Alya practically barreled into Mavis the moment the instructors dispersed, her tail puffed out like an alarmed cat. She grabbed Mavis's shoulders and shook lightly, eyes wide with worry. "Are you okay? Oh stars, Mavis, I didn't know you could dual cast like that! You should have told me! And the underwater breathing—why didn't you warn me? I thought you were drowning! I almost fainted! How long have you been able to dual cast—"
"Alya," Mavis said, raising both hands to steady her. "I'm fine."
Alya didn't listen. "You—fine? You were in a suffocation bubble! And then you powered it up! And then you did some kind of fancy barrier spell on top of another spell—Mavis, that's the definition of dual casting! And then—"
"Alya." Mavis finally placed a firm hand on her friend's cheek, turning her face toward her. "I'm okay."
Alya stared at her, then released a shaky breath. Her tail drooped back to normal, though her ears still twitched. "I swear, you're going to kill me someday."
Mavis nodded sympathetically, though the tension in her chest didn't come from fear or embarrassment. As the adrenaline faded, she became aware of the stares directed her way—wide eyes, uncertain expressions, whispers spreading like dry leaves in the wind. Students pointed discreetly, some glancing at Mavis like she was something impressive, others like she was something strange.
She tried to ignore them.
"I need to get stronger," Mavis murmured under her breath. "If things had gone differently, I wouldn't have been able to defend myself at all."
Alya blinked at her. "Stronger? Mavis… did we watch the same thing? Because I watched you throw a boulder-sized water spell at an instructor and then survive a barrage that would flatten a carriage." She crossed her arms. "And you're worried you're weak?"
"I didn't do any of that on purpose," Mavis pointed out. "And I still don't know defensive spells. It could have gone very wrong."
Alya opened her mouth to argue, but paused at the sudden ringing of a bell. Students began to regroup, instructors yelling for order as exam staff moved toward a different field across the way. Most of the magic equipment was being carried off or reset by faculty, replaced with wooden posts, sand pits, and marked lanes.
Mavis turned to Alya. "What's the next part of the exam?"
Alya flicked her tail, relieved for a change in topic. "It's the physical test. No one tells you what it will be, but it's usually a mix of strength, agility, and weapon skill. Sometimes they throw in something weird like obstacle courses. It changes year to year." She shrugged. "And it's optional. As far as I know, you only need to pass either the magic exam or the physical exam to get a dorm. They don't expect everyone to be both a magician and a swordsman."
Mavis raised an eyebrow. "Optional?"
"Yes," Alya said. "Most commoners skip the physical test since they don't have swordsmanship training, and a lot of nobles skip the magic portion if they're knight-track. Only weird people do both."
"So… am I weird?" Mavis asked, amused.
Alya gave her a playful look. "Well, you almost drowned yourself in a water bubble and then survived it, so yes."
Mavis snorted.
Alya's expression shifted into confusion. "Wait… are you actually going to take the physical exam?"
Mavis blinked. "Of course."
Alya stared at her. "Why? You don't even know swordsmanship, do you?"
Mavis laughed aloud. "Alya, I'm a sailor. Fighting is part of the job."
Alya's expression grew flat as a plank. "Sailors fight? Since when?"
"Since always? Do you think sea monsters just politely swim around your boat?"
"That is not a normal sentence," Alya said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Normal people do not say things like that."
"Well, I'm clearly not normal," Mavis replied cheerfully.
Alya sighed dramatically. "You're not just a sailor. You act more like a pirate."
Mavis placed a hand over her heart with mock offense. "I'll have you know I have never stolen anything in my life."
"Except my sanity."
Mavis grinned. "You still have that?"
Alya thwacked her shoulder with her tail.
Students began filing toward the physical exam field, gathering in loose clusters around instructors with clipboards. Mavis rolled her shoulders, stretching her arms as she prepared to join them.
She had already faced fog beasts, starvation, and the unknown depths of the Arianiac Sea. A physical exam couldn't possibly be worse.
Or so she thought.