Chương 23: No white dogs

The pet store was packed. Well, the actual name was Claws & Companions Menagerie. Which was suitably witchy. A crowd of fresh-faced academy students in their spell-pressed sky blues ran to and fro, picking out familiars for the start of their school year. Tomorrow was the Blood Moon Festival. Then, the next day the academy would open to welcome the newest class of mages.

Technically, the school wasn't just for mages - any class that was somewhat related to magic would be allowed in as well, like Spellblades - but mages would be the majority. It was both a common and respected class. Ophelia felt a pang in her heart as she watched the excitement of the teens running around the shop. She had never had a true high school experience. No homecoming or prom, passing notes in class, or picking out what to wear to school that morning.

Even though self-study was the right path for her (because god did she make ridiculous money on social media), she couldn't help but feel nostalgic for the "typical" experience, like the one she had seen on tv shows and movies growing up. Like the one her childhood friends had. What she missed, maybe, was the idea of camaraderie; the time of her life where everyone was going through the same thing, and took part in the same stories, becoming a shared history.

While her childhood friends were gossiping in class together, she was staring at a phone screen, alone, surrounded by ring lights, doing takes over and over again until she got it perfect. She sighed loudly, putting her hands on her hips. Rin had all the luck. She was going to have so much fun.

"My lady, there are the puppies!" cried out Marika.

"Alright. Go check them out." Marika and Toma ran off, Ophelia following behind the excited duo. When she looked at the dogs - and dog-like creatures - in the cages against the wall, something old and sharp turned in her chest. A fluffy white dog, small enough to curl in her lap. She'd been eight or nine. Her parents had just divorced, and neither of them wanted the dog.

She remembered when her dad had taken her and the dog out to a rural part of the state, and he set the dog outside on the side of the road and drove away. She still remembered the way she'd cried and screamed and banged on the car window as Snowcone tried to run after them with all her might, but her legs were too small, and she had become a white dot in the rearview mirror. After a few days, after checking Facebook incessantly, Ophelia had seen a "Dog Found" poster with Snowcone on it.

The dog looked healthy, if a bit sad, in a farmer's arms. She had kept tabs on Snowcone even as a kind family adopted her, and they started posting photos with her on their social media, but it was always bittersweet. Ophelia had never loved anything as much as she'd loved Snowcone, and truthfully, she hadn't since. She was just glad someone got a loving family out of that divorce. Why had she told them she would get them a dog? Was she stupid?

"Toma, when I said you could get a puppy, it was a figure of speech. You could also get a cat! Or, perhaps, a rabbit. Maybe a fish? Lizard?" Ophelia pointed at a glass cage with a sleepy fat two-headed lizard inside.

"How about that one? Doesn't he look so adorable?" Toma's expression became a bit downcast.

"If my lady suggests a lizard, then a lizard would be fine." Ophelia grinned.

"Wonderful. I'll call someone over." Marika grabbed Ophelia's sleeve.

"My lady, he doesn't mean it. Dogs are his favorite animal… and… they're mine too…" Damn it, Marika! Faced with two sad expressions, Ophelia had no choice but to relent.

"Fine," she muttered.

"A dog. Just as long as it isn't a white one." As they cooed over the selection of dogs, Ophelia wandered off. She looked over at the foxes, orange with black stripes, and their cute pointy ears. Her mind wandered and for some reason she ended up thinking of Princess Yumei. She sighed. At first, she'd been totally enamoured with the kitsune, but when Yumei had revealed how closely connected she'd been to the Azazel plot, it was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her head.

Yumei was like Bianca or Lucrezia… a little too scary to think about. Ophelia was already sweating with the thought of Yumei revealing Lady Vyx's villainous ways to her adoptive father. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Auriette de Belle strolled into the shop, her eyes lighting up when she saw them.

"Lady Archmage! Lady Archmage! I'm all cleared!" Ophelia put a finger to her lips. Around them, a few students looked curiously their way.

"To be honest, I find 'Lady Archmage' a bit of a mouthful," confessed Ophelia.

"Since we'll be spending a lot of time together, you may call me Ophelia." Auriette was also quite cute, but Ophelia had learned her lesson with Yumei. Since Auriette was almost Level 600 she was probably in her fifties or sixties. Ophelia's ears pricked when she heard Marika's raised voice. She immediately left her spot by the foxes and went back over to the dogs, where she saw Toma and Marika surrounded by three older academy students. The academy students sneered down at the two kids.

"My lady!" called Marika in relief.

"We found the perfect puppy, and he picked us. But these guys are saying we can't take him!" They found the perfect puppy? Already? Ophelia looked at the cage the dog was in and let out a giant sigh. Of course. A small white dog. Albeit, it was just a puppy, so maybe it would continue to grow bigger…

"That isn't merely a dog," snapped one student.

"That is an extremely rare Fenrir pup! My father has been calling the shop every day for the past year just to see if they had one in stock. I'm not going to let a plate-licker take my future familiar away, as if you could even afford—" He was cut off as Ophelia pushed him out of the way, her head turning side to side as she searched for a shop attendant.

"Didn't you hear me?" the student blustered, his face a frightening shade of red.

"My father is—""Over here!" called Ophelia, waving her arm. A shop attendant came running over.

"Yes, my lady?"

"I'll take this one." She pointed at the small white dog.

"Of course," the woman said.

"With rare-class beasts, we do a final health check before they are sold. Would it be acceptable if we have someone send this beast over to your apartment once the check is complete?" Ophelia was about to respond but paused. Wait. Did she say apartment? She looked over at the woman, who, now that Ophelia was really looking, seemed a bit nervous. No, that was a lie. The woman was practically quaking in her boots. Even though Ophelia had hidden her class and level, the shop attendant had figured out her identity.

Possibly from Auriette yelling it out. Before she could say anything further, the student stomped his foot.

"Please, wait a moment. My father is on his way with his chequebook! Whatever the price is, he'll double it!" The shop attendant scarcely spared him a glance.

"My lady, of course, for someone of your stature, we would never charge you for something this minor. Please consider this Fenrir pup yours!" The student gaped, looking between Ophelia and the shopkeeper with confused disbelief.

"Her status?" he mumbled.

"But I'm the king's second cousin - who could have more status than me? Don't you know who I am?" Darkness fell over him as a figure loomed behind him. Auriette de Belle smiled at him - but there was nothing kind and gentle about her smile. Her grin was hard as glass and somewhat crooked. Her class and level glared above her head. She gave the boy a stilted wave.

"If you don't mind, young sir, I suggest retreating from this battle. Your opponent happens to be an Archmage." Ophelia almost burst out laughing. What a thing to say!

"A—" the student paused.

"A…?" He looked at Ophelia again with new eyes, and although her class and level weren't visible, he seemed to see something that convinced him of Auriette's claims. He squeaked out a few apologies and dragged his friends away, running out of the store.

"I'll get those papers ready!" said the shop attendant. She grabbed the entire cage the puppy was in and hauled it off at light speed. Auriette saluted Ophelia with a serious expression.

"I'm sorry for interfering, but I simply could not take that guy anymore! Please punish me!" Ophelia waved her off.

"It's fine. Just a reminder, in the future, don't expose my identity if I don't have my nameplate activated. I get tired of the way people react when they know if I'm around?"

"You mean like you're an all-powerful being who might smite them at any moment."

"Yes," said Ophelia.

"But, I will say, the discounts are nice." She thought for a second.

"How much are the Black Aprons charging me for you, by the way?"

"Nothing, my lady!" Ophelia nodded in satisfaction. She almost felt like she was an influencer again, free things most could only dream of falling into her lap. The rich truly get richer.

"I think that's enough shopping for today. Let's head home. I'll give you a tour of our apartment, Auriette. It's called—"" Le Ciel," she finished. Then she flinched and stood up straighter, saluting again.

"My lady, I'm sorry for interrupting you!"

"It's fine." After all, there was no sweeter name to a woman than the name of her own expensive apartment. They left the shop. The kids were practically skipping with joy, so Ophelia felt like she'd done a good job today. As they made their way back home, the streets became fuller with people. What was going on? The group shared a look of befuddlement before pushing their way through. There was a grand commotion in Grandiflora Square. A crowd of people cheered, some screaming praise while others cursed and berated.

Ophelia was curious as to what was going on. She walked through the crowd until she saw a signup station with a banner over it.

"Archmage Albini's Apprenticeship Competition - Classless Only Allowed!!"