When the sun rose and a thin ribbon of morning light slipped through the window onto Enid’s beautiful face, she woke.

  Nature elves were keenly sensitive to anything natural, and that included the sunlight pouring down from the sky. Sunlight was, after all, a kind of Light element, and picking out the Light-element mana within it was effortless for Enid.

  So when the sun came up, Enid did too, starting her day with the first breath of morning.

  She washed up, fixed her hair, chose what to wear, and headed out in a good mood.

  For Enid, a good day started with one thing, breakfast that actually tasted good.

  Some people might wonder if a nature elf ate as often as other races did. The answer was yes, and she didn’t eat any less than the short-lived folk, either.

  In theory, Enid could have met her energy needs just by basking in sunlight, letting the breeze pass over her, and drawing in the elemental mana within it.

  But her love of good food was every bit as strong as her love of Nature Magic. Who could say no to the simple happiness of something delicious, made with real care, melting on the tongue.

  People liked to say you couldn’t run on an empty stomach, and that was just as true for Enid.

  Her first breakfast in Rolgiska came from the academy’s central dining hall.

  Classes hadn’t started yet, but a small number of staff and students remained on campus, so the main city tower’s facilities, including the central dining hall, stayed open. They were just running at a reduced scale compared to the school term.

  That morning, Enid chose a bowl of creamy corn chowder, a few slices of fresh white bread with a side salad, and a warm coffee sweetened with sugar.

  And no, don’t look so shocked. The idea that elves never ate meat might be common knowledge in this world, but that only applied to certain elven branches. Nature elves ate much like humans did, they just preferred ingredients that were fresh and close to the earth.

  Rolgiska sat beside the imperial capital and held the same priority in trade and supply. After a long stretch of peace, the Empire’s production had grown several times over.

  So the academy’s food was famously generous and genuinely good, and Enid had to admit the rumors were accurate.

  After finishing her meal in full satisfaction, she tidied herself up and left the academy.

  With the semester still a week away, she planned to get a proper feel for Rolgiska.

  In other words, she was going shopping.

  She’d arrived in Rolgiska with Antonio, but the two of them had talked the whole way, and she hadn’t really looked at the city that owed so much of its fame to the academy.

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  Antonio had also prepared a mountain of supplies she would need once teaching began. If nothing had gotten in the way, he probably meant to show his teacher, the one who had locked herself in a tower for a hundred years, a little of the charm of his own territory.

  Unfortunately, Antonio’s schedule was always packed.

  As an imperial duke, the headmaster of the Comprehensive Academy of Magic, the chief of the Mage Tower, and one of the Four Sages, he never had a quiet day.

  After Enid talked him into it, Antonio finally chose to go do his job. There would be plenty of time later to spend with her.

  Enid’s first stop was the commercial district near Rolgiska Central Station.

  Before he left, Antonio handed her a long shopping list and several purchase checks bearing his signature. The list was packed with items he’d arranged for her, with the cost covered in full.

  Following the list in order, Enid entered a clothing store.

  The moment she opened the door, she found it overflowing with customers. It was so crowded she could barely even locate the end of the line.

  She waited anyway.

  When it was finally her turn, the clerk saw that Enid wasn’t holding any merchandise and, with a not-so-friendly look, made it clear she should leave if she wasn’t paying for anything.

  Then Enid placed one of Antonio’s checks on the counter.

  The instant the clerk spotted the duke’s seal, her attitude flipped completely. A polished, professional smile appeared as if it had been waiting just beneath the surface, and she immediately escorted Enid upstairs to a private area, ignoring the complaints from the customers still stuck in line.

  Enid was led into a fitting room.

  The store owner rushed over the moment he was notified, greeting Enid with excessive enthusiasm and fussing over every detail. With a sharp command, he had his staff bring in armfuls of clothing.

  From simple everyday outfits to lavish evening dresses, Enid was handled like a doll on strings, dressed and redressed while the staff chattered and adjusted.

  The owner must have noticed her patience thinning, because after six outfits, he finally stopped showing off and made a choice.

  Relying on the ruthless eye of a seasoned designer, he put together a look that suited her perfectly.

  A black long-sleeved dress in a northern style, trimmed with white lace.

  A long beige belted coat layered over it.

  Dark brown knee-high boots.

  A white scarf with a subtle pattern, paired with a wide-brimmed sunhat edged in lace.

  The outfit was understated but elegant, and it somehow made her already striking face and figure look even more unreal.

  The owner promised that her old clothes and the rest of her purchases, including her professor’s workwear, would be delivered to her residence.

  Only then was Enid finally freed to breathe fresh air again.

  The owner had been far too eager to please, but his taste was undeniable.

  As Enid walked down the street, almost everyone glanced her way. Her beauty and tall, poised silhouette did most of the work, but the outfit added a sharp finishing touch.

  After that, she moved through a magic item shop, a bookshop, and a workshop, then followed Antonio’s recommendation to a restaurant for a quick lunch.

  With everything on the list handled, Enid planned to return to the academy before sunset.

  On the way back, she passed a manor.

  Its main three-story building was so lavish it bordered on excessive, built in a maximalist style that demanded attention. Enid guessed it was Antonio’s ducal residence in Rolgiska, and she couldn’t help marveling at how far the Stashier Empire’s artistry and wealth had climbed. It was beyond anything she’d ever seen.

  Not wanting to interrupt Antonio while he worked, she chose not to go inside.

  Besides, she was living under the alias Enis as a professor now, and keeping a low profile was the smarter move.

  Before the sun went down, Enid returned to the academy, her first real shopping trip in a hundred years.

  Over the next few days, she either went back out to explore the city or wandered the academy grounds, getting her bearings.

  And then, at last, the opening day arrived for Rolgiska’s Stashier Comprehensive Academy of Magic.

  Which meant one thing.

  Enid’s life as a professor had officially begun.