The very next day, Varisa got up early to inform Tina of her roommate’s situation and hopefully learn something helpful. “Hi, this is the first time we spoke with one another, isn’t it?”

“I was expecting you, but not this soon. Want to ask me about little Nadia?”

“Figures you’d already know, you are staff... Despite your looks.”

“Thorny! Well, despite my looks, I'm still the girl dorm’s guardian. It sucks though; just when I found someone nice to train with.”

“I should have stressed more on how weak Normals are.”

“The way I see it, she’s shown a lot more restraint than I’d have expected from her. But the rules are the rules and if you went and punched every asshole you come across; you’d run out of knuckle long before you’d ran out of target.”

“Quite the colored way to put it. I had asked Nadia to invite you for breakfast but... Will you join us for breakfast? Only if you’re free.”

“You mean? At the restaurant? You’re paying.” Her voice trembled with anticipation.

“Ye...” Was all Varisa could say before a screaming dorm’s guardian interrupted her.

“I’m free, whenever, wherever!”

Varisa laughed softly. “Thanks for looking after my friend, I should have made myself more available to her.”

“Shouldn’t that be the other way around? With her being older and your bodyguard to boot? Anyway, she’s my friend too… Sort of. I like her; she’s got a head on her shoulder, and makes good use of it... Most of the time. This is rare, and even rarer with Warriors.”

“I know all too well, believe me.” She’d wasted most of her life dealing with egotistical idiots. “And no case was ever more pitiful than my brother.”

“Was? He’s dead?” Enquired Tina.

“The bastard’s got an old barbel’s luck.” Wyverns, are aggressive, and lethally venomous flying monster who lack immune to their own venom. Territorial to a fault, they can’t stand the sight of one another outside mating season. The males; also known as barbel; often ends up as their mate pick me up snack after breeding. “Suicidal, lucky, somewhat strong and a complete ass!”

“That’s what most Warrior who lived past their teen are like.” Pointed Tina.

“Boastful, rash, brainless idiots without an ounce of survival instinct?” Surely that couldn’t be.

“Boastful, rash, brainless idiots without an ounce of survival who lived long enough to tell the tale.” It wasn’t that Warrior were suicidal, simply that a lot of them died before they could learn from their mistake.

“You’re overestimating my brother by a long shot if you think he’s got the wit to tell a tale.”

“There are quite a few hunters out there who can’t find their own ass without a map.” Brashness shouldn’t work as a species survival strategy, but they were hedonistic enough to make it work.

“Forget the map, in of my brother’s case you’d have to guide him every step of the way. Did I mention he was a self-righteous prick too? Even though he didn’t have a clue of what was going on.” She sounded irate.

“The wannabee hero type, uh. I feel for you. I quit hunting because I couldn’t stand being surrounded by fools…” As an epicurean she had her own set of priorities.

“Let stop talking about that. It’s depressing.” She had a lot of memories of her good-willing brother working against her and the common interest.

The older woman looked at the younger one as if to study her then asked. “Like it here?”

“School is hard but a much welcome change. I also don’t mind the luxury.”

“No kidding? I wouldn’t neither.”

They both laughed. “Let’s meet at first bell.”

“Good for me.” Confirmed Tina.

As Varisa entered the room, she found Nadia in the middle of some light muscle training. “Hello, mis... Varisa” Saluted Nadia.

“Hello, sweaty… I mean sweety.” It wasn’t funny, but she couldn’t help herself.

She sniffed herself. “Sorry. Let me take a bath. It’s just that I need to move around.”

“It’s not your fault.” Stated Varisa.

“It totally is, though.” Countered Nadia.

“It’s partially mine. It’s clear those... People can’t think rationally. I should have been more cautious and avoided the library.”

“You shouldn’t have to hide from the like of them! The worst thing is that I wasn’t even trying to harm him. If he’d just let go...” If only he’d taken the lighter book. If only she’d been calmer... No amount of rumination would ever change the past.

“I know you weren’t. The staff too. I’ve offered to pay the healing fees, but I don’t know if it’ll help, expulsion seems to be the default punishment around.”

“Eh?! They’re going to kick me out?” She hadn’t realized how grave her situation was.

“Nothing’s been decided yet and there are lighter punishments too...” This was just that decades of students pushing the limit had work the staff’s patience thin. More importantly, it wasn’t a case where money and influence could help.

“I’ll be on my best behavior.” She didn’t want to get separated again after just few weeks.

“If needs be, I’ll rent a place nearby.” This wouldn’t be as grand as what they had here, but still better than nothing.

“Thanks…” She grown to enjoy the routine here, she even made a friend and rival, and above all although it sometime made her head hurts, she liked the lessons and people here.

“There’s always hunting. Do you remember the tavern we went to on the day we arrived? The owner offers intermediary services.”

“Yes…” It’d once been her dream to become a hunter. “It’s just that…”

The sudden realization made Varisa’s eye grow wide “Don’t tell me?! You really like it here? For real? Even then lessons?”

Nadia nodded and Varisa suddenly took her into her embrace. “I had always feared you were only putting up with it because I asked you to!”

Her cheeks went red with embarrassment. “Mis… Mistress.” This was the first time she saw her this emotional, and it was tremendously embarrassing.

“Va-ri-sa! How I’ve longed for a friend, someone who’d get me, if only even a little?” There’d been this one girl, but she was dead, and Oto felt more like an uncle than a friend.

“It’s hard, but interesting. I really like it here and more importantly; I don’t want to be separated.” Varisa was hardly the same person she’d once admired, but that wasn’t a problem; in fact, she liked it better this way.

“I’ll find a way.” Affirmed Varisa.

“Uh?”

“To tell the truth, I’ve always feared you only went along for my sake, but if you truly like it here, there’s no need for me to act reserved. I’ll talk to our teacher. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll try with the board. I’ll bribe my way up the ministry if I have to.” This was more likely to get her expelled too, but she was this resolute.

Nadia squeezed back “Thank you!”

“I’ll reheat the water for you.” As water was still lukewarm, she cast a truncated version of her usual spell, but to her surprise, fumes rose in the air. Confusion crept upon her face. “Nadia, can you ca... No forget it, enjoy your bath.”

“This alone was worth coming.” Chimed Nadia as she jumped in. Hot water was a rare commodity, and now she could make as much as she wanted with a simple spell.

Next room, Varisa laughed with mirth. “To think it was really this simple.” she muttered. She’d found the answer... One answer to that insane assignment, and it was incredibly simple: detailed spells aren’t needed. On the contrary, without proper understanding, excess details were far more of a hindrance.

“You seem content.” Commented a fully dressed, but not quite dry Nadia.

“Dry your hair…” She started a spell that appeared, but quickly decided otherwise in favor of the tried-and-true solution, a towel.

Nadia protested, flustered. “I can do it myself.”

“You should have spoken sooner, because I’m almost done.”

They met with Tina near the entrance. Anyone could see her high expectation from her countenance. “Hi Nadia, doing well?”

Her answer came short and contrite. “Hello and sorry; I’ve messed up badly.”

“Bah, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Affirmed the older woman with befitting carelessness.

Nadia on the other hand, wished she could be that serene.

“Come on, let’s eat!” Prompted the guardian, true to her priorities. As they entered the room, she spied the tables and let out a cry of excitement. “There’s a buffet! How many plates can I get?”

Varisa cocked her head in confusion. Did this really warrant such exultation? “As many as you want.”

“You sure? Really sure? I eat a whole lot, you know?” Pressed the woman again.

“Eat as much as you want.” Confirmed her host.

“Really, no take backs?” She’d eaten boys out of their salaries in the past.

The back and force was worrying though “You sound so desperate you’re actually making me nervous. How does one gold penny as a limit?” Even by restaurant standards, this was an absurd amount of money to spend on a single meal.

“Come on, not even I can eat that much!” The costliest dish was a half silver penny, meaning she’d have to eat two hundred of those to spend her budget. Nevertheless, now that she had a limit, she started stacking the plates with the expertise of a buffet veteran.

“Look at her going.” Commented Nadia, appalled.

When Tian finally seated back with the other, she had accumulated by herself enough to nourish all the student in the room. “At a buffet you need to target rare dishes, and to avoid grain and starch.”

“Will you really be alright eating this much?” Wondered Varisa. “It didn’t matter if it was filling or not, the volume alone was excessive”

She answered proudly. “Nope, but turn out I can bring the leftovers home.”

“Ah.” Since servants and bodyguard weren’t authorized inside the building, the had to deliver directly to the dormitory.

“Make sense.” Conflicts between students often devolved in duels or even full-scale confrontation back when it was still a school for nobility.

“I’m sorry if it appears like I’m interrogating you, but do you have any idea of what they intend to do with Nadia?”

“Nothing yet, but I feel like she’ll be fine.” Witnesses confirmed she’d simply slammed the book one the table with intention to cause harm and then it was within the law to defend one’s property. The real problem was with the place the incident occurred as they didn’t want students to try and resolve their problem with violence.

Even more importantly, Varisa was a welcome source of revenue. “At least, I don’t think they’ll kick her out.” She knew that just as there existed item to enhance strength, there were items that did the opposite.

“Is there any way I can appeal?”

“You can try speaking with your teacher, or the staff.” She frowned as she tried to remember something. “This is a long shot but there some sort of prize for student who perform particularly well or something like that. Not sure when or if it applies at all though.” It didn’t. The prizes, along the line of books and better amenities, only applied to scholarship students.

They weren’t the only one to find the subject problematic, i n the principal’s office the same day. “What should we do?” Asked Principal Muhlheim.

“From my point of view, it all comes to how well she performs in class.” Elias had no idea as more involved with management and relation than scholastic affairs.

“Not bad, she’s in the lower middle tier.” With over five hundred students, this was a sweet stop for a foreigner.

“You are telling me that a Warrior... An uncultivated barbarian Warrior, is performing well enough to be in the middle of the pack? And she’s here from her own volition too?” He regretted not getting involved earlier. “Isn’t she a treasure?” He’d love to pick her brain out to see what made her tick and if it could be replicated the feat with their own brand of morons (Warriors).

“It's so hard to get a Warrior to volunteer, much less one with a functioning brain. I'd love if we could make an exception, but we can’t risk creating a new system of privileges when were still battling the old one.”

“It wasn’t such a grave offense though.” Injuring a thief was hardly as a crime.

“Two broken fingers when the ‘thief’ wasn’t even trying to run? And in the library no less. That counts as assault from my point of view. A shame, when we consider the matter of her liege.”

“I’ve heard…” He stopped mid-sentence as his mind finally caught up on what he’d just heard. “Do hinterlanders even have fiefs?”

“Maybe, I don’t know. No two tribe is the same. The eldest calls the youngest Milady and Mistress all the time.” Explained the principal with a shrug. He couldn’t care less whether she was nobility.

“Whatever, it doesn’t change a thing! She owes her place in school to baron Estlugvael, the rising star. Not only that, but even Agner the enchanter also made an appeal on her behalf.” The man agoraphobia was well known.

“What?!” A daughter to one, and a mistress to the other and yet also a barbarian. That didn’t make any sense.

Oto had been unusually thigh-lipped about the whole affair, so he couldn’t entirely reject the idea of her being either his mistress but... “I know she’s not being entertained. She has her own sources of income.”

Muhlheim quickly looked at the information he had. “We’re not far in the year, but she appears to perform slightly above average. She seems to have a rare interest in theoretical magic.” Theoretical magic was both the most important and least lucrative topic. A searcher with a good source of income sounded like a dream come true. “Hopeless bastards, they’re only good at causing problem.”

“He sure keeps with the family’s tradition of being a pain in the ass. Didn’t I tell you? The little shit is a second cousin of mine... Or whatever. I don’t keep track; they breed like rabbit and don’t stop until they’re dead.” If it was not yet obvious, Elias loathed nobility, with a special hatred aimed at his own family.

“We could start by allowing the girl to stay as an attendant. Then, down the line, we make a small exception to allow her back into the library.” It wasn’t perfect, but it’d give them a chance to study her case.

Elias, who was more familiar with the law explained. “The boy actions fall under mischief but hers can be interpreted as assault, pure and simple. Too bad, if she weren’t a barbarian, I’d have offered her an apprenticeship.”

There weren’t many positions available and granting one of the few to some foreigner would be sure to ruffle some feathers. “I feel like I’m grasping at straws but can’t we…” He struggled to put his thought in order. “The blame is shared, isn’t it? Can’t we threaten them both with expulsion and decide who stay according to their performance?”

“That’s… Not a bad idea.” The boy was inept, his grade a joke and there was a tradition of granting boons to student who performed well. “It even makes it sound as if we’re keeping with the school’s principle of fairness.”

A cruel smile formed as he formed a scheme to entrap the boy. Duel weren’t as common nowadays but still very much part of the nobles’ mentality. Faced with certain expulsion or a duel against an apparently clueless barbarian Warrior, there was little (can’t never say no with idiots) doubt which he'd choose.

“You’re the expert on nobility, I’ll defer to your opinion as always.”

“You can count on me.” He was glad, chances to get back at his estranged family were so rare.

The next morning, an expulsion notice was published, it listed the name of the student alongside the crimes they’d committed. It was also announced that since the last two students weren’t involved in any crime but were equally responsible of the incident, their future would be decided by their respective performance at the upcoming exam.

Even if by accident Tina had been right.