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Join the ServerThe training ground of the “Arcana” magic academy was a grassy expanse dotted with flowerbeds, centered on an elegant white marble pavilion. Usually a secluded spot for trysts between students of any gender, it was now occupied by the blue-haired half-elven old woman and her wicked maidservant.
Queen Margaret showed no shame. Instead, she provoked Aurora outright.
The noblewoman raised her hand, half-covering her mouth, and cried out in a theatrical, mocking tone:
“What weed is this, that lets her crude underling treat an upright gentleman so barbarously?”
Her attendant echoed:
“Oh, my noble Queen! That is the daughter of Marquis Ed!”
“Oh! How unfortunate for Marquis Ed to have raised such an evil daughter! And how unfortunate for the poor guard to be treated so roughly! My brave maid, in the name of the noble and beautiful Queen Margaret, go stop that cheater and restore Marquis Ed’s honor!”
—The Queen intended to send her maid to confiscate whatever Aurora had brought.
The maid, who had just echoed the Queen, stared in shock at the staff in Aurora’s hand and the scabbard in Balian’s, her eyes unmoving as if to say: “Me? Go confiscate from those two? Are you kidding?”
Eventually, the maid shuffled over to Aurora, who was growing impatient.
“Uh… oh! Beautiful Lady Aurora…”
“Please, stop that screeching! It’s awful!”
—Aurora smashed the sound system.
In her two lifetimes, the only opera she’d listened to was *The Phantom of the Opera*, and the only musical was *Les Misérables*.
As for the Queen’s singing, her only thought was, ‘Please, for the love of all that’s holy, stop!’ She didn’t even feel like stomping on her head—it was just too over-the-top!
Even Aurora, who only pretended to appreciate high art, couldn’t bear it.
The maid was stunned speechless for a full half-minute, when a group of people arrived.
Leading them was a tall elf with red hair and orange eyes. She was somewhat slimmer than the Queen (which wasn’t saying much, since everyone was). On her head, she wore a hat even larger than Vapgis’s, and she was wrapped in a loose, baggy gray cloak. Anyone could see she was a very powerful mage.
Since Aurora had crossed into this world, this elf was the most “proper” mage she’d seen in terms of attire.
At least she wasn’t exposing her chest, arms, or legs—she didn’t look like a degenerate.
Aurora immediately felt a positive impression of this elf, thinking she must be a serious person.
The tall elf, however, had the opposite impression of Aurora.
Seeing the Queen’s maid nearly frightened into incontinence, she stepped forward and used her staff to separate them.
She shielded the maid behind her, then scolded Aurora.
“You’re here for a retest, aren’t you! You don’t study hard, and you bully the staff because of your noble status? The magic academy gets worse and worse because it has too many students like you!”
Having been berated for no reason, Aurora gaped.
She pointed at herself, then at the Queen watching from the sidelines, as if to say, ‘You can’t just accuse an innocent person!’
Balian stepped half a pace forward, placing himself in front of Aurora, as if to say, ‘If you’re dissatisfied, let’s fight.’
This made Aurora conflicted.
He was definitely a good brother and a good guard—if only he didn’t want to screw me.
‘Alas, brother, why aren’t you a girl? If you were a girl, I wouldn’t be so conflicted.’
‘Girls are good. Girls don’t try to screw me.’
‘Or so I hope.’
The red-haired elf’s eyes had been drawn to Aurora, but now she noticed the Queen.
She gave the Queen a slight, perfunctory bow, then asked the maid about the situation.
The maid reported the Queen’s request in detail. The red-haired elf clicked her tongue and said to Aurora:
“If you’re hiding something, please hand it over.”
“You think I’m cheating, teacher? That’s a serious accusation.”
Aurora retorted.
She tried to invoke her family name to make the teacher back off.
But unfortunately, Marquis Ed wasn’t there, and the Queen was watching.
“Miss, I have no doubt about your family’s honor. However, since this is the Queen’s wish, I think it’s best you hand over anything related to the exam. I will keep it safe.”
“I have nothing related to the exam on me!”
Aurora argued.
“Are you saying spell components, spellbooks, paper, pen, and staff are related to the exam? How am I supposed to take it without those?”
She stood firm, unwilling to back down. If it came to a strict search, she still had a small piece of leftover sodium from yesterday.
If that were found, it would be trouble. Her fireball plan would be ruined.
“Who knows if you’re carrying scrolls or potions?”
The Queen’s maid, emboldened by the teacher’s support, shouted. Aurora glared at her, making her shrink behind the teacher.
“The Olivia family motto is justice and fairness. Upholding good and punishing evil is justice; following rules is fairness. Teacher, which rule have I broken? Are you only siding with her because she’s the Queen and has power?”
The red-haired elf’s pointed ears twitched, and a flush of anger crossed her cheeks.
But she didn’t do as Aurora hoped—she didn’t let her enter the exam hall and deal with the Queen. Instead—
“Mage Hand.”
She chanted simply.
Then, everything Aurora carried on her person, outside her clothes, was confiscated by the elf.
Half a dozen translucent hands grabbed Aurora’s staff, her spellbook, and…
That small bottle of sodium!
Aurora’s pupils contracted.
“Hey! What are you doing! Give me back my staff and spellbook!”
“Hold Person!”
Aurora lunged, but was frozen mid-air by a spell.
It wasn’t funny.
Balian, seeing this, drew his sword with a sharp sound. He leaped forward like a tiger, sword aimed at the elf, standing in front of Aurora.
“Release her!”
“As you wish~”
The elf smiled.
She snapped her fingers.
Spell contact broken, Aurora flew forward due to inertia, then—
“Thump!”
She slammed solidly into Balian’s back.
“Ow! Who’s that? Balian!”
Aurora slid to the ground, holding her nose, tears welling up from the sting. She looked up just in time to meet Balian’s startled face.
“Uh, ma’am, I’m sorry!”
Balian sheathed his sword and stood at attention.
As the master and servant bickered, the elf completed her inspection.
She tossed the confiscated items back to Aurora one by one using Mage Hand. Aurora fumbled to catch them, checking frantically.
Spellbook—check.
Staff—check.
Pen—check.
Sodium?
Everything was there, except the crucial sodium!
Aurora stomped her foot angrily and pointed her staff at the elf.
“Give it back!”
“No.”
The elf said.
She raised her hand, shaking the small glass bottle containing the sodium in front of Aurora’s terrified gaze, then tilted her head.
“Explain. What is this?”
“Spell component! Don’t mess with it—it’s dangerous!”
Aurora, at a loss, could only argue stubbornly.
“But this is neither sulfur nor bat guano.”
The elf showed the bottle to the maid, who immediately declared:
“This must be some alchemical potion to enhance spellcasting! Lady Aurora, I can’t believe you would stoop to such evil!”
The maid turned to the Queen as if seeking approval, and the Queen seized the opportunity to further mock Aurora. Aurora naturally fought back, and the noise grew louder. Curious students began to gather.
The red-haired elf teacher quickly pushed Aurora into the exam hall, telling her to cool her heels somewhere else.
She also took the chance to reiterate that cheating was prohibited, stirring up the crowd. The students grew agitated, as if Aurora had indeed cheated.
Queen Margaret didn’t rest. She and her maids circulated among the students, repeating in a sing-song voice: “Cheating is shameful. Only those with poor skills and bad character cheat. Raising such a person is a family’s misfortune,” and so on.
Aurora wished she could turn into a nuclear bomb and blow them all up!
Balian was furious too. His hand on his sword hilt tightened and loosened repeatedly. Finally, he drew his sword and began sharpening it with his whetstone, as if he really intended to cut down the Queen.
Clearly, Aurora and her servant’s impotent rage greatly amused Margaret.
She walked slowly to Aurora, step by step, with a roaring crowd behind her.
And the red-haired teacher?
She just watched, doing nothing.
Apparently, no one would defy a teacher for a student considered a cheater.
“Oh, poor lost lamb!”
Margaret covered her mouth with her folding fan, letting out a villainous laugh: “Oh hoh hoh hoh hoh!”
“If you repent and wish to atone for your original sin, you should persuade your father to donate all his wealth to the church and spend the rest of your days in a monastery!”
“One.”
Aurora muttered under her breath.
“What?”
Margaret didn’t catch it.
“I was praising your kindness. How about returning my spell component?”
“Oh, that won’t do! You’re a cheater! Even the most merciful queen cannot tolerate cheating!”
“Then, my merciful and beautiful Queen, would you be so kind as to send someone to fetch me a spell component?”
“Oh hoh hoh hoh hoh! Poor girl, still hoping for a last-minute breakthrough? Let me tell you the truth! Your magic tutor said you can’t cast a 3rd-circle spell!”
“What if I can? Give me the component, and I’ll do it.”
“Can you? Haha!”
Margaret laughed as if she’d heard the greatest joke.
“I’ll give you what you want! Everyone here, let’s make a bet! We’ll bet whether Lady Aurora can cast Fireball! I’ll put 1 livre on her success!”
The livre was the largest unit of currency in the Kingdom of France, used mostly for bookkeeping.
One livre equaled 240 deniers, and a denier could buy a pound of bread, enough to feed an adult for half a day.
For students, that was a huge sum.
—I know that Aurora! She sleeps in class every day. If she can cast a 3rd-circle spell, I’ll eat my hat. This is free money! I’m in!
The crowd eagerly joined. Some even bet their remaining living expenses. In the end, the total prize pool against Aurora reached over a dozen livres!
That was equivalent to a month’s living expenses for dozens of poor students!
Aurora shrugged, ignoring the jeers around her.
She first told Balian to send someone home to fetch a livre and bet it on her winning. Then she said to the Queen:
“Please give me a handful of salt.”
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, How to Avoid Regression is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : How to Avoid Regression
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