26.
[ Veronica, block my other attributes. Just leave the talent of swordsmanship and Healing. ]
[As you wish, Master…]
I released a wisp of magic into the orb. The orb glowed in a green light brighter and brighter, then… we saw a small sword floated inside the orb, surrounded by the white halo.
So...that's it. That's the process of testing the talent.
"My god, Healer with the swordsmanship talent? That's new. And she is 5th ring Intermediate Mage too…"
"How about it? She is good, right?"
Evan asked with a smile. He was very proud of me.
"You are right, Your Highness. I will teach her personally. It's hard to find a disciple of this caliber…."
I was sitting like a good girl without interrupting them. But my plan was not about attending the Academy.
My aim was the library of the Academy. It was not the time for me to experience school life. It was time for rapid development of the tribe. Though I didn't have many followers.....Haha
"When can she start attending classes?"
"Anytime. Do you want me to send her now?"
I raised my left hand to abort their idea.
"Excuse me, I am not fully adapted with the common senses of the Empire. May I go to the library first before going to the classes?"
Mr. Bennett looked at his pocket watch.
"It's 10 a.m. The lunch will start at 12 p.m. and over at 2 p.m.. You have four hours. Return to my office before 2pm. I'll arrange everything this time."
"Thank you Mr. Bennett…."
Evan escorted me to the library and left. Before he left, he asked for the free pass from the librarian. The library has restrictions for the students but he said I was not the normal student. (It's what he said,not my thought)...
Evan also had the library at his mansion, albeit it was small. I will go there again later to copy the books.
[Veronica, copy them. I don't care if they are useful or not. Don't leave even one book behind.]
[Copying in progress...]
[1%...2%...3%... Expected waiting time: 2 hours and 3 minutes…]
The time was not too long, bearable. I took off the veil and put it into the storage space. I don't need to act after Evan left. If I keep wearing it in the classroom, who knows what will happen. It's not like I didn't see the crests on the veil. I just don't want to expose him before I slip away from the Empire.
I picked some books from the shelf and acted like I was reading. My mind was wandering about Evan's behaviors. As a well-protected princess, I can't read the expressions and body languages of others. However as an elf, I was very sensitive to the feelings and malice from other species.
That's why I followed the man who I met just once ….or twice?
His feeling for me was not the kind of feeling a man had for a woman. He was possessive but allowed me to contact others, as long as the others are less important than him.
I think he treated me like a pet or his own possession. But, am I the kind of person who can endure being treated like a pet? Yes, I am that kind of person…..
As long as the benefit was mine, I can act like I didn't know. Anyway, I will be gone in a month or two…
"Hey, Tony"
"Hey, Baba…"
A man with glasses clumping the books under his armpit greeted the sleepy librarian. The librarian went out and started a conversation with the man called Baba. Their voices are small…so, I didn't hear clearly what they were talking about. But I picked my ears when I heard the words such as 'war', 'demon's army', 'front line' and 'refugees'.
The wind carried their conversation into my ears.
Tony : "Demon invasion is not that bad at the moment. We can control them in the frontline. But, the headache is the goblins and trolls from the cursed forest. Because of the demons, they can't hunt much prey in the forest. So, they set their sights on human territory. Their looting and robbing made many villages into ruins. Now there are refugees running to the nearby Empires…"
Baba : "What about our Empire? Will they accept these refugees? There will not be many refugees coming to our Empire, right? Our Empire is the farthest from the cursed forest compared to other empires…"
Tony : "You wish! There are thousands of refugees on the border clamoring to enter into our Empire. The Grizzle Hold and Sylvia Empire are the first to bear the burn of the goblins and Trolls crisis. The villagers between the borders of the two Empires who became refugees are directed towards us by their own empire."
Baba : "These snobbish nobles…"
Tony : "The Ice Paradise Empire was the least affected in the crisis. The goblins can't go there and the Trolls hate the ice and snow. Even the refugees refuse to take refuge there."
After cursing the nobles, goblins and Trolls for a while, Tony said goodbye and left.
The war...
Living in this world, I haven't felt the dangers and seen the conditions of the common people because I trapped myself in my small living environment. The people I met were either powerful warriors or strong mages. They used magic for their convenience in every way.
I heard that the person born with magic talent was very rare. The ratio was 1: 10000. The higher talents are rarer, the ratio was 1: 100000. The rest are all common people without magic. Some became knights with their own efforts even if they have no talent in magic. However, it was very rare.
Sure enough, I was happy too early because I was in my comfort zone. I dreamt of building my own Kingdom but I was so sloppy.
Without preparing for the wars, disasters and unknowns, building a kingdom was a fart….
"Can I sit here?"
A cool voice woke me up from my thoughts. I looked up who was the brave soul that skipped the class. I glanced at the clock hanging on the library's wall, it was not lunch break ___ not yet.
"You can choose any free seat. It's not mine anyway."
The brave soul was a young lad with black hair and purple eyes. A smile was hanging on his lip. But his smile looked like he was mocking the other party because it was paired with playful and arrogant eyes. He sat in the opposite seat of mine, with legs crossed. With an arrogant posture, he said….
"You are not a student, right? I haven't seen you in the Academy, not even in the Fresher Welcome. Do you want to take a look around the Academy? Big brother can take you to play. I know all the good places of the Academy like the back of my hand."
"No, I was the new Professor."
He let out a loud laugh but the librarian's glare scared him into shutting his mouth in a second.
"No way! Who did you lie to? A child can't be a Professor."
"My species is long-lived and slow to age. Believe it or not. Who else except teachers can stay in the library and read restricted books? Students?"
I replied to him with a stern face, showing the restricted book in my hand. This book is not available to students under third year. I was bored while acting like an immersive reader.
He came to give me a head to play prank.
"Are you a student or teaching staff? Listening to your words, are you a senior student?"
"No, Madam. I am a first year student."
He stood up nervously because of my question. The mocking smile on his cocky face even disappeared.
"Why are you in the library instead of the classroom? It's not lunch break yet. Are you skipping class?"
"No, Madam. The teacher asked me to bring the books he forgot to take from his office. I was just passing by the library. I am not skipping class. Well, I'm sorry for disturbing you, Madam. I'm leaving. Goodbye…."
Spewing out a lot of words, he ran away without looking back. Where was the arrogant posture before? I laughed softly, covering my mouth with the book.
[ Veronica, transmit the data you copied into my consciousness directly. ]
I got a headache as the copied data is very large. Closing my eyes for nearly half an hour, the copying was done. The clock showed the time, 12: 06 p.m.
I was in a hurry because of the news about war and refugees. Was I right to exclude the cursed forest from my possible starting point? There were misplaced people everywhere.
A guard from Evan's entourage entered the library and put down the big box he carried in front of me.
"What is this?"
"Lunch box, Your Highness…The Prince ordered me to send a lunch box to you."
I pointed him towards the notice posted on the wall of the library.
Library Rules
**Speak Quietly
**Return the books to their places
**If you need help, ask the librarian
**Do not eat or drink
**Always walk, never run
The library didn't let eating or drinking inside it. The guard's face turned red in embarrassment.
"Not your fault. Let's eat outside."
I found tables and chairs under the trees along the way to the library. I chose the one nearest the library and let the guard set the table.
Bread, milk, steak , soup, vegetable salad and some fruits…..
I wonder…. What did the Academy's cafeteria offer? Even the Prince doesn't have much variety of foods. Or…is it just the food of the Prince's mansion? I thought aimlessly while eating...
Should I improve the quality of food first? I don't know much about meat but I know all the flavours of vegetables, fruits and spices as an elf…..Tsk...Got a new job to toss around...