They were right about the zero social life. Obviously, I'm not complaining. In fact, during lunch, Darius invites me to sit with them, and that break is the only "free" period I have all day. Mary is the sole girl at their table, who for weeks has been acting super sweet, super nice, and super innocent and enthusiastic friend to everyone she comes across. If this world weren't the way it is, if having a high affinity for light didn't make her authentic and genuine, I would really think she's a social climber who's just trying to marry the prince.
"Come on, sit down, Bianca. Lily told me how you helped them. I'm looking forward to getting to know you," Mary says with a huge smile when she sees I'm considering joining them.
What the heck, why not?
I return her smile, although mine is smaller and somewhat shy, and take a seat.
I immediately feel super integrated. Both Darius and Mary include me in the conversation and joke with me. The prince and his friends don't talk as much, but they seem nice. Mary asks me about my puppy. I tell them I left him in the room, though I'm afraid he might break something. My goodness... Mary is special. Any other girl would have snubbed me rather than asking me to join them. It's as if she doesn't mind bringing potential romantic rivals into her friend group. I mean, I’m not. But judging by the murderous glares I’m getting from the other girls at their tables—especially Sol—there are definitely some who think otherwise.
When lunch ends, they invite me to go shopping with them in the city this afternoon. I have to decline, and I genuinely mean it. I enjoyed their company so much that I would have gone if I could. But at the end of the last morning class, an administrative secretary approached me with a personalized schedule. Not a single free slot. I'll have to study every evening after dinner. It's insane. Since I can't share that, I gloss over my refusal by claiming I'm slightly behind in my studies and want to excel, not just pass. Darius regards me with a competitive, challenging glint in his eye. Clearly, he accepts the gauntlet I haven't even thrown down. This guy... I bid them farewell with a sincere smile and leave to see if I can catch Ronan before the final two classes. Well, final for him, because my schedule is jam-packed afterward.
He's not in the dining hall, so I search the academy hallways and gardens. No luck. With minutes to spare before the next class, I head to the classroom. He hasn't shown up yet. In fact, he slips in just before the professor, giving me no chance to talk. And when the two classes wrap up, I have to rush off to Catrina's private group session, since it's Wednesday. I want to tell him to wait for me after dinner so we can talk, but Darius is faster. Knowing I'm headed to training (logical, since he recommended me), he approaches so I can walk with them. Yes, them—both the prince and Alistair are part of that select group of students. Well, Ronan will have to wait.
We are a small group of seven students. We all wield swords except Alistair and another boy who favor small maces. The two-hour training session is intense and grueling. As it's my first day, they have me drilling basic sword techniques. By the end, the muscles in my right arm are on fire, shoulder included. I say goodbye to the three boys, who I presume are off to shower and hit the town, leaving me alone with Catrina.
"Follow me," she commands.
Without checking if I comply, she spins on her heel and strides purposefully away. She has spent the last two hours sparring with the other six students in one-on-one practice duels. Her energy amazes me. She must have impressive agility and constitution stats. She leads me to her office. Once inside, she locks the door, retrieves a cloth bag from her desk drawer, and instructs me to step back. Reaching into the bag, she extracts a stone resembling a river pebble, smooth and flat on both sides, slightly larger than her palm. In the open area of the small room, she arranges this stone on the floor, followed by the remaining six from the bag, forming what appears to be a regular heptagon (though I can't be certain). From inside the figure, she extends her hand, beckoning me to stand beside her.
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I do so. The professor's grip is firm, her palm rough and calloused, befitting a warrior.
"Don't move and commit these words to memory: Teleport to active location," she enunciates loudly.
Instantly, it's just like with the dungeon's exit stone. I'm whisked away from the professor's office, materializing elsewhere. As the disorientation fades, I realize we're standing atop a circular white marble platform engraved with a heptagon, a stone like the professor's at each vertex. Surrounding us are small, plain, single-story wooden houses. This seems to be some village square.
"Let's go," Catrina says, stepping out of the circle. She pulls me along, not releasing my hand until we're standing on the dirt ground of the plaza. "You need a place to secretly hone your affinities. This is Vlank, a remote village in the kingdom with a sparse population and a small army detachment consisting of an officer and fifteen soldiers. They're all loyal to the crown and won't breathe a word about what they witness."
As I exit the circle, my foot accidentally nudges one of the stones. It doesn't budge, fixed in place. I hurry after the professor, who is striding rapidly down one of the two streets branching off from the square. We soon reach the village outskirts, encircled by a palisade of pointed wooden logs over two meters high. We begin walking parallel to it.
"I'll be training you, as will the air magic professor. Local masters here will assist you with fire, water, and light. The last is the army healer, and the other two are coming specifically for your lessons, just as you'll be traveling here. In fact, here, don't let me forget." She slows her pace slightly and hands me a bag identical to the one she used earlier, pulling it from inside her jacket. I accept it.
"Keep it safe," she remarks with a hint of impatience, seeing I'm not making any move to stow it away.
Fair enough. I stop, slip off my backpack, and tuck the bag inside. Catrina arches an eyebrow but says nothing.
"Come on, we're nearly there."
She resumes walking. After a few dozen meters, we arrive at a stone structure built into the wall—the guard barracks, according to her.
She greets the soldier standing watch at the door and enters. She guides me to a spacious open-air courtyard where the officer in charge awaits us. There, she directs me to draw my sword and activate the channeling. The lesson lasts an hour and a half. She has me experiment with all the elements, even stone. I point out that stone is for self-defense, but she insists. To my astonishment, it works, though the sole effect is to make the sword heavier and more durable. After one hour, she hands me a costly mana potion to replenish my depleted reserves. By the end, I'm utterly spent. This exhaustion stems not just from my aching muscles, but also from bottoming out my mana points for second time in quick succession.
"Well, let's head back," Catrina says.
Is this woman always so taciturn?
She doesn't utter another word until we've returned to her office, save to instruct me to memorize "teleport to initial location" for the return trip. Before I take my leave, she imparts some final directions.
"Tomorrow, be at our training spot at six o'clock sharp. You won't see me again until next Wednesday. It's all laid out in the schedule they provided." Right, Mondays are for light magic, Tuesdays fire, Thursdays water, and Fridays air. Saturdays, I have a two-hour block in the morning designated for personal free training.
"Do I go there for my Saturday training as well?" I inquire.
"Yes. And if you want to continue practicing independently on any of the other days, simply request permission from the relevant professor. Any other questions?"
"No."
"Good. You're dismissed. I expect you to return next Wednesday having mastered the fundamental attack and defense stances with the sword."
"Yes, professor."
Her commanding tone makes me want to snap to attention. Heaven knows how many repetitions I'll have to do on my own to meet that benchmark.
I close the door behind me as I exit, leaning against it for a moment. Will it be like this every week? I'm drained, and I still need to study and complete assignments for my regular classes. It's nearly dinnertime; if I don't hurry, I won't even have a chance to shower. My inner complainer wants to cry, unaccustomed to dashing helter-skelter. But the gamer in me is thrilled at the prospect of learning new spells and gaining sword mastery. My weary body gives in and hastens to my room.
As for Ronan, he's nowhere to be seen at dinner. If he's not in class tomorrow, I'll start to worry. After a long study session, the instant my head hits the pillow, I'm out like a light.