After receiving recognition from the three Named One, Tia returned from the island atop the tower.
Although I only spent half a day there, it felt like I was in another world. The location high in the sky above the Cloud Sea naturally gave it a sense of alienation and distance from the Mortal Continent.
Upon returning, Sylutia sorted out her thoughts and made some adjustments to her original schedule. She estimated that she would be frequently going to the top of the tower in the sky to study for some time to come. Fortunately, she had the " Moon Key," which allowed her to easily reach any location in the Mage Alliance without being confined to the Thetis Academy.
Afterwards, she visited Sage Aitos, who was also the headmaster of the Academy, and told him about her meeting with the three dignitaries that day.
"I already know." The other person nodded slightly, then thought for a moment.
"Although the result was somewhat unexpected, the Thetis Academy and the Mithril Clock School will always be your strong support."
Sage Aitos looked at Tia with mixed feelings. He never expected that the successor he had nurtured for so long would now be heading to the Origin Hourglass ". Although nominally she was to study both schools, considering the time and energy required, it would be difficult to achieve a perfect balance between them. On the other hand, there was Amelia on the Mithril Clock " school side. In the future, most of the matters and choices entrusted to Sylutia would definitely be handled by Amelia.
Because of her position, Sylutia will naturally move closer to the " Origin Hourglass " in the future, and Aitos is well aware of the long-term effects of this change.
The two exchanged a few more words, and then Sylutia brought up the matter of Amelia.
"Could we gradually move Amelia out of the library? Otherwise, it's not good for her to always be in such a secluded place."
"Let's take it one step at a time." Aitos thought for a moment, not objecting, but still cautious.
Before Hedra appeared, the sages valued Amelia's education with both importance and caution. They supervised each other and only taught the girl pure knowledge and skills. When it came to things like worldview and values, they were extremely careful, as if they were sculpting a perfect work of art, preferring to make fewer strokes rather than make any mistakes.
"Perfect timing. For the next period of time, both of you will be studying under His Majesty. You can ask the three His Majesties for their opinions." He and the group of sages couldn't convince each other, so they had been postponing Amelia's education on worldly values of good and evil. Now, he could just throw this problem to the Named One had more knowledge and experience.
"I understand." Sylutia nodded.
After the visit ended, Sylutia left, and soon Da Vinci arrived at the office, where they discussed the day's events.
"I didn't expect His Majesty to summon her so quickly." Da Vinci went to a corner of the office, skillfully found the tea storage area, and began to brew tea.
You see, the Academy head's stock consists of extremely high-quality teas. If he were to buy such expensive and high-end teas himself, Da Vinci wouldn't be able to afford them. So every time he came over, he would mooch a cup. Fortunately, the Academy head turned a blind eye to this and didn't say anything.
Hedra and Amelia were indeed outstanding, but precisely because they were too outstanding, they were somewhat cautious and timid, unlike disciples like Da Vinci who were more carefree.
"This was expected. Ever since she became famous as the guardian Mage of the Mishir District, the Secret Speech 'the accumulation of Aspect Power will accelerate dramatically, reaching the Fifth Order in no time' has been revealed."
"But when are you going to consider advancing to the next level?" Aitos rarely teased his disciple like this.
"As for me, I'm still far from it. You should know about the genius from the previous year, Nores reached the Fifth Order at the age of 30, which shocked many people. My talent is slightly inferior to his, and I estimate that I'll be lucky to advance to the fifth rank by the age of 31." Da Vinci yawned and shook his head.
"Why do you insist on Nores as a reference? He was too eager for perfection back then, and prepared many extra things for his advancement, learning several secret techniques, which caused the time to be delayed by two years. Otherwise, with his strength, it might not have been impossible for him to advance at the age of 28." Aitos shook his head.
"28 years old, tsk tsk." Da Vinci sat down on the sofa with his teacup, adding sugar and stirring as he answered with his eyes half-closed, seemingly half-asleep.
"That's too much effort; I couldn't do that. Besides, I agree with his approach. If it were me, I'd probably wait until I'm fully prepared before moving on to the next level." After saying that, he put down his spoon and took a sip of his sweetened black tea.
Seeing his expression, Aitos sighed, knowing that urging him further would be useless. In fact, before Hedra appeared, he was extremely satisfied and proud of Nores and Da Vinci. The fact that the Academy could have such geniuses growing up made not only the students proud, but also the professors and teachers very gratified.
But with the emergence of a strong point of reference like Hedra, those students who were once like pearls and gems in my eyes now feel like ordinary stones, and that initial joy has faded.
Humans are truly easily dissatisfied. Aitos gazed out the window into the distance. If he had known ten years ago that a student at the age of 30 could reach the Fifth Order in the Thetis Academy he led, it would probably have been the talk of the town among the sages for years. But now—
Da Vinci was actually quite good. Although he didn't have Nores's ambition and self-discipline, he had a wide range of interests and his breadth of expertise surpassed that of the previous student leader, Nores. Both had their own strengths.
If they continue at their current pace, they should be able to reach the Sixth Order within 30 years and become master-level figures who form the backbone of their school. In fact, apart from a few sages, Sixth Order master-level figures are already at the top of the Alliance. As for the higher-ranking Named One, their existence is similar to that of demigods, living far away from the Mortal Continent and rarely interfering in specific affairs.
After leaving Academy headmaster's office, Sylutia arrived at the Great Library of the Thetis Academy, opened the door, and followed the Academy's instructions to ascend the spiral staircase. Her figure flickered and continued to rise until she appeared hundreds of floors above the ground.
Amelia ----
The girl stopped in her tracks, her excellent eyesight allowing her to spot a wisp of blue hair peeking out from a corner of a bookshelf in the distance.
Sylutia walked over quietly and found Amelia sleeping on the ground. The blue-haired girl was using books as a pillow, her hair spread out like a natural blanket covering her body, and her legs were curled up, her body forming a vaguely round shape.
Crouching down, Sylutia lightly touched Amelia's shoulder with her fingers and then gently shook her.
With a soft moan, Amelia opened her eyes. Upon seeing that it was Sylutia, her pale golden eyes seemed to laugh, sparkling with joy.
" Hedra." Still a little sleepy, she hugged the girl, then nestled in her arms, calling her name through her sleepy eyes.
"Yes, I'm here."
Sylutia gently picked up Amelia and carried her to the open space outside the bookshelf. The two then sat down on the sofa together. Seeing that Amelia was still a little sleepy, Sylutia gently stroked the ends of her blue hair, allowing Amelia to fall asleep peacefully again.
"It'll be better to sleep here."
Sunlight streamed through the dappled windowpanes, illuminating the tranquil library. In the afternoon light, the figures of the two girls created a soft, picturesque scene.