"Alesia, we don't have a place in the competition, we are eligible to participate," Gwen carefully explained that the big man even told us that you are our mentor and we cannot apply without your written consent and appeal. ”

"I thought Gunther was dealing with this?" asked Alexia innocently, as he usually does. ”

"Okay, wait a minute, I'll call Gunther. ”

Gwen closes her message spell and enters Gunther's glyphs, citing an emergency.

"Gwen, you shouldn't call me during business hours. ”

"Alessia forgot to apply for the Special Terms entry. ”

"No way, I promise she will, I asked her to sign the form. All she had to do was send it to the committee. ”

"She said we had to show up. ”

On the other side of the information spell is silence, followed by a deep sigh, as if someone is pondering the meaning of life and discovering that it does not exist.

"I called Alexia, wait a minute. ”

Gwen waited for her to shake her thumbs back and forth to counteract her anxiety.

Bite!

"Gwen, are you there?"

"Gunther!

"Alesia, you tell them. ”

Alicia interrupted the conversation.

"I'm sorry Gwen," her sister's voice sounded like a puppy, reprimanded for peeing on the lawn, and I'll make it up to you! I'll fix it! I know you have a way of getting invited. ”

"It's okay, Alesia. Gwen tried to make herself sound undisturbed, but she was just as annoyed as Gunther. For God's sake, Alexia is a grown woman. She's almost thirty! If Alicia wasn't the engine of destruction, she would probably be used, a lot.

"So, we can take advantage of an old rule," Alexia continued in a more hopeful tone, and I'm pretty sure that's how I got in last time. What you need to do is challenge a school that had a team finish in the top 8 last year, and if you can beat them in 151, 353 and 555, you can take their seeding spot in the tournament. ”

"Gunther?" Gwen asked. This seems to be a rather suspicious situation.

"It's an ancient custom, and in the last twenty years, Alexia has been the only one to take advantage of it. It is implemented as a form of boasting by larger public schools. They want the people to know that they are superior to any government-funded school. ”

"How likely is it that someone will take up this challenge? Can they refuse?" Gwen asked.

"They can, that's the problem," Gunther replied that you had to offer them terms they couldn't refuse. ”

"Crystal, spell, yes?" Gwen asked, thinking about the scale on the back of her neck. "Rare magical items?"

"Maybe, but unlikely. These schools have strong financial resources. I'm talking about something more specific. ”

"Do you like it?" asked Gwen suspiciously, a premonition that tingled her spine. She is very good at spotting the troubles that come her way.

"It's like a 16-year-old girl who can go into three magic schools," Alicia chimed in, we need to lift you up, Gwen. If we lose, you join that school and become their show pony. ”

"I have to leave the Black Wattle Tree?" Gwen estimated the situation worriedly. "No way. ”

"At worst," Gunther's voice was emotionless and rational, and at worst, you could be forced to become an apprentice to a school mage. Of course, our hosts won't let that happen, but it would be a messy solution. After all, who wants to let you go?"

"All she has to do is win, easy Pease," Alessia said casually, something like an invitation to coffee.

"Just?" Gwen's tone was so high that even from half a city away, Gunther could imagine her rolling eyes.

"Pick a school that Gwen can beat, Gunther. ”

"Hmm......" Gunther hummed well, our master's opponent, Judge Ferris, is Rossby's sponsor. If you want to make an entire group of well-connected mages enemies, you can also dig a little deeper in the holes we've dug. ”

"Doesn't that anger Mr. Ferris?" said Gwen sounding suspicious.

"Oh yes, it's glorious. "You can hear Alexia applauding that woman is such a prickly person. ”

"Gunther, please translate," Gwen pleaded with her craft brother.

"Ferris comes from the grey faction, and they think we should mingle with the magical race, trade with them, and learn from them. She's one of the ten people who support the 'organs' trading in magical ingredients, like the core, the soul, the 'unicorn horn', you know the genre. ”

"Our faction has been hostile ever since Alesia disgraced Judge Walken in the past. ”

"Confrontation?"

"Yes. The Graces, of course, mistakenly believe that the future lies in the wasteland, and that we should abandon the whole idea of human enclaves and join the intelligent humanoids that live in these areas. ”

"Wow. Gwen asked, confused. Is coexistence so bad?

"It's almost a crazy idea, I mean, of course, most mages survived. So what? We leave billions of names, each of which could be an ancestor of an even more magical bloodline, to die, to be eaten by monsters, where are you going, Gwen, and you're dead or sold before you wake up. ”

Gwen recalled that her master had indeed said in the past that he was frustrated with the so-called grey faction, which operated in a grey market. After the incident, Gwen recalls hearing from Gunther that Blackheath was likely a supply point for the Gray family.

"Well, let's go to Rossby, and then what?"

"Alesia will arrange it," Gunther confidently replied, if she had one advantage, it was to provoke a hornet's nest. ”

"Hey!" said Alexia, sullenly.

"Don't mess up, Ellie," Gunther warns her that if you do, Master will have to use the Tower's influence to directly sponsor Gwen's team. This will be an important turning point for us to achieve our intended goals. ”

"Okay, okay. "Shhhh Alicia ended her message spell.

"Look at her, Gwen. "I trust you more than Alesia. Gunther likewise terminated his message spell.

Gwen bit her lip. Treat her as a prize for a bet? She didn't think it would be any worse than they had originally thought. After all, she can't afford to lose a fight.

While waiting for Alesia's ability to negotiate, Gwen mediated throughout the afternoon.

The more she learns about the world, the more she hates its dystopian roots. As a prime example, her course completely ignores the information of first-tier cities. Instead, the "capital" is considered a paradise out of reach. In addition, Richard mentions something called contribution credits, which is a reward system that runs as magic currency in first-tier cities, but her textbooks don't seem to be interested in that at all. She knew that her and Tóls' entire system was valuable.

Two hours later, Alicia's phone rang through.

"I'll pick you up from the firebird. We're going to Rossby to meet the headmistress and get dressed. ”

Alicia suddenly hung up, burning as usual. Was it because of her affinity for fire? Gwen wondered. The orcs say that Blaze Juan is indeed proud, arrogant, and easily driven by impulses.

Gwen doesn't like to take detours, but she prefers to settle things between them rather than let her master exert his influence.

Gwen rummaged through her dress, looking for a dress that would fit her Mary Janice. She turned her mother's inventory upside down. She felt a little guilty and still used them, but don't waste them, don't want them - if there's anything she can't afford to buy right now.

To her surprise, she did find a very suitable thing. Soon, she reappeared in a pleated caddy miniskirt, a long-sleeved white shirt, and a ribbon tied together formally.

Gwen examines herself in the closet mirror. With a white shirt, a black miniskirt, and dark polished shoes, she looks like a blue-blooded young lady.

Gwen boldly walked down and pleased his classmates with an eye of grace. They came to greet her, some bravely asking her questions about the lightning element, while others stared blankly.

Wow!

Suddenly, there was a streak in the air, heralding the arrival of the Alician firebird, which was blinding red. Vaucluse is still 20 minutes away.

"We're going to meet Mildred Stone, the headmistress of Rossbay. "Alessia stepped on the gas and weaved through the traffic I'm sorry, Gwen, I was too careless. ”

"I'm sure it's going to work out in the end," Gwen reassured her friend and sister of the craft like you said, I'm just going to win, right? ”

"Really. Alicia sped past a truck. The truck driver honks his horn.

After crossing the bridge, the girls turned onto the coastal road and looked at the shimmering blue ocean beyond the headland. It stretched out magnificently, kissing a glimmer of light on the horizon, which was the shield barrier.

"Pretty, hey?" asked Alexia, of course, except for the murderous merfolk. ”

"Yes," Gwen replied, her eyes chattering with the wind. The breeze, the saltiness, the salt water – she remembered her old life, of lazy Sundays by the sea.

"Rossby isn't the best in terms of its spell qualities, but it has a long history as an incubator for the elite. Dr. Erin Ferris (Erin Ferris) is herself a graduate of the school and has served as its president. She remains a member of the School Board, although she occupies one of the ten seats on the Tower Committee. ”

"I see. ”

"When we see the hostess, you need to show magic, summoning and transfiguration. We're keeping it a secret. Don't get them too excited. ”

Gwen nodded. She knows.

The sea view lasted until they reached Ross Bay.

Rosebay Private Catholic School for Girls sits on a three-story cliff shaped by a deformer and overlooks 270 degrees of the ocean. The main building of the school itself is a cathedral with two spires that rise high into the dying sky like a spear. At the top, a pair of twin wings flutter in the wind, dotted with a bright red rose on an ultramarine background.

Alexia's Firebird coupe slows down at the entrance. The powerful engine cores make a screeching sound as they drift inside.

"Your business?" asked a gray-haired security guard respectfully.

"De Botton, come to Principal Stone. ”

"Of course, wait a minute. The guards sent out a message spell. They watched as he accepted the order, nodded, and bowed to the sky.

"I'll let you go now. There will be people waiting for you at the church. ”

Alicia turned the car to the cathedral. Even more impressive close-ups, towering above the pair, with its towering Gothic countenance, the shape of its lintel with the mysterious Ward pattern.

A nun was waiting for them at the side door, a scrawny old woman with a face like a skull and wrapped from head to toe in the habit of a penguin. She looked at Alexia's fiery red dress in disgust, her lips twisting and wrapping around her cleavage. She is friendly to Gwen. Although Gwen's skirt is short, it is couture and matte black.

"I'm Mother Teresa. You can go with me. "The headmistress is waiting for you in the study. She immediately turned around and began to walk, hoping that the two would follow without question.

The trio climbed the spiral staircase, and Gwen noted that the cathedral was rebuilt into four floors, divided into classrooms, prayer rooms, staff rooms, and offices.

From the fourth floor, they looked out through the magic windows, which, from the outside, were the colorful patterns of the Christian saints, but from the inside they were an unobstructed window, giving them a suffocating ocean and a distant barrier.

"Here it is. "The superior mother knocked twice on the door and opened it for them.

Alexia walked in without saying a word.

Inside, they encounter the unfriendly eyes of a thin, haggard, silver-gray iris woman.

"Margus de Burton, it will always be my pleasure. ”

"Margus Stone, I'd love to, too. ”

The two of them complimented and greeted each other.

"Well, that's what you're talking about the prize-winning students, the promised students. Gwen Song, huh?" Stone nonchalantly held out a hand to Gwen. "Stand up, dear, and let's see you. ”

Gwen walked in front of the heavy mahogany table.

Margus Stone put on a pair of glasses. Gwen noticed that they were faintly flickering with particles of divination magic.

"Take a turn. Let's see how you do it. ”

She feels like a precious bull for sale and is now being checked for quality and pedigree. She spun slowly, gracefully, with her hands at her sides, tucking her trouser legs together.

"Oh my God, you're such a lovely young man. Margus Stud tapped her fountain pen on a few pieces of parchment on the table, and if you can, show your ID. ”

Gwen starts with the arousal, turns on the signal and produces a ball of lightning.

"Impressive!

Gwen then summoned a ball of amphibole that hovered around Gwen before eventually dissipating.

"It's magic, it's beautiful. The woman's voice turned dry.

Gwen held out a hand and whipped with lightning. She slashed it open in the air, sending out a burst of sparks.

"And transmutation," Stone said, his voice full of wonder and awe I must apologize to you, Alicia, when you told me, I thought you were playing an old trick. ”

Gwen curtsied.

"So, what's the catch?" Stone asked Alexia suddenly, she was one in a million. I've never heard of such a high level of talent. Why would she do something as trivial as an international high school for us? You know, it's not an international university challenge. It's just a regional competition for kids. ”

"It's impossible. "We want your seed invitation to Inter Milan. Alesia shrugged innocently, her big blue eyes glinting with sincerity, and that's all. Or, you can also give it to us, and Gwen will fondly remember you decades from now. ”

Stone it to me, and I'll sign it for me right away.

"No," Alexia said with a smile, "it doesn't matter, we already have a team and a school anyway." ”

"What if I say no? Aren't we competing?"

"Nothing. There was nothing I could do about it. Ask Ritz, Lakeview, or other girls' colleges or coeducational seed schools in addition to asking. Hell, why not ask the school selectors? After all, there are three of the top 8. One year even a champion. ”

"That's your year, isn't it?" Stone gasped hard from his nostrils, his voice full of contempt. "I don't think it's a fair game. Veterans of the Battle of the Coral Sea against school kids? I still don't know why you're qualified. ”

"Hee-hee. Alicia said with a smile.

Mags Stonen measured Alexia, trying to see her face.

"Gwen and your employer are in touch?" Judge Kilroy?"

"Gwen, you tell her. Alicia nudged Gwen's intestines.

"Yes, the judge was very nice to me," Gwen said half-truths.

"Hmm. "Stone paused, if Master Ferris wants Gwen to be an apprentice, Master Kilroy is fine, right?"

"No," said Alessia, who was bound to be furious. ”

Stone laughed.

"Well, we agree to your terms. Stone signed the agreement in front of her, then flipped it over and slid the page onto the table.

Alesia signed, and finally Gwen signed too.

Their signatures instantly shimmered with gold.

Stone smiled slyly and said, "This has been submitted to the tower, there is no cooling-off period." "I hope you don't mind that I'm a little sloppy in confirming my contractual obligations. ”

"Not at all. "Alessia stood in her chair and grinned from ear to ear I heard that Rossbay has one of the best medical facilities in the area, is it true?"

"Indeed," Stone affirmed.

"Good. Alicia motioned for Gwen to follow. She stopped in the doorway, her own blue eyes staring coldly at Stone's iron-gray orb. "I guarantee that your best clergy will be there in two days. Gwen?"

"Yes, Alexia?"

"We're leaving. ”