23 Chapter 21: Principal Adels Decision (1/2)
It has been precisely 7 days, 3 hours, 27 minutes and 10 seconds since Secretary Jo Lin was suspended. How do I know? For once, I'm not being unnecessarily punished.
I can finally relax a little knowing that someone is not stalking me anymore.
Yet, the more laid-back I am, the more I'm reminded of back home. I'm worried, angry and scared... is this what they call 'having a heavy heart'?
”Whaccha doing?” A familiar voice startled me from behind.
”O-oh,” I replied to the insensitive friend of mine, ”No-nothing. Just thinking about home.”
”That's normal.” Lucy popped up from behind Analise, ”Take it slow. I'm sure your family has already been notified by the school. Think about it this way, once new letters from home start arriving, you can reply back to them without worries!”
”Your using easier words now?” I asked Lucy, my eyebrows raised.
”I've been bribed.” Lucy's mouth widened and she held a box of licorice in front of me. ”You can see, but not touch.”
Analise showed me a thumbs up and pretty soon the three of us began bickering about chocolates and laughing together.
Perhaps being reborn as a girl isn't all that bad?
...
I think I'm beginning to discover Lucy's weaknesses little by little.
”Miss Lucy,” our resource teacher asked, ”have you been actually practising at all?”
”Y-yes, of course!” Lucy insisted, ”Mr. Depps, I've been to the library and read a few books on 'how to grow plants within three minutes!' I've also studied some extra...”
Before Lucy continued any further, Mr Depps raised a hand for her to stop talking.
”I think you are misunderstanding the point, Miss Lucy...” Mr Depps sighed a little before regaining his calm and collected demeanour. ”At this rate, I don't suppose you'll be ready any time soon. I suggest you group up with friends or other classmates.”
”B-but...” Lucy teared up at his sudden proposal.
In M.T.S, it's normal for each and every student to individually train and improve themselves. On the other hand, it is very frowned upon if someone has to be supported by pairing up with others, unless the task in question is a group project.
In Lucy's case right now, she has to be supported by others.
”I doubt that classmate Lucy is so weak as to be paired up, Teacher Depps.” Analise intervened suddenly, while pulling me along.
Ah, this situation is so embarrassing. Analise just pulled me into the centre of attention... everybody's watching, damn it!
”Who says that student Lucy is weak?” Mr Depps asked. ”In fact, you two have good timing! I'll assign both you girls to help Miss Lucy with her task.”
”Eh?”
Everyone was surprised.
”I have come to the conclusion that everyone here must pair up in groups of two or three people. The task is growing a plant in three minutes, but here's the catch, the plant you grow, must bear a fruit. You may not ask for help from me, but from the library instead.” Mr Depps went on, ”I expect good teamwork. You'll be evaluated as a team, so one person's error will sink the ship of three. Understand?”
Within moments after Mr. Depps left, everyone began pairing up like crazy. The three of us quietly sneaked away.
Mr Depps is a very unusual and quirky teacher. Although I don't think he is a bad person... just slightly eccentric sometimes.
”What should we do now?” Analise asked, confused.
”That's what you say after being the instigator of all that?!” I shouted at her.
”Well what was I supposed to do! My friend was in trouble!” Analise shouted back.
This girl... is she brave or just plain stupid?
”C'mon guys, stop fighting. I don't want to suffer like before, all over again.” Lucy sighed. ”Besides, if we all fight, how are we supposed to train together? Don't forget, this is a group work. Not to mention... I'm the weak link.”
”Doubt it.” I instantly replied to her, ”I'm bad with teamwork.”
”It shows on your face.” Lucy exclaimed.
...And this girl really knows not to be subtle huh? Oh dear Lucy, my friend, why do you always have to stab people, where it hurts the most!
”Lets finish classes and go back to our dorm room first. How's that for a plan?” Analise suggested.
”Alright.” Lucy and I agreed.
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___
”...?”
Questions just kept piling up and muddled my thoughts. ”Why now?”
”Students, this is a new transfer student. Miss Carmine Anna Vehement Windstorm.” Mrs. Stapleson introduced. ”Please give her a warm welcome.”
Everyone stood up and clapped after Carmine introduced herself.
”Royals receive special treatment here, not even nobles are allowed to have.” Analise whispered from my right.
”How do you know whether she is royal or not?” I asked, remembering that I have never once mentioned anything about Carmine and Charles's engagement.
”I'm a gossip queen.” Analise smirked.
Lucy, who was sitting right behind her, smacked Analise on the head with her textbook.
”Yeah, right.” she raised an eyebrow, ”Listen Gloria, transfer students are abnormal. So most of them are royals.”
”What about me?” I asked.
”You're delayed, not a transfer.” Lucy replied.
”Royals from overseas are not unprecedented. However who knew the crown princess of Felue kingdom would come visit?” Analise's eyes were shining.
”Oh my god, you knew?” I asked, feeling ashamed by my actions and slightly more for sounding more and more like a girl day by day.
”Of course.” they replied in unison.
”I'm pretty sure everyone in school knows you have some connection to the royals of Felue Kingdom. The Windstorm Tribe is quite popular, you see. However, even if there are people who view you guys as outsiders... no one will fight you head on. Not here in this school, mind you.” Lucy winked at me with a sneaky smirk.
”For some reason, I feel chilly all of a sudden.” a dry laugh left my throat.
”Happy to see me?” A light tap came from behind.
I flinched to realize that Carmine had already sat behind me.
”What the-”
But before I could even utter another word, Mrs Stapleson began her lesson. I sighed and continued class like usual until FINALLY, it was lunch break!
...
”No way!”
My eyes were deceiving me. It had to be! Right in front of me stood Helen.
”Am I missing something?” I asked. My brain refused to play detective any longer.
”Its a long story.” Helen was reluctant to say anything properly, ”But there's nothing to worry. Carmine was bored back home and wanted to come here... persistently.”
”What about you?” I asked, refusing to just take in whatever my elder sister threw at me.
”I have to watch over her. There was no other way for her to come here.” Helen sighed and glanced into my eyes, long and hard, ”Then there's also y.o.u. The recent incident with the Secretary and how only your letters were burned. Charles asked me to look into these things a bit from the inside. It's safer that way.”
”Why?” I raised an eyebrow, filled with discomfort, ”Are you both suspecting him to be here? Is that why you came... to check up on me?”
”In theory.” Helen neither denied nor confirmed anything.
”I'm certain that it's impossible.” I argued.
”Still.” Carmine hugged me, ”Helen would've been here anyway. She is in third year now. At least I'll get to be here for the next two years...”
”Why?” I asked, surprised.
”Its not safe anywhere for her other than near her husband-to-be.” Helen insisted, ”There's eyes everywhere. It's disgusting!”
”Oh.”
”Before I forget.” Helen reached out her hand, ”Here's a spacial ring. Charles 'requested' it to be given to you. See everything in it when only inside your dorm room alone, okay?”
”Right,” I replied, slightly suspicious of the specifics.
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___
The room was empty. Analise was out with Carmine, Olivia and company for another gossip, while Lucy went to the Library to borrow more books. Helen had to unpack her stuff too and mingle with her own classmates.
I opened the spacial ring with a rhyme Charles had taught me before I came to MTS. ”As a part of training. It's a lock.” As he would put it in words.
The rhyme went like so:
”There are only two words,
Where the Sun and Moon meet,
To overcast all shadows
And for humans to sleep.
Dawn and Evening!”
As I suspected, the spacial ring opened. Spacial rings are nothing all that special in this world. However, due to security reasons, only students, nobles and royals are allowed to carry them on hand. On the contrary though, everyone from the Windstorm Tribe are allowed by birthright to carry a spacial ring with them. It's something like a tradition, I suppose?
I wasn't really allowed to have one though. Especially not after mom and dad knew about my abilities. They've always been overly overprotective of me. This habit has increased a lot more ever since Fred's unnatural switch to the enemy's side.
”The mark of 100 is imbued in this ring. That must mean that about 100 things can be placed in here. Oh wait...” I examined the ring carefully, ”It changed to yellow? Hmm... I'll have to ask Helen later.”
\u003c Author's POV \u003e
Gloria wore the ring on her thumb, since it did not fit any of the other fingers. She was disappointed, but it was still better than nothing.
”I'll just need to gain some weight.” she mumbled.
Then she locked the dorm room, just in case and hopped onto her bed. Slowly she concentrated her innermost mana and connected them all the way to her thumb. The process for the first time was so slow that by the time her mana reached the thumb, it had already been three hours!
Sweat dripped all across her small delicate body. In physical terms, it was as though she had to carry a person of 50 kg and run about a mile, non-stop until they reached the finishing line. For G, it was no big deal... but for a 6 year old girl, this was not exactly an easy thing to accomplish.
Still, she took a few short breaths, relaxed her shoulders and continued to concentrate until finally, the space inside revealed itself.
The space was practically empty, except for a single letter. It stated:
”Dear Gloria,
I hope you have been in good health lately. Father and mother-in-law have been extremely worried about you. None of us could've comprehended about the letters never reaching you... not even I. Therefore, Helen and Carmine went to you directly. If I go to see you now, things might get too complicated. I'll visit when the timing is appropriate.”
”He sure loves idle chatter.” Gloria muttered, frowning her eyebrows.
”Despite the trivial everyday troubles, hopefully MTS is still much better in comparison to Felue Kingdom, currently. Especially the inner palace, where there's a lot to cleanse. Right now though, you should mainly focus on your self-training and socialize.”
”Why is he informing me of useless shit if he doesn't spill the details?” Gloria became annoyed.
”One final thing you will definitely find helpful. Good thing I never mentioned any of this in my previous letters though... since you never replied. However, there is an ally in MTS. That person is...”
”No way. Am I reading this right?” Gloria glanced over the sentence once again.
”That person is the headmistress of the school, Principal Adel Lilith de Malvolia.”
With a knock on the door, Gloria's concentration collapsed and she couldn't finish reading any more.
\u003c Gloria's POV \u003e
”...!”
Quickly, I jumped out of the bed and unlocked the door, heavily panting.
”Wh-who is it?” my voice broke a little because a tickle in my throat.
”It me! Carmine, your big elder sister.” The voice on the other side of the door proclaimed loudly with pride.
”Hahaha... is that so?” I was trying to act normal, but my dry throat was itching for water.