Kira flopped into a cushy chair in the common room with an exaggerated huff, blowing a wayward strand of hair out of her eyes. "I don't get it," she muttered, drumming her fingers on the chair's arm. She glanced at the door with drawn eyebrows when it opened, only to relax when Dani shuffled through instead of the twins.

Brigit and Ribbon exchanged glances before picking out seats of their own. The Drakke opened her mouth first. "Don't get what?"

"Why they're so... So..." Kira gestured as she tried to find the words, only to slump back into her chair with an exhausted sigh. "Frustrating."

"Some people are just harder to get along with than others," Brigit muttered, shrugging her shoulders. Ribbon hesitated before nodding her agreement.

"I get it," Dani said, crawling onto her favorite couch and pulling a thick blanket from her inventory. Her black eyes flickered over Ribbon and Brigit, who both winced, before settling on Kira. "Do you wanna actually get it, or just complain while your friends coddle you?"

Kira bristled, but the calm expression on Dani's face soothed the rough impact of the girl's blunt statement. Judging by the slightly abashed expressions on the other two girl's faces, there was definitely something going on that she just wasn't grasping. While Dani's words were a bit harsh, they weren't said with any particular malice or venom evident in the other girl's voice.

Kira met the other girl's straightforward gaze with her own. "I wanna know."

"Then answer a couple questions for me. Nothing too personal or anything, but it's important if I wanna understand where you're coming from too. I'm not gonna pry, and you don't need to give further details, but I need at least basic answers. Okay?"

"Okay."

Dani nodded as she held up a finger. "First. How old are you?"

"14."

"And you've spent a lot of time practicing magic?"

"Yeah."

"But you're only 1-F?"

"I leveled up..."

"2-F, then."

"Yeah..."

"Was any of that time spent in a Gate with a time effect?"

Kira, Brigit, and Ribbon all visibly flinched. Seeing their expressions, Dani sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm not prying, but it's kinda obvious. It's not uncommon for rich or reclusive families to train their kids like that, and is the only way a kid like you can already have a spell mastery. Casting a spell until your mana runs dry all day every day, sitting in a mana gathering array to restore MP? It would take at least six years to fully master a spell without hella expensive boosts. Even with mid or high level spell comprehension, it would take a few years. But you're 14, and a Geomancer. Very few families are wealthy enough to bother raising a Geomancer when there's other more viable Classes available. Changing your Class wouldn't have been a problem... And it wouldn't have been a question, in most cases.

"You chose to remain a Geomancer. No one made you change it, or if they tried they obviously didn't succeed. You have a spell comprehension passive from your bloodline. Enough money to buy whatever spells you like. Gold Scholarship to a prestigious school which basically guarantees you'll graduate. And the good fortune to earn spell mastery in a time dilation Gate at such a young age. You're basically the exact opposite of the twins. Of course they'd be pissed."

Kira furrowed her brows. "I only chose to remain a Geomancer. Everything else wasn't my choice, it just... Happened to me."

"But it did happen to you," Brigit interrupted with an apologetic smile before Dani had an opportunity to say the same thing but with harsher words. "You didn't choose your circumstances, but you can't change the fact that they happened, and you've been very fortunate because of them."

"Not all of it's been fortunate..."

The Human's harsh, rebellious mutter made Brigit flinch again. "That's... Not what I..."

Ribbon slid off her chair, hurrying over to place her little paw-like hands on Kira's knees. "Kira."

"Mm."

"Kira, look at me p-please."

Kira glanced down, meeting the honey gold eyes of the Kobold. "Mm."

"Am I... Are we f-friends?"

"Yeah."

"And Brigit?"

"Yeah."

Relieved, the Kobold's puffy little tail gave a brief happy wag. "If you don't... Tell people about y-yourself, they'll only know... They'll only judge what they can see. We're your friends, and we know, but other people don't."

"If all you see is someone succeeding, without knowing the harsh truth behind that success, of course you'll be envious and even jealous when comparing it to your own failures," Dani said, waving a hand lazily in the air. "I'm guessing something bad happened in exchange for all that good in your life, huh?"

"My entire family's dead," Kira said, keeping her eyes locked on the Kobold's sympathetic gaze. Her voice came out flat, almost monotone, as she fought against the harsh hot tears pricking at the corners of each eye.

"I'm sure it was horrible and I'm really sorry it happened to you, but I feel like I have to point out... You're not the only one." Dani said. Brigit gave her a harsh glare, but the Pooka Druid didn't back down in the slightest. Especially after seeing the color drain from Kira's face as realization sunk in. Clearly it was something the girl failed to consider so far. "What happened to you no doubt sucked, but you're not the only one who's lost things or people important to them. Family, friends, dreams. And I'm not saying the twins are right or anything. Honestly, I think both sides are being stupid."

Dani emphasized by pointing at each person in turn, jabbing with her finger in sharp gestures that made the other three girls feel like they had to lean and dodge some invisible attack. "You guys are coddling and enabling a kid who's being self-absorbed and not realizing how pretentious and condescending she's being, something Brigit's also guilty of to a lesser degree, while the twins are being needlessly argumentative and jealous, disturbing the peace of our little classroom community by picking on someone obviously significantly younger than themselves just because she's more privileged in some ways.

"None of you are actually talking to each other, or trying to hear out the other's side, you're just busy being petty and stupid and it's exhausting to listen to. They snipe at you, you snap at them. I'd appreciate if you all could knock it the heck off. If you're not gonna get along, at least ignore each other for the sake of the people around you. You're dragging everyone around you into your little arguments, and it's bringing the whole class down. We're supposed to be studying and improving ourselves, not squabbling like brats. It's an academy of adventurers, not a nursery."

Having said her piece, the Pooka decided she didn't want to nap in the common room after all, and dragged her thick blanket to the elevator for a good nap in the quiet of her own room.

Kira looked down at the little Kobold paws still resting on her knees, focusing on the silky soft fur rather than meet the gazes of her friends. Nobody spoke - neither condemning nor defending her. She was definitely missing something if her friends weren't saying anything, and Kira couldn't help but feel a hollow yet heavy feeling in her chest.

The tears pricking her eyes threatened to fall, her vision swimming as a strange tickle made the inside of her nose itch. 'I just wanted to help! I thought they were bullies, but... I was so busy being annoyed, I didn't think about why they were being mean out of nowhere... Did I... Do something wrong, after all?'

Karl groaned, rubbing his temples with his fingers. The Council meeting dragged on much longer than initially projected thanks to Willis and his meddling, bringing up a discussion about a Clanless Human 《 Relic 》 in a public forum to force everyone's hand.

If she was kept a secret they'd all dance around each other using shady tactics to benefit themselves without risking their reputations or positions. By announcing Kira's presence, Willis dragged her out of the shadows. Anything that happened to her would be a matter of public record... Records Humans could access when inevitably chasing her trail.

Karl could almost hear some of the councilors wringing their hands under the table. Always a good thing, to put those crooked few on edge.

But the trade-off was Kira in the public eye.

Not everyone watched the Council meeting broadcasts, but a few certainly did. Concerned citizens, bored elderly, and traveling visitors looking to get a grasp on the local climate while passing through Atmont. Several newspapers and magazines sent lower-ranking reporters to take notes and write bland articles about the meeting results, praise popular councilors, condemn unpopular ones.

Or vice-versa, depending on the publisher.

Those unsuspecting little interns just had the article of the year dropped into their unsuspecting laps, complete with pictures and even the name of the person in question!

So much for keeping her identity a secret while she peacefully passed her time in the academy. Karl sighed as his plans were dashed to the ground, broken into so many pieces by a culprit he never even thought to suspect.

That crafty old Lepidor!

At least Councilor Albite would be on Kira's side. Those Bronzen Dwarves were among those Beings which took student-mentor relationships very seriously, considering mentors as their parents and students as their children. Ailsa being willing to sign the mentorship contract with Kira essentially adopted the Human as far as Ailsa's Bronzen kin were concerned. With that knowledge, several other councilors would have to watch their step or risk making an enemy of the highly influential Councilor Albite in addition to the Human Clans.

Even if they managed to foist Kira off on other Humans they'd then have Albite to contend with, alongside Karl himself who clearly took measures to protect the child. Karl didn't have as many deep roots as many of the other seated Councilors who'd been around the block a few times, but he was clever, talented, young, handsome, and thus popular with the common folk.

Karl glanced at Ector and Willis, both having a heated argument over which would be better for the city - leaving Kira alone, or politely kicking her out. Behind him, Lilian stood silent, but he could practically feel fury radiating from the joints of her mechanical body.

To prevent an outburst from the Automata, Karl stood to draw the attention of his peers. He waited for Ector and Willis to both acknowledge his intent to interrupt before speaking. "Miss Kira Hawthorne is Attuned and an orphan, thus the City-State of Atmont legally acknowledges her autonomy. Discussing her future without involving the person in question is quite cruel, wouldn't you agree? It isn't as though she's a criminal or outcast, she is a victim of circumstance.

"As she herself has not expressed hostility toward our citizens, entered our city properly without hiding her identity except at my own urging for her personal safety, and has in fact been quite cooperative and pleasant considering the circumstances, why don't we ask what she wants for herself?

"Upon her enrollment to the Academia I added Miss Hawthorne to my Friend list in the event I needed to contact her again. I can call and give her the choice: remain a student of the Atmont Academia until her graduation, at which point she'd be free to return to her own kind having spent several years among us learning our ways, or else send her to the Human Clans with our blessings and support. Here and now, while we're being recorded for posterity so there can be no doubts as to her wishes. "

"You- Ah!" Ector bit back his protests upon Karl's subtle reminder that they were being recorded - Willis brought up the topic on the record, and everyone descended into a rather chaotic discussion that breached several rules of etiquette and protocol. The Satir wasn't the only councilor who seemed to have forgotten their meeting was not yet adjourned, and thus was still a matter of public record.

Councilor Ector paled as he recalled the things he said about the Human child. Much of what he said could be construed as rather nasty prejudice against Humans, which could be harmful to his own future if Humans arrived to investigate Kira and her treatment in the city. Atmont recognized her autonomy under their laws but that didn't mean Humans had the same beliefs, especially considering her age. Humans considered those under thirty as a youngling to be protected by the community, while under twenty was always a child regardless of their life experiences or surrounding circumstances.

"Ah, yes, well... Perhaps we should indeed involve the uh, child in question." The Satir stammered, clearing his throat before taking a seat.

Willis, as the one who brought the topic before the Council, called for a majority vote. Hands shot into the air, the Council unanimously agreeing to bring Kira's opinion into the record. With the motion passed, Karl opened his Chat, made a window visible, and enlarged the screen so everyone present - including the cameras - could see its contents.

Karl Miss Hawthorne, I'm terribly sorry for the disturbance. Do you have a moment to spare?

Kira jolted out of her reverie at the sudden notification popping into her field of view. She sat on the couch in her dorm, her consolation slime in a tight embrace, deeply considering whether or not she was at fault in her actions or behaviors, yet unable to find the point where she'd made a mistake grievous enough to earn resentment from the twins.

Was it really as simple as jealousy over apparent privilege?

'Ah, wait... Why did he call me Miss Hawthorne...?' Kira frowned, opening the Chat message. She typed a response, then erased her more casual phrasing and entered something that matched better with Karl's unexpectedly stiff tone.

Kira Of course. Is something the matter, Mister DuFeu?

She made a face as she typed, uncomfortable with using somewhat proper syntax. She hadn't typed so formally since she was a kid trying to impress other people on the Internet for the first time!

Karl Not at all! Miss Hawthorne, the Atmont Council wishes to ask you a couple simple questions. May I connect a video call to verify your identity and answers? Our Chat will be recorded, so it is best if you're in the privacy of your own quarters and not accompanied by classmates.

Kira groaned and fell sideways on the couch, kicking her feet. How annoying! An official formal call? And why was some Council interested in suddenly asking her questions? Weren't they important government people?!

She huffed, stomping over to lock her dorm door before returning to the couch. Luckily she hadn't changed into her pajamas for the night yet, so all Kira had to do was straighten her hair a bit to look somewhat presentable. With the consolation slime once more placed securely on her lap providing its emotional support, she sent her response.

Kira Certainly. Ready when you are, Mister DuFeu.

A few moments later, a jingling ringtone filled her ears. Holographic headphones appeared on her head, along with a floating camera she could adjust the position of, and a miniature display window showing what the other side would be seeing from her camera's angle. Kira took a couple deep breaths before accepting the video call, clenching the slime plush tight.

When Karl appeared, it was with a crowd of strangers behind him and a cool, professionally distant expression on his face. Kira hid her flinch by leaning back a little, tightening her trembling grip on the poor slime plush.

So many eyes.

"Good evening Miss Hawthorne," Karl said, his emerald gaze softening. Beside him, Lilian stealthily raised her hand for a slight wave.

Kira focused on the familiar faces and gave a half-smile. "Good evening... Mister DuFeu."

"Thank you for agreeing to the call. We just have a couple quick questions for you. First, can you introduce yourself for the Council? Name, age, level and Class if you please."

"Ah... I'm Kira Hawthorne, 14 years old. 2-F Geomancer."

Karl's eyes sparkled for a moment, and his cool facade was broken by a genuine smile that Kira couldn't resist returning. "Congratulations on your first level up!"

"Thank you."

"You've been in Atmont such a short while, and already leveled?"

Dealing with adults in a formal situation always made Kira even more uncomfortable than she usually felt around adults. She fidgeted a little, but tried keep the smile on her face. Karl was obviously trying to give her some lead for explaining more, but explanations were not her strong suit. Much less in front of a crowd! "Mm. Ah... Yes. My mentor helped me in the Dungeon... For training."

A stocky old man muscled his way through the crowd of people behind Karl, pushing his way to the front. Lilian and Karl both stepped aside to let the man approach, giving him a short nod of acknowledgment.

"Oi! Lass! Yer mentor, what be 'is name?"

The stocky old man had a glorious white beard reaching to his knees, decorated with intricate braids. The robes he wore matched everyone else's in design, but strained to contain his muscular figure within its cloth confines. His molten silver eyes and thick accent evoked a feeling of familiarity in Kira, even though she knew she'd never met the man before.

She'd remember that beard, for sure!

"Er... My mentor is a lady named Ailsa Reid," Kira said, shrinking back when the man leaned closer to the screen.

"Ye be a Geomancer? And stay such by yer own volition, aye?"

"Aye! Er, yes. Sir." Kira clenched her fists, waiting for the inevitable question and scorn regarding her Class of choice.

The stocky old man burst into laughter, a deep guffaw that rippled through his beard. "Hrmph, good lass!"

Kira was stunned.

He was...

Praising her?

On the other side of the screen, Karl coughed and gestured toward the chuckling old man. "Miss Hawthorne, may I introduce Councilor Feldar Albite? He is Mrs. Reid's grandfather."

"Oh!" That explained a lot! Their physical resemblance was strong, aside from the beard, and Ailsa didn't try to change her mind about being a Geomancer either. The woman instead jumped right in to teaching her the best way to use her Class, skipping right past the 'Are you sure' phase just about everyone else started with. Maybe it was a Dwarf thing...? "Nice to meet you, Mister Albite."

"Hmph!" The old man snorted, calming his laughter and moving back so Karl could step forward again. His silver eyes sparkled when he made eye contact with Kira, only to grow cold again whenever he glanced over his broad shoulder at the other councilors.

Though much shorter than Karl, Councilor Albite was broad enough to block a large portion of the frame on his own when he stepped back. With much of the crowd now out of view behind his stocky figure, Kira breathed a sigh of relief and fought the urge to thank the old Dwarf. Even if it was an accident, it was an appreciated one!

"Miss Hawthorne," Karl said, drawing her attention back to himself. "You are a Human, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Would you like to live among fellow Humans, Miss Hawthorne?"

Humans?

'Aren't the Human lands...' Kira wracked her brains trying to remember one of the maps Ribbon and Brigit showed her during their study sessions. Upon remembering the colorful patchwork of carefully labeled territories, color fled her cheeks and the wind rushed out of her lungs. The closest Human territories were thousands of miles away!

Stunned, she leaned back and clutched the consolation slime plush to her chest. "You... You mean... Leave?"

Dealing with the twins was annoying, and apparently she did something wrong to make some other classmates mad at her, but she was getting used to living in the dorm. Her week of hellish training aside, the last few days were actually pretty fun. Classes in the mornings, lunch and studying in the afternoon, dinner and training in the evenings before bed. While winding down at night, she read books and watched movies in the System, catching up on content she missed.

Routine was remarkably easy to attain. She'd already started to adjust to life at the Academia!

'I swear I'll apologize to the twins, and I'll mind my own business and study hard, just please don't kick me out!' Tears stung the corners of Kira's eyes, but the words caught in her throat before she could voice them.

No one listened to her anyway. No one but the Hawthornes. Why bother trying to explain or bargain? Adults would do what they wanted in the end, her own desires didn't really matter.

The crowd behind Karl murmured softly, chattering among themselves while Karl shook his head. "Only if you want to, Miss Hawthorne. The Council is concerned about your well-being, there are no Humans currently living in Atmont aside from yourself. Knowing this, would you like to remain attending the Atmont Academia until graduation, or would you prefer living among Humans? Arrangements can be made for you either way."

Kira shook her head, lowering her gaze to look at her plush toy. She swallowed, then swallowed again before finding a whisper of her voice trapped beneath her tongue. "I don't... Want to... Leave."

"Just to confirm for the record, you do want to stay at the Academia?"

She thought of Brigit, Ribbon, Simon and Asim who made her laugh with their silly bantering, and Ailsa. Even the delicious food at the cafeteria, and the nice teachers she'd met so far. It'd only been a short while, and it wasn't home yet, but maybe someday...

Her grip on the slime plush tightened even further. "Yes."

"Very well. Thank you for your time, Miss Hawthorne. Have a nice evening."

Karl ended the call, and Kira let out a loud sigh. She clutched her plush toy to her chest and fell over sideways onto the couch. Her entire body trembled, lips pale and knuckles white from the violent wringing she'd been forcing the slime plush to endure. She hugged it close, more gently this time, and buried her face in its soft, squishy embrace.

"I just want... To stay with them..."