Chapter 3-The Head of Valmere academy
The swordsmanship assessment ended quicker than Lyra expected.
Most of it had been simple stance corrections, movement drills, and controlled sparring matches. No Astral reinforcement. No real combat pressure.
Honestly, it felt almost disappointing after the chaos of the morning.
By the time she reached the cafeteria, exhaustion had finally started settling into her body.
The cafeteria itself was enormous.
Long rows of dark tables stretched beneath industrial ceiling lights while hundreds of students moved through food lines carrying trays and talking loudly over one another.
Steam rose from fresh food counters near the far wall while giant glass windows overlooked the rain-soaked academy grounds outside.
The entire place smelled like coffee, warm bread, and wet coats.
And unfortunately—
Attention.
Lyra could feel eyes drifting toward her every few seconds.
Some curious.
Some cautious.
Some simply staring because of the hood she kept adjusting lower over her face.
"...Do people here have hobbies other than staring?"
She quietly collected her food before moving away from the serving area.
"How was it?"
Lyra glanced back.
Amy stood there balancing a tray with surprising confidence despite the amount of food stacked onto it.
For some reason, seeing a familiar face immediately made the cafeteria feel less exhausting.
"It was fine," Lyra answered. "Mostly basic sparring."
"No Astral?"
Lyra shook her head.
"Not during swordsmanship."
Amy followed closely beside her while they searched for seats.
The cafeteria was nearly full, but Lyra eventually spotted an empty table near the corner windows.
Perfect.
Far away from people.
Or at least less people.
The moment they sat down, Amy leaned forward excitedly.
"So?"
Lyra looked up from opening her drink.
"So?"
"Did you meet the academy head?"
Lyra paused briefly.
"...Maybe."
Amy nearly dropped her fork.
"Maybe?!"
Lyra looked confused by the reaction.
Amy lowered her voice dramatically.
"The headmaster."
"What about him?"
"You know." Amy glanced around carefully. "The terrifying old man."
Lyra blinked once.
"...What terrifying old man?"
"The terrifying old man running this academy," Amy whispered aggressively. "White beard. Wrinkled face. Probably smells like old paper and disappointment."
Lyra stared at her silently.
"...I met a woman."
A long pause followed.
Amy frowned.
"A what?"
"A woman," Lyra repeated calmly. "Silver hair. Around her thirties maybe."
Amy slowly lowered her spoon.
"No."
Lyra tilted her head slightly.
"...No?"
"That's impossible."
"She was sitting in the head office."
Amy looked genuinely disturbed now.
"Wait." She pointed toward Lyra accusingly. "Was she beautiful?"
Lyra thought for a second.
"...Very."
Amy leaned back immediately.
"Oh no."
"What?"
"You definitely met someone dangerous."
Lyra looked unimpressed.
"She seemed normal."
"Beautiful women in positions of authority are NEVER normal."
Several nearby students glanced toward them.
Lyra sighed quietly.
"You're loud."
Amy ignored her completely.
"No seriously, every rumor describes some terrifying ancient war veteran with a beard long enough to have political influence."
"...That sounds medically concerning."
"And now you're telling me the headmaster is some elegant silver-haired woman?"
Lyra stabbed another piece of food with her fork.
"Maybe the rumors were wrong."
Amy narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Or maybe she defeated the old man and stole his office."
Lyra paused mid-bite.
"...Honestly that sounds believable."
Amy pointed at her immediately.
"RIGHT?"
Lyra quietly continued eating while Amy remained emotionally devastated beside her.
Then suddenly—
Amy leaned forward again.
"So what happened during the magic assessment?"
Lyra stopped moving.
For a brief moment, her thoughts drifted back toward the office.
—
After the assessment ended, one of the academy assistants personally escorted Lyra toward the administrative wing.
She had expected something oppressive.
Dark room.
Heavy atmosphere.
Unnecessarily intimidating furniture.
Instead, the office was surprisingly modern.
Large glass walls overlooked several sections of the academy grounds while multiple digital screens displayed security feeds from around campus. Some showed training arenas filled with students.
Others monitored the outer barriers surrounding Asteron.
One screen briefly flickered toward the western region beyond the walls.
Dark forest.
Monster territory.
Lyra's gaze lingered there unconsciously.
The assistant noticed immediately and dimmed the screen without saying a word.
"...Please wait here."
Lyra sat slowly on the black sofa near the center of the office.
The room felt strangely personal for someone in such an important position.
Weapons lined one side of the wall behind reinforced glass displays while shelves nearby carried stacks of reports, combat records, and academy files.
Everything looked organized.
Precise.
Efficient.
Five minutes later, the office door opened quietly behind her.
Footsteps approached.
Lyra looked up—
And briefly forgot how to speak.
The woman entering the room looked far younger than expected.
Silver hair rested neatly over one shoulder while sharp grey-blue eyes studied Lyra from behind thin glasses. She wore a dark uniform beneath a long black coat decorated with silver insignias near the collar.
Beautiful.
Composed.
Dangerous in a way that felt impossible to explain.
The kind of person who could probably destroy an entire battlefield without raising her voice.
She sat down calmly across from Lyra.
"So," she said while crossing one leg over the other, "you're Lyra Ashbourne."
Lyra straightened immediately.
"Yes, ma'am."
"The recommendation letter?"
Lyra quickly handed it over.
The woman opened it silently.
The room became quiet.
Only the soft sound of rain tapping against the distant windows remained.
Then suddenly—
"How have you been sleeping lately?"
Lyra froze.
"...What?"
The woman continued reading casually.
"Nightmares? Anxiety? Fear responses connected to Astral usage?"
Lyra immediately stiffened beneath the hoodie.
How does she know that?
The woman finally looked up from the letter.
Her eyes were sharp now.
Observing her carefully.
Almost dissecting her reactions.
Lyra suddenly felt exposed.
"...I don't know what you mean."
"Hm."
The woman leaned back slightly.
"Let's discuss something simpler then."
She folded the recommendation letter neatly.
"Do you know who I am?"
Lyra shook her head slowly.
The woman smiled faintly.
"My name is Celine Haywene."
She placed one hand lightly against the desk.
"Level Seven Sergeant. Former western division combat commander."
A brief pause followed.
"And currently the acting head of Valmere Academy."
Lyra's attention sharpened instantly.
Celine continued calmly.
"And apparently..." her eyes drifted briefly toward the recommendation letter again, "...one of the few people fortunate enough to meet a dual-affinity candidate."
Lyra frowned beneath the hood.
"Dual affinity is rare?"
"Very."
Lyra looked genuinely confused.
"...But the old man always said it wasn't that special."
Celine slowly looked up from the letter.
"The old man?"
Lyra paused.
"...The principal from Eryndale."
Silence.
Then—
Celine lowered the paper slowly.
"Did you just call Elias Veridan an old man?"
Lyra immediately realized something about this conversation had gone wrong.
"...Yes?"
Celine stared at her for two full seconds.
Then suddenly turned slightly away, shoulders trembling faintly.
Lyra blinked.
"...Ms. Celine?"
A quiet laugh escaped her.
Then another.
Celine covered her mouth, clearly trying and failing to maintain professionalism.
"Oh... that's unexpectedly entertaining."
Lyra sat awkwardly in the chair.
"...Should I not call him that?"
"No, no," Celine replied while still laughing softly. "Technically you're correct."
"He is old."
"Very old."
"Painfully old."
Lyra relaxed slightly.
"...See?"
"But hearing one of his own students say it so casually feels deeply disrespectful in a very refreshing way."
Lyra looked mildly offended.
"He wakes people up before sunrise for 'mental discipline.'"
"Tragic."
"He calls properly seasoned food 'luxury-induced weakness.'"
"Horrifying."
"And he once made us run laps in freezing rain because someone forgot sword etiquette."
Celine finally lost composure completely.
A laugh escaped before she could stop it.
"...Yes," she admitted eventually. "That sounds exactly like Elias."
Lyra crossed her arms slightly.
"So I'm not crazy."
"Oh no," Celine replied calmly.
"You're still slightly concerning."
A pause.
"But not because of the old man part."
Lyra wasn't sure if that made her feel better.
Celine eventually extended one hand across the desk.
"Give me your hand."
Lyra hesitated briefly before placing her hand over hers.
Warmth spread faintly through her palm.
Controlled astral flow.
Not painful.
Just precise.
Celine closed her eyes for several seconds before finally nodding.
"You passed."
Lyra blinked.
"That easily?"
"You passed the moment the assessment began," Celine replied calmly. "I simply wanted confirmation regarding a few things."
Her gaze lingered on Lyra slightly longer than comfortable.
"You'll be permitted into both swordsmanship and elemental classes beginning tomorrow."
"...Both?"
"It'll be exhausting," Celine warned. "Are you certain you can manage it?"
Lyra thought quietly before nodding.
"I'll try."
For the first time since entering the room, Celine smiled genuinely.
"That answer is enough."
—
"Hey."
Amy's voice dragged Lyra back into reality.
"You disappeared mentally."
Lyra blinked once.
"...Sorry."
Amy immediately leaned forward again.
"Well?"
Lyra took another bite before answering.
"She said I passed."
Amy's eyes widened.
"Both?"
"...Both."
Amy nearly slammed both hands onto the table.
"I KNEW IT."
Several students nearby looked over immediately.
Lyra sighed deeply.
"You enjoy attracting attention far too much."
"You have dual affinity!" Amy whispered loudly. "Do you understand how absurd that is?"
"...Apparently not."
Amy stared at her like she had personally insulted the laws of reality.
Then suddenly her expression brightened again.
"Okay. Eat faster."
Lyra looked suspicious immediately.
"Why?"
"I'll show you around campus."
"You already know the academy?"
Amy nodded proudly.
"My older brother studied here. I used to visit a lot."
Lyra studied her quietly for a moment.
There was probably more to that story.
But honestly—
She was too tired to investigate further right now.
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