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“Hey hey, not poking, really not poking.”
In the dean’s office, smoke swirled.
The Pink Bear lay on his newly bought faux leather sofa, enjoying a top-quality cigar from the Southrock region while flipping through the Holy Maiden Photo Collection 2.0 he had recently acquired through special channels, occasionally letting out lewd guffaws.
This time, the Holy Maiden photo collection not only featured actresses who resembled the Holy Maiden more closely but also included a reenactment of iconic scenes.
For example, in the scene of the Sacred Mother of the Church of Life purifying the undead demons in a graveyard, the Pure Mother, holding a solemn staff, emitted an immeasurable sacred light, cleansing the grotesque demons, evoking the utmost reverence in anyone who beheld the scene.
However, the “Holy Maiden” in the photos wore a jaw-dropping, alluring bikini that was quite revealing.
“Tsk tsk, the interplay of solemnity and allure, the combination of angel and devil, marvelous, simply marvelous! Just looking at this photo collection feels like my soul has been uplifted. It’s a shame I don’t know who could have such a genius idea. I really want to meet the author of this collection.”
While sighing, the Pink Bear flicked the ash off his cigar and scratched his backside with his furry paw.
Ah, how nice it is to have this leisurely time. If only I could…
“Pink Bear!”
A deafening roar came, and the office door was kicked open.
“What the hell, you’re back so soon.”
The Pink Bear jolted upright, hurriedly hiding the photo collection behind him, looking toward the furious Professor Plon at the door, shaking his head in fear:
“I wasn’t slacking off, I swear!”
“Slacking off is a trivial matter; anything is fine,” Professor Plon said, his eyes bloodshot, gritting his teeth.
“Huh?”
The Pink Bear was taken aback.
Slacking off?
Trivial?
Is that something you, Professor Plon, would say?
Last time at the inquiry meeting, I merely dozed off for half an hour, and you almost kicked my skin suit open, right?
Why are you so lenient this time?
Before the Pink Bear could recover his wits, he saw Professor Plon’s sinister sneer:
“Grab him!”
“Understood!”
“Right away!”
Teachers Kaide and Professor Gran appeared out of nowhere, each gripping one of the Pink Bear’s arms tightly.
“What are you doing? What do you want?”
Realizing that something was wrong, the Pink Bear began to struggle in panic.
But both Kaide and Professor Gran were not weak adversaries, and combined, even he found it difficult to break free.
Not to mention there was a Crowned One, Professor Plon, lurking menacingly in front of him.
Surrounded by the three, the Pink Bear had no escape.
But why were they doing this?
The Pink Bear’s eyes widened in fear.
Could it be…
They found out he had misappropriated funds again to buy sofas, cigars, and photo collections?
“Pink Bear! Look at this good deed you’ve done!”
While pondering how to gloss over the funding issue, the Pink Bear was suddenly struck in the face by a stack of documents thrown by Professor Plon.
“This is…”
Following the document’s direction, the Pink Bear saw information about a man with a huge scar on his face.
“Eh? Isn’t this that guy?”
The Pink Bear recalled:
“That guy who has feelings for Mu’en.”
“Oh? Have you remembered the good deed you did?”
“Good deed? Oh, well, it truly was a good deed. I helped him find his true love.
Huh? Wait a minute.”
Looking at Professor Plon, whose expression suggested he wanted to chop him into pieces, the Pink Bear suddenly had a bad thought.
“Could it be…
He succeeded!”
If that duke’s son had such a preference, and he happened to meet the Scar-faced Man, they might hit it off and fall in love…
—Oh no, Duke Campbell would kill me.
He would come with hundreds of thousands of troops to cut me down!
Damn it, I just wanted to have some fun. Are all these noble boys so degenerate in their tastes?
Even if you have this kink, at least find someone attractive!
“Although I don’t know what you’re thinking, I bet you definitely thought wrong.”
Professor Plon picked up the document and pointed to a section:
“I’m asking about this matter.”
“This matter?”
The Pink Bear looked where Professor Plon pointed and found that under the Scar-faced Man’s identity section, the words “Mountain Bandit” were clearly written.
“Mountain Bandit?”
The Pink Bear’s eyes widened: “This guy is actually a mountain bandit?”
“…”
Professor Plon paused for a moment:
“You didn’t know?”
“How would I know? Although this guy does look a lot like a mountain bandit, do you think I’m such a shallow person who judges by appearance? Besides, this guy doesn’t have a trace of bloodshed on him; do you think a mountain bandit who hasn’t killed anyone is believable?”
“Then why didn’t you use the academy’s intelligence system to check? Do you know how much reputational damage it would bring to our academy if a mountain bandit became one of our teachers?” Professor Plon roared.
The Pink Bear was shocked: “Intelligence system? Your academy that educates and nurtures has an intelligence system? What are you planning to do?”
“Hmph, there’s more than just the intelligence system. There’s actually an armory hidden beneath the academy,” Professor Plon sneered.
“An armory?”
The Pink Bear froze for a moment and suddenly erupted in righteous fury:
“Are you trying to rebel? I tell you, as long as I’m Pink Bear in charge for a day, I absolutely won’t allow such disrespectful things to happen! Let me go, and buy me a newly released Holy Maiden figurine as an apology, or I’ll report you to the monarch!”
“Too lazy to argue with you here.”
Knowing that continuing this conversation with the Pink Bear would just mean he’d avoid the main point, Professor Plon got straight to the point.
“Even though you are the acting dean of the academy now, such negligence can’t be brushed off so easily. You must face punishment.”
“Punishment?”
The Pink Bear’s eyes widened in horror:
“What are you planning to do to punish me? Are you going to make me work overtime until I collapse from exhaustion?”
“That is indeed a good method, but I have a better idea.”
Professor Plon smirked coldly, suddenly bent down, and pulled out the Holy Maiden photo collection from behind the Pink Bear.
“Are you ready to accept hell, Dean Pink Bear?”
With a cold expression, Professor Plon opened the first page of the photo collection, powerful hands gripping the pages, then…
Slowly ripping it apart.
Tearing sound—
As the clear sound of paper ripping echoed, seeing the alluring “Holy Maiden” be torn in half, the Pink Bear felt as if his soul was being shredded along with it.
“No—”
……
……
“Is that how you let him off the hook?”
In Professor Plon’s office, Professor Gran brewed tea as if he was very familiar with it, then handed Professor Plon a cup.
“Such mercy doesn’t seem like your style?”
“How could it be?”
Professor Plon scoffed:
“The next dozen inquiries are waiting for that fellow. Does he really think making such a mistake can be brushed off so easily? To me, the nobles are the ones watching the academy closely; they wouldn’t allow such things to happen.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
Professor Gran happily whistled and unceremoniously enjoyed the top-quality red tea he had gotten from Professor Plon.
“Speaking of which, has anything significant happened at the academy recently?”
Recently, Professor Plon had been busy, or else he wouldn’t have let the Pink Bear appoint a mountain bandit as a teacher without any review.
“Nothing, very peaceful.”
Professor Gran wore an ambiguous smile as he said:
“Nothing major, but there is an interesting little event.”
“Oh?”
Professor Plon became interested:
“What little event?”
“This.”
Professor Gran handed Professor Plon a newspaper:
“Although it’s just a small matter, it has already caused quite a stir in the academy these past few days.”
“That is somewhat interesting.”
Professor Plon took the newspaper and quickly scanned its contents.
“Mu’en Campbell declares boldly that he plans to achieve an excellent level on the upcoming Fundamentals of Magic exam.”
Professor Plon’s eyebrows raised:
“Excellent level, which means eighty points? Is he going to take the exam with the first-years?”
“Second-year.”
Professor Gran pointed to the back of the report.
“Second-year?”
Professor Plon was momentarily taken aback and then sneered:
“Impossible.”
“Oh, so certain?”
Professor Gran laughed: “What if his luck turns out well and he succeeds?”
“That is not a goal that can be achieved by luck.”
Professor Plon tossed the newspaper aside, losing interest.
“I have been a teacher for many years; I am quite clear about what can be accomplished and what cannot.
If Mu’en Campbell’s goal was sixty points, then for a month, if he were solely focused on this subject, with a good teacher, it would still be possible.
But for an excellent level of eighty points… that is absolutely impossible.”
Professor Plon was very clear about the chasm between sixty and eighty in the course of Fundamentals of Magic.
That gap cannot be filled merely by effort.
“What if? There’s always a ‘what if.’ What if he created that miracle?” Professor Gran leaned in, unrelenting.
“What if?”
Professor Plon scoffed dismissively and slammed his hand on his beloved antique desk:
“Still the same thing; if he really does that, I will eat my desk!”
……
……
“Is it spreading throughout the whole academy again?”
In the Ancient Magic Potion Society classroom, Mu’en stared at the newspaper handed to him by Senior Anna, dumbfounded.
At the most prominent position on the newspaper, it exaggeratedly reported Mu’en’s earlier bold claims made in the forest, even adding the title “Duke’s Son’s Comeback.”
One could imagine that with the release of these newspapers, it would cause quite a stir in the academy, which had just returned to calm.
“How does the news agency know everything? I remember I didn’t tell anyone this time,” Mu’en remarked, a bit puzzled.
“Junior, don’t underestimate Senior Mingote from the news agency.”
Anna handed Mu’en a cup of coffee, which he grabbed, only to be surprised that it was brewed using a measuring cup.
Do intellectual older sisters who experiment like to do this?
“He became the president of the news agency because of his strength; more importantly, he can manipulate birds with magic. Many birds in the academy serve as his ears, and it’s rare for anything to escape his notice.”
“Manipulating birds? Now it makes sense.”
With such convenient magic, it was no wonder the news agency always got the scoop first.
“What? Are you scared, Junior?”
Senior Anna stirred the coffee in the measuring cup with a glass rod, and when the sugar dissolved, she gently licked the transparent glass rod with her pink tongue, looking exceptionally enticing.
“Being watched by so many people is definitely not a good thing.”
“Scared?”
Mu’en steadied himself, forcing a smile:
“I’ve already put it all on the line. What else is there to be afraid of?”
Mu’en continued flipping through the newspaper until he reached the last page, where he saw the betting information about whether he could achieve an excellent score, and couldn’t help but twitch his lips.
“Seriously? They even set up a betting market? How bored are those people?”
“Studying is dull; one has to find some fun, right?” Anna sipped her coffee, laughing lightly.
“Oh? Does that mean you placed a bet, Senior?” Mu’en blinked, curious.
“Which side did you bet on?”
“Which side?”
Anna propped her chin up and countered:
“What side do you hope I bet on?”
“I…”
Mu’en’s eyes shifted, and he said:
“I hope you bet on the ‘cannot’ side.”
“Oh? Why?”
Anna asked:
“Does Junior not want me to believe in you?”
“I certainly want you to believe in me.”
Mu’en crossed his hands under his chin, speaking earnestly:
“But I want even less for you to lose your bet.”
“…… Hehe, Junior, you even think of flirting with me at a time like this. You’re quite the scumbag.”
Anna pretended to be angry and lightly tapped Mu’en’s head with the book in her hand, chuckling:
“Have a little more confidence in yourself, young man.”
“I want to, too.”
Mu’en sighed. “But back when I made such a bold statement, it really did sound impressive. Now that I’m calm down, it is indeed a bit hard to achieve.”
“So, will you give up just like that?”
Anna tilted her head:
“Actually, sixty points, the original score you mentioned, is already quite an impressive goal.”
“Give up?”
Mu’en lowered his head, staring at the table.
The table used for experiments was made of metal and was spotless from Senior’s cleaning.
Like a bronze mirror, it faintly reflected his shadow.
And in the mirror, that golden-haired man looked well-dressed and handsome, but Mu’en felt he was just so disheveled.
Unable to accomplish anything.
Unable to change anything.
Neither himself nor others.
Compared to Aemon, he looked more like a dog.
“Who said anything about giving up?”
Mu’en clenched his fist, as if he wanted to embed those words in his heart one by one.
“I will not give up, never!”
“Is that so?”
As if already anticipating Mu’en’s answer, Anna snapped her fingers.
Suddenly, a stack of thick books appeared before Mu’en.
“This is…”
“Practice workbooks.”
Anna stated:
“Since Junior’s goal has changed, our study methods must change as well. We can’t limit ourselves to memorizing and reviewing the basic knowledge; you also need to practice extensively based on the types of questions that may appear on different examinations.
After all, exams won’t cover the content from the textbooks entirely.”
“I see.”
Mu’en understood:
“It’s the sea of questions strategy, indeed quite nostalgic.”
“Nostalgic?”
Anna raised an eyebrow in confusion:
“Have you ever done that?”
“Haha, maybe I’ve dreamt about it…”
Faced with Anna’s puzzled expression, Mu’en could only chuckle awkwardly, brushing it aside.
After all, he couldn’t exactly say that in his past life, due to the most important “college entrance examination,” he had long experienced what was called a “sea of questions,” right?
But it feels similar.
This upcoming exam, like the entrance exam in his past, would determine his future.
“Then, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
After all, hadn’t he experienced it once before?
Anything, as long as you’ve gone through it the first time, the second time wouldn’t be so panic-inducing.
Just follow the steps, progressing step by step.
So…
“Come on, Senior, don’t pity this delicate flower of mine; please go ahead and trample me with all your might!” Mu’en said with a determined expression.
“Really? Then Junior, you better not cry later.”
Anna held a teaching rod from nowhere, gently waved it, and grinned:
“Teacher Anna is very strict, you know.”
……
……
At night.
In the dormitory.
The precious gem Mu’en bought at a high price emitted a bright light, illuminating the entire dorm room.
On the opposite dorm building, except for a few upperclassmen’s rooms, there was only dim light. The rest had long plunged into darkness.
The night was deep, and Mu’en was still reading diligently under the lamplight.
Finally, he could no longer endure the soreness in his eyes, stopping to apply a hot towel over them.
From the recently prepared hot water, it’s clear this scene had been repeated many times.
“It seems the human body has its limits.”
Mu’en rubbed his temples, feeling the warmth on his face, unable to help but sigh.
Even the body of a Second-tier Warrior cannot withstand a whole day’s studying; delicate parts like eyes had begun to protest.
“If only there were a way to make me unconcerned about physical fatigue.”
Mu’en thought and suddenly awoke.
“Wait, I think I actually have that method!”
Saying that, Mu’en didn’t care about the wet towel that had fallen to the ground and quickly focused his thoughts deep down.
In the Black Book Space.
But this time there was neither servant assassins nor naked adventurers.
It wasn’t completely dark anymore.
Under Mu’en’s intentional control, the scene turned into… an ancient potion classroom.
The blue curtains, favored by Senior, swayed gently, but unfortunately, it was dark outside, and nothing could be seen.
Touching the cold metal desk, Mu’en couldn’t help but smile:
“Ah, it’s here, it truly feels reassuring.”
After a brief sigh, Mu’en focused, and the practice workbooks he had been working on appeared before him.
“Practice brings real knowledge, let’s give it a try.”
Mu’en plunged into study once more.
Then, he didn’t know how long had passed.
Mu’en snapped back from his thorough studying, glanced at the time, and felt his body was in good shape, revealing a joyful expression.
“I’ve been studying for three hours straight! It seems that in the Black Book Space, I don’t get tired at all.”
Actually, if he thought about it, it was straightforward: in the Black Book Space, it was Mu’en’s consciousness that was active, so only mental fatigue accumulated, while his body wouldn’t suffer from fatigue.
Moreover, one could say that during the time spent studying in the Black Book, his body was able to rest adequately.
And for his spirit… thanks to Mu’en’s long practice of combat in the Black Book Space, his mental strength already far surpassed ordinary people.
After all, how could someone who had died countless times not be resilient?
“So this means I can compress my sleep time to the shortest level!” Mu’en’s eyes lit up.
Not needing to rely on sleep to alleviate physical fatigue, two hours of deep sleep every day would be enough to rejuvenate his spirit.
And this way, it would essentially give him an extra four hours of learning time every day!
Mu’en couldn’t help but excitedly fist his hand.
Indeed, only effort will not betray a person.
Those earlier struggles seemed to yield no results, but ultimately, they rewarded him in an unexpected way.
They finally let his seemingly unattainable goal shimmer a little in the dark.
……
“But straightforwardly doing practice questions without knowing right or wrong seems to lack efficiency.”
As he completed the questions, Mu’en still felt something was off.
After all, in this world, the subject of magic ultimately catered only to nobility and certain geniuses. Though a certain system had formed, it was exactly not as universal as subjects in his previous life.
For example, the workbooks in Mu’en’s hand that the seniors had collected from who knows where were nowhere near the standards of formal versions. They resembled a collection of past exams and professors’ assignments, with some parts being handwritten.
Thus, there was fundamentally no such thing as a reference answer.
The significance of a sea of questions strategy isn’t merely conducting a large quantity of practice without caring about quality and efficiency; rather, it is about identifying one’s easy mistakes or knowledge gaps through continuous practice, swiftly consolidating and perfecting one’s knowledge.
But if he didn’t even know whether he was right or wrong, it was impossible to discuss the subsequent consequences; it would merely amplify his speed and proficiency in doing problems.
And for Mu’en at this moment, speed and proficiency were utterly useless.
“But if I let Senior grade them tomorrow…”
Not to mention if she had that much time and energy, efficiency-wise, it completely contradicted Mu’en’s philosophy.
I need to think of some other solutions.
Mu’en stroked his chin, pondering.
The first method that came to Mu’en’s mind was to hire a few “teachers” specialized in grading his exercises.
After all, he wasn’t short on money.
But hiring teachers required a lot of time, and there was no guarantee he would find any.
Thus, this method would only serve as a last resort.
Mu’en continued to think.
As he did so, his gaze wandered around casually and inadvertently, he caught a glimpse of the deep darkness outside as the blue curtain swayed.
Darkness…
Black…
Suddenly, inspiration struck Mu’en.
“Black Book!”
With Mu’en’s summons, the Black Book slowly took shape.
However, this time, the Black Book seemed to be moving at a leisurely pace, appearing somewhat reluctant.
Mu’en didn’t dwell on it; he excitedly summoned the Black Book over.
“You can do it, right, Black Book?”
He patted the practice workbook:
“Help me grade!”
【……】
The Black Book fell silent.
“You absolutely can!”
Seeing the Black Book’s lack of response, Mu’en’s eyes sharpened:
“Your ability is to record, right? You even know the Evil God’s weaknesses! I don’t believe you don’t know the basic knowledge of the first year in Fundamentals of Magic!”
【……】
“Last time you changed my fate without informing me in advance; I haven’t let you off the hook for that yet.”
【Sigh.】
A familiar heavy sigh escaped.
The stacks of workbooks before Mu’en began flipping rapidly.
Then, on the back of each question, small checkmarks ✓ or crosses × appeared.
“Thank you!”
Mu’en exclaimed joyfully and quickly flipped back to the early questions, starting to tackle the ones he got wrong.
But while going through, he suddenly turned to the Black Book with a serious expression:
“What is the basic content of the magical syllogism?”
【……】
The Black Book reluctantly flipped pages, providing an explanation identical to that in the textbook, appearing before Mu’en.
“Thank you, love you!”
Mu’en felt like hugging the Black Book and kissing it.
It certainly couldn’t be called a good teacher, but it could undoubtedly be labeled as an excellent textbook.
By showing which concepts he didn’t understand, and at certain levels, it didn’t even require seeking out information himself, such a textbook is something anyone would love!
……
In the lengthy night, Mu’en immersed himself in studying.
The Black Book floated beside him, occasionally flipping pages to reveal knowledge points from textbooks or records from Anna’s lectures.
Mu’en made rapid progress.
Until this point, he didn’t seem to notice that he could easily cheat by using the Black Book, effortlessly passing the exams.
Or perhaps, the option of cheating never even appeared in his consideration.
……
……
“You’re late.”
In the student council room, Celicia looked at Wei Er, who rushed in with dewy hair, expressionless, and said:
“You were fifteen minutes late.”
“Hehe… President, spare me…”
Wei Er stuck out her tongue in surrender:
“I got caught up questioning Aemon last night, so I overslept.”
“Is that so? But when I went to see Aemon just now, he said you left at eight last night.”
“Uh…”
Wei Er’s charming face stiffened slightly as she considered whether to kneel down pleading for forgiveness or hold onto the president’s leg to save her beloved novel.
“Forget it.”
This time, however, Celicia did not pursue the matter.
“Go make me a cup of coffee.”
“Alright.”
Wei Er felt relieved, moving about swiftly.
In less than a while, the room was filled with the aroma of coffee.
Celicia, meanwhile, held her arms behind her back and turned to look out the window.
The autumn air was rich, with tilting phoenix tree leaves falling, carpeting the quiet road and creating a golden river.
If walked upon, it would definitely produce a clear sound.
It was beautiful, but sadly the quiet morning passed without anyone walking by.
“What day is it today?” Celicia suddenly asked.
“It should be the fifth day.”
Wei Er thought Celicia was asking about Aemon’s matter and chatted while preparing coffee:
“That Aemon is really stupid. A stranger’s potion, and he actually dared to drink it; sigh, he didn’t even see the person’s appearance clearly. It’s infuriating! If he had been a bit smarter, we wouldn’t have been so busy, right, President…”
“Yeah, kind of foolish.”
Celicia returned her gaze, but she wasn’t sure whom she was referring to:
“However, I’m not used to not seeing him running in the morning these past few days.”
……
……
“Ariel!”
On the way to class, Lia gazed at the dazing Ariel beside her, her sparkling eyes revealing a hint of confusion.
“You seem off lately!”
“Huh? Really?”
Ariel snapped back to her senses, blinking her eyes:
“Just an illusion.”
“Definitely! Spacing out in class, zoning out while walking, and even often smiling foolishly at a Communication Stone!”
Lia’s expression grew serious:
“You wouldn’t still be thinking about that woman, right? Didn’t the professors say she’s fake?”
“Absolutely not!”
Ariel replied firmly, taking Lia’s hand, gazing deeply into her eyes:
“Right now, all I see is you, Lia.”
“Ugh, how annoying.”
Lia’s cheeks flushed, her spirit shy.
Since Ariel said that, she would forgive her.
But just when she wanted to say something, she noticed Ariel’s gaze was once again drawn elsewhere.
“What’s that…”
Following her gaze, the golden-haired man was sitting under the shade of a tree, fully focused on a book in his hand, mumbling something while occasionally sketching with the pen.
“It’s Mu’en Campbell.”
Lia recognized the golden-haired man under the tree:
“I heard he made some bold claims that he would score eighty points on the upcoming Fundamentals of Magic exam. Not sure if it’s true.”
“Huh, just trying to draw attention.”
Ariel sneered:
“He only scored three points on this subject last semester, yet wants eighty this time. Now he thinks he can put in effort? Not a chance! He should go sit in on the first-year exams instead.”
“True, but recently this matter has been buzzing around; I see many people discussing it. Oh, by the way.”
As if remembering something, Lia suddenly spoke up:
“Did Ariel participate in that betting pool?”
“Huh? Why do you ask?”
“Because I thought you would be the kind of person to indulge in such excitement.”
“…… ”
Ariel fell silent for a moment before a smirk formed on her lips, evil laughter escaping.
“Just as expected of Lia; you’re spot on. But I’m just playing around; I only bet two hundred emyrs.”
“Two hundred? Isn’t that your entire week’s worth of meals?”
Lia said worriedly:
“I remember you also bet your meal money last time, and you ended up eating black bread for a week. If this continues, you might become malnourished; your chest could really shrink!”
“Absolutely not!”
Ariel was furious and quickly said confidently:
“Last time, I forgot Mu’en Campbell has a very powerful father, which is why I stumbled this time it’s different!”
After all, even teachers who are extremely skilled in magic directly said that this was impossible, so it absolutely cannot happen!
“Just wait and see. This time, I will definitely not only make up for the previous losses but also recover my meal money!” Ariel declared victoriously.
“But… but the current odds are one to twenty, right? Most people still think Mu’en Campbell can’t do it, just like you, so even if you win, it seems you won’t make much money,” Lia carefully warned.
“…… ”
Ariel’s mouth fell agape, and then she became furious:
“Damn Mu’en Campbell!”
……
……
“I’ve decided! I’m going to bet all my pocket money for this month!”
In the Magic Art Society, a young girl with twin ponytails suddenly pulled out her little piggy bank and huffed angrily:
“One to twenty? Who do those people look down on? Do they think Mu’en is incompetent? If they don’t believe he can do it, then I absolutely do!”
“Yes, yes! I’m betting all my pocket money too.”
“Curse those short-sighted bastards. Long live our hero!”
The other two girls began chattering in agreement as if they could not wait to roll up their sleeves and personally fight against Mu’en’s detractors.
“Aima, Alva, and Emmy.”
Nearby, Senior Finnie sighed as she glanced at the three girls:
“Calm down! It’s not that we don’t believe in Mu’en Campbell, but the goal he set is too difficult. Even those teachers think it’s impossible.”
“So what if it is?!”
Aima slammed the table in anger.
“True love wins! Our idol lives forever! I say Mu’en can do it, so he definitely can!”
“Exactly! Exactly!”
“Agreed, agreed!”
“…… ”
Watching the three girls’ fighting spirit, as if even saying one bad word about Mu’en Campbell would cause them to pounce, Finnie couldn’t help but twitch the corners of her mouth.
Fanatics really are frightening.
But then, she couldn’t help but think… Should she also place a bet on Mu’en Campbell for amusement?
If she lost, she wouldn’t mind losing a bit. If she won… twenty times the return was indeed quite tempting.
Moreover…
What if things really turn out as these girls said, just what if?
……
……
After the Silent Moon invasion incident, no major events occurred, and the academy finally seemed to have attained a prolonged period of peace.
The leisurely daily routine Mu’en anticipated finally arrived, but he himself was too busy to enjoy this leisure.
This time period was extremely fulfilling.
Besides two hours of sleep each day, half an hour for meals (three times), and an hour for handling miscellaneous tasks (bathing, traveling, urgent needs, etc.), nearly all of Mu’en’s time was devoted to the subject of Fundamentals of Magic.
As Senior Fulan’s classes progressed with the assistance of the seniors, he also attended a few sessions.
He didn’t sit in a prominent spot but chose a secluded corner by the window, attentively listening to Professor Fulan’s lectures, verifying the content taught by the seniors to deepen his impressions.
Occasionally, he would raise his hand to ask questions, no longer fearful that Professor Fulan would also explain his doubts in great detail and with careful consideration.
One must say that aside from being emotionally impulsive, Professor Fulan was indeed a good teacher.
He just didn’t understand why, whenever he sat in that window spot, he was shot several daggers by Ariel.
This left him somewhat baffled, pondering when he had offended her again.
……
Time flowed incessantly.
Finally, the day before the exam arrived.
In the Ancient Magic Potion classroom, Anna closed her book, announcing the end of the last class.
“Alright, all the classes are done. Junior, take a break.”
“Huh? No need, I’m not tired.”
However, Mu’en ignored Anna and immediately opened his workbook, not stopping for a moment as he brushed through the questions.
Anna lowered her gaze, silently observing Mu’en.
His beautiful golden hair had grown quite a bit, but it was clear he hadn’t groomed it for a long time. The hair covered his ears and eyebrows, giving him a rather unkempt appearance.
His uniform was also somewhat disheveled, with many creases unironedd, even his tie was slightly askew, something unimaginable for a child born into wealth as a noble.
Though his handsome face still appeared ruddy, the exhaustion in his eyes was unmistakable.
That was mental fatigue, a stubborn soul pushing forward relentlessly every single day, leaving behind such aftereffects.
“Speaking of which, Mu’en, we haven’t tried participating in a club activity for a long time.”
“Huh? Now?”
Mu’en looked up in confusion.
“Right now.”
Anna nodded seriously, looking just like a mischievous child pestering an adult for candy.
“Then… alright.”
Out of both emotion and reason, Mu’en couldn’t refuse his senior’s small request and could only smile wryly:
“Just please make it quick; my time is very tight, the exam is tomorrow, and I still need to review the knowledge points again.”
“Of course it will be quick. Just drinking a potion.”
Anna chuckled softly, as if she had long prepared for this, placing a bottle of black liquid—making it impossible to see the potion inside—before Mu’en.
“Drink up.”
“This… shouldn’t have any terrifying effects, right?”
Mu’en still lingered on last time’s trauma.
“Rest assured, there will definitely be no problems this time.”
“Then here goes…”
Out of his trust in his senior, or perhaps to speed through and continue studying, Mu’en didn’t even ask about the specific effects, directly downing the potion in one go.
“As long as this is…”
Before he could finish speaking, Mu’en felt his vision blur.
Then, with a thud, he collapsed onto the desk.
Before long, rhythmic snores emerged, and he fell into the deeply restful sleep he had never experienced in the past month.
In the quiet potion classroom, Anna propped her chin, watching Mu’en, unable to resist reaching out to gently pat his head:
“Sleep well for a while, junior. You’ve worked hard enough.”
