Sherry
Our first destination was Mira, the capital of the Magocracy. We alternated between walking and running, me with my feet and her using her wind spell. I knew however that my stamina was no match compared to her mana capacity. When I got tired, she clearly could still get going. But she was patient with me, telling us that we're going to take a break everytime it occured.
I could tell just how powerful of a mage she was, to the point that I didn't dare to ask for a sparring match to train. She would just mop the floor with me. And it wouldn't even be close.
Yet another reason why I must get stronger…
I noticed another thing that bothered me. That is, how much Myrilla was drawing attention everywhere she went.
People in the villages we passed by would openly stare at her ears and antennas, with some children even asking their mothers about it, only to be responded by a harsh whisper on how she was a demon.
I don't know how she could bear it. If I was her, I would never be able to show myself in public again.
When I asked her about it, she replied that her race was also quite rare, though nowhere near as rare as mine. Many people would live their entire lives never seeing a Nerthus, so she completely understood why people would stare at her like that. She also told me that it would get better the more we got closer to the capital.
"When we reach the Holy Continent however, expect it to get worse. Much worse," she warned. "They don't take kindly to any demons in the slightest."
My heart sank. If it's already this bad here, how bad would it be there?
Noticing my distressed look, she put her hand on my shoulder with a smile and said, "Don't feel bad. They won't bother you, just me. You don't look like a demon after all."
I knew she meant to comfort me by those words, but I didn't feel any relief whatsoever. I didn't want to see her being treated badly after all. Now that I knew I was a demon, just like her, I felt a certain sense of camaraderie towards her. Or perhaps I was simply projecting myself on her place.
"I see. You're worried about me, aren't you? Don't. I've been used to it for many years now, ever since I departed from my home all those years ago."
...There really was no hiding from her, huh? She could read minds after all.
Or maybe it's just my expression that's too obvious. I'm never good at lying after all.
We rested in the cheapest inns we could find along the way. We naturally shared the same room and bed, both to save money and for safety. At the very least, she would always keep to her side of the bed, and not hug me like Hugo's mother always did every time we slept together.
It's not like I hate it or anything, it's just that… it's really quite embarrassing, you know...
And if Myrilla starts doing it as well, I wouldn't know how to feel or react...
I expected her to be like that though. Unlike Hugo's mother, she was far less open with her emotions. She would only rarely show any expression on her face. So I imagined she's the kind of woman who wouldn't show her affections openly either.
However, I was still bothered by one thing and one thing only.
The fact that she would freely change her clothes in front of me.
It wasn't because it was an unpleasant sight. The opposite, in fact. She was beautiful, and that beauty was hidden under the heavy robes she always wore every day. Her chest was actually decently sized (though still nowhere near Hugo's mother, obviously) and her bottom was tight, only enhanced by the skimpy black panties she was wearing (to think that she wore those under her modest robes). The hourglass figure was certainly there.
I blushed at sight. I wondered if I would have an amazing body like hers when I grew up.
Hugo would like me more if I do for sure…
That night, I secretly prayed to the Saint to grant me a figure just as attractive as hers.
I didn't ask much. I didn't dare to ask Her to give me a big and voloptous chest like Renee's, though I knew Hugo would love it for sure. I just wanted a body that could attract him.
And then, before I knew it, around two weeks later, we had arrived.
--------
Whoaaa….
My jaw opened as I saw the city in the distance.
It was large, much larger than Aarom, which was already a large city of its own right. Or maybe Aarom was the small one, and this was how a large city was supposed to look. I wouldn't know. I never went anywhere after all. Only now I saw a city as large as this one.
Mira, the City of Magic… they say the strongest mages in the world gather here….
"Or so their citizens would claim." Myrilla snapped me out of my reverie. Once again, she was reading my thoughts freely. I certainly could've protested the invasion of privacy, but I decided I didn't really care. It made our communication easier and less awkward.
As long as she's not reading any embarrassing thoughts, that is.
"You think they're mistaken?" I asked back.
"Strong mages don't just belong to the Magocracy," she answered, before walking away, cutting the conversation short.
Like her, I suppose. She's a strong mage, but she doesn't work for them.
------
When we reached the gates, I felt as if I was an ant looking at a giant.
In front of us was a tall and large pitch-black double leaf door that looked like it was made out of iron—the same color as the rest of the walls. When I got closer, I noticed the odd patterns and symbols written on it, barely noticeable on the pitch black door. They were opened all the way.
"Those patterns and symbols are runes," Myrilla immediately explained, reading my mind once again. "They enchant the gates and walls with magic."
"Oh, I see…"
I never asked Marina or Hugo to teach me anything magic-related, knowing that I had no talent in it whatsoever. And now I couldn't help but regret it a little.
"And that isn't iron. That's obsidian. It's quite conductive to magic so if you're going to create enchanted gates or walls, it's a good choice to take," she explained further.
Would Hugo know this kind of stuff?
Of course he would. He's really smart after all. Unlike me, who can only swing a sword around…
----
As promised, after getting a room at an inn, we immediately went to the Magic Academy to pay Marina a visit.
The academy was located in the southeastern corner, away from the four large roads that converged on the center of the city. It's located in its own complex that was secluded from the rest of the city, separated by a series of greenery that made it look as if the academy was in the middle of a forest. In fact, you could almost say that there's a tiny forest inside the city walls.
"All these plants inside a city… this could only be done by magic, right?" I asked, as my twinkling eyes wandered around to the sides.
"Not necessarily, though knowing them, they definitely grew and managed all these trees using it. No need to employ hundreds of gardeners for the same job that a competent enough Earth mage could accomplish," Myrilla answered. "And notice how the wind is always perfectly gentle, blowing in an almost perfect rhythm every minute or so? And how the humidity is just perfect? That's the work of a Wind mage and a Water mage."
"So magic can be used that way too…" I said, impressed by the revelation. I always thought magic was just you throwing fireballs to attack your opponent.
"Magic can be used for all sorts of things. What separates a clever mage from a dull one is how creative he or she could use their spells, both in and out of combat."
The world of magic might be far deeper than I originally had thought.
------
We soon arrived at the front gate of the academy complex. As we had feared, there were guards posted outside, blocking our entry. However, unlike the guards in Aarom, they wore robes and pointed hats instead. They were mage guards, with some of them wielding staffs while some others had wands ready instead.
"Mind stating your business, Ma'am?" One of them said to Myrilla. At least they seemed to be polite.
"We're here to meet Marina Greenwood, one of the students residing here," she answered promptly. "I'm a friend of her father's, while she is her little sister." She pointed at me.
"Then, please state your name, Ma'am," the guard asked back.
"I'm Myrilla and she is Sherry."
The guard then eyed both of us from top to bottom for a good while, before replying, "Very well. Miss Marina already told us that you were coming. I shall escort you to the visitor hall. This is still in lesson hours you see, so she wouldn't be able to join you, right away."
With a flick of his wand, the guard opened the gate, before leading us inside.
"Miss" Marina? So you become a bigwig if you're a student of this school, huh?
------
So this is the Academy… How many of my old orphanages can fit inside here? This doesn't even feel like it's inside a city anymore...
Once again, I was taken aback by how spacious my surroundings were. I could just imagine how much I would love to be a student here! With how pleasant everything was here, I would have no problem in learning my maths and vocabularies to be sure (though I wasn't sure if they even taught those subjects here, seeing how it's a magic school and all).
Now that I think about it, I'm at the perfect age to enroll. They accept 10-year olds as their first year students, right, if I remember correctly what Marina once told me?
I didn't see any students around, which didn't really surprise me seeing how the guard said that they were in their classes right now.
We soon arrived at the waiting room. It was a decently large room with comfortable sofas that we could sit in. They were even kind enough to place some cookies in a jar on the table in front of us. I didn't hesitate. Once the guard was gone, I quickly opened the jar and took out some.
Mmm, they're delicious!
I didn't notice Myrilla sighing as a result. Only after I finished eating the first one that I realized she wasn't happy at all to be told to wait like this.
"Oh, hello there."
Suddenly, a voice called out to us, from across the room.
The room was pretty much empty, except for another person across us that my eyes must have glazed over without realizing.
She was a girl older than me, perhaps around the higher teens in age. She had long blue hair that went down to her waist, and she wore what certainly looked like a stereotypical mage outfit like the ones those guards had worn. The only difference that she wore a short skirt that clearly flaunted her legs. And the way she sat with one leg crossed over the other certainly didn't help matters either.
"You two want to meet with a student as well?" she asked with a cheerful smile. "Me too! I'm not a relative though. I'm just a simple messenger."
"It's none of your business," Myrilla coldly replied, clearly looking a bit annoyed.
"Aaw, don't be such a sourpuss! You're a Nerthus, right? Why don't you read my mind to find out who I am waiting for? Don't read anything else though!"
Myrilla decided not to reply, only sending her another glare before pulling a book in a nearby bookshelf with her telepathy and opening it immediately.
"Ah, the classic 'I'm reading a book so I don't want to talk to you!' response! It's like you're a grumpy schoolgirl instead of whatever age you're currently at now. You demons live long, youthful lives after all."
...Okay, now I'm starting to feel annoyed as well. There's just something about her demeanour that makes you want to get angry with her. And I'm not sure if she's doing it intentionally or not.
Before I could say anything to her however, the door on the far side of the room opened.
It was Marina, walking in with a redheaded girl I wasn't familiar with.
"Ah, Alincia! About time!" The blue-haired girl spoke. "Here! Take a seat beside me!"
So the redhead's name is Alincia… Wait, isn't that the girl Marina liked to talk about?
"Do you know who I am?" The blue-haired girl then asked.
"Umm, no? Should I?" Alincia tilted her head.
"We've met before, you know. Though you're pretty young back then."
Alincia exchanged looks with Marina, who just shrugged in return.
"Oh well." She sighed. "Guess I'll start with an introduction then."
She stood up and offered her hand to the shorter girl. She gingerly took it.
"I'm Elunmidis Brine. Or Elun for short. It's a pleasure to meet you, Alincia," she said with a small grin as she shook her hand.
Immediately Alincia's eyes turned wide open. "Y-you're the daughter of Selendia Brine?"
"Yep! That's my mother alright!" She proudly replied, as she sat back down, crossing her legs once more.
I had no idea who she was, but even I could tell that she was someone important.
"Selendia Brine. One of the mages that sat on the Council. Her title is the Lady of the Depths. A powerful Water Mage they said to have made a summoning pact with a Leviathan. Her most famous—or rather, infamous—deed however was how she brought ruin to Ledo, a small kingdom that used to exist to the east of the Magocracy ten years ago. With her magic, she drowned the entire capital, leaving not a single survivor. Their territory was now hers, naturally," Marina commented.
"Hey, hey! Don't make my Mother sound like a bad guy! Those Ledo guys are planning to invade the Magocracy, you know! And that's after they tried to assassinate members of the Council! All just because they refused to honor the deal of selling all their Mana Stones to us! They're going to sell it to the Holy Empire instead! Can you believe that? I say those greedy folks get what they deserve!"
I glanced back at Marina, hoping for her to give more explanations. I had no idea what Mana Stones were, only that they were something mages liked to use. I did understand that the Holy Empire was the Magocracy's enemy however.
"Aanyway," She turned back to face Alincia. "I come here to bring you some good news! The necromancer girl that killed your sister… I've found her!"
This immediately turned Alincia as pale as a sheet. Even Marina looked visibly surprised.
Playing with her blue locks, she continued. "She's one slippery worm though. She has attached herself into one of the vassal kingdom's rulers as one of his many mistresses and his personal mage. She knew that she would be targeted by the Magocracy, and by doing so, she gave protection to herself."
"Hmph, what a girl. She didn't even hesitate to use her body yet again to get what she wanted." She grumpily folded her arms under her chest, leaning back on her sofa.
"Where is she?" Alincia immediately asked, a clear look of anger now drawn on her face. Her fists were shaking as well.
"Can't tell you that unfortunately. Your grandpa's orders. He doesn't want you getting any stupid ideas." She wiggled her index finger.
"Tell me! I must know! You're part of the group that chases after her, right? Then take me with you!" She walked over to her.
Only for her to suddenly trip over nothing, landing face-first to the floor.
"Ouch. That looks painful." She uncrossed her legs and stood up. "Alright!" She clapped her hands. "I've delivered the message. Figures you at least deserve that, as her big sister. Don't worry. I won't make a move to kill her anytime soon. You see, your grandfather also told us that she wanted her alive to be tried and executed here. Judging by his wrathful look, he probably wanted a complete public execution for her, where she would be booed and humiliated by our dear citizens before being tortured for as long as possible until she begged for her death out of her own mouth. So my job had just gotten even harder." She shrugged her shoulders with a sigh.
"Honestly, I've told you too much already. Your grandpa also instructed me to not tell anything about my investigation to you or anyone else not in the Council. So Marina—" She suddenly switched her attention to her. "—I would appreciate if you don't share this information around. And you two as well." She then looked at us, who had just been sitting speechlessly on our sofa.
She then began walking to the exit, before suddenly, Myrilla spoke up, stopping her in her tracks.
"Bubble. You tripped her with your bubble, didn't you?"
Smiling, she turned around immediately. "Correct!" Suddenly, numerous bubbles floated around her, appearing out of thin air. "You're quite the perceptive one, aren't you, Nerthus? Or were you just reading my mind?"
"I don't need to read your mind to see an attack like that," she replied, giving her a cold look.
"Ooo, scary!" She then abruptly turned to Marina. "How about you, Marina? Did you see it too?"
"I… I didn't…" she answered with a look of shame.
"Hehe! Not on that level yet, aren't you?" She giggled, a pleased look on her face. "Well, keep training! I'm sure with your amazing talent, you'll reach that level soon enough."
And with that said, she left the room, but not without leaving her bubbles behind her, forming something like a wall that blocked anyone from following her. And then, a jet of water fired off behind her shoes, speeding her up considerably.
I moved to chase her, but Myrilla quickly placed her hand on my shoulder, shaking her head.
Don't. She's out of your league.
I gasped. D-did she just speak into my mind?
Marina was about to do the same, but she stopped as well, shifting her attention towards Myrilla. Most likely she too had sent a message to her mind.
When I heard the sobs coming from Alincia, I decided that I positively disliked that girl.
Marina quickly moved in and helped her friend stand back up.
Myrilla sighed. "I suppose this is a bad time to visit?"
Marina sighed as well. "I'll go meet with you two tomorrow morning. I don't have any classes then. Tell me where you're staying and I'll go there. We'll have our chat then."
As she gave her teary-eyed friend a hug and a gentle pat on the back, no doubt in an effort to calm her down, she watched us leave. I was about to ask her "Just what is going on here?!", but she shook her head, telling me that it wasn't the time.
Only after we exited the academy's gate that Myrilla decided to speak back up.
"Tell Marina tomorrow not to get involved with that Alincia girl."
"W-what?! But w—"
"Maybe she'll listen better to you than to me. Tell her that it's never a good idea to get yourself wrapped up with the higher-ups of a country like that. She befriended one and now she got the attention of another. It's the same as she being close to two princesses at the same time. And of rivaling houses at that."
"I-isn't that a good thing, though? To be friends with important people like that?"
"It only brings trouble. You'll just end up being pawns in their game of chess."
"I see…"
I didn't reply any further. She knew better after all. If she said so, then it must be true. Who am I, who has no experience in the world, to doubt her?
But I knew how Marina was. She would never abandon a friend just because of that.
Hugo… what would you say if you were here?