Chapter 56: An Embarrassing Welcome

“What a strange person.”  

Iana sat in her private room aboard the airship bound for Saint Roland Magic Academy, resting her chin in her hand with a troubled expression.  

She couldn’t understand why Ethelrina had been acting so odd yesterday, muttering strange things about memories, the past, and not backing down anymore.  

This was completely different from the Ethelrina she knew.

In the original story, there was never any mention of Ethelrina having such a past, so Iana had no clue what she was talking about.  

At first, Iana thought none of it was important, but now, calming down and thinking carefully, she wondered: who was the person that gave Ethelrina the jewel she risked her life to retrieve?  

And the stone tablet Ethelrina looked at with such deep emotion—who was it built for?  

Iana scratched her pure white hair, sending it flying in disarray.

“I just don’t get it.”  

Since she couldn’t figure it out, she decided not to think about it anymore and focused on preparing for the upcoming Saintess Trial.  

Sitting alone in her room on the airship, Iana recalled yesterday’s events.

After Ethelrina led her and Lillian to the back mountain and spoke some incomprehensible words, she and Lillian had returned to the orphanage courtyard.  

Iana had tried everything to help Lillian gain others’ approval, but it was all in vain.

Tomorrow was the first challenge of the Saintess Trial.  

The Saint Roland Magic Academy was extremely far from the orphanage.

To avoid missing the first trial, Iana had no choice but to postpone Lillian’s task for passing the First Saintess Trial.  

If necessary, Iana planned to exchange a Teleportation Scroll from the System Shop to let Lillian meet up with others first, prioritizing her safety.  

Staring at the 1,000-point Teleportation Scroll on the system panel, Iana bit her lip, feeling a pang of guilt—she was still burdened by heavy debts.  

“We’ll just take it one step at a time.”  

Iana sighed helplessly and lightly tapped the exchange button on the system panel.  

In an instant, a scroll made of yellowed, rustic leather paper—purple hues shimmering—appeared in her hand, looking like an antique from another century.  

“I’ll find a time to give this to Lillian.”  

Iana sighed softly, having made up her mind.  

After a while, the airship gently shook.

Outside the window, the clouds thinned, and Iana could see the iconic spire of the Saint Roland Magic Academy’s clock tower.  

She stood from her chair, preparing to disembark.  

Opening the door, she saw Lillian poking her head out of the cabin across from hers, hands gripping the doorframe, eyes darting about nervously, giving off a sneaky vibe.  

“Stop staring. I’m right here.”  

Iana waved to Lillian and said, “We’re almost at the academy. Hurry up and pack your things.”  

“Yiserin said she’d come pick us up and even prepared a surprise for us.”  

Lillian nodded and trotted over like a docile little rabbit beside Iana.  

Before long, the airship landed not far from Saint Roland Magic Academy.  

The crowd aboard was dense, packed tightly with people everywhere.

Iana and Lillian were squeezed by the throng.  

“So crowded!”  

Iana held Lillian’s hand tightly, feeling like they might be separated by the crowd if she let go.  

Fortune favored the diligent.

After some effort, Iana carried their many bags and stepped off the airship.  

Nearby, she spotted Yiserin holding up a large sign welcoming them.  

Iana glanced at the sign, her ears reddening as she covered her face, not wanting others to know they were on the same team.  

The sign read: “Welcome to the team, the Second Cutest in the World, Iana, and the Third Cutest in the World, Lillian.”  

Beside Yiserin stood a petite figure in a gray-black dress, her crimson eyes hiding a flicker of anticipation.  

Sephiroth—the Dragon Clan’s undercover agent—was instantly recognizable to Iana standing next to Yiserin.  

“Eh… eh… eh.”  

Lillian stared at Yiserin holding the sign, her head feeling heavy.

White steam seemed to rise from her golden twin tails.  

Iana thought if she put a raw steak on Lillian’s head right now, it might be cooked soon.  

“Maybe we shouldn’t go over there after all.”  

Iana leaned close and whispered to Lillian.  

Lillian’s face flushed red enough to bleed, and she shyly nodded in agreement.  

The two of them tried to sneak past Yiserin and Sephiroth, pretending not to notice them.  

Just when Iana thought she was about to succeed, she felt a fair hand press down on her shoulder.  

“Where do you think you’re going, Iana?”  

Iana shivered and slowly turned around to see Yiserin holding the sign that read “Welcome to the team, the Second Cutest in the World, Iana, and the Third Cutest in the World, Lillian,” her smile bright and warm.  

“You don’t want to say hi to me? Isn’t the sign big and obvious enough?”  

Sephiroth silently watched Iana from the side.

Though she didn’t speak, the small flame of anticipation in her crimson eyes burned brighter.  

Lillian, close enough to see the sign, blushed even harder, quickly hiding behind Iana with only half her face showing.  

“We… we didn’t mean to walk by.”  

“Oh, really?” Yiserin tilted her head slightly, eyebrows raised, a teasing smile playing on her lips.  

“Then how come you didn’t see this sign?” She waved the sign teasingly in her hand.  

Iana avoided Yiserin’s antics and anxiously said, “Can you put that sign away? This is too embarrassing.”  

“Embarrassing?”  

Yiserin chuckled, “To be honest, I was thinking of putting ‘the Cutest in the World’ on mine.”  

Iana covered her head and thought, ‘Yiserin really has a thick skin.’

“Um, let me take your bags.”  

Sephiroth looked at the bags in Iana’s hands and casually took them without waiting for a response.  

Iana was suspicious—why would the Dragon Clan’s undercover agent so willingly help carry her luggage?

Was there some trap?  

She quickly waved her hand, signaling no need to do so.  

“It’s fine. It’s what I’m supposed to do.”  

Sephiroth’s cheeks flushed slightly as she stared at Iana like she was a rare treasure.  

Seeing Iana’s awkwardness, Yiserin said, “Alright, since it’s Sephiroth’s kindness, you should accept it.”  

Iana had no choice but to comply, feeling she couldn’t wrest the bags back from Sephiroth even if she wanted to.  

“Let’s head back to the academy.”  

Yiserin held the sign high, strutting boldly at the front of the group.  

“Hey, why don’t you put the sign down first?”