Where Is the Higher Authority

"Hmph! So what if she's a prodigy? She's still just an ordinary person!" A woman's voice piped up nearby. "I'm half-divine—how could she possibly compare to me? Why would the prince ignore me and choose her instead?"

"Enough, Yvette. Don't get upset!" The man speaking was Byron White, the leader of the Eastern Alliance. "Fourth Brother already promised he'd take care of her for you—just wait and see!"

"What exactly are you planning to do?" Yvette Whiteshire asked anxiously. "The prince said she's crucial to his mission this time. Please, don't hurt her—if anything happens, the prince will definitely blame us!"

"Don't worry!" Byron White smiled. "I'm just going to make sure she's no threat to you! I won't mess up anything for the prince, not even a little."

"Fourth Brother, you're always the best!" Yvette Whiteshire grinned.

"I'm your real brother, if I don't treat you well, who will?" Byron White said with a laugh.

The siblings exchanged a smile.

...

Grace and the others arrived at their accommodations. Each person reported their name and received a room key from an old man at the desk.

Their lodgings were specially prepared for Spiritual Alchemists coming for advanced training.

The men's and women's quarters were separate, with the rooms lined up next to each other.

Grace opened her door and was instantly stunned.

She'd stayed here during her last fellowship, so the layout was still familiar in her mind.

The place was set up like an inn, with all the daily necessities provided—and the materials were pretty decent, too.

Still, it wasn't as cozy or refined as her home.

But the room she'd opened this time was ridiculously luxurious.

Not only was the room twice as big as she remembered, but the furnishings were even finer than those in her family's mansion—expensive, elegant, bursting with flowers and a gentle fragrance.

"Whoa, when did they start treating people this well?" Grace couldn't help muttering to herself.

"Wow, Grace, your room is gorgeous!" Someone passing by her door caught a glimpse and couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

Soon, everyone crowded around to take a look, chattering and pointing excitedly.

"What? Your rooms aren't like mine?" Grace asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Nope! Ours are super basic, just like an inn!" someone replied.

Grace went next door to check it out for herself.

The neighbor's room was exactly how she remembered it.

What's going on here?

She even got extra food at mealtime.

Her accommodations were obviously upgraded, too.

Who on earth is treating me so well?

Why do good deeds always go anonymous around here?

Grace locked her door, took her key, and went back to the front desk to ask the old man, "Sir, did you maybe give me the wrong key?"

The old man checked and said, "No mistake. That one's yours!"

"But why is mine different from everyone else's?" Grace asked, still confused.

"I have no idea! The rooms are assigned from above—I just hand out the keys according to the list."

"Above? Who's 'above'?"

"Young lady, you know the rules of the Spirit Alliance. I really can't say more," the old man replied. "Just enjoy your nice room!"

Seeing how old he was, Grace didn't want to push him, so she headed back to her room.

She carefully inspected every corner—no hidden traps or secret weapons.

Satisfied, she locked the doors and windows and went to sleep.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, classes went on as usual.

That afternoon, as soon as the instructor walked in, he called out, "Felix Xi, Grace Zhu, you two, come with me."

Both of them got up and followed him out.