All right Miss Nakamura you may you may enter the city, I hope you have an enjoyable stay" the guard says professionally
"thank you sir, um, are you able to give me directions to the academy?" I ask hesitantly.
The guard just smiles with pity in his eyes and points to the castle in the distance.
"Good luck girly, you have till 17:30 to get there."
"what? Why?" i ask as i start to panic.
"This is the academy's last day to enroll and admissions close at 5:30 pm. Its 4 20 ish now, so unless you have a car or a carriage take you, its a 2 hour walk."
"Better start running."
"EEPP'', as i get ready to start running towards the academy, i feel a strong hand grab my shoulder, i turn around and see a pair of golden eyes staring into mine.
"so, you an academy applicant as well?"
"y-yes" i feel my face getting red "please let me go i'm in a rush."
"i can see that" Ethan says with an amused expression on his face. "how about as an apology for running into you, i give you a lift?"
"hmmph, why would i need your help", i turn my face and look away from him pouting.
"all right then, suit yourself." he starts to walk away and raise a hand above his head.
as he walks away i realise, "wait a minute, i have a low dex stat... im slow... DAMIT"
"w-wait, i didn't say no! please don't leave me behind." i chase after him, swallowing my pride as an independent woman...
----
Eathans pov a few hours before
"-than, ethan, ETHAN" a woman around her mid twenty's, with brown hair and gold eyes, Yelled
"Oh sorry mother, i was lost in my own thoughts'." Ethan reply was a little sheepish.
"Sigh" "what am i going to do with you?, your good at magic and swords but your so absent minded." ethans mother sighs again.
"i was saying the car is broken, we wont make it on time" Lady Ashford gestured towards the damaged manna cars axel." Lady Ashford continued
"so if you want to get there in time for enrollment, your going to have to run the rest of the way."
"what? but mother, why can't i have one of the escort horses? Ethan complains looking at there guards mounts"
"because i said so." Lady Ashford paused
"plus it will be good for your health, just get a carige when you reach the city"
Ethan looks at his mother with puppy dog eyes and a wounded expression.
"go on, start running"Lady Ashford makes a shooing motion.
"i will deliver your bags to the academy when i get to the estate, so get." Lady Ashford holds out a bag of coins and makes a shooing motion again
"yes mother" i turned and started running in the way of Kailean city.
it took me 2 hours to get in to view of the city from the woods where the car had broken down, the journey was boring and uneventful.
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and all of a sudden my watch goes off"beep. beep" ahh, the gates are closing!" i start running in a mad rush to get there before last call to enter the city.
"Crap, i'm going to fast." I look up and see the back of a girl with silver blue hair.
"Sorry in advance miss" i slide into her and knocked her over
"LAST CALL" a guard yells out as the invisible mana barrier around the city begins to activate.
"Made it!" I look down at the girl i knocked over, only to see a beautiful young lady, with long, flowing silver hair that cascades down in gentle waves. Her deep, captivating blue and purple eyes, with features that are delicate yet defined, a true beauty. She is wearing a knee-length skirt paired with a simple, modest blouse and a plain black coat, typical of a middle class commoner.
"Oh sorry are you alright?" I offer her my hand to help her up.
"What's your prob-" she suddenly cuts off and stares at me for a few seconds then she continues "humph im fine" and turns away from me. Another guard comes and offers me the identity plate."thank you" i put my hand on it and show him my identification as a nobel, witch is a silver plate with my houses crease and my name inscribed on it. The guard waved me though without making me put my hand on the identity plate. As i go though the gate i see the silver haired girl asking the gard were the academy is, and how she seems to deflate after hearing the answer.
I start laughing inwardly at how cute she looks, all mopy and depressed.
So as she turns to run, i grab her shoulder and offer her a lift to the academy as an apology for knocking her over.
As i hear her reply and start walking away with a wave, then she comes running after me."i wonder if she's a tsundere"
Clares pov
After i caught up to Ethan he lead me towards a carriage and paid 2 silver for passage to the academy and we get in and sit in silence for a few minutes.
"So what's your name?" Says Ethan, obviously trying to break the silence.
"Clare Nakamura" i reply as i look out the window.
"Well miss Nakamura, would you like to be my maid for the duration of our time at the academy?".
Yes. He said maid, noble students are not allowed to bring their own servants from there household, but they can get other students to be maids and servants for them. Of course the nobles are expected to give them time off for school and they get some extra privileges from the academy.
See the academy doesn't just cover battle and combat, it has numerous courses for support, like battlemaid for example.
"i'm sorry i don't even know you, thus i can't accept"
Yes being a maid gives benefits, but i haven't even seen my own skills or traits, nor do i have any idea what my talent what be.
"Well then, how about we change that?" Ethan replies, with a sly grin.
"While im thankful for the ride, i would rather this be the end of our interactions." I try to sound respectful, but my true thoughts are "As if i would want to be near a trouble magnet like you"
Ethan looks at me with an agitated face
Knock, knock
The carriage comes to a stop and the driver's knocking on the door to let us know we've arived.
As i exist my only thought is
"whoa".
"That's an amazing view.".
The academy stood majestically before us, reminiscent of a grand castle with its towering spires and elegant architecture. The main building was a mix of gothic and renaissance elements. The structure was made of pale, almost white stone that gleamed under the sunlight, giving it an ethereal quality, and oozing with mana. Large, ornate windows adorned the façade, and intricate carvings of mythical creatures and floral patterns decorated the archways and columns.
The courtyard was expansive, dotted with manicured gardens, fountains, and statues of legendary heroes and scholars. Pathways made of cobblestone meandered through the lush greenery, leading to various sections of the academy. To the left, a large glass-domed structure, likely the greenhouse, stood out, housing exotic plants and herbs used in magical studies. To the right, an open training ground where students practiced their combat skills was visible, filled with the sounds of clashing swords and bursts of magic.
The central tower rose high above the rest, its peak almost touching the clouds. This was the main hall where the most important ceremonies and classes were held.
It was a truly amazing sight.
"Identify" i hear a voice and look down to the gate, to see 4 guards looking at us.
"Where here for registration sir's" Ethan say before me
"Letters" one of the guards say, holding out their hand. I put my letter in it, and so does Ethan, the guard reads them carefully, then burns them.
"You may enter" the guards move to the side and we walk in and head towards the main building.
As we walk through the door an arrow glows on the floor, guiding us to a woman at a counter.
"Hello and welcome to kailean academy, how may i help you?" she asks with a warm smile.
"Um, we're here to enroll," I say nervously
The woman nods in understanding. "Please fill out these forms and provide your identification," she says, handing us a set of papers.
we sit down to complete the forms
Once we've finished the paperwork, we hand it back to the woman, who checks everything meticulously. "Welcome to Kailean Academy," she says with a smile. "You are now officially enrolled. here are your room numbers and keys, but be aware that they may change depending on the ranking test tomorrow".