117~ Tower of Sages
“Although I did ask that prodigy of yours, the so-called ‘Chosen One,’ to notify you, I just couldn’t fully trust him to get the job done right. So, I went ahead and found your room number and waited outside your door for you to come back.” Litte scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
Litte’s meaning was clear to Tillysha—she hadn’t fully trusted the efficiency of humans. After informing Dillin, she’d mulled it over and decided it was better to wait outside the dorm herself.
“Also,” Litte presented something she’d been holding in her arms to Tillysha.
“This is your Crown Cup reward—the champion’s school uniform, and the gold rose brooch. They’re symbols of your title as the ‘Uncrowned King,’ recognized by the academy. Please take good care of them… though, if you don’t, it’s no big deal. The academy covers those kinds of things! But still, it’s best not to lend them to others or anything like that…” Litte hastily added, realizing she might’ve said something odd.
“Hmm, thank you, Miss Litte,” Tillysha said as she accepted the gift box, pulling a vial from her waist pouch.
“It was quite the effort waiting for me like this, Litte. I don’t have much to thank you with, but please take this vial.”
“Eh???” Litte blinked, shaking her head wildly like a wind-up toy. “It’s nothing! I can’t possibly accept that!”
“Here, take it.” Tillysha smiled sweetly, gently tugging on Litte’s wrist to press the vial into her hand. “It might just save your life one day.”
“Also, this is my gift to you—a token of my appreciation. If you refuse, Miss Litte, it would mean you’re rejecting my goodwill…”
“N-no-no! Not at all!”
“If not, then please keep it.” Tillysha gently closed Litte’s fingers around the vial. “I don’t know where the principal’s office is, so could you show me the way tomorrow?”
“Oh, um… Yes! Miss… Miss Tillysha, see you tomorrow!”
“Leaving already? Won’t you come in for a cup of tea?”
“No-no-no!” Litte ducked her head and scurried out of the dorm building, practically running.
What an interesting young one, Tillysha mused.
She unlocked her door and entered the room where she’d spend the night. It was lucky she returned tonight. Had she stayed away, Litte waiting outside the boys’ dormitory all night might’ve led to some wild assumptions—like imagining Dillin whisking her off for a scandalous night out.
The girls’ dormitory room was slightly more elegantly decorated compared to the boys’—a touch more girlish in style—but otherwise, it was largely the same layout.
The next morning, a dazzling golden figure emerged from the girls’ dormitory, shining brightly with opulence.
The female uniform at Coleman Academy was darker in tone. The top consisted of a dark gray jacket paired with a snowy white shirt, accented with a red satin bow. Below was a red pleated mini-skirt. Unlike the regular students, Tillysha’s skirt featured golden trims, and her waist flaunted a blue sapphire pendant.
The collar’s edges glittered with radiant gold designs, while the cuffs, similar to the boys’ uniform, were embellished with turquoise crystal chips.
The black over-the-knee socks had insulating properties, differing from the common socks with white ribbons along the edges and a scattering of faintly gradient five-pointed stars. Her feet rested in brown leather school shoes.
This was the specially designed uniform for the ‘Coleman Champion’ and the ‘Uncrowned King.’ The socks’ fabric and white ribbons were crafted from extremely rare materials, making the ensemble distinctly superior to regular uniforms in both quality and appearance. The designer’s attention to detail was unmistakable.
Dressed in the full uniform, Tillysha stepped out of her room. Thankfully, the streets were still quiet, with older students attending classes and freshmen out enjoying themselves in Coleman City. It was still early, just after dawn.
And yet, paired with Tillysha’s natural beauty, even this quiet morning couldn’t dampen the high number of回头率—her presence continued to command attention.
“Miss Tillysha! Miss… Tillysha! Over here!” Litte waved enthusiastically as soon as Tillysha stepped out of the dormitory building.
Today, Litte was also dressed in the official Coleman uniform, twin ponytails bouncing as she moved. Her petite frame, paired with her uniform’s pleated skirt and knee-high stockings, made her look like a delightful younger sister.
Honestly, even at a distance, Tillysha noticed that Litte couldn’t help but be impressed.
Her Highness really was a walking hanger—everything she wore looked stunning.
“Alright, Miss Litte, could you guide me?” Tillysha offered a polite smile.
Elves awakened early because they didn’t need as much sleep as humans, their rest being of far higher quality. Today, Litte seemed quite at ease, skipping ahead of Tillysha and enthusiastically introducing the sights of the campus. Tillysha listened with amusement, walking leisurely behind.
As they strolled, Tillysha realized how enormous the Coleman campus truly was. She’d lived here for months, yet the places she’d seen accounted for barely a tenth of the academy. With grounds so vast, it’d be easy to get lost on her own, but Litte seemed incredibly familiar with the place.
After passing countless buildings, they stopped in front of a massive, circular structure.
This grand edifice was constructed from perfectly cut white stone. A glance revealed no end to its towering walls—it was more castle-like than building.
“We’ve arrived! This is the academy’s core building. Those residing here are the highest authorities of the school.”
“Is this the main entrance?” Tillysha asked, eyeing the wall without visible doors.
“Not at all. This building has no doors.”
“Even the sky above us is an illusion, skillfully crafted to encase the structure completely.”
“So, how does one enter?”
“Those not meant to enter will never find the building’s ‘door.'” Litte paused dramatically. “But for those who can, any path leads inside.”
With that, Litte walked towards the wall and, to Tillysha’s slight surprise, effortlessly merged into it.
Curious, Tillysha approached the wall, reaching out to find her hand passing through it as if it were air.
Unbothered by this scientific absurdity, Tillysha stepped through the wall and into the fortress.
The inside took her breath away. Towering walls climbed endlessly upward, the circular hall’s height impossible to fathom. Walls made of deep blue energy crystals cast a pale blue glow throughout the building, illuminating it brilliantly even without direct light.
The floors weren’t attached to the walls but instead floated in midair, with glowing crystals hovering like celestial guardians. As for stairs? There were none. Instead, a giant floating stone served as an elevator of sorts, ascending and descending at will.
So, this was an elevator, she thought amusedly.
Each level held unique displays, all featuring numerous bookshelves, indicating those who resided here had a deep love for reading—or collecting books.
The massive tower held few people, though a few robed figures wandered about. They wore long cloaks with broom-like tools, maintaining and tidying the boundless halls of this majestic library.
Though their faces were hidden beneath their hoods, Tillysha sensed they were not human.
She glanced toward Litte with a questioning gaze.
“Of course, I’m sure you’ve noticed by now,” Litte replied with a playful smirk. “There are no humans here. This is the Tower of Sages, accessible only to pure-blooded elves or those specially invited by the elf clan.”
“Excuse me, pardon me!” A robed white figure swept past them, showing no interest in who they were.
In that fleeting moment, Tillysha caught sight of the face beneath the hood—iconic elven ears adorned a sharply defined face that would easily qualify as “gorgeous” by human standards.
Without a pause, the figure diligently worked on preserving the books on display in the ground floor.
“Aurel, you’re quite rude, aren’t you?” Litte placed her hands on her hips, addressing the handsome young man familiarly. “Do you even know who I’ve brought here?”
“It’s none of my concern,” Aurel replied expressionlessly, focused solely on his work, refusing to turn around.
“Did you forget what Elder Didelai told you?”
“…”. Aurel paused, slowly turning to face Tillysha. Upon seeing her radiant golden hair, his usually stoic eyes flickered with surprise.
“My apologies for my earlier rudeness. I am one of the caretakers of the Tower of Sage’s library. My name is Aurel, from the woodland elf village of Morning Winds.” He bowed respectfully, then stared silently at Tillysha’s ears—an unspoken request.
“Miss Tillysha, you may as well reveal your disguise. Rest assured, we’re all among friends here.” Litte spoke confidently, her tone implying smug satisfaction.
“…”. Tillysha gazed at Litte with a serene smile, silently contemplating her actions.
“Uh… e-eh?” Despite her seemingly calm expression, a chill ran down Litte’s spine. Swallowing hard, she inadvertently made a “gulp gulp” noise.
“Sorry, Litte.”
“Wha-what? What do you mean ‘sorry’?”
“Because what I’m about to do might be a little less than elegant.” Tillysha intertwined her fingers in front of her abdomen, offering Litte a sweet smile as she tilted her head.
Before Litte could react, a smooth, delicate hand gently clamped over her lips…
“Gwaahh! Mi’st… yoo.. gooing… ow.. mmph… (What on earth are you doing?! My mou-th… please.. let go..)!” Litte protested with muffled cries.
“Litte, this is your idea of keeping secrets, is it?” Tillysha’s elegant nails grazed Litte’s lips, her smile as graceful as ever despite her role in inflicting this minor torment.
“One day, you promised solemnly. The next, the whole city seems to know. Would it be better if this chatty little mouth were sealed forever?”
“N-NO! It’s NOT my fault! I-I didn’t tell anyone!”
“If it wasn’t you, then how did this happen?” Tillysha lightly tilted Litte’s chin, granting her one last chance to explain.
A poorly constructed explanation might result in further punishment for this untrustworthy little creature.
“Ahem… Miss Tillysha, I swear it’s NOT me!” Litte looked up with tearful eyes, her expression brimming with injustice.
“Then care to explain?”
“Hmm… in truth…”
“Perhaps I should explain instead,” a calm but authoritative voice echoed throughout the tower.
Tillysha lifted her gaze to see a silver-haired figure stepping off a floating stone slab, leaning on the legendary Blue Sapphire Staff, dressed in regal attire, appearing as a divine figure exuding an otherworldly aura.
“Miss Tillysha, may I address you as such?”
“If you find it inappropriate or think we should maintain some distance, I can also refer to you as Princess Galnorin.”
“This isn’t Litte’s fault, nor did she expose your identity to me. In truth, I had my suspicions about your identity long before Litte even learned of it. Inviting you here was an idea of mine, and I apologize if it seemed intrusive.”
Old man…
Seeing this youthful-looking figure call himself an old man was certainly curious, but Tillysha wasn’t the least bit surprised. The voice’s tone alone radiated a maturity and wisdom far beyond his apparent age.
“Ah, it seems you might not know who I am. Allow me to introduce myself—I am the principal of this academy, personally appointed by the Moon Elf King. I am also an elder of the Elf Clan, Didelai Aurenein.” With that, Didelai performed an astonishing gesture. Leaning on his staff, he kneeled on one knee, offering her a formal bow.
This was the exact gesture an elder would perform before royalty. Normally this wouldn’t have been odd, but this era’s current Elf King was of the Moon Elf clan…
“Principal, this gesture is unnecessary, as is the title of ‘princess.'” Tillysha had considered the possibility the academy might’ve uncovered her identity but hadn’t been certain if they had definitive proof. Now, it was clear—hiding her true nature from such powerful individuals was nearly impossible.
“You are most certainly a princess, for elves are the branches and leaves of the Holy Tree. Should the roots be severed, the entire elf clan would break. You, the Golden Elf, are the vital root. Only a golden elf can determine the future and prosperity of the elf clan. Only a golden elf can lead the elves.” Didelai declared with reverence.
“Further, Princess Tillysha, rest assured. No one outside those within the Tower of Sages knows about your identity. All elves here understand the gravity of discretion and would never divulge such information.”
