That morning, Calla left her two sleeping friends holding Ronin Willowe’s files to hand it to the Head Councillor Verita.
Not long after, at about noon that day, Rabuka Biturea had been disqualified from applying as the judge for the Artisan’s Performance exam.
The reason for her disqualification had not been revealed, but since it was the Head Councillor who proclaimed it, no more questions were asked before she was kicked out of the Academy.
She was also banned to ever return again. But many people had heard that scream in the middle of the night….
And could assume that it had something to do with that.
Thus the position of the Performance Arts judge went directly to Calla Lily Naemhnaid.
When the half-Emerald half-Pearl hybrid girl left the Head Councillor’s office, Councillor Verita could be seen pondering deeply over the things she said:
“That is just my assumption, but I have one request, Head Councillor.”
The aged woman raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“Do not approach him. Do not try to forcefully probe the truth from him. Let me be the one to do it.”.
When Councillor Verita was about to ask for an explanation for this request, Calla already added:
“Trust me, Head Councillor. Going to him directly might cause more danger than you might expect. Treat him normally as you would any student, or better yet, never cross paths with him at all.”
“I will do my best for the sake of everyone, for this Academy. That, I can promise you.” She bowed, her voice no longer that flamboyant and frivolous.
Because of the gravity if her tone, not to mention that she was under her Truth Seeking skill…..
The Head Councillor decided to put her faith in her.
When Calla returned to the room, only Edelweiss was awake and had taken a tray of cups and saucers containing tea and some crumpets and pastries to serve as breakfast for the three of them.
“Where have you been?” Edelweiss asked. “He’s still sleeping like a log.”
“She now…” Donna mumbled. “And I’m awake, just daydreaming with my eyes closed….”
Edelweiss scoffed. “Excuses, you only woke up when Calla opened the door.”
“I thought about something. How about you wear this color-changing opal necklaces from back at out home?” Edelweiss said as she set down the tray, and took out something from her drawers.
She brought out the necklace, which was mostly white with rainbow flecks at the moment. “When you tap it three times, it turns into turquoise. My mother bought it for me, but I’ve never really been fond of jewellery, not just because they make me look ‘less intellectual’.”
Donna sat up with eyes gleaming. “You’re really giving me this for free?”
“Yes, well…. It can help us tell whether you are Don or Donna, and only the three of us would understand what it means. You just decide what normal opal or turquoise opal means.”
Donna nodded excitedly. “Alright! Thank you, I think I will have normal mean ‘Don’ and turquoise mean ‘Donna’.”
Edelweiss bent over to her and placed the necklace around her neck….
And upon realizing how close their faces were, fumbled a little bit and flushed pink.
“O-Oh…. There’s the lock….. Done. Ahem.” She cleared her throat. “Good morning, Donna.”
Donna tapped the necklace three times, and it did change color. “Haha, good morning, Edel.”
Calla watched all this with great interest, and joined in to hug the both of them. “Ah, you girls would be the death of me! You’re like the most adorable little flowers in the world, barely in full bloom yet already beautiful together!”
Edelweiss grumbled from being hugged towards her large breasts again. “What does that even supposed to mean!?”
“Ah, I wish I could keep you both on my pockets and keep you from any prickly thorns that may come you way!”
She kissed them both on the cheek and announced proudly:
“That’s it! I have a new dream now! I don’t want to be the Queen of Scirocco anymore!”
“I will become a rich artisan by my own right and gain so much wealth to purchase my own little island, with a sprawling forest where we can get all the food we may ever need without having anything to do with this god-awful society!”
Donna blinked. “Huh? ‘We?’ Who’s we?”
“You two little munchkins, of course!” She tapped her tiny nose. “Think about it as my proposal. Once you have finished your duties as a Knight, and Edel had finished her inventions to further improve the sea wildlife…..”
“We can all settle down in my island together! Doesn’t that sound fabulous?~”
Donna pursed her lips. “Hmmm…. Our own island doesn’t sound bad… But can I at least be able to send letters to my family?”
“Of course, of course! Oh, what about that fancy crystal you had last night to spoke with Ronin? You can just summon them to talk to your family.”
“Er, those are actually summoned by Ronin, and it takes some of my Flame to summon it. I felt it when I used it to communicate with him…. It’s not very pleasant.”
Edelweiss frowned. “What was the sensation like? Having your Flame taken?”
“Kind of ticklish on my chest, but in a prickly way. Like a needles pining on it.”
Calla’s mouth went into a straight line, and asked.
“Do you still have it with you? Or could you summon it?”
“Oh, it’s still with me.” Donna took out the diamond-shaped purple crystal that she placed on the vanity table last night.
“Ah, it has a crack. It’s quite fragile.” She said, observing it. “Should I call Ronin? Tell him I’m going home after breakfast?”
“Yes…. How do you activate this thing?” Calla observed it with her delicate fingers.
“I draw a rune.”
“A rune?”
“Yes, Ronin taught me that rune. I believe it must mean ‘message’, it’s like an arrow towards the sky.”
Calla sneered inwardly at this. She thought:
(A Clairo lightning mage using runes… Which is usually an Illuso mage’s focus.)
(Not to mention that time I can obviously tell that he was pretending to be Lazan. Nobody knows that he is actually an Illuso mage, I thought people did but he seems to be pretending to be a Clairo mage.)
She vowed to herself:
(I will have everyone see you for what you truly are someday, Ronin Willowe. And if you really are as dangerous as I believed….)
(I will protect these two friends of mine away from you. I won’t let you lay a hand on them.)
Around the same time, Ronin woke up to the sound of a Ding! from his system, Kai, again.
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