Emily Toremo

"Cheap sister?" Sera tilted her head, pure confusion in her dark red eyes behind her veil, as if hearing a strange term she'd never encountered. "Is this some special way you humans express affection? It doesn't sound very friendly."

Xia Lin choked on her words, then chuckled, waving a hand. "You're overthinking it. It doesn't have any special meaning. If I had to say... it probably refers to a sister you don't get along with very well."

Emily Toremo.

He searched the original owner's meager memories.

Toremo siblings' relationship, aside from being okay when they were young, had become as thin as watered-down ale.

The original owner was busy indulging in debauchery, while his sister was fostered in the provincial capital, dedicating all her effort to... well, to figuring out how to spend all the living expenses sent by the family.

Personality-wise, she believed in "life is short, enjoy it while you can," and was likely a restless soul.

The Toremo family had been bankrupt for so long, and she, an apprentice with no real skills and a penchant for extravagant spending, had lost the family's financial support. Now, she was probably living as frugally as he was.

Xia Lin mused inwardly, his footsteps not stopping.

Sera followed quietly beside him, clearly uninterested in his family affairs, merely observing this bustling city, so different from Changhe City.

The closer they got to the white giant tower, the more the surrounding scenery changed, and the architectural style on both sides of the street became more ancient and solemn.

Among the pedestrians, young people in various apprentice robes hurrying along became noticeably more numerous. Occasionally, they could even see a few formal mages in magnificent mage robes, their expressions arrogant, accompanied by magic pets or constructs, causing passersby to quickly make way.

Finally, they arrived at the plaza at the foot of the Mage Tower.

Looking up, the tower seemed otherworldly.

Its pure white body looked as if carved from a single piece of flawless ivory, piercing the clouds. The spire glittered with a dazzling light under the sun, appearing to connect with some mysterious energy in the sky.

The tower's surface was not smooth but covered with countless intricate and profound runes that flowed slowly like living things.

The tower's base was exceptionally wide, and the entrance was a massive gate tens of feet high, forged from a metal emitting a faint blue glow.

In front of the gate, two magic guards, entirely composed of energy, hovered silently in mid-air, exuding a silent pressure.

The first-floor hall of the tower was astonishingly grand.

The dome was impossibly high, seeming to be its own starry sky, with countless magic orbs emitting soft light suspended like stars, revolving.

The floor was paved with smooth black stone, reflecting the dome's radiance, and walking on it was silent.

In the center of the hall was a huge circular pool. The water was clear to the bottom but emanated strong magic power fluctuations. Above the water floated a three-dimensional magic sand table of Orlando City and its surrounding areas, composed of countless points of light.

Tall bookshelves lined the surrounding walls, filled with various heavy tomes.

Many young people in apprentice robes were discussing in low voices while holding books or consulting something on floating magic screens.

A few Mage Tower guards in silver armor, holding rune halberds, patrolled expressionlessly.

There was a sense of order belonging to knowledge here.

"Holy cow, this place..." Xia Lin couldn't help but whistle, "It's more magnificent than the king's palace."

"As if you've seen the king's palace," Sera retorted as usual.

He took a deep breath, tidied his relatively neat leather armor, and walked towards the open metal gate.

"Halt!"

The cold electronic voices of the two magic construct guards sounded, their energy halberds crossing to block the path. "Unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering! Please present your identification or access permit!"

The constructs' blue optical sensors lingered noticeably longer on Sera, with scrutiny and caution.

Sera impatiently turned her head, a faint shadow emanating from her.

Xia Lin put on a friendly smile, trying to appear harmless. "I'm looking for someone. My sister, Emily Toremo, is an apprentice here."

"Register at the registration desk over there, provide the apprentice's name and your proof of identity." The construct pointed to a relatively secluded area on the side of the hall, where several desks were placed, and a few people in civilian attire were busy.

"Thank you." Xia Lin nodded and led Sera towards the registration desk.

The person in charge of reception at the registration desk was a young woman wearing thick crystal glasses, who looked somewhat dazed.

She was buried in a pile of parchment, searching for something. Hearing footsteps, she slowly looked up, pushing her glasses, which had slid down to her nose.

"What is it?" Her voice was a bit slurred, with the laziness of someone not fully awake.

Seeing her appearance, Xia Lin muttered to himself if the efficiency of this Mage Tower was a bit too casual.

"Hello, I'm looking for Emily Toremo." Xia Lin stated the name.

"Emily... Toremo?" The woman repeated, her finger tracing the registration ledger beside her, seemingly searching for the corresponding name. "Which department? Elemental or Abjuration?"

"Uh... I'm not really sure which department she's in." Xia Lin replied somewhat awkwardly. "She's my sister."

"Your sister?" The woman finally found the corresponding name, her gaze fell on Xia Lin's face, scrutinizing him, then she looked down at the information on the ledger, seemingly confirming something.

Suddenly, she abruptly took off her thick crystal glasses, revealing a pair of brown eyes, somewhat similar to Xia Lin's, filled with cunning and surprise.

"Big Brother?!" the woman exclaimed, her laziness instantly disappearing, replaced by utter shock. "What are you doing here?!"

Xia Lin was also stunned.

This receptionist, dressed in a plain civilian robe, wearing unfashionable glasses, and looking dazed... was actually his "cheap sister" Emily, who only existed on bills and family complaints?

This reunion... was truly one of a kind.

"Emily?" Xia Lin called out tentatively.

"Duh! Who else would it be!" Emily shot him a glare, then lowered her voice, glancing around like a thief. "Shh! Keep it down! I'm working right now! Wait until I'm off work, we can talk then!"

She quickly scribbled a few lines in the logbook and then shoved a blank visitor's manual at Xia Lin. "Fill this out first, just write anything, I'll handle it for you later. Wait by the door!"

With that, she put on her thick glasses again, buried her head back into the pile of parchment, and resumed her dazed, lazy demeanor, as if nothing had happened.

Xia Lin, holding the visitor's manual, exchanged a look with a surprised Sera. He could only helplessly walk to the waiting area near the lobby entrance and sit down.

Waiting always felt like a long time.

With nothing else to do, Xia Lin thought about his sword, bent like a banana, and his damaged Leather Armor. He decided to leave the Mage Tower and find a seemingly reliable weapon and leather repair shop nearby.

Orlando was, after all, the provincial capital. The craftsmanship and efficiency of the artisans there were far beyond what Changhe City could compare to.

He spent fifteen silver coins. Not only did the owner agree to expedite the repair of his reinforced Leather Armor, but he also recommended a newly arrived longsword.

[Item: Spirit Wind Refined Longsword (Human Replica)]

[Durability: 120/120]

[Evaluation: A swift longsword crafted in the style of an Elven rapier. Its blade is light yet sturdy, suitable for quick, precise thrusts and slashes. Though a replica, its craftsmanship is excellent, far superior to that bent Dwarven piece you have.]

A refreshed Xia Lin returned to the entrance of the Mage Tower, just in time to see Emily stretching. She had taken off her drab clerical robe, revealing a brightly colored casual outfit underneath, and was hopping out.

Her thick glasses were gone too, revealing a face that bore a strong resemblance to Xia Lin's, but with a more lively and cunning expression.

"All done! Clocking out!" Emily ran up to Xia Lin, grinning and clapping him on the shoulder. "Let's go, big brother. Since you came all this way to see me... you're treating today!"