The moment the words of surrender left his mouth, the shimmering blue mana dome dissolved into thin air. The oppressive heat trapping us inside vanished, replaced by the cool, drafty air of the gymnasium.
I didn't lose a second. Stepping out of the lingering patch of sunlight, I walked over to where Garret was sitting in the sand. I extended my hand down to him, keeping my voice low and genuinely respectful.
"You're strong, Garret. Seriously. If that metal ball had hit me a second earlier, I would've been done for. Good fight."
Garret stared at my outstretched hand for a moment, wiping a streak of blood from his forehead with his heat-resistant glove. Then, a small, begrudging smirk cracked through his tough exterior. He took my hand, letting me pull him to his feet.
"Yeah, whatever, you're full of surprises, Zenni. I completely underestimated you. Just... don't go dying on me after a performance like that."
He muttered, his expression returning to that classic, edgy scowl, though his tone was surprisingly kind. Before we could say anything more, Miss Karrie practically sprinted across the sand toward us, her clipboard shaking in her hand. Her face was a mask of absolute, unadulterated shock. She looked at me, then at Garret, then back at me.
"Zenni... you... you actually defeated Garret? He is the top student in this entire class! To manipulate blood with that level of kinetic force and precision... it shouldn't be possible for a first-year."
But my advisor's interrogation was immediately cut short. A flurry of soft fabric and sweet perfume slammed into me as Cindy , Amelia , and Aisha rushed the arena floor.
"Zenni! You were incredible!" Cindy cheered, wrapping her arms around my neck from behind.
Amelia immediately clung to my side, the soft, heavy weight of her chest pressing firmly against my arm as she squeezed me tight.
"I knew you could do it! You're officially the strongest one here!"
Aisha slid in on my other side, her green eyes flashing with excitement as she held onto my shoulder, completely anchoring me in place. I stood there, buried under a literal wall of girls, letting out a sheepish laugh to play the part of the overwhelmed but smug teenager.
While the girls clung to me like a human shield, thankfully blocking out any remaining glare from the ceiling, Miss Karrie knelt down next to Garret. Her hands glowed with a soft green light as she began weaving a high-tier renewal spell, sealing up the minor burns and cuts from his own exploded quicksilver.
Garret didn't look mad at all as the healing magic washed over him. He just watched the girls smothering me, rolling his eyes with a quiet shake of his head. He knew he had miscalculated my strength, and in a twisted way, it seemed I had earned his ultimate respect.
The school bell suddenly rang out through the rafters, signaling the end of the afternoon period. The sun outside was beginning to dip lower, painting the high windows in shades of deep amber. The time for the Emerald Spire meeting was dangerously close.
Miss Karrie stepped away from Garret as her green healing aura finally faded, her eyes still wide with an unreadable mix of awe and lingering suspicion. She marched right over to where the girls were practically suffocating me, her boots clicking sharply on the sand.
"Zenni, I have monitored the first-year sector for five years, and I have never seen anyone handle Blood Manipulation with that degree of kinetic density. To reshape the iron in your own veins into a functioning shield and a localized whip without immediately passing out from anemia... it defies the standard curriculum. The fact that you refined a suicidal human skill to this level while being raised in the slums is nothing short of a miracle. The Board is going to have their eyes on you now."
I offered her a humble, exhausted nod, playing the part of the weary prodigy perfectly.
"Thank you, Miss Karrie. I just... did what I had to do to survive."
As the rest of the students began filing out toward the changing rooms, I gently nudged my way through the wall of fabric and perfume to reach for my heavy captain's cloak resting on the bench. I needed to wrap myself back up before the afternoon sun could catch me through the main exit doors.
But the moment my hand gripped the dark fabric, Cindy snagged my other sleeve, her golden eyes flashing with absolute determination.
"You're not walking back to the dorms alone looking like that, Zenni. Let's go together!" Cindy said
"Yeah, we're taking care of you now, you need someone to walk you to the infirmary, or at least keep those upper-year creeps away from you." Amelia said
Amelia chimed in, leaning her large chest heavily against my forearm as she anchored herself to me, completely oblivious to the lingering heat radiating from my sun-scorched skin.
Aisha Tyler nodded fiercely, her vibrant red hair swaying as she stepped in right beside us.
"No arguments. We're staying with you. Let's go together, Zenni." Aisha added
I couldn't help but let out a quiet, amused chuckle under my breath. Having an entire harem of the class's most popular girls acting as a literal physical shield around me was actually a massive tactical advantage. They would easily block the sunlight and any prying eyes from noticing the irregular nature of my burns.
With the girls tightly clinging to my arms and crowding around my shoulders, we walked out of the Grand Gymnasium in a large, noisy pack, surrounded by several other first-years who were still whispering frantically about the upset victory. As we stepped out into the main corridors, the amber rays of the afternoon sun began to stretch across the stone floors, signaling that the time for the Emerald Spire meeting was right around the corner.
The walk from the gymnasium down to the outside gates felt like a marathon through a minefield. The afternoon sun was casting long, heavy shadows across the academy grounds, forcing me to maneuver carefully while Cindy, Amelia, and Aisha remained tightly wrapped around my arms.
Because they were practically acting as a human shield, they blocked the stray rays from hitting my skin, but it came with a completely different kind of pressure. They were whispering directly into my ears, tossing out seductive, playful comments about how brave I was and how they should help me heal back at the dorms.
Inside, I was completely panicking. I'm a girl in a boy's body right now! My mind racing. This was the absolute first time I had ever experienced the chaotic, overwhelming reality of a harem life, and I was entirely out of my comfort zone. I just kept a cool, mysterious smile on my face, playing the part of Zenni the smug prodigy while internally screaming.
When we finally bypassed the heavy stone arches of the academy's outside gates, the playful atmosphere shattered.
Standing just past the perimeter was a squad from the Sisiphon Alchemist Guild. They looked completely out of place against the prestigious backdrop of the academy, guarding a heavy wooden carriage with darkened curtains drawn over the windows. They were clearly waiting for my arrival.
Leaning against the carriage wheel was Dorin, one of Oksana's regular enforcers. He had been tasked to pick me up the moment my classes ended to bring me directly to the Emerald Spire to meet the Lotus Dust Queen herself.
The moment his eyes landed on my ivory uniform, his face lit up and he waved his hand aggressively.
"Hey, Zenni! Over here! Move your ass, we're on a schedule!"
The girls immediately froze, their grips tightening on my sleeves as they looked at the heavily armed guild members with pure disgust and suspicion.
"Who is that man, Zenni? He looks more like a low-life thug than an alchemist." Cindy whispered, her golden eyes narrowing.
"Yeah, why is he calling you over? Those guys look dangerous." Amelia asked, her chest pressing hard against my arm as she tried to pull me away from them.
I needed an alibi fast. I couldn't risk revealing my deeper, dangerous connections to the drug syndicate to the most popular girls in Room 1-B. I cleared my throat, letting out a casual, tired sigh.
"Oh, him? That's just my dad. He's... a laborer for the lower-tier guilds. He came here to pick me up after hearing about the trouble I got into this morning."
The girls blinked in surprise, their suspicion instantly melting into pity. To them, it made perfect sense, a talented slum boy with a rough, low-class father who worked a dangerous guild job.
"Oh... I see, well, don't let him scold you too hard for the duel. You were amazing today." Aisha said softly, letting go of my shoulder with a reassuring smile.
"See you tomorrow in class, Zenni!"
Cindy called out as she and the others finally disentangled themselves from my uniform. They gave me one last wave, whispering among themselves as they turned back toward the student district.
Once the harem was a safe distance away, the smile dropped from my face. I adjusted my uniform, pulled my expression into a cold, detached gaze, and walked straight toward the wooden carriage where Dorin was waiting.
Dorin let out a low, rough chuckle as I closed the distance, his hands resting casually on the hilt of his iron dagger.
"Well, Zenni, how's class? Did the high-and-mighty academy teachers treat you like the trash they think we are?"
I adjusted the collar of my ivory uniform, letting a cold, arrogant smirk ripple across Zenni's face.
"Class was good, I beat up the smartest kid in my room. Left him bleeding out in the sand."
Dorin's eyes widened slightly in surprise, a grin spreading across his scarred face as he clapped a heavy hand onto my uninjured shoulder.
"Ha! That's good! Show those silver-spoon bastards what the slums can do. Keep continuing your studies for your future, kid. The Queen likes her assets smart, not just useful."
He turned and threw open the heavy oak door of the wooden carriage.
"Get in. The boss is already at the Spire, and she hates being kept waiting."
I climbed inside, the heavy scent of dried lavender and stale ozone hitting my nose as the door slammed shut behind me, plunging the interior into a dim, amber twilight. The carriage gave a violent lurch as the driver whipped the horses, the wooden wheels groaning against the cobblestones as we began our ascent toward the upper districts.
Through a small slit in the heavy window curtains, I watched the prestigious towers of the academy fade into the distance, replaced by the looming, jagged shadow of the Emerald Spire. The massive structure pierced the sky like a poisoned needle, its green glass windows catching the dying rays of the afternoon sun.
As we arrived at the southern district gates, we didn't even payed the toll, Dorin made a grunt look and the guards were terrified and even says.
"Nope, I ain't signing for this shit, this is the guild. Come in."
Down in the carriage floor, the shadows lengthened, and the stinging burns on my face and shoulder began to throb with a dull, persistent ache. I was heading straight into the viper's nest to meet Oksana, the very woman responsible for Gary's death, the Lotus Dust epidemic, and the looming threat against my sister.
The carriage finally ground to a halt, the iron gates of the Spire screeching open outside.
"We're here, fix your uniform, Zenni. You're entering the Queen's court now."