"IMPERIAL GUARDS ARMOR!? Is that all you have? Come on, let me see!" With incredible agility, Seleria slipped behind Aileen and tried to untie her bundle.
"Don't even try!" Aileen effortlessly stopped the princess with one hand, showing that she didn't care about her complaints. "I have enough with what I have; on the toughest missions, I've had to spend several days wearing armor without taking it off. So, this clothing is the most suitable for me."
The Imperial Guards, with their resilience and foolishness, left a distinct impression on everyone's faces.
"We just have to wait for Rizel now; I wonder where she's disappearing to," Seleria said.
"Well, who knows, maybe she's packing her things," Seleria snickered mischievously. "Probably stocking up on spare black mantles and polish for her staff."
"Um, isn't that her?" Aileen pointed to the wall on the opposite side of the carriage. A familiar green eye peered out from under a black mantle.
"Actually, I'm right here."
"AAAAHHHH!!!" All of us jumped to the ceiling in unison. "How long have you been here?"
"Even before you arrived."
"Why didn't you show yourself?"
"To avoid interrupting your conversation, and to be honest, I simply fell asleep," the necromancer approached Seleria and pointed her staff right at the princess's face. "And remember, it always glimmers even without polish!"
After a couple of hours, we passed through the city, where the girls had gone shopping, and we continued our journey all together.
"Rizel, you didn't bring any belongings with you?"
"Nope."
"And you plan to work like that?"
"What's the problem?"
"Well, I think people might be scared of a girl in a black hood with a skull-topped staff."
"Mmm, " Rizel looked at the shops we were passing and suddenly jumped up. "Stop for a moment."
The necromancer leaped out of the carriage and rushed into the shop opposite. I don't envy the owner. Several shoppers ran out of the shop screaming; it seemed to be selling simple women's dresses, aprons, scarves, mirrors, wigs, combs, and other knick-knacks. After a couple of minutes, the black mantle returned to the carriage with a small bundle, and the shop owner came out with trembling hands to make sure his customer was satisfied.
"You really know how to scare people," I commented.
"I didn't mean to; I just decided to buy something."
"Are you really going to take off the mantle?" My exclamation drew everyone's attention to the necromancer.
"Eh? I... I'll just put something else on."
"Hmph, even a hunchback can fix their appearance. By the way, it might work out well if you find work in a cemetery; at least people there are mentally prepared to meet you."
Upon my teasing, the girl only snorted disapprovingly.
We didn't stop for the night and slept right in the carriage. So by morning, we found ourselves at the border of the city of Koroldain. The city was large, with several thousand inhabitants, and it was located on the border with Nordrune. Trading with the northern tribes was the main occupation here. The city stood on a small plateau, rising above the surrounding forests, so the south side ended with a steep cliff where only a couple of small houses stood. To the north, the city bordered a mountain range, at the foot of which lay the city's cemetery and an old church that had seen better days. To the east, a fast mountain river flowed, and the main road into the city led through the western gates and crossed the river on a bridge to the neighboring village. This, of course, hindered the city's development, but construction had already begun on a bridge across the river at the eastern border of the city.
As we approached the city, a huge shadow passed over us and landed next to the road.
"Oh, you arrived just in time. Good thing you didn't fly into the city," I greeted the girls who returned from shopping.
"We bought a lot of things; I think you'll like them," Seleria said, pleased with herself, as she got off the dragon's back and took bags from her paws. The two golden-haired girls followed suit.
"Well, I don't know, I think we bought too much unnecessary stuff," the dragon said in a low female voice and began transforming in a flash of black light.
"But now you won't be faceless Academy students; you'll be beautiful girls," Seleria pushed Katrina forward. She was wearing a long white dress with a gilded belt and coquettish yellow shoes, and of course, my gloves. It seemed that Seleria managed to persuade Katrina to apply some makeup, although combing her hair was still a challenge.
"Do I look strange?" Katrina blushed and started to sweetly swing her foot in front of her.
"No, you look absolutely fantastic, and now you look more like a girl after we bought you not only the outerwear... mmmgmmgmm," Seleria's sentence was cut off by the princess's hand, which quickly covered her mouth.
"Don't blabber unnecessary things!!" Lightning sparked in Katrina's eyes.
"Oh, come on, you look even better like this."
"But I think it's not very comfortable," Ragni shifted on the spot. "I miss the familiar feeling of freedom."
"Freedom?! You had nothing on you at all!!! Dragons are very strange in human form!!" Ragni's words sent Seleria into an inexplicable rage.
"But did they buy anything for you?"
"Yes, but to transform back into a dragon, I need to be dressed in something like mine, or the clothes will simply tear apart. I'll change later and show you. By the way, where are we going?"
"As usual, to the city's mayor. It seems that the Rector knew the mayor of this city and managed to quickly arrange our employment."
The grand three-story mansion on the central square served as the mayor's residence and the building for the city assembly. The coachman left us at the city gate, and we walked to the mayor's office on foot. It seemed that all the locals' eyes were fixed on us. Of course, the girls in our guild were very beautiful, but people were looking at us not only with interest but also with suspicion.
At the mayor's office gate, a middle-aged man of portly build with luxurious mustaches was already waiting for us. His expensive yet not overly ostentatious clothes revealed him to be an important person, not burdened with excessive wealth.
"Hello, you must be the students from the academy sent by the Rector to help us. I am Wesley Derim, the mayor of this humble town," the man politely bowed, and we responded in kind.
"And you are not unfamiliar with modesty; you have a rich and beautiful city," Katrina awkwardly flattered the mayor, to which he amiably laughed.
"Haha, perhaps you are right. Please, come into the house, and I'll tell you everything."
We passed through the main entrance and found ourselves in a large room that served as both a dining hall and, judging by the number of chairs along the walls, a meeting hall. There was a breakfast spread on a large dining table in the center of the room, and we gladly accepted the offer to partake in it.
"We have a long-standing friendship with the Rector. His students once helped us repel an attack from a tribe of barbarians who came from Nordrune. They were traitors who fled after a failed attempt on the Great Jarl's life. After successfully defending the city, which lasted two weeks, we managed to defeat the enemy with the support of the Northern King's troops. Since then, we have established friendly relations both with the people of the North and with the Academy. We have grown from a humble village with fifty houses near the border post into a major trading hub. Although not everyone is pleased with this."
"Your city has a rich history; I thought the Rector would send us to a city where people are not as welcoming to the Academy, but here, it seems, everything is fine," I recalled Feris' words. The Rector wanted us to improve relations with the local population, but here, it wasn't necessary.
"As I said, not everyone is pleased. It's been thirty years since the barbarian invasion, and since then, the number of our city's inhabitants who graduated from the Academy has not reached even ten. It's all due to a law that requires an apprentice to obtain permission from a feudal lord."
"Aren't you the feudal lord?"
"Oh, don't talk nonsense. My father was a simple lumberjack, and our city has never been famous for strong magicians, except for the witch doctor and the trader of magical goods at the square, you're unlikely to find anyone else here. Nightleef is the true capital of our county, you passed it on your way here."
"Hmm," Seleria pondered, "it seems like that trading city where we stayed, but it looks significantly smaller than this place."
"You're right, lovely lady. There is the residence of the feudal lord and all the local nobles. Our city has grown so rapidly to become the county's capital that it has caused dissatisfaction among the nobility. The Count himself is a decent man, but due to pressure from the local nobility, he stopped granting permission for our city's residents to enroll in the Academy. So for our city, having Academy students coming here is a rarity."
"It must be unpleasant when people treat you this way," I sighed sadly, "foolish old traditions, it's a pity no one abolishes them."
"Sorry," Katrina lowered her gaze.
"Oh, come on, girl, don't worry. We are already looking for a way out of this situation," the mayor smiled kindly at the girl, unaware that she was a princess, "and now I think you should learn about your jobs. The Rector has already assigned them for each of you."
"What? We won't even have a choice?" I had a bad feeling about this.
"Well, Algo and Leira," the pair stood up when called, "you will be in charge of the junior group in the kindergarten."
"What? Work with children? But I don't think we can."
"It's okay; the Rector said it would be beneficial for you to strengthen relationships."
The couple was taken aback by the Rector's remark.
"Grain and Ragni," two people stood up, not expecting that they would be working together, "you will help with the construction of the bridge. Although I don't understand why they are sending a fragile girl there; physical strength is essential there, after all."
"As if that fragile girl won't accidentally demolish the bridge herself."
"Krito! Shut up!"
"Next, Vinila and Seleria," the girls exchanged glances, "you will oversee the candy shop on the main street while its owner is away."
"Well, that's right up my alley. I'll come up with a couple of advertising campaigns using our red princess," Vina said, rubbing her hands conspiratorially.
"I see you're inspired. Next, Kurone and Katrina, you will work at a small sewing factory in the eastern part of the city."
"Phew, that's something I can do," Kurone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Eh? But I can't sew," Katrina panicked.
"Don't worry; everything is done on machines there; they will show you everything. Next is Rizel," the person with the cloak and staff rose from the table, "Oh, my God. Sorry, got scared for a moment. The Rector asked to appoint you as a teacher. Our school just had a middle-class teacher fall ill. You'll manage, I'm sure."
The necromancer only nodded silently, which made the mayor even more nervous.
"Well then... Levris, are you a teacher for these students?"
"Yes, will I be a teacher too? Or perhaps work in a library or a bookshop?"
"No-no, the Rector asked you to read less and chose for you the job of a caregiver. There's an old man named Grivor living on the southern outskirts of the city; you've probably seen his house from the road. He's the oldest resident of our city, no one even knows how long he's been here, but he recently fell ill and finds it difficult to leave his house. So, we decided to assign him a caregiver or an assistant to help him around the house," the mayor lowered his voice slightly, "and when he heard about it, he insisted that it should be a pretty girl. An incorrigible old man."
"Ah, well, I'll take care of him," Levris awkwardly laughed at the mayor's last statement.
"Krito," it was my turn, "you will work in the blacksmith's forge. The Rector said that if you can't make weapons yourself, there's no point in your skills."
"Hmm, that might come in handy for me."
"Good, then you will live here; we have some free guest rooms. And now, let's go, I'll show you your workplace."
"Wait, we have one more person here," I pointed at Aileen.
"Hmm, from what I heard, I only liked the vacancy in the forge. I'm an engineer after all, but I doubt you've advanced much in technical matters beyond the water mill."
"Then we'll work together," I patted the guardian's shoulder in a friendly manner.
"Darn, only the campaign I got is an unfortunate one," the girl sighed, there was nowhere to retreat now.