"We'll have the news suppressed fer awhile, then?" Albite grumbled, nodding his assent as Lilian poured him a glass of fine aged brandy. The potent stink of alcohol made Willis, seated next to the Bronzen Dwarf, wrinkle his nose in distaste.

The Council had adjourned, with everyone publicly agreeing that Kira Hawthorne was not one of Them and thus not a threat to the city. Her identity being made public was an unfortunate side effect, but the handful of Councilors meeting in Karl's private office were already taking measures to protect both the Human, and Atmont's public order.

Albite, Karl, Willis, Reiner, and a Lamian councilor named Anai who remained quiet for much of the Council meeting itself. She only approached Karl once the meeting was officially adjourned and expressed concerns about the Human's identity being revealed to the public. Even tightly coiled, the ebony black loops of her massive serpentine lower body occupied an entire corner of the office.

"Elimination is out of the question," Anai said softly, nodding her thanks at Lilian as the Automata handed her a cup of tea. "Suppression is the best we can hope for, since someone went and brought the topic up while the meeting was still public."

"My concerns were valid," Willis defended himself with a haughty sniff. "I was right to be worried, with all the oddities surrounding the girl! Imagine if she really were one of those old monsters?"

"None of Them have been sighted in over a century," Anai shook her head, a heavy mane of tightly coiled black curls shaking in an almost comical overly exaggerated fashion compared to the slight movement that caused the cascade. "There's no way to hide titles from any System Scan-type ability capable of detecting them, which is why They rarely travel to cities or provinces that require Scanned registration. If she was one of Them, she'd have more than just a single title."

Sensing the admonishment in her voice over his hasty actions, Willis took a sip of his own hot tea while his long rabbit ears drooped ever so slightly. "I wouldn't put it past Them to have found a way to fool even the System... Or at least our perception of it."

"That way be madness, Willis me lad!" Albite chuckled, pouring more brandy into his mug. "Worryin' about what might be instead of what ye know fer certain, won't ye be jumpin' at yer own shadows until ye die of fright? Best not be assumin' worst case unless we got evidence ta support it, aye? Ain't like Those sort be common ta begin with!"

Anai agreed, lifting her cup to the chuckling Dwarf. "A fair point. In turbulent eras past, perhaps? But we live in a time of peace, councilors. Their numbers, sightings, and activities have dwindled. Our enemy are the monsters, not Them or anyone else. Not anymore, gods forbid. We've advanced too far as a society to fall prey to the petty wars and skirmishes of our ancestors."

"At any rate, we should lessen the inevitable panic as much as possible. If we control the spread of information, the impact on the child will be negligible." Karl sighed, leaning back in his big office chair. "I will caution Miss Kira and Miss Brigit to stay on their toes. It would be best if they could avoid drawing attention to themselves until we have everything under control."

"I have many contacts at both the Atmont Morning News and The Curious Citizen. Perhaps a few favors in some lesser rags..."

"Aye, I'll send me lads ta pubs and inns, gabbin' nice about the lassies."

"Likewise, my street contacts would be all too glad for a chance to spread fun rumors for a change."

Lilian glanced at the councilors, sharing drinks as they discussed connections and plans to control the inevitable spread of information, and turned away to hide her face. A flash of red behind the white lenses of her eyes, a brief instant of derision, colored her otherwise impassive face.

The System had many functions, but it also had its limitations. Modern society was too reliant upon it as a crutch rather than a useful tool, and wasn't even aware of how much information was lost to them. Only 《 Relic 》 holders, like Kira, had access to a relatively unfettered System shop selling goods and information otherwise unavailable to the public. It was a blessing granted to them by Janus - one last gift for a sheltered, arrogant, and naive people.

No one else had such a benefit. So if, for example, the last remaining copy of a book was destroyed? The information inside would be deleted from the System if said information couldn't be found elsewhere.

The System didn't lie, but it didn't always reveal the entire truth either. Not without the correct prerequisites. In that way, it was much like those blasted Fae. Or like playing a quiz game without knowing what the questions were, attempting to stumble blindly over the answers.

Lilian enjoyed her work with Sir Karl. He was a good child, but still unpolished. Untested. A leader who feared only one specific threat was a leader who'd be caught unprepared by the unexpected, by the inevitable.

She was older than everyone present and long lost the desire to remind anyone of that fact, or bother attempting to babysit endless generations of silly children making the same mistakes. They would always dismiss her warnings, their belief in the infallible System a shell of ignorance both protective and suffocating. Lilian could only tell the truth, yet they never took advantage of that by trying to ask the right sort of questions.

Offering information was not part of her duties, so she could only watch sadly as each successive generation continued repeating the mistakes of their forebears. Her task was merely to follow instructions, observe, and assist if requested, not to preemptively meddle based on her own desires.

The Automata sighed and left the office to fetch snacks from the staff room down the hall.

"If I knew I was going to be wearing the wine, I would have bought something with a bit more sparkle!" Vanessa Reid chuckled as she mopped a bit of wine from the front of her blouse, staining her handkerchief in the process.

"Sorry, sorry... Just, ah." Ailsa spluttered, shakily setting down her wine glass on the coffee table next to their couch. She had her notifications off while she was working, and only remembered to turn them on after a quiet dinner date at home. She deeply regretted checking a new message from Kira without putting her drink down first... "Well. That little mewlin' brat I told ye about?"

"The special child, yes?" Vanessa arched her eyebrows for emphasis. "That you adopted without telling me."

"Ach! Werenae adoptin' nae wee bairns, love! I wouldnae afore gettin' yer thoughts!" Ailsa exclaimed, her accent thickening in distress. Vanessa laughed and tapped her on the nose.

"I already know the circumstances, it's quite alright. Rather, I'd have been angry if you hadn't done anything! That poor child... Did something happen to her?"

"Ah..." Sighing, the Bronzen Dwarf settled back on the couch and propped her feet on Vanessa's lap. She waved her hand, sending a stream of mana to activate the hidden Privacy wards just in case. "Aye. The lass... She picked up 【 Arcana 】. Wanted ta know if she should be keepin' it secret, and what it be meanin'."

Vanessa drained her entire glass of wine in one pull then poured herself another. "Oh."

"【 Gaea's Pique 】, 【 Arcana 】, and bein' a new 《 Relic 》 ta top it off... All before age fifteen or even hittin' Rank E! It ain't good, love. None bodes well fer nothin'."

"Remarkable children are borne to remarkable times," Vanessa said softly. "Such a talented child emerging now, in a time of peace... It's truly concerning. Especially since there's been a few other notable young prodigies appearing lately. If it's only a few, perhaps it's merely a time of innovation and discovery. A minor revolution, of sorts. Otherwise..."

Ailsa stole the glass from Vanessa's hand, draining the rest of the wine in one gulp. "Otherwise, we're in fer Hell."

Ailsa Sorry about the wait, kiddo. I was a bit busy with work! The 【 Arcana 】 skill is real useful, but you're right in thinking it's not something to go broadcasting about. It has some heavy prereqs, which means most common folk never see it in their lives! Most just think it boosts magic power and unlocks stronger spells, which is true in a roundabout sort of way... Ailsa You bought some spells off the System Shop, huh? To unlock it so fast, even with your silly Human shenanigans... Karl give you an allowance? Good choice spending it on something practical, well done! We'll practice using them next time I come around for training! Ailsa Hiding the skill won't be necessary since you have me as your official mentor and that'll make people expect a bit of ridiculousness from you which will help, but don't go flaunting it around either. The tallest flower gets plucked first. Standing out too much makes you a target, and you don't have the strength to withstand that sort of attention yet. Ailsa I recommend practicing with it as soon as possible. 【 Arcana 】 has passive effects as well as active ones, and it takes a long time to adjust to its various intricacies. The first time you activate it the skill will suck up all your HP and MP so don't try it in a Dungeon or during a spar. It's a very powerful skill and mandatory for caster-types who wish to make anything of their magic ability, but it's very important not to reveal your Grimoire's true appearance. It has two appearances, a true fixed form which looks like a book and a hidden form which you can personalize a little. Ailsa Definitely! Do NOT! Manifest your Grimoire in book form! In front of people! Unless you would trust them with your life, because that's exactly what you're doing! Ailsa That is VERY important. Do you understand me? Ailsa Also let me be the one to tell Archmage Karl, aye?

Kira yawned as she read through Ailsa's wall of messages, rubbing sleep from her eyes. After a huge dinner with the rest of the class, she followed them back to the training zone to try and help with analyzing spells as she'd originally promised. The session lasted well into the night, and despite being an absolutely exhausting endeavor, it felt oddly satisfying too. Especially when her suggestions resulted in someone being able to use a spell more easily!

Kira rolled out of bed. The buzzing of the alarm clock she left across the room to taunt her out of bed was finally enough to pull her from the warmth and safety of her blankets. She gave herself enough time to get ready before class in the slow, zombie-like shuffle of early morning sleepiness, so she wasn't in any particular rush.

She took some time washing her face and brushing her teeth, got dressed then sent a thoughtful response to Ailsa.

Kira understood

'So it's another troublesome thing after all,' Kira thought to herself as she haphazardly brushed her hair before tying it back in a loose, messy bun. 'Why is everything about me slowly turning into a tangled mess of nonsense... Ah, right. Speaking of which, there's also...'

She popped open another Chat window whose notification was pleasantly blinking at her while grabbing an early morning snack from the fridge. It was previously pushed aside since Ailsa's new messages arrived first.

Karl Miss Kira, I have some unfortunate news. Your identity was leaked in the Council meeting yesterday, but we're doing all we can to limit the spread of rumors or misinformation. In the meantime, you should do your best to keep a low profile and not draw undue attention to yourself until we can clear things up on our end. Karl I'm terribly sorry about this. Another councilor unexpectedly brought you up in a public meeting and had security camera footage, there was nothing I could do. Your name and face shouldn't be widespread for quite some time, but do be cautious all the same. Do not leave Miss Brigit's side when possible. I will warn her as well. Karl Please don't misunderstand, you are not in any physical danger. There are plenty of protections in place. But it's better to be safe than sorry, and I assume from what I know of you that undue attention would not be welcomed either. Karl We'll get this sorted as soon as possible. Again, please accept my sincerest apologies.

A nervous bundle of anxiety churned in Kira's stomach. She covered her face with her hands, taking a few deep breaths. Then she put back the snack she previously removed from the fridge, her appetite evaporating.

Kira ok

She couldn't think of a better response.

Then she glanced down at her hands for a moment, checking the System clock to make sure there was plenty of time left before activating her new skill.

"【 Arcana 】."

Mana surged within her body, charging toward her hand with an almost vacuum-like sensation. Sparkles of lavender light leapt from her fingertips, coalescing into a tiny bead hovering in midair. The bead grew larger and larger with every point it drained from her MP, and once that bar ran dry it moved on to hungrily consume her HP as well.

Losing both MP and HP left her feeling surprisingly weak and vulnerable. Even worse, that odd vacuum-like sensation didn't stop. Her HP shield and MP were both long gone, but it was still taking...

Something.

Devouring, even.

Her ears rang and her vision faded at the edges, accompanied by the familiar sort of nausea that she felt whenever she had her blood drawn at the doctor as a child. Kira staggered, panting for breath, grasping the edge of the nearby kitchen counter to keep from falling over.

Somehow, she felt deep in her heart that falling unconscious would be bad. Not dangerous, particularly, but bad nonetheless. So she held on to the counter, taking slow deep breaths and focusing on how the cool marble counter felt against her clammy skin, or how its edge pressed sharply into the soft flesh of her palm.

The floor undulated beneath her feet. Kira stumbled, her knees shaking, and barely managed to keep from sprawling face-first on the floor. Instead, she managed a slow, measured slide to the cool kitchen tile, sitting on the ground to hopefully ease the feeling of being tossed about by previously steady ground.

Kira opened the System and hurriedly purchased a few mixed potions with the remaining funds in her account, not even bothering to check their flavors or potency. What mattered most was volume, so she grabbed the first discounted bundle listed on the potion page.

Bottle after bottle, Kira chugged the potions without tasting even a single drop. Bottle after bottle dissolved into mana particles, vanishing without a trace the instant they were emptied. Her HP and MP would recover a sliver before being drained again, a constant flickering back and forth in the System screen.

Time dragged on. Kira kept purchasing potions until her money ran out. Her stomach felt bloated from drinking so many, but she was afraid of what would happen if she stopped.

Seconds. Minutes. Hours.

Days?

Finally, finally, the HP and MP stopped draining so fast. Finally, the last of her potions started actually restoring those two vital bars instead of just fighting the drain.

Kira heaved a sigh of relief, running shaky fingers down her sweaty face. She looked up at the floating orb of lavender light and narrowed her eyes into her best, most threatening glare.

"Bitch."

The orb seemed to bob around in a quick pattern. It descended, hovering at eye-level for a moment, then lunged forward to smack against Kira's face. She flinched away, closing her eyes, but by the time she opened them the little orb was gone. In its place was a floating tooltip.

【 Arcana 】 Seed Formation Successful Bloom Progress: 0% ETA: 5 Days

Due to your level being much lower than most who initially obtain and form a Grimoire, blooming will be delayed.

Passive and Active use of 【 Arcana 】 will be restricted until blooming is complete.

Grimoire Quality will be revealed upon full bloom and is dependent on multiple factors. Quality is not fixed, and can be increased in various ways, but a strong foundation is beneficial for early development.

BONUS Retained Consciousness +Quality Levelheaded Response +Quality Adaptive Reaction +Quality Ambitious Youth +Quality PENALTY Unprepared -Quality Insufficient Resources -Quality

Kira sighed and dismissed the tooltip, then glanced at the clock. She didn't have time for a quick shower before class, but she could at least wash her face before heading downstairs...

Before that, however, there was an important message she had to send to Ailsa.

Kira 【 Arcana 】 is a bitch and i think i almost died 0/10 would not recommend

"One week!"

Kira jolted, pausing mid-step as she left the elevator. Simon was in the common room, surrounded by the rest of the class as he waved a brilliant poster in the air. She shook herself to get rid of the lingering anxiety causing her brow to furrow, and forcefully plastered a pleasant - if sleepy - expression on her face.

"Good morning Kira," Brigit said with a smile, turning upon hearing the elevator door ding. "Sleep well?"

Before Kira could decide whether or not to nod, Ribbon rushed over with a poster in her paws identical to the one Simon waved about. "Kira, Kira! The Trials officially start in a week!"

"So... So soon?" Kira muttered, her voice a whispering croak. She took the offered poster, raising her eyebrows at the surprisingly colorful and cutesy cartoon characters advertising the event.

'Fun and games, prizes, healers on standby... What is this, a carnival?' Kira frowned, glancing at the back of the poster to see if there was more detailed information.

Seeing her expression, Ribbon smiled comfortingly. "It's a fun event, um. Apparently. For people taking part, and the people watching too! It's, ah, broadcast? Or recorded and then broadcast, I d-don't remember. But it's a big deal here in Atmont! Um... At least, for the other years. Not... Not the first years as m-much, so don't worry!"

Kira paled at the thought of being on television while trying to compete. Her hands shook, but the sight of Ribbon's expectant face forced her to calm down.

'Right, it's not for me. It's for them. It's important for them.' She gave a quick nod, handing the poster back to the waiting Kobold. "Okay."

"Um... Brigit, Brigit said we should go in the Dungeon after lessons today. Since... It's been kind of. Put off a bunch? Cuz um. Stuff kept happening, so..." Ribbon fidgeting, crumpling the poster between her paws then letting out a startled squeak as she tried to straighten the paper back out. She hesitated for a moment, staring at the ground before continuing in a small voice. "W-would... Is that... Fine?"

"Yeah," Kira said, giving a second nod. "It'll be fun."

"Fun?!" Ribbon exclaimed then looked down again in shame, her ears drooping. She shuffled her feet, glancing up at Kira with a bashful sort of hesitance. "I've... I've never... I mean... What if I m-mess up? I've never been in... In a Dungeon..."

Kira patted the top of Ribbon's head. "You'll have us. Don't worry."

If it came down to it, she could always 【 Throw Rock 】 at the enemy's nethers...