“Have you submitted all of your paperwork, sent the teachers your notes, and let Mother Isabelle know when you’re coming back, and packed all your things?”

Nia turned from her bulging suitcase to look at her pestering father pacing back and forth between her room and the hallway.

“Papa, it’ll be fine. You already set up the Traveling Pylon so that you and Mama can check up on me any time you want.”

Her father’s worried face appeared back in her doorway.

“That’s true… I guess your mother did also make a similar trip to the Royal Academy. But she was older than you are now. Are you sure we don’t need to send an attendant with you? I could call in a favor and hire one.”

Nia closed the lid and turned to sit on it in an attempt to close it fully.

“You won’t need to call a favor for something so small, Papa. It’s just a boarding school trip. I’d rather you call in the favor to get me a cute doll or a new coat like you did for my birthday. Besides, I’m the same age as James and Peter when they came first came home from the academy. I can handle myself!”

Nelson walked over to his daughter’s suitcase and helped her latch it tightly, then sighed. Nia gave him a reassuring smile, patted his shoulder.

“I’ll be back at the academy before you know it. Besides, you were the one that told me that it would be good for me to explore another city.”

“That’s right!”

The father and daughter both turned their heads at the sound of Annette crashing through the house.

“Exploring places is great for your mindset! You’ll find all sorts of interesting people and things to do. If you’re lucky, you might even run into a rare monster in the sewers or demons might invade. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn things the hard way!”

“Mama…”

Annette shrugged and left as quickly as she appeared.

As Nelson quadruple checked that his daughter had everything prepared, her mother reappeared pulled Nia aside to hand her a small box.

“I know you don’t want us to get you an attendant or anything, so instead I bought you a pendant that you can wear around. I was told that it should protect you in some way, but it’s more so that Papa can be more comfortable with you being away.”

Nia opened the box to reveal a plain silver chain resting on a fabric pillow. There were no discerning features, besides the clasp to put it on.

Annette gently plucked the necklace out of the box and put it on Nia. Nia could briefly feel the chill from the cold metal on her collar, before her body warmed it.

“It should be simple enough that no one comments on it or tries to steal it. Try to remember to keep it on. Your father put some basic enchantments on it so that it would protect you from small misfortunes.”

Nia gave her mother a quick hug and thanked her. Annette gave Nia one of her rare calm smiles which was quickly replaced by her usual mischievous look.

“That being said, I have a way better gift for you if it comes to self-protection. Here!”

Annette rummaged around in her bags and pulled out a wooden hilt, etched with designs that Nia didn’t recognize. This time, her mother placed it directly in her hands.

“I think the person that lost a bet with me — er, who sold it to me called it ‘The Invisible Blade’ or something. I just call it the ‘Glitter Knife’”.

Nia looked at her mother with concern.

“Mama, there’s no blade…”

Her mother giggled to her before taking the hilt back. Her blue eyes shimmered with crimson and the wooden crevices resonated a similar red. Nia saw a faint outline of a red dagger blade emit from the hilt. Annette took out a ripe apple, and quickly separated it into roughly shaped slices.

“Want one?” Annette popped one of the slices into her mouth and offered the rest to Nia, who took them.

Nia crunched on a slice before questioning her mother.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“How exactly does this work? Are you channeling mana into the handle, or are the Earth Spirits helping you?”

Annette simply put a finger up her lip. She waved the dagger, dissipating the red blade into a light mist, and placed it on top of her daughter’s head.

“That’s for you to find out. It’s no fun if I tell you everything, right?”

“Mama, you’ve never told me a single thing.”

“I-, uh. Anyways, you’ll figure it out!”

Annette waved her hands around and whisked herself into the other room.

Nia busied herself with her final preparations as her father incessantly criticized her packing choices and her mother handed her progressively more useless trinkets. By the time she had to depart, there was a messy pile of discarded trinkets by her bedside, with her packed bags neatly stacked next to it.

“Okay, good enough I guess.” Nelson wore a nervous frown as he thought about what his daughter had packed one last time. Nia could only sigh as she checked the time on the clock on the wall.

“Papa, we have to go soon. Xing will be here any moment to take me and Khyl to the school trip.” Nia tapped her father on the shoulder, who was still muttering to himself about the items that were discarded on the pile.

“Oh, it’s that time already? I didn’t realize I spent two hours trying to optimize your carrying space. Let me get your mother and we can see you off to the Traveling Pylon.”

Nelson absentmindedly ruffled his daughter’s blonde hair, before exiting her room to find Annette.

Nia straightened out her messy bangs, and took out the gift that her mother had given her. She tried to spin the wooden hilt around her hand, constantly having to pick it up from the ground whenever she dropped it.

“Careful with that, I don’t know how durable it is!” Her mother’s voice caught her attention, and she turned around to see her mother and father waiting for her in the hallway. Her mother had put on her military uniform, with her father wearing his matching officer uniform next to her.

Nia smirked at how official her parents looked, before picking up her luggage to join them.

The trip to the village center was uneventful. Her parents senselessly bickered about what they were going to do while Nia was gone from the house.

“Papa, she’s constantly gone for school as it is. Does it matter if she’s gone for a trip?”

“It is different! We have an express connection to Mother Isabelle’s dorm. The closest Traveling Pylon for the academy that she’s staying at in Dionmar is thirty minutes by walking. Neither of us have even studied there!”

“That’s why we’re sending her there! Besides, YOU were the one who wanted to make sure our cute baby girl had options, instead of being trapped in eternal studying hell!”

Nia vaguely listened to their conversation as she continued to play with the Glitter Knife hilt.

By the time they made it to the Traveling Pylon, Nia had dropped it on the ground another fifteen times. Her mother had kept track.

“Nia! Are you excited for the trip?”

Nia looked towards the source of the voice, finding her old friend Khyl calling out to her from the opposite end of the square.

“Hey! Yeah, I’m excited to finally visit a new town!” Nia waved and shouted back at him.

Khyl handed his parents his luggage and rushed over, saying his greetings to Annette and Nelson.

“I hope your days have been going great, Mr. and Mrs. Sol!”

“Khyl, I’ve told you plenty of times you can call us by our names.” Annette gave the teenage boy a wide smile, and pulled out a small book that Nia had thrown onto the discarded pile back home.

“That being said, here’s something for you. Thank you for keeping an eye on Nia at school for us.”

Nia watched as her mother handed the book, and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Mama, what is Khyl going to do with a book about Mana circulation? He’s already trying to study the Magic path.”

Annette just clicked her tongue at her daughter’s question and winked at her.

Before Nia could make another comment, she felt the pressure of mana and spirits concentrating around the Traveling Pylon. The runes inscribed on the structure glowed a vivid purple, before the familiar silhouette of her upperclassman and dormmate appeared.

“Xing!” Nia and Khyl both excitedly called out to the tired figure who had teleported to their village.

“Nia, Khyl. Hello Officer Sol and Commander Sol. Oh, Mr. Dite and Mrs. Dite. I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you.”

Khyl stepped down from the Traveling Pylon, bowing his head in respect to the pair’s parents.

“Lift your head, please! We’ve heard only good things about you from Khyl.” Khyl’s dad hastily responded to Xing’s gesture, looking back at his wife with some panic.

As Khyl’s parents and Xing exchanged a few words, Nia’s parents handed her the multiple bags that she had prepared for the trip.

“Alright. Remember that if you need help, trust the necklace and just run. If you need to contact me or Mama, tell Xing and he’ll know how to contact us. If something terrible happens over there, we’ll probably know before you and will be there before you know it. If you need more money, you can sell some of the trinkets Mama gave you. Whe-”

Nelson cut himself off when he saw his daughter’s annoyed look.

“Ahem. Well, I’ve already told you this, haven’t I. Mama, anything from you?”

Annette gave Nia a thumbs up with a wide smile.

“Have fun and don’t be afraid to beat things up!”

Nia and Khyl joined Xing on the Traveling Pylon. He sighed under his breath before closing his eyes and commanding the pylon.

“Gyzu fh ge Poyvwys!”

Xing’s purple aura seeped through the runes once again, and Nia prepared her stomach to be whisked away.