wanted were up there. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Aida asked again, thoroughly unnerved. She had been expecting Ezra to think she was joking, or question her relentlessly about her claim, but she didn¡¯t anticipate this particular line of questioning. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ezra said, his voice strained. ¡°You have just told me a preposterous truth, but it somehow makes sense in retrospect regarding all of our interactions.¡± He gave her a piercing, wide-eyed stare. ¡°But if I were to accept that you are telling the truth: what happened to the real Aida? Is your arrival related to all the chaos we are starting to see? What are your intentions now that you are here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to her - the real Aida,¡± Aida admitted. A chill ran down her spine. ¡°If I somehow took over her body, I suppose it would make sense that she somehow took over mine. I hope.¡± She winced at the thought of Aida waking up in her body as Annie, and wondered at the havoc she might cause. Based on Levi¡¯s careless insinuations, Aida really did seem particularly dull, not merely below average for the student population at Maglica. ¡°And I can¡¯t answer for whatever has been happening with the monster surges, but I can promise you I didn¡¯t intentionally do anything to make all that happen.¡± Ezra nodded slowly as he continued staring at her, his jaw tight. ¡°And your true intentions?¡± Aida wilted at his accusatory question. ¡°I¡­I just want to do my best here.¡± ¡°You want to do your best here,¡± he repeated lowly. ¡°For what reason? You don¡¯t wish to return home?¡± She took a deep breath, wrestling her tears at his harsh tone back. It¡¯s not personal. He¡¯s handling this bombshell quite well, all things considered. ¡°I¡­other than to see my family, I don¡¯t have a desire to go home. But it¡¯s more because¡­my future there is much bleaker than it is here.¡± Realizing how that sounded, Aida shook her head and said more forcefully, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m deliberately trying to avoid going home - I haven¡¯t found a single clue on how I could return home, so I¡¯m not going to waste my time ignoring my mana abilities when I might very well end up trapped in Aida¡¯s life for the rest of my life.¡± Despite her bravado, she felt like crawling into a hole at Ezra¡¯s mistrustful gaze. She had thought Levi¡¯s scrutiny of her had been difficult to bear, but having someone she cared about - and who allegedly cared about her too - look at her with such cold distrust made her crumble. ¡°I-I know it¡¯s hard to come to terms with, but I promise everything I did - I did it all in earnest. I never had any bad intentions.¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes darkened even more. ¡°Forgive me for saying so, but how am I supposed to trust you are telling the truth when I can¡¯t even differentiate you from Aida? How do I know you - through whatever demonic technique you may or may not have used - haven¡¯t already killed my classmate¡¯s soul? Perhaps you felt like you secured my loyalty, so are safe to finally reveal some of your secrets?¡± His words were like shards of broken glass stabbing through her lungs. Annie was speechless. What can I even say to that? She knew his fears and questions were at least marginally justified, but it still hurt so much to be blatantly accused of being a killer. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I understand this is a lot to take in,¡± she said, unable to keep her voice from shaking. Ezra¡¯s eyes were guarded and merciless, colder and more stiff than the very first time she had ever met him. ¡°And you will need time to organize your thoughts. I¡¯ll give you some space so that you can process all of this.¡± She hesitated, trying to find the right words to convince him that even though she wasn¡¯t Aida, and their relationship was built around him thinking she was, she still cared about him. My feelings are genuine. I never mislead him about who I fundamentally am¡­ Unable to bear the cutting gaze Ezra directed at her, Aida quickly left the training ring, making a beeline for her room so that she could avoid her more diehard fans who hadn¡¯t yet gotten bored of tailing her whereabouts. ¡°Watch out!¡± Aida skidded to a stop at the shrill warning, just narrowly avoiding trampling Lily. The small girl straightened from her panicked leap to the side as she checked the item in her hand, making sure everything was in order. ¡°Where are you off to in such a rush?¡± she asked conversationally once she satisfied herself the small burst of purple was fine. ¡°Hey Lily - not much, I was just going to head back to my room. Going to do some reading,¡± Aida said with forced cheer. Lily peered beadily at Aida, her lips curled in a skeptical frown. ¡°Really? By yourself, instead of with Ezra?¡± Aida squirmed, trying to inch around Lily. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s busy with a thought experiment, so I thought I¡¯d leave him to it. What are you doing?¡± Brightening, Lily reverently held up the small pot she had been clutching. The flower she had seen was the size of Aida¡¯s palm, and the five petals were thick and plushy, making it look like a chubby purple star. ¡°Check this out! This is a hybridization of the harmony herb and the soother¡¯s succulent. Healer Bokar mentioned how difficult it was to grow the harmony herb a while back, so I thought it would be fun to try to breed it.¡± Lily puffed out her chest with pride. ¡°Do you want to go with me to see Bokar? I was on my way to show this to him.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Aida said blithely. I can use the distraction. She paused, once she processed Lily¡¯s words. ¡°Wait a minute. Are you sure this is a safe plant to be around?¡± ¡°Of course it is!¡± Lily said indignantly. She shoved the flower towards Aida¡¯s face, nearly forcing her to inhale the flower. ¡°Look! You don¡¯t feel woozy or anything, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Aida said, leaning away. ¡°I¡¯m just making sure, since Healer Luk said to be careful of¡ª¡° ¡°That was once,¡± Lily said in exasperation. ¡°And besides, I didn¡¯t know anything back then! And nobody got hurt!¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Aida said soothingly, carefully placing her hands around Lily¡¯s as she gently pressed the pot back towards the girl. She made sure to take shallow breaths until the flower was safely back under Lily¡¯s care. ¡°I believe you. Tell me more about how you¡­bred this herb. What are you calling it?¡± ¡°Ooo, I haven¡¯t even thought of a name for it yet,¡± Lily said happily, looking down at the flower fondly. Now that Aida had time to observe it more, she noticed there was a plump little green dome beneath the flower, nestled within the soil. ¡°The harmony herb is already a bit of a misnomer, since the herb¡¯s effects are usually opposite of what the name implies¡­¡± Lily continued prattling joyfully about the two plants she used to grow this one-of-a-kind sproutling as the two of them made their way onto the school grounds, heading towards the plain three-story building next to the woods that housed the school¡¯s workers and visiting Affiliates. Aida made interested noises to encourage Lily¡¯s recitation, keeping a cautious eye and sense out for Healer Vega. ¡°But you know¡­I don¡¯t mean to sound ungrateful at all,¡± Lily said quietly, in a rare departure from her energetic personality. ¡°But¡­sometimes I wonder if I really deserve to be at Maglica.¡± ¡°What?¡± Aida was caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. Lily laughed awkwardly, staring at the ground as she trudged forward. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s kind of obvious that my interests are super different from everyone else¡¯s¡­I don¡¯t care about combat at all, or even the mana applications Lloyd teaches us. I just want to study plants, you know?¡± Lily sighed heavily, her breath blowing some of the soil out of the pot. ¡°It didn¡¯t really hit me until now that for the past two sun cycles, I¡¯ve been studying things that I don¡¯t care for. But last moon cycle when I was trying to grow this plant¡ª¡° she tenderly stroked a purple petal ¡°¡ªI¡¯ve never felt so motivated. It took this long because I had to experiment a lot with different grow conditions, different plants, and different pollination techniques. It was so complex I had to start an entirely separate notebook for it.¡± Lily looked up at Aida with watery eyes, slowing to a stop. ¡°Even though I had fun growing random plants in my garden during my free time, what Bokar said about harvesting the potential of the harmony herb¡­it gave me direction, I guess. All of my plants were grown without purpose, but this soothed harmony succulent herb thing¡­¡± Lily looked back down at the treasured plant in her palms before looking back to Aida, her dark green eyes glimmering. ¡°It was the first time I tried to grow something with a bigger goal in mind. Not just ¡®I should grow something that tastes good for my friends and makes them happy,¡¯ but¡­¡¯I should grow something that can be used to save people,¡¯ you know?¡± Aida nodded silently, digesting Lily¡¯s words. ¡°You found purpose.¡± Lily blinked, before a smile spread slowly across her face. ¡°Yes! Exactly! I found purpose! I finally found something useful I can do with my plants - and I can learn while growing at the same time!¡± Aida smiled at Lily, caught up in her enthusiasm. ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯m so glad you found fulfillment in something you enjoy.¡± ¡°Is this how you feel about becoming a healer?¡± Lily asked as she resumed walking, her usual skip back in her steps. Aida considered Lily¡¯s question as she followed. They were approaching the Affiliates¡¯ quarters now, and she could sense some of the occupants moving about in the building. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, not exactly,¡± Aida said thoughtfully. ¡°I mean, I do want to help people¡­but if I¡¯m honest, I¡¯m more motivated by what¡¯s possible with my skillset. If I had Sue or Ezra¡¯s combat abilities¡­I wouldn¡¯t mind joining an Adventuring group, for example.¡± Lily sighed dejectedly. ¡°I thought Maglica was supposed to make us the best versions of ourselves, but it seems like they¡¯re just focused on churning out combat specialists¡­¡± Lily¡¯s words faded as she opened the door to the staff quarters, where a wave of agitated mana and raised voices swept over them. Chapter 103: Truth III ¡°Is this a good time to be here?¡± Lily murmured to Aida, standing in the doorway. Aida peeked over her head ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said uncertainly. ¡°They seem like they¡¯re having a pretty heated debate.¡± Just inside the door was a foyer, where she could see several Affiliates standing as they listened to the commotion in the living room just beyond. A few of the Affiliates less interested in what was happening in the living room glanced over to the two girls. ¡°Hi there, to what do we owe the pleasure?¡± a middle-aged Wood woman with broad shoulders stepped up to them, preventing them from entering the building. She had a disarming smile on her face. Aida recalled she was an Adventurer. ¡°We¡¯re looking for Healer Bokar,¡± Lily said, doing her best to appear unbothered and uncurious about what was happening in the living room. ¡°Sure thing. Why don¡¯t you wait outside while I go grab him for you?" The Adventurer shut the door, muffling the noise. ¡°What was that all about?¡± Aida mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it sounded pretty serious,¡± Lily muttered back. She stepped away from the door, glancing nervously back at the building. ¡°Definitely an argument of some sort. But why would Affiliates argue with each other?¡± Before Aida could respond, the door opened again and this time Healer Bokar stepped out, pushing his glasses up his nose. ¡°Hello, you two! I hear you''re looking for me?¡± ¡°Hi! Remember that conversation we were having last Moon where you were talking about the efficacy and instability of the harmony herb? Well, I thought it was such a shame that you were limited by the finicky nature of the herb, so I thought I would try and breed in some stability so that you can use it for your antidotes,¡± Lily said breathlessly. She thrust out the potted plant to Bokar, who instead of leaning away from the foreign plant the way Aida had, leaned closer to the flower, a mystified expression on his face. ¡°This¡­this certainly does look like the harmony herb¡¯s flower, but instead of a stem, it¡¯s on a¡­¡± ¡°A soothing succulent as a base.¡± Lily nodded vigorously. ¡°The succulent is the most stable plant that didn¡¯t get overwhelmed by the harmony plant¡¯s inherent chaotic nature, but even then there was an element of chance where the succulent wasn¡¯t able to preserve its nature. I think I got lucky with this one.¡± ¡°This is incredible,¡± Bokar said, blinking at the plant. ¡°And you grew this all by yourself?¡± Aida felt like she was having an out-of-body experience, watching Lily and Bokar geek out about a random plant. She was a bystander, watching these two feed on each other¡¯s excitement, not invited to their celebration of Lily¡¯s success. She was happy for Lily, and gratified that Bokar was ecstatic about her achievement - especially as someone who better understood the significance of her breakthrough. But for some inexplicable reason, she couldn¡¯t help but feel so¡­alone. She was heavily aware she was being immature, feeling neglected and lonely when she should be celebrating her friend. But¡­watching how easily the two of them got along, despite each person having a different background and expertise, made Aida realize just what she had potentially lost by telling Ezra the truth about her origins. Of course he had pushed her away; anybody in their right mind, when confronted with such a bizarre situation, would rather distance themselves. Crazy situations were unpredictable, and nobody needed the stress of unpredictability. Furthermore, Levi had effectively told her she was on her own, because he couldn¡¯t support her while she was in a relationship under false pretenses with Ezra. And though she had just told Ezra the truth, leading him to push her away, she couldn¡¯t bring this situation to Levi because it would look like she was just using him for comfort. No - it wouldn¡¯t look like I¡¯m running to him for comfort. I would be running to him for comfort. On the other hand, since she had done what she believed was right - no more lies - she might as well see it through to the end. If Ezra was going to treat her as the malicious spirit Levi had first suggested she might be, she might as well find out as soon as possible if that was the case. Because in this current state of limbo while she waited for him to reach his own conclusions, she would only spiral into an all-consuming pit of anxiety and self-pity, and she needed clarity for her next steps - the same clarity she had when she realized she really did like Ezra, and she wasn¡¯t going to just let him continue festering in doubt when she could at least mitigate some of the incorrect assumptions he was sure to make about her. ¡°I¡¯m going to head back to my room,¡± Aida said abruptly to Lily and Bokar. They turned to her, Lily¡¯s cheeks flushed and Bokar¡¯s eyes sparkling. ¡°Thanks for letting me come along, Lily. I¡¯ll see you later, Healer Bokar.¡± ¡°Enjoy the rest of your evening,¡± Bokar said, smiling. ¡°Sorry for neglecting you! Let¡¯s chat later this star cycle.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Waving at Lily and Bokar, Aida felt buoyed by her plan - it wasn¡¯t a clear master plan to win Ezra back, but at least she was going to demand some amount of control over her fate. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida ran into Ezra at the school entrance; he seemed to have been looking for her as well. They approached each other slowly, stopping a cautious distance away. ¡°¡­dinner?¡± Aida blinked, keeping hope under control. ¡°Sure.¡± Ezra stepped back to allow Aida into the school, and they headed to the dining hall together, albeit with an arm¡¯s length distance between the two of them. ¡°Did you¡­¡± Aida trailed off, uncertain what she wanted to ask. Do I have time to change his mind? ¡°¡­I think so.¡± Ezra seemed to steel himself before he said next, ¡°Let¡¯s talk¡­after we eat.¡± Dinner was a tense, silent affair, both of them unwilling to meet each other¡¯s eyes. It was a harsh reminder that the dinners they¡¯d been having the other nights, despite not being overtly romantic, were certainly intimate. As soon as Aida forced down her last bite, Ezra stood up with his tray and walked away, leaving Aida to hurry after him. He led her to an empty classroom, checking to make sure no one saw them before indicating for her to enter. Aida leaned against a desk, eyeing Ezra warily. She supposed it was a good sign that he didn¡¯t seem to be angry; his mana, though tense, wasn¡¯t as chaotic as it was when she first revealed she wasn¡¯t Aida. Ezra lifted his chin, firming his shoulders. ¡°So. You said your real name is Annie.¡± Aida nodded. ¡°Tell me about the world you came from, Annie.¡± Ezra¡¯s voice was calm and controlled. His request was neutral, and Aida didn¡¯t get the sense that he was waiting to catch her in a lie; he seemed like he just wanted to know. Regardless, the clinical veneer over their interactions hurt. ¡°It¡­is very different from here. We don¡¯t have any mana; nobody has any special spiritual abilities.¡± ¡°So that is why you didn¡¯t know how to use mana.¡± Statement of fact, no judgment. Aida nodded again. ¡°You are human?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°How can you profess to have a soul, if you do not have mana?¡± Some of Ezra¡¯s tension threatened to spill through, air beginning to swirl in the room. Aida¡¯s brow wrinkled as she wondered how to explain. She had picked up some cultural knowledge during her three-month immersion experience, but she was certain there were still some facets she was missing. ¡°I guess the most accurate way to explain it is that we have mana, but we don¡¯t have the ability to harness and control it the way you can here. All of us are like the regular civilians in Shale Port or Buddington Town: we are alive, but can¡¯t develop any control over the elements.¡± ¡°You said your future in your world was bleak. Does that mean you lived in undeveloped conditions? If none of you had mana, I would imagine your civilization never progressed past hunting villages.¡± ¡°Actually¡­I think we progressed further than what you have here.¡± At Ezra¡¯s skeptical eyebrow raise, Aida elaborated. ¡°We might not have mana abilities, but as a civilization we developed physics-based technology - machines and golems - to do many things.¡± Aida bit her lip, wondering how she would describe the internet to him. Did they even have a telephone equivalent? The Gullbeaks seemed to get all of their important news by word of mouth, and they never seemed to talk about what was going on in other cities. ¡°In order to make up for our individual weaknesses relative to people here, society as a whole banded together to invent things that made life easier - and the efficiency allowed our cities to develop beyond what I¡¯ve seen here.¡± ¡°If your world is that much more advanced than what we have here, that seems at odds with your ¡®bleak future.¡¯¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­bleak for my family. I suppose my situation is the same as Aida¡¯s - we don¡¯t have the family name, connections, or wealth¡­I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to attend a school with the renown even remotely similar to Maglica Academy.¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes lowered thoughtfully. ¡°So to you, your predicament in Aida¡¯s position is an improvement?¡± Aida nodded guiltily. ¡°Even though she¡¯s the worst-performing student in the year, her individual gift puts her far ahead of where I am in terms of opportunities. Even without Maglica, the fact she can control water means she¡¯ll at least have some sort of advantage over the normal civilians.¡± ¡°Fascinating,¡± Ezra murmured. ¡°So the effort you put in¡­¡± ¡°That was me,¡± Aida said, unable to keep a note of defensiveness out of her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know what skills Aida knew or her progress before I came here, but I do know that her mana pool and physical fitness was ridiculously underdeveloped. If three moon cycles was enough for me to become somewhat competent, then I don¡¯t know what she was doing for the past ten years. Respectfully speaking,¡± she added. ¡°I understand, and that wasn¡¯t judgment from me. I¡¯m asking these questions because¡ª¡° Ezra hesitated, looking vaguely embarrassed. ¡°¡ªalthough I¡¯m aware it is not right - however, one could argue none of this is right - I can¡¯t help but feel you should be allowed to take this life. I suppose I am looking for justification to accept that¡­you should remain here.¡± Aida blinked, scarcely able to believe her ears. ¡°You¡­you accept me? Taking over Aida¡¯s life?¡± Ezra¡¯s cheeks were red now. ¡°I realize my motivation is driven by selfish desires, but yes. At the moment, I see no issue with you being Aida.¡± A wave of relief washed over Aida, and she sank to her knees, a whimper unwittingly escaping her throat. Ezra was by her side in a second, apologies spilling from his lips. ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± Aida asked, laughing through her tears of relief as she reached for him. It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t be alone. ¡°Even though I see no issue with you as Aida, I still fear there is a deeper significance to your presence being here.¡± Aida stared at him dumbly, not comprehending. Ezra pulled her to her feet, his hands slipping from hers. ¡°You may not intend harm to us, the occupants of this world, but I believe it would be prudent to discover why, or how, you arrived here.¡± Chapter 104: Onwards ¡°Okay,¡± Aida said blankly in response to Ezra¡¯s pronouncement. Why was he acting like that? She agreed with him - it made sense to understand how she got here in the first place. But he was treating her as if she disagreed with him. ¡°Where should we start?¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes flickered, and pain flashed across his face before he was coolly composed again. The voice that came out of him was firm and controlled, regal and unbothered. ¡°To be clear, I am saying understanding how you arrived in this world should take precedence above all else. Therefore, until we know the effects of your presence¡­I do not believe we should continue our dalliance.¡± ¡°''Dalliance?¡¯¡± Aida repeated, hurt welling up within her. Her fears that had been simmering under the layer of rationality for so long burst forth in a vengeance, but she managed to keep it from overwhelming her. ¡°Where is this coming from?¡± she hated how her words sounded so weak, so frail; but all of her strength was already spent holding back the sob that was pushing its way out of her throat. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just do what we¡¯ve been doing, but search for the answers together?¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes glittered, but the rest of his face remained composed. ¡°We could do that. But my worry is that your arrival is linked to the unprecedented monster outbreak, and - though I do believe it is not deliberate on your part - in order to restore the balance of living, perhaps your departure is required as well.¡± He waited a beat before continuing, though this time misery cracked his composure. ¡°If I were to be frank, I¡­I don¡¯t have faith I would be able to wholeheartedly commit to our relationship, and then give it up if I were to one day discover the solution to Wyndia¡¯s troubles are as I fear.¡± ¡°What if¡­what if you didn¡¯t search so hard for the answer?¡± Aida asked desperately, her voice trembling. ¡°Can¡¯t we just¡­enjoy our lives together? For good and bad?¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes were hooded. ¡°¡­I am afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if I did that. My honor compels me to do my best to ensure I¡¯m not actively engaging in anything that could harm or exploit others. And¡­if I were to build a life with you¡­I worry I would not give the research about your origins the diligence it deserves.¡± Aida bit her lip, feeling her arguments fade away. He hadn¡¯t been explicit about what his family was like, but the little he had revealed - which matched up with her observations of his brother Jasper in Shale Port - had certainly painted their family as ruthless when it came to running their business and maintaining power. If she hadn¡¯t gotten to know him first, understood and accepted his tenderhearted nature, she would have wondered how someone like him could have grown up in such a cutthroat family and not given in to the more reprobate nature of businessmen. But given Ezra¡¯s firm value to live a principled life¡­she couldn¡¯t ask him to forsake his morals just to have some stolen moments of happiness for her. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying¡­through no fault of our own, we just can¡¯t¡ª¡± Aida choked, unable to finish her words. Ezra let out a shuddering breath. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± The classroom blurred around her as she let out a gasping sob. ¡°And - what if you find that my leaving is not the solution to the outbreak?¡± ¡°Then¡­I would ask to marry you, though I understand if you did not wish to wait.¡± Ezra¡¯s voice cracked, matching his blurred outline. Aida backed away numbly, reaching for a chair to support her weight as her legs gave out. And this time, Ezra didn¡¯t reach for her. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Just like how the beginning of their short-lived love story was a blur, so was the beginning of her newfound singlehood. For the first time since she could remember, Aida¡¯s numbness to her situation was actively detrimental to her performance. Being numb was usually a good thing. It allowed her to operate smoothly and smile blithely at people she would love nothing more than to shout at, be the perfect picture of compliance. But for some reason, this numbness was interfering with her daily operations. Her reaction time was noticeably slower. Physical Training and Meditation classes were a blessing - they allowed her to just focus on one rote task, which took her mind off of her last conversation with Ezra and also helped mask her distraction. Every other subject, however, was risky. Whenever any of the instructors or Affiliates directed questions her way, she had to ask them to repeat their queries as her mind churned through what they were asking, trying to decipher their meanings. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. She realized she had a problem when Kozu decided to speak with her after Combat class on Loam day. He had brought out a tea set and poured two mugs of tea before she realized she was alone with him in the training ring, absentmindedly rubbing what felt like a bruise across her ribs. He gestured for her to join him on two stools he had set out. ¡°There have been rumors going around,¡± he said after they both took a sip. ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask you about those rumors, since I don¡¯t think it will help - unless you want to talk about them, of course - but I will ask: what are you doing to recover?¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°I can guess at what¡¯s bothering you, but I don¡¯t want to prescribe any solution - skies know I am not an expert at this kind of thing - especially if you¡¯re already working on something. If you¡¯ve already identified a solution, and all you need is time, then we can go our separate ways after we finish this excellent tea. If you¡¯re not sure what you need, then I am happy to be a listener, and maybe we can figure out something that can help get you back in the river, so to speak.¡± Aida sipped at her tea, embarrassed at how casually he had just called her out. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize my distraction was that obvious.¡± ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Kozu smiled faintly at her. ¡°People who are thrown out of harmony typically wouldn¡¯t realize it. And I would normally let you settle on your own, learn through personal experience, but when Havi started expressing concern I realized it was worse than I thought.¡± ¡°Havi said something?¡± Kozu sighed into his tea. ¡°I know you two don¡¯t get along, but believe me when I say he does care, even if he¡¯s abrasive about it¡­to a certain extent, at least.¡± Aida rubbed the dust out of her eye. Normally, she would have thought discussing her love life with a teacher would be weird...but Kozu had always been kind to her. ¡°I think this is something that only time will solve. But I know I don¡¯t have the luxury of time to sulk and mope. I guess that¡¯s why I¡¯m¡­feeling so lost? I don¡¯t really know how to return to normal.¡± Kozu was silent for a moment. ¡°If I may make a suggestion?¡± Aida nodded dully. ¡°Based on your mana flow patterns, it seems like you are actively trying to distance yourself from¡­yourself. Your mana is going along with the regular mana in the environment, but you aren¡¯t making a conscious choice to allow it. It just¡­is getting dragged along every which way. ¡°This phenomenon - where one doesn¡¯t necessarily lose control of their mana, but also is not in control - is most obviously seen in warriors who have witnessed unspeakable acts. Their teammates suffering gruesome deaths, for example. Being forced to execute someone whether out of necessity or mercy.¡± Skeptical, Aida nodded, if only out of respect for Kozu. I''m pretty sure heartbreak isn''t trauma... Kozu¡¯s tone was gentle. ¡°However, warriors aren¡¯t the only ones who are known to separate from their mana. Practitioners who have lost their loved ones are the next most prevalent group to separate from their mana.¡± A long silence drifted between the two of them. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not presuming to know anything about your life. I¡¯m just noting that your current mana flow is matching with those who have experienced great loss.¡± ¡°Thank you for letting me know,¡± Aida said softly. But what do I do with this information? ¡°As you said, time helps,¡± Kozu said, seeming to read her thoughts. ¡°And as I am not qualified to help you with whatever may be affecting your mana flow, I realize my lecture may be seen as frivolous. However, I just wanted to let you know that I have seen practitioners I would classify as undeniably strong individuals be afflicted with mana separation. It is not something to be ashamed of, in case anyone tries to shame you for it.¡± Kozu¡¯s well-meaning words felt empty, irrelevant. It¡¯s my own fault for not anticipating this happening. Nothing to do with being strong or weak. I put myself in a position for heartache. If she had just said no, as her mind had convinced her when he first put their relationship on hold, committed to her plan to just focus on improving Aida¡¯s life, never tilted Levi by getting in a relationship with Ezra, never had to tell anyone else the truth, then things would be as normal. Her friendships would be fine, she¡¯d have her support network as she griped about Healer Vega and tried to find a job¡­everything would be simpler. ¡°One last reminder I¡¯d like to give,¡± Kozu said, interrupting her thoughts. ¡°Memories can be beautiful or bittersweet; but one thing I think we are both aligned on is that they don¡¯t help with focusing on the current objective. Do you agree?¡± Kozu¡¯s words percolated through Aida¡¯s mind before burning through the webbing that trapped her within the bounds of her thoughts. That¡¯s right. Punishing myself won¡¯t get anywhere. I¡¯m just wasting time feeling sorry for myself - time I don¡¯t have. ¡°Is there a way to make it easier to focus?¡± Aida asked softly, half joking. ¡°Or a way to make the pain stop?¡± ¡°I wish there was,¡± Kozu said, raising his mug to the sky. ¡°Bruce has a whole lecture on how not feeling emotion is the standard we should strive for in order to achieve perfect balance, but I think that¡¯s a bit too far. Emotions, memories, all those are good and can help counteract opposing emotions¡­if we feel no emotion, well, wouldn¡¯t we be dead? Of course, there is no denying emotions are quite inconvenient sometimes.¡± Kozu drained his mug before setting it on the tray with a light clack. ¡°In a way, I wish I could have allowed you more time to come to terms with whatever you¡¯re grieving about on your own. But as an instructor at Maglica, I am also pressured to make sure our students - especially our third years - are presenting their best. On the other hand, I have faith that you are strong enough to surpass this struggle in your life, so I don¡¯t feel too bad in pushing you to move on.¡± He gave her a half smile. ¡°You¡¯re also late for Havi¡¯s class, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be relieved to have you back with a bit more focus next cycle. Shall we do some more of the blind targeting drills? Make up for the lost time this past cycle while you were disconnected from your mana?¡± Chapter 105: Loded Peak I Perhaps it was a good thing Ezra was dedicated to finding out what was going wrong with the world. Especially since everything was in enough of an upheaval for the school and Affiliates to change their sponsorship assignments. The grim-faced teachers delivered the news to the students during their sponsor period. ¡°We¡¯ve received news that several of the more vulnerable villages have been hit by waves of monster attacks. Many of the Affiliates who have been staying with us have already been dispatched to the locations where they are most needed. We¡¯ll be sending you all to villages that require aid in rebuilding and refortifying. Each Class will be sent on different assignments to different villages, and will be chaperoned by Affiliates who are already present. ¡°We know this will be disruptive to the regular academic schedule, but in times of crisis we must come together and support our fellow Wyndians. We hope that recovery and restoration efforts to your assigned villages will take no more than one star cycle. Please follow the direction of the Affiliates who will be accompanying you to the villages, and look out for each other. This is an opportune moment to demonstrate camaraderie and teamwork. ¡°We have arranged golem transports to carry you all to where you are assigned tomorrow morning after breakfast. Please do not be late.¡± While Bruce was speaking, Gemma and Havi handed out sheafs of paper detailing their assignments, Affiliate chaperones, and supplies they were recommended to bring. Despite the morbidity associated with the assignment they were given, Aida was relieved to see that Healer Vega was not on the list of Affiliates for Class 2, though she was also disheartened to see that Kuri and Bokar weren¡¯t on the list either. Ruth Cadmum gasped, drawing all eyes to the dark-haired girl. ¡°We¡¯re going to Loded Peak? Are they okay? Do you have the damage reports?¡± her voice pitched higher and higher with each question. ¡°What about casualties?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t have much more information than what is in those pages,¡± Bruce said softly. ¡°We received requests for aid from the Strongholders, and they only provided locations and rough damage estimates, as well as general requests for the type of aid needed.¡± Ruth began hyperventilating as she flipped through her pages, her normally well-controlled and smooth mana heating her surroundings. Natalie Wok scooted over, wrapping an arm around the dark-haired girl¡¯s shaking shoulders. She began whispering soothingly to her as everyone else turned their eyes back to Bruce, operating under an implicit understanding to give the girl her dignity. Aida continued watching Ruth and Natalie out of the corner of her eye, her mind churning as she began putting the pieces together with Ruth¡¯s reaction. Ruth came from there, of course, as her family was involved in mining. It was also low in mana density, from what Ruth had said as she modestly bragged about her natural aptitude in regenerating mana - which was true, her mana pool wasn''t a particularly impressive size, but she recovered fast enough that she might as well have a pool the size of the leads¡¯. The most interesting bit of information was that as a result of low mana density in that region, inhabitants of the village tended to be stronger. The birth rate was lower, and mortality rate higher than other regions, but the ones who survived to adulthood were strong and hardy. Ruth herself had commented how her village and family didn¡¯t want her to attend Maglica, because as one of the rare practitioners with a strong enough affinity to start utilizing mana at a young age, they would have greatly benefited from keeping her in their ore production line, or even in the village¡¯s defense groups. ¡°I told them it was only three sun cycles, and I¡¯d be back during the Earth seasons. The elders finally agreed to it when the Master said having a Maglica grad would give the Peak a lot of notoriety, and people would start populating the area if only to be near a Maglica mascot.¡± Ruth scoffed as she brushed her long hair over her shoulder, though she did look somewhat pleased beneath her demure exterior. ¡°Are people really that fickle?¡± ¡°Master¡¯s not wrong; I¡¯d move to where you were too, with such a beautiful figurehead,¡± Aida teased, making Tera guffaw. ¡°The desolate Peaks would be worth putting up with if I could only see your face every day,¡± Bella said dreamily, making bedroom eyes at Ruth. Natalie nodded in agreement, affecting a swooning disposition as Ruth¡¯s dark gray eyes flashed in annoyance. ¡°As if I¡¯d allow any of you to settle within my demesnes! Only the handsomest men will be allowed,¡± she declared as the girls all drooped in unison. ¡°Aww¡­¡± ¡°If there aren¡¯t any other questions, we¡¯ll dismiss you early so that you can prepare for tomorrow¡¯s travels.¡± Aida lingered in the classroom, going over to Ruth and Natalie. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°She has to be,¡± Natalie said grimly, looking up at Aida. ¡°Even if the worst happened¡­¡± ¡°It must be really bad,¡± Ruth whispered. She looked up at Aida tearfully, her composure loosening. ¡°Even though we were at the edge of the Border¡¯s protection limits, we¡¯ve never needed their help before. If the Peak is requesting assistance, then that must mean it¡¯s bad.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°We¡¯ll find out tomorrow,¡± Aida said, unable to come up with any other consolation. She gave Ruth¡¯s shoulder a brief squeeze before heading towards the door. Dev was waiting just beside the door. ¡°Aida.¡± ¡°Dev.¡± Aida slowed so that he could walk with her. They had spoken occasionally, but hadn¡¯t had an in-depth conversation while she was with Ezra. The reminder caused her only mild pain. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing fine. Better than Ruth, at least.¡± Aida glanced up at Dev. He seemed bothered as well, his gaze unfocused. ¡°What about you?¡± They made it all the way up the staircase to the third floor before Dev finally spoke. ¡°I¡¯m also doing fine. Although I am worried about our¡­expedition, I suppose this assignment should be called.¡± He finally looked down at her. ¡°Do you have any mana batteries you can bring to Loded Peak?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Aida thought about the low-grade battery Kuri had given her. ¡°I have one, but it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Not one of the efficient ones?¡± Dev asked delicately. He sighed when Aida nodded. ¡°This is worrisome. Ruth will be used to roughing it, but it will be difficult for the rest of us, even with our mana batteries.¡± He hesitated as he flipped through the pages. ¡°Look, you¡¯ve truly improved a lot - but having visited the Peak once before, I¡¯m worried you would be¡­more underprepared than the rest of us.¡± ¡°Even though there will be Affiliates there?¡± Dev¡¯s concern was starting to impress upon Aida how completely out of depth she was. ¡°Even fully-fledged Border Stronghold teams wouldn¡¯t choose to visit the Peaks unless they were all outfitted with potions and the proper gear,¡± Dev said grimly. He sighed again, this time more forcefully. ¡°Just¡­when we get there, try not to expend any of your mana. And¡­stay close to me,¡± he said reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯d normally say make sure you have a partner and are never alone, but¡­I think you need more protection than that.¡± Aida blinked at his words, before Dev reddened and added quickly, ¡°I¡¯m not saying this to put anybody down, but I - in the interest of making sure we all survive¡­¡± ¡°I get it,¡± Aida reassured him. ¡°As Class 2¡¯s fluke, I¡¯m less prepared for this outing than everyone else.¡± She tried to smile brightly. ¡°Thanks for your offer. I¡¯ll take you up on it. I don¡¯t want to die.¡± Dev gave her a grim smile before turning towards the boys¡¯ wing. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°Aida! Where is your class going?¡± Sue asked anxiously as Aida approached her door. All along the girls¡¯ hallway Aida could see the girls in their class grouping up and discussing their assignments with their friends. ¡°Class 2 is going to Loded Peak,¡± Aida said dully, handing over her packet. Vanita took the packet with shaking fingers while Lily gasped. ¡°Where are you guys going?¡± ¡°Class 1 is going on an expedition with the Adventurers to hunt down the monsters,¡± Lily said. She twisted her fingers. ¡°And Class 3 is going to help Bountifeld Village rebuild and restore their rations.¡± ¡°Class 1¡¯s assignment sounds a lot more dangerous than Class 2¡¯s,¡± Aida said jokingly. ¡°In theory it does,¡± Vanita said softly. ¡°But¡­¡± she looked at the other two girls, and none of them seemed able to speak. ¡°I know,¡± Aida said softly. ¡°You¡¯re all worried about me.¡± Because I¡¯m the weakest. ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Sue fired up. ¡°I mean, I am! But I know you¡¯ll be fine! Besides, you¡¯ll have Adventurer Decker with you! He¡¯s super experienced, he¡¯ll keep you all safe.¡± ¡°The rebuilding efforts should be straightforward,¡± Vanita said encouragingly. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make any sense to send relief groups before the area is cleared. It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult acclimating to that environment and being expected to work,¡± Lily said flatly. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not dangerous,¡± Aida replied, feeling comforted by their words. She was used to working while sick. As long as there weren¡¯t monsters they had to fight, she should be fine. The girls all looked at each other, but they all seemed to agree it was better not to say more. Then they all perked up as an all-too-familiar wave of mana gently flowed over her. ¡°Did you want to¡­?¡± Sue pointed with her chin behind Aida. Aida bit her lip, feeling her heart begin to race. Is it better to die not knowing what he¡¯s here to say? ¡°Sure,¡± Aida said, smiling reassuringly at her friends. They didn¡¯t know the full story, obviously, but they did know the relationship didn¡¯t last that long, and they were all too classy to pry. Aida met Ezra in the middle of the common area, where the boys¡¯ and girls¡¯ wings met. It had only been five days since they had last seen each other, but already he was starting to look gaunt, with shadows beneath his eyes. Aida¡¯s heart ached to take him into her arms and ask what was wrong, but she held herself back. He looked at her with worry, but he also didn¡¯t reach out to her. ¡°¡­I heard where Class 2 is going.¡± Aida nodded. ¡°Everyone¡¯s been impressing upon me how¡­unpleasant it is.¡± He swallowed, his gaze shifting around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. ¡°The mana dearth in that location is uncomfortable, but it¡¯s also where charred zards typically make their homes.¡± Aida¡¯s stomach dropped. ¡°¡­nobody mentioned that.¡± Ezra nodded somberly. ¡°My analysis of the way they decided to assign classes is that, under normal circumstances, Class 1 would undertake the more dangerous tasks, such as being an additional patrol force, while Classes 2 and 3 are assigned to areas that require heavier rebuilding efforts: more hands and resources, as opposed to being asked to eliminate any threats.¡± He hesitated, conflict evident in his eyes. ¡°¡­however, due to the¡­unique situation you are in, I fear it won¡¯t be that straightforward.¡± He stared deep into Aida¡¯s eyes, his irises looking more gray than silver. ¡°Please be careful.¡± Aida felt her lip tremble, and clenched her jaw and raised her chin so that her shaking wouldn¡¯t extend to the rest of her body. He has to be okay. They have to be okay. They have plot armor. ¡°Understood. You be careful, too.¡± Chapter 106: Loded Peak II At dawn the next day, all the third years gathered at the school entrance, laden with rucksacks and additional packs. Class 1 was swept up without fanfare in a small gleaming silver airship, the massive brazier on the top deck firing as it lifted off. Where Class 1¡¯s airship was streamlined and intent on moving fast, piloted by a gruff veteran of the skies, Class 2¡¯s airship had a more rounded hull and moved slower. There were long seats along the edges of the deck akin to bus seating. All the girls sat on one side, and all the boys sat on the other. ¡°Welcome aboard!¡± The man in a white jacket and hat shouted as the brazier above their heads fired. Aida had to admit the design was quite nice; the heat emanating from the fire above their heads was cozy on that chilly morning. ¡°You are on the Peaceful Travels, and I am Captain Kai Lund. Our final destination is Loded Peak, and we expect to be there by noon.¡± Captain Lund continued to give them instructions about what to do in the event of emergencies, and Aida kept one ear on his words while she glanced over the railing at the topography they flew over, Maglica¡¯s grounds quickly disappearing. From that high up in the air, one wouldn¡¯t be able to tell there was supposedly that much turmoil and danger in the woods. The rolling hills and forests looked serene and peaceful, and in the distance she could see Class 1¡¯s airship: already a small dot, illuminated only by the fire in its brazier. A thrill of fear ran through her as she prayed for their safety. Plot armor, please protect them. On the boys¡¯ side of the ship was the mountain that commandeered the center of Wyndia. Captain Lund steered the ship so that they circled the mountain, never rising high enough to cross over it. The higher the ship floated, the more sparse the trees became, until eventually only the straggliest evergreens toothpicked the outcroppings. The airship didn¡¯t fly higher than that, floating just above the main treeline before the trees started thinning. Once the ship stabilized at their traveling altitude, the captain and his crew (similarly outfitted in white, though without the epaulets the captain sported on his shoulders) allowed the students to walk around on deck and stretch their legs, admonishing them to keep their limbs within the guard rails. Class 2 all gathered underneath the brazier to talk, Aida appreciating the heat. ¡°Ruth, is there anything you would recommend we do, or keep in mind, for when we get to Loded Peak?¡± Dev asked. He, like the rest of the boys, was already dressed in a warm fur coat, hat, and thick gloves. Only Bella and Tera were dressed similarly to the boys. Aida because she didn¡¯t have any furs in her wardrobe; so she just had on her thickest jacket and pants, along with a wool scarf and beanie. Natalie¡¯s outfit was as humble as Aida¡¯s, though since she was a Fire she seemed less bothered about the cold in general. Ruth, unlike her regular casual attire of T-shirt and shorts during the wintry season at Maglica, actually had on long sleeves and pants, though nothing else. Her long dark hair was in a thick braid down her back, though the wind still whipped the tail about. She chewed her lip as she thought. ¡°Even during peaceful times, in the village we rarely went about alone; we were always within sight of at least one person. I¡¯d recommend we set up a similar buddy system, but stick closer to each other because you all are unfamiliar with the terrain.¡± ¡°What do we do if charred zards attack?¡± Aida asked, remembering Ezra¡¯s warning from the night before. Everyone else flinched at her question, though Ruth nodded seriously. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to feel them approaching. With how mana-dry it is at the Peak, they have a lot less camouflaging ability there.¡± Miraculously, the girl grinned, though her eyes were still hooded. ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on a Peak secret: zards are actually a lot easier to fight up here than within the trees. They¡¯ve got giant mana reservoirs, but they¡¯re pretty dumb. Just don¡¯t get hit by their fire, and they¡¯ll exhaust themselves quickly.¡± Despite her classmates¡¯ relieved smirks, Aida still didn¡¯t feel reassured. ¡°How bad is the mana drain?¡± Sympathy flickered across Ruth¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah, that¡­might be a problem.¡± She ducked her head as she considered. ¡°Since we¡¯re here for such a short amount of time¡­you should just stay within the village. With your specialty in healing, I¡¯m sure there will be no end in work for you.¡± Ruth¡¯s lower lip trembled before she firmed it and turned to Natalie. ¡°I know your family makes kitchen equipment, but do you have any experience in cooking, too? It might be a morale boost to be able to make good meals after¡­after what they¡¯ve been through.¡± ¡°Of course! It won¡¯t be anything special, but I¡¯ll at least be able to get them a warm meal,¡± Natalie responded bracingly. Ruth nodded gratefully before turning to Bella and Shon. ¡°Loded Peak is complete bedrock. We don¡¯t have any viable dirt or soil for growing plants, so I expect we¡¯d probably have to head below the village in order to harvest any wood for rebuilding.¡± She glanced around at her classmates with an assessing gaze. ¡°Tera, I recall you have a great sense for soil composition. Can you come along with Shon and Bella to help grow firewood and some food?¡± At Tera¡¯s nod, Ruth turned to Dev and Myk. ¡°Can you two come along as protection? I¡¯ll take point, but I¡¯ll feel a lot better knowing I have you two watching my flank.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Of course,¡± Myk said boldly. At the beginning of the school year, Myk had still been skinny and gangly. But after three moon cycles, his skeletal frame had packed on some wiry muscle, and he carried himself with more assurance. Where before he had merely goaded Pritchard on, only sneaking in barbs when he was certain there would be no retaliation (like burning the confession letter out of Sue¡¯s admirer¡¯s hand on Aida¡¯s first day), now he was slower to instigate, less eager to prove something to bystanders. He was more tolerable now. Ruth¡¯s relief was palpable. ¡°We¡¯re going to be escorted by some of the village warriors, I¡¯m sure¡­but I don¡¯t know what resources the village will be able to spare, so I¡¯m just imagining the worst case¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Myk assured Ruth as Dev nodded reluctantly. ¡°You have the top four combat candidates of Class 2. We¡¯ll be able to handle whatever comes.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Ruth said, smiling, some of the tension in her shoulders abating. She turned back to the ones who hadn¡¯t received assignments yet. ¡°Pritchard, Abedi¡­can you two be on standby for whatever the village needs? I¡¯d imagine the homes might have gotten destroyed, so your strength and earth manipulation will be a great boon to the village.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Abedi said in his deep, reassuring rumble. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us.¡± ¡°The villagers will be taken care of,¡± Pritchard said, nodding at Ruth. Like Myk, he had also mellowed out, though he seemed much more subdued in general. Aida wondered if realizing how dangerous the monster waves had gotten put petty school squabbles into perspective for him. I guess that means our work in the village this week shouldn¡¯t be that dramatic. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Peaceful Travels touched down on the only semi-flat surface near the village of Loded Peak. They were greeted by two Affiliates: Corey Decker, the friendly sandy-haired Earth Adventurer Sue had said good things about, and Shan Wells, a Water Adventurer who also dabbled in Healing for her party. She gave a welcoming smile to the students, her sky blue pixie cut dancing in the wind. As Aida disembarked with her classmates, she understood what they all meant about the mana dearth in the region. As the Peaceful Travels approached the village, it had lifted above the treeline, to where all around them was just craggy, barren rock. Other than the humans around her, she couldn¡¯t sense any source of life. With the Peaceful Travel¡¯s mana battery powered off, she no longer had any source of mana to passively replenish her pool. Everyone¡¯s warnings about conserving mana makes sense now, Aida thought bleakly as she began Mana Cycling. ¡°Welcome, students; glad the trip went well,¡± Adventurer Decker said. He picked up the crates of supplies Captain Lund had transported from Maglica. ¡°Things aren¡¯t as bad as they seem, so chin up,¡± he said when he saw the students¡¯ grim faces. ¡°The monster wave has moved on from this region, so our primary efforts here are rebuilding,¡± Adventurer Wells informed the students as they trekked down the narrow path to the village. If it weren¡¯t for Aida¡¯s improved dexterity (she was sitting at a comfortable 7 now), she was certain she wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep up with the rest of the class - or she would straight up have fallen off the side of the mountain. The view from the ledge on the mountain, despite being similar to the view from the airship, seemed to express a majesty of the landscape that being suspended in the sky couldn¡¯t convey. While she had been in the airship, everything merely looked interesting; fascinating, even, as she observed the textures of trees bundling together, bumps in the quilt of fuzzy leaves as rolling hills and mountains bunched the earth that pushed the plants towards the sky. However, standing on the mountain, high above the same softly-textured landscape, Aida was starkly aware of just how dangerously high she was above the world. Standing on and being next to the tallest feature of the world emphasized the depths that she could fall to if she made just one misstep. Being on the fire float was like being protected in a fish bowl¡­but being on the mountain is like being dangled off a cliff. Aida shivered before she continued following her classmates, hyperaware of each step. The village didn¡¯t have any wooden structures; it appeared the inhabitants of Loded Peak made their homes within the mountain itself, with holes carved into the steep sides of the dark, rocky mountain, splintered doors surrounding the holes the only indication that the village had been violated. Ruth hurried up to the Adventurers, dodging around her classmates and easily finding footholds where Aida wouldn¡¯t have expected any to be. ¡°Please, Adventurers - can you tell me the casualty reports?¡± Wells looked at Ruth reassuringly. ¡°Relax, Ruth. No casualties, only injuries. Well, only might not be the right word.¡± She laughed awkwardly as Ruth audibly sighed in relief. ¡°Your people are very strong and managed to drive off the monsters, but some of the injuries they have sustained¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right,¡± Ruth said fiercely. ¡°We¡¯ll find a way to recover. We always do.¡± ¡°Atta girl.¡± Decker beamed at Ruth from over the crates in his arms. ¡°In order to help Loded Peak get back to fighting form, the people will need a lot of healing - but since we have a whole twelve mana practitioners here, maybe some quality of life improvements to make the homes more comfortable as well? Or maybe there¡¯s something we can do to make the hunting and gathering more sustainable?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ruth said quickly. ¡°We were strategizing on the ride over here¡­¡± Aida finally sighed in relief as the ledge they edged along expanded to a more comfortable width, though they still couldn¡¯t comfortably walk side by side. The Adventurers led them into the largest hole along that path, which finally opened to a broad, circular cavern with four standing torches spread around the edges. Five wizened figures stood around a stone table jutting out from the ground, their shrunken figures still cutting an impressive figure as the fire in the hollowed-out center of the table lent their shadows an intimidating aura. They all turned their bodies and dipped their heads slightly in acknowledgment of the arrivals before straightening to face them. Ruth and the two Adventurers did the same odd curtsy, and Dev was the quickest to follow the three of them. The rest of the class scrambled to greet the elders in the same manner. ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± the figure closest to them said. Despite looking like beef jerky, she spoke with a strong voice. ¡°We hope you are able to help us.¡± Chapter 107: Loded Peak III ¡°Elder Cadmum, thank you for hosting us.¡± Ruth stepped forward, her voice tight with emotion. ¡°I¡¯m pleased to see you are doing well.¡± ¡°Ruth, how wonderful to see you back,¡± Elder Cadmum said, moving towards Ruth. The light from the entrance finally fell on her face. She was old, but her skin was stretched tight along her high cheekbones. She had Ruth¡¯s same long, dark gray hair and gray eyes, but surprisingly had no white strands. If it weren¡¯t for her shrunken stature and slight looseness of skin at her neck, Aida wouldn¡¯t have considered her old. ¡°Every time you come back from school, you look that much more mature. But this time, you look like a full grown woman,¡± Elder Cadmum said wistfully. ¡°No, it¡¯s just because you¡¯ve survived another tragedy,¡± Ruth responded, her voice shaking. ¡°What can you tell us about the attack? Who¡¯s hurt, what do we need to do?¡± The Elder¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Adventurer Shan has helped us with the bulk of the villager recovery, but we do still have some less critical injuries that need to be tended to. Perhaps we can start there, before discussing everything else?¡± Aida stepped forward as Ruth looked to her eagerly. ¡°Hello, my name is Aida Loreh. I specialize in healing, and I will do my best to help.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Elder Stile led Aida and Shan to a second cavern, set above the ceremonial cavern. They literally had to climb to get there, grabbing onto well-worn handholds in the side of the mountain. Elder Stile moved with ease, his graceful and confident movements belying his years. ¡°It¡¯s scary, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shan murmured to Aida. She brushed her wispy light blue bangs out of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for two days and I still hold my breath every time I have to climb up or down.¡± ¡°Maybe now that we have Pritchard and Tera here, the three Earths can make the ledges a bit safer?¡± Aida suggested weakly. The climb itself had been terrifying in its own right, as they essentially scaled a nearly vertical wall, but now that she was on solid ground again she felt panic rise up her throat at the thought of being responsible for healing injured warriors. These weren¡¯t healthy students who were bumped and scraped after failing a flashy move; these were actual warriors, who had fought off monsters while they themselves had no mana to speak of. Would they be receptive to healing from someone who had no experience? Someone who hadn¡¯t even faced a tenth of their hardship and struggle? Would they see her as some pretentious brat with no life experience, coming in thinking she could help ¡°solve¡± their problems? What do they think of Maglica students? ¡°We can suggest it to the Peak-dwellers, but if they prefer to preserve their way of life there¡¯s not much we can do,¡± Shan replied, smiling at Aida¡¯s question. Aida smiled robotically, unable to fully pull herself away from her train of thought. That¡¯s right, don¡¯t come in expecting them to make changes just to benefit you. ¡°You two move like children,¡± Stile informed them. Despite his gruff tone, he had a twinkle in his silver eyes. ¡°Silliness aside, I am glad that strangers are willing to come help us in our time of need.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Shan said politely. ¡°As mana practitioners, it is only right that we put our gifts in service of those who do not have them.¡± Aida stepped further into the cave, towards the warmth of the numerous small fires that were scattered around the cavern floor. Several bodies covered in ragged furs were huddled around each fire, with more in the back. ¡°These are thirty of the least injured warriors,¡± Shan said quietly to Aida. ¡°They weren¡¯t in critical condition, so we had them all gather here so they could take care of each other, while I and the Peak surgeons took care of the grievously wounded. Perhaps you could tend to them?¡± Aida nodded, bringing her Heal (Lv11) overlay up. The overlay helped to assuage her anxiety: when under medical examination, all of these rugged and scarred warriors looked just like any other person she had healed before. Straightforward healing. Nothing new. It was fortunate she wasn¡¯t expected to do any critical healing; if she didn¡¯t Mana Cycle, she could feel her mana slowly drain from her body. Could she even Heal one critical patient? ¡°Maybe I can start with Regen on the ones with the most minor injuries? Then they can recover faster, while I use Heal and Regen on the more injured ones.¡± Shan nodded in approval. ¡°That sounds like a good strategy. I¡¯ll stay with you for now to see how you handle your mana in this environment.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The next hour was spent popping mana blockages, which helped ground Aida and subdue the panic she had felt when tasked with healing veterans. Focusing on things within her control, following the prescribed steps, and seeing the relief it brought - no matter how minor - to her patients encouraged her. Just need to focus and do it. ¡°Nice job, Aida,¡± Shan said encouragingly, handing her a wooden mug with tea in it. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Pretty good,¡± Aida responded, taking the mug gratefully. She hadn¡¯t noticed that Shan and Stile had set up a cooking pot over one of the fires while she was working, and they had brewed the tea from the supply crates Adventurer Corey Decker had carried for everyone in the cavern. ¡°That used up a lot more mana than I expected, so I¡¯ll need to Mana Cycle for a bit before I can start healing the others.¡± Shan nodded in understanding. ¡°That¡¯s good. Don¡¯t let yourself run too low - I¡¯d say take a break to Cycle when you have one-third of your mana pool remaining. It¡¯s harder to recover mana when you¡¯re low, and the foods here aren¡¯t exactly conducive to supporting your natural resistance to the elements. How are you feeling otherwise?¡± At Shan¡¯s reminder, Aida checked her elemental pool levels. To her dismay - though she really shouldn¡¯t have been so surprised - her Fire pool was already half its normal level, and her Earth pool was starting to shrink as a result of decreased input. ¡°Ah¡­my fire is a bit low¡­¡± ¡°Quickly, drink your tea,¡± Shan urged hastily. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the Elder if they have any spare furs they can lend you¡­¡± Shan hurried towards Stile, who was speaking with ten warriors Aida had already cleared blockages for. They had been polite but reserved when she first approached them, nursing aches and sprains and generally hesitant to allow her to touch their bodies. Aida had assured them she didn¡¯t have to touch them directly, and would use her wand to ease their pains and facilitate their recovery. Using her wand wasn¡¯t as efficient as using her hands, which was why she had lost some mana during her work; but she couldn¡¯t complain, since she had still improved her Regen ability to level 9, making her mana use marginally more efficient for that skill. ¡°Hey, girlie.¡± Aida looked up from her mug at the massive warrior standing in front of her. He had streaks of silver running through his bushy beard and long hair that was tied in a bun on his head, and based on the crinkles around his eyes and bulk the furs wrapped around she assumed he was of middle age. Her overlay showed him to be at a healthy green. Breathing a sigh of relief that he wasn¡¯t here to bully her into healing him, Aida smiled at him. ¡°Hello. How may I help you?¡± ¡°Name¡¯s Dave, and I¡¯ve been meaning to thank you for helping us recover. But you looked so busy I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡± Even though his tone was friendly, Aida was still embarrassed that she had inadvertently overlooked someone who wanted to speak to her. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to ignore you,¡± Aida mumbled, putting her mug down so that she could stand with him. He waved a paw, somehow managing to convey his desire for a casual conversation while only using his wrist. ¡°Naw, please stay seated. No need to move when we¡¯re all already comfortable.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida replied, at a loss for what she should do. Is this a test? ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve met me: I¡¯m the head of our hunting squad, so I¡¯m obligated to you for helping to take care of my people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to help,¡± Aida assured him hastily, feeling uncomfortable at his thanks. ¡°After all, you are the ones who had to fend off an attack. I¡¯m just here when it¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°Naw, it¡¯s not only that. I know it must be strange, coming to such a different place with a different culture, but I - and I mean we - really appreciate you giving your all for us. It must be tough.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Aida mumbled, Mana Cycling more furiously. The more he insisted on glorifying her abilities, the harder she felt like she had to try. ¡°I have to do my best to help others with my abilities,¡± she said, repeating what Shan had said earlier to Elder Stile. ¡°Well, if you ever have any questions, don¡¯t be shy,¡± Dave said, inclining his head before turning in place and walking away. Watching how precisely he placed every step, Aida finally understood the odd movements she had noted earlier. The greeting in the cave with the elders, the way Dave kept his movements confined within his own body - it was all because they constantly traveled on impossibly narrow ledges. They all kept within their own extremely small personal bubbles, so that they didn¡¯t accidentally knock someone off - or even throw themselves off. The aversion to being touched was probably rooted in the same concern as well: being touched meant someone was close enough to create an accident. ¡°Here you go, Aida.¡± Shan came back with a small pile of furs. She draped a jacket over Aida¡¯s shoulders and handed her a large pelt. ¡°Tie this around your waist.¡± After being wrapped entirely in the mismatched furs, Aida finally felt herself relax. She hadn¡¯t realized how stiffly she held herself due to the cold until now. Shan smiled in satisfaction, tucking Aida¡¯s wool hat tighter around her ears. ¡°Ready to continue working on the next batch of Peak dwellers?¡± Aida nodded, returning Shan¡¯s smile with more confidence. I can last a week.
Skill List Heal (Lv11) - 12% to next level. Mana Cycling (Lv15) - 89% to next level. Regen (Lv9) - 0% to next level. Total RP: 127
Chapter 108: Loded Peak IV Aida worked hard the rest of the day, sneaking bites of skewers that Natalie cooked up and Dev brought to her between patients. Dev had quietly observed her work, gently offering to supplement her mana when she ran low, but she firmly (and graciously) declined his offer, not wanting to be entangled in potential misunderstandings while she was still in an emotionally vulnerable state. I can¡¯t afford to be naive again. Finally, Myk came to collect Dev for their initial scouting trip. ¡°Don¡¯t overexert yourself,¡± Dev said quietly as he stood up. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to help the others if you get knocked out.¡± ¡°I know. Thanks for the reminder.¡± Aida waved her two classmates off as she took another gulp of tea, long since cooled. Natalie¡¯s skewers weren¡¯t amazing, but she had added something spicy to the skewers, making it easier for her to withstand the cold in the caves. She tossed her newly cleaned skewer stick into the fire she was next to, fueling its heat as she turned to the next person. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida was only able to treat five of the more ¡°moderately¡± injured warriors before dinner time, due to her need to recover more mana between every patient. Despite her flagging stamina, the Peak dwellers didn¡¯t seem to mind. Nonetheless, Aida couldn¡¯t stop the guilt from interrupting what was supposed to be a celebratory mood as everyone made their way into the larger cavern below the cave that had become what Aida considered the small clinic. Even though the remaining fifteen patients she hadn¡¯t been able to treat were still mobile, able to climb down to the main cavern with some assistance (the Peak dwellers had an interesting system where healthy dwellers would create something like a human ladder, where one able-bodied dweller would cling to either side of the main handholds, and reach one free hand towards the main travel route to serve as support for the injured), she still berated herself internally for not being able to heal more. It takes fourteen people to help brace one person down the side of the mountain, and they all have to help fifteen people down¡­that¡¯s so much inefficiency. If she had everyone else¡¯s mana pool size, she could at least have halved the remainder of the injured¡­or even if I had accepted Dev¡¯s help, I could have at least healed five more¡­ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was allowing her pride to get in the way of her productivity. I thought it would be better to avoid any emotional entanglements, but that cuts into the cost of being efficient. Why didn¡¯t she just suck it up, accept Dev¡¯s offer of mana help, and heal more people? ¡°Your turn, girlie,¡± Dave said after the last patient had finally made her way down to the target ledge. Shaking her head to clear out her obtrusive thoughts, Aida turned her back on the terrifying drop, defaulting to her mana senses to scale down the rocky side of the mountain like a ladder. ¡°Maglica kids really are something else, huh?¡± Aida heard one of the warriors waiting on the sides of the path say to her. ¡°Don¡¯t distract her,¡± another one said. ¡°Even if she¡¯s taking to it well doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s second-nature for her yet.¡± Becoming increasingly more self-conscious as the dwellers commented on her climbing technique, Aida felt her hands start sweating, despite being in the cold, dry air. ¡°Don¡¯t rush,¡± a kind dweller said to her as she made it to the penultimate human guardrail. ¡°Ignore what they¡¯re all saying. Everyone¡¯s just excited to have new blood in the village, so to speak.¡± Aida laughed awkwardly as she clung to where she was, alternately wiping her hands on her makeshift fur skirt. ¡°I can imagine.¡± The dweller opened his mouth to say something else, but then thought better of it and nodded at Aida encouragingly, letting her proceed the final lengths down the mountain in peace. It was a relief to finally crowd into the cavern, where Aida was able to hide among the socializing bodies. She noticed the villagers imperceptibly parted for her, despite not seeming to notice her approach. They really value their personal space. Aida scooted along the edges of the cavern to where Natalie was sitting, Pritchard and Abedi on the other side of her. She smiled tiredly as Aida sat down next to her, her flaming hair looking somewhat wilted. ¡°You look tired. Had a productive day?¡± ¡°Pretty good. Your skewers were really helpful for keeping my fire pool up.¡± ¡°Thanks! It¡¯s nice being appreciated,¡± Natalie said, throwing a dark look at Pritchard. ¡°I was just making some suggestions on how you could make the meat taste better,¡± Pritchard said defensively. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was bad.¡± ¡°You basically did,¡± Natalie countered acerbically. ¡°Why would you suggest alternative flavorings if you didn¡¯t like the original flavor?¡± Pritchard opened his mouth to argue back, but aborted his words when he saw Ruth and the rest of their classmates return. ¡°Yo! How did your jobs go?¡± ¡°We scouted the area with Minnie, and the area looked safe enough to start setting up some growth. We laid out the defensive perimeter, and Shon and Bella started growing some trees. We can probably start chopping the wood tomorrow and rebuilding the infrastructure the day after,¡± Ruth said cheerfully. Now that she was back home and actively involved in repairing her home village, she was much more relaxed despite having seen the state of disrepair. ¡°Abedi and I helped clear out some of the caves of debris,¡± Pritchard offered up quickly. ¡°We were also wondering if it would be a worthwhile use of mana to reshape the mountain a bit, maybe make it so that it¡¯s easier to defend against monsters and travel among the villagers, but we didn¡¯t want to propose any ideas without getting your input first¡­¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°If you have the mana for it,¡± Ruth replied brightly. She quickly fetched some more furs from one of the piles along the edge of the wall, laying them down on the ground and offering seats to the classmates who weren¡¯t already sitting. ¡°But let¡¯s talk about it later tonight. Loded Peak village is about to do something that I think you¡¯ll all like a lot.¡± As Class 2 glanced inquisitively at Ruth, she smirked, holding a finger to her lips. ¡°I¡¯m going to go help lead it, but just watch for now.¡± As Ruth slipped away, weaving between the villagers with familiar ease, Shon turned back towards Natalie. ¡°Hey, do you happen to have any more of your skewers? They¡¯re really good.¡± With a triumphant smile on her face, along with a small scowl from Pritchard, Natalie headed towards a cooking fire where she had set an iron grate that dangled above a fire, in order to keep the contents on it warm. ¡°You look like you handled your mana well,¡± Dev said, sliding next to Aida. ¡°It could have been worse,¡± Aida allowed. ¡°What was it like? Going down the mountain.¡± Dev gave a half smile. ¡°It was a hike for sure. It¡¯s a good thing we had Tera and Corey; they helped smooth out the path for us.¡± A drumbeat reverberated through the cavern, interrupting Aida¡¯s question about the location they went to, capturing all of their attentions. The villagers had assembled themselves in a line, and had begun doing some sort of war dance, their voices coming together to meld with the drumbeat. Instead of stomping on the hard cavern floor, the villagers were light on their feet, spinning in unison as their hands formed intricate shapes in the air. Aida was fascinated, somehow able to interpret the stories the villagers were performing in their routine. The only instrumentals really came from the two drums, which Aida saw was in the center of the circle the villagers were surrounding, next to the central fire. The villagers had arranged themselves in several rings, somehow managing to fit everybody in the dance, with children at the edges carrying their own little drums as they added in lighter, somehow melodic chaos to the voices singing in unison, underpinned by the steady rhythm from the large drums. The moves the villagers themselves performed seemed to be less of an expression of individual artistry, and more about the villagers all coming together to tell a cohesive story. They raised their arms above their heads as they spun, giving the impression of dancing under bright sunlight, joy on all their faces, before they clasped their neighbors¡¯ hands and did some sort of chain skip, their leaps emulating the tidy footwork they had as they navigated their environment¡¯s treacherous paths. This must be how they found unity, constructing their village through the power of community. Aida felt her heart swell, touched for some reason by the performance. They live in such an unforgiving environment, and they came together to survive in such an unlikely place. The circle opened near them, all the villagers looking expectantly at Class 2. Ruth was in the middle of the circle, holding a pair of solid and thick drumsticks. Without missing a beat, she passed off her drumsticks to Elder Cadmum with a flourish, who smiled and beat the drum with a vigor that shouldn¡¯t have been possible for her age. Ruth danced her way towards Class 2, in that narrow, decisive way that the rest of the Peak dwellers did that fit in the narrow box that didn¡¯t disrupt any neighbors, each skip hitting the beat of the two Elders drumming in the middle. Aida began panicking, assuming the worst. She¡¯s going to make us dance! Natalie whooped, leaping off her seat to join Ruth, giving her body over to the reverberations, and looking very much like a dancing flame. Ruth laughed, gesturing at the rest of Class 2 to join them. Shon laughed as well, pulling Myk with him, and the two of them gave in to the beats, looking unexpectedly at ease with contorting their bodies. Bella and Tera joined after, and even Pritchard followed. Soon, Aida was the only one left sitting, torn between wanting to join but terrified of looking like a fool. Surely they¡¯ll let me sit out? Maybe I can say I¡¯m too tired? Ruth reached out, offering her hand to Aida as she danced in place, keeping the beat. All the other villagers¡¯ eyes turned to Aida, urging her to accept. Her heart fluttering in her throat like a hummingbird¡¯s wings, Aida numbly reached towards Ruth, before shaking her head and hands vigorously, pulling back and gesturing for them to go on without her. I¡¯m going to trip over my feet and knock everyone over! Ruth gave her a stern, almost warning look, before reaching forward with both hands and hauling Aida towards the rest of Class 2, her classmates all whooping and clapping as they surrounded her. Leading the rest of her classmates, Ruth danced back towards the center of the circle, while the path to being a wallflower closed behind them as the villagers took their places again; Aida was helplessly pressed forward by the bodies. Natalie took charge of Aida, grabbing her wrists and jerking them in the air so that she was fistpumping against her will. When they got to the center, all Aida could feel and hear was the drums. With all of the dancing bodies around her, she felt trapped and claustrophobic¡­but also, interestingly enough, the thrumming of the drums seemed to reinvigorate her, with her heartbeat syncing to the drumbeats. Her eye fell on Pritchard, who was looking incredibly silly as he flung his head about with his eyes closed, his normally slicked-back hair flapping in every direction with not a care in the world. Her self-consciousness faded as the more primal part of her pushed to the forefront, buoyed by the raw energy in the cavern. If he doesn¡¯t care what he looks like, why do you care? Finally abandoning all sense of self control, Aida gave herself over to the insistent drumming, throwing her head back and feeling herself laugh, her voice drowned out by the drums as she threw her limbs haphazardly about, trying to follow the beat without whacking anybody in the process. Despite her objectively poor dance skills, this was fun - there were no mirrors around, no one was even watching her, as immersed as they were in their own movements - so she finally felt free enough to do whatever she wanted to do, without caring for decorum or worrying about hiding who she really was. Her random body movements were an expression of herself: her stress, anxiety, confusion, anger, even joy, as she partook in a group activity that nobody judged her for. She could just let go and move, and not worry about thinking. She was dimly aware of a ping.
You have unlocked a new skill to learn: 1. Mana Siphon (Lv1) - Costs 150 RP to learn. Total RP: 127 Mana Siphon: Drain a small amount of mana from another living being.
Chapter 109: Loded Peak V Aida was awoken early the next morning by the rustling in her room, though it was still dark. Reaching out with her mana senses, Aida recognized the mana drifting from three other bodies still laying prone beside her, and a fourth body that was already up and about. It was only then that Aida remembered she was at Loded Peaks, on a special sponsorship assignment with the rest of Class 2. The previous night had been oddly euphoric, where Aida joined her classmates in dancing her heart out to the melody-less singing and drumming the Peak dwellers had engaged in. She had felt drunk, despite not having partaken in any food or beverage or other mind-altering substances; just dancing with the entirety of the village. Aida quietly crept out of her fur blanket, being careful not to disturb her three other classmates who were still in deep slumber. Despite having been so giddily light-headed last night, she now felt amazingly spry and hyperaware of her surroundings. Ruth was waiting for Aida at the mouth of the cave given to the Maglica girls. ¡°Good morning!¡± she whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be up yet.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t either,¡± Aida replied, squinting out at the landscape below them. The sun was beginning to rise, but it wasn¡¯t high enough for the rays to reach into the cavern where the girls had been laying. Loded Peak was so high up on the mountain that it felt like they could see over the horizon to the other side of the world. ¡°I feel really energetic and alert, though. What was that event last night anyway?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± A grin spread across Ruth¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s just something we do every night to keep our spirits up. All the villagers come together after a hard day of work, when we¡¯re all tired, to partake in some community-building and encourage each other to keep going.¡± She peered more closely at Aida. ¡°How are you feeling, by the way? Adventurer Shan was mentioning that your elemental pools were starting to become imbalanced, and that your mana pool was running low with all of your healing work yesterday.¡± Aida looked down at her body, swinging her arms and legs to check their function as she pulled up her stat boxes. Surprisingly, her mana pool - which ticked down incrementally as she watched it, prompting her to begin mana cycling again - was significantly more replenished than before she had started dancing with the villagers. ¡°I¡¯m feeling pretty good! My mana isn¡¯t as full as when I¡¯m at Maglica, but it¡¯s not like it¡¯s been draining overnight, so that¡¯s a pleasant surprise.¡± Ruth nodded, pleased. ¡°I¡¯m glad! That''s the whole point of our nightly celebrations, actually. Those of us with higher constitutions share some of our energy with people with lower constitutions.¡± Aida ooh-ed as Mana Siphon¡¯s description made more sense. ¡°So you guys are siphoning mana from others?¡± Ruth glanced at her, suspicion tinging her smile. ¡°Have you heard of that ability? I haven¡¯t heard of anyone down below talk about it. Is it something Ezra mentioned?¡± Aida¡¯s mood fell as she thought of Ezra, wondering what he and the rest of Class 1 were up to. It¡¯s only been one day and night. Probably nothing has happened yet. ¡°No, actually. It just¡­seemed like an appropriate description of what was happening.¡± Ruth nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Yeah, the technique¡¯s name isn¡¯t very unique. But I would say it¡¯s definitely something of a¡­secret technique I guess? Those of us who leave the Peaks don¡¯t exactly talk about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not taboo or anything, is it?¡± Aida asked, concerned. She remembered how apprehensive the Gullbeaks were about their exercise for filtering mana so that other elements could use it. ¡°Oh, not at all! It¡¯s just there¡¯s no reason for folks in other environments to know about the specifics of Mana Siphon, you know? Since they live in such mana-rich environments.¡± Ruth shuffled a little bit, running her fingers through her long hair. She seemed a bit nervous. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not trying to make myself seem smart or anything, but I think I¡¯m the one who¡­named the technique, for lack of a better word.¡± Aida cocked her head, curious. Gratified at the attention, Ruth continued. ¡°I mean, I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯m the first one from the Peaks to be born with the ability to use mana right away, while everyone else kind of just¡­developed the ability to use mana a little bit over time, so I have a better sensitivity of what¡¯s happening in the air.¡± Shivering slightly as the morning breeze brushed her face while Ruth seemed completely unbothered, Aida asked a question that had been floating in her mind when she first learned of Mana Siphon. ¡°So what exactly is the difference between Mana Siphon and Mana Cycling? I thought in Mana Cycling, we draw mana from the air, and mana in the air comes from mana that¡¯s passively released by other living things. Mana Siphon seems like it acts just like Cycling.¡± Ruth brightened, eager to talk theory. Despite being nearly polar opposite of Ezra with her personality and appearance, her fascination with how mana worked reminded Aida of him, her heart panging. ¡°Oh, for sure! That¡¯s also why I didn¡¯t really want to talk about the specifics at school, because I can see it becoming a totally hot debate as everyone tries to tell me my name for this technique sucks.¡± Ruth grimaced at the thought, and Aida couldn¡¯t help but grin at Ruth¡¯s very accurate assessment. The competitive spirit at Maglica would definitely compel their classmates to try to one-up Ruth¡¯s discovery, poking holes in her theory and eventually criticizing the name itself if the uniqueness of her technique withstood their scrutiny. ¡°Anyway, even though there¡¯s an active and passive component to Mana Cycling - where active is when you are generating your mana within yourself, and passive is where you draw from the environment - the difference between Cycling and Siphon is that for Siphon, it¡¯s more of an active giving from the participants; people are participating in sharing their energy. Plants can¡¯t willingly give their mana, you know? I mean, you could definitely Siphon from a non-practitioner kind of easily,¡± Ruth said, eyeing Aida shiftily. ¡°But that¡¯s a fast way of developing ill will among the community, so¡­please don¡¯t do that.¡± Aida nodded thoughtfully, trying to combine Ruth¡¯s explanation with what she felt last night during the community clubbing event. She supposed it was similar to sports games, concerts, and other large events, where athletes and performers would say the more hyped the crowd was, the more energy they received and the better their performances were. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. As far as siphoning from an unwilling participant¡­Aida imagined Ruth was describing social vampires: extroverts who either couldn¡¯t or refused to read the room, and would drain an introvert¡¯s social battery, thoroughly exhausting the introvert. Aida couldn¡¯t help but grin at the analogy, making Ruth more worried. ¡°What? What are you smiling about?¡± ¡°Nothing. I was just thinking you¡¯re right. Your name for Mana Siphon could be better,¡± Aida said, forcing the corners of her lips down so she could shake her head disapprovingly at Ruth. The dark-haired girl huffed, whipping her head away from Aida as she crossed her arms defiantly. ¡°And I thought I could trust you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Aida said, a giggle coming out as she touched Ruth¡¯s shoulder lightly. ¡°I can¡¯t think of a better name, either.¡± She glanced at the Mana Siphon skill again, before blanching.
You have unlocked a new skill to learn: 1. Mana Siphon (Lv1) - Costs 140 RP to learn. Total RP: 127
Did the cost to learn this skill just decrease? She recalled how she had gained RP from learning skills as other people taught her, or from skills she had stumbled upon herself. Maybe the cost to learn the skill decreases the more I understand the skill¡­or maybe I can get Ruth to teach it to me directly. ¡°Hey, so¡­I was able to feel the mana gain from last night, but do you think you can teach me how to Mana Siphon? I mean, maybe I can ask some of the healthier warriors, or those who are willing to share, if I can Siphon from them as I treat the rest of the patients today?¡± Aida held her breath, watching Ruth¡¯s body language as she continued to keep her nose in the air. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Ruth said slowly as she turned towards Aida. ¡°And if I can teach you this skill, then that means there¡¯s a distinct difference between this skill and Mana Cycling, and that should legitimize my discovery!¡± Aida nodded enthusiastically with Ruth¡¯s rationale, eager to save herself 140 RP. Ruth nodded decisively, pulling some dried meat jerky out of a bag at the entrance of the cave and handing it to her. ¡°Here, eat this for now. I was thinking we¡¯d get breakfast with the rest of the village, but let¡¯s not waste time.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Ruth led Aida up to the very top of the Loded Peak village, where there were no longer any caves but only a small plateau. The air was even thinner and Aida¡¯s mana drain accelerated. It still wasn¡¯t the very top of the Peaks, though; the rocky wall extended even further, up into the clouds. Ruth had the decency to apologize for their training environment as she helped pull Aida over the ledge, unable to catch her breath. ¡°Sorry about the locale. I wanted us to be completely away from anybody who might accidentally become a source of mana for you.¡± ¡°Understandable,¡± Aida gasped, hyperventilating. Ruth took Aida¡¯s face in her hands, forcing her to look into her coal-dark eyes. ¡°Hey, look at me. Breathe with me. Slowly.¡± Following Ruth¡¯s lead, Aida fought to control her breathing, taking measured breaths. Through the nose. Out through the mouth. When she had finally acclimated, Ruth smiled and released Aida¡¯s face. ¡°Great! Let¡¯s take a seat.¡± They sat cross-legged facing each other, where Ruth instructed Aida on how to notice the mana in the air - in their case, there was literally only their two mana on the top of the mountain, which made for an interesting deconstruction of how Aida¡¯s mana normally interacted with the environment when she was at school. Because there was so much mana in the air at Maglica, Aida¡¯s mana seemed constrained there - her mana was almost forced into specific paths or shapes, diverting around other people¡¯s or living beings¡¯ mana. But here, where there was almost nothing living, she felt like her mana could spread and dilute easily - which incidentally was how her mana was draining so quickly. Maybe if I exert more control over my mana, I can minimize the amount of mana drain¡­ Thankful that Professor Bruce forced them to meditate on their mana control so much in Mana Control class, Aida established firmer boundaries around her mana, not letting it leak where it wanted to. ¡°Ooo, very nice,¡± Ruth said appreciatively. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that you weren¡¯t controlling your mana boundary. This will be really helpful for your mana resistance, too.¡± Aida made a thoughtful noise, intrigued. Anything will help. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°This is the hard part. Remember how Lloyd wanted us to use each other¡¯s mana?¡± Aida made a face. I haven¡¯t done much of the Gullbeaks¡¯ practice for this¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not the same thing, otherwise I could have done it in class,¡± Ruth said, smiling at Aida¡¯s expression. ¡°So, instead of focusing on my mana¡­focus on my feelings.¡± What? ¡°I know it seems crazy,¡± Ruth said quickly, unable to stop a blush from running up her neck. ¡°But see if you can feel my energy¡­like how you would for a non-practitioner. I¡¯m kind of excited right now, because I¡¯ve never taught anybody this technique, but if you can learn it¡­¡± Swallowing her doubts, Aida closed her eyes and tried to ignore Ruth¡¯s very obvious mana, a light gray that was the color of the morning clouds, and probed for Ruth¡¯s feelings. How does someone feel someone else¡¯s feelings? After sitting in silence for what felt like eternity, Aida was about to give up and apologize for wasting Ruth¡¯s time, except she suddenly noticed Ruth¡¯s heart rate spike. Following her natural Water senses, Aida dug underneath the mana to get an overall sense of Ruth¡¯s emotional state, finding that once she was aware of Ruth¡¯s emotions, she could feel the girl¡¯s feelings wash over her body, infusing her with the same jittery excitement as if she herself was excited. ¡°No way,¡± Aida breathed softly, her own excitement fueling Ruth¡¯s fueling hers fueling Ruth¡¯s¡­ ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°You see?¡± Ruth said eagerly. ¡°You feel my feelings, right? It¡¯s just like last night, you were feeling everyone¡¯s excitement¡­except this time you¡¯re more aware of it, since it¡¯s only me. Last night, with everyone else¡¯s energy level being so high¡ª¡° ¡°¡ªI had no choice, I was swept along with it,¡± Aida agreed in realization. ¡°But right now, I¡¯m making an active effort to¡­connect with you? Emotionally¡ª¡° ¡°¡ªinstead of mana, that¡¯s right!¡± Ruth crowed. ¡°But how does that relate to mana?¡± Aida asked, bewildered. She checked her mana pool, gasping before Ruth could respond. ¡°Well?¡± Ruth asked, her dark eyes glinting.
Congratulations! You have learned Mana Siphon (Lv1). +5 RP Total RP: 132
Chapter 110: Loded Peak VI The rest of the star cycle was boring. Boring in the sense that all Aida had to do was incrementally heal up the Peak villagers every day, and none of them were attacked by monsters as they went about their business. With her new Mana Siphon skill, she was actually able to request some volunteers to share some of their energy with her while she worked - and the villagers were more than happy to. Several of them set up in a circle around her to watch as she worked her healing, clapping and whooping every time her patient would perform a victory stretch to demonstrate their improved mobility. It made Aida feel like she was performing a show, though she did admit the excitement of being appreciated for her efforts and skills did a lot to fuel her stamina and mana. Fortunately, the villagers¡¯ excitement was genuine; they hadn¡¯t had a Healer in their village in a long while, so they all enjoyed watching Aida heal minor cuts and bruises, to the point where some of the women had to smack the children who were deliberately hurting themselves so they could come get healed - and then bringing said children to Aida so she could tend to their bruises from the punishment. Overall, Aida had to admit it was a good trip. The two Affiliates who were responsible for chaperoning Class 2 always made sure everyone was occupied, and that they all met as many of the villagers as possible. ¡°Being a productive member of society doesn¡¯t mean only doing the one thing you¡¯re good at,¡± Adventurer Decker told them as he brought Class 2 to mingle with a group of young children who were enthusiastically smashing and deshelling nuts under the supervision of a grandmotherly figure shortly before dinner. ¡°It means that you are actively involved in the community, and that people know who you are and are comfortable asking you for help. Remember, we are all connected, and a connected society is a stronger society.¡± By the end of the cycle, the community engagement and worthwhile work had made Aida feel like she could reasonably survive in the Peaks - the nightly celebrations of making it through another rough day in the Peaks, with the help of all of the villagers, took on a new meaning from the first night. Aida thought she had understood the intent, where they were all just encouraging each other to keep going, and that it also doubled as their form of entertainment, but now she understood that it really was a true celebration of living. They don¡¯t make it a yearly celebration, they work so hard so they appreciate every day that they have and look forward to the next day. Not only did Aida feel closer to the villagers, but Class 2 seemed to have improved their bond as well - which made sense, since they didn¡¯t have their regular school friends around. Their relationships seemed to become much more familial, as they all griped or shared humorous stories of what happened during their jobs during the day. Aida laughed along as they teased each other around the campfire, each day revealing a new inconsequential secret about her classmates. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep last night, Myk¡¯s snoring kept me awake¡ª¡° ¡°I wasn¡¯t snoring, I was practicing my fire-breathing technique¡ª¡° ¡°Ohhh, do you have dreams of becoming a fire dancer, too? We should start our own duet!¡± ¡°Natalie! You promised you¡¯d do a puppet show with me - I¡¯ve been training for small-scale environmental manipulations¡ª¡° ¡°We will! We can put together a whole show, it will be more interesting than just fire dancing or theater¡ª¡° ¡°A puppet show? You can get Abedi to do the voice¡ª¡° ¡°Hey man, don¡¯t volunteer me for this¡­I don¡¯t like performing¡­¡± ¡°If I¡¯m getting roped into Nat¡¯s troupe, you¡¯re coming with¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯ll do it if Dev does the narration¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do the narration! Dev doesn¡¯t have the charisma to draw a crowd.¡± ¡°No Pritchard, we need you to pass around the collection hat¡ª¡° Aida laughed until tears leaked out of her eyes as she imagined Class 2¡¯s traveling theater/adventuring troupe, complete with their slogan: ¡°Fighting monsters by moonlight; winning fans by daylight.¡± ¡°We¡¯d be a total hit! Everyone would hire us.¡± ¡°¡­For the show or for the patrols?¡± ¡°Both!¡± Aida still couldn¡¯t believe the biggest argument over their traveling troupe was where they would be based out of, though everyone finally conceded the issue when Bella said they just had to put on a successful enough show to get a fast airship that could pick everybody up in the morning and drop them off at night. An unfortunate development of increased intimacy with her classmates was that they felt comfortable enough to probe for details about what happened with Ezra. Aida stumbled over her words, unprepared with her explanations as nine pairs of eyes, all with varying levels of curiosity and sympathy, stared unblinkingly at her. Finally, the most unexpected person took pity on her. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Come on guys, people¡¯s relationships are their own business,¡± Pritchard said dismissively. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s probably better this way - we need Aida completely focused on making the drinks for the attendees.¡± Now nine pairs of eyes turned onto Pritchard. ¡°What?¡± he asked haughtily, lifting his nose. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you care about a minor event in school more than our future?¡± ¡°This is weirdly mature of you,¡± Tera finally said, her brow furrowed as she scratched her head. ¡°But you¡¯re right. Forward-looking, not back!¡± The rest of the classmates followed Pritchard and Tera¡¯s lead, finally leaving Aida slumped in relief. She noticed all of them were courteous enough to avert their eyes from her, giving her privacy to compose herself. They¡¯re all good kids¡­curious, but still respectful. ¡°We should probably get ready for bed,¡± Ruth said, stretching her arms and yawning. ¡°Elder Cadmum said Captain Lund will be here early tomorrow to take us back to school. Don¡¯t wanna oversleep!¡± As everybody gathered themselves, still chatting, Aida noticed Pritchard quietly collecting the furs the boys were sitting on as they all meandered towards the entrance of the cave, stacking them in the community pile before heading after his friends. Biting her lip, Aida conceded it was only fair that she approach him first. After all, he was the one who approached and apologized first at school. ¡°Hey.¡± Aida was aware that the girls had quieted their chatter, stepping back towards the rear of the cave where they had designated as their sleeping area to give them some privacy. Pritchard glanced up from the neat stack of furs, his gaze wary. ¡°Hey.¡± Aida hesitated, unable to hold his gaze. ¡°Thanks for that. You didn¡¯t have to do it.¡± ¡°It was nothing,¡± Pritchard muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it to help you. People really do need to mind their own business.¡± An awkward silence bloomed between them, as they both shuffled their feet. ¡°Regardless, I appreciated your reminder,¡± Aida finally said, peeking up at him. Pritchard shrugged his shoulders, scratching his head awkwardly. During this star cycle, he had slowly given up on styling his hair, since he wore a hat the majority of the day. His hair was now an unruly mop on his head, making him look like a much more normal and relaxed boy, except for the uncomfortable expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯re pretty okay, Pritchard.¡± He blinked. First at nothing in particular, then again at Aida. She struggled to keep her face serious. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said you¡¯re an okay guy, Pritchard.¡± Aida finally smiled, seeing that he wasn¡¯t going to misinterpret what she said. He flushed. ¡°I¡¯m more than okay!¡± ¡°Yes, true,¡± Aida agreed quickly. ¡°You¡¯re also weirdly mature.¡± He stared down his nose at her, his face pinched. Aida held her smile, slowly bringing her thumb up. Part of her was mostly certain Pritchard was just acting, but there was still a lingering part of her that worried he would revert back to the predictably unstable boy she had met earlier in the school year. He finally relented, giving her a genuine smile, clearly relieved at the truce. ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad you finally recognize my weird maturity.¡± ¡°I am too.¡± Aida hesitated for a beat before deciding on her next words. It can¡¯t hurt. ¡°By the way, I really am sorry that I was¡­super immature about the way I treated you.¡± Pritchard¡¯s face flushed again. ¡°Forget about it, it¡¯s in the past.¡± Aida nodded, feeling herself cringe at the memories of how she randomly blasted Pritchard in public, without even trying to call for a truce. It all seemed so silly now, after a week of being a team; even though their primary job duties didn¡¯t overlap, they still occasionally had to assist each other whenever their workload lightened, whether to call each other for breaks, or for Aida to help Pritchard and Abedi set up a sort of in-cave pipe system in all the caves by sensing for water reservoirs in the mountain, or for joining the villagers in bringing energy so Aida could Siphon and minimize her mana drain. ¡°So¡­how did you do it?¡± Aida blinked. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°Uh, I just¡­¡± Pritchard¡¯s face was still red as he stumbled over his explanation. It appeared he was more embarrassed that he just hopped into a one-sided conversation instead of actually being affected by infatuation. ¡°¡­it was really hard to move on, after - you know - and the only reason I did was because Professor Gemma helped me reflect and reprioritize my goals. And¡­it was hard. So I was just wondering how you did it, without a teacher¡¯s help. Or¡­any help?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Aida blanked, unsure what to say. Pritchard hurried on with his explanation. ¡°I mean, I would have been more resistant to what Gemma said, but because she used you as an example¡­I suppose I believed I could change?¡± Pritchard¡¯s word vomit became more intense at the confusion on Aida¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, I was focusing on the immediate emotions, and doing what felt good in the moment, but then Gemma told me that - not thinking - was going lead to me regretting my actions, and she said that I should look at you. You completely focused on the big picture, instead of doing¡­petty things, which is how you could make such a huge change in your class ranking.¡± Pritchard took a breath. ¡°So¡­I was just wondering how you managed to change your outlook on life so fast.¡± Aida agonized over her answer. How do I answer this without lying? ¡°Well¡­I don¡¯t really have a simple answer for this¡­¡± ¡°Did you talk to anybody who gave you helpful advice?¡± Pritchard asked earnestly. ¡°Gemma gave me some advice, but it¡¯s really hard to follow through with, especially all the time. But I see you, and it seems like you¡¯re able to live for your future goals all the time.¡± ¡°I guess¡­I had a life-changing event,¡± Aida said faintly. Close enough to the truth. ¡°So, now my outlook on life is¡­completely different from what it was before. I don¡¯t recommend going through what I went through, though,¡± she added hastily. Pritchard nodded sympathetically. ¡°I see. Bad enough to basically change your personality, huh?¡± he said, chuckling at his joke. ¡°I understand; you don¡¯t have to share if you don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m glad we could reach an understanding.¡± He held out his hand. ¡°Here¡¯s to having no regrets.¡± Aida clasped his hand. ¡°No regrets.¡± Chapter 111: Changes I The return to Maglica was filled with excitement. After a full star cycle of pure work, constantly feeling cold and literally being on their toes as they traversed the village, Class 2 was looking forward to returning to school. Everyone had shed their outerwear by the time the Peaceful Travels touched down in front of the school, cheering as they jumped over the railing instead of waiting for the crew to lower the bridge. Professors Kozu and Gemma were the ones to greet them, shaking everyone¡¯s hands for a job well done. ¡°Great work, class. You¡¯re the last ones back; go get some lunch, and then we¡¯ll have some announcements to share during dinner.¡± Gemma shuffled Class 2 away, leaving Kozu to speak with Adventurers Corey and Shan. Aida saw the two adventurers shake their heads as they spoke to Kozu, their relaxed expressions slowly stiffening. ¡°Did you forget something on the float, Aida?¡± Aida shook her head as she turned forward, hoisting her rucksack more securely over her shoulder. She glanced at Gemma¡¯s face, but her expression was carefully neutral. ¡°How were things here while we were gone?¡± Gemma shrugged, walking Aida towards the school. ¡°No new monster attacks reported for the neighboring towns, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡± Gemma¡¯s voice was suspiciously light. ¡°How did you find the Peaks?¡± ¡°I like the village,¡± Aida said after a brief moment to think. ¡°I think it¡¯s fascinating how they adapted their lifestyles and culture to the environment. I would have expected any sane group of people to decide not to make their homes in such an¡­unfortunate place.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not an easy place to live,¡± Gemma agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered if the Peak dwellers would eventually make their way down the mountain, now that there are more Metal and Earth practitioners who can create ores. But the demand for raw material is still quite high among the more sophisticated artisans. Your mana vitality does seem much improved, though - it seems you took to the mountain air training quite nicely!¡± ¡°Thank you! I¡¯m glad to be back at school, though,¡± Aida said brightly. She took in a deep breath, smiling up at the building. ¡°It will be nice to see everyone again.¡± She felt a small pit form in her stomach as her mind ran through her roster of ¡®everyone¡¯. ¡°Everyone is okay, right?¡± ¡°Of course, everybody''s alive,¡± Gemma said smoothly, opening the door for Aida. ¡°Go on and take a break, see your friends.¡± Unable to dawdle much longer, Aida slowly made her way to her room to drop off her belongings, hoping that the longer she took the less crowded the dining hall would be. No luck - even though it was late for lunch, most of the third years were still in the dining hall, socializing with each other and comparing notes as to how their sponsorship weeks had gone. Aida¡¯s stomach dropped as she saw Ezra sitting with Sue at one of the edge tables, along with Caleb and Levi and - Lara? It didn¡¯t even look like Lara was forcing herself on them¡­they were all actually looking at her with serious expressions as she spoke softly, slowly nodding along. I guess it makes sense that they¡¯re feeling closer¡­I bonded with Class 2, after all. Feeling mildly relieved that her decision to skip lunch was an easy one, Aida was about to turn on her heel when Lara stood up, taking her tray with her. The blue-haired girl nodded to the four of them, her hair rippling like ocean waves as she headed towards the dish drop. Aida reconsidered if she was hungry enough to get lunch. I haven''t seen them in a whole star cycle, and Ezra and I said goodbye on good terms before we all left... ¡°Aida.¡± Lara nodded at her as she exited the dining hall. Her voice was neutral. She didn¡¯t stick around to make any sort of barbed remark or sideways glance; she just left, followed shortly after by her usual crew of second- and first-year girls, though they didn¡¯t follow Lara¡¯s lead in being cordial, and took the opportunity to throw scathing looks at her. Aida looked after Lara, astonished. I guess Pritchard isn¡¯t the only one who has changed. Deciding there wasn¡¯t a good reason to skip lunch, Aida entered the dining hall, casually making her way to the ordering counter without looking towards the table the leads were sitting at. ¡°Aida! I¡¯m glad to see you back safe and sound,¡± Nolem said warmly. ¡°What can I get for you?¡± ¡°Something with a lot of fire, please,¡± Aida replied, smiling ruefully. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take for me to warm up after a star cycle in the Peaks.¡± As Nolem puttered off to assemble Aida¡¯s tray, she took the opportunity to glance around the dining hall. Lily and Vanita were sitting with a few of their Class 3 friends, engaged in animated conversation and laughter, while the leads were visibly down. Dev and Pritchard were with their group at their own table, unsurprisingly - but the other girls in Class 2 were at a neighboring table, so they basically all sat together, and they had the same rambunctious energy as Class 3. Aida took her tray from Nolem, trying to decide who to sit with before mentally slapping herself. Why is it even a decision? I haven¡¯t seen Sue and friends in a whole week. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. As she headed towards Sue¡¯s table, she hitched a smile on her face, ignoring the trepidation that was bubbling in her. Don¡¯t overthink it. Just say hello. You can always bail before you sit down. ¡°Hey!¡± There was a visible hesitation as they looked up at her, with Caleb being the first one to smile. ¡°You finally made it back. How was your assignment?¡± His forced cheer in the absence of everyone else¡¯s made Aida balk at sitting down. ¡°It was good - the mana drain was kind of hard to deal with in the beginning, but Ruth and the other Peak villagers made sure we were comfortable,¡± Aida said, her voice trailing off as she noticed that everyone else seemed to have shifty eyes - even Sue. ¡°Are¡­are you guys okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re fine,¡± Levi said airily. ¡°We had some close calls, but we¡¯re all okay. Just tired.¡± An awkward silence followed Levi¡¯s excuse, with Caleb shifting in his chair as he looked between everybody, opening his mouth and closing it several times as he tried to figure out what to say to keep the atmosphere friendly. Ezra¡¯s eyes were downcast, not even trying to invite her to join their table, and Sue just gave Aida a quick, watery smile before poking at her food again - most of which was untouched, though clearly cold now. Caleb gave an imperceptible, helpless shrug to Aida when she looked at him, and even Levi avoided her gaze, not giving her a cue on what she should do. ¡°It was good seeing you guys,¡± Aida said softly, her stomach clenching. She had never thought she''d be iced out by this group of friends. What happened? ¡°I¡¯ll go sit with the others, since it looks like you¡¯re done eating. I¡¯ll talk to you all later.¡± Careful to keep her hands steady, Aida reversed course and headed back towards the tables Class 2 were occupying, slipping into an empty seat next to Bella. She absentmindedly scooted over to give Aida more space, passing an unused napkin onto Aida¡¯s tray before returning to a good-natured debate with Shon about the far-reaching effects of certain trees on an ecosystem as they discussed the forests they had started growing in the Peaks. ¡°What took you so long?¡± Tera asked, carving her steak into cubes. ¡°If we weren¡¯t all talking we¡¯d have been done eating by now.¡± ¡°I was trying to decide if I should skip lunch to prepare for lessons or not,¡± Aida said blandly. ¡°You were going to skip Maglica lunch? I guess you really liked my cooking, huh?¡± Natalie asked mischievously. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re back at school now, you don¡¯t have to humor her,¡± Pritchard called over indignantly, bringing a reluctant grin to Aida¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s not about the cooking, it¡¯s about the company,¡± Abedi said sagely. Natalie eyed him beadily. ¡°So she considered skipping hanging out with us¡­explain yourself!¡± Natalie demanded. ¡°Otherwise you can¡¯t sit with us!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t skip lunch though,¡± Aida pointed out. ¡°I decided to hang out with you guys instead of study.¡± Aida settled into the groove of Class 2¡¯s banter, feeling like she was back in the Peaks. Despite her classmates¡¯ easy acceptance of her, Aida couldn¡¯t help but feel like an outsider¡­again. Getting rejected from the main leads¡¯ group was a first for her, though she was certain it wasn¡¯t due to any of her actions. It had only been one week - and they had all seemed decently friendly before leaving the school. She hadn¡¯t had time to offend them since getting back. How could their reception towards me change so quickly? ¡°Aida, are you done? We¡¯re going to play a game of girls versus boys Flying Needle,¡± Ruth said, poking Aida¡¯s arm. ¡°We¡¯re going to see how good everyone¡¯s mana control and resistance got after going to the Peaks. You¡¯re more than welcome to join! We need to even out the team.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Aida said automatically. She enjoyed Flying Needle more than sparring; the objective of the game was to match the opposing team¡¯s mana blast on a dummy, with one point awarded for accurately striking the blast location, and a second point awarded for matching the size of the blast, for a total of two points per attempt. That wasn¡¯t all, though: the opposing team was allowed to sabotage the caster¡¯s attempt by messing with their mana flow. The only restriction to the extent of sabotage was that they couldn¡¯t touch the caster, whether with their elemental manifestations disrupting the body or by physically harassing them. It was a game purely based on mana resistance and penetration. ¡°Watch out, boys,¡± Bella said teasingly, flipping her platinum blond hair over her shoulder. ¡°After a full meal, I¡¯m feeling unstoppable.¡± Aida followed her classmates out, glancing over at the leads¡¯ table. Sue and Caleb were the only ones remaining, with Caleb leaning towards Sue as he spoke quietly to her, his mass hiding her expression. What¡¯s happening? What happened to them? Growing increasingly worried, Aida bumped into Dev¡¯s back. ¡°Sorry,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said quietly. ¡°They¡¯re probably just tired from their own assignment.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what Levi said,¡± Aida mumbled. ¡°But¡­was it really that bad?¡± ¡°Give them some time to rest. I saw Adventurer Kuri on the way in, and she looked exhausted too. If even the Affiliate accompanying them is tired¡­¡± Aida nodded, feeling even more worried. At least none of them are hurt. ¡°Dev! What are you doing?¡± Myk barked, poking his head around the corner as he regarded them suspiciously. ¡°Are you fraternizing with the enemy?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Dev retorted, raising himself to his full height. ¡°Just making sure our victory over the girls can¡¯t be excused by saying they¡¯re distracted.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Myk thrust an accusatory finger at Aida. ¡°Better get your head in the game, Aida. The girls kept saying they lost the previous games because they were down one person, so you¡¯d better not give them another excuse to dismiss our victory.¡± They really take this game very seriously. Aida raised her chin. ¡°I would never besmirch my honor by not doing my best in Flying Needle!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Tera crowed, snatching Aida away from Dev. ¡°With a full five, we¡¯ll be able to sabotage the boys properly on their turn!¡± Aida gave herself over to the competitive spirit, allowing herself to enjoy just being back at school. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll tell me what happened¡­at least one of them will¡­ Chapter 112: Changes II After a loud, exuberant game of Flying Needle where the girls won by a narrow margin, Class 2 trooped back into the dining hall as the sun began to set. The girls were hoarse, rubbing their victory into the boys¡¯ brooding faces. ¡°Could you believe Pritchard missed that final shot?¡± Tera cackled as she nearly choked Aida in her one-armed hug. ¡°How did you get so good at mana penetration?¡± Aida gave her a sly smile. ¡°Believe it or not, Adventurer Kuri helped me a lot with that.¡± The secret was that Crit Up was a lot more versatile than she had first thought. The more she trained her Crit Up ability, the more refined her overlay of the skill became. Where before all she could see was obvious markings of a potential chink in armor like with the beetle, now her target¡¯s mana flow displayed a gradient, allowing her to anticipate any changes in mana resistance. ¡°I bet Aida¡¯s going to place really high in the end of year rankings if she keeps up her training,¡± Natalie said enthusiastically. Aida shuddered. ¡°Don¡¯t set me up for failure.¡± ¡°Aida¡¯s positioning herself as harmless so none of us will take her seriously,¡± Shon muttered from behind. Aida hid behind all this banter as they stood in line to place their dinner orders, pretending she was unbothered by the fact that she now seemed to be closer to her classmates than people she thought were her friends. It stung even more that they weren¡¯t even icing out Lara anymore; the five of them had already gotten their trays, and were seated at one of the smaller tables that didn¡¯t allow them room for more people. If Lara was forcing her presence upon them, Aida would have expected sullen expressions on the other four faces, but there was nothing signaling they were annoyed or feeling put-upon by having her at their table. They were somber, and weren¡¯t smiling and joking like Aida was with Class 2, but¡­Aida felt a tinge of jealousy swell up. It¡¯s like they are their own group now. Without glancing over at their table, Aida followed her classmates to one of the longer tables, taking a seat facing away from them so that she didn¡¯t inadvertently ruin the mood by being distracted by what Class 1 was doing. Dev seated himself next to her, scraping his chair along the marble floor obnoxiously loudly. ¡°Not worried that Havi¡¯s going to reprimand you for damaging school property?¡± Aida asked offhandedly, spooning at her soup glumly. ¡°Pritchard can fix it.¡± Dev elegantly took a bite of his fish and rice. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t worry so much about them.¡± Aida glanced sharply at him, but he didn¡¯t elaborate as he continued eating. Somehow, Aida was certain he was talking about the chilly reception he must have seen her receive when she tried to sit with Sue and the boys during lunch, despite giving no indication that he was referring to the group sitting behind them. Following his cue, she ate her meal in silence, unable to taste anything. ¡°If we may have your attention, please.¡± Aida glanced up at the line of professors who were standing at the front of the dining hall, all with grim expressions on their faces. Once the dining hall¡¯s conversations settled, Professor Bruce cleared his throat in that way he did before he passed on information he considered dire; usually when he warned them of what would happen if they didn¡¯t practice their meditation exercises during every waking moment. ¡°First of all, we would like to thank our third years for their exemplary service in assisting with the rebuilding efforts of various villages during this past star cycle.¡± Bruce paused as the first and second years clapped enthusiastically, while Classes 2 and 3 clapped with significantly less energy, waiting for the but that was hiding behind Bruce¡¯s praise. ¡°However, we regret to inform everybody that work is not the last of it.¡± Bruce¡¯s warning voice took on an even grimmer tone. ¡°We debated whether we should even let the younger students hear this next piece of information, but in the end we decided everybody must be on guard. As students at Maglica Academy, you all must be prepared for what comes next, regardless of your youth. For that, we regret that we must color your experience at Maglica with this unfortunate departure from tradition.¡± Get to the point! Aida¡¯s stomach tightened with anxiety as she screamed internally at Bruce¡¯s penchant for flowery language. ¡°¡­however, during Class 1¡¯s assignment alongside renowned adventurers, they discovered some unsettling information that¡­may have something to do with the surge of monster activity we have seen these past few moon cycles.¡± Murmurs began spreading across the dining hall as several students gasped or leaned towards their friends to mutter about Bruce¡¯s words. He raised his voice to speak over the rumblings, quieting everyone down as they tried to catch his words. Aida turned in her chair to look over at Sue¡¯s table, to see a stony-faced Lara, Ezra, Levi, and Caleb looking to Professor Bruce as he gave his speech. Sue had her elbows on the table and her head pressed in her hands, slumping over the table. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°We have only received some preliminary details, and we will be in discussions with the Strongholds and other Adventurers to coordinate a plan. In the meantime, we¡­expect there to be some disruptions to the school schedule.¡± The tension in the dining hall congealed, gripping everybody by the throat. ¡°First: for the third years, we will be revising the sponsorship assignment criteria a bit. We will lift the restrictions that say you cannot meet with the same sponsor every consecutive cycle; the original intent of the restriction was so you would take that opportunity to broaden your horizons and meet and learn from a different Affiliate each cycle. However, with several of our Affiliates having to be called away occasionally, and a new emphasis on focusing on a specialty, we will allow you to sign up for an assignment with whichever Affiliate you¡¯d like, provided they have the availability to take you on.¡± This was supposed to be good news, but the students didn¡¯t take it as such. The third years started glancing uneasily at each other; they had all complained before about how the restriction didn¡¯t make sense - because they already knew roughly what they wanted to do, and being told to ¡°broaden their horizons¡± was just a waste of time - but now that the restriction was lifted, it felt like a trap. It kind of is a trap though¡­we get this freedom at the cost of some sort of external threat. Class 1 were like statues; none of the boys met Aida¡¯s probing eyes, and Sue remained in her crumpled form. Her mana was withdrawn, so Aida couldn¡¯t even get a good sense of how she was feeling. ¡°As far as classes go, we will strive to keep the class schedules for all students as they are. However, we will be asking the third years to take on an instructor¡¯s assistant role with the first and second years during free periods when - if - there are no Affiliates or instructors present.¡± This last proclamation renewed the rumblings in the dining hall as all the students turned to their neighbors to hiss about the ominous warning. If no instructors are present? Aida finally turned away from Class 1, gauging the mood among the rest of the student body. The first and second years, mostly insulated from what had been happening outside of the school, were finally starting to take on the grim fear that the majority of third years were exuding. ¡°These are the overarching changes to the remainder of the school year. If anybody has any questions or concerns, please feel free to approach any of the instructors.¡± Immediately, several of the bolder students crowded around the clump of professors, all talking over each other. Aida stood up as well, though she headed directly to Class 1¡¯s table instead. ¡°What happened out there?¡± Aida demanded, stopping in front of them. They all looked warily at her, except for Sue, who kept her head lowered. ¡°What did you see out there? What happened to Sue?¡± Lara stood up, edging Aida away from the table, her arms spread as if to hide Sue and the boys behind her - like she was protecting them. From me? ¡°Calm down,¡± Lara said quietly, her soothing tone doing nothing to slow Aida¡¯s heartbeat. It was almost like she couldn¡¯t hear Lara¡¯s words, with how loud the blood rushing through her ears was. ¡°We¡¯re all okay - Suelina is fine, she just needs some time to recover.¡± ¡°From what?¡± Aida demanded more loudly, trying to scoot around Lara to get to Sue, but Lara matched her movement to rebuff her, actually having the gall to put her hands on Aida¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Get off of me!¡± Sue finally looked up at Aida¡¯s shout, though the blank expression on her face frightened Aida enough to cease her struggles against the stronger girl. As soon as Sue saw Aida though, it was like her original personality flickered back across her face, recognition lighting the dead eyes. ¡°Aida! It¡¯s okay! I¡¯m fine!¡± Lara finally released Aida as Sue stood up, allowing her to go to her best friend. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Aida asked anxiously, taking Sue by the shoulders and peering into her now-lively lilac eyes. ¡°You seemed so out of it for a while.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Sue winced, brushing Aida¡¯s hair out of her face. ¡°I was¡­tired. It¡¯s been a long cycle. But you¡¯re okay?¡± Sue examined Aida back, putting her own hands on Aida¡¯s shoulders and turning her this way and that. ¡°Woah, it seems like Loded Peaks was good to you! Your mana feels so much stronger than before.¡± ¡°It could have been worse,¡± Aida replied, relaxing slightly as Sue seemed to have returned to her usual cheery form. But the pit in her stomach hadn¡¯t totally gone away; she couldn¡¯t forget the stiff mask-like expression on Sue¡¯s face. Perfect and beautiful still, but cold and¡­missing. ¡°¡­what happened to you?¡± ¡°Oo, it was awful,¡± Sue moaned. ¡°I mean, it was great at first, we were with Kuri just blasting through monsters in the deep Western Woods, but then¡­¡± Sue tapered off, gazing over Aida¡¯s head. After a brief pause, Aida cleared her throat, which was enough to snap Sue out of her reverie. ¡°Uh¡­we got separated,¡± Sue said lamely. ¡°But at least I survived!¡± She spun in place with her arms spread, her confident cheeky smile back on her face. Aida looked uncertainly at the other members of Class 1, and they all had pinched, cautious expressions on their faces. Levi finally stepped forward, reaching his hand out towards Aida as he gently pulled her away from Sue. ¡°I¡¯ll fill Aida in on what happened,¡± he told the rest of them, to Caleb and Lara¡¯s evident relief. Ezra¡¯s head was ducked, and Sue was looking off into the distance again. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in your room,¡± Levi said quietly, ushering her up the stairs. ¡°I think you¡¯re going to want some privacy for this.¡± Aida bit her lip, unable to stop her mind from racing at all the potential developments that caused Sue and Class 1 to act so oddly. Do they know I¡¯m not Aida? That one seemed unlikely; they didn¡¯t look at her with suspicion, they just seemed distracted and worried, overall. Everyone else¡¯s personalities seemed the same, for the most part - except for Sue. Something must have happened to her. That was the only thing that made sense. But it¡¯s not because she knows I¡¯m not Aida, right? Chapter 113: Changes III When Aida finally opened the door to her room, Levi traipsed in silently, just as subdued as when he was in the dining hall with the others. Aida shut the door behind him, struggling to keep calm as she tried not to jump to conclusions. Levi sat heavily on her bed as Aida took the chair at her desk. They stared at each other for a moment, neither speaking. Finally, Levi sighed, a shadow of his usual smirk on his lips. ¡°It seems like going to Loded Peak was unexpectedly beneficial for you.¡± ¡°I learned a special technique to survive there,¡± Aida agreed softly. She worried her lip. He seemed fine, but she couldn¡¯t quite be sure - especially since they hadn¡¯t fully touched base on if he had come to terms with Aida and Ezra dating. So much for that. Aida shook her head angrily as she suppressed the unwelcome thoughts. ¡°How are you?¡± she forced out, focusing on his body language. He was the one in front of her right now, and he had - at least some - answers. Levi leaned back, exhaling. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Ezra¡¯s fine, too.¡± He noticed Aida¡¯s irritated twitch. ¡°I¡¯m only saying that because I was with him, so I can confirm that neither of us went through¡­whatever Suelina went through.¡± ¡°Tell me what she went through,¡± Aida said urgently, leaning forward. ¡°Why is she so¡­¡± she rolled her wrist, trying to find the right words to describe Sue¡¯s condition. ¡°Catatonic?¡± Levi grinned wryly. ¡°When Healer Vega examined her, she said she was under the influence of something - she couldn¡¯t be sure, but she said her own Detox skill wasn¡¯t strong enough to pull her out of it.¡± Levi clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we didn¡¯t have Healer Bokar on that expedition with us.¡± ¡°How did she get poisoned? Was she hurt otherwise? And don¡¯t you dare lie to me, or omit the truth somehow,¡± she added fiercely when Levi hesitated. He raised his hands in acquiescence. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie. I¡¯m just trying to get the story straight in my head so I don¡¯t accidentally make things more confusing.¡± He met Aida¡¯s gaze steadily. Aida nodded slowly, deciding to trust him. I can always confirm with Caleb later, at least. ¡°We were all in the hunting party together: Class 1, led by Kuri and Vega. We were in the Western Woods, clearing out one segment. It was routine. Not difficult. But then - we got separated. Me and Ezra, Caleb and Lara, Kuri and Vega, and Suelina was on her own.¡± ¡°How¡ª¡° ¡°It was an earthquake.¡± Levi scoffed at his own response. ¡°Well, an unnatural earthquake. Caleb felt it coming, but not before he could do more than shout. It¡­the entire forest and topography changed. It¡¯s like¡­the woods itself was deliberately trying to isolate us all.¡± Levi shook his head, his expression dark. ¡°Anyway, I was with Ezra. He said he got the same sense of foreboding as when he got attacked at the school lake with you, but he didn¡¯t sense any mana, so we still don¡¯t know exactly what happened.¡± Levi raised his eyes to Aida, checking her reaction. She nodded stiffly for him to go on. Don¡¯t jump to conclusions yet. ¡°We fought our way out of - wherever we were. We had set up camp on the outskirts of the forests, kind of a base of operations with other Adventuring and Stronghold groups who had stationed themselves in that area. We didn¡¯t know where we were, so we thought it was smartest to get out of the forest and then navigate our way to where the base was. We met Kuri, Vega, Caleb, and Lara there¡­and the Strongholders were just preparing an expedition to go find Suelina, when she finally came out of the forest herself.¡± Aida could imagine Levi¡¯s narration: the group of seven talented and skilled individuals, getting split into four smaller groups by a supernatural power¡­with Sue isolated. That makes sense. She¡¯s the main character¡­it¡¯s some sort of test. ¡°And¡­was it obvious she wasn¡¯t in her right mind?¡± ¡°Well, she was walking straight, and she recognized us when she saw us¡­relieved, you know. But she passed out as soon as she got to base, so Caleb put her to bed and Healer Vega and another Stronghold Healer went to examine her.¡± Levi lapsed into brooding silence for a moment before offering a theory. ¡°While she was out, we talked with the other groups. Caleb and Lara got dumped into some sort of underground cave, and Kuri and Vega were stranded in their original location. All they could do was backtrack, because - from their perspective - we just disappeared. Swallowed by the forest somehow.¡± Levi¡¯s eyes were hard. Steely. ¡°Odd, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aida shook her head helplessly, knowing what he was thinking. ¡°¡­it¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°It is. Like it¡¯s deliberate.¡± If this was a video game - it is a video game, Aida reminded herself - then the leads getting separated wasn¡¯t shocking. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for the party to get split into smaller groups, whether by choice (or plot, really) so that the party could accomplish multiple objectives at once, or because some sort of accident happened that caused the party to be split (like half the party falling through a hole in the ground). Having an overarching ¡°Evil Being¡± causing all this upheaval in Wyndia wasn¡¯t surprising, either. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. At least plot armor is a thing here. Again, Annie cursed herself for not having any knowledge of how the story was supposed to go. She had been so focused on the dating part, she hadn¡¯t given any thought to the action part of the game. But since all the clues of what was going on with the plot could be pieced together by what the main character experienced¡­she had to find out what Sue went through while alone in the forest. ¡°So what¡¯s your theory?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your theory for what happened while we were out in the Western Woods? The people who have no idea about your origin are baffled.¡± There was a slight accusatory undertone to his question. Aida took a deep breath to keep her cool. Don¡¯t take it personally. He went through a stressful situation. ¡°If I were to look at this objectively, I think there is some sort of ¡®evil¡¯ that is directly causing all these events, and it is deliberately targeting you guys.¡± Levi stared at her, unblinkingly, for several seconds before he broke out in laughter. A full-bellied, unrestrained laugh that made Aida think that she had somehow fallen for a stupid prank of his. ¡°Why are you laughing¡ª¡° ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡± Levi gasped, wiping his eye with his pointer finger. ¡°Is this some sort of revenge attempt to make me look delusional to everybody? Are you going to tell me to keep these details a secret, but you¡¯re expecting me to walk around with an air of inflated self-importance because you¡¯re going to tell me Class 1 are protagonists in this game world setting you had revealed to me earlier?¡± ¡°Please,¡± Aida said, annoyed. ¡°Having known me as long as you have, do you really think I have the capacity - or desire - to play these kinds of manipulative social games?¡± Levi snorted before composing himself. ¡°Sorry. It just sounded too grandiose to be real.¡± He cleared his throat as he resettled himself on the bed, straightening his posture so that he gave off the impression of being serious and earnest. ¡°Let¡¯s start with ¡®the evil.¡¯ What kind of evil are we talking about? Malignant spirits from children¡¯s stories¡ª¡° here he pointed to Aida ¡°¡ªor the nature of humanity?¡± ¡°It could be both,¡± Aida said defensively. ¡°I told you, I never played the game this world is based upon so I don¡¯t know.¡± Levi raised his eyes to the sky as he said an inaudible prayer. ¡°Okay. So what are you basing your conclusion on, if you don¡¯t know the reason the world is going in this direction?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how other games and stories go. There¡¯s a generic ¡®evil¡¯ that¡¯s trying to destroy the world as we know it, and the only way to save the world is for a select group of heroes to go destroy the evil.¡± Levi stared at her, seeming to wait for her to continue speaking. Aida prodded him for a reaction. ¡°Your stories follow a similar script, right? I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯s a totally original concept.¡± ¡°Well, no, the overall plot is the same,¡± Levi agreed reluctantly. He cupped his chin as he leaned back, staring at Aida¡¯s ceiling. ¡°Okay. So who are the select group of heroes? The Gullbeaks? Since they¡¯re the plucky young upstarts who have accomplished feats that no one has seen since the original Stronghold groups were established?¡± Aida was about to dismiss his suggestion - since the game obviously revolved around Sue and the boys - but tilted her head in confusion as she seriously considered the Gullbeaks. The Gullbeaks¡¯ backstory fit the typical ¡°hero¡± profile. They already had their call to action when their village was destroyed, leaving them with no ties to anywhere or anyone except for each other. They had a capable leader, a well-rounded combat team with a mentor figure, and the typical heroic motivation of protecting the world. And Sue was dead set on joining the Gullbeaks. If she did, that would definitely kickstart the action RPG part of the game where they would travel the world, find the source of evil, and defeat it. But how did the boys factor into it? They had impressive combat abilities of their own, and before Aida had met the Gullbeaks she would have expected Sue to party up with the boys (and perhaps even Dev) to go on the quest to save the world. Levi seemed pretty determined to just get a job that would allow him to coast, which seemed to be at odds with the Gullbeaks¡¯ work. Ezra seemed intent on discovering what the ¡°evil¡± was, which aligned with the Gullbeaks¡¯ goal as well. Caleb¡¯s motivations were staunchly related to helping his parents, but that could tangentially be used to string him along with the plot¡¯s intentions of having Sue lead a party to victory. Well, there¡¯s still several moon cycles until job offers are made anyway. Levi might very well find an excuse to join the Gullbeaks. ¡°Well?¡± Levi asked impatiently. ¡°It makes sense, right? The Gullbeaks would be the heroes.¡± When Aida didn¡¯t respond with an enthusiastic affirmative, Levi asked warily, ¡°Who else would it be?¡± ¡°I mean, the game this world is based on is centered around Sue and¡­you guys.¡± Aida chuckled awkwardly, tucking her hair behind her ear. ¡°My first thought would have been you, Sue, Ezra, and Caleb would be the heroes¡­but the Gullbeaks makes sense too¡­¡± Levi stared at her for another long, awkward moment. He finally sighed, burying his face in his hands as he leaned on his knees. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can continue with this charade.¡± Charade? ¡°I went along with it in the beginning because I didn¡¯t have another explanation on how a totally different, fully formed personality with totally different but complete knowledge of a different world took over Aida¡¯s body, but this is getting way beyond what I can accept.¡± Levi straightened, fixing Aida with an intense, yet pleading gaze. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly convince me the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a few teenagers. Not when there¡¯s so many other groups of established veterans, masters, real adults, leaders, people who actually have control and are able to do something? I mean, that¡¯s ridiculous and kind of an aggrandizement, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aida pressed her lips together. ¡°I don¡¯t really know. The Gullbeaks also fit the profile.¡± Unless they are the setup to making Sue and the boys committed to the cause. A shiver ran down her back, but she didn¡¯t want to verbalize the new fear that reared its ugly head - what if saying it made it happen? She liked the Gullbeaks, and didn¡¯t want anything to happen to them. Levi snapped his fingers. ¡°What about you?¡± Aida tilted her head at him. ¡°You¡¯re not from this world, and you have this theory of what¡¯s going to happen. What if you¡¯re the one who¡¯s supposed to save the world?¡± Chapter 114: Resolution I Levi¡¯s question was fair, albeit ridiculous. Aida spent the rest of the star cycle turning the question on its head, coming up with perfectly rational explanations for why it wasn¡¯t valid, and coming up with equally convincing arguments why he might have a point. ¡°What if you¡¯re the one who¡¯s supposed to save the world?¡± She knew his question had been rhetorical, a sarcastic counterargument for her insistence that he, Sue, Ezra, and Caleb were supposed to be the ones to risk their lives to save the world. But when he had posed that question, a cold block of ice had slid down her spine, sending a shiver through her body that made her believe he might be right. But that¡¯s crazy. I¡¯m in the body of the side character. But maybe that was her role; she was supposed to guide the main character on the correct path. So even if she wasn¡¯t the one with a direct hand in slaying the evil demon, she still would be responsible for making sure the evil was slain. Aida buried her face in her hands. I¡¯m going to become the conspiracy theorist of this world. ¡°Aida, are you all right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Aida sighed, dropping her hands from her face as she looked at the crumpled notes and books in front of her. ¡°What are you up to, Dev?¡± ¡°I was looking up some more advanced water techniques. Can I sit?¡± Aida nodded for him to pull out a chair. Dev looked just as exhausted as she felt, with slight dark circles under his eyes. ¡°You look like you haven¡¯t slept since we got back from the Peaks.¡± He smiled half-heartedly at her. ¡°So do you. I suppose the mountain air is better for our health than the posh rooms and meals at Maglica.¡± ¡°Things were a lot simpler up there,¡± Aida agreed softly. And it was true¡­even though she had gone to the Peaks with a pit in her stomach, weighed down by the breakup with Ezra, held back by the fear of what the mana dearth would do to her health and what they would find in the habitat of charred zards¡­at least she had a clear idea of what was happening, and what had to happen. True, she had her own anxieties about making Aida¡¯s life in this world worth it - because if she didn¡¯t, then that was the equivalent of her throwing Annie¡¯s life, with her loving parents, away. If she didn¡¯t give her all to make sure Aida¡¯s life was worth living, then her decision to not try to get back to her parents was going to be a regret that spanned both lives. But those fears seemed so petty compared to the thought that she might truly have the weight of the world on her shoulders. It wasn¡¯t just her happiness at stake, it was everyone else¡¯s as well. ¡°The news certainly is dire,¡± Dev said quietly, resting his forehead in his hand. ¡°The ironic thing is, despite the threat against civilization as a whole¡­I can still see my family focusing on stabilizing their standing instead of coming together with everyone to defend against the monsters.¡± Aida accidentally poked her eye while rubbing it, startled by Dev¡¯s statement. This was the first time he had directly acknowledged the political strife brewing in his family. All the other times, he had been so apathetic about the family turmoil to the point of cluelessness. ¡°Maybe they think the monster issue will be resolved soon?¡± Aida asked hopefully as she blinked the stinging sensation out of her eyes. Dev shook his head somberly, his eyes dull. ¡°I wish, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely.¡± He pressed his lips together tightly, cutting himself off from elaborating. ¡°Anyway¡­I guess the good thing about this development is that I finally found a purpose of my own,¡± he said grimly. ¡°I just hope I¡¯m not too late¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aida asked, collecting her notes and books. She had accepted she was no longer able to continue studying - not that it would help, since she had been bouncing between Wyndian history and mana theory, instead of focusing on one or the other. She had thought, or rather hoped, that since she knew so little about the world, that every little bit of knowledge she came across would help solidify her foundation from which she could craft theories on what was causing the monster attacks. Unfortunately, though she read the words individually and understood them, she couldn¡¯t get the information to stick in a meaningful way. I wish reality could be like video games¡­where progress can be achieved just by grinding. Dev exhaled. ¡°Even though watching you shamed me enough to try a little harder, I still didn¡¯t quite have a reason to try. I suppose you could say¡­you pressured me to try harder, but going to Loded Peaks, seeing how our mana abilities could meaningfully help others¡­¡± his voice trailed off, the tension in his face draining as he thought about their class trip. ¡°¡­I finally have clarity on how I can use my mana to help people. Not just to fulfill my parents¡¯ or my clan¡¯s goals, but to help people who can¡¯t help themselves, even if they wanted to.¡± His fist clenched on the desk, the knuckles whitening before he released his grip. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°While I was growing up, I never lacked for anything,¡± he said quietly. ¡°My mother doted on me, my father praised me. They bought me tutors, they challenged me, they convinced me that everything I learned and did would help all of humanity¡­but it wasn¡¯t until Lara and I were both admitted to Maglica Academy that they thoroughly impressed upon me that my skills they had nurtured in me were to be used for the family.¡± Dev¡¯s pale blue eyes darkened. ¡°Whenever I went back home, all questions about my schooling were about how I did relative to Lara¡­it was never about if I enjoyed learning from Maglica, or what I might want to do with my abilities. Never any deeper considerations about how I could help people in a truly meaningful way. ¡°They never outright told me I couldn¡¯t do anything, but they always made sure to emphasize that whatever endeavor I attempted, it better not interfere with my performance against Lara.¡± Dev gave a strained laugh. ¡°It wasn¡¯t even about my ranking at school. It was just ¡®as long as it¡¯s better than Lara.¡¯ Honestly, I think I would be less annoyed if they had focused on my overall ranking, instead of only comparing me to Lara.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Aida said awkwardly. In an attempt to mask her helpless confusion, she aimed for an inoffensive joke. ¡°So, is your rebellion successful? Seeing as how you¡¯re ranked lower than Lara now.¡± Dev blinked at the question for a second before snickering. ¡°Probably. My parents were relieved I barely beat Lara during last year¡¯s final ranking exams, but they vowed to make sure it never came that close again. I¡¯ll find out for sure when I go back after graduation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really going to aim for a lower rank, even though you found your purpose?¡± Aida asked curiously. Dev shrugged carelessly. ¡°I can still help people even if I¡¯m not the best. And it might actually be more beneficial to me if I¡¯m perceived as worse than Lara - my parents might give up on making me a part of their plans.¡± The grin on Dev¡¯s face broadened. ¡°Yeah, that might actually work. I don¡¯t know what I was so worried about.¡± ¡°Yeah, what were you worried about?¡± Aida inquired. ¡°You said something about hoping you¡¯re not too late?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The smile dropped from Dev¡¯s face and he scrubbed at his eyes with his palms. ¡°That¡¯s not related to family business. I was just worried the last year I was actively not trying might have set my mana development back. I don¡¯t care about ranking, but it wouldn¡¯t do to be incapable as well, you know?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s only one year, right?¡± Aida asked reasonably. ¡°And besides, with your natural talent you could probably catch up in one moon cycle.¡± ¡°One would hope,¡± Dev sighed at Aida''s bravado. ¡°Anyway, what were you working on? You seem pretty stressed.¡± Aida groaned, burying her face in her arms. ¡°Nothing major. Just trying to figure out why there¡¯s such an influx of monster attacks, that¡¯s all. And also berating myself for wasting time on this when I should be following your example and improving my mana skills.¡± ¡°You know,¡± Dev said thoughtfully. ¡°Since the adults haven¡¯t had time to find an explanation yet¡­maybe it really does fall to us to figure out what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°How would we do it if the adults, with more resources than us, couldn¡¯t do it?¡± Aida asked, frowning as she lifted her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the whole reason we¡¯re in this predicament in the first place? The outfits with actual resources and experienced Adventurers say it¡¯s too expensive to go on a hunt when they don¡¯t even know what they¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°Listen, that¡¯s exactly why they¡¯ve made no progress. They may have more resources, but they also have more obligations tying them down - they don¡¯t have the mobility to make and execute decisions that we would, for example. They have to make sure every decision they make is backed by their stakeholders, and the more resources they have, the more stakeholders they have. But look at us,¡± Dev¡¯s eyes glinted dangerously, a spark that reminded Aida of Sue igniting in his flinty blue depths. ¡°Who would we answer to after graduation? I don¡¯t care what my parents say. If you decide to go to Burston City with Healer Bokar, you can help by supplying us with potions.¡± Aida was amused, but decided to entertain the thought experiment anyway. ¡°Assuming you managed to get together a full party - I¡¯m assuming the other Class 2 boys - wouldn¡¯t you just be limited to the area around Burston? Since I definitely can¡¯t travel with you guys while learning more about brewing and poisons.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, Class 1 seems like they stumbled upon something pretty significant. I¡¯d start an exploration in that area, and Western Woods aren¡¯t too far from Burston City to start with.¡± Aida furrowed her brow at Dev¡¯s reminder of the geography, and she reopened one of the books she had closed earlier, flipping through the pages until she found a hand-drawn map of Wyndia. Well butter my biscuit. Just like Dev had said, Western Wood wasn¡¯t too far from Burston City at all. Burston City was south of Buddington Town, across a river, but the path winding between Buddington and Burston passed through a thatch of woods that expanded steadily westward, which was aptly named the Western Woods. ¡°Okay, but supposedly the Adventurers had already set up a base of operations there,¡± Aida said, feeling excitement build. ¡°Who¡¯s to say they don¡¯t find something - or clear that location - before we graduate?¡± ¡°Then that means either we know what¡¯s going on and can figure out what to do, or we leave that location to go clear another location,¡± Dev said matter-of-factly, shrugging. ¡°We¡¯re not trying to compete with them. We¡¯re just trying to solve a problem.¡± Aida gaped at his straightforward analysis of the situation. He wasn¡¯t wrong, but it also seemed overly simplistic. On the other hand, at least he had an executable solution¡­ She shook her head in exasperation. One step at a time. ¡°Okay, fine. The major problem is still going to be how you¡¯d get a party together to do this exploration.¡± Dev leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Excellent. Wonderful. This gives me something to aim for during the last three moon cycles of school.¡± He gave her a satisfied smile. ¡°Let me talk to my fellow classmates. We might be able to wrangle together an independent Adventuring group yet.¡± Chapter 115: Resolution II Dev¡¯s confidence that he could convince his friends to partake in his startup Adventuring group made Aida wonder how difficult it actually was to create an Adventuring party. The next time Kuri was back at school, she cornered the Adventurer and interrogated her about their startup costs. Kuri was more than happy to indulge Aida¡¯s questions, seeing it as a break from being asked to fight all the time. ¡°But why the sudden interest in business, Aida?¡± Kuri inquired as she sipped at her cold coffee. They were comfortably nestled in the breakfast nook of the cozy kitchen in the Affiliates'' lodgings on a Sun Day afternoon, Kuri having just returned from an expedition in the Western Woods. ¡°Are you looking to get into logistical support? I¡¯m sure Kawa and Lula would be more than happy to hire you for that role.¡± ¡°I got into a discussion with Dev about how realistic it would be to start an Adventuring company,¡± Aida said offhandedly, glancing over the notes she had taken while interviewing Kuri. ¡°He made it sound really easy, but when I was talking with Sue she had the opposite impression of the process. I thought it would be easier to draw an accurate conclusion if I asked one of the premiere Adventuring groups who I just happen to be on friendly terms with!¡± Aida give Kuri a cheeky ink-splattered thumbs up, making the young woman giggle. ¡°You really are one of the smart ones. Actually asking for information instead of just making assumptions.¡± Kuri yawned, stretching luxuriously as she did. ¡°Anyway, as you can see, you really don¡¯t need too much baen to get started - the biggest driving factor is motivation. You can always battle back monsters, you know? You don¡¯t need fancy equipment or whatever, especially if you know how to use your mana and are careful. Potions and quality weapons, a soft pillow to lay your head on at the end of the day - those are luxuries that can help you recover better, but not necessary if you¡¯re first starting out.¡± ¡°So in your professional opinion,¡± Aida started, reaching for a sip of her tea. ¡°Do you think the average Maglica graduate has the skill to be an Adventurer?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Kuri said immediately. ¡°I mean, think about it. Before mana became this well-understood, our ancestors were fighting monsters with sticks and rocks. You guys get physical and mana training here, and are all powerful enough in your own right to fight off a regular beast in the woods - especially in a group. The only real thing you guys are lacking is experience.¡± Kuri leaned towards Aida, a small smile on her face. ¡°Honestly, I think even you could be an Adventurer as you are now. You just need a little bit more exposure to real-world conditions, and you¡¯ll see it¡¯s all the same as in school - maybe even easier, because you don¡¯t have to worry about combat rules or trying to outsmart someone equally as smart as you.¡± She flicked Aida¡¯s forehead affectionately before leaning back in her chair. ¡°Anything else before I go back to my room for a nap?¡± ¡°Nope! You¡¯ve been a great help. Thank you so much for taking the time,¡± Aida said as she began collecting her ink bottle and notebook while Kuri rinsed her cup at the sink. Kuri fluttered her hand at Aida, shaking some droplets of water onto her. ¡°Please feel free to stay here and finish up your notes! You seem like you still had some thoughts. With most of the other Affiliates out of the house, I¡¯m sure the remaining Affiliates feel comforted having some life in here,¡± Kuri said with a smile. She lowered her voice. ¡°By the way, Healer Vega isn¡¯t going to be back until later this star cycle, so it¡¯s safe for you to linger here.¡± ¡°Well, if you insist.¡± Aida reopened her notebook to a fresh page as Kuri put away her cup, bidding Aida farewell with a smile and another yawn. Aida stared at the blank page, her mind slowly chugging through the information she had learned about establishing an Adventuring group. Kuri hadn¡¯t minced any words, and neither did she try to glamorize the reality of being an Adventurer. She had given Aida precise information, making her feel like she was missing something important. Surely it isn¡¯t that straightforward? Kuri had impressed upon Aida that the most important characteristic that made a successful Adventuring group was essentially willpower. ¡°It doesn¡¯t even matter if your group has nothing; if everyone is committed to the same goal, then you¡¯ll make it happen.¡± Aida had to admit it sounded like the kind of platitude the lucky few who found success would say; something that was easily quotable, technically correct but didn¡¯t acknowledge all the other factors that went into being successful. Survivorship bias. But if she were to take Kuri¡¯s words at face value just as a starting point¡­Throw out all my misconceptions. Aida listed out everything she knew of the leads, and what she knew of Dev¡¯s friends. They¡¯re all relatively well off, and Kuri said having baen is just a boost that makes the job easier, but isn¡¯t necessary to the actual job¡­ Even though she had no idea how Dev¡¯s friends felt about becoming Adventurers, Class 2¡¯s team composition was already looking a lot more promising in terms of success rate - purely because of how chaotic Class 1¡¯s motivations in becoming an Adventuring party were. Levi and Caleb already made it very clear their first priority is their family and business, and Ezra seemed pretty apathetic about being an Adventurer¡­but Lara seems like she¡¯d rather deal with family things also. Sue was the only one who wholeheartedly wanted to become an Adventurer, and though her family was well-off enough to perhaps support her individually, she wouldn¡¯t have enough to entice other Adventurers to work with her. So Sue¡¯s aspiration of joining the Gullbeaks was still her best bet. But what about when Sue was supposed to save the world? The Gullbeaks were strong, but there had to be a reason the boys were the leads as well. Aida was ninety-nine percent certain that in order to save the world, Sue needed all three boys in her party when they faced off against The Evil, at the very least. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Huffing out a frustrated breath, Aida moved on to Class 2¡¯s list. All the boys were from relatively well-off families, so presumably they would all have support while they established themselves. Individually, Class 2 didn¡¯t have the combat prowess to beat Class 1, but their friendship and already-established bonds meant they would likely present a challenge to Class 1. Aida had to admit that even during their regular school training sessions, and most recently demonstrated by the game of Flying Needle among her classmates, the boys seemed to have a synergy that made their team formidable. She hated to admit it, but if there wasn¡¯t a storyline to preserve, Aida would have put her money on Class 2. In the sparring matches Class 1 had several moon cycles ago, they all had their own ideas of how to best do things, and didn¡¯t work together well. From Sue¡¯s casual grumblings recently, it seemed they still hadn¡¯t improved their coordination. Aida had assumed they just had high standards and that they worked well together when it mattered, but the existence of complaints indicated there was a fundamental lack of trust between them - or at least Sue didn¡¯t trust the others. Dev, Pritchard, Myk, Shon, Abedi¡­they¡¯ve already proven themselves in classes. But how is this going to work when they aren¡¯t the main characters of this story? ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°Aida!¡± Sue bounded up to Aida as she headed back towards the school, her sparkle firmly back. ¡°How was your visit with Kuri? Did you get all you needed from her?¡± ¡°Yep, she gave me more than enough,¡± Aida replied vaguely, her thoughts still swirling. ¡°How was your training session?¡± ¡°Better than ever before,¡± Sue declared confidently, lifting her arms in bicep curls to showcase her strength. ¡°It¡¯s like getting poisoned unlocked some sort of power in me - it was terrifying while it happened, but I smoked the arena. And it was me versus Ezra!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Aida stared wide-eyed at Sue. ¡°¡­How is he feeling?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t hurt him,¡± Sue reassured Aida hastily. She reconsidered. ¡°I mean, if you want me to, I won¡¯t be so gentle next time¡­¡± ¡°No, of course not!¡± Aida peered into Sue¡¯s eyes. Innocent lilac eyes blinked back at Aida. ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re fine?¡± ¡°Of course! Healer Bokar said there were no lasting effects, and I¡¯ll be seeing him and Healer Luk tomorrow for them to check me over again.¡± Sue skipped by Aida¡¯s side, her blonde ponytail swinging jauntily behind her. Despite Sue¡¯s insistence that she was fine, and her overall demeanor really did seem to be fine after her ordeal two star cycles ago, Aida still couldn¡¯t help but worry. The slack expression, lack of recognition when she first looked at Aida¡­it was haunting. ¡°Come on, cheer up,¡± Sue cajoled, reaching out to pinch Aida¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m alive and well!¡± ¡°I know, but¡­¡± Aida bit her lip. ¡°¡­you still can¡¯t remember what happened in the Western Woods?¡± Sue shook her head, the corners of her lips turning down. ¡°I can¡¯t, but I have no other memory issues once I¡¯ve recovered. It was just that one short segment.¡± Sue wiped the air in front of her face with both hands, indicating utter blankness. ¡°Poof. Nothing. I remember getting there with Class 1, and I remember walking out of the woods towards camp. No more than a few hours of memory lost.¡± She looked towards Aida. ¡°Did Kuri say she found anything when she came back?¡± Aida shook her head. ¡°No, they swept the same places you all got separated, but found nothing. Not even a trace of whatever plants were supposed to have poisoned you, so she said they likely can¡¯t replicate whatever effect you experienced.¡± Sue sighed mournfully, her lips in a cute pout. ¡°What a shame. I think I¡¯d like to go through that again, but under more controlled conditions¡­just so I can get stronger, you know?¡± she added cheekily, elbowing Aida before Aida could admonish her for being so reckless. ¡°You really are unbelievable,¡± Aida muttered, rubbing her ribs. Sue giggled before throwing her arms around her, enveloping Aida in a warm, tight hug. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aida. I know that was a scary time, but I promise you, if anything bad ever happens to me, I¡¯m not going to go down without a fight. I won¡¯t go down that easily.¡± Aida sighed into Sue¡¯s shoulder, wrapping her own arms around Sue¡¯s slim torso. ¡°I believe you. But it¡¯s still hard not to worry.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s how I know you¡¯re a good friend!¡± Sue pulled back, smiling brightly at Aida. She brushed the hair behind Aida¡¯s ears before clapping her hands on her cheeks. She lowered her voice as she pressed her forehead against Aida¡¯s, speaking more seriously. ¡°I know I¡¯m acting like nothing bad will ever happen to me, but¡­I really believe it. I¡¯m¡­strong. I can take care of myself. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Aida¡¯s heart thumped as she stared into Sue¡¯s eyes. In those pinkish depths, she saw the same fiery yearning for life, the sparkle that came from within instead of a mere reflection of light from the outside. But also, an overwhelming confidence and fearlessness that stirred something in Aida. Sue really believed what she was saying. And who was Aida to try to convince her she was wrong? Main character energy for sure. ¡°¡­Okay. Just be careful, please.¡± The lilac eyes crinkled into crescents. ¡°Always!¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida stared at the chart she drew after talking with Sue. Her preliminary list in the Affiliates¡¯ lodgings had been drawn up with trepidation, more of an experimental viewing of how Classes 1 and 2 could measure up to Kuri¡¯s criteria of what would make a successful Adventuring group. Her evaluation was limited by lack of knowledge, of course, but she had further limited the possibilities by her expectation of what was supposed to happen. But the determination in Sue¡¯s lilac eyes had awakened something in Aida - something that may not necessarily have eliminated the fear of not knowing how the story would go, but it had certainly quieted the fear enough for her to open her mind to other possibilities. She didn¡¯t know what was supposed to happen, but just like what Kuri said, and what Sue believed, and what the age-old adage said: where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. Aida took a deep breath, firming her resolve. If she really was supposed to save this world, at least now she had plans. She had an ideal plan: Sue, Caleb, Ezra, and Levi would band together to defeat The Evil in a big climactic fight while the rest of the world waited with bated breath; she also had several backup plans, where if the leads refused to work together for one reason or another, she could perhaps influence some other Adventurers - the Gullbeaks for sure, Class 2 in a worst-case scenario - to chip away at The Evil. If it wasn¡¯t up to her to save the world, well¡­at least these plans wouldn¡¯t go to waste. And if they did go to waste, at least she tried. If her influence as a side character really meant nothing, then nothing she did would matter. And that¡¯s okay. At least I tried. Grabbing a fresh sheet of paper, Aida began scribbling, working backwards to break her plans down into more tangible objectives. Chapter 116: Refresh I Third Moon, First Moon Day ¡°Is it just me, or is this not as much food as before?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just you. This amount is perfectly portioned for seven people,¡± Sue replied to Lily¡¯s query. The four girls stared at the spread they had laid out from the picnic basket. ¡°I guess the school ate through the excess of monster meat already?¡± Or are times getting tough now? No one else posed the question that floated in the air between them, refusing to give voice to that fear. ¡°At least they still prepared a basket for us,¡± Vanita said reasonably. ¡°They haven¡¯t made us cancel our picnic yet.¡± ¡°Appreciate the small things,¡± Aida agreed, settling herself on her stone chair. ¡°This was supposed to be a time for us to catch up, anyway. Speaking of which, the boys are late.¡± Sue furrowed her brow. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be here soon. Levi and Ezra didn¡¯t say they weren¡¯t coming, right?¡± Lily and Vanita shook their heads, saying they hadn¡¯t talked with them. Sue looked to Aida, and Aida shrugged back. Things had improved slightly with Levi. They had an unspoken agreement not to discuss anything relationship-related, so they were slowly making their way back to the casual friendship they had before: one where Aida could be less cautious with her words, instead of being reserved and guarded against how Levi would turn them against her; and where Levi also felt free enough to poke lighthearted jokes at her, as well as supplement her knowledge of the world with his own. Overall, Aida couldn¡¯t complain. The dynamic had returned as close to pre-Old Moon Festival as possible, as long as neither of them thought about the awkward entanglements. Ezra, though¡­she hadn¡¯t spoken with him individually since he had warned her to be careful in Loded Peaks. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was avoiding her, or just genuinely busy. Levi had said that Ezra had been preoccupied since Class 1¡¯s ordeal in the Deep Western Woods, and spent all his free time researching in the library. Although whenever Aida went to the library on her own free time, she hadn¡¯t been able to sense Ezra. Admittedly, whenever she caught a glimpse of him in between classes, he did appear to be more drawn, dark circles beginning to develop beneath his silver eyes and making him look especially gaunt, particularly with his naturally pale coloring. She wanted to tell him to take it easy with whatever he was doing, but given how he kept avoiding her gaze¡­she knew pushing him would only result in increased tension on both sides. ¡°Finally! What took you guys so long?¡± Sue hollered, jumping up from her own seat to skip up the grassy banks. ¡°We were about to eat everything ourselves!¡± ¡°Sorry for the delay, we were trying to wake Ezra up,¡± Caleb said apologetically. ¡°Sleeping until noon? That sounds unlike him,¡± Lily remarked dubiously. ¡°Let the man wake up a bit before you start piling on him,¡± Levi chided Lily, ruffling her hair as he passed her with Ezra¡¯s arm firmly in his grip. He plopped Ezra onto a chair right next to Aida. ¡°Here, maybe Aida learned a skill that can help wake you up.¡± Before Aida could do more than protest feebly, Levi had turned to shepherd everybody else into their chairs, sitting on Ezra¡¯s other side. What is he trying to do? ¡°At least everybody¡¯s finally here,¡± Sue grumbled as she took the seat on Aida¡¯s other side, with Caleb joining her. ¡°Here! You like these mountain greens, right?¡± Sue dumped a generous helping of roasted vegetables onto Aida¡¯s plate before turning to serve Caleb. ¡°Thanks,¡± Aida said automatically, trying not to stare at Ezra. The dark circles seemed more pronounced today, his hair was messy and unkempt, and the T-shirt he was in was wrinkled. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ezra muttered, dumping food haphazardly onto his plate. ¡°I just had a late night.¡± Without further ado, Ezra began shoveling food into his mouth, barely chewing. Aida stared, thoroughly unnerved. ¡°¡­um, maybe you should slow down?¡± Ezra choked on cue, pounding his chest. Aida quickly passed him her glass of water, which he tossed back. Once he cleared his blockage, he looked up to see everyone staring at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You just seem¡­different.¡± Lily stated, eyeing the hodgepodge of entree and side dishes on Ezra¡¯s plate. Instead of being carefully arranged into their own separate and distinct sections on his plate, none of the dishes touching each other, they were¡­all touching. ¡°I¡¯ve realized there are more important things than maintaining order,¡± Ezra replied irritably. ¡°We¡¯re here to eat, are we not?¡± ¡°Well, more to socialize than to eat,¡± Sue said warily. She hurried on as Ezra¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°But yeah! Let¡¯s eat!¡± ¡°What have you been working on?¡± Aida asked quietly, her voice barely audible as everyone else turned towards their plates with light chatter. ¡°That¡¯s making you stay up so late?¡± ¡°You know what,¡± Ezra mumbled. ¡°¡­the sooner we all know, the sooner I can rest.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Aida swallowed. ¡°Any progress?¡± ¡°Minimal.¡± They ate in silence for a few more minutes before Aida screwed up her courage. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill yourself over this.¡± Ezra¡¯s robotic movements slowed down. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t.¡± Despite his assurance, his hand gripped his chopsticks even tighter, doing nothing to assuage Aida¡¯s concern for him. But what else can I say to convince him to relax? ¡°So,¡± Sue said brightly, breaking through the gloom. ¡°How has everybody been? Everybody been keeping their spirits up?¡± ¡°I mean, we¡¯re fine,¡± Lily said awkwardly. She glanced at Vanita and Aida before continuing to address Sue¡¯s question. ¡°We aren¡¯t the ones who went through near-death experiences.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Sue waved her hand nonchalantly. ¡°We¡¯re all here, and all alive.¡± ¡°But what about the rest of you?¡± Vanita asked. She looked earnestly between Caleb, Ezra, and Levi. ¡°Everyone¡¯s been worrying about Suelina, but I¡¯m not sure we asked about the rest of you¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t so bad for me,¡± Caleb said slowly. ¡°I think the worst part was wondering if S¡ª¡° Caleb flushed bright red, peeking at Sue ¡°¡ªif the others were fine.¡± ¡°And I was just stuck with Ezra,¡± Levi said breezily. ¡°I was certain we¡¯d survive. But Caleb, what happened with Lara? She came out of the forest with you as a much more tolerable person.¡± Caleb flushed a deeper red. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my place to share her story.¡± Everyone stared at Caleb expectantly, but he busied himself clearing the remainders on his plate. Vanita finally turned to Levi and Ezra. ¡°And you two - you seem more friendly with each other. Did you have some good bonding time in the forest as well?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t ¡®bonding¡¯¡ª¡° ¡°We reached an understanding,¡± Levi said in a dignified manner, cutting Ezra off. ¡°We realized we had better odds of getting out of the forest maze alive if we worked together. But worry not, I consider you a brother!¡± Levi clapped a friendly hand on Ezra¡¯s shoulder, ignoring Ezra¡¯s grumbles. Aida¡¯s eyes narrowed at his overly friendly display. Something happened in the woods. He had glossed over the specifics when she had first spoken to him after witnessing Sue¡¯s disturbing mental state, but now that things had settled into a lull, and Sue was recovered, she wanted to know what they had seen. Unfortunately, Ezra seemed content to follow Levi¡¯s lead, adding nothing else to the conversation. ¡°Anyway, is there any dessert? Did Nolem skimp on the meal this time?¡± Levi asked, peering into the basket. ¡°No, this is it.¡± Lily shook her head. ¡°You think¡­you think things are so bad that they¡¯re going to start rationing?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it,¡± Levi scoffed. ¡°Spring has barely started, so farms haven¡¯t started producing yet. The abundance of meat we got for our picnic last cycle was a fluke. If the school¡¯s going to implement rationing, we¡¯d see it in our meals earlier than this. Although the missing dessert is disappointing.¡± Levi frowned. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Lily said, her expression clearing. ¡°Trust the Ashet heir to be familiar with the specifics of food production!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t your parents in agriculture, too?¡± Levi asked shrewdly. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know this?¡± Lily stuck her tongue out at him. ¡°They¡¯re more focused on pest control.¡± Aida breathed a quiet sigh of relief at Levi¡¯s explanation. At least they didn¡¯t have to worry about infrastructure going down yet. ¡°The day is still young,¡± Sue said, squinting up at the sun. ¡°Shall we do some sparring? Ezra, I want to make sure my victory over you last time wasn¡¯t an accident.¡± ¡°Forgive me, but I have other things I¡¯d rather focus on,¡± Ezra said stiffly. He stood up, holding his empty plate. ¡°You may keep your victory.¡± ¡°Is Ezra upset at his loss?¡± Lily asked in wonder. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to fight Ezra now, Suelina,¡± Levi interrupted, Ezra¡¯s expression darkening into a glower. ¡°Your victory over him could be excused by his sleep-deprivation. Keep up your training, and you can confirm your victory during the final placement matches.¡± ¡°Fair point,¡± Sue agreed. She turned to everyone else, beaming. ¡°Spar?¡± ¡°If Ezra¡¯s going to work on his thing,¡± Lily began, an abashed smile spreading across her face, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to go, too. I want to try to get a new hybrid to show Healer Bokar when he comes back.¡± ¡°I also have a project I¡¯m working on,¡± Vanita confessed, looking a bit ashamed. ¡°It¡¯s still a secret, because I don¡¯t know the likelihood of success, but¡­¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sue said, disappointed. ¡°Good luck, you three. What about you, Caleb? Levi? Aida?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come,¡± Caleb said quickly, to Sue¡¯s delight. ¡°I need to focus on defending from you¡­¡± ¡°Aida?¡± Sue asked eagerly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to spar! But I¡¯ll be able to go all out if I know Caleb can get some healing afterwards.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Aida said after a brief pause. She had wanted to excuse herself, but unlike the other girls and Ezra, she didn¡¯t have a good reason to. The plans she had developed a couple star cycles ago didn¡¯t have concrete steps she could work on yet, since they were dependent on what the main leads decided to do. The things she could work on, however, was just developing her current skills and abilities in the meantime. The bulk of her usefulness would come once she graduated and began working and studying full-time under Healer Bokar, so she could brew potions - for Class 1, Class 2, and the Gullbeaks, if it panned out that way. I would be most useful in a support role. If she worked in the background for Healer Bokar, she could pick up information from other travelers and Adventurers passing through Burston City while Sue and the others went to assist and clear out the more dangerous places. That way, whenever they returned to a hub, they could have updated information, perhaps details on where The Evil might go to. At least, Aida hoped she could be helpful in compiling information in that way. But even if not¡­at the very least I can get them potions to help them survive. And besides, she hadn¡¯t seen Sue fight since they all left for the sponsorship assignment that allegedly powered up Sue - this would be a good time to see how strong she had really become. A powerup that makes the powerful main character even stronger¡­that makes sense, right? ¡°I¡¯ll join you guys.¡± Levi stretched, yawning. ¡°Not to spar,¡± he added hastily. ¡°But I¡¯ll be on deck in case Aida can¡¯t heal Caleb and you guys need a runner to fetch Healer Luk.¡± Levi grinned at everybody¡¯s withering expressions. ¡°What, you all don¡¯t have faith in Aida and Caleb?¡± Chapter 117: Refresh II ¡°I wonder,¡± Levi said thoughtfully as Caleb and Sue made their way down into the combat arena. ¡°Have you learned any support techniques during Combat Training?¡± ¡°You mean specifically for supporting others?¡± Aida shook her head. ¡°Not really, we¡¯re always focused on offensive capabilities, and what little defense we learn is for ourselves.¡± Levi hummed thoughtfully, and she glanced at him suspiciously. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°This is just something I¡¯ve heard the Adventurer Affiliates discuss, but apparently there are some combat Healers who also use techniques like Mana Shield on their teammates?¡± Aida frowned as she thought. Now that he mentioned it, she remembered Healer Luk had said something about that¡­what was it? ¡°You have to keep track of your members at all times - a good Healer keeps their party members healthy, but an excellent Healer anticipates and prevents their members from requiring Healing in the first place.¡± Aida clapped her hands together. ¡°Ah, I remember Healer Luk said something about that! Using Mana Shield and Defense Up on someone else. She said it was hard, though¡­¡± ¡°This might be a good time to try using those skills on Caleb,¡± Levi suggested. ¡°While he¡¯s still fresh and can tank some hits from Suelina if either of you mess up.¡± Aida balked. ¡°But¡­I don¡¯t even know the theory behind doing that¡­¡± Unprompted, a blue notification box popped up in front of her face.
You have enough RP to learn a new Skill. Please select from the following: 1. Party Defense Up (Lv1) - Costs 100 RP to learn. Cast Defense Up on up to four other party members within a 20ft radius. 2. Party Mana Shield (Lv1) - Costs 100 RP to learn. Cast Mana Shield on up to four other party members within a 20ft radius. Total RP: 282
A second notification box popped up right as Aida was about to select Party Defense Up (Lv1) out of curiosity.
Party Skills provide support to your teammates when you fight together. The higher your base level Individual skill, the less mana is required to cast the corresponding Party skill, and the more effective the skill is. The higher your Party skill, the longer the duration and casting range.
¡°Well?¡± Levi asked impatiently, waving his hand in her face. ¡°Do you want me to go see if Healer Luk is available to teach you or not?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± Aida decided. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got it. HEY!¡± Aida waved at Sue and Caleb as she vaulted over the wall into the combat ring. ¡°Caleb! Levi just suggested I try something out¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sue called as she jogged over. ¡°I¡¯m going to try using Defense Up and Mana Shield on Caleb,¡± Aida informed Sue. Caleb tilted his head, intrigued. ¡°That way, maybe I can still leech some practice off of you two instead of just waiting until Caleb gets hurt or something.¡± Sue clapped her hands together while Caleb tilted his head the other way. ¡°Should I still use Defense Up and Mana Shield on my own?¡± Caleb asked dubiously. ¡°My main purpose for this sparring session was so I could improve my defenses myself¡­¡± ¡°Maybe we can try using both together?¡± Aida asked. Stacking the defensive effects together should be logical - Caleb would hopefully become impenetrable. ¡°I haven¡¯t tried casting it on someone else before, so chances are my shield wouldn¡¯t help you much anyway¡­¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Caleb nodded. ¡°That also allows Suelina to fully exert her power.¡± ¡°This is such a wonderful idea!¡± Sue cheered as she twirled, her golden locks floating around her in an elegant halo. ¡°I¡¯ll hold myself back less!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not get too ahead of ourselves here,¡± Levi said warily, approaching cautiously. ¡°Aida doesn¡¯t know how to do it yet, so we don¡¯t know if it will work.¡± ¡°No, it will work,¡± Aida said confidently. ¡°The strength of my technique may be questionable, but I¡¯ll at least be able to give Caleb a small boost.¡± Caleb shrugged as Sue nodded affirmatively, giving Aida a thumbs up. Levi acquiesced, dipping his head and lifting a hand in surrender. Aida pointed her wand at Caleb, her tongue between her teeth. Party Defense Up. Party Mana Shield. She felt her body sag a bit as the mana surged from her, wrapping around Caleb¡¯s body and inserting into his own mana. With Aida¡¯s improved mana control, she was instinctively more careful about keeping her mana within its bounds: she helped boost Caleb''s muscles alongside his own mana, but kept her mana wrapped in a protective layer to prevent them from accidentally crossing into each other''s flows. Same thing with Mana Shield: she fell into the rhythm of Caleb¡¯s own Mana Shield flow, and where some of his mana layers were thin or had openings, she patched up his shield. Caleb nodded in appreciation as Sue let out a small ¡°ooo,¡± able to sense the buff Aida provided. Aida retreated, leaving only Sue and Caleb in the ring. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s give it a shot!¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. As Sue and Caleb faced each other, Levi took his place next to Aida. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°I did what you suggested: I used Party Defense Up and Mana Shield on Caleb.¡± ¡°But you said you didn¡¯t know how to do it!¡± ¡°I figured it out.¡± ¡°In a single minute? Without an explanation from anyone else?¡± Levi asked skeptically. Sue started sending some fireballs that Caleb dodged easily as a warmup. ¡°I was successful, was I not?¡± Aida asked, gesturing at the ring. Caleb was still evading Sue¡¯s attacks with ease, making no moves to counter. Sue was smiling, adding more curves and breaking up the rhythm of fireballs she sent towards Caleb. As far as responding to Levi¡¯s question¡­she had to admit to herself here their friendship still hadn¡¯t recovered to the point where she felt she could tell him everything anymore. Why did he need to know the specifics of her video game system? Levi sighed. ¡°I guess you really are a genius. That¡¯s the only explanation. But at least you¡¯re friendlier than Ezra.¡± Before Aida could respond, she flinched as a slice of flame struck Caleb, dissipating harmlessly against his shield. ¡°Oh, that didn¡¯t feel good.¡± Even though Aida didn¡¯t bear the brunt of the attack, she had felt her Mana Shield on Caleb absorb some of the fire, evaporating into the air like steam. ¡°That attack was Sue getting into the groove,¡± Levi observed. ¡°Not one of her big ones yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s reassuring,¡± Aida muttered. She aimed her wand at Caleb, funneling some more mana into Caleb¡¯s shield to replenish what was lost before she began Mana Cycling. ¡°At least I can still train while being on the sidelines.¡± ¡°This is an interesting training tactic,¡± Levi mused, growing a stout leafy bush for himself and Aida to sit on. ¡°I think I should pick up this Party skill also.¡± I wonder if I can learn Party Mana Surge, too, Aida mused as she watched Caleb begin moving faster in order to keep up with Sue¡¯s attacks. She had moved from small fireballs to waves of flame, forcing him to traverse greater distances in order to dodge her attacks. Obligingly, Party Mana Surge (Lv1) appeared in her Unlearned Skills list, but this time costing 150 RP. What?!
Party Mana Surge allows you to connect with your party members to supplement their speed and strength. A higher base level of Mana Surge would translate to increased efficiency in Party Mana Surge, allowing you to maintain a steady pool of mana for party members to draw from and preventing them from overdrawing.
Skimming through the rest of the explanation of how the skill worked, Aida begrudgingly acknowledged Party Mana Surge¡¯s price tag was reasonable. Efficiency was an important factor in casting a useful Mana Surge, as Aida had learned early on; she didn¡¯t have the mana capacity to wastefully flood her own body with mana, let alone multiple other teammates. Even though the skill box¡¯s words were perfectly polite and reasonable, she got the feeling it was looking at her reproachfully for being stingy with her RP, in light of how much of a shortcut it provided for her. It¡¯s already helping me skip several steps to insert my mana into someone else safely¡­asking someone else to teach me would take a really long time. Aida gasped as Sue crashed into Caleb, the two of them blurring into hand-to-hand combat too fast for the eye to see. She couldn¡¯t describe the specifics of what was happening, but she could feel the pounding Sue gave Caleb as she smashed his body, her mana supporting Caleb¡¯s Defense Up crumbling under the abuse. ¡°It¡¯s okay to let go, Aida,¡± Levi said urgently. She didn¡¯t realize she had fallen forward on her seat, and he was now supporting her shoulders. ¡°Caleb¡¯s defense is holding up fine, so don¡¯t try to keep up with them.¡± ¡°Sue just busted through the mana shield like nothing,¡± Aida mumbled, relaxing as she released her mana from Caleb. ¡°Has she always been like this, or is this after her power-up in the Western Woods?¡± Levi lifted his worried eyes from her face to the arena, assessing. ¡°She¡¯s still fighting at the same level as the beginning of this sun cycle. But Caleb¡¯s still looking pretty fresh, so your support brought him a long way.¡± Aida closed her eyes, breathing deeply through her nose to encourage her Mana Cycling. I got stronger, but still not strong enough to withstand Sue¡¯s barrage. Levi¡¯s words were encouraging, but if anything it painted an even grimmer picture of how desolate Wyndia¡¯s fate was. As a mana practitioner, she was part of the minority that had the ability to actually face off against monsters. And after several more moon cycles of training, Aida felt more confident in her mana usage and elemental manipulation, and she was certain she could perform decently well in a team - or at least, she wouldn¡¯t be the one dragging everyone down. But as an average practitioner - not a bottom-of-the-class practitioner - she had no chance of surviving even for a moment against Sue. And Sue, by all accounts, barely survived whatever The Evil did to her. Even if Sue was supposed to save the world¡­what would happen to everybody as she developed her strength and searched for it? There weren¡¯t enough of them to hold off the monster attacks, which were getting more frequent and powerful. Post-graduation life is going to be a lot more stressful than I thought¡­ ¡°Okay, let¡¯s move back to the viewing seats,¡± Levi said hastily, dragging Aida from her stool. ¡°Caleb and Sue are getting a little too reckless now.¡± The earth trembled as Aida and Levi put distance between themselves and the fight, Caleb finally pulling his element out to defend against Sue¡¯s powerful attacks. I¡¯m so glad I don¡¯t ever have to face Sue, Aida thought grimly as she stumbled her way up the steps. ¡°Levi, what are you doing?¡± Lara was standing at the top of the stairs, gazing out at the ring where Sue and Caleb were still fighting. ¡°Hello, Aida.¡± ¡°We¡¯re putting ourselves a safe distance away from Suelina,¡± Levi responded. ¡°What are you doing, Lara?¡± ¡°I ran into my cousin, and he proposed a ¡®friendly¡¯ match,¡± Lara said grimly, delicately pointing over her shoulder with her chin. ¡°And since I didn¡¯t have anything else going on¡­¡± Dev stepped out right behind Lara, a faint smirk on his face. He was flanked by Pritchard, Myk, Shon, and Abedi, all of them wearing various expressions of excitement and wariness. Behind the boys floated Lara¡¯s younger friends, barely able to contain their excitement. ¡°Really? What¡¯s the occasion?¡± Aida looked at Dev, and his eyes glimmered as he looked at her. ¡°As Lara said, it¡¯s just a friendly match to see how much she has improved in Class 1.¡± His tone was polite, but there was an undercurrent of challenge in his voice. Aida frowned as Dev¡¯s words about being satisfied with being perceived to be ¡°worse¡± than Lara floated to the forefront of her mind. What is he trying to achieve? ¡°I see. Well, have fun with your match,¡± Levi said, bowing as he allowed Lara and Dev to pass them into the ring. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is Dev fighting all of a sudden?¡± Aida asked as she sidled over to Shon and Abedi. Myk answered for them. ¡°We made a bet.¡± He eyed her beadily. ¡°Did you not talk to Dev about it?¡± Aida shook her head. ¡°Nothing about a bet.¡± Myk smirked. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just see how the bet goes then.¡± Chapter 118: Refresh III ¡°This is kind of big, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sue commented as they all gathered in the viewing stands above the ring Dev and Lara were in. ¡°Dev¡¯s never challenged anyone. Is this related to the Flau clan stuff?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up, Suelina,¡± Myk laughed. ¡°Dev is still just as irresponsible about family matters as before.¡± But what does that mean? Aida was annoyed that she was clearly missing something. ¡°What¡¯s the bet?¡± ¡°I think Dev would prefer we keep the details of the bet secret,¡± Shon interjected hastily. Myk side-eyed him. ¡°I think you¡¯re saying you would rather keep the details secret.¡± Shon punched him in the shoulder as Myk laughed again. Aida stared. ¡°You¡¯re in a really good mood today, Myk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I have nothing riding on this bet,¡± Myk said airily, resting his elbow on her shoulder. ¡°I can enjoy this match for what it is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you don¡¯t care,¡± Shon accused him. ¡°You want Dev to win.¡± ¡°And he will!¡± Myk waved off the finger Shon was thrusting in his face. ¡°What kind of friend are you for hoping he¡¯ll lose?¡± ¡°Quiet, they¡¯re about to start,¡± Pritchard said sharply. After a brief moment of silence, he added, ¡°Anybody want to bet on how long it takes for the match to end?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all addicts,¡± Aida muttered as Sue grinned, caught up in the mood. Caleb shook his head wryly. ¡°I¡¯ll bet,¡± Levi said playfully as he slid over to them. They began negotiating petty baen until Abedi shushed them, drawing all eyes to the ring. Lara and Dev both conjured water around them: Lara with thick ropes of liquid that wove through the air around her, and Dev with a whole wall. Audible gasps erupted from Lara¡¯s girlfriends, and several of the boys let out whistles. Even Sue breathed out a small ¡°wow.¡± Lara¡¯s face had been carefully controlled before, but when she saw Dev¡¯s overt flaunting of his mana, her steel-gray eyes narrowed. She shot a jet of water towards Dev that he easily blocked with an ice wall, scattering the droplets into sleet. Lara followed up her attack immediately with three jets of water that arched around and above the ice wall, aiming for Dev behind the blockade. Except Dev had disappeared, so the three jets crashed into each other with a thunderous roar, sending waves splashing upon the viewers. Aida instinctively blocked the water from hitting her and her friends, keeping their view of the match clear. Lara tensed, her head swiveling as she kept her eyes peeled for where Dev might appear from. Her eyes widened, her only sign of panic, before she leaped from where she stood - and not a moment too soon, as the earth below her began roiling. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t fast enough to avoid the jet of water that shot out of the muddy whirlpool. The spear of water captured her around the knee, and immediately froze to ice before Lara could wrest control of it. Dev rocketed out of the whirlpool, hanging suspended in the air by the speed of the ejection. He was covered in mud, though his eyes were clear. They flashed in triumph as they caught sight of Lara, and he aimed his wand at her as he fell, sending jets of water towards the trapped girl. Aida felt adrenaline run through her - the certainty that the match was over, the bated breath to see how Lara was going to get out of her dilemma - and watched as a sphere of ice encased Lara, right before Dev¡¯s jets smashed into her. As soon as the water dripped off of the icicle that had caught Lara¡¯s leg, everybody saw there was a massive ball of ice around the tip of the ice spike. Lara had finally freed her foot, but was now standing in the icy chamber, her arms crossed. ¡°Is that Lara¡¯s ice shield? That means she has the upper hand, right?¡± one of Lara¡¯s friends asked anxiously. ¡°No, the inside layer is Lara¡¯s, but the outside layer is Dev¡¯s,¡± Abedi replied calmly. ¡°Time to see if Lara yields.¡± Dev landed lightly on his toes, his eyes fixed on the ball of ice. He ran his fingers through his hair, scraping mud off and flinging it aside. He approached the spike, crossing his arms to mirror Lara¡¯s stance. ¡°Do you yield?¡± Lara glared at him through the ice, looking around at her surroundings - and undoubtedly probing for any weaknesses in his mana - before rolling her eyes and nodding. Dev released the ice with a swipe of his wand, melting everything immediately. Lara dropped with the water, landing on her knees in a massive puddle before standing up and glaring at Dev with fiery eyes. ¡°How did you learn that technique?¡± ¡°I learned it from the library,¡± Dev replied blandly. He approached her with his hand outstretched. ¡°Good match.¡± As Lara automatically held out her hand, Dev pulled her closer, clasping her shoulder and patting her back in a friendly manner. When he finally released her, she stood frozen, a mixture of fury and confusion warring on her face. Dev summoned water to rinse himself off as he headed towards the viewing stands, trailing muddy rivulets as he climbed the stairs to where everybody was in an uproar. Sue was talking a mile a minute as she bounced between Caleb and Levi, trying to break down the specifics of Dev¡¯s technique. Lara¡¯s friends had already vacated their seats, leaping over the walls to dart over to Lara. Dev¡¯s friends were dancing in a circle, gripping their heads in shock at what they had seen and making it impossible for Aida to hear anything. ¡°Frozen flames and burning earth, how did you pull that off?¡± Myk cried, shaking Pritchard¡¯s shoulders as Pritchard began scraping the remaining mud off of Dev. Aida had to admit she had no idea what Dev had done - or even what to make of the match. Fighting Lara for a bet? What''s the goal? She made her way over to the boys who were crowding around Dev, ducking under Abedi¡¯s jubilant waving arms. ¡°What was that all about?¡± Dev gave a self-satisfied smile to Aida. ¡°It was¡­a graduation match, I guess.¡± She gave him a deadpan look.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°An unsanctioned match?¡± ¡°It was a match for myself,¡± Dev allowed. His smile broadened. ¡°I got my victory, now I can move on with my life.¡± He turned to his friends. ¡°And you guys. You have to fulfill the terms of the bet now.¡± They all shuffled and mumbled at his reminder, though Myk looked smug. ¡°What¡¯s the bet?¡± Aida tried again. Dev smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Aida¡¯s shoulder. ¡°They have to give the thought of becoming an Adventurer serious consideration.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida sat at her desk that night tapping her fingers on her desk. She had updated her evaluation of how Class 2 would be as an Adventuring group after Dev¡¯s explanations. The bet - as silly as it sounded, but boys would be boys, she supposed - was that Pritchard, Myk, Shon, and Abedi had to actually consider starting an Adventuring group once they graduated. They all came from decently well-off families, so they could support their individual Adventuring costs - and with all of them being able to bring their own resources¡­ Dev actually got a bit embarrassed as he explained to Aida that as children, they - and the rest of their childhood playmates who hadn¡¯t developed any elemental affinities - had always played at being Adventurers. And she could understand why: Adventurers, like the Gullbeaks, were local heroes. Superheroes with magical powers who could fight back monsters and protect their loved ones, and were generally lauded and praised. Somewhere along the way as they got older, they slowly realized the burdens and struggles Adventurers faced, and eventually - aided and abetted by their parents¡¯ well-meaning practical advice to be realistic - their childhood dreams faded to just that: dreams. ¡°But things are different now,¡± Dev said earnestly to Aida. ¡°There wasn¡¯t too much of a need for Adventurers back then - times were peaceful, so everybody focused on earning baen and building wealth. But with things as they are¡­society as we know it need adventurers.¡± Aida had looked around at the other boys as Dev offered his explanation. Myk had nodded confidently, cosigning Dev¡¯s sentiment. Pritchard had looked somewhat flustered, but he had agreed as well. Abedi had merely looked thoughtful, while Shon was the only one who seemed outright hesitant. ¡°But we can argue that it¡¯s even more dangerous to be an Adventurer now,¡± Aida pointed out. ¡°There might be more of a need, but that¡¯s because there¡¯s more of a risk, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been talking to Kuri about it,¡± Dev said. ¡°She¡¯s said even if the Gullbeaks - or honestly, the other Adventuring groups - don¡¯t hire us, if we can put together our own starter group, chances are the currently established groups would be more than happy to give us some support in starting out, since they wouldn¡¯t be sharing any of their own resources to prop us up.¡± Dev grinned triumphantly. ¡°Worst case scenario, we take over the boring work of local patrols to gain experience while the more experienced groups get more bandwidth to patrol the more dangerous areas.¡± Aida leaned back in her chair, sighing. She was gratified by Dev¡¯s commitment to the cause - heck, he even went out of his way to plan out and confirm the logistics of how a Class 2 Adventuring group could be established. But she still worried for them¡­because being able to establish a relatively strong beginner group of Adventurers so easily meant they were just going to become cannon fodder, right? This group of objectively strong warriors are supposed to give you hope that things will be okay, but that¡¯s just to set you at ease before they get tragically taken out - to force the main characters to action. Aida shivered at her own pessimism before firming her resolve. I won¡¯t let it turn out that way. She told herself her anxiety about Class 2¡¯s survival was only rising because it seemed a lot more likely to happen than when she was putting her plans together; but ultimately, their formation wouldn¡¯t change her core plan of helping them from the sidelines. It was just confirmation that she had to improve her potion-making skills. She pulled out the table of Class 1¡¯s evaluation. I wonder how Lara would feel about joining an Adventuring group after her defeat today. Aida bit her lip as she wondered if Suelina would be willing to join Class 2. She didn¡¯t seem too interested in being anything more than acquaintance-friendly with the boys, not even bothering to ask Dev about the technique he used on Lara earlier; even after Aida had told her she and Pritchard had reached a friendly-enough truce. Nah, very unlikely. She¡¯s certain to get an offer from the Gullbeaks, and she can jump right into the thick of it without being relegated to ¡°boring¡± patrols. Aida sighed, giving her charts one last look before putting them away and getting into bed.
Desire Resources
Dev Flau Yes Yes
Shon Yanomo Maybe Yes
Myk Chy Yes Yes
Pritchard Spoak Yes? Yes
Abedi Bellow Yes? Yes
Desire Resources
Suelina Heslia Yes Yes
Caleb Tulver No No
Ezra Riolt Maybe Maybe; bad relationship
Lara Lorr ? Yes
Levi Ashet No Yes
Chapter 119: More Truths Third Moon, Third Spark Day, Morning ¡°MISS LOREH¡ª¡± Aida dropped to the floor at the yell, landing hard on her back. ¡°May I please speak with you?¡± ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Aida said quickly, dusting herself off as she stood up. She hadn¡¯t heard Professor Kozu over the shouts and cheers of her classmates as she engaged in a handstand battle with Pritchard - no mana, only legs as they tried to kick each other over - while they waited for Professor Gemma to show up for Physical Training class. Kozu was standing with Gemma at the entrance of the gym, concern tingeing their amusement. Aida exchanged quick glances with her classmates, but everybody looked clueless. Pritchard had also returned to his feet, and gave her a shrug. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to pull you from class this morning, Aida,¡± Professor Kozu said quietly, laying has hand towards the door to invite her to exit. ¡°We need your help with something. I¡¯ll explain as we head to the Healing ward.¡± Aida looked at Professor Gemma for more clues, but Gemma just nodded encouragingly at her. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready.¡± Kozu didn¡¯t speak until the gym door had closed behind them, leaving only the two of them in the hallway. ¡°This is a bit of an awkward situation, and for that I apologize.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Aida followed Kozu half a step behind as he began walking. ¡°¡­it¡¯s about Ezra.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on with Ezra?¡± Aida asked, her stomach twisting. ¡°Why is he in the Healing ward?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been going overboard on a certain type of training,¡± Kozu said quietly, still walking at a sedate pace. Aida wanted to hurry to the Healing ward, but she knew she had to hear what he said. ¡°Professor Bruce has been guiding him, but apparently Ezra is being unnecessarily reckless. Bruce finally put his foot down when he saw the state of him before class today, and has put him under Healer Luk¡¯s supervision. Levi Ashet has advised us that you might be the only person to break through his stubbornness¡­for his health.¡± I don¡¯t know about that. Aida crushed the doubt into the back of her mind. ¡°What kind of training was he doing? Is that why he¡¯s been looking so¡­tired lately?¡± Kozu stopped outside of the Healing ward, lowering his voice so there was no chance of the occupants in the ward hearing them. ¡°Bruce has been teaching him how to meditate¡­to potentially visit the higher planes.¡± Aida¡¯s eyebrows shot up. Higher planes? Kozu nodded at Aida¡¯s surprised reaction. ¡°Precisely. Bruce said he felt compelled to help Ezra, because he threatened to try to learn how to do it on his own. His rationale was that if he guides Ezra, the chance of him accidentally¡­detaching his soul from the mortal plane would lessen.¡± Detaching his soul? ¡°And what happened?¡± Aida asked tightly. Kozu shook his head, his expression softening. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s still here¡­Bruce called an emergency intervention because it looks like Ezra¡¯s spirit has been overexerted, and¡­we¡¯re hoping you can convince him to stop with his efforts. Or at least¡­slow down.¡± ¡°Why is he doing this anyway?¡± Kozu chewed on his words for a bit before he sighed. ¡°I think it would be best coming from him.¡± He placed his hand on the door, and when Aida nodded he opened it, allowing her inside. ¡°Healer Luk and I will give you two some privacy.¡± Aida stepped through the door, giving the ward a cursory glance. The curtains separating the beds were open, and Ezra was in the middle bed, his eyes downcast. Healer Luk stepped out from the small kitchen attached to the ward, giving Aida a nod and Ezra a worried glance, before joining Kozu in the hallway. ¡°Professor Bruce says he¡¯ll come as soon as he can to answer any questions,¡± Luk said quietly before Kozu shut the door. ¡°Stay calm. We¡¯ll come in if things get out of hand.¡± Aida strode towards Ezra¡¯s bed, catching a spare stool on her way. She thunked it down next to him and sat, staring. He definitely looked worse than before: the dark circles she had noticed during the picnic were heavier now, distinct bags drooping on his cheeks. His hair, originally a vibrant silver, now looked limp and lifeless; just simple white strands that looked almost translucent. His jawline had been something any model would envy, and now it looked skeletal. Ezra slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers, before flicking away. ¡°So¡­Kozu told me a bit about what happened, but obviously I don¡¯t understand everything he said. Can you explain?¡± Aida asked softly, trying to keep her voice from trembling. She waited, matching her breathing to his. His mana was sluggish, unresponsive - and pliable. There was none of that resistance to him that she was familiar with: firm, strong, unwavering. Finally, Ezra let out a shaky breath. Even his voice was weak and wispy. ¡°When I was out in the Deep Western Woods with Class 1 on that assignment¡­¡± Aida braced herself, preparing for the worst. First Sue, now Ezra¡­what happened to him? ¡°¡­I felt the same mana that attacked us before the Festival recess. It didn¡¯t attack me directly this time, but I felt its presence as the surroundings shifted around us.¡± Aida blinked, trying to process what he said. Ezra continued speaking, his speech increasing in urgency. ¡°I¡¯m certain it was the same thing that attacked us. So I started thinking: it¡¯s most certainly one being wreaking all this havoc, so if we could find this being, then we can finally accost it. But the dilemma is that we can¡¯t find it.¡± Aida nodded slowly, listening to his voice, feeling his mana. What he said was what she was thinking, so that was nothing new. But his mana, despite taking on more vibrancy as he talked, was still sloppy. ¡°So I started reading the ancient texts on Ascension Meditation, and it confirmed the modern myths we were told as children: if one achieves Ascension, they are connected to the world, so they can witness everything happening at once¡­¡± ¡°Hold on just a moment,¡± Aida objected, his words finally sinking in. ¡°So when Kozu said you were trying to ¡®visit a higher plane¡¯ - he was serious? He wasn¡¯t speaking in metaphor?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°¡­what are you imagining when you say this?¡± Ezra asked warily. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he specifically said something about ¡®detaching¡¯ your soul from the mortal plane. And to me, that sounds like death.¡± Aida glared at him. ¡°I - that would only occur if the practitioner wasn¡¯t skilled enough¡­¡± Ezra trailed off as Aida¡¯s glare intensified. ¡°I notice you¡¯re not denying Kozu¡¯s description of what you¡¯re doing,¡± Aida said lowly. She took care to keep her mana under control, aware that her heart was racing. It was being obnoxious; it was thrumming in her ears, so it made it difficult for her to hear Ezra¡¯s hushed justifications. ¡°That is a risk, but Professor Bruce has been training me so that doesn¡¯t¡ª¡° ¡°So why is it that he decided he had to call an ¡®emergency intervention¡¯ to get you to stop - doing whatever you¡¯ve been doing?¡± Aida demanded. Ezra¡¯s head slumped again. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t listen to his warnings.¡± ¡°What warnings?¡± Aida struggled to keep her voice down, aware that Kozu and Luk were still lingering outside the room. She appreciated their courtesy in keeping their mana muted, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing the meditation techniques outside of his supervision,¡± Ezra mumbled. Aida waited for him to elaborate, but he didn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t have enough background knowledge to understand everything that happened, but based on how seriously the professors were taking it¡­that probably meant Ezra came far too close to severing his connection to the mortal realm. ¡°And why did you do that? When you had the option of practicing safely under Professor Bruce¡¯s supervision?¡± Aida asked softly. ¡°¡­because the longer it takes for me to be able to get to that level, the more havoc the being can wreak,¡± Ezra replied just as softly. Aida leaned back and crossed her arms, holding her emotions in check. ¡°¡­and why can¡¯t Professor Bruce do the same search you¡¯re taking upon yourself? If he knows how to Ascend safely.¡± ¡°Because he never interacted as closely with the being¡¯s mana as I have,¡± Ezra said quietly. ¡°He¡¯s been hunting for it during his meditations, but¡­when you¡¯re in the Ascended state, everything is¡­foggy. If you don¡¯t know exactly what you¡¯re looking for, then¡­it¡¯s hard to find it.¡± Aida let out a hissing breath. Of course there¡¯s a mechanic to find The Evil. ¡°He¡¯s been trying,¡± Ezra repeated. ¡°But despite his experience in the Ascended state, he is still blinded by all the minutiae¡­and I have a better chance of finding it, because I just have to search for that identifiable mana.¡± Aida buried her head in her hand, thinking. Ezra¡¯s willing to risk his life to find it. This is the thing we all need. And he¡¯s a main character, with the best mana control out of everybody, so he should be protected by plot armor. But what if he¡¯s not? He¡¯s already wrecked his mana enough for the teachers to actually stop him. An insidious thought snaked to the forefront of her mind as she argued with herself. This isn¡¯t a game. Chills ran down Aida¡¯s spine. A significant part of her had clung to the idea that there was still some game logic to the way events were unfolding. That had allowed her to take a step back from being led astray by her emotions - worries about everyone¡¯s safety, concerns about the destruction of civilization, fear of what that would mean for her future. But now, if she took an even further step back - if she treated everything like the game it was, that would mean she had to completely divorce herself from her emotions. She had to see everybody as game pieces. And with Ezra willingly offering himself as a pawn - she found she didn¡¯t have it in her to commit to that kind of commander mindset. ¡°You¡¯re so STUPID.¡± Ezra flinched at her shout. ¡°Is your life worth so little that you¡¯ll sacrifice yourself just for a chance that you¡¯ll find the monster that¡¯s causing all these attacks?¡± ¡°My life isn¡¯t worth more than everyone else¡¯s,¡± Ezra protested. For some reason, his response infuriated Aida even more. ¡°If you die, the world will lose one of the strongest Metal practitioners it has ever seen, and guarantee even more people will die because you aren¡¯t here to protect them.¡± Aida stabbed a finger into Ezra¡¯s chest at every emphasis, causing the boy to cover his body with his bony hands. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t find the monster, just because you¡¯re here, you have the chance to protect the people who can¡¯t protect themselves.¡± Aida glared at Ezra, fuming. He looked so small and vulnerable right now, curled protectively around himself as he tried to shield himself from her anger. ¡°But fighting is a reactive response¡­this is the only way we can proactively find the monster¡­¡± ¡°That might be true,¡± Aida allowed, her voice icy. ¡°But think about it: none of us know anything right now. Based on Professor Bruce¡¯s expert assessment, he thinks you¡¯re being unnecessarily risky to the point you might accidentally kill yourself. And honestly, look at yourself! You barely have a grasp of your mana! I can manhandle you right now!¡± Aida¡¯s mana swarmed Ezra, completely enveloping him and quenching his feeble tendrils as he tried to stop her. She pulled back a split second later, terrified to realize how weak he really was. They stared at each other, the fear reflected in both their faces. ¡°Please¡­please stop doing whatever you¡¯ve been doing,¡± Aida whispered, not trusting herself to keep her voice steady at normal speaking volume. ¡°Please just¡­take care of yourself. It¡¯s not worth gambling your life away.¡± She stood up with a clatter, knocking her stool over in her haste to exit the Healing ward. Aida flew through the door, ignoring Kozu and Luk standing on either side as she ran towards the staircase. She didn¡¯t stop running until she reached the third floor stairwell, certain that she was alone. She blinked the angry tears out of her eyes, plopping herself on the steps. Witnessing Ezra¡¯s weakness - as a result of pushing himself too hard - enraged Aida beyond words. It¡¯s not a noble thing to do! It¡¯s just stupid! Taking unnecessary risks - he already had Professor Bruce¡¯s support in learning the dangerous technique, and all he needed was time. But no, for whatever reason Ezra decided the smart choice was to martyr himself - what on earth is he thinking?! ¡°Good job.¡± Aida swiped the lingering tears away with her wrist as she looked up at Kozu standing over her. ¡°I think you convinced Ezra to slow down.¡± ¡°He¡¯d better,¡± Aida muttered. ¡°He¡¯s so dumb.¡± ¡°Just like every other teenage boy,¡± Kozu chuckled as he leaned against the banister. ¡°I think you¡¯re a good influence on him.¡± ¡°One hopes.¡± Kozu¡¯s lips quirked at Aida¡¯s terse responses. ¡°It¡¯s true. Ezra¡¯s precise mana control, though commendable, I would say is a result of him repressing his emotions. You are probably the first person who presented Ezra with¡­unfamiliar feelings. Feelings that knocked him off balance. Feelings that made him irrational. This may be what he needs to become an even more powerful practitioner.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Aida said flatly. ¡°It sounds like he started pursuing Ascension Meditation after we broke up.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Kozu said courteously. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not trying to stroke your ego. I¡¯m not saying I know the specifics of what happened between you two either, but what I have observed during classes is¡­interesting, to say the least.¡± Aida looked up at him skeptically, convinced he really was trying to stroke her ego. He smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s just say¡­Ezra¡¯s still in a state of fluctuation. He just needs time to mature.¡± Chapter 120: Mortality ¡°Hiya, Aida!¡± Sue skipped up to Aida as she exited the library, her hair forming a halo around her. ¡°Sue!¡± Aida gladly reached out to Sue for a one-armed hug, the other arm occupied with her books and notebooks. ¡°Did you finish training early tonight?¡± ¡°Yup, we decided to visit Ezra to see how he was doing.¡± Sue gave Aida a bear hug, squeezing all the breath out of her lungs. ¡°He seems much improved now!¡± ¡°After only a day?¡± Aida asked skeptically when Sue finally released her. They began strolling towards the staircase. Sue nodded vigorously. ¡°Oh, for sure. He¡¯s got ahold of his mana again.¡± Without Aida asking, Sue reached out to take some of the books off the stack Aida was carrying, lightening her load. ¡°It¡¯s¡­I didn¡¯t make the connection before, but it¡¯s almost like his mana before was¡­¡± Sue trailed off thoughtfully. ¡°It felt like the mana of a creature dying.¡± Aida gaped at her in silence before Sue finally caught her panicked expression. ¡°No, no! It¡¯s okay! That was his mana before, but it¡¯s not like that anymore,¡± she said hastily. ¡°You¡¯ve rekindled his will to live, so he feels a lot more normal now!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Aida asked anxiously. ¡°He seemed fine during the picnic¡­¡± ¡°Of course, of course! I mean, the picnic was two and a half star cycles ago, so his decline wasn¡¯t so obvious then,¡± Sue nodded assertively. ¡°But it definitely accelerated¡­luckily, you caught him before he completely burnt himself out!¡± ¡°Well¡­well good,¡± Aida said weakly. Should I go visit him? ¡°I was so shocked when I heard what he was doing.¡± ¡°Same, girl!¡± Sue shook her head, admiration glowing in her gaze before a withering look of scorn that mirrored Aida¡¯s feelings about his attempt crossed her face. ¡°On the one hand, it¡¯s amazing that Professor Bruce even thinks he has the ability to learn that meditation technique in the first place¡­but on the other hand¡ª¡° ¡°On the other hand, why would he push himself so hard before he was ready,¡± Aida growled. Sue patted Aida¡¯s back comfortingly. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see Ezra take a risk like that,¡± Sue admitted quietly as they approached their rooms, giving a cursory wave to other girls chatting out in the hallway. They stopped in front of Aida¡¯s door. ¡°I guess he feels pretty strongly about fighting the monster.¡± She glanced coyly at Aida. ¡°Do you think Ezra would be willing to become an Adventurer?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather him become an Adventurer than whatever he¡¯s doing now,¡± Aida sighed. She took her books back from Sue, leaning against her door. Sue contemplated Aida for an uncharacteristically long and quiet moment, gauging her mood before poking a finger at Aida¡¯s forehead to lift her head up. ¡°Aida, I¡¯ve been avoiding this topic, trying to respect your feelings and all¡­but after seeing Ezra¡¯s condition today, I¡¯ve realized that¡­sometimes, letting someone keep doing what they want, or what¡¯s comfortable for them¡­it¡¯s not healthy.¡± Aida blinked at the sudden shift in tone. Sue was speaking earnestly, her eyes serious and concerned. ¡°Like¡­Ezra. He clearly wanted to learn Ascension Meditation. And who are we to tell him to stop, or slow down, or do it more safely, you know? We don¡¯t know his limits as well as he does. Or - should, I guess.¡± Sue frowned, dissatisfied with her inadequate explanation. ¡°Like, when I think about someone else telling me to stop whatever it is I¡¯m training - if it¡¯s not hurting anyone else, and it only hurts myself - then I¡¯d be mad at them, you know? For trying to - I don¡¯t know - control me? Because I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Sue let out a frustrated sigh. ¡°Anyway¡­after seeing him show up to class this morning, and then seeing Bruce get so mad at him¡­¡± Sue frowned harder, biting her lip as she tried to organize her thoughts. Aida pushed open her door, urging Sue inside before other girls decided to join their conversation. As much as she would have appreciated other people¡¯s validations of her opinions, she wasn¡¯t up for recounting how terrible he looked. Sue flopped down on Aida¡¯s bed, her lips still in a slight pout. ¡°I mean, you know me. I¡¯ll never tell someone not to do what they want to do, or what they think is right. But with Ezra, what he wants and thinks is clearly wrong!¡± Sue sat back up immediately after her outburst, looking mortified. ¡°Oh flames, sorry, I got carried away talking about myself. I wanted to ask - how are you doing? Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Aida assured Sue, smiling encouragingly. Sue shook her head vehemently. ¡°I don¡¯t mean right now. I mean about you and Ezra breaking up.¡± Aida felt her insides slowly freeze at the question, though it thawed almost as quickly. ¡°I - that happened seven star cycles ago. Of course I¡¯m fine.¡± Sue snapped her fingers and pointed at Aida triumphantly. ¡°The fact that you¡¯re so precise about how long ago you guys broke up means you¡¯re not fine!¡± Aida flushed. ¡°Well, you¡¯re wrong. What happened happened, and there¡¯s nothing more that needs to be said about it. I¡¯ve moved on. Mostly. Enough for it to not affect me.¡± Sue looked at Aida in exasperation. ¡°Aida, you¡¯re functioning perfectly fine right now, I¡¯m not denying that. But what I¡¯m trying to say is¡­speaking as your best friend, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve gone through the necessary steps to make sure you¡¯re truly recovered from the breakup. And part of that is because school¡¯s been taking precedent, which is totally understandable!¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Kozu said only time can heal this kind of wound,¡± Aida said stubbornly. ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me.¡± Sue gave her a look that, shockingly enough, was even more exasperated than the last one. ¡°You talked to Kozu about your feelings?¡± ¡°Well - he said I was getting distracted in class¡ª¡° ¡°So you weren¡¯t fine!¡± Sue swelled up in indignation. ¡°That means I should have intervened earlier!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m fine now,¡± Aida insisted, laughing slightly at the circular argument they were having. ¡°It¡¯s really not a big deal anymore.¡± Sue crossed her arms in a pout, the two girls in a silent standoff. Finally, Sue relented and sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll accept that I was too late for this one. But I won¡¯t just stand idly by next time you date someone!¡± Aida couldn¡¯t help but giggle at that promise. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s going to be a long time coming, with all of these other existential concerns.¡± Sue¡¯s face fell slightly at the reminder. ¡°Yeah¡­what an awful time for this monster to crop up. If it had appeared after we had graduated, then we could hunt for it immediately¡­¡± Sue¡¯s face darkened, and her hair began lifting in a stormcloud around her; Aida felt her mana begin roiling. ¡°Are your parents okay?¡± Aida asked quickly, trying to distract Sue before she set fire to her bedsheets. ¡°Have you corresponded with them lately?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine, thankfully,¡± Sue replied, her hair smoothing down again, though her expression barely brightened. ¡°They¡¯re spending a bit more baen on purchasing ingredients instead of foraging, but otherwise my mom says a lot of people are coming to her dances. She said the bright side to this whole ordeal is that they¡¯re fostering more of a community, because no one wants to be alone,¡± she sighed. ¡°What about your parents? Have they written to you?¡± Aida shook her head, and Sue frowned sympathetically. No news is good news, right? I wouldn¡¯t even know what to say to them. ¡°With Ezra out of the picture now, you lost a good excuse to say no to their potential arrangement,¡± Sue said with a small smile. Aida smiled as well, remembering one of her first concerns when she arrived in this world. That¡¯s such an inconsequential worry. ¡°But honestly, with our futures at risk because of this thing¡­¡± Aida looked up to see Sue blushing. Sue avoided her eyes as she continued speaking. ¡°I¡­I kind of¡­really want to make it official with Caleb.¡± Aida stared at Sue dumbly. ¡°You¡¯re still not official?¡± Sue colored. ¡°No!¡± ¡°But you two act so¡ª¡° Aida struggled for the right word, though she had to admit to herself she hadn¡¯t seen anything explicit occur between the two of them. Caleb tended to be more protective of Sue, and they always sat next to each other when they could. ¡°Close,¡± Aida finished lamely. ¡°We spend a lot of time together,¡± Sue admitted, shame-faced. ¡°And¡­we¡¯ve been talking a lot. But after that time in the Western Woods¡ª¡° Sue¡¯s face clouded over as quickly as it had turned red. ¡°I just worry that if we keep putting it off - to focus on our careers, you know - then¡­there might not be a time for us to¡­be together.¡± Aida nodded slowly in agreement. ¡°Yeah¡­there¡¯s a lot more to life than work.¡± Unfortunate that it takes a monster threatening everybody¡¯s lives to realize this. They sat in silence for another long moment, deep in their own thoughts. ¡°Have you and Ezra¡­kissed?¡± Aida inhaled improperly, choking on air. Sue leaped up to thump her back, giggling. ¡°I take it that¡¯s a yes?¡± Aida nodded grudgingly, forming water in the air to sip on. ¡°How was it? When did it happen? Where did you kiss? Who initiated?¡± Sue asked eagerly. ¡°It was good. It happened on the last Moon Day of the First Moon. We were on the roof of the school. And Ezra¡­¡± Aida trailed off, her heart clenching as her gaze turned towards the window. That was the window Ezra essentially broke into, though he had replaced the pane neatly when he returned her to her room after their impromptu date. She could still imagine his outline silhouetted against the glass. She didn¡¯t really want to elaborate more for Sue. She understood what Sue wanted to know, and why she would be curious - after all, she also got needlessly excited whenever any of her friends experienced any spicy moments in their lives as well - but sharing that intimate memory with someone else felt wrong. Even if the ¡°someone else¡± was her best friend. She wanted to keep that private memory all to herself. Mentioning it out loud seemed¡­disrespectful to that moment, as silly as it sounded. ¡°The last Moon Day of the First Moon? Why then?¡± Sue asked querulously. Aida shrugged half-heartedly. ¡°He said he wanted a redo of Old Moon Festival.¡± ¡°Oh, that makes sense.¡± Sue settled back on the bed, clearly dissatisfied. ¡°Did he do it wrong?¡± Aida asked, amused. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I had no issues with the timing.¡± Sue exhaled noisily. ¡°Ugh, yeah I¡¯m glad you two kissed, it¡¯s just¡­Lily and Vanita and I had a bet,¡± she admitted reluctantly. It was with great effort that Aida managed not to roll her eyes. These kids and their bets. ¡°What¡¯s the bet?¡± ¡°We were betting on how long it would take for you two to kiss,¡± Sue said, annoyed. ¡°Vanita thought you¡¯d probably kiss during graduation, just because it¡¯s a pivotal moment in your lives and you two are overly cautious. I thought you two would kiss sometime this moon cycle, because that would have given you two enough time to get comfortable with each other. Lily was reckless and bet that you two would kiss by the end of the First Moon. Who knew she was right! Two star cycles after making it official¡­¡± Sue grumbled, pacing about Aida¡¯s room. ¡°So what were the stakes?¡± Aida asked, holding back her titter. ¡°Who would have won the bet if we broke up before kissing?¡± ¡°Obviously Vanita would have won, but it would have been a less painful victory than Lily winning,¡± Sue sniffed. Her eyes brightened as she recalled the stakes. ¡°Ah, but this is still great! The stakes were that whoever lost would have to ask a boy to the Fire Festival.¡± Sue¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°And since I plan on making it official with Caleb anyway, this dare isn¡¯t going to be as embarrassing as when we first agreed to the terms,¡± she finished triumphantly. ¡°The Fire Festival,¡± Aida repeated faintly. Sue grabbed Aida by the shoulders, looking deep into her eyes with a confident smile on her face and completely misunderstanding her expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aida. You¡¯re a free maiden now. You can go to the Festival with anyone you want.¡± Chapter 121: North Ocean Village I Fourth Moon, First Moon Day Morning Aida breathed in the scent of the fresh ocean air. The salt on the wind was light, and the sun had just begun peeking over the waves, casting a pale orange light over the straw roofs of the fishing huts along the water¡¯s edge. Aida was on another week-long sponsorship assignment, but this time with only three other classmates instead of the entirety of Class 2. She considered herself lucky for this assignment; based on the descriptions of the North Ocean Village from the assignment briefing and Levi¡¯s worldly knowledge, the village was a relatively safe location that hadn¡¯t seen as much strife as the other villages dotting Wyndia¡¯s forests. Unfortunately, natural disasters - and the professors had reassured them it was solely due to nature - still existed in this world. Levi had corroborated the professors¡¯ statements. ¡°It¡¯s getting into the summer, so typhoons and creature migrations are starting to happen.¡± Levi paused, his brow furrowing. ¡°The Naval Stronghold has a base near North Ocean Village, so usually they don¡¯t need too much protection or support.¡± ¡°Is it likely that the Naval Strongholders are supporting inland activities?¡± Aida ran a finger along the coastline, tracing the routes between North Ocean, Naval Stronghold Base, and Shale Port, significantly further away from the Stronghold. Levi leaned over her shoulder to look at the geography book she had open. ¡°At this point, your guess is as good as mine. Who are your Affiliates for this assignment?¡± Aida flipped open her assignment packet. ¡°Oh, look at that. Naval Strongholders Jaret Rings, Metal, and Ashley Muger, Fire.¡± ¡°Ah. So this might be the closest to being an ordinary assignment without unnatural stakes you¡¯ll get.¡± Aida and her compatriots for this assignment - Dev, Tera, and Abedi - had taken an early ground golem transport to North Ocean Village yesterday. The first half of the trip had been dull, just more forests that they zoomed through, until they finally exited the woods. When the golem left the cover of the trees, they had been treated to a panoramic view of rolling hills of tall, green grass slowly becoming speckled with gold, all descending towards the small patch of civilization along the water¡¯s edge in the distance. Within the grasslands, Aida could sense the mana of small creatures digging for nuts and seed, constantly emitting furtive pulses as they kept their senses tuned to whatever predator might swoop down upon them. The village itself, as they approached, appeared to have no major defenses: just simple wooden walls with watchtowers at even intervals, and the guards in the watchtowers carried simple wooden bows. The Strongholders Jaret, a tall dark-haired and dark-eyed man, and Ashley, a petite ruby-eyed woman with hair the color of cinnamon, had met them at the gate, thanking the golem driver and guiding the four of them to their lodgings for the star cycle. As they walked, they kept up a running commentary of the neighborhood, pointing out their favorite restaurants, which type of rebuilding help a particular district needed, and where to witness the best views during the morning, afternoon, or night. They didn¡¯t put the students to work right away; instead, they led them around the district their inn was in, introducing them to the local restaurant and shop owners, and gave them a tour of the rest of the village over the course of the afternoon as they helped take stock of which sectors needed what kind of help with the rebuilding efforts. When the tour was finally over, they still had a few hours to kill before dinner time, so the Strongholders encouraged them to explore the village before meeting them at a bun restaurant right outside of their inn. Needless to say, the classmates were excitedly anticipating this assignment to be akin to a vacation. ¡°Morning, Aida. Why are you up so early?¡± Tera yawned as she stepped onto her own balcony next to Aida. Tera¡¯s hair was a mess, brown strands drifting in the gentle wind. ¡°I just wanted to see the view,¡± Aida responded. ¡°It¡¯s so peaceful here.¡± Tera blinked tiredly at the sunrise. ¡°It is,¡± she agreed before yawning again. ¡°At first I thought the view at Maglica is nice, but it¡¯s all just forest.¡± Aida chuckled. ¡°Why are you up so early if you¡¯re still so tired?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t sleep well if I¡¯m not in my own bed,¡± Tera grumped. ¡°I think the only reason I slept so well at Loded Peak was because I was just so exhausted there.¡± Aida hummed sympathetically. ¡°Looks like your time here won¡¯t be as relaxing as for the rest of us.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°We¡¯ll see. If the work is demanding, then I might sleep well after all,¡± Tera replied, leaning on the wooden banister, soaking in the gentle rays from the sun. ¡°Oh, that feels nice.¡± Aida heard another door slide open, and craned her neck to peer at the balcony below hers. ¡°Morning, Dev. Couldn¡¯t sleep either?¡± ¡°No, I got woken up by you two. The walls are so thin.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wake Abedi up so we can go get breakfast,¡± Tera murmured. ¡°Otherwise I¡¯m going to fall asleep right here.¡± Aida heard shuffling from Dev¡¯s balcony. ¡°We¡¯ll meet you at the entrance in half an hour.¡± After a few minutes, Aida splashed water onto Tera¡¯s face, making her yelp. ¡°You should go get ready, Tera.¡± Mumbling incoherently, Tera waved at Aida as she sloped back into her room. Aida stayed on the balcony for a little while longer, watching as smoke from breakfast fires began rising into the sky. Compared to the work at Loded Peak, there really wasn¡¯t much work for them to do at North Ocean. There were a few sites that required Aida and Dev to drain stagnant water away so Tera and Abedi could repair the foundations, as well as some reports of broken plumbing the villagers had eagerly requested their help with. People here seem a lot more relaxed, as well. There was no hushed furtiveness hovering over the village and its inhabitants; the people affected by the small typhoon that had passed through this region were mildly upset, but had seemed mollified once they saw the four students surveying the damage with the Strongholders. Aida stretched her arms wide, giving the fully-risen sun an embrace, before she disappeared back into her room to get ready for the day. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°So first order of business, we¡¯ll get the schoolyard drained so we can get the kids back in school as soon as possible,¡± Jaret said through a mouthful of bun. ¡°That way the adults can start helping with the reconstruction efforts. Also, Dev and Aida, do you think you can check the reservoir to make sure everything is fine? We did a cursory check, and the structure seems sound, but it would be nice if you could confirm the dam isn¡¯t leaking.¡± Aida and Dev nodded as Jaret continued reading the tasks on his list. ¡°Tera and Abedi, in addition to repairing the school¡¯s foundation, the village elders have also requested that you two see if there are some quality-of-life improvements you could add to the school. The village population has grown a lot in the past decade, so they¡¯re hoping you could add in some more fountains and bathrooms for the children, at the very least.¡± When Tera and Abedi nodded, Jaret smiled and folded up the list. ¡°Excellent. Thanks for all your cooperation. Don¡¯t work too fast, though. If the villagers see how easy it is for you do the repair work, they¡¯re going to burn up your mana asking you to fix everything. Take your time and focus on doing quality work.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take the morning to work on the school,¡± Ashley added. ¡°And then after lunch, Dev and Aida, we¡¯ll take a golem up to the reservoir so you can do your inspections. It¡¯s a very nice view.¡± ¡°Will we get a chance to see the reservoir?¡± Tera asked, sipping her tea to wash down her fish bun. Ashley smiled brightly. ¡°Of course! If Aida and Dev detect any leaks, we¡¯ll bring you up there to fix it. And even if there aren¡¯t any, we can bring you up so you can check the stone and pipes yourself.¡± Ashley nodded at Abedi. ¡°Other than the repair work you mentioned yesterday, is there anything else we¡¯re expected to do?¡± Dev asked the two Strongholders. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be crass, but it seems like there¡¯s not too much assistance required from us here.¡± ¡°Dev, don¡¯t ask for more work,¡± Tera muttered out of the corner of her mouth. Jaret grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tera. We¡¯re not going to work you guys raw. It¡¯s true, though: there isn¡¯t as much work or devastation here as other places, thank the skies. You were all at Loded Peak last moon cycle, correct?¡± Jaret returned their nods. ¡°Even though this village is in better condition than the Peaks, there¡¯s still a good amount of help you can give. The typhoon season has only just started, so once we¡¯re done with the minor repairs we will ask for your help in reinforcing some of the wind and ocean breakers. Aida and Dev, even though you won¡¯t be able to help with the infrastructure as much as Abedi and Tera, we¡¯re hoping you can help with the ocean patrols once you¡¯ve cleared the way for Tera and Abedi to do their work.¡± ¡°Ocean patrols?¡± Aida questioned. Jaret nodded affirmatively. ¡°Correct. The Naval Stronghold thought your abilities would be best utilized in patrolling the local waters so the fishermen can work in peace. As you may or may not know, since you all are city kids, typhoons can stir up the ire of several monsters, and they¡¯ll take it out on any creature they come across.¡± Jaret smiled reassuringly at Aida. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, if Ashley or I don¡¯t go on the patrols with you, you¡¯ll be with another Strongholder.¡± ¡°How dangerous are the monsters in these waters?¡± Dev asked cautiously. ¡°Not too dangerous, otherwise there¡¯s no way the village could sustain its economy. Most of the time the Naval Stronghold¡¯s work is in recharging a fisherman¡¯s empty mana battery, or tugging them back to shore. But being on the water is a great chance for you two to practice your elemental manipulations,¡± Ashley added. She glanced around the restaurant to make sure no one else was listening before leaning in towards them. ¡°Sorry if this assignment isn¡¯t as exciting as you were expecting. If there¡¯s any other skill or experience you¡¯d like to pick up here, please let me and Jaret know and we¡¯ll see what we can do for you. We were honestly surprised Maglica approved sending us students for this work, in light of all the other places that could use help.¡± ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll find something for all of you to do,¡± Jaret said loudly. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, there might be another typhoon by the end of this star cycle, and then we can test your reinforcements before you leave!¡± Chapter 122: North Ocean Village II Just as Dev predicted, draining the school yard didn¡¯t take too long at all. The school itself was small, just a rectangular building set in a courtyard that was about the size of the Tulver¡¯s Bath House courtyard. Based on the number of windows in the building, Aida assumed there were no more than four classrooms. At Jaret¡¯s urging, Aida and Dev took their time funneling the water over the school¡¯s walls into the gutter that ringed the school. As they did so, Abedi watched them with his thick arms crossed. ¡°I¡¯m surprised after so many years, they didn¡¯t bother building a draining hole into the wall so the yard could drain on its own.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s more like the rain and elements wore away the earth,¡± Tera said, inspecting the smooth stone and where it met the ground. She pointed to a hole the size of her hand in the wall just slightly below knee height. ¡°The schoolyard was mostly sand and some rock, so a lot of it got washed away over the years.¡± ¡°Why did we go over the wall when we could have just gone through the hole?¡± Aida asked, slightly annoyed. She redirected her stream to flow up the rounded edges and into the hole. It really made no difference, since it wasn¡¯t like she had to conserve her mana or anything, but the way Jaret pushed them to be more flashy irked her. ¡°Probably to show the villagers that we¡¯re actually doing something,¡± Dev said calmly, continuing to funnel water over the wall in a neat waterfall. He pointed to the school¡¯s gates with his chin, where several children were peering through, their mouths open in amazement. ¡°They probably haven¡¯t seen elemental manipulation much.¡± Tera flexed her fingers and rotated her wrists, a grin spreading across her face. ¡°Excellent. I love an appreciative audience.¡± She pulled her wand out of her pocket, pointing it at the school¡¯s walls. Slowly, the smooth stone that made up the base changed, taking on a spongelike texture. The children at the gates gasped audibly, as they all knelt down to touch the transformed surface. Tera twirled her wand between her fingers in satisfaction. ¡°I made the foundation more porous, so water can drain out on its own. Once you two are done, I¡¯ll make the ground harder so it doesn¡¯t get washed away the next time a typhoon comes.¡± ¡°You may have to change the building¡¯s foundation composition as well. All of the rods are rusted through.¡± Abedi shook his head. ¡°Soaking in salt water. These reconstruction efforts may take longer than Jaret first predicted.¡± ¡°Where are Jaret and Ashley, by the way?¡± Aida asked, lifting the remaining layer of water in the school yard in a large disk so Tera could begin firming the ground. Jaret had given the four of them preliminary instructions to remove water and familiarize themselves with the construction of the school, which, like the other buildings in the village, looked like adobe-style homes with their squared-off corners, before entering the school with Ashley. Dev glanced into the school as he ducked below the watery ceiling. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re just about done with the walkthrough of the school.¡± He gathered the water in Aida¡¯s disk into a ball, which he then floated menacingly over the children¡¯s heads. They all shrieked, covering their heads as they darted away from the ball, as if they were afraid it would rain on them. ¡°Run away! It¡¯s going to pee on you!¡± a small boy screamed, adding to the cacophony as he ran right towards the watery moon. He jumped, reaching his small hand towards it and smacking the surface of the water. He squealed in joy, chasing after his friends with his now-wet hand outstretched. ¡°I touched it! I¡¯m gonna get yooooou!¡± Aida felt her lips curve down as she turned towards Dev. ¡°Uh¡­silly thought, but is there a way to tell what the composition of the liquid is?¡± Dev¡¯s face twisted in disgust as he understood her question. He dropped the watery sphere into the gutter with a splash. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought to analyze water, but I would presume so. You started learning about poisons, did you not? You would be the best person to answer this question.¡± ¡°Never mind, I don¡¯t want to know,¡± Aida muttered. ¡°Nice job, everyone,¡± Jaret called as he and Ashley crossed the schoolyard to them, followed by a middle-aged woman with glasses and a neat braid. She inclined her head politely. ¡°Principal Jen was just showing me which rooms in the school they¡¯d like to expand. But before we get to her wish list, what are your thoughts on the condition of the school?¡± ¡°The entire foundation should be rebuilt,¡± Abedi replied immediately. ¡°All of the rods used in the foundation have corroded because of the salinity it¡¯s been subjected to for such a long time; it¡¯s only a matter of time until this building crumbles during the next storm. I will have to coat the rods in copper, that way even if the school floods at least you wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the cumulative damage done to the foundation.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, he added, ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true for the pipes as well. If you wanted to expand the bathrooms, now might be a good time to replace the piping.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Oh skies,¡± Principal Jen said faintly. ¡°How long would it take to do all this?¡± Abedi looked to Jaret, who shrugged and gestured for Abedi to continue speaking. ¡°If it was just me and Tera, I anticipate it would take a minimum of four days if nothing goes wrong. If Strongholder Jaret can help, and find another Earth practitioner, we could perhaps halve the amount of time.¡± ¡°I myself am more than happy to help,¡± Jaret said. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to find an Earth comrade who can come help this cycle.¡± ¡°What if we requested the help of some of the builders?¡± Principal Jen suggested. ¡°They have minimal earth manipulation abilities, but they have a lot of knowledge. Would that help speed up the timeline?¡± As Abedi and Tera began talking logistics with Jaret and Principal Jen, Ashley slipped around them and touched Aida and Dev¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Hey, it looks like you guys are no longer needed here. Did you want to stay and see if there¡¯s anything you can help with for the school, or did you want to go up to the reservoir?¡± Aida shrugged as she and Dev exchanged glances, and he turned to Ashley with a half-hearted smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the reservoir. Is it far?¡± ¡°Good choice. It¡¯s not too far, just under an hour by golem transport. We can bring some lunch with us and make it a picnic!¡± ¡°You are far too kind,¡± Dev said politely. Ashley beamed at them. ¡°Okay, great! Why don¡¯t you go order some meals to bring to the reservoir, and I¡¯ll go get the golem. I¡¯ll meet you two outside of the village gates in an hour.¡± Ashley waved goodbye at the two of them as she left them at the school gate, leaving them to make their own way back to the inn. ¡°What do you think of this assignment?¡± Dev asked as they slowly ambled away from the school. Aida made a noncommittal noise as she peered at the menu items listed on the storefronts, trying to decide what would be easy meals for takeout. There was a variety of dishes, but, as expected of a fishing village, the majority of the offerings revolved around seafood. Even though she had been looking forward to relaxing during this assignment, she found it mildly uncomfortable how unvalued she and her classmates were. They had met several villagers during the tour the Strongholders had taken them on yesterday, and though they had been polite, they had also seemed¡­dismissive. Apathetic about the fact that they had people with supernatural abilities in their village to help. She wondered if she had just been spoiled by her interactions with the Peak dwellers, and with the townspeople in Buddington Town when she was with Kuri. In those instances, she had been uncomfortable with how she had been too respected, while having done nothing significant for them. But this experience seemed to be the complete opposite; the restaurant and inn staff had seemed mildly puzzled when the Strongholders had informed them that they were students from Maglica, as if they were wondering why they needed to know where they were from. Am I embodying the arrogance Teena Vega expects of me? ¡°I, for one, am skeptical of what our purpose here is,¡± Dev continued. He pointed at a food stall with a painted sign depicting some sort of rice or sushi roll. ¡°Should we get fish rice rolls? Those are simple to eat, requiring very little fuss.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Aida agreed. After they placed an order for three rolls, Aida glanced along the street, which was busy with villagers conducting their own business. ¡°You¡¯re right, though. I don¡¯t know how much¡­help we can offer these people. They don¡¯t seem like they need us.¡± Or even want us. ¡°This might be a bit rich of me to say,¡± Dev said carefully, his wary eyes following Aida¡¯s, ¡°but I get the feeling it¡¯s so peaceful here that even the Naval Strongholders aren¡¯t motivated to truly try and help.¡± Aida nodded slightly. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here before, so I¡¯ve been trying to keep an open mind about what it¡¯s like to live here. But¡­there really isn¡¯t a sense of any sort of pressure here, is there?¡± Dev shook his head thoughtfully. ¡°Perhaps the more generous interpretation is that they are so used to typhoons running through and destroying everything they¡¯ve built, so they see no point in trying to make things better.¡± Aida laughed. ¡°That makes the most sense. How can one fight against nature, anyway?¡± ¡°Here you are, three steamed fish rolls. Please come again!¡± the restaurant proprietor bustled up to them, handing them three burrito-sized packages wrapped in brown paper with a gracious smile. Dev thanked her as he stacked the packages in his arm. ¡°Speaking of fighting against nature, maybe we can ask Ashley to help us with improving our own skills,¡± Dev said as they started meandering towards the village entrance. ¡°She seems like she actually wants us to get something out of this assignment, instead of just trying to force us to keep the balance.¡± ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Aida asked, peering down the tight alleys intersecting the main road they were on as a few children ran through, laughing. Children were sensitive to the general atmosphere, so if they felt like they could play with such ease, and no adults were admonishing them to go home¡­ I really should just take advantage of this assignment as a vacation, but¡­I really don¡¯t want to be here. ¡°We¡¯re going up to the reservoir, so there will be a lot of water.¡± Aida turned back to Dev. He had a small smile on his face that Aida didn¡¯t quite like. ¡°What do you think of practicing our combat abilities?¡± Chapter 123: North Ocean Village III ¡°Here we are!¡± Ashley said cheerfully as she steered the three-wheeled golem to a stop behind several other dormant golems. She pointed to a well-worn trail that threaded through the woods. ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯ll go to get to the reservoir.¡± Aida and Dev swung themselves out of the golem, heading down the path Ashley pointed out to them. Aida glanced around the woods. The tree trunks were slimmer than the trees at Maglica, but there was still a lot of foliage. The road from the village to the forest had been a long, winding, but well-established route, carving a distinct path through the grasses that had surrounded the village. As they had driven away from civilization, Aida could understand why they didn¡¯t necessarily require any guards or patrols for the village: they could see any predator approach from the existing watch towers, and most creatures were significantly smaller than the monsters who made their homes in the woods. Their biggest concern really is just surviving the typhoons. The trees opened up in front of them, displaying a massive dam that looked like it spanned several miles. Along the tops of the stone walls were several people fishing, it looked like, their bodies dotting the wall at regular intervals. ¡°People fish here as well?¡± Aida inquired. ¡°This is where they come to collect freshwater fish,¡± Ashley explained. ¡°Since the ocean is more dangerous, the younger men would go out to sea for the saltwater fish. When they get too old or tired of ocean fishing, they come here so they can still continue to provide.¡± Ashley smiled. ¡°It helps them pass the time, and gives them a sense of purpose.¡± Some figures on the walls waved to them as they caught sight of the Strongholder, and she waved back with her signature beaming smile. ¡°I think they¡¯re glad to see me. Whenever I come up here, we end up sharing a warm meal of fresh-caught freshwater fish with my fire.¡± I guess North Ocean Village might be a great place to retire. Even though Aida questioned the value of sending third-year Class 2 students to North Ocean, she couldn¡¯t help but consider what it would be like to be a resident. But it seems like people rarely get injured, so I don¡¯t think they need a Healer here. ¡°Good to see you, Ashley,¡± a grandfatherly figure called to them. ¡°You¡¯ve got some new Naval Strongholder recruits with you today?¡± ¡°Not recruits, but students from Maglica Academy,¡± Ashley replied. ¡°They¡¯re Water practitioners and are here for the week, so I thought I¡¯d bring them up here to make sure the reservoir itself is in good condition.¡± To Dev and Aida, she said, ¡°That gentleman there is Sam. He¡¯s nearly eighty suns old.¡± ¡°The hike and fresh air up here keeps me spry,¡± Sam chuckled. Up close, he had kind eyes and a wispy white beard that reached his collarbones. His skin was dark from the constant sun exposure, though he wore a broad-brimmed straw hat on his head. His demeanor and movements belied the spirit of a much younger man. ¡°And fishing keeps my mind and senses sharp!¡± ¡°Sam is one of the best fishermen I know,¡± Ashley gushed to the students. ¡°It¡¯s almost like he can control fish, with how he just hauls them up whenever he wants.¡± Sam waved a liver-spotted hand amicably. ¡°No control here, just familiar with the patterns of a hungry fish.¡± ¡°Have you developed any mana senses? With the water, or anything?¡± Aida asked curiously. After all, Caleb¡¯s mother had told her that she had ended up picking up some mana senses from her work; it would be interesting to meet others who picked up other elemental senses. ¡°Not enough to help with the actual fishing itself,¡± Sam said, shaking his head sadly. ¡°I try to tell my family I¡¯ve developed some awareness of the storms, but they said I should prove it by protecting the home from getting flooded.¡± He sighed mournfully. ¡°The younger generation, I tell you. No respect for their elders, so demanding.¡± ¡°It was great to see you, Grandpa Sam,¡± Ashley said. ¡°But if we linger here, we¡¯ll be chatting all day and won¡¯t get any work done.¡± Sam waved the trio away, with an admonishment not to work too hard. The other fishermen on the dam were less chatty than Grandpa Sam, merely greeting them with a wave of a hand or remaining focused on their rods. As they walked, Aida spread her senses out across the water, feeling the small pinpricks of life from the fish as they swam merrily in the reservoir. ¡°Is there anything I should be looking for?¡± Aida asked Ashley. ¡°I don¡¯t sense anything odd in the water, but I don¡¯t know what normal conditions are either.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Just if you notice any small leaks or anything,¡± Ashley said. She pointed to the other side of the dam. ¡°There¡¯s not any water being released right now, so if you feel any surges in the water that would indicate a potential leak.¡± Aida glanced at Dev, but he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t sense any leaks.¡± ¡°Along the whole dam?¡± ¡°None.¡± Ashley sighed at Dev¡¯s response, stopping at a stretch that didn¡¯t have any fishermen nearby. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, you two. You must think it¡¯s a waste of time coming to North Ocean Village.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Aida said hastily. Even though she had been thinking it, and she and Dev had discussed it, she still felt like it would be rude to admit to it. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a good reason Maglica sent us out here.¡± ¡°Can you tell us what the monster attacks are like here?¡± Dev asked. ¡°I presume the Naval Stronghold patrols these woods to make sure the fishermen can travel and fish safely.¡± Ashley nodded. ¡°Yes, we split patrols with the Border Stronghold here. But the woods are thinner, so the wildlife isn¡¯t as dangerous as the ones near the school. And as you can see, the reservoir itself is pretty peaceful. Honestly, most of the danger is out on the ocean, which is where most of our patrols are sent.¡± ¡°Has the Stronghold noticed any odd monster attacks out in the ocean?¡± Ashley shook her head, her red hair fluttering around her shoulders. ¡°No, everything has been business as usual. If it weren¡¯t for the stories I¡¯ve heard of what¡¯s happening inland and what the Border Stronghold reports, we wouldn¡¯t know there¡¯s anything strange occurring.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s really not much we can do right now, can Aida and I practice our water manipulation and techniques here?¡± Dev continued. Ashley tilted her head. ¡°You want to train here?¡± Dev nodded. ¡°We promise we won¡¯t disrupt the fish in here. We can go a bit further away, so we don¡¯t interfere with the elders and their fishing.¡± Ashley looked uncertainly at Aida, and Aida nodded encouragingly. ¡°My combat skills are relatively weak, so I think I can get a lot of value out of training with Dev.¡± ¡°Well, I certainly don¡¯t have any better ideas,¡± Ashley said, smiling wryly. She gestured for them to follow her, where she led them to the far end of the dam wall where none of the fisherman had set up their stations. ¡°Okay, this is probably a safe enough location. What were you two thinking of doing?¡± Dev turned immediately to Aida. ¡°I was thinking about your fighting style, Aida.¡± Oh no. Aida looked up at Dev with trepidation. Even though he spoke thoughtfully, with no indication that he was about to criticize her, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was about to hit her with an observation of a clear flaw she should have corrected long ago. She felt more confident in her abilities, and she could keep up in classes, but what if she had developed some bad habits that would impede further development? ¡°Your mana capacity has improved significantly, but I notice you still tend to try to finish a match in as few moves as possible in an effort to conserve your mana.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Aida said suspiciously. ¡°Isn¡¯t the goal of a fight always to end the fight as soon as possible?¡± Dev smiled. ¡°That is one perspective. And in order to help support that preference - and perhaps improve some mana efficiency - I was thinking maybe you could work on becoming an ice attacker.¡± ¡°How would specializing as an ice attacker improve mana efficiency?¡± Aida asked skeptically. ¡°Creating ice requires more mana than creating water.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Dev agreed. ¡°However, you are more likely to down your opponent with ice than with water if you make contact. The reason Lara and I use water primarily is because we anticipate a long, tricky match; we opt for endurance, a battle of attrition. However, for you, you might benefit from using ice right from the get-go.¡± ¡°Dev¡¯s right,¡± Ashley said from the side. ¡°When we¡¯re on missions and fighting actual monsters that don¡¯t necessarily fight with strategy, we aim to put them down as fast as possible with our strongest attacks. The longer a fight goes on, the more it goes in the monster¡¯s favor, because they usually have much more endurance than us, and we¡¯re liable to make mistakes.¡± She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s up to you, really. Outside of school, you probably don¡¯t need the fancy strategizing you guys have in one-on-one combat.¡± ¡°I guess so,¡± Aida said dubiously. ¡°I also don¡¯t plan on being a combat specialist, so I guess training as an ice specialist might help me increase my mana pool size faster¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a fringe benefit,¡± Dev nodded. ¡°But I think you¡¯ll find as you get faster at converting water to ice, your efficiency with ice will improve over water.¡± Seeing the confused expression on Aida¡¯s face, Dev pointed his wand into the reservoir, pulling a stream of water out so it hung next to them. ¡°Let¡¯s look at water as it is now. If I were to launch it at something, in order to make a substantial impact I have to send my mana along with the entirety of this stream so that it keeps its shape¡­¡± Dev tightened his grip on his wand, and the water straightened into a rigid aqua spear, Dev¡¯s mana enveloping the liquid in a bright, clear blue. He shot the projectile back into the water, creating a massive splash that showered them in crisp, refreshing droplets. Dev pulled another stream of water up. ¡°Now, if I first use my mana to convert this to ice¡­¡± the water straightened back into spear form and grew an icy shell over it, remaining suspended in the air. ¡°¡­That¡¯s it. I don¡¯t need to expend any additional mana making sure all of the water used in the ice is suspended. So now, in order to launch it¡­¡± The ice spear sank into the water with barely a whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t need that much mana to keep its form.¡± Aida tapped her chin thoughtfully. Dev made a compelling point about the ice and water mana consumption, and it certainly did suit her attack style better. There was just one major problem¡­ ¡°But¡­my aim isn¡¯t that good.¡± Dev and Ashley exchanged smirks. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to improve that kind of problem.¡± Chapter 124: North Ocean Village IV Tera and Abedi were looking distinctly fatigued when Aida and Dev met them outside of their inn. ¡°How did the rest of your day go?¡± Aida asked brightly. She had embarrassed herself in front of Dev and Ashley with her poor aim, but at least she could admit her accuracy had improved. Her aim wasn¡¯t normally an issue in the ring because she always maintained control of her water, allowing her to correct its path as needed; but if she wanted to maintain deadly force with the ice without using more mana than she had already spent creating the icicles, she had to have the confidence to commit to her initial throw. Fortunately, Dev and Ashley had given her good advice that indirectly pointed out some of her mana control flaws. The first thing Dev noted was that all of her icicles were of inconsistent size: ¡°You should start with ice needles of the same size. That will help improve your mana efficiency as you get familiar with the shape, size, and length of the needle.¡± That had slowed Aida down from her haphazard throwing of icicles at small flares Ashley had sent up into the air as she started paying attention to how much water she grabbed from the reservoir. As Aida got more precise with her water, Ashley tittered, making Aida flush and Dev smile as she mimicked Aida¡¯s grandiose movements as she fired icicles into the air: ¡°All this extra movement you¡¯re doing with your body is actually adding in a little bit of inaccuracy. You¡¯ll want to always stay on the move in a real fight, but these seem more like uncontrolled movements.¡± Aida would have thought standing in place firing would have been an easy thing to implement, but it turned out to require much more concentration. Before, she would liken her movements to flowing with the mana, giving herself over to what felt right; but standing rigidly required that she remain aware of what her body was doing, so that she could ensure she was standing still while she split her concentration to make her ice projectiles. Unfortunately, Dev backed Ashley up. ¡°Your icicles are firing at a much more steady speed when you stand still. You can start adding footwork into your shots when you get comfortable.¡± After a long afternoon of target practice, Aida finally managed to bring her accuracy rate up to seven out of ten; she wanted to share her achievement with Tera and Abedi, but had a feeling they wouldn¡¯t appreciate her ¡°hard work.¡± Tera sighed, shaking her head glumly. ¡°Principal Jen brought over the village committee responsible for infrastructure, and when they heard Abedi¡¯s proposal to improve the school and timing estimate they started trying to negotiate that Abedi and I work on some other village assets as well.¡± ¡°Oh no. Did you two manage to get any work on the school done at all?¡± ¡°Unfortunately not,¡± Abedi said, his deep voice even deeper with exhaustion. ¡°Even when we tried to get them to refocus on the initial priority, they insisted that since I already estimated a work time of four days they¡¯ll still be able to get other minor things sorted before we leave.¡± He shook his head, muttering indistinctly. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that Principal Jen didn¡¯t stand her ground,¡± Dev said. ¡°What about Strongholder Jaret? What did he say?¡± Tera glanced shiftily around them, making sure they were truly alone before she said, ¡°He tried to back Abedi up, but not that much. He said it¡¯s their town, so as a Strongholder he doesn¡¯t really have much say over how they want to run things¡­but still, it was such a waste of time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really unlucky,¡± Aida said sympathetically. ¡°They¡¯re going to fight so hard that the school won¡¯t get fixed.¡± ¡°You know, maybe we should just go ahead with fixing the school ourselves tomorrow. It¡¯s not like they can stop us,¡± Tera said to Abedi as he nodded thoughtfully. ¡°After seeing all of those personalities, I don¡¯t want to help them with their village initiatives¡­¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, Ashley said we¡¯re getting dinner at a teahouse,¡± Aida interjected quickly, noticing Ashley and Jaret¡¯s mana as they rounded the corner. ¡°They¡¯re here to come get us now.¡± Tera and Abedi subsided into sullen silence, greeting the two Strongholders stiffly. Jaret seemed unperturbed, and almost cheerful, though Ashley glanced curiously at Tera and Abedi¡¯s tired body language. The teahouse Ashley and Jaret took them to was nice, with the restaurant proprietor seating them on a balcony overlooking the ocean. Their dining table was rectangular with two benches on the long sides, so that everyone could enjoy the view. The boys and Jaret sat on one bench, and the girls and Ashley sat on the other, with Aida sitting across from Dev on the edge overlooking the sea. Ashley and Jaret sat on the side furthest away from the balcony, allowing the students to have the better view. ¡°So did you have a productive day at the school?¡± Ashley asked the three people nearest to her. Tera and Abedi looked at each other awkwardly before mumbling uncertain affirmatives. Ashley looked to Jaret at the unenthusiastic responses, and he sighed before leaning forward, setting his elbows on the table.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Infrastructure Committee members got involved, and¡­¡± Jaret gave Ashley a knowing look, making her sigh. She turned back to the students, giving them an embarrassed smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll help you make sure you can get the repair work done before you leave the village,¡± Ashley said encouragingly. ¡°The committee members are a little stubborn, but Jaret is great at handling them.¡± ¡°Do they have something against mana practitioners?¡± Aida asked quietly. When everyone looked at her, she quickly added, ¡°I mean, everyone we¡¯ve met have been¡­nice, but I was wondering if they actually want - or need - our help in the first place.¡± Ashley and Jaret looked to each other before Jaret shrugged and nodded. He turned to them, his perpetually relaxed demeanor replaced by a more serious, intense aura. Aida felt a chill run through her body as he looked at her; he seemed much more like the commander or leader she would have expected from being an Affiliate Strongholder, instead of the easygoing, almost lazy supervisor he had been the past two days. ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily that the people of North Ocean Village have something against mana practitioners, but it¡¯s more that¡­they are an independent people. They don¡¯t experience as many monster attacks as the other villages that are established within the woods, and they can also support themselves easily with their ocean fishing. As such, they have never quite needed to integrate themselves with the rest of society as the other villages and towns.¡± Ashley took over the narrative here, keeping her voice low so the other diners who had begun filtering into the restaurant couldn¡¯t hear their conversation. Fortunately, the lapping evening waves helped add to the cover. ¡°The feeling of dismissal you¡¯ve noticed is real. The village does respect the Strongholders because we patrol the seas so that they can fish safely, but their respect stops there. They had already built up their village before the Naval Stronghold was established, so there is a sense of pride and self-sufficiency in their culture; as such, they¡¯d¡­rather we focus on our own jobs while they focus on theirs, so to speak,¡± Ashley finished reluctantly. Tera was confused. ¡°But then why are we being asked to help the village if they¡¯d rather deal with it themselves?¡± Ashley grimaced, choosing her words carefully. ¡°It¡¯s¡­because of everything that¡¯s been happening in the woods, around the other towns and villages¡­even though things have been calm and normal here, it¡¯s only a matter of time until something unprecedented happens. So we¡¯ve been trying to get the village leaders used to the idea that we all need to work together, for everyone¡¯s safety. But as you can imagine¡­¡± she exchanged glances with Jaret. ¡°Think of it like this,¡± Jaret said resolutely. ¡°Our first priority is to ensure that everyone is safe. If a settlement is attacked, regardless of if we like them or not, humanity suffers. Our desire for more proactive cooperation between practitioners and nonpractitioners is so that we can get ahead of any potential emergencies.¡± ¡°Because the only practitioners the village are familiar with are those from the Naval - and occasionally Border - Stronghold, we were hoping if they met you they would see that mana practitioners aren¡¯t all rigid busybodies like us,¡± Ashley finished with an embarrassed smile. ¡°We¡¯ve tried positioning ourselves as helpful neighbors, but unfortunately, some of our leaders had upset the villagers earlier when they established our base, and the village elders have a long memory¡­¡± The other students seemed slightly less miffed after their explanation, but if anything Aida was more concerned. It seemed weird to use kids - even if they were from the prestigious Maglica Academy - to improve work relationships between two groups. Common sense dictated that the fastest way to become friendlier with a coworker was to be pitted against a third party; typically, customers or the manager. What role were they supposed to play? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not expecting you four to do anything in particular to change their opinions of practitioners,¡± Ashley said quickly, seeming to read Aida¡¯s mind. ¡°Just be yourselves; your desire to help is genuine and charming, and that¡¯s the best display to convince them that we don¡¯t have ulterior motives.¡± Aida glanced at Dev, who was by far the most socially aware classmate. His expression was carefully closed off, though when he met her gaze she could see that he also didn¡¯t completely buy Ashley¡¯s reassurances. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s come up with some other things you two can work on if the Committee decides to drag its feet on deciding how to best use your abilities,¡± Ashley said hastily. ¡°For example, today Aida worked on her ice combat!¡± ¡°Ooh, why ice?¡± Tera asked keenly. ¡°Dev suggested it!¡± Aida said defensively. ¡°I think it¡¯s a sabotage attempt - my aim is atrocious with ice.¡± ¡°Hey now,¡± Dev objected. ¡°Your combat abilities need no sabotaging.¡± ¡°My metal manipulation needs to be faster,¡± Abedi said thoughtfully. He elbowed Dev. ¡°What exercises would you recommend I do so I can be competitive against Ezra?¡± ¡°Oh, do me, too!¡± Tera leaned forward. ¡°What should I work on so I can beat Pritchard?¡± ¡°Perhaps you can set up some defenses along the coastline?¡± Ashley suggested to Tera. ¡°It will be more difficult than anything you do on land, since you¡¯ll be experiencing interference from water. And I was planning on taking Aida and Dev out onto the ocean tomorrow, so you can come with us if the Committee is still indecisive tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°And if you want to improve your metal manipulation speed, that will come down to improving your focus,¡± Jaret said to Abedi. He chuckled as Abedi frowned. ¡°You can treat interacting with the Committee as practice. Ignore all their justifications and words, and don¡¯t let them make you angry.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there something else I can do on the ocean?¡± Abedi asked plaintively. Aida hid her smile as everybody began discussing the merits of staying within the village and cutting through the bog of small-town politics. She hadn¡¯t witnessed the brunt of it the way Abedi and Tera did, but if that was going to be the primary challenge of their trip this cycle, she supposed there wasn¡¯t much she could complain about. Chapter 125: North Ocean Village V Aida woke up, disoriented. The boom of the Loded Peak drums repeated, adding to her disorientation. She turned over in her bed, tucking her thin comforter more securely over her shoulders before furrowing her brows. The Peaks have furs, not blankets. BOOM. Aida threw the blanket off, suddenly realizing where she was. There shouldn¡¯t be booming at a seaside village. Dashing across the wooden floor, Aida threw herself through the balcony doors to see small gouts of fire spurt over the dark water, easily acting as beacons in the dim light. What¡¯s going on? ¡°Aida!¡± Aida turned at the shout to see Tera on her own balcony as well, her hair whipping in the wind. ¡°We need to get down to the beach!¡± Nodding to Tera, Aida spun back into her room without another word, snatching her jacket and wand on the way towards the door. Dev and Abedi were already downstairs when Aida and Tera arrived, panting. Without a backwards glance, the four of them raced outside, sprinting down the narrow streets to the beach, dodging doors and bodies as everyone began waking up. As they ran, Aida started catching phrases and warnings flying through the air as villagers shouted, warning everybody to evacuate. ¡°Good, you¡¯re all here!¡± Jaret stopped them on the road to the beach and docks, throwing out a massive arm to hold them back. It was good he did, otherwise they would have toppled into the water; the water level kept rising with every wave that came in, splashing over their shoes. ¡°Tera and Abedi, I¡¯ll need you to come with me to form some more wavebreakers and help evacuate villagers. Aida and Dev, we need you on the water for search and rescue efforts - head that way, you¡¯ll find Ashley and Brand getting a ship ready.¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Aida shouted over the waves. ¡°Eel attack.¡± Jaret¡¯s face was grim. ¡°Get to the boat - Ashley will explain protocol to you two. Go!¡± Jaret pointed towards the docks, where Aida could see a fireball floating above Ashley¡¯s head for light as she quickly unwound a thick rope from around a post. Above the fireball was another shadowy figure with his own fireball following him as he moved about on the deck of the boat, moving several items around. Without further pushback, Aida and Dev sprinted towards the boat, shouting Ashley¡¯s name as the boat moved towards the end of the dock. Her eyes flashed in relief as she yelled up to her comrade, and the boat slowed to a stop. ¡°You made it! Get on, I¡¯ll explain everything on board.¡± With a Mana Surge, Dev leaped aboard first, catching and supporting Aida as she stumbled her landing, and the other Strongholder steered the boat out towards the open ocean. Several fisherman¡¯s boats passed them, returning towards shore, terrified expressions on the passengers¡¯ faces flickering in the firelight. ¡°Dev, Aida, this is Naval Strongholder Brand, Fire element. Brand, these two are Dev and Aida, Water students from Maglica.¡± Brand nodded to them at Ashley¡¯s terse introduction, though he didn¡¯t take his eyes off from the horizon. He had jet black hair and dark eyes, and he was standing on top of a metal plate with a crystal center. The crystal was bright with swirling mana, throwing light all over the deck. There was a small wheel rising out of the metal plate that Brand was using to steer the vessel. ¡°Good to meet you two, though it¡¯s unfortunate it¡¯s under these circumstances. Have you been briefed on what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°No, Strongholder Jaret merely said it was an eel attack,¡± Dev responded. ¡°What do you need us to do?¡± ¡°Look out for any displaced men, throw them a floater seed.¡± Ashley pointed to several canvas bags lining the walls of the ship, each bag loosely closed with a cord and with a water drop painted on it. ¡°Our job is to get the men away from danger, and back to shore. Aida and Dev, conserve your mana - ocean water is more difficult to control than river or lake water, especially when you¡¯re competing with monsters. We¡¯ll try to scoop up as many men as we can to get back to shore each trip. Everybody take a side!¡± Ashley crouched at the front of the ship so that she wouldn¡¯t block Brand¡¯s view as he steered, and Dev went to the left side of the ship, leaving Aida to take the right. She reached into a bag with the water drop on it, pulling out a seed the size of her fist. This thing floats? ¡°Found one!¡± Dev called over his shoulder. He tossed a seed into the water, and Brand slowed the ship down. Aida looked back towards her side of the ship, reaching out with her mana senses to try to detect any life in the dark ocean. She understood why Ashley cautioned them to conserve their mana: the ocean was wild. There weren¡¯t any fish around at the moment, so it wasn¡¯t a matter of too much noise in the water. There was just so much power in the ocean itself, roiling and rumbling, refusing to be tamed.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. There! ¡°I found one!¡± Aida shouted, lobbing the seed in her hand overboard. An exhausted hand reached for the seed, but it fell short, sinking into the water. Oh crap. Before Aida could panic, a giant lilypad sprouted, scooping up the tired man as he lay choking on the massive leaf. ¡°He¡¯s on the floater!¡± Aida cried with relief. ¡°Good! Are there any others in this vicinity?¡± Brand came over to Aida¡¯s side and aimed a harpoon with a rope tied to the end at the lilypad, hooking into the remarkably sturdy leaf. The man on the floater seed pushed himself laboriously to his hands and knees and reached for the rope, wrapping the rope around his body as if it wasn¡¯t his first time. Brand began rotating the pulley that was anchored to the edge of the boat deck, slowly pulling the man out of the water. Satisfied that the man would be okay, Aida broadened her senses before shaking her head. Dev and Ashley had already recovered the man Dev had pointed out, and Ashley had taken her place at the helm, activating the gem again. ¡°Ready to move on?¡± Ashley called. ¡°Go!¡± Brand shouted back as he pulled the fisherman Aida saved over the edge. Ashley steered the boat forward, the wind picking up speed. Aida knelt down, closing her eyes as she kept her senses extended, trying to block out the distracting sounds of wind and lapping waves. It was difficult, sensing for signs of life in the thick ocean water. Detecting mana from living beings in the air was easy, but there was just so much junk in the ocean: physical detritus, of course, but also so much other stuff - the water wasn¡¯t pure like the streams in the mountains and the Lake at school, so it made it feel like she had to push extra hard to get her mana to extend to what her normal range was. As the boat kept flying through the waters, Aida could sense a huge amount of activity up ahead - both above and under the water. The small flickers of light above the water - those were definitely Strongholders. But underneath the water - and this was where the ocean¡¯s murkiness made Aida doubt what she was sensing - was a long creature. We¡¯re close to the fight. Opening her eyes, Aida stood up, casting her gaze towards the direction of heavy disturbance. The jets of flame being shot into the water gave Aida a clearer view of what was happening - and it was more terrifying than she could have anticipated. Gaping whale-sized maws with sharp teeth the length of a person lunged out of the waters towards a slim boat that deftly maneuvered over and around several fearsome jaws. There appeared to be three agile boats looping around the battle, each with two practitioners aboard. Aida held her breath as she counted the number of snapping jaws, awed by the precision strikes of flame, ice, and glinting metal by the human attackers. Three boats, so six Naval Strongholders¡­but against five eels? She shuddered. These beasts looked nothing like eels, and instead looked more like literal monsters of the sea - toothy beasts, stuff that inspired sailors¡¯ legends of the terrors they saw out at sea. ¡°Are six Strongholders enough to fight off five eels?¡± Aida heard Dev yell. ¡°Six? There should have been ten out there!¡± Ashley shouted back. ¡°Are there any other fishermen here?¡± ¡°None here,¡± Aida yelled. The boat began turning, heading away from the fight. ¡°Wait!¡± Aida pointed back towards where the main fight was, certain she saw a grasping hand sink below the chaotic waves, uncertain if the man was still alive. Too much mana flowing in this area to tell. ¡°Someone¡¯s there!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t go there, it will be too close to the eels,¡± Aida heard Brand bellow. He ran across the constantly rocking deck to where Aida was, surefooted with experience. He cast a critical eye over the chaos. ¡°Can you use your water to pull them closer to us, out of range of the eels?¡± ¡°I can try!¡± Aida grasped out with her mana, wrapping around the man struggling to keep his head above the water. He was exhausted; his movements were sluggish, after fighting against the ocean for who knew how long. She hauled him towards the boat, and was shocked by the monumental effort of dragging the man twenty feet closer. It was like the ocean itself was fighting her, refusing to relinquish its victim, rendering her control over water meaningless. Suddenly, the exhausted man surged out of the waves, a column of water pushing him to the same level as the deck. Beside her, Brand reached out and hauled the man aboard before the water fell away. ¡°Thanks, Dev,¡± Aida gasped out as she recovered her mana. Dev nodded tightly, his gaze sweeping the water. ¡°Ironically enough, you might be better off conjuring your own water out here.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯re heading back,¡± Ashley called to them as the boat steered back towards shore. ¡°Keep your senses out for anyone else in need of rescue on the way.¡± Aida made her way to Brand, keeping a firm grip on the boat¡¯s railing so she didn¡¯t get knocked about by the choppy waves. ¡°Will the Naval Stronghold be able to defeat the eels?¡± Brand¡¯s face was grim. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°But Ashley said there was supposed to be ten Strongholders out there,¡± Aida persisted. ¡°And Dev and I only saw six.¡± Brand¡¯s expression darkened even more. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more when we unload the villagers. Can you check on them, see if they¡¯re all right?¡± ¡°Oh - of course.¡± Aida tripped her way over to where the three men were huddled, near the back of the ship. They all gasped out thanks as she fell upon them, examining their medical overlays. Their bodies were weak and cold, their inherent circulation sluggish, so Aida immediately began massaging their limbs and bodies to encourage their blood to begin flowing again. ¡°Ashley, can you make a fire for them to get them warmed up?¡± A small fireball flickered into existence in front of them, casting the men¡¯s tired expressions in stark relief. They all leaned into the fire, pressing their frigid fingers against the welcome heat. ¡°Is this eel attack normal?¡± Aida asked as she worked. The man she was working on shook his head. ¡°Eels only attack when we get further out to sea, but we¡¯re quite close to shore. We know better than to venture beyond where the Naval Strongholders patrol.¡± ¡°And eels are solitary creatures,¡± the second man added. ¡°I¡¯ve never, in all my years on the sea, seen eels of that size work together to hunt.¡± ¡°So the five that are currently out there¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely unhinged,¡± the third man muttered. He caught Aida¡¯s eye. ¡°This was a completely unprecedented event.¡± Chapter 126: North Ocean Village VI Aida and Dev helped assist the three fishermen they rescued off the boat when they finally returned to the village while Ashley departed to find Strongholder Jaret, and Brand flew around the docks loading up the boat with other equipment. ¡°What else can we help with?¡± Dev asked Brand as terrified family members received their men, crying and sobbing in relief. Brand grimaced, setting what looked like a lightweight wooden skiff down. It had odd proportions, narrow like a kayak but with no seats, and instead had two sets of indentations that looked to be where someone would place their feet. ¡°I hate to be callous, but if it¡¯s true there¡¯s only three skiffs out there fighting the eels, we need a lot more help than you two can give us.¡± ¡°Is there something we can do to help the current fighters disengage from the eels?¡± Aida asked. ¡°Must they be killed? Can they be driven off instead?¡± Brand shook his head grimly. ¡°The only way to drive off eels is to grievously wound them, or else give them what they want. But the risk in giving them what they want - food - means that they will return sooner rather than later to hunt, because they¡¯ve learned this is a good location.¡± ¡°Truly dragons of the sea,¡± Dev muttered besides Aida. He raised his voice to ask his own question. ¡°The gentlemen we¡¯ve saved have said eels typically don¡¯t hunt together. Can we use that knowledge to our advantage?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how.¡± Brand exhaled. ¡°It¡¯s already taken us by surprise that they¡¯ve banded together - and honestly, our protocol is to dispatch five pairs of Strongholders to kill or drive off one mature eel. So the fact that we sent ten against five eels, and there were only six remaining¡­¡± ¡°Brand!¡± Ashley and Jaret ran over, followed closely by Abedi and Tera. ¡°Jaret got more information from the fishermen that came back earlier, and the three we rescued provided more pieces to flesh out the picture.¡± She hesitated, looking between the four students. ¡°I hate that we have to put you in this position, but I fear the longer we wait, the worse it will get¡­will you help us fight against the pack of eels? It will be dangerous.¡± Aida met the gazes of her classmates. Tera had an absolutely panicked look on her face, no doubt wondering how she could help over the water, and Abedi¡¯s normal stoic expression seemed wary. Dev looked at Aida with a hard expression, and she thought she could see all the calculations happening in his eyes. Tera would be at a distinct disadvantage over the water¡­Abedi might be able to help with molding the ship. But when it comes to fighting the actual creatures, it would fall onto me and Dev. Dev will be a powerful asset, but I¡¯m¡­me. ¡°¡­Do we have a choice?¡± Aida asked slowly, holding Dev¡¯s gaze. His eyes flickered, his expression slackening as if he hadn¡¯t considered not helping. He looked back to the Strongholders. ¡°I would rather have the students stay within range of the shore,¡± Jaret said firmly. ¡°The three of us will head out and try to extract our comrades. I doubt we have the resources to drive off the eels at this point, so the best we can do is retreat with as many of our combatants as we can. The eels will linger around this area, but they cannot overrun the village. That will buy us time to request more resources to drive off the eels so North Ocean Village can recover their lifestyle.¡± Jaret gestured to Brand. ¡°Get the kids into their own skiffs. Have them stay near the shallow waters to cover our retreat. We¡¯ll meet you out on the open waters. With luck, we can save our remaining fighters to fight another day. Ashley, let¡¯s get ready to go.¡± Brand waved for the students to follow him as he ran down the docks to where several slim kayaks were already floating in the water, looking just like the kayak he had deposited in the ship earlier. ¡°Get in, quickly. Two to a boat. Waters in front.¡± Based on how far away these boats were stored from the main outlet, Aida assumed they weren¡¯t regularly used. Hopefully they¡¯re in good enough condition for us. As soon as Aida and Tera stepped into the shallow boat, Brand pointed to the giant mana crystal embedded in the bottom. ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten around to charging these batteries, so you¡¯ll have to use your own mana. Activate the mana crystal so that you can power the boat. Tera, you control the direction of the skiff¡ª¡° ¡°By maneuvering the levers on the side, I know,¡± Tera said tightly. ¡°I¡¯ve done this before.¡± ¡°Perfect. You know your job, yes? You steer, make sure you two stay out of harm¡¯s way, and Aida, you focus on holding off any danger that approaches you with your water. Go, I¡¯ll get the boys ready and meet you out there.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Without another word, Brand shoved their boat away from the dock, and Tera activated the crystal, making their boat stabilize as it caught the water. Aida wedged her feet more securely into the two footholds in the boat as Tera steered the boat smoothly out, easily avoiding the debris that had begun floating into the harbor. ¡°You¡¯ve steered a skiff before, huh?¡± Aida asked, trying to ease their way into danger with some lighthearted conversation. ¡°Of course. The Tripps experiment with all the leisure activities so that we can decide if it¡¯s worth investing in.¡± Tera laughed shrilly, a note of panic ringing through the air. ¡°This is definitely not leisurely, though.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re familiar enough with this skiff that you can flee from a pack of giant water dragons if you have to, right?¡± Aida persisted, seeking reassurance. She could probably do something with the water, but she would much rather avoid having to face sharp teeth longer than her. She shuddered as she imagined getting crushed by the oversized teeth she saw flashing over the water earlier. It was intimidating enough from a distance, but imagining it hovering over her¡­ ¡°Oh yeah, don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not going to let us get anywhere near an eel.¡± Before Aida could ask Tera if she had ever come in contact with an eel during her family¡¯s business, Brand had already swept up beside them in his own skiff. Following behind him wobbled Dev and Abedi, Abedi¡¯s face fixed in tight concentration as he focused on steering their comically small skiff for their heights and Abedi¡¯s bulk. ¡°Good, it looks like you¡¯re handling the skiff well.¡± Brand raised his voice so that both groups of students could hear his instructions as he spun his skiff around easily, as if it was part of him. ¡°Follow me out to the bay¡¯s entrance, and then stay in the bay. Nature has granted us a natural defense here. Your jobs are to cover our retreat while we go retrieve our teammates. But at no point should you put yourself in danger, you hear me?¡± Aida¡¯s throat was dry as she joined the chorus of affirmatives with her classmates, watching the entrance - or in their case, exit - loom closer and closer. Her eyes had finally adapted to the dim lighting, taking in the light of the moon - still large and round - and stars reflecting off of the multitude of choppy ocean waters. The two opposing cliffs that marked the exit of the bay looked jagged and menacing in the night, dark shadows waiting with bated breath to collapse upon them as soon as they exited. Immediately on the other side was Ashley and Jaret, both on the larger rescue boat as they waited for Brand. The Strongholder gave the four of them one last grim nod before jetting forward with his skiff, handling it as naturally as if he was on a surfboard. Aida watched as the two Strongholders tossed a thick rope over the edge so that Brand could catch onto it, getting dragged up the side of the boat along with the skiff. ¡°What do you think is going to happen now?¡± Tera asked from behind Aida. ¡°If all goes according to plan, they¡¯ll extricate the Strongholders who are currently fighting the eels, and they¡¯ll be able to make it to the safety of the bay.¡± Dev exhaled, flexing his knees to help Abedi balance their skiff as the boys wobbled up next to them. ¡°Given how they have already lost four Strongholders when we first went out there, I wonder how many will return¡­¡± ¡°The waters here are a bit calmer,¡± Aida said, pulling experimentally at the waves around them. ¡°It¡¯s a little easier to manipulate.¡± ¡°That might change if the eels chase them all the way here,¡± Dev said grimly, dashing Aida¡¯s tentative hope. ¡°You¡¯ll be competing with the eels to get control of the water.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s shallow enough here that I can pull some earth if I had to,¡± Tera said thoughtfully, peering over the edge of their skiff as she held her palm over the water. She gazed up at the cliffs that acted as stern guardians for North Ocean Village. ¡°Or I might even be able to pull earth from the headlands. But that would be risky, because if I pull too much the eels might be able to break through it¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably less of a concern. It¡¯s far too shallow here for the eels to be able to swim properly,¡± Dev said. ¡°As long as the rescue ship makes it back here, everyone should be safe from imminent attack. Our primary roles here are more to break the waves and protect the harbor.¡± Aida bit her lip, feeling the anxiety build in her stomach. She had so many questions, and she didn¡¯t think she could ask them without giving away her lack of worldly knowledge. She wished she had tried harder on Havi¡¯s assignments, reading more than what was assigned about the creatures of Wyndia. Were the snakelike creatures she saw full-grown eels? How dangerous was one eel? Were there any specific weaknesses they could utilize against them? ¡°Will we know if they¡¯re safe? We can¡¯t even see the fight from here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, we¡¯ll just have to monitor from where we are. Keep working on controlling the skiff, though; we have to be ready.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t focus so hard on keeping each side balanced,¡± Tera advised, watching Abedi struggle with the boat. ¡°It¡¯s easier if you just think of it as guiding the boat forward, in the direction you want.¡± ¡°How good are your mana senses in the ocean?¡± Aida asked Dev, finally looking away from the misleadingly still waters. ¡°I get a lot of interference¡­it¡¯s hard to parse any meaningful information¡­¡± Dev shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s difficult. I imagine this is something that would improve with time, if we handled ocean water regularly. There¡¯s just so much flow happening in this body.¡± ¡°You guys, there¡¯s a huge wave coming,¡± Tera said suddenly, her voice catching. Her eyes were fixed on the horizon. ¡°I think the eels are right on their tail.¡± Chapter 127: North Ocean Village VII ¡°Skies above,¡± Abedi breathed, his eyes fixed on the horizon. Aida felt a thrill of horror run down her spine and settle in her limbs as her gaze followed the rest of her classmates¡¯. She had never seen waves this high. They utterly dwarfed the tiny boat speeding along its base, rising with the swell as the base of the wave gently, lovingly, pushed the boat forward - while at the same time the tip of the wave curled menacingly over the boat, intent on crushing the fleeing Strongholders in its wide, gaping maw. ¡°What do we do?!¡± Tera screamed. ¡°Get ready to take cover!¡± Aida shouted back, terror making her voice screechy as another nightmare manifested in front of them. Within the wall of water, a pair of glowing yellow eyes emerged, brightening as the mass of water approached. Glistening, bone-white teeth outlined the broadening jaws of the eel within, every feature becoming more and more clear as the creature approached the thin interface between water and air. ¡°They¡¯re not going to make it!¡± Abedi shouted, his deep voice sounding as shrill as Aida¡¯s had been. Aida was shaken out of her dumbstruck terror when Dev grabbed her shoulder roughly, forcing her to look into his sharp, icy eyes. ¡°Ice spear! Follow my lead!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Aida stared into the intense fire in Dev¡¯s eyes, flicking her eyes to the impending disaster rolling towards them before snapping back to Dev. I can¡¯t not trust him¡­there¡¯s no escape at this point. Firming her resolve, Aida nodded at Dev. He nodded back. ¡°We¡¯ll have to combine our mana. Trust me.¡± What does that mean? Before Aida could formulate her question, Dev grabbed her hand and sent a prick of his own mana into her, offering her a tentative opening. After a split-second hesitation, the roar of the wave getting louder and louder, Aida flooded his channel, reinforcing their connection. As soon as their mana met, they merged - much more easily than she had with anyone else. But unlike the debilitating confusion and helplessness she experienced with Levi or Caleb, or the distinct separation of entities when Ezra helped her at the school¡¯s Lake, the merge with Dev was¡­simple. And straightforward. Aida still maintained her sense of awareness, both in her own body and with her mana, but she was also aware of Dev¡¯s senses. Where she had felt overwhelmed, smothered and stifled, losing her sense of self when drawn into Caleb or Levi¡¯s mana, with Dev it seemed like her senses were amplified. She had her own senses, but she also had Dev¡¯s senses as well. Instead of being confusing, it felt¡­clear. Much more clear than when she was on her own. So clear that his intentions might as well have been her own. As one, the two of them turned towards the wall of water with a monstrous face floating eerily in the opaque depths, looking just like a ghostly presence manifesting its corporeal form. Aida raised her wand in the same motion as Dev, pointing steadily at the center of the oncoming beast. There was fear, a dim awareness that standing their ground against a ¡°dragon of the sea¡± while in its domain was tantamount to suicide. However, Dev¡¯s steady mana flowed through Aida, supporting the determination that fought against the fear, making her - them - believe that there was something they could do, allowing them to focus on the task at hand. An ice shard formed in the wall of water, crystallizing the liquid around it, building it backward as the wave continued moving forward. Aida and Dev held the icicle steady, pushing back against the force of the ocean, as the eel, water, and boat surged towards them. Aida, with her enhanced senses, was aware of Ashley and Brand shouting and gesturing furiously at them to move aside, to seek cover from the tsunami, while Jaret¡¯s expression was pinched in concentration as he controlled their boat, several exhausted Strongholders on their knees around his feet as they pressed their hands into the crystal he stood over, feeding their remaining power into the mana battery. Tera and Abedi had already cleared the way, taking cover behind the stone outcroppings formed by the headlands with their skiffs as the wave finally reached North Ocean Village¡¯s first layer of defenses.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Aida-Dev had formed a small iceberg to stand on as they faced the oncoming eel, their ice spear piercing the back of the eel¡¯s throat as it charged on full steam ahead. A muffled, but piercing, unworldly shriek emanated from the water, reverberating through Aida-Dev, making them feel like their bones were about to disintegrate. Coupled with the utter darkness as the bulk of the wave towered over them, hiding the moon and starlight, it made Aida feel like she was in an utterly alien world, surrounded completely by water. The eel thrashed, throwing its head into one side of the outcropping, headbutting the headlands that Tera and Abedi were hiding behind. Aida-Dev instinctively wrapped themselves in ice with the wave that finally folded over them, sending them rolling over and over underneath the power of the waves in an ice ball, their arms and legs wrapped around each other as they hunched protectively around themselves. Their senses were distinctly muted as the wave completely covered them, hiding the moon and starlight so that it was completely dark in their icy capsule, with naught but chaos swirling around them outside. After what felt like an eternity, Aida felt Dev finally disengage himself from her, though she couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Aida mumbled, tasting the salt on her lips. She pushed herself into a sitting position, feeling carefully around her for the wall. They had finally stopped rolling, and gravity finally had meaning again. ¡°Yeah,¡± Dev groaned. ¡°That went better than I expected. Good job.¡± ¡°That went worse than I expected,¡± Aida grumbled halfheartedly, poking at herself gingerly. Other than some minor bruising as they crashed around the ice capsule, she was fine. ¡°But¡­wow, we actually took down an eel.¡± Aida couldn¡¯t help but laugh hysterically at her summary of their situation. Eels were things she ate when she went to a sushi restaurant, yet they had nearly died just trying to protect themselves from what they called an eel here. Dev chuckled along with her. ¡°I¡¯m just glad it was one eel, and not the five we had seen earlier.¡± Aida hiccuped as she sobered. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­do you think the Strongholders managed to take down the other four?¡± ¡°That would be ideal, though with the four Strongholders they managed to rescue I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely.¡± Aida heard Dev shift around as he faced the ice wall. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if things have calmed down outside yet.¡± ¡°Do you think Tera and Abedi are okay?¡± Aida asked, alarmed. ¡°The eel knocked the cliff down on top of them¡­¡± ¡°If Tera was paying attention, they should be fine,¡± Dev said grimly. She could finally make out a vague outline of him. He turned to face her. ¡°¡­thank you.¡± ¡°I should be the one thanking you,¡± Aida responded, flustered. ¡°There¡¯s no way I could have done what we did.¡± Dev shook his head. ¡°What I had in mind wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly if you didn¡¯t trust me.¡± He spread his arms. ¡°In fact, we¡¯re both relatively unscathed. I guarantee neither one of us would have survived if we didn¡¯t work together as well as we did.¡± He shifted forward, his voice softer but closer to her. ¡°I get the feeling you still don¡¯t understand your level of contribution, so let me say it again: thank you for trusting me.¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t really have a choice then, did I?¡± Aida said lightly, leaning back as she tried to see if she could make out any light coming in through the ice. ¡°It was trust you, or watch us all die.¡± Dev laughed softly as he mirrored her, also lifting his head to the roof. ¡°That¡¯s true. Regardless, I appreciate your willingness and lack of hesitation.¡± They sat in silence as Aida came to terms with what happened. They were alive. The last thing she knew, they were about to be crushed by a massive fifty-foot wave, staring into the beast¡¯s gullet the size of a semitruck. They had gotten knocked around in their ice ball, but given that both of them were still talking¡­it was nothing short of a miracle. ¡°How did you know what to do?¡± In the dim lighting, she saw Dev incline his head in question before she elaborated. ¡°How did you know how to¡­connect so that we could actually be a cohesive unit when taking down the eel?¡± she bit her lip before she accidentally gave details of her prior mana mixing experiences, wary of how he might perceive her accidental mixing with the other boys. The shadow of his head turned to the side as he thought. ¡°I didn¡¯t. It was a wild guess. Because as you said, it was try or die.¡± Aida caught her breath, aware there was a vast unspoken acknowledgment bubbling up between the two of them. It seemed neither one of them wanted to be the first to breathe life into the topic: that they had, regardless of the circumstance, mixed their mana. And it hadn¡¯t been disorienting. It had been so natural, bringing about a clarity of mind; as if she had been watching the leaves fluttering gently in the wind through a window, convinced she knew what it was like outside, and then finally going outside and feeling the wind caress her hair, as well as the sun warming her skin. Adding depth and sensorial experiences to her bland observations. It had felt nearly as good as when Aida finally admitted to herself that she had feelings for Ezra. Aida recoiled from that memory, trying to steer her thoughts towards more practical topics regarding their current predicament. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you all right?¡± Dev was reaching towards her at her sudden flinch, and Aida moved away from his hand under the guise of pushing herself to her knees. ¡°I think we¡¯re definitely at the surface. Some light is coming through.¡± Ignoring his hand, Aida pressed her palm against the wall behind her, holding her breath as she slowly melted a small hole in the ice, hoping she wasn¡¯t wrong and that water wasn¡¯t going to gush in. She was lucky; as the wall thinned where her palm was, she could see the surface of the water lapping against the outside of the wall. Dev exhaled in a breathy laugh, melting the ice dome from the top so that they remained in a hemispherical ice boat. ¡°Great. Let¡¯s go see what the damage is.¡± Chapter 128: North Ocean Village VIII The ice opened up around them, bathing their surroundings in a soft orange light. When Aida finally laid her eyes on the scenery around her, she was completely disoriented. Did we get washed somewhere else? But no - she was able to pick out bits of the landscape that looked familiar, though everything was different. North Ocean Village, originally built on gentle slopes that faced the ocean so that every location in the village had an uninterrupted picturesque view of the ocean was nearly completely underwater. Aida sucked in a breath, dread filling her stomach as she slowly took in the scene. The bay¡­was no longer a bay. The eel¡¯s carcass lay across what was originally the bay¡¯s entrance, several long, glimmering fins poking into the air. It looked like its body had utterly destroyed the two landmasses that had proudly guarded the mouth as it had thrashed around in its death throes. The water the eel had brought with it as it chased its prey had washed over the entire village, and was trickling back out to the ocean through whatever openings were available: over the eel¡¯s fins, around its body, between jagged rocks. ¡°We need to get Tera and Abedi out!¡± Aida said suddenly as her eyes lingered on the boulders protruding out of the water. Hopefully Tera had formed a solid enough enclosure for them so that water wouldn¡¯t enter, and that they wouldn¡¯t be crushed by the water - but Aida had no idea how long it had been since they made their stand against the charging eel. Despite her improved senses when she had connected with Dev, her sense of time had gotten utterly garbled. Without a word, Dev sent their ice boat floating towards the headlands by lightly parting the water before them, gently slipping them forward. Aida¡¯s heart was hammering as she reached deep into the seawater with her mana, seeking for any sign of life. After successfully freezing water under immense pressure, just sensing was immeasurably easy. ¡°There¡¯s so much rock down here,¡± Aida fussed, turning to Dev. ¡°How are we supposed to find them if they¡¯re enclosed in their own layer of rock?¡± He shook his head slowly, his eyes unfocused as he evaluated the water below them himself. His eyes sharpened as he sensed something. ¡°Wait, I think they¡¯re making their presence known.¡± Dev scooted their float closer to the eel corpse, kneeling against the edge as he inspected the water intently. Shortly after, a stalagmite rose out of the water. Aida breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°At least we know where they are¡­but how do we get to them? The water isn¡¯t draining fast enough.¡± ¡°Holding back this much water would be an ordeal,¡± Dev agreed, casting a critical eye around them. He blanched as he looked back to the stalagmite. ¡°Woah.¡± Tera had molded the stalagmite into a small tube. Aida leaned over it, trying to see if she could see anything in the tube - but it was obviously dark. ¡°Tera? Abedi? Can you hear me?¡± Aida didn¡¯t know if the earthen tube had good acoustics, but there seemed to be no other way to communicate. Miraculously, she heard a disjointed collection of sounds float up, sounding like a mixture of Tera and Abedi¡¯s voices talking over each other. ¡°Hold on! I can¡¯t understand you,¡± Aida called down. This time, only Tera¡¯s voice responded, but Aida still couldn¡¯t decipher the syllables that mixed together. She looked at Dev and shook her head, at a loss. Dev glanced underneath the water, frowning before his eyes widened. ¡°Looks like Tera¡¯s got it covered.¡± ¡°What is she doing?¡± Aida extended her senses into the water below them again, though she couldn¡¯t notice anything different. However, she finally noticed another skiff approach them, piloted by Brand. ¡°Thank the fire of life, you two are alive!¡± ¡°Brand! Is everyone okay?¡± Aida called back. He looked harried, his dark hair swept haphazardly back and exhaustion dripping from his limbs. He looked like he could barely keep his balance on his skiff. ¡°Yes, fortunately Jaret had convinced the village elders to organize an evacuation before we set out to rescue the other Strongholders, so everyone has retreated to the water reservoir. Ashley and Brand and the other Water Strongholders we rescued are looking for any remaining villagers that need to be evacuated.¡± Brand listed gently to one side before catching himself. ¡°I came to check on you. Where are Tera and Abedi?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Dev pointed at the earthen tube poking out of the water. ¡°They seem to be fine, though trapped in an underwater cave at the moment. They should be out momentarily.¡± Brand stared between Dev and the tube and the water, an uncomprehending expression on his face. He shook his head as he scrubbed his hand over his face, trying to rub some life back into himself. Wordlessly, Aida hopped over to his skiff, activating his overlay as she began gently popping his blockages, trickling in some of her own mana to encourage his mana to flow. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they have it handled,¡± Dev said reassuringly as Brand recovered. ¡°How are the Strongholders you rescued?¡± Brand¡¯s shoulders slumped, either because Aida¡¯s Regen was relaxing him, or because of the weight of their losses she wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°¡­we managed to rescue four of our people. Out of ten. And we had initially sent our most capable fighters once we received news from the scouts of what was happening, so¡­this is a big loss for the Naval Stronghold.¡± ¡°What about the other eels?¡± Aida asked. ¡°Did they manage to kill them?¡± ¡°No.¡± Aida felt a surge of anger ripple through Brand underneath her fingers. ¡°They managed to maim one, and the remaining four continued to pursue us as we pulled our remaining fighters out. Ashley did some clever tricks with her fire to buy us some time as the fighters got to our boat, but once they realized we were getting away they renewed their focus on us. We thought once we reached the shallower depths they would peel off - never thought that one eel would continue the chase.¡± ¡°Why did this eel continue?¡± Aida asked, glancing at the still carcass a mere fifty feet away from them. ¡°Did it have some sort of¡­bloodlust?¡± ¡°Your guess is as good as mine.¡± Brand cast a disgusted glance at the eel¡¯s body. ¡°They¡¯re still adolescent¡ª¡° Aida suppressed a gasp ¡°¡ªso that could possibly explain why they hunted as a pod. But even so, not even baby eels are stupid enough to swim in these depths. If I hadn¡¯t been chased two hours ago, and this body wasn¡¯t still laying here right in front of me, I would never have believed it if someone told me an eel swam all the way up here.¡± Brand spat in the water, in the direction of the eel¡¯s remains. Not even a full-grown eel. Aida felt faint as she looked at the still body. It was so large and heavy that not even the fins could be moved by the water. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Brand asked in alarm as a tiny volcano erupted out of the water. ¡°I apologize for surprising you,¡± Tera gasped out as the mound of earth cracked apart, falling into the waves with large splashes and revealing an exhausted Tera and concerned Abedi supporting her limp form. ¡°I had to be cautious with my earth manipulations to get to the surface without drowning us.¡± ¡°Not a problem. You look like you could use a long rest,¡± Brand said. He eyed their skiffs. ¡°I¡¯m impressed that you managed to keep everything in such good condition.¡± ¡°Tera reacted very quickly,¡± Abedi said, admiration in his voice. ¡°I was certain we¡¯d be crushed, but she managed to fortify the earth structure to withstand all the water pressure. Then I was certain we¡¯d suffocate or drown, but she managed to successfully pipe down air for us.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure I could manage it,¡± Tera said, smiling weakly. ¡°But then, I always did do my best work when under pressure.¡± Just like diamonds, Aida thought fondly, unable to stop smiling at seeing her classmates safe and sound. ¡°Do you think you can get back to the village?¡± ¡°What village?¡± Tera asked, squinting in the direction of the flooded buildings. ¡°Abedi, why don¡¯t you take Tera back on your skiff,¡± Brand said quickly, stepping in. ¡°Dev, Aida, which one of you is more comfortable maneuvering the skiff? One of you can take it back for Tera.¡± ¡°I¡¯m familiar with its operation,¡± Dev offered. Brand nodded approvingly. ¡°Good. You can take it then. Let¡¯s convene with the other Strongholders.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ A few hours later, with the sun high in the sky, Aida was back out on the water with Jaret and Abedi. Tera and Dev both elected to stay behind outside of North Ocean Village¡¯s gate, where the floodwater hadn¡¯t reached. Tera needed the rest, as she had pushed herself to her utmost limit in order to protect and save herself and Abedi from the eel¡¯s attack. Dev had quietly offered to stay so that he could be involved with planning the logistics in helping North Ocean Village recover, though from her quick evaluation of his mana flow, Aida silently assumed he was tired as well. Aida and Abedi had volunteered to help Jaret scout the eel corpse¡¯s position so they could figure out how to move the body and unplug the creature from the bay¡¯s entrance to facilitate draining the floodwaters away from the village. She herself volunteered because she felt guilty - even though Dev said he wouldn¡¯t have been able to take out the eel without her, the fact that he had been the one to take on the brunt of the mana cost made her feel like she really hadn¡¯t contributed. She suspected Abedi felt the same way about having to rely on Tera for his survival. Jaret sighed softly as he took in the sight, bringing the boat to a stop at the eel¡¯s head. The water level covered the majority of the body, as rivulets wove their way over the creature¡¯s scales to flow into the ocean on the other side. Aida and Abedi remained silent, staring at the unmoving head with Jaret. Even though its eyes were lifeless, Aida still couldn¡¯t help but shiver as she stared at its massive features. Its red mouth was wide open, the water in the vicinity a pinkish-red as it continued bleeding from the wound she and Dev had inflicted upon it. Its upper face looked rigid, frozen in an awful grimace, as if it was wearing a masquerade mask. It even had three horns protruding backwards from its head, and Aida could see the thick muscle fibers underneath its semitranslucent scales. If this thing hadn¡¯t tried to kill them, Aida would have mourned the loss of a beautiful creature. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a lot of work to clear out this body,¡± Jaret finally said. ¡°But this is also an unexpected bounty.¡± He glanced at Aida and Abedi with a wry grin. ¡°The body is in very good condition, so there are many high-quality materials we can harvest from this beast.¡± Chapter 129: Worth It Fourth Moon, Second Moon Day Morning ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get back,¡± Tera sighed as she leaned back in her seat next to Aida. They were finally on a passenger golem back to school after the exhausting star cycle they had at North Ocean Village. Across the aisle from them, Abedi and Dev had already stretched out on their bench, covering their eyes with their hats as they snagged a quick nap. ¡°Yeah,¡± Aida murmured, dropping her eyes to her hands in her lap. She was holding a small silken drawstring bag, a token of appreciation from the North Ocean villagers. ¡°Have you opened it yet?¡± Tera asked, pulling her own gift out of her pocket. She hefted it in her palm. ¡°What do you think it is?¡± Aida shrugged as she opened the pouch, dumping out a small, glimmering token on a leather cord. Beside her, Tera gasped. She held the same token in her hand: a semitransparent, iridescent piece of glass encapsulated in a metal border. ¡°Wow,¡± Tera said in awe. Aida looked back to her own pendant, mildly confused until a notification box popped up.
Eel Scale [High Quality] A gift from the villagers of North Ocean Village. Eel Scales are considered a good luck charm to those who make their living on the ocean. When equipped, Eel Scale increases water resistance and water manipulation efficiency.
¡°Wow,¡± Aida agreed, her tone reflecting Tera¡¯s own awe. She slipped the cord around her neck. ¡°This makes all the things we went through worth it.¡± ¡°Yeah, and these scales are really valuable,¡± Tera said, raising her scale to her eye and peering at Aida through it. ¡°I guess the village will be able to sustain itself economically until they manage to clear out the eel body enough to go back to their regular lifestyle if they¡¯re able to give us these.¡± The remainder of their star cycle at North Village had consisted of helping the villagers rebuild their homes and places of business in the aftermath of the eel¡¯s flood. They had first been drafted by Naval Stronghold reinforcements to help move the body from the mouth of the bay so that the water could drain out to sea faster. Once the eel¡¯s tail had been moved, creating a large enough opening for a single ship to pass through, Abedi had been tasked with helping Jaret, a few other Metal Strongholders, and some villagers to begin harvesting meat and materials from the eel. Tera had met with the other Earth Strongholders to evaluate if they could reconstruct the bay¡¯s original landforms, while Dev and Aida had been sent back to help the villagers drain out their homes as much as possible. Aida couldn¡¯t explain it, but she felt like the villagers finally seemed to appreciate having practitioners in their midst. Before, they had been treated as if they were...not quite supplicants, but as if their presence wasn¡¯t really welcome. It reminded Annie of her mother¡¯s stories about how some of the more snobby employees at the companies she cleaned for would treat her: she was expected to be grateful that they allowed her in their space at all, expected to duck out of their way as they reached for a snack or amenity while she was in the middle of cleaning or restocking. But apparently, the villagers had all witnessed the eldritch materialization of the eel¡¯s face coming for their homes as they made their way up to the reservoir, and finally realized their livelihoods weren¡¯t as safe and secure - or recoverable - as they had originally thought. Aida had been half irritated and half amused by the sudden change in demeanor - she supposed it really was an example of how safe their lives had been up until now, that they didn¡¯t see the benefit in having practitioners integrated with their society and instead actively tried to push them away - but since the Naval Strongholders seemed to take their acceptance in stride she just followed their lead and focused on helping the rebuilding efforts. Admittedly, they didn¡¯t get far with the actual rebuilding of the village. The majority of the village had been decimated, leaving only the buildings that were furthest away from the shore standing. The Earth and Metal Strongholders¡¯ first priorities had been to construct shelter for the displaced villagers, while the few Wood Strongholders available strained their mana to grow construction wood as quickly as possible. Regardless, their efforts had been seen and appreciated by the villagers. Aida had been surprised to be seen off by a small group of villagers that morning, and even more surprised when they pressed small gifts into their hands as they boarded their golem, along with quick words of heartfelt thanks, their eyes shining with emotion.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Tera stashed her own scale away before she mirrored the boys, leaning back against her backpack for a snooze as they returned to school. Aida leaned against her own bag, looking along the path back towards the village as they trundled away at a quick pace. Given what the fishermen and Brand had said about eels and their hunting habits, she was convinced this change in behavior was in line with what was happening with the monsters on land. So it¡¯s going to get way worse, and the Naval Strongholders already seem like they¡¯re overworked¡­ As much as Aida hated to admit it, it seemed like humanity would become even more strained by what was to come. The Naval Stronghold was significantly smaller than the Border Stronghold, and the Border Stronghold had Adventuring groups to help them in their efforts to combat wild animal attacks. But Aida hadn¡¯t heard of any Adventuring groups that specialized in ocean patrols, and she could see why: ocean combat was significantly more difficult and complex than land combat. There were very few things one could use as cover, and on top of that, Earth and Metal practitioners had to be proportionately more skilled in order to be effective over open water. Sighing, Aida settled herself down for a nap as well. Compared to the first couple days, they had gotten severely overworked during the remainder of the cycle. She needed to rest before she could fully consider the ramifications of what she had seen at North Ocean Village. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida filed into the instructors¡¯ lounge along with the rest of her classmates. She glanced up at Professor Kozu as she passed by him holding the door. He had a grave expression on his face, and gave her a tightlipped smile. ¡°Please, have a seat everyone,¡± Professor Bruce said, pouring tea into four cups lined up on the table in front of four chairs. There was a little bit of meandering as the four of them tried to figure out which chair to take, but eventually Aida sat herself between Tera and Dev. ¡°To start with, we¡¯ve heard about what happened in North Ocean Village,¡± Professor Gemma said without preamble. ¡°We were hoping we could speak with the Naval Affiliates for a debrief, but they had sent a message along shortly after the attack occurred to advise us they wouldn¡¯t be able to return for a while. Can you tell us what happened?¡± Aida exchanged a glance with Tera before Tera started speaking. ¡°Well, when we first arrived at the Village none of the damage they suffered from their typhoon seemed that dire. Then in the middle of the night, early morning of Spark Day, we got woken up because we heard some intense blasts from the ocean.¡± Tera paused as Gemma looked at Bruce for his reaction, though he continued to look seriously at Tera. ¡°So¡­we all got up and went down to the docks, where we found Affiliates Ashley and Jaret. They had us split up¡­¡± ¡°Tera and Abedi helped evacuate the villagers, and Dev and I went with Ashley and another Strongholder, Brand, to go rescue villagers in the water,¡± Aida supplied delicately. ¡°And¡­eventually, they asked for our help in covering their retreat as they went to rescue their allies.¡± After a brief silence as the teachers digested her narrative, Bruce looked up at them. ¡°Good. And how is the village?¡± ¡°A lot of buildings and infrastructure are destroyed, but they are accepting help from the Strongholders as they rebuild. They¡¯ve already begun harvesting and preserving eel meat and other materials, so in the short term they will be able to survive until they manage to rebuild some boats for their regular fishing activities,¡± Abedi reported. He shifted uneasily on the other side of Dev. ¡°Of course, the Strongholders have expressed concern on how they will manage patrols in regular fishing waters with the casualties they¡¯ve sustained¡­¡± The mood in the room went from tense to crestfallen as everyone understood the implications behind Abedi¡¯s words. How could they defend against powerful monsters that took on more risky behaviors? ¡°Thank you,¡± Gemma said softly. ¡°We will back the Naval Stronghold in their request for more resources to help patrol the waters. You may leave now.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯d like to speak to Aida and Dev, please,¡± Bruce said as they all stood up. Aida glanced uneasily at Dev, though he didn¡¯t share her look. Tera lightly touched Aida¡¯s shoulder as she followed Abedi out the door. Bruce gave Gemma and Kozu a significant look. ¡°It¡¯s all right, everybody. I just wanted a private conversation with the two of them.¡± Aida stared at her hands in her lap as the other two teachers followed the students out of the room. She wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to talk to the two of them specifically about, but she had a nagging feeling it was going to cause her more problems. His next statement did nothing to assuage her fear. ¡°I, shockingly enough, managed to witness the eel attack while I was meditating, and I have some concerns.¡± Aida felt Dev stiffen next to her. She glanced up hesitantly at Bruce, careful to keep her face neutral, if not politely quizzical. He was looking at them with a clinical expression, his mana completely steady and giving no indication as to how severe his ¡°concerns¡± were. ¡°Therefore, I saw how you two managed to¡­protect the village.¡± Bruce inclined his head to level his gaze more directly at the two of them. Dev didn¡¯t react, and continued to stare forward, almost as if staring past Bruce. When neither of them said anything, Bruce took a deep breath, his mana continuing to remain steady and uninterrupted. ¡°First, I want to say: I¡¯m glad your gamble worked out. If you hadn¡¯t taken the risk, we very well might have lost four Maglica students and seven Naval Strongholders at minimum on top of the village.¡± Dev relaxed a fraction. ¡°Secondly, I want to ask: how attached are you two now?¡± Chapter 130: Worth It? Attached? Aida was alarmed by the line of questioning. She had been expecting him to have somehow seen something that might have made him question her identity - Ezra had insisted he couldn¡¯t tell that she wasn¡¯t Aida, but if anyone could tell it surely had to be the master who spent all his free time seeking to connect to mana, right? But talking about attachments with a third party sounded, for some odd reason, a lot more awkward than having to lie about who she was. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re ¡®attached,¡¯¡± Aida said carefully, looking at Dev for him to back her up. ¡°Other than Spark Day morning, we haven¡¯t spent too much time together.¡± Bruce looked at her keenly before drilling his gaze into Dev, who continued to say nothing. Uh oh. Aida felt an unpleasant shiver run down her spine. She wasn¡¯t feeling attached in any sense of the word - but if Dev was feeling attached, that was demanding complications to arise. But then again, would it be a dating game if there wasn¡¯t any relationship drama? Aida winced at the smug voice in her head. ¡°You¡¯re not in any trouble for what you did,¡± Bruce said, continuing to watch Dev like a hawk. He seemed to be talking to him more than Aida. ¡°Because as I said, it¡¯s an understandable risk to take. And any¡­potential developments are understandable as well.¡± Dev finally shook his head firmly, refusing to exchange a flabbergasted look with Aida, completely focused on Bruce. ¡°My apologies for the delay in responding. It was just a shocking statement to be confronted with. We aren¡¯t attached in any sense of the word. ¡° Bruce and Dev stared at each other, neither one blinking. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, excellent work. I had my concerns because I have never seen two people¡¯s mana waves be so complementary.¡± Complementary mana waves? Aida frowned at Bruce, and he had the decency to explain. ¡°It¡¯s a phenomenon similar to mana compatibility, except it¡¯s less about mana types and more about individual energies.¡± Bruce paused, backtracking as he noticed Aida¡¯s brows furrowing more deeply. ¡°I call it mana waves because, much like waves in a pond, two - or more - people¡¯s mana can add or subtract from each other if they were to come together and perform a complex technique. Obviously, complementary waves add, allowing the pair - or group - to perform techniques that far exceed an individual person¡¯s capability. Noncomplementary waves would destroy each other, causing the pair - or group - to cancel each other out, no matter how skilled or talented they are individually. ¡°Of course, this is assuming everybody¡¯s ability level is equal.¡± Bruce¡¯s voice had fallen into the monotonous lecture voice he used in class: great for easing them into a meditative trance, but utterly unhelpful as Aida attempted to absorb Bruce¡¯s lesson. ¡°In the case of two individuals who have the same ability level, but don¡¯t perfectly complement each other, they can still achieve things that would normally be difficult for them individually - but not with the precision and perfection that you two have managed.¡± Bruce¡¯s voice had sharpened with the last sentence. ¡°You could tell what was happening with us that clearly?¡± Aida asked suspiciously. ¡°Even though we were so far apart?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a very clear and precise image,¡± Bruce admitted. ¡°But years of experience allowed me to put together a reasonable conclusion for what I believe I detected in my meditations. Either my suspicion for what happened is correct, or you two were just incredibly lucky with what you have managed to pull off. That is why I questioned your mental state, to fill in some more details of my suspicion.¡± ¡°What do complementary mana waves have to do with emotional attachment?¡± Aida asked. Bruce narrowed his eyes slightly at her, suspicion tingeing his face. Aida tried to keep her expression innocent, hoping he would recall Aida was supposed to be a dim student. ¡°¡­it¡¯s an addicting feeling. You can sense and make sense of everything at the same time. It hasn¡¯t been done in living memory so our information is limited, but the writings of the Metal Masters have described the euphoric sensation in great detail. All is well if you two are feeling normal, but as your instructor it falls upon me to ensure nothing goes awry from your dabble in a technique intended for those far older and more experienced than you¡­¡± Bruce¡¯s normally smooth forehead wrinkled, making him look incredibly vexed. It looked like he had more to say, but he finally shook his head, at a loss. Making a mental note to look up the Metal Masters'' writings - all she knew was that they were one of the first mana practitioners to bring mana knowledge to the masses, so to speak, and therefore influenced a lot of literature - Aida nodded obligingly, keeping her expression bland. Beside her, Dev had also relaxed. Looking between the two of them, Bruce finally nodded, though his expression was still somewhat dissatisfied.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll let you two go back and enjoy the rest of your rest day. If either of you find yourselves¡­distracted, please do not hesitate to ask for help. Whether from me, or from another professor.¡± His tone made it very clear that he preferred they find another professor to talk to. Without further ceremony, Bruce showed them to the door, looking exceedingly relieved as he finally shut the door behind them. ¡°That was weird,¡± Aida finally said as they headed towards the staircase, hefting their bags over their shoulders. She kept her gaze forward, avoiding Dev¡¯s gaze. ¡°Agreed.¡± Dev¡¯s footsteps matched her pace. ¡°It¡¯s humorous how he expects us to admit we have feelings for each other.¡± Aida laughed. ¡°In front of each other, no less.¡± Aida stopped in her tracks, looking at him warily. ¡°We don¡¯t have feelings for each other, right?¡± Dev met her eyes steadily, unblinking. A fraction of a second later, he smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as far as I¡¯m concerned we¡¯re just classmates who managed to pull off an incredibly challenging technique.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Aida said in relief. ¡°At least now we don¡¯t have to worry about any awkward resolutions Professor Bruce comes up with to try to fix any consequences of that technique.¡± Dev shook his head as he chuckled. ¡°For being a Water practitioner, his approach towards emotional matters are on par with that of an Earth or Metal practitioner.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that - Professor Gemma is much more approachable and inviting,¡± Aida said, shaking her head. ¡°Although I find I can have more candid conversation with Kozu.¡± They continued chuckling about Professor Bruce¡¯s heavy-handed attempt to mediate potential emotional strife between the two of them until they finally reached the third floor, with Aida waving goodbye at Dev as she turned towards her door. ¡°Aida¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Aida turned back towards Dev, a smile on her face. Dev was looking at her thoughtfully, his head tilted to the side so that his pale bangs hung out of his blue eyes. She squinted at him. No way. He has sparkles now. Before she could react - whether to step back in horror or crack a joke, she didn¡¯t know - Dev straightened his head and gave her a small bow. ¡°I¡¯m glad we were the ones who got sent on this assignment to North Ocean Village.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Aida squeaked out, trying to keep her voice steady. ¡°Can you imagine if Myk or Shon replaced one of us? Class 2 would be doomed.¡± Dev laughed lightly. ¡°More evidence that everything happens for a reason, I suppose. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Without a backward glance, Dev departed, leaving Aida with her heart thundering in her chest. Making a beeline for her room, Aida slammed the door shut behind her, thoughts racing. Objectively speaking, she really wasn¡¯t enamored with Dev. But the manifestation of the sparkles worried her - because she couldn¡¯t recall the last time she had caught sight of such whimsical twinkles. Not since she had started dating Ezra. And then never again once he broke up with her. She had been so distracted on keeping her life moving forward that she hadn¡¯t even noticed that the boys no longer sparkled at her. Even Sue¡¯s sparkles had been few and far in between - though she supposed it made sense, given how everyone had been under immense pressure for the past couple moon cycles. She thought back to Professor Bruce¡¯s words - foreshadowing Aida and Dev¡¯s emotions potentially intertwining, and felt a shudder run through her body. But I don¡¯t feel anything towards him. Aida sank to the floor as she ran through her interactions with Dev from the past star cycle, feeling her panic steadily build. After they took down the eel, they had been far too busy to have had anything more than terse exchanges as they coordinated which households they¡¯d be at, which villagers needed help; evenings had been quick and quiet, and not at all private, as they made camp outside of the village with the other Strongholders; they had given up their rooms at the inn to allow the displaced villagers to have a place to stay while their homes were cleared and rebuilt. That conversation they had just now was literally the first time they had spoken with each other one-on-one after they came out of their ice bubble. And Dev said he didn¡¯t have any attachments towards her; but they had just been poking fun at how Bruce expected them to declare any feelings for each other so easily. Look how hard it was for me and Ezra to admit we liked each other in the first place¡­ Aida pressed her hand to her forehead. She was confident in her assessment of her emotional state towards Dev. No matter what she said to Sue and her other girlfriends, a not-insignificant part of her was still raw whenever she saw - or even thought about - Ezra. She refused to admit it out loud, but there was no other way around it: she wasn¡¯t feeling attached to Dev, because she still hadn¡¯t gotten over Ezra. Dev¡¯s emotions were less clear, and Aida worried the small clues she noticed - eyes lingering just a little too long on her to be natural, just a little too much hesitation in his responses - were her conjuring illusions because of Bruce¡¯s concerns, but there was nothing she could really do about it either way. She would start spiraling into overthinking if she tried to tease out the truth from faulty memory. What she really needed was to know more about the Metal Masters¡¯ writings on complementary mana. Bruce¡¯s explanation was just as helpful as his lectures in class - he clearly knew what he was talking about, but he also didn¡¯t provide enough context for Aida to fully understand the point he was trying to make. This isn¡¯t the first time I had to find the context on my own, Aida thought grimly as she collected her notebook and dip pen set. She had been looking forward to a restorative nap in her own bed before dinner, but it looked like she had to go to the library instead. Chapter 131: Worth It! Aida trudged out of the library after a fruitless search. Charma had apologetically informed her that after Ezra¡¯s irresponsible attempt at a Master-level technique before he was ready, she had been instructed by the teachers to safeguard the texts detailing high-level techniques and their execution from curious students. ¡°It really says something about Mister Riolt¡¯s abilities, that he¡¯s able to get far enough to very nearly doom himself,¡± the librarian said quietly, shaking her head in a mix of disapproval and admiration. ¡°No student has ever been able to understand and apply enough of the old Masters¡¯ writings to pose a risk to themselves. What a stupid, talented boy he is.¡± Charma couldn¡¯t even give her a history book detailing the Metal Masters¡¯ lives; apparently, Professor Bruce had borrowed the school¡¯s only copies of Masters Jin and Joo¡¯s diaries last star cycle. ¡°If it¡¯s history you¡¯re interested in, perhaps Earth Master Dih¡¯s book might be of use to you? He was one of Metal Master Jin¡¯s first pupils, and he took it upon himself to record the formation and founding message of Master Jin¡¯s school. Unfortunately, Metal Master Joo did not have any students who were as studious about storykeeping as Master Dih, so there¡¯s no second-hand account from that side. But Master Dih¡¯s book seemed to follow both Masters Jin and Joo¡¯s diaries closely enough, from the snippets I¡¯ve skimmed.¡± Aida had taken the book with thanks, if only to make her visit to the library worth something. She glanced down at the slim volume in her hands, the title written in elegant brush script on a sensible, brown hardcover: Master Jin¡¯s Teachings: Volume 1. She could probably finish the book in an afternoon, with how few pages it had compared to the usual tomes she spent her time leafing through. The introduction itself - Master Dih gave a brief history of how long he had studied under Master Jin at the time of writing, and detailed why he felt responsible for chronicling the founding of Master Jin¡¯s school instead of jumping right into the lessons taught - took up a whole chapter¡¯s worth of words in the three-chapter book. Sighing to herself, Aida glanced at the windows. It was a nice, clear day. Despite having been outdoors for nearly the entirety of her assignment last star cycle, Aida didn¡¯t want to stay indoors. Resolving to read Master Dih¡¯s book under the big willow tree, which had jaunty green leaves sprouting out of its branches, Aida couldn¡¯t help but notice the spring in her step as she anticipated a nice, leisurely read in the comfortable outdoor air. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°¡ªyou!¡± Aida jerked awake at the shout, utterly befuddled. Scrambling for the book that had flown to the side, Aida quickly straightened its pages as she glanced around, trying to pinpoint the disturbance. Tera¡¯s mana rolled over her shoulders, angry and quivering, making Aida cower with its intensity. What did I do now? Peeking around the willow¡¯s massive trunk, Aida spotted Tera striding angrily towards the main building, Lyn¡¯s own figure stiff and angry in the distance. Fight between sisters, I guess. Breathing a sigh of relief, Aida turned back towards Master Dih¡¯s book, absentmindedly flipping it back open to where she had last left off. Before she could do more than reorient herself on the last page she read - when Jin first discovered his ability to utilize mana, in a fractured society where clans kept to themselves - she heard Tera¡¯s angry stomps head towards her. ¡°Hey,¡± Aida greeted amicably, trying to act like she hadn¡¯t realized Tera was there. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± ¡°Wanna go train?¡± Tera demanded, her eyes brittle. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Aida glanced back at her open book before looking back to Tera. The girl waited impatiently, fists planted on her hips. ¡°I¡­I guess. I¡¯m still a bit tired from the assignment, though, so don¡¯t expect too much from me¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Tera said brusquely, holding her hand out to pull Aida to her feet. ¡°Anything is better than nothing.¡± Aida followed Tera to the training arena hesitantly, glancing worriedly at Lyn, who pointedly marched back into the school building without looking towards her sister or Aida. Tera stopped at the edge of the arena, huffing angrily before spinning on her heel. ¡°This is pointless. I know how to handle myself on solid ground. Let¡¯s go to the lake instead.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Aida said blankly as she followed the girl back the way they came, retracing the path Tera had taken with her twin down to the Lake. ¡°So¡­do you want to talk about it?¡± ¡°No, I just want to train.¡± ¡°What are you training for?¡± Aida kept her tone light and conversational, trying to soothe Tera. ¡°I need to be able to handle myself over open water. Literally all of my training has been on land.¡± Aida paused. ¡°Is this¡­related to what happened at North Ocean Village?¡± Tera froze, staring out over the Lake in silence. The waters lapped peacefully along the shore. Finally, the girl slumped, her caramel-colored hair curtaining her face. ¡°¡­yeah.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Aida reached out to Tera, gently placing her hand on her shoulder. Tera didn¡¯t brush her off. ¡°That was tough for all of us.¡± ¡°I just felt so useless,¡± Tera whispered. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything to help rescue anybody on the ocean, and I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop the eel from attacking the village.¡± ¡°I felt helpless, too,¡± Aida said softly, rubbing Tera¡¯s shoulder comfortingly. ¡°If Dev hadn¡¯t been there¡­¡± Tera choked out a laugh. ¡°Yeah, but you were still able to help. You were called to go on the boat with Ashley and Brand to rescue fishermen, and Brand put you at the front of our skiff to help provide cover when they came back.¡± Tera¡¯s hands had balled into fists, and the ground beneath them began trembling. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Aida scooped Tera into her arms, patting her back soothingly. She didn¡¯t really know what to say to calm the girl down, especially since their brush with danger was literally one star cycle ago. But she understood why the girl was so unsettled; the eel¡¯s face fading into existence made her feel small. Insignificant. It would be a recurring memory that reminded her she, despite her inhuman powers, was still only human. ¡°I¡¯ve never questioned my capabilities before,¡± Tera said quietly, her voice muffled. ¡°I understood there were times when I would be at a disadvantage¡­like in forests, because it¡¯s hard to disentangle the roots binding the earth in place¡­but I never expected that I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything at all.¡± Aida smiled warily at Tera¡¯s admission. It was a real-life example of how an overwhelming amount of one element could utterly overthrow the natural elemental balance: water was supposed to be disadvantaged by earth, but in Tera¡¯s case, she was the one rendered utterly ineffective. ¡°I get it,¡± she replied softly. ¡°Even though I was technically in my element, I also felt helpless. The ocean¡­¡± Aida trailed off, thinking back to her struggle in making the passing waves obey her. ¡°¡­it¡¯s not docile,¡± she finished reluctantly. She reached out towards the Lake, pulling up a column of water with unexpected ease. ¡°I have an idea of how you feel,¡± Aida said, shaping the water into the vague form of a young woman. Manipulating the water was so easy now, after fighting with the ocean for a cycle. Regardless of the eel scale on her, Aida could still tell how much more in tune she was with the water; the scale made her control of the water more fluid, while she could sense how much more - or less, really - stuff there was in the Lake. ¡°Feeling helpless. You see the wave coming at you, about to crush you, and all you can do is scream, because you can¡¯t do anything to stop it.¡± The watery figure tightened into a sad, exhausted form: shoulders down, head bowed, hands clasped. ¡°But no matter how loudly you scream, no one else can help you¡­because they¡¯re also screaming.¡± The watery figure lifted her head, and Aida saw the fine facial features carved into the water statue¡¯s face, reflecting a visage she was intimately familiar with. ¡°Is that someone you know?¡± Tera asked dully. Aida dropped the water, sending Annie splashing back into the Lake. ¡°That¡¯s just how I see myself.¡± Aida shook her head before smiling in embarrassment at Tera. ¡°Anyway, sorry, I made it about myself¡­I don¡¯t really know what to say, because I think that¡¯s an inherent struggle we all face. Everything we do, all this training, preparation for the future¡­it¡¯s all so that we can have more control over our environment. And when you realize you don¡¯t have it¡­¡± Aida trailed off again, uncertain what to say to make Tera feel better. ¡°¡­Lyn was trying to convince me to just¡­give up. And accept that I couldn¡¯t do anything about what happened up north.¡± Tera¡¯s voice was flat. ¡°Well¡­she¡¯s not entirely wrong about that, right? Not even the Naval Strongholders could do anything about what happened, and that¡¯s their entire job,¡± Aida said lightly. ¡°I understand that. But¡­¡± Tera pulled a pebble from the shore and threw it underhanded into the water. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem right to just give up and accept our fate. Our ancestors fought so hard to establish society so we could continue surviving. And without the mana knowledge we have now!¡± Tera tossed another pebble into the Lake. Aida watched Tera silently take her anger out on the rocks as she pondered Tera¡¯s words. She understood Tera¡¯s sentiment, and she found it admirable that the girl was determined to fight. But on the other hand, she also understood what Lyn was trying to say: sometimes, no matter how hard one fought, you just couldn¡¯t win. ¡°Brute force isn¡¯t always the way to win,¡± Aida said softly. Her throat tightened as she thought about Ezra. ¡°You might not ever be able to take down a single eel in combat over open water, but¡­you could still thwart them and other such monsters. Prevent them from getting close enough to do the kind of damage they did.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just remold their geological defenses,¡± Tera scoffed. ¡°Even if I could, that would totally destroy the village¡¯s lifestyle.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Aida said quickly. ¡°I¡¯m not saying to do that. But there has to be some other way to defeat creatures like the eel, right? Without having to face it head-on in its natural habitat.¡± Tera hefted another pebble in her hand, looking down at it thoughtfully. She lobbed it into the air over her head, pointing her wand at it and making it hover in the air. Aida watched curiously as the girl reshaped the smooth pebble, forming it into a rock spike, before sending it flying into the water. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I never thought of that before.¡± ¡°Thought of what?¡± ¡°As a kid, I¡¯d hunt pests with rocks and slingshot. But once I discovered my earth affinity, I stopped thinking of rocks in that way for some reason¡­¡± Tera crossed her arms as she frowned over the Lake. ¡°And a lot of the Earth techniques are all focused on using the earth, but¡­why don¡¯t we ever use simple rocks?¡± Aida couldn¡¯t help but shrug and murmur in agreement, feeling an awkward mix of confusion and amusement as Tera began mumbling more and more incoherently about the purity of the Earth techniques they were taught. ¡°Thanks for talking to me, Aida,¡± Tera chirped, giving Aida a quick hug. ¡°You¡¯ve renewed my spirit!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Aida protested, though she smiled as she returned Tera¡¯s embrace. ¡°You listened.¡± Tera chuckled awkwardly. The corners of her lips drooped slightly. ¡°You didn¡¯t try to convince me that my thoughts or feelings were wrong.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know enough about anything to make any sort of claim,¡± Aida laughed. She pointed at Tera¡¯s face with mock threat. ¡°But you watch out, once I graduate, I¡¯ll be more than happy to tell you that everything you¡¯re doing is wrong.¡± Tera giggled, pushing Aida¡¯s finger away. ¡°Yeah, right! The day you start becoming overbearing is going to be the day the world ends.¡± Aida smiled back at Tera, feeling unexpected affection for the girl. Maybe it was because they both went through something traumatic together, but Aida felt like this was a genuine bonding moment, unforced by preexisting relationships. The two of them hiked back to the school building, Aida nodding along as Tera chattered excitedly about bringing her execution of Earth techniques back to ¡°true basics¡± along the way. I guess you can still make an impact as a side character. Chapter 132: Lore Drop Aida lingered on Master Dih¡¯s concluding lines of Master Jin¡¯s Teachings: Volume 1: ¡°It is important to know the history, because then can one understand the context in which Master Jin teaches. As one may observe, the two Masters have lived through tragic events, and it is those experiences that inform their lessons.¡± She leafed through the previous pages, rereading passages, trying to read deeper between the lines of what Master Dih had recorded. Her takeaway of events was that the Metal Masters¡¯ tale was a classic love story. Master Jin had met Master Joo in his childhood as rivals from different tribes, during a time when nobody had any idea about how elemental mana worked. Jin was described as lonely, because even though his tribe didn¡¯t outright ostracize him for his ability to pull metal out of the earth, children his age certainly felt he wasn¡¯t normal enough to be a playmate or a peer. The adults valued him for being able to produce metal tools for them and therefore were kind to him, but that still didn¡¯t mean he had friends in them. He met Joo one day while he was pulling metal out of a riverbank, doing the same thing. They recognized each other as strangers, yet the fact that the other child could do the same thing made them feel like they were kin. They weren¡¯t able to communicate, since their tribes spoke different dialects, and they were reclusive as a matter of survival. Presumably Joo experienced similar feelings of loneliness, as the two struck up a friendship. Not by directly talking to each other, but by challenging each other to shape unique metal pieces, each child careful to stay on his or her side of the river. Eventually, they introduced themselves. Then taught each other basic words. Finally, they were able to communicate verbally, in some sort of broken, hybrid language comprised of their two dialects. As they grew physically, so did their mana powers. The two of them challenged each other, finding a friendly rival in the other. First it was to see who could draw the most amount of metal out. Then it was who could do it the quickest. Then who could make the sturdiest piece. Eventually, both of them just tried to impress the other by sharing small inventions or intricate art pieces. And yet neither one of them crossed the river. Finally, the day came when Jin¡¯s tribe decided they had to leave. The area was getting overrun by monsters, and they were sustaining too many casualties, even with Jin¡¯s improved blades and protective wear. Jin was torn. He tried to convince his tribe to cross the river, perhaps join forces with Joo¡¯s tribe. Safety in numbers and all that. But his people adamantly refused, as their tribe elder insisted that crossing the river would mean displaying their weakness to the other tribe: they didn¡¯t know the lay of the land, and would easily be taken advantage of by the tribe that had already established their roots there. No, it was safer to methodically move elsewhere, take time to scout ahead while they still remained in familiar territory. Jin tried to reassure them they would receive help, as he had made a friend in the other tribe, someone like him; but that seemed to cement their stubbornness even more. They maintained that his abilities were their only advantage over other tribes, and if the other tribe had one of their own, that meant they were definitively on the back foot. Heartbroken, Jin went to the river, contemplating crossing the river himself to find Joo, when Joo found him herself. She had apparently felt his distress, so made her way to their regular meeting spot despite it being late. Unfortunately, telling Joo his troubles did nothing to resolve his predicament, because Joo was equally bewildered. She promised to convince her people to come help, but they both knew she was also a figurehead: treated with respect because of her abilities, but ultimately that respect was rendered hollow because no one trusted her judgment when it came to making decisions about tribal lifestyle. Jin returned home, trying to maintain the fleeting hope that Joo would be able to come through for him and his people. But it seemed like the world was conspiring against Jin, as that night was when their tiny village was overrun by wolves. Jin fought valiantly alongside his tribesmen, demonstrating his fully developed skill with metal by transforming all the half-packed cooking utensils into deadly weapons and artillery, but the wolves were massive and coordinated, obligingly avoiding Jin¡¯s maelstrom to hunt the more vulnerable of his tribe. Joo, across the river with her own tribe and faced with the very real prospect of losing her one and only true friend, faced the expected stonewalling from her tribe. They regretfully said they did not have enough hunting ground to share resources with another tribe, so they weren¡¯t willing to encourage the tribe from across the river to join them. As Joo headed back to the river in a fit of anger, she again felt Jin¡¯s distress - except it was much more frantic.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Not knowing what to expect, Joo forged her way across the river, honing in on Jin¡¯s swirling mana like a moth to a flame. She arrived just in time to disrupt the ring the wolves made around the mothers and children, buying time for Jin and the other warriors to collapse upon the wolves. Jin and Joo fought back to back, drawing upon each other for inspiration on the creative ways they could use the metal in their surroundings to kill the wolves. Unfortunately, the wolves weren¡¯t the biggest threat. As soon as everybody relaxed after the fight, nocturnal scavengers arrived, drawn by blood. Creatures with sharp, snapping pincers burst out of the ground underfoot, making it nearly impossible for Jin¡¯s people to predict where to flee. Winged beasts with glowing eyes swept upon them, so they couldn¡¯t even climb trees to avoid the living traps on the ground. Jin and Joo looked at each other, and drew the same conclusion: it was up to them to save Jin¡¯s people. They reached for each other, and held each other¡¯s hands for the first time. After years of training, playing together, they were completely familiar with each other¡¯s mana. Where they had objectively noted weaknesses in the other¡¯s technique, but were unable to explain how to rectify that weakness, they were able to fuse their mana together and cover those weaknesses. As one, they were able to sense all the life forms in Jin¡¯s village, and repel the creatures with their overwhelming united power. The story didn¡¯t end there, however. Having witnessed Jin and Joo¡¯s combined might, Jin¡¯s tribe was terrified. They saw it as stealing power from the gods, and were certain doom would be visited upon them if Jin continued to dishonor the heavens by using their powers as a mere mortal. Worn down by his tribe¡¯s will, Jin saw Joo off at the river, convinced leaving with his tribe was the correct course of action. Again, the story didn¡¯t end there. Jin and Joo both said goodbye, expecting to never see the other again. But the further Jin traveled with his surviving tribe members, the stronger the yearning to be with Joo became. Until eventually, Jin crept away in the middle of the night, heading back to the river that had seemed so impassible for the entirety of his life. Fortunately, Joo felt the same way: life wasn¡¯t worth living if he wasn¡¯t there. They managed to find each other, each having abandoned his and her tribe, in utterly unfamiliar terrain. Despite not knowing what danger would come for the two young adults, they weren¡¯t afraid; they were convinced as long as they were together, they would be fine. And that was true, for a long period of time. Jin and Joo saw several sun cycles pass, the two of them in blissful isolation. They deepened their understanding of mana, able to see how every living creature¡¯s mana was tied to the earth. They experimented with and perfected mana techniques, such that they didn¡¯t have to lift a finger in order to hunt and gather food. But eventually, as Jin and Joo became veritable masters, they realized they had been in isolation for too long. In one of their meditative trances, they saw too many things had changed while they continued to play with each other. Their tribes, as well as numerous other unknown groups, had perished. They also saw several other people with elemental aptitudes (most of them children), which piqued their curiosity. The natural next step, driven by guilt over their selfish pursuit of their own indulgences, was to step forward and make a difference: find the children who discovered their aptitudes, and pass on their learnings; grow the next generation of practitioners, because they were to be the future if humanity was to survive. They tried traveling together, teaching the children practitioners they¡¯ve discovered, but found it was far too easy to be lost in each other¡¯s comforting presence, keeping their mana intertwined, than focusing on the more secular events happening in the world. Eventually, they had to admit to themselves that they couldn¡¯t continue living the way they had been - not if they wanted to improve the plight of humanity. They had to go their separate ways, and focus on the children. Ignore their desires in order to serve the greater good. Aida exhaled. She wasn¡¯t sure how accurate the retelling of Jin and Joo¡¯s origin story was, because their motivations sounded overly noble. And based on the language Master Jin¡¯s disciple used, she could easily imagine his image being elevated beyond reality. Regardless, now Professor Bruce¡¯s concerns were more tangible. It sounded like the two Masters were out of commission for several years, as they enjoyed their lovey-dovey arc. Losing two mana practitioners during such a critical time would be a massive setback to their survival effort. Fortunately, Aida wasn¡¯t feeling any crippling longing for Dev. Aida sighed, gazing out her bedroom window, her throat catching again as she imagined Ezra¡¯s silhouette outlined in moonlight. She wondered if Ezra knew about the Metal Masters¡¯ lore. He must have - he had so many books on his shelf in his room. Aida snorted as she compared Ezra¡¯s character with the two Masters¡¯. They¡¯re all pretty stubborn. Unable to balance love and duty at the same time. Angrily flipping the book shut, Aida tucked herself into bed. At least she didn¡¯t have to worry about the problem Bruce raised. As long as she and Dev didn¡¯t have reason to combine their mana anymore, they could avoid any risk of becoming codependent on each other. Chapter 133: Moving On Fourth Moon, Fifth Sun Day The rest of the moon cycle was uneventful, fortunately. Class 1 was still getting sent beyond school grounds with the Adventurer Affiliates during the rest days, but now the rest of the students - including first and second years - were being tapped to support production efforts to supply Adventurers with resources. Metal students were tasked with molding basic weapons and small pieces of armor for non-Adventurer use, Wood students were instructed to grow basic ingredients commonly used in medicines, and select groups of students were sent out with pairs of Affiliates to harvest materials from some of the more dangerous creatures. Healer Luk had a strict, optimized potion-brewing operation that she ran nonstop, cycling through all the first years: Earth students made vials and assisted with Wood students¡¯ ingredient production; Metal students would repair, recycle, and reconstruct the cauldrons Luk used to brew large batches of potions in between grinding dried ingredients to powder; Water and Fire students had to work in tandem to ensure the actual brewing of the potions went according to Luk¡¯s specifications. Aida and Lily were handpicked by Healer Bokar to help him prepare poisons and other consumables that Adventurers and civilians alike could use to protect themselves against monsters: poison pellets that could burst on impact, as well as vials of poison for guards to coat their arrows in; toxic cakes with pungent smells that regular humans could throw at a hungry predator and buy them time to escape. Aida found the work relaxing, as morbid as it was to admit. At first, she had been apprehensive about poisoning herself during the brewing process, but Bokar assured her Detox would be more than sufficient to protect her and anyone else involved, as long as she made sure to cleanse everyone after every shift. After three star cycles¡¯ worth of rest days, the repetitive steps required to brew Bokar¡¯s concoctions was comforting. She was now familiar enough with the process that Bokar trusted her to prepare batches in his absence. ¡°Thank you so much for taking over these tasks, you two,¡± Bokar said, relieved. ¡°At my clinic all our resources are directed towards developing deterrents to keep monsters away from settlements. Unfortunately, targeted deterrents are a lot more difficult to cook up than general toxins.¡± ¡°We appreciate you involving us in your work,¡± Lily replied enthusiastically as Aida nodded beside her. ¡°I¡¯m already getting ideas on how I can use some of these plants in combat¡­¡± ¡°I just like feeling useful,¡± Aida confessed as she sorted through the vials some of the first year Earth students made. Even though making vials was a simple task, there wasn¡¯t a quality control process in place, and some glasses contained obvious contaminants that could affect the efficacy of the potions she brewed. She would bring inadequate vials back to the Earth students so they could break them down and remake them. ¡°Well, you certainly are that,¡± Bokar said appreciatively. He rubbed his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how much I¡¯m looking forward to being able to bring you two to my clinic - if you¡¯re willing, of course,¡± he added hastily, straightening his glasses. ¡°Definitely,¡± Aida and Lily said. Bokar smiled in relief. ¡°I¡¯m going to bring these back to the Earth team,¡± Aida said, hefting the crate of impure vials. ¡°Very well. Get some rest afterwards; thank you for all your help today,¡± Bokar said. ¡°As a reminder, I¡¯ll be heading back to Burston City tomorrow, so if you can have ten crates of each of the poisons on the list when I come back end of next moon cycle, I would be very grateful.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be back for the Fire Festival?¡± Lily chirped. ¡°Oh, time passes so quickly.¡± Bokar squinted as he thought, pushing his glasses on top of his head. ¡°Perhaps not, as I¡¯ll be participating in Burston¡¯s own Festival. But I will be back before graduation, at the very latest.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Lily said, bummed. She gathered the bags of leaves she had snipped off of the herbs. ¡°I need to get these dried. Have a safe trip back.¡± Lily walked with Aida out of the brand new greenhouse - which everybody called ¡°the warm room¡± - the school had built behind the Affiliates¡¯ lodgings, bidding her goodbye as Aida headed around the building to where the Earth students had set up their glass-making station. ¡°Are these bottles not good enough?¡± The second-year Earth student in charge of his team took the crate from Aida, eyeing the contents critically. He sighed. ¡°Just when we think we¡¯ve figured it out, turns out we haven¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the issue?¡± Aida asked. She noticed there were five furnaces poking out of the ground, with one student sitting in front of each furnace, intense concentration on all of their faces.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°We can¡¯t get the temperature consistent enough for our furnaces,¡± the leader said plaintively. ¡°If we don¡¯t get the temperature right, we can¡¯t filter out the raw material we need. Our best batches are when we can snag a Fire student, but they don¡¯t last long, and they¡¯re so busy with their other tasks¡­¡± ¡°I can imagine,¡± Aida said sympathetically. The Fire students were primarily called to harvest materials from small animals, as they could safely control fire to drive the animals out of the woods into easy captivity. Everything was easier with a Fire around; when Sue helped Aida brew small batches of poisons before bedtime, Aida didn¡¯t have to worry about overboiling the ingredients. But Sue got bored easily, so she wasn¡¯t an ideal partner for brewing. After wishing the Earth students luck, Aida turned back towards the greenhouse, coming to an abrupt halt as she saw Dev heading for her, two crates stacked in his arms. He looked utterly disheveled, with his hair mussed, scratches marring his smooth skin, and what looked like dried blood on his clothes. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, slightly out of breath. ¡°Hey,¡± Aida responded, snatching a stool from a stack that was leaning precariously against the wall of the Affiliates¡¯ home. She quickly dusted the top off, planting it in the dirt so Dev could sit down as she pulled out her wand. ¡°Come sit. Everyone else is alive, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, Myk¡¯s getting treatment from Healer Luk. Nobody else sustained major injuries.¡± Dev set the crates down and sank into the stool with a grunt that sounded more fitting for a middle-aged man. Aida patched up Dev¡¯s superficial wounds with brisk flicks of her wand, pulling burrs from his hair and washing away blood with gentle streams of water, before she finally inspected his mana flow. Tucking her wand away, she placed his hands at the base of his neck, pressing her thumbs into the top of his spine and working her way out and down. She felt him relax underneath her fingers. ¡°You¡¯ve improved,¡± Dev murmured, his head lolling forward. ¡°I know,¡± Aida said, smiling. Her Regen and Heal skills were now at a respectable Lv20, and she could clearly tell the improvements. She didn¡¯t need to rely on the overlay anymore; she could feel where the mana didn¡¯t flow as smoothly as the rest, or where an exorbitant amount of mana was gushing - which didn¡¯t always align with where copious bleeding occurred, interestingly enough. She still used her overlay to confirm what her mana sensed in her patient¡¯s body, however. Old habits died hard. Another benefit of her improved abilities was that she could finally experience the coveted mana efficiency everyone had been talking about. She knew her base mana pool had increased in size and depth, but now she felt comfortable enough to take risks during their training exercises, feeling as if she did have limits that merited exploration. ¡°What did you bring for me?¡± Aida asked as she twisted Dev¡¯s neck each way with a satisfying crack, eliciting an impressed ¡°oof¡± from the boy. ¡°Ant intestines,¡± Dev replied promptly, stretching luxuriously before he reached for the crates. ¡°Healer Luk took everything else, but she left the abdomen for you.¡± ¡°Lovely.¡± Aida poked through the crates, making the round spheres of chitin clatter. They called the creatures ¡°ants,¡± but the only ant-like thing about them was that they traveled in packs. They were vicious insects, of course, but they spat anything from goo and acid to fire and hardened substances that hit as hard as a bullet. Healer Bokar liked using the ants¡¯ intestines as a vessel for his poison pellets, and Aida was developing an appreciation for the material as well. It was a very durable material, and could stretch a ridiculous amount, allowing her to make hundreds of poison pellets out of one intestine, each the side of a small ball bearing. ¡°Thank you, this will keep me busy for a while.¡± ¡°Do you need help preparing the intestines?¡± Dev inquired, hoisting the two crates into his arms against Aida¡¯s protests. ¡°Not at all! This is my job, anyway - I¡¯m sure you have other things to do,¡± Aida said, flustered. Dev was already leading her back towards the greenhouse. ¡°Consider this as thanks for healing me up. I¡¯ll help you with your chores for the rest of today,¡± Dev said, a smile in his voice as he sped up, his long strides keeping him just beyond Aida¡¯s reach. ¡°If you insist¡­¡± Aida guided Dev to the rear of the greenhouse, where they had essentially designated it as a sludge disposal area. She tossed a pair of ant intestine gloves to Dev, instructing him to put them on. ¡°You¡¯re not using gloves,¡± Dev observed. Despite his complaint, he dutifully donned the gloves. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, and I¡¯m training my Detox while I¡¯m at it,¡± Aida informed him. The two of them worked quietly for the next hour, carefully rinsing out the contents of the ants¡¯ stomachs, with Aida occasionally flushing the sludge out of the greenhouse. Once the stomachs flushed out clean water, Aida turned to Dev. ¡°This next part¡¯s gross. Are you sure you want to stick around for it?¡± Dev tilted his head politely, and Aida demonstrated. She turned the sphere upside down, so that the ant¡¯s sphincter was upright. Then she took the metal wand-rod Healer Bokar donated to the cause, and jammed it into the opening. Carefully, holding her breath, she placed the sphere on the ground, and sent a powerful Mana Blast through the wand. ¡°Is that how you get it out?¡± Dev asked, recovering remarkably quickly from his wince. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s how you can get it out in one piece,¡± Aida said, grinning as she split the abdomen down the middle like a nut shell. She peeled the stomach off of one side, laying it carefully on a horizontal log that served as a drying rack. ¡°Feel free to leave now, if you want.¡± Dev gravely held out his hand for the rod. ¡°I am a man of my word, and I will see things through to the end.¡± Stifling her smirk, Aida passed him the rod and fetched another one. ¡°Glad to have you aboard, my friend.¡± Chapter 134: No Time Fifth Moon, Second Sun Day Aida was deep into the process of making poison pellets. It was like making sausages: she would pipe the poison mix into the ant¡¯s intestines, twist it, heal the tissue closed, and then snip it off and drop it into a crate lined with more ant intestines so that it could be safely transported to Bokar¡¯s clinic in Burston City. Therefore, it took a few seconds for her to realize there was someone standing in front of her. ¡°Hello, Healer Vega. How can I help you?¡± Aida continued twisting and snipping, the poison flowing upwards through the upside-down glass funnel she had placed over the glass cauldron she used to brew the poison. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I returned to Maglica, so I just thought I¡¯d take a tour of the new facilities the school has added in my absence. I see you¡¯ve been keeping yourself occupied.¡± Vega bent over to peer into the glass cauldron, putting her head directly over the crate that carried the completed poison pellets. ¡°Just doing my part. If you don¡¯t mind, can you please step back. You¡¯re disrupting my workflow.¡± Aida nudged Vega¡¯s head aside with the back of her hand and dropped the pellets she had been collecting in her hand into the crate. Feeling Vega¡¯s displeasure simmer at having been touched, Aida sighed internally. There was no one else in the greenhouse, and she didn¡¯t sense any other people wandering around outside to feasibly rescue her from Vega¡¯s ire. ¡°Is there something I can help you with, Healer Vega?¡± Aida asked politely. ¡°If not, I really need to get back to work. Crafting poison pellets requires immense focus.¡± Vega glared at Aida, her normally perfect, albeit menacing, smile curled down in a ugly scowl. She clearly felt comfortable showing her real feelings when Aida was the only other person in the room. ¡°Yes, of course. You can help me¡ª¡° Aida didn¡¯t like the mocking tone Vega infused the phrase with ¡°¡ªby giving me the respect I deserve.¡± Aida pressed her lips together as she carefully snipped off another completed pellet. At least she¡¯s finally being honest. ¡°I beg your pardon, but I haven¡¯t done anything to disrespect you the whole time you¡¯re here. In fact,¡± Aida raised her voice as Teena Vega attempted to cut her off, her voice growing louder as the other young woman insisted on getting her words out as well. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been going out of her way to disrespect me whenever you get a chance.¡± ¡°¡ªignore me, think you can backtalk¡ª¡° Aida released the poison she had been holding in the glass contraption, the liquid sloshing and hissing as it splashed against the walls of the cauldron. She dropped the ant stomach she had been holding, letting it flop against the side of the funnel, and whipped her protective gloves off of her hand before throwing it down on the low table top beside her. She turned to Vega with her fists on her hips. ¡°Okay, fine. Let¡¯s have it. Get it all out at once.¡± Vega stared at her, her pale cheeks splotching. She was literally trembling with rage, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Come on, I stopped my work so I could give you the undivided attention you were demanding of me,¡± Aida said, annoyed. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re better than me, do you?¡± Vega whispered, her pupils dilating. ¡°Honestly, no,¡± Aida snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t think about you in my day-to-day, because I¡¯m focused on doing the work assigned to me and improving myself. And we¡¯re literally doing different things, so no. What reason would I have for comparing what I do to what you do?¡± ¡°Liar!¡± Vega snapped, throwing her hand out and shattering the glass cauldron with a single swipe. Without thinking, Aida caught all the droplets of the poison with her mana, suspending them in the air so they didn¡¯t splatter on her. Carefully collecting the poisonous liquid into one giant globule, Aida funneled the substance into a second glass cauldron that had been drying out in the corner. Stoppering the cauldron with a glass stopper, Aida bent down and began picking up the large shards of glass on the ground with shaking hands, placing them into another sack lined with ant intestines before tying it securely with a cord. She moved slowly: partly to ensure she didn¡¯t hurt herself on the shards; mostly to reign in the blood rushing through her head. She looked up at Vega when she was finally done, triumph gleaming in the smug woman¡¯s golden eyes. With the sack in one hand, and her wand held loosely in her other hand, Aida gave Vega a hard stare. When Aida didn¡¯t blink, the light in Vega¡¯s eyes seemed to diminish slightly, though she kept her victorious smile. ¡°Since you insist on believing that you occupy my thoughts all day, every day, there¡¯s clearly nothing I can do to change your mind. However, I will kindly ask you to leave now, because I have to clean up the mess that you created, and clearly you can¡¯t be trusted not to let your irrational pettiness get in the way of productive work.¡± Aida kept her voice soft, trying to maintain a veneer of civility; but Vega seemed to interpret the shakiness in her voice as weakness, as her smile broadened and the gleam returned to her eyes. ¡°Is that so?¡± Vega asked mockingly. Her blonde bangs began to flutter around her face as she gathered her mana about her. ¡°You think you are a productive member of society?¡± This is silly, was Aida¡¯s only thought as she felt Vega¡¯s mana go for her face - the equivalent of a slap. Except the woman telegraphed her move so obviously - and honestly, the amount of power behind it was so weak - that Aida easily blasted through the woman¡¯s own mana with her own, sending golden hair flying across the greenhouse. Vega flew through the canvas flaps of the greenhouse exit, disappearing as the flaps settled back into place. Aida checked to make sure she didn¡¯t miss any major glass shards on the ground, before heading towards the exit.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. It was gratifying, knowing that she had enough power to defend herself. But she also hoped Vega would have taken the opportunity to escape, and not come back for another confrontation - because this was a seriously awkward and unexpected outcome. How would she explain to staff or Affiliates what happened? Would they believe her if she said Vega tried to attack Aida first? Kuri would believe me. She saw how Vega treated me early on, Aida thought bleakly as she trudged through the door. She turned around to look back up at the rest of the greenhouse structure. Other than the canvas flaps, the rest of the building was made out of thick glass panels and solid beams of wood. Fortunately, Vega had been standing directly in the middle of the greenhouse path, so her trajectory from Aida¡¯s blast had sent her neatly outside without damaging the rest of the building. At least I don¡¯t have to ask for any other repairs. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Lily called, jogging over with Vanita. Her eyes were wide as she glanced nervously over her shoulder at Vega, who had gotten to her feet and was shaking with rage. Behind her were a number of students who had come from around the Affiliates¡¯ building, having heard Vega¡¯s cry and felt her vengeful mana ripple through the air. ¡°Not really,¡± Aida said stoically, glaring past Lily at Vega. She raised her voice so everyone else could hear. ¡°Healer Vega broke my glass cauldron, so I¡¯m going to the Earth students so they can repair it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a liar!¡± Vega shouted, capturing all the students¡¯ attention. ¡°Which bit?¡± Aida countered loudly. She lifted her sack. ¡°The part where you broke my cauldron and funnel, or the part where I¡¯m going to ask the Earth students to repair these pieces of high-precision equipment?¡± Several groans echoed among the crowd, cutting through Vega¡¯s increasingly hysterical justifications. The majority of the students witnessing this standoff were Earth students working the furnaces, so they were all familiar with Aida¡¯s - and by extension, Bokar¡¯s - exacting standards for the glass. Kelvin Clay, the second-year Earth student who was the de facto leader of the glass makers, jogged up to Aida, taking the sack from her fingers. ¡°Have these pieces been cleaned?¡± Kelvin asked, opening the sack. ¡°Not yet,¡± Aida said grumpily. ¡°There are still some smaller pieces I couldn¡¯t pick up in the warm room. I was hoping I could get one of you guys to help me collect the rest.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Kelvin said, waving over one of his classmates. ¡°Trevor will help you gather the rest. I¡¯ll get these big pieces cleaned up so we can start melting it all down.¡± ¡°But we still haven¡¯t finished Luk¡¯s vials,¡± a girl who had drifted over with Trevor protested. ¡°We¡¯re not going to finish them today, anyway,¡± Kelvin said, handing the sack to the girl. ¡°But if we hurry we might be able to get Aida¡¯s cauldron done so she can get back to work. Do you need anything else, Aida?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s it. Thanks Kelvin, I appreciate it.¡± ¡°No problem. See you in a bit.¡± Kelvin nodded reassuringly at Aida as he hurried after the girl. Aida turned toward the greenhouse, with Lily and Vanita trailing after her. After a few moments, Trevor departed with the last remaining pieces of glass, hustling back to the furnaces. Vanita had helped Trevor and Aida pick the shards out of the earth while Lily anxiously checked the plants to make sure they didn¡¯t absorb any ¡°negative mana.¡± ¡°You really showed Vega,¡± Lily observed when the flap finally snapped closed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aida asked warily, sitting on a bench and rinsing out the ant intestine that had fallen onto the floor in the ruckus. ¡°She seemed very destabilized when she saw all of the students deferring to you,¡± Vanita said quietly, plumping up the earth around some of Lily¡¯s herbs. ¡°What happened?¡± Aida groaned. ¡°That woman just came in and started picking a fight.¡± She gestured towards the corner where the poison was sitting. ¡°She scattered the poison and broke my funnel. It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve already used up a lot of the brew, because if it had been a full batch it wouldn¡¯t fit in that cauldron.¡± ¡°Are you going to report her to the teachers?¡± Lily asked. Aida shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll let Kozu know, but I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re going to do about her. It¡¯s not like they have any control over the Affiliates¡¯ actions.¡± Aida wrung out the ant intestine, hanging it on a rack so it could dry overnight. She sighed. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go see how the Earths are doing.¡± The three girls exited the greenhouse, tying the canvas flaps securely closed behind them. Aida wondered if the physical deterrent would be enough to dissuade Healer Vega from trying to sabotage her work, but was too tired to care at this point. At least I¡¯ll have witnesses to back me up if she decides to do something stupid. When they finally arrived at the second-year Earth students¡¯ workstations, they found Myk and Pritchard there, helping with the glass-making process. The boys seemed to have developed a good rapport with the second-years, taking the ribbing from the younger students good-naturedly. ¡°Stop, stop, stop! You need to pull the inclusion out of the glass!¡± the girl Kelvin had given the bag of broken glass to said peevishly. She smacked Pritchard¡¯s shoulder, making him wince as Myk snickered. ¡°Is this seriously the best you can do, with all your boasting about your Earth control?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just unfamiliar with the materials, that¡¯s all,¡± Pritchard wheedled. ¡°I¡¯ve got it now.¡± ¡°And you!¡± The girl whirled on Myk, making him sit up straight as the boys around him melted backwards, grinning. ¡°Hold the flame steady! Your inconsistent fire is making it difficult for Pritchard to separate the unwanted compound!¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, sorry ma¡¯am,¡± Myk said resolutely, turning all his attention to the furnace. ¡°Lena¡¯s better at the technique,¡± Kelvin confided to Aida quietly. He had crept up to her while she and the other girls watched Lena scold Pritchard and Myk with amusement. ¡°I take over when she needs a break, but otherwise I just handle the logistics.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to see Pritchard and Myk get along with your class,¡± Aida said, smiling. He nodded. ¡°Yeah, if it weren¡¯t for them, we might not be able to finish fixing your equipment until curfew. It¡¯s just the funnel and cauldron, right?¡± ¡°Yes, the funnel is most important. I still have some of the mixture left, I just need the funnel to pour the mixture into the pellet. If you can get the funnel fixed tonight, I can get the cauldron later this cycle.¡± ¡°Okay, sounds good.¡± Kelvin rubbed his eyes. His voice took on a grumbling tone. ¡°Why did Healer Vega break your stuff, though? Making more work for all of us¡­¡± ¡°She got sent back to school in disgrace,¡± Myk said shrewdly. All the chatter around their furnace ceased as everyone approached Myk. Even Lena quieted, pointing her wand at the mass of molten glass to help Pritchard separate the impurities so Myk could speak. Myk looked around importantly, nodding knowingly. ¡°Word is, she can¡¯t handle the workload at Fortune Favors. They couldn¡¯t put off taking in new patients, with all the other clinics in town doing their part to keep the fighters healthy. So she had to take on more patients than she was used to, and apparently she let the stress of it all get to her. The Fortune Favors Head Healer told her to come back to Maglica and at least take care of the Affiliate responsibilities.¡± ¡°Oh, is that what the ruckus was about?¡± Pritchard asked innocently. ¡°I heard from a family friend that there was a big argument with the Head Healer, but didn¡¯t realize Teena Vega was involved.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so odd, though,¡± Trevor piped up. ¡°Isn¡¯t she one of the best healers in the clinic?¡± ¡°I mean, maybe on paper she is,¡± Lena chimed in. ¡°But one of my cousins said she¡¯s fake. She only pretends to be a caring Healer when the patient is from an influential family, or when she¡¯s under scrutiny.¡± She scoffed, before adding to Pritchard, ¡°It¡¯s good now. I¡¯ll take over.¡± ¡°Funnel!¡± Kelvin reminded Lena. She nodded, the furnace casting a glow over the intense concentration on her face. Slowly, the molten glass bled outwards, shaping a small cone. As Lena worked, the other students continued gossiping about Healer Vega while Aida listened in astonishment. ¡°So, I take it that Healer Vega¡¯s reputation isn¡¯t as pristine as she¡¯d like us to believe,¡± Lily said quietly to Aida and Vanita, a vicious smile on her cherubic features. Vanita shook her head disapprovingly, with a ¡®tsk tsk¡¯ demeanor. ¡°It was only a matter of time until the truth came out.¡± Chapter 135: Important Matters I Fifth Moon, Third Moon Day ¡°Class 1 is back already,¡± Vanita said in surprise, causing Aida and Lily to whip their heads around. Sure enough, the five students were traipsing through the entrance of the dining hall, looking distinctly exhausted. ¡°It would probably be a bad idea to ask if they want to do a picnic right now, huh?¡± Lily joked weakly. Aida and Vanita nodded mutely. Class 1 had been out on an especially long assignment the past two star cycles, causing them to miss their picnic on the first rest day of the month. Aida stood up. ¡°Should we go say hello to them, at least?¡± Taking their trays with them, the three girls returned their eating utensils before meeting with their friends in the food ordering line. ¡°How did your visit to south Wyndia go?¡± Vanita asked as Sue flashed them a smile, blinking through her tiredness. ¡°Not fruitful at all,¡± Levi interrupted as Caleb gave him a disapproving look. ¡°Obviously.¡± ¡°No casualties?¡± Aida asked alertly. ¡°Nothing major,¡± Caleb replied, shaking his head. ¡°We were with the Gullbeaks, so we¡¯ve had support.¡± ¡°Shoots, so that¡¯s another two star cycles with nothing to show for it,¡± Lily said sadly. Sue smiled as she ruffled Lily¡¯s hair. ¡°Not necessarily. We mostly spent time scouting and talking with the Sundry Plains Adventurers. They¡¯re also noticing odd monster migration and behavior patterns, so the Gullbeaks and Border Strongholders were making preparations to head into the Plains for a more cooperative expedition.¡± ¡°This is turning into an international affair?¡± Vanita asked in a hushed voice, her fingers pressed against her lips. That can¡¯t be good. Aida glanced at Ezra and Lara for their reactions, though they were both carefully stoic. Ezra¡¯s stoicism was expected, but Lara seemed more withdrawn than anything else; not paying any attention to what they were discussing. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not sure how this is going to play out,¡± Levi said, shaking his head. ¡°On the one hand, it¡¯s always good to have more allies. On the other, if its influence is spreading so far, what does that mean about the nature of the beast?¡± ¡°Hey kids, come place your orders first before continuing your conversation,¡± Nolem called from the counter. Wordlessly, Ezra moved around the cluster to the counter, followed by Lara just a second later. Sue, Caleb, and Levi walked a little slower, keeping the conversation going. ¡°Are Ezra and Lara okay?¡± Aida asked quietly. ¡°Oh yeah, just being their usual talkative selves,¡± Levi said carelessly. ¡°Ezra hasn¡¯t been up to anything weird?¡± Aida asked, giving Levi a hard look. He returned an insolent gaze before thawing. ¡°No, he¡¯s been taking care of himself.¡± ¡°He¡¯s more cautious now,¡± Caleb added helpfully. ¡°He makes sure we¡¯re all prepared with a plan of action before beginning our mission, whereas before he¡¯d leave us to our own devices.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If he hadn''t insisted time and again that he didn¡¯t want to be leader, I would have voted him as the leader,¡± Levi said airily. Beyond Levi¡¯s form, Aida saw an unpleasant shudder run through Ezra¡¯s shoulders as he heard Levi¡¯s words. The conversation stalled as Nolem quickly took the remaining Class 1 students¡¯ orders, leaving Aida balancing precariously on the balls of her feet as she decided whether or not to approach Ezra. Vanita finally nudged Aida surreptitiously towards Ezra, stepping into her space so that Aida was effectively excised from the small conversational circle that consisted of Levi, Caleb, Sue, Lily, and Vanita. Hesitantly, Aida slipped towards Ezra, standing next to him. ¡°How have you been?¡± Aida asked quietly, trying to keep her voice low enough so that Lara couldn¡¯t eavesdrop on their conversation. The girl was standing in front of them, staring forward blankly. ¡°¡­I have been well. And yourself?¡± Ezra¡¯s words were choppy, hesitant. ¡°I¡¯ve been good!¡± Aida tried to inject a note of encouragement in her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy crafting supplies for Healer Bokar.¡± Ezra nodded, but continued to avoid her gaze. ¡°¡­How has your meditation training been going?¡± ¡°I have been following Professor Bruce¡¯s instructions explicitly.¡± Ezra finally glanced at Aida out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Please do not worry. I¡¯m not taking any unnecessary risks.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Aida bit her lip as she nodded slightly. Before she could think of what else to say, Ezra stepped forward to receive his breakfast tray from Nolem, departing without another word. Aida stared blankly forward, dimly aware that she was being just like Lara in front of her. Getting flat out rejected in conversation. Remembering she still hadn¡¯t met her quota of poison pellets, thanks to Healer Vega¡¯s rude interruption yesterday, Aida bade her friends farewell. She looked forward to the peace and quiet in the greenhouse, where she knew what she had to do, and didn¡¯t have to worry about social interactions. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°Wow, you guys have really made this place your own,¡± Sue marveled as she slipped through the canvas flaps. Aida smiled as her friends made their way through the rows of plants Lily had grown, as she gave a running commentary on what each plant was and what they used it for. Even Levi was looking impressed. ¡°And this is Aida¡¯s own brewing section,¡± Lily announced, framing Aida with outstretched arms. ¡°How come Aida doesn¡¯t have any helpers with brewing the way the Earth students do?¡± Caleb asked curiously. He leaned down to peer at the thick glass cauldron and funnel Aida was working out of, rapping the pot with an appreciative knuckle. ¡°We don¡¯t get enough raw materials with long prep time to justify having a whole team,¡± Aida said as she continued working. ¡°So all available students are dedicated to Healer Luk¡¯s healing potion team.¡± ¡°Aida has literally become Maglica¡¯s poison specialist,¡± Lily said with pride. She clapped her hands together. ¡°It¡¯s too bad you guys missed the showdown with Healer Vega yesterday!¡± ¡°Healer Vega? What happened?¡± Sue demanded, zipping over to them from where she had been admiring a hot pink mushroom cluster with Vanita. ¡°It was completely unexpected,¡± Vanita agreed happily, joining the group in front of Aida¡¯s cauldron. ¡°I was so inspired watching Aida conduct herself.¡± ¡°Stop it,¡± Aida said in embarrassment. ¡°Talk elsewhere, you guys are bothering me.¡± ¡°Oho, this sounds like it promises to be a good story,¡± Levi chuckled, sitting on an upturned bucket Aida normally used to soak ingredients in. ¡°Go on, tell us what happened.¡± Aida shook her head ruefully as she carefully set down the remaining tail of stomach lining, heaving the full crate of poison pellets over to the wall where she stored completed orders. She hammered a wooden lid over the crate to securely seal it, then pulled out an empty crate to bring back to her brewing station. Sue was cackling at Lily¡¯s emotive performance of Vega¡¯s helpless outrage as she received no support from the student audience during yesterday¡¯s debacle, while Levi looked delighted. ¡°Great job, Aida. I knew you had it in you to show Healer Vega!¡± Sue pumped her arm in the air. ¡°It sounded like you didn¡¯t even need to try in order to embarrass her either!¡± Levi applauded. ¡°The most satisfying victory.¡± ¡°Do you think Healer Vega will leave Aida alone now?¡± Caleb asked worriedly. ¡°I imagine she would be even more upset after that - especially since Aida mana blasted her?¡± ¡°Oh, I bet blasting her felt so good,¡± Sue sighed. She brightened, giving Aida an impish smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you had it in you!¡± ¡°I would have left her alone if she didn¡¯t destroy my equipment,¡± Aida said indignantly. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine Vega would try to corner Aida again,¡± Levi said to Caleb. ¡°She would be extremely foolish if she didn¡¯t realize Aida rebuffed her entirely on her own this time - especially since all the students just went right back to work after witnessing her get thrown out of the greenhouse.¡± ¡°And you told Kozu about how she interfered with your job, right?¡± Vanita asked Aida. Aida nodded. ¡°Yes, he said he¡¯ll make sure Bokar and Luk know in case they wonder why we¡¯re behind schedule.¡± She thought for a moment before grinning. ¡°He didn¡¯t hide his annoyance at all, though, so she¡¯s probably on thinner ice than just messing up at the clinic.¡± That kicked off a conversation about what they learned from Myk yesterday. Levi seemed especially interested in Teena Vega¡¯s descent into outright infamy, though he added no new insights to what Myk had shared. Sue began speculating with Lily and Vanita about Vega¡¯s next move, the girls¡¯ voices falling into a hum that made it easy for Aida to focus on her repetitive task of creating poison pellets. Twist. Snip. Twist. Snip. Twist. ¡°¡ªFire Festival?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Caleb and I were thinking of going to Buddington Town¡¯s festival. What about you guys?¡± The wheedling in Sue¡¯s voice pulled Aida out of her reverie. Lily turned to Vanita with a gleeful look. Vanita herself had adopted a closed off expression, though her cheeks were beginning to redden. ¡°Yeah, what were your plans for the Fire Festival?¡± Lily asked Vanita pointedly. Sue winked at Aida when she looked over. Aida sighed. Of course. The bet. ¡°Well - I was thinking I would go to the festival at Shale Port,¡± Vanita mumbled. Caleb nodded, accepting her answer, while Levi looked curiously between the girls, noticing a silent conversation happening. ¡°Who are you going with?¡± Lily asked immediately after, unable to keep her smugness restrained. Vanita finally failed to keep her blush contained, turning completely pink. She mumbled incoherently. ¡°Who?¡± Sue asked keenly. Vanita cleared her throat. ¡°Abedi Bellow,¡± she said with dignity. Silence loomed between them all for one startled moment, punctuated by Aida¡¯s steady snip. Snip. Snip. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize you two talked,¡± Aida finally said, grinning slightly as she kept her eyes on her work. The cauldron was almost empty. ¡°We don¡¯t - not really.¡± Vanita shriveled under everyone¡¯s gaze. ¡°I just asked him.¡± ¡°Why? Do you even like him?¡± Levi asked in disbelief. ¡°He¡¯s been kind - from our few interactions,¡± Vanita said miserably. Only Lily looked gleeful. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her - she¡¯s had a crush on him since second year.¡± Lily leaned back with her arms behind her head, utterly satisfied. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Vanita.¡± ¡°Good for you,¡± Caleb said encouragingly. ¡°It must have been hard to ask him.¡± Vanita gave him a watery smile, but immediately shriveled into herself again. ¡°What are your plans for the Festival?¡± Sue asked Lily. Lily beamed. ¡°I¡¯ll also be at Shale Port! Edward Sparks asked me to go - as friends.¡± Lily let out a giggle, whipping a pink flower out from behind her back and tucking it into Vanita¡¯s hair. ¡°We¡¯re going to make sure Vanita and Abedi have a good time.¡± ¡°Well, what about you?¡± Levi looked over to Aida. His words were jaunty, but his eyes were wary. ¡°What are your plans for the Fire Festival?¡± Chapter 136: Important Matters II Aida had taken a lot more care in researching what the Fire Festival was in order to avoid the same sort of terrible misunderstanding that had occurred during Old Moon Festival. The Fire Festival was a celebration of progress. Crops would have started flowering already, an omen of bounty. The Festival itself would celebrate progress made, as well as double as a moment to thank the spirits and pray for continued growth. Legend had it that all the spirits responsible for ensuring healthy crops would manifest themselves on the last Sun Day of the Fifth Moon, and hang around the doorsteps of the people expecting treats for their hard work. The only treats available back then were wild berries and nuts gathered from the forests, so the spirits would disappear, giggling, after taking one treat each. The acceptance of the treat indicated an agreement the spirits would continue assisting with the crops, so the humans would generally save the juiciest, sweetest berries and best nuts for the spirits. Eventually, the tradition evolved so that the humble fare from nature became fruit skewers and candied nuts given to children, along with a small scrap of paper folded into a paper crane. Each paper crane bore a wish, a blessing for the family to continue maintaining their health and growing their wealth. In accepting the candy, the children would accept the duty of delivering the cranes to the town¡¯s bonfire that evening, where they would toss the paper cranes into the flames so they could send the blessings to the heavens. The more blessings (treats) families distributed, the luckier they would be for the rest of the year. As time went on and humanity stabilized, the Festival became more and more elaborate. Shop proprietors would set up booths for games, food, and face paints; stages were set up for people to put on theater or dance shows, giving the whole affair a very ¡®Festival¡¯ feel. The Festival would last the whole day, culminating in a fireworks show at night. The children would first throw in their crane collections, and then the fireworks would go off - presumably to signify the spirits¡¯ receiving and acknowledging the blessings. There was - of course - an intimacy associated with watching the fireworks show with someone else. The stakes were lower than with Old Moon Festival, but there was still an implied fondness between the two people. Presumably, when the spirits looked down on the viewers watching the fireworks show, they would note who people were spending their time with, and grant them a fringe blessing; strengthening their relationship and bond with each other. ¡°I¡¯ll be busy fulfilling Bokar¡¯s poison work orders,¡± Aida said without missing a beat. For once, she was grateful for Vega¡¯s interference. ¡°I was already on a tight schedule before Vega threw me off, but having lost yesterday afternoon, There¡¯s no way I can take time off for the Festival.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be alone for the Fire Festival!¡± Sue objected. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Aida pointed her giant shears at Sue threateningly. ¡°You can enjoy your time at Buddington! And maybe tell my parents I¡¯m okay?¡± Aida added as an afterthought. ¡°I wrote them back saying I have a job lined up after graduation, but I don¡¯t think they believe me.¡± The one and only letter Aida had received from ¡°her¡± parents had been short - written in the same emotionless language as Aida¡¯s own diary, where all they conveyed was that they hadn¡¯t yet lined up a prospect for her to marry upon graduation, but they promised to have someone by the time she came home. She had sent a letter back urging them to prioritize taking care of their own safety instead of worrying about her future, but she hadn¡¯t received a response. ¡°You don¡¯t even have time to attend for a little bit? Play some Festival games?¡± Levi asked. ¡°Too much of a bother,¡± Aida said nonchalantly, setting up a new ant lining over the funnel. ¡°The travel to and from a town would be a poor use of time if I¡¯m only there for a couple hours. And I can¡¯t afford to take more than that for a break.¡± ¡°Is there anything we can do to help you finish the work earlier?¡± Lily asked earnestly. ¡°It will be so fun to at least get candy together - it¡¯ll be our last time before we become full-fledged adults with jobs and stuff.¡± Aida paused, looking up at Lily¡¯s - and everyone else¡¯s - hopeful expressions. They all looked appropriately crestfallen at the prospect of her toiling over the poisons during the Festival, and the hopefulness in their expressions tugged at her heart. They really want to spend time with me. ¡°Um, well¡­I guess I can work some overtime the next two cycles so that I can take the afternoon off for the Fire Festival,¡± Aida said hesitantly. Everyone brightened at her words. ¡°No, don¡¯t push yourself - let us know what we can do to help,¡± Sue insisted as Lily nodded vigorously. Aida stalled out as she looked down at her brewing station. She had organized everything just-so, chopping and preparing manageable quantities of ingredients so she didn¡¯t have to worry about storage. Vega¡¯s interruption yesterday would have resulted in Aida having to dispose of the poison she brewed if the Earth students hadn¡¯t pulled together to repair her funnel as quickly as they did, because the contents would have lost its potency if she had stored it until next week. Aida idly wondered if anybody had developed a mass storage solution for toxic chemicals; maybe a giant waterskin made of ant intestines, or something. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. She had become adept at making the small, highly specialized list of supplies Healer Bokar tasked her with, but only in small batches. She wasn¡¯t sure how she could scale up her operation - especially since there would be a direct bottleneck when it came to the final assembly of ingredients, which would still require her actively mixing in her mana. Too much mana would destroy the ingredients, burning away their inherent properties, and too little mana wouldn¡¯t activate them - in both cases leaving a dud of a final product, which would be a complete waste of resources. ¡°Maybe you can train one of us for the final cooking part of the poison,¡± Levi suggested, anticipating Aida¡¯s plight. ¡°We should all have decent enough control that we can¡¯t mess up the brew, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly that¡ª¡° she started before Lily cut her off with a reprimand. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy! It¡¯s less about having perfect mana control for five seconds and more like you have to have perfect, unwavering mana control for fifteen minutes. Bokar was trying to train me on it, and it¡¯s really hard.¡± Lily shook her head. ¡°No, it would take us longer than two star cycles to get the hang of it to the point where we could be useful to Aida. He was right when he said Aida¡¯s a natural at it.¡± She sighed, wilting. ¡°I guess there¡¯s not too much we can help you with, huh?¡± Aida chewed her lip as she thought, trying to persuade herself everything would be fine if she joined her friends at the Fire Festival. Everything would be fine if she didn¡¯t complete Healer Bokar¡¯s order in time. ¡°Surely Bokar wouldn¡¯t be mad if I took the day off, right?¡± she asked uncertainly, her voice soft. Everyone else quieted down as they heard her speak. ¡°I mean¡­Adventurers, guards, and civilians need these supplies¡­but it¡¯s not like anything would change if the shipment was delayed, right? Like, baseline is that they don¡¯t have it anyway, so it¡¯s not as if I¡¯m taking anything away from them if I don¡¯t deliver.¡± Aida couldn¡¯t believe the rationale that was running through her mind or coming out of her mouth. She knew logically, circulation of her products could only help people protect themselves against the monster aggression. But at the same time, it wasn¡¯t as if people were used to using these types of items in the first place, so they weren¡¯t dependent on her output. That should theoretically allow her some slack so she could take the day off. It¡¯s only one afternoon, anyway. ¡°That¡¯s right! Healer Bokar is a reasonable person - he¡¯ll understand if you can¡¯t meet quota,¡± Lily said encouragingly. ¡°And besides, you¡¯re already a day behind thanks to Vega¡¯s interference - what¡¯s another day?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Vanita started to say dubiously, but Sue pumped her fists. ¡°That makes a lot of sense! And besides, as a one-woman operation, you need a break. By the time the Festival rolls around, you¡¯ll have spent nearly two full moon cycles working for Bokar during your free time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also something to be said about how you might start making mistakes if you don¡¯t refresh yourself,¡± Levi said casually, making Aida look at him suspiciously. ¡°You really should take the day off.¡± Aida couldn¡¯t help but grin reluctantly as everybody piled on to convince her to play hooky. She had to admit, she missed this energy - the kind of youthful energy that prioritized personal well-being over societal responsibilities. Even Caleb was saying something about how it was important to respect the holiday by taking the day off, instead of treating it like any other day and continuing to work. ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve all convinced me,¡± Aida said, smiling as Lily and Sue cheered. ¡°You can come with me to Shale Port!¡± Lily declared, rubbing her hands together. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure Vanita actually talks to Abedi.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Vanita protested. ¡°You¡¯ll just make everything worse!¡± Aida giggled as Lily and Sue began teasing Vanita, before catching Levi¡¯s eye. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± Levi said, smirking. ¡°It¡¯s just nice to see that you¡¯re enjoying life.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I never took life for granted,¡± Aida said indignantly. Levi shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. You¡¯re finally having fun. Or making plans to, at least.¡± Aida grimaced at him before turning back to her work, covering her discomfort. ¡°In my defense, I¡¯m being bullied into going to the Fire Festival. What are you planning on doing, by the way?¡± Levi hesitated, only responding when Aida looked back at him. ¡°I¡¯ll probably go back to Buddington Town. Help my parents pass out the treats and blessings.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to complete your final pilgrimage as a child crane shepherd?¡± Aida frowned facetiously. Levi covered his eyes, sighing. ¡°Believe me, I can¡¯t eat all that candy. And I can help my family¡¯s business prospects more by distributing the blessings.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re the one avoiding fun in order to work,¡± Aida remarked. She bent down to examine the color of the poison in her cauldron, swirling the remaining liquid around. She glanced surreptitiously at everyone else to make sure they were deeply involved in their own conversation before beckoning Levi to come closer. ¡°Why are you encouraging me to go to the Fire Festival? I would have thought it would be safer for me to stay behind at school and avoid any other potential cultural misunderstandings.¡± Levi frowned slightly as he reached absentmindedly into her crate, picking up a few poison pellets and examining them as he thought. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s because you deserve it.¡± Chapter 137: Important Matters III Fifth Moon, Last Shoots Day, Night Aida was exhausted. In order to ease her irrational guilt about attending the Fire Festival in three days, she had been pulling a lot of overtime in the greenhouse after dinner. Despite having a curfew, the teachers had become a lot more lenient about letting students - those with important jobs, at least - stay up late, with the rationale that those duties were in the vicinity of either the Affiliates or the Professors themselves, so there would be assistance if an emergency occurred. The moon was high in the sky when she finally left the greenhouse, the grounds silent and peaceful. The furnaces had long since cooled, despite the summer heat lingering in the muggy air. Aida trudged back to the main building, looking forward to a dreamless sleep. That was the good thing about having a tight schedule: she was too tired at the end of the day to lay awake in bed, stressing about how much she had left to do and how little time she had. When Aida quietly slipped in through the door, she became aware of a faltering presence in the shadows of the hallway. She took a deep breath, getting her thoughts together. ¡°Hey, Ezra. It¡¯s kind of late.¡± ¡°I know.¡± They stood quietly, neither one quite able to see each other, but able to feel each other. ¡°Why are you down here? There¡¯s a curfew,¡± Aida finally said. ¡°I was meditating before bed¡­and I noticed you were still awake.¡± Ezra shuffled uncomfortably. Even though Aida could barely see him, from the movement she saw in the dim lighting she could imagine his action: a slight tilt of his head as he looked away from her, his hand grasping the back of his neck as he attempted to hide his discomfort in an awkward admission. ¡°Maybe this meditation training isn¡¯t such a good idea,¡± Aida said jokingly. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of losing my privacy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t go out of my way to look for you,¡± Ezra said quickly, sounding uncharacteristically flustered. ¡°Your mana was flaring quite brightly, in contrast to everyone else¡¯s sleeping mana. So I couldn¡¯t help but notice.¡± ¡°I was just kidding,¡± Aida said gently. ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t.¡± Ironically, she felt a little disappointed to hear that Ezra wouldn¡¯t check in on her. As silly as it sounded, it reminded her of how defeated she felt whenever she posted something on her social media back in her previous life as a young schoolgirl, only to not receive the coveted ¡®like¡¯ or view from her crush of the moment. ¡°You¡¯ve been overworking yourself,¡± Ezra said, his voice soft. Aida felt her lip twitch in an unwilling smile. How the tables have turned. ¡°You¡¯ve been pushing yourself as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve pulled back. You¡¯ve taken on more than you should.¡± Aida laughed lightly as she walked towards Ezra, leaning on the wall beside him. ¡°I have to, if I want to finish my work before the Fire Festival.¡± ¡°Ah¡­you are attending the festivities, I heard.¡± ¡°Yes. Are you?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve never particularly enjoyed the event.¡± Ezra sighed before quickly redirecting the conversation. ¡°Which celebration are you planning to attend?¡± Aida hesitated, uncertain how much she should say. The emptiness in her heart that she had managed to fill with work and pragmatic concerns seemed to be making its presence even more obvious. She longed to tell Ezra everything, since he already knew the truth of her circumstances¡­but since they were no longer together, and not quite friends¡­it didn¡¯t seem right to burden him with her thoughts. She had multiple reasons to avoid the Buddington Festival: she was worried ¡°her¡± parents would expect her to visit home, or worse, they might cross paths and she wouldn¡¯t recognize them; she wasn¡¯t looking forward to third-wheeling Sue and Caleb, which she was certain Sue would insist on in the spirit of best friendship; and of course, the travel time to Buddington was much longer than the trip to Shale Port, which would add to the anxiety in the back of Aida¡¯s mind about how efficient she was being with her time. ¡°I was considering going to Shale Port with Lily and her date,¡± Aida finally said. She smiled, trying to inject a note of levity into their conversation. ¡°Did you hear? Vanita asked Abedi to go with her to the Festival, so we¡¯re going to tag along and make sure everything goes smoothly.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I heard. I was surprised. It¡¯s a very bold move for Vanita. I wonder where she found the courage¡­¡± Ezra¡¯s voice had tapered off as he pondered the relationship development. ¡°We have to thank Lily for that boost,¡± Aida said, choking off the snicker that had slipped out due to her exhaustion. I don¡¯t think he wants to hear the reason why Vanita made a move. ¡°What did Lily say to Vanita?¡± Nonplussed, Ezra continued the conversation as Aida tried to come up with an acceptable exit. ¡°Um¡­nothing much. You know how she is, her forceful personality just wore down Vanita¡¯s resolve.¡± She felt Ezra turn towards her as he heard the panic in her voice. ¡°Anyway, why don¡¯t you want to attend the Fire Festival? I believe Lily described it as¡­¡± Aida wrinkled her nose as she tried to recall the exact words. ¡°¡¯Our last time before we become full-fledged adults with jobs and stuff.¡¯¡± Ezra exhaled slowly. ¡°Well¡­I have no desire to go home, for one thing.¡± Aida nodded, her heart constricting as she recalled Ezra¡¯s torpedoed relationship with his family. And all for what? ¡°I used to look forward to the Fire Festival, just like any other child.¡± Ezra¡¯s bald statement drew Aida¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t used to be like this, you know.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Aida asked, confused. Ezra slumped against the wall, sliding down so that he was sitting. ¡°I¡¯m aware I come across as a caricature of a cold, unfriendly offspring of a powerful family. But I wanted friends, just like any other child.¡± Aida¡¯s eyes had acclimated enough to the dark that she could see Ezra¡¯s silvery hair, head bowed as the darkness weighed on him. ¡°I was six years old. I was with two boys I thought were my friends.¡± Ezra¡¯s voice went from steady and measured to - still steady, but with an undercurrent of anger. ¡°Unfortunately, I was naive. They did not wish to be friends¡­they just knew, early on, that they had to be my friend. Because of what my family represented.¡± Aida waited with bated breath, shocked that Ezra was willing to share such intimate information with her. Confiding in her, despite everything that happened. ¡°What did they do?¡± Aida kept her voice quiet, trying not to disrupt this sudden talkative mood. Ezra huffed out a small laugh as he dropped his head back against the wall, looking up at a painful memory. ¡°The situation is shockingly ridiculous, when I think about it. We were collecting our paper cranes and sweets, as is tradition. However, because we were¡­who we were, the amount of sweets we received was significant. Too much for one child to carry, along with the cranes we were given. I offered to carry the cranes, because I was worried my friends would treat the cranes with disrespect, and cram the blessings into the bottoms of their bags.¡± Ezra¡¯s voice took on a bitter tone. ¡°In return, they offered to carry my sweets for me.¡± Feeling Ezra¡¯s mana begin shivering in agitation, Aida reached out with her own, tentatively infusing him with her own calm, trying to soothe him. Ezra took a deep breath before he settled back down, resuming his tale. ¡°I walked ahead with the cranes, eager to send them to the heavens so that I could finally enjoy my portion. Little did I know, my friends took the opportunity to split the three portions of sweets between the two of them - leaving me with nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± Aida said quietly. Ezra didn¡¯t seem to hear her sympathy. ¡°When I asked them why they did that, they retorted¡ª¡° Ezra laughed in disbelief here, before burying his face in his hands ¡°¡ªthat it was too heavy to carry the candy. For some reason, it never crossed their mind that they were eating my share.¡± Aida looked down at him from where she stood, feeling a lump rise in her throat. It was such a simple story, easily chalked up to childish selfishness and misunderstandings, but she felt the stab of betrayal as if it had happened to her. ¡°That wasn¡¯t even the worst part,¡± Ezra mumbled through his fingers. ¡°They saw no harm in being straightforward about their reasons for being my companions.¡± Oh no. Anticipating Ezra¡¯s slow crumble as he dredged up childhood trauma, Aida fell to her knees, wrapping her arms tightly around him. ¡°I wished for many years that they would have just lied to me,¡± Ezra said, his voice muffled. ¡°What they said was awful,¡± Aida whispered, rubbing his back soothingly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t even necessarily their own idea,¡± Ezra continued dully. ¡°It¡¯s clear their family heavily influenced them to become friendly with me - for their own gain.¡± His head dropped, leaning against Aida. ¡°My brother found me after, and was unsympathetic. He told me they treated me that way because I gave them no reason to treat me with respect.¡± Aida¡¯s arms tightened around Ezra. Jasper is an awful older brother. ¡°I disagree. Children are inherently cruel, and the fact you were sensitive and sweet from a young age doesn''t mean you were weak." Ezra sighed, but said nothing else. From his defeated body language, Aida could tell he wasn¡¯t reassured. Even though she knew he was adamant about not dating until he found whatever nebulous answers he was looking for, his vulnerability stirred the protective, vengeful, justice-seeking spirit in her. He¡¯s hardheaded and stubborn, but ultimately, he didn¡¯t deserve to have that kind of trauma associated with such a major event. ¡°You know¡­it will be my first time attending the Fire Festival,¡± Aida said hesitantly, pulling herself away from him. He looked at her with dull eyes. ¡°If you want to attend the Fire Festival with friends¡­I promise I won¡¯t abandon you.¡± She gave him a wry smile. ¡°And I assure you, I won''t steal your candy.¡± Chapter 138: Fire Festival I Fifth Moon, Last Sun Day, Fire Festival ¡°C¡¯mon, you need to eat,¡± Lily said enthusiastically as she prodded at Vanita. ¡°You need your energy for today!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel so good,¡± Vanita muttered, taking a tiny, unwilling bite of her lunch. ¡°You need to eat, too,¡± Aida chastised Sue. Sue looked just as queasy as Vanita, lingering over her own bowl of rice. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t come with me to Buddington?¡± Sue asked Aida plaintively. ¡°I¡¯ll feel a lot better with you around.¡± ¡°Why are you so nervous? You and Caleb are already so familiar with each other,¡± Aida said, baffled. ¡°But - it will be our first official date,¡± Sue mumbled, her face turning red. Aida bit her lip to keep from laughing. If it had been anyone else overthinking this event, Aida would have found it mildly annoying at how immature they were being - but since it was Sue, Aida couldn¡¯t help but look upon her distress fondly. So cute. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much,¡± Aida said soothingly, patting Sue¡¯s head. ¡°Knowing Caleb, your nerves will transfer to him, and then it will be awkward for you both.¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± Sue moaned, shriveling even more in her chair. ¡°I¡¯m going to ruin everything.¡± ¡°No you¡¯re not,¡± Aida insisted, knowing how useless her advice was. ¡°Just be a little more aware. When in doubt, be your normal self.¡± ¡°Is Levi going to be with you two?¡± Lily asked Sue. She shook her head miserably. ¡°Levi said he¡¯s going straight to his family home, and that he wasn¡¯t going to participate in the crane collecting.¡± ¡°What about Ezra?¡± Lily persisted. Sue looked hopelessly back at Lily before turning to Aida. ¡°I think he might come to Shale Port with us,¡± Aida said uncertainly in the silence. ¡°I invited him, and he said he¡¯d consider it.¡± ¡°As¡­friends?¡± Lily blinked. Aida was amused to see Vanita and Sue were all of a sudden healthy again as they peered at her with round eyes. ¡°Yeah, friends. With all of us,¡± Aida corrected as she smirked at Vanita. ¡°You¡¯ll also have Ezra in your corner, wishing you the best with Abedi.¡± Vanita crumbled again at the reminder. ¡°We should finish up soon,¡± Lily said, looking at the giant clock on the wall in the dining hall. ¡°The first golem transports to the celebrations are in half an hour, and we won¡¯t want to miss it. The next ones are two hours after that.¡± As Aida helped force more food down Sue and Vanita¡¯s throats, she noticed Levi, Ezra, and Caleb sitting together. Levi was the only one who looked unperturbed, even in good spirits, while Caleb looked just as unwell as Sue and Ezra looked conflicted. So Ezra might still decide to not attend the festival. Turning back to her own table, she caught a glimpse of Abedi in similar straits as Vanita, the lone dark cloud at his table while his four friends chattered around him. Dev caught her eye, and Aida returned his smirk. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida fondly waved Sue off as she boarded the golem headed towards Buddington, squeezing in among all the other students. She couldn¡¯t sit with Caleb and Levi even if she wanted to, since she had lingered with Aida while everyone else took their spots. ¡°I really wish you would come,¡± Sue had whispered, her pleading eyes nearly bloodshot with anxiety. Aida had rubbed her shoulders sympathetically, reassuring her everything would be fine, and teasing Sue with outlandishly embarrassing consequences if Aida really did accompany them as the third wheel. Sue had finally laughed, agreeing it might be better if Aida didn¡¯t come along to avoid making Caleb the third wheel. When Aida finally returned to where Lily and Vanita were eagerly - or in Vanita¡¯s case, anxiously - waiting for their golem to pull into place, Ezra was standing there awkwardly with them. Aida smiled at Ezra, receiving a stiff nod back. ¡°Where¡¯s Edward?¡± Aida asked Lily. She rubbed her chin as she looked around. ¡°Not sure, but we agreed to meet at the Shale Port gate before we started craning. Are you going craning with Abedi, or meeting with him afterwards?¡± Lily asked Vanita. ¡°We¡¯re meeting at the bonfire,¡± Vanita said faintly. Lily nodded in understanding before turning to Ezra. ¡°Are you ready to do your duty in helping the families of Shale Port receive the ancient spirits¡¯ blessings for a healthy, fortuitous, and prosperous harvest?¡± she asked importantly, pointing an authoritative finger at Ezra. Aida gave a formal salute beside Ezra as he stared at Lily dumbly. She jostled Ezra with her elbow, making him raise his own arm in a hesitant salute. ¡°Reporting for duty!¡± Aida declared. Despite knowing that collecting cranes was an activity intended for children, she couldn¡¯t help but be caught up in Lily¡¯s own enthusiasm. Maybe it was because this was an activity that she was doing with friends - after all, the fondness of her childhood memories came not from the specific activity she completed, but from being surrounded by friends who made the boring activity fun. Lily glared at Ezra until he nodded, echoing Aida¡¯s words with uncertainty. Lily relaxed, accepting his response. ¡°Yay! I can¡¯t wait - I personally always enjoyed Shale Port¡¯s celebration more than Buddington¡¯s, so I¡¯m glad you all are joining me.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Why is that?¡± Aida asked curiously as they began loading into the golem. It was more like a long wagon, with the low walls. The ride was less crowded than the Buddington golem, though Aida noticed Abedi and his friends had already snagged the seats at the back of wagon golem. Lily shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s smaller, and more intimate. Buddington¡¯s celebrations are super crowded, and they give out more candy, but there¡¯s less love in it, you know? You can tell Shale Port families make their sweets themselves. Quality over quantity,¡± she said sagely. ¡°The fireworks celebration at the end of the night is more impressive at Buddington, though,¡± Vanita added, turning herself in her seat so that she faced firmly away from Abedi in the back. Her fingers twitched in her lap. ¡°Oh, I should have suggested we go to Buddington¡­at least I could focus on the fireworks¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why Shale Port is the best!¡± Lily beamed and waved at Edward Sparks as he passed by. He waved back with the same enthusiasm, a grin crossing his face as he winked at Vanita. Vanita slouched down, putting her hands over her face. ¡°Have you ever been to Shale Port¡¯s celebration?¡± Aida asked Ezra. He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve been, but I never paid attention.¡± Recognizing that any further prying would lead to a sensitive topic in public, Aida did her best to focus on Lily and Vanita¡¯s conversations, trying to distract herself from Ezra¡¯s presence beside her. Ezra¡¯s body language was stiff, as was his mana. It seemed he was also trying to distract himself, with his vacant gaze and slow responses to direct questions. Finally, the ride to Shale Port ended. Aida and Ezra were the first to stand up in their desire to disembark the wagon. Shale Port¡¯s gate was decorated with wreathes of flowers, and even the village guards wore colorful jackets in honor of the Festival. Despite the celebratory air, Aida couldn¡¯t help but notice there were more guards posted around the gate, all with varying levels of furtiveness in their eyes. Maybe the spirits will protect the village from attack on this special day? ¡°Okay, we¡¯re all here!¡± Lily said enthusiastically. Edward had popped up beside her, his grin mirroring Lily¡¯s. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go crane collecting with¡ª¡° Edward coughed when Lily and Aida glared at him. ¡°¡ªI mean, are we all ready?¡± ¡°Lead the way,¡± Lily said cheerfully, despite marching ahead of everybody. Just inside the village gate, Lily grabbed and dispensed several paper bags to everybody in her group. Each paper bag was a different color, whimsically painted with several different animal and plant silhouettes. It all looked like the work of elementary school students. After receiving her bag, Aida was handed a skewer the length of her arm. She looked at Ezra for an explanation. ¡°It¡¯s to stick the sweets on,¡± Ezra said quietly. ¡°You can eat every sweet as you receive a blessing, or you can save them to consume at a more leisurely pace.¡± Aida giggled as she imagined Lily with cheeks bulging like a chipmunk, every treat stuffed in her mouth as she wandered down the street with a bag full of paper cranes. As soon as everyone was armed with a skewer and an open bag, Lily urged them onwards. Despite the straightforwardness of their task, Aida couldn¡¯t help but feel trepidation as they joined the crowds of children streaming along the street, stopping by each stall to grab a colorful sweet from a pile of rainbow bonbons, and holding out their bag for the stall proprietor to drop a colored paper crane in. They were all taller than the children ahead of them, even Lily, but despite their age the adults still smiled and beckoned for the Maglica students to approach, offering candy and handing out cranes. Following Lily¡¯s lead, Aida popped the first sweet into her mouth, crunching through the layer of crystallized sugar to the fruit underneath. It tasted so different from the mass-produced candy she had back in her world; there was a depth to the sweetness, the fruit''s natural sweetness rounding out the sugar so it wasn''t just an overly sweet treat. She looked at Ezra, who smiled at her starry eyes as he delicately placed his own sweet on his tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your crane,¡± he said from around the sugar. Aida nodded vigorously, sucking on the treat in her mouth as she held her bag out to the proprietor, a middle-aged woman with her light hair tied in a sensible low bun. ¡°Thank you for all your work, may your fire continue to burn brightly,¡± the woman said pleasantly as she dropped a pink crane into Aida¡¯s bag before turning to Ezra and depositing a white crane into his. ¡°May you see the bounty of your efforts,¡± Aida said with Ezra, repeating the traditional response to the phrase. They continued down the street, with Aida eventually stacking candy onto her skewer. Even though the candies were primarily fruit, the flavors were so rich that she couldn¡¯t continuously munch on them. Vanita and Ezra kept their fruit on their sticks as well, while Lily and Edward tossed their candies into their void-like mouths. As they walked, Aida couldn¡¯t help but notice that Lily and Edward were very similar. Edward was a Fire student, and he was Lily and Vanita¡¯s classmate in Class 3. They were both energetic and shameless - or very confident. Neither one expressed shyness at being around the other, though it was obvious they enjoyed each other¡¯s company. Even though they were friendly, conversing with everybody in the group with sincerity, there was still something about the way they interacted that made it clear there was a special affection for the other. ¡°They suit each other, don¡¯t they?¡± Ezra asked softly. ¡°They do,¡± Aida agreed thoughtfully. ¡°I can¡¯t quite put my finger on what makes them different from just friends.¡± Ezra¡¯s eyes followed Aida¡¯s. ¡°There is unresolved tension between them,¡± he said softly. ¡°If they were merely friends, they would be relaxed. Perhaps even placid. But the two of them are still overly cognizant of the other¡­¡± Aida felt her face flush as she kept her gaze forward. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that just be a sign of them being considerate?¡± ¡°They show special consideration towards the other.¡± Their walk to collect candy and colorful paper cranes had wound them down the main street of Shale Port, and now Aida could see the bonfire on the pebble beach just ahead of them. There was a queue of children leading up to the flames, with two attendants standing in front of the bonfire to help the younger children feed their paper cranes into the fire. Their group secured their place in line, with Lily and Edward turning back towards Vanita, Aida, and Ezra. ¡°This is it,¡± Lily said breathlessly, her eyes shining and lips puckering from all the sweets she had sucked on. ¡°Once we send these cranes off¡­our childhood is over.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic,¡± Vanita admonished Lily. ¡°We still have until graduation.¡± ¡°But Lily is right,¡± Edward said earnestly. His sandy hair stood on end, making him look like a half-scattered dandelion puff. ¡°This is our last major event as children. The next event we¡¯ll be working, with adult responsibilities. It¡¯s almost over.¡± Everybody quieted at the somber statement. Aida glanced at Ezra, who was gazing at the bonfire with glittering eyes. His bag was full of cranes, and Aida only just now noticed how delicately he carried the bag. She had been carrying her own bag in one arm, the other hand occupied with making sure she didn¡¯t accidentally stick her candy skewer to Vanita¡¯s hair or clothes in front of her, but Ezra held his bag carefully in both arms in front of him, with less attention paid to the state of his candy. Aida¡¯s bag wasn¡¯t exactly a crumpled mess, but there was no doubt that Ezra¡¯s bag of cranes was in perfect condition. He takes his duty very seriously, Aida realized, thunderstruck. She knew he was principled, but seeing his discipline for what was supposed to just be a fun, traditional activity for children¡­ It was only a matter of time until our obligations tore us apart. Chapter 139: Fire Festival II ¡°Welcome!¡± the woman overseeing the bonfire said cheerily as the group of children ahead of them cleared out. ¡°Thank you for collecting the blessings. Please deliver them one at a time, so that each blessing has the opportunity to be considered as it reaches the spirit realm.¡± Aida watched curiously as Lily handed her skewer to the woman as she stepped forward, a handful of cranes already nestled in her palm. She held the origami cranes to her heart, an uncharacteristically somber mood draping her body, before scattering the cranes into the flames. The young man tending the bonfire reached into the fire with long tongs, repositioning some of the cranes to make room for the next handful of paper. It took a few moments for Lily to empty her bag. ¡°Am I supposed to say a prayer over the cranes? What kind of prayer?¡± Aida whispered to Ezra. ¡°The standard protocol is to ask the spirits to acknowledge the blessings you deliver,¡± Ezra murmured back. ¡°I have also heard parents encourage their children to add an additional wish of their own, as this is the best time to communicate with the spirits.¡± ¡°What kind of wishes do they ask for? Are they personal wishes, or more generalized wishes like hoping for your family¡¯s wellbeing?¡± As they eked closer and closer to the bonfire, Aida started feeling the panic of not knowing what to do settle upon her. She had been more thorough with her studies about the Fire Festival this time, so she had been able to disguise her unfamiliarity with the event pretty well, but there were still small details that weren¡¯t covered in the books she had read. ¡°It is a personal wish. You can ask for anything you want.¡± Ezra gave her a sad smile. ¡°Because you can afford to be selfish as a child, but once you become an adult¡­¡± Aida¡¯s brow furrowed at his explanation before she turned back to watch Vanita¡¯s distribution of cranes. Vanita also took a brief moment to bow her head over her cranes, though she didn¡¯t pause as she scattered all the cranes in her bag at once. Finally, it was Aida¡¯s turn to step up to the bonfire. The woman smiled at her as she took Aida¡¯s fruit-laden skewer, freeing up her hand. ¡°Is it your and your friends¡¯ last time delivering cranes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Aida returned a quick smile before closing her eyes, a white crane in her palm. The first prayer, asking the spirits to convey the families¡¯ requests for a good harvest was easy. But when she finally considered the second part of the wish, her throat caught. While standing in line, she had thought - perhaps foolishly - that she could just do a quick wish for her parents. Ask the spirits to make sure they were okay. But with the flames flickering in front of her, its warmth spreading over her, and the smell of burning paper tickling her nostrils¡­Lily¡¯s proclamation that this was an important event, the culmination of ¡°their¡± childhoods¡­Ezra¡¯s melancholy observation about the difference between being a child and an adult¡­ It¡¯s my one and only time doing this. Can¡¯t hurt to be a little bit selfish¡­ Pinching her lips, Aida breathed out a quick prayer for her wish before dropping the cranes in her bag onto the fire. Stepping to the side where Vanita was waiting with Lily and Edward, Aida handed her empty paper bag to another attendant before picking a candy off of her skewer to keep her hands occupied. ¡°You had a lot of wishes, huh?¡± Lily asked teasingly. ¡°No, I was just trying to choose the most important one,¡± Aida said playfully. ¡°Don¡¯t want to overwork the spirits.¡± She turned back to eye the line. ¡°It looks like it might take a while for Abedi to finish.¡± Abedi and his friend group had joined the snaking line to the bonfire. He did a good job of appearing calm and collected, but there were still some noticeable tics that displayed his nervousness: he kept glancing towards the bonfire, but avoided looking at where they were standing just beside it. His skewer was full of colorful globes, completely untouched. Shifting her gaze back to the fire, Aida watched Ezra¡¯s ruminating form. Now that she had stepped far enough away from him, she couldn¡¯t help but notice all of the attention Ezra drew to himself naturally. The adults were more reserved with their reactions, merely doing doubletakes as they took in his striking features, but the younger children behind him were extremely obvious, shuffling amongst each other to get a glimpse at the tall, silver-haired young man.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Ezra seemed to realize the commotion he had created, with his eyebrows gently furled in vexation as he kept his eyes closed, communing with the spirits. Fortunately, his natural intimidating aura kept even the children directly behind him from encroaching on his space; despite their fascination with him, they were all very cognizant of the invisible line Ezra drew in the sand. Finally, Ezra opened his eyes, the fire reflected in his silvery gaze. He gently, purposefully, lobbed the cranes in his bag into the fire, his movements so graceful it looked like he was releasing the cranes to fly free of their own volition. He stood there, staring into the fire, until all of the cranes had burned to a crisp. Despite holding up the line, none of the attendants made any move to hurry him along, waiting patiently with him. As if in solidarity. I wonder what he wished for. She wasn¡¯t sure if it would be polite to ask; no one else was talking about what they wished for. After another moment, Ezra traded his bag for his candy skewer, slowly making his way to where Aida and the others waited for him. Aida patted his arm gently when he arrived, and he gave her a small, bitter smile before turning to Lily. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Next, we wait for Abedi,¡± Lily said, beaming. An evil grin crossed her face as Vanita started blinking rapidly. ¡°Or at least, that was the plan. You two can go on ahead if you want. Edward and I will wait with Vanita.¡± Aida looked uncertainly at Ezra, unsure if she should clarify the nature of her invitation. He met her gaze with equal uncertainty. ¡°We can¡ª¡° ¡°We¡¯ll go get some meat skewers for everyone,¡± Ezra interrupted. He pointed with his chin back in the direction they had come from. ¡°The business side of the stalls are starting to get crowded.¡± ¡°Great idea,¡± Edward said approvingly. ¡°We need our strength if we want to win any of the games!¡± ¡°Okay! Take your time,¡± Lily said cheerfully. ¡°You can find us on the beach if we¡¯re not here!¡± Aida followed Ezra back up the path, where he guided her past several of the more packed stalls to one that hadn¡¯t yet accrued too many customers from the patrons who had just come from the bonfire. ¡°At least you still have your candy,¡± Aida prodded Ezra gently after he placed an order for twenty skewers. He glanced at his candy stick, startled, as if he had forgotten he was still holding it. ¡°Indeed,¡± he said, smiling briefly before he picked a fruit off of it. ¡°The afternoon is off to a good start.¡± Aida smiled back as she ate her own candy. She sort of understood what Lily meant when she said there was a homemade quality to the candy fruit. Each piece of candy was distinct from the other ones, with varying levels of crunch, sweetness, and stickiness. ¡°I fear I might have misled you about the wish at the bonfire,¡± Ezra said quietly, making Aida look up at him. ¡°When I finally was faced with the prospect of presenting my wish to the spirits, I realized it was less about desiring for someone else to solve my problems for me¡­¡± Aida tilted her head inquisitively. He looked a bit embarrassed before he continued in a mumble. ¡°I suppose it is more accurate to say it was a moment of reflection. To be faced with what you desire¡­¡± Ezra trailed off as Aida received a paper sack of skewers, and the two of them began meandering back down the road. ¡°So what was your reflection?¡± Aida prompted, sniffing at the sack. The grilled meat smell wafting out of the bag made her mouth water, and she had a feeling it would taste really great paired with the sweet fruit she still had. ¡°¡­I wished I could be carefree, like everyone else,¡± Ezra said softly, slowing down beside her. She slowed with him, looking at him carefully. He was staring off into the distance, but he continued speaking. ¡°For just one day, I wished I could be normal like everyone else. Not to be burdened with my family¡¯s expectations, or by my principles.¡± Ezra lowered his eyes, looking down at the skewer still in his hand. ¡°I started questioning myself: why couldn¡¯t I just set down my self-imposed burdens? I cast off my family¡¯s expectations easily when I decided it was more important to live for¡ª¡° he hesitated, glancing at her guiltily ¡°¡ªI realized I couldn¡¯t continue living for what they wanted. But why was I conflicted when presented with the option of continuing to live - with you?¡± Aida¡¯s insides twisted uncomfortably, though the pang was less debilitating than before. ¡°And did you come to a conclusion?¡± Ezra took a deep breath, closing his eyes and holding it, bracing himself for his admission. Aida waited patiently, before Ezra finally exhaled and looked at her with a sad smile. ¡°During my moment of reflection, I realized it was in my own power to have one day of being carefree. So today, I choose to be carefree.¡± A brilliant smile spread across Ezra¡¯s face, dazzling Aida and throwing her thoughts into disarray. You didn¡¯t answer the question, she wanted to say - but with that beautiful smile on Ezra¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to disrupt his fantasy. I can always ask him later, she thought, bemused. ¡°What kind of carefree¡ª¡° Aida started before Ezra grabbed her wrist and dragged her through the crowd back down to the beach. ¡°As Lily said, this is our last day where we can allow ourselves to be children,¡± Ezra said over his shoulder. ¡°I intend to take full advantage of that.¡± Chapter 140: Fire Festival III Ezra let go of her wrist as soon as they got to the beach, where they found a smug Lily and Edward standing off to the side as Abedi and Vanita made awkward small talk. ¡°You guys finally made it through the line,¡± Aida said to Shon, who was standing off to the other side with the other Class 2 boys. She offered them the sack of meat skewers, each boy taking one with a murmur of thanks. ¡°We would have been done earlier if Abedi wasn¡¯t going so slowly,¡± Myk said, annoyed. He glanced at Ezra as he munched on his skewer. ¡°Surprised to see you in Shale Port instead of Buddington. Doesn¡¯t your family hold their own celebration?¡± ¡°I am trying something new,¡± Ezra said simply. He took the sack of skewers from Aida, handing her one before he headed over to Lily and Edward. ¡°Are you two¡­¡± Shon asked quietly, the other three boys leaning forward to hear Aida¡¯s response. She shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re here just as friends,¡± she replied as she nibbled on another candy. She wondered how much she could say without sharing too much of Ezra¡¯s personal information. ¡°I think he was planning on just staying at school otherwise.¡± ¡°Staying at school for a major festival?¡± Pritchard asked skeptically. ¡°This guy really doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate fun.¡± ¡°He¡¯s trying something new this time!¡± Dev reminded him. He looked after Ezra, his smile turning thoughtful. ¡°They¡¯re moving,¡± Aida said suddenly as Abedi and Vanita started wandering off, bodies rigid as they avoided looking to where their friends were idling. Aida and the boys sped up until they caught up with Lily, Edward, and Ezra, where they maintained a leisurely pace as they followed their two targets. ¡°Skies above, Abedi¡¯s actually making a move,¡± Myk breathed as Abedi accidentally brushed against Vanita¡¯s arm. They all collectively sighed in disappointment as Abedi flinched away, despite Vanita not moving. ¡°That was an accident,¡± Lily said hollowly. She rallied immediately. ¡°But it¡¯s still early!¡± ¡°Here!¡± Myk said excitedly, pointing at a random stall and pulling the rest of them along, right as Vanita glanced suspiciously over her shoulder at them. As soon as Vanita had turned back to Abedi, giggling nervously, the group turned back towards the pair, eyeing them beadily. Amused, Aida instead looked at the stall, which had several large glass tanks laid out at the front filled with water, with several sacks in the back. The hopeful proprietor caught her eye and beckoned her forward. ¡°Come, come! Three copper baen to scoop flowers! Even when you lose you win, because you¡¯ll get some beautiful flowers for your trouble!¡± ¡°What are the rules?¡± Aida inquired. ¡°You get thirty seconds to scoop as many seed pods as you can,¡± the owner said eagerly, holding up small fishing nets in one hand and a small canvas sack in the other. ¡°The more seeds you scoop before they bloom, the higher your point total! At the end, depending on how many pods you collect, you can trade them for a prize!¡± At the mention of prizes, the owner pointed upwards with his fishing net, where several knick knacks hung from the ceiling. There were small stuffed animals, clearly handmade, as well as several beaded accessories. ¡°But even if you only scoop flowers, you can still walk away with some lovely blooms,¡± the man said reassuringly, mistaking Aida¡¯s fascination with the prizes as hesitation. ¡°You aren¡¯t losing anything at all by playing!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Aida said decisively, pulling out her cloth coin pouch. Three copper baen to play a small festival game seemed a small price to pay for cultural immersion. ¡°Ooo, me too!¡± Lily said, extricating herself from the group. ¡°Anyone else?¡± The owner looked eagerly among the boys. ¡°Two more tanks available!¡± ¡°Me,¡± Pritchard said pompously, stepping forward while he rolled up his sleeves. ¡°I¡¯m good at this game.¡± Edward took the tank next to Lily¡¯s, and the stall owner set up small pouches on a contraption that would release seeds into all the tanks at once. As he set up the game, a small girl - she looked like his daughter, based on her dark hair and eyes - collected the coins from everybody and handed them a fishing net in exchange. She pulled a pocketwatch out of the folds of her festival robe, her tiny hands making the timepiece look comically large. ¡°Ready?¡± she asked breathlessly, her large eyes blinking innocently at Aida. Aida looked down the line at her classmates, all of them hovering over their tanks with intense focus. Her lips quirked as she got herself ready. ¡°Go!¡± With a clatter, the pouches burst open, unloading several black balls into the water, splashing water out of the tanks. Almost instantaneously, several seeds bloomed, their petals swirling the water about their center and throwing the rest of the water into a small vortex. Swearing, Aida plunged her fishing net into the water, scooping fruitlessly at the dark balls in the water. It was much more difficult than she had imagined: with each passing second, at least one flower would sprout, the wave it generated swishing a seed out of her shallow net¡¯s grasp.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Time!¡± the girl announced gleefully. ¡°Please remove your nets!¡± Aida pulled her net out, looking glumly at the two seeds that accidentally tangled themselves in the threads. As the bloom caught in her net drained, it began floating into the sky, only to be plucked out of the air by the girl. ¡°Good job,¡± she said, giggling sweetly as she threaded a string through the center of the flower. She proceeded to fish the rest of the blooms out of the water, stacking them all along the string. Her father, mother, and older sister were efficiently threading the blooms from the other tanks. ¡°Since you got two seeds, you can get a bracelet!¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aida said, bemused. The girl handed Aida two strings of flowers, all of them floating in the air like balloons. She ran over to her mother, who reached up to take down several bracelets. The girl bounded back, handing Aida a bracelet with a smile. ¡°Do you want to play again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let someone else go,¡± Aida said, smiling as she accepted her prize. The bracelet was a motley collection of shells and shiny stones on a small cord, and didn¡¯t seem to have any special properties. Despite that, Aida slipped it over her wrist as she turned away. Ezra was standing behind her, watching in amusement. ¡°Here you go! A gift for you,¡± Aida said gallantly as she handed him a flower balloon. He accepted graciously, his fingers curling elegantly around the string. ¡°Impressive that you managed to secure two seeds.¡± ¡°It was honestly luck,¡± Aida said in an undertone as she looked back at everyone else receiving their prizes and talking. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they would grow that fast.¡± ¡°It really is a luck game,¡± Ezra agreed. ¡°They coat the seeds in oil to keep water from activating them. As the seeds get used in these games, the oil washes away, so the more often the seed is played the more likely it will be to blossom.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Aida declared, smiling at her balloon. The flower petals were so wispy as they floated languidly in the air, bending and curling in the air currents; it was hard to believe they could generate so much force when they bloomed. ¡°I think the flowers are amazing.¡± ¡°Here you go,¡± Pritchard said pompously, shouldering his way over and forcing a bracelet of similarly incongruous composition as Aida¡¯s over Ezra¡¯s other hand. ¡°Now if you get lost, you can show an adult this bracelet and they will know to bring you back to us.¡± Ezra stared blankly at Pritchard as Aida laughed. Pritchard raised his arm defensively, showing off his own bracelet. ¡°We¡¯re all wearing one!¡± Behind Pritchard, everyone raised their arm: Lily and Edward waved cheekily at Ezra, displaying their own bracelets. Dev and Myk and Shon all gave him a thumbs up, their bracelets catching the sunlight. Dev was stoic; Myk gave Ezra a smirk; and Shon gave him an abashed smile. Aida turned back towards Ezra, tittering. ¡°Welcome to the squad!¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The rest of the afternoon was a lot easier - and significantly more fun - than Aida expected. They continued tailing Vanita and Abedi, making sure to keep a careful distance so as not to disturb the two, while also not falling too far behind that they couldn¡¯t keep tabs on how the date was going. It took a bit of time before Ezra finally relaxed enough to partake in the inane observations the group tended to make about the couple. Aida was more interested in the activity booths and Festival games than the play-by-play of what was happening with Vanita and Abedi, but she had to admit there were several points where the commentary was ridiculous enough to draw her interest. ¡°His kissers are at her ear,¡± Myk gasped amid the clamor. ¡°He¡¯s invading her personal space! Is she going to stand for it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry,¡± Lily said, her eyebrows meeting in the middle as she concentrated on the subjects of interest five stalls down from them, her half-eaten sweet bun hovering in front of her mouth, forgotten. ¡°She''s going to turn into-!¡± A collective groan drew Aida¡¯s attention from the target she had her slingshot aimed at. The stall owner had trapped Aida in a friendly conversation as they had lingered at the stall while stalking the unlucky couple, to the point where Aida found it extremely uncharitable to deny the invitation to play - especially considering how he even offered to let her play twice for the price of one round. The rules were straightforward: she was given five slingshot ammo, giving her five chances to shoot the paper targets in front of her. Each target depicted a hand-drawn monster¡¯s face. Aida recognized a charred zard, eel, and an insectoid head that reminded her of the beetle she and Levi had come across so long ago. Like the seed-scooping stall, prizes were hung from the roof of the stall. All the prizes appeared to be paper charms of some sort. ¡°What happened?¡± Aida asked. Even the stall attendant leaned forward to get a view of where they were all looking. ¡°She leaned forward instead, away from him,¡± Dev said in disappointment. ¡°It wasn¡¯t even to get away from him, but he interpreted it as such so he backed up.¡± ¡°Vanita looks disappointed,¡± Ezra intoned. ¡°Perhaps Abedi will realize, and rectify his mistake.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Pritchard said doubtfully. ¡°Abedi is pretty dense. I think he¡¯s going to misinterpret what happened and pull back even more.¡± ¡°How do we save him?¡± Shon fretted. ¡°He¡¯s going to tighten up if we approach.¡± ¡°Love troubles, eh?¡± the attendant observed. He eyed Aida knowingly. ¡°Tell you what. If you can make three shots in a row, I¡¯ll give you a set of love charms! Normally, it¡¯s a five-shot prize, but since I like you so much, I¡¯ll let you have it if you can make three.¡± ¡°In a row? Who do you think I am?¡± Aida protested good-naturedly. The attendant sucked his teeth, as if he was agonizing over a difficult decision. ¡°Fine! Fine. If you can just make three shots, you can have your love charms.¡± Aida glanced at her friends, hoping one of them would volunteer as a more accurate shot, but they were all totally absorbed in brainstorming ways to sneak closer to the couple. The stall owner nudged her before she could get their attention. ¡°You know, it seems to me a pretty young lady like you might also have some unresolved love troubles. I¡¯ll offer you this: since you already have ten shots, for every three shots you make, I¡¯ll give you one set of love charms.¡± He waved off her protests. ¡°Youth only comes once! I want to maximize your chances of experiencing that young love.¡± He thrust a finger in her face. ¡°But you have to be the one to take the shots.¡± A reluctant smile tugged at the corners of Aida¡¯s lips. His offer really was very generous, and he was nodding at her very sincerely. Of course, she didn¡¯t believe that his charms would have any effect, but if she could get even one set of love charms it would make the bit of rooting for Vanita and Abedi even more funny. ¡°Okay,¡± Aida said lightly, raising her slingshot again, to the gentleman¡¯s delight. ¡°I accept your challenge.¡± Chapter 141: Fire Festival IV Out of ten shots, Aida only made four. Despite the size of the targets, the paper was oddly difficult to pierce. ¡°That was a pretty good attempt,¡± the game proprietor said consolingly as he reached into a pack at the rear of his stall. He pulled out a small brown envelope and cracked it open, tapping out two small clay pendants. ¡°Choose wisely what you wish to do with these charms.¡± Aida glumly looked at the two tetrahedral objects in his palm. The shapes were odd and asymmetrical, but they were also painted with delicate runes on each side. The stall owner took a pendant in each hand. ¡°Present your love interest with a pendant, and you two will be blessed by the spirits with smooth communication, protection from misfortunes, and most importantly¡ª¡° he gave her a wink ¡°¡ªbe empowered to share your love more freely with each other.¡± He clicked the two pendants together, forming a perfect pyramid. ¡°These two pendants were cut from the same clay pendant, so they fit together perfectly and are the only set in the world. They serve as a daily reminder that you need to work together to achieve perfect balance and harmony.¡± He brightened as he noticed Aida¡¯s friends gather around her, and he launched into a clearly rehearsed spiel. ¡°I made this charm myself! During every step of its creation, I incorporated all of the elements while praying over them so that spirits of all elements will share their gifts: the body of the charm is made out of earth, the glaze is made from the ashes of the fortune flower, and the bail is made out of metal - to also represent the resilience of the partners¡¯ love. Of course, water and fire are used throughout the entirety of the process - to keep emotions exciting, yet comfortable. Would anyone else like to play and try to win a set of love charms?¡± the proprietor finished his speech with a flourish, looking around at Aida¡¯s friends¡¯ faces eagerly as he placed the set into her hand. ¡°Wow, you won love charms?¡± Lily asked brightly, reaching out to take a charm and examining it. Aida looked down at the other one, wondering if the proprietor was just embellishing the mystical properties of this fun festival trinket.
Love Charm (1 of 2) [Very Low Quality] One of a set of charms instilled with the essence of the spirits. Love charms promote affection and improved communication between lovers. When equipped, Love Charm will grant the wearers of the set a miniscule boost in Defense and Mana Resistance if the wearers are within ten feet of each other. Love Charm will have no effect if not worn by separate people.
Well I¡¯ll be damned. Aida was impressed to see there actually was some magical ability infused within the charm; she was tempted to keep the set for herself. But who would you give the other one to? Balking at the thought, Aida glanced reflexively at Ezra, flushing and diverting her eyes when she met his silver eyes. Unluckily, she looked right at Dev, their gazes locking for a very brief - yet awkwardly long - moment before she dropped her eyes again, the charm clutched in her palm. Everyone¡¯s getting into my head, Aida fumed silently to herself. Dev had never registered on her mind as a potential love interest for her until Bruce mentioned it after they came back from North Ocean Village. When Bruce first suggested the possibility, she had thought it a ridiculous proposition. Ironically, even though she had done her best to avoid thinking about Dev more than necessary, especially in that way, over the past several star cycles¡­her effort seemed to have been in vain. Talking to this stall owner and being presented with literal love charms further cemented her obvious failure. The harder she tried not to think about Dev, the more she had been thinking about him. What have I done? ¡°Here you go!¡± Lily pressed the second charm back into Aida¡¯s hand, lowering her voice as she asked, ¡°What are you going to do with it?¡± In the background, Aida noticed Edward trading some baen for a slingshot.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°I think it would make sense to give it to Vanita and Abedi, right?¡± Aida said, struggling to keep her composure as she tamped down her frustration - for allowing herself to be so weak as to inception herself into developing a minor attraction despite not having fully recovered from her recent heartbreak. Does having a crush means I¡¯ve moved on? Aida frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think Aida agrees,¡± Lily said, watching Aida¡¯s face closely. ¡°But if Abedi does it¡ª¡° Myk started. ¡°Sorry, what were we talking about?¡± Aida interrupted, keeping her gaze focused on the people directly in front of her: Lily, Myk, and Pritchard, to avoid accidentally looking at either Ezra or Dev. Pritchard opened his mouth. ¡°You said you¡¯re going to give these charms to Vanita and Abedi, right? We¡¯re trying to figure out the logistics of who should get the set of charms.¡± ¡°The power of the charm will be amplified if it comes from one person in the pairing,¡± the stall owner added from the side, clearly relishing their predicament. He glanced idly to the freshly replaced targets as Edward took aim. ¡°It¡¯s more meaningful that way, you see. If a third person offered it to the two of them, there may be undue pressure on them to accept - or even deny. When it¡¯s two people, what happens between the two of them - and the spirits, of course - stays between them. More personal, the beginning of a partnership, see? Ah, that¡¯s one target broken!¡± Turning back to Edward, the owner began calling encouragements to the boy, projecting his voice to try to entice the other passersby into taking a chance at his stall. ¡°So what was the debate?¡± Aida asked. ¡°I think Abedi should be the one to present the charm,¡± Lily said immediately. ¡°Vanita was the one who asked him to the Festival, after all.¡± ¡°We think Vanita should have the set,¡± Myk said, slinging his arm around Pritchard¡¯s neck. ¡°We know Abedi, and he¡¯s too passive. He¡¯s not going to offer them to her - or anyone - until he knows for sure it¡¯s a guaranteed acceptance.¡± Myk knocked his own head with his knuckles. ¡°Metals.¡± ¡°And I think it¡¯s unfair to make Vanita shoulder all the responsibility for progressing their romance,¡± Lily said in exasperation. ¡°Do you know how scared she was to ask Abedi in the first place? It¡¯s not fair to her. Let Abedi bear the brunt this time.¡± ¡°Hold on, are they even having a good time, though?¡± Aida objected. At her question, everyone glanced down the street, taken aback. ¡°Where did they go?¡± ¡°Edward, are you done?¡± Lily asked urgently, rushing over to him. ¡°We have to catch up to Vanita!¡± ¡°You lost sight of them?¡± Edward asked, aghast. ¡°I have two more shots!¡± ¡°He needs to succeed on those two shots to win the grand prize,¡± the stall owner added helpfully. ¡°Five in a row!¡± ¡°Hurry!¡± Myk grabbed Aida¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll go ahead first! Shale Port is small, they can¡¯t have gotten too far.¡± Snatching Shon and Dev by the collars, Myk galloped off with Pritchard, leaving Aida blinking after them. They really took their friend¡¯s love life very seriously. Even as Dev quickly caught his feet beneath him and joined the mad dash, he still flashed her a small smirk that made her heart thump. I haven¡¯t moved on yet, Aida reminded herself vehemently as she turned back to Ezra, who was standing quietly beside her with a wistful expression on his face. ¡°What¡¯s with all the rush?¡± ¡°They just want their friend to be happy,¡± Ezra said simply. ¡°Even if they aren¡¯t being rational about it.¡± He looked at Aida, with that same wistful expression. ¡°I understand them.¡± Aida felt something shatter in her as she met his gaze. Implicitly, she thought she understood what he was saying - though she was terrified to acknowledge that thought. He raised his hand, hovering hesitantly next to her cheek. Aida kept still, her breathing shallow, keeping her gaze fixed on his silver depths, trying to ascertain his intention - hoping he would show he still cared, yet trying to suppress that hope at the same time. He gently placed his hand on her head, the pressure of his hand heavy enough to crush her hope. Aida heard Lily¡¯s shrill voice as she urged Edward to take his shots more quickly, while he argued back saying he needed time to be precise. ¡°I¡¯m grateful you invited me along to join you for your first - and last Fire Festival as an adolescent,¡± Ezra said quietly, Aida hearing every word despite the commotion around them. ¡°I had fun today. I¡¯m happy to be your friend.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± Aida asked, her voice catching in her throat. The charms burned in her hand, heavy and imposing. She had too many thoughts racing through her mind to be able to figure out what the correct response was - she just knew the end was approaching, and she wasn¡¯t ready for it. Ezra didn¡¯t wait for her to catch up. Smiling at her gently, he blinked - and Aida was shocked to see there wasn¡¯t any pain in his eyes, though his eyes seemed to glisten in the waning afternoon sun. ¡°Do not feel like you need to be reserved because of me. Act on your heart¡¯s desire.¡± A small part of her was indignant: resentful that apparently she was the only one who was still entertaining thoughts of resuscitating their relationship, while another part recognized how hypocritical she was for feeling that way when she had already started noticing small facets of his personality that chafed at her. Yet another piece was relieved they were apparently going to end on good terms - thankful that she could call upon his support and knowledge, as someone who knew her secret and could accordingly provide contextually accurate information. ¡°I just want you to be happy.¡± Chapter 142: Fire Festival V Before Aida could respond to Ezra¡¯s imposing finality, Lily dashed by, grabbing her and Ezra¡¯s arms. ¡°Come on, we have to go!¡± Allowing herself to be dragged after the tiny girl, Aida ran after her in a daze. If there was one thing Aida prided herself on, it was tenacity. It didn¡¯t seem right for her to just accept Ezra¡¯s proclamation at face value. She felt like she should fight - hand him a charm, have them take the time to hash out their true thoughts, figure out what the exact right move was. Not give up on them until they had exhausted all options. But the decisiveness with which Ezra stated his intention brooked no argument. He had already decided, and this time he left no openings - no weird, impossible-to-meet pie-in-the-sky milestone to be a scapegoat for why they couldn¡¯t be together. He would rather ¡°set me free¡± than fight for me. For some reason, that hurt a lot more than when he told her they should break up. And if he no longer wanted to fight for them, then why should she? The lump in Aida¡¯s throat expanded. She focused on Lily¡¯s blonde hair bouncing in front of her. ¡°Ah!¡± Lily skidded to a stop, crashing into Edward¡¯s back. Aida deftly skipped to the side, avoiding the pileup while Ezra skidded on the other side. ¡°Vanita! Where¡¯s Abedi?¡± Lily had suddenly adopted a perky, unbothered voice. ¡°Hm? Oh, he¡¯s in the bathroom.¡± Vanita smiled as she thumbed at the wooden outhouse behind her. Her eyes brightened as she took them all in. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve all been having fun! So many matching souvenirs!¡± ¡°Yeah, Pritchard is really good at the scooping game! Anyway, how are you doing? How¡¯s Abedi?¡± Lily asked, speaking quickly. Vanita tilted her head askance at Lily¡¯s pressing questions. ¡°He¡¯s fine, I just¡­I asked him if he wanted to eat my candy, otherwise I was going to throw it away. He ate it all, but too quickly, so¡­¡± Vanita giggled awkwardly. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why we¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Are you two having fun?¡± Aida asked. She rolled the two pendants between her fingers, unwilling to part with them, yet¡­ ¡°We are!¡± Vanita smiled, looking so happy and free. ¡°We have so much in common, surprisingly. It¡¯s so easy to talk to him.¡± Vanita spoke with an energy Aida hadn¡¯t seen in her before. She had always been the calm, reserved one, while Lily was the one who expressed all her feelings without fearing judgment. When the two of them were together, they had the mother-daughter dynamic, where Vanita would entreat Lily to slow down, think things through¡­and Lily was the one urging Vanita to think less, and just do. But right now, she was filled with the same sort of carefree light that seemed to drive Lily and Sue¡¯s upbeat personalities. Her eyes were bright, her lips relaxed in a large smile that was in sharp contrast to her usual measured, ladylike smiles. Looking at Vanita speak so animatedly as she started spilling Abedi¡¯s personal details (¡°He doesn¡¯t want to go into the family business! He says his passion is to make fine jewelry! His older sister supports him, but his parents are a little more wary¡­¡±), Aida couldn¡¯t help but smile ruefully. If this isn¡¯t first love, I don¡¯t know what is. ¡°Here, I won this for you.¡± Aida pressed the two charms into Vanita¡¯s hand, stalling Vanita¡¯s prattling. ¡°Love charms!¡± Vanita colored as Lily, Edward, and Aida beamed at her. ¡°W-Why would you give me this?¡± Aida shrugged. ¡°Things look like they¡¯re going well with you, so I thought a little extra boost couldn¡¯t hurt.¡± Aida winked, making Vanita blush a shade deeper. ¡°And besides, this is how you know I¡¯m rooting for you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all rooting for you,¡± Edward said earnestly, mirroring Lily¡¯s excitement. Vanita pulled Aida away from the group, lowering her voice urgently. ¡°But - why wouldn¡¯t you keep it for yourself?¡± Vanita¡¯s eyes flicked meaningfully behind her. Aida lifted her chin, keeping her smile on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Vanita¡¯s eyes rounded as she glanced surreptitiously back at the group. Her sensitivity and social awareness made her aware that things weren¡¯t as they seemed on the surface, but she had the grace to not comment. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Vanita asked hesitantly, holding the charms out as if she was trying to return them. Aida nodded encouragingly. ¡°I¡¯m sure. You¡¯ll get better use, if you decide to use them.¡± Vanita looked at Aida for a long moment, gauging her reaction as she bit her lip in concern. Finally, she pulled Aida forward into a tight hug. ¡°Thank you. If you want to talk about it, I¡¯ll be here.¡± Aida closed her eyes as she returned Vanita¡¯s warm embrace, feeling the lump return to her throat. What is there to talk about? I already knew high school romances wouldn¡¯t work out.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Thanks for the offer,¡± Aida replied softly. With the way her chin was resting on the taller girl¡¯s shoulder, she was looking up at the sky. Dusk was beginning to settle, making the cheerful clouds of the afternoon look ominous and looming. ¡°You should get back to Abedi, though.¡± Vanita pulled back, giving Aida a tremulous smile. ¡°I¡¯ll go first, then.¡± Aida waved as Vanita jogged back to the outhouse where Abedi was emerging, shaking water off of his hands. Lily, Edward, and Ezra had already melted away, leaving Aida standing alone among the crowds of children and young parents strolling along the street. I should go look for them, Aida told herself as she turned away from Vanita¡¯s gentle skip up to Abedi. They can¡¯t have gone too far, not if they want to continue keeping tabs on Vanita. Aida realized something was off after ten minutes of fruitless searching. Vanita and Abedi were long gone, and she couldn¡¯t find Lily, Edward, and Ezra in the crowd. The crowd¡¯s energy was high, everyone in a good mood, letting themselves relax for the event during a time that had been weighed down by caution and fear of what was happening outside the gates of civilization, though the older adults continued to cast wary gazes towards Shale Port¡¯s village limits. She couldn¡¯t even use her mana sense to find her friends, with how many people there were interfering with her senses. Exasperated, Aida turned once more on the spot as she scanned the crowd, trying to find any familiar face. Finally, she saw a flash of unnaturally pale hair in the crowd. There they are! Forging her way through the crowded street, which had become steadily more packed as the sun set, Aida reached out and grabbed blindly at the sleeve of the silver-haired boy. ¡°Found you! Why did you¡ª¡° Aida cut off as she realized she hadn¡¯t grabbed Ezra¡¯s sleeve, but instead the last person she wanted to see. Light blue eyes blinked down at her. ¡°Good to see you.¡± Quickly releasing Dev¡¯s sleeve, Aida scrambled back several steps while waving her hands apologetically in front of her. ¡°Sorry, I thought you were Ezra,¡± Aida said awkwardly, trying to conceal her embarrassment with a high-pitched laugh. ¡°Where are your friends?¡± Dev seemed genuinely curious, looking over the heads of the crowd, as if he still expected them to pop out of the crowd behind her. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Aida confessed. ¡°We found Vanita and Abedi near the restrooms, and then all of a sudden Lily, Edward, and Ezra disappeared. What about you guys?¡± Dev sighed, crossing his arms. ¡°We went the wrong way, apparently, if you guys found them. How are the two of them getting along?¡± ¡°Well enough,¡± Aida said, latching on to the change in topic. ¡°I gave Vanita the set of charms, since she seems to like Abedi a lot. What she does with them is up to her, it¡¯s all completely out of my hands.¡± Dev nodded, smiling. ¡°If Vanita is having a good time, then that means Abedi likes her, too. He¡¯s very good at icing people out if he doesn¡¯t like them.¡± The conversation lapsed into silence as Aida looked beyond Dev to see what Shon, Pritchard, and Myk were up to. They were gathered around a booth, with Pritchard painstakingly stacking oddly shaped stones into a tower. Shon and Myk were encouraging him - shouting at him, it looked like - in his endeavor as the stall proprietor watched in delight. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the fireworks,¡± Dev finally said. He had continued monitoring the crowd for her. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to watch with us, if you¡¯d like.¡± Aida opened her mouth to politely reject his invitation, intending to find the original group of friends she came with, but her answer was drowned out by exuberant cheers and hoarse shouts as Pritchard placed the last rock on his tower. ¡°Excellent work!¡± the attendant clapped. ¡°That¡¯s the record for the tallest tower this evening! I present to you your prize: a seashell flute!¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Dev had leaned closer to her, turning his ear towards her to better hear her. Aida looked uncertainly back the way she had come, feeling like she was standing on another precipice. Ezra¡¯s voice echoed in her mind, reminding her to ¡°act on her heart¡¯s desire.¡± If she walked away now, she could just find a quiet location to watch the fireworks herself. It wouldn¡¯t be embarrassing at all. On the other hand, there was a small part of her that was curious about what would happen if she accepted Dev¡¯s invitation. It would be a platonic setting, Aida reminded herself. After all, the invitation was for her to watch with the group. She had little to fear about romance rearing its disquieting head. ¡°Sure,¡± Aida said, turning back to Dev with a smile. ¡°Thanks for adopting me into your group.¡± Dev grinned. ¡°It¡¯s a bit odd to be missing a fifth in our group, so you¡¯re just helping us restore the balance. Anyway, if you find your friends feel free to join them instead.¡± Aida nodded, feeling much more at ease as Dev laid out her possible escape routes. Pritchard, Myk, and Shon bounded over, seeming surprised and not unhappy to see her. She followed the rambunctious group of boys back down to the pebble beach, where everyone else was gathering. The stalls that had been set up on the beach were in the midst of being packed away in order to make room for everyone. Based on the orientation of the families that had already laid out blankets on the smooth stones, it appeared that fireworks would be launched from the ocean. ¡°Is it going to be safe? Setting off fireworks that far out at sea?¡± Aida asked no one in particular, remembering the ghostly manifestation of an eel face. ¡°It should be fine,¡± Shon said thoughtfully. ¡°There are so many guards already, and they¡¯re not that far from shore to begin with.¡± ¡°Come on everybody, take a seat before someone else does,¡± Pritchard said briskly, growing five lumps in a circle out of the ground. Aida took a seat on the makeshift stool nearest to her, looking expectantly around her; part of her wished she could spot her friends, to give her an excuse to escape Dev¡¯s presence, but no luck. Just several children, as well as a few pairs of adolescents who had the nervous air of being on a first date. She couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with their nerves. ¡°It¡¯s starting!¡± a child cried gleefully, before her parents shushed her. Looking back out on the ocean, Aida saw a spark of light fly up into the sky, fizzling out before it could explode. A moment later, another spark flew up. This one did manage to explode, raining tinier sparks down over the ocean, though it didn¡¯t fly as far as Aida would have expected from fireworks and the boom was muted. Maybe their firework technology isn¡¯t that refined, Aida thought doubtfully as she watched several more sparks begin shooting into the sky. All around her, people were ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the lackluster display. Glancing over at her companions, Aida noted some thoughtful frowns on Shon and Myk¡¯s faces, though she couldn¡¯t see Pritchard and Dev¡¯s. Almost as if he felt her gaze, Myk turned to her, flashing a smirk. ¡°These fireworks sure feel different from the ones we saw as kids, huh?¡± Chapter 143: Fire Festival VI ¡°That was kind of...¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t remember Shale Port¡¯s shows being this bad¡­¡± ¡°Is this how we¡¯re going to go into adulthood?¡± Pritchard asked plaintively. ¡°I¡¯d rather continue to be a child.¡± Aida followed quietly behind Dev and his friends as they slowly moved with the crowd up from Shale Port¡¯s pebble beach. The boys were grumbling about the disappointing fireworks show, and Aida couldn¡¯t blame them. Several fireworks hadn¡¯t even been able to go off, and the ones that did were snuffed out so quickly they barely even managed to get their colors out. Dev fell behind to walk beside her. ¡°What did you think of the fireworks?¡± ¡°They were fireworks,¡± Aida said vaguely, glad she could be somewhat honest about her thoughts. Dev chuckled. ¡°Yes, it makes me wonder if everyone on the cusp of adulthood felt the same way during their last Fire Festival. It would certainly explain why adults are so jaded!¡± Aida chortled along, unable to offer more insight. As they moved slowly along the crowded main street of Shale Port, Aida kept her eyes peeled for her friends. It¡¯s such a small location, how come it¡¯s so hard to find anybody? ¡°Yo, Abedi!¡± Myk called over the heads of all the people in front of them, waving frantically. Aida saw Abedi¡¯s golden head turn, and saw him raise a thick dark arm in the air before he moved to the side of the street, getting out of the way of the human traffic. The five of them fought their way over to Abedi, where the boys converged on him and peeled him away from Vanita, who had been standing behind him. Aida met up with Vanita, who had a pleasant smile on her face. ¡°What did you think of the fireworks?¡± Aida asked conversationally. Vanita grinned, abashed. ¡°Um, I didn¡¯t actually watch it¡­¡± Vanita giggled unwillingly as Aida arched an eyebrow at her. ¡°I¡­I gave him the charm.¡± Aida¡¯s eyes widened unwillingly as a smile spread across her face. ¡°And?¡± ¡°He accepted,¡± Vanita said softly, her cheeks twitching as she tried to hold back an embarrassed smile. She couldn¡¯t stop fingering the charm around her neck. ¡°He says he has some better quality leather cords back in his room to put the charms on¡­¡± Aida shook Vanita¡¯s shoulders in silent glee, unable to contain her own enthusiasm as Vanita¡¯s excitement washed over her. Cheering for Vanita, seeing her own smooth progress in the romantic side of her life made for a pleasant distraction from Aida¡¯s own conflicted emotions. ¡°Tell me everything!¡± Aida coaxed Vanita as a small family moved between the two of them and the group of boys. ¡°How did you give it to him? What did he say? Did he look shy?¡± As Aida peppered Vanita with her interrogations, she noticed Lily and Edward fight their way through the crowd from behind them. ¡°Guys, she did it!¡± Noticing that the silver-haired boy was missing from their posse, Aida furrowed her brow at the two newcomers. ¡°Ezra wasn¡¯t with you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lily asked breathlessly. ¡°No, he said he was going to wait for you.¡± ¡°So where¡¯d you two¡ª¡° Aida started before she tapered off, noticing another matching set of tetrahedral pendants dangling around Lily and Edward¡¯s necks. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°So Vanita and Abedi are wearing charms?¡± Lily asked avidly, conspicuously avoiding Edward¡¯s smug expression behind her, though Aida couldn¡¯t help but notice Lily had Edward¡¯s sleeve in a gentle grasp. ¡°She was just about to tell me everything that happened,¡± Aida said mischievously. ¡°You arrived at a good time.¡± Lily forced Vanita to recount the blow-by-blow of how she presented the love charm set to Abedi as their small group finally made their way out of Shale Port¡¯s gate, where the guards admonished citizens to remain in the safety of the gate¡¯s torchlight, while continuing to maintain a vigilant gaze along the shadowy tree lines. Several transportation golems were already lined up along the road, the drivers holding small signs indicating which destinations they were headed towards. A crowd of Maglica students were still huddled at the edge of the gates, evidently waiting for their own transport to arrive. No silver-haired boy was among their ranks. Growing exceedingly concerned, Aida peered back through the gates to see if she could spot Ezra among the stragglers. He couldn¡¯t have already left, could he? ¡°Maglica students, this way!¡± a guard hollered as the long golem transport they had all taken to the village trundled up. Feeling more and more nervous, Aida boarded with the rest of her friends, where they took a seat in the same vicinity as Abedi and Pritchard¡¯s friend group.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Ezra isn¡¯t here,¡± Aida said aloud, keeping a sharp eye on the crowd of students loading onto the golem. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s stuck in a bathroom?¡± Edward suggested, peering back at the gates with her. ¡°Should probably let the operator know so he can wait.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± Sliding her way towards the front of the golem, Aida approached the driver, tapping his shoulder. ¡°Good evening, sir. I just wanted to ask if you could wait a little? One of my friends hasn¡¯t boarded yet.¡± ¡°Ah, that should be no problem. I¡¯m scheduled to leave in fifteen minutes.¡± Thanking the driver, Aida sat at the seat behind him, anxiously watching the gate for the familiar silver hair. With several groups of people having already left Shale Port, the glut of mana in the air had cleared a bit, allowing Aida to better parse through the life force of everyone in the vicinity. She couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on why she was so unnerved that Ezra was missing. She supposed it was because they hadn¡¯t fully resolved Ezra¡¯s cryptic wish for her happiness. She didn¡¯t even get a chance to respond before they had gotten swept up in the rest of the Festival events. Was that a farewell? Aida stood up abruptly. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m going to go find my friend. I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Aida said to the driver, who gave her a wary look despite allowing her to get off the golem. ¡°We¡¯re leaving in ten minutes!¡± he called after her. As soon as Aida pushed through the crowd still gathered at the gate, she took off down the cobbled road at a run, her mana senses stretched to its limit as she hunted for that familiar golden aura. Where is he? Aida was utterly perplexed at how he had somehow managed to disappear from the tiny village. She was back at the pebbled beach now, looking out across the dark water. The pyrotechs were coming back to shore now, hauling burlap sacks off of the rafts they coasted in on. One of the men saw her standing there. ¡°What are you looking for, young lady?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for my friend,¡± Aida said. ¡°Our ride back to Maglica Academy is leaving soon, and he wasn¡¯t at the gate.¡± The men exchanged glances. ¡°Have you checked the rest of the village? We haven¡¯t seen anybody out on the waters.¡± Aida bit her lip, trying to suppress her panic. Surely he wouldn¡¯t be out at sea? What was she supposed to do when she had no idea what he was thinking in the first place? First, he had been adamant that he was willing to throw everything away just to be with her, then he broke their relationship off with some sort of half-assed excuse about how he couldn¡¯t be with her because of the circumstances of her arrival, and then his last words to her was wishing her happiness? Unpredictable and illogical. Aida was utterly at a loss now. ¡°Aida!¡± Aida was jerked back from her thoughts by a rough hand on her shoulder. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t find Ezra,¡± Aida said helplessly. She stretched her mana out across the choppy waves, digging into the water to try to find any sign of her first friend in this world. ¡°Calm down,¡± Dev¡¯s voice said, as the hands on her shoulders pulled her back from the water¡¯s edge. ¡°He¡¯s not out there.¡± ¡°What if he is?¡± Aida¡¯s voice had risen hysterically. ¡°He isn¡¯t,¡± Dev insisted. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll help you look for him.¡± Aida was dragged away from the beach, stumbling over the pebbles as she continued stretching her mana. How did it get to this point? Aida¡¯s eyes were drawn to the ocean, despite Dev insistently maneuvering her back towards the center of the village. I didn¡¯t even get to speak my mind. ¡°Aida!¡± Dev shook her shoulders roughly, forcing her to look at him. ¡°They found him!¡± ¡°What?¡± Aida asked dimly. Dev turned her towards the center of the village, where several men were carrying Ezra¡¯s limp form out from behind some buildings. ¡°Ezra!¡± The next instant, Aida fell upon Ezra¡¯s sleeping figure. He looked so peaceful, completely at odds with the rising panic and concern around him. Her hand shaking, she took Ezra¡¯s wrist in her fingers, feeling for his pulse. It took her a moment before she was able to calm herself enough to verify his heart was still beating. But how? ¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± Dev murmured in wonder, kneeling on Ezra¡¯s other side. He had managed to get the villagers to clear out and give them space, and Aida noticed several of them running towards the gate, calling for help. Several other women stood behind her, clucking with concern. ¡°But his mana¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so faint,¡± Aida breathed. That explained why she hadn¡¯t been able to find him during her mad dash through the village - even though she was directly next to him, she still wouldn¡¯t be able to feel him if she wasn¡¯t explicitly concentrating. Did he get attacked again? But I didn¡¯t feel anything, and nobody else did either¡­ Aida shuddered, her mind revving into overdrive. If Ezra got attacked alone, despite the fact that he had been in the safety of the village, surrounded by guards and other people¡­what did that say about the unknown power they were facing? Not only did the monster from the Lake get stronger, but that meant it also developed some sort of intelligence if it was able to evade detection and target a specific person. Aida felt herself begin spiraling, with no solution as to how they could stop The Evil if they couldn¡¯t even tell it was on the prowl. But the faint mana worried her¡­it was different from when they got attacked at the Lake. His mana had still been present, albeit weak and nearly lifeless. But this time, it was almost as if his mana had completely disappeared. Aida glanced at the other villagers surrounding them, her horror rising. His mana felt just as faint - no, even more faint - than the average, mana-less, villager. What if Ezra didn¡¯t get attacked¡­and he decided to push his limits for Ascension Meditation? A stone thudded in Aida¡¯s stomach, effectively stalling her doom spiral, though leaving her with a gaping void that sucked away all remaining thought. ¡°What is it?¡± Dev asked. Aida became aware that he had his hand on her forearm, gripping it tightly as he brought her back to earth. His blue eyes were completely filled with concern. ¡°Did Ezra fail on his meditation?¡± Chapter 144: Back to School Aida woke up to a bright and sunny day, the heavy weight in her belly utterly incongruous with the joyful sunlight streaming through her windows. Remembering why she had fallen asleep so late, Aida jerked out of bed, running her fingers through her hair as a sad excuse at tidying up as she threw on her clothes. Skipping the dining hall, which was deep in the midst of serving lunch, Aida ran straight to the Healing ward. Aida was immediately stopped by Healer Luk, who was standing in front of the door with her arms crossed. Luk glowered at her, refusing to move. Finally, Aida¡¯s stomach growled, making her concede defeat. Her lips curled down in displeasure, Aida trudged back down the hall, before running into Sue, Levi, and Caleb, who were all bearing trays of steaming hot food. ¡°Ah, there she is,¡± Sue said with a strained smile. ¡°We brought you food.¡± ¡°I woke up late,¡± Aida mumbled, running her fingers through her hair again in a sudden bout of self-consciousness. ¡°Healer Luk wouldn¡¯t let you in because you hadn¡¯t eaten yet?¡± Levi asked shrewdly. Aida nodded. ¡°Good thing we¡¯re prepared for that,¡± Levi said cheerfully as Aida turned right back around to return to the Healing ward with them. Healer Luk let them in with an exasperated sigh, bidding them to put the trays of food in the kitchenette. ¡°Has he gotten better?¡± Sue asked worriedly. ¡°No,¡± Luk said grimly. ¡°Have you figured out what happened to him?¡± Aida asked, her voice raspy. ¡°No.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡° ¡°Eat your lunch, or I am kicking you out,¡± Luk warned, her voice low and threatening. Sue and Caleb gently drew Aida into the kitchenette, placing her on a stool and a bowl of rice and chopsticks into her hands. Levi flashed one charming smile at Luk before gently easing the door shut, waving apologetically at her. ¡°What have you heard?¡± Aida shot at Sue, Levi, and Caleb. Sue exchanged glances with Levi and Caleb, before she scooted forward on her stool to start feeding Aida. ¡°Vanita and Lily told us how you and Dev brought Ezra back to the golem after the fireworks,¡± Caleb said quietly, his hands squeezed into fists on his knees. He blinked his indigo eyes endearingly at Aida, concern evident in his expression. ¡°Other than that, nothing else.¡± Aida chewed robotically, shifting her gaze to Levi. He was leaning against the door, his arms folded thoughtfully across his chest. ¡°What do you think happened?¡± Aida swallowed at Levi¡¯s query before she glanced at Sue and Caleb, who didn¡¯t seem to have an inkling of the deeper question Levi was asking. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m afraid Ezra might have continued with his Ascension Meditation before he was ready,¡± Aida said haltingly. Her throat closed up, making her turn away from the spoonful of rice and vegetables Sue was holding up to her lips. ¡°I wanted to talk to Professor Bruce to see if that was the case, but they sent me to my room¡­¡± ¡°I mean, Ezra is still alive, though,¡± Sue said reasonably, trying to keep the grimness at bay. ¡°And if Ezra really did fail at Ascension, that means he completely departs from the mortal plane, right?¡± Aida took a shuddering breath. ¡°His body is still alive, but¡­I can¡¯t feel his mana.¡± She looked entreatingly at the other three Class 1 students. ¡°Can you?¡± They looked at each other uncomfortably. ¡°But remember when he first got consigned to the Healing ward during the Last Moon?¡± Sue pressed. ¡°His mana was kind of dead, too¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s even worse!¡± Aida set down her eating utensils with a loud clack. ¡°If Ezra got attacked in the middle of Shale Port, with no other casualties, what does that mean about whatever the thing is that attacked him?¡± Sue and Caleb stared at her blankly, their expressions slowly transforming from blank to horror mirroring each other as they worked through Aida¡¯s insinuation. Levi caught on quicker, his eyebrows coming together in the middle. ¡°Do you think the monster is human?¡± Aida¡¯s mouth dropped open. She had never considered the primary adversary as a human, but Levi¡¯s assumption made sense, in a certain twisted way. A human would be able to blend in to the village, and also sneak up on Ezra. The prospect of facing a human made it even more terrifying. He, she, or it could be lurking among us.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Aida said uncertainly, as she tried fitting what she knew with Levi¡¯s theory. ¡°How would one person be able to sow all that discord with all these monster attacks? Especially on such a large scale?¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s not only one person?¡± Levi persisted. ¡°What if it¡¯s a group of people?¡± Aida considered, dread and hopelessness warring within her. For some reason, the abstract idea of fighting an undefined monster was less terrifying than being faced with the prospect of fighting a group of humans. Monsters might have more raw power, but humans could lay traps, derail the resistance force from the inside¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Caleb said hesitantly. ¡°When we were separated in the Deep Western Woods, we didn¡¯t sense a person, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Sue said thoughtfully. She looked back to Aida. ¡°When you got attacked at the lake, did it feel like a person?¡± ¡°No,¡± Aida agreed dubiously. ¡°And I can¡¯t imagine the eels during the North Ocean Village attack were led by a person, either¡­¡± Not without suffering grievous casualties. Levi exhaled. ¡°Okay, so likely not human. But that means this non-human enemy managed to bypass human defenses.¡± They all lapsed into silence, at a loss. ¡°I really need to talk to Professor Bruce,¡± Aida said, standing up. ¡°Oh, but you haven¡¯t¡ª¡° Sue started, staring at Aida¡¯s half-empty rice bowl. ¡°It¡¯s not like seeing Ezra is going to give us more answers,¡± Aida said angrily. She paused mid-stride, looking guiltily back at the food trays. ¡°Can you guys clean up for me?¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor Bruce is occupied.¡± ¡°When will he be available?¡± Professor Gemma peered at Aida through the half-open door of the teacher¡¯s lounge. She gave Aida a full once-over, before sighing and opening the door. ¡°Come take a seat. I¡¯ll pour you some tea.¡± Aida stepped through the door, taking in the occupants of the lounge. Professor Kozu was standing at a window, giving her a brief nod before turning back to look out over the grounds. Professor Havi was in a corner, looking down at a thick stack of papers as he cleaned his spectacles. Aida sat quietly at the large circular table in the middle as Gemma poured tea into several tea cups, setting a steaming mug down in front of Aida before she made a loop around the lounge, handing tea to Kozu and Havi. Finally, she took the seat next to Aida with her own mug. ¡°I take it you¡¯ve already seen Mister Riolt today?¡± Aida hesitated before shaking her head, resting her fingertips lightly against the hot base of the mug. ¡°Healer Luk said he hasn¡¯t gotten better, so¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± They sat in silence for a few moments, with Gemma languidly sipping at her tea. ¡°What did you want to see Professor Bruce about?¡± Gemma finally asked. ¡°I wanted to see if he was able to figure out what happened to Ezra¡­¡± ¡°Obviously he hasn¡¯t, otherwise we would know,¡± Havi said absentmindedly as he flipped to another page on his desk. ¡°I understand your concern,¡± Gemma said gently, ignoring Havi¡¯s comment. ¡°Rest assured, we are actively working to discern what happened to him.¡± ¡°Professor Lloyd is at Shale Port right now.¡± Kozu turned from the window, looking at Aida with his bloodred eyes. ¡°He¡¯s interviewing the villagers to get a clearer picture of what happened.¡± ¡°What is Professor Bruce doing?¡± Aida asked, somewhat desperately. ¡°Why can¡¯t I talk to him?¡± ¡°He is deep in meditation,¡± Gemma replied. ¡°He is also working hard to discover what Ezra might have done.¡± ¡°Does he think Ezra proceeded with Ascension Meditation despite not being ready yet?¡± Gemma and Kozu exchanged glances as Havi sighed quietly in his corner. ¡°We aren¡¯t ruling that out, though we don¡¯t think he did anything permanent,¡± Gemma said reassuringly. ¡°The fact he is still alive is encouraging.¡± Aida felt her shoulders slacken at Gemma¡¯s words. She hadn¡¯t realized how wound up she was. ¡°Even though his mana is¡­weak? I mean, it feels like¡­it feels like his mana is only as strong as¡­a normal person,¡± Aida tapered off, before gathering all of her courage and giving voice to the thought that had been percolating in her mind all night. ¡°Is it¡­possible that he might have lost all his mana abilities?¡± Her question caused the room to freeze completely. Even Havi seemed to be holding his breath. Finally, Kozu took a seat on the other side of the circular table, his gaze fixed on Aida¡¯s. ¡°There are no documented cases of that happening.¡± ¡°Have there been documented cases of what happened to Ezra?¡± Aida asked quietly. After several long breaths, Kozu finally dropped his gaze to his tea. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we don¡¯t have any answers,¡± Gemma said softly. ¡°The best I can promise you is that we are doing our best.¡± ¡°Speaking of doing our best, you should take the rest of today to prepare.¡± Havi glanced over at Aida, betraying an uncharacteristic compassion in his eyes. ¡°Final placement matches will begin tomorrow.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still having placement matches?¡± Aida asked, aghast. ¡°How will Ezra participate? Do you expect the rest of the student body to be in the mood to take exams?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t expect us to graduate you all without some form of evaluation, do you?¡± Havi asked sternly. Aida gaped at him, before looking to Gemma and Kozu for a more appropriate explanation. Kozu had a faint smirk on his face. ¡°What Havi says is a bit crass,¡± Kozu said dryly. ¡°But the point he is trying to make is that we must maintain some semblance of normalcy during these abnormal times, if only to do our part in preventing society from collapsing into anarchy. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Aida struggled to formulate a response, before finally conceding his point. Even though forcing them all to take final exams in light of everything that was happening in the world seemed ridiculous, she could understand the adults¡¯ desires to maintain routine and structure during times of chaos. They must be feeling helpless, too. This is the only way for them to cope. Especially for fully-fledged practitioners, they must be feeling incredibly impotent¡­so they needed to keep the school running as they know it. Not for the first time, Aida wished human resources could be easily assigned to more obviously productive tasks like a real game; such as figuring out what happened to Ezra, or researching the changing phenomenon. ¡°Look on the bright side,¡± Gemma said dryly, draining the rest of her tea. ¡°After the next two star cycles, you will be a graduate of Maglica Academy, and you can do whatever you want.¡± Chapter 145: Too Soon "Hey, Aida..." "Hi," Aida said listlessly, continuing to scrub her brewing supplies. Sue squatted down next to her, blinking anxiously at her. Aida didn''t meet her gaze. "How are you doing?" Aida finally glanced at Sue. She had asked the simple question so softly, so kindly, so sincerely, that she felt her walls shake. Years of building up the stoicism that was required in the professional world, where she always had to put on an unbothered, even pleasant facade while she got walked all over - by customers and supervisors, and occasionally coworkers - long enough that she had mostly adopted that attitude as her baseline persona, and then reinforced by the consequences of displaying her vulnerability to the two boys who discovered her secret in this world - all nearly crumbled under the genuine concern for her. Sue wasn''t asking a loaded question - at least not intentionally. The question itself was loaded, but Sue wasn''t thinking that far ahead. She knew something was wrong, and unlike all the other times where she had insisted that she could take care of Aida with bravado, now she was just asking as a simple invitation to let Aida say whatever she wanted. She had the air of one who knew she wasn''t able to do anything to help the situation, but was also hurting along with her. For some reason, that vulnerability did the most to thaw Aida. No ego, no pretending to understand. An implicit acknowledgment that Aida''s feelings were her own. "Not good." Aida''s words came out broken, fighting through the tightness in her throat. "But I guess that''s obvious." Sue got onto her knees, wrapping her arms around Aida in a tight grip as the metal mixing bowl clattered to the ground. Aida sobbed, lamenting all the unspoken words and missed chances to clear the air with Ezra. She regretted her restraint. She thought she was doing the mature, logical thing when she decided to accept Ezra''s words as law. She wished she had fought back - even if it would have made her look pathetic, and made Ezra look down on her. Maybe if she had humiliated herself begging Ezra to take a chance on her, and he still rejected her, then his current condition would have been a selfish relief. What had she been acting for the whole time? It wasn''t like she could take revenge on him by living a good life with someone else, showing him what he missed out on. There had been no point to preserving her image. Aida drew in a deep, shuddering breath. She had to accept they might not ever learn what happened to Ezra. If he never came out of his comatose state, then he was gone, and her resentment of how she handled the situation was only going to hold her back. As far as what would happen to the world, with arguably the most powerful male lead gone... Aida raised her head. "Sue, do you still not remember what happened in the Deep Western Woods?" Sue blinked at her before shaking her head, smiling sadly. As if she knew what Aida was thinking. "No, I''m sorry. From what everyone else has said, though, I...must not have been out for that long. Since I got back to base within the day." Aida exhaled. Sue did understand Aida''s train of thought...but maybe Ezra would wake up after a little longer. After all, he wasn''t the protagonist of this world - he wasn''t weak, but perhaps he had weaker plot armor than Sue. He has time - Healer Luk can infuse Ezra with nutrition poultices to keep his body alive. Aida was aware she was clinging to an impossible hope - the only kind of hope that existed in stories. The hope that Ezra would wake up significantly stronger than before, the way Sue came back with awakened powers from her stint in the Deep Western Woods. "How do you think they''re going to hold the final placement matches if Ezra is out of commission?" Aida asked. "Um," Sue pulled back from Aida, looking at her face searchingly. She seemed disconcerted at Aida¡¯s immediate change in tone. "They put up a notice saying they''re changing the placement match system...in the interest of fairness and cutting down on frivolities. They''re removing the segment of matches where we fight the other elements in our same tier - so we just fight against and get assigned our final rankings as first through fifth of our respective elements." As Aida tilted her head, trying to understand, Sue continued to elaborate. "Yeah, since we all have different strengths, they said ranking us by combat prowess doesn''t make sense - especially since everyone can help in the effort against the monster attacks in support roles, like crafting equipment and defenses and such. So the speed and accuracy with how we handle our elements against our peers should be enough to judge our ability, instead of getting into the intricacies of evaluating our performance against advantaged and disadvantaged elements."Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Aida nodded slowly, understanding. "But we''re still having the placement matches start tomorrow? Havi warned me we would." "Yup. The idea is that third years will graduate a week early, so we can go home earlier and take care of our things and...say goodbye to our families." Aida felt a chill run down her spine at the reminder of having to meet with Aida''s parents. The thought of graduation being moved up - and having only one star cycle''s worth of matches - should have been a relief, because it meant she didn''t have to continue with the farce of pretending she had shared history with her classmates. But leaving Maglica earlier also meant she would be forced to face ''her'' parents earlier. It''s okay, I have a job lined up already, Aida reassured herself. Maybe she could go straight to Burston City without stopping by the Lorehs''. "Um, so," Sue started, fidgeting. Her face screwed up in thought. Finally, she sighed in exasperation. "Okay, you know I''m bad with tact so I''m just going to say it: are you sure you''re fine? You moved on so quickly to school stuff." Aida had to think for a moment before she realized what Sue was talking about. "I just don''t have time to grieve when we have finals tomorrow." Sue pouted, vexed at Aida''s excellent answer. "Okay...but let''s talk more after matches are over, okay?" ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Sue accompanied Aida to the Lake so she could do some last-minute training. Aida got the impression that Sue wasn¡¯t at all worried about her competition in this altered system of placement matches - which made sense. All of the leads were indisputably the most powerful practitioners in their respective elements. Even in the first placement matches, Sue only ever showed apprehension about how she could defeat Ezra. Time sure has flown, Aida reflected, smiling softly as she fired icicles at the fireballs Sue shot over the Lake as target practice. She remembered how discombobulated she was when she first woke up as Aida Loreh. Her physical body was weak, her mana control nonexistent. Now, after seven extra long moon cycles of hard work and training - since each moon cycle consisted of five star cycles - she finally felt comfortable. Her body and abilities could somewhat keep up with her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m really proud of you.¡± Aida smiled at Sue¡¯s fond words. ¡°Thanks. I am, too.¡± Sue giggled at Aida¡¯s response. ¡°You¡¯ve changed so much. You¡¯re so confident now. You¡¯re like a completely different person.¡± Aida felt her smile fade. She wished she could admit to Sue who she really was - but she knew it was better not to. Especially after the fiasco with Ezra. At the same time, she really hated lying. ¡°I am a different person.¡± Sue grabbed Aida around the neck, hauling her in as she mussed Aida¡¯s hair in an affectionate noogie. ¡°Look at you! You¡¯re so self-aware now, too!¡± Aida laughed as she fought her way out of Sue¡¯s grip, her heart hammering at the near miss. What had she been thinking? Her guard really had dropped so low if she was already letting herself say her thoughts out loud. What if Sue really had taken her seriously? Sue was smiling at her. ¡°Remember how I used to be the one who protected you whenever stupid Boyton would pull your hair? Now you¡¯re in the top half of the class, and you have a job lined up after graduation¡­¡± Sue¡¯s face fell as she contemplated the upcoming changes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about protecting me anymore,¡± Aida said softly. ¡°If you¡¯re going to join the Gullbeaks, you¡¯ll have to focus all your energy on protecting yourself¡­¡± Aida bit her tongue from completing the rest of her thought. Protect yourself so that you can protect the rest of us. Ocean blue met vibrant lilac eyes. The wind stirred Aida¡¯s black strands, her hair mirroring the golden waves that were Sue¡¯s locks. Gazing at Sue¡¯s unworldly beauty, Aida felt her heart clench. Sue will be fine. She¡¯s the main character. She has plot armor¡­she¡¯s meant to go do great things. Regardless of her refrain, Aida couldn¡¯t help but be worried that she was missing a critical piece of the puzzle. Sue¡¯s somber face broke into a dazzling smile as she held her arms out. Aida fell into Sue¡¯s embrace, clutching the taller girl tightly about her slim torso. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to protect everybody,¡± Sue said softly into Aida¡¯s ear, squeezing her shoulders reassuringly. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure nobody¡­will become like Ezra.¡± ¡°I believe you.¡± Aida gently touched Sue¡¯s cheek, her skin soft and smooth. ¡°I never asked - how was the Fire Festival in Buddington?¡± Sue¡¯s eyes lit up and she blushed at the memory, looking every bit like a young school girl despite the weight of the heavy destiny that awaited her. ¡°It was good! We played some games, but we didn¡¯t win anything - I brought him to meet my parents, and he ended up helping them sell skewers at their stand for a bit until they kicked us out.¡± Sue smiled in embarrassment. ¡°He really is such a good guy¡­¡± Aida nodded. ¡°Has he gotten any job offers yet? Or is he committed to helping his parents?¡± Sue¡¯s lower lip jutted out slightly in a pout. ¡°Honestly, Kuri said they were willing to hire all of Class 1 as soon as we graduated, but Caleb and Levi insisted that they wanted to help their parents with their businesses, and Ezra is¡­I think he was going to take their offer, but, well¡­¡± Sue trailed off, before saying in an off-handed manner, ¡°I think Lara is going to take the offer.¡± ¡°With the Gullbeaks?¡± Aida was startled. She didn¡¯t think Lara would mesh well with them, but if they needed firepower, it made sense. Sue hedged. ¡°Yeah, I was surprised. I thought for sure she would focus on her own family¡¯s sanitation business with that whole clan struggle going on, but¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Aida pressed her lips together, thinking back to the smirk on Dev¡¯s face after he had beaten Lara in that random sparring match. Egos are so weird. Now that she thought of Dev again, she frowned. She hadn¡¯t heard much else from him regarding their Adventuring venture. ¡°We should head inside, it¡¯s getting dark,¡± Sue said, linking her arm through Aida¡¯s. ¡°Get some rest for tomorrow, look at who you¡¯re facing¡­¡± Chapter 146: Final Match 1 Lily took the empty seat next to Aida at breakfast the next morning, scooting her chair close to Aida. "Hi! Ready for your match today?" "Yeah, should be fine," Aida said cautiously. She was slated to fight Weyn Bure today, who had ranked nineteenth during the preliminary matches at the beginning of the school year. They had managed to avoid crossing paths throughout the entirety of the school year, but he didn''t seem to harbor any resentment towards her for her underhanded tactics she had used during their match. "Good, good," Lily said airily, dumping her toppings into her porridge as she mixed it thoroughly. "That''s good. Anyway, Vanita and I were talking - we know you''ll be okay in combat, but we thought we should warn you to be on your guard in case Weyn says anything weird." Oh no. "What kind of weird stuff are you talking about?" Aida asked suspiciously, her spoon suspended in the air. Lily cleared her throat as she swallowed her own spoonful of porridge, holding a finger up as she thoroughly chewed the contents in her mouth. Aida waited patiently as Sue looked between the two of them, her own spoon resting between her lips. "So not everyone believes it," Lily finally started, her tone overly lighthearted in that way people spoke whenever they were trying to downplay something serious. "But, you know, since you dated Ezra for a little bit..." "Ah," Aida said, understanding. Rumors had abounded, of course, though Aida had luckily managed to avoid them - mainly because she was too busy keeping up with her coursework and training to devote any time to tracking public opinion, and partially because everything she had heard in the beginning had been too nonsensical for her to continue keeping an idle ear out for her general reputation. "Thanks. I''ll ignore what he says." "Yup!" Lily stuffed her mouth as she nodded vigorously. She continued talking with her mouth full, her words barely comprehensible. "I tol'' hing off when he firs'' started sayin'' shtuff in tha beginning, but¡ª" Lily swallowed before she continued in a more conversational tone "¡ªI don''t think he stopped entirely. Anyway, just don''t let him throw you off your focus." "I appreciate the heads up," Aida said, smiling. "I hope he says something interesting." In her previous life, she had never attracted enough attention to have been wrung through the rumor mill. She knew being targeted was usually unpleasant, and perhaps it was her naivete speaking, but she couldn''t help but wonder how vicious - or interesting - the rumors might be. After all, I never did anything bad or wrong. "What kind of things have you heard?" Sue asked keenly. Lily shrugged. "Stupid stuff. I barely remember. He was just really upset that Aida got into Class 2 in the preliminary rankings, so he was ranting about how the teachers weren''t fair and stuff. I told him it was his fault he didn''t get more points to beat Aida, so it had nothing to do with fairness." Lily belched. "Anyway, he stopped talking after whenever I was around, but I''ve still heard Aida''s name a couple times, so I don''t think he''s totally moved on." "Cool. Cool cool cool." Aida sighed as she looked across the dining hall at where Weyn was sitting with a few other Class 3 boys. He was studiously avoiding looking towards her, even though they were in each other''s line of sight. He certainly looked ill-tempered. "Has he improved a lot?" Aida asked. Even from across the room, with the interference of everyone else''s mana, Aida could still sense that he wasn''t fully relaxed - whether because of nerves or because he really had a bone to pick with her, Aida wasn''t sure. "Ummm..." Lily hedged, looking guilty. "He''s worked hard. I''m sorry," Lily burst out. "I think I accidentally motivated him when I was just trying to get him to shut up." Aida sighed again as she patted the sad girl on the head. Great. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Waters kicked off the matches for the day - followed by Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. Aida suspected the teachers set the schedule that way in the hopes that Ezra would wake up in time to participate, but when she had looked in on him after breakfast he was just as still as when she had brought him back. Dev had given her an encouraging smile as they split off to their respective rings, but with Lily''s warning in her mind, Aida had also paid attention to Lyn Trippe. She noticed the blue-haired girl give Weyn a meaningful nod, along with a glare to Aida. I wonder who else might have trash-talked me behind my back, Aida thought sarcastically. As they took their positions across from each other, waiting for Professor Gemma to kick off the matches, Weyn gave Aida a hard look but said nothing. Aida wondered if there was anything she could say to talk Weyn down. Upon reflection, she had gotten lucky with Pritchard - he had broached the subject and made amends first, at the Loded Peaks. Maybe she should have tried harder to connect with Weyn, show him as far as she was concerned, everything was water under the bridge - but they honestly had no opportunity to cross paths during the academic year, so Aida hadn''t really thought of him too much. As Aida began fidgeting with her fingers, wondering what Gemma was waiting for before starting the match, Weyn smirked. "Did you enjoy your time in Class 2?" "I did," Aida replied pleasantly. "I learned a lot. Did you have fun in Class 3?" As soon as Aida asked her question, Weyn''s expression darkened, making her realize too late that she shouldn''t have tried to be friendly - especially considering how sensitive he was. He probably took that as an insult. Weyn scoffed. "You really think you''re funny, don''t you?"Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Sorry," Aida said quickly, raising her hands in a placating gesture. "I wasn''t thinking." When will Gemma kick off this match? Aida thought, agonized. Opting to avoid putting her foot in her mouth even more, Aida clasped her hands together and tried to look as apologetic as possible - thankfully, before Weyn could do more than scowl, Gemma finally started the match. Reflexively sending a few mana blasts at Weyn while she repositioned herself, Aida easily avoided Weyn''s own retaliatory blasts. They circled each other, feeling out each other''s mana and power. Aida''s primary weakness was still physical combat, so her best bet was to keep Weyn - and everybody, honestly - at a distance. Fortunately, Dev''s insistence that she work on her ice spears had paid off - they only costed slightly more mana than a mana blast, though she hadn''t had the opportunity to refine her ice spears enough to create different sizes the way she could for her mana blasts. But she also didn''t want to act too hastily and show her hand early - after all, she had finally developed her mana pool and stamina enough that she didn''t have to bet everything on a single strike early on. Weyn seemed to have no such compunctions about holding back: he immediately summoned water out of the ground, attempting to capture Aida in icy manacles to hold her in place. Fortunately, Aida had been on the alert, feeling the ripple of mana in the air. Weyn''s mana control was - relatively sloppy, Aida was mildly interested to observe. Or maybe it spoke to Class 2''s abilities. It wasn''t uncommon for Aida to fall prey to sneak attacks by her classmates during their training sessions, but Weyn''s mana was so wild he might as well have been comically telegraphing a punch. Aida interrupted the beginnings of the crystal formations at her feet with an expert mana needle at the thinnest membrane surrounding the bulk of the liquid Weyn had generated - and neatly capturing the rush of water as it flowed out of his invisible container into her own much sturdier mana shell. Weyn''s eyes widened in fury as he realized Aida had completely overtaken his water. It was obvious he had been prepared for her to steal the dregs of his water, which explained the thin streams of water he had left as bait conspicuously behind her. Clearly he hadn''t been expecting Aida to become this savvy when it came to combat. Feeling Weyn''s mana firming up to retake control of his element, Aida quickly separated the captured water into ten icicles, launching them after him and forcing him to dodge as they all plinked into the ground, his heels barely avoiding the sharp projectiles. Aida frowned, skipping back with a light Surge to avoid his lunge. I need to work on being more unpredictable with the icicles. Weyn summoned water again, this time keeping tight control. Aida was forced to dodge his jet of water, along with avoiding his bullheaded rampage as he continued chasing her around the ring. Despite his initial underestimation of her, Weyn didn''t continue giving Aida that handicap. His mana control was sloppy, but he compensated for that weakness by continuing to push Aida with physical threat, never letting her get a second to focus on breaking his mana resistance. How do I get out of this? Weyn''s long reach, supplemented by his water, was his biggest threat. She knew she couldn''t let herself get captured - she didn''t want a repeat of what happened during the first match with him. He would be merciless. Ironically, she should probably have tried to end the match early; with every repeated miss, Weyn got closer and closer to her, using his water to corral her from creating too much space between them. Is my mana control superior enough that I can break through his mana resistance now that he''s on guard? As Weyn bore down on her from the front while his water flanked her, Aida had to make a split decision - forge her way through water and try to wrest enough control of the water away from him for her to make a near escape, or attempt to bulldoze through him and ultimately be at his mercy. Deciding unpredictability was more important, Aida leapt backwards away from Weyn, raising her arms as she feinted a dive through his water wall - she caught a glimpse of Weyn''s triumphant expression - before she double jumped, rocketing towards Weyn. She caught Weyn with her elbow right on his nose as he also leaped towards her, doubling the force of the impact. Aida tucked her head as she braced her trailing hand against her fist, pushing through his physical defenses with a Mana Surge and targeted Mana Penetration for good measure. She felt his mana go limp as he lost consciousness, water splashing down around them as she rolled through her attack. Immediately, Aida returned to Weyn''s side, activating her overlay to evaluate his condition. Broken nose, facial fractures, concussion. Aida was honestly impressed at how durable Weyn was; her elbow was smarting from the collision. She looked to Professor Gemma, waiting to confirm her victory was called before she began healing Weyn. Healer Luk came up as Aida finished sorting out his bruises. "Hello, Healer. I''m not confident with the brain, so I haven''t treated his concussion yet..." "That''s fine," Luk said, performing her own examination of Weyn as he lay sprawled out on the ground. "Very good. I''ll take it from here." Accepting her dismissal with relief, Aida pulled the water out of her wet clothes, lingering to watch as Luk carefully placed her fingers around Weyn''s skull, splayed in a delicate pattern. A glow emitted from Luk''s fingers before Weyn''s eyes finally fluttered open. "Do you know who you are?" Weyn''s eyebrow lifted at the question, suspicion tingeing his expression. "Weyn Bure, third year student at Maglica Academy, Water element." "Very good. Do you know where you are?" "...Final placement match." Luk nodded, satisfied at the answer. "Excellent. Can you get up and walk around a bit? See if there is anything odd with your body." Weyn sat up, his face darkening as he caught sight of Aida standing behind Luk. Now is the optimal time to make an exit. Keeping her face expressionless, Aida headed towards the stands, where she saw Lara and Dev were already seated among the spectators while their opponents, Lyn and Levan, sat on stools inside the ring holding mugs of tea. Lyn avoided Aida''s gaze while Levan gave her a shaky smile that she returned, gratified. I have at least one friend here. Lily and Levi met her at the gate, beaming. "You sure showed him!" Lily thrust her elbow up in an awkward uppercut, while Levi chuckled. "Thanks," Aida said, smiling. She wished the two of them luck with their matches - except for Levi, she informed him as he rolled his eyes - as she headed towards where Sue was sitting. Healer Bokar stopped her, his smile stretching across his entire face. "Aida! What a strong performance," he said happily. "I''m so glad I managed to make it back to Maglica in time to watch - are you hurt?" "I''m fine," Aida reassured him. "How are things in the rest of the world?" Bokar''s smile dimmed as he shrugged. "You know. So-so. There wasn''t much monster activity during the Fire Festival, which was nice. The spirits must have drawn strength from our celebrations and helped tame the monsters'' ire." Bokar laughed heartily as Aida nodded along, smiling. It was superstition, of course - Aida doubted there was any spiritual warfare happening. Bokar clapped his hands cheerfully. "Anyway, I''m going to watch Lily''s match - wonderful job, again!" Chapter 147: Post-Match 1 The first day''s matches concluded with little fanfare. Sue and Caleb had given Aida an approving nod for her performance against Weyn, but didn''t say anything else as they murmured to each other while they observed the rest of the participants. It had never felt so obvious to Aida that she was third-wheeling. Even Vanita was sitting with Abedi, and Edward Sparks sat apart from everyone else as he watched Lily''s match against Shon Yanomo. Aida wasn''t bothered, but she was aware that Ezra wasn''t present. Her intrusive thoughts haunted her all throughout lunch, having her receive congratulations from her classmates on autopilot. You''re over him, Aida told herself firmly. After all, just two days ago at the Fire Festival she had been contemplating her feelings towards Dev - and she wasn''t a wishy-washy adolescent who couldn''t make up her mind. It''s just because what happened to Ezra is shocking, no more than that. It¡¯s normal to consider mortality when something life-threatening happens. Since she was on the path to spiraling into useless, unproductive thoughts again, Aida decided it was a good time to work on some drills to improve her physical combat abilities. Beat the uncooperative spirit out of my head. Levi volunteered to go with her, and despite Aida''s insistence that she didn''t need any help, he managed to smoothly sidestep her excuses by confessing that he was also uncomfortable being left out of Sue and Caleb''s interactions. "They''re embarrassing to be around," Levi announced matter-of-factly. "They actually hold themselves back a bit when you''re around out of respect, but when you''re not there it''s just awkward." "Really? Tell me more," Aida said, amused. Nothing like gossiping about other people for distraction. Levi shivered, rubbing his shoulders even though summer''s insistent presence had managed to permeate through the cooling foliage of the mountains and leave them with plenty of unpleasantly sticky skin. "Well, for one thing, Suelina is always touching him. And not like a light touch of his shoulders here, casual brushing of fingers there - straight up squeezing his biceps, giving him a massage when he doesn''t need it, and very intimate hugs." "That doesn''t sound too bad or out of character," Aida commented. "She¡¯s a very affectionate person." "No, no, you don''t understand," Levi said, annoyed. He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I think they''ve intentionally mixed their mana. That''s the spirit with which she''s stroking him - and he¡¯s not embarrassed by it at all!" Aida gasped at Levi''s vulgarity. "Don''t say things like that if you don''t know it''s true!" After a scandalized moment, Aida added, "And mind your own business!" "But you know what I mean, right?" Levi persisted. "They''re intimate. And you can only be that comfortable with each other if you¡¯ve already done more than that." They continued bickering as they continued on their journey back to the combat rings, which was blessedly empty. As soon as they were no longer able to detect another soul in their vicinity, Levi dropped his cheerful demeanor. He looked at her seriously. "Are you okay?" Aida sighed in exasperation. "This is why I wanted to be alone." "And because you think that way, that''s why you shouldn''t be alone," Levi countered. "On the off chance that we really have lost Ezra, we can''t afford to lose anyone else." Aida stopped in her tracks, steeling herself. "Do you think Ezra is really gone?" she asked. Levi froze at her question, before slowly turning around. He glared at her suspiciously. "What are you thinking?" "What if he''s just going through the same power-up process Sue went through when she was in the Deep Western Woods?" Levi''s suspicious gaze turned into a flat stare. Aida stared back, her breathing carefully shallow. He cleared his throat before glancing around. "You think that''s a possibility? According to your understanding of...this world?" "I don''t know, I just..." Aida faltered. "...anyway, Ezra is still alive, so..."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Levi looked at her quietly for a long moment before he sighed. He reached out and gripped her shoulder tightly. "I don''t have any other theories for what happened, so...I guess in the meantime, I''ll hold on to that hope too." Aida blinked up at him. She hadn''t been expecting him to agree with her - in fact, she had only said what she said because she, despite Levi''s faults when it came to handling close and intimate relationships, relied on him to be her sounding board. He was impressively nonjudgmental, and there was no denying he was intelligent and open-minded enough to accept and understand the crazy things she said to him. He helped her think through possible scenarios, offering explanations from the perspective of a native Wyndian. So it was weird for Levi to be this sentimental. "What do you think happened to Ezra? Have you heard of anything like this happening before? A mana practitioner losing their mana?" Aida stared intently at Levi''s thoughtful expression. "No," Levi admitted reluctantly. "But what''s been happening with the monsters, and what happened with Suelina, also hasn''t happened before. So I don''t think a negative means much." Levi hesitated, lifting his head to look up at the sky as he slowly formulated his thoughts. "I''ll also admit there''s a bit of wishful thinking involved here. Because if Ezra survives this ordeal and comes out a stronger man, then...it would mean your theories might actually explain what''s happening." He gave her a wry smile. "And that would make the world a significantly less fearsome place." ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ After several rounds of physical sparring where Aida soundly lost, Aida and Levi finally vacated the combat arena when several other third-year students trickled in, attempting to squeeze in some last-minute preparations for the second matches tomorrow. "Your reaction time is pretty good, but you should develop some strategies. If you fight a halfway intelligent opponent, you''re guaranteed to lose," Levi intoned as they headed back into the school. "I get that, but I think I''ve improved a lot in seven moon cycles," Aida said petulantly. "You absolutely did," Levi said encouragingly, as if she was a child, which only served to make Aida more annoyed. "I''m just giving you advice to take your combat prowess to the next level." "Thanks, I''ll ask for the advice when I''m ready to become an Adventurer," Aida said sarcastically. Levi clicked his tongue. "By the time you''re ready, it will be too late. You need to be constantly preparing¡ª" "Yeah, but combat isn''t my priority," Aida interrupted. "As soon as I graduate, I''m off to Burston City." "You''re not even going to stop by Buddington Town?" Levi asked in shock. "My parents would flay me if I never visited them to celebrate a major life event." Aida snatched Levi''s arm and dragged him into an empty classroom, hurriedly glancing along the hallway to make sure no one saw them enter before she shut the door. "Okay, speaking of the parents...what do I do?" Aida asked plaintively. "I don''t know anything about them - I don''t even know where they live." Levi grinned uncertainly. "Yes, and it seems like parents would be more difficult to fool than your classmates." Aida began pacing the classroom, worrying her lip as Levi pondered. "Have you ever heard Aida say anything about her parents?" Aida shot at Levi. Levi lifted his hands, the universal signal of indicating he had nothing. "Please understand, I never wanted to be Aida''s friend when I first met her. She was so passive and uninteresting." "Passive and uninteresting...maybe I just don''t have to talk to my parents?" Aida mused. "Unless you can glean any information from Sue about how Aida behaved with her family, just keeping your head down may be the way to go," Levi nodded. "I''ll see what information about your family I can get to you. In the meantime, have you looked through any of Aida''s belongings to get a hint of the kind of relationship she has with her parents?" Aida shrugged helplessly. "I read her diary, but it...really wasn''t helpful. She only talked about what her parents did, but nothing about how it - or anything, really - made her feel. It was all so dry." Aida sighed, rubbing her palms into her eyes. "That was the overall tone, anyway. I got no sense of passion or purpose from her, not even any hint of a hobby or anything." Levi nodded gravely. "Sounds like the Aida I used to know. A follower who was completely dependent on Suelina, and never was interested in pursuing her own self-improvement." Aida wilted against a desk. "Can I get away with only seeing them for one day? Is that culturally acceptable?" Levi winced, sinking Aida''s hopes. "It wouldn''t be a good look, and would honestly be a terrible way to start your career if people found out about it..." Aida frowned. She had expected that answer, given the Confucian slant in several of the history books she had read in the library; but based on how individualistic her classmates had seemed she had been hoping times had changed. Even though she had a good relationship with Healer Bokar and little competition when it came to the job he offered her, with Healer Vega and Weyn Bure''s animosity towards her, she could imagine how quickly the sparks of a scandal could flare up and jeopardize her independence. She had to tread carefully until she better understood the cultural nuances of what she could get away with. "It will be fine," Levi assured her. "You don''t have to stay at home all day, you can go out and about. As long as you see them at least a little bit during the star cycle there won''t be anything too suspicious." Aida was dubious about that claim, but she didn''t know enough to refute it. "I suppose I could use that star cycle to explore the rest of Buddington Town..." Levi snapped his fingers. "Exactly! That''s the spirit." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I''ll put together an itinerary of must-go places for Buddington natives. That will provide you cover if your new coworkers ask you about your life before school." Aida wilted some more. She had been devising excuses for how she could feasibly cut her visit short (she had been hoping the Lorehs would appreciate the idea of starting work earlier so that she could start earning baen sooner), but Levi''s offhand comment made it clear that she should spend as much time in Buddington as she could, in order to familiarize herself with Aida''s background. This is getting so complicated, Aida thought to herself bleakly, resting her head on the desk. "Ah, chin up! You don''t have time to sulk about going home when you have to face Dev tomorrow," Levi said cheekily. ¡°Speaking of, perhaps we should work on a strategy for you?¡± Chapter 148: Final Match 2 The next morning found Aida bleary-eyed and in a slump, despite having gone to bed early. Perhaps it was nerves about facing Dev - Aida was already anticipating a tough match, and expected to lose. Her only goal was to at least put up a respectable fight against him and not embarrass herself. Levi''s strategies yesterday had been useless - Aida knew she wouldn''t be able to pull any of them off, not with how Dev was clearly better than her in both the elemental and physical aspects. There was one strategy, however, that had made Aida shake Levi until he turned into a bobblehead when he suggested it. "Just use your feminine wiles on him." Dishonorable and unlikely to work. And she had even less idea how she could pull that off, especially in the middle of combat. It wasn''t like she was fighting in her regular school uniform with her skirt - they were all going to be wearing their tracksuits, which did not make an alluring silhouette whenever they got wet. Therefore, Aida had resigned herself to facing her first loss. But at least anything I do will be a better performance than when he drowned me in the first match. Waters were fighting last today, which meant Aida had to sit and wrestle with the anxiety of waiting for her doom as everyone else completed their matches. It didn''t help that Kuri decided to sit with Aida and Sue, the two Fires commenting and analyzing everyone''s strategies and execution with gusto. Aida was able to follow along with the critiques, though she wasn''t sure she could absorb their wisdom in time for her own match. "Wow, I''m impressed at Tera''s balanced approach to the fight. She seems much more stable than Pritchard." Kuri was leaning forward in her seat, her eyes sparkling. "That''s right! I don''t remember her being so mature in a fight before." Sue mirrored Kuri¡¯s posture, right on the edge of her own seat. Tera was certainly fighting Pritchard more seriously than Aida had ever seen the girl fight - she seemed especially dialed in lately, perhaps as a result of what happened at North Ocean Village. It had been hard to fully grasp the change in Tera''s improvement, due to how haphazard their class schedules had been ever since the school started sending their third years off-site to perform star cycle-long sponsorship assignments. However, Tera was moving efficiently, exploiting every mistake Pritchard made and barely giving him a chance to capitalize on any of hers. The caramel-haired girl had a look of intense focus on her face, even when Pritchard managed to hit her with an unexpected boulder; she just broke through the rock, bruised, sweating, and panting, but kept her gaze fixed on Pritchard. "Ouch. I''m surprised she''s still standing so solidly," Aida said. Kuri nodded beside her. "Yes, that was a perfectly timed Defense Up. I think she would be quite an asset for an Adventuring group..." "Are you going to extend her an offer?" "I''m thinking about it! She has a good personality, so I think working with her will be easy." "Kuri, have you heard about Dev Flau putting together an Adventuring group?" Sue asked, scrunching her face up as she eyed Pritchard critically. "What are your thoughts about that?" "Oh, yes! We spoke about that," Kuri said airily. She grinned. "I''m optimistic for them. They have the connections and skills to make it work. I''ve already met with the boys, and they all seem ready to bear the torch." Kuri lowered her voice conspiratorially, making Aida and Sue lean in to hear her next words. "We have a handshake agreement where we''ll take them under our wing for the first year - so they''ll basically be an extension of the Gullbeaks." "Really? They get your support for free?" Aida asked. Kuri shook her head, smiling. "Details aren''t straightened out yet, but they''ve offered to pool their resources into objectives of our choosing. These kids are quite smart - they recognize that we''re as independent of an Adventuring company as they come with our information networks being built through communities we''ve helped, so are more likely to avoid being directed into some sort of power struggle between the major families." Aida shook her head in wonder. Dev really was serious about his proposal to create an Adventuring group - and it sounded like he''d convinced the rest of his friends to commit to the cause as well. It really is easier to make things happen when you have the resources... "Ah, it''s time for the Metals," Sue observed. She peered over Kuri''s form at Aida. "Are you ready for your match?" Aida grimaced. "I don¡¯t think more preparation will make much of a difference for me." Kuri smiled briefly. "Don''t worry so much. You aren''t giving yourself enough credit for your abilities." Aida subsided into sullen silence, knowing she wouldn''t be able to convince these two confident Fire battlers otherwise.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Abedi Bellow and Ruth Cadmum''s battle was the highlight of the Metal matches. Even Abedi, who was normally the one who least enjoyed combat, seemed to be invested in the fight. He had finally managed to connected his mana abilities and physical combat together, no longer limiting himself to just his battlehammer. Now he was changing the shape of his weapon''s head between strikes in order to keep Ruth on her toes. There was still a clear preference for the massive hammer, but Aida was impressed at how quickly Abedi was able to mold the mass of metal into a sharp blade and back. Ruth, for her part, was leaning into her speed and agility. Her favored weapon - a pair of gauntlets with claws protruding out of the knuckles - flashed in the light as she parried and struck, demonstrating her own quick metal manipulation as well. Relieved she didn''t have to spend precious processing power on countering weapons, Aida slipped out of her seat to take her place with the other Water students waiting for their turn at the ring, Sue and Kuri''s encouragements echoing in her ear. Dev smiled at Aida as she approached, making Levi¡¯s seductive phrasing of "wiles" bubble up in her mind. She smiled back stiffly. "Don''t expect me to go easy on you," Dev said, a sing-song lilt in his voice. "Didn''t you go easy on me during the preliminary match? I still don''t think I can counter that," Aida replied, tightening her ponytail. She nodded towards Lara, who was standing right at the gate. "My only goal is to be a good warmup before your main match." "You''re aiming low." Dev smirked before glancing at Weyn, who was standing behind Lara and talking to Lyn, his opponent for the day. "You certainly handled yourself well yesterday." Aida smiled ruefully. I guess it looks a lot different from the outside. "Any advice you can give me on how I can avoid getting stomped by you?" Dev paused, tilting his head. "Just stomp me first." Aida looked at him skeptically, though all he did was smile mysteriously in response. Healer Luk opened the gate, allowing them into the ring before she could press him for clarity. They took their positions across from each other, Dev still wearing that mysterious smile. Aida spread her mana out, lightly touching his mana in a facsimile of two boxers touching gloves. She focused on her breathing as she met his icy blue eyes, prepared for Professor Lloyd''s signal. The playful smile was gone from Dev''s face, and he was now watching her with a predatory look, sending shivers down her spine. His mana had also turned chilly, reminiscent of an icy wind. As soon as Lloyd released the students from their holding pattern, Aida couldn''t think of anything else. Whatever feeble hope she had that she could execute any one of Levi''s strategies (like preparing waves of icicles while engaging Dev in hand-to-hand combat) was thoroughly dashed as all she could do was react to avoid getting impaled or caught by any of Dev''s attacks - jets of water, ice spears, walls of water that were just the beginnings of his Water Cage - Aida had a brief second of pride as she hardened the surface of Dev''s water so she could ricochet off of it out of the impending trap he was setting up around her, allowing her to refresh her Double Jump as she fled his grasp. Unfortunately, such was the urgency of her escape that she didn''t have time to do more than send a few icicles at Dev that he neatly knocked aside, not even bothering to move from where he was standing. For some reason, Aida found his refusal to move highly disrespectful. Gritting her teeth, Aida decided her one goal this match was to get him to dodge her attack. She continued evading Dev''s attacks, careful to weave closer to him without alerting him to her plan. Sometimes she flew away from him, sometimes she leaped towards him, but always she aimed to close the distance, making sure to fire some icicles at him periodically to lull him into a false sense of security. Finally, Aida saw her opportunity. She had managed to herd Dev into the center of the ring, making him chase her while thinking he had the advantage by how easily he could manipulate her movements - all the while she had been surreptitiously collecting the puddles and droplets of water that were left around the ring as Dev abused his mana pool. She saw Dev flinch out of the corner of her eye as he felt Aida''s mana roil underneath his feet, and she immediately took advantage of his distraction to jet towards him, her fist primed. Aida had half a second of thrill that she might be able to land a hit on Dev before he tore through her control of the water at his feet and erected a water wall in front of him, right as Aida plunged into the water he stole from her. Fortunately, he didn''t freeze the water quickly enough to trap her entirely in there, allowing her head and fist to erupt out of the water before the ice arrested Aida''s momentum, capturing her with a supremely unattractive grunt. Aida shook the wet bangs out of her eyes, sighing as she looked down at Dev''s face. He was standing mere inches away from her as he gazed up at her, a smile curving his lips. "You didn''t even move, did you?" Aida asked in resignation as she peered down at his feet. "I almost did," he said courteously. "Do you want to try to break free?" "No, I''m nearly out of mana," Aida said glumly. "I forfeit." "Dev wins Match 2!" Lloyd called from the side. "Let her down." Dev reached out to catch Aida as he dissolved the ice wall, supporting her as she fell limply to the ground, exhausted. "You''re not hurt otherwise?" Dev asked solicitously. "No," Aida murmured. "I just want some of Healer Luk''s tea." With Dev''s help, Aida walked over to the edge of the arena where Luk had preemptively set up stools for the students to rest after their matches. He poured her a hot mug of tea before taking one himself, sitting beside her. Aida took a sip, sighing deeply as the steaming beverage ran through her body, chasing off the chills of being trapped in an ice cube. The fragrant tea rejuvenated her enough to bring some spunk back. She eyed Dev beadily, who was calmly sipping from his own mug. "Why are you here? Surely you don''t need the tea." Dev shrugged. "It was a tough match." Aida scoffed. "Don''t patronize me." "It was an interesting match," Dev conceded. He pulled his wand out and began pulling streams of water from both of their clothes, leaving Aida refreshingly dry. "I didn''t know what your goal was, so I had fun trying to figure out your plan." "If you had just moved, I would have accepted my defeat without making a fool of myself," Aida grumbled. Dev chuckled as he leaned over, pressing his shoulder against hers in a friendly gesture. "But that wouldn''t have been very fun, would it?" Chapter 149: Post-Match 2 "You were so close!" Sue clapped as Aida reconvened with her, Caleb, and Levi. "You actually managed to surprise him!" "Your reaction time is much faster as well," Caleb said approvingly, his fingers brushing Sue''s waist discreetly. Ever since Levi called it out, Aida couldn''t stop noticing the small gestures of intimacy between the two lovebirds. I think I owe Levi an apology for not hooking him up with Sue, Aida thought in amusement as Levi mimed gagging behind them. "Where''s my congratulations from you?" Aida teased Levi, forcing him to straighten up as Sue and Caleb turned to him. Levi stroked his chin as he pondered. "I don''t know, I don''t think you executed on any of the strategies I proposed..." "What strategies?" Sue asked brightly. They got into the lunch line. "I could barely think when fighting him," Aida said, annoyed. "There was no way I had the brain capacity to try to set him up for a counter and engage him in a mana resistance fight at the same time." "You didn''t try all your options," Levi chastised her, wiggling his torso in a very disturbing way. "I had no time for that," Aida said stubbornly. Fortunately, Levi relented. "Yeah, yeah, you did well. You''ve showed a lot of improvement." "Are you worried about the rest of your matches?" Caleb asked, oblivious to Aida''s embarrassment. "I think Lara is your last tough match, right?" Aida nodded, grateful to Caleb for moving the topic away from Dev. "How would you evaluate Levan and Lyn''s abilities? Have they improved a lot?" Sue tapped her lips thoughtfully. "Lyn''s still timid in fights, but Levan seems like he''s improved quite a bit." "Is there anything about him I should watch out for?" He was her first win during the preliminary matches, but that had more to do with his generosity in forfeiting against her instead of continuing to fight, which would certainly have ended in his victory since she had such a dismal mana pool size at the time. "Not at all," Levi interjected. "Don''t let your guard down, that''s all. Just keep doing what you''re doing." Aida nodded, looking around the dining hall as everyone began placing their orders. Weyn still looked sulky, but he didn''t seem like he had a vendetta against her. Lyn, who was hovering in his orbit, seemed skittish, refusing to meet anyone''s eye. Aida was interested to note that Tera wasn''t with her, and instead seemed to be obstinately facing away from Lyn as she chatted with Ruth, Bella, and Natalie. Levan seemed unworried, laughing along with the rest of his Class 3 friends as one of them told a joke. His easygoing attitude was in line with all of their previous interactions, which made Aida wary. It would be poetic if she underestimated him due to his kindness from their previous match; after all, these ranking matches were a lot more important than the preliminary rankings. Lara was sitting quietly among her younger friends, focused on eating her meal while her fanclub chattered incessantly around her. She seemed unbothered, though Aida thought she detected traces of the girl''s mana wafting through the air, gently probing everyone else. She''s still on her guard. Finally, Aida turned her gaze to where Dev was sitting with Pritchard, Myk, and Shon. Dev was still reserved, but his quietude reflected more of a quiet confidence than his laissez-faire attitude from earlier in the school year. He looked up from his meal, making direct eye contact with Aida. Swallowing, Aida turned back to the pickup counter before she gave herself away, though part of her wondered if Dev was aware of her internal conflict. Is his familiarity with me because we became close as classmates, or... They had gone through several significant events together, so it wouldn''t be surprising for them to have become close. But were they close enough to become something more? She thought she had detected some traces of that kind of interest earlier, but lately, though he still treated her well, it had seemed to have cooled off - especially after that talk with Professor Bruce. Guilt swarmed through Aida as she berated herself for thinking about something so inconsequential when they were facing the end of society as they all knew it - and especially with Ezra still unconscious. She didn''t owe him anything, he made that clear; but she still didn''t have the closure to move on.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Aida spent the rest of lunch avoiding looking at Dev. Levi was a helpful distraction in that regard; he seemed to have a neverending stream of topics to talk about, Aida eagerly participating in the inane conversation while she hoped her distractions would fade with time. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ "He still hasn''t woken up," Healer Luk said warily when she saw Aida standing at the door. "I figured," Aida said humbly. "I''d just like to sit with him for a bit...please." Luk sighed as she let Aida in. Before Aida could slip past her to take her spot beside Ezra''s bed, Luk snatched her wrist, feeling her pulse. "You seem to be doing better," Luk noted as she used her other hand to grip Aida''s chin, turning her head this way and that as she took in Aida''s countenance. "Yes, I ate all of my lunch today," Aida informed her. Luk tsked, giving her a withering look. "Not that. Your heartache seems to have abated." Aida looked at her, flabbergasted. Luk nodded sternly. "If that was true, then why do I still feel so guilty?" "Silly girl. I was talking about heartache, not guilt." Luk shook her head at Aida''s confusion. "When your heart was broken, your mana and subsequent circulations were sluggish, thick like that horribly sweet syrup the cook likes to use for his desserts. And it took some time, but your circulation has improved. You are nearly back to normal." "You can feel everybody''s emotions?" Aida asked, unnerved. Luk barked out a short laugh. "It is both a burden and a blessing. The best Healers can attune to how their patients are feeling. After all, the body is more likely to fall victim to maladies when the emotional state of the patient is in a slowed state." Luk led Aida towards Ezra''s bed in the back, concealed by curtains. "I''ll be honest: part of the reason I put all these obstacles in your way whenever you came to see Mister Riolt is because I worried seeing him would keep you in that slowed state. I worried you were clinging to him, clinging to familiarity. Life is all about letting your blood run hot, having a quick flow; when your circulation is slowed, you''re more unwilling to let yourself enjoy the ups and downs of life. Less able, I should say, to withstand the rigors and challenges life throws at you." Aida gazed upon Ezra, who was looking just as gaunt as when he first started pushing his boundaries with Ascension Meditation. How can he fade that quickly after just three days? On Ezra''s bedside table was a large bowl of mushed up herbs - the nutrition poultice that Healer Luk infused into Ezra to keep his body healthy. Healer Luk picked up the bowl of herbs. "How much mana do you have left?" "I wasn''t planning on doing further training today," Aida said after a brief pause. Luk nodded approvingly. "Let''s have you apply the nutrition packs, then. This will be a test of your Mana Penetration and control..." Aida followed Luk''s instructions quietly, lifting back Ezra''s shirt to apply an even layer of herbal cream to Ezra''s abdomen. Once Healer Luk deemed the layer sufficient, she folded the dormant mana of the nutrition paste into her own mana, piercing Ezra''s thin layer of living mana and sending her needle into his body, where his organs eagerly gulped down the proffered energy. Aida blinked, feeling her stomach plummet at the state his body was in. His physical body was still fighting to live, but there was no sign of the golden aura in this meat vessel. Hesitantly, she dug deeper, immersing herself in his body to see if there were any traces of his mana anywhere. Everyone else had already impressed upon her there wasn''t a case of a comatose practitioner exhibiting Ezra''s symptoms, but she had to see for herself how drastic his case was. Unfortunately, his body was just as empty of mana as the night she found him. Now the Fire Festival is going to be cursed for me, too. "Aida." Aida lifted her head at Healer Luk''s gentle tone, releasing Ezra''s hand at the same time. "Yes?" "I think you should go." Aida nodded, remembering the Healer''s lesson about how emotions affected mana. I need to focus on myself for now. At least until the matches are over. "I''ll go now. Thank you for everything." Aida paused at the door, the stray thought finally taking form. "Healer Luk...what''s going to happen to Ezra if he doesn''t wake up soon?" Healer Luk looked at Aida silently before exhaling, her eyes weary. "Mister Riolt is under the care of the school until the academic year is over. After that, should his family request he be transferred to a clinic of their choosing, then we will release him to that clinic." "And...what if they don''t?" Aida held her breath as Luk looked down at Ezra, her face impassive. "I will do my best to ensure he is taken care of," Luk finally said, raising her chin with a solemn nod. "It is my duty as a Healer to be with my patient until the end." A lump rose in Aida''s throat as she felt tears build at the corners of her eyes. "Can I...visit him?" "If his family does not request for him, then yes. You may come back to the school to visit him occasionally," Luk said stiffly, after a long pause. "However, once he leaves the school''s grounds I will not be able to share further updates of his condition." "I understand." Aida gave Luk a shaky bow before exiting the clinic, her heart clenching. The longer Ezra remained in a coma, the less hope Aida had that he would wake up as himself. If she had been able to detect any amount of his mana, she would have been relieved; but with no sign of any of his self returning, she couldn''t help but wonder if she had somehow stumbled upon a Bad Ending for Ezra. This stupid game system doesn''t help me at all, Aida thought angrily as she quickly flipped through several menus displaying her current stats and skill lists. Her current attribute chart was significantly improved from when she first dropped into this world, yet the lack of any sort of progress marker in her system menus was a huge blind spot. She had no idea how far into the story she was, and she couldn''t even review past events to see where she might have gone wrong in one of her choices. Taking several deep breaths, Aida calmed herself down as she ran through her mental checklist of concrete objectives. I still have three more matches to go, then I have to deal with the Loreh parents, and then I have to get to Burston City safely enough to start my job. Everything else will have to come after that. Chapter 150: Final Match 3 Aida sat with Levi for Day 3 matches, since they were slated to fight last. "It really is almost over, isn''t it?" Levi commented, lounging back in his seat as they watched Sue gracefully dodge her opponent''s whips of fire, looking more like she was dancing with fiery ribbons than actually fighting. "Your next two matches are guaranteed wins, and with Lara..." he peered at Aida. "Are you going to try to beat Lara?" "Taking on Dev was enough. You think I don''t have more important things to worry about?" Aida demanded. Levi grinned and shrugged. "I''m just asking. The thing I''ve noticed about you is that you insist you don''t want to do many things, but when you''re shoved into a situation you end up doing more than you have to." "I''d rather do a little bit more so I can get out unscathed." Despite Levi''s annoying pokes and prods at Aida, she appreciated how they seemed to have reset their relationship back to their original easy friendship. They could just banter casually, without having to overthink what was being said. Finally, it was time for Aida''s match. "You''ve got this! Don''t stress," Levi called lazily after her. Levan greeted Aida with a smile and a fist bump. "Are you ready?" he asked cheerfully. His utter ease made Aida wary, though she supposed after his previous two matches (Lara and Dev, respectively) getting to fight Aida would be considered a walk in the park. "I think so," Aida said, laughing nervously. "...How do you do that?" Levan cocked his head. "Do what?" "Be so calm," Aida replied. She waved vaguely towards the rest of their classmates, all of them manifesting minor disparities in their behavior as they prepared themselves for their matches. "I mean, even the best combatants still aren''t as relaxed as you."'' Levan chuckled. "That''s because the rankings don''t really matter to me." Seeing Aida''s confusion, Levan smiled again. "I already know what I want to do when I graduate, which isn''t fighting, and how I rank won''t affect anything." He glanced over her shoulder to where Professor Bruce was standing in the center, about to declare the match starts. "I''m happy to talk more, after the match is over. But don''t think just because it doesn''t matter to me I''ll easily forfeit," he added, a small smirk on his face. Aida nodded, grinning. Levan was surprisingly mature for his age, and she could appreciate his attitude. He wasn''t just saying it as an act; he truly knew his skills and value lay beyond what the school rated him as. How else could he maintain such a laid-back attitude? As soon as Bruce released them, Aida Ice Blasted Levan, forcing him to form his own barrier against her hail. Levan ducked out from behind his ice barrier, a grin on his face as he also recalled their preliminary ranking match. He returned fire, shooting icicles at Aida that she easily avoided. They were at an impasse for several moments, exchanging mana blasts and trying to outwit the other with elemental manipulations, but they were both too similar in ability, and too cautious to underestimate the other. If we continue with this stalemate, I''m going to run out of mana before him. Aida wouldn''t be surprised if that was Levan''s plan - her improved combat prowess still wasn''t nearly as much threat as another mana practitioner''s self-sabotage. Since she didn''t have the resources to guarantee victory in a war of attrition, she had to default to risk-taking; try to force a mistake from Levan. Taking stock of Levan''s mana, she saw that he, indeed, wasn''t planning a sneak attack. He was deciding to focus his energies on defending himself from Aida''s attacks, refusing to let himself be caught off-guard like before. That also meant he was taking great care in keeping Aida at bay, blocking her attempts at stealing from the puddles of water that were beginning to flow behind him. Aida was beginning to grow increasingly frustrated at Levan¡¯s passivity as the fight went on. He wasn''t even bothering to attack much anymore, unless it was a clear shot. His halfhearted efforts to "attack" her seemed more like an attempt to cover the fact that he wasn''t really fighting her. As Aida''s eyes passed over the professors and audience, wondering if the Affiliates or Professor Bruce would demand for them to fight properly, she noticed Levi leaning back in his seat with his hands behind his head, watching her match nonchalantly. He tilted his head in a shrug, obnoxiously stretching his lips as he mouthed silent words at her. "Not working."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Furrowing her brow, Aida peeked over the barrier she was hiding behind to see what Levan was doing. He was also crouched behind his own barrier, and she saw wisps of his dirty blond hair poking over the top of his wall. Well, if nothing else is going to work... She planted her palms on the top of her wall, launched herself over, and sprinted towards Levan with Mana Surge boosting her speed. Levan wasn''t prepared for her assault. She had already leaped over his barrier, his hands barely able to block her heel as she drove her leg down towards his astonished face. He crashed through his own ice wall due to the force of her kick, rolling head over heels across the ring as she chased after him, taking advantage of his confusion to gather up all the excess water. As soon as he came to a stop, he was met by Aida''s fist, which he barely blocked again before he grabbed her hand, preventing her from pulling back. They exchanged various blows, both of them getting steadily bruised up as their fight transformed wholly into the physical realm. After soaking a few more hits, Aida threw her arms around Levan''s waist, dragging him to the ground as she ducked her head, gritting her teeth as he wrapped his legs around her petite body, raining blows down on her back. Water Cage! Immediately, water swept over the two of them, softening Levan''s blows as he fought against the sudden resistance. She felt him immediately release her as he tried to rectify his mistake, but her Mana Resistance - supplemented by his panic - was far stronger than his Mana Penetration. Levan turned his attention towards Aida, blasting her with mana through the water, which Aida didn''t even try to fight. Aida couldn''t help but exhale a precious breath of air at the impact, but she let the blast carry her to the edge of her water bubble, where she fell out onto the ground, coughing. Aida remained sprawled on the ground, aware she was leaving herself completely open to whatever Levan would decide to do, but unable to divert brainpower away from her Water Cage to drag herself into a more defensible position. Levan had finally calmed down, and was alternating between trying to swim out of her Water Cage and trying to break through her mana control. Unfortunately for him, Aida wasn''t going to let him have a chance if it was the last thing she did. Unfortunately for Aida, however, she was rapidly running out of mana, despite having salvaged unclaimed water from the ring. The edges of her vision began turning black, her breathing shallow as she strained to keep her Water Cage up. She could barely feel Levan struggling in her water, but she couldn''t tell if it was due to him losing consciousness or her... ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ "Ah, you''re finally awake." Aida blinked blearily up at Healer Luk''s silhouette blocking out the sun. "Who won?" "It was a very close match," Luk said crisply, ignoring Aida''s question as she pulled her to her feet. "Come now, time to vacate the ring so the Woods can start their matches." Healer Luk unceremoniously dumped Aida on a stool next to Levan at the Healing station, pouring her a cup of tea as the Wood students filtered out to the arena. "Do you know who won?" Aida asked the pale-faced Levan. He grinned shakily. "I think you did. I passed out." "Wow," Aida murmured, sipping her tea. "Great job. You really pushed me to my limit." He chuckled weakly, glancing at her with his aqua-colored eyes. "You did much better this time. It was a well-deserved win." Aida shifted awkwardly, uncomfortable with the praise. She didn''t feel like she deserved it, especially considering how Levan hadn''t even bothered to initiate any true attacks against her. It was all purely self-defense from his end. She decided to change the subject. "So what are you doing after graduation that your ranking doesn''t matter?" Levan''s eyes brightened. "I''m going to be working on a cultivation method that would reduce the resources required to grow crop staples." Aida paused, her mind sluggish as his idea sounded familiar. "Isn''t Levi''s dad working on something like that?" "Ah, he''s mentioned it?" Levan asked excitedly, color flowing back into his face. "Yes, that was a project I''ve been working on since first year at Maglica. My parents mentioned it during a family gathering on New Sun Day, and so¡ª" Levan began speaking enthusiastically about how he discovered hydroponics and was able to get several important family heads from the agricultural industry interested in his work. From what Aida could gather, Levan was some sort of relative of Levi''s, being the son of a hybrid Water and Wood union: not quite distinguished enough to have a well-known name, but not low enough that he wasn''t allowed to pursue his own interests. He was now talking about his next project he was in the midst of developing, with the hope that once he left Maglica he would be able to devote sufficient time to it. "A potion that can speed crop growth?" Aida repeated slowly. "What would make it different from fertilizer?" "It is an enhanced fertilizer! My potion will be infused with my own mana, which will force the crop to grow faster - not quite as fast as a Wood practitioner can grow a plant, but it should be able to help nonpractitioner farmers produce more crops during a season." Levan had turned in his seat towards Aida, his fervor evident. "Do you see how valuable such a potion can be? Humanity won''t have to be concerned with basic food supply if I can get this potion developed - especially considering how dangerous it is for nonpractitioners to go out foraging and hunting right now." Aida nodded thoughtfully. It was so refreshing to hear about ideas that weren''t wholly driven by status. "Unfortunately, there are still a lot of obstacles before I can start working on this potion full-time," Levan said, sighing. "The water farms are quite sensitive to environmental changes, so I''ll be heavily involved in experimenting to make it suitable for different climates - I''ve been talking to Uncle Alvin, who said he''ll support my living expenses as I test out and modify the setups." "That sounds like you''ll be traveling a lot," Aida observed. "Aren''t you worried about how dangerous it''s gotten now with all the monster attacks?" Levan smiled meekly. "That''s the main thing my parents are concerned about. This is going to be a very expensive endeavor, so...we haven''t fully agreed on what I''ll do after graduation..." The way Levan said it so reluctantly sounded as if he had less of a say in his life trajectory than he would like. Intrigued at meeting another person who might be in a similar predicament, Aida couldn¡¯t help but probe more. Maybe she could get some culturally-relevant ideas on how to sway her own "parents." "What do your parents prefer?" Chapter 151: Post-Match 3 I "What would my parents prefer?" Levan repeated. He shrugged uneasily. "At the moment, they want me to stay safely within Sunny Leaf Vale - less exposure, you know? At least until things get back to normal. But the problem is that the current setup already works well enough in local conditions, so there isn''t much more to work on. And I can''t exactly talk with other locations to help fix their setups while I¡¯m at home..." Aida nodded in understanding. Wyndia didn''t have a postal service, which was how she got away from corresponding with "her" parents too often. Instead, Wyndians relied on word of mouth - hearing if someone was traveling somewhere, and then asking them to bring their letters along, with more wealthy patrons hiring Adventuring groups to hand-deliver urgent missives. With the increase in monster attacks, people had to depend more and more on Adventuring groups to communicate with their friends and relatives in other hubs of civilization, which prompted an increase in civilians pooling their baen to hire Adventuring groups. Despite the growing market need, Adventuring groups still chose delivery jobs based on where more expensive jobs would take them, which meant that the small villages Levan was hoping to help would be unlikely to be communicate with Levan in a timely manner. "So it would still be most efficient for you to travel to the smaller villages to set up their water plants for them," Aida concluded. Levan nodded. "If Uncle Alvin didn''t offer to cover the travel and living expenses, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to persuade my parents. But he doesn''t have enough baen to hire security for the duration of my stay, only for escorting me between villages." Aida nodded thoughtfully, feeling like this was an actually important piece of knowledge about her classmate. Levan''s goal was noble, and made a lot of sense. If he could help smaller villages produce more of their own food, they would be less exposed to danger while foraging or starving, if imports were delayed or disrupted by monster activity. You already have your own goals and a job to focus on. You shouldn''t be distracted so easily by other people''s difficulties, Aida chided herself. Maybe if she had Sue''s power, or Dev''s influence, she could help Levan; as it was, she had to focus on herself. ¡°What about you?¡± Levan asked. ¡°Are your parents fine with the thought of you working at a poison clinic?¡± He kept his tone light and impartial, as if he was trying to reassure her he didn¡¯t judge that field. Aida winced at the reminder. ¡°I also haven¡¯t really talked with my parents about that.¡± ¡°But¡­you want to, don¡¯t you?¡± Levan¡¯s gaze was serious. ¡°Work with Healer Bokar, I mean.¡± ¡°I do,¡± Aida said slowly. She smiled briefly. ¡°And I don¡¯t know how you feel about your parents¡¯ preferences, but¡­I find my parents¡¯ alternative for me unacceptable.¡± Levan nodded silently, having too much decorum to inquire deeper. ¡°Whatever choice you make, I think you¡¯ll do great work.¡± ¡°I should say that to you,¡± Aida replied, after a moment of surprise. ¡°Your work is already influential enough to attract the attention and support of the Ashet family.¡± Levan chuckled, shrugging. ¡°When you put it that way, I guess so¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not proud?¡± Aida asked, tilting her head. He genuinely seemed like he hadn¡¯t been paying attention to the tangible results he¡¯d achieved. He scratched his cheek uncertainly. ¡°I just feel like I haven¡¯t accomplished anything yet, so I can¡¯t truly say that I have anything to be proud of, you know?¡± At Aida¡¯s blink, he hurried on, his cheeks reddening. ¡°I mean, sure, Uncle Alvin has promised to help to the best of his ability - but it¡¯s not as if I got the attention of, I don¡¯t know - the Mugi family, or something on my own,¡± Levan giggled nervously as he mentioned the name of a major agricultural family. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to downplay Uncle Alvin¡¯s support,¡± he added quickly, glancing over his shoulder nervously as if he was worried Levi was hanging over the wall, eavesdropping on them, despite the fact that his distant cousin was already in the ring. ¡°But it¡¯s just¡­he¡¯s known me since I was a kid, so it doesn¡¯t mean as much, you know?¡± ¡°You feel like he¡¯s supporting and praising you just to be nice?¡± Aida guessed. Levan struggled to come up with a more diplomatic answer, before he finally nodded and shrugged in defeat. She nodded thoughtfully. Levan was trying to remain grounded and humble, which was respectable, but his downplaying of his achievements definitely irked her for reasons she couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Reminding herself that he wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose, she chose her next words carefully. ¡°But if your project had no potential, Levi¡¯s dad wouldn¡¯t have committed to supporting you, right? I mean, he could just be ¡®nice¡¯ about it by praising you verbally, not by putting his baen where his mouth is.¡± Levan blinked, his mouth dropping open as he considered her words. He shut his mouth as he withdrew, his fingers cupping his lips as he thought. ¡°Granted, I don¡¯t know if he can still finance what he promised you earlier, given how dangerous travel is getting,¡± Aida said hastily. ¡°But the fact that you came up with an idea no one else had worked on yet, one with enough promise that someone is willing to invest in you¡­that¡¯s pretty good, right?¡± ¡°I never thought of it that way,¡± Levan murmured quietly, tapping his mug with his fingernails, quietly plinking out a steady beat. ¡°Hey, come on, don¡¯t let what I just said get to your head,¡± Aida said jokingly, elbowing him. ¡°Don¡¯t let your head get too big, but you should still be proud of what you¡¯ve accomplished so far!¡± Despite his earlier confidence in saying he didn¡¯t care how he ranked in the school, with the vulnerabilities he admitted to just now Aida thought she had a better understanding of the kind of person Levan was. He was smart, of course, with a good heart and intentions. But he was also a bit like Lyn: he believed he didn¡¯t have any worthwhile ability, so rather than suffering the shame of trying and then failing, he decided it would be easier to get ahead of his critics by declaring his refusal to participate in a rigged game. The difference between him and Lyn, however, was that he had an external interest that he could use as a crutch. Aida wondered if Lyn had a similar motivation, one that she was afraid to admit to her family or sister. She saw the girl on the furthest stool away from them, nursing her own mug of cool tea. ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying,¡± Levan said, smiling. He took Aida¡¯s empty mug from her hand to place back on Healer Luk¡¯s tray. ¡°And yeah, you¡¯re right. Uncle Alvin¡¯s generous, but he wouldn¡¯t be generous enough to just throw baen at any old hobby project.¡± Pulling Aida to her feet, the two of them climbed out of the arena. Levan seemed lighter. He had always been a good-natured, generally happy individual, but now he seemed to be buoyed by something from within. That couldn¡¯t have been the first time he received encouragement? Waving goodbye to Aida, Levan headed back into the stands where his group of friends sat, leaving Aida standing alone. Levi was already in the midst of his match against Lily, his opponent, and Sue was sitting with Caleb, without an empty seat next to her. Vanita was sitting with Abedi, slightly splintered off from the rest of the Class 2 boys. She caught Dev''s eye, who was sitting on the side with Myk and Pritchard with an open seat beside him. It''s not weird, Aida reassured herself as she headed towards him. It would look more weird to sit alone. "Anybody sitting here?" Aida asked as she approached. Pritchard and Myk merely jerked their heads upwards at her in quick acknowledgement before they went back to viewing the Wood matches, heckling Shon''s performance. "Take it," Dev said, giving a half smile. "That was a good match against Levan." "I guess it was," Aida said dubiously. "I still don''t know who passed out first." "We will have to wait for the teachers¡¯ verdict, then," Dev said, resting his elbows on his knees as he turned back to the matches. Aida watched him watching the matches, feeling oddly relaxed. Maybe it''s Luk''s tea. His hair literally sparkled in the sunlight, the pale strands delicately brushing his alabaster skin. What would you do if he was your arranged partner? Aida couldn''t help but snort at the casual thought that drifted through her mind, causing Dev to glance back at her, accompanied by a perfectly arched brow. "What''s so funny?" "Nothing," Aida muttered, lowering her eyes as she tugged a lock of hair forward to obscure her face, avidly studying it under the excuse of detangling her hair after the challenging match with Levan. The status difference between their families was too great to even entertain that thought. "Here." Dev created a ball of water in the air in front of her before he gestured with his hand. "Do you mind?" Aida shifted so that she was facing him, ducking her head so that she was staring at her hands in her lap, fingers carefully relaxed. Dev gently slid the hair tie out of her ponytail and began running his fingers through her hair, dislodging the mud that had begun crusting in the strands. She felt the cool water wet through her hair and scalp as Dev scrubbed gently with his fingers, giving her a head massage. She closed her eyes, counting her breaths to keep her breathing steady as Dev continued working his fingers through her hair. His thumbs drew circles at the base of her head, lingering. Or did they? This means he likes you, right? a smug voice asked. He''s doing it in public. That means it''s not a big deal, a haughty voice rebutted. Aida had to reluctantly agree with the haughty voice, no matter how much she wished the smug voice was correct. Despite the logic, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Dev enjoyed touching her - he didn¡¯t need to offer, after all. Her heart and thoughts raced now, each spurring the other on. Did he¡ª "All clean." In an instant, Aida''s hair dried as Dev pulled the water out of her hair, shaking the water from his fingertips. Pure efficiency, leaving not even a hint of hope he wanted to continue. Just like that, done. His breath fell against the back of her head, closer than she expected. ¡°I¡¯d say don¡¯t make such a mess next time, but then I couldn¡¯t do this.¡± Butterflies fluttering in her stomach, Aida blinked rapidly as she lifted her head to see Dev smirking at her. "What?" Chapter 152: Post-Match 3 II He flicked the remaining water from his fingers all over her face. Aida spluttered, trying to come up with a sufficiently mature response as the tenderness in Dev¡¯s eyes creased into mirth. Say something, you dunce! Dev laughed as he stood up, blending in easily with everyone else as Bruce called the final match. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ In a fit of mortification, Aida managed to avoid walking into the lunch hall with Dev by insisting she was going to wait for Levi, who had looked at her and Dev''s retreating back with a suspicious eye but was interrupted from commenting when Sue bounced up to them, Caleb in tow. She gulped down her lunch, excusing herself early to go visit Ezra. It was only when she finally sat down next to Ezra, nodding silently at Healer Luk¡¯s rebuke about how eating too quickly was bad for her health, did Aida begin to slow down, letting her emotions wash over her. Aida buried her face in her hands as soon as Healer Luk closed the curtains, trying to cool her face with her clammy fingers. She remembered meeting his eyes, normally so pale it took on a tinge of whatever he was looking at - and this time, the hue reflected had been a deep blue. Aida gripped the roots of her hair, remembering how gently, yet firmly, his fingertips had rubbed against her scalp. How carefully, how tenderly, his fingers had worked their way through her hair, untangling the knots. He was definitely playing with her, no doubt about it. The real question was if he was trying to nudge their relationship in that particular direction, or if he was just playing as a friend. From what she saw of him in classes, he was a pretty straightforward guy - but that could be true for everyone who didn¡¯t have someone to flirt with. She took a deep breath, straightening her back. Her eyes fell upon Ezra¡¯s still figure, reminding her guiltily that it wasn¡¯t quite right for her to be distracted by another boy when he was right in front of her. She might as well have been hanging out with Ezra just to complain about another guy. Cringe. She peered at his face more carefully. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was wishful thinking or a rationalization for letting herself get carried away with a shiny new attraction, but it really looked like Ezra¡¯s cheeks had filled in a bit, making him look more like a recently-hospitalized patient than a long-term resident. Aida reached for his wrist, checking his pulse. Still faint - or slightly less faint? She probed within his body, trying to feel for any trace of his mana. Unfortunately, despite his improved complexion and generally unproblematic circulation, there was still no sign of any of his practitioner mana within his body. Aida wondered if she could sense any brain activity - after all, she was able to sense people¡¯s emotions to a certain degree, so wouldn¡¯t it make sense that she could at least see if Ezra¡¯s brain was active? ¡°What are you doing?¡± Healer Luk¡¯s suspicious voice broke through Aida¡¯s thoughts, making her withdraw her mana with a snap. ¡°He looked much healthier today, so I was wondering¡­¡± Aida trailed off as Healer Luk pressed her lips together. ¡°His body is absorbing the nutrition paste well after I made some modifications to the recipe, which is a good sign.¡± Healer Luk didn¡¯t say anything after that, merely watching Ezra¡¯s sleeping form quietly. Finally, she sighed. ¡°Well, now you¡¯ve seen him. His condition is unchanged. If there¡¯s nothing else¡­¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida stared up at the dark ceiling of her bedroom that night, her mind sluggish and her heart strained. On the one hand, she couldn¡¯t stop her heart from skipping when she replayed the playful flick of water Dev splashed onto her earlier today. Even though her response was embarrassing, and she had come up with any number of responses in the shower that evening that would have been infinitely better than her shock (a coy ¡°you¡¯ve already made a mess of me,¡± or even a stoic ¡°you¡¯re ridiculous¡± would have been less awkward), it was at least an innocent and fun experience.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. She knew tangling with Dev was a bad idea. Especially with how close they were to graduation - she was going to Burston City, and Dev would be traveling around Wyndia as he fulfilled his Adventurer duties. But on the other hand, because they were going to lead very different lives soon, that also made her confession - if she decided to go through with it - a low-stakes gamble. If he didn¡¯t return her feelings, then she could easily start fresh in a new city, and they could avoid the awkwardness of unrequited feelings. And if he did return her feelings, well¡­ What would be the end goal? Aida scoffed, throwing her arm over her eyes as she confronted what was possibly the most difficult question presented to her since entering this world. She was being dramatic, perhaps, but she felt like even kindling the start of her relationship with Ezra wasn¡¯t this difficult. Because he brought it up first. She was starting to feel more sympathy for Levi now, despite the well-deserved scolding she had inflicted on him. It¡¯s a lot easier to be objective and mature when it¡¯s not me who has to take action¡­ The only consolation she had was that once they went their separate ways, there wouldn¡¯t be an opportunity for her to expose her jealous side if Dev ended up dating someone, so at least she wouldn¡¯t end up looking petty like Levi. On the other hand, she was still wrestling with concern over Ezra¡¯s condition. She knew Ezra¡¯s spirit hadn¡¯t returned to his body yet - her cursory examination of his body before Luk interrupted her was enough confirmation. But she still couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was closer to waking up. She closed her eyes, letting herself fall asleep to the gentle rhythm of tree branches tapping on her window. Her eyes flew open. She didn¡¯t have trees in front of her window. Methodically, Aida moved only her eyes, trying to see if she could identify the reason why she felt like she was being watched. Nothing. Taking a cautious breath, she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, examining the rest of her room. You¡¯re being paranoid. Finally, she turned towards the window, feeling her breath catch in her chest. Her heart hammering in her chest at the impossibility of it, Aida got out of bed, pressing her palms against the window where he had his own hand placed. She could almost feel the heat of his palm transmit through the glass. It was him. He looked just as she remembered him, silver hair fluttering in the night breeze, a gentle smile on his lips as he looked into her eyes. She could even see herself mirrored in his silvery irises. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Aida asked incredulously, unable to hold back a delighted laugh as Ezra nodded at her. His mouth shaped some words, but she couldn¡¯t hear through the thick glass window pane. She shook her head to indicate to him that she couldn¡¯t hear him, and he looked frustrated. Pulling her hand back though it pained her, Aida motioned for Ezra to remove the window the way he did when they first snuck out onto the roof. She watched him expectantly, her heart booming in her chest. When Ezra shook his head, Aida felt a pit settle in her stomach - as well as some wariness bubble up. How could Ezra have recovered so quickly? And how could he have left the Healing ward without Luk noticing? And why would he come find her through the window, instead of just knocking on her door? Or seeing her tomorrow morning? Is this really Ezra? Looking around her room, she noticed things didn¡¯t seem as solid as before - things would snap into focus when she looked at them, but the instant objects moved to her peripheral vision, they would begin losing their shape, as if their existence didn¡¯t matter, until she directed her full attention at them again. Instinctively pointing her wand at Ezra, which conveniently materialized in her hand, Aida felt her breathing become shallow, tension and adrenaline entering her body as she began to realize things weren¡¯t quite right. Where am I? It still felt like she had control of her body - she just couldn¡¯t explain the environment she was in. She now noticed that Ezra was floating in front of the window, instead of standing on the precarious metal ledge. A demon? A ghost? Whatever nonhuman, shapeshifting entity this world has? She pushed out with her mana, trying to get a feel for her surroundings as well as prepare her defenses. There wasn¡¯t a sense of danger in the air, though - not like when she was at North Ocean Village, not like when she was down at the Lake with Ezra. The floating Ezra figure had raised both of his hands placatingly, his lips moving quickly, as if he was trying to talk her down. If she didn¡¯t know any better, she would have withdrawn her wand. ¡°Nice try!¡± Aida shouted, hoping Sue next door - if there was a Sue, and she wasn¡¯t trapped alone in some sort of mind prison attack - would hear her and come save her. The acoustics of her room seemed to be operating normally, despite being visually confusing. ¡°Who are you, and how dare you take Ezra¡¯s shape to taunt me?¡± The Ezra phantasm shook his head pleadingly, a defeated expression on his face. Even though Aida knew that couldn¡¯t be him - he was floating, for heaven¡¯s sake, and he couldn¡¯t even manipulate metal - her wand shook at the convincing performance. Unlike the objects in her room, the phantom still maintained a sense of realism, not twisting and contorting with the fickleness of her thoughts. He really does look like Ezra. Finally, ghost-Ezra stepped back from the window, forcing a bitter, if sad smile on his face. He began making basic gestures at Aida, accompanied by exaggerated mouthing - though his form began fading, so she couldn¡¯t make out what he was trying to communicate. Squinting her eyes in confusion, she tried to memorize the actions, to no avail. All she could do was squint tighter and tighter as ghost-Ezra¡¯s contrast faded more and more¡ª Chapter 153: Final Match 4 I Until Aida¡¯s eyes snapped wide open, the early summer sun¡¯s rays already warming the palm of her splayed hand through her window. She bolted upright, looking at the perfectly innocuous window. No sign of the phantom Ezra ever having been there. That was a dream. Exhaling, Aida looked hopelessly around her room, which was exactly as she had left it last night. Nothing out of place, her furniture and belongings still keeping their shapes when she didn¡¯t look directly at them. She had heard anecdotes back in the real world of people¡¯s loved ones visiting them in dreams before they passed on - like a last farewell. Her heart twisted at the thought. Springing out of bed as she heard her classmates begin bustling in the hallway, Aida threw on her athletic clothes for her match this morning. She would just drop in and check on Ezra really quickly before breakfast - surely Healer Luk wouldn¡¯t begrudge her a quick visit. As expected, Healer Luk was miffed at the early visit, especially since she was in the midst of rinsing tea leaves for the matches, but after hearing her rambling about receiving a dream from Ezra, she let Aida in to check Ezra¡¯s condition for herself. ¡°As you can see, nothing has changed,¡± Luk said, accompanying Aida to Ezra¡¯s bed. ¡°But if you are very concerned, I will bring it up with Professor Bruce and see what he says.¡± ¡°Can you?¡± Aida turned to Luk, her eyes beseeching. She just wanted answers. ¡°Can I please finally talk with him as well?¡± Luk wavered briefly before she sighed, rubbing her temples. ¡°Girl, you realize it has only been four and a half days since Mister Riolt was brought back here?¡± Aida blanched at the reminder. It felt so much longer than that. ¡°However, I understand your worry. I will speak with Professor Bruce, and perhaps we can convince him to meet with you briefly to assuage your fears. After your match tomorrow.¡± ¡°Can I talk to him today?¡± Aida pressed, not backing down against Luk¡¯s frown. Perhaps she saw Aida¡¯s conviction, or sensed her agitation, but she finally relented. ¡°No promises, but I will make sure he speaks with you tomorrow at the latest.¡± Nodding gratefully, Aida let Luk steer her out, casting one last worried glance at Ezra as she passed beyond the curtain. He still looked just as healthy as yesterday, merely looking as if he was in a deep, dreamless sleep. A far cry from the gaunt, nearly skeletal body that she had visited just two days prior. As much as she was glad to see Ezra¡¯s body looking healthy, she was still unnerved by what her dream meant. Was it just her own wishful thinking, paranoia, guilt, or other form of overactive imagination that summoned the oddly realistic vision of Ezra in her dreams? The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that it really was Ezra - and he had been trying to communicate something to her. She gritted her teeth, refusing to entertain the worst-case possibility. It can¡¯t be because he¡¯s moving on. He didn¡¯t look like he was saying goodbye. ¡°Aida! What are you doing just standing out here?¡± Tera''s imperious voice broke through her thoughts, a slim arm cuffing her around the neck and dragging her down. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Aida yelped before a helpful hand clasped her windmilling arms. ¡°Is the thought of facing Lara intimidating you?¡± Natalie teased, her face right next to Aida¡¯s. The tight grip around Aida¡¯s neck loosened a bit as Natalie squeezed her cheeks. ¡°Come on, you can¡¯t embarrass Class 2!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you?¡± Bella asked, eyeing Aida¡¯s pale complexion. ¡°You don¡¯t have much time left.¡± Acquiescing, Aida let herself get dragged into the dining hall with the rest of her classmates, where she gratefully ducked behind the taller girls when she caught sight of Dev¡¯s pale hair. The girls wolfed their breakfasts down, all of them exhibiting nervousness to one degree or another. Like Aida, Natalie and Tera were both facing the top-ranked student of their element today - Sue and Caleb, respectively - though they seemed to be more comfortable bluffing their way through, trying to convince themselves they would be fine. Ruth and Bella were more relaxed, since they were facing the fourth ranked in their elemental group. ¡°Just one more day after today,¡± Bella said reassuringly, more to herself than the rest of the girls.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Sucks for you all - I¡¯m done after today,¡± Ruth said smugly as they threw her dirty looks. With Ezra out of commission, the Metals arguably had it easier. They all had to fight one fewer match than the other elements, resting whenever they rotated to the slot they were supposed to face him. ¡°Speaking of - you just came from seeing Ezra, right?¡± Ruth¡¯s voice had softened as she turned to Aida. ¡°How is he doing?¡± Aida shrugged, her mouth full of porridge that suddenly tasted like uncooked oatmeal. ¡°He¡¯s¡­still alive.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Ruth said, abashed. ¡°I know you don¡¯t have the energy to think about that¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, at least you¡¯ll pretty much be done after today,¡± Natalie said encouragingly. ¡°What do you have so far? Two wins, one loss?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t check my results for yesterday¡¯s match¡­¡± Aida tapered off as her face flushed again, remembering her humiliation immediately after the match. ¡°They assigned you that win,¡± Tera informed Aida. She glowered. ¡°And even if you lose today, I bet you¡¯ll be able to get a win off of Lyn.¡± ¡°Um¡­how¡¯s it going between you two?¡± Aida asked tentatively. The last she saw of them together, they had a major argument due to differing philosophies; and though she agreed with Tera and didn¡¯t have sympathy for Lyn, she wondered if Tera¡¯s glower was that of a protective sister, or someone who wanted to teach an annoyance a lesson. ¡°Should I¡­hold back?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Tera said hotly. ¡°You worked hard to get to where you are, don¡¯t throw that away just to soothe her ego!¡± ¡°Yes, dear, don¡¯t risk your future for someone else,¡± Bella agreed, nodding sensibly. ¡°But let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves¡­we should get going now¡­¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The match against Lara was going, as expected, horribly. The blue-haired girl wasn¡¯t giving Aida any chance to strike back, going at Aida with the force and fury that was typically seen in Sue¡¯s attacks. Is this the result of Class 1¡¯s training? Aida thought, bemused as the sky swirled in her vision for the umpteenth time. She wasn¡¯t quite sure how she had ended up on her back again - she suspected she had gotten struck by an ice projectile this time, or it could have been Lara¡¯s foot, or she might even have tripped herself - it was getting difficult to keep track of everything. Using a quick spurt of Heal, taking advantage of the self-heal bonus, Aida cleared the fog in her mind, shaking her head as she scrambled to her feet again, slightly more alert. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed,¡± Lara said. She wasn¡¯t even standing in a combat position anymore, and was instead facing Aida with her arms across her chest, looking distinctly peeved. Aida took minor satisfaction in seeing Lara waver, before she shook her head and realized Lara was standing firmly. ¡°With all of the loyalty you¡¯ve inspired from other, more powerful practitioners, I was expecting you to impress me with powers hitherto unknown.¡± ¡°¡¯Loyalty?¡¯¡± Aida repeated. ¡°You mean¡­from my friends?¡± Lara scoffed. ¡°Of course. Your friends.¡± Lara disappeared from sight, forcing Aida to bring her arms up to guard her face as she began sensing for Lara to appear. Lara¡¯s preference for physical combat seemed to have grown stronger, which Aida didn¡¯t quite understand. She barely used any of her element, only sometimes tossing a halfhearted blast - though still dangerously destructive - to force Aida into disadvantageous positions. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why they would deign to associate with you.¡± Even with such a long sentence, Aida still had no warning as to when Lara struck - she just found herself getting pummeled again, instinctively hunching against the strikes as she flooded her body with rapidly depleting mana to withstand the barrage. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just finish me off?¡± Aida gritted. ¡°You¡¯re just toying with me at this point.¡± ¡°Forfeit, then,¡± Lara shot back, pausing in front of Aida just long enough to slam her forehead into Aida¡¯s cheekbone - the jerk of her head the only movement she was able to execute in self-defense. Aida flew again, resignation overtaking the pain that was starting to feel routine. It was true that she could just forfeit - it was obvious to anyone watching that Aida couldn¡¯t beat Lara. The moment the match started the girl had moved into close quarters, not allowing Aida room to fire any icicles. Even close-range ice blasts didn¡¯t do much. Lara merely used her own significantly stronger Mana Penetration to take control of the ice, instantly shaping it into ice armor around her own body, making Aida¡¯s attempts to hurt Lara even more laughable. Aida twisted in the air so that she would at least land on her feet - just in the nick of time, too, as Lara appeared underneath her, loading up her fist for an uppercut that would have been sure to knock out her teeth if she hadn¡¯t rotated her body - but all that happened was the heel of Aida¡¯s shoe met Lara¡¯s knuckles, both appendages backed by Mana Surges. ¡°I¡¯ll admit you¡¯ve gotten stronger, but it¡¯s still not enough,¡± Lara taunted, as the two of them continued shoving mana into the standoff. ¡°Or - don¡¯t tell me - maybe you¡¯re not in your best condition right now, because you¡¯re distracted by boys?¡± Lara¡¯s eyes narrowed into a sneer, and for a heartbeat her resemblance to Dev shined through: the sculpted cheekbones, the elegantly tapered nose, the perfectly shaped lips. That moment was enough to break Aida¡¯s concentration, sending her flying again. She really should just forfeit. She missed walking. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m right.¡± Lara¡¯s disgusted face appeared in front of Aida, the two girls soaring through the air together. ¡°The moment Ezra¡¯s gone, you go running right to the next guy who annoys the slick out of me. You¡¯re really good at targeting my weakness, aren¡¯t you?¡± Infuriated, Aida¡¯s hand automatically reached out for a slap that didn¡¯t connect, which only made Lara¡¯s smirk grow wider. ¡°The world doesn¡¯t revolve around you,¡± Aida spat, which did nothing to ruffle Lara. ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Lara agreed pleasantly, malice glittering in her eyes. ¡°The world revolves around you.¡± Her eyes seemed to glow as she gathered her mana, capturing Aida neatly in an ice block that she was helpless to stop. Chapter 154: Final Match 4 II Fortunately, she had inhaled a large gulp of air before completely getting cut off, though it did nothing to help her break through the ice. Aida thought fast, probing experimentally at Lara¡¯s mana - though she was starting to understand why Lara used her mana so selectively. The longer Lara held control over the ice, the more her mana control flagged. She had a very strong initial burst, making her Mana Penetration exceptionally powerful, but she couldn¡¯t retain the control, making her Mana Resistance taper off over time. Lucky! As soon as the icy prison impacted the ground, a crack formed, which jolted Lara¡¯s control. Seizing her opportunity, Aida jammed her own mana into Lara¡¯s weakened flow, fully shattering the ice. Aida fell out onto the ground, gulping in sweet air. "Why won''t you just give up?" Lara demanded, her anger beginning to take on a slightly more demented hysteria as Aida pushed herself painstakingly to her knees. "Why don''t you just finish it if you''re that annoyed?" Aida gritted out. She really couldn''t understand why Lara was demanding that Aida be the one to forfeit; what difference did it make? Lara scoffed, striding across the arena towards Aida. She knelt down, grabbing Aida''s chin to look her in the eyes. Aida squirmed at the aggressive gesture as she tried futilely to pull her face away, wondering if Professor Havi was going to step in to end this match. Whatever gripe Lara had with her, it had clearly extended beyond simple class rankings. "What is your real goal?" Lara spat out. Her fingernails dug into Aida''s chin, making her grimace at the sharp stabs. "What are you fighting so hard for?" "Why do you care?" Aida snapped, mildly pleased that flecks of her spittle managed to land on Lara¡¯s cheek, though the girl didn¡¯t seem to notice. Lara actually had the gall to look aghast at Aida''s reverse questioning. "Why do I care?" She slapped Aida across the cheek with her fingertips, Aida''s head whipping to the side with the speed of the strike. She felt her eyeballs shake, as if they had only just realized they needed to snap back into position in their sockets. "I care because who are you to think you have the standing to challenge me?" Lara roared, though the words were a bit muffled due to the ringing in her ears. "Sorry...what?" Aida mumbled. She still couldn''t understand Lara''s logic; maybe the concussion she had was more severe than she thought. "You think just because you''re amicable with most of the top half of the class, that you are deserving of competing for the same opportunities as me?" Lara''s rant was starting to sound downright unhinged, if it weren''t for her ability to maintain a steady, sedate speech. Despite her control, the waver in the air made it clear Lara was anything but steady. Aida was getting more and more confused. "Did you want to be a Healer?" "No!" Lara''s shouts were getting more jarring than the hits Aida was shielding herself from. With her mana at a critically low level, all Aida could do was curl into an unwilling fetal position, protecting her soft bits and head as much as she could as Lara whaled on Aida. "You should know better than to indulge in the fantasy that you can climb higher than your station allows!" That''s what this is about? Aida was flabbergasted. With everything else that was happening, with everyone''s life in danger, with Ezra in some unknown state, she couldn''t believe Lara was still clinging to such silly concepts as class hierarchy. The anger at being unjustly used as a punching bag for Lara''s own insecurities was the spark that lit the emotions she had kept carefully stored away, to be examined and absorbed at a later, safer time: the annoyance, and subsequently pointless anger at having her choice taken away from her when Ezra decided to unilaterally send her off with a heroic wish for her to be happy; Professor Bruce''s (and the rest of the adults, honestly) refusal to communicate with a student who had obviously become traumatized by her exboyfriend becoming a vegetable; the inherent nature of her whole life, where she already had to acquiesce to factors out of her control, situations not of her own making. And getting sent to a world where she theoretically should have been the main protagonist with the overpowered abilities and powerful allies, fearless in the face of adversity. But instead, she was dumped into a useless body, forced to claw her way up to a tenuously modest life - I actually got something taken away from me, and you don''t hear me complaining about it.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "GROW UP," Aida bellowed as she tackled Lara, the less tired girl moving quickly to counter Aida''s tackle by slipping an arm underneath Aida''s exhausted bear hug, the two girls in a standoff as they pushed against each other. "I''m just trying to live my life," Aida bit out. "You can live your life just fine if you forfeit," Lara breathed, her hot breath rolling over Aida''s ear. "No," Aida grunted. It was stupid, the way she kept fighting back. She was at her limit, she had put up enough of a fight that the teachers might be willing to grant her a point by now, if she ever had a chance to. If she decided to collapse in exhaustion, everyone would believe that she did her best. Yet, she didn''t want to. She came into this match knowing she couldn''t feasibly beat Lara, yet she still was trying so hard. Why? "You are a fool," Lara growled as her body tensed. Aida felt Lara begin collecting mana, and with one last, desperate attempt, she gathered the final bits of her own mana to form a needle. As Lara unleashed her attack, Aida forced her comparatively tiny needle into the thinnest layer of mana membrane on Lara''s back, where her hand was gripping Lara''s track jacket. Aida knew she was too weak and too late for the needle to matter, but she pushed it into Lara''s body anyway, driven by vengeance from ten years'' worth of uncalled-for abuse. She knew Lara was technically innocent, compared to everyone - everything - else that directly affected her life. But she didn¡¯t care. The mana blast hit Aida precisely in the gut, feeling just as painful as Lara''s Mana Surged punches. Aida collapsed, wanting to scream from the pain but unable to, unable to even draw breath. She was pretty sure her eyes were open. She could feel her eyelids fluttering as she blinked, but she couldn''t see anything... ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Congratulations! You have learned the skill Confusion (Lv1). +5 RP
"Ah, good afternoon, Miss Loreh." Professor Bruce''s calm voice convinced Aida to turn her head painstakingly to the side. ¡°How are you doing?¡± ¡°Could be better,¡± Aida muttered, breathing deeply as she took quick stock of her body. Healer Luk had taken care of all of the major injuries she had suffered, leaving Aida with mild soreness throughout her body. ¡°Did Lara win?¡± she asked grudgingly as she kept her attention on her toes. Bruce¡¯s silence made her peek over at him. ¡°We haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± he said diplomatically when she met his gaze. ¡°That was some very impressive mana work you whipped up, Miss Loreh.¡± Aida grimaced. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± She blinked as his words caught up to her brain. ¡°Wait, does that mean we might have a draw?¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be out of the question,¡± Bruce said cautiously. He suddenly looked shifty-eyed. ¡°However, I am not the final authority on the match points, so I am afraid I will not be able to comment further.¡± Professor Bruce continued to sit patiently on the stool beside her, his body completely still and in right angles: heels planted on the floor, knees bent, back ramrod straight, hands clasped gently in his lap. Realizing he was following through on her request to Healer Luk earlier this morning, Aida pushed herself upright so she could face him more seriously. She was in the corner bed, and Healer Luk had cordoned off her corner with a curtain, through which she could still vaguely feel Ezra¡¯s breathing. Bruce caught Aida¡¯s glance, and seemed to steel himself for the upcoming conversation. ¡°So¡­Luk said you wished to speak to me?¡± The reluctance in Bruce¡¯s voice was heavy enough to dampen Aida¡¯s own excitement to finally get answers. And maybe it was because she was still riding on the disgruntlement from Lara trying to shove Aida back into whatever hierarchical order she so vehemently believed in, but Aida didn¡¯t bow down to Bruce¡¯s desire. ¡°Yes. Were you able to find out what happened to Ezra?¡± Bruce¡¯s eyes flickered, resignation beginning to leak through his serene expression. ¡°I have a hypothesis.¡± At Aida¡¯s unblinking stare, Bruce dropped his gaze, his voice dropping into a soft, monotonous admission. ¡°He is still alive. But I have been unable to bring him back to his vessel.¡± He¡¯s still alive. Aida felt her arms shake as they propped her body up. ¡°He¡¯s alive?¡± she repeated, whispering. ¡°Yes, I have been able to sense his soul. However, the only known, safe, ritual to return his spirit back to his body has¡­been a failure.¡± Bruce raised his eyes to meet Aida¡¯s. ¡°I had been considering performing the ritual to send him onwards, if there were no other methods to bring him back.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Bruce raised his eyebrow at Aida¡¯s outburst, though it seemed to be more of an invitation for her to speak instead of a judgment. ¡°I¡­I had a dream about him. With him,¡± Aida faltered. Bruce nodded at her encouragingly. ¡°He seemed real. And it didn¡¯t seem like he was saying goodbye.¡± Aida bit her lip, feeling her brows furrow as she tried to remember the faded details from her dream this morning. Why was it that she couldn¡¯t remember the specifics of such a vivid dream? ¡°I¡­is there a way to speak to him? In your meditation?¡± ¡°I have tried to communicate with Mister Riolt,¡± Bruce said slowly. ¡°Unfortunately, I was unable to glean much from him; only basic, raw emotions, no complex information.¡± At Aida¡¯s forlorn look, Bruce decided to take pity on her. ¡°My hypothesis is that he wishes to remain in his current state, detached from mortal coils.¡± Chapter 155: Post-Match 4 "I was able to find Ezra''s presence - his soul, if you will," Professor Bruce said without preamble. "It is fortunate I have worked with him long enough to be able to identify his signature." "And you''ve confirmed he is fine?" Aida asked, slightly breathlessly. "Why doesn''t he want to return to his body?" "Unfortunately, I am not privy to his motivations," Bruce said quietly. He peered at her. "Perhaps you can enlighten me?" "I don''t know either," Aida said indignantly. "He just disappeared during the Fire Festival. Things were going well, so it''s completely unexpected for him to do that." "You didn''t get into a disagreement? Any discussions about the future, or any unpleasant subject he broached?" "No!" Aida was getting annoyed at Bruce. She already didn''t like him (she didn''t dislike him as much as Havi, but she certainly didn''t like him as much as Kozu), given how he always seemed like he had better things to do than care for the students in his charge. But his attempt to address her delicately was just plain patronizing, and she was even more irked to realize her response made her sound just like the petulant teenager he was treating her as. She took a breath to reset herself. "I invited him to the Fire Festival, because he didn''t have plans. We already agreed it would be just as friends, to enjoy the last event before we graduated school and went to work. Because it would be different once we were adults." Bruce continued eyeing her skeptically. Nothing in his expression gave it away, but Aida had a feeling he was less listening to her actual explanation and more trying to catch an inconsistency, an oddity, in her narrative. "We were with Lily Moon, Edward Sparks, Pritchard Spoak, Shon Yanomo, Myk Chy, and Dev Flau. You can ask them if they noticed Ezra acting strange as well. But we were having a good time, until we separated from each other to watch the fireworks." Aida continued recounting what happened in Shale Port that night, answering Bruce''s questions about specific details until she got to the part where the villagers brought his unconscious body out to the main path. "No signs of struggle, and no evidence that he may have been distraught," Bruce murmured. He looked up at Aida. "Tell me about your dream." Aida told him about her dream, describing how real and vivid it was when it came to seeing Ezra, while at the same time noticing how the environment seemed to take on the characteristically abstract details consistent with a dream. "I don''t remember much else," Aida said, faltering. She pressed her face into her hands, trying to recall what she could. "I just remember that he seemed...lucid. And he did try to communicate. We couldn''t talk, but we could see each other." "Did you touch?" Bruce asked sharply. He exhaled when Aida shook her head. "Thank the skies." "Is touching bad?" Goosebumps rose on Aida''s arms. This was the first time she had seen Bruce be anything other than calm or resigned. He was downright agitated, his smooth, ageless brow wrinkling as his normally serene smile turned down in an indisputable frown. "It is exceedingly dangerous, if you do not know what you are doing," Bruce said severely. He glared at her with all the disapproval of a parent warning a child not to do something, and the child doing the thing anyway. "If you are not prepared properly, being touched in the spirit realm - especially when one unintentionally crosses over, such as in deep sleep - is asking to be trapped. There is a reason why dreams are much more tempting than reality." "Is that what happened to Ezra?" Aida asked, ignoring Bruce''s lecture. "Did he decide to take a nap in Shale Port, ascend to the spirit realm, get touched in a dream, and get stuck?" "Unlikely," Bruce said, annoyed. It was mildly amusing how much easier it was to talk with Bruce now that he shed his spiritual guru persona. "His spirit is still mostly intact, which indicates he has learned his meditation lessons well. From my observations and attempts to bring him back to the waking world and your vision of him, I believe my hypothesis that he believes he has some reason to be in the spirit realm is much more likely." "So if he''s refusing to return...then what do we do?" Hearing that Ezra was ultimately fine brought Aida great comfort, though now she was starting to feel more lost. She hadn''t thought about what would happen after talking to Bruce; she had only been focused on getting a meeting with him, and hoping he would give her answers that gave her a clue as to how to proceed. Like a straightforward game. "Can we talk to him, somehow?" Bruce eyed her warily, looking her up and down as she sat upright in the bed. As if he was evaluating her, and didn''t have hopes for what he saw. "I have tried speaking with Mister Riolt, but unfortunately, he was not able to respond coherently." After a brief pause, he reluctantly added, "Communicating in spirit form was not deemed a priority in our lessons."If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Aida sank back in the bed, feeling hopeless again. What now? "So do we just wait for Ezra to be ready to return to us?" Aida asked dully. "Will he just...lay here at school?" Professor Bruce twitched at the suggestion, clearly unhappy. "I have a suggestion, however impractical it may be. Since you two have successfully made contact, albeit limited, perhaps we could arrange training for you to learn to communicate in the spirit plane." It took several seconds for Aida to catch up to what Bruce was saying. "You think I can learn this?" "Not through me," Bruce said hastily. "But as times are quite desperate now, perhaps we can convince one of the remaining Masters to come teach you what you need to know." "But...how long would it take?" Aida asked blankly, feeling hope begin surging in her heart. There''s still a chance. Unfortunately, Bruce shook his head. "I am unable to offer a concrete timeline, as we will need to first make contact with a Master, and convince them to take on the job." He glanced at her, pursing his lips. "Please understand, this is an unprecedented task. We do not have an established protocol on how to develop this kind of working relationship." That''s right. Only extremely powerful families have easy connections with Masters. "In the meantime, you have a pending offer, yes? I encourage you to take it. If we find a Master able and willing to take on a pupil, we will provide your details, and they will arrange contact with you." "Why me?" Aida asked slowly, her mind still slowly piecing together the logistics of it all. "Why can''t you just have the Master make contact with Ezra?" Bruce looked at her with exasperation, though his voice had finally gone back to his usual unbothered tone. Perhaps he found Aida''s ignorance comforting, a return to normal. "A Master may be able to traverse the spirit realm with ease, but that doesn''t mean he or she may successfully engage an unwilling spirit. Furthermore, you are most likely to be the only anchor to the mortal realm for Mister Riolt, so would have the greatest chance of success." Everything in Aida''s brain stuttered to a halt. So many words she wanted to say to him - how did he know? What evidence did he have for that? What kind of play was Bruce attempting? Was it really true? "Regardless, do not think too much about this prospect yet," Bruce said, clasping his hands in his lap as he leaned back with a certain finality. "The training will likely take longer than anticipated to arrange, if at all. You should continue to focus on your final match tomorrow, as well as doing your best at your new job." Professor Bruce stood up after delivering the impersonal words, smoothing his hands down the front of his shirt as he gave her a quick bow, leaving her in the Healing ward with only a thin sheet of fabric separating her from the boy who supposedly was still attached to her, despite so wholeheartedly refusing to let her in. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Sue poked her head out of her room as soon as Aida approached the door of her own room, a bright smile on her face. "Welcome back!" She stepped out to greet Aida with a hug, Caleb sheepishly following her out. "We would have stayed with you, except Healer Luk insisted that we leave," he said apologetically, though Aida didn''t even ask. "Are you well?" "Yes," Aida said softly. She didn''t know if she wanted to talk about her conversation with Bruce; there were too many things for her to think about, and she didn''t have the energy to keep details straight between Caleb and Sue. And as much as she hated to admit it, she wasn''t in the mood to be a third wheel. "I''m going to prepare for my match with Lyn tomorrow," Aida said abruptly. Sue tilted her head, looking at Aida askance, as if she was really questioning whether Aida had to prepare for a match against Lyn. "Lara pushed me to my limit today, so I''m going to rest a bit, and do some light training." "Well, if you''re sure," Sue said uncertainly. "Do you want company?" Right as Aida shook her head, Sue said in a rush, "Did you want to talk about your match with Lara? It looked like she said some not really nice things..." Aida barked out a laugh. "No, it''s fine. She was just being herself." "It was a shock to see her return to her prior behavior," Caleb said softly as Sue nodded. "I really thought she had changed." It''s because she was trying to suck up to you guys. Aida bit back the retort. It wasn''t Caleb and Sue''s fault that they were too nice to see when they were being manipulated. "Yeah, well, that''s okay. I''m used to it," Aida said shortly before forcing a smile on her face. "I''ll see you guys at dinner." Waving at Sue and Caleb, Aida slipped into her room before shutting it firmly, pressing her head on her door. It might be stupid of her, but she didn''t want to look at the window - it reminded her too much of Ezra. Why were the window memories so much more painful than, say, cafeteria memories, or library memories? Heaving a shuddering sigh, Aida flopped onto her bed, head turned towards the wall; successfully avoided looking at the window. She really didn''t know how to feel about being offered a chance to receive training for meditation. It sounded far too off in the future to be able to make concrete plans around - and who knew how long Ezra had in limbo before he was permanently exiled to spirithood, no longer able to return to his body. She cursed herself for not asking Bruce about Ezra''s survival rate; she had placed too much trust in the confidence with which he spoke, trusting that he would bring up any severe issues. The good thing, she supposed, was that she didn''t have to make the difficult decision about whether to swerve off the path of being a Healer/Poison Specialist in order to receive training for meditation - she didn''t have to decide whether she should choose herself, or choose to save Ezra. She could just imagine the disappointed look on Healer Bokar''s face if she had to decline his offer, especially so close to graduation. Nothing has changed yet. My career plan is still the same. Chapter 156: Final Match 5 The mood was significantly more cheerful in the dining hall during breakfast the next day. Everyone had tallied up their points, had already concluded their last matches didn''t really matter for their final rankings - except for a select few, of course: namely Lara and Dev, and perhaps a few stragglers in the lower ranks - and were overall much more relieved than earlier in the week. There was even a bit of a party atmosphere among the third years, with several students congratulating their friends on almost-graduating. Aida wasn''t immune to the festivities. The Class 2 girls had swarmed her as she entered the cafeteria with Sue by her side, congratulating her on a guaranteed third place final ranking among the Water students. "Even if you had a draw or outright lost today, you''re so far ahead in points it doesn''t even matter," Natalie crowed in satisfaction. "But don''t you dare just lose," Tera said fiercely. "You do your best either way, okay?" "Yeah, if you don''t even try I''ll kick your butt myself!" Sue declared, heat emanating from her body as she grinned proudly at Aida. The other four girls in Aida''s class all cheered at Sue''s words, reassured that Aida was sufficiently cowed and wouldn''t dare to do such a thing such as taking it easy on her opponent. That was why Aida was taken aback when Lyn stared at her angrily from across the ring, the both of them slightly winded from their initial exchange. It seemed Lyn had been expecting Aida to take pity on her. "Why don''t you just relax a bit? You already have your spot," Lyn gritted out. "It''s not like anything will change if you beat me." "I don''t see what that has to do with how our match goes," Aida said coolly. She skipped backwards as she launched a few more icicles at Lyn. Everyone else was right: she didn''t have to worry about her fight against Lyn. Tera''s twin didn''t seem to have improve at all compared to their fight during the beginning of the school year; the comparison only served to make Aida cringe at how weak she had been when she first arrived. As such, Aida was treating this battle as target practice. Her aim was atrocious when it came to moving targets, especially if the targets decided not to maintain constant velocity; however, unlike the rest of Aida''s Class 2 classmates, Lyn hadn''t been working on footwork or any other nuanced strategy over the year, so she was still depending on her base instincts when it came to dodging Aida''s attacks. In short, Lyn was the perfect practice target for Aida''s level. She was also helpful for Aida to test her basic defenses against, as Aida had to split her concentration to fend off Lyn''s mana attacks. "You shouldn''t have been here in the first place!" Lyn burst out angrily as she just barely cleared an icicle spearing into the ground behind her. "You''re from a no-name family, and had no talent to speak of!" "If I didn''t have talent, then why can''t you beat me?" Aida retorted, lining up her next shots. She was delighted that she managed to land a hit on Lyn: the first icicles had been intended to redirect Lyn, distracting her from the third sneaky icicle that managed to clock Lyn in the head. Lyn staggered, tears welling up in her eyes as her hand reached up to rub her scalp. She glared at Aida. "You only got into Maglica because Suelina begged for your inclusion! And all of these skills you learned - you didn''t learn them yourself! You can''t do anything on your own and you still have the audacity to act like you earned all your opportunities!" "Is that what you''re so worried about?" Aida asked indifferently as she continued sending icicles after Lyn. Lyn had caught on to the pattern that had struck her, so now Aida had to figure out a new one. "Score!" Lyn tripped over a small block of ice Aida had raised from all the melting water, sending her sprawling as she was helplessly pelted by large chunks of hail. Aida had to hand it to her, though: Lyn''s defense was one of the strongest she had seen among the Water students. She didn''t even flinch from the impact of the hard ice. Probably because she''s used to taking hits. "By the way, I take issue with your accusation that I didn''t ''earn'' my opportunities." Aida had started freezing the limbs that were splayed on the ground, and Lyn noticed. She was futilely fighting off Aida''s mana control of the water, but she also had enough sense to struggle physically, making it more difficult for Aida to complete her objective. "I didn''t ask or beg or steal for the opportunities I was given. But you bet I wouldn''t be idiotic enough to not do my wholehearted best when they''re offered to me." Aida finally restricted enough of Lyn''s movements to complete her ice prison, leaving the girl shivering on the ground, her head the only thing exposed. "What other insults do you have for me?"Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "It''s not an insult if it''s true," Lyn spat, her pink eyes quite literally on fire as she glared at Aida. "It''s not my fault if you''re too stupid to understand what the point is." Aida smiled mirthlessly. Classic. "It really is so hard to talk with you. I feel for Tera." "How dare you?!" Lyn began shrieking profanities and insults Aida couldn''t quite understand, since she was lacking the cultural context - but she couldn''t help but be intrigued by some of the analogies, until Lyn finally landed upon an extremely personal one: "I bet Ezra would happily kill himself because of you." It was like she was the one trapped in that ice block on the ground now. Logically, she knew there were multiple interpretations of Lyn''s insult, at least one of which could be positive. On the other hand, it was obvious Lyn''s intention was malicious. And frankly, she saw no reason why she should be mature and understanding of Lyn''s tantrum. Since Lyn had left nearly all of her defenses wide open in her berating of Aida, it was easy for her to try out the new skill she had accidentally discovered yesterday: Confusion. Lyn''s mouth froze, her jaw completely open. Her eyes, which had been fixed furiously on Aida just a moment prior, began trembling. She let out a shattered wail as tears began flowing, the piercing screams making Aida wince. Oh my goodness. Aida glanced helplessly around, looking to Professor Kozu for him to end the match. Lyn had completely loosened her grip on her mana: it was clear she wasn''t in any state to continue fighting. He caught her eye from the other side of the arena, his glowing red eyes shifting briefly to Lyn at her feet before nodding and raising his hand, declaring Aida the winner. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ "You shouldn''t have done that," Healer Luk said to Aida disapprovingly when she finally returned to the Healer''s station at the gate, where she was waiting for the other two matches to finish up. "She started it!" Aida said, outraged. "Why am I always getting blamed for other people''s actions?" "That''s not the reason why I''m saying that," Luk said firmly. "I''m saying specifically, you shouldn''t have Confused the girl when she was already restrained - which, by the way, was already the clear end of the match - but because manipulating people''s thoughts and emotions with mana inherently carries a great risk." Luk forced Aida onto a stool and stuck a fudge into her mouth just as she opened her mouth furiously to protest, successfully forestalling Aida''s indignation. "Congratulations on completing your academic obligations." Aida inhaled the chocolate unwillingly, though she grudgingly had to admit it was tasty. She didn''t know what Healer Luk had put into it, but it seemed to serve its intended purpose in calming her down - or maybe just the fact that she was forced to chew through the thick fudge gave her an opportunity to think, to realize she still had things to learn. "What''s the risk?" Aida asked as soon as the chocolate had melted enough for her to unstick her jaw. "Hm?" Healer Luk had wrapped Lyn in a thick blanket and set up a small table of tea and fudge next to her while Aida had been preoccupied. Aida could see Lyn shivering despite the thick fabric and hunched form, clearly still under the effects of Aida¡¯s psychic attack. "Ah, Confusion. In order to induce Confusion in your opponent, you inject some of your own emotions into them, thus overwhelming their natural mental state. Their susceptibility to being Confused depends on how emotionally stable they are at the moment; however, there are consequences for the caster as well." Healer Luk poured a cup of tea for Aida, handing it to her so she could wash down the remnants of the chocolate in her mouth while she continued lecturing. "While you forcibly inject emotions into someone else, you will also receive some of their own emotions as part of the principle of balance. If you do it too much, you might very well start losing yourself as you begin to permanently take on characteristics of other people''s personalities - and who knows how well it will mesh with your own." Luk gave Aida a hard look. "So, my one and only warning for you: do not use that ability unless you absolutely must." "Is there risk of losing yourself if you use that ability on nonhuman creatures?" Aida asked after a brief moment of shock. That did explain why she felt so much more short-tempered, more rash in her responses; she had thought it was due to the stress of not knowing what to do for Ezra, as well as the final placement matches and looming troubles with her parents, but it could very easily have been because she absorbed some of Lara¡¯s - and subsequently Lyn''s - anger. "Significantly less risk, depending on how intelligent the creature is," Luk said briskly as she waved Weyn and Levan over. Dev and Lara were the only ones still battling, both of them wearing grim expressions and regarding each other cautiously during a lull in their fight. "Most animals'' emotions are simplistic and motivated by basic needs, so it is easier to reconcile the exchanged emotions with a little bit of time than with a more complex person''s emotions." "Got it," Aida mumbled from around the mug of tea. She was going to miss Luk''s tea. "Not advised to use on humans. But surely there''s a case for using it as a treatment method for a patient who is struggling? Someone who might have undergone trauma?" "Have you been listening or not?" Luk demanded as she handed chunks of fudge to Levan and Weyn as they collected their own teas. She waited until they had settled themselves on stools beside Lyn, looking curiously at the bundle, assured they weren¡¯t eavesdropping. "The more emotionally unwell the receiver is, the more susceptible to Confusion they are. As well as the more disruptive the returned emotions would be against the practitioner." "Right, got it, use the skill in emergencies only," Aida said, abashed. Luk gave her another severe look before heading over to check again on Lyn''s condition. Aida gazed sightlessly over the combat arena, where Dev and Lara had recommenced their fight. She had been hoping Confusion could be a useful skill to help people deal with their psychological traumas, but unfortunately it didn''t work the way she had thought it would. But maybe she could use it to blunt some of her own pain? After all, if she just used it on animals instead of humans¡ª Shrieks from the audience pulled Aida out of her own thoughts. Chapter 157: Post-Match 5 I The shocked gasps and shrieks from the audience members were a bit excessive, Aida thought¡ªthough she could see why it was shocking if she wasn¡¯t already familiar with Dev and Lara''s combat strategies. Dev was clearly a much more talented elementalist, while Lara was leaning completely into her preference for physical combat. Lara had managed to breach Dev''s defenses, whaling on Dev''s body with abandon as he staggered against her onslaught, each strike a blur as Lara supported her attacks with mana. It certainly looked like Lara had the upper hand; Dev wasn''t doing anything to counter. But to Aida''s more critical Healer''s eye, she could see that Lara''s attacks, despite each one being Surged, weren''t doing anything notable against Dev''s actual defenses. He was able to neutralize every hit with well-timed Mana Surges of his own in the areas Lara aimed for. He was a textbook example of how to perform a perfect Defense Up. While Lara focused on breaking through Dev''s defenses, Aida could see what Dev was trying to do. He was lulling her into a rhythm, letting her think she had the upper hand over him; and while she was occupied with the task in front of her, she didn''t notice that he was gathering ungodly amounts of mana. Aida rubbed her eyes and squinted, not sure if she was seeing correctly. Dev was glowing. But looking around at her classmates'' faces, it didn''t seem like anybody else noticed. Aida glanced at Healer Luk, who was fixated on the match, so still she wasn''t even breathing. Each of the other professors were like Luk; it seemed like only the adults knew something was off. Kozu was at the edge of their ring, since they were the only two Water combatants left. He was also still, a slight tremor running through his body. Almost as if he was a wolf, facing down a dangerous stranger, hackles up. Confused, Aida whipped her glance back to Lara and Dev, where only now Lara seemed to notice things weren''t going as swimmingly as she had been thinking. She tried to disengage, but Dev lunged forward with his arms outstretched¡ªaccompanied by a wave of water that came out of nowhere. Aida felt a familiar thrill of terror run down her spine, even though she wasn''t the one facing the glowing, inhuman being that was in the ring. She was vaguely aware that Healer Luk was beside her, though they might as well have been moving through molasses. She was dimly aware of a bright red energy flaring where Kozu was standing before everything winked out. Everything following was an indescribable blur. Aida remembered feeling like she was back on the waters at North Ocean Village, so wet from all the splash and spray, completely turned around, unsure of what direction she was facing. And just like at North Ocean Village, her senses tingled with the certainty that there was something dangerous in the waters, coming for them. When she finally fought out of the murky memories of helpless insignificance, she was standing behind Kozu and Luk, who had somehow overtaken her and positioned themselves in front of her, acting as some sort of wavebreaker. Lara was still in the ring, seated on her bum, her knees in front of her and her hands propped behind her as support, a look of disbelief¡ªwith a little bit of fear¡ªon her face as she stared through Professor Bruce¡ªwho had somehow appeared in front of her as another wavebreaker¡ªat Dev, who was standing as if he was pushing against a wall, his legs bent and bracing, his arms straightened in Lara''s direction. "That''s enough." Professor Bruce''s voice rumbled throughout the arena, shaking everyone from their reverie. "The match is over." Dev lifted his head, blinking. He saw Bruce in front of him and quickly straightened, rubbing his palms along the sides of his pants, as if he was merely drying them off. He glanced around, taking in the sudden reshuffling of positions, catching sight of Aida. He, miraculously, grinned. "So...I won, yes?" ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Kozu declared victory for Dev. Lara disappeared while the Wood students replaced the Waters in the arena, while Dev was swarmed by his friends and classmates, all of them punching his shoulder or shaking his hand in congratulations. Aida was pulled aside by her own friends, with Sue demanding¡ªwith a coy tone, nudging at Aida¡¯s fearless recklessness with approval¡ªwhat she had been thinking, pelting towards danger like that. ¡°Even Kuri was shocked,¡± Sue said, her tone hushed as her eyes gleamed. ¡°Honestly, none of us expected that from him!¡± ¡°I really thought Lara would win,¡± Caleb added from the side, frowning slightly as he searched through the crowd. ¡°I guess she took that loss very hard.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Sue said indifferently. She grabbed Aida around the neck into a tight hug, pressing her cheek against her. ¡°But you¡¯re done! You just have the graduation ceremony left tomorrow!¡± Before Aida could do more than laugh and hug Sue back, Professor Gemma landed lightly on the railing beside them, squatting down so she was level with Aida. ¡°Miss Loreh, would you please proceed to the staff lounge when the matches are over? We would like to speak with you. It¡¯s nothing bad,¡± she added, seeing Aida and Sue¡¯s concerned expressions. ¡°Okay,¡± Aida said blankly. Gemma nodded at her before leaping back onto her judging platform, and Aida saw Professor Bruce also exchanging words with Dev further in the crowd.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°That can¡¯t be good, right?¡± Aida said to Sue in concern. She shook her head, mystified. ¡°At least she said it wasn¡¯t bad¡­¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t seem angry, so I don¡¯t think you should worry,¡± Caleb said bracingly. Aida sat through the rest of the matches with a queasy feeling in her stomach, wondering why she¡ªand Dev¡ªwere getting singled out by the professors. Despite her apprehension, she was still able to pay attention to the remainder of the matches. Most notably, Class 1 had clearly improved significantly since the beginning of the school year¡ªwhich Aida didn¡¯t think was possible. They all clearly gained valuable experience from their assignments: the raw power and skill they had displayed before was tempered by their field experience, and the way they moved and used their mana abilities made them look like they had been fighting for decades. Sue was the exception, in that she looked like she was born to fight. Caleb and Levi looked like professionals, but there was no question that Sue was a natural. The training she received made her more fluid and more adaptable, making her own fighting style very distinct. Aida could pick out some instances that looked like Kuri¡¯s influence, such as when she torpedoed across the ring in a whirl of flames as she snuffed out her opponent¡¯s own firestorm, but taken as a whole it almost had an artistic slant to it all. Her classmates in Class 2 had improved significantly as well, though there was still no question about if they could defeat Class 1 or not. Other than Dev, the rest of the boys weren¡¯t able to beat their Class 1 counterparts. As Aida, Sue, and Levi reconvened with Caleb after his match (the Earth students were the last matches of the school year), the four of them congratulating each other on graduating, Dev caught up with them. ¡°The teachers called you to the staff lounge as well, right?¡± Levi whipped his head to Aida, eyebrow raised. ¡°Yeah,¡± Aida responded, ignoring Levi¡¯s piercing stare. ¡°I was going to grab some food first, since I get the feeling the talk might take a while¡­¡± Dev nodded. ¡°That¡¯s smart. I¡¯ll do the same.¡± Instead of falling back, Dev kept pace with them, forcing Levi to keep his questions to himself. Aida glanced at him, frowning, warning him to keep quiet. He rolled his eyes in response, nodding slightly. A tacit agreement that she would fill him in later. The dining hall had taken on a new layout. Instead of having all the students line up to place their orders for food, the kitchen staff had laid out two long banquet tables laden with mouth-watering dishes. The Affiliates had lined up along one table, and the students had lined up along the other. All of the regular cafeteria tables had been pushed along the wall, making the dining hall standing room only. The reason for the layout was clear: after witnessing all of the final placement matches, Affiliates were looking to finalize¡ªor even change¡ªoffers, and wanted this chance to mingle with the third years one last time Fortunately, Healer Bokar had approached Aida immediately to commend her on her matches, reassuring her she was top of the list for his pick. Before Aida could do more than smile at him, another Healer who had never deigned to talk to Aida snuck in to offer a warm congratulations on her final ranking, rapidly firing off her name¡ªwhich Aida didn¡¯t catch¡ªand the clinic¡ªwhich she also couldn¡¯t hear¡ªshe represented and making it clear that she was open to negotiations. Before Aida could bungle the interaction with both Bokar and the other Healer standing in front of her, Dev made his way over, reminding her of their appointment with the teachers. "That¡¯s right," Aida said gratefully. She gave an apologetic nod to Healer Bokar and the second Healer. "I''m so sorry, but I''ll try to be back as soon as possible." Randomly snatching a few more finger food items off of the banquet table, Aida followed Dev with his own loaded lunch plate out of the dining hall. "What do you think the teachers want to see us for?" Dev asked airily. "Are you kidding?" Aida had to walk faster to keep up with Dev''s long legs. "Did you see what you did?" "I''m aware of what I did," Dev said dryly. He gave her an oblique look. "Were you aware of what you were doing?" "What do you mean?" Aida asked, slightly defensively. "Why would you head towards a dangerous situation, when you absolutely didn¡¯t have to? Especially when there are five perfectly capable professionals ready to take care of things if it got out of hand," Dev said pointedly. "My mana control is quite good, but thinking I will be able to stop it after I had already cast it is still a risky expectation." Aida flushed. "Okay, I...I don''t actually know what was happening," Aida mumbled. "My body just reacted." Dev tilted his head, stopping in the hallway. "And it''s not usually in your nature to run towards danger, correct?" Aida thought. As much as she wished she was one of those who stood by her principles, fearless and able to speak up against bullies or others who took advantage of the situation for their own gain, she really wasn''t. She was like most other people: wanted to keep her head down, avoid any troubles so she could continue muddling on for a respectable life she could say with pride she worked hard for. At the cost of letting small injustices pass by; injustices that didn''t directly affect her, because she didn''t have the ability or resources to take up those causes. Not without causing trouble to herself. She always justified it as something she could rectify later, when she finally attained enough of a status to command respect - enough respect, enough power to actually enact meaningful change. And though she had power now, she still couldn''t compare against the main leads, and definitely couldn''t have done anything against Dev''s fearsome power spike he just demonstrated. So according to her historical actions, she should have just avoided Dev''s finale. But instead, for some inexplicable reason, her body''s instinct had been to run towards it. "No," Aida said quietly. She felt the flush creeping up her cheeks. She didn''t know why she suddenly felt so miserably guilty about running towards the ring. No, not just towards the ring. Towards Dev. A long pause ensued, echoes of the conversation and merriment from the dining hall floating down the hallway doing nothing to fill in the silence between them. Aida stared determinedly at the plate of food in her hands, refusing to look at Dev. She wasn''t sure she could look at him and hide the hammering of her heart. Or the gulps she had to take to flush all of her saliva down her throat lest she drown. "All right then," Dev finally said, his voice low and quiet. Almost like a purr. "We''d better get going." Chapter 158: Post-Match 5 II "You two finally made it," Kozu said courteously, stepping aside to let the two of them in. "Mister Flau, Bruce is waiting for you in that room over there. Aida, if you don''t mind, please step this way..." Bemused, Aida followed Kozu into the same back room where she had her conversation with Kozu back when the teachers¡ªit was more Havi, honestly¡ªwere looking to discipline her for losing her cool and kicking Pritchard in a very rude spot. Fortunately, or unfortunately, this conversation seemed to take a different tone. Gemma was also in the small room, already seated. She indicated for Aida to sit down in the chair facing away from the door, leaving Kozu to take the third seat so that they were all sitting equidistant away from each other. Aida supposed it was a good sign that they weren''t sitting directly across from her, as if they were going to take her to task for...what, interrupting the match? Risking additional lives to save her when she so thoughtlessly ran into what was going to be something as destructive as an eel? Or was it about her using Confusion? Healer Luk had already warned her why that was bad¡ªwhy would that warrant two additional professors insisting on speaking to her? Were they concerned about her mental health, after using Confusion two days in a row? "I suppose there''s no other way to say it," Gemma said bluntly. "What was your reasoning in running towards Mister Flau when he cast Liquefaction?" This? Aida quailed at the question. She still hadn''t come up with a satisfactory answer, and it wasn''t even five minutes ago that Dev had asked her that same question. "I don''t know," Aida said truthfully. "I wasn''t thinking." Gemma and Kozu exchanged glances, worry creasing their brows. "Is it important?" Aida asked cautiously, not liking the silence that hung between them. "Perhaps," Kozu said vaguely. "We hope we are overthinking it." "Eat your lunch," Gemma said, reminding Aida of the plate of food she had brought in¡ªeven though Aida wasn''t in the mood to eat. "You recall the conversation Professor Bruce had with you and Devinne when you two first returned from North Ocean Village?" "Yes, but what does that have to do with..." Aida trailed off at the serious expressions on their faces. Oh no. "But I don''t feel¡ª" she cut herself off, unable to even lie about that. Oh no. It was silly, but the whole time Aida had been resisting her feelings for Dev, she had been fighting from the perspective of feeling like she was betraying Ezra, as opposed to fighting against an external power that was demanding she obey her duty, or whatever. As daunted as she was by the thought that she didn''t have any say over her feelings, she also felt irritated: were her feelings no longer even her own? Was it because she was a minor side character, so she was forced to follow along with the plot, her own actual desires irrelevant? Was this punishment for acting out of character? She wasn''t supposed to fight her way up from her pitiful, lowest-ranked, constantly disrespected role, so the game was trying to reign her in by showing her that even if she broke free of the preliminary constraints imposed on her, she was still subject to the whims of the game? "Aida, what are you thinking?" Kozu asked gently, interrupting the spiral Aida had started going down. "I don''t like it," Aida said abruptly. The resentment was simmering in her, and saying it out loud seemed to fuel the fire. "What don''t you like?" Aida struggled to explain without revealing too much, but couldn¡¯t come up with a coherent explanation that didn¡¯t mention anything about a game world. She settled for probing for information instead. "Is there a way to verify my feelings are false?" She watched Kozu and Gemma carefully as they exchanged glances. "I don''t believe the question is whether your feelings are false or wrong," Gemma said carefully. "Because, for lack of a better word, your feelings are valid, and nobody is in a position to judge your feelings better than yourself." "Then what am I supposed to do?" Aida could hear the belligerence in her voice. "Professor Bruce warned us that we might get attached to each other, and that if we did, to let the teachers know. So, what''s the solution to that happening¡ªif it really has happened?" Aida added crossly. "Well, if you two really did become attached," Kozu said calmly, as if he was merely discussing something as inconsequential as what her graduation outfit should be instead of discussing her lack of agency, "Then it''s not the end of the world. The primary concern with that happening is that you two would..." Kozu trailed off, his finger tracing a shapeless path through the air. "...become distracted." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "That''s right," Gemma nodded. "Under normal circumstances, nobody would fundamentally oppose a union based on optimal compatibility. However, the complications arise from the fact that you and Devinne, as Maglica graduates, are very important contributors to the future of Wyndia...so our goal, as callous as it may sound, is to ensure you two are still productive members of society." "Correct. And our sense of responsibility, when it comes to fostering solutions, is geared towards making sure the two of you are as happy, or content, as possible¡ªwithout completely losing your abilities. However that may look." Aida stared at the two of them, noting how serious their expressions were. She almost couldn''t believe it; their earnest response was to be helpful. She had been expecting pushback from the instructors, a demand to adhere to what was proper and right, maintain the balance of society¡ªor at minimum, strong words of caution to put aside her feelings so that she wouldn''t inadvertently drag Dev away from whatever his fancy destiny was supposed to be. All for the good of society. Not an offer to help her¡ªor them¡ªmanage their feelings for each other. "What does that look like?" Aida asked slowly, as her eyes shifted between Gemma and Kozu''s. "How will I¡ªor anyone else¡ªknow if I''ve lost control of myself? Is there a way to mitigate it?" Aida winced internally as Kozu and Gemma both blinked; a more well-hidden flinch of their own. "There have been case studies done among especially compatible practitioners, though I have to preface that their compatibility is significantly lower than what you and Devinne have displayed," Gemma said, leaning forward on her elbows. She seemed much more calm now that they were discussing factual, historical data, instead of hypotheticals. "Regardless, the studies show that it is possible for two compatible practitioners to successfully live their own lives outside of each other. "First, since you two aren''t as intertwined yet as you might be, it would be best if you kept your mana interactions to a minimum at the moment. There is evidence from the studies that show the older the two practitioners are before they come together, the easier it is for them to retain their sense of selves. "Second, and I personally believe this is good timing: if you two were to focus on building your own lives and livelihoods without the other, that would also help you retain your sense of self. If you two both create something important to yourselves specifically, then it will also make it that much easier for you two to avoid meshing.¡± Gemma tilted her head, considering Aida thoughtfully before shaking her head. "I believe that is enough information to get started." "So you think we haven''t hit a point of no return yet?" Aida asked. "You still think that, as long as we avoid each other for as long as we can, we won''t become mindless automatons who are slaves to our own mana with each other?" "That''s not¡ª" Gemma started before Kozu raised his hand, interjecting. "We understand it''s difficult to comprehend," Kozu said gently. "But we truly are looking out for your and Devinne''s best interests. There are times when one should absolutely let the flames of passion run rampant in order to achieve their objective, but there are other times when taking a more conservative approach can yield better results in the long term." "That''s not what I''m asking!" Aida didn''t know when she had stood up, her chopsticks clutched in her hand. Kozu and Gemma were both leaning back in their seats, looking up at her with infuriatingly calm and understanding expressions, even though they clearly didn''t understand. "Will I always be at the whim of my mana? Always at risk of getting sucked into combining my mana with Dev? Is everything you''re prescribing for me¡ªestablishing my own life, my own career¡ªjust a way to stop me from losing my own will too early, or am I doomed to lose myself no matter what I do?" Kozu raised his eyebrows, a hint of a smile curling his lips, while Gemma tilted her head the other way and regarded Aida appraisingly. Aida met their gazes, her chest heaving, before the silence in the room finally made her realize she had been shouting at the professors who had been nothing but kind to her. Aida sullenly sat back in her seat and began picking at her cold lunch, avoiding Kozu and Gemma''s gazes. "Well, that''s somewhat reassuring," Kozu said, a hint of mirth in his voice. He coughed as Aida glanced up at him, straightening his composure. He glanced at Gemma, who merely nodded as she sighed and stood up, giving Aida a small smile. "I''ll let Professor Kozu handle this talk, since he''s the one who enjoys philosophical discussions more," she said softly. She squeezed Aida''s shoulder briefly, comfortingly, before she exited the room. "Remember who you are." Kozu waited as Aida took a few more bites, letting the silence on the other side of the door fully permeate their conference room before he smiled at Aida. "Let me see if I understand your concerns correctly. You aren''t worried about your feelings being denied; you are instead worried that you have no say in the matter at all, regardless of what your feelings are and how well they align with the logical outcome." He paused, reflecting. "You are wondering if you are in control of your own destiny." Aida choked on a spicy sauce-covered vegetable. "Isn''t everyone?" she asked when she finally managed to cough out the spice. Kozu shrugged. "Most people aren''t unlucky enough to stumble upon a path that feels like there is only one way forward." One way forward. Aida frowned before Kozu interrupted her. "However, that is not the reason why we''re still here. I''d like to address any preconceptions you might have about destiny and free will." Aida settled back in her chair and eyed Kozu warily as she continued picking at her food. Even though she respected him, she wasn''t sure how reassuring it would be to hear about how she had the free will to decide to make peace with her destiny, or whatever other mental gymnastics she''d have to partake in in order to reconcile the two seemingly contradictory concepts. "But first, tell me what happened in your match with Miss Trippe this morning." Chapter 159: Pre-Graduation I Levi accosted Aida in the stairwell, dragging her into the library where they were able to dodge the librarian and sneak to Aida¡¯s favorite corner desk. Aida ran her hands over the rugged desk surface, wistfully remembering all the long hours she had spent in here catching up on three years¡¯ worth of academic reading. And after tomorrow, she would probably never see this place again. Levi didn¡¯t give Aida enough time to reminisce. ¡°So what happened?¡± he asked impatiently. Unlike Aida, he had taken to pacing in front of the window, as if he didn¡¯t care that he would never be among the bookshelves again. But he had three sun cycles to get his fill of the place, so maybe he doesn¡¯t care. ¡°You didn¡¯t get a chance to talk to Dev when he came out?¡± Aida asked instead. She had been in the conference room for hours, having what amounted to a philosophical debate about destiny and free will with Professor Kozu. ¡°No, that would be odd,¡± Levi said brusquely. He placed his palms on the desk in front of Aida, leaning his weight on his hands so that he was towering over Aida. ¡°Why did Dev get released so much earlier than you? Were there any concerns about him? You? Are you okay?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with all the questioning?¡± Aida asked with a laugh. She straightened and cleared her throat as Levi glowered at her. She hadn¡¯t told any of her friends what Bruce had intimated to her and Dev when they returned from North Ocean Village, nor had she explicitly detailed the emotional distress she had undergone when it came to ignoring her feelings towards Dev¡ªthough her friends had been oddly perceptive and respectful of the complicated feelings she had, all things considered. ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Levi insisted. He knelt in front of the desk so that they were eye level, his bronze eyes reflecting the afternoon light. ¡°Dev becoming monstrously powerful in such a short period of time was already an oddity, but when he unleashed that attack on on Lara¡ª¡° He hesitated, glancing off to the side. ¡°The mana in the air was strange,¡± he finally said. He straightened and ran his hand through his dark green hair, frustrated. ¡°There was a vacuum.¡± ¡°A vacuum?¡± Levi nodded, looking at her warily. ¡°It happened very quickly, so I didn¡¯t get a good chance to observe in detail, but no matter how I think of it¡­¡± he ducked his head again, pressing his hand against his eyes. ¡°Dev clearly didn¡¯t have enough mana to pull off whatever skill he was going for¡ª¡° ¡°Liquefaction.¡± ¡°Liquefaction?¡± Levi stared at Aida, shocked. He shook his head, focusing back on the point he was trying to make. ¡°So he didn¡¯t have enough mana to pull that off, but it looked like he was pulling mana from you.¡± Aida gaped at him. ¡°But¡­I didn¡¯t feel anything.¡± Levi waved his hand in irritation. ¡°He wasn¡¯t pulling directly from you, but it was obvious he was reaching for you.¡± She leaned back in her chair, beginning to feel ill at ease. No wonder all the professors were worried. ¡°They were asking me about that. About why I was heading towards Dev,¡± Aida said softly. Levi¡¯s brow was furrowed, clearly seeing flaws in that approach. ¡°Is one supposed to ask a seed why it sprouts when the ground is warm?¡± he asked sarcastically. ¡°It seems out of line to ask the person being preyed upon why they¡¯re helping the perpetrator, but maybe the teachers know something I don¡¯t.¡± Aida smiled feebly. ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s some information you¡¯re missing¡­¡± The green-haired boy¡¯s biting humor slowly transformed to incredulity over the course of an hour as Aida finally filled him in on what had transpired just two moon cycles ago¡ªshe was shocked at how quickly time passed¡ªduring the near-fatal assignment she had been sent on to what was supposed to be a safe, slow-paced location. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve been sitting on this information this whole time,¡± Levi said, flabbergasted. ¡°That does explain the sudden tension I¡¯ve noticed between you and Dev, though¡­¡± ¡°I thought it was just the excitement of having a new crush, not that there actually was some preordained directive saying I¡¯m going to become some lovestruck fool,¡± Aida said crossly. She glanced at him with barely concealed hope. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll avoid the fate of a lovestruck fool?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Well if your behavior with Ezra is anything to go by¡ª¡° Levi coughed as Aida¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°To be honest, that kind of mana complementation¡­it¡¯s the stuff of lore,¡± he said, shrugging helplessly. ¡°It¡¯d be more believable if a student was the one who suggested it to you, but since it¡¯s one of the teachers¡­¡± Levi began pacing again, muttering to himself as Aida sagged against the desk. She hadn¡¯t been expecting much, and in fact had been bracing herself for that answer, but it was still disappointing to hear Levi say there wasn¡¯t any hope. ¡°You can use this to your advantage, though.¡± Aida dragged her head up from the desk to see Levi standing in front of her, his hands on his hips. When she only showed mild resigned interest, he raised his brow. ¡°This would be an indisputable reason for you to wholeheartedly reject any suitors your parents might have arranged for you. And who knows, maybe you can even say you¡¯ve been so mentally rattled by everything that¡¯s happened and that¡¯s why your personality has changed so much.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Aida said dubiously. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to use Dev as a shield like that¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to involve him directly,¡± Levi argued. ¡°You¡¯re just using the situation as an explanation for why you¡¯re not acting like the daughter they so fondly remember.¡± She chewed her lip as she thought. She had an inherent resistance to any clever schemes Levi came up with, based on how he had tried to manipulate things with her¡ªbut he was right, if she just stuck to the situation as it happened. After all, it was true that she had gone through something incredibly life-changing, if not traumatizing¡ªthat could be enough for her parents to decide to hold off on forcing an engagement on her. And if that didn¡¯t work, it wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable for her to be a bit more firm in refusing to take part in the arrangement at all. ¡°You have a point,¡± Aida finally said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in reserve.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s all I can ask,¡± Levi said, exhaling. ¡°But¡­did all that conversation really merit two extra hours with Kozu?¡± ¡°Yes! It was very helpful,¡± Aida said indignantly. ¡°He gave me hope.¡± ¡°But Gemma said the studies only showed ways to manage the effects of complementary mana, not actually remove it,¡± Levi said suspiciously. ¡°Well, sure,¡± Aida nodded. ¡°But Kozu also said that destiny is defined as the most probable outcome, while free will is the variable that changes destiny. And I have free will!¡± her fist slammed down onto the heavy wooden table, her conviction making itself known with a deep thud. ¡°That does sound like Kozu.¡± Levi grinned appreciatively, shaking his head ruefully. ¡°If ever there was a man who thought he could defeat destiny, it would be him.¡± ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s right.¡± Levi followed Aida out of the cozy nook, since their conversation was over. ¡°If I really, truly don¡¯t want things to play out the way Bruce of Gemma say it will, then what am I losing by fighting against it?¡± Levi barked out a laugh, waving farewell to Charma the librarian on the way out. ¡°I suppose if you exhaust yourself from fighting against the inevitable, it will make accepting the outcome easier as well.¡± ¡°Yup. Professor Bruce likes to position himself as the philosopher, but I think Kozu is the real philosopher,¡± Aida giggled. Kozu¡¯s justifications sounded ridiculous¡ªperhaps even pointless¡ªon the surface, but they made the sort of sense that gave desperate individuals hope. Even if he was lying to her, making her think she had choice in the grand scheme of things¡­was there any way to prove her wrong? ¡°So¡­I guess this is it, then,¡± Levi said as they wandered out of the building onto the grounds, following an unspoken itinerary. ¡°After the graduation ceremony tomorrow, we won¡¯t see each other every day anymore.¡± Aida scoffed. ¡°We haven¡¯t been seeing each other regularly since Second Moon.¡± ¡°You know what I mean,¡± he said waspishly. ¡°You¡¯ll be in Burston City, doing your best to avoid returning to Buddington Town for any holidays¡­¡± ¡°Stop it,¡± Aida said sternly. ¡°Sadness is unsightly.¡± Levi sighed. ¡°You¡¯re so harsh.¡± The paused at the entrance of the forest, Aida slowly turning on the spot as she took in the view of the woods and the school¡¯s manicured grounds from that position. This was where Levi had first tried to use his charm on her, begging her not to report his lackadaisical oversight of some sort of plant that made normally docile creatures aggressive. She had been so clueless and vulnerable back then. And truth be told, she was sad at the thought of leaving Maglica¡ªpossibly for good, as far as she knew. It hadn¡¯t even been a full year, but she had so many memories of the boarding school¡ªboth good and bad¡ªand yet she felt like she hadn¡¯t made enough memories of the place yet. Not like when she graduated from her regular high school, the first major milestone in her life that made her realize the routine she had been keeping for the past twelve years of public school education no longer applied. She had been delighted, eager, to leave behind the restrictions of mandatory classes that did nearly nothing to improve her earning potential. Now, she had a tangible future ahead of her. A future of her choosing. And yet¡­she wasn¡¯t ready to let this place go yet. It¡¯s not the place, it¡¯s the people. Aida looked up at Levi, who was examining a small leafy branch above her head. ¡°What are you planning on doing the star cycle after graduation?¡± Chapter 160: Pre-Graduation II Aida hauled all of her belongings out into the hallway, stacking her bags neatly in a pile next to her door. Dusting her hands off, she placed them on her hips as she surveyed her now-empty room. The third years had been instructed to pack up their items before lunch, so that they could be loaded onto the proper golems to return them home after the graduation ceremony. As the second and first years still had one star cycle of education remaining, they didn¡¯t have to worry about leaving the school yet. A transport worker came up to Aida with a clipboard in hand. ¡°Is this it?¡± she looked down her list, glancing between the door and her belongings. ¡°Aida Loreh, to Buddington Town?¡± After Aida confirmed her destination with the transport, she received a confirmation slip and watched as the worker tagged her items before she waved over a couple of burly men to begin relocating her luggage. She turned as she heard a grunt coming from Sue¡¯s door, seeing the lithe blonde dump a box onto the ground. Contrary to Aida¡¯s small pile, Sue had a stack of crates and sacks that came up to her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re already done?¡± Sue asked breathlessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I accumulate all these things¡­¡± ¡°Suelina Heslia?¡± the worker asked, ignoring Sue¡¯s comment. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you to stay until all of your personal belongings have been collected.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go check on Ezra,¡± Aida said softly to Sue. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Yes, go!¡± Sue waved her hand at Aida. ¡°Don¡¯t forget we¡¯re meeting everyone at the Lake in an hour!¡± Aida gratefully left the commotion in the third-year girls¡¯ corridor behind as she hurried down the staircase to the Healing ward, for one last visit. ¡°¡ªanything we can do to help.¡± Aida sidestepped the person exiting the door, continuing on her way as if the Healing ward wasn¡¯t her destination. She leaned casually against the wall a ways down, as if she was waiting to meet someone. Close enough to catch the remainder of the conversation, not close enough to be suspicious¡­hopefully. The silver head bobbed deferentially, inauthentically, as he clasped Professor Lloyd and Healer Luk¡¯s hands in both of his own. ¡°No price is too high in order to maintain the health of a Riolt,¡± Jasper said sorrowfully. ¡°So please, let us know as soon as anything changes with him.¡± ¡°Understood. Please rest assured we will do our best with him,¡± Lloyd said, ducking his head in a polite bow as Ezra¡¯s older brother gave one final polite nod before heading to the dining hall, leaving hushes in his wake as students took note of his striking appearance and imposing aura. Aida pushed herself off from the wall as murmurs began replacing the initial silence, heading back to where Healer Luk and Professor Lloyd were standing. ¡°Good morning, Aida.¡± Luk stepped aside to let her in, the furrows in her brow melting away, leaving only a frown on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way,¡± Lloyd said to Luk, nodding at Aida. He also seemed a bit more grim than usual. I wonder what Jasper said to make them so upset. Slipping past Luk, Aida went to Ezra in the back, keeping a sharp eye out for anything odd in the room. Ezra remained just as he had been last night, with no visible¡ªor sensible¡ªdifferences. Still just sleeping. ¡°Mister Riolt¡ªEzra will be staying at the school,¡± Luk said gently from the foot of Ezra¡¯s bed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡± Aida nodded, pressing her lips together. She could guess why they were willing to leave Ezra here: they had no use for a boy who needed constant care, and leaving him at school, out of the way, out of sight, was a neat solution to answering inquisitive associates. This whole situation was probably the ideal solution for the Riolts. If what Ezra told her about blowing up his relationship with his family was true, then they wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the visible fallout when people saw Ezra out and about without his family. Even though this was also Aida¡¯s preferred solution, she still felt her anger bubble at how little Ezra¡¯s family cared about him. They didn¡¯t treat him as a person. Not even a pet, a living being. They just considered him as an object, one that no longer served their purpose. So how perfectly it all worked out that the school offered to keep him tucked away in a closet somewhere. ¡°What did Ezra¡¯s family say?¡± Aida asked, even though she doubted Luk would tell her any information that was different from her conjecture. ¡°They offered recompense in caring for Ezra, for as long as needed,¡± Luk said, taking a seat next to Aida with a sigh. ¡°We don¡¯t need it, of course, though the thought is appreciated. They also offered to provide additional resources when it came to running the school, as further compensation and appreciation for Ezra¡¯s care. But¡ª¡° Luk cut herself off, clearing her throat as she remembered she was talking to a student. ¡°Anyway, all you need to know is that Ezra will remain here for the foreseeable future.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not planning on accepting, are you?¡± Aida inquired. Luk gave her a deadpan look. ¡°I am not the primary decision-maker, but even if I was I wouldn¡¯t involve a student in the process.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°I won¡¯t be a student in a few hours,¡± Aida countered. ¡°Doesn¡¯t a Maglica graduate¡¯s opinion hold any weight?¡± Luk clucked her tongue, giving Aida a disapproving look. ¡°A Maglica graduate¡¯s opinion holds negligible weight compared to the five professors in charge of the school. If you want to dabble with the operation of this establishment, I suggest you go badger your favorite instructor instead.¡± ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ After the uneasy visit in the Healing ward, the summer air at the Lake¡¯s edge was refreshing. Lily and Levi were skipping stones on the water¡¯s surface, while Sue, Vanita, and Caleb bustled about setting up plates around another circular stone picnic table the Earth students molded. ¡°Abedi and Edward aren¡¯t joining us?¡± Aida asked as she met them. Vanita blushed. ¡°We didn¡¯t think it was right to bring them along during our last get-together.¡± ¡°How was Ezra?¡± Sue asked, holding some cups out to Aida. She obligingly filled them with water¡ªfreshly summoned¡ªbefore Sue set them down. ¡°He¡¯s staying at the school.¡± Aida filled them in on what she witnessed outside the Healing ward and her subsequent conversation with Healer Luk as Levi and Lily returned to the table, overhearing mention of Ezra. ¡°That¡¯s good, right?¡± Lily asked. ¡°At least you know Luk will let you in to see him if you¡¯re ever in the area.¡± ¡°I guess Ezra wasn¡¯t joking when he said his relationship with his family was bad,¡± Sue said uneasily. ¡°I was expecting them to demand custody of him, and then lock him away forever. Getting left behind seems¡­worse.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s completely that,¡± Levi said grimly. ¡°Their offer to fund the school as gratitude for taking care of Ezra is a much better way to obfuscate their intention of having more sway in the direction of the school. Maglica is very careful to remain neutral with the way they select Affiliates, but having Ezra under their care is a liability for the school because they¡¯ll insist that they just want him to be cared for in the way they deem appropriate.¡± Sue stared at Levi. ¡°That¡¯s even worse! They¡¯re using him!¡± ¡°But surely the teachers won¡¯t allow that to happen? They must be aware of what could happen,¡± Caleb said reasonably. Levi snorted. ¡°Of course, if at least three of the professors are sensible. I¡¯m sure they are,¡± he added reassuringly to Aida. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no way the teachers would agree to something that obviously would directly benefit one powerful family,¡± Aida agreed. She had confidence that Kozu, at least, would be objective and rational enough to avoid awkward entanglements, and also vocal enough to make accepting Riolt funding a battle. She gestured for everyone to begin eating, waving off the concern that had begun weighing on their moods. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s dig in before the food gets cold.¡± As they all began working through their final Maglica meal, they began tentatively talking about plans after school. Aida found it interesting that there wasn¡¯t really a concept of ¡°summer vacation¡± here¡ªeveryone just continued working, even during the holiday. The extra star cycle the school decided to grant the third years this particular year was in the spirit of allowing the graduates to start work one star cycle earlier than they normally would, not so that they could go on vacation earlier. Aida and Sue¡¯s plans hadn¡¯t changed, of course: Aida was going with Healer Bokar to his Poison clinic, and Sue was going right to the Gullbeaks. Caleb hesitantly mentioned that he was going to sign a part-time contract with the Gullbeaks, for when they needed him to fill in¡ªthat way he could still prioritize working on the family business at the Tulver¡¯s Bathhouse. ¡°They really enjoyed their visit to the Bathhouse, so they¡¯ve even offered to help when they¡¯re available. It seemed only fair that I help them as well.¡± Levi insisted that he was going to focus on the Ashet Company, assisting his father with the logistics of growing their business while the family head pursued passion projects instead: ¡°Every Fire season I¡¯m back home, I¡¯m doing damage control to get our agricultural goals back on track. It will be a lot more relaxing if I can just keep an eye on it throughout the year.¡± Lily shyly mentioned the prospect of going to Burston City as well¡ªnot working under Healer Bokar, but under an herbalist he enthusiastically recommended. ¡°He said he needed to confirm with the apothecary, but if she agrees then he¡¯ll make the offer in her stead today!¡± ¡°Have you met the herbalist?¡± Aida asked. ¡°What if you don¡¯t get along?¡± ¡°Healer Bokar vouches for her!¡± Lily said cheerfully. ¡°And she¡¯s supposed to be really good at divining and breaking down plant properties¡ªso I¡¯m hoping I¡¯ll be able to learn a lot from her!¡± Vanita coughed demurely as all eyes turned to her. ¡°Well¡­I suppose now is as appropriate of a time as any.¡± She pulled several velvet bags out of her pocket, handing one to each person. ¡°Professors Gemma and Lloyd have been helping me with this project for several moon cycles now, so this is my first attempt at extrapolating the family technique to a different use case,¡± she said, blushing. ¡°These are bracelets I made¡­¡± Inside the velvet bag was a bracelet with seven crystal beads, each the size of her thumbnail and faceted so that it looked like one of those gaming die with a bunch of faces Annie had seen her classmates carry around in her previous life. Between each crystal were several smaller metallic beads, spacing out the gaudy gems. However, there was one particularly large faceted crystal, and another smaller crystal that had a soft, milky brown glow in it. Looking at the bracelet as a whole, Aida could see that they were all mana-carrying gems of some kind. ¡°If you put your mana into the big crystal, then all the other beads that were grown from that cluster will take on your mana as well,¡± Vanita explained, holding up her wrist where her own bracelet sat. Sure enough, the largest crystal bead on her bracelet had the same milky brown glow in it. As Aida watched, she saw the colorless gems begin filling in around everyone¡¯s wrist, as each person poured their own mana into the seed gem. ¡°Since it¡¯s so hard to get news on everybody¡­I really wanted a way where we could just¡ªcheck on each other really quickly,¡± Vanita said, her composure slipping as she explained her motivation. ¡°The colors will dim the further away you are, but at least we¡¯ll be able to know everyone is still alive¡­I also haven¡¯t been able to test what the range is,¡± she confessed, embarrassed. ¡°I only hope it will be as helpful as I envisioned.¡± ¡°As far as friendship bracelets go, this is the best I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Aida said, smiling. Vanita smiled back gratefully. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Yeah! I love this¡ªit feels like I¡¯ll have all of you with me, no matter where I go!¡± Lily declared, waving her arm with the bracelet around. ¡°So is this last empty gem¡­¡± Caleb trailed off, glancing up at Vanita as she nodded. ¡°It is meant for Ezra¡­I¡¯ve included a note in his bag, so that he¡¯ll know when he wakes up. If all goes as expected, we will see his bead fill, no matter where we are.¡± Aida¡¯s heart swelled at how beautiful Vanita¡¯s gift was. She didn¡¯t know how to convey her appreciation to the tall, stately girl; how could she explain to someone who had never experienced¡ªno, taken for granted the ability to communicate with someone instantaneously, no matter where they were? Even though Vanita¡¯s bracelet couldn¡¯t convey detailed information, it contained enough. Enough to get the important bits across. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re all from Buddington, right? Maybe we can get together next star cycle, so we can see how well your bracelet works,¡± Levi said to Vanita. ¡°Aida and I already made plans to meet up¡ªlet¡¯s all do it.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s!¡± Sue clapped her hands, gazing around at everyone with shining eyes. ¡°Today won¡¯t be our last time together!¡± Chapter 161: Graduation I Shortly after receiving their bracelets from Vanita, they cleaned up the remains of their very last picnic at Maglica Academy and headed to the school courtyard for their graduation ceremony. Contrary to Aida''s expectations, graduation didn''t seem to be a particularly important event in this world. The attendants consisted of the Maglica professors, the graduating students, Affiliates¡ªAida was wary when she saw Jasper Riolt''s distinct figure standing behind them¡ªand a small number of the underclassmen who decided they could afford to take the time away from their studies before their own finals to attend. With not too much ceremony, the thirty graduating students were grouped up within their own elements on a small stage, and then accordingly sorted into their final rankings, leaving Aida between Lara and Weyn. Thankfully, they weren''t expected to entertain themselves; as soon as the students took their places, Professor Havi took the podium at the bottom of the stage, giving a typical speech about how their formal education at Maglica Academy was to end there, but they were expected to continue learning as they went out into the world to help others... Aida ignored Havi''s address, opting to watch the Affiliates instead. They were also ignoring Havi, instead smiling brightly as they tried to catch the eyes of the students they were courting. Perhaps it was Annie''s preconceptions of the employer/employee dynamic coloring her perceptions, but during the beginning of the sun cycle when they had first met the Affiliates, it had seemed very much as if the students had been doing their best to get the attention of an Affiliate; any Affiliate. Now, however, it seemed like the Affiliates were the ones who were desperate for any scrap of attention from the graduate they were pinning their hopes on. What an interesting twist. Havi began calling forth students from the Wood category, one at a time. "Levi Ashet, ranked as the first Wood in this year''s graduating class. Will the Affiliates who wish to present an offer step forward." No less than three Affiliates stepped forward: a Border Strongholder, a Naval Strongholder, and even an industrial Affiliate. They all were holding papers in their hands, and each one held out their offer sheet to Havi, who collected them before turning to Levi and handing the stack to him, along with what looked like a medallion. Following Havi''s instructions, Levi took the thin stack of papers in one hand and held his palm over the object, making a light flash¡ªa mana transaction, Aida noted. Receiving the object with a bow, Levi stepped back as Havi called forth Shon Yanomo. So continued the process: Professor Kozu presented the graduates and offers for the Fires, Professor Gemma the Earths, Professor Lloyd the Metals, and Professor Bruce the Waters. As Aida stepped forward, Healer Bokar beaming at her, she was startled to see the other Healer who had accosted her in the dining hall yesterday step forward as well. I don''t even know her name. "Congratulations on two offers, Miss Loreh," Bruce said quietly as he handed the sheets to her. Each offer was written on a thick sheet of paper, the details written in neat, cursive script. In Bruce''s other hand was the item every graduate had received: a metal plaque with her name, final class ranking, and date of graduation inscribed in it. There was also a blue gem embedded in the center, denoting her element. Placing her palm over the gem, Aida filled it with mana, making it glow a brilliant blue. "This is your identifier, to be used for all official documents and procedures going forward; please keep it on you at all times." As Aida stepped back into line, she examined the back of the badge. Shaped as a pentagon, it fit nicely in her hand and had one colored gem embedded in each corner, representing the five elements. Each gem was filled with the corresponding professor''s mana, showing their approval in granting the medallion to the graduating student. The letters "MA" were embossed in the metal, centered between the five gems. "That is all. Thank you for taking the time to attend the ceremony," Professor Lloyd said as Lyn received her one offer from a hopeful sanitation Affiliate and badge. "As a reminder, we will be accepting the paperwork finalizing the graduates'' decisions until the end of dinner. Please do not leave the school until you have submitted your contracts," he added to the newly minted graduates. "Golem departure schedules are posted in the dining hall." "Excuse me," a lazy voice called, stalling the murmurs that had started after Lloyd''s dismissal. "I have an offer I''d like to make." Jasper Riolt stepped out from among the Affiliates, holding another sheet of paper in his hand. Kozu held out his arm, stopping Jasper. "I''m sorry, the offers have already been given--" "I am aware. However, that was merely the Affiliates'' chance to present their offers, is it not? Technically speaking, these graduates are no longer students of Maglica, so do not have to abide by the school''s rules, correct?" Jasper''s silky voice made Aida''s hair stand on end. Is he trying to sneak in already? "They are still students until they finalize their paperwork," Lloyd said firmly. "So you may not present your offer until after." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Fair enough," Jasper said nonchalantly. He raised his voice slightly, making sure everyone in the courtyard could hear him. "I''ll just wait until after the students complete their paperwork to present the offer from the Riolts. No limit to the number of graduates we are willing to hire, fair wages guaranteed. Placement within the Riolt businesses will be possible, regardless of element or ability." Confusion rippled among the students. What is he trying to do? "You can''t do that!" one Affiliate said angrily. "You''re trying to override Affiliate privileges!" "I am not," Jasper said disapprovingly. "You are still the first choice presented, and the Maglica graduates could still decide not to take any of your offers regardless of the circumstances. In which case, they would then be free to seek employment elsewhere." "This is ridiculous!" another Affiliate fumed as he turned to the professors. "Are you going to allow him to disrespect the Affiliate system?" Several other Affiliates raised their voices in agreement while the professors, to their credit, acted relatively quickly in trying to quell the anger, though they were unable to offer any solutions without consulting each other. "There is already prejudice in the Affiliate industry system! How do you expect the growing companies to compete with an open Riolt offer?" "We did not sign up and put in so much time and effort so that we could have our hires stolen from us!" "You must mandate that the students choose from the existing offers!" "Skies above, some of you sound unbelievably entitled," Jasper observed as the clamor became more and more unhinged, his eyes gleaming with mirth despite his morose tone. "Do you think the Maglica graduates are so unintelligent as to be unable to make their own decisions? They are adults now, after all." Aida pushed through the crowd of confused students, several of whom were already whispering to each other, weighing their options as they held offers they weren''t too happy with. It was clear the opportunity to work in the Riolt family was a powerful draw. She tugged on Levi''s sleeve, who was watching Jasper with a hard gaze. "What''s he trying to do? Why is he doing this?" Aida whispered. "He''s not even doing a screening process!" "He''s not lying when he says placement is possible," Levi said lowly. "The Riolts'' core business is in construction, but they''ve grown large enough that they can start entering into other industries¡ªI expect any Maglica graduate, regardless of element, will be able to contribute significantly to their expansion designs." "I have a proposal," Jasper said, cutting through the rising chaos. He spoke with the heavy regret of a self-sacrificing individual who just wanted peace, not as the person who instigated all the disagreement in the first place. "Let me make just one offer, to one student. If that student refuses to accept my offer, that is it; I will walk away." Jasper''s silver eyes, so like Ezra''s, swept the crowd of students on the stage, lingering on Aida for a brief moment, making her skin crawl, before he took in the classmates around her. Does he recognize me? Aida took comfort in the fact that someone so self-absorbed was unlikely to remember someone¡ªgarbage, by his standards, not worth remembering¡ªhe had only met once. "You can''t possibly be serious," Professor Gemma exclaimed, echoing Aida''s sentiment. "Your proposal would still violate the spirit of our agreement with the Affiliates." Jasper shrugged helplessly. "If it eases your conscience, I have strong reason to believe she will reject my offer." Aida scanned the faces of the remaining Affiliates, most of them looking resigned, while a few still looked outraged as they weighed the ramifications of Jasper''s proposal. She couldn''t blame them; the Riolt representative had deployed a clever trap, pressuring the Affiliates and Maglica staff into one of the two options that still allowed Jasper to walk out with a valuable resource. Because Jasper made it known the Riolts were willing to hire any¡ªeven all of them, theoretically¡ªright off the bat, and would patiently wait for the students to come to him, that effectively made it so that he could snag a good number of students. While if they agreed to his "compromise," where he only propositioned one student, at least the rest of the Affiliates still had their chance with the remaining graduates. Only rich people can afford leverage like this, Aida thought grimly. "Very well," Professor Bruce said grimly. "If the Affiliates agree to your proposal, then we shall also not oppose it." "Which student are you planning on recruiting?" Naval Strongholder Jaret asked abruptly. Jasper spread his hands. "I don''t mind sharing details of my offer publicly." He glanced through the students on the stage again, a smirk on his face. He knew he won. Every other student on the stage held their breath, wondering who he wanted to recruit. "As some of you might know, we have been involved with several communities across Wyndia as we discussed ways we could improve the safety and defensibility of everyone''s homes¡ªespecially in light of current events. We are ready to proceed with these projects, but in the interest of improving efficiency, we would like to have our own in-house sanitation specialist who can help lay the framework, so to speak." Aida felt her blood freeze as Jasper¡¯s eyes casually lingered on hers. Did he recognize me? Did he look into Aida''s background? However, the sleek silver man didn''t look at her again. "I may have been late in meeting this year''s Maglica graduates, but when I sensed her mana ability, I knew she would be the best person for these projects." Jasper paused, basking in the attention. Unlike Ezra, the elder brother was a real performer with a flair for the dramatic. "The contract will be for one year to start, with an option to extend and renegotiate after the duration ends. The base salary for the renegotiation will not be lower than what is originally offered." Jasper met every student''s gaze, making sure they understood his generosity, reminding them of what he could offer them if the Affiliates didn''t agree to his proposal. Cementing his threat. "We are looking for a partnership, not merely a worker. "With all of that said...the student I would like to make an offer to is Miss Lara Lorr." Chapter 162: Graduation II The crowd of students parted as Jasper Riolt settled his silver eyes on Lara, who met his gaze dispassionately. "Well, Miss Lorr?" Jasper asked, his voice low. "What are your thoughts?" "To my understanding, you already have partnerships with several other prominent sanitation families," Lara said, her voice steady and bored. Aida had to hand it to her, she was handling the attention with aplomb. "I hardly believe you require in-house expertise in order to complete your projects." "It''s not about whether the projects can be completed, it''s about being more efficient with our time," Jasper replied smoothly. "The role of the in-house specialist is to get ahead of any potential obstacles in the development of these housing projects. Normally, we are patient, as we understand quality work takes time; however, with how pressing the attacks have become, we are willing to spend to achieve the quality we demand. "Who better to join our team than you, Miss Lorr? You are intimately familiar and involved in the work of your father, learning the business and designs from his knee. Furthermore, you are not assigned any work from your family yet, so it is not as if you would be failing to fulfill your obligations by leaving them¡ªforgive me, I did not mean ''leave.'' You would be an employee of the Riolts, but you can still take credit for the work you do as a Lorr." Jasper''s meaning hung clear as day. Aida saw Lara''s interest pique as Jasper innocently laid out the benefit he was offering her: a partnership with the Riolt family, a direct opportunity to create a bridge between the esteemed Riolts and the Flau clan through her. However, Lara was savvy. "That is quite the offer. Unfortunately, I am not so interested in pursuing a career in sanitation, which I find quite dull. I would prefer to develop myself in other ways, challenge myself in another field." "Understood!" Jasper bowed, almost mockingly deferential. "Rest assured, there is much that we need help with in the Riolt company. Whatever your career interests are, I can personally guarantee that we will do whatever we can to support your personal development." Several confused murmurs rippled throughout the students, some commenting on how bold Lara was, others wondering why exactly Jasper Riolt was seemingly so desperate to recruit Lara Lorr. What''s going on among the notable families? Aida couldn''t help but notice several students stealing glances at Dev, who was utterly impassive as he watched the exchange between his cousin and the Riolt representative. "Well?" Jasper held out his offer sheet, standing at the edge of the Affiliates. Lara gazed down at him from the stage, her nose held high. Not even a breeze passed through the courtyard as everybody waited for Lara''s decision. Finally, Lara jumped down from the stage and walked three steps forward, reaching out to accept the offer sheet in one hand. She carefully slid it behind the other two offer sheets she had received, from the Border and Naval Strongholds. "I will consider it." ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ The professors quickly dismissed the students from the courtyard, briskly reminding them to consider their offers and return the final decisions by the end of the day. They seemed very eager to remove them from the courtyard, where Jasper was lingering with a smug expression while the Affiliates were wound tightly with anxiety. "What a twist, huh?" Sue mused as she caught up to Aida and Levi. Shockingly, she only had one offer in hand¡ªfrom the Gullbeaks. All of the Affiliates had seen how enthusiastically the bright and bubbly girl had pursued Kuri during the sun cycle, so had removed her from consideration entirely despite her strong performance and expert handling of Fire. "Do the Riolts have anything against the Flaus?" "Not that I''ve heard," Levi responded, frowning. "They''re both extremely well-respected in their own right, and have been careful not to impose on each other''s industries. And as Lara said, they have healthy, working relationships with each other. You can''t construct living quarters without the appropriate sanitation systems, after all." "Do you think Lara is going to accept that offer?" Caleb asked quietly, carefully holding his own whopping five offers in his massive fist. Unlike Sue, Caleb had apparently been polite and engaged with every Affiliate who approached him, his likeability leading all of the potential employers on. "I can''t imagine she would..." "I think she would," Levi said brusquely. "If she''s really serious about taking over the position of heir in the Flau clan, she''d be an idiot to pass on the Riolt offer. As it is, with Dev being ranked first she''s already in a losing position. She''s desperate enough to claim connections with the Riolts if that means she''s able to strengthen her candidacy." The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Wouldn''t her pride stop her, though?" Aida asked idly as she read her own offers in more detail. They both followed the same boilerplate format, written in elegant brush script: On the First Sun Day of the Sixth Moon of the One Hundred and Fifth Sun, I, Bokar Evins of the Relief for Health Clinic of Burston City, present an offer of employment to Aida Loreh of Buddington Town... Skipping over the flowery language, Aida got to the more interesting details: compensation, such as wages paid through the moon cycle, the number of days of leave granted in a single work month, lodging information, and travel costs. A second list of work expectations followed, with the offer ending in two lines for signatures. The first line was already signed by Healer Bokar, accompanied by a personal stamp. The second line was empty, awaiting her own signature. Even though Aida had no intention of taking the other offer, she took a peek just to see. Trini Graves of the Adamant Breaths Clinic in Moonglade... Aida''s eyes widened at the monthly wages. She pulled on Levi''s sleeve and handed him both her offers, letting him glance over the details. "Uh, how do the wages compare to cost of living in both of these places?" Levi raised his brow in interest as he perused her documents. "Let''s see...Burston City''s wages are fair, but wow. Moonglade is either doing better than I thought or they''re desperate." He looked at Aida. "Did you impress Affiliate Trini with your potion-brewing work for Healer Bokar?" "I have no idea," Aida said, bewildered. "She only started talking to me yesterday. She was pretty friendly with Healer Teena Vega, from what I had seen." Levi sucked his breath in through his teeth as he handed the offers back to her. "Yeah, maybe better to steer clear of her offer, then." "It would be so cool to live in Moonglade, though," Sue said, peering over Aida''s shoulder at the Adamant Breaths offer. "Plants that bite? So cool." Aida laughed as Caleb chuckled awkwardly at Sue''s bloodthirst. "Burston City is still a good place. You''ll be able to meet many people¡ª" "¡ªand close enough to visit Moonglade!" Sue chirped, clapping her hands together. "If the Gullbeaks ever get an assignment down south, I''ll come get you so you can visit with me!" "I''ll come along if it lines up with my leave dates," Aida said agreeably, privately thinking she would do well to arrange her days off so that she would never have to be in the same vicinity as the fiery girl if she decided to light some vicious plants on fire. The four of them were the first ones to line up outside of the staff lounge, which was empty except for Charma, the librarian. She had them sign the offers they accepted before taking back the rejected ones, and confirmed their start dates and locations as she wrote down their details in a records book. "Make sure you don''t lose these," the cheerful woman said, handing back the signed offers. "Have the golem drivers stamp the back so your employers can arrange payment after you arrive. Wishing you favorable winds and a smooth journey to the future you deserve!" "It''s really over," Sue said blankly as the door slid shut behind them. "We''re done. We can just...go home now." "What else were you expecting? A whole party?" Levi asked snidely. He glanced out the window. "I had planned to take the first golem back to Buddington, but it feels a bit wrong not to say goodbye to everyone else." "Let''s wait until Vanita and Lily turn in their forms at least," Aida suggested. She had been expecting something a bit more congratulatory to cap off her graduation, but she supposed this world didn''t consider completing training to be anything worth celebrating. The sooner they could start working, the sooner they could start earning true accolades. "...I would be interested to see what Lara decides to do," Aida finished, her voice low. The three impossibly beautiful faces around her lit up, agreeing. "Let''s visit Ezra one last time," Levi said, rapping on the Healer''s door right beside the staff lounge, a smirk on his face. They all nodded eagerly. The Healing ward was the best place to keep watch of who was going to turn their offers in, so they would be able to flag down their friends as they arrived, as well as eavesdrop on Lara''s offer decision. "You know, if I didn''t know any better, I''d say Ezra is deliberately skipping school," Levi said skeptically as they crowded around his bed. He still looked the same as before: just a young man sleeping in his bed. "He looks better than when he was messing around with the Ascension techniques." "Yeah, I bet he''d be able to get at least second rank even like this," Sue sniffed haughtily. She waved her hand in front of his face, as if she could catch him faking his coma. "Maybe Abedi would finally get a chance to beat him like this." Caleb was frowning thoughtfully at Ezra, his eyes the sleeping male. He turned to Aida. "How long has he been out now?" "One star cycle," Aida said instantly. "He was in bad shape the first few days, but he''s since filled in because Healer Luk managed to tweak the nutrition poultice into something his body could absorb." "Interesting," Caleb said slowly. He chewed his lip thoughtfully. "I apologize, because I may be speaking in ignorance¡ªbut to my understanding, nutrition alone, despite any aid from a Healer¡¯s mana, cannot sustain muscle mass¡ªlet alone build it. And given that Ezra has been in a¡­an abnormal state for the past several moons, I would think he should be...skinnier." Aida looked back at Ezra, seeing what the muscular brown-haired youth was seeing. She had assumed Healer Luk''s healing poultices did more than just keep Ezra''s body nourished, given that Luk had to impart some of her own mana into Ezra''s body as a magical IV in order to deliver the nutrients to his body, but it made sense that magic couldn¡¯t create miracles. "Maybe Ezra really is recovering?" Aida said hopefully, reaching for his wrist to see if there were detectable changes to his health. As her fingers closed around his wrist, a commotion outside the Healing ward drew her attention¡ªand then everything went white. Chapter 163: Graduation III Aida blinked, squinted, rubbed her eyes. Nothing changed. As far as she could see, there was nothing. And not just darkness, either¡ªcomplete and utter whiteness. It wasn''t even as if she was blinded by lights; there were no shadows, nothing reflecting off of anything else. As she began taking stock of her surroundings, she was relieved to find that she could see herself¡ªor at least, she could see a dim outline of her arms and fingers. Feeling more wary, she spun in a circle, trying to get her bearings. Even as she spun (it felt like she did, not that she had any visual frame of reference to confirm), she noticed that she wasn''t even standing on anything¡ªshe was floating. Her stomach dropped, as if it finally realized it didn''t have the comfort of the ground''s support. No¡ªshe was falling now, too. As Aida unleashed an unearthly shriek, her wispy limbs flailing in the air, several presences converged around her. They didn''t have any clearly defined shapes, though she got the impression they were curious about her. Interestingly enough, as she focused on these amorphous shapes, her stomach firmly settled back in her body, her fall arrested. Aida flinched as she felt something gently stroke her back¡ªa completely unexpected sensation. Whipping around to see what touched her, she saw a small tendril made of the same shapeless substance as the stuff that surrounded her. "Hello?" Aida finally croaked out, though she noticed her voice seemed...flat. Not quite echoey, yet also like it was coming from her toes. "Are you...sentient?" At her words, the blobs surrounding her seemed to start convulsing, almost as if...in excitement. "Can you understand me?" Aida tried putting her chest into it, trying to make her voice sound more normal¡ªbut all to no avail. "Where am I?" "¡ª!" Before she could even think to try something else, Aida felt a jerk¡ªa distinctly physical and human sensation, as her shoulder was viciously yanked back. "¡ªgo back¡ª" As Aida spun helplessly through the aether¡ªshe had no doubt that''s where she was at this point¡ªshe thought she saw a flash of silver. As she tried to orient herself to get a second look, all she saw was a more human shape before it faded in among the rest of the whiteness. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida blinked as her vision refocused on meaningful images. She had Ezra''s arm in a limp grip, and raucous shouting was starting to fill in the channels of her brain signals. "¡ªsay that!" "What is going on here?" Aida was pulled¡ªnot ungently¡ªaway from Ezra''s bed, his arm slipping out of her grasp. "She wasn''t doing anything," Sue said beseechingly to Healer Luk, who was now standing at the door. The blonde-haired girl had her arms wrapped protectively around Aida. "Something¡ª" Sue clapped her hand over Aida''s mouth, preventing her from offering an explanation of how she had been out for a couple seconds. "We were just here to say goodbye to Ezra," Levi said smoothly as Sue pulled Aida insistently out of the Healing ward, leaving Caleb to cover their rear. "We''ll be going now." Interestingly enough, Jasper Riolt was still standing at the door, his silver eyes narrowed as he watched her pass¡ªthough Sue placed her body protectively between them as she ushered Aida through. Aida waited until they had piled out the front door of Maglica before finally putting up some resistance. "What happened?" "What do you mean, ''what happened?'' We should be asking you that," Levi said grimly. "All I know is I was out for a couple seconds when I touched Ezra," Aida said, unconsciously shivering as she recalled the emptiness she had witnessed. "And then next thing I know, Sue was yelling at Jasper. What?" Sue and Levi were staring at her with concern. "Aida, you weren''t out for a couple seconds...you were out for minutes." "No way, it didn''t feel that long," Aida said, unnerved. Her eyes widened as she remembered how she had been violently thrown back. "I think¡ªI think I was in the spirit realm. I saw Ezra!" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Wait wait wait, what?" Sue had Aida sit down on the grass with her, Levi pacing in front of them as they absorbed Aida''s ramblings about what she had seen¡ªfelt¡ªin that weird, amorphous place. "It has to be the spirit realm, right? I''ve never even seen anything like that before." "But...how did you get to the spirit realm in the first place?" Sue asked hesitantly. Levi knelt down in front of Aida, peering into her eyes. Aida stared back, wondering what he was seeing. Behind Levi''s shoulder, Sue craned her neck so she could also peer thoughtfully at Aida. Finally, Levi exhaled, shaking his head in defeat. "I don''t even know what I''m looking for. I think it will be worth the effort to talk to Professor Bruce before you leave." Aida chuckled weakly. "You think he''ll have time, with all the angry Affiliates?" Levi shrugged. "What other choice do you have? Once we leave, we won''t even have access to the Library, and Buddington''s public library isn''t well-stocked with this kind of high-brow, spiritual realm stuff." Aida pressed her lips together before noticing Caleb jogging towards them. "Where¡ª" "Sorry," Caleb said. "I hung back to talk to Lara." "What did she decide?" Sue demanded. "She decided to take it," Caleb said, his voice low. "She says she doesn''t have a choice." "Doesn''t have a choice?" Sue scoffed. "She had those other offers from the Strongholders!" "Not if she wants to improve her family standing," Caleb corrected, shaking his head. "She''s genuinely worried about their fate. I can understand that," he said softly. Crinkling her brow, Aida looked to Levi, who had a more objective view about the state of people''s situations. "Is Lara''s family really doing that badly? I thought they were, I don''t know, upper middle class or something." "They are," Levi said flatly. "Nobody needs to worry about them. Aside from not being clan head, they''re still a very respected family with comfortable means. She really doesn''t need your pity, Caleb." "Baen isn''t everything," Caleb retorted, showing the first sign of vehemence Aida had ever seen when it came to defending the unfriendly girl. "Just because they''re doing well financially, doesn''t mean they aren''t facing other challenges." "What kind of challenges? Challenges in not being as powerful as the Riolts?" Levi asked dryly. "They''re still powerful enough that they don''t have to contend with the kind of struggle the majority of Wyndians suffer, like the Lorehs," he said, waving at Aida. "If anybody needs sympathy, it''s people like you and Aida." "Everybody deserves sympathy," Caleb argued back. "They might have more baen, but their struggles are still real." "Caleb, we''re not saying people in Lara''s circumstances don''t deserve sympathy," Sue said beseechingly. "We''re just saying...if Lara wasn''t such a rotten person, then we''d be a bit more sympathetic." "If Lara didn''t insult me every chance she got I''d feel bad about the pressure she''s under," Aida murmured. "Anyway, you should go talk to Bruce," Levi said firmly, turning his back on Caleb''s anguished expression. "Who knows how long that conversation will go, and you don''t want to miss the golem back home." "Ah, I wonder if the people delivering our things home have left yet!" Sue said, hopping to her feet. "I''ll grab my fire float if it''s still there, so Aida and I can go home later if we have to. Come with me?" she said to Caleb, laying her hand gently on his arm. He looked at her with a miserable expression before letting her lead him away. "Why is Caleb being like that?" Aida asked no one in particular as Levi tugged Aida to her feet. "When did he get so friendly with Lara?" "It started during that Deep Western Woods escapade," Levi said quietly as they began heading back into the school building. "It seems they bonded during their escape. But ever since then, he''s been slowly warming up to her. I guess she''s a bit nicer to him now, too, but it clearly doesn''t extend to the rest of us," Levi said scathingly. They found Professor Bruce in the staff lounge, leaning back in one of the cushy chairs wearily. He straightened as soon as he heard Levi and Aida tell Charma they wanted to speak to him. "What is it now?" he asked, leading them into a private conference room. "I think I entered the spirit realm," Aida said bluntly. Bruce''s gaze sharpened. "Not on purpose!" "Explain." Again, Aida recounted her story of what happened in the Healing ward¡ªsupplemented by Levi¡ªfinishing with the question, "was I in the spirit realm?" Professor Bruce tapped the table in front of him as he stared at her, hard. Finally, he sighed. "I am conflicted. You are technically no longer a student here, so my responsibility over your actions and wellbeing is lower. However, because you are no longer a student here, that makes it difficult to ensure you are prepared for what is in the spirit realm. "Yes, the phenomena you described would indicate you manifested in the spirit realm. However, the lack of details you noted is concerning¡ªit means you did not possess the mental and spiritual development to accept and process what your soul noted." "So¡ªdoes that mean I saw Ezra? Ezra sent me back?" Aida asked eagerly. Levi''s hand on her shoulder made her realize she was leaning towards Bruce, and that he was looking at her with alarm as he leaned away from her. She pushed herself back into her seat with a muttered apology. "Yes, it seems likely it was him. I have noted¡ªwith relief, I might add¡ªthat his soul lingers in the vicinity of his body, which means he still has enough attachment to the mortal realm to be recoverable. He likely recognized you were going into shock, and ejected you from the spirit realm before you lost yourself." "But how did Aida get there in the first place?" Levi asked, somewhat belligerently. "She''s not like Ezra, she didn''t try to learn Ascension Meditation on her own!" Bruce exhaled slowly. "I have no answer for that." "Does Jasper Riolt know anything? Maybe he knows some sort of technique to¡ªI don''t know¡ªexpel somebody''s soul," Levi continued ruthlessly. He stood up from his seat and began pacing in the tiny room, frustrated. "When he entered the Healing ward, he was needlessly exerting his mana on all of us. What if he was doing that to hide the fact that he was doing something to her?" "Inconceivable," Bruce said, frowning. "It would take more than a lifetime of mana and spiritual mastery to be able to tamper with a healthy individual''s soul. I highly doubt he has the patience and dedication to self-improvement to pursue such a skill." "But¡ª" "Enough," Bruce said, raising his hand. "We have more pressing matters to deal with than speculation on how Aida entered the spirit realm, at the moment.¡± He turned to Aida with a serious expression, making sure she was focusing on him, paying attention. "It is paramount, now more than ever, we discuss how you can receive meditation training while you are working." Chapter 164: Graduation IV Oh no. Aida didn''t want to pick up another skill she had to train. She had enough to focus on, with making sure she settled in, blended in properly in a location where she wouldn''t have Levi to help cover her ignorance. "As I said before, I will be unable to be personally involved in your training," Bruce said. "However, I have managed to locate some masters who are willing to spare a disciple for your tutelage. One is located in the Sundry Plains, the other is located in the Grassland of the Moons. Which location is closer to your place of employment?" "Aida is going to be in Burston City, so the Grasslands would be closer," Levi replied for Aida, as she tried to remember where the Grassland of the Moons was. Levi elbowed her, as if sharing a joke. "What a coincidence, huh? If you had taken that offer in Moonglade, you wouldn''t have to travel at all." Aida chuckled weakly at the reminder. Oh boy. Sue''s going to be so excited. "I see. Very good. I will make the arrangements, then. Expect to receive a letter from me as soon as you are settled in your work quarters. In the meantime, continue your Mana Cycling and meditation practices. The better your breathing control, the more conducive it will be to dealing with Ascension Meditation techniques." Bruce walked them out of the staff lounge, which now had a small line of graduates outside the door as more students began reporting their offers to Charma. "There we have it, some answers," Levi said triumphantly as they headed back to the front of the school, where they could see Sue sitting despondently on the grass with Caleb through the windows. She did not seem to have been successful in recovering her fire float. "Yeah, thanks, now you just made more work for me," Aida said scathingly. "How am I supposed to bluff my identity with a Master''s disciple?" "Don''t overthink it, the disciple is likely far removed from Buddington politics," Levi said encouragingly. "They''re too busy meditating and cultivating their souls to be bothered with secular happenings." "What if they''re so cultivated they can sense I''m not from this world? Will they banish me?" Aida hissed at him, using his words from when he first postulated she wasn''t from this world. That finally made Levi pause. "Huh. If anyone could, it would be them." "That''s it? That''s all you''re going to say?" "Look, don''t worry so much¡ªjust deal with it as it comes. Stressing over it now is just hurting yourself early." Levi clapped Aida''s back reassuringly. "Easy for you to say," Aida muttered. "You''re not the one who would have to deal with the consequences." "Look, we still have a whole star cycle to hang out in Buddington. I''ll help you come up with a viable explanation in case you get found out during that time." "This really isn''t making me feel better." "What''s wrong?" Caleb asked as they approached the pair. He had his arm wrapped around Sue, who was absentmindedly playing with the fingers in his other hand as she sulked. "Bruce is going to set me up with meditation training with some master''s disciple," Aida groused as she plopped back on the grass in front of the couple. She eyed Sue, frowning. "Why are you so sad? It''s not like we need the fire float now. We can all make the Buddington golem together." Sue lifted her head, giving Aida a watery smile. "No, I''m not sad about my float. I just¡ª" she choked, looking to Caleb for help. "We were¡ªjust talking about Ezra," Caleb said, his eyes wide in clear panic as he tried to come up with an acceptable cover story. Aida and Levi exchanged glances as the two of them spluttered together some weak excuse about how sad they were going to be about not being able to see Ezra once they left. "Calm down, you two. It''s painful watching you try to come up with a sensible lie," Levi said reprovingly. "We''re not lying," Caleb said weakly. "Levi''s right," Aida said, shaking her head. "If it''s really such a private thing that you feel like you can''t share it with us, then you don''t have to. But don''t force yourself to try to trick us." "Thanks Aida, you''re the best," Sue gushed, leaping forward to tackle Aida in a tight hug, throwing the two of them onto the ground. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Aida looked up at Levi from where she was as she patted Sue''s back, where he stood looking down at them with amusement. "Have Lily and Vanita turned in their offers yet?" Caleb asked, drawing Levi''s attention. "We didn''t see them in the staff lounge. Should we go find them?" As Aida and Sue brushed themselves off, Aida observed Sue and Caleb''s body language. They seemed extra affectionate after their fruitless journey to the gate, a little bit more tender around each other. What did they talk about? Levi sidled up beside Aida as the slightly-happier Sue and Caleb led the way into the school. "Wanna take a bet on what made Suelina so distraught?" "I can''t even imagine," Aida replied quietly. She glanced mistrustfully at Levi. "And I have a feeling I''m not going to like your suspicion." Levi coughed delicately. "What if she''s pregnant?" Aida gasped, Levi''s hand flying to her mouth in order to smother her shock. Fortunately, Sue and Caleb were blissfully unaware of what was going on behind them as they opened the door. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ "I did it!" Lily declared. "I accepted Healer Bokar''s proxy offer with the herbalist. We''ll be neighbors, Aida!" Aida joined Lily in her squeal, feeling her breath cut off as the tiny girl hugged her midsection tightly. "What about you, Vanita?" Sue asked eagerly. The four of them had found Lily and Vanita in the courtyard with Edward Sparks and Abedi. Pritchard, Shon, Myk, and Dev were a respectful distance away from the small group, though they were now approaching since they saw the group grow. Aida smiled in acknowledgment at the newcomers, though she was careful not to look at Dev for too long. "I rejected my offers," Vanita said shyly. "I''m going to work for my family to improve my mineral growth technique, and Professor Gemma said she''ll work with me to refine my mana beads." "What about you?" Levi asked Edward. "Will you be in Burston City too?" As the boys began talking about their own plans, Lily skipped toward Levi, seamlessly joining the conversation. Dev slid into the empty spot the energetic girl had just vacated, Pritchard, Shon, and Myk filling in the gaps in the circle. "I suppose it''s official," Dev said as he glanced around the circle, nodding at everyone. "We won''t be seeing each other as often anymore." "Yes," Aida agreed. "Are you excited?" After a pause that lasted almost long enough to make Aida feel awkward, Dev said, "Why would I be?" "Um." The way Dev asked that question made Aida backtrack¡ªshe had been expecting he would say he was excited, as everybody usually was at the prospect of not being forced to go to school anymore. But that also means he¡¯ll be faced with the clan inheritance issue full-time now. "Sorry, I forgot¡ªdid you hear? Lara¡ª" "¡ªaccepted Jasper Riolt''s offer. Yes, I know." Even though it was clearly a rebuke, Dev still smiled at her, letting her know she was forgiven. "I don''t care about that." "Oh. I thought¡ª" Aida stumbled again, confused. Hoping, but trying to avoid giving any more weight to the creeping thought in her mind than it already had. "Are you looking forward to life after school?" Dev asked in the silence. "She must. She doesn''t have to see you every day," Pritchard said haughtily. He sniffed and gave Aida pathetic puppy eyes. "Please save me." She couldn''t help but laugh at the comically sad face he gave her, with the corners of his lips literally touching his chin. "I am looking forward to having a more stable work life, instead of constantly getting sent out to random locations." Pritchard rolled his eyes to the heavens, his hands clutching at the clouds in agony. "And for us, our work life consists entirely of constantly getting sent out to random locations! What have I signed up for!" "Too bad," Dev snapped, uncharacteristically sharp. "You agreed to it." Aida tittered on the side as Pritchard¡ªand Myk¡ªstarted pestering Dev, trying to negotiate the privileges they would receive as members of his Adventuring group. "You get whatever privileges you can afford." "Let''s have three days off every star cycle." "We get our rest days depending on the jobs we take." "No more than one job a week." "I will agree to this if the job takes two weeks." Finally, the bell chimed for the first golems of the afternoon to depart, stalling the spirited negotiations. "That''s us," Shon said, looking around at his friends. He waved at the group as a whole as the other four boys began reaching out and shaking everyone''s hand in farewell. Abedi gave Vanita an awkward hug, her face flaming (and possibly his, too, though it was hard to tell with his dark skin). Dev reached his hand towards Aida, who clasped his hand in return, smiling in relief, though her stomach tightened. It''s almost over. Gripping her palm firmly, he pulled her into him, his face coming towards her. Time seemed to slow as Aida watched his lips approach hers, unable¡ªand unwilling to¡ªavert her face, put her hands up in defense, stop this from happening. Lifting her gaze, she met his icy blue eyes, which were fixed on her own. He seemed to see her. Everything else around them faded, and it was just the two of them, staring into each other''s eyes. After an eternity, Dev blinked, and his face glided smoothly past her cheek, so that she was wrapped in his long arms, leaving her staring at the sky, her chin resting on his shoulder. "...good luck." Chapter 165: Homecoming I Aida felt her face flush as her brain caught up with what her body was feeling. His arms wrapped firmly around her shoulders, his chin resting in the crook of her neck, his taller frame folding over to compensate for her significantly shorter stature. "Good luck with everything." Aida laughed awkwardly as she pulled away from him, hoping her cheeks weren''t as flushed as she felt. "Good luck to you, too." Glancing away from him, she made eye contact with Pritchard, who had just turned away from shaking hands with Caleb and luckily hadn''t noticed anything. Perhaps she was trying to dilute the significance of what had just happened, or trying to convince herself what she noticed in that embrace meant just as little to her as what it surely meant to Dev¡ªbecause who would hug someone else like that in public¡ªbut Aida held out her arms to Pritchard. Pritchard gawked at her, before grinning as he opened his own arms wide. "I knew I''d win you over one day, Loreh!" "Not a chance," Aida retorted as she patted his back politely. "But we went through a lot, so...you''d better stay alive." "Same to you." Pritchard gave her a quick salute as he stepped aside, unable to stop grinning. Aida gave everyone else in Dev''s squad a quick hug, wishing everyone the best. Finally, their group dwindled to half its original size, as Edward confessed he had to run for the same golem as the other boys; his family was expecting him. "It seems so silly to still be at school when everyone else has gone," Lily said forlornly. "But getting on that golem now after all those farewells seem even sillier." "The next golem is in an hour," Sue said reasonably. "We can just...walk the grounds. Take in the last of the view." "Sunset is soon," Caleb said softly. "Maybe we can say goodbye to the school together." "Daww, Caleb is so sentimental!" Lily teased, punching Caleb''s forearm. An evil smile spread across her face. "One last game of water fighting?" ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Aida bounced on her seat as the golem trundled down the road to Buddington Town. The route was significantly different from how she remembered it: the ride between towns had always been a bit bumpy, but now the dirt path was pitted with holes and some gashes that were large enough to be considered trenches. Signs of combat were everywhere. "Is it worth it to use some mana to straighten the path out?" Lily asked Vanita queasily from across the aisle. "I''ll do it," Caleb muttered, lifting his chin to the darkened tree boughs as he closed his eyes. Soon enough, the ride smoothed out, letting Aida release the tension she didn''t even notice she was holding in her body just to avoid having her tailbone banged about. "So when are we all getting together?" Lily asked as soon as everyone had relaxed. "I know my family is going to force me to stay at home tomorrow so we can catch up, but I should be free to come hang out either Spark Day or Mist Day!" "That will be true for all of us, I believe," Vanita said thoughtfully. "Shall we meet on Mist Day, then?" "Yeah! I''ll use Spark Day to go to the Gullbeaks HQ," Sue said brightly. She glanced over at Caleb, who still had his eyes closed as he continued cleaning the road up. Despite not answering, he nodded in agreement. "That works for me," Levi yawned. The group made plans to meet at Caleb''s home, for a celebratory homecoming hot spring soak at noon, and then head to Sue''s family restaurant for dinner. Soon enough, the gates of Buddington Town finally emerged through the trees, and the golem slowed to a stop as the guard held out his hand to speak with the driver. Eventually, the wagon trundled through the gate, its occupants slowly rousing themselves as they took stock of where they were. "Here we are!" Sue said brightly as the golem stopped at an intersection. She grabbed Aida''s hand and they stood up together, giving everyone quick hugs and promising to see each other soon. Levi held onto Aida a second longer than everyone else, whispering softly in her ear. "Remember, when in doubt, just act bland." "Got it," Aida murmured back. She patted his shoulder gratefully as he let go, and she stepped off the golem with Sue. They waved off their friends as the golem continued on its route, before the other girl linked her arm through Aida''s, smiling eagerly. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Let''s go home!" Instead of following the main road, Sue steered her down a tight alley, weaving through a maze of several different buildings so efficiently that Aida gave up hope of tracking where they were. Finally, they stopped in front of a four-story building with a brightly lit restaurant on the ground floor. Aida could hear laughter and music float out through the windows and door as it periodically opened to admit or disgorge customers. Sue skipped up to the door, holding it open to allow a raucous party through and gesturing for Aida to enter. "Welcome home!" Aida took a deep breath. Be bland. Striding through the door with a confidence she didn''t earn, Aida stopped just beside the door, allowing Sue to enter beside her. As soon as Sue stepped through, hands on her hips with a massive grin on her face, the restaurant fell silent, struck by her glowing beauty. "We''re home!" "Girls!" A shriek emitted from a tall, slim woman with golden hair and blue eyes, who was wearing a long dress with a serving apron. She set down her water pitcher with a thunk before rushing over to them, with a lightness in her step that made Aida think she had done ballet all her life. She wrapped an arm around each of them, hugging them tightly as all the customers began shouting, welcoming them back. Sue''s mother pulled them to the bar, where customers had gladly vacated two stools to allow the girls to sit together. Several patrons even began yelling into the back of the kitchen, alerting the head cook his daughter was home. Sue''s father was a broad man, bald with lilac eyes. He wiped his hands on his full-length apron as he handed his ladle to an assistant, squeezing his way out of the kitchen with an equally broad smile. "Soots! Aida! It''s so good to have you two home!" He quickly swiped two wooden plates off of a stack and loaded them with potatoes, eggs, and a meat stir fry, setting the homey meal in front of the two girls. "Eat up! You¡¯re both so thin. I''ll send Joe to let Aida''s parents know you''re back while you eat." "Thanks, Pa!" Sue leaned across the bartop to give her father a kiss on the cheek, and Aida echoed her thanks with a shy smile, waiting for Sue to begin eating before she started on her own plate. "So, tell us! Did you get any job offers? Which one did you go with?" Pa Heslia asked as he leaned on the bar with one elbow, looking between Sue and Aida. "Let them eat first before you start interrogating them!" Ma Heslia hollered from the restaurant floor. "I don''t mind!" Sue said, her cheek bulging yet still somehow managing to look cute while she talked with her mouth full. She whipped her offer letter out from her satchel, brandishing it in the air. "I''m working with the Gullbeaks! I''ll be in town!" All of the restaurant patrons clapped and hooted at the news, throwing congratulations and questions at Sue. They were all clearly regulars, and very familiar with the Heslia family. Fortunately, because everyone clearly knew friendship dynamic between Sue and Aida already, no one thought to ask Aida to talk about herself. She was able to peacefully finish her plate, which was slightly greasy, but had the wonderful comfort of being a homecooked meal. As soon as Aida finished her last bite, the restaurant door opened again to reveal two timid, dark-haired characters. Their tight expressions relaxed into smiles as they caught sight of Aida in the corner, hidden behind Sue, who was laughing with her whole body, pecking at her half-empty plate. Here we go. "Meg and Ray! Welcome! Gotchu a plate," Pa Heslia boomed as he saw them. "No thanks, Kenny, we have food at home," Ray, Aida''s father, said humbly. "Hello, Suelina, welcome home." "We insist!" Ma Heslia swept up from behind Aida''s parents, scooping them towards the bar. Sue quickly moved her plate over, forcing the bar stool seating to shift down two spaces so that the Lorehs could sit with their daughter. "There you go, I''ll get you all some napkins..." "It''s so good to see you," Meg said, drinking in the sight of Aida. "You''ve...grown. You seem like a different person now." "I have grown! I got a job offer," Aida said, eagerly grasping the opportunity to establish the fact that she had changed from when they remembered her. She carefully pulled her own offer out from her rucksack, which she had stacked between notebooks to prevent it from getting needlessly wrinkled. "I''ll be heading to Burston City to work as a Healer and Poison Specialist on Sun Day.¡± Meg and Ray''s faces fell as they looked at the offer, before they hitched their smiles back on their faces. "Congratulations, Aida. I''m so proud of you," Ray said, handing the offer carefully back to Aida. "But...are you sure you want to do this?" "Of course I do," Aida said decisively. "I really like Healer Bokar, and he promised to teach me everything I needed to know!" She prattled at them for the next quarter hour, recounting how she had successfully established a positive working relationship with Healer Bokar during the sun cycle, forcing her parents to eat the plates Pa Heslia had set in front of them ("Don''t worry about the cost! Today''s a celebration!"). "And that''s not all," Sue chimed in from behind the Lorehs'' dumbstruck expressions, making them turn around to face her. "Aida ranked third for the Water graduates!" They stared at Sue, as if they didn''t believe what they were hearing. "Third? How many Water students are there?" Ray asked faintly. "Six!" Ray''s eyes bulged as he looked back at Aida, as if seeing her for the first time. Sue nodded in satisfaction at everybody''s shock. Even the patrons at the tables next to the bar were silent, staring at Aida with surprise. "Yup, Aida worked so hard this year!" "Another congratulations to you, Aida!" Ma Heslia said, coming up to ruffle Aida''s hair affectionately. "We all knew you had it in you!" "Thank you." Aida looked at Ray and Meg with concern. They were still in disbelief, but now confusion was starting to filter through the shock. "Are you two okay? Say something," she urged, reminding herself to make her voice small, like how Aida presumably used to be. That did the trick. They both began smiling, before Meg reached forward for a hug. "We''re very proud of you, Aida." Chapter 166: Homecoming II After the warm, hearty meal in the rambunctious restaurant, the Lorehs exited the establishment and took a tight entrance on the side of the building to a narrow hallway with steep stairs. They climbed up three flights to the fourth floor, where it opened up to a large landing that contained countless washtubs and buckets. Aida''s mother pulled open an iron gate and opened the door inside, ushering Aida in. "Your belongings were delivered to your room earlier this afternoon." Aida entered the Loreh residence, feeling slightly claustrophobic at the low ceilings. It was dark inside, forcing Aida to squint. Ah, good. Mana crystals. Injecting some mana into the various crystals embedded in the ceiling, Aida lit up the room. "Ah, it''s so nice to have you home," Ray sighed. He set down the book of matches he had picked up in order to light the candles that were placed right next to the door. "I need to go to the kitchen to put away our dinner, since the Heslias so graciously fed us..." He bustled past Aida into the cramped living space, where she saw two small bowls of cold rice, vegetables, and beans on a low coffee table, surrounded by crates of cleaning solutions and rags. He picked them up and carried them carefully to the kitchen, his footsteps familiar with the tight layout, easily finding the rare open areas. "You should go wash up," Meg said to Aida, shifting some things around in the living room to make the path to the other three doors a bit more easily traversable. "Your father and I already washed before dinner." "Okay." Aida picked her way through the room to the closed bedroom door in the corner next to what was clearly the bathroom, where a small, bubble-lettered sign was taped onto the door, proudly declaring ''Aida''s Room!'' Thank you for your guidance, Aida. She shut the door behind her, exhaling. She made it through first contact. She did well¡ªwith Sue''s help¡ªin seeding the idea that she was different from how everybody remembered her. And the Lorehs, despite their less-than-comfortable living conditions, seemed to be like good people in general. Maybe this cycle won¡¯t be so bad. Aida surveyed her tiny room. It was slightly smaller than her room back home, with just enough for a single twin bed along one wall, and a desk and chair crammed against the other wall, leaving her room to walk down the length of the room to the desk. At least it''s an efficient use of space. Aida''s luggage from Maglica was stacked neatly on the trunk at the foot of her bed, right beside her. It''s probably not worth unpacking everything, Aida mused as she began digging through her bags to find her sleepwear. After all, she was leaving at the end of this star cycle. The bedframe creaked as Aida put her items on it, making Aida aware just how old and battered the furniture in this room was. Maybe Aida was spoiled, but she missed her large, luxurious room with high ceilings, large and airy windows, and space to spin in the middle of the room back at school. She hoped her lodgings in Burston City would be more roomy than this. Aida washed up without running into any trouble, though she gave up on trying to get the hot and cold water to mix properly. It was easier to just have the faucet pour hot water into the wash basin, and then create cold water to mix to her preferred temperature. On the other side of the bathroom walls, she could hear her parents talking to each other as they moved about, getting ready for bed even though it was still relatively early in the evening. They confirmed as much when Aida finally stepped out of the bathroom. "We''re so glad you''re home, Aida," Meg said, grasping Aida''s hands in her own. Aida could feel the rough, dried skin on her young mother''s fingers. "But we need to wake up early tomorrow to finish up some jobs¡ªlet''s get lunch tomorrow? Whenever you wake up, so we can catch up." Aida nodded as Meg gave her a watery smile and kiss, and Ray reached out to her for a tight, one-armed hug. "Goodnight, Aida," he said gruffly as he shut the door to their room. "Don''t forget to snuff the mana crystals when you go to bed." "Of course." Waiting until the creaks and activity in her parents'' room stilled, Aida began picking carefully around the room, committing to memory all the items and details of what her "childhood" must have been like. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The Lorehs really didn''t have much. They had four worn-out cushions on the floor around the low table, which seemed to serve as a multi-purpose surface. Every available free space was taken up with cleaning supplies: brooms, mops, scrub brushes, gloves, aprons... The kitchenette itself was tiny, with one corner stashed with kindling and wood fuel, a small hearth, and a tiny icebox that only went up to her waist. The contents of the icebox were sparse: the two bowls of unfinished dinner Ray had put away, a couple small packages wrapped in paper, and blocks of ice. If Aida had to guess, the Lorehs didn''t have time to cook their own meals, and would instead buy takeout and stretch the meal as long as they could. Aida shut the icebox, her stomach clenching. Caleb''s family had seemed poor, behind the shiny veneer of their public-facing bathhouse. But the Lorehs were indisputably worse off. She crept out of the house¡ªif she walked too fast, everything would creak¡ªand out onto the landing, performing a similar survey. Levi had informed her that Aida and Sue lived in the same building¡ªor more accurately, Sue''s family had managed to buy the building quite early on, due to Sue''s mother having done very well for herself as the most popular dancer of her time. Ma Heslia, or Rhia, had been smart with her baen. She bought the building so she could have her own stage and shows on the first floor, while she lived on the second with her family and rented out the third and fourth floors. Eventually, Mia and her parents decided it made good business sense to serve food, so the audience members who came to watch Rhia dance could leave with both their souls and bellies satisfied at the end of the night¡ªand also so that they could utilize the space during the daytime, when Rhia wasn''t dancing. That was how Rhia met Kenny, a strapping young man passionate about cooking and experimenting with flavors, having come to Buddington Town from the south of Wyndia to taste test the region. Sue''s grandparents hired Kenny to work dinner shift, and in a tale as old as time, he fell in love with Rhia as he watched her dance. As soon as Rhia and Kenny married and got pregnant, Sue''s grandparents insisted they move up to the third floor and leave the second and ground floor to Sue''s parents. As for the fourth floor...there was an uneasy reputation associated with living on the fourth floor, no matter how cheap the rent was. It was only when Kenny and Rhia decided to outsource the cleaning so that Rhia''s parents could retire from the restaurant business and help take care of baby Suelina that they were finally able to find a long-term occupant for the rooftop house. Ray had showed up at the restaurant one day, humbly asking Kenny if he had any odd jobs he needed help with. After hearing that Ray had a wife and an infant daughter, Kenny¡¯s heart broke. Being generally warmhearted and kind individuals, they worked out an arrangement with the Lorehs that was impossible to reject. In exchange for doing the cleaning and other odd jobs for the restaurant, they could live on the fourth floor for free. Sue''s grandparents also offered to watch Aida for them while they worked, since the girls were the same age and it just made sense to raise them together. In addition to the living quarters and large landing that doubled as a laundry space, they also had access to the rooftop, which Aida could see had clotheslines strung up everywhere. It was this rooftop that Aida was now standing on, surveying the bustling nightlife below. Sue and Aida''s home was on a main street, crowded with businesses. Even now, she could see a few other restaurant workers bringing bags of dirty linens to the side of their building, depositing them in a waiting area for Aida''s parents to pick up for the next day. "Aha! I knew you would be here." Aida turned at the chirp, smiling as Sue climbed up the stairs to join her. "Nowhere else to go." Sue giggled. "That''s true. I saw your parents'' lights were out, but I knew you wouldn''t be asleep yet. By the way, my grands want to see you tomorrow. They don''t believe me when I told them you finally came into your own!" "Oh," Aida blanched. "Um...my mom said they wanted to get lunch with me tomorrow. I''ll drop by when we come back?" "That works," Sue nodded. "I''ll probably be back home then, too. Drop by the restaurant first!" "Will do." They stood in silence, looking out at the bustling nightlife. "I can''t believe I won''t be seeing you every day anymore," Sue finally said. "Things change so quickly," Aida agreed noncommittally. She leaned her shoulder against Sue''s, trying to redirect the melancholy. "But hey! You''re a Gullbeak now. How cool is that?" Sue laughed, wrapping her arms around Aida. "I never thought in my wildest dreams that it would happen like this!" Her voice dropped longingly. "It would be peak perfection if you were there, too." Aida patted Sue''s back comfortingly. "You and Caleb are good, right?" "Oh, for sure!" Sue pulled back, stretching. "He signed his part-time contract with the Gullbeaks, and Kuri had mentioned Kawa was going to meet with them once Caleb was back to talk about how they can partner together." "They like the hot spring that much?" Aida asked, amused. Sue giggled, rubbing her hands together with relish. "They do! I''m looking forward to reaping the benefits. But yeah, they saw the potential of the bathhouse to be a great hub of information¡ªhealth benefits of all the services aside. So they''re going to negotiate details, see how they can help offset the costs of running the bath so they can bring the prices down to a more affordable price, allowing them to expand their clientele and gather information at the same time." Aida raised her brow appreciatively. Talk about investing back into the community. "Hey, but...what was Levi saying about meditation training?" Aida sighed heavily, already anticipating Sue''s excitement at learning how close Aida would get to seeing carnivorous plants. "You''re going to love this. So it turns out there''s a Master in the Grasslands..."