[Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring! Wake up, wake up! Host, it’s time to get up—]
“Ah! A ghost!—”
Leya’s beautiful eyes flew open, wide with alarm. She looked utterly terrified, as if she had suffered a profound shock.
“I…who am I?”
[System: “…………”]
“Uh…I remember now. I’m a goddess!”
Leya slapped her forehead, a look of sudden realization dawning on her.
Though such a statement would have sounded utterly childish to her former self, now, speaking it aloud, nothing felt out of place.
“System…who taught you that trick? Confess truthfully, and I’ll spare your life!”
Now that her wits had returned, Leya recalled the recent events. Her face instantly clouded over, and she spoke with palpable displeasure.
[Responding to Host: It is a highly practical, miraculous item found within the Host’s memories, capable of curing humanity’s habit of lying in bed!]
“…………”
‘Practical? Heh, it certainly was. The sound had exploded directly in her mind, like a subwoofer cranked to its maximum.’
‘Tsk tsk, the sensation was truly… invigorating, stimulating! It nearly took her life; what a harrowing experience!’
‘Thankfully, she hadn’t lost her memory this time. It seemed if there were a next time, she might do well to prepare a couple of heart medication pills.’
[Host, this is a rare opportunity. The System recommends you proceed to the city’s Mage Association. There, you can learn fundamental magical knowledge more efficiently, which would be greatly beneficial to you at this moment.]
“Is that so? Then I truly must go…”
Clumsily, she managed to put on her entire outfit, especially the dress. Taking it off hadn’t felt like much, but donning it again revealed the true struggle.
She silently bemoaned the hassle of girls’ clothing, all while contemplating whether to find time to buy a couple of lighter outfits for a change.
Yet Leya always worried if changing clothes would diminish her charm. It might be hard to comprehend, but it was true; during their heart-to-heart conversation yesterday, Leya had genuinely found herself rather adorable.
Although her current body was still quite young, it would surely grow a little. Even more satisfying to Leya was that this pitiable, heaven-blessed body was visible only to herself. Hehehe…
‘Oh no, this isn’t good. Ever since yesterday, my attitude towards myself has done a complete 360-degree turn. Developing narcissism would be a minor issue; if I truly ended up with some kind of dissociative identity disorder, who would I even complain to?’
‘Away, away! Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form…’
****
“The Royal Mage Association…”
Leya enunciated the name inscribed on the tall stone monument, word by word.
[This is it, Host.]
“I can see it perfectly well without you telling me, alright?”
While conversing quietly with the System, Leya had already stepped inside the tall, majestic building. The impression it gave was utterly stunning, for the kaleidoscopic architecture made the entire edifice glitter with dazzling brilliance, exceedingly flashy.
As if afraid others wouldn’t know of its immense wealth, even Leya couldn’t conceive of any purpose for such elaborate decorations beyond mere ostentation.
“Miss, welcome to the Aelvia Royal Mage Association and the Valantis Branch. How may I assist you?”
“You…”
“Oh, Miss, the orb of light in your vision is actually a conveyance for sound transmission magic. Should you require personal assistance, please follow light orb number 21 to service desk number 5. A dedicated professional will provide you with absolutely premium service there!”
“This…”
Leya stared at the orb of light, floating in the air, drifting up and down, flickering brightly and dimly, as a remarkably clear female voice emanated from it. She felt utterly flabbergasted!
‘Black tech, what is black tech? This is it!’
‘Though, in principle, it seemed to have absolutely no connection to technology whatsoever…’
Still somewhat dazed, she followed the light orb to service desk number five. After taking a seat, her gaze fell upon a rather pleasing sight: a charming, sunny-faced young woman.
She wore professional glasses, and a long, brown ponytail cascaded down her back, making her look quite adorable.
“Um, Miss?”
“Ah? Oh! My apologies, I was a bit distracted. Heh heh, you truly are the most beautiful attendant I’ve ever seen.”
“Oh my… well…”
Immediately, the ponytail-wearing attendant, who had seemed slightly annoyed moments before, broke into a joyful smile, cupping her own cheeks.
Indeed, what could be more delightful than being personally complimented on one’s beauty by a maiden of flawless charm, seemingly a celestial being descended to the mortal realm?
“Miss, you truly are a jester. Haven’t you noticed how the gentlemen in the hall have been stumbling since the moment you walked in? I could never achieve such a feat.”
“Heh heh, with their annoying, short-sighted perceptions, how could they ever grasp the cuteness and true essence of glasses and ponytails!”
“Oh—sister, stop teasing your elder! You didn’t come here just to compliment me, did you?”
The ponytail-wearing attendant, her face now even rosier and more alluring, giggled, covering her face shyly as she spoke. It was truly hard to believe that the seemingly carefree attendant was, in fact, quite prone to blushing.
“Well… to be honest, I came here to inquire about how one can learn magic!”
“What? You want to learn magic?”
The ponytail-wearing attendant said, a hint of surprise in her voice.
“Mm, why? Is there some inconvenience?”
“No, no, no! In that case, are you a noble!?”
‘Noble?’
Leya was very curious why practicing magic would be linked to nobility.
However, she didn’t deny it then and there, thinking that a noble identity might bring her many conveniences in the future. So, she remained silent, merely nodding slightly in tacit agreement.
“This… esteemed Miss, I was truly rude just now. If I had known earlier that you were a noble…”
The ponytail-wearing attendant’s attitude suddenly did a complete reversal, and she explained to Leya with great agitation.
“No, it’s alright. Um… about learning magic…”
‘Frowning subtly, Leya hadn’t expected the status of nobility in this world to be so potent. However, its power was a bit *too* overwhelming, scaring people into barely speaking properly. A bad review!’