Celitia chatted with Shanie for a while, learning her basic situation.
Her full name was Shanie Brown, from a small village south of the capital Cassia. Her family was moderately well-off, and she had grown up pampered by her parents and relatives.
This time, her parents had spent a considerable sum to send Shanie to Samuel Academy, hoping she would have the opportunity to integrate into the upper nobility.
During their casual conversation, Shanie also roughly understood some of Celitia's family situation from what she said.
Between listening and guessing, Shanie wove an image in her mind of a physically frail, pitiful girl who nonetheless maintained her ambition, and her eyes immediately filled with sympathetic tears.
Seeing this, Celitia was momentarily speechless.
Shanie's ability to empathize and imagine was on par with Luna's.
"Those nobles are so unreasonable," Shanie was still indignant on Celitia's behalf. "You clearly came first, yet they used their status to push you to the back."
"Some people come from powerful families and are used to such behavior."
Celitia wasn't particularly concerned.
"Didn't your parents hope you would have a chance to enter noble circles? You should know they care most about face, so at least in public, don't easily make them lose face."
"If I had to get along with such people, I definitely couldn't do it!"
Shanie pouted unhappily.
"Besides, my teacher says there's essentially no difference between nobles and commoners; it's just that some people had lucky ancestors who became nobles."
As a former modern university student and later a citizen of York, Celitia actually agreed with Shanie's words, but she didn't show it.
"That doesn't sound like something a Lanscan would say," Celitia smiled.
"Hmm... now that you mention it, my teacher doesn't seem to be from Lansca."
Shanie tilted her head. "But it doesn't matter. My teacher is amazing, regardless of where he's from."
"Is that so? Sounds interesting," Celitia maintained her politeness, casually asking, "What's your teacher's name?"
"His name is Erwin Taylor," Shanie answered.
Celitia was taken aback, and her gaze toward Shanie immediately changed.
Erwin Taylor was the Sword Saint who had shaken the continent fifty years ago, and also Sercis's mentor.
After training Sercis and seeing the younger generation replace him to become the continent's new legend, Erwin completely let go, traveling and playing around different places every day.
Even Sercis himself, Erwin's most beloved and carefully nurtured disciple, didn't know where the old man had gone.
Unexpectedly, she would hear of her mentor's whereabouts from a randomly encountered girl.
From Shanie's tone, she seemed unaware of Erwin's identity, after all, that era had passed long ago.
Celitia slightly lowered her eyelids.
After the Ice Wind Valley battle, news of Sercis's death should have spread across the entire continent.
The old man probably knew by now.
Would he... feel sad for her?
"Celitia? Celitia?"
Shanie called several times before bringing Celitia back from her sudden trance.
The girl's face came close to Celitia's, her eyes wide open, full of confusion.
"What's wrong?"
Feeling Shanie was a bit too close, Celitia imperceptibly stepped back.
Since her rebirth, perhaps due to unfamiliarity with her body, or perhaps due to a change in mindset, Celitia generally maintained distance from others whenever possible.
Except for those who insisted on getting close and couldn't be avoided—like Luna.
"Your name is so long," Shanie's face broke into a sunshine-bright smile. "Can I call you 'Lily'?"
So familiar... should call me senior sister instead.
Celitia silently muttered to herself.
But her voice softened three degrees: "As you wish."
"Great, from now on we're friends!"
Shanie was overjoyed, suddenly grabbing Celitia's hand and pulling her forward at a run.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
Though small in stature, Shanie was exceptionally strong—truly worthy of being Erwin's chosen disciple.
With Celitia's current physical condition, how could she resist Shanie? She could only involuntarily follow along.
"Look, there's only one person left in the commoners' queue. Let's go ask Mr. Andrew at the window to help process your paperwork here!"
Shanie was full of initiative, pulling Celitia to the window. As the last person left, she eagerly made her request to the staff member.
"Mr. Andrew! Could you help process her paperwork too?"
This curly-haired young man named Andrew had naturally witnessed the earlier episode and knew that Celitia had been pushed out of the line, forced to wait at the very end.
Hearing Shanie's request, Andrew's face showed reluctance, clearly unwilling.
"Mr. Andrew, please, just help us this once. Otherwise, Lily might have to wait here until dark!"
Shanie put her hands together in a pleading gesture, her warm brown eyes blinking, looking utterly pitiful.
"Alright, alright," Andrew was defeated by Shanie's charm. "Since we're from the same hometown, I'll help you this once."
He took the materials Celitia handed over, pulled out another register from his desk, and began searching.
Celitia asked casually: "You know each other?"
"We didn't before," Shanie said cheerfully. "We just chatted while processing the paperwork and discovered we're from the same place, so now we know each other!"
"..."
What terrifying social skills.
Andrew didn't notice what the two were saying. He adjusted his glasses, flipped through the register from beginning to end, confirming he couldn't find Celitia's name.
"This notice is indeed genuine," Andrew was very confused, "but your name isn't on the new student roster, Miss Celitia."
Celitia suddenly realized that Viscount Herbert hadn't bothered to inform the academy about the change of person.
She explained to Andrew at length, finally making him understand the situation.
"I see... but the girls' dormitory has two people per room, and according to the academy's original new student arrangements, it should be exactly full."
Andrew became troubled.
"What? What do we do?"
Shanie was even more anxious than Celitia. "Can she stay with me? I don't mind if she sleeps on the floor, or even shares a bed with me!"
But I mind... Celitia silently thought.
Not to mention squeezing in with Shanie, if possible, Celitia would prefer to live alone.
"Don't fuss, let me look carefully," Andrew adjusted his glasses again. "Wait, it's okay, there's one vacant dormitory left... thank the goddess."
Andrew made a bold stroke of the pen, handed everything to Celitia, and pointed her in a direction.
"Go on, the dormitory is that way. I wish you both a pleasant enrollment."
Watching the two girls leave together, Andrew wore a satisfied smile.
"Youth is wonderful, and the friendship between young ladies is enviable..."
Even after work, Andrew was still proud of his compassion, wit, and good fortune.
Andrew was boasting about this to the staff member at the adjacent window when he saw the other person's eyes gradually widen.
"What? You assigned the last remaining girl's dormitory to someone else? That was the single room reserved for Princess Sophia, didn't you know?"
"Ah?!" Andrew was thunderstruck.
One must wonder, just how big a mess can a person make at work...!
Meanwhile, Celitia, completely unaware of this matter, was slowly heading to the dormitory with Shanie...