The rain poured heavily that night
Noir, Lorna and Galand took shade under the Magic Barrier made by the oldest-looking member of the bunch. They also slept on the makeshift beds that were transformed using his magic.
Though the rain could not reach the trio, and they were kept warm by the white balls of light floating within the glowing dome, it still took them a while to sleep that night.
Perhaps it was due to all the excitement experienced that day, or maybe the sounds generated as the rain beat the nearby trees—splattered on the muddy ground, and splashed on the magic barrier—were the cause.
It could also have been a result of the newly established bond between the total stranger and the aides of the Duke's daughter—or wariness of any surprise attacks.
Still, their anxiety slowly lessened. All thanks to the existence of Noir.
Eventually, they all slept peacefully, under the shade of the green magic barrier, and the steady beats of the raindrops.
*
*
*
[The Next Day]
The gallops of the horses and the steady bumps of the ride roused Ciara as she slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them.
"Ohhh…" She yawned and stretched.
The young lady had not gotten such a long sleep in a quite a while.
As she was still rousing from her subconscious state and smacking her lips, a bump occurred again, which shook her to reality—and it irritated her.
"Coachman… How many times have I—" As she stated those words, the events of the previous day came flashing back, and so she controlled herself.
Ciara remembered what Lorna had told her the previous night and she awaited answers.
'It's so quiet… and peaceful…'
She decided to remain in the carriage for a while, refusing to open the windows, but enjoying the view it gave her.
Ciara had never felt so happy to be alive.
She liked the new state of the carriage. It was wide enough for her to lie down, and while it only accommodated her, she enjoyed the space within it.
"This is amazing!" She remarked as she whiled away her time lying down or looking through her windows.
After a while, the carriage stopped. Ciara quickly comported herself, sitting properly, while awaiting the knock on her door.
"Milady, It's Lorna. May I come in?"
"Y-Yes, please do." Ciara said a bit hesitantly.
A bead of sweat unconsciously broke on her skin.
"Milady, good morning. I hope you had a rather splendid night's rest." Lorna greeted her mistress with a bow.
The young maid, blond and sharply dressed, smiled sweetly. Her youthful look always kept Ciara at ease, though at the moment the girl wanted answers rather than comfort.
"Yes, It was quite relaxing. I feel much better now." Ciara's tone was gentle and soft.
"We will be arriving at The Academic City within an hour, and while it might be to your inconvenience, I will have to dress Milady in a proper attire before arriving at the gates." Lorna said.
Ciara had not noticed before, but she instantly realized it. Her previous attire had been soiled with blood and dirt, and she was in a new one.
The dark-haired girl was currently in her pajamas, courtesy of Lorna.
"W-Well, I guess it can't be helped." Ciara stated with an awkward smile.
Giving the maid permission, they began preparing—with what the small room within the carriage could allow—for the Noble's public appearance.
*
*
*
Lorna began by undressing Ciara, and then doused her in the appropriate perfumes, and did her make-up afterwards.
Normally, Ciara was supposed to have had a proper bath, however, given the circumstances, they had to make do.
As Lorna was dressing up Ciara, the latter remembered the previous night—and her pitiful display to Lorna.
She strangely felt embarrassed, as she stiffened up and blushed.
Lorna had taken care of her since she was little. Ciara was currently fifteen years, so Lorna must have been ten when she started serving her.
Ciara had always overlooked and even disregarded Lorna's services to her. She felt it only to be natural…
But, the comfort Lorna gave her, and the way she guided her to sleep after watching her cry and display her weaknesses, those were beyond her duties.
'I'm such an idiot.'
Lorna had been assaulted and raped by the bandits, yet she did her best for her lady. Not only did that command respect on Ciara's part, but also compassion
Perhaps she needed to start treating Lorna more nicely.
"All done!" Lorna finally said.
Ciara smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror.
Her mildly swollen eyes had been covered. Her blue irises were clearly displayed in the mirror and and her face looked so smooth and beautiful.
Her dark brown hair was also magnificent, flowing till it touched her back. And her attire? It was lovely.
Everything was perfect!
"You look amazing Milady." Lorna beamed.
"Thank you, Lorna." She found herself saying.
Lorna was a bit surprised to hear Ciara say that, though she tried to hide it. As a mere maid, words of gratitude were a rarity.
Still, she smiled and nodded.
"Take care milady. We'll be arriving at the city very soon. If you need me, you only need to call."
Not long after Lorna said this, she left the carriage room, and then it started moving again.
'Ahhh… how awkward! What did I just say?'
Ciara was so lost in her embarrassment that she forgot the questions she wanted to ask her maid.
*
*
*
Just as Lorna said, it wasn't long before they arrived at the Academic city, Artemis.
This was one of the United Southern Empire's major cities. The reason for this was not too far for anyone's guess. It was the Magic Institute.
Founded over a hundred years ago by the Greatest Mage of the Southern Empire, the Institute was a hotspot of attention and power.
All Imperial Mages were selected from the best among the Institute, and the Grand Imperial Mages were also from them.
The Archmage of the Academic Institute, Lord Denzel, was stated to have just transcended to the 9th-Tier magic level. This showed how great it was.
Ciara was already having goosebumps as she laid eyes on the magnificent place. All her previous grumblings instantly vanished.
'I… I want to stay here!' She found herself thinking.
The reason Ciara was here in the first place was to enroll in the Magic Institute. To do that, she had to pass the exams.
Not even members of High Nobility were exempted from this rule.
Initially, Ciara had been fairly confident in her skill, but after the previous day's encounter, she had lost all confidence in herself.
If she was going to be attending the Institute made for the best of the best, then she needed to 'up' her game.
Passing through the gate was easy, as she was the daughter of a Duke, the highest rank in Nobility, and second in power only to the Royal Family, within the Aristocracy.
The Carriage passed through the town and the busy roads, causing people to stare—with peculiarity—at the strange-looking contraption.
It was not too rare for a high ranking noble to come to the city—even a Duke. What attracted the attention of everyone was the weird shape of the carriage and its novel structure.
"If only you could see how it looks like on the inside." Ciara mused as she watched the plebians.
It didn't take long for them to reach the gate of the Magic Institute, and it was mandatory for her to step out.
Since it served as a means used to prove one's identity—through the use of experts—such exercise was one of U.S.E.M.I.'s custom.
"Now presenting Ciara de Versacee Dunroe, daughter of Duke Gustav de Versacee Dunroe of the Duchy of R'Easton." A guard announced.
Ciara figured it was her cue to present herself, so she stepped out of the carriage in her elegant attire.
'A-ah…' Her heart raced slightly as she slightly looked around her.
It was the first time she would be outside after the saga that had occurred, so she was a little nervous.
As she steppied out, she saw Lorna's reassuring face, which gave her confidence. She then saw Galand, her Mage. She was happy he was alive and well, causing her confidence to skyrocket.
However…
"W-wha—?!"
… Everything came crashing down when she saw 'him.'
"Y-you… a-are… h-how…?!" The moment Ciara laid eyes on Noir standing beside Galand, donning his usual expressionless face, her mind went blank.
The black-haired man turned his face toward her, and as soon as their eyes met, everything went dark.
She fainted.
*
*
*
By the time Ciara eventually woke up, it was late in the afternoon.
"M-Milady!" Lorna rushed into the room immediately she regained consciousness, frantically asking if she was fine.
"I'm good… I think." Ciara could only respond with a dazed answer, considering her memory was still a bit foggy.
Everything around her seemed different from what she remembered. Fortunately, Lorna realized this and jumped to answer.
"Allow me to explain."
It turned out they had lodged her in one of the guest rooms within the Institute, and a physician had come to check up on her.
He chalked everything down to stress, due to the long journey.
Lorna had been so worried about her throughout, and it was evident based on her reaction to the young girl.
'She really is too nice, isn't she?' Ciara smiled at the thought.
Galand also came in, and along with Lorna, they explained what had happened in detail, and their decision to employ Noir.
"WHAT?! HIM??!"
"Just hear us out."
"B-but…" Ciara strongly objected at first, but after seeing reason in their arguments—and discovering it was only temporary—she reluctantly agreed.
"Haa…" Both Galand and Lorna heaved sighs of relief.
Inasmuch as they were her guardians, it was still up to the young lady to decide who would be in their employ or not.
Ciara told them to bring Noir in, and he appeared before her, with the usual stoic outlook.
'This guy…' Ciara found herself shivering a little.
Compared to her gory memory of him, the young man seemed harmless at the moment.
He even asked about her safety, health, and feelings—which surprised her, considering the image of him in her head was that of a brutal killer.
After conversing for some time, mostly based on protocol, Ciara decided to trust the man a little.
'S-should I also…?' Her mind wandered as she gave Noir one more stare.
Desperation and hesitation swirled within her, and after due consideration, Ciara decided to act on her convictions—
"I… I want…"
—requesting the unfathomable.
"… I-I want you to teach me Magic!"
"Why?" Noir bluntly asked, not even leaving room for consideration.
His snappy response unnerved the young Noble once more, causing her to hurriedly search for something more to say.
"B-because you're strong… and since our arrangement is temporary, I want to make the best use of you. A-as much as possible."
Her voice sounded choppy, and her reasons were sloppy, but Ciara hoped her message was passed across.
"Why me though? Galand is a skilled Mage, isn't he?" Noir asked further.
It almost seemed like he was avoiding work on purpose. Ciara was running out of options, and she began scratching her head for a good reason.
Finally, she arrived at the only thing she could think of.
"You're more skilled. And I want you!"
This time, Noir gave no instant reply.
Ciara gulped instantly. She realized how upfront she had been, bracing herself for the rejection that would follow.
"Even if I were to accept, our agreement barely lasts two more days. You'll safely enroll in the Institute after that. What could I possibly teach you in such a short while?"
Ciara's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't outrightly rejected her!
'T-that means…!'
There was a chance he was thinking about it.
All she had to give him was a little push. But, despite her conscious effort at trying to be a more understanding fellow, Ciara could not escape her true nature.
"I don't know. F-figure it out, you're the teacher." Her voice sounded more hesitant than haughty, and Ciara regretted her words a few seconds later.
The innocent Noble was trembling underneath her façade, but she still needed to project a strong image.
She was the 'Young Lady', after all.
For a moment, silence prevailed and the atmosphere seemed unbearably tense. Then—
"Fine" Noir sighed.
"Really? I-I mean… good!" Ciara said happily, trying but failing to suppress her excitement.
"When do we start?"
"Now!" Noir stated bluntly.
"Prepare yourself within one hour. I'll get permission from your attendant and mage, as well as set everything else up.
When you're done, meet me downstairs… and don't be late."
His instructions were so sharp and precise that Ciara's heart began shaking with slight worry.
"U-Understood" She managed to mutter, now wondering who the master was among the both of them.
"Good, then I'll see you in an hour's time."
Noir swiftly stepped out of her room, shutting the door behind him.
"Ehhhh?" Immediately he left, the Young Lady exclaimed.
Confusion. Worry. Happiness. Excitement. Several other emotions assailed Ciara as she sat on her bed, all alone.
One question kept ringing in her head, though.
"What the hell just happened?"