“Hey! Lift your foot!” Yena feels someone clutch her shoulder in panic. So, without even looking, Yena lifts her foot, and soon, the grip on her shoulder is gone. A tall girl draped in a brown cloak kneels on the floor, scooping something up from the floor, her actions hurried. “Oh, Founder…” the girl mumbles, standing straight up, cradling something within her hands.

Unsure of what to say, Yena grips the tray of cakes firmly, looking cautiously at the taller girl. She clears . “Sorry, um, did I step on something or…”

“You didn’t step on something,” the girl glowers, glaring down at Yena. She places… whatever she has in her hands into a small pouch on her belt before conjuring the wand out of thin air, pointing it at Yena. “You stepped on my familiar, server.”

The two of them begin to attract everyone’s attention in the lounge bustling with students. They throw them glances, teacups at hand with amused glints in their eyes as if watching some live soap opera before their eyes. Tension continuously growing thicker, a sound of brisk footsteps cuts through it like a hot knife through butter. Yena releases a breath of relief, seeing Chaewon.

“Is something the matter?” Chaewon asks, placing the teaware on the counter before walking up to the pair.

“Miss Chaewon, did you train this server enough? She should watch where she's going, for the Founder's sake!” She fiddles with her belt taking out the small leather pouch toward Chaewon and Yena. Inside is a tiny, green chameleon that can barely move after being squashed by Yena’s heavy-duty sneakers.

“Yujin? What’s going on here?” Yena hears Yuri. Yuri steps in front of her before she can even turn to look, her gaze at the other girl not wavering despite Yujin's height looming over her. “What did my familiar do?”

Yujin’s frown deepens. “Oh… so she’s your familiar? You should really monitor your commoner better so she doesn't go around harming other familiars,” she tells Yuri, her voice venomous.

Yuri turns to Yena, a frown playing in her features. "What did you do?"

“Well, to be fair, that chameleon blended itself to its surroundings. Unless I miraculously had an X-ray vision, I would have seen it and avoided it." Yena sighs, still holding the cake tray in her hands. "Anyway, I'm sorry, alright? I have some coins or something from work if you want something in return."

Yujin’s expression becomes rigid. She tears off the golden badge on her collar, presenting it to Yena wordlessly. Yena, on the other hand, can’t do anything but raise an eyebrow at Yujin, not sure what she wanted from her at that moment. Does she take the badge or what? Collective gasps come from the students, and Yena’s eyebrows crease deeper. 

“Yujin, are you nuts? A duel?” Yuri asks, frowning up at Yujin. “Look, if you want I–”

“A familiar for a familiar.” Yujin glares at Yena, stepping closer to them. “It would dishonor my family name if I let such an insult go.”

Yuri turns to face Yena, concern clouding her face. “Yena, please? Just apologize.”

“I already did. But if this is the compensation that you want,” Yena glares back at the brown cloaked girl, the sharpness of her gaze failing to lose against hers. “Then fine.”

Yuri’s eyes widen in disbelief. “What? Yena, you can’t hold a candle to–”

“Sondeul Courtyard tomorrow. First thing in the morning,” Yujin tells her, pushing past Yena, making her way off the lounge.

 ★彡

“Just, what were you thinking?” Yuri asks after pulling her into the bathroom.

Yena swallows the lump that forms in . “I apologized, but she challenged me. It would have been humiliating to chicken out with all those people watching!”

A sigh escapes Yuri’s lips. “You should have apologized deeper! On your knees!”

“On my knees?! I stepped on her chameleon, not kill her father!”

Yuri paces back and forth in the bathroom, biting on her bottom lip. “She’s General Ahn’s daughter. The Founder knows what she might be capable of doing to you tomorrow.”

Yena’s breath hitches, her heart quickening slightly. “... Hey, you’re making me nervous.”

“You should be nervous!” Yuri hisses up at her, grabbing her shoulder firmly, fixing her glasses that slid to the tip of her nose. “It’s Yujin Ahn. She may still be just a freshman, but she’s the top mage of her class.”

One of the five cubicles opens, and the two of them collectively gaze in the direction. It’s the class beauty, Minju, who Yena remembers from yesterday. She smiles awkwardly at Yena. And to Yuri, she gives a curt nod.

“Sorry, I can’t help but overhear,” Minju says, turning the knob of the faucet, letting the water run down her slender hands. “You’re dueling Yujin?” she asks, looking at Yena from the corner of her eye.

“Well, unfortunately,” Yena replies, grimacing. 

Drying her hands with a hanky, Minju looks at Yuri. “And you didn’t even stop this from happening? What kind of master are you?” she asks with a sigh, conjuring up her wand. 

Yuri keeps mum, avoiding Minju’s gaze, crossing her arms.

Minju walks closer to Yena, and she unconsciously backs off at the sudden proximity. Minju raises her wand. “sub meo praesidio.” She taps Yena’s head gently.

Yena blinks, watching her arms glow for one second before turning back to normal. “What…?”

“That lasts for 24 hours, so you won’t at least die,” she says softly, nodding in encouragement before walking towards the door. She turns to them one last time. “Good luck.”

When the door closes behind Minju, Yena’s jaw drops. “Hold up… I might die?!”

“Yujin won’t kill you… I think,” Yuri mumbles, holding the handle of the bathroom. “You better thank Minju, that’s a water spell that prevents fatal injuries from up to intermediate level magic. But it doesn’t mean you won’t get injured.”

Yena sighs in relief, looking at Yuri. “Minju seems like a pleasant person. Why don’t you two get along?”

Yuri holds the bathroom doorknob, pushing it open so they can both walk through. “Minju may be nice, I can admit that much, but the Kim Household? Best not get involved,” she says as they walk through the halls. “I’ll try getting Yujin to cancel your duel before tomorrow comes.”

“Wait. But I now have this anti-death protection thing surrounding me,” Yena says, a grin on her face. “I might win.”

“You won’t. You’re a commoner. Yujin is a powerful mage with the general’s blood. Might as well concede defeat before you get several broken bones.”

Yena frowns at her statement, her lips curving down in a pouty frown. “Commoners can fight back too.”

Yuri quirks an eyebrow. “With what, exactly? Your fists?”

“I just have to knock her wand off her hand, and she’s done.”

“You won’t even have a chance to go near her, Yena. We’re apologizing to her after classes are over.”

 ★彡 

“Oh, Yujin? I heard she’d be going home tonight,” one of the first-year boys tells them.

Yuri’s frown deepens at the news. “What?”

“Did she say why?” Yena asks.

He shrugs. “Don’t really know, something regarding her familiar or something.”

“She could’ve just asked Professor Lee to heal her familiar. Did she have to go home?” Yuri asks, impatiently crossing her arms, frowning up at the freshman.

“Well, I think it had something to do with her familiar not being registered,” he explains, fixing his books into his bookbag. “We’re supposed to summon our familiars during the second-year, but she did it unsupervised. She might not want to get in trouble with Professor Lee finding out about Leon.”

“Oh right, she’s not even supposed to have a familiar yet,” Yuri mumbles to herself, suddenly losing interest in questioning the boy further. “Anyway, thanks.”

The two of t