Chapter 51: Is it funny that I got stopped at the checkpoint?

Charlotte dear, how have you been recently?

I’ve been thinking about you every moment since we parted two years ago! I write your name in my little black notebook a hundred times every day. I wonder if you miss your Master as much as I miss you?

Have you finished reading the magic book I gave you? I’m sure you, being so clever, have discovered that many of the spells inside don’t belong to the orthodox school of magic. Hehe, these are all spells Master created herself while at the Starsea Magic Academy. While some of the spells certainly have huge side effects, I don’t think that should be a problem for you.

Since you graduated two years ago, your Master has been traveling all over the world, seeing many interesting new things. Right now, I’ve arrived at a glacier coast on the southernmost tip of the Kingdom of the White Rose. The scenery here is truly beautiful, and there are groups of penguins goo-goo-ga-ga-ing non-stop all around. It would be so fun if you could travel with me, little sister Charlotte!

Well, enough with the jokes, little sister Charlotte. You must be ten years old now. You’ve reached the age where you can enter the Starsea Magic Academy.

The Starsea Magic Academy is the largest and only academy dedicated to training witches on this Rose Continent. It’s located in Tsumuguri City, which is at the junction of the three kingdoms: the Kingdom of York, the Kingdom of the Red Rose, and the Kingdom of the White Rose. Eighty percent of the humans living in that city are witches who fly in the sky. It’s a true City of Witches. I hope you won’t be too shocked when you arrive!

But, little sister Charlotte, you are my, Chloe Luna’s, most prideful disciple. I’m sure you’ll be able to absorb more experience at this Magic Academy and become an official titled witch, just like me!

I look forward to our next meeting!

Your most loving Master—Chloe Luna.

****

Putting away the letter Chloe sent her, the petite Charlotte looked up at the huge city before her, which looked like a silver crown, and couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Is this the Tsumuguri City Master spoke of? It truly is extraordinary!”

Looking from afar, countless witches in black robes were flying freely on broomsticks over the white towers, like a swarm of mosquitoes circling a cake.

That’s probably not the best analogy, but it doesn’t matter.

Mom Rhynes told me that this is the time for the Starsea Magic Academy’s grand entrance examination. Only girls who pass the exam can enter the Starsea Magic Academy, become apprentice witches, and gradually grow stronger under the tutelage of other witch instructors.

Although she had already become very powerful under Master Chloe’s training, this level was clearly not enough. Therefore, entering the Starsea Magic Academy was a necessity for her. Only by accumulating enough experience at this Magic Academy could she become the strongest witch Master Chloe spoke of.

Thinking this, Charlotte examined her attire.

Before leaving, Mom Rhynes had given her the magic hat she used to wear. Shaula had personally made a star pendant and hung it on the hat’s brim. Combined with the custom-made magic robe that Dad Roland had a tailor create for her, Charlotte was now dressed like a veritable witch.

It was just that such a small witch still drew the attention of other passersby.

“Whose child is that?”

“She became a witch so young?”

“She must be wearing her parents’ clothes!”

Hearing the idle talk, Charlotte frowned.

She shouted loudly at the passersby who were discussing her, displeased: “Don’t underestimate people! I’m ten years old! I’m old enough to study at the Starsea Magic Academy!”

She didn’t know why, but ever since she started learning magic with Master Chloe when she was six, her body’s growth rate had become exceptionally slow.

Although she was now ten years old, others still mistook her for a seven or eight-year-old child.

If she had known that learning magic would stunt her growth, she would have definitely held back her curiosity and waited until she was ten to touch magic.

“Good. No obvious stains on the clothes. There’s no time to lose. Let’s enter the city now!”

After confirming her appearance was fine, Charlotte flew toward the city gate on her broomstick.

The gate of Tsumuguri City was a massive arch like a bridge tunnel. Since witches often flew in and out through the gate, it was only natural for the gate to be built this large.

If one tried to enter directly by flying over the city instead of passing through the gate, they would be blocked by a powerful barrier.

Mom Rhynes had told her that the first-generation witch, Shera Hirakami, had built a super-strong defensive barrier over the surface of the city centuries ago to prevent demons from trying to sabotage the City of Witches. Any wrongdoer who dared to trespass would be shocked by the barrier until they were burned crispy.

Thanks to successive Starsea Magic Academy presidents continuously repairing it, the barrier had remained unyielding for centuries.

Having this information beforehand, Charlotte obediently entered the city through the gate.

Incidentally, Mom Rhynes also said that she intentionally didn’t mention this point before, and as a result, Master Chloe, being a reckless idiot, actually charged straight over Tsumuguri City and was shocked by the barrier so badly that she couldn’t get out of bed for three whole days and had to be carried by Mom Rhynes even to use the restroom.

It was a good thing Charlotte knew this beforehand. Otherwise, given her personality, she would have suffered the same fate as Master Chloe.

Before Charlotte passed through the gate, two other witches also passed through on their broomsticks. A green light flashed at the top of the gate, and a robotic voice announced, “Beep, Witch Card!”

“Beep, Witch Card!”

“Beep, Student Card!”

When it was Charlotte’s turn, a red light flashed at the top of the gate.

“Beep, No Card!”

Hearing the alert, the nearby guards immediately became vigilant and quickly apprehended the little silver-haired loli who was trying to bypass the card system.

Although Charlotte offered no resistance at all, the two guards were still insistent, aiming their long spears inlaid with blue crystals at Charlotte and continuously shouting, “Hands up,” like American police.

Of course, the misunderstanding was quickly resolved afterward.

The spears the guards were holding were special crystal spears used to repel demons. After shining the crystal spear at Charlotte’s face for a long time and seeing that Charlotte showed no sign of discomfort, the guards understood: Charlotte was merely a regular human dressed up as a witch.

After all, today was the Starsea Magic Academy’s annual enrollment ceremony, and it was normal for many humans without a Witch Card to enter Tsumuguri City to participate in the Starsea Magic Academy’s entrance exam.