Loli

After receiving the king's personal directive, the Magic Academy demonstrated remarkable efficiency, immediately processing Donald's enrollment and arranging a single dormitory room in the dormitory area that was clearly far too luxurious.

Donald assessed his own learning progress and requested to be placed in the third year. This request was naturally granted at once; no one questioned Donald's magical foundation, and even tuition fees were never mentioned. Still, Donald dutifully asked Mr. Victor to forward half a year's tuition—two magic crystals.

Neither the king's commendation nor the academy's preferential treatment affected Donald's mindset much. In his view, no matter what circumstances he encountered, they could not compare to that unbelievable transmigration ten years ago.

Thus, with a calmness others found hard to understand, Donald accepted his sudden change in identity—from a penniless academy janitor to a highly valued star student. It was precisely this calmness and low profile that allowed people to temporarily forget the shock of that day.

At last, Donald got his wish and formally began systematic study of magic.

Over a hundred third-year students attended classes together, without division into separate groups. The classroom atmosphere was casual and relaxed; most professors lectured as they pleased, took no attendance, and assigned no homework. To Donald's surprise, the vast majority of students were still quite disciplined—he guessed this had something to do with the academy's steep tuition fees.

Lucia, under the pretext of helping the transfer student, would speak privately with Donald after every class. This behavior had two consequences: first, it objectively helped Donald keep up with the lessons; second, it made him the target of every male third-year student's resentment.

Every afternoon, Donald still appeared in the library, reading and exchanging insights with Wesley. The difference was that the janitor-and-poet duo, with the change in one member's status and the addition of new member Lucia, had become a more conspicuous trio. Even with Lucia by his side, Wesley still occasionally made moves on different girls, and Lucia even began strategizing for him—but the results remained disappointing.

Ten days later, Donald received a letter from Natiya Vida. During the mid-March holiday, he followed the address in the letter to find her newly established laboratory in Dorn City. There, Donald finally met Natiya Vida's two daughters—a pair of twins, Ailimanda and Ailimiya. Compared to Natiya Vida, who had a child's body and an adult's face, these sisters looked perfectly normal, like exquisitely cute, ordinary six- or seven-year-old human children.

"Uncle Aidaruy, why is he so young? He doesn't look very impressive. Is Mom lying again?"

"Uncle Aidaruy, is he really a mage? Why isn't he wearing one of those pointy hats?"

The dwarf Aidaruy had presumably come along to look after the two girls' safety.

"Who told you mages wear pointy hats? Must be from some trashy book," Aidaruy said, always with a huff and a glare. "Donald, did Natiya mention it in her letter? These two little ones are here to be your assistants."

"Well... aren't they a bit too... young? The lab can be pretty dangerous..."

The lab wasn't exactly dangerous, but for little children, it might not be so safe. However, Donald had once again misjudged the gnomes' age.

"But we're already sixteen, you know. Not younger than you."

"That's right, that's right. Don't underestimate us—we're excellent graduates of the Engineering Academy."

Sixteen? Donald looked at Aidaruy in confusion; the latter nodded to him, confirming the sisters' age.

"Alright, then... what should we do?" Donald scratched his head, still unable to accept that these little girls in front of him were about the same age as him.

"This is your lab. Mom only agreed to let us be your assistants."

"Right, right. It's your lab."

They talk so childishly, and they say they're not kids. Donald grumbled inwardly as he inspected the lab equipment.

It seemed Natiya had indeed carefully read Victor's paper. All the equipment mentioned in it that might be needed for synthesizing metals was fully stocked here, including some metalworking tools Donald had never seen before—Natiya must have thought, after seeing that forging press, that Donald was interested in manufacturing machinery.

"But I can only spend very limited time in the lab..." Seeing that she had deliberately prepared such a lavish lab for him, Donald felt a bit guilty.

"We know, we know. Donald is a very powerful mage and still needs to study magic. Mom told us."

"Lord Donald the Devil King just needs to plan the experiments. Leave the rest to us!"

"Devil King?"

"A powerful mage is a Devil King."

"That's right, that's right. Lord Donald the Devil King."

"Can you stop saying 'that's right, that's right'..."

Donald felt like he was about to be dizzy from these two little ones. He looked at the dwarf Aidaruy with pleading eyes.

Aidaruy gave Donald an expression of helplessness, then simply walked out of the lab, closing the door behind him.

An innocent and helpless young man, two little girls with big, curious eyes, and this lab filled with strange metal machinery—they began their first day of work. By evening, Donald had finally figured out the purpose of all the machines. This lab assigned to him was practically like a school-run factory. If not for the fact that this world had no gunpowder, Donald might even have considered making some firearms.

During a break, Donald asked about the Extreme North Country. Through the two girls, he finally learned why conditions there were so harsh: it was due to gravity. The farther north one went in this world, the greater the gravity. In the northernmost mining areas now, only sturdy dwarves could withstand the gravity; gnomes could only live in the southern part of the Extreme North Country. Human knights could use Battle Qi to resist gravity, but only high-ranking knights with abundant Battle Qi could sustain such continuous output.

Because of their frail bodies' inability to withstand the gravity there, no high-ranking mage in history had ever reached the Extreme North Country. It was even said that they rarely visited the Knight Federation, as the gravity there was also much greater than in Middle-earth.

"So it's gravity. Light metals should be very useful there," Donald muttered to himself.

"But light metals are too soft."

"That's right, that's right. Too soft—what use are they?"

Light necessarily means soft? Not necessarily. But Donald didn't argue with the sisters. Instead, he assigned them a task: gather samples of every metal material they could get their hands on.

After arranging everything, he left the lab.

When Richard learned that his brother had been admitted to the academy, he cheered with joy. The two brothers had a rare celebration at a tavern in Dorn City.

(Many thanks to book friends Konglingyixiao, Linghuanmie, and Shengtai Zhengchang de Renlei for their recommendation votes, and thanks as well to all other friends who bookmarked and tipped. Thank you!)