Chapter 30: Before the trip

On the day Friday came, Leila and her group deliberately arrived earlier. They decided so to see if they had enough supplies and other necessities. Should they be missing anything it's not too late to go to a store to replenish their stocks.

Discussing with their parents and teachers about their destination ended quite well yesterday.

School had some misgivings of their choice of place. Mainly because it's outside their influence but allowed it due to unique circumstances their students had.

Most of the other students chose some other popular places to hone themselves, but had required them to obtain some things for them such as paper works for their legitimate reason of being there. Talk about overtime and many string pulling to accomplish everything in a very short amount of time.

Leila's group was in fact the most lax case that the school has processed since the sudden changes of plans. No reason for the school to actually oppose them going as the one who proposed going there had assured them of their safety. Complete with all ways to go there and fro, they only needed the consent of the concerned parties to go. Especially when that said place is a private property with an adult staying there.

But still they have some conditions for them to be allowed to go out there. One is that a teleportation point must be placed in an area of the school. And the other is that a school personnel will accompany them in their training. For the additional paperwork they will shoulder them to make it possible.

Leila had nothing against their arrangements. Only that she requested that their entry point of going is her house. After all her authorization of use was the teleportation at her house. She could only place a relevant exit point in the school to not violate her exiting permits.

After a few lobbying, they reached an understanding. Leila felt refreshed, the other party will say otherwise though. It was unexpectedly tough for the school to negotiate with the child and with them losing their ground against the said child.

Parents on the other hand were slightly harder to convince, but allowed them to go to such a far away place after the whole group worked hard to present their case. It was a hard battle to do so, especially to someone with parents like Ryan. His mother could have shredded them to pieces if Leila hadn't spoken firmly to shut her up.

No wonder Ryan is too reclusive on some matters. If one had a parent like his, one's disposition is sure to be influenced one way or another. Thankfully Ryan had grown up quite normal and didn't pick up his mother's queen-like and overbearing attitude.

The rest were easy to handle. Harvey's grandpa just asked some specifics, Khelly was given a go signal after a few words and Sophie only needed some guarantee and they're good to go. On Leila's side, they let her be after a few words of caution. It's their territory, she might reveal some things she shouldn't due to the familiarity of the place.

"Is everything in place now?" Harvey said as he properly tucked his supplies in the extra bag he had.

"All set for me" Khelly said as she patted her bulging bags. Her luggage is the most overly prepared. Some things poked out a while ago, those things are not within their list of needs to be brought. But nevertheless allowed her to bring them over as long as she's responsible for that baggage of hers.

No one wants to carry that. It looked heavy and all. So even if it looked bad for the boys to let a "delicate" girl carry such a load, they would not help the other if she would say how she suffered later on the actual training of theirs.

Ryan and Sophie told their affirmation of their preparedness. But voiced out that nothing bad was going through them again. If necessary they could still take some extra on the way later.

"Then we could go take some extras. On the way to my house there are markets along. If you guys don't like going there, there is a huge mall too." Leila said as she pulled out a few array components from her bag.

"Discuss it among yourselves. I'll go to the faculty. I still need to do my part of the agreement to be allowed to go to our destination." Leila said as she left them going through the list again.

She vaguely heard some acknowledgement of her departure. But none of them actually paid much attention to her leaving. She just didn't mind it though.

The faculty of their teachers was located on the sixth floor of their building. It was a little inconvenient with the distance and all, but most of the existing teachers of their school have their own ways easier access.

Leila naturally had some ways of making some convenience for herself. But she cannot use any of them. This school had some hard eyes all over, and Mana had told her so many times. So she could only walk all the way from her room on the other side of the building on the second floor.

Upon arriving at the faculty, Leila saw Rebecca waiting there. If she understood it well, it will be their advisor that will accompany them in their little trip.

"Good morning miss." Leila said as she reached the teacher's position.

Rebecca nodded in acknowledgement of her student's presence. She then motioned the child to follow her to somewhere.

Leila followed her and they arrived at their building's rooftop. It was empty and vast. Normally students are not allowed to come over, but considering that teleportation is a complex magic it's just right.

No one wants an incident with this magic. There are reports and records of people dying with this magic because of the lack of space for the magic to transport them. Not to mention the aftermath is a little gory to witness.

"You may lay down the formation here. I'll supervise you until you're done with it." Rebecca said as she conjured a chair for her to seat down.

Leila nodded and took out her tools. First she determined the most appropriate place to her to place them. Afterwards she mentally calculated the odds and various other factors for a successful array formation. She even mentally called help from the Mana for better chances of succeeding.

Rebecca mutely watched this odd student of hers. She had known her to be very adept of Magic Language, but she does not believe that this child can accomplish a successful array with her age and mastery.

Array formations are complex and very demanding. One is that the one who made them has to have a huge reserves of Mana existing within them. Second is mastery of many disciplines of Magic.

The first ones are hard to fulfill as one only a few had an inherently large pool. Though it's possible to increase one's capacity, it is a long process that requires years of practice. So mostly aspiring array makers only able to encounter array specifications and lessons are in their later years such as their college years.

Next is that one had to be a master of various disciplines. Magic Language is only one of the many components of it, so it's not enough to rely on this only. Not to mention it needs precise calculations and complex formulas.

It is the reason why there are only so few competent array makers around. They are very in demand and important in society, so it's hard to even see their shadows. The few known ones are mostly very prideful and overbearing. With their experience and journey to be one, they had the capital to be so.

So when Rebecca heard that it is her student who will arrange the teleportation exit point, she was very shook. With the aforementioned reasons, how is it possible for a child of fourteen to set one for her team's usage.

So she took it to herself to see it with her own two eyes.

It may not look like it, but Rebecca was an array maker. She retired in the field a few years ago due to some conflicts in the association. But even if she no longer practices that profession, she still had her mastery over them.

Leila didn't know what the purpose of her teacher was overseeing her. She was very focused with the task at hand. After a few deliberations, she finally moved to start making the array.

Without any hesitation, she swiftly wrote the formation on the rooftop floor. Her figure while she was laying it down was very ethereal. Like it's her natural element and she's just going back to where she should be.

Rebecca on the other hand is feeling all sorts of complex feelings. When her student was just starting to write down on the floor, she felt a huge change in the air. Like her student is no longer her student, but someone older and with more power than anyone she had ever seen.

Especially when the formation was in the last state of its completion. It was like a textbook example or maybe beyond the capability of the known formations existing in this world. She knows it as she hasn't seen any array emitting such beautiful and stable magic circulation within the formation.

The speed of its making was very fast. Normally it takes hours, some even days to make an array. And Leila accomplished this in only minutes. Much to Rebecca's surprise.

"I'm done Miss. Do you need me for something?" Leila asked as she felt a little dissatisfaction with her work. It's not perfect for her, but she will look abnormal if she changes it. Her making an array is already beyond the capability of her age group.

Even if she's unwilling to showcase her capabilities, a portion for them is still needed to be out in the open for her to be not so suspicious. At least her usage of them is somehow justified. Only that she had to downplay everything to the lowest standards of hers.

"Nothing." Rebecca said as she instructed the child to return to her room. Still cannot truly believe the child successfully making an array.

Leila obediently went back and mentally made some list that she needs to add to their luggage. When she was making the formation, she remembered that she hadn't prepared some gifts for her grandparents. She needs to prepare at least one for the not-so-old elderly.

Left alone on the rooftop, Rebecca examined the array in front of her. She wanted to see it's theoretical mechanics, and to her surprise it is very different to the teleportation array she is familiar with.

Although it looked like one on the outside, it is very different in its entirety. And surprisingly, it had a sort of function where it's impossible for her to fully see it's entire inner workings.

"Who the hell is this student of mine?" Was the only question of Rebecca as she furthermore made an evaluation of this array. Only to be even more shook of its complex and elaborated design and functions.

It caused the teacher to be late for her class. But she was definitely very delighted with her find.