“I was trying to freeze water in the bathroom when the pipe broke,” she settled down against the bark in defiance, and her gown undeniably crumpled beneath her. “It took me a long time to repair the leakage, but I managed to do it by freezing the tank.”

Well, I had thought she was being bullied, but never mind. It’s not like anyone would dare to get on the bad side of these girls.  Not even undead, mind you. After all, my bread is at stake. The heroine was probably crying for the loss of the Kingdom’s seed. I wasn’t interested, so pondering any deeper was out of the question.

“Do the mages know, my lady? Not having water running will be quite inconvenient, given that your prelims are in the afternoon.”

Prelims were synonymous with the preliminary round for the graduation tournament, which principally involved gauging the amount of internal mana you could stock. They used mana lamps for that, and depending on the brightness, ascertained your capabilities. It was a great way to test internal casters, for their mana reserve reflected their ability to multicast.

“As if I am worried, mongrel,” she scoffed and cast [Ice Barrage] around me.

A glowing circle materialized below my feet, and long ice bars erupted along the periphery imprisoning me within. It was her new spell, along with [Frost Shield], and she had learned both of them on her own after I had burnt the magic books in her room. A few smacks were worth it if my lady could grasp the essence of magic on her own and not through the filtered perspective of an ignorant mortal mage.

As always, I melted the ice molds immediately and sat opposite her. “Can you channelize mana better?”

“Partially, but I still sweat a lot,” she glanced at her palms, lost in thought. “But getting the mana lamp burning shouldn’t be an issue. Beth and Casey find it much easier to channelize the mana, and their efficacy is much better than mine.” Her lips were pursed to a thin line, annoyed at having her pupils surpass her.

“They were already Amateur mages, my lady. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise.”

She gave me a glare, “You are not allowed to speak up for others!”

I stayed silent, and we whiled away time in idle chatter until her clothes had dried. Her face didn’t have the forlorn expression like before, and she liked to smile quite often in solitude. Her stoicism wasn’t attributed to her nature anymore, but to the social interactions she detested.

“The Academ will be briefing us soon, so I’ll get going,” she got up, using my shoulder as her support.

I nodded, leaned against the trunk, and watched her walk in the direction of the entrance. I closed my eyes, reveling in the newfound silence, but my lady returned soon and pecked my cheek before standing over me.

“Get me a ring for my birthday,” she said with her rosy ears, ruffling my hair. “And I will get you a bracelet. If you don’t remember your birthday, we just need to make one for you. It’s as easy as eating bread, my mongrel.”

The abrupt changes in her demeanor often threw me off balance, but I had somehow learned to cope up with it over the course of almost two weeks. Once you live for a millennium, nothing can surprise you for more than a few moments. As long as my lady knew not to expect anything in return, she was going to be fine.

“We need to sell more jewelry, my lady,” I said, not on par with the idea of having worldly possessions.

“Two silver ornaments will hardly cost you a few hundred shins! If you don’t want to buy a bracelet, then buy a leash. I’ll take you out on a walk every morning.”

I sighed. “Bracelet it is, then.”

She smiled and traipsed to the entrance with my [Devil eye], waving at me from a distance.

The classroom was in a heavy mood, and even her presence didn’t entrap the haters, for everyone was worried about the prelims that would decide their future. Again, subject to the condition that one wanted to serve the Kingdom. Beth and Casey were indifferent as always, for having cleared the round in the past two years yet dropping out of the first round of the tournament. They didn’t want to graduate since marriage awaited them in the real world, but I suppose Casey’s situation was better now that former Baron had died.

A mage entered the room, her usual grey robe sharper than two other mages beside her, and everyone stood up to greet the Academ. Yura’s role was no different from the principal of an institute, but the respect she garnered was more. A Progressive high-tier mage deserved that much in this world, and she was probably just in her early thirties. That was quite commendable for mortals if you ignore abnormalities like me.

Undead don’t come easy, and most of us are self-taught. However, there are exceptions, for some undead give rise to others as a countermeasure to their eternal boredom. Yet, most of the undead were prodigies who’d win every game of chess once they learned the rules. Without experience, that is.

Yura’s gaze wandered over the nervous faces, and she smiled warmly.

“I am glad to see you all wrapping up your studies at our Academy,” she stood behind the table, watching the students intently. “Learning doesn’t stop here, and the skills that you have garnered from your mentors will serve you well in your life outside the bearings of the Academy. We hope you always remember the values imbued by your mentors since they would ultimately shape your character. Magic Ethics should always stay at the back of your mind when casting, for that’s the whole point of nurturing you.

“I’m glad to have been part of your journey throughout the last four years. There are promising Academians among you and other naughty who love to burn Academ’s hair,” her gaze paused at Beth and Casey with a smile while they stared out of the window, admiring the floating clouds. “Some are destined to become the pillars of the Kingdom, and others venture into the lands unknown. But wherever you go, never forget your roots, for those make you who you are. If you are a commoner, remember your humility and forget the humiliations; if you are a nobility, remember your duty toward the Kingdom and subdue the arrogance; every person has a role to play in the grand schema of life, so if you fail to pass this time, try again, until you run out of tries before deciding to give up.

“I’m Academ of little words, so I won’t keep you for long. Hope your stay at our Academy has been fruitful. I wish you luck with your prelims, and please have an amicable graduation tournament. As a forewarning, we don’t like bloodshed inside the walls of the Academy, nor do we tolerate it.”

Claps resounded in the room, boisterous enough for a class of over fifty brats. My lady and her entourage genuinely respected the Academ, so they followed suit until she walked out, and their usual mentors replaced her place on the table.

“As always,” the mage said, scratching the brown bush over his head, “the rules are the same. You have to dispel [Darkness] spell cast by Crover by burning the mana lamp to the best of your abilities. The royal mage will regulate their spell according to the requirements of the test, so you don’t have to worry about unfairness for having to face a wizard on your prelims. The exam will be held in the Placa hall, so get moving. We go by lexicographic sequence, so, Aakalav, better get prepared as you ascend the stairs. The wizard is already here, so you don’t have much time.”

He flapped his hands at the grumble of the students. “If you think it’s unfair, then blame your parents,” he said and followed the other mage out.

“Well, I cannot do that,” Beth said with a grin. “Because I like the sound of my name when Casey calls it.”

“You do, Beth?” Casey asked, deliberately stretching her name, which earned them a grunt from my lady.

The two girls laughed, but everyone ambled out of the class soon with my lady holding my eye in her bosom. Stairs interrupted their path through the straight corridor, a crowd of students trudging their way up restlessly. My lady mingled with the flock, Beth and Casey flanking her on two sides, as they walked to the fourth floor, onwards toward the dark hall designed for their prelims.

“You nervous, Leti?” Casey asked, poking my eye.

“Not really,” my lady waved her hand, but they read her like an open book. “If I can’t dispel [Darkness], then I’ll kill that bastard wizard. I don’t want to stay in this stinky place for one more year.”

“That old man is a Cognoscente mage, Leti,” Beth said with a smile. “As much as you hate that bastard, going against him is out of the question. He’s not as flexible as Yura. She was the only good bitch in whole of nobility after all.”

“I heard that, Beth,” The Academ was waiting on the corridor of the third floor and just happened to hear their conversation. Great coincidence, nonetheless.

“I was praising you, honorable mage,” Beth said as the three of them separated from the crowd.

“Sure, you were,” Yura rolled her eyes, running her fingers through her short black hair. “Stop being rebellious already.”

“Look where it took you, Yura,” Beth gave her a nudge. “I might become the next Academ if I continue down the rebellious road.”

“If you become as strong as me, Beth,” Yura scoffed. She was her sister-in-law, but her family dynamics were complicated in their own ways. There was a struggle for succession between the two eldest sons, which ultimately resulted in the rightful heir cutting all ties with Earl Imbero household. Though a nobility at the time of appointment, Yura was a commoner now, so there was ardent opposition amidst the aristocratic circle for reappointment of the Academ.

She glanced at Casey warmly. “I’m sorry for all the trouble, Casey. She’s a hard nut to crack, and I bet she forces you to accompany her in mischiefs.”

“No, no, honorable mage,” Casey shook her head. “I like being with Beth, so I’m willingly tagging along.”

She laughed, patting Casey’s head fondly before turning to my lady and staring at her face for a while.

“What now, Academ?!” my lady glared at Yura.

“I’m sorry for your loss, lady Letitia,” she said. “Though you look quite happy for a change.”

“That I am,” my lady smiled. “You know better how shitty noble families are. Royal prince or the Marquis isn’t any different.”

Yura nodded, her mood downcast. She ruffled Casey’s hair again, an act she strangely enjoyed, until Beth slapped her hand away.

“Jealous, Beth?” Yura laughed, pinching Beth’s cheeks, and the latter coldly snorted. “I’ll treat you to a meal if you pass this time. So, don’t disappoint me any more than you have already.”

I jumped out of my lady’s bosom, and my [Devil eye] swirled around them.

“No bread for you, mongrel,” my lady said, “It’s our graduation party.”

The Academ appeared confused, but Beth and Casey were laughing. They waved at Yura soon and sauntered to the fourth floor, Beth and Casey holding hands discreetly.  My lady walked a step behind them, nervous for the first time in a while.

She would do fine, I wanted to tell her, but well, eyes don’t talk if didn’t know already.

“Letitia,” Yura called out from the bottom of the stairs once the crowd of students had disappeared. “At least warn me before you freeze the tank next time. One of the mages was in the washroom.”

That helped because my lady chuckled, and I saw Yura smiling as she sent the girls off. She was the main reason the three girls hadn’t been expelled from the Academy yet.

¹

²

Spell: [Ice Barrage]

³

Spell: [Frost Shield]