All I Need is Power

"Raise your chin, Young Miss. Straighten your back, puff out your chest."

Kira gracefully followed the instructions, letting out a soft sigh as she found herself rethinking many decisions she had made in her short life. Oh, don't get her wrong—she was only turning six years old in a few months. Yet, in the past few months, she had been subjected to class after class, and from her perspective, she deserved a long break after enduring this kind of glamorized child labor.

"Turn around. When wearing heels, point your toes inward. When wearing flats, point them forward," her teacher, Madame Gazette, reminded her. The woman adjusted her glasses with an index finger, her gaze never leaving the white-haired girl.

The young girl did as she was instructed. She closed her eyes briefly due to fatigue. In the Yves Empire, turning six was a sign of a kind of puberty, but unlike the transition from childhood to adolescence, it marked the shift from infancy to childhood. However, that wasn't the important part; it was because, at this age, a person's magic reserves would stabilize. After stabilization, the reserves would increase slowly until adulthood, when they would harmonize with other energies and the body, allowing one to use them to their fullest potential.

Some people would go to great lengths to widen their magic reserves at this age, even employing dangerous means to maximize their power as adults. News of common folk selling their homes or properties to support their children's magical education was not new to her. Children with great aptitude were treated better because they were seen to have brighter futures than their counterparts.

For the white-haired girl, this was not a concern. She was the daughter of the Second Princess of the previous generation and the Grand Duke. Born after the heir and being the only girl in the family, she never had to worry about her clothes, food, or which school she would attend. Her status in the country and her parents' wealth guaranteed that.

"That's all for today. You may return to your room. I will meet with your father, the Grand Duke," the elderly lady said with a small smile and a wink that Kira still didn't quite understand. Despite spending quite some time with Madame Gazette, she still couldn't figure out the woman's moods.

With a nod, Kira smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Madame Gazette."

After giving the woman a small bow, she left the study room. Once she was out of sight, she slowly massaged her right shoulder and sighed in contemplation. Along with etiquette classes, she also had sword lessons. She was not one to do things half-heartedly, so she made sure to excel (by her own standards, if she truly couldn't master something) in everything she did.

As she walked down the silent corridor, she deliberately slowed her steps until she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from afar. She squinted and raised an eyebrow as the silhouette of a boy came into view.

"I thought you would still be at the Academy, brother," she said, quickening her pace until she stopped in front of a boy a head taller than her. The boy patted her on the head, chuckling when he saw her frown.

"I wouldn't miss your mana aptitude test even if it killed me," the boy replied, shaking his head, knowing his sister's character well.

Even at a young age, Kira tended to be traditional and family-oriented. She didn't want to miss a class, even if she was sick, and she always gave her best effort when doing something she enjoyed. This behavior often extended to her family members as well. Kira would voice her thoughts when she disagreed with something, but thankfully, she had learned to handle it better now and kept most of her opinions to herself.

"My mana aptitude test is not important. Yours was the significant one—" she said with a sly smirk as she walked past her brother, "—I'm not the heir, after all."

Hearing a string of complaints and curses behind her, she didn't realize she had a small smile on her face as she retreated to her room.

*****

"Good afternoon, Father." Esternon glanced dully at the papers on his father's desk and sat in the chair provided by the butler. Removing the sword from his waist, he carefully placed it on the ground, as if it might break at any moment. As a swordsman, his sword was his life, and he could not afford to lose it.

The man behind the desk had dark bags under his eyes. He shifted his gaze from the papers to the child in front of him. "It's a good thing you arrived. That Madame Gazette had a lot to say for a woman her age." With a huff, he scowled and continued reading the paper in his hand.

"Did she say something bad about Kira?" Esternon asked, brushing his hand through his silver locks. He didn't realize he wore the same worried expression as his father. The heir of the Grand Duchy knew they were a bit overprotective of the only girl in the family, but who could blame them? She was precious to them.

The Duke rolled his eyes. "She can try, but she'll find her sorry self outside of our Grand Duchy soon enough."

"Then what did she say?" Esternon sighed with relief, slouching back in his chair with gold accents. His golden eyes darted around the room, looking for any changes since he was last there.

"She wants to send her to the Academy, provided that your sister takes additional etiquette classes."

As if choking on air, Esternon almost lost control of himself. He grabbed his sword, debating whether he could catch up to the old woman if he ran out right then. Thankfully, he calmed down and replied, "My sister is going to be six! Six years old! What on earth is she talking about?"

Usually, the Academy accepts children between the ages of 11 and 13. Noble children could enter earlier, around the age of ten, but that was already a stretch and implied the child was a genius who needed to be educated earlier to maximize their growth. Commoners, on the other hand, could enter strictly at the age of 12 (if they had magic). Non-magical citizens could attend regular schools to learn the basics.

"Haah," the Duke sighed heavily, placing the paper he was holding on top of a high stack to his right and closing his eyes. "Do you think I didn't think of that? That woman was recommended by your mother's nanny, so I had to hear her out."

Feeling that his father needed some space, Esternon decided to excuse himself. "Call me if you need anything, Father. I'll be in my room, arranging my baggage."

The Grand Duke waved him away, signaling him to leave the room as quickly as possible. As if he had been pardoned from a death sentence, the silver-haired boy swiftly exited the room with his sword at his side. Once he closed the door, he could finally breathe easy.

He had traveled from the Academy to the Grand Duchy using the fastest carriage available. Normally, even noble children could not leave during the school year unless directly ordered by the Emperor. Let's just say he had pulled some strings and connections he had made during his first year at the Academy so he could attend his sister's mana aptitude test.

Esternon knew that his sister might not care about the result, but he did.

His sister was the only person he knew with such a nonchalant attitude toward magical traditions. In truth, it was extremely important as it would dictate a person's future. Without magic, one would be treated as a commoner, and thinking of Kira—who was born and raised in luxury—he couldn't imagine her living a simple life.

'Never mind, even if she doesn't have magic, I can still afford another mouth to feed,' the heir mused, already thinking of how to deal with anyone who might bully his sister in the future.