In the afternoon, we slipped into a teaching block, sunlight pooling like warm tea along the stairwell.

“Alright, our classroom’s right here,” Eastern Moon Aixue said, stopping like a swan alighting.

We reached the fourth floor, about fifty meters east of the stairs, where a door waited like a calm pond.

“Oh, here?” I turned my head, curiosity fluttering like a sparrow.

A neat plaque hung on a clean, pretty wall, the characters for “Year Three, Class A” penned like frost on glass.

“Then let’s go in.” Xinuo pushed the door, her movement smooth as a blade through water.

“Mm, okay.” We followed after her, our steps falling like soft rain.

“Wow! I heard our class would get some incredible transfers, and it’s true,” a voice bubbled, bright as windchimes.

“Yeah, especially that beauty with snow-white hair who just walked in! She’s stunning,” another chimed in, eyes shining like stars.

“Uh-huh, and that silver-haired little one is adorable, with two horns on her head—too cute,” someone squealed, hands fluttering like butterflies.

“The blonde with red eyes is great too, very pretty—totally the ‘young lady’ vibe,” another added, gaze warm as a hearth.

Most students were in already, and as we entered, their gazes gathered like birds on a branch, chatter rippling like a stream.

“President Aixue, classmate Faya, please guide us this term,” voices rose in greeting, neat as rows of bamboo.

“Mm, please guide us,” another wave followed, soft as spring wind.

Seeing Eastern Moon Aixue and Faya, they stood one by one, their smiles opening like morning flowers.

“Alright, please guide us as well,” Aixue replied, her smile as poised as a moonlit lake.

“Everyone, let’s look after each other this term,” Faya added, her tone warm as candlelight.

“By the way, President Aixue, are they the transfer students this term? What are their names?” curiosity stirred like koi in a pond.

“Yeah, which empire are they from? With looks like that, they can’t be nobodies,” another voice teased, light as falling petals.

“So curious,” someone sang, like a cat at the window.

Once the greetings ended, their interest turned to our names, their attention like a thousand tiny lanterns.

“Hehe, no rush,” Eastern Moon Aixue said, smile bright as dawn. “The teacher will be here in a few minutes. They’ll introduce themselves, so please wait a bit.”

“Oh, alright,” one student sighed, like wind through reeds.

“Guess we wait then,” another nodded, patience pooling like shade.

“Mm.” The whispers settled, calm as a quiet pond.

“Okay, Miss Xinuo, Yumigawa, and Hill, sit behind me,” Aixue said, pointing like a willow branch. “My seat’s there.”

She gestured to the fifth row, front section by the window, where a few empty seats lay like smooth stones.

“Let’s sit there,” Xinuo said, voice even as clear sky, and she headed over with steps light as mist.

“Let’s get to our seats too,” Faya urged, her tone a gentle bell.

“Mm, okay.” I took Hill’s small hand, warm as a kitten, and we walked toward the seats.

A minute later, we’d settled like leaves finding the bank—Eastern Moon Aixue and Faya in front of us. Xinuo to my right. And Hill… on my lap.

The desks fit two to a row like paired boats, and Hill insisted on sitting with me, stubborn as a mountain stream.

Thankfully, in her little-girl form, Hill was light and soft, with a milky scent like fresh bread, perfect to hold like a pillow of cloud.

“Eh? Boss, boss, there are books in the drawer,” Hill chirped, excitement popping like firecrackers.

“What kind of books?” I asked, pinching her cute cheek, springy as mochi.

I reached into the drawer and pulled out a few volumes, the covers stiff as shells.

“Uh…” I set them on the desk, and my mind stalled like mist over a field.

Their titles read like cold runes—Magic: The Concept; On the Importance of Magical Knowledge; The Mixed Use of Magic.

They were all magic-related, stacked like tablets on an altar.

“Xiao Nuo, I’ve had a question for a while,” I said, feeling awkward, like a fish out of water.

“What is it, Servant?” Xinuo idly pinched my cheek, her eyes curious as a fox.

“Well… Egisia Academy is a magic academy, right? I’m a Sword Wielder—what am I doing here?” My doubt weighed like wet cloth.

What can a Sword Wielder even do at a magic academy? The thought circled like a moth to a lamp.

“Other than experiencing academy life, what else?” Xinuo’s tone was obvious as noon sun.

“Uh, but I can’t even understand the classes—how do I experience academy life?” Frustration pricked like thorns.

“Servant…” Xinuo looked at me with helpless eyes, soft as rain. “Since we’re here to experience academy life, why listen to classes? Do you want to be a model student?”

“If we don’t listen, what do we do?” My voice wavered, a leaf on wind.

“Play, duh. Servant, you’re dense,” she said, tapping my head with a paperback, crisp as a fan flick.

“Oh, oh! Master’s right! We’re here to play,” Hill nodded fiercely, like a drummer boy.

“Uh, but Yumigawa and the others—” I glanced back, my worry a tether like kite string.

“C’mon, don’t mind it. They came to play anyway,” Aixue and Faya traded a look, their laughter chiming like silver bells.

“Everyone, quiet please,” a clear voice cut in, smooth as a blade of ice.

A pretty woman in glasses stepped into the room and up to the podium, her presence steady as a pine.

“Hello, everyone. I’m your homeroom teacher this term—Stellar Rosa. Please look after me,” she said, chalk tracing her name on the blackboard like a falling feather.

“Looks like most of you are here,” Stellar Rosa said, scanning us like a falcon. “No, we’re short one.”

Her gaze landed on an empty seat in the last spot of the fourth row, and her brows knitted like silk thread.

“Forget it. Yuyi’s always like this at the start of term,” she sighed, the sound a drifting cloud. “Now, four students transferred into Year Three, Class A this term. Di Yue’er, you go first.”

“Okay, Teacher Stellar,” came a clear reply, bright as a bell.

Sitting in the front row, Di Yue’er stood with a smile beautiful as new snow.

“My name is Di Yue’er Silver-Eagle. As you can see, I’m of the Elven Kind. Please take care of me,” she said, voice like a flute.

Claps broke out around her, crisp as early rain.

“Thank you, everyone,” she said, bowing with a grace like willow in wind, then sat down like a petal returning to water.

“Alright, next…” Stellar Rosa glanced at the roll, then smiled, sunlight peeking like a crescent.

“Speaking of which, our class got some rather amazing transfers this term,” she added, looking our way like a lantern turning.

“Yumigawa, would you introduce yourselves as well?”

“Alright.” I set Hill down gently, like placing a teacup, then stood and patted the wrinkles from my skirt like smoothing ripples.

“This is Xinuo,” I said, pointing at her as she flipped through an artbook, her focus still as midnight rain.

“And this is Hill Ya Victor,” I added, gesturing to Hill beside me, bright as a star bead.

“I’m Yumigawa Sumeragi. Please take care of me,” I finished, my words steady as a drawn line.

Silence fell over the room, soft as snow.

Eyes gathered on us, quiet as a forest at dusk.

After a long breath, a girl couldn’t hold it back, her voice breaking like a twig.

“Yumigawa… are you from the Central Continent?”

“Mm. That’s right. We just left the Central Continent not long ago. Please take care of us,” I said, each word landing like a pebble in clear water.

…