Chapter 5: Farewell, Rowan House
Shani stood in front of Cedric with a nervous expression. Her palms were damp with sweat, and her shoulders were tense.
It felt as though she were waiting to hear a verdict.
Meanwhile, Cedric silently read through a holographic document with a serious look on his face.
Shani desperately wanted to walk over and read it herself, but she still had enough self-control to stay where she was.
After several minutes, the holographic panel disappeared.
Cedric looked straight at her. "They accepted your application..."
"I... I got in?!" Shani exclaimed excitedly. She was just about to jump for joy when Cedric motioned for her to calm down.
"There’s a condition," he continued.
The smile on Shani’s face didn’t fade in the slightest.
Cedric let out a helpless sigh. "They’re giving you one entrance test. You’ll only be admitted if you pass it."
"What kind of test?" Shani asked curiously.
Since she was using Cedric’s direct admission slot, she didn’t expect the test to be particularly difficult.
"It’s a Beast Energy Regulation Test." Cedric went on to explain what Beast Energy Regulation was.
In truth, Shani already knew. She had performed it once before... Near the end of her previous life.
"I’ll accompany you to Lunarion," Cedric said after a moment of thought. "I’ll buy you an Artificial Egg so you can practice before the test."
Shani instinctively shook her head.
"There’s no need, Director. Artificial Eggs are far too expensive. Every beastman should be able to perform Beast Energy Regulation eventually, right?"
She couldn’t let Cedric spend any more money on her. She still planned to borrow money from him to cover her travel expenses.
Before Cedric could argue, Shani quickly excused herself, claiming she needed to finish packing.
Within a single day, the news that Shani had been accepted into Grand Novabeast Academy spread throughout Rowan House.
The children gathered around to congratulate her and wish her luck.
Even so, Shani could hear the sadness hidden beneath their cheerful voices.
Whenever one of the children left, everyone celebrated because it meant they had found a better future.
But that didn’t make saying goodbye any easier. Especially now.
Shani was the oldest child in the orphanage. There wasn’t a single child here who hadn’t been cared for by her.
"Don’t forget about us," little Mina said with surprising maturity. "If I ever get adopted by a kind family, I’ll come find you in the capital."
Shani gently patted the top of Mina’s head. "I’ll be waiting."
Out of all the children at Rowan House, Mina was the one Shani was closest to.
Perhaps it was because, despite being only eight years old, Mina treated Shani like a friend rather than an older sister.
She never used her age as an excuse to avoid chores. More than once, Shani had found herself exasperated by the little girl’s stubborn independence.
Still, Mina never caused trouble the way most children her age did. She never did anything reckless and often thought like an adult.
Shani remembered the day a beautiful but poisonous flower suddenly bloomed behind the orphanage.
The other children eagerly reached out to touch it and ended up covered in itchy rashes.
Only Mina had stayed cautious. Instead of touching it, she had called Cedric and Shani over to investigate why it had appeared there.
Mina’s Beast Energy was E-Rank. If someone adopted her one day, it would most likely be an ordinary family.
Shani wished she could help Mina raise her rank. But for now, she had to save herself first.
’If I can break free from the curse of dying at twenty. I’ll come back for Mina and help her.’
...
Shani didn’t own many clothes. Everything fit inside a medium-sized backpack. She also carried a duffel bag filled with enough bread and milk to last an entire week.
If those foods kept any longer, Mina probably would have insisted she pack even more.
Cedric gave her five hundred Credits. Without telling him, Shani secretly returned four hundred Credits to his office.
She knew he’d only given her so much because he cared about her.
Her hovertrain and aerobus tickets had already been purchased the day before. The only expense she expected was one night’s stay in Anemone City. Nothing else.
If she spent fifty Credits on lodging, the remaining fifty would be enough for emergencies.
She had also received a scholarship from one of Grand Academy’s instructors. That instructor was the very person who had convinced the other instructors to give Shani a chance.
If they met, she intended to thank him properly.
"Be careful around people who act overly friendly, and keep a close eye on your belongings." Mina began lecturing like a tiny adult.
Shani suddenly pulled Mina into a hug, catching the little girl completely off guard. "I’m really going to miss you."
Mina didn’t answer.
A few seconds later, a quiet sniffle escaped her.
The other children saw Mina crying and immediately rushed over, wrapping both of them in a group hug as they started crying too.
Shani had wanted to keep their farewell from becoming too emotional.
Instead, she ended up crying along with them.
Only Cedric stood off to the side without saying a word. Even so, his eyes had turned red.
After the heartfelt goodbye, Cedric drove Shani to the train station in his old hovercar.
Mina and the other children waved until the vehicle disappeared from sight.
Passing through rolling grasslands where cattle grazed peacefully, they eventually arrived at a large three-story house that resembled a villa.
Cedric steered the hovercar into the spacious front yard.
Before Shani could ask why they had stopped, a tall young man stepped out of the house carrying a suitcase, a large backpack slung over his shoulder.
Several family members followed behind him, offering worried advice one after another.
"Let’s go, Director," the young man said as he opened the rear door. "They’re never going to stop nagging unless we leave."
Cedric smiled. "They’re only worried about you."
Then, he rolled down the window and called out to the people standing in front of the villa. "We’re leaving!"
...