Ellie’s Anger
Knock, knock, knock.
The morning knocking awoke someone who had only managed 3 hours of sleep. The spirit of the workaholic woman, who even after moving into the world of a novel still had to finish her tasks, had to forego sleep once again to absorb 20 magic-enhancing crystals. If she didn’t push herself this hard, progress wouldn’t follow as desired.
Ellie had started at 17:00 the day before and continued until 03:00 the next day. After glancing at the clock, she realized it was only 06:00. Classes for first-year students began daily at 08:00. Even if Ellie needed to shower and eat beforehand, there was still a little time left to sleep. Who would have thought that even her dreams would be interrupted by such disturbances?
The petite figure opened the door and was met with the beaming smile of her dear friend, oblivious to the situation that she had just interrupted.
Nara’s smile was as bright as the sun, while Ellie’s face showed the murkiness of sleep deprivation. The contrast between them was stark. If Nara had any concern for her friend, she might feel guilty for the intrusion and let Ellie continue her rest. But of course, she did not...
"Ellie, yesterday I went to see your faculty advisor and found out that the botanic elemental students have special training, right? So, I came to wake you up to go to the planting plot this morning. I heard you wanted to grow herbs that offer a lot of points, right? I’m rooting for you."
Hearing her best friend’s words, Ellie couldn’t help but frown. So, Nara hadn’t returned to her room early yesterday because she had been snooping on her own matters?
"Thanks, but no worries. I’ll check the plot after classes," Ellie waved her off. Was the heroine of the story becoming too involved with her? Even though they were supposed to be best friends, but Nara seldomly met with this friend in the institution. She was mostly busy with her readings and being a scholarly assistant to the Sage professor.
If she dedicated her time meddling in others’ affairs like this, Ellie doubted that such behavior would help Nara progress well according to the plot. And importantly...in the story, Nara wasn’t supposed to know Professor Medik. Had she gone out of her way to get to know Professor Medik just because she wanted to dig into her business?
Ellie, wanting to keep the storyline as smooth as possible, felt a slight headache. Her role still included introducing the main characters to Professor Medik herself.
But then she wondered, now that the Setter family had received the Tezetrons from her, would there still be issues for the protagonists to navigate in this part of the story? Perhaps that’s why the storyline had altered slightly...
"I don’t think after school is a good time. Isn’t the ideal time for watering plants in the morning? If Ellie goes after classes, it will be noon, and watering at that time could harm the herbs more than help," Nara reasoned logically.
"Nara, you don’t need to worry about this. As a botanic magician, we have our own methods, just like I don’t meddle in your study of light magic." Perhaps out of the irritability of someone who had just woken up, Ellie felt Nara was becoming too involved in her affairs.
After planting her herb seeds yesterday, Ellie had also dug small irrigation channels. She used water to nourish the seeds to accelerate root growth. This meant that from yesterday until tomorrow, there was no need for her to water the plants again.
This method was something she had learned from the scarce gardening books available in the library. The soil in this academic building was special, prepared by the institution, which made care and maintenance equally unique. This was why Ellie was confident enough to spend the entire night absorbing power.
Whether it was Ellie’s memories or those of the older woman from her previous life, she knew well that the optimal time for watering plants was before 8:00 am. Nara was correct in her knowledge, but since she was not a botanic magician, she didn’t pay much attention to the details and only used her knowledge to disturb other people. If it were only out of goodwill, Ellie would have been touched, but she felt there was more to it.
Unsure if it was her mistrust of Nara, Ellie had already built a significant barrier between herself and this so-called best friend.
"Ellie...are you suggesting that I’m meddling in your affairs unnecessarily?" Nara looked dejected when she heard Ellie’s words.
"It’s not that. I’m just saying that I have my own plan. We who wield different powers must have our own ways of training. So, you don’t need to worry too much about me."
"You...Ellie...Nara feel like you’ve changed."
"So, what should the old Ellie do according to Nara?" Ellie tilted her head as her friend began to cry, as if her words had deeply hurt her.
"Sniff. If it were the old Ellie, she would definitely take Nara’s advice, not ignore it like this."
"Oh, so now I should go check on my planting plot just because Nara says so?" Ellie’s sarcastic remark surprised Nara even more. She cried harder upon hearing her best friend speak like this.
And yes! If it were the old Ellie, she would go check on her planting plot as her well-intentioned best friend suggested!
"It’s okay, if Ellie doesn’t want to do it, Nara will go check the plot myself," she said before running off immediately, leaving Ellie with a furrowed brow.
Was the other party saying she would check on her planting plot? What a good friend...
Of course, Ellie wasn’t bothered by the other’s words. She simply closed her door and went back to sleep for another half hour. After all, entering someone else’s planting plot needed a magic key to gain access. The institution had already anticipated preventing any unforeseen incidents. They wouldn’t allow any sabotage or similar incidents to occur. For this reason...even if Nara made it to her planting plot and saw many flourishing plants, she couldn’t cut them down to sell as before.
Time passed until it was time for class. Ellie sat waiting for her classroom advisor, Professor Regan, a proud and somewhat aloof man. His magic power was wind, and his level was no ordinary, Ellie had heard students discussing that he could conjure a massive storm that could swallow more than 10 monsters in one go. Unfortunately, he wasn’t very gentle, which is why...students were generally hesitant to approach him.
Regan looked around before starting the roll call.
"Scholarship student Ellie, element of botany" When he looked up, Ellie raised her hand high, and the old professor nodded and continued with the roll call until...
"Scholarship student Nara, element of light." The room fell silent. Ellie raised her eyebrows in surprise. She hadn’t been paying much attention to finding the heroine until she heard the professor call out like that.
"Scholarship student Nara?" Professor Regan called out again with a stern voice, as this was the first day of instruction, but suddenly there was a student who wasn’t showing him due respect by not attending this fundamental class. It was no wonder that Regan felt extremely angry.
Ellie called up her tracking map to check where her supposed best friend was, before she saw a yellow dot circling a particular place.
Ellie thought in her mind to control the map in front of her, enlarging it to pinpoint the location. It turned out that the area where the yellow dot was located was "her own room"!
"Great. Really great! A scholarship student who should be striving more than others is disregarding my fundamental subject like this? Named Nara, is it!? If anyone sees her, tell her to come to see me at the Wind Element Building! And from now on, if anyone dares not to value the subjects I teach, be assured they will face the severest of punishments!"
Regan’s mustache bristled with rage, but the one who was angrier than Professor Regan was Ellie!
She didn’t know how the other party ended up in her own room, but the behavior this morning wanting her out of the room seemed highly suspicious. Seeing what happened after she left the room, Ellie could easily connect the dots.
Previously stealing her vegetables to sell and not giving her a share wasn’t enough, she also stole her family’s money, nearly making Ellie the scapegoat and forcing her to find a way out by pretending to be ill. Upon arriving at the institution and finding she had enough money to buy good food, Nara wanted to keep that money for herself. After Ellie refused to hand over the money, thus the other party planned to enter her room like this?!
Unbelievable! What exactly was going on with this heroine?!
The first lesson ended with Professor Regan teaching manners to the students for 4 hours. Ellie watched the yellow dot leave her room from the first hour with great anger. Now the other party was still in her own Botanical Building. Thus, Ellie’s next destination was the Botanical Building as well.
"Ellie, you’re here?" Nara greeted her best friend with a bright voice. Since she couldn’t enter Ellie’s planting plot area, she had to seek out Professor Medik and pretend she had been there from the start.
"Hello, student," Professor Medik’s smile widened upon seeing who it was. For him, Ellie was already considered his future colleague, so he paid her considerable attention.
Since yesterday, this scholarship student had told him that she came from the same village as his future colleague. Medik was already interested in Ellie and thus allowed her into his own dome. Of course, Nara had told him many things about Ellie, which piqued his interest and had already established a close relationship between him and Nara.
Today, Nara came again, willing to keep the lonely professor company. Obviously, Medik, being a full-blooded man, felt happy to be with a female student who didn’t envy his appearance and openly shared stories about users of botanic powers.
However, when he saw the face of his only student, Medik had to withhold his smile...
"Nara is still here? Professor Regan is asking for you at the Wind Element Building. You missed his first class, so he’s very angry. Especially if he finds out you’ve been spending time with Professor Medik, it might spell trouble for him too," Ellie said this, causing Medik’s eyebrows to furrow into a knot.
Wasn’t Nara saying that the two of them were close and deeply caring friends? Then why did his student look so tense?
"Professor Regan? Alright, I’ll go to him. But you know, Nara really wanted to help Ellie with your herb plot. Even so, Nara doesn’t have a magic key. How about this...if Ellie wants Nara’s help, you should ask Professor Medik to make a spare key, in case Nara can..."
"Do not meddle with my plot, Nara," Ellie promptly interrupted the ever-good heroine. Her eyes emitted a dangerous glint that she didn’t bother to hide anymore.
You see...you shouldn’t make this loyal fan angry!!