Chapter 37

"Teacher... why don't you come with me?" Moli blinked and asked me.

"No." I refused her, but then I thought about it again. Maybe another day... I could go with Mel? Moli is right. I live in a big city now. I can't always be out of step with modern society and be proud of it. If I continue like this, I'll become a weird old mage that nobody likes!

Okay, let's go together another day! I won't get involved with those Moli Mel.

Chapter 37

After that, Moli went out to play, and she probably didn't come back all night because I didn't hear anything unusual in the middle of the night.

... Hmm, I slept very comfortably at Moli's house...

... Speaking of which, the bed in Moli's guest room is so soft. When I move to Mel's Tower, I want to get a bed just as soft...

No wonder these young people are always complaining about having trouble getting out of bed. At first, I thought it was some new disease prevalent in modern big cities, but I found out it's simply because the bed is too comfortable, so they don't want to get up for work. Compared to work, rolling around in a soft, cozy bed is absolutely wonderful.

Hmm... I don't usually dislike going to work; I've always enjoyed going to the research institute. Today, for the first time, I really don't want to leave the house. I especially want to stay at Moli's house, count the new materials I bought, oh right, I also need to go back to my apartment to unpack. It's not much, but it's not like I have nothing at all. Even mages need daily necessities, you know. I can't magically brush my teeth. But I really, really don't want to go to the institute to see the Five-Star Old Man! Before, maybe it was because I didn't have a lab at home that I liked going to the institute... Now...

I guess I'll soon be working as an assistant like Moli? This is another huge test of my willpower. I have to control myself and not blow up the entire research institute because of the head mage's stupid project!

For example, last year's most profitable project in the academy was a massage wand that emitted magical electric currents. I've never understood why it sold so well. Is a massage wand that emits magical electric currents more comfortable? The advertisements even said it would absolutely not cause any harm to the body, eliminating worries and requiring no caution. Could it be that a massage wand produced by Magitech would damage the skin with electric shocks?

I don't understand.

Sigh, I couldn't help but prop my chin up and sit by the window, gazing at the sky. I wondered how things were going on Mel's side.

I folded and arranged Mel's robes neatly, but after putting on the shirt, I realized I hadn't brought my own robes, so I had to take them apart again, take out the inner robe and put it on. I didn't wear the decorative outer layers; there was no need to dress so formally to see the Five-Star Old Man!

I dressed myself and went to knock on Moli's door to see if she had returned, but I was surprised to find that Moli had just entered the living room carrying two bags of breakfast.

Good morning, teacher!

She greeted me with great enthusiasm.

But I saw right through her. "Moli, you didn't sleep at all last night, and you're only just getting back now, aren't you?"

"Hehe..." Moli stuck out her tongue.

"Don't always drink stimulants. They won't eliminate your fatigue; they'll only make you feel awake for a short time. Once the effects wear off, your drowsiness will even double. Doing this in the long run is bad for your health," I said.

"Because I stayed up a little late yesterday..." Moli said, "I'll be more careful next time! It's not like every day is a classmate reunion."

"That's true." I nodded. "But you graduated from college really early."

Moli is only just old enough to drive. Not only did she enroll early, but she also graduated incredibly quickly. Moreover, she graduated from the Royal Magic Academy, a renowned magic academy under the Federation with a glorious history spanning thousands of years. Back when the Osland Federation was still an empire, the Royal Magic Academy was founded by a wise former king. That was a very, very long time ago, in a truly backward era. Magic academies were generally only affordable for nobles. It was only after the establishment of the Royal Academy that the number of commoners becoming mages began to increase, which enabled Osland to become the premier magic nation in the years to come.

Therefore, the Royal Magic Academy is now quite famous. Its only drawback is that they often fight tooth and nail with the Leinayaro Academy over who is the top magic academy... The Leinayaro Academy clearly has countless branches, including a Knight Academy, a Mecha Academy, an Engineering Academy, a Music Academy, and so on; it's a comprehensive university. I don't understand why the Royal Magic Academy is so petty. Last year, I had to transfer that Leinayaro graduate to another mage's tutelage because Moli would always mock him whenever she saw him, calling him "the continent's number one bookworm."

Moli handed me the steaming hot breakfast, asking, "Teacher, which college did you graduate from?"

Ah, on this matter, I have absolutely nothing to boast about.

"I'm just a student at an ordinary academy. Although the main campus is the Sanctuary of Truth in the southeast of the Federation, I graduated from a branch academy. The branch academy is just a name; the academic level is worlds apart... The Sanctuary of Truth is very famous. It's the highest institution of theoretical magic located in the Silverheart Fortress. It's said to possess ninety percent of the knowledge in the entire continent, but..." I couldn't help but shrug, "We call it the Monastery of True Knowledge. The buildings are very old and beautiful, but... that's all it is—beautiful architecture."

"Tsk..." Moli pouted, making a strange noise. Only when my gaze turned stern did she abandon her menacing demeanor and revert to the elegance befitting a mage. She asked me, "Why did you go to school there? I reckon you could become the dean right away!"

"It's simple. I was already sixteen when I enrolled, well past the maximum enrollment age for many prestigious magic academies. If I wanted to continue my studies, I didn't have much of a choice."

"Then you don't have to get on..."

"Uh," I sighed, "It's Federation arrangement; you can't take the graduate school entrance exam without a degree."

Moli clutched her neck, making a hideous face. I slapped her on the forehead, and she immediately sat up straight and ate her food obediently.

I know that Moli must have entered the Royal Magic Academy at the minimum enrollment age. Many top-tier magic academies allow enrollment at age eleven, and generally do not allow anyone older than fourteen. At that age, I happened to be working alongside my second teacher.

"After we finish eating, we can go to work together."

"Okay!" Moli said immediately.

"Remember to pack your things when you get back tonight. We're moving soon; the exact date hasn't been set yet, but it should be in the next few days," I said.

Moli was taken aback and asked, "Me? You mean I want to move in with you? Your apartment can't fit both of us, so why don't you move in with me?"

"No, we're both moving to Mephistopheles's Mage Tower," I replied with a smile. "The apartment really couldn't accommodate both of us, so it wasn't possible for you to live with me before. But now that we have the tower, you'll have to move in with your teacher until you've completed your studies and are ready to build your own tower."

"Wow!" Moli exclaimed, "Then I can live with my teacher forever!"

Snap--

I couldn't help but slap Moli. She covered her forehead, looking at me with a wronged expression. I scolded her, "What kind of attitude is this? You need to have the confidence to surpass your teacher. If this were an ancient dark mage, an apprentice like you would have been thrown to the devil in no time."

"... Luckily, you're not an ancient dark mage..." Moli argued, "Having a powerful teacher is so great... I don't want to graduate in such a hurry..."

I... sigh...

This little devil, I'm truly at my wit's end. What can I do? I can't possibly feed her to the devil! Even if I did, I suspect this girl would torment the devil to the point of despair towards the main plane!

Because the research institute is located in the city center, there are naturally location points for the magical teleportation devices there. Magical teleportation requires a two-way link, and base stations aren't exactly cheap or high-quality. Therefore, magical teleportation isn't nationwide; hovercraft, skyrails, and private cars are the more common modes of transportation. However, there are more teleportation devices in the capital city, especially for traveling to the city center, which is very convenient. I used to teleport there to work and then walk a bit for exercise. Moli actually said she wanted to drive! Magical teleportation devices can transport private cars, but—