As the young wizards and witches whispered among themselves, exchanging information and probing for details, they did not realize that they, too, were being watched by others—just like that famous verse: you watched the scenery from the bridge, while someone upstairs watched you.
On the jutting stone cloud platforms halfway up Lishan Mountain, and beyond the mist swirling around its summit, gentle yet appraising gazes fell upon the shores of Crescent Lake, observing those lively children. Subtle, hidden thoughts intertwined, commenting on the future of Shanglin Garden and the Wizarding World. Their flickering thoughts stirred the mountain breeze and clouds, making the silent stone mountain emanate an awe-inspiring presence.
Though most of them were merely spectators, they represented the deepest reserves of the Alliance. Their judgments carried great weight. Whether the young people by the lake would enter the Alliance's various branches, remain at school, venture into the New World, or stay home to carry on their family lines depended, to a large extent, on the opinions of these spectators.
"Nanshan Hayato will probably return home to inherit the Nanshan Shrine... His family shrine has passed down several formidable shikigami."
"Nicholas Duning is the Druid sect's designated candidate for priest. Old Pliny thinks very highly of him. They say that next year, before graduation, he'll be allowed to cultivate beneath 'that oak tree' for a while."
"Vass Egger needs no consideration either. The Dragon Hunting Ground Old Egger runs in Newcastle now has more than forty wild dragons. Vass is the only child in the Aiger Family capable of shouldering that responsibility."
"If we want to preserve the influence of the Shanglin Garden Spring Hunt in Trident Sword, Danhaag, and even the New World, and avoid being overshadowed by the Badminton Winter Hunt, we cannot simply look after our own