On the morning of November 12, sunlight streamed through the open window, and the fresh air flowing inside was invigorating.
Roland opened his eyes, raised his hand, and pressed a button on the bedside table.
Before long, his succubus companion Aier came in.
She carried a freshly prepared breakfast, but set it aside rather than rushing to serve him.
Roland was in the habit of drinking a glass of lukewarm water or honey water upon waking, then studying for an hour on an empty stomach.
Sure enough, Roland took out the Scholar's Happy Stick, murmured an incantation, and tapped himself on the head.
Instantly alert, he settled into studying Draconic.
He had begun learning Draconic back in June, around the time he won the Morningstar Award.
He had already more or less mastered the Ancient Elvish and history of Elvish linguistic evolution that Senior Froya had assigned him over the preceding year.
Frequently using spells such as Tongues and Scholar's Zeal to assist him had produced astonishing results. As those advantages accumulated day after day, he could be said to have attained proficiency.
However, human physiology differed greatly from that of dragons. Learning Draconic mostly meant studying the principles behind its magical structures and the corresponding pronunciation. It did not enable someone to cast dragon magic; even Draconic Sorcerers could not do that.
The people of Atrelin did not attach much importance to the subject either. They only had to learn about it because no history of magical languages could leave it out.
Under the effects of Scholar's Zeal, Roland had not let his thoughts wander. Only after leaving that state and finishing his studies did he suddenly think of the Green Dragon Trina.
"I wonder how she's doing now."
As the saying went, better to settle a feud than