"You do have to admit the times on Bourbon Street were fun as hell, no one carded," Mike reminisced as they found their first class.

"Fun? More like a never-ending chase from that cop on horseback," Sophia replied, replaying the memory of them hopping fences in the French Quarter.

Mike responded with a hint of mischief, "You always remember the nights too well. Maybe we should use a potion that erases our memories, so we can wake up tomorrow without remembering our fuck ups."

Sophia let out a dark chuckle, "Ah, a 'Potion of Forgetfulness.' Perfect when you want to erase a shit show of a night from your memory and pretend like you're not a drunken asshole."

Mike laughed, his voice filled with enthusiasm, "Exactly! We can do that when blacking out already, but if we start with the potion, we'll become masters of selective amnesia. Why face the consequences of our bad decisions when we can forget them?"

Sophia playfully retorted, "The only problem is that we'll keep repeating our mistakes. It'll be like Groundhog Day but with more broken bones and blackouts."

As they settled into their seats, Sophia couldn't help but notice Altheack on the far side of the room. Concerned, she called out to her, but it was clear that Altheack was intentionally ignoring them. Realizing it was best to give her some space, Sophia sighed and turned her attention back to the class.

"I mean, really, why the hell did you have to use that slur against the elves, Mike?" Sophia asked, her voice tinged with annoyance.

Mike defended himself weakly, "Oh, come on, it's not like I actually hate elves! That guy was just being a major asshole, and I wanted to push his buttons a bit."

Sophia frowned, her frustration evident. "Well, now you've made Valicar look like an ignorant imperial human! We're supposed to be building relationships with non-human races, not spouting off church and empire garbage!"

"Okay, okay, that was my bad," Mike admitted, surprising Sophia with his rare display of remorse. "I do feel kinda bad for making Altheack mad.

Sophia appreciated Mike's acknowledgment. "Yeah, we definitely need to apologize." Class started.

Professor Eldrith, an elderly wizard in blue robes, entered the classroom and introduced himself as their first-year teacher. He began explaining the basics of magic, and while Sophia eagerly absorbed the information, Mike grew increasingly bored.

As Professor Eldrith's lesson continued, Sophia's frustration with her previous teacher, James, grew. She realized the limitations of the books she had been given. She had never been able to learn the final spells contained within them. Even now, she was only halfway through the first book of the three James had provided. The books had focused solely on power, neglecting the importance of mana efficiency. It left her feeling limited and unable to fully grasp the true essence of magic.

But as Professor Eldrith explained new concepts, Sophia's hope reignited. She discovered that there was more to magic than what she had been taught. The professor introduced runes and hand signs, techniques never mentioned in her books.

Curiosity sparked within Sophia as she observed the professor's gestures and their impact on spells. She saw the potential to add finesse and precision to her spellcasting. It was a revelation, a way to go beyond the limitations of her past education.

Contemplating the new lessons, Sophia's mind raced with possibilities. She wondered if these new techniques could enable her to achieve more with less mana. Perhaps she could even harness the strength to cast one of her more powerful spells, the ability to stop time for longer than a mere fraction of a second.

The memory of Orion's attack reminded Sophia of her vulnerability, without the ability to speak she couldn't cast spells. Now, armed with new knowledge, she saw a chance to protect herself and expand her magical abilities. It was an opportunity to break free from her previous limitations.

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Determined to reach her full potential as a mage, Sophia decided to explore these new techniques. She would practice runes, learn hand signs, and find more efficient ways to channel mana.

Over the next few days, Sophia and Mike attended a series of basic magic classes, immersing themselves in the fundamental principles of spellcasting. Sophia learned new ways to channel and manipulate mana, the life force that fueled their magic. Sophia was extremely interested in the hand signs specifically.

In addition to their magical studies, the twins found themselves in classes that seemed unrelated to magic but were essential for their education. Basic math lessons helped them understand the calculations and measurements necessary for potion-making and spellcasting. They also attended classes on language and essay writing, developing the skills needed to communicate effectively and document their magical research.

"Fuck that!" Mike replied as Sophia asked for help taking notes in the math class. She thought it would be easier with twice the brain power, but Mike refused to help.

"Come on, Mike, it really isn't that hard. It's like high school math," Sophia pleaded, trying to keep up with the teacher's outrageous pace.

"Nope. I barely passed those classes. This is your show, sis," Mike said, clearly preferring to be bored rather than do math ever again.

One particular class that caught their interest was the history of magic. The professor delved into the origins of magic, recounting the ancient tales of the creation war and the birth of different races. Sophia and Mike listened attentively as they learned about the intertwining of holy and demonic magic, resulting in the emergence of new races, such as dragons, elves, and humans, who possessed both divine and infernal heritage. Confirming what GG had told them, these races were neither gods nor demons but held a unique place in the world, forging their own paths in the tapestry of existence.

It had been a few weeks since their last encounter, and unexpectedly, Sophia and Mike found themselves crossing paths with Altheack once again, this time in the library. Nervously, Sophia mustered up the courage to initiate a conversation.

"Hey there, Altheack. Didn't expect to see you here," Sophia said, her voice tinged with shyness.

Altheack turned to face them, her expression guarded. "What, did you expect me to be in a tree?" she retorted, her tone laced with lingering annoyance from Valicar's earlier comment.

"Well no, but you could defiantly cut a tree down with that look," Mike added playfully.

Altheack let out a small chuckle, her initial guard softening. "I suppose I could give it a try. Just watch out for falling branches."

Breaking the ice once more, the twins spent more time with Altheack, getting to know each other better. Despite their initial rocky encounters, they found common ground and began forming a bond. Altheack, who was only slightly older than them at the age of 15, proved to be a wealth of knowledge and skills.

As they spent time together, Altheack generously shared her wisdom, teaching Sophia a few tricks when it came to polymorphing. Sophia realized that she had little skill in this area and eagerly absorbed Altheack's teachings. The half-elf's guidance opened new possibilities for Sophia, expanding her magical repertoire.

During their conversations, Altheack also touched upon the intricacies of soul-centered magic, prompting Sophia to reflect on her unique existence as Valicar. With two souls coexisting within one body, achieving the required soul-centered focus felt like a daunting task. Sophia understood that she needed to delve deeper into her understanding of magic in order to master these advanced techniques.

The first semester was nearing its end when Easton Von While finally arrived. He appeared to be unimpressed with the stories he had heard along the way, tales of Valicar and her supposed mission to carry on her uncle Valicar's legacy to destroy the empire. He approached Sophia with a chastising tone, sipping from his flask.

"You sure have been busy, kid. All I heard on my way up the mountain were these twinkle fingers singing your praises. How did you manage to keep a low profile when everyone seems to know your name already? Do you want the Church to wipe Norail off the map?" Easton scolded.

"That was fucking Elinor! I didn't even tell anyone my name, yet they all knew it already," Sophia defended herself, leading Easton and their luggage to the guest rooms.

"I don't understand why he would put his own house in danger like that. But the fool has grown oddly desperate for support lately. Nonetheless, we have a few months before word reaches the emperor, and even more years before the idiot decides to take action. In the meantime, where is the bag?" Easton inquired.

"It's right here," Sophia replied, holding the bag in her palm.

"Good, keep it safe. It's a key, from what we have gathered so far. Much like that armor you wear," Easton remarked, his voice filled with intrigue.

Several of Easton's sailors, carrying heavy chests filled with gold and silver, made their way towards the school's bank. It was time to secure Valicar's financial future and ensure that her tuition would be taken care of now that Easton had arrived with the Storm Breaker's cargo.