NOVEL NEXT Chapter 50: Anna
"Is... something wrong?" A young girl with platinum hair asked, concern creeping into her voice as her friend suddenly froze mid-sentence.
"..." The girl seated beside her, with cotton candy pink hair, remained silent, still trying to recover from whatever sensation had just hit her.
"Anna!"
"H-huh?" Anna stuttered, her breathing coming in rough, ragged gasps as she swallowed hard and turned to find her friend staring with worried eyes.
"I-Isa?" she muttered, as if surprised to find her there.
"Yes, me. So what happened? You just stopped talking mid-word," Isa frowned, tilting her head as she studied her friend.
'That feeling... it was definitely him, but...' Anna's thoughts swirled in confusion. 'What happened? Why is he connecting to me?' She instinctively tugged at the extra-long sleeves of her pink fluffy sweater, ensuring they covered the slave mark on her hand completely.
Both girls wore the standard Academy uniform—crisp white shirts and black skirts that struck that perfect balance between modest and distracting. The kind of length that made certain male students forget how to walk in straight lines, though the more refined ones at least had the decency to pretend otherwise.
Anna had paired her uniform with long black socks that reached her knees, leaving just a tantalizing glimpse of fair, smooth thigh visible above them. Her white shirt was left unbuttoned just enough to hint at the camisole beneath. The pink sweater draped over her shoulders was light enough for the mild weather, which couldn't quite decide if it wanted to be warm or cool. Her pink hair cascaded freely down her back, styled in the front with a few strands artfully arranged to frame her face, held in place by a delicate butterfly clip that caught the afternoon light.
"It's nothing," Anna said after a long moment, though her voice carried all the conviction of someone claiming the sky was green.
"If only I were stupid, I might believe that. Too bad I'm not," Isa replied dryly, adjusting her oversized glasses with one gloved hand.
Isa's interpretation of the uniform was distinctly her own. Instead of socks, she wore sleek black tights that disappeared into polished black shoes. Her white sweater was impossibly soft and fluffy, with sleeves so long they completely engulfed her hands. Over those, she wore pristine white gloves—why, even she couldn't quite explain, except that they felt right somehow. Her shirt was unbuttoned with the same calculated precision as Anna's, though the effect was entirely different. The oversized glasses perched on her nose made her face appear smaller and more delicate, though the lenses were purely decorative. Her sleek black hair was pulled back into an elegant ponytail, then twisted into a neat bun and secured with a silver dragonfly clip adorned with blue diamonds.
"What?!" Anna suddenly exclaimed, her eyes widening as she stared at Isa in sheer disbelief.
"W-what happened?" Isa's hands flew to her face in panic, certain something terrible must have occurred.
"So you're not stupid?" Anna asked with the kind of incredulity usually reserved for witnessing miracles.
A vein visibly throbbed on Isa's forehead as understanding dawned. "Of course I'm not stupid, you absolute buffoon!" She delivered a well-aimed nudge that sent Anna tumbling onto the free space of the couch they'd been sharing. Anna's laughter rang out, bright and infectious, successfully derailing the previous conversation.
"Annoying dummy," Isa muttered, though her lips twitched with suppressed amusement. Then her expression turned predatory. "But two can play at this game..."
"Wait, Isa, you idiot... don't—!" Anna tried to flee, but her vengeful friend had already located her weak spot and launched a merciless tickle attack that had Anna laughing so hard her chest ached.
"Miss?" A polite voice interrupted their impromptu wrestling match.
Isa froze mid-assault, transforming back into her composed, noble self. "Yes?" she responded with perfect poise, as if she hadn't just been engaged in what could generously be called undignified behavior.
The young shopkeeper, clearly flustered by witnessing such beautiful girls acting so... un-noble, cleared his throat. "Cough. It's ready."
"Ugh, you absolute bitch," Anna cursed, clutching her aching sides. The transformation was remarkable—Anna, who on most days possessed the grace and eloquence of a princess, had instantly devolved into what could only be described as a refined delinquent.
"Miss?" the young man ventured again, clearly out of his depth.
"Just go, I will come get the damn thing," Anna said, still holding her stomach and shooting Isa a look that promised retribution.
"Language, Anna! At least try to be decent in public. You're an heiress, for goodness' sake," Isa scolded in an exasperated tone that suggested this was a frequently repeated conversation.
"Yeah, fuck you and the public. Don't think I won't get you back for this. Oh, I will," Anna replied, straightening her skirt and pushing her hair back into place before standing and walking toward the counter with renewed dignity.
"I'm sure you will," Isa said with fond resignation. "But can you at least tell me what you need a cauldron for?" The question that had been nagging at her all afternoon finally burst forth. "What does a mage like you need with something so ancient? No one uses cauldrons anymore—this isn't the pill-refining age!"
"For... a friend," Anna smiled mysteriously.
"That same friend we're supposed to meet later?"
"Who else?" Anna picked up the ancient-looking vessel—it was indeed an odd pot, with strange symbols carved into its iron surface—and handed her payment card to the cashier.
"Wait," Isa said, addressing the woman behind the counter. "How much is it?"
"Oh, just 5,000 points," the cashier replied cheerfully.
"WHAT?! FOR A POT?!" Isa's voice cracked with disbelief. These had to be daylight robbers ! They might as well just use a gun!
"Miss, it's not 'just a pot,' but a historical relic that—"
"Yeah, yeah, just get it over with," Anna waved dismissively, clearly not in the mood for a lecture on ancient metallurgy.
The cashier sighed and processed the payment. Anna input her pin with the casual air, then slipped the cauldron into her spatial ring and grabbed Isa's hand.
"What in the name of all the gods did you just do?" Isa asked as they walked out of the shop.
"Don't worry about it. Let's head back to the academy—I need to find him before tomorrow."
At this point, Isa was developing a distinctly bad feeling about this mysterious 'friend' of Anna's.