Chapter 3

Ayisa stood next to the bedroom door, her bedroom door. The place was larger than her old hut. It had clean white walls, a light blue curtain covering the window, and a sophisticated-looking torch hanging from the ceiling. The magic light was upside down, but the flames flowed downward. No smoke appeared from it.

The girl shuddered.

“Thi- This is my room?” she asked, turning to her teacher standing behind.

Iris had already prepared her transfer document when she was unconscious. All Ayisa needed to do after she woke up was sign her name.

“What do you think?” Iris leaned against the door, the handle clicking as it closed. “Comfortable, eh?”

“But- but- but- but!”

“But?”

“This room! T- It’s too large!” she said, spreading her hands. Neither hand touched the wall from where she stood.

The room featured a large bedroom area, a balcony, and a private bathroom. How could she have all this space for herself?

“Well, yeah, of course it is.”

“How?”

“What do you mean, how? It’s just the way it is. Get in, try the bed.”

Ayisa nodded hesitantly before heading to the bed. The suitcase sitting in front of it drew her attention.

“In there are some clothes for you. Uniforms and the like.”

She kneeled in front of the suitcase and clicked on the two buttons holding the lid in place. Ayisa gasped when the top swung open, a bit faster than she anticipated. She pulled out a piece of clothing. A white dress with a frilly end.

“Ah, that's sleepwear. It should be more comfortable to sleep in compared to your uniform.”

She was about to put it on over her uniform when Iris stopped her.

“You wear that without your uniform.”

Ayisa headed to the bathroom to change, letting out an audible yelp the second she entered. It was huge, more than half her hut. Just how large was this place?

Iris chuckled, a concerned expression on her face. Ayisa’s cheeks reddened as she closed the door. She must have looked incredibly inept. How embarrassing. After struggling with taking off her uniform for a few minutes, which was evidently much more complex compared to the thin layer of cloth she used to wear, she finally changed into her sleepwear. As Iris said, it was comfortable, even if a bit thin.

“They’re the perfect size… How?”

“I took your measurements while you were asleep.”

She returned to the suitcase to examine the other clothes in it.

“What do you think?”

“They’re… very different.”

So this is what people regularly wear…

Ayisa examined herself, doing a little twirl in front of the mirror. Things had been hectic throughout the entire day, so only now did she notice the changes on her body. She seemed cleaner, her skin glowing white, although her height hadn’t changed.

Her dark red eyes matched the color of a ruby, one of the magic stones people used in the past. Her messy dark green hair used to match the color of fallen leaves, although it looked much brighter now. Much tidier as well. It used to reach down to her thighs. Now it only reached her shoulders.

“Did a little makeover. I hope you don’t mind.”

“It’s… really good.”

She looked like someone else. Had she seen a mirror when she woke up, she might have fainted again, thinking she had been reborn and now lived in a different body.

Still, she liked her comfortable new style. She lost count of how often her long hair got stuck in trees and ended up pulling on her head.

“Tha- Thank you very much… and I’m sorry. I made you do everything for me.”

“It's fine, really.” Iris patted Ayisa's shoulder.

Ayisa fell silent at her gentle smile. Iris could solve all the issues in the world if she wanted to. Ayisa was sure of that. Why would Iris bring her here, though? She sacrificed a whole lot for someone like her, someone who didn’t deserve all these gifts.

“Now, you enjoy your first night here. I'll go get some drinks.”

“Drinks?”

“Nothing like some good fancy alcohol to end the day. Oh, there are water dispensers and cups at the end of the hallway if you want water.” Iris waved toward the door.

“... You don’t pull them from a well? Or a river?”

Iris shook her head. “Not here, at least.”

With a wave, Iris closed the door. Curious, Ayisa walked up to it and pulled it open. The large wooden door felt heavier than expected, requiring a bit of force to get it moving. Looking out into the hallway, she couldn't see anything or anyone.

Iris had given her the basic information about their school. Grenary had been built over a century ago, mostly for noble children. In the following years, more and more commoners were admitted. Many of the students here came from high-ranking families or possessed immense talent, far more than the average person.

Ayisa fell into neither category. Someone running around the forest wouldn't have any noble lineage, and she didn't have any particular skill that would be useful to other people. Could she survive here? Or would they kick her out once they saw her for the fraud she is?

Would Ayisa even last a week? What if Iris thought she was a waste of time? A waste of resources? What could someone like her possibly offer?

Her dizziness returned, and she spun, walking back to her bed. She paused midway.

I should wash myself.

Ayisa returned to the bathroom. The bathroom had a large bath with some tools in it. As much as she wanted to head straight to bed, she was no longer in her forest shack. She must relearn the rules of society. That includes keeping a clean appearance.

Relearn…

Who was she? What was she like before she began living in that forest?

Ayisa turned the left tap, allowing warm water to fill the tub. She dipped her finger in the water.

“Ouch!”

She adjusted a different valve for cold water. Once the temperature was right, she dipped into the tub, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.

… Why do I remember?

For some reason, she knew what to do. Ayisa couldn't tell where she had seen the bathtub before. Back in the forest hut, she dipped in the river whenever she felt dirty. She couldn't adjust the temperature, using whatever the river gave her, even in the freezing cold of winter.

What could she have forgotten? She remembered having something before moving to the forest, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall it.

Ayisa sighed, letting her thoughts drift as she soaked in the warm water.