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...
Eleanor sat quietly in front of the dressing mirror, numbly cradling her jet-black hair and running the comb from root to tip, mechanically repeating the action in a monotonous cycle.
She was dressed in an exquisite gown, looking every bit the elegant and noble lady, who, if she appeared at a banquet, would surely be the most radiant point.
And indeed, she was to attend a banquet that very night.
A farewell dinner from the Royal Transcendent Academy for the outgoing students heading to the battlefield to fight against the Demon Clan.
This too was a tradition that had been upheld by the Academy for centuries.
On the night before departure, the women would don their most resplendent dresses and the men their issued military uniforms, after which they would dance together in the ballroom following the end of the buffet.
After all, many among them might fall on the battlefield against the Demon Clan, possibly never to be seen again.
