A step at a time

"Isn't this place way too big for a single student?" Vailyn gaped at the small villa in front of her. One could see a faint bubble surrounding the small villa, at that Vailyn understood that it was protected by a powerful magical artifact.

"I can indeed touch it..." Vailyn pressed her palm into the barrier, but it obviously didn't budge, and it felt like it was made from a solid material. As the palm remained pressed in the bubble, ripples could be seen where Vailyn had put her palm. Vailyn started to play around, creating several ripples in the barrier with her hands. The barrier obviously didn't show any sign of damage, nor was it sustained any, since the only way to do it was through spells or enchanted objects. Vailyn was unaware that the owner was watching her from the small villa.

Gates or fences are not needed as this bubble's purpose is to act as both. Vailyn couldn't quite remember the details about specific barriers or magical artifacts. But Morgana explained to her that the one in Alicia's residence is made so that uninvited guests are unable to pass through the bubble or to prevent any prying eyes to gaze inside the villa, and the moment one attempted to forcefully enter inside, then a sort of alarm would ring and alert the entire academy.

"Really, a simple doorbell should have been enough for this..." Vailyn took out her wand, she pressed the tip of her wand into the bubble, she then proceeded to transmit her mana to the bubble through the wand. "Mnn..." Vailyn could feel a strange sensation as mana left her body.

"Ah." It didn't take long as the wand that was previously pressed into the bubble passed through.

"Vailyn!"

Before Vailyn could even take five steps, the figure of Alicia rushed towards her, hugged her, and then dragged her inside. Vailyn was already exhausted before this with all the events involving Cordelia and Morgana, so, this time, she didn't complain and instead let Alicia drag her inside, after all she came here to only talk with Alicia.

For some reason, instead of listening to Alicia, Vailyn observed her surroundings. She had to walk a bit to reach this place since it was situated on the edge of the area of the academy. It was quite distant from any other residence, and with the addition of the bubble it gave an additional sense of privacy. And yet, it didn't shake off the strange feeling she had been experiencing inside her the moment Alicia took her hand.

"This is the first time you visited me! I never thought that you would be taking the initiative to come!" Alicia smiled warmly and brightly towards Vailyn. "I'll prepare a cup of tea, so just wait, okay?" Alicia bolted towards the kitchen as she left Vailyn on her own.

Despite being alone, Vailyn felt that she was being watched, so instead of wandering around, she decided to sit onto the couch and wait. The familiar rustic interior design of the small villa made Vailyn reminiscent of her distant home.

"Here, please enjoy it." That is what Alicia said, but what made inside Vailyn's brain was the sweet aroma of the tea, and without even thinking about it, Vailyn took the teacup, gently blew it to cool it up a bit, and took a single sip.

There was a distinct sound made from laying the tea cup into the tea saucer.

Vailyn sighed with bliss. Her entire body relaxed, her eyes seemed to unfocus, and her mouth remained slightly open from the tea.

It took that enough to lower Vailyn's guard and make her forget that feeling. Instead, what Vailyn could only feel was the cozy sensation that overwhelmed her body and mind.

As if she had forgotten where she was or who she was, Vailyn remained in a state where she would take a sip of the tea, sigh with bliss, savor the taste and cozy sensation for several moments before taking another sip.

"You seem to be exhausted, did something happen?" Alicia asked with concern.

Vailyn hummed in response, as she was already on the brink of falling asleep.

"Cor...delia and Morgana...quite the exhausting ones to interact..." Vailyn released a small yawn. "They are...they...are...mmm..." Vailyn seemed to say more, but before she could say those words she fell asleep. The tea was still warm by the time Vailyn fell asleep.

"..." Alicia watched the sight in front of her with bewilderment. Alicia was confused, the tea she made didn't have anything wrong: the water she used for the tea came from a clear spring filled with water elementals, and the tea leaf instead was known to increase vitality thanks to several earth elementals. They were of the highest quality to brew tea.

She just wanted to impress her junior with a delicious tea and wanted to loosen her up in order to make a more pleasant conversation between them. She could see that her junior was tired, but she didn't know that Vailyn was so tired that she would fall asleep after sipping several times.

Alicia waited for an half an hour, but seeing that Vailyn did not show any sign of waking up any soon, she laid Vailyn's head into her lap.

"Ahmmm..." Barely audible sounds could be heard from Vailyn as Alicia caressed Vailyn's hair. Alicia softly hummed a song making the atmosphere even more cozy.

There was no other reason behind why Alicia's past actions other than wanting to be with Vailyn, the small interactions and talks they made throughout the past year were something that Alicia immensely enjoyed, and so she wanted to protect the person that made her feel so happy.

Alicia knew what kind of world Cantio was, even more so the trials a student at this academy needed to experience. Alicia wanted to spare Vailyn from experiencing such unpleasant things. It is, however, required for a mage to know and experience those things, to understand how worthless and little they are in front of the world, so that they strive to become stronger, or at least strive to be capable of not succumbing when encountering a hostile being. The Skadi family was only one of the many influential families within the northern region of the continent. It is because of her mother that the Skadi family rose both in power and in prestige. Her mother is still young compared to the old and powerful archmages that control in the shadows the entire continent. Alicia obviously wanted to become stronger even more than her mother, enough that her power can protect the ones dear to her.

It was at that moment that Alicia took out her wand, gently pressed the tip of the wand into Vailyn's forehead, and chanted.

-Yrui Mental Defense

Something intangible made its way towards Vailyn's brain. Three small orbs of light circled around inside her brain. The moment something attempted to forcefully alter Vailyn's mind or heart, then the spell would activate and protect Vailyn from such an attempt.

Vailyn stirred in her sleep, but Alicia's comforting caresses and hums calmed Vailyn.

"Vailyn, you are so cute..." Alicia could instantly notice after interacting several times with Vailyn that her constitution was weak. She lacked energy compared to a normal person and required extensive amounts of rest to refill that energy. Sometimes Vailyn could be really forgetful to the point of forgetting even the basics of her subjects, and it didn't escape from Alicia that behind that reserved girl there was a clumsy girl but also a good person at heart.

"You really don't belong here..." These characteristics can easily cause one's own downfall since the very things they would experience would completely change them.

Vailyn's consciousness slowly returned, but a snug atmosphere seemed to envelope her, so much so that Vailyn subconsciously snuggled closer to the source of the warmth.

"Vailyn? Are you awake?" A gentle voice made it through Vailyn's ears.

"Eh...?" It was then that Vailyn noticed where she was. A pair of brown eyes watched from above with tenderness. Vailyn wanted to be lost to such eyes.

...

At the same time where Alicia was having a pleasant time with the sleeping Vailyn in her lap.

"Yo, Damien! Didn't you bring someone for the night?"

"I didn't..." A familiar voice said gloomily.

"Heh. Then you won't get your fun other than watching."

"Shut it, just give me the [Fairy Dust]."

"Fine, fine. Just don't over do it and sniff it with little amounts at a time otherwise you'll forget your name and even become addicted to it." The man handed him a leather pouch after Damien paid him.

"I know, I know. Leave me alone."

The sketchy establishment was filled with intoxicated giggles and moans from other rooms. But Damien decided to leave alone after purchasing the [Fairy Dust] leaving the bunch of friends he came with who, unlike him, brought their own juniors with them. This place was located in the slums of the nearest city of the academy, and it was a place frequented by students who wanted to try the [Fairy Dust], a substance that was advantageous and harmless only to fairies, and any other being that attempted to consume it would be thrown in a state of intoxication and lust, the dust was, however, also riddled with many negative repercussions if one were to consume too much or consume it frequently such as temporary loss of memory to a permanent one, addiction or even lowering one's affinity to an element.

"Scum." The figure of Morgana could be seen on one of the roofs of one of the nearby buildings.

"Miss," A cloaked figure spoke to her in a respectful manner, "Should we begin the operation?"

"Yes, you may go." At that stern and dignified response, the cloaked figure descended from the roof and rushed towards the establishment.

Multiple cloaked figures followed soon after, with their wands in their hands, as they chanted they entered inside.

It did not take long for Morgana to come down as well and enter inside.

"Miss!" The dozens of cloaked figures were standing in line with many cuffed men and women behind them, while in another part of the room there were mostly unconscious women, but there were also men.

"Good," Morgana nodded. "Bring these scums to the headquarters for interrogation, return the students to their families with a warning, while the victims to the medical centre." Morgana ordered, and the cloaked figures vanished as they appeared. Morgana didn't want to return these students with just a warning, but there was nothing she could do with her orders.

"Hmm? What it is?"

Another cloaked figure arrived.

"Miss, the report you've asked for." The figure knelt, handling several documents.

"You could have just waited me in the headquarters, do you perhaps long for promotion that much?" Morgana harshly said.

"N-no! I wouldn't dare!" The cloaked figure bowed his head.

"Leave!"

Now, Morgana was left alone with a number of documents in her hands.

"I hope you aren't as dirty and vile as many of the students in this academy. I really hope you aren't."

...

"I'm sorry!" Alicia bowed her head, "I-I...was just so worried! I noticed how exhausted you were and..." Alicia gripped the hem of her skirt, "...I could see it that something happened to you...I-I'm sorry..."

"You were...worried?" Vailyn didn't know what to do.

"Obviously!" Alicia raised her head to meet the expression of a lost and confused Vailyn. Alicia quickly averted her eyes despite wanting to gaze at such a marvelous expression. "Aren't I your senior? Aren't I your friend? It is obvious that I was."

"Okay..." Vailyn wanted to... find more ways to avoid the position she was suddenly thrown into. But could she really turn down the person in front of her or escape without consequences from the events that had already happened?

"Huh?" Those eyes filled with emotions gazed at her. The possessor of those eyes was a person that could easily and openly convey her emotions to others, unlike her.

"I won't try to convince you anymore in...in making you stop..." Vailyn lowered her head, maybe embarrassed by the next word she was going to say, "...just tell me when you do stuff like that otherwise I'll end up thinking too much into it." The display of Alicia made Vailyn genuinely think that Alicia was really worried about her, and didn't have any other intentions. That was true, but to a certain extent.

"Yes! I promise! I won't do that unless it is strictly necessary!" Alicia quickly went to hug Vailyn. Such act was something that Vailyn was accustomed to, but the warmth she felt was genuinely something really nice.

"I'll protect you no matter what! If trouble comes to you, I'll protect you!" Vailyn boldly proclaimed.

"That seems to be difficult..." Vailyn said with uncertainly.

"Don't worry about it! Just think of studying and slowly become stronger! What the future hold for us is something you cannot predict, so it is better to improve yourself now rather than thinking too much into it."

Vailyn just nodded.

"Vailyn? Since you accepted wholeheartedly my protection, why not call me by my name? And don't tell me that you cannot because I'll be really upset."

"...Alicia..." Maybe because Vailyn refused to say Alicia's name for so long that she felt quite embarrassed that she easily said Alicia's name. It felt like Vailyn lost to Alicia, and now it felt even childish that she went on with such mindset for over a year. Vailyn felt that she should've started to call Alicia's name from the very beginning if she knew that this would happen. Could it be fate? Was fate meeting Alicia? Was fate ending up under her protection no matter how she didn't want to?

While Vailyn was immersed in her own thoughts, Alicia was over the moon. Alicia could taste how sweet it was victory. Alicia loved how her name was being called by Vailyn, and the slightly embarrassed tone? It was divine for Alicia.

This is it, Vailyn showed an opening, and Alicia won't hold back. From now on, in order to fully reach Vailyn's heart, Alicia won't show any hesitation in taking any kind of advantage to win.

...

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