Chapter 60 - Aftermath

Dinner was somewhat awkward as some of the kids whispered and gossiped. They were undoubtedly the ones who had witnessed the events that day conversing among themselves, but they seemed to be keeping things somewhat restricted.

The kids who didn't witness the encounter firsthand were left vaguely in the dark and could only puzzle that something had happened between Lily and Tim, the latter of which was sent to the nurse's office.

Lily tried her best to ignore it all and eat her food as quickly as possible so that she could return and inform Arakil of everything that had happened and that her secret was out. She was also immensely grateful that she had the foresight to wash up beforehand. If she was still disheveled from the tumbling, it would only further fuel the rumor mill.

I'm almost glad it happened. Now I can take this seriously, have some lessons, get tested, and earn my way to the magic academy!

Oddly enough, when some of the other kids tried to approach Lily for a more direct answer, the boys acted almost like her bodyguards and prevented them from coming. Lily felt grateful for their intervention, as she didn't feel like dealing with anyone else at this moment. She wolfed down her food like it was going to run away.

That Starcluster was massive… I didn't even finish the proper chant; this must be the benefits of Astral attunement that Arakil kept talking about! Hopefully, one day, I'll be able to control my stars like Rose does her flames!

When Lily finally returned to her room, she let out a muffled yawn and briefly considered collapsing into her bed. But she needed to tell Arakil everything that happened and see if he had anything urgent to say.

[And you're absolutely sure you're alright?]

"I'm fine, I got a few scrapes and torn clothes, but I feel better than ever!" Lily replied confidently.

[Good… I'm relieved; I didn't expect a hidden threat to be lurking within the orphanage. Perhaps we should nip this problem in the bud…]

Lily gasped, "Are you suggesting dealing with Tim?"

[In my experience, letting these things fester can bite one in the future. Better to deal with it now while the time is ripe.]

Lily was startled; she'd never seen this side of Arakil before. He'd had his moments of briefly suggesting something gross or risky, but this felt like a step beyond.

I guess he's worried about me… Lily thought moments before finally responding.

"No," Lily said firmly. "We are not doing anything to him other than ignoring him and hopefully never seeing him ever again. Once I'm in Regarth we will be worlds apart. Margit and the staff know about his antics and what he tried to do. Besides, I have more important things to worry about, like my new magic teacher and preparing for the test!"

[Very well. Although I'll definitely be preparing you with some more defensive options then. At the very least, we should work on some defensive triggers for your glyphs in case you get into any similar situation in the future.]

"That sounds great, and I definitely do want to do that. But I was also wondering if there were more Astral magic options I could use, especially now that my attunement seems to be settling in."

[That is also an option; I'm glad you are proactively pursuing multiple contingencies. We should start work on the Nebula Veil so that you can summon it at a moment's notice.]

"Yes!" Lily immediately agreed. It had rapidly become her favorite spell after her nighttime adventures, and if she could choose any spell to master, that one would easily be her first pick.

They spent some time with Arakil transcribing some of the gestures for the spell and giving some suggestions on shorthand casting. When Arakil originally described shorthand casting to her, she had thought he would give her smaller words directly, but he described it as a more personal connection between the spell and the caster.

[Shorthand is different for everyone; the most straightforward way I could describe it is that the verbal connections shore up your personal shortcomings. For example, if I was forming a firebolt spell, I might be able to perfectly summon the flames required but struggle to turn it into a projectile, and thus, my shorthand focuses on that aspect. Someone else might struggle to call forth the fire but masterfully turn it and anything into a projectile.]

Lily nodded along eagerly, feeling some of her dreariness of the day fading thanks to her enthusiasm.

[No one can predict where your shortfalls will be, and it's almost an instinctual feeling. This goes doubly so with Astral magic for you since you're attuned to it now. I'm afraid you'll need to go through some trial and error on your own. I wish I could tutor you more directly on this.]

"Don't worry, Arakil. You've done more than enough for me," Lily said reassuringly. "The notes you've made are a good starting point, so it's up to me to feel around for what comes naturally."

Some part of Lily really wanted to start doing some magic, but even her renewed vigor was ebbing. She ended the night with a final question that vexed her.

"With my magic teacher… What should I say or do?" Lily asked, rubbing her hands together nervously.

[Do or say? I'd suggest listening to him and trying to get a lesson plan. Hopefully, it won't interfere with our own schedule at all.]

"No… Like…" Lily began trying to explain, mumbling as she strained to find the right way to describe it. "How do I explain Astral magic to him without saying it's Astral magic? I told Margit that it was star magic, but I'm worried that might not be good enough."

[I think I understand your concern. You're worried that you've presented yourself as having a sudden awakening to an unknown bloodline and aren't sure if Astral magic even exists or not.]

"Exactly!" Lily interrupted. "Even Margit said she's never heard of star magic before… Or seen anything like it."

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[I can't comment on whether it exists, but you could go with what feelings or imagery it invokes when you use it. You've already called it star magic, so feel free to mention that it feels like the night sky to you. Magic, especially when it's close to you, often invokes feelings and imagery in the caster. Being your supposed bloodline in this situation, you'd undoubtedly be highly in tune with it.]

Lily nodded, "It feels like the moons to me…"

[Then go with that. It would also help potentially draw out the existence of Astral magic or not. At least, I would reach that conclusion if someone mentioned stars and moons to me.]

"Is it good or bad if Astral magic exists?" Lily questioned.

[Neither, I'd say. On the one hand, if it exists, there is the possibility that new spells have been formulated for it beyond my archives. Who knows what has been discovered while I slumbered? On the other hand, if it is entirely unknown, that leaves you with a lot of leeway. You can get away with more if nobody understands what you are doing; likewise, your enemies can be befuddled and left guessing.]

"You make the second one sound better…" Lily pointed out.

[Perhaps… Especially if we wish to truly disguise this as your bloodline magic. However, think of the new knowledge we could uncover if it does exist!]

Lily giggled; she'd almost forgotten that Arakil really wanted to add knowledge to his archives. She mentally promised to try to feed him as many books as he wanted when they got the chance.

***

After finishing her morning routine, Lily met Margit, who led her to a wing of the orphanage she had seldom visited. From speaking with Rose, she knew this section contained the classroom for the magic teacher, and she couldn't help but feel a bubbling excitement.

"Are you nervous?" Margit asked softly.

"The opposite!" Lily giggled. "I'm finally going to get to learn magic for real!"

"Yes… Well…" Margit whispered. "Instructor Richardus said he would only teach you if it was true. It's not that I doubt you or what I saw, but I just know that the man can be stubborn. Especially after what Rose did to him."

"He's not going to fail me just because of Rose, will he?" Lily worried.

Margit shook her head and gave Lily a reassuring pat on her head. "I don't think so, my dear, but he might be stricter with you. Still, I'm excited to see you blow him away!"

Lily giggled again and nodded happily, feeling a lot more confident.

They knocked on the door before opening it and entering. It was a slightly larger classroom than any of the ones Lily had been to in her studies, mainly because a large portion of the room was dedicated to maintaining an open space with reinforced walls - not wood like the rest of the orphanage, but covered with dark stone.

I bet that's where the kids must demonstrate their magic! Lily thought, noting almost a safety perimeter around the open area.

An older man sat at his desk, reading through some documents while nursing a mug of coffee. Rose had described the man as a tomato, but Lily failed to see the resemblance. He briefly looked up to see the two of them enter.

"Good morning, Instructor Richardus," Margit said politely.

Lily repeated the greeting and added a tiny, nervous head bow.

"Good morning, you two. What a commotion you've stirred up…" the man said. I hope this isn't a remnant of trouble from Miss Rose."

"No!" Lily refuted instantly, then clutched her mouth in embarrassment at the sudden outburst.

Margit sighed, "No… Rose has nothing to do with this."

Instructor Richardus nodded and turned to Lily, "Well, I hope that you're a better student than her. Assuming this all isn't some elaborate prank."

"It's not!" Lily refuted instantly, once again.

Instructor Richardus eyed her suspiciously before gesturing to the open space. Margit gave Lily a reassuring smile and a gentle nudge in the direction.

Lily walked to the area and stood there, feeling relief that only two were in the audience. Margit took a seat at one of the empty desks while Instructor Richardus stood up and walked a bit closer.

"Now, from what was told to me, you described it as star magic?" he asked.

"Yes. It feels like the stars and the moon," Lily replied somewhat nervously.

"Fascinating…" Instructor Richardus whispered as he rubbed his chin. "I can't say I've heard of anything of the sort, and I went through some of my old notes to see if I could find anything. To my surprise, there was nothing, so I hope you were truthful."

Sorry Arakil… I guess I'll need to find you some other knowledge.

"Do you want me to demonstrate?" Lily asked, almost feeling a little annoyed now at the recurring insinuations.

Rather than saying anything, the instructor just nodded. Lily began to see why Rose might have punched the man as she suppressed a weary sigh and instead opened herself up to her Mana Core. With her Mana spiraling, she whispered a tiny phrase and opened the palm of her hand, revealing three shining stars floating in it.

Margit clapped excitedly while the instructor stared at it in fascination. But Lily wasn't done yet. She began making the three stars float up before slowly starting to orbit around herself, each star at a differing radius length, as if Lily were the center of her tiny solar system.

This feels… Easy. This has to be from the attunement. Hopefully, I can drink that Mana potion soon!

"Remarkable…" Instructor Richardus finally said he watched the sparkling stars swirling around Lily. "While I didn't give you permission for such a grandiose display, I do believe you've proven your point."

"Oh hush, don't be such a brute; this is supposed to be an orphanage school, not one of your boot camps!" Margit snapped.

Instructor Richardus blushed and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "While that might be so, proper rules and procedures should be followed…"

Lily couldn't help but notice Margit rolling her eyes and sighing with annoyance. Lily barely managed to suppress her giggles and was certainly glad to have the kind woman on her side.

Well, at least he believes me now. The first hurdle was a resounding success!