“Finally lost them.”
Lorin let out a long breath of relief, her eyes full of post-crisis gratitude.
If she were an actual student of this academy, things would be fine—but she wasn’t.
Sure, she might look like a little girl now, but that was exactly what made this situation terrifying.
If she got caught, the Defense Department would summon her guardian.
And who was she supposed to call?
Claire?
Phyllis?
After the bold words she had thrown at them yesterday, how could she possibly show her face again if they had to bail her out today?
What Lorin didn’t know was that Phyllis had been watching her the whole time—from the moment she left the palace to now—and was thoroughly amused.
A former Grand Archmage, reduced to this?
Still, it was thanks to Lorin’s presence that she had discovered Grace’s potential.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the chance to snag a piece of that 100,000 gold coin bounty.
She had full confidence Lorin would find a clue.
After all, fate magic wasn’t something just anyone could study.
Those diviners in the Defense Department?
Sure, they had higher cultivation levels, but compared to Lorin, their actual skill was laughable.
“Ow!”
A startled cry escaped Lorin’s lips.
Out of nowhere, her vision was filled with a blinding patch of white.
Before she could process what she’d just seen, dizziness overwhelmed her.
Her body surged forward uncontrollably, and the next instant, she crashed hard into something.
The impact made her entire frame wobble.
Still dazed from the collision, she heard a soft and gentle voice in her ear.
“Are you alright, little one?”
A pair of warm, strong arms carefully wrapped around her waist.
The embrace was cautious yet tender, and Lorin suddenly found herself lifted off the ground.
“Shhh, don’t cry now… Everything’s okay…”
Lorin went silent.
Wait—why did she suddenly feel like crying just because someone said that?
“Put me down!”
Lorin immediately began to struggle in Selina’s arms. Seeing this, Selina reluctantly set her down.
What an adorable little girl… Whose child could she be?
“What are you looking for, little one? Want big sis to help you find it?”
“I’m looking for… mm? Don’t call me little one!”
Lorin already felt like her seniority was insultingly low.
“Auntie… I’m Ina’s friend. Do you know where she is?”
As the most doted-on granddaughter of Duke Wilson, Ina was quite well-known at this beginner magic academy.
Though… mostly for her infamous pranks and troublemaking.
Selina’s long, straight legs kept swinging into Lorin’s field of vision, making it impossible to concentrate.
How could someone be this tall?
She was nearly one and a half Phyllises!
Lorin stared at the pair of snowy-white legs before her, realizing that she had to tilt her head way up just to see the woman she’d bumped into.
No, wait… that towering chest was an obstacle too.
Really, her own size was perfectly fine.
Balance was key to conquering the world, after all.
Selina’s mouth twitched slightly at being called “Auntie.”
This little one clearly wasn’t as innocent as she looked—definitely Ina’s friend.
“Ina’s gone on a trip. She’s not at school right now.”
Selina paused for a moment.
No need to ruin this little girl’s mood—even if her mental age was probably older than Selina’s great-grandfather.
“Can you take me to Ina’s classroom then?”
“Of course, but… could you not call me Auntie?”
“Thanks, Auntie! Of course I can, Auntie.”
Lorin replied sweetly.
Selina’s face froze.
She stared at that innocent, adorable face in front of her, and for the first time in her life—despite never having lost a verbal sparring match—she felt defeated.
Before long, Selina led Lorin into a classroom.
Inside, the children all turned their eyes toward the newcomer.
Chatter erupted in an instant.
Lorin scanned the room, and a mischievous idea popped into her head.
“Do your mommies and daddies in—mmph!”
Before she could finish, Selina hurriedly covered her mouth.
She had fully expected Lorin to misbehave and was well-prepared for it.
After all, what kind of good child would be friends with Ina?
As Ina’s teacher, Selina knew her far too well.
This beginner magic academy was, more accurately, a childcare center.
It tested whether children had magic talent and offered basic magic education.
Of course, if a child had no talent, there was no need for lessons—they could just go be sword fighters.
So most students here were very young.
“Mmmph! Mmmph!”
Lorin struggled until Selina finally let her go.
At that moment, Selina gave her a sharp look, watching closely for her next move.
“Behave.”
Selina warned her firmly.
Years of experience dealing with children told her that you couldn’t treat kids like Lorin with ordinary logic.
What she didn’t know was that Lorin wasn’t really a child at all…
Or well, technically she was—barely a year old.
Lorin’s gaze flickered guiltily for a moment before she quickly nodded.
“Mm-hmm!” she answered with a sheepish little sound.
She thought to herself, Looks like this teacher knows what she’s doing…
Spotting an empty seat, Lorin slowly made her way over.
Selina followed close behind, not daring to lower her guard.
If Lorin caused trouble again, it might set off a full-on “air raid siren” in the classroom.
Soon, Lorin discreetly activated her magic.
A gentle breeze stirred, sending ripples through the air.
A trace of aura was swept up and captured in her hand.
With this trace, she could use fate magic to pinpoint Ina’s current location.
And once that happened—those 100,000 gold coins would be hers!
At that exact moment, two different people thought the exact same thing.
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