In the second year after the Academy War ended, Saine, as the academy dean, received Faine, the apprentice who had performed most brilliantly in this Academy War.
Faine's brilliance was not because he was the strongest.
Rather, during the most difficult final half-year of the war, Faine had rallied the few remaining Dark Flame Holy Tower apprentices and successfully fended off the other Holy Tower Academies' assaults on the resource points within their Holy Tower's territory.
Had it not been for Faine's efforts during that final half-year, and for his becoming something akin to the apprentices' spiritual leader,
Dark Flame Holy Tower could never have claimed such an excellent result as second place overall in this Regional War.
It would likely have long since been surpassed by Wave Wheel Holy Tower, which was led by an apprentice at the Despairer level.
Saine had some impression of the little fellow Faine.
More than thirty years ago, he had merely been an eight-year-old child, filled with curiosity toward the unknown and magic.
More than thirty years later, Faine had already become a middle-aged magician in his forties.
The fellow even had a child now.
Saine truly did not know how he had managed to pursue advancement amid the brutal rules of academy competition while also finding the time to produce a descendant.
Faine's child was a little girl. She resembled Faine by perhaps thirty percent, but her skin was fair and clean; she was far more delicate than the rough-skinned Faine.
However, her eyes greatly resembled Faine's from back then—fearless and brimming with curiosity about everything around her.
After meeting Saine, the five-year-old girl named Goria even lifted her princess dress and politely greeted him.
With a chuckle, Saine gave the little girl a Magic Hairpin.
Saine had made this hairpin during