The Student Council of the Imperial Capital Magic Academy had a private office.
However, rather than an office, it was more like a club room — a rather large one at that.
The Student Council office was divided into four parts: a reception room, a members’ office, a file room, and the president’s office.
Inside the president’s office sat a vase that could hardly be called magnificent.
According to the legends passed down through the academy, it was left behind by the First Student Council President in the academy’s history. During her tenure, the Empire had just finished a civil war; during those days, even the academy was filled with an oppressive atmosphere.
Yet, that Student Council President didn’t seem to be affected by the atmosphere. Or perhaps… she was simply a bit slow-witted?
She always welcomed every visiting student or teacher with a smile. She was always smiling — even if, at times, that smile looked a bit silly, it truly brought warmth to people.
And in that vase, she always kept a White Gold-Stamened Flower.
No one knew the name of that flower, nor did anyone know where it came from. According to that Student Council President, it was a common flower from her hometown that could be found everywhere.
But that was not important.
Because the appearance of that flower was just as “peculiar” as the president’s smile back then.
It was to the point that anyone who had interacted with her or seen that smile would think of her sun-like warmth the moment they saw the flower, causing the oppression in their hearts to momentarily dissipate.
But that was something from many, many years ago.
Today, that flower could be seen everywhere in the academy, blooming in every nook and cranny.
As for the vase — every successive Student Council President had developed the habit of planting their favorite flowers in it as a symbol of themselves.
“That’s about everything, President. But why did you want me to collect this information?”
The Vice President finished reading the report she had compiled for Elena, then looked up from the papers, her eyes filled with confusion.
The Vice President only knew one thing: after President Elena visited the Forbidden Library yesterday, she had urgently asked her to gather information on this matter.
The Vice President didn’t know why the president before her had suddenly taken an interest in this strange “legend” of the academy.
“It’s nothing special. It’s just… forget it, it’s nothing.”
Still staring at the report, Elena nodded with some disappointment. She already knew most of what the Vice President had just said.
She rubbed the space between her eyebrows, set the report down, and looked at the bouquet of White Gold-Stamened Flowers in the vase beside her.
Seeing Elena’s reaction, the Vice President began to rack her brain, wondering if there was anything she had missed.
“Oh, right! Speaking of which, I did discover something while searching the Student Council database — the information regarding the First Student Council President is missing quite ‘completely.’
By that, I mean… well, I know it sounds strange, but I searched the entire database and couldn’t find any direct records of her. It’s like… yes, it’s like someone intentionally tampered with the records!”
But even if no one had tampered with them, it was already impressive enough for records from hundreds of years ago to be preserved. Moreover, that Student Council President likely wasn’t someone who had done anything world-shaking. It was already difficult enough for the legend of the vase to survive; finding exact records was indeed unrealistic.
But she couldn’t appear incompetent!
With such determination, the Vice President nodded and continued.
“On that point, I believe there might be something incredible hidden behind — “
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it anymore.”
Elena interrupted the Vice President with a smile.
This senior, who was quite a bit older than her, would sometimes act like a child when fixating on a single subject.
Elena looked at the White Gold-Stamened Flower again. At that moment, the image of a young girl’s smile surfaced in her mind.
“Senior, if seeing something makes you think of a specific person — just like you mentioned, how people who met the First Student Council President would think of her when they saw this flower — do you think there are any prerequisites for that situation?”
“Prerequisites?”
The Vice President wasn’t sure.
If it were a question about magic theory, she could likely talk for hours — but shouldn’t a topic that sounded this sentimental be something the guys over at the College of Liberal Arts considered?
The Vice President shrugged.
“I think there are only two possibilities. Either that person did something related to the object in the past, or —
they simply look like it.”
As Elena spoke, she gently brushed the white petals with her fingertip.
The petals were smooth and cool, just like Ai’er’s long, silver hair in Elena’s memories.
“Look like it? Look like… a flower? Are you saying that president had silver hair? But there are no silver-haired ethnicities within the Empire’s borders…”
Indeed, there were no silver-haired “humans” within the Empire.
That was why Elena thought — if that president had also been silver-haired, there would be some record of it, however small.
And fearing that she might not find all the relevant records herself, Elena had troubled this Vice President, who was particularly skilled at gathering information, to help her look.
But even if she confirmed that the president was silver-haired, and even if that president was a member of the Blood Clan from outside the Empire just like Ai’er… what could she do?
That was already a matter from hundreds of years ago. Even if she confirmed the president’s identity, she had no way to ask her for advice — advice on how to wake Ai’er.
*Dong — *
The sound of a bell rang from outside the window.
“Is it already that time?”
With that chime, all the classes in the academy for the day had come to an end.
“Are you going to the canteen, Senior?”
“Me? I’m going straight back. After all, most nobles here don’t really use the dorms. The servants will be driving the carriage to the gate in a bit.
But it’ll take a while, so I’ll accompany you to the canteen first! I can sneak a few snacks while I’m at it. Ah, President, you can’t tell anyone! The eldest daughter of a Count being unable to control her appetite…”
Hearing this, the corners of Elena’s mouth curled up slightly.
In that regard, the Vice President was actually quite similar to Ai’er.
“Don’t worry, I won’t say a word.”
Before leaving the room, Elena took one last look at the white flowers on the table. The evening sunlight poured into the room, coating the golden stamens in a faint shimmer.
‘Ai’er…’
“Hmm? Did you say something, President?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
Even as they walked down the long corridor for quite some time, Elena still couldn’t put the white flowers out of her mind.
After all, those white flowers were everywhere in the academy. It would be more unusual to try not to think about them.
But those flowers weren’t Ai’er.
After telling herself that, Elena let her gaze drift toward the sky.
On a clear evening, even before the sunset glow had faded, the moon was already faintly visible against the deep blue horizon.
Once the clouds on the horizon were burned away by the remaining glow of the setting sun, the pure white moonlight would descend…
Would it?
“President, it’s very crowded over there.”
Near a flowerbed not far away, many students were gathered together, seemingly chattering about something. “Exclamations of surprise” broke out from time to time.
“I’ve seen this before. Two years ago, when a novel bird flew into the academy, it was just like this. If someone fed it something and the bird ate it, the crowd would let out a ‘wow.’
But this season… no special birds should be coming to the Imperial Capital, right? Or could it be some other small animal?”
‘A small animal?’ Elena frowned.
Right now, she only wanted to eat at the canteen as quickly as possible and then enter the Forbidden Library to find a way to wake Ai’er.
But now, this group of people was blocking her path just to watch some “small animal.”
Just as Elena took a deep breath and channeled a bit of mana, preparing to say something to the crowd —
“Excuse me, classmate, what is everyone looking at?”
“V-Vice President Lize?! And President Elena?! Are we in your way? I’ll tell everyone to move right now!”
“Wait! Don’t be in such a hurry. Answer my question first!”
As Lize held the male student back, a few students at the back of the crowd also noticed Elena and Lize.
“It’s President Elena and Vice President Lize!”
“President, Vice President! It’s a flower fairy! A fairy of the white flowers that grow everywhere in the academy has appeared!”
‘A flower… fairy?’
Elena’s frown deepened.
The Elf race did indeed exist, but they were in the Land of Elves outside the Empire. Even putting aside those peculiar people who lived in trees, according to the contents of Magical Beast Biology, humanoid creatures belonging to the category of flowers, trees, rivers, or seas were collectively known as “fairies.”
As the Student Council President, Elena had previously heard a biology professor mention in the office that recent students were paying less and less attention to biology.
This unhealthy trend had to be stopped; every subject was important!
It wasn’t because Elena had learned a lot about the Blood Clan from that professor that she wanted to stop this trend!
Furthermore, fairies were categorized as Magic Beasts and were entities that might need to be expelled depending on the situation.
Before she could find a way to wake Ai’er and before she could completely control her mana, any threat to the academy had to be eliminated!
Perhaps seeing Elena’s still-tightened brow, or perhaps feeling her serious expression and aura —
The crowd, which had gradually gone quiet from the outside in, slowly made a path, allowing Elena’s gaze to approach the flowerbed.
Today, she, Elena, was going to see what kind of fairy dared to stir up trouble in the academy —
Eh?
In that instant, the tension between Elena’s brows completely vanished.
Silver hair, golden eyes; a young girl sat on the flowerbed, stuffing cake into her mouth like a squirrel.
“Mmph?”
The moment she saw Elena, Ai’er blinked, then swallowed the cake in one gulp, revealing a somewhat silly but brilliant smile —
“Elena — long time no see!”