It was about time.
The scroll had indeed made time slip away. I hadn't been wrong.
The time spent learning always flew by. In the blink of an eye, the Burial Scroll was nearly done cooling.
I didn't mind observing everyone's ingenious ideas a little longer, and Lisha's situation was indeed rather unusual.
But Professor A Kai's situation looked much more urgent, so Fu Qian still chose to take his leave.
"...Thanks for all your effort."
Lisha's expression was somewhat complicated.
As mentioned earlier, she had always found it hard to believe Professor Fu had come over with such eagerness to help.
So after that inexplicable conversation, she'd been sitting stiffly ever since.
Yet, to her surprise, Professor Fu's volunteer work seemed genuinely diligent. There was nothing to fault.
Just as her confusion continued to grow, the volunteer suddenly announced he was leaving, leaving Lisha almost at a loss for how to react.
"It was no trouble."
Fu Qian wouldn't hold it against her, of course. She was young, after all, and still needed more experience.
With a genial smile, he offered a polite reply, then made a point of saying goodbye to Lita before heading off.
The weather didn't seem quite so nice today. Was it going to snow again?
Outside the laboratory, it was already getting late.
Squinting into the distance, Fu Qian could see that the sky was less clear than it had been earlier.
The clouds weren't especially thick, but they completely blocked the sun, casting a gloom over the vibrant academy.
As he quietly took it all in, Fu Qian headed straight for his destination: the battered Institute of Curses.
Exploring the world wasn't only about standing in the sunshine, was it?
Humanity had endured the Long Night and survived to this day. Surely