"Good day, Teacher Ye."
Li Fei greeted her with easy, natural poise at the door of Classroom Three.
"You must be Li Fei. Hello."
The short-haired teacher — gentle and refined in her manner — held a stack of books against her chest. "Melodia mentioned you to me."
Her speaking pace was slightly slower than most people's, yet it never felt dragging. Nearly every word carried a subtle shift in cadence, her voice warm and melodic, as though she were quietly reciting a short poem.
"Oh? What did she say about me?"
Li Fei clasped her hands behind her back and asked with genuine curiosity.
"She mentioned you were interested in studying Chaos-alignment knowledge."
The teacher smiled — a soft, unhurried expression — her gaze settling on Li Fei without pressure. "When were you thinking of sitting in on our class?"
"The term just started, and things are a bit packed right now…"
Li Fei let her eyes go wide with precisely the right degree of shy, earnest bashfulness — the look of a quiet, well-behaved student wanting to make a good impression — while inwardly she was appraising the woman in front of her as a walking source of Academic Credits. "I've been looking forward to Teacher Ye Shu's class."
"No rush. Get your own schedule sorted out first."
Ye Shu smiled with easy understanding.
Ye Shu was the only Eastern teacher at the Academy. Black hair, black eyes, with the quietly understated elegance that was uniquely Eastern. Her bob was cut with subtle layering — jet-black and soft, tucked behind her right ear, the ends curling inward in a gentle arc that rested against her fair neck, simple yet carefully refined.
Her features were not the kind that struck you breathless the way Li Fei's did — but they were beautiful in a way that held up under any amount of looking. A small oval face, thin lips, the kind of classic, refined loveliness that called to mind a sheltered young woman from a good family. What truly set her apart were her eyes: tranquil and softly luminous, like a spring of clear water, or a pot of fine tea steeping slowly — the kind of beauty you could spend an entire afternoon simply savoring. Combined with that warm, dignified air of a devoted wife and mother, Ye Shu represented a category of woman perfectly engineered to be the undoing of a certain Special Enrollment student whose Morality score kept sliding ever lower into warlord territory.
Somewhat unusual, however, was the fact that this teacher didn't seem to be wearing a single Transcendent item. She was dressed in nothing more than a plain white blouse and jeans — a look so conservative it edged toward frumpy. The heat of summer hadn't fully faded yet, but her arms were covered by narrow, fitted sleeves, and her collar sat quite high, leaving only a small strip of elegant collarbone visible.
Of course, no outfit was beyond the reach of a beautiful face paired with a good figure. Ye Shu was petite and slender — half a head shorter than Li Fei — but her proportions were somewhat more generous in certain respects, and where the blouse strained outward, the line swept back inward at a dramatic arc to a waist that could be encircled with both hands, communicating the quiet allure of a mature woman with total restraint.
Had she not known in advance, Li Fei would never have guessed that this delicate, soft-spoken woman — who looked so much like her middle-school language arts teacher — was at minimum a mid-Sequence Transcendent capable of holding a position at the Magic Academy.
"Mm."
Li Fei nodded, then reached into her robe and produced a milk candy. Her eyes sparkled with the guileless, carefree charm of a girl being playfully sweet — while internally she was calculating exactly how many credits this woman was worth. "Teacher, a little gift — for our first meeting."
"That's not necessary. The other girls will get jealous."
Ye Shu replied with a touch of playful lightness. "I'll head back now — go get some lunch before it's too late."
"Ah — oh, of course. Goodbye, Teacher."
Li Fei blinked, caught slightly off guard, then bade her farewell with perfect politeness, watching that elegant, receding figure until it disappeared.
She actually turned me down!
Is she straight?
That can't be right. Even a straight woman shouldn't be immune to my charms — let alone a stepdaughter…
Very well, woman. You have my attention.
"Teacher Ye has a girlfriend, you know."
Irena materialized at her elbow from nowhere in particular. "She's been in a relationship with the Academy's 'Twin Stars' for several years now."
"Wasn't your little sweetheart some senior student named Saya?"
Li Fei side-eyed her.
This particular piece of intelligence had been dropped "casually" by a female classmate during a break-time chat — a girl who had apparently been suffering in silent agony watching Li Fei and Irena cling to each other in class every single day. Evidently, this classmate lacked the proper breadth of vision. Rather than figuring out how to join in, she was attempting to cause disruption.
"I haven't started dating anyone," Irena said, tilting her head to one side, her sapphire eyes blinking with not a single trace of guilt.
But as a fellow scoundrel, Li Fei did not believe one word of it. Not now, and not even back before her transmigration when her Morality had been firmly in positive territory — because even then, when she'd been telling girlfriend number five to "stop listening to all that gossip," her own eyes had been more convincingly sincere than Irena's were right now. And she'd had four other girlfriends she hadn't broken up with yet at the time.
"Hmph."
Li Fei turned her face away and said nothing.
Irena, who had spent the entirety of the last class period tormenting Li Fei, quickly sensed that the air hadn't cleared yet. She made the executive decision to cut her losses, offered a sheepish farewell, and made herself scarce.
"Hmph. Scoundrel."
Li Fei let out a cold laugh. If it had been someone like Qin Zhihua or Hathaway — those devoted, lovesick types — a single slightly furrowed brow from her would have them unable to eat or sleep, paralyzed with anxiety. Running away? Unthinkable.
At that exact moment, Li Fei caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye — Grace stepping out of the classroom. Her expression shifted from storm to sunshine in an instant, and she swept over with warm enthusiasm.
"Good afternoon."
Li Fei wore a bright, genuine smile — as though she hadn't spent the previous evening having Lady Hathaway pull Grace's entire background file for her.
"Mm… good afternoon."
In front of Li Fei, Grace was always slightly tense. Her bright cyan eyes kept drifting, unable to settle anywhere in particular.
She was in her usual leather armor today — grey fitted tights tracing clean, firm lines along her legs. Her short hair sat a little loose, a few wayward strands sticking up and curling at the tips, giving her a slightly untamed look. It was a striking contrast to the teacher she'd just met — Ye Shu's black hair appeared thicker, but clearly tended with care, every strand smooth and obedient, which was precisely what gave it that clean, understated elegance.
Not that Li Fei had any objection. She was a magnanimous person, an all-embracing person, a person who had long since transcended narrow standards of beauty. Teachers were wonderful, yes — but a slightly scruffy little wildcat had her own charm, didn't she?
"Here."
Li Fei tucked the milk candy that Teacher Ye had declined into Grace's palm — and before Grace could react, took her hand. "Come on. Lunch first, then the Mercenary Guild together."
...
The young constable who had personally arrested Bai Mengtian's closest friend the day before sat alone at her desk, staring in long silence at the four characters mounted on the wall: Uphold the Law with Integrity.
It was well past lunchtime, yet she showed no sign of moving to eat. Instead she sat rigidly upright, like a defendant awaiting sentencing.
Knock, knock.
The beautiful woman with writing all over her legs — whom Li Fei had crossed paths with once before — leaned against the doorframe with a smile dancing in her eyes. "What's with the long face, my little Asuna?"
"Am I going to be dismissed, Superintendent Kalida?"
Asuna turned her head. Her chestnut eyes were still bright — but now threaded with uncertainty and fatigue.
"It's the lunch break. Call me big sister."
Perhaps concerned that the artistic inscriptions on her legs might undermine the Constabulary's professional image, Kalida had changed into a floor-length skirt today. But the extra few dozen centimeters of fabric did absolutely nothing to diminish her allure — as she walked, the hem swayed with every step, her silk-stockinged feet and ankles appearing and vanishing beneath it in teasing flashes, every smile and gesture radiating a languid, dangerous glamour, as though even the individual strands of her hair could steal a woman's soul.
She took the seat across from Asuna, crossing her long, shapely legs. The motion caused the skirt to ride up just slightly, revealing smooth, luminous ankles — still bearing crooked, unsteady handwriting.
If Li Fei were to crawl under the desk right now, she would be able to make out, through the glass-tinted stockings, a handful of Chinese characters scrawled in what could generously be described as chicken scratch. There weren't many — only one full character and one partial. The first was a common everyday word meaning "mother" or a relational prefix, contrasted with its counterpart "father"; the second was just a radical — the one found in the character for "rabid dog."
"I suppose you're right. After this, I doubt I'll have the standing to address you as Superintendent anymore."
Asuna let out a long exhale, laced with resignation and quiet melancholy.
She was well aware of Kalida's personal lifestyle — but the woman's professional abilities and certain aspects of her character still commanded Asuna's genuine respect.
Beyond that, Kalida was fiercely protective of the people beneath her. She guided subordinates with patience, looked out for them, and anyone who demonstrated exceptional ability was guaranteed to be trusted with meaningful responsibility — bonuses and benefits included, no questions asked about petty jealousies or suppression. On top of that, even a single minute of overtime was compensated accordingly.
Since joining the Constabulary, Asuna had received no small amount of that care. She couldn't bring herself to accept the unquestioning, absolute deference to Bai Mengtian that pervaded the ranks — and she had acted on that refusal — but none of that erased the debt she owed Kalida for recognizing her worth. It was the same contradiction she'd always lived with: admiring Bai Mengtian while methodically documenting every transgression she'd ever witnessed the woman commit.
"Oh? Is my little Asuna thinking of resigning? That would break my heart."
Kalida affected a look of theatrical dismay, covering her mouth with one hand.
"No — I mean…"
Asuna struggled to find the right words.
"Relax. This is Loxibrook, where the rule of law is paramount — and we are its guardians. My little Asuna was simply doing her duty. Why on earth would she be dismissed?"
Kalida said this with a smile.
"The rule of law is only paramount most of the time," Asuna said, her fists tightening on her lap. "Otherwise, Li Fei wouldn't have been released yesterday."
"Li Fei was arrested by you for speeding and flying without a permit. Bai Mengtian exercised her Unlimited Pardon Authority to secure her release. Both actions were fully compliant with existing regulations." Kalida looked at her with an amused smile. "Weren't they?"
"…"
Asuna had no answer for that. Then, abruptly, she asked: "Was it you who put in a word for me?"
"Didn't get the chance," Kalida said with a laugh. "Li Fei put in a word for you first. It seems our Constabulary's finest flower possesses a charm that even criminals find irresistible…"
"No. That's impossible."
Asuna's eyes went wide with genuine shock. Her fingernail dug into her palm.
She had been helped by someone who pulled strings to escape accountability? What kind of absurd farce was this?
Is she mocking me?
Asuna couldn't make sense of it. Her thoughts churned.
In that moment, she even had a fleeting impulse to quit — because otherwise, what truly distinguished her from the very Li Fei she had arrested with her own hands yesterday?
"Asuna — did you do anything wrong?"
Kalida had already guessed the direction of her subordinate's thoughts, and posed the question quietly.
"I — no! It doesn't matter if she's pardoned ten thousand times. On the ten thousand and first time she breaks the law, I will arrest her again!"
Asuna's head snapped up. Her face was set with total conviction.
"Good. Hold onto that spirit. I look forward to the day you become head of the Constabulary — and I'll be waiting for the day you abolish Bai Mengtian's Unlimited Pardon Authority and haul her in for judgment."
Kalida broke into a smile that bordered on gleeful madness, delivering that string of incendiary remarks — causing a certain black-haired young woman in the Bai estate to puff up her cheeks in indignation.
Coming from anyone else, Asuna would have taken those words as mockery. But because it was Kalida, she understood they were entirely sincere. She even found herself wondering: if Bai Mengtian were actually brought before a tribunal, would Kalida write out every charge read aloud by the judge — directly onto Bai Mengtian's body?
The image that conjured in her mind made even Asuna's lips twitch upward ever so slightly. Then she caught the mischievous gleam in Kalida's eye, and realized that the heaviness pressing on her chest had quietly dissipated, more than halfway gone.
"Thank you," Asuna said, and she meant it.
"My little Asuna, you look so lovely when you smile — why do you always insist on that straight face?"
Kalida propped her chin in one hand. "How about this — let big sister take you somewhere to unwind tonight? The Golden Kumquat Tavern?"
"No."
Asuna answered instantly.
"Then… a visit to the Bai estate? You'd get to meet your idol."
"That's… not necessary…"
Asuna shook her head repeatedly — but then she hesitated, and asked with a trace of reluctance: "Is Li Fei… staying at the Bai estate too?"
"Of course not. She and Bai Mengtian share a perfectly pure friendship."
Kalida placed careful, pointed emphasis on those two words — and in the spirit of women supporting women, she delivered a perfectly aimed assist on someone's behalf.
Hearing that, Asuna let out a breath she hadn't quite realized she'd been holding. She fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.
Her supervisor, who had always had boundless patience for her endearing subordinates, made no move to interrupt.
And so they sat — a young woman brimming with righteous principle, and a beautiful woman brimming with righteous characters — in a companionable silence that filled the spacious office.
After a long moment, Asuna slowly raised her head. Her gaze was sharp as a honed blade, pointing forward without hesitation:
"I just remembered — when I joined the Constabulary, I made peace with the idea of dying for the law."
— If she wasn't even afraid of death, why should she fear offending Bai Mengtian and losing this uniform she loved so dearly?
The last wisp of dust settled and cleared from her heart. Asuna felt a clarity and lightness she had never experienced before — a sharp, unwavering resolve blazed to life within her, coalescing into a blade that cut through the fog obscuring her path. She saw, now, with perfect lucidity, the shape of the Order she had always been reaching toward.
At that same moment, the Expert-level Order Magic knowledge and Expert-level Combat knowledge that had been locked away from Asuna suddenly held no more secrets. Their intricacies flooded her mind in a vast, brilliant cascade.
More than that — Asuna sensed, with dim but certain intuition, that the path to Master-level Transcendent knowledge would now be open to her going forward. With only a little more time and accumulation, it would come to her naturally, like water finding its course.
Kalida tilted her head slightly, as though someone had whispered something in her ear. A moment later, genuine, unguarded delight spread across her face, and she clapped her hands together in admiration:
"Well. It seems the Constabulary is about to gain a young high-Sequence powerhouse."
"An honor great enough to shake the entire Continent of Enlos!"
"The celebratory banquet should be held at the Golden Kumquat Tavern, naturally — I'll book you the star courtesan in advance. You have a bright future ahead of you, Constable."
...
"Grace, what perfume do you use? You smell wonderful."
The Griffin soared beneath the open sky. Li Fei, sitting astride its back in a lazy sprawl, quietly scanned the surroundings and — finding no sign of the "professionally inflexible" young constable — relaxed at last. She let herself lean back, settling comfortably against Grace.
Grace's body went stiff. Several seconds passed before she replied: "I don't use perfume."
Felt through her back, the other girl's heartbeat had noticeably quickened. The satisfied star courtesan affected a look of delight: "Oh, so it's your natural scent? No wonder they say pretty girls always smell nice — I'm a true believer now."
The rushing wind lifted black strands of hair to drift across Grace's nose and lips. Amid the clean, sweet fragrance enveloping her, Grace answered in as steady a voice as she could manage:
"You smell nice too."
Oh? So this quiet little clam occasionally lets slip a line that hits like a flirt. Rather charming, actually.
Three people traveling together; among them, surely a teacher — the ancients truly never led one astray.
The star courtesan, with the professional instincts of her trade, quietly filed that response away for future use on other young ladies. Then she raised a hand and pointed ahead:
"The Mercenary Guild. We're here."
____
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