91-100

I couldn't help but chuckle at Thurul's teasing. He was definitely showing off the new pen he crafted. But this was also a given. If he did not test his own works to make sure they worked in the first place and then sent them out only for them to not work at all, we would lose any chance of making any profit. Bad merchandise equals loss of trust from the masses, which would be hard to regain. But I was very happy that my design worked.

"How does it feel when writing?" I asked curiously. I have no idea if Thurul had made any design changes at all.

"Well, the very first one leaked ink all over the place due to the ball not being able to seal it properly, so I had to make a small adjustment to the pen's head." Thurul reached in his pocket and pulled out two similar pen tips, and placed them on the table. I picked up each one and looked at them, and immediately saw the difference. One had a grove to allow the metal ball to rest in, sealing the hole just fine, while the other did not.-.

"I see. My design only allowed for the ball to be pushed up and down but not fully seal the tip itself. Thurul, thank you for catching that. The grove at the bottom really helps in sealing the ink in." I was truly impressed. It was a tight seal, and he even made a cap to go with the pen to keep it covered just in case. "The spot here, can we add a thin piece that runs down the side so it can clip to someone's pocket?"

"You know I was thinking about that as well. And did actually come up with something, look here." Another pen cap was placed on the table, and I couldn't help but nod my head in approval.

"Then let's go with both. We can add a few extra silver to the price with the pens with clips. We can even make some extra limited edition pens as well. Clips, caps, pen body, and even pen end. We can make those who love to collect things spend a pretty penny to get." My eyes were filled with piles of gold. I couldn't wait to fill up a chest and place it in a dark, secluded spot where no one would be able to….. Ahem…. I am starting to think I have an issue….

With things settled, I worked out the plans to have a few pens sent over to me the next day. I figured it would be good to have a few on hand. On the way back, Adel suddenly clapped her hands together and gave me a bright smile. "I just had an idea! Faith, would you like to attend a tea party with me tomorrow?" 𝐢n𝑛rℯ𝒶𝚍. 𝑐o𝘮

"A tea party? I do not mind, but I do feel bad about leaving Sophie behind. Can she come as well?" I really did not want to leave Sophie alone during this time as she has been kind of clingy and insecure about what was to come.

"Of course! I planned to have her come with us in the first place." Adel replied with a smile. She then stuck her head out the window to the driver and asked them to stop off at the best dress store that deals with demi humans.

A few hours later, a still half asleep Sophie was being dragged into a dress store, stripped and wrapped up in measuring tape before she even realized what was going on. "Your Highness, what do you think of this color?"

"Hmmm? A deep purple adorned with stars around the bottom hem. Not bad. Match it with some gloves and a few accessories, and it will be perfect." As I watched Adel pick out fabric for Sophie's dress, I felt a little out of place as I, for one, was not someone who has much knowledge in fashion. It was not that I do not like to look nice, it is just that I never really cared for fancy clothing or trends. If I could have gone to school in sweats in my past life, then I would have just because they were comfortable. But my parents forced me to wear normal clothing. Even now, I tried to wear simple things.

"Faith… why is she…." Sophie was next to me with red cheeks. She had never worn any fancy dresses, not even when the count took her in, she still wore what she brought with her. So to be pampered like this was not something she could ever have dreamed of.

"Because you are friends. She does not wish for you to be picked on by the noble ladies. We are going to a tea party tomorrow and will be surrounded by rich snobby girls who think they are better than anyone else. So tomorrow, stay by my side. If anyone dares to speak rudely to you, do not take it to heart I will deal with it. Take this as training to get used to crowds." Since Sophie would be dealing with many of these snobby rich girls in the academy, it was best for her to get used to it now. Especially when she will not be with Adel and I all the time. We will not be able to protect her the entire time. But as soon as I find out someone picks on her, then I will make sure to deal with them in kind.

Sophie nodded her head, seemingly understanding this fact. One thing about Sophie was she was not dumb by no means, just overly shy and unsure about the people around her. It is actually quite surprising that she warmed up to me so quickly, but this may be because I am also a demi human. But then again, she warmed up to Adle as well. But with how Adel's personality is, it would've only have been a matter of time.

Although I will admit, Adel can be a little over the top when it comes to me. But she is a good girl with a good heart.

𝘪n𝐧𝓻eа𝒅. 𝘤o𝘮

The next day all of us were in the bathroom getting ready. We had Annie, along with some of Adel's maids working on doing our makeup and hair. And to be honest, this was the first time I really experienced anything like this before. "Miss Cyrilia. Your hair is amazingly soft."

"I know, right!?"

"Miss Cyrilia, your skin is as soft as a babies. How do you even do it?"-.

"I know, right!?"

And for some reason, every time one of Adel's maids compliments me, it is Adel who is answering. Which then, in turn, causes her maids to chuckle. But I will admit that my skin and hair are truly amazing. I do nothing, and they still stay soft and bouncy. No matter how I look at it, I am truly blessed to be this cute….

I was not the only one being complimented, though. Sophie, who had red cheeks, was being groomed and pampered even more than me by the maids, even Annie had turned traitor at the sight of Sophie's soft fluffy tail…. Okay, I forgive her. I mean, who can resist the fluff.

Not to mention that even though Sophie is not trying to be cute, she just ends up looking cute no matter what. But when she was done and her hair was styled up, she looked like a whole different person. She went from the innocent, sweet cute to drop dead gorgeous. Adel really has taste because the dress Sophie was wearing really suited her well, a little too well. Combined with the makeup, new hairstyle, and high heels, she did not look like a teen girl at all!

As for me? Well, I was wearing a white sleeveless, backless dress that went down to my ankles with silver trimmings and silver high heels to match. I will say that I never expected that the dresses of this world would look like modern dresses from Earth, but they did. I was expecting to have to wear a corset or something, but when I asked Adel, she said that corsets went out of fashion when her grandmother created the current style of dress, and since then, the new dress designs have taken off.

I do not think I could be any more thankful for this. Because I, for one, did not wish to have to wear such a crazy style dress where it took six people to tighten your corset, and then you had to wear this heavy metal rack around your waist to keep your dress in a bowl shape while walking around. I made sure to pray silently to Adel's grandmother, the goddess of dresses.

After everyone was ready, it was finally time to head to the tea party. It was not until we stopped off at a certain place that I realized that the most exciting part about this tea party was not the tea party itself but the means to get there. I was finally going to get to ride on an airship!

The airship dock, while it looked different, it was very similar to a train station with inbound and outbound traffic. There was regular airship transportation to other kingdoms that were in an alliance with Gravos, as well as a few of the other bigger cities that I have yet to visit within the kingdom. But those were the docks for commoners. The docks we were headed to were used by nobles and the royal families. These were where the private airships each higher noble owned were kept.

I couldn't hide the excitement as I looked up at the wooden structure in front of me with a huge grin on my face. "Faith, I did not take you to be someone who would get overly excited over an airship, especially since you can fly yourself."

"Adel, this and that are two totally different things. First off, airships are like giant houses in the sky. Give them enough magic, and they can soar through the air forever. While I would get tired after a long flight. I mean, what couldn't be more magical than spending a night on an airship high in the sky, flying so close to the stars that you can reach out and grab them with your hands?" I know I was a little out there with my explanation but still. The romance of it all always floated in my imagination when I read novels that had such things. This was not like some airplane or private jet. This was an airship like a boat on the water where you can go out on the deck and look out over the railing and see how tiny things look while feeling the wind brush across your face. Airships always had a kind of romance in my heart which was why when I learned about them, I really couldn't wait to ride one.

"I see…. So a nighttime cruise through the stars… I see…" I guess I sparked Adel's inner airship romanticism as well! It is so nice to have an airship buddy.

As I was smiling away, Adel was mumbling to herself. As For Sophie, she was as quiet as ever. I guess she was getting nervous. I turned and reached out my hand to her, which she did not hesitate to grab. I guess that comfort of having a friend at her side in times when you need them the most was something she desperately needed at this time. Not long after, Adel hooked her arm around my right arm as if taking up position as the three of us stood there waiting for the ship to be finished being prepared.

"Oh…. I almost forgot. Faith, Grace Dollen likes to put on airs just because she is a marquess's daughter. She is prone to make rude remarks. The ones who follow her are daughters of counts and viscounts, and all have an air about them using Grace's status to do as they please. But do not worry with me at your side, you can deal with it as you please."

I couldn't help but frown upon hearing this. I mean, I really did not wish to deal with some snobby rich girl as it was, but now I will need to deal with one who had an even bigger attitude that might be racist against Sophie and me. I could already see Sophie's face paling even more. I tightened my grip on Sophie's hand, trying to comfort her.

"Ah! Sorry, I didn't mean to say that to scare you two!" Adel must have noticed the change in the mood and quickly apologized. "I just wanted to warn you. Do not worry if they say anything that I find even remotely harassing towards the two of you, I will step forward. I promise I am not bringing you with me to make you two feel uncomfortable. I am doing this for two reasons. One is to show off the new pen and get it out there, so the nobles learn about it, and the other is to show that both of you have my backing."

I see… Adel was worried about Sophie and I when we joined the academy. She hoped this tea party would not only help me sell my pens but also spread the word that we were part of Adel's main group of friends. Royal protection is a means to keep people from being able to do anything too serious to us. What they do behind the scenes is different, but that can always be resolved easily since I will just catch whoever did it to begin with, and use a few tricks to make them talk.-. 𝒾n𝒏𝚛𝗲αd. 𝒄om

After another ten minutes of waiting, the airship was finally ready. When we got on board, I took everything in. I really wished to know everything I could about an airship, and I have no idea when the next time I would get a chance to ride on a private airship.

The first thing I noticed was the inner walls were all lined with runic inscriptions. Each one, from what I could tell, reinforced the wood creating a barrier. However, they were in a sleep state that conserved energy. My guess was they were used only during times of bad weather from what I could make out of the inscription.

"Adel, can I…"

"Hehe, you want to see the runic inscription on the engine, right?" Adel chuckled and asked. My head nodded involuntarily. My passion for magic was taking over and making my body act on its own. "Come. Normally I should not, but for you, I will allow it."

Hearing this, my eyes lit up. Adel grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her while I, who was still holding Sophie's hand, pulled her along. Soon we arrived at the engine room, and all I have to say was it looked more like something out of a steampunk genre than a normal engine. The magic source used for the airship was encased in a large metal cylinder casing with a window that lit up the engine room. There were not one or two magic circles floating in the air above it, slowly turning as the ship was in an idle state.

When I began reading the magic equations, my eyes lit up. My fingers began moving on their own as magic circle after magic circle lit up in front of me. Each one mimicked the same magic circles the ship was using but were not active. I stared at the magic circles I wrote and put my finger to my chin as I analyzed them. "Hmmm…. Yes, if it is like this. I can actually change this portion and rewrite this over here…. Hehe… I wonder if Thurul can take on a big job…. Oh, and I will need to figure out a smaller version of the power source…. Hmmm…."

"Adel, you are drooling…." Adel said in a defeated voice as she reached up and wiped my saliva with her hand, startling me out of my obsessed trance. "Ahhh, sorry…. I just…."

"It is fine it is not like this is not the first time I have witnessed your obsession with magic." Adel smiled and, for some reason, lick her hand? Wait, is that the hand she used to wipe my saliva? It couldn't be, right? No, no, Adel is not like that… I mean, that would be weird…. Yes, it was not what I think it was…..

"Alright, let's head up to the top balcony. You have to see the ship as it enters the city." Adel grabbed both my and Sophie's hand and pulled us towards the top deck. When we arrived, the ship was just about to take off. To be honest, I was excited to see how it all worked when it was fully activated. And I was definitely not disappointed. As the ship really started up, the magic circles that were in the engine room shot out of the top of the ship and grew almost ten times bigger, covering the entire ship. It slowly spun in the air. There were also two smaller magic circles to the side that also spun slowly.

As the magic circles began spinning faster, the ship began to slowly rise up into the sky. The ascension was slow at first but quickly sped up until it started moving forward with a fourth magic circle that formed at the tail of the ship and acted as a form of propulsion. When I looked over the side, I saw another magic circle that was just as big as the one overhead. It used many more magic circles than I had originally thought! To me, this was an amazing sight, and actually wished to fly down to the side of the ship to inspect the magic circles, but as I was about to jump over the side of the ship, both Sophie and Adel held me back and started reprimanding me. "You can't do that! I would already be in trouble if they knew I let you look at the engine!"

"Yes, do not scare me like that!" Sophie, who was normally quiet, was even yelling!

I could only lower my head and nod at the two and hope that they would stop soon.

As the ship broke through the illusion that masked the floating island from view, I finally got to take a look at the true face of Sky Lake City. The castle that stood tall high into the sky was pure white and built in the middle of the large lake. It was surrounded by a city a little smaller than the one below it. But this city was much more high class and was only for nobles and the knights that worked at the castle. And off to the side, standing a little lower than the castle itself, was the Royal Magic Academy. I took up a great deal of space and had many buildings. From what I know, it had many research departments that were funded by the royal family. This would also be the place I will be going to next month and will begin my training to become a knight.

The ship docked at the only airship terminal on the island, where Adel already had a carriage ready and prepared for us. The streets were nothing like the streets in the lower city. They were not covered in cobblestone. They were all made of large smooth white stone slabs that made the streets look rather upper class? I guess I would say. To be honest, I saw no need to go all out like that when a regular carriage would ride just as smooth on the bumpiest road you could find. Yay magic!

After about an hour of travel, we passed through a luxurious metal gate and, after a few more minutes, finally came to a stop at the entrance of a large red brick mansion. Out front was a young lady wearing a blue dress holding a folding fan in her hand. She had red hair and from what I could see, green eyes that looked like gems. I really had to say that she was quite pretty. I just hoped she would not start any issues with me or Sophie. I really did not want to deal with any of it.-.

The door opened, and Adel got out first, but instead of giving the girl who stepped forward to say hello any attention, she reached out her hand towards Sophie, who was about to climb out. "Careful with your step Sophie." Adel said with a bright smile.

Sophie blushed and nodded her head to answer. Her actions may seem rude to those who are of a noble status, but Adel could not careless as she knew Sophie was one of few words. Earlier, when Sophie actually yelled at me for trying to jump off the airship, I saw Adel look at her in shock because Sophie barely spoke more than five words in an hour.

After Sophie got off, she also turned around along with Adel, at the same time reaching out their hands to me. They both looked at each other and smiled. As for me. I felt like I was the one with the highest status here, with both the princess of the kingdom and a cute fluffy fox girl both helping me off the carriage. As for whom I presume is Miss Dollen, I could see her eyebrow raise at the scene in front of her. Surprisingly I saw no disgust in her eyes. What her true expression was like that was hidden behind the fan, I do not know. But after these years, I've gotten good at seeing people's true nature through the eyes that gaze upon me.

I smiled as my feet landed on the ground and said: "Thank you, Adel, Sophie."

"Hehe… I know you are not used to heels, so, of course, I would be there to help you out of the carriage. Unlike at the airship station, you can not take your heels off to climb out of the carriage." Adel answered with a smile. She then nudged Sophie, who looked up at me with blushed cheeks and nodded her head. "Mmm… A-Adel asked me to make sure that I was the second one to get off so we can be sure you would not fall."

I could only sigh. My two friends are so amazing! "Then I will be sure to take you both out someplace later then."

"I will hold you to that!" Adel answered as she turned around with a slight hop in her step. "Miss Dollen, it has been a long time. I, Adellia, thank you for inviting me to your tea party today."

I watched as Adel did her normal curtsey. A tapped Sophie's hand to give her a reminder to also give a curtsey. We had already taught her the basics, so all she had to do was attempt it, whether she got it right or not. We did not need to say anything as we are Adel's guests, so she would introduce us to Miss Dollen. 𝑖𝑛𝗻𝐫𝗲𝙖𝐝. 𝘤૦m

Seconds later, Adel turned and looked at us before turning back to Miss Dollen and saying: "This here is my bestest friends in the entire world, Faith Cryilia, and Sophie. I do hope you do not mind me bringing two extra people."

"Of course not. Your highness can bring whoever pleases. Miss Cyrilia and Sophie, was it? Not to be rude but do you have a family name?" I could tell Miss Dollen did not seem to be trying to be rude. I think she was just being curious as she asked this.

But seeing Sophie freeze up, I decided to step in and answer the question for her. "Sorry, Miss Dollen, Sophie is not very good with new people. She has the same last name as me and is also a commoner. I do hope this will not be a problem. Also, just to let you know, I am also a commoner."

"I see…" I guess I was a bit too forceful because Miss Dollen seemed shocked at my straightforwardness. But when she lowered her fan and gave a true smile, I could tell she did not seem bothered by our status at all. Which got me thinking. I kind of wanted to ask Adel if this was truly the snobby girl she was talking about or not.

"You do not need to worry. While commoners may have been viewed differently before in my household but now things have changed." Miss Dollen looked at both me and Sophie as she said this, not averting her eyes at all.

Adel seemed curious about this change in attitude and quickly followed up with a question of her own. "And what brought this change on?"

"Well…." Miss Dollen glanced up at Sophie and I and blushed. "Let's just say sometimes there are times when people need to change and see the greater good of things."-.

I watched as Adel pursed her lips and walked over and hugged both Mine and Sophie's arms as if she was protecting the two of us. "Don't even think about it!"

I was a bit confused at Adel's sudden outburst. I watched as Miss Dollen unfolded her fan and covered her mouth with it as she let out a laugh that one would expect from a noble lady. "Hoho! What do you ever mean, Your Highness? I was just saying that all people should be treated the same. Miss Cyrilia, Miss Sophie, please enjoy your stay. If any of the other noble ladies cause you any issues, please let me know. I will be sure to beat them, skin them, then toss them off the side of the island, Hoho!"

I kinda felt a chill run up my spine just now hearing that. Were all noble young ladies this violent? And why would she protect Sophie and I over her own friends? Was it because we were Adel's friends? I turned to look at Adel, who was grinding her teeth, and became even more confused. I looked back over at Miss Dollen, who seemed to have a bemused expression, but her eyes were staring daggers at Adel. Were things supposed to be like this at noble ladys' tea parties!? I think I will take a page from Sophie's playbook and become the silent girl who only speaks five words. This way, my presence will be hard to detect.

Sadly I guess it will not always be possible to stay out of sight. As we walked towards the back garden of the mansion where the tea party was being held. The maids and butlers were all staring at us with strange expressions. Why this was? Well, Adel was holding Sophie and I's arms tightly with a scowl on her face and was growling at every word Miss Dollen spoke. In a way, this was kind of funny, but to not embarrass Adel, I kept my snickering in my heart. But I was still confused as to why she was acting this way. At first, she was friendly with Miss Dollen, but after they spoke no more than a few words, Adel was acting as if Miss Dollen was her worst enemy.

The back garden was quite amazing. The lawn art, I guess it would be called, was very pretty, large bushes trimmed in the shape of monsters and other beasts. Each one with colorful flowers growing on it. I am sure this took quite a bit of skill. It made me wonder if I had such a skill in my system menu, but I, of course, would not take it as it was a skill that would be useless to me at this time.

We were led to the middle of the garden, which had a pavilion surrounded by a sea of flowers. It was truly a beautiful place and a perfect spot for such a tea party. I could only guess that they used some kind of magic to keep the insects away since it was an open pavilion. Sitting there at a large round table were five other girls who were all dressed up. And right away, I could see the disgust in their eyes. Seeing this, I instantly went on guard.

I leaned over and whispered to Adel. "Adel, these girls are not like Miss Dollen ."

"I know…." Adel whispered back and let out a sigh. "Don't worry. While Miss Dollen used to be like these girls as of today, I can say for sure that she will defend you no matter what. As will I." 𝐢n𝒏𝘳𝙚𝒶𝘥.＆nbsp;𝗰𝚘𝓂

"Mmm… Thanks, Adel. But just so you know, if any one of them picks on Sophie, I will punch them." This was a fact. Sophie was already having a hard time with nobles, she did not need to suffer any more than she has.

"Don't worry. Act as you see fit. I will handle any backlash." I had to really thank Adel for being so protective of me and Sophie. I wonder if I should buy her a gift of some kind. Oh! How about a friendship token like jewelry or something. I know maybe a star that is broken in three parts that, when put together, would fit perfectly. If each is on a silver chain and all three of us have one, we will always be connected as friends! Hehe, I like this idea. I will talk to Thurul tomorrow.

"Thanks, Adel," I whispered back, giving her a bright smile. I could feel my actions had caused even more ire from the group of girls. Which caused my brow to wrinkle slightly.

It was not until we got to the pavilion that someone finally spoke up from the other group of girls. "Your Highness. I did not know you treated your maids so well. Even letting them dress up so beautifully."

Ah yes… My brow was twitching for a good reason. It was because I was supposed to punch this stupid girl in the face. I see, I see… since that is the case, I should do just that. I smiled brightly, but I knew it did not reach my eyes as I stretched my right arm and rotated my shoulder a few times before drawing my fist back and saying: "Nice to meet ya, the names Faith Cyrilia, it's been a pleasure, good night!"

The girl who had called me a maid, face instantly turned to one of confusion as my cute little white fist sailed through the air.

"Ahh!" Yep, I drilled her right in the face. Her nose ended up busted and swelled up instantly as blood sprayed all over. I held my strength back just enough to not make her head explode, but I guess it was not enough because she hit the ground pretty hard.

While the other girls screamed out in fright. Surprisingly besides the always composed Adel, Miss Dollen looked at the situation with indifference. She clapped her hands and yelled out: "Someone come take this idiot and toss her back into her family's carriage and send her back."

After which, she turned to me and bowed her head. "Miss Cyrilia, Miss Sophie, I deeply apologize for what has happened here."

I was kind of stunned by the sincere apology from Miss Dollen. "No worries. I should be apologizing for being rash in my actions. Her words just now may have sounded nice, but there were full of malicious intent towards Adel. As such, I reacted on instinct."-.

"Loyalty to the crown proves how much you care about this kingdom. What is more, is that you are indeed Her Highness's best friend, so I can see why you would be angry. Please sit. I am sure no one else will be stupid enough to say anything they should not, am I right, ladies?" Miss Dollen turned and, just like my smile before, smiled at them, but her eyes were not smiling at all.

Adel sat down while I sat to her right and Sophie to her left. Next to me was Miss Dollen. I think she sat next to me because she now knew Sophie was not good with new people. All the other noble ladies had their heads lowered further than Sophie's. It seemed they were afraid to even look in my direction. And with me sitting between the host and the princess this means they could not even look at them. But as I was lost in thought, I realized something. "Ah… What was that girl just now's name?"

"No need to worry about some background character, Miss Cyrilia. Please have some tea and try the snacks. Miss Sophie as well…" Ummm… Miss Dollen, please remember that there is also the Princess here. She is staring daggers at you, you know!

"Oh, you are not going to offer me some tea as well, Mrs. Dollen?" Adel asked, her expression was no longer even trying to fake a smile but one of pure anger. 𝐢𝙣𝓃𝘳𝙚𝐚𝙙. 𝓬𝐨𝑚

"Oh my! Look at me. How could I forget about you, Your Highness…. Hoho!" Miss Dollen replied while covering her mouth and laughing. It did not take an idiot to realize that Miss Dollen was doing this on purpose to rile up Adel.

I was about to say something because, in a way, I did not like how Adel was being ignored, but Adel pinched my thigh, stopping me. I guess she knew I was about to say something. I could only sigh inwardly as I watched the two dueling it out. I looked over at the other girls, who seemed to not even dare to sip their tea while Sophie was like a hamster munching on the pastry she was just given. Seeing Sophie more relaxed than the other girls made me chuckle. I guess she had a weak spot for sweets. This reminded me of the warning my mother gave me about following strangers with candy and made me feel I should remind Sophie of the same thing.

Next thing I know, a pastry was floating in front of my face. "Faith here, try this, say Ah~."

I couldn't help but give a wry smile towards Adel's strange actions as I opened my mouth and took a bite of the pastry. And well it was very tasty. Nobles really know how to make good food. It tasted similar to chocolate but had a different hint of flavor to it that I could not match with Earth's food standards.

"Miss Cyrilia, here try this." Another pastry began floating in front of my face, this time from Miss Dollen. I instinctively opened my mouth and took a bite. This one had a refreshing lemony taste to it. But if I knew this was going to be some kind of competition between the princess and the daughter of the marquess, I would not have opened my mouth because after that, I had different kinds of pastries stuffed into my mouth one after the other to the point that my cheeks were about to bulge out.

"Gwirls!" I cried out. I just wanted to be left out of your little quarrel! If I eat any more pastries, I will never be able to eat pastries again!

"Ah! Faith, I'm sorry!" Adel quickly wiped my lips with a napkin with an apologetic look while Miss Dollen handed me a fresh cup of tea. "Yes, sorry, Miss Cyrilia."

"I can breathe!" I let out a long sigh after I took a sip of tea. "It's fine. But if you two are going to fight about whatever, please do not involve me."

I looked at the two, who both lowered their heads with rosy cheeks, And nodded my head. Good, now I will not be used as a means to fight some strange feud. But for some reason, when I looked up at the other girls, they all looked at me with stars in their eyes? I wonder what made them change their attitude with me?

"Faith, this pastry is really good, try it." Sophie leaned over the table and placed a pastry in front of me. I did not know whether to laugh or cry. It seemed Sophie just missed the whole show because she was busy eating pastry after pastry. But seeing her dark expectant eyes looking at me, I could only sigh and resign to my fate as I picked it up and ate it, only to hear a yell coming from both sides of me.

""No Fair!""

"To think the true enemy was the silent one…." I heard Adel say in a low voice, and not even a second later, I heard Miss Dollen say: "Yes, I do believe you are right…." Why do I feel like these two are about to unite to fight a common enemy!?

With things seemingly calmed down, the tea party became quite normal. The other girls got up the nerve to speak and were now happily chatting away. Even Sophie had loosened up a bit and was chatting with them. But what I found strange was the other girls were mainly chatting with Sophie and only answering questions with everyone else. I guess it is because Sophie seemed like the gentle one out of our group.

We were about an hour into the tea party when Adel's maid came over with a document in her hand. "Princess, while going through the files. I saw that you missed one of the documents. I need your signature in order to send them off."

"Oh my! How could I be so silly." Adel took the document and began patting her body as if she was looking for something and then looked at the maid. "Quill?"

The maid's eyes widened and, in a monotone voice, yelled out: "Oh! How could I forget to bring some ink and a quill! Only if there was something that did not require me to run around with large objects just to do a simple signature."-.

I really wanted to laugh but held it in. I watched everyone's expressions, and they all seemed to be taken in by the dry skit that was going on between the princess and the maid. "Your Highness, I can…."

The newfound camaraderie between Miss Dollen and Adel had formed after the silly fight between the two. But now, for some reason, they would both glance over at Sophie with a watchful eye as if they were scoping out the enemy. Hearing Miss Dollen speak up, Adel shook her head and then turned to me. "Faith, can I use that new pen you just got? I will only need it for a second."

I chuckled and nodded my head. I then reached up into my hair and pulled out one of the prototypes that Thurul gave me, and handed it to Adel. Who smiled and proceeded to uncap it. The other girls, except Sophie, all watched in great interest what this pen thing was. When they saw her holding a small metal rod, they seemed confused as they watched her press the tip of it against the document and began moving her hand.

It was Miss Dollen that spoke up first. "Oh! My! Now, this is a curious item. Miss Cyrilia, where did you get such a thing."

Before I could answer, Adel, who just finished signing the document, capped the pen, and placed her hands on her hips with her nose in the air, and proudly said: "Faith invented it!"

"Oh!? Now that is quite amazing." While her actions seemed quite out there, she was indeed not faking her surprise. She eyed the pen in great interest. And it was not just her the other girls were also looking at it in great interest.

"Yep! Faith is quite amazing, after all. These pens will soon be sold in a few select stores until she can open her own store. Then there will even be limited edition ones!" Adel was in full saleswoman mode. She praised the pen with how easy they were to use and pointed out how I could even store it in my hair like a hair clip. The more she spoke, the more the other girl's eyes shined.

Finally, after a fifteen minute rant, Miss Dollen looked at me and asked rather shyly: "Miss Cyirlia, do you happen to have…."

I smiled and nodded my head: "I do have a few here with me. But just to let you know." I scanned everyone at the table: "I have full exclusive rights to the patent, so do not try to replicate this and sell it."

"Of course not!" Miss Dollen pursed her lips and looked at me with an aggrieved expression, one that asked do you really think I am that kind of person?

I smiled and nodded before pulling a few more pens out of my hair and handing them to Miss Dollen and the other noble ladies. I then began to explain how they worked and how to refill the ink. Sadly I was unable to make a nonrefillable pen, so I could not just keep selling new pens. But this was fine. With the limited edition pens, I should still make a pretty fat pocket of gold coins for a while. I already had an idea for my next venture.

While the girls were all examining their new pens I sat back in my chair. While things were strange at the start, the latter half of the tea party was quite relaxing. Even the noble girls who had given me dirty looks all seemed to be genuinely kind to me and Sophie. I just hoped when we finally went to the Academy that things would continue this way. 𝗶n𝐧𝘳ea𝙙. 𝘤𝑜𝚖

Life for most people is short. They are born and slowly begin to grow up. They start off as small kids running around having fun, and then fifteen to twenty years later, they are married and with children of their own. After more time passes, they pass away, leaving behind their loved ones. No matter how you look at it, time seems to be the only thing that most people can not escape. As I thought about this and Looked at Sophie and Adel, I wondered how young I will still look in the next thirty or forty years as these two begin to age and grow old….

Just thinking about such a thing was actually making me feel depressed. If I was right about how I would age, one day, I would watch both of these people grow older and older, and one day they will pass away. And then I will be left alone. Yes, I may find some new friends, but the fact that I will lose those around me at some point does make me feel depressed.

"Faith?"Adel's voice came from my side. I guess she picked up on my mood change.

I turned and smiled as I said: "It's nothing. Just thinking."

Our little tea party finally came to an end, and all in all, it was quite a fun experience. As we were leaving, Miss Dollen made me promise not to ignore her at the academy. It was good to meet another noble who did not discriminate against me or Sophie. The other noble girls also seemed to be rather fond of Sophie as well. Which I think helped Sophie a great deal since she seemed to have loosened up quite a bit by the end of the tea party.

On the way back, my eyes began to grow heavy. I think I was both physically and mentally exhausted. Physically because wearing heels is a pain and mentally because, well, Adel and Miss Dollen… it is good to have a rivalry, but please leave me out of it!

I guess I did end up falling asleep because when I woke up, my body was stretched out on the seat. But when I realized how I was lying, I couldn't help but blush. My feet were resting in Sophie's lap, and my head was in Adel's lap. I looked up to see Adel looking down, smiling away at me, which made me even more embarrassed. I slowly got up and let out a dry cough to try to hide my embarrassment. "Sorry…"

"No need to be sorry. I did not mind one bit."-.

"Mm… It's fine."

Although they say it was fine, I still felt embarrassed. It seemed I was the only one to fall asleep. I leaned back on the carriage seat, feeling my eyes grow heavy once more, but before they could actually fully close once more, the carriage came to a stop. "Faith, we are at the airship dock."

"Mmm…" I nodded and stretched.

We got off the carriage and took the airship back to the lower city. When we arrived, we already had another carriage waiting for us to bring us home. This time I stayed awake, and it was Sophie who fell asleep. I smiled and patted her head while she used my lap as a pillow. Even Adel joined into scratch her ears. Sophie's fluff was very addicting.

When we reached the inn, the first thing we did was take a nice hot bath before going to the sitting area to relax. "So, how was my performance?"

Hearing Adel's question, I could help but chuckle when I remembered her maid's monotone voice that sounded more like a robot as she spoke than the human that she was. "Well, I can say that you did well. The girls seemed to be quite taken with the pens, so I hope that they will pass the word on."

"Miss Dollen did say she would spread the word for you, so no need to worry about that. Believe it or not, she has a lot of sway in the noble lady circles. So I am sure once she shows off the pen, you will begin getting lots of orders." Adel was right. While it may only start off with the young noble ladies, the trend would soon spread to their parents, and those who have businesses would definitely spring money to order a huge amount of them. So this was better than any advertisement you would see on TV back on Earth.

"Then I will stop by and let Thurul know to make a few hundred of them as soon as possible." I figured I will start off small and wait for the orders to come in. As the orders get bigger and bigger, I will use the money I get from the first orders to buy a small building to make a factory and then begin working on the next venture, which was to make hover carriages! After imprinting the magic equation of the airship into my mind, I figured out that making a hover carriage by adjusting the equations just a bit would allow a hover carriage that could be voice activated. With a steering wheel like a car on Earth, it could be controlled by slightly tilting the magic circles in the direction you want to go in. Although I guess the control would be more similar to that of an airplane.

"Thank you for tonight, Adel. But I do wonder if the girl I punched will try to retaliate against me." I couldn't help but purse my lips. I think I might have gone overboard but calling me a maid even though I was dressed the way I was really ticked me off. 𝑖𝗻𝗻𝑟e𝒶𝗱. 𝒄𝑜𝑚

I do not know if it was because it implicated Sophie and Adel as well or what. But I do know that As soon as it came out of her mouth, I moved. Just thinking about it made me sigh. Now I made two enemies that are nobles….

"I wouldn't worry about it. Why tonight was different than I had expected, especially with how Miss Dollen was acting, I can say one thing about her, she is someone who is good to her word. If that viscount daughter you punched tries to cause a fuss, Miss Dollen will crush her like a bug. She will never be able to leave her house after Miss Dollen is done with her." I could hear the anger in Adel's voice. I guess she was still not over how the noble girl spoke either.

"Speaking of Miss Dollen. Miss Adel, can you explain to me why you and her seemed to be fighting some kind of war at the start then suddenly became best friends towards the end?"

Adel would not even look me in the eye after I asked this. Her cheeks began turning bright red. I guess she was embarrassed by her own actions. I mean, they were unbecoming of a princess after all. But I did truly start to feel sick from being stuffed with pastries. I sat there with an eyebrow raised as I stared at Adel, waiting for her answer.

"Ahem…. I am really tired, so I will sleep first." And with that, she ran away.

The next day after saying goodbye to Adel who was heading back to the castle, Sophie and I took a carriage to Thurul's place and were once again sitting in his meeting room. "Oh, so many orders already?" 𝑖𝓃𝓃r𝒆𝘢d.＆nbsp;c𝘰m

Thurul sipped his tea and nodded his head. "Luckily, the process of making the pens is quite simple. But quality checking each pen will be hard without extra hands. After the quality check, they need to be recleaned before they can be sold, which requires more people."

"Yeah, I figured as much…." I was a bit lost on this as well. If we did get a batch of one hundred orders, then it would be hard to quality check all of them in a timely manner.-.

"Let's do this. There is an orphanage not too far from here that has quite a few kids there and very little money going in. If we have some of the older kids doing the quality checks, they can come here and make a few silver. It's not like it is hard labor, just filling them with a tiny bit of ink then testing them before washing them clean." I frowned slightly, hearing his plan, but when I thought about how my maids were also young, I nodded my head. The extra money could go to helping the orphanage, and the kids will also learn that they need to work to earn money.

"Let's do that. I will also hire them on after I get a small factory setup. This way, they can continue to make some money. By then, I can also increase their wages, and it should improve the lives of the children." Since I planned to hire them to work, I might as well keep them on afterward, with a fair wage, of course.

"Then I will talk to the head of the orphanage later today and send a message to you later on. Don't worry about paying them for now. I will keep a tab, and when the pens sell, you can just pay me back." Thurul was very business minded. I was truly impressed. On top of that, he was thinking about the long term on thighs as well. While I had money, I had no idea how long it would be before I would get a place to set up a factory or how long it would take to prepare the things needed to manufacture the pens. I was hoping to have it all done in the next month or so while keeping order limited to one hundred per month to not wear Thurul out.

"Then thank you. Ah! While I am here, what do you think about this…." Took out a blueprint that I drew up on my way over here. It was nothing special but just my thoughts and ideas on the design of the hover carriage.

Thurul took the design, and his eyes opened wide. "Are you serious!?"

"Yes, while I could go for a more simplistic design, I decided to not veer off too much on the carriage design as most people are used to it. With the coachman up front steering, it would be no different from before, except they would not need to worry about the horses and could even speed through groups of bandits or run away from them." I explained.

"This is really something. Yes, this would work…. The only problem is storing the magic to make it go for long distances. Are you sure you can come up with a better mana storage inscription?"

"It is only a matter of adjusting the one I saw inside the airship. The airship uses a total of six sets of runes. Five of which are for flying, while the last is to block the wind during storms. We can get rid of quite a few of those and only need to use four of the same runes for the lift and another for propulsion. We can even add one to the front so they can back up as well. The steering will be done with the casing that the hover runes are inscribed into. The diver can then determine the direction of the carriage by using a modified steering wheel." Airships also had steering wheels, but mine would not be the big round wheel as it will need to be used for both lift and landing. I do not plan to make these into flying cars or anything, but they should be able to float a few feet off the ground.

"I see. This is truly ingenious. If you were really able to modify the runic inscription and create a carriage that could be easily controlled with them, then you would advance the way people travel by quite a bit. Because you can make these go faster than a scaled horse, right?" Thurul asked. I could see the excitement in his eyes.

"Yes, with the right amount of mana, you could make them go as fast as you want. But the major issue is mana storage. To use an inscription, a sufficient amount of mana is needed, and to get this mana would be the hurdle I need to overcome." While the idea was feasible, the mana source was my only issue. Unless I created a mana inscription that slowly drew in mana….

I let out a sigh. I just answered my own question that I have been thinking about all morning. "I will also work on a runic inscription that will slowly take in the mana in the air. This way, it can be self charging."

"You are truly a little genius. To think you can come up with all these ideas. Faith, I will work with you hundred percent. When you are ready to make a mock up let me know I will work day and night on this!" Thurul was now all fired up. I am sure he will be bugging me to quickly come up with the proper blueprints. But mass production would still be hard. It was not easy doing inscriptions. I guess this would be one of those made to order type deals with a limited amount ordered per month.

With everything set, I said my goodbyes to Thurul and left his shop. Sophie and I planned to head to the sandwich shop we went to before to try out a different sandwich. But when we arrived, a young man who looked even younger than me yelled out to us. "Hey, you demi's, come here and clean this young master's shoes!"

𝑖n𝚗𝘳e𝗮d.＆nbsp;𝒄𝐨𝗺

Both Sophie and I, who were just about to step through the door of the shop, turned to see a young man that I think I recognized. Blue hair, ice blue eyes…. Wasn't this the same kid that tried to capture me when I killed the bandits and saved him? My lips curled up into a sneer as I saw the little brat's smug expression acting as if he was king of the world.

"Clean your shoes? Are you sure?" I asked with a bright smile.

I guess he took my answer as me saying I really want to clean your shoes. Because he stuck his foot out with his nose in the air and his arms crossed across his chest. "Yes, use your tongue!"

My eyebrow twitched. I gave a faint smile as I walked over to the boy. A lot of people were standing around looking at me with eyes of pity. I knelt down and reached out with my hand, grabbed his ankle, and with a good tug, I pulled him towards me, flipped him around, and put him over my knee while pulling his pants down, so his little white bum was exposed for all to see. With a raise of my hand, it rained down like the mighty hammer of god! Okay, maybe not, but I still spanked him.

At first, it was: "Ow! How dare you hit me! Do you know who I am! I am Viscount Sullivan's son!"

Then it was: "Ouch! Stop already! If you do not stop, I will tell my father!"

And finally, it was: "I'm sorry! Please stop! I will never do it again!"-.

The strange looks I was getting while I spanked the poor boy quickly turned to ones that seemed amused by the situation. In the end, I even heard a few people chuckling. When I finally let him go, he quickly pulled his pants up and fiercely glared at me. To be honest, I have no idea why he was here without his guards. I guess he must have ditched them or something. But seeing his glare made me want to tease him more. "Oh? You want me to spank you some more?"

As soon as I said that, he instantly grabbed his butt, causing laughter to fill the area. His face turned beat red, and he was about to run off when a yell came from not far away: "Young master!"

A few guards dressed in metal armor came running over. The boy ran over to them and began cursing at them. "Where were you!? Because of you, I was humiliated by a demi girl! Quickly grab both of them and bring them back to the house! I will show them not to mess with me!"

Seeing him try to put on a strong front but not daring to even look in my direction made me laugh. I mean, it was quite amusing. What made me chuckle even more was that when the guards looked over at me, I waved at them and their faces went pale. My guess was that some of these guards were the ones who were there when I killed the bandits.

"Young master…. We can not listen to that order. We are under your father's order to bring you back." Oh? A quick witted one. I guess he did not wish to get into a confrontation with me, but at least I got to teach a haughty young master a lesson. This made my day a bit brighter.

"I will go back, but first grab those girls, or I will not go anywhere! Let's see what happens when I tell my father you did not listen to me!" The haughty young master yelled out. If he was rolling and the ground flailing his limbs about he would be in a full blown temper tantrum.

But I did feel bad because now the guards were stuck between listening to their young master or getting into a confrontation with me. I thought for a moment before turning to Sophie: "Sophie, go inside and order us something. I will have whatever you order."

"Ah? Okay…" Sophie nodded, but her ears dropped. Sorry, Sophie, but you need to not be in the area, plus this will be a good chance for you to practice talking to people without me around.

As I watched Shopie slowly enter the sandwich shop, I turned around and began walking over towards the haughty young master with a smile on my face. My tail swayed with each step as my smile became brighter and brighter.

"You! What do you want!? Stay away! Quickly get her!" The haughty young master yelled out.

He went to try to hide behind one of the guards, but I swiftly caught him by the scruff of his shirt. I looked over at the guards who were trying to figure out what to do and pointed up at the sky. "Look a flying cloud!"

The smart one of the group immediately raised his head and yelled out: "A flying cloud!? I have never seen one before! Everyone, this is an order! Find the flying cloud!"

Seconds later: "Ahhh! I'm sorry!"

A few more seconds later: "I am really sorry!"

Many more seconds later: "Okay, I won't ask them to capture you anymore! Please stop!"

When I finally heard what I wanted to hear, I stopped my hand and put the haughty young master down, who quickly pulled his pants back up once again and ran over to the guards and began kicking them. "Useless! Let's get out of here!"

I watched as the guards stopped looking for the flying cloud, turned, and gave me a thankful look before walking off with the haughty young master. I could hear the laughs and chuckles of the people who came to watch the show as they left. I am sure this will spread around the city like wildfire soon. But I do not care. The little brat will hopefully learn from this because he sure isn't learning anything good at home.

I turned and walked into the sandwich shop to see Sophie still standing at the counter with her head lowered. The shop owner seemed to be a bit distressed. "Look, little lady. I can't make you anything if you do not order."

I raised an eyebrow as I realized that things would be much harder than I thought to help Sophie with her crowd issues. I walked over and wrapped my arms around her waist, and rested my chin on her shoulder. "Fuwah!"

"You always make the strangest noises, Sophie. What's wrong? You couldn't order?" I asked as I stepped back and leaned against the counter.

"Sorry, I am just…." Sophie said softly, causing me to sigh. I guess I will not try to push her so much and take things a bit slower. I just thought after the tea party she would be fine. But since we were already here, I reached out and poked her forehead. "I am by your side, so go ahead and try again."

"Mmm…" Sophie slowly raised her head and looked at the menu. She fiddled with her fingers before finally speaking: "Gromlinoi with extra greens, please."

"See, you can do it!" I said with a smile while putting my arm around her shoulder and looking at the owner. "Make that two!"

"Alright! Two Gromlinoi with extra greens, coming up!" The shop owner yelled out.

To be honest, with how strange the meat names were, I was not sure if these were the true names of the monsters they came from or were like some kind of weird naming sense for which part of the monster they came from. Either way, so far, I have not been disappointed with the food I got from this place.

After a few minutes, our food was ready, and Sophie and I sat down at a table to begin eating. "We have really had a busy past few days. But just so you know, it will get even busier."

"Busier?" Sophie looked at me with a confused expression.

"Yep! Tomorrow we will be going to the mercenary guild to sign up. I want to take on some missions and get some practice in before I get rusty in combat." That and I really wanted to raise my level some more.

With all the trouble I have been causing, I kinda wanted to keep my level up and also gain more skills points if I could. The mercenary guild seemed like a good place to also gain some funds for the factory I will need to set up. It's not like a ton of money will just drop into my lap. Sadly no matter which world you live on, money will never grow on trees. But if I do find out that there is a tree that sprouts gold coins, I will be the first to try to grow an orchard of them. I mean, it's worth a try, right? But to have the green thumb to be able to even do anything like that I would need to stock up on skill points.