Ashrosaliera complied; she followed Roshia Naveria and Pusha Varrie as they led her to the 6th floor of the academy.
The floor was a giant park, full of trees, birds, a pond, and indoor greens, all of which were hydrated and photosynthesizing, thanks to various elemental contraptions set up long ago. Even when the top was just a bright dome that simulated sunlight and night skies, it was still immersive and fascinating.
'Almost comparable to home!' Ashrosaliera thought as she was led through the park, the three of them not saying a word to one another.
Due to the design of the academy, where the middle of the building was the two staircases and you can look down to see the ground floor, Each of the upper floors was built in a spherical loop around a giant space, so that the students could walk forever without feeling like there was any turns or wall. Ashrosaliera noticed this fact by the Cafeteria on the 5th floor and now the Park on the 6th floor, which amazed her. The principal had already mentioned that the inside was larger than the outside, because the interior had been built and expanded over the years, while the outside was based on the original foundation. So Ash could only imagine how big this place was! She decided she'll explore every floor very soon!
After five minutes of walking past multiple beautiful, diverse fruit trees, picnic benches, and strange chirping birds, Ashrosaliera was led to a far corner of the 6th floor, where an array of pine trees was planted neatly together, almost creating a miniature forest, with low visibility when inside.
"I heard that you're only an F-Class, and you dare to say that B-Class are only some kind of mere, stupid magic users?" Roshia frowned, flicking her long blonde hair while at the same time flashing her gold bracelet, "I'll give you one chance to apologize, even better yet, I'll allow you to be my pet. You're not that much of a pretty one with that weird bang, though."
Ashrosaliera didn't answer, not because she was self-conscious about her burnt bangs, but because she was still trying to keep up her own game of not saying a single word this whole encounter.
"Fuh… Wahahahahahahahaha! Nuh uh!"
Instead, Ash burst into laughter at the thought of a B-Class student trying to mess with her and taking her in as a pet, like that D-Class pig over there? Oh please, Ash was so sure that there'd be a fight, and she was so ready to punch this snob-looking girl in the face.
"How naughty… I'll give you an allowance of 10 gold coins a week."
It was at this moment that Ashrosaliera had a change of heart and dropped her laughter.
Maybe being humbled and treated as some lowly animal wasn't that bad… Considering that Ash's usual allowance, after deducting necessary living costs and school fees, was 10 gold coins a month.
"What do you want, a felis margarita meinertzhageni? Lowland streaked tenrec? I can make a really realistic animal sound!"
Ash immediately fumbled, losing her own "don't say a word" game when she asked what animal she gotta be. She even glanced over at Pusha and gave him a thumbs up, in a praising way, acknowledging how they're practically colleagues now.
Roshia Naveria rested her cheek on her own hand, looking down at the short girl.
"Fufufu, clever girl. Now grovel underneath my feet! You'll be my…" Roshia stopped to think for a second, "Squirrel, yes, a squirrel. Now, we'll meet my friends and you'll beg on the ground for me to forgive you for disrespecting B-Class, let's go, you too, pig."
"At your service, Lady Naveria." The two—Pusha and Ashrosaliera—said in unison."
Roshia confidently turned around, all smug, having owned another pet who could use a B-Rank [Fireball], just needed to tone the squirrel's attitude a bit, she thought.
Then, Roshia felt something strange.
An intense sensation in her left ear, a small cylinder-like shape was pressed against her inner earlobe.
"Eek?"
It felt like a small finger, and the tip was moist, as she felt the wet thing rub against the insides.
Roshia Naveria's expression went from being smug to terrified as she recoiled, realizing something.
It was saliva on a finger.
Ashrosaliera was giving her a wet willy.
"Gyaaaaaa!" Roshia screamed, "What are you doing?!"
Ashrosaliera had both her hands holding her stomach. She raised her chest and bent backwards, dying of laughter.
"Wuhahaha! What, you think I'll be your pet? I am the [Elemental Empress] to be, and you, a mere B-Rank trust fund kid, trying to own me? How absurd! Wahahaha~"
"You dare…! Leave it to me, Lady Naveria!"
Pusha was angered, short,
"Earth Magic: Rock Pellets!"
From both palms of his hands, a barrage of different-sized rocks, stones, flints, and pebbles came flying towards Ashrosaliera at an incredible speed, comparable to a ball being thrown by hand.
"Pft! Child's play!"
Ash's eyes lit up as she smiled, her short white hair starting to float, defying gravity when she began to channel her mana.
In order to "toughen" Ash up and make sure she got something whenever she was out of magic to use. Her mother, Cecilia Säpphroaleryst, had taught her non-magic combat techniques that most mages wouldn't expect.
Ash noticed how the [Rock Pellets] that Pusha casted was mainly aiming at her upper chest, which mean to dodge this, she simply let go of her body, allowed her weight plus earth's gravity to drag her down, and she did a simple split, both legs stretched apart from each other.
"I finally get to use this!" Ash exclaimed excitedly, "But it reminds me of those days when mommy would stretch my legs until I cried… Eugh."
Before Pusha Varrie got another chance to react and cast another spell, Ashrosaliera had already pushed herself off the ground, aiming her center mass towards the fat guy.
"Fire Magic: Fire Flight!"
A loud whoosh similar to an explosion echoed through the park's air as Ash burst through the air with an insane speed. She blitzed through where Pushaa was standing without being able to lift a single finger to react.
Ashrosaliera raised her arm midflight, using the bend of her elbowpit and wrap it around Pusha's neck, taking the guy to fly with her, she then squeezed his throat in tight in the air whilst flying around in a circle, using the [Fire Flight] propeller to hold both of them up in the air, even if Ash struggled a bit due to his weight.
The guy struggled in fear, but was unable to make any sound when his airway was blocked. He started squirming and kicking his feet in the air. He tried to pry Ashrosaliera's shoulder open. Still, he ultimately fainted, and Ash dropped his body down on top of a tree.
"Useless pig…" Roshia Naveria muttered.
"Wahaha, that was your friend? He's weaker than I thought!" Ash said, landing gracefully on the ground after deactivating Fire Flight.
'That move sure costed a lot of MP when I held it that long,' Ashrosaliera thought as she looked over at her stats. But then the sudden notification of a new quest popped up, which gave her a smile.
===
Name: Ashrosaliera Inmopotalten Empyreanel Säpphroaleryst
Age: 18
Unallocated System Point: 0.95
Status:
- HP: 150/150 (Requires minimum of 1 system point to upgrade)
- MP: 187/300 (Requires minimum of 1 system point to upgrade)
Skills:
- Fireball: SSS (Unable to upgrade any further)
- Fire Flight: B (Requires 2 system points to upgrade)
- Blazing Blade: F (Requires 1 system point to upgrade)
New Quest Available: Making A Name
Details: Subdue Roshia Naveria and Pusha Varrie
Reward: 0.05 System Points
Status: Ongoing
Ongoing Quests: The Long Way
Details: Defeat a Fourth Year student, an extra reward shall be granted if the user challenges [The Poet]
Reward: 0.30 System Points (0.60 if defeated [The Poet])
Status: Ongoing
Ongoing Quests: Warrior Humility
Details: Befriend the three roommates.
- Zofia Adinberg: Ongoing [S-Rank difficulty]
- Cinderella Twilight: Ongoing [B-Rank difficulty]
- Tarnisha Smithdottir: Ongoing [D-Rank difficulty]
Reward: 1.00 System Points
Status: Ongoing
===