Proofread by Thomas F
Margaux Swan
The carriage turned in the dense forest, and immediately a huge castle appeared in front of me.
"It's beautiful," gasped Eleda, and I couldn't help but nod.
Before me stood a castle, the most beautiful I had ever seen.
Tall ivory walls rose above the graceful arched roofs, with slender spires crowned with amethyst finials and walls adorned with countless arched windows.
It was so beautiful that I wanted to keep staring.
It used to belong to a powerful noble, a founding member of the merchant state, who turned it into an academy.
Its name is Countess Ravelorn's School of Grace and Etiquette, or what many people call the Thorn Academy. Ravelorn of Burning Thorns was the title of the woman who had founded this academy.
It's one of the four elite schools in the merchant states. A school with a long history. It's an inheritance institution, with special classes and skills.
I will be here for two weeks, and I'm excited for it, but also wish it had been done later.
There are so many things to do in the legacy, with me leaving. More pressure would fall on Elme and Della, who are already under immense pressure.
I would have been relaxed if Miss Dawnstart had been with them to share the responsibility, but unfortunately she is wholly consumed with Project Scarlet.
I pushed my thoughts away and turned to the huge gate that appeared in front of me.
For two weeks, I will think of nothing but learning here. That's what Master Silver had sent me here for.
"I am excited; I have heard so many things about it," said Carrow, one of the teachers I had brought with me. It isn't just going to be a learning experience for me, but also for many of our teachers, whom I had brought with me.
"It is an excellent opportunity. I want you all to remain on your best behavior, but also be on guard," I cautioned.
We are here to learn, but this is also a place where the merchant states' spy agencies work. It is a place where children of the rich and powerful come to study, from merchant states as well as other kingdoms.
The Dominion is getting powerful enough that spy agencies have increased their efforts to recruit sources.
Soon, we reached its massive, beautiful gates.
They opened, and the carriage went through them, revealing the magnificent academy.
…
Zaira Kadiz
"Whores! We have invited whores into our sacred institutions." Fumed Vaelith, with his long ears turning red with anger.
"Even your cousin agreed with it," I reminded him.
His cousin is a board member, along with Isolde; both were proponents of it, while nearly the other half of the board was against it.
It needs to work. If it didn't, it would be my head on the guillotine.
It's my idea after all.
"Countess would roll in her grave, seeing we have invited whores into the academy," he stated. I didn't say anything and turned to the three carriages, which stopped in front of us.
The door of the first opened, and a beautiful woman in her mid-forties stepped outside.
She was an exquisite woman, more than I had heard about, with platinum-blond hair and pale yellow eyes.
She wore a green dress that seemed to flow gracefully along her body. Its intricate, elegant detailing made it beautiful, but somehow, that wasn't even the most remarkable thing about it.
It's a mist crafted.
She is so different from Carla Salt; that is one incredible woman. Like her, this woman also seemed to have invisible authority woven around her.
Though there is a difference.
Carla Salt's is like the earth, solid, stable, while this woman's feels like a gentle wind.
Her eyes moved around, and they stopped at me, and there was surprise on her face.
I am the Principal, and I only come down personally to welcome the heads of houses, masters, states, and important powerhouses; she is neither, but she is not a common guest professor either.
No; she came as plenipotentiary of the master of the throne, which, according to rules, accorded her nearly the same benefit as the master of the throne.
"Welcome to our Academy, Headmistress Swan," I welcomed. "It is my honor, Principal Kadiz." She replied in a beautiful voice with a perfect cadence.
It isn't just skill; she is also trained in speech.
I could recognize it as it is one of the things we teach within the academy.
"Lord Vaerith," she greeted the man beside me, who nodded.
"Come, Headmistress, the girls filling the auditorium are waiting for the woman they have heard so much about," I said and led the woman toward the large door.
She would first have to go through the frustrating tradition of school before I could take her to the office to talk.
It is what every guest professor needed to go through, but normally the scale is small, but it is biggest with her. I tried to control the scale, but others have done mischief.
The Countess used to call these traditions the tests. Saying, if they couldn't face the pupils, how could they teach them?
We passed through the large gate and entered the castle. I could see her eyes widen.
"It's one of the oldest castles in the Oksall."
"Before the Baroness founded the academy, it was the seat of House Ravelorn for millennia," I informed.
The Baroness loved this place; she loved walking around it.
Through the skill passed down to the principles, I have her memories; I could feel the joy the woman used to feel and her steely resolve.
"These are incredible pieces," she said, looking at the artworks adorning the walls.
"We have one of the best art collections in the whole of the Merchant States. Countess was an art lover, saved as many as she could during the incursion," I replied.
She was on a mission to save art pieces when she was attacked and awakened the aura.
"Soon, we took the turn, and she came across one of the most grotesque pieces. It looked as if it had been pierced by thousands of nails.
Well, its thorns.
That is why it looks like that; it is feeling the greatest pain of its life, and it is.
"It's an incursion beast of archmage level," I informed. I still remember the scare it gave me when I saw it for the first time on my first day in the academy.
It covers the massive area of over fifty meters, which is not even half of its original size.
I let her stare at it for a couple of seconds. Feeling the faintest suppression, she watched and even moved closer, which surprised me.
Most would take a step back.
The closer one gets, the more powerful the suppression one would feel. The woman simply kept walking until she stopped right in front of it.
I looked at Vaerith and saw the same shock I had in my eyes.
I have seen people fainting; I had fainted countless times when I tested my will against it; it is why there is that green line. It is a warning.
"I cannot imagine the strength Ravelorn of Burning Thorns needs to kill such a beast," she said, with a voice filled with awe.
I said nothing to that; the answer is shocking. Also, a state secret, despite it being thousands of years old.
She stared at it for a minute before we moved again.
I showed her around the art and told her the history. I wanted to show her flame, but that would be after the auditorium, which we reached a few minutes later.
I saw guards standing by it, opened the silvery door, and we stepped inside.
Immediately, we came face to face with twelve hundred girls. All between the ages of twelve and fifteen, standing in neat lines, wearing colors of their years.
"Mistress," they greeted in unison. I nodded and smiled.
"Dear students, from today, for two weeks. New teachers will join us, led by the Grand-Administress of Velvet Garden." I introduce.
I may have addressed her as the headmistress, but the agreement is with Velvet Garden, not Mena Horn College, which is technically a part of it.
Still, it's a college of whores, and many people are sensitive about it.
So, we are going to omit it.
After this title, I continued.
"She is an accomplished administrator; the former head of Velvet Garden. A multi-talented woman, she is a painter, a mage, and even plays a couple of musical instruments."
Velvet Garden is secretive about its madam's abilities, but Isolde had provided me with some information.
"Thank you for your kind words, Principal Kadiz. Though I must admit, I think you're praising me far more than I deserve," she replied with a smile.
I didn't say anything and turned to the students.
"Now that the introduction is over, the High-Administress will answer your questions, and I hope they will be respectful," I reminded them.
I hope they will be gentle. Who am I kidding!
These traditions, some of them excessive, include this. The test of ten questions; every guest and top-guest lecturer has to face it, and the thing is, there is no restriction.
"Are you really a whore?" asked Okrash, the orc girl of the first year.
I wanted to shake my head hearing it, while Vaerith could barely contain his smile. I looked at the woman, hoping she was not angry.
We need a relationship with Velvet Garde.
We were top school ones, but now we are bottom. To gain its glory, I took this risk, but all could go down the drain if it made this woman angry.
She is, after all, powerful and has massive influence over Silver.
To my surprise, there was no change in her expression. The smile remained the same; I could not see even the faintest anger in her eyes over this insulting question.
"I was. Well, you could say I am. Once a whore, always a whore," she replied with a smile, while shock appeared on the faces of the girls.
They did not expect her to admit it openly. Even I am surprised; I thought she would evade it.
"Is it true that you run the college that trains the whores?" asked the second-year. "Yes, Mena Horn College; named after one of our brave women I had the privilege of knowing," she replied.
I read about the woman; I was quite surprised when I did.
"I heard you are one of the most powerful women in Velvet Garden. How powerful are you?" I asked the second-year elf, with forest-green hair.
"Velvet Garden operates with a strict hierarchy, with Lord Silver at the top, Lady Carla below him, and then three Grand Administrators."
"I am one of them, in charge of Mena Horn College."
The questions came, and aside from the first, all of them were respectful and all about Velvet Garden. It's a legacy and an incredible one.
A day didn't go by when I didn't hear about it. There are a lot of rumors floating around; some seemed too hard to believe, but Isolde had said they are all true.
Finally, it's time for the last question and the orc woman of the final year.
"Is your legacy hiring?" Tah asked.
She is on a scholarship, like a third of the students, as I had been decades ago. She is one of our most hardworking and talented pupils; one of the best student body heads we've had in recent years.
"We are always hiring. Especially talented people like you," she replied.
A smile appeared on Tah's face. I could always see cogs spinning in her eyes.
It went about as well. The next thing is going to be more challenging; I hope the girls won't be too harsh.