CHAPTER 412: HEH, I SAVED YOU A SEAT

Miss Stella looked at Alice, unsure what she was trying to make up for. She saved her, as well as countless other kids.

She watched the sorry look in Alice’s eyes and then hugged her, wrapping her arms around her neck and said,

"You’re just a kid." Alice’s heart thumped. "Please be a kid."

It was too much to ask a child to take responsibility for that accident and any death that happened that day. It was too much to have her carry such responsibilities on her shoulders.

"Thank you," Alice said, falling into her warmth and closing her eyes.

"You know, if you call me mom one more time, I think it’ll make up for everything." Miss Stella said and Alice laughed.

"It was a fluke. Don’t bet on me calling you that a second time." She said, but how she wished she could call her that more often.

"Alright, then. Let’s get you ready to leave."

The orientation was being held in the hall specially prepared by the agency.

Awakened students from all over the country were going to be at that orientation so they needed a very wide hall.

Of course, there was no way they could put that many people in one hall. It would be impossible.

But definitely possible with a runemaster.

"Does the agency possess a runemaster?" Alice asked as she walked down the stairs, heading to the hall.

Miss Stella had dropped her off at the entrance and went to ’take care’ of something. She was walking alongside Leo and Clarissa whom they met at the entrance by ’coincidence’.

Though Clarissa said it was a coincidence, it did look like she was waiting for someone when they spotted her.

"They should." Clarissa answered. "Though rune masters are rare, there should be a few working in the agency and being treated as assets."

"Ah," Alice exclaimed and they looked at her to see her grinning. "Lucky them."

They didn’t know why she said that, but it was true that being a runemaster was a blessing.

They got to the hall and found Diane standing and watching out for the door, probably searching for Alice.

As soon as she spotted Alice’s pretty face and Clarissa’s blonde hair from where she was standing, she took in one deep breath and then yelled,

"Hey bitch!" Her voice resounded in that hurry and half-empty hall, attracting everyone’s attention to her.

"What’s going on?"

"Did she just swear?"

"Are they going to fight?" People started murmuring and Diane yelled again.

"Over here!" She grinned and then pointed at their spot. "Heh, I saved you a seat."

"You’re crazy," Alice exclaimed as she made her way towards the spot Diane had yelled from.

Because of Diane’s stunt, all eyes were on them as they walked towards that spot.

Alice in front, Leo just beside her but a step back, and Clarissa the same. They held their head high.

In this place filled with amateurs and kids who had never risked their lives, they were the closest to what you’d call a proper hero.

Alice stopped in front of Diane, who was still grinning and then sighed.

"Dumbass!" Alice said as she whacked Diane in the head.

"Hey, is this how you thank me?" Diane asked, rubbing her bruised head as she watched Alice take a seat. "I saved you the most inconspicuous seat, you know? No one will know if you suddenly dozed off, crazy."

Alice looked left and then looked right.

She was right. It was such a nice spot.

"Hehe," She grinned, resting her arms over the back of her head, and then said, "I’ll pay you a thousand bucks, take it out, leave it."

"Too cheap. Double it." Diane bargained and they all stared at her, wondering what they took this place for.

They didn’t even have time to greet Alice because of the sudden commotion from Diane.

’I think this will take a while.’ Steph thought.

"Brat!" Alice clicked her tongue. "Don’t be so money-hungry when you’ve got such a rich and famous boyfriend." She crossed her legs but Diane parried her words.

"Yeah, he is rich and famous but it’s nothing compared to you. The all mighty and powerful Ali--mph." Alice covered her mouth right away.

She was just about to yell her name, wasn’t she?

It was already enough that the media had gotten wind of her name from the school incident. Now, she wanted the students around them to know that she was ’the’ Alice?

Diane grinned.

"So, how are you paying?" She asked, caressing Alice’s face as she drew a line across her pretty and smooth chin. "Cash or..." She leaned closer, her lips twisting in a seductive grin. "...kind?"

Alice felt goosebumps all over her body.

"Jeez, don’t use that creepy flirty skill on me."

Diane laughed.

"I love that it gets you riled up." She said as she kept laughing. "Hurry up and pay up, bitch. I don’t do free services."

"Sure, sure." Alice said but relaxed her body and yawned. "Once this is over, I’ll give it to ya."

The others finally got to greet Alice, smiling and waving at her and she waved back.

It didn’t take long before Damian also arrived and they were complete. The entire hall was filled soon enough and it was finally the appointed time for the orientation.

The orientation started without a problem with the instructors explaining things Alice was pretty much aware of.

It might’ve been interesting to the others who had never been into gates or fought with monsters before but for her... It was mostly boring for her and she yawned.

Since they still had an hour or two left with the students all peering with interest and fear as the instructor explained about the small monsters and big ones, Alice felt she would do fine with a nap.

"Wake me if the world is ending." She said and then dropped her head on Leo’s shoulder, falling asleep in an instant.

"Will this be okay?" Steph asked.

"What do you mean?" Clarissa asked.

"You know how she slept through that entire commotion? If anything happens, we won’t be able to wake her even if we wanted to." Maki explained.

"Then we just hope nothing happens." Diane said, swinging her crossed leg. "Besides, even if something does happen, we have the experts on standby. After what happened at the school, everyone is on high alert."

Guess it should be fine. It’s not every day the students get attacked, anyway.