Chapter 26

Miss Talia and Principal Evora quickly approached me after the commotion.

"Aleena? Are you okay?"

"You didn't get hurt, did you?"

Their voices were filled with concern, but I wasn't paying attention. My eyes were fixed on the scattered remnants of Mama's pies lying pathetically on the ground. Sure, I'd used them to outsmart that "bad uncle," but they were still Mama's pies—warm, delicious, and comforting. Now they were ruined.

"Mama's pie..." I muttered, my voice low and dejected.

I pouted, turning sharply toward the principal and ignoring their questions entirely.

"Bad uncle! He stole my pie!" I shouted with all the childish indignation I could muster.

The class erupted in laughter, their giggles filling the room. Even Miss Talia and Principal Evora couldn't help but chuckle after a moment of stunned silence.

The principal crouched down and gently patted my head, her smile soft.

"Aleena, come to my office after classes are over, okay?"

"Okay!" I mumbled, still sulking as I plopped back into my seat.

---

When the bell rang, signaling the end of classes, I immediately set off to find the principal's office. Or at least, I tried to.

"Where was it again?" I muttered, wandering aimlessly through the halls.

The academy was massive, and everything looked the same to me. As I roamed, I accidentally bumped into another student. Or rather, I bumped into a student who was walking alongside someone I instantly recognized.

I looked up, and there he was—Mister Bargue.

"Bad uncle!" I pouted, glaring at him as I mumbled under my breath.

His demeanor had completely changed from earlier. He looked... embarrassed?

"Huh? I-I'm sorry for earlier," he stammered, trying to sound polite. "I was just doing my job. Recruiting students is part of my responsibility, you know?"

I didn't respond, giving him my best pout as I turned and walked away. As I left, I felt the gaze of the boy who had been with him. He stared at me with wide eyes, almost as if he were in awe.

"Are you okay, Gale?" I faintly heard Bargue ask.

"Huh? Uh, yes!" the boy replied, snapping out of his trance.

"Let's go, then."

---

Eventually, after wandering for what felt like forever, I found the principal's office. I knocked on the door hesitantly.

"Come in!" her voice called out.

I pushed the door open and entered, glancing around the room nervously. The chair in front of her desk was too tall for me, as usual, so I struggled for a moment to climb up and sit properly.

Once I finally managed, I turned to Principal Evora, who sat across from me with a kind smile and her eyes closed. But when she opened them, her expression was serious.

"Now, Aleena," she began, "can you explain how you resisted Mister Bargue's mind control earlier?"

I immediately started sweating.

"I-I-I just trained a lot! Y-Yeah, that's it!"

The principal sighed, clearly unconvinced, but she decided not to press the issue.

"Griffin Bargue... Do you know who he is?"

I shook my head, still feigning innocence.

"He's one of the instructors for the academy's special classes. The government assigns him to recruit exceptionally talented students."

"Huh? Bad uncle is a teacher?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

"Yes," she replied with a tired sigh. "He's not really a bad person, but his... beliefs are a bit extreme."

"Extreme? Like what?"

She hesitated, searching for the right words.

"He believes that talented young children with strong magical potential are dangerous in the hands of ordinary people. Do you remember the contract he showed you?"

"The magic paper?"

"Yes. If you'd signed it, you wouldn't have been able to leave the academy grounds or the special classes for the next ten years—unless your parents held significant political influence. Essentially, you would've been confined here, separated from your family."

I froze, startled by her explanation. That man had tried to take me away from Mama? I could feel anger bubbling inside me, but I quickly suppressed it. Magic contracts wouldn't have worked on me anyway—my authority as a goddess would've overridden them. Still, I decided to act scared, trembling as I clutched my hands together.

"But Aleena doesn't wanna leave Mama and go with the bad uncle!" I whimpered, my voice trembling dramatically.

Principal Evora sighed, her face etched with worry.

"I tried to protect you by prohibiting the use of light and dark magic, but this incident won't go unnoticed. The government will investigate, and..."

I interrupted her, my voice firm despite my small stature.

"I won't leave Mama! If anyone tries to take me again, I'll make sure they never try it again!"

With that, I jumped off the chair and stormed out of the room, leaving the principal sitting there, stunned and speechless.