### Chapter 23: A Little Fool…
After May 5th, the sky suddenly cleared up.
The rain that had been sporadically pouring since April finally stopped, the clouds dissipating and the rain fading away. The Royal City was basked in a bright blue sky, with fluffy white clouds drifting lazily, and the Sable River shimmered in the relentless summer heat.
In the past few days, students were still trickling back to the academy. As soon as they returned, they heard about the public speech between Cardinal Saint George and the Pope a few days prior. Regardless of what they said, the image of the two greatest figures of the world standing together was something the latecomers missed. They clutched their chests in regret, longing for what could have been.
Sometimes, Sarah would look at them and think, maybe when Sophia returns, she’ll be just as foolish.
After that speech, the academy’s classes officially took off. The three girls from Class 1504 began their usual routine of attending classes, having meals together, and hitting the cafeteria. Peilo ate the most, of course, and after finishing, would have her friends bring back more food for her to devour…
Recently, she was obsessed with peas: salted peas, pea soup, pork stew with peas, beef stew with peas, peas cooked with peas, peas galore… as if it was all peas! She tried every possible pea dish the cafeteria had to offer and was often seen with a little bag of peas wrapped in brown paper, snacking on them at any time and place, as if she were a little girl munching on candy—when asked why, she’d just say it was for her health.
Pfft…
You’re telling me fifty ounces of peas per meal isn’t enough? And yet you stuff yourself with heaps of other food, followed by a few sickeningly sweet snacks, still looking unsatisfied afterward? You expect me to believe it’s health-related?
I know what you’re up to…
Peilo’s pea obsession started the morning of that fateful theology speech. The reason? Daisy had mentioned, “I’ve eaten this way since I was a kid…” Sarah knew all too well what Peilo was thinking; even the clueless Daisy probably had an inkling. But no one dared to break the silence.
After all…
Life is tough enough as it is.
But goodness, she really could eat…
At first, Sarah couldn’t wrap her head around how such a small person could fit so much food inside. Was she a bottomless pit? What was she made of…?
For a long time, she was worried that one day she might wake up to find that this silly girl had eaten herself to d*ath… Thankfully, that horrific scenario never came to pass.
Now, she attributed Peilo’s extraordinary, almost absurd, eating capacity to the influence of the Pope Knight.
The Pope Knight, for all we know, could eat just as much… the stronger they are, the more they eat… How much do you think the Sword Saint digs in for a meal, huh?
These thoughts danced around in Sarah’s mind, but she never voiced them to anyone.
In any case, after those fearful days hidden in the academy, life returned to its peaceful, leisurely pace.
The large bump on her forehead from being hit had vanished in just three days, yet Sarah’s lingering unease was something she never shared with the two girls in their dorm.
Occasionally, she would still recall that chilling scene from a few nights ago.
Panic-stricken crowds scattering, bl**d flashing in the raindrops, a cold blade pressed against her throat… She remembered the sensation; it had terrified her, rendering her legs weak. For a moment, she thought she was going to d*e.
But then, abruptly, a small figure in a cloak appeared before her, rescuing her just like that. The petite girl kicked attackers away like they were nothing, her little legs moving like steel whips… no, like hammers, sending them flying!
They didn’t just fall; they went airborne!
Sarah remembered being dazed, not knowing what to do, feeling cold and blank, even forgetting her fear, thinking: Wow, that person can really jump high… and then the girl picked her up, soaring even higher.
Sarah almost peed her pants.
Once the adrenaline wore off and her wits returned, she realized that the fierce little hero in front of her was Peilo.
This absurd yet surprisingly reasonable realization didn’t sink in until she returned to the dorm—even then, it felt unreal.
On that way back, Sarah pretended to be unfazed, even comforting a sobbing Daisy to avoid alarming Peilo. Yet inside, her emotions were a tidal wave—still are—her mind replaying images of Peilo: the cloaked figure, the one kicking bad guys, the way she unleashed ice, and how she leapt ten feet high…
That night, chaos erupted in the Royal City. Boswell vanished, terrifying monsters appeared out of nowhere, and Miss Silvya fought valiantly against them, that petite hero leaping through the ice storm… That was Peilo too.
All those daydreams she had growing up suddenly clicked into place, forming a coherent picture.
Finally, she couldn’t help but corner Peilo in the washroom.
She asked.
Realizing she couldn’t lie, the girl answered honestly.
Incredible.
But it was the truth.
The Pope Knight…
What a heroically grand and aspirational figure…
And she was sharing a dorm with me!
She was… my friend…
Ha…
Unbelievable.
When a person suddenly faces a reality that exceeds what their heart can bear, they often feel it’s all a lie, a dream, looking at familiar faces and places with a dazed sense of unreality—Since that night, Sarah had been entrapped in this state, unable to escape for quite a while.
As dawn broke, it felt like awakening from a dream. In her daze, she would gaze out at the clear blue sky, pure clouds, watching the breezy curtains dance, glancing at the frail figure still asleep across from her, and she’d wonder if she was still dreaming. After a while, unable to resist, she’d pinch her thigh, feeling the pain and realizing this was all real.
After that night, life at the academy returned to normal—well, minus the Pope and Cardinal Saint George’s visit, of course—but everything else seemed to fall back into place.
The girl named Peilo hadn’t changed much from before. The same tiny figure, the same adorable face, still the last to wake up every morning, still eating a ton, just now with more peas added to her diet, a whole lot of peas.
Sometimes Peilo would lean on the table, deep in thought, her eyes dazed, her brow knitted, fingernails clicking as she nervously bit them. When Sarah saw this, she’d want to swoop in, give her a tight hug, pinch her cheeks and playful torture her, or just pick her up and spin around… It was simply too cute!
She had done it a few times before, but each time Peilo would angrily smack her face or tickle her, yet she could never win the tickle war—Peilo was super ticklish and would burst out laughing and run off, only to get angrier afterward, her cheeks puffing up like a balloon, glaring at Sarah in the most amusing way.
But now…
Thinking of Peilo’s hidden identity, the way she conjured astonishing frost, and how she charged into the monster engulfed in flames, dragging her scars behind her, Sarah couldn’t bring herself to be as playful. She felt that indulging in overly familiar actions might provoke Peilo’s ire.
Sarah was truly trying hard.
She made an effort to treat Peilo just like before—talking, joking, her demeanor more or less normal. She understood Peilo didn’t want to see the distance created by her identity, so she hid it, trying to fit in—but even then, she stood out enough at the academy.
This petite girl, unassuming in size yet dazzling everywhere else, became the center of attention wherever she went.
She was simply too beautiful…
Yet beneath that dreamlike exterior, Peilo’s personality was surprisingly modest.
Sometimes Sarah pondered if others, with her level of beauty, would… being part of the Valen Empire’s royal family, surely other girls would become increasingly arrogant as they grew up, dancing among the flashy, vain world of fame and accolades, reveling in admiring glances and flowers, wanting the entire world to know who they were and look upon them with adoration, probably regarding common girls like herself with disdain…
Sophia occasionally gave off a bit of that vibe.
But Peilo, no, not at all.
Having spent considerable time with Peilo, Sarah could tell she wasn’t that kind of person at all.
She disliked being the center of attention, and deep down, she might resist the idea of fame, not wanting to shine brightly and distance herself from her peers, wanting a simple, quiet life where she was content with a good meal each day.
Therefore, for the past few days, every time they had classes or meals in crowded places, Peilo would don a wide-brimmed sun hat first—maybe she already realized that since the last report, people had been discussing Miss Silvya more than ever. As more talk arose, people began to speculate about her age and looks, so she wanted to cover her face, at least hiding her striking black hair.
Yet still, since her return, the rumors in the academy were only multiplying. Students, especially boys seeking to confirm details about her, began to show up in droves…
Luckily, Beiyard was there to block them.
That guy, who never stops talking, had only been an occasional acquaintance before, but since that theology lecture, he suddenly started stepping up as Peilo’s flower protector.
It wasn’t a big deal; there were lots of secret flower protectors. Peilo might not know, but Sarah sure did—some bored students by Lake Ceylon formed a “Guardian Angel Association,” or something. They didn’t do much except shower Peilo with gifts, completely ignoring whether she wanted them or not, and would go as far as to confront those overly affectionate toward Peilo—which there were plenty of—and either preach at them or give them a good thrashing to scare them off their little fairy.
What puzzled Sarah most was that there were even girls in that association.
Totally bizarre…
Peilo usually didn’t bother with these attention-seekers; she typically ignored the flower-givers and the bootlickers—but the only exception was Beiyard; she didn’t show an obvious aversion to him, at least not publicly.
Not only that, during one abyss class, Sarah even caught the two whispering behind her back.
What’s going on…?
Of course, Sarah didn’t think Peilo had feelings for Beiyard; if she were to fall in love, it wouldn’t be like that. She was simply curious, but in the days that followed, she gradually adjusted to this oddity.
She thought of Beiyard’s background—he had told her his father was Nick Williams, the commander of the Third Knights Order, and his grandfather was none other than Cardinal Saint George, a legend in the church.
If it came down to status, no one in this academy could rival Beiyard…
Though that guy seemed to care little about it…
And Peilo was a Pope Knight.
It seemed Beiyard was the only one who could really discuss serious matters with her…
With this in mind, Sarah felt a bit forlorn.
But she quickly perked up.
Peilo had said with her own mouth that she was her friend… Their bond was far tighter than with Beiyard…
In this academy, she was Peilo’s closest confidante…
Miss Silvya…
Hmph…
…………
As tranquil days drifted by, one particular morning, Sarah opened her eyes to find herself the first to wake up once again.
She patted her cheeks, got out of bed, feeling the dorm stuffy and sweaty, a bit sticky, so she walked toward the morning light to open a window and let in some fresh air, her gaze instinctively landing on Peilo’s bed.
It was a mess…
Silky sheets were all crumpled, an expensive-looking blanket tangled at the foot of the bed. The girl lay there in thin pajamas, curled up like a shrimp, her delicate little face turned toward her, brow furrowed, eyes tightly shut, stray black hair stuck to her face, dampened by sweat, long curled eyelashes trembling slightly, her thumb in her mouth, and the eyes hidden under her eyelids rolled around.
She was still asleep.
Moreover, she seemed to be dreaming.
“Umm… Mum… Captain…”
And she had the gall to mumble incoherently about “Mum” and “Captain”…
What in the world was she talking about?
Unable to resist, Sarah leaned in closer to catch the Pope Knight’s words, but just as she took a couple of steps forward, the sleeping girl suddenly started moving.
She kicked her legs on the bed, pace fast, still with eyes closed, but her brow furrowed deeper, her face revealing some urgency, white arms swishing back and forth as if swimming in a dream, the bed creaking loudly under her thrashing.
Sarah jumped back in shock, letting out a slight “Ah!” She took a step back, and then Peilo opened her eyes.
Initially hazy, her dark eyes sparkled as if awakening from a deep slumber, and for some reason, she instinctively gripped the air as if holding something, the first thing she did upon waking was to bring her palm to her mouth and bite down.
Only to bite nothing.
Confused, the girl stared at her empty palm, scratching with five fingers, dazed for about two seconds before turning her gaze to Sarah standing nearby.
Her eyes gradually cleared.
“Ah!”
She startled herself, her little face tightening, and she suddenly shot upright in bed, arms clasped over her chest, in her flustered state, she slapped herself on the chest with a loud “Thud!” Upon recognizing Sarah, her relief turned into irritation: “Sarah! Why are you just standing there? You scared me to d*ath!”
“Pfft—”
Sarah burst out laughing.
What kind of Pope Knight was this… she thought.
A little fool, indeed…
