She only nodded in response before giving each of them a look and shaking her head. She stood up and gathered her things, curtseying just how a noble would do.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(204, 102, 255)">"Merci beaucoup. I shall join ye by the rise of dawn, if ye are present..."</span>She repeated her previous motion and spun on her heels, heading for the door, however, she paused before reaching it and looked over at Dayyan. Dayyan was intrigued by the attention and feeling like a thread of fate tugged at him, enhanced his eyes once more as vivid colour washed into his world once more. She still had the same subdued aura of magic. She gave him a sweet smile before she addressed his former professor once more.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(204, 102, 255)">"Ye are not finished here... as there was one other who ye must conduct this with. They may be different... Yet odd butterflies attract the most peculiar of wandering gazes..."</span>She was locking eyes with Ianice but Dayyan held back the urge to flinch as he saw a girl materialize right in front of him, staring back at him. She was awfully similar to Mystera. His raised eye brows was the only betrayal of emotion on his otherwise passive face as he watched with wonder between this ghostly girl and Mystera who seemed to be hiding a smile before finally disappearing, and the girl with her.<br/><br/>That was strange to say the least. Who was the girl? Why was she similar to Mystera if not an exact copy? Could he have just stumbled upon a new magic here? One that involved ghosts? Spirits? Souls? He did not know what to make of it. He did not know if he would want to share this information with Asterrio and Ian. Ian he could perhaps confide in, Asterrio, however, has given him reason not to trust him at the current moment with his recent actions.<br/><br/>No matter, she was gone, for now. He was quite interested in learning more about her, and the goblin girl.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"That girl."</span>Ian commented as he looked at Asterrio.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"I know she's a bit much, Teach. But i've been tutoring her for a while now. She's eccentric but not a danger."</span>He chuckled nervously.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"Right, i'll take your word for it. I'll get to know all the students more on the trip south anyways."</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"How do you plan on getting the carts?" </span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"I imagine the Baroness will rent me a few, if i ask nicely."</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"Ah. Then you're going up the hill tonight. Good luck then. She's a tough one that woman."</span>He hummed a positive response before taking a sip and then faced Asterrio.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"Alright. We've waited long enough. And i've been heckled about it quite a bit already from the students. Why didn't you let the goblin girl take the test of potential? She seemed eager to test herself."</span><br/><br/>This, Dayyan was interested to hear, though by now, he had more or less a concrete theory on why. Does not hurt to have it confirmed.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"It's complicated with Moeilikheid, Teach. She's a good student, exceptional even, quick to pick up new information and imaginative enough to start her own projects. It's just."</span>He paused for a moment.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"She's in a terrible position politically here. She can't go to White Castle. Even administering the test would be a terrible idea. As her score would easily outshine most of, if not all of my current students. There's nothing I can do here."</span><br/><br/>Ian looked at Dayyan in confusion to his response before answering with a question.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"What do you mean? If she's exceptional then that's perfect. White Castle, and Mages in general are outside of political and social hierarchy. You know that Asterrio, so why wouldn't the girl-"</span><br/><br/>Dayyan sighed, he was right in what he theorized.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"Teach stop. How do you not see it?! Maybe because you're in the middle of it you don't understand. But Dayyan you lived it. Politics, status, Magic, nobles, money, power, they're all the same thing. Everything is connected here!"</span>Asterrio grew animated, pacing back and forth now as he kept on explaining.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"Asterrio."</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"No! You listen to me. Goodness you're so smart-stupid. Why is it that you haven't found a single student until now. This entire time months of searching, with no finds until now? Why is it that you have to go to the far reaches of the north just to find one commoner worth your time. And when you do go this far north you find three students easily. You've walked a majority of the continent Ian, tens of cities and town and gutters and markets and streets. Thousands of faces seen but not one commoner worth your time. Not a single commoner child worth teaching? Does no one of the lower class have the potential to go to White Castle? What's the odds on that Teach? Tell me the probability.<br/>
<br/>
It's said that White Castle has opened their doors! Commoners are allowed to enroll and take classes, at a all nobles school! An opportunity to elevate yourself from the dirt. The opportunity of a lifetime. And yet the great Ianice can't find a single commoner worth teaching in months of searching? Did you think it was coincidence? Everywhere you went, everyone's eyes were on you. The great Ianice. Looking for commoners. But all you found were half-baked nobles right? So convenient."</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"That's absurd... If what you're implying is true, i mean who would try and... What's your point."</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"What's the difference between a commoner and a nobleman? Birthright. Money. And Magic. And what happens when a commoner obtains some of those privileges? Or even one of those privileges. Well you can't call them a commoner at that point can you? Can't boss them around like you used to. They're a noble. Right? If not technically then actually. And hypothetically, if the greatest school of the magical and mystical tried to open their doors, and say, i don't know, give commoners one of those privileges en masse. Well, how do you think the existing nobility would react?" </span>Asterrio stopped his pacing and faced his former teacher with naked disgust upon his face. For once so far, Dayyan agreed and understood the reasoning. The goblin, even if highly qualified, would no doubt experience hell in that school thanks to her skin colour alone, let alone her race. She'll be ostracized. He doubted that would be a desired life she would like, he knew it all too well having gone through the same experience himself.<br/><br/>Frankly, he truly thought that it was quite rare indeed to find a commoner with magical talents on par to a noble but it was in the back of his mind even then, doubts that behind the scenes and shadows, forces moved about to place select individuals in Ian's path. Individuals who did not necessarily deserve to enter the program but thanks to their blood and their status, they would get in anyway instead of people who truly deserved the spots and would have earned it through merit.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"You're saying everywhere i've gone these last few months. Nobles have gone out of their way to keep me from finding talent.... I've been blinded."<br/>
<br/>
"Is that why you're here in Ashburn? The town with the weakest nobility. Estranged in the north. To help those who would be oppressed? If so then why not let the girl take the exam? What you're saying and doing contradict."</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"Yes. That's one of the reasons why i'm here. But like i said, Moeilikheid is a special case. While the power of nobility is weaker here, it's not nonexistent. She's a bit of a troublemaker in this town. And it's made her some terrible enemies. I can only shield her so much. She's kick the royal nest a few times, so to speak. Baroness Astrea has explicitly told me to deny her entry to the scholarship program." </span>Came to quick reply.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"That's not for her to decide." Ian said firmly. "She'll receive a fair evaluation, like everyone else. Now that I know I can do something of it."</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"Teach listen. I would usually be with you here. But, the Baroness has made it clear. Life for Mue's family. Myself. Everyone down here in Countryside. Will get a lot more rough if you take her. And I'm not willing to call that bluff. The alternative. I can continue to tutor her here. Give her training and resources, a fair lot in life. Much better than she would have otherwise. You've found a good lot of students. In large part thanks to me."</span>Asterrio smiled a teasing grin.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(32, 178, 170)">"Take them with you. But leave Moeilikheid here. She can't go. It'll cause more trouble than we can handle."</span><br/><br/>A moment of contemplative silence passed before Ian finally asked him.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(247, 218, 100)">"Dayyan what do you think?"</span><br/><br/>As soon as he asked though, a loud knock sounded on the door, alerting all three of them to the new individual joining them. "Summons from Lady Baroness Astrea! For a David Iance, and his ward Dayyan Avernoch." A guard opened the door as he announced his summons, addressing all three men in front of him. He was heavily armoured for a baroness's guard, quite so for a backwater town. Why so much armour and protection? The guard left them after having their confirmation.<br/><br/>Dayyan stood up.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(235, 107, 86)">"Asterrio, while I understand why you did what you did. I'm not with you simply because I have been through what you are trying to spare the girl from experiencing. If we don't challenge those blueblood bastards in something as simple as admitting a commoner into the school, then the cycle will continue and our sacrifices and efforts would have been for naught. My thought on this is that you bring the girl and test her fairly. To hell with the baroness, and to hell with her deal. Everyone deserves a fair chance."</span>He sighed.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(235, 107, 86)">"I'm going out for a bit, I'll catch up to you, warm the baroness up for us both."</span>He winked at Ian before he made his leave as well, going in the direction he assumed the girl, Mystera, has taken.<br/><br/>It was a longshot but he was curious about the girl and perhaps he would fare better at getting information out of her if he was alone with her instead. So he set about following her footsteps, he still had his magic enhancement on, following the faint traces of her magic through the air. Invisible to the naked eye but now clear to him as purple and pink wafts of swirly smoke trails. They eventually led him to her, just as it begun to rain a minute ago. Small droplets at first before it turned into a drizzle. He saw her sat alone on a bench by the road and fiddling with her rosary and he noticed burned remains in front of her, now mushy and washed out with the rain. Her aura was thicker now, surprisingly so. Why has it grown now? What was the reason? Will she even tell me?<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(235, 107, 86)">"Hey there,"</span>He greeted her, announcing his presence as he seated himself beside her.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(235, 107, 86)">"Rain's pouring, you're going to get a cold if you stay out for long."</span>He said out of concern for her and a way for him to open up a conversation.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(235, 107, 86)">"Feel like talking? I have a few questions for you if you wouldn't mind that." </span>The air around her felt unusually...charged for some reason. He felt it as soon as he sat beside her, perhaps this was part of the reason her aura was acting up like that and feeling heavier?