https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-35-Lanchi-Arrives-at-the-Ikelite-Academy-Alone/12582895/
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Chapter 36: Lanchi's Artistic Insights
Chapter 36: Lanchi's Artistic Insights
The vast garden of the Magic Crafters' College was a lush green expanse, with dewdrops clinging to the leaves and branches of the plants, sparkling in the morning light. As the college's staff began their day, the automatic irrigation system sprang to life, a gentle hiss accompanying the spray of water.
Lanchi and Vivian remained near the entrance of the old liberal arts building, their conversation having paused at a question posed by Vivian.
In South Ventina, Lanchi had never encountered someone who shared his interest in art to this degree. While Hans and Francine, his butler and maid, appreciated his paintings, they never delved into professional artistic discussions with him.
Lanchi pondered for a moment before answering with a smile, "If I were to describe what sets it apart, I'd say it's the lifelike depiction of the goddess. Her eyes hold a gentle and loving expression, as if she's immersed in the depths of the starlit night sky, sometimes vast and overwhelming, and sometimes calm and serene. She seems to be sinking deeper into the quiet embrace, yet also rising to the surface, soaring upwards.
"Indeed," Vivian nodded in agreement. She concurred with Lanchi's assessment, but having heard similar opinions from renowned artists, she found it a tad unremarkable.
However, Lanchi continued, capturing her attention once more, "But to understand why this piece is so captivating as a whole, I believe we must consider the Southern Cross constellation behind the goddess."
"Why?" Vivian furrowed her brows, intrigued by this unusual perspective. Typically, people praised the sculpture for its depiction of the goddess, while the background, though expertly crafted, was often seen as merely a complement to the main subject.
"The stars sculpted by Master Jera actually differ very slightly from the official college crest, not due to any mistake, but simply a difference in observational angle..." Lanchi's clear, focused emerald eyes seemed to see through to the precise position of each star, and he continued in a captivated tone, "I can only speculate, but perhaps Master Jera was inspired by the night sky and created this piece on a whim. That night's sky may have been like a message from the Creator, providing Jera with the impetus to infuse this work with a divine spark. In that moment of insight, as he gazed upon the stars, it's hard to say whether he was carving lapis lazuli or sculpting the very starlight itself. It is this starry backdrop behind the goddess that brings the entire piece together, accentuating the beauty of the goddess without stealing any of her radiant allure."
"!" Lanchi's passionate speech left Vivian momentarily stunned. His keen eye for detail and unique insight into the sculpture were impressive.
Vivian recalled that according to the records of the Ikelite Academy, Master Jera had indeed completed this work during the night. While they couldn't verify the late Master Jera's state of mind during its creation, it seemed to align with Lanchi's conjecture. She found herself looking up at the carving once more, seeing it in a new light.
"You..." Vivian turned her gaze to Lanchi's profile, a hint of suspicion clouding her features as she wondered if he had truly seen this carving for the first time.
"Please forgive me if my speculation seems insensitive, Your Highness Vivian. If I have inadvertently offended Master Jera, I hope you will be understanding," Lanchi said, turning his head with a slight smile, having sensed Vivian's scrutiny.
"I hear your family has a merchant background, which may explain your keen eye for appraisal," Vivian remarked, snapping back to attention. Despite Lanchi's modest demeanor, she was curious about the extent of his artistic abilities and his own creations.
"I merely dabble," Lanchi replied humbly.
Vivian was well aware of Lanchi's tendency to downplay his accomplishments, but she knew that if he possessed an extremely high level of artistic skill, he wouldn't have remained unknown in this field.
"To be honest, the royal treasury also houses several works by Master Jera, each one a national treasure," Vivian said, her tone devoid of any hint of boastfulness. Having found a like-minded peer, she felt compelled to share, "If my brother, Prince Enol, were to meet you, he might invite you to appraise them... No, it's better if you don't know him. If you ever come across a third-year Magic Crafter named Enol, be sure to steer clear of him." Vivian abruptly halted her train of thought, her expression turning sour as she changed the subject.
"Is Prince Enol not as approachable as Your Highness, Vivian?" Lanchi inquired curiously. He detested people who left their sentences hanging or spoke in riddles. Nonetheless, he maintained his manners and phrased his question politely.
"Am I approachable?" Vivian pondered for a moment before nodding. "Well, my brother is indeed approachable, but his problem is that he's a little too approachable."
Vivian's brother, the second prince of Hutton, had a unique personality. Despite his royal status, he cared little for power and prestige, favoring elegance and art instead. Moreover, he loved to show off his expertise in front of others.
Should Enol discover Lanchi's talent for art appreciation, he would undoubtedly invite Lanchi to join him on a tour of the royal palace, where he would showcase and discuss his extensive collection, eager to impress Lanchi with his connoisseurship.
"I see. Then Prince Enol is also a good person. I'll be sure to avoid him and not cause any trouble," Lanchi said, understanding the situation. It seemed that the prince's enthusiasm got the better of him when he encountered someone with shared interests.
"Mmm, you don't have to worry too much," Vivian assured him. Even if her foolish brother happened to cross paths with Lanchi and they hit it off, she was confident that Enol wouldn't pester Lanchi excessively.
It was clear that at Lanchi's age, it was highly unlikely that he was a true master artist.
In that case, the most His Majesty's brother could do was show off to Lanchi without any further consequences.
As they chatted, they noticed that the old liberal arts building had resumed its normal operations.
The two of them entered the building to complete their enrollment procedures.
With Vivian by his side, everything went smoothly.
Lanchi felt as if he had become a minister himself.
In less than half an hour, Lanchi happily left the Magic Crafters' College and made his way toward the dormitory.
The Student Services Center would deliver the students' luggage that had been stored temporarily to their respective dormitories.
Lanchi was quite satisfied with the school's services.
"Do you have any teams in mind that you'd like to join? It will be difficult for you to challenge the Shadow World on your own."
Vivian asked as they walked, her arms folded and her fingers tapping lightly on her elbow.
She was on her way to the dormitory as well, and they would be classmates at the Sage's College.
The South Continent Shadow World Management Association granted registered challenger qualifications to students, allowing them to challenge the true Shadow World, either individually or as a team.
As a result, there were quite a few well-known and powerful teams within the school.
The school had a strict rule prohibiting first-year students from participating in Shadow World challenges alone.
So, even if a student obtained their challenger license by passing the entrance exam and exemption, they would usually join a team and partner with upperclassmen for the challenges.
"What if I find a first-year companion to team up with for the challenge? Would that not be acceptable?"
Lanchi asked curiously.
He was eager to venture into a real Shadow World as soon as possible and didn't want to waste any time.
After all, once a Shadow World was opened, there would be an exclusion period before one could enter again, hence the saying, "The early bird catches the CD."
However, joining a team would involve various stages of preparation and adjustment, and as a newcomer, it would be challenging to get on the field quickly.
"That would be a suicidal move."
Vivian replied coldly, looking at Lanchi.
She didn't want Lanchi's arrogance and ignorance to lead to his downfall, as he was a promising talent of the Hutton Kingdom.
"Oh."
Lanchi sensed that Vivian's attitude had turned a little frightening, but he also understood that she was concerned for his safety.
His knowledge of the real Shadow World was limited to practical records and analytical literature, and as a princess, Vivian knew many powerful challengers, undoubtedly giving her a better grasp of the actual situation.
"Speaking of which, how does the difficulty of a real Tier 3 Shadow World compare to the third round of the exam...?"
"The difficulty of a Tier 3 Shadow World far surpasses that of the Infinite Phantom Canyon, even with the most stringent clauses added; they are not in the same league."
Before Lanchi could finish his question, Vivian cut in with a decisive answer.
She realized that Lanchi had not truly grasped the dangers of the real Shadow World.
How could an artificial Tier 2 Shadow World segment compare to the challenges of a Tier 3 Shadow World! If Lanchi became arrogant and complacent just because he had passed the entrance exam and obtained his license through exemption, he would undoubtedly run into serious trouble in the Shadow World.
Vivian took a deep breath, feeling that she needed to be the bad guy and give Lanchi a stern wake-up call.
However, before she could organize her thoughts, Lanchi asked again:
"What if, I mean, what if we add three negative clauses to the exam: 'Small Hill Terrain', 'Examiner's Rank Increases from Four to Five', and 'Examiner's Starting Distance Reduced by Half'? Could it then be compared to a Tier 3 Shadow World?"
After hearing this, Vivian was taken aback.
What devilish clauses! How could anyone even think of such things? Those clauses would completely change the nature of the exam.
"Are you joking...?" Vivian stammered, "If those three clauses were added, I believe no freshman would be able to pass. It would be akin to a Tier 3 Shadow World on the brink of a rampage."
Generally, when a Shadow World encountered serious errors during its progression, making it impossible to reach the end and defeat the final boss, or even resulting in the hunters being hunted by the final boss, it was often said that the Shadow World had entered a "rampage state."
In a rampage state, a Tier 3 Shadow World might pit Tier 3 challengers against a hunting boss of Tier 5.
After making her point, Vivian looked at Lanchi with confusion.
Surely he and Huberian hadn't encountered those clauses, had they?
If they had passed with those conditions, Lanchi's abilities would be downright monstrous.
"Then I suppose I have a rough idea of the difficulty of a Tier 3 Shadow World."
Lanchi nodded, stroking his chin.
With his old teammate Huberian by his side, their respective tiers being two and three, they would most likely face a Tier 2 or 3 Shadow World, rather than joining a team with upperclassmen and tackling Tier 3 or 4 challenges.
"You... Did you and Huberian encounter those three clauses?"
Vivian turned her head, looking at Lanchi with a mix of doubt and suspicion.
Despite her doubts, she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something unusually calm and confident about Lanchi, something that even her royal status and keen discernment struggled to grasp.
"Of course not," Lanchi laughed, waving his hand and shaking his head.
The clauses he had faced were "Plain Terrain," "Angry Feralt," and "One-Third Distance," which were slightly different from the ones he had mentioned to Vivian.
These chapters will be slightly longer than usual, with about five to six thousand words per day. Thank you all for your continued support for this book!
(End of Chapter)
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