New Year

New Year's Eve, half a month since the Book Theft Incident.

The Honorary Director badge from the Natural History Association had arrived a few days ago, but this exquisite emblem brought Donald no real benefits. He remained a lowly library assistant at the Magic Academy—oh, and also Mr. Victor's personal assistant. As more people learned of this identity, the suspicion, malice, and surveillance directed at him gradually diminished.

Ever since his Divine Element surpassed a hundred and he advanced to Low-rank Mage Apprentice, Donald's cultivation speed had finally slowed. Drawing the same number of runes now yielded less and less Divine Element growth.

Lately, though, his focus had shifted elsewhere: magic models. The two magic models covered in that book, Magic Model Introduction and Practice—which had once brought him unpleasant experiences—the Regular Hexagon Basic Attack Magic and the Regular Hexagon Nested Basic Defense Magic, he had long since memorized their modeling steps. But as the title suggested, Introduction and Practice, memorizing the content and understanding the meaning only counted as introduction. What he truly lacked was practical experience. Even now, in the quietest conditions, following the steps methodically, he could barely complete that basic attack magic. If he had to use it in actual combat, he would surely fumble. As for the nested model, he hadn't yet dared to try.

Sure enough, with someone speaking nearby, the modeling was immediately interrupted, and the half-assembled Six Yuan Fireball magic dissolved in his Sea of Consciousness.

"When I was little, my mother once brought me to see the New Year Fireworks." That was Kelly's voice.

Tonight was the liveliest night of the year at the Magic Academy. The runes students drew in their coursework had no practical use, but they couldn't be wasted either. All of them would be collected by senior students and made into Magic Fireworks, released together on New Year's Eve. On this day, nearby townsfolk, even nobles from Dorn City, would come to the Magic Academy to witness the rare spectacle.

Richard and Kelly had also come to the Magic Academy during the New Year holiday.

"So? Didn't I tell you this was the best spot? I found it last year." Wesley shouted at Donald. He'd mentioned a few days ago that he knew a perfect place to watch the fireworks and had even invited Lucia—who, of course, turned him down again.

This was the rooftop of a small building on the edge of the Dormitory Area. Wesley had somehow gotten the key. Now he was pointing out to Richard which of the people gathered below to welcome the new year were the famous beauties of the Magic Academy.

Donald sat on the edge of the rooftop, legs dangling, watching the Magic Arena not far away—that was where the fireworks would be launched. Kelly sat right beside him. He couldn't recall them ever sitting this close before.

"The fireworks are beautiful, aren't they?" Donald said with a smile.

"Actually... I don't really remember what the fireworks looked like anymore. I just remember there were so many people. My mother kept holding my hand, and I held on tight, afraid she'd disappear..."

Donald imagined a little girl in the crowd, holding her mother's hand, looking both curious and nervous.

"...I'm sorry... I shouldn't have brought up your mother..." Kelly noticed Donald had gone quiet again and thought of his background.

"Oh, it's fine. When my mother passed away, you were still in Dorn City, right?"

"Two months after my mother took me away from Lant Island, your mother... passed away... I was only four then, but would you believe it, Donald? I remember what your mother looked like. Her smile was so beautiful. Everyone liked her. It's just... she wasn't healthy... Back then, I called you Brother Donald, remember?" The girl's face reddened again.

Donald smiled without answering. That was the Donald before he turned six—a different Donald.

"Richard, when did your brother hook up with that little beauty?" Wesley had already noticed something unusual between the two.

"My brother? My brother didn't hook up with her... Kelly likes my brother..."

"That's too much, really too much. Your brother's so boring, how does a girl like him?"

"My brother's not boring, Elder Brother Wesley. Look, this sword—my brother made it. Mr. Merkel, Kelly's uncle, said my brother's a genius..."

"Alright, alright, your brother's the biggest genius. But don't you think your brother... isn't as handsome as me?"

Richard looked at Wesley, then turned to look at Donald. After going back and forth a few times, he answered hesitantly, "I, I don't really know what counts as handsome, but... you're both too skinny..."

Just as Wesley was left speechless by Richard's simple aesthetic sense, the locked rooftop door was knocked on. "Wesley, are you up there?"

That was Lucia's voice.

Wesley ran to open the door, making a lewd face at Donald as he glanced over.

"Lucia, Lucia, didn't I tell you everywhere else is too crowded? Here it's quiet, romantic... Oh, who are these two?"

"This is my cousin Roger, and his friend Fiona. They came from the Knight Academy. And this is my classmate, Wesley."

"Oh, Lucia, since you knew about this great spot, you should've brought us here earlier. Squeezing in with the crowd like that—I'd rather have stayed with my father."

"Fiona, weren't you the one who insisted on following my cousin?"

"Alright, Lucia, don't let your classmate laugh at us. Wesley, is it? I've heard Lucia mention you often." Roger extended his hand to Wesley with a bright smile.

"Is that so? I think there might be some misunderstandings between Lucia and me." Wesley smiled back and shook his hand. He didn't want Lucia spreading stories about his glorious deeds. Roger's palm was large, his handshake firm and strong.

"These are my friends—Donald, Donald's brother Richard, and Kelly. Richard and Kelly are also Knight Academy students."

"Hello! Hope we're not intruding." This time Roger didn't extend his hand. Lucia frowned slightly.

"I've seen you at the Knight Academy. I heard you're about to cultivate Battle Qi." Richard looked at Roger with admiration. The other was a star student in his fifth year at the Knight Academy, his idol.

Roger smiled modestly without answering.

After a brief exchange, the two groups sat separately. Richard and Kelly each sat on one side of Donald. Wesley chatted with Lucia for a bit, then went to sit beside Richard.

Lucia occasionally stole glances at Kelly. She vaguely sensed that this pretty Knight Academy girl had an unusual relationship with Donald.

Soon, the new year arrived. Countless Magic Fireworks shot into the sky, drawing gasps and cheers from the crowd.

While everyone was watching the dazzling fireworks in the night sky, Kelly quietly wrapped both arms around Donald's arm and gently leaned her head on his shoulder. Donald smiled faintly and didn't move.

Lucia turned her head slightly, watching the boy's face illuminated by the fireworks. That calm face still showed no surprise. He was even smiling, as if the brilliant magical spectacle before him hadn't moved him at all.

"Waited so long, and this is all there is? And the colors are a bit lacking..." Donald felt a little disappointed inside. The warmth of the girl beside him seeped through. Remembering she was only fourteen, he held back the urge to reach out and put his arm around her.

Donald forgot—just a moment ago, the girl beside him had turned fifteen, and he himself had only just turned seventeen.

The fireworks faded, leaving behind the peculiar smell of fire elements that hadn't burned completely. On the small building's rooftop, the youths were still savoring the moment.

"Wesley, I heard about your duel with Carl. Impressive."

"Cousin, he just used a small Wind Blade."

"Lucia, didn't you realize? It's precisely because that Wind Blade was so small that it's impressive. If the rumors are right, it was Wesley's grasp of timing, control of casting distance, and understanding of his opponent's psychology that led to this seemingly coincidental victory. I'd guess that if it happened again, you'd still win. Am I right?" Roger's last sentence was directed at Wesley.

"Someone like Carl—what's the point of beating him?" Wesley didn't answer directly.

"Is that so? Then why did you fight a fool?" Fiona asked, puzzled.

"He did it for Donald," Lucia answered for Wesley, afraid he might drag her into it.

"For Donald?" Fiona looked at the shabbily dressed youth beside Wesley, even more confused.

Richard and Kelly also stared at Donald in puzzlement; this was the first they'd heard of it.

"It's all a mess of nonsense. In short, my friend here is too kind-hearted, and I can't stand to see my own friend get the short end of the stick."

"You almost made things worse? But Donald, why didn't you explain back then? Letting Carl and the others slander you like that." Lucia finally voiced the question on her mind.

"Would explaining have helped?" Donald looked at Lucia. "Like you said, it would only have made things worse, right? People only believe what they want to believe, don't they?"

"So you never thought about fighting back?"

Donald lowered his head, slowly narrowing his eyes, as if searching for an answer on the ground beneath his feet.

"I had a dream once. A dream about an orphanage that takes in abandoned children. The kids there, who grew up without parents, were savage—fighting every day. Of course, the younger ones got beaten more often."

Everyone watched him, unsure why he was bringing up such a dream.

"Some of them, to fight back, had to become crueler and more vicious than the older kids, until one day, everyone was afraid of them."

"Are you saying we shouldn't fight back? That the weak deserve to be bullied?" Roger asked.

Donald hesitated before answering, "No, I'm saying it's a really sad dream."

"Then what would you do if you were one of those kids?" Kelly asked softly.

"I'd pray to grow up fast," Donald replied with a smile, feeling a bit like he shouldn't have told that story.

"Elder Brother Wesley, where are you planning to go for the Winter Trial?" Richard was a bit confused by his brother's dream; he'd rather talk about something related to cultivation.

"Winter Trial? I haven't thought about it. Maybe I'll go soak up some sun at the beach. How about Lant Island?"

"Wesley, I heard the Whispering Forest near the Thorn Empire in the eastern part of the province has been overrun with bandits lately. We're planning to go there for the trial. Interested?"

"Forget it. Compared to the forest, I prefer the beach—"

"Lucia's coming too."

"—Suddenly I think winter is the perfect time for the forest. And I'd like to see what bandits look like." Wesley had no shame at all.

"Elder Brother Wesley, can I come with you?" Richard missed his father, but he was even more eager for an adventure.

"Of course. Call your brother and Kelly to come along too!"

"What would I do there? I have work."

"The Library closes for winter. What work is there? Come on, come on. Aren't you worried someone will steal Kelly away?"

"Yeah, come with us." Lucia urged softly as well.

Donald wanted to see the world too, but he worried his special status might affect the group's trial. Still, after Wesley and the others persuaded him, he agreed. The seven of them set a date to depart a few days later for the Whispering Forest trial.