_Meet the divine girls

The other girls had probably made a research on the matron and butler as they chorused their answers to the butler's question unlike how they kept quiet and wait for matron Valentina's permission to answer any of her questions.

"Yes Butler Baelfire!"

Were all the answers from the girls except Afina and the maids.

The butler seemed impressed by the cheerful answers he received. With a smile, he said, "That is very pleasing to know that our new high house scholars know the poor butler" his hands were listlessly thrown in the air.

That statement of his attracted giggles from the girls. Even the maids were grinning. This time, Afina was not left out– she laughed.

"Can I be graced with the honor of knowing your divine names?" he inquired.

As if they could say no.

"I am Cher from the Almond family" Cher was the first to present herself.

Little did Afina know when her eyes gave a roll which was later backed with a scoff. She and Cher would do anything but be friends.

The girl was just too pushy for Afina's liking.

"Oh, the toy manufacturing company–Almond" Butler Bealfire was nodding. "Next divine person, please." he requested, and the introduction began.

Afina was listening with rapt attention to all of the girls' names.

The girl who saw her qi was the last daughter of Barland airlines. They owned three airports in the line and had also designed some cars and buses. Her name was Kimberly Barland– Kim for shorts.

Verily, girls like Kim were the most spoilt and sassy but here was Kim as modest as she could be.

Now, Afina affirmed that indeed, only empty barrels make noises.

Cher was an empty barrel.

When it got to Giada's turn, Butler Baelfire remarked. He chortled, "Finally! I get to see the face of little miss La Nasa. Runs from the camera and world, this one." he shook his index finger at the girl while his bright eyes run across all the other girls.

The other girls only looked on indifferently as though they could care less about that.

All of the girls either come from one of the big families in the line or the other. Cher was about the one with the less wealthy family.

It got to Hera's turn and Afina's curiosity rose.

As Hera was about to reluctantly speak, "No, no. Who doesn't know Hera? The only daughter of Valda and Garret, the duke and duchess?" Butler Baelfire gingerly chuckled.

Afina's jaw which hadn't moved a bit since the beginning of the introduction slacked now. Hera was the daughter of the duke?

Oh, dear! Why did she not get acquainted with the internet back at home? Now, she was regretting her ignorance and did not like a few of its results. She would have been very well informed had she not taken the outside world lightly.

She only considered SantrySlum as her world thus, she circled the eighteen years of her life around it.

That explains the qi she had. The duke and duchess must have invested a fortune in the cultivation of her qi. That was why she could afford to level up at that early stage of her life, she had already climbed the two stages of a green qi.

Afina knew also that the duke and duchess only had two children. One was weak with a weak chi and was a boy and the other was a girl.

That was about all the information she knew about the duke's children. One thing everyone in the line knew though was that the duke was a very powerful man in terms of wealth.

No one could match up to his wealth and powers in the line, and he was a devious man too. Could crush the life of any opponent without breaking a sweat. All he had to do was say the words.

All eyes were on Hera with envy, the maids non excluding. Afina was the only one who gazed at her with awe instead of envy.

Finally, it got to Afina's turn.

"I am Afina Langley. Daughter of Atticus Langley and Xylia Langley" Afina announced with a beaming smile.

The butler seemed lost. Did he not remember her from the interview?

Was he going to make it more awkward for her with that look on his face?

A hand of his went on his beardless chin. "I'm lost, young lady. Which of the families are you from?" his almost tiny voice spewed.

On normal days, Afina was used to stares but this kind of stare from the rest of the girls turned up uneasiness in her.

This was the part where she would hymn to herself just to send the uneasiness away.

But no humming now Afina, no humming.

"My mama Xylia used to work in the—" she was explaining but the butler's interruption left her words unfinished.

With a nod, "I remember you now. The green qi girl. Daughter of Xylia. That was one hell of a performance you did back there I must commend." he seemed amused.

The murmurings of the other girls filled the air.

"An ordinary girl with a green qi?"

"I bet she must have broken into a cultivation chip store and stole a lot"

"Isn't she a deity?"

"Are we in front of a deity?"

"But she's only from the slum?"

The manner in which their murmurs got out showed they had less regard for the butler and were taking his simplicity for granted.

The butler did see this too. "Hera, come over here," he ordered the silent Hera.

Hera looked stunned and slightly disapproving to be summoned like that but she obeyed still.

Hera looked stunned and slightly disapproving to be summoned like that but she obeyed still.

The butler placed his palm on Hera's shoulder.

"Hera here is the diva of the line. She is by far the wealthiest when we gauge in terms of family. Yet, you cheesy little things from average corporation families would look down on a girl from the slum and query her dignity by assuming she stole cultivation chips?" he paused to see if the weight of his words was being delivered.

The weight of his words, they were delivered –silence echoed among them. But were they felt by the rest of the girls?

Afina had no idea.

Satisfied at the full attention and silence he had generated, he continued. "Look at Giada, look at Kim. Both are from wealthy families too. Wealthier than all of you here yet, they do not make such remarks on another divine girl because she is from the slum."

Afina internally scoffed. Kim would have done so had she not known the color of her qi.

"Now, I am not trying to pull anybody out for not being as wealthy as the La Nasa family, as the Barland family or the duke. All I am saying is, riches reflect in personalities. Your all sassy and lousy remarks right now showed how less of a wealth you were brought up with."

Afina's stomach tightened for being the cause of the scoldings the other divine girls were receiving. She wants for herself to cause no trouble.

"I am very okay with the comments butler Baelfire. It's fine." she tried to set the man off his scolding.

He let go of Hera's shoulder who indifferently walked back to her spot but standing now.

"Afina dear, you are in the same class as the other girls now for being a high house scholar. You are no more a slum girl." There was a pause. "But an elite on her way to nobleness" he finished.

No response nor murmurs or whispering could be heard afterward.

Butler Baelfire turned to one of the girls. He accorded her a nod and she stepped forward.

"Hera, Afina, and Susanne. These are your prize for coming first, second and third place in today's workout"

He meant today's competition right? Afina wondered. That was no workout session!

The maid went to Hera first and handed her something. It was small and familiar.

Afina's heart was beginning to pound hard.

Not in fear but over joy.

The maid was walking to her now and herded the prize into her palm.

This– this...

Afina's eyes started to shine.