‘You’re pretty’, said the lady with big yellow eyes. ‘You’re very pretty’.

‘Your eyes are pretty, and your hair is pretty. I like your collar bone too’.

She has been watching you for 30 minutes, said Ari.

I stood up and squeezed my eyes. A tall, dark-skinned woman was looking at me with curiosity. She had a strong build, and her black hair had some blond strands. She was beautiful in a feline way, and somehow reminded me of a tortoise cat.

‘I’m Nari! Nari Carmella. And you must be Tsisana.’

‘That’s right… But, may I ask how you know my name?’

Everybody in the Swordsmanship Department knows your name. Your entrance exam was exceptional. I was there too, y’know’.

‘I am sorry, I am not sure I follow…’

‘It’s okay, it’s okay… I am just glad to be roommates with such a great swordswoman’.

I was not yet fully awake, and my mind struggled to keep the conversation with Nari going. I thought she seemed friendly enough, and was glad that she had become my roommate.

Nari sat on the bed next to me, and rolled herself into my lap. She put her head where I could pet her, much like a cat. This gesture might have seemed much too friendly, considering we had just met. But Nari was from the Carmella dukedom, known throughout the Empire for  its distinct culture. While people from other regions tended to be more formal and cold, Carmellians were considered eccentric because of their very friendly personalities and lack of consideration for others’ personal space.

Constant was how I would describe Nari’s personality in the original novel. Not only did she not betray Tsisana, but continued to believe in her to the very end. If the novel could be trusted, Nari was going to be a reassuring presence to me. This is why I did not mind her being a bit too friendly, but rather, I welcomed it.

‘Wanna go eat something? I’m hungry’, my roommate suggested.

‘Sure’. My stomach was starting to growl.

***

The Academy’s dorms were as grand as a count’s residence, and naturally, it did not lack anything. It had been built for the children of nobility, and it certainly looked the part. On the walls, it was possible to see paintings of professors and important students who had attended the institution in the past.

Nari and I walked through a long corridor and went down two flights of stairs before arriving at the cafeteria. My roommate knew her way around the place well enough so we would not get lost. A perk, I suppose, that came with being part of the family that had founded the Academy. Nari must have visited it countless times before she enrolled as a student.

Ari decided to follow us. I was still getting used to them following me everywhere, and not being seen by the people around me. I wondered how Ari felt about it. As a Spirit King, did they not have more important obligations? I made a mental note to ask them about that later.

When we arrived at the cafeteria I was surprised. In the Zephyrine residence, they usually served Italian-like food, such as pasta, risotto and even pizza. I thought that was the same for the rest of this world, since the local food had never been mentioned in the novel. But I was happy to find a variety of dishes that were similar to my Earth’s home cuisine: rice and beans, grilled chicken, farofa and, most surprisingly, Brazilian cheese buns.

I asked Nari about the food, and she said it was what they usually ate at the Carmella dukedom. Because distances were long in this era, it made sense that each territory’s cuisine had developed differently. Nari got a cheese bun, put it on her plate, and smashed it. 

‘When you do it like this, it’s not so hot’, she informed me.

I got myself a cheese bun, and imitated Nari. Some people looked at us curiously, and others sneered. Such behaviour was definitely not considered proper etiquette. 

We were having fun, nonetheless, and for the first time I was glad to have come to school. Had I stayed home, I would not have gotten to know Nari nor eaten such delicious food. That would have been such a waste! 

Staying away from trouble did not mean I had to live like a hermit. Naturally, having stayed at my family’s castle would have been the safest choice, but until when could I keep living in seclusion? Would I be able to be happy, had I never left the Zephyrine residence? As such thoughts came to my mind, I noticed something was wrong.

Nari was frowning and had stopped talking. The mood was somehow heavier, and a big shadow was looming over us. I noticed the other students, previously engaged in lively conversations, now all kept silent, as if waiting for something to happen. I looked up, and saw those horrible people.