Chapter 146 - Me, the Dragon, Athena, Chloe, and Apsalon Academy
That night, after finally getting Cylla to calm down and explaining everything to her, I was abruptly woken by my mother. She was visibly anxious because my hair had revealed too much of the silver strands. So, I had to dye it. The process was slow and incredibly annoying. Luckily, she helped me, but I spent hours with my hair wet, letting it air dry. I couldn’t use fire magic to speed it up because the magical dye was delicate and required cold water to set. It was exhausting. Even more frustrating, the magical dye couldn’t be stored in a storage bracelet due to the fragile nature of its magic.
Once the process was finally over, my hair was black again. I was relieved but shocked at how powerful these magical cosmetics were. It was impressive how such an invention could revolutionize the female market. When I asked about the price of the dye, I almost had a heart attack.
A single jar costs 1 gold coin? That’s absurd!
To put it into perspective, a common farmer’s family earns about 5 gold coins in a year of savings. And I was holding a jar of dye that was worth that much. My mother explained that the high price was due to the difficulty in production and that it was an exclusive item for the nobility.
Good thing my family is rich...
Moreover, I was shocked to learn that the elven majesties had left a thousand gold coins with my teacher, Adrihna, for any emergency or need, either for my mother or me. My mother insisted it wasn’t necessary since our family was already rich, but the elves were firm, saying they also wanted to help. They had even left a sum for Kinue when she was a child. Apparently, declining a gift from a royal was unacceptable among the nobility. Aunt Margie had to accept it, and the money was deposited into an account under both my name and my mother’s in an Apsalon bank.
They just hand out a thousand gold coins like it’s nothing.
I valued money, both from my past life and the education I received from the Evenhart family. We grew up working closely with farmers, learning to assess how much each farm could produce in terms of resources and finances. I even knew the salary of a water mage who specialized in crop maintenance: 1 gold coin per month, plus expenses paid.
That jar of dye costs a water mage’s month’s salary on a farm… that’s ridiculously expensive.
The worst part was that the small jar was only enough for one application. I felt bad throwing away the empty jar and ended up keeping it.
“Kids, are you ready?” Aunt Margie asked.
I was still combing my hair, checking every detail in the mirror.
“I have to admit, this is pretty impressive,” I said, admiring the result.
My mother stood next to me, helping with the finishing touches.
“It’s perfect, and no one will ever know,” she said. “But remember, the dye will fade over time, and you’ll have to repeat the process.”
Aunt Margie was also inspecting my hair closely.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“A General using beauty products... now that’s something a Goddess would be surprised by. Want some makeup tips too?” teased Athena, but I ignored her and turned my focus back to the mirror.
“I think that’s enough primping, Mom…” I said, noticing how meticulous she was being.
“I want my sweet boy to look perfect on his first day of class. Nothing can be wrinkled!” she insisted, smoothing out my uniform.
“Sweet boy? I’m 15, Mom…”
“And you’ll always be my baby,” she said, adjusting me with the loving care only she could give.
Feeling a little embarrassed, I decided to stay quiet as she finished fixing my uniform.
"Let’s go! I’m so excited!" Chloe exclaimed, appearing in the room already dressed in her uniform.
Our uniforms were black with gold accents, stylish and with a formal touch. Mine consisted of trousers, a tie, and a jacket, while Chloe’s had a skirt and long stockings, making her look particularly elegant at that moment.
“The carriage is ready outside,” Martha announced as she entered the room.
Chloe leaped with excitement and ran off, filled with energy. Aunt Margie put her hand on her forehead and sighed.
"That girl is so excited she doesn’t even notice how I feel…" she lamented, sitting on my bed with a melancholic expression.
My mother let out a light laugh. "Don’t worry, Margie. It’s normal. Chloe’s been talking about this academy since she was little."
I finished fixing my hair, tucking a few strands behind my ear.
‘Meow,’ the little Moon Panther cub, Cylla, appeared, circling around me as if she were ready to come along with us.
“Shall we go?” I asked, standing up.
The two of them exchanged a glance, hesitating for a moment before following me out of the room. They were nervous about us moving out for the first time.
We descended the stairs and found my cousin anxiously waiting by the mansion door.
Aunt Margie sighed again, clearly feeling the weight of the impending farewell. Although she’d stay a few days in Apsalon, we would spend some time at the academy and only return home during weekends after the adaptation period. Soon, she’d return to the duchy, and this was our last moment together before that.
"My dear," Aunt Margie began, her voice gentle as she approached Chloe. "I know we talked about this earlier, but remember that I love you. If you have any problems, come to your aunt, and I’ll be there right away. Be good and study hard…" She leaned closer and, half-joking, added, "And if any idiot tries to hit on you, you’re allowed to kill them."
"M-Mom!?" Chloe exclaimed, shocked, her face turning red.
"I’m joking, sweetheart," Margie laughed, kissing Chloe on the forehead and hugging her tightly.
Then, my aunt came over to me.
"I know you can take care of yourself, but remember you’re the man of this family. Keep an eye on her for me and don’t let anyone mess with Chloe. You’re also allowed to kill them," she added with a smile, playfully pinching my nose.
She pulled me into a tight hug.
"I’ll miss you, my boy," she said, her voice filled with emotion.
"I’ll miss you too, Aunt Margie. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on our little princess," I replied, hugging her back. Chloe, of course, turned red and looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Then my mother appeared, pulling both Chloe and me into a group hug.
"I’ll be in the city if you need anything. Remember, you’ll only have each other in there," she said with a serious tone.
We nodded, taking those words as a promise as we headed outside.
"See you soon, young masters. I’ll be waiting for you at the end of your adaptation period," Martha said, bidding us farewell as we descended the steps of the porch.
‘Meow,’ Cylla’s soft meow echoed beside us.
"Cylla," Aunt Margie called affectionately, smiling. "Take care of my treasures and don’t reveal yourself."
The little gray panther nodded in agreement. Then, the three of us entered the carriage.
"How do you think our first day will go?" Chloe asked, sitting beside me as Cylla jumped onto the nearby seat.
“I hope it’s free of trouble,” I replied.
Chloe chuckled, glancing at me with an amused smile. “I think you shouldn’t have said that. Now I’m scared you’ve jinxed us.”
“Don’t worry! I’ll be there if anything happens!” Cylla chirped confidently, showing off her tiny claws with pride.
I looked at the dragon-phoenix in her Moon Panther form, clearly ready for anything that might come our way.
“I’ll be with you too, and I have a feeling this will be a fun time for both of us. What do you think, Icarus?” Athena suddenly appeared, wearing a school uniform from the academy, completing the scene.
I let out a deep sigh.
I’m definitely fucked...