Meanwhile, Chiling’s companion, Silverbloom, strolled through the central plaza’s fountain, beginning her wander through the academy grounds.
Beyond the central plaza stood the spherical main academic building. Its grandeur resembled a colossal planet, with several celestial bodies suspended in orbit around it, creating a breathtaking sight and cementing its status as one of Rune Academy’s most iconic landmarks.
Behind it, various other academic buildings, each unique in design, were scattered across different areas, reflecting the diverse magical disciplines taught within their walls.
Indeed, the passage of time had transformed the academy. Many paths felt unfamiliar to Silverbloom, and she found herself getting lost more than once.
The academy was currently in session, so few students roamed the pathways. Most wore their uniforms, clutching books or weapons, chatting and laughing, exuding a vibrant youthful energy.
This sight inevitably brought back memories of her own academy days, when her worries were as light as theirs.
It was here, within these very halls, that she had first met Chiling. Back then, Chiling had short red hair and a fiery temper that had earned her many enemies among the other students. Had Silverbloom not protected her, Chiling would have undoubtedly suffered terribly.
As Silverbloom reminisced about the past, she veered onto a less-traveled path. Her peculiar attire, she knew, would draw too much attention on the main thoroughfares.
Alas, her efforts were in vain. Even on the secluded path, a student from the academy had already spotted her.
“Stop right there!”
A sharp cry echoed from behind her. Soon, a girl in an academy uniform, her arm adorned with a sky-blue student council armband, blocked her way.
“Dressed like that in the academy, and sneaking around so suspiciously…”
The girl scrutinized Silverbloom from head to toe. After confirming she carried no identification, she extended a hand and commanded, “Show me your student ID.”
‘Student ID?’
Silverbloom, however, possessed no such thing.
“And you are?” she inquired.
“A Disciplinary Committee member, Annie.”
Seeing that Silverbloom did not immediately produce her ID, Annie pulled a magic bell from her pocket, her voice laced with threat.
“Don’t even think about running before you show me your ID. If I so much as shake this bell, a supervisory instructor will intervene, and you won’t be able to escape, no matter what.”
“Moreover, if you’re caught after attempting to flee, it’s considered an even graver offense, and the penalties are severe.”
Rules existed everywhere, and Rune Academy was no exception. Student misconduct within the academy carried serious consequences.
The mildest punishment was a demerit, coupled with a significant increase in the difficulty of the final assessment.
While increasing assessment difficulty might not sound like much, this academy operated on an elimination system. Each year, students at the bottom of the rankings, be they imperial princesses or children of councilors, were expelled without exception, no matter their status.
“I understand.”
Having experienced these rules firsthand, Silverbloom remembered them well. However, facing the Disciplinary Committee member’s interrogation with no identification to offer, she could only stall for time, hoping Chiling would arrive to rescue her.
Her gaze fell upon Annie, and she was surprised to see a small, silver-white flower printed on her armband—identical to the flower on her own Hero’s Emblem.
“Annie, is this…”
“Oh, this?” Noticing where Silverbloom’s gaze had landed, Annie tugged at her armband, explaining with a hint of pride, “It’s the mark of the Silverbloom Fan Club. Anyone who joins the fan club gets to wear this symbol.”
Silverbloom was utterly bewildered.
‘Silverbloom Fan Club?’
‘Had she heard correctly?’
‘That fan club hadn’t disbanded yet?!’
She recalled that during her time at Rune Academy, her immense popularity had led to the formation of a fan club without her knowledge. Its members were exceptionally fervent, practically worshipping her as a goddess.
At the time, not wanting to disappoint them, she had even responded to their adoration. Afterward, whenever she appeared in public, a throng of fans would follow closely behind her, their enthusiasm so overwhelming it sometimes made her feel frightened and regretful.
During those years, she had consistently topped the academy’s Star Hero events, even once leaving Chiling far behind in second place due to the latter’s deliberate attempts at cuteness…
Recalling these memories, Silverbloom’s pretty face flushed beneath her mask. Now, she realized these events were nothing short of her ‘dark history,’ a past she least wished to discuss with anyone.
Her thoughts gradually returned to the present, and she looked at Annie, her eyes full of confusion. It was understandable that she had a fan club while attending Rune Academy, but she had been gone for so many years. Why hadn’t the fan club disbanded?
“Silverbloom? Didn’t she disappear ages ago? Why would there still be a fan club…”
Her question seemed so foolish to Annie that the girl burst out laughing.
“Come on, Senior Silverbloom may have disappeared, but her records are still preserved in the academy!”
Annie recalled the various challenge rankings she had seen in the academy, her face filled with longing and admiration.
“You must not know how many terrifying records she set in the academy. Even today, let alone breaking her records, very few people can even come close to them.”
“Only those who have truly seen these records know how formidable the Silverbloom Sword Princess was back then!”
Here, she seemed to remember something and lowered her voice, smiling conspiratorially at Silverbloom. “And I’ll tell you a secret: Senior Silverbloom is still on the Academy Goddess List, and she’s ranked first historically.”
Upon hearing ‘Goddess List,’ Silverbloom’s face darkened.
This list was a creation of bored students, perpetually displayed in the student community. Over time, it had even become increasingly detailed, with numerous categories.
This list was undoubtedly the culprit behind the Silverbloom Fan Club’s continuous growth.
More importantly, the Goddess List clearly featured images of appearance. If she were to accidentally remove her mask in front of students, her identity as the Silverbloom Sword Princess would immediately be recognized.
‘How awful.’
“Wait! Are you really an academy student? How could you not know any of this?”
After speaking so much, Annie suddenly realized something was amiss. If the black-robed woman before her was an academy student, how could she be so ignorant?
There seemed to be only one answer…
Her Fourth-Tier magic power stirred within her. She eyed Silverbloom with a hint of wariness, her body poised for battle.
“This…” Silverbloom took two steps back, speechless.
“You don’t have a student ID at all, do you? Is that why you’ve been changing the subject?”
_Zzzzt—_
Purple lightning began to crackle in Annie’s palm. As she spoke, the angle of the light cast her face in an ominous shadow.
“You’re an outsider who snuck into the academy, aren’t you? That explains why you’re dressed like this…”
All the pieces clicked into place for Annie. She narrowed her eyes, approaching Silverbloom. Seeing her about to act, Silverbloom quickly waved her hands. “No, I came in with another instructor…”
“Oh? And where is she?”
“Well, she, she’ll be back soon.”
“Dressed like that, you’re not convincing at all. Tell me, are you stalling for time, or do you have some trick up your sleeve?”
Seeing Annie utterly convinced by her own conclusions, Silverbloom knew that further words would be useless.
“Hmph, those on-duty heroes are completely unreliable, letting you sneak in!”
With that, Annie struck instantly.
Purple lightning shot from her palm, seemingly destined to incapacitate the black-robed woman in the next second.
However, an attack of such speed was trivial in Silverbloom’s eyes. She merely tilted her head slightly, and the lightning grazed her cheek, shooting off into the distance.
“Oh, quite capable, aren’t you? But let me tell you in advance, resistance will only worsen your punishment from the academy!”
Her gaze hardening, Annie chanted a spell. Purple light began to coil around her arm, the crackling of electricity sending shivers down one’s spine. At this moment, even her pupils glowed with a violet hue.
“I can’t catch you?!”
As the words left her lips, she reached out with incredible speed, aiming to transmit the current into the black-robed woman. Yet, the woman before her was even faster.
Silverbloom seized Annie’s wrist, gently pressing it back. Annie shrieked, and the purple electricity around her instantly dissipated.
“Ow, ow! It hurts, it hurts!”
Amidst her wails, Silverbloom released her grip. Annie seized the opportunity to distance herself, clutching her arm, her eyes brimming with intense wariness.
She realized the woman before her was far beyond her ability to handle. The correct course of action now was to shake the magic bell that could summon a supervisory instructor, not to continue fighting.
However, if she were to pull out the bell again, she would surely be stopped…
“What’s going on?”
Amidst her worry, an instructor’s voice suddenly rang out. Annie’s heart leaped with joy. She quickly turned around, only to see a slender woman with burn marks on one side of her face, marring her beauty. Yet, disregarding these scars, she was still considered pretty.
Upon seeing the instructor’s badge pinned to the woman’s chest, Annie let out a relieved breath. She then pointed at Silverbloom. “Instructor! She snuck into the academy! Quickly, arrest her!”
“Is that so?”
The woman glanced at Silverbloom. Upon seeing her attire, she simply clenched her right hand, and the surrounding sunlight seemed to be stripped away, transforming into endless darkness.
Gradually, specks of starlight appeared in the darkness, trapping Silverbloom within what felt like a cage.
“This is…”
Silverbloom looked around, her gaze finally resting on the woman’s face, a strange sense of familiarity stirring within her.
“Hmph! This is Instructor Starshimmer’s Star Domain magic! You won’t be escaping this!”
Seeing Silverbloom trapped, Annie let out a deep sigh of relief, simultaneously massaging her recently seized wrist. The lingering pain made her wince.
She winced slightly. “Daring to trespass into the academy and injure a Disciplinary Committee member, you have quite the nerve.” Starshimmer had naturally observed Annie’s actions. She turned to Silverbloom, her tone icy.
“Starshimmer?” Silverbloom did not struggle against the cage. She whispered the name, seemingly struggling to confirm the identity of the person before her.
“What, have you heard the name? Let me tell you, Instructor Starshimmer used to be Senior Silverbloom’s student, and now she’s a Seventh-Tier Hero! With your petty tricks, you’d best surrender!”
Annie grumbled, but her words allowed Silverbloom to fully confirm Starshimmer’s identity. She had once been a registered instructor at Rune Academy, teaching several batches of students. Among them, a little girl with burn scars on her face had left a lasting impression.
That little girl, despite her considerable talent, had become self-conscious and sensitive due to the facial burns that magic couldn’t heal. Whenever students worked in teams, she would always sit alone in a corner, watching them with eyes full of envy and longing.
She seemed to yearn to be part of a group, to belong, but when others invited her, her insecurity would make her refuse, sending her back to her lonely corner. Silverbloom had tried to help the little girl, wanting to pull her from the abyss of self-doubt. Unfortunately, her efforts had little effect; even though she became the girl’s sole confidante, she couldn’t truly save her.
Later, when Silverbloom had to leave Rune Academy for personal reasons, many students came to bid her farewell, their faces filled with reluctance. Yet, after scanning the crowd, she hadn’t found the little girl among them. Not being able to save her had always been one of Silverbloom’s regrets.
She had assumed the little girl would eventually succumb to her self-consciousness and sensitivity, ultimately being swallowed by the abyss, fading into an unknown hero, living an unremarkable life. Who would have thought she would now become a Seventh-Tier Hero, even serving as an instructor at Rune Academy?
Seeing her break free from her insecurities, Silverbloom’s lips curved slightly beneath her mask, a profound sense of relief filling her heart. However, for now, she needed to escape Starshimmer’s Star Domain magic.
After a quick magical scan of its construction, Silverbloom swiftly identified several vulnerabilities. Yet, before she could act, a rift was torn through the starry sky by flames.
Accompanied by a familiar voice, a fiery red figure stepped into the starlit expanse. Endless flames spread from her feet, incinerating the starry sky in an instant.
“You are…”
Seeing Instructor Starshimmer’s magic so easily shattered, Annie covered her mouth, utterly astounded. Then, she recognized the golden emblem pinned to the newcomer’s chest.
“My, my apologies. I didn’t know she was with you…”
She appeared flustered, her bow of apology stiff and awkward.
“Didn’t she tell you?”
“She… she did, but I didn’t quite believe it…”
The oppressive aura of a registered instructor made cold sweat trickle down Annie’s back. Had she known the black-robed woman was a friend of this instructor, she would never have stopped her, much less attacked her.
Seeing this, Silverbloom gently pulled Chiling’s wrist, persuading her, “Alright, don’t be too hard on her. This is her duty as a Disciplinary Committee member, after all.”
Though Silverbloom wasn’t fond of the fan club, Annie was a fan, so she felt a slight obligation to protect her. With Silverbloom’s words, Chiling ceased her intimidation, and the flames quietly dissipated.
The oppressive feeling vanished abruptly, and Annie gasped for breath, a surge of goodwill towards Silverbloom rising within her. Though she wore a black robe, anyone who was a friend of a registered instructor was surely a renowned hero, right? She had offended her earlier, yet Silverbloom had spoken up for her… Annie clutched her chest, unconsciously stealing a few more glances at Silverbloom.
“You must be Lady Chiling,” Starshimmer recognized her.
“Indeed, it is I.”
Upon hearing the name ‘Chiling,’ Annie instantly froze. She rubbed her eyes, and after fully seeing Chiling’s face, the cold sweat that had stopped now returned. It really was Chiling… the legendary Eighth-Tier councilor with the explosive temper… She had just offended her friend?! Realizing this, she nearly fainted, her gratitude towards Silverbloom growing even stronger, her perception of her as gentle solidifying.
“May I ask why you’ve brought this unidentified person into Rune Academy?” Starshimmer continued, her tone and choice of words causing Chiling’s previously softened brows to furrow once more.
“I don’t believe I need to report to you, Instructor Starshimmer.”
“Of course. I’m merely concerned that some individuals, despite lacking the qualifications to become instructors, might achieve that goal through connections.”
Starshimmer spread her hands, feigning helplessness, but her tone was subtly sarcastic. “Such incidents have become common in recent years. Fortunately, Headmistress Edith is sufficiently impartial, preventing certain opportunistic individuals from seizing instructor positions.”
As she spoke, Starshimmer’s gaze never left Silverbloom. Her meaning was clear, so much so that even Annie, standing nearby, understood some of it.
“Did that old woman Edith tell you?”
‘You might not know, but I am one of the instructors in charge of magic testing. I know all of Headmistress’s recent announcements.’ Starshimmer’s explanation surprised Chiling. She had assumed that no sooner had she left the office than Edith would spread gossip and mock her and Silverbloom.
If that were the case, she wouldn’t hesitate to make Rune Academy’s Headmistress’s office and other iconic buildings disappear forever. She had the power to do so, and at that point, not even the other council members of the Assembly Hall could stop her.
Silverbloom understood some of it. She turned her head, asking softly, “What’s wrong, Chiling?”
“…I’m sorry, Edith wouldn’t agree.”
Chiling felt a pang of shame. Huntington had boasted earlier that he could help Silverbloom, only for Edith to ruthlessly refuse. She suddenly wondered if she had been retired for too long, if her nickname was gradually being forgotten, and if no one respected or feared her anymore.
“Is that so?”
Silverbloom wasn’t surprised. Knowing Edith, she knew it was impossible for her to agree. To stay with Celia and the others at Rune Academy, she would likely need to find other solutions.
“Lady Chiling, you misunderstand. The Headmistress didn’t refuse; she merely made a small request.”
Starshimmer chuckled, her slender fingers pinching the air, her ample bosom jiggling with the movement. Chiling could no longer contain herself. With a flick of her index finger, a bird wreathed in red flames appeared on her shoulder. Just as she was about to command the bird to attack Starshimmer, Silverbloom, knowing her personality well, stopped her.
Seeing this, Chiling could only let out a cold laugh, threatening, “If you don’t learn to speak properly, I won’t mind leaving more burn marks on you.”
As if struck a raw nerve, Starshimmer’s face stiffened. She then clenched her teeth, glaring intently at Chiling.
Seeing her like this, Silverbloom felt a measure of disappointment and self-reproach. She could tell that Starshimmer’s sarcasm didn’t stem from righteousness, but from jealousy and discontent, perhaps even mixed with some untold secrets. She hadn’t truly overcome her insecurities; instead, she had sunk deeper into them, her personality becoming somewhat twisted as a result.
She still remembered how adorable the little girl who confided in her used to be. Despite her insecurity preventing her from joining groups, she would cuddle in Silverbloom’s arms, constantly talking about the other students’ bright spirits, her words filled only with envy and yearning. But now, that grown-up little girl felt like a stranger.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Silverbloom asked Chiling, “Did Edith make a request?”
If Edith had made a request, it meant that becoming a registered instructor anonymously wasn’t entirely impossible. And if she could fulfill these requirements and become one, it would also effectively silence certain people.
“She’s just messing with us; those requirements are impossible to meet.”
Chiling was planning to find another way, so she hadn’t mentioned Edith’s demands. But Starshimmer sneered, “If Lady Chiling won’t say, then I will.”
She held up an index finger, and under Chiling’s annoyed gaze, slowly stated, “First, you need to pass a Seventh-Tier magic test, and your magic guidance must reach Tier Three.”
Annie, though mostly bewildered by their previous conversation, understood this requirement. Seventh-Tier magic guidance reaching Tier Three? Recalling the list of heroes who had achieved Tier Three, she gasped, sensing the malice emanating from Headmistress Edith. The Headmistress clearly did not want the black-robed woman to become a registered instructor!
“Second, the juniors you mentor must achieve first place in their first semester’s final assessment. Otherwise, you still won’t become a registered instructor.”
Annie’s mouth twitched. She hadn’t expected such an outrageous requirement to have a second part. As an academy student, she was acutely aware of how many geniuses were within its walls. Aside from the former Silverbloom Sword Princess, no one had ever dared to claim they could definitely secure first place in the final assessment. This was an almost impossible demand.
“Good, I accept.”
Yet, after hearing these requirements, Silverbloom’s answer came without a moment’s hesitation. This stunned both Annie and Starshimmer; even Chiling seemed incredulous.
“Silv—” She started to say something, but remembering there were outsiders present, she obediently closed her mouth, merely looking at Silverbloom with worry.
“Don’t worry. For Tier Three, I should still manage. As for taking first place in the final assessment, I believe in them.”
After reassuring Chiling, Silverbloom felt the fluctuating magic within her, knowing she wasn’t entirely confident herself. However, it was worth a try. As for Celia and the others… how could she not understand her own daughters? Even ignoring their bloodline, she always believed they could achieve first place.