Chapter 12: The Girls' Cold Reception
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 12: The Girls' Cold Reception
Just as I finished filling out the form, I finally noticed that a girl had been following me for some time.
To be more precise, she seemed to be peering at my form.
What was there to see? I turned around abruptly, locking my gaze onto her.
She seemed caught off guard by my sudden movement. For a moment, her eyes darted around, unsure of where to look, before she quickly tried to act as if she were busy with her own business.
"Is there something you need? I noticed you’ve been standing behind me, staring at my form," I said, bluntly calling her out.
"Oh, um... it wasn't for that long, haha... I just saw that the Senior Sister guiding you seems to have a lot of knowledge about magic wands, so I wanted to use yours as a reference," the girl said, scratching her head sheepishly.
"Wands are best when they actually suit the user, right? Are you sure you want to use mine as a reference?" I waved the form in front of her, looking at her with a playful smile.
While I didn't know much about magic wands, I figured they wouldn't make much of a difference for a beginner like me. To need a wand specifically tailored to yourself, you’d at least need your own combat style and signature spells, wouldn't you?
At this stage, none of us were professionals. Why bother with such a specialized wand?
However, it was easy enough to bluff a fellow freshman. The fact that she even said such a thing proved she knew as little about wands as I did.
"Really? Then... maybe I should change mine..." The girl hesitated, an awkward expression crossing her face.
"Don't you have a Senior Sister guiding you?" I asked, finally voicing my confusion.
"Well... the Senior Sister who brought us here vanished right after we registered. She just told us what we needed to do next and left us to handle it ourselves."
I could hear the grievance in her voice. After all, comparison is the thief of joy.
But I caught a key detail: "us." Had that Senior Sister just abandoned a whole group of freshmen? I instinctively looked around to see if anyone was with her. I could probably ask Sister Bai to help one person, but if there were many, that might be a different story.
Even if they were fellow freshmen, it didn't mean we’d have anything to do with each other in the future.
"Exactly! That Senior Sister is so irresponsible. She said we could handle the rest on our own, but it took us forever just to find this place. And to think we wanted to get here early to familiarize ourselves with the academy!"
Another girl nearby chimed in with her own complaints. From the looks of it, she knew the first girl—or at least, they had been brought in by the same person.
"Senior Sister, could we please ask you to take us along? It's our first time at the academy and we're completely lost. We still have several steps left in the process..." This girl then tried to cozy up to Bai Yu, her tone shifting seamlessly from bitter complaining to a pitiful, pleading whimper.
My eyes widened. What was going on? Why were they suddenly swarming my Sister Bai? Weren't they just talking to me?
"No. I don't have the energy for that. If you don't know the way, use the map navigation on your phones," Bai Yu replied calmly. Her voice wasn't exactly icy, but it carried an undeniable weight of authority.
"But... our phones don't have a signal here..." one of the girls whispered weakly.
"Didn't you pick up the phones issued by the academy? They're at the registration desk. Go back there, get your phones, and find an idle Senior Sister to help you. It'll be much more efficient than begging me," Bai Yu continued, giving them a clear direction—and a graceful exit—while making it very clear she didn't want them pestering her.
The girls were smart enough to take the hint. Girls are naturally sensitive to emotional cues, and it was obvious this Senior Sister had no interest in dealing with them. If they kept pushing, who knew if she’d find a way to make their lives miserable later? After all, even a Senior Sister just one year above them had already mastered Transcendent power.
If she hit them with some undetectable Curse, they’d be finished.
"They're just leaving like that?"
I walked over to Sister Bai, feeling curious. It seemed I didn't even need to step in. I had never seen this side of her before.
"What else would they do? I came here specifically for you. I have no desire to drag a bunch of chattering little girls around with me."
"Fair point. So, should I just hand in the form? Also, when do I get my school uniform?" I asked, clutching the paper.
"If you don't have any special requirements, you can pick up a standard set on the spot. If you do, you might have to wait a few days," she explained after a moment's thought.
Hearing that, I readily submitted the form. The Registration Senior Sister checking the paperwork frowned as she scanned my entries. She lowered her head and peered at me over the top of her glasses. "You've got quite a lot of demands for a little junior, don't you?"
"Uh... well, sorry for the trouble, Senior Sister," I said sheepishly, making sure to keep a polite smile on my face. After all, as the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. That rule seemed universal.
"It certainly is a hassle. Fill in your name and address here. This magic wand needs to be custom-made, so we'll send it to you once it's finished. However, you can take the witch cape, witch hat, and chest badge right now. Go pick them out yourself according to your specifications. Since you were able to write down these requirements, I assume you can recognize the items?" A faint smirk played on her lips, as if she’d seen plenty of freshmen like me before.
"Understood. Thank you."
I thanked her quickly. Her suggestion was a bit tricky, but I had Sister Bai with me. If I had just written down things I’d heard were expensive, I probably would have spent ages staring at the pile of gear without knowing which was which.
I quickly signed my name and pulled out my room card to copy down the address. That was where I’d be living from now on, even though I still had no idea where it actually was.
But since the Senior Sister mentioned the phones had navigation, it shouldn't be too hard to find.
"All done?"
Bai Yu greeted me warmly as I walked back out.
"Yeah, but the Senior Sister told me to find the items myself. The wand has to be custom-made, but she said the capes, hats, and badges are available here."
"No problem, I'll help you," Sister Bai said naturally.
"Thank you, Sister Bai~"
Hearing the answer I wanted, I chirped my thanks. I even used a forced, cutesy, high-pitched voice that gave me goosebumps just listening to myself.
I didn't realize I could sound so nauseating when I tried.
But looking at Sister Bai, she seemed to really enjoy it. Should I look into a crash course for that kind of voice?
Of course, the thought only flashed through my mind for a second before I dismissed it.