*Tock, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock*

Mm. Good morning, thought Alviona as she gently opened her eyes. The sun was not up yet, and she could not see much. However, she could feel the breathing and warmth of Janine who slept beside her. Alviona could feel the girl's slender hands around her waist. For the child, it was an odd feeling. She had slept with her mother and Mira. However, with Janine, it felt strange. Her heart seemed to race a little faster than usual, and while she did not mind it, the sensation was still new to her. Alviona ended up blushing and became slightly uncomfortable. And yet, she did not want to get out of the bed. I think it is best to wait until sunrise, she thought. I do not want to wake her up with my movement. Grandma said many times that Janine was tired because of driving the carriage. Yes, I should let her rest. I will go to sleep too.

*Tock, Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock*

Three hours later, Alviona woke up and Janine appeared to be up and out of the room. Solomon sat on the chair opposite the bed.

“Ah. Good morning, mistress. How are you today?” Asked the man with a smile.

“I am good. Thank you for asking, Mr. Solomon. How are you?” Replied Alviona chirpily, her eyes displaying curiosity and excitement. After all, today they were going to enroll at the Academy of Dalei.

“I am also well. Hearing your beautiful voice makes me feel refreshed. So then, shall we get going? Mira and Janine went out to retrieve some information related to the place of the institution. Breakfast was already served, but in this inn, we are allowed to request additions free of charge. So if you are hungry, it would be a great time to fuel up,” said Solomon, getting up, approaching Alviona, and asking for permission to pat her head. Hearing her excited voice in his head, the man pampered his mistress.

After getting spoiled, the girl got out of her bed and dressed up in her usual attire. She still wore her green blouse, black leather pants, and light brown leather boots. Now it was time to equip her treasure. Excited, she recalled the Needlessly Large Hat of A Witch from her with an instruction to auto-equip it. However, nothing happened. Instead, a sound rang through her mind.

You lack the required Stats to equip Needlessly Large Hat of A Witch. Raise your Intelligence by 487, Wisdom by 834, and Strength by 31 points to equip this item.

Alviona tried again.

You lack the required Stats to equip Needlessly Large Hat of A Witch. Raise your Intelligence by 487, Wisdom by 834, and Strength by 31 points to equip this item.

And again.

You lack the required Stats to equip Needlessly Large Hat of A Witch. Raise your Intelligence by 487, Wisdom by 834, and Strength by 31 points to equip this item.

And again.

You lack the required Stats to equip Needlessly Large Hat of A Witch. Raise your Intelligence by 487, Wisdom by 834, and Strength by 31 points to equip this item.

And again.

You lack the required Stats to equip Needlessly Large Hat of A Witch. Raise your Intelligence by 487, Wisdom by 834, and Strength by 31 points to equip this item.

And again.

You lack the required Stats to equip Needlessly Large Hat of A Witch. Raise your Intelligence by 487, Wisdom by 834, and Strength by 31 points to equip this item.

After trying it over one hundred times, and listening to the same message, she attempted to equip the hat one last time.

I am serious. You lack the required Stats to equip this item. Please, stop trying to do so until you have 50 Intelligence, 50 Wisdom, and 35 Strength.

Reading the last message, the girl grinned.

Mr. Solomon, can you please go downstairs and order me a lot of food? I will come down in about three minutes.

The man nodded and left the room.

"Excellent. Now then, Mr. Hat. We are going to have a severe talk," said Alviona with a bright smile as she removed the item from her . "You have two options here. One, get equipped on my head and live a happy life. Two, get permanently erased from the existence inside of my inventory. I will eat the leftover atoms with a gentle nom. Either way, it is a win/win for me." The girl placed the hat on her bed and stared at it with her puffed cheeks and pout. "The choice is yours," she said, waiting for a reply.

No reply came.

"Well, that is a pity. I liked your style, which is why I picked you up from all the other shinies. But if you don't want to be mine, then I will discard you. Here I was, thinking that we would negotiate. But, alas. Farewell, Mr. Hat, I will miss you," said Alviona with saddened voice and face, preparing to move the item back to the storage and delete it. However, before she could do so, a new message popped up in her head. It was not from the world, but instead, from her database.

Maximum affinity gained with the Needlessly Large Hat of a Witch. Your words have defiled the system. Viewing this item as apparel and, for the first time, not calling it useless, you have gained full ownership of the hat. You may now equip it free of charge. You have earned a title: A Monster Whose Offer Is Hard To Refuse. You gain a level. You may spend it to level up anything. Would you like to use it now or save it for later?

Excited, Alviona decided to keep the level for later. Right now, she had no use for stats that did not and could not affect her in any way. After her essence expanded, it would be different. Carefully analyzing and solidifying her decision, she chose the appropriate option and lifted the hat.

"Now, I am happy. I knew you would like me too. Come here, and sit on my head," said Alviona as she equipped the hat. The item, while too large, did not seem to obscure Alviona's vision. Except, getting in and out of doorways would seem to be a problem. However, she soon discovered that the hat could slide through the door frame without falling off. "Hm. Interesting. It defies physics. Truly a magnificent item. I am glad I picked it up."

Walking downstairs, she noticed that Janine and Mira had returned and were waiting for her. Sadly, before she could even greet them, Alviona found herself bombarded with questions on how she equipped the hat. Not understanding how to explain the occurrence, she decided to pass the item around. Everyone was baffled by the fact that the Stats required to equip this useless item were gone. Furthermore, what interested them was the fact that it only stated one condition for fitting: Must be Alviona. This fact meant that she had not altered the item in any way. At least, not directly. The Legendary status was still present, and the barrier amount was identical.

After contemplating about the situation, the party gave up. Alviona did not seem to be willing to explain how she did it. Instead, the girl kept grinning and said that it was "A secret," causing Janine to shrug and Mira to facepalm. A brief moment afterward, both girls chuckled mildly.

"All right. Since you say so, I will not pry. Now then, Alviona, please have your breakfast. We have a lot of things to do today," said Mira as she caressed the child's cheeks.

***

Approaching the academy territory, neither Alviona nor Janine could hold their breaths. Tall castle-like structures and towers were visible. The place occupied a massive amount of land. Just by looking at the vast area visible, the two girls could guess that the institution could house roughly three to four thousand students inside the classes. Separated green fields for physical training were also visible, alongside training grounds to practice magic. An oval-shaped facility also appeared in front of them. Janine concluded that it was a dueling area of sorts.

"G-grandma. Am I dreaming? Or am I truly going to live and acquire knowledge in this place for the next two years that you spoke of?" Asked Alviona in disbelief. Despite her being accustomed to the beauty that was above mortal comprehension, the experience and the purity of the place presented in front of her was still entrancing. It was a landscape worth dedicating a book to and placing it within her personalized library.

"Well, that remains to be seen. We still have not asked about the enrollment requirements. To add some salt to the injury, we are running a week late. Now then, let us head in," said Mira, directing the party to slowly descend from atop the mountains and not deviate away from the spiraling path. Just in case, she ensured to hold Alviona's hand.

As they approached the gates, the two guards dressed in fully plated armor greeted them.

"Good morning there. Are you here to visit someone? Or are you perhaps trying to check out the campus before attending?"

"We are here to seek information about enrolling. Is the registry open? Would we be allowed to arrange a meeting?" Asked Mira politely.

"The registry is open. We are allowing for early enrollments for next year, so absolutely. You may arrange a meeting. When would you like to book it? We have guides and teachers that will be glad to show you around and demonstrate what the world's best Academy has to offer. The reservation is available for next month and you can..."

"No, no. Gentlemen, please. We can not wait for so long. I was referring to booking an appointment for right now," replied Mira with a smile.

"W-what?! T-that is impossible, madame."

"Really now? Not even for ten gold coins?" Asked Mira while removing a pouch and lightly shaking it. The jiggling of coins had its desired effect as both guards seemed to gulp.

"Ah. I understand. You are a nobility. Yes, madame. In that case, we will send for someone to guide you immediately," said the guard, slightly bowing and disappearing behind the gates. Twenty minutes later, he came back alongside a man who appeared to be some administrator. He wore expensive robes.

"Greeting travelers. My name is Rufus, and I am in charge of registrations that occur at this institution. Please, follow me. We shall discuss everything once we reach the registry," said the man with a warm and a welcoming smile.

Mira nodded and gestured to the party to follow along.

The streets were wide and had a unique, gothic look to it. Alviona observed the different architectures with excitement, ensuring to inscribe everything within her mind. After some time, they reached a tall building with the flag of the Dalei Kingdom hanging from the balcony. It was an elegant piece of work that was blue as its background and an emblem that depicted two knights bowing to the golden falcon. The fabric was made from an exotic material.

After entering the building, the party was guided towards the registry. A woman sat behind the desk, slowly writing some form of a document. Hearing the sound, she lifted her head and greeted the man.

"Good morning, Mr. Rufus. Are those the applicants that the guard spoke of?"

"Correct. Those people are going to be our special guests for today. So then, may I ask where do you hail from and what business have you with us today?" Asked the man after he moved behind the counter.

"My name is Mira. This girl is Janine, and that girl over there is Alviona. The man's name is Solomon. We are here today to inquire about the basics of enrollment. What are the requirements?"

"Hm. Have you never read our pamphlets or information booklets? Normally, the information guilds are quite potent at providing those."

"No. Unfortunately, we are coming from a warring Kingdom. It is located some distance away from here, on an island. Therefore, we do not have much knowledge about how this Academy operates or what the enrollment criteria is," replied Mira firmly and with a warming smile.

"I am sorry to hear that, madame," replied Rufus sympathetically. "In that case, I will provide you with all the necessary information. First, to get enrolled in our place of an institution, one must write a formal introductory letter. Second, all applicants must have a basic understanding of the two schools of magic that they wish to pursue. Third, some display of knowledge has to be performed. It can be either in written or practical form. If it is the former, then you may send it alongside your application. If it is the latter, the skill appraisal has to occur here, within Academy walls. Lastly, all applicants are to provide a minimum payment of 400 silver as a deposit if wishing to reserve a spot. A sum of 25,000 silver has to be paid two days before the beginning of classes. The prices are as stated and can not be negotiated. Furthermore, the minimum deposit is a must for everyone. Just to give an example, this year we have two open dormitory rooms available for females and three for males. This is because four of our applicants ended up deciding to attend their native Academies and one decided to void it all together. We are also short on staff. Our nurse decided to retire a month ago, and we were unable to find a replacement for her as of yet. As such, we are paying out extra wages to the labor force for working overtime and 24/7 in the health department," said Rufus with a severe tone. He appeared to be irritated by the situation.

Mira fell into thought. This situation could not have been any better. For starters, the institution appeared to have a vacancy. "The payment was not that bad either. Twenty-five gold coins? I can afford that," thought Mira. "And what of the stats requirement?" She asked.

"It is proportional to your school of magic. We have no specific requirement, except you show your interest. However, we do recommend specific courses if a student is changing schools of magic, or is learning from scratch. The higher your stats, the more advanced classes you can handle. Note that it is a recommendation, and is highly advised. However, sometimes students want to challenge themselves, and it is fine. We can accommodate that. But if you get injured, it will not be our fault, and we will not refund your money just because you chose a course that you have no understanding of," said Rufus with a grin.

Mira nodded and turned around to face her party members. "All right girls, and Solomon. We seem to be in luck. Now comes the tricky part. Please do not interrupt me and don't answer any of their questions unless I tell you to. Let me do the talking," said Mira with a grin. Alviona and Janine nodded, while Solomon did not care much.

"All right. When is the closest window to register for courses?" Asked Mira.

"You may enroll as early as right now. However, the classes will not start for you until next year, unless you want to enroll for summer courses. If you decide to do so, it will be only 7,000 silver. Otherwise, the standard tuition includes it."

"I see. And is there any way to enroll for the current semester?"

"Out of the question! The classes started a week ago. The enrollment for the current semester is already well past its due date. We are very strict when it comes to the deadlines. I apologize madame, but the soonest you can enroll for would be summer courses or next year's term," said Rufus, not leaving any room for negotiations.

"And what if I were to say that I can solve your problem with the nurse? I am a professional druid and can work for free, as long as you allow us to enroll for the current semester. You may test my abilities if you so desire. Would it not be delightful to cut your costs?" Asked Mira, hitting the man's weak spot.

Rufus appeared to ponder for a moment but still shook his head. "I apologize, madame. I truly do. Your offer is very appealing, but rules are..."

"I do not care for your rules," said a voice not belonging to Mira. Everyone's attention shifted towards the source, whose face was obscured by a giant hat. "You want to get that nurse, correct? My grandmother is willing to lend you a hand for my sake. You are irritated that you have empty classes, no? We are willing to register right now and pay you immediately. If you need further motivation, I will sweeten your deal. How about, a payment of 25,000 silver to enroll just me, 25,000 to enroll Janine, 20,000 silver to have you stop declining Mira's offer, and an additional 10,000 silver to forget that we had this talk?" Asked Alviona, who appeared to pass a hint of irritation from her voice. She was not chirpy at all.

Rufus began sweating. "W-who? Who is this girl? She just tossed in such a deal so firmly. Furthermore, what is with that hat? Is there a gambling demon under it? What is going on?" He wondered.

"Time is ticking, and you are not answering me. Would you like Mr. Solomon to teach you how to speak?" Asked Alviona sternly.

"N-no. There is no need for that. I am sorry, ahem, madame. Rules are..."

"I see. Very well then A pity. I thought that this Academy was supposedly a prestigious place. However, I see now that this is not the case. Farewell then," said Alviona as she turned around and began walking away, Solomon slightly bowing in front of Rufus and following the girl.

Mira and Janine were left behind, with their mouth agape. Rufus was in the same situation.

After a brief delay, Mira apologized and followed her granddaughter. Janine followed suit.

"That. What was that?" Asked Rufus with his eyes widened and sweating profusely. "That girl roasted me!" He exclaimed in his thought.

"Sir, what are you going to do?" Asked the receptionist.

"Nancy, to be quite honest, I do not know. We need to let the headmaster know of this though. I think we just angered a high-ranking nobility. Please, excuse me," said Rufus as he moved away from the counter and ran towards the headmaster's chamber.

***

"Alviona, why did you do that?" Asked Mira, frustrated from what the girl had done.

"I am sorry, grandma. But that man kept declining your offer. An odd emotion tickled my body, and I got overly nervous and irritated. I am sorry," replied Alviona sincerely.

"Hm. All right then. It did not seem like the man was going to accept either way. However, do remember for next time, that Patience is a Virtue," said Mira as her face softened, gently patting Alviona on her head.

"Okie," replied the girl who enjoyed every moment of getting spoiled. She moved towards her grandmother and tightly hugged her. "I love, love, love you, grandma."

"So do I, kiddo," replied Mira. "Now then, I suppose we have a change of plans. Fortunately, we are in luck. I have prepared for this. We are going to utilize the teleport gate to reach the Kingdom of Athamas. There is an institution there that has second best education about Elemental schools of magic. While its library is not as vast, it is still a rather good bargain. We will stay in this city for today and will move out tomorrow morning. Sounds good?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

***

"Come in."

"Headmaster, I apologize for intruding. However, I have an emergency case to report."

"Rufus, calm down. What is going on? Are you all right? You are out of breath. Here, have some water," said the headmaster as he moved his hand towards the jug filled with liquid and passed it to Rufus. The man gladly accepted it and poured some water.

"I... I think that I angered a great nobility," said Rufus, choking and gasping for air.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"Headmaster, there was this person here half-an-hour ago accompanied by three people. She made an odd offer, stating that she was going to pay us a lump sum of 80,000 silver!"

"And their demands were?"

"To be accepted immediately for the current semester. Furthermore, the female elf said that she was willing to solve our cost problem with the overtime of our nurses by working for free. She said that she was a druid."

"And you declined?"

"yes, as per your orders. However, when I did, the girl did not propose anything else. Instead, she said that she was disappointed and simply walked away. Never apologizing or regretting her action. The man accompanying bowed in her stead and left."

"Interesting. The way you are describing it does make her sound like someone that is not from our usual clientele. Perhaps, she is strong? It would be good publicity for us to have such a noble attend our institution, no? Even if she turns out not to be one, we can show the world that sometimes exceptions can be made. This way, would other nobles not want to bargain and give us more funding? Again, publicity," said the headmaster as he stroked his beard.

"I... are you sure of this?"

"Yes. Rufus, please send out information to the town center. Seek these people out if they are still in the city. Did any of them mention their names?"

"Yes, the elf introduced herself as Mira. However, I forgot the name of the other three," said Rufus who was far too excited.

"Mira. Hm. Somehow, the name sounds familiar. Also, Rufus, please allow them to know that I would like to test that girl's ability personally. Thank you," said the headmaster as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to contemplate.

"Yes, headmaster," replied Rufus, who walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

***

In the next morning, Alviona, Mira, and Janine were having their breakfast when the innkeeper approached them.

"Excuse me, lady Mira. There is a person who would like to speak to you," said the man.

"Huh? Me? Who is it?" Asked the elf with a puzzled face.

"I do not know. The man said that he is from the Magical Academy of Dalei."

"Oh, my. Please guide that person to me then," replied Mira with a nod. What did they want?

A tall man dressed in black leather armor approached her.

"Good morning. Mira, I presume, yes? My name is Qatmash. I was sent to seek you out as a headmaster of the Academy is willing to make an exception and accept your request in joining the current semester. Are you still interested?"

Mira was surprised. She shot a glance at Alviona, who was gently nomming on her food. Seeing that she nodded, Mira replied in affirmative.

"Brilliant. Please come today at around 7:00 pm. The headmaster would like to personally test this child," said the man, bowing and leaving the inn.

"Well then. That... worked out I suppose?" Said Janine with a chuckle. "But I am not surprised."

"How so?" Asked Mira.

"Because of politics. What Alviona told them yesterday probably stirred something up. I do not know the details, but I do know how nobles work. After all, I am one of them. To retain a good reputation, they are most likely trying to use her as an advertisement of sorts," replied Janine with a grin, looking at Alviona and finishing her food.

The party arrived at the registry at the agreed time. As they entered, the headmaster greeted them.

"Good evening," said the man with a black beard, brown eyes, and a delicate nose. He wore an expensive robe that was of no lesser quality than Legendary. It was an exotic piece of equipment, one that could rival Mira. Jewelry was masterfully carved in, forming a shape of a falcon. "I am excited to meet you," continued the headmaster as he shook Alviona's and Mira's hands.

"The feeling is mutual. So then, we were told that you had decided to affect our offer. Am I correct" Asked Mira suspiciously.

"Indeed. That is the case. Please, come over here. We have prepared some tea for you. I apologize for earlier, but you must understand that our Academy likes to keep a high profile. As such, we are strict with schedules and deadlines," said the headmaster as he leads Mira, Janine, Alviona, and Solomon to the small room, where chairs were set up to write an exam and training dummies were placed to display skills if one so desired. "Now then, who is doing what? Nancy over here and Rufus will ensure to record our conversation on a crystal that will be passed to you. It will be proof that you had enrolled in the institution. We are also going to perform a contract here."

"I do not see any problems with that. However, is there only one crystal?" Asked Mira.

"Correct," replied the headmaster honestly. He was not lying. Mira cast an ability to ensure the truthfulness behind his words and was relieved to see that she was not being tricked.

"Alviona, Janine, please let them know what schools of magic you would like to attend," said Mira with a smile.

"I would like to switch mine from Psychic primary to secondary with Elemental as my major," said Janine.

"Excellent. We can teach you that. And what about you, miss?" Asked the headmaster to his primary guest.

"I would like to take Divine and Elemental as my two main schools. However, I am willing to take any classes related to every other school of magic. I also require full access to your library. This is for purely scholarly purposes," said Alviona. The girl was well prepared to answer this question because Mira had been relentlessly training her for this moment.

"Ah. An odd combination. It is not a popular one. So far, we only know of bishop classes that use this combination. Well, druids also do this. However, they are rare. Very well then, your schools have been announced. Now, how would you like to demonstrate your knowledge?" Asked the headmaster curiously.

"I will take a written exam, please," said Janine.

"I would like to conduct a physical appraisal," replied Alviona.

Janine wrote a dissertation related to the Elemental and Psychic schools of magic. She explained in detail how both of them operated and what were their drawbacks and weaknesses. Upon reading her thesis, the headmaster was pleased and gladly accepted it.

Alviona, on the other hand, was an entirely different story.

"All right. For your test, I would like you to show me your abilities. Since you said you want to learn Divine schools of magic first, I am going to create a scenario. Rufus will be my assistant," said the headmaster.

Rufus moved towards the training dummies and equipped an armor.

"Ok. Now, observe carefully. I do not want you to heal the injuries. Instead, I want you to cast a barrier on Rufus as support. Remember, Divine schools of magic are not just healers. They control the battlefield by strengthening allies, healing those that require medical attention and weaken their foes. Can you do that?" Asked the headmaster.

Alviona fell into thought and analyzed what the man told her. After a brief moment, she asked a question.

"Yes, I understand. However, am I allowed to use any ability?"

"Yes. Anything that will strengthen, heal, or weaken the foes."

Alviona hesitated and fell into a ponder. If I utilize the concept that I want to experiment on, then I will undoubtedly scare my grandmother and attract unnecessary attention. I promised myself that I would be more careful. If I use a mana based ability, it will be all okie. So then What should I do? I don't know how to cast the barrier that he spoke about. Nor do I understand how the concept of weakening the foes works. So then, this leaves me with just the healing. What can I do?

"Ready?" Asked the headmaster.

"Almost. I have one last question. Can you explain to me the idea behind a good barrier?" Asked Alviona.

"Hm. Do you not know? I am slightly surprised. Well then, the barrier is a form of ability that supports cast on their allies to reduce any incoming magical damage. Does this help?"

"Absolutely. Thank you very much," replied Alviona with a grin, recording this knowledge in her mind. So the barrier does that. All right. This world is truly different from any of my records. Think quickly. If the barrier can stop any magic, regardless of what spell is cast, it can only mean that it is the sort of ability that picks up and absorbs the mana pattern. It can not be anything else. Otherwise, it would not make sense. Less than three seconds passed as Alviona analyzed this. "I am ready. However, would it be all right if I moved beside that man? I want to imagine myself casting a barrier on him as if in a real combat scenario," said Alviona firmly.

"Oh. That is quite acceptable. Very well then. You may do so," replied the headmaster with a grin.

As the girl moved by the man's side, the headmaster counted down three seconds and clapped his hands. Oh. That. I did not think he was going to do that, thought Alviona as she witnessed small sparks within the hands of her opponent. Well then, let's see if this barrier blocks it.

Creating instructions: Form a transparent protection barrier utilizing mana. Cost 84 Mana > Target: Rufus. > Upon being struck by electric discharge, act as an insulator. Cost: 220 Mana.

Four seconds later, Alviona's ability activated.

"Ready?"

"Yes," replied Alviona. As she had expected, the man discharged electricity. The moment it touched her barrier, the ability disappeared. Rufus appeared to be uninjured. The man did not even flinch.

"Oh, my. Interesting. Rufus, are you injured?" Asked the headmaster.

"Not at all," came a reply from the man.

"Interesting. Miss Alviona, how did you do it? The armor that the man wears will reduce the damage taken by 20%. I ensured that I would not deal fatal damage. However, how did you make a barrier that completely negated my lightning? This element is known to penetrate through any barriers, and since Rufus was wearing a metallic object, it was supposed to go through it."

"I saw sparks. You gave your ability away, and that allowed me to prepare a stronger barrier," replied Alviona after a thought. She had to ensure that nothing she said would sound suspicious.

"Ah. A mistake on my part then. Regardless, you did a good job. A phenomenal job actually. The strongest barrier I have seen in a while. Congratulations, you pass," replied the headmaster with a grin and a clap.

"T-thank you very much," replied Alviona.

"Now then, about your stats. Janine, you are first. Please touch the magic stone over there so that we can give you proper advice on where to start," said Rufus as he approached the object.

Name: Janine Race: Human Title: None acquired Class: Not chosen Class Proficiency: 0/100 Schools of Magic: Psychic: Minor Health: 1,233/1,233 Mana: 1,400/1,400 Level: 9 Current EXP: 2,333 Next Level EXP: 749 Vitality: 8 Resistance: 12 Strength: 9 (8+1) Dexterity: 10 (5+5) Agility: 8 (7+1) Intelligence: 10 (8+2) Wisdom: 7

"Excellent. You are advised to start with the basics. However, you do have an in-depth knowledge of the subjects based on your thesis. So as long as you practice, you should do well. Now, miss Alviona, your turn," said Rufus.

Mira and Janine gulped. What was going to happen?

The girl approached the stone and put her hands on it. Interestingly enough, nothing happened.

"Huh? Can please step back a moment and try again?" Asked Rufus.

Alviona did as told. This time, the glass stone shattered into pieces.

"..."

"Hm. Rufus, can you bring a new stone, please?" Asked the headmaster. However, the results were identical. Five stones were changed, and all of them broke once the girl touched them. "Interesting. Very interesting."

"W-what is going on?" Asked Rufus who appeared to be confused.

"Well, nothing is going on. This occurrence is odd, but it has happened before on several occasions. The girl might have an active ability that is interfering with the stone trying to read her stats. If that is the case, it is okay. Or it could be that the magic crystal cannot measure her statistics. The former is likely. The latter is impossible. Well then, lady Alviona. Where do you think you belong? Should we put you into adept training courses perhaps? Your barrier was of that level at least," said the headmaster with a grin.

"No. Please put me on the same level as Janine. I would like to start from scratch and work my way up. Also, if possible, I would like to request that I share a room with her," replied Alviona firmly and without any hint of hesitation.

"Hm. Unfortunately, the roommates were already distributed. Only two rooms in the girl's dormitory are available right now. One is slightly bigger than the other so you can decide which one do you want," replied the headmaster.

"I will take the smaller one," replied Janine immediately. The more space Alviona had, the better. After all, she kept stating how many books she would be borrowing from libraries. Giving her a place with the larger area was preferred.

"All right then. Anything else?" Asked the headmaster.

"Oh, yes. Mr. Solomon has to come with me. He is my guard that is to be alongside me 24/7," said Alviona.

"That I can not do. Men are not allowed into female quarters," replied the headmaster with a chuckle.

"I will pay an extra 30,000 silver if you close your eyes on it. He will not harm anyone. But I require his company at all times," replied Alviona firmly.

"T-thirty thousand? Oh, well. Fine. You may have him. But be warned, if he commits any sexual atrocity, peeks on the girls or scares them in any way, you will be expelled. Are we clear on this?" Asked the headmaster.

"He won't do anything of the sort. However, if anyone harms me, I am allowing him to act accordingly. Do we have a deal?"

"If it is only for self-defense or to protect you, then yes. It will be allowed, and you will not get into trouble. However, we will require proof. As such, I will instruct one of the students to accompany you as a witness. Would that be fine?"

"I am on terms with that," replied Alviona.

"Then deal?" Asked the headmaster as he extended his hand.

"Deal!" Replied Alviona with a grin, shaking the hand and thus forming a contract.

"You know what? I do not care if you are nobility or not. You are a fascinating person, and a sound businessman," said the headmaster. With these words, he began walking away. "Oh. Forgot to ask one more thing. Uhm, Mira, correct?"

The elf nodded.

"I have been thinking. Are you by chance the same Mira that is a legendary druid that the elven continent has written a book about?"

"That would be me," replied Mira with widened eyes. She was surprised that the man had heard of her.

"Well, I am pleased to say that I have read it. Lady Mira, would you be willing to take up on the offer you mentioned earlier and work with us as a nurse? I am willing to provide compensation for you. As an employee, you will have full access to all of our facilities, including the library. If you wish to increase your knowledge of healing arts, that is. A lot has changed over the past few decades, and you will find our advancements quite intriguing," said the headmaster with a grin.

"Absolutely. I was planning to register as a scholar regardless. Thank you for the opportunity. However, I am willing to stay here only as long as my granddaughter is. Please bear that in mind," replied Mira sincerely.

"That is not a problem. I will employ you. Rufus, please prepare a job application for her to fill out. Also, provide her with the job description. Thank you," said the headmaster.

"Worry not, sir. It will be done."

"Splendid. Now then I will get going. Oh, before I forget." The headmaster stopped before exiting the door and glanced at Alviona. "Nice hat, kiddo," said the man. After this, he exited the room.

Soon after, the party moved back to the inn to gather their belongings. Alviona moved everything into her .

"All right. Listen to me, Alviona. We will take the same classes, ok? This way we can be on the same page. I will also study hard alongside you. Sounds good?" Asked Janine, with an excited face.

"Okie," replied the child while blushing ever so slightly. For some reason, she could not shake off the feeling from the previous morning. She was excited. After all, she was going to finally start learning about how this world and its magic worked. With this knowledge, she would be able to go back to her mother in two years and protect her. Her essence would also grow so there would be no need ever to worry.

My dear two mommies. Wait for me. I will show you that you can rely on your daughter, thought Alviona.

After gathering their items, the party moved to the Academy dormitory. Mira stayed in the inn for the night.

Entering the room that Alviona was directed towards, a small girl appeared in front of her and greeted her.

"Hello, my name is Mimi. Uhm, what is your name, miss?" Asked the dwarf.

Alviona gently touched her hat and removed it, making it disappear into her . She observed the dwarf for several seconds.

"Ah. Too cute! You are adorable!" Exclaimed the girl as she hugged Mimi as tightly as was possible.

"W-what? Huh? Let go of me," said the dwarf, but Alviona did not do so. Instead, Mimi's head was being patted. What is up with her? Wondered the dwarf. However, as she looked at the beauty in front of her, she could not help but give in. "Can you please stop?"

"No. You are too adorable. So small, and cute. Too cute, much too cute!" After enjoying patting Mimi's head, Alviona backed off and performed a curtsy. "Good evening. I apologize for my behavior, but I have never seen anyone quite like you. My name is Alviona. It is a pleasure to meet, you," said the girl as she extended her hand.

"You are weird. But, I suppose I can forgive you this one time. Like I said, I am Mimi. I will be your roommate from today onwards. A pleasure to meet you. Please avoid patting my...."

Alviona did not listen. She was already caressing the girl's head. For some reason, Mimi appeared to enjoy it.

"Ugh. Fine. You can pat my head, but only because I do not know what to do with you."

With this, Alviona's school life was about to begin.