Once settled around the table of their living room upstair, Carol asked Paige to bring them tea and cakes and she said straightfoward to Cassy, "Paige told me what happened to you… You're so lucky to be still alive, the current in this river is very strong.
You are a brave girl and you must be exhausted right now, so let me take care of you for the time being, Paige also told me that you were an orphan, so you can rest in our guest room tonight, what do you say?"
Cassy wanted to refuse at first, because with the money the magic herbs would bring her she could definitely fend for herself.
But then she remembered her Divine Mage System who had asked her to follow Paige for some reason, and after thinking in through, it was better for her to stay here as she could learn more about this world and about Mages in particular.
Paige had already accepted to answer all her questions, plus she had told her that her father was one of the best Warrior instructors of the Academy of Catara.
So if she could get along with him, he would probably be able to help her find this strongest Warrior.
Cassy after making her decision just said to Carol shyly, "Then, I will have to trouble you for tonight… Only for tonight, as I will leave early in the morning to take the test to enter the Academy of Catara."
Carol then put her hand on her and squeezed it before telling her, "Cassy, don't be worried about entering the Academy, my husband and I are qualified to make you take the test, so we will do it when he comes back, that way tomorrow you'll just have to follow him and you won't have to wait in the lines."
Cassy opened her eyes wide and she asked Carol, "Is it really okay to do it like that, I won't get you in any trouble, right?"
Carol laughed then and she asked her, "What trouble are you talking about, I already told you that my husband and I are qualified to make you take the test, and it will only take us few minutes to do it.
And tomorrow, my husband and son have to get back to the Academy, so they will just bring you with them.
See, there is no problem at all, Cassy."
Cassy's smile widened and Carol then asked her more seriously this time, "Cassy, I would like to know something if it's possible… Did you pick up these magic herbs by chance or do you have some kind of gift.
It's very, very rare, but some Mages have been known to be able to see what they describe as a whitish aura around magic herbs."
Cassy looked at her in surprise and then she asked her in turn, "Does that mean you can't see it? Yet all the magic herbs that are in your central display have a whitish aura around them.
If you can't see it, how do you tell them apart then?"
Carol couldn't believe it, this girl could really see that whitish aura... She looked at Paige who looked as stunned as her and she took the teapot and cakes from her hands before she dropped them on the floor.
Carol then showed her hands to Cassy and Paige and she said to Cassy, "Take my hand Cassy, and I will show you."
Paige immediately put her hand in hers excitedly and when she looked back at Cassy, she saw her looking at her daughter intrigued and then she only hesitated for a brief moment before putting her hand in hers as well.
Carol was very happy because they both seemed to get along really well, and she couldn't wait to find out what Cassy's face was going to look like when she would teleport her to her pocket dimension.
Paige had told her that apparently Cassy had never left her village, and that she knew absolutely nothing about Mages and Worriors.
So before teleporting them she couldn't help but wink at Cassy to reassure her and a few seconds later they were landing in front of the lake of her pocket dimension.
She then said to Cassy when she saw her completely destabilized by what had just happened, "This is my pocket dimension Cassy.
Not all Mages are lucky enough to have one because you have to have a potential of at least a level 6 to get one, and if you wanna know, I'm a level 8 Mage who has already reached her maximum potential.
Paige told me that you don't know anything about Mages, so you can ask me all the questions you want, but first let me show you the difference between a normal and a high quality magic herb."
Carol connected her mind to her pocket dimension and a level 1 magic herb of normal quality appeared in her hand, then the same one but in high quality appeared right after.
She showed them to Cassy and asked her, "Can you see the whitish aura around the magic herb?"
Cassy pointed out the one which had the whitish aura without even hesitating for a second and she asked her in turn, "Is it only by their appearance that you can judge whether they have a whitish aura or not?"
Carol just nodded and she asked her, "Just out of curiosity, do you have any other special gifts?"
Cassy didn't know whether or not she should reveal anything else about her gifts, she didn't want them to think she was a freak like in her home world, after all, even here her gifts seemed to be exceptional.
Cassy was still hesitating, and Carol noticed it immediately so she said to her, "Don't be afraid, I won't tell anyone and my husband will keep an eye on you, he's a great Warrior, to give you an idea of his power, his level would be the equivalent of a level 9 Mage.
He's not the only one on Astoria to have this level, but believe me, if you put yourself under his protection you won't risk much."