The next morning was exciting. It was an off day and the last day before classes. I even got my stipend! I actually owned some money now. It was not that much but it was a great feeling. Maybe I could buy that watch now? It might help with being on time. But the best part, I had a friend now!

We were currently sitting at breakfast. Helena seemed a lot more happy with the food than yesterday.

“Any plans for today?” I asked. Secretly I was hoping she had an idea and would be willing to include me. I really needed some hobbies. Otherwise I would just end up training again.

“You got your stipend, right? Let’s go shopping!” She proposed enthusiastically. “Also, we can explore the city a bit. I don’t know Lupos very well.”

Going on a shopping spree the first day I had money sounded a bit irresponsible. But also fun. And the academy did provide me with food, clothing and a room. So I should be fine, even if I somehow spent the whole one gold I had. Or was there something I needed?

“Um. Do we need to buy anything for classes? Like books?” Nobody said anything. But that could be something teachers would tell us directly.

“Nah. The academy provides all that you need. There is a library that offers books. Practice weapons are also supplied. You could consider a personal weapon in later years. But first you will need to figure out what you want to use.”

“What exactly are we shopping for?”

“You could use some clothes. You only have your uniforms, right?”

That was true. Maybe a set of normal clothes would not hurt? And maybe I could look for a watch. The academy offered one for one silver. I had one gold, which was the same as ten silver. Maybe the city had cheaper options?

“Ok. Do we take a horse? I actually have one.”

“You have a horse?”

“Uh… I kind of earned it in battle.” I said with a mixture of pride and embarrassment. I did not want to brag.

“Wow! Tell me everything! Who did you fight?”

“We were ambushed on the trip to the academy. A fire mage attacked me and I grabbed his hand and channelled death mana into him…”

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“That is sooo cool!”

Not the reaction I had expected… Then again, she was from a family known for combat.

After the initial excitement Helena calmed down a bit and asked: “But who attacked you? And why? A fire mage does not sound like a normal bandit.”

“I was told that death magic is not the most common affinity. And I seem to have a large one, combined with a lot of mana. Apparently, I am a great asset to the kingdom. I even had soldiers escort me.” Was I telling her too much? I did not really know Helena. Would she try to use me? Was she just pretending to be my friend?

Helena considered my words. “Sounds like politics. There are nobles who would not like the royal family getting stronger. You said the princess sponsored you. Ugh. They are going to drag you into politics.”

“I can understand if that means you don’t want to hang out with me…”

“What? No! Screw them! And if they send more people after you I will help you kill them!”

I felt relieved. I realised just how depressing it would have been, if she had abandoned me. I decided I would trust her, for now. She seemed genuine.

“Thank you. It means a lot.” And it really did.

We finished breakfast and walked into the city. Helena said a horse would be unnecessary, the shopping district was not too far away. On the way I told her my whole story. Starting from the incident at the auction. I even told her about my large mana pool. Maybe it was foolish. But I had decided to put my trust in her. And that meant telling her everything.

As I kept talking I grew more comfortable. She did not show any signs of envy. She seemed genuinely excited about my powers. I even admitted to using my magic to train my body faster.

“That is a great ability. It should help you a lot. I have been trained to fight with a weapon since I was eight.”

“Isn’t that a bit young?”

“Not really. Some even start with six. Mastering a weapon takes a lot of time. Unless you are very skilled. Of course, if you focus on magic it becomes less relevant. Unless you are a spellblade. But a lot of the nobility thinks a noble needs a sword. Ironically, a lot of them have very little idea how to use it.”

“But if they start training at six…”

“There are different ways to train. Some only focus on duels for sport. Very clear rules, no dirty tricks. That is not real fighting. Those people are often rather useless in an actual battle. My father took me hunting when I was young. First to watch, later to participate. I killed my first wolf when I was twelve. My first bandit with thirteen.”

That explained things. Of course she was not disturbed by me killing someone. Or by the fact that I was attacked on the road. Fighting seemed normal to her.

“Did you fight with magic?” I wondered. A noble could easily hire a private tutor and circumvent the age requirements of the academy.

“No. My father believes that it is important to experience combat like a normal soldier. He also thinks that magic needs some proper training and a more grown up mind. So he is fine with the age requirements of the academy.”

Was magic really that dangerous? Allowing a child to fight a bandit sounded a lot riskier than casting a spell. Then again, you could intervene in a swordfight. And health potions seemed to be rather effective. But would you know if a child used their mana wrong? Could you interfere if they blew themselves up? I guess I just did not know enough to make a judgement.

“You mention your father a lot, what about your mother?” I asked.

“She died when I was young. I never really knew her.”

“I am sorry.”

“It’s fine. She died in combat, defending our border.”

Despite her words she sounded sad. I decided to change the topic.

“Aren’t most shops closed on Solday? Will we be able to buy clothes?”

“Most shops are closed, but not all. Especially the higher quality ones are open. Nobles love to shop on Solday. They see it as a status symbol. Something to separate them from normal people.”

“But… I don’t have a lot of money… Will I be able to afford anything?”

“It’s going to be fine.” She assured me.