At the break of dawn, Iris became a living, breathing otherworldly alarm clock, chattering nonstop right beside Anya’s ear.
“Wake up, wake up! Little Anya, time to set out!”
She was so excited she stood on tiptoe, the white, fluffy tips of her hair swaying gently, and before long, she’d managed to wake Anya from her dreams.
“Iris… Why are you up so early?” Anya rubbed her sleepy eyes, her voice still soft and drowsy, clearly reluctant to wake.
“You were much more energetic than this at this time yesterday,” Iris said, arms akimbo, her blue eyes round with indignation as she stared at Anya. “Come on, fess up—did you stay up late reading comics again?”
“Uh…” Anya scratched her cheek in embarrassment, hesitating for quite a while before giving a tiny nod.
“You absolutely can’t do this again next time!” Iris felt her heart skip a beat.
In her previous life, she’d died from staying up too late. She couldn’t bear to see Anya suffer the same fate.
Looking at the girl, whose hair seemed to bristle in protest, Anya could only give in, “Alright, I won’t do it again.”
“You better take this seriously!” Iris moved even closer in her anxiety, deciding to share her own experience with a little embellishment. “I once knew someone who stayed up all night chasing comics, and the next day, they never woke up… I don’t want that to happen to you.”
“Okay, I remember.” Anya responded softly.
With no other choice, Iris let her go back to sleep for a bit. If Anya left the house in that dazed state, she’d probably trip and fall on the road.
Not until the midday sun streamed through the window and lit up the edge of the bed did Anya slowly get up, her cheeks finally looking much healthier.
But Iris was practically dying of impatience by then. Though she had comics to pass the time, her stash was already running low.
She’d already finished four volumes by holding back these last few days. Most of the remaining time was spent swinging her legs by the bedside in boredom.
When Anya hurriedly finished her lunch, the girl and her system finally stepped out of the Auckland Family residence and onto the snowy main street of the town.
Maybe because it was the weekend, kids around Anya’s age could be seen everywhere on the streets, running and laughing in small groups.
“Anya, you’re already this old and you don’t need to go to school?” Iris caught sight of some teenagers in uniform passing by and looked on curiously.
“Father hired plenty of tutors for me since I was little, so I’ve always studied at home,” Anya shrugged. “Besides, there aren’t really any decent academies in the Northern Border, so he didn’t let me attend school.”
“Don’t you feel lonely? Not even a single friend.” Iris pouted so much she could hang an oil bottle from her lips. She thought Anya’s life was far too dull.
“You get used to it.” Anya replied calmly.
“There you go again!” Iris stomped her foot in frustration, her face full of dissatisfaction. “You always say those two words—no wonder you’re so gloomy!”
Just as she finished speaking, her eyes lit up and she pointed to the crowd in the distance, “Hey, look! There’s a bunch of people over there, let’s check it out!”
Anya could only follow along, helpless.
A bustling crowd had gathered around a tall stage. Atop it stood a burly man in fitted clothes, looking down confidently at everyone below.
“Hey, what’s going on here? Why’s it so lively?” someone near Anya asked quietly.
“You haven’t heard? The Holy Academy will be coming to the Northern Border to recruit talent in a month. They’re holding a grand competition—anyone under twenty can join!” someone immediately replied, excitement thick in their tone. “Today, the Holy Academy’s people are here to explain the rules. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
“The Holy Academy recruiting in the Northern Border?” The first person clearly didn’t believe it. “We’re practically in the middle of nowhere. Would they even bother with us?”
“See for yourself—look at the badge on that guy’s chest!” The other pointed at the stage. “That’s the Holy Academy’s crest, clear as day. Think they’d wear it for nothing?”
Iris listened intently, then turned to Anya, her eyes sparkling. “Little Anya, is the Holy Academy really amazing?”
Anya nodded, keeping her voice low. “The Holy Academy is the largest academy in the Holy Light Empire—a place that produces countless talents. Most who graduate from there are extremely powerful. Many Holy Knights and Royal Magicians came from the Holy Academy.”
“That’s incredible!” Iris’s eyes shone. This was a perfect chance to boost her fame points!
But the conversation nearby suddenly turned bleak. “Don’t get your hopes up—the Holy Academy isn’t interested in small fries like us. This is obviously meant for the heirs of those three families. We’re just here for the show.”
“True enough…” The other sighed. “People like us are just extras, even if we enter the contest.”
For people of their standing, opportunities like this were rarely meant for the likes of them.
On stage, as more people gathered, the burly man finally spoke, his voice booming like a bell. “Seems word travels fast—everyone’s heard the Holy Academy is coming to the Northern Frontier of the Holy Light Empire to recruit. What enthusiasm!”
The hot-blooded youths below erupted in cheers, and the atmosphere instantly became heated.
“The Holy Academy never lacks for talent, but this time we’ve come north precisely to discover hidden gems,” the man said, beaming broadly. “I hope every one of you below will participate and show your true strength.”
The crowd cheered again, though someone couldn’t help but call out, “Aren’t you really just after the magic genius from the Lorsi Family? The rest of us are just filler.”
“That’s not the case, young man.” The man shook his head, his tone meaningful. “It’s true we have some predetermined targets, but for this competition, we’ll be offering an extra admission spot to the Holy Academy.”
He paused deliberately, sweeping his gaze over the varied expressions below before continuing, “Which means, everyone here has a chance to win that spot.”
The crowd fell silent for a moment, then burst into an uproar. Hope flared in every pair of eyes.
“Alright, settle down, everyone,” the man gestured for quiet. “Next, I’ll explain the competition rules…”
“Hey, hey! Little Anya, where are you going?” Iris was engrossed, but when she turned, she found Anya had quietly slipped out of the crowd. “You’re leaving already? It was just getting good!”
“Nothing worth hearing. I’m not planning on entering,” Anya said, glancing at the sea of people and gently shaking her head.
“Why not?” Iris hurried after her, baffled. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance—and a perfect opportunity to rack up fame points!”
After all, Anya now had the Converter and practiced Sword and Magic Dual Cultivation. If she performed well in the competition, she might shock everyone!
“I don’t think it’s necessary. Teacher Kashan came from the Holy Academy herself. Once my swordsmanship catches her eye, I can go straight to the Academy to study further.” Anya spoke indifferently.
Iris could only give up on the idea. After all, Oli wouldn’t let her interfere with the host’s decisions, so she had no choice but to abandon the thought with a pout.
“What’s that shop?” But just a few seconds later, Iris spotted a shop decorated in an adorably kawaii style and couldn’t help getting interested.
Anya glanced over at the shop—the pink-and-white storefront was draped with lacy curtains, and the wooden sign was adorned with several fluffy pom-poms, looking like a freshly baked cream cake.
But it seemed a bit deserted, with hardly any customers.
“Who cares what kind of shop it is, little Anya—let’s go check it out!” Iris was the action type; she didn’t bother with the details.