The Royal Academy of Sciences

Anna took the longest to change. By the time she was ready, Li Mo and Wayne were already waiting for her at the door.

When she came out, Li Mo couldn't help marveling, even after all the years he had spent looking at her.

Anna really is beautiful.

I've been saying for ages that maid outfit doesn't suit her. It's too old-fashioned.

He had suggested changing her outfit more than once, only for Father to shoot the idea down every time...

Father wanted him to behave himself and not bully her. Li Mo swore he had no dirty thoughts...

But just look at Anna in her uniform.

A long, dark pleated skirt, a fitted dark gray buttoned vest, and a snow-white blouse. She looked so good.

A feast for the eyes.

If everyone in town hadn't known about Anna's master-servant relationship with him, she would surely have had a long line of open admirers at school...

The three left the mansion, and his father, Li En, stood at the door, waving goodbye.

After they had taken a few steps.

Anna looked back and, once she had confirmed that the master had gone back inside, immediately stopped. "Li Mo, stop right there!"

Hearing her address him by his full name, Wayne tactfully said, "You two talk. I'll scout ahead~"

With that, he quickened his pace and swiftly put some distance between them.

Once Wayne was far enough away, Li Mo scratched his head. "What's wrong... uh, Sister Anna?"

Anna planted one hand on her hip, her gaze sharp. "Twice now, twice! Both times I went to your room in the morning, you weren't lying properly in bed! Once you fell asleep at your workbench, and once you were staring out the window. What are you doing? Hmm? Answer me!"

Li Mo didn't know how to respond.

That was how Anna was: she kept one thing separate from another.

At home, she was a maid and would never show the young master the slightest disrespect.

But once they were out the door, they were friends who had grown up together.

As someone his own age, Anna didn't care much for formalities and always spoke her mind.

When Li Mo said nothing, Anna pursed her lips, her tone softening a little. "Li Mo, you know we're all worried about your health, so could you pay a little more attention to it yourself? If I catch you staying up late reading again, I really will have to sleep with you at night!"

Li Mo quickly retorted, "Hey, I treat you like a brother, and you want to sleep with me?"

Anna rolled her eyes hard. "It's not like we didn't sleep together when we were little!"

Li Mo muttered, "How is that the same? Back then... weren't we all still little?"

Anna narrowed her eyes. "What did you say?"

Li Mo said, "I said you've grown up... uh, I mean, I understand. From now on, I'll take care of myself and never stay up late reading again."

Anna scrutinized him for two seconds before looking away. "That's more like it..."

Their confrontation over, the two continued down the street.

They found Wayne waiting in utter boredom outside a café at the corner ahead.

The three reunited and headed toward school together.

In the distance, they could see a newly opened factory, its towering chimney belching black smoke into the sky. They could also faintly hear the whistles of oceangoing steamships coming from the direction of the harbor. Though Mondel Town was small, it had every facility it needed.

Wayne waved his walking stick to shoo away a few pigeons blocking the middle of the road, then suddenly remarked, "It's been a long time since the three of us went to school together like this."

"Yeah," Li Mo said. "The last time we went to school together like this was the last time."

Wayne joined him in reminiscing. "When we had that meal to see you off, I was thinking Anna and I would take the exams and join you in the capital a year later. I never expected you'd come back first..."

Anna immediately shot him a glare. "Wayne!"

Wayne realized he had misspoken and waved his hands repeatedly. "Oh, oh, sorry, sorry."

To ease the awkwardness, Wayne straightened the front of his coat and switched into gentleman mode. "Actually, brother, there's a question I've always wanted to ask you."

"What question?" Li Mo asked.

Wayne said, "I heard there are strip clubs in the capital. Um... have you been to one?"

Li Mo shook his head. "I don't know. I'm not very interested."

Wayne let out a heavy sigh. "What a shame."

Anna walked beside them, rolling her eyes the whole time.

Unable to stand it any longer, she remarked, "Wayne, I liked you better when we first met, when you pretended to be a gentleman in front of me."

Wayne spread his hands. "That shows how close we've become, Anna. I can be myself around you."

Anna snorted. "Then I'd rather we weren't so close... hey, how about we stop being friends?"

Wayne gave an awkward laugh. "Haha, there you go again, always joking around..."

Walking between them and listening to their bickering, Li Mo felt a sense of nostalgia.

After awakening the memories of his previous life, he had so much to do in the face of unknown mysticism and a backward industrial system.

But he really didn't want to change the world alone.

If possible, he still hoped to stay with the two of them in the future.

From another perspective,

Wayne's family had mastered the craft of making precision timepieces, which would surely help when it came to producing sophisticated, cutting-edge equipment in the future;

And the terrifying mystical abilities Anna had displayed could make up for his own shortcomings in that area. She could become a truly top-notch assistant in the future.

So Li Mo stopped and suddenly spoke up. "Hey, if you ask me, why don't we all take the entrance exam for the Royal Academy of Sciences in the capital?"

Anna froze. "Huh?"

Wayne looked even more dumbfounded. "The Royal Academy of Sciences? Me? You mean me?"

Li Mo nodded seriously. "Yeah. I want us to keep studying together."

Wayne said, "Uh..."

Anna quickly glared at Wayne!

Wayne changed his tune. "Yeah, all right..."

His reaction couldn't have been more normal.

What did the Royal Academy of Sciences in the capital mean in this world?

It was roughly... the Hanlin Academy in ancient times, or Egghead from One Piece (the Vegapunk Research Institute).

In many people's eyes, even Wellington Higher Truth Academy couldn't compare to the Royal Academy of Sciences.

After all, the people in Wellington dealt with mysterious, unfathomable things that ordinary people couldn't understand.

The latest theories and mechanical products produced by the Royal Academy of Sciences, on the other hand, could truly change the world.

The finest minds in the entire kingdom gathered there.

Calculus, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics... they were all the most cutting-edge theories!

The standard of education in Mondel Town was limited.

A student managed to get into Wellington every few years, since mysticism depended on talent.

But it seemed that no student had ever made it into the Royal Academy of Sciences since the town was founded.

So when Wayne and Anna heard Li Mo say that, it sounded like complete nonsense brought on by a shock.

Anna played along. "Sure! Then we'll definitely work hard. We can review together for a while. Let's do our best!"

Wayne hurriedly took the opening too. "Right, right, let's do our best! The Royal Academy of Sciences, sure. If we work hard, there's always a chance..."

Li Mo took in both their expressions and naturally knew what they were thinking.

After they crossed two blocks, a row of red-brick apartments appeared beside the road.

Li Mo suddenly stopped.

One door bore the number:

1729.

He looked at the number and felt it was necessary to show off a little.

If he didn't show off, these two childhood friends of his would still think his head was made of dough.