https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-7-Lanchi-s-Enrollment-Understanding/12582084/
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Chapter 8: Thalia Finds Humans Incomprehensible
Chapter 8: Thalia Finds Humans Incomprehensible
In the border city-state, a few stars still twinkled faintly in the sky, like fading verses about to disappear into the night. As dawn quietly approached, a hint of crimson tinted the horizon, casting a dreamy hue over the Lancia mansion.
In this tranquil moment, Lancia's bedroom exuded an air of serenity. Soft light filtered through the sheer curtains, as if pure spirits were dancing in the air.
Yet, Lancia was already awake.
He shifted his body, pushing the blanket aside and letting his feet dangle off the bed, gently touching the soft carpet below.
"How did I end up dreaming about being in the underworld, with the King of Hell on a long vacation and me standing in for him to sign the Book of Life and Death..."
Rubbing his eyes, he recalled his dream and muttered,
"Oh right, I can return the borrowed law book now."
After a hearty stretch, a sense of relaxation spread throughout his body. Lancia straightened his back and rose from the bedside.
Instead of rushing downstairs for breakfast, he first drew open the curtains by his desk, basking in the warm glow of the morning sun, which was just right at this time of day.
The gentle breeze caressed the leaves outside the window, and birds chirped merrily on the treetops nearby.
A series of crisp notes drifted through the open window, filling Lancia's bedroom and blending with the pleasant morning atmosphere.
Two weeks had passed since he borrowed that law book from the Border Library, and the pile of books on his desk had only grown larger.
In addition to the law book, he had also asked the butler to purchase some basic books directly from the Card Maker's Association here in the city-state.
The study of magic in this world was abstruse and complex, akin to higher-level mathematics in doctoral programs; some people just couldn't grasp it no matter how hard they tried.
Lancia had come to the realization that he might not have the natural talent to become a "traditional mage" who could skillfully wield magic solely through their own abilities.
However, the beauty of this world was that anyone could use magic through "magic cards."
Yet, there were limitations to the number of magic cards that could be bound to one's soul.
Consequently, these cards didn't affect the uniqueness of combat jobs; they merely made the strong even stronger.
On the other hand, ordinary people could also use various convenient minor life magic spells through these magic cards.
This very feature made "magic craftsmen," those who could create magic cards, a highly sought-after profession!
Compared to crafting other types of magical artifacts, card-making required not only a thorough understanding of magical engineering principles but also exceptional creativity, mental acuity, and highly refined drawing skills.
Fortunately for Lancia, he found the related magical engineering knowledge, including the principles behind the creation of magical artifacts and machinery, surprisingly easy to grasp. Even skimming through the books, he could quickly comprehend their content.
"Of course, it could also be that the level of the textbook compilers is particularly high."
Lancia mused as he gazed at the stack of textbooks on his desk.
Coincidentally, all these textbooks were written by the same author:
"Fundamentals of Magical Engineering in the Kingdom of Hutton, 7th Edition, authored by Pola Au."
"Common Misconceptions in the Making of First-Order Magic Cards, authored by Pola Au."
"Ethical Norms for Card Makers, authored by Pola Au."
According to the people at the Card Maker's Association, this Professor Pola Au was a tutor at the Magic Engineering Institute of the Ikelite Academy.
Unfortunately, Professor Pola Au didn't take on students.
Otherwise, Lancia would have been tempted to buckle down for a hundred days and strive to get into the Magic Engineering Institute.
However, compared to the rigorous and demanding curriculum of the Magic Engineering Institute, with its specialized tutors, Lancia preferred the freer and more relaxed structure of the Sage and Knight Institutes: fewer required courses, more electives, and graduation based solely on completing all required courses and earning enough credits.
As for the magic engineering courses that suited him, he could simply add them to his curriculum as electives when the time came.
This was Lancia's conclusion after thoroughly researching Ikelite Academy's information.
"Alright, now that I've studied the theory, it's time to experiment with crafting magic cards."
Lancia felt that the so-called "mana" he had consumed while drawing Thalia's portrait a few days ago should have mostly recovered by now.
Today, he could go to the Card Maker's Association to rent a card-making workshop and practice.
Furthermore, since he would be leaving the city-state for the royal capital in two and a half months, he needed to make arrangements with Thalia as well.
She was a demon, but they had a mutually beneficial relationship.
Perhaps they could even become good business partners in the future.
Lancia looked out the window.
Soon, his gaze landed on a gray figure outside the family courtyard.
At a street corner still untouched by the morning sun, a young lady stood gracefully like a vivid work of art. Her figure was delicate and gentle, akin to fine porcelain.
In the gentle breeze, Thalia's deep gray cloak fluttered slightly, adding a touch of mystery.
In this tranquil moment, she seemed to blend seamlessly with her surroundings, as if she were the only true subject of the painting.
Lancia rested his chin on his hand, gazing at the distant figure of the demon princess, perfectly disguised as a human.
"What a shame she's so old, probably several hundred years at least," he mused.
While Thalia was considered young among the demons, by human standards, calling her an old lady wouldn't be wrong.
Of course, Lancia had no idea what the consequences would be if he ever called Thalia an old lady to her face.
...
In the distance, as if sensing Lancia's gaze, Thalia's eyes flicked towards the direction of the mansion's second floor.
"Good morning," Lancia smiled and waved gently at the distant Thalia.
Thalia ignored him.
Her silvery hair slid smoothly over her shoulders, quietly settling on top of her cloak, and her eyes remained indifferent as she looked forward.
She was merely confirming that there were no potential threats to the residents of the mansion.
Since it was Lancia himself and not someone who posed a threat to Lancia, she had no intention of paying any further attention.
Just like how she only cared about fulfilling her job—protecting her employer—and not the employer himself.
However...
For some reason, she always felt that the boy's mind was abnormally active.
And he seemed to be thinking about some rather damning things.
But Thalia couldn't quite put her finger on where her intuition was coming from, nor could she fathom what exactly was going on in the boy's mind.
After all, by all appearances,
He was just being friendly and greeting her.
Perhaps it was just her imagination.
Ever since the downfall of the demon realm... she had come to detest humans.
Even with Lancia, who seemed gentle and harmless, she occasionally suspected that he might be a highly malicious individual in perfect disguise.
But her lie-detecting spells and her own observations had proven that this human possessed impeccable character.
"Sigh."
Thalia sighed softly.
She had thought that after wandering in the human realm for so many years, she had gained some understanding of humans.
But now it seemed that she still had a long way to go if she wanted to seamlessly blend into human society and seek an opportunity to restore her homeland.
(End of Chapter)
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