"So? What course are you two gonna take? What are your plans after graduating from the academy?"
"We plan to try dungeon diving."
Ilmarë raised a brow. "So you want to be a Combat major? The both of you?"
She looked at Vera for her agreement and Vera nodded. "Alright. Combat major applicants have an extra part of their exams."
"What is it?"
"Don't worry, it's nothing much. It's just PT. Well, I said it's an extra part of the exam, but not really. It's more of an evaluation of your physical fitness."
Vera tugged at my shirt. "Is it just me? Or will the both of us be evaluated?"
The dean paused to think for a bit before she replied. "The both of you. You'll take the test later this afternoon. For now, have Petra show you around or something. You can also watch how the others are taking the exam. Just come by to my office at around 5 PM. I need to get back to work. Cya."
She left before we could even reply, leaving the three of us alone in the lecture hall.
"Petraa, were you a student here?" With the disappearance of Ilmarë, Vera felt fine enough to start up the conversation once more as we started leaving the hall.
"Yes."
"When did you graduate?"
"Four years ago."
I chuckled a bit and put on my cutest voice. "Senior Petraa, can we watch the exams?"
She stopped, looked at me, said: "Don't ever do that again.", and carried on.
Vera giggled as she patted my back. "I'll show you how it's done Dina."
"Senior Petraaa! Wait up!" She went on a slight jog as she tried to catch up to our taciturn tour guide. This time, however, Petra didn't rebuke Vera's manner of address.
"Now that's just unfair Miss Petra. Why can she do it and not me?" I complained in mock anger.
"She's cute and pretty."
...I couldn't disagree. She had a point. "So you're also a firm believer that beauty is justice Miss Petra, my comrade?"
"No. Cuteness is justice."
"Beauty."
"Cuteness."
"Beauty."
"Cuteness."
"Does it even matter?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Look Vera. Beauty is justice, is the good, and the divine. Beauty can be found in nature. Birds show off their beauty through their colorful plumage to attract mates. Beauty can be found in the normally revolting insects. Nature is incredibly chaotic, but within that chaos, you can find beauty and harmony. Beauty makes you appreciate the beauty of life. Beauty makes everything seem right. Beauty isn't just in the tangibles, either. Beauty can be found in music, in poetry. Beauty can be found in attitude and grace. Beauty can be found in the little things. Beauty is the truth, and the truth is beauty. It is intrinsic, yet functional. Beauty is the face which I wake up to in the morn. Beauty is the laugh that brings me joy to hear. Beauty is the voice that soothes me to the core. Beauty is the stray lock that you eat as you sleep. Beauty is the —"
"STOOOP!!!" Vera, red-faced, slammed my mouth shut and pushed her palm to my jaw. "Dina! Stop already! I get it!"
"You're wrong. Cuteness is justice. Cuteness activates the observer's instinct to protect and take care of. Babies are born cute as an evolutionary advantage to draw out care from those older than them, even to those unrelated to them. Cuteness is in pastel, charm, and innocence. Cuteness is lovability. Cuteness is the puffed cheeks in annoyance. Cuteness is in Mairen's gap in personality. Cuteness is in Lady Artanis' vibrant blue eyes, her messy gray hair, her pointed nose, her care for everyone around her, her passion for learning. Cuteness is Lady Artanis and Lady Artanis is cuteness."
Petra's huffed breathing was the only thing we could hear in deep silence of the hallway after her lightning fast rant. We were too surprised to even react. We were slack-jawed.
Petra managed to get her breathing under control, clearly not used to talking that much and that fast. She took one more deep breath, spun on her heels, and started walking.
"Hey, hey Petra! Aren't you just calling everything you like as cute?" I broke out from Vera's restraint and caught up to Petra.
"You also did the same."
"No I didn't! It's not my fault that Vera just radiates beauty in everything she does!"
"She emits cuteness."
Vera could only look at us and sighed as she jogged up to us.
We spent the rest of the day observing the exams of the other students and I found out a discrepancy in my exam when compared to theirs.
"Why do they get 4 hours for the exam and I didn't?"
"Ilmarë didn't want to wait that long." I couldn't say anything when Petra revealed the truth.
We grabbed lunch from the college cafeteria and watched the Combat Majors-to-be take the second part of the exam. They started off with a warm-up session and they each had a number in big font stuck on their shirts.
They went on a 10 kilometer jog to start things off for all of them, then they were divided into their respective departments: Close Combat, Rear Combat, and Support. The Close Combat Department were checked on their strength, agility, and speed. The Rear Combat Department were checked on their dexterity, agility, and speed. The Support Department were tested on their endurance, agility, and speed.
With their physical attributes logged, the Support Department were already free to leave. This left the Close Combat and Rear Combat Departments left on the field. The Close Combat applicants still had to spar with the instructors with their preferred weapons or fists, while the Rear Combat applicants with weapons had to show off their proficiency with it. The Rear Combat applicants that planned to use magic had to just twiddle their thumbs and wait for their colleagues to finish. All of it honestly looked a bit fun, but I couldn't join in due to my promise with the dean.
We dropped by Miss Ilmarë's office a bit early since we had nothing else left to do.
"Oh! You're here! Okay, let's go!" She stood up from her desk as soon as she saw us. "It's not yet 5PM?"
"Who cares. It's part of my duties as dean to observe and cultivate the next generation. Now, come on. Let's go."
She dragged all three of us out the building and made all of us stand on a big scooter with her at control of the wheels. "I'm not as good at this as Arty, so make sure to hold tight!"
She took a deep inhale as she willed her mana to come forth. Instead of using her foot to start the movement, she exhaled and wind started propelling us forward.
It wasn't as dangerous as she made it out to be; in fact, the experience was incredibly refreshing. We got off the scooter at the northern entrance without any trouble. The same guards from earlier bid us farewell as we exited the gate.
"So? What's the 2nd part of the exam?"
"We jog to Arty's house!"
I looked at Petra, and she gave me the okay. I guess it made sense that she knew about Lady Artanis' house since they were friends. We got back to the house in less than 30 minutes.
"Ooh. It hasn't changed one bit." Ilmarë whistled in reminiscence as she looked around the house.
"How are you acquainted with Lady Artanis?"
"Huh, Petra didn't tell you?" Realizing what she said, she chuckled. "Guess not. Of course she didn't."
"Arty and I were classmates here in the academy. We were the best students in everything involving mana."
"Lady Artanis was the best. You were just second."
She gave Petra a glare. "As I was saying, there wasn't that clichéd scenario of me being jealous of her and bullying her. Not at all. Pretty sure if I ever tried, she'd just run laps around me anyways. We helped each other out in our studies."
"Lady Artanis helped you out."
"Be quiet. I gave her new perspectives on mana. I was also the one to introduce her to The Butterfly. You've read it, right? Surely, Arty made you read it."
"Yeah, we did."
"Arty fell in love with the book at first read. She pretty much demanded me to find everything I could about Butterfly. I had to sneak into some of my family's archives to get some of it. But it was worth it to see her smile. She fell in love with a book I gave her ergo she fell in love with me."
"That's not how that works Ilmarë."
"Shush. Fast forward to the present and I'm now the dean of the College of Mana while Arty's been sent away to the frontier." Her quick wrap-up made me feel like she wanted to avoid the topic.
"Can we ask why?"
"It's not my story to tell. You can ask Arty when you graduate. I'm sure she'll answer you, especially if Vera asks. Anyways, Vera tell me how's Arty been these days."
Miss Ilmarë focused the conversation to Vera. I couldn't really share much about Lady Artanis anyways since it was Vera who was always with her back in Forostar. I looked on as I ignored Vera's pleas for help.