At dawn in the royal capital of Hutton Kingdom, Lanchi rose early and made his way to Ikelite Academy alone.
He passed through the station at the school entrance and saw golden light rising in the east, illuminating the entire campus. He could not help feeling a refreshing surge of vitality.
Three days had passed since the Entrance Examination ended.
Today, Lanchi was finally beginning his campus life.
According to Teacher Theresa, he first needed to go to the Magic Engineering Institute to exchange for a Student Bracelet. After that, he could move into the academy.
During this time, Lanchi and Talia had both been staying at a hotel not far from the academy. Talia lived in the room next to his, and every day when Lanchi went out, Talia followed him.
Lanchi had already told Talia that once he could move into the extremely safe Ikelite Academy, she would no longer need to protect him like this.
Her pay would remain the same, of course.
He would only trouble her when he had questions to ask her.
Thus, Talia had practically regained her freedom, as if she had been given a new lease on life.
She no longer had to be Lanchi's bodyguard every day.
She had also acquired a false identity as a member of the Wilford Family.
As long as she did not draw too much attention or register with any major association, she would almost certainly not be exposed.
In just a few short months, Talia had bid farewell to her impoverished, wandering life. She could even spend her days in Royal Capital Ikelite enjoying a leisurely life on a generous pension.
When Lanchi and Talia ate breakfast together that morning, Talia had looked somewhat dazed.
It was as if she had retired.
Still, seeing Talia's life improve made Lanchi feel gratified.
Supporting his elderly master was the filial duty he ought to fulfill.
"Come to think of it... Every time I think about her age, she seems to glance at me... Is that just my imagination...?"
Lanchi muttered to himself as he walked along the campus's main road.
Although upgrading his Talent Magic for detecting lies further might allow it to evolve toward Mind Reading,
Talia should still be nowhere near the threshold of Mind Reading Talent Magic.
According to what Lanchi knew of the setting, even in the main storyline two years later, Talia still had not mastered any Mind Reading abilities.
"So there's nothing to worry about. Her age isn't a big deal, and she probably doesn't care that much."
Lanchi smiled in relief and continued toward the Magic Engineering Institute's Old Liberal Arts Building.
The plants on both sides bathed in the morning mist and sunlight, giving off a fresh fragrance. Along the roadside were many flowers whose names Lanchi did not know—some vivid, some elegant, and some bizarrely shaped.
Accompanied by birdsong, the buzzing of bees, and the gentle murmur of running water, he gradually walked from the end of the road onto a soft meadow covered in flowers. According to the signs, all the buildings in this area had been built within the gardens.
After several minutes of walking,
Lanchi finally found Ikelite's Revival-style building on the edge of the Magic Engineering Institute. Statues and reliefs were embedded in its ancient red-brick exterior. It was one of the campus's landmarks—the Magic Engineering Institute's Old Liberal Arts Building.
This historic building had once been a workshop where Magic Artisans brought their wild ideas to life. It had been renovated and refurbished several decades ago, after which it began providing technical services for students from other departments who needed assistance from the Magic Engineering Institute.
Lanchi looked around, but there were not many students in sight.
It seemed that, these days, the only people who came here were mostly the new first-year students.
It was still very early. Even the doors of the Old Liberal Arts Building had not yet opened.
"Oh dear, I came too early... I forgot that everyone here works from nine to five. Not a minute earlier or a second later."
Lanchi spoke regretfully.
He recalled that the easygoing working habits of the people of Ikelite were very different from his own.
Many shops closed at five sharp. They would stop working even if it meant turning away money, and the school's service departments were no exception.
Thus, Lanchi could only stand on the lawn with his arms folded, bored as he waited for the Magic Engineering Institute's staff to start work.
He might as well experience the leisure that modern people were supposed to enjoy. Sometimes, wasting time could be a kind of happiness too.
"Actually, this is a pretty good chance to draw inspiration..."
Lanchi raised his head to admire the ancient, artwork-like building before him. The fragrance of flowers, the scent of grass, the smell of soil, and the moist air in the garden seemed to surround him, leaving him thoroughly at ease.
At the top of the Old Liberal Arts Building stood a towering spire, set with a carved School Badge of Ikelite Academy.
At the bottom of the School Badge was a silver shield, representing the steadfastness and convictions of the Hutton Kingdom. In the center of the shield was the Goddess of Fate Statue, holding a laurel wreath in her hands and surrounded by the Cross Holy Radiance. The Southern Cross Constellation formed the background, symbolizing Ikelite Academy's geographical location on the Southern Continent.
The white banner at the top of the School Badge bore a powerful inscription in Ancient Magic Text: "We shall grow in the reverence of those who come after us."
Merely looking at it made Lanchi's heart surge with emotion, as if the last trace of drowsiness left over from waking early had been completely driven away.
He was unconsciously captivated by it, unaware that the seconds had already circled several times.
"This level of carving... It must be the masterpiece of a master sculptor from a previous generation..."
Lanchi stood motionless on the grass, gazing at the School Badge as he murmured.
"It is. It was made two hundred years ago by the Magic Artisan Jela Zelt, who graduated from Ikelite Academy. If you look carefully, you'll find quite a few of his works around the academy."
A familiar voice came from not far behind him, interrupting Lanchi's thoughts.
Lanchi came to himself as if waking from a dream. When he turned around, he saw a girl with pale golden hair standing gracefully in the garden.
Her face looked familiar to Lanchi. She was none other than Princess Vivian, whom he had encountered once in the examination hall and who did not seem to get along well with his teammate Hughberlian.
Lanchi had not expected the princess to come so early either. But after taking a closer look, he noticed that soon after her arrival, faculty and staff from the Magic Engineering Institute came hurrying to the Old Liberal Arts Building to open it for business.
As expected, human connections mattered everywhere.
"Princess Vivian, I'm sorry. I was so engrossed in looking that I didn't notice you had already arrived."
A faint smile appeared on Lanchi's face as he greeted the princess, who had somehow also come here to wait.
"..."
Vivian pondered for a moment.
She had not actually intended to speak with Lanchi at first.
After their previous encounter, she had realized that she did not quite know how to deal with his personality.
He was a little too much of a good-natured person, and somewhat foolish, yet his mind was remarkably sharp.
"What do you think is different between this carved School Badge and a manufactured one?"
Rather than making small talk, Vivian looked toward the carved School Badge at the top of the Old Liberal Arts Building and asked Lanchi.
After meeting him twice, Vivian was certain that this commoner boy named Lanchi Wilford had none of the distance or awe that ordinary people should have toward nobles. He was more like a traveler from a country without noble culture who had journeyed here from afar.
Vivian did not mind.
Lanchi was indeed a promising talent from their country, and his background was perfectly clean.
She simply wanted to chat with Lanchi about the ancient masterpiece atop the tower.
Lanchi always possessed a unique air of a poet, painter, and craftsman. It came naturally to him and could not be imitated.
It was rare to meet someone of her own age who might be able to discuss art with her.
Vivian decided to use this free time to sound him out.
Before you continue