Tina was shocked.
While she had been off looking for the Astral Sage, Sathya had run out of the clinic and headed straight for the dormitory.
It seemed she wanted to withdraw that application to change dorm rooms.
Those words had hurt her after all.
“Sister Tina, I... I know I was wrong.”
Tears welled in her eyes, filled with deep sorrow, looking as though they would spill over at any moment.
She only spoke that single sentence, knowing that if she continued, she would burst into tears.
At that moment, the old woman standing nearby couldn't bear to watch any longer. She stepped forward and said, “Little Tina, Sathya hasn't even recovered from her injuries yet, but she ran all the way here to apologize. She was just acting on impulse. She loves you so much, how could she possibly want to separate from you? Oh, Little Tina, I know you're angry, but please let it go this time and give her another chance, all right?”
“Publicly insulting me during the magic competition, calling me a drag and a self-righteous idiot... Does that count as acting on impulse? Besides, whether we separate or not is my choice, isn't it?”
Tina shook her head.
“Whether she withdraws it or not also depends on my consent. Granny, if there's nothing else, I'm going back to pack my things.”
To make her stance clear, Tina walked right up to Sathya.
“Sathya, you are a very gentle person, and far more outstanding than me. What you said before was right—we've grown up, we can't go back to how we were as children, and you don't need to listen to me anymore.”
“Sister Tina...”
Sathya spoke in a trembling voice, but Tina cut her off before she could finish.
“Let's just leave things like this between us. From now on, consider it a fresh start. If we run into each other, I'll still say hello.”
“I...”
Tina walked quickly toward the stairs, leaving without looking back.
She could hear Sathya's choked sobs behind her.
【Sathya's Obsession: 511】
It was painful. Yes...
Tina felt as if a knife had been plunged into her heart and twisted, wringing out blood.
She was in pain too, but compared to the seventy-nine years Sathya had endured, this was nothing.
Their dorm room was B17 on the second floor, the room at the very end of the corridor.
The room was about 150 square meters.
A living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, toilet...
It was indeed just like a stereotypical luxury hotel.
While packing her luggage, Tina spotted a small cat plushie on the shelf—Sathya's favorite.
Before entering the Holy Academy, back when they were at the convent, Tina was the one who managed their shared finances.
When Sathya had begged to buy it back then, Tina had agreed without a second thought.
It had cost quite a bit of money.
But now, Tina's academic and magical performance were at the very top of the academy. Hardly any of the upperclassmen could surpass her.
Therefore, she was not short on money; the scholarships and benefits alone were enough to fill her pockets to the brim.
She hadn't expected to keep it until now.
Tina spent half an hour packing her personal belongings into a large trunk.
Her new room was D04 on the fourth floor of the dormitory building.
It happened to be in the exact opposite direction of her old room.
The only difference between the new dorm and the old one was that the space was much smaller. After all, the old double room had been specially prepared for them by Lavertis, and back then, many members of the Leaflight society had been very envious.
Tina put away her toiletries, took a bath, and collapsed onto her bed, completely exhausted.
Closing her eyes gently, her consciousness drifted higher and higher until she finally fell asleep.
When she woke up, it was already night.
The sky was as beautiful as a dream, but Tina was in no mood to admire it.
Feeling a bit hungry, she decided to head to the cafeteria to get something to eat.
She had originally planned to go to her society's cafeteria and just order some vegetable soup, but after some thought, she headed toward the public cafeteria in the northern campus instead.
The public cafeteria offered better quality food, was livelier, and allowed her to run into more people.
The biggest difference, however, was that Sathya wouldn't be here.
But Tina was still too naive.
The moment she arrived at the cafeteria, she saw a large crowd gathered in a circle in the first-floor hall.
Most of them were girls, warmly greeting and showing concern for the young maiden in the center.
“Sathya, I heard you were attacked by a magical beast?!”
“How on earth did you repel it? Are you hurt?”
“Ugh, those wretched magical beasts, how dare they target Sathya...”
“We will definitely protect you!”
Sathya had become a "celebrity" ever since she entered the academy.
All of her grades were at the absolute top, surpassing every other student by a wide margin.
For a powerhouse standing at the center of the world, it was only natural for the world to revolve around her.
But Sathya turned a deaf ear to their words. She merely kept her head down, not even bothering to answer their questions, refusing to offer so much as a perfunctory grunt.
Tina was momentarily lost in her memories.
More than eighty years ago, Sathya had still been quite enthusiastic about answering her "fans'" questions, though if Tina was by her side, she wouldn't pay attention to anyone else.
But she was different now.
Suddenly, a flicker of alertness flashed in Sathya's eyes. She looked up and locked her gaze precisely onto Tina, who was standing outside the crowd.
“Sister Tina...”
【Sathya's Obsession: 601】
Tina noticed it too, of course, as the system prompt echoed in her mind.
However, she pretended not to see, went to the counter to order a pork cutlet bowl, and found an empty corner to enjoy her meal in peace.
Just as she thought the night would pass without incident and began planning how to make her entrance at tomorrow afternoon's society meeting, a young woman sat down across from her without any hesitation.
It was the Astral Sage.
Dressed in a standard student uniform, she was quite well-disguised, and no one around seemed to recognize her.
“Good evening, Tina.”
“What do you want?”
“Nothing, just passing by.”
“...”
Tina continued eating her cutlet, not bothering to pay the Astral Sage any mind.
“Fine, I give up. You really don't know how to take a joke, do you?”
“Spit it out.”
“I just came to ask: what exactly did you mean when you said you wanted Sathya to become the Saintess? I can only cooperate if I understand, right? What you said before was far too vague.”
“Literally,” Tina said, looking up at the Astral Sage. “Whatever means you have to help her, use them.”
“Well, that's no small task.”
“Don't worry, she's very strong. You don't need to fret over her too much. Just assist her at critical moments, and do exactly as I tell you.” Tina rested her chin in her hand, adopting a lazy and cute posture.
“Well, regardless, this is a long-term partnership. You won't treat me poorly, right?” The Astral Sage smiled calmly. “Tina, I also have a favor to ask of you.”
“Go ahead.”
“There's a reason I didn't want to give you this pendant.”
The Astral Sage gave a strained smile.
“This necklace belonged to my older sister. She went missing ten years ago, and the only reason I came to the Holy Academy was to find her... That fellow Ulrich completely ignores me now, but I think you might have the ability to help me. This way, we can build a bridge between us.”
Tina didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
She had no idea how to explain to the Astral Sage that her sister was the Deceptive Magical Beast.
Rate on N.U.
