《Mist Empire’s Rise: Fake Noble to Fog Queen》


 Chapter 1: Transmigrating into a Counterfeit Noblewoman

    [Download of "Galan Chronicles" successful. Please confirm login.]


    [Auto-confirmation. Login successful.]


    [We wish you a pleasant journey.]


    A blinding white light engulfed the room.


    ...


    When Luo Wei opened her eyes again, the world before her had transformed entirely.


    The familiar computer desk had vanished, replaced by a long table laden with trays of aromatic spices.


    The pungent scent of herbs, carried on a damp breeze, flooded her nostrils, almost transporting her back to her student days in Europe.


    Back then, to make ends meet, she had toiled nightly at a Western restaurant, grinding endless bowls of spice blends. And then...


    "Luo Wei!"


    Startled by the sharp voice, Luo Wei''s head snapped up, her eyes darting around the unfamiliar surroundings.


    She found herself in a classroom that exuded late medieval European Gothic grandeur.


    Towering lancet windows lined the walls, which were thick and imposing. The floor beneath her feet was cold and damp, while ornate crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling above.


    The room was filled with boys and girls, all around twelve or thirteen years old. At the front, beside an imposing desk, stood a blonde man in his late thirties or early forties, unmistakably the teacher.


    "Luo Wei!" The blonde man called out again, his voice stern and unyielding. "Stand up and answer my question."


    His piercing gaze bore into Luo Wei, barely concealing his suspicion.


    Suspicion?


    Luo Wei''s pupils contracted as a wave of panic surged through her. Unfamiliar emotions suddenly flooded her mind, accompanied by a torrent of alien memories.


    She recalled that the original owner of this body had masqueraded as a noble lady to gain entry to the school. However, during a squabble over dormitory assignments, she had managed to offend a genuine noblewoman.


    The scene unfolding now was that noblewoman''s calculated revenge. Having uncovered the original''s true identity, she aimed to expose the fraud during the very first class of the semester.


    The blonde man was the class''s instructor, Professor Phil.


    It was he who had acquiesced to the noblewoman''s suggestion, calling upon the original to answer questions.


    This was a potions class, currently discussing basic spices commonly used in noble households. The question posed related directly to these aromatic substances.


    But the original had never encountered such luxurious spices before. The mere sound of the question had sent her into a panic, let alone the prospect of standing to answer it.


    Her fear was well-founded, for in this world, a commoner discovered impersonating nobility faced a grim fate: arrest, torture, and public execution by hanging!


    The thought of medieval torture methods sent a chill down Luo Wei''s spine.


    Swiftly regaining her composure, she rose to her feet and addressed the professor: "My apologies, Professor Phil. I was momentarily distracted. Would you kindly repeat the question?"


    A derisive sneer emanated from the right front of the room. The noblewoman''s sycophant mockingly interjected, "Distracted? I''d wager she simply doesn''t know the answer!"


    In the wake of this barb, a buzz of whispered speculation rippled through the classroom.


    If she couldn''t even recognize basic spices, could Luo Wei truly be of noble birth?


    "Silence!" Professor Phil''s palm struck the desk with a resounding crack. He turned his attention back to Luo Wei. "Luo Wei, identify the spices on the table and briefly explain their uses."


    "Certainly, Professor." Luo Wei''s gaze lowered, focusing intently on the array of spices before her.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Dill, sweet basil, parsley, sage, rosemary... all staples of Western cuisine.


    These herbs, while possibly rare treasures centuries ago, had become commonplace in her modern world, cultivated globally and relatively inexpensive.


    She fervently hoped that in this realm, the names of these spices remained unchanged.


    Steadying herself, she reached out to touch the spices, reciting their names and uses with practiced ease.


    "Dill, with its sweet and spicy flavor, can be used in cooking and is known to alleviate stomach pain and insomnia. Sweet basil is a versatile herb often used as a flavorful side dish."


    "Parsley is a common seasoning herb that can be consumed raw. Sage, with its strong aroma, is excellent for cooking and as a fragrance enhancer."


    ...


    "Vanilla pods, harvested from the vanilla orchid, possess a unique and rich aroma. They''re used both in culinary applications and to fix scents in perfumery."


    "And this at the bottom¡ª"


    Luo Wei gently pushed aside the herbal spices, revealing a yellowish resin. Her heart eased slightly at the sight.


    It seemed the noble girl couldn''t be entirely certain of Luo Wei''s fraudulent status, else she wouldn''t have included this particular item in the test.


    "This is frankincense, a resin derived from Boswellia trees. It''s renowned for its pain-relieving and preservative properties."


    She withdrew her hand and looked up, meeting the professor''s gaze. "Professor, have I answered correctly?"


    An eerie silence fell over the classroom.


    Luo Wei''s brow furrowed. Had the names or uses of these spices diverged from her knowledge?


    After what felt like an eternity, Professor Phil''s voice finally broke the silence.


    "Have you... consumed all of these spices?"


    Luo Wei''s eyebrows arched in surprise. "Professor, aren''t these quite common seasonings?" She offered a small smile. "Though I must admit, I haven''t personally eaten frankincense. It''s primarily used as a medicinal incense, better suited for fumigation and essential oils."


    Professor Phil, being of noble birth himself, was well aware of this fact. Yet even he couldn''t afford to use these spices lavishly in cooking and seasoning.


    As for frankincense, it was an exceptionally precious substance, typically reserved for religious ceremonies due to its reputed similarity to the scent of the gods... Wait, since when had frankincense been included among basic medicinal herbs?


    Snapping out of his reverie, Professor Phil strode swiftly to Luo Wei''s desk. "May I examine your spice tray?"


    Luo Wei took a half-step back. "Of course, Professor."


    Phil plucked the yellow resin from the tray and brought it to his nose. His expression cycled through a range of emotions.


    "It is indeed frankincense," he finally declared, replacing the resin. "I must have inadvertently included it while preparing the medicinal herbs. My sincere apologies, Luo Wei. How about I add ten points to your score for this class?"


    "That would be most generous, Professor."


    Phil returned the frankincense to the podium and bent to make a note in his ledger.


    As Luo Wei reclaimed her seat, the noble girl in front suddenly pivoted, her sapphire eyes scrutinizing Luo Wei as if appraising an object of uncertain value.


    Luo Wei met her gaze unflinchingly and noticed something intriguing.


    This noble girl, Axina, possessed dazzling golden hair¡ªcoincidentally, the exact same shade as Professor Phil''s.


    The remainder of the class passed without incident, most students listening with varying degrees of attentiveness.


    Luo Wei lowered her eyes, feigning distraction while actually sifting through the memories that had suddenly materialized in her mind.


    The original owner of this body had been a humble fisherwoman. Her village had fallen victim to a pirate raid, but she had managed to escape, later rescued by a group of knights.


    A compassionate female knight had gifted her a letter of recommendation for school admission and a handful of gold coins, enabling her journey to this prestigious institution.


    The original had been blessed with attractive features, and during her travels to the school, she had narrowly escaped several assaults. To protect herself, she had concocted the noble persona.


    However, this impulsive decision would have spelled doom for the original.


    In her newly acquired memories, Luo Wei saw how the original would have faltered when faced with Phil''s question today, arousing suspicion among her peers.


    They would have notified the church''s inquisitors, who would have thrown her into their notorious prison. Unable to withstand the brutal interrogation, she would have confessed her true identity.


    Once exposed, the original''s fate was sealed: first tied up and paraded through the streets, then suspended from the city walls for seven agonizing days, enduring countless insults and abuses.


    The commoners would have pelted her with sewage and rotten vegetables, while her former classmates came to mock her, pointing and sneering with disdain.


    Finally, she would have been dragged to the execution ground in the marketplace and hanged.


    In her final moments, the original had sacrificed her soul to an evil god, beseeching the deity to alter this world and her future.


    Whether the evil god had accepted her offering or not, the result was Luo Wei''s transmigration to the day of the original''s fated exposure.


    Luo Wei''s eyes remained half-closed as she processed the information about this school stored in her newfound memories.


    Siria Magic Academy, a collaborative effort funded by multiple nations, boasted a progressive educational philosophy: dedicated to dismantling class prejudices and nurturing the continent''s most exceptional talents.


    Regrettably, despite the academy''s constant emphasis on "admitting students regardless of noble or common birth," the nobles here still heavily discriminated against commoners. The two groups remained clearly divided, with few taking the egalitarian slogan seriously.


    The original''s impersonation of a noble had thrust her into the spotlight, but her habits and mannerisms were at odds with those of true nobility. It had only been a matter of time before she would have been exposed.


    Today''s test was merely the opening salvo.


    Axina, at least, wouldn''t let her off so easily.


    In the original''s memory, Axina had already dispatched people to investigate her background, but the original''s rapid exposure had preempted the use of any information she might have gathered.


    As the class drew to a close, Luo Wei''s mind raced. She had narrowly averted disaster today, but she knew this was only the beginning. To survive in this world of magic and intrigue, she would need all her wit, knowledge, and the strange luck that had brought her here.


    With a mixture of determination and trepidation, she prepared to face whatever challenges this new world would throw at her. The game of deception and survival had only just begun.

 Chapter 2: Commoners Cant Do Arithmetic

    Luo Wei yearned to thwart Axina''s plans but found herself powerless to do so.


    The original owner of this body was utterly alone here, without a single friend or relative, and with barely any money to her name. She was, in essence, trapped.


    Luo Wei had no idea who Axina had dispatched to investigate her, nor what they might uncover. This sensation of awaiting judgment was a novel experience indeed.


    However, putting herself in Axina''s shoes, Luo Wei could hazard a guess as to where that person might have gone.


    During enrollment, the original owner had completed a registration form with her basic information.


    Thankfully, due to the school''s policy of treating nobles and commoners equally, they didn''t demand detailed information about one''s status or address during registration.


    The original owner had been intentionally vague, merely noting the general location of her fishing village as "Northern Sea Coast."


    Even if Axina''s investigator ventured to the northern coast, with its myriad cities and villages, they might not necessarily pinpoint the fishing village.


    Moreover, when the original owner fled, the entire village had been massacred by pirates and subsequently burned to the ground. She was the sole survivor. What evidence could they possibly find even if they located the site?


    There would be no one left to corroborate or refute anything.


    Her only concern now was the knights who had rescued her and sponsored her education. They alone knew her true identity.


    As the class drew to a close, Phil assigned homework. He instructed everyone to create a fragrance formula using the provided spices and submit it in the next class.


    Luo Wei found this utterly absurd. Using cooking spices to create a fragrance? Wouldn''t they end up smelling like a marinated dish?


    Yet, none of her classmates raised any objections, so she had to suppress her doubts and pack up the spices as she left the classroom.


    "Ruth, how do you plan to blend these spices?" On the way out, students walked in small groups, discussing how to complete the assignment.


    Luo Wei perked up her ears to eavesdrop.


    "Me? I''m thinking of grinding black pepper and sage into powder, adding some tobacco, and putting it in a snuff bottle to make snuff."


    Pepper-flavored snuff? Luo Wei could scarcely imagine it.


    "Oh~ Making snuff is too time-consuming. I''ll just make incense. Jack, what about you? What are you planning to make?"


    "Hehe, this is my first time seeing so many spices. I''m going to throw them all in a pot, boil them into a thick paste, and smear it on myself every day!"


    "Oh! Professor Phil won''t allow that. I think you''d better choose a different method."


    "Yeah, Jack, you''d better change your plan unless you want to end up in a coffin..."


    As their voices faded into the distance, Luo Wei halted in her tracks.


    She suddenly recalled that the earliest use of spices wasn''t for cooking at all, but for religious offerings and funeral rites.


    Over three millennia ago, the ancient Egyptians used spices to preserve bodies. They mixed various spices with oils to anoint corpses, creating mummies that remained fragrant for thousands of years.


    Europeans learned to use spices in cooking much later than the people of Huaxia.


    This realization filled Luo Wei with a mix of emotions.


    No wonder the others had reacted so strangely when she mentioned using those spices for seasoning food.


    How could they not find it odd to use spices meant for anointing corpses in their meals?


    In the end, it all boiled down to historical and cultural differences.


    Although this world bore a superficial resemblance to late medieval Europe, it was only skin-deep. At least medieval Europeans had already learned to use spices to cure beef.


    This served as a stark reminder that she should always consider the cultural context before speaking or acting, lest she be branded a heretic.


    Just as Luo Wei was about to leave, having reached this conclusion, an arrogant voice suddenly rang out from behind.


    "Commoner, halt right there!"


    It was the noble lady''s sycophant.


    Sensing trouble brewing, she quickened her pace.


    "Luo Wei!" The girl, incredulous at being ignored, angrily darted in front of her. "I commanded you to stop. Are you deaf?"


    Forced to halt, Luo Wei raised her eyes to meet the girl''s gaze. "Miss Vina, to what do I owe this pleasure?"


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Vina looked down her nose at Luo Wei, her voice dripping with disdain. "Hmph, you don''t seriously believe you''ve fooled everyone, do you? Eating spices, how utterly preposterous!"


    Luo Wei felt a headache coming on, too weary to explain that she wasn''t eating spices but using them to season food. "So, you accosted me just to spout these trivialities?"


    "Trivialities?" Vina''s voice rose an octave. "Commoner, how dare you address me with such insolence? Are you not afraid I''ll expose your charade?"


    Luo Wei remained unperturbed. "Expose what, precisely?"


    "Ha, you still have the audacity to feign innocence," Vina took an exaggerated step back, her eyes blazing with anger. "You shameless fraud, though I know not how you recognized those spices, you can''t pull the wool over my eyes!"


    "I''ve seen through your fa?ade. You''re no noble at all."


    "You stupid commoner, only peasants would be caught dead in that filthy woolen undershirt you''re wearing!"


    "Have you finished your tirade?" Luo Wei calmly met her gaze. "Then perhaps it''s my turn to speak?"


    Under Vina''s stunned gaze, Luo Wei approached step by step, her eyes radiating a chilling light.


    "From my perspective, your speech is vulgar and unrefined, your behavior frivolous and wanton, utterly devoid of the education a noble should possess."


    "Your conduct is deplorable, your morals corrupt. Your jealousy and pettiness are etched across your face, and your soul is as filthy and repulsive as a sewer rat!"


    "You are a far cry from a qualified lady! Miss Vina, I strongly suggest you return home and properly study noble etiquette!"


    "Ah!" Vina let out a shrill scream, stomping her foot hard and jabbing a finger at Luo Wei''s face. "You lowly¡ª"


    "Mind your manners!" Luo Wei swiftly interjected, her tone sharp as a blade. "A true lady does not screech like a banshee. Compose yourself, your unsightly display is turning my stomach."


    "You... you... wuwuwu..."


    Vina''s composure crumbled entirely. She broke down in tears and fled, her face buried in her hands.


    For a noble girl of this era, Luo Wei''s words were tantamount to verbal evisceration.


    Yet, she felt not a shred of remorse. In the original owner''s memories of the coming week, Vina had paid her a visit, and the vitriol she had spewed then made this exchange seem like a friendly chat in comparison.


    She had branded the original owner a wanton harlot, accused her of impersonating nobility to seduce noble men, and even claimed that her elegant attire was procured through prostitution. She had spread vicious rumors, labeling her a whore, and even summoned a group of men to forcibly strip her.


    Though the original owner had indeed impersonated a noble, her transgression hardly warranted a death sentence, nor did it justify such abhorrent humiliation.


    She hadn''t exploited her false noble status for personal gain, nor had she committed any heinous acts. Yet, those people had cursed her with more venom than they would a mass murderer.


    Even the most depraved criminals are afforded the right to a defense, but she had been summarily condemned without trial.


    As the tragic fate of the original owner replayed in her mind, Luo Wei''s gaze gradually darkened, a storm brewing behind her eyes.


    "The Wesley family is renowned for their fierce protectiveness. Are you not concerned about incurring their wrath by humiliating Vina so thoroughly?"


    A blonde, blue-eyed girl emerged languidly from behind a pillar. It was the noble lady, Axina.


    The name "Wesley" triggered a flood of memories from the original owner, and information about Vina crystallized in Luo Wei''s mind.


    Vina, full name Vina Wesley, was the youngest daughter of Count Wesley of the Kingdom of Boren.


    If a count''s daughter was relegated to the role of a mere lackey, what illustrious background must this girl calling herself "Axina" possess?


    Luo Wei expertly masked the suspicion in her eyes and turned to face Axina with practiced nonchalance. "Are you not apprehensive that Vina might lodge a complaint with Count Wesley about your manipulation of her?"


    Axina''s lips curved into a subtle smirk. "I harbor no such fears. Besides, she lacks the mental acuity for such machinations."


    Luo Wei nodded, her voice level. "Then pray tell, why do you presume I would tremble in fear?"


    "It appears I''ve overestimated the situation," Axina covered her mouth, letting out a soft, melodious chuckle. Then, with a sudden shift in tone, she continued, "Incidentally, tomorrow heralds the commencement of our magic rune class. I daresay those commoners will once again make spectacular fools of themselves."


    "Word has it that commoners are woefully inept at arithmetic, ignorant even of multiplication and division. How, pray tell, will they manage the intricacies of geometry?"


    Luo Wei found this utterly perplexing. The concept of a magic rune class was comprehensible, given that this was a magic academy, but why on earth would they teach geometry in such a class?


    Wasn''t that the purview of mathematics?


    A flicker of confusion passed through her eyes, which Axina interpreted as proof of her complete incomprehension.


    "Fortuitously," Axina''s smile widened a fraction, "the library houses a collection of arithmetic texts. Those commoners of limited knowledge can avail themselves of these resources to catch up outside of class hours."


    "Wouldn''t you agree, Luo Wei?"


    "Perhaps," Luo Wei replied with feigned indifference, but her heart skipped a beat.


    The original owner''s memories were a chaotic, nebulous mess, impossible to untangle swiftly. She desperately needed to procure some history books to brush up on the common knowledge of this world.


    She silently thanked Axina for reminding her of the school''s library, though she was acutely aware that this was likely another of Axina''s tests.


    "My apologies, but I have an urgent matter to attend to. Please excuse me."


    Luo Wei deftly concluded the conversation and strode away, spices in hand.


    "Hmph, what an uncouth creature," Axina muttered under her breath.


    As Luo Wei''s figure receded into the distance, Axina''s captivating blue eyes narrowed to slits. She pivoted on her heel, her gaze falling upon a group of noble young men engaged in poetic recitation on the nearby lawn. With a graceful gesture, she extended an invitation for them to accompany her to the library.


    The noble youths, attuned to the nuances of court intrigue, instantly discerned from her expression that this was no innocent request. They rose to their feet, mischievous grins playing across their faces. "Who has earned the ire of our esteemed Princess this time?"


    Axina''s brow furrowed slightly. "Refrain from addressing me as Princess. I have no desire to reveal my true identity."


    "As you wish, Axina," the young men smoothly adjusted their speech. "Who, might we inquire, has had the misfortune of offending you?"


    "It''s that impudent commoner masquerading as a noble," Axina''s voice dripped with disdain. "The way she dared to look at me was nothing short of insolent. I want you to teach her a lesson she won''t soon forget."


    The noble youths exchanged knowing glances. "Axina, are you absolutely certain she''s a commoner? What if, by some twist of fate, she truly is of noble birth..."


    "She couldn''t possibly be a noble," Axina declared with unwavering certainty. "When I casually mentioned that the library houses books on arithmetic, she immediately set off in that direction."


    "Only impoverished commoners would be so woefully ignorant of basic arithmetic."

 Chapter 3: Underdeveloped Textile Technology

    The history books in the library were not as detailed as the religious scriptures, and most of them were heroic biographies.


    Luo Wei took down a heroic epic titled "The Song of Aldrich" and flipped through a couple of pages. The entire book was steeped in mythological elements.


    The book began with the creation of the world by the ancient gods and narrated the adventures of Aldrich, the son of the God of Wisdom, on the Western Continent.


    The opening described how the gods created the world and the birth of humans: The Creator God took out His heart and transformed it into Galan, then sprinkled His blood to create humanity.


    Fearing that humans would be cold, He gouged out His left eye and turned it into the sun, bestowing warm sunlight upon humanity; fearing that humans would lose their way in the dark of night, He gouged out His right eye and turned it into the moon, granting humanity pure moonlight.


    After the Creator God''s demise, His soul nurtured many new gods. These deities were born upon the heart of the Mother Goddess and continued to bless the humans on the Star of Galan.


    The book also recorded a great war two millennia ago, said to be a war of faith among the gods.


    This war caused the paradise of the ancient humans to be incinerated overnight, transforming into a barren desert where not a blade of grass could grow. That desert became the wasteland known as The Wastes today.


    After that great war, the gods no longer descended to the mortal realm but remained seated high in the clouds. Humans migrated to a new continent to recuperate, and this new land is the Western Continent where they reside now.


    Legend speaks of a third continent on the Star of Galan called The Misty Plains, located north of the Western Continent. However, the northern seas are perpetually shrouded in thick fog, and no one has successfully penetrated the fog belt, so the existence of The Misty Plains remains unconfirmed.


    If only The Misty Plains truly existed, Luo Wei mused. Should she ever be exposed, she could flee there to survive.


    As dusk fell, Luo Wei read a few pages before going to register for borrowing the book, planning to peruse it leisurely back in her room.


    Just as she left the borrowing area, four or five young men approached from the opposite direction, with one of them heading straight for a collision.


    With a "thud," the book in Luo Wei''s arms was knocked to the ground.


    A hand snatched up the book before she could, and the young man flipped to the cover, drawling, "Let''s see what book this commoner is borrowing... Uh, ''The Song of Aldrich''?"


    After reading the title, he glanced at Luo Wei and suddenly fell silent.


    This abstruse ancient epic gave him a headache just by looking at it, yet the lady before him had come specifically to borrow it?


    If she were a commoner, she definitely wouldn''t read this kind of literature - they could barely read at all.


    The other young men also realized this point, and they exchanged meaningful glances without uttering a word.


    The young man who had picked up the book thought quickly and immediately handed the book back to Luo Wei, his attitude doing a complete 180-degree turn: "My lady, please forgive my rudeness. There was a misunderstanding earlier. Here''s your book back."


    Luo Wei frowned slightly and reached out to take the book.


    "Ah, wait," the young man suddenly changed his mind again, his eyes gleaming with a hint of cunning, "Beautiful lady, I''ve been reading this book recently too, but there are some parts I don''t quite understand. Might I ask for your guidance?"


    Very well, another one trying to test her.


    Did he think she couldn''t comprehend the ancient text? This was far simpler than classical Chinese.


    Luo Wei withdrew her hand and said indifferently, "Go ahead and ask."


    The young man opened the first page of the book and randomly pointed to a paragraph: "I don''t understand this part."


    Luo Wei looked at him with a strange expression. He couldn''t understand the first page?


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The young man''s face stiffened slightly. He knew that saying this made him look foolish, but he had only ever skimmed the first page of this book, so only the content on the first page was somewhat familiar to him.


    "Alright, give me the book. I''ll explain it to you," Luo Wei said.


    The young man returned the book to her.


    Luo Wei pointed at the text in the book, her voice soft and melodious: "The Mother Goddess fell, her soul conceived by sensing the energy, giving birth to various gods within a small space, bestowing divine favor upon the eight directions; each god ruled their own domain, and at this time, chaos began to separate, life and darkness were severed, and all beasts..."


    "This passage means..."


    It wasn''t until she finished explaining everything that the young man''s doubts were completely dispelled.


    He thanked Luo Wei, and as he left, he took a careful look at her face, feeling somewhat smitten.


    This young lady had snow-white skin, a flower-like appearance, red lips, and white teeth. She also had glossy black hair like ebony and a pair of mysterious black eyes.


    Although she was dressed very modestly, her elegant demeanor and rich knowledge unmistakably displayed her noble status. She was clearly a true aristocrat!


    Axina had said she was a commoner, but she must have been jealous that this young lady was more beautiful than her.


    The young men went back to find Axina, only to be berated by her.


    "Fools! There are also intelligent and studious people among commoners. Do you think everyone is as ignorant as you?"


    One of the young men retorted, "But she didn''t even go looking for arithmetic books. Axina, you must have made a mistake."


    "Enough, all of you get out!"


    "How could the dukes have sired such a bunch of idiots?"


    Axina was so furious that her face contorted. She never imagined that sending these guys to teach Luo Wei a lesson would backfire like this. Not only did they fail to intimidate her, but they even came back having switched sides!


    The young men were also weary of this spoiled little princess. After being scolded, they left with sour expressions.


    Both parties parted ways unhappily.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wei walked past a rose garden and saw their dormitory.


    It was an ancient Romanesque building, standing quietly on the lush green lawn. The semi-circular arched doorway and rounded dome exuded a dreamy atmosphere.


    Her room was at the end of the corridor on the second floor of the dormitory. It had a prime location; she could see the lake surface by opening the window, and there was even a small balcony outside where she could sit and enjoy tea.


    Her conflict with Axina stemmed from this dormitory room.


    Luo Wei had arrived first, and when Axina came later, she also fancied this room. But because Luo Wei had already moved her belongings in, the school teacher still assigned the room to Luo Wei.


    After returning to the dormitory, Luo Wei stood by the window admiring the scenery for a while. When the sun set, she returned to her desk and lit an oil lamp.


    On the table, there was a handheld bronze mirror lying face down. She reached out and picked it up.


    The dim mirror surface reflected a youthful face, and Luo Wei was startled.


    Wasn''t this exactly what she looked like when she was fifteen years old?


    She had thought her appearance might change after transmigrating, but she didn''t expect the original owner to look identical to her.


    In the mirror, a delicate-looking young girl with black hair and black eyes stared back at her motionlessly, as if looking at herself from the previous world.


    Luo Wei blinked, now somewhat doubting whether she had transmigrated in soul or body.


    However, it was fortunate that the original owner looked the same as her, with black hair, which happened to be the most noble hair color in Western eyes.


    If she had transmigrated and ended up with red hair, she really wouldn''t have been able to pretend to be a noble ¡ª in the West, even nobles with red hair would face discrimination.


    After looking in the mirror, Luo Wei seemed to understand why the teacher who assigned the dormitory rooms had favored her.


    It was probably due to stereotypes, making the teacher think that she, with black hair, had a higher status than the blonde Axina.


    This was truly... good news.


    Luo Wei put down the mirror and walked to the wardrobe to change into a linen nightgown.


    Looking back at the woolen undergarment she had taken off, she frowned slightly.


    The original owner had spent all her money on outer garments worn on the outside, neglecting the clothes worn underneath, giving Vina an opportunity to criticize.


    But actually, the woolen undershirt she wore was very soft, obviously carefully tanned, and washed very clean. Even if it wasn''t white, it definitely didn''t look dirty.


    However, Vina was right about one thing: true nobles wouldn''t wear woolen undergarments.


    This was because the wool dyeing and textile technologies were not yet advanced at this time. The woven wool garments were rough and heavy, and the color wasn''t pure white enough, so nobles generally wore fine linen or cotton clothes.


    Luo Wei rubbed the woolen undershirt in her hands, a series of processing techniques flashing through her mind.


    If the technology wasn''t advanced, why not make it advanced?


    In the 21st century where she had lived, fabrics made from animal fibers were much more expensive than those made from plant fibers.

 Chapter 4: The Disillusioning Magical Rune Class

    In comparison, garments crafted from animal fibers not only boasted superior texture but also excelled in warmth retention and breathability over those made from plant fibers.


    How much does a cashmere coat cost compared to a cotton jacket?


    Furthermore, woolen fabrics demand intricate processing and meticulous maintenance. They''re prone to pilling with friction and can easily shrink after just one wash. Fastidious individuals might discard them after merely one or two wears...


    While these drawbacks might deter commoners, aren''t they precisely what the nobility seeks?


    The value of aristocracy manifests in elaborate processes and lavish consumption.


    Though flawed and easily damaged, its costly production and comfortable wear are the very hallmarks of noble status.


    Those extravagant aristocrats would surely pay a premium for it.


    When all nobles pride themselves on donning "the softest and most expensive fine cashmere sweaters," would she still be perceived as a commoner in such attire?


    Certainly not!


    Those people would instead regard her as the true noble, for she wore it first!


    The long night stretched on, the oil lamp casting a feeble glow.


    Luo Wei retrieved an old piece of linen, meticulously sketching upon it with a charcoal pencil fashioned from a wooden stick.


    The steps for cleansing wool, methods for degreasing, improved tools for combing wool, the process of twisting and weaving... By the time the linen was filled with drawings, the moon had ascended to its zenith.


    This piece of linen was merely a draft. Once she acquired parchment, she would need to transcribe it anew with a quill pen and ink.


    Upon selling this, she would secure a timely influx of the substantial funds needed to maintain her noble facade.


    Luo Wei stretched languidly, immensely grateful to her past self who had been enamored with scrolling through TikTok.


    She had watched countless videos from handcraft bloggers. At the time, her friends had mocked her, claiming she learned nothing useful, only a plethora of useless skills.


    Now, it was clear she had not only learned useful skills but had struck gold!


    It''s just that many of those "essential skills for time-traveling to ancient times" she had studied were now obsolete.


    For instance, refining fine salt, calcining glass, crafting mercury mirrors, and formulating explosives.


    The alchemy in this world was highly advanced, and these processes had already been researched. However, the formulas remained exclusively in the hands of the great nobles, with the products reserved solely for use by royalty and nobility, forbidden from public sale.


    But this mattered little. With these formulas, she could produce items for her own use, or discreetly sell them on the black market for profit.


    As long as she refrained from drawing attention, no one should investigate her for privately manufacturing prohibited items. It would also conveniently bolster her noble identity.


    After all, isn''t it natural for nobles to possess such things?


    The oil lamp had burned through most of the night, with little fuel remaining.


    Luo Wei extinguished the small flame and smoothly slipped into her bed.


    The following day heralded the Magical Rune class.


    Today, they convened in a more spacious classroom. Everyone was seated in the expansive room, with a square sandbox placed before each student.


    It wasn''t a sandbox for simulating terrain, but simply a tray of sand, accompanied by a smooth, small wooden stick.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Luo Wei observed her classmates deftly picking up the wooden sticks and beginning to scratch in the sandboxes. She pondered the possibility of introducing paper to this world.


    She just couldn''t help but wonder if creating something that would shake the foundations of religion and noble status might bring her mortal peril.


    Never mind, she thought. Better to maintain a low profile for now.


    As she contemplated, a thin, elderly man with curly brown hair and withered skin entered, clutching a parchment roll.


    This marked the second day of the official start of school, and their inaugural Magical Rune class. Thus, the first order of business for the thin old man upon entering the classroom was to introduce himself.


    "Good morning, children. I am your Magical Rune instructor, Claude Mack. You may address me as Professor Mack."


    "Good day, Professor Mack!"


    The students rose in unison, bowing in greeting.


    "Very well, please be seated." Professor Mack nodded, unfurled the parchment roll on the desk, and commenced his lecture.


    "What are magical runes? Magical runes are vessels that absorb magical power, and they are also the imprints left by the gods using their divine power in the mortal realm before their ascension to the heavens."


    "By deconstructing and engraving these imprints, we can capture the magical elements scattered throughout the world, and subsequently control and utilize them."


    "Magical runes serve myriad purposes. The most prevalent use is enchantment. For instance, engraving a wind rune on a knight''s sword can augment the speed of the knight''s sword swings."


    "Secondly, there''s teleportation. Magical runes can establish spatial channels. By engraving runes at different locations, we can achieve long-distance travel."


    "Lastly, we have summoning. Summoning runes can not only call forth magical beasts but also raise the undead. Legend has it that legendary holy mages can even summon the projections of gods themselves."


    "Naturally, the latter two types of runes are subjects reserved for intermediate and advanced magic apprentices. What you''ll be learning now is the art of drawing basic runes."


    Luo Wei listened with rapt attention. Professor Mack spoke eloquently, and the subject matter sounded utterly fascinating.


    In the original owner''s memories, tales of magic permeated this continent. Everyone believed in magic, yet no one had ever witnessed it firsthand.


    But given that she had managed to transmigrate, perhaps magic and gods truly did exist in this world.


    "Very well, children, smooth out your sandboxes. We shall commence with the structure of basic runes," Professor Mack instructed.


    The professor on the podium picked up a piece of slate pencil: "Magical runes are the compression of spatial structures, so we must first master the art of drawing plane geometry."


    He turned to the wooden board and sketched a row of geometric shapes.


    "The geometric shapes employed in rune drawing fall into four categories: rectangles, triangles, circles, and polygons."


    The students below followed suit, picking up their small wooden sticks and beginning to write and draw in their sandboxes.


    Luo Wei also grasped her wooden stick.


    She never imagined that after transmigrating, she would find herself starting from elementary school mathematics. Wasn''t this Magical Rune class essentially the predecessor of math class?


    Professor Mack continued: "After mastering the drawing of geometric shapes, we must also learn to calculate the proportions of runes to engrave them onto various carriers."


    Saying this, he drew a six-pointed star on the wooden board, marking one of its line segments as one foot, and then drew a square, marking its side length as six inches.


    "Now, who can tell me, if I wish to engrave this six-pointed star onto a square stone tablet, what would be the maximum length of its line segment in inches?"


    The students below immediately set to calculating. After a while, they raised their heads, gazing at the wooden board with bewildered expressions, as if confronted with some celestial text.


    Professor Mack waited a moment before asking again: "Can anyone provide the calculation?"


    The classroom fell into a deafening silence.


    Many students lowered their heads, shrinking their necks like quails.


    Suddenly, Vina raised her hand.


    "Oh, my dear child, do you wish to answer my question?" Professor Mack asked, his face lighting up with delight.


    Vina glanced at Luo Wei: "I apologize, Professor Mack, I don''t know the answer either, but I''d like to recommend someone to you."


    Professor Mack''s smile dimmed slightly: "Well then, whom would you like to recommend?"


    "My friend Luo Wei. She hails from a noble family and is exceptionally proficient in arithmetic. I believe she must be capable of answering your question."


    After saying this, Vina turned to Luo Wei with a smug expression: "Dear, do enlighten the professor with your answer!"


    She had keenly observed that Luo Wei hadn''t touched her pen to draw grids from the beginning until now, which she took to mean that Luo Wei was entirely unfamiliar with the grid method.


    The grid method was the simplest approach to calculating products. One had to first draw horizontal and vertical lines on the paper to form numerous grids, and then derive the product by counting the grid intersections.


    Not even knowing the grid method, you lowborn! Let''s see how you attempt to feign nobility this time!


    Vina thought maliciously, her eyes glinting with cruel anticipation.

 Chapter 5: Its Just Middle School Math, Isnt It?

    Professor Mike was a tolerant teacher. Although he noticed the friction between the two girls, he had no intention of interfering.


    To the elderly, the squabbles among children often seemed naive and amusing.


    He didn''t hold much hope for Luo Wei to answer this question, as it was indeed challenging for them. It would be normal if she couldn''t answer it.


    "Luo Wei, would you like to answer this question?" Professor Mike had already prepared himself for a refusal.


    Luo Wei had already calculated the answer in her head, so she stood up when she heard him ask: "The answer is the square root of three, approximately 1.7 inches."


    "It''s okay if you don''t want to... Wait, what?" Professor Mike''s eyes lit up. "Can you repeat that? What''s your answer?"


    Vina almost laughed out loud. Haha, what square root of three? Is that even an answer?


    She thought, giving a wrong answer when you can''t do arithmetic, now Professor Mike will surely get angry. She looked at Luo Wei with pity.


    Luo Wei''s attention wasn''t on Vina at all. She answered Mike seriously: "My answer is the square root of three, approximately 1.7 inches."


    To be honest, she wasn''t entirely confident because she didn''t know how advanced the mathematics was in this world.


    But square roots existed in medieval Europe, although they were read differently in various regions. "The square root of a certain number" was the most common way of reading it, so she used this to replace the square root symbol.


    Professor Mike''s eyes grew brighter: "You can calculate square roots and triangular numbers?"


    Seeing that her answer was correct, Luo Wei breathed a sigh of relief and humbly said, "I was fortunate enough to learn a little, and haven''t forgotten it yet."


    "My child, you''re too modest," Professor Mike praised. "I''ve taught many students, but most of them couldn''t understand the calculations, they just rigidly drew diagrams."


    Luo Wei didn''t know how to respond to this, so she just maintained her smile.


    Professor Mike looked at her with increasing satisfaction: "Good child, you may sit down."


    He then turned to the others: "Luo Wei''s answer is correct. Has anyone else figured it out?"


    Vina looked incredulous. Why did Luo Wei know the answer when she hadn''t even used her pen?


    She persisted: "Professor, aren''t you going to ask Luo Wei how she calculated it? I didn''t see her use the sand table for calculations."


    Hearing this, the students in the class craned their necks to look at Luo Wei''s sand table.


    "It''s true, there''s nothing there. Did Luo Wei do it mentally? That''s amazing!"


    "Luo Wei must be a genius!"


    "As expected of a young lady from a noble family..."


    Vina was so angry she could have ground her teeth to dust. She wanted them to question Luo Wei, not praise her!


    Professor Mike looked at Vina with disappointment and called on Luo Wei: "Good child, can you explain your problem-solving approach to everyone?"


    Luo Wei nodded, her demeanor composed: "First, calculate the distance from the center point of the hexagram to its six corners, then calculate the perpendicular distance from the intersection of the square''s diagonals to its edge, which is the radius of the largest circle in the square."


    "Then calculate the ratio between these two, and use the ratio to determine the length of the line segment in the reduced hexagram."


    The classroom was filled with the sound of "swish, swish, swish" as the students hurriedly drew on their sand tables.


    So that''s how it''s done, that''s how you calculate it!


    Half of the students had looks of sudden realization, while the other half were pulling their hair in frustration.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    However, when they got to the end, many of them looked bewildered.


    They knew the method now, but how exactly do you calculate the distance from the center of the hexagram to its six corners?


    Seeing this, Professor Mike smiled slyly: "Can''t figure it out, can you? That''s exactly right."


    "This question wasn''t meant for you to solve completely. I just wanted to use it to introduce the mathematical knowledge we''ll be covering next."


    "Triangular numbers and square roots."


    The students: !!


    They looked at Mike reproachfully: "Professor, you''re so mean!"


    Professor Mike laughed heartily: "Your professor is a man of humor. Now, sit down properly, children. I''m going to continue the lesson."


    The students sat up straight, picking up their small wooden sticks and looking seriously at the wooden board.


    Vina also sat down, her face gloomy.


    She couldn''t understand why Luo Wei, who was supposed to be a commoner, knew so much.


    Could she really be a noble?


    After class, as Luo Wei walked out of the classroom, she had a little shadow following her.


    After walking for a while, she turned around helplessly: "Vina, what exactly do you want?"


    Vina looked at her with a complex expression: "Are you really a noble? Which country are you from, and what title does your family hold?"


    # У¶Ô¸å£¨Ðø£©


    Luo Wei''s expression was cold: "Vina, it''s very impolite to ask like this."


    "Shut up!" A flash of resentment appeared on Vina''s face, clearly remembering how Luo Wei had scolded her yesterday.


    Luo Wei stopped paying attention to her and turned to walk towards the dining hall.


    The midday sun was a bit dazzling. A group of vibrant young men and women chatted and laughed as they passed through the tree-lined path, heading towards the academy cafeteria.


    "Clang, clang, clang¡ª"


    Copper coins scattered on the ground, some rolling into the grass along the sloping path.


    "Ah!" The girl hurriedly bent down to pick up the coins, sweating profusely amidst the coming and going crowd. "I''m sorry, please make way, I dropped my coins... Please lift your foot, you''re stepping on my coin... Thank you, I''m so sorry..."


    A coin rolled to Luo Wei''s feet, and she stopped it with her foot.


    She looked at the girl, picked up the coin and walked forward: "Your¡ª"


    "Ah, I''m sorry, am I blocking your way?" Seeing a glimpse of an elegant skirt, the girl quickly stood up to make way. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to."


    Luo Wei pressed her lips together and held out the coin: "I just wanted to say, here''s your coin."


    The girl suddenly looked up, staring at her with wide eyes, seemingly shocked.


    After seeing the girl''s face clearly, Luo Wei also paused for a moment.


    In the original owner''s memories of the next seven days, this was the only person who tried to give her water when she was hung on the city wall for public display.


    And those commoners, even though they were commoners themselves, were also clamoring to kill her.


    Luo Wei''s eyes darkened for a moment before she came back to her senses and extended her hand again: "Don''t you want it?"


    The girl quickly wiped her hands on her clothes and respectfully accepted the coin with both hands: "Thank you, thank you very much!"


    "You''re welcome," Luo Wei crouched down, "Let me help you pick them up."


    "No, it will dirty your skirt," the girl hurriedly tried to stop her, "I can do it myself."


    "It''s alright, it doesn''t matter if it gets dirty." Luo Wei picked up the coins from the grass and noticed from the corner of her eye that the girl kept looking at her. She turned her head and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    The girl shook her head awkwardly: "No-nothing, it''s just that I''ve never met such a noble and kind lady like you before."


    Luo Wei paused for a moment, then picked up the coin and handed it to her: "What''s your name?"


    The girl nervously straightened her back: "My name is Winnie, Winnie Charley."


    "I''m Luo Wei," Luo Wei extended her hand to her, "Winnie, can we be friends?"


    "Of course!" Winnie held her hand and helped her up, her eyes shining brightly as she said, "As long as you don''t mind!"


    Luo Wei...


    She meant to shake hands, not to be helped up.


    Well, it seems that handshakes aren''t very common among commoners.


    "Count and see if you''ve picked them all up," she said.


    Winnie counted once and finally smiled: "Thanks to you, otherwise I wouldn''t have enough money to rent a horse."


    "Rent a horse?"


    Winnie nodded: "I''m an intermediate magic apprentice. There''s an entrance exam the day after tomorrow, and we need to take a horseback riding test. I can''t afford to buy a horse, so I can only rent one."


    "Horseback riding class, doesn''t the academy provide free horses for students?" Luo Wei thought to herself, "Oh no," because she didn''t have money to buy a horse either.


    "They do provide some, but those horses are all very old," Winnie explained. "The noble students all use their own horses, which are very fast. If my performance is too poor, I''ll lose my scholarship."


    There''s even a scholarship?


    Luo Wei, who was as poor as a church mouse, became interested. She still hadn''t figured out how to pay for next semester''s tuition.


    "Is it difficult to get a scholarship?" she asked casually.

 Chapter 6: The Wool Textile Merchant

    "Of course it''s difficult! You need to rank in the top ten overall to get a full tuition waiver, and the top twenty only get half of their tuition waived," Winnie explained.


    Winnie clenched her fist determinedly, "I must achieve the best results. The top three even get substantial scholarships!"


    Luo Wei''s eyelashes fluttered. With over two hundred students in a grade, getting into the top ten was indeed quite challenging.


    However, thinking about the hefty tuition fees, she figured it wouldn''t hurt to put in some effort.


    Siria Magic Academy offered a total of seven courses: Potion Studies, Magic Rune Studies, Spellcasting, Alchemy, Astrology, Swordsmanship, and Horsemanship. Only one subject was taught each day.


    She had already attended Potion Studies and Magic Rune Studies once, and they weren''t too difficult.


    Moreover, after witnessing the scientific nature of Magic Rune Studies, Luo Wei had already mentally translated the names of each subject.


    Potion Studies was Biology, Magic Rune Studies was Mathematics, Spellcasting was likely some form of foreign language, and Alchemy was Chemistry.


    Astrology was ancient astronomy, so it fell under Physics.


    As for the last two, Swordsmanship was Physical Education, and Horsemanship was like Driving lessons, except they weren''t driving cars, and the school didn''t issue licenses to students.


    Math, foreign language, physics, chemistry, biology, and physical education - this school was heavily skewed towards science. It was clearly a science-oriented institution.


    This suited Luo Wei just fine. In her previous life, she had been a science student. Except for Swordsmanship and Horsemanship, getting high scores in the remaining courses wouldn''t be difficult.


    However, this meant she needed to sell her fine wool processing formula as soon as possible.


    After selling it, the first thing to do would be to buy a good horse, both to better disguise her identity and to score high in the Horsemanship class.


    "Winnie, do you know who the largest wool textile merchant in Siria is?"


    ......


    Siria Magic Academy was named after the city of Siria in the Principality of Lunkos where it was established.


    Siria City was located in the central-eastern part of the Western Continent, with a warm and humid climate, flat and open terrain, and relatively developed commerce.


    "The church is to the north, the castle of the Lord of Siria is on the hill to the west, Siria Square is in the middle, and our market district is to the south!" Balk explained enthusiastically.


    "Don''t underestimate these few streets. Merchants from all over come here every day to exchange goods. You can find anything you want from all corners of the world, and there''s nothing you can''t buy."


    "Look, those two adjoining shops ahead are our family''s fabric stores. Half of the fabrics are cashmere!"


    "Although we''re not the largest wool textile merchant in Siria, we''re not far behind the top one. Plus, our wool fabrics are fairly priced and we''re honest with all our customers!"


    Balk Hawkins, Winnie''s classmate and the son of Barton Hawkins, Siria''s second-largest wool textile merchant, chattered non-stop along the way.


    He was a cheerful young man with a few symmetrical freckles on his face, and when he smiled, he showed two big front teeth.


    Although Balk was also a commoner, his family had been in business for generations and was quite wealthy. His attire was noticeably more refined than Winnie''s.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    When Luo Wei asked Winnie about the wool textile merchants in Siria, Winnie immediately thought of Balk and introduced him to Luo Wei.


    Luo Wei urgently needed money, so whether it was the largest wool textile merchant or not wasn''t important to her.


    She directly told Balk that she had a secret formula for wool textile processing and wanted to do business with him.


    Well-versed in negotiation techniques, she also told Balk that if he wasn''t interested in this deal, she would approach other merchants in the city.


    Balk became anxious upon hearing this. He was determined to expand the family business and strive to become Siria''s top merchant. How could he let such an opportunity slip away?


    He immediately sent a message to inform his father and invited Luo Wei and Winnie to their shop for a detailed discussion.


    This was too big a decision for him to make alone.


    Barton Hawkins was already waiting in the shop. Although he didn''t believe a young noblewoman would have any good secret formula, he was willing to meet her since his son had invited her.


    Moreover, she was a young noblewoman!


    If Balk could gain the friendship of a noble lady, or thinking more ambitiously, win her heart, their family could enter high society!


    Barton paced back and forth in the shop, excited. He had gone to great lengths to send his son to Siria Magic Academy, wasn''t it all for him to meet some nobles?


    After a whole year, his son finally managed to invite a noble lady to visit their home.


    Barton was almost moved to tears.


    "Father!" Balk''s cheerful voice came from outside.


    Barton hurried to the door to welcome the noble lady.


    In his view, his son was standing at the front, leading the way, followed by two girls about thirteen or fourteen years old.


    One of the girls was particularly outstanding. She had black silky hair and a pair of jet-black eyes, her skin as white and smooth as jade. Her slender neck supported her beautiful head, like a noble white swan!


    Her features were so delicate, her appearance so charming, her figure svelte, her back straight, even her steps carried a certain unique rhythm.


    Barton looked down at her feet and realized that she was lightly lifting her gold-embroidered skirt, walking on tiptoe on the damp stone bricks.


    Without a doubt, this must be the noble lady his son had mentioned!


    Only ladies from noble families would walk on tiptoe when going out.


    Barton warmly welcomed them: "Please come in, please come in. May I ask how to address you, esteemed young lady?"


    Luo Wei''s face showed a faint smile: "Hello, Mr. Hawkins. My name is Luo Wei."


    She lifted her skirt and stepped onto the clean stairs, finally breathing a sigh of relief inwardly.


    The streets were full of uncleaned manure, and people were throwing water out onto the road. It was a mess to step in, and she had almost thrown up.


    Barton, being observant, invited Luo Wei upstairs and instructed the shop assistants to quickly light some incense and bring the freshest fruits.


    The noble lady had covered her nose earlier; she must have found the smell downstairs unpleasant.


    Soon, they were seated in the reception room on the second floor, beginning their friendly business negotiation.


    "Miss Luo Wei, I heard from Balk that you have a secret formula for wool textile processing?"


    Although the noble lady hadn''t disclosed her surname, Barton didn''t dare to call her by her first name alone, so he awkwardly addressed her as "Miss Luo Wei."


    "Yes, this is a secret formula of our family. It''s not supposed to be shared easily, but the cashmere fabrics in Siria are so coarse and heavy, they irritate my skin all over."


    Luo Wei touched her neck as if the collar of a wool sweater had scratched her, frowning in complaint.


    "Yes, yes, the cashmere fabric here is indeed a bit rough," Barton said with a forced smile, but inwardly he was skeptical.


    Wool fabric was naturally thick and scratchy. Which noble family would wear it as an undergarment?


    Could this young lady be intentionally making trouble?


    "So, I want to do business with you," Luo Wei got to the point after her complaint. "You use the formula I provide to weave cashmere fabric that satisfies me and make it into clothes. I will pay you handsomely for this."


    "Well..." Barton hesitated, "How much cashmere fabric do you need?"


    If they were to set up a production line just for her alone, this deal might not be profitable.


    "If I need one cashmere sweater a day, I suppose about fifty bolts of fabric!"


    "And a bolt is..."


    "Forty chi, requiring fifteen pounds of cashmere," Luo Wei raised her chin, "I can pay you a hundred gold coins as a deposit, and for each cashmere sweater made, I''ll pay you ten silver coins."


    She had done her research beforehand. The current price for a cashmere sweater was generally only sixty copper coins. Her offer was more than ten times higher. Barton would surely be tempted.

 Chapter 7: This is Called Getting Something for Nothing

    "I also need some cashmere shawls and coats. The shawls are two gold coins each, and the coats are seven gold coins each."


    "Let''s start with twenty shawls and ten coats."


    Barton quickly calculated the prices on his fingers. One bolt of fabric would require 15 pounds of cashmere, so fifty bolts would be nearly 800 pounds. Cashmere was cheap, so 800 pounds would only cost fifty silver coins.


    A cashmere sweater was ten silver coins, one per day for three years would be 100 gold coins. Add in the shawls and coats, and it was already over 200 gold coins.


    After deducting costs, he could make a net profit of 200 gold coins, which was equivalent to 2 million copper coins. Two million!


    Two million was enough to buy four large houses with gardens in the capital city of Colens!


    Barton''s heart was pounding as he calculated. His shop''s current annual net income was only 20 gold coins, and a worker''s daily wage was only 70 copper coins.


    This was an astronomical figure - one deal could earn him ten years'' worth of income!


    Barton''s breathing became heavy. He couldn''t believe his ears.


    "Miss Luo Wei, are you serious? You''ll really pay us at this price?" Even if her secret formula was terrible, he could still do it if the price was high enough.


    "I always mean what I say," Luo Wei leaned back, "However, I have two more requirements."


    "Please, go ahead." Barton now looked at Luo Wei as if she were a god of wealth descended from the heavens. Of course he had to listen carefully to whatever the god of wealth said.


    "First, you must strictly follow the secret formula I give you to process the wool. If you can''t do this, our cooperation is off."


    "Second, the price I''m offering is for exclusive rights. The cashmere sweaters you produce can only be sold to me alone. You cannot sell them to others, nor can you leak my secret formula, even if I leave Siria in the future."


    Once at the negotiating table, Luo Wei''s aura became particularly impressive, giving off a strong sense of pressure. The cold light in her eyes made Barton feel breathless.


    "Of course, of course." Barton wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking that nobles were indeed different. Just one look at her aura made him want to kneel down.


    He naturally understood Luo Wei''s requirements.


    The secret formula belonged to this noble young lady''s family, and she was the one paying. He was just temporarily acting as her private tailor, making clothes for her for a while.


    Nobles were all like this - keeping the good things only for themselves.


    "Good, since Mr. Hawkins agrees so readily, I feel at ease entrusting the secret formula to you," Luo Wei said with a light smile. "You are Balke''s father, so I trust your character."


    Barton glanced at Balke, giving him a "well done" look.


    Balke immediately puffed out his chest, proud!


    However, he scratched the back of his head, wondering. He had only met Miss Luo Wei for the first time today, why did she trust him so much?


    Luo Wei took out the copied parchment and handed it to Barton: "If there''s anything you don''t understand, you can ask me now."


    "After you''re sure you can make the fabric I want, we''ll draw up a contract and I''ll pay you a deposit."


    Balke unrolled the parchment and held his breath as he looked at it.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The parchment not only contained written explanations, but also had illustrations for important steps. At a glance, it was clear and vivid, very easy to understand.


    This scroll of secret formulas filled three entire sheets of parchment.


    The first sheet described the raw material processing of wool, detailing complex procedures to make the wool soft and white. The degreasing solvents and washing methods mentioned were unheard of to him.


    The second sheet briefly described the art of drawing cashmere threads, surprisingly able to twist cashmere threads as fine as silk threads. The tools used were also unfamiliar to him.


    The third sheet described several loom techniques that could weave fabrics of different thicknesses and various patterns.


    This wasn''t just one secret formula, it was an entire textile manual!


    Any single process from it could make them a fortune - it was a precious manual!


    Barton looked eagerly at Luo Wei, speaking incoherently as if stunned by a pie falling from the sky: "These, such precious formulas, can I really look at them? This is simply, simply unbelievable! Aren''t you afraid I might steal them?"


    Luo Wei rested her chin on her hand, leaning sideways in her chair, appearing disinterested: "To me, they''re just a few pieces of paper."


    "Besides, only some simple things are written here. Even if they were lost, it wouldn''t cause me any significant loss."


    "Mr. Hawkins, you''re a businessman. I think you should understand what''s most beneficial to do."


    Barton nodded vigorously: "Rest assured, Hawkins'' shop will not disappoint you."


    Luo Wei revealed a friendly smile: "Mr. Hawkins is a trustworthy person."


    She smoothed her skirt and stood up: "It''s getting late. Contact me when you''ve made the fabric samples."


    "Certainly, I''ll make them in the shortest time possible." Barton hurriedly stood up to see them off downstairs.


    "Then I''ll await your good news. Goodbye, Mr. Hawkins."


    Luo Wei and Winnie left together, while Balke stayed at home.


    "Father, why do you think Miss Luo Wei wants us to make clothes for her?" Balke asked puzzledly. "Couldn''t she just have her servants bring them over?"


    "What do you know," Barton scolded. "How could someone as noble as Miss Luo Wei use piled-up old fabrics?"


    "She needs to change clothes every day. Are the servants supposed to come deliver them every day?"


    "What if her estate is thousands of miles away from here? How much manpower and resources would it take to deliver clothes once?"


    "She may be born noble, but she''s not a fool."


    Balke hung his head, chastened.


    Seeing his son''s dejected look, Barton softened and sighed: "My son, you must understand, we are merchants."


    "No matter what her motives are for approaching us, as long as she can bring us benefits, we should give her enough respect."


    Balke looked up: "I understand, Father. Respecting her means not questioning her decisions. She is our most noble guest!"


    Barton patted his head: "Not a guest, but a benefactor."


    Those secret formulas, even if they couldn''t be replicated, just seeing them once was immensely beneficial.


    Balke nodded, lost in thought.


    "By the way, is that Miss Charley your classmate?"


    "Yes, we''re in the same class."


    "You should thank her properly, and interact with her more often. She''s more quick-witted than you." Barton''s eyes gleamed.


    Balke agreed: "Winnie is indeed smarter than me. Her grades are in the top ten of our year!"


    Barton shook his head and turned to study the secret formulas.


    That night, the full moon hung high.


    Luo Wei lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.


    She had already given out the wool textile technology. Although it wasn''t possible to make the improved machines in a short time, a sample of the wool base fabric could be made with existing tools and manpower.


    If Hawkins'' shop worked through the night, they could weave a palm-sized piece of base fabric within three days, just in time for the day before the horse riding class.


    But she wasn''t sure if they would proceed as she expected. If Barton wasn''t moved after seeing the quality of the base fabric, her plan wouldn''t work out.


    Not to mention that she couldn''t produce even one copper of the 100 gold coin deposit, even if she could, she wouldn''t give it.


    She was there to make money, not to spend it.


    It all depended on whether Barton would play along.


    Scenes from today flashed through Luo Wei''s mind - her answers in the magic rune class, her conversation with Axina, meeting Winnie and Balke, negotiating business with the fabric merchant Barton...


    She suddenly realized she had made a mistake - her attitude towards people today had been too arrogant.

 Chapter 8: A Fluffy Big Spider

    If she lacked a powerful background and life-saving trump cards to support her arrogance, it would be better to play the role of a kind-hearted saint overflowing with love.


    This way, she could also cover up her lack of confidence and disguise it as a flaw in her personality.


    Moreover, noble circles were exclusive. Once she tried to squeeze in, she would be exposed quickly. To develop her influence, she could only seek out commoners.


    So her personality must appeal to the commoners. She needed to be friendly to them and gain their support.


    A loner wasn''t a noble. Only with people supporting her would she appear more like a noble.


    Of course, pretending to be a noble required more than just support. It also needed many other things.


    Such as money, territory, culture, and etiquette.


    Nobles were families with hereditary titles or royal bloodlines. They had accumulated enormous wealth and profound family heritage through generations of inheritance.


    So she also needed to make herself wealthy, earn more money, buy houses and land, to maintain the daily expenses of her luxurious life as a noble.


    Secondly, she needed to enrich her knowledge, understand the culture here, preferably absorb all the books in the library into her brain, and excel in every course.


    Lastly, etiquette.


    This point was simple. She could refer to the etiquette of ancient Huaxia, which might make her appear even more noble than those nobles.


    To summarize, her persona would be a low-key, mysterious, and gentle noble lady.


    By moonlight, Luo Wei got up and carved eight characters on her bedhead: Benevolent and tolerant, gentle and pure.


    Benevolent but not weak, pure but not foolishly kind.


    She would look at it every morning before getting up, to remember her persona.


    Outside the window, a red-eyed crow silently watched, taking in her carving actions.


    After a while, it flapped its wings and flew towards another side of the academy.


    "Chad, have you seen this kind of symbol before?"


    In the candlelight, a handsome young man drew the eight symbols the crow had seen on a piece of parchment, his face showing a puzzled expression.


    The young man named Chad shook his head: "I''ve never seen it, Your Highness, but it looks like some kind of writing."


    "Writing," the young man''s eyes turned gloomy, "Could it be that my sister really found a witch?"


    Chad immediately lowered his head.


    "Find a way to kill her for me tonight," the young man''s eyes revealed a hint of murderous intent, "And remember to disguise it as an accident."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    In the middle of the night, Luo Wei suddenly woke up startled.


    She dreamed that a poisonous spider crawled from her blanket onto her face and bit her.


    The feeling in the dream was too real, scaring her to sit up immediately. As a result, she really found a fluffy big spider crouching on her blanket.


    Luo Wei was shocked and slowly stared at the big spider.


    The spider lifted its bristly legs slightly, and its two black, round, and shiny eyes seemed to be looking at her too.


    "How cute!"


    After staring for a few seconds, Luo Wei couldn''t resist.


    She quickly turned over to get a cup and covered the spider with it.


    Such an adorable little thing, she must keep it well.


    ......


    The next day, in Magic Spell class.


    Out of longing to become magicians, the junior students arrived at the classroom very early, discussing various magic enthusiastically in the classroom.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The Magic Spell classroom was large and empty, twice the size of the Magic Rune classroom, like a prayer room.


    The front half of the classroom had desks and chairs, but the back half was left empty, for unknown purposes.


    Soon, the bell in the clock tower rang, and a cold-faced, voluptuous beautiful woman walked into the classroom with the bell.


    She had a bundle of tree branches tucked under her arm and was holding a silver book as thick as a brick. Her serious demeanor made people feel intimidated at first sight.


    The students in the class immediately quieted down, nervously watching her.


    The beautiful woman placed the silver book on the desk with a "thump", her sharp gaze sweeping across the room.


    "From today on, I will be teaching you magic spells. You can call me Mother Teacher, or Professor, whichever you prefer."


    "I forgot to mention, my name is Yudula Moses."


    After her introduction, she threw the bundle of branches to the students below.


    "One magic wand per person, pass it back."


    The students passed the magic wands quickly and looked up expectantly.


    Professor Moses glanced at them: "These are magic wands made of Spiritwood. They will serve as your magical weapons for the first academic year."


    "Wow, it''s Spiritwood!"


    "Oh my god, is it really Spiritwood?"


    Everyone exclaimed, their faces showing excitement.


    Spiritwood?


    Luo Wei curiously looked at the black branch in her hand. The twigs and leaves had been removed, leaving it bare like a thin wire, looking quite ordinary.


    Isn''t this just a common tree branch?


    She even suspected that Professor Moses had just picked these up from the garden and given them a nice-sounding name.


    "Alright, quiet down."


    The classroom fell silent again.


    Professor Moses disliked hearing chaotic noise. She opened the silver magic book: "Today I''ll teach you the first part of the spell for the Fire Dragon Technique, the Fire Spell."


    "Listen carefully, I''ll recite one sentence, and you repeat after me."


    She opened her mouth and uttered a string of strange-sounding syllables: "Arorowa silisi..."


    The students immediately followed: "Arorowa..."


    "Sorofa lahasi..."


    "Sorofa..."


    ......


    "Very good," after teaching for half an hour, Professor Moses nodded with satisfaction, "Now, take your magic wands, go to the back of the classroom and form a circle, start practicing the spell."


    "Whoever produces a flame first can leave class."


    "Everyone who can enter this school has magical talent. I believe you can all succeed."


    With just a few sentences, she got this group of students excited like they had been injected with adrenaline, their faces flushed with excitement.


    Luo Wei was forced to form a large circle with them, watching them recite spells with burning passion, feeling embarrassed to the point of her scalp tingling.


    It was shameful, really too shameful.


    The chanting around her grew louder with each recitation, and they had to wave the branch forcefully with each chant. She hadn''t been this chuunibyou since she was eight years old.


    But everyone was chanting, and it wouldn''t be fitting in if she didn''t.


    Luo Wei had to raise the stick and join them reluctantly, mumbling along.


    After chanting for nearly an hour, her throat was almost smoking dry.


    The voices around her changed from high-pitched and loud to low and hoarse, the excitement on everyone''s faces gradually fading.


    Luo Wei seriously doubted, if none of them could produce a flame, would they have to chant here for a whole day?


    Originally, she thought that this world might really have magic, but now her fantasy was shattered.


    Her legs had already started to stiffen and go numb from standing too long. Luo Wei glanced around with her peripheral vision and began to move her feet quietly.


    To conserve energy, she held up the small wooden stick with an expressionless face, blending in with the crowd, opening her mouth without making a sound.


    However, she didn''t notice that Professor Moses had come down from the podium and was right behind her.


    Why couldn''t she hear any sound from this student''s mouth?


    Professor Moses frowned slightly and took a step closer to her.


    Luo Wei was startled when she saw her appearance in her peripheral vision. She quickly raised the wooden stick high and recited the spell at a rapid pace.


    "Aroro..."


    Professor Moses''s serious expression gradually softened. She sensed a faint magical fluctuation.


    This child was about to succeed.


    With a "whoosh", a bright flame flashed by, followed by a series of screams from around.


    Luo Wei suddenly looked up, but the flame disappeared too quickly, leaving only a wisp of white smoke drifting in the air.


    What just happened?


    Did her magic wand smoke?


    "What a pity, just a little more."


    Professor Moses shook her head, pulled out a silver carved magic wand from her sleeve, and stepped into the circle they had formed.


    "Watch carefully, I''ll only demonstrate once."


    She raised the thumb-thick magic wand, her gaze becoming focused and sharp: "Fire Spell!"


    A basketball-sized flame burned fiercely, floating in mid-air. Even from three meters away, one could feel its heat.


    Luo Wei slowly widened her eyes, her whole person as if struck by lightning, "boom", she cracked open.


    This world really has magic!

 Chapter 9: The Collapse of a Worldview

    After witnessing the flames conjured by Professor Moses, Luo Wei''s worldview as a staunch materialist began to crumble.


    She stared intently at Professor Moses''s wand, her mind in turmoil.


    Could it be something about the wand itself?


    Was there some hidden mechanism inside, or was it filled with some low-ignition chemical fuel?


    But she dared not voice these questions aloud.


    The people around her, excited by the display of magic, began eagerly waving their own wooden sticks.


    Professor Moses returned to her position, allowing them to continue practicing.


    Luo Wei gripped her magic wand tightly. Half a minute later, having steeled herself mentally, she once again uttered the incantation.


    "Whoosh¡ª"


    The fire light flared up again, a small flame dancing at the tip of her wand like a swaying red flower.


    Envious glances were cast her way, and Professor Moses looked over as well.


    "To grasp the spell so quickly, your magical aptitude is quite impressive," she praised. "With diligent practice, you might become a Magus one day."


    "Wow, a Magus!" The eyes of her classmates gradually grew eager as they looked at Luo Wei.


    Many magic apprentices spend their entire lives only able to become junior magicians, unable to cross the threshold to become intermediate magicians, let alone ascend to the rank of Magus.


    If they could befriend Luo Wei now, wouldn''t they have a Magus as a friend in the future?


    Noticing the change in everyone''s gaze, Luo Wei also realized the reason behind it.


    Having read "The Ballad of Aldrich," she knew how revered the position of Magus was. They would become honored guests in royal courts, and commoner Magi would even be directly granted noble titles in certain countries.


    They were even above the law, exempt from taxes, and could kill without facing imprisonment.


    They only needed to abide by the Magic Covenant, a treaty established by a Holy Magus that all magicians must follow.


    Legend had it that Aldrich himself was a Holy Magus who single-handedly drove away the magical beasts from the Western Continent and established new human kingdoms here.


    Half of the royal families on the Western Continent claimed to be descendants of Aldrich.


    If she could truly become a Magus, the crime of impersonating nobility would pose no threat to her.


    A Magus was far more noble than any aristocrat.


    In other words, if the original owner hadn''t been exposed so quickly, if she could have held on a bit longer until the academy discovered her talent, until she became a Magus, her life would have been completely different.


    She didn''t have to die, but unfortunately, fate didn''t give her time to grow.


    A wave of bitterness welled up in Luo Wei''s heart, the lingering emotions of this body.


    In the end, there was no going back.


    She sighed and put away her wand after reciting the spell a few more times.


    Because Professor Moses had warned that too much of a good thing could be harmful.


    Magic apprentices who had just come into contact with magical power should not use too much in one day, or it would lead to weakness and headaches.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    As the first person to successfully cast a spell, Luo Wei was already free to leave class.


    Before she left the classroom, a hateful gaze shot towards her from across the room.


    It was Vina, glaring at her fiercely, her expression both jealous and resentful.


    Luo Wei pretended not to notice and packed up her things to leave the classroom.


    Seeing someone dismissed from class, the other students began to grow anxious. Some who couldn''t sense the magical elements at all were on the verge of tears.


    "Don''t worry," Professor Moses finally spoke up, "If some of you can''t sense the magical elements, it might be because your constitution isn''t suited for fire magic."


    "Rest assured, when the time comes, I''ll dismiss you all."


    Meanwhile, Luo Wei headed to the library once again.


    She had become a regular at the library these past few days, checking in every afternoon without fail. Even the old man managing the entrance recognized her now.


    "Luo Wei, here to borrow books again?"


    "Not borrowing today, just reading here."


    Luo Wei went inside and took down several books related to magic. She wanted to learn more about the magic of this world.


    The reading area was by the window. When tired of reading, one could look out at the lawn and cypress trees. She quite liked it here.


    At three in the afternoon, the sunlight slanted into the room, warming the desk surface.


    It wasn''t until her stomach growled a few times that she belatedly realized she was hungry.


    But thinking of the sticky thick soup and bloody roast meat in the cafeteria, her appetite mysteriously diminished a bit.


    She''d better go buy some bread instead. It was cheap and filling.


    Luo Wei felt the two silver coins left in her money pouch and made a difficult decision.


    One silver coin could be exchanged for a hundred copper coins. Three copper coins could buy a hard baguette, and five copper coins could buy a soft loaf of bread. By this calculation, she could last for quite a while.


    But she couldn''t keep eating bread every day. She needed to show her face in the academy cafeteria occasionally, ordering a tender steak that noble students loved, which cost forty copper coins for just one serving.


    Moreover, her clothes were dirty and needed to be washed by hired help. Hot water in the morning and evening also needed to be delivered to her room. And there was the equestrian class the day after tomorrow, for which she needed to buy a horse...


    Life was truly difficult to endure. If Barton didn''t come to find her soon, she would really be exposed!


    Luo Wei walked towards the school gates, lost in thought.


    As she passed through the academy square, a crow suddenly flew out, carrying a gem in its beak, and crashed into her arms.


    "Ah, I''m sorry. Are you hurt?" A handsome chestnut-haired young man quickly walked over, his face showing an apologetic expression.


    "Is this your crow?" Luo Wei held onto the crow and handed it back to the young man. "Hold it tightly, don''t let it escape again."


    "Yes, it''s mine," the chestnut-haired youth took the crow back. "It''s my summoned beast. It just loves these shiny things and often steals the gems from my belt. When I discover it, it flies around everywhere."


    "It''s alright, just keep a closer eye on it next time."


    "I''m truly sorry, miss. How about this gem as compensation for the trouble?" The young man took the gem from the crow''s beak and offered it to her.


    Luo Wei smiled and refused, "That''s not necessary. It didn''t cause me any harm."


    "You must take it," the young man insisted. "Please accept it, or I''ll feel guilty and won''t be able to sleep at night."


    "Really, there''s no need," Luo Wei took a step back. "Your crow is very cute. Please give the gem back to it."


    "But..."


    "Consider it a gift from me to it," Luo Wei said with a smile, her eyes curving as she looked at the crow. "I received the gem and then gave it to the crow. Is that alright?"


    The young man hesitated for a moment, then said gently, "Very well then, kind miss. My name is Kyle Rosetti, and I''m an advanced apprentice in the magic summoning class. May I know your name?"


    "So you''re a senior student from the advanced division. My name is Luo Wei, and I''m a junior magic apprentice," Luo Wei bowed slightly with an apologetic look. "I have some matters to attend to, senior. Can we chat another time?"


    "Of course, we''ll talk next time." Kyle politely stepped aside.


    Luo Wei smiled apologetically once more and quickly left the square.


    She was starving and only wanted to buy a loaf of bread.


    Behind her, Kyle''s gentle expression slowly faded, revealing a deep coldness in his eyes.


    "Useless thing," he squeezed the crow in his hand. "Couldn''t even deliver a simple gem."


    What a waste of the poison he had prepared all morning.


    The crow struggled and cawed twice, its wings flapping forcefully.


    Kyle watched its struggle coldly for about ten seconds before loosening his grip. "Go inform Chad that the woman has left the campus. Tell him to kill her outside the school grounds."


    The crow cawed twice and flew away as if escaping for its life.

 Chapter 10: I Want You to Be My Knight

    Outside Siria Magic Academy, there was a broad avenue, considerably wider than the market street to the south.


    Many shops lined both sides of the street, having gradually relocated from the southern market district after the academy''s establishment.


    These shops specialized in selling stationery, various daily necessities for students, and rumor had it that some even offered services to complete magic rune coursework.


    Indeed, regardless of the era, students were always easy targets for business.


    A single academy sustained an entire street of commerce.


    In the afternoon, numerous students were strolling along the street, and Luo Wei blended in without drawing attention.


    She wandered around the street for a while before entering a quiet bakery.


    Unfortunately, she arrived at an inopportune moment, as the shop owner was repairing the bread cabinet.


    The owner was using a blackened baguette as a makeshift hammer, banging nails into the cabinet door with loud clangs.


    Seeing a customer enter, the owner tossed the baguette into a bread basket and said, "Welcome, customer. What would you like to buy?"


    Luo Wei''s gaze lingered on the baguette, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy about her teeth.


    "Two loaves of white bread, please."


    "Certainly!"


    The owner wiped her nose and immediately grabbed two fist-sized white loaves, placing them on the wooden counter.


    "Ten copper coins."


    Luo Wei stared at the several black fingerprints on the bread in silence.


    The hygiene standards of this era were truly concerning.


    After paying, she took the bread and left the shop, frowning as she tore off the blackened parts.


    Looking left and right but seeing no trash can, she placed the torn bread crumbs next to a small dog and stepped back.


    Suddenly, an unexpected event occurred.


    A black shadow darted out from a nearby alley, colliding with the small dog that had pounced on the bread crumbs. They fiercely fought over the scraps on the ground.


    "Woof woof woof¡ª"


    "It''s mine, it''s mine!"


    "Woof woof woof woof woof!"


    Luo Wei now saw clearly that the black shadow was actually a dirty little boy.


    The child and the dog fought over the food on the ground. The boy managed to grab the larger portion and ravenously licked the bread crumbs from his palm.


    He firmly pinned the small dog to the ground, preventing it from getting up. The dog stretched out its tongue to lick the crumbs on the ground, whimpering pitifully.


    Luo Wei''s emotions became incredibly complex in an instant.


    The dog was skin and bones, while the child was barely clothed. It was hard to tell which one was in a more miserable state.


    "Stop licking," she walked over and took out a loaf of bread, "Here, take this."


    The little boy shuddered, crouching on the ground with his light brown eyes fearfully looking up at her.


    "It''s for you to eat. Take it."


    Luo Wei''s heart softened as she handed the bread to him.


    The boy swallowed hard, carefully accepting the bread. He glanced at her once more before suddenly using both hands to protect the bread and stuffing it all into his mouth at once, choking so hard his eyes rolled back.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Meanwhile, the small dog, now released, darted into the alley and let out several frantic barks from within.


    Luo Wei wanted to say something but ended up just sighing.


    What could she say?


    Tell him to eat slower?


    When someone is hungry enough to fight a dog for food, how could they possibly eat slowly?


    Moreover, even if he ate slowly, he might not be able to protect his food.


    She had already noticed several larger beggar children at the street corners and alleyways, eyeing this scene.


    She still had one loaf of bread left, but Luo Wei no longer had any appetite.


    She broke the bread in half, giving one half to the little boy and holding the other half as she walked towards the alley.


    "Don''t go!"


    The little boy, not daring to grab her skirt with his dirty hands, shouted anxiously.


    Seeing Luo Wei look back, he shook his head vigorously: "No, I don''t want the bread."


    The little boy shrank into a frightened ball, pointing his finger at the alley entrance.


    "In there... there are bad people."


    Luo Wei immediately looked towards the alley, her ears twitching as she heard a faint metallic clinking sound from within.


    "Don''t be afraid."


    "That person has already left."


    She patted the little boy''s head and slowly walked to the alley entrance, peering inside.


    In the alley, there was a pool of fresh blood.


    The small dog lay in the blood, its soft fur soaked red, its belly no longer rising and falling.


    Luo Wei quickly walked to the dog''s side and crouched down to examine it.


    There was a fatal wound on its neck.


    A single slash to the throat.


    She felt a chill run through her. This strike was likely meant for her.


    What enemies had the original owner of this body made, for someone to want to take her life?


    Unable to find an answer, Luo Wei reached out and lifted the small dog from the pool of blood.


    "I''m sorry you got involved."


    She walked out of the alley, where the little boy was still nervously waiting outside.


    "I... I can help you bury it," he fidgeted anxiously with his fingers, "if you give me three... no, one copper coin."


    "I''m not planning to bury it," Luo Wei stopped in front of him. "I''m going to burn it."


    "Burn..." The boy''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Because if I bury it, you''ll dig it up and eat it, won''t you?"


    The boy lowered his head, clenching his fists.


    "Look up," Luo Wei bent down to meet his eyes, "You saved me today, and that might bring danger to you. Do you regret it?"


    The little boy raised his head, his misty eyes seeming to be shrouded in melancholy.


    "...No regrets." He shook his head, his voice hoarse.


    Luo Wei observed his expression, understanding dawning in her heart.


    This was a very clever child.


    There were many beggars on the street who were taller and stronger than him, and they had all seen him receive a loaf of bread. If he were truly a pitiful child, he wouldn''t have eaten it all at once, but would have saved at least half to offer to those children.


    Logically, if he didn''t do this, he would be beaten by those children.


    Either he wasn''t afraid of being beaten, or he was willing to endure it.


    Whichever it was, it showed that he was a brave child.


    "What''s your name?" Luo Wei straightened up and asked.


    The little boy nervously replied, "I don''t have a name."


    "Are you an orphan?"


    "Yes."


    "You''re really clever." Luo Wei sighed, taking out the copper coins left from buying bread, a total of ninety, and gave them all to him.


    "From today on, your name is Roman."


    The little boy''s eyes lit up with hope: "Are you going to take me as your servant?"


    "No, I want to train you to be my knight," Luo Wei''s delicate face revealed a captivating smile, "But before that, I need to give you some tests."


    The little boy held his breath, but a fire ignited in his eyes.


    "No matter what the test is, I will definitely pass it!"


    "Don''t speak too soon. My first test is for you to survive these three days. Only after three days will I come back here to find you."


    "That''s easy!"


    "Easy? That person might come back to kill you," Luo Wei warned him, "because you ruined his plan."


    "I''m not afraid," the little boy''s eyes stared at her stubbornly, "Is there anything else?"


    "Yes, I want to hire a powerful bodyguard. Can you find one for me?" Luo Wei said amusedly.


    "You mean a mercenary?"


    He thought for a moment, then looked up and said, "I know where to find mercenaries. I also know a very skilled swordsman named Troy. I can take you to find him right now."

 Chapter 11: Troy, the Demon Swordsman

    The little boy led Luo Wei to a small house, confidently stating that Troy was inside.


    However, Luo Wei didn''t immediately enter. She lowered her head and said, "You should go now. I''ll come find you in three days."


    The boy stubbornly stood his ground: "I''m already seven years old."


    Seven years old?


    Luo Wei looked at his small frame. He was so thin and weak that she had thought he was at most five.


    "Alright, I understand. Now, hurry along."


    The boy looked up, his big eyes full of seriousness: "I''m a seven-year-old adult now. I can protect you."


    "Pfft¡ª"


    Luo Wei couldn''t help but laugh, tapping his forehead with her finger: "How old are you really, claiming to be an adult? Even at seven, you''re still a child."


    "I am an adult!"


    The little boy puffed out his cheeks, looking like an angry pufferfish.


    "Go on now," Luo Wei deliberately put on a stern face, "If you don''t leave, I''ll assume you want to give up on my test."


    Hearing this, the boy indeed became nervous. He looked at her twice, pursed his lips, and then turned and ran with his head down.


    Luo Wei watched his figure disappear at the end of the road before stepping forward to knock on the door of the house.


    Three long knocks followed by three short ones - this was the secret code the boy had told her.


    After six knocks, the door opened.


    "Who are you?"


    The person who opened the door was a hunched little old man with messy white hair and only one ear.


    "I''m here to see Troy," Luo Wei said with a smile.


    The old man''s expression changed instantly: "Who did you say you''re looking for?"


    "Troy," Luo Wei repeated.


    The old man scanned her attire with his cataract-covered eyes and pushed the door open: "Come in."


    There was another door inside, covered with a sheepskin curtain.


    The old man lifted the curtain, his cloudy eyeballs turning towards her: "Troy is inside."


    "Thank you."


    As Luo Wei stepped in, a wave of hot, humid air immediately hit her face.


    The stinking air was mixed with the smell of cheap alcohol and the heavy body odor of men.


    The noise inside was deafening. All sorts of people sat around low wooden tables, some drinking and playing finger-guessing games, others rolling dice for fun. Their rough, loud voices seemed about to lift the roof off.


    The counter near the door was filled with wine jars. It turned out to be a tavern.


    Luo Wei stood at the entrance, like a little white rabbit that had wandered into a wolf''s den.


    "Hahaha¡ª¡ª"


    Someone spotted her and burst into wild laughter.


    "Where did this delicate lady come from? Shouldn''t you be at home counting your dowry, waiting to get married? What are you doing here?"


    "Don''t tell me she''s here to find her lover, haha!"


    "Come on, tell us which one of our brothers you fancy. We don''t mind sharing, you know!"


    "Hahaha!"


    The tavern erupted in laughter. They spoke lewd words, their eyes shamelessly fixed on the girl who had wandered in, as if trying to strip her clothes off with their gaze.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    If Luo Wei were really a fifteen-year-old girl, she might have been frightened by this scene.


    But she wasn''t.


    Moreover, the fact that no one had dared to lay a hand on her after standing there for so long meant that these men were afraid to touch her.


    They probably recognized that she was either rich or noble, and only dared to indulge in verbal harassment.


    Ignoring the crowd, Luo Wei walked calmly to the counter.


    "Excuse me, I''m looking for Troy. Could you tell me where he is?"


    Behind the counter sat a big-bearded uncle with a red, bulbous nose and a waist as thick as a barrel.


    "You''re looking for Troy?"


    The big-bearded man stood up, like a small mountain rising.


    He looked down at Luo Wei, his eyes revealing an indecipherable meaning: "Do you know who ''Troy'' is?"


    "A swordsman," Luo Wei smiled, "I''m here to hire him."


    The tavern had gone quiet at some point.


    Those drunkards stared at the girl at the counter with curious eyes. She wasn''t afraid of them at all, as proud as a queen, and she said she was here to find Troy.


    Troy, Troy!


    Did she even know who Troy was, to dare come looking for him!


    The big-bearded man also stared at Luo Wei for a while, finally revealing a look of amusement on his face. He pointed with his hand: "Troy is in that corner, the one wearing the mask."


    Luo Wei nodded in thanks and walked towards the corner he had pointed to.


    Only one person sat in the corner, wearing half an iron mask that revealed his well-defined lips and stubbled chin.


    He wore a large black cloak, the hood covering his forehead. When he raised his head to drink, one could see fiery red curls under the hood.


    A figure suddenly invaded Luo Wei''s mind.


    On a dark and windy night, a man in a black cloak appeared at the foot of the city wall.


    He told the dying original owner of this body that if she wanted to change everything, she should make a sacrifice to the evil god.


    With her soul.


    The memory faded, and Luo Wei quickly walked to the table of this mysterious swordsman.


    "Hello, Sir Swordsman, how many gold coins would it take to hire you?"


    Troy put down his wine bowl: "I don''t accept employment from little girls."


    He picked up his sword and stood up, walking towards the counter.


    Luo Wei grabbed his cloak, and as his green eyes turned to look at her, she parted her delicate lips and uttered a sentence.


    "To the darkness, I offer my¡ª"


    "Stop!"


    Troy''s gaze instantly became extremely sharp. He lowered his voice in anger: "Do you know what you''re doing!"


    Luo Wei asked with a smile: "So, will you accept my employment?"


    Troy fell silent.


    "One gold coin per day," Luo Wei waved one finger, "You won''t need to do anything dangerous, just protect me."


    Troy looked at her as if she were an idiot.


    Luo Wei didn''t mind at all that he thought she was a fool. She introduced herself: "My name is Luo Wei, I''m a junior magic apprentice at Siria Magic Academy. It seems someone has been trying to assassinate me recently."


    ......


    The small tavern was crowded and full of prying eyes. Troy paid for the drinks and led Luo Wei out through the back door, coming to a deserted grove.


    "Why did you bring me here?" Luo Wei looked around vigilantly.


    The tall, slender swordsman turned around, took off his hood, revealing a head of fiery red hair.


    "Weren''t you so brave?" Troy''s green eyes flashed with a cold light as he gripped his sword hilt, "Who sent you to find me?"


    "You''re overthinking it. No one sent me to find you."


    "I just heard that there was a very skilled swordsman in Siria called Troy, and as it happens, I need a bodyguard, so I came looking for you."


    Luo Wei seemed not to notice him drawing his sword. She stood on tiptoe to pluck a few five-pointed red maple leaves from the tree, planning to press them between the pages of a book when she got back.


    Troy saw the girl completely focused on the red leaves, not caring about his actions at all, and felt somewhat depressed.


    "Aren''t you afraid of me?" he couldn''t help but ask.


    Luo Wei spared him two glances before returning her gaze to the leaves.


    "What am I afraid of?"


    Troy''s voice was hoarse: "My hair is red, red like blood."


    "I am the incarnation of a demon, covered in countless sins. Anyone who sees me will be unlucky, will be polluted and devoured by my soul."


    Luo Wei withdrew her hand and turned to look at him: "Are you really?"


    "I have killed many people."


    "That has nothing to do with whether you''re a demon incarnate or not." Luo Wei walked closer to him, her gaze falling on his vivid red hair, "Your hair is beautiful, like red maple leaves in autumn, or like torches in winter."


    "When I see it, I only feel warmth."


    Hair color is merely determined by the proportion of different pigments, which is related to their living environment and genetic factors. How could it represent a demon?


    If we really say it represents a demon, with so many people dyeing their hair red in modern times, wouldn''t the streets be full of demons, easy to catch?


    Luo Wei couldn''t explain to him what pigments were, so she could only analyze it from a historical and cultural perspective.


    "I''ve read your history. Other people say that red-haired people are barbaric and evil, but that''s because you are the true masters of this continent."


    TBC

 Chapter 12: She Must Be a Perverted Witch!

    "Most of the indigenous people of Ancient Xiyuan had red hair. Back then, red hair was a sign of pure bloodline."


    "Later, to escape the wasteland, the people from The Wastes invaded the Western Continent, sparking a prolonged war with the natives here."


    "The natives were fierce and killed many of them, so they were hated and stigmatized. As a result, red hair became a symbol of evil."


    "This is nothing more than persecution of a minority by the majority to protect their own interests."


    "If you despise yourself, aren''t you just fulfilling their wishes?"


    Luo Wei gazed into Troy''s emerald-like eyes, feeling a twinge of sadness in her heart.


    Perhaps one day, such brilliant colors would disappear from the world.


    Just like the Westerners in her previous life, red hair was labeled with various tags: demonic, lustful, barbaric, impulsive, lowly, stupid...


    In the Middle Ages, a large number of red-haired women were burned as evil witches, and many red-haired girls were treated as prostitutes by men.


    In modern times, people with red hair and green eyes had become rare.


    White people not only discriminated against other races but were also ruthless in discriminating against their own.


    Just like her father in her previous life.


    The thought of him filled Luo Wei with a visceral disgust.


    "So that''s how it is..."


    It was the first time Troy had heard such an explanation. His mind felt as if it had been struck twice, suddenly enlightened.


    He looked at the girl before him and suddenly felt that she was like a profound thinker.


    Knowing the stories that flowed through the river of history, using wisdom to guide fallen mortals out of their delusions.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Seeing him silent, Luo Wei thought he might be depressed and hurried to comfort him: "It''s okay, don''t be too sad. If it really bothers you, we can always change the color!"


    "Ever heard of hair dye?"


    Troy: ...


    He turned away, his face cold.


    "Don''t think you can deceive me with such words. I won''t fall for it."


    "You say no one sent you? Then how do you know about the ritual I use to sacrifice to the evil god?"


    Luo Wei blinked: "I don''t know. I was just bluffing."


    Troy laughed angrily: "Do you think I believe that?"


    "I advise you to believe it," Luo Wei said firmly. "If you don''t, I might go to the temple and expose you."


    Troy''s face suddenly darkened: "I hate being threatened."


    "I don''t like threatening people either, but you seem to only accept this kind of cooperation."


    "I thought you were a kind person," Troy said grimly. "I was mistaken. There''s not a single good person among the nobles."


    Luo Wei burst into laughter: "Haha, I didn''t expect such a big person to be so naive."


    She wiped away the tears of laughter and slowly straightened up, her gentle black eyes turning cold and arrogant.


    "Kind people don''t live long."


    "Someone wants me dead, so I can only do my best to survive. Tell me, will you help me or not?"


    Troy hesitated for a moment, then reached out his hand to her.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Payment first, then service."


    Luo Wei''s mouth twitched as she took out a silver coin and placed it in his hand.


    Seeing the silver coin, Troy''s whole body shook, his eyes widening suddenly: "Didn''t you say one gold coin per day?!"


    "I don''t have it at the moment. I''ll make it up to you later."


    Troy looked at her angrily.


    Luo Wei held out her hand: "Take it or leave it. If you don''t want it, give it back to me."


    Troy had never met such a shameless person before. Afraid she might really take the money back, he quickly pocketed the silver coin.


    Even after taking the money, he still grumbled: "Cunning noble!"


    Luo Wei glanced at him, not at all surprised that he would accept it.


    The little boy had said that Troy was desperately poor and loved to drink. He would definitely be willing to be hired by her if he saw money.


    Because apart from her, no one else would hire him for a job, even though his swordsmanship could take on a city full of mercenaries single-handedly.


    "Da la beng ba ban de bei di..."


    Having successfully hired an incredibly strong bodyguard with just one silver coin, Luo Wei was in such a good mood that she hummed a tune all the way back.


    Troy escorted her back to the academy with a solemn face. He hadn''t smiled since they left the small grove.


    At the academy gate, Luo Wei turned and said, "I don''t need your protection inside the school. You can wander around this street during the day."


    "There''s a little beggar on the street, looks about five or six years old, with gray eyes and brown hair, thin and small. Keep an eye on him, don''t let him get bullied."


    The more Troy heard this description, the more familiar it sounded: "You mean Little Mouse?"


    Luo Wei laughed: "So that''s what he''s called."


    "But he''s changed his name now. He''s called Roman."


    Troy gave her a strange look, then lowered his head, lost in thought.


    "I''m going now. See you tomorrow."


    Luo Wei pulled her clothes tighter and quickly walked into the academy.


    The nights in Siria were getting darker faster, and the air was getting colder.


    At night, in the boys'' dormitory.


    In the candlelight, Kell asked with an irritated face: "So, you failed to kill her again today?"


    Chad was ashamed: "Your Highness, her luck is just too good."


    Every time he prepared to make a move, he failed for various reasons.


    Last night, when he put the magic spider in her room, she woke up just as it crawled onto the bed.


    At noon today, he snuck into the dining hall to poison her, but she spent the whole afternoon reading in the library and didn''t go to eat at all!


    In the afternoon, he finally managed to ambush her in an alley, but just as he drew his sword, he was spotted by a little beggar hiding under a pile of junk. He ended up tripping over his own feet, allowing the little beggar to escape.


    "And now she''s hired a magic swordsman to protect her. I can''t find an opportunity to make a move at all."


    Reflecting on the day''s encounters, Chad felt utterly exhausted.


    "A magic swordsman? Are you sure?" Kell stood up excitedly.


    "Absolutely certain, but that magic swordsman has dirty blood," Chad said respectfully.


    Kell''s face immediately showed a look of disgust: "No wonder. How could a glorious magic swordsman appear here?"


    He didn''t want to hear any more about the unclean person and instead asked about Luo Wei: "You just said she tore off the crust of the white bread to feed the dogs and only ate the soft part herself?"


    "Yes, Your Highness. She didn''t even want to eat the soft part and threw both pieces of white bread to the beggars." Chad looked puzzled.


    Kell was so shocked his jaw nearly dropped.


    "Could I have guessed wrong? Is she not a witch sent by my sister, but a noblewoman of high birth?"


    White bread was expensive and had always been food for the nobility. Commoners usually only ate dark bread with bran.


    But she not only bought white bread, she tore off the crust before eating it, and even then she didn''t want to eat it, giving it directly to beggars!


    Even he, as a prince of the principality, wouldn''t dare to be so extravagant.


    Although he could afford to do so, if he did, his father the king would surely break his legs!


    Kell was in a daze, suddenly unsure of Luo Wei''s identity.


    Previously, he thought she was just a commoner with witch blood, which was why he dared to send Chad to assassinate her.


    But if she wasn''t... Kell dared not imagine this possibility.


    After a while, he calmed down and ordered: "From tomorrow on, I want you to keep an eye on her, but don''t make a move. Wait for my orders, understand?"


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Chad bowed and stood up. Seeing Kell''s conflicted expression, he hesitated whether to voice his thoughts.


    He felt that Luo Wei probably wasn''t a young lady from a noble family, but a witch.


    Because nobles all hated the descendants of criminals and would never hire them for protection.


    Another point was that last night, he had personally seen her put the magic spider into a cup and even call it cute.


    A noble young lady would never find a terrifying poisonous spider cute. Only a witch would be so perverted!


    TBC

 Chapter 13: Agonizing Food

    The "insatiable" Luo Wei had been famished all night. When she woke up in the morning, she felt as if she could devour even the sheepskin boots beneath her bed.


    Fortunately, she discovered half a pack of beef jerky hidden by the original owner in the wardrobe. She chewed on two pieces, which at least provided her stomach with some sustenance.


    The only drawback was that the beef jerky was excessively tough, causing her cheeks to ache from the effort of chewing.


    That morning, during the alchemy class, it was evident that many students in the class lacked interest in the subject.


    Professor Laurie Temple, the alchemy instructor, was well aware of the general dislike for her course. Thus, she began by demonstrating the Pharaoh''s Serpent to capture their attention.


    The magical chemical expansion reaction elicited exclamations of wonder from the students, who then listened with rapt interest.


    However, this fascination was short-lived. When Professor Temple delved into the dry and tedious properties of metals, most of the class began to drift off mentally.


    Only a small group of commoner students listened with exceptional focus.


    Although alchemy was dirty and exhausting work, and alchemists held a lower status compared to other professions, it was the most lucrative field of study. The allure of wealth was sufficient to keep them motivated to learn.


    Luo Wei also listened attentively. In her previous life, she had majored in Polymer Materials and Engineering at university, so this class felt quite familiar to her.


    The lecture lasted for four hours.


    At noon, when Professor Temple dismissed the class, the students rushed out in a flurry.


    Luo Wei sauntered out of the classroom leisurely, planning to encounter a kind-hearted soul on the tree-lined path.


    She aimed to have this benevolent person voluntarily treat her to a meal.


    While many people were heading from the teaching building to the cafeteria, she was the only one who was alone.


    Luo Wei timed her appearance on the tree-lined path perfectly, and as anticipated, she encountered Winnie and Balke, who were coming out together.


    "Miss Luo Wei!" Winnie exclaimed excitedly, running over with Balke quickening his pace behind her.


    "It''s so wonderful to meet you here. Are you heading to the cafeteria for lunch?"


    Luo Wei nodded, "I was just about to. Would you care to join me?"


    "Really?" Winnie''s cheeks flushed, and she immediately attempted an awkward curtsy. "It would be my honor."


    Luo Wei gently helped her up by the arm. "We''re friends. There''s no need for such formalities."


    Balke also hurriedly approached, doffing his hat and bowing. "Noble Miss Luo Wei, good day to you. Your beauty today is as radiant as the sun."


    Luo Wei covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Thank you for your kind words, Balke."


    The trio walked towards the cafeteria together.


    Siria''s academy cafeteria boasted two floors. The first floor provided various main course meals, including bread, stews, salads, and roasted meats.


    The second floor offered desserts and beverages, which were more expensive. Noble students preferred to have their afternoon tea there.


    The cafeteria was somewhat crowded. Balke, demonstrating his gentlemanly manners, positioned himself in front of the two ladies, clearing a path for them.


    "Miss Luo Wei, what would you like to eat?" Winnie inquired in a soft voice.


    "I''m not certain yet." Luo Wei''s brow furrowed as she observed the spilled soup and meat paste on the serving counter.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Balke turned back and noticed her expression, a thought striking him. "Miss Luo Wei, please have a seat. What would you like? I''ll procure it for you!"


    "Very well then, please fetch me a tender steak." Luo Wei reached for her money pouch.


    "No," Balke quickly waved his hands, "Please allow me to pay. It''s my pleasure!"


    He said this and then squeezed into the crowd, not giving Luo Wei a chance to hand over her money pouch.


    Soon, Balke returned with the steak, and also purchased a bowl of meat paste soup and roasted onions for himself. Winnie bought a piece of black bread and a portion of stewed beans .


    The moment the food was placed on the table, Luo Wei held her breath.


    The meat paste soup resembled some form of excrement, the roasted onions had a charred exterior and an overpowering aroma, the stewed beans had a layer of impurities floating on top with visible insect remnants, and the black bread looked like a rock with a suspicious, foul-smelling paste smeared on it.


    Even the tender steak, the most expensive item in the cafeteria, emitted a rank odor.


    People of this era hadn''t yet mastered the technique of castrating bulls, so even the tenderest steak tasted tougher and more pungent than the oldest cow meat she had consumed in her previous life.


    Moreover, there were no utensils on the plate. In the cafeteria, both nobles and commoners ate meat with their hands. The only distinction was that nobles would produce a small knife to cut the meat into smaller pieces, while commoners wouldn''t.


    On her very first day in this world, Luo Wei had surmised that she might have transmigrated into a game.


    That game called "The Chronicles of Galan" that had mysteriously materialized on her computer.


    This game was based on the culture of medieval Europe, but with numerous modifications to the background, such as the absence of the Eastern Continent.


    Due to the nonexistence of the Byzantine Empire spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa, there were no Crusades, and consequently, no one introduced knives and forks.


    Furthermore, because there were no ancient Eastern countries, there was no paper or silk here, let alone white porcelain. The tableware was pitifully scarce, consisting primarily of iron and clay utensils.


    Yet, this world clearly possessed very advanced alchemy. They had even produced glass, but it was exclusively supplied to the royal family.


    Luo Wei had lost count of how many times she had sighed. She extracted two small knives from her waist pouch, one for cutting meat and one to use as a makeshift fork.


    When she placed a piece of meat in her mouth, she had to pinch her nose to swallow it.


    The steak was sour, the salt grains were bitter, and the strong rank smell made her want to retch.


    To exacerbate matters, at that moment, Winnie extended her tongue and licked that suspicious paste, her eyes narrowing with delight.


    "I''m so fortunate today! They even provided a spoonful of cheese with the bread!"


    Luo Wei hastily lowered her head, fearing she might gag.


    Butter was discovered during the neolithic period. Europeans spread it on bread in the middle ages as commoner foods until then had not been introduced yet.


    And due to underdeveloped sterilization techniques, the cheese emitted a putrid odor.


    This meal felt like an ordeal.


    Winnie and Balke weren''t faring well with their meals either.


    Initially, one was soaking bread in stewed beans, and the other was crushing onions and mixing them with meat paste. However, upon observing Luo Wei''s elegant and refined dining manners, they suddenly felt too self-conscious to continue.


    There was a palpable sense of inadequacy.


    The noble and beautiful lady maintained her grace and poise even while dining, unlike them.


    Winnie lowered her head, nibbling on the hard bread in small bites, no longer stirring the stewed beans into a mush.


    Balke swallowed hard, ceasing to lick the meat paste from between his fingers, and instead held the rough clay bowl, sipping slowly.


    Luo Wei painfully finished the steak and delicately wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief.


    Phew, finally liberated!


    Balke, who had been surreptitiously observing her, also breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly finished the remainder of his food and stood up.


    "Miss Luo Wei, allow me to return your tray for you!"


    "I, I''ll go too," Winnie stammered, her ears turning crimson.


    She was too embarrassed to admit that she actually wanted to go over and secretly lick the bottom of the bowl. There was still a substantial amount of soup in her bowl that she hadn''t consumed.


    Luo Wei shook her head and picked up the iron plate that had held the steak. "It wouldn''t be right to always rely on your assistance. I''ll accompany you."


    Winnie and Balke exchanged a glance, both perceiving the disappointment in each other''s eyes.


    Although Miss Luo Wei was gentle and kind, it would be preferable not to dine with her in the future!


    While returning the trays, Winnie noticed the unrefined eating manners of other noble classmates and whispered to Balke, "I believe Miss Luo Wei must be of a very distinguished status."


    Balke had observed the same, and he nodded vigorously. "I concur!"


    A young lady who was so particular even about dining must surely be a noble princess from some illustrious kingdom!


    TBC

 Chapter 14: The Peculiar Hobby of a Noble Lady

    After finishing their meal, the trio bid farewell at the cafeteria entrance.


    Winnie and Balke were off to practice horseback riding, while Luo Wei planned to meet Troy outside the school grounds.


    However, she hadn''t gone far when Vina intercepted her once again.


    "You wench, feeling smug, are you?" Vina glared at her fiercely. "Your disguise might be convincing, but it doesn''t change the fact that you''re nothing but a commoner!"


    Luo Wei furrowed her brow. "What madness has gotten into you now?"


    Vina''s face contorted. "I know you''re just saying that because you''re afraid I''ll expose you."


    "Just wait, Luo Wei. I''ve already written to the Holy Knights of the Church. As soon as they arrive, they''ll unveil your true identity!"


    "Very well, I''ll be waiting," Luo Wei sneered. "Now, if you''ll excuse me. Good dogs shouldn''t block the way."


    Inwardly, she was puzzled. Vina had previously believed her to be a noble. Why had she suddenly come out with such accusations?


    Who had provoked her this time?


    There was only one possibility: Axina.


    Axina, proud of her status, disdained to act personally. She always instigated others to deal with Luo Wei.


    Given her personality, she should be observing from some corner at this moment.


    Luo Wei, sensing something, looked towards the second floor of the cafeteria. Sure enough, she saw the blonde girl standing by the window.


    Axina didn''t panic at being discovered. A faint smile graced her delicate face.


    However, her eyes were cold and contemptuous, with hints of hatred and wariness.


    It was as if she wanted to kill Luo Wei, grind her bones to dust, and obliterate all traces of her existence.


    Luo Wei was filled with suspicion.


    Surely Axina wouldn''t hate her so much just for taking the bedroom she had her eye on?


    Or was there some other reason?


    Perhaps the people she sent to investigate had brought back some news?


    No, it couldn''t be that fast.


    From Siria to the Northern Coast, a round trip would take at least half a month.


    So what exactly was the reason that made Axina keep causing trouble for her, even when she wasn''t certain that Luo Wei was a commoner?


    Luo Wei fell into deep thought, feeling that she had overlooked something, just on the verge of understanding.


    Vina had been hurling abuse for quite some time, but when she focused her gaze, she realized Luo Wei was lost in thought. This instantly made her face flush red with anger.


    Those were the most vicious, most malicious curses she had spent two whole days thinking up!


    "You wench, you''re asking for a beating!"


    Vina''s eyes were red with fury as she raised her hand, intending to slap Luo Wei.


    "I''ll ruin that face of yours!"


    Luo Wei snapped back to reality, grabbing Vina''s hand and stepping forward. "Enough, you fool!"


    Her fingers tightened, a flash of killing intent in her eyes.


    "Vina, I have a bad temper, and I''m capable of killing."


    These hands of hers had been stained with the blood of quite a few people.


    "You''re just the daughter of a minor count. How many heads do you have for me to chop off?"


    "I ignore you because I choose to, not because I fear you."


    "Crushing you would be as simple as squashing an ant."


    The original owner of this body came from a fishing family, and her hands, accustomed to farm work, were much stronger than those of a delicate young lady.


    She squeezed Vina''s wrist until the bones creaked, her eyes so dark they didn''t let through a single ray of light.


    It wasn''t until Vina begged for mercy that Luo Wei slowly released her grip.


    "Use your brain. Don''t let others manipulate you anymore."


    Vina''s face turned from purple to ashen gray. She had been thoroughly frightened.


    Luo Wei gave her a cold look before turning to leave the school grounds.


    Vina trembled for a while, then suddenly looked towards the window on the second floor.


    Stolen story; please report.


    She might be impulsive and quick to anger, and had been easily manipulated back in her territory, but she wasn''t hopelessly stupid.


    With Luo Wei''s reminder, she also came to understand.


    Axina was using her.


    ......


    As soon as Luo Wei stepped out of the school gate, Troy emerged from some hidden corner.


    It seemed this fellow had been waiting for her in the vicinity all along.


    Luo Wei raised an eyebrow, just about to praise him for his sense of commitment when Troy extended his hand towards her.


    "Gold coin."


    Luo Wei''s expression vanished in an instant. "You were worth just one silver coin yesterday, and today you''ve raised your price?"


    Troy angrily retorted, "You said it yourself, one gold coin per day."


    Luo Wei glanced at him. "I think I offered too much. You''re only worth one silver coin."


    Troy hesitated for a moment, then extended his hand again. "Fine, give me the silver coin then."


    Luo Wei: "I''m broke. No money!"


    Troy looked at the money pouch at her waist, which was bulging, clearly indicating she had money.


    He gave her an accusing look. "Then what''s in your money pouch?"


    Luo Wei quickly covered her money pouch. Hilarious, it was filled with stones. If he found out, she''d be in trouble.


    "Wait a moment, I''ll give you something else instead."


    She rummaged in her sleeve and pulled out three black peppercorns.


    In this era, pepper was incredibly expensive, worth its weight in gold. Carrying a small handful of pepper when going out was a symbol of status and respectability.


    The price of pepper was so high that in the Middle Ages, there was even a case where a merchant was reported and thrown in prison for adulterating pepper powder with silver dust, showing just how precious this spice was.


    The alchemy class had only given out five peppercorns in total, and she was offering three of them.


    "Here you go."


    "Pepper!" Troy''s eyes lit up, and his gaze towards her became appreciative. "If you had pepper, why didn''t you say so earlier?"


    He quickly accepted the peppercorns, brought them to his nose for a sniff, and revealed an expression of enjoyment. Then he gave her a reproachful look.


    How could she be so careless with such a valuable item? What if she had dropped them?


    He carefully placed the peppercorns in his flat money pouch.


    Luo Wei glimpsed his actions and clicked her tongue. It was painful to watch.


    She wondered how pepper had been discovered in this world, given that there was no Eastern Continent.


    Historically, the pepper coveted by Europeans was imported from places like India.


    The climate of the Western Continent was similar to that of Europe, unsuitable for growing spices. By rights, pepper shouldn''t exist here.


    Luo Wei suspected that there might be a continent in this world with a geographical environment similar to Asia.


    Unfortunately, when she had tried to find a map of this world earlier, she couldn''t.


    Maps were still a scarce resource in this era, held as strategic weapons by kings and armies. Ordinary people had no access to them.


    Even kings didn''t have complete continental maps.


    Because the surveying conditions were very primitive at this time, drawing a map might take several generations. A successfully completed map could become a family heirloom.


    Luo Wei had to flip through more than a dozen books to barely piece together the positions of the three continents on the Star of Galan.


    But all she knew was that the Western Continent was located in the northwest of the planet, with a humid climate; the Wastes were in the south, with a dry climate.


    "Troy, do you have a map of the continent?" Luo Wei thought for a moment and asked him.


    "How could I possibly have such a thing, and what do you want a map for?"


    Luo Wei: "I want to know if there''s any land beyond the Western Continent and the Wastes."


    Troy spoke in a low voice: "There''s a legend that has been passed down for thousands of years. It''s said that there''s another continent beyond the sea called the Misty Plains, larger than the Western Continent and the Wastes combined."


    "Many bounty hunters and adventurers have tried to find that continent, but they''ve all failed."


    "When I was young, I met an adventurer who said there were man-eating sea monsters and turbulent waves overseas. Out of their entire ship''s crew, only he managed to escape back, and he would never venture out to sea again."


    It was the same as what she had read in books.


    Luo Wei began to consider the possibility of fabricating herself as a noble from the Misty Plains. After all, the small fishing village where the original owner lived was also in the northernmost part of the Western Continent, very close to the legendary fog belt.


    "What are you thinking about?" Troy asked.


    "Nothing," Luo Wei looked up. "I was wondering why you chose to be a mercenary instead of a bounty hunter."


    Mercenaries had been a popular type of soldier since ancient Greek times, mainly earning a living through wars and adventures. When there were no wars, they often struggled with hunger.


    Bounty hunters were different. The profession of bounty hunting had existed since the formation of countries on the continent, with their main task being to capture fugitives.


    Compared to mercenaries, bounty hunters received much more generous rewards and didn''t have to flee between countries. It seemed more suitable for a skilled fighter like him.


    Faced with Luo Wei''s question, Troy instinctively wanted to evade.


    "There''s no particular reason," he lowered his eyes, his tone somewhat stiff. "I just prefer being a mercenary."


    Luo Wei made a noncommittal sound. It seemed this swordsman had quite a story behind him.


    "Let''s change the subject," she pulled out a wooden jar from her lantern sleeve. "Can you help me check if this is poisonous?"


    Troy took the jar, opened the seal, and looked inside. His expression immediately became serious.


    "This is a juvenile Infernal Arachne. How did you come to possess such a thing?"


    Luo Wei shrugged. "I don''t know either. I woke up the night before last, and it was just sitting on my blanket."


    She urged, "Quickly, tell me if it''s poisonous."


    Troy snapped the lid shut with a loud ''clap''. "This is a highly venomous magical beast."


    "Ah?" Luo Wei said worriedly, "Does that mean I can only keep it in the jar and can''t let it out to pet it?"


    Troy''s temple twitched. "I said, it''s highly venomous."


    "I know, but isn''t it cute?"


    Luo Wei poked the wooden jar with her finger, remembering those big, shiny black eyes. She cupped her face, seemingly melting with adoration.


    Troy''s face contorted for a moment.


    The Infernal Arachne, cute?


    Were all noble ladies'' hobbies this peculiar?


    TBC

 Chapter 15: Bartons Generosity

    After being lectured by the rigid Troy, Luo Wei finally abandoned the idea of keeping the spider.


    She handed the arachnid over to Troy, requesting him to investigate its origin and, if possible, identify who had placed it there.


    Troy agreed to the task.


    "What about Roman? He''s not in any trouble, is he?" Luo Wei inquired with concern.


    "What trouble could he possibly be in?" Troy dismissed the notion. "That little rascal is as cunning as they come."


    "That''s a relief. There''s one more thing - I need you to find a certain type of soil for me."


    Luo Wei described the soil''s characteristics in detail: "It''s white or grayish-white, very sticky when pinched, and has a glossy feel when smoothed out. It''s a soft mineral..."


    "Hold on!" Troy interrupted her. "You said I only needed to protect you. Why are you assigning me all these extra tasks?"


    Luo Wei narrowed her eyes, revealing the ruthless face of a capitalist: "Do you still want your gold coins or not?"


    Troy fell silent.


    "Alright, go take care of it. I''m heading back to school now."


    Luo Wei didn''t dare linger outside the school grounds, constantly feeling as if someone might emerge to end her life.


    "Wait."


    "What now?!" Luo Wei snapped irritably.


    Troy slowly gripped the hilt of his sword, his sharp eyes scanning behind her: "Someone''s following you."


    A chill ran down Luo Wei''s spine as she whirled around. "Where?"


    There was no answer; Troy had already drawn his sword and given chase.


    Luo Wei: ...


    This level of service was truly subpar.


    The autumn wind chilled the nape of her neck, prompting her to tuck her hands in and sprint back to school.


    The outside world was indeed perilous!


    Luo Wei had firmly resolved not to venture out again today, but merely two hours later, she found herself stepping beyond the school gates once more.


    ¡ª Because the Hawkins Shop had completed the samples.


    It was a day earlier than she had anticipated.


    It wasn''t until she saw Barton with two large dark circles under his eyes that Luo Wei realized how the samples had been finished so swiftly.


    Barton must have stayed awake for two entire nights. He appeared disheveled and haggard, pale as if his soul might depart at any moment.


    "Miss Luo Wei, what do you think of this fabric?" Barton approached, cradling a piece of cloth about the size of a small handkerchief.


    "Please, sit down, Mr. Hawkins. You look rather unwell."


    Luo Wei was genuinely concerned he might faint, so she quickly took the piece of unfinished cloth from him.


    The fabric was soft and white, smooth and delicate to the touch. When she lifted it slightly, it was as light as a gauze scarf.


    "Not bad at all. This is precisely the fabric I requested."


    "Mr. Hawkins, let''s have someone draft the contract."


    Barton rubbed his hands together, a fawning smile appearing on his face: "Miss Luo Wei, there''s something I''d like to inquire about, if I may..."


    "By all means, Mr. Hawkins." Luo Wei set down the fabric and assumed a listening posture.


    Barton hesitated: "Well, I was wondering... is it truly impossible to sell this fabric to others?"


    He had a premonition that if Hawkins Shop could mass-produce and sell such fabric, they would undoubtedly become the largest fabric merchants in the Principality of Lunkos, no, in the entire Western Continent!


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    By then, countless gold coins would flow into his coffers, barrels of gold would pour into his shop from all corners of the continent. Mountains of gold and silver, wealth and prestige, all within his grasp!


    The mere thought of such a scenario nearly caused Barton to swoon with excitement.


    The value of this fabric, the value of those secret formulas, was beyond measure!


    Barton was unfamiliar with concepts like technological revolutions or monopoly industries, but he had an intuitive feeling that once this fabric became widespread, his life would undergo an earth-shattering transformation.


    This wasn''t merely a piece of fabric; it was the embodiment of his dream of fortune!


    Moreover, the secret formula mentioned something about assembly line production and improved large machines. If Miss Luo Wei were to reveal those as well, no fabric merchant in the world would be able to compete with him for profits!


    Barton gazed at Luo Wei eagerly, awaiting her response.


    "Mr. Hawkins," Luo Wei''s brow furrowed slightly, "I recall explicitly stating that this fabric could only be used for me alone, and you agreed to those terms."


    Barton lowered his head in shame: "Yes, you did indeed say that."


    "However," he persisted, unable to relinquish the idea, and humbly pleaded, "You mentioned at the time that you had paid a buyout price, which is why we weren''t permitted to sell to others."


    "What if we forgo the buyout price and instead provide you with clothes free of charge?"


    Barton grew more confident as he spoke, puffing out his chest and guaranteeing: "As long as you consent to Hawkins Shop selling this fabric, I''ll cover all the clothing you require, without you spending a single coin!"


    "And naturally, Hawkins Shop will compensate you handsomely for the use of your secret formula."


    "Rest assured, Hawkins Shop has built its reputation on integrity. We absolutely won''t divulge your secret formula, and I won''t even entertain the notion of buying it outright. I only dare to hope that you''ll grant us the right to use the formula."


    As a seasoned merchant, Barton knew well the principle that money talks.


    Seeing that Luo Wei remained unmoved, he gritted his teeth and proposed: "How about one hundred gold coins per month?"


    One hundred gold coins!


    And that was just for a single month!


    Luo Wei''s eyelid twitched involuntarily. She hadn''t expected Barton to be willing to invest so substantially.


    She hadn''t dared to imagine such a sum; she had originally thought that ten gold coins a month would suffice.


    Detecting a flicker of interest in her eyes, Barton knew he had a chance and immediately upped the ante: "Miss Luo Wei, one hundred gold coins a month will serve as merely the base price for utilizing your formula."


    "Furthermore, for every piece of cashmere clothing we sell in the future, I''ll allocate you 30% of the profit!"


    Luo Wei was genuinely tempted now, her heart pounding audibly.


    "Agreed."


    As soon as she spoke, she was startled by her own husky voice.


    "Ahem," Luo Wei cleared her throat and spoke again, "I accept your offer, Mr. Hawkins. You are indeed a generous merchant."


    Barton''s breathing became labored. He had done it, he had truly sealed the deal!


    He knew it, no one could resist the allure of money, not even a noble lady!


    In that moment, Barton felt so elated he could almost take flight.


    There was no deal in this world that he, Barton Hawkins, couldn''t close!


    After the initial euphoria subsided, Barton struck while the iron was hot: "Well then, Miss Luo Wei, shall we draft the contract straightaway?"


    Now the roles had reversed, with him being the one urging to draft the contract.


    Luo Wei nodded with a smile: "Certainly."


    During the process of drafting the contract, Barton regained a measure of composure.


    In truth, one hundred gold coins a month was an exorbitant sum. It would take him four or five years of toil to earn such an amount.


    If it weren''t for the fact that his father, old Hawkins, was a notorious miser, and that their family had accumulated considerable wealth through generations of astute business practices, he truly couldn''t afford this price.


    But it didn''t matter. He harbored no regrets.


    Barton recognized the immense value of those secret formulas. As long as he applied himself diligently, he could have the first batch of goods ready within three months.


    Once the merchandise hit the market, he would swiftly recoup his investment.


    It was merely a matter of subsisting on their savings for the initial three months. He could weather that storm!


    After signing the contract, Luo Wei smiled charmingly: "Mr. Hawkins, your generosity and decisiveness have truly impressed me. As a token of my appreciation, I''ve decided to bestow upon you some gifts."


    Barton inquired excitedly: "Oh, my esteemed lady, what gifts do you have in store for me?"


    Luo Wei raised her chin gracefully: "Since you''re a fabric merchant, I shall provide you with a few secret formulas related to textiles."


    "Fabric formulas!" Barton was overjoyed, barely restraining himself from leaping out of his chair.


    "Indeed. Some formulas for dyeing fabrics, as well as design schematics for a spinning machine and a jacquard loom. I''ll have someone deliver them to your establishment tomorrow."


    She believed that with these innovations, Barton would be able to significantly reduce the production time for cashmere fabrics.


    "However, Mr. Hawkins, I must caution you about these two machines," Luo Wei said, her expression turning grave.


    Barton sat up straight, all attention: "Please, do elaborate."


    "You must not, under any circumstances, divulge the secrets of these two machines. This isn''t due to any miserliness on my part, but because if knowledge of such machines were to spread, it could place you in mortal peril."


    The spinning jenny was the harbinger of the First Industrial Revolution. She had no desire to see the enclosure movement occur prematurely due to rapid advancements in the textile industry.


    The phenomenon of "sheep eating men" had already transpired once in Europe during her previous life.


    TBC

 Chapter 16: Astrology

    Barton was well aware of the adage that cutting off someone''s livelihood was akin to murdering their parents.


    If these secret formulas were to spread, the small workshops would undoubtedly perish, leaving a multitude of citizens without income. The market price for wool fabrics would plummet as well, a scenario he was loath to witness.


    Without hesitation, Barton vowed to use these secret formulas with the utmost discretion and never allow them to leak.


    ......


    Upon signing the contract, Luo Wei received her first earnings in this new world.


    One hundred gold coins, roughly equivalent to one million RMB in her former reality.


    While it seemed substantial, for the nobility, it wouldn''t even cover their daily expenses.


    In this era, even a baron possessed nearly 30,000 acres of arable land and commanded about twenty knights as vassals. A single knight''s domain spanned approximately 1,500 acres, roughly the size of a village.


    Vina''s father, Earl Wesley, holding a higher title, owned even more extensive lands.


    An earl''s territory approached 100,000 acres, with over sixty knights under his command. He also had to support a sizeable retinue and an army of one to two thousand men.


    If Luo Wei wished to masquerade as a noble, her living standards would need to at least match those of a baron''s daughter. This meant not only securing carriages, knights, and servants but also designing a family crest, commissioning cutlery, clothing, and more.


    However, having boasted to Vina at noon, insinuating her status was far superior, she would need to elevate her living standards even further.


    At the very least, she would have to portray herself as the daughter of a powerful marquis, one with legitimate inheritance rights, no less.


    She had truly dug herself into a deep hole.


    It was only now that Luo Wei began to feel the full weight of her predicament.


    One lie necessitated an even grander lie to conceal it. She was treading ever closer to the gallows.


    Well, there was no use lamenting what was already done. From now on, she''d better focus on amassing more wealth. This way, her chances of a successful escape would improve.


    If she could amass wealth rivaling that of a nation, perhaps she could even buy her life with money.


    That night, Luo Wei slept soundly with her hundred gold coins as a pillow.


    In her dreams, these hundred gold coins multiplied, then multiplied again, swiftly accumulating into a mountain of gold that nearly engulfed her.


    She couldn''t suppress her grin.


    Alas, all dreams must come to an end.


    When the first ray of sunlight pierced through the window crack at dawn, that mountain of gold dissolved into mere bubbles, vanishing completely from her sight.


    "Knock knock knock¡ª"


    Hearing the knocking, Luo Wei struggled to rise from her bed, rubbed her sleep-swollen face, and shuffled to open the door.


    It was an elderly mute woman who knocked, specifically tasked with delivering hot water to the noble young ladies on this floor.


    The previous night, Luo Wei had paid for half a year''s worth of water delivery fees, ensuring that someone would bring hot water to her room every morning henceforth.


    After her ablutions, it was nearly half-past seven.


    Luo Wei left her room and headed towards the astrology classroom in the junior department.


    Upon learning that magic truly existed in this world, the mystique of astrology in her mind had skyrocketed, and she had already expelled it from the realm of physics.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Western astrology originated from the ancient Mesopotamian plains, primarily using celestial phenomena to interpret and predict human destiny, somewhat akin to the divination and fortune-telling practices of ancient China.


    She wondered if the astrology in this world paralleled that of her own.


    In the classroom, some students were discussing the professor of this course ¡ª Baroness Tobias.


    Baroness Tobias, whose full name was Jacqueline Tobias, had led a life nothing short of legendary.


    Born into nobility, even if she had done nothing, she could have lived a life of luxury that others would envy for a lifetime.


    But she possessed not only an extraordinarily high aptitude for magic but also a remarkably intelligent mind. In her youth, the high priest of the temple prophesied that she would become a great magician.


    At that time, many heirs to kingdoms sought her hand in marriage, but she rejected them all.


    Everyone assumed she would devote herself to the study of magic, but unexpectedly, she harbored a rebellious spirit and retreated to a remote location, living in seclusion for over a decade. When she re-emerged, she had transformed into an astrologer.


    The women who had once envied Jacqueline all scoffed at her, believing she had lost her mind. But as they laughed, they discovered that Jacqueline had been invited by the temple to become a high priest!


    A woman, a high priest?


    Before anyone could even begin to question this, Jacqueline demonstrated her unparalleled prowess in astrology ¡ª her success rate in observing stars and choosing auspicious times was nearly 100%.


    With her guidance, a country''s crop yield could increase by half!


    From then on, Jacqueline successively received letters of ennoblement from several kingdoms, becoming a baroness through her own merits.


    Listening to her classmates recount her story, Luo Wei felt as if she was reading a powerful female protagonist novel.


    The protagonist was clear-headed, focused on her career, continuously proving her detractors wrong, and finally reaching the pinnacle of success.


    Time always flies when engrossed in gossip, and in the blink of an eye, the clock struck eight.


    The protagonist of the story, Jacqueline Tobias, finally graced the classroom with her presence.


    She wore a black long dress, adorned with a wide black veil hat. Her deep brown hair, interspersed with a few strands of silver, was styled into a high bun, with most of her face shrouded in shadows.


    If one only glanced at her hair, they might mistake her for an elderly person.


    But if one''s gaze traveled downward, they would find that her skin was full and radiant, her lips a deep crimson. Her skin was so fair it seemed to emit a soft glow. Her true age was utterly indiscernible.


    In fact, her age remained a mystery.


    Baroness Tobias was an enigmatic figure, and her lecture style matched her persona.


    Throughout the class, she never removed her wide-brimmed hat. Her penetrating gaze pierced through the black veil, her crimson lips curved slightly upward, as if she could peer into the very souls of those before her.


    Especially when her hand caressed the crystal-clear orb, the mysterious aura she inadvertently exuded became even more palpable and awe-inspiring.


    Luo Wei couldn''t make out her face clearly and didn''t dare to stare.


    If the Baroness were to see through her background with a single glance, it would spell disaster.


    Fortune tellers often possessed strange abilities; what if this Western mystic could open her celestial eye?


    Fortunately, Professor Tobias rarely looked directly at her students. She stood with her back to the class, drawing star charts, explaining the positions of planets, their orbits, and their symbolic representations.


    It took two full hours to cover this material.


    After a fifteen-minute break, the class resumed.


    Tobias shifted from celestial phenomena to something more tangible. She produced a reddish-brown sandalwood box, placed it on the lectern, and instructed the students to line up to receive their teaching aids.


    Such a small box, Luo Wei wondered, what teaching aids could it possibly contain?


    As she pondered this, a series of exclamations erupted from the front of the line.


    "It''s a crystal ball!"


    "Wow, there''s another one!"


    "Huh? Why did I get tarot cards?"


    "I see now, it''s a spatial magic pattern. How incredible!"


    "No, no, it''s more than that. This box must be a masterpiece crafted by an artifact refiner. Nothing else could bear such powerful magic patterns."


    "There''s even more to it. Look, there seem to be traces of summoning magic patterns engraved on it. Dual magic patterns? How is this even possible?"


    The queue inched forward, and it wasn''t until Luo Wei approached the lectern that she fully grasped what was happening.


    The sandalwood box was, in fact, a magical artifact. Each time it was opened, a new item would materialize inside ¡ª either a crystal ball or a set of tarot cards.


    Based on her observations, many students received tarot cards, but only seven or eight were gifted with crystal balls.


    Was this distribution of items based on luck or innate talent?


    When it was finally Luo Wei''s turn, she ¡ª who had been plagued by misfortune for years ¡ª offered a silent prayer for several seconds before daring to reach out and open the sandalwood box. She peered inside expectantly... Huh?


    ???


    Why was it green?


    TBC

 Chapter 17: The Turtle Shell

    Luo Wei''s peculiar expression prompted Professor Tobias to peek into the box as well.


    "This is..." she uttered in confusion.


    Inside the box, how did a green turtle appear?


    She looked again. Oh, not a turtle, but a turtle shell.


    But a turtle shell wasn''t right either!


    The bottom of this sandalwood box was inlaid with a rare magic stone, and its body was inscribed with spatial and summoning magic patterns, primarily serving three functions.


    The magic stone was used to test students'' aptitude directions, the spatial magic pattern stored the teaching aids she had made, and the summoning magic pattern could produce the most suitable teaching aid based on the student''s talent.


    But she had only made crystal balls and tarot cards as teaching aids, so how could a turtle shell appear?


    Professor Tobias''s first reaction was to suspect that something was wrong with the summoning magic pattern.


    "The magic pattern might have loosened a bit," she said, closing the lid and checking that the pattern lines had indeed dimmed somewhat.


    Hearing this result, Luo Wei''s tense nerves relaxed a little.


    As long as the problem wasn''t with her, it was fine.


    Professor Tobias relit the magic pattern. "Alright, try again."


    "Yes, Professor."


    Luo Wei reopened the lid, looked down, and her heart immediately sank.


    A faint green light swirled on the turtle shell, matching her now greenish complexion.


    Professor Tobias frowned, took out the turtle shell and tossed it aside, then carefully examined the magic pattern again.


    Confirming there was no problem, she closed the box. "Try again."


    After Luo Wei opened the lid for the third time, the expression on her face could no longer be maintained and collapsed.


    The box was empty, not even a chicken feather could be seen.


    Professor Tobias fell silent too. She glanced at the sandalwood box, then at this unfortunate student, her crimson lips moved slightly, and finally, she asked the student behind her to come forward and try.


    Luo Wei reluctantly stepped aside, and the male classmate behind her nervously stepped forward, afraid that he would encounter the same problem as her.


    "May the god of fortune bless me..." he muttered as he opened the box, inside which appeared a stack of tarot cards.


    "Oh, I got tarot cards!" he exclaimed happily as he took them out.


    At this point, Professor Tobias''s gaze towards Luo Wei became peculiar.


    "It seems the problem isn''t with the box," she said meaningfully, then picked up the turtle shell from beside her. "Perhaps this is the will of the gods. You should use this."


    Luo Wei accepted the turtle shell with a stiff face.


    Looking on the bright side, at least she had gotten something, right?


    The rest of the class was curious about what had happened at the front. When they saw Luo Wei turn around holding a green turtle shell, they all burst into laughter.


    "Haha, why is she holding a turtle shell?"


    "I''m dying of laughter, is she going to divine with a turtle shell?"


    "How does she use it, by sticking her head inside?"


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Hahahaha¡ª"


    Those noble students laughed uncontrollably, looking at her as if she were some rare species. The commoner students were also lowering their heads and giggling, just not daring to laugh out loud.


    Luo Wei returned to her seat expressionlessly, ignoring the mocking gazes around her.


    She looked at the turtle shell in her hand, countless guesses flashing through her mind.


    Why was it different from the others?


    Had someone tampered with it to make her look foolish, or was her luck really that bad?


    Professor Tobias wouldn''t stoop to bullying a weak student, so the problem was likely with herself.


    What mechanism did that box use to drop items?


    Was it based on the wish of the person opening the box, or some characteristics about them?


    Luo Wei had a vague answer in her heart.


    Her biggest difference from other students was that she had come from another world.


    The civilization that had nurtured her was Chinese civilization, and the oldest form of divination in Chinese civilization was oracle bone divination.


    It was likely that when mentioning divination, her subconscious thought of turtle shells, so a turtle shell appeared in the box.


    Knowing that she hadn''t been set up, Luo Wei''s gaze towards the turtle shell softened.


    Turtles were good, turtles symbolized longevity, surely it would help her live longer.


    As for the laughter around her, let them laugh. She couldn''t control other people''s mouths anyway.


    When the person involved didn''t react, those students found it less amusing after laughing for a while and gradually fell silent.


    "Finished laughing?" Professor Tobias''s ghostly voice floated over the classroom.


    The students tensed up, not daring to make any more sounds. The large room suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.


    "Since you''re done laughing, let''s continue with the class."


    "Now, place your hands on your tools, close your eyes, and start meditating."


    Professor Tobias showed no intention of pursuing the matter, much to everyone''s relief.


    They quickly closed their eyes and listened for her next instructions.


    "...You enter the night, darkness before your eyes... Walk forward, no sound of wind, no obstacles, and no end in sight."


    "This is your spiritual world."


    "Let yourself stop, relax, and slowly raise your head."


    "Something seems to have lit up in the darkness, focus on it, follow its trail."


    Luo Wei kept her eyes tightly shut. In the pitch-black space, it seemed as if a light source had truly appeared, flickering and rising upwards like the morning star.


    When she realized it was a star, the entire sky lit up.


    The myriad stars were arrayed in their respective positions, recreating the star chart on the classroom wall.


    The stars twinkled, emitting a cold, clear radiance.


    Professor Tobias''s voice came from beyond the sky: "Tell me, what is it?"


    "Don''t open your mouths, answer with your consciousness."


    A chorus of gasps echoed through the classroom. Many people had opened their mouths halfway, but upon hearing the latter part of the instruction, they abruptly held their breath, their faces turning red from the effort.


    But Luo Wei could no longer hear these sounds.


    She was entranced by the star chart, as if soaring through the universe. Nebulae surrounded her, and the celestial river flowed past her feet, like a dazzling and gorgeous dream.


    The stars shifted, the Milky Way reversed, and she glimpsed the traces of stellar orbits, like destined encounters, overlaps, then separations, in an endless cycle.


    The movement of the star tracks accelerated, and after reaching a critical point, the shapes of the celestial bodies suddenly disappeared. Only golden lines remained in the sky, intertwining and entangling, rotating rapidly, finally transforming into a massive spiral of star tracks, stirring the four corners of the universe.


    Luo Wei felt a wave of dizziness. The rotating star disk seemed to have become a mysterious and profound black hole vortex, drawing in the entire universe. The terrifying suction force seemed about to engulf her as well.


    The dizziness grew stronger. She wanted to close her eyes, but suddenly a sharp ringing erupted in her ears.


    Space collapsed.


    A sudden sense of weightlessness assailed her, and in the instant of falling, she abruptly opened her eyes.


    The figures in the classroom swayed back and forth. It took her a good while of squinting before she realized that her own eyes were seeing double.


    The others were still meditating, and Professor Tobias was lecturing in a gentle voice.


    Judging by their appearance, meditation seemed effortless for them, yet she had given up so quickly. Was her aptitude really that poor?


    Luo Wei pondered for a few seconds, then closed her eyes again.


    Unfortunately, she couldn''t concentrate no matter what, and she couldn''t enter her spiritual world anymore.


    She could only pretend to meditate with her eyes closed, listening to Professor Tobias''s lecture while tracing star chart trajectories in her mind.


    TBC

 Chapter 18: She Decided to Drop This Course

    "Astrology is divided into two branches: timing and divination," Professor Tobias began.


    "Timing refers to choosing the appropriate celestial moment, which can be used to predict weather and determine auspicious times. Divination, on the other hand, is about resolving people''s doubts and answering their questions."


    "Now, I will teach you the specific methods for these two types of astrology."


    Professor Tobias picked up a crystal ball, closed his eyes to feel it for a moment, and uttered in a low, mysterious voice.


    "For those focusing on timing, take your crystal balls and infuse them with your inner energy... Concentrate and meditate. What celestial signs do you see? What appears in your consciousness..."


    "When the celestial signs you see are clear enough, they will project onto the crystal ball. Open your eyes, and the crystal ball will guide your choice."


    The dozen or so students who had received crystal balls gradually opened their eyes, staring at the tools in their hands with confusion written all over their faces.


    Seeing nothing was the result that left them feeling quite frustrated.


    "Beginners are not proficient in grasping celestial signs, and their spiritual worlds are not strong enough. Don''t worry, it will improve with practice," the professor reassured them.


    Luo Wei also quietly opened her eyes. Looking at the turtle shell in her hand, she felt that this method might not be suitable for her.


    No matter how rich her imagination was, when she opened her eyes, all she saw was a green turtle shell. All her imagination vanished.


    She wondered what kind of turtle it was, why was its shell so green... Her thoughts began to wander in strange directions.


    After explaining the use of crystal balls, Professor Tobias began to lecture on tarot cards.


    "For those focusing on divination, your main purpose is to interpret the cards."


    "Through meditation, clear your mind of distractions, ensuring you won''t be disturbed by external things... Start shuffling the cards..."


    "Think about the question you want to ask, the more detailed the better, then start drawing tarot cards, arrange them, and begin interpreting."


    "Based on the celestial houses and patterns presented by the tarot cards, provide answers to the questions. Note that whether the answer is correct or not, you need to judge for yourself."


    The sound of shuffling cards filled the classroom, like a light drizzle of rain.


    Luo Wei stared at the turtle shell, trying to see celestial houses and patterns on it, but even after straining her eyes, she couldn''t see anything different.


    The second method had also failed.


    So how was she supposed to use this turtle shell?


    Throw in a few copper coins and shake it?


    But there were no copper coins here, and she didn''t know if the copper pieces in her money pouch would work as a substitute.


    Luo Wei thought about it seriously and decided it wouldn''t work.


    Even if she could use copper pieces instead of copper coins, she didn''t know how to interpret the hexagrams.


    Should she use the most primitive method, burn it in a fire and look at its cracks?


    Luo Wei rejected this idea. The turtle shell would be ruined after one burn, and she couldn''t use a new turtle shell for every divination!


    Until the end of the astrology class, Luo Wei couldn''t figure out a method.


    She let out a long sigh. It seemed she truly had no affinity with fortune-telling.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    She would have to give up this course, and she wondered if she would be expelled if she failed the final exam.


    Luo Wei left the classroom feeling dejected.


    She might not be able to learn astrology, but she still needed to prepare well for tomorrow''s horse riding class.


    First, she needed to go out and buy a horse.


    With money in her pocket, Luo Wei''s back straightened a bit when she saw Troy again.


    "Here, today''s payment," she said, taking out a gold coin and placing it in Troy''s hand.


    "A gold coin!" Troy looked at her in surprise, as if asking why she suddenly became so generous.


    "I promised you before, one gold coin per day," Luo Wei explained.


    Troy looked suspicious: "Are you really this kind? You don''t have some ulterior motive, do you?"


    It was clear he had PTSD. After being hired by Luo Wei for two days at a low price and being belittled, he couldn''t believe he was now worth a gold coin.


    "If you don''t want it, give it back," Luo Wei said.


    "I want it!" Troy quickly pocketed the gold coin, even turning his back to her as he put it in his money pouch.


    Luo Wei was speechless. This phrase really worked every time.


    "Did you catch the person who was following me yesterday?" she asked.


    "That''s exactly what I wanted to tell you," Troy turned back, looking serious, "That person ran into your academy and never came out."


    Luo Wei frowned as well: "Could it be someone from our academy?"


    So she had guessed wrong. It wasn''t someone from outside the academy trying to kill her, but someone inside?


    "Did you see what he looked like?" Luo Wei asked.


    Troy shook his head: "I couldn''t see clearly, but he had a sword at his waist and his movements were quite skilled. He might be a swordsman."


    "...That''s as good as saying nothing."


    Troy ignored her comment and continued: "He was very fast, his outer robe had wind and concealment magic runes, and the way he held his sword was unique. He''s probably a knight from some country."


    Luo Wei''s heart sank bit by bit.


    If she remembered correctly, the academy didn''t allow noble students to bring servants into the school. Where did this knight come from?


    Moreover, she had learned from Winnie and Balke earlier that there was a magic array carved under the academy, and outsiders couldn''t enter.


    So this knight must have another identity in the school, either as a teacher or a student.


    Luo Wei felt the latter was more likely.


    After all, students could graduate in as little as three years, while teachers had to teach indefinitely. This knight was probably a companion to some noble young master or lady.


    Vina could be ruled out. She had threatened her just yesterday, saying she would ask the Holy Knights of the Church to expose her true identity. If that knight was her man, why would she bother with such a threat?


    Axina could also be ruled out. The people she sent to investigate Luo Wei hadn''t returned yet, so there was no reason for her to try to kill her now.


    But with these two ruled out, she had no one left to suspect!


    Luo Wei looked up, feeling a bit frustrated: "Troy, did you find out where that magic spider came from?"


    Troy responded sarcastically: "I''m a swordsman, not a detective. Besides, you said before that I only needed to protect you¡ª"


    "Stop, stop," Luo Wei interrupted his complaints and adjusted her mood, "Forget it, I didn''t expect you to find out anyway."


    "I have other things to do today. Come on, accompany me to choose a horse, and then we''ll go buy a house..."


    Troy silently followed behind her.


    After an afternoon of shopping, Luo Wei''s wallet had shrunk by half.


    She bought a beautiful chestnut horse, chose a quiet small courtyard near the academy, and even hired a maid, spending a total of thirty-seven gold coins.


    "From now on, you''ll live in the east room on the second floor. If you want to eat something, just tell Bella, and she''ll make it for you."


    Bella was the name of the maid, only seventeen years old. Her parents had passed away, and she had been living with her aunt before. She was also a pitiful person.


    Luo Wei sighed, but from the corner of her eye, she saw Troy had stopped.


    "What''s wrong?" Her heart skipped a beat, thinking someone was following her again.


    Troy stared at her with a strange look, his voice a bit hoarse: "You want me to move in?"


    "Why are you looking at me like that again?" Luo Wei said casually, "If you don''t want to move in, then don''t. I was just worried you didn''t have a place to stay."


    Troy lowered his eyes, his voice even hoarser: "I don''t have a place to stay. I''ve been sleeping in taverns before."


    Luo Wei was surprised: "Then you..."


    "Thank you," Troy suddenly said, his forest-green eyes looking at her, seeming to ripple with emotion.


    Luo Wei: ...


    Oh no, he seemed to have misunderstood something.


    "Ahem," she coughed twice and looked outside the courtyard, "While it''s still not dark, let''s go pick up someone else!"


    To be continued

 Chapter 19: Bringing My Little Knight Home

    A warm golden glow enveloped Academy Street in the twilight.


    At the end of the street stood the towering stone gates of Siria Magic Academy. Neat bluestone bricks paved the way there, with low houses on both sides of the street serving as its guiding banners.


    Luo Wei and Troy walked along Academy Street, searching for the small figure darting through the streets and alleys.


    "Strange, where is he?"


    Having reached the end of the street without spotting the little boy, Luo Wei turned to Troy with a questioning look, wondering where he had hidden him.


    Troy''s face darkened. "You''re the one who asked me to accompany you to buy a house."


    He couldn''t be in two places at once, how could he buy a house and watch the child simultaneously?


    "I thought you knew where he was staying now," Luo Wei said, suddenly remembering a place. "Let''s go check the alley next to the bakery."


    Actually, that was where she had initially thought to look, but later assumed the boy wouldn''t dare return there after the assassin incident.


    But now, unable to find him anywhere on the street, she couldn''t rule out the possibility that he might be hiding there.


    About fifteen minutes later, Luo Wei discovered a tattered sheepskin coat under a pile of debris in the alley. It looked as if it had decayed beyond recognition over several centuries, with a large tuft of soft brown hair on it.


    Such a young child, already facing the troubles of hair loss?


    Luo Wei shifted her gaze from the hair strands back to the sheepskin coat.


    She remembered this was the clothing the little boy had been wearing before.


    It could hardly be called a coat; it was full of holes, more like a net. Who knows who had discarded it before he picked it up.


    Luo Wei dropped the sheepskin net and circled the alley. The sun was about to set, but there was still no sign of the boy returning.


    "Let''s go, I don''t think we''ll be able to wait for him," she said disappointedly.


    Perhaps the little boy had run off with the money, or maybe he had found a better place to stay and had forgotten about her promise.


    Troy glanced at the pile of debris and turned to follow her steps.


    The sun sank below the horizon, and the last glow of the sunset was about to disappear.


    Backlit, their tall figures looked like two silhouettes, walking silently along the desolate alley.


    "Were you looking for me?"


    A childish voice, filled with immense courage, suddenly sounded from behind them.


    Luo Wei whirled around to see a frail boy with rosy lips and white teeth standing by a crack in the wall. He wore a brand-new linen outfit, his soft hair cut to his ears, tinted with a warm hue in the last ray of sunset.


    If he hadn''t spoken first, she wouldn''t have recognized him as the dirty little beggar.


    The little boy clutched his sleeves tightly, looking up at her nervously, his thin body shivering in the autumn wind.


    Luo Wei smiled, her smile brighter than the setting sun on the horizon.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "Yes," she said, answering his question.


    "I''ve come to take my little knight home."


    The little boy was still cold, but he had stopped shivering. His eyes were filled with starlight, more dazzling than the brightest night sky.


    He moved his reddened feet, frozen from the cold, and suddenly lifted them to run towards her, like a fledgling swallow seeking shelter.


    Luo Wei opened her arms, thinking he would throw himself into her embrace.


    But he didn''t. He stopped three steps away from her, anxiously asking, "It''s only the second day today, have I passed my test too?"


    Luo Wei finally understood what he was afraid of.


    She knelt down, looking him in the eye, her face taking on a sacred and solemn expression. "Of course, your performance was excellent, so your test ended early."


    The little boy quickly pursed his lips, but couldn''t suppress the upward curve of his mouth, which made him somewhat regretful, feeling he had ruined his image of being deep and reliable.


    Children''s expressions are all written on their faces. Luo Wei couldn''t help but want to laugh. Afraid she might actually burst out laughing, she quickly extended her hand to him.


    "Come here, I''ll hold your hand as we walk."


    She noticed his little hands had been trembling constantly, probably nearly frozen.


    To her surprise, the little boy took a step back. Even though his eyes were full of longing, he stubbornly refused: "Noble lady, this is not proper etiquette. I cannot tarnish your reputation."


    "Puhahaha¡ª"


    Luo Wei could no longer hold back her laughter. She stepped forward and took his small hand, which felt like holding a block of ice.


    "A qualified subordinate does not refuse his master''s request. Let''s go, little knight."


    The little boy couldn''t resist either. His tightly pursed lips gradually spread into a smile, finally reaching his ears as he grinned foolishly.


    The warm body temperature from the palm enveloping his small hand transmitted continuously, making his heart feel as if it had been placed in a furnace, warm all over.


    He secretly raised his head, stealing glances at the most, most, most gentle, kind, and beautiful lady holding his hand, as if treasuring a bright moon.


    Although his bright moon wasn''t looking at him.


    Luo Wei was talking to Troy, as she noticed Troy''s face had been sour since earlier, and she didn''t know how she had offended him again.


    "What''s wrong with you, craving alcohol?"


    "If you want to drink, just go drink. I''m not stopping you."


    "Why aren''t you saying anything? Are you naturally not talkative?"


    Troy''s forehead throbbed with a pulsing vein. He finally couldn''t bear it anymore: "Yes, I''m going to drink. So you''d better go back to school now. As for this little runt, I''ll drag him back!"


    Luo Wei thought for a moment. This would indeed save time, and it was getting dark, so it wouldn''t be good to return too late.


    "Alright then, I''ll head back to school first. You take Roman back."


    Troy nodded slightly, expressing his agreement in a very cool manner.


    Luo Wei bent down to speak to the little boy: "I bought a house nearby. Troy will take you there, and I''ll come to see you tomorrow."


    The little boy''s eyes showed reluctance, but he nodded understandingly: "I''ll take good care of myself, don''t worry."


    Luo Wei confidently handed him over to Troy, even instructing: "Troy, pick him up. He''s very cold, use your big cloak to shield him from the wind. Roman, hold onto uncle''s neck tightly, be careful not to fall."


    When Troy obeyed the order and picked up the little boy, both of their faces turned black.


    Luo Wei pretended not to see, walking lightly towards the academy gate.


    Troy followed for a distance, watching her enter the school gates until she disappeared from sight. He immediately put the little boy down.


    The little boy was also struggling, jumping down as soon as Luo Wei was out of sight.


    The two separated with such haste, their eyes full of disdain for each other when their gazes met.


    "Let''s go, you lucky little mouse," Troy sneered.


    "Stinky drunkard, my name is Roman, and you''re the lucky one," the little boy retorted.


    He added after a pause: "I met the lady first. Without me, you would never have met her."


    Troy glanced at him, snorted coldly, but didn''t argue back.


    He was a swordsman after all, why bother arguing with a little brat?


    A kid who hasn''t even grown his first whisker.


    In the moonlight, a large figure and a small one, separated by a distance of four people, slowly walked towards the south.


    TBC

 Chapter 20: Fancy Horse Attire

    "Stinky drunkard, my name is Roman, and you''re the lucky one," the little boy retorted.


    He added after a pause: "I met the lady first. Without me, you would never have met her."


    Troy glanced at him, snorted coldly, but didn''t argue back.


    He was a swordsman after all, why bother arguing with a little brat?


    A kid who hasn''t even grown his first whisker.


    In the moonlight, a large figure and a small one, separated by a distance of four people, slowly walked towards the south.


    Siria Magic Academy boasted its own horse ranch, nestled at the foot of the mountain on the academy''s easternmost edge. A clear stream flowed outside the ranch, conveniently providing water for the horses.


    At 10 a.m., the sun at 40 degrees north latitude crested the tall Hilian Mountains, casting slanted rays onto the dew-covered grass of the racetrack, scattering what appeared to be a ground full of sparkling diamonds.


    The training ground on the west side served as the students'' classroom. Years of trampling had compacted the earth into a solid surface.


    The training ground was divided into numerous tracks using wooden stakes and iron nets, forming a large onion-like circle.


    As the iron gates of the training ground swung open, stallions galloped into the field under their handlers'' control, their hooves kicking up a cloud of choking dust.


    Luo Wei, like the noble students, had changed into light riding attire and waited in front of the stands at the training ground.


    Her chestnut horse had been sent to the school stables the day before, for which she had paid ten silver coins as a feeding fee.


    Once everyone''s horses had arrived, the riding instructor, Cork Tolan, finally appeared with his imposing black steed.


    "Is everyone here? If so, go find your horses," Instructor Tolan waved his hand, directing everyone to fetch their own mounts.


    Students who had never ridden before looked nervous, hesitant to approach the horses.


    Fortunately, these horses were all docile, and there were no incidents of horses kicking anyone.


    Luo Wei found her horse by recognizing its attire¡ªyes, her horse was wearing clothes.


    Nobles liked to customize all sorts of equipment for their beloved steeds, dressing them up in fancy attire.


    For instance, Vina''s horse not only wore an engraved brass face mask but also a leather horse blanket embroidered with her family crest.


    Some of the noble boys in the class were even more extravagant, equipping their horses with full sets of armor, including face guards, neck guards, leg guards, belly guards, and rump guards. They even adorned their horses'' mouths with ornate golden bridles.


    They themselves were also dressed formally, in full chainmail and joint protectors, wearing helmets of various shapes, looking like small, spirited generals.


    But Luo Wei couldn''t help but laugh when she saw their helmets, as they always reminded her of the strange protrusions atop Ultraman''s head.


    Compared to the high spirits of the noble students, the commoner students seemed a bit awkward.


    The horses provided by the academy were only equipped with simple saddles and reins, looking particularly plain next to the group of bejeweled, high-headed steeds.


    Luo Wei, originally a commoner herself, was incredibly grateful that she had been persuaded by the merchant the day before to buy the most expensive horse blanket in the store. Today, she wouldn''t look so out of place among the noble students.


    Before attending the riding class, she thought the difference between nobles and commoners was just that the former had sturdier horses and the latter had weaker ones. Who knew the biggest difference would be in the horses'' attire?


    This world was truly cruel. Commoners couldn''t even afford a complete set of clothes, but the nobles'' horses wore gold and silver, with a set of horse armor worth dozens of acres of land.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    As the sunlight gradually intensified, the students, with Instructor Tolan''s help, successfully mounted their saddles and began to walk their horses around the track.


    The content of the first lesson was simple: learn to mount and dismount, and control the horse''s forward direction.


    Luo Wei had ridden horses in her previous life and was skilled at these movements, but this body was riding for the first time. After sitting on the horse''s back for a while, the inside of her thighs began to chafe painfully.


    She controlled the reins, slowing down her chestnut horse, and ambled alone on the outer lane of the track to avoid rubbing her thighs raw.


    "Clop, clop, clop..."


    The sound of horseshoes striking the ground grew closer, and a silver figure came charging towards her.


    Luo Wei turned her head, her pupils constricting, and immediately grabbed the reins.


    "Whoa¡ª"


    Horse hooves flew up and landed beside her.


    Golden hair fluttered in the wind as Axina sat high on her horse''s back, looking down at her with an arrogant expression.


    Luo Wei knew Axina wouldn''t actually collide with her when she saw her tighten the reins, so her expression remained relatively calm.


    "Axina, you''re going the wrong way."


    She gripped the reins and urged her horse a few steps forward before turning back to remind her.


    A flash of disappointment crossed Axina''s eyes; she hadn''t managed to scare Luo Wei.


    She had thought that Luo Wei would at least fall off her horse in fright.


    But she quickly put on a fake smile: "Sorry, I accidentally pulled the reins the wrong way."


    "I hope you''re truly sorry," Luo Wei glanced at her, squeezed her horse''s belly with her legs, and widened the distance between them.


    Axina''s eyes turned cold as she squeezed her horse''s belly to catch up: "Luo Wei, why don''t we chat for a bit?"


    Luo Wei kept her eyes forward: "What do you want to talk about?"


    Axina rode alongside her: "Have you ever seen a Holy Knight?"


    Luo Wei: "Holy Knights don''t travel around countries."


    "But sometimes, they do leave the church to complete certain tasks in various places," Axina stared at her profile, "For example, they might receive a commission from a noble to purify a demon soul that has possessed a human body."


    Boom¡ª


    Luo Wei heard a thunderous sound in her heart, her blood suddenly rushing faster, causing her muscles to tense up.


    Did Axina know?


    How could she know that Luo Wei wasn''t the original owner of this body?


    Her heart was racing, but under extreme shock, Luo Wei actually became calmer.


    Axina might not really know; she was probably just using this as an excuse to trick Vina into luring a Holy Knight here to expose her true identity.


    Guessing Axina''s intentions, Luo Wei''s heart settled back down.


    "Purifying demons? Interesting, but unfortunately, I''ve never seen it," she replied in a cool tone.


    "No worries, you''ll see it soon," Axina''s eyes flickered, "Vina suspects there''s a demon hiding in the academy. She wrote a letter to the church two days ago, and I believe it should have been delivered by now."


    Luo Wei nodded: "Thank you for letting me know. I''m looking forward to it."


    "Well then, I''ll be on my way," Axina''s smile deepened as she cracked her whip and galloped away.


    Her reaction made it seem as if she had really just come to chat for a bit.


    But Vina had already told her about this, so why did Axina need to come and warn her a second time?


    Luo Wei found it strange. Could it be that Vina had distanced herself from Axina, so Axina had to come herself to emphasize it again?


    Previously, she hadn''t taken Vina''s threat seriously, but now that Axina had mentioned the letter again, she started to worry.


    If the Holy Knights were just coming to investigate her identity, she could still muddle through. But if they could actually examine a person''s soul, she would likely be unable to explain herself and end up with her soul scattered.


    After class, Luo Wei walked to the cafeteria, her mind heavy with worry.


    "Luo Wei!"


    Winnie and Balke waved at her from a table; they had arrived earlier and had already started eating.


    Although the last gathering hadn''t been particularly pleasant, influenced by Luo Wei, they had greatly improved their terrible dining habits. They felt the changes were for the better and wanted to learn more from her.


    Luo Wei bought a vegetable salad and sat down next to them with her bowl.


    "Luo Wei, is that all you''re eating?" Winnie asked, her eyes wide.


    "I''m not feeling very hungry today, so I wanted something light," Luo Wei said as she took out her personal cutlery set and retrieved a clean silver fork.


    Winnie and Balke looked curiously at the fork in her hand, exclaiming in unison: "We''d love to know just how much cutlery you actually have!"


    Luo Wei smiled, opening her cutlery set and placing it in front of them.


    "Not much, I''m not that particular when I''m out. Would you like to take a look?"


    Winnie and Balke nodded eagerly, carefully picking up her cutlery set.


    "A small knife, a long spoon, a round tube, and two silver sticks. What are these for?" They looked puzzled.


    TBC

 Chapter 21: A Day Trip to the Suburbs

    Luo Wei smiled as she took back the bag and explained each item to them.


    "The knife and fork are a pair, used for cutting and picking up food; the small spoon is for drinking soup; this silver tube is called a straw, used for drinking water."


    Finally, she picked up two chopsticks and demonstrated by picking up a piece of vegetable salad in front of them: "These are chopsticks, used for picking up food."


    These were all newly customized utensils she had ordered, paying double the usual fee, and had only received them yesterday afternoon.


    The school''s food was too strange, and she was always worried it might be poisoned. Using silver utensils also made it convenient to test for poison.


    Vina and Balke looked on with amazement; they had only seen small knives and large soup ladles before, never any of these other utensils.


    During a break in their meal, Luo Wei brought up the topic of the southern church: "I''ve heard that the church''s holy knights can purify demons. Have you ever seen that?"


    Vina shook her head; she hadn''t even heard of such things.


    Balke, however, knew a little and enthusiastically said, "I''ve heard bards in the city sing about it. The church has twelve holy knights, each with the skills of a magic swordsman and the power of a mage. They''re dual-system mages, incredibly powerful!"


    Luo Wei asked with interest, "Have you heard how they capture demons?"


    "It''s said they have judgment stones and holy water. The judgment stones can judge a person''s soul, and the holy water can purify demons," Balke explained.


    "I''ve heard of that too," Vina finally heard a term she was familiar with and eagerly joined the conversation. "The judgment stone can make people confess their sins. In front of it, no one can lie; they can only tell the truth!"


    "When I was little, my grandmother often tricked me with a regular stone, pretending it was a judgment stone. She fooled me every time."


    Balke nodded in sympathy: "Yes, and there''s also holy water. When I had a stomachache as a child and went to see the priest, he gave me holy water to drink. Later, I saw with my own eyes that it was just water scooped from the well. The real holy water is only available in the church!"


    As the two continued talking, the topic gradually drifted, eventually landing on "who got spanked the most as a child."


    Luo Wei listened with a smile, but her heart kept sinking, so heavy that she found it difficult to breathe.


    She felt that something bad was about to happen.


    After the meal, her right eyelid suddenly started twitching incessantly, and the ominous feeling grew stronger and stronger.


    Luo Wei excused herself, saying she wasn''t feeling well, and returned to her dormitory.


    On the low cabinet in her bedroom still lay the turtle shell she had brought back yesterday. As if possessed, she placed her hand on the turtle shell.


    The next second, a wave of dizziness washed over her, and she closed her eyes.


    In the darkness, a point of starlight rapidly rose, illuminating a sky full of constellations.


    Just as she was about to use what she had learned yesterday to interpret the star chart, a bolt of lightning suddenly split the sky, its branching pattern dividing the heavens into several fragments.


    In an instant, the firmament collapsed, and celestial fire rained down. A massive turtle shell emerged from below, as if bearing the weight of the entire star chart. The shattered pieces of sky became the scutes on the turtle''s back, with the arcing star trails merging into the concentric ring patterns on the shields.


    The great fire star crashed onto the turtle shell, causing the star chart to shake violently. The earth split open, and mountains and rivers collapsed.


    The turtle shell cracked with a thunderous sound, a fracture line extending from the southeast towards the north, from the Horn constellation to the Dipper constellation.


    As soon as she saw the fracture, several lines of text suddenly appeared in Luo Wei''s mind.


    The Horn star, the first of the seven stars in the East, represents the horn of the Azure Dragon, great misfortune.


    The Dipper star, one of the six stars of the Southern Dipper, represents the snake''s head of the Black Turtle of the North, auspicious birth.


    Luo Wei seemed to understand the meaning of this star chart.


    It answered the most urgent question in her heart, testing the fortune of today and inquiring about the path to survival.


    The star chart slowly faded away, and the turtle shell sank back down.


    Luo Wei opened her eyes, her body swaying, nearly falling to the ground.


    Her brain throbbed with pain, as if all her energy had been drained. Her vision remained blurry for a while before gradually becoming clear.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    She steadied herself against the wall and walked to the bed, sitting down with the turtle shell in her right hand, her thoughts in disarray.


    According to the divination results, her current situation was one of great misfortune; she had already stepped one foot into the gates of hell.


    But she hadn''t done anything today, hadn''t even left the school grounds. Where was this ill omen coming from?


    Luo Wei''s right eyelid twitched, and she suddenly remembered that her sense of unease had appeared only after hearing about the holy knights and the judgment stone.


    Could it be related to the holy knights?


    Axina had said that the church would receive Vina''s letter today. From sending to receiving the letter, it would take at least two and a half days. Even if the holy knights were to come, they shouldn''t arrive until the day after tomorrow. Why was today marked by great misfortune?


    Wait, she knew what she had overlooked!


    Professor Mike from the magic rune class had mentioned that in this world, there was a type of magic rune called the teleportation rune, which could connect two locations and enable long-distance teleportation.


    If the holy knights used a teleportation array, they wouldn''t need two days at all!


    Oh no!


    Luo Wei suddenly stood up, grabbed the turtle shell and the magic wand from the cabinet, and rushed out the door.


    The divination result showed great misfortune; staying put meant certain death. Only the north offered a path to survival; she had to escape to the north!


    Luo Wei ran quickly to the stables, using the excuse of wanting to ride out of the city to clear her mind, and led her horse out of the stable.


    There was a side gate at the stables that led directly out of the school. She mounted her horse and galloped away, arriving at the small courtyard she had just rented yesterday.


    "Where''s Troy?" she asked.


    Only Roman and Bella were in the courtyard; Troy was nowhere to be seen.


    Bella replied in surprise, "Didn''t you meet the swordsman, my lady? He left early, saying he was going to wait for you at the academy gate."


    Luo Wei silently cursed herself. She had been in such a hurry that she had forgotten Troy usually waited for her outside the school gate.


    "Miss, are you going somewhere?" Roman, seeing the horse outside the courtyard, ran over anxiously to ask.


    "I have to go out for a while," Luo Wei patted his head and took out two gold coins from her money pouch. "Take this money and have Bella take you to buy some warmer clothes."


    Roman''s eyes welled up with tears, not daring to accept her money.


    Luo Wei sighed. Children were most sensitive to emotions; he must have sensed something.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll definitely come back for you." She placed the gold coins in Roman''s hand and turned to leave.


    On the street by the academy, Luo Wei finally met Troy.


    "Why are you coming from that direction?" Troy asked, puzzled.


    "No time to explain in detail. I need to go north, and you''re going to escort me," Luo Wei reached out her hand to him. "Get on the horse, quickly!"


    "You''re leaving now?"


    "Stop talking and hurry up!"


    Troy didn''t take her hand. With his long legs, he easily leaped onto the horse''s back, maintaining a foot''s distance from her, then reached out his hand: "Give me the reins."


    Luo Wei didn''t argue with him; her horsemanship was certainly not as good as Troy''s.


    As soon as the reins were in Troy''s hands, he turned the horse around and galloped towards the outskirts.


    "Which road should we take?"


    "The shortest one!"


    Troy said nothing more and rode the horse north, taking Luo Wei out of the city in one go.


    Once they were out of the city, Luo Wei''s tense face finally relaxed a bit, no longer as anxious as before.


    Only then did Troy speak: "Where in the north are you going?"


    Of course, the further north, the better!


    Luo Wei was about to say this but immediately realized she was fleeing for her life and couldn''t let Troy know.


    As for where in the north, the star chart hadn''t given her a specific location. She could only take it one step at a time.


    "Let''s just head north for now. I''m just out to clear my head," Luo Wei said vaguely.


    Clear your head? Is that why you''re in such a hurry? And coming all the way out here?


    Troy didn''t expose her lie, but simply gripped the reins tighter and continued to gallop forward.


    He was sitting without a saddle, which was much more uncomfortable than Luo Wei''s position.


    After riding for more than two hours, the chestnut horse began to frequently raise its neck, slowing down and unwilling to go further.


    Seeing this, Troy suggested, "Let''s get down and rest for a while. The horse can''t run anymore."


    "Alright." Even if Luo Wei was unwilling, there was nothing she could do if the horse couldn''t run.


    They only had this one horse; they couldn''t afford to exhaust it to death.


    After dismounting, Troy led the horse to a small river bank full of green grass, letting it replenish its energy there.


    He took off his cloak, spread it on the grass, and let Luo Wei sit down while he went to the river to fetch water.


    "Don''t," Luo Wei stopped him, "I don''t drink raw water. The river water is very dirty; you shouldn''t drink it either."


    Troy gave her a look that said "noble ladies are so troublesome" and sat down on the grass beside her.


    "If not river water, what are we going to drink? There''s no grape wine here."


    "Let''s see if there''s a village nearby later. We can borrow a place to boil some hot water."


    Troy irritably ran his hand through his hair, his green eyes fixed on the riverbank.


    The horse was eating happily, munching on the green grass.


    Luo Wei leaned back, supporting herself with her hands on the ground, looking towards the distant forest. Dense pine trees covered the hillside, looking like fuzzy moss from afar.


    A flock of birds circled above the forest, and there seemed to be a black mist lingering among the trees.


    Black?


    Luo Wei tugged at Troy''s sleeve, pointing towards the strange black mist: "What''s that?"


    Troy looked up, his gaze falling on that patch of forest. His eyes suddenly sharpened: "It''s an evil aura. Monsters have come out!"


    TBC

 Chapter 22: Fishing in the Fragrant Mud

    Luo Wei never imagined that while fleeing for her life, she would encounter a monster. This stroke of luck was truly extraordinary.


    "The Ode of Aldrich" contained records about monsters. These creatures, wherever they went, would spread infection and even devour people.


    "Let''s run quickly!" She made a snap decision and was about to get up to fetch the horse.


    However, Troy drew his sword with a "swoosh," his gaze fearlessly fixed on the forest. "You go. I''m going to kill it."


    Luo Wei was nearly furious. How could she leave alone? She didn''t even know the way.


    "How can you, a mere swordsman, kill a monster? Let''s leave first. When we find the next village, we''ll have the villagers notify the temple or the city lord. They''ll come to deal with the monster."


    Troy: "We can''t give the monster time to grow stronger."


    Luo Wei nodded resignedly: "Fine, fine, fine, you go, you go. Just don''t die out there!"


    Troy, sword in hand, strode towards the chestnut horse with great determination.


    "What are you doing?" Luo Wei, seeing his intention, cursed for the first time since arriving in this world, "You bastard, you''re planning to ride off on my horse!"


    "I''ll return it to you." Troy didn''t look back, walking off with a tragic heroism reminiscent of ''The wind whistles, the waters of Yi River are cold.''


    Return my ass, by then you''ll be dead out there, man and horse together!


    Luo Wei roared inwardly. She was about to explode with anger. Not only was Troy leaving, but he was also taking the horse. She would be left alone in this wilderness, not knowing the way, with night falling soon. Was she supposed to wait to be eaten by wolves?


    "Wait, I''m coming with you!"


    Even if it meant going to her death, Luo Wei couldn''t care less at this point.


    Troy pulled her onto the horse, and together they galloped towards the center where the black mist was billowing.


    The closer they got to the pine forest, the more uncomfortable it felt.


    It was as if the air had become sticky, with a rotten, fishy stench.


    The faint black mist was blown to the edge of the forest by the wind. Luo Wei saw at a glance that the grass leaves, once enveloped by the mist, withered and died at an extremely fast rate, as if corroded by some kind of concentrated acid gas.


    In this environment, could people really enter without dying?


    Troy stopped outside the forest, tied the horse''s reins to a small tree, and turned to put on his black cloak: "I''m going in."


    Luo Wei glanced at the gloomy forest, her heart pounding as if it would jump out: "I''m coming with you."


    She clenched her fists. Going together, at least they could look out for each other if something happened.


    Troy looked at her in astonishment: "Aren''t you afraid?"


    "You''ve protected me for so many days after all. I can''t just watch you die here with no one to even collect your corpse," Luo Wei said fiercely.


    Troy suddenly smiled, saying confidently: "I won''t die. It''s just one monster. I''ve even fought through hordes of magical beasts before."


    Luo Wei pursed her lips: "Yeah, right. Keep boasting."


    Troy''s eyes curved with amusement. He didn''t explain further but stepped into the forest: "Follow behind me, step in my footprints, and be careful not to slip."


    Luo Wei nodded like a pecking chick. Looking down, she saw two rows of large footprints on the ground and carefully stepped into them.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Troy''s feet were very large. When she stepped in his footprints, there was ample space around her feet, making her feel secure.


    The only drawback was perhaps that his strides were too big, and she had to stretch far with each step.


    The forest floor should have been covered with a soft layer of fallen leaves, but due to the erosion of the black mist, the leaf layer seemed to have melted away. The ground was thin and sticky, and stepping on it felt like stepping on melted asphalt.


    They had walked about a hundred meters when the air had already become acidically foul. Luo Wei covered her nose with a handkerchief. For a moment, she didn''t watch where she was going and bumped into Troy''s back.


    "Why did you stop?"


    Troy stood motionless in front, his voice ice-cold: "It''s the swamp monster El. It has eaten people."


    Luo Wei stood on tiptoe, her gaze passing over his shoulder to see the scene in the distance: In the thick black mist that had almost solidified, a huge monster loomed.


    Its decaying body was covered in messy hair, two blue flames burned in its pitch-black eye sockets, and two long fangs protruded from its mouth.


    Its upper body was like a giant, but below the waist, it turned into a foul-smelling mud, sticking to the ground.


    Luo Wei couldn''t tell if it had eaten people or not. She couldn''t even find where its stomach was.


    This monster was at least five meters tall, about as high as a two-story building. Its mouth, like rotten mud, roared in all directions, yet made no sound.


    Perhaps the sound it made was inaudible to humans.


    Luo Wei looked at Troy worriedly and asked in a low voice, "Are you really sure you can kill it?"


    "Trust me." Troy left these words and his figure shot out like an arrow released from a bow.


    Luo Wei saw a blur rushing towards the giant monster. When it was only seven or eight meters away, that figure leaped high into the air, the sword in his hand reflecting a dazzling silver light.


    Troy''s speed was too fast for her to see clearly.


    She only saw one of the two blue flames extinguish. The monster twisted its enormous body, angrily striking the ground. The mountain shook and the earth moved, making her unsteady on her feet.


    In just a few seconds, the black mist thickened several times over. The sky suddenly darkened, and the forest became pitch black. She couldn''t see anything anymore.


    Her ears faintly heard the intense sounds of battle from afar, which, in this darkness, gave her an inexplicable sense of reassurance.


    At least this proved that Troy was still alive.


    She didn''t know how long it had been, long enough for her legs to go numb, when suddenly a ray of light shone into the forest.


    Luo Wei realized something and immediately ran towards where the monster had appeared, calling out Troy''s name as she ran.


    The valley was eerily silent, and her heart tightened.


    "Troy!"


    "Are you still alive? Make a sound if you are!"


    There was no response. She pulled out the magic wand from her sleeve, muttered a fire control spell, and released a flame. Holding the fire, she rushed into the thick black mist.


    The monster was gone. On the ground was only a large puddle of foul-smelling mud. Luo Wei''s sharp eyes caught something moving in the mud. She picked up a tree branch and poked at it. Suddenly, a hand stretched out.


    "Ah!"


    She was startled and stepped back, only to realize it was Troy.


    Troy sat up from the mud puddle, wiped his face, revealing his signature iron mask, which was why Luo Wei didn''t recognize him at first.


    "As expected of you, Troy," Luo Wei couldn''t help but say, "Even at a time like this, you''re unwilling to take off your mask."


    His nose, ears, and eyes were all covered in mud, and his hair was so caked that its original color couldn''t be seen. He looked like a mud man.


    "You look quite miserable now!"


    Troy choked twice, coughing up a large glob of mud: "There was a bit of an accident, but the outcome is still good."


    Luo Wei went in to help him up: "What kind of accident?"


    Troy''s body was a bit weak. He supported himself with one hand on his sword while she propped him up. Trembling, he stood up: "Some of the people it had swallowed were still alive, so I cut them out first."


    "Where are they?"


    "They should be in here somewhere. Let me dig around."


    Luo Wei looked down at the knee-deep mud: "..."


    Even if those people were still alive earlier, they must have suffocated in this mud by now, right?


    Ah, who told her to be so kind-hearted?


    Luo Wei put away her magic wand and rolled up her sleeves to start rescuing people.


    Seeing her actions, Troy was surprised once again, seemingly not expecting the delicate noble lady to do such dirty work.


    She had even found clear river water to be unclean.


    What a contradictory person.


    Troy watched Luo Wei for a while, and as soon as he regained some strength, he immediately joined the rescue effort.


    TBC

 Chapter 23: So Youre a Princess

    Soon, they dragged out three intact bodies, along with several partially digested heads, some scattered bones, and a few skeletons.


    Luo Wei herself pulled out one of the heads. She thought she had found a survivor and grabbed the shoulders, pulling hard. But the person''s head came off, landing right in her arms. She stood there, stunned, holding a round skull.


    In both her lives combined, she had never done anything like this before!


    It took her a while to calm herself down through mental preparation before she could continue examining the remaining bodies.


    Troy glanced at her several times, his feelings towards her growing increasingly complex.


    He had thought she would either run away screaming or freeze in terror when faced with such a situation. He never expected her to persevere.


    Soon, all the bodies and skeletons were retrieved, with Luo Wei arranging them in a row, as if compelled by her obsessive-compulsive tendencies.


    Only the three intact bodies were still alive - two men and one woman, all breathing very faintly.


    Luo Wei instructed Troy to turn them over and drain the mud to prevent their airways from being blocked and suffocating.


    She herself took a handkerchief and carefully cleaned their mouths and noses. When she got to the woman, she suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.


    "Could it be..."


    She quickly wiped the woman''s face clean with the handkerchief and stared at her intently.


    There was no mistaking it; the face matched perfectly with her memory. This was the female knight who had sponsored her to study at Siria Magic Academy.


    The pulse under her palm grew weaker, indicating the woman''s fading life.


    Luo Wei struggled internally. This was the only person who knew her true identity.


    She had wondered before what would happen if the people Axina sent out found the female knight. She never expected to encounter her like this.


    If she died...


    Dark thoughts surged through her mind. Luo Wei pressed her hand firmly on the female knight''s chest, her eyes dark and lightless beneath her long lashes.


    If she were to abandon someone who had once helped her for such a reason, how would she be any different from that detestable, cold-blooded man? He wasn''t a good person himself, so he assumed she was just like him. How ridiculous. She was nothing like that.


    Luo Wei performed CPR with a blank expression. When she felt it was enough, she leaned down and pinched the female knight''s nose.


    "What- what are you doing?!" Troy turned his head to see her kissing the woman. His pupils dilated in shock and disbelief, letting out a reality-shattering roar.


    "I''m saving her," Luo Wei explained briefly before continuing to breathe into the female knight''s mouth.


    After repeating this two or three times, as she leaned down to breathe again, she felt air flowing out from the other''s mouth.


    Luo Wei paused and looked up, meeting a pair of shocked deep brown eyes.


    "You''re awake," she said, slowly releasing her grip on the other''s nose. She checked the pulse again and moved her eyes away nonchalantly. "Don''t misunderstand. I was just saving you."


    "Your heartbeat has recovered. You should be out of danger now."


    The woman had already come to her senses, the shock quickly fading from her face.


    "Thank you for saving me. I thought I was done for," she said gratefully, looking at her savior. After a few seconds, she hesitated and asked, "Are you... Luo Wei?"


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    It had only been half a month since their last meeting, and the woman had a deep impression of this stunningly beautiful young girl who looked like an elf.


    Moreover, she had personally written a letter of recommendation for her to attend Siria Magic Academy and had given her ten gold coins for travel expenses.


    Luo Wei''s mind raced, considering how to respond to being recognized. She quickly made a decision.


    "Yes, it''s me," she didn''t deny her identity as she helped the female knight sit up. "I never expected to see you here. How did you encounter the monster?"


    The female knight''s face filled with sorrow. "I was originally on my way to Siria Magic Academy. When passing through here, I sensed the presence of a monster in the mountains and thought I could quickly deal with it. I never imagined it would be so powerful, devouring us all."


    "By the way, how did you manage to defeat it?" she asked.


    Luo Wei stepped aside, revealing Troy behind her. "I don''t have such abilities. It was my guard, Troy, who killed it."


    "He also rescued you all from the monster''s stomach."


    "Your guard?" The female knight''s eyes widened slightly, seemingly surprised that a lone fugitive girl would have a guard.


    But what kind of guard could kill a monster that her entire knight squad couldn''t defeat?


    The female knight looked at Troy, her gaze lingering on his mask before moving down to the hilt of his sword.


    She was startled as soon as she saw it, immediately recognizing it as a magical material that only magic swordsmen could use. Low-level swordsmen couldn''t withstand such powerful magical circulation.


    Didn''t Luo Wei say she was an orphan who escaped from a fishing village? How could she have a magic swordsman as a guard?


    At this moment, the female knight was plunged into deep confusion.


    Troy had been quietly listening nearby. When Luo Wei referred to him as her guard, he didn''t react.


    After all, he had taken Luo Wei''s money and was indeed acting as a guard now.


    "I apologize, Troy isn''t very talkative," Luo Wei said, noticing the female knight staring at Troy. Fearing she might inquire about Troy''s background, Luo Wei quickly changed the subject. "There are two more people alive on the ground. They might be your companions. Would you like to check on them?"


    When the original owner met the knight squad, everyone except the female knight wore helmets and masks, and they didn''t speak to her. Therefore, she didn''t recognize the others.


    Hearing "companions," the female knight immediately looked at the ground and excitedly rushed over. "It''s them! Robert and Vincent. They were so badly injured trying to protect me."


    She looked around, her gaze falling on the skeletons, tears welling up in her eyes. "The others... are they all dead?"


    Luo Wei nodded solemnly.


    The female knight took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and looked at Luo Wei. "I''m sorry. For certain reasons, I didn''t tell you my name before."


    "Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Lilien Rosetti, and I am the Crown Princess of the Grand Duchy of Kinoko. We were passing through here with my knight squad when we unfortunately encountered this disaster. I hope I can ask for your help to take us to Siria."


    "The Rosetti family always repays kindness. I will certainly reward you for this!"


    Luo Wei was slightly surprised. "So you''re a princess?"


    Lilien nodded. "Yes, when I met you before, I was secretly patrolling the border with my knight squad."


    The location of the fishing village was right between the Grand Duchy of Kinoko and the Principality of Tetia, in a disputed territory claimed by both sides.


    A look of understanding flashed in Luo Wei''s eyes. No wonder the other knights didn''t dare to call her name.


    Moreover, female knights were as rare as female nobles. With Lilien being escorted by a group of knights at that time, her identity should have been easy to guess.


    She had been blinded by a single leaf, overly trusting the original owner''s memories.


    Coming back to her senses, Luo Wei hurriedly said to Lilien, "You saved me back then. Now it''s my turn to repay you. Even if you hadn''t asked, I would certainly help you."


    Lilien''s face showed gratitude, but inwardly she felt a bit strange.


    According to etiquette, since she had revealed her name, Luo Wei should have stated her surname as well. Why did she overlook this?


    By now, Lilien no longer believed that Luo Wei was just an "orphan who fled from a fishing village pursued by pirates" as she had claimed.


    Just looking at how she wasn''t very surprised upon learning of her identity, and how she spoke to her naturally, neither servile nor overbearing, indicated that she must have another identity, and one of no low status.


    In fact, when Lilien first saw Luo Wei, she thought her appearance wasn''t something a small fishing village could produce. Now, discovering she had a magic swordsman as a guard, she was even more certain of her suspicions.


    Perhaps Luo Wei, like herself earlier, had chosen to disguise her identity for some reason.


    Thinking this, Lilien felt reassured.


    Her initial choice had indeed not been wrong.


    TBC

 Chapter 24: Return to Siria

    Having promised to help Lilien, Luo Wei began devising a plan to get them back to the city.


    The two knights had suffered severe internal injuries and wouldn''t regain consciousness anytime soon. Their horses had fallen prey to the monster, leaving them without transportation.


    Luo Wei only had one horse, and there were five people here. She couldn''t possibly make three of them walk back, could she?


    It was over sixty kilometers from here to Siria City, so walking back wasn''t a viable option either.


    "Troy, can you take them back?" Luo Wei looked at Troy.


    Ever since learning of Lilien''s royal identity, Troy''s aura had grown cold. Only when he heard Luo Wei''s question did he turn his head: "I can. Please give your orders."


    Luo Wei was surprised by his demeanor. What had gotten into Troy?


    But with Lilien still nearby, she couldn''t inquire further: "Then please take them to the city first."


    Troy gave her a long look: "Understood."


    He pulled out a thin cord from his collar, on which hung a bone whistle, and gently blew into it.


    The whistle''s sound was clear and melodious, with strong penetrating power.


    While Luo Wei was still wondering about the purpose of the whistle, Lilien excitedly tugged at her, pointing towards the sky.


    Soon, a dark shadow appeared overhead.


    "A griffin, it''s actually a griffin!" Lilien exclaimed in disbelief, covering her mouth.


    Luo Wei curiously looked up. The dark shadow grew larger and larger, finally flying over their heads. It turned out to be a creature with a giant eagle''s head, a lion''s body, and massive wings.


    So this was the griffin from Western mythology?


    That Troy, having such an impressive mode of transportation and not using it, instead making the two of them ride a single horse for such a long distance!


    Luo Wei glared at Troy, who looked back at her, puzzled.


    The griffin flapped its wings, stirring up gusts of wind above their heads, before slowly descending next to Troy.


    It folded its wings and stood up, towering at twice Troy''s height, with the body of a lion but the shape of an eagle.


    Troy stroked the griffin''s neck fur, making it lie down, then hoisted the unconscious knight onto the griffin''s back before looking at Luo Wei.


    Luo Wei understood immediately and said to Lilien, whose face was flushed with excitement, "Your Highness, please get on."


    Lilien hurriedly replied, "No need to be so formal, Luo Wei. Just call me Lilien."


    Luo Wei obediently nodded, "Alright, Lilien."


    She helped Lilien climb onto the griffin''s back, as Troy didn''t seem like the type to be gentle with ladies, given his cold demeanor.


    After Lilien was seated, Troy pulled Luo Wei up as well, protecting her as they stood by the griffin''s right wing.


    Accompanied by a clear bone whistle sound, the griffin spread its enormous wings and took to the sky.


    As expected of a legendary creature, it could fly so steadily even while carrying five people, and at such a high speed.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The wind howled, and Luo Wei could barely keep her eyes open. If it weren''t for Troy protecting her, she would have surely tumbled off by now.


    Lost in her thoughts, she felt like she had forgotten something, but couldn''t quite put her finger on it at the moment.


    "Lilien, are you going to Siria Magic Academy?" Luo Wei asked loudly, fearing her voice might be drowned out by the wind.


    Lilien raised her head and asked with some hesitation, "Do you know of any place where we can stay? I''d like to rest and freshen up first!"


    She was covered in mud and reeked of a foul odor, not wanting to appear before so many people in this state.


    Moreover, Robert and Vincent needed a quiet place to recover, and they had no accommodations at the academy.


    Hearing Lilien''s response, Luo Wei felt relieved.


    She didn''t want to return to school either at the moment. Although she had just realized that she might have misinterpreted the divination results, what if she hadn''t? What if there really were holy knights at the academy?


    "Then I''ll take you to the small courtyard I bought in the city first!" she shouted back.


    Lilien nodded gratefully.


    Carrying the five of them, the griffin swiftly flew back to Siria.


    Luo Wei looked down at the miniature version of the city below, her feelings mixed.


    It had taken over three hours to escape, but only thirty minutes to return. The difference was staggering!


    Wait a minute, she finally remembered what she had forgotten ¨C where was her horse?


    As they flew over the small courtyard, Troy crouched down and stroked the griffin''s wing. The griffin turned its head to look at him, showing a human-like understanding, and slowly descended.


    Luo Wei heard Bella''s scream from the courtyard below; she must have been terrified.


    After the griffin landed in the courtyard, Luo Wei was the first to jump off, comforting Bella who was crouching behind a flower bed, trembling: "Don''t be afraid, don''t be afraid. This is Troy''s mount, it won''t hurt anyone."


    Roman also ran out from the house, his face lighting up with joy when he saw her: "Young Miss, you''re back!"


    Luo Wei smiled and replied, "Yes, I promised you I would, so here I am."


    Roman raised his little hands and jumped on the spot, letting out an excited cheer.


    Seeing this scene, Troy''s eyes softened once again.


    Lilien slid down from the griffin''s wing and looked around the small courtyard, her face showing a hint of surprise.


    Such an exquisite and spacious courtyard must have cost a fortune, further convincing her that Luo Wei''s background was not ordinary.


    Troy lifted the two knights down and placed them on the ground, then mounted the griffin''s back again.


    "Troy, where are you going?" Luo Wei noticed his movement.


    Troy paused, straightening up: "I''m going to fetch the horse."


    "Oh, then hurry back," Luo Wei waved her hand.


    It was getting dark, and leaving a horse alone outside could easily lead to it being attacked by wild beasts.


    Troy breathed a sigh of relief and quickly rode off on the griffin.


    He disliked royalty and didn''t want any contact with them.


    Luo Wei turned back to instruct Bella, asking her to go out and find two strong helpers to come back. The two knights were big and heavy, and the women and children here were either too weak or too small to move them.


    If only she had known to ask Troy to bring them into the house before leaving; he had lifted those two men as easily as if they were chickens.


    Fortunately, Bella quickly called for help, and people came to carry the knights into the rooms.


    Luo Wei then sent Bella out to buy some clothes. Both she and Lilien were covered in mud, stinking and almost pickled like salted fish.


    Little Roman helped to boil water, and soon they were all able to take hot baths.


    After changing into clean clothes, Luo Wei came to the living room.


    Lilien had finished bathing even faster than her and was already sitting in the living room waiting.


    "Lilien, why aren''t you resting in your room?"


    Luo Wei walked over quickly. She could see that Lilien''s face was already very tired and had thought she would take a nap in bed first.


    Lilien was indeed exhausted. She had fought the monster for a long time today, and then was almost killed after being swallowed into its stomach. Both her spirit and physical strength were nearly depleted, but she still had some questions she wanted to ask Luo Wei, so she forced herself to come out.


    "Luo Wei..." she began, finding it difficult to speak. It wasn''t right to ask such suspicious questions of someone who had saved her, but she couldn''t rest easy without asking.


    TBC

 Chapter 25: She Must Also Be of Royal Blood

    "Lilien, feel free to ask whatever you want to know," Luo Wei said, seeing through her thoughts.


    Lilien replied apologetically, "You saw right through me. I''m sorry. I do have a question for you. How did you know there were monsters there?"


    People born into royalty tend to be more suspicious, and today''s events were too coincidental for her not to overthink.


    Luo Wei answered frankly, "To be honest, I didn''t know there were monsters there initially. I was just doing a divination at noon when I noticed an anomaly in the north. Out of curiosity, I took Troy and rode out of the city on horseback."


    "Later, when we got tired of riding, we rested by the river. That''s when we saw black mist coming from the forest. Troy said it was the aura of monsters, and that''s how we knew monsters had appeared in the forest."


    "Saving you was also a coincidence. While killing the monster, Troy unexpectedly found something moving inside its belly. Suspecting there might be someone still alive in there, he cut open its stomach and released you all."


    Lilien was surprised that Luo Wei could do divination. A moment later, her expression turned pained. "It must have been Vincent and Robert who heard someone killing the monster outside, so they desperately tried to make noise to get the attention of people outside to save us."


    Luo Wei played along and praised, "They are truly loyal warriors."


    "Yes, they are," Lilien nodded repeatedly.


    "But why did the monster appear there?" Luo Wei frowned and said, "That forest is so ordinary. How did it attract such a powerful swamp monster? If only there were Holy Knights here, they would surely know how the monster came to be."


    Lilien sighed, "How would Holy Knights care about such small matters? Without a divine oracle, they wouldn''t leave the church at all."


    "Indeed," Luo Wei sighed as well. "But divine oracles don''t appear often. Without a major disaster, it''s impossible to alarm the church."


    Lilien smiled bitterly, "That''s how they operate, always preferring to save the world after a disaster has occurred."


    "If I had lost my life to the monster today, they might have come to investigate at my father''s request, only to give an ambiguous answer."


    Luo Wei opened her mouth, showing a surprised expression. "Sister Lilien, so you also dislike the chur¡ª"


    "Shh!" Lilien put her finger to her lips. "Don''t say such obvious things."


    Then she looked at Luo Wei and smiled. "It seems we royals all dislike that way of doing things."


    "Yes," Luo Wei showed a knowing smile.


    Lilien let out a small yawn. "Luo Wei, I''m going to bed now. Thank you for today."


    "No need to thank me. Go get some rest," Luo Wei said.


    As Lilien turned around, a glint appeared in her eyes.


    She had just deliberately used the phrase "we royals" as a trap to test Luo Wei, and Luo Wei didn''t even notice. She must indeed be of royal blood!


    After Lilien left, Luo Wei''s gaze flickered.


    Axina had lied to her. The Holy Knights wouldn''t come to investigate just because someone wrote a letter of complaint.


    And she had misunderstood today''s star signs as well.


    Professor Tobias had said that whether the answer from divination is correct or not depends on one''s own judgment. Today, she had almost walked into a dead end due to misjudgment.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The great danger indicated by the Horn constellation was actually the chain reaction that would have been triggered by Lilien''s death.


    If Lilien had really died in the monster''s stomach today, King Kinoko would definitely have sought help from the church. The church would have sent people to investigate, and then they would have discovered her, a "demon occupying a human body," and she would have been executed.


    The way out given by the Dipper constellation was actually telling her to go to the forest in the north to save Princess Lilien. As long as she saved her, the subsequent events naturally wouldn''t happen.


    Yet she had thought the star signs were telling her to flee north, and when Troy said he wanted to kill the monster, she was reluctant.


    Fortunately, fortunately, Troy was a kind person!


    Otherwise, she, this selfish creature, would have lost her life today!


    Luo Wei made a decision in her heart to be nicer to Troy in the future. He might be her lucky star, the key to turning her fate around.


    ......


    It was pitch dark when Troy finally returned with the chestnut horse.


    When Luo Wei heard the sound and walked out of the courtyard, she saw him removing the blindfold from the horse''s eyes.


    "Why do I feel like you treat the horse better than you treat them?"


    He had even blindfolded the horse to prevent it from being afraid of heights, but he wasn''t nearly as attentive to Lilien and the two knights.


    Troy snorted coldly, "You treat them better than you treat me too."


    "Oh, are you jealous?" Luo Wei teased.


    Troy hung his head glumly, not wanting to respond to her.


    "Alright, don''t be angry. They won''t be staying here for too long," Luo Wei said, thinking she had discovered the reason for his anger. "Once the two knights have recovered from their injuries, they''ll move out."


    "This is your territory. You decide who stays," Troy said with his back to her. "I''ll move back to the inn during this time."


    "Troy, are you afraid they''ll see your hair?" Luo Wei asked, guessing.


    Troy paused. "So what if I am."


    Luo Wei fell silent. Indeed, so what if he was.


    She couldn''t possibly drive Lilien and the others out now.


    But she also couldn''t just let Troy leave. Although Troy seemed easy to talk to, she knew his heart was hard.


    "Troy," Luo Wei thought for a moment and said in a gentle tone, "I know you don''t like nobles. Maybe they''ve hurt you before, but not all nobles are bad people."


    "Lilien saved my life, so I can''t turn a blind eye when she needs help. I''m very grateful that you helped me today, which allowed me to repay this debt of gratitude."


    "Once I''ve repaid her for saving my life, there won''t be any more interactions between us. I''m asking you to bear with them for a while. It won''t be for too long."


    Troy finally looked at her, his eyes showing a hint of confusion. "She''s a royal princess. I''m just a lowly commoner. Why do you care whether I like her or not?"


    Luo Wei replied rationally, "I want to say we''re friends, that I get along better with you, that we''ve known each other longer, but I think these words are all too hypocritical, and you wouldn''t believe them anyway."


    Troy: No, I would believe it.


    "So my real reason is that I need you. I need you more than I need them."


    Luo Wei looked at him sincerely. "To me, your existence is more important than theirs."


    Without Lilien, she wouldn''t lose anything, but without Troy''s protection, she would truly die!


    Troy, however, stood there as if dumbfounded, those few sentences echoing repeatedly in his ears.


    She said she needed him.


    She said his existence was more important than theirs!


    A sour yet sweet feeling welled up from the bottom of his heart, tingling and itching, making him want to unbutton his shirt and touch his heart.


    Was his heart... broken?


    Troy suddenly clenched his fist, trying to hide his excited and agitated inner feelings. "Ahem, if that''s the case, I''ll treat you well in the future. You don''t need to pay me anymore. I''ll find a way to earn money..."


    Luo Wei: ??


    What on earth was Troy saying?


    Wait¡ª


    "You mean I can employ you without paying? Is there such a good deal?" Her eyes brightened as she grasped the key point. "Really, no payment?"


    Troy looked at her bright, pure eyes and finally realized he had been presumptuous.


    His face instantly darkened, and he sneered, "Employ me without payment? In your dreams!"


    "Not a single coin less!"

 Chapter 26: Luo Wei Isis

    Troy was indeed still the same Troy who valued money above all else.


    Luo Wei felt slightly relieved. Thank goodness, she had almost thought he had been possessed like herself.


    Now that the crisis was averted, she should return to school. Staying out all night would result in deducted points.


    She wondered if the academy allowed day students. Bathing in the dormitory was really inconvenient. She should ask Barton about it someday.


    The night was alluring. Luo Wei, accompanied by the silver moon, returned to the Romanesque castle surrounded by roses.


    In the magic academy devoid of nighttime entertainment, students generally retired early. Half of the windows in the girls'' dormitory building were already dark.


    It might also be to save oil, as lamp oil was not cheap at this time.


    Luo Wei lifted her long dress and gently stepped on the stone stairs of the spiral staircase to avoid disturbing others.


    A few wall lamps were placed on the staircase wall, with dim flames burning quietly.


    As she was about to reach the second floor, a long shadow was cast on the stairs.


    Luo Wei looked up and encountered Axina at the narrow passage above.


    "You didn''t leave?" Axina was surprised.


    Luo Wei was even more surprised: "Leave? Where to?"


    Axina looked down at her, her usually composed and smiling face now looking somewhat harsh: "I saw you go to the stable to get a horse. I thought you were going to run away."


    Luo Wei walked up two steps and asked back: "Why would I run away?"


    "Then why did you get a horse?" Axina pressed.


    Luo Wei chuckled: "The afternoon sun was nice, I just went for a horse ride outside the city. Many people went, why are you singling me out?"


    "It''s normal for young nobles to go out hunting. They go out all the time."


    "So it''s not normal that I like to go out for a breather?"


    Luo Wei stepped onto the last step, brushing past Axina without yielding.


    "Are you called Luo Wei Isis, or some other surname?" Axina called out behind her, her voice carrying a chill.


    Luo Wei paused her steps and turned her head: "Where did you hear this surname?"


    "So it is you," Axina''s gaze was like a cold, venomous snake, "I know your purpose, but you''d better give up on that idea."


    Luo Wei: "I don''t understand what you''re talking about."


    "You do understand. Those things no longer belong to you. You''d better not hope to reclaim anything, because your tainted bloodline is not worthy."


    The gentle facade faded away, finally revealing the bare bones beneath the beautiful skin. Axina stared at her contemptuously: "You''re not even qualified to be my foot-washing maid."


    "Hehe, interesting." Luo Wei hooked her lips and said slowly, "I''ve heard that people tend to emphasize what they lack the most."


    "Is that how you are, Axina?"


    Axina''s expression changed, laughing in extreme anger: "I hope you can keep being so sharp-tongued, don''t end up kneeling and begging me later."


    She strode past Luo Wei, leaving a final sentence.


    "Recognize your place early, leave Siria, don''t force me to take action."


    Luo Wei maintained her smile: "Then I''ll wait and see."


    The wall lamps elongated the shadows of the two, and on the empty corridor, the two shadows diverged, growing further apart.


    Luo Wei returned to her dormitory, her expression instantly darkening.


    She had misunderstood Axina''s intentions in targeting her all along.


    Axina wasn''t trying to expose her; her real purpose was to make her leave the academy, leave Siria.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    What she thought were probes were actually the other''s intimidation tactics.


    Axina knew something and was wary of her appearance, so she wanted to scare her away or make her give up.


    But what exactly was the reason for her to do this?


    She could be certain that the original owner didn''t know Axina and had no conflict of interest with her. In the original owner''s memories of over a decade, she had always stayed in the fishing village, never leaving it.


    The original owner''s parents died early, and she was adopted by the village chief''s family when she was three. As she grew up and her beauty blossomed, the village chief feared he couldn''t protect her and didn''t even dare to let her meet outsiders.


    Under these circumstances, how could she possibly have a conflict with a noble young lady from afar?


    Unless Axina had mistaken her for someone else.


    "Isis." Luo Wei muttered this surname.


    It felt somewhat familiar, where had she heard it before?


    After thinking for a long time without remembering, Luo Wei simply blew out the oil lamp, got into bed, and went to sleep!


    Tired from the day, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, her sleep quality surprisingly good.


    A dreamless night.


    The bell rang, and the girls'' dormitory quickly became lively.


    Knocking sounds, footsteps, various collision sounds, kept ringing non-stop early in the morning.


    When Luo Wei was awakened by the noise, she still had a sense of absurdity, not knowing what day it was.


    It took her a while to remember that today was her seventh day of school, and she had a swordsmanship class in the morning.


    This was the downside of Siria Magic Academy. Although having classes for half a day and being free for the other half was relaxing, they had one class every day all year round, not giving even one lazy morning. Heaven knows how difficult it was for her to get up every day.


    Because she got up late, Luo Wei didn''t even have time to brush her teeth. She just washed her face and ran to the square¡ªthe location for the swordsmanship class was the academy square.


    For the first swordsmanship class, the school issued wooden swords. Even if hit, it would only hurt for a while and wouldn''t injure anyone.


    The swordsmanship teacher was Coach Campbell. As for his first name, he didn''t introduce it himself, and the students didn''t dare to ask.


    After teaching some basic sword techniques, he let everyone practice in pairs.


    Luo Wei was paired with a round-faced young girl named Amy, who came from a farmer''s family, considered relatively wealthy among commoners.


    However, there were too many nobles in the class, and Amy, like other commoners, was discriminated against.


    "Miss Luo Wei, you''re really a good person."


    After practicing for a while, Amy gave Luo Wei a "good person card".


    "Thank you for your compliment." Luo Wei accepted her praise.


    She had heard such words so often lately that she didn''t feel embarrassed at all.


    "Amy, you need to raise your sword-holding hand a bit higher, that''s the standard position."


    Luo Wei patiently corrected Amy''s posture. She intended to befriend the commoners in the class, and her efforts over the past week had shown significant results.


    The commoners in the class were still afraid of the nobles, but they had started to greet her actively when they saw her.


    At noon, Luo Wei didn''t go to the cafeteria for lunch. The square was close to the school gate, so she planned to eat outside.


    Troy was waiting outside the school and walked over when he saw her come out.


    "How are they doing?"


    "I checked on them this morning. The two knights have already woken up."


    Luo Wei nodded: "That''s good. As long as they can wake up, half their lives are saved."


    Come to think of it, people in this era were really unfortunate. When they got sick or injured, they didn''t dare to find a doctor and had to rely on themselves to get through it.


    But if it were her, she probably wouldn''t want to find one either.


    The medical methods of this period were downright diabolical. The outcome of falling ill was only one: death.


    If you found a doctor, you would die even faster.


    Medical science in medieval Europe was very backward. Due to their excessive belief in religion, they believed that sick people were either possessed or inherently sinful, and shouldn''t seek treatment but should confess to God instead.


    Even if they did treat, the process was extremely painful. They would either bleed you to death, make you vomit to death, or if not, give you an enema to death or poison you to death.


    The most cruel method was the amputation method. They would cut off wherever it hurt: cut off the hand if it hurt, cut off the foot if it hurt, drive iron nails into the brain if the head hurt, whip pregnant women if they had difficult labor, increasing the mortality rate from 10% to 100%.


    If you were cured, you had to thank God for His forgiveness. If not cured, it meant you were so evil that you deserved to die early. It was utterly dark.


    When they were looking for a place to recuperate yesterday, Luo Wei had guessed her concerns.


    If she had brought the two severely injured knights to the academy, the academy would definitely have actively sought doctors to treat them. Not only would they be treated to death, but the two loyal knights would also bear the sin of "divine punishment", probably unable to rest in peace even after death.


    Although this world didn''t have God or Christ, the medical methods were no different from medieval Europe.


    If Luo Wei could be heartless enough, she could even pretend to be a doctor to cheat¡ªno, to make money in the future.


    After all, she had studied astrology, and in this era, doctors who could choose different parts of the body for bloodletting based on the stars were highly sought after and respected professionals.


    Thinking of those wronged souls who died from excessive bloodletting, Luo Wei shuddered.


    No, no, she couldn''t even think about such things. It would be too harmful to her karma!


    TBC

 Chapter 27: Queen Isis

    "Are you cold?"


    Troy noticed her shiver and thought she might be feeling chilly.


    Luo Wei snapped back to reality and quickly said, "No, I''m not cold. I just thought of something."


    Troy gave her an inquisitive look: "What made you so scared?"


    Luo Wei mischievously asked, "Are you afraid of seeing doctors?"


    Troy shuddered, as if recalling some unpleasant memory, and tightly closed his mouth.


    His reaction...


    "Have you seen a doctor before?" Luo Wei asked curiously, "What illness did you have that required a doctor, and how did the doctor treat you?"


    With a living example right in front of her, she couldn''t resist the urge to interview him, wanting to know what kind of mindset people in this world had when seeking medical treatment.


    She wondered which of the four major methods - bloodletting, induced vomiting, enemas, or poisoning - Troy had experienced.


    Moreover, to have seen a doctor and still be alive, he was truly remarkable!


    However, Troy kept silent, and Luo Wei''s expression gradually became peculiar: "Don''t tell me you had hemorrhoid surgery?"


    Troy, embarrassed and angry, retorted: "No, don''t make wild guesses!"


    "No way, it really was hemorrhoids?" Luo Wei clicked her tongue.


    In this era, the surgery with the highest success rate was hemorrhoid removal. One cut, and it''s done. A quick incision followed by cauterization with a hot iron, perfect.


    "I said it wasn''t!" Troy, fearing her guesses would become more outrageous, quickly explained, "I just had some bloodletting done. The doctor used leeches on me."


    Hearing the word "leeches," Luo Wei''s face scrunched up: "That''s even worse than hemorrhoid surgery. What if those things crawl inside your body?"


    Troy''s face turned ashen. He had indeed experienced leeches crawling inside him and had to make a great effort to remove them. That''s why he was so averse to doctors now.


    But he would never tell Luo Wei this truth!


    "You don''t get bloodletting every time you''re sick, do you?" Luo Wei continued to ask as she pondered, "How many times have you had bloodletting? Don''t you feel dizzy? Actually, excessive bloodletting can be fatal. Trust me, don''t do it anymore."


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Troy felt exhausted, but to maintain his image, he had to explain: "I haven''t done it many times. Unless you''re on the verge of death, no one wants to get bloodletting. When I was sick as a child, I mostly just prayed and asked for holy water."


    "Prayer and holy water don''t work either, but who knows, it''s called faith healing. Sometimes self-suggestion can have a bit of an effect," Luo Wei said, covering her chin.


    Troy closed his eyes briefly, no longer wanting to hear her speak.


    How hurtful!


    You already know, why do you have to point it out!


    The two walked side by side, leaving the academy street behind them. The surroundings gradually grew quiet.


    "Troy."


    "What?"


    Luo Wei''s expression turned cool, her previous jovial manner gone: "Have you heard of the surname Isis?"


    She had just remembered to ask Troy, thinking he might know something.


    "Isis," Troy repeated, his eyes flickering slightly, "Have you met someone with the surname Isis?"


    Luo Wei denied it outright: "No, I just heard a classmate at school mention it. They were being all mysterious about it, so I got curious."


    "Oh," After several seconds, Troy slowly began, "Isis is a very noble surname. People who use this surname are considered descendants of the God of Life, because the name of the Goddess of Life is Isis."


    Luo Wei finally realized where that sense of familiarity came from. In her previous life, she had read about Egyptian mythology, where Isis was the goddess of life and health, as well as the protector of the dead.


    This was a very typical naming convention: using your name to crown my surname, inheriting and displaying the glory of ancestors.


    "Have you ever met anyone with the surname Isis?" Luo Wei probed.


    "I haven''t met any, but I''ve heard of them."


    Troy looked up towards the southern sky: "Isis is a surname that came from the Wastes, not common in the Western Continent."


    "I''ve only heard of one, the former queen of the current king of the Kingdom of Ateh, Peggy Isis. It''s said she was a princess from an ancient country in the Wastes who married into Ateh, but she passed away many years ago."


    Luo Wei felt an inexplicable pang in her heart: "How did she die?"


    "I heard she drowned in a river while eloping with someone."


    "The queen, eloping?"


    "Yes, this queen was someone who couldn''t tolerate even a speck of dust in her eye. She discovered the king sleeping with her maid and, in a fit of anger, wanted a divorce. But the King of Ateh didn''t agree, so she eloped with someone."


    "What was the name of the person she eloped with?"


    "How would I know that? If it weren''t for this royal scandal causing such a stir across the entire continent at the time, I wouldn''t have heard about it either."


    "How come I never heard about it?" Luo Wei asked suspiciously. There was nothing about this in the original owner''s memories.


    "That was fifteen years ago," Troy glanced at her, "At that time, you probably weren''t even born yet."


    Hearing his tone, Luo Wei teased: "Tsk tsk, how old are you, old man? You sound so antiquated!"


    Troy''s expression indeed turned unpleasant: "I''m only twenty-three!"


    Luo Wei: "What? You''re already a twenty-three-year-old bachelor?"


    At this age in this era, he wasn''t considered young anymore.


    Troy gritted his teeth: "I''m not an old bachelor!"


    "Okay, okay, you''re not," Luo Wei, seeing him angry, quickly returned to the main topic, "So, was Queen Isis''s body ever found?"


    "I don''t know!" Troy''s chest heaved up and down. The topic change was so abrupt that it made him seem petty.


    After taking a few deep breaths, he continued: "However, not long after Queen Isis died, the King of Ateh made that maid the new queen."


    "It''s said that this maid was extremely beautiful. At the time, she was almost taken by a lord to be his mistress, but Queen Isis saved her."


    "But some people say that Queen Isis was too naive and was tricked. This maid came from a fallen noble family and had long harbored intentions of attaching herself to the king."


    "She deliberately seduced the lord on the day of the queen''s outing to stage an abduction, so that the kind-hearted queen would save her and bring her back to the palace, giving her the opportunity to get close to the king."


    After listening, Luo Wei''s expression was hard to describe.


    What a melodramatic plot, what an exciting twist.


    What''s even more dramatic is that she realized she might have some connection to this Queen Isis.


    Fifteen years ago, the age matched up too.


    Could the original owner be Queen Isis''s daughter?


    If that''s true, then the original owner''s death wasn''t in vain. Axina was ruthless, clearly someone who would "take advantage of illness to take a life."


    Come to think of it, today was the day the original owner was supposed to be hanged.


    Luo Wei extrapolated based on the original fate trajectory and realized that the original owner had already walked into a dead end at this point.


    The crime of impersonating a noble wasn''t enough to warrant death. There were three layers to what led to her demise.


    The first two layers were naturally Axina''s push and the mysterious assassin''s plot. The final layer was Princess Lilith.


    TBC

 Chapter 28: They Call Her Medusa

    Princess Lilith was killed yesterday afternoon. One night was enough time for Siria to learn of her death.


    A princess of a country dying in the outskirts of Siria would surely cause panic among the city''s residents, and the city lord would try to conceal this news.


    Letting the original owner''s death spark a celebration among the citizens, making them forget about the monsters in the outskirts and the impending accountability from King Kinoko, was indeed a profitable deal.


    It''s just a pity about the original owner''s flower-like life.


    Tonight, I''ll buy a bouquet of flowers, as a memorial service for the original owner.


    Luo Wei raised her head, looking at the sky where white clouds were drifting, imagining an identical face on the celestial dome.


    Today''s offering is simple, don''t be disappointed.


    In the future, I will avenge you one by one, to comfort your spirit in heaven.


    In the original owner''s heart, she hated the pirates the most, not Axina.


    They plundered the village where she had lived for fifteen years, killed all the people she loved, and forced her to flee the harbor, leaving her to face this cold and sad world empty-handed.


    "Sigh..."


    Luo Wei stroked her rapidly beating heart. For a moment just now, the hatred that surged in her heart almost overwhelmed her rationality, giving rise to a desire to destroy the world in revenge.


    "Why are you sighing again?" Troy looked over, asking uncertainly, "Are you sympathizing with that queen?"


    Luo Wei lowered her hand: "I do feel a bit sorry for her. Did that queen have any children?"


    Troy shook his head: "I haven''t heard of any. The new queen, however, has given birth to several, but unfortunately, they''re not very favored."


    "Why? Doesn''t the king love her?"


    "They didn''t inherit the royal family''s facial features, which displeased the king."


    "What features?"


    "Black hair, black eyes. The new queen is a blonde beauty, and so are her children. I heard that the King of Ateh is already considering replacing the queen to have a black-haired heir."


    Luo Wei sighed again. This tragic world is indeed cruel to women.


    At first, he made her the new queen because he coveted the maid''s beauty, and now he wants to replace her because the children she bore are blonde. It''s truly ironic.


    "Are all members of the Ateh royal family black-haired?" Luo Wei suspected that the original owner might be the biological daughter of the King of Ateh.


    "The ones born to the new queen aren''t. The king has been reluctant to officially recognize those children. He even promised his mistresses that whoever could give him a black-haired child would be made the new queen."


    "However, the new queen is a very capable woman. She has managed to get rid of all the women around the king, so no new heir has been born so far."


    "What''s the new queen''s name anyway?" Luo Wei was getting confused.


    Troy thought for a moment and said: "I think it''s Anna or Annie or something like that. I can''t remember clearly. The people of Ateh like to call her Queen Medusa, alluding to her beauty and viciousness."


    Queen Medusa, it indeed sounds like a fascinating villainess.


    Luo Wei felt conflicted. If this were purely a story, she might have thought this woman was quite impressive with her capabilities.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    But given the situation involving the original owner''s background, she couldn''t bring herself to have a good impression of this woman.


    "Does that Queen Medusa have a daughter? How old?"


    "Why are you asking about her daughter?" Troy found it increasingly strange.


    Luo Wei sighed: "Because I suspect that one of our female classmates might be her daughter."


    Troy''s pupils constricted, his hand unconsciously moving to the sword at his side.


    Luo Wei didn''t notice his unusual behavior and continued: "I feel like that classmate is targeting me, just because I have black hair."


    Troy''s rigid body relaxed slightly, though his right hand remained on the sword hilt: "She might just be jealous of you."


    After a pause, as if remembering something, he added in a vague voice: "Some people are like that, they want to destroy others out of jealousy."


    Hmm? The meaning of these words...


    Luo Wei''s eyes lit up like searchlights, focusing on him.


    "I''m not talking about myself, I mean some people," Troy''s voice became flustered, "Like, for example, the classmate you mentioned. Yes, Queen Medusa''s eldest daughter is about your age, it could be her."


    Luo Wei: "Tell me more?"


    Troy reluctantly said: "To be more specific, Queen Medusa''s eldest daughter was born when Queen Isis was still around. Strictly speaking, she''s the king''s illegitimate daughter with her, so she''s never been officially accepted by the royal family."


    "The king is also unwilling to acknowledge her because it represents the royal scandal he caused. He just keeps her in the palace, treating her with the courtesy of a princess."


    "Have you met this princess?" Luo Wei suddenly asked.


    Troy self-mockingly replied: "How could a commoner like me possibly meet them?"


    Luo Wei made an "oh" sound: "You spoke so detailed, I thought you had been to the Ateh royal palace."


    Troy: "Didn''t you ask me to tell you more?"


    "I didn''t expect you to actually know," Luo Wei looked at him as if enjoying a show.


    Troy''s facial muscles twitched with anger, and he answered gruffly: "You can find all sorts of people in taverns. If you spend some time there, you''ll know more than I do."


    "I see." Luo Wei lost interest.


    "What did Queen Isis look like?" she asked finally.


    Troy struggled to say: "I heard, well, that she was also very beautiful, with eyes darker than obsidian, like a noble goddess, just not very likely to arouse desire in men."


    Luo Wei was choked by this description: "You men are really perverted."


    "It''s not me who said it," Troy protested, "This came from the mouth of the King of Ateh."


    That statement from the King of Ateh had shocked the entire Western Continent at the time.


    "He even said it in front of the envoys from neighboring countries, complaining that although his wife was beautiful, she was too aloof, unlike her maid who was hot and passionate in bed."


    The envoys went back and told this as a joke to others, spreading it throughout the Western Continent.


    Luo Wei: An old man on the subway looking at his phone.


    Why did she have to ask this question? Her clean ears were now dirty!


    Woo!


    When they reached the small courtyard, Troy refused to go in. Luo Wei knew he felt uncomfortable inside, so she didn''t insist.


    She entered the courtyard alone. As soon as she stepped through the door, Roman ran out from the yard.


    "Miss, you''re finally here!"


    Roman was wearing a warm woolen coat, his little face flushed. Although he hadn''t put on weight yet, his exquisite and outstanding little face already made him seem quite extraordinary.


    How come I didn''t notice before that Roman was so cute, he''s like an angel sent from heaven!


    Luo Wei couldn''t resist touching his little face, muttering: "When he grows up, how many hearts will he break?"


    Roman understood and immediately said: "I want to be like Troy and cover my face with a mask!"


    "Why?" Luo Wei''s voice became sweet and soft when talking to children.


    "Because I only want to show my face to you, Miss," Roman announced loudly, "I want to be your knight forever!"


    "Pfft, such sweet talk."


    Luo Wei didn''t take this statement seriously. Children have fleeting thoughts; when he finds a girl he loves in the future, he won''t think this way anymore.


    Roman could tell she didn''t take him seriously and puffed up his cheeks: "I''m serious!"


    "You," Luo Wei poked his forehead with her fingertip, crouching down to say seriously, "Although I took you in, I don''t want to bind you with gratitude. I hope you are free."


    "Don''t you remember, you saved me too, so we''re even."


    "No, it''s not like that at all!"


    Roman was still young and couldn''t find the words to refute her, nor could he express his true inner thoughts. The little person immediately became sullen.


    "You''re just like Troy." Luo Wei shook her head amusedly, patted his head, and walked towards the kitchen.


    TBC

 Chapter 29: Roman, the Thoughtful Little Darling

    Roman stood still, raising his small hand to touch the top of his head, his handsome little face full of disappointment.


    After sulking for a while, he trotted to the yard and looked at his reflection in a water bucket.


    The water surface reflected a cute little boy with delicate features, a high nose bridge, soft lips, and a pair of light brown eyes that looked like two misty amber gems.


    At just seven years old, he already showed signs of becoming strikingly handsome and beautiful.


    If he weren''t so thin, almost emaciated, his appearance might have been even more eye-catching.


    After looking at his reflection, Roman was finally satisfied.


    He wasn''t like Troy at all; he was better-looking than Troy!


    Although he hadn''t seen Troy''s entire face, little Roman was just that confident!


    Luo Wei found Bella cooking in the kitchen and asked about Lilith and the others'' breakfast situation this morning.


    Bella timidly said, "Miss Rossetti didn''t like the food I made very much, but the other two gentlemen weren''t picky eaters."


    Luo Wei saw the leftover stewed fish in the pot and bread slices on the rack, which indeed looked quite rough.


    She took out three silver coins and gave them to Bella: "This afternoon, go out and buy a bag of fine flour, eggs, and a bucket of milk. I''ll teach you how to sift and make better bread. Also, buy two iron pots and three clay pots, and get more beef and chicken."


    She had a potion class tomorrow, and her spice assignment wasn''t done yet. She needed to finish it this afternoon while she had time.


    She might not know how to blend perfumes, but how could she not know how to make seasoning?


    "Oh, and sugar too. Buy some almond candy as well."


    Remembering that sugar was expensive in this world, Luo Wei gave Bella two more silver coins.


    Holding five silver coins in her hands, Bella was trembling. She had never held so much money before.


    When she worked at her aunt''s house before, her daily income was only two copper coins, just enough to buy a loaf of black bread mixed with pebbles.


    Bella looked at her new mistress with concern, worried that the mistress might squander all the household money, leaving her homeless on the streets.


    "What''s wrong?" Luo Wei noticed Bella''s worried expression and asked curiously.


    "Nothing, mistress. Please go about your business. I''m going shopping now!"


    Bella tried to stand up straight. For the sake of this household, she was determined to bargain hard with the merchants today!


    Luo Wei returned to the main hall just as Lilith came downstairs, having changed her clothes.


    "Luo Wei, you''re back from class?"


    "Yes, Lilith. Are you going out?"


    Lilith lifted her skirt and walked up to her, saying kindly, "I''m planning to go to Siria Magic Academy. I was supposed to report there this morning, but it got delayed until now."


    Luo Wei looked confused: "So you''re a student at the magic academy too."


    Lilith couldn''t help but smile: "I''m not a student, I''m a teacher at the school."


    Luo Wei''s eyes widened suddenly: "You''re a teacher?"


    Lilith looked only three or four years older than her, yet she was a teacher at the academy!


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Doesn''t it seem like it?" Lilith spread her arms and twirled in front of her, covering her mouth and smiling with her eyes curved, "I''m the newly hired Potion Course teacher at the academy. I was late in reporting because I was inspecting the border defenses for a few days."


    "Potion Course," Luo Wei said dazedly, "Is that Pharmacology?"


    "It''s an advanced course in Pharmacology, Intermediate Potion Making. You''ll see me when you become an intermediate magic apprentice," Lilith said, gentle as water.


    Luo Wei was still shocked. Lilith had so many identities, even more than her.


    When she thought Lilith was a knight, she told her she was a princess. When she knew she was a princess, she now says she''s a teacher at the school.


    No wonder she could write a recommendation letter for the original owner; teachers have internal referral quotas!


    Thinking of this, Luo Wei felt a bit confused again: "Lilith... teacher, why did you recommend me to come to Siria in the first place?"


    "When I first saw you, I noticed magical fluctuations around you. I thought your magical talent must be quite good, so I recommended you to study here."


    It was pretty much as she had guessed. Luo Wei thanked Lilith again for saving the original owner back then.


    Lilith saw through it clearly: "What''s there to thank? I saved myself. If it weren''t for you, I would have become monster food long ago."


    She bid farewell to Luo Wei and hurried out the door.


    Luo Wei thought, "Oh no," realizing she hadn''t prepared a carriage.


    How could a noble lady go out without riding in a carriage? Surely Lilith wouldn''t walk to school?


    Luo Wei mourned for herself. The rich lady image she had carefully cultivated was completely shattered at this moment. Once Lilith got to school and asked around, wouldn''t she become suspicious of her again?


    Just as she was feeling despondent, she suddenly heard the sound of wheels rolling outside the door.


    Luo Wei was stunned and looked towards the courtyard.


    A simple yet elegant arched-top small carriage appeared outside the gate, pulled by a white horse. A short-haired boy, about ten years old, was sitting at the front of the carriage!


    If she wasn''t mistaken, that carriage had come out from the side gate of her small courtyard, right? There were no other houses nearby, and she hadn''t heard the sound of wheels earlier.


    Could it be that Lilith had called for it this morning?


    Luo Wei felt very uneasy and called Roman, who was pulling weeds in the yard: "Roman, did Miss Rossetti call for that carriage herself?"


    "No," Roman fidgeted with his fingers, carefully looking at her with moist eyes, "I bought it."


    "You bought it?" Luo Wei asked incredulously, "Where did you get the money to buy a carriage?"


    Roman lowered his head: "It was the two gold coins you gave me yesterday. I only bought a cashmere coat for eighty copper coins, and used the rest to buy the carriage."


    Luo Wei was shocked: "But horses are so expensive, and the carriage too. The remaining money wouldn''t be enough!"


    "It was enough," Roman counted on his fingers, "I bought a three-year-old pony from an uncle I know. I told him this horse would be used to pull your carriage, and that you usually stay at the academy and don''t go out often, so the horse wouldn''t get tired. If he sold me the horse at half price, I could feed it the best grass for three years."


    "After three years when you leave Siria, I would sell the horse back to him at full price, and I could help train the horse. Horses are in their prime after five years old, so it would be like he raised a strong horse without spending a penny."


    "The boss agreed and only charged me one gold coin."


    "Then I asked the horse boss to introduce me to a carriage merchant. I told him I wanted to buy a carriage for a noble lady, and if he sold me the carriage at a discount, I would help promote his business, saying that all nobles buy carriages from him."


    "The carriage merchant agreed too and only charged me ninety silver coins."


    Luo Wei was increasingly amazed as she listened: "Then you only had twenty copper coins left. How did you hire a coachman?"


    "Tom isn''t a coachman. He''s an orphan too. He often begs around the carriage shop and knows how to drive a carriage. I found him and said if he was willing to be your coachman, I would share half of my food with him every day, and he agreed."


    "Then I gave him my old linen clothes, took him to take a bath and get a haircut, and let him try driving the carriage. He drives very well."


    At this point, Roman''s face suddenly became very dejected: "I originally wanted it for you to ride in. I didn''t expect that lady would need to use it too."


    Luo Wei was so amazed she couldn''t speak. She had picked up a genius child!


    "Roman, you''ve done me a great favor today!" she quickly comforted him, "You did very well. Miss Rossetti is my guest. If she went out without a carriage, it would be my face that''s lost."


    Hearing this, Roman also became happy: "Really, Miss? Did I really help you?"


    "Of course!" Luo Wei nodded affirmatively, "But how did you come up with the idea of buying a carriage?"


    Roman said shyly: "Yesterday at noon, I saw your hands were red from holding the reins when you got off the horse. I thought you must be very uncomfortable riding a horse all the time, so I wanted to buy you a carriage."


    Luo Wei felt both touched and heartbroken. She finally understood what it felt like to have a thoughtful little darling.


    TBC

 Chapter 30: A Stunning Beauty Wiping His Nose

    Since Roman was so smart, education needed to be put on the agenda.


    Clever children should go to school and experience the hardships of learning!


    Luo Wei made up her mind to find a good teacher for Roman. No, one wasn''t enough; she needed to find seven or eight.


    Literature, mathematics, archery, painting, music - everything a knight should learn, she would arrange for him. And for subjects knights didn''t learn, she would give him extra lessons. The child she raised would develop comprehensively in morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor!


    Looking at Roman''s fluffy head, Luo Wei felt a surge of passion, as if she had suddenly transformed into a ruthless tiger mom.


    Roman felt a chill on the back of his neck, his small face filled with confusion. What was going on? Why did it feel like there was a cold wind blowing here?


    Not long after, Tom returned from dropping someone off.


    Seeing that although he was young, his carriage-driving skills were quite proficient, Luo Wei called him to the courtyard: "Your name is Tom, right?"


    Tom was as thin as a beanpole, his sunken eye sockets lacking the support of fat, looking like two holes. He was wearing Roman''s clothes, with sleeves and trouser legs that were much too short. He stood there timidly, his body trembling with fear.


    "Don''t be afraid, just answer my questions," Luo Wei couldn''t bear to see a child like this. Tom reminded her of Roman on the first day.


    "Y-yes, my name is Tom."


    Tom lowered his head in fear, his spine curved like a cooked shrimp.


    Luo Wei softened her voice: "How old are you?"


    "Sixteen, sixteen years old." Tom lied. He was actually only eleven, but he was afraid Luo Wei wouldn''t want him because of his young age, just like how the carriage shop owner had driven him away.


    At eleven, a boy should be growing rapidly. He ate a lot, but his weak body couldn''t handle heavy work, so employers didn''t want him.


    Seeing Tom''s lowered head and trembling legs, Luo Wei didn''t ask any further.


    This child''s psychological resilience wasn''t as strong as Roman''s. Despite being a few years older than Roman, he had suffered more of the world''s injustices and needed gradual change.


    "Tom, you were recruited by Roman. If he chose you, you must have some exceptional qualities."


    "From now on, you''ll live in the room by the side gate of the courtyard. The kitchen will provide you with two meals a day, and you''ll get a daily wage of twenty copper coins. Are you willing?"


    Tom''s head shot up, then quickly lowered again, his voice revealing excitement and wild joy: "I''m willing, I''m willing, Miss!"


    He kept bowing, expressing his gratitude to Luo Wei.


    Twenty copper coins a day!


    And room and board included!


    The coachmen at the carriage shop only got fifty copper coins a day, without food and lodging. Coachman apprentices under eighteen didn''t even get paid; sometimes they even had to pay money.


    Tom felt as if he had been hit on the head by a huge pie falling from the sky. He felt dizzy, as if drunk.


    Roman was right, this truly was the kindest and most beautiful noble lady!


    Tom didn''t dare look at Luo Wei, so he gratefully looked at Roman. Roman caught his gaze and lifted his chin high, proud of himself.


    With a coachman, they now had someone to run errands.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Luo Wei had been using Troy for errands before, and she felt a bit guilty about it now.


    Troy''s background was a mystery. Not only was he skilled with a sword, but he also had a flashy griffin mount. Even Princess Lilith looked at him with respect. Using such an important person for errands was indeed inappropriate.


    Thinking of Lilith, Luo Wei asked Tom: "Did Miss Rossetti say when she would return?"


    Tom shook his head: "No, Miss, she didn''t."


    Luo Wei thought for a moment and instructed: "Then wait at the academy gate later. If Miss Rossetti comes out, please ask her to get in the carriage."


    Those two knights were still staying at her place, so Lilith would definitely return.


    Having received her instructions, Tom ran happily to the side gate where the carriage was parked. He loved dealing with horses.


    Roman also ran back to the flower bed, sticking his bottom out as he huffed and puffed, pulling weeds. He was pulling weeds from the flower bed; Luo Wei had initially thought he was maintaining the garden, but now she realized he wanted to pull weeds to feed the horse.


    "Roman, come here."


    "Miss!" Roman immediately dropped the weeds and ran over, wiping his mud-covered little hands on his pants, and then wiping away the snot that was about to drip out of his nose.


    Seeing this scene, Luo Wei deeply felt that her educational task was arduous and long.


    If she let Roman grow up like this, she couldn''t even imagine what it would be like in the future - a stunningly handsome man of 1.89 meters, giving passionate looks with his eyes while wiping the snot that had dripped to his mouth with the back of his hand. What a beautiful scene that would be


    "Miss, what is it?" Roman looked up at her obediently, not knowing that there was a diagonal streak of snot on his face and a ring of mud around his mouth.


    Luo Wei hesitated, wanting to say something but afraid of hurting his self-esteem.


    Finally, she took out her handkerchief and wiped his face: "Roman, I''ll give you money for the horse''s feed. From now on, Tom will be your little brother. Can you help me manage him?"


    No man can resist being called a big brother, and boys are no exception. He immediately smiled, his eyes turning into crescents: "Okay!"


    Luo Wei gave him the handkerchief: "As a big brother, you need to set an example. From now on, you should lead by example and help Tom become a clean and well-mannered coachman."


    Roman held the handkerchief with both hands: "I will definitely do that!"


    Luo Wei successfully passed on the snot-covered handkerchief and felt relieved.


    She went upstairs to the bedroom she had kept for herself.


    Currently, only three people were staying on the second floor: herself, Lilith, and Troy.


    With Lilith and Troy out, it was nice and quiet. She wanted to try divination again, to see if yesterday''s divination was a fluke or if she really possessed this ability.


    Luo Wei took out the turtle shell, placed her left hand below and right hand above, put the shell in her palm, and closed her eyes.


    In the deep night sky, the Milky Way flowed, and the star chart reappeared.


    Luo Wei looked at the rotating golden star tracks and asked her first question.


    "Am I the daughter of King Ater?"


    This time, the turtle shell didn''t crack, but the stars in the sky still gave some hints.


    If yesterday''s divination was a prediction, today''s was a decision. Logically, making a decision should be simpler than predicting.


    Luo Wei observed the stars in the sky, her brows furrowing: "So I''m not. Could I have guessed wrong?"


    The original owner wasn''t the daughter of Queen Isis and the king, but the child of her and the man she eloped with?


    Luo Wei looked at the star chart again: "Am I the daughter of Queen Beiji Isis?"


    The stars flickered, a comet swept by, and the stars once again gave an answer.


    "Not either?"


    Luo Wei looked at the stars, truly surprised this time.


    So she wasn''t of King Ater''s or Queen Isis''s bloodline; she was just an orphaned fisherman''s child who had lost both parents?


    Well, she blamed herself for watching too many soap operas. As soon as she heard this kind of plot, she had the illusion that she was the protagonist.


    Since it wasn''t her, it meant that Axina had mistaken her identity. Some of her behaviors and appearance had led to this misunderstanding.


    Should she explain it clearly to her?


    Luo Wei felt there was no need. Why wouldn''t she wear an identity that was handed to her on a silver platter?


    When Axina asked her last night if her surname was Isis, she had deliberately answered in a way to let the other party misunderstand.


    Moreover, she couldn''t explain to Axina. She couldn''t just reveal the truth that she was a commoner!


    She had already offended them; exposing herself would only lead to a quicker death.


    Luo Wei closed her eyes and withdrew from the spiritual world.


    After looking at the star chart today, her symptoms of dizziness had actually lessened a bit. It seemed that decision-making divination was indeed much easier than prediction.


    TBC

 Chapter 31: Bella the Hammer Wielder

    Half an hour later, Bella returned with a cart brimming with groceries.


    She was elated by her shopping experience, relishing the joy of being a big spender for the first time.


    Because she was buying in bulk, all the merchants had vied to sell to her. After the sale, concerned that she might struggle with the load, they even helped deliver the goods to her door with a pushcart.


    Bella animatedly recounted her market adventures, while Luo Wei listened and shook her head with an amused smile.


    These merchants were shrewd businessmen. They knew exactly which households in the city could afford meat, so of course they would seize the opportunity when they saw a big customer like her.


    After all, with the poor meat preservation techniques and the high cost of salt and spices, it wasn''t cost-effective to make jerky. If the meat spoiled, it would be a significant loss.


    The poor couldn''t afford meat, and the merchants couldn''t sell all their stock.


    When Bella started to move the ingredients into the kitchen, Roman and Tom came to help. The two boys lifted the heavy milk buckets into the house, straining with effort.


    With everything prepared, Luo Wei donned a clean apron and entered the kitchen with Bella.


    "My lady, are you... are you going to cook yourself?" Bella''s jaw dropped in astonishment.


    Luo Wei gave a slight nod, "Come, I''ll teach you how to make bread. This is a royal secret recipe."


    Bella was so excited she didn''t know what to do with herself. A royal secret recipe? Could she really learn it?


    Luo Wei instructed Bella to start the fire and put the spices into a clay pot according to the marinade recipe. She covered it and let it simmer. Then she taught Bella how to make butter using the milk.


    "Bread without butter lacks soul and can''t release that rich milky aroma," Luo Wei explained.


    While making butter, they also prepared cream, as it was part of the same process.


    Without a high-speed mixer, the eggs and milk had to be whipped by hand. Luo Wei called over the two maids who were taking care of the knights, and along with Roman and Tom, six people spent two hours successfully beating the mixture.


    Lacking white sugar and gelatin, Luo Wei used almond sugar and fish glue as substitutes to make the cream base for the cake. She wasn''t sure how it would taste.


    She made small cakes while verbally guiding Bella in making small loaves of bread. The bread needed to ferment, and the butter needed to settle and separate, which made Bella a bit anxious.


    "How could the royal chefs make bread so complicatedly?" Bella wondered. "Would they be able to serve meals to the master on time?"


    As the sun set and the evening glow crept across the sky, Luo Wei put the cake base into the bread oven and began to refine the salt.


    The coarse yellow sea salt grains had a bitter taste that would ruin the original flavor of the marinade if added directly. It needed to be purified and refined before use.


    The almond sugar also contained many impurities and wasn''t sweet enough.


    Luo Wei sighed at the trouble and began to refine the sugar as well.


    "Bella, remember to buy a bag of wheat tomorrow. I''ll teach you how to make malt sugar."


    She wanted to train Bella to be a chef skilled in both Chinese and Western cuisines, to console her poor stomach that had suffered so much in this world.


    "Understood, my lady." Bella''s expression was a mix of determination and despair, conflicted to the point of hair loss.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Her hands had been whipping cream all afternoon and were still shaking. Suddenly, she felt that learning this royal secret recipe might not be absolutely necessary.


    But looking at her master, who had just complained about the salt being too bitter and was now grumbling about the sugar not being sweet enough, Bella let out a long sigh.


    What could she do? She had encountered such a delicate and picky master. No matter how troublesome, she had to do it!


    She couldn''t let her kind and beautiful master do it herself, could she?


    As a qualified maid, she must learn to share her master''s burdens!


    Bella rekindled her determination and boldly snatched the almond sugar from Luo Wei''s hands, saying indignantly, "How can you do such a thing?"


    She picked up the iron hammer and started pounding the almond sugar with loud bangs: "This kind of rough work is not for your delicate fingers, my lady. Please let me, Bella, do it!"


    Luo Wei watched as Bella wielded the hammer with a ''one against ten thousand'' momentum, and couldn''t help but smile.


    "Bella, you''re so adorable."


    Coming to this world and meeting so many lovely people was her luck.


    Hearing her praise, Bella blushed and swung the hammer even faster.


    The master''s voice must have magic, she thought. Perhaps it was like a siren''s song that could bewitch people''s hearts. Otherwise, how could she suddenly have inexhaustible strength after hearing her words?


    As evening fell, Lilith returned.


    Luo Wei looked out the window and saw her carrying a wooden box, hurriedly walking into the room of the two knights.


    Inside the room.


    "Robert, Vincent, wake up."


    Lilith walked to the bedside of the two men and called out softly.


    The two knights woke up groggily, their bodies burning with fever and their internal organs aching unbearably. Yet they still struggled to get up and salute her.


    "Your Highness!"


    "Don''t move, lie back down." Lilith pressed them down, "You''re seriously injured, there''s no need for formalities."


    The two lay back down, their faces flushed with fever yet showing an eerie grayness.


    Lilith put down the wooden box and took out her wand from her sleeve. She cast two spells in succession: "Forbid prying, forbid eavesdropping!"


    After reciting the spells, she opened the wooden box and took out two crystal vials the size of chicken eggs, with narrow mouths and round bellies.


    "These are healing potions I begged from the dean. One for each of you."


    She placed the crystal vials in their hands. "Drink up quickly."


    "Your Highness, we are unworthy of such favor," the two knights said, tears welling up in their eyes with emotion.


    The healing potion was an advanced magic potion, worth its weight in gold and rarely available on the market. For the princess to beg for magic potions for two lowly knights like them, how could they not be grateful?


    Lilith said disapprovingly, "A knight''s loyalty is priceless. You are my most trusted men, and you were injured protecting me. I cannot fail your loyalty."


    "Drink the potion quickly, my brave knights. I cannot lose your protection and allegiance."


    Robert and Vincent were immediately moved to tears. Their Princess was so merciful and valued her subordinates. She would surely become a benevolent ruler!


    The two knights quickly drank the potions. The powerful energy of the advanced magic potion repaired their damaged internal organs. Within moments, their complexions had noticeably improved.


    Lilith watched their transformation with her own eyes, and her anxious heart finally relaxed. "That''s wonderful. The potion is effective. You should be fine after resting for a while longer."


    As she was speaking, the two knights suddenly rolled out of bed, enduring the intense pain to pick up their long swords and kneel before her on one knee.


    "What are you doing? Go back to bed!" Lilith stepped back.


    "No, Your Highness, please accept our oath!" The two knights spoke in unison, their attitude resolute.


    Lilith was visibly moved. She slowly stood up straight, clasping her hands in front of her abdomen. "My knights, please make your vow."


    "I swear by my life to offer you all my loyalty. To sacrifice for you is my honor, to dedicate myself to you is my faith. My sword will fight to protect you until the last moment of my life. This oath is unbreakable until death!"


    After speaking, Robert and Vincent bowed their heads and reverently raised their swords.


    "I am willing to accept your oath and grant you honor." Lilith solemnly extended her right hand, touching each of their heads in turn.


    With the oath of allegiance complete, the two knights stood up.


    This was their second oath. The first was when the king bestowed upon them the knighthood medal.


    Lilith looked at the two upright young men, feeling very satisfied in her heart.


    Two vials of magic potion in exchange for two loyal confidants ¨C her investment had yielded a rich return.


    TBC

 Chapter 32: It Must Be the Devil Tempting Me

    After drinking the magic potions, the two knights were brimming with energy. Seeing their vigor, Lilith decided to sit down and chat with them for a while.


    "...And that''s how we were rescued. If it weren''t for Luo Wei, we would have ended up in the monster''s belly by now."


    She recounted to the two knights how Luo Wei and Troy had saved them, and how they had come to this place.


    While they naturally believed Lilith''s words, they still harbored doubts about Luo Wei and Troy.


    "Your Highness, I find Luo Wei''s story quite suspicious," Vincent said. "She claims she discovered the monster through divination, but even skilled astrologers struggle to predict such things accurately. How could a junior magic apprentice possibly foresee it?"


    Lilith shook her head. "You must understand that geniuses exist in this world. Some people''s talents simply defy common logic."


    "Besides, don''t forget that we brought the monster upon ourselves. When we entered the Demon Sea area, we failed to observe the local taboos and were tainted with dark energy, which attracted the monster."


    Vincent pondered this and realized she was right. They had unknowingly been contaminated with dark energy in the Demon Sea area, causing it to accumulate more magical power along their journey, which finally erupted when they reached the pine forest, summoning the monster. It indeed had nothing to do with others.


    Robert raised another question. "But Your Highness, if Luo Wei is truly a member of the royal family, how did she end up stranded by the sea, chased by pirates, and forced to seek our help? Where were her guards at that time?"


    Lilith considered this. "There are severe internal conflicts within the royal family. She might have been persecuted by a certain faction and had to disguise herself as a commoner to seek our help. As for her guards, they might have been detained elsewhere at the time and only found her later."


    Robert had a sudden realization. "That''s indeed possible. Come to think of it, those pirates were also very strange. We had never heard of pirates in that coastal area before. How did they suddenly appear?"


    Vincent nodded. "Yes, and ordinary pirates usually only plunder treasures, but those pirates were extremely vicious, killing everyone they saw and even burning down the fishing village."


    Robert added, "Fortunately, they were all shot dead by arrows on Your Highness''s order. At least that avenged the innocent fishermen."


    Recalling the tragic scene they had witnessed in the village later, both men''s expressions turned somber with compassion.


    "Let''s not dwell on this anymore," Lilith sighed. "Since Luo Wei doesn''t want to reveal her identity, we shouldn''t pry. After all, who doesn''t have their own secrets?"


    This time, she had pretended to patrol the border, but in fact, she wanted to search for witches hidden among the common people and obtain information about the legendary necromancer.


    Unfortunately, not only did she fail to find anything, but she also lost a team of men.


    "Your Highness, you¡ª"


    Robert was about to speak when a powerful aroma suddenly filled his nostrils, making his mind go blank.


    "What''s that smell?" Vincent also took a deep breath. "It''s incredible!"


    "It''s the scent of spices." Lilith immediately looked out the window.


    Multiple spice aromas intertwined harmoniously, creating a mellow and rich fragrance that was captivating. The scent was mixed with a fragrant oily aroma, with a sweet and rich aftertaste.


    "Gurgle¡ª"


    A series of hungry growls echoed in the room.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The two knights'' faces instantly turned red as they pressed their hands against their stomachs.


    "You stay here, I''ll go check it out." Lilith turned around awkwardly, not wanting the two to know that her stomach had also made a sound.


    After the princess left, the two knights whispered in the room.


    "How can there be such an enticing smell?"


    "Is someone performing a sacrifice somewhere?"


    "Sacrifice? Does a sacrifice smell this strange? Why do I feel ravenous just by smelling it?"


    "I feel like there''s a familiar scent in there," Vincent racked his brains, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "I know, it''s the smell of meat!"


    "Meat?" Robert swallowed audibly.


    "Such fragrant meat, what kind of meat is it?"


    "It couldn''t be¡ª"


    They both thought of the same thing and looked at each other in horror: "It couldn''t be human flesh, could it?"


    "Ugh¡ª"


    The sound of violent retching came from the bedroom.


    Lilith walked quickly out of the door and found that the fragrance outside was several times stronger than inside the room. The entire courtyard was filled with this aroma, making her mouth water constantly.


    Could this be some kind of poisonous fragrance?


    Alarmed, Lilith quickly covered her nose with a handkerchief.


    She looked around and found that everyone in the courtyard had vanished, leaving it quiet and eerie.


    The smell grew stronger as she approached the kitchen. Lilith held her breath and walked towards it.


    "Princess!"


    "Why are you out here?"


    Lilith turned around to see the two fully armed knights. They had cloth wrapped around their mouths and noses, and their swords reflected a sharp light.


    "We''re here to protect you." Robert''s expression was grave. "We suspect this is human flesh!"


    Vincent nodded. "Yes, Princess, it''s dangerous here. There might be a devil cooking live humans!"


    How could meat smell so divine? It must be a scent created by the devil to tempt them!


    With both knights so certain, Lilith''s expression also turned serious.


    "The smell is coming from the kitchen. Vincent, Robert, you must be careful."


    "Yes, Your Highness!"


    The two knights approached the kitchen door as if facing a formidable enemy. Hearing what they perceived as the devil''s low laughter from inside, they became even more convinced of their suspicions.


    With a "bang", they kicked down the door panel, raising their long swords high.


    "Vile devil, prepare to die¡ª"


    The wooden door fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust, allowing the two knights to see clearly the scene in the kitchen.


    They saw six living people gathered around a pot, holding knives and forks, all turning their heads to look at them simultaneously, their eyes gleaming with desire.


    Robert and Vincent were terrified by this eerie scene: "Ahhhh!"


    "They''re possessed by the devil, they want to eat us!"


    Luo Wei was startled by these two kicking down the door. She had barely managed to stay calm, but when she heard them suspect that she was possessed by a demon, she couldn''t maintain her composure any longer.


    "Silence!"


    She scolded severely. "Who gave you permission to kick down the door and enter? Is this the manners of a knight?"


    Outside, Lilith heard Luo Wei''s voice and immediately realized something was amiss. She walked to the door and pushed aside the two knights.


    "Luo Wei, are you in there?"


    As she spoke, she scanned everything in the kitchen. When she saw the pot emitting fragrance and the ingredients on the chopping board, her face showed an expression of both amusement and exasperation.


    "I''m sorry, we misunderstood." Lilith said apologetically. "We''ve never smelled such a fragrant aroma before, so we thought... Anyway, we''re very sorry, Luo Wei."


    "Uh," Luo Wei hadn''t expected this to be the reason. "It''s alright, Teacher Lilith. It''s my fault for not informing you beforehand. I''m sorry for frightening you."


    "Not at all, it''s us who rushed in without understanding the situation," Lilith felt very embarrassed. "But what are you making? It smells incredibly good."


    Luo Wei put down her knife and fork and explained, "I''m doing my homework for the Potion Studies class. This is the fragrance formula I created, with some beef and chicken stewed inside. Would you like to try it?"


    Hearing it was beef and chicken, Lilith was tempted. "May I? After all, this is your homework."


    TBC

 Chapter 33: How Can You Drink Water!

    "Of course you can, I''ve made plenty," Luo Wei invited warmly. "But it''s too cramped here. Let''s move to the dining room. I''ll have Bella bring it over for us."


    Luo Wei and Lilith left the kitchen.


    Vincent and Robert exchanged a glance, their faces etched with bitter smiles.


    They had truly embarrassed themselves today, and not only that, they had implicated Her Highness as well.


    It was they who had misunderstood first, yet the princess took all the responsibility upon herself.


    "Should we apologize?" Vincent asked.


    Robert gritted his teeth. "We must!"


    Honorable knights never shy away from rectifying their mistakes.


    Outside the dining room, both men bowed to Luo Wei: "We''re sorry, Miss Luo Wei!"


    They explained their mistake and promised double compensation, begging for her forgiveness.


    "It''s alright, Sir Knights. To err is human, to forgive divine," Luo Wei accepted their apology.


    Beside her, Lilith''s eyes revealed a look of amazement.


    To err is human, to forgive divine.


    She savored these words, feeling a peculiar rhythm that made them sound particularly profound and powerful when spoken.


    Luo Wei must come from an ancient royal family with deep literary cultivation to speak so eloquently, she thought.


    In reality, Luo Wei had merely unconsciously rhymed when translating into their language.


    The four sat at the dining table, and Bella quickly brought over a plate of diced beef.


    On the round iron plate were four or five pieces of beef the size of a fingernail, with a spoonful of sauce underneath. Two small, delicate mint leaves adorned the meat, and a small pinch of finely shredded carrots sat beside it.


    The plating was exquisite, appealing to all senses.


    But for the two knights, this amount of meat wasn''t even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.


    However, the tantalizing aroma that made their mouths water was right under their noses, and they didn''t have time to ponder why there was so little meat before reaching out to grab the pieces.


    Lilith was also hungry, but seeing that Luo Wei hadn''t moved yet, and that there were no spoons in sight, she hesitated for a moment.


    Fortunately, she did, because Bella soon brought another tray with two utensils wrapped in white silk and placed them beside the plates.


    Luo Wei skillfully picked up the knife and fork, pierced a piece of meat with the fork, and elegantly brought it to her mouth, chewing slowly without making a sound.


    Lilith observed her from the corner of her eye, learning how to use the fork, and also elegantly pierced a piece of meat and put it in her mouth.


    The two knights, holding the meat in their hands with sauce on their fingertips, saw their actions and suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, not knowing whether to put down the meat or eat it.


    After a few seconds of indecision, they still threw the pieces of meat into their mouths and chewed with enjoyment.


    Ah, this tender beef, surprisingly without any gamey taste, was salty and fragrant, with a hint of sweetness. It left a lingering aroma in the mouth, without a trace of bitterness!


    Even Lilith couldn''t help but widen her eyes for a moment. The food she ate in the palace was already top-notch, but the meat there still had an inevitable astringency. This meat was unexpectedly delicious!


    She couldn''t help but speed up her eating, and when she looked down, she realized she had finished all the meat!


    Lilith was stunned. She couldn''t even eat this much meat in one sitting at the royal palace, yet she had finished it all?


    The two knights finished with a look of satisfaction on their faces. They usually ate a lot, and this meat had only whetted their appetites, making them even hungrier after finishing.


    Seeing this, Luo Wei gave Bella a look.


    Bella turned and brought in four glasses of lemon water with sugar, gently placing them on the table.


    Luo Wei explained to the three: "Bella has also made some desserts, which will be served later. Please have some lemon water to cleanse your palate first."


    In fact, the desserts were already prepared, but because the order of serving was incorrect, she was afraid it would reduce the taste ofthe small cakes, so she had Bella serve the lemon water first.


    Lemons were already in use at this time, but not widely. It would take a few more centuries for them to become popular.


    Luo Wei picked up the clay cup and took a sip. The slightly sour and sweet lemon water had a unique aroma. It wasn''t as good as what she had drunk in her previous life, but it was passable.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    However, when she looked up, she found that none of the three in front of her had drunk, and she couldn''t help but ask puzzled: "Don''t you like the taste of lemon?"


    Lilith showed an embarrassed expression: "It''s not that we don''t like it, it''s just... Luo Wei, drinking water easily upsets the stomach. We usually drink wine."


    She was too embarrassed to say that when she saw Luo Wei''s dining manners earlier, she thought she came from a noble background, but now seeing her actually drink water, it seemed strange.


    People with slightly better conditions would never choose to drink water. Even if they did, they would only drink clean spring water from high mountains.


    Everyone knew that the water in the city was not only dirty but also poisonous, with small bugs in it, and drinking it would cause stomach pain.


    The city''s excrement was all discharged into the river water. For fear of getting sick from touching water, most nobles wouldn''t even bathe, only occasionally wiping their bodies with wine or children''s urine.


    The two knights also showed reluctant expressions. They often traveled and had experienced stomach pain from drinking water, so they dared not drink it.


    They wondered how Miss Luo Wei, who was so particular about food, could be so careless about drinking.


    Seeing their expressions, Luo Wei knew what they were thinking. She had almost forgotten that people at this time believed water was poisonous.


    She hadn''t thought of it before because Bella and Roman and the others were all water drinkers, and they didn''t think there was anything wrong with her drinking water.


    Thinking about it now, they must be too poor to afford wine and had never experienced the life of rich people, so they thought it was normal for her to drink water.


    Luo Wei felt embarrassed: "This is water drawn from the well, boiled and cooled down. It has been sterilized at high temperature and won''t cause stomach pain when drunk."


    "Moreover, your bodies are all very weak now, and drinking alcohol is not conducive to recovery. It''s better to drink sterilized boiled water."


    Lilith was a potion master. When she heard about high-temperature sterilization, she seemed to think of something and looked hesitantly at the water in the cup.


    The liquid in the cup was clear and transparent, indeed looking very clean.


    Moreover, she looked at Luo Wei. If Luo Wei drank such water every day without getting sick, doesn''t that prove what she said was right?


    After thinking it through, Lilith decided to believe Luo Wei''s words.


    She picked up the cup of water and drank a sip with a serious expression.


    Hmm?


    Her eyes brightened. It tasted sweet and fragrant, with a sour citrus flavor, unexpectedly delicious and thirst-quenching.


    Completely different from the taste of wine and beer!


    Since the princess had drunk it, what could the two knights do? They picked up their cups with dejected looks and gulped it down.


    Well, well, it''s just stomach pain, not necessarily fatal.


    Comforting themselves in their hearts, the two had already prepared for abdominal pain.


    Seeing this, Luo Wei rang the bell on the table. After about ten seconds, Bella brought up small cakes and bread.


    She lifted the lid, and a sweet fragrance instantly filled the room.


    Lilith sniffed carefully, seeming to smell the aroma of eggs, milk, and wheat.


    Strange, she used to feel nauseous at the smell of eggs and milk, why did it smell so good today?


    She looked at the yellow cake cut into triangles on the table, hesitated for a moment, but still reached for the golden bread first.


    Lilith wasn''t interested in this bread. The flour outside the palace wasn''t ground as finely as inside, and the fermentation wasn''t sufficient, sometimes even scratching the throat when eaten.


    If it weren''t for hunger, she wouldn''t even want to eat this bread.


    Lilith thought disdainfully, picked up the bread and took a bite, but her eyes immediately changed.


    Why was this bread so soft and fluffy, rich in milk flavor, sweet and fragrant, and seemingly with a layer of filling in the middle?


    She broke open the bread and saw a white paste-like substance. When eaten, it was smooth and delicate, melting with a single press, as sweet as clouds in the sky.


    Lilith ate faster and faster, finishing the small bread half the size of a palm in just a few bites, then looked at the cake.


    The first two foods hadn''t disappointed her, perhaps this cake could also bring her a different surprise.


    Unlike Lilith, Vincent and Robert liked eating eggs and milk, and they also enjoyed pastries baked with eggs, milk, and flour.


    They picked up the cake first, and as soon as they touched it, they showed surprised looks. How could this cake be so light?


    At this time, cakes were actually very similar to bread. Cakes originated in ancient Egypt, and both bread and cakes were made from flour, but cakes had honey and eggs added, making them slightly softer than bread.


    Therefore, Vincent and Robert were very surprised when they picked up the cake that was as light as a cloud. Not only was it light, but it was also soft and bouncy. How was this achieved?


    The two rough men immediately decided, never mind how it was made, let''s eat it first!


    Taking a bite, it was as if they had bitten into a moist and soft cloud, sweet and mellow, as if they had floated up to the clouds, making them unable to help but be intoxicated.


    Another bite, rich and delicious, made them want to swallow their tongues.


    The two no longer cared about savoring, wolfing down the cake. In two or three bites, they finished the cake and could only lick their fingers while staring blankly.


    Lilith ate the cake in small bites, her eyes squinting with happiness.


    Who would have thought this cake would be so delicious!


    Seeing their intoxicated expressions, Luo Wei thought to herself that Western recipes indeed suited Western tastes better. Although they found the braised meat delicious earlier, they weren''t as entranced as they were now.


    Indeed, Westerners with their lifelong love for sweets, their pursuit of sweetness was carved into their genes.


    However, Luo Wei thought again, the braising recipe was based on her own preferences, and due to the lack of spices, the taste was actually much inferior compared to real braised meat, so it''s no wonder they didn''t like it as much.


    If Vincent and Robert knew what she was thinking, they would definitely tell her that it wasn''t that they didn''t like it, it was just too little, really not enough to even fill the gaps between their teeth.


    They hadn''t even tasted the flavor properly before it was gone!


    Originally, they were people who ate meat in big bites and drank alcohol in big gulps. Their throats were also big, and if they weren''t careful, the meat would slip down before they could taste it.


    Moreover, that was meat cooked with expensive spices. Eating it felt like attending mass in a church, so of course, their expressions had to be reverent and respectful. How could they show greedy expressions?


    TBC

 Chapter 34: This is Fragrance Jelly

    [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15+ Advanced Chapters on Patreon!!


    [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] ¨C Your Voice Matters!!!


    ...


    After finishing the cake and bread, Lilith wiped her mouth, a look of satisfaction spreading across her face.


    There''s always a bigger fish in the sea. She used to think the food she ate was the most delicious in the world, but she never expected the food here to be a hundred times more delightful than anything she had tasted before.


    "Teacher Lilith, if you were to rate my Xiang Fang, how many points would you give it?" Luo Wei asked curiously.


    She wanted to know if her fragrance formula would make the grade.


    "Full marks," Lilith said without hesitation. "The flavor is exquisite."


    "Don''t you think it''s off-topic? After all, it''s more suitable for cooking meat."


    "Xiang Fang is all about the fragrance. The aroma of this formula is beautifully harmonious. Even without the meat flavor, I believe its fragrance profile could be addictive."


    Hearing Lilith''s evaluation, Luo Wei felt relieved.


    Both of them taught potion classes, and if Lilith''s evaluation was so high, surely Professor Phil''s score wouldn''t be low either, right?


    Realizing that the two knights were not yet satiated, Luo Wei asked Bella to cut some more chicken and bring it up, then returned to the kitchen.


    She divided the juice boiled from those spices into two portions, one for cooking chicken wings and feet in a clay pot, and the other for marinating meat.


    The portion in the clay pot was her assignment for tomorrow.


    That night, Luo Wei took a bunch of daisies to the market square and recited the Medicine Buddha Heart Mantra once. If the original owner had a next life, she hoped it would be peaceful and joyful.


    The next day, in the potion classroom.


    Professor Phil asked the students to take out their fragrance formulas for on-the-spot evaluation and scoring.


    The classroom was filled with potent spice scents, each with its own peculiar smell. Mixed together, they underwent a strange chemical reaction, producing a somewhat sour and bitter odor with a hint of stench.


    Luo Wei sniffed for a while and felt it was reminiscent of some kind of Chinese medicine with an unusual formula.


    Professor Phil''s scoring process was swift. He basically just smelled the fragrance, asked about the production process, and then gave a corresponding score.


    The full score was ten points, but most students only got six or seven points, and some didn''t even pass.


    It wasn''t until he came to Axina''s desk that Professor Phil''s pace slowed down momentarily.


    "Your aromatherapy scent is a bit different. Did you add something else?"


    "Yes, I added cardamom and frankincense, and also a pinch of white pepper."


    Professor Phil nodded, "Not bad, ten points."


    A small murmur of discussion arose in the classroom. Luo Wei heard the girl next to her say disdainfully, "It''s just adding some more expensive spices. If I had them, I could add them too. What kind of fragrance formula is this?"


    "Exactly, the professor didn''t say we could add other spices before!"


    "He''s just biased towards Axina. They must be relatives."


    "Quiet!" Professor Phil looked at them sternly. "I never said you couldn''t add things. If you didn''t think of it yourself, don''t be jealous of classmates who are more creative than you!"


    The students in the class were fuming but dared not speak out.


    Some bolder students were still complaining quietly: "That''s just how it is."


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "If we''re just scoring based on the rarity of spices, why bother making fragrance formulas? We might as well rank by family background."


    "Isn''t the professor violating school rules by doing this?"


    Professor Phil slammed the table with a "bang", his voice icy: "Whoever speaks again, ten points deducted!"


    The threat of point deduction was effective, and the classroom suddenly fell silent.


    It was only the second class, and many students hadn''t even earned any credit points yet. If ten points were deducted, wouldn''t they end up in the negative?


    Professor Phil, with a cold face, continued to check the assignments.


    Axina put away her aromatherapy set and calmly turned her head to look around, her gaze sweeping across the entire classroom.


    She had taken note of all those who had questioned her earlier.


    Professor Phil soon arrived at Luo Wei''s desk: "Where''s your fragrance formula?"


    Luo Wei opened the iron box: "It''s here."


    Professor Phil looked down and saw a small, semi-transparent, gelatinous object reflected in his eyes. It was square-shaped, like a cut, yellowish crystal.


    "What is this?" He showed some interest.


    Luo Wei brought out her prepared explanation: "This is Xiang Dong, or fragrance jelly."


    "Fragrance jelly." Professor Phil savored the phrase, feeling it had a kind of beautiful imagery.


    He picked up the iron box and smelled it, then looked a bit disappointed: "The scent is okay, but not strong enough."


    "Professor, this is just its appearance after cooling. If you want to activate its fragrance, it needs to be heated."


    Luo Wei took out a pre-prepared oil lamp and a small spoon, scooped a piece from the fragrance jelly with the spoon, and held it over the flame to roast.


    As the jelly melted, a rich, mellow fragrance suddenly appeared, aggressively spreading its highly inclusive aroma, instantly overshadowing the original smells in the classroom.


    "Gurgle¡ª"


    "Rumble¡ª"


    "How strange, why did I get hungry as soon as I smelled this fragrance?"


    "Me too, I really want to eat something."


    "I want to go up and take a bite of that fragrance jelly!"


    A chorus of rumbling stomachs echoed through the classroom, and students tightened their bellies, showing embarrassed expressions on their faces.


    Professor Phil, being closest, had the fiercest stomach growl, but his face showed no panic: "Luo Wei, how did you make this fragrance formula?"


    Luo Wei: "It was boiled for seven hours with spices, fish gelatin, and chicken gelatin, then filtered and naturally cooled down. It can be used as an aromatherapy product, or can be dissolved in the mouth for consumption."


    "What, it''s edible!" A student who caught the key point exclaimed, his eyes shining like light bulbs.


    "Can we really eat it? Slurp¡ª"


    "No wonder I wanted to eat it as soon as I smelled it!"


    "Slurp slurp¡ª"


    "Gurgle gurgle¡ª"


    "Slurp slurp slurp¡ª"


    For a moment, the classroom was as lively as a frog pond.


    Driven by these sounds, even Luo Wei''s own stomach growled. Hmm, it seemed she was a bit hungry too.


    It couldn''t be helped. People at this time didn''t eat breakfast, only having one meal at noon. Wealthy people would have afternoon tea.


    Relying on that little food to last all night, getting up early for class the next day, of course they would be starving by now.


    The aroma of the braised fragrance jelly was just a trigger.


    With their appetites whetted, saliva was flowing in the mouths of both teachers and students in the classroom. Professor Phil swallowed and picked up the parchment: "Very innovative. I''ll give you ten points."


    "Thank you, professor."


    The gurgling sounds were still echoing in the classroom, accompanied by the intermittent sound of swallowing.


    Professor Phil: "Luo Wei, you''d better blow out the oil lamp."


    "Yes, professor." Luo Wei swiftly blew out the oil lamp and covered the iron box, though the already melted portion could only remain on the spoon.


    Professor Phil returned to the podium with swift steps: "Alright, let''s start the lesson."


    Seeing a group of students below with hunger in their eyes, he said with a stiff face: "This lesson will cover how to prepare medicinal broths for enemas, as well as the methods of administering enemas."


    Luo Wei: ??


    Wait, what did you say you''re going to teach?


    Enemas?


    The hungry sounds in the classroom seemed to have diminished a bit.


    "We''ll use the materials from your fragrance formulas as a base."


    Students: ...


    Luo Wei: ...


    What did you say? Say that again?


    "Use lime water, add the spice broth, stir and let it cool until lukewarm, wait for it to settle, then scoop out the upper layer of broth."


    "You can have servants blow it into the body using a cow horn tube, or have doctors insert a funnel or water gun into the anus, then squeeze it into the intestines... When the urge to defecate arises, you can start releasing..."


    To be continued

 Chapter 35: Let Me Have a Bite

    "I see some students have made spice smoke, which is excellent. Using tobacco smoke for enemas is also one of the highly recommended methods," Professor Phil continued.


    A student who had made snuff: "Ugh¡ª"


    Professor Phil''s expression remained unchanged: "The specific method is to blow the smoke into the anus, which can stimulate the respiratory tract and treat some respiratory disorders..."


    Luo Wei frowned, starting to reconsider whether her decision to stay at this school was right.


    The students in the class also frowned, struggling between hunger and nausea.


    Enemas were fashionable among the nobility. Many noble ladies liked to have enemas while having afternoon tea, and noble gentlemen also enjoyed enemas after meals.


    The infamous "Sun King" Louis XIV in Western history only bathed seven times in his life but had over two thousand enemas.


    In this era, those who hadn''t had an enema were too embarrassed to call themselves nobles.


    But the problem was that the students in the class were still young. They hadn''t reached the age to be exposed to such tools. Although they sometimes heard their parents talk about going for enemas, they hadn''t experienced it themselves!


    Most importantly, when Professor Phil assigned them the fragrance formula homework, he didn''t mention it was for preparing enema solutions, so they all put their hearts into it.


    Now everyone learned that their perfumes/snuff/ointments were to be used for enemas!


    It was completely unacceptable!!!


    Actually, if everyone thought about it carefully, they could understand why it was like this, because this was a potion class after all.


    How could the fragrance formula assigned in a potion class be for making perfumes? It must be related to curing diseases!


    It''s just that everyone was so happy when they got the spices that they didn''t think about it.


    Luo Wei looked at the liquid in the spoon and felt she could never look at meat jelly the same way again.


    She took out a handkerchief, poured out the contents of the spoon, wiped it clean, and put it back in the iron box.


    "Gurgle¡ª"


    A long, loud stomach growl sounded from nearby.


    The sound was so loud that even Professor Phil at the front could hear it clearly and stopped his lecture to look over.


    The students in the class also turned their heads abruptly, looking at the female student who made this sound with shock.


    What a brave soul!


    Even such disgusting content couldn''t dampen her appetite, how good must her stomach be!


    The classmates'' gazes were both envious and peculiar.


    Luo Wei turned her head and saw the female student hurriedly averting her gaze from her hands, covering her blushing face with both hands.


    Everyone kept staring at her, and the female student became embarrassed and angry. She put down her hands and said loudly, "I''m just starving, so what?"


    "Aren''t you hungry?"


    "Don''t you want to eat?"


    The female student fired off three soul-searching questions, then looked at Luo Wei in a "nothing to lose" manner: "Darling, can I have a bite of your fragrance jelly? I really can''t hold it anymore."


    The atmosphere in the classroom became eerily quiet, and the students silently turned their gaze to Luo Wei.


    Luo Wei glanced at Professor Phil, and seeing that he didn''t stop her, she pushed the box to the female student.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Of course, please try it."


    The female student''s face turned red. Actually, she regretted it as soon as she finished speaking, but seeing that Luo Wei really agreed, she had a "nothing to lose" thought in her heart.


    "Thank you, Luo Wei. I promise I''ll only have one bite."


    She eagerly opened the box, scooped up a piece of meat jelly with the spoon, and quickly threw it into her mouth.


    The fragrant meat jelly slowly melted in her mouth. With a gentle bite, the gelatinous substance full of collagen bounced and jumped between her teeth. As her tongue swept over it, she could taste the rich and intense flavors, truly the ultimate enjoyment for the taste buds.


    The meat jelly was not only not fishy but very fragrant. It had salt added, perfectly seasoned, and not bitter at all.


    The girl chewed slowly, letting it melt with the temperature in her mouth, her satisfied expression as if she had eaten some dragon liver or phoenix marrow.


    As expected of fragrance jelly, it smelled fragrant, tasted fragrant, and had such a good texture. It was a triple combination of smell, taste, and touch, extremely delicious!


    "Gulp¡ª"


    This was the sound of swallowing saliva.


    "Gurgle gurgle¡ª"


    This was the sound of stomachs growling.


    The classroom seemed to have turned into a rice field at night, with frogs croaking non-stop.


    After finishing that spoonful of fragrance jelly, the female student licked her lips with lingering aftertaste and returned the box to Luo Wei.


    "Thank you."


    "You''re welcome," Luo Wei said with a kind smile.


    The female student returned a grateful smile, then stood up and looked towards the podium, bowing: "I''m sorry, Professor. I violated classroom discipline. Please deduct my points."


    Professor Phil sighed: "It''s understandable. Sit down, and don''t do it again next time."


    This meant he wouldn''t deduct points.


    "Thank you, Professor!" The female student bowed again and sat back down on her stool.


    For the remaining time, Professor Phil had someone open all the doors and windows to air out the room for a while before continuing with the lecture.


    As fresh air rushed in, the smell of spices faded, and the students'' cravings slowly subsided.


    The bell rang, signaling noon had arrived.


    The students cheered, putting away their study materials and preparing to charge towards the dining hall.


    "Luo Wei, wait for me!"


    Luo Wei was called to stop outside the classroom. The female student who had tasted a bite of the fragrance jelly in class caught up with her.


    "My name is Jane Fargson. Luo Wei, thank you for just now," Jane picked up her skirt and curtsied slightly to her.


    "You''re welcome, it was just a small matter," Luo Wei also picked up her skirt and returned the curtsy.


    Jane shook her head: "You don''t know, I was starting to have stomach pain at that time. Fortunately, I ate a piece of fragrance jelly, otherwise I might have fainted from hunger."


    Luo Wei was surprised: "How did you get so hungry?"


    Jane''s pretty face blushed slightly: "I''ve been dieting to lose weight recently. Yesterday I only ate an apple, so when I woke up this morning my stomach was uncomfortable. That''s why I couldn''t control myself when I smelled the fragrance in class."


    Luo Wei said with concern: "Dieting is not good for your health, Jane. Your figure is already very slim, you don''t need to lose weight."


    Jane said gloomily: "But my waist is still very thick, I can''t even squeeze into the new corset I bought."


    Luo Wei looked at her waist, which was already frighteningly thin, and shook her head: "Your waist is very slim. It must be that the corset is too small. You should change it, Jane. If you always wear corsets that are too tight, your ribs will be deformed and pressed into your abdominal cavity."


    Jane''s face turned pale: "Is it really that terrible?"


    "It''s much worse than that. If your waist is too tightly constricted, it will also make childbirth difficult in the future, and pregnant women can easily die from hemorrhage," Luo Wei said seriously.


    Jane was so scared that she shuddered: "Darling, thank you for your warning. I''m going to take off the corset right now!"


    She picked up her skirt and ran down the stairs as if racing against death.


    Luo Wei sighed as she watched her back and slowly walked down.


    "Luo Wei, Luo Wei!"


    Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, several other classmates surrounded her.


    "Luo Wei, can you sell us your fragrance jelly?"


    By the classroom window, Axina watched the scene below and crushed the aromatherapy candle in her hand.


    "Axina, why do you have to be against her? She''s not hindering you in any way, is she?"


    "No, she is hindering me," Axina said with hatred in her voice. "Very, very, very much in my way, to the point that I want to slash that face of hers."


    She threw the broken aromatherapy candle on the ground and ground it into mud with her toe, then turned back and coldly questioned the person behind her: "Why did you give that bitch such a high score?"


    To be continued

 Chapter 36: Fake Thugs Kill a Fake Noble

    Professor Phil said helplessly, "If you''re the only one in the class with a perfect score, others will be jealous of you."


    "Then let them be jealous. Why should I care about the feelings of such lowly people?"


    "Axina, this is not Yate," Professor Phil said diplomatically.


    She was just a princess of the Yate Kingdom, and the King of Yate didn''t rule the entire Western Continent. Citizens of other countries wouldn''t fear her power.


    Axina understood his implication, but she still sneered, "Even if this isn''t Yate, it would still be child''s play for me to finish them off."


    Professor Phil felt a headache coming on, "Don''t say such things so casually. You know that internal conflicts are forbidden at Siria Magic Academy."


    "Uncle, one must know how to be flexible. Who said I was going to finish them off inside the academy?"


    "Axina, the King sent you here precisely because he doesn''t like you killing people. He hopes you''ll learn to be merciful and loving."


    "Huh, he doesn''t like me killing people? More like he doesn''t like me killing his pregnant mistresses," Axina said cruelly. "Who told those bitches to dream of becoming queen? I just dug out the little bastards from their bellies and fed them to the dogs, and they wanted to fight me to the death."


    "I didn''t want to kill them originally, but they kept throwing themselves onto my sword."


    Professor Phil felt chilled to the bone hearing this, "Axina! How can you be so cruel? Those were real human lives!"


    "Shut up, uncle," Axina''s eyes were cold as ice. "If it weren''t for mother and me firmly guarding our position in the palace, do you think you''d still have everything you have now?"


    "Without our cruelty, the Phil family would have been stripped of their titles long ago. Could you still be comfortably enjoying your noble status?"


    "Don''t stand here preaching to me. You''ve been comfortable for so long that you really think you''re clean? I didn''t see you hesitate when framing Queen Isis back then."


    Professor Phil fell silent. After a long while, he said, "That was done by father and sister. I only helped deliver a message."


    Axina said sarcastically, "If you could help them deliver messages back then, why can''t you help me now?"


    "I don''t need you to do anything, just turn a blind eye. Don''t worry, I don''t have so much free time to pinch those little grasshoppers. I''ll only crush the biggest one."


    "You want to kill Luo Wei?" Professor Phil felt anxious inside. "But her identity is still uncertain. She might not be Queen Isis''s daughter. What if we kill the wrong person¡ª"


    "Better to kill the wrong person than let the right one escape," Axina said coldly. "I tested her the night before last. That little bitch thought I had mistaken her for someone else and was so happy she walked right into the trap."


    "Do you know what this means?"


    Professor Phil was puzzled, "What does it mean?"


    "It means that her current identity is just a commoner pretending to be a noble. Even if we kill her, it won''t cause any serious consequences."


    "What do you plan to do?"


    "I heard there are many thugs in the city. They should like that seductive whore face of hers."


    Professor Phil felt this was inappropriate, "The thugs don''t know she''s a commoner. They probably wouldn''t dare to... touch her."


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Uncle, you''re so stupid," Axina curled her lips. "We can just have someone pretend, can''t we? My guards will be back soon."


    Fake thugs raping and killing a fake noble¡ªthis play should be much more interesting than torturing those weeping pregnant women.


    "Luo Wei," a dark storm brewed in Axina''s deep blue eyes. "I gave you a chance to leave before, but now you''ll never be able to leave Siria."


    You can only die here.


    Who told you to be so excellent?


    If you were stupid, even if you knew your identity, you wouldn''t be a threat to me. I could let you leave after I''ve had my fun.


    But you just had to learn everything, be good at everything. If those bastard ministers in the capital, who fantasize every day about a perfect heir appearing, found out about you, how could mother and I survive?


    On the other side, after finally shaking off the enthusiastic noble classmates and promising to treat them to a meal next time, Luo Wei fled from the school.


    Tom''s carriage was waiting at the school gate, and not far from the carriage, behind a tree, stood Troy in all black.


    Luo Wei sat in the carriage feeling completely safe, and was taken back to the small courtyard by Tom.


    The moment she got off the carriage, a sour liquid surged up in her stomach, which she forcibly swallowed back down.


    Riding in a carriage indeed freed her feet, but it tormented her poor stomach.


    She wondered how those nobles could endure it, not feeling carsick at all.


    Luo Wei pinched the pressure point between her thumb and index finger for quite a while before the dizzy feeling subsided.


    "Master, shall I serve the meal now?" Bella came running over to ask.


    "Yes, please."


    She was hungry, not having eaten breakfast.


    Bella brought to the table the bread and small cakes she had just learned to make yesterday, and as instructed by Luo Wei, also prepared a tomato beef brisket soup and a vegetable corn salad.


    "Are the others not here?"


    "Miss Rossetti and the two knight gentlemen went out to look at houses. They won''t be back for lunch."


    Speaking of them, Bella felt a bit resentful.


    Before leaving, the two knights had raided the kitchen, taking away more than half of the bread she had baked.


    Although they paid a lot of money, they almost ate the portion she ha


    They have money, why can''t they just buy food outside? Bella grumbled inwardly.


    Luo Wei took a sip of the beef brisket soup, "Bella, go see if Troy is still outside. If he is, invite him in for a meal."


    With Lilith and the others not here today, Troy should not feel constrained.


    "Ah, but the swordsman has already eaten," Bella counted on her fingers. "Last night he snuck in and ate eight loaves of bread and seventeen cakes. This morning he jumped in through the back window and ate two pounds of beef, eight braised eggs, and five loaves of bread."


    She finished counting and her shoulders slumped, "Master, I''m so tired. I made bread all night last night, and it''s not even enough for one of their meals."


    Luo Wei: "..."


    Is Troy a pig? How can he eat so much?


    Doesn''t he worry about bursting from eating so much!


    Doesn''t he know how expensive meat, eggs, and milk are? Eating and drinking wildly here on just one gold coin a day, what a glutton!


    Seeing the dark circles under Bella''s eyes, Luo Wei said sympathetically, "Bella, don''t stay up late making bread anymore. From now on, you''ll be the housekeeper here. Your salary will be doubled to one silver coin a day."


    "Go hire two more maids, ones who are diligent and kind-hearted."


    Bella''s face fell, "I understand, master."


    Luo Wei saw her expression and asked curiously, "Why aren''t you happy?"


    "I am happy, so touched I could cry," Bella wiped her eyes. She felt that her master was not far from bankruptcy.


    Is she really that moved? Luo Wei was a bit shocked.


    "Next time Troy goes to the kitchen, tell him that from now on, his food expenses will be deducted from his salary."


    "Yes, master!" Bella immediately cheered up. The master finally knew how to save money!


    After finishing her meal, Luo Wei returned to her room and began today''s divination.


    She had a question in her heart that she had wanted to ask for a long time, and she hoped to get an answer today.


    Entering her mental world, Luo Wei looked at the star chart.


    "Can I still return to my original world?"


    To be continued

 Chapter 37: I Invite You to Watch a Good Show

    The star chart illuminated, its tracks forming a celestial ring.


    Suddenly, four golden characters materialized on the celestial screen, their strokes flowing like streams of golden sand.


    [The Beginning is the End]


    Luo Wei gazed at her reflection on the celestial screen, perplexed. Previously, it had only shown star patterns, but today it gave a direct message?


    Moreover, "The Beginning is the End" - what could this mean?


    Setting aside this phrase for now, Luo Wei proceeded to ask her second question.


    "How can I return to my original world?"


    The text on the celestial screen vanished, replaced by new star patterns. This time, however, she had to interpret them herself.


    "The snake bites its tail, the cycle repeats," Luo Wei furrowed her brow as she studied the star pattern. "Starting point overlaps the endpoint, the starting point is the endpoint..."


    "The endpoint is the starting point!"


    A flash of insight struck Luo Wei, and she suddenly grasped the meaning of this phrase.


    "The Chronicles of Galan" was a strategy game. Although she hadn''t played it, she had seen the login interface.


    It featured an introduction to the game''s background, describing social unrest on the Star of Galan, with various powers rising and frequent wars.


    Players would log in with an initial identity as a small lord, then compete with others in the game to fight for territory, establish city-states, and become kings or overlords.


    The social environment Luo Wei found herself in now differed from the game''s introduction. Although there was some unrest on the continent, it was still relatively peaceful, not yet at the point where battles raged everywhere.


    Could it be that she had transmigrated to a time before the game started, and she could only return after the game began?


    The start of the game would be the beginning, and also the end of her transmigration journey!


    Based on the current situation on the continent, it would probably take about ten years or so for chaos to break out. By then, many players might enter the game and meet her, telling her how to log out of the game!


    So she needed to strive to live until the game starts!


    The more Luo Wei pondered this, the more excited she became. Returning to her original world seemed within reach.


    Today''s divination felt peculiar. After asking two questions, she didn''t feel mentally exhausted. She even felt she could divine one more time.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Had her mental world grown stronger?


    Fortune favors the bold, Luo Wei decided to try once more.


    "What should I do to keep living?"


    This time, the star pattern dimmed, and another line of text appeared on the celestial screen.


    [When the skin is gone, where will the hair attach?]


    "When the skin is gone, where will the hair attach..."


    Interpreting it literally, it meant that when a person loses their skin, the hair has nowhere to attach, implying that she couldn''t survive if she lost the foundation of her existence?


    So what was the foundation of her existence?


    Luo Wei pondered briefly and understood the meaning of this phrase.


    It was referring to the disguise she wore, because everything she had now was obtained by impersonating a noble. If she lost the facade of nobility, she would be killed.


    It was similar to the saying "when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold" - they were interdependent.


    Although she understood, Luo Wei still felt something was a bit odd.


    The result of the first divination, "The Beginning is the End," seemed to have the same meaning as the "The endpoint is the starting point" from the second divination. Didn''t this count as repetition?


    Luo Wei exited her mental world and was surprised to find that she wasn''t dizzy at all today. She felt even better than after yesterday''s divination.


    It seemed her mental world had indeed become stronger.


    Luo Wei optimistically thought that at this rate of progress, she might really become a fortune teller.


    When that time came, she would change her name to Luo Half-Immortal.


    Three or four days passed, and Luo Wei didn''t encounter any danger.


    During these days, she would divine her fortune every morning when she woke up, and the results were always auspicious.


    Lilith went to school for classes, the knights moved out, and even Axina became much more docile, not causing her any trouble these days.


    "So boring~"


    Luo Wei sat in the small courtyard, sighing.


    For someone like her, when life became peaceful, she felt uncomfortable and wanted to stir things up.


    "Bella, Roman, how about we open a bakery?"


    Spices were too expensive to afford, but they could still make bread. They could open it right across from the school, specifically to fleece those noble students.


    "Open a shop? Great, great!" Roman danced with joy, "Our bread is so delicious, surely many people will come to buy it."


    Bella, on the other hand, looked hesitant: "Opening a shop requires renting a storefront and hiring workers, it will cost a lot of money."


    Since becoming the housekeeper, Bella had been extremely worried about the household''s financial situation. The expenses were really too high, and she was afraid she couldn''t manage the household well and would let her master go bankrupt.


    The other day when she was buying vegetables, she met Fanny, a maid from the city lord''s house. Because they often bought meat from the same butcher shop, they had become friends over time.


    Yesterday, she shared her concerns with Fanny, and Fanny actually brought her to meet the city lord''s housekeeper. The city lord''s housekeeper enthusiastically passed on her experience of being a housekeeper.


    Which was: Always help the master manage the household finances and daily affairs well.


    But the master spent money like water, she simply couldn''t control it!


    Just like now, Luo Wei had made a unilateral decision: "Troy, let''s go check out some storefronts on Academy Street!"


    Troy jumped down from the roof: "When?"


    "Now!"


    Bella watched the two of them walk out the door, feeling even more worried.


    ......


    As Luo Wei went to look at storefronts, Troy watched from a distance, always maintaining a distance within twenty meters of her. This way, the residents here wouldn''t notice him, but he could always keep her in his sight.


    Except for taverns, he didn''t like entering other shops.


    Those people didn''t welcome him into their shops either.


    Luo Wei looked at several storefronts in a row, but the owners didn''t want to transfer them. The shops that had transfer signs were too small, and she didn''t like them.


    Just as she was about to give up, a sharp-faced young man popped up behind her: "Miss, are you looking to buy a shop? I have a storefront I want to transfer, the price is cheap, and the place is spacious. How about I take you to have a look?"


    Luo Wei sized him up: "You don''t look like a merchant."


    "Oh, someone else asked me to sell it. It''s a two-story street-facing shop, only one gold coin. That family is moving and in a hurry to transfer it!" the sharp-faced man said.


    Luo Wei glanced at Troy, who was following not far behind her, and agreed: "Alright then, take me to see it."


    "Great, follow me. I''ll take you on a shortcut, it''s very close from here."


    The sharp-faced man said as he walked ahead, leading her into a secluded alley.


    At the Academy.


    "Axina, you still want to use me. Do you really think I''m stupid?"


    "I promise it''s not like that this time. I just want to take you to see a good show," Axina coaxed persuasively, "Don''t you hate Luo Wei? She''s about to die for sure. Don''t you want to go and see?"


    Vina looked at her warily: "Why should I believe you?"


    Axina smiled like a beautiful snake: "It''s just going to watch. You don''t have to do anything, so how could I be using you?"


    "I know asking you to deal with her before was a bit difficult for you, so today I''m taking action myself. I''m also helping you vent your anger. She insulted you so much, don''t you want to go and mock her a bit?"


    She leaned close to Vina''s ear and whispered softly: "Don''t you want to see what that bitch looks like when thugs tear her clothes and rape her?"


    A glint flashed in Vina''s eyes: "Are you telling the truth?"


    "Of course it''s true. I even found a group of old and ugly beggars and invited them to go play with her too." Axina''s lips curled slightly, her gaze vicious.


    "Alright, I''ll go with you," Vina''s eyes rolled, "Call a few more people, let''s go together."


    To be continued

 Chapter 38: She Absolutely Dares Not Kill Him

    The path grew increasingly secluded. Upon reaching an intersection, the sharp-faced man suddenly accelerated, darting into an adjacent alley and vanishing.


    Luo Wei lifted her skirt and followed for a few steps, but soon lost her way in the maze-like alleys.


    "Slap, slap¡ª"


    A strange footstep echoed through the narrow alley, as if someone was shuffling their shoes and scraping against the wall as they approached.


    Luo Wei turned around to see a burly, drunken man staggering into the alley. His clothes, as filthy as ox intestines, hung loosely on him, exposing his chest hair and navel.


    Seeming to notice her, the man changed direction and stumbled towards her. "Oh, look what we have here, a little beauty~"


    The closer he got, the more nauseating his stench of alcohol and sweat became.


    Beneath his messy hair, a pair of lecherous eyes fixed on Luo Wei, like a wolf eyeing its prey.


    Luo Wei scanned her surroundings, seeing no one else appear, then returned her gaze to the burly man.


    "Who sent you, Axina or Vina?"


    "Hic~ What are you talking about?" The man let out a sour, stinking burp, scratching his chest with a bewildered expression.


    "A real thug wouldn''t be so clean," Luo Wei frowned, glancing at his chest. "No fleas, and your chest hair isn''t matted. What are you scratching?"


    A flash of shock appeared in the man''s eyes, quickly replaced by darkness. "So what if you''ve figured it out? You''re still in my hands."


    A bloodthirsty, brutal smile spread across his face as he suddenly smashed his bottle. "Pity you''ve offended someone you shouldn''t have. Otherwise, with your looks, I could have played with you a few more times!"


    "What a waste on those scum!"


    As the bottle shattered, a red liquid spilled out, filling the air with a rotten sweet fragrance.


    Luo Wei immediately covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief. "Troy!"


    "Zing¡ª"


    A sword rang out, its sharp light slashing across the burly man''s eyes, sending him flying.


    Troy appeared in front of Luo Wei, holding her with one arm as he leapt onto the rooftop.


    "Keep him alive."


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Understood."


    Troy jumped back into the alley, wetting a short cloth with the flask he carried and covering his nose and mouth.


    The burly man, thrown against the wall by Troy''s sword wind, had crashed heavily to the ground. He got up painfully and quickly pulled out the whip at his waist.


    "Who are you?"


    He saw the hilt of Troy''s sword and was shocked, realizing it was the high-level wind magic rune carved on the hilt that had sent him flying.


    Didn''t the princess say Luo Wei was just a commoner? How could a commoner have a magic swordsman by her side?


    Troy gripped his sword and walked towards him step by step. "You don''t need to know my background. Tell me, who sent you?"


    The burly man trembled. "I can''t reveal my master''s identity."


    "Troy," Luo Wei commanded coldly from the rooftop, "If he won''t talk, kill him."


    On the other side of the wall, Vina heard the voices from the alley and turned back disappointedly. "Is this the good show you mentioned? A swordsman slaying a thug?"


    Axina''s face darkened. She hadn''t expected Luo Wei to have a swordsman protecting her.


    But a flash of displeasure crossed her eyes. How dare a mere earl''s daughter treat her with such disdain? The ignorant fool.


    "There''s been a slight hitch in the plan, but it doesn''t matter. At least we can test if she''s really impersonating a noble," Axina said calmly.


    Vina looked at her incredulously. "What else do you need to test? Her guard is about to kill your man, and you still doubt she''s a noble?"


    "Enough!" Axina suppressed her irritation, trying to explain in a calm tone. "That might not necessarily be her guard. It could be a swordsman friend she''s made."


    "Just wait and see. As long as Nick Lace reveals his identity, Luo Wei absolutely won''t dare kill him," Axina said proudly. "Because commoners are weak and cowardly, they don''t dare kill a noble."


    Vina was half-convinced, half-doubtful as she turned back to peer through the cracks in the wall.


    In the alley, the guard disguised as a thug still refused to confess, trying Luo Wei''s patience.


    "Troy, kill him."


    "Yes." Troy nodded, raising his long sword, its sharp tip pointing directly at the burly man''s throat.


    "No, stop, stop!" The burly man shouted in fear. "I''m a noble, you can''t kill me!"


    "My father is Viscount Priestley of the Kingdom of Yate, I''m his son, his heir, you can''t kill me!"


    "Yate..." Troy gripped his sword hilt tightly and looked towards Luo Wei. "Still kill him?"


    "Huh, how can we trust a thug''s words," Luo Wei said coldly from the rooftop. "Dislocate his jaw, then kill him."


    On the other side of the alley, Vina whipped her head around to look at Axina.


    "Didn''t you say she wouldn''t dare kill him?"


    "I overestimated her intelligence. She probably doesn''t know how severe the consequences of killing a noble would be," Axina said, her face gloomy.


    Vina mocked her, "She doesn''t know how severe the consequences are? A commoner killing a noble would be subjected to the most extreme punishment, but a noble killing another noble wouldn''t."


    "I told you, she''s not a noble," Axina said, her eyes reddening with anger at Vina''s stupidity.


    "You''d better hurry and save your poor guard," Vina said, enjoying the spectacle. "In a while, my friend will be here with the city guard."


    "Who authorized them to find the city guard!" Axina''s voice turned vicious.


    Vina smiled smugly. "Didn''t you like using me? What''s wrong, not to your satisfaction?"


    Axina could no longer stand by and watch. She quickly rounded the wall and shouted sternly, "Stop!"


    Seeing Axina appear, Luo Wei''s face showed surprise. "Axina, what are you doing here?"


    "You deliberately dawdled, not taking action, weren''t you just waiting for me to come out?"


    Axina gave her a cold look. "Tell your man to let him go. He''s a noble, killing him will only bring you trouble."


    Luo Wei said in surprise, "Axina, what are you talking about? He''s just a lecherous thug. Leaving someone like this in the world will only harm more people."


    A flash of anger crossed Axina''s eyes as she directly ordered Troy, "You, let him go. You can''t bear the consequences of killing a viscount''s heir."


    Troy seemed not to have heard her voice, not even sparing her a glance.


    Axina clenched her fists, feeling utterly humiliated and looking at Luo Wei with hatred. "You fool, if you kill him, you''ll be subjected to the most severe punishment!"


    "A commoner killing a noble is treated as blasphemy. Blasphemers are subjected to three punishments in sequence: stigma, disembowelment, and burning at the stake. They die in the great fire. Aren''t you afraid?"


    Nick Lace was Viscount Priestley''s only son. If he died, Viscount Priestley would probably go mad. Axina truly wanted to save him.


    She wasn''t lying to Luo Wei either. A commoner killing a noble would indeed be convicted of blasphemy and suffer those three punishments.


    Stigma meant stripping the criminal''s clothes and tying them to a pillory to receive the condemnation and abuse of the public. Disembowelment involved cutting open the criminal''s stomach and pulling out their intestines. Burning at the stake was a dual punishment for both soul and body, making the criminal repent for their sins in the flames, burning them to a charred corpse.


    No one wasn''t afraid of these three cruel punishments. She believed that after saying these things, Luo Wei would definitely release Nick Lace.


    Axina looked at Luo Wei confidently. "If you don''t want to die, let him go."


    "Axina, you''ve truly gone mad," Luo Wei shook her head with a smile. "I''m not a commoner, and he''s not a noble. It''s just killing a thug who attempted to offend me, how could that be a crime?"


    "Troy, do it."


    To be continued

 Chapter 39: Vinas Sidestep and Leap

    "Luo Wei, you dare!"


    Troy''s sword fell swiftly, and a wide-eyed head rolled on the ground, only to be flicked by his sword to land in front of Axina.


    "Ah¡ª"


    Axina screamed shrilly.


    Blood splattered, spraying the walls and ground. The warm blood steamed slightly, quickly dissipating in the cool autumn breeze.


    Troy was undoubtedly a skilled executioner. Despite being the killer, not a single drop of blood stained his clothes.


    Only a trace of blood remained on his silver blade, which he wiped away with a cloth, making it disappear with a light touch.


    Axina''s piercing scream attracted a large crowd.


    Vina stood at the alley entrance, her face pale. Behind her was a group of equally pallid noble ladies, and a squad of city guards rushed past them, surrounding both ends of the alley.


    "What happened here?"


    A soldier with a bushy yellow beard stepped into the circle, looking gravely at the wide-eyed head on the ground.


    "Who killed this man?"


    Axina was still in shock. Vina immediately pointed to Luo Wei on the rooftop: "It was her! She ordered her guard to kill him!"


    The bearded soldier looked up at Luo Wei: "Miss, could you please explain why you did this?"


    "Of course," Luo Wei answered gently, then extended her hand downward. "Troy, bring me down."


    Troy sheathed his sword and swiftly brought her down, placing her as far as possible from the shattered bottle and the corpse.


    The bearded soldier''s eyes widened in shock at Troy''s skill.


    "Sir," Luo Wei still covered her face with a handkerchief, lowering her eyes and sniffling, "I''m sorry, I was so frightened that I ordered my guard to kill him."


    Her eyelashes trembled like a fluttering butterfly. Her fingers gripped the handkerchief slightly, her jade-like skin seeming as fragile as crystal.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    The soldier''s voice immediately softened, fearing to frighten this delicate and beautiful young lady.


    "Don''t be afraid, miss. As long as we''re here, no one can harm you. Could you tell us what happened?" the bearded soldier said righteously. "Please tell us. We are just law enforcers, and we will ensure justice for you!"


    Luo Wei lowered her handkerchief, revealing a grateful smile.


    "Thank you, sir. Your words have put me at ease."


    She glanced cautiously at Troy behind her: "It happened like this: I accidentally entered this alley and got lost. Then I encountered a lecherous thug."


    "My guard arrived in time to stop him, but unexpectedly, he took out a strange bottle of wine. It''s over there," Luo Wei pointed at the broken bottle nearby. "My guard was very angry, saying he was trying to poison us."


    "Sir, he must be a habitual offender. Who knows how many people he has harmed like this? I was so scared at that moment, so I... I just..."


    "I understand, completely understand," the bearded soldier said indignantly. "Such a villain indeed deserves death. You did well, miss!"


    However, he didn''t just take Luo Wei''s word for it. He ordered one of his men to examine the bottle.


    The soldier ran back in horror to report: "Sir, it''s a bottle of wine mixed with succubus blood. It''s very potent!"


    Upon hearing this, the bearded soldier looked at Luo Wei with pity: "Miss, your suspicion was correct. This man was using a vile poison. He must be a habitual offender who tried to take advantage of you after seeing your beauty."


    "Rest assured, neither you nor your guard are guilty. In fact, you should be commended by the city of Siria. We thank you for eliminating such a despicable thug for us."


    Luo Wei''s tears turned to a smile: "Really, sir? Thank you so much. You are truly a just man."


    The bearded soldier said solemnly: "Thank you for your praise, kind miss. You and your guard may leave now. We''ll take care of the cleanup here."


    "Wait," Vina suddenly stepped forward, "Sir, I suspect this matter isn''t so simple."


    "Sir, haven''t you noticed anything suspicious? How would a common thug have succubus wine? That potion isn''t cheap, and he dared to lust after a noble lady. Don''t you find that strange?"


    The bearded soldier indeed showed a doubtful expression: "Are you suggesting that someone instructed this thug''s actions?"


    "Exactly. I suspect someone wanted to harm my dear classmate," Vina looked at Luo Wei. "Luo Wei, isn''t that right?"


    "Oh my," Luo Wei covered her mouth in shock, on the verge of tears. "Is that so? Someone wanted to harm me?"


    Vina''s features twisted for a moment. Damn this bitch, acting all weak here, as if she wasn''t the one who just ordered a killing!


    Not wanting to look at that affected face any longer, she turned her head and looked at Axina with a sardonic smile.


    "Axina, you invited me out today and specifically brought me to this alley. You wouldn''t happen to know something about this, would you?"


    A deep chill flashed in Axina''s eyes. Her nails dug into her palms as she quickly put on an innocent expression: "Vina, how can you say such things? You were the one who called me out!"


    She looked at Vina with a hurt expression, as if betrayed by a friend, and staggered backward. Then, clutching her skirt, she turned to the bearded soldier with teary eyes: "Sir, I really don''t know how things turned out like this."


    She smiled bitterly and said: "Since Vina suspects me, you can investigate me. I have nothing to defend. I''m heartbroken to learn that my friend is this kind of person."


    "Axina, have you no shame!" Vina roared with a contorted face. "You make it sound like I did it! Clearly, this was all your plan. Stop acting like an innocent person, you despicable snake!"


    Vina was nearly mad with anger. Damn it, they''re all such good actors, none of them are decent, bitches, shameless!


    Axina lowered her head, saying in despair: "Yes, I did it all. Sir, arrest me. Don''t investigate my friends."


    "Sir, look, she admitted it!" Vina''s heart leaped with joy as she pointed at Axina, laughing wildly. "You vicious woman, you finally admitted that you did it!"


    "Sir, now you know, right? That thug was her guard. She planned all of this. She even gathered a group of beggars, saying they should all violate Luo Wei. They''re probably nearby!"


    "Quickly arrest her and interrogate her thoroughly!"


    Vina''s voice was shrill and thin, making the bearded soldier frown deeply.


    After she finished, however, he didn''t order Axina''s arrest. Instead, he looked at the group behind Vina: "Tell me, who actually called you here?"


    These noble ladies, still in shock, answered in confusion when they heard the soldier''s question: "Vina called us here."


    The bearded soldier''s sharp gaze turned to Vina: "Miss, do you have anything else to say?"


    Vina glared at them angrily, then explained to the soldier: "Axina called me first, and then I called them."


    Realizing this explanation didn''t clear her suspicion, she had a sudden inspiration and defended herself: "If I had done it, why would I have asked them to call you here?"


    Axina covered her mouth, sobbing: "Wuu... So you had planned to frame me all along?"


    "Shut up, you damn bitch!" Vina sidestepped and turned, stomping her feet furiously as she roared at Axina, her expression as ferocious as a rakshasa demon.


    To be continued

 Chapter 40: Impossible, Absolutely Impossible

    The bearded soldier glanced back and forth between Vina and Axina, but ultimately fixed his gaze on Vina.


    Between a pitiful, helpless young lady and an arrogant, domineering one, it was obvious which seemed more problematic.


    The bearded soldier blocked Vina''s path: "Miss, please refrain from bullying innocent people."


    "Her? Innocent?" Vina pointed at Axina, nearly stumbling backward in shock.


    "Yes, and I suspect you''re involved in this case," the bearded soldier said sternly. "I believe you need to come with us."


    Vina''s eyes widened: "No, how can you do this? She clearly admitted she did it. Didn''t you hear? What grounds do you have to suspect me!"


    "That young lady was obviously coerced by you," the bearded soldier''s eyes shone with perceived wisdom. "Don''t try to frame an innocent person."


    "I''m not framing her. She really did it!" Vina hurriedly pulled Luo Wei to testify for her. "Luo Wei, tell them, who really did it?"


    Luo Wei stammered: "I... I''m not entirely sure, but Axina did threaten me before, saying she would teach me a lesson or something..."


    Vina was satisfied. She glanced smugly at Axina and said to the bearded soldier with renewed vigor: "Now you know who''s framing whom, right? The dog that bites doesn''t bark. I''m the innocent one here, she''s the culprit!"


    "Moreover, you can go find some beggars nearby. You''ll surely uncover the real mastermind from them."


    The bearded soldier frowned in thought for a moment, then ordered his subordinates to search for beggars nearby as Vina suggested. He then turned to Axina: "Poor miss, did you do it?"


    Axina wiped away her tears and looked up: "Sir, it truly wasn''t me."


    "I can swear by the Goddess of Love," she clasped her hands on her chest and closed her eyes. "Great Freya, Goddess of Love and Compassion, who holds dominion over the love and fertility of all beings, if I have committed this crime, please bestow your divine punishment upon me."


    "Don''t think I don''t know what you''re up to," Vina sneered. "The high and mighty gods wouldn''t bother with such trivial matters. Your oath is useless unless the Goddess of Love actually sends down a divine sign."


    However, as soon as she finished speaking, a holy white light emanated from Axina''s body, and a swan-like mark appeared on her forehead.


    "It''s the blessing of the Goddess of Love!" exclaimed the noble ladies.


    "Heavens, I''ve witnessed a divine miracle!" The bearded soldier was deeply moved and immediately declared, "This young lady is innocent."


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Impossible," Vina''s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. "Impossible. She clearly lied. How could this happen? It was definitely her who did it!"


    The bearded soldier immediately retorted: "Divine miracles don''t lie. The facts have proven that she is innocent."


    Vina kept shaking her head: "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"


    Suddenly, she thought of something and immediately pointed at the mark on Axina''s forehead: "I know now, she''s a blessed one of the Goddess of Love. She didn''t sincerely pray to the goddess at all. She just summoned the mark of divine favor."


    "Listen to what you''re saying," the bearded soldier said gravely. "If that poor young lady is blessed by the Goddess of Love, it''s even more impossible for her to do such a thing. How could someone favored by the gods be a bad person!"


    The noble ladies behind them chimed in: "That''s right, the divinely favored are one in a million, chosen by the gods themselves as the purest souls. How could they do bad things?"


    As people were discussing, the soldiers who went out to search for people came back.


    "Report, sir! We found no trace of beggars in the vicinity!"


    "How is that possible," Vina suddenly turned to Axina, "You lied to me!"


    A hint of mockery flashed in Axina''s eyes.


    She never actually found any beggars. The more people involved, the more likely things would go wrong. She said that only to lure Vina here.


    If things went south, she could still use Vina as a scapegoat.


    Now it seemed her decision back then was truly foresighted.


    The bearded soldier no longer believed Vina''s words. He beckoned to his subordinates: "Come, take this lying young lady to prison."


    "No, I didn''t do it. You can''t take me away!"


    # ×îÖÕ·­Òë¸å (Ðø)


    Vina struggled desperately. Although given her status, she wouldn''t be tortured, at most she''d be locked up for a couple of days. But the mere thought of the dirty prison and scurrying rats terrified her.


    "I won''t go, I won''t go. Do you know who I am? Let me go!"


    "Sir, please release her." Luo Wei stepped forward and said.


    The bearded soldier turned his head in confusion: "You want me to release her?"


    "Yes," Luo Wei nodded, speaking gently but firmly, "I believe Vina is not that kind of person, and even if she did it, I wasn''t harmed. Let''s put an end to this matter here. I won''t pursue it further."


    She looked at the bearded soldier with a smile. Her beautiful face was still a bit pale, but her eyes were forgiving and kind, like a Madonna radiating warm light.


    "Sir, God says, when I forgive others, I forgive myself. Please give Vina a chance to mend her ways."


    The bearded soldier couldn''t help but admire: "You are truly a noble aristocrat. Your character shines as brightly as your beauty."


    Although he didn''t know which god had said those words about forgiving others being forgiving oneself, such words clearly came from the mouth of a loving and powerful deity.


    The bearded soldier released Vina and ordered the soldiers to carry away the thug''s corpse.


    Axina watched the dismembered corpse, hatred surging in her heart like turbulent waves crashing against her chest. She cast a dark glance at Luo Wei and Vina, clenching her fists.


    "Troy, let''s go," Luo Wei called out, walking towards the alley exit.


    "Wait," Vina suddenly called out to her. As Luo Wei turned to look, she said awkwardly, "Let''s call our grudge settled, and don''t think I''ll thank you for this."


    "Alright, as you wish," Luo Wei nodded and left with Troy.


    Vina stomped her foot: "What does that mean? What do you mean by that!"


    The noble girls who had been standing by as bystanders trembled, not daring to say a word.


    After leaving the alley, Troy asked Luo Wei in confusion: "Why did you let them go?"


    Of course, it''s because I, as a fake noble, can''t confront them directly.


    "Of course, it''s because I wanted to give them a chance to mend their ways," Luo Wei raised an eyebrow. "Didn''t I just say that?"


    "Wasn''t that just you fooling them?"


    "Oh, you saw through that?" Luo Wei looked at Troy with interest. "Then let me ask you, why did you react so strangely when you heard that thug say he was from Yate and when you saw Axina?"


    "What was strange about it?"


    "So you know your reaction was off and you''re afraid I''d notice?"


    Troy fell silent, his eyes hidden behind the mask were dark and unreadable.


    "If you don''t want to say, that''s fine. I don''t really want to know anyway," Luo Wei naturally asked another question. "What exactly is that divine favor thing?"


    Troy looked at her strangely, his voice carrying an indecipherable tone: "Are you really from this world?"


    Luo Wei''s steps faltered: "Why do you ask that?"


    Troy also stopped: "Because you always seem to not know things that everyone else knows."


    He often felt that Luo Wei didn''t seem to belong to this world.


    Not only did he notice her lack of common knowledge about this world, but also the sense of incongruity when she was with others.


    It was as if she was detached from this world, occasionally looking around through a shell, remaining unnervingly calm no matter what happened.


    "You''re like a spectator," he said.


    Surprised by Troy''s keen observation, Luo Wei was genuinely startled.


    However, she quickly recovered and said half-jokingly: "So you''ve found out, huh? I really am not from this world."


    "I''m a god from the heavens, descended to save you all."


    Troy''s green eyes gazed at her, and suddenly he heard his own heart pounding violently in his ears.


    To be continued

 Chapter 41: Good News, Shes Also Been Chosen by a God

    After returning to the small courtyard, Troy sat on a stone bench in the garden, lost in thought.


    "Master, what''s wrong with Sir Swordsman?" Bella asked, puzzled.


    He had been sitting there since they returned, as if his soul had left his body.


    "I don''t know," Luo Wei said, perplexed. "He suddenly became like this halfway back and won''t talk to me."


    She had just made a joke, was that really enough to give her the cold shoulder?


    "I know why," little Roman squeezed between the two and raised his hand. "Troy must be lovesick, he''s thinking about the girl he loves."


    "Mind your manners, you should call him Uncle Troy, understand?" Luo Wei pinched Roman''s cheek and asked amusedly, "And who taught you words like ''lovesick''? You''re too young to learn such things."


    Roman puffed up his cheeks: "Tom said it. Tom''s been lovesick recently, he''s fallen for the carriage shop owner''s daughter!"


    Luo Wei laughed: "No wonder the carriage shop owner chased him out. So he was trying to steal his precious flower."


    Roman looked confused: "But the carriage shop owner doesn''t grow flowers!"


    "It''s just a saying," Luo Wei ruffled his soft hair. "Roman, I''ll send you to school. Tom can go with you too. Children should read more books."


    "Miss, I don''t want to go to school." Roman hugged her leg.


    Luo Wei said seriously: "Knights need to be well-educated. Don''t you want to be my knight?"


    "I do! I''ll go to school. I want to be the most cultured knight!" Roman said immediately.


    Luo Wei smiled mysteriously: "Good boy."


    I''ve been waiting for you to say that. Now my plan to accelerate your growth can begin, my little carrot-top!


    After instructing Bella to enroll Roman and Tom at the Siria Academy tomorrow, Luo Wei went upstairs to change clothes and returned to school.


    She arrived at school earlier than usual today because she wanted to visit the library.


    The original owner had lived in a fishing village all her life, so her knowledge and experience of the world were quite limited. She didn''t even know about things like the divine favor they had encountered today.


    To avoid such situations in the future, Luo Wei decided to devour all the books in the religion section.


    After flipping through the books, she finally understood what a divinely favored one was.


    A divinely favored one is a believer who has received the favor of a deity. These believers have a very pure faith in their god and are the promoters of the god in the mortal world, so they are also called the god''s blessed ones by people.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    The god bestows a mark on their blessed ones, representing that they are the chosen ones. The god will protect this person in the unseen realm and grant them extraordinary abilities.


    Divinely favored ones are rare, with only one born among tens of thousands of people, and most of them are nobles. They are almost non-existent among commoners.


    The book believed that nobles are the descendants of gods, so they have purer and stronger souls, which is why they are loved by the gods.


    Commoners, on the other hand, are descendants of sinners. Their souls are dark and dim, covered in dust, and they are greedy, ignorant, vulgar, and stupid, so the gods don''t like to choose blessed ones from among them.


    However, there is one type of god that likes to approach commoners, and that is the dark gods.


    According to the book, there are over a thousand gods, big and small, on the Star of Galan, but only a few dozen are frequently mentioned. For example, the Sea God worshipped in the original owner''s village, the Love Goddess that Axina believes in, as well as the Sun God, Moon Goddess, Thunder God, Fire God, Harvest God, Wisdom God, etc. These gods are collectively known as the Gods of Light.


    The Church is the temple of the Gods of Light, with the Sun God and Moon Goddess as the supreme gods, the rest as major gods, and under the major gods are some minor gods, such as the Soil God and Irrigation God under the Harvest God.


    These are all righteous gods, and opposite to them are the dark gods, such as the Wolf God, Undead God, Lich God, Plague God, etc., in the Dark God camp.


    The dark god to whom the original owner sacrificed her soul was the Undead God from the dark camp. This is a very evil deity because He turns people''s souls into undead, making them lost in the night, never able to ascend to heaven.


    But Luo Wei thought that this Undead God might not be so bad.


    After all, He fulfilled the original owner''s wish.


    On the contrary, that Love Goddess, who blessed someone like Axina, probably isn''t a good god.


    After reading the books, Luo Wei felt incredibly heavy-hearted.


    Although she knew there were gods in this world before, she thought they were like those described in "The Song of Aldrich," sitting high in the clouds, not bothering with mortal affairs.


    Now it seems that although the gods haven''t descended to earth, they are indirectly controlling the power struggles in the mortal world through this divine favor system.


    Luo Wei boldly speculated that the reason why righteous gods only choose nobles and not commoners is probably because commoners have no power at all. They can neither build temples for the gods nor gather faith for them.


    And the reason why dark gods like to find commoners is probably because all the nobles have been roped in by the righteous gods. They can''t pick up watermelons, so they have to make do with sesame seeds.


    Luo Wei sadly realized that she was just such a sesame seed.


    She was so excellent, yet no god came to favor her. They really had no eye for talent.


    Luo Wei closed the book and was about to put it back when she stood up and suddenly felt a sharp pain in her back, as if hundreds of needles were pricking her. The pain was so intense that she almost rolled under the table.


    After a good while, she was finally able to straighten up and reach back to touch her back.


    No needles, nothing at all.


    Oh no, could it be that she was being punished by the gods for badmouthing them in her mind?


    Luo Wei''s heart skipped a beat. She quickly returned the book to the shelf and hurriedly left the library, returning to her dormitory in the Rose Garden.


    She closed the doors and windows tightly, drew the curtains, and then lit the oil lamp on the table.


    She propped the small bronze mirror against the wall, with the oil lamp in front to prevent it from sliding down.


    After doing all this, Luo Wei gently took off her top, turned her back to the oil lamp, and looked into the mirror.


    In the dim bronze mirror, the flickering flame illuminated a mysterious black totem.


    Luo Wei''s pupils contracted as she looked at the intricate patterns covering her entire back in the mirror, her heart beginning to tighten involuntarily.


    Good news, she had also been chosen by a god.


    Bad news, it was a dark god that had chosen her.


    When had the dark god chosen her?


    Certainly not today.


    Luo Wei suddenly remembered something from the original owner''s memories, what Troy had said when he came to find her.


    He said: Offer your soul to the darkness, call out the name of the Undead God, ask for His response, and He will help you through this ordeal.


    At first glance, there seemed to be no problem, but thinking carefully, Troy had said this with such certainty. He seemed confident that she could get help from the Undead God. Why?


    They were strangers, so why did Troy come to tell her these things?


    Wasn''t he afraid that she might report him to the temple to reduce her own crime?


    Unless, she already had this mark on her at that time, and he had discovered it.


    But when exactly did it happen?


    A scene flashed in Luo Wei''s mind: Vina had several strong men jump up to tear at her clothes, ripping her outer skirt apart.


    The original owner was hanging on the city wall, her head lowered. When the back of her clothes was pulled, a large part of her shoulder would easily be exposed.


    Luo Wei touched her right shoulder. This mark was large and clear. If someone was standing in a high place, they could see a corner of it.


    At that time, was Troy standing on the city wall, or perhaps in a nearby tree, and happened to see this scene?


    Luo Wei pondered as she put her top back on and put away the bronze mirror.


    If it weren''t for the sudden pain in her back today, she wouldn''t have discovered that she had such a large totem on her body.


    Great, now she had one more reason to be killed by someone.


    "Oh, dark god, should I thank you for not putting this on my forehead?" she muttered sarcastically.


    Really, just picking on her like a single sesame seed, putting such a large tattoo, afraid she might be able to cut it off with a knife?


    Luo Wei was full of resentment, her impression of this Undead God hitting rock bottom.


    To be continued

 Chapter 42: Escr茅e Dessert House

    After the autumn equinox, the weather in Siria grew colder with each passing day.


    The land at 40 degrees north latitude, beyond the Tropic of Cancer, rotated through day and night. The nights lengthened, the days shortened, and time flew by like a shuttle.


    Luo Wei finally opened her bakery on Academy Street, tucked away in an inconspicuous corner, yet business was surprisingly brisk.


    Bread sold for one silver coin each, cakes for three silver coins a piece, and small cakes filled with nuts and fruit jam commanded an additional silver coin.


    Whenever other shop owners on the street passed by, they would gaze at it with a mix of reverence and bewilderment. They couldn''t fathom how this shop had opened, or why the bread was so exorbitantly priced.


    Until they finally steeled themselves to contribute to their competitor''s success - purchasing a small piece of cream-filled bread, savoring it with sounds of reluctant praise, only to curse her for highway robbery after finishing.


    As for the commoners, they dared not even pass by, for the shop was constantly bustling with noble students.


    Though not ideally located, Luo Wei''s shop was spacious, boasting two floors.


    The ground floor sold bread and cakes, while the upper floor served tea drinks.


    They didn''t use tea leaves; instead, they crafted fruit teas. The sweetness came from malt sugar that Luo Wei had taught Bella to extract, and the fruits were sourced from nearby farms. Autumn''s abundance of fruit kept prices low.


    Luo Wei had cleverly adapted the lucrative milk tea business from her previous life, and her once-flat purse now bulged with profits.


    Escr¨¦e Dessert House quickly became the most popular establishment among noble students. Now, those of status no longer frequented the second floor of the cafeteria, instead taking pride in enjoying afternoon tea at Escr¨¦e.


    The shop employed six staff: two maids trained by Bella and four hired milk-churning workers from outside, barely managing Escr¨¦e''s daily operations.


    The labor-intensive process of cream-making meant cream cakes were always in short supply, sold in limited quantities. Rumors circulated that some enterprising commoners had taken to buying cakes from the shop and reselling them to school nobles at inflated prices, some fetching as much as one gold coin per cake.


    To this, Luo Wei wryly thought: It''s still easier to make money from the nobles.


    The Hawkins shop had barely managed to pay her recipe rent for the first three months by draining their ancestral savings, while a single noble could spend fifty gold coins in a month at her dessert house.


    "Here, one gold coin," Luo Wei placed the gold coin on the counter.


    Like her customers, she too contributed to the shop''s daily revenue.


    "Very well, miss. Your cake and fruit tea will be served at your VIP seat upstairs. Please rest with your friend in the VIP area for a moment," the maid smiled, handing her a numbered copper tag with both hands.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "Mm," Luo Wei took the tag, "Jane, shall we?"


    Jane Fargson happily followed her upstairs, chattering away: "Luo Wei, the chef here is truly a genius. How do you think they create such delectable treats?"


    Luo Wei shook her head: "I''m as mystified as you are."


    "Indeed, it''s a mystery to all. So many nobles from the school have tried to uncover the secret, hoping to lure the chef away to their own kitchens, but to no avail. The owner of Escr¨¦e remains an enigma."


    Of course, Luo Wei knew the truth. The butter recipe was her closely guarded secret, prepared in her small courtyard and delivered to the shop. The in-house chefs couldn''t replicate it.


    Some nobles, frustrated in their attempts to poach her staff, had even tried to leverage their power and status. Fortunately, the shop''s location on Academy Street afforded it protection from the Siria school authorities, thwarting their efforts.


    Recently, Luo Wei had orchestrated rumors that Escr¨¦e''s owner was a noble of high standing. This had somewhat dampened the enthusiasm of those with ill intentions.


    As their desserts arrived, Jane sighed while delicately spooning her cake: "Luo Wei, your parents must dote on you terribly, allowing you to indulge here daily."


    "Don''t you come every day as well?"


    "If not for your invitation today, I wouldn''t be here," Jane admitted.


    Luo Wei feigned puzzlement: "Why? Has the cake lost its appeal?"


    Jane shook her head vigorously: "Even if I ate it for a lifetime, I''d never tire of it. But my purse is running dry."


    She continued dejectedly: "I counted my coins yesterday and realized I don''t have enough for this month''s expenses. I''ve written home, but who knows if Mother will send more money."


    "I''ve heard from the other girls that they wrote home ages ago, only to receive scolding replies and no funds. Recently, they''ve all resorted to wearing corsets again, to stave off hunger."


    "The saddest part is, they can''t even fit into their corsets anymore. Neither can I."


    Jane pinched the soft flesh around her waist, then gazed at the cake on her plate with a mix of longing and resentment. Still, she took another bite, as if devouring the flesh of her enemy.


    "Escr¨¦e is truly wicked, single-handedly draining the purses of Siria''s noble students!"


    Luo Wei, patting her own bulging money pouch, nodded with mock seriousness.


    "Exactly!" Jane agreed emphatically.


    "Luo Wei, there you are."


    A new guest ascended to the second floor - Princess Lilith Rossetti.


    "Teacher Lilith," Luo Wei stood, "Are you here for tea as well?"


    "Indeed. The fruit tea here is delightfully sweet. It never fails to lift my spirits," Lilith winked, "Much like you, my dear."


    Luo Wei blushed slightly: "You flatter me, teacher."


    Lilith, having sampled Luo Wei''s cakes in the small courtyard, was likely the only person at the academy who had deduced Luo Wei''s ownership of the establishment.


    After finishing their afternoon tea, Jane linked arms with Luo Wei as they exited the dessert shop.


    "Oh my, isn''t that Vina? Why is she here so late today?" Jane remarked, surprised.


    Vina, another regular, looked uncharacteristically distraught. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she shot them a glare as she hurried past into the cake shop.


    Luo Wei''s curiosity was piqued: "I wonder what''s troubling her?"


    They soon learned the cause of Vina''s distress. Rumors were flying around the academy that Vina''s fianc¨¦, Egbert Mansfield - an apprentice magician from the intermediate department and a count''s son - had professed his love to Axina with a bouquet of roses and a jeweled dagger.


    Reportedly, Axina had rejected him on the spot, admonishing him not to betray his engagement and urging him to treat Vina well.


    However, Vina had apparently burst onto the scene, shoving Axina and nearly pushing her into the lake. Egbert, enraged, had then humiliated Vina and threatened to break off their engagement.


    The noble young ladies at the school spoke of Vina with disdain: "She carried on like a common fishwife, not blaming her fickle fianc¨¦, but accusing Axina of seducing him."


    "As if! Her fianc¨¦ is so vertically challenged, and Axina is a beauty blessed by the Love Goddess herself. How could she possibly be interested in him?"


    "Precisely! Axina even forgave Vina''s rudeness and sternly warned Egbert to leave her alone. Yet Vina continued to rave like a madwoman, even accusing Axina of bewitching Egbert."


    "Ha! A love spell, perhaps?"


    "Don''t be absurd. The Love Goddess would never bestow her gifts on someone so unfaithful!"


    Luo Wei listened thoughtfully. While Axina''s proud nature indeed made it unlikely she''d be interested in the short, stubby Egbert, the possibility that she might have deliberately seduced him to spite Vina couldn''t be entirely ruled out.


    Moreover, the lore stated that all divinely favored ones were granted an extraordinary ability by their patron deity. Axina hadn''t displayed any particular talent in her courses. Perhaps her gift lay elsewhere?


    Vina''s suspicions weren''t entirely baseless. The talent bestowed by the Love Goddess should logically relate to love. Surely it couldn''t be a gift for fertility?


    Then again, Axina was undeniably beautiful, with golden hair that shimmered like silk and azure eyes reminiscent of Swan Lake''s waters. She embodied the universally acknowledged ideal of beauty, mirroring the mythological appearance of the Love Goddess herself.


    Her facial features were sculpted and well-defined, with clear shadows that lent her beauty an almost aggressive quality. If not for her habit of keeping her eyes demurely lowered and maintaining a gentle smile, deliberately softening her intense allure, she would likely have driven the school''s male students to distraction long ago.


    If Axina set her mind to seducing a man, she likely wouldn''t need any magical assistance. A single coquettish glance would probably suffice.


    To be continued

 Chapter 43: The Dark God Might Be a Bit Off

    "You know, I don''t think Vina was all that fond of her fianc¨¦," Jane suddenly remarked.


    Luo Wei raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"


    Jane clutched her chest dramatically. "If I were in her shoes, I''d be too heartbroken to eat. Yet there she was, buying cake."


    "Pfft," Luo Wei chuckled, "Perhaps cake is her true love."


    Come to think of it, Vina had put on quite a bit of weight lately. Her cheeks looked plump and rosy, making her seem less irritating than before.


    Luo Wei had to admit, she was a sucker for appearances.


    No, not just appearances ¨C she had a weakness for all things cute.


    She adored adorable creatures, like that big spider with its beady eyes.


    Thinking of the spider made Luo Wei''s mood darken. Over a month had passed, and her would-be assassin was still at large.


    On the bright side, there had been no further attempts on her life. Perhaps Troy''s presence was deterring them.


    The next day, back in her small courtyard, Luo Wei sat in her room, pondering what her special talent might be.


    Surely the God of the Dead wouldn''t be so stingy as to not bestow any benefits on His chosen one?


    Luo Wei closed her eyes, mimicking Axina''s posture, and called out: "Oh evil God of the Dead and Night, Otilette, wielder of authority over the realm of death, pray tell, what gift have you bestowed upon me?"


    She waited silently for half a minute. No response.


    She stood up, removed her clothes, and examined her back in the mirror. The previous markings had vanished, leaving her back pristine white.


    Luo Wei: ?


    No way, had the God of the Dead been scared off?


    Was He really so miserly? Making people work without pay, then running away at the first sign of an employee asking for their dues?


    Luo Wei pondered for a few seconds. Surely, as a god, He wouldn''t flee so ignominiously. It would be too undignified.


    So, the problem must lie in her prayer?


    Was it insincere, or was the method incorrect?


    Luo Wei recalled the psychological state she was in when her back had stung and the markings appeared last time. An absurd thought crossed her mind.


    No way, could a god really be that vain?


    Well, it was worth a try.


    She closed her eyes, placed her hand on her chest, and recited devoutly: "Great and righteous God of the Dead, Otilette, wielder of authority over the realm of death, Your radiance is awe-inspiring, Your tolerance praiseworthy, Your beauty surpasses even that of the Love Goddess. You are the truly sublime, the only deity truly worthy of worship!"


    Suddenly, her back grew hot. Luo Wei opened her eyes and looked in the mirror. Sure enough, the tattoo had reappeared.


    Large and black, with intricate patterns like twisted snakes.


    Her face remained expressionless, though she was tempted to let out a cold "Heh."


    She never imagined He would be such a deity.


    One who loved flattery from His subordinates, who craved praise.


    No wonder last time, when she had imagined Him as a benevolent god and thought the Love Goddess wasn''t all that great, He had eagerly manifested His presence.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    It turned out He just liked hearing words that pleased Him.


    Seriously? You''re supposed to be a Dark God!


    A Dark God who didn''t like being called evil, but preferred being praised as righteous, kind, and glorious? Luo Wei inwardly scoffed. This Dark God was a bit off.


    This world was a bit off too!


    Having found the correct way to approach the Dark God, Luo Wei closed her eyes and praised with the most heartfelt emotion she could muster: "Great God of the Dead, Otilette, You are so just, loving, kind, and gentle... You are better than all other gods, You love Your people and followers more than any other. I am Your most loyal, most faithful servant Luo Wei. Please grant me Your power!"


    Her back suddenly felt scalding hot, followed by an itching sensation. It felt as if something was about to burst out from her shoulder blades.


    Luo Wei opened her eyes in alarm and looked in the mirror.


    On her left and right shoulder blades, the black patterns were twisting like boiling water. Suddenly, a protrusion formed under her skin, as if about to pierce through.


    Excruciating pain spread from her back to her limbs and throughout her body. It felt as if all her bones were being shattered and reassembled. The pain was so intense that she stumbled and fell to the ground.


    Luo Wei dug her fingers into the gaps between the floor tiles, gritting her teeth to avoid crying out and alerting those downstairs.


    Well played, Dark God. Well played indeed.


    Bestowing a blessing in such a hellish manner ¨C was He trying to turn her into a monster?


    Luo Wei deeply regretted her actions. She knew the Dark God was evil, so why had she boldly prayed to Him for favors?


    "Dealing with the tiger for its skin, how could that end well?" How could she have forgotten such a basic principle?


    The bones in her back crackled, making a sound that set her teeth on edge. Luo Wei trembled all over, her body drenched in sweat.


    After what seemed like an eternity, she suddenly felt her body lighten. Something seemed to have burst forth from her back, unfurling and fanning cool air by her ears.


    The excruciating pain vanished, replaced by an unprecedented feeling of lightness.


    Luo Wei''s heart pounded. She had an inkling of what had grown on her back.


    With a mere thought, before she could even push herself up with her hands and feet, the new appendages on her back fluttered, lifting her to hover above the ground.


    In the mirror, she saw a pair of enormous black wings behind her. When fully extended, they spanned about three meters, just a bit longer than her arm span. When folded, the feathers didn''t quite touch the ground.


    A very convenient ability for escaping danger.


    A childhood wish had become reality.


    Now she didn''t need to envy Troy''s griffin mount. Flying on your own was far more impressive than riding a flying beast.


    However, wouldn''t black wings immediately make people suspect a connection to the Dark God?


    As soon as this thought crossed her mind, Luo Wei noticed the color of her wings changing.


    Not only did the wings turn white, but her hair also became white, making her look like a little angel. All that was missing was a halo above her head. Fearing that might actually appear, she quickly stopped that train of thought.


    She had to admit, the God of the Dead was indeed a generous boss. He''d given her a pair of wings and thrown in a set of skins to boot, allowing her to switch between appearances.


    Luo Wei even had a vague feeling that the abilities she''d gained weren''t limited to just this.


    However, she hadn''t yet fully grasped what other powers she might have received.


    "Great God of the Dead, Otilette, You truly are the most generous, magnanimous, tolerant, and loving deity I''ve ever encountered!"


    Was He being so good to her because she was His only follower?


    How pitiful.


    While entertaining these irreverent thoughts, Luo Wei retracted her wings.


    The wings miraculously disappeared into her body, and the markings on her back gradually faded away.


    Her hair color returned to black. Apart from being slightly damp with sweat, she appeared completely unchanged.


    Generally speaking, when you accept something from someone, you''re expected to do their bidding.


    God''s chosen ones were supposed to embody their god''s will, providing pure faith or helping to recruit followers.


    Luo Wei, previously an atheist, obviously lacked pure faith. Providing faith would be difficult for her.


    He probably knew this. After all, as a god, reading mortal thoughts would be child''s play for Him.


    So the only thing left for Luo Wei to do was to recruit followers.


    But if she tried to persuade people to worship a Dark God, wouldn''t she risk being killed?


    Moreover, she wasn''t even sure whether the God of the Dead was good or evil. It would be best to find a way to test the waters first.


    Of course, this matter required careful consideration. She didn''t want to anger the praise-loving god and risk Him smiting her with a single thought.


    Luo Wei''s current plan was to first sound out Troy. Since he could recognize the mark of the God of the Dead''s chosen one, he might be a follower himself.


    To be continued

 Chapter 44: Ill Prove to You That Im Not His Follower

    The small courtyard was quiet. With Roman and Tom off to school, the house felt somewhat empty.


    Bella was a shy person, and Troy didn''t like to talk much. When Luo Wei came downstairs, there was no one rushing over to call her "Miss" excitedly.


    Ah, suddenly she felt a twinge of empty nest syndrome.


    Luo Wei walked into the small garden she had created with her own hands and found Troy gazing into the distance from the apple tree by the courtyard wall.


    "Troy, can we talk?"


    Troy looked down from the tree: "About what?"


    "Come down first, then we''ll talk."


    Troy jumped down, his green eyes glancing at her briefly before looking elsewhere: "Go ahead."


    Luo Wei thought it strange. Troy had been very cold for the past month, always quickly averting his gaze when he saw her, as if looking at her would burn his eyes.


    She shifted her position, determined to stand in front of him, and asked with narrowed eyes, "Troy, you''re a follower of the Dark God, aren''t you?"


    Troy''s pupils contracted violently for a moment before he shook his head: "No, I''m not."


    "Liar," Luo Wei took a step forward, trying to observe his expression through the mask, "If you''re not, why did you agree to my employment as soon as you heard me say that in the tavern?"


    Troy pressed his lips tightly together, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword so hard that the veins on the back of his hand bulged.


    "Are you a follower of the God of the Dead?"


    Troy suddenly looked up at her, a flash of killing intent in his eyes.


    "Don''t be nervous, I won''t report you. I don''t dislike the Dark Gods. On the contrary, I''m very interested in them."


    Troy''s eyes showed surprise, then his pupils darkened, and he warned her in a hoarse voice: "Curiosity will get you killed. Don''t try to touch anything related to the Dark Gods. Be careful not to play with fire."


    Luo Wei quickly reached out and touched his arm: "Like this?"


    Troy jerked back as if he''d been pricked by a needle, covering his arm: "You!"


    "What about me?" Luo Wei stepped in front of him again and poked him once more, "What''s wrong with just touching?"


    Troy reacted as if he''d been molested, suddenly retreating seven or eight steps, looking at her with his whole body stiff.


    "You, you''re a girl!"


    "What else would I be?" Luo Wei approached step by step, "If I''m not a girl, am I a boy?"


    Troy watched her hand warily, shuddering when she raised it, as if his hair was standing on end.


    "Don''t touch me!" he warned in a low voice.


    But this time Luo Wei didn''t touch him. Instead, she reached for his face, her slender, delicate fingers stopping a foot away from his cheek.


    "Troy, what does your face look like under that mask?"


    "I..." Troy moved his lips, then suddenly turned his back to her.


    His hoarse voice came: "It''s ugly, not good-looking."


    "I don''t believe it. Your eyes are so beautiful, I can''t believe you''re ugly."


    Troy stood with his back to her, muscles tense, his fingers loosening then quickly tightening again.


    "Troy," Luo Wei couldn''t reach his ear even on tiptoe, so she had no choice but to move in front of him, looking up as she said, "No matter what you look like, you''re beautiful in my eyes."


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    After all, most Westerners looked the same to her. She was face-blind and basically recognized people only by their hair and eye color.


    "Troy, let''s exchange secrets, okay? You let me see your face, and I''ll tell you one of my secrets."


    Troy covered his mask tightly and stepped back, turning away again: "No."


    Luo Wei''s temper flared: "If you won''t show me, is it because you have a Dark God''s mark on your forehead?"


    Troy''s whole body trembled: "No!"


    "Such a big reaction, and you still say no?" Luo Wei hadn''t expected to actually trick it out of him. With mixed feelings, she asked, "Which Dark God''s mark is it? Is it the God of the Dead, Otilette?"


    "Are you His chosen one?"


    "Strange, even if you have His mark, you don''t need to wear a mask all the time, right? As long as you don''t deliberately reveal it, no one would see it."


    Troy''s back stiffened. He turned around and said decisively: "I''m not His follower. I don''t believe in gods. The Day of Descent is coming soon. I''ll prove it to you then."


    "The Day of Descent?" Luo Wei remembered that in this world, November 1st each year was designated as the Day of Descent, believed to be the day when the gods descended.


    "Why prove it on the Day of Descent? Why not now?"


    Troy''s tone was odd: "Because only on the Day of Descent will the temple doors open wide and sprinkle true holy water. Everyone will go to the temple square to receive the baptism of holy water."


    "Isn''t that holy water fake?" Luo Wei was confused. She remembered Barton saying that the holy water he drank as a child was just scooped up from a well by the priest.


    "The holy water on that day is not fake," Troy''s eyes deepened, "In fact, only the holy water on that day is real."


    "The gods will bestow upon the holy water the power to dispel evil. If I were a follower of the Dark God, I would be burned to ashes by the holy water."


    Luo Wei''s eyelids twitched, her heart starting to pound.


    Heaven really loved to play jokes on her. One moment it let her feel proud and content, the next it plunged her into despair.


    Suddenly, those big wings didn''t seem so appealing anymore.


    The holy water baptism on the Day of Descent... surely they wouldn''t force everyone to participate, right?


    Back at school, Luo Wei took out the turtle shell she hadn''t used in a long time.


    Ever since the last time when her divination showed good fortune, but she was attacked by fake thugs that same day, Luo Wei hadn''t really trusted her divination results.


    Moreover, after that day, her divinations returned to the state of her first attempt - just looking at the star chart made her dizzy and nauseous, and she would feel weak for a long time after exiting her mental world.


    As her coursework became increasingly demanding, she needed to focus her energy elsewhere, so she dared not divine casually anymore.


    Those fortune tellers in her past life often said that revealing heavenly secrets would result in the punishment of five misfortunes and three lacks.


    She didn''t care much about being widowed, orphaned, or childless, but lacking wealth and life among the three lacks really hit her weak spots.


    Wealth and life, she couldn''t afford to lack either!


    Bringing her thoughts back to the present, she picked up the turtle shell and began to enter a meditative state with full concentration.


    In her mental world, a myriad of stars and orbits formed a beautiful celestial landscape.


    Luo Wei gazed at the sky, standing on a giant turtle shell, and asked the first life-or-death question.


    "Will the Day of Descent bring me good or bad fortune?"


    The Great Fire Star constellation lit up again, foretelling danger.


    This result, Luo Wei could somewhat accept.


    Danger meant that although there was risk, it wasn''t necessarily a death sentence.


    The second question: "What should I do to turn misfortune into good fortune?"


    Suddenly, the Great Fire Star constellation burst into a blinding red light. The stars in the sky began to fall one by one as if they had lost gravity, hurtling towards her wrapped in scorching celestial fire.


    Luo Wei looked up, her dark pupils burned crimson by the deep red flames. Her entire mental world melted into a sea of lava.


    "Boom¡ª"


    She opened her eyes, crouching down and clutching her exploding head.


    The stars were telling her that this ordeal was unavoidable.


    If she tried to escape, it would only lead to certain death.


    Luo Wei gasped for air, her blurry eyes shedding involuntary tears. The burning sensation of the fierce fire gradually faded as the tears flowed, and cool air rushed into her body.


    Was this burning sensation what it would feel like when the holy water touched her?


    Luo Wei wiped away the useless tears from her face and stood up, supporting herself on the chair.


    This kind of pain was definitely not something she could endure by sheer will. Even if she could last until the end of the Day of Descent, if the holy water burned her skin, others would immediately see that she was a follower of the Dark God.


    She had to think of another way.


    At least something that would make it appear as if the holy water didn''t affect her.


    Luo Wei''s gaze deepened. She remembered that the advanced magic apprentices learned a spell called the Transformation Spell.


    To be continued

 Chapter 45: Gently, I Knock on Your Window~

    Fifteen days remained until the Day of Descent.


    Luo Wei couldn''t find any opportunity to access advanced magic, neither through people nor books.


    She couldn''t make acquaintances with senior magic apprentices, and even if she managed to meet one, they wouldn''t agree to teach her advanced spells if she asked abruptly.


    The parchment scrolls in the library never recorded magic spells either, for fear that students with weak magical power might steal advanced spells and end up with their minds fried, becoming drooling idiots.


    After all, there was indeed such a case recorded in the library''s prohibition rules: a commoner who stole an advanced binding spell to win a competition, ruining his entire life.


    Since then, magic books have been kept only in the hands of the school''s teachers.


    The best method Luo Wei could think of was to steal the magic book from Professor Moses, read it, and then return it.


    However, Professor Moses never let go of her book, making it extremely difficult for Luo Wei to achieve her goal.


    Luo Wei had also thought about running away, or just hiding in her room on that day, but the notice issued by the academy shattered her delusions.


    "On the Day of Descent at 7 a.m., all faculty and students must go to the academy square to receive the annual holy water baptism. Those who evade will be treated as evil beings."


    "At 2 p.m. on the Day of Descent, a grand demon-expelling ceremony will be held in the square in front of the Siria Temple. Teachers and students from Siria Magic Academy are welcome to attend and witness the execution."


    The first notice was issued by the academy, and students must comply.


    The second notice was jointly issued by the Lord of Siria City and the temple, and attendance was optional.


    Time was running out, and Luo Wei felt increasingly anxious.


    The students around her were enthusiastically discussing where to go on the Day of Descent, as there would be no classes that day. The holy water baptism process was also very simple, taking less than an hour to complete, which meant they essentially had a full day off.


    Luo Wei lowered her gaze, hiding the heavy darkness in her eyes, and casually muttered, "Why do we have to go? I wanted to sleep in that day!"


    "Ah, many years ago it wasn''t necessary. It''s mainly because an evil necromancer once infiltrated the academy," said Barton, who had grown up in Siria and knew some of the history of Siria Magic Academy.


    "It was about when I was six or seven, so about ten years ago. A senior magic apprentice from the academy suddenly appeared at the demon-expelling ceremony and abducted the death row prisoner from the execution platform."


    "Later, after the academy''s investigation, they discovered that he was actually a human skin puppet controlled by a necromancer. Who knows what they were trying to do by sneaking into the school!"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Luo Wei covered her mouth in horror: "Oh my god, was the necromancer caught in the end?"


    "Of course he was caught!" Barton said proudly. "Principal Morrison personally took action. The necromancer didn''t even make it out of the city before he was destroyed with a single move. His body was even turned to ashes by holy water."


    "That''s amazing," Winnie''s eyes showed admiration, "Principal Morrison is truly a powerful archmage."


    "He''s a senior archmage," Barton corrected, "I heard that the principal is already working towards the realm of grand archmage."


    There are eight levels of mages in total: junior, intermediate, and senior mage; junior, intermediate, and senior archmage; then grand archmage and saint archmage.


    For magic apprentices like them, as long as they study diligently, they can become junior mages certified by the Magic Association after graduating from the academy.


    Luo Wei felt a sense of helplessness rising in her heart. Every teacher in the academy had at least senior mage level or above. Even if she could learn the transformation spell, could she deceive their eyes?


    Whether it would work or not, she had to struggle at least once.


    Luo Wei quickly devised three plans for herself, a triple insurance. Surely one of them would work.


    First, find a way to distract Professor Moses and steal her magic book.


    Second, get a layer of waterproof coating for herself to see if it could protect against holy water.


    Third, of the thirty-six stratagems, fleeing is best. Although the divination results said she couldn''t escape, what if she could?


    As the saying goes, man''s will can conquer nature. She was determined to defy fate!


    Luo Wei completed the second plan first. Using the excuse of making lemon honey water, she had Bella buy a large bucket of wild honey, from which she extracted two pounds of beeswax.


    This beeswax, when melted and applied to the skin surface, could isolate water droplets from the outside. The effect looked very fake, but it didn''t matter, she could still apply powder makeup.


    Besides beeswax, Luo Wei also boiled a bowl of mutton fat. After removing the odor and rancidity, it solidified into white cream, which also had some waterproof effect when applied to the neck and arms.


    The third plan was even simpler to prepare, she just needed to carry all her gold coins with her on that day.


    The most important was the first plan. How could she get Professor Moses''s magic book?


    Barton''s words gave her inspiration. She could make a puppet, lure Professor Moses out of her room at night, and then fly through the window to steal the book.


    She wasn''t a necromancer and couldn''t make human skin puppets, so she could only make a simplified mechanical doll.


    Luo Wei was an engineering student who had worked part-time as a science teacher in an elementary school extracurricular interest class during her undergraduate years.


    She had once taught students to make a handcraft project to help them understand the principle of the phonograph, which was to make the world''s earliest recorder - using a needle tip to record sound vibrations, engraving them on a spiral-grooved cylinder covered with tin foil, to record and release sound.


    The alchemy classroom had metal tin, and material shops on Academy Street also sold it. Needles and metal cylinders were easy to find too. Making a simple phonograph wasn''t difficult.


    She just needed to make a spring-driven chassis with gears, put the recorded phonograph in it, dress it up to look like a person, and secretly place it by Professor Moses''s window at midnight to make sounds and lure her away.


    It didn''t need to be dressed up too meticulously, as it would be dark and hard to see clearly anyway. But the puppet''s movement speed had to be fast, otherwise Professor Moses would return quickly.


    However, sometimes ideals are full, but reality is skinny.


    No matter how fast a mechanical device driven by winding springs and turning gears could be, it wouldn''t be fast enough, and the power wouldn''t last long.


    Luo Wei tossed and turned all night, and finally thought of a brilliant idea when she saw birds flying over the treetops in the morning.


    She would make a kite, let the kite dangle the puppet past Professor Moses''s window, and as soon as she noticed, cut the kite string immediately, letting the kite carry the puppet away.


    To give the kite enough power to lift the dummy, Luo Wei diligently studied wind magic runes and weight reduction magic runes, carving them all over every bone of the kite and every inch of the dummy''s outer skin.


    After finishing all this, two-thirds of her time had been used up.


    She needed to reserve enough time to learn the spell, so she had to act quickly.


    Professor Moses lived in a detached villa outside the academy. She wasn''t married and had no children, preferring solitude, her life monotonous to the extreme.


    It was said that she had a lover, but no one had ever seen her appear with him.


    Even the heavens were helping her.


    The night had a good wind, trees swaying incessantly, the howling wind covering the arrival of the uninvited guest.


    Luo Wei sneaked out of school in the dead of night, carrying the props she had made, and flew to the roof of the small villa.


    The puppet she made was truly ugly, ugly enough to scare even herself.


    It was a pity, if only the academy had given her a little more time to learn more magic runes and spells, she wouldn''t have wasted ten days making such a shoddy thing.


    Taking advantage of the strong wind to release the kite, Luo Wei held two thin lines to lower the puppet to the window of Professor Moses''s bedroom, then cut one of the lines.


    In the dark night, the puppet knocked on the wooden window, emitting a hoarse and strange tone: "Professor Moses krrr krrr I''ve come to find you krrr krrr krrr..."


    To be continued

 Chapter 46: What Ugly Thing Is This?

    "Who''s there!"


    Eudora Moses, always a light sleeper, woke up startled by the sound and looked towards the window.


    "Who''s outside?"


    This voice called her professor, could it be one of her students?


    She got out of bed and went to the window, lifting the opaque curtain. In the pitch-black night, she only saw a stiff black shadow quickly moving away from her.


    A faint magical fluctuation could be felt in the air, but that voice didn''t sound human - neither male nor female, with ear-grating noise interspersed between the words.


    "A puppet!"


    Professor Moses realized, grabbing the wand by her bed.


    The puppet was too far for her spell to hit. Without further hesitation, Professor Moses climbed out the window and gave chase.


    From behind the chimney on the roof, Luo Wei watched Professor Moses chase into the distance. Certain that she wouldn''t return soon, Luo Wei immediately jumped down and climbed through the window.


    The bedroom was too dark, so Luo Wei used her magic wand to light a small flame, finally able to see the layout.


    A spacious bed, a large wardrobe, and some small furniture like a dressing table, small wooden stools, and a coat rack.


    Luo Wei''s gaze swept across the room, and a silver glint caught her eye. The magic book was under the pillow on the bed, its silver corner exposed.


    Indeed, for something so important, Professor Moses wouldn''t keep it far from her side.


    She quickly walked over and picked up the silver magic book from under the pillow.


    But the moment she picked up the silver book, she suddenly noticed there were two pillows on the bed!


    At the same time, the sound of a door being pushed open came from outside the bedroom.


    Damn it!


    Luo Wei glanced at the distance between herself and the window, decisively extinguished the flame, put down the magic book, and crawled under the bed.


    With a "creak", the door was pushed open from outside, and a pair of large feet wearing soft gray slippers walked in.


    "Strange, why is the window open?"


    The person walked to the window, looked around, then turned: "Darling?"


    "Where is she, did she go out?"


    He walked to the bedside, seemed to bend down a bit, and picked up the magic book next to the pillow.


    "Why did she leave the book lying around again?"


    The man complained, picked up the magic book, and walked to the wardrobe.


    Luo Wei couldn''t see his upper body movements, but from his lower legs visible beneath the nightgown and the heels exposed in the slippers, she could barely judge that he was a man of about thirty or so, probably Professor Moses''s lover.


    The wardrobe was opposite the bed, a dark mass that couldn''t be seen clearly, but the man opened the wardrobe door and put the book inside.


    "Sigh, in the middle of the night, I''d better go out and look for her."


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Those feet walked to the door, opened it, and went out.


    Luo Wei waited for a few seconds, heard another door opening sound from outside, then crawled out from under the bed and quickly walked to the wardrobe.


    Opening the wardrobe door, she found it was full of magic books!


    The left side of the wardrobe was for clothes, while the right side was clearly a bookshelf.


    She let out a small flame and quickly searched through. The silver book was on the shelf, but she felt she might have an even greater harvest tonight.


    On the top shelf, there were seven or eight parchment books. She pulled one out and looked - it happened to be an advanced magic book.


    As if blessed by the gods!


    This phrase flashed through Luo Wei''s mind. She promptly tore out the inner pages of the magic book, leaving only the hard cover, which she stuffed back onto the shelf.


    Having done all this, she didn''t linger any longer and flew out the window.


    On the barren slope, Professor Moses had trapped the puppet in place with a binding spell and flew over with a lightness spell.


    She had initially thought this was a prank by some half-baked puppeteer, but upon closer inspection, she realized it didn''t even qualify as half-baked.


    The puppet''s body was woven from several thin, long vines, dressed in a tattered hemp cloth, with a sheepskin face painted with features so ugly it was hard to look at.


    "What kind of ugly toad thing is this?" Professor Moses couldn''t help but curse.


    The puppet was just too ugly. Not to mention the disproportionate limbs, one too long and one too short, but that face - why were there two red circles painted on either side of it?


    With those two things added, it was inexplicably creepy.


    She rubbed it with her finger and found that the puppet''s face was also smeared with grease and flour, with eyelashes drawn so long it was scary on the mismatched eyes using charcoal.


    "Must be the work of some stinky boy!" Professor Moses concluded, because only a stinky boy would draw something so ugly. Girls love beauty and are good at makeup.


    If Luo Wei had heard this, she would have cried out in injustice - she was drawing Carslan big eyes, okay!


    Professor Moses tore open the puppet''s belly, revealing a crudely assembled pile of metal junk that looked nothing like a delicate creation.


    A metal needle rested on a tin foil cylinder, continuously emitting a "zizi" sound, which was absolute torture for someone who loved quiet like her.


    However, out of curiosity about how this broken thing could still produce a human voice, Professor Moses didn''t stomp it flat. Instead, she picked it up and returned to the small villa.


    "You''re back. What did you catch?" A refined-looking man who resembled a pretty boy stood at the villa''s entrance, the night wind blowing his nightgown''s hem wildly.


    Professor Moses, wearing an icy expression, threw the puppet on the ground: "An ugly thing with a sound-making machine inside. It also had a self-destruct device made of burning charcoal, which I extinguished with a water element."


    "A clever idea. If the materials used weren''t so ordinary, it might have achieved the effect she intended," the refined man said with a smile.


    "She? Isn''t it a stinky boy?"


    "Oh, yes, a stinky boy. I misspoke," the refined man said gently. "It should indeed be a stinky boy. Darling, you''re too harsh on your students in class. Look how much effort this child put into completing a prank!"


    "Hmph, just wait until I catch him, the little brat!" Professor Moses said angrily.


    The refined man smiled and let his gaze fall on the still clicking puppet: "Why don''t we take this thing to show the professors who teach alchemy? It might be a great invention."


    Professor Moses glanced at the puppet and nodded.


    Meanwhile.


    Luo Wei had finally obtained the long-dreamed-of magic book and could finally get a good night''s sleep.


    She had been staying up late for ten nights, sleeping only two or three hours each day. Sometimes, walking down the road, she felt like a wandering ghost. Even without the holy water baptism, she could ascend to heaven on her own strength.


    Four days left. Would four days be enough for her to learn an advanced magic spell?


    Luo Wei thought uncertainly.


    With many eyes in the academy, she didn''t dare take the spell book back to the dormitory, so she first returned it to the small courtyard.


    In the quiet night, Troy suddenly opened his eyes, his fingers reaching for the sword by his pillow, listening intently to the faint sounds from outside.


    Very light footsteps, slow breathing rate, leaning towards an adult, with soft and smooth exhalations - it was a woman.


    He listened for a while, then withdrew his hand back under the covers, staring at the ceiling.


    Luo Wei, what was she doing back in the middle of the night?


    After a while, there was another rustling sound from outside, like window shutters shaking, or like bird wings flapping in flight.


    Troy''s mind stirred. He quietly sat up, got out of bed, and walked barefoot to the window.


    To be continued

 Chapter 47: His Heart Ached Dully

    Through the window crack, a dark shadow flew out from under the eaves, soaring towards the sky.


    Troy slowly opened the wooden window, his forest-green eyes fixed intently on that slender figure.


    The wild wind dispersed the dark clouds, and moonlight poured down.


    Troy''s eyes gradually widened, as if he had seen something incredible.


    Huge white wings swept across the night sky. The girl flying under the moonlight resembled an immaculately pure angel from mythology, or perhaps one of those breathtakingly beautiful moon goddesses from tribal legends who descend in the dead of night to comfort poor souls trapped in nightmares.


    Troy had excellent eyesight. Even from hundreds of meters away, he could still see half of the angel''s dazzling profile.


    Her face was exposed in the cold moonlight, as white as porcelain. Her enormous wings were like two beautiful sacred fans, with pure white feathers resembling wisps of clouds, shimmering with a radiance too bright to look at directly.


    Troy clutched his chest, where his heart ached dully.


    For him, this was both a beautiful dream and a nightmare.


    In mid-air, Luo Wei glanced back stealthily, finally letting out a sigh of relief.


    She hadn''t expected Troy''s hearing to be so sensitive. She had only opened the window briefly, yet it had woken him up.


    Fortunately, she had a very strong intuition about being watched, allowing her to quickly switch to white skin when he first looked, narrowly preserving her precarious secret identity.


    Luo Wei had previously used her natural skin because she thought black was more suitable for concealment in the night. But now that she had been discovered, she realized she had been short-sighted.


    Black wings were indeed good for hiding, but once exposed, the consequences could be severe.


    White wings, though conspicuous, offered a convenient excuse if discovered. She could always claim to be the messenger of some minor wild god, like the Pigeon God or Seagull God.


    Thinking this way, Luo Wei flew back to school.


    The pure white silhouette descended from the starry sky, landing in the rose garden with a body full of clear radiance, causing even the gorgeous roses to shyly close their buds.


    A raven with pitch-black feathers perched on a willow tree by the lake, recording this scene with its blood-red bead-like eyes before fluttering towards the boys'' dormitory.


    "Tap tap tap, tap tap tap¡ª"


    Kael was awakened by the sound of the raven pecking at the window frame. When he got up from bed, his eyes were as gloomy as if he wanted to kill someone.


    "You beast, if this isn''t important, I''ll really wring your neck!"


    He strode over, pushed open the wooden window, and grabbed the raven inside.


    "Caw¡ª Caw¡ª" The raven made a coarse, hoarse sound, a white shadow flashing in its red eyes.


    "What the hell is this?"


    Kael pinched the raven''s neck, squinting his left eye and widening his right, pressing close to the raven''s bean-like pupil to look inside, as if peering into a thin kaleidoscope.


    After a while, he released the raven, his eyes full of excitement.


    "So it''s not a witch''s bloodline, but an angel''s bloodline?"


    Stolen story; please report.


    "My dear elder sister is indeed good at making friends, but what''s the use of just making friends?"


    Kael clenched his fist, revealing a look of certainty: "Just as she doesn''t know how she falls short compared to me, she also won''t know how easy it is for me to take away her connections."


    Especially when that connection is an unworldly young girl. If he just slightly displays his status and gallantry to her, and shows her a bit of pity, she will fall madly in love with him.


    Once he has control over her fragile, love-starved little heart, no matter what he orders her to do, even if it''s to take off her clothes and kneel down, she will do so willingly.


    Just like those daughters of ministers outside the palace.


    However, Kael grabbed the raven and looked again, a hint of confusion appearing on his face.


    "How come I only saw her coming back, but not going out?"


    "Caw¡ª Caw¡ª"


    "You say you were watching my sister outside when you suddenly saw a flash of white light in the sky, and that''s when you followed it to the girls'' dormitory?"


    "Caw gak¡ª"


    "From now on, Chad will be enough to watch my sister. You should focus on keeping an eye on Luo Wei."


    ......


    This night was very long for some people, like Kael and Troy.


    But for Luo Wei, it was just a blink of an eye. Before she could fully wake up, it was time for class again.


    Magic Rune class.


    Professor Mike spent half an hour explaining speed-enhancing runes and growth-accelerating runes to them, then left the rest of the time for them to practice on sand tables.


    He also assigned homework, requiring them to germinate a seed and make it bloom within a week.


    Professor Mike was a shrewd old man. To prevent students from cheating, he gave different seeds to each person.


    "Some seeds may look the same, but the colors of the flowers they produce can be vastly different. Don''t think about buying flowers from the market to fool me. Some of your seeds have been boiled and won''t sprout."


    He tapped on the teacher''s desk, laying out the harsh truth upfront: "If anyone''s flower doesn''t match the specifications, or if seeds that should sprout don''t, and seeds that shouldn''t sprout do, I''ll deduct all their class points!"


    Luo Wei summarized in her heart: Growing flowers according to instructions doesn''t earn points, but failing to do so results in point deduction.


    Professor Mike was indeed an interesting person.


    She picked up the flower seed, suddenly remembering a text she had learned as a child:


    A teacher gave flower seeds to the children, asking them to grow the most beautiful flowers. However, on the day of checking the assignments, one child came to school holding an empty flower pot.


    Everyone was mocking that child, but only the teacher praised him.


    Because this was a test of honesty, using a bag of boiled seeds to screen out the most honest person.


    So, was Professor Mike testing their honesty or their ability?


    The adult world might be quite different from that of children.


    Luo Wei carefully put the seed and the iron plate for engraving runes into a cloth bag, then stood up and followed everyone out of the classroom.


    "Luo Wei, let''s walk together!"


    Jane affectionately clung to her. She was a true lady, with her only unconventional behavior being her fondness for physical closeness with beautiful girls.


    Luo Wei had once seen her clinging to the "Savage Witch" from the neighboring class, a short-haired girl with a rather volatile temper who came from the City of Exile in the North¡ªa place full of chaos and bloodshed.


    Now, Jane seemed to have latched onto her, coming over every day to hold her arm for a while, as if this allowed her to absorb enough energy to be happy for the entire day.


    "Do you want to go to the academy cafeteria, or eat outside?" Luo Wei asked for her opinion.


    Since she had her own kitchen in the small courtyard, she rarely ate at the academy cafeteria. On the occasional times she did go, it was to see Winnie and Balk.


    It''s worth mentioning that Hawkins'' shop had produced the first batch of pure white wool sweaters and sent her two sets. Luo Wei planned to change into them this afternoon.


    "Let''s go outside," Jane was as delighted as a bird released from its cage, "I received a bag of gold coins from my mother, so I can eat at Escari for another month!"


    "Alright, then let''s go to Escari Dessert House." Luo Wei was happy to bring some business to her own shop.


    The two were chatting and laughing as they left the teaching building. Just as they reached the sword practice square, a familiar raven flew towards them, startling Jane into covering her mouth with a small cry.


    "Toby, stop it, you''re flying recklessly again!"


    A tall chestnut-haired young man came running after the raven. When he saw Luo Wei, his face suddenly lit up with delight: "What a coincidence, junior. We meet here again."


    To be continued

 Chapter 48: Ill Have One of Everything

    "Hello..."


    Luo Wei held the raven in her hand, a flash of embarrassment in her eyes. She had forgotten the young man''s name, only vaguely remembering it ended with something like "el". He had chased a raven here over a month ago.


    Western names were too long and too similar; it really wasn''t her fault.


    At least she remembered the key words in her mind: raven, young man, and gemstone.


    "Senior, here''s your raven back."


    Luo Wei handed the small bird over. She didn''t know why, but the raven had become docile in her hands, completely unlike the mischievous creature the senior had described.


    The chestnut-haired young man took back his summoned beast, smiling as he said, "It seems Toby really likes you. Look at him, such a tiny thing already knows how to love a beauty."


    The words sounded odd, and Luo Wei insincerely praised, "So its name is Toby. What an adorable little bird."


    The chestnut-haired young man gazed at her affectionately: "Meeting you here twice in a row must be fate bestowed by heaven. Junior, why don''t I treat you to a meal today?"


    "And the young lady beside you, please join us," he quickly added before Luo Wei could refuse. "If you don''t accept my invitation, I''ll truly be heartbroken."


    Jane''s face had long since taken on a gossipy expression. Her gaze now darted back and forth between the two, winking and nudging at Luo Wei: "Darling, quick, accept! Accept the senior''s invitation!"


    "Senior Kael is the unattainable flower of the advanced department. He''s been standing here for quite a while to apologize and make amends to us. How can you bear to let him be sad?"


    Kael straightened his back, brushed his hair with his hand, and curled his lips into a charming smile: "I believe my junior won''t refuse me, right?"


    Passing students frequently cast glances in their direction, making Luo Wei so embarrassed her toes curled inside her shoes.


    She finally realized what was off about this senior''s words ¨C they were oddly oily.


    He wasn''t like this when they met by chance last time. It hadn''t even been two months, how had he absorbed so much oil?


    "Really, there''s no need, senior. We¡ª"


    "How about I treat you to desserts at Escari?" Kael interrupted her. "I heard you girls all like to eat cake there. Today it''s my treat, you can eat as much as you want!"


    He lifted his outer cloak, revealing a belt studded with gemstones, then detached the money pouch hanging from the belt and weighed it in his hand.


    "Don''t worry about making me go broke," he sighed. "There''s nowhere to spend money in the academy anyway. The gold coins just take up space lying around."


    Luo Wei''s words of refusal had reached the tip of her tongue, but hearing this, she swallowed them back.


    Her dessert shop was mostly frequented by girls, with few male students from the academy visiting. Recently, she had nearly exhausted the spending power of her female classmates, and the number of customers buying cakes was decreasing day by day. It was time to attract a new wave of clients.


    This senior was so wealthy; surely he could easily sign up for a VIP monthly membership at the dessert house, right?


    "Alright," Luo Wei revealed a sweet smile. "Then I''ll gratefully accept your kind offer, senior."


    Jane also expressed her thanks: "Thank you, Senior Kael!"


    "No need to thank me, it''s just an apology gift for you," Kael said with a crooked smile, lightly raising his brown eyebrows, exuding his charm to the fullest.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    In his heart, he sneered. These were indeed two inexperienced little girls. As soon as they heard he was treating them to cake, they eagerly agreed, without any of the reserve expected of noble young ladies. They probably weren''t from any significant families.


    But this was even better. Daughters of minor nobles were easy to manipulate, and he wouldn''t need to consider giving them a proper title. Being a mistress would be enough.


    A series of calculations flashed through Kael''s eyes, and the smile at the corners of his mouth deepened.


    The three arrived at the academy street. Before they even reached the dessert shop, a rich aroma was carried over by the wind.


    The intense smell of milk and freshly baked whole wheat bread wafted into their noses, the sweet scent making their mouths water.


    Luo Wei and Jane were used to it as they ate there every day, but Kael, smelling this fragrance for the first time, almost forgot how to walk.


    "What is that? How can it smell so good!" he asked in shock.


    "It''s just the desserts from Escari. There''s freshly baked hot bread at noon .


    . Haven''t you eaten it before, senior?" Jane asked curiously.


    "No." Kael swallowed and involuntarily followed the scent.


    Kael rarely left the academy because the buildings in Siria City were dilapidated, the streets were full of dirty feces and smelly commoners, and the food outside was barely edible. Almost nothing met his standards.


    Therefore, although he often heard people around him mention that a delicious new dessert shop had opened on Academy Street, he remained indifferent and had never come out.


    How good could something sold on a commoner''s street taste? No matter how delicious, could it be better than the food in the royal palace?


    He had eaten so-called cream cakes before ¨C they were fishy and hard, not even as soft as white bread. When he heard others say they were delicious, he scoffed, thinking those people had never tasted anything good.


    But now, Kael wasn''t so sure.


    He quickened his pace and entered the legendary Escari Dessert House. His eyes immediately fell on the golden-brown bread that the shop assistant had just placed on the counter, still steaming. The sweet aroma was simply criminal!


    "Sir, what would you like to buy?" A maid quickly approached.


    "This," Kael pointed at the sliced toast in the basket. "I''ll have one of these."


    "Would you like anything else? We have freshly baked fruit jam cakes."


    "No, I just want this." Kael said impatiently. What was so good about cake? It couldn''t be as fragrant as the square slice of bread in front of him.


    A hint of surprise flashed across the maid''s face. This was the cheapest and most basic bread in the shop. Seeing how luxuriously dressed this noble young master was, she thought he would at least order a few pieces of decorated cake.


    However, she had received "smile service" training before starting her job. No matter what requests customers made, she would maintain her smile.


    "Certainly, sir. Would you like to eat in the shop or take it away?"


    Hearing this question, Kael suddenly remembered that he was here to treat others to a meal.


    "We''ll eat here," he said, then quickly turned to look at Luo Wei, and Jane. "I''m sorry, I lost my composure just now. What would you like to eat?"


    Jane covered her mouth and giggled coquettishly: "It''s alright, senior. We were the same way when we first came. I''d like a piece of taro-filled cream cake and a glass of grape boba fruit tea."


    Luo Wei: "Then I''ll have a fig bread and a cup of honey grapefruit tea."


    She paused after ordering, then looked at Kael: "Senior, are you sure you don''t want to try the small cakes here? And the fruit teas upstairs are really good too."


    Kael had no interest in cake at all, but seeing Luo Wei''s enthusiastic recommendation, he quickly understood the reason. She probably wanted to eat it herself but was too shy to say so!


    Women were so troublesome in this regard, always beating around the bush when they wanted something, making men guess. How affected.


    He shook his head, turned around and placed his elbow on the counter, supporting his chin with his hand. In a very generous manner, he said: "I''ll have one of each of your cakes and fruit teas. And whatever else is good, bring it all out."


    The maid''s perfect smile cracked a little, and she asked in disbelief: "Do you really want one of everything? It might be too much to finish."


    Kael smirked charmingly: "If we can''t finish it, we''ll throw it away. Any problem with that?"


    The maid trembled in fear: "No, no problem. Please wait a moment while I calculate the total."


    Kael grabbed a handful of gold coins from his money pouch and tossed them onto the counter: "Take it all, no need for change."


    "No, no, no, we must calculate it. It''s the shop''s policy." The maid quickly finished her calculations, her hands shaking. "Sir, the total is thirteen gold coins and forty-five silver coins."


    "How much?" Kael''s eyes widened suddenly.


    "Thirteen gold coins and forty-five silver coins," the maid glanced at the gold coins he had put down and said cautiously, "Sir, you only have eight gold coins here."


    To be continued

 Chapter 49: Junior, Let Me Gift You a Membership

    Kael''s face instantly turned sour. It was just a few cakes, yet they were so expensive. Were these things made of gold or something?


    The maid, adept at reading facial expressions, immediately explained upon seeing his displeasure, "Our shop offers thirteen types of bread, seven filled cakes, three desserts, fifteen fruit teas, and eight specialty bread desserts."


    "Filled cakes are four silver coins each, five with cream frosting. Cream puffs and croissants are ten silver coins each. The priciest items are our five fruit wine drinks and eight sweet and savory pizzas."


    "The fruit wines use this year''s finest grape wine and our new high-proof spirits, costing one gold coin per glass."


    "Our sweet and savory pizzas feature the Western Continent''s best ham, premium shrimp, cheese, and rare fruits like pineapples and strawberries..."


    "Enough!" Kael interrupted, a vein throbbing on his forehead. "It''s just a dozen or so gold coins. I can afford it. No need for your long-winded explanation!"


    He dumped a pile of gold coins on the counter, clutching his money pouch tightly. "Is this enough? You ignorant thing!"


    One gold coin was twenty grams of pure gold, and this pile must have been seven or eight taels.


    Kael''s heart bled. Though a prince, he had little money to squander.


    His father, an ambitious monarch, wanted to expand the principality''s territory in his lifetime. To maintain sufficient military funds, everyone in the royal palace had to tighten their belts.


    Moreover, King Kinoko strictly educated his children. Knowing that luxury could corrupt, he forbade his children from indulging in extravagant pleasures, wanting them to maintain clear minds to help choose the best successor.


    The king provided his children with fine clothes and carriages to show their status, and food and lodging for healthy growth, but withheld territories or taxation rights. They couldn''t even maintain private armies.


    These dozen gold coins nearly depleted Kael''s living expenses for half a month. How could he not be heartbroken?


    He still had to pay Chad''s salary and feed his money-devouring magical beast. Did he really have to pry the gems off his belt to sell?


    Kael''s face darkened, surpassing even the kitchen stove''s blackness. The maid dared not reach for his gold coins.


    "Sir, you''ve ordered too much. Perhaps... I could help you cancel some items?" she suggested kindly.


    "Cancel? I said I''d throw away what we can''t finish!" Kael raged. Canceling now would be a slap to his own face.


    He''d just acted generous; if he immediately regretted it and canceled the cakes, how would those two greedy, vain women behind him see him?


    "Now, immediately, prepare everything I ordered. Understand?"


    The maid trembled. "Understood, sir."If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "If you understand, then take the money!" Kael glared.


    "Al-alright." The maid took the gold coins with shaking hands, counting them one by one. She stopped at the fourteenth, then returned fifty-five silver coins as change.


    "Sir, here''s your remaining gold and silver change. Please count it."


    Dozens of silver coins piled into a small mountain, mixed with seven or eight gold coins. She carefully placed them before Kael.


    The maid felt nervous, thinking this face-saving noble probably wouldn''t accept the change. She''d have to persuade him again, only to receive another angry scolding.


    She had no choice. The owner stipulated that the shop couldn''t overcharge customers by even a penny.


    Moreover, the owner was right there. She dared not disobey openly.


    "I said no¡ª" Kael indeed wanted to refuse, but seeing that pile of shiny coins, he realized just how much money it was.


    It could buy over two thousand steaks in the academy cafeteria, enough for over eight hundred meals, lasting an entire year!


    His words caught in his throat, then squeezed out between his teeth: "No need to count. I don''t mind if it''s a bit short."


    Unexpectedly, the maid became extremely serious: "Sir, at Escari Dessert House, we never short-change our customers. We''ve received professional training, and those poor at arithmetic can''t become cashiers."


    She produced a rectangular wooden frame from under the counter, with strings of black beads arranged in equal numbers, divided into two upper and five lower sections by a crossbar.


    "This is our arithmetic tool, the abacus. If you don''t believe me, I can recalculate for you."


    Kael''s face alternated between red and green. He wished he could punch this nitpicking maid who was making him lose face.


    Bringing out some weird string of beads and calling it an arithmetic tool¡ªsomething he''d never even seen. Who knew if it could calculate accurately?


    "No need to calculate. I believe you." Kael gritted out each word, his ear roots straining with the effort.


    If there weren''t people watching, he would have killed this damned commoner today¡ªkilled them all!


    Behind Kael, Luo Wei tried hard not to laugh, holding it in until her facial muscles ached.


    Later, she would definitely give this maid a raise. Look at her dedication, willing to offend a noble to uphold the shop''s reputation. She deserved praise.


    Jane, initially starry-eyed over Kael, now seemed hesitant, as if her illusions about this idol had shattered.


    Kael stiffly pocketed the coins, feeling his heart had died. He wanted to drag this shop down with it!


    The maid, relieved after he accepted the money, smiled again and recited the shop''s advertisement: "Sir, we also have a membership recharge promotion~"


    "For esteemed customers like you, spending ten gold coins allows you to enjoy a buy-ten-get-one-free new cake promotion on all products. In the future, you only need to show your membership card for a 20% discount. Would you like to participate?"


    Kael''s expression improved slightly at "esteemed customer," but his eyes turned cold again at "ten gold coins."


    "No need. I don''t want to participate in such a cheap activity."


    "Are you sure?" the maid asked, concerned. "The desserts you just bought already exceed ten gold coins. You can become our monthly gold member without additional charge. You''ll enjoy VIP priority seating and delivery service, plus get two gold coins back at the discounted price!"


    Kael''s eyes flickered. Two gold coins back? Gold membership? VIP service?


    He perked up immediately: "Ahem, well, in that case, I''ll participate."


    Let Luo Wei see what a generous man he was, treating her to a luxurious dessert feast worth over ten gold coins with just a wave of his hand, and even becoming a distinguished member here!


    To show his generosity, Kael deliberately turned around, flicked his hair, and looked at Luo Wei with electrifying eyes: "Junior, let me give you this membership card. From now on, you''ll be a gold member here."


    To be continued

 Chapter 50: This Should Make Them Fall Head Over Heels

    Before Luo Wei could speak, Jane blurted out, "Senior Kael, actually, Luo Wei already has a gold membership. She has 50,000 points on her card, equivalent to five unused gold coins!"


    Who would give away an empty membership card without any points?


    Not to mention Luo Wei, even Jane herself had a silver membership card.


    A silver membership could be obtained by depositing one gold coin, offering a 10% discount. She came today intending to upgrade to gold membership by depositing ten gold coins, as the 20% discount would make indulging in cakes even more economical.


    The staff had mentioned that gold members could also unlock the privilege to customize birthday cakes, designing their own cake patterns. She had been eagerly anticipating this for quite some time.


    Jane touched her newly bulging money pouch, her expression somewhat dreamy.


    It was peculiar. The more she pondered, the more Senior Kael''s earlier words made her want to bury her face in embarrassment. It made her want to dash upstairs and hide, though she couldn''t quite understand why.


    Jane had never heard the term "secondhand embarrassment." If she had, she might have grasped why she felt the urge to hide.


    However, Jane''s words had once again put Kael in an awkward position. His lips quivered twice, his cheeks turning slightly blue.


    "Ha... ha, so you already have one too, junior. Haha, what a coincidence..."


    The repeated social faux pas left him weak-kneed. The neurons in his cerebral cortex had become sluggish due to overstimulation, causing him to utter such stiff words.


    Kael''s face contorted for a moment. He clenched his fist and looked at the cashier maid: "Don''t you have any higher-level memberships here besides gold?"


    The maid answered reflexively: "Yes, we have four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond VIP. If you deposit 100 gold coins on the spot, you can obtain the Diamond membership card."


    100 gold coins!


    Kael clenched his fists. This must be a racket!


    100 gold coins, she might as well rob him!


    Despite the fury boiling in his heart, Kael had to feign nonchalance: "100 gold coins is trivial. But carrying so many gold coins is cumbersome. Do you accept alternative forms of payment here?"


    He puffed out his chest, showing no trepidation whatsoever.


    When he entered the shop earlier, he had noticed that patrons buying cakes only paid with gold and silver coins. The maid''s cash box also only contained these two types of currency, so she would surely answer "No."


    If she said no, then it wouldn''t be his fault.


    He had plenty of wealth. Any jewel plucked from his belt would be worth thousands of gold coins!


    The maid indeed hesitated for a moment, but instead of directly declining, she inquired: "Sir, what form of payment did you have in mind? We accept any tangible goods, but we don''t support credit or loans."


    During their training, the owner had informed them that some great nobles dislike carrying money. They might casually toss out a gem or a few pearls. In such cases, barter could be accepted, so they shouldn''t be too rigid.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Of course, Luo Wei had never witnessed such a scene in reality. She had only seen it in novels and on TV.


    Rich young ladies used gold beads for slingshots, shooting them out without a care. Some young masters would toss gold and silver ingots when buying wonton at a street stall, never having counted copper coins.


    Perhaps this game world was just like those novels and TV shows, where nobles liked to throw gold into water just to watch the splash?


    The maid didn''t offer an easy way out, and Kael nearly ground his silver teeth to dust.


    "Can I pay with gems?"


    His chest heaving, he suddenly yanked a blue sapphire the size of a fingernail from the middle of his belt and placed it on the counter: "Look, is this sufficient to purchase your diamond membership?"


    The maid had no expertise in appraising gems, so she looked to Luo Wei for assistance.


    "A exquisite sapphire," Luo Wei casually leaned forward, "Blue with a hint of purple, clear and pure, with a vibrant color. Like a blue cornflower. Such a substantial one must weigh four or five grams."


    Jane''s eyes were also transfixed: "Such a brilliant blue. This must be a top-tier treasure from the Suo River region. A one-gram gem is worth 100 gold coins!"


    The three spoke loudly enough, and since they had been blocking the front without moving, a long queue had formed behind them. Hearing about the blue sapphire, a large group of people gathered around.


    "Heavens, it''s a sapphire from the Suo River!"


    "Isn''t this caliber of sapphire exclusively for the royal family?"


    "Sometimes kings award them to beloved subjects. One is enough to purchase a title in the Southern Principality."


    "So it''s Senior Kael. There have always been rumors that he''s of royal descent. No wonder he can produce such a precious sapphire!"


    "My goodness, is Senior Kael using a gem to recharge for the supreme membership? Escari has been open for so long without a single supreme member. Am I about to witness the birth of a supreme member today?"


    "As expected of the noble royal member Senior Kael. He just casually gives away a top-tier sapphire. Wah, I''m so envious."


    "Me too, I covet one so badly. It would make such a stunning necklace!"


    Kael listened, feeling as if he were floating on cloud nine. All the humiliation he had suffered earlier dissipated in this moment, even giving him a sense of vindication.


    "Senior, such a precious item, perhaps we should reconsider?" Luo Wei glanced at Kael, mischievously adding fuel to the fire, "I doubt this shop can afford to compensate that much. We''re just here for a meal, there''s no need to deposit so much."


    Her words only exacerbated the situation. Kael''s chin immediately lifted skyward: "Deposit? Why not? It''s just one gem. I have plenty more!"


    Today, he absolutely must become a Diamond VIP member!


    Fearing that the maid might obstruct his path to becoming a supreme member due to insufficient funds, Kael waved his hand grandly: "No need to compensate. Just exchange it for the membership at the price of 100 gold coins."


    Luo Wei brushed her hair behind her ear, and the maid promptly agreed: "Certainly, sir!"


    She carefully wrapped the sapphire in a handkerchief and placed it in a box. Then she took out a wooden case and presented it to Kael with both hands.


    "Esteemed Diamond member, this is your waist token. Please safeguard it. The token is engraved with a unique serial number and cannot be replaced if lost."


    Kael accepted the wooden case and opened it before everyone, extracting a warm white jade token. A ripple of emotion flashed in his eyes.


    He hadn''t anticipated that even a small dessert shop would craft such an exquisite membership card.


    It was a round cloud-patterned token carved from white jade. It was suspended with a diamond knot cord and four-turn pan-chang knot fashioned from gold and silver threads, designed to be worn as a jade pendant at the waist. Silver thread tassels cascaded from the bottom.


    "Wow, the supreme member''s card is so beautiful! The pattern on the cord is so unique, and that knot resembles a butterfly!"


    "It''s gorgeous! Is this truly just a membership card? I want to purchase one to wear around my neck. It would complement my puffy dress perfectly."


    Amidst the crowd''s discussion, Kael proudly hung the waist token on his belt, perfectly concealing the empty spot where the gem had been.


    As he walked, the long tassels swayed gently, adding a touch of elegance and making him appear even more statuesque.


    The envious gazes from those around him greatly satisfied Kael''s vanity. He shook out his clothes and looked nonchalantly at Luo Wei and Jane: "Junior sisters, shall we proceed upstairs?"


    Hmph, take that! Now these two women would surely be head over heels for him!


    To be continued

 Chapter 51: Even a Widow Dares to Compete with Me

    "Certainly, Senior!"


    Luo Wei was thoroughly pleased. One gram equals five carats, and this blue sapphire weighed a staggering thirty carats. Its value couldn''t be calculated by gram anymore.


    The larger the gem, the more valuable it becomes, with prices increasing exponentially. This indigo-colored gem strongly resembled the 20-carat Kashmir sapphire Luo Wei had acquired in her previous life for 4 million dollars, chain included.


    Due to the lower cost of living in this world, gems were slightly cheaper, but this sapphire was still worth at least 600 to 700 gold coins.


    Exchanging it for cakes worth 100 gold coins, plus a cord she had personally braided worth less than ten silver coins, and a worthless water jade pendant, for 700 gold coins - it was an absolute steal!


    The trio ascended to the second floor, where a maid specially assigned to guide guests led them to the VIP seats. She then adorned their table with fresh flowers, lit aromatic candles, brought three milky-white beans, and finally served three large bowls of warm water with floating petals along with three damp towels.


    Kael was immediately irked. He had spent 100 gold coins, and this is what they served him!


    If they wanted to fool him, they should at least bring some wine. Just serving bowls of water with flower petals - even dogs wouldn''t drink that!


    He was about to lose his temper when he saw Luo Wei and Jane pick up the white beans and then dip their hands into the large bowls, rubbing them in the water.


    "What... are you doing?" he inhaled sharply.


    Were noble young ladies these days so uncouth? Stirring their drinking water with their hands? Were those beans salt grains or some kind of spice? How could they drink it after rubbing it like that?


    "Senior, why aren''t you washing your hands?"


    Seeing Kael''s bewildered expression, Jane felt a sense of superiority rise within her.


    As someone who had been through this before, she could tell from his expression what he had misunderstood. He probably thought, just as she once had, that this was drinking water.


    "Senior, these are soap beans. They''re used to clean the dirt off your hands," Jane explained while washing. "Escari provides a pre-meal hand-washing service for members, all free of charge."


    Kael''s face flushed with embarrassment. He quickly grabbed a soap bean and plunged his hands into the water, mimicking their actions.


    After washing their hands, the three of them dried them with the towels. The maid cleared away the washing bowls and finally brought the desserts they had ordered to the table.


    Plate after plate of exquisite small cakes and fragrant buttered toast were placed in front of Kael. Because there were so many items, the maid even brought out a three-tiered dessert stand that was originally planned to be introduced in a few days.


    Beef and cheese pizza and shrimp bacon pizza were cut into fan shapes and placed on the large plate at the bottom. The middle tier held stacks of colorfully frosted cupcakes, while the top tier featured nougat and small cookies. The rich layers were a feast for the eyes.


    Jane, who had been here many times, had never seen such a grand display. She was so excited that her eyebrows seemed to dance.


    "Oh my goodness, this is truly a feast for the eyes! Senior Kael, you''re so generous!"


    With such tangible benefits right before her eyes, Jane''s admiration for Kael returned considerably. However, her eager gaze wasn''t fixed on him, but rather lingered on each small cake.


    Luo Wei also smiled and said, "Thanks to Senior Kael, this is the first time I''ve seen so many desserts on one table."


    She had previously thought that this kind of dessert stand set could only be sold when someone was hosting a party. She hadn''t expected it to be unlocked so quickly.


    Now she didn''t need to think of ways to advertise; Kael had already done the promotion for her. This was evident from the amazed looks from the surrounding tables.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "No need to thank me, help yourselves to whatever you like." Kael was very pleased with the praise and adoration from the two young ladies.


    His Adam''s apple bobbed as he focused his attention on the delicacies on the table. Smelling the enticing aroma, he eagerly picked up a small croissant.


    Heavens!


    The taste, the texture, it was exquisite!


    After swallowing the croissant in two bites, he picked up a pizza sprinkled with beef crumbles. The sweet and savory soft pizza crust was fragrant with meat. As he took a bite, there was a layer of soft, chewy, milky substance that stretched into fine white strings as he bit down.


    Good gracious!


    What on earth was this? How could it be so delicious!


    Kael was a young man who greatly enjoyed the pleasures of food. His father, the king, disapproved of him dallying with women, so in the palace, he often could only indulge in food to find release.


    He had sampled delicacies from all over, tasted all kinds of rare ingredients, and considered himself quite the gourmet. But the food he tasted today surpassed his imagination. Once he started eating, he couldn''t stop!


    "Esteemed guest, here are the fruit drinks you ordered."


    The newly trained maids lined up in a row, carrying various colorful drinks in crystal glasses. They walked over with light steps, the liquid in the crystal glasses not even rippling!


    "This is grape boba fruit tea, this is honey grapefruit tea, this is rose sweet orange snow top, this is sweet sweet strawberry juice..."


    One by one, glasses of brightly colored fruit teas were placed on the table, dazzling the eyes of the three.


    "Honored guests, allow me to introduce these next few glasses. These are our special fruit-flavored alcoholic drinks. The alcohol content is quite high, and excessive consumption may lead to intoxication. Those with low alcohol tolerance should drink with caution."


    Kael was immediately displeased upon hearing this: "What''s with all this nonsense? If you''re going to serve it, hurry up. Do I look like someone with low alcohol tolerance? I drink alcohol like water! Hurry up, I can hold my liquor very well, a thousand cups won''t get me drunk!"


    He had just eaten too much bread and felt a bit choked, so the drinks came at the right time. He looked down on all those fruit teas, considering them drinks for the poor. He only loved alcohol.


    The maid had given all the warnings she could. If the guest wouldn''t listen, she didn''t say more. She just gently set down the alcoholic drinks while introducing their names.


    "This is Red Lotus Blaze, made with a base of red wine, infused with rose hips and pomegranate juice."


    "Peach Passion, made with a base of specially distilled white grape spirit, mixed with sweet lime juice and sea salt."


    "Heaven''s Kiss, made with a blueberry wine base..."


    "Tequila Sunrise, a cocktail made with strong spirits..."


    Kael impatiently listened to her finish, then grabbed the Tequila Sunrise and poured it down his throat, hiccupping and sneering: "What strong spirits? It''s just like water *hic*, not strong at all *hic*, cough¡ª"


    He clutched his throat, confused. Why was there a burning sensation, as if boiling water had been poured down?


    "What kind of, what kind of drink is this *hic*¡ª"


    He hiccupped again, shaking his head. He felt the table in front of him swaying non-stop, and his heart was burning.


    What was happening? Why did he feel so dizzy?


    Kael gripped the table with both hands, but his body swayed left and right on the chair. His face turned as red as a baboon''s bottom, and his ears burned hot and scarlet.


    "*Hic*¡ª"


    With one final long, alcohol-reeking hiccup, he face-planted onto the table with a thud.


    Luo Wei and Jane looked at each other, momentarily at a loss.


    Luo Wei truly hadn''t expected Kael''s alcohol tolerance to be so poor. He had started with the cocktail with the highest alcohol content. Tequila has an alcohol content of up to 40%, and he had downed it in one go.


    She had almost believed him when she saw Kael so confident, saying he drank alcohol like water.


    The result? One cup knockout!


    "What should we do now?" Jane asked worriedly.


    Luo Wei calmly called over two maids and asked them to help Kael to a soft couch by the window, where he could wait until he sobered up before leaving.


    There was still three-quarters of the food left on the table. Kael had barely eaten a quarter of it. Perhaps he would want to continue eating when he woke up. It would be a waste to send him away now.


    The maids carried Kael to the soft couch. As soon as they put him down, he sat up on his own, his eyes dark as he looked at them.


    "Hmph, you think my royal sister is a good person?"


    "My poor brother-in-law James, she probably killed him herself! She just wants to return to the palace to compete with me for the throne!"


    "Thump thump¡ª"


    Luo Wei heard footsteps coming up the stairs behind her. With a sense of foreboding, she immediately turned to look.


    "Is that so? So this is how my little brother sees me."


    To be continued

 Chapter 52: She Doesnt Care About Money At All?

    Lilith stood at the top of the stairs, her face as cold as ice.


    Kael was thoroughly drunk. The moment he opened his mouth, he bellowed, "Who, who let that widow in? Throw her out, throw her out!"


    "Enough!" Lilith''s body trembled, a surge of anger swelling in her chest, threatening to burst open the tightly fastened buttons on her ample bosom. "Vincent, Robert, come up here!"


    Her voice wasn''t particularly loud, but it carried a piercing quality. Even in her anger, the princess maintained her royal composure, refraining from shouting in someone else''s establishment.


    The two knights waiting downstairs rushed up, dropping to one knee beside her. "Your Highness!"


    "Gag my dear royal brother''s mouth to prevent his outrageous voice from disturbing the guests here."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    The two knights stepped forward, roughly stuffing Kael''s mouth with the cloth used to wrap their swords.


    "Bind his hands and take him back," Lilith ordered.


    "Wait!" A young man suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, swiftly moving in front of Kael. He turned and knelt on one knee, facing Lilith. "Princess, isn''t it somewhat inappropriate to treat the Prince this way?"


    "Inappropriate?" A cold smile spread across Lilith''s face. "Perhaps I should send a letter to Father and inquire if I have the authority to manage my own brother?"


    She emphasized the words "own brother," for to Lilith, others'' words didn''t matter - it was her blood brother''s slander that truly cut her to the quick.


    Chad lowered his head in silence. The King had always favored the eldest princess, and if she were to send a letter, the prince would likely face a stern rebuke.


    "Our mother passed away early, and Father is consumed with state affairs. As the elder sister, I believe I have every right to discipline my brother who is bringing shame to the royal family abroad, and no one should have any say in the matter."


    Lilith gave Chad a cold look before raising her head. "Vincent, Robert, take him away!"


    "Yes, Your Highness!"


    Vincent and Robert, like two victorious roosters, proudly seized Kael and strode past Chad.


    Chad''s expression changed several times, but he ultimately dared not defy the princess. He took his sword and followed.


    Lilith''s expression finally softened, and she turned to Luo Wei with an apologetic look. "I''m sorry for using your place to handle some family matters."


    Standing nearby, Jane''s jaw dropped as she turned to stare at Luo Wei in disbelief. "You, you are..."


    Oops, a mask had fallen off.


    "It''s alright. To be honest, this incident is partly my fault. I shouldn''t have let Senior Kael drink that glass of alcohol," Luo Wei first responded to Lilith, then reached out to help Jane close her mouth, which was about to hit the floor.


    "I''ll explain later," she whispered to Jane.


    Jane closed her mouth, but her excited eyes couldn''t stop darting around.


    Seeing this, Lilith covered her face. "I''m truly sorry. It seems I''ve blundered again. I forgot you didn''t want to reveal your identity."


    "It''s fine. Jane won''t say anything, right?" Luo Wei asked.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Jane nodded vigorously and raised her hand. "I swear to the heavens, I won''t breathe a word."


    "See, Professor Lilith, you haven''t messed up," Luo Wei said with a smile. "And even if it were revealed, it wouldn''t matter. I was going to let people know sooner or later anyway."


    "Luo Wei, you''re such a darling," Lilith replied with a genuine smile this time. She produced a purse from her sleeve. "So, would you allow this troublesome guest to register for a diamond membership?"


    "Of course!" Luo Wei personally accepted it and asked the maid to process Lilith''s membership.


    Seeing her actions, Lilith''s fondness for her visibly grew. "I thought girls might like some sparkly things, so I put some diamonds and a few strings of jewelry inside, along with some gold coins. The gold coins can be used to compensate for the loss of scaring away the second-floor customers just now."


    Some diamonds?


    Jewelry counted in strings?


    Luo Wei opened the heavy purse, and the dazzling light reflected from inside nearly blinded her!


    Half a bag of variously sized, exquisitely cut sparkling diamonds, a string of peanut-sized South Sea pearls, a gold-set emerald necklace, a rare pink diamond necklace, a flexible ruby bracelet, and ten gold coins.


    Just that string of South Sea pearls alone must be worth hundreds of gold coins, right?


    "Professor Lilith, isn''t this too valuable?" Luo Wei asked hesitantly.


    "Not at all. It still falls far short of my true feelings," Lilith said softly. "Luo Wei, do you think a princess''s gratitude isn''t worth this much?"


    Luo Wei felt the weight of this expensive thank-you. "Of course it is."


    "Then accept it. Our friendship is priceless."


    "Alright, Professor Lilith," Luo Wei took out the ruby bracelet and slipped it on her wrist. "This will be a testament to our friendship."


    Lilith''s expression turned joyful.


    The maid quickly brought up the diamond membership card. Lilith picked up the jade tablet and noticed the number "1" in the center.


    "What''s this? It looks like some kind of writing," she asked, pointing at the number.


    "Professor Lilith, you''re so perceptive," Luo Wei replied in admiration. "This is the writing from an ancient country in our region, called Indian. This is the number one."


    "One," Lilith said curiously. "But wasn''t my brother the first to buy one?"


    "I gave him number two. This one was specially reserved for you," Luo Wei playfully pointed to her head and feet. "This is known only to heaven, earth, and the three of us. No one else knows."


    Lilith covered her mouth, laughing so hard that tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "Luo Wei, you''re absolutely adorable!"


    Did her foolish brother really think he could steal her friend?


    Didn''t he realize what kind of person Luo Wei was? Trying to win her over with money and status when she clearly didn''t care about such things. What Luo Wei cared about was genuine feelings, and the biggest share of friendship had already been given to her!


    It was still early, and none of them had eaten much, so they joined tables and sat down to continue eating.


    Lilith sat in Kael''s former seat, eating the cake he had paid for without any hesitation, taking elegant bites.


    The other alcoholic drinks that Kael hadn''t tasted were all consumed by Lilith.


    "Professor Lilith, this glass of Peach Passion has a high alcohol content, not much lower than the Tequila Sunrise that Senior Kael drank. You should drink less," Luo Wei cautioned, worried she might get drunk.


    "It''s fine. My alcohol tolerance isn''t something that little brat can compare to."


    Lilith finished the drink in her glass, a flush appearing on her cheeks. She showed signs of intoxication, but her mind remained clear.


    "Excellent wine, indeed!" Her eyes sparkled. "For wine like this, one gold coin is a bargain."


    The liquor burned warmly as it went down her throat, leaving a sweet aftertaste after the initial bitterness. The aroma of ripe peaches was sweet and mature, as if all the desires in her body were about to burst forth, making one feel as if floating in clouds and mist.


    If such strong liquor were sold in those dozen or so cities in the North, it would likely be fought over by the great nobles, driving the price sky-high.


    Or it could be sold at a low price to the countries on both sides of the Principality of Kinoko, secretly introduced into their armies...


    Lilith swirled the last of the liquor in her glass, the light in her eyes flickering, exuding an intoxicatingly seductive aura.


    Luo Wei''s hand holding the spoon paused. She caught the scent of power.


    Princess Lilith usually appeared soft and weak, but after drinking, she intentionally or unintentionally exuded an air of dominance. It seemed she was also someone skilled in disguise~


    TBC

 Chapter 53: Troys Cold Vigil

    After dinner, Lilith took her leave first, while Luo Wei and Jane sauntered down the street, their casual chatter filling the air.


    Jane linked arms with Luo Wei, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Spill the beans! Is the Esqueray Dessert House really yours? Luo Wei, you sneaky thing! Keeping secrets from your bestie, huh? I''m wounded!"


    "It''s not like that," Luo Wei said, trying to placate her friend. "When I say it''s my territory, I mean it''s managed by my family. I wrote home whining about the awful grub here, so they dispatched a manager to set up shop."


    "Potato, potahto! It''s still your place," Jane nudged Luo Wei excitedly. "It was your brainchild to open up here, wasn''t it? All for our benefit. Oh, you sweet, sweet angel!"


    Luo Wei chuckled awkwardly, feeling like she''d just been handed another "Saint Luo Wei" card.


    "Really, it wasn''t."


    "Oh, stop being so modest! Opening a shop is no small feat. Your folks probably wanted to just send a personal chef for you, but you couldn''t bear to see us suffering through the slop they serve here. So you had them open up on Academy Street for everyone! Admit it!"


    Jane had spun her own little fairy tale, her eyes misting over as she gazed at Luo Wei. "Oh, darling, you''re just too precious for this world!"


    "Even if it''s emptying your wallet?" Luo Wei gently extricated herself from Jane''s embrace.


    Jane huffed, "My money, my choice. Don''t you worry your pretty little head about it!"


    "Alright, alright," Luo Wei conceded, linking arms with Jane again. "How about this - I''ll hook you up with a month of gold card membership. All you can eat and drink, on the house. Sound good?"


    "Now you''re talking!" Jane''s face lit up like a Yuletide tree. "You said it, so no take-backs! Looks like I''m saving on this month''s top-up!"


    "But hey," Luo Wei''s tone turned serious as she glanced ahead, "What''s the deal with Senior Kael and Professor Lilith? Why did he say... what he said?"


    "You''re out of the loop, huh?" Jane glanced around furtively before lowering her voice to a whisper. "Word on the street is that our newly minted Professor Lilith is actually the grand princess of Kinoko. Seven years back, she tied the knot with Marquis James Rossetti. A year into the marriage, the marquis kicked the bucket, and she inherited his mountains of gold and vast estates. Last year, she waltzed right back into the royal palace."


    "Hold up. They''re both Rossettis. You don''t mean she married...?"


    "Bingo! Her cousin, son of the Kinoko King''s brother. Tongues are wagging that it was all a wicked scheme cooked up by the king and princess to snatch back James'' lands!"


    "Whoa, let''s pump the brakes on the rumor mill," Luo Wei cautioned. "Loose lips sink ships, you know. Gossip like that could drive someone to the edge." Despite Lilith''s apparent ambition, Luo Wei felt the professor wasn''t the type to let nothing stand in the way of power.


    Even if Lilith had James'' blood on her hands, there might be more to the story.


    "Oh, Luo Wei, you sweet summer child," Jane shook her head, exasperation written all over her face. "The royal court is a viper''s nest of intrigue. You''d do well to watch your step. Not everyone''s a saint, you know. Even those closest to you could stab you in the back when you least expect it."


    Luo Wei blinked in surprise. To hear something so cynical from the usually bubbly Jane was truly an eye-opener.


    As the clock struck two, the afternoon sun turned harsh and unforgiving.


    Jane, ever mindful of her complexion, scurried back to the academy. Luo Wei, meanwhile, approached a nearby tree and peered upward. "What''s with your obsession with playing rooftop ninja? Aren''t you worried someone might spot you in broad daylight?"


    The leaves rustled, and a figure shrouded in a voluminous black robe materialized.


    "Apart from you, who else makes a habit of gawking at rooftops?"


    "I don''t make a habit of it," Luo Wei protested. "It just so happens that every time I look up, there you are."


    Troy''s face remained hidden in the shadows of his hood, only a sliver of his chin visible. "Heading back?"


    "Yeah."


    The duo made their way back to the small courtyard. Luo Wei, feigning exhaustion, rubbed her eyes and ascended the stairs.


    Troy''s gaze followed her into the room, his heart performing a complex gymnastics routine before settling as the door clicked shut.


    A simple door, yet it divided two realms.


    Light on one side, shadows on the other.


    With a tug, Troy lowered his hood and leapt onto the apple tree.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The late autumn tree stood nearly bare, save for a smattering of yellow leaves clinging to its sun-facing side. Troy perched among this meager foliage, resembling nothing so much as a world-weary crow keeping a cold, lonely vigil.


    Stifling a chuckle at her own fanciful comparison, Luo Wei gently closed the window. She then retrieved the magical parchment she had squirreled away in the cabinet the previous day.


    It was a pitiful state of affairs. Professor Moses, in all his wisdom, had taught them to parrot spells without so much as a nod to the arcane script itself. The incantations might as well have been hieroglyphics for all she could decipher.


    No matter. She''d find a way. By matching the spells she knew to their written counterparts, she could reverse-engineer the words and grammar. With a bit of luck, she''d be reciting them... well, close enough.


    Brimming with confidence, Luo Wei unfurled the parchment. And then...


    She''d overestimated herself. Grossly. The power of the magical text had blindsided her completely.


    Decoding the words? Ha! She could barely look at the advanced script for more than two seconds without her vision swimming. Even gritting her teeth and pushing through, ten seconds was her absolute limit.


    After those grueling ten seconds, Luo Wei snapped the book shut, her expression grim.


    Who knew advanced magical text came with its own built-in vertigo charm? Certainly not her.


    Her fingers drummed a restless rhythm on the parchment as the gravity of the situation sank in.


    Learn it, or die. Those were her options.


    After a moment''s contemplation, Luo Wei fished out her long-neglected turtle shell from beneath her skirt.


    Eyes closed, she slipped into a meditative state before posing her question to the cosmos.


    "If I bull-headedly tackle this magical text, am I going to turn my brain to mush?"


    The celestial tracks converged, Jupiter blazed, and lo and behold - misfortune morphed into a stroke of luck.


    Not only would her grey matter remain intact, but she might even stumble upon some unexpected benefits in the process.


    Emboldened, she pressed on. "Alright, universe, what''s my game plan for cracking this magical code?"


    In the Purple Star Big Dipper, the Heavenly Horse Star decided to go on a little joyride, galloping all the way to her due south. Without warning, the entire sky plunged into darkness, unceremoniously booting her from her celestial vision.


    Luo Wei''s eyes fluttered open, her brow furrowed in confusion.


    South? What in the world was the significance of south?


    Was this some cosmic hint that she needed to embark on another city-wide scavenger hunt?


    Her gaze drifted to the southern wall of her room, only to be met with the blank stare of a tightly shuttered window.


    A spark of intuition flared to life. She crossed the room and threw open the window, her eyes immediately drawn to the old crow - aka Troy - roosting in the balding apple tree that stood sentinel in the courtyard. Could the stars be pointing her toward him?


    Did these sword-swinging types dabble in the mystical arts as well?


    "Troy!" she called out. "Get up here!"


    The old crow stirred, cocking his head to peer up at her. In a heartbeat, he took flight from his perch, setting the tree''s last stubborn leaves adrift in his wake.


    The golden leaves pirouetted down from the canopy, like a troupe of world-weary butterflies performing their final dance.


    Troy''s midnight cloak billowed dramatically as he strode beneath the eaves, a miniature whirlwind of fallen leaves in his wake.


    No sooner had Luo Wei processed this theatrical entrance than a knock sounded at her bedroom door. Lo and behold, the black-clad swordsman materialized in her doorway.


    Luo Wei swung the door wide, meeting Troy''s questioning gaze with characteristic directness. "So, any chance you''re versed in the art of advanced spell-casting?"


    "Why do you ask?" His tone carried a note of suspicion.


    "If you''ve got the know-how, I want you to school me."


    Troy''s head shake was immediate and emphatic. "Novices meddling with advanced incantations is a recipe for disaster. You''ll addle your brains."


    "Psh, as if," Luo Wei brandished her trusty turtle shell. "I''ve consulted the cosmos. My grey matter''s safe."


    Troy''s eyes fell on the verdant shell in her grasp, his expression a delightful cocktail of disbelief and amusement.


    "Turtle shells went out of style with the dinosaurs," he quipped. "Any diviner worth their salt uses crystal balls or tarot cards these days."


    "Hogwash. Turtle shell readers are the real deal," Luo Wei countered, her tone brooking no argument. Then, switching tactics, she went for the jugular. "So, are you going to teach me or not? Because if not, I''m afraid I''ll have to dock your pay."


    For a long moment, Troy was silent, locked in an internal war. Finally, financial pragmatism emerged victorious. "Fine. I''ll teach you."


    A triumphant grin tugged at Luo Wei''s lips as she thrust the spellbook into his hands. "Excellent. I want to master advanced transformation spells, plus invisibility and waterproofing for good measure."


    Troy leafed through the tome, his movements growing increasingly hesitant until he ground to a halt. "Small snag. I''m wandless. I can recite the incantations, but actually casting? That''s a no-go."


    "That''ll do," Luo Wei assured him. "I just need to learn the words."


    Relief washed over Troy''s features as he launched into a recitation of her requested spells. It quickly became apparent, however, that his grasp of the material was tenuous at best. He stumbled over the arcane syllables like a newborn fawn finding its legs.


    Under normal circumstances, budding mages would cut their teeth on magical text during their intermediate studies. By the time they reached advanced levels, they''d typically specialize in a particular magical discipline. Troy, having chosen the path of the blade, had given magical academia the boot after a mere year, and it showed.


    Luo Wei, however, was too preoccupied with her own musings to pass judgment. A troubling thought had taken root in her mind.


    Were Troy''s fumbling recitations even in the ballpark of accuracy?


    How many words had he butchered, omitted, or conjured out of thin air?


    Just how much wiggle room did magical text allow for error? If a single misplaced syllable could turn a simple levitation charm into a town-leveling catastrophe, she might as well start penning her eulogy now.


    TO BE CONTINUED...

 Chapter 54: Nine Years Old, Childless, Condemned as a Witch

    As dusk fell, the small courtyard suddenly burst into life.


    Bella returned from the market with the maid, while Roman and Tom rushed into the yard, their small backpacks bouncing as they ran home from school.


    Luo Wei, hearing loud sobs from the courtyard, curiously descended the stairs.


    "Who''s crying?"


    "Miss," Roman exclaimed, his chubby, rosy face tilted up eagerly, "It''s Tom. His sweetheart was taken away this afternoon."


    Luo Wei looked at Tom, who stood outside the door, head bowed, wiping tears and stifling his sobs.


    "What happened? How could the carriage company owner''s daughter be taken away?"


    "It''s not her. It''s Tom''s new crush, Lidia."


    Luo Wei was taken aback. How quickly had Tom''s heart changed?


    "Whose daughter is Lidia? Why was she taken?"


    Roman noticed the young miss wasn''t pinching his cheeks today and dejectedly said, "Lidia is the daughter of the mutton stall owner''s brother. Her parents died from illness when she was very young."


    "Today, her aunt, Mrs. Dogg, went to the temple and reported her as a demon. Said she put rat poison in their kettle. Then Lidia was taken away."


    "That''s not true! Lidia isn''t a demon," Tom cried out, "She used sleeping powder, not rat poison!"


    Luo Wei was surprised: "How do you know?"


    Tom sobbed, "Yesterday, Lidia came to me. She said she overheard Mr. and Mrs. Dogg plotting to sell her to a brothel. She wanted to run away but feared she''d be caught, so she asked me to buy her some sleeping powder."


    "I got it from the doctor. Told him it was for horse-breaking. He wouldn''t have sold it to me otherwise."


    "It''s all my fault. I shouldn''t have helped her get the powder. I want to turn myself in, trade places with Lidia."


    "Turning yourself in won''t help. Lidia can''t come back," Roman said, twisting the knife, "This is clearly Mrs. Dogg''s plot. She just wants Lidia gone."


    At this, Tom''s wails intensified, his anguish echoing for a kilometer around.


    Luo Wei pinched Roman''s cheek in exasperation: "Why provoke Tom further? He''s distraught enough."


    Roman crossed his arms coldly: "He should''ve told Lidia to flee yesterday. If she''d left then, she wouldn''t have been caught today."


    Tom''s cries grew even louder at this.


    "How could a young girl survive alone out there? As a street urchin?" Luo Wei shook her head. Most street beggars were boys; the world was too perilous for a little girl to survive alone.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "But why would Mrs. Dogg want to harm Lidia?" Bella, having heard Tom''s account, was perplexed. "I see Mrs. Dogg daily when I buy meat. She always smiles, seeming so kind!"


    "No way," Roman said, disgust evident in his voice, "Mrs. Dogg is a shrew, utterly unreasonable. Her son Marth is just as vile. He bullies weaker kids at school daily and peeps at girls in the bathroom."


    Tom, wiping away tears, said angrily, "I know why she wants to harm Lidia. Mr. Dogg tried to molest her, and Marth saw. He blackmailed Lidia, threatening to tell Mrs. Dogg unless she played strip games with him."


    "Lidia refused, so Marth told Mrs. Dogg that Lidia was seducing him. Mrs. Dogg flew into such a rage, she nearly beat Lidia to death!"


    Roman nodded: "Yes, Marth bragged about it at school. Said Lidia didn''t obey him, so he left her half-dead. He warned us to obey him too, or he''d beat us up."


    Luo Wei''s brow furrowed deeply: "Such young children, yet already so malicious?"


    "Marth is eleven. He''s tall and fat. One punch from him could knock out teeth!" Roman said.


    "Lidia is only nine. She was beaten black and blue by Marth and Mrs. Dogg," Tom sobbed.


    Bella covered her mouth: "Dear heavens, how can such evil exist in this world!"


    She once thought her aunt not feeding her was the worst thing imaginable. Now, in comparison, she suddenly felt her aunt had been quite kind.


    "Poor Lidia, what will become of her?" Bella''s eyes welled with tears. "Will the temple priests clear her name?"


    Roman shook his head: "I heard people saying Lidia will be dragged to the scaffold on the Day of Descent, four days from now. She''ll receive a holy water baptism and undergo demon inspection."


    Bella''s face drained of color: "What? Demon inspection? But she''s just a child!"


    "Why?"


    The last voice was deep and resonant. Luo Wei turned to see Troy had appeared, his green eyes clouded with a heavy gloom.


    "Why?" he repeated, "Drugging alone wouldn''t warrant a demon inspection. What else is there?"


    The room fell silent. Bella''s voice caught in her throat, and even Tom''s sobs ceased as he stared miserably at the floor.


    After an eternity of seconds, Roman looked directly at Troy and spoke, his voice clear and strong: "Because Lidia has long reddish-brown hair. They say she''s awakened as an evil witch."


    Red-haired individuals were inherently despised. They couldn''t make the slightest mistake or act out of the ordinary. If they did, they''d be accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake.


    The medieval witch-hunting manual "Malleus Maleficarum" detailed methods to identify witches: Witches were evil because women craved physical pleasure and could be seduced by the devil''s flesh, while male wizards could not.


    In their eyes, Lidia had seduced Mr. Dogg and Marth, marking her as a witch who reveled in carnal desires.


    Moreover, "Malleus Maleficarum" claimed that young or old women could be witches, women with too many children or none at all were witches, and women who were either too poor or too wealthy were even more likely to be witches.


    Red hair, beauty, cleanliness, frequent bathing, facial moles, enjoying gatherings with female friends¡ªall were telltale signs of a witch.


    Lidia was young, popular, childless, poor, and red-haired. She embodied almost every witch characteristic.


    The method to determine a woman''s witchcraft was torture. The most definitive test was trial by fire, which Roman referred to as demon inspection.


    If the great fire burned for three days and three nights and she survived, it proved she was a witch. If she burned to death, it proved she wasn''t.


    Lidia wouldn''t survive. Everyone present understood this grim truth.


    "Swoosh¡ª"


    Troy unsheathed his long sword.


    "Troy, what are you doing!" Luo Wei''s voice cracked like a whip.


    Troy met her gaze: "I''m going to save her. You said it yourself¡ªwe''re the masters here."


    "If I stand idle while my own kind perishes, this land will forget me along with them."


    To be continued

 Chapter 55: She Decides to Play the Role of Death

    "I told you not to despise yourself, not to go and get yourself killed!"


    If she were taller, she would have grabbed his collar and slapped him to bring him to his senses.


    However, Troy was as stubborn as a mule: "I''m not going to get myself killed. The people from the temple can''t beat me."


    "So you''re planning to go into hiding with a little girl who''s become a fugitive? How will you live once you escape? Will you be able to earn money?"


    At the mention of earning money, Troy deflated.


    For a fugitive like him, with red hair no less, it would indeed be difficult to be accepted elsewhere after escaping.


    Thanks to the efforts of the headmaster of Siria Magic Academy, Siria was already considered the most inclusive place among the Western countries. That''s why he had fled here from the south in the first place.


    If he left Siria, where else could he go?


    Troy''s eyes were filled with confusion.


    Seeing that he had come to his senses, Luo Wei let out a small sigh of relief.


    Thank goodness. As long as he could be reasoned with, things weren''t beyond hope yet.


    If Troy had run away with Lidia, she really wouldn''t know where to find another swordsman who was both so foolish and capable of fighting. Without him by her side, the credibility of her "noble" identity would drop significantly.


    "Troy, don''t blame yourself. In a situation where you can barely protect yourself, not saving her is actually the right thing to do¡ª"


    "We can dye our hair!" Troy suddenly blurted out.


    "You said before that if worst comes to worst, I could change my hair color. Tell me, how do we dye it?"


    He looked at Luo Wei stubbornly.


    Luo Wei felt a lump in her throat, almost unable to breathe.


    "I did say that, I did say that. I also said I''d report you to the temple if you didn''t listen to me. How come you didn''t hear that part!"


    "If you don''t get me killed today, you''ll surely be the death of me someday!"


    "Who doesn''t know you''re my guard? You might escape after breaking her out of jail, but what about us? The temple will come knocking on our door first!"


    The key was that her identity wouldn''t stand up to scrutiny. One investigation and her cover would be blown!


    Troy turned his head away, avoiding her gaze: "You can just say I''m a stranger you hired from a tavern. Most clerics are bullies who only pick on the weak. As long as you reveal your identity, they won''t give you trouble."


    Luo Wei smiled: "Troy, having you really is my blessing."


    Troy''s body trembled, his eyes welling up with emotion: "Thank you, meeting you is also..."


    "I''m not complimenting you, damn it!!!"


    "I know," Troy said with difficulty, "Forget about me. You deserve better."


    Luo Wei resisted the urge to roll her eyes and interrupted him: "Troy, are you dead set on saving that little girl?"


    Troy hung his head, his voice almost scattered by the wind: "Yes."


    "If I don''t save her, I won''t be able to live with myself."


    "You still have something called a conscience?" Luo Wei said sarcastically, then took a deep breath and asked, "If I told you I could help you rescue her and send her to a safe place, would you still run away with her?"Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Troy suddenly looked up: "You have a way?"


    "Mm-hmm, I have an idea."


    "What is it?"


    "Why do you care how I do it!" Luo Wei said irritably. "Anyway, on the Day of Descent, I''ll rescue her."


    Troy seemed to have a great weight lifted from his shoulders. His tense muscles finally relaxed, and he visibly eased up.


    Luo Wei now found the sight of him irritating: "Did you find what I asked you to look for?"


    "What thing?" Troy was puzzled.


    When did she ask him to find anything?


    "Gray-white soil," Luo Wei said coldly. "If I don''t see this kind of soil by tomorrow night, I won''t be able to save that girl."


    "I''ll go find it right away!"


    Troy rushed out the door.


    Luo Wei glanced around the room: "Bella, Tom, Roman, do you know what you should and shouldn''t say when you meet outsiders?"


    Her ink-black eyes radiated a bone-chilling coldness, as if they could nail someone to the ground.


    Roman raised his little hand: "I know. I didn''t hear anything."


    He covered his ears with his hands and tightly closed his mouth.


    "Clever little one, of course I trust you."


    Luo Wei placed her hand on his head and looked at the other two.


    "If anyone wants to leak this matter, they can try and see if their mouth is faster than my knife."


    "Don''t forget, I can use magic."


    Bella and Tom trembled, not daring to make a sound.


    Luo Wei''s expression was unreadable. She stepped towards the door, pausing at the threshold.


    "Remember, no matter who it is, even if it''s your best friend or closest relative, not a single word is to be revealed."


    "Understood?"


    Bella and Tom nodded hurriedly, and realizing she couldn''t see them, they answered loudly: "Understood, mistress!"


    Luo Wei had already left. It seemed she had just said it in passing and didn''t intend to wait for their answer. She left as soon as she finished speaking.


    In the room, Bella and Tom were covered in cold sweat, unable to move a step for a long time, their legs numb and stiff with fear.


    Their previous mistress had been gentle and kind, always wearing a faint smile, speaking to them in a soft voice, never scolding the servants like other masters did.


    Over time, they had come to think that the mistress was soft-natured and had no temper. They treated this place as their own home and the mistress as their family member, joking with her casually.


    Today''s incident had woken them from their dream. The mistress was still the mistress, and servants were just servants. The two could never be conflated.


    Their mistress was a high and mighty noble. She was dignified, powerful, authoritative, and decisive. Although she was generally kind, she was not someone they could try to influence or betray.


    Bella and Tom reminded themselves that they must put themselves in their proper place and not be as casual as before.


    Roman was also touching the top of his head, his face solemn as he pondered something.


    And all of this was exactly what Luo Wei wanted to see.


    She had long noticed that the people in the small courtyard were overly familiar with her but lacked respect.


    They might like her, be grateful to her, envy her, but they didn''t revere her.


    The consequences of servants not revering their master were serious. It meant the master had no authority, and the servants wouldn''t consider the cost of betrayal. They might even disobey her orders and disrupt her plans under the guise of doing what was best for her.


    She didn''t need her subordinates to be clever on their own. She only needed people to execute her orders.


    Luo Wei went to the dessert shop and had the maid bring out a box of tung fruit from the storage room.


    This was brought by a mercenary when she had previously posted a notice asking people to gather various fruits from different places to make fruit drinks.


    In this era, people regularly ate only a few types of fruit, unlike the wide variety available in later times. Some delicious berries had not yet entered the human diet, such as the wild strawberries Luo Wei used to make strawberry juice.


    So when she posted the notice, she added a statement that whether edible or not, as long as it was a new and interesting variety, bringing it would earn a reward.


    That well-traveled mercenary had brought a basket of tung fruit he had picked in the southern jungle to make up the numbers.


    This thing was poisonous and inedible, but Luo Wei still had the servants keep it. Because tung fruit could be pressed to extract tung oil, a natural varnish that could be used to protect wooden furniture from decay.


    Luo Wei had originally planned to use it to polish the tables and chairs in the shop to make them look shinier.


    However, now she needed to use the tung oil to make something else.


    Like a raincoat.


    A waterproof raincoat that looked like Death''s cloak.


    TBC

 Chapter 56: Prelude to the Day of Descent

    Luo Wei had the shop assistants work overtime to press the tung fruit into bright, clear tung oil.


    The ancient Chinese were thousands of years ahead of the world in developing uses for tung oil. They not only used it to make vehicles, boats, and furniture, but also as an insecticide, soap, oil-paper umbrellas, tarpaulins, and for treating inflammation and burns.


    If her skin was burned by holy water, she might be able to use it.


    After obtaining the tung oil, Luo Wei had the male servant buy a large piece of black fine velvet from Hawkins'' shop and bring it back to school. She then stayed up all night making a raincoat cloak.


    Luo Wei was very meticulous about things she would use herself.


    It took four to five hours for one layer of tung oil to dry completely. She used an oil lamp to speed up the drying process, but still only managed to apply three layers in one night.


    Before she knew it, dawn had broken.


    Luo Wei took a short nap and then hid the raincoat in the wardrobe.


    She still had classes during the day, after which she would go to the small courtyard to secretly practice magic spells. After practicing the spells, she would continue making the raincoat. It was foreseeable that she wouldn''t get a good night''s sleep for the next few days.


    Before nightfall, Troy returned, dusty and travel-worn, with a package on his back.


    "Quick, take a look. Is this the soil you mentioned?" he asked eagerly.


    Luo Wei opened the package and dug out a piece of soil. The color, texture, and stickiness were not far from kaolin.


    She put this soil in a bowl and poured in cold water. The white-bluish soil quickly dispersed in the water.


    "Not bad, it''s the soil I wanted."


    "But I still need one more thing, porcelain stone."


    The West had always had kaolin, and in large quantities, but they hadn''t been able to make porcelain until the 18th century because they didn''t know to add porcelain stone.


    Porcelain stone is one of the important raw materials for making ceramics and glass. Since this world could make glass, there must be porcelain stone mines.


    Porcelain stone could be synthesized artificially, but she was running out of time.


    Luo Wei described the characteristics and identification methods of porcelain stone to Troy, asking him to find it as soon as possible.


    "Wait," Luo Wei called out as Troy was about to turn and leave upon receiving the order. "Where did you find the kaolin?"


    "On a mountain on the west coast."


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "How far is it from here?"


    "Over a thousand kilometers."


    Over a thousand kilometers? That''s equivalent to crossing a quarter of the Western Continent, isn''t it?


    "You traveled over a thousand kilometers in one night?" Luo Wei looked shocked.


    Troy nodded: "Griffins fly fast."


    Indeed, keeping Troy was the right decision. Both her life and her career depended on him.


    "Go look for places with weathered quartz rock on the west coast," Luo Wei gave up the idea of going to find it herself and earnestly instructed, "Bring back as much as you can. Some only look similar, so you need to distinguish carefully."


    "I understand."


    Troy jumped onto the griffin''s back and flew towards the western sky.


    Luo Wei put the kaolin Troy brought back into a large vat to soak and filter out impurities, then called all the people in the house.


    Never trust that others will keep their mouths shut to save your life, unless their lives are also involved.


    Luo Wei had them build a high kiln in the backyard and make molds, while she drew out the experimental process diagram on parchment.


    She planned to use air electrolysis to produce nitric acid, then use nitric acid to make oxalic acid, then use oxalic acid to make hydrochloric acid, and finally use hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate to produce carbon dioxide.


    This process could have been much simpler by directly electrolyzing salt water to obtain hydrochloric acid, but salt was too expensive in this world, and there were purchase limits for individuals. She couldn''t buy that much salt.


    Using air to produce it was a bit more troublesome, but at least it saved money. Moreover, she could replace many of the intermediate processes with magic spells and magic patterns, so she didn''t need to prepare so many experimental apparatus. It was not impossible under the current conditions.


    On the second day after Luo Wei made dry ice using cooling magic patterns, Troy also returned with a large basket of porcelain stone.


    With the porcelain stone, both Death''s fangs and scythe were now within reach.


    In Greek mythology, Cronos had a black scythe made from black rock that Gaia had mined from deep underground. He used this scythe to kill his father Uranus.


    Cronos was the king of the Titans who led the Golden Age of Greek mythology, and also the father of Zeus, the king of the gods. He was a powerful and mad deity.


    The god Luo Wei wanted to impersonate was him, but because this world had no Greek mythology, she feared that Cronos''s image might not be intimidating enough to the public, so she made some modifications.


    She would change the black stone scythe into a white bone scythe, embed ceramic fangs in the mouth, wear a red contact lens made of transparent resin, ignite phosphorus fire around the body, and hide a few pieces of dry ice in the clothes. This way, it would have a visual impact.


    Luo Wei wanted to combine the images of Cronos the king of gods, Chronos the god of time, and Death the messenger of hell into one, to create a god.


    She had even thought of a name: "The Great and Dark God of Death and Time, Covicros, the Divine King who holds authority over human souls and the six realms of reincarnation." The longer the name, the more impressive it sounds.


    Time flew quickly as Luo Wei made her preparations, and in the blink of an eye, it was November 1st, the Day of Descent.


    At the crack of dawn, the church bells had already started ringing, announcing the arrival of the Day of Descent to the world.


    Luo Wei packed away her raincoat, which she had coated with tung oil over and over again, into a cloth bag. She also put all her valuables into a sturdy money pouch and hid it along with the raincoat in her voluminous skirt.


    She sat in front of an oil lamp, using beeswax and makeup she had prepared long ago, applying layer after layer to her face. She carefully brushed her eyebrows, eyes, and lips with a small brush she had made, ensuring the oil wax was applied to every inch of her skin.


    It still looked a bit fake, but fortunately, the holy water baptism ceremony at the academy was to begin at seven in the morning. At that time, it wouldn''t be fully light yet, and everything would look blurry. Her face wouldn''t stand out too much.


    At six forty, the sounds of doors opening and people scuffling could be heard outside. Luo Wei picked up her magic wand, tried the transformation spell one last time in front of the mirror, and the spell was cast successfully.


    She tucked both her magic wand and the tortoise shell into her sleeve, folded her hands over her upper abdomen, opened the door, and walked out steadily.


    The sword arena was packed with people. Over a thousand students and more than sixty teachers from the academy were all standing there, surrounding the huge statue in the center of the arena, solemnly placing their right hands on their left chests.


    The statue had two faces, one on the front and one on the back. The front face symbolized the warm sun god, while the back face symbolized the cool moon god. They shared the position of the supreme god and were universally recognized as the king of all gods.


    The headmaster of Siria Magic Academy stood at the foot of the statue, holding a silver holy chalice in his hand. Beside him stood the bishop of the Siria Temple, holding a long-necked bottle as tall as a baby with both hands.


    Centered around these two, on one side of the statue were the teachers of Siria Magic Academy, and on the other side were the clerics of the temple. About a hundred pairs of eyes, like vigilant eagles, were staring at the students below. If any movement occurred anywhere, it would be caught first by their gaze.


    The students below didn''t even dare to breathe heavily. They all lowered their heads, obediently lining up, waiting for the holy water to be sprinkled from the headmaster''s fingertips.


    TBC

 Chapter 57: The Execution Platform

    Luo Wei watched from afar as the headmaster, his features indistinct, swung his arm back and forth like an unfeeling sprinkler robot.


    His figure appeared diminutive against the backdrop of the divine statue. He continuously dipped his hand into the holy chalice, then gently spread his five fingers, flicking fine droplets of water onto the students'' heads.


    The headmaster moved swiftly, and the bishop poured water from the long-necked bottle into the holy chalice with equal speed.


    This was because after completing the baptism ceremony at Siria Magic Academy, the bishop still had to preside over the holy water baptism for the citizens in the temple square.


    Witnessing this scene, the weight on Luo Wei''s heart lightened considerably.


    Just sprinkling a little water, rather than drenching them completely, was the best news she could have hoped for.


    Even if the holy water were concentrated sulfuric acid, sprinkling it like this wouldn''t cause large-scale burns.


    It was fortunate that she had been cautious and applied a thick layer of grease to her scalp as well.


    During the wait, the people behind finally couldn''t bear the prolonged silence and began to whisper.


    The freshmen were lined up at the front, intermediate apprentices in the middle, and advanced apprentices at the back. Consequently, Luo Wei heard the whispers of the intermediate students.


    "When did Headmaster Morrison grow a beard? He doesn''t look as handsome as before."


    "Yeah, he looks much older too. Life in the wild must be really tough."


    "That''s why taking students on field trips is such a grueling job!"


    "Haha, who says it isn''t? During our field trip, we burned Professor Pence''s hair bald. He said he never wants to be a team leader for students again."


    "Professor Pence is so gentle. I can''t believe he didn''t kill you all."


    Luo Wei had heard of this Professor Pence in the cafeteria. He was a male professor facing a mid-life crisis¡ªthe risk of baldness¡ªand he treasured his few remaining hairs dearly.


    It was said that a student had carelessly waved their magic wand in class, cutting off two of his hairs, and he deducted all of that student''s credits for the entire academic year!


    As for the field trip they mentioned, it referred to the three-month outdoor learning period for magic apprentices from mid-June to mid-September each year. The team leaders would take students to dangerous places to collect magic materials and hone their combat skills, spending a wonderful time in the wilderness.


    Come next June, she would also go on a field trip with her classmates, following a teacher to experience the outside world.


    The queue gradually shortened, and the voices behind quieted down.


    Luo Wei glanced forward and saw that there were only a dozen or so students left. It would soon be her turn.


    Her heart, which had just calmed down, started pounding again, and she felt her cheeks burning.


    No, she couldn''t be nervous. Too high a facial temperature would cause the beeswax to melt!


    Luo Wei pressed firmly on the Neiguan acupoint on her wrist, trying to alleviate her nervous emotions.


    As the people in front walked away one by one, her distance from the holy water grew shorter and shorter.


    By the time there was only one person left in front of her, her heart was in her throat.


    The holy water sprinkled down. The person in front was too short, and the splashing liquid seemed to fall on the back of her hand. Her nerve endings felt a slight coolness.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Luo Wei lowered her head. The droplet slid off the back of her hand, leaving only a faint water mark¡ªno burn.


    There was no feeling of pain at all.


    The heart that had been in her throat fell back down. She didn''t know if it was the beeswax she had applied that worked, or if this holy water simply had no effect, but it was good news either way.


    The person in front moved on, and she stepped forward. Her gaze only caught the headmaster''s pristine white robe and the soft leather boots beneath it.


    Holy water sprinkled down from above, droplets falling on her forehead like March spring rain¡ªmoist, cool, and full of boundless vitality.


    Headmaster Morrison was indeed fast. Almost at the same second she stepped forward with her right foot, the water from his fingertips had already flicked down. She didn''t even need to pause and could directly turn to leave the statue.


    A droplet of water hung on her temple, which she caught with the back of her finger.


    Luo Wei stared at that drop of water, took out a white porcelain bottle from under her skirt, and poured it in.


    The students who had completed the baptism all left the school, riding horses and galloping wildly outside. She also quickly walked out of the school gate, got into a carriage, and returned to her small courtyard.


    The demon-banishing ceremony would be held at two o''clock in the afternoon. She still had six hours to prepare the scene.


    Luo Wei checked her battle equipment: a pair of ceramic-fired bone wings, a scythe shaped like bone joints, a waterproof raincoat, two boxes of dry ice, a box of white phosphorus, a pair of contact lenses, and a set of false teeth.


    This amount of dry ice wouldn''t last long; she had to be quick.


    There were also more than a dozen hydrogen balloons tied with ropes in the room. The hydrogen was a by-product when she made hydrochloric acid, and the balloon skin was made of sheepskin, thick and long-burning.


    Luo Wei handed these hydrogen balloons to Troy: "Remember, light the balloons as soon as I wave the scythe. When I snatch Lidia and fly up, release the ropes immediately."


    Troy nodded gravely: "Understood."


    "Also, this is crushed dry ice. As soon as I appear, scatter it around the execution platform to shroud it in white mist."


    Troy silently took the dry ice box, gripping the iron box so tightly that the color of his finger bones was visible.


    "Let me go," he suddenly looked up and said hoarsely, "Luo Wei, let me go instead."


    He knew Luo Wei planned to disguise herself as an evil god to rescue Lidia, so no one would suspect them. But in his view, this plan was fraught with danger. One misstep and she could be discovered and captured by the temple people.


    Her future was so bright, unlike his. He was burdened with numerous evil deeds and a criminal record. It wouldn''t matter if he became a fugitive again.


    "At this point, you''re still talking nonsense!" Luo Wei frowned at him. "There''s no such thing as a perfect plan in this world. Any action carries risks. If you don''t want me to die, just follow my plan strictly."


    Troy''s eyes revealed deep concern.


    "Alright, if you''re really worried, have your griffin wait outside the city. If I really fail, you can take us and flee together."


    "Now go out, I need to change my clothes."


    Luo Wei shut Troy out of the room.


    Every year on the Day of Descent, it had always been a bright sunny day, and this year was no exception.


    The sky was clear and cloudless, with no wind or rain on the ground.


    The usually tightly closed main gate of the temple was opened by two monks in yellow robes, revealing the golden and resplendent statues and walls inside.


    The circular square in front of the temple was packed with people. Several prison carts swayed in from the other end of the square. These condemned prisoners had already been paraded around Siria City, followed by a long procession of onlookers.


    Soldiers opened the prison carts and escorted seven or eight condemned prisoners down, leading them to the execution platform.


    The execution platform was located in the center of the square, with a circle of iron pillars in the middle. The condemned prisoners were tied to these pillars, facing the citizens below the platform.


    Monks carried bundles of firewood and piled them at the feet of the condemned, then poured fuel all over their bodies before retreating to the bottom of the platform, holding blazing torches.


    They were just waiting for two o''clock in the afternoon. Once the temple''s sacrificial bell rang, their torches would leave their hands and be thrown onto the bundles of wood.


    The people on the execution platform looked numb, as if they had accepted their impending death well. Most of them had their eyes closed and heads lowered. Only their dry, cracked lips covered in dead skin and trembling uncontrollably betrayed their current inner thoughts.


    Fear, despair, and a last glimmer of struggle.


    Among these condemned prisoners were an old woman over seventy, a little girl not yet ten, a farm woman with a face full of worry, and a young man as thin as a stick. Out of the seven people, surprisingly, six were women.


    Lidia was among these seven people. She was the only one who hadn''t closed her eyes.


    TBC

 Chapter 58: 3D Surround Sound

    Those pale green eyes held no trace of childlike innocence. She stared at the people below with her large, seemingly bulging green eyes, unblinking, as if trying to etch each face into her memory.


    The citizens nearest to her felt chills run down their spines under her gaze. They scooped up small stones from the ground and hurled them at her.


    "You filthy wench, shut those damned eyes of yours!"


    "Kill her, kill her!"


    The stones struck Lidia''s frail shoulder, and spots of blood seeped through her clothes.


    She kept her eyes open, merely shifting her gaze to fix her numb, indifferent stare on those who had thrown the stones.


    Though there was no hatred in her eyes, those who met her gaze were driven to madness.


    They panicked as if they had seen a real demon, stumbling backward while desperately seeking help, trying to lose themselves in the crowd.


    Some braver souls gathered handfuls of rubble, rushed forward, and pelted her with stones as if firing a barrage of cannonballs. Some hit the area around her, while others struck her body directly.


    The sharp edges of the stones grazed Lidia''s pointed chin, leaving a gaping wound on her face, but she didn''t make a sound, as if impervious to pain.


    The crowd grew restless, screaming in terror, pushing and shoving, demanding Lidia''s immediate execution.


    "She''s an evil witch, she must be an evil witch!"


    "She''s looking at us with those demon eyes, she wants to taint our pure souls!"


    "Don''t let her see you, quick, hide!"


    "Burn her, burn her!"


    Among those calling for her to be burned were the aunt with poor eyesight whom she often helped with sewing, the frugal uncle who would slip her an extra piece of lamb when selling meat, neighbors who had watched her grow up, childhood playmates, and even passersby who had once seemed so kind.


    Lidia stared at them intently, until she spotted the three fat, nauseating, excited faces hidden among them.


    The Doggs, the butcher''s family, were all corpulent. They gorged on meat daily, with unsold cuts always leftover in their shop. Lamb mixed with blood would flow down the chopping board, scenes she had scrubbed clean during countless sleepless nights.


    Even the meat they couldn''t sell or finish, she never got to taste.


    The dogs in the house were better fed than her.


    Lidia Doggs etched this scene deep in her heart. If witches and demons truly existed in this world, she would willingly embrace them, even if it meant offering her soul.


    Better to be devoured by demons than by humans.


    This was the thought of nine-year-old Lidia, weary of seeing the same ugly faces everywhere.


    So she raised her head, looking towards the dazzling sky, wondering if there really were gods up there, if demons could truly hear her call.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    The monks and soldiers calmed the chaotic crowd. There were still a few minutes before the demon-expelling ritual began. They had to follow the strict procedures, or it would be disrespectful to God.


    The spectators finally quieted down, glaring at the condemned with hateful eyes, silently lashing them with their gaze.


    Time ticked by, second by second. Finally, only a few grains of sand remained in the hourglass. Once it emptied, the purifying flames would rise, and agonized screams would fill the air.


    If anyone could withstand the fierce fire, they must surely be an evil witch or demon. The bishop himself would come to the stage with precious holy water to exorcise them, letting them die under the radiance of the sacred liquid.


    The crowd watched the execution platform expectantly. Suddenly, a heart-wrenching cry erupted from the back of the crowd.


    A gaunt, haggard middle-aged man carrying a gray infant corpse burst through the crowd. He stumbled to the foot of the platform, pulling out a woodcutter''s axe from the burlap wrapping the dead baby.


    "Susan isn''t a follower of the dark god, Susan isn''t! Let her go, let her go!"


    "Get out, get out, don''t interfere with our ritual."


    The monks waved torches to drive the man away, but his expression grew increasingly manic. "It''s you, you slandered Susan! Susan is a good mother, a good wife, she''s not a follower of the dark god, you slandered her!"


    On the platform, the farmer''s wife who had been keeping her head down looked up, sobbing, her face streaked with tears. "Nick, go away, don''t worry about me, just go."


    Her voice grew louder until she was screaming, "Nick, go¡ª"


    "No, I won''t go!" Nick brandished the axe, roaring at the monks, "Our child was sick, Susan killed the chicken to make an offering to the God of Life, not to a dark god, she didn''t worship any dark god!"


    "Oh, lost lambs," the cardinal in red robes emerged from the temple doors, his resonant voice drowning out the clamor, "Trust in God. God will not wrongly accuse a good person, nor will He let a bad person go unpunished."


    "If your wife truly did not make offerings to a dark god, please accept our test. God will keep her safe."


    Nick''s hand holding the axe trembled. He was pondering the cardinal''s words.


    Reason told him that a living person would only be burned to death in fierce flames, but his thirty years of faith also told him to trust in God, not to go against God''s will.


    As he hesitated, the last grain of sand fell through the hourglass.


    "Time''s up, light the fire!"


    The monks turned and walked up to the execution platform, raising their torches high.


    Suddenly, a great wind swept across the platform, making it difficult for the monks to keep their eyes open.


    Troy, blending into the crowd, evenly scattered dry ice fragments.


    Dense white smoke rose from the ground, its tendrils reaching out in all directions, instantly engulfing the platform.


    As the mist spread, dogs began barking incessantly across the square.


    "What''s happening, why is there suddenly fog?"


    "It''s so cold, my ankles are freezing!"


    "Ah! My dog!"


    "Spot, stop!"


    For some unknown reason, the dogs went berserk, breaking free from their owners'' leashes. Barking madly, they bolted away, disappearing from the square in the blink of an eye.


    As people grew increasingly uneasy, a low, eerie voice suddenly resonated from all around them.


    "Foolish humans, who dares to call upon my name."


    The voice was harsh and grating, like a demon crawling out from the depths of the earth in the dead of night, whispering in their ears. Its tone was cold and unfeeling, with a hint of mockery and disdain.


    People trembled, looking around frantically.


    "Who, who''s speaking?"


    "Where is that voice coming from, why does it seem to be everywhere?"


    "I know, it''s, it''s the devil, it''s the devil!"


    "The devil is here, the devil is here!"


    The white mist grew thicker and rose higher. The monks'' torches went out with a puff, as if blown out by an invisible demon. They cried out, dropping their torches and scrambling off the platform.


    "Devil, it''s the devil, run¡ª"


    Above the execution platform, a dense fog gradually dispersed, and pinpoints of eerie blue flames coalesced into a terrifying figure.


    TBC

 Chapter 59: It Really Is a Demon

    The terrified citizens turned back in horror, witnessing the most frightening scene of their lives.


    Its form was indescribable, a pale face hidden beneath a black cloak burning with flames. Two sharp fangs pressed against its lower lip, and its crimson lips seemed to drip with blood.


    It hovered silently in the air, carrying enormous white bone wings on its back. In its right hand, it held a long scythe made of white bone, from some unknown beast. The bone was so white it was terrifying; even a single glance could make one''s soul flee in terror.


    "Ignorant humans, who dares to call upon my master?"


    On the execution platform, Lidia stared intently at the "demon" wrapped in ghostly blue fire amidst the clouds and mist, her tea-green eyes blazing with fervent light.


    "Are... are you... here to take me?" Her throat was sore and parched, having not had water for three whole days. She could only produce a hoarse, unpleasant sound.


    Perhaps her voice was too weak, for the demon didn''t seem to hear.


    Lidia gazed at It longingly, her torn lips oozing a salty liquid which she swallowed thirstily, moistening her dry throat.


    "Are... are you the Dark God?"


    The demon finally cast a merciful glance at her¡ªonly in her eyes was it merciful; everyone else was terrified beyond measure.


    "I am called Ferryman, messenger of the gods." The tall divine messenger lowered his gaze, his pupils as red as raging fire, casting down the look she most yearned for. "My divine master is the great God of Death and Time, the Dark God Kovikhross, who holds dominion over human souls and the six realms of reincarnation."


    Luo Wei thought it over and decided it was best to cosplay as a minor death god messenger. If a powerful death god were to personally intervene just to save a death row prisoner, it would be too demeaning for such a deity.


    "God of Death and Time..." Lidia''s face showed an expression of awe as she whispered with surging emotions, "Dark God, the Dark God really heard my prayers..."


    "Great Messenger!" She suddenly raised her head, even though the back of her skull hit the iron pillar so hard she could barely open her eyes. Through tear-blurred vision, she cried out, "Great Messenger, I am a follower of your divine master. Please, take me away, take my soul!"


    "I am willing to sacrifice my soul to darkness, to offer it to the great God of Death and Time, to serve His evil for eternity!"


    The demonic messenger swung Its scythe, as if to reap her soul. Its crimson lips parted slightly, revealing a mouthful of stark white fangs.


    "Then, as you wish."


    Lidia closed her eyes in bliss, never having felt so relaxed in her brief life.


    "Everyone, don''t run! There''s no need to be afraid, there''s no dark god here!"


    "Damn you, you charlatan!"


    The bishop of the temple appeared at the foot of the execution platform, gripping his magic wand, his brown eyes glaring hatefully at the black-clad figure in the sky.


    "The holy vial isn''t glowing, there''s no demon here. You despicable rat, how dare you ruin our sacred demon-expelling ritual!"If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "What? No demon?" Those who heard the bishop''s voice stopped in their tracks, looking back in shock.


    "That''s right, he''s just a contemptible scoundrel, not some messenger of a dark god. He''s merely using magic to disguise himself," the bishop raised the wand he had hurriedly retrieved from the temple. "With just one spell, I can reveal his true form!"


    The panicked crowd halted their escape, looking questioningly towards the figure above the execution platform. On closer inspection, It didn''t seem that terrifying. The smoke and flames looked scary, but they hadn''t actually harmed anyone.


    The bishop sneered at the black-clad figure and waved his wand: "You damned rat, show your true form! Nulano Revealing Spell!"


    The bishop of Siria was a mid-level mage, and this spell was beyond Luo Wei''s ability to resist. So, she didn''t resist at all.


    The magic stone on the wand emitted a dazzling white light, shooting straight at her.


    "What wings, what white mist, what red eyes and fangs¡ªit''s all an illusion. You insignificant insect, how dare you deceive a noble clergyman," the bishop laughed raucously, throwing his head back. "Look, look at the true face of this damned rat!"


    "My lord, my lord!" A monk tugged tremblingly at his robe, his legs shaking, a foul-smelling liquid trickling down between them. "My lord, please look! It really is a demon!"


    "What?!"


    The bishop looked up at the sky in disbelief. The eerie figure still floated in the thick white mist. The ghostly blue flames on Its body gradually turned red, Its crimson eyes becoming even more terrifying. Those sharp fangs could easily pierce his throat and drain his blood in an instant.


    Its bone-white wings flapped faster, with inch-long, pure black and sharp feathers growing between the bones, exuding an evil aura from every part.


    "It''s angry, the demon is angry! Run!"


    The monk fled, crying out in terror, his voice no different from the commoners''.


    "The demon is enraged, the flames on Its body have turned red! It''s going to kill us!"


    "Run, run for your lives¡ª"


    Amidst the chaos in the square, only the bishop stood rooted to the spot, muttering "Impossible, how can this be?" over and over.


    "Pitiful mortal, your stupidity truly pains me." The demon flapped Its wings, Its dark red eyes looking down contemptuously as It swung Its bone scythe downward.


    "Ah!" Fear finally overtook him, and the bishop couldn''t help but scream, turning to run towards the temple. The holy vial, he still had the holy vial! The holy water inside could exorcise demons!


    Seeing him finally scared off, Luo Wei quickly shook off all the dry ice pieces under her skirt, raising the carbon dioxide concentration even higher


    The phosphorus fire on her body had been burning for too long; the tung oil cloth was about to melt. She had to extinguish it before going down to rescue people, otherwise it might ignite the fuel on Lidia''s body.


    The white mist was so thick that human forms were indiscernible. Luo Wei used the smoke as cover to descend to the ground, quickly untying the ropes binding Lidia and rescuing her.


    Due to the high concentration of carbon dioxide, Lidia was somewhat oxygen-deprived and fell into Luo Wei''s arms in a daze, grasping her sleeve like a lifeline.


    "Are... are you here to take me away?"


    Luo Wei was momentarily stunned, then held her body tightly. "Yes."


    Time was pressing, and she was about to leave with Lidia in her arms when suddenly a hand reached out from beside her.


    It was the poor farmer''s wife, who had somehow freed one of her hands and now firmly grasped Luo Wei''s arm as she was about to leave.


    "You want to come with me too?" Luo Wei felt a pang of sympathy.


    Before the demon-expelling ritual began, she had been hiding in the crowd using an invisibility spell, piecing together this woman''s tragic story from the snippets of conversation around her.


    Her child had fallen ill and was on the brink of death. With no other recourse, she could only pray to the gods.


    To ensure her prayers were heard, she killed the only rooster in her yard as an offering to the divine. However, this act was witnessed by a neighbor with whom she often quarreled, who then reported her to the temple.


    After her sacrifice, her child miraculously recovered, but another child in the village fell ill.


    The temple believed she had used evil magic to offer the other child''s health to a dark god. They drowned her child and arrested her.


    TBC

 Chapter 60: You Are the God I Believe In

    Seeing the excitement in the farmer''s wife''s eyes, Luo Wei sighed, "Alright, let go of my arm first, and I''ll help you down."


    Unexpectedly, the woman gripped even tighter, a crazed sneer spreading across her face.


    "It''s a person! It''s a person! I''ve caught her! Someone come quickly, I''ve caught her!"


    Her fingers dug deep into Luo Wei''s flesh, her eyes darting about maniacally as she looked towards the crowd below. Her dry lips stretched to the corners of her face as she screamed, blood dripping, "Your Grace, quick! Kill her! She must be a follower of the Dark God, she''s a follower of the Dark God!"


    Luo Wei''s expression changed abruptly as she forcefully pulled her arm free.


    Her sleeve was torn to shreds by the woman''s hard nails, and five scratch marks appeared on her fair skin.


    "Demon, die!"


    The bishop''s roar came from behind.


    She whirled around to see the bishop uncorking the swan-necked bottle and hurling its contents with all his might. The transparent liquid flew from the bottle''s mouth, tracing a beautiful parabola as it scattered like heavenly flowers.


    Luo Wei didn''t dare gamble on whether the holy water would be effective or not.


    She covered Lidia with her cloak-like raincoat, her wings stirring up a powerful gust as she soared into the clouds.


    A sharp pain shot through her back as wisps of smoke rose from her wings. The tattered raincoat couldn''t stop the holy water from seeping through to her outer robe.


    In that instant, she felt as if thousands of red-hot steel needles were piercing her back. The pain burned through her entire body, making her want to curl up involuntarily.


    She would forever remember the mistake she made today: never try to save someone who has already given their soul to faith. That''s not a person, but a ghost serving the tiger that devoured it.


    This kind of pain, etched into her bones, once was enough.


    "A demon, it really is a demon, it really is a demon!"


    The bishop clutched the empty swan-necked bottle, watching the smoking figure shoot into the sky, his eyes filled with deep fear.


    "Quick, go fetch Dean Morrison, inform the city lord and the magic academy!"


    With everyone else having fled, the bishop had no choice but to stumble towards the temple, shouting out names.


    But before he could reach the temple gates, dozens of smoke-billowing, fire-engulfed spherical objects suddenly rose into the sky. The true demonic figure was lost among these ascending objects, impossible to distinguish.


    Severely wounded, Luo Wei no longer had the strength to take Lidia out of the city. Enduring the excruciating pain, she cast an invisibility spell on herself and Lidia, flying back to the small courtyard as fast as she could.


    Lidia had already passed out. Luo Wei stuffed a cloth into her mouth and tied her to the bedpost.


    After this incident, Luo Wei finally learned a lesson: never gamble on a person''s humanity, under any circumstances.


    This wasn''t a peaceful world. Even in a peaceful world, she could be betrayed, let alone in this utterly wretched otherworld.


    Luo Wei pulled the raincoat off Lidia''s head and faced the mirror to remove the rough contact lenses from her eyes and the ceramic false teeth that had been hurting her gums.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She also painfully removed the bone wings strapped to her own wings.


    Her once strong and powerful wings were now pitted and scarred from the holy water burns. The soft, glossy feathers had been scorched, leaving them looking like two patchy, roasted chicken wings.


    Luo Wei felt a twinge in her heart. A few scars on her back weren''t a big deal, but with her wings in this state, how could she fly in the future?


    She had even coated the black wings with a layer of wax. Why hadn''t she thought to waterproof them?


    Luo Wei gently stroked her poor wings before retracting them.


    She wondered if the wings could heal. She''d have to pray to the God of the Dead later for some help.


    Luo Wei took off her outer coat and examined her back in the mirror.


    Although the raincoat had some holes, it had still blocked a large portion of the holy water. Her back was sparsely dotted with about a dozen scars that looked like they had been branded with hot iron.


    It still stung, but much less than before.


    Luo Wei washed her back with clean water, dried it with a white cloth, and finally used a soft brush dipped in tung oil to gently paint over the scars.


    The largest scar was about the size of a goose egg, right at the base of her wings. It must have been where the holy water had flowed along her feathers. The scar looked as if a chunk of flesh had been gouged out, leaving a sunken pit.


    When pain reaches its extreme, it becomes numbness. She could no longer feel how much it hurt, but her nerves were extremely fatigued, and her limbs were beginning to weaken.


    Luo Wei forced herself to change clothes and burned everything she had just used to ashes. As for the scythe and bone wings, thinking she might need them again, she hid them in the rafters.


    After all this, she removed the cloth from Lidia''s mouth and pinched her philtrum to wake her up.


    The girl, now nothing more than skin and bones, awoke from her nightmare gasping for air, her pale green eyes unfocused as she looked at Luo Wei.


    Luo Wei crouched in front of her with her magic wand. Seeing that Lidia had inhaled enough oxygen, her breathing gradually steadied, and her gaze began to focus, Luo Wei slowly spoke, "Are you awake now?"


    Lidia looked at her with uncertainty, shrinking back towards the corner of the bed.


    "Who are you? Wasn''t I rescued by the great messenger?"


    Luo Wei stood up. "I am the great messenger you speak of."


    Lidia''s mouth fell open in surprise, her gaunt little face as white as paper against her reddish-brown braids.


    "I''m giving you two choices," Luo Wei looked down at her, eyes lowered. "First, leave Siria, change your identity, and never come back. Second, stay by my side as my servant."


    Lidia thought for a moment before saying firmly, "I want to stay by your side and be your servant."


    "Congratulations, you chose the right answer," Luo Wei tossed aside her magic wand. "If you had chosen the first option, I would have killed you."


    Even though Luo Wei had nearly lost her life saving Lidia, she would have killed her without hesitation.


    She wouldn''t allow someone who could potentially expose her identity to roam beyond her sight. Agreeing to Troy''s request to save her was the most impulsive decision she had ever made, and she still regretted it.


    "Now, tell me, why did you choose to stay?"


    Luo Wei sat down in a chair, her black eyes like a deep, dark lake.


    A fire ignited in Lidia''s bright eyes. "Because I promised to sacrifice my soul to the great God of Death and Time, to serve His evil for eternity."


    "Very good. Your promise to keep your word has saved your life." Luo Wei had thought Lidia had seen the reality that she wouldn''t be able to survive outside of Siria and had chosen to stay for that reason. She hadn''t expected the answer to be a bit different.


    She hadn''t been mistaken; those were indeed eyes that remained unbroken and filled with hatred even when facing execution.


    "I must tell you something. I am not a messenger of the God of Death and Time, but a messenger of the God of the Dead, the demon most feared by humans." Luo Wei propped up her heavy head with her hand. "Hearing this, do you still want to serve Him?"


    "No, you''re not?" Lidia''s eyes showed shock. She was silent for a long time before answering in a hoarse voice, "In my heart, He is real, and so are you. It is you I want to serve."


    Whoever pulled her out of the mire, whoever saved her life, that was who she would dedicate her soul to.


    The person before her was the deity she had been desperately yearning for day and night.


    "I allow you to serve me, but right now, I need you to do something else," Luo Wei raised her index finger to lift Lidia''s sharp, thin chin. "Become a follower of the God of the Dead, and pray to Him with me."


    Feeling the burning fingertip under her chin, Lidia looked at her devoutly. "Yes, my lady."


    TBC

 Chapter 61: Forget the Past, Your Name is Rosie

    "Great and righteous God of the Dead."


    "Great and righteous God of the Dead."


    "Otilette, Sovereign of Order in the Realm of Death."


    "Otilette, Sovereign of Order in the Realm of Death."


    "I am Your devoted servant."


    "I am Your devoted servant."


    "I come before You in prayer."


    "I come..."


    ...


    Luo Wei guided Lidia in offering a heartfelt hymn of praise to the God of the Dead.


    A warmth spread across her back, but unlike the searing pain from holy water, this sensation came from the divine mark itself.


    [O God of the Dead, in whom I place my unwavering faith, do You see the burns that cover Your servant''s body?]


    [Great Lord of Death, forgive Your servant''s weakness. The holy water''s burns leave no cure - I can only fade and perish day by day.]


    [But please do not grieve, for You have countless other faithful followers who will surely offer You the sweetest praises and prayers in my stead.]


    Luo Wei prayed with profound sincerity in her heart, certain that He would hear her innermost thoughts.


    The warmth on her back intensified, and her shoulder blades began to itch furiously, as though countless ants were gnawing at her flesh. The sensation was nearly unbearable.


    Luo Wei knew this was proof that the God of the Dead had heard her prayers and acknowledged her recruitment of a new follower.


    His blessings always manifested in such otherworldly ways.


    This itching was even more excruciating than when her wings had first emerged. Luo Wei''s fingers dug into the chair''s armrests as she fought the urge to scratch.


    Looking at Lidia, still deep in prayer with closed eyes, she spoke to distract herself from the discomfort.


    "That will suffice. Your prayers are complete for today."


    Lidia''s eyes fluttered open, gazing at her uncertainly. "What... what should I do now?"


    Her voice was harsh and raspy, like a wild duck that had swallowed sand.


    "Just listen," Luo Wei commanded, her grip tightening on the armrests. "From this moment forward, you are Rosie, my personal maid."


    Lidia lifted her face. Her eyes were like perfectly polished turquoise stones, clearly treasured pieces that had been lovingly handled for years.


    "Rosie..."


    A misty sheen formed over the turquoise stones, adding another layer of moisture to their already glossy surface, reflecting light like dewdrops.


    "Can you forget your former name? Forget everything from your past?" Luo Wei asked.


    "Yes! I can do it!"


    Tears welled in Lidia''s eyes. These were the nightmares she had longed day and night to forget, and from this moment on, they would finally be nothing more than distant dreams.


    Luo Wei was indifferent to her answer. If the girl proved unable, magic could always assist in the forgetting.


    "I have two items here - hair dye and contact lenses. You''ll need to change both your hair and eyes to black."


    The dye was a concoction of black beans and grape vinegar that Bella had brewed, while the contact lenses were crafted from leftover resin from her previous red lens project.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    These physical disguises were far safer than relying on magic.


    After all, Siria Magic Academy teemed with apprentices and full-fledged mages. With her current magical capacity, any glamour she cast would be far too easily detected.


    Lidia - no, Rosie now.


    Rosie submitted completely to Luo Wei''s arrangements, for this was her divine salvation, her very reason for continued existence.


    The maddening itch on Luo Wei''s back finally began to subside. Glancing at her hands, she noticed the scratch marks had vanished.


    She leaned down to untie the ropes binding Rosie.


    "Follow me."


    She led Rosie down to the basement and lit the wall sconces.


    "This was once a wine cellar. It will serve as your bedroom now, and you are not to leave it for the next month."


    "You must repeatedly apply the dye on the table until your hair is pure black."


    "You''ll also learn to craft your own black contact lenses. I''ll have more tree resin brought to you. Don''t worry about waste - focus on quality. Rough lenses will damage your corneas."


    "There''s water and food on the table, and a chamber pot in the corner. Someone will come regularly to empty it."


    After these instructions, she tilted Rosie''s chin up, examining the angry scar on her cheek.


    Fortunately, the muscle beneath remained undamaged. Though the wound appeared severe, a child''s remarkable healing ability meant the scar should fade within a month.


    Assuming she wasn''t prone to scarring.


    "Take proper care of that facial wound. I won''t keep a scarred maid in my service."


    "Yes, my lady," Rosie answered hoarsely.


    Luo Wei studied the young face before her. Though she struggled to distinguish between Western features with their high bridges and deep-set eyes, she could tell this was a face of remarkable allure.


    Perhaps the combination of red and green naturally held such power to captivate.


    Like a single red bloom in an endless sea of green, or one leaf amidst countless flowers.


    "Beauty is no sin. Stop deliberately marring your face. I know you could have dodged that stone."


    "Thank you... my lady..."


    Tears traced silvery paths down Rosie''s gaunt cheeks.


    She fell to her knees, pressing her forehead to the damp earth in deepest obeisance.


    "Rosie thanks my lady!"


    "Rise."


    Luo Wei had said enough. Having settled Rosie''s arrangements, she departed the cellar.


    Half an hour later, hoofbeats echoed from beyond the courtyard.


    A girl who could have been Luo Wei''s twin dismounted from a carriage and hurried into the yard, anxiety clear in her eyes.


    "Master."


    Upon seeing Luo Wei, the girl''s expression cleared as if finding an anchor in a storm, her eyes growing misty.


    "Master, you''ve returned!"


    "Well done, Bella. Come inside and I''ll restore you."


    The girl followed Luo Wei into the house. Moments later, the door opened and Bella emerged, once again wearing her maid''s uniform.


    This had all been carefully orchestrated - while Luo Wei raided the execution ground, Tom had taken Bella sightseeing to establish her alibi.


    Everything had gone perfectly, save for one detail - Luo Wei''s wand.


    Alone in her room, she stared at the black rod in her hand, now sporting a crack that split it from base to tip, and fell into troubled silence.


    No wonder powerful mages favored proper staffs - it seemed wands were as disposable as contact lenses.


    How would she explain this to others?


    Professor Moses had specified this wand was meant to last the year.


    If only she could obtain some pitch to repair it.


    When Troy returned, she would need him to search for coal mines and oil wells. Natural pitch was common near oil deposits; failing that, they could distill it from coal and resin.


    Thoughts of coal and oil triggered a cascade of industrial formulas and concepts in her mind, ultimately centering on weaponry.


    Coal mines meant steel production for the firearms she envisioned, while oil could yield fuel, rubber, and even mass-produced petrol bombs.


    These would be her true foundation in this world.


    But this modest courtyard could never house a proper factory. First, she needed to secure her own territory.


    Two hours later, Troy scaled the courtyard wall.


    "Is everything taken care of?"


    "All handled. The phonographs were dismantled and melted in the blacksmith''s furnace, and the griffin devoured the balloon skin."


    Luo Wei nodded. "Were you seen?"


    "No," Troy replied, "but the city''s under martial law. Priests and guards are patrolling everywhere. We likely won''t be able to leave for several days."


    "That''s fine. I had no plans to send her from the city anyway."


    Luo Wei fixed Troy with a stern gaze. "Now that this matter is settled, we need to address your conduct."


    "Troy, do you remember that you are my hired guard?"


    Troy lowered his eyes. "I... I know."


    "Do you truly? Do you understand how your reckless actions could have gotten your employer killed?"

 Chapter 62: I Need to Find an Unclaimed Land

    Troy hung his head low, like a wounded beast.


    Yet he was clearly not that weak.


    "Troy, this is the second time," Luo Wei stated firmly.


    "Twice you''ve abandoned your employer for complete strangers. Is this what being a mercenary means to you?"


    "Clang¡ª"


    Troy dropped to one knee, presenting his sword in his hands, his voice strained: "I swear upon my life, never again will I¡ª"


    "Troy, mercenaries don''t make oaths," Luo Wei cut him off, "That''s a knight''s courtesy. You''re a knight, aren''t you?"


    Mercenaries had but one purpose - to complete their employer''s tasks. They never concerned themselves with honor or oaths.


    Only knights would make valor, benevolence, mercy, and justice their guiding principles, always ready to sacrifice themselves for their virtues.


    Troy''s body tensed, his hands holding the sword growing slack. Luo Wei knew she had hit the mark.


    "You seem quite knowledgeable about the royal affairs of the Kingdom of Ater. Were you one of the king''s knights?"


    Luo Wei answered her own question: "A knight serving the King of Ater would surely hold the rank of general, wouldn''t he?"


    "How did you fall so far?"


    "Troy, if you don''t explain yourself clearly today, I truly cannot keep you in my service."


    "Think it over carefully."


    With these words, Luo Wei turned toward the stairs.


    "Wait!"


    "Don''t go. I''ll tell you everything."


    Luo Wei turned back to see Troy''s pleading gaze.


    "Please stay. I''ll explain it all."


    "Very well," Luo Wei settled herself on the steps, "Speak. I''m listening."


    Still kneeling on one knee, Troy spoke with difficulty: "I was indeed a knight once, but no longer."


    "At fourteen, my father sent me to a knight''s castle as a squire. After coming of age, I became a knight-in-training."


    "At that time, several grand duchies were at war within the Kingdom of Ater. I fought for the king''s army and officially became a Square Banner Knight..."


    In medieval Western society, there were no military ranks for generals - a knight''s rank was equivalent to a general''s position.


    Noble children would be sent to castles at fourteen to serve as squires to great nobles. Upon reaching adulthood, they could become knight-apprentices and carry their own swallow-tailed banner.


    After proving themselves in battle and earning military merit, an apprentice knight could remove the swallow tail from their banner to become a Square Banner Knight, receiving their own territory and castle.


    Troy''s military achievements were extraordinary. In just three years, he rose from knight to baronet, then from baronet to baron, and even gained the king''s favor, becoming his personal guard.


    "So you were of noble birth. Then how did you end up in Siria?" Luo Wei asked, intrigued.


    Troy gripped his sword tightly: "Because I was betrayed."Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "A friend, jealous of the king''s trust in me, secretly poisoned my wine. While I lay unconscious, he marked me with the Dark God''s totem, falsely branding me as a Dark God cultist."


    "Queen Medusa had the palace guards arrest me and poisoned the king''s mind, claiming that red hair was a devil''s mark, suggesting they verify it through trial by fire."


    "I managed to escape, but have lived as a fugitive ever since."


    Troy recalled the past, his teeth clenched in bitter hatred.


    After listening in silence, Luo Wei sighed: "Ah, Queen Medusa achieved exactly what she wanted."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Removing you from the king''s side," Luo Wei explained matter-of-factly. "You said you were highly capable, didn''t you? Having someone as competent and principled as you by the king''s side - how could she hope to control him?"


    Troy''s eyes widened with sudden understanding: "She sought to control the king?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? The king disfavors her children and wishes to name another heir. Of course she needs to secure her future. Or should she simply wait to be eliminated by the new king?"


    Just look at Axina''s behavior - acting so brazenly even without royal recognition. Where does such audacity come from?


    Clearly from Queen Medusa''s ambition.


    Luo Wei stood and patted Troy''s shoulder: "Try to see it from her perspective, brother. Someone like you, with such an overwhelming sense of morality that you can''t even properly serve your employer after taking their money - I''d want to remove you too."


    Troy: "..."


    "What, thinking of returning to protect the King of Ater?"


    "No," Troy shook his head firmly, "He''s no longer worthy of my protection."


    Luo Wei raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Then who is?"


    Troy''s emerald eyes flickered toward her, his ears flushing red: "You."


    "You are worthy."


    "Then remember what you''ve said today," Luo Wei''s voice turned stern, "I don''t want to see this mistake happen a third time."


    Troy nodded eagerly.


    "Alright, you may rise."


    After the harsh lesson, it was time for some kindness. Luo Wei helped him to his feet.


    "Since you once commanded troops, surely you had some loyal subordinates?"


    "I did have a few, but they were all implicated because of me. Some died, while others fled."


    "Troy," Luo Wei revealed a slight smile, "Would you like to clear the charges against you all and become citizens of another country?"


    Troy gave a bitter laugh: "The King of Ater has issued arrest warrants. No country on the Western Continent would accept us, especially with my red hair."


    Ever since he became a fugitive, the prejudice against red-haired people across the continent had only grown worse.


    In a way, Lidia too had become a victim of his circumstances.


    "Just because there''s no place on the Western Continent doesn''t mean there''s no place beyond it."


    "If you can help me claim a piece of land from the Western Continent, I''ll pardon you and your loyal subordinates of all crimes, and grant you citizenship in my country."


    Troy''s head snapped up, his gaze intense as he stared at her: "You''re not from the Western Continent''s royal nobility?"


    Luo Wei smiled brightly: "Of course not."


    "Then you..." Troy''s Adam''s apple bobbed as he dared not voice his suspicion, "Are you... a princess from the Wastes?"


    Luo Wei merely smiled, neither confirming nor denying.


    But this very response made Troy''s heart race faster.


    "The forces behind me cannot intervene here, and I''ve never led troops in battle," Luo Wei said matter-of-factly. "This endeavor will have to rely on your strategic planning."


    Troy was both excited and troubled: "But I have no troops under my command."


    His title had been stripped away, his territory and army reclaimed by the king.


    "That''s why we need to find unclaimed land, to secure a territory with minimal resources, quickly, as our base for training troops."


    "Unclaimed land," Troy pondered for a moment, "The unclaimed territories on the Western Continent are all contested battlegrounds between nations. It would be difficult for us to take any of them."


    "Such places lack the foundation for us to take root. The unclaimed land I speak of is where no one dares to venture."


    Luo Wei hinted to Troy: "Like barren dunes, frozen snowfields - places too desolate for anyone to want to claim."


    "Such places do exist, but..." Troy hesitated.


    "But what?"


    Troy spoke with reluctance: "But these are all lands tainted by the Dark God, inhabited by souls and demons, full of forbidden taboos. Breaking these taboos means certain death."


    He put it mildly - for humans, entering such places was suicide!


    Yet Luo Wei''s interest was piqued: "Oh? These Dark God-tainted lands, where are they?"


    "The Demon Sea, the Abyssal Canyon, and the Plague Forest."

 Chapter 63: An Ugly Portrait

    Luo Wei committed these three places to memory: the Demon Sea, the Abyssal Canyon, and the Plague Forest.


    From her original memories, she had only heard of the Demon Sea, which lay in the region near their fishing village. The fishermen always steered clear of that area.


    Legend spoke of a Demon Island in the Demon Sea, piled with bones and haunted by souls, home to man-eating monsters and evil witches.


    Luo Wei narrowed her eyes - could this Demon Sea be a gathering place for followers of the Soul God?


    "I know of the Demon Sea. Tell me about the Abyssal Canyon and Plague Forest," she said, turning to Troy.


    "The Abyssal Canyon lies in the frozen tundra of the North. Burning magma flows at its depths, and demon roars often echo from within. The infamous Exile City lies not far from there."


    "The Plague Forest sits at the southernmost tip of the Western Continent - a mangrove swamp submerged in seawater. Sea monsters dwell there, along with venomous creatures and brain-eating water monkeys. Anyone who enters contracts the plague."


    Troy deliberately emphasized the dangers, fearing Luo Wei might take interest in these places.


    Indeed, Luo Wei wasn''t drawn to those two locations, as she had already made her decision: "When school breaks for holiday, we''ll explore the Demon Sea."


    The Demon Sea!


    That was the most terrifying of the three forbidden places!


    Troy deeply regretted his words - if only he hadn''t made the other two places sound so dangerous.


    Once Luo Wei made up her mind, nothing could sway her: "We have about a month. Contact your former subordinates, see if any are willing to join. The terms are negotiable."


    Troy thought this would be nearly impossible - any sane person would recoil at the mention of the Demon Sea.


    Seeing the change in his expression, Luo Wei smiled faintly: "If they''re unwilling, we can hire mercenaries. A hundred gold coins per person - surely there are some brave souls out there."


    "A hundred gold coins," Troy''s eyes lit up, "Could my griffin and I count as two? My griffin is quite fierce in battle!"


    Luo Wei: ...


    Well, here was someone who valued gold over life.


    Due to the demon''s appearance, Siria was under martial law. Patrols frequently marched through the Academy Street, and shops on both sides had shuttered their doors.


    The city gates only allowed entry, not exit. The only people still moving about were clergy, patrol guards, and students hurriedly riding back from outside the city.


    Guards stood at the school gates, checking each entering student against a parchment scroll before allowing them to pass.


    "No red eyes, no fangs, roll up your sleeves."


    "Hmm... no scratch marks either. You may enter."


    Luo Wei lowered her sleeves and walked through the gates, her expression cold.


    The guard didn''t suspect anything - every noble they asked to roll up their sleeves wore the same expression, as if deeply insulted.


    He continued comparing the demon''s portrait on the parchment with the students queuing to enter. The portrait was grotesquely drawn.


    It depicted a monster with a green face and protruding fangs, blood-red eyes, pitch-black body, blood dripping from its chin, hands like withered chicken claws, and flames drawn as wailing ghost shapes.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    It looked nothing like Luo Wei''s cool death god disguise, more like a despicable thief.


    The Temple was truly despicable, using such methods to tarnish the image of the Dark God''s envoy.


    Luo Wei''s mood darkened. People were visual creatures - with such portraits circulating, who would believe in the Dark Gods?


    People would think, if the envoys looked this hideous, the Dark Gods must be even worse. How could she attract followers then?


    Whoever drew that portrait - she would make them pay dearly!


    Luo Wei returned to her dormitory, seething.


    While changing into her nightgown, she saw her unblemished arms and felt grateful that the Soul God had healed her wounds in advance.


    The inspection at the gate meant the High Priest still suspected the "divine envoy" was an impostor and hadn''t given up the search.


    Her performance had been like walking a tightrope - one wrong step would have been disastrous.


    If the academy''s teachers and students hadn''t avoided the commotion, she might have been exposed on the spot. Any magic spell could have brought her down.


    Her success came from exploiting people''s fears. Everyone was so terrified of demons that their first instinct was to flee rather than confront her.


    She had observed the High Priest that morning - clearly an old lecher whose body had been ravaged by wine and women. He could barely lift a water flask; his magical prowess couldn''t amount to much.


    Fortunately, her gamble had paid off.


    As Luo Wei reviewed the day''s events, she considered whether she had left any loose ends.


    If anything unexpected had happened, it was only the peasant woman and the High Priest''s holy water.


    She hadn''t expected the holy water to actually burn her.


    Yet the drop of holy water from that morning had no effect.


    Luo Wei''s eyes flickered as she retrieved the small porcelain bottle from her discarded dress.


    Was there something wrong with the morning''s holy water, or... with the person who sprinkled it?


    She opened the stopper and turned the bottle upside down.


    The clear liquid slid down the bottle''s side, hanging from the rim, about to drop.


    Luo Wei touched the water with her finger. It felt cool and wet, with no burning sensation.


    Perhaps it only worked when she manifested her wings?


    Luo Wei concentrated and released her wings, but still felt no change in her hand.


    Finally, she confirmed it was just ordinary water, nothing more.


    Principal Morrison - had he switched the holy water?


    Luo Wei recalled the conversations she''d overheard that morning, the senior students saying: "Since when did Principal Morrison have a beard? He''s not as handsome as before."


    Had the principal''s beard appeared just today, or had he been growing it for months?


    "Caw caw ¡ª CAWK!"


    A harsh, grating bird cry suddenly pierced the air.


    Luo Wei quickly retracted her wings and strode over to yank open the curtains.


    In the dim light, a familiar crow fluttered away from the windowsill, its legs twitching spasmodically as it flew erratically up and down.


    Luo Wei frowned, watching the crow disappear over the treetops toward the other side of the lake.


    As she withdrew her gaze, something dark caught her eye on the windowsill.


    Hmm?


    Looking closer, she discovered a furry spider crouching outside the curtain, identical to the one she''d found on her bed over a month ago.


    "An Infernal Arachne?"


    Luo Wei quickly grabbed a cup and trapped it inside.


    Strangely, even though she had contained it, the spider crawled out from the other side of the cup.


    Thinking her eyes had deceived her, Luo Wei picked up the cup and tried again.


    This time, she swore she wasn''t mistaken - the Infernal Arachne really did crawl out of the sealed cup, as if it had learned to phase through walls.


    The furry spider flexed each of its hairy legs in turn, then used its pedipalps to toss out a messy clump of crow feathers.


    Luo Wei: !!


    This was eye-opening - her first time seeing an insect defeat its natural predator and claim a trophy!


    Under her watchful gaze, the spider leisurely made its way down the window frame, passed right under her elbow, and crawled into her room along the wall.


    Luo Wei bent down to place the cup in its path, curious to see if it could phase through walls again.


    The Infernal Arachne stopped, probed the glass with its sensory appendages, then suddenly reared up and used its pedipalps to toss the cup aside.


    Its arrogant manner suggested it felt completely at home.

 Chapter 64: Because Its Afraid of Getting Tanned

    Luo Wei watched as the magic spider walked straight ahead, curious about its destination, so she followed behind.


    The fluffy spider, slightly larger than an egg, scurried along on its eight legs with incredible speed, swiftly making its way to her bed. Its fuzzy head tilted slightly, as if measuring the distance from the floor to the bed.


    Before Luo Wei could get close, she saw it bounce onto the bed with a "thump," bouncing lightly on the soft wool blanket.


    Well, well, a jumping spider, it seems.


    And why is it getting more adorable by the second?


    Remembering Troy''s warning about its deadly venom, Luo Wei didn''t dare touch it directly. Instead, she gently poked the spider with the tip of her magic wand.


    Huh? The wand passed right through it?


    Refusing to believe it, Luo Wei poked again.


    Suddenly, the Infernal Arachne raised two of its bristly legs, grabbed her magic wand, and flung it away.


    "Quite the strong little one, aren''t you?"


    Luo Wei was genuinely amazed now.


    What kind of magic was this? Objects couldn''t touch it, yet it could freely interact with things - not only throwing her cup but also moving her magic wand!


    "Just what are you exactly?"


    The Infernal Arachne tilted its head, its two large, glistening eyes fixed on her. Three pairs of small, pearl-like side eyes were nestled in the bristles on either side of its head, looking like delicate earrings and hairpins.


    Even more endearing were its two densely furry pedipalps, held before its chelicerae like a pair of fluffy feather fans, giving it a shy and demure appearance that was absolutely irresistible.


    Luo Wei couldn''t help but clutch her chest, completely overwhelmed by its cuteness.


    However, she hadn''t forgotten that no matter how adorable this little creature was, it was still venomous, and with it occupying her blanket, she couldn''t sleep!


    Since the cup couldn''t trap it and the wand couldn''t chase it away, Luo Wei thought for a moment, emptied her money pouch, and used her wand to place it in front of the spider.


    "Come on, be a good little one and go inside. The big bed isn''t suitable for you - I might accidentally squish you if I roll over. This is where you belong."


    "Look at this cozy cave, how soft and snug it is. This is where a proper little spider should stay."


    "Little spiders shouldn''t climb on beds. Come on, in you go~"


    The Infernal Arachne''s bright black eyes gazed at her, head tilted, its front legs twitching slightly as if genuinely contemplating her words.


    Little spiders shouldn''t climb on beds?


    Spider-spider had never heard of such a rule?


    Luo Wei could read these questions in its adorably innocent eyes, and she couldn''t contain her affection any longer.


    "Of course! All little spiders love small, warm caves. They would never sleep in human beds!"


    "Come inside, and tomorrow mommy will feed you lots of tasty bugs~"


    The Infernal Arachne''s pedipalps perked up, waving enthusiastically, as if saying it wanted to feast on countless bugs.


    "Yes, yes, mommy will prepare a whole basket of bugs for you!"


    Luo Wei couldn''t help but break into a warm smile, her face full of doting affection.


    The Infernal Arachne wiggled its delicate legs, turned around, and crawled into the money pouch.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "Such a good baby!"


    Luo Wei immediately picked up the pouch with her wand and deposited it in the drawer, even carving a binding rune on it.


    If a cup couldn''t contain you, surely a magic rune will keep you in place!


    Luo Wei lifted her blanket and got into bed, confidently blowing out the oil lamp.


    Having stayed up late for over ten nights, she fell into a deep slumber.


    In her drowsy state, something crawled onto her face.


    Soft tiny feet pattered against her skin, the fuzzy sensation moving across her face, poking at her eyelids one moment and her nose the next.


    Luo Wei instinctively slapped her face, but the Infernal Arachne nimbly jumped away, landing beside her pillow, staring at her with its round black eyes as she gradually awakened.


    "What was that?"


    Finding no bug on her face, Luo Wei rolled over and immediately spotted the fluffy large spider perched by her pillow, having a staring contest with her.


    "..."


    She sat up abruptly and looked at the drawer.


    The magic rune had several scratches across it, like a child''s mischievous scribbles with a small knife on a wall.


    Luo Wei''s gaze shifted to the spider, examining its eight fuzzy legs, each tipped with two sharp claws like tiny hooks.


    "You did this, didn''t you?"


    The Infernal Arachne tilted its head innocently.


    Luo Wei covered her face.


    What kind of spider was this, managing to be so adorable even after misbehaving?


    No, wait - it had broken through a magic rune, that''s terrifying!


    Just as she was about to use magic to immobilize the little creature, her ears twitched, suddenly sensing something amiss.


    Why was the entire building so quiet?


    Oh no!


    Luo Wei hastily threw on her clothes and opened the door to find the corridor completely silent, not a soul in sight. A basin of cold water sat by her door, and the mute old lady was nowhere to be seen.


    Heavens, she was late!


    That morning, Luo Wei suffered the loss of one credit point from Coach Campbell.


    Fortunately, she was only five minutes late - had she slept through the entire class, she might have lost all her credit points.


    While practicing with her sword, a thought struck her - had the Infernal Arachne crawled onto her face to wake her up?


    Aww, what a thoughtful little darling!


    After sweating through the morning practice in the plaza until the sunlight touched both the sun and moon faces of the Supreme God statue, Coach Campbell finally dismissed them.


    Luo Wei rested briefly with her wooden sword before getting up to leave. As she walked, she happened to glance aside and spotted a familiar face.


    "Senior Kael!" she called out, quickly approaching.


    Kael turned around and, seeing her, visibly shuddered: "J-junior, what a coincidence."


    "Indeed it is," Luo Wei''s gaze passed over his shoulder, looking behind him. "Senior, isn''t Toby out with you today?"


    "Ah, no, it..." Kael fumbled for an excuse, "it didn''t want to be in the sun today, afraid of getting tanned!"


    "Getting... tanned?" Luo Wei''s voice lifted in surprise.


    "Yes, actually Toby is quite a delicate little bird, very sensitive about others saying it''s turned dark," Kael grew more confident as he continued, "you know, birds are just like people, they don''t like others commenting on their appearance."


    "Oh, I see," Luo Wei nodded thoughtfully, "I saw a little crow by my window yesterday that got bitten by a spider, I thought it was Toby!"


    "Of course not," Kael forced a smile, "Toby is terrified of the dark, won''t even venture out at night, how could it be at your window?"


    Luo Wei furrowed her brows in concern: "I must have been mistaken then. A well-behaved bird like Toby would never peep at the girls'' dormitory."


    "Yes, yes, exactly." Kael nodded, his right hand unconsciously touching his cold neck.


    Last night, his crow had crashed through the window, collapsing on the carpet in convulsions, unable even to stand.


    When Kael picked it up to investigate, he had barely met its beady red eyes when a giant spider with terrifying mouthparts lunged at him in his vision.


    The Infernal Arachne had dug its sharp claws into the crow''s scalp, its two venomous chelicerae savagely piercing its neck.


    Since masters can share their summoned creatures'' senses, in that instant, Kael felt as if his own neck had been pierced by the spider. His vision blurred, and he collapsed in a spinning daze.


    If Chad hadn''t discovered him in time, he might have spent the entire night lying on that cold carpet!


    Heaven knows how terrified Kael was of insects - that''s precisely why he had chosen to summon a crow in the first place.


    That Infernal Arachne was something Chad had found in the Monster Mountain Range during their summer training.


    It had been just an orange-colored egg then, and Chad had brought it back hoping to tame it.


    The last time he had asked Chad to find a way to kill Luo Wei, Chad had actually sent this thing in.


    He had said it himself - this kind of highly venomous magical insect was impossible to tame, how could it possibly follow human commands? Sure enough, the mission had failed!

 Chapter 65: Let Me Burn It

    Not only had he failed, but the plan had also backfired, infuriating Kael so much that he berated Chad viciously last night.


    As his memory returned to the present, Kael looked at the beautiful junior student before him, unable to feel any tenderness. Now, whenever he saw her face, all he could think of was that spider lunging at him, making even Luo Wei''s gentle smile appear somewhat savage in his eyes.


    However, considering Luo Wei''s identity as an angel''s descendant, Kael couldn''t bring himself to give up.


    After some hesitation, he still invited her, "Would you like to have a meal together, junior? I heard that Esqueire Dessert House has launched a new set meal called a beef burger. Shall we try it together?"


    Luo Wei admired Kael''s strong psychological resilience. After losing face so badly in the store last time, he still dared to go back. His pursuit of good food was indeed persistent.


    But then again, although Kael looked mature, he was actually just a 17-year-old kid. In her previous life, he wouldn''t even have graduated from high school yet!


    While pondering, Luo Wei put on an awkward expression, "I''m sorry, Senior Kael. Thank you for your invitation, but I already have plans, and besides, Professor Lilith..."


    Kael''s smile stiffened. After he had sobered up last time, Sister Wang had whipped him ten times, and the scars on his back hadn''t even healed yet.


    Sister Wang was so angry, surely because she was afraid Luo Wei would be won over by him. Luo Wei''s refusal to accept his invitation now must also be because of what she said!


    Harboring resentment towards Lilith, Kael lowered his voice, "Junior, you don''t really believe what she said, do you?"


    "Did she say I have a bad temper, that I''m stupid and vicious?"


    "That''s all false!"


    "She''s the one who''s truly vicious! I didn''t lie a single word that day. She killed her husband with her own hands, just to get his inheritance!"


    "This... can''t be," Luo Wei covered her mouth in shock, "Professor Lilith doesn''t seem like that kind of person!"


    "How doesn''t she? She''s good at pretending to be kind to deceive people. She never does anything without benefit. When she accepted my cousin James''s proposal, she was just after his substantial family fortune."


    Seeing that she still didn''t believe him, Kael lowered his voice even more, "Do you know why she came to teach here? It''s to recruit unsuspecting students from the academy to work for her."


    "Think about it, why did she give you a recommendation letter for the academy in the first place? She just wanted to use you!"


    "Wait," Luo Wei looked at him with a peculiar expression, "Senior, how do you know that Professor Lilith gave me an admission recommendation letter?"


    Kael hesitated, his voice faltering, "Well, um, that''s because every year when new students enroll, professors have senior students help organize documents. I happened to see your recommendation letter with my Sister Wang''s personal seal on it."


    After explaining, he thought this reason should be convincing enough. After all, professors did indeed have students help with document organization, though noble students generally wouldn''t do such tedious work.


    The real reason was that he had planted his own spy in Sister Wang''s guard team.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He just didn''t know why that spy disappeared after coming to Siria and never sent him any more messages.


    Chad found out from Robert that the spy, along with several other knights, had been swallowed by monsters.


    Nonsense, how could there be monsters in Siria that he didn''t know about?


    It must be that Sister Wang discovered that knight was his man and killed him outside the city!


    The more Kael thought about it, the more terrifying Lilith seemed. He suddenly shuddered, quickly looking around, and only relaxed when he didn''t see Lilith''s figure.


    To be honest, those ten lashes on his body really hurt, no less intense than his father king''s beatings.


    "Well, junior, I''ll be going now. Let''s make plans next time when you''re free!"


    Kael shrank his neck, feeling as if Sister Wang was watching him from some corner nearby, and the whip marks on his back started to ache again.


    "Alright, Senior. See you next time."


    Luo Wei showed an apologetic smile, watching as Kael scurried into the crowd with quick steps.


    Her gaze became meaningful. That crow was indeed Kael''s summoned beast, Toby.


    She had only mentioned seeing a crow outside the window, without specifying it was at night, yet Kael hurriedly jumped to say Toby doesn''t go out at night. This attempt to cover his identity was really poorly thought out.


    Stupid and vicious?


    That description was quite fitting.


    Now, the identity of the person who wanted to kill her was clear¡ªit was Kael.


    She just didn''t know why he suddenly changed his attitude and wanted to befriend her.


    Could it be that he realized he couldn''t kill her and decided to join if he couldn''t beat her?


    Luo Wei left the school with her small wooden sword, strolling leisurely back to her small courtyard.


    "Troy, how did you dispose of that Infernal Arachne I gave you back then?" she turned to face Troy behind her as they entered the courtyard.


    "Burned it," Troy met her eyes and elaborated, "First cut it in half with a sword, then burned it to ashes."


    "Then why did I¡ª" Before Luo Wei could finish, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a black shadow leaping from her shoulder towards Troy''s neck.


    Troy reacted quickly, dodging to the side and drawing his sword to slash at the blurry black figure.


    "Wait!" Luo Wei hurriedly stopped him. "Don''t cut it, it''s that Infernal Arachne."


    Troy couldn''t stop his sword in time, but at the last moment, he managed to divert its path, causing the blade to strike the stone tiles, sending sparks flying.


    "How is there another Infernal Arachne?" He looked sharply at the large, furry spider on the ground.


    "Strange, I didn''t bring it out," Luo Wei picked up a stick and crouched down to poke the spider, which grabbed the stick with its pincers.


    The strength felt the same as the spider from last night.


    "Did you see where it crawled out from?" Luo Wei wondered.


    "Didn''t see clearly," Troy frowned, "It seemed to suddenly appear on your shoulder."


    "Bella, bring a cup out here," Luo Wei called out loudly.


    "Yes, mistress!" Bella''s reply came from the kitchen, and soon she ran over with a cup, screaming when she saw the spider on the ground.


    "Oh my goodness, where did this spider come from? It''s so big!"


    "Quiet, don''t scare it," Luo Wei took the cup from her hand, turned it upside down to trap the spider on the ground, and stepped on the bottom of the cup.


    "You still want to keep it?" Troy looked at her disapprovingly, "Infernal Arachnes have a painful, paralyzing venom. Let me kill it with my sword and burn it."


    "Yes, mistress, spiders are poisonous. Be careful it doesn''t hurt you," Bella also said worriedly.


    "Shh," Luo Wei put her finger to her lips and said softly, "Don''t make noise. Look, it''s about to pass through the wall."


    Troy shook his head, "Even if it''s not a juvenile Infernal Arachne, even an adult one doesn''t have that ability."


    "Then watch carefully, it''s not an ordinary Infernal Arachne," Luo Wei said seriously.


    "What''s so extraordinary about it?" Troy looked at her foot amusedly.

 Chapter 66: What Goes Around Comes Around

    He stared at the cup beneath her foot, his smile gradually fading away.


    The cup neither moved nor was pushed aside, yet the Infernal Arachne simply walked out through it.


    First emerged its cephalothorax, then its round abdomen, followed by eight legs stepping out of the cup wall in orderly pairs. The spider stood arrogantly outside the cup, raising its two front legs at him, spreading its feather-fan-like palps to display its venomous fangs.


    It was clearly making a show of force to the one who had provoked it.


    If Troy hadn''t kept his eyes wide open without blinking, he would have thought his vision was playing tricks on him.


    Luo Wei moved her foot away with mixed feelings. "Did you see that? It has this ability."


    Troy spoke with difficulty, "But Infernal Arachne definitely can''t pass through walls. Only..."


    He suddenly glanced at Bella while speaking.


    Luo Wei understood his look and ordered, "Bella, take the cup back and wash it."


    "Yes, Master."


    Bella picked up the cup and ran to the kitchen.


    "Only what can pass through walls?" Luo Wei then asked.


    Troy stared intently at the spider on the ground: "Apart from some smoke-form magical creatures, only Souls can."


    Souls?


    Luo Wei asked curiously, "Can spiders have Souls too?"


    "Any living creature can have a Soul, though beast Souls are rare. Without a necromancer''s summoning, Soul beasts don''t appear randomly."


    "Are you saying this spider was summoned by a necromancer?"


    Troy wasn''t quite sure: "But who would summon such a useless spider? Besides, Soul beasts usually stay close to their summoners because they''ll dissipate if they''re too far from their source of magical power."


    Luo Wei''s eyes flickered - could it be that she had summoned this Infernal Arachne herself?


    But she hadn''t even learned summoning runes yet...


    Wait, could this be an ability granted by the Dark God?


    "Let''s not dwell on this. What you said applies to normal situations, but there can be exceptions."


    Luo Wei pointed at the spider on the ground: "This is just a wandering Soul spider, just like human souls after death. It found me simply because it needed someone to rely on."


    "But¡ª"


    "No more buts. We killed it, didn''t we? What goes around comes around - naturally it found us after death."


    "What goes around comes around..." Troy felt chills down his spine at these words.


    Luo Wei took out her money pouch and coaxed the spider into it, then looked up to find him still standing there in a daze.


    "Why are you still standing there? Aren''t you going to eat?"


    "Eat, oh, yes."


    Troy rubbed his arms and drifted away like a wandering ghost.


    After lunch, Luo Wei returned to her room, wrote two small booklets, and tossed them to Troy.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "What are these?" Troy puzzled as he opened the parchment booklets.


    "Study schedules for Roman and Rosie."


    "From now on, you''ll teach Roman swordsmanship for an hour every morning, and body training for two hours every evening. Also, teach him knight etiquette according to your previous standards."


    "Give Rosie''s schedule to Roman, and have him teach her what he learns at school before bedtime every night."


    Making full use of resources - Troy was better suited as a friend than a subordinate, so she had to train her own people.


    Though Roman and Rosie were young, there was no concept of "childhood" in this era. Children their age were already main laborers in many poor families.


    Besides, children were easier to train and wouldn''t be as rebellious as Troy.


    "By the way, check if Roman and Rosie have any magical talent. If they do, I''ll arrange magic lessons for them too."


    Troy admired her ability to maximize resources but wasn''t optimistic about arranging magic lessons for Roman and Rosie.


    "People with magical talent are just a small fraction of the population, less than one in a thousand. And among that tiny fraction, very few have talent strong enough to be detected at such a young age."


    "How would you know if you don''t try?" Luo Wei said seriously. "Don''t underestimate anyone."


    "I''m not underestimating them," Troy said helplessly, "it''s just that it''s hard to tell if children this young have magical talent. Only magic stones can sense it."


    Luo Wei: "Then let''s buy a magic stone. You should have ways to get one, right?"


    "Magic stones are hard to buy, but I actually have one."


    "Then why didn''t you bring it out earlier?"


    Troy looked up at the sky, feeling guilty: "It''s in the griffin''s stomach."


    Luo Wei: ??


    "Why do you put everything in its stomach? What do we do now?"


    "We just wait for it to pass naturally."


    Luo Wei gave him an indescribable look: "Troy, are you going to dig through excrement for the magic stone?"


    Troy defended: "It''s droppings, not excrement."


    "Heh, what''s the difference?"


    Troy lowered his head.


    Luo Wei closed her eyes in frustration.


    She couldn''t look at Troy the same way anymore. Just thinking about those hands that had dug through waste having held her¡ª


    "Ugh!"


    Luo Wei retched, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Troy''s head drooped lower: "I had no choice. When I was fleeing, it wasn''t convenient to carry valuables, so I discussed with it to put them in its stomach. I didn''t expect it would refuse to pass them."


    Luo Wei: ...


    "Wait, you''ve been on the run for a year or two, and it still hasn''t passed them?"


    "Never has. I''ve checked all its droppings."


    "Could they be stuck in its stomach?"


    "No, the griffin just doesn''t want to pass them," Troy said worriedly. "It thinks I can''t afford to feed it properly now, so it''s keeping those treasures to give to a female griffin it fancies in the future."


    Luo Wei''s mouth twitched: "You''re talking about a person named Griffin, not your mount, right?"


    "It is my mount. Griffins are ancient creatures that existed when the gods descended. They''re highly intelligent and long-lived."


    "This griffin actively sought me out during my war days. As long as I fed it meat daily, it would be my mount. We don''t have a contract relationship."


    Luo Wei thought for a moment: "Call it over, I''ll talk to it. How much meat could it eat?"


    "When hungry, it can eat a whole cow in one meal."


    Luo Wei: ...


    "Now it needs two fat sheep just to come once."


    Luo Wei covered her forehead.


    After a while, she lowered her hand and called Bella over.


    "Go to the market and buy ten sheep, fat ones."


    An hour later, ten bleating sheep crowded into her courtyard.


    Luo Wei looked at Troy: "Blow the whistle, call the griffin over. I''m treating it to a meal."


    Troy blew the bone whistle, and soon a large bird flew down from the sky.


    The griffin slowly landed in the courtyard, its golden eyes fixed on the trembling fat sheep huddled in the corner.


    Luo Wei had no experience communicating with griffins, so she asked Troy to relay: "Tell the griffin these ten sheep are all for it to eat, and I can provide one sheep daily from now on, as long as it gives me a few magic stones."


    Before Troy could speak, the griffin''s head swiftly turned toward her, and it took small steps forward on its four powerful legs.


    "Chirp¡ª"


    The griffin made a melodious cry toward Luo Wei, while Troy''s expression instantly cracked.


    """

 Chapter 67: Griffin

    "What''s wrong? What did it say?" Luo Wei asked.


    "Nothing," Troy replied gravely, "I''ve just never heard it make such a coquettish sound before."


    "Really? I think it sounds quite nice!" Just as Luo Wei finished speaking, the griffin lowered its massive eagle head and nuzzled her shoulder with its smooth crown.


    Troy closed his eyes: "It can understand what you''re saying. It has already agreed to your request."


    Luo Wei stroked the griffin''s sleek feathers and exclaimed, "How clever!"


    She looked into the griffin''s golden eyes and tentatively asked, "Griffin, did you agree?"


    The griffin lifted its neck, made a few gurgling sounds in its throat, and suddenly lowered its head to spit out a saliva-covered leather package.


    "My money!"


    Troy''s eyes bulged.


    "You deceived me! You didn''t swallow it at all!"


    The griffin pressed one claw on the wooden box, completely ignoring him, and turned to look at Luo Wei with a "chirp-chirp."


    Luo Wei showed a warm smile and stroked the griffin''s smooth feathers again: "Thank you, I''ll just take a few magic stones, the rest is still yours."


    The griffin deftly used its front claw to open the leather wrapping, revealing a wooden box secured with locks. With a gentle hook of its talon, it opened the box and picked out more than a dozen magic stones from the dazzling collection.


    Red, blue, yellow, purple, cyan - it carefully pointed at them with its claw tip, then picked up five different stones and presented them to Luo Wei.


    Luo Wei quickly accepted them.


    It released its grip, searched through the box again, found a white stone and a black stone, and gave these to Luo Wei as well.


    Troy stared in disbelief: "Light element and dark element magic stones? How did these two types end up in my box? Wait, why are there extra items inside..."


    Before he could take a closer look, the griffin pushed him away with one claw.


    "Squawk!" The griffin quickly closed the box, wrapped it back in the leather, lowered its head, and swallowed it into its throat.


    This practiced motion suggested it had done this many times before.


    "My money box! Spit it out and give it back to me!"


    Troy rushed forward to pry open its beak.


    "Squawk¡ª"


    The griffin let out a powerful eagle cry, kicked Troy away, flew to the corner where it grabbed a fat sheep in each claw, and soared into the sky.


    Luo Wei put the seven magic stones in her pocket and noticed several sheep still in the corner. She asked curiously, "It''s not going to eat the rest?"


    Troy replied dejectedly: "No, it''s just going to take them back alive and raise them to eat slowly."


    "Griffins know how to raise sheep?"


    "Yes, it has claimed a mountaintop seventy kilometers away in the deep mountains as its pasture."


    "This griffin really knows how to plan for the long term," Luo Wei secretly admired nature''s wonders, then turned to look at Troy, "What''s wrong with you? You look like you''re about to die."


    "My money..."


    "That''s not your money," Luo Wei teased, "That''s the griffin''s treasure chest."


    Troy seemed to have suffered a massive blow, standing motionless in the courtyard like a stone statue.


    Later in the afternoon, Roman and Tom returned from school.


    "Miss, what''s wrong with Troy?" Roman walked into the living room with his leather schoolbag, his big eyes looking curiously at Troy who was emanating a "keep away" aura outside.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "He probably discovered that after years of digging through manure, the treasure wasn''t in the manure at all."


    "Huh? Troy was looking for treasure in manure?" Roman''s face showed complete shock.


    "How many times have I told you to call him Uncle," Luo Wei corrected him.


    Roman pouted; he didn''t want to call Troy uncle - it made him feel so young.


    "Troy, you''ve been in a daze for so long, isn''t it time to move around? Come in and test Roman''s magic aptitude!" Luo Wei ordered.


    Troy walked in with lifeless eyes.


    Luo Wei arranged the seven magic stones on the table: "How do we test?"


    Troy glanced at the table, feeling even worse - these were all supposed to be his!


    Except for the white and black stones.


    He listlessly told Roman: "Just pick them up and try them one by one. Focus your mind; if you have affinity with the corresponding element, the magic stone will light up."


    Roman nervously approached the table, his small hand hovering over the magic stones for a moment before reaching for the whitest stone.


    "The white one is a light element magic stone. Light system mages are so rare you won''t find one in hundreds of thousands of people. You''d better try the others, little guy," Troy raised an eyebrow.


    "Hmph, I want to try this one first!"


    Roman snorted unhappily and immediately grabbed the magic stone.


    The more Troy told him not to try it, the more he wanted to!


    "Suit yourself."


    Troy wasn''t in the mood to say more. This stone belonged to the griffin, who knows where it got it from, it might not even have any magical element left in it.


    After all, light element magic stones were as rare as light system mages.


    Roman gripped the pearly white stone tightly, his face reddening from Troy''s dismissive "suit yourself."


    Ten seconds passed, and Troy glanced at him: "Try another one, this one isn''t lighting up."


    "Stupid Troy, I just like this one!" Roman shouted defiantly.


    He kept his head down, staring at the stone in his hand with reddened eyes, his arm starting to shake as if his whole body was straining.


    "Forcing it won''t help. If you don''t have it, you don''t have it."


    Just as Troy finished speaking, a brilliant white light burst forth from Roman''s hands.


    "It lit up!" Roman joyfully opened his fingers, proudly presenting it to Luo Wei like a treasure, "Miss, it lit up!"


    Luo Wei gently patted Roman''s head: "I saw it. Roman, you''re amazing! I knew you had magical talent!"


    Roman grinned from ear to ear, then smugly held up the stone to show Troy: "Heh, didn''t you say it wouldn''t light up?"


    Troy was stunned for a long while. How was this possible? A street beggar with the talent of a light system mage!


    He snatched the magic stone from Roman''s hand, held it for a moment to sense it, and watched as the stone''s light grew dimmer until it disappeared, never lighting up again.


    It wasn''t a problem with the magic stone.


    He looked at Roman in a daze, holding out his open hand: "Here, try it again?"


    "I will!"


    Roman, now brimming with confidence, took back the magic stone, held it in his hand, and sure enough, the stone lit up again.


    Troy couldn''t describe his current feelings: "Alright, put it down now. Try the others to see if you have affinity with any other elements."


    "Oh." Roman tried each of the remaining stones one by one, but none of them lit up.


    Luo Wei asked Troy: "How is his talent? Is it good or bad?"


    Troy''s voice trembled: "Extremely good. It''s pure light element affinity. If we sent him to the Church, he could even become the next Holy Knight."


    "I don''t want to go to the Church!" Roman looked anxiously at Luo Wei, "Miss, don''t send me away. I don''t want to go to the Church, I only want to be your knight!"


    Luo Wei quickly reassured him: "I won''t send you away. How could I bear to part with you? I''m waiting for you to grow up and protect me."


    Roman finally calmed down, though he shot another glare at Troy: "Stupid Troy!"


    "Alright, stop arguing," Luo Wei put away the magic stones, "Come on, let''s go to the cellar to test Luoxi."


    "Having one is already incredible, there can''t be two," Troy muttered.


    The three of them walked down the dark stairs into the basement, where they smelled a damp, moldy odor.


    Luo Wei knocked on the partition door and called Luoxi out, asking her to try sensing the magic stones as well.


    Luoxi knew what this meant. Taking a deep breath, she reached out with her callused fingers toward the magic stones.


    Like Roman, she picked up the white stone first, held it for a while, but there was no response.


    Without Troy''s prompting, she switched to the cyan wind element stone on her own.


    Still no response.


    Luoxi didn''t look disappointed. She continued trying the blue water element stone, the yellow earth element stone, the purple lightning element stone, and the red fire element stone.


    None of them lit up.


    Troy secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was the normal situation - how could everyone they found have magical talent, especially these little kids!


    He watched as Luoxi silently picked up the last stone, counting to twenty with no response, yet she stubbornly held onto it, shaking her head slightly.


    Dark element magic stones were everywhere, but mages with pure affinity for this element were even rarer than light system mages.


    Moreover, dark system mages weren''t well-received. There had been a few throughout history, all of them catastrophically destructive arch-villains. It was probably for the best that the stone didn''t light up in this child''s hands.


    """

 Chapter 68: She is a Pure Dark Element Affinity Holder

    Although Troy thought it would be better without dark element affinity, Luoxi clearly didn''t think so.


    She gripped the magic stone tightly, refusing to let go. Her turquoise pupils shrank with tension, and a layer of dense sweat gradually seeped out on her pale forehead, glistening in the dim light of the wall lamp.


    "Put it down," Troy said sympathetically, "if you keep trying, your hand will be cut."


    This black magic stone wasn''t smoothly cut; who knows where the griffin had chiseled it from. Every edge was sharp.


    "Don''t disturb her," Luo Wei held out her hand to stop Troy, her gaze falling on Luoxi''s hand, "Didn''t you hear it?"


    "Hear what?" Troy was puzzled.


    "The sound of the stone cracking."


    Just as she finished speaking, with a "crack," the stone in Luoxi''s hand shattered into several pieces.


    She opened her fingers, and the broken pieces lay in her bloodied palm. The jet-black, shiny magic stone seemed to be covered with a layer of dust, losing its original luster.


    "My lady, I succeeded."


    The little girl''s voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like a saw being dragged back and forth on glass.


    "Yes, I saw it."


    Luo Wei gently lifted her thin little hand, picking out the stone fragments from her palm and removing the shards embedded in her flesh: "Luoxi, you''re a one-in-a-million genius."


    "I did something wrong. I crushed your magic stone," Luoxi said with her sore, painful throat, tears welling up in her eyes.


    "Indeed, this shouldn''t have been done," Luo Wei lifted her chin, making her look at herself, "but Luoxi, your mistake doesn''t lie here."


    "The magic stone can be broken in any way, but when it breaks, it shouldn''t pierce your palm."


    "Take care of your body, that''s my order to you."


    Luoxi turned her numb eyes, hot tears falling from the corners.


    Troy stood by, dumbfounded.


    "What does this mean?"


    "How did the magic stone break?"


    He had never seen such a scene in his twenty-plus years of life.


    How could a nine-year-old girl have such strength!


    Magic stones are the hardest things in the world. As long as the magic elements inside haven''t been depleted, they can''t be destroyed.


    He had once tried to chop a magic stone with a sword and almost had his nose sliced off by the rebounding blade. But now, a thin and weak little girl had crushed it with just a squeeze of her hand. How was this possible?


    Troy stared at Luoxi with clear yet foolish forest-green eyes, horrified.


    Could this child be the legendary stone spirit, a magical fairy that specializes in gnawing stones?


    "Oh, Troy, you''re so stupid," Roman couldn''t bear to watch anymore, "Didn''t you hear what Luoxi said? She succeeded!"If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Luoxi is like me, she also has magical talent!"


    Troy''s pupils shook: "How, how could she have it, the magic stone didn''t light up."


    Roman didn''t understand why it didn''t light up either, but he thought with his clever little brain: "The white stone emits white light, the red stone emits red light, so the black stone must emit black light!"


    "Is there such a thing as black light?" Troy was in a daze.


    Roman nodded confidently: "There is, we just can''t see it because it''s too black!"


    Luo Wei had just finished bandaging Luoxi''s hand when she heard this conversation between the two. For a moment, she didn''t know how to react.


    One dares to say, and the other dares to believe.


    As for Troy, though strong in combat, he was truly foolish.


    Even believing the words of a seven-year-old child.


    Fearing that Troy might really be led astray by childish words, Luo Wei quickly spoke up: "Troy, have you ever seen a dark element magic stone emit light?"


    Troy shook his head: "No, only dark system mages can use dark element magic stones, but dark system mages are extremely rare. I''ve never encountered one."


    "Then why do you think it would emit light?"


    "But other magic stones all emit light..."


    "Just because other magic stones emit light doesn''t mean dark element magic stones will." In the knowledge system Luo Wei had learned, there was no such thing as black light in the world, because the essence of black is the absence of light.


    If you mix the three primary colors of light evenly, the colors will cancel each other out, resulting in white light.


    If you overlay the three primary colors evenly, you get black, but black belongs to the achromatic system.


    In other words, black is a state of colorlessness and lightlessness. As long as this world still follows some physical laws, black light cannot exist.


    "Black stones won''t emit light unless their blackness is impure, only then can they release colored light waves." Luo Wei picked up a dusty piece of the broken magic stone, "Can you sense if there''s any magic element left in this stone?"


    Troy''s eyes revealed a hint of helplessness: "I can''t sense it. I don''t have affinity with the dark element."


    Luo Wei paused, then put down the fragment nonchalantly: "I can''t sense it either."


    She had previously wanted to figure out the composition of holy water and had gone to the library to research. Although she didn''t find any information about holy water, she did come across some explanations about magic elements.


    People in this world believe that magic elements are seven types of energy decomposed from the body of the Creator God after His fall. These seven types of energy constitute all natural phenomena in the world.


    This is a typical naive materialist view. Although it''s wrong, it does have some reference value.


    From this perspective, the existence of magic becomes easy to understand.


    Because humans are transformed from the Creator God''s blood, and these seven types of energy are decomposed from the Creator God''s body, people with strong souls can utilize these energies to obtain magic through a series of rituals.


    In principle, the stronger a person''s soul, the more magic elements they can have affinity with. Therefore, almost all mages can have affinity with wind, fire, water, earth, and lightning elements, though they may have different levels of affinity for different elements.


    Light and dark elements are exceptions.


    Light represents the righteous gods led by the sun and moon deities, while darkness represents the fallen evil gods. Only those favored by these two types of gods will have affinity with the corresponding elements.


    Light and dark elements are incompatible. Those with light element affinity will absolutely not have dark element affinity, and those with dark element affinity will not have light element affinity.


    When Luo Wei picked up the black magic stone earlier, she did feel the energy dissipating from it, which means she has affinity with the dark element.


    Fortunately, dark element magic stones don''t emit light, otherwise, wouldn''t people be able to test her with certainty using this thing?


    Luo Wei put away the remaining magic stones and looked at Troy: "How is Luoxi''s talent?"


    Troy fell silent. He didn''t know whether to be shocked that Luoxi also had magical talent, or that Luoxi was actually a pure dark element affinity holder.


    Or perhaps he was shocked that both children Luo Wei had picked up had magical talent, and coincidentally, one had light affinity and the other dark affinity.


    This probability event, rarer than the sun colliding with the moon, had just happened right before his eyes.


    "What''s wrong? Do you also discriminate against dark system mages like those people?" Luo Wei''s face darkened.


    """

 Chapter 69: Can One Become a Knight Without Being Noble?

    "I don''t," Troy said with a bitter smile, "Given my own situation, how could I discriminate against others? Besides, Luoxi hasn''t done anything wrong - she hasn''t even started learning dark magic."


    "Good that you understand." Luo Wei''s expression softened slightly.


    It was Troy who had insisted on saving Luoxi back then. If he were to abandon her just because she had the talent for dark magic, his knightly code would be nothing but a joke.


    Luo Wei gave him a warning look: "Don''t let anyone know about their magical talents."


    She said the same thing to Luoxi and Roman.


    "The innocent suffer when bearing precious jade. You don''t have the ability to protect yourselves yet, so you must keep your secrets. Understand?"


    Roman and Luoxi nodded solemnly: "We understand."


    "I''ll help you find suitable magic books, but before that, you''ll learn swordsmanship from Troy."


    "Especially you, Luoxi. Don''t think you can skip this because you''re a girl. In fact, being a girl makes you more vulnerable to bullying, so you should focus even more on strengthening your body."


    She tucked Luoxi''s sticky black hair behind her ear and spoke earnestly: "Luoxi, you can''t stay underground forever. Once you become strong enough, you can remove this disguise and walk proudly in the sunlight."


    Luoxi looked at her and nodded firmly: "I''ll remember, my lady."


    "Don''t call me ''my lady'' anymore. Like Roman, call me ''Miss.'' I hope you''ll become a magnificent female knight."


    "Yes, Miss!" Luoxi called out with a choked, hoarse voice.


    Roman glanced at Luoxi, feeling a strong sense of crisis rising in his heart.


    He was no longer Miss''s only little knight!


    Someone was going to compete for his place in Miss''s heart!


    Roman lowered his head, his large gray-brown eyes rolling around, his little hands unconsciously clenching into fists.


    He made up his mind!


    From now on, no matter what Troy taught them, he would practice ten times more than Luoxi, and become much, much better than her, to show Miss that he was the most capable knight!


    After Luo Wei left, Troy''s crash course in knighthood officially began.


    According to the handbook, he was supposed to first paint a rosy picture, describing the benefits and glory of becoming a knight, then explain what knights are and how to become one.


    Troy didn''t understand why he needed to paint a picture first, but that didn''t stop him from drawing a circle on the ground and starting his lecture.


    "The benefits of becoming a knight, well, you can have your own knight''s fief, collect taxes from the people in your territory, like land rent and household tax, and have them help you build houses and roads."


    Luoxi lowered her eyes; she knew what paying taxes meant.


    Siria''s farmers had to hand over one-third of their crop yield to the city lord, work twelve days without pay for the lord each month, and pay one-tenth of their land tax to the temple.


    Like the sheep her uncle raised on his farm in the suburbs - one-third had to go to the city lord, and if they wanted to sell the meat in shops after slaughter, they had to pay a high turnover tax, which could take up to half the value of the goods.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Roman also frowned. Although he had been a vagrant before, even vagrants had to pay taxes.


    The city lord''s followers would collect begging tax and passage tax from them every month. If they couldn''t afford the tax, they would be driven out of the city.


    Seeing both children''s obvious disgust at tax collection, Troy couldn''t continue.


    He switched to explaining the process of becoming a knight.


    "Children from noble families are sent to a knight''s household as pages at age seven. At fourteen, they can enter the knight''s castle as squires, learn the seven knightly arts, and study etiquette with the lady..."


    "...then they can participate in the investiture ceremony, where senior knights will lead us in taking oaths and perform the sword-giving ritual."


    "During the knighting ceremony, the lord will tap your shoulders with a long sword. Don''t resist - it represents his acceptance of your loyalty..."


    "A knight''s loyalty is precious and can only be pledged to one person in a lifetime."


    "However, if you meet someone you love, you can also offer your loyalty to your beloved. Your beloved will stroke your head to accept your devotion."


    Roman and Luoxi listened attentively but looked somewhat dejected afterward.


    Troy asked curiously: "What''s wrong?"


    "Can we become knights even though we''re not from noble families?" Roman asked sadly.


    Of course not.


    Only those born into nobility could become knights.


    But looking at the two pairs of hopeful eyes before him, Troy couldn''t speak the truth.


    "Yes, you can. Although you''re not nobles, you''re both talented and can become knights as exceptions."


    Troy wasn''t good at lying - he would nervously look at the ground whenever he lied, but both children believed his lie and were immersed in the joy of potentially becoming knights.


    Seeing Roman and Luoxi''s smiling faces, his guilt about lying also faded.


    Perhaps Luo Wei really had a way to knight them, after all, she was from the royal family and had noble status.


    Troy thought about the words Luo Wei had shared with him, and the blood in his body began to boil involuntarily.


    If he could help her claim a territory, she would have real power. Then not only could Roman and Luoxi''s dreams of becoming knights come true, but his wish could also be fulfilled.


    There were still one month and eighteen days until Siria Magic Academy''s vacation.


    A little over a month was enough time for his old subordinates to arrive from the southern countries.


    For the next two days, Luo Wei didn''t leave school.


    Firstly, because the city was under strict security, making travel inconvenient.


    Secondly, because they had another rune class coming up, and she hadn''t finished her homework yet.


    She had terrible luck when playing gacha games before, once earning the title of "ultimate unlucky" after failing to get a shining card in a thousand pulls.


    Now her luck was still terrible - she seemed to have gotten a cooked flower seed.


    Luo Wei checked the runes and soil; everything was fine, but her seed just wouldn''t sprout. When she dug it up, the outer shell was rotted!


    How could she test if the runes were effective with a seed that wouldn''t germinate?


    Luo Wei held up this rotten seed under the oil lamp for observation. By structure, it looked like a morning glory seed.


    Morning glories grew everywhere around the school; it would be easy to find an identical seed.


    Luo Wei took a turn around the garden and successfully gathered several seeds and some morning glory flowers.


    Back in her dormitory, she laid out these seeds in a row, arranged the morning glories in another row, then took out a stack of iron plates she had purchased and began drawing runes.


    A magic apprentice''s mana storage was limited; she only managed to engrave ten acceleration runes and ten growth-promoting runes before feeling dizzy and exhausted.


    After resting for a while, she paired the two types of runes together, then placed seven seeds on them, with morning glory flowers on the remaining three pairs of iron plates.


    As all twenty runes operated simultaneously, small whirlwinds of air arose on the desktop.


    Luo Wei watched helplessly as the three fresh morning glory flowers quickly withered and rotted in the vortex, turning into mushy piles.


    The seeds on the other plates also quickly grew moldy and rotted.


    Luo Wei picked up the iron plates one by one to examine them. She could confirm these runes weren''t drawn incorrectly, but why did they have the opposite effect?


    The Infernal Arachne had crawled out at some point and jumped onto her desk, excitedly raising its two front legs as it rushed into the air vortex.


    Under the washing of magical elements, its bristles stood straight up, its fur color became even more vibrant, and its black eyes gleamed with joy.


    """

 Chapter 70: Dealing with the Blasphemer

    Luo Wei sat quietly for a long while.


    Stay calm, it might not be her problem.


    Actually, the previous experiment wasn''t rigorous enough; she should redo it with controlled variables.


    While reassuring herself, she divided the twenty runes into three groups: five growth-acceleration runes, five speed-enhancement runes, and five overlapping sets of both types.


    The flowers and seeds placed on the speed-enhancement runes showed little change, but those on the growth-acceleration runes gradually rotted, while the seeds slowly grew moldy.


    Under the overlapping runes, both seeds and flowers rotted as quickly as in the previous experiment.


    Case solved - the speed-enhancement runes were fine, but the growth-acceleration runes had the opposite effect.


    Luo Wei watched the Infernal Arachne scuttling back and forth through the iron plates absorbing energy, and let out a long sigh.


    The Infernal Arachne tilted its head, seemingly confused by her sigh.


    Luo Wei tossed the iron plates with growth-acceleration runes to it: "Here, play with these. I need to figure out how to make these seeds sprout."


    The Infernal Arachne jumped in place, caught the stack of iron plates with its claws like a diligent little porter, carried them to the corner of the table, then settled comfortably on top to watch her study the runes.


    Luo Wei picked up her engraving stylus and, draining her last bit of magical power, began carving temperature-enhancement runes.


    The growth-acceleration runes gathered earth elements, but something was wrong with her earth elements - instead of promoting growth, they caused decay.


    If that was the case, she wouldn''t use earth elements at all. After all, Professor Mike would be checking the flowers, not the runes.


    Making seeds sprout wasn''t difficult - with proper temperature and humidity, they would naturally germinate.


    Once the seeds sprouted, she could add some nutrient solution, attach several speed-enhancement runes, let them bask in the sunlight - how could they not bloom?


    Two days later.


    Luo Wei carried a pot of blue morning glories into the rune class, blending into the sea of colorful flowers.


    Most students were holding flowers, and while the varieties differed, anyone paying attention would notice they matched the wildflowers blooming around the academy.


    A small number of students sat among the flower sea holding pots containing only soil, waiting with everyone else for Professor Mike''s inspection.


    However, Professor Mike merely glanced around after entering the classroom before walking to the podium: "Those who didn''t grow flowers, stand up."


    Everyone looked at each other in confusion, and about a dozen students holding empty pots stood up bewilderedly.


    "The seeds I gave each of you were carefully selected. None of them should have failed to sprout."


    He looked at these students with displeasure: "You''re honest, but your assignments didn''t meet my requirements."


    "Whether you didn''t take proper care of the seeds or drew the runes poorly, whatever the reason, your assignments failed, so minus five points!"


    Luo Wei looked at her own flower pot, where green morning glory vines twined around small wooden sticks, trumpet-shaped purple flowers swaying gently in the breeze.


    This was the plant she had grown in two days; the assignment wasn''t really difficult.


    With so many students, how could Professor Mike remember who got which seeds - mature or fresh, what color flowers?This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Those tiny seeds, all mixed together, were indistinguishable. He probably just said that to discourage them from taking shortcuts.


    Luo Wei remembered the goal she had set for herself when she first arrived: to be top of the class in every subject.


    She had set that goal because she was poor then and wanted to earn the academy''s annual tuition waiver and substantial scholarship by being first in class.


    Now she didn''t worry about those few gold coins for tuition, but she still couldn''t afford to let her grades slip in two subjects: Runes and Spells.


    Her fake noble identity was always like a time bomb buried within her. If she wanted to survive when that bomb exploded, she had to study runes and spells diligently to become a magic master as soon as possible.


    After rune class, Luo Wei headed toward the dining hall.


    She hadn''t seen Winnie for over half a month and wondered how she was doing.


    "Miss Luo Wei!"


    "Winnie."


    On the familiar tree-lined path, Luo Wei encountered Winnie and Balke.


    These two were always seen together, and today there seemed to be a different spark between them.


    Winnie quickly pulled her hand away from Balke''s, blushing as she ran over.


    "I haven''t seen you in so long! Are you going to the dining hall?"


    "No, I came specifically to find you," Luo Wei asked gently, "Are you free this afternoon? I''d like someone to join me for afternoon tea."


    "I''m free! I''m always free for your invitations!" Winnie said, then looked apologetically at Balke.


    Balke gazed at her pitifully, like an abandoned puppy.


    Luo Wei smiled and asked: "What about Balke? Would you like to join us?"


    Balke''s face instantly lit up with joy as he nodded vigorously: "Free, I''m free, absolutely free! Thank you, Miss Luo Wei!"


    "Then shall we go now?" Luo Wei adjusted her soft cashmere shawl and winked at them. "If we go early, we can get good seats. Esqueray Pastry Shop gets very crowded in the afternoon."


    "Esqueray Pastry Shop!" Winnie''s eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean that shop where a slice of cake costs four silver coins?"


    "Yes, indeed. You''ve already agreed to accompany me - you''re not going to back out now, are you?"


    Winnie and Balke were both excited and hesitant: "But the desserts there are so expensive..."


    "I''m treating, so why worry about the price?" Luo Wei lifted her chin. "Do you want to go or not? Answer me."


    "Yes!" they replied in unison.


    "Then let''s go."


    ...


    Knowing they were still intimidated by the noble students, Luo Wei led them to a private room. Once the door closed, no one outside could see them.


    Winnie and Balke finally relaxed and excitedly looked around the room.


    Soon, the white plates on the table caught their attention.


    "Is this... a plate?" Winnie hesitated to touch it. The plate was so white and bright, clearly expensive.


    Balke also marveled: "What kind of plate is this? Why is it so smooth, like pearl!"


    "It''s porcelain, newly customized dinnerware for the shop, only provided to customers who reserve private rooms," Luo Wei explained softly.


    More precisely, it was only provided in rooms reserved by gold and diamond level members.


    This batch of ceramics was different from the color she used for the scythe and bone wings. She hadn''t glazed those, and their color was more grayish, making them look like bleached bones.


    The glazed porcelain had a lustrous finish with warmer tones, definitely not reminiscent of her scythe.


    She needed to hire a group of fearless mercenaries to venture into the Demon Sea and secretly raise troops, which would be a huge expense. The cashmere and cake businesses alone couldn''t sustain it for long; she needed to develop new revenue streams.


    First, let the cake shop''s customers become familiar with porcelain, then let them spread the word. Shrewd merchants would naturally come seeking to purchase it.


    While Winnie and Balke were carefully touching the pristine porcelain, the maid brought in their ordered desserts.


    Intoxicated by the sweet aroma, they eagerly picked up their small spoons and, after Luo Wei took the first bite of cake, began eating heartily.


    However, halfway through their meal, a sudden commotion arose from the street outside, like a wave approaching from afar, followed by several screams from downstairs.


    Luo Wei rang the bell to summon the maid: "What''s happening? Why is it so noisy outside?"


    The trembling maid replied: "The temple is executing a blasphemer. They just dragged them through the street on wagon wheels."


    Crushed flesh and blood covered the entire street. The condemned''s limbs were tied to the wheel spokes, spraying blood everywhere.


    Winnie turned deathly pale at hearing this, and Balke also stopped eating.


    "I think I heard my father mention it yesterday," Balke swallowed his pizza and recalled, "The temple was going to execute a farm woman today, called what, what... oh, I remember now, called Suzan!"


    """

 Chapter 71: Mentally and Physically Exhausting

    Susan, the farmer''s wife who had scratched her arm!


    Luo Wei''s eyes flickered slightly as she stood up and walked to the window in the outer room.


    A wet, dark red trail remained in the middle of the street, flanked by clear wheel tracks and hoofprints, along with damp soil and rotten cabbage leaves. It must have been dragged here from the vegetable market.


    Without doubt, the temple''s execution cart would make one or two more rounds around the city, dragging the corpse through every street.


    It was a bloody and barbaric execution that had scared away all pedestrians from the street.


    No one wanted to be splattered with the flesh of the condemned, turning the usually bustling Academy Street into dead silence.


    "Has the temple gone mad?" Luo Wei heard someone discussing below.


    "Why didn''t they announce it beforehand? That blood drop almost splashed on my face!"


    "Shouldn''t blasphemers be burned to death? Why did they sentence her to be drawn and quartered?"


    She also found it strange. Blasphemy cases were usually punished by burning at the stake. Drawing and quartering was typically reserved for those guilty of treason.


    Luo Wei sent her maid to gather information, but the maid returned with news that surprised everyone.


    "The temple priests posted an announcement stating that the condemned was guilty of blasphemy - she had blasphemed against the Dark God."


    Because she had blasphemed against the Dark God rather than the true gods, she couldn''t be punished according to the normal blasphemy protocols, hence the drawing and quartering instead.


    Luo Wei: "Wasn''t her previous crime about believing in the Dark God? How did it change to blaspheming against the Dark God?"


    "Indeed," Barton also wondered, "and since when did we have a crime of blaspheming against the Dark God?"


    The maid lowered her voice: "The condemned touched the Dark God''s envoy on the Day of Descent, which was disrespectful to the Dark God."


    "The temple says that the Dark God is still a god, and must not be treated lightly, or it will anger Him and bring endless disasters to everyone."


    What ironic words.


    Luo Wei understood now. The temple couldn''t catch the Dark God''s envoy and feared retaliation, so they quickly executed Susan who had scratched the envoy.


    It seemed the temple had finally believed her disguised identity.


    When leaving the dessert shop, Luo Wei turned back for a look.


    The mud and blood in front of the door had been washed clean by the shop staff, but several suspicious dark red spots remained on the wall, with flies buzzing around them.


    This world reeked of foul odors everywhere, nurturing swarms of flies and maggots hungry for blood.


    After nightfall, the annoying buzzing of flies even followed her into her dreams, constantly ringing in her ears.


    Half asleep, Luo Wei pulled the quilt over her head.


    The flies buzzed for most of the night before finally quieting down.


    The next morning when she woke up, Luo Wei''s first task was to check the doors and windows.


    Since learning that Kael was using ravens to monitor her, she had been keeping her dormitory doors and windows tightly shut every day, making it impossible for even a fly to get in.


    The cloth strips in the door and window gaps hadn''t been disturbed, and the strands of hair tied to the handles weren''t broken either. Where had that fly come from?


    After searching everywhere without results, Luo Wei''s gaze fell on the pile of metal pieces on the table.


    The magic patterns had faded and could no longer gather earth elements - the Infernal Arachne had ruthlessly abandoned it.


    She pulled open the drawer, but it wasn''t there either.


    She searched every corner of the floor, still nothing.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Finally, Luo Wei looked at her soft bed, with the unmade quilt that could be hiding anything.


    She walked over and shook the quilt, and sure enough, a large furry spider fell out.


    "Didn''t I tell you that little spiders aren''t allowed on the bed?"


    Luo Wei picked up the quilt to lecture the disobedient Infernal Arachne.


    The spider stared at her with its black, round, shiny eyes for a moment, then suddenly jumped high onto the pillow and tried to burrow underneath it.


    "You dare hide!"


    Luo Wei dropped the quilt and removed the pillow, confronting the spider who showed no recognition of its mistake and was tilting its head cutely.


    The spider raised its two front legs asking for a hug, while Luo Wei raised her palm.


    No, she couldn''t hit it.


    One slap would either kill it or get her killed by its poison.


    "Little spider," Luo Wei lowered her hand, "look, you live here and I don''t even charge you rent. Shouldn''t you work to pay your way?"


    "Other jumping spiders work hard catching mosquitoes and insects all day long, keeping their homes completely free of mosquitoes and flies. You''re so much bigger, but your work performance isn''t very good!"


    The Infernal Arachne glanced at her with its big eyes, moved its legs, and swiftly turned around, presenting its furry bottom to her.


    Angry?


    Luo Wei was surprised - this little creature could actually understand what she was saying.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll stop criticizing you."


    "Turn around, I''ll give you a name."


    The Infernal Arachne actually turned back, looking at her with watery big eyes.


    Strange, Luo Wei thought, she could actually see expectation in those black spider eyes.


    "How about... Lucas?" she suggested in a consulting tone.


    The Infernal Arachne waved its appendages, looking puffy with anger.


    "Don''t like it? But Lucas sounds so nice! Don''t you know how cute Lucas is!"


    The Infernal Arachne didn''t want to hear more, covering its face with its feather-like legs and preparing to escape.


    "Change, change, I''ll give you another name."


    Luo Wei, watching its rejecting back, suddenly realized something: "You''re not... a girl, are you?"


    The Infernal Arachne stopped.


    It really was a female spider!


    No wonder she didn''t like the name "Lucas" - that''s a boy''s name.


    "Little spider, how about Nicole? Nicole?"


    The Infernal Arachne hopped up and down, raising its paws and spinning in circles, its furry head tilting back and forth like an excited puppy.


    "Nicole, you must work hard catching insects from now on~"


    Nicole stared with her round black eyes and waved her appendages.


    With a little pest control guard in the bedroom, surely there wouldn''t be flies buzzing around her ears tonight.


    After finishing her morning routine, Luo Wei headed out - today was Magic Incantation class, and she needed to get to the classroom early.


    Fire spells had already been completed, and Professor Moses was now teaching water spells. Low-level water spells only included Water Escape and Water Dragon techniques - as long as one could condense water, the magic was halfway successful.


    When they became intermediate magic apprentices, they would learn the upgraded version of water spells - freezing spells, which would greatly enhance their magical attack power.


    "Kayelerila Yema..."


    "Kayenu..."


    Professor Moses broke down the long incantation into several segments, teaching them one by one. The students followed her pronunciation, each with their own unique interpretation.


    Some pronounced it "Kaineu," others "Galeli," their heavy accents nearly throwing off even Luo Wei.


    "Kawajilila..." Even Jane beside her had gone off-key, not getting a single word right in the incantation.


    At the podium, Professor Moses''s pressure was building.


    "Stop."


    She walked down from the podium and started calling on students from the first row, making them recite one by one.


    After all students had recited, Professor Moses divided them into many small groups, having students who had mastered the incantation guide those who kept making mistakes.


    Most of those with accents were commoners.


    Professor Moses assigned three commoner students to Luo Wei.


    "Mi-Miss Luo Wei..."


    "Ruth, Jack, Bin."


    Luo Wei called out each of their names gently and said, "Don''t be nervous, I''ll recite once, and you just follow along."


    "Kayelerila Yema..."


    "Kayenulin..."


    "Alright, I can tell where you''re going wrong."


    Luo Wei patiently corrected them one by one.


    "Ruth, you keep pronouncing ''le'' as ''nu'', follow me: ''Kayelerili''."


    "Kayenuli."


    "It''s ''le'', not ''nu'', ''lerili''."


    "Nuli."


    "It''s le..."


    ...


    By the end of class, Luo Wei was mentally and physically exhausted.


    There was no help for it - this was the only magic school in the Western Continent willing to accept commoners. The class gathered students from all corners of the world, almost everyone had an accent, making communication extremely difficult.


    """

 Chapter 72: Whispers in the Ear

    Logically, nobles would disdain attending the same school as commoners. They have their own aristocratic academies, and if they don''t want to go to school, they can hire private tutors. Moreover, it''s considered a great honor for magicians to serve as godparents in noble families.


    But who could resist the exceptional headmaster of Siria Magic Academy?


    Headmaster Morrison is the youngest senior archmage in the entire Western Continent and the most likely candidate to become a grand archmage.


    The Western Continent hasn''t seen a grand archmage in over 500 years, making him a highly sought-after figure.


    However, Headmaster Morrison has an eccentric temperament. Despite coming from an ancient noble family, he dislikes associating with aristocrats and instead favors commoners.


    When kings from various countries tried to curry favor with him by funding his school and preparing to send their most outstanding offspring to study there, Headmaster Morrison built the academy in a remote location¡ªthe secluded small town of Siria.


    Siria is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the town itself is dilapidated. Many princes and princesses turned back at the city gates, retreating hastily on their horses.


    Later, Headmaster Morrison managed to recruit a group of formidable teachers through unknown means, making Siria Magic Academy attractive despite its remote mountain location.


    In fact, many of the school''s rules are beneficial to commoners, such as requiring students to live in the academy castle, prohibiting overnight stays outside, and offering tuition reductions for those with excellent grades.


    The daily schedule of half-day classes and half-day free time is designed to allow commoner students to work and earn money for living expenses.


    Luo Wei couldn''t help but admire the headmaster''s progressive educational philosophy, especially the motto "Admission regardless of status."


    In this era, he could be considered a giant.


    The school''s teachers were also giants of their time, from the cold-faced but warm-hearted Godmother Moses to the wise Professor Mike, the mysterious Lady Tobias, and the well-intentioned Professor Temple.


    The short winter days were causing even the birds to flee.


    The west wind swept away the yellow caps of the tall plane trees, their palm-sized leaves falling in a flutter, revealing empty nests among the branches.


    The teaching building of Siria Magic Academy was not a modern educational structure, but a magical Gothic cathedral. Standing outside the classroom and looking up at the towering spires of the cathedral, one felt as if they could fly to the clouds along with this magnificent building.


    On one side of the cathedral was a wide, straight stone path. The leafless plane trees stood dutifully on both sides of the road, having served as street trees for over forty years at this school.


    Dry, duck-foot-shaped fallen leaves carpeted the stone path, crunching like potato chips underfoot.


    Luo Wei picked up a fallen leaf, her gaze passing through the duck-foot-like leaf shape, as if seeing the finger-thick phoenix tree outside her childhood home.


    When her mother first planted it, the sapling had only a few leaves, small and soft, not as big as this leaf.


    "Last year we planted a phoenix tree, its green leaves cool the high clouds."


    Her mother had taught her many poems about phoenix trees, but as a child, she couldn''t understand the profound words and only liked the directness of this line.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    The phoenix tree was from her hometown; no matter how similar the fallen leaves in this foreign land looked, they were not truly phoenix tree leaves.


    Dark clouds rolled in like spilled ink, and a light rain fell in the night.


    Luo Wei lay in bed, covering her ears. A buzzing sound had been incessant since midnight.


    It definitely wasn''t flies, because the tighter she covered her ears, the louder the sound became.


    She had wrongly blamed Nicole; it was actually her own problem.


    Luo Wei got up and lit the oil lamp, hugging her knees with a heavy heart.


    Auditory hallucinations were a symptom of neurological disorders. Had she finally developed a mental illness due to excessive stress?


    The buzzing in her ears grew louder, gradually becoming like someone mumbling, the voice indistinct.


    Luo Wei sat motionless for most of the night, wanting to sleep but unable to. Just before dawn, the mumbling finally became a bit clearer.


    "Great..."


    "Soul... God..."


    "I beg you..."


    Luo Wei clutched her small blanket, her expression gradually becoming serious.


    It was a man''s voice, and he seemed to be praying to a dark god.


    Luo Wei held her breath, listening intently.


    "I beseech you... my..."


    "I will sacrifice spirits... kill them..."


    The prayer became clearer, and she could finally almost make it out.


    "...God of Death and Time... I am your follower Ni¡ª"


    The voice stopped abruptly.


    Ni, Ni what? Nicole?


    Why did it suddenly stop?


    Luo Wei rubbed her ears, and after confirming that she really couldn''t hear that voice anymore, she felt even more upset.


    "Dong¡ª" A deep bell sound came from afar.


    It was dawn.


    Luo Wei opened her tired eyes and dejectedly threw off the covers to get out of bed.


    She hadn''t had a good night''s sleep in the two months since she arrived!


    Just when she thought not sleeping well was bad enough, it turned out that something truly terrible was still brewing.


    Forcing herself to stay awake through the astrology class, Luo Wei learned of another piece of bad news.


    Headmaster Morrison had issued a notice to the entire academy: The Twelve Holy Knights had received a divine oracle to leave the Holy See and travel to various countries to preach their doctrines. They might pass through Siria in two days, so students were instructed to wear their magic robes and pay attention to their appearance.


    "I don''t want to wear the magic robe. Siria''s magic robes are black and ugly, just a cheap piece of cloth. If my cousin from the Taslonte Noble Magic Academy sees me, she''ll laugh me to death!" Jane complained as she walked out.


    Amid her grumbling, Luo Wei also remembered that when they enrolled, the school had indeed given each student a black cloak with the Siria Magic Academy''s badge pinned to it.


    That magic robe was indeed a bit ugly, not quite black but somewhere between black and gray, made of ordinary linen with no patterns, looking like a rag smeared with a layer of coal dust.


    No wonder no one had worn a uniform in all the time since they enrolled; apparently, there was deep resentment towards the ugly school uniforms.


    Even the academy teachers didn''t require them to wear uniforms regularly, probably because they also found the cloaks unattractive!


    But Luo Wei couldn''t care less about the beauty or ugliness of the school uniform now. She was only worried that the Holy Knights might really come to Siria.


    Axina had threatened her with the Holy Knights before, and if they really came, she definitely wouldn''t miss this opportunity to expose her.


    Luo Wei scanned her surroundings and immediately spotted that smooth, shiny golden hair in the crowd.


    Today, Axina didn''t wait for her followers but walked hurriedly towards the school exit alone. For some reason, she looked somewhat anxious.


    "Hey, it''s Gladys!"


    Luo Wei was still puzzled when she was suddenly pulled aside by Jane''s arm.


    Like a fickle player, Jane''s right arm was still linked with hers, but her left hand was waving vigorously at another girl: "Gladys, want to hang out?"


    Luo Wei followed her gaze and saw a girl who caught her eye.


    She truly was eye-catching. This world-weary looking girl had rare silver-white short hair and light blue eyes like frozen lakes.


    """

 Chapter 73: Whats Your Reason for Leave?

    Gladys Sharp hailed from the Exile City in the North, daughter of the Wolf Chief of the Ice Plain Wolf Tribe. With her volatile temper and rumored appetite for raw meat, she had earned herself the nickname "Savage Witch."


    Though her father held no noble title, the Ice Plain Wolf Tribe was the most formidable force in the North. As the tribal chief''s daughter, none would dare treat her as a mere commoner.


    Gladys, who rarely showed a pleasant expression to anyone, frowned as she approached upon hearing Jane''s voice.


    "Jane," she paused before turning to Luo Wei, "Luo Wei."


    Luo Wei was slightly surprised that Gladys knew her name.


    "Jane mentions you often, and so do others," Gladys explained tersely.


    "I see," Luo Wei smiled warmly, "Gladys, it''s nice to meet you."


    Gladys''s lips twitched in what might have been an attempt at a smile, though it never quite materialized, and her frown only deepened. "The weather is nice today, and so are you."


    Luo Wei glanced skyward.


    The gray, gloomy sky hardly qualified as ''nice.''


    Jane linked her arm with Gladys''s: "Gladys, you seem troubled today. Has something happened?"


    Luo Wei admired Jane''s social prowess, able to communicate so effortlessly with Gladys.


    "Nothing much. The Paladins are coming. It''s annoying," Gladys said.


    Luo Wei nodded in agreement - she found it equally vexing.


    "Right? You both must hate wearing those magic robes too?" Jane, as if finding kindred spirits, launched into an endless tirade about the unsightly academy uniforms.


    Gladys: ...


    Luo Wei: ...


    Their eyes met briefly, both reflecting mutual exasperation.


    Jane, with her right arm linked with Luo Wei and her left with Gladys, continued her complaints all the way from the cathedral to the academy gates.


    Upon seeing the school gate, confusion flashed across Gladys''s eyes, as if wondering how she had ended up there.


    She stopped dead in her tracks, immovable despite Jane''s tugging.


    "Gladys, aren''t you coming out for lunch?" Jane asked.


    "No, I need to see the headmaster to request leave to go home," Gladys said gravely.


    "Request leave? But the academy break is coming soon. Why do you need to go home now?" Jane asked, surprised.


    "I just need to go home," Gladys said with finality.


    So requesting leave was an option?


    Luo Wei extracted her arm from Jane''s: "Sorry Jane, I just remembered I need to see the headmaster for leave too. I can''t join you for lunch."


    Jane looked at Luo Wei, puzzled: "You want to go home too?"


    Luo Wei nodded solemnly: "Yes."


    After a moment''s hesitation, Jane said: "Well, alright then. I don''t dare request leave - mother would punish me by making me copy the family rules if she found out."


    Luo Wei and Gladys exchanged a glance, then turned in unison and walked back together.


    "Will Headmaster Morrison be in his office during lunch time?"


    "Yes."


    Gladys seemed well-versed in finding the headmaster, leading Luo Wei through the west corridor on the second floor of the cathedral to the headmaster''s office.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Knock knock knock¡ª"


    Gladys rapped three times.


    "Come in."


    A mature, gentle male voice responded from within.


    Gladys pushed open the door and entered, with Luo Wei following after a moment''s hesitation.


    "Gladys, what are you up to now?"


    As soon as Gladys appeared, Headmaster Morrison leaned back in his chair wearily, asking in a gentle but troubled tone.


    "Headmaster, I need to request leave."


    Gladys stood ramrod straight before Morrison''s desk.


    Luo Wei entered a step behind but was immediately caught by the headmaster''s gaze: "And you are...?"


    Luo Wei gently closed the door and stepped forward with a curtsy: "Good day, Headmaster."


    "My name is Luo Wei, a junior magic apprentice. I''d like to request leave as well."


    This made Morrison even more troubled as he looked at the two of them: "Well then, Gladys, Luo Wei, could you tell me your reasons for requesting leave?"


    Gladys showed an expression of annoyance at needing to provide a reason, frowning in thought before declaring: "Winter is coming. I need to go hunt brown bears before they start eating people."


    Luo Wei waited for Gladys to finish before saying: "My father has fallen gravely ill. I need to go see him one last time."


    Gladys immediately turned to look at Luo Wei, her eyes showing a flash of sympathy.


    Luo Wei maintained a grief-stricken expression as she gazed pleadingly at Headmaster Morrison.


    However, Morrison''s brown eyes studied them steadily, as if seeing right through their pretenses: "So, how long of a leave are you requesting?"


    Gladys: "Ten days!"


    Luo Wei reduced it by half: "Five days will be enough for me."


    "Ten days for one, five for the other," Morrison opened a leather-bound book and gave a short laugh, "Heh, you''re both from the North, aren''t you? Is that even enough time to make the journey?"


    While Luo Wei was contemplating how to argue this point, Gladys blurted out: "Then I want to request a month!"


    Morrison''s face darkened. Just as he was about to speak, another knock came at the door.


    "Come in!"


    The wooden door opened, revealing a light blonde head as a naive-looking young man timidly asked: "Is this the headmaster''s office?"


    "Yes, come in, student."


    The young man closed the door and entered, his worn straw sandals leaving muddy prints on the carpet. He looked at Headmaster Morrison with an ingenuous smile: "Headmaster, I''d like to request a few days'' leave. My mother has fallen seriously ill, and I need to go take care of her."


    Morrison glanced pointedly at Luo Wei.


    Luo Wei: ...


    Why look at her? She was going back to attend her suddenly ill father''s funeral - completely different from this student''s reason!


    Morrison asked the young man: "What''s your name?"


    "I''m Hol Felix."


    The headmaster glanced at the parchment on his desk again: "Hol, you were recommended by Professor Temple, and according to the information he provided, you only have a father."


    Hol scratched his head: "Ah, my father got me a stepmother."


    Morrison''s expression remained impassive: "Your father is sixty years old, and he got you a stepmother?"


    "Hehe," Hol chuckled, "He did."


    Morrison''s gaze swept over the three of them as he closed the leather book with a headache: "Your leave requests are denied. You may go."


    "Knock knock knock¡ª"


    Another knock sounded at the door.


    This time Morrison was silent for three seconds before saying: "Come in."


    "Knock knock knock¡ª"


    "Come in!"


    "Knock knock knock¡ª"


    Morrison pointed at Gladys: "Please open the door."


    "Oh." Gladys reluctantly walked over and yanked the door handle, opening it with a bang.


    "Oh my eggs!"


    A girl with disheveled hair tumbled in, clutching a basket of eggs.


    The basket nearly tipped over, but Gladys steadied it just in time, preventing the eggs from spilling onto the headmaster''s soft wool carpet.


    "Thank you, thank you so much! My eggs would have been ruined!" The girl steadied herself against the doorframe, hurriedly thanking Gladys.


    "Laura, who''s inside? Is the headmaster there?"


    Another voice with a duck-like quality came from outside.


    Luo Wei saw Morrison take a deep breath before addressing the people at the door: "Come in, students."


    Laura stumbled into the office, followed by a dark-skinned boy who eagerly squeezed in behind her.


    "Students, please state your business," the headmaster said wearily.


    Laura quickly placed the eggs on the headmaster''s desk: "Headmaster, these eggs are for you. I''m Laura, and Theodore and I would like to request leave..."


    "Reason."


    Laura wrung her hands: "My grandmother is sick, and I need to go take care of her."


    The dark-skinned Theodore grinned: "My father broke his leg and is at death''s door. He''s just waiting for me to come back and arrange his funeral!"

 Chapter 74: Ostracized by Them

    As soon as Theodore spoke, Luo Wei knew trouble was brewing.


    Sure enough, his father was also supposedly on his deathbed.


    At least she had only mentioned going back for a final visit, leaving things somewhat vague. Perhaps she could use the excuse of her "suddenly ill father" again in the future.


    But Theodore brazenly declared he needed to attend a burial. His father had merely broken his leg, yet he was ready to put him six feet under - this guy was even more audacious than her.


    After hearing everyone''s excuses, ironically, Gladys''s most far-fetched reason ended up sounding the most plausible.


    Looking at Headmaster Morrison''s face, which was practically turning into a painter''s palette, this must be the first time in his long educational career that he had encountered so many shameless students at once.


    "Laura, Theodore..." the headmaster pulled out another register from his drawer and leafed through it.


    "Laura, Intermediate Magic Apprentice, your enrollment records do indicate you have a grandmother in poor health."


    "Yes, Headmaster," Laura clasped her hands tightly. "My grandmother is elderly and often falls ill. She''s very sick this time, and she''s my only living relative. I wish to go back to see her."


    "That''s understandable," the headmaster sighed. "Your leave is approved. How many days do you need?"


    At these words, the others immediately turned to Laura with envious looks, their eyes betraying varying degrees of regret and self-reproach.


    If only they had filled out their enrollment forms properly and listed a few ailing relatives!


    Under everyone''s jealous gazes, Laura exclaimed delightedly, "Three days will be enough, Headmaster."


    The headmaster glanced at her records again and nodded, "Very well. Remember to report back to me in three days upon your return."


    "Yes, thank you, Headmaster!" Laura bowed gratefully.


    "Take your eggs back. I don''t accept gifts from students."


    Laura lowered her head bashfully, "These... these are just for you, please don''t refuse..."


    Before she could finish, several chirping sounds emerged from the basket on the desk.


    Everyone''s eyes focused on the basket of eggs, gradually widening in disbelief.


    "Peep peep..."


    Accompanied by crackling sounds, baby chicks inside the eggs pecked through their shells. Their tender yellow bodies emerged, with wet feathers clinging to their pink flesh in tufts.


    The newly hatched chicks had bright black eyes, and their soft bodies couldn''t yet stand. They opened and closed their pink beaks in the air, making crisp, innocent chirping sounds.


    Seven or eight such chicks hatched all at once.


    The solemn headmaster''s office was suddenly transformed into a makeshift chicken farm, filled with the insecure chirping of baby chicks.


    Luo Wei glanced at Laura''s disheveled hair and figured out the truth.


    These eggs must have been snatched from the hen''s nest right after class.


    Laura was so mortified she was on the verge of tears. Headmaster Morrison covered his forehead and said, "Laura, please take your chicks away."


    "I''m so sorry, Headmaster!" Laura bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle and hurriedly gathered up the basket.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Headmaster Morrison added concernedly, "Laura, you cannot raise chickens in the academy, understood?"


    "Yes!" Laura nervously clutched the basket, nodding repeatedly. "I won''t raise them, I won''t. I''ll eat- I mean, give them away as soon as I get back!"


    Her face turned crimson after speaking. She bowed once more to Headmaster Morrison before hastily retreating from the office with her baby chicks.


    Headmaster Morrison shook his head and, still feeling uneasy, pulled out a blank parchment and wrote with a quill.


    [New School Rule: Students are prohibited from raising chickens in the academy]


    The pen paused, then added another line.


    [Note: This applies to all poultry and livestock]


    After finishing, Headmaster Morrison dried the ink and looked up with satisfaction, ready to deal with the remaining troublemakers in his office.


    "Theodore, Intermediate Spell Apprentice, according to your enrollment records, you''re from the Black Reef Coast at the southernmost tip of the Western Continent, and you''re an orphan. Where did this father come from?"


    Theodore answered without missing a beat, "Those records are from a year ago. I''ve already reunited with my long-lost father."


    Headmaster Morrison slammed the register shut with a "bang" and glared at them, "You four, lying to get leave is serious misconduct. Your punishment is to organize books in the library attic. Go now, and don''t leave until it''s finished!"


    The four were unceremoniously expelled from the headmaster''s office.


    They never expected to not only fail at getting leave but also end up being punished.


    Luo Wei asked Gladys quietly, "Do we really have to go?"


    Gladys frowned, "If we don''t, they''ll notify our parents."


    Theodore added, "And deduct points, with a school-wide criticism notice."


    Hol Felix said, "Actually, organizing books isn''t so bad, at least it''s cleaner than cleaning the stables."


    ...Well, fine.


    The four trudged dejectedly toward the library.


    On the way, Luo Wei asked Gladys, "Have you dealt with Headmaster Morrison before?"


    From the headmaster''s tone, he seemed quite familiar with Gladys.


    "Three times."


    Gladys said indignantly, "He refused every time."


    Luo Wei asked curiously, "Refused what?"


    "I wanted to move out of the dormitory, but he wouldn''t allow it."


    Well... she also wanted to move out, but school rules strictly required students to live on campus.


    "I wanted to replace my horse with a white bear, he wouldn''t allow that either!"


    Luo Wei: ...That''s rather absurd.


    In horsemanship class, if you rode a white bear, what if it decided to make a meal of someone else''s horse?


    "The third time, I said I wanted to transfer schools."


    "He didn''t agree to that either?"


    Gladys shook her head, growing more agitated, "He said no other academy would want me."


    "Uh." Luo Wei was rarely at a loss for words.


    Two hours later, the four sat panting on the floor of the library attic, their arms too sore to lift, breathing in mouthfuls of dust with every breath.


    "I take back what I said," Hol collapsed onto a pile of books, his eyes devoid of life, "This isn''t cleaner than the stables."


    The library attic was piled with mountains of old books that the academy had collected but hadn''t yet sorted and classified.


    Most were vellum volumes, with a small portion being papyrus stored in copper boxes, though the boxes weren''t properly sealed, and mice had left piles of droppings inside.


    The attic was dark and gloomy, with finger-thick dust covering the floor, and cobwebs hanging everywhere. When they first entered, it was like walking into a spider''s lair.


    "This must not have been cleaned for over a decade, I''m exhausted!" Theodore hugged a broom so covered in cobwebs its original appearance was unrecognizable, and collapsed alongside Hol.


    Gladys sat leaning against a neatly stacked pile of copper boxes, her gaze beginning to blur.


    After resting enough, Luo Wei supported herself on a shelf to stand up, "We''ve already finished half. Let''s all work hard and try to finish before dark."


    She picked up a cloth and continued wiping dust off the books, placing them one by one into the bookshelf against the wall.


    Seeing her actions, Theodore suddenly spoke up with a sneer, "I forgot to ask, what was your reason for wanting leave, oh noble young lady?"


    Luo Wei detected a hint of hostility in Theodore''s words. She put the book she was holding into the shelf and turned around, "The same as yours, senior. My father is ill."


    Theodore showed a mocking smile, "Then it seems we''ve dragged you down with us, making a delicate noble lady like you suffer punishment alongside people like us."

 Chapter 75: Fortune Favors the Bold, While Caution Breeds Starvation

    "People like us," Luo Wei glanced at the three of them, noting how Theodore had clearly grouped Gladys and Hol into his camp.


    Why?


    She had thought Theodore simply disliked nobles, yet he accepted Gladys as one of his own while singling her out for exclusion?


    "I wasn''t affected by your situation. I requested leave of my own accord," Luo Wei stated calmly.


    Gladys looked up: "Luo Wei, it''s because you don''t want to wear the magic robe, isn''t it?"


    "Ha, I knew it," Theodore rose with a sneer, "Truly the mindset of nobility. We commoners could never understand such thinking."


    He strode to the attic door and flung it open: "Your Highness, you needn''t suffer alongside us. Please leave - we''ll clean this place ourselves."


    Luo Wei fixed him with a cold stare: "Senior, this is the Headmaster''s punishment."


    "I''m aware, but you don''t have to participate. We''ll complete your share." Theodore turned to the others, "Gladys, Hol, what do you think?"


    Hol smiled with simple sincerity: "I''ll follow Senior''s lead."


    Gladys nodded slowly and addressed Luo Wei: "Luo Wei, you should go. We can handle this."


    Three people, all united in excluding her.


    Luo Wei regarded them steadily: "Could you at least give me a reason? A reason for your hostility?"


    Gladys frowned: "There''s no hostility. We actually like you."


    "Then why..."


    "Because we need to discuss certain matters and don''t want you present. Is that reason enough?" Theodore gestured toward the door, "Please leave."


    When things had reached this point, staying would only invite further humiliation.


    Luo Wei tossed aside the linen cloth and lifted her skirts as she passed Theodore. She cast one final glance back at them: "Good luck to you all."


    She could guess what they wanted to discuss, probably something related to the Holy Knights, but since they didn''t want her to hear, she wouldn''t force herself to expose her vulnerabilities.


    Some things were better kept secret.


    Otherwise, they would be like intertwined Chinese knotweed roots - find one, and you could trace all the roots beneath.


    Back in her dormitory, Luo Wei drew the curtains and began her divination.


    "Will the Holy Knights come to Siria?"


    The stars indicated: Yes.


    "Will the Holy Knights'' visit bring me danger?"


    The constellations flickered, with the Northern Dipper Star dimly glowing.


    Meeting the Northern Dipper in autumn and winter meant both fortune and misfortune.


    Another divination showing intertwined blessing and calamity.


    Luo Wei set aside her divination shell, already knowing what she must do.


    Success lies in seizing opportunities, and fortune favors the bold - wasn''t this always her way?


    What she feared most about the Holy Knights were their Holy Water and Judgment Stone. She had already experienced the power of Holy Water - it was manageable as long as she could keep it from touching her body.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    The Judgment Stone, from what she knew, was simply a truth-detecting stone.


    When it came to rules involving language, there was plenty of room for manipulation.


    Overall, no problem!


    Her most pressing task now was to assemble a mercenary team for the Demon Sea expedition. A month wasn''t particularly long or short - it would pass in the blink of an eye, and she couldn''t afford to find herself short-staffed when departure time came.


    She''d need to hire at least fifteen to twenty people, wouldn''t she?


    Before bed, Luo Wei''s left eyelid kept twitching, which considerably improved her mood.


    As the saying went, a twitching left eye brings wealth while a twitching right brings misfortune - she had a strong intuition that everything would go smoothly!


    However, that night, the strange prayer sounds began again.


    The voice was notably hoarser than the previous night, but the devotion in the words had intensified.


    This time, Luo Wei could clearly hear the content of his prayers.


    "Great God of Death and Time, Koevikros, who governs human souls and the six cycles of reincarnation, I am your faithful follower Nick..."


    "Oh God, please accept my soul..."


    "Please guide me, I must avenge my wife and children..."


    The prayer repeated over and over, Nick''s voice growing increasingly weak.


    Luo Wei''s gaze deepened. She now knew his identity - he was the husband of the peasant woman who had scratched her.


    But why could she hear his prayers?


    And more intriguingly, the deity she had fabricated was actually gaining followers.


    Were the gods in the heavens truly all born from the Mother Goddess''s body as claimed?


    Luo Wei recalled the history she had read in books. Two thousand years ago, the Wastelands had erupted in a massive War of Faith.


    Followers of different gods had turned against each other, fighting to secure faith for their deities. The conflict had rapidly spread from isolated regions across the entire Wasteland continent, eventually drawing in the gods themselves.


    Once one god entered the fray, all others would follow, transforming an unbalanced war into an equal playing field.


    The warfare between gods far exceeded human imagination. Their battle shook heaven and earth, darkened sun and moon, and transformed the paradise of the Wastelands into scorched earth overnight.


    The scars of the divine war refused to heal. Lava and black water flowed throughout the Wastelands, volcanoes constantly spewed gray-black smoke, former forests became scorching deserts, and the harsh climate left thousands of miles barren, not even birds daring to fly across.


    Only the Wasteland survivors remained, guarding the few remaining temples, struggling to survive in the arid desert.


    When Luo Wei first read this history, she had merely marveled at the Western gods'' capricious and unlimited nature. Now, reconsidering it, she sensed something amiss.


    Weren''t the gods born divine? Why would they need to compete for mortal faith?


    In her Chinese mythological system, heavenly gods were selflessly devoted - only human-turned-gods, those who had accumulated enough faith during life to achieve divinity after death, needed faith.


    Western mythology was purely bloodline-based - only those with divine blood could become gods. If they were born divine, why fight for faith?


    Could these gods be false deities?


    If one could truly achieve godhood through faith in this world, then the voice she heard made sense - the deity she had invented had gained faith, so she could hear the prayers of its followers!


    Luo Wei''s heart tightened, her first reaction not joy but fear.


    Would the gods already seated on their thrones allow a new deity to share their authority?


    If she wasn''t fully confident in battling humans, how could she hope to contend with gods?


    Should she let this opportunity slip away?


    Luo Wei clenched her fists.


    As the saying went: The cautious starve while the bold feast!


    She immediately abandoned her warm bed, sent Nicole out for a quick patrol, then flew out the window.


    One should always keep two paths open - if she couldn''t wait for fellow gamers to log in, becoming a deity might be her only way home.


    Luo Wei flew back to the small courtyard, quickly changed into her previous outfit, concealed her magic wand in her sleeve, and flew out of the city following the sound of prayer.


    In a small village just three kilometers from Siria''s gates, seven or eight low-roofed thatched houses were scattered about.


    These square stone houses sheltered both people and livestock, divided between opposite ends, with a central hearth for cooking and warmth.


    Nick knelt beside the hearth, endlessly praying to the dying flames.


    Suddenly, the flames leaped higher with a whooshing roar. Among the dancing sparks, a black mist mysteriously condensed, revealing a pair of crimson eyes within.


    """

 Chapter 76: The Secret to Opposing the Holy Knights

    "Foolish mortal, are you praying to my Lord?"


    The deep, mysterious voice seemed to descend from above.


    Nick started and opened his eyes. Upon seeing the sight before him, he collapsed backward in terror, then trembling, crawled back into position, prostrating himself before the black shadow above the flames.


    "Di-divine messenger, it''s me... I-I am Nick..."


    He dared not look directly at the messenger''s majesty, instead keeping his hunched back and eyes fixed on the burning flames in the hearth, like a lamb offering itself for sacrifice.


    "The great Lord shows mercy upon your weakness and has sent me to hear your prayers. Faithful Nick, what is your wish?"


    Nick groveled on the ground, humbly pleading: "Divine messenger, I wish to know if my wife Susan''s soul can ascend to heaven..."


    "No," the cold messenger spoke from on high, "I do not guide those who choose self-destruction. Your wife''s soul has already dispersed."


    Nick''s body shook like a sieve, overwhelming fear nearly crushing his protruding spine.


    "My lord, divine messenger, please guide me, I wish to avenge¡ª"


    "Greedy human."


    The messenger''s icy voice showed no inflection, yet Nick felt a deep chill.


    "You have but one chance to fulfill a wish, and I have already answered your question."


    Nick trembled, infinite regret rising in his heart.


    His only wish - wasted just like that!


    "Divine messenger, I beg you," Nick pressed all ten fingers into the dirt, pleading, "Please grant me another wish. I will sacrifice my soul to you!"


    "Your soul is already pledged to my Lord and will return to Him upon your death."


    "Hypocritical mortal, your faith is not yet pure. When you can worship my Lord wholeheartedly, that shall be when your wish may be granted again."


    The firelight extinguished, and the messenger''s form vanished into darkness, leaving only the trembling farmer prostrate on the ground.


    For a long while, no sound emerged from the humble thatched house.


    Nick finally rose from the cold ground, his weathered, haggard face showing a flush of excitement.


    "When I can worship my Lord wholeheartedly, that shall be when my wish may be granted again!"


    The great God of Death and Time - his faithfully worshipped deity, his hope for the rest of his life, his light of faith!


    Nick rekindled the fire, adding dry wood to the hearth. In the cold, silent night, the warm flames illuminated the dim longhouse.


    Luo Wei left the village, racing back to the city with all possible speed, changing clothes and returning to school before dawn.


    Time had been too tight the previous night for her to prepare tung oil coats and dry ice - all the special effects had been pure magic.


    While she had successfully fooled Nick, her magic wand had split even further.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The crack in the shaft had spread from the bottom to half its length. It would split in two after three or four more uses at most.


    Luo Wei found a ribbon in her wardrobe, wrapped it around the crack, and tied it into a large bow.


    This way, no one would notice her damaged wand during class - at worst, they''d mock her for being flashy but impractical.


    She wondered where this type of magic wand came from and if she could get another one.


    That afternoon, Luo Wei showed her bow-decorated wand to Troy.


    "Do you know where to find this kind of branch?"


    Troy''s mouth twitched at the sight of the bow tied around the black shaft - he had never seen such a strange magic wand.


    "It''s a Spiritwood branch. They''re only found in the Magic Beast Mountains."


    "Magic Beast Mountains? Where''s that?" Luo Wei recalled the map she had pieced together in the library but hadn''t seen such a place.


    "The Magic Beast Mountains are a place only magic users can enter. They''re in the great forest in the northeastern Western Continent. There are many magical beasts and plants there, and Spiritwood grows deep in the forest."


    "The northeast..." Luo Wei calculated. The Demon Sea was to the north - they could visit the Magic Beast Mountains on their way there.


    Just over a month remained, with at most five magic classes left. If she used this wand sparingly, it should last.


    With this in mind, she asked, "Is Spiritwood easy to find?"


    "There''s plenty in the Magic Beast Mountains, but," Troy explained, "Spiritwood only grows in valleys with the densest magical elements. There are many magical beasts there, making harvesting quite troublesome."


    "Moreover, Spiritwood grows slowly - it takes fifty years to reach the thickness of a pinky finger. Finding a branch old enough to serve as a magic wand is quite challenging."


    Luo Wei examined the plain-looking twig in her hand. Despite its unremarkable appearance, it was a rare plant that took fifty years to grow. Truly, one shouldn''t judge by appearances.


    She put away the Spiritwood and asked Troy lazily: "Have any of your old friends agreed to come?"


    Troy seemed nervous: "I''ve sent the secret messages. They should come, right?"


    "Tch, you don''t sound very confident," Luo Wei shook her head. "If they don''t come, you''ll need to look for mercenaries - find ones with professional ethics, not the type who take money but don''t work and have strong personalities."


    Troy: ...


    He felt she was taking a dig at him, but he had no proof.


    "Oh right," Luo Wei remembered something else, "When Roman returns, tell him not to go to school for the next few days. He should stay in the cellar with Rosie."


    Troy''s expression turned serious: "What''s wrong? What happened?"


    "Haven''t you heard the news at the tavern?" Luo Wei glanced at him. "The Holy Knights received a divine oracle to preach doctrine throughout the nations. They''ll be arriving in Siria tomorrow or the day after."


    Roman''s talent was so good - what if a Holy Knight spotted him on the street and kidnapped him to the church?


    And Rosie, being a dark element affinity user destined to become a black mage, needed to be well-hidden. If the Holy Knights discovered her, they might kill her potential in the cradle!


    After instructing Troy, Luo Wei hurried back to school.


    Her earlier thoughts had been born of anger. While exposing weaknesses to others might lead to betrayal, having like-minded friends helping each other was still easier than fighting alone.


    Since Theodore and the others didn''t want to include her, she would secretly follow them to see what they were planning. Any good ideas could serve as reference.


    Gladys had keen senses and would be hard to track, while Theodore, being an intermediate apprentice, would be difficult to approach.


    Luo Wei set her sights on Hol Felix.


    Like her and Gladys, Hol was a new student this year. He seemed rather slow to react and quite simple-minded - she should be able to learn something from him.


    In the evening, Luo Wei spotted Hol entering the artificial lake area behind the academy from the tower bridge. She immediately ran down to follow him.


    Under the desolate willow branches, Hol sneakily circled around a large rock and stepped one foot into the muddy shore of the lake.


    Luo Wei hid behind another large rock to spy - and quickly saw him step his other foot in as well.


    Hol continued stomping in the mud flat, covering both legs in muck and soaking his pants, yet remained utterly absorbed in this strange activity.


    Luo Wei: ??


    Could the secret to opposing the Holy Knights lie in this mud?

 Chapter 77: Good Lord, What a Stench!

    Hol Felix created a depression in the muddy ground beneath his feet. The putrid water seeped into the hollow, mixing evenly with the surface sludge under his trampling feet, turning into a pool of mud slurry.


    Luo Wei watched as he bent down, scooping up the mud with his hands and applying it to himself. His coarse hemp clothing became covered with thick mud, gradually drying in the cool breeze.


    Hol patted his clothes, knocking off the large chunks of mud, then washed his hands in the dirty water before climbing up the bank and leaving.


    His worn straw sandals crushed the withered grass along the lakeshore, leaving a trail of foul-smelling muddy footprints.


    After he left, Luo Wei approached the spot where he had been digging mud and stood at the bank looking down.


    There was nothing special about this mudflat. Due to the winter drought, the surface soil was somewhat hardened, but the mud underneath remained wet, sinking when stepped on.


    Standing by the lake, one could smell a foul earthy odor, different from normal soil. The mud, saturated with sewage and rich in decomposed organic matter, emitted a terrible stench with a particularly intense soil smell.


    Luo Wei covered her nose and stepped back. She recalled that the sewage from the student dormitories was discharged into this lake.


    Hol really didn''t mind getting his hands dirty.


    Luo Wei couldn''t understand what use the mud served, and she had no desire to smear it on herself, so she quickly left the lakeside.


    Unable to comprehend Hol''s actions, she turned her attention to Gladys.


    But Gladys had been quite peaceful these past two days, following her usual routine. The only change was that she had switched to wearing a thick fur coat.


    She wore a wolf fur vest, with a white fur collar around her neck, making her skin appear as white as snow on a mountain peak.


    Many female students envied her fur vest and had been rushing to the South Market to buy similar ones these past few days.


    Luo Wei leaked this information to Bark, suggesting that Hawkins'' shop should stock up on wolf and rabbit furs to capitalize on this trend and recover some losses.


    The three-month cashmere production period she and Barton had planned would end in half a month. Once the fur trend passed, they would be ready to profit from these noble ladies once again.


    With business on her mind, Luo Wei walked leisurely to the dining hall.


    The academy cafeteria was still crowded, and the business on the first floor hadn''t been affected by her opening a dessert shop.


    Most nobles held low ranks, with annual incomes barely sufficient to maintain their noble appearance. Sometimes they would haggle with kitchen staff over a missing spoonful of jam.


    The lower nobility of this era lived lives not much better than commoners, only with slightly more presentable residences.


    Luo Wei bought a vegetable salad and sat at a table with Winnie.


    "Miss Luo Wei, you''re having vegetable salad again?"


    In Winnie''s memory, it seemed that whenever Luo Wei came to the cafeteria, she only ate vegetables, except for that one time at the beginning of the semester when she had steak.


    "Yes, I want something light," Luo Wei said, though in reality, this was the only edible thing in the cafeteria.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Although Luo Wei had been taught not to speak while eating since childhood, Westerners loved to chat at the dining table.


    Winnie spoke while sipping her porridge: "Bark left right after class to help at the shop. He said thanks to you, business is very good."


    Luo Wei smiled: "That''s the result of their hard work. I didn''t do much. Winnie, do you know someone named Theodore? He''s also in the intermediate division."


    "Theodore? Yes, I know him," Winnie said. "We were classmates last year, but after advancing to the intermediate division, I went to the Swordsman Class while he went to the Spell Class."


    "Yesterday I went to the library," Luo Wei showed a worried expression, "Theodore was there too, and for some reason, he was very hostile towards me, even though I''d never met him before."


    "That''s just how Theodore is," Winnie felt angry on her behalf. "Miss Luo Wei, don''t mind him. He''s just a nasty pig who treats everyone that way, only being slightly nicer to Laura."


    "Laura?"


    "Laura used to be in my class too. She and Theodore are good friends, they knew each other before coming to school here."


    Winnie explained to Luo Wei: "Theodore is from the South Coast, where people are generally ill-tempered and seem to dislike everyone. Theodore is exactly like that..."


    According to Winnie''s account, Theodore was a youth with strong magical talent who tended to be arrogant, often looking down on classmates with lesser magical abilities.


    Moreover, Theodore was hostile towards nobles, and during this year''s magic examination, he deliberately used excessive force, injuring several noble youths.


    Many found it puzzling that a commoner would dare to be so aggressive within the academy.


    The commoner students in Winnie''s class disliked Theodore. Although they were all commoners, Theodore was too arrogant and disdained to band together with them, even though commoners typically stuck together for support.


    "He looks down on us, well, we look down on him too!"


    Winnie spoke ill of Theodore: "You wouldn''t believe it, Miss Luo Wei, Theodore always smells like fish. Everyone says he used to be a fisherman, and he''s so dark-skinned. Who would like him?"


    "This morning I saw him in the corridor with two stinking salted fish hanging around his neck. Good heavens, the smell was unbearable!"


    "Even Professor Pence couldn''t stand it and made him stand outside the classroom to listen to the lecture. Serves him right!"


    Winnie''s exaggerated tone made Luo Wei laugh: "Alright, alright, don''t get upset. Let''s not talk about him anymore. Let''s eat."


    "Fine," Winnie took a sip of her porridge, "Oh no, my porridge has gone cold."


    In winter, food cooled quickly. Winnie stopped talking and began gulping down her meal in large mouthfuls.


    After lunch, Winnie went to practice swordsmanship, while Luo Wei left the school, walking towards her small courtyard with heavy thoughts.


    Troy silently followed behind her.


    "Troy, if you were to face a Holy Knight, would you have a chance to escape?"


    Troy thought for a moment and answered, "Never tried, I don''t know."


    "I won''t be leaving school tomorrow, so you don''t need to wait for me outside. Stay home and watch over Roman and Rosie."


    Troy''s steps faltered for a moment.


    After a while, he replied, "Alright."


    The gray sky had been growing increasingly low, but after one night, the clouds parted to reveal the sun, showering down long-absent sunlight.


    Luo Wei, wearing a gray-black magic robe, was practicing swordplay with her classmates in the square when she suddenly heard the sound of hoofbeats behind her.


    Iron cavalry approached like waves, making the ground tremble.


    All students in the square lowered their swords and turned to look at the school gate.


    The heavy iron gates slowly opened, and a line of knights in silver armor with red capes rode in on tall horses, galloping from afar.


    Dust and gravel flew wherever they passed.


    Sunlight reflected off their silver armor, creating a blinding white glare.


    Luo Wei stared at them, the intense light causing her eyes to mist over, tears wetting her eyelashes.


    The gates stood wide open as the reddish-brown warhorses, fully armored, reared up on their hind legs. The conical iron spikes protruding from their foreheads pointed skyward, like the sharp spiral horns of unicorns.


    "Neigh¡ª¡ª"


    Silver light blazed brilliantly as iron hooves cracked the blue bricks.


    The Holy Knights had finally arrived.

 Chapter 78: The Arrival of the Paladins

    Amidst the crowd''s attention, six paladins rode their majestic steeds through the gates of the academy and stopped outside the square.


    Their faces were hidden behind sturdy golden masks, adorned with vertical crests resembling Corinthian helmets, with short, stiff bristles embedded atop, reminiscent of the valiant Spartan warriors from ancient Greek history.


    Through the slits in their masks, their eyes scanned the students gathered in the square. No one could discern where their gaze landed.


    Lady Tobias and a bald male professor hurried to the front of the group, placing their right hands over their left chests in a respectful salute.


    "May the Sun and Moon God illuminate us. The Siria Magic Academy welcomes the arrival of the esteemed paladins."


    The leading paladin, still mounted, returned the salute. "Under the radiance of the Sun and Moon God, we convey greetings to Headmaster Morrison on behalf of His Grace."


    Lady Tobias responded, "Headmaster Morrison has entrusted us to guide you. A banquet has been prepared in the dining hall to honor your arrival."


    Professor Pence added, "There will also be attendants assigned to care for your sacred steeds. Please rest assured, esteemed guests."


    The paladins exchanged glances before dismounting.


    "Then we shall trouble you to lead the way."


    "Please, follow us."


    Lady Tobias and Professor Pence walked slightly ahead of the paladins, leading them into the square.


    To reach the academy''s dining hall, one must pass through the square.


    Luo Wei and her classmates put away their wooden swords and stepped aside, bowing their heads and placing their right fists against their left chests to show their respect to the paladins.


    As the paladins conversed with Lady Tobias and Professor Pence, Luo Wei quietly retreated to the back of the crowd, positioning herself inconspicuously several rows behind.


    However, standing beside her was Axina.


    Axina had also moved to the back row, her golden hair gleaming under the sunlight like a large piece of gold.


    As the six paladins passed the line of students, they suddenly came to a halt.


    "Esteemed guests?" Lady Tobias turned back, puzzled.


    The leading paladin looked toward the back of the crowd, his eyes beneath the mask seemingly probing for something.


    "There is a peculiar aura," the paladin remarked, striding toward them.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    The crowd parted instinctively, creating a wide path for him.


    Luo Wei''s heart raced as she lowered her head, retreating further into the crowd, hoping to blend in once more.


    Yet Axina stuck close by her side. Every time Luo Wei moved, Axina followed. If she retreated any further, her movements would become conspicuous.


    Inwardly, Luo Wei cursed Axina a million times, her mind racing to devise a plan in case Axina exposed her.


    She dared not lift her head, staring nervously at the ground.


    The paladin''s heavy footsteps drew closer, the clinking of his armor ringing as if right beside her ears.


    Soon, a pair of silver metal boots stepped into her view and stopped a moment later.


    Luo Wei held her breath, feeling the intense pounding of her heart against her fist placed on her left chest.


    "Miss, your hair is quite beautiful."


    Luo Wei froze, her stiff neck muscles gradually relaxing.


    Through the helmet, the paladin''s deep voice carried a metallic edge, adding a touch of coldness.


    "Thank you for your compliment, my lord," Axina replied, her voice softer and more alluring than usual, with a faint tremor that added a trace of charm.


    "Miss, there seems to be a peculiar aura about you. Can you tell me the reason for this?" The paladin''s voice was polite yet distant, reflecting his well-bred manners. Even in questioning, he did not come across as rude or offensive.


    Axina''s voice softened further. "I don''t understand, my lord. What kind of aura are you referring to?"


    "The kind that mortals do not possess," the paladin hinted. "You might want to think carefully."


    "I understand now, my lord. Perhaps you are sensing the aura of a Blessed One on me?"


    "Oh? You are a Blessed One?" The paladin''s tone immediately shifted.


    "Yes, my lord. I am a devotee of the God of Love," Axina answered.


    "I see. My apologies for being presumptuous, Miss. We shall meet again."


    The paladin departed.


    Luo Wei lifted her head, her peripheral vision tracking his figure. She saw him approach Lady Tobias and Professor Pence, conversing with them briefly.


    Both professors appeared hesitant, but the paladin touched the oval gemstone embedded in his chest armor, and the professors eventually nodded.


    Before leaving, Lady Tobias spoke a few words to Coach Cumberland, then led the six paladins across the square toward the dining hall.


    After the paladins left, the square erupted into lively chatter.


    The students excitedly discussed the paladins'' attire, accessories, steeds, their commanding presence, and the gentlemanly tone and clear pronunciation of their speech.


    Their faces flushed with excitement, thrilled to have seen paladins in person for the first time.


    Amidst the jubilant noise, Coach Cumberland approached Axina.


    "Axina, after class, please head to the second floor of the dining hall. The paladins wish to join you in praising the glory of the God of Love."


    Axina''s lips moved slightly, as if she were afraid.


    "Don''t worry. The headmaster and Lady Tobias will be there," Coach Cumberland reassured her. "Relax, there''s nothing to fear."


    "Thank you, Coach," Axina replied with a grateful smile.


    Hearing their conversation, the surrounding classmates cast envious glances at her.


    To pray alongside paladins¡ªwhat an immense honor! They wished they could take her place.


    The morning classes passed in a mix of excitement and restlessness, knowing that the paladins were on the second floor of the dining hall. As soon as class ended, they flocked to the dining hall, eager for another glimpse of the paladins'' elegance.


    This time, Axina could not stay by Luo Wei''s side. She handed her wooden sword to a follower and left the square.


    Luo Wei felt a weight lifted from her chest, thinking the ordeal was finally over.


    But the relief was short-lived.


    As she stepped out of the academy gates, intending to visit a dessert shop, she caught sight of several flashes of silver light on the street.


    The paladins'' figures were unmistakable. Their polished armor gleamed under the sunlight, making them look like moving beacons.


    To the townsfolk, they were the embodiment of holy light.


    The people followed in the paladins'' footsteps, prostrating themselves along the street, worshipping their arrival.


    But there were not just six paladins.


    Luo Wei suddenly realized this fact.


    Paladins were scattered throughout the city. Six had entered the magic academy, while another six roamed the city, seemingly searching for something.


    Luo Wei had a strong sixth sense that whatever the paladins were seeking had something to do with her.


    She should have realized it earlier. Why would the paladins'' first stop be the small and insignificant city of Siria?


    Moreover, wasn''t preaching the duty of bishops? Since when did paladins take up this task?


    How would they preach¡ªwith swords or spears?


    Luo Wei had initially thought that the twelve paladins would split up and head to different nations, with Siria receiving at most one. She hadn''t expected all of them to come to Siria.


    She retreated back into the academy, intending to return to her dormitory.


    Passing by the rose garden, Luo Wei noticed two paladins standing by the lake¡ªone gazing at the water, the other watching the garden.


    She quickened her pace, detouring around the flowerbeds toward the Romanesque-style dormitory building.


    Although light mages couldn''t sense dark elements, they might have other means to detect their presence. She dared not take the risk.


    She just needed to reach the dormitory. Once inside, she would be safe.


    Polite as they were, the paladins wouldn''t storm into the girls'' dormitory.


    Luo Wei stepped onto the cobblestone path on the lawn, nearing the dormitory entrance. Suddenly, an owl flew over her head and perched atop the doorway.


    "Luo Wei, this is Professor Tobias. Please come to the second floor of the academy dining hall."

 Chapter 79: The Invitation from the Clumsy Teammate, Kael

    The owl hooted three times in a row, its golden-ringed eyes with black pupils staring intently at her, as if it would keep calling until she responded.


    The paladins by the lake noticed the commotion and turned their gazes toward her, making her feel as though needles were pricking her back.


    Luo Wei clenched her fingers tightly. "Yes, Professor Tobias, I¡¯ll head over right away."


    The owl, hearing her response, twisted its neck around, spread its wings, and flew off.


    Luo Wei turned and began walking toward the academy¡¯s dining hall.


    The two paladins, seeing her chosen direction, did not follow to investigate.


    On the way, Luo Wei¡¯s right eyelid kept twitching. Thinking about the divination result earlier, which foretold a mix of fortune and misfortune, she suddenly felt the prediction wasn¡¯t very reliable.


    So far, all she had encountered was misfortune; the fortune part had yet to show itself.


    The girls'' dormitory wasn¡¯t far from the academy dining hall¡ªjust a seven-minute walk if she hurried.


    The dining hall was crowded inside and out, with commoners and nobles squeezed together, all craning their necks to look upstairs. Since coming to the academy, this was the first time Luo Wei had seen such harmonious interaction between nobles and commoners.


    She weaved through the crowd, entered the first-floor dining area, and climbed the spiral staircase step by step to the second floor.


    "Who¡¯s that? How come she¡¯s going upstairs too?"


    "She¡¯s a new student this year. I think her name is Luo Wei. They say she has a significant background."


    "Luo Wei? What¡¯s her family name?"


    "Not sure. Her background is quite mysterious, but rumor has it she¡¯s a royal princess."


    "Yeah, very mysterious. I even saw Senior Kael get turned down by her. She¡¯s so arrogant!"


    "Hasn¡¯t anyone tried to find out more about her?"


    "No luck. Her identity seems to be classified. Don¡¯t get any funny ideas, or you might offend the forces behind her."


    "Funny ideas? I just want to make friends. Is that not allowed?"


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Friends? You mean you want to climb up the social ladder!"


    "So what if I do? Don¡¯t you want to climb up too?"


    "I¡­ I know my place!"


    "Tch, you just want to but can¡¯t!"


    The crowd below stared enviously at the figure ascending the staircase, whispering among themselves about Luo Wei¡¯s identity and envying her opportunity to meet the paladins face-to-face.


    They all thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime honor to meet the paladins. Only Luo Wei knew the torment of this journey. In just a few dozen steps, the inner layer of her gown was soaked with sweat.


    "Junior!"


    As soon as she stepped onto the carpeted second floor, a cheerful, chestnut-haired boy strode toward her with a wide grin.


    "Junior, why are you so slow? I¡¯ve been waiting for you forever!"


    Luo Wei looked puzzled. "Senior Kael, why are you here¡­?"


    Kael puffed out his chest. "I am a prince of the Principality of Ginoco, here to pay my respects to the paladins on behalf of my country."


    Seriously? Did your father actually approve of you representing your country?


    Luo Wei swallowed those words and instead asked, "Senior, how did you know I¡¯d be coming?"


    Kael winked at her, lowering his voice to a magnetic tone. "Take a guess, Junior."


    "I can¡¯t guess."


    "Haha! I told the paladins to invite you over. How about that? Aren¡¯t you thrilled?"


    Luo Wei: ¡­ I¡¯m absolutely overjoyed.


    "Senior Kael," she said with difficulty, "why did you think to call me over?"


    Kael beamed with pride. "I noticed several people from your beginner¡¯s division were invited, but not you. I figured they must not know your true identity."


    "Even that Axina, the Blessed One from your class, got an invitation to the banquet. You, as a descendant of angelic bloodlines, are far superior to them! So I immediately mentioned you to the paladins. Sure enough, they were very interested in you and asked Professor Tobias to invite you over."


    "See? I always think of you, Junior. Now you owe me big time for this!"


    Luo Wei took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to hit someone.


    She forced a stiff smile and asked, "Senior, when did I ever become a descendant of angelic bloodlines?"


    "Oh, come on, no need to hide it from me. I already know," Kael said, winking. "One night, I saw you flying in the sky!"


    Luo Wei¡¯s fingers trembled. One careless mistake could lead to endless regrets. Now she truly understood the terror of having a clumsy teammate.


    "Thank you so much, Senior Kael. I really don¡¯t know how to repay you," Luo Wei said through gritted teeth.


    "Don¡¯t worry about it. You can thank me later. Come on, let¡¯s head in!"


    Kael, brimming with confidence, led her into the faculty¡¯s afternoon tea room.


    As the door creaked open, ten pairs of eyes turned to look at them.


    Kael seemed delighted as he introduced her to the paladin. "Sir Paladin, this is the junior I mentioned to you, Luo Wei."


    Luo Wei quickly glanced around, then curtsied to the headmaster, the paladin, and the two professors. "Good day, Headmaster, Sir Paladin, Professor Tobias, Professor Pence."


    "Come in, Luo Wei," Headmaster Morrison spoke first. "Have a seat. There¡¯s no need for formalities here."


    The Paladin Commander also nodded at her. "Miss, please take a seat."


    There was only one paladin in the room, the Paladin Commander Yarvich Emerson. The other five knights had already finished their meal and were strolling around the academy.


    Most of the people seated at the long table were familiar faces. Aside from the three academy teachers, there were Axina, Gladys, and two unfamiliar youths¡ªone male and one female. Including Kael and Luo Wei, there were ten people in total.


    Luo Wei lifted her skirt slightly and walked slowly toward the long table.


    The headmaster sat at the head of the table, facing the door. The Paladin Commander occupied the seat of honor to his right, with an empty seat next to him. On the other side of the empty seat was Axina, with another vacant spot beside her.


    Oddly, the second empty seat showed signs of use, indicating it was Kael¡¯s spot. The seating arrangement was completely out of order.


    But Luo Wei really didn¡¯t want to sit next to the Paladin Commander, so she planned to take a seat in the corner near the door.


    Unexpectedly, Kael rushed ahead and pulled out the chair for the first empty seat, saying enthusiastically, "Junior, sit here!"


    Luo Wei stepped back. "No, thank you, Senior. You should sit there. I¡¯ll sit over here."


    "Miss, please sit beside me."


    Yarvich had removed his helmet before the meal, revealing a handsome face and a pair of deep-set eyes. He stared at Luo Wei with a probing gaze, his voice gentle yet firm.


    "I haven¡¯t seen someone of angelic bloodlines in a long time. Since the Sun and Moon Deities have brought us together here, perhaps it¡¯s a sign of their will."


    "Please, take a seat. I believe we¡¯ll have pleasant conversations."


    Luo Wei lowered her gaze and smiled. "Indeed, under the guidance of the Sun and Moon Deities, Sir Paladin, I shall follow your wishes."


    With no other choice, she stiffly walked over and, under Kael¡¯s eager assistance, took her seat.


    Yarvich¡¯s keen observation picked up on subtle differences in Luo Wei¡¯s demeanor compared to others. His eyes narrowed slightly.


    "Miss, your demeanor is quite unique¡ªnot like the nobles of the Western Continent."

 Chapter 80: I Have Quite a Few Siblings

    "I am indeed not a noble from the Western Continent," Luo Wei answered softly.


    "Oh? Then could it be that you come from The Wastes?"


    "No," Luo Wei lifted her head, a faint trace of pride rising between her brows. "My country lies to the east of this planet¡ªa land far more vast than the Western Continent."


    When tension reaches its peak, it transforms into a cold calmness. Her voice carried such confidence that even she couldn¡¯t detect a hint of unease.


    And she wasn¡¯t lying. Her homeland was indeed to the east of the planet¡ªjust not the Star of Galan, but Earth.


    Yarvich placed a hand over his chest, his expression filled with wonder. "Could it be The Misty Plains? So it truly exists?"


    Luo Wei smiled without answering.


    Yarvich was even more astonished. "If The Misty Plains exists, then why has no one ever found it?"


    It wasn¡¯t just Yarvich who was shocked; everyone present wore expressions of disbelief.


    For centuries, legends had spoken of a third continent, but thousands of years had passed, and countless treasure hunters and gold diggers, dreaming of overnight wealth, had set sail in search of it¡ªonly to return empty-handed. Over time, people began to believe The Misty Plains was nothing more than a bard¡¯s fabrication.


    But today, someone was claiming that The Misty Plains wasn¡¯t a fabrication¡ªthat a third continent truly existed on the Star of Galan!


    Kael blurted out, "But isn¡¯t The Misty Plains supposed to be north of the Western Continent? How did it end up in the east?"


    This question was on the minds of everyone at the table.


    Seeing the curiosity in their eyes, Luo Wei smiled faintly and first addressed Yarvich. "My country is extremely far from the Western Continent. Reaching it is as difficult as flying to the stars beyond the sky."


    Then she turned to Kael. "Our continent is vast, with most of its landmass in the east and a small portion extending into the northern hemisphere of the west."


    This wasn¡¯t exactly untrue. She had referred to the continent, not the country. The Eurasian continent was indeed massive, and Europe did have a portion located in the western hemisphere¡ªlike Iceland, for example.


    Yarvich posed another question. "If it¡¯s so difficult to reach The Misty Plains, how did you manage to arrive here?"


    Luo Wei lowered her lashes, her expression tinged with sorrow. "It¡¯s a long story, and some details are not suitable for outsiders to know.


    "In short, I came here due to certain unforeseen circumstances. This is a trial for me, and I fear that only after completing this trial will I be able to return and claim what is rightfully mine."


    This statement was laden with implications.


    Unforeseen circumstances¡ªwhat kind of circumstances?


    And as for what was rightfully hers, why did she need to pass a trial to claim it?


    Everyone present was worldly enough to immediately think of the dark secrets of powerful families. Looking at Luo Wei, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of sympathy and pity.


    A fifteen-year-old girl, fragile and delicate, had crossed treacherous oceans to end up in the Western Continent, only to face a mysterious trial. How cruel her circumstances must be!The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Luo Wei received a wave of sympathetic gazes and then smiled gently. "But it¡¯s not all bad. I have people by my side protecting me, and no one dares to mistreat me in terms of food, clothing, or shelter. Besides, the teachers and students at Siria Magic Academy are kind. I¡¯m living quite happily here."


    The headmaster and the two professors nodded approvingly, their eyes showing admiration.


    Defending the academy¡ªvery good, very good.


    "So, my dear, you¡¯re a grand noble from The Misty Plains?" A delicate voice chimed in from beside her.


    Luo Wei turned her head to see a flash of jealousy in Axina¡¯s eyes.


    "I must apologize, my dear. I previously mistook you for a commoner pretending to be a noble. I was wrong. Can you forgive me?"


    Axina apologized in a low, humble tone, her face showing just the right amount of remorse and unease.


    Looking into her sapphire-blue eyes, Luo Wei¡¯s lips curved into a slow smile. "What¡¯s there to forgive between us? It was just a misunderstanding."


    "Axina, don¡¯t blame yourself. As long as you realize your mistake and correct it, we¡¯ll still be good friends."


    A fire ignited in Axina¡¯s eyes. Even though she loathed Luo Wei to the core, she had to feign gratitude on the surface. "Thank you, my dear. You¡¯re truly magnanimous."


    "No need to thank me, Axina. Tolerance is a fundamental virtue of nobility," Luo Wei said gently.


    Axina¡¯s facial muscles twitched twice as she gripped her knife tightly.


    Yarvich suddenly spoke. "Miss, if I may ask, what title do your parents hold in The Misty Plains?"


    Axina¡¯s words had reminded him of a flaw in Luo Wei¡¯s story.


    He had said she didn¡¯t seem like a noble from the Western Continent, and she had confirmed she wasn¡¯t. But she hadn¡¯t explicitly stated that she was a noble from The Misty Plains either.


    Yarvich stared at Luo Wei, waiting for her answer.


    "None," Luo Wei replied, her eyes showing a mix of restraint and pride. "We are the rulers of the nation. All officials serve us."


    The mockery that had just appeared on Axina¡¯s face froze in place.


    Impossible!


    She really was a noble!


    And not just any noble¡ªa royal!


    Could it be that the man who rescued Queen Isis all those years ago wasn¡¯t a commoner but the king of The Misty Plains? Or was Luo Wei not Queen Isis¡¯s daughter at all, and she had completely mistaken her identity?


    Axina sat stiffly in her chair. If she had misidentified Luo Wei, then all her schemes against her would become a joke!


    Kael, on the other hand, gazed at Luo Wei with fervent admiration. A highborn princess of royal lineage¡ªshe was a perfect match for someone of his status.


    Yarvich looked at Luo Wei in amazement. "So you are a noble princess."


    Luo Wei shook her head. "I have many siblings. I¡¯m just one among them¡ªnot particularly distinguished."


    "You¡¯re too modest," Yarvich said with a smile. He picked up a wine flask beside him and personally poured her a cup. "This is my favorite fruit wine. Please have a taste. Miss, may I ask which angelic bloodline you are descended from?"


    Here it comes. Luo Wei¡¯s mind sharpened as she considered how to phrase her response.


    The true gods sat high above the clouds, and their messengers were called angels. The Dark Gods, fallen into shadow, had their messengers called demons.


    Luo Wei was neither an angel nor a demon. She was a Blessed One of the God of Souls, and the wings on her back were merely a blessing from the God of Souls.


    How could she answer without being caught in a lie?


    Luo Wei slowly opened her mouth. "I must apologize, my lord. After thousands of years, many ancestral records have been lost, and our bloodline has grown very thin."


    "In my family, I am the only one who has inherited the ability to fly, so I¡¯m not entirely sure myself¡­ I hope you won¡¯t laugh at me."


    Two thousand years ago, the War of Faith had been fought so fiercely. Surely there were fallen gods and angels. And most Westerners had migrated from The Wastes, so their history must be incomplete.


    On the Star of Galan, with thousands of gods big and small, would Yarvich really investigate each one just because she said she didn¡¯t know?


    Luo Wei looked apologetically at Yarvich.


    When faced with an unanswerable question, avoid choosing between yes or no. Instead, throw the question back to the asker and let them solve it themselves.


    """

 Chapter 81: Everyone Exposed Except Me

    A trace of regret flickered in Yarvich''s eyes, but he didn¡¯t press further. He had a mission to complete and no time to help a young girl trace her ancestry.


    ¡°No need to apologize, Miss. It was impolite of me to ask.¡±


    After saying this, Yarvich poured himself a cup of wine from the jug on the table. Raising his glass, he said, ¡°It was rude of me to summon everyone here so abruptly.¡±


    ¡°I have an important task ahead and cannot stay here for long. Let this cup of wine serve as my apology and as a farewell toast. Everyone, shall we drink together?¡±


    Yarvich displayed both the grace of a gentleman and the boldness of a knight. He held his glass high, looking at everyone around the table. In response, the others also raised their glasses to salute him.


    Luo Wei picked up the glass of wine Yarvich had personally poured for her. As the liquid swirled in the cup, a sudden wave of unease washed over her.


    This wine was suspicious.


    But with everyone holding their glasses and all eyes on the table, she had no opportunity to switch it out.


    Pour it away?


    What if the wine was holy water? If it accidentally spilled on her, all her efforts would be wasted!


    ¡°Headmaster Morrison, thank you for hosting us. And to the two professors, I am deeply grateful.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, Sir Knight, you are too kind.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, please.¡±


    ¡°Sir Knight, please.¡±


    After the customary exchange of pleasantries, the hands holding the glasses slowly approached their respective lips.


    Holding what she suspected to be a poisoned cup of wine, Luo Wei raised her left hand to cover half her face with her sleeve. Her right hand grasped the glass, inching it closer to her lips.


    If worse came to worst, she would have to pour the wine into her sleeve and hope the fabric could absorb it without letting a drop reach her legs.


    Luo Wei lowered her gaze, preparing to act swiftly and discreetly.


    ¡°Bang¡ª¡±


    A sudden loud noise from the doorway interrupted everyone just as they were about to drink. All heads turned toward the door, glasses momentarily lowered.


    The tension in Luo Wei¡¯s chest instantly eased, and her trembling fingers set the glass back down.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry! I don¡¯t know how I managed to trip right here.¡± A short, stocky boy scrambled to his feet at the doorway, apologizing profusely to everyone in the room without daring to lift his head.


    ¡°Egbert!¡± Professor Pence immediately recognized the boy outside the door and barked angrily, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Egbert looked utterly humiliated, covering his bruised, piggish face as he stammered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor! I don¡¯t know how I ended up here¡­ I-I was just passing by and suddenly slipped.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later. For now, close the door and leave!¡± Professor Pence scolded.


    Egbert, thoroughly chastised, slunk away with his head hanging low, pulling the door shut behind him. His swollen face disappeared into the narrow gap of the closing door.


    Professor Pence turned back, a little embarrassed. ¡°I apologize for the disturbance, Sir Knight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble, Professor. A lively student body is a good thing,¡± Yarvich replied with a smile, raising his glass once more. ¡°Shall we continue?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s continue.¡±


    Luo Wei calmly picked up her glass again, only to find Yarvich watching her closely. ¡°Miss, may I pour you a little more of the fruit wine?¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°No need, Sir Knight. I haven¡¯t finished mine yet.¡±


    Luo Wei extended her hand slightly, allowing him to see the liquid still swirling in her glass.


    Yarvich smiled and clinked his glass against hers. ¡°Perfect. Then let¡¯s drink together.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Cheers.¡±


    Luo Wei lifted her glass to her lips and tilted her head back, drinking it all in one go.


    The bitter wine slid down her throat and into her stomach, where it ignited a burning sensation.


    Luo Wei¡¯s gaze snapped toward Axina, only to find Axina staring back at her.


    Hatred flickered in both their eyes.


    Luo Wei hadn¡¯t expected that the wine she had switched with Axina¡¯s during the earlier commotion would also be poisoned!


    When had Axina noticed her intent to switch glasses? And when had she laced the wine with poison?


    Luo Wei clenched her fist under the table. The searing pain radiating from her back obliterated her ability to think clearly. She gritted her teeth, struggling to keep the wings on her back from bursting out. Instead, she maintained a serene smile as she sat in her chair.


    Just a little longer. She only needed to endure a little longer. The knight would leave soon.


    After finishing his wine, Yarvich rose to his feet and bid farewell to the headmaster and the two professors.


    Soon, they stood as well, escorting Yarvich out of the dining hall.


    Luo Wei and the remaining guests also stood, bowing to the knight as a gesture of respect and watching him leave.


    Finally, the sound of their footsteps faded, descending the staircase.


    ¡°You all carry on. I¡¯m leaving,¡± said Gladys, the first to stand. She kicked her chair aside, her expression grim as she strode toward the door.


    It was clear she had little patience for the luncheon and wanted nothing more to do with it.


    Luo Wei also rose, gripping the back of her chair for support. Smiling at the others, she said, ¡°Enjoy the rest of your meal. I¡¯ll take my leave as well.¡±


    She quickly exited the tea room, the pain in her back intensifying. She could feel the protruding wing bones pressing against her clothing, pulling uncomfortably at her neck and making it hard to breathe.


    At this rate, she wouldn¡¯t make it out of the academy¡¯s dining hall before revealing her true form.


    Her eyes scanned the corridor, searching for a place to hide. Spotting a wine storage room, she hurriedly turned the handle and slipped inside.


    The dimly lit storage room was filled with wooden barrels. Near the door, spilled wine pooled on the floor, and two opened barrels stood upright.


    The rich aroma of fermented grapes saturated the air, intoxicating and dizzying.


    Luo Wei shook her head to clear her mind and walked over to lift the lid of one of the barrels.


    Beneath the lid, strands of silver-white hair gleamed like snowflakes or flowing silk, irresistibly inviting to the touch.


    Luo Wei reached out, but the next moment, the silky strands slid aside, revealing a pair of glowing green eyes.


    ¡°Snarl¡ª¡±


    A girl bared her sharp canine teeth, her nose wrinkling into fine lines, and let out a growl reminiscent of a wild wolf.


    Under her silver hair, a pair of furry silver ears twitched in the cold, wine-scented air.


    Gladys.


    A werewolf.


    Luo Wei¡¯s sluggish mind took three seconds to process this revelation. Gripping the lid¡¯s handle tightly, she croaked, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    She replaced the lid and turned to lean against the half-height barrel, her hands braced on her knees as she gasped for breath.


    The wings on her back could no longer be suppressed. With a tearing sound, a pair of enormous white wings unfurled.


    But the poison in her stomach, like a drug inducing desire, made it impossible to control her thoughts. Temptation and salvation warred within her, destruction and survival intertwined. Even the edges of her white wings began to darken.


    What kind of poison had Axina used to create such an addictive effect?


    ¡°Creak¡ª¡±


    The door suddenly opened, letting in a sliver of light that was quickly swallowed by darkness as the door shut again.


    A figure slipped inside, closing the door behind them.


    Even in the dim storage room, her golden hair was unmistakable. But her sapphire-blue eyes now glowed with a hint of frenzied red.


    Luo Wei lifted her dazed head, her vision blurred as though obscured by frosted glass. She vaguely saw a pair of dark red wings unfurling behind Axina. They were membranous and skeletal, like bat wings.


    Above Axina¡¯s head, a pair of crimson horns glinted, emanating an aura of seductive temptation.


    Luo Wei stared at Axina in a daze, while Axina stared back, equally disoriented.


    ¡°Feathered wings¡­ Are you¡­ a messenger of the God of Life?¡± Axina staggered forward, her body suddenly collapsing to her knees.


    Her dark red bat wings drooped into the spilled wine, emitting wisps of steam.


    Luo Wei¡¯s legs were also weakening, but she steadied herself against the barrel, glaring at the swaying Axina.


    ¡°And you¡­ are a succubus?¡±

 Chapter 82: Untitled

    Axina''s face twisted with ferocity as she propped herself up on the ground, but her body was too weak to muster any strength.


    She could only kneel in the damp puddle of wine, glaring at Luo Wei with a vicious expression. Behind her, a snake-like tail flicked through the air, probing like a scorpion searching for the perfect moment to strike.


    "Hah... You switched... my wine~"


    Axina''s breathy voice was irresistibly seductive. Despite the venom in her gaze, her tone was enough to send shivers down anyone''s spine, like a boneless siren luring her prey.


    The sweet, intoxicating scent filled Luo Wei''s nostrils, and she swallowed involuntarily.


    "And you... switched my wine too?"


    Her voice was no better¡ªethereal and icy, yet tinged with a trembling undertone. The more she suppressed her emotions, the more alluring it became, like ice meeting fire, the steam rising to flush one''s face red.


    For a fleeting moment, as their eyes met, they both understood the crux of the matter.


    They had each assumed the other''s wine was safe and had taken the opportunity to switch glasses.


    Axina had orchestrated a chance to swap her glass with Luo Wei''s, only for Luo Wei to seize the moment and switch it back.


    Back and forth, in the end, they had both drunk their original glasses of wine.


    Luo Wei exhaled a heavy breath. So, the knight had tampered with every glass of wine?


    "Hah~"


    A flash of red light streaked before her eyes as Axina suddenly lunged, her sharp claws aiming straight for Luo Wei''s throat.


    Anyone who knew her secret had to die!


    Summoning the last ounce of her strength, Axina struck with all her might.


    "Bang¡ª"


    Luo Wei grabbed the lid of a wooden barrel and held it in front of her. The two-inch-long red claws pierced through the lid, lodging themselves in the dense wood.


    "Ah!" Axina let out a cry of pain. Her fingers collided with the barrel lid, and splinters jabbed into the tender flesh beneath her nails. The pain was so intense that her vision went black. She stumbled back several steps, yanking her claws free with great effort.


    That strike had drained the last of her energy.


    Axina collapsed to the ground, glaring at Luo Wei with hatred.


    "I should have killed you from the start!"


    During their first meeting, after their first potion class, and even that night in the castle corridor when she had tested her¡ªshe should have killed her!


    "Kill me?" Luo Wei panted, "Axina, you don''t have what it takes."


    The resistance just now had also sapped Luo Wei''s strength.


    She slid down against the wooden barrel, finally sitting on the cold ground.


    "Axina, aren''t you a Blessed One of the God of Love? How did you end up as a succubus?" she asked drowsily, her voice so faint that even she could barely hear it.


    "And you?" Axina''s voice was weak and feeble. "You¡¯re supposedly the daughter of Queen Isis. How did you become a princess of the Fog Empire?"


    "When did I ever say I was the daughter of Queen Isis?"Stolen novel; please report.


    "If you''re not her daughter, how do you have the wings of a stork angel? Only the descendants of the Goddess of Life, Isis, grow stork wings."


    "You said it yourself¡ªdescendants of the Goddess of Life," Luo Wei chuckled softly. "Do you really think Queen Isis is the only descendant of the Goddess of Life?"


    Of course not.


    Axina had realized this at the dining table, but she didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    Admitting she had been wrong was tantamount to admitting she was a joke.


    She pursed her lips, unwilling to respond.


    "Axina, who are you descended from?" Luo Wei asked, narrowing her eyes. "Let me guess¡ªyou exhibit the characteristics of a succubus. Are you a descendant of a succubus, or are you a Blessed One of the Dark God of Lust?"


    The Dark God of Lust, a deity opposed to the God of Love, was a malevolent god whose envoys were succubi. Descendants of succubi might inherit their bloodline and abilities, while receiving the Dark God''s blessing could also grant the powers of a succubus.


    Luo Wei leaned toward the first possibility¡ªthat Axina was a succubus''s descendant.


    After all, it was impossible for someone to simultaneously serve two gods, especially two deities in direct opposition.


    "So what if I am a succubus''s descendant?" Axina glared at her warily. "Do you dare kill me?"


    "Who knows," Luo Wei replied, her right hand still clutching the barrel lid tightly. "It depends on which of us recovers our strength first."


    Silence fell over the storage room. Neither spoke as time slipped away, like the wine pooling on the floor.


    In the stillness, the sound of their breathing grew increasingly distinct.


    Axina suddenly rasped, "There''s another breath¡­ who is it?"


    "I don¡¯t know," Luo Wei replied, her eyes closed as she rested against the barrel.


    "You don¡¯t know?" Axina glared at her darkly. "That breath is right behind you. Who are you hiding?"


    Luo Wei didn¡¯t want to waste energy talking and ignored her.


    Axina sniffed the air. As a succubus, she was highly sensitive to scents. Amid the rich aroma of wine, she detected a trace of something distinctly non-human.


    It was a scent she was all too familiar with¡ªshe had raised many hunting dogs to dispose of corpses in the past.


    "It smells like a dog''s gland, but not quite. Is it a wolf?"


    Axina stared at Luo Wei. "The one behind you¡ªis it that savage woman in the wolfskin cloak?"


    "Why is she hiding here too? I get it¡ªshe¡¯s a werewolf, isn¡¯t she?"


    Luo Wei opened her eyes. "Since you¡¯re so curious, why not come and see for yourself?"


    Axina¡¯s eyes burned with resentment. If only she could move right now¡­


    "You bit¡ª"


    "Shh!"


    Luo Wei cut her off, gesturing for her to listen.


    From the corridor came the faint sound of footsteps, as if someone was approaching.


    Axina panicked, struggling to her feet in an attempt to escape through the small wooden window.


    Luo Wei bit her tongue, forcing herself to stay conscious.


    She propped herself up against the barrel and turned to the figure inside, whispering, "Someone¡¯s coming. Quickly, give me your coat."


    Gladys bared her wolfish fangs at her, growling. She had completely lost her reason and couldn¡¯t understand Luo Wei¡¯s words.


    Without hesitation, Luo Wei threw aside the barrel lid, pressed down on her head, and swiftly stripped off her wolfskin cloak before replacing the lid.


    With that done, she turned toward the window, only to see Axina leaning against the stone wall, her face filled with despair.


    There was no doubt¡ªsomeone was outside the window.


    Luo Wei quickly approached and whispered, "Axina, are you certain I¡¯m a descendant of a stork angel?"


    Axina glared at her with reddened eyes. "You bitch, I¡¯m about to die¡ªdoes that make you happy¡ª"


    "Smack!"


    Luo Wei slapped her hard across the face, leaving five bright red fingerprints on her pale cheek.


    She had used all her strength in that slap. Axina staggered and fell, her left cheek swelling rapidly.


    "I¡¯m not gloating. Answer my question, and maybe I¡¯ll save your sorry life," Luo Wei said coldly.


    Her palm throbbed with heat from the force of the slap.


    Axina was stunned, but the mention of saving her life reignited a spark of hope.


    "You¡¯d actually be that kind?"


    "Stop wasting time."


    "Yes," Axina said, clutching her swollen face. "You are a descendant of a stork angel. Didn¡¯t you know?"


    Luo Wei scanned the room and spotted a shelf piled with wine barrels. "Hide behind the shelves. No matter what you hear, don¡¯t move."


    """

 Chapter 83: A White Horse is Not a Horse, a Werewolf is Not a Human

    "What are you trying to do?" Axina asked distrustfully.


    "To lure the people outside away," Luo Wei replied as she walked toward the door. As she moved, she tugged at her collar and tore at her already tattered clothes until a large portion of her chest and back was exposed. Then, she placed the wolf fur cloak she had draped over her arm onto her chest, holding it tightly with both hands.


    The rustling sounds in the hallway grew louder, eventually stopping outside the wine storage room.


    Luo Wei deliberately made her footsteps heavier as she approached the door and kicked over a barrel of wine.


    "Thud!" The barrel toppled, spilling its murky, dark liquid onto the floor like a rushing waterfall, splashing everywhere.


    She righted the barrel and tried to squeeze inside, only to quickly retreat. She then moved to the door, clutching her chest with her left hand, and gently pulled the door ajar with her right.


    The door to the wine storage room opened inward and had no lock on the inside, making it impossible to secure. The bolt and lock were on the outside.


    She opened the door slightly and peeked through the crack. Seeing no one, she exhaled a deep breath and closed the door again.


    "Creak¡ª"


    A hand suddenly appeared outside, firmly stopping her from shutting the door.


    "Ah!" Luo Wei let out a startled cry, retreating several steps.


    The wooden door was pushed open from the outside, revealing the cold and resolute face of Arvic.


    "Sir Paladin!" Luo Wei exclaimed, clutching the wolf fur cloak tightly against her chest. A blush rose to her cheeks. "You... Why are you suddenly... Sorry, I think I might have had too much to drink. My wings popped out uncontrollably."


    Arvic''s gaze fell on her wings¡ªwhite feathers with black tips, resembling those of a stork.


    "Are you a descendant of the Stork Angel?" he asked.


    "Do you think so too?" Luo Wei''s eyes lit up with a hint of joy, and her wings fluttered slightly. "My classmate just said the same thing."


    Arvic''s eyes shifted to the fur cloak she held against her chest.


    "Miss, this wolf fur doesn''t seem to belong to you, does it?"


    Luo Wei shyly lowered her head. "I borrowed it from a classmate. I''ll return it once I get back to my dorm to change."


    "Is that so?" Arvic glanced behind her, his sharp gaze sweeping through the wine storage room. There was nothing out of place, other than the toppled barrel and the spilled wine.


    "Why is the barrel overturned?" he asked.


    "It''s all my fault," Luo Wei said, her head hanging in embarrassment. "I was afraid someone would come in, so I tried to hide inside the barrel. But my wings wouldn''t fit, and it was so embarrassing."


    Arvic touched the gemstone on his chest. It remained unresponsive, indicating that she was telling the truth.


    He glanced around the dimly lit wine storage room, which had only a small window. The air was thick with the sour and bitter smell of wine, masking any other scents. There was a faint trace of wolf, but it was so weak it could be ignored¡ªlikely coming from the wolf fur cloak.


    Arvic felt a pang of disappointment. None of the five people he suspected were here?


    "Miss," he asked one last time, "is there anyone else in this wine room besides you?"


    "Someone else?" Luo Wei shook her head in confusion. "No, you''re the first person to open the door since I came in."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The room only held a wolf that looked human and a succubus. If werewolves counted as humans, she would accept her fate.


    Arvic dismissed his doubts. "Alright, Miss. My apologies for disturbing you. I must take my leave now. I hope to have the chance to make amends next time."


    "There''s no need to be so formal, Sir Paladin. Safe travels to you," Luo Wei replied. She hoped there wouldn''t be a next time.


    Finally, Arvic left.


    Luo Wei let out a sigh of relief, closed the door, and leaned against it.


    Only then did she have the presence of mind to wonder why they mistook her for a descendant of the Stork Angel.


    It was sheer luck. Her wings had coincidentally turned black-tipped, and the Stork Angel had long since fallen. It just so happened that the descendants of the Stork Angel were said to have such wings.


    The Stork Angel was originally a divine messenger of the Goddess of Life, taking the form of a white-winged, black-tipped stork that delivered babies to couples longing for children. Granting the gift of reproduction was one of the Goddess of Life''s powers. She had once held dominion over fertility, entrusting the Stork Angel with the task of blessing humanity with new life.


    But the Stork Angel had fallen during the Faith Wars two thousand years ago, and the Goddess of Life had lost this aspect of her power. The authority over fertility was later transferred to Freya, the Goddess of Love, who now presides over both human desire and reproduction.


    Luo Wei''s thoughts grew chaotic as the danger passed, and a burning pain surged through her limbs and body once again.


    Her tongue, bitten earlier, throbbed painfully with every swallow.


    After an unknown amount of time, the heat within her body finally subsided.


    Luo Wei retracted her wings and approached the wine barrel. Lifting the lid, she found Gladys curled up inside, fast asleep. Her brows were furrowed tightly, as though she were having a painful dream.


    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t snore in her sleep; otherwise, Luo Wei wouldn¡¯t have been able to fool anyone.


    Behind Gladys stood the Iceplain Wolf Tribe, the largest faction in Exile City. Saving her was a profitable investment.


    The Abyssal Canyon was near Exile City. If Luo Wei ever wanted to explore the canyon in the future, she might need the Iceplain Wolf Tribe to guide her.


    However, the thought of another person lying behind the barrels left Luo Wei feeling uneasy.


    This had been the perfect opportunity to get rid of Axina. She wouldn¡¯t have had to lift a finger; the Paladin would have killed Axina upon discovering she was a succubus.


    What a pity. To protect Gladys, she had to save her enemy as well.


    Still, on the bright side, she now held Axina¡¯s fatal weakness.


    Luo Wei turned and walked toward the racks of barrels.


    Rounding the wooden shelves, she stopped in her tracks.


    There was no one there. Only traces of spilled wine remained on the floor.


    She glanced at the small window on the wall.


    A strip of fabric hung from a nail on the window frame. Luo Wei walked over and took it down. The coarse linen suggested it had torn from Axina¡¯s skirt as she escaped through the window.


    Luo Wei tucked the fabric into her pouch and found a clean chair to sit on in the storage room.


    Over twenty minutes passed before there was any movement from the barrel by the door.


    The lid was pushed open by a head of silvery-white hair. Gladys brushed her hair out of her face and climbed out of the barrel.


    "Awake?" Luo Wei asked, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at her.


    Gladys jumped in surprise, her icy blue eyes wide as she stared at Luo Wei.


    "Luo Wei, you¡¯re still here?"


    Luo Wei tossed the wolf fur cloak to her. "How could I leave while you were still unconscious?"


    Gladys caught the fur cloak, her face uncharacteristically shy as she murmured, "Thank you for saving me."


    "You knew what just happened?" Luo Wei asked, surprised.


    Gladys lowered her head, embarrassed. "I knew, but I wasn¡¯t fully conscious and couldn¡¯t react."


    Luo Wei nodded and stood up. "I¡¯m leaving now to change clothes."


    She gestured to her torn and tattered coat.


    "W-Wait," Gladys called nervously, holding out the wolf fur cloak. "Wear mine."


    "What about you?" Luo Wei asked, knowing the cloak was likely used to mask her scent.


    "I¡¯ll be fine," Gladys insisted, pushing the cloak into her hands. "I¡¯ll go back with you."


    Luo Wei considered for a moment. "Alright, let¡¯s go together."


    She donned the fur cloak, adjusted the collar, and left the storage room with Gladys.


    The two descended the stairs to find the restaurant on the first floor nearly empty.


    "Gladys!"


    A voice as coarse as a duck¡¯s quack rang out before Luo Wei saw its owner. The stench of salted fish filled the air.

 Chapter 84: Guess Our Identities

    "Theodore, Hol!"


    Gladys turned to the right upon hearing the voices and saw Theodore and Hol. She quickened her pace towards them, "Why are you here?"


    Luo Wei also turned her head, spotting the two young men standing not far from the stairs, and slowly stopped in her tracks.


    Theodore noticed her too, his expression darkening slightly, "Gladys, why are you with her?"


    Only then did Gladys realize Luo Wei hadn''t followed her. She stepped back to stand by her side, "Theodore, don''t be like that. Luo Wei saved my life."


    "What?" Theodore was stunned.


    Gladys pulled Luo Wei forward and quietly explained, "A Paladin gave me a drink made with holy water and blood. After drinking it, I revealed my true form. If it weren''t for Luo Wei, my head would have been chopped off by the holy sword."


    Both Theodore and Hol widened their eyes, not expecting Gladys to have such a dangerous experience today.


    "I told you that wolf pelt of yours didn''t have enough scent. You should have listened to me and soaked it in dog blood," Theodore muttered.


    "It has nothing to do with the scent," Gladys sighed, "They called me over because of my white hair."


    White hair is a mark of the Northerners, who are referred to as "barbarians" by the Westerners. They are known for their fierce temperament and wild customs, with most living near Exile City.


    Exile City is a place for banishing criminals, filled with all sorts of villains. The barbarians do not worship the Sun and Moon Deities but have their own totem beliefs, making them seem utterly irredeemable in the eyes of the Church.


    To the Church, they are also the most likely to worship Dark Gods or be tempted by demons. It was normal for the Paladins to test her; it wasn''t because the wolf pelt lacked scent. Unless she changed her hair color.


    "By the way, are you guys alright? Did you encounter any Paladins on your way here?" Gladys asked, looking around.


    "We''re fine. I came over after seeing them leave the academy," Theodore replied. "I heard you were called away by the Paladins and hadn''t seen you come out, so Hol and I decided to look for you."


    "Yes, we were just about to go upstairs when we saw you coming down with this young lady," Hol glanced at Luo Wei.


    Gladys immediately turned to Luo Wei, apologetically saying, "Luo Wei, I''m sorry for driving you away last time. Thank you for saving me today. Even after how I treated you, you still helped me."


    "No need to thank me. I just think judging someone solely based on their race is absurd. I would have saved anyone in the same situation."


    She pulled her hand out of Gladys''s grasp after speaking, "You all probably have things to discuss. I won''t disturb you. Goodbye."


    "Luo Wei..." Gladys looked at her helplessly.


    "Miss Luo Wei, please wait," Theodore suddenly spoke, his dark face showing a hint of respect. "I apologize for my rude behavior last time. Please forgive me."


    "Miss Luo Wei, I''m sorry," Hol scratched the back of his head, also apologizing.


    "Luo Wei," Gladys brightened, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her, "Stay with us. Let''s hang out together."If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "No," Luo Wei shook her head.


    Gladys became anxious, grabbing her hand, "Didn''t you want to touch my ears? If you stay, I''ll let you touch them."


    Luo Wei''s expression suddenly became serious.


    Oh no, her hand itched a little.


    "Touching ears isn''t important. I mainly want to be friends with you all," Luo Wei said earnestly, straightening her back.


    Gladys thought she really didn''t want to touch them, and her eyes dimmed slightly.


    Theodore and Hol exchanged glances, coughed, and lowered their heads.


    "But this isn''t the place to talk, and I need to go back to the dorm to change," Luo Wei said to the three of them, "Let''s meet somewhere. I''ll find you after I change."


    "Okay!" Gladys responded quickly, as if an invisible tail was wagging behind her.


    Since learning Gladys was a werewolf, Luo Wei couldn''t see any world-weariness on her often frowning face, only finding her adorable.


    "Alright," Theodore and Hol agreed.


    The four agreed to meet under the third willow tree by the lake in half an hour.


    It''s less crowded there because of the smell.


    After saying goodbye to Theodore and Hol, Luo Wei and Gladys stepped out of the dining hall. Breathing in the fresh air outside felt like coming back to life.


    Winnie''s description was spot on without any bias. It really stank, almost suffocating her!


    And Hol, he had a strong smell of mud and a stench of excrement and urine. She didn''t initially want to stay not out of pettiness, but because it was too smelly!


    Back at the dormitory, Luo Wei changed into clean clothes, fetched a basin of water to wash her face and hands, and scrubbed off the smell of alcohol. Estimating it was about time, she grabbed her magic wand and turtle shell before heading out.


    Gladys had been waiting in the second-floor corridor. She lived on the third floor and changed faster than Luo Wei, having waited five or six minutes.


    "Luo Wei!"


    Seeing Luo Wei exit, Gladys waved at her, "I''m here."


    Luo Wei walked over to join her, and the two headed towards the third willow tree by the lake.


    "Gladys, who were those two people sitting next to you at lunch today? I don''t think I''ve seen them before," Luo Wei asked on the way.


    "Oh, one is a senior from the intermediate division named Hessel Kalansis, from the Magic Beast Mountains; the other is a senior from the advanced division named Xibastin Noel, like me, from Exile City."


    One from the Magic Beast Mountains, another from Exile City, plus Gladys from Exile City, and the uniquely scented Axina. Four people, either inherently special or with special backgrounds.


    And she, Luo Wei, shouldn''t have been involved in this mess, if not for Kael''s meddling dragging her in.


    Lost in thought, the two arrived at the lakeside.


    Theodore and Hol had arrived even earlier, sprawled unceremoniously on the grass by the lake, chewing on grass stalks and chatting idly.


    What suffocated Luo Wei was that Theodore still had salted fish hanging on him, and Hol hadn''t changed his clothes either.


    The Paladins had left; was such caution necessary?


    Gladys also found it unbearable. Werewolves have keen senses of smell, and the odor turned her face green, "Theodore, Hol, why didn''t you change?"


    Theodore got up and brushed the grass off himself, "Hey, why change? What if the Paladins make a surprise return? Their noses are sharper than a dog''s."


    Hol agreed, "Yeah, it wasn''t easy soaking these clothes to this state!"


    Luo Wei and Gladys retreated three steps in unison, looking at the two young men with difficulty.


    Finally, they pinched their noses and approached. Gladys muffledly said, "Just for today. Tomorrow you must change."


    "Alright, alright, we''ll change tomorrow." Theodore, when not targeting someone, had a straightforward and likable personality.


    The four sat on the grass, discussing the day''s events.


    After a few exchanges, the two young men turned to Luo Wei, wearing gambler-like expressions, "Miss Luo Wei, would you like to guess what our identities are?"


    "I bet you can''t guess," Theodore said confidently, "If I win, Hol owes me ten copper coins!"


    Hol chuckled, "I bet Miss Luo Wei can guess."

 Chapter 85: Theodore with Many Tentacles

    "Let me guess?" Luo Wei looked at them with a playful smile. "What if I actually guess it right?"


    If she guessed correctly, would these two hold a grudge and try to kill her?


    Theodore said, "If you guess correctly, I''ll grant you one request!"


    Hol added, "I''ll serve as your servant for seven days."


    "You said it yourselves," Luo Wei''s interest was piqued as she scrutinized the two of them. "Theodore, you''re from the seaside, and today you''re masking your scent with salted fish hanging on your body. You must be from a sea tribe, right?"


    Theodore raised his chin proudly. "Who wouldn''t guess that? There are so many sea tribes. You have to name exactly which one I belong to for it to count."


    The smile on Luo Wei''s lips grew wider. "Then I''ll be direct. You''re from the Kraken Sea Tribe."


    Theodore''s eyes bulged. "Y-you, how did you figure that out?"


    Wasn''t it obvious? With that dark complexion, he couldn''t possibly be a mermaid.


    But Luo Wei considered herself a polite person and decided to spare her classmate''s feelings. "According to legend, there are seven major sea tribes: Sirens, Merfolk, Krakens, Gorgons, Vortex Beasts, Leviathans, and J?rmungandr Sea Serpents."


    "Among these, only the first four tribes can transform into human form. Of these four, Krakens are the strongest, which matches your personality perfectly. So, I guessed you''re a Kraken."


    The more Theodore listened, the happier he became. He gave Luo Wei a "you have great taste" kind of look and said proudly, "That''s right! I''m from the Kraken Sea Tribe!"


    Luo Wei couldn''t help but laugh. Most other demons would be secretive about their identities, some even resenting their parents and hating their origins for being non-human. Yet Theodore took immense pride in his heritage.


    To be fair, the Kraken Sea Tribe was indeed powerful. They originated from the Northern Sea Kraken, possessing massive bodies and resilient tentacles, making them impervious to humans.


    Back in the day, their ancestor Kraken didn''t eat people one by one but devoured entire ships, swallowing both vessels and crew.


    Books stated that the people of the Western Continent were hostile to these sea tribes because their ancestors had been eaten by them. To Luo Wei, this reasoning was entirely baseless.


    It was obvious they feared the sea tribes'' strength and wanted to eliminate them as threats, yet they blamed the ancestors of these tribes, who hadn''t even gained sentience thousands of years ago.


    The Kraken may have eaten people, but not nearly as many as the Western Continent''s humans had eaten of their own kind. Thousands of years ago, during times of famine, humans would raid other tribes for food, consuming not only war prisoners and decayed corpses but even their own kin.


    Moreover, humans on the Star of Galan had consumed plenty of sea tribe members.


    Among the seven major sea tribes, aside from the Vortex Beasts, Leviathans, and J?rmungandr Sea Serpents that hadn''t appeared for millennia, the other four tribes had been nearly wiped out by slaughter.


    Merfolk were the first to suffer. With their beautiful appearances and large fishtails, they were captured and sent to the banquets of nobles and clergy. These people would admire the merfolk''s beauty while flaying their bodies alive and eating their flesh raw.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Believing that eating merfolk meat could enhance their beauty and prolong their lives, humans went on frenzied hunting expeditions, driving merfolk to extinction.


    Next were the Sirens, bird-like creatures with human heads who shared a common ancestor with the Merfolk. Each Siren possessed unparalleled beauty and a heavenly voice. It was once fashionable for royalty and even bishops to keep a Siren for singing.


    However, Sirens were proud by nature, and most of them starved to death in captivity.


    Then there were the Gorgons, whose ancestors were said to be three beautiful snake-haired sisters, the most famous of whom was Medusa. Together, they were known as the Gorgon Sisters.


    The Gorgons inherited their ancestors'' beauty and snake-like hair. They often basked in the sun or fished in shallow waters, only to be ambushed by humans hiding among the rocks with nets.


    Once captured, Gorgons would have their hair cut off and sent to the rich and powerful as trophies. Some were imprisoned in dark basements by wealthy merchants, and unable to bear the pain, they would end their lives by smashing their heads against walls.


    Only the Krakens were spared, as their true forms were venomous giant octopuses¡ªinedible, unattractive, and notoriously vengeful.


    Kraken bodies grew larger with age, and the older they got, the bigger they became. If someone angered a young Kraken, it would complain to the elder of its tribe. When the elder Kraken intervened, a single tentacle could destroy half a city.


    Such power was indeed overwhelming.


    So, Theodore''s arrogance at the academy was understandable. Despite being poor, he had a strong backing!


    As Luo Wei pondered, she suddenly found it odd and asked Theodore, "Doesn''t the Kraken Sea Tribe have its own inherited talents? Why are you at Siria Magic Academy?"


    "Because I''m a half-demon," Theodore said nonchalantly. "I didn''t inherit my mother''s innate abilities, only my human father''s magical talents."


    Theodore then told a rather clich¨¦ story.


    A noble youth went on a sea adventure, fell into the water, and was saved by an innocent Kraken maiden.


    The youth not only didn''t fear her but fell in love with her. He brought her back to land, claiming he wanted to marry her and start a family.


    The two shared a sweet time together until the Kraken maiden became pregnant and gave birth to a human child without the Kraken''s talents. Suddenly, the man revealed his true colors.


    It turned out he never loved the Kraken maiden. He had only been with her to produce a young Kraken.


    Kraken talents included devouring willpower and instilling fear in humans. The man had planned to take the young Kraken and raise it as a weapon to conquer territories and seize power.


    When the Kraken maiden learned the truth, she was heartbroken. She slapped the noble''s head clean off and returned to the sea with Theodore.


    Humans didn''t accept half-demons, but the Kraken tribe was much more tolerant. Theodore was the first new Kraken born in two hundred years, and the tribe adored him.


    But the sea was full of dangers, including sea monsters. A young Kraken couldn''t stay in its mother''s arms forever, especially since his mother had found a new partner. He had to learn independence and grow stronger.


    With no other choice, he came ashore to learn magic from humans.


    "I heard Siria Magic Academy doesn''t care about your background when admitting students, so here I am," Theodore said, spreading his hands.


    "What a dramatic story!" Luo Wei and Gladys exclaimed simultaneously.


    "What''s so dramatic about it? Stories like this have played out hundreds of times among those brainless Merfolk," Theodore sneered, then urged, "Miss Luo Wei, quickly guess what kind of creature Hol is. I bet you can''t figure it out!"


    Hol, whom Theodore was silently criticizing as a "two-faced schemer," wore a simple and harmless smile, looking as innocent as ever.


    Luo Wei rested her chin on her hand, studying Hol. "This... is actually quite hard to guess."


    He liked smearing mud on himself. Could he be some kind of crocodile demon? Or maybe a warty hog demon?


    No, basing it solely on this habit wouldn''t work. Elephants, rhinos, and even dogs enjoyed wallowing in mud. This preference wasn''t unique enough to pinpoint his species.


    Hol coated himself in mud primarily to mask his scent.


    Theodore had mentioned that a Paladin''s nose was sharper than a dog''s, capable of detecting scents that ordinary people couldn''t. That''s how Axina had been exposed.


    So, what scent was Hol trying to mask?


    Mud, rot, excrement, swamp?


    "You can''t guess, can you?" Theodore laughed loudly. "Those ten copper coins are mine! Hol, pay up!"


    """

 Chapter 86: The Scheming Hol

    "That''s not fair," Gladys protested on behalf of Luo Wei. "Why do you have to guess both to win? It should be counted separately."


    Theodore disagreed, "We originally agreed that both had to be guessed. Gladys, you''re just trying to cheat."


    "I am not! You''re the one cheating."


    "No, you''re cheating."


    "It''s you who''s cheating!" Gladys was so angry that her ears almost popped out. She frowned and argued with Theodore, "The ten copper coins were between you and Hol. The bet with Luo Wei was for a single request."


    Theodore rolled his eyes. "No, it was a joint bet between Hol and me against Luo Wei. She has to guess both to win the stakes; otherwise, it doesn''t count!"


    Gladys argued with reason, "You didn''t say that earlier. You''re being a sore loser!"


    "How about this: we''ll give Luo Wei three chances. If she can''t guess in three tries, then she loses," Theodore suggested after consulting with Hol.


    "No need," Luo Wei smiled faintly. "I''ve already guessed it."


    "Are you sure?" Theodore didn''t believe her. "Then tell us, what is it?"


    "A Lich."


    Luo Wei turned to Hol. "You''re a Lich, aren''t you?"


    Hol smiled and nodded.


    "What? How did you figure that out?" Theodore was frustrated.


    His ten copper coins! That was his food money for two days!


    Gladys was curious too. "Luo Wei, how did you know he''s a Lich?"


    Luo Wei generously explained, "I once heard that humans have an innate genetic reaction: when they see a corpse of their kind, they have a ''phantom smell'' of decay. This is a neural response that no fragrance can cover, and only the smell of human excrement can mask it."


    "I''ve never experienced it myself, but I remembered this fact and took a lucky guess."


    "One guess and you got it right? That''s amazing," Theodore marveled.


    Hol, on the other hand, said slowly, "Miss Luo Wei is truly knowledgeable."


    "Luo Wei, you''re so clever!" Gladys praised.


    Luo Wei remained modest. "Just lucky. I happened to have read about it."


    Previously, while researching information about the Blessed Ones and the Dark Gods, Luo Wei had come across a mention of a Lich God in the Dark God''s faction. This immediately reminded her of the "Lich" concept from *World of Warcraft*.


    In common online literature, a Lich is often depicted as a mystical undead formed from the corpses of powerful monks or wizards. From a physical standpoint, they are dead, but their souls remain trapped in their bodies, rendering them immortal.


    Liches typically reside in dark, deep dungeons or haunt damp, cold forests or swamps. They possess immense magical power and are covered in corpse poison.


    However, the Liches of this world were somewhat different. They were the descendants of a cursed witch and a swamp dryad.


    The curse placed by the gods ensured that the witch''s child would be born mutated, slowly decaying into a corpse.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Later, the cursed witch coupled with a swamp dryad, giving birth to half-witch, half-dryad children. These hybrids were born as corpses but did not rot and inherited the dryads'' ability for asexual reproduction, thus forming the Lich race.


    Liches worship the Lich God, who is also a Dark God. This deity ranks among the "Top Five Evil Gods," even above the Wolf God.


    As for Luo Wei''s patron deity, the Soul God, they topped the "Evil God Rankings," a name that struck fear into people''s hearts, akin to a rat crossing the street, with everyone clamoring to kill it.


    Below the Soul God were the Plague God in second place, the Lust God in third, and the Slaughter God in fourth.


    The higher a god''s rank, the fewer their followers and the greater the fear they instilled in humanity.


    Luo Wei sighed inwardly. Among their group of four, three were followers of Dark Gods. Except for the sea demon Theodore, the other three worshipped gods ranked in the top ten of the Evil God list.


    Gladys and Hol, in particular, were maxed out on "buffs" (maximum damage potential): not only were they non-human, but they also worshipped Dark Gods. If caught, they''d be executed without question.


    With the bet concluded, Hol turned to Theodore to claim his winnings.


    "Senior, where are my ten copper coins?" He extended his hand expectantly.


    Theodore, with a darkened face, searched himself thoroughly and reluctantly handed over ten copper coins.


    Hol smiled apologetically and took the coins without hesitation.


    Luo Wei''s lips twitched. No wonder they bet ten copper coins¡ªit turned out that was all Theodore had on him.


    Now Theodore was penniless. He was already contemplating where to dig for wild vegetables tomorrow.


    Unfortunately, it was winter, and wild vegetables were scarce. He might have to dig up tree roots instead.


    "And your wager too," Gladys reminded them.


    Theodore snorted. "I never said I wouldn''t honor it!"


    He turned to Luo Wei. "Luo Wei, what do you want? Just say it. As long as it''s something I can do, I''ll fulfill it!"


    "I haven''t thought of anything yet. Can I let you know when I do?" Luo Wei asked.


    "Sure!" Theodore agreed readily.


    Hol also looked at Luo Wei. "Miss Luo Wei, for the next seven days, I am your servant."


    "You may command me to do anything."


    Luo Wei raised an eyebrow. "Anything?"


    "Yes." Hol smiled innocently.


    "Alright, then go home tonight, take a bath, and change your clothes. I''ll tell you what to do tomorrow."


    Luo Wei had already decided how to use him. Since Liches were proficient in black magic, she could have him awaken Rosie''s magic. That shouldn''t be too much to ask, right?


    This was also her way of offering a bargaining chip. After learning the identities of these three, she felt it necessary to gain their trust by revealing some of her own vulnerabilities.


    As for Axina, her identity as a "Princess of the Fog Empire" might keep Axina wary for a while, but there was always the slight possibility that she might suddenly decide to eliminate her.


    Though that possibility was slim.


    If Axina wanted to kill her, she''d have to consider whether she could also take out Gladys. Unless she could bring Gladys over to her side.


    After Theodore and Hol introduced their backgrounds, Gladys and Luo Wei briefly shared theirs as well.


    Not that they needed to; Theodore and Hol already knew. One was the daughter of the strongest northern tribe''s leader, and the other a mysterious princess of the Fog Empire. Who in the academy didn''t know their names?


    After their conversation ended, the sky was almost dark. The four of them paired up and headed back to their respective dormitories.


    A few hundred meters down the road, Theodore turned his head and asked, "Didn''t you say last time not to reveal our identities to others? Why did you encourage me to tell Luo Wei today?"


    Hol''s ever-constant smile remained. "Last time, you impulsively drove her away, leaving just the three of us in the attic. Today, she learned Gladys''s secret. It wouldn''t take much for her to suspect us. Better to tell her proactively and build a good relationship with her."


    "My instincts tell me she has secrets of her own. I''ll use these seven days to probe her background."


    "As expected of a Lich," Theodore remarked, "your heart is truly dark!"


    Hol graciously accepted the compliment.


    The next day, after finishing her Magic Glyphs class, Luo Wei saw a clean and fresh-looking boy with light golden hair waiting outside the classroom.


    Hol had changed into his best coarse linen clothes and swapped his shoes for wooden clogs. The foul smell was gone, replaced by a refreshing herbal fragrance.


    "Miss Luo Wei, is there anything you''d like me to do for you today?" he asked.

 Chapter 87: Reporting to Lilith!

    "You''ll see soon enough. Come with me," Luo Wei said.


    She led Hol out of the school and back to her small courtyard.


    Standing at the entrance, she suddenly thought it was time to name her little courtyard.


    It had been so long, and she was still calling it "the little courtyard." That felt way too low-class.


    After entering, she asked Hol to wait for a moment and called Bella over.


    "Bella, this afternoon, go and have a doorplate made to hang on the wall outside. Name it ''Starry Residence.''"


    "''Starry Residence''?" Bella repeated awkwardly.


    Luo Wei pulled out a charcoal pencil and a piece of scrap cloth, writing down the English words: *Starry Residence*.


    The two words together actually meant "Starry Villa," which wasn''t her English name.


    Her English name was "Rowe," a common name in the West that could be both a first name and a surname. Westerners would pronounce "Luo Wei" and "Luo Wei" the same way as "Rowe."


    However, in the pronunciation of "Rowe," the "Wei" sound wasn''t very distinct.


    Luo Wei originally thought about writing three Chinese characters with pinyin annotations but reconsidered.


    Engraving Chinese characters on her bedpost was one thing¡ªonly she would see it, and she could paint over it later if she wanted.


    But a doorplate would be displayed outside for everyone to see. If a fellow Earthling happened to cross over to this world and recognized her Chinese characters, they might accidentally reveal her origins to the locals.


    If that happened, she could be accused of being a demon and burned at the stake.


    In short, one must always be cautious.


    After giving instructions about the doorplate, Luo Wei whispered to Bella to bring Rosie to the vacant study on the west side of the second floor.


    Bella nodded and left, while Luo Wei led Hol into the dining room and treated him to lunch first.


    Although Hol had agreed to be her servant for seven days, he was still her classmate. She couldn''t treat him like an actual servant, could she?


    After Hol devoured two servings of fragrant roasted bread and grilled steak, his goodwill toward Luo Wei skyrocketed.


    He thought to himself, whether or not he could gather dirt on Luo Wei, he absolutely had to maintain a good relationship with her. Having a wealthy noble friend was fantastic!If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    If Luo Wei sponsored him with a meal every day, that would be heaven!


    After lunch, Luo Wei got to the point. "Hol, you''re a Lich. You must know some black magic, right?"


    Hol smiled faintly. "I know a little. What would you like me to do?"


    "You''ll see when you meet the person," Luo Wei said mysteriously.


    She stood up. "Please follow me, Hol."


    Curious, Hol followed her upstairs.


    Luo Wei opened the study door and called out, "Rosie, come and meet the magic teacher I found for you."


    Hol looked into the room and saw a strikingly beautiful little girl with black hair and black eyes walking toward him.


    The girl looked about seven or eight years old, a bit thin, and her eyesight seemed poor. Her gaze was somewhat unfocused, but she carried a calm and quiet demeanor.


    "Hello, teacher. My name is Rosie," she said, bowing to Hol. Her voice was low, almost like a boy''s.


    Hol turned to Luo Wei, puzzled. "Miss Luo Wei, what is this about?"


    "Rosie is the daughter of my guard. When we came to the Western Continent, she secretly followed her father here. She has a rather unique magic talent, and I haven''t been able to find anyone here who could teach her¡ªuntil I met you," Luo Wei explained.


    She then asked, "Hol, would you like to assess her talent?"


    Understanding her implication, Hol connected it to the questions she had asked during their meal and was a bit surprised. "Could she be an affinity for dark elements?"


    "Exactly, and she only aligns with dark elements," Luo Wei said with a troubled expression. "I only realized after coming here that people in the Western Continent seem to strongly discriminate against dark magic users. So, I haven''t dared to find her a teacher."


    "Hol, you said yesterday you would do anything. Would you mind being Rosie''s magic teacher for seven days?"


    Hol, being a clever individual, immediately grinned. "Of course, not just seven days. I could teach her black magic for three years."


    "That would be too much trouble," Luo Wei shook her head. "Our agreement was just for seven days."


    "Extend the agreement!" Hol said without hesitation. "It''s an honor to teach such a promising black magic student. Miss Luo Wei, please let me be her first teacher!"


    Hol was already calculating in his mind: if he became Rosie''s teacher, wouldn''t that make him half a part of Luo Wei''s inner circle? Wouldn''t that mean she would have to provide for him? Wouldn''t that save him a lot of money and give him access to delicious meals?


    Teaching black magic spells was no trouble at all¡ªit was something he was born knowing. Teaching her would be effortless.


    "But," Hol hesitated, "I don''t have an extra magic wand."


    "No problem. Start by teaching her the basics. I''ll find her a wand during the next holiday," Luo Wei said.


    "Are you planning to go to the Magic Beast Mountains?" Hol asked in surprise.


    "Yes, that''s the plan. Why?"


    "What a coincidence! Theodore and I were planning to go there during the holiday too," Hol said with a smile.


    They were so poor they could barely afford food, so they planned to head to the Magic Beast Mountains to gather materials to sell. It was one of the few places in the Western Continent where goods could be freely collected, as long as you had the ability.


    "Miss Luo Wei, why don''t we travel together?" Hol suggested, hoping to hitch a ride¡ªand meals.


    "Sure," Luo Wei agreed.


    With a Lich and a Kraken following her, the safety of the trip would be significantly improved!


    Both sides were quite satisfied with the arrangement, and their superficial friendship deepened a bit further.


    After assigning Hol his task, Luo Wei left the courtyard and headed to Escore Dessert Shop.


    At precisely 3:30 PM, Lilith would be there for her daily afternoon tea.


    As Luo Wei ascended to the second floor, she heard a greeting from the window seat. "Luo Wei, good afternoon. Why are you so late today?"


    "Good afternoon, Miss Lilith," Luo Wei said, smoothing down her skirt as she walked over and sat across from Lilith. "I''ve been a bit busy these past few days."


    "What have you been busy with?" Lilith asked with concern.


    "Ah," Luo Wei sighed with a troubled expression, "Miss Lilith, you know I just want to keep a low profile during these three years and focus on learning magic. But sometimes unexpected things happen."


    Lilith seemed to understand something and gently set down her fork. "I heard about yesterday. My brother caused you some trouble, didn''t he?"


    "Trouble is too strong a word, but I did have quite a few classmates coming to talk to me today."


    This wasn''t an exaggeration. When Luo Wei entered the classroom earlier, she was surrounded by students, all eager to ask her about the Fog Empire. It took her a lot of effort¡ªand excuses¡ªto fend them off. She practically ran out of saliva.


    "And¡­" Luo Wei hesitated.


    "Just say it, Luo Wei. We''re friends, aren''t we?" Lilith encouraged her gently.


    "Alright, I''ll be straightforward," Luo Wei said, looking troubled. "Not long ago, I discovered that Kael was spying on me. His crow flew to my window at night."


    Lilith clenched her fists. "That brat! I''ll teach him a lesson when I get home!"


    "Please don''t," Luo Wei quickly stopped her, looking embarrassed. "Otherwise, Senior Kael will know I reported him. He meant well, after all."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t mention you," Lilith said, narrowing her eyes. "Just the fact that he dared to attend the banquet yesterday on behalf of Father without permission is enough to earn him a beating!"


    After finishing her tea quickly, Lilith left the dessert shop with a murderous aura.


    Luo Wei finally felt relieved. That meddlesome senior deserved a good scolding from his sister!


    Humming a tune, she went downstairs and called over Teresa Sissi, her newly appointed store manager and cashier.


    "Have there been any buyers for the porcelain recently?"


    Teresa lowered her head and replied, "There were three: a merchant from out of town, the mayor''s steward, and Lady Rossetti."

 Chapter 88: What Does the Laurel Leaf Symbolize?

    "How many sets do they want to buy? Have they paid a deposit?"


    "The merchant wants to discuss it with you in person. The Lord of the city has ordered a set of tableware for five people and has already paid a deposit. Madam Rossetti has ordered two sets of personal tableware and one set for small banquets. She has paid in full, requesting that her order be prioritized and that her family crest be engraved on the tableware."


    Luo Wei instructed, "Then prioritize Madam Lilith''s order. After work, take their orders to the small courtyard and hand them over to Troy. Let him go to the kiln and discuss it with the workers."


    The price of a single white porcelain plate was one gold coin. A set of personal tableware, including bowls, plates, cups, and spoons, cost eight gold coins. A set of tableware for five people, including bowls, plates, and soup spoons, cost forty-five gold coins.


    As for the small banquet set, which consisted of ten sets of cups, plates, bowls, and spoons, it totaled one hundred and one gold coins.


    The Lord and the Princess were indeed wealthy¡ªhow enviable.


    But this would mean more work for Troy and the griffin; they would have to dig up more clay.


    "If that merchant comes again, just tell him that I am too busy to meet. Also, inform him that all ceramics in the shop are non-negotiable in price."


    "If he wants a long-term partnership, let him draft a contract for me. Only after completing one transaction will I know if he is suitable as a business partner. Relay this message to him word for word."


    "If it''s a merchant who immediately inquires about the ceramic-making process, dismiss him directly. If he''s just trying to negotiate, then you can deal with him accordingly."


    "Understood, Master," Teresa responded excitedly.


    Such an important task, and her master entrusted it to her. She must not let her master down!


    Luo Wei walked out of the dessert shop and headed to a relatively quiet place.


    "Troy."


    "Here."


    Troy suddenly appeared from some obscure corner.


    "Anything new in the city yesterday? I didn''t come out."


    Yesterday, the Holy Knights had wandered around the city for so long¡ªsurely they must have done something.


    "There are two pieces of news," Troy said, his expression slightly odd. "The temple''s bishop has been stripped of his red robes and demoted to a purple-robed archbishop."


    "The Holy Knights'' doing?"


    "Yes, they claimed he was incompetent. The demotion was actually the lightest punishment he could have received."


    "Will the church send another red-robed bishop here?"


    "Probably not," Troy explained. "The church originally had only nine red-robed bishops, each overseeing the religious affairs of a nation. It''s unlikely they would send one to Siria."


    "The red-robed bishop in Siria is essentially a nominal position. The archbishop was only granted the red robes by the Pope after the establishment of Siria Magic Academy. Although he held the title, he still operated as an archbishop."


    Luo Wei nodded. "So, whether he''s demoted or not doesn''t really make a difference, does it?"


    "There is a difference. It''s said that when the archbishop heard the decree of his demotion, he fainted. After being revived with holy water, he knelt in the temple, repenting all night."


    Serves him right!  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    He dared to splash her with holy water!


    Luo Wei felt quite pleased. "Didn''t you say there were two pieces of news? What''s the other one?"


    Troy glanced at her and lowered his voice. "The temple posted a notice."


    "The notice claimed that there is no God of Death and Time in this world. They announced that they had captured an imposter who had deceived people by pretending to be a divine messenger. They plan to burn him at the stake before sunset today."


    After he finished speaking, the air fell silent for a moment.


    "Heh," Luo Wei narrowed her eyes slowly. "How interesting. This must also be the Holy Knights'' idea, right?"


    So, the Holy Knights'' real purpose for coming here wasn''t to preach doctrine but to catch someone who was collecting faith in an attempt to ascend to godhood.


    Having failed to capture the real culprit, they decided to find a scapegoat, dress him up as her, and burn him at the stake?


    But how did the Holy Knights discover this matter?


    When she had disguised herself as the Dark God''s messenger to raid the execution ground, she hadn''t alerted the church. Yet, just as she began hearing prayers from believers, the church dispatched the Holy Knights.


    Could it be... a divine revelation?


    Had the gods noticed her?


    If her guess was correct, then the Holy Knights were likely still hiding somewhere in the city, far from having left.


    Where could they be hiding?


    A location immediately popped into Luo Wei''s mind: the temple.


    "Troy, I''m heading back to the academy. On your way back to the small courtyard, remind Hol to wear his mage robes tomorrow. He needs to leave a good impression on Rosie."


    Troy nodded. "Understood."


    Luo Wei hurried back to the academy and shared the news that the Holy Knights hadn''t left Siria with Gladys and Theodore.


    Both of them looked grave after hearing it. Theodore even cursed, "I knew the church people were cunning and deceitful! The Holy Knights are just a bunch of despicable scoundrels!"


    "Keep your voice down," Luo Wei reminded him. "We know, but don''t let the news leak."


    "But," Theodore frowned so deeply that he could crush a mosquito, "Laura is returning today. What if she runs into the Holy Knights?"


    Luo Wei: ...


    "Don''t tell me Laura is also..."


    Theodore''s gaze wandered. "Well, uh, she did get her leave approved, so we didn''t tell you about her identity. Anyway, you''ll find out soon enough. I''ll bring her to meet you when she gets back."


    Luo Wei felt exhausted. Their little "death squad" was growing larger by the day.


    How many monsters and demons was Siria Magic Academy hiding?


    By sunset, a towering blaze erupted in the temple square.


    Thick black smoke billowed above the plaza, and agonized wails echoed from the flames.


    Nick recognized the man in the fire. He wasn''t a divine messenger¡ªhe was a bandit who had even stolen lambs from their village last year.


    When Nick heard that the temple was executing a fake divine messenger, he had rushed over with the villagers, leaving his chickens unfed.


    The moment he saw the criminal, Nick knew the temple was lying.


    He had seen the real divine messenger with his own eyes. How could he not tell the difference?


    The temple''s attempt to use a fake only proved that they feared the God of Death and Time and dared not confront the real divine messenger.


    Nick''s faith grew even stronger. Quietly, he left the crowd and returned to his village.


    He needed to raise more livestock and farm diligently to offer abundant sacrifices to his god.


    ...


    The Holy Knights stayed in Siria for two days and two nights, leaving on the morning of the third day.


    How did Luo Wei know this so clearly?


    Because on the third morning, the Holy Knight Commander Arvic visited the academy again to bid farewell to the Headmaster and entrusted him with something for her.


    "Luo Wei, this is a token of apology from the Holy Knight Commander. He asked me to give it to you," Headmaster Morrison said as he handed her a silver box outside the classroom.


    "Thank you, Headmaster."


    Luo Wei opened the exquisite silver box and froze.


    Inside was a ruby necklace, the gemstone''s base carved in the shape of a rose. Beside the necklace lay a freshly picked laurel branch, its green leaves still glistening with dew.


    "This is..."


    Laurel leaves¡ªweren''t they symbols of power and glory? Why would Arvic give her this?


    The Headmaster also noticed the laurel branch. His refined face showed a trace of surprise, followed by a sigh and a shake of his head.


    "Arvic has dedicated his life to the gods. Love is a forbidden fruit for him."

 Chapter 89: The Captured Big Orange Cat

    "Take it, Luo Wei. This is Arvic''s blessing for you. He won''t interfere with your life. Keep this gift well; you might need it someday."


    Headmaster Morrison seemed to be hinting at something.


    Although Luo Wei found it odd, she still followed his advice and carefully stored the gift.


    The laurel branch was placed by her dormitory window to dry, intending to preserve it as dried flowers.


    Laurel leaves indeed symbolize power and honor, but they also represent love.


    According to legend, the Sun God Apollo fell in love with the nymph Daphne, who was wandering in the forest. However, Daphne admired the Moon Goddess and had no intention of marrying Apollo.


    Apollo pursued Daphne, but fearing the burning flames within him, she sought help from the river god and was transformed into a laurel tree.


    The Sun God Apollo, pained by this unrequited love, vowed to make the laurel tree evergreen and eternal. He adorned his crown with laurel leaves, turning them into a symbol of honor ever since.


    Luo Wei understood the meaning of laurel leaves and could grasp the Headmaster''s implication. What she couldn''t understand was why Arvic would express romantic feelings toward her.


    After all, they had only met twice. Could it be that Westerners also had the tradition of marrying a woman just because she showed a bit of shoulder?


    Could a Holy Knight really be so simple-minded?


    Luo Wei was more inclined to believe that Arvic was testing her. Who knew if that necklace was engraved with some kind of magical rune for eavesdropping?


    On the afternoon of the day the Holy Knight left, the death squad regrouped, now with an additional member.


    "Miss Luo Wei, hello. I''m Laura."


    Laura had already heard from Theodore about the events of the past two days and had a favorable impression of Luo Wei.


    "Just call me Luo Wei, Senior Laura," Luo Wei said warmly.


    "Why so formal? I just call people by their names," Theodore said, poking Laura''s back. "Hey, Laura, where have you been hiding these past few days? You look so refreshed. Been eating well, huh?"


    Laura''s paw blurred into motion, and with a loud "smack," she slapped Theodore''s hand away. Catching a glimpse of the others, she stiffened and shyly tucked her paw behind her.


    "I-I''ve been staying at a farm in the suburbs these past few days," Laura said softly. "There were a lot of chicks on the farm, so I brought my own chicks there too."


    As she spoke, she licked her sharp little canine tooth, her eyes sparkling with happiness.


    Luo Wei noticed her actions and felt a jolt in her heart.


    Why did this look so suspicious?


    Loving to eat chicken¡ªcould she be a fox demon?


    "Aren''t cats supposed to catch mice? Why are you always eating chicken?" Theodore quickly revealed Laura''s secret, saving Luo Wei from further speculation. "And you didn''t even invite me to eat. I''m going to report you to the Headmaster for secretly raising hens in the dormitory to hatch eggs!"


    Laura snorted, "Go ahead and report me. The Headmaster already said no raising chickens. I''ve long since sent them to the farm."


    "You gave them to the farm without letting me eat any?" Theodore was indignant. His stomach had been growling for days. "Go get them back. I''ll help you raise them."


    "I won''t," Laura distanced herself from him. "I''ve already sold them to the farmer. I''m saving up for next semester''s tuition."


    Theodore clutched his hair. "Then what are you eating now?"


    "I can catch little birds to eat."  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Theodore was heartbroken. If only he could catch birds too, but all he knew was how to dig up tree roots!


    Luo Wei was still reeling from the revelation that Laura was a cat beast. Her mind was filled with images of a fat orange cat stealing chicks, so she didn''t notice Theodore''s despair.


    Gladys, on the other hand, couldn''t understand why Theodore was so poor. Didn''t his family prepare some gold coins for him when he came ashore?


    Only Hol watched the bickering pair with a smile, occasionally stepping in to mediate. He advised Laura to cherish small animals and not catch birds, while telling Theodore to endure his hunger¡ªit would pass.


    Hol had already secured a long-term meal ticket. Now, everything seemed amusing to him¡ªthe blue sky, the green water, even Laura and Theodore''s arguments.


    Hol successfully diverted their conflict, leading Laura and Theodore to gang up on him instead.


    Gladys, observing their antics, eventually untied her money pouch from her waist. "I have money. I''ll lend it to you. Stop arguing."


    Luo Wei also came back to her senses and suggested a solution. "Escore Dessert Shop is hiring part-time workers. Thirty copper coins a day. You two can give it a try."


    Laura and Theodore turned to her in unison. "Really?"


    Luo Wei nodded. "Really."


    She just needed to inform Teresa and get them hired.


    Theodore, impulsive and strong-handed¡ªoh no, strong-handed¡ªcould work in the kitchen as an egg beater.


    Laura, gentle and nimble with her feline paws, could work as a maid serving dishes in the shop.


    "Great!" Theodore and Laura cheered, then looked at Gladys. "Gladys, can we borrow a silver coin each? We''ll pay you back once we earn money from the job."


    "Okay."


    Gladys lent each of them a silver coin.


    By evening, dark clouds had rolled across the sky, and the world grew dim.


    A cold wind howled, and icy snowflakes began to fall from the sky.


    The roses in the garden had long withered. Only a few late bloomers swayed in the wind and snow, adding a touch of color to the lonely, desolate winter night.


    Luo Wei shut the doors and windows tightly and drew the curtains.


    The castle in winter shed its romantic facade, becoming gloomy and cold. Even the oil lamp on her desk seemed about to be extinguished by the chill emanating from the stone walls.


    Nicole lay curled up in the little woolen nest Luo Wei had made for her, appearing to have gone into hibernation.


    Spiders are cold-blooded creatures and cannot move when the temperature is too low. Although Nicole was an undead spider, she still retained habits from her previous life.


    In the past few days, with the Holy Knights around, Luo Wei had been afraid they might sense the undead and hadn''t dared to summon Nicole. But today, as soon as she brought her out, it started snowing, leaving the little creature frozen stiff.


    Luo Wei added two layers of woolen cloth to Nicole''s nest, then blew out the oil lamp and crawled into her cold bed.


    In her dream, it was snowing too.


    A thick layer of snow blanketed the garden, like a pristine white carpet.


    Luo Wei saw a white-haired girl sitting by the flowerbed, her shoulders covered in snowflakes.


    "Gladys?"


    She called out, but the girl did not respond.


    Curious, Luo Wei walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. "Gladys, why are you sitting here?"


    "Crack¡ª"


    Gladys turned her stiff neck, her bloodshot eyes meeting Luo Wei''s. She opened her mouth and spewed a mouthful of black blood.


    Startled, Luo Wei stepped back, and the scene before her suddenly changed.


    She saw flames engulfing a frail little girl. Heavy rain poured from the sky, and black clouds and water swallowed Siria. Countless undead swarmed into the city, vying for the shattered soul of the little girl.


    The little girl devoured these undead, and a wicked demon was born.


    The church sent Holy Knights to eradicate the demon. They searched house by house in the city, eventually reaching the Magic Academy.


    A sword pierced through Gladys''s chest. Black octopus tentacles were severed and scattered, the succubus''s wings melted by holy water, and the lich severed its own arm before diving into the swamp...


    In an instant, the academy was littered with corpses¡ªsome familiar, some not.


    Luo Wei took another step back, and the scene shifted again.


    In the dead of night, a foul-smelling sludge monster entered the city.


    It was Troy. He killed the creature and cut open its belly, revealing several partially digested corpses.


    The city lord, woken by the guards in the middle of the night, hurried over and recognized the accessories on one of the corpses. It was determined to be a princess from the North.


    In a flash, the original owner of the body was hanged on the gallows.


    It was only early autumn, yet the Holy Knights had already arrived.


    They investigated the city and entered Siria Magic Academy, where they detected a non-human presence.


    Gladys died. Axina escaped with the help of her guards. Theodore and Hol¡¯s fates remained unchanged, except now the Holy Knights had captured a large orange cat alive. They were discussing how to tame this feline beast into a docile mount.

 Chapter 90: Ill Write You an Apology Letter

    The bizarre and colorful dreamscape slowly faded away as Luo Wei opened her eyes to the dull sound of knocking at her door.


    There was no warmth under the blanket, and her feet felt icy cold.


    Perhaps it was time to order a couple of thicker wool blankets from Hawkins¡¯ shop. If this continued, she¡¯d catch a cold sooner or later.


    Luo Wei slipped into her slippers and opened the door to bring in the hot water.


    It wasn¡¯t until she dipped her hands into the basin of hot water that she felt some sensation returning to her limbs.


    She had already forgotten most of the dream from last night, only recalling fragments of corpses and blood everywhere.


    Given how tense things had been lately, it wasn¡¯t surprising that she¡¯d have nightmares.


    The snow outside had stopped, leaving a thin layer of snow in the garden that melted into water as soon as the sun came out.


    With December now in full swing, snowfall had become more frequent.


    Winter at latitude 43¡ã north was no joke. During the coldest part of the season, temperatures could drop as low as -4¡ãF (-20¡ãC), and even now, nighttime temperatures hovered around 32¡ãF (0¡ãC).


    During class, Luo Wei noticed that the noble girls in her class were huddled together in groups, chattering away about something. Vina Wesley was among them, speaking animatedly.


    Curious, Luo Wei quietly approached and eavesdropped for a moment, learning that they were discussing a type of fabric called ¡°Cloud Wool,¡± as well as ¡°Rainbow Dresses¡± and ¡°Aurora Shawls.¡±


    Luo Wei suddenly remembered that Balk had mentioned something to her before. He had said that the cashmere woven using her secret formula was as soft as clouds in the sky. At the time, she had casually remarked, ¡°Why not call it Cloud Wool?¡± It seemed Balk had taken her suggestion to heart.


    As for the ¡°Rainbow Dresses¡± and ¡°Aurora Shawls,¡± they were probably skirts and shawls made from dyed cashmere. Barton Hawkins had sent her a few pieces before, but she had found the colors too gaudy and never wore them.


    However, people in this world seemed to love colorful fabrics. This was likely due to the underdeveloped dyeing technology and the high cost of dyes, making colored fabrics a symbol of their noble status.


    Unlike people from the 21st century, who pursued minimalism and sophistication, most of Luo Wei¡¯s friends in her previous life preferred black, white, and gray tones. A glance around would reveal hardly a trace of red or green.


    ¡°I pre-ordered a Rainbow Dress and two Aurora Shawls the day before yesterday¡ªone in orange and one in a pink gradient. I even paid an extra five gold coins for expedited service, so I¡¯ll have them by tonight!¡± Vina said proudly.


    ¡°Wow! Vina, can I see them once you get them? I pre-ordered a shawl too, but the tailor said there are still more than thirty people ahead of me. It¡¯ll be at least ten days before it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    ¡°Same here! I ordered a Rainbow Dress yesterday, but the tailor said it¡¯ll take half a month to make. This batch of fabric is already sold out.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, who managed to snatch them up so quickly?¡±


    ¡°Who else but the senior students in the advanced division? They know Siria better than we do and often shop at that store. The shopkeeper always informs them first when there¡¯s good fabric available.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, when I asked the owner of Hawkins¡¯ shop yesterday, he said this batch of Cloud Wool was pre-sold half a month ago. Those seniors sure kept it under wraps¡ªwe didn¡¯t hear a word about it!¡±Stolen story; please report.


    Hearing her friends¡¯ complaints, Vina raised her head high and declared, ¡°Just wait. Tonight, I¡¯ll teach them a lesson for you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pre-order the entire next batch of Cloud Wool so those seniors won¡¯t even get a single shawl!¡±


    The girls around her immediately cheered, surrounding Vina and chattering excitedly: ¡°Vina, you¡¯re the best! You¡¯re my favorite sister!¡±


    ¡°Vina, can you sell me one after you order? Please~¡±


    ¡°Vina, don¡¯t forget me! Save one for me too!¡±


    ¡°Vina, me too¡­¡±


    Vina¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, one at a time. I¡¯ll make sure everyone gets one.¡±


    Since her last argument with her fianc¨¦ Egbert and Axina, during which her friends had mocked and scorned her, Vina hadn¡¯t enjoyed this kind of attention in a long time.


    Luo Wei quietly listened before returning to her seat.


    Not handing Vina over to the bearded man back then had indeed been the right decision. If Vina had spent a few days in jail, she might have been too humiliated to stay at the academy and would have transferred out.


    She was a major client, after all¡ªcouldn¡¯t afford to lose her!


    That evening, Vina indeed showed up wearing a dazzlingly colorful cashmere dress.


    The soft cashmere skirt was interwoven with fine gold and silver threads. The hem was adorned with snowflake-shaped crystals, and the neckline was embroidered with intricate, three-dimensional colorful patterns. It was both warm and eye-catching, drawing gasps of admiration from the girls around her.


    This single cashmere dress cost fifteen gold coins.


    Hawkins¡¯ shop also offered basic cashmere coats, which were thicker and less flashy but meticulously tailored and sewn. Each one cost ten gold coins.


    The Aurora Shawls were the most expensive, as they were made from extremely fine cashmere yarn and required painstaking dyeing. Each shawl cost twenty gold coins.


    After this wave of business, Barton Hawkins couldn¡¯t stop laughing. Rumor had it that he even laughed in his sleep, waking Mrs. Hawkins with his midnight chuckles. She had dragged him out of the bedroom by his ear.


    The next day in class, Vina was still wearing that dress, flitting into the classroom like a colorful butterfly.


    As she passed by Luo Wei, she deliberately lifted her skirt, looking smug.


    ¡°Vina, your dress looks nice.¡±


    Luo Wei called out to her, and under Vina¡¯s expectant gaze, she continued slowly, ¡°But didn¡¯t you say before that woolen undergarments were only worn by commoners?¡±


    Vina¡¯s smile froze. ¡°Y-you petty woman, holding grudges over the smallest things! This is precious Cloud Wool, not just any wool!¡±


    ¡°Oh~ so it¡¯s Cloud Wool,¡± Luo Wei drawled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it still made from wool? The undergarment I wore back then was also custom-made from Cloud Wool at Hawkins¡¯ shop~¡±


    Vina glanced around nervously and quickly lowered her voice. ¡°I was wrong, okay? Can you stop bringing that up? I admit I was blind and didn¡¯t recognize its value. Just don¡¯t tell anyone else about this, alright?¡±


    Luo Wei propped her chin on her hand, looking bored. ¡°Now you realize you were wrong, but why didn¡¯t you apologize back then?¡±


    Vina fidgeted awkwardly. ¡°S-sorry.¡±


    ¡°Go home and write an apology letter. Write ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ a hundred times, and I¡¯ll forgive you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it,¡± Vina said, trying to sound fierce but clearly lacking confidence. ¡°My father is Count Wesley!¡±


    ¡°Oh, a count. I¡¯m so scared~¡±


    Vina¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°Y-you just wait! I¡¯ll write the letter tonight!¡±


    ¡°A complaint letter?¡±


    ¡°An apology letter!!!¡±


    Vina stormed off, running so fast it was as if a ghost were chasing her.


    Luo Wei shook her head. For a not-so-bright noble lady, she was actually quite endearing¡ªif one ignored what she had done to the original Luo Wei in her previous fate.


    The last half-month of the semester flew by, and before she knew it, it was December 19th, the day before the academy¡¯s holiday break.


    Every teacher had assigned holiday homework. Luo Wei was jotting down the assignments in her leather notebook when she suddenly heard a knock at the classroom door.


    It was the student council president, Veronica Malachi.


    ¡°Professor Temple, sorry to interrupt your class. The headmaster has requested Luo Wei to come to the headmaster¡¯s office.¡±


    """

 Chapter 91: Disciplinary Actions

    This was Luo Wei''s second time standing in front of the Headmaster''s office, and compared to the last time, she felt a bit more uneasy.


    "Senior, can you give me a hint about why the Headmaster is looking for me this time?"


    Why did she feel so nervous?


    Veronica Malachi gave her a meaningful smile. "Junior, you''ll know once you go in. Don''t worry, there are several other students inside. You''re not the only one."


    Several other students?


    Luo Wei''s eyelid twitched. Could it be that their "Death Sentence Squad" had been caught red-handed altogether?


    Veronica pushed the door open and said gently, "Junior, go on in. Good luck~"


    "¡­Thank you, Senior." Luo Wei felt even more uneasy.


    Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the Headmaster''s office.


    As Veronica had said, there were indeed several other students inside, all of whom were familiar faces.


    Hol Felix, Gladys, Laura, and Theodore were all here. Including her, the entire "Death Sentence Squad" was present.


    "Headmaster, you wanted to see me?"


    Headmaster Morrison glanced at Luo Wei and stood up, holding a record book made of papyrus. "Now that everyone''s here, let''s move to the next room to talk."


    He led the five of them into the adjacent meeting room.


    Once everyone was seated, Headmaster Morrison opened the record book. "Aside from you all, every other student who violated school rules this semester has already been disciplined. Do you know why you''re the last ones to be called?"


    Theodore grinned. "Because our mistakes were the lightest?"


    "I know," Gladys said, her serious expression tinged with a hint of excitement. "Because we''re good students, and the school wants to reward us."


    "Hah," the Headmaster let out a sarcastic laugh and slammed the record book onto the table with a loud thud. "Because your mistakes were the most severe!"


    "Let''s start with the Intermediate Division."


    "Theodore, there have been multiple strange holes appearing on the academy''s lawns and gardens. Two willow trees have fallen, and three pine trees have died. Do you have anything to say about this?"


    "Honesty earns leniency, resistance brings severity."


    Theodore hissed, "Headmaster, I think there might be a groundhog on campus, destroying our beautiful grounds!"


    "A groundhog?" Headmaster Morrison sneered. "However, according to the investigation by the dormitory supervisors and the student council, someone was seen sneaking around the campus for two consecutive nights, digging up tree roots and grass. What do you have to say about that?"


    "You can''t pin that on me!" Theodore protested.


    "Pin it on you? The dormitory supervisor personally saw you carrying dug-up tree roots back to your dormitory. Do you still want to argue?"Stolen novel; please report.


    Theodore fell silent.


    Headmaster Morrison mercilessly announced his punishment: "You will lose 20 academic credits, fill in all the holes, and restore the damaged vegetation before the semester starts. At the beginning of next semester, you will read a self-reflection essay in front of the entire school and complete ten days of community service under the student council''s supervision."


    Hearing the lengthy list of punishments, Theodore deflated.


    "Laura, Professor Tobias''s owl was attacked in the middle of the night half a month ago. Using scent-tracking magic, the dormitory supervisor traced the scent to your dormitory and found owl feathers on your clothes. Do you have any explanation?"


    Laura lowered her head. "I''m sorry, Headmaster. I admit my mistake."


    It was all because she was so hungry that she mistook the owl for another bird and grabbed it. Although she realized her mistake before taking a bite and let the owl go, the dormitory supervisor still found out.


    "Given your sincere attitude and the fact that this is your first offense, you will lose 5 academic credits, write a self-reflection essay, and apologize to Professor Tobias''s owl," Headmaster Morrison announced.


    "Yes, Headmaster."


    After dealing with the Intermediate Division students, Headmaster Morrison turned to the Junior Division students.


    He glanced at the three of them and started with the lightest offense. "Hol, the student council received a total of forty-seven complaints about you this semester."


    "You caused two classmates to faint with your potion during Potions class, released toxic gas that knocked out seven classmates during Alchemy class, and thirty-eight classmates complained about the smell on your body. Can you fix this?"


    Hol''s earnest smile nearly faltered as he quickly lowered his head. "I''m sorry, Headmaster. I admit my mistake."


    "The smell on my body¡ªI can fix that. But I don''t know why the potion and metal I made turned out that way! I followed the professor''s instructions exactly."


    Headmaster Morrison was silent for a moment. "From now on, for these two classes, wait until everyone else has left before you start your classwork."


    "Additionally, you will lose 10 academic credits, read a self-reflection essay in front of the entire school at the beginning of next semester, and complete five days of community service."


    "Yes, Headmaster." Hol accepted the punishment.


    "Gladys," Headmaster Morrison called her name. "This semester, you were absent from your dormitory overnight four times, scared classmates to tears four times, and caused chaos in the stables three times during Equestrian class. Do you have anything to explain?"


    "I didn''t scare them," Gladys said, puzzled. "They cried when they saw me. As for the horses, I don''t know why they acted up when I rode them."


    Headmaster Morrison''s temple throbbed. "You stared at classmates who were gossiping about you while chewing raw meat in the cafeteria. Is that true?"


    "It wasn''t raw meat, it was steak. Medium rare. I was looking at them because I heard them mention my name."


    "And the chaos in the stables? Did that happen?"


    "I don''t know. The horses just ran wild when I got on them."


    "And sneaking onto the castle rooftop to watch the moon overnight¡ªdid you do that?" Headmaster Morrison asked sharply.


    Gladys lowered her gaze. "That, I admit."


    Headmaster Morrison rubbed his chest to calm himself. After a moment, he said, "You will lose 10 academic credits, write a self-reflection essay, and bring your older brother to meet with me at the beginning of next semester. I need to have a serious talk with him about your issues."


    Gladys frowned, clearly displeased, and stared at the Headmaster.


    Headmaster Morrison felt a headache just looking at her. He shifted his gaze to Luo Wei, which only made his headache worse.


    "Luo Wei, do you know what you did wrong?"


    Luo Wei''s mind raced as she reviewed everything that had happened since the beginning of the semester. Tentatively, she asked, "Was it because the fragrance I concocted during Potions class made my classmates cry from hunger?"


    "Think again."


    "Was it because I wasn''t sincere during Astrology class and ended up with a turtle shell?"


    "Keep thinking."


    "Could it be because I knocked over the wine barrels in the dining hall''s storage room and didn''t pay enough compensation?"


    Headmaster Morrison''s face darkened. "No."


    Luo Wei genuinely couldn''t think of anything else. Surely it couldn''t be about her stealing a magic book or cheating during Rune class, could it? If it wasn''t, mentioning those would be like confessing to a crime unprompted.


    "Headmaster, could you give me a hint?" Luo Wei asked cautiously, looking at Headmaster Morrison.

 Chapter 92: Shes So Arrogant

    The unrepentant student left Headmaster Morrison feeling utterly exhausted. Leaning back in his chair, he spoke, "Luo Wei, yesterday, while Professor Mike was inspecting the academy''s magic array, he discovered something rather interesting."


    "The academy''s security line was crossed thirty-six times by the same person. Each time, they left the academy after the curfew bell and returned just before dawn."


    "It''s been a long time since we''ve seen someone this brazen at the academy. Luo Wei, do you know who this person might be?"


    Luo Wei hesitated, worried that the headmaster might be trying to trap her.


    Headmaster Morrison continued, "What is it? Do you need me to present evidence before you admit it?"


    "I confess!" Luo Wei said decisively. "I''m sorry, Headmaster! Please punish me!"


    Taking the initiative to admit fault usually led to lighter punishments. Besides, this was her first offense, and unlike some others, she hadn''t caused any major trouble at the academy. The headmaster had saved her for last, which probably meant her mistake was the least serious.


    At most, they would deduct ten points, right? she optimistically thought.


    "Alright, since you''ve confessed, I''ll go straight to your punishment."


    Headmaster Morrison sneered, "Forty points will be deducted. You are required to submit a thousand-word reflection at the start of the semester, perform fifteen days of community service, and patrol the security line for a month."


    Luo Wei: ...


    Why? Why did she lose so many points?


    She had merely skipped school!


    Besides, wasn''t it normal for students to sneak out? Who didn''t have a bit of nightlife?


    "What is it? Do you have a problem with the punishment?" Headmaster Morrison asked, narrowing his eyes sternly at Luo Wei''s incredulous expression.


    "No, no complaints at all," Luo Wei quickly replied, her tone sincerely remorseful. "I''m sorry, Headmaster. I accept the punishment."


    Four sympathetic gazes turned toward her. Compared to her punishment, the others suddenly felt theirs were much lighter!


    "Since you''ve all accepted your punishments, come here and sign the forms. Once you''ve signed, you may leave."


    "I''m talking to you, Theodore! Stop giggling in the back!"


    Irritated by the headmaster''s scolding, the group, along with the troublemaker octopus, was ushered out of the meeting room.


    "Hehehe," Theodore gave Luo Wei a thumbs-up. "You''re a hero, Luo Wei. I wouldn''t even dare to sneak out, and you managed to do it eighteen times."


    Luo Wei tilted her head back in sorrow, refusing to let her tears fall. "Don''t tell me I''m the only one sneaking out at night. I don''t believe it."


    Theodore burst into laughter. "But no one''s as bold as you! At least others make some effort to disguise themselves¡ªusing teleportation runes or transforming into a mouse to dig a tunnel. Who else would swagger out like you?"


    Laura added, "And most importantly, no one else would do it as many times as you."


    "Those teleportation runes and transformation spells are for intermediate and advanced magic apprentices. What could I do?" Luo Wei said tearfully. She had been thrown into life-and-death decisions the moment she arrived here. The academy hadn''t even provided her with a guidebook! How was she supposed to know there were magical surveillance systems?


    Although she had secretly learned the transformation spell, that was something she couldn''t admit!A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Theodore gloated, "That''s why no freshmen dare to sneak out. Midnight escapades are strictly for seasoned upperclassmen."


    "Besides, you''re just a freshman. You probably don''t even know your way around the city. What were you doing out there in the middle of the night?"


    Luo Wei replied, "I found the academy dorm beds too small. Can''t I just sleep on a bigger bed?"


    "You nobles and your peculiar habits." Theodore rolled his eyes. "So, how did that forty-point deduction bed feel?"


    Luo Wei sank into despair, withdrawing into herself.


    A school year only had a total of 100 points. Losing nearly half of them in one go meant that if she made even a minor mistake next semester, she''d have no chance of advancing to the intermediate division and would face the humiliation of repeating a year!


    Hol Felix, also in a foul mood, turned to Theodore. "Why was I punished for the smell? Your dried fish stinks even worse, senior!"


    Theodore puffed out his chest proudly. "Because no one dares to complain about me!"


    He waved his fist. "Anyone who complains about me gets beaten up. Last year, I flattened everyone who reported me in the arena!"


    The group turned to him, aghast. "Ew~"


    So violent!


    The five of them left the chapel and strolled into the square.


    "Tomorrow afternoon is the start of the holiday. Have you all packed your things?"


    "What''s there to pack? Just grab a few loaves of bread, right?" Theodore said.


    Laura shook her head. "Theodore, don''t forget we need to rent two horses."


    "How long will it take to ride there?" Luo Wei asked.


    "Let me think," Laura said, counting on her fingers. "Not counting the nights, about ten days."


    "That long?"


    "It''s not too bad. The timing works out perfectly. We''ll return just in time for the new semester."


    Luo Wei frowned. She still needed to visit the Demon Sea and couldn''t afford to waste so much time on the road.


    "What if I told you I have another mode of transportation that can get us there in a day? Would you be willing to come with me?" she asked.


    Hol Felix asked in surprise, "A day? Is it a long-distance teleportation array?"


    Luo Wei shook her head. "No, you''ll see when the time comes."


    Hol Felix thought for a moment and nodded. "I''m in."


    "We''re in too!" Laura and Theodore quickly chimed in. How could they pass up such a convenient ride?


    Gladys looked at the group. "Then, I guess I''m in too."


    Luo Wei chuckled. "Why are you joining us? We''re heading to the Magic Beast Mountains. You should stay put and wait for your ride home."


    Gladys suddenly remembered. "Oh right, I need to go home. I have a bear to hunt."


    By late December, the northern climate was bitterly cold. Snow blanketed the pine forests, and starving brown bears would leave their territories to scavenge in human villages.


    Gladys was an expert hunter. By the age of twelve, she''d already led teams to hunt brown bears on her own.


    ---


    That afternoon.


    Luo Wei returned to Starry Dwelling, unfastened her snow-drenched cloak, and sat by the fireplace in the living room to warm herself.


    Troy sat behind her, polishing his longsword with a cloth.


    The fireplace burned expensive oak logs. The glowing embers radiated long-lasting warmth, seeping through the stone walls.


    Luo Wei stretched her frozen hands toward the fire. Soon, they were toasty. She leaned back contentedly, sinking into the soft woolen armchair.


    "Troy, have you found the people I asked for?"


    Troy gently slid his sword back into its sheath. "Yes, I''ve found eight people. Seven of them are mercenaries."


    Luo Wei clicked her tongue. "It seems your old friends aren''t very loyal. Only one of them showed up?"


    Troy lowered his head in silence. After a while, he said, "They replied, saying they have families now. They can''t leave behind their wives and children. The Demon Sea is too dangerous, and they don''t want to take the risk."


    "Understandable. When you have weaknesses, you have more concerns."


    Luo Wei almost forgot¡ªTroy was a 23-year-old man.


    In this era, the average lifespan was only around forty. Most commoners married and had children by the age of eleven or twelve, giving birth to four or five children, of whom two or three might not survive. By the time their children reached their teens, the parents were already weathered and aged.


    Only the wealthy could afford to marry and have children later in life, such as the noble youths at Siria Magic Academy.


    Even then, they couldn''t delay too long.


    The legal age for betrothal was seven, with marriage allowed at fourteen for boys and twelve for girls. Without magical talent, even these noble youths would likely have been married by now.

 Chapter 93: So Warm

    <div>


    "What are you thinking about?"


    Troy''s deep voice broke the silence.


    Luo Wei pulled her drifting thoughts back. "Nothing much, just thinking about what we need to do next. How long do you think it will take us to gather Spiritwood in the Magic Beast Mountains?"


    "Hard to say. It depends on our luck."


    Troy explained, "Some magical beasts also like Spiritwood. They often transplant it to hidden locations to keep it safe. If we''re lucky, we might find it in a day. If not, it could take months."


    Luck... That had never been her strong suit.


    "Then let''s give ourselves plenty of time¡ªten days. After that, we''ll head to the Demon Sea. Have those people wait for us along the coast, and we''ll meet them there directly."


    Troy: ...


    As expected of a cold-hearted member of the royal family. Ten days later would be the first day of the new year, and she didn''t even plan to let anyone celebrate it. What a ruthless heart.


    But for the sake of money, he could only comply. "Got it."


    "I''ve got three friends coming along too. The griffin should be able to carry the five of us, right?"


    "No problem."


    December 20th marked the start of the long-awaited New Year holiday for all students at Siria Magic Academy.


    From early morning, the city began to see an influx of carriages and unfamiliar faces. Two long rows of carriages lined up in front of the academy gates.


    The students here came from all over the country, and returning home was often a challenging long-distance journey.


    Siria Magic Academy did not have long-distance teleportation arrays, so everyone had to travel back in the most ordinary ways.


    The wealthy took carriages, those with modest means rode horses, and the less fortunate had no choice but to walk.


    After the holiday began at noon, Luo Wei summoned Hol, Laura, and Theodore to Starry Residence, letting them stay for the night so they could depart together the next morning.


    The night before departure, Luo Wei was busy packing her belongings.


    The food outside was too unpalatable, so she had Bella bake plenty of cookies and beef jerky, as well as make some small loaves of bread.


    She also brought along some salt, honey, and spices¡ªwho knows, they might end up roasting meat in the mountains.


    Utensils were a must, too.


    And a bit of alcohol, just in case of accidental injuries.


    After packing these small items, she pulled out a roll of white cloth from the cabinet, cutting it into many small squares and packing them neatly into waterproof bags.


    In this era, there was no toilet paper. She couldn''t bring herself to use sticks or leaves, so cloth was her only option, though it felt a bit extravagant.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Once she had her own territory, the first thing she''d do would be to produce paper!


    After cutting the cloth, Luo Wei even sewed a few pairs of undergarments for herself.


    In this era, for the sake of convenience when using the restroom, people wore nothing under their skirts. Just lifting the skirt would expose everything, and she had no intention of traveling like that.


    Her suitcase contained her personal clothing, a hammock she made herself, a few raincoats, two pairs of gloves, a coil of rope, and three small knives¡ªall essential for outdoor camping!


    Once everything was ready, the next morning at dawn, Luo Wei''s belongings filled three large bundles, which were securely strapped to the griffin''s back.


    "Griffin, it''s going to be a tough journey for you."


    "Chirp chirp~" The griffin nuzzled her shoulder, letting out a tender sound.


    Luo Wei patted its head and said to Troy, "I''ll go call them over. You check if we''ve missed anything."


    "Alright."


    Luo Wei headed to the front yard.


    As soon as she left, Troy turned to the griffin. "Why do you chirp so sweetly at her but only screech at me?"


    The griffin shot him a disdainful look.


    "You look down on me? Have you forgotten who fed and clothed you back then?!"


    "Screech¡ª"


    The griffin lifted a front paw and shoved Troy aside.


    Move along, little brother!


    As the first light of dawn broke, the stars beyond the mountains still shimmered faintly. Excited voices echoed in the backyard of Starry Residence.


    Hol and Theodore circled around the griffin, their eyes sparkling with excitement.


    Having a griffin as a mount was the ultimate dream for any man, be they a giant or a lich!


    Laura, on the other hand, let out a startled cry when she saw the griffin¡ªnot out of joy, but fear.


    The griffin''s body was at least ten times her original size. It could easily gulp down a "kitty" like her in one bite, and she was hesitant to get close.


    Luo Wei hadn''t expected the feline beastkin to be afraid of the griffin. She patted Laura''s shoulder reassuringly. "Are you okay?"


    "I''m... I''m fine," Laura replied, forcing herself to approach the griffin. Only after confirming that it showed no hostility toward her did she relax. "I''m not scared. I can do this."


    She cheered herself on and carefully climbed onto the griffin''s back.


    Hol and Theodore also climbed up, poking and prodding the griffin''s back like two clueless kids who had never seen the world.


    Troy helped Luo Wei up, and the griffin spread its wings, soaring into the sky.


    As the dawn broke, golden light filtered through the clouds.


    The massive griffin''s wings stirred the mist as it glided through the rising sun.


    The sun traveled from the southeast to the southwest. Night encroached upon the day, with the eastern sky already shrouded in darkness while the west still painted shades of twilight.


    The four youths on the griffin''s back slept in a chaotic pile, and if not for Troy securing them with ropes, they might have fallen from the sky long ago.


    The wind in the sky was biting, leaving everyone stiff and frozen.


    Luo Wei had prepared well. She wrapped herself in a cloak as soon as they took off, covering Laura the "kitty" as well.


    Hol and Theodore, who had come unprepared, ended up with icicles hanging from their noses. In the end, they buried their faces in the griffin''s thick fur, sticking their rears up and refusing to move.


    Troy, being a magic swordsman with strong magical energy, was unaffected by the cold wind. He stood tall among the group, like a steel warrior.


    As the sky grew darker, the griffin descended toward the ground just before the last glimmer of twilight faded in the west.


    The Magic Beast Mountains were over 1,200 miles away from Siria, and after flying for an entire day, they finally arrived.


    The icy wind ceased as they landed, and Luo Wei and her companions staggered off the griffin, their feet sinking into the soft soil of the Magic Beast Village.


    "Let''s rest here tonight. We''ll head into the mountains tomorrow," Luo Wei suggested.


    Troy unloaded her luggage and patted the griffin''s shoulder, signaling it to find a place in the mountains to rest.


    He didn''t need to say anything; the others were already unwilling to continue.


    After a day on the griffin''s back with no food, they were cold, hungry, and nauseous. Their bodies felt like frozen sticks, and even walking too briskly might shatter them into icy shards.


    Luo Wei''s teeth chattered. "Let''s go find an inn and rest."


    She was dressed the warmest but was in the worst condition among the group. After all, her three companions weren''t human, and their physical resilience was far superior.


    Troy carried the heavy luggage, leading the way, followed by four youths waddling like ducklings.


    As they reached the central square of the Magic Beast Village, a gust of wind blew past, and the four let out a collective sigh of relief. "So warm~"


    The wind was so gentle, its temperature so comforting, like the breeze from a sea of May flowers or the tender caress of a lover. It was intoxicating.


    Passersby gave them strange looks. "Crazy!"

 Chapter 94: The Cat Seeks Revenge for Her Parents

    In the dead of winter, the weather was so cold it could freeze a person to death, yet these people claimed it was warm!


    People around them moved away slightly, lest they catch the foolishness.


    Troy, leading a group of four, found a relatively clean inn.


    "How many rooms do you need?" he asked Luo Wei.


    "Five rooms, please. Everyone''s tired today; we should each have a room to rest well."


    Just as Luo Wei finished speaking, the innkeeper spoke apologetically, "Sorry, guests, we only have two rooms left."


    Luo Wei was a bit surprised, "Are there that many tourists here?"


    "There are always this many, all year round. You know, half of the bounty hunters and adventurers from the Western Continent are here, along with many wandering swordsmen and magicians. After all, our town is the closest to the Magic Beast Mountains, and everyone makes their fortune from the mountains."


    "Actually, with five of you, two rooms should be enough. I''m telling you, there''s no better inn in town than mine. Those inns downstairs are all taverns, full of drunken nuisances!"


    "If you really mind, you could try elsewhere, but it''s cold these days, and many swordsmen who used to sleep outside can''t stand it anymore and have come in. It''s likely you won''t find this many rooms elsewhere."


    The innkeeper''s persuasion dispelled Luo Wei''s hesitation.


    "Then two rooms it is. We girls will take one, and you boys take the other."


    She had Troy pay, and the innkeeper enthusiastically led them to the rooms upstairs.


    "Hey, did you hear? A bunch of fools came to town, standing in the freezing snow saying it was warm!"


    A few burly men entered the lobby, laughing heartily.


    Luo Wei glanced at her companions, and the four of them quickened their pace, taking two steps at a time, heads down as they hurried upstairs.


    The Magic Beast Town is actually called Legdavor Town, but because it''s at the entrance to the Magic Beast Mountains and the largest magic material transfer station, outsiders like to call it Magic Beast Town.


    Despite being called a town, it''s actually much larger than Siria City.


    Magic Beast Town doesn''t belong to any country; it, along with the Magic Beast Mountains behind it, is under the jurisdiction of the Magic Association.


    The Magic Beast Mountains are open to everyone, but those who enter the mountains do so at their own risk, and those who come out alive must undergo a detailed inspection by the Magic Association. They must also give two-tenths of the magic materials they bring out to the association as operational funds.


    Laura had told Luo Wei all this.


    Laura also mentioned that her home was originally near the Magic Beast Mountains. As a child, she wandered out and was recognized by a magician.


    Her parents were killed by the magician trying to save her, their fur was stripped away, and the person even said he would make a cloak out of her parents'' fur.


    "I went to Siria Magic Academy to become a magician, so that I can join the Magic Association in the future, find that magician, and avenge my parents."The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "But my magical talent is not good at all; I can''t become a magician. I can only become a magic array master."


    Luo Wei held her hand, "It''s okay, Laura. Magic array masters are also powerful. You can still join the Magic Association."


    "Thank you for comforting me, Miss Luo Wei," Laura''s amber eyes glistened with tears, and she sniffed, "I''m the last beastman of the cat tribe. Once I get my revenge, I''ll leave here and go to the Wastes to search for the ruins of the Beast God."


    The Beast God is the deity worshipped by the beastmen, who perished in the War of Faith.


    The Wolf God, whom Gladys worships, was once a subordinate god of the Beast God. After the Beast God fell, it turned to the embrace of darkness.


    Two thousand years ago, beastmen were a prosperous race, their population not less than that of humans.


    And the disaster for the beastmen seemed to have begun after the fall of the Beast God.


    "Let''s sleep, Laura," Luo Wei held her warm hand, her voice gentle, "Someday, your wishes will all come true."


    After spending a warm night at the inn, the five officially began their adventure.


    The Magic Beast Mountains are home to many ferocious and murderous magical beasts and poisonous creatures. The Holy Magister who founded the Magic Association set up a magic array here, keeping the vicious beasts within the mountains.


    Those who wish to enter must also pass through the magic array.


    Fortunately, the Holy Magister left a teleportation magic array in the town, which can transport people into the Magic Beast Mountains.


    The five paid the fee and entered the teleportation array in Magic Beast Town.


    "Is this the teleportation magic pattern inscribed by the Holy Magister?"


    Luo Wei stood on a circular stone platform sixteen feet long, seeing the magic stone at the center emit a golden light that flowed like water into the grooves at her feet, illuminating the entire magic pattern in the blink of an eye.


    "This is a medium-sized magic pattern array that can teleport ten people at once."


    Laura, being an apprentice in magic patterns and already learning the drawing of teleportation patterns, explained to Luo Wei, "The magic stone in the middle is a mixed magic stone refined from five-element magic stones, providing pure magic power instead of a magician for the teleportation pattern."


    "Unlike enchantments, teleportation patterns require a lot of energy for each use, so most magicians choose to use a magic stone to activate the array, so it doesn''t drain their magic power."


    Luo Wei looked at the golden magic patterns on the ground, feeling the lively magic elements around her, a sense of wonder rising in her heart.


    Magic patterns are truly a defiance of science.


    Just drawing a circle of dense and complex patterns on the ground, adding a magic stone, can really achieve space travel?


    "It''s about to start, quick, let''s hold hands and stand firm, or we''ll get separated," Laura reminded everyone.


    Luo Wei held Laura''s hand with her left, and grabbed Troy''s sleeve with her right. Troy, on his right, held onto Theodore and Hol.


    A circle of light columns rose at the edge of the platform, enclosing them within the magic pattern. The air around them suddenly thinned, and the lively magic elements playfully passed through them. A strong sense of dizziness came over Luo Wei, and she quickly closed her eyes.


    She had wanted to see how the teleportation pattern allowed them to traverse, but she didn''t expect the teleportation pattern to be like high-level spells, with a built-in dizziness effect, making it unobservable.


    Magic power is like intelligence; when it''s too low, you can''t understand anything!


    After a while, the whistling wind in her ears suddenly stopped, and strange sounds echoed all around.


    Luo Wei opened her eyes to see a brown-furred monkey swinging through the treetops, jumping into the forest not far away. A few rabbits darted into the bushes, and within a twenty-meter radius centered on them, no small animals were in sight.


    "Are we there?" she asked in confusion.


    How come the Magic Beast Mountains look no different from an ordinary forest, with animals so afraid of people?


    "This is the outskirts of the Magic Beast Mountains. The magic elements are sparse, and there are no large magical beasts, so it''s relatively safe. Just watch out for poisonous snakes, insects, rats, and ants," Troy said, cutting through the thorns in front of him and leading the group to an open area.


    "Are there poisonous snakes in winter?" Luo Wei questioned.


    "There are," Troy replied, "Frost Poison Snakes like to appear in winter."


    "If you cross that mountain ahead, there are even more poisonous snakes on the other side."


    "The Magic Beast Mountains are located along the Eastern Sea coast, forming a crescent shape. Magic Beast Town is on its bowstring. Crossing seven or eight mountains, you can see the crescent-shaped coastline. The coast is still blowing warm winds in winter, with temperatures higher than inland."


    Warm winds, could it be a warm current?


    How does this contradict the geographical knowledge she learned, where mid-low latitudes are warm in the east and cold in the west, while mid-high latitudes are cold in the east and warm in the west?


    """

 Chapter 95: Let Me Treat Your Leg

    Suppressing the doubts in her heart, Luo Wei followed in Troy''s footsteps, heading deeper into the Magic Beast Mountains.


    The widest part of the Magic Beast Mountains spans over three hundred kilometers. They still needed to travel at least a hundred kilometers eastward to reach the area where large magical beasts appeared.


    "We''ve been walking for so long, why haven''t we seen many people?" Theodore looked around curiously. "During our training this year, we''d encounter a team or two every few kilometers. How come we haven''t met anyone today?"


    Luo Wei replied, "Maybe there are fewer people in winter."


    "Plus, the teleportation array is connected to the magic array of the Magic Beast Mountains, which sends people to different places," Laura added.


    Hol looked up, "The weather''s not good today. It looks like it''s going to rain."


    Luo Wei pulled her cloak tighter. "I hope not. I don''t want to climb mountains in the rain."


    The further they went, the taller the vegetation around them grew. Towering ancient trees blocked out the sky, leaving the forest dim.


    Rotting tree roots were covered with writhing black segmented worms. Vividly colored birds flitted between branches, while tall face-like flowers dangled their heads, using sticky nectar to attract forest flies and venomous bees.


    Theodore accidentally stepped on a thumb-sized centipede larva, and suddenly a half-human-tall centipede emerged from the decaying grass, its sharp poisonous fangs biting into his thigh.


    "Swish¡ª"


    A long sword pierced the centipede''s body, pinning it to the ground.


    "Theodore!"


    "Theodore, are you okay?"


    Concerned, the group gathered around him.


    Two dark red venomous fangs hung from Theodore''s leg, with foul-smelling yellow mucus seeping through his thin linen pants. Hol and Laura helped him sit on a fallen spruce trunk.


    Troy cut off the centipede''s head with a single stroke, wiped the dirt and mucus from his sword with a handful of leaves, and quickly approached Theodore.


    Theodore had already removed the fangs, leaving two holes in his pants and a wet patch of centipede venom.


    Troy raised his sword, "Corpse Rot Centipedes are highly poisonous and can cause your entire body to fester. Hold still, I''ll help you by cutting off your leg."


    He was about to swing his sword when Theodore turned pale with fright, "No, no, no, big brother, I''m fine, don''t cut me!"


    Troy was unusually serious, "It seems the poison has already numbed your body. We must amputate quickly, or it will spread throughout your body."


    "I''m really okay," Theodore was sweating bullets. He hurriedly ripped his pants to expose the wound, "I''m not poisoned, look!"


    On his bronze-colored thigh were two round bite marks, but the skin wasn''t even broken.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Troy''s eyes showed a hint of doubt, "This Corpse Rot Centipede''s fangs¡ª"


    "Weren''t sharp!" Theodore quickly interjected, "This Corpse Rot Centipede was old. Look, it''s so old its teeth fell out, couldn''t even bite through my tender skin."


    Troy gave him a look of wanting to say more but ultimately held back, "Your, uh... your black leg here isn''t exactly tender."


    It was obvious how thick his skin was. The venomous fangs of a Corpse Rot Centipede could pierce iron, and he had dulled them.


    However, knowing that Theodore wasn''t poisoned, Troy abandoned the idea of treating his leg.


    "The further we go, the more magical beasts there will be. Everyone, be careful and stay behind me."


    The group continued onward, poor Theodore wearing a flared pant leg on one side, his long leg hairs dancing in the cold wind.


    Those leg hairs were originally warts on his true form, which turned into long, thin sweat hairs in human form.


    After traveling another dozen kilometers east, they began to encounter various uniquely shaped magical plants.


    Hol discovered several Snake Staff Herbs in a mountain stream, a low-tier magical plant used to brew insect-repelling potions, worth a silver coin per plant. He was overjoyed, grabbing a burlap sack and rushing down.


    "Watch out for poisonous insects!" Troy shouted.


    What did a lich care about poisonous insects?


    But Hol still appreciated Troy''s concern, grabbing the sack and jumping into the ravine, wading towards the Snake Staff Herbs.


    Theodore and Laura also found some magical plants and squatted in the grass to dig them up.


    Luo Wei sat on a hillside, and Troy stood guard behind her with his sword.


    After more than twenty minutes, the three finished gathering the magical plants and climbed back up with their bags.


    "Luo Wei, didn''t you gather any magical plants?" Laura asked, seeing both Luo Wei and Troy empty-handed, looking puzzled.


    "Not gathering magical plants?" Theodore turned to Luo Wei, "Then what are you here for, training? Low-level magic apprentices aren''t supposed to train yet, right?"


    Hol was also curious, "Aren''t you here to find magical materials?"


    "No," Luo Wei shook her head, "I''m here to find Spiritwood."


    "But," Laura said worriedly, "Spiritwood grows in the deepest parts of the Magic Beast Mountains, where high-tier magical beasts abound. Usually, only Magisters dare venture there. It would be very dangerous for you."


    The classification of magical beasts is quite rough, with only three levels: low, medium, and high. But a mature high-tier magical beast is incredibly powerful, so much so that even a Magister might struggle against it.


    Theodore also shook his head, "I wouldn''t dare go that deep. You''d better not go."


    "You''re just starting to learn magic. Once inside, you might not even be able to handle a newborn magical beast cub. You''d be better off collecting low-tier magical plants or looking for magical beast eggs outside!"


    Luo Wei immediately glared at Troy, gritting her teeth, "You never told me any of this!"


    Troy looked innocent, "I thought you knew."


    Besides, he did mention that Spiritwood grows in valleys rich in magical elements, where there are many magical beasts, making it difficult to harvest.


    "So what do we do now? Can we still go in to find Spiritwood?" Luo Wei asked angrily.


    "We can," Troy said honestly, "I''ve been in seven or eight times."


    Theodore, Laura, and Hol were shocked, looking at Troy in disbelief, "You, you wouldn''t be..."


    Troy nodded, "A Magic Swordsman, intermediate level."


    "Intermediate Magic Swordsman!"


    The three widened their eyes, their faces full of disbelief. He was so young, dressed so plainly, yet he was an intermediate Magic Swordsman!


    The levels of swordsmen are the same as those of magicians, with eight levels: low, medium, high-level swordsman, low, medium, high-level Magic Swordsman, then Great Magic Swordsman, and Holy Magic Swordsman.


    Moreover, leveling up as a swordsman is much harder than as a magician. At the same level, a Magic Swordsman is much stronger than a Magister, given their faster speed and greater lethality in close combat, whereas magicians need a long time to chant spells.


    There are fewer than a hundred Magic Swordsmen on the Western Continent, fewer than fifty intermediate ones, and advanced Magic Swordsmen are even rarer.


    The group''s gaze at Troy was tinged with admiration. As a Magic Swordsman, he dressed so modestly; he must be a man of noble character. No wonder even a Griffin was willing to be his mount!


    But on second thought, such a powerful swordsman was Luo Wei''s guard. Wow, Luo Wei must be amazing too!


    The three were envious to the point of tears, resolving to cling tightly to Luo Wei''s substantial backing.


    Laura gathered her courage and nervously approached Luo Wei, "Luo Wei, I know a place where a thousand-year-old Spiritwood grows."