The breakfast had been amazing, despite Erina's statements that I "couldn't stay between her and John". After the meal, we could already see through the window the first buildings of the city of Norwill. Now all we needed to do was to wait less than half an hour. At this time, we made our beds and packed our handbags, ensuring that we would not forget anything. After that, we wondered what our lives would be like at the Avalon Academy. Erina already imagined herself in the uniform and participating in the practical classes. She even wondered if there would be clubs to join and, if so, she would go to a fencing or swimming club, but I think she would go straight to the swimming club and only talked about fencing to look less horny.

As for me, I think I'll do well at the Academy. I like to read and, as I usually teach what I learn to Erina, I will be able to study well. At least, I can guarantee a average score! As for practical classes, no matter how much I exercise regularly, I probably won't have the best conditioning in the class - I don't think I’ll even be the second best - but I know my healing skills will stand me out! They will just need to realize how useful my skills are to combat and will surround me like puppies! Regarding the possibility of having clubs, it would be nice to go to a reading and writing club or something like that. So we could create stories to publish. It would be the anthology of the club!

Without us realizing it, we had already arrived at the Norwill station. Time flies when you're fantasizing! Without further ado, Erina and I took our bags and disembarked. Goodbye, private car! I will miss your refinement! The rest of the bags, which were mostly from Erina, would be delivered to the Academy, leaving us only with our handbags. Looking around, I didn't find any new students, to my surprise. Maybe the train that my friend and I took has a different itinerary from the train used by the other students.

We looked for John, but we couldn't find him. He was probably late. In order not to get tired while we wait for him, I suggested that we sit on the benches of the station.

“I wonder where is John now?”, Erina asked, looking from one side to the other anxiously.

“He must be on his way, he knows the itinerary”, I explained, “Besides, his sister is me! I'm the one who should be so anxious, not you!”

“It's because, in the near future, we will be legally part of the same family. I don't know why you're against me being your sister-in-law!”

“... Just leave my brother alone, okay?”

I know she's only saying this to provoke me, so there's no reason to fight. For the time being, I know that she will do nothing but flirtatious moves that John probably will not understand, but there is no guarantee of what she will do in the future. I mean, it's been five years and she still insists on pursuing John! Could it be that, even if her harem is huge, will she still insist on him?...

Out of nowhere, Erina let out a long sigh.

“Aaaaaaahhhh... it's a shame that we were the only students to arrive now...”

“That's what you get for riding on a train with a different itinerary just because it's more chic!”, I laughed in response. I was not dissatisfied with the trip, though. It was a private wagon, for the love of the Goddess! Being with Erina brought me closer to luxuries that I would never have contact with in my past life.

“I already wanted to evaluate the boys today!”, She crossed her arms and pouted, like a sulky little child.

“We have barely arrived and you already want to look for members for your harem?! Be patient, woman!”

“And who said I'm looking for myself?” I’ll evaluate them for you as well! I would already look for boys with glasses or long hair or both to help you out!”, She said as if I had begged her to look for them, “Come here, what is your priority? Long hair or glasses?”

Erina got herself closer to me provocatively, without even realizing that someone was approaching us.

“What are you two talking about?”

We looked at person had asked. A young man of about 19 years old, who was well dressed despite the simplicity of his clothing, with amber hair and scarlet eyes. No matter how humble he showed himself in his appearance, his beauty would always be stunning. This was none other than my older brother, John Phenis.

“‘So long hair’? ‘Glasses’? Are you talking about a new fashion trend?”

He replied with such innocence that, even though he is already 19 years old, I don't have the courage to pervert him. It felt like a crime! I have to think of an excuse and soon!

“Ah, John! Er... we--”

“JOHN!”

Out of the blue, Erina jumped off the bench and threw herself into John's arms, hugging him. Such an insolent girl! He’s my brother but she's the one hugging him! Where's your manners, woman?! You're from a respectable family, for goddess sake!

“It’s been too long!”, She let go of John, showing him her most radiant smile.

“I always forget that the Banloros family is much more inclined to physical greetings...”, My brother rubbed the back of his neck, a little disconcerted, but maintained a polite conduct before her “how has it been, Miss Erina?”

“Much better now...”, She sighed. She must probably be thinking something like ‘Every time I see him, he looks more handsome!’

I got up from the bench and looked at them. Wow! That got weird quickly. Erina really messed up the order of things. Wasn't the sister supposed to be the first to greet? Now I'm feeling like I'm a third wheel for these two—

“Come here, Amaris!”

Without any warning, John took my arm and pulled me for a hug. How did he move so fast? I didn't even see it!

“You just reencounter your dear brother and don't even come to hug him Don't tell me you got colder just because you're grown!” He said as a joke.

I got worried for nothing. John would never make me feel like I'm a third wheel.

“The temperature here is a little colder. I'm the one who should be asking if you got colder!”, I reciprocated the joke and hugged him back, “It's good to see you again, big brother!”

“It's also good to see you, Amie!” John finally let me go. I didn't remember him having such a firm hug, but I also got too used to his pre-teen phase, “By the way, congratulations for being accepted into the Academy! I'm so proud of you!”

He stroked my head. He's always been like that, so affectionate? Or does the distance make people more affectionate? Or maybe it's an aging thing...

“You have already congratulated me when I received the admission letter... and in all the other letters to organize my coming here... but thank you anyway!”, I answered, a little awkwardly.

“You can congratulate me more, I like it!”, Erina commented, obviously seeking John's attention.

John laughed at Erina's comment. It's obvious that he doesn't see her as a possible future girlfriend. As much as Erina wants something more, I think she'll have to settle for being the friend of John's sister.

“Well, you two must be tired of riding the train all this time. I'll carry your bags to the dormitories”, John offered, politely. When he went to the bench to pick up the bags, he was surprised by the amount, “One suitcase from Amaris and... only two from Miss Erina?

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“I've already had the rest of the luggage delivered to the dorms”, Erina explained, feeling like a woman for already taking care of her luggage beforehand.

“How well prepared!”, John praised her. Then he took my suitcase that, since it had the possibility of being carried like a backpack, he put it on his back and, for Erina's suitcases, he took one in each hand, “Now, follow me. I will take you to the dorms and then you will be able to see the city!” he addressed his speech to me, “I think you will like the city! As for Miss Erina...”

“I trust your taste!”, Erina declared.

“In that case,”, I quickly went to the right side of John, “let's go soon! The entry ceremony is tomorrow, right? You must be busy. And you also agreed to take us to lunch later.”

“Oh, the lunch?”, the mention of the word "lunch" made Erina excited and soon she positioned herself on the left side of John, “Let's go, let's go!”

So, the three of us left the station and entered the city of Norwill. The first thing I saw were the mountains on the horizon. Norwill was above sea level, but it was not at a worrying level where a simple walk would make me faint.

The walk to the entrance to the campus was surprisingly short. When we left the station we passed through a small park, which was obviously a place for travellers to relax after a trip. After this park, we went through, what I believe, a small commercial district: A bookstore, a bakery, a grocery store, a flower shop, a boutique, a potion shop, a pawn shop, among others. I could see that that part of the city had been structured taking into account the student population of Avalon. Right after this small district, a short street that led right to the entrance to the campus was extended. Until we get to see the walls and iron gates of the Academy, John, Erina and I had a short conversation:

“Avalon Academy...”, John sighed, which started the conversation, “a few years ago, I was a student. Starting tomorrow, I will be a teacher.”

How are you feeling?” I asked.

“As if I am out of reality”

“I believe you will be a great teacher!”, Erina made a comment, meddling in the conversation, “You've faced many battles, right? A classroom is nothing compared to that!”

“Thank you for the encouragement, but teaching and fighting are different things”, John shook his head negatively, “There's no way I can gain proficiency in one doing the other.”

“In this case, All that is left for you is to gain experience, right?”

John looked at me, not understanding for sure what I meant. Seeing that I would need to be clearer, I better explained:

“You're nervous because you've never been a teacher. It's normal to feel nervous when you're going to try something for the first time. But that's why you have to face it head-on, otherwise you'll never lose your fear! Take the test! When you go to introduce yourself to the class, you will think ‘Wow, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! I don't even know why I was nervous!’”

While I was talking, I could hear some laughs. They were John's. It was no longer possible to see that expression of anxiety in the midst of his smile.

“Hahahaha, did you know you just sounded like a old uncle?”, John spoke between laughs. He even tried to raise his hand to stroke my hair, but when he saw that he was carrying a suitcase, he remembered that his hands were busy.

It was obvious that he said that to try and tease me. Hah! As if being called "old uncle" was going to affect me! Silly brother! You may be the oldest, but I'm the one who has more accumulated memories.

“I just did what was necessary to get inside your hard head, big brother!”, I replied relaxed, patting him on the back.

And by "patting", I meant "slapped". Taking into account that he was stronger, I also wanted to show my strength, even if it was little. However, when my hand collided with his back and made a loud sound, I felt a burning sensation quickly spread in the palm of my hand. Protective Goddess, what a hard back!

How is it possible?! Okay, I always suspected that he would become exceptionally strong, but it doesn't change the fact that my hand hurt!

“Anyway...”, I talked to John again to distract me from the pain, “I don't think any student will notice that you feel unprepared. You're already wearing a teacher's outfit!”

John was wearing a button T-shirt underneath an open oil blue coat, grey pants and brown shoes. You could see that the T-shirt, coat and pants had been well ironed. John definitely took a lot of care in his clothing, because he really looked like a teacher. A modest teacher, but who took his work seriously.

“I'm glad that, at least, my clothing is adequate. Although I don't think I’m formal enough. Should I put on a tie?”

“You don't have to” I assured him, “You look great that way!”

“Actually...” Erina started talking with a malicious smile on her face, a sign that she would say something provocative, “you can take off your coat. You can even unbutton the first buttons of the shirt, if you want...”

My eyes widened. I know I was aware that she would try to flirt with John, but what she said was way too provocative! I believe she was waiting for John to turn red with embarrassment but, unfortunately for her, he just laughed in response.

“Hahahaha! Miss Erina, you know very well how to deliver humorous lines! I can see that you participated in many social events.”

To Erina's bad luck, John seemed immune to her insinuations. I think it was because I was her friend or because she was younger than him. Maybe it was a combination of both. Or maybe it was because he sees her as a classy girl. In fact, I think everyone who sees her views her as an elegant lady of the high society. And there's no way to blame them. Erina tries very hard to maintain her image.

At the end of the conversation, we reached the gates of the Avalon Academy. As expected, they were tall, at the height of a truck, and were made of iron.

Crossing them, you would get to the campus. But our destination was off campus, but it still was a property of the Academy. Turning to the left, we saw four large buildings, a pair parallel to the other, which had a cozy but formal air. The stones on the walls of the dormitories were beige, but the columns on the walls were of a darker tone. The door was wide enough for two people to enter together with a considerable space between each one. These were the students' dormitories. If we had turned right, we would see the employees' dormitories.

I was astonished by the size of the dorms. They were so tall and so wide that they made me feel tiny. I think they would only lose to an imperial theatre! Okay, I may be exaggerating, but you can understand that how big they were. And on top of that there were four of them! How many students would fit in each one?

“Four dorms... Are the students separated by sex?” Erina addressed John and asked.

“Actually, no”, he replied, getting ready to explain, “In the beginning, one dormitory was enough to house all the students, but the Academy gained more prestige and the number of enrolments increased, so they had to build more dormitories.”

“But now that they are in four, an even number, why didn't they divide between boys and girls?”, I asked the question. Erina stared at me with judgment. Clearly, she was thinking ‘Don't spoil my moment!‘

“They chose not to divide by sexes to prevent one dormitory from becoming more populous than the other”, after answering me, John raised his eyebrows, as if he had realized something, “But don't worry! It never got to the point that boys and girls had to share the same room!”

“Rest assured, John!”, I assured, “I wasn't worried about myself and Erina!”

“Don't worry, John! We'll be fine!” Erina also assured.

I glanced at Erina. You could see that she was relieved, but not because she won't have to share the room with a boy, but because there will be boys in the same dormitory as her. It's not about us that you should worry about, John, but about the boys!

Leaving my worries aside, we entered the dormitory. We were in the living room. There were long sofas and armchairs, both burgundy-coloured, surrounding a coffee table made of wood. In front of the sofas and armchairs, there was a chest of drawers with a radio on top - the technological advances of this world have not yet reached the point that everyone has a TV at home - and plant pots on each side. There were also two shelves leaning against the wall, positioned perpendicularly. On that floor there were also bathrooms, kitchen with dining room and storage. Despite the cozy atmosphere I felt, there was a great detail that drew attention in that living room: a considerable pile of suitcases right in front of the mailboxes of future students and a pair of employees - a man and a woman - looking at such a pile.

“Hmmmmmm...”, the man analyzed a paper that the woman had given him with the luggage tags, “Indeed, Lanie, all the bags are in the name of a person.”

“That's what I’ve told you, David!”, the woman, Lanie, replied, “All these bags... It is not possible that they all are from only one person! I wonder if it was a mistake.”

“Probably a group of students decided to gather the luggage and put them in the name of one of them”, that was David's guess.

“Excuse me.”

Lanie and David quickly turned around when they heard Erina's voice. When she saw that she had the attention of the employees, she continued with her speech, behaving with an air of education and elegance.

“I'm looking for my luggage. Can you tell me if it have arrived? It’s in the name of ‘Erina Banloros’.”

“‘Erina Banloros’?”, Lanie widened her eyes, took the paper from David's hand and reread it, “Oh yes, There it is!”

Erina joined her hands, with a charming smile on her face and bright eyes.

“Thank you very much!”, She made a small bow to the two employees and then turned to me, “Amaris, our bags have arrived!”

John handed us the bags we had taken on the trip and Erina and I went to check if all the luggage had been delivered. While we were checking and identifying which suitcases belonged to whom, Lanie and David sighed relieved.

“Did you see, Lanie?”, David said, “I told you that probably some students decided to put their luggage together. Certainly, each half belongs to one...”

“They're all here!”

David's speech was interrupted by Erina's announcement and his hypothesis had been refuted when he saw the distribution of the bags.

“More than two-thirds were HER bags?!”, David and Lanie exclaimed at the same time.

When they said "hers", they were obviously referring to Erina's bags. The rich one here is her, not me! Even though I receive a lot of clothes and regalias from her, I will never be able to overcome her in terms of excess material goods.

John, seeing Erina surrounded by suitcases, scratched the back of his neck and laughed a little awkwardly.

“...Now this is more like the Miss Erina I know.”