The princesses obediently followed their guide from the square. They watched Noble silently, unsure of what to think of the Master with them.
"This is one of the men's dormitories," Noble explained. "You may not enter there. That building over there holds classes including Aspect optimization and Flaw management. Over there is the…"
Noble could tell that the girls weren't paying attention.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Only…That was…very impressive, Professor." Yuma dipped her head slightly.
Noble looked over her shoulder and raised one eyebrow. "You sound surprised."
"Of course we are!" Lumi was elbowed by Mei.
The almond-eyed woman coughed. "What my sister means is that we have only ever seen warriors of Song deal with conflicts before."
"And you believed that the Legacies produced the strongest warriors." Noble continued walking at a lazy pace as a smile played on her lips.
Lumi's mouth dropped open. "How did you know?"
"Most people still believe that. It is an easy assumption since most Masters and Saints before the Antarctic campaign were aligned with a clan."
"Why haven't you joined a clan?" Mei's question was a reasonable one.
"I'm not a legacy. My father worked for the government, and my husband does as well. Joining a clan has never really crossed my mind." Noble shrugged. "Someone has to help keep the infrastructure running. For me, that includes education."
"But that amount of power and presence... You stopped a conflict without lifting a finger. I know you were only using a fraction of what you can do. If you could subdue so many without summoning a sword…" Yuma trailed off.
"Did I break your perception of the world a bit?" Noble watched the girls nod out of the corner of her eye. "Good. One of the best things you can learn is to never underestimate anyone. The Spell seems to reward tenacity, and the legacy clans have not cornered the market on that character trait. The Great Clans have immense talent, but with that comes the danger of pride. Pride can be your ultimate undoing. And speaking of pride…"
Noble stopped between the buildings. She turned to face the trio, her eyes swirling with emotion.
"That situation back there…"
"They attacked us!" Lumi protested.
"I don't doubt it. I wasn't out there, but I could feel what was happening. I had hoped it would resolve on its own." Noble had needed to have the conversation with Rock, but she also wanted to let the girls problem-solve.
"Genora was absolutely in the wrong. I think she sees that now. But I am afraid that she is not the only person you will run up against." Noble had heard the chatter when the girls arrived. It was truly a mixed bag of emotion.
"We don't want to fight." Yuma furrowed her brow. "We just want to fit in here."
"I know. And sometimes wanting to be accepted means fighting… just not physically. You can struggle for a peaceful resolution. If that doesn't work, you can get help." Noble felt the girls' emotions spike.
"Help? Wouldn't yelling for help make us look weak?" Yuma could not picture herself ever begging as Genora had.
"I can see why you might think that. But there are subtle ways to get your message across. I can guarantee that Genora had no idea I was coming behind you, so mentioning that I might have an opinion when I join you might have taken out the venom from her sting. But even if it hadn't, it would have bought you some time to think of another solution."
Stalling was a legitimate tactic in any confrontation. Time was a commodity, and having more of it to gauge how to react was a blessing.
"We will keep it in mind for the future." Mei was hesitant, but she didn't outright refuse the teacher's advice. "I don't like them talking badly about Silent Stalker, though."
"Nor should you. But arguing with someone who doesn't want to hear will not get the desired result. At best, you will reach a stalemate, and at worst, it will make you look guilty." Noble sighed. "So refer them to another authority. Provost Alden would be happy to field any of those questions for you. His answers would hold more weight with the students than anything you could say."
"I don't get why people won't just believe the truth!" Lumi puffed out her cheeks.
"If only everyone were as honest as you." Noble resisted the urge to pat the girl's head. "Unfortunately, truth and what people believe are kilometers apart at times. In this case, I don't think that people will ever agree, even if we find the culprit."
"People are dumb. Forget them. I won't care what they think. But…" Lumi took Noble's arm. "You don't believe Silent Stalker attacked Changing Star, do you?"
"I know she didn't." Noble patted the princess's hand. "So don't let anyone convince you otherwise!"
"I won't!" Lumi nodded her head with a big smile.
"And be careful, all of you. Be kind and considerate, and I'm sure everyone will flock to be your friends."
"We will try." Yuma's austere expression softened. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," Noble remembered Rock's words. "It was nothing, really." She coughed. "Back to the tour. I will have to wrap things up soon because I have things I need to address before my seminar. I teach Memory Utilization, which is over in that building. Not that you should feel obligated to attend!"
Noble pointed out a few key structures and recommended classes that she thought might interest the ladies during their time at the Academy.
They did not run into any more trouble and eventually reached the dormitory and the girls' rooms without further incident.
As they neared the assigned quarters, Noble furrowed her brow.
The hall was filled with crates, and a retainer was waiting for them, bent at the waist.
"Your Highnesses, forgive me. I have yet to finish arranging your rooms. Due to your extended stay here, the Queen has sent everything you might need to remain comfortable.
"There are a lot of things…" Noble rubbed the back of her neck. If the room already had the usual furniture, then there was no way all of the rest was going to fit! "Perhaps you should request a larger space. I know that there are some suites…"
"No, this is perfect." Yuma stood tall. "Anything we don't need, we can send back or share."
"We won't waste any of it, that's for sure." Mei nodded.
"I do love sharing!" Lumi clapped her hands.
"Very well, then." Noble saw no reason to argue. "I will leave them in your care."
"I won't be here much longer," the retainer assured the professor. "But I will get them settled before I go."
"Good luck, Dreamer Yuma, Dreamer Mei, and Dreamer Lumi. It was very nice to meet all of you. I will check in again once you are more comfortable." In deference to the attendant, Noble bowed to the princesses.
"Goodbye, Professor."
"We appreciate the tour."
"We will see you soon!"
Noble left the building, relieved to have fulfilled the obligation that she had never asked for.
If Noble had hoped for no more surprises that day, she was sorely disappointed. One was already waiting for her in her classroom.