ã€ŠDraconic Transcendence: Cinders and Ashesã€‹


 Chapter 1

    A young, homeless woman was making her way through an alleyway, trying to ignore the sirens in the distance. Apparently, a vicious fire had rampaged throughout one of the districts, specifically in the housing of several notable wealthy people. So, she was scrounging in the ashes for anything that may have been of value. Sadly, she didn¡¯t find much. As she dug through the refuse, her hands tainted black with ash and soot, she heard a faint cry. It sounded like a baby¡­!

    But that was impossible. The fires that raged had reached thousands of degrees of heat. Nothing could have survived. And yet...could it be¡­? The woman made her way through the rubble towards what she presumed was the remnants of a kitchen and moved some refuse aside. And lo behold, there was a crying baby, blackened with soot, yet otherwise, perfectly fine. The woman hesitated. Should she take it? What if it was some Noble¡¯s baby? A quick check revealed that it was a girl...she picked up the baby, discovering it was uncomfortably warm. Did she have a fever?

    ¡°Poor thing¡­¡± she mumbled, cradling it in her arms. She would take care of this child. If whoever was the parent had been willing to leave it to the fire, she decided they must not have wanted it. To do such a callous thing...they did not deserve to have this child. She made her way back to the slums. This was the Apollyn Empire, a large nation stretching across most of the continent, made of one primary kingdom and several smaller kingdoms, all merged under the reign of the Archon, Jacob Black, the 12th successor in the Black Dynasty.

    After wrestling control of the Empire after the death of the previous Archon and stabilizing the power vacuum created in his sudden death, Humanity was now in a renaissance of sorts. Yes, all degrees of the arts were flourishing- art, writing, poetry, technology. While the faith in the Dragon and Elder gods had faded away, Humanity looked towards more secular matters.

    The result was this, the magnificent capital of Harlup. The ratty looking woman stepped aside, a formidable golem walking by, and the red colored stones in place of its eyes turning to regard her critically, with the baby in hand. Dismissing her, it resumed its patrol. These were Magitech Golems, magical golems animated by a mechanical core and powered by magic. Magitech was a miraculous combination of technology and magic, allowing humanity to surpass limits it had thought not surpassable. Food could be preserved in iceboxes, carriages could move without horses, moving pictures recorded and played back...the possibilities were endless.

    The capital was as clean as ever, having sewers and running water, as well as everyone understanding the importance of hygiene. However, even though the country was ahead of its time with these revolutionary policies, the concept of welfare and caring for the poor was still undeveloped...no, not even conceptual.

    So slums and the poor still existed, and there was still a disparity between the poor and rich, even if the quality of life had improved even for middle class families. That was why even this woman, filthy and wearing rags, could walk on the sides of such a pristine road, past beautiful, bricked two story houses. However, as she made her way to the particular district that she lived in, the houses grew increasingly more shabbier, the roads less pristine, but still clean nonetheless. She was currently on her way to visit a doctor who she knew would not turn down a child...even if she was not able to pay. She did have a few favors she could cash in, after all. She shrugged open the door to the clinic.

    ¡°Hm? Who...oh, if it isn¡¯t Veronica! What are you doing¡­¡± the voice belonged to a rather beautiful woman wearing a white coat with glasses. The typical picture of a doctor. Her gaze shifted towards the baby. ¡°....why do you have a baby?¡± Veronica smiled awkwardly. ¡°Serena...can I have you look at it?¡± she explained the circumstances. Upon hearing on where Veronica had found the child, Serena sighed despondently. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry you have to dig through the trash...yeah, let me see her, I¡¯ll get her cleaned up...you can use the bath, too, yanno¡­¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Veronica said, grateful to have a friend like her. After she showered, she came back out, noticing the baby, now in proper clothing and clean.

    ¡°Well, I did some preliminary tests, and she seems to be perfectly healthy¡­

    ¡°But that can¡¯t be! She¡¯s so warm¡­¡± Veronica protested. Serena shrugged. ¡°Could be an abnormality? I can¡¯t say for certain, but if she¡¯s sick, it certainly doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. That being said...It¡¯s not like I have the proper equipment to do a full diagnosis¡­¡± While magic could take care of many wounds, it couldn¡¯t do much for illnesses. In the past, medicine and surgery had gone undeveloped, but recently progress had been made as the Archon and his advisers realized the importance. This was why hygiene and health had improved. With magitech, devices to inspect tiny particles that were thought to cause illness could be inspected, among other things, like antibiotics. Yet even so, the field wasn¡¯t properly developed quite yet, and only the royal laboratories and clinics had the cutting edge technology that might¡¯ve been able to figure out what was wrong with the baby.

    ¡°Take my word for it, as a practiced Doctor, I have to say there is absolutely nothing wrong with this baby, beyond the abnormally high temperature. If anything, I¡¯d say that means she¡¯s more resilient to diseases, since they can¡¯t survive high temperatures¡­¡±

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Veronica said hesitantly. ¡°Have you thought of a name?¡± Serena asked curiously. Veronica shook her head. ¡°...how about Edna?¡± Serena offered a name. ¡°Edna?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a derivative of Etna, the Dragon God of the West. It means fire and warmth, and well¡­¡± she looked at the baby with a wry grin. ¡°She is warm, and you found her in the aftermath of a fire¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­that¡¯s a bit cheeky, isn¡¯t it?¡± Veronica asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. What better way to honor one¡¯s heritage? Maybe she was born in those flames?¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t say such nonsense,¡± Veronica dismissed her joking words. ¡°...but, you¡¯re right. Welcome to the world...Edna¡­¡± she said this to little Edna, who held out her hands, a happy burble coming from her. ¡°Seems like she likes the name,¡± Serena said with a giggle. Veronica stared down at the baby girl, her lips tight. ¡°...If you want, I can take care of her for you,¡± Serena said softly. ¡°I know it will be hard to care for her...given your situation¡­¡± Veronica shook her head.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t drop that burden on you, Serena. I know you would be punished harshly for taking in a child¡­.¡± Serena winced involuntarily. Despite working in the slums, Serena was expressly forbidden from taking in any refugees, even if that included babies. The reason was that unless impartiality was maintained, what she did for one special person would make everyone else want to get that same concession, leading to a chain reaction that would unravel the hard work Serena¡¯s superiors had done.

    She was a community doctor working to ensure plague did not spread throughout the slums, although that was as far as her doctrine would allow her to freely work. Anything else would obviously require money, though her friendship with Veronica meant she was more than willing to bend a few rules and pull some strings.

    ¡°...you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll do my best to get you more food and such, so you can care for her better¡­¡± Serena told her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about payment, either. Checkups like that don¡¯t cost anything, after all¡­¡± Veronica smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a good friend, Serena¡­¡± She walked off and left, while Serena leaned back and sighed. ¡°What a cruel world this is¡­¡± she mumbled, closing her eyes and dozing off. Having to work 24/7, it was hard to catch quality sleep. In this unexpected lull, she must take every opportunity she could to sleep.

 Chapter 2

    Veronica made her way down the street and into an alleyway. ¡°Hello Veronica,¡± a ragged voice called. She stopped to look down at a man who was wearing nothing more than rags, caked in dirt and mud. He gave her a grin, showing several of his teeth, which were missing. ¡°Hello, Jackson,¡± Veronica said warmly, greeting him.

    Despite his rather crude appearance, Jackson was a surprisingly nice fellow who had managed to avoid a life of drugs and organized crime, though like everyone else in the slums, he was not entirely guiltless when it came to swiping the occasional apple from an unobservant shopkeeper. ¡°Is that a kid? Where¡¯d you find it?¡± he asked. Veronica explained the circumstances to him.

    ¡°Ahh...I see. It¡¯ll be difficult to care for her, yanno? This life ain¡¯t kind, even for us, who are experienced¡­¡± Jackson and Veronica had lived as homeless beggars for quite a while, so they more knowledgeable than most other beggars, such as knowing the most friendly shopkeepers, the best places to beg, the least filthy places to sleep...it wasn¡¯t knowledge anyone other than a beggar should be proud to possess. And yet, even with that experience, it was a struggle to stay alive, let alone obtain a good meal. ¡°...I¡¯ll have to manage. Serena said she¡¯d do her best to help,¡± Veronica said.

    Jackson nodded. ¡°Ah, the doctor, right? Nice girl...ah, don¡¯t let the others know. I know no one in this area will do anything, but those hoodlums down the road might try and do something,¡± he warned. In this particular group of alleyways near the Clinic and various houses was a small group of weary but honest beggars. Each of them tried their best to avoid doing too much crime or drawing attention, and incidentally, helped each other out when they could.

    Being homeless and poor, it was better to group together and work as one to survive than try to strike out on one¡¯s own. It was also more beneficial as a defensive measure, since there were other people, like the hoodlums Jackson mentioned, who lived off of beating up beggars and taking what little possessions they might have or extorted money. This was one thing both beggars and commoners shared- these malicious individuals would mug anyone they thought they could get away with mugging.

    As such, it was typical for beggars in bigger cities like the Capital to form communal, ramshackle communities, though there was no small amount of individual homeless people trying to live on their own. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t,¡± she said firmly. Jackson nodded, turning to regard the opening of the alley. ¡°Beautiful day, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked her. Veronica looked up towards the sky. ¡°...yeah. Too bad we can¡¯t exactly enjoy it, huh?¡± the two exchanged sad smiles and bid each other farewell. As Veronica came to the small wooden shack she had built, she stooped down low and crawled into it. It was small, but just big enough to not be terribly cramped. ¡°Welcome to your new home, Edna,¡± Veronica said softly.

    Edna let out a soft burble, though her expression didn¡¯t seem to communicate anything other than curiosity at the world around her. However, Veronica became aware of a particularly troublesome effect of bringing Edna into the small hut. ¡°...it¡¯s hot,¡± she complained. The shoddy constructed hut didn¡¯t have the best insulation and was drafty, but it was still an enclosed space. The higher than usual body heat of Edna had warmed the temperature within the hut, turning it into a muggy and hot atmosphere.

    While Veronica was sweating, Edna seemed unaffected by the uncomfortable heat, only giggling...though her joy went downhill fast as she began to cry. ¡°Eh?¡± Veronica was confused why she was crying, when a certain smell assaulted her nostrils. ¡°...well, I guess it¡¯s time for a change, huh?¡±

    Diapers didn¡¯t exactly exist in this world, but specialized loincloths that basically were the same thing did exist, which was what Veronica was changing. She didn¡¯t really have any experience, however. Luckily, Griselda, a neighbor, had raised two children and was quite skilled, so she provided assistance. ¡°Thanks, Griselda,¡± Veronica said in gratitude. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m glad I could provide some assistance,¡± Griselda said, waving off her words. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve found a child, but what if there are repercussions?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°The child was abandoned, I doubt anyone will come for her,¡± Veronica said. Griselda smiled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fortunate you found her. Make sure to raise her right, okay?¡± Veronica nodded. ¡°Yes, of course¡­¡±

    =======

    A few years passed, with Veronica doing her best to raise Edna to the best of her ability. Initially using artificial milk supplied by Serena, Edna had now grown old enough to eat actual food. Her unnatural body temperature never changed, and after one fateful event when she had fallen and injured herself by scraping her knee. The pain was enough that she cried her heart out, but for whatever reason¡­tears did not come. The little girl was absolutely sobbing, but her eyes were completely dry- it was a stark contrast that was both unusual and quite depressing. But the final clincher that she was abnormal- Edna had brilliant, vermilion colored hair and deep, crimson colored eyes, an eye color that was quite uncommon, and in fact, could be said to be unique, though neither Veronica nor anyone else really knew the special nature of such colored eyes.

    As she developed, Veronica and the other beggars did their best to try and teach Edna how to speak, though they had difficulties with teaching her to read and write, given the fact that none of them had an actual education. Luckily, Edna possessed a remarkable intelligence and was able to pick up on things even with the fragments and tidbits they each offered. Her high body heat also proved a boon to her mother- when winter came, she was never cold, since Edna¡¯s high body temperature meant that holding her was like hugging a heater.

    Incidentally, it appeared cold weather had no effect on Edna, as one day, at six years old, Edna was happily trudging around in the snow. Veronica watched her, wrapped in some blankets padded with newspaper. Edna, however, wore nothing other than her simple clothes, which had been provided by Serena. They were dirty and mismatched, but Edna did not care. She was happy to have anything, after all. ¡°...no matter how resistant she is, it¡¯s still unnerving to see a kid playing in the snow with nothing to keep her warm¡­¡± Jackson mumbled from beside her. The two were sharing a blanket, since Jackson didn¡¯t really have his own.

    He smelled, but then again, when one lived this life for a while, being blind to bad smells was a given. ¡°...yes, but she¡¯s an unordinary kid, isn''t she?¡± Veronica asked, watching as Edna picked up a chunk of snow and started to form it into a snowball, only to gaze despondently at the puddle of water that was now in her hands. In truth, Veronica didn¡¯t really have much to offer Edna in the form of a coat or anything, but she was lucky that Edna didn¡¯t require such a thing. As it was, the girl didn¡¯t seem to feel cold, even when her bare skin came into contact with the harsh cold of snow. The dejected look on her face made Veronica want to laugh and pity the poor girl, who, despite loving the snow, could not really play with it effectively. The three of them were in a large public park. There wasn¡¯t anyone nearby, save for some security golems that were doing their daily rounds, but they saw no issue with a kid playing in the snow being watched over by her parents.

    ¡°Mommy!¡± Edna cried, moving through the snow on a whim towards Veronica. The little girl tackled Veronica, who let out a surprised squeak at the sudden move. Luckily, Edna was small, and hadn¡¯t really knocked Veronica down or anything. Veronica let Edna crawl under the blanket and interpose herself between the two adults. Veronica winced as Edna¡¯s slightly damp, cold clothes pressed against her skin, but luckily, they were drying quite fast, another unexpected benefit of Edna¡¯s high body temperature...and soon enough, the pressing cold faded away, replaced by the instant warmth offered by Edna. Jackson melted at the sudden warmth. ¡°Ahhhh...it feels so good¡­¡± he moaned softy. Edna pressed herself against Veronica in a hug, grinning. ¡°Feels good!¡± she echoed with a giggle. Veronica also embraced her daughter.

    As a result of her warmth, Edna had proved unexpectedly vital for her adopted Mother¡¯s survival- the winters had grown harsh lately, and Veronica wasn¡¯t sure if she could survive the harsh cold and weather. However, with Edna, it was actually quite easy. The constant contact, however, had accidentally made Edna a bit clingy, who grew up being frequently embraced. It also meant that during the summer, she tended to get a bit depressed, since Veronica couldn¡¯t bear to stand too close to Edna, whose natural aura combined with the summer heat would be impossible to withstand. ¡°Do you want to head back?¡± Veronica asked Edna, who nodded. ¡°Mommy, why doesn¡¯t the snow want to play?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well sweetie, snow is actually frozen water, so when it¡¯s exposed to heat, it melts and returns to water,¡± Veronica explained. Edna frowned. ¡°And since I make so much heat...oh¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure when you get older, the snow will want to play with you,¡± Jackson told her. Edna brightened. ¡°Really?¡± she asked her mother with shining eyes, wanting to confirm. ¡°Of course,¡± Veronica said. The three got up and made their way back to the buildings.

 Chapter 3

    ¡°Waaah, run away!¡± A little girl ran away from Edna, who was currently chasing her. ¡°Raar! I¡¯m going to get you!¡± Edna proclaimed happily, giving chase. The cold weather had abated, meaning that it was slightly warmer than usual. Taking advantage of this, the kids of the slums had gathered together to play. Edna, who was faster than the little girl, managed to touch her back. ¡°Tag! You¡¯re it!¡± she said cheerfully. The little girl whirled around and promptly began to chase Edna...and then shifted her targets, moving towards a young boy, who yelped at the sudden move.

    ¡°Stay awaaaaay from meeeee!¡± he cried out, moving away. The little girl was June, and the young boy was Hart, both were children of beggars who knew Veronica. That was why the parents were content to let their kids play with each other. Once it was Edna¡¯s turn, she tackled June, wrapping her in a hug. ¡°Nooooooooo, its waaaaaaaarmmmmm,¡± June wailed, unable to push Edna off of her, who was currently fiercely hugging her. While Edna enjoyed the physical contact, June didn¡¯t particularly like it, since staying near Edna for too long meant she¡¯d get sweaty and hot, despite the cool air. However, the two were close enough that June was willing to tolerate Edna¡¯ eccentricities...to an extent. Edna abated, letting go. ¡°S-sorry,¡± she said, fidgeting nervously. Veronica had warned her that excessive physical contact was not polite, and that she should restrain herself. Despite knowing it was wrong...it was hard to fight her impulses, since she was still young. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help myself¡­.¡± June patted Edna¡¯s head, unable to bear the sight of seeing her friend sad. ¡°S¡¯all right,¡± she said, giving a reassuring grin.

    ¡°Heeeey, can we join?¡± Another boy asked, who had walked up to them, followed by a bunch of other kids. ¡°Sure~!¡± Edna said happily, glad to have more friends to join. One of the boys had a small ball, so they split up into teams and made a sport out of trying to kick the ball into a designated area. Life was good, and despite having to deal with the natural troubles of being poor, like regularly eating, she did not want for much. However, that all changed when, after becoming seven, she wound up encountering the first kid she had ever talked to who was not poor or homeless.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± a rather posh voice called out to her. Edna, who was busily playing with a small rubber ball, stopped and turned to face the source of the voice. It was a rather young kid, although a bit older than her. Perhaps he was eight? He had soft, curly brown hair and brilliant emerald eyes, a contrast to her eyes and hair. ¡°Eh? Just playing,¡± she said. ¡°...you¡¯re quite dirty, aren¡¯t you?¡± the kid asked, eyeing her ragged appearance. Edna looked down and looked at herself. Her simple shirt and pants weren¡¯t particularly damaged or torn, but she couldn¡¯t exactly deny that she wasn¡¯t clean. She had never really noticed, however, or cared. She knew the importance of hygiene, but...well, it was hard when life seemed hell-bent on kicking you down. Serena did her best to help out, but she was limited in her capacity, because if she helped too much, she would earn the ire of her superiors, who did not like what they saw as ¡®preferential treatment¡¯. For whatever reason, she didn''t sweat, and thus, did not smell, unlike Jackson or most of the other urchins.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°...so?¡± she asked. ¡°Eh? You really don¡¯t care?¡± the kid asked. ¡°Well, I mean, it doesn¡¯t affect me¡­¡± she said with a shrug. While lice and insects were usually a concern for most beggars, insects, including the ones that carried disease, stayed away from Edna, a trait she enjoyed quite immensely. George decided to change the subject then. ¡°...weird. Well, my parents are currently making a business deal with the Merchant across the street! It¡¯s going to increase our political influence!¡± he said proudly, puffing his chest. Edna tilted her head, not exactly understanding the significance of that. ¡°Okay¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Well, I have free time, so I figured I might check out the area. Although I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d meet a rat¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh? I¡¯m not a rat!¡± Edna protested. George looked surprised at her tone, and quickly tried to smoothen things with his next words. ¡°My bad, then¡­¡± His eyes noticed the ball she held. ¡°Can I see that ball?¡± he asked her. ¡°Do you not have one of your own?¡± Edna asked, surprised. ¡°No. I left mine at home, so I¡¯m a bit bored¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay! But don¡¯t keep it for too long, alright?¡± she asked him. He smiled charmingly. ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll make sure to give it back!¡± she handed the ball to him, happily smiling. ¡°I¡¯m Edna! Pleasure to meet you!¡±

    ¡°The names George, George Cartwright II, as it just so happens,¡± the kid said, ¡°so why are you here, pray tell?¡± he asked her instead. ¡°Eh? This is my favorite spot,¡± she told him. ¡°Oh, really?¡± he asked her, and then nodded once in response to her affirmation. ¡°Shall we play, then?¡± Edna offered. George nodded, and the two began passing the ball to each other, catching it. This continued for several minutes, and Edna started to find herself having fun. ¡°George!¡± A voice called. ¡°Oh, I have to go back,¡± George said as he caught the ball. ¡°See you around, alright?¡± he turned and began to jog towards the voice. ¡°Hey, wait! What about the ball?¡± Edna called. ¡°This? I¡¯ll be keeping it. Thanks for giving it to me!¡± He called, grinning, though there was an insincere look in his eye. ¡°But I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Edna protested meekly, but he was already gone.

    "But...."

    What was she going to play with now?

 Chapter 4

    That was the first instance of cruelty Edna encountered in her life- having been tricked into giving away one of the only real toys she had. As a side note, she¡¯d never see that ball again.

    As she recounted this to her mother, Veronica sighed in disappointment and hugged her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Edna. I should have done a better job of warning you about people like that¡­¡± she mumbled. So thus, Edna learned for the first time why people were rich, why people were poor, and the ultimate relation between the Nobles and the peasants. She was too young to feel genuine anger over an age old injustice like that, but she could not help but feel irked that people would look down on others over something as trite as land or money.

    The next day, Edna once more encountered George, who was wearing different clothes than when she had last seen him. ¡°Heeey! You¡¯re the one who stole my ball!¡± she said, pointing an accusatory finger at him. ¡°Hm? Stole? I am surprised you know such a word¡­you¡¯d think it was from education, but I imagine being poor, you probably do such a thing daily, don¡¯t you?¡± he said with a sneer. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal your ball, you did give it to me,¡± he told her.

    ¡°Under the circumstances you would give it back!¡± Edna retorted.

    ¡°Oh my, but did we have a confirmation of agreement? A written contract stipulating such a thing that could be used to support that statement?¡± George asked her. Edna, who was confronted with several big words, was completely thrown off. ¡°C-con¡­tract? Evi-what?¡± George sighed in a ¡®can¡¯t be helped¡¯ way.

    ¡°I¡¯ll simplify it for you. You have no proof that I stole it,¡± he told her.

    ¡°Then¡­then you have no proof that I gave it to you permanently!¡± she said loudly.

    George looked surprised by her sharpness, but he quickly shrugged it off with a chuckle. ¡°Oh, but I do. See, I¡¯m a noble. First heir to House Cartwright, and on the fast track to inherit my father¡¯s business. My word, against that of yours, a lowly urchin, one of several known to steal and pilfer and crawl¡­simply put, my word alone is proof enough!¡±

    Edna remained silent, then opened her mouth. ¡°¡­then why are you here?¡± George¡¯s head slightly tilted in puzzlement. ¡°Eh? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You came here again, right? In the exact same spot we met yesterday. If¡­if what my mommy told me was true, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d come here for the sole purpose of mocking me¡­¡± George frowned.

    ¡°Surely you jest? I merely came here to look around some more, since I couldn¡¯t last time due to me occupying myself with you. It¡¯s natural to be curious, you know?¡± Edna stared at him with doubt.

    ¡°¡­the kid who could ask for anything is curious about this particular spot?¡± George¡¯s eye twitched.

    ¡°Yes, exactly! Besides, my parents are still working on that deal. Such a landmark trade cannot be settled in a mere day!¡±

    ¡°¡­so do you still have my ball?¡± she asked him. He turned around, huffing. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± She fell silent as he made a show of looking around the alleyway.

    ¡°Bleh, it¡¯s boring,¡± he mumbled softly, turning away. Frankly speaking, she was still annoyed with him for taking her ball, and especially for not showing any remorse or giving it back. But Edna had been raised with love¡­and this wasn¡¯t quite something significant enough to warrant hatred or retribution; she felt that maybe there was a reason he felt the need to take the ball from her. Why would a rich kid who could buy anything want a ball from some urchin? That, coupled with her unwillingness to carry a grudge, culminated in what she spoke next.

    ¡°¡­you can have it,¡± those words stopped George, who was walking away. ¡°Eh?¡± he turned around to regard her. ¡°But, I already own it?¡± she stared at him with her red eyes.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°That¡¯s only because you say so, but I¡¯m officially giving it to you. If someone like you truly feels the need to take something from me¡­.then maybe you need it more than I do. So you can have it¡­¡± George¡¯s eyes narrowed as he spat on the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± he whirled around, stomping away.

    ¡°¡­.nobles are weird,¡± Edna mumbled, coming to a conclusion that could be said to be quite precise.

    The next day, Edna was moving towards the alleyway, only this time, she wound up running into George, who seemed to be idly watching a cricket that was hopping along the ground. He turned to look at her. Edna¡¯s head tilted, regarding the visitor with a curious gaze. ¡°You¡¯re here again? You know, this place isn¡¯t that big. You looked eveeeeeerywheeeeeere, you know? What else is there?¡± she asked him. In fact, it was weird he was here before her.

    ¡°S-shut up! I might¡¯ve missed something!¡± he spat back. Edna tilted her head curiously, a thought coming to mind. Maybe¡­he¡¯s coming to see me? She couldn¡¯t say for sure, but it was quite weird for him to come visit this spot three times in a row, and this time, of course, it was he who met her here, not the other way around. ¡°Are your parents still working on that deal?¡± she asked him. George hesitated, then nodded, perhaps a bit too vigorously ¡°Um, yes! They are still working on it. They need to, er, get the annuity settled¡­¡±

    ¡°Anuty?¡± Edna echoed. ¡°Annuity. An. Nui. Ty.¡± George corrected her, saying it slowly. ¡°An¡­nui¡­ty¡­¡± Edna repeated once more, having some difficulty saying it. ¡°Annuity¡­what is that?¡± she asked him. ¡°It¡¯s basically a set amount of money you get,¡± George told her. Edna nodded, osmosing this rather useless bit of information.

    ¡°¡­what are you doing?¡± he asked her, noticing her gather some old boxes nearby and set them up.

    ¡°Well, I came up with this game¡­basically, you take some pebbles and try to throw them into the boxes, which are set up at different distances. The farther away the box, the more points you get."

    ¡°What a weird idea,¡± George replied, watching as she threw a stone.

    ¡°You want to try?¡± she asked him.

    ¡°Eh? Me?¡± he asked her, surprised. ¡°But¡­didn¡¯t you hate me?¡± he asked her.

    ¡°Silly, why would I hate you?¡± she asked him.

    ¡°Because I took your ball-¡° he cut himself off, but it was too late.

    ¡°Gotcha,¡± she said with a light chuckle. ¡°¡­but you didn¡¯t take it from me, I gave it to you, remember?¡± she held out the stone towards him, giving him a smile. He took the stone hesitantly, reluctantly accepting the olive branch she offered. The two began throwing stones, trying to beat the other in terms of points. George wound up winning by twenty points. ¡°Aw¡­how did you get so good?¡± she asked him.

    ¡°Well, I take archery lessons, so that probably helped with my aim,¡± he told her, then laughed awkwardly as she stared at him weirdly. ¡°I¡¯m just good with my hands,¡± he said. With a ¡®ohhhh¡¯, she understood. George had to go shortly thereafter, and after saying good bye, she ran back to her mother, explaining what had happened. ¡°My, my. Sounds like he might like you,¡± her mother said with a smile.

    ¡°Like me? Why would he like me?¡± she asked. ¡°Well, sometimes boys can like girls for no particular reason, like because she might be pretty¡­¡± Edna looked down at herself, then at her mother. ¡°Am I pretty?¡±

    ¡°Edna, you¡¯re the prettiest girl in the city,¡± her mother told her. Edna smiled brilliantly at that, pleased to know that she was the prettiest girl in the city.

    The next day she arrived at her favorite spot much earlier, hiding behind some boxes in a shadowed corner. She waited for a while, and, although it was quite hard to stay still, she was soon rewarded by seeing a rather fancily dressed boy show up in the alleyway. Hm¡­what will he do next? She thought.

    ¡°George, what are you doing over there?¡± A voice called to him. A rather fancily dressed man walked towards George. ¡°Forgive me, Father. But I thought I might¡¯ve seen something,¡± George responded.

    ¡°There is nothing here but rats and beggars. Best not associate with them, they will only sully you,¡± George¡¯s father chastised him. ¡°You should stop coming here every day, its unbefitting of you. Look, your shoes are scuffed¡­¡± Despite his words, Edna couldn¡¯t really see any dirtiness on George¡¯s flawless, high quality boots, but she supposed Nobles had a better eye for catching even miniscule details when it came to appearance.

    ¡°Just a little while, please?¡± George pleaded. ¡°¡­alright, I suppose. But don¡¯t be much longer, alright?¡± George¡¯s father walked away, the audible tapping of his cane disappearing soon after.

    George looked around furtively, waiting for another 10 minutes, and then sighed, turning to walk away. As it so turned out, it was also 10 minutes past the usual time Edna showed up to play in that spot. Edna watched him go, unable to restrain a smile, and unable to stop wondering why it had made her smile.

 Chapter 5

    It was a few more days before Edna was able to go back to that spot. Sure enough, George was waiting for her, this time with her ball in hand. ¡°Where have you been?¡± George asked her. ¡°Ah? How would you know I¡¯ve been gone?¡± Edna asked. George¡¯s cheeks flushed as he started to sputter. She decided to spare him any more embarrassment by asking him about the ball, changing the subject. ¡°Oh, this? Um¡­here!¡± He thrust it into her hands.

    ¡°Eh? You¡¯re giving me your ball?¡± she asked him. ¡°Dummy! It¡¯s not my ball, it¡¯s yours¡­¡± George protested. ¡°I was thinking about it¡­and I¡¯m sorry!¡± He sure was fired up, huh? Edna tilted her head, somewhat amused by his loud voice and frantic actions. ¡°Well, thank you,¡± she told him. He looked away, avoiding her gaze. ¡°W-whatever! I just didn¡¯t need it anymore!¡±

    ¡°So why do you come here every day?¡± Edna asked him. ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s because I¡¯m¡­kind of¡­<sub>interested in the games you came up with¡­.</sub>¡± He said the last part in a small voice. ¡°Bwahahahaha!¡± Edna clutched her sides and began laughing. ¡°W-what¡¯s so funny?!¡± he protested. Edna struggled to calm herself down. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­.I don¡¯t know why you think me or my games are interesting, when you have money and such¡­¡± she told him. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­know what you can buy with lotsa money, but surely it must be better than this¡­?¡± she indicated the ball.

    George stared at her, then laughed, although his was a bit self-deprecating. ¡°Ahaha¡­you think I can play? Well¡­I guess¡­.¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m the first son of my family, so I don¡¯t really¡­get to play a lot, you know? I¡¯m always¡­studying and stuff,¡± he told her softly, none of the former arrogance in his voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really get time to spend with my friends, and my Father is always pressuring me to accompany him on business trips and such¡­that¡¯s why I¡­kind of like¡­well, this¡­¡± he swept his hand outwards, indicating the alleyway, including Edna. ¡°Alright then, so why me? There¡¯s other kids around here to play with, yanno?¡± she asked him. ¡°Well¡­you¡¯re, um¡­.different, I guess. That¡¯s why I¡¯d rather spend time with you¡­.¡±

    Edna frowned, having a subconscious sense that this might be quite embarrassing, although she didn¡¯t really know what about it would count as such. Still, George was quite flustered. ¡°Is that so? Well, I think you¡¯re pretty interesting too,¡± Edna told him. ¡°Mommy told me all nobles were stuck-up and jerks to us¡­um, ¡®lower class¡¯ people, whatever that means, but you¡¯re¡­not like that¡­well, kind of.¡± She amended her statement, remembering he did take her ball. ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­.true.¡± George said in defeat. ¡°But¡­I don¡¯t want to be like that with you. If it was anyone else, I¡¯d stomp all over them...but I just can¡¯t with you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should take that as a nice thing or not,¡± Edna remarked, leaning forward to look at his face more closely. ¡°Why can¡¯t you be nicer to us if you can be nice to me?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s¡­Father says you¡¯re deplorable¡­and that you¡¯ll just drag us down¡­and that you¡¯re evil¡­¡±

    ¡°Am I evil?¡± Edna asked him. George stared at her helplessly, although he was unable to meet her gaze. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think so,¡± he told her softly. A thought came across her mind. She reached out and took George¡¯s hand. ¡°Eh?¡± he let out a startled gasp as she did so abruptly. ¡°Wait, why is your hand so waaaaaarrrrmMMMM?¡± His question ended in a strangled scream as she began pulling him along. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll introduce you to my Mommy!¡± Edna said cheerfully. ¡°Wait, wait! I can¡¯t be seen in such a plaaaaace!¡± George wailed, but in the end, it was futile.

    They advanced forward. ¡°Wait, why are we going this way?¡± George asked her. ¡°That particular part isn¡¯t¡­.friendly. We stay away from there,¡± she told him. ¡°Eh? Aren¡¯t the slums all the same? Aren¡¯t you all the same?¡± George said in surprise. Edna shrugged helplessly. ¡°Mommy just tells me to stay away from there because that¡¯s where bad people are¡­¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I see¡­.¡± George responded, eyeing the alleyway warily as they passed by it. As they walked into the part of the slums Edna lived in, they came across several homeless people, who were staring at Edna and her strange friend. A dirty girl with a clean, proper noble. Surely the two made for quite a strange couple.

    ¡°It¡­smells,¡± George complained. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad!¡± Edna protested. ¡°Just bear with it, please?¡± Against those words, George was hopelessly ensnared, and thus he continued forward. ¡°This is your home?¡± he echoed as Edna proudly displayed their simple shack, which to George looked like it might fall apart at any second. ¡°Isn¡¯t it great?!¡± Edna asked him, oblivious to his attitude. ¡°Um¡­.yeah¡­.¡± he could only manage a halfhearted reply. Frankly speaking, he was stunned that Edna even had a home. He thought all homeless people slept in the streets. Yet again another expectation that was broken.

    =================

    ¡°And so, this is my friend, George Cartwright II!¡± Edna said proudly. George was fidgeting nervously, while Veronica was staring at Edna with a dumbfounded look. ¡°Edna¡­you should have let me know you were bringing a guest in advance!¡± she shouted angrily, thumping Edna on the head, although gently. ¡°Owie! What was that for?!¡± Edna protested, rubbing her head with teary eyes.

    ¡°The place is a mess! I could¡¯ve at least tidied up!¡± Veronica said angrily. Despite her words, however, their small shack was about as tidy as one could manage in this sort of area. George stared at her with a surprised gaze. ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­going to bow before me?¡± he asked her. ¡°Hm? Why would I do that?¡± Veronica asked him. ¡°Well¡­aren¡¯t all peasants supposed to bow before a superior being?¡± Veronica¡¯s eye twitched, displaying a significant amount of anger, while Edna chuckled awkwardly.

    ¡°I could have you beheaded?¡± George prompted, trying to get some sort of response that would at least fit with his expectations. ¡°If you were the sort to do that, I doubt Edna would¡¯ve taken a liking to you,¡± Veronica responded with a smug look. ¡°Edna¡­liking¡­me..?¡± George spluttered, completely forgetting the other part of Veronica¡¯s sentence. Once he had calmed down, he sat down on the cobbled ground right outside Edna¡¯s shack, while Edna and Veronica sat next to him.

    ¡°So, how does it feel to be in the slums?¡± Veronica asked George, who was still a bit nervous. ¡°I¡¯m worried I might get mugged¡­¡± he complained. ¡°That¡¯s what Father says will happen to me if I ever came to such a place¡­¡±

    ¡°Not all of us are criminals, you know? Some of us are honest folk!¡± Against her words, George could only throw his hands up in defeat. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve got me¡­I¡¯m sorry for being so prejudiced¡­¡±

    ¡°Preju¡­what?¡± Edna turned a gaze towards Veronica. ¡°How nice it must be to have a noble¡¯s education,¡± Veronica said, mildly impressed with George¡¯s use of the word ¡®prejudiced¡¯. ¡°Say¡­I have a question to ask¡­¡± George proffered tentatively. ¡°Hm? Go and ask,¡± Veronica told him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two look alike?¡± he asked them. Edna and Veronica both froze in response to that question.

    Certainly, the two were very different- Edna¡¯s hair was a crimson shade of red, and her eyes were red as well, colors almost never seen in humans. This was compared to Veronica¡¯s straight brown hair and brown eyes. Their faces were markedly different too, with Veronica¡¯s face being a bit more angular, while Edna¡¯s was fairer and gentler. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Edna was confused, while George was confronted with a gaze from Veronica that convinced him he was going to die.

    ¡°She carries her father¡¯s looks, rather than mine,¡± Veronica said pleasantly, the murderous gaze instantly gone. Unknowingly, George had been holding his breath, which came out heavily in an awkward chuckle. ¡°Yeah, that makes sense¡­¡±

    ¡°Mommy says I¡¯m the prettiest girl in the city! So if I look like daddy, daddy must¡¯ve been the prettiest girl in the city before me!¡±

    ¡°Daddy wasn¡¯t a girl, though,¡± Veronica reminded her gently. George scratched his cheek sheepishly with his index finger, unable to keep a smile from forming on his face. The environment here was far more pleasant than the stuffy atmosphere of the Manor he stayed at. ¡°Oh, come on, there¡¯s a place I want to show you!¡± Edna said, taking George¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright¡­um, bye Miss Veronica!¡± George called, then screamed as Edna forcefully dragged him away. Veronica smiled brilliantly and waved back, seeing them off. ¡°Oh, how nice it must be to be young¡­¡± she said enviously. Up ahead, they saw two kids running around, playing tag. ¡°Who are they?¡± George asked. ¡°Those are my friends!¡± Edna said cheerfully, pullign away from the path and moving towards them. ¡°W-wait, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Silly, of course I gotta show you off to my friends!¡±

 Chapter 6

    ¡°Hey Edna! Who''s this?!¡± June asked in surprise as Edna and George passed by. Hart, who was talking with June, lightly shoved her. ¡°Obviously someone important! Look how clean he is!¡±

    ¡°Um¡­I¡¯m George Cartwright-ow!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say the whole thing!¡± Edna barked, punching him in the arm. George yelped and rubbed his arm. ¡°¡­.the names George, pleasure to meet you¡­¡± he said.

    ¡°Woooow, are you a noble? You¡¯ve gotta be! Wow, these clothes are soft¡­¡± June and Hart assailed George with a variety of questions, while also grabbing his clothes and enjoying their softness. ¡°Guys, come on! Have some manners!¡± Edna protested. ¡°If you don¡¯t straighten up I¡¯ll hug you!¡±

    ¡°Noooooo! Anything but that!¡± June and Hart instantly backed away from George, apologizing and hanging their heads in shame. ¡°Eh? Why is hugging so bad?¡± George asked. Hart and June stared at George with an abject look of horror, while Edna grinned wickedly. ¡°Eh? Why are you staring at me-gyah?!¡± George let out a startled scream mid-sentence as Edna wrapped her arms around him, embracing him in a bear hug.

    ¡°Ack¡­¡± George was immediately flustered, especially since a girl was currently wrapped around him. Before he could indulge in such feelings, they were quickly dispersed by the discomfort that assailed him. ¡°WHY ARE YOU SO HOT?!¡± George wailed, trying to peel Edna off of him.

    His frustration was justified- hugging Edna was kind of like hugging a heater set to low- not hot enough to burn, but definitely enough to cause discomfort from touching for too long. The warmth went away thereafter, leaving a rather flustered, sweaty George and a cackling Edna.

    ¡°You are the most terrifying girl I¡¯ve ever known!¡± George protested, unbuttoning his shirt slightly in an attempt to cool down. ¡°You poor, poor soul¡­¡± June and Hart said in harmony, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°Guys¡­come on¡­my hugs aren¡¯t that bad¡­.¡± Edna said, quickly becoming dejected. For Edna, who very much enjoyed hugs, a world where everyone hated her hugs would not be enjoyable to live in.

    Her displeasure was mostly exaggerated, however, since her mood quickly bounced back. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m going to show George the place!¡± she told them. ¡°You mean¡­that place?¡± Hart asked with wide eyes. ¡°What¡¯s so special about this place?¡± George asked.

    ¡°Can he be trusted to keep it a secret?¡± June asked. Edna nodded. ¡°Eh? Secret? What the heck?!¡±

    ¡°The place is something that can only be shown, not told,¡± Hart told George in a sagely voice. ¡°It must be mighty important then,¡± George said. Hart, June, and Edna all nodded together at the same time. ¡°Right, let¡¯s go!¡± They all said together.

    They continued forward through the alleyways of the slums. In between the gaps of the buildings, they saw the large city walls looming above them. ¡°Quickly, hide!¡± Edna hissed. The group ducked into a shadow, cowering as a security golem slowly strolled forward, accompanied by two guards wielding swords. As they passed, Edna let out a soft exhalation of breath.

    ¡°I must say, sneaking around like this has me wondering if what we¡¯re doing is legal¡­?¡± George queried nervously. ¡°Um¡­what¡¯s legal?¡± Hart asked. ¡°It¡¯s when you¡¯re really smart, duh!¡± June corrected him. ¡°¡­its what¡¯s right,¡± Edna remarked. ¡°Um¡­this isn¡¯t legal, though?¡±

    ¡°Good heavens!¡± George exclaimed in abject horror. ¡°What, you scaaaared?!¡± Hart said with a sneer. ¡°Yes! What if we get litigated?¡±

    ¡°Liti¡­what the heck is that?¡± Hart and June were puzzled by his words. ¡°It¡¯s when you-¡°

    ¡°Boring!¡± Hart dismissed his words with a hand wave. ¡°Alright, smarty-pants, I double dog dare you!¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± George asked incredulously. ¡°Oh man, now you really have to do it,¡± June said, in awe. ¡°What? How?¡±

    ¡°Double dog is like, the ultimate dare. You absolutely can¡¯t refuse it,¡± Edna informed George, who frowned. ¡°That¡¯s dumb, but, alright¡­¡± He thought, and utilizing the higher education he had received, the highest type that could be obtained with money and clout, smirked as he came up with a brilliant riposte. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll counter you!¡± He jabbed a finger at Hart. ¡°I triple dog dare you to go to where we¡¯re going!¡± Hart¡¯s mouth dropped, and June let out a startled squeak. ¡°Did he¡­.he didn¡¯t¡­¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Woah¡­.¡± All of them were in awe. To think there was a dare that transcended even the mighty double dog dare, which carried double the weight of a dare, but there existed a triple dog dare, carrying three times the weight of a dare. It was an absolute existence that trumped the former absolute word, a God ruling the Gods.

    ¡°Shoot¡­¡± Hart kicked the ground and grumbled. ¡°Why the heck do I gotta do it? I was going there anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Edna said, realizing that. ¡°In that case, George, It is I who shall triple dog dare you to follow us!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± George was stunned to have his own words flung in his face. ¡°But¡­you¡­uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha, ha! Now you have to follow us!¡± Hart said, completely forgetting the previous dire predicament he had been in. Defeated, George hung his head, dragging his feet after the intrepid kids, towards wherever they might be going.

    They came upon the base of the large stone wall. It towered high above them, perhaps at around 8 meters high. There was no one around. ¡°So what¡¯s so special about this?¡± George asked them. ¡°This!¡± Edna murmured, tapping a particular section of the wall, which was cracked and pitted. She slid her fingers into a particular crevice and pulled, pulling out several stones, revealing a small stone. ¡°This leads directly into one of the towers,¡± Edna explained. ¡°Wait, seriously!?¡± George exclaimed.

    Hart and June nodded. ¡°Edna, you go first,¡± Hart said. Edna nodded, and slid into the hole, wriggling her way into it and vanishing into the darkness within. It was small enough that only a little kid could possibly fit through. Hart and June also followed suit, leaving it just George, who reluctantly struggled his way through the hole, due to being a little bit bigger than the others, but he managed to fit.

    They found themselves in a narrow passageway, dimly lit with torches. Though none of them knew, only certain sections of the walls had passage ways below them, either to give access to the towers, which also had doors at their base on the inside part for easy access, or to give access to stairs which would lead to the ramparts above.

    Edna moved forward, followed by Hart, June, and George. They came upon a spiral staircase, which moved up and to the right. ¡°Oh, I remember something my Father said,¡± George remarked as they began moving up them. ¡°Apparently, these stairs spiral to the right so that invaders can¡¯t make effective use of their sword arms, so they¡¯re forced to fight with their left hand,¡± George explained.

    ¡°Wooow, really?¡± Hart exclaimed with shining eyes. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so smart, George!¡± Edna exclaimed. George laughed, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. It was very tiring, but sometime later, the hallway became brighter¡­and then they emerged at the top. George let out a startled gasp as he saw the landscape before him. Hart, and June promptly sat down collectively, exhausted from the climb.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± George mumbled, walking towards the crenellated edge and staring across the entirety of the city. The wall was only about 8 meters, but for the tower, it was maybe closer to 15, so as to allow archers to fire down on enemies with deadly impunity. But for non-deadly purposes¡­it was hard to beat the scenery.

    This high up, one could see a majority of the capital city of Harlup, and miles into the distance beyond the city walls, where the faint trees of a forest unknown to them and distant mountains even further beyond, barely visible. George looked over towards the city, observing the various plumes of smoke emanating from the factories, which were situated in the Industrial District. The capital was big enough that it could be divided into several districts, from residential to mercantile to industrial, or anything else that was majorly related to the function of a city.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­quite¡­tiring, but the view¡­is so worth it¡­¡± June remarked. Edna hopped up and down, a sharp contrast to the other three. George was able to stand, but even he was exhausted, yet Edna looked pretty fine. ¡°You have a lot of endurance, don¡¯t you?¡± George asked her. Edna tilted her head. ¡°Endurance? What¡¯s that? Can you eat it?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha, you can¡¯t eat it¡­¡± George replied with a laugh, turning his gaze back to the city. Edna joined him, her red eyes glistening with excitement. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± George mumbled softly. ¡°I know, right? This world is so big, so vast¡­that¡¯s why I love it,¡± Edna remarked cheerfully. George looked at her, surprised at the deepness of her words.

    As he looked at her, he realized how close they were, too. He found himself staring into her vermilion colored gaze. Even if her usually pale skin was covered in dirt and her clothes rumpled and mismatched, he found himself admiring her in a way he had never admired anyone before. It was a feeling he had no idea what to call.

    Edna noticed his gaze, and tilted her head slightly in puzzlement, since the way he was looking at her was quite different from before. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± she asked him. George, who came back to his senses, let out a yelp and shook his head. ¡°What? Um, no.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I see.¡± Edna fixed her gaze back onto the horizon. Hart and June sidled up beside them, also admiring the scenery. ¡°You know¡­I¡¯d like to come here again,¡± George remarked softly. Edna grinned. ¡°Yeah, but you can¡¯t tell anyone! It¡¯s our secret!¡±

    ¡°I solemnly swear to tell no one about this,¡± George said in a serious tone. He frowned, thinking, then opened his mouth. ¡°Hey¡­.Edna, are we friends?¡± he asked her softly. Edna regarded him with a strange look, then gave him a lopsided smile. ¡°Of course we are, silly!¡±

    ¡°Even after I took your ball?¡±

    ¡°You gave it back though, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°And you always came to see me, didn¡¯t you?¡± George smiled, embarrassed., but unable to refute her words.

    "Well¡­alright then.¡±

 Chapter 7

    ¡°Wow, can we be friends too?¡± Hart and June exclaimed. George nodded. ¡°Yes, of course! I¡¯d be delighted to get to know you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been friends with a noble before,¡± June said, clapping her hands in delight. ¡°I know, right?¡± Hart said cheerfully. ¡°Well, then I should do this¡­¡± He held out a hand towards Edna. She stared at it, and then looked at him with a puzzled expression. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°¡­I never did it the first time,¡± he told her. With an ¡®ohhhh¡¯, Edna¡¯s eyes widened as she remembered his neglect to shake her hand the first time. She took his hand firmly within hers, the two shaking hands. Even if her hand was dirty, George didn¡¯t care anymore. She was a friend, and she had overturned everything he thought he knew about peasants.

    That was worthy of at least a handshake. ¡°Ah¡­what time is it?!¡± George exclaimed. Edna frowned, looking up and squinting into the sky. ¡°Ummmmm¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been about an hour since the last bell,¡± Hart said tentatively. Since most people couldn¡¯t really afford watches or typical time keeping devices, there were bells situated throughout the Capital that rang every three hours, at 8 different times. Since it was quite late in the day, George let out a groan. ¡°Oh man, Father is going to kill me! I gotta go!¡±

    ¡°Oops!¡± Edna let out an apologetic gasp. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! If I hadn¡¯t dragged you around¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, let¡¯s head back,¡± George said with a hand wave. The group made their way back down the stairs, then came back through the hole. Hart and June made sure to cover the hole back up while Edna and George made their way back to the alleyway near the store.

    ¡°Well, bye then!¡± Edna said. George smiled, waving back to her. ¡°See you later, alright!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a promise!¡± Edna called back. George nodded and made his way back to the store. ¡°George! Where the hell have you been!?¡± his father shouted angrily. George hung his head and meekly explained he had been exploring around. ¡°Good heavens, look at your clothes! They¡¯re all wrinkled and you¡¯re absolutely filthy!¡±

    After being hugged by Edna and then crawling through the hole, in addition to playing with the kids, George was a bit dirty, in addition to his expensive clothes being wrinkled. ¡°Honestly¡­¡± From that day forth, the trio of beggars became four, with the unexpected addition of a noble. The friends made for quite an odd spectacle, and unbeknownst to them, they were often the subject of choice for beggars throughout the district to talk about in regards with their unusual friendship with a kid noble.

    For weeks afterwards, George used every excuse he could think of and made every effort to regularly visit Edna and play with her. After the first few times he made sure to dress plainly, so as to avoid drawing attention, after Veronica told him that it would be a wise thing to do. Eventually, he made a bold statement while sitting down with Edna and her mother. ¡°I want to take you somewhere!¡± he told Edna proudly. Edna tilted her head inquisitively. ¡°Eh? What do you mean by that?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Well¡­you¡¯ve taken me places, so I¡­want to take you somewhere. Somewhere nice,¡± George said, becoming flustered. Veronica¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Oh, how adorable! A play-date!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s n-n-not like that!¡± George stammered in protest. ¡°But um¡­Veronica, would you be willing to allow me to take Edna out to eat somewhere?¡± he asked her. ¡°Eh? Why do you have to ask her?¡± Edna said, leaning forward to regard George more closely. ¡°It¡¯s¡­the proper thing to do, Edna,¡± Veronica told her, although she was happy George was asking for her permission. Usually to make any sort of move on a girl would require her father¡¯s permission- however, since Edna didn¡¯t have a father, George had asked her, the mother, instead. His consideration touched Veronica quite dearly. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it, if only because I think it would be a great experience for Edna,¡± she said. ¡°However, we¡¯ll have to get her ready¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I suppose that makes sense,¡± George remarked. Edna was not very presentable currently, not for the sort of place George wanted to take her. ¡°I thought that might be the case, so I uh¡­got her this¡­¡± he handed Veronica a large bag. ¡°Oh?¡± Veronica looked into it and couldn¡¯t suppress a gasp. ¡°These are¡­are you sure, George?¡± she asked.

    It was a brand new pair of fanciful dress clothes. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do for her, as her friend. Besides, I um¡­kinda have to lie to my Father to get him on board with this,¡± George remarked. Of course, his Father would certainly not approve of this, and it was not unheard of for a noble to occasionally associate with a peasant, but a beggar was unheard of.

    This would make for quite a scene if it became well known. ¡°I¡­thank you, George.¡± Veronica said softly, hugging George in gratitude. ¡°I¡¯ll come by in a few hours, is that ok?¡± he asked. Veronica nodded, and with that, George was gone.

    ¡°Wow that was mighty nice of George!¡± Edna remarked as she carefully scrutinized the clothing George had gotten her. Though he had not said, it had been quite difficult for him to get these, using the excuse of getting them for another friend of his who was Edna¡¯s age, an unprecedented move that George¡¯s parents completely supported of.

    Thankfully, they were the right size for Edna. ¡°Come on, Edna, we¡¯re going to visit Serena¡­¡± Veronica told Edna. ¡°Yaaaay!¡± Edna said cheerfully.

    The two made their way to Serena¡¯s clinic, where she listened dubiously to Veronica¡¯s story. ¡°You¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­.what?!¡± Serena was, understandably, quite shocked. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me some noble kid has taken a fancy for young Edna, and wants to take her out to eat?!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it adorable?¡± Veronica said delightfully. Serena chuckled awkwardly, reading into the fairly obvious reason why the two were here. ¡°Well, I suppose she needs to use the bath, right? It¡¯s a good thing my supervisor is out right now¡­go on then,¡± she ushered Edna into the water closet, setting things up for her. Edna had already learned how to wash herself, so while she was cleaning herself up, Serena went back to converse with Veronica.

    ¡°It¡¯s much sooner than I thought it¡¯d be,¡± Serena remarked to her friend. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing more than a childish crush. I¡¯m certain even George doesn¡¯t even know too much about love,¡± Veronica replied casually. ¡°Rather, I¡¯m more impressed she managed to get a noble to play with her, let alone take her on a playdate¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, won¡¯t it cause problems with his parents?¡±

    ¡°George said he had to lie, so I¡¯m certain he has things handled. Ah¡­I hope things don¡¯t go badly for them, however¡­¡± Veronica mumbled, realizing that maybe Serena was right. ¡°Well, if their ploy is found out, I think it¡¯s George who will suffer the most,¡± Serena said, assuaging Veronica¡¯s sudden worries. ¡°They¡¯re both young, so I bet it¡¯ll just be a slap on the wrist. If George says he has things handled, I don¡¯t see the harm in letting him take Edna out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done¡­!¡± Edna¡¯s muffled voice came from the bathroom. ¡°Well then, shall we play dress up?¡± Veronica asked Serena, who giggled in response. ¡°Sure!¡±

 Chapter 8

    In the end, Edna had gone with the clothes George had gotten, a simple pair of black mary janes and the red colored dress that George had gotten her, which proved to be quite the complement to her eyes and hair, whose short length was completely straight and proper, after having been brushed thoroughly by Serena. For her head, a head band had been provided by Serena, and that was about it. It was a rather plain but passable dress wear.

    They had tried to apply makeup, but Edna¡¯s naturally high body temperature basically melted any sort of thing they put on her. Plus, she seemed to display an intense dislike for it, proclaiming that it made her uncomfortable. When George showed up, he was decked out in quite a fanciful suit, accentuated with a yellow cravat. Serena, who was standing beside Veronica, couldn¡¯t help but admire how sharp George looked.

    For his part, George looked quite surprised at seeing Edna, who was no longer dirty or wearing rags, but actual proper clothing. ¡°You look¡­amazing,¡± George proclaimed. ¡°Thanks,¡± Edna remarked with a giggle. ¡°It feels weird, though¡­¡± she mumbled, twirling around and feeling the hem of the dress¡¯ skirt brush against her legs. It was the first time she had worn a dress. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± George remarked, coughing roughly, for whatever reason, and then shifted his gaze towards Serena, noticing her white lab coat. ¡°Eh? Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Serena. I¡¯m a doctor who runs the community clinic in this part of town,¡± Serena said. ¡°Please take care of our Edna, alright?¡±

    ¡°I will, don¡¯t worry,¡± George said with an uncharacteristic stiffness to his voice. George hesitated, then held out his hand. There was a resounding smack as she slapped her palm against his. ¡°High five!¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°¡­one, what the heck was that, and two, that wasn¡¯t what I was trying to do¡­¡± After Edna explained to George what a high five was, she allowed George to take her by the hand and make their way to his carriage, though they had to do it in a roundabout way. After all, them leaving from an alleyway would be quite suspicious. ¡°Hey, Edna¡­?¡± George''s voice trailed behind him as the two walked, though he did not turn to face her.

    ¡°Yea?¡± she raised a hesitant answer in response to his tentative question.

    ¡°Why is your hand so warm? You¡¯re not even sweating?!¡± He was aware she was warmer than most people, though up until now he had never gotten an actual answer out of her.

    ¡°Ah, ah¡­.¡± She quickly explained to him her abnormally warm body temperature. ¡°¡­how the heck are you going to know if you have a fever?!¡± he asked her, completely horrified. Edna frowned, realizing that that was a valid point she had never considered. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t get sick,¡± she said after a moment of silence. It was true- for whatever reason, she was quite resilient against illness.

    Serena mentioned something about tiny creatures being unable to withstand heat or something when she went to a checkup once, but Edna hadn¡¯t paid attention because there were a lot of big words and she was busy coloring in a book. Taking her words at face value, George turned and continued to escort her.

    Once on the main road, Edna looked around, quietly admiring the various shops. It was rare for her to visit the main streets of the capital, since she was usually chased off by guards or people, although there were times when she had been tolerated long enough to make a few coins.

    ¡°Woah, is that a carriage?!¡± Edna exclaimed, shocked at seeing the large, fanciful carriage, of which two horses were strapped to it. While there did exist carriages that could run on their own, powered by magitech, George¡¯s father did not own one, probably because he felt the old style was more classy.

    ¡°Yes, please try to keep your voice down,¡± George mumbled softly. ¡°Is this the girl?¡± A sharply dressed, older man asked. He looked like George, but far older, and he did not wear glasses. There was a cold look in his eyes as he crouched and held Edna¡¯s chin in his hands. The sudden contact startled her, especially when he moved her head to the side, as if checking out a specimen. He wasn¡¯t rough¡­but he was not gentle either. ¡°Hm¡­quite plain with the dress, but its decent enough, I suppose. The color of her eyes and hair though¡­her face is quite pleasant to look at, as well. No doubt she¡¯ll grow up to be a fine woman. A good find, George.¡± From those words, Edna inferred that this was most likely George¡¯s father¡­and probably someone who had not a shred of compassion in his heart. ¡°Um¡­I¡¯m Edna, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± Edna said stiffly, giving him a clumsy curtsy.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    It was a gesture that Serena, who was the only one of them who had even a grasp of court etiquette, had taught her, but it hadn¡¯t quite set in with Edna. ¡°Hm¡­your footwork needs some adjusting. Please let your parents know they should have your tutor instruct you better,¡± George¡¯s father remarked with a sneer. Edna only nodded in response, mumbling an ¡®understood¡¯.

    ¡°Anyways, George, treat her well. I don¡¯t want to disappoint the head of House Maxwell, after all¡­¡±

    ¡°Maxwell¡­?¡± Edna whispered softly to George. ¡°They¡¯re the family you¡¯re supposed to pretend to be a part of,¡± George whispered back, before straightening his posture and staring his dad in the eyes. ¡°I will, Father.¡±

    ¡°The driver will take you wherever you wish, and I have made sure he has adequate funds. Please do your best to improve our relations with the Maxwells...¡±

    ¡°Of course, Father,¡± George said with a light bow. He opened the door and gestured for Edna to step inside. Edna complied, but she had some difficulty climbing up onto the carriage. However, George¡¯s father tentatively picked her up and placed her into it. ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± she said cheerfully.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite welcome¡­although, aren¡¯t you a bit warm?¡± George¡¯s father asked her. Edna shrugged, not giving a concrete answer.

    ¡°Hm¡­must be my imagination then. Up you go¡­¡± George¡¯s father helped George into the carriage, and then closed the door. ¡°Take care, George.¡± With that, the carriage set off. Edna let out a startled squeak as they began moving. ¡°Where shall we go, young master?¡± The carriage driver asked them. Though the carriage was closed, there was a simple window that could be opened to allow communication between the driver and the passengers within, or close for privacy if need be.

    ¡°Hm, can you take us to Cromwell¡¯s?¡± George asked. The driver, who was an old man in a butler¡¯s uniform, let out a chortle. ¡°Certainly, young master¡­¡± As they were moving, Edna was unable to restrain herself from moving to either side of the carriage repeatedly, staring and admiring the sights of the city with unrestrained delight. ¡°Woah, it¡¯s so big! Wow, how do trees even grow like that? Is that really a statue? That dog is so cute!¡± Such remarks came from her, although she quickly restrained herself when she realized that they were not alone. Noticing that, George laughed.

    ¡°This is Jason, my personal attendant,¡± George explained to Edna. ¡°He¡¯s also trustworthy, so you don¡¯t have to worry about hiding yourself around him¡­¡±

    ¡°O-oh¡­¡± Edna remarked.

    ¡°Are the seats to your liking, Miss Edna?¡± Jason asked her warmly.

    ¡°They¡¯re¡­really nice,¡± Edna remarked. Jason smiled in response. ¡°Please appreciate them to your heart¡¯s content. I know not the reason why the master has taken an interest in someone of your status, but I wholeheartedly support his decisions¡­¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t really care that I¡¯m¡­uh, homeless?¡± Edna asked him tentatively. Jason shrugged dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m too old to care for such things. Aside from that, we can¡¯t help what situations we¡¯re born in. I think it quite admirable for one as young as you to have survived in such harsh conditions. To attract even the attention of the master, I am certain you must be quite special. For such a rose to be found in a desert, there is no greater joy for me than to assist the master in watering such a plant.¡±

    Edna smiled in response, although she didn¡¯t quite understand what Jason was saying. George, however, snorted. ¡°Jason, don¡¯t be so poetic, alright?¡± Jason¡¯s only response was to laugh softly. They eventually moved away from the residential district to the Cannae District, a high class district filled with shops with designer brand clothing, high quality items, posh mansions, and of course, restaurants of the highest quality.

    ¡°Hm, we have the day to ourselves, I wonder where we should go first¡­?¡± George mumbled to himself. ¡°Hm, why not ask the Miss?¡± Jason asked, turning to regard them with a smile. ¡°Eh? Weren¡¯t we going to eat and that¡¯s all?¡± Edna asked with a puzzled look. ¡°Certainly not. It is a man¡¯s responsibility to treat his woman to the utmost of his capabilities, rather than just indulge her once¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Edna asked, looking at George, who nodded. ¡°Hm¡­um, there¡¯s the aquarium, right?¡±

    ¡°The aquarium? That¡¯s quite some distance away,¡± George remarked. ¡°Why not get her some jewelry and clothes?¡± Jason prompted. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a great idea, Jason!¡± George said. ¡°Jewelry? You mean¡­like those golden necklaces with the gems and stuff?¡± she asked with wide eyes. George nodded. ¡°Wow¡­oh, but¡­¡± Edna turned her gaze downwards, looking downcast. ¡°¡­if I bring such expensive items back with me, they might get stolen,¡± she said softly.

    While their part of the slums was somewhat decent in terms of interpersonal relations, something like a gold necklace would certainly result in a mugging, as it could be sold for a lot of money. The same would go for clothes, as well, although they¡¯d mostly just paint Edna as a target.

    ¡°Hm¡­I suppose I¡¯ll just get you something modest, then. I wish I could get you something really fanciful, however¡­¡±

    ¡°Nah, gems can¡¯t be that great¡­right?¡± Edna said dismissively, although ended it like it was a question. What was so interesting about colorful rocks?

 Chapter 9

    Well, it turns out, gems really are that great. After they had parked in front of a jewelry store and entered, Edna had been utterly thrilled to witness the wide variety of gold, silver, and everything in between, as well as the varied diamonds and gems. With shining eyes, she was unable to restrain herself as she goggled at the various items. Her enthralled attitude had the jeweler quite amused.

    Jason was not only their chauffeur, but also their chaperone, so he made sure to keep an eye on them. ¡°How about this one?¡± George offered Edna a rather weighty golden amulet, embedded with several diamonds, with a big one taking the center. ¡°Ehhh¡­¡± To everyone¡¯s surprise, after regaining her composure, Edna demonstrated a passive attitude towards diamonds, which were the most popular gem women desired.

    Rather, she was more interested in gemstones such as Emerald, and especially rubies, since they matched her hair and eyes. ¡°I want¡­this one!¡± she said, pointing to a simple necklace. Rather than being gold or silver, the chain was varnished with a blackish colored tone, and the pendant itself was embedded with a square, finely polished ruby. ¡°Ah, you have a good eye,¡± the jeweler remarked, picking up the necklace and holding it out towards Edna, allowing her to take it gingerly.

    ¡°The necklace itself is made out of, a rather peculiar metal mined in one of the mining towns. It doesn¡¯t have the shine or appeal of platinum or gold, but it¡¯s excellent for conducting magic, and it¡¯s unusually tough, too. That gem itself is a high quality cut ruby from a rather peculiar vein found in the mountains. You¡¯ll be hard pressed to find one with a better color or depth than that particular one, if I say so myself¡­¡±

    Edna was unable to keep herself from admiring the gem, which a deep shade of red. Best of all, while it was quite attractive for Edna, it was not at all flashy or extravagant in any way, likely the reason why it had yet to be sold. ¡°How much?¡± Jason asked the jeweler, who laughed. ¡°I like this young lady, so I¡¯ll give you a good discount on it. 5 gold coins.¡± Edna couldn¡¯t help but gasp at hearing that price.

    In Apollyn, there was a simple coin currency system in place, consisting of copper, silver, golden, and platinum coins. 10 copper coins were 10 large copper coins, 10 large copper coins were 1 silver coin, and 10 silver coins was 1 gold, while 10 gold was 1 platinum coin. For Edna, who had rarely dealt with prices higher than a single silver, this was a prodigiously large amount.

    However, Jason smiled in gratitude, handing the man the specified amount of coins. ¡°Thank you,¡± George said. ¡°Not at all! Please give my regards to your father!¡± The jeweler said. Edna put the necklace on, a wide grin on her face. ¡°Hm, you expressed a desire for plain clothes, did you not, Miss Edna?¡± Jason asked her. Edna frowned, pulled away from her continued staring at her necklace. ¡°Er, yes, that¡¯s correct¡­¡± Having some jewelry was enough for Edna, and she felt that was pushing things. To get someone like her fancy clothes was a waste, given her lifestyle.

    She¡¯d much rather have simple, durable clothes that could last long and wouldn¡¯t earn her stares from everyone. ¡°We will have to go to the Wye District, then. Incidentally, that¡¯s also where the aquarium should be, so we can tackle two birds with one stone. It¡¯s about lunchtime, so shall we go eat?¡± Jason asked the two.

    ¡°Oh, um, sure!¡± Edna said. ¡°I¡¯ve just the perfect place!¡± George said, clapping his hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Fernando¡¯s!¡±

    As it turned out, Fernando¡¯s was a restaurant run by a rather posh man, who was, unsurprisingly, named Fernando. While it was high class, it was about in the middle of the rankings of the restaurants enjoyed by the wealthy upper class. Not too famous, not too obscure.

    But for George, the food was the best thing in the world. Edna fidgeted nervously as George opened the door for her, allowing her to come in. ¡°Welcome!¡± A man in a suit greeted them cheerfully.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°We would like seating for three, please,¡± Jason told the waiter, who nodded. ¡°Names, please?¡±

    Jason provided their names, which the man jotted down on a notepad. ¡°Right this way, please!¡± He guided them to an empty table, and after procuring some special chairs to accommodate George¡¯s and Edna¡¯s short statures, handed them all menus. ¡°Please, take your time. What would you like to drink?¡±

    ¡°I will have some earl grey tea, with two cubes, please,¡± Jason said warmly. ¡°I¡¯d like some apple juice, please!¡± George proclaimed. ¡°Um, er, ah¡­¡± Edna, for her part, couldn¡¯t figure out for the life of her what she wanted. She hadn¡¯t really drunk anything other than water or tea (rarely) in her life. ¡°Um¡­I guess tea, please,¡± she said after some deliberation.

    ¡°What kind would you like?¡± The waiter asked her. Oh, Darn!

    What the heck was she supposed to say now? However, she realized a particular trick. She had seen it many times on signs on various restaurants. With a smirk, she proudly proclaimed, ¡°I¡¯ll have the Chef¡¯s recommendation!¡± It was a genius idea!

    George looked at her inquisitively, the unspoken question of ¡®why are you smiling?¡¯ quite evident on his face. ¡°...ah, that¡¯s usually for food, you know?¡± The waiter told her with a chuckle. ¡°But I¡¯ll make sure to let him know¡­¡± he walked off, and Edna exhaled, realizing she had been holding her breath.

    ¡°That was a close one¡­¡± she murmured. ¡°Have you decided on what to get?¡± George asked her, after recovering his composure. Edna stared at the menu, then looked up, noticing that George looked horrified. ¡°Edna¡­I forgot to ask, but can you¡­.read?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Of course I can, silly. Why wouldn¡¯t I know how to read?¡± Edna asked him. George let out a soft exhalation, while Jason could only nod approvingly. ¡°You are lucky, miss Edna. Many in your position often don¡¯t get a proper education. As unrefined as yours is, it is quite excellent for someone of your status,¡± he told her warmly. ¡°Oh, wow!¡± Edna had no idea how special knowing how to read (at least fluently and without difficulty) was.

    While unlike in the olden days when illiteracy was high, technological innovations and legislative reforms had prioritized education, allowing even lower class citizens to get a chance at learning, although higher education was still out of reach for anyone who wasn¡¯t high class. Ultimately, however, that benefit did not extend to the homeless and beggars who were born and raised in the slums. After quietly telling herself how amazingly awesome she was a few times mentally, she returned to look down at the menu.

    ¡°What is foe grass?¡± she asked him. ¡°Oh, you must mean foie gras,¡± George remarked with a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s basically when they take a duck and overfeed it, and then they cook it afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Ehhh? Seriously?¡± Edna asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that hurt the duck?¡±

    ¡°Mm¡­maybe? But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the point¡­¡±

    ¡°Poor ducky¡­.¡± Edna felt sympathy for ducks all around the world, although she returned to looking at the menu after only a few moments, finding a particularly funny word.

    ¡°Hm¡­um, what about this cavier?¡± she asked, pointing to it on the menu.

    ¡°That¡¯s caviar. It¡¯s fish eggs.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­what?¡± Edna asked, aghast. ¡°Fish eggs,¡± George repeated what he said. Edna eyed the exotic dishes with trembling hands. ¡°R-rich people eat s-scary things¡­.¡± She whispered, though George did not hear her. Jason, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t suppress his amused smile.

    In the end, she went with some steak, cooked medium rare, along with some potatoes au gratin along with steamed succotash, along with a salad and some hors douvres. When the food was delivered, along with their drinks, Edna couldn¡¯t suppress her delight upon smelling how delicious it was. ¡°Wow, so this is steak!¡±

    ¡°Have you not had it before?¡± George asked her. Edna shook her head. ¡°No¡­¡± It was hard enough getting three square meals when one was homeless, let alone eating something as extravagant as steak. ¡°Please enjoy it, Miss Edna,¡± Jason told her. Edna hesitantly picked up the silverware, stabbing her fork into the salad. ¡°Edna¡­.¡± George mumbled, coughing. ¡°Eh? What?¡± Edna asked them.

    ¡°That¡¯s the wrong fork.¡± Edna looked like she¡¯d just been zapped with electricity. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to use the salad fork, this one¡­¡± George pointed out another fork as well, only that one had longer tines than the one she was using. ¡°What the heck? How do you tell them apart?¡±

    ¡°The tines are longer on the salad fork.¡±

    ¡°What the heck is a tine!?¡±

    ¡°These little points on the fork¡­¡±

    ¡°Ueehhh¡­.¡±

    After a quick crash course on silverware etiquette, Edna was under the thorough impression the rich had a fixation on excessive overspecialization of silverware.

 Chapter 10

    Upon taking a bite out of her salad, she felt like crying. ¡°Edna, are you alright?¡± George asked her, thinking something was wrong. So this is what fresh vegetables and fruits arranged together tastes like¡­ Edna had only had vegetables and fruits this fresh maybe once or twice, both on special occasions when they visited Serena. ¡°Ish delishous,¡± Edna said softly, her mouth still full of food. ¡°Miss Edna, it is impolite to talk with your mouth full. Please finish chewing before you speak,¡± Jason reminded her. ¡°Shorry¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­what did I just say?¡±

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve never had a salad before?¡±

    ¡°George, you forget sometimes her upbringing,¡± Jason reminded him. A grimace came over George¡¯s face. ¡°Sorry for that, Edna¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry for what?¡± she asked him, after swallowing. She wasn¡¯t quite socially adept to recognize the fact that being reminded of being homeless would be quite insensitive, especially in an environment such as this. ¡°Never mind, try the steak!¡± Gladly taking advantage of the topic change, Edna picked up her fork and stabbed it into the steak, although she picked it up halfheartedly with the fork.

    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s too big to fit in my mouth?¡±

    ¡°¡­.you¡¯re supposed to cut it with the knife,¡± George said.

    ¡°Oh really? So it¡¯s just like regular meat, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh? What did you think it was?¡± George asked her. Edna¡¯s cheeks turned red. ¡°I¡­er, thought it was some magic food or something¡­¡±

    ¡°Sadly, it¡¯s not that special. It¡¯s relatively common for even middle class members to partake in, albeit every now and then. Although, it would be exceedingly rare for those lower class individuals to eat such a fine cut. Be proud to know that this particular marbled steak is one of the finest you can get in the capital; it¡¯s far beyond the grade of any normal steak a normal person might buy,¡± Jason told her. Edna¡¯s eyes grew wide as saucers.

    ¡°Wow, so steak is actually pretty common?¡±

    ¡°Well, more like uncommon, but not that rare. It used to be that way several decades ago, though!¡± George told her. ¡°Ah yes, before the Golden Age began¡­¡±

    ¡°Golden Age?¡± Edna asked them inquisitively. It was the name for the current era the Empire was in, when The Twelfth Archon, Jason Black, ascended the throne and united the Empire under one house- under his reign, the kingdom prospered, revolutionary policies and inventions were made, and of course, the refinement of magitech, which at that point had been quite primitive.

    However, for Edna, all she knew was that it was a name touted by people who had only experienced the good side of life, or so Veronica said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it later, alright?¡± George told her, taking a drink from his glass. Realizing she had a drink, Edna went to grab her cup, but it wasn¡¯t a cup! It was a tea cup. ¡°Georgie¡­¡± she said pitifully, using her (genius!) nickname for him. After getting flustered over her calling him that a few times, he had grown used to it.

    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± George asked her. ¡°¡­how do I hold a tea cup?¡±

    ¡°Allow me to demonstrate, Miss Edna,¡± Jason said helpfully. He wrapped three of his fingers around the tea cup¡¯s handle delicately, lifted it up, and then, for some reason, he raised his pinky, before taking a sip. ¡°Ehhhh? What¡¯s the pinky for?¡± she asked, completely bewildered.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°It¡¯s normal etiquette for those who are high class. There is no greater display of sophistication than this,¡± Jason told her. This was weird, but for Edna, hearing this from a much older man, who was quite sophisticated himself, she figured this must be true, and engraved his words upon her heart.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty cool, huh?¡±

    George told her with a smile. Edna promptly picked up the tea cup, and raised her pinky finger before taking a drink. It was warm, but quite tasty! After a few moments of drinking it, the tea cup was emptied, and she put it down. ¡°Fuaah¡­that was so good!¡± she said happily, although she noticed both George and even Jason staring at her. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Edna¡­are you alright?¡± George asked her, seriously concerned. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Miss Edna¡­you are aware that tea is made from steeping leaves in boiling water, yes?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah¡­so?¡±

    ¡°And you are aware that it is usually still poured, scalding hot, yes?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­..yes¡­.¡±

    ¡°And you just drank all of that scalding water, without even blowing on it, in a single drink?

    ¡°O-oh¡­¡± Edna now realized that what she did was completely abnormal. Drinking scalding water like it was nothing, without any pain or burns, was completely beyond the accomplishment of a normal person. ¡°Ah¡­I have no idea how I did that¡­¡± she admitted, her face completely red with embarrassment. Luckily, it appeared no one else had seen what she had just done. ¡°Hm, do you by chance know any magic, Miss Edna?¡± Jason asked her.

    Edna shook her head. She had no idea if she knew magic or not, since she had never taken a magic aptitude test. ¡°Perhaps you just have a natural resistance to heat, then,¡± Jason remarked. ¡°Resistance?¡± she asked. Jason nodded, and even George leaned forward to hear his explanations.

    Apparently, people usually had different affinities for different elements. While it usually meant little for anyone who did not know magic or had no talent for it, for wizards, it was everything. If one had an affinity for fire, for example, fire spells and similar magic were easier to learn, while ice magic was consequently harder to learn. Of course, having an affinity for magic meant having a resistance to it.

    Someone skilled in fire magic would high a higher than usual tolerance for fire, more so than someone skilled in say, water magic. And thus, Jason was implying that perhaps Edna had a hidden affinity for fire, and consequently, would naturally be able to tolerate higher temperatures. ¡°Although, that usually doesn¡¯t apply for hot liquids, and most of the time the resistance isn¡¯t that noticeable¡­¡± Edna could only shrug helplessly. ¡°¡­in either case, you are certainly full of surprises, Miss Edna. However, due take care not to let something like that happen again- there are no shortage of ill-mannered people who would be quite¡­interested in your ability, and not in a good way¡­¡±

    Jason¡¯s soft warning was quite effective, as it let Edna¡¯s mind create a myriad of possibilities that could happen; while she was young, she wasn¡¯t a fool. You had to keep your wits about you growing up in the streets. She solemnly nodded. ¡°Waiter, another cup of tea for the Miss!¡± Jason called a waiter, who came over and refilled her cup, this time with more hot tea.

    ¡°Ah¡­what sort of tea is this, anyway? It¡¯s so good¡­¡±

    ¡°I believe that particular variant is Oolong,¡± Jason replied. ¡°Woooow, Jason, you sure are cultured! How do you know this stuff?¡± Edna asked him, impressed. ¡°I went to the Kaldbakr Academy before I was trained as a butler,¡± Jason told her. The Kaldbakr Academy was an Institution for those who sought a higher education. For a hefty tuition price, it was possible to become more knowledgeable than most people on a variety of subjects, or even just general knowledge overall. It was a mandatory requirement for any would be scholar to attend.

    ¡°Jason is amazing, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯m blessed to have him,¡± George said, puffing his chest with pride. ¡°You flatter me, Master George. I am pleased to be of service to you¡­¡±

    Edna took a sip of her tea, making sure to raise her pinky and, of course, actually blow on the liquid a bit and taking tiny sips at first. The conversation died as each focused more on eating, and eventually, all the food was gone. ¡°Wow, that was so good¡­I wish I could eat like this every day,¡± Edna said wistfully. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to grant that wish, Edna!¡± George told her seriously.

    Jason paid for their meal, which wound up costing a gold coin. Once more, Edna was throttled by the price of it. Afterwards, Jason walked them outside. ¡°Well then, shall we go to the Aquarium?¡± Jason asked them. ¡°Yes, please!¡± Edna said, jumping up and down with excitement. ¡°You¡¯ll be amazed at the fish they have,¡± George told her. Jason helped them both into the carriage, then climbed onto the driver¡¯s seat. With a flick of the reins, the carriage began to trundle forth towards their next destination.

 Chapter 11

    Once they were in the Wye District, the houses and property became less opulent and more normal, a bit more familiar with what Edna knew. They came to a stop, however, beside an impossibly large building. ¡°This is the place,¡± Jason said, helping them out of the carriage. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so big!¡± Edna said, awed by the size of the building. It was immense, about the size of a palace, even. ¡°It¡¯s big enough for sharks and dolphins,¡± George told her with a grin.

    They walked inside. ¡°Welcome to the Aquarium! Entrance fee is 5 silver, please!¡± Her gaze drifted down, regarding the two kids. ¡°And of course, children ten and under can come in for free!¡± Jason handed her the required funds to get himself in. ¡°Would you like a guided tour?¡± The clerk asked them. Jason looked towards Edna, who shook her head. ¡°Alright then, have fun!¡±

    With those words, Edna and George made their way through the main doors, and into the first exhibit. Edna¡¯s eyes widened, taking in the gorgeous sight before her. They were in a large semispherical hallway, but the sides and roof were solid glass. Behind that glass was an endless amount of water, and swimming in that water was a myriad of aquatic life she had never seen before.

    ¡°Oooo, what¡¯s that?¡± she asked, pointing to a funny looking fish that was broad and flat. It swam by flapping it¡¯s wings, much in the same way as a bird. ¡°Oh those are manta rays,¡± George remarked. ¡°They look pretty neat, huh?¡±

    ¡°Wooooow! They¡¯re so cool!¡±

    ¡°Wait till you see the monster exhibit,¡± George said with a smirk. The Aquarium not only hosted typical marine life, but also had a special exhibit of various aquatic monsters. Edna had a blast wandering throughout the Aquarium, learning about various fish and aquatic life. As they exited, she hopped up and down, absolutely giddy. ¡°Thank you so much for taking me there, George!¡± she said. George laughed easily. ¡°It¡¯s no problem¡­¡±

    ¡°I hate to pour rain on you both, but it is getting rather late. I recommend we make our way to Vittorio¡¯s and get Miss Edna here some clothes, and then get her home. Wouldn¡¯t do to make Master Cartwright upset, now would it, Master George?¡±

    ¡°Hm, yes, you¡¯re right,¡± George agreed. ¡°Aw, it¡¯s already almost over? Time sure flies¡­¡± Edna said, dejectedly. ¡°Hey, if I can play my cards right, I¡¯m sure we could do this a few more times,¡± George told her. That cheered her up. They boarded the carriage, and made their way to Vittorio¡¯s, a well-known shop that catered to average people. It was well liked by even the peasants, due to their affordable prices and solid quality of their clothing.

    Edna walked into the store, and was amazed to find it was quite homely. Compared to the previous stores she had seen in the Noble¡¯s District, this one was small by comparison. However, that brought her comfort. It made her feel more like she was in her depth. ¡°Hey, George, do you think I could ask you to get my mother some clothes as well?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t see why not. We still have plenty of funds. Man, what was Father thinking, giving us this much?¡± George asked Jason after sifting through their coin purse.

    ¡°Master George, I am certain Master Cartwright intended you to take Miss Edna on a far more opulent playdate than what was anticipated,¡± Jason told him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right¡­we didn¡¯t really go anywhere extravagant, did we?¡± he mused quietly. ¡°Is that bad?¡± Edna asked.

    ¡°On the contrary, I believe it is good to find happiness without compromising one¡¯s finances. There are plenty of things to do for fun that do not require money, after all,¡± Jason replied succinctly. ¡°That is one thing that you have that nobles do not, Miss Edna.¡±

    ¡°Ehh? What do you mean?¡± Edna asked, tilting her head. ¡°You will understand when you are older, I am sure.¡± Edna was lucky because she was able to find joy in the little things in life. However, Nobles, who want for nothing and live in the lap of luxury, suitably find it harder to have fun without resorting to increasingly extravagant methods. Who would want to sit on a hill near town after hiking in the mountains of a foreign country?Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Edna wouldn¡¯t realize the truth behind Jason¡¯s words until much later in her life, however.

    ¡°Jason is quite the poet, isn¡¯t he? I wish I was as verbose as he was,¡± George admitted.

    ¡°It is merely a matter of perspective, Master George. Now, allow us to achieve our goal¡­¡±

    Jason called for an attendant, who regarded Edna with a curious gaze. ¡°Oh my, she¡¯s so cute! I¡¯ve never seen eyes or hair of that color, either!¡± The attendant was utterly thrilled to see Edna, crouching down and beaming at Edna. Edna reflexively smiled back in response, charmed by the attendant¡¯s friendliness. ¡°Please follow me, dearie¡­¡± The attendant took Edna¡¯s hand and guided her towards the changing room. ¡°What are we doing?¡± Edna asked, curiously. ¡°I need to take your sizes, both to help you find an ideal fit and in case you wish to have something hand tailored¡­.¡±

    Clothes tailored to one¡¯s size were more expensive than regular clothes, but they went a long way to improving one¡¯s appearance and their comfort was unmatched. ¡°Please stretch out arms¡­¡± Edna did so, looking on with curiosity as the attendant took her sizes. ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re so warm. Do you have a fever or something?¡± The attendant asked curiously. ¡°Um¡­this Is normal, I think,¡± Edna responded solemnly. ¡°Is it? Alright then,¡± the attendant took her words at face value, continuing. ¡°Hee hee¡­that tickles!¡± Edna reflexively squirmed as the attendant wrapped the measuring tape around her chest. ¡°Now now, stop moving! I can¡¯t get an accurate measurement if you don¡¯t stay still!¡± Upon the attendant¡¯s gentle chiding, Edna obediently stood still, although it was quite hard.

    After she was done, the attendant stood straight and wiped sweat off her brow. She frowned in response, suddenly realizing that peculiarity- the shop was cool, so why was she sweating? She looked down at Edna, who was looking up at her with her crimson gaze. Was it because I was so close to her? She is awfully warm, after all...

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re fine?¡± she asked once more. ¡°Yes!¡± The affirmation made her realize she was probably overthinking things. They returned back. ¡°Well, her sizes are normal for a child of her age. Other than being slightly taller than average, the clothing in section A-2 should fit her just fine,¡± The attendant said warmly. ¡°We also offer tailored clothing as well, for an additional cost, if you want?¡±

    ¡°No thanks,¡± Jason told her, thanking her. ¡°Very well then, please take your time!¡± With those words, she allowed Jason and the two children to go off on their own. When they made their way to section A-2, Edna began instantly looking through the varied shirts and pants. ¡°Wow, there¡¯s so much variety! Oh, these feel so nice! Synthetic fiber? What is synthetic fiber?¡±

    Such questions easily flowed from her mouth as she moved left and right, investigating every rack and article of clothing. Jason and George tried their best to answer her questions. After they were done picking clothes for both her and her mother, with the attendant helping Edna with the rather picky subject of underwear, they were once more outside of the store, laden with bags.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get you back home,¡± George said. They both climbed into the carriage, and began to move forward. With the sunset before them, Edna realized she was quite tired. After walking all day, she was pretty exhausted. She was a kid, after all. She leaned on George, resting her head on his shoulder, ignoring his rapidly reddening face. ¡°Thank you, for everything, George¡­¡± she mumbled sleepily. ¡°Mother¡­told me nobles were unkind and selfish, but¡­I think she was wrong¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­.now that I¡¯ve spent time with you and your friends, I¡¯m, uh, not sure she was wrong,¡± George admitted. ¡°We¡¯re a pretty elitist society, after all¡­.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­thank you anyway, for treating me like I was normal. Today was the first day¡­I got to see so many things¡­¡± She was so warm, and he was increasingly growing uncomfortable with the constant contact, yet his pride as a man refused to give in to his selfish urge to push her off of him.

    ¡°Thank you, Edna, for showing me how the other half lives,¡± he replied earnestly. ¡°I think I¡¯m more self-aware of the world now, thanks to you¡­¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­I guess we¡¯ve both changed each other¡¯s lives, huh?¡± Edna asked, closing her eyes. ¡°¡­I wonder what you saw in me that made you change your mind¡­¡± she whispered softly. ¡°Eh? Did you say something?¡± George asked her, but her soft breathing indicated she was fast asleep. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead after a little while, but at this point, he didn¡¯t care. He was just glad to have a friend like Edna.

 Chapter 12

    ¡°Edna, wake up¡­¡± George shook Edna gently, rousing her from her sleep. ¡°Eh? Wha..?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± George told her. Edna sat up straight, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. ¡°Oh¡­thank you, George¡­¡± with Jason¡¯s help, she was escorted back to her home, or what could be called her home, with her items in hand. As they returned to the carriage, Jason stopped. ¡°Young master¡­I perhaps see what has made you desire that girl.¡±

    ¡°D-d-d-desire?!¡± George¡¯s voice went up an octave. ¡°W-what do you mean?!¡±

    ¡°¡­so even you do not realize, is that it? How charming. But young Master, I must let you know¡­¡± Jason turned to regard George with a stony expression. ¡°¡­that girl is the lowest of the low, and you, the highest of the high. No matter how you wish it to change, you can never associate yourself with the likes of her¡­¡±

    ¡°S-so?!¡± George said angrily, clenching his fists together. Jason smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s¡­a viewpoint I disagree with, but that¡¯s how nobles work. Incidentally, you know you can¡¯t keep making excuses forever, right? Your parents are busy people- we will have to leave the capital soon.¡±

    ¡°S-s-shoot!¡± He had totally forgotten!

    ¡°¡­you even forgot something like that? She really has changed you.¡± They got into the carriage, and before they were off, Jason mumbled a few choice words over his shoulder. ¡°...I hope you¡¯re ready for when that time comes.¡±

    A few more weeks passed, until that fated day that George had feared approached. ¡°Edna, look, I, um¡­¡± Edna tilted her head. ¡°What is it, Georgie?¡± by now, she had taken to using her nickname for him whenever she could, and he was no longer embarrassed by it. She fell silent as he told he about his family having to leave.

    ¡°You see, we, were, um, my parents had finished the transaction a while ago, but I¡¯ve been¡­making excuses to them, to keep us here longer.¡± Edna quietly rocked back and forth on the soles of her feet, quickly putting two and two together. A slight smile touched her face.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°¡­so our meetings before weren¡¯t quite a coincidence?¡±

    ¡°Urkh¡­.¡± His face was absolutely red, like a tomato.

    ¡°Georgie¡­I don¡¯t mind, to be honest,¡± Edna told him softly.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°About you lying, of course!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°You¡­wanted to spend time with me, that was why, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll also tell you something, George.¡± For once, she had not used his nickname, perhaps an obvious tell that she knew how severe the situation was for him.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m quite happy to spend time with you, George. You¡¯ve¡­bought me many things, yes, but mommy told me I shouldn¡¯t be so ¡®easy¡¯, whatever that means. You showed me a lot of things around town, and I¡¯m truly grateful¡­¡± her breathing grew a bit rapid, though George did not notice. He was already beginning to cry, gazing at her through tearstained vision.

    ¡°So¡­no matter¡­what¡­please don¡¯t¡­.forget me¡­.¡± George stared at her. Despite the sad look on her face, she was not crying. For her to be so strong¡­to not even cry¡­! He was a failure of a man! Emboldened by a strong urge, he grabbed both of her hands in his. ¡°Edna! I swear I¡¯ll come back! So please¡­wait for me!¡± he barked. Edna looked stunned, her cheeks flushing, and then a sad smile grew on her face, her chest tightening as she hugged him. And so, the two friends hugged each other tightly, both crying, though Edna''s eyes remained dry even as she sobbed, unable to shed a single tear. "Then...let''s meet again, when we''re older!"

    ¡°Definitely! I¡¯ll show you the world, no, everything, as soon as I can!¡±

    And thus, the curtains closed on the relationship between the beggar and the noble.

    A few hours later, Veronica saw how wretched Edna looked. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked. Edna quietly told her mother about the events that had transpired a little while ago. ¡°Oh, Edna¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Veronica said, saddened. George had brightened their lives quite a bit, in more ways than one. Edna quietly placed a hand on her chest, feeling the necklace he had gotten her.

    ¡°¡­I¡­will wait for him,¡± she said softly. Veronica tilted her head. ¡°Oh? A promise?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡± Veronica smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that then. June came by earlier, maybe if you play with them, it¡¯ll ease your mind?¡± That brightened Edna up, who nodded. ¡°Y-yeah!¡±

    Try as she might, Edna was quite young at the time she had made her promise. It was inevitable that she might not remember something like a promise, no matter how hard she tried. A few years passed, and she soon turned eight. However, tragedy would soon unfold, and she would once more learn the harsh truth of the world.

    Because the life of the destitute was never easy. Edna had been incrediblt lucky up until now, but that luck had run out...for if George had shown her the Good side of Life, then the next person to enter her life would show her the bad side of life.

 Chapter 13

    After growing older and her time spent with George, Edna¡¯s world had expanded quite a bit, and it was inevitable that she would explore more and more of the city, and meet more and more people. However, she ran into trouble in the form that other kids in the area designated her an easy target, perhaps due to how distinct she was compared to them. And of course, there was that boy, who came regularly to the slums to torment her: Albert Miriam Hughes, of the Hughes House, a clan that had much influence within the Council that the Archon of Apollyon counseled with on important matters.

    Their first meeting did not quite go well; Edna was playing with June and Hart, when she felt a presence behind her. She turned around and regarded the person, noting how much older he was, and how well dressed. It was plain that he was a noble. ¡°Hello! What brings you here?¡± she asked cheerfully. The boy spat on the ground, snarling. ¡°That¡¯s no way to address me, pig!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I am Albert Miriam Huges, first in line as head of my house! You should address me as ¡°Lord!¡±

    ¡°Ok, lord,¡± Edna said, quickly changing her tone and form of address. For whatever reason, that seemed to make him angry. ¡°You piece of shit! You¡¯re mocking me, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    As a matter of fact, she wasn¡¯t, but of no will of her own, she had indirectly made enemies of a powerful kid. For the next few months he wormed his way into her life; he gave all her friends expensive items and used that, in additional to his leverage, to turn them against her. He took every chance he could to make her life miserable.

    ¡°Out of my way, runt!¡± Albert, on one particular occasion, shoved Edna away, who was doing nothing but minding her own business. She fell down under the impact, letting out a surprised yelp at the sudden contact. Edna winced, not able to understand why he was being so harsh. He had verbally abused her, but had never quite raised a hand against her before.

    For someone like her, born and raised with love and having surprising luck, she had been lucky to avoid seeing troublemakers or aggressive people...although that inexperience meant she was nothing more than a pushover...the perfect target for the noble kid. ¡°Look at the hot potato. I bet she¡¯s going to cry!¡± The rich kid said, sneering. He was surrounded by both his friends and the other children she had been playing with just moments prior. The boy¡¯s friends started laughing boisterously, and, unwilling to be chosen as a potential target, the other kids began to laugh at her too.

    For the very kids she considered friends to laugh at her¡­it was quite a betrayal for her. Especially when the nickname ¡®Hot Potato¡¯ was born.

    Given her rather dirty, rough looks and her high body temperature, he had decided to start calling her ¡®hot potato¡¯...though it was far from a term of affection. Because of the boy¡¯s influence, others soon called her that as well.

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± she asked him. ¡°Why? Because I hate seeing kids in your position looking so happy! It¡¯s like you don¡¯t even know your place!¡±

    ¡°How does my happiness affect you in anyway?!¡± she asked him angrily. ¡°Eh? Because when peasants don¡¯t know their place, they always cause trouble for us.¡± In response to his curt reply, she balled up her fist glaring at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t nobles supposed to treat girls nice?!¡± she asked him harshly. Albert tilted his head. ¡°Well, I suppose that is true¡­but you¡¯re not a girl, are you?¡± he asked. Edna fell silent, staring at him with a shocked expression.

    ¡°After all, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re even human. No, you¡¯re lower than a human, little more than dirt to be scrubbed off the bottom of my shoe!¡± For whatever reason, those words deeply gouged Edna¡¯s heart. The other things were hurtful, sure, but this was like a blow directly to her heart. Why? Why did it affect her so much?¡± Vision swimming, she fell to her knees, her face completely empty.

    You¡¯re not human. You¡¯re worse than one.

    Her unnatural heat, the fact she never got sick, the fact she could eat piping hot food and drinks without issue, the fact she couldn¡¯t even cry¡­The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Edna knew she was different. Her mother was kind, and Serena was too, but she had heard their discussions between each other. How they wondered why she was abnormal.

    It was surely because she wasn¡¯t human¡­right? She had never questioned it before, but the boy before her had brought those subconscious fears violently to the surface, like a drowned corpse finally breaking free from its watery grave. Deep down, on an instinctual level, she knew he was right.

    She did not know how, or why, but he was right. Perhaps if she were older, or had come to grips with the knowledge of such a thing, she¡¯d easily let it pass and love herself for who she was.

    But at this stage? Not a chance. ¡°Oh, look! Guess I was right!¡± Albert shouted, jabbing a finger at her and laughing. ¡°Look at the worm! She¡¯s not even human!¡±

    ¡°Not even human!¡± The other kids echoed, laughing. For the first time, she felt something within her stir in response, this time, not just despair, but a fiery anger. However, it was gone as quick as it had flared, and she ran away.

    That night, she told her Mother what had happened. ¡°Oh, Edna¡­¡± Veronica embraced her daughter. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to them. Only humans can laugh and enjoy the company of others, only humans can truly enjoy life. You can do all of these things, and so much more! What is that, if not human?¡± The words brought comfort to Edna, though she still found herself in doubt. ¡°And, no matter what, Edna, I¡¯ll always love you. In this life, or the next!¡±

    ¡°Heeeey!¡± A soft voice called. ¡°Oh? I wonder who that could be¡­¡± Veronica murmured, crawling out of their ramshackle hut. Edna followed, also curious. Standing before her was Hart and June. ¡°Edna, are you ok?¡± Hart asked, worry clear in his voice.

    ¡°Yeah, we heard what those mean old jerks were calling you!¡±

    Despite all that had happened, Hart and June had cheerfully remained by Edna¡¯s side, always supporting her. ¡°Want to hang out for a bit?¡± Hart asked. Edna nodded glumly, and the three went off to play. Veronica smiled wanly, though she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Why must those above us seek to take what little we have, when they want for nothing¡­?¡± she asked softly, but her question went unanswered and unheard.

    Despite the support from her friends, the constant bullying from Albert was severely impacting Edna¡¯s mental health. Especially the time when Albert had punched Edna full on when she was playing with Hart, knocking her down. Blinded by pain, Edna could only try to reorient herself, still stunned from the sudden impact. ¡°Stop that!¡± Hart shouted, stepping in front of Edna. ¡°Or what? I¡¯m not done playing with her yet!¡±

    ¡°You should go rot!¡± Hart spat.

    ¡°Filth like you should know your place! After all, if you-urkh!¡± he staggered backwards as Hart threw a clumsy punch, nailing Albert straight in the jaw. ¡°You little shit! Hold him down!¡± Both of his friends moved forward, and easily pinned Hart down, despite his struggling. ¡°Think you¡¯re so tough, huh? Think you can get away defending that little trash pile you consider a friend? Well, see how long you still think after I beat you to a pulp!¡±

    Albert threw a single punch, nailing Hart square in the stomach. Then he threw another, and another, a hail of blows coming down upon Hart, who could only whimper and grunt in pain. Edna, having now recovered, stared in mute shock as the three brutally beat her friend.

    And then, she felt something within her stir. With a dreadful creaking, she felt something within her awaken. Warmth flared in her chest, like a newly lit fire eagerly eating through kindling. And that warmth soon turned white hot, though she felt nothing. The world fell silent as she stared at the four¡­no, three, bullies.

    ¡°Eh? Something feels¡­off?¡± Albert stopped, looking around. ¡°Hart, get back!¡± Edna shouted. She had no idea what was about to happen, but she knew it was probably nothing good. Hart, managing to muster all his strength, threw off the confused kids holding him down and dived sideways. The air in front of Edna thickened as she held out her hands, and then powerful flames burst into being and roared forth in front of her, racing towards Albert and his goons. ¡°Woah!¡± Albert tried to run, but the flames quickly engulfed him and his friends.

    And then, they started to scream and cry in pain. They all dropped and began to roll furiously, managing to dampen the fire, but by then, it had done serious damage. Albert groaned, and through tear stained eyes, grit his teeth. ¡°You¡­.little shits! I¡¯ll make sure you pay! I¡¯ll have my father raze down this shitty place!¡±

    ¡°Edna! What the heck was that?!¡± Hart shouted, completely taken by surprise. Heavily burned, Albert got up and ran off, followed by his lackeys. Edna stared at the scorched ground in front her, her face utterly expressionless.

    ¡°No¡­no¡­.¡±

    She hadn¡¯t wanted to hurt them. That wasn¡¯t at all what she wanted! She stared down and gazed at her trembling hands. They could¡¯ve died. They were lucky to get away with heavy burns. In that moment, Edna for once felt a soft heat within her, something she instinctively realized was warmth; it was the first time she perceived such a sensation.

    And right now, that warmth within her made her feel disgusted.

    Now, everyone she knew would pay. I¡¯ll have my father raze this shitty place! Those words echoed fiercely in her head. Unsure of what to do, she turned and ran, ignoring Hart¡¯s cries of protest.

 Chapter 14

    Edna bobbed and weaved, taking several turns through the slums. Where was she going? She had no idea, but she wanted to get as far away from that place as possible. Her entire body was filled with an energy she didn¡¯t understand.

    Completely focused on running, she accidentally slammed into the legs of an older man, who stumbled. Edna, however, had it far worse, as the recoil sent her reeling backwards, and she summarily fell down on her butt. ¡°Ow¡­.¡± Wincing, she looked up. The elderly man was looking down at her with a puzzled look. ¡°Why hello there, little girl,¡± he rumbled with a pleasant voice. ¡°What has got you in a hurry?¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to say, so she hastily averted her gaze. ¡°Well, why not take a moment to calm down? Running like that is dangerous; at least pay attention to your surroundings!¡±

    And now she was being lectured. Her entire body seemed to hum with energy, and it felt completely alien to her. Wrapped in the vision of watching Albert burn, she wanted to desperately cry.

    ¡°¡­don¡¯t cry now, here¡­¡± The old man reached into his pocket and pulled out a wrapped chocolate, offering it to her. ¡°Perhaps this may make you feel better? I know how kids love candy¡­¡± She stared at it in mute shock. Chocolates weren¡¯t quite expensive, but they were still pricey. For this man to willingly offer it to her without complaint... she hesitantly took it and unwrapped it, then put it into her mouth.

    The sweet taste in her mouth was heavenly! It was one of the best things she ate. And, the sweet taste helped soothe her raging mind, allowing her to focus on something other than her situation. ¡°Ah, that cheered you up, didn¡¯t it?¡± The old man laughed heartily. ¡°Now then¡­my, you¡¯re rather filthy. Might you be an urchin?¡±

    She didn¡¯t quite know what that meant, but she figured it had something to do with her homelessness. ¡°Hm¡­you seem quite different. It¡¯s dangerous for a young girl, will you let me escort you to my place until I can find your parents?¡±

    Nope. There was no way she was going to fall for that. Her mom had told her about this kind of people. She shook her head furiously. The old man laughed, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°I know, I know, stranger danger, right? But, I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m quite a respected man. I have a position that would surely be compromised if I were to do anything quite so dreadful. I just want to talk, is all; at least give me the benefit of the doubt?¡±

    She looked around, trying to find a way out¡­only to realize she had no idea where she was. The buildings were no longer ratty and decrepit looking, but rather respectable and clean. Seeing this, the old man smiled, as if driving home the fact he had won. ¡°You have no idea where you are, do you?¡± he asked her. She involuntarily winced.

    ¡°These parts are a bit dangerous. Come with me for a bit, and I promise I¡¯ll take you home.¡± The old man quietly urged her. Edna stared at him, trying to think of the benefits and cons. With her mind addled over the recent incident, it was hard to think. Plus, this old man was offering her the choice of a calm discussion and comfort. She had never had a father, or much of a father figure outside of Bob, so this was¡­quite a pleasant turn of events. ¡°¡­ok,¡± she said softly, deciding to throw caution to the wind.

    Besides, if worse came to worse, she could always¡­do that again. As she thought that, she felt swamped with exhaustion, and immediately collapsed. ¡°Ah, are you alright? You must be terribly exhausted¡­¡± the old man picked her up with deceptive ease, princess carrying her. ¡°Since you seem unable to walk, I¡¯ll go ahead and carry you. Feel free to rest.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    As always, being embraced felt nice. For Edna, who had a keener sense of touch, the immediate contact put her at ease, and made her feel safe. She tried to stop breathing so heavily, trying to calm herself. ¡°You¡­are unusually warm,¡± the old man said softly as he began to walk once more. It was true- holding her was like holding a small ball of heat, or something like that. Her hair and eyes were surely something to behold as well- those colors weren¡¯t natural, no matter what angle you looked at them from.

    And, his sharp eyes did not fail to notice how feverish and distressed she looked- they were the symptoms of an ailment he was all too familiar with. That was the main reason he had wanted to take her with him- in her current state, she was more of a danger to herself than anything else.

    Edna found herself falling asleep, and then woke up, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. ¡°Ahh!¡± letting out a startled gasp, she sat straight up, looking around in a panic. ¡°Calm down, there¡¯s nothing to fear,¡± a reassuring voice told her. Edna calmed down, and realized she was currently sitting on quite a pleasant, comfy couch that was exceedingly fluffy. At her waist was an equally luxurious blanket. Across from her was an old man sitting in an armchair, book in hand.

    And, she was able to think clearly and calmly; the unsettling warmth within her had faded away.

    ¡°Well, I trust your nap was enjoyable?¡±

    ¡°....¡± she said nothing, quietly staring at him.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s alright then. Now, do you want to talk about what had you in such a panic earlier?¡± he asked her. She hesitated.

    ¡°You can tell me anything, you know? Are you aware of contract magic?¡± Edna frowned. It sounded familiar, but she had no idea, so she slowly shook her head. ¡°Well, in short, a contract is made, and with contract magic, you can magically enforce it so either one or both parties, if in mutual agreement, must follow through with the agreement, or face crippling punishment,¡± he explained.

    ¡°For example, I¡¯ll do one now. I swear to not reveal to anyone the details discussed in this room.¡± With those words, a pale white light surrounded the old man, which then faded away. ¡°Does that make you feel better?¡±

    That was magic! Actual magic! Which meant this man must be a wizard. Wizards were trusted members of society who practiced magic. Since magic was a cornerstone of all technology within the Empire, being a wizard was both an honor and duty to those who could. To betray that public faith meant making oneself a public enemy. Edna knew this much since her mother had spoken of such wizards. And, he might be able to explain to her what those flames were.

    So she opened her mouth, and told him everything that had happened. After she had finished, the old man closed his eyes. ¡°I¡­see. So, in short, in a fit of rage, you inadvertently cast a spell, and severely injured the son of a noble?¡± he smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to hear about your mishap. Sometime things can happen. Albert, as you mentioned, is a known troublemaker. I assure you I¡¯ll take care of him, so you need not worry about his threat.¡±

    ¡°Eh? You can¡­do that?¡± Edna asked, stunned. The old man nodded. ¡°Of course. My influence far exceeds his. After all, I am the Grand Master of the Gran Sars!¡± she tilted her head, her eyes widened. She had no knowledge of magic, and was not even educated properly, but even she knew of the Gran Sars.

    In this world of magic and fantasy, there were four known organizations of magic, each governing a core part of the world. The Magestry, presided by the Elder God of Order, Bergen, which focused on maintaining law and ensuring magic was regulated and nothing unethical was going on.

    There was the Chantry, a group that focused on healing and humane relief, there was the Magi, a reclusive group of Mages who focused on obtaining all knowledge of the world and preserving it within their fortress, and finally, the fourth and undoubtedly most powerful of the organizations, the Gran Sars, an order dedicated to furthering the development of magic and its offensive capabilities, though Edna only really knew only a bit about the Gran Sars only, since it was the only magic organization that was headquartered in the Apollyn Empire that played an active role in its politics and external affairs.

    And this man just so happened to be the head of such an organization! Edna was awed to be in the presence of such a man. Can he....can he really help me?

 Chapter 15

    ¡°My name is Ars Magnus Canstel, though you may call me Magnus,¡± the old man introduced himself while pulling open a bottle of liquor and pouring it into a glass. ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m Edna,¡± Edna replied softly. ¡°No surname? Well, that¡¯s to be expected. You¡¯re not from an established family, after all,¡± Magnus commented, taking a sip from his glass.

    ¡°Regardless, I¡¯d like to talk more about your outburst. Magic running rampant at your age is not unheard of- if a child has magic, it usually manifests around the age of eight, though there are cases of it emerging in younger children as well. Young children can use much more powerful magic without knowing fundamentals or spells, but they lack control, and are incredibly inefficient, using far more mana than is required¡­¡±

    Mana was a natural energy found within all living creatures, and was the core component for casting spells. If it were to run out, one would no longer be able to cast spells. ¡°And, of course, you were feeling a bit confused, right? That was a clear sign of magic poisoning; a state of mind brought about by rapid use of magic in an incredibly short amount of time, as well as overusing more mana than what you have. The fact you actually had enough mana to disperse in such a short time to cause such pronounced effects is quite unprecedented, really. That is why I offered to take you here, so that you would not cause further harm; either to yourself, or others.¡±

    Edna silently accepted this information. Taking her silence as a confirmation to continue, Magus spoke once more, ¡°of course, to prevent such incidents from occurring, we screen all children once they reach the age of eight to determine if they possess such magic talent, and then, if they so wish, we offer to teach them how to control it and become wizards, or, at the very least, teach them enough self-control so that they do not inadvertently harm people accidentally. The fact we missed you is quite tragic, though given your circumstances, it¡¯s not surprising.¡±

    Though they tried hard, undocumented immigrants and homeless children were quite hard to screen for magic knowledge; it was inevitable some would slip through the cracks. ¡°However, this is a good chance for me to observe just how much magic you possess¡­if you¡¯d be willing to comply with a little test?¡±

    ¡°¡­is the test hard?¡± Edna asked, a bit wary. Magnus chuckled. ¡°Not at all, all you have to do is hold this crystal ball¡­¡± he pulled out a crystal ball and extended it towards her. ¡°¡­and focus on it. It will glow a certain color, establishing your elemental affinity, and pulse either heavily or lightly, depending on how much magic you have. It is not unheard of for children to have big reserves, but on the whole, most have a small amount; through training, the maximum amount of mana one can use will increase.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Edna took the crystal ball and stared at it. Almost immediately, it glowed with a brilliant intense heat. ¡°Ah, so you align with fire¡­well, that¡¯s not surprising, is it?¡± Magnus asked, taking another sip from his glass. The red color flashed several times, growing brighter and brighter.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°¡­?¡± Magnus raised an eyebrow as cracks began to form on the ball, and thermal energy began to radiate outwards. ¡°Edna, drop the ball!¡± Magnus shouted. The temperature of the room skyrocketed, and in that instance, the carpet, couch, and room burst into flames. ¡°Kyaa¡±! Edna let out a startled shriek, dropping the cracked ball. ¡°Blizzard!¡± Magnus¡¯ powerful voice thundered, and the whole room turned pure white as a torrent of snow whirled magnificently within the room.

    The temperature dropped rapidly, and the flames were rapidly extinguished; a thick cloud of steam burst outwards from the contact between the two extreme ends of the temperature scale.

    When the white smoke cleared, Edna, who, despite being in the middle of the flames, was completely unharmed, while Magnus, whose arm was extended outward, slowly lowered it, a few minor burns on his hands.

    ¡°¡­well, that answers my question,¡± he said, giving her a wry grin. ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry!¡± Edna immediately apologized, noting that more than half the room was scorched and burnt. Most of the couch Edna was on, along with the furniture, was heavily damaged.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really. Frankly speaking, the amount of magical energy you have is far, far greater than I anticipated. Even I, the strongest of all wizards, barely have the amount of mana you have. No human should have that much power,¡± Magnus told her softly. ¡°So, this confirms three things, one, you have absolute affinity with fire, two, you possess a staggering amount of magic, and three, you¡¯re resilient against heat, since you¡¯re completely unharmed even though I saw you covered in flames¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, about that¡­¡± Edna explained to Magnus about her unusual body warmth and inability to be burned from eating hot foods and drinks. ¡°Well, to have that degree of resistance is also very abnormal. Young Edna, you get more and more interesting by the minute. How would you like to join the Gran Sars?¡± he asked her.

    Edna hesitated. Joining the Gran Sars and becoming a wizard would surely earn her money, renown, and a roof over her head. It would essentially end her struggles with life¡­but¡­she couldn¡¯t abandon her friends, who would remain left behind. Magnus sighed when she responded, as if he expected it. ¡°Very well then, I will escort you back to the slums. But Edna, you cannot escape your fate. I urge you to reconsider- with magic as powerful as yours, now that you have awakened it, it will never die out. There will come a time when you may well lose control again, and you won¡¯t get off as easy either.¡±

    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t let that happen again,¡± Edna said resolutely. Magnus smiled ruefully in response to her determined stance, and promptly ruined it by ruffling her hair. ¡°Well, we''ll see about that. Let''s go¡­¡±

    Magnus took Edna back to the slums, and, once they entered it, Magnus stopped. ¡°This is as far as I should go,¡± he told her. ¡°Even if your lot are nice, many do not view those of us in better circumstances lightly. To be seen with me will invite trouble for you¡­I trust you know these parts well enough to get home from here?¡±

    ¡°Mmhm!¡± Edna nodded vigorously, her eyes shining. ¡°Thank you for everything, Magnus¡­¡± she said, wrapping her arms around his legs in a hug ¡°¡­Think nothing of it. We will meet again sooner or later, young Edna. Look forward to it.¡± With those words, the two separated, and Edna made her way back home.

 Chapter 16

    Sure enough, Magnus¡¯s admonishment would come true. The years passed by, and while Edna was growing older, her mother was not getting younger. Now older, Edna¡¯s heart had finally caught up with her precocious mind. And, with mind and body unified, she was able to completely grasp just how dire the current situation was.

    ¡°Mom, hold on, ok?¡± Edna said softly, trying desperately to warm Veronica up. They were currently in the throes of winter, the harshest one Apollyn had seen yet. As usual, Edna was playing the role of a heater for both Jackson and Veronica, but, despite her best efforts, Veronica had fallen ill, and, according to Jackson, the chances of it being a slight cold were nil. For the past few days, she had had a fever and been coughing, but Veronica didn¡¯t want to go to the clinic, and thought it only a mere cold. And then, during this blizzard, her condition had suddenly worsened rapidly. ¡°Edna, dear¡­I¡¯ll be fine,¡±

    Veronica mumbled, though her reassuring words didn¡¯t have much effect, since she started violently coughing afterwards. ¡°Edna, we¡¯re going to have to get her medicine, or something,¡± Jackson said softly. Edna looked up at him with worried eyes. ¡°But Jackson, how will we afford it? Can we even get to the Clinic?¡±

    Right now, a blizzard was raging outside. Thanks to Edna helping Jackson cover most of the holes in the shack and her heat, they were well protected from the cold, but to go outside, especially with the fact neither Edna nor Jackson had any sort of adequate winter gear, was to essentially commit suicide.

    ¡°Edna¡­you¡¯re not affected by the snow, remember?¡± Jackson told her. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can get to Serena¡¯s clinic!¡±

    ¡°But¡­if I go¡­¡± With Edna gone, they would have no heat source. Jackson held up the few ratty blankets they had. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can make due with these for now; just hurry back, ok?¡± Edna hesitated, then slowly nodded. ¡°Got it!¡± with those words, she stood up straight. Since the clothes George had bought her had long stopped fitting her, she now wore simple, patchwork clothing lovingly sewn by her own hands. However, it was poor gear to brave the elements; seeing a child enter a blizzard wearing this could only be seen as criminal.

    But Edna had an ability other children didn¡¯t- the ability to withstand cruel temperatures for far longer than others, be it hot or cold. So, she brushed aside the ramshackle door and stepped into the frigid air. It was impossible to see greater than a foot or so- her vision was blanketed with white.

    Snowflakes hammered mercilessly into her skin, and she involuntarily shivered at their contact. The temperature was low enough that even she was feeling it. But it was nothing she couldn¡¯t handle! With a brave face, Edna began trudging through the snow, moving as fast as possible towards Serena¡¯s clinic.

    Moving through snow was hard work, especially for a kid. Edna was panting heavily, but she managed to find her way out of the slums. Thoroughly exhausted, she was now at the main road, and Serena¡¯s clinic was within her view. Sprinting, Edna reached up and threw the door open. ¡°SERENA!¡± she shouted, her adorable voice filling the empty clinic. ¡°Bwah?!¡± Serena¡¯s surprised sputter was equally loud as cold air began blowing into the clinic. Edna hastily closed the door behind her, while Serena got up and moved around the counter.

    ¡°Edna! What are you doing in this weather?¡±

    ¡°Serena, Mom¡¯s sick!¡± Edna explained the situation to Serena in between her heavy breaths. ¡°¡­sounds like pneumonia,¡± Serena said softly, thinking furiously. ¡°The medicine won¡¯t come cheap, you know? As much as I¡¯d like too, I¡¯d get in some serious hot water with my boss if I used it without being paid¡­¡±

    ¡°Put it on my tab!¡± Edna said loudly.

    ¡°Beg pardon?¡±

    ¡°Put it on my tab! I¡¯ll work it off, I¡¯ll do anything! Serena¡­please!¡± Under Edna¡¯s pleading, Serena¡¯s halfhearted resistance crumbled. ¡°¡­alright, let me get my things¡­¡± she rushed back and quickly grabbed the bag she relied on when she answered house calls. Next, came her winter gear. Donning a heavy, fur-lined woolen coat and a wool cap, she was barely recognizable under her clothes. ¡°Edna, you should get a coat too¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no time!¡± Edna shouted, throwing open the door again. Serena groaned, and, lugging her bag, followed Edna into the frigid wintery outdoors.

    Despite being exhausted, Edna trudged forth mechanically, but her high temperature revealed another blessing- the tracks she left behind were far easier to navigate, having yet to be filled in by the snow, allowing the burdened Serena to move at a decent clip. Eventually, they reached Edna¡¯s ramshackle hut once more. Ednavand Serena both climbed in. Serena involuntarily shivered at how cold the cabin was, but now that Edna had returned, it would quickly become warm soon enough.

    ¡°Edna, you made it!¡± Jackson said, his voice filled with relief. ¡°Let me look at her,¡± Serena said in a firm voice. Jackson made as much room as he could, but the hut was not big at all, so it didn¡¯t do much. Serena sat down and opened her bag. ¡°Vera, how are you feeling?¡± she asked.

    ¡°¡­terrible,¡± Veronica rasped. ¡°Ha, you and me both,¡± Serena said as she pulled out a stethoscope and put it on. ¡°Breathe deeply for me, alright?¡± Veronica nodded, and drew in a rattle-y breath. Serena placed the probe on Veronica¡¯s chest and intently listened.

    Gurgle, gurgle¡­

    Her expression darkened, her lips tightening. There¡¯s a lot of liquid in her lungs. This isn¡¯t good at all¡­Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    She quickly put the stethoscope away. ¡°So, it¡¯s definitely pneumonia, but it¡¯s advanced to a terminal stage. I can give her medicine, but¡­without proper equipment, there¡¯s not much more I can do,¡± she said, offering her candid opinion. Despite how much it hurt her to do so, she was a Doctor. To lie about a patient¡¯s condition to her family was absolutely unforgivable. Jackson was silent, pondering this information. Edna was the first to speak, ¡°¡­so we have to move her to your clinic?¡± she asked.

    Serena nodded grimly. ¡°¡­yes, that would be ideal. However, in this weather, moving the patient will surely worsen her condition. There¡¯s no feasible way for us to get her to the clinic. All I can do is try to stabilize her condition and keep her going until the blizzard passes. At least with you, Edna, we won¡¯t have to worry about freezing to death¡­¡±

    It was a small comfort, but an insignificant one at that. ¡°I¡¯m going to try and get the liquid out of her lungs, is that ok?¡± she asked Veronica. ¡°It¡¯ll be a bit rough, but I do have some anesthesia¡­¡± Veronica slowly nodded. ¡°Do it.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    And thus, Serena performed a backdoor surgery, and managed to get some of the liquid out of Veronica¡¯s lungs. However, even with that and the application of antibiotics, Veronica¡¯s condition steadily worsened. At around midnight, Serena sat back, her face emotionless. ¡°Serena¡­?¡± Edna asked softly.

    ¡°¡­there¡¯s nothing we can do for her,¡± Serena said softly, her eyes beginning to glisten. ¡°Edna, Jackson¡­you should¡­say farewell,¡± Serena¡¯s voice was trembling almost as much as her hands were. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Jackson asked, unable to believe it.

    ¡°¡­I tried¡­I tried itrieditried!¡± Serena buried her face in her hands and began to cry. ¡°Vera¡­I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t save you!¡±

    ¡°Serena¡­.it¡¯s¡­¡­..fine¡­.¡± Veronica¡¯s face was ashen, but even so, she was able to try to reassure Serena. ¡°Veronica, it was¡­fun spending time with you. I promise I¡¯ll look after Edna for you, alright?¡± Jackson said, his voice heavy. Veronica smiled wanly in response to that. ¡°Thank you¡­Jackson. I¡¯m¡­sorry...¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡­¡± Edna struggled to find some sort of words to speak, but she couldn¡¯t think of anything. ¡°Mom¡­I love you,¡± she finally managed to choke something out. ¡°I love¡­you too, Edna¡­¡± Veronica said softly. ¡°Jackson¡­make sure to¡­take care of her¡­.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Jackson replied. Edna crawled under the covers and hugged her mother, trying desperately to warm her shivering body up.

    For so long, this simple act had kept them both alive.

    It kept the cold at bay.

    So why?

    Why was it not working?

    Sometime after midnight, Veronica stopped breathing, and Serena, with a heavy heart, pronounced her dead. Jackson began to weep, and the simple dwelling was filled with the heartbroken sobs of three people.

    The next day, Serena and Jackson were discussing matters of burial with wretched voices, but Edna was too unfocused to care. She had hugged Veronica¡¯s body, even as it grew cold, certain that everything would be alright.

    And in the end, things were not alright. ¡°I can help pay the bills for the burial, but there¡¯s the matter of the medicine I used¡­¡± Serena said softly.

    ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll try to find some way to pay it off,¡± Jackson told her. ¡°Alright, thank you Jackson.¡± Behind her, two golems stood at attention. In one of their arms was an elongated object wrapped in a blanket. When people who were unable to make proper arrangements, such as the homeless, died, the golems would usually come by and deal with them to prevent disease from spreading. ¡°¡­there won¡¯t be much of a funeral, but I¡¯ll make sure you and Edna will be able to attend,¡± Serena told him. ¡°That much I promise.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Serena¡­¡±

    ¡°Think nothing of it. Jackson, work hard to raise Edna, alright? She¡¯s¡­growing up, and I want her to become a respectable lady, so don¡¯t screw up!¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, yeah, I won¡¯t let her go astray. I owe Veronica that much, at least.¡±

    With those words, the two separated, and Jackson walked back to the front of the hut, where Edna was currently sitting. ¡°Hey kiddo, how you feeling?¡± he asked. Edna looked up at him with a listless gaze. Those eyes, which were usually so vibrant, were looking empty, and the sight of such a gaze was like a stake in his heart.

    ¡°Jack¡­it hurts,¡± she said softly. ¡°I cry, and I cry, and there¡¯s never any tears. I feel so¡­empty, Jack. Why do I feel so empty?¡± Jackson fell silent as he sat beside her. ¡°¡­that¡¯s because you¡¯re grieving, Edna. I¡­feel empty too. It¡¯s the sort of thing that can only really heal with time,¡± he told her softly. Edna stared at him, then returned her gaze upwards, staring at the blue sky.

    ¡°...I see,¡± she said softly. A few days passed. June and Hart came by, offering their condolences. They offered to play with Edna, but she turned them away. For now, she wanted to be alone, and the perfect place for that was on top of the turreted tower, a place she had not been too for a long, long time. This high up, she was able to see most of the city. With gloomy eyes, she watched the city, which continued to remain so vibrant, even with the tragedy of her mother¡¯s death just a few days before.

    Time had no consideration for others, it moved on no matter what happened. Even if the entirety of the world were to die, time would march on. Edna came to that realization, and, within her heart, she knew that she too, had to move on; because life was just like that. She draped herself over the crenellations lazily, staring up at the beautiful blue sky.

    To give into despair? To cry and sob? To remain still and do nothing? She would do none of these things. Because, that was unproductive; Jackson was now in debt towards Serena, and above all else, she knew that it was only a matter of time before Jackson would also succumb to illness. For whatever reason, Edna was unable to contract illness, but in the dirty slums, it was all too easy for such a thing to occur.

    She had to do something, take some sort of step, to help ensure that these things would be resolved peacefully. I...I have to be strong.

    But for a child like her, homeless and uneducated, it¡¯d be exceptionally hard to get a job of some kind beyond menial labor. Sell herself into slavery? As if. She never wanted to experience the pangs of hunger again, or to watch Jackson shiver from cold. She never wanted to see Hart gaze jealously at the newest toys, or June wish for some jewelry. She could never support herself or others by relying on such a choice. She idly thumbed the necklace she still wore, after all this time. Due to her meticulous care, its luster had not faded one bit, and the ruby within shone quite brilliantly.

    She could not bring herself to pawn it off, because it was a gift, a memento, of a boy she never wanted to forget. There was a way out of this, surely. She remembered the words of Magnus, asking for her to join. She was all too aware that his words implied the option would always be open.

    To become a wizard and learn the ways of magic¡­it was a rare opportunity. Sure, all beings had mana, but not all of them could effectively use magic, and even the ones that could weren¡¯t guaranteed to have the skill or talent to grow into a full blown wizard.

    But neither of those was the case for Edna, who had an incredible amount of magical energy. With that resolution, all she had to do¡­was find Magnus. And for once, the Gods granted her wish.

 Chapter 17

    The next day, Edna visited her mother¡¯s grave. It was a simple tombstone, labelled only with her name and date of birth and death. If they had had more money, they might¡¯ve been able to get a better grave, or an epitaph. But, for a homeless beggar, an actual grave was far better than what was usually reserved for those who died in these circumstances.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear about your mother,¡± a soft voice spoke. That voice¡­she recognized it. She slowly stood, and turned to face the source of those words.

    Standing before her was an elderly man who looked the exact same as when she had met him four years ago. ¡°Magnus¡­¡± she mumbled softly. He tilted his head. ¡°Oh? I¡¯m surprised you remembered me, Edna.¡± Upon her questioning gaze, he averted his gaze. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on you for a while now, that¡¯s why I know about the recent events. Someone with your power was¡­too dangerous to leave unchecked.¡±

    ¡°So you were stalking me,¡± she said with a level tone.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.well¡­¡± he could find no words to refute her statement. But even so¡­ she smiled. Within those eyes, which had gone cold, the fire of life was now blazing firmly in them. ¡°Magnus, if it¡¯s not too late, I want to join the Gran Sars.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Magnus asked her, rubbing his beard in thought. ¡°Well, I suppose now is as good a time as ever¡­¡±

    ¡°But, I have some conditions!¡± That declaration stunned Magnus, who was staring at her in shock. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I¡­want to be paid for joining, and furthermore, I want that money, excluding the expenses needed to care for me, to go towards Jackson and my friends!¡±

    ¡°¡­.well, getting paid is to be expected, it is a type of job, after all, but you¡¯re quite cheeky to try negotiating. You¡¯re not in a position to be making demands, you know?¡± Edna hesitated under those words, but she once more stared at him, her red eyes piercing through what she was calling a bluff. ¡°You want me to join, right? I must hold some kind of value to you, or you wouldn¡¯t have gone to such great lengths to get me to join, or watch me. Am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°Ku¡­.ha ha¡­.hahahaha!¡± Magnus began to laugh at her audacious words. ¡°You¡¯re right in that I find you valuable, young Edna. Though, those demands were for naught, you know? I had fully intended to not only give you an allowance, but direct some of it towards caring for your close associates in the first place!¡±

    ¡°Eh?!¡± Edna looked like she¡¯d just been slapped. ¡°Only time will heal the wound in your heart, Edna. I''m glad to see you''ve decided to take a step forward in your life¡­¡± he extended a hand towards her. ¡°Now then, young Edna, I¡¯d like to formally welcome you to the Gran Sars!¡±

    From thereon, the next few days had Edna quite busy. First, she was escorted back to her former hut, where Jackson was now staying, albeit temporarily, and explained everything to him. Then, she found Hart and June, both of whom started crying when she told them she¡¯d be going away. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you, Edna!¡± June said, for once hugging Edna voluntarily. ¡°You¡¯ll get to be warm and fed all the time!¡±

    Those words hurt her a bit, since she thought it was unfair she was given a ticket out of her homelessness. However, she felt comfort in knowing that she¡¯d be able to provide for June, Hart, and Jackson. Magnus stood nearby, waiting patiently with a smile on his face. Most people who had any sort of wealth and did not live there avoided the slums, and tried to ignore the beggars and homeless people, minus the ones kind enough to actually offer a few words of comfort or some sort of item, like food or coin.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    But, Magnus was different. He treated everyone equally, a trait Edna admired dearly. Finally, after some time, she had said her farewells. ¡°Ready?¡± Magnus asked her. She nodded vigorously in response. He turned on his heel and began to walk forward. She ran after him, and they were once more out of the slums. ¡°Now then, we¡¯re going to need to have you medically evaluated,¡± he told her.

    She tilted her head, and told him that Serena had already done so. Magnus shook his head. ¡°No, I mean properly. A community clinic has neither the funds nor equipment to properly give a physiological assessment. They can treat most people with most ailments, but some things require a Hospital,¡± he told her, then glanced down at her body, which was pathetically thin for someone of her age.

    ¡°And, we can determine if you need dietary supplements, due to your malnourishment. Most kids should be pretty lethargic, but you seem to be quite spirited¡­¡± his voice was soft, as if he were muttering to himself, ¡°¡­I have to wonder if maybe it isn¡¯t because of how strong your magic is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Come now, we¡¯ll need to visit Eir, it¡¯s not only a hospital but is also the Gran Sars magical testing facility. We¡¯ll be able to evaluate both your body, mind, and magic, far more thoroughly than what I can do. It¡¯ll be a lot more accurate and reliable than a crystal ball, that¡¯s for sure!¡± he helpfully explained to Edna about Valia, a facility founded to cater to the Gran Sars more technical needs.

    Because it was closer to the center of the capital, where the richer people lived, they had to board a carriage. And this time, it was horseless! Edna was quite excited, her gaze staring at the wonderful sights. She had visited the Noble¡¯s district during her time with George, but where they were going was known as the Magus District, a district that was smaller than the others, but was centered around magic users and magitech. It was one of the more industrious districts, but in a different way from the outer Industrial District, which had large factories and plumes of smoke pouring out of large chimneys.

    ¡°Do you see those towers?¡± Magnus prompted, gesturing towards two towers looming above the other buildings. ¡°Those are part of our Headquarters, where we will be going next. It also is home to our own Academy, which you will be attending when you reach the appropriate age of twelve.¡± Right now, Edna was ten years old, and while she should have been almost done with elementary school, she only had a half-baked education, offered by her Mother from what she knew.

    ¡°However, don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to play and be free- you¡¯ve a lot of catching up to do education wise. You can read, but can you write?¡±

    "Uh¡­"

    Considering the confused look on his face, he nodded. ¡°I thought so.¡±

    ¡°Um, I can write! But¡­it¡¯s not very good¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a start, I suppose. We¡¯ll test your educational knowledge at the facility as well,¡± Magnus said after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°You should try and catch some sleep, you might be kept up late due to the testing.¡±

    ¡°Will it be scary?¡± Edna asked him. Magnus slowly nodded; he wasn¡¯t the sort to mince words or sugarcoat them. ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be there with you,¡± he said, reaching out and patting her head. The gesture touched Edna, who hadn¡¯t had much of a father figure beyond Jackson. That, along with the fact she enjoyed physical contact, had her wishing he¡¯d keep doing it, though he did not continue.

    ¡°Now then, try and sleep if you can,¡± he told her. She slowly nodded, then frowned. The ride was a bit easy, wasn¡¯t it? Sensing her confusion, Magnus nodded with a smile. ¡°This carriage isn¡¯t like others. It¡¯s got what we call shock absorption springs and a suspension,¡± he told her. ¡°Shok? Shuspensin?¡± she repeated the unfamiliar words. Magnus must¡¯ve found her pronunciation funny, since he chortled. ¡°You¡¯ll learn more about those in due time. I¡¯ll wake you when we get there, ok?¡±

    Edna nodded, and rested her head against the window, closing her eyes. Sure, she wanted to admire the scenery, but she figured she¡¯d have plenty of time to do that later. It was best to heed Magnus¡¯ words.

 Chapter 18

    When she was awoken by Magnus, she found herself in a small courtyard, and before her was a large, two story building. It was made of grey stone and looked quite formidable. It also had no charm or aesthetics to it, the sort most buildings had. ¡°It looks scary,¡± she admitted, staring at the utilitarian structure.

    ¡°Well, it was made to be practical, not fashionable,¡± Magnus explained, holding his hand out. He wasn¡¯t able to hide a bit of his surprise at how quick she was to latch onto him, but he ignored it, and guided her into the facility. They entered two double style glass doors, and wound up in a whitewashed lobby of sorts.

    A large counter with several glass panes was present; behind them were a few uniformed personnel. There were two passageways going left and white. Additionally, to either the right and left of the large counter were two formidable looking double style doors. Standing nearby was a woman who was obviously a nurse, judging from her uniform, which consisted of a white shirt and trousers, and a small cap atop her head. Pinned to her chest was a badge, which read Michelle Evans. Additionally, on the front of her uniform was an insignia she didn¡¯t recognize, though later was told it was the Eir Facility¡¯s logo- a caduceus in front of two triangles that intersected each other, one facing upward, and the other facing downwards.

    The nurse moved forward, clipboard in hand. ¡°Ah, Ars Magnus! You¡¯re here! I take it this is the girl?¡± she asked him. ¡°Good to see you too, Michelle. Yes, this is her,¡± he greeted her with a light smile. The nurse immediately fawned over Edna. ¡°Ah, she¡¯s so cute! Those red eyes are so charming! I just want to hug her!¡±

    That would be nice, so Edna quietly asked Magnus if she could. ¡°Hm? You don¡¯t really need to ask permission,¡± he told her. ¡°Hm?¡± Michelle looked surprised when Edna approached her and hugged Michelle, though, due to her height, she was actually hugging her legs. ¡°Ohmigod she¡¯s so precious!¡± Michelle crouched and also hugged Edna, the two enjoying the moment, though Michelle quickly pulled away, a sharp look of concern on her face. ¡°Eh? Edna, are you ok?¡± she asked, placing a hand on Edna¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°If you¡¯re wondering about her warmth, apparently that¡¯s normal,¡± Magnus explained. Michelle tilted her head. ¡°It¡¯s not a fever?¡±

    ¡°Evidently not; I¡¯m just as confused as you are, that¡¯s why I¡¯m hoping the researchers may be able to clear some things up,¡± his words caused Michelle¡¯s eyebrows to furrow, but her smile returned. ¡°Alrighty then! Let¡¯s begin¡­¡± Edna took Michelle¡¯s outstretched hand and followed her through the double doors. Magnus also followed suite, and Michelle pulled Edna into a small room, whitewashed as before. However, there was another woman waiting, in the same uniform. Her name tag read: Cardea Gaines.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Ars, if you could kindly step out¡­?¡± Cardea asked Magnus, who nodded. ¡°Eh¡­.¡± Edna watched him go, a distressed look immediately coming across her face. ¡°Now, now,¡± Michelle said softly, ¡°he¡¯s just outside the door. We¡¯re going to be doing a physical examination, so it¡¯s not proper for him to be in the same room,¡± she explained. Edna calmed down, until she heard Rosa¡¯s next words: ¡°Please take off your clothes.¡±

    ¡°Eh? But¡­¡±

    ¡°Edna, those clothes of yours are filthy, not to mention they¡¯ll only get in the way of what we need to do,¡± Michelle gently told Edna, who slowly nodded. ¡°Um¡­ok¡­¡± she reluctantly took off her clothes, though her face was bright red as she stood completely naked before the two nurses.

    ¡°Alright then!¡± Rosa calmly examined Edna¡¯s body. ¡°Well, for a ten year old, you¡¯re actually quite healthy, especially for someone from your background. Though¡­¡± she stared at Edna hard after she had the girl step on a scale. ¡°¡­you¡¯re quite underweight. Surprisingly, I don¡¯t think an IV drip will be needed, but we¡¯ll definitely have to boost your dietary intake with nutrition¡­¡±

    Edna made a face at that, because she knew exactly what that meant: Vegetables.

    As a side note, she did not like vegetables. Then again, most kids didn¡¯t, though she thought she was lucky in that she didn¡¯t have to eat them as often as other kids, though that was about as lucky as she was. Next, Rosa took Edna¡¯s temperature, then checked her nose and ears. ¡°Well, you¡¯re full of surprises, Edna!¡± Rosa said, looking at what she wrote down. ¡°Though your temperature is exceedingly high, I can¡¯t know for sure if that¡¯s just a weird trait you somehow obtained or if it¡¯s an abnormal status without further testing. Please put on these clothes though¡­¡±

    Apparently, to make things easier for the examiners, Edna was given a patient¡¯s gown to wear. Once they left, the hours flew as Edna was subjected to various tests, some involving her blood, her spit, one test required lots of needles (she required extensive comforting from Magnus and Michelle after that harrowing experience), and apparently she had her bone structure looked at by a magitech device, as well as a scanner that checked her brainwaves, whatever that meant. Then, she was given a few tests to read, and had her language comprehension and general knowledge tested, both orally and from written tests, as well as a few other miscellaneous tests to confirm a few other things.

    And then, after that, they had to wait a few days to get the test results back, during of which she was given meals that were absolutely disgusting, despite the fact they were loaded with nutrients; however, Michelle found out that Edna would choke it down if promised a hug and some play time, which she was more than happy to accommodate. Finally, Edna found herself in a room with Michelle, Magnus, and a surgeon named Tristan, who looked bookish with his clipboard and glasses, which he adjusted dramatically before reading off his report.

    ¡°So, to begin with, from Edna¡¯s physiological and mental differences, we have concluded that ultimately, she is not human.¡±

 Chapter 19

    The bombshell he dropped was enough to stun everyone other than Tristan into silence. ¡°T-t-that¡­can¡¯t be¡­true¡­¡± Edna mumbled. ¡°Oh my, that is¡­¡± Michelle was equally stunned, and even Magnus was silent, apparently unable to come up with something to say. Noticing Edna about to cry, Tristan hurriedly tried to assuage her.

    ¡°Not that that¡¯s a bad thing! There are plenty of human like races out there, like Zephyrs, or Orcs, or Elves!¡±

    That didn¡¯t really make her feel better. Having that fact confirmed was probably quite a shock.

    ¡°But, I mean, she¡¯s no different from a regular human being,¡± he continued after Magnus and Michelle had calmed Edna down. ¡°Physically, her body is the same, but it¡¯s her magic energy. It¡¯s off the charts, frankly, and her mana circulation is far too different from a human¡¯s to be considered as such. She may have a physical body, but I suppose you could consider it a ¡®shell¡¯ of sorts, a physical manifestation of pure magical energy! I¡¯ve never seen anything like it,¡± Tristan said.

    ¡°A manifestation¡­of magic energy?¡± Edna queried, not sure what he was talking about. Magnus closed his eyes, than nodded. ¡°Well, that¡¯d certainly explain the crystal ball,¡± he said. ¡°The closest being I can relate her to is that of a natural born magician, or perhaps, given how primordial the magic is, more like an Elemental, but with a human body! Well, in that regards, I suppose she¡¯d be closer to a Zephyr¡­¡±

    Elementals were primordial beings of magic, and were very strong in their affiliated element, but, they were at best amorphous beings with no set shape; and didn¡¯t have much of a conscience or will of thought.

    They were quite dangerous to deal with, though their magic cores were a valuable resource used in magitech and enchanting items. Natural born magicians were basically the same as humans, but unlike humans, who weren¡¯t always guaranteed to use magic, or even become powerful with it, natural magicians were always guaranteed to be able to use magic, and were often more powerful than regular human wizards.

    Magnus slowly nodded once more. ¡°Yes, that seems a reasonable statement. So you think she¡¯s a natural born Magician?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d say she may as well be one, if it wasn¡¯t for her magic and mana. But, I think it¡¯s best if we chalk her race as that,¡± Tristan agreed, and then continued his report. ¡°Moving on, her internal body temperature is 120 degrees, rather than the usual 95.6 degrees. Fevers, for the intent of killing disease, can cause the temperature to go as high as 110 degrees, but any higher than 100 and it will start to suffer damage as a result. However, her natural temperature seems to be 120 degrees, well above that. To be frank, it¡¯s basically impossible for her to get sick, since no illness can possible survive in her.¡±

    Well, that certainly explained her unusual warmth, and the fact she never got sick. ¡°As a side note, she seems to have a high resilience towards flame and cold. It¡¯s impressive how resilient she is at her age; we think that as she gets older and practices, she may become totally immune to heat.¡±

    Magnus looked surprised at that. Total immunity was not impossible for wizards- most had at least some sort of resistance towards their affiliated element (while contrastingly having a degree of weakness towards that element¡¯s opposite), and elemental resistance could be boosted through talents, spells, and potions.

    Immunity was even possible, albeit temporarily, with higher tiered spells. But natural immunity to any element was basically unheard of for humans, and for Edna, such a thing was achievable. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing!¡± Michelle said, genuinely impressed. The resilience to heat and cold explained why she was able to eat hot foods without trouble and go through snow without a coat.

    ¡°Her magic affinity is solely fire, and it¡¯s absurdly strong at that; the strongest we¡¯ve ever seen. It¡¯s equally baffling how despite that, she doesn¡¯t seem to have much of an aversion towards cold, which should be her natural weakness.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just because of her body temperature, isn¡¯t it?¡± Magnus asked. Tristan nodded once. ¡°But, that¡¯s not all. Her body may have its perks, but it has it¡¯s downsides¡­¡±

    ¡°Like?¡± Tristan sighed at Magnus¡¯ prompting. ¡°Well, for one, due to her high temperatures, she cannot sweat, though, I suppose her body has a way of naturally taking care of any issues that may arise from that. She cannot physically cry, as well.¡±

    That part was quite depressing, but what he said next was even more depressing:

    ¡°Furthermore, although her body is basically human and it would be possible otherwise, the high temperatures mean she can never bear children.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Michelle quietly mumbled. "What''s that mean, Magnus?" she asked, but was instead answered by Michelle. ¡°¡­I¡¯m so sorry, Edna¡­¡± Michelle hugged Edna in an attempt to comfort her. Despite not really understanding, Edna gratefully took it.

    ¡°Now then, moving onto physical and mental aspects¡­her range of movement is good for someone of her age; there are no bone deficiencies or weak muscles or anything of the sort. Her literacy skill is a little below average, but adequate for normal conversation. Reading is below average, and general knowledge is also below average. In contrast, however, her language comprehension is quite high, as is her critical thinking skills, memory, and general comprehension. She can easily learn that which she does not know.¡±

    Tristan smiled wryly towards Edna as he read the next part. ¡°As for development, her body is a bit small from malnourishment, but not as bad as one should expect, we think it¡¯s most likely because she obtained her energy and nutrients from the mana that is naturally latent in the air. It¡¯s too early to conclude, but her growth shouldn¡¯t be stunted. Mentally, she¡¯s quite stable, but, as with others with her affinity for fire, is emotional. Uniquely, she seems to have quite a sensitive sense of touch, as well as an apparent reliability on physical contact, suggesting either a sheltered life or a mother who doted on her far too much.¡±

    Edna cast her eyes to the side guiltily, considering the latter was at fault. She was a bit handsy, as some might call it, and even craved physical contact. She wasn¡¯t quite old enough to be ashamed of it, though she was aware that it might be a problem when she was older. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve noticed that,¡± Magnus said dryly, casting a glance at Edna, who was still holding his hand. ¡°Though, will it become an issue?¡± he asked.

    The man hesitated. ¡°Well, she shows some naivety, given her willingness to easily hug anyone who asked. It¡¯s quite amazing for her to be like that, given that she grew up in such a rough environment,¡± he admitted. Magnus laughed. ¡°That¡¯s probably because she had an exceptional mother!" he patted Edna on the head, ruffling her hair. "The girl is surprisingly sharp; when I first met her she was unwilling to trust me because I was a stranger. It''ll be pretty easy to break her out of it, I think."

    ¡°A valid plan, if there ever was one,¡± Tristan said. ¡°She¡¯s won the hearts of our nurses, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­unfortunately, they indulged Edna too much with cuddling, so your job is probably going to be a lot harder than before.¡±

    ¡°Surely you jest?¡±

    ¡°Considering it¡¯s you, I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± The two bantered for a while, much to Edna¡¯s amusement, but eventually, the testing was over, and she found herself exhausted. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Magnus asked her. Edna nodded, rubbing her eyes. ¡°No doubt a lot happened today, and you¡¯ll need a lot of time to process it¡­¡± he patted her head gently. ¡°¡­keep the fact you¡¯re not human a secret, ok? You¡¯re nothing like we¡¯ve ever seen before, and unless you¡¯re incredibly unlucky, no one will be able to tell you¡¯re something else. For what it¡¯s worth,¡± he said, trying to cheer her up when he saw downcast she looked after he brought up that dreadful fact that she wasn¡¯t human, ¡°you¡¯re more human than most people, and that¡¯s what counts.¡±

    ¡°R-really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, really. Now then¡­¡± he reached up and scooped her up in her arms. Surprised at the gesture, Edna let out a startled shriek. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you to the carriage, so get some sleep, ok?¡± Magnus told her. Being embraced like this¡­was very nice. She felt warm and safe, and before she knew it, she was in a deep sleep. ¡°We were lucky we caught her when we did,¡± Magnus said softly. ¡°Hm?¡± Michelle, who was walking beside him, tilted her head.

    ¡°Given her latent power, who knows how much damage she might¡¯ve caused without supervision?¡± Michelle chuckled uneasily. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about that¡­¡± she gazed warmly at the sleeping girl. ¡°¡­she¡¯s awfully trusting though, how do you plan to break her out of that habit?¡±

    ¡°I know I said it''d be easy, but honestly I''m still trying to think of a good way to do that¡­.¡±

 Chapter 20

    The next day, Edna awoke in a luxurious bed. She slowly got up, yawning, but briefly couldn''t remember how she got here. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Good morning!¡± A voice called to her. Edna let out a startled squawk, her head swiveling to regard the woman in the room with her. It was a maid, who bowed as she was looked at. ¡°I am Valerie, one of Magnus¡¯ personal maids and your chosen attendant for your stay here.¡±

    ¡°Here¡­? Oh, is this the academy?!¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately not, I¡¯m afraid. Due to your lack of former education, you will spend the better part of the year here catching up with your peers, so that you will not struggle in your classes¡­¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s like school? AWESOME!¡± Edna said with sparkling eyes. She had never been to school before, but she figured it was totally an awesome thing where she could go to have fun and make friends.

    After the day ended, she, in fact, did not think school was awesome. In fact, school sucked. ¡°A squared plus B squared equals C squared¡­.maths is haaaaard!¡± she moaned softly. Currently she was seated at a desk in a small room that was very minimalistic, featuring only a large blackboard. Magnus stood beside it, chalk in hand. ¡°Come now, Edna. This is just the basics, you know? It is not so bad, magic equations are even worse.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna! I wanna go home!¡±

    ¡°Edna, this is your home now, you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Your assignment for tonight will be to studying the principles of basic algebra and the summarizations of the sides of triangles.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­.¡±

    The days passed by as such, with Edna struggling to catch up. Though she knew basic addition and subtraction, that was as far as her mathematical knowledge went. Multiplication tables and division, square roots, pi¡­.she worked hard to understand it. It was not just Math too.

    ¡°The Apollyn Empire was founded by the first Archon, William Black. After uniting the Valskor Houses and the seven nations under one flag, he was able to set the first principles and legislation of the newly formed empire as its first ruler. After that, there have been 12 Archons that have reigned over our Empire, with the current one being Jacob Black, who currently presides over what we currently call the ¡°Golden Age of the Empire¡±.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    History was there too.

    ¡°Magitech is a powerful tool that was initially developed during the reign of the 5<sup>th</sup> Archon. For the longest time, mankind relied on the Dragon Gods initially, and later, the Elder Gods; and then later than that, other pantheons. However, as our understanding of magic has deepened, we have been able to combine it with the practical applications of science to perform things that previously only magic users could do before! The power of a mage can now be in the hands of a commoner, and things in our imagination, like flight and high speed travel without horses, is now possible. Each piece of magitech is usually powered by a magic infused gem that can be ¡®programmed¡¯ by a specialist, what we call an ¡®Artificer¡¯¡­.¡±

    There were also the fundamentals of the lifeblood of the Empire, that which was called Magitech.

    ¡°In the beginning, it was said that the world was crafted by Six entities, whom we refer to as Primeval Deities, rulers of the universe who are far more powerful than Gods. However, due to their broad reach, it¡¯s believed they gave birth to the Gods to provide more concrete jurisdiction of the realm of Aesir. Initially, there were the Dragon Gods, who, along with dragons, were the first denizens of the realm of magic. Then, the humans appeared, and, despite their inherent rivalry with the dragons, came to worship their Gods too. Eventually, however, this rivalry reared its head, as the faith of Humanity, combined with the will of a few of the Primeval Deities, who were now bigger, created the Elder Gods, the first gods of humanity, and worshiped only by humanity. The Elder Gods and Dragon Gods became enemies then, and in the realm of humanity, the Draconic Faith has dwindled, while the Elder Faith has grown, although in this day and age, there exist a few other Gods that are worshiped by many¡­.¡±

    Theology was there too. These, along with things such as magic and society were included. The months flew by, and finally, the arduous classes came to an end. ¡°I think you¡¯re ready, Edna,¡± Magnus said as he placed the test she had turned in onto his desk. It was a thick pamphlet, a comprehensive test over everything they had studied. And, scrawled on the front¡­was a solid B minus.

    What? It was a lot of information, ok?!

    The fact she was able to get a passing score was proof that she could go toe to toe with her peers, adolescents who were approaching their teenage years. ¡°Edna, I think it¡¯s time. Are you ready to finally unlock the secrets of your magic?¡±

    Edna, who was now thirteen, nodded empathetically. Magnus grinned. ¡°Then I¡¯m pleased to announce your school life will start tomorrow. Go take the rest of the day off, you''ve earned it."

 Chapter 21

    The next day, Edna found herself walking towards a separate, large academic building. It was situated off to the side of the large courtyard behind the walled confines of the Gran Sars headquarters. Backpack in hand, she boldly strode forth through the doors, paper in hand. She was enrolled in the initial, junior class, Basics of Magic.

    ¡°Hm? Who might you be?¡± a voice called out to her. Edna turned and regarded the source, an incredibly handsome man who looked to be in his late teens.

    ¡°Um¡­your name?¡± the man prompted, slightly amused by her gawking. ¡°Oh um, Edna.¡±

    ¡°No surname?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright; my name is Vandel, I¡¯m a professor here for Advanced Magic.¡±

    He¡¯s a professor? But he¡¯s so young?! Edna thought.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯m actually quite gifted for my age; I¡¯m fully qualified!¡±

    He can read my mind?!

    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard; you should work on your transparency. I can read you like a book!¡±

    Edna glumly nodded, trying her best not to reveal anything else.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re new, right? I¡¯ll take you to your class.¡±

    ¡°Really? Thanks!¡±

    She followed after the incredibly handsome teacher cheerily. As they navigated the hallways, he was kind enough to give her a brief rundown of the facilities. ¡°Here on the first floor, we have the pool, gymnasium, theater, and general magic classrooms. Below us is the alchemy lab; it¡¯s located there for our safety.¡±

    ¡°Is it because they make stuff that blows up?¡± Edna asked, to which Vandel nodded. ¡°I like stuff that blows up,¡± Edna said with a delighted smile. ¡°Out back is the training field for magicians and wizards. The second floor, meanwhile, has the Artificer¡¯s Lab, general classrooms for intermediate magic, and faculty rooms. The third floor holds nothing but classrooms for the advanced magic class, as well as a few for the extremely gifted or unique magic users; their class is incredibly small, rarely bigger than four, if that.¡±

    ¡°Woooow, I wanna be there!¡±

    ¡°Haha, most people dream of having the sort of power to be included in that class, but you know, the training is very strict and specialized. From your colorful appearance, I¡¯m guessing you have an affinity for fire?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you shouldn¡¯t make generalizations based on someone¡¯s appearance,¡± Edna pointed out, eliciting a slight chuckle from Vandel. ¡°Too true, I knew a dark mage who loved to wear yellow, if you can believe it.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Finally, they showed up at a single door labelled Class 2-A. ¡°Here we are,¡± Vandel said cheerfully, opening the door. Inside were several rowdy kids. It was a madhouse; kids were chasing each other around, jumping from desk to desk; two kids were even having a gentlemanly brawl¡­if you counted slamming your opponent into a desk and breaking it as gentlemanly.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Oh my, it appears this class is worse than usual,¡± Vandel murmured. Edna stared with a blank expression at the chaos and slowly closed the door, giving a pleading look towards the professor. ¡°Let¡¯s do a different class.¡±

    Vandel smiled. ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s the class you¡¯ve been assigned to, Edna.¡±

    ¡°But¡­.¡± Vandel reached down and ruffled her hair. ¡°You¡¯ll do well; just don¡¯t get caught in their flow, alright?¡±

    ¡°Ok...¡± Edna mumbled, cheered up from his encouragement. She opened the door and bravely stepped forward, closing the door behind her. ¡°Oh hey, it¡¯s a new kid!¡±

    ¡°New kid?¡±

    ¡°New kid!¡±

    Several exclamations came from various kids in the classroom as they all stared at Edna, having stopped their previous rowdy actions. Edna hesitated, and then shyly waved. ¡°Hello, don¡¯t mind me¡­¡±

    And just like that, the kids all exchanged looks and shrugged. And then the chaos resumed. Edna dodged a few crumpled paper balls as she found a seat, nervously waiting for class to begin.

    ¡°Yo,¡± a voice spoke towards her. Edna turned, staring into deep, blue eyes. They were millimeters away from her face; clearly someone had no idea of personal space. Startled at the closeness, Edna yelped and fell out of her seat. ¡°Oh, yeah, my bad¡­sorry for scaring you,¡± the owner of the eyes said apologetically. Climbing back into her desk, Edna was able to get a good look at the student.

    She was a rather cute looking girl, about Edna¡¯s age, with long red hair, though her¡¯s wasn¡¯t as deep or dark as Edna¡¯s own hair. She was wearing the preliminary student¡¯s school uniform, a simple but impeccably ironed white shirt emblazoned with the school¡¯s logo, as well as a grey blazer and red colored tie. There were differences between the male¡¯s and female¡¯s outfits, with the female¡¯s one having a long pleated black skirt that came down to their thighs, while the men were equipped with black trousers and a belt.

    ¡°My name is Charlotte Felicity, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you¡­¡± she extended a hand out towards Edna, who gladly accepted. Her skin is so soft¡­ Edna thought before withdrawing her hand. ¡°My name¡¯s Edna, and likewise.¡±

    ¡°Edna, hm? A quaint name, but one I like.¡±

    ¡°Really? Thanks!¡± Charlotte gave a wry smile, casting a gaze around her. ¡°Can you believe these guys? We¡¯re supposed to be apprentice mages and here they are, goofing off like animals¡­¡±

    ¡°I dunno, it looks kinda fun¡­¡± Edna remarked, longingly staring at the two kids chasing each other around the classroom. It reminded her of the fun times she had had with Hart and June. Charlotte shrugged dismissively, deciding to question her new neighbor. ¡°I saw you open the door the first time; you were with Mr. Ostwind, right?¡±

    ¡°You mean Vandel?¡± Edna asked. Charlotte blinked once in mild surprise. ¡°Um, well, yes.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s so nice,¡± Edna said, resting her head in her hands and smiling. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s dreamy, isn¡¯t he¡­¡± Charlotte replied, her eyes growing distant. ¡°He¡¯s really popular; most of the girls here are head over heels for him¡­myself included,¡± Her cheeks reddened as she added the last tidbit. Before they could continue, the door was thrown open, admitting an elderly man who, despite his age, neither looked senile or frail. Charlotte¡¯s face blanched. ¡°Oh man, we¡¯re in for it now.¡±

    ¡°QUIET! SHUT THE HELL UP AND GET IN YOUR SEATS, ALL OF YOU!¡± The old man roared, silencing the whole classroom. Edna tensed as an unfamiliar tension arose around her, her very being shaken by his voice. What was this? The others also felt it, instantly cowed by the mighty aura emanating from the old man.

    The students sat down one by one. The intense silence was a stark contrast to the previous raucousness. ¡°That¡¯s old man Gerald, the meanest teacher in the school. Just our luck we got him!¡± Charlotte whispered in Edna¡¯s ear. ¡°Cut that whispering out, or you¡¯ll be the first to see how many times the Blackboard can hold your name!¡± Charlotte stiffened, returning her gaze back to the aged man, who stared at them with fiery eyes. Clad in a pinstriped suit and similar tie, he might¡¯ve looked quite dapper if it weren¡¯t for the wrath seething outwards in all directions from him. Edna stared at him, awed by the sheer aura imposed upon them.

    It was a stark contrast to what she expected, but she was excited nonetheless.

    This....is what school is like!