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Chapter 39: Lanchi's First Lesson
Chapter 39: Lanchi's First Lesson
In the royal capital of Yikelite in September, the temperature had begun to cool, shedding the scorching heat of summer.
The morning breeze at Yikelite Magic Academy carried a hint of chill, causing Lanchi, who lived on the first floor, to yawn uncontrollably.
Today was the first day of school, so there was no room for laziness.
He rolled out of bed, stepped out of his bedroom, toothbrush in mouth, and sleepily gazed out the floor-to-ceiling windows of the living room. Just outside, in a small garden that resembled a private courtyard, several chirping birds perched on the edge of what appeared to be his balcony.
As Lanchi drew back the curtains and slowly approached the birds, they continued to hop about, showing no signs of flying away.
Thus, Lanchi lingered in the courtyard for a while, and soon, more and more little birds gathered around him.
They seemed to feel a closeness to Lanchi, as if they longed to snuggle up to him.
"I'm not a druid, so why am I so popular with you guys..."
Lanchi mumbled to himself as he brushed his teeth, his speech slightly garbled.
He had already noticed that whenever he walked through the border town, adorable little cats would follow him, and now, even the birds on campus seemed to have befriended him.
These little creatures seemed to have no wariness towards him at all.
Perhaps it was his naturally gentle emerald-green irises, or maybe it was the artistic and poetic aura that emanated from him.
Regardless, he didn't mind being surrounded by these tiny creatures.
After freshening up, Lanchi put on the uniform sent by the student service center—that of a student from the Sage Court.
Then he stood in front of the mirror.
The youth reflected in the mirror had beautifully sculpted facial features. The strands of hair by his left ear were neatly combed behind his ear, and his soft black hair shone with a calm brilliance in the sunlight. Beneath his long and graceful eyebrows, his emerald eyes exuded warmth and friendliness, along with an air of elegance and composure.
He wore a long, dark blue jacket with a design reminiscent of the midnight sky—mysterious and profound. The cuffs and hemline of the jacket were adorned with golden embroidery that formed a pattern known as the "Hutton Wind," an ancient symbol from the Southern Continent.
Under the jacket, his shirt collar was folded into a vintage white stand-up collar, adorned with a small golden badge featuring the emblem of Yikelite Magic Academy and the protective spell formula of the Sage Court. The badge sparkled like a star in the sunlight.
His pants and boots were both dark in color, and the boots had been meticulously polished to a glossy black shine.
Lanchi stomped his feet, feeling the sturdiness and comfort of the footwear, perfectly suited for an adventurer.
"Perfect, let's go."
Today marked the beginning of Lanchi's legendary journey.
...
Yikelite Magic Academy, Sage Court Main Building.
Compared to the other classical buildings on campus, this structure stood out as rather modern and unique. The roof was composed of a series of folding light-sensitive magical instruments that directed natural light into the building while blocking sunlight at low angles.
This year, over a hundred qualified students had been accepted into the Sage Court and randomly divided into three classes.
Elective courses didn't have fixed classrooms; instead, students had to go to the corresponding buildings according to the course schedule, sometimes even using multifunctional teaching rooms or experimental fields in other faculties.
However, compulsory courses were mandatory for all students, regardless of their elective choices. During these lessons, students from the same class would gather in a fixed classroom.
First-year students in the Sage Court had almost no opportunity to challenge the real shadow world in their first semester, so their schedules were packed with basic compulsory courses.
For example, today they had four such lessons: Introduction to Magic Control, Spellcasting Techniques, Chantless Casting Principles, and Magic Detection and Shielding.
"Let's go to class with gusto."
Lanchi quickly located the classroom according to the signs on campus.
When he arrived, several students were already inside.
He should have been one of the earlier ones, but he had spent a few extra minutes feeding the animal friends on his balcony.
The spacious classroom had wooden tiered flooring, providing ample space and desk area for each student.
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the side, one could see a stretch of green lawn outside, and the sunlight streaming through the windows gave the room a bright and warm ambiance. The lighting could be adjusted by combining natural and artificial light as needed.
As Lanchi entered, the students in the room unanimously wore expressions that suggested they had just spotted a rare and intriguing creature.
The black-haired, green-eyed young noble must be none other than the "Dark Chief Justice," the top scorer in this year's entrance examination for the Sage Court.
This was the title given to Lanchi by some students at the academy, a new category within the legal profession of the Sage Court.
Although Lanchi's performance in the second round of the exam was well-known, no one knew about his actual combat abilities.
The most widespread rumor was, "This guy has incredibly good luck. During the third round, the examiner suffered from a congenital cardiovascular disease, so he easily passed."
As a result, many students felt a mixture of envy, jealousy, hatred, and doubt towards Lanchi.
"Hey."
As soon as he entered the classroom, Lanchi glanced at the scattered seats and quickly spotted a solitary figure in the back—
Miss Hyberian, Duchess.
She was a great teammate he had met during the third round of the practical exam, the "Infinite Phantom Canyon."
She seemed to have chosen a seat at the back on purpose.
But it wasn't just that; there was an entire circle of empty seats around her, as if everyone was deliberately avoiding her.
It appeared as though Hyberian was being isolated.
Lanchi didn't think this situation was ideal.
So he walked down the steps towards the back of the classroom until he reached the row where Hyberian was sitting, and took a seat near her.
"Good morning, Hyberian," Lanchi greeted with a smile.
"Hmm."
Hyberian glanced at him in surprise, then turned her head away, ignoring him.
The conflicted look in her eyes clearly indicated that she wasn't trying to deliberately snub Lanchi; instead, she was keeping her distance for his sake.
Seeing this, Lanchi didn't engage Hyberian in further small talk.
It made no difference to him where he sat, and Hyberian was the only person he knew anyway.
So he opened his book, "Hutton Kingdom Judicial Examination—Real Case Analysis," and began to study diligently.
Having this morning read with him was indeed a great companion during the wait for class to start.
...
Just as expected, the first three sessions of today's dull compulsory courses ended without any surprises.
Afternoon, four o'clock.
The sky had turned orange-red, and the sun would soon begin its descent. Outside the classroom, the trees cast long shadows on the grass, and the wind rustled the leaves with a gentle susurrus.
Hyberian still sat in the same spot at the back of the classroom, and Lanchi remained seated nearby.
However, their states were vastly different from the morning session.
Hyberian found these courses extremely easy and breezed through them with ease.
As for Lanchi...
He was now face-down on the desk, fast asleep.
It seemed that the first three classes had taken a toll on him, and this half-hour break before the last class began was his much-needed respite.
This classroom was located in one of the historic renovated buildings of the Sage Court, its wooden-framed doors and windows blending seamlessly with the red brick walls outside.
The high ceiling, unique to this space, was made of plaster and featured intricate details in the style of classical Hutton Kingdom architecture. Several self-adjusting magic lamps adorned the domed ceiling, casting a soft glow that made the students feel exceptionally comfortable.
Despite it being a break between classes, the room was more lively than it had been in the morning.
In addition to students who had arrived early to wait for the next class, poring over their textbooks alone at their desks, there were also upperclassmen from other faculties or departments who had come to visit their friends and acquaintances among the freshmen, chatting about various anecdotes.
In stark contrast, the back of the classroom where Hyberian and Lanchi sat seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier, rendering it unusually empty and quiet.
Hyberian, with her amber eyes, sat quietly, her cold gaze drifting out the window towards the distant sky. Her expressionless face belied the myriad thoughts swirling in her eyes.
Among the upperclassmen who had come to "pay a visit" were some who were already friends or acquainted with the freshmen before their enrollment, as well as "star freshmen" like Princess Vivian, who were already scouted by teams even before their first day of school, now surrounded by admiring peers.
However, none of this had anything to do with Hyberian.
Even though she ranked second among this year's freshmen, no team would come to recruit her.
In the past, her father's presence kept bullies at bay due to her mixed demon blood, and she seemed surrounded by kind people. Now, alone and vulnerable, she finally understood the depth of hostility and suspicion the demons faced in this country.
It was already fortunate that she had made it through the day without incident.
Unlike most people, she hoped no one would approach her.
Because if any upperclassmen did take an interest in her, they would undoubtedly be troublemakers from the royal capital, bringing trouble instead of blessings.
Another fortunate thing, perhaps, was that there was a gentle person by her side, who had shown her nothing but kindness since they met, without a hint of malice.
Hyberian glanced at this talented yet stubborn sleeping boy.
Several students from other classes had already come by to check out Lanchi, but upon seeing him seated next to her, they quickly made excuses and left.
And, finally, Hyberian realized something.
This seemingly brilliant guy, Lanchi, was actually a magic dunce.
Aside from using magic cards, he hadn't learned how to cast spells at all, which was unusual for a normal magic-based combatant.
Yet, he was also stubbornly honest, enduring the torment without skipping class or slacking off.
Hyberian sighed helplessly. She never expected that this seemingly omnipotent Lanchi would have something he wasn't good at.
Despite the chatter in the classroom and the bustle in the corridor outside, Hyberian quietly continued reading her book, gently turning the pages to avoid disturbing Lanchi's sleep.
She always returned kindness for kindness, and she always remembered both the good and the bad that others did to her.
Moreover, for some unknown reason, Lanchi's presence seemed to have an innate ability to calm the creatures around him, making them feel secure even when he was just dozing off.
Unknowingly, she, too, became immersed in her book.
...
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sky gradually changed as time passed, with thick clouds occasionally blocking the warm afternoon sun, causing the natural light in the classroom to dim from time to time, as if a thin veil had been drawn over the shadows on the floor.
However, this did not affect Hyberian's reading; instead, she felt a sense of peace that she had not experienced in a long time.
"Hyberian, I'm surprised you actually managed to enroll smoothly."
A soft yet abrupt voice sent a chill down Hyberian's spine, and she quickly turned her head.
Standing in the aisle next to her seat was a pale-skinned young man with his hands casually tucked behind his back. His expression was calm and collected, with a hint of nonchalant arrogance.
"..."
Although Hyberian's expression remained unchanged, her aura turned sour.
"Modan... What do you want?"
It was clear that this was someone she very much disliked seeing.
Modan Gascidge, the second son of the Marquess Gascidge, was a talented and gifted third-year student at the Sage Court, known for his prowess as a shadow world challenger.
Compared to the nobles from factions hostile to her father, Duke Alansal, Hyberian despised the Gascidge Marquess even more, as they had been close allies with her father.
Since Duke Alansal's disappearance, Marquess Gascidge had shown no intention of helping her and instead had been eyeing her, intending to force her into a marriage with his family to gain control over her.
"Hyberian, if you want to challenge the shadow world as a first-year student, you can consider joining my team. Or rather, you can only join my team, because I'm the only one who would be willing to take you through the shadow world."
Modan's words were polite, like an older brother speaking to his sister, but his eyes betrayed his naked desire to possess and dominate her.
"No need."
Hyberian replied coldly.
She knew that even with her and Lanchi's high evaluation from the entrance exam, which had exempted them from the Iron-level adventurer test, they were still bound by the rule that first-year students could not challenge the shadow world alone.
Because, as Modan had pointed out, no team or member in this school would be willing to accept a demon like her.
(End of Chapter)
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