"Roland, how did you suddenly win the Morningstar Award?
That's the Morningstar Award! Didn't you say last time that you barely had a chance?
It's a shame Atali is still up north at her training camp. If she heard the news, she'd definitely be stunned too.
Seriously, what you've done this past year is just too ridiculous. We hardly recognize you anymore!"
The next morning, Roland had just finished his Ancient Elvish lesson for the day when he discovered an email from Cynthia.
She had learned the news from the morning paper.
She had already been astonished when she last heard that Roland had been nominated.
And now, her understanding of him had been shattered again.
She could barely reconcile him with the Roland she had once known.
Roland couldn't help smiling at that.
Of course you don't recognize me.
I'm no longer the Roland I used to be.
Naturally, he couldn't reply with that. He merely smiled faintly and said modestly, "They say three months apart from a slime is like a lifetime. I've been studying in the tower for almost a year now. How could I not have improved?
Of course, I haven't improved in every respect. One particular part of me, for example, has stayed exactly the same, without the slightest growth."
"What part?" Cynthia asked curiously.
Roland chuckled and replied, "My twenty-six centimeters..."
"Pfft!" Cynthia replied indignantly. "Pervert!"
Roland sounded utterly astonished. "My feet are twenty-six centimeters long! What were you thinking of?"
Cynthia: "..."
"Ding! Mr. Roland, you have an important notification.
His Excellency Antonia, Grand Arcanist, legendary mage, and guardian of Atrelin, invites you to his office for a meeting. The scheduled start time is 9:45 a.m., with an estimated duration of twenty minutes..."
The Tower Spirit's notification suddenly snapped Roland out of