As autumn deepened, the morning at Ernst Institute was wrapped in a thin, chilly mist. After finishing his morning training, Lin Qin walked into the dining hall, warm and faintly sweaty. As usual, he headed for the corner where he always sat, only to find someone already there.
It was Aileen, the female student he had accidentally shielded from a "stray shot" during Earth Wall Technique class. She sat alone, nibbling at her bread with a book of magic notes spread out in front of her, completely absorbed in it.
Lin Qin paused, about to look for another seat, but Aileen happened to look up. When she saw him, she froze for a moment, then gave him a faint, slightly bashful smile and a gentle nod.
Lin Qin nodded back in greeting and sat in the empty seat beside her. They didn't speak, quietly eating their meals. The dining hall's clamor seemed to fade away, leaving an unusual silence between them.
Lin Qin ate quickly, focused on replenishing his energy. Aileen took her time, occasionally sneaking a glance at the boy beside her, who was rumored to train like he had a death wish. He looked no different from any other student, except that his eyes were unusually calm and his movements carried a crisp, powerful quality. Remembering the Small Earth Shield he had raised in an instant during class, Aileen still felt grateful and curious.
As Lin Qin was nearly finished and preparing to leave, Aileen seemed to summon her courage and spoke softly. "Um... Lin Qin, thank you for what you did during our magic practice class."
Her voice was so light, like a feather brushing past.
Lin Qin paused and looked at her. "You don't have to thank me. It was no trouble."
"Maybe it was no trouble for you," Aileen said, her lips pressing together slightly, her voice still gentle. "But it meant a lot to me. I... I paid special attention to my control when I practiced Earth Wall Technique and Earth Spike Spear afterward. I feel like I've gotten a little better." She seemed to be looking for something to keep the conversation from ending there.
Lin Qin nodded. He understood that feeling very well. "Control is the foundation. With enough practice, you'll improve." It was a belief he held without question.
"Mm." Aileen hesitated before asking, "I've noticed you often come to train very early and don't get back to your dorm until late at night... Doesn't it wear you out?"
Many people had asked Lin Qin that question, and he usually gave a brief answer. But here in the quiet corner that morning, faced with the girl's sincere curiosity—and perhaps a hint of concern—he said a little more than usual. "I'm used to it. And when I can feel myself getting a little stronger, it doesn't seem hard."
His tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable certainty.
Aileen looked at the pure, steadfast light in his eyes and was momentarily lost in thought. She had met many hardworking people, but few like Lin Qin, who treated hard work itself as something ordinary, even enjoyable.
"That's impressive," she said sincerely.
By then, Lin Qin had finished his last bite. He picked up his tray and stood. "I'll be going."
"Mm. See you," Aileen replied softly.
Lin Qin nodded and left. His stride was still steady and brisk, without the slightest hesitation. To him, it had been nothing more than an ordinary breakfast, with a slightly unexpected interruption.
Aileen watched his back disappear through the dining hall entrance, then looked down and continued nibbling at her now-lukewarm bread. Before she knew it, the faintest smile had appeared at the corners of her mouth. This student named Lin Qin didn't seem as hard to approach as he looked.
During Wind Magic Basics that morning, the instructor explained the movement of wind elements and their light, airy nature. Lin Qin listened attentively. Although his elemental affinity lay mainly with the Earth Element, understanding the Wind Element would help him make sense of the shadow's trajectory he had seen on the training grounds and give him a more comprehensive understanding of the elements of heaven and earth.
When class ended, he followed the crowd out of the lecture hall. An autumn breeze swept by, sending golden leaves swirling into the air.
Without thinking, Lin Qin reached out. A plane tree leaf landed in his palm. He stopped and didn't brush it away right away, instead carefully feeling the leaf's light texture and the invisible force of the wind supporting it and changing its course.
It was utterly different from the earth's weight and solidity. Wind was free, changeable, and everywhere.
He closed his eyes and let his spiritual power spread ever so slightly. Instead of trying to "bear the weight" of the earth as he had before, he tried to "catch" the wind's path, to sense its subtle currents and shifts as it brushed his cheek and flowed around buildings.
The sensation was vague, nowhere near as clear as what he felt with the earth, but it was there. His Heaven Rewards Diligence talent seemed to respond to this new direction of "effort" as well, making him a little more sensitive to the wind than most people.
"Lin Qin?" a familiar voice called from beside him.
Lin Qin opened his eyes and saw Aileen standing with a female friend. Both were looking at him curiously as he stood with a leaf in his hand, eyes closed in thought.
"Are you... feeling the wind?" Aileen asked, curiosity in her eyes.
"Mm." Lin Qin admitted it openly. He gently released the leaf in his hand and watched as the wind carried it away again. "The wind feels very different from the earth."
Aileen nodded, seeming to understand. Her friend gave Lin Qin a curious once-over, clearly intrigued by the name she had occasionally heard from Aileen lately.
"We're going to the library. See you later," Aileen said to Lin Qin, sounding much more at ease than she had at breakfast.
"See you," Lin Qin replied.
He watched the two girls walk away side by side, then turned his attention back to the training grounds of the Warrior Division. That brief insight into the wind had given him some new ideas about speed and control. Perhaps he could try incorporating an understanding of air resistance into his sword swings today.
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