Did I mention before just how pretty this capital looks? It's an easy place to become fond of, especially compared to the frequently grey inner cities I'm mostly used to. I got to see a few rather vibrant places on the way to the School of Magic, like the Fish Market, Anticular Street, and the resplendent Cathedral of Saulm.

Kiku decided to go and get the monster parts sold and her melted sword looked at. Kaede decided to join her, because she came to the conclusion it would be best to register herself as a mercenary. I was hoodwinked to go and see Douglas, the headmaster, along with a strutting Seria and sulking Aria providing a comedy contrast with each other... especially as Aria has switched back to a white and silver noble dress.

I tried to give Kiku some of the money that Legato had assigned to me, but she wouldn't accept it, saying she had already promised to use the sales of monster parts. She seems to value her word, which I suppose is unsurprising if she was raised by the reliable kind of loyal mercenary, and from what I've heard, her father is very much that.

The school itself was surprisingly modest, crammed up against one of the inner cities walls like a barnacle. It’s not a place that screams mystery and magic. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought it just some kind of rich tenement with a fetish for statues and decorative hedges.

Aria leads us promptly through the halls, attracting some attention and whispered gossip from other milling students. It's probably the fact she is famous and yet is hanging around with a girl in negligee and a guy with a too small tunic. We must look a right trio.

Aria knocks on the door marked 'Headmaster, Douglas Mullight' and we get a prompt "Please enter!” so Aria sighs, puts on a smile, and opens the door.

"Aha... the main actress returns from her hiatus. You do like making all my lessons difficult, don't you, Your Majesty?" I hear as I follow her in.

The room is a cluttered mess. I imagine, were it not being used as a mixed office, laboratory, and library, it might be big and spacious, but one gets the impression this man is a serious hoarder. Looking at him, sat at his desk, he has a grey beard, blonde hair with streaks of white, and a fair few wrinkles. He also rocks a beret and a baggy black robe. Almost a stereotypical wizard except the hat.

But most importantly, old. In his sixties. And yet Seria was talking about him being a horny young man...

Speaking of which, he now seems to notice the fact that Aria has not come alone, and he almost immediately leaps out his seat.

"What's wrong, boy? Is there a ghost behind me?" Seria snarks as she closes the door and moves past me to sit on a pile of very large books seductively.

"Sesshouin?!?" He coughs, his eyes going wide.

"In the flesh. Or the ectoplasm, going by that look." She grins, clearly enjoying herself.

"Y-you can leave the tower!?"

Seria rolls her eyes.

"I'm seriously wondering who came up with that..." she muses, finger on her cheek.

"But... how is it that..." he looks bewildered.

"Um... headmaster, I'm here to announce that I... that I won't be able to attend for a while." Aria states. She's either throwing the man a lifeline or just completely failing to read the mood here. I'd bet it's the latter with Aria.

He blinks and looks back at Aria, his head working quickly, and I can almost see the click occur inside of him that just entirely chooses to black out Seria's existence under the pretence of official duty.

"I see. And what would be the reason for this? As you're aware, this education is mandatory for all..." He prattles.

"I would be the reason." I decide to interrupt.

He looks across at me. I feel a minor prickle of danger and I swear his eyes glow for a second.

"You're to marry, princess?" He says, coming to completely the wrong conclusion.

"THAT'S WRONG!!" She immediately slams his desk. Her super-strength appears to be used as there is a slight cracking of wood and his alchemical bottles briefly hop into the air.

Seria starts to guffaw to herself at this scene, but before Aria can fully correct the situation, the door immediately slams open again, as an urgent sounding voice shouts:

"ARIA!! IS IT TRUE YOU GOT PREGNANT IN A LOVE TRIANGLE WITH A WITCH AND A SOLDIER?"

Due to the crammed and messy room, I'm actually stood in the doors path, since I moved aside to let Seria through, so my Precognitive Dodge lurches me forward to save me from being crushed.

In getting out of the doors swing, however, I end up in the flight path of the blue blur that has just burst open the door, and it collapses into me a high speed.

As I'm already stuck in a rather odd reflexive position from a twisting leap, I don't have the balance to take this impact and we both go reeling onto the floor, knocking the wind out of me, and continuing the trend of having me fall on my ass from dodges beyond my control.

But...

Oh my...

Though I don't have too much experience in this matter, I don't think any man can mistake the feeling of bouncy breasts pressed against their chest...

I shake my head to clear my vision, and yes indeed, there on my chest is a girl with red irises and shoulder length wavy blonde hair in a thin blue noble dress, who is now disoriented as she groans and rolls off me into a pile of books. At least she spared me the cliché of sitting up in a straddle position.

But... this is incredible. She definitely looks Aria's age, but there can be no mistake that she has some fine oranges growing in her orchard! This... having found the loli-baba, could it be that I am also the first witness to an oppai-loli as well?!

"Oh gods!? Elijah, what the hell did you do to Rishya!?"

I snap out my reverie to see Aria stood above me suddenly with an even scarier hannya face than usual, cracking her knuckles, as Seria's guffaw in the background turns into a fighting-for-breath lunatic cackle.

My danger sense skyrockets so hard it gives me a migraine. I have a feeling this is going to hurt...