Gladys Sharp hailed from the Exile City in the North, daughter of the Wolf Chief of the Ice Plain Wolf Tribe. With her volatile temper and rumored appetite for raw meat, she had earned herself the nickname "Savage Witch."

Though her father held no noble title, the Ice Plain Wolf Tribe was the most formidable force in the North. As the tribal chief's daughter, none would dare treat her as a mere commoner.

Gladys, who rarely showed a pleasant expression to anyone, frowned as she approached upon hearing Jane's voice.

"Jane," she paused before turning to Luo Wei, "Luo Wei."

Luo Wei was slightly surprised that Gladys knew her name.

"Jane mentions you often, and so do others," Gladys explained tersely.

"I see," Luo Wei smiled warmly, "Gladys, it's nice to meet you."

Gladys's lips twitched in what might have been an attempt at a smile, though it never quite materialized, and her frown only deepened. "The weather is nice today, and so are you."

Luo Wei glanced skyward.

The gray, gloomy sky hardly qualified as 'nice.'

Jane linked her arm with Gladys's: "Gladys, you seem troubled today. Has something happened?"

Luo Wei admired Jane's social prowess, able to communicate so effortlessly with Gladys.

"Nothing much. The Paladins are coming. It's annoying," Gladys said.

Luo Wei nodded in agreement - she found it equally vexing.

"Right? You both must hate wearing those magic robes too?" Jane, as if finding kindred spirits, launched into an endless tirade about the unsightly academy uniforms.

Gladys: ...

Luo Wei: ...

Their eyes met briefly, both reflecting mutual exasperation.

Jane, with her right arm linked with Luo Wei and her left with Gladys, continued her complaints all the way from the cathedral to the academy gates.

Upon seeing the school gate, confusion flashed across Gladys's eyes, as if wondering how she had ended up there.

She stopped dead in her tracks, immovable despite Jane's tugging.

"Gladys, aren't you coming out for lunch?" Jane asked.

"No, I need to see the headmaster to request leave to go home," Gladys said gravely.

"Request leave? But the academy break is coming soon. Why do you need to go home now?" Jane asked, surprised.

"I just need to go home," Gladys said with finality.

So requesting leave was an option?

Luo Wei extracted her arm from Jane's: "Sorry Jane, I just remembered I need to see the headmaster for leave too. I can't join you for lunch."

Jane looked at Luo Wei, puzzled: "You want to go home too?"

Luo Wei nodded solemnly: "Yes."

After a moment's hesitation, Jane said: "Well, alright then. I don't dare request leave - mother would punish me by making me copy the family rules if she found out."

Luo Wei and Gladys exchanged a glance, then turned in unison and walked back together.

"Will Headmaster Morrison be in his office during lunch time?"

"Yes."

Gladys seemed well-versed in finding the headmaster, leading Luo Wei through the west corridor on the second floor of the cathedral to the headmaster's office.

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"Knock knock knock—"

Gladys rapped three times.

"Come in."

A mature, gentle male voice responded from within.

Gladys pushed open the door and entered, with Luo Wei following after a moment's hesitation.

"Gladys, what are you up to now?"

As soon as Gladys appeared, Headmaster Morrison leaned back in his chair wearily, asking in a gentle but troubled tone.

"Headmaster, I need to request leave."

Gladys stood ramrod straight before Morrison's desk.

Luo Wei entered a step behind but was immediately caught by the headmaster's gaze: "And you are...?"

Luo Wei gently closed the door and stepped forward with a curtsy: "Good day, Headmaster."

"My name is Luo Wei, a junior magic apprentice. I'd like to request leave as well."

This made Morrison even more troubled as he looked at the two of them: "Well then, Gladys, Luo Wei, could you tell me your reasons for requesting leave?"

Gladys showed an expression of annoyance at needing to provide a reason, frowning in thought before declaring: "Winter is coming. I need to go hunt brown bears before they start eating people."

Luo Wei waited for Gladys to finish before saying: "My father has fallen gravely ill. I need to go see him one last time."

Gladys immediately turned to look at Luo Wei, her eyes showing a flash of sympathy.

Luo Wei maintained a grief-stricken expression as she gazed pleadingly at Headmaster Morrison.

However, Morrison's brown eyes studied them steadily, as if seeing right through their pretenses: "So, how long of a leave are you requesting?"

Gladys: "Ten days!"

Luo Wei reduced it by half: "Five days will be enough for me."

"Ten days for one, five for the other," Morrison opened a leather-bound book and gave a short laugh, "Heh, you're both from the North, aren't you? Is that even enough time to make the journey?"

While Luo Wei was contemplating how to argue this point, Gladys blurted out: "Then I want to request a month!"

Morrison's face darkened. Just as he was about to speak, another knock came at the door.

"Come in!"

The wooden door opened, revealing a light blonde head as a naive-looking young man timidly asked: "Is this the headmaster's office?"

"Yes, come in, student."

The young man closed the door and entered, his worn straw sandals leaving muddy prints on the carpet. He looked at Headmaster Morrison with an ingenuous smile: "Headmaster, I'd like to request a few days' leave. My mother has fallen seriously ill, and I need to go take care of her."

Morrison glanced pointedly at Luo Wei.

Luo Wei: ...

Why look at her? She was going back to attend her suddenly ill father's funeral - completely different from this student's reason!

Morrison asked the young man: "What's your name?"

"I'm Hol Felix."

The headmaster glanced at the parchment on his desk again: "Hol, you were recommended by Professor Temple, and according to the information he provided, you only have a father."

Hol scratched his head: "Ah, my father got me a stepmother."

Morrison's expression remained impassive: "Your father is sixty years old, and he got you a stepmother?"

"Hehe," Hol chuckled, "He did."

Morrison's gaze swept over the three of them as he closed the leather book with a headache: "Your leave requests are denied. You may go."

"Knock knock knock—"

Another knock sounded at the door.

This time Morrison was silent for three seconds before saying: "Come in."

"Knock knock knock—"

"Come in!"

"Knock knock knock—"

Morrison pointed at Gladys: "Please open the door."

"Oh." Gladys reluctantly walked over and yanked the door handle, opening it with a bang.

"Oh my eggs!"

A girl with disheveled hair tumbled in, clutching a basket of eggs.

The basket nearly tipped over, but Gladys steadied it just in time, preventing the eggs from spilling onto the headmaster's soft wool carpet.

"Thank you, thank you so much! My eggs would have been ruined!" The girl steadied herself against the doorframe, hurriedly thanking Gladys.

"Laura, who's inside? Is the headmaster there?"

Another voice with a duck-like quality came from outside.

Luo Wei saw Morrison take a deep breath before addressing the people at the door: "Come in, students."

Laura stumbled into the office, followed by a dark-skinned boy who eagerly squeezed in behind her.

"Students, please state your business," the headmaster said wearily.

Laura quickly placed the eggs on the headmaster's desk: "Headmaster, these eggs are for you. I'm Laura, and Theodore and I would like to request leave..."

"Reason."

Laura wrung her hands: "My grandmother is sick, and I need to go take care of her."

The dark-skinned Theodore grinned: "My father broke his leg and is at death's door. He's just waiting for me to come back and arrange his funeral!"