After leaving Bilk Town, the trees along the main road gradually thinned out, replaced by vast expanses of wheat fields and scattered farmhouses. Occasionally, a farmer would pass by, nodding to the trio before bowing their head to continue their journey.
They were close to the capital now, and knight patrols passed by frequently; there was no need for the high alert they’d maintained before. Joshua’s injuries hadn’t fully healed yet, so his pace was a bit slower, and Margarita walked side-by-side with him. Lovell’s long legs carried her quickly, forcing her to stop and wait every few steps. Eventually, she just hopped forward, plucked a piece of foxtail grass to dangle from her mouth, and glanced back at the two of them.
“Joshua,” she suddenly said.
“Yeah?”
“That pendant around your neck looks pretty nice. Where’d you buy it?”
Joshua looked down at the blue stone on his chest. “Someone gave it to me.”
“Who?”
Joshua’s ears turned a slight shade of red. “...A friend.”
Lovell arched an eyebrow, glanced at the expressionless Margarita, and tactfully stopped asking. She changed the subject. “How much longer until the next inn?”
“Just around the bend,” Margarita said.
The main road curved ahead, revealing a low building made of wood and stone behind the bend. It had reddish-brown roof tiles and a flag with a crown emblem hanging by the door. The three accelerated their pace. By the time they reached the entrance, the sun had already dipped below the edge of the wheat fields. A dim, yellowish light glowed from the first-floor windows, accompanied by the sounds of chatter and the clatter of dishes.
Margarita pushed the door open. A tall, thin man stood behind the bar, wiping a glass with a cloth.
“Three rooms,” Margarita said, a gentle smile on her face.
The man looked at her, then at Joshua and Lovell behind her. “Only two left.”
“Two it is, then.”
The man took the copper coins and handed over the keys. “Far left on the second floor. Food is extra.”
The three sat at a square table by the window. Dinner was stewed potatoes and roasted chicken legs. Lovell ate quickly, and Margarita moved half the chicken meat from her plate to Joshua’s. He looked like he wanted to say something, but she glared him down.
After dinner, Lovell was the first to go upstairs to bathe. Margarita didn't move from the table, and Joshua stayed seated as well, with an oil lamp between them.
Joshua looked down at the water in his cup. “You’ve been staring at my pendant all day.”
Margarita nodded and held out her hand. “Let me see it.”
Joshua pulled the pendant out from his collar and handed it over. Margarita took it and flipped it over under the oil lamp. The surface of the blue stone was smooth, but there was a crack running from the center to the bottom-right edge. She rubbed her thumb against the crack; it felt a bit rough.
This stone was something she had picked up from the stream back in Percy Village. She had spent nearly half a month polishing it, sitting in a tree and grinding it bit by bit with sandpaper while Joshua practiced his swordsmanship every day until her fingers blistered.
“The crack is quite deep.” She flipped the pendant to check the back. “Did it get chipped that night?”
“Yeah, it hit the ground when I fell.”
Margarita returned the pendant to him. “Once we get to the academy, find some sandpaper to smooth it out. The crack won't go away, but at least it won't be rough to the touch.”
Joshua took it back and looked down at the stone in his palm. “No need. It’s fine like this.”
“Doesn't it bother your neck?”
“I’m used to it.”
Margarita glanced at him, stood up, and pushed her chair back. “Get some rest.”
She went upstairs. Lovell was already finished with her bath, sitting on the bed wrapped in a blanket as she dried her hair.
“Where’s Joshua?”
“Downstairs. He’ll be up in a bit.”
Lovell tilted her head to look at her. “What were you and Joshua talking about down there?”
“Nothing much. Just about the pendant.”
Lovell didn't press further, lying down and pulling the blanket tight. “Goodnight, Little Mari.”
“...Lovell, what do you think of Joshua?”
“What about him?”
“I mean... what do you think of him as a person?”
“He’s pretty good. Doesn't talk much, but he was patient when teaching me to read.” Lovell poked her head out from under the covers. “Why are you asking?”
Margarita sat on the edge of the bed and undid her side braid, trying to keep her tone casual. “Nothing, I just think you two get along well. Your personalities complement each other, and he’s good with a sword while you’re quite skilled yourself. You’d make a powerful team in the future...”
Lovell stared at her. “Little Mari, are you trying to set us up?”
“I am not,” Margarita said flatly.
Was I too direct? But I don't even know how to play matchmaker...
“You are.” Lovell sat up, her amber eyes sparkling. “Did you know? You have a completely different expression when you’re thinking about something.”
...Terrifying. She’s an intuitive-type character.
“Joshua is a good guy, for sure.” Lovell leaned back with her hands behind her head. “But I don't feel that way about him. When he looks at me, it’s about the same as looking at a tree by the road. Who do you think he looks at differently?”
Margarita didn't respond.
Lovell watched her, her lips slowly curling into a smile. “Oh~ I see.”
“You see what?”
“Nothing.” Lovell lay back down, wrapped herself in the blanket, and faced the wall, her voice muffled by the pillow. “Sleep, sleep. We have to travel tomorrow.”
“Lovell...”
“Goodnight, Little Mari~”
Margarita sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Lovell’s back and sighing. Then she too lay down under the covers, rolled over, and stared at the red back of Lovell's head.
...Wait, a man and a woman in the same bed... Is this... okay? Oh, wait... Oh, right...
For the first time across two lifetimes, Margarita was sharing a bed with a female friend.
The next day at noon, the three of them crested the last low hill, and Himlabacken appeared in their sights.
The city walls stretched from east to west, with gray-white stone bricks so high one had to tilt their head back to see the top. A spire rose in the center of the city, its tip gilded by the afternoon sun.
Margarita, sporting a pair of dark circles under her eyes, listlessly let Lovell fix her hair.
Joshua stood on the hilltop, staring for a long time. “It’s so much bigger than Percy Village.”
“Professor Joshua, what are you even saying? Percy Village only had a few houses.” Lovell didn't stop her hands or look up as she replied.
“...Let’s go.”
Margarita straightened her collar and put on her gentle smile. Lovell had spent some time braiding her hair into a Princess Braid; the silver-gray ribbon swayed gently behind her head, making her look like a completely different person from the country girl who had left Percy Village. Lovell glanced at her and mouthed “Here she goes again” to Joshua. Joshua pretended not to see.
The three of them went down the hill and joined the flow of people entering the city. A few guards in light armor stood at the city gate. When it was their turn, a guard didn't even look up. “Names, place of origin, purpose of entry.”
“Joshua Percy, Percy Village, here to study,” Joshua said.
The guard wrote it down and looked up. “Her?”
“Margarita Percy, Percy Village, accompanying him.”
The guard looked at his ledger, then back at the two of them. “Same surname? What’s the relationship?”
Joshua opened his mouth to say “siblings,” but Lovell poked her head out from behind him and chirped with a grin, “They’re husba—”
Margarita’s smile remained gentle, but the silver muzzle of a gun was already pressed against Lovell’s temple. Lovell swallowed the rest of her words and raised her hands. “I didn't say anything.”
“Good.”
Joshua’s ears were beet red as he dragged Lovell behind him and squeezed out a sentence to the guard: “Siblings. She’s my younger sister.”
The guard expressionlessly wrote down “siblings” and waved them through. “Move along.”
The three entered the city. Lovell poked her head out from behind Joshua, only speaking after confirming Margarita had put the gun away.
“Little Mari, you were so scary just now.”
“...You brought it on yourself.”
The main street was paved with stone slabs and was wide enough for four horse carriages to drive side-by-side. After walking for half a shichen, Margarita slowed her pace. Not far ahead at a street corner was a three-story stone building with a large iron sign hanging at the entrance, engraved with the words "Adventurer’s Association." The board below was covered in slips of paper—commissioned tasks and party recruitment. People constantly bustled in and out of the entrance.
Lovell stared at the sign for several seconds. Joshua happened to have taught her those characters first, and her eyes lit up. “Adventurer’s Association! I’m here!”
“You’re not there yet.” Margarita grabbed her arm. “Report to the academy first.”
Two more turns past the association, and the street became quiet. The academy gates stood open, leading into a plaza with a statue of a person holding a longsword in the center. Several paths around the plaza led to different areas, with wooden signs at the junctions labeled “Swordsmanship Department” and “Magic Department.”
Joshua stood in the center of the plaza, unsure which way to go. Margarita patted his shoulder. “Let’s find Professor Glion first.”
The three headed toward the Swordsmanship Department. When they reached the building, Glion was leaning against a stone pillar, looking over a register. Joshua pulled out the letter and handed it over. Glion opened it, scanned the contents, took a fresh look at Joshua, then glanced at Margarita and Lovell.
“Renard sent you too?” he asked Margarita.
“Yes.” Margarita lowered her head slightly.
Glion looked at her for a moment, then at Lovell. “What about this redhead?”
“I’m Lovell Reed! From Arlan City! My master told me to find you!” Lovell fumbled a small wooden plaque out of her clothes and handed it over.
Glion flipped it over, his mouth twitching as he tossed the plaque back. “Fine. All of you, come inside.”
Glion grabbed a few forms from a desk and tossed them to the three, then pointed at Joshua and Lovell. “Fill these out. You two are in the Swordsmanship Department, joining the Intermediate Class. You—” He looked at Margarita. “Go find the Director of Instruction over at the Magic Department.”
Joshua hesitated over the form. “Professor, can I do extra training?”
Glion looked up at him for a moment. “Where did you learn the sword before?”
“Percy Village. Captain Renard taught me.”
“Be at the training hall tomorrow morning. Don't be late.”
By the time the three of them left the Swordsmanship Department, the sun was already dipping toward the west. Lovell waved and headed right, taking a few steps before turning back to shout, “Little Mari! Get along well with Joshua!”
Margarita pulled out her gun and pointed it at Lovell, who vanished like a flash of lightning. Joshua stood nearby, his ears red. “I’ll walk you to the Magic Department.”
“No need.” Margarita gave him a push toward the Swordsmanship Department. “Go put your things in the dormitory first.”
Joshua hesitated for a moment, then nodded and walked into the corridor of the Swordsmanship Department.
Margarita turned and walked toward the Magic Department. The entrance was an arched stone gate, with a hall at the end of the long corridor. Several long tables were pushed together, with people in robes sitting behind them.
Margarita walked up to the desk. A middle-aged woman in a gray robe was sitting there. She looked up at Margarita and asked, “New student?”
“Margarita Percy. I have the basics down.”
The woman in gray took out a testing crystal and placed it on the desk. “Put your hand on it.”
Margarita placed her palm on the surface of the crystal. It lit up briefly, a pink light flickering before it dimmed.
The woman in gray frowned slightly. “Insufficient mana. Beginner Class...”
“Wait a moment.”
A soft voice called out. Margarita looked up and saw a young woman walking out from the corridor. She looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a simple deep blue robe. Her dark brown hair was loosely pinned back, her features were soft, and a faint, gentle smile touched her lips.
The woman in gray stood up. “Instructor Crow.”
Clara Crow. Margarita repeated the name in her mind. The youngest instructor in the Magic Department in the original game, specializing in soul magic.
Clara walked to the desk, leaning in to look at the residual pink trace in the testing crystal. Her pale gold eyes shifted between the crystal and Margarita.
“What is your name?”
“Margarita Percy.”
Clara nodded, picked up the register, wrote a line on the last page, and handed it to the woman in gray. Then she said to Margarita, “Come with me.”
Margarita picked up her bundle and followed. Clara led the way, the hem of her deep blue robe sweeping across the stone floor. At the end of the corridor was a small office with a row of bookshelves against one wall, diagrams spread across a desk, and a teapot and cups in the corner.
Clara closed the door and turned around. The smile remained on her face, but her gaze grew more serious. “There is something inside you.”
Should I stick a talisman on myself then?
Margarita’s smile remained fixed. “Instructor, I don't understand...”
“Don't be nervous.” Clara softened her voice. “I won't ask what it is, but something is embedded in your soul, entwined with your consciousness. It carved a mana circuit for you, but that circuit is too narrow, and your body cannot withstand more. It is protecting you.”
Margarita fell silent for a few seconds.
I actually have a mana circuit?
“Because I study soul magic.” Clara leaned against the edge of the desk. “That thing in your soul is slowly changing you. The process is slow; you might not even feel it. But if you continue to use its power, the change will accelerate.”
Margarita didn't speak. Clara took a blank form from the desk, wrote a few lines, and handed it to her. “From tomorrow on, you will come here for lessons every afternoon. Practice the basics on your own in the morning, and I will teach you in the afternoon. You don't need to attend the Beginner Class.”
Margarita took the paper and tilted her head. “Why?”
Clara tilted her head in turn, that faint smile resurfacing. “Because you look like a lost child. And when a child is lost, someone has to lead them.”
Margarita was stunned for a moment. Clara pulled a thin booklet from the shelf and handed it over. “First lesson is tomorrow afternoon. Read this first.”
Margarita took the booklet and looked at it. Introduction to Soul Magic—By Clara Crow.
“Okay.”
Clara didn't go to open the door. She walked to the side of the bookshelf and pressed a hidden catch. The bookshelf slid open silently, revealing a small door behind it.
“You’ll stay here with me.” Clara pushed open the small door, revealing a modest bedroom. A bed, a desk, a chair, and a few potted plants on the windowsill. The layout was simple but clean.
Margarita stood at the door without moving. “Instructor, aren't the students supposed to stay in Dormitory Three?”
“Dormitory Three is full,” Clara said nonchalantly, though the smile at the corner of her mouth was poorly hidden. “This place is empty, so you stay here. If you have any questions, ask me anytime. If there are parts of that booklet you don't understand, I’m right next door.”
Have I become a lab rat?
The expression on Clara’s face was very earnest, just like a “teacher caring for a student.”
Though she looks like an evil scientist, she was a character in the game who was so gentle she made you want to call her mother. Thinking this, Margarita finally decided to comply.
She walked into the room and set her bundle on the desk. At least she didn't have to stay in a girls' dormitory; that would have been a bit too much for Margarita’s twenty-plus years of a male soul.
Academy life...
Margarita’s thoughts wandered for a bit before she decided to go eat. Joshua and Lovell had likely been waiting for some time. She would leave the rest to tomorrow’s Margarita.
Rate on N.U.
