"Oh, so this is the Tornix Academy!~"
The two girls finally arrived at the academy after they are done getting back Mika's pouch. Cera looks up at the academy with an excited look. Her eyes shining brightly as she gazes at it in amazement.
The academy is very large and just at the front gate, she can see the large plot of land, the brick path to the fountain and the main building which have a total of three floors, the trimmed grasses and the arrangement of greenery and flowers, and the variety of people walking inside the building.
Cera looks at the people with more interest, seeing many lines of carriage on the middle of the gate, while people at the side are entering the gate.
"There are so many people here~ I can see a lot of young girls and boys here~" Cera exclaims.
Mika looks at her a bit weirdly. "You look a lot more younger than us, Cera." She said before continuing. "By the way, how old are you?"
"I don't know....?" Cera said with a tilt of her head, turning to her while blinking her eyes. Then she looks up as she recalls the bit about the Identification Globe. "I think I'm 15 years old based on that magic item?"
"Magic item....?" Mika tilts her head for a bit before nodding in realization. "Ah, the Identification Globe." She said before gazing at her with a raised eyebrow. "How come you don't know your own age?"
Cera looks at her with a curious look. "I didn't bother to count when I'm at the Beyond." She said rather honestly.
Mika stares at her with a dumbfounded look. Not knowing how to take what she is saying.
As the two are talking to each other, a person get closer to them. That person taps the shoulder of Mika, making her squeak in surprise.
"Mika! Your finally here!" The two girls turn around to see a brown haired girl wearing round glasses. Looking at Mika while one of her hand was positioned on her waist. "I have been waiting for awhile now!" Her eyes then turned to Cera. "So, care to introduce me to your new friend?"
"Ah! Helen!" Mika gasped as she easily recognizes her. Then she turns to Cera. "Cera, this is my friend I am talking about. She is Helen Ludreville Arctrus, the only daughter of the Baron Arctrus."
The newly introduced girl turns to Cera with a smile and gave her a polite curt. "I am Helen Ludreville Arctrus, future owner of Ludreville and the only daughter of the Baron Arctrus. It is nice to meet you...." She glances at her while giving her a polite smile.
Cera, thinking it is the norm, also tries to copy her. Doing a curt that is a lot more refined than her. "Likewise. This one is Cera Celestia Planetos. Just someone who lives on the Beyond, and have come here to meet with everyone." She said. Before giving her a bright smile.
".... Wow, I didn't thought your also a noble.... may I know the rank of your family?" Helen asked.
"Rank......?" She tilted her head.
The two looks at her in confusion before Mika shrugs and turns to Helen. "Well, maybe she doesn't know." Seeing Helen looking at her in confusion, she continues. "She says she is from Beyond, which I think is a remote village somewhere on this kingdom. She might not know a lot of things here...." She said, and then explained more.
After the explanation, Cera can only tilt her head in curiosity seeing Helen looking at her in pity.
"Well, I won't judge even if your a daughter of a provincial noble.... though it is surprising that your whole name resembles the name of the three main religions of this continent."
"Yes, they kept saying that...." Cera said.
"Well, anyway.... as a fellow provincial noble, I think it's up to me to guide you about the city life!" She said with a confident gaze. Her glasses shining a bit. "Also, because you helped my dear friend Mika, I will consider you a friend too! Will that be alright?"
Cera nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I'm so glad to be your friend!~" She said, grasping Helen's hands with her own and shaking it in excitement.
"Waaa.... T-that's a rather strong response...." Helen said as she glances at Mika.
"Well, she seems to have come here too find friends...." Mika explained.
"I see...." Helen then smiled wryly at her. "Anyway, let's go inside!~" She said.
The three of them enters the open gates of the academy, walking to the brick path and following the other enrollees around.
"So, did you already think where to stay?" The brunette asks, causing Cera to tilt her head. "I plan to stay at the silver dorms. It's a bit more expensive than the bronze dorms, but I have to do that to represent my nobility at least."
"I'm also going to the silver dorms. I wanted to be together with my friend." Mika smiles while putting her hand on her pouch tied to the loose belt on her waist for a bit.
".... Then I'll stay at the silver dorms too?" Cera said with a tilt of her head.
The two of them looks at each other, before shaking their head. "Well, let me explain then..." Mika said before continuing.
According to her, it seems like the school have a dormitory system, and the dorms are separated into four categories. The bronze, silver, gold, and platinum dorms. Dorm fees are separate on tuition fees and school equipment fees, and depending on what kind of dorm the student or the parent chose, it covers most of the expenses on attending this academy.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Bronze dorms seems to only have a monthly cost of five silvers when staying on it. Silver dorms needs five gold to stay there, which is a hundred times more expensive than the bronze dorms. Gold dorms costs 500 gold coins monthly. Platinum dorms costs 5 platinum coins monthly.
She also asks about the currency, and learned that a single platinum equals a thousand golds. A single gold equals a hundred silvers. A single silver equals a hundred bronze. A bronze can buy at least a loaf of bread at a maximum, a pouch of clean water at a minimum.
Cera can at least understand that much when it is explained to her.
Though she grows curious. Her [Clairvoyance] and [Farsight] which are a form of magic from another magic system she created, was activated awhile ago to look at these dorms and she doesn't see anything special about the place.
Well, the platinum dorms seems to be pretty large. It's like a mini-mansion of it's own with it's own garden and veranda. The whole platinum dorms is like a residence itself of these type of houses. Unlike the gold dorms which is just a really wide building with a lot of useless space within, and rooms that are uselessly decorated with golds and paintings that she can't see any value of.
Well, the artistic choices somewhat piques her eyes, but it is below average compared to the beauty of creation itself. So she is not that impressed.
For her, regardless of the room size and decorations around it, it's still the same. So she is so curious about the heavily inflated prices of it.
"What's the point of that?" So she asks in wonder, causing the two to look at her in wonder. "Aren't those just rooms to stay in? Why separate it?"
The two gawks at her casual dismissal of those dorms, making them perplexed. "Err.... it's a way to flaunt their wealth and show the strength of their family." Helen tries to explain.
"Huh? Why would they flaunt their wealth? Is there any reason for that?" Cera asked, clearly looking confused.
"Of course. Their pride and their family name is important as a noble. So they always need to show their wealth to the public or else they will be publicly shamed."
".... I'm confused..." Cera admitted honestly at the noble's explanation.
Mika waves her hand. "Well, it's how it works here..." She said with a wry smile.
"I see. Okay...." She said, nodding her head for a bit.
"So where are you planning to stay?" Helen asked.
"Of course, I will stay with you two. I want to be with my friends~" Cera said with a bright smile on them.
".... Your so sweet!~" Helen immediately hugs her, making Cera gasps in surprised.
Mika only giggles to the side as they continue walking to the main building.
______________________________________
The line to the enrollment desk is rather long, though it is moving fast. It only takes a few minutes before it is their turn.
Cera is the first one from the three of them, and she is looking up at the guy at the other side of the reception desk.
"Do you have your parents with you?"
"I don't have any parents."
The guy blinks his eyes for a bit at the casual admission of the snowy haired child in front of him before shaking his head. "Can you write?"
Cera just smiled at him with a nod. The guy then handed a paper to her.
"Write the relevant information on that paper, and then leave your payment along with submitting that. You can use submit the that to the table there." He said before continuing. "You can sit there. There are quill pens and inks that you can use there." He simply added before dismissing her then calling out for the next one.
"Thanks~" She said with a short bow before going to the table he directed at, then sitting on a free seat there. There are many tables like this with a column of quill pens and inks on the middle. She laid the paper flat and then take the quill pen, before beginning to write.
"Hm?" Though she becomes a bit distracted as her attention gets taken by the room just besides this one.
Since entering this room, she has become curious at the room on the other side. She saw the carriages lining up on the gate going to that room, and through her [Clairvoyance] and [Farsight], she can see the people who have their servants and families together with them going on a desk that is somewhat elaborately decorated, though it seems like they are also being given the same paper as the one she have.
As she is thinking that, she turns her head to the side seeing Mika and Helen sitting besides her.
"Uhmm...." The two perks up and turns to her. "Do you know why there are people going to the other side of the room there. Why don't they line up with us here?" She asks in wonder.
"Ah...." Helen shakes her head at that before smiling at her wryly. "That room is for the high nobles and the prominent person. Most people pay the fee just to get in first without any delay." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Why would they do that? Are they shy?"
The two chokes on that. "Them? Shy?" Helen stifled out a guffaw. "That's a new way to describe them!" She shakes her head before continuing. "Actually, they didn't want to be with us lower nobles and commoners. They're arrogant like that." She snorted.
"Eh.... is that so?" She said with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes."
Cera glances at this room and the many enrollees around. She can see that there are many people of different races here. She can see animal ears and tails on many of them, along with some stout build person and some leaner elves, with a few being humans.
Unlike the other side which only have humans and some elves within. She still doesn't understand what's with the separation.
"Don't think too much about it." Helen told her.
"Hmm.... okay..." She said, still feeling a bit distracted at that, but decided to resume writing about her personal info.
It took awhile before they are finally done, though she can sense the two gazing at her work. "What is it?" She asks in curiosity.
".... Nothing, I'm just curious about you." She said. "Though what do you mean that your proficient in creation?" Helen asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm good at Creation!~" Cera said with a smile.
"That.... doesn't answer what I am asking...." She said before sighing. "Well, it's fine.... so your birthplace is the Beyond. Where is it by the way?" Helen asked.
"Somewhere above!" Cera immediately answered.
The brunette gazes at her with a deadpan. "I don't understand what you meant from above. Do you mean the skies?" Cera shakes her head. "Yeah.... of course not...."
"Mhm, it's beyond the skies~" She said.
"Okay.... now I know your just messing with me." The noble stated with a deadpan.
"But.... I'm not?"
"Anyway, it's fine if you don't want to tell. I'm sure you have some reasons why you are hiding it." Helen said while nodding to herself.
"..... But I am not hiding it though...?" Cera tried to say, but it seems like whatever she says fell on deaf ears.