I open my sleepy eyes just to find myself leaning down on a wooden desk. I rub my eyes and observe my surrounding.

People I don’t know of the same biological appearance chat and laugh everywhere in a room filled with desks and chairs. They are all wearing the same kind of clothes called a uniform. If I look at my own reflection in the mirror, I can also ascertain that I am wearing one of those uniforms too.

Cute clothes with a navy blue vest with white outlines and frilly sleeves. A short necktie or ribbon either hangs in the chest part. The clothes inside is a beautiful laced fabric with stripe patterns vertically. The skirt is checkered with blue and black and at the end of the hem, frills that look soft and fluffy peek behind it.

A tried feeling my usually ruffled brown hair. It was tied in a long single braid that hangs down up to my knees.

I look out at the window illuminated by the sun that gives out a lazy atmosphere where I can even sleep again after waking up. In the luscious field of green grass and flowers, benches lay partially in the school premises.

Students come and go, boy and girl, from first to seventh years,

GRUMBLE

It was the sign that I need to take food. My stomach started complaining that it is empty. I don’t like the sensation of starvation.

“Topaz!”

A familiar voice called out to me. As I turn around, I saw Mimi’s cheerful and energetic countenance. She smiles like a sun that it seems brighter inside the room. I rub my eye one more time before properly look at her.

“What is it?”

“You slept in again! Teacher Cattleya was so angry she pouted so much!”

“Um…I don’t find the subject about politics interesting…”

“I feel ya! Nyahaha! I want to sleep too but I am in the front row so I can’t!”

“It’s a rather complicated matter for me. I know that...it is just a minor course, but…it’s a little difficult to grasp about it.”

“Right?~ Anyway, Topaz, let’s go grab something to eat!”

“Un.”

“Man, student life is a really busy life!”

“Do you hate it?”

“Of course not! I just don’t like getting nagged all day by Headmistress Priscilla.”

“Un. I see, let’s go.”

“Yay!”

Gazes followed me and Mimi as we exit the classroom. I heard that I am really popular among the girls. There was this secret ranking done by an anonymous man and it seems I tied up with Hibiscus at first place followed by Higanbana.

As Mimi and I pass the hallway, small whispers of girls barely audible came to my ear.

“Look, look! It’s Lady Topaz!”

“Ah, you’re right! She looks so refined as always!”

“Have you heard? She slept in one the classes today. Her sleeping face, said by those who saw, was the most soothing scene they have ever witnessed!”

“Ehh? I wish I could see her sleep too!”

And such…

I don’t think wanting to see someone sleep is a proper thing…

“Oh? The girl with Lady Topaz…”

“Ah, I know her! She is Lady Topaz attendant!”

“Wow, such a high-quality attendant for a high-quality Lady!”

I peek a little at Mimi and her cheek is twitching.

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“Well, calm down.”

“Curse them! I even told them that I am already dating you!”

“Eh…? I didn’t…even hear of such thing…”

“No. But in the future, we might!~”

As we climb down the stair, Casablanca and Hibiscus came across to us.

Casablanca is particularly holding…a lot of letters with heart stamp on them and Hibiscus is carrying a lot of gifts. The Phoenix, Emby, sits on Hibiscus head, bows to us in greeting.

“Again, huh…”

“Um….ah…we kind of need to take care of this….um…it’s blocking our locker so…um…”

“You two are going to go through all of it again?

“Of course, we need to properly return a message for each of them.”

“You two…you know…just burn them.”

“No way. We can’t do that! Hibiscus and I need to properly convey our refusal.”

“It will be a long afternoon for the two of you then.”

“Um…T-Topaz…”

Hibiscus called out to me.

“Hmm?”

“I…I think you should…see your locker too…”

“Eh?”

“Then…bye!”

The two left.

I look at Mimi and she just scratches her head.

“That’s impossible. Let’s have a lunch. Let’s burn it later.”

“It?”

“You know…damn love letters.”

“I never saw one before.”

“Cause I burn them before you can see it.”

“Oh.”

We continue our walk towards the cafeteria and along the way, we stumble upon Alstro--…Teacher Alstroemeria.

“Good afternoon, Teacher Alstroemeria.”

“Sup!”

Mimi and I greeted her and she smiles at us. Alstroemeria is teaching basic, advanced, and professional arithmetic. Basically, she teaches mathematics at all level.

“How are you two? Is there something in the lesson you didn’t understand?”

“Me! There’s something I find hard to solve!”

“Eh? Eh…? Mimi…you should probably stop playing around with your notes during class!”

“But you play around too much too.”

“Ehehehehe…old habits die hard. I can’t believe from being an adventurer to an instructor here.”

“Well, it is as Asagao said, you are still clumsy.”

“Oh, speaking of which, have you two seen Asagao?”

Asagao’s name came up. My ear perks up and my attention shifted to them.

“No, not yet.”

“Geez! Priscilla got mad that she played hooky again, even though I warned her that her brother and Violetta are visiting today!”

“Maybe she is in Ichirou’s tavern! She comes there every night!”

“Eh?! She still comes there every night?! Geez…Violetta’s going to be mad again. Anyway, I doubt Asagao would be there since Merissa is patrolling in the city.”

“Well, besides that speculation, I don’t have any more idea.”

“Argh…Asagao!”

I raise my hand towards them, Teacher Alstroemeria and Mimi looks at me with a flabbergasted countenance.

“I already have a guess where she might be…”

“Really? Can you go fetch her?!”

“Un. Mimi, buy me that extra spicy curry.”

Mimi salutes at my request and dashes off while Teacher Alstroemeria gives me her thanks. I left the place and headed towards to place that people rarely goes…

The exact place where the Passage of Evil is once located…

In its place, a tree of pink colored petal stands. Everyone’s gossip is that it is a cursed place, however, it is one of her favorite spots.

As my mind floats while walking, I saw another familiar face in the battle field where mock battles are performed.

Higanbana stands against ten men who look older and bigger than her.

“This is a bother…”

“Beast Queen Higanbana! We challenge you again to a battle for the title of number!”

“You lot are taking my precious time. Instead of looking for Asagao, you trash dragged me here for what? Another stupid battle?”

“As a noble, I cannot accept it! A battle is sacred!”

“Then, against the ten of you, I’ll just use two fingers and I won’t even move from this spot. If I win, be sure to start cleaning all the toilets with your tongues!”

“You’re on!”

Not even thirty seconds has passed and Higanbana blew them all away. It was a one-sided match…

Even I know that I shouldn’t mess with her. The only one who could fight toe to toe with her is Asagao.

“Kyaaa! Beast Queen is so cool! Please look this way!”

“Hey, please snarl at me!”

“Please, stare at me with your cold and lifeless eyes!”

Her fans squeal in joy as she made another spectacular victory of the day. Most of her fans…are all girls that are madly in love with her and most of the men are her self-proclaimed rivals.

Beast kin, demon race, dragon kin, elves, and even dwarves flock around.

“Oh my, what has the wind brought here? Are you lambs lost?”

Higanbana said another killer line that makes everything more difficult for her. She clearly wants to find Asagao, however, she cannot ignore her female fans and such, another normal day.

This must be the reason why she is so popular. Cool and strong and on top of that, a girl magnet.

I walk slowly as I ever get closer to the girl who also wore the same uniform as me, however, she was too conscious of wearing a skirt so she modified hers by making shorts which she insisted.

The white haired girl sleeps under the shade of the tree with a peaceful face and beside her is a sword of remarkable design that she uses in her training.

I approach her and called out to her.

“Asagao!”

Her eyelids slowly reveal her tantalizing sky blue eyes and her cherry lips quivers as drowsiness came to her. She immediately noticed my presence and…

.

.

.

I gasp for breath as my body jerks from the sudden impact. The dream broke off and I am brought back to the reality of my situation.

My sight swims towards Nivalis, the Goddess of Blessing.

What…?

“How was the dream? It’s a dream…about a possible future for you, my dear. I have taken the liberty to bring you to slumber. Our battle would have shaken you to the very core and it will cause you internal bleeding.”

“But…that…”

There was…a broadsword stuck on her chest that goes all the way through. She bathes in her own blood but still manages to smile at me.

No, she doesn’t even look pained at all…

I glance a look at Lord Eresti and…found him utterly tattered with dented armor. I also noticed that most of the constellation and stars around us has diminished.

And…I am still inside the barrier Goddess Nivalis made.

“Damn! Nivalis!! So killing you is still impossible!”

“Eresti, leave this child alone. I cannot follow you further if you leave from here.”

“You are sparing me?! Laughable!”

“I simply cannot go for another distance from here.”

“What do you think you can do for that piece of abomination that Nil modified?!”

Goddess Nivalis simply smiled at me and smirks at Lord Eresti.

“You…you…! You are not…!”

“That’s right. It is as you thought, Eresti. This child here, she already made up her mind. She has a goal she wanted to reach and she can do it together with Asagao.”

“YOU! YOU AND NIL…BOTH OF YOU!”

Her stare returned to me and she embraces me in her chest…

“Topaz…even though you are a devil…you are going to receive my blessing, a blessing truly befitting of you, the Arcana of Earth.”

“THAT CANNOT BE DONE!”

“Receiving my blessing isn’t limited against devils. I never made such rule. As long as the recipient has a kind and loving heart, the blessing will naturally choose her.”

My body started feeling warm and light poured towards me.

“NIVALIS!!”

“Topaz, I grant you my blessing, a Divine Alteration, and Intervention…”

“CURSE YOU!”

The light started draining down to me as if I am a sinkhole. I can feel a foreign power invading me, however, it was not unpleasant so I didn’t feel bad.

“Gaia’s Prowess.”