At night, outside the lounge of the Magic Tower Council, Sylvia took a deep breath and looked behind her at the attendant following closely.
She couldn’t hesitate any longer and could only reach out to knock on the door.
There was a gentle call from inside, “Please, come in~” But… upon hearing that familiar woman’s voice, Sylvia suddenly lowered her head, a hint of unwillingness flashing in her eyes.
Then, the attendant opened the door, and only after taking another deep breath did Sylvia step forward into the room.
In the lavishly decorated lounge, seated at the very center was a dignified and enchanting mature woman.
A splendid purple mage’s gown hugged her seductive figure, her long black-stockinged legs stepping on black heels with red soles, and countless sparkling jewels adorned her, marking her nobility.
The only thing she had in common with Sylvia, who usually paid almost no attention to her own appearance and was always disheveled, was her long green hair and those striking elven ears.
Mage Regent—Celthina. That was this woman’s identity and true name.
Of course, to most people, the name Celthina was unfamiliar. She had a more well-known title: “The Grand Elf”.
A symbol of the greatest strength and supreme status among the elves, it was also the most profound respect—and perhaps it should be said, fear—that human society held toward this noble race.
Celthina narrowed her eyes at the visitor, then rested her chin in her hand and smiled playfully.
“And who is it that’s come to visit me? Oh… what a cute child, still as slovenly as ever~”
“Your attendants should report the identity of visitors to you. I have already introduced myself, Your Excellency Grand Elf.”
“Mmm, still so cold. Don’t talk to me in that tone, will you? It breaks my heart~”
Celthina sighed, and then—rarely seen—this Mage Regent actually started to act spoiled toward the girl in front of her.
***
The attendant on the side watched in surprise, but was soon frightened by a sharp glare from Celthina, his legs trembling. Sylvia sighed, turned her head, and said to him:
“All of you, leave.”
“This… Forgive me, but protecting the Regent is part of the Magic Tower Council’s Regulations. According to procedure… meetings like this must be guarded at all times.”
“That sort of thing isn’t needed at all, Miss Sylvia. Well… if she wants to kill me, then let her. Now, could you all just get out? If you stay, she seems a bit too restrained.”
“Y-Yes!”
The attendants all took deep breaths, fully aware of the Regent’s infamous temper. They hurriedly withdrew from the room, still shaken even after they had all left.
Phew.
How strange. Who exactly is that girl who just went in? She seems to have quite a close relationship with the Regent.
Well, they are both elves. Whew… good thing I didn’t offend her just now.
Once the door was tightly shut, Celthina instantly regained her usual icy queenly demeanor.
She sized up the girl she hadn’t seen for so long, gave a light laugh, and then asked, “So, what is it that’s so important it brings you here? I imagine… if it weren’t a matter of life and death, you would never come.”
“Haa… Actually, it’s nothing much. I just… want to go study at Lidel Magic Academy.”
Looking at the somewhat awkward, eye-patched girl, Celthina tilted her head in confusion for a moment, then couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
After a moment, she shook her head, raised her eyes, and teased:
“That’s all? Pfft… what a trivial matter, Sylvia. Even for something this small, you come to me? You little rascal… you really aren’t like yourself anymore. If you can’t handle it, just come back early…”
“I… I…”
Sylvia lowered her head even further, looking more unwilling than before. On the other side, seeing the pitiful expression on the eye-patched girl’s face, Celthina softened and spoke gently:
“Sigh, I suppose admissions at that school have already closed by now; it’s been open for quite a few days. If you want to enroll late, it’ll cost a lot to persuade those people at the admissions office.”
“Alright, it’s my fault. And honestly, I’m really happy that you came to me, Sylvia. But what made you decide to go to school there?”
Celthina’s words allowed the eye-patched girl to relax a little, but before she could speak, the Grand Elf lady tilted her head and continued with a smile:
“Did you realize how important academic credentials are? I told you, there’s no future in being an adventurer.”
“No worries, I’ll arrange for you to join the graduating class, so you can get your diploma in just a year. Don’t worry about credits—just attend for a year, and I’ll handle the rest. That time limit is Regulations…”
“No, that’s not it. I want to start from… first year…”
“First year?!”
At this baffling request, Celthina’s lips twitched. No… this rascal… what exactly is she planning?
“First year, hmm… if I recall, that’s a prep class for fifteen or sixteen-year-olds. With your current abilities, attending such a class would be… a little strange, wouldn’t it?”
“Pfft… Or is it that you think you’re about the same age as those human fifteen- or sixteen-year-olds, Sylvia? Well… in my heart, you truly are the same.”
“That’s not it. I want to go to Class 25 of the first year because… there’s someone very important there…”
“Someone… important?”
Celthina blinked, then her smile turned even more playful. She tilted her head and said:
“So that’s it. It seems… that person has started to mean something different to you~ How interesting… Eh, wait, Class 25? Uh…”
The Mage Regent’s eyes suddenly revealed a hint of panic. After a moment, she took a deep breath and quickly asked Sylvia:
“The person you’re talking about, who is it? A man or a woman? Is it a teacher?!”
“Umm…”
Sylvia hadn’t intended to say, but… seeing as the other party hadn’t agreed yet, she hesitated for a while and finally answered vaguely:
“It’s a member of my former adventurer team. She’s now studying at Lidel Magic Academy. I don’t want to be separated from her, so…”
“Oh~ Whew… that’s fine then. Anyway, that person isn’t important right now…”
Celthina finally let out a sigh of relief. After a moment of thoughtful consideration, she smiled again and tilted her head, saying:
“Alright then~ It might be a bit odd, since none of your classmates will be your age. But if you don’t mind, then go ahead. I’ll talk to Richard, the grade director at the Magic Academy.”
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