The distant sky had begun to turn crimson.
Looking down from the flying ship, the world seemed so vast. You could see for miles and miles.
A clear membrane surrounded the ship to prevent it from being jostled by strong winds. Unfortunately, that resulted in the deck being quite hot due to the lack of a breeze. It was autumn, but the hot days continued.
The expedition had been even more fun than Serraphila had expected.
She walked onto the deck, rested her hands on the railing, and reflected on the trip as she gazed out at the scenery.
Going along had been her decision, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t anxious. Not only had she not prepared, she didn’t know anyone else in the group. It was also her first flight, and she was terrified of falling or something happening to the ship.
But the first week had gone by in a flash. When she realized she was over halfway through the journey, she began to despair at each passing day.
It was all so much fun. Everything she saw, everything she experienced, every place she went, every person she talked to was more fascinating than the last. She had become fully engrossed.
Magic… It was so much deeper and more mysterious than Serraphila had ever realized.
All the ship’s other passengers were upperclassmen. Some had an earth attribute like her. Most had a different one. Everything they had to say was so interesting.
She was sure many of them were looking out for her because she was a new student. They were probably treating her more like a guest than a friend.
Even so, these two weeks had been incredibly enjoyable, and she had been exposed to so much magic.
In the past, magic was only something she studied with her tutor. The Advanced students, by contrast, involved magic in everything they did. They didn’t set aside time to study magic. They were always studying it.
She wanted to adjust her mindset to match theirs as quickly as possible. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to keep up. And catching up was suddenly of paramount importance.
“Serra?”
Someone called her name. Serraphila followed imperial etiquette, waiting a brief moment before turning around.
“Miss Elva.”
It was her beautiful sis—er, upperclassman—whom she had come to admire so much.
“What are you doing here?” asked Elva. She had been watching over Serraphila for the last two weeks.
“Thinking about how I don’t want this trip to be over.”
There were so many lovely girls. Elva was only one of them. There was also Shilto, whom everyone called their representative, and so many others, each as beautiful, charming, mysterious, and lovely as the last. Was it their magic that made them so captivating? No. Serraphila would have been taken with them even if they weren’t sorcerers.
They had gathered in Dirashik from all around the world to study magic. It seemed Serraphila’s new school was full of beautiful women and girls from many different lands. That thought filled her with excitement for her new life as a student.
“Really?” asked Elva. “I take it you had fun, then?”
“Yes, lots.”
Serraphila prayed more days like the ones she’d spent on this trip lay ahead of her.
That was why she had to change. For the first time in her life, she needed to take magic seriously.
With her current ability, Serraphila couldn’t hope to keep up. This trip had made it clear just how far ahead her upperclassmen were.
Elva, Shilto, and all the other girls were so much more skilled than she was. That went for the boys who looked after her, too, she supposed.
She wanted to spend more time with them, and to do that, she needed to become worthy of the Advanced class.
A powerful resolve pulsed within her heart. She would start intensive study as soon as she returned.
To keep pace with the girls—to avoid being a burden to them—she needed to become just as capable as they were.
It might take some time, but she would definitely get there.
The Magic City of Dirashik came into view.
Serraphila’s trip through the skies was coming to an end.