Time had never passed as quickly as it did after Ms Asia's arrival, and then the big day was upon us. July fifth, Tuesday. I rose earlier than usual, and after breakfast, Charlotte took me to a dressing room on the second floor of the manor, where she had me put on a clean white silk shirt, black velveteen trousers, and then made me sit down in front of an antique table with a tall three-panel mirror.
"We're going to have to do something about your looks before we leave for the academy, Ms Hope," the maid declared, bravely picking up a brush.
"What are you talking about?"
What was wrong with my looks?
"I'm talking about this 'feral wolf'-aesthetic of yours," she explained. "It does have its charm points, sure, but will arouse mostly the unwanted sort of attention from the upper classes. First impressions are vital when it comes to human relationships, you know? You will want your peers to respect you without having to beat them within an inch of their lives."
"Huh."
I tilted my head at my mirror image.
I didn't think I looked like a beast, although it was true I didn't pay much attention to my appearance. Why would you, if you could be a corpse tomorrow? Common soldiers were subject to strict regulations, but the status of a high-ranked mage earned you certain privileges. Nobody dared criticize my appearance.
As long as you washed your face, had clean clothes, and couldn't be located in a dark forest by smell, wasn't that good enough? I cut the bangs regularly so I could see ahead without magic, but left my hair otherwise untouched. It had grown wild and well past the waist level, all the ends coming down to an uneven length. But hair was conductive to mana, and keeping it long extended the range and sensitivity of sensory skills.
It was a functional style.
Charlotte had other ideas. She got to work with my hair and spent a great deal of time brushing and combing and fiddling with it, and finally braided the sorted strands into a long tail that looked neat and kept out of the way. My field of vision was greatly widened, the world much brightened, without losing any of the benefits.
Wish I'd known that trick years ago.
The maid finally applied light makeup, instructed me how to do everything myself, and the operation was finished.
"That cheered up your look quite a bit, don't you think?" Charlotte asked me, clearly pleased with her own handiwork. "I thought a basic three-strand braid would suit you."
I studied the mirror image, a little awed.
"Damn, I barely recognize myself. You really know your way with disguises. Does it come with the job?"
"I'll, uh, take that as a compliment…Oh, but I almost forgot the finishing touch! The number one fashion item said to increase a person's intellect by at least 100 points—visually, anyway."
Charlotte took out of her apron pocket a set of black-framed spectacles, which she proceeded to fit on my nose. Now I truly looked like a complete stranger, even in my own eyes. Who is that nerd?
"Do I really need to wear these…?"
"Yup, just take them. The lenses aren't adjusted, so they shouldn't get in your way. The opposite, actually. I heard your eyes are more sensitive to mana than normal, which gives you frequent headaches, so I requested these from the Mysterium R&D. The tempered glass of the lenses is made to filter excess energy wavelengths. I thought they might make your life easier in a place full of magical effects."
"Oh."
She went that far for me, not because of any instructions from above, but just out of personal kindness? The considerate act caught me by surprise. I had to take a moment to recall the words I hardly ever needed.
"…Thank you, Charlotte. I appreciate it."
"Ehehe." The maid smiled happily. "You're very welcome, Ms Hope. Good luck with your exams! We're all cheering for you."
No bigger preparations were needed. The applicants were only told to bring themselves to the test site. We went out of the manor and across the wide yard to the garage, where one of the automobiles already awaited us on the driveway.
It was the newest model, where even the driver's seat had a roof and a windshield. The passenger cabin was lower and closer to the ground, with dimmed windows. The frame was coated with sleek black metal plates, and the wheels had thick rubber tires and decorative center caps. A suited chauffeur stood ready by the vehicle—and Ms Asia was there too.
"Oh my," she remarked when she saw me, blinking. "My, oh my. Hey, Hope, how about you ditch my sister and become my daughter instead? I can give you a bigger allowance."
"I must respectfully decline," I said. "Thank you for coming to see us off. Until later then."
"Heartless," Ms Asia said. "But I'm not here to see you off. I'm coming with you."
"Why? I thought you graduated years ago?"
She poked the bridge of my glasses to nudge them upward.
"Don't play dumb with me now, kiddo. Did you forget that I'm going to work in the academy? I've yet to sign my contract with the administration, and there's lots of prep work to do before the start of the term, too."
"…"
I suppose she had a valid reason.
Yes. It simply could not be helped.
"Rejoice, Hope," she added, striking what was maybe intended as a seductive pose. "You get to sit next to your sexy aunt the whole way there. If there's a quick curve, you can pretend to fall on me. Doesn't that get your heart racing? Thumb-thumb."
"It. Does. Not."
The auto interior was sublime too. The spotless seats were dressed with squeaky burgundy leather and had the smell of new on them. It seemed this would be the vehicle's maiden trip. The magitech engine installed somewhere in the back part beat like a loud sort of sewing machine when turned on, and I quietly prayed it would last the whole trip. Prayed to whom? Not to Amellys, for sure.
We rolled down to the main gate, hailed by guardsmen, and out onto the street, and were soon dashing through the capital streets. The automobile was not much faster than a two-horse cart at top speed, but it never grew tired, didn't sweat, didn't smell, nor poop in the streets. As long as the nethercite battery lasted, it could go anywhere.
In only a quarter-hour, we had passed through Canelon to the high outer wall and the west gate, and were then out, cruising through the green, fresh and sparkling country as it lay undulating in the humid summer haze between here and the distant cobalt mountains. We passed farms and grain fields without the wind on our faces. Peasants in the fields and peddlers on their mule carts paused to watch us pass, the younger waving and laughing, the older looking like the world was coming to an end. And village children would chase after the car, trying to catch it, but had to soon give up.
It would've taken a horse carriage five to six hours to reach the academy, but only two with the auto. What a convenient invention.
"That braid is a stroke of genius, Charlotte," Ms Asia complimented, relaxedly chatting with the maid.
"Thank you, milady."
"Where did you get the glasses? Do you have trouble with your eyes, Hope dear?"
"I'm a little nearsighted," I lied. "I don't normally need them, but thought I should be at my best for the exam."
"I think they really suit you. Can I try them on?"
"No."
"For just a little bit? I want to try the office lady look."
"Sorry, I need them. I'll miss the landscape. Look. Isn't that mill lovely? Was it there when you were young?"
"Stingy." Ms Asia pouted at me without sparing the mill a glance.
I'd thought she was a little cool when we first met, but what a misunderstanding that was. She really was like a child in the body of a fully-grown woman. The best treatment for such people was simply to not give them the attention they yearned for. So I aimed my gaze out of the window and at the clear skies, where fluffy, lamb-like clouds drifted unhurriedly by.
It was a wonderful day for a drive.
Somewhere about twenty minutes after leaving the city, a lone wayfarer came into view, trudging along the bumpy roadside, dragging a heavy-looking suitcase. The figure had a weather-worn, hooded cloak on, but her movements had the rashness of youth. By her figure and mannerisms, I thought she could've been around my own age, a teenage girl.
Was the traveler headed to the academy too? On foot? If so, she was in trouble.
Ms Asia seemed to share my thoughts. She leaned across the cabin to knock on the driver side wall.
"Nicholas! Pull over!"
The driver did as told, and we ground to a halt by the side of the sandy road, a little ahead of the weary wanderer. When she reached up to us, Ms Asia rolled the side window open with a little lever on the door and called out.
"Hey, where are you going, little lady."
"Eh?" The girl stopped, startled.
"Are you going to Belmesion?"
"Y-yes, that's right."
"For the entrance exam?"
"Yes?"
"Need a ride?"
"I…" The traveler looked around and hesitated.
"There are less than two hours left before the exam begins. You'll never make it on foot."
The stranger appraised us and the vehicle, and her eyes flashing with a brief hope. But then she let her gaze sink bitterly down at the dusty road.
"...I'm a commoner. You probably don't want me with you."
"Good," said Ms Asia and kicked the door open. "If you were a noble, I would've left you to walk. Get in."
Still looking mighty confused, but recognizing it as an offer you couldn't refuse, the girl hurried to climb aboard and sit next to Charlotte. And I secretly thought that my adoptive aunt was a little cool, after all.