After successfully passing their assessments, Celia and her two companions officially became students of Rune Academy. Having earned their qualifications, an upperclassman, who had been waiting for them, handed over their uniforms and student IDs.
“These are your uniforms and student IDs for enrollment. Keep them safe, as replacing them if lost is quite troublesome. Welcome to the academy!”
Celia took the uniform and documents, hesitating before offering a quiet thank you. The welcoming upperclassman then remembered something else.
Within Rune Academy, numerous student clubs and support groups typically set up stalls along Faine Street during the initial days of new student enrollment, aiming to attract fresh faces to their organizations.
Celia’s upperclassman offered an additional reminder, “The next few days are the academy’s Freshmen Festival. You can explore Faine Street within the academy grounds; there will be many surprises there.”
However, such things were still distant for Celia and her friends, who remained immersed in the euphoria of having passed their assessments.
Aurora clutched her uniform and documents tightly, murmuring to herself with a hint of excitement, “From today onwards, we are students of Rune Academy.”
Whether it was due to sheer luck or her innate strength, the opponents she faced during her assessment were all remarkably weak. She had effortlessly defeated them with just a few simple spells, even earning high praise from the instructors.
Consequently, she passed the assessment smoothly. She had never before imagined she could enter Rune Academy to study.
She had always believed she would lead a mundane life in a small city, much like other ordinary heroes. Now, studying at Rune Academy, she realized her talent was exceptionally high.
Feeling a touch of unreality, she concealed her emotions. Yet, after sensing a slight ache, a studious glint sparked in her eyes.
Her once unattainable dream had now materialized. There was no reason not to redouble her efforts and master all the magic this academy had to offer!
She rubbed her cheeks, which had flushed crimson, as she pondered this, feeling a surge of motivation for her studies.
“Celia is right! Our residence is Rune Academy, and from now on, this will be *my* academy!”
Isha twitched her nose, as if catching the scent of some delectable food, and proposed with delight.
After tidying their belongings, the three of them departed from their dormitory.
Rune Academy was not particular about student accommodations. If students were dissatisfied with the assigned dorms, they could directly rent housing in the academy’s residential area for a fee.
Celia and her friends, recalling the Freshmen Festival mentioned by the upperclassman, left their villa together, intending to visit Faine Street.
They had rented a villa within the academy grounds, lavishly securing this four-person residence.
After organizing their rooms and unpacking their luggage, they left the villa together, preparing to head to Faine Street. However, before they even drew close to Faine Street, Isha’s mouth began to water uncontrollably.
“Wow! So many delicious things! Hurry!”
She sprinted ahead, charging towards the direction from which the savory aroma wafted. Celia and Aurora had no choice but to quicken their pace to catch up.
The wide street was brimming with stalls lining both sides. Peculiarly shaped magical stands and advertisements captivated countless heroes passing by, transforming the already bustling district into an even more boisterous scene.
As they navigated through the crowd, they often heard the hawkers’ shouts from the stalls, constantly trying to recruit new students into their clubs. The enthusiastic gazes from the stall owners made them feel as if they were at a celebration after a beast tide, much like the last one Celia had witnessed.
“So many delicious things,” Celia exclaimed, astonished. Gazing at the thronged street, she realized just how vast the district was, with countless stalls lining both sides of the road.
Their attention remained fixed on the snacks. After spotting their target, Isha couldn’t help but start salivating.
After paying for and receiving a skewer of barbecue, she spoke with a touch of regret, “Having tasted these delicacies, I’ll definitely have to bring Lena here next time!”
‘I wonder if Sister Lena has ever tasted these,’ Celia thought, considering how she could bring Lena to Faine Street later.
After Isha finished her skewer, she and Aurora waited. Once Isha had devoured her barbecue, they continued deeper into the street until they stopped before a somewhat deserted stall.
“This looks familiar,” Isha said, pointing to a silver flower on the stall’s signboard, a hint of confusion in her voice.
Celia, meanwhile, looked at the banner beside it and quietly read aloud, “Silverbloom Support Group?”
Annie, the stall owner, immediately brightened upon seeing new students approach. She rose from her chair, supporting herself on the table with both hands, and said with a smile, “You know who she is, don’t you? The strongest hero in this world?”
Annie was a disciplinary committee member, and also the person in charge of recruiting new students for the Silverbloom Support Group.
Celia blinked, looking at the figure on the signboard, and answered without thinking, “The Silverbloom Sword Princess?”
Annie seemed not to have expected her to answer correctly. She paused for a moment, then clapped her hands, her face alight with fervor, “Exactly! You’re the first one to answer correctly, junior!”
“The Silverbloom Sword Princess was the first hero to lead a small team into the Demon King’s city. Although she ultimately suffered defeat, her status as humanity’s strongest hero is beyond doubt.”
“I just don’t know how much you all know about this strongest hero.”
Celia hesitated, then replied, “Hmm… just a little.”
“A little? That’s alright. You’ll get to know her very quickly,” Annie said, then explained, “Rune Academy, being a place where she once cultivated, naturally bears many of her traces.
“Even if you new students don’t know the Silverbloom Sword Princess now, you’ll frequently hear about this hero during your upcoming years of study. I’ve seen too many cases like this.
“Before entering the academy, many students believe they will become renowned heroes. But after entering, they are disheartened by the Silverbloom Sword Princess’s records and gradually become more grounded.”
“Whether in terms of beauty or strength, the Silverbloom Sword Princess will win you over. You should know that the records she left behind are something no one has surpassed even today.”
“Oh? None at all?”
“None at all.”
“Senior is truly amazing!” Celia’s eyes sparkled, once again transforming into a fan girl, her words filled with adoration for the senior.
Ever since she was a child, she had adored the Silverbloom Sword Princess, viewing her as her idol. So, upon learning of her idol’s greatness, she naturally couldn’t hide her excitement.
Her reaction brought a joyful glint to Annie’s eyes.
“Of course! Otherwise, how could she be the strongest hero?” Annie cleared her throat and continued, “Our Silverbloom Support Group was originally founded to cheer on the Silverbloom Sword Princess.
“But now, well, it’s changed quite a bit. To follow in Silverbloom’s footsteps and become a hero like her—that is the current meaning of our Silverbloom Support Group’s existence.
“Compared to other support groups, we could be considered an anomaly within the academy.” She shrugged, a hint of helplessness in her voice. “Such a support group is less like a fan club and more like an organization of like-minded heroes. Recruiting new students has indeed been difficult.”
“But such a support group, it’s really cool!” Celia’s interest was piqued. “I’ve always wanted to be a hero like Senior Silverbloom, to save people suffering in dire straits.”
These words made Annie’s pupils widen. She asked with a hint of surprise, “Junior, could it be that you’re a fan of the Silverbloom Sword Princess?”
“Yes!”
“Then you absolutely must join our Silverbloom Support Group! Here, you will undoubtedly learn more secrets about the Silverbloom Sword Princess!”
Celia couldn’t help but smile. She had long wanted to learn all sorts of stories about Senior Silverbloom, but unfortunately, she had always been diligently focused on her professional training, rarely mentioning such things. Now that she had the opportunity, she wouldn’t give it up.
Annie turned to Isha and Aurora, asking, “What about your companions?”
“Of course we’re joining too! We’re also fans of Senior Silverbloom!”
Isha and Aurora naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity, and their enthusiastic joining made Annie’s smile even wider.
“That’s wonderful! The Silverbloom Support Group welcomes your joining!” Annie handed them registration forms.
After recording all their information, Annie carefully took out three Silverbloom Support Group emblems and handed them to them. “Here, these are the Silverbloom Support Group emblems. Remember to take good care of them.”
Celia looked at the silver-white flower with its handwritten imprint, and a warmth inexplicably surged in her heart.
Leaving the Silverbloom Support Group’s recruitment stall, Celia, feeling a new sense of unease, asked with interest, “Does Senior Silverbloom know that she has a support group here?”
“I don’t know, but we can tell her,” Isha replied, making Aurora recall the image of Silverbloom’s bashful moments.
She let out a soft laugh, saying, “If she knew, she’d probably blush intensely. I just saw her on the signboard.”
‘The Senior Silverbloom on the signboard looks very warm and charming, but if the real Senior Silverbloom knew, she would probably be so embarrassed she’d burn it down.’
After so many years, Senior Silverbloom had actually become more composed than before.
****
As time gradually approached evening, and Faine Street was nearing its close, just as Celia was about to return to the dormitory, a piercing gaze from the street corner compelled her to turn around.
There, a woman with burn scars on her face stood with her arms crossed, staring at them unreservedly. Upon being discovered, she did not leave; instead, she walked towards them.
‘It would be impolite to keep staring at the burn scars on her face,’ Celia thought, so she merely glanced at them before averting her gaze.
“You are?”
“You must be Celia. I’m an academy instructor and need to speak with you privately.”
Starshimmer took out her instructor’s ID from her embrace and presented it to Celia. Celia, with a hint of hesitation, accepted the document but did not immediately agree.
Her gaze towards Starshimmer was filled with wariness. Aurora and Isha also stood beside her, remaining silent.
Starshimmer, guessing what they might be thinking, said, “Don’t worry, I have nothing to do with Count Ryan, and I’m not looking for you because of him. Besides, this is the academy; acting here would be easily discovered.”
After her explanation, Celia believed her seven-tenths. After a brief period of thought, she nodded at Starshimmer.
Celia nodded, agreeing to her request. After asking Aurora and Isha to return first, she followed Starshimmer to a tavern on Guien Street.
The tavern here was not as dirty and chaotic as those in Vidona’s area. Its clean marble floors and opulent golden chandeliers transformed it into a high-end establishment. After they took a seat in a corner, Celia was the first to speak.
“Instructor, what do you need me for? We haven’t even met before, have we?”
Starshimmer did not immediately answer her question. After ordering two drinks, she slowly said, “I’ve investigated the Fiona family. The person truly in power now should be Orl’s butler.”
“As for your parents, they’ve been out of the family for a long time, and no one knows their whereabouts.”
As she listened to this, Celia’s eyes narrowed, and the wariness she had previously set aside resurfaced.
“Don’t be nervous. I told you I wouldn’t harm you.” Starshimmer placed a glass of wine in front of Celia. When she saw Celia wasn’t going to drink, Starshimmer merely smiled softly.
Then she said, “From what I know, you don’t even know who your parents are, do you? Aren’t you curious?”
“No.”
“No? You actually can’t let go of them, can you? Otherwise, how could Ryan’s taunts have provoked you?”
Starshimmer’s words made Celia’s heart skip a beat, as if she had been targeted by a venomous snake. A chill of danger spread through her entire body.
Aside from the person involved, the instructors present at the time also knew about Ryan’s mocking words. This meant Starshimmer was also present then, which raised Celia’s guard to the highest level.
After all, this instructor seemed to have been paying attention to her since then, and now she had directly sought her out. It all seemed a bit off.
“What exactly do you want to say?”
“I wonder if you’ve heard of the Dream Recall Magic? It can allow you to recall childhood memories that are difficult to access in the depths of your mind. Even if it’s just a few fragments, it’s not difficult to deduce who your parents are from them.”
After Starshimmer finished speaking, she remained silent, watching Celia with interest, awaiting her response.
‘Dream Recall Magic allows you to relive your forgotten childhood memories. Even if Celia has never met her biological parents now, she could see them in her childhood.’
‘This magic could let her know who her parents are, and it might even let her know why they abandoned her.’
The immense shock left Celia speechless for a long time. She felt a surge of emotions but couldn’t quite pinpoint them.
‘Nervous? Excited? Or scared?’
She only knew that her brain was buzzing. For a moment, she didn’t know what to do. She took a gulp of the wine in her glass.
The cool yet slightly spicy wine slowly flowed down her throat, helping her to clear her head slightly. After this, she felt a degree of suspicion towards Starshimmer, and she asked in a deep voice, “What’s the price? I don’t believe Instructor Starshimmer would cast such a spell for free.”
“You guessed correctly. The price for casting Dream Recall Magic is significant, but still within my acceptable range. However, I’ve recently encountered a slight problem with my research into this magic, and I need you to provide me with a bit of dream consciousness.”
“Dream consciousness? What is that?”
“It’s just a small reward, and extracting it won’t cause you any harm.” Starshimmer didn’t explain what dream consciousness was. She just waited quietly for some time, then said with confidence that Celia wouldn’t refuse her.
Through her assessment and investigation, Starshimmer had already discerned that Celia had always yearned to know her parents’ identities. However, due to a lack of means, there had been no progress all these years.
With each passing day, Celia’s obsession grew stronger. At this moment, she was like someone drowning in a lake, on the verge of succumbing. She only needed a tiny helping hand, and she would grasp it with all her might.
Therefore, Starshimmer was certain she wouldn’t refuse.
Unfortunately, everything turned out differently than expected. A sharp sound echoed in the tavern. Celia pushed her chair back and stood up, bowing slightly. “I’m sorry, I refuse.”
With that, she lifted her foot, intending to leave. But Starshimmer reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Why? Don’t you want to know who your parents are? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“I’m afraid Instructor Starshimmer will be disappointed. I don’t want to know who my parents are, nor do I care about their whereabouts. Your offer holds no allure for me.”
Celia spoke with resolute finality, as if everything Starshimmer knew was a mistaken assumption. Simultaneously, she struggled twice, trying to free her wrist from Starshimmer’s grasp.
“Celia, you can lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to me.” Starshimmer watched Celia’s eyes, as if seeing through them into her heart.
“You’re afraid to know the answer, afraid that the truth will overturn your life. You know you shouldn’t be weak at a time like this. You’ve always been searching for them.”
Seeing this, Starshimmer released her hand.
“It’s alright. I can give you time, no matter how long. Because I believe you will come to find me very soon.”
“Perhaps.” Leaving this single word, Celia rubbed her wrist, which was aching from the grip, and walked straight out of the tavern. Starshimmer, after Celia’s silhouette vanished, chuckled softly and drained the wine in her glass.
Leaving Guien Street, Celia returned to the rented dormitory. “Celia? You’re back? What did that instructor tell you?” Isha asked, taking out their freshly bought dinner and spreading it across the table.
“Nothing, just some minor matters.” Celia, somewhat flustered, averted her gaze. She lazily changed into her slippers, then walked past the dinner on the table, heading directly for the stairs to the second floor.
“Not eating dinner? It’s freshly bought and still warm,” Aurora called out.
“No, I don’t have an appetite. You guys eat.” Celia waved her hand, took a deep breath, and ascended the stairs step by step to the second floor, leaving only Aurora below.
‘What’s wrong with her?’ Aurora held her fork, still puzzled. “She must have talked about something with that instructor.”
“Ah? Could it be about Ryan’s matter?”
“It shouldn’t be.”
‘Then what could it be? She’s like this now, should we go comfort her?’
“Our comfort won’t do any good.” Aurora thoughtfully withdrew her gaze from the second floor, then picked up a piece of meat with her fork. “Just relax and eat; don’t worry too much. Besides, we have Sister Lena, right? She’ll be fine in a few days.”
Despite Aurora’s words, Isha still felt uneasy.
Back in her room, Celia’s mind still echoed with Starshimmer’s words. This unfamiliar instructor could let her know who her parents were, at the cost of a small piece of her dream consciousness.
Although she didn’t know what dream consciousness was, this was undoubtedly a highly tempting offer. She had originally thought she would agree.
But at the very moment she faced it, she recoiled. Aside from a slight suspicion towards Instructor Starshimmer, she was mostly unsure how to face this truth.
Were her parents still alive? Or were they already dead? Did they abandon her willingly, or were they forced to?
Innumerable doubts and worries plagued her, and the evening glow outside her window quietly faded. A clear new moon climbed into the starry night sky.
She couldn’t sleep.
Lying on her bed, she clutched her hair, unable to find answers to these questions. Her breathing and her heart’s frantic pounding felt particularly irritable at this moment.
She turned over, trying to divert her attention, but the silver flower emblem in her embrace accidentally slipped out and fell onto the bed.
The silver flower, now illuminated by the moonlight, appeared even more sacred and pure. As she carefully picked up the emblem, her restless heart, looking at this symbol of the Silverbloom Support Group, suddenly quieted.
‘Senior Silverbloom…’ She remembered her first encounter with her. A wave of warmth made her grip the silver flower emblem tightly, pressing it close to her chest.
‘Regardless of who her parents are, Senior Silverbloom, who truly supports her, will always be by her side, helping her step by step out of her predicament, right? Such an amazing Senior Silverbloom will definitely know what she should do next.’
‘And Sister Lena, she’s so gentle, she should always support her, right…’
For her, they were perhaps more like parents than the strangers who had abandoned her. With what seemed like an answer in her heart, she closed her eyes and gradually drifted into slumber. Golden strands of hair gently brushed across her cheeks, but could not completely hide the faint traces of sorrow on her face.