The morning sunlight slanted down over the royal capital, spilling across the magnificent grounds of Iketerite Academy.
Today was another day full of hope.
On the first-floor balcony garden of the Sage Institute Dormitory Building, lush vines climbed along the wooden railings, their leaves gleaming with vibrant green vitality. Elegant potted plants filled the space beneath the railings.
The fragrance of flowers and fresh soil filled the air. A flock of little birds chirped and chattered on the wooden open-air balcony, occasionally hopping or fluttering onto the stone tiles nearby and singing energetically, as if celebrating the beginning of a new day.
The two-week vacation had flown by.
Today, Lanchi was finally going back to the Sage Institute school building and resuming normal classes.
Even getting out of bed that morning had been a little difficult.
During those two weeks, Lanchi had spent most of his time going back and forth between his dormitory and Talia's home.
He spent essentially every morning undergoing high-intensity card-making training under Talia's supervision.
While staying at Talia's house, his card explosion rate had dropped noticeably.
It was only later, when he blew up a card and thought all was lost, that he discovered Talia had already arranged a protective barrier.
She had frightened him earlier only to force him into a state of total immersion.
Likewise, Talia had instructed Lanchi that after he returned, his card-making practice for the near future should focus mainly on Sealing Art, and that he should choose sealing-type Magic Cards as his subjects for the Registered Card Maker Examination.
She was not particularly skilled in Sealing Art, and many of the related sealing magics would require Lanchi to research them himself.
As for Hairstyle Transformation Magic, she had already begun analyzing the principles behind the original Magical Beast Fur