"I got a new class." Althea answered in the end. The class was a good cover for things changing.

"Hmm." more of the plant's leaves turned towards her. "What is this class's name?"

"Arcane Druid." Althea said, panicking inside. The plant was getting more inquisitive, and she didn't like it.

"An arcane class. I have read about them. A class isn't supposed to increase your mana affinity, you know. And definitely not this much. The only thing a class really does at your stage is give you elements and a passive boost." the plant said, still sounding suspicious. Well, he was saying she was lying…

"Well maybe it's the land? A Druid has a connection to the land right?" she asked.

"Yes, but not to the mana. An Arcane Druid on the other hand...I don't know what that involves."

The plant's musing was interrupted by Mira opening the door.

"Are you decent, your grace? I just wanted to ask about tomorrow's clothes. Steward Ven said that you should dress a bit fancy." she asked.

"Come in, Althea isn't going to give up on playing dress up." the plant said. Althea froze. The old Althea was not one to dress up. In fact she mostly just wore white. Mira was the one who stocked the shelves. But she would take the relief.

Mira stepped in, holding a light green dress. A few maids entered behind her, holding various boxes.

"I think light colors suit you, your grace, and green is one of the county colors. As for the jewels, I have some that might work." Mira gestured to the other maids, having them bring the boxes to the front.

"The small diamond earrings shouldn't be too heavy to wear and happen to look good too. The same with the pendant. I remember Ms Nera mentioning jewels in your hair and I thought they looked good too. The jewels will be easy to wear too." Mira said in one breath.

"Is that much jewelry really necessary?" Althea asked.

"Yes, your grace. First impressions matter, and a lady without jewelry is not a lady at all." Mira said. "Now you should rest, your grace. The Steward insists on leaving by five tomorrow and I agree with him.

The more time you can spend studying and cultivating the Diery art, the better. If you can get to late Novice though your coronating seclusion, we can call the seclusion a success."

"I don't think that is a worry." The plant interjected. "Did you try checking with the System yet? I bet you're already close. "

Mira's face flickered with surprise, she knew that the old Althea was weak, and not even in the middle stages of Novice yet.

Althea tried to reach the System, but she did not know how. What could it be other than status?

Display information?

How about this instead. System, please display my cultivation.

A bunch of words appeared in front of her.

cultivation: Novice 6

Novice 6. Althea looked at her supposedly useless plant familiar. The only way she knew of sensing one's cultivation was the System. How had the plant known how much mana she had? Was it the familiar bond?

Just how much did he know? The book barely mentioned the plant other than how useless it was. The plant was looking less useless by the second.

"How much is it, your grace?" Mira asked.

"Novice 6." Althea replied. "Pulsie is correct, I should reach late Novice in the coronation seclusion."

"Well, if you reach Apprentice, it will be even better. The other powers won't dare to have any thoughts after that." Mira said, smiling as she led the maids away.

"Mira." Althea called out.

"What is it, your grace?"

"I haven't had dinner yet."

The shocked, panicked look on Mira's face made Althea want to laugh, but somehow she was able to keep her laughter in.

" I- I will have it right now, your grace!" Mira yelled as she rushed out of the room, Althea spilling into laughter.

"Don't hurt yourself!" Althea shouted behind her as the only human she could call a friend ran off to get her food.

The dinner was par for course, and a reminder that she had not had lunch. Or breakfast. How had she forgotten those? In fact, the entire army must not have had them. How was it that she did not feel hungry either?

"Mira, could you please ask someone to arrange for breakfast tomorrow morning? Do it for the entire army. And do we reach in time for lunch?"

"The army had an early lunch if that is what you are worried about, your grace." Mira replied. "And yes, we do reach in time for lunch. At least, that is how Steward Ven plans it. Now, do get some sleep, my lady. If you want to get ready in time, then you will have to get up by three at the latest. An earlier time is even better, your grace."

Wait what, three? Why? Come on, even Ms. Lewis wasn't this bad.

"Mira, what time is it?" Althea asked, trying to keep the whine out of her voice. The old Althea's memories were practically screaming at her. A lady didn't whine.

"Nineteen hours, your grace." Mira replied. So that gave her eight hours of sleep. Althea would have expected it to be more. But it would seem that time had flown by.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"How much time do we need to get there?" she asked, taking a bite of the strange rice concoction in front of her.

"Five hours, your grace." Mira said on her way out. "And if you will excuse me, your grace, I wish to sleep. Traveling seems to have worn me out."

"Yes, of course." Althea replied, but Mira had already left. The poor girl must be exhausted. And she probably had to wake up before her to prepare things. Althea knew how irritating things like that were.

"Hmm, you know, you should be starving." her plant said.

"Well, I certainly feel like it." Althea said, munching down her food. As soon as the food entered her mouth, a barrier seemed to break in her stomach, and suddenly she was very, very hungry.

"As expected." Pulsie said. "I suspect you're suffering from a bit of mana burn."

Althea paused. That sounded dangerous.

"The name is scarier than the actual thing. At times when you're hungry and take in a large amount of mana the body mistakes it as food and thinks the hunger has been sated. The phenomenon has been recorded extensively, but hasn't been completely explained."

"So, what does that mean?" Althea said, her mouth full of food.

"Just that you will eat more now. The only serious consequence is hunger. And even that fades quickly. " Pulsie replied. Althea could have sworn that it was smiling. But it couldn't be, plants did not have lips.

Althea reached for more food, and found the plate empty. But she was still hungry. A giggle emerged from the plant beside her, who found the situation hilarious. Althea was mortified. Mira had already retired, and she knew better than to scream for food. Walking to the kitchens it was.

Althea picked up the plant with one hand and opened the doors with the other. The floor was deserted, the lamps unlit.

"Why am I coming with you?" Pulsie protested.

"I think you will like the walk.” she replied, just wanting the perceptive little plant with her. “Now, can you see anything?”

"Yes, turn to the right and then open the door to the stairs. Do you not remember the way you came?" Pulsie commented.

Althea ignored him, following his directions. A shadow jumped out at her, stepping in front of her. Althea yelped, taking a step back.

"Hmm, what a thick woman." Pulsie said, entirely inappropriately. "Is that natural or a consequence of some art you are practicing? And is that oak wood I sense under your skin?"

The shadow in question was silent as Althea stepped back towards the door.

"Where are you going, Countess?" the shadow said.

"To get food, of course." Pulsie answered for her. "Now are you going to answer my question?"

Althea regained her wits before Pulsie could ask any further.

"Pulsie stop it. Don't ask questions like that." she said. And then to the shadow. " I apologize for my familiar, he is young and does not know etiquette. Could you please tell me who you are?"

"I am the Emperor's guard charged with your safety, your grace. If you wish for more food, I can wake one of the maids." the Emperor's guard said. "But I would not suggest overeating a night before eating. The next few days will be more stressful than you are used to, eating too much may give you a bad stomach. "

"Oh, she's got manaburn." Pulsie interrupted again.

The Emperor's guard stopped. "I will wake a maid up, she can fetch the food up."

"Oh, there's no need for that. I can get something from the kitchens." Althea said. "The maids will probably have to wake up before even me tomorrow, they deserve their rest."

'I suppose. I will have one of my comrades bring it, then" Why was she insisting on having someone bring it?

"Is that really necessary? How far away are the kitchens?" she asked.

"There is a significant threat in the kitchens, your grace. The cooks are working through the night for you. I fear they are not pleased about that." the Emperor's guard replied.

Althea frowned, she did not remember giving such an order. And as far as she knew, angry cooks shouted things instead of committing murder. But this was a different world…

"What do you mean?" she asked in the end.

"The breakfast you asked for, your grace. Or did maid Mira lie about that?" ALthea could hear a frown in the Emperor guard's voice towards the end.

"No, I just presumed she would be sourcing it from inns and the like. Are there not enough inns in the city?" Althea asked.

"The city lord said that he would not provide funds for that."

Althea frowned some more. The thing with the fortress had already left a bad impression on her. And now this.

"Is breakfast that expensive? How much does it cost? Or are the city's finances that dire?" she asked.

"A breakfast for the entire army should cost half a gold, your grace. And the city has plenty of gold as far as I know."

"I see." Althea said. The situation seemed pretty clear to her. The city lord had decided to save pennies by giving the palace cooks more work.

"Can you please take me to the kitchen? I have a situation to deal with." she said.

"I would not suggest that, your grace. The cooks have already begun their work, they would not like being stopped either." the Emperor's guard said. Althea found that very suspicious. What was up with this guard?

"Why are you so eager to stop me from leaving?" Althea asked. "I will deal with the cooks."

"I am charged with your safety, your grace. And I will be honest with you, I do not think you are capable enough to command the cooks or stay safe in the process."

Althea took a deep breath. "What makes you say so? And I can simply order you to stand aside."

"The cooks are chaotic and public at the moment. An assassin from the Zun empire could easily sneak into the kitchen easily." the Emperor's guard said.

Althea for her part did not think it would be hard for her to calm the cooks. But an assassin was a credible threat. The Zun spies in the city would already know she was here, whether they would act was unknown. But the guard was acting increasingly suspicious.

"Can you not keep me safe?" she asked.

"I do not have that confidence, your grace." the Emperor's guard said. Althea narrowed her eyes.

"Is that so." Althea said, deciding to act. But Pulsie had acted before she could. A twig thwacked against the 'guard's' stomach, suddenly causing light into the room. Althea ignored it, crashing her bangle against the assassin's head. The assassin screamed as the bangle hit something soft, likely an eye. In seconds, Steward Ven's staff was in view, the assassin floating in the air.

"The assassin gurgled before falling still, likely dead. Althea stared at the corpse in the air, shocked at the hurried execution. The woman could have been innocent!

"An assassin on the first night. How apt." Steward Ven said, looking over his body. A little light emerged from rooms in the hallway, making the hallway slightly better lit. The assassin must have kept things silent using magic.

"The woman claimed she was one of the Emperor's guards." Althea said as she watched the ‘dead’ assassin's chest rise up and down. The woman was alive.

"The Emperor's guards have only men, your grace." an unknown man said.

"Check the jewels Antonio, this was not an assassin." the Steward said, looking at the woman. Antonio nodded before rushing down the stairs at inhuman speeds.

Althea had gathered that much. The woman had plenty of chances to kill her, but she hadn't.

"Was she a thief?" she asked. That was the only other thing she could think of. The jewels she had brought with her today.

"Antonio will confirm if it is so." the Steward said. "Why were you outside?"

"I wanted some food, I have mana burn."

"I see." the Steward said, turning to her. "The food can wait, it might be imperative to sleep now. I will come with you, one of the servants can move another bed in. If there are thieves wandering about, they may decide to take you hostage."

Althea decided that this time, she would cooperate.